I've always been lucky to have an extremely fast metabolism. That said, I've also dealt with some health issues that have made gaining and maintaining a healthy weight somewhat hard. In our world of "Biggest Loser" and "Celebrity Fit Club," where people obsess over shedding pounds, fitting into skinny jeans and sharing diet secrets, I've felt like kind of an outsider because these things just don't interest me.
I've realized why I dislike talk of diets and ridiculous gym workouts: they suggest that something is wrong, that you can't live life without strict limitations, careful calorie counting and constant weigh-ins. I don't really buy into substituting meals with protein shakes, or taking a cocktail of vitamins in place of breakfast. (Part of this mindset is probably because I have fallen in love with the art of cooking, and I cringe at those who deny themselves a truly good meal because it was pan-seared in - gasp - olive oil.) I do realize that some people have health restrictions that need special nutritional attention, and I respect their need to cater to those needs. To all others caught up in the egg-white-only, no carb craze, I'm lost.
All things aside, I'm getting older, and I realize the importance of simply eating healthy. Not for vanity reasons, not for a catty competition with girlfriends. But because I've come to understand that what I eat can really improve (or really hurt) my physical health. Instead of thinking, "What would taste good right now?" I'm trying to get myself to think "What would give me the most energy right now?" Instead of sticking to comfort foods, I'm trying to branch out and incorporate more veggies into my meals and substitute fruits as desserts, if only because they actually make me feel less sluggish than a slice of double chocolate fudge cake. It's a change ... but I'm not looking for any immediate results. No size double zero jeans, just an increase in alertness, energy and overall health.
As someone who grew up shopping at Tops, I'm a bit lost as to where to shop for really fresh produce and great health food. I know Wegman's is known for its great produce, but are there any local Buffalo markets I should be aware of come spring and summer?
-- Molly Hirschbeck
No, I'm not talking about the TV show.
I'm talking about the place that most of us spend 40 hours a week. With at least 30+ years left until I retire, I realize that it's OK to take a five minute break once in a while, sit back and regroup.
Any type of office setting can be frustrating at times. In a job where I have to constantly use my imagination and often do monotonous tasks, like most full-time employees, sometimes my morale isn't always peachy keen.
I recently stumbled on this great Web site: True Office Confessions.
If you think you're having a bad day, you're not alone. This site allows employees to post anonymous comments about what makes them tick in the office. Each comment also has a "me too" button for any reader that has experienced the same sort of frustration.
One user confessed: "I print out all of my personal stuff at work."
Immediately, I started laughing, because everyone at some time or another has been guilty of this. The comment even received 34 "me too's."
This site is so addicting that my friends and I often refer to some of these comments as "TOCs." Sometimes we'll be out at dinner or for drinks discussing work-related issues, if one person starts complaining someone usually comments, "That's a great TOC."
If on the odd occasion you aren't stressed out at work, there are also related sites called True Mom Confessions, True Dad Confessions, True Bride Confessions and more. Be cautious, some of these confessions can get a little vulgar, but they need to be approved by the hosts before being posted.
Take a look and enjoy, or get creative and post something.
- Kelly Boquard
April 22, 2008 - 12:17 PM | Comment
We found her at the Tonawanda SPCA, and we couldn't be more in love. Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions on where to look; we checked them out and ended up finding Lily the day after she came to the shelter. She's a mix - part golden retriever, part boxer- and she's quirky to say the least. She was originally a stray from Ohio, and though it's obvious she's been a bit malnourished, she won't stay skinny living in our house.
Luckily, it doesn't take much to amuse her. Though she'd rather be playing with us, she's just as happy batting her toy mouse between her paws, sniffing out the house top to bottom or curling up in the sunshine at the back door. We were worried that as a rescue dog, Lily would have a lot of issues and that it would take her awhile to adjust. She couldn't have proved us more wrong. She doesn't jump, she doesn't pull on her leash - and get this - she doesn't bark! At all! At first we were concerned; now we think we're just plain lucky.
I'm so glad we explored other options before getting a new puppy. Having gone through this experience, I can't see myself visiting a breeder over trying the SPCA, Humane Society or local shelters. Though Lily might not be a purebred, she's got so much irreplaceable character and spunk, and to think she might not have otherwise had a chance at a family is unimaginable.
The day we got her, I stretched out on the kitchen floor to relax, and minutes later, I had a new cuddler keeping me warm. If you're looking, she's got plenty of friends...
-Molly Hirschbeck
April 15, 2008 - 11:49 AM | Comment
A while ago I wrote a blog about finding the right workout. Because spring seemed to creep up quicker than I had planned, and summer is around the corner, I decided it was time to transform my "winter body" into a "summer body."
About a month ago I joined the Buffalo Athletic Club for Women, French Road, Depew, location. I was planning on taking advantage of their three months for $99 deal because it had been a while since I was a gym member, and my past experience with a gym wasn't very satisfying. But of course, I was talked into signing up for a 2-year preferred membership.
With all honesty, I can say that joining the gym was a great choice. Not only do I love the fact that it is an all-women facility, but I have also recruited some of my friends to join. We take classes together and motivate one another to get up and get active. Aside from spending quality time with my friends without sitting at a bar, I also notice a change in my everyday life. I have a lot more energy, I am eating healthier, and I feel amazing. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., with my boyfriend, we got up at 9 a.m., after a night out, and headed down to the gym to get a run in before starting our day. This would have been something unheard of a few weeks ago.
