You may be surprised to learn that the two most important hours of a successful weight loss plan can be the two hours before you go to bed. In order to get on the fast track to a healthier life, a leaner body, and more satisfying eating experiences, a great new habit to develop is to stop eating at least two hours before bedtime. Here's why you should develop this beneficial habit.
Isn't a calorie a calorie?
If all calories are created equal, why does it make a difference what time of day you eat them? Bob Greene, exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss, observes that it's true that whether you eat a cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt at 11 AM or 11 PM, it's still going to have about 200 calories. But he adds, "When you eat that yogurt in the morning, your metabolism speeds up a bit, maximizing the rate at which your body burns calories. At night though, your body has already shifted into low gear in preparation for sleep, so you're not going to get much of a metabolic boost from late-night eating!" Read this for "8 Foods to Boost Your Metabolism."
Change a little, lose a lot
Making a lot of small changes over a period of time can add up to big weight loss. Nobody gains a lot of weight overnight. It happens over time. Think of all the minor things that, over time, become significant factors in weight gain—for example, that extra piece of bread and butter, parking close to the store rather than a little farther away so you have to walk more, two spoons of sugar in your coffee, skipping a workout, snacking while you watch TV. The good news is that you can do something about each and every one of them. And if you find yourself eating right before you go to bed, you can start turning back the clock fifteen minutes at a time until you are eating no later than two hours before bedtime.
Reach your weight loss goals faster
Weight loss studies have shown that something as simple as just having an eating cut-off time has helped people reach their weight loss goals. In some cases, it has been this change alone that has made the difference between success and failure.
Three more reasons not to go to bed on a full stomach
Digestion takes a rest. When you are sleeping, your digestion shuts down. It's best for your body to speed food through your system.
Energy boost. When we eat earlier in the day, we get energy to walk, run, and live. And we get energy to get through those Beachbody videos like Power 90® and Hip Hop Abs™ Dance Party Series. But when you eat at the end of the day, your body is winding down and doesn't need as much food or fuel, which means the energy doesn't get used and is stored in the body as fat.
Thinking thin. When you eat earlier in the day, in addition to the calories you burn while working, moving, and living, you may have the opportunity to work out. But after 9 PM, it's hard to have the energy to do a lot of moving or exercising. The calories don't change in the evening—our behavior changes. So eating later puts you in danger of piling on more pounds and making it harder to lose them.
Why a little hunger is a good thing
When your body tells you it wants food, it's saying, "Feed me or I'll go into your fat stores and feed myself." Actually, that's great. That's what you want to hear! If you go to bed wanting a snack, you are on your way to a healthier eating pattern that will have you meeting your weight loss goals. (Click here for more advice on getting better sleep.) You will wake up in the morning hungry for breakfast and this will help you stick to a three-meal-a-day healthy eating plan.
This is my life as a single mom who is in a serious relationship, working full-time, and working full time as a Beachbody coach. My life is a roller coaster and I know there has to be others that feel the same. Each day is an adventure in itself!!!! What keeps me trucking along and what makes me want to SCREAM!!! LOL....
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Pick your free gift from ME!!!!!!
Ok.. Here we go..
I am giving a free Shakeology glasses, womens t-shirt or a mens t-shirt to everyone that orders Shakeology. Not just anyone can get these glasses and shirts so jump on this...
Shakeology can help you:
Lose Weight
Feel Energized
Improve Digestion and Regularity
Lower Cholesterol1
Tastes delicious, too!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Super Bowl...
I am so excited to see the commercials. isn't that the best part!!!! I really dont care about either team but am going for Green Bay because of Jordy Nelson. He is from here where I am and so supporting a local boy that made it!!!!!
Today I didn't workout and feel it. I will be back at it this week. Really pushing myself so that i can be in shape for LA!!!!
Nothing really to exciting today. Just watching football pre-game..... Hope everyone has a great night and enjoys the game!!!
Today I didn't workout and feel it. I will be back at it this week. Really pushing myself so that i can be in shape for LA!!!!
Nothing really to exciting today. Just watching football pre-game..... Hope everyone has a great night and enjoys the game!!!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Beat the Winter "Blahs"
Beat the Winter "Blahs" with Exercise
By Amy Ludwig
Feeling a post-holiday letdown? Tired of shorter days and early nights? Wondering how you can get through the dark months as you pine for summer sunshine? Fear not. You can walk—or jog, run, or lift—your way to a brighter mood with exercise.
When you're feeling low, moving may be the last thing you feel like doing. As Sir Isaac Newton pointed out, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. But increasingly, science is proving that if you can peel yourself off the couch and put one foot in front of the other, you'll feel better, both about yourself and the world.
So how do you make this happen?
Working out "cheers up" your body chemistry.
When you're physically active, your body releases natural chemicals that actually make you feel good. Neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine help you feel relaxed and happy.
Exercise also reduces your body's production of hormones like cortisol, which are released at high levels during chronic stress and depress the immune system.
Working out has a calming effect on the body. When all else is equal, the harder to exercise the calmer you'll be.
You can help support these positive results with the right supplements, like ActiVit® Multivitamins or Shakeology®.
Move your body, change your mind.
Exercise has been proven to:
Boost confidence: Achieving a fitness goal, no matter how small, will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Burn calories: How else does the weight melt away? Plus getting thinner and feeling more fit is likely to cheer you up.
Redirect your focus: You'll be too busy trying to do one more rep of that crunch, curl, or kick to think about anything negative.
Show you can do something positive: By choosing to get up and move, you're taking care of yourself, and coping in a healthy way. And when you observe that, you'll believe you can take other steps forward.
How much exercise makes a difference?
As little as 10 to 15 minutes of activity can improve your mood, especially if you're doing something dynamic, like running or cycling. Harvard psychiatrist John J. Ratey, M.D., writes that a single workout can jump-start the feel-good chemical changes. So the most important thing is getting started. To get the greatest benefits, work your way up to at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week.
What kind of workout is best?
One you enjoy. Seriously. If it's not something you like, you're less likely to make the effort. For instance, I don't happen to be a fan of plyometrics, despite its many benefits. When I work out, I opt for cycling, yoga, or low-impact programs instead. They still get me sweating my way into a great mood. Identify the activities you enjoy, and get going.
How do you get started?
Choose something accessible. The power of exercise doesn't come from fancy equipment, but from the effort you put in. If you pick something you can get to and that fits your timetable, you've lowered the barriers to beginning. For example, you can:
Turn everyday errands into workouts when you do them on foot or by bike. (Extra points for adding a hill, or taking the long way home.)
Check out the activities offered at your local park, like swimming, basketball games, or fitness classes.
Commit to an in-home Beachbody® workout program that's sure to fit your schedule.
So start today. Boost your activity level and help put a smile on your face. Because you don't have to wait for the sunshine to feel good.
By Amy Ludwig
Feeling a post-holiday letdown? Tired of shorter days and early nights? Wondering how you can get through the dark months as you pine for summer sunshine? Fear not. You can walk—or jog, run, or lift—your way to a brighter mood with exercise.
When you're feeling low, moving may be the last thing you feel like doing. As Sir Isaac Newton pointed out, an object at rest tends to stay at rest. But increasingly, science is proving that if you can peel yourself off the couch and put one foot in front of the other, you'll feel better, both about yourself and the world.
So how do you make this happen?
Working out "cheers up" your body chemistry.
When you're physically active, your body releases natural chemicals that actually make you feel good. Neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine help you feel relaxed and happy.
Exercise also reduces your body's production of hormones like cortisol, which are released at high levels during chronic stress and depress the immune system.
Working out has a calming effect on the body. When all else is equal, the harder to exercise the calmer you'll be.
You can help support these positive results with the right supplements, like ActiVit® Multivitamins or Shakeology®.
Move your body, change your mind.
Exercise has been proven to:
Boost confidence: Achieving a fitness goal, no matter how small, will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Burn calories: How else does the weight melt away? Plus getting thinner and feeling more fit is likely to cheer you up.
Redirect your focus: You'll be too busy trying to do one more rep of that crunch, curl, or kick to think about anything negative.
