SOME BABRBECUE POINTS

With Fourth of July in sight, here's some info that may be helpful. Some of the details are a little vague - but hopefully it's useful.

Hot Dogs, 5
Watermelon 1 cup,
1 Hamburgers 3 oz, 5
Buns, 3
BBQ Chicken, 5 (Dark), 3 (White)
BBQ Ribs 4 oz, 8
Corn on the Cob, 1
Butter 1 TBSP, 3
Potato Salad ½ c, 7
Potato Chips(14), 4
Cole Slaw ½ c, 4
Ice Cream ½ c, 4
Cookies, 4
Soda, 3
Fruit Salad 1 c, 4
BBQ Beans ½ c, 4
Vegetables & Dip (2 T) 0/ 5
Margaritas 4 oz, 5
Apple Pie, 7
Bratwurst, 5
Cup cake with frosting, 5
Deviled Eggs 2 halves, 4

IT'S A WRAP

Okay, that's it - that's all I'm doing for today.

Left home at 6.45 am and headed for Weight Watchers for our four Saturday morning groups. Left there again at 1.45, home for 20 minutes and then out to help with our church's mobile soup kitchen. From there to watch the church softball team (not one of their better games!) and back home at around 8.00pm.

It's been a good day!

CHECKING IN

No, Ididn't disappear off the face of the planet, my wife and I are enjoying a few quiet days out at Montauk. The beach, sunshine and some books - I call it a study break, but others refer to it as a vacation. Call it what you will, it's doing me good!

So here are a few reflections from the east end of Long Island -

+ You can't beat running on Old Montauk Highway every morning - it's beautiful, though of course it's like a roller coaster with its dozens of hills.

+ I'm supplementing a four miles morning run by walking two miles along the beach in the afternoons - sand is as challenging as hills!

+ Walking along the beach today it occurred to me that I was not wearing a shirt, which never would have happened in the obese years that made up my life to this point. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not in the running for Mr.Universe, but I'm comfortable with me - excess flesh and all!

+ Tomorrow I turn 58 and I'm probably the healthiest I have been in my life. Who's got it better than me?

Back home on Friday and looking forward to showing off my tan at WW on Saturday morning!!

GREAT SUMMER RECIPE

Thanks to one of our Saturday WW members for this recipe -

Grande Potato Salad

3 Full Cups sliced cooked potatos
3/4 Cup Diced Celery
1/4 Cup Diced Red Onion
3/4 Cup (3oz) Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2/3 Cup Kraft Fate Free Mayonaise
2/3 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 Cup Chunky Salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
1/3 Cup Chopped Ripe Olives

In a large bowl, combine potatos, celery and onion. Stir in cheddar cheese. In a medium bowl, combine mayonaise, sour cream, parsley flakes and salsa. Add mayonaise mixture to potato salad. Mix well to combine. Gently stir in olives. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Gently stir again before serving.

12 Servings
Approx 2 Points per serving
Core

WHAT THE HECK

This week I remembered a gift certificate for Blackwells Restaurant in Wading River that I had been given for my birthday last year. I also remembered it expires on June 25th, so my wife and I decided to use it this evening.

I had never been there before - in fact I must admit that I had never heard of this classy spot on a beautiful golf course - but having visited once, I do plan to return.

Sitting in this outstanding setting, perusing the simple but pricey menu, I decided this was one of those occasions that arises now and again when I was going to enjoy the excellent food and get back on track tomorrow.

So I took the Caesar Salad instead of the field greens and ate a bread roll too. The half roast chicken probably wan't too damaging - my wife's sea bass was delicious - but I reckon there was quite a bit of butter on the vegetables and in the mashed potatoes.

I took cheesecake for dessert, coffee with real milk and thoroughly emjoyed the evening.

I still had 20 points left for the day when I arrived at Blackwells, plus my 35 points for the week. Counting was difficult so I didn't try. I guess I went way over.

I simply ate a very good meal and am back on track with effect from right now! There'll be days like this - it's okay to enjoy them and then get on with business once they're done.

FOR MY CORE FRIENDS

Here's a great sounding CORE recipe I got from Kim from our early Saturday WW group -

Chicken Chili with Barley

28 oz diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup barley
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

In large stockpot, combine first 8 ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 45 minutes (stirring occasionally)Add beans and chicken and bring to boil again. Immediately reduce heat and simmer another 15 minutes. Add more water or broth if chili becomes too thick for your liking.

Makes a bunch....around 10-12 cups.

IN TRAINING

I run quite a distance in the course of a normal (good) week, but go nowhere as all my activity is on a treadmill or an elyptical trainer.

All that is about to change as I contemplate at least a couple of summer races, the first of which will be the 5K (3.1 miles) Bellport Clipper on Sunday July 13th. Running on the road is quite different from covering multiple miles on a treadmill, so I plan to get outside more over the next few weeks.

