Here we are at the end of January... There are still two more months of winter and I'm taking it day-by-day. Each day is different and presents different challenges.

Try to have a sense of humor especially when you're beet-red and sweating. I'm still laughing over the way I described parts of my body: "Upper Assage" (the area between the buns and the hips--a fleshy plane that's become more toned), and "Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters" (my thighs). I recall the pain of training when I would ask Paula, "why can't we just take a melon-baller or an ice cream scoop and dig out all the fat?" Or, "how about we get a mallet and pound my flesh to make it flat?" "Can't we just lop this off?" I would ask, pulling and clutching at a stomach roll.

I'm sticking with my diet and fitness routine; I sure hope you do too. Do what works for you. My next move is to find a yoga or pilates class that I can attend on a regular basis. I'd like to integrate something new into my routine.

Best of luck to everyone who has started a new diet and fitness regime. Stick to it even when it feels hard. Reward yourself, but not with empty calories!

Let's face it: We have choices to make each day.

We can choose between a Dunkin' Donuts Double Chocolate Cake donut (310 calories/150 calories from fat according to DD), and a Kashi Go Lean Chocolate Caramel Crunch bar (180 calories/25 calories from fat); Asian chicken over noodles (220 calories/27% from fat according to Cooking Light magazine), and Burger King's Whopper Jr. (400 calories/24 grams of fat), one of the "better" choices on BK's menu considering that a Double Whopper with cheese is 1,010 calories/67 grams of fat). We can choose between a 12-ounce can of regular Coke (155 calories), or a 8-ounce glass of water (0 calories). I was surprised to discover that a 20-ounce bottle of defense-flavored Vitamin Water has 150 calories.

Weighing the alternatives each day, I know there are always better choices I can make depending on my state of mind. I ask myself: "Do I want to make a choice that represents empty calories and won't really fill or sate me? Will what I'm about to eat give me energy to get me through the day or even the next three hours? Is this the best choice I can make for now?"

Suddenly, all those bagels in the bin at Hot & Crusty, despite their lovely fresh-from-the-oven aroma, don't look as good. A better, more filling carb might be the whole-wheat fusilli I made recently, or a sweet potato. How about a chicken breast poached with a bit of balsamic vinegar as a tasty source of protein, I ask myself.

I continue to struggle with choices and I give in to cravings every now and then. Yesterday, I was in the grocery store and floated past the freezer with ice creams. I paused and stared longingly at the colorful pints of Ben & Jerry's, Haagen-Dazs, Ciao Bella, Turkey Hill, Edy's and more. I love my ice cream but I know if I bring it into the house, I'll overdo it. So when I need a fix, I buy the smallest serving of Tasti D lite, the frozen dessert, a sorbet, or frozen yogurt of some kind.

But sometimes, it feels like I really have to have a giant peanut butter cookie. And sometimes, I eat the whole thing. But truth be told, it's not so often any more.

I trained with Paula on Saturday. We did walking lunges while raising a bar, ab work on the Bosu (a plastic, mounded half-ball that offers a palpable burn), pushups, stepups to the bench with free weights backing into a lunge, and plenty of work on the cables for my arms. It was all satisfying but the ab work was difficult. Using a Bosu makes crunches more challenging.

Not so long ago it was hard for me to stay focused during our hour-long sessions. I would buy time between sets when I was so exhausted I didn't think I could move another muscle. I grimaced and complained, cracked sarcastic jokes, asked Paula about her auditions, took swigs out of my water bottle, and turned to the other trainers on the floor to see if their clients were as tired as I was. The trainers--Greg, Ken, Chris, and Marla--offered much-needed comic relief and support while I stalled. They'd smile, shout out encouraging words, and cheered me on in every possible way.

When I complained about my so-called "upper assage," Ken would say, "Tobi, standing around talking about it isn't going to get the job done..." During moments of discouragement when I felt I couldn't push myself any further, Marla would quietly say, "Come on Tobi, you can do it, get back to it!" Once, when I was working out by myself in the training area, Chris offered advice on how to correct my form when he observed me doing something that wasn't quite right. Greg, the kind but tough taskmaster of the bunch, would toss affirmative comments my way and noticed my progress and improvement. He inspired me recently during the holidays when I saw him at the gym on Christmas eve and Christmas day working with clients and pursuing his own workouts.

