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Work off those holiday calories fast

I found this great article on working off those holiday meals and trying not to let the season of eating derail you from your overall health goals. Some highlights:

- if you eat a huge amount of food, work it off and walk it off, walk around the block

- It would take 27 minutes of walking to burn the 97 calories in an 8-ounce serving of cola. A really fast mile would burn 125 calories

-stay active -- not just busy -- over the holidays. And don't deprive yourself, just use moderation.

Read the full article.

Tips On Avoiding The Holiday Weight Gain

The wonderful and dreaded Thanksgiving day is a scant 3 days away. I wish I could take credit for these helpful tips, but if I used them, I wouldn't need them, so may as well share them

• Don't wear elastic pants - especially at holiday parties.
• Chew sugar-free gum or mints at all get-togethers so you won't overeat.
• Limit or avoid alcohol.
• Don't miss workouts during the holiday season.
• Eat BEFORE you go to parties, so you won't be hungry.
• Eat sitting down, and eat slowly.

More tips and source of tips here

The Advanced

Who are you?

You my friend are a freak of nature and if you aren't a professional athlete or an Olymic hopeful, I've never met you. However, in the sake of fairness and equality, let's see how you can improve...heh...as if you have to.

Once you've aced being a beginner and spent some time in the trenches as an intermediate, next thing you know, you are a full time exercise type person. But how do you get through year after year when the motivation to lose weight may have long been accomplished?

It may be time to change from viewing it as exercise and look at how you can improve your overall fitness.

If your main goal is no longer weight loss, revamp them. Maybe you want to do a marathon, hike a mountain, swim a personal best. That's how you keep your motivation mojo going.

You have now entered a stage of fitness that is beyond the 3x a week at the gym, which may also mean you are shelling out more money to invest in better equipment or hiring a personal trainer or attending classes to prepare your body for it's next big event.

You will also tax your body more than before. That simple 1 mile run every few days will have to drastically increase if you want to run a marathon. You'll also have to incorporate various forms of cardio to keep your body conditioned all the while balancing what you are doing so you don't overstress your body.

Lastly, nutrition, more than likely weight will no longer be an issue for you, but for peak performance, you will have to eat to suit your goals. Whether it's protein rich because you want to win a weight lifting competition or carb rich because you are running a 26 mile marathon, eat clean, fuel your body and above all, have fun!

The Intermediate

Who you are?

You my friend are the type of person who has pretty much made exercise a part of your life. You walk around the block, play a few games of golf or even participate in a 5k. All for FUN!

Yet you still feel the need to kick things up. Perhaps your current routine has you hovering in the same weight and already being active, you are open to doing more.

The best way to lose weight is consistently doing aerobic exercise, five days a week, at least 30 to 45 minutes each time, where the pace is fast enough that you feel a little breathless and slow enough that you can still carry on a conversation. Once you reach your ideal weight, you can drop off to three times a week.

Here's sneaky trick, want to get all five sessions in a week? Plan to do seven. That's right. More likely than not, you'll "miss" one or two workouts and wham, you still got your five sessions done.

As for food, aim for 30% protein + 30% fat + 40% carbs which will = a well balanced diet.

Obviously Eat your fruits and veggies and avoid foods that contain calories and no nutritional value, such as chips, soda and candy. And just because you are working out like a fiend, doesn't mean your mouth has to work out with the same intensity. You'll have to run 1 mile to burn off 100 calories, so that snickers bar that's tempting you right now…is it really worth 2.73 miles?

The Beginner

Who you are?

Not big on exercise. At all. You rather lay in bed and stare at the ceiling or watch infomercials of other people sweating. So how do you get started?

First step, get a check up with your doctor. Then, if it's in your budget, check in with a personal trainer. Most gyms give you the first consultation free. Use it to your advantage. What you want to do is get them to come up with a fitness plan that matches your lifestyle. Sure your read you burn more calories in the early morning, but if the reality is you hit snooze 5 times a morning, time to get a new mindset.

Then get rid of the 5lbs in a week mentality. If you do the math to realize exactly how much exercise you'll need to do to burn 3500 calories, you'll quit before you even start. Rather, aim for doing 30 mins twice a week. Do that for 3-4 weeks and add another day. Build up your new routine slowly. You not only need to get your body used to the new activity, you have to incorporate it into your current lifestyle and also mentally adjust to what you'll be doing.

Now you don't have to go it alone. Matter of fact, buddying up may even make exercising feel less like work. Got a dog? Take them for a slow stroll, then a brisk walk and even quick run around the park as you both get fitter. It won't feel like exercise and your 4-legged friend will always be a gentle reminder it's time to lace up the Keds.

Lastly, get a handle on nutrition. Talking to a nutritionist is a good move, especially if all the latest fad diet news that came about in the last 5 years has done nothing more than to have your head spinning.

After about 2-3 months of consistent working out, where it now feels stranger to miss be active, devote some time to modifying your eating. It doesn't have to be drastic, no cutting out of entire food groups. Just reign in your caloric intake, drink lots of water and have treats in modification. In coming months, a few posts will be devoted solely to nutritious eating.

Tomorrow: Tips and advice for those in the Intermediate Family

Excessive Sweating

Sweating is a good sign that your body is working hard, and that your body is cooling itself to keep your temperature regulated (normal body temperature is 37 degrees celsius). It may sound strange, but fitter people sweat more easily than unfit people of the same weight and body fat levels.

Fat acts as an insulator and interferes with the loss of heat, so leaner people are able to sweat more easily. This brings us to the issue of fluid intake. As the body can lose as much as two to three litres per hour during intense exercise, it is very important to consume fluids before you get thirsty.

As a general guideline, drink 500ml of water 30 minutes before exercise and 200ml of water/fluid every 15 minutes during exercise. Exercising in cooler, loose-fitting clothing can also aid heat loss.

Summer Exercise Safety

It is essential to take the necessary precautions while exercising during the summer months. The average person can take from one to two weeks to adapt to warmer, more humid temperatures. Here are some helpful safety tips to follow while exercising during the summer:

• Rehydrate your body: Drink water before, during and after exercising. Since your body can only absorb 8 ounces of cold water every 20 minutes, continue to drink fluids even after you no longer feel thirsty.
• Avoid working out during peak hours: Very hot and humid weather hampers perspiration's ability to cool your body. Try exercising in the morning or evening to avoid the most intense heat.
• Try walking: Walking is considered the most popular exercise among Americans.
• Be open to new ideas: Try a new exercise or activity every two weeks, such as hiking, canoeing, rollerblading or biking.
• Cool off in the water: Swimming is an excellent way to exercise during the summer months.
• Don't forget your sunscreen: Apply SPF 15 sunscreen at least 30 minutes before exercising outdoors.
• Watch out for the symptoms of heat stroke: When the body can't rid itself of excess heat, there can be a sudden rise in body temperature. Look for very hot and dry skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.
• Choose the appropriate clothing: Wear loose-fitting clothing to allow circulation of air between your skin and the environment. Also, light-colored clothing will reflect sunlight, while darker clothing will absorb the heat.

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Microwave Free Fridays

fitsugar.com is suggesting a cool idea:

Microwave Free Fridays anyone? Perhaps you may surprise yourself with cooking skills you never knew you had.

[snip]

I picked Friday because I like cooking a nice meal on a Friday night followed by watching a movie with my family, however do what works for you, just take one day off a week from nuking your food.

I'm not 100% against microwaves. I kinda am where it concerns radiation etc, but the majority of the meals I nuke are healthy frozen dinners. As of late, I've been eating a lot of Amy's Kitchen and sometimes I nuke a sweet potato for lunch. Plus, I don't have a full kitchen where I currently live.

That said, I really dig the idea and when I finally get access to a full kitchen, my cooking skills will be put into use and I'll heartily enjoy Microwave Free Fridays...and while I'm at it, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays thru Thursdays too

20 tips for permanent weight loss (16-20)

And the tips you've been waiting for all week, the last 5 tips to permanent weight loss.

1. Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal. Opt for cereals with "bran" or "fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal.
2. Walk for 10 minutes over your lunch hour or get up a few minutes earlier in the morning and go for a short walk.
3. Plan a week's worth of meals at a time. Make a detailed grocery list to eliminate last-minute trips to the grocery store and impulse buys.
4. Look for a distraction when you're fighting a craving. Call a friend, put on music and dance or exercise, clean the house, pull weeds in your garden, or run an errand. When your mind is occupied with something else, the cravings quickly go away.
5. Reward yourself. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off is a major accomplishment. Celebrate your success with nonfood rewards, such as new clothes or an outing with friends.

So there you go, 20 tips to kick start your weight loss efforts. Happy losing

20 tips for permanent weight loss (11-15)

Over 1/2 way done, here are 5 more tips.

1. See what you eat. Eating directly from a container gives you no sense of how much you're eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl keeps you aware of how much you're eating.
2. Vary your activities. Regularly change your activity routine to avoid exercise burnout. Walk a couple of days, swim another and go for a bike ride on the weekend. Seek out new activities — karate, ballroom dancing, cross-country skiing, tennis or Pilates.
3. De-stress your day. Stress can cause you to eat more. Develop strategies that can help you relax when you find yourself becoming stressed. Exercise, deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques and even a good laugh can ease stress.
4. Eat at home. People eat more food in restaurants than at home. Limit how often you eat at restaurants. If you do eat out, decide what and how much you're going to eat before you start and have the rest boxed to go.
5. Plan healthy snacks. The best snacks include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Fruit smoothies, sliced fresh fruit and yogurt, whole-grain crackers, and carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter are all good choices.

