I was shopping at Target this weekend and my son was begging me to buy Halloween candy. One thing I’ve learned over the years, in this case, is that procrastination is the best approach to curbing the temptation to sneak a few pieces, wind up eating all the candy and being forced to re-purchase. Instead purchase your Halloween candy on Halloween day to avoid an excess consumption of calories days and weeks before the actual holiday. If you do feel the need to get organized and buy your Halloween candy early, put it in the garage on the highest shelf or in the attic that you would need to use a ladder to get at. Or store it at your neighbor’s house. Another idea is to purchase candy that you don’t personally like so you’ll be less likely to eat it!
Holiday weight gain seems to launch during Halloween with Thanksgiving and Christmas following shortly after so I thought I’d share a few other tips to manage Halloween and assure you maintain your fitness routine and healthy physique throughout the entire holiday season. Here’s some tips to stay lean and fit starting with Halloween:
Eat Before You Trick or Treat:
If you have dinner before you head out to trick or treat, you’ll be full and less likely to munch while you go.
Read more on Halloween Trick or Treat & Move Your Feet!…
The holidays are busy and when you’re busy, getting to the gym and staying lean can be a losing battle! Well, here is a winning full body workout that you can complete 2-3x this week on alternating days. It is quick, challenging and will make it very possible to get an amazing workout in your own neighborhood and home! No equipment is needed to complete this routine. It is best to start this routine with the Cardio portion and then go indoors for the Exercise portion.
Cardio
Hill repeats are challenging and will burn a ton of calories very quickly. Take a moment to scope out your neighborhood and find a steep hill. Start with a warm-up with some straight leg kicks, side shuffles and butt kickers. When you feel like your heart rate is up, you can start your first climb. Go slowly for the first round to ease into the hills. Then either walk or jog back to the bottom of the hill. For each consecutive hill, the goal is to feel breathless by the time you reach the top. You can walk, jog or sprint. The number of repeats will depend on how long and steep your hill is but do them for 20 minutes.
Read more on Lean in 2016…
It is the season of swim suits and minimal clothing which can often lead people to be more conscious of their bodies and can result in depression and/or negative body image.
Do you regularly comment about your body in a negative light? Do you constantly compare yourself to other’s bodies? Have you been verbal about not wearing a bathing suit because you feel too fat?
Remember that…..
….whatever say about your body sends a message to your daughters.
Young girls can easily interpret what you say to mean that a woman must be skinny in order to do the things she wants to do. She might begin to think that she must be thin in order to be beautiful enough to be seen in public. She might decide that she has to be lean in order to be loved and be thought of as beautiful. Read more on Watch Your Words Around Girls (and Boys!)…
You would think with the nicer weather and longer days, we’d all be getting plenty more activity during the summer and leaning up nicely. But that’s not often the case. Many people report that they gain weight in the summer time!
Read more on Eating Healthy & Staying Lean in the Summer…
Another Birthday passed and I just turned 45. The good news is besides a few extra wrinkles, a few more aches and pains and having difficulty reading small text, I feel as good as when I was in my 20s. That can be a true testimony to the benefit of exercise! Use it to reverse the aging process!
Aging is an inevitable part of life. One can expect certain changes, such as graying hair and wrinkled skin, to accompany aging. In fact, the cosmetic industry preys off our attempts to reverse some of these changes. But many of the changes commonly attributed to the process of aging, specifically within the musculo-skeletal system (the bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and cartilage) are in fact, a result of physical inactivity or disuse. The old adage “use it or lose it” appears to ring true. Read more on Reverse The Aging Process…
So what do I mean let’s agree on 95% when it comes to nutrition?
Well, we had a team meeting recently and had some fabulous discussions about nutrition and I thought I would share that information with all of you…and tell you what we decided.
Read more on Nutrition: Let’s Agree On 95%…
Ever wondered why you are always told to drink lots of fluids? Here is a question I received asking if we should really drink a gallon of water per day!
“I just read that we should drink a gallon of water per day to maximize fat loss. Was this a misprint? I picture myself on the restroom all day from drinking all that water. Please clarify. Thank you for your great articles!” M.H.
Did you know that 50-70% of our total body weight is water? The brain is composed of 70 percent water, lungs are nearly 90 percent water and our blood is about 83 percent water, which helps digest our food, transport and eliminate waste and toxins, mobilize fat, and control body temperature. Think of it this way, every tissue cell, organ and system is comprised of water and functions optimally only in the presence of adequate hydration. So even fat loss will not occur at an optimal rate if you are in a dehydrated state. Plus water helps to Read more on Drink a Gallon of Water?…
“My life is so busy that I have a hard time eating healthy. Any tips for someone who is trying to eat nutritiously on the go?” P.C.
I can appreciate that sometimes life is so busy that it becomes difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan. Here are some ideas for eating on the go:
Breakfast
Break for breakfast no matter how busy you are. Try these balanced, quick breakfast options: Read more on Eating on The Go…
Some fitness enthusiasts complain that the more they workout, the hungrier they are and the more they eat counteracting the calories burned during their exercise sessions! A 30 minute workout will burn approximately 300 calories. The bad news is it can take just a few minutes to consume 300 calories. Some people make the mistake of thinking that since they exercise that gives them free reign to eat whatever they want. Unfortunately that’s not the case. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to practice healthy nutrition and portion control just like everyone else.
Read more on Is Working Out Making You Hungrier?!…
This is the time of year for holiday parties, community events and family get-togethers! It’s all so much fun but it’s going to take more than will-power to make sure your holiday season is healthy and doesn’t completely sabotage your fitness goals. You CAN party and still stay fit!
Read more on Party And Still Stay Fit…
