Roni's Weigh » question

Do You Have a Default Song?

roni — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:34:51 +0000

This is a weird question, I know, but I catch my self humming the same tune over and over and OVER again and I need to know if I’m the only one. I do it on almost a daily basis and it’s been happening for as long as I can remember. Anytime I’m in any quiet situation without music or background noise…. BAM it pops into my head and I almost unconsciously start to sing it. Well…. hum it… actually in the case of my default song it’s… Do Be Do‘ing it.

The song is strangers in the night. You know, Sinatra…

and I don’t sing the whole song just the Do be do, do do be do be do do part. I was doing it this morning while getting dressed and ended up arguing with my 5 year old that it wasn’t the Scooby Song. He thought I was singing it wrong. :)

Anyway, I can’t be the only one who has a default song. Fess up… what do you sing in the shower when you are all alone? Do you have a default song?

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Who IS Your Audience? And More Importantly, Do You Even Care?

roni — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:08:05 +0000

I was poking around other blogs today and I started wonder… who are they writing this for?

Some of my posts are definitely geared towards fellow bloggers, like the one I’m writing right now. Really, this is the reason I started RoniNoone.com. I wanted an outlet to chat about tech and blogging stuff that doesn’t belong on my other blogs. Generally, when I’m blogging on Roni’s Weigh or GreenLiteBites I’m not specifically talking to other bloggers. I’m talking to everyone or anyone that wants to read and is interested in what I have to say, Blogger or not.

I bring this question up out of curiosity as I wonder if other bloggers even think about this when they blog. Did their blogs start out by talking to everyone but slowly evolved to discussing blogging topics. Do we isolate those that don’t blog when and if this happens? Does our audience even care?

Looking at Darrn Rowse, one of the most successful bloggers I know, his blog, ProBlogger.net is, of course, geared towards fellow bloggers. However, his other successful blog, Digital Photography is written for fellow photo nuts. Whether or not they are bloggers, doesn’t really matter.

I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to blog. I’m just curious if you chose your audience before hand or if this is something you even think about. That is… IF you have a blog. ;)

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Do you spread the link love?

roni — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:28:25 +0000

I’m taking an informal blog poll tonight after noticing a trend in the blogging world. Is it just me or are you finding that blogs are doing less and less linking to one another. The side bar blogroll seems to be a dying feature (I’m guilty of this myself — Just too many to list to be productive.) Bloggers just don’t seem to be reacting to each other, linking back to posts that inspire them or just giving good old shout outs.

I’m not pointing any fingers or calling out other bloggers because lord knows I get self absorbed in my own work ALL the time. I’m just curious if this is something you noticed in the blog o’ sphere.

As a blogger, do you spread the link love?

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Why Do you Exercise?

roni — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:45 +0000

It’s 11PM and I’m getting ready to head to bed trying to mentally prepare myself for a morning run tomorrow. I want to go but I don’t want to go. It’s weird.

On one hand I’m EXHAUSTED and I’m wondering if I want to get up a half hour early just to run. On the other hand, I KNOW how great I feel when I start my day doing something for myself. Something that allows me to clear my head and set out on the right foot.

So as I listen to arguments from the little angel and devil on my shoulder I ask you this… Why do YOU Exercise? Is it for Weight Loss? Mood? Training? Toning? The way it makes you feel?

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Are Your Goals Getting in the Way?

roni — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:17:07 +0000

This question of the week may seem odd. I’m normally all about goals and goal setting. I think it’s really a great way to build confidence. With every goal I checked off my list the more and more confident I became. However, if we aren’t careful the goals we set may actually get us in trouble. As usual I’ll use myself as an example…

I recently posted my workout history and new training schedule. I’ve been working out with the trainer for a few weeks now. Not with the trainer as in he tells me what to do but with the trainer as in we train together. The problem is he is very focused on body building and developing a specific physique. At first I thought that’s what I wanted too.

