Posts Tagged ‘diet’
And good riddance to 2016.
It was a hell of a year, claiming, among other greats, Prince, David Bowie and George Michael — so many of my fave ’80s artists. Then Carrie Fisher died, and—a day later—Debbie Reynolds joined her. Every time I turned around, someone else had dropped.
There were some high spots, though. I published Ogling the Outfielder AND Stealing the Southpaw, and re-released Sliding into Home. Sometimes I think Sliding is my favorite—and it’s definitely the most under-performing of my books. Every time I re-read it, I wonder why it doesn’t sell more copies.
I also put the first three Love & Baseball books — Diva in the Dugout, Beauty and the Ballplayer and Sliding into Home — into a boxed set.
I saw some good movies — Rogue One immediately comes to mind — and some not-so-great ones. (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, anyone?) Arrival made my “not sure how to feel about it” list. It held my attention, but the ending was … well, it left much to be desired, for me anyway. As the end credits rolled, I sat there, staring at the screen thinking “What the hell just happened?”
Coming up, I’m looking forward to seeing Hidden Figures and Why Him? I know, I know. Why Him? will undoubtedly join Mike and Dave … in the “full of laughs as the action unfolds but leaves me thinking ‘why did I pay to see this?'” file. (Edited to add: Saw Why Him? and was pleasantly surprised. It DID NOT join Mike and Dave in that category.)
Then, of course, there was THE highlight of 2016:
I doubted it’d happen in my lifetime, but the Cubbies did it. 2016 World Series Champs! The high of that success sustains me as I contemplate the future.
Speaking of what’s to come, I’d like to make 2017 the year I finally get healthy. Yes, I say that every year. But this time I mean it. Been thinking of a way to get (and give) support to like-minded readers. Perhaps a Facebook group? A virtual walking club?
Use the comments to chime in with your thoughts. And if you want the full story of my attempts to lose weight, check out my other blog, Adventures in Weight Loss, Cooking and Life. It, too, has been sadly neglected lately, but I’m thinking it might be time for a reboot. Or maybe I should fold in the healthy living stuff over here? It might give me the impetus to blog more often …
Use the comments to chime in with your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!
This week’s Writer Wednesday is a little different. Instead of talking to a romance writer, I’ve invited Roni Noone and Carla Birnberg, bloggers and authors of “What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms.”
The blurb:
We all know we should eat better, exercise more, get better quality rest, and so on. Tell us something we don’t know, right? After all, every statistic we have about Americans and our health proves that no matter how good our intentions are, we are failing to change the habits that undermine our well-being. But how do we achieve our healthy living goals when they’re so daunting? Who has the time, the willpower, the resources to do all that nutritious eating, muscle building, restful sleeping, and work-life balancing?
Carla Birnberg and Roni Noone have the answer to that—the answer is you. You have the power to make healthier living easy and exciting, just by adopting one simple mantra: “What you can when you can.” It’s all you need.
What You Can When You Can (#wycwyc) is a book, a movement, a mindset, and a lifestyle—one that harnesses the power of small steps to let you achieve your health and fitness goals on YOUR terms. The #wycwyc (pronounced “wickwick”) philosophy applies to anything and everything that contributes to a healthy, happy life: nutrition, exercise, physical and mental rejuvenation, and so much more.
The movement has its own hashtag (#wycwyc — pronounced wick-wick) and there’s a podcast, which I eagerly download every week.
You might ask why I’m such a fan? I’ve been following both Roni’s and Carla’s blogs for years, and when I heard they’d be writing a book that summed up this approach to healthy living, I was thrilled.
Too often, I fall into the perfection trap. If I’m not eating according to whatever diet plan I’m trying to follow at the moment, I throw in the towel and binge. If I can’t take an 45-minute walk, I don’t walk at all. #wycwyc is a reminder to strive for progress, not perfection.
We authors can be a particularly unhealthy lot, sitting at our computers for hours on end. Relying on takeout. Downing sugary coffee drinks like they’re going out of style.
Is that just me? Sorry.
But seriously. Life doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With each podcast, tweet and photo on Instagram, Roni and Carla remind me that every moment offers a chance to make a better, healthier decision.
Let’s get to know Roni and Carla with a round of “This or That.”
Snack of choice: sweet or salty?
Roni: Salty then sweet!
Carla: Salty salty salty. Years ago when my daughter was tiny she looked me in the eye one morning and said: Dada has a sweet tooth. I felt pretty prideful for a fleeting moment until she took a breath and continued with: and you have a really bad salt tooth. Ahh well….
Night owl or early bird?
