THOUGHTS FROM UNDER A PALM TREE

1.Four days into our vacation in Puerto Rico, I'm finally starting to relax - I'm not too good at doing nothing.
2.It's hot here, so I have to get up at 6.30 to get a run in before the heat makes it impossible.
3. I switched to the Core program for this trip as I find it easier than the Flex when I'm away from home.
4. I have allowed myself one extra treat a day as there is so much different food all around me here.
5. My goal is simply to gain no weight during our vacation.
6. I'll miss everyone at WW tomorrow, but Jocelyn is covering for me and she's a brilliant leader.
7. Am I the only one who thinks it's weird I can do this on a phone???

WATCH OUT ETHIOPIA

I just watched the Olympic 10,000 metres race in which the apparently unbeatable Ethiopians took gold and silver and I have decided they've dominated the event for long enough. The winning time - an Olympic record - was 27 minutes and change for the 6.2 miles race and I'm putting the Ethiopians on notice that I'm coming after them in London in 2012.

My best time for that distance is 49 minutes (albeit in the controlled environment of a gym and on a treadmill), so here's the plan.

If I can improve my time by just half a minute every two months, or half a second a day, I'll cover the course in the British Olympic Stadium (maybe Wembley) in a blistering, never-been-done-before time of 25 minutes.

So there it is - Olympic gold in the nation of my birth.

But will I compete for Britain or the USA?

Tough call!

OATMEAL SQUARES

Here's a great recipe for a snack or breakfast bar we mentioned in our early group this morning -
http://wheresthefatguy.blogspot.com/2008/03/oatmeal-squares.html

THE LADY WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING

There's a pretty lengthy, but fascinating article here - an interview with WW founder, New Yorker Jean Nidetch...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jan/13/healthandwellbeing.features2

THUMBS UP FOR RUNNERS

There's an interesting article in the British newspaper, The Daily Express this week, which I haven't caught anywhere in the U.S. media. It centers on research done over the past 24 years by Professor James Fries from the University of California, Stanford.

Fries and his colleagues compared 284 members of a national running club and 156 healthy, but non-running, individuals - all aged 50 or older at the start of the study.

After 19 years, one in three of the non-runners had died, but less than one in six of the runners had.

After 21 years, both groups had become more disabled, but disability came 16 years later for the runners.

Fries comments, "We did not expect this. The health benefits of exercise are greater than we thought." Running not only appeared to slow the rate of heart and artery-related deaths but also early deaths from cancer, neurological disease, infections and other causes.

Contrary to common belief, there was also evidence that running does not wear out knee and hip joints.

All-round good news for those of us who have taken up this form of activity and hopefully further incentive for anyone considering it.

BARGAIN BUY

Arnold's Sandwich Thins have become a staple for most of the people I know who are on a weight loss journey.

For those of you reading this blog around the area I live (this advice won't help readers in the U.K., Spain, Canada, Israel and India), they're on special this week at 2 for $4 in Waldbaums supermarkets - which beats the regular price of $2.99 - $3.29.

TAKING MY OWN ADVICE - OR NOT

It's weird, but all last week I was encouraging my WW members to push themselves just a little bit further in the area of exercise. I suggested that our bodies lie to us and tell us we are going to die if we press ourselves any further and the best way to deal with it is to simply keep going.

After running a couple of miles on the treadmill at the gym this afternoon, I felt so lightheaded that it was as if I wasn't there. I slowed down when I started to see spots before my eyes and walked a further mile before I decided to call it a day in case I fainted.

Three hours later, I'm still not feeling right, so I think it was smart decision to cut things short.

On this occasion I really think this old body was telling the truth!