Tomorrow: The final 5, tips 16-20

Do you do any of these 5 tips?

20 tips for permanent weight loss (6-10)

Keeping those weight loss tips coming, here's numbers 6 thru 10.

1. Plan a family activity. Get the family together to go for a bike ride, play disc golf or kick the ball around in the yard.
2. Eat healthy foods first. Eat foods that are healthy and low in calories first so that when it comes time to enjoy your favorites — sweets or junk food, for example — you won't be so hungry.
3. Pay attention to portions. Serve meals already dished onto plates instead of placing serving bowls on the table. Take slightly less than what you think you'll eat. You can always have seconds, if really necessary.
4. Create opportunities to be active. Wash your car at home instead of going to the car wash. Bike or walk to the store. Participate in your kid's activities at the playground or park.
5. Sit down together for family meals. Avoid eating in front of the television. TV viewing strongly affects how much and what people eat.

Tomorrow: Tips 11-15

Do you do any of these 5 tips?

20 tips for permanent weight loss (1-5)

Let's kick off the month of May with weight loss tips to get your body headed in the right directon for summer.

To start, here are 20 ideas to reinforce your healthy lifestyle and to keep you committed to permanent weight loss:

1. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day. If time is limited, exercise for several brief periods throughout the day — for example, three 10-minute sessions rather than one 30-minute session.
2. Eat three healthy meals during the day, including a good breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to excessive snacking.
3. Focus on fruits and vegetables. Top off your morning cereal with sliced strawberries or bananas. Stir berries or peaches in yogurt or cottage cheese. Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables, such as tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers and cucumber.
4. Weigh yourself regularly. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become even larger.
5. Don't keep comfort foods in the house. If you tend to eat high-fat, high-calorie foods when you're upset or depressed or bored, don't keep them around. Availability of food is one of the strongest factors in determining how much a person eats.

Tomorrow: Tips 6-10

Do you do any of these 5 tips?

How To Keep Your 2007 Fitness Resolutions

A scant 30 days ago, many of us woke up, looked ahead to the brand new year and laid out resolutions to get our bodies free of fat.

How's it going so far? Have you tossed the resolutions out the window yet? Already looking ahead to January 1st 2008 so you can try again?

Well tomorrow is also a 1st. February 1st and there is no harm in resolving, once again, to be free of fat in 2007.

Here are some tips to keep your resolutions this year:

Change the Way You Approach Healthy Living
It will be easier to keep up exercising and eating well if you look at it as a positive gift to yourself, and not a punishment.

Commit to Changing Your Lifestyle
Losing weight, getting in shape, and eating well are all lifetime prospects. You will never EVER stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So before you go on your next New Year's diet, recognize that you'll need to change your lifestyle permanently to accommodate this goal. Make changes slowly, because your body and mind adapts most easily to small, regular changes than large ones.

Set Attainable Goals
Make sure that you set reasonable and MEASURABLE goals. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight and tone up," write down the amount of weight you want to lose, or the number of inches you want to take off your thighs. Set target dates for short-term and long-term goals. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, it is reasonable to lose that weight in about four months (healthy weight loss averages one to two pounds per week).

So your long-term goal is to lose 30 pounds (and keep it off), and your short-term goal would be to lose seven to eight pounds per month. Then once you've reached your goals, make new ones to keep yourself motivated and maintaining your weight.

Create a Game Plan
Set up an exercise and healthy eating routine. To set up a good routine, you'll need to devise a program that involves cardio, strength training, stretching, and a meal plan. There is a multitude of books and resources on the Internet that cover these topics in detail. Make sure you find information that is realistic and workable for your lifestyle. And don't fall for the quick fix gimmicks.

Set Up your Environment for Success
In spite of their best intentions, people are sometimes foiled by the little things that happen around them. So make sure your environment is conducive to your success. You can:

- Get someone to exercise with you.
- Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress.
- Hire a personal trainer.

The bottom line
Remember that exercising and eating right requires that you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It's a lot to ask when you sum it up, but if you make your changes small and manageable, the task doesn't have to appear so daunting. Make 2007 the year you change the rest of your life!

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20 Ways to Slim Down (5-1)

Here are the final five tips of 20 ways to slim down countdown...

#5 - Dine Out, Order Right

It's hard to balance making good choices with not being making unrealistic requests while dining out. Who wants to bore everyone at the table with specific instructions on how to prepare meals or grill waiters on what exactly is the cream in the cream sauce.

There are a few standard tips that can help. When choosing alcohol, go for red wine. Not only is it low in calorie, 89, it's good for the heart. Make the appetizer your main dish and add a salad to it. Avoid anything fried, go for baked, broiled or grilled.

#4 - No Time...No Excuses

The biggest excuse most people give for not working out is they don't have the time. 30 minutes a day is enough to get in and get going. .Take a walk on your lunch break. At work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. And by all means join a gym that is close by.

#3 - Beauty Counts

Appearing slimmer can be done with hair and make up tricks. Don't deprive yourself of beauty. Get a good hair cut with layers. Do your eyebrows. Wear minimal makeup. When you look beautiful, it can help you stay motivated.

#2 - Go Ahead and Cheat

The key to cheating is moderation. Beware of binging. Cheat days are okay if you plan ahead and eat a bit less to save calories for the cheat day. When you forbid a certain food, you want it that much more. Allow yourself to enjoy what you really want to eat. The key word is portion. Buy a slice of cake or a cup cake vs. the entire cake.

The only quibble I have with this tip is the use of the word cheat. It implies something negative and a feeling of guilt. I read a good point from Katherine McPhee (American Idol hopeful) who recently got help for bulimia.

She said for years she'd crave Snickers and deprive herself. When she went to the clinic, they forced her to eat one every day so she ended up not wanting it as much. If there is a cake that you really want to eat, you are more likely to eat the entire thin in one sitting if you've spent all week saying how much you cant or shouldn't have it. Instead dice it up into 30 small pieces and have one each night after dinner.

And the final tip!

#1 - Love Yourself

This is the most important step. If you don't love yourself, how can you take care of yourself? Loving yourself is the building block to making a lifestyle change. Loving yourself makes it less likely that you will destroy your progress.

Right this moment, make a list of all your positive qualities that have nothing to do with your personal appearance or how much you weigh. You'll realize you are far more than your weight and clothing size.

I know the list of 20 seem daunting. Don't have an all or nothing approach. Pick the things you struggle the most with, or pick one thing a month to work on.

If you can do nothing else, at least do these 5:

Tip #16 - Shop smart, shop healthy
Tip #18 - Get your head in the gam
Tip #7 – Drink your water
Tip #20 - Get of your butt
Tip #1 - Love Yourself!

And finally, this year, don't just lose weight for vanity's sake. Do it in such a way you can stick to it for the rest of your life. Remember 2006? Did you make plans to lose 25-50-75lbs by the say, Summer? And February came along and you quit the gym long ago or the first week you "only" lost 2lbs and those people on the Biggest Loser lose double digits each week so why bother?

Had you, or I for that matter, stuck to the "puny" 2lbs, by the end of the year we'd have lost 104lbs. If we tapered off after the first week and lost 1lb and stuck with it, we'd have been 50lbs lighter by December 2006.

Resolve to improve your life this year.
Resolve to say no to quick fixes.
Resolve to stick with it this year, NO MATTER WHAT.

If you lost a teeny amount of weight the first week of this year, multiply it by 50 and see if it's worth it to keep losing that amount.

Rather than make losing weight be about what you take away or deprive, make it about enhancing your overall life.

20 Ways to Slim Down (10-6)

Continuing on the the countdown of 20 ways to slim down...

#10 - Keep it Fresh

When trying to stay motivated, find something new, like pole dancing. When you don't mix up your routine, you body will plateau. Pole dance I can burn 400-500 calorie per hour.

#9 – It's All in the Numbers

There's calories, weight body mass % calorie intake for mean and woman are different, woman 2000 calories or less, mean are 2500. as far as clothing size, different manufactures use different numbers if you are obese w/number, cut it out. you can be 9 another 12. buy a pedometer @ least $20 is more accurate, weight is a number get rid of the scale if it's too hard to deal with. go by how you feel, how clothes fit, getting stronger, are you happier.

#8 - Core Is Your Core

Your core, the entire mid section (stomach oblique's lower back), keeps you looking long and lean. To improve it, try Pilates. It creates a strong core, increases flexibility, balance and develops small muscles.

#7 - Drink it Down

Water that is. It is a fact, we can't live without water. Our body functions on water. It's made up of 70% of guess what? Water!

Over the course of a day we naturally lose 2 cups of water. Water increases your metabolism, optimizes digestion, is a natural appetite suppressant and during workouts it aids the muscles.

Try to drink 8 glasses of water a day m'kay? If that's too hard, try 4 large glasses

#6 – Rally the Troops

This year get a support group. Bonding with others makes you feel not so alone. You need people to encourage, keep you on track and challenge you. Why not have a fitness party with your best buds. Serve veggie and fruit dips. Make snazzy drinks like a Spatini (spring water and your favorite fruit served in a martini glass) or how about a Pom Fizz? Pear cider, pomegranate juice and sparkling water.

