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In case you wondered, this is me.

To avoid embarrassing situations like this one, you need to develop a plan to outwit those sneaky holiday pounds - preferably without cutting down on your intake of yummy mashed and gravy and grandma's pumpkin pie. How about doing it the Swedish way? (No, I'm not talking about that Swedish way! Though, of course, it is very efficient in terms of burning calories too...) The Swedes stay slim year round despite healthy appetites and one of their secrets is Fartlek training. Fartlek means speed play and is a form of interval training. Interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with active recovery (a less intense form of the original activity). More calories are burned in short, high-intensity exercise, such as intervals, not only during the actual workout, but your metabolism will stay raised for hours afterward as well. This is why high-intensity exercise beats long, slow endurance exercise, such as jogging and biking, hands down.

Unlike traditional interval training, fartlek training doesn't involve specifically or accurately measured intervals. Instead, intervals are based according to the needs and perceptions of the participant, and breaks in between can be something entirely different from the interval activity. In other words, the participant simply needs to pay attention to how he or she feels and set the intensity, duration, and activity accordingly. You can do fartleks with just about any cardio activity, but it works really well with running, biking (think spinning classes), rowing machines, and jumping rope.

The following workout, based on the fartlek principle, is meant for advanced fitness levels, but that doesn't mean beginners and intermediates can't do it, too. Beginners: Substitute floor work and all exercises with walking in place. Intermediates: Substitute only floor work with walking in place.

All you need is a jump rope and some space. To avoid tripping over the rope, make sure it's long enough: Grab each handle and then step on the rope with both feet in the middle of it. You'll know that it's the right length if the handles reach your armpits.

Warm-up: Skip in a moderate pace for two minutes.

Interval I: Take a step to the side, go down into a squat. Stand up, step together and repeat squat to the other side. Complete a total of 15 squats each side. Now skip 200-400 revolutions (i.e. swing rope 20-400 times and jump over it).

Interval II: Repeat interval I

Interval III: Go down onto floor and into a plank position. Hold for one minute. Skip 200-400 revolutions.

Interval IV: Go down onto floor and into a side-plank position. Hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Skip 200-400 revolutions.

Interval V: Repeat interval III.

Interval VI: Repeat interval IV. (But make sure to switch sides!)

Interval VII: Lunge backwards, alternating legs for a total of 40 reps. Skip 200-400 revolutions.

Interval VIII: Repeat interval VII, but this time lunge forward instead of backwards.

Interval IX: Go down on floor and do 50 crunches. Skip 200-400 revolutions.

Interval X: Skip 200-400 revolutions, but bring the rope around twice every ten revolution instead of once like you usually do. (Two revolutions on the tenth, twentieth, thirtieth etc revolution.)

Cool-down: Walk in place.

Do this workout a couple of times a week for now and then, during the holiday season to avoid adding on extra pounds, do it three to four times a week but increasing the length of intervals by 100 revolutions/interval each week!

Precautions for Safe Interval Training

• Warm up before starting intervals.

• Assess current conditioning and set training goals that are within your ability.

• Start slowly. (for example: walk 2 minutes/ run 2 minutes) In general, longer intervals provide better results.

• Keep a steady, but challenging pace throughout the interval.

• Build the number of repetitions over time.

• Bring your heart rate down to 100-110 BPM during the rest interval.

• To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time.

• Make any changes slowly over a period of time.

• Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure even effort.

• Intersperse your interval training with steady-paced endurance training.

NEW YORK (AP) - Beth Walsh is swimming laps again at age 57. Stasi Turrell has returned to walking, 13 weeks after giving birth to her fourth child. And Geralin Thomas is lifting hand weights and skipping rope at 47.

Until recently, all three women had fallen off their fitness programs.

That was before Dara Torres.

Torres, 41, became the oldest Olympic swimming medalist Sunday when she anchored the U.S. women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay to a silver medal finish. She has now won 10 Olympic medals and will go for an 11th when she competes in the 50-meter freestyle.