Show you can do something positive: By choosing to get up and move, you're taking care of yourself, and coping in a healthy way. And when you observe that, you'll believe you can take other steps forward.
How much exercise makes a difference?
As little as 10 to 15 minutes of activity can improve your mood, especially if you're doing something dynamic, like running or cycling. Harvard psychiatrist John J. Ratey, M.D., writes that a single workout can jump-start the feel-good chemical changes. So the most important thing is getting started. To get the greatest benefits, work your way up to at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week.
What kind of workout is best?
One you enjoy. Seriously. If it's not something you like, you're less likely to make the effort. For instance, I don't happen to be a fan of plyometrics, despite its many benefits. When I work out, I opt for cycling, yoga, or low-impact programs instead. They still get me sweating my way into a great mood. Identify the activities you enjoy, and get going.
How do you get started?
Choose something accessible. The power of exercise doesn't come from fancy equipment, but from the effort you put in. If you pick something you can get to and that fits your timetable, you've lowered the barriers to beginning. For example, you can:
Turn everyday errands into workouts when you do them on foot or by bike. (Extra points for adding a hill, or taking the long way home.)
Check out the activities offered at your local park, like swimming, basketball games, or fitness classes.
Commit to an in-home Beachbody® workout program that's sure to fit your schedule.
So start today. Boost your activity level and help put a smile on your face. Because you don't have to wait for the sunshine to feel good.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Shakeology Wall of Ingredients
Shakeology Ingredients!! $3 for a meal replacement that gives you all these nutrients each day? Yes please!! - To share this photo, simply click SHARE to the right! :)
Great V-Day Recipe from Bobby Flay
Spanish Spiced Pan Roasted Chicken with Parsley-Mint Sauce, Crushed Lemon Fingerling Potatoes
Serves: 2
2 bone-in chicken breasts (10-ounces each), French cut
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
2 teaspoons mustard seeds, ground
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Season the breasts on both sides with salt. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and rub the mixture on the skin-side of each breast.
2. Heat the oil in a medium, oven-proof sauté pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Place the breasts, rub-side down into the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Parsley-Mint Sauce
1 cup tightly packed fresh flat leaf parsley
½ cup fresh mint leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 serrano chiles, grilled, peeled, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil Water Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place mint, parsley, garlic and serranos in a food processor and process until paste-like. Add the honey and mustard and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and whisk in a few tablespoons of cold water to thin to a sauce-like consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Crushed Lemon Fingerling Potatoes
3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper
7 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Place lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to ½ cup, let cool. Mix together the butter, a few tablespoons of the reduced lemon juice and zest in a bowl until combined and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate while you roast the potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 (above). Toss the potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer and roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Fold in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the remaining butter and reduced juice for a future use.
Serves: 2
2 bone-in chicken breasts (10-ounces each), French cut
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
2 teaspoons mustard seeds, ground
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Season the breasts on both sides with salt. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and rub the mixture on the skin-side of each breast.
2. Heat the oil in a medium, oven-proof sauté pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Place the breasts, rub-side down into the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
Parsley-Mint Sauce
1 cup tightly packed fresh flat leaf parsley
½ cup fresh mint leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 serrano chiles, grilled, peeled, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil Water Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place mint, parsley, garlic and serranos in a food processor and process until paste-like. Add the honey and mustard and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and whisk in a few tablespoons of cold water to thin to a sauce-like consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Crushed Lemon Fingerling Potatoes
3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper
7 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Place lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced to ½ cup, let cool. Mix together the butter, a few tablespoons of the reduced lemon juice and zest in a bowl until combined and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate while you roast the potatoes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 (above). Toss the potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer and roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 25 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Fold in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the remaining butter and reduced juice for a future use.
Monday, January 31, 2011
surgery day!
Today was a cold icy day and i drove to topeka to have my surgery. A tooth was removed last friday and the roots were not able to come out. So they knocked me out and cut them out. I am so glad its done but now a little sore. My cheek bone hurts!. Can't really eat but managed to get some down. I am ready to be back to normal. The weather is so bad that they called me here at home and told me that all civilians were getting the day off . I am happy about that. I could use another day at home! We got movies and my blanket. Perfect night. Just wish i felt better.
 |
| Get your ticket today!!! |
Did some work here at home with BB. Had 6 emails waiting on me so that always makes me feel good and my friend Leslie bought her ticket for summit!!!! So excited to get to meet her in person. And at summit makes it even better. Looking forward to it!!!!
Can't wait to party with all our friends new and old and see how they are doing. Another costume party maybe? Dancing at the last night party with Tony, Chalene, and Shaun T. It was a great time last year and this year will be even better. Just another reason to go shopping. Love it!!!! The superworkout was killer last year and can only imagine what this year will be. Plus the Vanilla Shakeology??? Maybe, just Maybe!!!!! I am hoping so.. I can't wait for it!!! Just think of all the options, strawberry, pineapple, blueberry, blackberry, stawberry/bananna, oh the options. I hope they tell us it will be available. They just teased us last year!!!!!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Spotlight on Shakeology ingredients: Learn what each of Shakeology’s 70 nutrients do for your body!
Spotlight on Shakeology ingredients: Learn what each of Shakeology’s 70 nutrients do for your body!
Kamut Grass: Coined “nature’s most powerful detoxifier”, Kamut grass cleanses the blood, detoxifies the liver and neutralizes toxins in our cells. Containing phytonutrients, living enzymes, chlorophyll and other array of nutrients, it works in synergy to restore health and vitality.
Acai berry -(ah-sigh-ee)- What makes Acai such a special and unusual berry is that it not only has a high level of antioxidants but also has healthy fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber. Its unsaturated healthy fats have a fatty acid ratio similar to olive oil. Açaà pulp contains omega 6 and 9 fatty acids.
Quinoa (sprouted): (keen-wah) It was once called "the gold of the Incas" for increasing the stamina of Incan warriors. The protein this seed supplies has all nine essential amino acids. These proteins are required by the body as building blocks for muscle. Quinoa is a good source of dietary fiber (to help ease elimination), magnesium (to rid your body of dangerous disease causing substances), phosphorous, folate and iron.
Chia Sead Meal - Known as the running food, it’s used as a high energy endurance food and has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It has about 3-10 times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. Rich in omega 3, omega 6, protein, fiber and essential trace minerals. (Mexico)
Goji Berries- These berries contain 18 amino acids and are one of the richest sources of cartenoids, phytochemicals that act as antioxidants, of all known foods. Not only does goji berry improve eyesight, fertility and circulation but it supports your immune system and promotes a long life.
Kamut Grass: Coined “nature’s most powerful detoxifier”, Kamut grass cleanses the blood, detoxifies the liver and neutralizes toxins in our cells. Containing phytonutrients, living enzymes, chlorophyll and other array of nutrients, it works in synergy to restore health and vitality.
Acai berry -(ah-sigh-ee)- What makes Acai such a special and unusual berry is that it not only has a high level of antioxidants but also has healthy fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber. Its unsaturated healthy fats have a fatty acid ratio similar to olive oil. Açaà pulp contains omega 6 and 9 fatty acids.
Quinoa (sprouted): (keen-wah) It was once called "the gold of the Incas" for increasing the stamina of Incan warriors. The protein this seed supplies has all nine essential amino acids. These proteins are required by the body as building blocks for muscle. Quinoa is a good source of dietary fiber (to help ease elimination), magnesium (to rid your body of dangerous disease causing substances), phosphorous, folate and iron.
Chia Sead Meal - Known as the running food, it’s used as a high energy endurance food and has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It has about 3-10 times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains. Rich in omega 3, omega 6, protein, fiber and essential trace minerals. (Mexico)
Goji Berries- These berries contain 18 amino acids and are one of the richest sources of cartenoids, phytochemicals that act as antioxidants, of all known foods. Not only does goji berry improve eyesight, fertility and circulation but it supports your immune system and promotes a long life.
Sugar Addiction Detox 101
Sugar Addiction Detox 101
By Debra Pivko
Sugar, sweet sugar—a delightful minute on the tongue in exchange for what feels like a lifetime on the hips. But weight gain isn't the only consequence of eating too much sugar. Ready for the not-so-sweet truth?