Hire a personal trainer and split cost w/friends.

20 Ways to Slim Down (15-11)

Today I was supposed to write a review of the Lifetime movie Fat Like Me. I, uh...well, fell asleep I woke up and missed the first hour and was pretty lost. Plus it didn't seem to be about what the previews showed. I thought it'd be this girl taking on a social experiment by wearing a fat suit, but during the end they kept talking about a documentary and her doing it for the prize money and lying to a lot of people. I was lost. I checked to see if it'll rerun any time soon, if it does I'll give it a full watching.

I'll just continue with the countdown of 20 ways to slim down...

#15 - Trim with Technology

Use technology to fuel your workouts. There are TONS of gadgets on the market to help you avoid boredom: mp3 players, the internet where you can get ideas and info on food plans, pedometers, body fat monitors heart rate monitors etc.

I'm a techie geek so I love this tip most. Plus I'm super competitive, you can use those things to your advantage and rather than see working out as a chore, walk X amount of steps and try to walk XX steps the following week. Lose yourself in music when you are walking and time will fly by before you know it!

#14 - Love the Skin You Are In

Work with what you have and dress your current size. Don't try to hide in super baggy clothes nor wear skin tight clothes. Wearing well fitted clothing can make you look slimmer. Do NOT obsess about the number on the tag, buy your size, whatever that designer happens to call it, and if it bugs you that much, either cut it out, or do like Jerry Seinfeld and his perpetual size 34 jeans, write your fantasy size over it

# 13 - Size Does Matter

Portions in the US are 2-3 times larger than they should be. A portion of meat should be 3oz, which looks like a deck of cards or should fit in the palm of your hand, not including fingers. Rice should fit into a cupped palm or be the size of a tennis ball. When you fill up your plate, think of it in quarters and put ¼ protein, ¼ carb and the last ½ should be fresh veggies.

#12 - There is No Comfort Food

For most of us, food becomes a way of coping. It's our friend when we are lonely. Soothes us when we are upset. Cheers us when we celebrate. Associated with so many things that have nothing to do with just eating makes it a tough mental hurdle to overcome.

Try to find other things to take the place of food. When stressed, go for a walk, mediate, breathe or pamper yourself. Use food for it's purpose, eat to live, don't live to eat.

#11 - Shape Yourself Skinny

Using a body shapers can make you look and feel lbs thinner. Don't thin of those old fashion torture devices known as corsets. Try Spanx, it's what most celebrities use and I've heard it even got Oprah's seal of approval. Body shapers hold you in, takes care of cellulite and smoothes out dimples. If nothing else it makes your clothes fit better.

20 Ways to Slim Down (20-16)

Gotta love cable. Over the weekend TLC aired a program called 20 Ways to Slim Down. Their site didn't list the 20, so I took copious notes to share with fellow fat fighters.

Each day I'll post 20, except for tomorrow when I review the show Fat Like Me. Most of the tips are pretty common sense. I'm sure, like me, you've heard most of them. What I liked though, was they gave background information which helped some of the tips makes more sense.

#20 – Get Off Your Butt

You've got to get up get active. Period. The key is to stay with it and you will see results. When you move, you burn calories. When you sit, sleep, vegetate, you burn nothing. The average person can burn 100 calorie walking a mile.

Being active doesn't have to include sweat inducing push ups if you hate them, just pick something YOU like to do, not the latest trend or what everyone else is doing. Burn you calories dancing for 30 minutes, or playing relay racing with your kiddies. Go for a bike ride outdoors or just march in place inside.

#19 - Write it Down

Food diaries are important. Most people have no idea how many calories they consumed for they till they see it all totaled up at the end of the day. There are numerous free sites you can use to track your food intake. I personally use fitday.com. On average people underestimate their caloric by 400 calories which is almost 1lb a week.

#18 - Get Your Head in the Game

When it comes to losing weight, people first think of the obvious, diet and exercise. For some it's the emotional issues that'll be hard to change. Think about getting some form of therapy as studies have found therapy alone sometimes is enough to lose weight without dieting.

#17 - Spray Yourself Slim

Hrrrm…doubtful this'll work on the melanin rich segment of our society, like me however, a spray on tan can make you feel 10lbs slimmer. How so? It hides cellulite and brings out muscle tone.

#16 - Shop Smart, Shop Healthy

Here's how you can shop like a pro: Trade in your whole milk for skim milk, choose the whole wheat bread that says 100% whole wheat and get a high fiber count, like 4 grams per slice. Don't shop while hungry and shop the perimeter of the store to get produce, dairy, lean protein. The interior of the store is where you'll find mostly processed foods. I wonder when the supermarkets will learn that we know that trick and flip it around to put all the dairy and fruits inside and force you to walk the perimeter past all the ho-ho's and Oreos.

The Poppi Plan

If you watched The Biggest Loser finale, you may remember an at home contestant from New Jersey named Poppi. She won the $50,000 price for biggest loser at home and went from a size 22 to a size 2...

the resounding question is, "How on EARTH did you go from a size 22 to a size 2 in under 8 months???"

She was kind enough to post her routine on her myspace page. Here's a snippet:

THE REGIMENT

(I won't call it a diet, because I was NEVER hungry, loved what I ate and continue to do so!)
daily caloric intake: 1100 calories breakdown: 45% good carbohydrates (you need carbs to work out!!!) good carbs include whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruit (2 cups a day recommended), low carb wraps, etc 30% protein (low fat of course) includes white meat chicken, white meat turkey (all skinless), some shellfish (steamed shrimp..sometimes steamed lobster, butterless of course...) I do not eat these proteins, but on the diet you can: flank steak, tuna, all low cholesterol fish, egg whites, ricotta, yogurt, etc. 25% fat (this was more to keep track and make sure I was doing low fat) but I'd always have snacks that included low moisture mozzarella sticks, no butter, very low oil condiments, etc.

SAMPLE DAY :
breakfast:
organic waffle 110 cal
5.5 oz watermelon 45 cal

snack:
4 oz edamame (boiled soybeans) 100 cal
1 low fat mozz stick 80 cal

lunch:
6 oz steamed shrimp (seasoned) 160cal
1 cup miso soup 45cal
4 oz steamed broccoli (lite soy sauce) 40cal

snack:
whey protein shake 90cal

dinner:
4 oz grilled chicken breast 170cal
1 slice soy cheese 40cal
flax lavash (wrap that i grilled the 55
chicken and cheese on to make a panini!)
5.5 oz raw red pepper 25cal

snack:
small white corn tortilla 50cal
2 tbs organic black bean dip 15
2 tbs salsa (put in oven...kinda like a 20cal tostada!)

dessert:
Fat free frozen yogurt mousse pop 30cal

total: 1075 calories

THE WORKOUT
2 hours a day of intense/moderate cardio .5 hours a day of circuit.

Intense cardio for extremely overweight people can consist of eliptical, walking uphill on a treadmill, or for me, getting out of bed!!!! The two hours should be split up into two workouts. It would be helpful for beginners to consult with a trainer in terms of how to go about building your endurance. The one thing I found to be helpful is this: if your workout becomes comfortable, CHANGE IT UP!!! You should almost ALWAYS break a sweat and get your heart rate up. You don't need to do 2.5 hours a day. That's what I did. But I was completely horrified at my size on national tv! HA. Just be consistent. If you can only start with 20 min a day, so be it. Just make sure to go tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.

A few parting words from Poppi,

"But remember. There is no magic in the diet/exercise routine. The magic is your mind."

The magic is within your will. We all struggle everyday with different things.

Her myspace page.

7 Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You

If your gonna pig out, these are safe choices

1. Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a remarkably healthy ingredient, providing 3 1/2 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and a lot of fiber per half-cup serving. Pureed pumpkin lends itself to healthy cooking. It can, like applesauce and prune puree, replace fat in baked goods without giving them a rubbery texture.

2. Roast Turkey: Serve up three ounces of skinless turkey breast and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein with practically no fat. All that and only 100 calories. Plus you fill 25 percent of your daily need for niacin and vitamin B6.

3. Sweet Potatoes: Ounce for ounce, they have as much beta-carotene as carrots. A mere four ounces contain 50 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, as much potassium as a banana and a good amount of fiber. All this adds up to one terrific disease-fighting food!

4. Cranberry Relish: There's a substance in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections by interfering with the ability of bacteria to adhere to cell membranes. Cranberries also contain a potentially cancer-preventing compound called ellagic acid. Make a fresh orange-cranberry relish and get added benefit from the vitamin C in oranges.

5. Potatoes: Whether mashed or in latkes, potatoes are good food. They contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, plus fiber, iron, copper and plenty of B vitamins. Boiling potatoes will destroy some of the vitamin C and dissolve some of the rest of it into the cooking water. To help preserve the vitamin C content, use some of the cooking water instead of milk or cream when mashing them.

6. Figgy Pudding: Figs help make the pudding a nutritional gold mine. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and niacin, plus they have a natural laxative effect.

7. Eggnog: Choose only the low-fat variety and enjoy a holiday tradition while getting a good amount of protein and some calcium. (Just be sure not to drink too much, since there's still lots of sugar and calories in even the low-fat version.)

via diet @ ivillage

Surviving the Holidays

These are pretty good and come from the fine folks over at the Discovery Health site. You may not be able to do all 9 tips all the time, but maybe you can do 1 or 2 for the duration of the holiday. As for myself, I'm a 4 and 5 kinda gal How about you?

