Danielle's Daily Fitness Journal 2009

I'm BACK!!!

2009-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Fantastic, Fitness FRIDAY! I guess you could say I've been on vacation for the last week or so. This is the time of year when I really need to be creative. Trying to pry people off of their couches and into action is can be exhausting. Most people have already shut-down for the winter. Shame, shame - "Holidays" to blame? Na, Thanksgiving was only one day. Did you resume your usual fitness routine the day after? You will feel a lot better going into the new year, not having gained extra weight in November/December. If you are keeping your daily fitness a priority, YOU will be feeling in your Christmas attire. Good for you! Our bodies do not condition themselves, WE have to perform daily maintenance. Get moving and sweating today.....

2009-11-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Survival Guide
Yes, You Can Have Your Pumpkin Pie
and Eat It, Too

Join the Biggest Loser Club now, click here!

By Greg Hottinger, Biggest Loser Club Nutritionist

As Thanksgiving weekend approaches, you are probably wondering how your Biggest Loser diet will survive. You've worked hard to this point and have gotten a good start on weight loss. But on Thursday, you might find yourself sharing the celebration with Aunt Millie and the gang, surrounded by the family favorites, such as turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli casserole, and pumpkin pie.

Since these are some of the most delicious foods you've ever tasted, you wonder how you're supposed to enjoy Thanksgiving day on a measly 1200 calories.

The first step is to gain some perspective on Thanksgiving and the other major holidays by considering the big picture. Imagine two large pickle jars, one that is empty and one that contains 365 pennies. Now imagine that you are told to remove a penny from the one pickle jar and put into the empty pickle jar for every time that you knew you'd blow your diet during the calendar year.

You might start with the obvious holidays, like Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. Plink, plink, plink, you put three pennies into the empty pickle jar. Then another penny for New Year's day, your birthday, Valentine's day, Mother's day, Father's Day, the 4th of July, and seven pennies for the week at the beach in August. When you've come up with the obvious ones and you're considering Arbor Day, stop and take a moment to take a look at your two jars.

In one jar you have 30 or so pennies and in the other, the remaining 335 pennies. The 30 or so pennies are the times each year that you KNOW that you're going to splurge and "blow your diet." The jar with 335 pennies, however, represents your Biggest Loser program, the one that has helped you lose weight, regain your health, look better, and feel great!

You can see that what you do on the 335 days of the year that you follow your program closely is much more important than what happens on those 30 splurge days. But as you know, it's not that easy. The problem is that when we fall off the wagon, it may take us days and days to get back to our program.

Thanksgiving day can easily spill over into Thanksgiving weekend. Our 30 splurge days turn in to 90. Why does this happen? Use the following five strategies to help you enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend and still keep your Biggest Loser program intact.

Strategy #1: Give Yourself Permission
If the Thanksgiving meal is a special one for you, plan to enjoy it. Make an agreement with yourself that it's OK to not have a weight-loss day. You've worked hard thus far and your enjoying Thanksgiving dinner is not going to ruin anything.

Strategy #2: Frame Your Thanksgiving Splurge
Keep your indulgences to just the meal, not the entire weekend. A key to weight-loss success is learning how to keep your exercise program and eating structure healthy the day before and the day after your celebration. This is called "framing" your splurge.

Strategy #3: Have a Plan
To make strategy #2 work, you'll need to plan out the details so that you can stay on track. Can you make Wednesday before Thanksgiving a normal day? What's your plan for exercise during the four-day weekend?

Strategy #4: The Splurge
Remember that your Thanksgiving meal isn't your last one on planet Earth. How can you maximize your pleasure, fully enjoy the meal, but still feel like you made good decisions? One strategy is to not come into the meal famished. Being too hungry will set you up for gorging yourself. The goal here is to have a great time and enjoy your company. Focus on those foods that you love, eat slowly, and give yourself permission to savor them.

Strategy #5: Take Pride in Your Recovery
Now it’s time to get back on track. If you overate, don't beat yourself up about it. If you did well with your choices, then congratulate yourself. Your overall success depends on how quickly you can recover from these special days. If your Thanksgiving normally spills over into Friday and Saturday, can you do it differently this year? How about choosing one special food and having a serving of it with lunch on Friday and then being done with leftovers (except for turkey breast)? Remember the pickle jar analogy; Friday is a day to get back to the one that represents your Biggest Loser program. Make this a great (and healthy) Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

Exercise – The Stress Buster!