Overconsumption of processed sugar can contribute to a number of conditions, including tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances, overgrowth of candida yeast, chronic fatigue, more severe PMS symptoms, anxiety—and yep, even wrinkles. On the other hand, if you start to cut sugar out of your diet, you can shed excess weight, increase your energy, improve your concentration, improve your moods, and possibly steer clear of diabetes. Ready to kick-start your sugar detox? To help you out, I'll let you in on some reasons why we get addicted, and how to read food labels for hidden sugars. I'll also give you some tips on how to start your sugar detox so you'll have a much better chance at living a long, vibrant, and disease-free life.
You've probably noticed that although sugar gives you an initial high (a rapid spike in your blood sugar), you crash several hours later, leaving you wanting more. It's because sugar takes away more energy than it gives. Eventually, you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody. I know I've definitely experienced this crash too many times.
Is the sweet taste worth the unpleasant effects? Think gaining weight is the only negative effect of consuming too much sugar? Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of Lick the Sugar Habit, describes some surprising ways sugar intake can negatively affect your health:
Suppresses the immune system's defenses against bacterial infections
Increases the risk of blood clots and strokes
Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating
Can lead to hypoglycemia, kidney damage, an elevation in harmful cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay
Helps speed the aging process, including wrinkles and gray hair
The list goes on . . .
Make the decision to detox from sugar. The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is making the decision to stop eating it completely for at least a few days to start to get it out of your system. While it's usually best to make dietary changes gradually, sugar has the unique ability to inspire cravings that are refueled every time you give in to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop feeding the fire. Then your cravings should subside substantially. Continue to resist large amounts of sugar and actively avoid situations that cue you to eat sweets. And whether you're at work, at home, or at a party, just because a cookie is sitting out on a table in plain sight, that doesn't mean you have to eat it.
Ask yourself why you're eating sugar before you put it in your mouth. Are you eating out of habit? Because of circumstance? For a special occasion? Because everyone else is? Watch yourself like a lab rat. Begin to face your truth by keeping a food journal. I like to jot down what drives me to eat sugar, when I crave it, where I eat it, why I want it, and how I get it. For example, do you pop up out of your desk chair in search of cupcakes the second you hear people at the office singing "Happy Birthday"? Journaling can be helpful preparation for stomping out your sugar habit by making you aware of why you're eating it.
Begin to eliminate sugar from your diet. For thousands of years, people ate whatever sugar occurred naturally in their diets, and it didn't seem to be a problem, it was a treat. Registered dietician Becky Hand reports that the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day (about 25 percent of the average person's daily caloric intake), and that sugar alone adds up to almost 500 extra calories each day! Our bodies simply weren't designed to handle this massive load. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar should be limited to no more than 6 to 7 percent of your total calories (not including naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and dairy products). To put this in perspective, if you eat 1,200 calories a day, you should limit your intake to 21 grams of sugar per day. That's the equivalent of about 6 ounces of low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt or one 8-ounce glass of orange juice.
To begin eliminating sugar from your regular diet, simply cut out foods with sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup—including cakes, cookies, pastries, and most desserts. It's okay to have a dessert or sugary snack on occasion, but make sure it's not your main dish. Although sugar is generally found in desserts, added sugar can also be found in your main and side dishes, and even sauces. Look closely at the labels of processed foods, cereals, and sauces—like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and dressings. You can usually find nutritious alternatives with less sugar that taste just as good.
If you're a Team Beachbody® Club member, you can get a personalized, balanced online meal plan to ensure that you're getting the proper nutrition you need to meet your health goals. You can even use the food analyzer to search for the nutritional makeup of various foods, so you'll know which ones are high in sugar and should be avoided.
Eliminate hidden sugar. As you begin to decode ingredient labels, it's really important to know all the other words for sugar and sugar alcohols. Here's a hint: Look for words that end in "-ose."
Agave nectar/syrup
Cane juice crystals
Cane sugar
Caramel
Carob syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup solids
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, or pear)
Galactose
Glucose
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Lactose
Maltose
Malt syrup
Molasses
Sorbitol
Sucrose
Trick your taste buds. Using spices and herbs can trick your taste buds into thinking you're eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, or other sugar-free flavors and spices to your coffee, cereals, or other dishes and drinks that could use an extra kick.
Eat a healthy breakfast. What you eat for breakfast will actually influence your food choices for the next 12 to 15 hours, and influence your energy levels, moods, and overall sense of well-being. Dr. Joe Klemczewski, PhD, explains that eating a healthy breakfast balanced between lean protein (like egg whites) and slower-digesting complex carbohydrates (like oatmeal) will help you have good energy throughout the day, stabilize your blood sugar, reduce cravings, and make wiser food choices. Typically, your blood sugar is at fasting levels when you wake up in the morning. If you start the day off with a muffin and a latte, you're choosing to ride the roller coaster for the rest of the day. If, on the other hand, you begin your day with a veggie omelet and fruit or some oatmeal, you're opting for a balance of foods that will be absorbed at a slower rate. Then you'll have a steadier flow of blood sugar that's far easier to keep balanced than if it were fueled by a muffin, a bagel, or a cup of coffee dosed with sugar and cream.
Eat throughout the day. The best way to avoid impulse eating when you're overly hungry is to eat several small meals, spaced throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar more stable than eating the traditional two or three large meals spaced farther apart from one another. Schedule your meals around your body's needs rather than around your to-do list if you can. You'll find it much easier to stop eating once you're full; to make smart food choices from a rational, calm place; and to maintain even moods and energy levels. Eating balanced meals is essential for getting real satisfaction from what you eat and leaving cravings behind. For most people, this means approximately 50 percent of your meal should be vegetables or fruit, and the rest should be split between protein (beans, meat, dairy, etc.), grains, and a bit of oil or other fat. However, everyone's a little different, and you should experiment to find what works best for you.
High-fiber foods fill you up—yet they bring less fat to the table, says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State and author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. Plus eating high-fiber foods allows you to eat a higher volume of food while ingesting fewer calories. It's a concept called "energy density"—the number of calories in a specified amount of food, Rolls explains. Some examples of energy-dense foods are apples (skin on) and bananas, avocados, flax meal, and kidney beans.
Find alternatives for when you have a craving. Make sure you find alternative foods and activities that you actually enjoy. If they aren't satisfying, you'll eventually abandon them for your old habits. When I'm craving something sweet yet healthy, I usually go for either low-fat Chocolatey Cats Cookies (for People) from Trader Joe's® (only 9.9 grams of sugar per serving) or chocolate Shakeology® (only 9 grams of sugar)—that's not bad for a sweet treat. Yep, I'm a sucker for chocolate, but I can still enjoy the taste without overdosing on sugar!
By Debra Pivko
Sugar, sweet sugar—a delightful minute on the tongue in exchange for what feels like a lifetime on the hips. But weight gain isn't the only consequence of eating too much sugar. Ready for the not-so-sweet truth?
Overconsumption of processed sugar can contribute to a number of conditions, including tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalances, overgrowth of candida yeast, chronic fatigue, more severe PMS symptoms, anxiety—and yep, even wrinkles. On the other hand, if you start to cut sugar out of your diet, you can shed excess weight, increase your energy, improve your concentration, improve your moods, and possibly steer clear of diabetes. Ready to kick-start your sugar detox? To help you out, I'll let you in on some reasons why we get addicted, and how to read food labels for hidden sugars. I'll also give you some tips on how to start your sugar detox so you'll have a much better chance at living a long, vibrant, and disease-free life.Why we crave sugar. According to AskDrSears.com, "Sweets trigger an increase in the hormone serotonin—a mood-elevating hormone. The body and brain get used to this higher level of serotonin and even depend on it for a sense of well-being. So when our serotonin level dips, (we dip) into the (sweets) to 'correct' the situation." According to the Web site, sweets also "trigger the release of endorphins . . . the brain's natural narcotics, helping you to relax when stressed."
