Mindless Eating... and the solutions to avoid it!

Today's tips are brought to you via "Today's Dietician Magazine"

• Today the average person makes nearly 250 food decisions each day. Wow! and most of these decisions happen without thinking! 

• Research shows that people eat an average of 2.2 more candies each day when they are visible, compared to when they are not. Solution? Don't leave candy out on your desk, dining room table, or anywhere near them! If you don't think 2.2 extra pieces of candy is a lot, you should do the math (2.2 x ~50 calories = ~100 extra calories per day, times 365 days = 36,500 extra calories a year, which is 10 pounds.......)
• Be careful when you purchase 100-calorie packs. While the idea may be a good one (portion control) they tend to backfire for about 30% of the population, according to research. The idea of portioning out your food is a great way to make a healthier environment, but you're still going to be better off eating 100 calories of a fruit, vegetable, or low fat dairy product than you will eating a 100-calorie pack of cookies. Also, it's cheaper just to do the portioning yourself!
• Have you ever noticed that the foods with the most marketing tend to be the ones that the worst for us? If you have the ability to do so, fast forward through your commercials, or just leave the room when they are on.
• Believe it or not, food is cheaper these days, and according to the article it only takes up about 6% of our income (this is an average). I think a lot of us get caught in the traps at stores where we see a "good deal" and then we must buy it, even if we hadn't planned on doing so.Can you say "mindless shopping"! Remind yourself that unhealthy food is typically cheap food, so stay away, unless you really must have it....

You have your resolutions... now what?

Maintain your 2011 fitness and weight loss resolutions

We all set out with the best intentions when making our resolutions for the new year. Hopefully, you are staying on track with your physical fitness goals. If you have strayed from staying the course, don't beat yourself up. Changing bad habits and adopting a new a healthier lifestyle won't happen overnight. Be patient with yourself and keep your focus and set your goals for what you can achieve today.
Here are 5 inspirational tips to keep your 2011 New Year's Resolution of keeping in shape on track.
1. Think about how much better you'll feel after your workout. Getting started or motivating yourself to start is the hardest part. After working out, endorphins kick in which help elevate our mood, relieve stress, and keep us coming back for more.
2. Tell yourself you only have to do 15 minutes. By the time you have finished those first few minutes, you'll feel re-inspired to keep going. Our bodies like to move, and after you warm-up you will realize how good it feels and continue for 15 more minutes, or even a full hour!
3. Schedule to workout with a friend. Inspire each other to keep the appointment. No one likes to cancel on a set social event. Find a friend who has similiar workout goals and make sure you both hold each other to it.
4. Invest in some new music. Listening to an upbeat song will help get your body, and your mind, moving. Put on earphones and go for a walk. While listening to your favorite new song or playlist you may find yourself picking up the pace or even going for a refreshing jog.
5. Multi-task! Workout while you are watching your favorite TV show. Lie on the floor and do Pilates mat exercises. Here is a great abdominal endurance exercise that is easy to do at home.

We tried it and lost 10 lbs!

Recently, my fiance' was told by his doctor to cut out all carbs in his diet. He needed to lower his triglycerides. WHAT!? No whole wheat bread, no brown rice, no pasta, OMG... you've got to be kidding me. I love bread! We also eat a lot of brown rice as a side to our fish, chicken, and veggies for dinner.

So I decided to buckle down and try to do this as well. EEeek! All through November, I put myself on this challenge of cutting out all carbs and dairy. I cut out dairy because I wanted to see if it had any effect on my allergies. I get constant ear aches at least once a month, and I've been told that it could be related to dairy foods.
The result for me: I lost 10 lbs! and not only that, but I feel so much better.
The result for him: He also dropped weight and lowered his cholesterol dramatically!
How did we do this, you ask? We adopted a diet high in fiber and protein, low in sodium and fat, increased our cardio workouts to 6 days/week rather than 2-4x/week. And limited that lovely glass of wine to only 2 nights per week.
Our meals would be something like this:
Breakfast: 1 cup of Kashi Cereal with 1/2 cup of Almond Milk
Morning Snack: an apple with 1-2 tablespoon almond butter (so good!), or celery sticks with peanut butter 
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Breast (without any marinade) Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots (steamed or raw)
Afternoon Snack: Kiwi or 1/2 of an Avocado or a small handful of raw organic almonds (unsalted)
Dinner: Grilled Wild Caught Salmon, Steamed Asparagus, Roasted Beets

