The salmon won, but only because you’re watching. I’m on a 3 week trip to launch the 5 Minutes to Fitness+ Club.  I landed in San Francisco last night as the Giants won. Around the block form the hotel is Tyler Florence’s, from the Food Network, Wayfare Tavern. The staff told me the organic fried chicken was the best around.  I swear I was going to choose it, then I thought of you.  I knew I would be checking in and telling you about my trip and I didn’t want to disappoint you.  One of the keys to health success is accountability, and you and I have it here.

No promises that I won’t go back tonight and order the fried chicken It depends what I eat during the day and I already did my band workout. It’s looking good!  See you tomorrow from Silicon Valley.

BTW- The salmon was incredible. Best I’ve had, served with small clams, cannellini beans, roasted tomato and a glass of Pinot Noir. No, Tyler wasn’t there.

I want you to know I report Susan’s weight to you every week because it’s exciting to see her progress, but I also hope it will get you to read her blog posts.  The reason I want you to read her posts, and Alison’s and Chrissy’s, is because they are sharing real stories and incredible insights that can and will assist you in your health journey. They’re also damn good writers.

In my last session with Susan, we both had tears in our eyes in the middle of a Starbucks. At one point she leaned in and said, “You better not make me cry in Starbucks”. I said, “too late, I’m already there”.  Why did we get so emotional?  I asked Susan, she might say pushed , to tell me how she was doing so well and what was motivating her.  She also showed up with a complete analysis of her food and fitness and questions for me. I was floored.  As her coach, I was never more proud.  She is doing the things that successful people do, and unsuccessful people refuse to do.   I’ll let her tell you about it below. We also spent time after the session talking as close friends, which I value greatly.  Thank you Susan for being my friend and sharing your courageous journey with us!

One more thing. She gave me a semi-convincing argument for not doing the bands at home due to lack of space. I wouldn’t let her off the hook that easy Maybe she’ll tell you about it sometime.

Susan:

Hello. It seems like I just submitted my last blog yesterday, and yet, the entire week has flown by in an instant. Here is the re-cap… My last coaching session with Peter was awesome and very productive. I am finally getting my act together and showed up with a list of prepared questions a mile long and my gym bag. A true barometer of my mood, I had my sneakers on, not my Uggs, and brought my own resistance bands with me. This time around, I was not trying to avoid a public workout, I was ready to embrace one. I had to squelch the urge to introduce myself to Peter when I walked into Starbucks, because he had never met the real “me” before. I told him that I didn’t know where I had gone for so long, hadn’t even realized quite when it was that I had slipped away, but that I was so glad to finally be back. No, I don’t have a split personality, not to worry. As the pounds are falling off, I am simply becoming me again. When I maxed out at 330 pounds, every facet of my personality and life was literally smothered under all that bulk. I stopped having dreams and goals and felt miserable and pathetic, both inside and out. There is no room in my life for that person anymore. I can now move effortlessly again, without having to premeditatedly think about how to maneuver my body; I no longer have to cram my rear end into seats that are too small or squish into booths that are too tight. I am not constantly exhausted by the slightest expenditure of energy. I catch sight of my reflection in store windows etc… and I literally startle myself by seeing someone smaller than I still perceive myself to be. This physically smaller version of me is allowing room, both physically and mentally, for all the parts that had gotten shoved aside for so long to re-emerge, I am becoming myself again, and I am simply… happy.

Peter and I had a great conversation. He answered all my fitness questions and we also had enough time to talk like true friends. I am not a brainwashed robot endless touting Peter this.. and Peter that… I literally NEVER walk away from a conversation with this man without learning something insightful, helpful, or inspiring. To his credit, he really tried to get into my head in an attempt to figure out what is making me successful this time around in my weight loss journey; to understand what makes it different and special compared to my prior attempts. I understand why this information is vital. It is the key to keeping my momentum going steadily forward and to make my new healthy lifestyle a permanent thing and not just a blip on the radar. I have some ideas in regard to his questions, but I am still pondering over them and need a little more time before I am ready to share them here. I’ll leave this as a cliffhanger for the time being…

My challenge this past week, and also in the upcoming one, is finding balance in everything that I do. My boss was away this week, so my workdays were exceptionally long- 12 to 13 hour days including my commute back and forth. Add in prepping healthy meals for myself, taking the time to log nutritional info and every calorie in my tracker, and trying to make time for the gym and enough sleep each night, and you can begin to see my issue- not a moment to spare. Next week isn’t looking any easier; Craig will be traveling to France on business and that presents its own set of challenges for me. I haven’t talked with my friends or family, am hopelessly and shamefully behind in e-mail, Facebook messages, and unreturned phone calls, and have a steadily growing “to-do” list that is starting to look alarmingly monstrous. I tend to swing towards extremes and this is not a good thing. I think at times I am fairly intuitive- I know that if I keep going at this ridiculous pace, sooner or later I am going to crash and burn out, wildly swinging in the opposite direction into complete and utter shut down mode. Peter says that we often “soothe” our “pain” in unhealthy ways, such as over-eating for comfort’s sake etc… The success of my on-going momentum depends on me not allowing that drastic retaliation to happen; prevention here is of the utmost importance.