So we started lifting and focusing on muscle groups. He started questioning what I was eating and sending me recommendations that, honestly, felt very "diet" like to me. For example…

1/3 C oatmeal and 6 egg whites
1/3 C brown rice and 4oz chicken breast
5oz lean ground turkey and 1 C green veggies
6oz white fish and 1 C green veggies
4oz chicken breast and 1 C green veggies
8 egg whites and 1 C green veggies

At first I was like… Ok well maybe this is what I need to do if I want to "train" but every day that I wasn’t able to keep my calories in check I’d get that "I blew it" mentality. All of a sudden, I realized I was beginning to feel like the 18 year old version of myself. Visualizing a specific physique as my goal, restricting my food intake only to rebel against the whole idea on an almost daily basis and snack my brains out before bed. Sounds familiar? It’s what I call the yo you diet cycle of hell.

Taken from my post "Why do you think people have a hard time losing weight?"

I realized all this a couple of days ago and finally had the guts to email the trainer. Here’s an excerpt…

I’m not really looking to build a specific physique as you are. I much rather set fitness goals as in running the mile faster, maintaining my long distances, doing a pull up, etc. I’m just not into body building like I thought I’d be. It had me thinking about my body shape and size too much which is what got me in trouble in the first place and honestly, I noticed my eating issues and bad relationship with food returning. I’m happy where I am and I don’t want to attain a specific "body." I want to stay in shape, have fun and challenge myself physically.

After I wrote that I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I finally feel a sense of contentment with all that I have accomplished and I was able to articulate that. I don’t need to be thinner, more muscular or meet somebody else idea of an "ideal body." I’m fine just the way I am so why set a goal that is going to compromise all of these feelings?

Nope, not doing it. I am no longer going to train for the pure face of sculpting a body. I am not setting goals that have anything to do with a specific size or shape. That may work for others but for me that goal just gets in the way.

Actually now that I start thinking about it, every goal I’ve set has been about achieving something tangible (lose x number of pounds, climb a wall, do a pull up) those are the types of goals that keep me going.

I’m not sure if my example makes sense but I know there are heathy goals that help us on this journey and there are unhealthy ones that get in our way. Considering your goals, do you think any are getting in your way of being a healthier happier person?

P.S. I want to thanks Rollercoaster for a great comment that helped me come to some of these conclusions.

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Ask Roni: Help me LOVE Oatmeal!

roni — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:10:37 +0000

Dear Roni

I am a newbie to WW and while I’m eating whole grain cereal I would love to find a way to love oatmeal :) I think it would keep my full longer however I just can’t get myself to like it! I feel I’ve tried it a couple of different ways and it seems to be a texture/consistency issue. Is there a way I haven’t tried that will make ME love oatmeal? I know it would be a better choice for me… HELP!

-Katie

Hi Katie!

I love this question! You’re enthusiasm to try something new and like it despite not liking it is hysterical to me. I can tell you are trying so hard to make better choices and that’s SO AWESOME!

I’m a recent oatmeal lover. It wasn’t until I started making oatmeal for the toddler (when he was a baby) that I even had an interest in it. For some reason when I was feeding him his baby oatmeal the smell just seemed appetizing. I’m not sure why. It never did before. So I purchased some Quaker Weight Control Instant Oatmeal Cinnamon. I’ve always been a cinnamon girl, so why not?

Well, I found it to be alright. If I made it thicker by using less water it was better. I’m definitely NOT a fan of soupy oatmeal. Then one day I put apple sauce in it and fell in love. I called it Apple Pie Oatmeal and it was my gateway oatmeal dish. :)

At that time it was really the only way I ate oatmeal. Then I bought one of these canisters of "Quick Oats". Funny thing was I really didn’t know what to do with it. So I made things with the oatmeal instead of making oatmeal, like

It became my filler over traditional white breadcrumbs. I found that using it with ground turkey especially helped the lean meat stay moist.

All this is probably not helping you Katie. Sorry, sometimes I get side track. :) I did start experimenting with others way to use oatmeal for a more traditional breakfast. Especially because I didn’t want to be dependent on the packets that were more expensive and choc full of stuff my body didn’t really need. So I made up my owned flavored options like…

Recently I decided to move up the oatmeal latter to "Rolled Oats" also known as "Old Fashioned" oats. Making… Old Fashioned Blueberry Oatmeal and my new Homemade Apple Pie Oatmeal to replace the kind made with instant.

Now, if you just can’t get past the oatmeal texture in the traditional sense, there’s always muffin form! Try Berry Oatmeal Cups or my personal favorite, Banana Oatmeal Cups with Chocolate Chips.

