3/18/2011
Tip of the Day: Fruit Snacking
We all know we should be eating fruit everyday, especially from all those studies out there saying that fruit promotes weight loss, and prevents weight gain. A good idea to switch up eating fruit is to dress it up. Eat an apple with a little peanut butter, or add chopped walnuts and a little maple syrup to an apple. Those are both additives that will help your health! Another thing you can do to make fruit more interesting to eat is to freeze it. Freeze some grapes or cherries and munch on them during the day.
We all know we should be eating fruit everyday, especially from all those studies out there saying that fruit promotes weight loss, and prevents weight gain. A good idea to switch up eating fruit is to dress it up. Eat an apple with a little peanut butter, or add chopped walnuts and a little maple syrup to an apple. Those are both additives that will help your health! Another thing you can do to make fruit more interesting to eat is to freeze it. Freeze some grapes or cherries and munch on them during the day.
3/17/2011
Tip of the Day: Think Simple
Next time you go to the grocery store to buy that bag of potato chips you love so much, turn the package around and read the labels. Chances are you'll know what those first few ingredients are, but notice that the other 15 words are words you have never heard before? These words are the chemicals that are added to your food to make them taste so good to you, so you'll never put them down. Think simple. Read your food labels and shoot for foods with less ingredients on the back, and with ingredients you actually recognize. Don't you want to know what's in your food? You can find these healthier versions of chips, cereals, yogurts etc. in the "healthy" section of your grocery store, or even a special nutritional grocery store.
Next time you go to the grocery store to buy that bag of potato chips you love so much, turn the package around and read the labels. Chances are you'll know what those first few ingredients are, but notice that the other 15 words are words you have never heard before? These words are the chemicals that are added to your food to make them taste so good to you, so you'll never put them down. Think simple. Read your food labels and shoot for foods with less ingredients on the back, and with ingredients you actually recognize. Don't you want to know what's in your food? You can find these healthier versions of chips, cereals, yogurts etc. in the "healthy" section of your grocery store, or even a special nutritional grocery store.
3/16/2011
Tip of the Day: Calcium
I learned this from my trusty magazine Women's Health, and wanted to tell everyone about it! Consuming enough calcium a day (1800 mg.) can block your body from consuming up to 80 calories. It's also great to add to your coffee since the caffeine is linked to the risk of osteoporosis, and adding that calcium you get from milk will help you avoid those negative effects. Interesting, huh?
I learned this from my trusty magazine Women's Health, and wanted to tell everyone about it! Consuming enough calcium a day (1800 mg.) can block your body from consuming up to 80 calories. It's also great to add to your coffee since the caffeine is linked to the risk of osteoporosis, and adding that calcium you get from milk will help you avoid those negative effects. Interesting, huh?
3/15/2011
Tip of the Day: Vitamin D
Great tip for the women viewers! Vitamin D is something you want to add to your daily diet. It doesn't only strengthen your bones (great if you're over 50!) but it also helps enhance your fertility (if you're under 50 of course), and will cut your risks for getting breast, and ovarian cancer in half! You can find the vitamin D you need in sunlight, fish, and egg yolks. So, get on that!
Great tip for the women viewers! Vitamin D is something you want to add to your daily diet. It doesn't only strengthen your bones (great if you're over 50!) but it also helps enhance your fertility (if you're under 50 of course), and will cut your risks for getting breast, and ovarian cancer in half! You can find the vitamin D you need in sunlight, fish, and egg yolks. So, get on that!
3/14/2011
Tip of the Day: Ditch These Meats
This tip is going to be short and sweet. I know it's so easy to make meals for the kiddos with these meats, and all children seem to love them, but is it worth it? Meats like bologna, sausage, and hot dogs are processed meats. They are loaded with salts and fats (not the good ones!) and contain nitrates. Nitrates have been linked to many different types of cancers. So, ask yourself again; Is it worth it? Cut up some chicken breasts into strips, and roll in bread crumbs (or oats to be healthier), and place on a baking sheet in the oven for some home made chicken strips instead! Kids will even have fun helping!
This tip is going to be short and sweet. I know it's so easy to make meals for the kiddos with these meats, and all children seem to love them, but is it worth it? Meats like bologna, sausage, and hot dogs are processed meats. They are loaded with salts and fats (not the good ones!) and contain nitrates. Nitrates have been linked to many different types of cancers. So, ask yourself again; Is it worth it? Cut up some chicken breasts into strips, and roll in bread crumbs (or oats to be healthier), and place on a baking sheet in the oven for some home made chicken strips instead! Kids will even have fun helping!
