Beer Wine Chocolate Fitness Plan

Okay, I refuse to call it a diet, but the goal is to lose the extra holiday pounds and tighten everything up in time for our March cruise and the celebration of a big birthday. So let's just call it a readjustment plan. I need to readjust down about 8 pounds to be at my triathlon weight, back when I was in my peak condition. It's actually pretty easy and it works. I do some version of it every year. Life is way too short to go without beer, wine or chocolate, so they're all included.  

1. Ramp up my exercise. I already run, walk and work-out at the gym. To ramp it up I need to increase all these activities to burn off at least 100 more calories a day. Just run or walk a mile more and that should do it.  I also work in a three story building, so I make sure I run up and down the stairs at least 5 times a day. Great for the legs!

2. Record everything I eat. I use the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone. There is also a android version. It's free, easy to use, and calculates calories and the nutritional components of food. It helps you set up the appropriate number of daily calories you can eat and still lose weight. For me it's about 1500 calories. I need to be religious about this step. Nothing passes these lips without being recorded.

3. Stick to a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, seafood, poultry, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I also include two portions of Greek yogurt every day. It's filling, satisfying and studies have shown that including low fat dairy in your diet helps reduce belly fat!

4. Every day include one glass of beer or wine, and a small portion of chocolate.  I choose Lindt because it's my favorite, but any fine quality dark chocolate will do. Two squares (about 100 calories) are just enough to be satisfying. I pair the chocolate with either a glass of craft beer or favorite wine, and focus only on the experience of enjoying my end of the evening treat. I include these treat calories in my daily allowance of 1500.

And that's all there is to it. Let me know if you try some version of this. I'll check back on March 1 and let you know how I did.
Cheers and Happy New Year.

Some of my favorites. 

The Best of 2011

When I first started writing my blog in May, my nephew Mike, suggested I write a "best of"  blog at the end of the year. When you consider that I only write about places that I consider fun, determining which places are the most fun can be a daunting task. That said, there are a few stand outs this year. So here goes.

The Chinese Tower beer garden in Munich.

Best overall experience:  Visiting the beer gardens in Bavaria wins  this category hands down. The two that really stood out were the Chinese Tower in Munich and Andechs Monastery on Lake Ammer.  Both were unique and offered one of a kind experiences.

A beer sampler from Deschutes
 is hard to beat. 

Favorite brew pub experience:  There are three that really stand out for different reasons.  For the best quality of beer it has to to be Deschutes in Bend, Oregon. We can't get their beer in Georgia, and whenever I'm away from Bend I crave it. Drinking a beer sampler from Deschutes trumps all others.

The brew pub offering the best views in combination with excellent beer is Full Sail in Hood River, Oregon. The panoramic views of the colorful windsurfers on the Columbia River are unforgettable.

For the best people watching it's the Lab in Asheville, North Carolina. The experience of sitting on the outdoor covered patio and watching the entertaining characters of Asheville stroll by is a real treat.

Trappeze has a great selection of draft beer. 

Best craft beer bar experience:  We visited some wonderful bars specializing in craft beer this year. The one that still remains my favorite is our home town Trappeze in Athens, Georgia.  The ambiance, choice of beers and friendly staff make every visit fun.

Can't beat the view at Mt. Hood.

Best winery experience:  I've chosen two wineries that really stood out. For best overall experience it's Kings Estate in Oregon. The beauty of the location and facilities, in combination with the excellent food and wine make it a memorable visit. For the knockout view, Mt. Hood Winery is really special. Wedged between Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, the location is spectacular.

Superb chocolate is available at
the Chocolate Lounge.

Best chocolate experience:  Although Pix Patisserie in Portland, Oregon was a real contender, my favorite is the French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville. Just superb chocolate.

Thanks to everyone who has read my blog in 2011. We already have some great travel plans for 2012.  In March we'll be in the Caribbean and I'll be reviewing some highlights from the islands.  A trip to Chicago is in the works for May and the Finger Lakes wine region in New York state is planned for August.  In September, we are highly anticipating our visit to Belgium and Paris.  I'm sure there will be other adventures  throughout the year as well. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012 and may you enjoy outstanding beer,wine and chocolate throughout the year.