The holiday season is here and with it can come a lot of stress. We’re working, taking care of the kids, entertaining guests and trying to get ahead on our Christmas shopping. It can be overwhelming!

I love to hit the gym when I’m feeling the tension build up! I know it feels like the last thing you want to do when you’re running low on time and energy, but I’ve got five good reasons why exercise is the answer when it comes to beating stress!

1. A Healthy Distraction. Think of the gym as a mini-vacation. Make your workout space, whether it’s your local gym, the sidewalk outside of your house or a room in your basement, a stress-free zone. While you’re there, you can’t do anything to solve the problems you’ve temporarily left outside of its doors so don’t think about them. Take that moment to concentrate on the exercise you are performing. For a short moment in time, it’s all about you and your muscle!

2. Gain clarity. Studies have shown that exercise improves focus and decision-making capabilities. Working out stimulates your nervous system, causing the growth of capillaries in the brain, more connections between neurons and the development of new neurons in the part of the brain used for memory. As a result, we are better able to focus on tasks regardless of distractions and to make decisions that are appropriate to the situations we face.

3. Do something that makes you feel GOOD. We’ve all been conditioned to reach for things that are bad for us when we’re feeling stressed. The pleasure you get from a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate is only temporary, and, if it’s not in line with your fitness goals, will lead to guilt. Getting to the gym has lasting effects on your health, your confidence in your appearance and your strength that will help you through stressful situations in the future.

4. Feel more accomplished. Our to-do lists can be long and certainly frustrating when we can’t cross as many items off the list as we wish. When I’m feeling like I haven’t accomplished anything throughout the day, I know I can achieve something at the gym. That small victory is enough to lighten my mood and prepare me to conquer my list when I’m finished my workout!

5. Get better sleep. One of the worst side effects of stress is lack of sleep. This lack of sleep can intensify your stress making it even harder to get to sleep – not a healthy cycle. Exercise tires your body, allowing you to fall into a deeper, more sound sleep. When your awake, you’ll feel better rested and more capable of taking on your day!

So what are you waiting for? Get to the gym, take a walk or go for a bike ride. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you enjoy it. After all, the best stress reliever of all is fun!

Your Sister-In-Iron,

P.S. Do you like this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member.

2009-11-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Avoid Overeating on Thanksgiving Day!

Holidays can be a great challenge for those of us who follow The Eat-Clean Diet®. We aren’t always in control of the menu and we don’t want to hurt our host’s feelings by declining to eat the dishes they worked so hard to prepare. It may be difficult but it isn’t impossible to make it through the meal without falling right out of your Eat-Clean wagon if you memorize these six tips:

1. Plan ahead. Decide if this will be a treat day since it’s a special occasion and plan which treat you’re going to have depending on where you are relative to your goals. If you’re maintaining, you may decide to have a glass of wine plus a small dessert. If you’re trying to lose weight for that Christmas cruise you might want to keep this meal super Clean.

2. Don’t skip meals. Thanksgiving Day is no different than any other if you’re following The Eat-Clean Diet®. Don’t overcompensate for Thanksgiving calories by skipping meals that day. If you’re starving by the time dinner is served, you’re more likely than ever to overeat.

3. Remember your portion sizes. A portion of lean protein is the size of the palm of your hand, a portion of starchy carbs fits into one cupped hand and a portion of high-water content carbs fits into two cupped hands. I serve myself slightly smaller portions for my first helping of food since I’m eating more foods than I normally would in a meal. If I’m truly hungry after that first plate, I go back for seconds, but often I find that I don’t need it.

4. Make healthier choices. Part of eating clean is learning how to make healthier choices. Pick white meat over dark, choose dishes that aren’t covered in rich sauces, fill your plate with vegetables and pass on the butter for your dinner roll. Don’t be afraid to offer to bring your own dishes to a host’s house to ensure you’ll have something you enjoy eating. If you do indulge in a dish that’s not Clean, try not to serve yourself too large a portion.

5. Eat slowly. It takes a whole day to prepare this delicious meal, don’t rush through it in ten minutes! Be mindful of how fast you are eating – enjoy each bite and chew properly. It takes twenty minutes for your stomach to register that it is full, so if you eat too quickly your body can’t tell you it’s had enough until it’s too late.