3/13/2011
Tip of the Day: Cinnamon
It's not only a great way to make your food tastier, cinnamon is very rich in antioxidants. It'll slow down the breakdown process in your stomach which will help control your blood pressure. It's also really great if you have type 2 diabetes by lowering your blood sugar and cholesterol. So add a little to a couple meals a day, and keep your body healthy!
It's not only a great way to make your food tastier, cinnamon is very rich in antioxidants. It'll slow down the breakdown process in your stomach which will help control your blood pressure. It's also really great if you have type 2 diabetes by lowering your blood sugar and cholesterol. So add a little to a couple meals a day, and keep your body healthy!
3/12/2011
Tip of the Day: Prepping
A lot of people blame their unhealthy eating habits on time. It's less time consuming to grab a danish running out the door than it is to make a healthy fruit smoothie. Sure, but not if that smoothie is sitting in your fridge all ready to go! Set aside just an hour or two on the weekends to prep all of your foods. Cut up your veggies, blend a few fruit smoothies, etc. Then you will have no excuse to grab that danish! In fact, just throw that danish away right now!
A lot of people blame their unhealthy eating habits on time. It's less time consuming to grab a danish running out the door than it is to make a healthy fruit smoothie. Sure, but not if that smoothie is sitting in your fridge all ready to go! Set aside just an hour or two on the weekends to prep all of your foods. Cut up your veggies, blend a few fruit smoothies, etc. Then you will have no excuse to grab that danish! In fact, just throw that danish away right now!
3/11/2011
Tip of the Day: Omega-3
Womens Health talks about how cutting calories can often cause you to feel irritable and cranky. Finding out what your body needs calorie-wise, and making sure your meals are balanced will help with that. Another thing that will help is making sure you add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. They're good fats that will help fight depression, and even help you feel fuller by slowing down your digestion. Some examples of omega-3 fatty acid foods are: olive oil, salmon, and flaxseeds.
Womens Health talks about how cutting calories can often cause you to feel irritable and cranky. Finding out what your body needs calorie-wise, and making sure your meals are balanced will help with that. Another thing that will help is making sure you add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. They're good fats that will help fight depression, and even help you feel fuller by slowing down your digestion. Some examples of omega-3 fatty acid foods are: olive oil, salmon, and flaxseeds.
3/10/2011
Tip of the Day: Beet Heart Disease
Beets contain major nurients, betain and folate, that will help reduce your risk of heart disease. Although we all hated these as kids, we can experiment with them in some recipes no that we're adults and know how important being healthy really is. Try grating a beet with a grater, toss w/ olive oil, and add some lemon juice (see my post from yesterday for those health benefits). You won't be sorry!
3/9/2011Tip of the Day: Lemons
There is a fiber in lemon peels (called pectin) that have been known to help weight loss! Find ways to add lemons to your daily diet. Add an ounce of lemon juice, along with some lemon zest (just grate the peel of the lemon) into your daily 8 glasses of water. It won't just help you be healthier, it'll help you feel fuller, which in turn will help you consume less calories through out the day!
3/8/2011Tip of the Day: Protein
You think protein shake and you think that it's going to bulk you up. Not true! Sure it helps build muscle, but what it does more than anything is it just helps the muscle building process. And you don't even need large amounts for it to that job. In fact, if you consume too much protein it's just going to be stored as carbs...definitely not what we want! The most important thing is when you consume protein. Having a post shake with protein and carbohydrates (mostly carbs) will be most essential in helping your reparing process for your muscles.
3/7/2011Tip of the Day: Sore Muscles
As long as your muscles aren't sore to the touch, and you still have your full rang of motion (your sore muscle doesn't effect the full movement of that area of the body and doesn't effect your technique) then you should be fine to not rest a day between workouts. In fact, not resting a day will actually help your sore muscles (like I said, as long as it's not sore to the touch etc.). It'll help with the repairing process by increasing the bloodflow to your muscles. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps w/ low weight with your sore muscle and you'll feel better for it!
3/6/2011
Tip of the Day: Squats
People with bad knees generally stay away from squats. I was just training someone who's knees hurt them while doing squats, and it made me a little nervous. So I've been researching into it, and I found that squats are actually going to strengthen your knees eventually. They'll strengthen your muscles (quads and hamstrings) that control the knee joint. It's kind of like a q-tip. If you stick it to far in your ear, it's going to hurt! (bad example?) So you want to shoot for going down until your legs are parallel with the floor, but only go as far as you can without your knees hurting you. If you do have knee problems, don't go straight for the weighted squats. Put an exercise ball between a wall and the small of your back, and do wall squats as far as you can without your knees hurting.
