What's stopping us? -- By Dave Berry

It's time to roll out the second Fit City Challenge message.

The first message, asked in several ways, wants to know: "Why do you want to be fit? Why is it important for you to be healthy? What is your WHY?"

In an earlier post, I outlined my reasons for being fit. No sense repeating them. I've heard from many in Tyler's Fit City Coalition about why THEY think it's important... being role models for their children or spouse, building energy to do their jobs better, living healthier lives for as long as they can, wanting to be proud of themselves, wanting to enjoy life, wanting to undo the impact of too many years of apathy and inaction...

There are lots of reasons why. Obviously, there are more reasons why not. That's why so many of us are in a pickle ... unfit, unhealthy, struggling to shed pounds and fretting over the health of our children.

Which leads us to the second message that will be showing up in the next few days. Basically, it's this: "OK, if that's WHY you want to be fit, then WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?"

What is stopping us? I used to say it was time... not enough time. Now I see it's really about priority. I didn't make good health and fitness a priority. If it's a priority, you can find the time.

I'm working on it. Last week, my priority was to burn at least 500 calories through exercise every day. I missed one day but made up for it on the rest: Three days on the elliptical, two days walking with my wife, Saturday morning downtown for the Mayor's FitWalk and another walk later. (My pedometer hit 10,000 steps for the first time.)

The result: I shed a few pounds and hit a weight I haven't seen in months. Tomorrow, with snow on the road, I'll be on the elliptical again. Where will you be? OK, what's stopping you?

New Year - Amy Brocato Pearson

It's time to dust off the old Under Construction blog, which hasn't seen any action in quite some time. In fact, publisher Nelson Clyde even said he was going to log an entry simply saying "blah, blah, blah." That was Christmas eve, I believe, and I had to agree with him.

But whatever spirit inevitably grabs one by a choke hold in the new year has indeed prevailed. I've exercised not one, not two, but THREE whole days in a row.  I stepped onto the scale (NOT pretty). I am logging what I eat. (The bite-sized pecan pie tartlet was not a good choice. Being "bite-sized" does not equal being "calorie-free".) And now all of East Texas has seen our "before" pictures in the most recent issue of IN Magazine and I'll be darned if my "after" picture will look the same.

So here we go. Again.

Starting over....

Ok, the fudge is all gone, cookies, pastries, greasy leftovers etc. ALL GONE! I've hit the Walden Farms shelves, and the organic meats and veggies again to begin living how I should. My body will thank me......later.....
Still haven't gone running since before Christmas eve....maybe tomorrow. I AM fighting a cold. (excuse #1) and it gets dark so early (excuse #2) and no time with the kids outta school  (excuse #3)...  I've got to get better at just getting a workout over with and enjoying the results and noticing how puney my excuses are...

Ahhh Fudge!!! by Dawn Rhodes

 To say the fudge is a decadent incredible dessert is just not enough! I look forward to fudge for the holidays every year! My daughter decided to make it for her classmates this year and made several batches. One to be left at the house for us......or ME...in other words. My excuses to steal a piece or 2 or 3 a day are exhausting even to me so I won't bore you with any. Weakness is the only excuse that puts it on my hips!
I've kept up with Body Pump class once a week and cardio 2 to 3 times a week. Good, but not enough to even touch the calorie count consumed by my fudge addiction through the holidays. My plan is to coast through by not gaining any more until January 3rd. My magic date to give myself zero excuses and make plans 3x's a week to weight train and 3x's a week for cardio, shopping will NOT be included in my cardio either. ;-/ HOHOHO!! Merry Christmas and Happy Fudging!!

Running gives me dark circles (Connie Conaway)

After much prodding by Amy, I am writing my first post. 

Running....they, (you know those people), say that running is a sure fire way to get into shape.  I'm sure there are books and other loads of information available instructing the proper way to run.  I, however, am creating my own form of running to get me through this ever so busy holiday season.

Connie's Training includes;

Running all over town to find that perfect CHRISTmas gift for those I love.
Running in circles at the office because of this thing Amy is passionate about called Deadline!
Running to get my hands on that "doorbuster" item in the wee hours of Black Friday....not so much because I want it or know someone who will but because everyone else wants it so it MUST be good.
Running around the house decorating like a mad woman to create a CHRISTmas wonderland.
Running from parties to open houses to banquets to concerts to drama performances to parades to client appointments to....
Running thoughts in my mind making sure I have thought of everything I need to pull off another event.

So as you can see, I'm into this fitness thing!  The problem is, the only change I see in my body makeover is the dark circles under my eyes.  I think I need to think about running back to Woodcreek to pick back up on those body pump classes...

Confessions/Motivations - Amy Brocato Pearson

Confession: aside from a wonderful walk on the  Southside Trails at Rose Rudman park on Saturday morning (which is going to be a weekly thing, I LOVE it out there), I haven't done a whole heck of a lot.

Confession: Nelson Clyde gave us all a "Fit City" pass for the delicious luncheon catered by Rick's on the Square to celebrate the Tyler Morning Telegraph's Christmas party, but I still ate the bread pudding. I'm not sure my hips or heart registered that "pass." (but thanks anyway, Nelson).

And while at the Christmas party, I promised Dave Berry I'd blog about it. So here you go, Dave.

Motivation: Everyone promises that the more you exercise, the more energy you'll have. I vaguely remember this from the days when I couldn't go without exercise. I've kind of forgotten. But with my schedule and lifestyle, I need all the energy I can get.

Another motivation: Vanity, thy name is woman. The adorable little lace skirt I wore to all the parties last holiday season is a bit more, ahem, snug than it was last year. And I don't like that one single bit!!! :-)

Why BACON is good for you!... no, really!

Ok, I've got your attention, and now is the part where you expect me to pull a bait and switch, but not this time! That's the findings in an article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition anyway. And with a name like that, you HAVE to trust that they would know. Anyway, 21 studies concerning the relationship between saturated-fat consumption, and heart disease, have shown that eating saturated fat (the reason we have avoided bacon in the past) seems to have no negative health effects! The only catch: You have to get enough polyunsaturated fat as well. The kind found in nuts and vegetable oils. Well this is a no-brainer! If that's all it takes to get the healthy stamp of approval for eating bacon, sign me up!
Ready for even more good news? Bacon fat is mostly a monounsaturated oil or, oleic acid. Know what else is? OLIVE OIL! And I'll bet you've been reading the healthy benefits about that lately too, huh? Bacon's saturated fat is converted by your body to oleic acid! (Yay!) The rest of bacon's fat is a "superhealthy" polyunsaturated fat!
Now these are TRULY reasons to celebrate.... for now, if you are a bacon lover. I say "for now" because we all know that in just a few years, new studies will once again rain on our parade just as they always do. We'll find out that it turns out that the grilled chicken we have all come to love as our "healthy" white meat contains polyisocyrinatic forms of hemoglo-bismol and that we should cease and desist eating it at all costs. Oprah will come out of retirement just to do a story on it. But, the bright side is, I'm guessing that given long enough, these "experts" (hopefully Paula Deen will be on the board by then) will discover that any recipe that starts with 4 sticks of butter, 1lb of sugar, 1lb of brown sugar, a dozen eggs, and a bag of chocolate-chips is exactly what our bodies have been lacking! Hey! I can dream, can't I?!
Oh and as far as my goals and working out are going... I've been playing volleyball (still of course), walking Rose Rudman, and hitting the weights (sporadically) at Woodcreek! I also take stairs when I have the option, park far away from the front door in parking lots, and still do my best to eat what I want in moderation. ;)
 That's all for now!