NSV: Bon Voyage - On the [European ] Road with a Runner

Three weeks in Polish food heaven.

Doughy Obwarzianki from Krakowian street vendors. Smalec (old-style lard) on fresh rye bread. Late afternoon cafe breaks on the medieval Krakow rynek with some spectacular sweet pastries. Hot Paczki in the streets of Warszawa. Pierogi z truskawkami. [Pierogi with fresh strawberries.] Lody z makiem [Poppy-seed gelato.] Pure bitter drinking chocolate at Wedel. Toasting our relatives with chilled vodka and salty caviar. Enjoying every bite and every moment of our favorite restaurants and elegant old-school kawiarnie.

Victory: Arriving home jet lagged and burned out, exactly # -.2 less on the scale than the day our journey began. How to live it up and find this result? Stay tuned for my secrets!

First of all, I am not advocating the all-lard diet (although I do believe that the icy shot of vodka with my smalec & rye appetizer has magical power.) I was able to live it up without the scale going up. I am able to eat dessert without Weight Watcher's desertion. This is a first in my life. It marks an amazing non-scale victory.

1. Runner's bodies rule. After a year of lifestyle change, fitness and healthy habits, my body simply works better. It is efficient, muscular and burns more calories. It can handle a few weeks of fun. Wow! What a revelation.

2. Live it up! I had no intention of engaging in my annual and much anticipated hang-out in Poland by playing idiotic ascetic games with myself. I'm here to live and enjoy, not prove how spartan I can be with self-denial. This has never been a diet. I was not going to miss out on what I love in deference to some macho dietary will-to-power.

3. Activity. Activity. Activity. As always, we walk everywhere in Poland. With the exception of a few tramwaj [streetcar] journeys for the edification of my street-car obsessed son, we walk all day long. We walk anywhere from 2 to 5 hours a day. That's a lot of activity. At one point, I was earning about 50 AP (activity points on the Weight Watcher's plan) a week. For those of you not conversant with WW lingo, that's a lot.

4. Woda. Woda. Woda. Water. Water. Water. Like many Euro peoples, the Poles are drinking Woda Mineralna (bottled mineral water) around the clock. We do, too. On the road, it really helps with everything health and fitness related. Whether you choose gazowana or niegazowana, it's a good thing.

5. A fitness plan. Although I had mapped out runs in my favorite Polish cities, I had a backup plan for fitness. A really simple one. I threw a jump rope in the back of my suitcase. And I skipped rope (for the first time in my life!) every morning after Sniadanie for 30 - 60 minutes. Sucky? Kind of. Challenging? Yup. My legs hurt for the first 6 days and then I got over it. But I discovered that a runner can do such things. It's not a big deal when you are used to fitness.

6. A food plan. I took a little notebook, logged my fave Polish foods for reference, and kept track of my points for my entire trip. By the way, for the first time ever in my Weight Watcher's career, my weekly points exceeded their allowance. There was NO way I was going to stress about it. The deal was simply about keeping track and being mindful. Some days I had spectacular Lody Kompozycja (Polish ice cream creations). I logged the points and loved every second. It wasn't about denial but about mindfulness. I knew what I was doing and I owned it. After every meal, treat or indulgence, I asked myself, "Was it worth it?" The answer was usually yes, and I loved every morsel. No guilt. No mind games. No monkey business. "Was it worth it?" When the answer was no, there was no encore.


Upon returing home, I found it was the question on everyone's lips, "Well...did she gain it back? Did she collapse in a sea of szarlotka or start chain-drinking pure chocolate?" The answer is no.

These very ordinary concepts are my not-so-spectacular secrets for the victory of maintaining weight loss on a major European road trip. The revelation for me was that I can be en route and not unravel my fitness. A runner's healthy lifestyle gives me just enough wiggle room to live it up. So don't stress about bon voyage. It really can be a great journey.


About the Image: Layout design, photograph & digital papers (c) 2007 by Ann Hetzel Gunkel. Ribbon from Thao Cosgrove's Friendship Collection at Scrap Girls.

