As I head into the last week and a half of my 90 day challenge, I feel a little saddened that I will probably not make my mark, but encouraged that I have been able to reach my halfway mark AND maintain that during the ROUGHEST holiday season of the year as far as dieting goes. :)
With that being said, I know that I have relaxed on my exercise, and I have not been eating the best 100% of the time. With pure craziness surrounding me, I have skipped meals, or taken little nibbles of treats and goodies here and there to hold me over until the big meal at the end of my day. It is surprising that I have been able to keep anything off with schedules like that!
I fully own up to my mistakes, but am pretty pleased at the effort and success of keeping off the weight that was lost prior to the biggies (i.e., Thanksgiving and Christmas!). Afterall, at one point, when all is said and done, maintenance is key. I did decide, about mid-November, to switch from drinking protein shakes as meals to eating three meals and drinking half a protein shake once or twice a day for snacks instead. This way, my protein still stays in tact, but I can feel human and actually eat meals as opposed to drinking them. Drinking a meal always seemed like cheating to me, but it's a great jumpstart to get the ball rolling and help feed your motivation. AS LONG AS IT'S DONE CORRECTLY!!
So here has been a typical day's meals for me since the switch.
Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with Cream Cheese (or butter, I alternate) and 8 oz. glass of V-8 Fusion.
Morning Snack: String Cheese, Applesauce, Handful of Nuts, or half a protein shake.
Lunch: Fish and chips (all baked, nothing fried!)
Afternoon Snack: Same as above.
Dinner: Chef Salad, Taco Salad, Baked Chicken with Rice and Steamed Veggies, or Pork Chops with Homemade Cornbread Stuffing (that way there's no High Fructose Corn Syrup!) and Green Beans.
I always baked meats, and usually, my meat is cooked in my George Foreman grill. Veggies are steamed and in the last 5 minutes of steaming, I add one tablespoon of butter to the veggies, mix it around and then let it finish steaming. This way, there is great butter flavor, but without the greasy taste when you eat the veggies. I have been incorporating a LOT more veggies into the mix, and I am finding new ways to eat the things that I love and have loved all my life. There is a healthy way to make MANY things. You just have to have the desire.
So here's to the last week and a half! May pounds continue to roll off, and may everyone have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. :)
~ Coree
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
90 Day Challenge Has Begun!
I am now 22 days into my 90 Day Challenge to lose 15 pounds. I am already down 7 lbs! It has been three weeks, and I feel absolutely amazing! Let me tell you what I'm doing. :)
This is my typical menu for a day:
Breakfast: Protein shake with fruit.
Morning Snack: Couple pieces of fruit, or fruit with string cheese.
Lunch: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, or Smart One with a small dinner salad.
Afternoon Snack: Piece of fruit with pretzels.
Dinner: Protein shake with fruit, and sometimes a small dinner salad, too.
Evening Snack: Homemade portioned popcorn or Jello's Sugar Free-Fat Free Pudding with fresh fruit.
As far as my exercise goes, here's a list of things I do on a pretty regular basis for the past three weeks:
Walk 2 miles at least 4 times a week
20 minute Yoga sessions at least 3 times a week
Approximately 20 minutes of activity on Wii Fit Plus
Naturally, my exercise also includes normal, everyday things like the following:
Walking the dog at least 4 times a day (that's up and down three flights of stairs EACH time!!)
Cleaning the house
Laundry
Cooking and Baking
I allow myself a little treat on the weekends. I also don't drink my protein shakes on the weekends, either. This is so that I can practice making homemade meals that are healthier for me and my husband, and practice portion control, which is the number one reason I believe so many American are overweight. My husband and I enjoy traditional breakfasts on Sundays with hashbrowns, eggs, biscuits, and usually sausage, but we've also enjoyed bacon or pieces of ham. We get special snacks that we normally wouldn't allow ourselves to indulge in during the week, like tortilla chips and salsa, or spinach dip and potato rolls. Our Saturday dinners are also usually more fatty than that of those that we eat during the week. It is usually things like chicken wings and french fries, or homemade pizza.
As you can see from the menu above, we've also adapted a more European way of eating, where we eat our larger meal (what would be dinner in the US) for our lunch, and we eat our lunch size meal at dinnertime. This allows for our bodies to work off our largest meal of the day, instead of hoarding all the calories and fat in that meal and piling it away in our hips and thighs.
I have also begun cutting things out of my diet...FOR GOOD!! High fructose corn syrup was the first thing to go! I will be doing a blog entry on HFCS coming up soon, so stay tuned for that! Bottom line? That stuff is poison!! I have gone three weeks without any of that in the food I eat, and let me tell you, I feel healthier with every bite! Yes, it takes work to check every single label on the foods you eat to make sure that you are not indulging in that toxin. But it is worth it! Yes, HFCS is in practically EVERYTHING!! You MUST read the labels to find it. And once you see it in the list of ingredients, just put the product back on the shelf and keep moving! Your body will thank you, so will your metabolism! I challenge you to try it for a week. You will find that you can do without many things that you will find HFCS in. I know I have changed a lot of what I eat just to cut that one ingredient out of my diet. But you will never believe how amazing you feel!
I will be honest, this is hard work. It takes an effort to wake up every day and be motivated to get up and workout, or to stay steady on the menu. There are days that I will fight to do my workouts, and days where a protein shake or piece of fruit are the last things that I want to be putting into my body. But this is all working toward something that I desperately need to do for myself. I do not do this to be thin. I am doing this to be healthy. Being thin is just the added bonus to changing my lifestyle.
