Mistakes I KNOWYou are Making

"If you're on a fat loss diet, it's vital that you take some time to learn the most common mistakes that are often made by those on fat loss diets. Neglecting to take these into account could very well mean that you make the exact same mistakes and therefore fail to see the results that you're after.
Fortunately, with a few quick adjustments to your current diet plan, you can be sure that you get right back on track with where you need to be. "

Lack Of Protein
The first and biggest mistake people make is not getting in enough protein. Women, especailly, believe that protien makes them fat and gain wight. Infact protien does the exact opposite.

If you want to be successful with weight loss, you must take in enough protein. Protein is the nutrient that is going to help maintain your lean body mass and keep your metabolism humming right along.

The best protein sources to concentrate on are white fish, chicken breast, egg whites, as well as low-fat dairy products.

Too Few Calories

Second, another huge issue that many women face is too low of a calorie intake. There's no question about it, you definitely do need to take in a calorie reduced diet in order to see results with your plan. But that said, there's such a thing as too few calories.
If you aren't getting in enough calories on your weight loss diet, your body is going to take this as a signal that you may be starving and thus slow the entire system down. This means each and every day, hour by hour, you're burning up fewer calories.

Eventually this is going to cause your fat loss to plateau and you to become more frustrated than ever. If you want to have weight loss success, you want a low enough calorie intake that your body is using up body fat for fuel but not so low of an intake that the metabolism slows down. Most women should never go below 1200 calories per day, not only for metabolic purposes but also to ensure adequate nutrients are consumed.

Improper Meal Timing
Finally, the last thing you don't want to get wrong with your diet is your meal timing. Far too many women are in the habit of entirely skipping over their breakfast meal and then eating nothing but a light salad for lunch.

While you may think you're doing yourself a favor by 'saving' calories for later on in the day, all you're doing is causing you to feel sluggish and low on energy. Additionally, this will further tell your metabolism to slow itself down, meaning you burn fewer calories throughout the better portion of the day.

Then by the time the evening hits you're so low on fuel that you binge on whatever you can find, rapidly replacing all the calories you skipped earlier.
Spreading your meals out throughout the course of the day is a far better way to go about this so ensure that your diet is structured correctly.

Drinking your extra calories
While we do need to stay hydrated, the choices of what you hydrate will make all the difference. Drinking your calories in juices and other sweetened beverages can add up to about 250 calories each day. While many appear to be energy enhancing and vitamin rich, the truth is you just don’t need the extra calories from beverages.

Not Replacing Exercise Calories
This is so important to do.Your body needs to NET certain calories to maintain its daily functions. For example: For my height, weight, and activity level I am allotted 1450, thats with a 500 calorie deficit already factored in. If I burn 500 calories by exercising I get to eat 1950....See the math?? You have to eat more to lose more!

Your body reacts to fewer calories by slowing down your metabolism -- burning fewer calories each day just to maintain your body functions. If you don't add exercise along with the diet, you will lose lean muscle mass as well as fat and water weight. When you lose muscle, your metabolism is slowed even further and you would have to eat even fewer calories per day to continue to lose weight. It takes a conscious effort to increase exercise when on a diet.
If you don't exercise and then you fall off of the diet, the weight will come back on even faster, as your body is burning fewer calories per day. Even worse, the weight will come back on as fat rather than as the muscle you lost. Your body will look even less lean and healthy.
Ditching Dairy
Milk, cheese, and ice cream are taboo for many dieters, but ditching dairy foods may be counterproductive. Some research suggests the body burns more fat when it gets enough calcium and produces more fat when it’s calcium-deprived. Calcium supplements do not appear to yield the same benefits, so dairy may have other compounds at work as well. Most dietitians recommend sticking to nonfat or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Losing Track of Your Snacks
Maybe you count calories meticulously at every meal, but what about all those nibbles in between? There’s the bag of pretzels at your desk, the little slice of cake at an office party, the taste of your son’s ice cream cone. All of this mindless munching adds up and could sabotage an otherwise well-planned diet. If you’re serious about counting calories, you may want to use a notebook to keep track of each bite

You are "dieting" not eating

Determined to lose 10 pounds fast, you turn to a crash diet. Perhaps your plan calls for nothing but grapefruit or cabbage soup each day. You slash your daily calories to fewer than 1,000 -- and sure enough, the pounds melt away. But when you eat so few calories, you train your metabolism to slow down. Once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly -- and gains weight more quickly -- than ever before.