6. Limit your alcohol. Alcohol not only lowers your inhibitions, making you more likely to overindulge, it also provides you with a lot of unnecessary calories. Try the Clean Cocktails from my Eat-Clean Diet® Cookbook as an alternative or do as I do and pamper yourself with a glass of water flavored with lemons and limes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. Do you like this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member.

2009-11-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

Healthy Holiday Eating
This is the season where sweets and treats are prevalent, tempting and in your face at the office, at home, at friends, at the bank and just about everywhere. We are hit with a whammy every few weeks from here until the New Year making it harder to stick with an exercise regimen and proper diet. Family gatherings and holiday travel make it sometimes difficult to continue training especially if you do not go somewhere with gym access. All these holidays revolve around good, rich and yummy foods which you want to and should partake in especially if you have been exercising and eating right diligently all year round. Read Full Article >>

Success Story of the Week - Brittnie
This area is dedicated to weight loss success stories shared by our visitors. These are real stories from real people who have achieved real results. Each person shares their nutritional tips, exercise advice and insight about how they successfully lost weight and kept it off. Learn exactly what these people ate and what specific exercises they used to lose excess body fat and build lean muscle. We hope these stories will provide you with the motivation to make the changes that will make your life healthier and happier. See After Photos >>

Recipe of the Week - Sweet Potato Wedges
Healthy eating is the foundation for achieving the body of your dreams. Whether it's to lose body fat, pack on lean muscle mass or feel better throughout the day, the quality of food you eat is absolutely critical to reaching your goals. Read our healthy recipe of the week to get new and fresh ideas about planning your next nutrient dense meal plan. From quick snacks to healthy desserts, our list of nutrient packed meals will give you the fuel to power through intense workouts and provide overall energy to easily get you through the day! Get Recipe >>

I'm running, are YOU?

2009-11-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

5K Turkey Trot

To benefit the Watertown Boys and Girls Club

KIDS RUN!!! FREE..ALL KIDS GET A T-SHIRT

Thanksgiving Morning, Thursday, Nov. 26^th

FREE BREAKFAST FOR ALL

(SCRAMBLED EGGS, SAUSAGE, BACON, HOME FRIES)

RACE TIME: 830AM SHARP NO WEATHER DELAYS!

Location: Donohue’s Bar and Grill 87 Bigelow Ave Watertown Ma 617 924 4900

ENTRY FEE: PRE RACE DAY $20 RACE DAY $25

ONLINE REGISTRATION @ ACTIVE.COM

PRE REGISTRATION: STARTS AT 7AM

AWARDS:

1^ST OVERALL FEMALE AND MALE

TOP MALE AND FEMALE IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:

15 & UNDER, 16 TO 19, 20 TO 29, 30 TO 39, 40 TO 49, 50 TO 59, 60 PLUS

CLYDESDALE DIVISION AND MALE OVER 215LBS

2009-11-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Eat Right!

Get Back on Track!

If you eat less, you lose weight. Seems logical, right? Unfortunately, skipping meals can have consequences. Besides leaving you feeling listless and weak, lack of food can set you up for a major binge. Deprivation can cause hunger and cravings, and in those straits you're likely to eat the first thing you see, regardless of its nutritional value.

Thankfully, the answer to this dilemma is simple. Eat when you're hungry! Choose vitamin-rich fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains, and you'll easily beat cravings between meals, feel full, and help your body shed pounds. Isn't that great?

If you've already binged, don't worry! It happens to all of us at one point or another. Just get right back on track with your next meal. If you need more support, check in with a close friend or family member, or visit my amazing online community!

www.deniseaustin.com

2009-11-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

9 Ways to Treat Seasonal Depression

It's that time of year: Temperatures are dropping and daylight is diminishing. If seasonal affective disorder is disrupting your life, there are effective treatments available to help you feel better.

Find seasonal depression treatments.

Shedding Some Light on SAD

After growing up in Minnesota, depression blogger UncleBarbara got in a car with one February morning, "drove all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, saw palm trees," and hasn't left since. But now that she's deliberating a move back north, she wonders how she can fight seasonal depression.

Read the blog and share your advice.