I was staggered last year that I failed to break 30 minutes to cover the Bellport course, as I do the same distance in the gym in 25 minutes. Sunday afternoons may not be the best time for me, since the mornings are very busy and last July's temperatures in the upper 80's with high humidity certainly were not in my favor.

Be that as it may, I'll be looking to improve this year.

Time for some serious preparation!

GOOD TIMES IN THE SUN

It's pretty warm down here in the DR, but I gather it will be hot when I get back to New York this evening too. This has been a very fulfilling, albeit brief visit with Rob and Kelli Nelson. In less than five years, Island Impact Ministries is well established and has a significant presence on the north shore of this beautiful Caribbean Island.

Since the Nelsons are from our church, we have endeavored to support them all we can and it has been very humbling for me as their pastor to know that we have been able to play some part in the things I saw yesterday.

1. At their main clinic where scores of people received medical, optical and dental care while I was there, the biggest hug I got was from a lady named Carmen. One month ago she was blind with serious issues in one eye and a cataract on the other one, but when a team of eye surgeons from Washington DC came in to work with Island Impact for a week recently, Carmen's cataract was removed. Returning for a post-op examination yesterday she could hardly contain herself, excitedly pointing all around and declaring, "I can see that! I can see that! I can see that!"

Carmen's life has been changed. Rob and Kelli's faithfulness here made that happen and ours is one of the church's supporting them in this great work. I'm proud that Rob and Kelli are from our church and I'm proud of our church too.

2. Rob and I took a brief break from the clinic to drive a few miles to a shanty town near the airport, just 400 yards up a dirt track off the main road. Hundreds of people live there in small shacks made out of second-hand pieces of wood, with corrugated tin or asbestos roofs. The police don't go in there and the murder rate has soared lately in drug related gang wars.

We visited a simple school standing in the middle of this deprivation and devastation, funded through Island Impact's child sponsorship program. If there's any future for these kids, education is the key, so it was good to see so many in the cinder block classrooms.

As I looked at the faces of these innocents living in hell, I remembered that for many of them their education is made possible because folks from our church are sponsoring them. I'm proud that Rob and Kelli are from our church and I'm proud of our church too.

3. In the school I finally got to meet a young man I had heard a lot about - Benji. Benji is around ten years old - maybe 11, I forget! Orphaned, a couple of years ago he spent his life wandering around the shacks that make up the village, sleeping on one porch or another, with no one to take care of him.

When Rob and Kelli became aware of his plight, there were some folks from our church down here too. One of our team members went home and talked to his wife about Benji and they seriously looked into adopting him. That was not going to be possible because of DR government restrictions, so they did the next best thing. Rob and Kelli found him a foster home and our friends fund the family caring for him.

Yesterday Benji was clean, smiling, in school and about to return home to a caring family. A young life rescued! In case I haven't said it before, I'm proud that Rob and Kelli are from our church and I'm proud of our church too!

I leave for the airport soon - a very happy man!

RECIPE PUZZLE

Here´s a delicious sounding recipe from a WW member. She asks me about the points, but I´m in the Dominican Republic with a heavy schedule ... so how about someone figuring it out for me and emailing me at revrog@optonline.net

Stuffed Portabellas

6 medium portabellas
1 box of chopped spinach defrosted and squeezed.
6 oz of weight watchers cream cheese
1/3 cup of grating cheese
1/2 cup of egg beaters
garlic
olive oil

Spray mushrooms with olive oil and grill for 3 min. on each side. and remove to a dish.
Cook minced garlic in oil until tender, add spinach and cook until all water is gone, add cream cheese,and grating cheese cook until well blended. add egg and blend into spinach mixture. Fill portabellas with mixture and cook in oven for about 30 mins @350 degrees. They make a nice side dish.

What do you think the points would be ?

I used the recipe builder and It came out to 3 points, but I thought I would ask you.
There was no way to get around the Parmasean Cheese, or the cream cheese. I used the weight watchers but I didn't know how to figure out 6 oz. haha

CARIBBEAN BOUND

Twelve hours from now I should be sitting on a JetBlue plane getting ready to take off for Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. I’ll be coming back on Friday afternoon and although it’s a short visit, I’m really looking forward to meeting up with Rob and Kelli Nelson and getting a firsthand look at what’s going on down there for them and their Island Impact Ministries - www.islandimpact.net .

They’ve done a phenomenal job of setting up health clinics for the poor, providing schooling for children and planting an English-speaking church in the town of Sosua. Rob and Kelli are totally committed missionaries who have built everything that’s going on down there from scratch over the past five years.

Great couple!