1) Eating Out. Restaurant entrees are a challenge. Look at the dish before you and cut the starch (rice, pasta, potato) by a third to half and eat the rest.

2) Beware of Bread. Whether you're at a restaurant or a special event, watch out for bread and bread products everywhere. In the best of all worlds, you have one serving daily of a whole-wheat or multi-grain type bread. Eat it slowly and enjoy.

3) Beware of Buffets. Buffets are especially difficult for people who just don't know when to say "no." Try small servings of lots of interesting foods. Use a smaller plate to limit yourself. Try to stick to one serving rather than loading up many times over.

4) Don't Leave Home Hungry. Before you leave for your event, make sure you're not hungry. If you are, have something simple like a piece of fruit, two low-fat string cheese sticks, or a yogurt or a multi-grain cracker with a serving of low-fat peanut butter on it. All of these will help fill you up and give you control over the foods you choose.

5) Daily Exercise. Before attending a special event where food will be served, get in your exercise that day. That's like putting money in the bank because it frees up some calories to spend on foods at the event.

6) Call Ahead. If you know the hostess or host of the event, call ahead and tell her or him that you don't eat red meat, or ask if there will be a choice of fruit for dessert rather than the chocolate mousse. Most people are more than happy to accommodate their guests' needs.

7) Bring Your Own Food. If it's a potluck, you're the one in luck! Bring your own food to share with others. Veggies, fruit and healthy sources of protein are great to bring. They cover you and put you in charge!

8) Watch the Alcohol. Be careful about how much alcohol you consume at an event. The more you drink, the more uninhibited you become, which means you stop paying attention and start making mistakes. Limit yourself to no more than two glasses of wine. Try to avoid hard liquor — for the calories and because mixing liquor and wine can lead to overeating.

9) Dealing With Desserts. At any event, there's always that wild-and-crazy and ever-so-tempting dessert. Learn to share. The more the merrier. If you end up eating a third of that creme brulee, well done. It will save you the fat and calories, as well as teach you, once again, how to savor.

Holiday Weight Maintenance

Snack Happy

Having healthy snacks on hand is always a good strategy no matter your weight goals. Consuming 5-6 smaller meals will keep your metabolism going and help keep you satisfied during the day. Those individuals that don’t eat on a regular basis are more likely to be tempted by holiday office treats. Good snack options include: trail mix or any fruit and nut mix (but limit nuts with lots of added salt), fruits, veggies, pretzels, and whole grain crackers (just to name a few!). Also, carry a bottle of water with you, and take sips often. This will keep you hydrated and will prevent you from mistaking thirst for hunger.

via dietwatch

Beat the Holiday Bulge

I'm already facing the food-pushers. Yesterday I had to turn down cake, THREE TIMES! In the next two weeks I'll be attending 3 food events. *sigh*

Thanksgiving is the unofficial kickoff to holiday indulgence and overeating. Each holiday season, through the New Year, many of us excuse the mountains of calories consumed. Why do we tend to eat past the point of satiation during this time of year?

There are many reasons we overeat during the season of celebration. Preparation for the holidays exacerbates everyday stress by adding more social obligations, financial pressures and time constraints. Stress can also accumulate from family members or expectations to have a great time at parties.

Even if you're having a great time, it's easy to lose track of calories. Social pressure from "food pushers" may be difficult to manage without hurting their feelings, or you feeling guilty. And if you think New Year's resolutions will eliminate those extra pounds, think again! Most weight loss resolutions don't last.

So, what can we do to manage our cravings, stress and avoid weight gain during this time of caloric bombardment? Here are seven tips to get you through with ease and enjoyment.

1. Experiment:
Allow yourself to have anything and everything you want to eat, but become a fabulous food manager. Food may not make you fat, but food abuse might! Choose seasonal foods you aren't likely to eat during the rest of the year -- eliminate those commonly available. For example, choose squash pudding instead of eating bread with butter.

2. Serve Yourself:
Politely insist on serving yourself. Take very small portions, eat slowly, and pay close attention to taste and cues of becoming full. Enjoy seconds or thirds of what you love, but keep the portions small and don't feel guilty for leaving out what's less than delicious. Leftovers are either wasted in the garbage or wasted on your body, and the former is much less fattening!

3. Politely Push Away:
Handle well-intentioned hosts who continually offer more food by showering them with compliments and appreciation. And kindly refusing to overindulge. If they are insulted by your refusal to overeat, recognize that it is their problem to cope with.

4. Know Your Limits:
Fats are fattening -- so eat nuts one at a time, eliminate some crusts on pies, and limit how much you drink eggnog. Begin with slivers of appealing deserts, and go back for more if you want. But don't hoard everything onto one plate.

5. Be Active:
Continue to exercise by adapting to the season. Dress in layers with a hat, remembering that outdoor activity warms you up quickly. Try a family activity or work out inside, run up and down stairs, or sneak away to the gym, even for 20 minutes!

6. Compensate:
Minimize calories throughout the day or week by having low calorie nutrition bars or a glass of a low calorie nutritional drink. Doing this before going to events can help you avoid being ravenous and maximize control of your hunger.

7. Find Support:
Holiday stress is as common as holiday blues. The holidays can emphasize feelings of isolation and loneliness -- which can cause us to eat to deal with the pain -- and leads to fattening results. Try to become your own best friend by soothing yourself with kind words, instead of beating yourself up for not meeting increased demands. Or find support from friends or express your emotions through journal writing.

[source]

Diet-Friendly Holiday Drink Ideas

Show of hands, who plans to get blotto this holiday season? Uh huh. Thought so. I found some tips to keep your drinks diet safe. Cheers!

• Pace yourself. The holiday season is long, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. It’s usual to attend a lot more parties and functions than at other times of the year, so try cutting back to quarter- or half-sized drinks.
• Mix and match. Drink a low-calorie, non-alcoholic beverage for every alcoholic one you down. Try adding ice and a little freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice to tonic water and/or cranberry juice to keep sensations pleasing.
• Sip. Consciously make each drink last.
• Say no. Yes, this tip requires you to be an adult. “When people offer you drinks, learn to say ‘no’ when you’ve had enough,” advises Sylvia Klinger, Chicago food consultant and owner of Hispanic Food Communications.
• Step away from the bar. Don’t make it easier to indulge by hanging out right next to the bar, says Klinger. Get your cocktail and socialize elsewhere at the party.

[source]

15 Festive Stay-Slim Treats

Drinks

Good: 5 oz champagne (126*): Good for pacing yourself—the bubbles encourage you to drink more slowly.

Better: 5 oz red wine (106): Full of heart-healthy polyphenols, it may also help lower blood pressure.

Best: 1 oz Stoli Blueberi vodka with 8 oz pomegranate-tangerine-flavored Hint water (58): A daily drink helps fight heart disease.

Appetizers

Good: 1 stuffed mushroom (69): All mushrooms are packed with antioxidants, but more exotic varieties have even greater benefits.

Better: 1 bacon-wrapped scallop (51) An excellent source of protein, scallops are also rich in heart-healthy B12.

Best: 1 lg steamed shrimp with 1 tsp cocktail sauce (13): Shrimp is high in cancer-fighting selenium.

Entrees

Good: 3 oz skinless chicken breast with 1 Tbsp apricot chutney (165): Chicken is a low-fat source of B vitamins like B6 and niacin, which help the body convert carbohydrates into energy.

Better: 3 oz turkey breast with 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce (141): Cranberries contain powerful antioxidants and also fight bacteria.

Best: Lobster tail with a squeeze of lemon (99): Lobster is high in immunity-boosting zinc.

Desserts

Good: 1/2 slice pumpkin pie (158): High in fiber, pumpkins are also a great source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant.

Better: 2" chocolate brownie (112): The flavonoids in cocoa can help lower blood pressure and improve circulation.

Best: 1 sm sugar cookie (72) or 1 mini chocolate eclair (48): You can cure an intense craving for sweets with just a little bite or two.

After Dinner

Good: Coffee with 2 Tbsp half-and-half and 2 tsp sugar (77): Coffee is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.

Better: Coffee with 2 Tbsp 2 percent milk and 1 tsp sugar (35): The calcium in milk fights osteoporosis.

Best: Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Holiday Decaf Green Tea with 1 Tbsp fat-free milk and 1 tsp sugar (21): Green tea is rich in antioxidants.

[source]

Hooray Mel

Congrats to Mel for shedding 43.6lbs (and counting) since April of this year. She started at 226.4 and as of last week weighed in at 182.8!

Please share your losing tips with us. How've you been working out? What have you been eating? What are some key factors in your overall loss?

Perhaps what you did will help someone else.

Hooray Shelley & TC

Congrats to Shelley for shedding 7lbs in September! & to TC for a sweet 3lb loss last week!

Please share your losing tips with us. Did you do something different? How've you been working out? Eating? What was the key factor in your recent loss?

Perhaps what you did will help someone else, and if you do it again this month/week, a pattern may emerge

7 Habits That Prevent Weight Loss

Are you weight loss efforts currently stalled? Think you're doing everything right, but the scale refuses to budge? I found these 7 bad habits over at Discovery Health, that may be hampering your progress.

1. Skipping Breakfast
   The Culprit: We all know the deal: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Still, many of us skip it thinking that it will help us shed pounds. In fact, this bad habit actually packs on the pudge.
   