This is my typical menu for a day:
Breakfast: Protein shake with fruit.
Morning Snack: Couple pieces of fruit, or fruit with string cheese.
Lunch: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, or Smart One with a small dinner salad.
Afternoon Snack: Piece of fruit with pretzels.
Dinner: Protein shake with fruit, and sometimes a small dinner salad, too.
Evening Snack: Homemade portioned popcorn or Jello's Sugar Free-Fat Free Pudding with fresh fruit.
As far as my exercise goes, here's a list of things I do on a pretty regular basis for the past three weeks:
Walk 2 miles at least 4 times a week
20 minute Yoga sessions at least 3 times a week
Approximately 20 minutes of activity on Wii Fit Plus
Naturally, my exercise also includes normal, everyday things like the following:
Walking the dog at least 4 times a day (that's up and down three flights of stairs EACH time!!)
Cleaning the house
Laundry
Cooking and Baking
I allow myself a little treat on the weekends. I also don't drink my protein shakes on the weekends, either. This is so that I can practice making homemade meals that are healthier for me and my husband, and practice portion control, which is the number one reason I believe so many American are overweight. My husband and I enjoy traditional breakfasts on Sundays with hashbrowns, eggs, biscuits, and usually sausage, but we've also enjoyed bacon or pieces of ham. We get special snacks that we normally wouldn't allow ourselves to indulge in during the week, like tortilla chips and salsa, or spinach dip and potato rolls. Our Saturday dinners are also usually more fatty than that of those that we eat during the week. It is usually things like chicken wings and french fries, or homemade pizza.
As you can see from the menu above, we've also adapted a more European way of eating, where we eat our larger meal (what would be dinner in the US) for our lunch, and we eat our lunch size meal at dinnertime. This allows for our bodies to work off our largest meal of the day, instead of hoarding all the calories and fat in that meal and piling it away in our hips and thighs.
I have also begun cutting things out of my diet...FOR GOOD!! High fructose corn syrup was the first thing to go! I will be doing a blog entry on HFCS coming up soon, so stay tuned for that! Bottom line? That stuff is poison!! I have gone three weeks without any of that in the food I eat, and let me tell you, I feel healthier with every bite! Yes, it takes work to check every single label on the foods you eat to make sure that you are not indulging in that toxin. But it is worth it! Yes, HFCS is in practically EVERYTHING!! You MUST read the labels to find it. And once you see it in the list of ingredients, just put the product back on the shelf and keep moving! Your body will thank you, so will your metabolism! I challenge you to try it for a week. You will find that you can do without many things that you will find HFCS in. I know I have changed a lot of what I eat just to cut that one ingredient out of my diet. But you will never believe how amazing you feel!
I will be honest, this is hard work. It takes an effort to wake up every day and be motivated to get up and workout, or to stay steady on the menu. There are days that I will fight to do my workouts, and days where a protein shake or piece of fruit are the last things that I want to be putting into my body. But this is all working toward something that I desperately need to do for myself. I do not do this to be thin. I am doing this to be healthy. Being thin is just the added bonus to changing my lifestyle.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
90 Day Challenge
Everyone wants to lose weight. Well, not those rail skinny little twigs, but, then again, yes, even some of them want to lose weight, too. The real question is, what's holding you back?
I have been overweight most of my life, and all of my adult life. I always say that I would like to be thinner, maybe back to a size that I was many moons ago. I'll jump on some fad diet and lose 20 pounds, just to have it reappear when I get off that fad diet. This is the yo-yo effect. Not a great thing to do to your metabolism. And while I have sat back for the past five years, telling myself that this time will be different, it never is. I start a diet, just to stop it for one reason or another, and then I'll reach the "What's the point?" point, and continuing on is just a waste of money on food I'll never eat.
Sound like you? Yeah, that's how a lot of people are, believe it or not. Some will find motivation later, some will give up forever and try to convince themselves that they are happy being overweight. THAT'S A LIE!! Nobody is happy being overweight! It's time to stop the cycle of bad dieting! Starting NOW!!
So many people I know are trying to lose 5, 10, 15, even 50 pounds. This is all fine and dandy if these people choose a plan and stick with it. The number one thing that I can recommend when dieting? Don't be too strict. When you tighten the reigns on your dieting so much to where you aren't eating the foods you love anymore, the temptation to cheat is higher than if you allowed yourself the proper size serving of the foods you love. Did you know that at the average meal, the average person will consume enough portions for at least three people? Gross, right?
So instead of cutting out Chinese food, feed that craving a couple times a month. But when you do it, be mindful of what else you have eaten for the day. If your breakfast or lunch was filled with carbs and fatty foods, that might be a bad day to indulge. Instead, enjoy your Chinese food on a day that you have planned to have it, where your lunch was a chef salad, and your snacks were fruits or vegetables. Then, be sure to eat the proper portion size. Don't eat it all because it's sitting in front of you! Portion out your plate, and put the rest away.
This brings me to my 90 Day Challenge, hence, the title of this article. I have decided that on October 1, 2010, I will begin a 90 Day Challenge to lose 15 pounds. I will do this challenge eating foods I love that are made in healthier ways than I've ever enjoyed them. I am going to portion out my meals, plan meals and snacks for each day, and I'm going to incorporate a workout program. Most importantly, I will be sharing this challenge with you. So you can see what I am doing every day, what I am eating, how much I am exercising. And if you feel so inclined to join me on this challenge, then AWESOME! The more the merrier!