But her presence alone was enough to make history.

Eight years after retiring and two years after giving birth, Torres is the first U.S. swimmer to compete at five Olympic Games and oldest woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic swim team. She has become a testament of dedication, passion and willpower.

While most women her age lack her carved-from-stone body and ripped abs, many are feeling inspired by her remarkable comeback, and her "age is just a number" mantra.

"I think that can-do attitude is a real plus," said Walsh of Encinitas, Calif. "It says to me it doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, how successful you have been in the past. You can do it. That applies to more than athletics. It applies to life."

Before watching Torres, Walsh, a competitive swimmer as a kid, hadn't swam laps in at least a decade. And Thomas had stopped wearing her pedometer and using her stability ball.

Now, Thomas said she's making healthier food, laying off the sodas and fitting in exercise when she can; she's been doing squats while brushing her teeth. She even used Torres to motivate her husband to walk with her after dinner.

"My comment to him was if Dara can do it, we can do it," she said. "He laughed and said, 'we're no Dara Torres.'

"I'm not going to win any medals for what I am doing," added Thomas, a mother of two in Cary, N.C. "But I am easing back into it."

Caroline Adams Miller, an author, motivational speaker and personal coach in Washington, D.C., said she is using Torres to teach her clients about the importance of taking risks and not letting age, children and time stand in the way of their goals.

And Torres herself has said that she has been contacted by a lot of middle-aged women and men who told her she was inspiration to them.

At least in the short term, she seems to be inspiring women in a way that other fabulous stars over 40 haven't.

"The 'Sex and the City' people are fun, but it's important to remember that it's entertainment," said Diane Darling, 49, of Boston, who has been keeping a food and exercise diary and drinking more water.

"I'll take Samantha's (Kim Cattrall's character) body any day. She looks fantastic. But at the end of the day, she doesn't inspire me."

Part of Torres' appeal is that she does not come from superstardom, said Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor who studies pop culture. People learned about her as a regular person who happened to be very good at something.

"Many people consider those celebrities completely separated from the world in which they live," he said, referring to the "Sex and the City" stars and other over-40 sexpots such as Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman. "That is not the case with this woman."

Torres appears in photos with her daughter, Tessa, on her hip. She is open about her age, joking that she had trouble reading the scoreboard with her middle-aged eyes at the Olympic swimming trials.

"There are times when I feel 40 and I feel like there's a piano on my back and I can't lift my arms up out of the pool and there are times when I feel like I'm 20 and just flying through the water," she told ABC.

And who can't relate to that feeling?

But what happens to all this inspiration when the Olympics are over? Walsh said she is going to sign up for masters swimming classes to keep her motivated. Thomas and her husband are having little contests.

Turrell, of Dallas, said it's about making the commitment.

"She's inspiring but she's not going to keep me going," she said of Torres. "It has to be my own decision and own choice. It's easy when you have a lot going on to make excuses. It comes down to your own personal dedication."

Ask Julia - Why Do I have Pain in My Shoulder When I Lift Weights? Q: I am a 40-year-old guy and have spent many years in the gym. Over the past several years, I have been experiencing increasing pain in one of my shoulders. The pain is worse when I raise my arm to the front and approach straight up. It is also painful with other movements. It is very painful to perform shoulder press or bench press although the pain subsides a bit when I am fully warmed up. I have tried daily icing for prolonged periods and daily heat application for prolonged periods, as well as substantial periods of rest from working out and several courses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. What next steps can you suggest, as this is really starting to limit my ability to enjoy the gym?