You've probably noticed that although sugar gives you an initial high (a rapid spike in your blood sugar), you crash several hours later, leaving you wanting more. It's because sugar takes away more energy than it gives. Eventually, you find yourself exhausted, anxious, and moody. I know I've definitely experienced this crash too many times.
Is the sweet taste worth the unpleasant effects? Think gaining weight is the only negative effect of consuming too much sugar? Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of Lick the Sugar Habit, describes some surprising ways sugar intake can negatively affect your health:
Suppresses the immune system's defenses against bacterial infections
Increases the risk of blood clots and strokes
Contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating
Can lead to hypoglycemia, kidney damage, an elevation in harmful cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and tooth decay
Helps speed the aging process, including wrinkles and gray hair
The list goes on . . .
Make the decision to detox from sugar. The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is making the decision to stop eating it completely for at least a few days to start to get it out of your system. While it's usually best to make dietary changes gradually, sugar has the unique ability to inspire cravings that are refueled every time you give in to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop feeding the fire. Then your cravings should subside substantially. Continue to resist large amounts of sugar and actively avoid situations that cue you to eat sweets. And whether you're at work, at home, or at a party, just because a cookie is sitting out on a table in plain sight, that doesn't mean you have to eat it.
Ask yourself why you're eating sugar before you put it in your mouth. Are you eating out of habit? Because of circumstance? For a special occasion? Because everyone else is? Watch yourself like a lab rat. Begin to face your truth by keeping a food journal. I like to jot down what drives me to eat sugar, when I crave it, where I eat it, why I want it, and how I get it. For example, do you pop up out of your desk chair in search of cupcakes the second you hear people at the office singing "Happy Birthday"? Journaling can be helpful preparation for stomping out your sugar habit by making you aware of why you're eating it.
Begin to eliminate sugar from your diet. For thousands of years, people ate whatever sugar occurred naturally in their diets, and it didn't seem to be a problem, it was a treat. Registered dietician Becky Hand reports that the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day (about 25 percent of the average person's daily caloric intake), and that sugar alone adds up to almost 500 extra calories each day! Our bodies simply weren't designed to handle this massive load. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar should be limited to no more than 6 to 7 percent of your total calories (not including naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and dairy products). To put this in perspective, if you eat 1,200 calories a day, you should limit your intake to 21 grams of sugar per day. That's the equivalent of about 6 ounces of low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt or one 8-ounce glass of orange juice.
To begin eliminating sugar from your regular diet, simply cut out foods with sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup—including cakes, cookies, pastries, and most desserts. It's okay to have a dessert or sugary snack on occasion, but make sure it's not your main dish. Although sugar is generally found in desserts, added sugar can also be found in your main and side dishes, and even sauces. Look closely at the labels of processed foods, cereals, and sauces—like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and dressings. You can usually find nutritious alternatives with less sugar that taste just as good.
If you're a Team Beachbody® Club member, you can get a personalized, balanced online meal plan to ensure that you're getting the proper nutrition you need to meet your health goals. You can even use the food analyzer to search for the nutritional makeup of various foods, so you'll know which ones are high in sugar and should be avoided.
Eliminate hidden sugar. As you begin to decode ingredient labels, it's really important to know all the other words for sugar and sugar alcohols. Here's a hint: Look for words that end in "-ose."
Agave nectar/syrup
Cane juice crystals
Cane sugar
Caramel
Carob syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup solids
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate (apple, grape, or pear)
Galactose
Glucose
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Lactose
Maltose
Malt syrup
Molasses
Sorbitol
Sucrose
Trick your taste buds. Using spices and herbs can trick your taste buds into thinking you're eating something sinfully sweet. Try adding cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, or other sugar-free flavors and spices to your coffee, cereals, or other dishes and drinks that could use an extra kick.
Eat a healthy breakfast. What you eat for breakfast will actually influence your food choices for the next 12 to 15 hours, and influence your energy levels, moods, and overall sense of well-being. Dr. Joe Klemczewski, PhD, explains that eating a healthy breakfast balanced between lean protein (like egg whites) and slower-digesting complex carbohydrates (like oatmeal) will help you have good energy throughout the day, stabilize your blood sugar, reduce cravings, and make wiser food choices. Typically, your blood sugar is at fasting levels when you wake up in the morning. If you start the day off with a muffin and a latte, you're choosing to ride the roller coaster for the rest of the day. If, on the other hand, you begin your day with a veggie omelet and fruit or some oatmeal, you're opting for a balance of foods that will be absorbed at a slower rate. Then you'll have a steadier flow of blood sugar that's far easier to keep balanced than if it were fueled by a muffin, a bagel, or a cup of coffee dosed with sugar and cream.
Eat throughout the day. The best way to avoid impulse eating when you're overly hungry is to eat several small meals, spaced throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar more stable than eating the traditional two or three large meals spaced farther apart from one another. Schedule your meals around your body's needs rather than around your to-do list if you can. You'll find it much easier to stop eating once you're full; to make smart food choices from a rational, calm place; and to maintain even moods and energy levels. Eating balanced meals is essential for getting real satisfaction from what you eat and leaving cravings behind. For most people, this means approximately 50 percent of your meal should be vegetables or fruit, and the rest should be split between protein (beans, meat, dairy, etc.), grains, and a bit of oil or other fat. However, everyone's a little different, and you should experiment to find what works best for you.
High-fiber foods fill you up—yet they bring less fat to the table, says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State and author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. Plus eating high-fiber foods allows you to eat a higher volume of food while ingesting fewer calories. It's a concept called "energy density"—the number of calories in a specified amount of food, Rolls explains. Some examples of energy-dense foods are apples (skin on) and bananas, avocados, flax meal, and kidney beans.
Find alternatives for when you have a craving. Make sure you find alternative foods and activities that you actually enjoy. If they aren't satisfying, you'll eventually abandon them for your old habits. When I'm craving something sweet yet healthy, I usually go for either low-fat Chocolatey Cats Cookies (for People) from Trader Joe's® (only 9.9 grams of sugar per serving) or chocolate Shakeology® (only 9 grams of sugar)—that's not bad for a sweet treat. Yep, I'm a sucker for chocolate, but I can still enjoy the taste without overdosing on sugar!
Super Summit Workout!
Super Workout!!!
All-Star Super Workout Exclusively for Club Members!
It's like the "We are the World" of fitness. All of your favorite Beachbody trainers are here: Debbie Siebers, Brett Hoebel, Chalene Johnson, Leandro Carvalho, Shaun T, and Tony Horton, along with several hundred Coaches! You'll get a big taste of each of their programs in this hour-long workout. And if you're a Team Beachbody member, you get it absolutely FREE
All-Star Super Workout Exclusively for Club Members!
It's like the "We are the World" of fitness. All of your favorite Beachbody trainers are here: Debbie Siebers, Brett Hoebel, Chalene Johnson, Leandro Carvalho, Shaun T, and Tony Horton, along with several hundred Coaches! You'll get a big taste of each of their programs in this hour-long workout. And if you're a Team Beachbody member, you get it absolutely FREE
Friday, January 28, 2011
Not another Friday!!
So today I was so happy to sleep in, 8:00 am, since it was my day off. I did a little bit of work and then it was time for my dentist appointment. I was to have a tooth in the very back pulled. No big deal! I thought. Went in and had to have 10 shots to numb the area. The tooth ended up breakingin 1/2 and leaving the roots up in the gum. After an hour and a lot of pain the dentist told me that there was no way she could get it out and that I would hav to go see the oral surgeon. So now a simple tooth pulling is a big ordeal. I was suppose to work tomorrow but now I am on major pain killers and cant work. So not good. But you wouldn't want me working on you if i was on pain pills. Would you? So now I have been home all day with a mouth full of pain. No fun on my day off. And now I have surgery in a week.
So today wasn't the day I was looking forward to. It was a beautiful day. So I tried to make it a great day!
So today wasn't the day I was looking forward to. It was a beautiful day. So I tried to make it a great day!
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
8 "Diet" Foods That Can Make You Fat
8 "Diet" Foods That Can Make You Fat
By Justine Holberg
A veggie wrap for lunch. A night out for sushi. And you're working out . . . but you're still not losing weight. What gives?