So let's get started! Let's plan out what type of exercises we want to do, what kinds of food we love and how we can make those meals healthier while still enjoying our favorites. We can do this! 90 days-15 pounds=A Happier YOU!!!
I have been overweight most of my life, and all of my adult life. I always say that I would like to be thinner, maybe back to a size that I was many moons ago. I'll jump on some fad diet and lose 20 pounds, just to have it reappear when I get off that fad diet. This is the yo-yo effect. Not a great thing to do to your metabolism. And while I have sat back for the past five years, telling myself that this time will be different, it never is. I start a diet, just to stop it for one reason or another, and then I'll reach the "What's the point?" point, and continuing on is just a waste of money on food I'll never eat.
Sound like you? Yeah, that's how a lot of people are, believe it or not. Some will find motivation later, some will give up forever and try to convince themselves that they are happy being overweight. THAT'S A LIE!! Nobody is happy being overweight! It's time to stop the cycle of bad dieting! Starting NOW!!
So many people I know are trying to lose 5, 10, 15, even 50 pounds. This is all fine and dandy if these people choose a plan and stick with it. The number one thing that I can recommend when dieting? Don't be too strict. When you tighten the reigns on your dieting so much to where you aren't eating the foods you love anymore, the temptation to cheat is higher than if you allowed yourself the proper size serving of the foods you love. Did you know that at the average meal, the average person will consume enough portions for at least three people? Gross, right?
So instead of cutting out Chinese food, feed that craving a couple times a month. But when you do it, be mindful of what else you have eaten for the day. If your breakfast or lunch was filled with carbs and fatty foods, that might be a bad day to indulge. Instead, enjoy your Chinese food on a day that you have planned to have it, where your lunch was a chef salad, and your snacks were fruits or vegetables. Then, be sure to eat the proper portion size. Don't eat it all because it's sitting in front of you! Portion out your plate, and put the rest away.
This brings me to my 90 Day Challenge, hence, the title of this article. I have decided that on October 1, 2010, I will begin a 90 Day Challenge to lose 15 pounds. I will do this challenge eating foods I love that are made in healthier ways than I've ever enjoyed them. I am going to portion out my meals, plan meals and snacks for each day, and I'm going to incorporate a workout program. Most importantly, I will be sharing this challenge with you. So you can see what I am doing every day, what I am eating, how much I am exercising. And if you feel so inclined to join me on this challenge, then AWESOME! The more the merrier!
So let's get started! Let's plan out what type of exercises we want to do, what kinds of food we love and how we can make those meals healthier while still enjoying our favorites. We can do this! 90 days-15 pounds=A Happier YOU!!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Summertime Kabobs
Yep, it's grillin season! The time of year, where it is usually hot and sometimes humid all over. It is my family's favorite time to pull out the grill and do anything but cook inside the house and risk heating it up and making everyone uncomfortable. So I figured I'd pull out one of my family's favorites.
Summertime Kabobs
Ingredients:
~Your favorite meat, but if you go for steak or pork, make it as lean as possible
~All your favorite veggies - Baby tomatoes, carrots, onions, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, make it COLORFUL!
Directions:
Put all your favorites on a skewer, if you want, marinate the meat the night before for a more seasoned taste.
Place your skewers on the grill and cook to your liking.
It's one of the most simple recipes for the summer, and it is something that you can do over and over again without getting bored, because the possibilities are ENDLESS! Go ahead....Kabob your summer!
Summertime Kabobs
Ingredients:
~Your favorite meat, but if you go for steak or pork, make it as lean as possible
~All your favorite veggies - Baby tomatoes, carrots, onions, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, make it COLORFUL!
Directions:
Put all your favorites on a skewer, if you want, marinate the meat the night before for a more seasoned taste.
Place your skewers on the grill and cook to your liking.
It's one of the most simple recipes for the summer, and it is something that you can do over and over again without getting bored, because the possibilities are ENDLESS! Go ahead....Kabob your summer!
Eating Your Colors
I am sure that you've heard that a number of times, but can you tell me why? I never fully understood the saying myself, which is what prompted me to research a little about the different colored foods and what they can do for you. So here is a small sampling of colorful foods, and how they can effect your body.
~ Red ~
Red foods, such as tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help protect against prostate and breast cancers.
Shop for: Red peppers, tomatoes, watermelon
~ Orange ~
Alpha and beta carotene make foods like carrots and sweet potatoes so brilliantly orange. The body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants, sweeping up disease-promoting free radicals.
Shop for: Apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mango, oranges, papaya, tangerines
~ Yellow and Green, Part 1 (Leafy Greens) ~
Many yellow and green vegetables are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people. Leafy greens are also rich in beta carotene.
Shop for: Artichokes, corn, lettuce, summer squash, wax beans, arugula, chard, collards, mustard greens
~ Green, Part 2 (Cruciferous) ~
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer by amping up the production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body.
Shop for: Broccoli, green cabbage, kale
~ Blue and Purple/Deep Red ~
Blue, purple, and deep-red fruits and vegetables are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, antioxidants associated with keeping the heart healthy and the brain functioning optimally.
Shop for: Blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, radishes (red), raspberries, strawberries, grapes
Notice that tan is NOT a color? Yes, that means the donut that I just ate as I sat here and typed this whole schpiel is NOT part of the color wheel. :(
So what have we learned? Color your plates up, People! The more variety of colors you have throughout a day, the better you will feel and the more your body will thank you!
