Learn How to Manage Your Weight During the Holidays
The Silly season is just around the corner, and if you think weight management is something too complicated to include on your wish list, think again. Learn how to enjoy the holidays without gaining weight and you’ll definitely look forward to a brand new year without the bulge.
Enjoy the holidays while keeping these things in mind:
1. Stay active
The number one reason why people gain weight during the holiday season is that they eat more but burn less. And so, the only key to weight management is to get active and balance what you eat with exercise.
Staying active also helps reduce stress, which seems very common during this time of the year due to parties, budget and buying gifts.
2. Eat and drink in moderation
When you are at a Christmas party, try your best to avoid the full blowout and moderate your food and alcohol intake, and go easy on those empty calories.
3. Go healthy with gifts
Ask your friends to give you something healthy or something that promotes a healthy lifestyle.
It is definitely possible to enjoy the holidays without the guilt. Just remember to try to eat quality whole food options, go easy on the alcohol and don’t forget about exercise.
Fitness Training for Women: The Secret of Losing Weight Beautifully
Hello Shefitters!
Have you ever tried counting the number of women engaged in a fitness training program at any park? To see women of all ages, sizes and in their assorted fitness gear is part of the scenario, too.
What this simple event has taught us is that we’re a mass of fitness wannabes, whether newbie or pro, who have different goals, train at different fitness levels and go at different capacities. And though we don’t know each other, we are connected with one goal. That is, to be fit and healthy.
It’s this purpose that motivates our members to commit to their sessions even if they are busy at work or with other commitments. It’s that same determination that makes us want to eat right and strengthen our core to perform better. And it’s this eagerness that helps us inspire others.
With a good outdoor fitness training program for women, we can make strong women, stronger. The adage that reflects women as the weaker sex is just like that — a saying — no veracity, no truth. The ability to cope with different commitments – family, work, health, friends, etc. — is such a remarkable trait that the whole women community should be proud of. It’s a reflection of strength, skill and competence.
As we ponder on what we have accomplished this week, let this article inspire you to keep up the good work and share your experience with the ones you care about. Outdoor fitness training for women is a passion to live our lives to the fullest. Best of all, it is an elemental pursuit that only you and your environment can get the picture.
Best Workout Music: Keep Boredom Away While Exercising
You cannot listen to the same workout music regardless of what type of exercises you are doing. For yoga or Pilates exercises, you should choose more calm meditative music that helps you achieve inner-peace. For jogging you need some energizing dance or pop songs. Create a playlist of songs you like that make you feel a rush of energy and start jogging.
A doctor form the English Brunel University has studied for 20 years the effects of music on the athletic performances of athletes. All the testing lead him to the conclusion that the best beat for working out is found in the range of 120-140 beats per minute. You need to listen to such a song while working out to get motivated. Maybe there is a correlation to the fact that your heart beats 120-140 times per minute while you workout, reaching even 160 beats per minute. Usually the rock and dance songs have between 120-140 beats per minute. The name of the doctor is Costas Karageorghis.
At the gym you should listen to hip-hop or rock: Metalica, DMX, Jay-Z, AC\DC, Scooter, Guns N’Roses, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, ATB, Billy Idol….
A workout music top made by Fitness Magazine includes some of the most enduring and famous songs out there used by people while working out. Here are just some starter ideas for you own personalized workout music list:
* “TNT” by AC/DC
* “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith
* “So What’cha Want” - Beastie Boys
* “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce
* “No More Drama” by Mary J Blige
* “Under Pressure” by David Bowie
* “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow
* “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C&C Music Factory
* “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
* “Loser” by Beck
* “Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker
* “Yellow” by Coldplay
For walking or rapid walking you can listen to the following songs:
* “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls
* “All Shook Up” by Elvis Preseley
* “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen.
Just are just some starter ideas. Workout music is great for fighting off boredom while working out and getting energized. Listen to music while working out and you will have a more intense and great workout.
What are your favorite workout songs?
(from http://www.shedyourweight.com/best_workout_music_keep_boredom_away_while_exercising.html)
4 Reasons Diet Fail
Reason #1: You’re not fully committed.
I always tell clients at our first session together: Weight loss is at least 50 percent attitude. If you’re not truly ready to make a full-time commitment to losing weight, chances of long-term success are pretty slim. That’s because when efforts are half-hearted from the get-go, people typically lose interest in their diet soon after they start. The sad truth is, it’s not really worth starting a weight loss program if your head isn’t in the game.
How to Prevail:
My best advice is to do some serious soul-searching and identify a significant and enduring source of personal motivation for finally shedding the extra weight. Maybe it’s to better manage health conditions… or to be around for your kids and grandkids… or to finally feel more comfortable in your own skin and boost your energy level.
The bottom line is that this motivation has to come from within YOU. Then, strengthen your resolve and recharge your motivation every single day with positive self talk and daily or weekly goals. I think long term goals are terrific, but short term goals can be even more powerful because they reinforce success every step of the way.
Reason #2: You expect miracles.
Individuals who launch a new diet with unreasonable expectations regarding how much weight they’re going to lose each week—or who have an unrealistic goal weight in mind—are signing themselves up for trouble. If you can’t match your desired pace of weight loss, you’ll more than likely end up terribly disappointed and quickly jump ship.
How to Prevail:
Though you’ll probably see a dramatic drop on the scale during the first few weeks on a new diet, most people eventually average out at a loss of one to three pounds per week for the duration of their plan. And if they do shed pounds more quickly than that—say, by fasting for long stretches of time—they’re more likely to gain the weight back… and then some.
I know television shows and infomercial success stories lead you to believe that you can melt off fat in a matter of weeks, but the truth is, successful weight loss is a slow and steady process. If you can accept this fact and buckle down for the long haul, you will ultimately be handsomely rewarded with better health, a smashing figure, and newfound confidence.
