February Weigh-In and Update

Happy February, everyone! I wanted to start this post with a correction. I track my workouts, and last month, in my 2020 Year-End Progress Report, I said that in order for activity to count, for me, as exercise, it needed to “be activity where the sole purpose is to get exercise.” Well, there’s an exception to that rule… shoveling snow.

(There’s actually probably more than one exception, but, for now, I’m going to focus on this one.)

There’s a very practical reason why people shovel snow –

This Pizza Recipe is Breadless… and Cauliflowerless Too!

I do love a cauliflower-crust pizza. They’re very healthy, delicious, and they satisfy that pizza craving. I just got my recipe printed in a cookbook! Hey, I hear there’s a big game coming up next weekend… what a great time to make a healthier version of a popular game day food!

Guess what, everyone. That’s not a cauliflower-crust pizza in my hand. I tricked you! That’s actually… a chicken-crust pizza! (I’ll pause for gasps here.)

I Need Some Silliness Right Now

After the seriousness of my last few posts, and remembering the time and effort that went into crafting them, I need to post something simpler, and sillier. Richard Simmons action figure to the rescue!

I pre-ordered this action figure in the summer, and then completely forgot about it, until it showed up on my front porch six months later. Yup, it’s a Richard Simmons action figure. Yup, it’s official – Richard signed a licensing deal so this company could make and sell this.

2020 Year-End Progress Report

This is typically one of my favorite posts of the year. I’ve done a Year-End Progress Report every year for ten years, and use it to crunch numbers and check in on all the awesome progress I’ve made over the past 12 months, in regards to my health, fitness, and weight loss.

To be honest, I’m dreading it this year, because I haven’t made any progress. I’ve actually gone in the opposite direction. So I’m rethinking this post. This year’s report isn’t about progress, it’s about taking stock of my circumstances and setting a new baseline, from which I can make all sorts of excellent progress in 2021.

And I’m going to highlight any successes that I come across, so I don’t lose sight of them. I need all the motivation I can get! Let’s practice:

It’s 2021! My First Post of the New Year

Welcome to 2021!

Uh, yea, I did write 2021 on the back of a credit card bill! I hope you and your loved ones had a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season. My holidays were very quiet and nice. It was a small group – just me,

Here’s Some Medical Advice: Don’t Get Shingles On Your Face

The past few weeks have been awful. I’m currently recovering a nasty case of shingles on my scalp, face, and in my left eye. The worst of it is over, which I am very thankful for, but I’m still dealing with pain. In fact, I’ve had the same non-stop headache for over three and a half weeks now. The intensity varies, and I’m managing it with a mix of over the counter and prescribed painkillers, but I’m ready for it to be over.

The first sign that something was amiss was about four weeks ago, when

Thanksgiving Rewind 2020

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! Mine was very quiet and nice, and full of good food and quality time with my parents, because, due to the pandemic, it was just the three of us. Oh, and JJ. Can’t forget about JJ! Here he is licking his lips as my mom bastes the turkey.

I’ve been making good progress in my quest to lose weight, and I refuse to let a food-based holiday derail everything. That’s why I

Thanksgiving May Be Very Different This Year, But My Tried-And-True Thanksgiving Pledge Hasn’t Changed One Bit

I make an annual Thanksgiving trip to my sister’s place in Colorado. I’ve gone there every year since 2002… except this year. The pandemic caused my family to rethink how we’ll celebrate this Thanksgiving, and instead of being one of ten or more of us in Colorado, I’ll be one of three, having turkey day with my parents, right here in Michigan. It’s a bummer, but we’d rather have a smaller celebration by choice this year, than have empty seats at the table every year. 

I’m going to enjoy Thanksgiving, no matter the change of location. And I’ve going to lean on my now-vintage Thanksgiving Pledge to help me do that. I created this Thanksgiving Pledge in 2010, and I have taken it every single year since then. It allows me to enjoy whatever I want on Thanksgiving, without feeling terrible the next day or completely abandoning my healthy living efforts. Take the pledge with me! 

A New Vegetable, Another Virtual 5K, a Drenched Dog, and More!

I’m chugging along, folks. At the beginning of the month, I was down four pounds, but then the other day, I was up five. Losing weight isn’t easy, but I’m not giving up!

That’s a post-workout selfie from this morning. I’ve had a very healthy weekend. I took that picture at my gym after using the

Turning the Corner at the Corn Maze 5K

I completed 40 races in 2019 (in honor of my 40th birthday), and one of the most memorable was the Corn Maze 5K. An entire 5K race, all held within a giant corn maze! So I was super excited (and a bit trepidatious) to attend this year’s Corn Maze 5K, a few weeks back.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: How did they hold a live, in-person race during a pandemic? With a lot of changes and safety protocols. First of all,