Here Comes Trouble... Avoiding The Office Feeder.

The Daily Clog

 

You know the story: You bring salad for lunch and fill your desk drawer with healthy snacks and it's all going swimmingly... until your Office Feeder comes over with cookies she baked last night, or half a Cherry Ripe she doesn't want to finish. You don't want to be rude, so the only thing to do is say thanks and take it off her hands, right? Wrong.

This week I've realised that this is where I come unstuck. I bring healthy food to work for myself, but rarely is there a day when someone in the office hasn't baked, or there's a birthday, or someone's selling chocolates for charity. And. I. Can't. Say. No.

It's hard, but I'm going to have to learn – because all this additional snacking is doing my health no favours. So for the next week, it's "no" to anything but the pre-arraged food I've given myself license on munch on. 

The Daily Mail has some handy hints, too...

• Keep healthy food in view: Professor Brian Wansink says you eat what you can see, so if the office feeder comes in with cakes and biscuits, make sure your celery sticks and carrots are within view on your desk.
• Don't throw away wrappers: Studies have shown that keeping empty chocolate wrappers or crisp bags on your desk can act as a deterrent to eating more  -  it gives a tangible reminder of what you have previously consumed.
• Put it away: If the office feeder hands out biscuits and insists you take one, get into the habit of removing it from reach immediately. Put it, unopened, in your bag, or lock it away in a drawer.

Running With A Heartrate Monitor.

RS100 Heartrate Monitor, $159 @ Polar Australia

 

It's the start of our seven-week countdown to Christmas and for day one, I decided to whip out the heartrate monitor. If you've never used one before, it's a nifty little gadget that straps on around your chest (invisible under a sports bra) and feeds your heart-rate info to you in a very profesh-looking watch. It's great for keeping track of exactly how hard you're working – whether you really are pushing your body as hard as it will go – and it keeps a very honest count of just how many calories you're burning. 

 

Weight loss is always going to come down to a simple equation – what you're putting in needs to be less than what your putting out – so it's well worth knowing just how much that sweat session has burned up. I don't use mine every time I work out – I find it becomes too intense as I'm constantly trying to one-up my last session (competitive, me?) – but it's a great tool to use to check your progress and give you a little reality check. I used it this morning and shaved a minute off my run. I don't quite know how but it seems knowing all my results will be there in black and white at the end of the run makes me move that much faster. We're off to a good start, folks.

It's Exactly Seven Weeks Til Christmas...

 

 

Christmas... It's the most wonderful time of the year. But before I go crazy, eating my weight in turkey and champagne and pudding, I'm going to try and get myself feeling fabulous for the festive season – so, come December 26, I'm not weighing in five kilos over my usual digits with a belly that could rival Saint Nick's. My aim? To eat healthier (for the main part) and introduce some new components into my training regime. I'll keep you updated here on how I go – what I'm doing, what's working and what's not. Come with me, if you want... Sometimes it's easier with a friend.

Get A Body Like Blake's.

Green Lantern may have been a totally rubbish film, but Blake Lively certainly looked good in it. And now her trainer Bobby Strom has told Health & Fitness mag exactly how she did it. As well as keeping a healthy diet, the actress trained for 60-90 minutes four days a week.

"We started with functional training," says Bobby. "Because of the way you’ve been conditioned to use your body in life, your dominant body side means you have weakened, underdeveloped areas, which prevents you from making muscle and strength gains. This training targets weak areas and activates other muscles to adapt and grow. It also helps stability and core strength too."

So given that it's New Move Monday, I've posted two of the moves Bobby had Blake doing below... Enjoy.

Two Movies To See With Your Man (That You'll Actually Enjoy)

I love doing things for other people. But I love doing them even more when there's a little something in it for me, too. Like when you buy your mum the new Adele album because you also wouldn't mind a listen. I mean, I'm only human.

And this week the cinema is making good deeds a cinch with some awesome new flicks hitting the big screen that boys and girls alike can enjoy. So instead of forcing him to sit through Crazy, Stupid, Love (again), be the selfless girlfriend/daughter/bestie and treat that male in your life to one of these... Trust me, it'll be a treat for you as well.

In Time.

The concept? In this world, everyone stops ageing at 25 and starts living on bought or borrowed time – until their clocks run out. It's a system that sees the rich become immortal while the poor are left to die young. Sounds tricky, but it's not too hard to get your head around. This action sci-fi is an entertaining ride from the get-go as Will (Justin Timberlake) and Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) try to upturn the system and fight for justice. Oh, and did I mention JT takes his shirt off? And more than once.

Drive.

One word: Ryan Gosling. Hollywood's man of the moment is perfection in this thriller about a stunt driver who gets embroiled in a heist gone wrong. Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks also star but make no mistake this is Ryan's show and he owns every scene – sometimes without even so much as a word. This movie has everything you'd expect from an action thriller – robberies, car chases, violence and plenty of gore. This is not a film that holds back in that respect. So look away if you must, but don't miss the rest of this incredibly slick and well-executed film.

Contagion.

If you have been secretly wishing for a modern take on Outbreak, consider your prayers answered. This film about the global spread of an uncontainable virus boasts an all-star cast (Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburn) and they don't disappoint. Well, except maybe Jude – who puts on one of the worst Australian accents I've ever heard (I wasn't even sure what nationality he was supposed to be until he attempted to call someone "mate"). David Stratton gave this four and a half stars and I'm inclined to do the same.

Yet ANOTHER Celeb That Loves Tracy Anderson.

Daily Mail

I've gotta say, Courteney Cox is looking pretty bangin' for 47. But even she admits that looking good after 40 is a "slippery slope". So what's her secret? Well, apparently the former Friends star does the Tracy Anderson Method four times a week.

Not familiar? I'm devoting this week's New Move Monday to the star trainer – because Courteney and Gwyneth and Madonna and Kate can't all be wrong...

On The Couch: Back On The Box.

Quite a few shows have made a triumphant return to the small screen this week...

United States Of Tara (Tuesdays at 9.35pm on ABC): It's the third and final season for Tara and her host of different personalities. So savour every moment of watching the always adorable John Corbett – seriously, could that man be any more lovable?

 
Glee (Wednesdays at 8.30pm on Ten): The New Directions return for a new season with some shiny new musical numbers. Sadly there's no sign of Sam (Chord Overstreet), but the new addition of Blaine (Darren Criss) as a regular more than makes up for it.

 
Two And A Half Men (Tuesdays at 8.30pm on Nine): Ashton Kutcher steps in – buck naked – to fill Charlie Sheen's famous shoes. So far, the reviews are mixed, but I reckon give the man more than 15 minutes to make his mark.

Beauty And The Geek Australia (Thursdays at 8.30pm on Seven): The ultimate battle of beauty and brains is back – and it's better than ever. Where else would a "geography test" involve sexy chefs outfits, a slip-n-slide and a smörgåsbord of food?