At first a diet can give you a sense of control. You are taking charge of your eating patterns. You may see success as the scale drops. But soon you are fighting cravings for forbidden foods, as well as hunger pangs and a lack of energy from the lower calorie level. Eventually you rebel against the diet and start "cheating." If your cheats are small you can still be losing weight, although more slowly. But soon you may go into full rebellion and return to your old eating habits.

Studies are finding dangers in the yo-yo diet cycle of losing weight, gaining it back plus a little more, losing, and gaining again. It is stressful on the body systems to have wide swings in body weight. We think each time that this time we won't gain it back, but the statistics show that most of us will.
Yo-Yo Dieting May Weaken Immune System.

Eat wholesome foods. Only shop in the prduce and meat section of the grocery store.

So there you have three key mistakes that many women are making in their diet plans. Are you making any of these critical errors?

http://www.muscleandfitnesstrainer.com/home/articles/diet-mistakes-you-might-be-making-as-

Whats for Dinner?? Thai- Dyed Turkey Burger

Thai- Dyed Turkey Burger


These burgers get their zest from garlic, ginger, and cilantro pastes. Look for these flavorin- a-flash pastes in the produce section of the supermarket, or make your own with a food processor. SOme of you many have noticed, I LOVE BURGERS!!!!

Ingredients
Serves: Prep: 8min |Cook: 12min |Total: 20min
NOTE: Ingredients for a changed serving size are based on a calculation and are not reviewed by the author or tested. Please also consider scaling up or down cooking containers as needed.
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
2 tablespoons cilantro paste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 ciabatta rolls, split
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thai satay sauce
6 tomato slices
1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded

Directions
1. PREHEAT the grill. Stir together the turkey, scallions, mushrooms, carrot, pastes, soy sauce, pepper, and salt. Shape into 6 burgers. 2. GRILL the burgers for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink. Brush the rolls with the oil and place on the grill 1 minute before the burgers are done. Divide the rolls among 6 plates. Spread 1 tablespoon satay sauce on each roll. Top each with a burger, tomato slice, and cabbage. Nutritional Facts per serving CALORIES 325.1 CAL



FAT 13.9 G



SATURATED FAT 3.8 G



CHOLESTEROL 74.7 MG



SODIUM 947.4 MG



CARBOHYDRATES 26.7 G



TOTAL SUGARS 4.7 G



DIETARY FIBER 2.8 G



PROTEIN

HCG, the worlds DUMBEST DIET SCAMS EVER

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So why is everybody jumping on the HCG bandwagon? Because everybody wants a quick fix. The diet promises 40 pounds of weight loss in six weeks. People will do anything to feel more beautiful, more valuable, more desired, more socially acceptable.

Don’t be tempted, my friends. The HCG diet is unsafe, it doesn’t work, and it’s little more than beautifully packaged snake oil. So do your body and your pocketbook a favor and steer clear.
Instead, if you need to lose weight to be healthy, do it the good old fashioned way that really works. I know everyone wants a quick fix, but real, sustainable weight loss comes from eating less, focus more on wholesome foods, and EXERCISE.


What is HCG?
Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) is a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. More than 50 years ago, Dr. Albert T. Simeons, a British-born physician, contended that HCG injections would enable dieters to subsist comfortably on a 500-calorie-a-day diet. He claimed that HCG would mobilize stored fat; suppress appetite; and redistribute fat from the waist, hips, and thighs . There is no scientific evidence to support these claims.Moreover, a 500-calorie (semi-starvation) diet is likely to result in loss of protein from vital organs, and HCG can cause other adverse effects. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., has noted.