2009-11-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Behavioral Health
Boost Your Body Image

When you think of your body, what thoughts come to mind? Do you focus on what's "wrong"? Do you feel embarrassed about your body? Like so many people who struggle with weight, you may find it difficult — or perhaps not even know how — to work toward a healthier relationship with your own body. But you can learn to accept and appreciate yourself.

A healthy lifestyle is about more than eating well and exercising — it is about accepting and embracing your body and treating it well. It's not about waiting until you've reached some ideal weight or some particular goal before learning to notice what's good about yourself and your body. After all, staying motivated requires that we celebrate every success. Continue reading for tips on improving your self-image. Read more

2009-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Dining Out? Learn How to Stick to Your Diet

Dining away from home doesn't have to destroy your diet — it may just take a little control and a lot of smart food choices.

Find out how to monitor your calories when eating out.

2009-11-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Get Dressed Up

Let's be honest: Even the most dedicated fitness buff doesn't want to work out every day. We all have those days when it's much easier to keep sitting on the couch watching a Law and Order marathon than to get up and exercise. If you can't entertain the idea of a workout, at least get up and put on your sneakers and workout clothes. Lying around the house in your gear and not doing something active will probably make you feel silly or guilty enough that you'll get up and get on with the program. If that still doesn't work, make a bargain with yourself to just do the warm-up. Often you'll find that getting started is the hardest part and that once you're done with the first five-minute segment, you'll be ready to move on to the next. Don't worry, you're up to the challenge, and those TV show characters will be there for you when you're done! www.5factordiet.com

2009-11-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Kim Lyons doesn’t hold back

By Sandy Braz

WORKING OUT
“I do a lot of functional training with combination movements,” says Kim. “I keep my heart rate up for the entire workout by adding in one- or two-minute drills like walking lunges or step-ups.”

Living in Hermosa Beach, California, Kim says, “Sometimes I’ll skip the gym and do all my training outside on the beach or in parks just to keep it fun and creative. I never get bored with working out!”

KEEPING IT CLEAN
This former trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser says her diet hasn’t changed much since her days on stage as a competitor. “I keep it simple,” she says.

Here are five rules she lives by:
1. Eat foods in their natural state. Avoid over-processed food. “Your body doesn’t know what to do with it!”

2. Eat every three hours. “If I have a really long day and I’m more active my calories match my activity level.”

3. Always eat balanced snacks and meals. “Eating carbs, fats and protein in every meal keeps your blood sugar levels from spiking and crashing. This controls cravings and energy levels.”

4. Drink Water. “I don’t drink sugary, chemical drinks,” says Kim. “Diet soda is a chemical nightmare along with the coffee drinks full of sugary calories.”

5. After 3 p.m. make veggies your carbs. “I’ll have oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice, fruit and quinoa early in the day and salads and steamed veggies later in the day.”

Kim’s guilt-free, bake-free brownies
Ready in 1 hour • Makes 6 servings

• 1 packet high-fiber apple cinnamon oatmeal
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup protein powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
• 2–3 tbsp organic raw cocoa powder

Blend oatmeal and flaxseed into a fine flour (Kim uses a personal blender, available at any major retailer). Toss ground oatmeal/flaxseed, protein powder, water and peanut butter into a ziplock bag and mush it around until it forms sticky dough. Refrigerate for about an hour then form into a small round loaf and slice into strips or bite-size chunks. Roll the pieces in the cocoa powder or crunchy flakes for some extra flavor.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:
Calories: 150, Total Fats: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 70 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 12 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 8 g, Iron: 1 mg

KIM LYONS’ MUSIC:
Download the tunes on her iPod!

1. Fuel – Metallica
2. Time to Start – Blue Man Group
3. SexyBack – Justin Timberlake
4. Gimme More – Britney Spears
5. Low – Flo Rida
6. Don’t Cha – The Pussycat Dolls
7. Shake That – Eminem
8. In Da Club – 50 Cent
9. Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
10. Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas

Kim Lyons’ playlist is sure to
get your workout rocking.
Pump up your routine with her
top 10 favorite workout
songs!

