Updating

I know, I know, I've been a slacker on updating this website. I'll try to do better. I hope everyone is keeping up with their goals. How did you do for March? I did o.k. - I took the week my family was in town off just because I knew we'd be too busy for working out - I know, excuses, excuses, but after seeing my body degrade after that week encouraged me to get started again. I haven't been working out as much as my goals, but I'm trying to improve.

On a more personal note, I've had to start a low-carb diet. When the Atkins diet first got popular, I would laugh at all the people who would eat their sandwiches wrapped in lettuce and think they were crazy. But now that I'm going low-carb, I can see that it does work. I'm not at the extreme as not eating any breads, cereals, pastas, but I've cut out all simple sugars, white breads and pastas, and starches. If I do eat breads and cereals, I try to make sure they are whole grain versions with as much fiber as I can get and I've worked on upping my vegetables and fruits. Now I look through recipe books for the salads instead of the pastas. I really didn't realize how much random sugar I was stuffing into my mouth and what affect it was having on my body until I had to be truely conscious of what I was eating. I've always tried to eat healthy, but I always gave into the temptation of the candy bowl or the pan of brownies. I've been eating low-carb for about three weeks now and I can't believe the results in my hips already - they are finally getting thinner! I'll be honest - it's hard and somedays I'm just ravashing for something sweet or breaded, but I know not giving into those temptations will help my health in the long run.

Anyways, let me know how you're doing. I'll try to be better at updating with tips and such - just add that to my goals!

Goals

O.K. - so I've realized this blog has gotten a bit informal - so let's get talking. They say when you make your goals, you should let someone else know them as well so you are held accountable to someone else besides yourself. So what are your exercise and eating goals?

My exercise goal since the beginning of the year is to work out 3-4 times a week for at least 30 minutes. I've been keeping up on it so far, and I'm going to add a goal to strength train at least three times a week. My eating goal is to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet (which means instead of reaching for the Girl Scout cookies, I should reach for an apple, banana, carrots, etc.). Now that you know my goals, I'm counting on all of you to keep me accountable!!

Your turn!!

The Key to Health May Be A Colorful Diet

Do you want to eat healthy and add some color back in to your life? You're in luck! Chemical researchers have linked healthy eating to a colorful diet. Dr. Ronald Prior, a PhD research chemist with the USDA explains, “Every hue — green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and even white — signifies a different class of nutrients, each of which offers a unique benefit." Dr. Prior’s research follows the trail of antioxidants found in various foods and the health benefits attributed to such healthy components.

It turns out that we can break it down for you like the hues of a rainbow. Yellow/Orange: Sweet potatoes, carrots, mango and corn, which contain carotenoids which help reduce the risk of cancer. Green: Spinach and broccoli contain lutein which promotes sharper, better vision. Blue/Purple: Blueberries and blackberries contain anthocyanins which prevent and suppress tumor growth. Red: Tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene which helps prevent heart disease and cancer. White: Cauliflower and potatoes are a good source of vitamin C.

Research indicates that mixing these foods together helps to boost their overall antioxidant effects. So, the key to a youthful, healthy exterior, sharp mind, healthy strong bones and disease prevention might start with a healthy rainbow of colorful foods on your plate.

Sourse: eDiets.com

Grab and Go Snacks

Don't settle for unhealthy snacks when you're in for a busy day. For easy, portable fiber-rich snack ideas, try whole fruit including apples, oranges, kiwifruit and pears. Pack a zip-close bag of air-popped popcorn, a small low-fat bran muffin, and some trail mix made with unsalted nuts and juicy raisins, or a whole-wheat English muffin (spread with a teaspoon of unsweetened apple butter).

Super 20-Minute Home Workout!

If you've suddenly been hit with a busy schedule or just need something quick, I have the workout for you.

The workout is simple, quick and absolutely effective. No hour-long sessions in the gym or long bouts of cardio, and no dreading the thought of exercise. Just a realistic alternative to all the noise in the world of fitness that makes us hate exercising. No anatomy lessons today, simply something you can do in your living room or office. The only weight you'll need is your own body.

This series of movements will take about 20 minutes or less. Yep, you're reading correctly -- just 20 minutes. You can do them 3-4 times per week. Your entire body will be stimulated, and you'll feel rejuvenated without all the added stress of having to go to the gym.

I've designed this routine so that one exercise stimulates multiple muscle groups. This way, you'll get the best bang for your buck in the least amount of time. Perform each exercise in succession. After completing one movement, immediately continue to the next one. After you've completed all the movements, perform them one more time. Attempt 20-25 repetitions of each movement. Don't worry if you can't perform all the reps -- it will come. If you're a beginner, take your time and go at your own pace.