My next step is brave the world of Steel Cut Oats. In case you are wonder about the different types of oatmeal this is taken from WHFoods…

Steel-cut oats: featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades that thinly slices them.
Old-fashioned oats: have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled.
Quick-cooking oats: processed like old-fashioned oats, except they are cut finely before rolling
Instant oatmeal: produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product.

Popular belief is the Steel Cuts are the "best" as it is the least processed. I say you just need to start somewhere and it sounds like you’re trying!

In case none of my oatmeal ideas sounds appetizing check out these awesome ideas from around the blogosphere…

I hope that gives you some ideas Katie. Thanks so much for your question!

-Roni

OK, who’s got other ideas for Katie?

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Have You Ever Done a Colon Cleanse?

roni — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:26:48 +0000

Yikes!

Prepare yourself for a TMI (too much information) Question of the Week. I have gotten many emails and questions like this one…

Have you ever done a colon cleanse? I have checked webmd and other internet sites, but it seems everyone has a different opinion. I was hoping it would be a good way to jump start my metabolism for weight loss and energy.

I touched on a response in this Ask Roni video but I’m motivated to visit the topic again. Why? Well, I’m about to do one.

Hold the phone! What?

That’s right, I’m cleaning the old colon. I can’t believe I just told you that. Let me back up a bit and tell you why.

Recently I changed health insurance, which meant I had to change doctors. With all the training and running I’ve been doing I thought it would be a good idea to get a physical and meet my new Doc. During that procedure she ran a test that came up positive which prompted her to refer me to a Gastroenterologist. Given my family history and the symptoms I’ve been having he recommended I get a colonoscopy.

I struggled a bit with the decision to share this information with you. I mean it’s kind of… ummm… yucky, gross, embarrassing, awkward.. BUTT (excuse the pun) I figured it’s worth it. Part of the reason I blog is to share information, learn and grow. If that means embarrassing myself in the process so be it, I don’t mind being the butt (last time, I promise) of joke now and then. Plus, we’re all human here right? We all have colons, right? RIGHT?

So as of noon tomorrow I’m on a clear liquid diet and will be taking a prescribed colon cleansing kit.

FUN!

Now I KNOW I’m not the only one that has gone through this. I know some of you have actually done it by choice! So I’m looking for experiences, opinions, thoughts on the whole colon cleansing process for weight loss. Why’d you do it? Why are you thinking of doing it? Is it worth it?

Disclaimer: I warned you, total TMI. :) The comments that are to follow (if anyone has the guts) do not represent my feelings on the whole colon cleanse for weight loss thing. I’m a big believer in the "to each their own" mindset. I’m just really curious about others experiences as I know you are too. Just know this doesn’t mean I endorse colon cleansing for weight loss.

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What is your ACTUAL goal?

roni — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:33:51 +0000

Not goal weight.. I already asked that. :~)

This week’s question is totally inspired by my trainer. After a fabulous workout this morning we had a little chat about my running, my physique and my goals. For so long my goal was to lose weight. To get thin. To be "the skinny girl". Now that I’m there and have been for quite awhile I’m STILL coming to terms with the fact that I’m not trying to lose weight anymore. It was such a large part of me for so long I almost don’t know how to live without it. I feel kind of like Brooks in Shawshank Redemption. Once he was released from prison after so many years he didn’t know how to live on "the outside."

Now don’t worry, I have no plans on hanging myself anytime soon but the feeling is similar. Change is always hard no matter what it is. And the longer you do or eat or live a certain way the harder it is to make that change. I think we all know this.

So his question floored me a bit. I had to stop myself from saying "to lose weight" and to really think about what my actual goals are. I do have my runs listed on my goals page but now that I’m thinking about it, they seem more like milestones then goals. Semantics? Maybe. I’m not sure.

All this made me think that maybe my actual weight loss may also have been just a step towards my actual goal. But what was/is that goal? That’s what I’ve been contemplating all day!

