Refreshingly sensible advice from LA Times Mag . . .

Pausing during an Urban Hike to capture a shot of my calves . . .

In a world full of diet and exercise fads, and a media that continually propagates them with ad-libby headlines "shed (number) of pounds/inches from (problem area) in (unrealistically low number) days," I was surprised to see that this month's LA Times Magazine had a really well-written article on personal trainer Tracy Anderson and her balanced approach to eating and exercising healthfully.

Her dozen or so tips include the obvious "don't [crash/fad] diet" & "trust your body to take out the trash" (i.e. no need to detox!) but also a good dose of self- and reality-acceptance advice, like giving yourself the OK to gain the few pounds of "boyfriend/girlfriend" fat when falling in love (due to eating out more frequently than usual,) or maintaining your discretion [and modesty] (which is what I did when I was actively aiming to lose weight, long before I started this blog, I didn't feel the compulsion to broadcast my plans to revamp my habits and have countless eyes watching me onwards -- I just did it solo, and made me my biggest cheereleader & competitor over the last 35-40 pounds.)

Anyhow, check out the article here and love to hear what you think of her advice.

Photos & Highlights from the Downtown LA Urban Hike

The downtown LA skyline

The August Urban Hike criss-crossing downtown LA was my funnest one yet; it was one of my shorter ones (about 6-7 miles) but practically every block had plenty visual appeal, here's some of the amazing stuff I saw during my half-day hike.

Historic buildings such as the Alexandria Hotel and Orpheum Theater

Angels Knoll park (where I found out via tweets is where "500 Days of Summer" filmed) and the recently restored Angels Flight railway (next time I'm gonna pony up that 50-cent to get that souvenir two-ride ticket)

Strolling by the artsy performance centers of the Bunker Hill district, such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall

Windowshopping the stalls and stores of Olvera Street, which happened to be the site of a street carnival that weekend.

All sorts of fun and eclectic sculptures and murals that are sprinkled throughout the area.

The Grand-Hope Park, a little, well-manicured and nicely decorated oasis of green in the urban hustle and bustle.

Checking out the recently developed LA Live complex (though I didn't stay too long.)

My only sore sight for the day, an Ed Hardy store in downtown - ugh! As if that entire block on Melrose isn't vomit-inducing enough.

As always, the other half of the fun is discovering the eats & drinks of the neighborhood, which I'll post about on my other blog, but here's a preview with the delicious grilled cheese from Corkbar.

More photos on my flickr set here, and as for this month's Urban Hike . . .

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. . . I plan to soak up the last of the sunny, warmer days in true Southern California style, with a 8-mile loop along the beaches of South Bay (Redondo, Hermosa & Manhattan -- which I shortened to "Red Herman") The planned route is below, and I plan on starting around 8 a.m. on September 26. Hope to see you there!

Reminder: Downtown LA Urban Hike this Sunday, 11:45 a.m.

Just a quick reminder that this month's Urban Hike, criss-crossing through downtown L.A. on Hope & Spring Streets, will start this Sunday 11:45 a.m.* with a brunch @ Nickel Diner (their 5th & Main Spicy BBQ Pork Hash pictured above.) Or, for those who want to opt out of a carb-loading brunch, meet up around 12:30 p.m. outside -- or anywhere along the way as I livetweet from @LAOCFoodie.

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This route is gonna be around six miles (considerably shorter than most of my previous Urban Hikes) but there will be lots to see along the way, from historical landmarks (Olvera Street, Angel's Flight Railway) to newer attractions (L.A. Live) to artsy buildings (Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA) and other fantastic-looking scenery.

And here are some of the fun eating and drinking options I've plotted along the way, mostly low- to mid- end and definitely casual-attire & walk-in friendly. And feel free to recommend more places to stop, asides from Nickel Diner nothing is set in stone.

As always, all you need to bring is your two feet plus comfortable hiking clothes & shoes, a bottle or two of water, and some cash for whatever you will eat/drink/spend en route. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Odd start time, I know -- but Nickel Diner informed me that they stop serving most of their pancakes at noon, so just in case any hikers have a hankering for flapjacks . . .

Quick Yoga Routine to Burn Calories & Build Strength

For those who think yoga are a bunch of lengthy, gentle stretches that does nothing for cardiovascular or strength fitness -- check out this fast-yet-effective sequence by Tara Stiles for Master the Shift - with a series of postures that'll burn calories, build core & lower body strength and of course, a great tension-relieving stretch.

And being a 5 to 10 minute routine that requires almost no equipment (I think even the mat's optional if you have a clean & non-slippery floor,) it's a great way to squeeze in some activity during a short break or to warm up before or cool down after a more vigorous workout.

Motviation Monday - Keeping It Fun

Hiking up & down Seal Beach's Main Street and pier and checking out & tasting the local scene

Yesterday has been pure bliss, and partly because it felt so effortless and fun having an 'active' day ~ I took in a refreshing 4 mile jog at dawn to wake me up, then played tennis for about an hour and a half with a friend, broke a pretty intense sweat with a spanking new DDR machine for another hour, then took in another hour of scenic hiking at Seal Beach & Culver City.

It just made think about how getting and staying fit comes in many different forms, but the best way to make it stick is to make it an enjoyable experience. Personally for me, that means I'll never have to see the inside of a gym -- I much rather get my blood pumping & muscle moving with an outdoor run, a yoga or dance class with the community recreational center, laps at a local pool, an interval workout w weights to a DVD at home, the occasional tennis and snowboarding, and of course, urban hiking.

So I don't fit in the stereotypical mold of going to a gym several days a week (or even one day a week,) but the regimen I made for myself is still balanced in cardiovascular, strength and flexibility exercises and more importantly, it's a routine I enjoy! And I honestly think that's the secret to getting and staying active, finding activities that you look forward rather than dread. And if you start feeling ho-hum about activities you once enjoyed, take a break and switch it up for something else that's fun or interesting-sounding.

And those four hours of "working out" gave me one of the best night's sleep I've had in a while.