Over time, I became a kind of mascot and received support from many of the trainers. Fellow gym-goers also offer smiles, words of couragement, and tips on how to use the machines. It's good to have a support system of people at the gym and outside of it. It's made a difference to me.

I've heard that keeping a food diary is a great idea when you're starting a diet and trying to examine your eating choices in order to live a healthier lifestyle.

Of course, it always seems like such a good idea until you actually have to record all those details. When I started a food diary more than a year ago, I wrote down everything: "10 unsalted almonds, 1 Granny Smith Apple, 1 chicken breast, 1 can of Diet Coke, 1 cup of coffee with skim milk, four squares Lindt dark chocolate, large green salad with oil and vinegar, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions, 1 large peanut butter cookie from the farmer's market...ooops!"

At first, I relished recording each and every detail. I made parenthetical notes and clarifications; the entries were messy with my scrawl and lots of asterisks. The reporter in me likes to observe, note, and document details no matter how small. I even had a special leather-bound book that I toted around in my bag to jot down the details.

Naturally, over time I found it a burden to write down EVERY SINGLE ITEM I put into my mouth. But the food diary served an important purpose: recording everything I ate made me hyper-vigilant and aware of exactly what I put into my body. I was able to identify the bad choices, the afternoon sugar fixes, the over-eating, and where I could cut back by exercising portion control. I was able to figure out where I could replace high calorie fats with healthier, more filling substitutes.

Now, whenever I feel myself falling off the rails, I return to the food diary concept. If I don't actually jot the items down, I make mental notes.

Yesterday, as I've done each morning for the last nearly 15 months, I got out of bed and headed to the gym. I do it almost by rote now and throw on whatever workout pants and top are clean. I don't think about it much now, but when I first started a regular routine I was intimidated by the idea of even walking into the gym. I felt overwhelmed by alll those sleek glamazons running like hell on treadmills in tight Lycra outfits. I literally didn't know what to wear. What kind of top would I wear, a t-shirt? Were shorts okay? Would I look stupid?

In fact, I sat on my gym membership for at least nine months before actually going the two short blocks across one avenue. I made all kinds of excuses--I couldn't find the time in my day, didn't feel good, had too many after work commitments, couldn't get away in the middle of the day to hit the branch near work, and the like.

At some point, I realized I was paying good money to be at the gym like everyone else and had as much right to be there as anyone else no matter what I wore. Eventually, I became disgusted with myself for having these feeings. So once I made the commitment to go to the gym on a regular basis in Sept. 2005, I went out and bought new sneakers and some black Lycra/Spandex/stretchy workout/yoga pants and sports tops specially made to wick away sweat. I celebrated my decision to commit to the gym. I thought that if I made the effort to "look" the part, I would eventually feel like a fit person.

I've subbed in a few new pieces since then and my workout tops (a big investment with built-in bras) are too big now but they still serve a very good purpose and they remind me of my commitment to take care of myself.

I stepped on the scale today, like I do most mornings. After using the bathroom, I strip down and step on. I don't have a digital scale--just an ordinary one. I step on and off three times to make sure I am getting an accurate reading. Then I record the number in a small diary along with the date and special note about what I ate the day before that might account for a fluctuation up or down.

After years of not weighing myself, probably because I was in denial about just how bad things were, I've found that it's very helpful to have a daily guide to the variations and fluctuations in my weight. I find it helpful in setting the right tone for the day. It puts my day of eating, drinking and socializing, and exercising into perspective. There is nothing like that number to show you where you stand!

If I recall what I ate If I recall what I ate the day before, (a piece of fruit tart, a petite filet, a glass of wine, and so forth), a 2-lb. weight gain is put into perspective very quickly. The weekends are typically more challenging for me, as is the pre-menstral time when I can feel myself eating more and grazing a bit.

For me, weigh-ins have become a way of life. They keep me on track.

Chris Freytag is a professional trainer who is associated with Prevention magazine. I asked Chris the following questions:

Tobi: What kind of exercises/crunches will target the lower abs? Mid-abs?

Chris: Basically all ab muscles are working with ab exercises. Our "lower abs" is the transverse Abdominus which wraps around you like a belt. You can always use this muscle with ab exercises. Always pull your belly button to your spine, imagine zipping a pair of jeans that are too tight and pull in that muscle. The full body roll up really targets the whole core and is probably one of the best overall ab exercises!