Notes about the Obwarzanek. This distinctly Krakowian street food is the heavenly, chewy cross between a pretzel and a bagel. The obwarzianki z sol [salt obwarzianki] are to die for. To preserve their unique flavor and regional presence, these doughy delights are currently under consideration for protected food status in the EU.

Running to Eat: The Paczki Avant-Garde

Being a runner allows me to really enjoy things that I love, to wit: paczki (the filled puff of Polish pastry dough.) During this most recent trip to Poland my family uncovered the ultimate paczek.

Understand this loud and clear: we are paczki people. We love paczki. We've had hundreds of paczki. We savor the subtleties and make mental notes. Heck, even our last dog was named Paczek in honor of this heavenly bit of plush dough. So when we say we've found the ultimate paczek it comes from a place of profound paczki connoisseur-ship.

Here's how it happened. We wander into an alley in Warszawa off Nowy Swiat. This narrow strip of ulica Chmielna is like any other. Except suddenly, I find myself following a scent, feeling like I'm floating on the aroma of paczki in the air. It hits all of us at the same time. "Dave, why am I floating on the smell of paczki? It's like a dream." "I don't know--but I smell it too." We follow the magical scent like someone in a cartoon, nose floating after the trail.

Then we spot it. A line of people queued up from here to eternity at an unassuming window. Cukiernia Pawlowicz. Gorace Paczki. [Pawlowiocz Sweets Bakery. Hot Paczki.] Our pastry-based dreams have come true! Out of this window, ladies are selling hot paczki. Hot. Plush. Sweet and un-bee-lievable. Paczki with rose-petal marmalade and coated in sliced almonds. Paczki with budyn (a simple pudding.) Paczki with forest fruit marmalade. Paczki from heaven.

Our excitement builds, we order (only PLN 1,70 for something this spectacular?!) one for each of our crew. The lady wraps them in a whisper thin paper sack, suitable for immediate on-the-street consumption. My son steps back after one bite, suitably dramatic for the momentous event and proclaims, "This paczek is out of this world. This is the best paczek I've ever had in my life." And although he's not quite six years old, he's had a lot of paczki in his time. And he's right.

Dead on. These are the very best paczki on earth. After 40+ years of paczki passion, we've found the holy grail of paczki. That this qualifies as a major life event in our clan means we are either elevated foodies or total losers (maybe both).

But really, these are the very best paczki on earth. We return to this spot, to this magical window of bakery bliss, every day for the rest of our stay in Warszawa. We call our relatives on the komorka (cell phone) and order them to the spot where we stand. We call my cousin on his komorka and entreat him to meet us in the alley. All must share in the paczki passion.

In celebration of this miraculous metaphysical paczek, I invent a new fictional punk band name for myself (an old habit of mine, by the way. Creating fictional band names for myself, despite the fact that I'm decades past being in a punk band or any other kind of band for that matter.) I have it now--the ultimate name for my ultimate band.

T-PAG: The Paczki Avant Garde. T-PAG. Has a kind of Tupac hip-hoppy ring to it. T-PAG. Has my initials in it, The Paczek of Ann Gunkel. Yes, my dream band about this dreamy pastry is The Paczki Avant Garde. T-PAG. At the forefront of paczki research. I've suitably marked this random discovery of the best paczek in the universe with my pretend punk rock tribute.

And this, by the way, is why I don't diet. This, by the way, is something I have no intention of skipping. This, by the way, is what makes life so fun. And this, by the way, makes every last bite worth the daily workout. It's the very best reason I can think of for running to eat.


Note bene for you who are not wise in the way of paczki. Paczek (punch-eck). Singular. Paczki (punch-kee). Plural. The "un" sounds is nasal as this is a diacritically marked Polish "a."

Layout Design & Folkloric digital paper (c) 2007 Ann Hetzel Gunkel for Scrap Girls. Photo by David Gunkel.