Some "diet" foods may be your worst enemy. That's because they're tricking you into eating too many calories. So what are some of the worst offenders?
1.Sushi: Fish wrapped in rice and seaweed. Not a diet food? Yep, that's right. It's not always as "light" as it seems. Some sushi has calorie levels so high it might just shock you.
Diet Shocker: One eight-piece serving of Philadelphia sushi roll is the caloric equivalent of 1 medium bagel with plain cream cheese—close to 500 calories. It's the cream cheese that gets you. And what about spicy tuna and other mayo-based rolls? They can contain as many as 450 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat per serving. Eat too many of the "wrong" rolls and you're in Big Mac® calorie territory.
2.Wraps: You order the whole wheat veggie wrap thinking it'll put you on the skinny track. But is it actually the fat track? For some reason, wraps have been viewed as a healthy upgrade from a sandwich, but this isn't always the case.
Diet Shocker: The tortilla holding your wrap together can easily contain the same number of calories as four slices of bread, not to mention more carbs and twice as much fat. Many kinds of wraps you get at a deli have at least 300 calories. And that's just the tortilla, not the contents. You also have to factor in the fillings—and keep in mind that a wrap has more surface space to spread these calorie-boosting culprits:
Dressing
Cheese
Mayo
All told, one healthy-seeming wrap can easily trick you into eating hundreds more calories than you planned.
3.Granola: When you're having granola, you might think, "It's healthy. The fiber and all those little pieces of dried fruit are so good for me." Truth is, although it's got good stuff in it, it also packs in the calories.
Diet Shocker: A half-cup serving is what's often listed on the nutrition label of prepared granola. But who eats just half a cup? For most brands, there are more than 400 calories in a one-cup serving of granola. And when's the last time you actually measured? If you keep filling your cereal bowl with this stuff, it's no wonder you're not losing!
4.Bran Muffins: The kinds sold at many bakeries today aren't the little 3-inch muffins Grandma used to bake. They're much, much bigger. And just because they're made with "healthy" bran doesn't mean they're a diet food, either.
Diet Shocker: The average bakery muffin can contain as many as 630 calories. You might be slightly better off with a bran muffin than, say, a banana or blueberry one because of bran's extra fiber, but most of them are still packed with sugar and butter. Eat one bran muffin from Dunkin' Donuts® and you'll be consuming 480 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 46 grams of sugar. OMG.
5.Dried Fruit: The more fruit you eat the better, right? Not when it comes to the dried stuff.
Diet Shocker: You could boost your calorie count as much as four times (!) by choosing to eat the dried version of a fruit rather than its fresh counterpart. Check out these calorie comparisons based on a 100-gram (about 1 cup) serving:
Fruit (about 1 cup) Fresh Dried
Grapes 70 calories (Raisins) 300 calories
Apricots 50 calories 240 calories
Bananas 90 calories (Banana chips) 350 calories
Plums 45 calories (Prunes) 230 calories
6.Pumpkin-Flavored Baked Goods: Pumpkin is nutritious, but these baked goods can be a dieting disaster. Like bran, pumpkin has lots of stuff that's good for you. So if you see pumpkin on a baked-goods label, it's easy to think you're eating something that's lower in calories. Not the case, though: Pumpkin doesn't mean diet food.
Diet Shocker: Dunkin' Donuts strikes again. Their pumpkin muffin has 630 calories and 28 grams of fat. OMG again! Want to switch bakeries? It won't help much. A pumpkin muffin from Panera Bread® has 530 calories and 20 grams of fat, and the pumpkin scone at Starbucks® has 470 calories and lots of fat too—22 grams' worth. You might as well be eating pie with whipped cream!
7.Olive Oil: It's a good fat and helps you burn fat. However, you don't need a lot of it to get the benefits. Two tablespoons a day can do the trick. And overdoing it can backfire.
Diet Shocker: Olive oil served with bread at a restaurant is heart-healthy, but high in calories. You can easily sop up a quarter of a cup. That's 478 calories, not including the bread. Or the rest of the meal you've ordered.
8."Healthy" Salads: That's what some restaurants want you to believe in their "lite" section of the menu. It must be diet-friendly, right? Not always.
Diet Shocker: Listed under "Healthy Options" on the T.G.I. Friday's® menu, their pecan-crusted chicken salad, which contains mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and celery, has 1,360 calories. Meanwhile, their cheeseburger and fries combo weighs in at 1,290 calories. Say it ain't so.
So what's a dieter to do in a world filled with "diet" traps?
Ask about nutrition and read food labels. After a while, you'll be a pro at it and enjoy the weight loss that comes with it. You won't even have to give up the foods you like. That's because you'll know how to work them into your food plan the right way.
By Justine Holberg
A veggie wrap for lunch. A night out for sushi. And you're working out . . . but you're still not losing weight. What gives?
Some "diet" foods may be your worst enemy. That's because they're tricking you into eating too many calories. So what are some of the worst offenders?
1.Sushi: Fish wrapped in rice and seaweed. Not a diet food? Yep, that's right. It's not always as "light" as it seems. Some sushi has calorie levels so high it might just shock you.
Diet Shocker: One eight-piece serving of Philadelphia sushi roll is the caloric equivalent of 1 medium bagel with plain cream cheese—close to 500 calories. It's the cream cheese that gets you. And what about spicy tuna and other mayo-based rolls? They can contain as many as 450 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat per serving. Eat too many of the "wrong" rolls and you're in Big Mac® calorie territory.
2.Wraps: You order the whole wheat veggie wrap thinking it'll put you on the skinny track. But is it actually the fat track? For some reason, wraps have been viewed as a healthy upgrade from a sandwich, but this isn't always the case.
Diet Shocker: The tortilla holding your wrap together can easily contain the same number of calories as four slices of bread, not to mention more carbs and twice as much fat. Many kinds of wraps you get at a deli have at least 300 calories. And that's just the tortilla, not the contents. You also have to factor in the fillings—and keep in mind that a wrap has more surface space to spread these calorie-boosting culprits:
Dressing
Cheese
Mayo
All told, one healthy-seeming wrap can easily trick you into eating hundreds more calories than you planned.
3.Granola: When you're having granola, you might think, "It's healthy. The fiber and all those little pieces of dried fruit are so good for me." Truth is, although it's got good stuff in it, it also packs in the calories.
Diet Shocker: A half-cup serving is what's often listed on the nutrition label of prepared granola. But who eats just half a cup? For most brands, there are more than 400 calories in a one-cup serving of granola. And when's the last time you actually measured? If you keep filling your cereal bowl with this stuff, it's no wonder you're not losing!
4.Bran Muffins: The kinds sold at many bakeries today aren't the little 3-inch muffins Grandma used to bake. They're much, much bigger. And just because they're made with "healthy" bran doesn't mean they're a diet food, either.
Diet Shocker: The average bakery muffin can contain as many as 630 calories. You might be slightly better off with a bran muffin than, say, a banana or blueberry one because of bran's extra fiber, but most of them are still packed with sugar and butter. Eat one bran muffin from Dunkin' Donuts® and you'll be consuming 480 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 46 grams of sugar. OMG.
5.Dried Fruit: The more fruit you eat the better, right? Not when it comes to the dried stuff.
Diet Shocker: You could boost your calorie count as much as four times (!) by choosing to eat the dried version of a fruit rather than its fresh counterpart. Check out these calorie comparisons based on a 100-gram (about 1 cup) serving:
Fruit (about 1 cup) Fresh Dried
Grapes 70 calories (Raisins) 300 calories
Apricots 50 calories 240 calories
Bananas 90 calories (Banana chips) 350 calories
Plums 45 calories (Prunes) 230 calories
6.Pumpkin-Flavored Baked Goods: Pumpkin is nutritious, but these baked goods can be a dieting disaster. Like bran, pumpkin has lots of stuff that's good for you. So if you see pumpkin on a baked-goods label, it's easy to think you're eating something that's lower in calories. Not the case, though: Pumpkin doesn't mean diet food.