~ Red ~
Red foods, such as tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help protect against prostate and breast cancers.
Shop for: Red peppers, tomatoes, watermelon
~ Orange ~
Alpha and beta carotene make foods like carrots and sweet potatoes so brilliantly orange. The body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants, sweeping up disease-promoting free radicals.
Shop for: Apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mango, oranges, papaya, tangerines
~ Yellow and Green, Part 1 (Leafy Greens) ~
Many yellow and green vegetables are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people. Leafy greens are also rich in beta carotene.
Shop for: Artichokes, corn, lettuce, summer squash, wax beans, arugula, chard, collards, mustard greens
~ Green, Part 2 (Cruciferous) ~
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer by amping up the production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body.
Shop for: Broccoli, green cabbage, kale
~ Blue and Purple/Deep Red ~
Blue, purple, and deep-red fruits and vegetables are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, antioxidants associated with keeping the heart healthy and the brain functioning optimally.
Shop for: Blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, radishes (red), raspberries, strawberries, grapes
Notice that tan is NOT a color? Yes, that means the donut that I just ate as I sat here and typed this whole schpiel is NOT part of the color wheel. :(
So what have we learned? Color your plates up, People! The more variety of colors you have throughout a day, the better you will feel and the more your body will thank you!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Work It!!
Complex moves help to burn extra calories. Not to mention you get the benefit of feeling the burn in multiple areas. Give this one a shot!
Squat Press
You may hold weights in your hands for added strength training, or go weight free!
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and your arms bent with your hands in fists (or holding weights) and your wrists/palms facing up.
Squat down, keeping your back straight, and bending your knees no further than a 90 degree right angle, where your thighs are parallel to the ground. This will force you to push your booty out. ;) As you squat, press your arms up as if you were doing a bench press.
As you rise from the squat position bring your arms back to the starting position.
Complete three sets of ten, resting for one full minute between each set.
In no time you'll have a tighter tooshy and leaner arms!
Squat Press
You may hold weights in your hands for added strength training, or go weight free!
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and your arms bent with your hands in fists (or holding weights) and your wrists/palms facing up.
Squat down, keeping your back straight, and bending your knees no further than a 90 degree right angle, where your thighs are parallel to the ground. This will force you to push your booty out. ;) As you squat, press your arms up as if you were doing a bench press.
As you rise from the squat position bring your arms back to the starting position.
Complete three sets of ten, resting for one full minute between each set.
In no time you'll have a tighter tooshy and leaner arms!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Father's Day
With Father's Day just two days away, everyone is probably racking their brains trying to come up with something brilliant to give the dad in their life. As with every holiday, Father's Day is yet another day where we spoil our dads with whimsical breakfasts, and tasty dinners. Why not try something different this year?
Many of us are glutenous when it comes to eating out. Let's face it, if we see it on our plate, we'll want to put it in our mouths! So let's change up what we see on our plate, but still create something delicious for the special dad in your life. Here are some examples:
Pancakes with homemade fruit salad on top instead of sugary syrup. Find a few of your dad's favorite fruits, chop them up real small, you can even put them in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and let the fruit meld together into a yummy sauce! Trick? Find sweet fruits that won't require you to add more sugar to the mix. :)
Crepes anyone? A breakfast favorite! You can find already made crepe wrappers with your fruit section at the grocery store! Get some fruit preserves (with your jelly and jam section!) and put it inside the crepe and warm to nummy goodness! To top the crepe? Try some low/no fat whipped cream!
Want to try something new for dinner? Buffets are a crowd pleaser, but have you ever really looked at the food you are putting on your plate? The food is mostly fried, slathered in butter, or just plain greasy! Then there's the never-ending line of palate pleasing desserts that do nothing but increase your waistline! Instead, try one of these options:
Salad buffet anyone? I'm sure you've heard of this wonderful place called Souplantation. It is a wonderful place filled with salads galore, homemade soups everyday, and a fruit bar that will please any sweet tooth! What's best about this, is you can keep going back, and you won't be eating a week's worth of calories in one meal!
Try a dinner in instead! Yes, it's nice to go out and have a big fuss made over your dad on this special day. But what about making up one of his favorites, and trying to cook it a little leaner than before? Better yet, what about grilling up something great like kabobs?!
Holidays don't mean that we have to eat to enjoy it, yet this is where our world has gone. So much of what we do is geared around what we are going to eat. We can enjoy ourselves while eating a little healthier at every meal. It doesn't take much, and your waistline, and HIS will thank you. :)
Happy Father's Day!
Many of us are glutenous when it comes to eating out. Let's face it, if we see it on our plate, we'll want to put it in our mouths! So let's change up what we see on our plate, but still create something delicious for the special dad in your life. Here are some examples:
Pancakes with homemade fruit salad on top instead of sugary syrup. Find a few of your dad's favorite fruits, chop them up real small, you can even put them in a pan with 1/2 cup of water and let the fruit meld together into a yummy sauce! Trick? Find sweet fruits that won't require you to add more sugar to the mix. :)
Crepes anyone? A breakfast favorite! You can find already made crepe wrappers with your fruit section at the grocery store! Get some fruit preserves (with your jelly and jam section!) and put it inside the crepe and warm to nummy goodness! To top the crepe? Try some low/no fat whipped cream!