Photography: Stewart Volland, Hair and Makeup: Nancy Jambazian, Stylist: Julia Perry, Swimsuit: L*Space

2009-11-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

Fat-burning facts

By Sandy Braz

You’ve heard this before: Thin people have fast metabolisms and overweight people have slow metabolisms. Experts say it isn’t so and that weight loss can be boosted if you know how to ramp up your natural fat incinerators.

The truth about metabolism and fat loss. The simplest way to break it down is that your metabolism converts food into energy. Your metabolism is just waiting to unleash itself, so go for it!

Here’s what you can do today to take your metabolism up a notch . . . or 10:

Quit “dieting.” Eating clean is a lifestyle (not a fad diet) you can start today. Make simple changes like swapping fatty cuts of meat for lean ones and passing on calorie-laden salad dressings for a tangy balsamic vinegar, a natural appetite suppressant, that has fewer calories yet all the flavor (one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar contains approximately five calories). For your next metabolism-revving meal, check out our online recipe section: My Recipe Book.

Eat small meals, five to six times a day. This will help satisfy hunger, plus leave room for another small meal in two to three hours. Your metabolism will be on high all day! As a tip, try to keep each meal between 300 and 400 calories and read nutrition labels to give you a hand.

Combine right. Eat lean protein (e.g., fish, chicken, turkey and flank steak) and complex carbohydrates (e.g., Ezekiel bread, sweet potato and whole grains) together at every meal. This super-charged combination keeps metabolism balanced and insulin levels in check.

Portion control. The golden rule: Getting clean food is just part of the full clean eating picture – you have to apply the basic principles of serving sizes, too. Although all food servings are not created equal, Oxygen’s Tosca Reno, author of the Eat-Clean Diet (Robert Kennedy Publishing, 2007), states in her book that following these simple rules can help you navigate the right portion sizes for your needs: A protein serving should be the size of your palm; complex carbs from whole grains and starches is the amount you can hold in a cupped hand; and complex carbohydrates from fruits and veggies is the amount you can hold in two hands cupped together.

Eat spicy food! Spices (or “thermogenics”) including taste-bud pleasers like cinnamon and cayenne, actually burn fat by keeping metabolism in drive. Consider thermogenic foods when looking to add some personality to your meals.

Train major muscle groups at least three times per week. Now that you have all this food energy stored up, it needs somewhere to go! Be sure to work out, hitting all muscle groups, at least three times per week. To learn the moves fitness professionals swear by, check out “Express Fitness: Flab to Firm . . . Fast” in the Spring 2009 issue of Oxygen.

Photography: Terry Goodlad, Model: Valerie Waugaman

www.oxygenmag.com

2009-11-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Learn to Slow Down
Are you so busy that you barely have time to eat? Well, scarfing down meals won't help you meet your weight-loss goals. Eating too quickly is one of the leading causes of overeating. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to register the food you eat and send the "I'm full" message to your brain. If you are barreling through your meals in 15 minutes, you are probably eating more than is necessary to satisfy your hunger. Force yourself to slow down. Good, healthy food is one of the true pleasures in our lives — savor and enjoy! Here are some tricks to slow down your eating

2009-11-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

How to Get Out of a Workout Rut

Does it seem like your will to get up and exercise has gone out the window? If you answered yes, don't abandon your fitness efforts!

How to Get in Shape for a 5K Run

A training schedule will help you cross the finish line successfully, as will running with a buddy or others who are at your fitness level.

Give these training tips a try.

What's Your Favorite Workout?

Share what works for you — and find out what other readers are doing to get and stay in shape in our online support group.

Read the latest posts now.

2009-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Facts on Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert starches and sugars into energy needed for daily life. While an estimated 17.9 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, a staggering 5.7 million people are unaware that they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Read up on prediabetes and diabetes.

How to End Emotional Eating

As many of you know, it isn't always hunger that causes you to reach for your favorite foods. Our moods and emotions can play a big role in how we view food and in how well we are able to stick to a healthy eating plan.

Get tips on how to help end emotional eating.

2009-11-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Exercise – The Stress Buster!

The holiday season is here and with it can come a lot of stress. We’re working, taking care of the kids, entertaining guests and trying to get ahead on our Christmas shopping. It can be overwhelming!

I love to hit the gym when I’m feeling the tension build up! I know it feels like the last thing you want to do when you’re running low on time and energy, but I’ve got five good reasons why exercise is the answer when it comes to beating stress!

