A Day in the Life

blog_WorkoutPatients and readers alike always ask me how I manage to stay so young and to keep so trim and lean. My usual answer is that I follow my own advice. Well, that is true; but sometimes, my advice is seemingly mysterious because others can’t seem to get the same results I do. I think they are just doing it wrong but for arguments sake, I am going to take you through my day yesterday and all you will need to do to stay as trim as I am is to use that as your guideline.

I should start off by saying that I wasn’t always this lean and health conscious. I  was 70 pounds heavier (used to be 80 but thanks to my trainer, Shane, I have put on 10 pounds of muscle in the last year) (Thanks buddy – you know how the numbers on the scale still freak me out; but, I have managed to let go of some of that and if my clothes still fit, then I must be doing something right!) in high school than I am now.

I haven’t completely let go of the scale thing yet, if truth be told and since this is my Confessions tour – you will only hear the truth in this blog. Yes, I am a Madonna fan and yesterday while cleaning out my closet came across t-shirts I had bought during that concert tour so I thought why not? And honestly, Lady Gaga – been there, done that; when it was so much more relevant and earth shattering.  Don’t get me wrong, I am glad someone is out there teaching love and not hate; but don’t act like you are the first person to have ever done it.  Bi*** go back to your history books.

Getting back to me and isn’t it always about me? I am probably in the best shape of my life.  I was an overweight kid – hence my first book, Feed Your Kids Well. I was an overweight adolescent and an overweight college student.  On the fast track to diabetes and heart disease – all of which run in my family.  However, instead of putting on the freshman 15, I took it off and then some.  I was not about to become another statistic to what is wrong with America. But, that isn’t really the point of this story so here was my day yesterday.

I woke up and took Remington, my beagle, for a walk for 15 minutes.  I came home, fed him and then had a protein shake – one without sugar and mixed solely with water. I wasn’t seeing patients yesterday, so sat down at the computer to write.

Before I knew it, it was time for my trainer to come. I ate ten macadamia nuts before he arrived. Shane worked me out for an hour – 3 sets of 3 exercises and then stretching afterwards. The funny thing about exercise is that you feel pretty good after it – its’ now as I write this that I can barely lift my arms or reach for my phone without feeling every bit of torture he treated me to yesterday; and, it’s only five hours until today’s -session.

Remington then needed to go out for another walk for 15 minutes. I came home, fed him and then made a 12 egg frittata with zucchini and cheese. I

absolutely love this time of the year. Everything in that frittata came from the farmers market which I am blessed to have one block from where I live. There is nothing better than fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.

I ate ¼ of that and saved the rest for this week. I like making larger quantities so I can just heat the food up on another day and eat it.  Therefore, I always have food ready and I know the quality of the ingredients.

I worked some more and then it was time for dinner – a duck cassoulet.  I had gotten these great duck legs from the farmers market this weekend and couldn’t wait to eat them. I pan seared them, threw them in a baking dish, chopped up some leeks and cauliflower and placed them over the duck legs; added veal stock to cover and a dash of red wine and placed it in the oven for 1.5 hours. And if you want to try this at home, the oven was on 350 and it was uncovered.

For those of you who don’t cook, you can substitute any protein, any vegetable and any stock and create the same meal – the cooking time may vary but not by that much – it’s all in the slow simmer for this dish. Stop being afraid to cook already.  It’s quick, simple and fun – and did I mention cheaper than eating out.  Which then leaves me time for my favorite thing to do.

While waiting for dinner to cook, I watched Boardwalk Empire and the season finale of The Real Housewives of New Jersey – I was in a New Jersey state of mind I guess. I would have watched Jersey Shore but dinner was done and it smelled too good to wait. Have you been watching RHONJ? Melissa is crazy ridiculous. Teresa has lost her mind and I don’t quite know what is going on in that 78Hoboken condo with the Manzo boys and their “friend.”  By the time those shows were over, dinner was done.

Speaking of being over, can you believe they cancelled The Playboy Club – it was only on for maybe three episodes. Granted karma (and I don’t mean the club in Seaside Heights – get your mind off of Jersey Shore for a minute please) for Eddie Cibrian may have played a role; but although I liked the show, one less thing for my DVR to tape may have saved my life. And if you haven’t watched Unforgettable yet, it is really quite good. Well, it’s good but I only mentioned it because the star of the show, Dylan Walsh works out at my gym.

Whoa! I hope that name didn’t fall on your foot. So, as you can see, I do eat, exercise and follow my own advice. You can too – it’s that easy. Wow, after that I am really hungry – gotta run – time for my protein shake

Until next time…


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