Keep in mind that HCG is a hormone most commonly used in fertility treatments and to aid adolescents with endocrine problems during puberty. It is not — and never had been — a weight loss drug.

Dr. Simeon did a study to “prove” his claims, but no other researchers were ever able to reproduce his work. After the HCG diet was discredited by the scientific community, the diet mostly disappeared until 2007, when infomercial king Kevin Trudeau began promoting it as the secret diet your doctor isn’t telling you about. And suddenly, products appeared all over the internet and doctors at integrative and alternative medicine centers started jumping on the bandwagon, causing the diet to experience an unfortunate resurgence. Variations of the diet exist, but most require daily HCG injections, drops, or sublingual dosing, and costs can run you up to $1500/month (padding the pockets of many a doc). The pregnancy hormone is combined with a highly restricted, low calorie diet of 500 calories/day.

The pregnancy hormone tricks the body into believing that you’re pregnant, and because you’re starving the body, it starts eating away at fat — and you get no hunger pangs! Sounds good, right? To bad it eats away muscle first!
The only reason why anyone loses weight off this diet is because they’re eating 500 calories a day. While calorie intakes are different from person to person, most nutrition information at the grocery store is based off a 2,000-calorie diet. For healthy weight loss, a daily intake of 1,200 to 1,800 calories is generally acceptable. While calorie intakes are different from person to person, most nutrition information at the grocery store is based off a 2,000-calorie diet. For healthy weight loss, a daily intake of 1,200 to 1,800 calories is generally acceptable. When a body is subsiding off 500 calories a day, the body leeches protein from the muscle in the heart, and that makes the heart muscle irritable, which can lead to ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death.

Being a fitness trainer, I can’t beileve I’m writing an article about a 500 calorie diet. If you’re a teenager or an adult, 500 calories for anyone is way too little. If you heard from a friend or anyone who suggested that you consume 500 calories a day to lose fat, then you have been provided with bad advice. Sure, at first you will lose weight which is obviously the goal, however your health will deteriorate and you will also lose a lot of muscle which is a bad thing.

A 500 calorie diet deprives the body from not only the much needed nutrients, but also from sufficient energy it needs to operate. Your body alone burns approximately 900 to 2000 calories on it’s own. Take that number and add on the calories required for your daily activities and you will find it is generally above 1,200 calories. The bare minimum is 1,200 to 1,300 calories a day to maintain a healthy lifestyle but also lose fat.
If you chose to only consume 500 calories a day, you would notice a few changes. You would feel completely without energy during much of the day, your body will feel depleted and sluggish. You will also notice weight loss which is exciting, but you will also notice strength loss from the loss of muscle tissue. When you realize a 500 calorie diet is unhealthy and decide to quit, you will gain all the weight back plus MORE. Why? Because the loss of muscle tissue creates way for more fat gain. In order to build that muscle back up, you will have to perform resistance training with either freeweights or machines.

wedmd

Free WORKOUT! 20 Minutes of INERVAL TRAINING GUT BUSTING CARDIO

Set an Interval Timer for 18 rounds and intervals of 10 seconds (rest interval) and 30 seconds (work interval). The key ot this workou tis to really push your self to do as many as possible. Since it is a short workout you need to push to do the max!

• 10 seconds rest
• High Knees
• 10 seconds rest
• Push Up w/ mountain climber
• 10 seconds rest
• High Knees
• 10 seconds rest
• Squat, then side kick
• 10 seconds rest
• High Knees
• 10 seconds rest
• Crunches on Balance Ball
• (you will repeat this sequence 3 times)

Workout for the Week: Quickie Cardio

Repeat this 3-4 times with a 1 minute rest; Do each move as fast as you can.

50 Step Ups with punches - use a chair, ottoman,staircase, something to stand on (picture #1), when you come up do one punch each arm.

15 Push up burpies (picture #2) - preform a pushup,to the best of your ability, and full burpie up

30 (15 each side) Crab Toe Touches- Get in the crab postion and touch the opposite hand to teh opposite toe. Repeat.

Pills to Make You Skinny!!- GET REAL!