1. BENT KNEE PUSH UPS Start with your hands and knees on a mat. Your hands should be shoulder width apart and your head, neck, hips and legs should be in a straight line. Do not let your back arch and cave in. Maintain a slight bend in the elbows. Lower your upper body by bending your elbows outward and stopping before your chest touches the floor. Contracting the chest muscles, slowly return to the starting position. Inhale while lowering your body. Exhale while returning to the starting position. After mastering this exercise, you may wish to try the full push-up.

2. LUNGE (with household cans) Stand straight with your feet together. Hold a can in each hand and keep your arms down at your sides. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Contracting the quadriceps muscles (front of the thigh), push off your right foot slowly, returning to the starting position. Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set. Inhale while stepping forward. Exhale while returning to the starting position.The step should be long enough that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not let your knee touch the floor. Make sure your head is up and your back is straight. Your chest should be lifted, and your front leg should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. Your right knee should not pass your right foot, and you should be able to see your toes at all times. If you have one leg that is more dominant than the other, start out with the less-dominant leg first. Discontinue this exercise if you feel any discomfort in your knees.

3. ABDOMINAL BICYCLE MANEUVER Lie on a mat with your lower back in a comfortable position. Put your hands on either side of your head by your ears. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. Slowly go through a bicycle pedaling motion, alternating your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. This is a more advanced exercise, so don't worry if you can't perform a lot of them. Do not perform this activity if it puts any strain on your lower back. Also, don't pull on your head and neck during this exercise. The lower to the ground your legs bicycle, the harder your abs have to work.

4. BENCH DIPS Using two benches or chairs, sit on one. Place palms on the bench with fingers wrapped around the edge. Place both feet on the other chair. Slide your upper body off the chair with your elbows nearly but not completely locked. Lower your upper body slowly toward the floor until your elbows are bent slightly more than 90 degrees. Contracting your triceps (back of the arm), extend your elbows and return to the starting position (stopping just short of the elbows fully extending). Inhale while lowering your body and exhale while returning to the starting position. Beginners should start with their feet on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. As you progress, move your feet out further until your legs are straight with a slight bend in the knees.

5. ABDOMINAL DOUBLE CRUNCH Lie on the floor face up. Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle with both feet on the floor. Your back should be comfortably relaxed on the floor. Place both hands crossed on your chest. Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legs off the floor toward one another. Slowly return to the starting position (stopping just short of your shoulders and feet touching the floor).Exhale while rising up and inhale while returning to the starting position. Keep your eyes on the ceiling to avoid pulling with your neck. Your hands should not be used to lift the head or assist in the movement.

There you have it! Five exercises performed for two cycles in just 20 minutes. You'll begin to notice a tighter feel in your muscles in a few weeks, and you will naturally perform more reps as time progresses -- all in 20 minutes or less.

Source: Raphael Calzadilla, eDiets.com

Reasons to be Encouraged

On the road to weight loss, fitness, and health, you can easily become discouraged. In fact, discouragement is what leads many people to give up when they may have been near a point of significant progress and encouragement in their program.

Here are six points of encouragement to help keep your spirits high on your road to weight loss, fitness, and health.

1. It does get better -- and often very quickly! Many people who are significantly overweight or have been sedentary for a long time, find any activity, even walking a few hundred feet, to be very difficult and uncomfortable. Be encouraged, many physiological changes happen very quickly once you start moving. Walking, for example, starts getting easier and more comfortable within a couple of weeks. Keep moving, every day will be a little better!

2. The visible signs of progress in a weight loss program are often very slow to come. Healthy weight loss takes time, which can be very discouraging. Be encouraged to know that for each day that you exercise and eat healthy foods in moderate quantities, you have made progress. It might not be measurable that day, but you have made progress.

3. The whole idea behind physical training is that you push your body to do a little more than it's comfortable with and it responds by making physical and physiological changes. These changes make you capable of doing a little more with less discomfort. Be encouraged!

4. Keep records of your progress. Every day write down the positive changes you've noticed and also keep a record of the exercise you do every day. Write down what you did, how long you did it, and any thoughts about your exercise that day. Keep a running total of your minutes. You can look back at what you've done with a great sense of accomplishment and you'll be motivated to do more.