Want to try something new for dinner? Buffets are a crowd pleaser, but have you ever really looked at the food you are putting on your plate? The food is mostly fried, slathered in butter, or just plain greasy! Then there's the never-ending line of palate pleasing desserts that do nothing but increase your waistline! Instead, try one of these options:
Salad buffet anyone? I'm sure you've heard of this wonderful place called Souplantation. It is a wonderful place filled with salads galore, homemade soups everyday, and a fruit bar that will please any sweet tooth! What's best about this, is you can keep going back, and you won't be eating a week's worth of calories in one meal!
Try a dinner in instead! Yes, it's nice to go out and have a big fuss made over your dad on this special day. But what about making up one of his favorites, and trying to cook it a little leaner than before? Better yet, what about grilling up something great like kabobs?!
Holidays don't mean that we have to eat to enjoy it, yet this is where our world has gone. So much of what we do is geared around what we are going to eat. We can enjoy ourselves while eating a little healthier at every meal. It doesn't take much, and your waistline, and HIS will thank you. :)
Happy Father's Day!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Men's Health Week
This week, from June 14 to June 20, is known as Men's Health Week. It is a week focusing on all the important aspects of men's health, and how to overcome adversities with health and things related to health, such as obesity.
Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous has been lucky enough to receive a guest submission touching on the importance of exercise in a man's life. Please give a warm welcome to Steve Jasper, and let's remember that a Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous lifestyle is for EVERYONE!!
Men's Health Week
By Steve Jasper
Every year, Men's Health Week falls on the seven days prior to Father's Day. The significance of this event would mean nothing without first realizing that one's health is not only a measure of the lifestyle you lead, but how you stay in shape as well. A fraction of men are regular gym-goers who work out tirelessly with exercise equipment in order to keep their bodies healthy and active. Men realize that working out serves a more important function than just building muscles. Working out can help you improve your body image, self confidence, and even add years to your life.
Men's Health Week (June 14-20th) is a week of awareness involving health issues and diseases for men that easily can be averted with early action, treatment, and healthy prevention. It's no coincidence that Men's Health Week leads right up to Father's Day, because Father's Day is where we celebrate a man we love and wish nothing but health and happiness to. Yet, how can more men be proactive in staying healthy and avoiding illness and heath issues? Well, a good place to start is to be educated about how to use the gym, and exactly how important it is to do so. A better knowledge of how to properly exercise is integral to fighting obesity and improving your health.
The list of ailments that go along with obesity is almost endless: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, respiratory problems, and even cancer all have higher incidence rates in the obese. This is scary enough, but looking at the statistics, it's even more frightening. The Journal of the American Medical Association states that 72 percent of men over the age of 20 are considered to be overweight or obese while 32 percent are dangerously obese. This is too much- especially when studies held by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have shown that physical activity may greatly reduce the risk of both obesity and most health conditions in men.
Depending on who you ask, going to the gym may either seem like a hobby or a chore, but following those routines are important to staying fit and healthy for men everywhere. Now, we all come up with excuses as to why we can't work out. When polled, the biggest reason men gave for not being able to exercise is, "not enough time." The best way to overcome this hurdle is by getting your hands on one of your own personal home gyms. When you factor in the time it takes to travel back and forth from your fitness center, the gas money spent to do so, and the various membership fees, a home gym starts to look like a very reasonable option. And if you are more likely to work out regularly on your home gym than you are at your club, then all the more reason to pick one up.
Steve Jasper is not a medical expert. If you have any serious medical concerns, please consult a qualified medical professional before undertaking a new fitness regimen. Steve is a contributing blogger from Gymsource who writes an all topics related to fitness equipment and more.
Thank you, Steve, for your guest submission! :)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Breakfast Sandwiches
Now you can have a healthy breakfast sandwich! Follow the recipe below, and load up on flavor and protein, all while cutting calories, sodium, carbs and sugars! Trust me! These are my favorite morning treats!
Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 MorningStar Veggie Sausage Patty
1 Better Start Thomas English Muffin
1/4 cup Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Crystal Farms All Whites Egg Whites
Directions:
Toast english muffin, and spread 1/2 Tablespoon of butter on each half. Set on plate butter side up.
Sprinkle half the amount of cheese on the bottom english muffin.
Place your cooked sausage patty (Recommended cooking is on package. While it takes best from the oven, it tastes just as well cooked in the microwave at a fraction of the time!) on top of the shredded cheese.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of sausage patty.
Heat oil in pan for egg whites. Once heated, pour egg whites in center of pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Flip egg white to cook other side. When cooked, place the egg white on top of the cheese and sausage stack and place top of english muffin on top of egg white.
Enjoy your sandwich! It's VERY tasty, and one will fill you up!
Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 MorningStar Veggie Sausage Patty
1 Better Start Thomas English Muffin
1/4 cup Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Crystal Farms All Whites Egg Whites
Directions:
Toast english muffin, and spread 1/2 Tablespoon of butter on each half. Set on plate butter side up.
Sprinkle half the amount of cheese on the bottom english muffin.
Place your cooked sausage patty (Recommended cooking is on package. While it takes best from the oven, it tastes just as well cooked in the microwave at a fraction of the time!) on top of the shredded cheese.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of sausage patty.
Heat oil in pan for egg whites. Once heated, pour egg whites in center of pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Flip egg white to cook other side. When cooked, place the egg white on top of the cheese and sausage stack and place top of english muffin on top of egg white.
Enjoy your sandwich! It's VERY tasty, and one will fill you up!