   The Solution: A recent study found that those who ate ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, hot cereal or even quick breads (like muffins and banana bread) had significantly lower BMIs (body mass indices) than those who skipped breakfast.





2. Eating at Your Desk
   
   The Culprit: Everyone is time-crunched. These days, we eat when and where we can — in the car, at our desks and in front of the TV. Unfortunately, when we tune into work or to our favorite show, we generally tune out healthy eating habits and don't pay attention to internal cues that tell us we're full.
   
   
   
   The Solution: Make time for meals as often as you can. When you designate only the dining room, kitchen and restaurants as places to eat, you're less likely to be distracted and overeat.





3. Cleaning Your Plate
   
   The Culprit: Calories add up. So, even that light pasta dish or bean burrito can add girth if you're taking in more calories than you're burning off. Beverages and snack foods are common culprits for including multiple servings in what looks to be a single-serving size container. Without thinking, you can down 180 to 240 calories in beverages that are otherwise healthy.
   
   
   
   The Solution: Check the label and stick to the portion size, even if it means putting the rest in the fridge or taking home a doggie bag.





4. Forgetting Fitness
   
   The Culprit: Many dieters think that just cutting back on calories will lead to lifelong weight loss. This works initially, but only for a while and often leads to yo-yo dieting. Studies show that most people who successfully
   lose weight and keep it off long-term do so by both cutting calories and adding regular exercise to their lives.
   
   
   
   The Solution: Couch potatoes start out with 2,000 steps a day and work your way up to 10,000+. Get a pedometer and get going!
;





5. Late-night Monster
   
   The Culprit: By far one of the most common ways people sabotage their weight loss goals. They've been good all day and had a reasonable dinner. Then they plant themselves in front of the TV, where the munchie monster calls and they head for the chips or ice cream. Other folks are plagued by late-night
   eating due to long hours at the office.
   
   
   
   The Solution: If this is your case, make sure to keep healthy snacks on hand so that you can make a smart choice about what to eat when you finally get home.





6. Fat Phobia
   
   The Culprit: If you eschew fat of any kind and live in the land of fat-free food, you're not getting the bargain you hoped for. In addition to making food taste wonderful, fat also helps us feel satisfied. Cut it out of your diet and you'll feel the need to stock up on fat-free, but calorie-full foods, like cookies and pretzels.
   
   
   
   The Solution: Keep your fat intake to about 30% of your total calories and enjoying small portions of your favorite foods once in a while.





7. The Bar Scene
   
   The Culprit: Alcohol, no matter what form it comes in, beer, wine or spirits, packs on the calories mercilessly. Not only does alcohol contribute seven calories per gram, it also has the effect of making you eat more during a meal.
   
   
   
   The Solution:  You don't need to be a teetotaler; just try to stick to one drink (for women) or two drinks (for men) per day. If you're at a bar or a party, space each drink you have with a glass of water and avoid super-sugary and calorie-packed tropical and frozen drinks. Also, don't head out for a night on the town without eating something first. Otherwise, you'll fill up on nutrient-free alcohol and really hate yourself in the morning.

10 Tips for Reaching Physical Activity Goals

Nearly seven out of ten Americans don’t get enough physical activity. Being inactive is more common among women than men, among older adults, and among African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos than Caucasians. Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to bring health benefits. Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all exercise adds up to better health. Below are some tips for reaching your physical activity goals.

1. If you have not been active for a long time, are overweight, have a high risk of coronary heart disease or some other long-term health problem, see your doctor for medical evaluation before beginning a physical activity program.
2. Don't overdo it. Perform low to moderate-level physical activities that get your heart rate up, especially at first. These “aerobic” activities (e.g., brisk walking, jumping rope, stair climbing, jogging or dancing) build endurance and burn calories.
3. Slowly increase the duration and intensity of your exercise as you become fit. Over time, work up to 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity, at least five days a week. If you can’t dedicate a full 30 minutes to exercise, break your physical activity into three 10-minute intervals.
4. Choose activities that are fun, not exhausting. Try using music to keep you motivated and entertained.
5. Add variety. Try not to rely too much on one activity. Find several that you enjoy. That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine.
6. Wear comfortable, properly fitted footwear and clothing that is appropriate for the weather and the kind of physical activity you choose.
7. Find a convenient time and a safe place to get active. Try to make it a habit, but be flexible. If you miss an opportunity, work physical activity into your day another way.
8. Try wearing a pedometer, which measures the distance you travel on foot. Set a long-term goal of 10,000 steps a day, or about five miles. Monitor your average number of steps each day and then add several hundred more steps a day each week until you reach your goal.
9. Share your physical activity time with others. Make a date with a family member, friend or co-worker to walk or ride bikes. Be an active role model for your children.
10. Keep a record of your physical activities and reward yourself. Nothing motivates like success!

Tips via everdaychoices.

13 Ways to Kick-Start Your Diet

Ever felt that everyone you know seems to be losing weight, but when you try their dieting tricks, you don't have the same success? You may not be doing anything wrong. It could be that those strategies just aren't a good match for you. Achieving your goals is all about finding the specific lifestyle fixes that work for you -- not for your neighbor. Try these tactics. You have nothing but weight to lose!

Get Active
1. Start with Sneakers - It takes a combination of diet and exercise to lose body fat, but researchers now believe that it's best to tackle exercise first.

2. Make Ambitious Exercise Goals - Instead of saying "I will exercise three days a week," plan to exercise every day, even if you know you won't make it. Most of us accomplish only 60 percent of our weekly fitness goals, so if you plan to work out for an hour every day, you'll probably make it to three or four workouts a week.

3. Find a Groove - Blocking out an hour or two for a sweaty workout takes dedication. Make the prospect a little more fun by buying an MP3 player. A recent study from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey found that women who listened to music while walking lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.

Calorie-Counting Strategies
4. Keep Your Diet Simple - Most successful losers are unadventurous when it comes to eating. "Too much variety actually stimulates your appetite," explains Hollie A. Raynor, PhD, RD, assistant professor of research at Brown Medical School in Providence. Curtail your dietary diversity by preparing dinners at home instead of eating out. Stick to cooking a few tried-and-true recipes with a wide range of nutrients, and rotate them often.

5. Overestimate Your Calories - Most dieters under-report the calories they consume by a third and over-report the amount of exercise they do by half, says Foreyt. Keeping an accurate journal allows you to objectively analyze what you're eating and why. When you do guesstimate, round up by a few hundred calories.

6. Target Weekend Calories - A recent study found that on the weekends, Americans tend to eat about 82 calories more per day than on the weekdays, most of them from fat and alcohol. That doesn't sound like much, but after a year it adds up to more than two pounds. Weekends are usually a time to let it all go; but losing weight is a precise numbers game, so you can't really afford to loosen the reins too much. Skip the extra margarita and find other ways to relax.

7. Order First - When you're dining out, be the first to place your order. If everyone is ordering the burger and fries, for example, you'll be more apt to go with the flow. Set a healthier tone by ordering a salad and the grilled fish.

8. Troubleshoot - When you overindulge (and you will, because you're human), don't beat yourself up, but don't slough it off either. Taking a problem-solving approach reinforces your sense of accountability. For example, if you scarfed down a tray of appetizers at the office party, was it because you skipped lunch? Were you nervous about an upcoming meeting? Once you think you've nailed the cause, formulate a plan for what you'll do differently the next time you encounter the same situation.

Daily Tips
9. Weigh In - Daily weighing is a winning weight-loss strategy, according to research from the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks more than 4,000 people who have lost 30 pounds and kept them off for at least one year. "If you're actively trying to lose weight, gaining more than that over a week is a red flag that your calorie intake or exercise plan needs some tweaking," says Raynor.

10. Outwit Your Appetite - Eating six small meals a day to help control your appetite doesn't work for everybody. To control calories, have just three meals a day and skip snacks.

11. Make a Connection - A good support system may help you make better diet and exercise decisions by boosting accountability.

12. Take Eight (Hours) - Shortchanging yourself on sleep lowers the level of the hormone leptin -- this can increase your desire to eat and decrease your ability to burn calories. To lose or maintain weight, there's an ideal sleep zone of about eight hours a night, say researchers.

13. Limit Tempting High-Fat Foods - For a while, conventional wisdom urged the no-diet approach: Don't avoid tempting foods like chocolate ice cream, because avoidance only leads to cravings and results in bingeing. But in some studies, those who actually followed this method ran into trouble. "The reality is that most people trying to lose weight can't give themselves permission to eat problem foods," says Kirschenbaum. Temptation just creates difficulties. Choose replacements such as chocolate sorbet instead of saturated-fat-packed chocolate ice cream.

Via July 2006 FITNESS magazine.

6 Ways to Curb Your Appetite

The Mayo Clinic has six tried-and-true tips to help you curb that hunger and eat less.

1. Don't skip breakfast - You'll be less likely to overeat at lunch if you have a breakfast that includes high-fiber cereal, whole-grain bread or fresh fruit.
2. Eat slowly - Savor each flavor and texture and remember it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you are full.
3. Think small - If you always eat everything on your plate, start with half the amount of food you usually eat. To make less food seem like more, have your main course on a salad plate or dessert plate.
4. Eat only when you're hungry - Stop and ask yourself whether you're hungry or just stressed or bored. Then eat--or don't eat--accordingly.
5. Ride out the urge - Cravings generally pass within seconds or minutes. Do something unrelated to food until the desire to eat passes. Exercise is an especially good and healthy distraction.
6. Allow an occasional splurge - An occasional lapse won't hurt you. In the long run, it will have little impact on your lifetime plan for controlling your appetite.

