Monday, April 19, 2010

Biking and Birds

Let's get to the long-promised pictures of springtime in NYC!

I was going to post them here, but it's probably bordering on cruel to subject everyone to my compulsive photo-taking and posting. So, for those who want to check out my pics (click on them to see the big version), follow this link. For those who don't, just stay right here.

More NY Times info. This week's NY Times magazine has several articles devoted to weight loss and health. Here's the one I found most interesting: Weighing the Evidence on Exercise.

I think the admission that scientists don't yet understand the effect of exercise on appetite (not to a sophisticated level, anyway) is important -- and the admission that it seems to have different effects on different people.

I've noticed myself that when I'v had a heavy week of workouts, the day I generally don't work out (Friday) I am MUCH hungrier than on the days that I do work out. Which is not to say that I don't get hungry on those days, it's just a different hunger at a different time of day.

I still maintain that weight loss/management is essentially balancing out three things: 1) how much you eat, 2) what you eat, 3) how much you work out.

A combo of 1 and 3 can help mitigate number 2 if you've been making bad choices. Number 2 can be critical if you have been lax about 1 and 3.

But if you really, really want to lose weight, then I think number 1 is THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR. The other two can amplify your results, but nothing beats controlling those portions if you want to drop the pounds.

Now could I just work on remembering that for myself this weekend, instead of getting lazy with the portion control? Hope so.

In other exciting news, I broke out the bike today! Yay! Spring/summer officially are here -- I am now a biking fiend once again.

Did a couple of circuits of the park and made a new friend. Pardon the fuzziness, I'm not a great photographer and definitely not fast enough to capture this guy as I should have. But he was lovely company while I ate my lunch.





5 comments:

  1. Beauteous woodpecker! They are so pretty, aren't they? I would love to see you sprinkle more photos in this blog as well :D
    You take lovely photos.

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  2. I'm off to see all of your pictures, but I wanted to say that I totlly agree with your position on the differences between 1, 2, and 3.

    Cheers!

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  3. Thanks for the comment - the sports bra thing is a whole other post, no? I tried one on in M&S (bastion of British high street if you don't know) and it offered NO SUPPORT AT ALL. It was neither use, nor ornament (being hideously ugly even for a sports bra). It's not a fun garment to splash out for!

    love
    Peridot

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  4. I love woodpeckers! Thanks for sharing the pics - both here and on the other site.

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  5. I notice I'm hungrier on non-workout days (the day after a workout) too. Then I worry about eating more than I am burning if I'm not working out that day, which leads to feelings of guilt, which can lead me to just eat "whatever" because the day is shot. I don't recommend this approach...

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