NSV - Episode 5: A Trail Runner's War Stories

One of the best things about running is the new avenue of experience opened by health & fitness. This past Memorial Day weekend, I was able to enjoy a series of adventures that would never have happened prior to my running life. My family hiked and climbed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina several hours a day during a holiday visit to Oma & Opa. Being fit and strong made this exciting, delightful and fun, rather than a punishment. Moreover, the idea of NOT being active is now so foreign to us that such outings are simply a given as soon as breakfast is over.

Our first climb in the Pisgah National Forest was a moderately difficulty hike with a 40 minute ascent up the mountain, a cross-over on the mountain's ridge, followed by a steep descent. Several hours later, nearing the end of the trail, we encountered a six-foot long black snake--a MAJOR event for city folks like us and my five year old son. Yikes!

Thanks to suggestions from Opa and Oma Hetzel, we next headed to Dupont Falls. Our hikes were to wonderful waterfalls in the Dupont State Forest. We hiked down to High Falls and then over and down to Triple Falls. During this outing, I experimented with trail running. I've never tried my run on a rugged and steep surface such as mountain trails. And I loved it! The challenge of the terrain and the grades made it a great workout, especially for an urban flatlander like me. This adventure was made exhilarating by the spectacular waterfalls we visited. The wonder on my son's face was well worthwhile. And the cold spray of the falls felt pretty amazing after some serious uphill running.

Our last adventure in Dupont Falls is the source of my "war story." When I became a Weight Watcher's Warrior (I was dubbed so by my WW leader Peter), I didn't realize I'd be collecting battle stories along the way. This one comes courtesy of a mountain trail to the more remote Wintergreen Falls in Dupont Forest.

Giddy with the new challenge of trail running, I once again ran the terrain ahead of my family. I'd run the paths to the trail forks and then run back to my guys with directions. This back-and-forth continued all the way to the fall's descent. But I was having so much fun that I got careless. As you approach the waterfalls at any of these destinations, you encounter a stern (and scary) sign: "Danger! Steep cliffs and slippery rocks. Injury and Death possible." Well, I was so busy reading this ominous warning that I stopped watching my footing. And Boom! Tripping over a boulder, I took a good spill in two sharp moves--one smashdown to the shoulders and knees, followed by a whiplash move that sent my face careering into a rock.

After the shock to my body (and my pride--although I was all alone in the forest), I surveyed the damage, afraid to move. Calling for help from my guys--who had caught up to me on the trail, I found that despite some abrasions, bruises and a split lip later, I was without serious injury. Shaken but OK, we eventually climbed down to the falls in solitude, enjoying the wonderful scene.

I have to admit with a touch of machismo that this war story makes me secretly proud. Not of my dufus-ness, of course. But of my ability to engage these adventures with my runner's body. Being strong is giving me new opportunities to explore with my family, create memories, and enjoy all manner of excitements that would never have occurred to me in years past. That is worth so much more than the number on a scale could ever measure.

Notes: Some Tips for Trail Running on Hiking/Mountain Trails

1. Don't be like me. If you can, get some trail running shoes. The sturdier soles and support will help with rocks, muck, mulch, tree stumps, limbs and the rugged terrain. They will also prevent your "good" running shoes from getting trashed like mine did.

2. Even in the forest, put on sunblock.

3. Always have a terrain/trail map with you.

4. Wear sunglasses or prescription glasses. I was really glad for the old Rx pair that I use for running. When I took my fall, they protected my eyes.

5. A cap or hat is useful for keeping bugs, mulch, sun and sweat off your face. (I have a washable, wicking SPF cap that is pretty handy.)

5. Have someone take water, a snack, and a first aid kit in the hiking pack. I did not have the latter and wished for it once the aches set in.

6. When you are running, YOU MUST IGNORE THE SCENERY. You must keep your eyes down on the trail and at your feet at all times. The terrain is too rugged to run safely while sight-seeing.

Layout Design (c) 2007 Ann Hetzel Gunkel ; Photo (c) 2007 David Gunkel; Digital Supplies: Papers & Embellishments: Erica Hite's Daydream Collection at Scrap Girls
Ribbons: Thao Cosgrove's Friendship Collection at Scrap Girls.