BTW if my presence in blogland is scarce for a couple of days, it’s because I couldn’t get to an internet cafe. I shall return!

SHAKING THINGS UP

By the time I've been to the gym on a Sunday afternoon, I'm shot. Saturdays are pretty hectic and then of course Sunday mornings are busy too, so when the workout is done I'm ready for 36 hours off until I get back into my office on Tuesday morning.

My wife, on the other hand, likes to spend most of Sunday afternoon working her way through every section of the paper and then passing interesting items over for me to read in my semi-comotose state.

In all honesty I want to read squat by that time, but now and again I give something she hands off to me more than a passing glance.

That was the case yesterday when I was given a piece with exercise tips by one David Barton. He suggested that you should do cardio in the morning because you burn more fat then (I'll spare you the scientific details). But the thing that caught my eye was that you burn the maximum calories by doing cardio intervals - running intensely for three minutes, walking for two and then repeating.

I tried that this morning at the gym. I ran at 8mph for three minutes and then walked at 4mph and kept repeating it -and man did I sweat! At that pace I still covered 6.4 miles in an hour and I guess time will tell if it was more effective than straightforward running at a steady pace.

The immediate benefit was that shaking up my routine made it far less boring and therefore more tolerable. I must confess being on a treadmill for an hour a day is not all that fascinating whatever you're listening to or watching at the time.

I enjoyed it and will definitely do it again tomorrow.

THAT CHILI RECIPE!

I have had a few more requests for that chili recipe. To save you searching back in the archives, here's the link -

http://wheresthefatguy.blogspot.com/2008/05/chili-classic.html

DIET QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!.... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Wine in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO! What a Ride'

MID-WEEK MEANDERINGS

+ It was absolutely pouring with rain when I looked out the window early this morning, so I decided to go back to bed and skip the gym. That means I have to make up the six miles before Monday, but that's better than getting soaked.

+ I owe Azad, Kim and Lisa from my early Saturday WW group. They came to my 7.00 group in Miller Place tonight and really added a lot to it. It's currently a very small meeting, so their input was a terrific help - they've lost a total of over 130lb, so they know what they're talking about and they're a fun trio too!

+ Someone asked me how much water I drink in a day. I aim for 100 ounces and generally exceed it.

+ I'm already checking the weather forecast for Saturday as rain doesn't help our turnout at WW. Looks like a great day - hot. Hope we'll break through 300 again.

+ Tonight I learned that Trader Joe's does a lime chili chicken burger. Now that sounds worth checking out.

EXERCISE MYTH-BUSTING

RALPH LA FORGE studies the role of exercise in weight loss and is managing director of the Lipid and Disease Management Preceptorship Program at Duke University Medical Center.

Why is it so hard to lose weight just by exercising?
RLF: Unless you're a serious athlete, you just don't burn that many calories. Most people overestimate the amount they've burned during a workout.

If exercise is part of your weight-loss plan, what's the best type to do?
RLF: Aerobic activity is far and away the best, for one simple reason: You burn more calories.

Doesn't strength training build muscle and therefore increase your resting metabolic rate?
RLF: That's actually a myth. You'd have to be totally ripped - like, bodybuilder ripped - to get a noticeable bump in your metabolism. Most people burn about one calorie per kilogram of body weight per minute, whereas a bodybuilder burns about 1.2.

What aerobic activities give you the biggest calorie burn?
RLF: Cross-country skiing - in nature, not on a machine - is the highest. Outdoor exercise is almost always more strenuous. You encounter variable terrain, which makes you work harder. Running comes after skiing, and walking on hills is probably third. In general, you burn more calories doing a weight bearing activity that uses lots of big muscle groups. Swimming and biking usually aren't as good because they're not weight-bearing.

Are you better off doing a long, moderate intensity workout or a shorter, high-intensity one?
RLF: If you want to lose weight, stay at a moderate pace, because you can go longer and it doesn't wipe you out as much. When you do a high-intensity workout - running or cycling so hard that you can't carry on a conversation - you are so tired afterward that you tend to be lazier for the rest of the day. Instead of going shopping, you lie on the couch. People also tend to eat 20 to 25 percent more than normal because they're so hungry.

Don’t you enter a fat-burning zone when you exercise at higher intensities?
RLF: The idea of a fat-burning zone is b.s. In order to burn only fat, you would have to go at such a slow pace that you'd burn only two to three calories per minute. You'd have to walk 50 miles to get a decent workout. It's better to exercise at a moderate pace, so you'll burn some fat and some carbs. Doing that regularly can definitely help you control your weight.

ESSENTIAL HEALTH TIPS

I got this from a Jazzercize Newsletter put out by our WW Territory Manager, Lucia Velardi - well worth the read.

1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time.

2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e., Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Exercise!) Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.