I had always thought that we ate fairly clean and healthy, but now having really cleaned up our diets, I'm no longer craving any more of the bad foods. Don't get me wrong, I love foods like Panini Sandwiches, Pizza, Calamari, Chips, Cookies, and Ice Cream... but now I eat those in much more moderation than ever before. Seeing the results is inspiring and it will also introduce you to foods you have never tried before or even knew that you liked. Example: I had no idea that I liked Beets or Halibut. 
In addition to discovering new foods, I realized that the taste of food just the way it is- without drenching it in sauces or dowsing it in salt, actually tastes pretty darn good!
Try it for yourself, even if you just commit to doing it for 5 days, or a full week, taking small baby steps into it will make the task ahead seem less daunting. Here is a great article from Livestrong to show you more ways to cut out carbs in your diet.

Do this now!

It's time to whittle away your waist! Especially after the Thanksgiving holiday. This side plank will have you working your obliques, hips, arms, all while challenging your balance and building a stronger core.

Lie on your side, stack your feet on top of each other. Place your elbow under your shoulder and press into the elbow making sure to lift up and out of your shoulder. (no sinking).Your body should be in a long diagonal line. Also make sure your booty isn't sticking out behind you, think of drawing your tail bone down toward your heels.
Lower your hips down about 3-5 inches, but stay hovering over the mat. (don't touch the ground).
Use your waist & the power of your hips/torso to press back into the diagonal line.
Perform this 25 times on the right and then do the left side. Once you get stonger, increase your reps up to 40. Your waist will thank you :)

Pilates for Dancer's Best Exercise #3

The Jump Board!

A flat board that replaces the foot bar on the reformer. You're springing horizontally while engaging your core to initiate the jump rather than your legs. The lighter the spring, the more your abdominals have to work to stabilize your pelvis and back. 


Upon take off- the abdominals initiate almost automatically to counter-balance the legs in the air. Think of pulling your navel down to the spine and draw it up towards the ribs. This exercise is excellent for teaching dance students to properly pull their weight up away from the floor and therefore, helping increase the height and form of the jump. 


The landing is all about control. Rolling through the feet and getting the heels down in between jumps is crucial for injury prevention. Controlling the landing of your jumps is often the hardest thing to perfect in a dancer's performance of petite/grande allegro. Dance teacher's are always saying, "you should land your jumps with little to no sound at all." 


Increase your abdominal strength: While jumping curl your head and shoulder blades off the carriage of the reformer. This will help you engage your upper abominals and make you work harder!
Get Creative! Play around with seeing how many ballet jumps you can simulate while on the jump board. Most likely, you will master a entrechat six in no time! 

Ever heard of the apple test?

Stop! Don't just start snacking away mindlessly. 

Really think about it. 

Are you hungry enough to eat an apple? 

Yes? then you are hungry. No? then you may just be thirsty.

Fight Fatigue with Water!

You're not tired, you're just dehydrated. Studies show that drinking a glass of water can fight fatigue. 

Work out with your sweetie!

Relieve stress & get your heart rates pumping together. awe!

Love this article: 7 Yoga Poses for Brides & Grooms

Easy Recipe ideas promise to help you shed 10 lbs

Eat Your Way Slim

No matter what your weight-loss goal -- to lose 10 pounds, shed ab flab, or trim inches from your thighs -- this diet plan will get you there. You'll munch bagels, burritos, and burgers and melt fat at the same time. Simply choose from the meals and snacks on these pages for a total of 1,500 calories a day. We guarantee you'll never feel hungry or deprived.

check out this eating plan from Fitness Magazine:

A Sample Day on Our Plan

Breakfast: Greek Berry Waffles
Toast 2 low-fat whole wheat waffles and top with 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup berries, and 1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sliced fresh mint if desired.