On Hating Running

As I've noted before, when I first started this running thing, I hated it. To sum up, it sucked. But two years into it (and at my goal weight), I've learned a few interesting things about that initial hatred.

After a lot of running, I've gotten a lot better at listening to my own voice. To what some call "self talk." I can recall being over 200 pounds and trying like hell to run that one, slow mile. God, that was misery. But after some months, I realized that the misery wasn't in the running at all. It was in how I treated myself. Here's how a typical script went all of three minutes into a run.

"God, this sucks... It's hot... I hate this. I'm lame...Why am I so slow? How come I can't do anything right?... How come I'm fat and my ______ [neighbor, co-worker, friend] can eat whatever she wants to? I'll never be a real athlete.... Boy, am I fat...I bet I look like such a loser to that passer-by...I'll be a plus-size forever..."

You get the idea. I didn't hate the running nearly as much as I hated myself. Running just gave me a space and a chance to feel it directly. And believe it or not, this information took me months to hear. After some time running and some time working Weight Watchers, I started not only to listen to this self-talk but to change it. I would catch myself in the monologue of misery and put a stop to it. Then, I started to replace it:

"At least I'm out here doing it...I'm taking care of myself...I'm setting a good example for my son... Each of these steps gets me closer to a goal...Every day I do this is one more victory... I'm making improvements...A real runner is someone who runs. Period."

A year or two later (yeah, it actually takes a while), that old script is long gone. And when or if it should sneak back in--I'm on the lookout and ready to pounce.

Oh, and I don't hate running anymore.

Victory or "Why I'm not eating a layer cake to celebrate"

Way back in ancient times (well, as far back as last year when I first joined Weight Watchers), I had a lovely fantasy. There would be me at Goal Weight. I'm sure I looked good, although I couldn't quite picture it. I was confident and smooth, but I couldn't quite picture it. I was most likely wearing a small size jeans. And I'd be eating as much chocolate layer cake as I wanted to...oh, and lasagna and maybe something else extra tasty. Because thin people were people who could eat this stuff and still be thin.

Well...there's a reason WW is a gradual weight loss program. Because while you're busy changing your habits around food and exercise, you have enough time for your attitude to catch up, too. To wit:

When I hit my goal weight at WW, I jumped up and down like a maniac at the scale. And then I went home, proud and fulfilled by my progress. I wondered, what can I do to celebrate? I thought back to the "old me" and that fuzzy dream of one day being a "normal" size. And being able to eat all the "good stuff" without limit.

And you know what I realized? That the real victory wasn't that I was in the "thin club" and could now eat all the stuff to which the members of that secret society were privy. The real victory was somewhere else--somewhere that I had not expected at all. There I was at my goal weight and the reason I was there is that the idea of celebrating with a ton of cake or a sheet of lasagna seemed utterly empty to me. Why in God's name would I want to do that?

Aha! That was the secret. It wasn't that my thin colleagues could eat like lunatics. It was that they didn't want to do so as a way of celebrating, coping with or cheering their lives. The real victory happened when my former idea of "celebration" was as long gone and senseless to me as that elusive thin-person once seemed. Touche!

Eating to Run: Strawberry Tiramisu

I hate when someone tells me "it's as good as the real....[fill in the blank with tiramisu, fudge layer cake, etc.]." So I'm telling you, that this isn't! This isn't tiramisu with chocolate, liquer and marscapone. Are you nuts? However, this is a tasty and sweet 3 point dessert that takes about 10 minutes to assemble. So, enjoy!

Strawberry Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, chopped
3 T sugar
2 T orange juice
1/2 c. fat-free ricotta cheese
1/8 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. vanilla (or strawberry) fat-free yogurt
1/3 of 1 (10 oz) frozen fat-free pound cake, cut into cubes

Directions:
1. Combine the strawberries, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the orange juice in a bowl.
2. Puree (in a blender) the remining 1 T of sugar, and the vanilla. Add the yogurt and pulse just until blended. [You can skip the processor or blender and do this with a spoon.]
3. Layer (in a serving bowl or 4 individual bowls), the cake cubes, half of the cheese mixture and half of the strawberries. Then repeat the layers.
4. If you cover with plastic wrap and chill, the flavors will absorb and set even better.

