I noticed that on the days that I exercise I avoid doing extra activity throughout the day. I don't take the stairs, I park closer to the store and I sit at my desk all day without getting up.
Don't allow exercise to be an excuse to be lazy during the day. You want to find ways to be more active throughout the day, regardless of the amount that exercise.
Think about that "naturally" thin woman that you know. Take a closer look and you will see that she is constantly on the go. Or think about the new mom who "naturally" lost all the baby weight. Take a closer look and you will see that she barely has a moment to sit down. It is through the little extra actions that they make during the day that they are able to be "naturally" thin.
It is better to take a day off from working out than to have an everyday lazy attitude.
A Blog Dedicated to Building Strength Inside & Out.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Eating Out Wisely
If you are trying to lose weight you should limit the amount of times you eat out. Restaurants are interested in serving great tasting items regardless of calorie count so most items are drenched in butter. I recently took a cooking class where the cook, a local restraunt owner, doused everything with butter or heavy cream - two diet enemies!
If you decide to eat out below are some calorie saving tactics:
1- Ordered the grilled option. Anything grilled is your best choice.
2- Skip the carb. Remind yourself that you can have carbs the next day. You aren't eliminating them from your diet you are only trying to make THIS meal more diet friendly. If you must have a carb order a plain baked potato.
3- Eat the veggies. Ask that the veggies be steamed and dry (NO BUTTER/OIL).
4 - Order a salad. Make sure you skip the cheese and heavy dressing. Ask for extra tomatoes or broccoli and use a vinaigrette, Italian or salsa for dressing.
Always avoid anything fried, doused in heavy cream or dressing, and limit the amount of cheese. Remember that you don't have to avoid any food but that you want to balance out each meal. Eating out doesn't have to sabotage your diet if you make a few healthy swaps.
If you decide to eat out below are some calorie saving tactics:
1- Ordered the grilled option. Anything grilled is your best choice.
2- Skip the carb. Remind yourself that you can have carbs the next day. You aren't eliminating them from your diet you are only trying to make THIS meal more diet friendly. If you must have a carb order a plain baked potato.
3- Eat the veggies. Ask that the veggies be steamed and dry (NO BUTTER/OIL).
4 - Order a salad. Make sure you skip the cheese and heavy dressing. Ask for extra tomatoes or broccoli and use a vinaigrette, Italian or salsa for dressing.
Always avoid anything fried, doused in heavy cream or dressing, and limit the amount of cheese. Remember that you don't have to avoid any food but that you want to balance out each meal. Eating out doesn't have to sabotage your diet if you make a few healthy swaps.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Hints for the Weekend
Navigating the weekends can be tricky. After a week of work we all feel entitled to eat, drink and relax on the weekends. Unfortunately, two days of overindulging can derail your weight loss goals. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you stay on track but also enjoy your weekends.
- Drink a low cal beer such as MGD 64 or Select 55.
- Add ice to your wine. This is a perfect trick in the summer.
- Have a lighter breakfast or skip it.
- Increase the amount you workout by 10-20 minutes.
- Clean your house, run errands, just MOVE more.
- Pick one day or night to indulge on the weekends, not the entire weekend.
Life is all about balance. You deserve to enjoy your weekend but you don't want to offset all the hard work that you put in during the week.
If your goal is to maintain your weight, as long as you are incorporating exercise and not bingeing, your weekend activties shouldn't have an effect on your weight.
- Drink a low cal beer such as MGD 64 or Select 55.
- Add ice to your wine. This is a perfect trick in the summer.
- Have a lighter breakfast or skip it.
- Increase the amount you workout by 10-20 minutes.
- Clean your house, run errands, just MOVE more.
- Pick one day or night to indulge on the weekends, not the entire weekend.
Life is all about balance. You deserve to enjoy your weekend but you don't want to offset all the hard work that you put in during the week.
If your goal is to maintain your weight, as long as you are incorporating exercise and not bingeing, your weekend activties shouldn't have an effect on your weight.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Calories
MSN Health and Fitness has a great calorie calculator. To find out how many calories you need a day check it out : www.health.msn.com/weight-loss/bmi-calculator.aspx. Once you know how many calories your body burns a day, decrease that amount by 500 through diet and exercise and you will lose a pound a week!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Gym Boredom
If you are an avid gym goer you know that your routine can become boring and you need to spice it up. For the past few months my routine has consisted of mostly body combat and body pump classes but this week I started to spend more time on the treadmill and stair stepper. I have always been a runner so the treadmill is a staple in my workout routine but the stair stepper isn't and it has been a challenge. I started with 10 minutes on the stepper and now am up to 30 minutes. Seeing the improvement has been exciting and motivating. I look forward to getting to the gym to see if I can improve from the day before.
I encourage you to try out a new exercise or activity. I bet you will find the same joy in seeing your progress.
I encourage you to try out a new exercise or activity. I bet you will find the same joy in seeing your progress.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Move More!
The first step in getting active is to move more. It is hard to take the leap to a gym setting so start by incorporating more movement into your daily routine. Bringing movement into your daily life is a great building block for better health and weight loss.
Today take the challenge to incorporate one of the following activities into your day:
1) Take a 10 minute walk before work, at lunch or after work
2) Take the stairs up three flights up steps
3) Get up and walk to a co-workers office three times
4) Stand up during a phone call
5) Do squats while making dinner
6) Park in a space that is 10 spaces farther than you normally would park
Check out this site for more suggestions: http://www.takeonestep.org/Pages/yourhealth/getfitforlife/getactive.aspx
Let me know how it goes!
Today take the challenge to incorporate one of the following activities into your day:
1) Take a 10 minute walk before work, at lunch or after work
2) Take the stairs up three flights up steps
3) Get up and walk to a co-workers office three times
4) Stand up during a phone call
5) Do squats while making dinner
6) Park in a space that is 10 spaces farther than you normally would park
Check out this site for more suggestions: http://www.takeonestep.org/Pages/yourhealth/getfitforlife/getactive.aspx
Let me know how it goes!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Math Behind Losing Weight
In order to lose weight you need to use more energy (AKA calories) than you consume. The first step to determine how many calories you need is to figure out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Once you know your BMR you need to determine the amount of calories your body expends performing daily functions, such as working and cleaning. Together the BMR and amount of calories needed for daily functions will allow you to determine the number of calories that you need to maintain your current weight. Many websites will calculate your total daily calorie needs. A few websites that I prefer are:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
My total calorie needs are 2,051. In order to lose one pound I need to decrease my calorie consumption by 3,500. (3,500 calories = 1 pound). It is best to do this through a moderate diet and exercise plan over an extended length of time. For instance, decrease your calorie consumption by 200-300 each day and increase your exercise level by 200-300. This way you will be shedding 500 calories a day and losing a pound a week.
Losing weight is simple math but getting motivated to begin a new diet and exercise program and maintain it takes a lot more. I can help!
http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
My total calorie needs are 2,051. In order to lose one pound I need to decrease my calorie consumption by 3,500. (3,500 calories = 1 pound). It is best to do this through a moderate diet and exercise plan over an extended length of time. For instance, decrease your calorie consumption by 200-300 each day and increase your exercise level by 200-300. This way you will be shedding 500 calories a day and losing a pound a week.
Losing weight is simple math but getting motivated to begin a new diet and exercise program and maintain it takes a lot more. I can help!
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