Recently in Fitness, Weight, and Nutrition Category

My toes are happy. Really, really happy. Sure, this looks silly and maybe even painful (it isn't, not for me), but, by golly, it makes sense and, well, makes my toes happy.

Pictured is my right foot stuffed into a gel form called, variably, Healthy Toes™ or Yoga Toes™ or toe stretchers. I did not really do much research aside from reading a snag of the hype on a couple of sites offering these for sale. The expected yadda yadda about ancient Asian secrets although, if I recall my history correctly, a large number of ancient Asians rather preferred cramping up the feets of their women rather than promote foot muscle health.

I have, at times, had issues with my feet -- some due to the weight I used to make them bear, but also because I am a woman who succumbs to the fashion pressures of the day and I've been known to imprison my feet into those inhuman torture devices known as "pumps". Relatively high heels, teensy toe boxes, toes crushed together for hours at a time, sometimes involving lots of standing or walking.

Insane, I agree.

I do believe in giving my toes holidays, though and when at home strive to stay barefoot, or at least wear practical sandals that support my arches and allow my toes to spread, but the gooey thinger pictured here splaying my toes all skitchywammous gives me even more relief.

I like 'em. Every self-respecting sticky-toed reptile should consider using these.

Has anyone else noticed that Weight Watchers© SmartOnes© and Stouffer's LeanCuisine© frozen foodlets are edging away from being low-fat, low calorie? For instance, the SmartOnes© "Three Cheese Ziti Marinara" went from 5 WW Points© to 6 and they proudly announced something along the lines of "Now with more cheese!" apparently because peeps wrote in and said "hey, we want more cheese!"

I'm seeing more and more "new" meals offered that are all 6 or 7 points, and fewer of the ones that are 4 or 5 points. A WeightWatchers© Point© is calculated from the calories, grams of fat and a limited measurement of fiber. It's an easy way to gauge the "cost" of the meal. They seem to be putting more fat into them, too -- usually cheese.

The lunch I just had, SmartOnes© Lemon Herb Chicken Piccata has only 4 points, but they're chock full of carbs. Three little bits of chicken, a fingerful of finely shredded veggies, and three pounds of rice and sauce. Don't get me wrong; I like rice. I like veggies better, though, and they're not only more filling, but more nutritious.

I like these cuz they're convenient. I would prefer that they be more nutritious and better balanced.

I got this thing so I would have a fun, interesting way to exercise. I don't jog; going to the gym is fine, but can be tedious; walkies are great, but when the weather sucks I find it easy to not go out. Et cetera.

I discovered that I am not alone in my Wii-ness. According to CNet, the Wii is schooling game consoles sold by Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo, the company that first leveraged the home console video gaming market Magnavox and Atari mastered thus injecting new life into what had been a dying industry, reigns supreme.

According to a release sent out by the online retail giant Friday, the Nintendo Wii and all its accessories dominated video game sales during the holiday shopping rush and not one mention was made of Sony's Playstation 3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360.

"Nintendo Wii dominated the top sellers in video games and hardware, including the Wii console, the Wii remote controller and the Wii nunchuk controller," the release reports.

I was clever and crafty. I bought the Wii console before Christmas so I could put games and accessories for it on my Christmas list. Rechargeable batteries, spare controllers, and the game Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Dance Party 2 made their ways to spots beneath my tree this year.

Yay!

So who needs a stinky old PS3 with Blu-Ray© anyway?

PS3 Vs Wii commercial

I guess I am. I've been playing with Wii Fit -- my son and I are in a sort of competition.

For those who do not know what a "Wii Fit" is -- or even what a Wii (pronounced "wee") might be -- lissen up. First: get out of that cave. Now. Second: Wii is a game console by game maker Nintendo. It differs from other game consoles (such as Sony Playstations 1, 2, or 3, GameCube, XBox, or, for you geezers, Atari) in that the device you use as a controller is wireless, you grip it in your hand, and interact with the game by aiming it at the television screen (or whatever you use to display the game) and moving it. So games like bowling, tennis, and boxing are naturals for it. It enables the player to mimic the moves he'd make if he were really playing that sport. While gripping the controller tightly (with a wrist strap, just in case you accidentally let go), you swing your hand in an underhand toss as you might a bowling ball and watch the ball on the screen roll down the alley. You can put some spin on the ball by flicking your wrist. You can throw a fast ball or a slow one, depending on your swing. The controller has feedback, too. It rumbles, buzzes, and makes sounds that go with the game, depending on what you do.

You create a Mii -- an avatar that represents you in the game.

So Wii Fit is a fitness game. For this, you need to purchase a different controller -- a balance board you stand on. It senses the weight you're placing on it at different points, calculating your center of gravity, and you can engage in a variety of games and exercises and have it "correct" your stance. You earn points by how well you perform the activities while maintaining a steady center of gravity. The more you use it, theoretically, the stronger your abdominal muscles get enabling you to have correct posture and strong "core" muscles.

So I totally school my son at the various yoga poses (nearly -- I am not so steady on one legged poses), but he's got me beat when it comes to jackknifes, push-ups, and other more physically intense activities.

I like the rhythm step aerobic activity, and the hula hoops. I also like the rhythm boxing. It's a fun way to exercise.

Anyway, you can share your Mii with other game consoles. The Wii is capable of connecting to the Internet -- over a Wii-fi connection, or directly wired to your router. If you have a Wii, and want to play with my Mii, send me your console # and I'll add you to my Wiidress book.

... to eat more slowly cuz it takes a while for your "appestat" to catch up, and it looks as though she was right!

Moms are smart, that way.

Wot's an "appestat," you might ask?

'k, so this was a cute buzz word she picked up from one of the weight-loss programs she was in as I was growing up. Mom's female (in case you were wondering) and as with most females in the United States she thought of herself as fat, so she was constantly dieting and trying new programs to help her lose or control her weight. One of 'em coined the term "appestat" -- the internal mechanism for telling you you're full -- and cautioned that if you eat quickly, your appestat will tell you you're still hungry even after you've eaten the correct amount of calories. These days "Appestat" is a brand name for some appetite control pills.

Makes sense, and here's the study that proves it.

I am a food gulper. Always have been, in part because I hated family meals when I was a kid (that's the time my step-dad would go around the table and find fault with each of us) and wanted to rush through them, and in part because I always had something else I wanted to do. Like go play outside at lunch instead of sitting in the smelly old cafeteria, or, these days, gulp down my lunch and get back to the Very Important Work I have to do.

I have mixed feelings on this report:

Overweight Women May Find Accessing Healthcare Difficult And Stressful

I mean, yes, you're overweight, and you probably didn't really ask to be so large because obesity is more complex than just "stop eating, you fool", but you are overweight and getting over that and accepting that you're a pariah might be a good thing for you, emotionally.

OTOH, this comment had me giggling with a feeling of sympathetic horror:

For example, the doctor delivering Doris' son upset her with a tactless remark at a time when she feeling particularly vulnerable because of her size. "He said 'Just relax and just envision yourself on a beach like a big ole whale beached.' "

What would Cameron say?

I've been on a nutrition kick for quite a while, and because I lurve food I'm always on the look-out for nutritious food that actually tastes wonderful.

I ran across this recipe in a "Weight Loss" guide put out by Prevention Magazine and figured, since I took the time to port it into my database, I'd share it with you.

The cool thing about this recipe is that it supplies a good portion of protein (builds muscle), dietary fat (aids in cell construction), and is moderately low in carbs.

Click here to go to the recipe.