Another key thing I need to remember is that my entire existence can’t be consumed by what I am putting in my mouth. Right this minute, my whole world seems to be all about what I am eating- shopping for it, prepping it, taking the time to ensure I eat it, logging it, working it off etc… I am not leaving time for much else. I may be a skinny chick one day, but if I am fixated on only my food and don’t pay attention to anyone or anything else, I am going to be a very self-absorbed and lonely person with a lot of other problems, and just as mentally unhealthy as I was when I weighed in at 331 pounds. I realize I am still obsessing about food- even if it is completely in reverse of how I used to do it.

I weighed in at 254.5 today. I am down 2 more pounds this week bringing my total weight loss to 76.5 pounds. The momentum forward continues, despite my lack of ability to define the characteristics of its success. Peter is correct though, it is essential that I come to fully understand this process. Before I tackle that b*tch of a “to-do” list this weekend, I think it’s time to find a seat on a comfy couch, put my feet up, and just … be. Moderation needs to be my new mantra.

Any way you can jazz up veggies so the kids, and even you will eat them is worth exploring.  The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cardiovascular benefit of cauliflower is worth the effort.  You can do this dish in a foil or parchment wrap. You can also throw it on the grill in addition to roasting in the oven, but either way, the result is buttery, delicious cauliflower.  

Nutriton: 1 cup raw cauliflower = 25 cals. As prepared in this dish 60 cals per 1 cup serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 or grill to medium.  Cut and clean cauliflower. Mix with olive oil and seasonings.  Place in foil wrap approximately 8 x 11in.  Fold in half and crimp edges to make a seal. Shake the package to mix ingredients. Place in hot oven or on grill for 30 minutes.  Turn over every 10 minutes on grill.  Remove, carefully open package while keeping face away from hot steam. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit.

Club members click on the menu above to access 8 healthy and tasty lunch menus.   Make sure you know your BMR (basal metabolic rate) so you can click on the custom menus for your daily calorie needs. Enjoy!  If you haven’t figured out your BMR please email me and I’ll help you.

http://peterkfitness.com/fit-friends-revolution/menus/

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Susan was battered last week, but not beaten.  Everything that happens in our lives is supposed to happen. A mentor once told me, our job is to find the good in what happens to us.  Susan did that this week.  It’s a big step for her as she realizes the effect stress has on her behaviors. Reading her blog you’ll learn at least one thing, she’s a fighter.

Susan- As I sit down to write this week’s blog, it is Thursday, September 1st. It is a beautiful day, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and my world is slowly returning to normal. If you followed my blog last week, you know I was having a tough time dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Before I start ranting about my own little version of hell, I again need to state the obvious. I was inconvenienced of course, but there are many people who lost loved ones, had severe property damage, and lost personal mementos that were priceless. In the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about and consider myself very fortunate.

That being said, experience is relative, and Irene messed with me in a major way. This past week was the first time since I started striving for a healthy lifestyle many months ago, that my resolve was shaken and bad habits started to creep back in. No power and no running water for days on end really took a toll on my psyche and stressed me out beyond measure. All the creature comforts I take for granted were suddenly gone, and I was reduced to feeling like a petulant child having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (that last sentence is a nod to Alexander for those familiar with the classic children’s book). ☺

To sum up my week, it was a sheer disaster. While I did manage to toss the entire contents of my fridge and freezer without turning the salvageable contents into a calorie busting feast, there was a lot of take-out food, restaurant dining, and skipped meals as well. Some of my choices were healthy, but other times, not so much. One particular night, in addition to my dinner at the Outback, I devoured an entire dish of “Cinnamon Oblivion” for dessert in an act of almost gleeful rebellion. Not proud of myself for that particular splurge, while it tasted amazing, the guilt and frustration that followed made me feel beyond terrible.

I weighed in this morning at 269 pounds. I lost an additional 2 pounds this week, bringing my grand total to 62 pounds lost. I have to tell you though, I am not happy with those two pounds. I don’t know how I lost them; I certainly didn’t earn them in the correct manner. They didn’t come from working out or eating in a healthy way. They don’t feel honest, and are probably the result of stress and the meals I missed.

So the lights are back on, the water is running, and life should be returning to normal- but not quite. I got some unexpected bad news on Wednesday, and it appears that my stress level is not going to decrease any time soon. If anything, it is going to increase dramatically. I have seen in the last week the effect stress and an interruption in my routine has had on me, and I don’t like it. It scares me. Old unhealthy habits insidiously creeping in, eating for comfort instead of nutrition, self-reproach rearing its ugly head; certainly not a place I want to return to. It’s time to remind myself of what I wrote in my very first blog regarding the definition of insanity.

