Review: The Cheesecake Factory's Weight Management Pear and Endive Salad

This is a ridiculously good salad. I don't even need to add "...for a light salad." There isn't much I don't love about this salad: the chunks of blue cheese, the caramelized pear slices, the slivers of chicken, the pecans, the arugula, the dressing...

What I don't love is the few sprigs of parsley hiding in with the real lettuce. It's a bitter surprise to get amid so much joy and deliciousness. I also don't love the name "Weight Management." Why must restaurants shame people who don't want to ingest a 10-pound cheesecake in one sitting? Restaurants, I know you want to set the lighter items off so those who care can identify them, but don't then give them such fruity names that no one wants to order them.

12 Weight Watchers Points, to boot!

How Not to Get Jacked at the Gym

I’ve never personally been ripped off at the gym, but I know it happens all the time. Women are especially big targets, since many of us tend to leave our purses in the trunks of our cars, thinking that they’re safe there. They’re totally not. Consumerist posted this story on the subject.

Not all gyms check IDs when members show up. In my experience, in fact, most don’t. Don’t trust that everyone there is a member there just to work out. Some people could be there just to take things; others may be members who just spot an opportunity. And gyms often post that “not liable for lost or stolen items” sign somewhere in the building, which means you and only you can prevent forest fires and gym theft.

How can you avoid getting your stuff taken from you while you’re rocking out on the elliptical?

• The easiest thing to do is leave your purse at home and only bring the essentials with you to the gym.
• If that isn’t possible, I put my purse in the trunk of my car while I’m still at work. Never let anyone see where you put it. Tuck it behind something.
• If your purse is in your trunk, lock your trunk from the inside of your car, if possible.
• Use a locker and, duh, lock it. Seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I see people storing things in lockers and then NOT LOCKING THEM. This is beyond stupid.
• Watch people. Is someone sketchy hanging out by the cubbies? Tell a staff member. Did you see someone take something you know isn’t there? Be a tattletale. No one will hate you for it, except the stealing jerk.
• Don’t leave any opportunities. Look out for others – if you see an iPod left behind, take it to the front counter instead of trusting that its owner will return to fetch it. If you have to step away, don’t leave your valuables laying around thinking no one will take them. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
• Use common sense. Don’t let anyone see you handling anything valuable and storing it away, lock things, hide things, be alert and don’t be a damn fool.

How Much Water Do You Actually Need?

Do you know about all the crazy things that can happen to you if you don’t drink water when you exercise? Lots of crazy things. Many people show up at the gym without a bottle of water, and worse, some people show up for high-intensity spinning classes without water, thinking they’ll actually make it through 60 minutes of sweating without needing so much as a sip.
What could happen to these people?

• You could pass out from dehydration, which means that you’ll be known as “the person who passed out and needed an ambulance that one day” at the gym. LABELS ARE FOREVER.
• You won’t have the energy you need to sustain yourself through your workout, or to work out at the best energy level you can. In other words, your workout may become a waste of your time.
• You open yourself up to a number of ailments; I knew a woman who had a virus in her body that spread to her muscles and began eating them – simply because she doesn’t drink water during her workouts. (The woman is fine – the problem was caught quickly, but it could have been devastating if she hadn’t been encouraged to visit the ER). The virus wasn’t caused by not drinking water, but it was allowed to spread faster because she didn’t hydrate.

The standard rule of thumb is one ounce of water for every minute you work out. So, a 60-minute session means 60 ounces of water. But that’s just during your workout on a perfectly average day. There’s more to it than that:

• Is it hot out? Drink a little more.
• You really should drink (WATER) and be well-hydrated before you start working out.
• Are you thirsty already? You waited too long. Get drinking.
• Are you not thirsty? Congratulations, you’re well-hydrated! But, you know, drink anyway.
• Just because your workout is over doesn’t mean your drinking is. Continue to have a few glasses in the hours after your session, especially if it was a grueling one.
• Don’t drink too much, though – having too much water sloshing around in your belly can lead to cramps and nausea.
• Gulp, don’t sip.
• If you’re not training for an Ironman (or just acting like you are), you really don’t need energy drinks (or bars, for that matter). Water works just great, and it's cheaper. Save your money.

Glug, glug, glug.