3/5/2011
Tip of the Day: Weight Lifting
It helps belly fat, stress, and can even prevent heart disease and cancer. This method of exercising is man's best friend in the gym, but women tend to be a little afraid of lifting weights. I can tell you now that, unless a woman takes a ton of supplements/steroids, she is not going to bulk up. Women aren't built to bulk up like men do. Lifting weights is also known to burn 40% more fat! "When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle." (womenshealth.com) Another thing, and I've said this in a previous post, but lifting weights (strength training) will cause you to keep burning calories up to 36 hours after you've worked out! That's a reason to make weight lifting a significant part of your week, don't you think?
3/3/2011
Tip of the Day: Bananas
Everyone knows fruit is amazingly good for you, so I wanted to expand a little and talk about actually how good bananas are for you! They are loaded with resistant starch. It's a good starch, don't worry! Resistant starch is going to help you not only feel fuller, but it'll increase your body's ability to burn fat. So, eat a banana for breakfast every day, and burn more fat through out the day!
Everyone knows fruit is amazingly good for you, so I wanted to expand a little and talk about actually how good bananas are for you! They are loaded with resistant starch. It's a good starch, don't worry! Resistant starch is going to help you not only feel fuller, but it'll increase your body's ability to burn fat. So, eat a banana for breakfast every day, and burn more fat through out the day!
3/2/2011
Tip of the Day:
Chart your progress! From the very beginning, chart your weekly weigh-ins. You can make your own line chart on Microsoft Excel, or go to livestrong.com. When you click on the daily plate (which is a great place to keep track of your calories!!) There will be a tab that will bring you to your weight goals, and it'll make a line graph for you. It'll be the best motivation ever, seeing the line on the chart start plummeting to the bottom!
Chart your progress! From the very beginning, chart your weekly weigh-ins. You can make your own line chart on Microsoft Excel, or go to livestrong.com. When you click on the daily plate (which is a great place to keep track of your calories!!) There will be a tab that will bring you to your weight goals, and it'll make a line graph for you. It'll be the best motivation ever, seeing the line on the chart start plummeting to the bottom!
3/1/2011
Tip of the Day: Olive Oil
Although Vegetable and Canola Oil may seem the same as Olive Oil, they aren't! Olive Oil has so many better health benefits for you. There have been studies to show that olive oil can protect against breast cancer and even heart disease (by controlling bad cholesterol levels-LDL-while raising the good levels-HDL). It's filled with good fats that your body needs. So, next time you have to choose which oil to cook your veggies in, you'll know which one to choose!
Although Vegetable and Canola Oil may seem the same as Olive Oil, they aren't! Olive Oil has so many better health benefits for you. There have been studies to show that olive oil can protect against breast cancer and even heart disease (by controlling bad cholesterol levels-LDL-while raising the good levels-HDL). It's filled with good fats that your body needs. So, next time you have to choose which oil to cook your veggies in, you'll know which one to choose!
2/28/2011
Tip of the Day: Movie Treats
When did seeing a movie in the theaters become all about the treats you get to munch on while watching?? I'm not saying I'm innocent at all...I love movie treats! But I try to plan my movie date on a day that I've set aside to take a break from my diet. I'll also be sure to make some swaps when the time comes to choose my treat! Here's some lists that'll help you know what to stay away from at movie theaters, and what's not so bad! (Thanks to my favorite site Eat This Not That)
Say no to:
-Dots (this used to be my favorite movie candy 'til I saw that there are 260 calories in only 22 pieces!)
-Hershey's Chocolat Bar (210 calories)
-Twizzlers Licorice (1 package is 480 calories! Yikes. Beware of candies claiming to be fat free. They may have no fat, but they have loads of high fructose corn syrup which is just as bad!)
-M&M's (1 bag is 240 calories)
-Medium Popcorn (600 calories! Popcorn can actually be a great, healthy treat, but not when you pour butter all over it. Movie theater butter is reeking of trans fats...stay away!)
Ok, go for these:
-Soft pretzel w/ Mustard (290 calories, use mustard, not cheese!)
-Jr. Mints (170 calories if you split the box w/ your date)
-Good & Plenty ( 130 calories for 33 pieces..much better than Twizzlers!)
