Tops for Gluten-free Bread

I found a new gluten-free bread brand that is so good, even my husband asks me to buy it so he can sneak a roll out of the freezer every once in a while. A company called Against the Grain Gourmet has mastered making gluten-free pizza crusts, rolls, and baguettes. Their foods also exclude corn and soy, key for me.

These bread products have a lot of calories due to containing cheese, but wow do they taste yummy! Their pizza crusts are super easy to throw a topping on and pop in the oven. So far my favorite pizza toppings include:

• A little tomato sauce
• Fresh baby spinach
• Halved cherry tomatoes
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

10 Pounds, 10 Weeks

My mom is still kicking it. She has lost a total of 17 pounds this year. She is now setting a goal of losing 10 pounds in 10 weeks. She is also changing her focus to getting stronger by eating right and exercising. Weight loss will be a side benefit. Fantastic attitude, if you ask me.

She is pushing me to get a personal trainer, like her. I think I may stick with taking yoga classes. I finally started on a local project a week ago and will be working in town for the next three months. That means that I can take yoga lessons during the week! A luxury.

My mom is now up to walking/running an average of 3 miles. Great progress! This week her exercise included:

• Walking on Monday
• Core training Tuesday
• Walking after work Wednesday
• Thursday core training
• A long walk this weekend

Working Too Much and Weight Gain

My grandmother sent me the link to an interesting article. (That's right. My grandmother is more tech savvy than your grandmother.) The article highlights a study that found that 1) more than 40 hours per week and 2) work fatigue lead to weight gain.

These findings are completely in line with my own experiences. I find I tend to gain weight and/or hold weight I want to get rid of when I am working a lot of hours (tends to be steady-state for my job). This is especially the case when I am travelling.

The article notes four suggestions for avoiding weight gain:

1. "Take a break from your television"
2. "Simplify and consolidate"
3. "Evaluate your work schedule and tasks"
4. "Take a good hard look at your job"

#1, check. I don't watch too much television... perhaps, it is the Internet I need to stay away from... The other suggestions are worth consideration.

Keeping up with Mom

Motherly update: My mom is keepin' on in her effort to lose weight. She lost 4.5 pounds in 5 weeks (through last week). This week, she didn't lose any weight, but did lose 1/2 an inch off of her thighs. I think she is convincing my sister to take her on in her next challenge. Go mom!

Fat People Are Worse for the Environment

I came across an article today, that struck me as funny (perhaps it is because the title is similar to mine above). The conclusion of the article on CNN.com is that overweight people are worse for the environment because they cause higher fuel usage in transport.

To Toast With a Glass of Wine or Not?

A very good summary article came out today, discussing some of the confusing messages about whether wine is good for your health or not. Key points included that drinking wine may:

• Improve your overall health


• Lead to liver disease


• Increase women's chances of breast cancer


• Lower your chances of heart disease


• Increase your "good" cholesterol


• Be better to drink when you are older


• Increase your blood pressure


• Cause dementia (heavy drinking)


• Decrease the risk of dementia (lighter drinking)

I enjoy drinking wine, and find this article pretty concisely lays out what has been presented in the media in recent years. However, it doesn't really come to a definitive conclusion. That is for us to do, thankfully.

Rolling on...

My mother, as always, is an inspiration. Her report this week included:

• She lost two more pounds and is down to a 14 pound total weight loss so far.


• She's still counting my calories and working out, including hiking and walking at the zoo near her work.


• She has one week left and one pound to go to reach her goal of 5 pounds in 5 weeks.