Diet Shocker: Dunkin' Donuts strikes again. Their pumpkin muffin has 630 calories and 28 grams of fat. OMG again! Want to switch bakeries? It won't help much. A pumpkin muffin from Panera Bread® has 530 calories and 20 grams of fat, and the pumpkin scone at Starbucks® has 470 calories and lots of fat too—22 grams' worth. You might as well be eating pie with whipped cream!
7.Olive Oil: It's a good fat and helps you burn fat. However, you don't need a lot of it to get the benefits. Two tablespoons a day can do the trick. And overdoing it can backfire.
Diet Shocker: Olive oil served with bread at a restaurant is heart-healthy, but high in calories. You can easily sop up a quarter of a cup. That's 478 calories, not including the bread. Or the rest of the meal you've ordered.
8."Healthy" Salads: That's what some restaurants want you to believe in their "lite" section of the menu. It must be diet-friendly, right? Not always.
Diet Shocker: Listed under "Healthy Options" on the T.G.I. Friday's® menu, their pecan-crusted chicken salad, which contains mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and celery, has 1,360 calories. Meanwhile, their cheeseburger and fries combo weighs in at 1,290 calories. Say it ain't so.
So what's a dieter to do in a world filled with "diet" traps?
Ask about nutrition and read food labels. After a while, you'll be a pro at it and enjoy the weight loss that comes with it. You won't even have to give up the foods you like. That's because you'll know how to work them into your food plan the right way.
Mixing up workouts!!!!
By Amanda Vogel
Womens Health
.."Your body adapts to exercise over time, which causes your metabolism to fall into a lull," says Geoff Bagshaw, group fitness manager at the Equinox fitness club in Miami. "Adding variety to your workouts will help you break through plateaus so you continue to see results."
Iensity matters too: Exercising harder promotes the growth of lean muscle, which burns more calories during and after your workout, says Craig Ballantyne, owner of TurbulenceTraining.com. The three strength-training techniques on these pages will inject a powerful double shot of variety and intensity into your usual routine. Replace one of your regular workouts each week with one of these training methods and watch those extra pounds melt away
Contrast training
This technique involves doing a resistance exercise with weights, and then immediately following it with an explosive body-weight exercise that works the same muscle group. "In contrast training, the movement pattern of the second exercise should always mimic the first one," says sports performance specialist Barry Lovelace, owner of FitQuest Fitness in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In other words, chest presses should be followed by explosive pushups, or dumbbell squats followed by squat jumps.
Fat-trimming trick: Busting out an explosive move after a strength move trains your body to recruit more muscle fibers. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz found that this type of workout (also called concurrent training) increases lean muscle mass while it decreases body-fat percentage.
Try it: Hold a 10-to 20-pound dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lower into a squat (as if you're sitting into a chair) for five to 10 reps. Then ditch the dumbbells and do five to 10 jump squats: Lower into a squat, then push through your heels to jump off the ground; land softly and immediately lower into another rep. Rest for one to three minutes, then repeat the sequence, working your way up to five or six sets.
Pyramid training
You'll do three or more sets of the same exercise, starting with light resistance and high reps, then increasing the weight and decreasing the reps with each set. A full workout of pyramid sets can be tough (and time consuming), so start by working one upper-body and one lower-body exercise into the end of your workout, says Ballantyne. This way, you won't exhaust the key muscle groups you need to complete your regular routine.
Fat-trimming trick: Unlike other intense workouts that build strength, this technique emphasizes muscular endurance (the rate at which your body can continually produce force), which can increase your fat-burning rate.
Try it:Holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, step forward with your right foot and lower your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Return to standing, and continue for a total of 15 reps. Repeat with the left leg, then rest for 20 seconds before doing the second set: 10 to 12 reps, using a slightly heavier weight. Rest, then increase the weight again and do six to eight reps.
Tabata method
Fast-and-furious intervals—20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest—are repeated a total of eight times (for a grand total of four minutes). Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario found that exercising as hard as you can for short periods of time is as effective at improving muscle and metabolism as sweating it out longer at a lower intensity.
Fat-trimming trick: All-out effort keeps your heart rate zipping for the entire workout (even during the rests) and for hours after you kick off your sneakers. The end result? You burn extra calories.
Try it: Bagshaw suggests this three-move sequence: Starting with exercise one, do as many reps as you can with proper form in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then continue for a total of eight intervals. Rest for two minutes, then go to exercise two and do eight intervals. Take another two-minute breather, then do eight intervals of exercise three.
1. Lunges with biceps curls: Holding dumbbells at your sides, step back and lower into a lunge, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Stand and repeat, alternating legs.
2. Squats with overhead presses: Hold dumbbells at shoulder height and lower into a squat. Press the dumbbells directly overhead as you stand.
3. Pushups: From a pushup position (or modified pushup position, with your knees on the ground), bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor.
Womens Health
.."Your body adapts to exercise over time, which causes your metabolism to fall into a lull," says Geoff Bagshaw, group fitness manager at the Equinox fitness club in Miami. "Adding variety to your workouts will help you break through plateaus so you continue to see results."
Iensity matters too: Exercising harder promotes the growth of lean muscle, which burns more calories during and after your workout, says Craig Ballantyne, owner of TurbulenceTraining.com. The three strength-training techniques on these pages will inject a powerful double shot of variety and intensity into your usual routine. Replace one of your regular workouts each week with one of these training methods and watch those extra pounds melt away
Contrast training
This technique involves doing a resistance exercise with weights, and then immediately following it with an explosive body-weight exercise that works the same muscle group. "In contrast training, the movement pattern of the second exercise should always mimic the first one," says sports performance specialist Barry Lovelace, owner of FitQuest Fitness in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In other words, chest presses should be followed by explosive pushups, or dumbbell squats followed by squat jumps.
Fat-trimming trick: Busting out an explosive move after a strength move trains your body to recruit more muscle fibers. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz found that this type of workout (also called concurrent training) increases lean muscle mass while it decreases body-fat percentage.
Try it: Hold a 10-to 20-pound dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lower into a squat (as if you're sitting into a chair) for five to 10 reps. Then ditch the dumbbells and do five to 10 jump squats: Lower into a squat, then push through your heels to jump off the ground; land softly and immediately lower into another rep. Rest for one to three minutes, then repeat the sequence, working your way up to five or six sets.
Pyramid training
You'll do three or more sets of the same exercise, starting with light resistance and high reps, then increasing the weight and decreasing the reps with each set. A full workout of pyramid sets can be tough (and time consuming), so start by working one upper-body and one lower-body exercise into the end of your workout, says Ballantyne. This way, you won't exhaust the key muscle groups you need to complete your regular routine.
Fat-trimming trick: Unlike other intense workouts that build strength, this technique emphasizes muscular endurance (the rate at which your body can continually produce force), which can increase your fat-burning rate.
Try it:Holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, step forward with your right foot and lower your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Return to standing, and continue for a total of 15 reps. Repeat with the left leg, then rest for 20 seconds before doing the second set: 10 to 12 reps, using a slightly heavier weight. Rest, then increase the weight again and do six to eight reps.
Tabata method
Fast-and-furious intervals—20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest—are repeated a total of eight times (for a grand total of four minutes). Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario found that exercising as hard as you can for short periods of time is as effective at improving muscle and metabolism as sweating it out longer at a lower intensity.
Fat-trimming trick: All-out effort keeps your heart rate zipping for the entire workout (even during the rests) and for hours after you kick off your sneakers. The end result? You burn extra calories.
Try it: Bagshaw suggests this three-move sequence: Starting with exercise one, do as many reps as you can with proper form in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then continue for a total of eight intervals. Rest for two minutes, then go to exercise two and do eight intervals. Take another two-minute breather, then do eight intervals of exercise three.
1. Lunges with biceps curls: Holding dumbbells at your sides, step back and lower into a lunge, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Stand and repeat, alternating legs.
2. Squats with overhead presses: Hold dumbbells at shoulder height and lower into a squat. Press the dumbbells directly overhead as you stand.
3. Pushups: From a pushup position (or modified pushup position, with your knees on the ground), bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Cheerfully giving!!