Impingement of the shoulder is a common complaint among weight lifters as they age for a variety of reasons. One is over training, meaning you are not getting adequate rest in between workouts. If you don't rest long enough, your muscles won't rebuild and get stronger but instead break down and get weaker. Over training can also be that you are doing the same exercises over and over. Another reason is lifting too heavy and/or with bad form. When you are younger, your body can take more abuse, which is why this is a big problem for aging "gym rats". A third reason for impingement is that the subacromial space - necessary space in the shoulder for its bony structure to function properly - diminishes as we age. What makes me think you have an impingement situation is the fact that you say you have pain while you raise your arm to the front and up. Any time you experience pain within a 70 to 120 degree angle when raising your arm anteriorly or laterally, you probably have shoulder impingement. Physical therapists refer to this as the "painful arc". Can you sleep on your shoulder at night or is it too painful? If it is, you may have a rotator cuff tear instead. Other signs of rotator cuff tears are pain radiating down the arm or inability to lift your arm overhead.

In some cases, simply resting your shoulder for some time is enough to cure mild cases of impingement. But you say you have already tried rest. What many people don't know is that you need one and a half time the amount of rest as it took you to develop the impingement problem. In other words, if it took you a year to develop it, it will take you a year and a half of rest to recover. Did you wait this long?

This is what I suggest you should do:
First of all, see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis. Assuming you have impingement, you are going to need to be patient, as many impingement cases are difficult to resolve. No more shoulder/military presses until you are completely pain free. No overhead exercises at all, in fact. You can do bench press, but ONLY WORK WITHIN A PAINFREE RANGE. (This applies to any exercise. If it is painful in your joints, don't do it!) And use less weight and more repetitions. But before you do any kind of chest work, start with a few sets of rowing exercises to strengthen your posterior shoulder girdle. Also, make sure you strengthen both external and internal rotator cuffs using rubber tubing with the arm slightly away from the ribcage. Do three sets of fifteen of external and then internal. As you get stronger, use more resistance and fewer reps. Seated pushups and sidebridges are other good exercises you should do. Last, but not least, do the pendulum exercise to increase the always shrinking subacromial space. (The pendulum exercise is very bad for rotator cuff tears, so make sure you don't have one!) If you want to do lateral raises, don't go any higher than 45 to sixty degrees.

I hope this makes sense. Good luck!

"People have a hard time adhering to diets and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight loss plan," said Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of the Louisiana State University system. "Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet."

Significant Weight Loss Related to Egg Breakfast

Compared to the subjects who ate a bagel breakfast, men and women who consumed two eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet:

• Lost 65 percent more weight.

• Exhibited a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI.

• Reported higher energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast.

• The egg and bagel breakfasts provided the same number of calories and had identical weights (energy density), which is an important control factor in satiety and weight loss studies.

• The researchers also found that blood lipids were not impacted during the two month study. They found that blood levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, did not vary compared to baseline cholesterol blood levels in subjects who ate either the bagel or egg breakfasts. These findings add to more than 30 years of research that conclude that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease.

New Emphasis on the Importance of High-Quality Protein

This study adds to the growing body of research which supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) published a special issue in May 2008, which contains nine articles that focus on the value of high-quality protein in the American diet. A major finding was that not getting enough high-quality protein may contribute to obesity, muscle wasting (loss) and increased risk of chronic disease.

Jump Start the Morning with Eggs

Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian and chef, stresses the importance of obtaining adequate high-quality protein when advising consumers about weight loss. "Eggs are a good source of all-natural, high-quality protein, so they can help keep you satisfied longer, making it easier to resist tempting snacks," said Newgent. "Nearly half of an egg's protein, and many of the other nutrients, are found in the yolk, so make sure to eat the whole egg for maximum benefits."

Newgent suggests these nutrition tips for a successful weight loss plan:
Manic Monday: Make a batch of hard-cooked eggs on Sunday, so you'll have all-natural, high-quality protein meals for your on-the-go schedule during the week. Plus, eggs are incredibly affordable. At an average of $1.93 per dozen (or $0.16 per egg), [5] eggs are one of the most affordable high-quality protein foods in the marketplace.