-Kit Kat Bar (200 calories)
-Dark Chocolate Bar (They usually don't sell these at the theater, but make some time to stop at the grocery store before the movie starts! Dark chocolate would probably be your best bet...besides fruit of course!)
-Swedish Fish (200 calories for 2 oz.)
Tip of the Day: Almonds
I've gone on about how good spinach is for you and your health/weight loss, but I have another super food you need to add to your daily diet: Almonds. They help build muscle, and reduce cravings. They help fight cancer and blood pressure, and will also help keep you feeling full. Add a handful of almonds to your diet every day, and you will not only feel good, but you'll look amazing! If you look up almonds and weight loss you'll see that there are so many studies that have been done to prove that the healthy fats in almonds help reduce fat, and help with weight loss. Why wouldn't you want to add these to your daily diet??
2/26/2011
Tip of the Day: Eating Out
Eating out is quickly becoming a way to gain weight. I would say just to stay away from it all together, but it's become such a social norm that it's hard to just not go out and be waited on on your night off! Plus, when you're dieting, you need to be able to take it easy for a day, or at least a meal! So, work really hard during the week with your diet, and when the weekend comes, go out for dinner! With these eating out tips, you won't have to break your diet!
- Study Before Hand. A lot of restaurants have their menu online. Look it up, look over their menu and decide before hand what you're going to get! You can even go to livestrong.com and enter the restaurant into the daily plate, and see what the calorie count is for the dinner you want to get. If it's a well known restaurant, livestrong.com will most likely have it! If not, use your best judgment with some of these other tips.
- Beware of these words! Cream sauce, butter, oil, au gratin, breaded, Alfredo, battered or batter-dipped, "with gravy," or smothered. These are code for "would you like a side of 10 pounds with that?"
-Make it your own. You're there to eat what you want, and the servers are there to serve you! So don't be afraid to get the sandwich with honey mustard instead of mayo (Honey mustard is fat free! In fact, any mustard is a million times better than any mayo!). Anything that says "deep fried" you can get without it being deep-fried. Ask for grilled instead of crispy, sauce on the side (you'll eat so much less sauce if you just dip your fork in it before each bite, instead of it being smothered on your food), no sauce at all, wheat instead of white, veggies instead of fries, I can go on forever!
-Plan for a take home box. Restaurant serving portions are ridiculous! If you can't share with the person your with because, like me, your husband is a meat eater, and you're a vegetarian, then plan to take half of your meal home ahead of time. Ask for a box with your meal, and pack up half before you start eating. Pretend what's left on your plate is all you were given, and see how you feel after you're done! Chances are you'll be surprised that you were once able to eat the whole thing!
See?? Eating out can be evil for your diet, unless you're smart enough to know how to read between the lines, and make it better for yourself!
2/25/2011
Tip of the Day: Snacking
This is such an easy way to help get those pounds off. Make sure you fit snacks into your day! It will keep you from giving into cravings, and it will keep your metabolism going. Snacks should be 100-200 calories. Some great snacks that I make sure to fit in every day are:
-an apple (On days I'm feeling hungry, I eat it with some peanut butter to make me feel like I'm indulging. Believe it or not, 1 tbsp of peanut butter (natural peanut butter) is good for you!)
-light yogurt or non fat yogurt. (I prefer yoplait lite yogurt. They have so many flavors, and very low saturated fat!!)
-any veggies. Grab a bag of baby carrots next time you hit the grocery store, and bring them to work with you to snack on!
-grapes. Another great fruit that you can snack on through out the day without feeling guilty!
Those are just a few ideas that I personally love, but any fruit/veggies will do of course!
2/24/2011
Tip of the Day: Ditch Bloating
It's the worst feeling ever to feel puffy and fat! I talked about sodium in an earlier post, but there's actually more you can do to avoid that bloating feeling.
-Drink more water! It sounds counterintuitive, but drinking enough water (not too much!) will actually help you to not retain a lot of it.
-Veggies. You need to pay attention to which ones you eat though! Veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage will actually cause bloating. So, stay away from those, and go for asparagus, spinach, zucchini and squash.
-Natural teas and flavors. Some of these things like green tea, apple-cider vinegar, lemon juice and parsley can help you get rid of some unwanted fluid.
-Stay away from excess sodium. Just like I said in my previous post. Sodium is everywhere, just make sure you pay attention and don't put excess into your body unless you want to turn into a balloon!
-Space out your meals. Make sure you're eating every 3-5 hours. This will make sure your not overloading your belly before it's able to process your last meal. Be nice to your belly!