10 Foods for a flat tummy

Yet another gem from fitness magazine, I may have to renew my lapsed subscription

50-year-old power lifter Maria Creel told The Sun Herald of South Mississippi, "I will stake my life on it that if you eat right you will have flatter abs. It's all about good, old-fashioned healthy eating and exercise. There is no pill. The nice part about this is that you can start at any age."

She also states the key is combining the right combo a protein, a fat and a carbohydrate. What's her proof? Why she's only broken state records for power lifting is all.

The 10 best foods for a flat tummy:

1. Almonds
2. Eggs
3. Soy
4. Apples
5. Berries
6. Leafy greens
7. Yogurt
8. Vegetable soup
9. Salmon
10. Quinoa

With the exception of 5 & 10, I pretty much eat the other 8 on a daily basis. Flat pooch here I come!

Exercise Strategies II

I admit, I'm biased, I rather move it to lose it than count calories, which I grudgingly do. So here's ways to zap 500 calories per workout. Yowza!

Exercise Strategies

• Do 1 hour of intense cardio (elliptical trainer, rowing, ski machine).

• Do 70 minutes of power yoga.

• Take a 30-minute walk in the morning, a 15-minute walk at lunchtime, and a 30-minute walk in the evening.

• Swim laps for 45 minutes.

• Do this 60-minute workout: Walk for 15 minutes at 4 mph on the treadmill, then jump rope for 5 minutes; repeat 2 more times.

• Mountain bike for 45 minutes.

• Play singles tennis for 1 hour.

[source]

Diet Strategies II

Switch to this amped-up plan, choosing one 500-calorie-zapping strategy from the diet & exercise column per day, and you'll burn a total of 7,000 calories -- or two pounds -- in seven days.

How to Lose 2 Pounds in a Week

• Instead of an egg salad sandwich on a kaiser roll, have a ham sandwich with 3 ounces of sliced lean ham and mustard on light bread.

• Swap kung pao chicken takeout for this homemade dinner: 3 to 4 cups of steamed veggies and 4 ounces of tofu with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

• Cut out all sugar for one day: Have a single serving of cereal such as Fiber One instead of a frosted variety, and skip the teaspoon of sugar on top. Leave the sugar out of your coffee and honey out of your tea; trade your peanut butter and jelly sandwich for two pieces of toast with sugar-free jam and skip the brownie for dessert.

• Have breakfast for dinner. Replace a hearty meal of pasta with sauce, one piece of French bread and salad with vinaigrette with a bowl of low-fat cereal such as Special K with nonfat milk and 1 cup of blueberries.

• Eliminate between-meal snacking. Skip your 10 a.m. cereal bar, your 3 p.m. yogurt with nuts, and the late-night ice cream.

• Go halfsies: At breakfast have half of a bakery bagel or a mini bagel instead of a regular-size whole bagel. At lunch, have a half sandwich. At dinner, have one-half cup of rice or half a baked potato.

• Hold all the bread. At breakfast, forgo the bagel with your fruit and cereal. At lunch, have the insides of your sandwich only. At dinner, skip the roll and any spread.

Tomorrow, 500 calorie busting exercise sessions

Exercise Strategies

Yesterday I shared ways to shave 500 calories off food, today, how to burn 500 calories. Do either of these 2 things each day and you can burn aproximately 3500 calories per week or 1lb. Cool.

Exercise Strategies

• Jog at a 10-minute-mile pace for 20 minutes.

• Alternate sprinting and walking for 20 minutes.

• Walk briskly for 30 minutes.

• Spin for 30 minutes at a moderate pace.

• Go for a 20-minute trail run.

• Do 1 hour of housework.

• Walk 1 mile in the morning and 1 mile in the evening.

• Do 35 minutes of power yoga.

• Do 35 minutes of Pilates.

• Practice tai chi for 45 minutes.

• Perfect your swing at the driving range for 60 minutes.

• Practice capoeira (a Brazilian mix of martial arts and dance) for 30 minutes.

• Hit a punching bag for 30 minutes.

• Go in-line skating for 15 minutes.

• Shovel snow for 30 minutes.

• Ice-skate vigorously for 30 minutes.

• Run up stairs for 15 minutes.

• Jump rope for 20 minutes.

• Do 25 minutes of circuit training.

• Dance for 40 minutes.

• Play Frisbee for 1 hour.

• Wash windows for 1 hour.

• Use a pedometer and log an extra 3,600 steps.

Ready to burn more? Tomorrow and Friday, ways to burn 2lbs per week

Diet Strategies

45 Ways to Lose One Pound a Week

Here are a few quick facts about losing a pound: It will make your jeans feel a smidge looser, it's the equivalent of four sticks of butter (picture that for a second!), and it requires that you burn and/or cut a total of 3,500 calories. Sound like a lot? It adds up faster than you think.

To lose one pound in seven days you need to reduce your net calories by 500 every day. The easiest way to do that is a 250 split: Cut half from your diet and burn the other half through exercise. To come up with easy ways to do this, we enlisted trainer Heather Rider, founder and director of Rider Fitness Consulting in Los Angeles, and nutritionist Lauren Slayton, RD, of Foodtrainers in New York City. Choose one strategy from the diet and exercise columns each day (feel free to mix and match) and after seven days you will have cut out 3,500 calories. Losing four sticks of butter has never been such a cinch!

Diet Strategies

• Replace your morning bagel and cream cheese with an English muffin and cottage cheese.

• Skip the large bakery muffin in favor of 1 slice of whole wheat toast topped with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

• Swap your large bran muffin for 3/4 cup of bran flakes.

• Replace eggs and cheese with scrambled egg whites.

• Replace your 450-calorie lunch with a 200-calorie protein shake.

• Replace large french fries with a yogurt-and-fruit parfait.

• Modify your lunch: Skip the cheese on your salad or sandwich, substitute mustard for mayo, and replace potato chips with soy chips.

• Have half a tuna salad sandwich instead of a whole, plus two cups of raw vegetables.

• Skip the cheese in an omelet and a lunchtime sandwich.

• Switch from cream soup to vegetable-based soup at lunch and dinner.

• Switch from one cup premium to light ice cream.

• Skip your afternoon frozen yogurt with ground nuts.

• Resist the handful of M&M's at the receptionist's desk.

• Cut out 1 biscotti and 1 large mocha.

• Switch from a chai tea latte to lemon tea.

• Have 1 ounce of soy nuts instead of 3 ounces of roasted almonds.

• Substitute a serving of beef with shrimp or a white flaky fish like cod at two meals.

• Leave behind one-fourth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Have 1 cup of strawberries instead of a whole banana, and cauliflower instead of a baked potato with sour cream.

• Replace ranch or blue cheese dressing with low-fat vinaigrette at lunch and dinner.

• Have a vodka and soda instead of a margarita at happy hour.

Tomorrow , my favorite, Exercise Strategies

Outwit Hunger

Two simple ways to outwit your hunger are to eat slowly and don’t wait until you’re starving to eat, which can increase the chances of overeating.

I can attest to the first tip, when I am starving I can easily, easily I say, inhale an entire pizza. Conversely, if I take my time, which I can't help while eating a large salad. A 1/2 hour later as I'm still chewing lettuce, I'm no longer hungry and end up feeling, *gasp*, full even. Darn that brain trick.

25 Quick Steps Towards A Healthier Diet

25 quick tips that will help you shape up your food choices while slimming down your waistline.
Increasing Vegetables
• Learn to properly steam vegetables.
• Decrease the meat and increase the vegetables called for in stews and casseroles.
• Add grated carrots, zucchini or cabbage to chili and meatloaf.
• Offer washed and trimmed carrot and celery sticks for snacking.
• Add finely grated carrots, pumpkin, or zucchini to baked breads and cakes.

Increasing Whole Grains
• Substitute whole-wheat flour for bleached white flour when you bake.
• Top casseroles with wheat germ or whole-wheat bread crumbs.
• Serve bran-based cereals, or those made from shredded wheat.
• Serve imaginative whole-grain side dishes (bulgur, kasha, etc.) instead of egg noodles.
• Offer crackers and corn chips containing whole grains.

Reducing Fat
• Cook with less fat by using non-stick skillets.
• Blot all fried meats on paper towels.
• Add a spoon of water or broth as needed instead of more fat when sautéing onions and vegetables.
• Substitute low-fat yogurt for mayonnaise.
• Substitute ground turkey for ground beef.

Reducing Salt
• Substitute lemon juice or herbs for salt when cooking pasta or grains.
• Avoid cooking with soy or Worcestershire sauce.
• Substitute garlic or onion powder for garlic or onion salt.
• Avoid using products that contain monosodium glutamate.
• Use unsalted or low-salt vegetable broths and products.

Reducing Sugar
• Choose canned fruits packed in water instead of heavy syrup.
• Use only fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh is unavailable.
• Cut the sugar called for in most recipes by one-third to one-half.
• Sweeten waffles and quick breads with cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla or almond extracts.
• Add pureed banana to baked goods and reduce the sugar.