Tobi: What can I do to prevent the sugar low that happens between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day? It's profound, although less so though when I eat fruit or something.

Chris: Try a complex carb like whole grain toast or whole grain cereal. Or, maybe some carrot sticks dipped in a tablespoon of peanut butte, or a handful of almonds and an apple. By adding a little healthy fat you'll stay satisfied longer.

Tobi: What's good for tightening and toning the gluteus maximus? (The derriere)

Chris: The best overall bun tightening exercises are squats and lunges. They work if you are consistent! Also the leg extension when on all fours on the floor, extending the leg behind you. Add a resistance band and you'll really feel it!

Thanks Chris! It's good to have a second opinion. There are also tons of great exercises for the abs and ass, along with healthy snack ideas, right here on AOL Diet & Fitness.

So, I've been asking everyone I know what they think of the blog--always a mistake.

"A little impersonal," said one friend.
"There's not much of you in there."
"Why don't you write about what it was like not to know what to wear to the gym."
"I want to hear your tales of humiliation and struggle."
"Why don't you talk about when you named your thighs 'Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters?'"
"How about the time you asked why Paula couldn't take a melon baller to scoop out all your fat ?"
"Or, why not talk about the mallet you thought could pound the fat out, kind of like making chicken paillard?"
"Gee, how about when you were hungry and you didn't know what the heck to eat."

And the like.

What everyone wants to know about are the excruciating struggles, the tales of falling off the wagon, how it felt to give up having two pints of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer at all times, the fear that I'll gain weight back and the jeans I bought two weeks ago won't fit, and so forth and so on.

So, in the spirit of the struggle, there was a time not so long ago when two pints of Ben & Jerry resided in my freezer at one time. Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch and sometimes Peanut Butter Cup, or Karamel Sutra and Vanilla Caramel Fudge. Full-fat ice cream. Often, I'd team an ice cream up with Coffee Almond Fudge frozen yogurt. But it didn't really matter. Having all that ice cream in the freezer was an open invitation and excuse to say, "who cares..." It was fat-making and fat-perpetuation in progress. Not good at all. Sabotage...

I would see sales at the store, "two pints for $6 or $7" and that would trigger a buying frenzy. I gradually realized that I should replace these fat-packed snacks when after my 20 millionth complaint about having Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster thighs, Paula said, "Why not try Tasti-D-Lite when you really need a sweet treat?"

In case you don't have it in your area, Tasti is a chain of low-fat frozen dessert stores that features dozens of exotic flavors like Creamy Coconut and depending on the flavor, anywhere from 11 to 17 calories per fluid ounce. It's a low-fat, low carb, and apparently Kosher dessert. Some have criticized it for having overly chemical properties. No matter, I changed my habits and now, on the rare occasions when I want real ice cream, sorbet, or gelato, I have a small portion or a taste.

It was hell seguing from full-fat ice cream, lower fat ice cream, and low-fat frozen yogurts, but I did it. Frankly, I don't bring it into the house anymore. Read: I don't bring it into the house any more. However, I can honestly say when I'm visiting my family and I see the ice cream (my dad loves it), I gravitate to it because it's there.

I noticed a home workout on TV where the trainer used water bottles (16.9-ounce bottles of water) to show exercises that you can do at home. The bottles probably represented 3-lb. or 5-lb. free weights, but I'm not sure. In any case, she showed a functional fitness routine that looked easy and fun.

In one exercise, the trainer lifted the bottles up on a diagonal with outstretched arms, then took them down as she went into a squat. She also did one-arm rows holding a bottle leaning forward with a flat back. For the core, she stretched her arms straight out to her sides (without the bottles) while rotating or turning her mid-section, alternating from side to side.

I do some exercises at home too, particularly crunches/sit-ups while I'm watching or listening to the TV. Last night, I placed by feet up on an ottoman, made sure the small of my back was touching the floor, and did four sets of 25 crunches. I took a slight break between sets. I always make sure my back is stabilized on the floor and that my hands are touching the back of my head. I noticed when I focus on lifting my torso up as a unit and look at the ceiling, I get a more complete engagement. I try not to lift and lead with my neck. I want to feel my abs actually doing the work.

I am looking for a better way to target and tone the lower abs. Anyone have any suggestions?