Walking Off Weight With Fiber!
We've all heard that more fiber in our diets is a crucial part to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Most of us attribute fiber to staying regular, and many of us do not know how this one little thing can actually help us to lose weight when enough is consumed and partnered with the right activity.
Walking is something that doctors have told their patients to do since the dawn of time. When an overweight person walks into their doctor's office, the doctor will usually tell that person to eat healthier and walk for at least 30 minutes a day. I know that's what my doctor told me 30 pounds ago.
While we know that walking is good for us, and fiber is good for our diet, no one has ever thought to put these two together. How much walking do we really need? How much fiber is enough? An article in the May 3, 2010 edition of First magazine lays it all out for us.
First, the walking. We've heard it a million times. People ask someone that they know how they lost so much weight, what is the most common answer? Walking. It's disgusting, I know. It seems so boring and not a very fun exercise, not to mention, I can't STAND to exercise. But, in order to lose that weight, it's one of those things we just need to buckle down and do. But here's the thing, so many of us hear about speed-walkers, or people who walk with walking sticks and weights, etc. First lays out the skinny on walking right for maximum burn.
Slow your pace to release trapped fat. There it is. You no longer have to walk so fast that you can barely breathe, just in order to lose those extra pounds. High-intensity activity such as running or weight lifting puts stress on cells, prompting them to call on glucose for rapid energy. A body under stress will pull this glucose from the blood and from muscle stores. In the article, Dr. Strutman says that "this causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leading to intense hunger and post-workout energy slumps." In fact, one study showed that women who exercised strenuously consumed 60% MORE calories during their post-workout meals, which put them at risk for weight gain.
Walking at a moderate pace, your muscles have time to convert fat into usable energy, so your body begins burning fat over burning glucose, which you will just have to replace to keep your energy up for the rest of the day. Now, you're probably wondering how long you need to walk in order to make the magic happen. 2 hours a day? 3?!?!?!!!! How about 30 minutes a day, with your daily recommended fiber intake? Does that sound reasonable?
Now to the fiber. You're walking at a moderate pace now, burning fat instead of glucose, so where does the fiber come in to the equation?
Increase fiber intake to flush body fat. Wow! How does that work? The article continues and states that once the walking gets your trapped body fat freed up, the fiber helps ensure its speedy exit from the body.
I'm sure you've heard of that magic pill Alli. Alli works like fiber does. It grasps on to the fat that you intake during a meal, and like an usher at a wedding, escorts that fat right out of your body. So fiber is a more natural way to escort the fat out, not to mention, a lot cheaper, too!
Also, fiber makes you feel full, longer. So with higher intake levels of fiber, the less calories you will intake during the day. The recommended daily intake for fiber is 30 grams. I know, seems like a lot, right? But did you know that half an avocado has 8 grams of fiber? And 2 cups of popped popcorn has 3.5 grams? Then there's the ever loved group of beans, which have 15 grams of fiber per half cup! Of course, out on the market are things like Fiber One cereals and granola bars that have a high amount of fiber in them, and are easier to calculate and keep track of. Just two servings of Fiber One cereals, and your fiber intake is done for the day, and you just need to walk!
Want to hear an AMAZING fact? When 30 minutes of daily walking was combined with the recommended daily intake of 30 grams of fiber, test subjects lost an average of 13 pounds and 4.5 inches from their bellies in ONE WEEK!!
So what are you weighting for? Research your favorite high fiber foods and start incorporating them into your diet with just a smidge of walking per day, and get yourself on track losing weight in a healthy way!
Walking is something that doctors have told their patients to do since the dawn of time. When an overweight person walks into their doctor's office, the doctor will usually tell that person to eat healthier and walk for at least 30 minutes a day. I know that's what my doctor told me 30 pounds ago.
While we know that walking is good for us, and fiber is good for our diet, no one has ever thought to put these two together. How much walking do we really need? How much fiber is enough? An article in the May 3, 2010 edition of First magazine lays it all out for us.
First, the walking. We've heard it a million times. People ask someone that they know how they lost so much weight, what is the most common answer? Walking. It's disgusting, I know. It seems so boring and not a very fun exercise, not to mention, I can't STAND to exercise. But, in order to lose that weight, it's one of those things we just need to buckle down and do. But here's the thing, so many of us hear about speed-walkers, or people who walk with walking sticks and weights, etc. First lays out the skinny on walking right for maximum burn.
Slow your pace to release trapped fat. There it is. You no longer have to walk so fast that you can barely breathe, just in order to lose those extra pounds. High-intensity activity such as running or weight lifting puts stress on cells, prompting them to call on glucose for rapid energy. A body under stress will pull this glucose from the blood and from muscle stores. In the article, Dr. Strutman says that "this causes blood sugar levels to drop rapidly, leading to intense hunger and post-workout energy slumps." In fact, one study showed that women who exercised strenuously consumed 60% MORE calories during their post-workout meals, which put them at risk for weight gain.
Walking at a moderate pace, your muscles have time to convert fat into usable energy, so your body begins burning fat over burning glucose, which you will just have to replace to keep your energy up for the rest of the day. Now, you're probably wondering how long you need to walk in order to make the magic happen. 2 hours a day? 3?!?!?!!!! How about 30 minutes a day, with your daily recommended fiber intake? Does that sound reasonable?
Now to the fiber. You're walking at a moderate pace now, burning fat instead of glucose, so where does the fiber come in to the equation?