[source]

Don't skip meals

Next time you’re tempted to blow off breakfast (or lunch or dinner), don’t. By under eating, your body shifts into “emergency” mode, thinking that starvation is sure to follow. Fat storage-related enzymes are triggered, waiting for the next food to come down the pike so they can pack the nutrition away for later use. New studies have also shown that people who skip meals tend to be more inclined to crave both salty and sugary foods (read: junk).

I am a walking example of this. Oy.

Burn More Calories

changeonediet.com has come up with easy ways to boost your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. They've also thrown in ideas for cranking up the calorie burn of your workout -- without making it longer. Taken together, these tips should be more than enough to shift your weight loss out of neutral and move it full speed ahead again.

1. Sip green tea three times a day.
2. Use interval training to rev up your workout.
3. Fidget.
4. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and work out your hands frequently during the day.
5. Don't starve yourself.
6. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning. That's how many 16-ounce bottles of water you should drink during the day to rev your metabolism, helping burn more calories.
7. Exercise outside.
8. Turn up the heat with hot peppers.
9. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals.
10. Sip a couple of cups of coffee throughout the day.
11. Don't get discouraged because you've been yo-yo dieting.
12. Walk with intent -- and intensity.
13. Bump up the protein in your diet.
Read the details on why each tip works here.

Of all the tips, I like 1, 2, 6, 9 and 13 the most. I'm not a coffee drinker so that's out. Hot and spicy foods drain my sinuses so that's out too. But I can find a way to incorporate the rest. I am relieved to read #11 and learn that:

Don't get discouraged because you've been yo-yo dieting. Somehow the myth got started that if you've spent your life losing and gaining the same 10 or 20 pounds, your metabolism gets out of whack and winds up slower than an airport security line. Don't believe it. When researchers reviewed 43 studies on the topic, they found no difference in the metabolic rates of yo-yo dieters versus those of everyone else

There's hope yet

5 Healthiest Habits on the Planet

Healthy Habit #1 - Eat Plenty of Produce and Whole Grains
Research finds that three servings or more a day of produce can lower the risk of stroke, heart disease, and some cancers.

What you can do:
Try to fill two-thirds of your plate with produce and whole-grain foods, and the remaining third with fish or meat, Montignac says. Also, challenge yourself to put as many colors as possible into your meal. Or go on a fruit exploration: Try one new type of fruit from your local market each week. In summer, freeze some of your new favorites for a frosty after-dinner treat.

Healthy Habit #2 - Savor Leisurely Dining
Eating comfortably and slowly discourages overeating and fosters relaxation, which aids digestion. The body processes food more easily and efficiently when it's calm...

What you can do:
Take time to savor the scent, texture, and flavor of food. [snip] Instead of bringing everything to the table at once, have a salad course, then fruit, entrée, and dessert—with, say, at least 10 minutes between each course to digest, chat, and relax. Whether you're dining with a spouse, family, or just you, set the table and sit down, rather than grazing in the kitchen—and enjoy.

Healthy Habit #3 - Practice Portion Control
We have an abundance of delicious and nutritious food available in America; we just need to pay attention to portions. An average meal in France is 25 percent smaller than one in America... a typical carton of yogurt sold in Philadelphia was 82 percent larger than one offered in Paris, and a soft drink was 52 percent larger. In Japan, foods also come in smaller sizes and are often eaten out of bowls, rather than large plates or platters.

What you can do:
Japanese from the Okinawa region, who enjoy the longest life span in the world (an average of 82 years), practice "hara hachi bu," which translates to "eight parts out of 10" and means Okinawans stop eating when they are 80 percent full...

Healthy Habit #4 - Eat a Variety of Unprocessed, Fresh Foods
The first thing many foreign visitors comment on when they enter an American supermarket is how many choices are available. It's not uncommon to find wild Alaskan salmon, olive oil from Greece, and grains from Italy all in one store. Organic foods and farmers' markets have also never been more popular. Many of these outlets feature interesting varieties, such as heirloom fruits and vegetables.

Shopping in countries such as France and Italy may also involve several stops--at the butcher, the greengrocer, and the baker--which not only increases the shopper's activity level, but also results in meals made with unprocessed ingredients...

What you can do:
Skip the prepared food aisles at the market and choose fresh, whole foods. Also, indulge in salads: With so many prewashed fresh vegetables and fruits available, you can put together a big, colorful one in minutes. Combine bagged baby greens, sliced mushrooms, cherry or sweet grape tomatoes, prechopped fresh bell peppers, and red onions. Drizzle with a bottled, reduced-calorie vinaigrette, and add whole-grain crackers, melba rounds, or matzoh crackers on the side to sneak in whole grains. Also, take vegetables beyond salads and steamers by pairing sautéed broccoli or spinach with whole wheat pasta, and tossing with roasted beets and walnuts.

Healthy Habit #5 - Spice Up Your Plate
Herbs and spices add delicious, attractive, and healthful flair to your plate. In addition to being low in calories and virtually fat free, researchers are discovering that herbs, such as garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and spices, like cinnamon, cloves, and curcumin (also known as turmeric), may fight disease. One recent, 40-day study of 60 people with type 2 diabetes found that eating half a teaspoon of cinnamon twice daily significantly lowered subjects' blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

What you can do:
In the United States, we have many ethnic restaurants and food choices where spices take center stage, and there are still more ways to add them to your diet...start a container garden on your windowsill. You can also experiment with using unfamiliar spices on familiar foods....You can also add fresh herb leaves, such as basil, mint, or tarragon, to salads for a flavor boost. [source]

Tips From Long-Term Losers

A recent FDA report on weight loss mentioned the National Weight Control Registry, which includes a database of over 3,000 American adults who have lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for an average of six years. The group’s secret? According to the study’s co-developer, R.I. Wing, the majority shares four common behaviors: they eat a low-fat, high-carb diet, they monitor themselves by weighing in frequently, they are very physically active, and they eat breakfast. Presto, magico!

Could this be the new weight loss bandwagon? Eat low-fat/high carb foods, weigh frequently, MOVE your @rse...oh and eat breakfast.

It's almost freakishly simple no?

Smart Eating Tip

You don't have to fear sabotaging your diet the next time you head for the Chinese food buffet or order take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Simply try to steer clear of high-fat, calorie-laden dishes that are deep-fried like egg rolls, meats (i.e., sesame chicken), and desserts (i.e., ice cream). If the pu-pu platter or fried banana are too appealing to turn down, then by all means enjoy a taste or two.

But as a general rule of thumb, request that your food be prepared with minimal oil and opt for:

• Soups (like wonton and hot and sour)
• Steamed spring rolls or wontons
• Steamed rice (if possible, order brown rice for added fiber and nutrients)
• Stir-fried or steamed entrees with chicken, tofu, fish or seafood and lots of veggies
• Fresh fruit for dessert

Healthy Halloween

There aren't any kids in my building, or neighborhood for the matter, so buying/making treats have never been a big deal. And so long as I avoid stores in the weeks leading up to the big day, I don't get tempted to stray into the candy aisles.

washingtonpost.com gives some good tips on healthy treats:

• Introduce dark chocolate. Most kids already love milk chocolate, but fewer have acquired the taste for this darker and less-sweet flavor.
  
• Think small. Portion control can help limit calories.
  
• Sneak some protein into that treat. Protein helps mute the body's reaction to sugary foods, which quickly starts a vicious cycle: Blood sugar rises, prompting insulin production, which drops blood sugar and then boosts hunger.
  
• Pop a surprise. Popcorn is a whole grain.
  
• Go fruity. Because of safety concerns, few parents allow their kids to eat candied or caramel apples supplied by strangers. But you can deliver fruit in other ways.
  
• Dole out calcium-rich treats. Most kids don't get enough bone-building calcium, so here's a place where you could make a little difference.
  
• Whip it. That's how Mars keeps calories lower on 3 Musketeers bars.
  
• Make it slow. "Lollipops are a great choice because they take a while to eat," notes Zied.

Here are a few recipes for parental units, or those like me, big kids in adult clothing.

Enjoy and have a safe Halloween!

Candied Honey Apples

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup honey
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped nuts
6 small (4 to 6 oz. each) apples with sticks

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except apples and nuts in 2-quart saucepan.
   
2. Cook over medium-high heat to 265°F; stir constantly.
   
3. Remove from heat.
   
4. Cool 5 minutes.
   
5. Holding apple by stick, roll in hot honey mixture to coat; roll bottom of apple in nuts if desired.
   
6. Place on waxed paper squares to cool.
   
7. Repeat with remaining apples. Makes 6 apples.
   

Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving.
Calories: 550
Total Fat: 28 g
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Protein: 3 g
[source]

Spooky Honey Popcorn Balls

Ingredients:

½ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups warm popped popcorn

Directions:

1. Combine honey, sugar, 1 Tablespoon butter and cinnamon in 2-quart microwave-safe container.
   
2. Microcook, covered with plastic wrap, at HIGH (100%) 5-1/2 to 7 minutes or to 275°F.
   
3. Pour over warm popcorn; stir with wooden spoon until popcorn is thoroughly coated.
   
4. Cool until mixture can be handled.
   
5. Butter hands and shape popcorn into balls.
   

Tip: Eat within a few hours or store lightly covered to maintain freshness.

Nutritional Information:
Based on individual serving.
Calories: 169
Total Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 1 g

Top 10 Grocery Shopping Mistakes

It's a good thing these aren't commandments as I've made mistakes #1, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10. Cripes.