So as I was watching the 700 Club this morning. Not my usual thing to watch while eating breakfast but it was on and I decided to see what it was about. It was a couple that was down on their luck and bout to loose their house and on food stamps. They turned to god and asked what to do. They decided that to donate a dollar to 10 churches in the area and when they did they found out that they had a death in the family and was given an inheritance of $10,000. They then gave $100 dollars to the churches and then jobs came to them and they were making $700,000 that year. All for just believing that when you pay it forward you will receive more.
This is a great belief. Paying forward isn't just about sending money to a church. What about helping a friend on your day off from work, volunteering your time to a homeless shelter or habitat for humanity, giving your advice and sharing what works for you in your business. I do this daily with Beachbody. Paying it forward is what Beachbody is all about.
The feeling of having someone I know either from facebook or the grocery store or at a child's game tell me how happy they are that I shared my success with them. They are so happy to have lost the weight and to make some money. Walmart wouldn't help Target with their customers would they. I mean think about it. If i went to walmart and said can you tell me if Target has what I need they would say sure they do. Just go to Target and get it their. We all know that really isn't how it works.
But in Beachbody that exactly how it works. I have talked to a new friend (Roxanne) daily. No she isn't a customer of mine and no she isn't one of my coaches. Actually she was a coach before and decided to quit. Her upline kept trying to get her to become a coach again. We became friends on facebook and after sharing my story and my BELIEF in her she signed up as a coach again for the other team and is loving it. This didn't help me with my business but more importantly it helped her. Having a friend, even thou we have never met, has helped her with her belief in herself and her finances. She I know will pay it forward. I am so proud of her. This is exactly what PAYING IT FORWARD IS ABOUT!!!
So I challenge you to pay it forward today. In what ever way you find happiness and fulfillment.
This is a great belief. Paying forward isn't just about sending money to a church. What about helping a friend on your day off from work, volunteering your time to a homeless shelter or habitat for humanity, giving your advice and sharing what works for you in your business. I do this daily with Beachbody. Paying it forward is what Beachbody is all about.
The feeling of having someone I know either from facebook or the grocery store or at a child's game tell me how happy they are that I shared my success with them. They are so happy to have lost the weight and to make some money. Walmart wouldn't help Target with their customers would they. I mean think about it. If i went to walmart and said can you tell me if Target has what I need they would say sure they do. Just go to Target and get it their. We all know that really isn't how it works.
But in Beachbody that exactly how it works. I have talked to a new friend (Roxanne) daily. No she isn't a customer of mine and no she isn't one of my coaches. Actually she was a coach before and decided to quit. Her upline kept trying to get her to become a coach again. We became friends on facebook and after sharing my story and my BELIEF in her she signed up as a coach again for the other team and is loving it. This didn't help me with my business but more importantly it helped her. Having a friend, even thou we have never met, has helped her with her belief in herself and her finances. She I know will pay it forward. I am so proud of her. This is exactly what PAYING IT FORWARD IS ABOUT!!!
So I challenge you to pay it forward today. In what ever way you find happiness and fulfillment.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Workout and Book Tour with Tony Horton!
Register now for Tony Horton's Bring It! Book Tour 2011!
He will be touring the country promoting his new book - meeting, greeting, signing books and of course, making you sweat!
Work out live with Tony and (time permitting) get your copy of Bring It! signed! Just click on the links below to register now for the city nearest you and reserve your spot!
•If you're a Coach and you already have a copy of the book, then BRING IT with you - you can attend the event for FREE - just make sure to register online!
•If you want to reserve a copy of Tony's book and have it waiting for you at the event, you can purchase it for $20.00 when you register online.
•Feel free to register and bring as many guests as you want. It's only $20.00 per guest, which gets them admittance to the event, plus a copy of the book!
Whether you're just coming to workout with Tony or you want a copy of the book and want to get it signed after you sweat, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.
(Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot NOW! Yes, people will be turned away once it's sold out!)
Whether you're just coming to workout with Tony or you want a copy of the book and want to get it signed after you sweat, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.
(Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot NOW! Yes, people will be turned away once it's sold out!)
See below for the tour schedule, locations and registration links.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - Long Island, NY
Melville Marriott
1350 Old Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlongisland
Thursday, January 6, 2011 – Atlanta, GA
The Westin Peachtree Plaza
210 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thatlanta
(And maybe you can combine this with your Jan 8th coach kick-off!)
Saturday, January 8, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV
J.W. Marriott
221 N. Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89145
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlasvegas
Monday, January 10, 2011 – Dallas, TX
Grapevine Convention Center
1209 S. Main Street
Grapevine, TX 76051
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thdallas
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 – Phoenix, AZ
Sheraton Crescent Hotel
2620 Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thphoenix
Saturday, January 15, 2011 – Arlington, VA
Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street
Arlington, VA 22204
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/tharlington
Saturday, January 22, 2011 – Santa Monica, CA
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thsantamonica
Get your P90X, Power 90 and Tony Horton 1on 1 at http://www.fitandflashy.com/
He will be touring the country promoting his new book - meeting, greeting, signing books and of course, making you sweat!
Work out live with Tony and (time permitting) get your copy of Bring It! signed! Just click on the links below to register now for the city nearest you and reserve your spot!
•If you're a Coach and you already have a copy of the book, then BRING IT with you - you can attend the event for FREE - just make sure to register online!
•If you want to reserve a copy of Tony's book and have it waiting for you at the event, you can purchase it for $20.00 when you register online.
•Feel free to register and bring as many guests as you want. It's only $20.00 per guest, which gets them admittance to the event, plus a copy of the book!
Whether you're just coming to workout with Tony or you want a copy of the book and want to get it signed after you sweat, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.
(Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot NOW! Yes, people will be turned away once it's sold out!)
Whether you're just coming to workout with Tony or you want a copy of the book and want to get it signed after you sweat, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.
(Space is extremely limited, so reserve your spot NOW! Yes, people will be turned away once it's sold out!)
See below for the tour schedule, locations and registration links.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - Long Island, NY
Melville Marriott
1350 Old Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlongisland
Thursday, January 6, 2011 – Atlanta, GA
The Westin Peachtree Plaza
210 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thatlanta
(And maybe you can combine this with your Jan 8th coach kick-off!)
Saturday, January 8, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV
J.W. Marriott
221 N. Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89145
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thlasvegas
Monday, January 10, 2011 – Dallas, TX
Grapevine Convention Center
1209 S. Main Street
Grapevine, TX 76051
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thdallas
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 – Phoenix, AZ
Sheraton Crescent Hotel
2620 Dunlap Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85021
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thphoenix
Saturday, January 15, 2011 – Arlington, VA
Sheraton National Hotel
900 S. Orme Street
Arlington, VA 22204
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/tharlington
Saturday, January 22, 2011 – Santa Monica, CA
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
http://www.regonline.com/thsantamonica
Get your P90X, Power 90 and Tony Horton 1on 1 at http://www.fitandflashy.com/
Tammi French... world famous recipe!!!
Tami's WORLD FAMOUS healthy Chicken Scampi Recipe!
Now this is based on our family and the six of us, so you may need to scale it back to fit your family or have some good leftovers! ;)
6-5oz boneless/skinless chicken breast, par-cook it then drain, chuck it up and place aside.
combine and cook on medium-low:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil3/4 cup cooking wine3 tablespoons of fresh garlic(we love it so you may want to start with less and add to taste)1 tablespoon italian seasonings2 tsp. fresh ground pepper1 tablespoon ground sea salt (or to taste)
Add in the chicken and stir well. Continue to cook the chicken until spaghetti noodles are cooked in a separate pan.
1 box of Barilla spaghetti noodles, cook and drain.
Before you add the chicken/liquid mixture to the pasta you need to add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs to the liquid and mix well. This is soak up some of the oil and make it thicker. Once you have done that, add it to the pasta and mix well. Serve with side salad and homemade garlic bread! Yummy!