I’m not kidding.. these things eat at me… that’s why I write. :)

The more and more I think about it, my goal was to get healthier for the toddler. Well of course he wasn’t "the toddler" back then but you know what I mean. :~)

My goal was to be "the fun" mom. I didn’t want to let my body image get in the way of enjoying time with him. I wanted to frolic on the beach, play football, wrestle, dance and climb rock walls. How could I do that if I couldn’t even wear a pair of shorts on a hot day without worrying about how I looked? No, that wasn’t acceptable. I needed to get over it.

That was my REAL goal when I started this site and the journey I’m on. I may be manipulating words by using "milestone" and "goals" but I hope you understand what I’m trying to express. I’m not saying the weight loss wasn’t something I still wanted but I really think by having this new dimension to why I wanted it made a HUGE difference.

So take weight loss off the table. Think of it as a byproduct to your ACTUAL goal. That’s what I’m curious about. That’s what I want you to answer this week. So…. What IS your ACTUAL goal?

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What does dieting mean to you?

roni — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:47:15 +0000

My concept of a "diet" has changed drastically over the years. I used to think I could "diet" myself down to a certain size by eating something specific or nothing at all and then all would be right with the world. I’d exude confidence. I’d always be happy and all my other problems would… just… fade… away…

I was delusional.

Really. I was. I approached the whole concept of dieting wrong. While trying things like the Grapefruit diet, the Negative Calorie diet, and even fasting all I had on my mind was "I want to be thin. I need to be thin. I want to look like that. I want to wear that." It was never about health. It was never about how I felt or what it would actually do to me or my body.

So when those quick fix diets didn’t deliver. What did I do? I moved to even more extremes popping xenadrine and at one point even getting a prescription for phentermine. I would have done anything to be THIN. Anything.

I’m not proud of it. But I’m also not ashamed. Everyone learns and grows. Life is a journey. We all look back in our pasts with a thought or two about how we would do something differently if we had the chance. It’s human nature. But when we lay everything out on the table it’s those experiences that make us who were are today.

I believe it was Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers who says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to reach mastery of a field. Well, based on my rough math estimates I clocked a little over 60,000 hours of dieting*. Seriously, I’m not joking.

After the pill popping stage I discovered Atkins and low carbing. More dieting. Then *drum roll please* I got pregnant! You guys who have read my story know this. Pregnancy was my ‘slap in the face’. It was the ‘you are so much more then your body shape!!’ wake up call that I needed. How could I teach my little guy how to be healthy if I was the poster child for yo-yo dieters anonymous. Even more importantly, how could I hate the body I was in when it gave and sustained such a beautiful life?

Yup, that was the moment my definition of "diet" changed forever. "Dieting" to me now means making the best choices I can make. It means nourishing my body, staying active, having fun and forgiving myself for the indiscretions that are bound to happen. It means eating more "good" then "bad." It means living and eating consciously, being creative in the kitchen and trying new things. Dieting to me is living the healthiest I can with what I have and throwing all excuses out the window.

So… What does dieting mean to you?

*Based loosely on waking hours between the ages of 15 and 29. I’m not kidding… I dieting almost exclusively during that time and all I did was get fatter and fatter. Or should I say unhealthier and unhealthier.

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How do you find balance?

roni — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:27:26 +0000

So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact, and remember that life’s a great balancing act.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (Classic Seuss)
- Dr. Seuess

As I sit here in a disaster of a house, exhausted and trying to figure out what happened to yet another day, I can’t help but think I lost my ability to balance. I used to feel like I had a handle on everything. Family, work, interests, SLEEP. Now hours go by and I feel I accomplished nothing. Well… that’s not totally true I do actually accomplish things I just feel out of sorts and I seem to be taking longer and longer to make any progress. It’s almost as if I have so many things I want/need to do that I can’t find the focus to do any of them. Then before I know it, the day is ending and I’m so tired all I want to do is sleep.

I realize it’s my own fault. I try to accomplish too much. I have a hard time saying no. I’ve made too many things non-negotiable. I can’t help it. It’s just who I am. Unfortunately, (maybe to your disbelief) I don’t have endless stores of energy. I think I may have hit a wall or what I like to call, a funk.

I’ve been trying to remind myself to stay clear headed, do what I can, when I can and just keep making healthy choices. But I’m struggling.

So for this weeks question I thought I’d ask you to share ways you find balance or at least attempt to. I know I’m not the only one that struggles but I also know some of you have mastered the art of the juggle. :)

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