Some info learned from Weight Watchers
2/23/2011
Tip of the Day: Exercise w/ Your Dog
Is your workout buddy bailing on you again? We all know of a certain friend we have that will never bail on us. Dogs never let their owner down, and they love you no matter what. If you don't have a dog, get one! It could be the turning point for you to be motivated to stay in shape! Dogs need to stay in shape too, so make it a goal to take your loyal canine friend for a walk every day. You will both be so happy for it!
2/22/2011
Tip of the Day: Sodium
Did you know that salt and sodium aren't really the same thing? Sodium is what is found naturally in most foods. It accounts for 40% of table salt. So when you add salt to food that already contains sodium, you're increasing your intake of sodium by 40%. Blagh. Everyone always says it. Eat little, or no sodium at all. Pretty much all crash diets consist of this. So when you lose the weight from the crash diet (which will most likely be only water weight), you're going to gain it back when you start eating foods high in sodium again! So, instead of cutting them out completely (it won't last long if you try to do this, trust me) just watch your intake. Your body does need sodium, but not excess amounts of it. If you get too much, you're going to retain water which will make you look puffy, and feel bloated. No one wants that. So, cut it out! The bottom line is to just eat healthier. It sounds vague, but it's as easy as that! Eat more vegetables, fruit, fresh ingredients you can buy, and cut out the processed foods; the candy, the soda, the chips, even some soups etc. Those processed foods don't only have their natural sodium, but the manufacturers put even more in them so that they'll store a certain way on the shelf before you buy them. Overall, just be smart about the food you put in your mouth, and pay attention to your sodium intake. It won't only play a role in your weight loss, but your blood pressure as well. Salt can make it higher, and the goal is to stay healthy, right? So stop ignoring your sodium intake!
2/21/2011
Tip of the Day: Eliminate Late Night Snacking
I know, you've heard it everywhere: Don't snack after 8 pm. It really is a great way to lower your calorie intake for the day, but it doesn't always work for everyone. If you don't get off work 'till 8 pm and you haven't eaten dinner yet, should you skip dinner all together? No. Eating dinner that late really won't effect you metabolism as much as everyone says. In fact, eating dinner that late could actually be a good thing! It'll help you to avoid late night snacking. Another way to avoid late night snacking is to eat a healthy afternoon snack such as a fruit or vegetable that will help you feel full. That way you don't feel like you haven't eaten since lunch time, your belly feels fuller, and you avoid snacking on things that only make you feel good while you're eating them!
2/20/2011
Tip of the Day: You're in Charge
It's funny how people naturally want what they can't have. So, instead of thinking that you can't have that candy bar, bag of chips, or doughnut, just tell yourself: You can have it, you're just choosing not to! You're choosing to put only good, fresh, healthy things into your body. You're choosing to not eat junk food so that you can get where you want to be! You're in charge. Not the food that keeps tempting you!
2/19/2011
Tip of the Day: Eat More Spinach
I don't even know how to begin to say how fabulous spinach is! First of all, it's yummy. You can flavor it how you want either in a salad, or on a sandwich. That's not all though! It naturally makes you feel full for hardly any calories! You could eat 1/2 cup of brown rice for 100 calories, but for that amount of calories you could eat 20 cups of spinach! Crazy, right? On top of that it is a great weight loss weapon. In the diet book Cinch! they talk about how 69% of Americans do not get the minimum amount of green produce they should be getting each week (3 cups). So add more spinach to your diet! It's not like you'd be hurting your calorie intake.
2/18/2011
Tip of the Day: Be Selfish
In order to get where you want to be you need to put yourself (your health)be fore everyone. Don't feel bad, it won't make you a bad husband/wife, friend, or mother/father if you need to leave for the gym a couple hours every other day. In fact, it'll make you better! It will make you more confident, tolerant, and fun. You'll feel better about yourself therefore making yourself more fun to be around! So come on, be selfish!
2/17/2011
Tip of the Day: Don't get down
I know I always say not to cheat and not to give into your cravings, but it's not always that easy for some people. It can be a lot easier said than done. So on those days you are totally craving some chocolate and you have a tiny piece, don't get so down on yourself! I have to admit that I need to use my own advice. If I have even the tiniest piece of candy during the week (I allow myself to cheat on the weekend when I work hard through out the week) and I get to my weigh in day on Friday to see that I've gained a pound or haven't lost at all, I blame it all on that tiny piece of candy. If I hadn't have eaten it I would have lost 2 pounds! It doesn't quite work that way, I know. But I can't help beating myself up about it. You need to live a little! I'm not saying to go binge on krispy kremes. But if you do happen to have a craving that just won't go away by drinking water, chewing gum, or waiting a half hour, just have a tiny piece of that craving-it is not going to ruine everything! Chances are you'll feel guilty after that little piece and you won't feel like you need anymore. Just don't totally sink into a depression if you need to give in a little. Sure you may want to lose weight, but being happier is so much more important.