In-a-Minute Morning Meal: In less than 60 seconds, you can prepare an egg breakfast to help jump start your day. Simply beat one whole egg in a microwave-safe mug then cook in the microwave oven on high for 60 seconds. Slide the egg onto a whole grain English muffin. Add flavor with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salsa, or cheese. Serve fresh seasonal fruit slices, like peaches in the summer, on the side for a balanced meal.

We've all heard that you can slow your metabolism by eating too few calories. But at what point does this "slow down" in your metabolism happen? "But I really do not eat that much". Did you forget about the martini followed by the bottle of wine you shared last night? What about the margaritas (multiple) you had out with the girls the past weekend? Does this sound familiar?

Do you have a "cosmo" belly?
When estimating calorie intake many people completely disregard or greatly underestimate the amount of energy provided in each beverage especially alcoholic beverages. Meeting friends for drinks after work or late at night can significantly increase calorie intake and weight gain if you don't know which drinks or how many drinks to order. Most people have heard of getting a "beer belly" from excessive intake of beer, however cocktails and wine can also lead to weight gain... perhaps a "wine belly" or a "cosmo belly" if those are your drinks of choice. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram which is significant compared to protein and carbohydrates that only provide 4 calories per gram. As with all foods and beverages, moderation is key. You don't have to miss out on happy hour or a night out; just making better choices at the bar can keep your calorie intake balanced and prevent extra weight gain.

The calories from alcohol add up quickly
Also think about which beverages you tend to drink in large quantities. While chatting and catching up with friends it's easy to order 3 to 4 drinks without even thinking about it. I myself have found that there are certain drinks that I will finish in no time, and other drinks I tend to drink slowly throughout the night. Another trick I use is drinking from the skinny cocktail straws; this greatly slows down how fast I drink and reduces the amount of drinks I order. More tips on how to fit alcohol into your diet will be posted in a few weeks.

The calories from alcohol can lead to weight gain
Below is a list of many beers, wines, cocktails, and shots. Look for your favorites and determine how many calories you tend to drink in a night. Remember all calorie when consumed in excess of your needs will lead to weight gain. It does not matter whether the calories are from food or alcohol. So if you are looking for the culprit of your weight gain, or your inability to lose weight, it may just be that night out or happy hour with your friends. Try lower calorie drinks and maybe change some of your behaviors while drinking so you are mindful of how many drinks and calories you are actually taking in.

Here are the calories of some common alcoholic beverages. Keep in mind that drink sizes (as well as prices as we all know too well!) will vary depending upon where you go. This will obviously affect the calories. Most restaurants and bars use anywhere from 1-2 shots of alcohol for most drinks (plus the mixer). Our calculations are estimations.

Type of Alcoholic Beverage	Calories
***Beer
(based on 12 fl. oz)
Amstel Light	100
Budweiser	145
Bud Light	110
Coors Original	140
Coors Light	105
Corona Extra	150
Corona Light	105
Guiness Extra Stout	175
Heineken	150
Heineken Premium Light	100
Rolling Rock	120
Sam Adams Light	130
Sierra Nevada	200
***Wine
(based on 4 fl. oz or 1/2 large glass)
Red wine	80
White wine
- Dry	75
- Zinfandel sweet	85
Champagne	85
***Cocktail
(average sized cocktail. Nutritional info accumulated from several sources)
Bloody Mary	150
Cosmopolitan	205
Frozen Daiquiri	336
Gin and Tonic	200
Irish Coffee	175
Kahlua Mudslide	270
Long Island Ice Tea	290
Mai Tai	220
Margarita on the rocks	265
Margarita frozen	340
Martini	190
Mojito	220
Pina colada	330
Screwdriver	205
Whiskey Sour	280
Rum and Coke	200
Vodka and Cranberry	200
Vodka and Soda	130

Article was contributed by Liz Dias, dietetic intern at

New York Presbyterian Hospital in NYC

Check out Martha's useful nutrition blog at CityGirlBites

I found this worthwhile article on www.Mercola.com , one of my favorite wellness Web sites. I hope you found its content as useful as I did.