With winter temperatures finally settling in, I was craving a nice, hearty meal so last night I made whole-wheat fusili with homemade tomato sauce that I had prepared over the weekend. Whole-wheat pasta (1 cup) has about 197 calories and it was very tasty. I'm not certain how many more calories were added with the sauce, but the dish was delicious and a wonderful treat after a long day.

In my work, multiple and competing deadlines are a fact of life. This is a fact of daily life for most people--simultaneous commitments, various deadlines or, at least, targets for completing projects, and pressures to say "yes" when you clearly need to set boundaries and say "no".

Often, there is no choice in the matter and we surrender to the pressure with what I call "nervous eating." As deadlines loom, details remain unresolved, and decisions need to be made that minute, I tend to gravitate to food. For me, it's chocolate (preferably good chocoate like Lindt), pretzels (trying to stick to no salt and whole wheat), Diet Dr. Pepper (a guilty pleasure), sometimes a bag of Cracker Jack (actually one of the lower fat junk foods) or Smart Food cheesy popcorn. It might also be a cookie or chocolate-covered graham cracker.

I allow myself these occasional lapses, but for no more than a day. And I'm coming up with solutions: Stay filled up on decent foods, eating about every two hours just a little bit. When I feel the nervous eating coming on, I bring in a banana or a Granny Smith apple, and I often divide my lunch into two parts so I have something to eat in the mid- to late afternoon instead of a chocolate square.

Eat good snacks, I tell myself. I made a list of those in a post last week. Almonds, baby carrots, soy nuts, fruit, and so forth...

It's been warmer than usual this month and a couple of weeks ago, the temperature hit 70 degrees in New York. That's insane, right?

It was sunny and mild that Saturday and while I'd already gone to the gym in the morning, I wanted to go for a run around the Central Park Reservoir path, about 1.56 miles. The only problem was that I'd invited people over for dinner and I had to shop, bake (the tarte tatin), prepare the meal, pick up the apartment, and set the table. I hadn't been on the path since November or maybe it was early December. I can't remember. As fall set in, it became easier to head to the gym and run on the treadmill and do other forms of cardio rather than heading over to the Reservoir and the bridal path.

Suddenly, that day, I struggled between the simple and pure desire to make the most of the warm weather on a run, versus buckling down to go food shopping and prepare dinner. It felt like both things were worthy pleasures that I wanted to fulfill. Ultimately, I chose not to run because of the time pressure--I knew I couldn't spare the time it would take to get over to the path (10 blocks away due west), run, and return home. I needed the time to prepare for dinner so I wouldn't be frantic.

I made the right choice, but I experienced the child-like pang that so many of us feel that we didn't get to do both!

Maybe it's just one form of the struggle between the candy bar versus the Kashi bar. Which one wins?

Ann's post titled "Gym: is it right for you?" reasonates on so many levels. She debates over cost, location, classes, and time spent. I've pondered these issues too.

She has a point that having a gym downstairs from her work makes it easy to incorporate a fitness routine into her daily life; she's also lucky that her employer encourages a healthy lifestyle by subsidizing the membership. Sounds good to me. My gym, New York Sports Club, offers many different locations, hours, and classes. The branch closest to my apartment is only two blocks away; there are no excuses!

The hours at my location are very good; it feels like the joint is open all the time. It was open on Christmas and on New Year's Day with slightly modified hours. It makes the most sense for me to take classes there as they're free for members. I've taken a few, but I'd like to start a mat pilates class on a consistent basis. However, many people tell me that taking classes that aren't part of the gym can be more rewarding.

I've noticed a surge in the number of people at the gym these days. It's January, so everyone's high on motivation and spirit. It's hard to maintain that motivation each day but I can honestly say that once I incorporated the routine into my daily lifestyle, there really was no going back. If I ever need more motivation, I look around at all the other bleary-eyed people wiping sleep from their eyes and say, "hey, I'm here moving my body. That's a good thing."

On a separate note, I had a run-in yesterday with some chocolate-covered peanuts--a quarter pound to be precise about it. Chalk it up to nervous eating, competing deadlines, and free-floating stress. However, on the plus side of the equation: I tried the stairmaster for 10 minutes in the morning. Is it me, or is it hard to get the hang of it? Then I wandered over to the cardio wave machine and the controls didn't work properly. Frustrated, I headed over to the treadmill and ran 1.25 miles, then walked to complete two miles. I realized something too: Treadmill running in the a.m. is hard for me. I just wasn't into it. If I'd been outside, it might have been a different story.