2/16/2011
Tip of the Day: Keep Running
You know when you're running on the treadmill or outside, and you get to that point where you just can't go anymore? Whether you think it is or not, it's your brain trying to get you to stop. Your body is actually able to go further! Your body has just run out of it's fuel (glycogen). If you can just get yourself to keep running it'll start to burn unwanted fat! So keep running!
2/15/2011
Tip of the Day: Skinny Fund
This is something that has been helping me strive harder to lose my weight. As presents for my birthday I got a bunch of gift cards. I spent a little bit of them and decided to save the rest for when I'm down to the size I want to be. If you take some money out of each paycheck (even if it's just $5) and put it in a jar, it'll add up and you'll have some extra cash when you get to the size/weight you want to be! You will have so much fun buying new clothes that you haven't been able to fit in for a while.
2/14/2011
Tip of the Day: Partner
Set a goal with your significant other to get in shape together! You'll be surprised how much easier it is when you both are striving towards the same goal. It will not only help you to motivate each other, but it'll bring you closer as a couple. Don't have a lover? Do it with your best friend!
2/13/2011
Tip of the Day: Oat Crust
When you use a recipe with bread crumbs in it, switch out the crumbs for oats instead! They are so much lower in calories, and so much better for you. They are delicious also! Try using them to make home made chicken strips by dipping the chicken in egg whites, then coating them in the oats (I use oat bran from the self serve section at the grocery store...you know where you can scoop out how much ever you want into a bag?). They make such a delicious, crunchy crust!
2/12/2011
Tip of the Day: Rewards
Giving yourself rewards is such an important factor to dieting and losing weight. You need to have a light at the end of the tunnel, or else you'll be more tempted to cave into cravings and over eating. What I do is really stick to my calorie counting during the work week, and on the weekend I can have that treat I was craving on Monday that I couldn't have. Chances are that by the time the weekend comes around I would rather have my cheat meal be something else entirely, so I save myself those calories I would've eaten on Monday!
2/11/2011
Tip of the Day: Morning Myth
A lot of people think you should do your workouts in the morning. It's actually not true! I've been reading up on it, and it's actually better to do your workouts in the late afternoon. Your body is fueled from eating breakfast and lunch, and your muscle strength is at it's best, so your body is able to work harder. Obviously it's always best to workout when you're able to work your hardest, so if that's in the morning for you, then by all means do it! It's just not going to be effective if you're exhausted, and your body isn't working it's hardest. If you are going to work out in the morning, make sure you eat breakfast at least a half hour before. Nothing too heavy though. I suggest like some fruit. Light, great for you, and great fuel for your body!
2/10/2011
Tip of the Day: Supersets
Converting the exercises in your workout routine into supersets is a great way to keep moving. Do a set of one exercise, and withouth stopping, to a set of another exercise. Then rest a bit before repeating. We're told by some people to rest between sets, but doing supersets will bump up your calorie burn, and it'll also add some cardio to your strength training!
2/9/2011
Tip of the Day: Frequent Eating
Eating smaller, more frequent meals through out the day will be a huge benefit for not only your weight loss, but your health as well! It keeps you fueled through out your day, will keep you from overeating, and help your body to be more efficient at burning calories. Why wouldn't you do this? What I do is make sure I eat every 3 hours. I'll have breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, then dinner. Making sure that all these small meals are between 3-5 hours apart. And dinner is always larger. Incorporate this into your daily routine, and you won't be disappointed!
2/8/2011
Tip of the Day: Mood Boost
Working out, and this blog for that matter, is not all about just losing weight. It's about getting to where you feel healthiest and happiest. A lot of let the excuse of a stressful day determine whether we're going to go to the gym that night, or work out at all. If anything, a stressful day should be the factor that makes you go to the gym! Exercising releases a hormone that will completely boost your mood! It'll just cause you to feel happier. It'll reduce your stress levels, and it may also be as effective as some medications known to help depression. I know for a fact that's true after learning it first hand a couple years ago! So even you feel like you don't need to exercise because you spent all of your energy at work getting stressed over a specific assignment, someone upset you, or anything to cause you stress at all, work that body out and relieve some tension! It won't only make you happier, but it'll make you more fun to be around!