Tip: You can cut the pound cake straight from the freezer. It will thaw by the time you eat dessert, even if you make it on the spot.

WW Points Value(1/4 of recipe): 3
Recipe: Adapted from Weight Watcher's Magazine, May/June 2007

Layout Design & Photo (c) Ann Hetzel Gunkel; Digital Supplies: Adobe Photoshop; Cherish Collection by Erica Hite at Scrap Girls; Friendship Collection by Thao Cosgrove at Scrap Girls

Reality Check: This is not your mother's diet

From the Goal Line, I now realize that the biggest obstacle I faced beginning the fitness and weight loss journey was the hurdle of my own preconceptions about Weight Watchers. I had a slew of misconceptions about what it was and who it was for. All of them were dead wrong. When my physician suggested WW, I almost gagged. I told her, frankly, that I thought it was "stupid" but I'd give her advice a try, since she's the doctor. Thank goodness I did. I was completely surprised by what transpired.

These are my misconceptions and what I discovered about them--because I'm betting you have some of these ideas, too.

Misconception No. 1: "WW is for old ladies or teenage girls." Reality check: REALLY wrong!!
My meeting is run by a man (an awesome leader, by the way.) My meeting is attended by young moms, senior men and women, teenagers, dads with young kids and the whole gamut. It is NOT ladies talking about dietetic chocolate bars or protein shakes. It is not about "rabbit food" or diet frozen dinners. Its about eating real food for real life. When I first heard about WW, I pictured my older cousins in the 1970s wearing polyester pantsuits and measuring out half cups of canned pineapple. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong!

Actor and WW member Greg Grunberg was in a cab in New York and this guy said, "Hey, I saw your commercial. Have you tried the lemon bars?" I'm like: You've got to be kidding me! This guy looks like one of the guys on The Sopranos--and he's on Weight Watchers! Everybody's on it. But it's not your grandmother's diet; it's not your mother's diet. It's your diet." Amen.

My childhood best friend, a guy, also joined WW and has hit his goal weight. [Paulie--you look fab!] By the way, WW online (which I adore) even has a whole new website just for guys.

Misconception No. 2: "I don't need WW. That's for weaklings and losers." Reality Check: This "Weakling & Loser" is now a real loser for the first time ever, thanks to WW. It works!

"Hey--I have a Ph.D., what do I need this for? Self-help books are for idiots and this is just a "group" version of a bad Dr. Phil show." Absolutely false. This is not vacuous self-help feel-good double talk. This is a real plan for health and fitness. It's not about personal strength, I.Q. or invincibility. It's not about how smart or strong you are. It's about behavior modification and habit changes. It's about strategies, a plan, information and sane progress. And stats are clear--these kinds of life changes work WAY better with group support.

Misconception No. 3: "WW isn't for me because I'm not a joiner and I hate groups." Reality Check: People who attend meetings lose THREE TIMES as much weight as those who don't. And after losing, those who did it with a group maintain their weight loss in vastly greater numbers.

I'm still not a joiner and I still hate groups. I'm as cynical and critical as they come. After all, I do cultural critique for a living! And guess what...this isn't a chat session on Oprah. This is not a twelve-step plan and there's no higher power to tap into except your own muscles. It's a real plan for health & fitness.

Misconception No. 4: "WW is just another diet plan." Reality Check: This is not a diet. It's a lifestyle change.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't do diets. That's why WW actually worked. This is not about deprivation, starvation or feminine discipline. This is not about low calorie shakes, boxes of prepackaged diet foods, protein bars, carb-phobia or the all-cabbage cure. This is about real food in healthy portions, mindful eating, and fitness. These are real life changes for a better and stronger life. Diets make Americans fat. Period. This is not a diet.