Roni: Ex-Night owl turned early bird. Hey, you got to do what you got to do.
Carla: I am so much of a lark I often cross friends in the hallway – the metaphorical hallway 🙂 – as they are going to sleep and I am getting up to start my day. Especially my friends in the west coast now that I am a central time zone’er. 4 AM. Pretty much seven days a week. I treasure the quiet morning hours for writing.
Cardio or yoga?
Roni: Yoga for sure!! Although I do like a good run now and then.
Carla: Either. I’m a traveler and I will take it to how I can get it.
Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
Roni: Future for sure! I’m fascinated with how much progress we’ve made an a society and culture and I’d love to see what the future holds.
Carla: Either. I’m a traveler and I will take it to how I can get it.
Star Trek captain: Kirk or Picard?
Roni: Hands down, Kirk. Gotta love the cheesy original.
Carla: Either. I’ve never seen an episode. I know, I’ve been told that’s blasphemy.
Note from Arlene: Total blasphemy. Now I’m not sure we can be friends. 😉
Mac or PC?
Roni: Another switch for me. Started out PC and now I’m a MAC user. Although I love Android on my phone.
Carla: I’m a habit gurl. I was PC for decades, but now that I’ve switched to Mac I think I may never go back.
Arlene again: Okay, that redeemed you … Die-hard Mac grrrl in the house!
Get your greens: lettuce or kale?
Roni: Kale. Kale. Kale. Kale. KALE!
Carla: Both but in entirely different fashions: The lettuce is in salads etc. the kale is always shoved into my vitamix blender and whirled until it’s unrecognizable.
It’s vacation time: Beach or mountains?
Roni: Beach. Nothing beats the feel of sand on my feet and the sound of the ocean.
Carla: 20 years ago I would have said beach. I don’t know if it’s growing up or simply changing – but I am a mountain woman now. Long hikes, fresh air, and nights spent reading.
Solo or group exerciser?
Roni: Group all the way! I’m super social and love working out with people.
Carla: My entire approach to fitness is fitting it in where I can. Completely our what you can when you can philosophy. So it all depends on who’s around when I feel the spontaneity and the time is there. If I’m at a playground I usually drag in companions 🙂
With unlimited funds at your disposal, would you hire a personal chef or personal trainer?
Roni: Trainer. I love to cook so this one was easy.
Carla: Neither. I’m such a boring plain eater I don’t need the chef and let’s just say I don’t respond well to personal trainers. I owned a boutique training studio in the early 90s and, while I like to think I was a fantastic trainer, my response to encouragement or people cheering me on is often to stop. I’m an enigma wrapped in a riddle who would probably donate the majority of the funds.
Jocks or nerds?
Roni: I’ve always associated with nerds but the more I workout and get into fitness, jocks are growing on me!
Carla: Both and neither. The older I get the more I’ve learned one label does not fit most individuals. Nocks 🙂
Shopping bags: paper, plastic or reusable?
Roni: *sigh* I would love to say reusable but I usually forget them! So I normally use plastic BUT I get a lot of use from them at home for things.
Carla: Reusable. After spending two years in Oakland California where it was a nonnegotiable I have finally learned to always be prepared. That said, my real answer would probably be backpack. I’m never go anywhere without my backpack and that’s where I tend to shove all of my groceries 🙂
More about the authors:
Carla Birnberg is an award-winning writer, speaker, healthy living and fitness expert, community builder, and social media maven. With “unapologetically myself” as her motto, Birnberg encourages others to carve their own unique paths to longer, healthier, and more vibrant lives. She has been published in Woman’s Day, the Wall Street Journal, Runner’s World, Better Homes and Gardens, and Health, in addition to numerous other publications. Shape magazine named Birnberg one of the top 15 fitness gurus to follow on Twitter, alongside Jillian Michaels, and Fitness magazine listed Birnberg’s blog as one of their favorites. To learn more about Carla, visit CarlaBirnberg.com
Roni Noone has founded and runs several healthy living blogs including Roni’s Weigh, GreenLiteBites, and a supportive online community called BlogToLose, where now more than 6,000 users are blogging to reach their own weight-loss goals. She used her blogs to not only shed 70 pounds, but to start a running habit, get over a fear of weight training, complete two marathons and run seven Tough Mudders, yes, seven. Roni has been featured by many media outlets including CNN, the Today show, Inside Edition, Ladies Home Journal, Everyday Health, Woman’s World, Woman’s Day, and Wired. To learn more about Roni, visit RoniNoone.com
#wycwyc online: wycwyc.com
Anyone want to join me in #wycwyc-ing our way to better health?
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