Lunch: Southwest Chicken Orzo Salad
Combine 1/3 cup cooked whole wheat orzo; 3 ounces grilled chicken, diced; 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes; 1/4 cup diced cucumber; 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper; 2 radishes, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons black beans; and 2 tablespoons corn. Whisk together 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, juice of one lime, pinch of cumin, pinch of chili powder and, if desired, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro. Drizzle over salad.

Snack: 1/2 cup mango sorbet with 1 tablespoon chocolate sauce

Dinner: Asian Turkey Burger
Mix 4 ounces lean ground turkey with 1 teaspoon chopped scallion and 1 tablespoon soy-ginger or other Asian marinade. Form into a patty and grill 6 to 7 minutes per side. Place on 1 toasted whole wheat bun; top with spicy ketchup (1 tablespoon ketchup with 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce). Serve with a side of 1 1/2 cups broccoli slaw mix combined with 1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, and 2 tablespoons sesame-ginger or other Asian vinaigrette.

Bride to Be tip #5

Train your Abdominals for Endurance!

Need amazing abs for your honeymoon bikini? 

Follow this plan to boost your core strength.

A core strengthening, abdominal endurance exercise that you can do right now!This isometric exercise will challenge your abdominals in a much more effective way and help complement your regular abdominal exercises.

Hold each position for at least 5 breaths. For each breath inhale through the nose and fill the rib cage three-dimensionally, exhale through the mouth and pull the navel to the spine deeper.

1. Lie on the floor with knees bent and your feet firmly planted. Hold behind your things and curl yourself up as high as you can while pulling your navel to your spine. Relax your neck and shoulders and think about only your abdominals working to keep you in this position.

2. Maintain that position while you let go of your thighs and reach your hands over your knee caps. Don't let  your upper body fall to the floor, stay up high using your abdominal strength.

3. Send your finger tips up to the ceiling with straight arms. This will challenge your upper abdominals.

4. Open your arms out to the side keeping your arms off the floor and the rest of your body is still in the position from the beginning.

Repeat this series at least 3 times. Incorporate this endurance exercise into your regular abdominal routine at least once a week. The following week, increase the length of time you hold each position.

Bride-to-Be Tip Tip #4

Got sore muscles from your new exercise plan? Roll it out! 

Rolling out the lactic acid build up in your sore muscles will help:

• Target all your sore points; release your trigger points
• Increase range of motion
• Decrease soreness and pains
• Increase training efficiency
• Fix postural problems
• Recover faster

  

Roll out sore quad (thigh) muscles, outer hips and thighs, glutes, and upper and lower back. Ahh...

Here are some tips for foam rolling:

• Concentrate on sore and tight areas, quadriceps, outer thighs, glutes, upper and lower back, 
• Roll out the full length of the muscle, go slow and you will feel it loosen more each time.
• Breathe! Exhaling will help send oxygen to the tight muscles.
• Go slowly, it will hurt more, but you will get more benefit
• Stop on the sore points (trigger points) and hold until the pain fades.
• Pre Workout focus on getting through the full length of the muscle, spend less time on each
• Post workout, focus on the trigger point aspect and spend a lot of time on each muscle
• Try not to roll over joints, you'll notice when your body doesn't like it.

Must have arms for your strapless dress!

Bride-to-Be Tip #3


Most wedding dresses will show off your arms. Here is a plan to get a rockin' upper body to go along with that gorgeous dress! And best of all, it will take you less than 5 minutes!


20-10-5 Reps
You are going to alternate between repetitions of push ups and triceps.

  

Drop and give me 20 push ups (yes, it can be off your knees)
Now, do 20 tricep dips
Then 10 push ups and 10 tricep dips
almost done...
5 push ups, 5 tricep dips ... you're done!