Reason #3: Your plan isn’t sustainable.
If you’re following an extreme weight loss plan that doesn’t even slightly resemble “normal” eating, there’s a good chance your efforts won’t last. And, in my opinion, subsisting entirely on shakes, smoothies, cookies, or tonics isn’t normal eating. When you view a diet as a short-term deviation from your typical eating habits, rather than a long-term lifestyle change, you will almost certainly have a hard time maintaining your weight loss.
How to Prevail:
A diet should be based on appropriate amounts of healthy foods that keep you feeling satisfied and energized—not cranky and deprived. Most importantly, a diet should be viewed as a launching pad for a long-term lifestyle change. That’s because to lose weight and keep it off forever, you really will have to permanently change your eating habits. With that in mind, it’s important to choose an eating plan that you can easily transition into lifetime maintenance.
And while I can appreciate how provocative some of these quick-fix, restrictive diet plans can be, they truly are a set-up for failure and yo-yo dieting. Without fail, every restrictive plan has a calorific binge waiting right around the corner. Not the way to go for long term success. Instead, a food plan you can stick with for life is key.
Reason #4: You can’t forgive your slip-ups.
This is an incredibly common diet pitfall. When people inevitably give into temptation and subsequently “fall of the wagon” for one meal or one day, they tell themselves they’ve blown their diet and throw in the towel for good. To be successful, you have to learn to overcome these temporary setbacks. You can’t let one binge or one “off day” turn into a full week, or month, of splurging. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly difficult for some individuals to break this cycle of negative thinking.
How to Prevail:
Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Instead, shake it off and get right back on track at your very next meal… or the very next day. And always remember, nobody gains weight from one rich dinner or a single slice of cake. The real trouble starts when you allow that one “splurge” to snowball into an all-out eating frenzy. Take it one meal at a time and learn to forgive yourself; every dieter has slip-ups, but the successful ones know how to keep those occasional lapses contained.
(from http://health.yahoo.net/experts/joybauernutrition/4-reasons-diets-fail)
It doesn’t take any particular talent to catch a winter cold. With cold rains, chilly temperatures, more of us staying inside with windows shut circulating stale air like a long cross country jet flight, our chances of catching a winter cold abound.
What takes some doing, and some planning, is avoiding colds, sore throat, and the flu at this time of year. So what can you do to increase your odds of staying well, and decrease the chances that you’ll find yourself with a case of the crud before winter’s icy grip melts into the start of a new spring?
1. Begin with taking better care of yourself.
Know that at this time of year colds are easy to catch so you should think proactive, not reactive.
2. It’s important all year long to eat a healthy diet, but at no time of year is it more important than it is during the winter months.
Particularly during the holidays when most of us are around many more friends, and family.
3. At this time of year I’m very aware of washing my hands frequently.
More importantly try to be very aware of when you shake someone’s hand or open a door and then moments later touch your hand to your eye. That’s rolling out a red carpet for a winter cold. Here’s a simple example: Shake hands with someone who has become infected with a cold but is in a pre-symptom stage. Then pick up a cookie, put that hand on it, pop it in your mouth, and there’s a reasonable chance you just infected yourself.
There’s lots of ways to do the same thing, and unless you’re going to become a full-fledged Seinfeld “germaphobe,” you have to accept some degree of risk, so here’s what you can do:
4. At a holiday party don’t nibble continuously.
Clean your hands, take a plate, eat your food, then go back to shaking hands and so forth. Don’t want to break away to wash your hands? That’s fine too. Just carry a small, purse-sized hand sanitizer. Next, be very aware of moving your hands to your lips, or your eyes, that’s a great way to implant a cold in a hurry.
5. Even when you’re at home, again, wash your hands frequently.
If you sleep with forced heat in your home blown in by a central furnace, try to set the timer to go off during the late night. Warm, moist rooms are far more hospitable to germs than cold dry ones. Cold air and an extra blanket will reduce, not increase, your chance of catching a winter cold.
6. On top of those simple steps, remember that there is no more important time of year to do those things that help to keep us healthy.
Eating a sound diet, more fruit and vegetables, and less fats and carbs; taking a multiple vitamin, and stay active. Avoid chills, but also avoid getting overheated. If you’re not getting a healthy amount of exercise because of the winter weather, join a gym or fitness club, and take some yoga, and aerobic exercise classes. If you use machines like treadmills, wipe them down with disinfectant before you jump on and grab hold of the handrails.
Sure, colds happen. But you don’t have to be a sitting duck. Get a flu shot, stay alert, eat healthy, and stay strong. The payoff: a sneeze free winter this year!
(from http://singlemindedwomen.com/womens-health/smart-moves-for-battling-a-winter-cold/)
Berry Waffles
These healthy waffles are made from a blend of whole-wheat and regular flour plus nonfat buttermilk and canola oil. Top with fresh berries or sliced peaches and yogurt for a satisfying start to any day.
Ingredients
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 cups nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
* 1 large egg, separated
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, (optional)
* 2 large egg whites
* 2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation
1. Stir whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, the egg yolk, oil and vanilla (if using) in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until moistened.
2. Beat the 3 egg whites in a grease-free mixing bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Whisk one-quarter of the beaten egg whites into the batter. Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula.
3. Preheat a waffle iron. Brush the surface lightly with oil. Fill the waffle iron two-thirds full of batter. Cook until the waffles are crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the surface with oil before cooking each batch.
Tips & Notes
* Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
Nutrition
Per serving: 241 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 37 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 3 g fiber; 450 mg sodium; 285 mg potassium.
(from http://www.recipe.com/eatingwell-waffles/)
