Dieting On A Budget

My incredibly talented and handsome younger brother asked me to help him figure out how to bring his lunch to work so that he can save money and eat in a healthy manner.  This sprouted from a status update that I had posted about living simply.

As a goal for 2012, I decided that I would try to live with more simplicity.  I was tired of $10-$30 lunches and $20-$50 dinners.  There was no reason I couldn't bring my lunch to work and cook dinner for myself every night at home.  Also, stocking up on my favorite adult beverages is much more cost efficient that going out to enjoy them.

This year, I want to spend more time being active outdoors that isn't eating & drinking at a restaurant with a patio.  I'd rather be surfing, skating, biking, or running.

At any rate, I've been succeeding at my goal so far.  Talented and handsome brother wants some ideas on how he can live with more simplicity and save money on lunch.

After searching for something that was both easy enough for him to fix before he went to work that was cost efficient, I came up with this first sack lunch for him:

1 PBJ  Sandwich = 385 Calories

Carrot Sticks - 7 sticks have only 35 calories!

1 Medium Green Apple = 80 Calories

12 Almonds = 80 Calories

For those of you that count calories, this meal is 580 calories.  Not bad for someone that has 3 meals a day that tries to stick to a 2000 or less per day calorie intake.

Personally, I eat lots more calories than that but I am incredibly active.  Incredibly active as in I surf at least an hour a day and then either skate for an hour or run for an hour or both.  I might even bike for an hour.

A few tips for you that don't exercise this much:

Chew your food - don't eat as if you are in a race.

Water is your best friend!  The body often mistakes thirst for hunger so if you think you're hungry you should first drink a tall glass of water.

Celery, carrots, and apples are your best friends.  Keep an extra stash of these in your lunchbox to combat the 10:00 am and 3:00 pm hunger pangs when water doesn't cut it.

Do not drink soda under any circumstances.  Not even diet.

Ditch the chocolate.

Park just a little bit farther and take those extra steps.

Stand up from your desk at least hourly.  Have a stretch or a walk around your building (or whatever takes about 10 minutes).

Stay tuned for more recipes as I try to help my talented & handsome brother reach his goals.

Any suggestions?  Leave us a comment.

Always Wear Protection

I've been dog-sitting this really awesome red nose pit bull that loves to skateboard with me.  He runs and pulls me while I hold his leash.  Since I'm not a fan of getting badly hurt I always wear a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, jeans, and good shoes.  Maybe I look silly but I really don't care.  Although I was questioning wearing the wrist guards because it's a bit challenging to hold the leash tightly and my hands get a bit sore.

On Tuesday, Mr. Dog and I were on a morning skate.  We go about 5 miles and both love every minute of it.  I was down low with knees bent and holding on to him when we hit a puddle.  Before I knew it I was sliding on the sidewalk and Mr. Dog ran ahead a bit quite confused.  Hubby was behind me on his bicycle and had to really slam on the brakes not to hit me!  It's a good thing I wasn't standing up so I didn't have far to fall.

Luckily, those wrist guards were on.  Just as lucky, I didn't hit the pavement but slid on it.  I managed to leave the whole thing with a relatively small bruise on the hip.

We got back on the board and finished our run.

We'll be back out tomorrow morning.

The moral of the story - always wear protection.

What do you think?  Do you bother to protect yourself in your sport?

Review and Contest: adizero Rush

I was sent a pair of adizero Rush by adidas to review - and - OH. EM. GEE!  I am definitely in love.  No, I'm not in love just because they sent me a gratis pair.  I am in love because they are really that awesome.

I've recently been making more of an effort to run.  Most of my life I've only been a "brisk walker".  Late last year I found out that I could actually run.  Now that I am a "real runner" these shoes are absolutely fantastic.  They really feel amazing.

At only 7.5 ounces and plenty of cushion they make running quite nice. The official press release states:

"We’re really proud of the adizero Rush and excited to get the shoe in the hands and on the feet of athletes who run to get faster for their sport,” said Mikal Peveto, director of running for adidas America.  “The adizero Rush shaves ounces from a typical running shoe, helping athletes as they work to stay faster than their competition.”

Peveto continued, “At adidas, our goal is simple. We design and engineer lightweight shoes to make athletes of all levels of sportsfaster so they can perform better on the track, the field and the court.  We know seconds make the difference between first and second place or a personal best effort.”

Do you want to win a pair for yourself?   You can!  Just send an email to sportswriterchick(at)gmail(dot)com and tell me your size and why you've got to have them!  You have until Sunday, February 19th at 11:00pm PST.  US only please.  The winner will be notified shortly thereafter.

Good luck!

Quick Interview: Misty May-Treanor

Recently my friend Megan contacted me recently to let me know that she would be interviewing Misty May-Treanor and asked if I had any questions for her.  Um...yeah!

Misty is promoting a campaign from Souffer's called "Put The Two Back In Tuesdays" with her husband Matt Treanor.  How convenient that this Tuesday is Valentine's Day.

How do you make time for your significant other?