Monthly Archives: November 2011
Is Your Mind Stopping Your Body from Getting Fit?
When I think of what fitness is and how someone gets fit and stays fit, it’s painfully obvious it has little to do with how athletic they are. Fitness has little to do with abilities, coordination, strength or stamina BUT it has EVERYTHING to do with the BRAIN. Success begins in the noggin.
You don’t have to be Einstein to get results (thank the LORD! because I’d be doomed!), but you do need to get your brain fit before you can get your body fit. The problem is, people are working on getting their body healthy but their mind is still sick.
Sure, you have to burn calories and you have to do work to get results, but many people let their mind sabotage their body – when they have very capable bodies to get the results they want. I have witnessed people doing “less work” than another person, or lifting less weight than another, and getting amazing results. Why? It’s not because their body is in better shape (often times they are more out of shape) – it’s because they aren’t letting their mind get in the way of their body’s success. They keep showing up and giving THEIR 100% – no matter what that is. Read the rest of this entry
2 Holiday Cookies A Day Keeps the Skinny Jeans Away
The Hard Cold Truth
I recently tweeted “all it takes is 500 calories extra a day to gain 5lbs over the Holidays“. That’s only 2 Subway Cookies a day – not a ton of food by any means! It stemmed some great conversation and one of the replies was the fact was a little misleading.
I was thankful for his input because it helped me see how others may interpret my tweets. When I was talking about the Holidays, I was speaking of the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then I did the math:
500 calories x 30 days = 15,000 calories ÷ 3,500 (calories in 1lb of fat) = 5 pounds
He replied “for people less in the know, that’s a daunting fact”. SO, that brings me to the question:
Do you prefer hard cold facts that aren’t always fun to hear (but you may NEED to hear) OR do you prefer glossy text full of warm and fuzzy encouragement? Read the rest of this entry
Save Time in the Gym this Holiday Season: 8 Great Full Body Exercises
Crunched for time this Holiday Season? Here are a few tips on how to save time in the gym and still keep you entire body fit and tone.
Most people isolate body parts when weight training. Whether they do upper body one day and lower body the next, or they isolate it out even more, there are ways to save time and still enjoy the benefits.
What if you could do arms WHILE you are doing legs? Well, you CAN! Here are a few exercises from FitStudio that work both the lower body and the upper body at the same time. Throw a few of these exercises in replace of your isolated exercises to get more bang for the buck (and time!). Read the rest of this entry
Shut Your Trap: Words can sabotage success
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”.
We’ve all heard this saying, but maybe the person you are not being nice to is yourself. One of the most profound things I’ve heard recently was a statement from Joyce Meyer, “Some of you are depressing yourself with your own conversation. You don’t need any help from the devil. You don’t need anyone to discourage you. You are an expert at depressing yourself.”
I think this is even worse in today’s full of economic hardships and stress. Not only do we talk negatively about our circumstances but we often talk negatively about ourselves. Read the rest of this entry
Baby Got Back
“I like big butts and I can not lie, You other brothers can’t deny”…
Sir Mix-A-Lot might like big butts but I think most women are working hard to get rid of their big butts – and some are even terrified of making it even bigger than it already is. This is why I believe women don’t do squats and other butt-firming exercises. They are scared they’ll make their big butt even bigger.
So, the million dollar question is: Will leg & glute exercises make your butt bigger?
It depends on the condition of your butt muscles. Think of your butt like a grape. When the grape is ripe it’s smooth, plump and round. So is a fit butt – it’s full of water and glycogen that makes the muscle smooth, plump and round (which is what we all should want). However, over time, our butt deflates like a old grape and gets unshapely and eventually as small, ugly and flat as a raisin.
Now, if you didn’t gain any weight, you’d just have a saggy unshapely pancake booty, but most people gain fat around that unshapely behind so you have nothing left that even resembles a butt muscle because it’s all covered with bumpy fat cells. Read the rest of this entry
How Hard Are You Fighting to Get Fit?
We all have battles – whether it’s our weight, marriage, money or another personal battle, but just how hard are we really fighting?
It’s so easy to complain, but complaining won’t change our circumstance. We can ALL talk about how rough we have it, how tough “it” is, and we can even convince ourselves we are working hard, but are we really? Just how hard are we truly working to fight our battle?