5. Daily exercise will change your life! I believe God designed humans to be active on a daily basis. Why? because when you are, lots of good things happen:

- you're healthier
- you feel better and have more energy
- you're less likely to develop cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc.
- you sleep better
- you have a better outlook on life
- your relationships with people are enhanced
- your skin looks healthier
- you are sick less
- your immune system is stronger
- you lose fat
- you gain toned, lean muscle
- you look healthier

6. Progress and improvement generate encouragement. You can progress and improve and be encouraged to do more. Tomorrow morning, put on your walking shoes and take a walk, even if it's just a few minutes. The next day, do it again -- progress and improve.

Source: eDiets.com

Excuse-Proof Your Exercise Plan

5 surefire ways to stick with the program.

We all do it: We blow off working out. We don't have time. We don't like doing it. We're intimidated. Or it just doesn't seem worth all the effort.

Well, here are tricks for getting past those common excuses. Exercise can be simpler (and feel easier) than you ever imagined.

Excuse: It doesn't feel good.

Solution: Do a cool-down. Finishing your workout with 5 minutes of easy activity can make it more enjoyable, according to a study by Britton W. Brewer, PhD, of Springfield College in Massachusetts. "People's last impression of exercise is the one that lingers," he says. "With a cool-down, you leave feeling the exercise was easier, so you're more likely to do it again."

Excuse: I'll look silly.

Solution: Forget perfection. Exercise is not a Broadway performance. "Women put such pressure on themselves," says Carol Gallagher, PhD, author of Going to the Top (Penguin, 2001). "Learning to feel okay with and laugh at little mistakes is good for you." Walk, dance, enjoy yourself—without worrying about how you look. Bonus: You burn more calories when you're not very good at something!

Excuse: I don't have time.

Solution: Count the small stuff. "Life is never all or nothing, especially in exercise," says Dr. Gallagher. A 10-minute walk is always better than nothing.

Excuse: I'm not getting results.

Solution: Try an activity that works both your upper and lower body at the same time: step aerobics, swimming, pole walking. You'll boost your calorie burn without feeling like you're working any harder.

Excuse: I've tried it before.

Solution: Shift your thinking. "You achieve what you focus on," explains Dr. Gallagher. "So instead of focusing on what you didn't do, concentrate on the times you did exercise. It's more empowering and proof that you can succeed."

Source: By Michele Stanten, Prevention.com

Tip for the Day

The Perfect Plan

Know what days, times and activities, you will be performing at least one week in advance; one month would be even better. Have the proper clothing and equipment ready. Do not let any obstacles interfere with your plan. Write your exercise sessions in your appointment book weeks ahead of time. Commit to your plan and remind yourself that you deserve to take the time for you.

Source: eDiets Daily Bytes

Important Numbers

When I was working as a personal trainer, I constantly had clients that wanted to reduce the number they saw on the scale. After working out for two weeks, many would freak out because that scale number would go up - as a result of them gaining muscle mass, which weighs more than fat mass. We would reassure them that they really were losing weight - that the scale number shouldn't be the one they were focusing on, but the number of inches or body fat they were losing - those were the numbers that showed real progress.

So your goal this week? Measure yourself. Measure your waist, arms, legs, and hips and make a note of them. Re-measure again in 4 weeks and use those numbers to track your progress. If you must weigh yourself on the scale, do it now, then put the scale away in the closet or somewhere and get it out again when you re-take your measurements. Instead of looking at the numbers everyday, focus on how your clothes fit, or how better you are sleeping, or how much more energy you have. After all - those are the measurements that show real progress.

Tip for the Day

Health and Diet
An expert panel from the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that every U.S. adult burn approximately 200 calories daily (which translates to approximately 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity). It is interesting to realize the recommendation includes short bouts of activity as long as the total equals 30 minutes. The benefits of 30 minutes of physical activity daily include a lower risk of chronic disease and increases in fitness.

Fitness
Try before you buy. The best piece of exercise equipment to buy is the one you’re going to use. Consider renting something for a month from a store that sells reconditioned equipment so you can test it out. When you ARE ready to buy, check out our company store for some specially priced items for eFitness members.

Source: eDiets Daily Bytes

Tip of the Day

Health and Diet
Health experts recommend incorporating activities that strengthen your muscles, tendons and bones. Known as resistance training, this type of exercise is equally important for maintaining good health. Your metabolism functions more efficiently when your body has more lean muscle. Ward off potential osteoporosis by doing weight-bearing exercises like push-ups, pull-ups and wall presses at least 3-4 times a week.

Fitness
Remember the five food groups? Well, fitness has 5 groups too: muscle strength, muscle endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and body composition. To get a balanced athletic body, you need to have a balanced “diet” of exercise. But in this case, it’s ok to stretch between meals.

Source: eDiets Daily Bytes