Later in the day, I went back to the gym to run/walk two miles. It's quick bursts of activity like this that make sense to me when I'm feeling more stress than usual and on days when I fall off the wagon in the snacking/nervous eating department.

Some meals are memorable due to the food, some on account of the company, and some are spectacular for both reasons. I had a good meal at a restaurant called Brasserie on Friday night on account of the food. The menu consisted of delicious contemporary French fare.

In the spirit of my "you can't deny yourself everything all the time" thought, I consumed the following:

A glass of champagne
Baby Beet Salad with little cubes of Humboldt Fog cheese, a goats milk-based cheese from California
Crab Cakes on a small bed of cole slaw
A glass of white wine
Chocolate Beignets with Caramel walnut ice cream
Chevre Cheesecake with date puree

I made some modifications: I ate slightly more than half of the salad consisting of little purple, yellow, and red beet cubes dressed with a bit of olive oil; drank half of the wine, consumed one of the two crab cakes and half of the second; ate two of the six soft beignet pillows filled with chocolate and custard; and had two forkfuls of the cheesecake. The chef brought the cheesecake as an extra dessert because I'd asked about it. The beignets came with a raspberry and warm Valrhona chocolate for dipping--yummy.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I never met a dessert I didn't love, or at least like a little.

There was a nice baquette on the table but I was more interested in waiting for the meal so I only pulled off a bit of it. I pilfered some french fries from my date's meal (he had steak). When I left the restaurant, I felt that I had eaten rich food but I wasn't stuffed. I was satisfied. What made it even more satisfying was that I'd gone to the gym for 30 minutes earlier in the day.

Hooray for me!

Why? Because denial doesn't work, and denying yourself all the foods you love sucks.

Take the other night when I consumed the last two pieces of pecan pie leftover from my birthday gathering on Saturday. I enjoyed the pie a lot and I looked forward to eating the last pieces I'd saved. It was delicious. I don't regret it. Also, I knew when I ate the pie on Tuesday night that I would be in the gym Wednesday morning doing my thing.

Now a little of this kind of rationalization goes a long way and by no means is it a good idea to indulge in pecan pie or say, chocolate-covered graham crackers every day. But if you deny yourself EVERYTHING all the time, you'll end up feeling frustrated and unhappy that you can't enjoy stuff you like.

I never met a dessert I didn't love, or at least like the idea of it. Like many people, I am easily addicted to sugar but have increasingly kicked it to the curb. When I have dessert, I like it an hour or two after a meal and it's nice if it's a social thing. I've learned to share my dessert and when I don't share, I may eat just a bite or two and save the rest for later or the next day. I like leftovers.

I also enjoy choosing high-quality and homemade items over pre-packaged items like Oreos or M&Ms. So when a colleague brought homemade nutclusters to the office just before the holidays, I indulged in the homemade fudgy goodness. When I made tarte tatin, I ate a piece or two because I like it. I'm no longer tempted by the bagel and cream cheese or the chocolate nut cruller from the coffee cart on the corner. But when it comes to artisinal bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil at a restaurant? Sure, just a piece. Pre-packaged rye or wheat--not so interested.

Decisions, decisions. It's okay, but active denial is really no way to live.

I like to snack. You probably like to snack. How can we snack more sensibly instead of grabbing a cookie or that leftover chocolate from the holidays?

Here are some snacks I love. Maybe you'll love them too, or at least like them!

Baby Carrots or some kind of carrot stick

Celery

Soy Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds (all unsalted)

Cheese Cubes: (I don't like low-fat cheese, but I've heard some of the fat-free cheese sticks are tasty, sort of)

Low-fat yogurt: (Dannon Light and Fit is good, but I typically mix up non-fat plain yogurt with a few soy nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and raisins)

Air-popped or microwave popcorn: (Look for the kind without trans fats and no butter if it's microwave popcorn. Don't eat the whole bag in one sitting)

Fruit (any kind, but I like Granny Smith apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes)

Edamame (delicious even without salt)

Almonds (Unsalted, maybe 10 to 12 almonds, although I don't usually count them out)

Whole-wheat pita toasted with tomatoes and a little balsamic vinegar

Radishes (whole)

Beets

Now get snacking -- sensibly.