Team S.J.G.R.: Thursday Huddle #2

I couldn't head out to D.C without huddling with my team!

But first let me tell you this:

Donkeys are now flying. Well, they sort of are. Because I have sort of gotten onto Facebook. But only to interact with the Team S.J.G.R. group page. So technically, donkeys aren't all the way flying. They're just sort of. . . hovering. Yeah. That's it.

I can only be found by those on Team S.J.G.R. So if you haven't joined and you are a Facebooker, make that happen. Thanks again to my baby sissy for all of her help with this. JoLai ROCKS!

Okay.

Hmm. How about a Top Ten so keep us all on the straight and. . .errr. . .narrow? Yeah! Don't mind if I do!

On this lovely Thursday I bring you:

THE TOP TEN RANDOM HEALTH THOUGHTS THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF SLEEPING OR FINISHING PACKING MY STUFF FOR D.C.

Like to hear it? Here it go!

#10  Food Comparison Apps and Websites

OMG. Have y'all ever visited this site called twofoods.com? There's also an app that you can get for your smart phones. So essentially when you're making a food choice and you're trying to choose between two foods,  this awesome app/site lets you throw them into the ring together.

I highly recommend this. I've found it quite helpful when trying to be mindful. And it's also good for when you're being bad but you're trying to decide just how bad you want to be. Ha ha ha. 

#9  Speaking of apps. . .

Are you familiar with Fooducate? Dude. This puppy has a scanner that goes straight over the UPC code. You can scan an item right there in the store--or in your house if the damage has already been done. And don't think that I haven't scanned something at a potluck. 

Mmmm hmmm.

Recommend this, too. The point is that when you actually KNOW what you're eating, you are far more likely to make better choices with foods and portions. Two slurps of a Chick Fil A shake  makes me very happy. But that's all I'm having since it has 7billion calories per slurp. Ha ha ha ha.

#8  Army Ten Miler

I am signed up for the Army Ten Miler and can't wait! I'll be out there with all of our nation's heroes and a bunch of others, too. We get to run through our Nation's capitol while folks wave flags and cheer us on. 

Way cool.

Lots of military guys, injured vets, and so many others. I'm inspired by amputees that run distance races (or participate in wheelchairs.) I see them and really feel motivated to get up off my butt. 

Guess what? I'm running it with C.J.'s mommy, Davina. She's an Army officer and another person that inspires me to never, ever give up.

#7  Gazpacho season

Hey! Gazpacho is a delicious, healthy, filling low calorie summer meal. A quick Google search will find you a crap ton of recipes. I like Barefoot Contessa's the best.

P.S. Adding Spicy V8 makes it YUMtacular.

P.P.S. If you have high blood pressure, chill on the V8. It's mad salty.

#6  FitBit One

Okay. So my brother gave me this fitness tracker called the Fitbit which I love, love, love. It tracks your steps, your flights of stairs, your calories and . . .dig this. . .your SLEEP! How awesome is that?

It clips to your pocket or bra so isn't all obvious like those arm bracelets. If you don't mind the bracelets, Nike Fuel Band is great and so is the Flex band by Fitbit. Anywho. I like the Fitbit.

But.

Be sure to remove it from your bra or pants before they go into the laundry. I may or may not have reordered another Fitbit after laundering the original given to me by Will. 

May or may not have.

#5  150 or more.

Are you making sure that your heart is getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity? Remember: This is what the AHA recommends for your heart health. I made a little chart that I printed out and track my exercise with. Can't figure out how to put it on the blog but if you go on the Facebook Team Page it's there. Or just email me and I'll send it to you.

There's a place for your exercise -- or your excuse if you didn't. Don't make the excuses a habit because the only one who loses is you.

Wait. I take that back. Your loved ones do, too.

#4  Water

Drinking a glass of water before you eat any meal is a great way to not overeat. I like adding a splash of lemon juice or even a little splash of cranberry juice so it doesn't taste so . . .watery.

Drink your water. 

#3  Overdrinking water.

But.

Did you know that there is such thing as overdoing it with water? If you overhydrate, you can dilute your blood. This drops your sodium levels and can put you at risk for being anything from fatigued and out of it to on the ground seizing. 

Don't believe me? Peep this.

#2 Wii Boogie!

Dude! I got my groove on today with Just Dance and the Michael Jackson Experience on Wii. Great work out, man. 

All I'm saying is that I'm nice with my Beat It. Real, real nice. 

And Thriller? I KILLED it. What? What!

#1 Where do you carry your load?

Remember: Our focus is overall improvement in cardiovascular fitness to reduce the chances of us succumbing to the number one cause of death and disability in the U.S. So all this talk about what we eat and weight loss is to get the fat from around our organs and torsos for heart protection.

YES.

Let's be clear. I like to fit my clothes and feel good about my appearance. But. I don't care about that nearly as much as I do seeing my sons grow up and meeting my grandkids. I hope you feel the same.

Now. 

If you carry a lot of weight around your mid-section know that this is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. If you have a spare tire or a thick middle, you need to get a tape measure and find out just how thick. Then when tracking your progress, you need to follow that, too.

Peep this for some more info on this important marker of your cardiovascular risk.

And remember: S.J.G.R.! So we don't ignore things like waist circumference because we feel discouraged or scared. Because being discouraged and scared DOES NOT prevent heart disease.

Feel me? Okay. Where was I?

What helps the tum tum? 

Well. Cutting down on refined sugars and bread? HUGE. That means limit white flour, white rice, sugar, etc. Eat lean meats. Say no to processed foods when possible. This will whittle down your midsection. Oh. And fizzy drinks? That's another one to try to start limiting. Remember when I said I lost 5 pounds for good just from giving up Diet Coke and sodas? 

Easiest 5 pounds gone EVER.

For reals. 

Okay. I need to go to bed. Or finish packing. Or something. 

Sh*t is still real. I will not let you put this on the back burner. Your heart is too important to me. You can do this. We got this. We do.

Love y'all. For real.

***

Happy Thursday. Check in and tell me what's up with you!