Hebrews 12:4 gave me a reality check with this statement, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood”. Basically Paul is saying, “in this struggle, you haven’t’ fought THAT hard. Have you fought to the point of shedding blood?”
This is how we should look at our struggles. We are so quick to give up and give in. So often we don’t put up much of a fight at all – and then we complain when we fail. How crazy is that?! Read the rest of this entry
Are you full of FAT or full of CRAP!?
There are several reasons we can feel fat and disgusting – some of us feel fat because we truly have more body fat than we should, but then there are many times we feel fat because we’ve simply eaten too much.
Think of it this way, when you eat a huge meal, it has to go somewhere. We’d like to think we could burn it off, but after we absorb the nutrients from the meal, we still have plenty of waste to deal with. The colon can hold 5-10lbs of waste in every foot of large intestine. That’s a LOT of weight.
Not only is it a lot of additional weight, but if the diameter of the colon is about the size of our wrists, you can imagine how that would make your pants tighter too. So the more you eat, the heavier and thicker you will feel. Then your full tummy makes it nearly impossible to maintain a flat tummy no matter how hard you squeeze your abs tight.
If you have the habit of eating large meals all the time, eventually you stop even trying to hold your stomach in and you just begin let it hang out all the time. While your tummy pooches out from being full, you’re storing more body fat from the excess calories you are eating too. The double whammy leaves you feeling fatter AND getting fatter.
If you didn’t have enough motivation to eat smaller meals before, this information should give you the motivationyiu need to keep your portions down now. You’ll find it’s easier to hold your stomach nice and flat, and you’ll begin to lose all the Body fat you stored from overdoing it in the past.
Eating too much can:
1. Make you sleepy.
2. Cause weight gain.
3. Make it difficult to hold your stomach flat.
4. Stretch abdominal muscles loose.
5. Take so much energy to aid in digestion that you are not as alert or sharp.
Dine Lite: 10 Tips to Dining Asian
Everyone talks about sushi being healthy, but no one ever talks about actually knowing how many calories are actually in their favorite Japanese food. After doing some extensive googling, I was disappointed to find very few Asian restaurants offered nutritional information. Then I looked at calorie counting sites to see what they had to say. It became quite clear that information on most of the popular sites were not very accurate.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire
As you can see in this screen shot (right), information was all over the place – from 260 calories to 643 calories per serving. Or how about the 2 calorie per serving option (obviously incorrect and incomplete). Bottom line: You can’t trust everything you see online and the better it looks, the more likely it isn’t right.
And what is a serving anway? Many calorie counting sites say “1 serving” but they don’t say how many ounces that is and you don’t know if there are multiple servings in one full dish or not. One site listed one serving as 2/5 of the entrée. Who is going to eat 2/5 of their meal? Really?!?!?!?!?!?
Then I looked up Fried Wontons. Answers ranged from 53 calories to 181 calories for ONE. I’ve had little wontons and huge wontons, so I can see where that would vary, but without a reference, how am I supposed to find an equivalent? Then one site said one serving size fed 20 people. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never ordered wontons that could serve 20 people.
Help is Coming!
So, I spent all day researching, adding calories, checking the mat and looking at ingredients so I could put together a list of popular items. Of course I didn’t add a ton of fried food or things that clearly wouldn’t be a good choice (like General Tso’s chicken, which was over 13,000 calories) but I did throw in a few meals to reference so you could get a clear picture of the reality behind making good choices. Plus I added 10 tips to dining Asian. Enjoy!
10 Healthy Tips to Dining Asian:
1. Avoid Tempura items (many times you can order it non-tempura)
2. Ask for sauces, dressings and toppings (like spicy mayo on the side)
3. Choose green – the soy sauce with the green lid I mean (low-sodium)
4. Drink TONS of water during and after the meal to help flush the sodium so you don’t wake up with swollen ankles and puffy eyes.
5. Don’t be afraid to share. Split a salad, meal & sushi roll to add more variety without adding too many more calories.
6. Skip the rice. If your meal comes with rice, only use a teeny bit or ski it altogether. The tasty stuff is the rest of the meal anyway!
7. Invite friends. You can taste more things without having to order a ton for only 2 people if you go with a group of friends and all share. This way you could have a little Pad Thai, a couple of pieces of sushi roll, a spring roll and some edamame without feeling like you have to go straight the gym afterwards to work it off.