I started taking some classes to really focus on toning up and to make the most out of my time there. The spinning classes are a great cardio workout and probably one of the hardest things I have ever done, and the "total body sculpting" class has worked on muscles I didn't even know existed.
My New Years resolution was to take steps to embrace adulthood and form healthy relationships in my life. So far, this has been a positive step not only for me, but for my friends as well.
I recommend it 100 percent to all twentysomethings prepping for the summertime
- Kelly Boquard
April 15, 2008 - 11:42 AM | Comment
For the sake of argument in my persuasion class this week, the professor asked us to identify two competing companies and then choose a side to support. Someone suggested locally-based Tops and Wegmans supermarket chains, but there was one problem. Out of a class of 16 students, only 3 were Tops supporters. However, three more students volunteered to put their Wegmans favoritism aside and become Tops fans for just a few minutes of debating.
I was on the Wegmans side and proud of it. I was not always a Wegmans shopper though. Until around the time I entered high school, my family mostly shopped at Tops. It was closer to our house and much more convenient for my mother, who at the time was in the grocery store so much I'm surprised they didn't give her a name tag. But soon Wegmans came to town and built a new store right down the street from our friendly neighborhood Tops.
Since then, my mom claims she always finds a better fresh fruit selection at Wegmans and likes having the option of strolling down the organic section, even if no one believes she is a health freak. Some students in our class also mentioned that Wegmans stores always seem to offer the same shopping experience as far as customer service, store maintinence, cleanliness and organization, while some Tops stores, specifically in the city, appear rundown. One student on the Wegmans side simply said, "Tops on Grant Street in Buffalo. Enough said."
Other students argued that Wegmans has more in-store dining options. This is my biggest reason for shopping at Wegmans- it's not just shopping. A trip to Wegmans can be lunch, renting a movie, dropping your kids off at day care (if you're part of our twentysomething parent audience), and grocery shopping all in one.
Another big argument was the friendliness of Wegmans' employees, which may have something to do with the fact that every year since the list has been printed, Wegmans has been one of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” earning the No. 1 spot in 2005 and the No. 2 spot in 2006.
So what about you? Which local chain do you prefer and why?
-- Lauren Mariacher
I need help.
We recently had to say goodbye to our incredibly lovable, totally goofy black lab Maddie, and after growing up with her since our elementary school days, it really felt like my brother and I were saying goodbye to a sister.
She was the perfect fit for our family - she'd wrestle with my brother, sit with me and "cook," curl up with my mom and take a nap and garden with my dad in the backyard. There will always be a special spot in my heart for Maddie and her slurping, snoring, licking and kissing.
But it has been a few months, and my family has realized just how much they miss the company of a happy dog. We've recently started the hunt for a new puppy, and it has been a different one. In the past, my parents wouldn't have considered anything other than picking out a purebred from a breeder. Now, we've discovered the SPCA and the Humane Society, and it's so much harder to head straight to the breeders after visiting so many homeless pups who, despite their mixed genes, could be just as great.
We're not really too picky; our only requirements are no itty bitty punt-able dogs (aka chihuahuas) and no extremely old dogs. After living with a big, floppy black lab, you develop a low tolerance for high-strung, yippy dogs, and as far as age goes, we'd like to be able to spend more than a couple of years with the pup.
We're pretty clueless as to where to look otherwise, as far as shelters, foster homes or local organizations that offer adoption programs go. Any suggestions on where to look?
-- Molly Hirschbeck
Bittersweet.
That's the only way to describe Jon Jon's Journey, a wonderful, and at the same time heartbreaking event held this past weekend in order to fundraise for the Cinelli family and their son Jon Jon. The local 6-year-old boy has been battling Intrinsic Pontillar Glioma, an inoperable tumor wrapped around his brain stem.
I'd be doing the Cinelli family and everyone involved a great injustice if I tried to put into words what they've been through; you're much better off reading a direct, heartfelt account from Jon Jon's dad here. Instead, I'll describe the sunny spot that has emerged from this stormy situation: the support from the community.
In the weeks leading up to the fundraiser, everywhere I went I'd catch sight of a flyer. The grocery store, the doctor's office, the mall. And it wasn't an in-your-face inundation; instead, it was like a common thread connecting the city and the people. I'd casually point to the paper and say I was so happy they were advertising the event, and almost instantaneously each person would launch into a five minute (minimum) story about how wonderful the family was, how happy they were to promote it and how much positive feedback they'd received from the community.
Unfortunately, I ended up coming down with the flu this past weekend and wasn't able to attend, but I've heard such positive comments from people who did. According to volunteers and friends, the event was able to gather more than 600 baskets and the amount raised continues to skyrocket. The family was able to collect what they needed to travel cross country for treatment, and then some. Amazing, amazing news.
I think this kind of local response says a lot about what kind of community we live in; I also think it says a lot about how many lives the Cinellis have touched. You can say Buffalo's an old city with a floundering economy and little potential, but it's partially because of events and people like this that I'm not ready to leave just yet.
Sadness and Spirit. Both inspire so much hope.
-- Molly Hirschbeck