"Mahatma Gandhi needs no introduction. Everyone knows about the man and his legacy. Here is some advice he gave worth noting:

1. Change Yourself

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

If you change yourself you will change your world. If you change how you think, then you will change how you feel and what actions you take. And so the world around you will change.

2. You are in control

Nobody can hurt me without my permission.

What you feel and how you react to something is always up to you. You can choose your own thoughts, reactions and emotions.

3. Forgive and let it go

An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

Fighting evil with evil won't help anyone. Forgiving and letting go of the past will do you and the people in your world a great service.

4. Without action you aren't going anywhere

An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

Without taking action very little will be done. However, taking action can be hard. And so you may resort to preaching, or reading and studying endlessly. But you have to take action and translate that knowledge into results and understanding.

5. Take care of this moment

I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.

Stay in the present as much as possible, and be accepting. When you are in the present moment you don't worry about the next moment. And the resistance to action comes from imagining negative future consequences or reflecting on past failures.y little will be done. However, taking action can be hard. And so you may resort to preaching, or reading and studying endlessly. But you have to take action and translate that knowledge into results and understanding.

6. Everyone is human

It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

When you start to make myths out of people, you run the risk of becoming disconnected from them. Keep in mind that everyone is just a human being no matter who they are.

7. Persist

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Be persistent. In time the opposition around you will fade and fall away.

8. See the good in people and help them

I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others.

If you want improvement then focusing on the good in people is a useful choice. It also makes life easier for you as your world and relationships become more pleasant and positive.

9. Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.

When words and thoughts are aligned then that shows through in your communication. People tend to really listen to what you're saying. You are communicating without incongruence, mixed messages or phoniness.

10. Continue to grow and evolve

Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.

You can pretty much always improve your skills and habits, or re-evaluate your evaluations. You can gain deeper understanding of yourself and the world. And because our physical pains and diseases often appear to be connected with our emotions the following statement has also shown merit..."

Mmmm....yummy!

This month's exercise, the woodchop, strengthens the entire upper body, as well as the abs. It is incredibly functional as it simulates an activity involved in many sports - the swinging motion of ice hockey players and golfers (and any other sport involving the use of a club), tennis players and baseball batters. It is even important for sports that don't involve a bat, club, stick or racket as the twisting motion of the abdominals under load is a prominent movement in many sports, including basketball and football. In fact, this particular movement is important in many daily activities. For example, when you remove your hand baggage from the space above you in the airplane, are you always facing it? Probably not. Many times you may be standing more to the side, forcing you to twist, reach up and pull down heavy load. Or what about if you try to pull something out of a closet that has gotten stuck? You are likely to use a twisting motion to get more leverage here.

You can also do reverse woodchops - pulling from low to high in a diagonal line rather than from high to low (see below). Doing it this way is extremely fucntional for anyone who has to lift up something from the floor or a carriage in a diagonal manner. For example, when you are picking up a kid, groceries, or a box from the floor, you are likely to use this pattern.

In addition to being an extremely functional exercise, in order to improve core strength and finally achieve those flat abs you have been wanting for so long, the woodchop beats crunches hands-down. Personally, I would never waste my time doing crunches and, if I may say so myself, my core strength and abs are probably the best part of my body. Keep in mind, however, if great abs are your goal, you need to watch your diet too so that you don't end up covering your tight abs with a layer fat...

Click on this link to view an excellent video of how to perform a high to low cable woodchop. Do between 10-20 reps for 1-3 sets on each side depending on your fitness level and goal. You know you are using the right amount of weight if you get tired by the end of the set and can't do any more repetitions. Also, I like to stand farther away from the machine than the model in this video so I really have to extend my arms to reach the handle as, this way, you load your abs more so they get strengthened in a wider range. I recommend that you do this too. The same applies to the reverse woodchop.

Click on this link to view another video demonstrating a reverse cable woodchop (low to high).