8. Stick to white meat. Order chicken or white fish to reduce fat calories.
9. Do the math BEFORE you eat. Plan exactly what, and how much, you are going to eat before you take your first bite.
10. Sip on some hot tea. Instead of ordering a million appetizers, order a cup of tea and let the hot tea entertain your tongue until your main course arrives.
Popular Sushi & Asian Cuisine:
Ginger Salad 
170 cal 1p 5c 16f
Seaweed Salad
140 cal 2p 20c 8f
Miso Soup
85 cal 3.5p 11c 3f
Edamame 1c (half a serving)
130 cal 12p 12c 6f
1 veggie spring roll
79 cal 2p 13.9c 2.5f
Egg Roll 4”
250 cal 10p 18c 15f
Fried Wonton (1)
55 cal 4p 4c 3f
Crab Wontons (8)
622 cal 20p 53c 38f
Sishami (fish only)
Ranges from 40-70 calories per piece
California roll
255 cal 9p 38c 7f
Imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, rice, nori, wasabi
spicy tuna roll
290 cal 24p 26c 11f
spicy tuna, cucumber, rice, nori, wasabi
Philly Roll
350 cal 15p 40g 14f
Smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese, rice, nori, wasabi
Dynamite Roll
370 cal 15p 60c 9f
A tuna roll (with rice inside out) with spicy mayo sauce on top
Spider Roll
533 cal 29p 53c 24f
Soft Shell Crab Tempura Fried, rice, nori, wasabi
Shrimp Tempura 
580 cal 20p 64c 21f
Shrimp tempura, rice, nori, wasabi
Dragon Roll
643 cal 22p 63c 34f
Eel, avocado, cucumber, rice, nori, unagi (eel) sauce
Chicken Pad Thai
1025 cal 70p 100c 40f
Coconut Curry Chicken
775 cal 60p 45c 37.5
Beef & Broccoli
900 cal 75p 37.5c 45f (rice NOT included)
Chicken & Broccoli
525 cal 62.5p 37.5c 17.5f (rice NOT included)
Chicken Fried Rice
950 cal 62.5p 112.5c 22.5f
Teriyaki Chicken & Rice
875 cal 55p 120c 12.5
Brown Rice (bowl)
525 cal 12.5p 112.5c 3.5f
1tbsp Spicy Mayo
110 cal 0p .05c 10.5f
Fortune Cookie
30 calories
How to piece together a hearty meal for 650 calories or less.
Miso Soup & 1/2 Chicken & Broccoli (no rice): 347.5 calories
Miso Soup & Spicy Tuna Roll: 375 calories
Ginger Salad, Miso Soup & 4 pieces of Sishami (yellowfin tuna): 455 calories
Ginger Salad, ½ Edamame & Spicy Tuna Roll: 650 calories
1 Spring Roll, miso soup, California roll and ½ tuna roll: 564 calories
Miso Soup and ½ Chicken Pad Thai with no rice: 597.5 calories
Philly Roll and Tuna Roll: 640 calories
Miso soup, ½ coconut curry and ½ Philly roll: 646 calories
Get creative – add up your own favorites!
NOTE: The above information is from a variety of resources and should just be used as a reference to give you a better idea of how to order. All restaurants have their own recipes and serving sizes so information will definitely vary.
KUDOS to Pei Wei restaurant for being one of the few restaurants that posted nutritional information on their site.
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Fast Forward to Success
The Reality of Time
It’s Sunday morning – the day we get an extra hour of sleep as we “Fall Back”. While procrastinating this morning, drinking my coffee extra slow before my morning run, I am reflecting on how we view time. Isn’t it funny how time seems SO LONG when you are talking about the future, yet it seems wickedly FAST when talking about the past?
One of my sisters was talking about her weight loss goals after realizing she was now in the projected month where she would be at her goal weight if she had stuck with her program. November seemed like forever when it was this summer but, now that it’s here, the reality that she could have been at her goal weight right now if she kept with it, hit her like a ton of bricks.
Whether it’s our education, career, family or weight – we must remember how fast time really does go by. 4 years of college seems like eternity, but decades of being in a job you don’t like is truly forever. One year counting calories and working out may seem like eternity too if you have a lot to lose, but living the rest of your life 100lbs overweight is definitely no way to live if you are miserable.