1. A Healthy Distraction. Think of the gym as a mini-vacation. Make your workout space, whether it’s your local gym, the sidewalk outside of your house or a room in your basement, a stress-free zone. While you’re there, you can’t do anything to solve the problems you’ve temporarily left outside of its doors so don’t think about them. Take that moment to concentrate on the exercise you are performing. For a short moment in time, it’s all about you and your muscle!

2. Gain clarity. Studies have shown that exercise improves focus and decision-making capabilities. Working out stimulates your nervous system, causing the growth of capillaries in the brain, more connections between neurons and the development of new neurons in the part of the brain used for memory. As a result, we are better able to focus on tasks regardless of distractions and to make decisions that are appropriate to the situations we face.

3. Do something that makes you feel GOOD. We’ve all been conditioned to reach for things that are bad for us when we’re feeling stressed. The pleasure you get from a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate is only temporary, and, if it’s not in line with your fitness goals, will lead to guilt. Getting to the gym has lasting effects on your health, your confidence in your appearance and your strength that will help you through stressful situations in the future.

4. Feel more accomplished. Our to-do lists can be long and certainly frustrating when we can’t cross as many items off the list as we wish. When I’m feeling like I haven’t accomplished anything throughout the day, I know I can achieve something at the gym. That small victory is enough to lighten my mood and prepare me to conquer my list when I’m finished my workout!

5. Get better sleep. One of the worst side effects of stress is lack of sleep. This lack of sleep can intensify your stress making it even harder to get to sleep – not a healthy cycle. Exercise tires your body, allowing you to fall into a deeper, more sound sleep. When your awake, you’ll feel better rested and more capable of taking on your day!

So what are you waiting for? Get to the gym, take a walk or go for a bike ride. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you enjoy it. After all, the best stress reliever of all is fun!

Your Sister-In-Iron,

P.S. Do you like this newsletter? Share it with a friend or family member

2009-11-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Dear Fitness Fans,

With the start of holiday season right around the corner, we’re dreading the weight gain (and post-indulgence guilt) that generally arrives this time of year. To help keep the bulge at bay, we’re starting a serious pre-holiday workout and slim-down plan now—join us!


•	Weight Loss Planner

•	Easy Arm Toners

•	10 Ways to Measure Weight Loss

•	Guilt-Free Eating

2009-11-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

Why Cardio Alone Does Not Work
Cardio certainly has its place in every fitness program but it should be a part of a balanced program including cardio, strength training, and a healthy diet. The key to losing body fat and keeping it off is strength training. Lean muscle is the driving force behind your metabolism and the only way to increase your metabolism or burn more calories at rest, is to increase lean muscle through strength training. For the women that are afraid to get "too bulky" from strength training that is simply a myth. Read Full Article >>

Success Story of the Week - Joshua
This area is dedicated to weight loss success stories shared by our visitors. These are real stories from real people who have achieved real results. Each person shares their nutritional tips, exercise advice and insight about how they successfully lost weight and kept it off. Learn exactly what these people ate and what specific exercises they used to lose excess body fat and build lean muscle. We hope these stories will provide you with the motivation to make the changes that will make your life healthier and happier. See After Photos >>

2009-11-12T08:42:00.001-08:00

Tone Your Abs and Legs With These Hard-Core Moves
We all have a "trouble zone" that makes us crazy when we're trying on clothes. Were you ever dying to fit into a pair of cool new jeans, but they wouldn't budge past the middle of your thighs? We've all been there, right? Or ever had the dreaded "muffin top" — where your middle is hanging over the waistband? Not cute. Trust me, some heart-pumping cardio is going to make a world of difference in helping you burn off the fat. And doing these three killer moves will really help you sculpt those skinny-jean trouble zones even more!

Learn moves to strengthen your core and lower body

Danielle's Daily Food & Fitness Journal

2009-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

WEIGHT-TRAINING Wednesday! Seriously, if you are not using weights and you are in your thirties or older, YOU are asking to be made up of FAT. God made our bodies to be conditioned daily. Cardiovascular activity conditions your heart, lunges and overall tissue. Weight Training helps you to maintain your muscle mass or build muscle in general. Eating clean helps to keep your motor running smoothly. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT - eat junk, feel like junk! It's not rocket science, make a decision to final take care of yourself!