2/7/2011
Tip of the Day: Slow Down
Did you know it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to your brain that you're full? Make it a goal to eat slower, even if you're ravenous, and you'll eat a lot less than you normally would if you were stuffing your face. Talk more while you eat, or take a few breaths between bites.
2/6/2011
Tip of the Day: Portion Control
One of the many ways to help you lose those extra pounds is to watch your portions ever time you eat. You need to control yourself to eat less, so you consume less calories. One way to help control your portions is to eat on a small plate rather than a large one. You'll actually feel like you're eating more. Another tactic that I use myself is to use a small spoon or fork. You know how the silverware sets come with large forks and small forks? The smaller ones will help you take smaller bites, therefore helping you eat less!
One more thing I'd like to add. Remember as a kid when your parents made you "clean your plate"? You're an adult now...don't do that. Save it as leftovers, and you'll save yourself some unwanted calories.
2/5/2011
Tip of the Day: Plan
This helped me when I was going through my weight loss last year, and I'm planning on doing this now that I'm trying to lose my baby body. Have a calendar for the week posted on your fridge, or in your phone, or wherever you're going to use it most. Plan and write down what you're going to eat the next day. If you have it planned out, exactly what you're going to eat, then you're more likely to stick to that goal of eating only what you have written down. Count up the calories the day before also, so at the end of the day you'll know where you're at. If you're a little under your limit, then treat yourself to a healthy snack! This will really help you gain control of what you're putting in your body.
2/4/2011
Tip of the Day: Count and Track
Do you want to know the key to weight loss?? I know many will hate me for this answer, but please do not shoot the messenger! The main key to losing that weight you want gone is making sure you're burning more calories than your consuming. That really is the most effective, and healthiest way to lose pounds. I've heard it so many times, "Oh well that's no way to live! I don't want to live my life counting calories!" I'm not saying you should count the rest of your life. But, don't you think it would be totally worth it to count just for 3-6 months (Depending on your goal of course. Losing over 100 pounds may take longer unless you go on The Biggest Loser and work out 6 times a day.), until you fit in your skinny jeans?? Then you can be done! Chances are by the time you lose what you want, since you've been eating so healthy, you will be trained well enough to keep eating healthy, just more relaxed. You're metabolism will be higher because of the fabulous way you've been treating and fueling your body, that you will not have to count every day for the rest of your life. Why can't you just eat less and watch your portions? It will not be as effective as keeping track. If you stay below your recommended calorie intake you WILL lose weight. It's as simple as that. You'll just have a better chance at doing that if you count!
The way I recommend to count is on this website right here:
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/
You'll enter your info on that, and minus your recommended calorie intake by 500-700 calories (Males will subtract less) Subtract until you lose more each week! (1-3 pounds per week are healthy weekly weight loss numbers.) This website is great! You can type in any food and pretty much any brand or restaurant, add it to your daily plate, and it'll make sure you're staying within range! As long as you do stay within range, make those calories healthy ones, and push yourself to exercise 3-5 times a week, I promise, you WILL lose weight!
2/3/2011
Tip of the Day: Eat good carbs!
Everyone shutters when they hear the word "carb". Sure they can be bad, but you need them! The nutrients in them are converted into energy for your body. You just need to know how to eat them. There are good carbs (complex carbs) and bad carbs (simple carbs).
Have you ever wondered why you still feel hungry after eating a burger? (I may be talking about someone I know =-). You know who you are!) That's because you're eating "simple carbs". Simple carbs are stripped of all their minerals and vitamins. They leave you with that empty, unsatisfied feeling, and will give you a better chance at overeating. Ew. Since they're lacking those natural nutrients, the energy is most likely going to be converted into fat. Double ew. Some example of these bad carbs? Well, they are disguised in all appealing junk foods. Cookies (other baked goods), white pastas, white breads, candy, sodas, and sugary fruite juice.
Complex carbs on the other hand, leave you feeling more full. They still contain all of their yummy nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, fiber...all so good for you! It takes longer for these nutrients to turn into energy, therefore leaving you with more for a longer period of time. You need these to get the most out of your workouts. That's why you often hear of people taking carb supplements (shakes) about an hour before their workouts. Some examples of these would be veggies, fruits, whole-grain products, and brown rice.
