Red Wine--Dieter's Delight!

Drinking does not just improve parenting…but apparently it also helps to keep the weight off. In the New York Times Blog, Well, the post on “Women Who Drink Gain Less Weight” by Tara Parker-Pope finally gives women the green light to drink some red wine with dinner…not that I ever felt the need for a green light in order to drink... But for anyone who was waiting--the time has come to get out the corkscrew.

“The link between consumption of red wine and less weight gain was particularly pronounced in the Archives study. Some studies have suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, appears to inhibit the development of fat cells and to have other antiobesity properties.”

Those French women are right again.

Fitness Friday--1 Week to Go!

Okay, Okay…My wallowing has stopped. I believe my present sluggishness is actually a hibernation gene that is still linger in my modern body from pre-caveman days…the days when giant sloths roamed the land—as soon as the temperature drops below freezing outside the only activities I can do are read, eat and, in the evening, drink red wine. Even watching “films” requires too much emotional investment. I have re-ordered my Netflix queue to send me only comedies. The foreign documentaries on personal struggles have to wait.

Ms. Seize-the-Moment and I have decided to extend our competition since we are obviously LOSERS…or rather—we are NOT losers, but lazy and slovenly. But I must be honest—lazy and slovenly has a certain appeal which Puritanical Americans refuse to recognize. It saves money—no need to run to the gym and use gas and spend money, no need to clean your house—lying on the couch and reading doesn’t make a mess. It is really a “green” way of living.

We, of course, will have our final Winter Weigh-In on 1/31 and the victor will be crowned. I am not sure who to place my bets on. Ms. HR is using a diet which I can tell is working by just looking at her. And Ms. Proud Procrastinator, for all her talk about not doing anything, seems to do a lot. The chic certainly does not procrastinate with exercise. I tried, and failed, to sabotage Ms. Smart-Pants-Scientist last night at the Mother-Daughter book club by suggesting the garlic knots and pizza, but the woman has control.

So…for anyone who feels they could lose more weight—June is our next goal and we REALLY mean it. Let me know if you want to join-in. We are accepting applications for a limited time only. I am definitely losing fourteen to twenty pounds!

Slug Fest Sunday

It is freezing. The ONLY things I want to eat are pasta, bread and red wine. Although I have logged many miles walking at the mall and around town--I have not unrolled by yoga mat all week. Ahhh.
I did, however, read a fun book called the Urban Hermit by Sam MacDonald. It is a “memoir” of a Yale grad who spent all his money drinking and eating and ended up 100 pounds overweight and in debt. His solution to his weight and money problem was funny, effective and life transforming. Check it out. They have it at the local library.