You Asked, Heather Answers

Heather answers the questions you submitted...

Frank J or Instapundit? I mean for real.

Frank J. Instapundit doesn't know who I am! (Nor does he need my support)

Why didn't you join the Axis of Naughty? Do you support oppression by monkey-boys or something?

I thought angering the great Frank J. might not be advantageous. Turns out, he won't update my links, but I didn't know that then.

We all can see which blogs you like by looking on your blogroll...but which blogs influence you?

I kinda do my own thing. I guess you could say Brian because he is my blogfather (and spouse which makes things kinda weird). He's the professional writer of the household. I have a bunch of blogs I read via RSS and probably ought to give some official credit to; I'll do that this week.

Why do you blog?

Because once I got started I can't stop. You?

What is the hardest blogging-related decision you've ever had to make?

Not to post something (which is the decision I made). I really wanted to, but in the end it made common sense not to because it was a bit too personal.

Seriously, why so purple? How about a nice muted lavendar?

Sigh. Feed me a non-pink lavender hex code, and I'll plug it in and see if I like it. No pink!

Describe your daily routine in 20 words or less.

Work, exercise, chores, food preparation, reading, writing, resting, hockey (if applicable).

When lifting weights, why is it important to breathe properly? Also, what is the correct breathing technique?

Breathe out while exerting, and breathe in while returning the weights to the starting position. The importance? In the immortal words of Ana Caban, your muscles need oxygen. Also, you don't want to pass out and drop your dumbbells on the dude next to you (or yourself).

What would be your top three tips to lose weight?

It's a three-in-one. Cardiovascular training, strength training, and nutrition (note I don't say diet). Aim to lose one to two pounds a week, no more. In order to do this properly, you need to know your starting body fat percentage, which means a date with the loathsome calipers. Once you know that, though, you'll learn your maintenance calories. Cut 500 from those, and there's your plan. If you drop 500 a day, you'll drop a pound a week, basically. Exercise is gravy on top of that. The cardio will help you burn off some extra fat, and the strength training will ensure that your new body is taut and strong, not wiggly.

I've had excellent results with a medium carbohydrate, medium fat regimen. That's too simple, though. My carbs are mostly complex (fruits, veggies, and whole grains), and the fats primarily polyunsaturated and monosaturated; meaning few from animal fat and junk. Most of my fat comes from nuts, lean meat, and salad dressing (oil).

One more idea; don't drink your calories. No sugared soda. No alcohol while you're trying to lose. You can treat yourself every once in a while, but these items shouldn't be everyday things (that's what I mean by "no.")

I see that you had a post about fads and cancer cures, I would like to know if you ever tried the coffee enema and if you put cream and sugar with it?

Uh, I'm a health nut; I eschew all fad diets. No cures to cancer, sadly; just preparing your body to do its best to ward it off. Also, no caffeine for me. So, no coffee. Ever. (Where do I post about fads???)

What size shoes do you wear?

8 or 8 ½ wide.

What are the names of your neighbors' 10 gerbils?

Thyme, Coriander, Nutmeg, Cayenne, Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Tumeric, and Bob.

If someone didn't know you, what is the one thing they should know about you?

I'm intense.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

Here. Brian's here. I COULD pretty much live anywhere. Probably not a castle, though. Not full time.

If you died and HAD to come back as a celebrity, who would you be and why?

What are celebrities again? Oh, okay. Paul Kariya. He's a little dude, but he's soooooo fast.

Seriously now, who isn't John Galt?

Pamela Anderson. And JadeGold.

Tell the mustard story, please.

Okay. When I was 22, I was a single female living alone in Columbia, MO working full time and going to grad school. I had a weird-looking neighbor who lived in the apartment above me. The guys, two brothers, who were in the apartment across from me had mentioned to me that the guy was weird.

Often, I'd hear things crashing in his apartment. One morning at about 6:00 a.m., I heard a loud BOOOM! CRASH! I wasn't due to wake up yet, and I was pissy about this, so I yelled "what the hell!"

That night, after work, I was doing some laundry, and the laundry area for the apartment complex was very close to my apartment; just around the corner, really. I was carrying laundry back, and this man emerged from his apartment screaming "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID! I KNOW WHAT YOU DID! AND I CALLED THE POLICE!"

He has this long, gray hair, and his face is all scrunched up, and he's just livid. I think I'm carrying my whites. I don't remember what I said to him, but I went back into my apartment pretty shaken up, set down my laundry, and tried to figure out what to do.

The easy solution was to visit the two guys across the way who had once said, if you ever need anything. So I did. I knocked, they opened the door, and I related the story. One said, call the police.

I did. From there.

The police come. They go and talk to the man. They come back over to the guy's apartment. They say, "He accuses you of putting mustard on his door this morning."

It gets better, but I'm not going to tell you now. I'll post the rest at lunch or after work Monday.

Thank you, Heather! Tune in Wednesday when Daniel answers your questions.

Posted by Jennifer at October 20, 2003 12:01 AM

Tweet