Increase fiber intake to flush body fat. Wow! How does that work? The article continues and states that once the walking gets your trapped body fat freed up, the fiber helps ensure its speedy exit from the body.
I'm sure you've heard of that magic pill Alli. Alli works like fiber does. It grasps on to the fat that you intake during a meal, and like an usher at a wedding, escorts that fat right out of your body. So fiber is a more natural way to escort the fat out, not to mention, a lot cheaper, too!
Also, fiber makes you feel full, longer. So with higher intake levels of fiber, the less calories you will intake during the day. The recommended daily intake for fiber is 30 grams. I know, seems like a lot, right? But did you know that half an avocado has 8 grams of fiber? And 2 cups of popped popcorn has 3.5 grams? Then there's the ever loved group of beans, which have 15 grams of fiber per half cup! Of course, out on the market are things like Fiber One cereals and granola bars that have a high amount of fiber in them, and are easier to calculate and keep track of. Just two servings of Fiber One cereals, and your fiber intake is done for the day, and you just need to walk!
Want to hear an AMAZING fact? When 30 minutes of daily walking was combined with the recommended daily intake of 30 grams of fiber, test subjects lost an average of 13 pounds and 4.5 inches from their bellies in ONE WEEK!!
So what are you weighting for? Research your favorite high fiber foods and start incorporating them into your diet with just a smidge of walking per day, and get yourself on track losing weight in a healthy way!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Breakfast Pita
Do your breakfasts get boring? I know, mine, too! So I'm constantly searching for something different to do for breakfast. Something to give it a little POW! Here's a healthy pita idea.
Breakfast Pita
Ingredients:
2 eggs scrambled, with unlimited chopped veggies of your choice
2 Tbsp. cheese, recommended low or no fat
1/2 of a whole grain pita
Directions:
Heat a pan on the stove, add 2 Tbsp water to the pan, and then add your chopped veggies to saute. Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add the eggs and scramble. Once your eggs are cooked to your liking, add the cheese and immediately move to your pita pocket. Enjoy!!
Want a lower calorie option? Use liquid egg whites instead of whole eggs. Using egg whites cuts back on the cholesterol, fat and carbs that a whole egg has. Be careful though! Some of the liquid egg whites have some yolk in them. Make sure you read the label carefully to ensure that you are only getting egg whites in your carton! A highly recommended brand that I use is Crystal Farms All Whites, which is 100% egg whites. :) On the carton, there are measurements to let you know how much of the liquid egg whites equals how many eggs. Try it out! It tastes great!
Want to mix up the flavor? Try different kinds of cheese! Maybe put in some swiss, or provolone, or one of my favorites is Jarlsberg. Check out the deli section at your local grocery store for your many options!
Enjoy! And Good Luck!
Breakfast Pita
Ingredients:
2 eggs scrambled, with unlimited chopped veggies of your choice
2 Tbsp. cheese, recommended low or no fat
1/2 of a whole grain pita
Directions:
Heat a pan on the stove, add 2 Tbsp water to the pan, and then add your chopped veggies to saute. Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add the eggs and scramble. Once your eggs are cooked to your liking, add the cheese and immediately move to your pita pocket. Enjoy!!
Want a lower calorie option? Use liquid egg whites instead of whole eggs. Using egg whites cuts back on the cholesterol, fat and carbs that a whole egg has. Be careful though! Some of the liquid egg whites have some yolk in them. Make sure you read the label carefully to ensure that you are only getting egg whites in your carton! A highly recommended brand that I use is Crystal Farms All Whites, which is 100% egg whites. :) On the carton, there are measurements to let you know how much of the liquid egg whites equals how many eggs. Try it out! It tastes great!
Want to mix up the flavor? Try different kinds of cheese! Maybe put in some swiss, or provolone, or one of my favorites is Jarlsberg. Check out the deli section at your local grocery store for your many options!
Enjoy! And Good Luck!
Want to be Fit Like Jennifer Aniston?
If you answered 'no', you're in the wrong place! Who wouldn't want a tight, toned body like Jen? Woman's World did an article on what keeps her toned, and do you want to know what that was?
Yoga.
I know what you're thinking, "How will Yoga help me lose weight?" Here are the top three things that Yoga helps with. :)
1. It lights metabolism on FIRE!!
Because of yoga's focus on taking the fullest, deepest breaths possible, you end up getting more oxygen into your body than with virtually any other form of exercise - and the extra oxygen is like metabolic lighter fluid. One study even found that folks who simply take deep breaths burn 140% more calories than those pedaling a stationary bike!!
2. It activates your "internal girdle"!!
Pros agree that yoga's unusual body positions and constant need for balance make it one of the few activities that effectively target our deepest abdominal muscles. As these hidden muscles become stronger, it creates a kind of suction, literally pulling your tummy in! Bonus: Yoga makes muscles flexible, and scientists say that more flexible muscles become toned more quickly.
3. It automatically makes you eat better!!
A recent study found that yoga has the amazing ability to help us eat only when hungry and to stop eating when full. Meanwhile, another study found that regular yoga workouts lead us to crave healthier food, eat more slowly and take in fewer calories overall.
So, is it worth a shot? DEFINITELY!! People have reportedly lost 20, 50, even 100 pounds doing yoga!
Jennifer Aniston's yoga trainer, Mandy Ingber, has quick little yoga lessons on YouTube for FREE!! Just go to www.youtube.com and search for Mandy Ingber Yoga. You'll find many of her free lessons there. I recommend you have a pen and paper handy, she does not do a full workout, rather she walks you through what the workout is and lets you do it yourself.