Do this every day and I promise you will thank me later :)
This WILL get easier, and when it does, bump it up to 30-20-10 Reps!

Tone while you walk

On my wishlist now! 

Walking shoes from New Balance... NewBalance

nothing inspires you to get out and move more than new shoes :)

Bride to Be Tip #2

Get Moving!

Grab your best bridesmaid and take a walk, go for a jog, just get outside and move! Think of it like a social event! A chance to bond and talk while you get fit together! Plan on meeting up 2 or 3 times a week, after work, on your lunch break, or early in the am. No excuses! You don't want her to bail on you, and you can't bail on her! 
Even just walking can make a difference in your body, your mood, and your friendship! 
Or... 
Boost your walks with bursts of energy and adding some small friendly competition: "I'll race you to the end of the block!" or "Let's sprint the rest of the way home!" 

Why do Pilates exercises use springs rather than weights for resistance?

Great question! Joseph Pilates was well ahead of his time when he chose to use springs for conditioning the body. Unlike a weight, the contraction and release of a spring works the same way your muscles do. The spring stretches and lengthens with you as you move. There is also a resistance created in the opposite direction as the spring moves back together. Springs encourage an eccentric contraction of your muscles and is easier on your joints than weights.

Bride to Be Tip #1

x

Go get a Pilates Ring or Magic Circle!

You've got the bling now go get the ring! This is a great way to get fit at home. The Pilates Ring is available at places like Target or Walmart and it usually comes with an instructional video. You can use this circle for an intense full body workout. 

Here are just a few to mention:

• Inner Thigh Blaster: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip distance apart on the floor. Place the outside pads of the circle between and right above the knees. Pulse the circle 12 times and then hold and squeeze the ring for 12 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Then do the same thing all over again in a bridge. (To do a bridge: Step into your feet lifting your hips off the floor and balancing on your shoulder blades.) Once you get stronger, challenge yourself more by increasing your reps to 20 pulses and hold and squeeze the ring for 30 seconds.
• Outer Thigh Blaster: Same exercise as above just change the circle placement. Put your feet through the circle bring the inner pads up above the knees. Press out and engage your glutes (your butt) for the repetitions. Then press out and stay trying to break the circle apart rather than squeezing. Repeat again in the bridge position. This will work your hamstrings, and glutes even harder.
• Tone your upper body and arms: Stand with really good posture, your abs engaged and your glutes supporting you. Hold the circle on the outside pads out in front of you like a steering wheel, with just a slight bend in the elbows. Pulse the circle 20 times, and then squeeze for 20 seconds.Repeat 3 times. Move the circle overhead, but still slightly in front of your head on a diagonal. Pulse here for 20 repetitions and squeeze for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Place the circle behind you and hold it on the outside pads and low with the bottom of the circle pointing down toward your heels. Pulse here 20 times and repeat 3 times. 
• Abdominal Crunches with Neck Support: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip distance apart on the floor. Put your head through the circle with one of the inner pads behind the nape of your neck. Your hands go on the opposite inner pad with your arms bent and relaxed. Look down at your knees, engage your abdominals (pull your navel to your spine) and curl up for an abdominal crunch. Keep your pelvis neutral, with your hip bones and pubic bone staying parallel to the ceiling. Try to maintain a little space below your waist. Once you get stronger, bring your legs up to table top. (Table top: lift your feet off the floor, with your legs in a 90 degree angle, your knees above your hips and your shins parallel with the ceiling) Or maybe even extend your legs out straight to a 45 degree angle. *This is fine as long as you don't feel anything in your back and can stabilize your torso with your abdominals.

Bump, Set, Spike!

Cross-training is essential for your Pilates body. Today's x-training workout? Beach Volleyball! It's a great excuse to be on the beach and a fun way to squeeze in a Cardio workout. Get fit quick tip: Don't walk to shag the balls, RUN!