1. Purchasing too much food: This can be easy to do if you don’t stick to your shopping list. It’s very tempting to purchase items on sale or that look new and enticing, even though they’re not truly needed. Two-for-one deals are a common trap, and while they may lead you to believe that you’ll save money, you really may not need such large quantities. And try not to buy on impulse – focus on what you need, and save impulse buying for the shoe store!
2. Not planning ahead for meals: Time is precious, and you don’t want to waste yours trying to figure out what to make for dinner while perusing the vegetables. It’s worthwhile to meal-plan before you head to the store (this also reduces the likelihood of impulse buying), which will demand some time in the beginning, but will save you time in the end. Plus, by planning your menu in advance, you can make sure that your meals are balanced and full of variety. Aim to include plenty of fruits and veggies (try to vary color as much as possible in order to benefit from as many nutrients and phytochemicals as possible), lean meats or other protein sources like fish and eggs, low-fat dairy products, and whole grain foods (i.e., brown rice and whole wheat pasta).
3. Not checking expiration dates: Unfortunately, not all food items are marked clearly with expiration dates. While many are, other items are labeled with a code that may not be easily understandable. Don’t hesitate to ask if you want to know how to decode the code! Checking dates is important on items such as those two-for-one deals. You’ll get one jar of mayonnaise and the second free, but if they expire in a few months, you could find yourself tossing out quite a bit of unused mayo.
4. Relying too heavily on prepackaged or prepared meals: A few of these items are great to have on hand, especially when you are short on time. But try not to rely too heavily on prepackaged meals. They are often very high in sodium (since salt acts as a preservative) as well as high in fat and other additives. For quick, healthy meal ideas, check out the cooking section in your local bookstore for magazines that offer time-saving menus. When you do carve out some time to cook, prepare extra portions to freeze and enjoy later.
5. Choosing unhealthy items to snack on: Beware of those aisles packed with chips, candy and cookies. I advise you to bypass them all together. Some easy, healthy snack ideas:
• Fruit smoothies are easy to make. Just toss some frozen fruits, low-fat/nonfat yogurt and a bit of juice, milk or soymilk into the blender. The natural sugars in the fruit can help satisfy that craving for sweets that often beckons us in the evening.
• If you do want some chocolate, go for the dark variety (dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants) and don’t buy in bulk.
• Popcorn makes a great snack as well. You can make your own – all you need is some high-temperature cooking oil like canola, some popcorn kernels, and a bit of olive oil and garlic salt to top it off! Or try some brewer’s yeast for a nutritional boost.
6. Purchasing low-fat/nonfat snacks or fad diet foods: It wasn’t too long ago when low-fat/nonfat foods were all the rage, followed most recently by low-carb foods. Low-fat foods led people to believe they could eat all they wanted, when in reality these foods were often full of sugar and calories. And one problem with the recent low-carb fad was the fact that the products were much more expensive than their regular counterparts, and were often sold in smaller portions. You might as well save money and use less – such as with whole grain bagels. Instead of a whole bagel, enjoy half. (Speaking of whole grains, the recent push in advertising for whole grain products is not a fad. Whole grains are very healthy and should be included regularly in your meals.)
7. Not reading food labels: It make take a bit of time to get the swing of checking labels, but doing so will make you an informed consumer. It’s important to know what you’re putting in your body. Aim to choose products with fewer ingredients (less processed) and those with fewer chemicals and preservatives.
8. Shopping at the wrong time of day: Do you like to shop in peace or is the mad rush of carts darting down the aisles more your cup of tea? If you enjoy the more serene scene, try shopping in the early morning or later in the evening. Avoid weekend shopping and instead hit the stores in the middle of the week. Just remember to shop on a full stomach – being hungry is a surefire way to over-shop or buy on impulse.
9. Not reviewing weekly ads and comparison shopping: If you get Sunday paper inserts or other weekly ads, take the time to have a look. These can be helpful with menu planning, as you may want to take advantage of what’s on sale. Clip those coupons but don’t buy items that you don’t usually use just because they happen to be on sale.
10. Getting stuck in a grocery rut: Many of us fall prey to this but it’s important to try new things. Browse through your cookbooks and look for new recipes, or surf recipe websites online. Ask your friends to share some of their favorite dishes. Grandma may have some keepers too! And don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. You may come up with a true winner of your own that’s worthy of passing along.

Top 10 Fitness Tips

Top 10 Fitness Tips - by Steve Edwards

1. Exercise Every Day. This is not as simple as it sounds; it's simpler. This doesn't mean you need to run, lift weights, or take an aerobics class. Each day you should do some form of movement that elevates your heart rate. And this can be as simple as walking to the corner market to buy a paper.

I can get behind this. The other week I went back to walking up the stairs and got so winded and my heart pumped so loudly it felt like a workout in and of itself.

2. Eat More Plants. Back before Domino's, we had to leave home in order to procure food. At one point, we found most of our food growing in the ground and hanging from trees. These items, called fruits and vegetables, are now most often found in flavoring for Slurpees and other colorful man-made creations that have little to no food value. In their natural state, plants are loaded with nutrients and fiber, which keeps us healthy, energized, not hungry, and thin.

Heh @ the line that fruits are now found in Slurpees...as FLAVORINGS!

3. Weight Train. You don't have to use weights, but you need resistance against your muscles. As we age, our muscles atrophy more every year. Resistance training creates hypertrophy, the opposite of atrophy, which more of less keeps us young. We tend to think of it as something for young bucks in the gym, but, in actuality, it's the fountain of youth and most important for the elderly. The older you are, the more important weight training is to your quality of life.

I like lifting weights, even my piddly 8lbers . It makes me feel strong 1/2 the time I feel like flinging them to the floor when I'm done. And I totally would if I didn't live above someone.

4. Circuit Train. This is weight training where you move continually from one exercise to the next. If you follow this practice, you heart rate will stay high throughout your entire workout and it will double as a cardio session.

Something to consider. I can't say I've actively done this, but the workout DVDs I use follow this approach.

5. Periodize Your Training. This means that you change what you do every so often. While it's okay to do the same thing all of the time if it's, say, the perfect workout (see above), it's still much better if you continually change. An exercise "block" should range between 3 and 12 weeks, which is the amount of time your body needs to adapt to new training and make accelerated gains. After this period, your gains will level off because, basically, you have become better at this given exercise plan.

YES YES YES! Preach it Steve, preach it. I get hella bored hella fast. I have to do mini challenges because I like starts, middles and most important, ends.

6. Train Functionally. This means to incorporate movements into your exercise routine that mimic, or benefit, the movements that you practice in the real world. Sports are often a good way to functional train since they require your body to move in a way efficient for the activity. These exercises often incorporate stability balls and other devices and tend to focus on balance so that your fire your stabilizer muscles as well as your prime-mover muscles (the big ones we all notice). Functional training keeps your body in balance, and a balanced body is more resistant to injury and illness.

Who'd have thunk it. I guess it's like replacing your computer chair with a stability ball. Meh.

7. Stretch. And stretch once you are warmed up. Resistance training contracts your muscles, making them smaller and tighter. This is true for easy resistance training too, like all forms of cardio. While you want strong muscles, if they get too tight they become susceptible to injury. To offset this you need to stretch them out, which should be done once you finish exercising when your muscles are warm.

You got me Steve, this is absolutely the hardest thing for me to do because it forces me to be quiet and still. I'm antsy. My brain is always rushing. Yet I know it's something I need to do.

8. Train Your Core. Not your abs, but your entire trunk area: front, sides, and back. "New age" training, like yoga and Pilates (which both happen to be old), focus heavily on the core region. And for good reason. Everything we do starts at the core. A healthy trunk means a healthy tree. And strong arms and legs are only as useful as the base they radiate from.

There goes that Y word again. Yoga.

9. Hydrate. Our bodies are over 60% water and most of us are underhydrated most of the time. This is mainly because our most common beverages tend to dehydrate us. Coffee, tea, alcohol, and soda all offset the hydration process. Basically, we just need to drink more water. How much is totally variable and based on exercise, but you should drink a half a gallon of water on days that you don't exercise.

I loves me some water, chug-a-lug indeed. Drinking 1/2 my body weight in ounces is a must.

10. Plan to Exercise. Numbers 1 and 10 are variations on the same theme, but in practice, totally different. In number 1, the idea is to move your body around whenever you can. This last tip refers to making a workout, not just movement, part of your daily schedule. You schedule time to eat and sleep. Well, exercise is the third most important thing you do in your life and the most important thing that is optional. But it shouldn't be optional. If you don't exercise you will have less energy, be less productive, be sick more often, and die younger. We tend to tell ourselves that we can't exercise because of our job or our family. But if you're sick all the time you lose your job. And if you're dead, you can't be there for your family. Move exercise to the top of your priority list. Nothing is more important for you, those who depend on you, and those whom you love.

It really is a catch 22. Since I fell out of the habit of daily workouts, the first few weeks my body felt primed to go at the drop of a dime. But somewhere around week 4-5, the slug in me resurfaced and it started to feel like a chore. I have vague memories of the exhilaration, but in the last week or so the "too tired to consider it feeling" has been haunting me. Badly.

********

Any tip(s) jump out at you? Is there one you already do and swear by? Which one is too far out there to even consider? What one tip would you add to his list?