The Key to Staying Motivated
It’s time we put things into perspective. Compare the time it will take to reach your goal to equal time that has already passed you by. It’s a blip on the screen – a flash before your eyes. Just because you feel like it will take forever, doesn’t mean you should push it off any longer. Tackle it, chase it like you would the love of your life. Focus on it like it’s a loose diamond you just dropped and you can’t take your eye off it until you grab a hold of it tightly.
Don’t let life slip through your fingers. Think of how your life would be RIGHT NOW if you tackled what you KNOW you should have tackled last year. Weight, addiction, emotional issues, health, career, family, love, budget, marriage, friendships…they all have the potential to be better soon if you start working on it today.
Fast forward.
Before you can REALLY get a good grip on today’s step toward your goal, put yourself where you will BE once you reach your goal. Picture yourself – how you will look and feel. What you will do? What opportunities may arise?
If your goal is your weight, what will you wear? How will you dress? Will you change your hairstyle? Will you take some professional photos? Will you get out more? Will your lifestyle change? Will you feel more confident, powerful and in control? Will you walk with your head high? Will you be proud of the new you? I’ll answer that – Of course you will!
Instead of just focusing on the “job”, focus on the finished product. Don’t just focus on a pants size or weight. Focus on the reality of how that pants size will feel and how your new weight will affect your entire life. Every time you get off track, fast forward to the future of when you WILL reach that goal – because if you stay on track, you WILL reach that goal. No ifs, ands or buts!
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‘Fall Back’ into Fitness – 5 Tips to Make the Extra Time Count
This weekend we get to enjoy the time change we all look forward too – “fall back” as we often call it. Although most people will enjoy the feeling of sleeping in an extra hour, there’s a better way to make the most of the hour difference.
Since your body is already used to getting up, falling back to Standard Time is the perfect opportunity to begin a morning exercise routine. Your circadian rhythm (internal time clock) will know no different. Not what you want to hear? Com’on! You have to admit it makes since. The hardest part of beginning a morning exercise routine is getting up earlier. This is the only time of the year you can trick your body into getting up earlier without feeling it!
Set your alarm clock 1 hour earlier everyday. In order for this to work best you must stay in the habit of waking up early everyday, even if you chose not to exercise every morning.
- Do cardio on an empty stomach. Make the most of your morning exercise routine by burning as much fat as possible. Doing cardio on an empty stomach (or mostly empty stomach), forces your body to use fat stores for the energy needed to exercise. (If your routine includes weights, you should eat before weight training and save cardio for last.)
- Make the most of your time with interval training. This is great for burning fat and getting in shape. Beginners can alternate between a walk and a fast walk. An intermediate routine would combine a walk with a jog. Advanced routines would rotate jogging and running. You can predetermine the length of intervals (2 to 5 minutes each) or you can set goals along the way, like telling yourself to jog from the red car to the light post on the corner. The intense activity should be too intense to maintain for a long period of time and the recovery period should never be slower than your normal pace.
- Eat a healthy breakfast. You should still have time to eat a quick breakfast. Instead of processed foods, like cereal or pastries, try whole oats (oatmeal), greek yogurt, egg white sandwich on whole wheat thins, 1/2 a whole grain bagel with natural peanut butter and honey, or a yummy protein shake. If you miss breakfast, you miss burning more calories through out your morning and having more energy – plus you are more likely to eat a big lunch because you are SO hungry by lunch time you overeat.
- Tivo your favorite shows. In order to maintain your new routine, record your favorite shows so you are not tempted to stay up late. You’ll be able to watch them the next day at your convenience, plus you get to save up to twenty minutes per episode of lost time you normally spend waiting for commercials!
Egg White & Spinach Breakfast Sandwich:
Egg Beaters (2 egg whites = 34 calories))
Fresh or Frozen Spinach (use as much as you want. 1 cup = 7 calories)
Sun Dried Tomatoes (5 pieces diced = 40 calories)
Low-Fat Feta Cheese (1/2 ounce = 40 calories)
Light Veggie Cream Cheese (1 TBS = 50 calories)
Canadian Bacon (1 slice = 43 calories)
Whole Wheat Bagel Thins
324 Calories, a Happy Tongue & a Content Belly!
Share your favorite Breakfast Food with us in the comment section!
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- Bonnie
