Bad Knees?
I have bad knees.
At least, I *think* I have bad knees.
I believe that my issue with my knees is directly related to my weight. I tend to wear my weight like an apple or a pear — I don’t know. I’m some kind of fruit. But either way, I’m top heavy and I have these gorgeous skinny long legs. I remind myself of an apple with two toothpick legs.
I’m assuming that my knee pain is a direct result of having to carry around an apple all day long. If I were a knee, I’d be uncomfortable and unhappy too. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’d be screaming obscenities left and right.
Unfortunately, this is a Catch-22 situation. I need to lose weight to get rid of the knee pain, and the knee pain is posing difficulties in my weight loss journey.
I went to the gym today for my regularly scheduled appointment. I mentioned to my personal trainer that I probably wouldn’t be able to do too much because my knees have been aggravating me all weekend. He looked at me and was quiet for a moment before saying, “You need new shoes.”
Huh?
He explained that my shoes were too flat and I needed a higher arch. My cheap little sneakers that I’d had for a hundred years just weren’t up to snuff and they didn’t provide me with enough support. He also explained that I needed to start doing stretches after I finished exercising.
Wow. So maybe I don’t have bad knees! I just have really bad shoes!
He recommended that for cardiovascular activity, I should look into Nike. If I decide that I want to get into cross-training, I should probably go for Adidas. He also told me that I shouldn’t spend too much on shoes either. His shoes were about $30-$40 and were terrific. He also told me that I needed to actually go to the store and ask for the shoes to be fitted properly. Too many times, people get the wrong size or style without realizing it until it’s too late.
I had no idea.
With glee, I laughed and told my husband that I was under strict instructions to go shoe shopping. He sobbed for a few minutes while clutching his wallet. I think he’ll be okay.
I’ll check on him when I get back from the store.
Miniature (Healthier) Pizza!
I love pizza. No, really — I LOVE pizza. I daydream about the cheesy goodness and tomato sauce. In fact, I love pizza so much that I actually moved to the pizza capital of the United States! (Okay, that’s not the reason why — it’s just an added bonus)
Unfortunately, pizza is not really the best thing for me (or my husband) to eat. It’s high in calories, fat and all that nastiness. Since this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and not a diet, I can’t force myself to stop eating pizza. But I’m going to make a healthier and low calorie version that will satisfy those pizza cravings and not leave me with a ton of guilt.
Ingredients:
- English Muffins (100-calorie ones are AWESOME)
- Tomato sauce
- Oregano
- Low-fat mozzarella cheese
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Black Olives, sliced (optional)
- Green Peppers, chopped (optional)
- Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- Garlic, minced (optional)
- Red pepper (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Slice all the English muffins in half and line up on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes until they are lightly toasted.
- Remove from oven and top each English muffin with a little bit of tomato sauce. I usually put on just enough to cover the muffin. Then, sprinkle each sauce-covered English muffin with a pinch of oregano.
- Now you can get crazy. Add all the toppings (or none, if you prefer) and be creative! I love veggies on my pizza, so I usually pile them on. For a little added kick, throw on some fresh garlic and hot red pepper.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey. Serve and enjoy!
I know, I know — the pizza police will probably come after me. But at least I’ll be thinner while I’m running away from them!