I make my own bread crumbs with whole wheat bread that I toast and then put in a food processor. That way I know they are whole and not refined crap! ;)
Make sure that you portion out your meal so that you don't over
Now this is based on our family and the six of us, so you may need to scale it back to fit your family or have some good leftovers! ;)
6-5oz boneless/skinless chicken breast, par-cook it then drain, chuck it up and place aside.
combine and cook on medium-low:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil3/4 cup cooking wine3 tablespoons of fresh garlic(we love it so you may want to start with less and add to taste)1 tablespoon italian seasonings2 tsp. fresh ground pepper1 tablespoon ground sea salt (or to taste)
Add in the chicken and stir well. Continue to cook the chicken until spaghetti noodles are cooked in a separate pan.
1 box of Barilla spaghetti noodles, cook and drain.
Before you add the chicken/liquid mixture to the pasta you need to add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs to the liquid and mix well. This is soak up some of the oil and make it thicker. Once you have done that, add it to the pasta and mix well. Serve with side salad and homemade garlic bread! Yummy!
I make my own bread crumbs with whole wheat bread that I toast and then put in a food processor. That way I know they are whole and not refined crap! ;)
Make sure that you portion out your meal so that you don't over
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
30 Day Yoga Challenge!!!
Yoga truely is the "Fountain of Youth" I will be doing Yoga (Any Yoga will do, Fountain of Youth, Patience Hummingbird, Yoga X, or any Yoga of your choice) 3 days per week for four weeks straight.
I am anxious to see the increased flexibility, mobility, peace of mind, & focus that 3 days of Yoga per week will bring!
Are you up to unlocking your Yoga potential? Who is with me!!!!
Need a yoga program.. you can get one here... http://www.fitandflashy.com/
I am anxious to see the increased flexibility, mobility, peace of mind, & focus that 3 days of Yoga per week will bring!
Are you up to unlocking your Yoga potential? Who is with me!!!!
Need a yoga program.. you can get one here... http://www.fitandflashy.com/
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Wonderful pool day!
I woke up this morning and was missing my Boo and my Beau......So i did some work for BB adn then went to the pool and got some sun. I was surprised to see so many of my friends there. I wished Jamie would have been there so we could float and laugh. I miss his touch and silly kisses. It has only been one night but seems like so much longer. It will be a long summer. But at least he will be home during the week. I will get to hold him again tomorrow night.
Turbofire is a killer workout and feel i will get to be much better at it each time i do it. The steps are fast but easy. Well as long as you pay attention. LOL.
I had the conference with the Kansas Attorney and didnt feel that I got much out of it. My booth was one of four and the women didnt seem to interested. There were a couple of people that asked a lot of questions and one woman was already doing p90x and was intersted in becoming a coach so we will see if she decides to join.
Britt is doing good and she and stephan have been doing more things and going on dates. Not just sitting at home and eatting. She has also been going to fit club with me....I am so happy she has been going with me. I miss her being my little girl but i love her so much. She makes me more and more proud of her daily!!!!!!
Turbofire is a killer workout and feel i will get to be much better at it each time i do it. The steps are fast but easy. Well as long as you pay attention. LOL.
I had the conference with the Kansas Attorney and didnt feel that I got much out of it. My booth was one of four and the women didnt seem to interested. There were a couple of people that asked a lot of questions and one woman was already doing p90x and was intersted in becoming a coach so we will see if she decides to join.
Britt is doing good and she and stephan have been doing more things and going on dates. Not just sitting at home and eatting. She has also been going to fit club with me....I am so happy she has been going with me. I miss her being my little girl but i love her so much. She makes me more and more proud of her daily!!!!!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday Madness
Mondays always seem to be a typical Monday. I love Dr. Carnine who I worked with today and it is always a great day with him. He is a great Dr. and a great Dr. to work with. Simple cases ACL, Knee Scope, ankle scope.... nothing to fancy.
Got home and worked out and made dinner. Watching a thing about Southern Belles...I love it but it makes me miss the south so bad. She has the cutest boxer and I want one!!!!!!
Started the TurboKick 101 video and can do the video with no problem but learning it to teach is confusing.. dont want to screw up. Just need to relax and do it. It will just take doing it over and over and getting it down. I am nervous but know i can do it. I wont say try.. we dont use that word anymore in my vocab. I will do...just like nike!!!!!
I will keep pushing myself to learn and learn and get it down. Ready to teach with my body but not in my mind. Now just have to get them together. Will give myself a month. At the longest.
Got home and worked out and made dinner. Watching a thing about Southern Belles...I love it but it makes me miss the south so bad. She has the cutest boxer and I want one!!!!!!
I will keep pushing myself to learn and learn and get it down. Ready to teach with my body but not in my mind. Now just have to get them together. Will give myself a month. At the longest.
Yummy Monday – Ranch Guacamole
Yummy Monday – Ranch Guacamole
I love Guacamole.. i dont think there is anything else that i can mix with so many other things and still love it.
I love Guacamole.. i dont think there is anything else that i can mix with so many other things and still love it.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
KC !!!!!
I just got to my motel in Kansas City so i didnt have to drive a long way early in the morning to get to my turbo kick class early….. i am so excited but really nervouse too… i hope that is to be expected.. Sherrie said we can’t fail just worried i wont be ready for the class.. Maybe i wont be good enough to teach.. SHUT UP JEN!!! I can do anything.. i am incredigal… did you hear me..I AM INCREDIGAL!!!!!!!!!!
I will be punching and kicking for along time all day… my arms and legs will be so sorry.. but man i still can’t wait to do the class.. How this will help me.. I already have two options that have been offered to me for work.. i look forward to it.. What better way to be accountable! I think there is only 8 of us and i hope that is about average.. I can do it and look forward to meeting new friends. I have so many goals to achieve, The next two years are going to be rockin’.
So britt is doing good still and is still with her boyfriend and while i am here in KC she is hanging and stayign out of trouble….now for jamie! LOL.. he went with one of his boys, daughters softball game. She is a little jock and is the only girl in the county on the football team and kills the boys. LOL.. she looks just like her dad. they are good people and seem to be good to jamie.
Work is work and ready to be back in school. I hope i feel that way for a long time, like two years. I am really excited to be getting my degree finished and happy that i waited till i decided on fitness and nutrition. I know it can all be overwhelming when trying to change your lifestyle. I cant wait to learn and pass it on…KSU here i come!!!!!!!!
I watched the TurboFire webinar last night and it got me so pumped…. oh my i cant wait. I want one!!!!! it is off the hook.. Chalene Johnson did a great job and i am so excited to get it. I decided to put of p90x and do CX and TF together… it has so many amazing things in it. One of the things i liked is that it comes with a chart to show how to combine CE with TF. so you dont have to try and figure it out. It comes with a great nutrition guide that includes shakeology.. No guesssing with that eaither. She says the music and from my sample i got at summit she is right, the music is so crazy. It was great. She spent so much time getting this program together it shows. I have only touched on a couple of things that this comes with but really looking forward to the inferno session of turbo fire…..
So britt is doing good still and is still with her boyfriend and while i am here in KC she is hanging and stayign out of trouble….now for jamie! LOL.. he went with one of his boys, daughters softball game. She is a little jock and is the only girl in the county on the football team and kills the boys. LOL.. she looks just like her dad. they are good people and seem to be good to jamie.
Work is work and ready to be back in school. I hope i feel that way for a long time, like two years. I am really excited to be getting my degree finished and happy that i waited till i decided on fitness and nutrition. I know it can all be overwhelming when trying to change your lifestyle. I cant wait to learn and pass it on…KSU here i come!!!!!!!!
Lazy Sunday!!!
I look forward to talking to Angie Curtis at Cats gym about doing a fitness class. It would be nice if we could do a couple times a week. We will have to see what she says. I hope to keep intouch with all the friends i met this sat.
I came home and jamie had made turkey chili. It is really good. Almost as good as Bret Johnsons turkey chili.. LOL.. We made turkey chili turkey dogs. It taste so good.
It is a rainy day here and a gloomy so we have gotten some movies (edge of darkness, legion). So jamie and i are just hangin and enjoying the day.
Looking forward to starting my workouts again tomorrow. I will be hitting it back with CE and TK 101. Britt and I will be doing it together on tuesdays and thursdays. I look forward to working out with her. I cant wait to see her get healthy and back inshape….we will be two hot women….
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