2/2/2011
Tip of the Day: Set small goals
Today's tip of the day is a little shorter than usual, but still effective! At the beginning of each week, decide on something you want to change that week. A goal you want to work on. For example, set a goal to take a 25 minute walk every day that week. Or set a goal to cut out that diet soda addiction all week. Because it's only a week, you'll have a light at the end of the tunnel, so it'll be lot easier than telling yourself you're never going to drink that diet soda again, or you're going to try to work out harder from now one. You'll have an actual time line. It'll really teach you that you can achieve your goals, and you will feel great at the end of the week when you have! You may even want to try it again the next week =-)
2/1/2011
Tip of the Day: Keys to healthy snacking
I work for a doctor's office, and for some reason we just have to buy the best candy known to man for our patients. Let me tell you something. They should not be called "fun-sized" candy bars. There is nothing fun about the smallest size ever of your favorite candy bar! I used to have such a hard time resisting those little "torture-sized" bars of yumminess, but after some tricks I've tried, I now have no problem ignoring them! Here are some ways that have helped me to keep from binging, and helped me stick to my healthy eating habits on those tough days.
1. Do NOT skip meals. You may think you're doing your body well by skipping meals and eating 2 things in a day, but it's really not that good for you. Sure, you're cutting out those calories, but your body goes into starvation mode when you do that too often, and it starts eating nutrients in your body that you actually need. Not to mention, it also makes it easier for you to cave in to that do-nut you've been craving. Eating every 3-4 hours can really boost your metabolism, and help keep you full. Keep them low calorie snacks though!
2. Snack on Veggies. They are full of fiber which takes up room in your stomach giving your body the impression that you're full. They are also super low in calories, so you can feel like you're eating a lot, but not be consuming too many calories! My favorite lunch to have: a bag of Birds-Eye frozen veggies. Either the asparagus, corn and carrots, or the broccoli, cauliflower, and water chestnuts. You can eat the whole bag for lunch and only be eating around 270 calories! I'll add a little lite soy sauce for flavor. You can also make it a little snack by eating half the bag, and saving the other half for later.
3. Drink Water! I can not stress that enough. Did you know when you start feeling thirsty it means you're already dehydrated? Not good. Your body needs about eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. What helps me is having my water bottle with the oz markings on the side. I bring it around with me all day, and with the measurements, it helps me to remember where I'm at for the day. When you start feeling hungry, a lot of times it's just your body telling you that you're thirsty, so drink a glass of water once you get that hungry feeling. It'll also help keep you full. When I start getting a craving for something, I drink tons of water so I feel full.
4. Sugar-free gum. It's such a good trick! There are so many flavors to choose from, and since I love sweets, I'll usually get the fruity flavor gum, and pop it in my mouth every time I want to eat some candy, or munch on some chips. I'm telling you, it works wonders.
5. Mind over Matter. It'll be hard at first, I won't lie. But once you give up junk food snacking, you will feel so much better! Your body will feel lighter, and your self-confidence will boost substantially. There is something so awesome about saying no to things, that just gives you that feel-good feeling. People will start to notice that you're staying away from specific foods, and they will compliment you on it. You'll feel so good about yourself! So stick to it, and just think how good you'll feel at the end of the day when you can say you didn't eat that candy bar today. You don't need it, and you can do it =-).
1/31/2011
Tip of the Day: Drink chocolate milk
Kind of sounds like something you should stay away from when trying to lose weight, doesn't it? Well, don't! It's filled with nutrients that will actually help you get rid of your belly chub. It's milk, right? So it is a great source of calcium. It won't only help your bones though. Enough calcium will actually help your body to slow down fat absorption. The vitamin D in the chocolate milk will then help your body to absorb more calcium. You'll get a boost of energy from the electrolytes in it which will help your endurance during your work outs, and keep you hydrated. If that all doesn't sound good enough, then let's not forget the lovely protein factor. Protein is great for your muscles, and for building new muscle fibers. Don't be afraid of the protein ladies. It's not nearly enough to make you "bulk up". It'll help create lean muscle which helps burn more calories than fat. So, there you have it. Want to get rid of those love handles? Drink some chocolate milk! Ok, now I'm not saying you should go binge on chocolate milk, or stick to a strict "chocolate milk only" diet. Just have about three 8 oz glasses a day. Preferably low-fat chocolate milk. I would suggest to just have one 8 oz glass a half hour before your workout, and then another right after your workout to help repair your muscle tissues. Good luck, I know it's going to be sooo hard to just have to work chocolate milk into your diet.