I wrote to Peter mid-week and told him I was struggling. His response to me was the following, “Hang in there Susan. This was supposed to happen to you so you can prove you can do this no matter what and overcome all obstacles. Do your best!” His comment to me also reminded me of a famous quote by Winston Churchill; “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Who am I to argue with the wisdom of such great men?

I let their words sink in and now realize the biggest problem I had this past week was not Irene’s challenges, it was my poor attitude. I got frustrated and let circumstances get the better of me, and then used them as an excuse to feel sorry for myself and slip back into old habits. My stress level is not going to decrease anytime soon, and there is not much I can do about that. But what I can do, what I MUST do, is change my attitude and the manner in which I handle stress. I need to listen to Peter and Winston. Instead of throwing myself a pity party, I need to look at my current circumstances as a challenge to be overcome and won, not an obstacle I allow to beat me down, thwart my progress and kill my momentum. I know I can do this; I have worked too hard to give up now.

So today, I start again. I had a good breakfast and walked a mile. I will not allow myself to eat junk today because it is more convenient. I will make out a new grocery list and re-stock the fridge so there is healthy food on hand when meal times roll around. I will not allow one bad week to become the first of many. No more pessimism, no more pity parties. I need to think of some strategies to have in place that will allow me to blow off steam when I get tense or upset, instead of resorting to unhealthy old patterns. The next two pounds I lose will be well earned. This week, life is trying to kick my *ss, but I am fighting back, and I am determined to win.

At the end of the day, what is more important than the people we love most?  Money, work, possessions?

Anonymous-  Peter, I had to tell you this–my son and I ran on the treadmill last night!!!  And he’s talking about keeping it up, and quitting smoking.  It’s a miracle!

He joined a gym last year and went for a month but felt out of place.  And that was that.  He said my running and healthy lifestyle influenced him.  He wants to get healthy, and since he used to run when he played ice hockey, he believes he can do it and wants to do it. What an amazing thing!

When you write about living a healthy lifestyle and influencing your kids, I think, I missed the boat.  Yes I had years on and off of going to the gym, but I wasn’t one to take them hiking, etc.  But I guess influence doesn’t stop when they turn 18!  Thank you!

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All summer long I grill chicken or fish and place it over a fresh salad.  There are endless variations and this recipe can be prepared with what you probably already have in your refrigerator.  For a vegetarian alternative: substitute chicken with beans or tofu.  You can also use salmon for the chicken.  As always, buy organic food whenever possible. It does make a health difference.

Nutrition: 1 cup = approximately 150 calories if you keep the dressing light (use the olive oil sparingly)

Ingredients:

• Organic skinless chicken breast
• Romaine lettuce
• 1 can of corn
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red onion
• Apple cider vinegar
• Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
• Salt, pepper dried oregano & parsley to taste

Recipe:

Wash and dry chicken and marinate with salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Let sit 10 to 30 minutes.   Prepare salad by washing and chopping lettuce, red onion and slicing carrots into discs. Assemble with the canned corn and set aside. Pre-heat grill to medium and place chicken breast on it, turn over after 4-6 minutes and cook another 4-6 minutes. Temperature should read 160 degrees and juices should run clear. Don’t overcook.  Remove  chicken and let sit for 10 minutes.  Slice chicken into strips or chunks, place over salad and dress with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Toss and serve. Bon Appetit.

Many of us find it hard at times to motivate ourselves to be healthy.  Here’s a sure fire way to stay motivated; let’s help our children be healthy.  Watch as Peter K shares 5 essential ways to help our children be healthy and happy on 5 Minutes to Fitness+ TV.

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Easy, crunchy and nutritious, grilled corn hits the spot when it comes to crunchy eating pleasure and the right type of carbohydrate. It’s also packed with fiber and a decent source of vitamin B1, B5, C, E, folic acid, magnesium and phosphorus.  You can grill it in the husks as well but I like to put the cob right on the grill for extra flavor.  After cooking, I cut the cob in half for easier eating and skip the butter; you won’t miss it with the flavor from the grill.

Nutrition: 1 cob = approximately 120 calories

Ingredients

• Corn on the cob with husks removed
• extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil (or truffle oil or any flavored oil you like)
• salt and pepper to taste (I prefer kosher salt for its flavor and course texture) (use any seasoning you like)

Recipe

Preheat grill to medium. Generously rub corn with oil, salt & pepper.  Place corn on grill and rotate 1/4 turn every 3-4 minutes. Turn sooner if it’s burning.  Cooking times vary but expect the corn to take about 15 – 20 minutes.

Love  the crispiness and moistness of delicately fried chicken, or are you a fan of the occasional fish n chips splurge?  Watch as Peter K cooks your favorite comfort foods while saving you calories and the guilt of serving unhealthy versions of these foods to your family.

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