So? What are you waiting for? Give a try this week, and see how much better you feel!
Good Luck!
Yoga.
I know what you're thinking, "How will Yoga help me lose weight?" Here are the top three things that Yoga helps with. :)
1. It lights metabolism on FIRE!!
Because of yoga's focus on taking the fullest, deepest breaths possible, you end up getting more oxygen into your body than with virtually any other form of exercise - and the extra oxygen is like metabolic lighter fluid. One study even found that folks who simply take deep breaths burn 140% more calories than those pedaling a stationary bike!!
2. It activates your "internal girdle"!!
Pros agree that yoga's unusual body positions and constant need for balance make it one of the few activities that effectively target our deepest abdominal muscles. As these hidden muscles become stronger, it creates a kind of suction, literally pulling your tummy in! Bonus: Yoga makes muscles flexible, and scientists say that more flexible muscles become toned more quickly.
3. It automatically makes you eat better!!
A recent study found that yoga has the amazing ability to help us eat only when hungry and to stop eating when full. Meanwhile, another study found that regular yoga workouts lead us to crave healthier food, eat more slowly and take in fewer calories overall.
So, is it worth a shot? DEFINITELY!! People have reportedly lost 20, 50, even 100 pounds doing yoga!
Jennifer Aniston's yoga trainer, Mandy Ingber, has quick little yoga lessons on YouTube for FREE!! Just go to www.youtube.com and search for Mandy Ingber Yoga. You'll find many of her free lessons there. I recommend you have a pen and paper handy, she does not do a full workout, rather she walks you through what the workout is and lets you do it yourself.
So? What are you waiting for? Give a try this week, and see how much better you feel!
Good Luck!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Butterflies WITHOUT a Machine?
Totally possible! I know! You thought you had to be all fancy and have either some fancy machine at home or one of those nifty little club memberships to enjoy the benefits of doing the butterfly! NOT ANYMORE!!
Do you have a resistance band? Or hand weights? What are you waiting for then? Here's how you do them!
Lie on your back. With your feet on the ground and legs bent, raise your arms so that the palms are facing each other and directly above your chest. With your resistance band or hand weights in your hands, elbows slightly bent, pull your arms away from each other until your elbows touch the ground, and return to starting position. Move slowly throughout the exercise, THIS IS NOT A RACE! You will feel the pull in your chest, arms and even your back. When you're ready, increase the resistance in your bands or the weight of your hand weights.
It is that simple! A nice new exercise that helps you to get the results of those nifty machines without having to have one! Who'd have thunk it!
Good Luck!
Do you have a resistance band? Or hand weights? What are you waiting for then? Here's how you do them!
Lie on your back. With your feet on the ground and legs bent, raise your arms so that the palms are facing each other and directly above your chest. With your resistance band or hand weights in your hands, elbows slightly bent, pull your arms away from each other until your elbows touch the ground, and return to starting position. Move slowly throughout the exercise, THIS IS NOT A RACE! You will feel the pull in your chest, arms and even your back. When you're ready, increase the resistance in your bands or the weight of your hand weights.
It is that simple! A nice new exercise that helps you to get the results of those nifty machines without having to have one! Who'd have thunk it!
Good Luck!
Eat Pizza Healthy!
I know, right? Is it even possible? I'm not talking about putting tons of veggies on your pizza, and that counting as healthy. I'm talking about actual healthy pizza. Can it be done, you ask? OF COURSE!
Here is a family favorite recipe!
Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients:
Large Portobello Mushroom
2 Tbsp Tomato Sauce OR Diced Stewed Tomatoes
Shredded Cheese (I prefer a mix of Mozzarella and Monterey Jack!)
Your favorite toppings! (Some of mine include sausage, olives, pepperoni and ham!)
Directions:
DO NOT grease your cookie sheet! Place your large portobello mushroom on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of cheese in the bottom of the mushroom. Spread your tomato sauce (Seasoned if you would like, but I actually prefer the diced stewed tomatoes!) or diced stewed tomatoes on top of the cheese. Sprinkle another tablespoon of cheese on top of the tomato sauce or tomatoes. Put your favorite toppings on top and sprinkle more cheese on top.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is browned to your liking. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, and enjoy!
These are the best tasting, crust free, healthy pizzas! You enjoy all of your toppings, without all the fat and carbs in the crust! I know, awesome, right?
Make it for your family tonight!
Enjoy!
Here is a family favorite recipe!
Portobello Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients:
Large Portobello Mushroom
2 Tbsp Tomato Sauce OR Diced Stewed Tomatoes
Shredded Cheese (I prefer a mix of Mozzarella and Monterey Jack!)
Your favorite toppings! (Some of mine include sausage, olives, pepperoni and ham!)
Directions:
DO NOT grease your cookie sheet! Place your large portobello mushroom on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of cheese in the bottom of the mushroom. Spread your tomato sauce (Seasoned if you would like, but I actually prefer the diced stewed tomatoes!) or diced stewed tomatoes on top of the cheese. Sprinkle another tablespoon of cheese on top of the tomato sauce or tomatoes. Put your favorite toppings on top and sprinkle more cheese on top.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is browned to your liking. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, and enjoy!
These are the best tasting, crust free, healthy pizzas! You enjoy all of your toppings, without all the fat and carbs in the crust! I know, awesome, right?
Make it for your family tonight!
Enjoy!
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