Danielle's food journal:

Breakfast: Thomas whole wheat light english muffin, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, yoplait light yogurt, 2 coffee - 350 calories.

Snack: Myoplex Lite Shake - 190 calories.

Lunch: baked tilapia, 1/2 sweet potato, 1c. steamed zucchini - 320 calories.

Snack: 1/2c. lowfat cottage cheese, apple - 170 calories.

Dinner: grilled steak tip salad w/ light balsamic dressing - 400 calories.

Danielle's workouts:

45 min. Cybex Arc Trainer - wanted to start the day with a SWEAT.

60 min. INSANITY - Max Interval Circuit!

* Maybe a little resistance training with my peeps!

2009-11-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Fast Food, Quick Information!

Gone are the days when you'd order from a fast-food menu and keep your fingers crossed that what you were eating didn't have too many calories. Now it's easy to find out how many calories are in that fried fish sandwich or vanilla shake. You'll be amazed at how many calories can be packed into one little bun!

Fast food doesn't automatically equal bad food! Chain restaurants are doing more these days to make their meals healthier. They're also providing a lot more information about the nutritional content of the food so that you can make the best choices. Here's the latest on fast food — and what you should look for when you eat out:

Most fast-food chains now offer complete nutritional information on their Web sites. How's that for a great tool? Before you hop in your car, hop online and plan your order!
McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, and Wendy's are all taking steps to reduce dangerous trans fats or completely eliminate them from their menus. Nice work! (Keep an eye out for foods containing these fats, though — just in case.)
Need nutritional information while you're in the restaurant? Look around! Some chains are posting it on place mats, in brochures, and even on the food packaging.
Some cities have laws requiring fast-food chains to post nutritional information on the menu board, so it's front and center while you order. All you have to do is look at the sign — it's that simple!

www.deniseaustin.com

2009-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Is It Time for a Change?

Imagine that you had to eat the same dinner every night of the week; after a few days you'd really start to get sick of it. The same thing happens to your body when you engage in the exact same workout time after time. Making subtle changes to your exercise routine can help your body build more muscle and lose weight more quickly because it's unaccustomed to the new program. Always use a treadmill for your five-minute warm-up? Try jumping rope or running up and down a flight of stairs instead; or try another piece of cardio equipment, like an elliptical machine. Sometimes even changing the order of things helps, so try doing the second exercise in your superset first. Challenge yourself to keep finding new ways to surprise yourself.

www.5factordiet.com

2009-11-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Is a Vegetarian Diet Healthier?

You may be considering a vegetarian diet to lose weight and improve your heart health, but even vegetarians need to make sure their meals are balanced.

Learn about the different ways to become a vegetarian.

Obesity Seems to Alter Heart Structure

Obesity appears to cause changes in the heart's structure and function that increase the risk of irregular heart rhythm, stroke, and death, according to a new study.

Get the details on these new findings.

2009-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Beat Winter Weight Gain

By Rachel Johnson, Ph.D, M.P.H., R.D.

Eat, drink and be merry—just be mindful of those drinks!

’Tis the season of eggnog and hot chocolate, mulled cider and sparkling wine. ’Tis also the season when Americans put on half of our annual weight gain. Granted, that’s just two pounds a year, and a pound or two between Thanksgiving and New Year’s doesn’t seem all that bad. But if it happens year after year after year…well, you can do the math.

It’s easy to blame the holiday cookies, but festive foods and rich desserts aren’t the only culprits. At 500 calories, a Starbucks 16-ounce eggnog latte has almost twice the calories of a regular-size (2-ounce) Snickers bar. A cup of rich hot chocolate can add up to 13 Hershey’s Kisses.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, etc.) are a key contributor to excessive weight gain and obesity. That was the conclusion a team of Harvard researchers reached last August after analyzing 30 beverage studies. And their analysis did not take into account holiday drinks that are even higher in calories.

Not to be a Scrooge—I love a glass of wine or a cup of hot cocoa when it’s cold out—but I recognize that if I don’t want to gain weight, I’ll need to count the calories I drink. However, I am an exception. Most of us don’t consider the calories we get from beverages in the same way we think of those we get from foods. And those calories do count: in fact, soft drinks are now the number one source of calories in Americans’ diets.

Get the full story at EatingWell