So lately it has been driving me nuts about how many people want to take a pill to be skinny. Seriously, if there was a pill that made you skinny without having to exercise and eat right obesity would cease to exist. Don’t you think if doctors and the FDA had a pill that did this, they would prescribe it! People are to obsessed with a quick fix that has temporary results, if any results. I see people posting and asking “what about ______ pills?” or “ What diet pill do you recommend?”. PEOPLE STOP! Get your @ss in a gym, join a class, start a walking club, buy some DVD’s, hire a personal trainer, do something aside from trying to take a pill. The $60 you are going to pay for a bottle of pills can buy a lot of DVD’s and months at a gym.

"Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!"
"Block the absorption of fat, carbs, and calories with this pill!"
"Wear this and watch the pounds melt away."

Whether you're flipping through a magazine, scanning the aisles of a health store, or watching late-night television, you're bound to see slogans like these touting the latest and greatest product designed to help YOU lose weight.

But chances are the only thing you'll lose by purchasing the latest "miracle diet product" is money. Diet scams are big business with sellers vying for their share of the nearly $35 billion that Americans spend each year on weight loss products and programs.

There have always been quack weight loss schemes out there because nobody ever believes that you can't lose weight faster than you gained it," says registered dietician Althea Zanecosky.

"It maybe took two years for them to gain those 15 pounds, but they want to lose it in two weeks."

A more realistic timetable for lasting weight loss is to lose about a pound or two a week, says Zanecosky.

Experts say relying on pills, patches, creams, and other gadgets to lose weight keeps millions of people from seeking weight loss programs that could really help them lose weight and reduce their risk of disease. The sale of diet pills continue to be on the rise in North America. Many people are lead to believe that they are a safe and effective way to lose weight. Most diet pills on the market are not safe, can cause serious side effects and have resulted in death. Popular diet pills such as Acutrim and Dexatrim contain a combination of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant and effects the central nervous system. It can produce symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.

The biggy’s in the diet scam industry right now:

1. Metabolism-boosting/calorie-burning pills
At the top of the list of diet scams are pills based on herbal ingredients that promise to boost your metabolism and help you burn calories or fat faster.

“New herbs always seem to percolate to the top as potential diet aids, as one leaves another shows up because the FDA doesn’t monitor herbs,” says Zanecosky. “Most of time they are just ineffective; once in a while they are dangerous.”

Two recent examples of herbal diet pills that caught the attention of the FDA as dangerous are ephedra and kava (Piper methysticum, also known as kava kava).

Until recently, ephedra was found in many herbal dietary supplements for weight loss, but in February 2004, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra in any dietary supplement in the U.S. due to the risk of illness or injury. The herb is a close chemical cousin of methamphetamine or speed and can cause high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
Kava is a plant found in the islands of the South Pacific. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient are often promoted for relaxation as well as weight loss. But the FDA issued a warning in 2002 that use of supplements containing kava has been linked to severe liver injury.

2. Fat- and carb-blocking pills
Pills that claim to block your body’s absorption of fat and more recently carbohydrates are also commonly-sold diet scams.
Even if these fat and carb blockers worked as they say they do, researchers say the effects can be dangerous if not just plain unpleasant.
It’s like making someone lactose intolerant, says Zanecosky. By making the body unable to breakdown nutrients in the body, which leads to gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, bloating, and gas, these pills also block the absorption of the vitamins that travel with these nutrients.
“Why would someone purposely submit themselves to that?” says Zanecosky. “Some fat blockers might have something in them that can interfere with how people absorb fat, but they’ve never been shown to help with substantial weight loss.”

3. Weight loss teas
Teas based on herbal ingredients are also touted as diet aids, but researchers say the main ingredient in many of these teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss.

“Losing water isn’t losing weight,” says Zanecosky. “Caffeine can also increase metabolic rate by a small amount but not enough that you would be able to say that it contributed to weight loss.”
Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer agrees and says the only potential weight loss benefit of drinking herbal teas might be using them as a substitute for high-calorie beverages.

Mercer says that with some diet teas, it’s the program the comes along with the teas that may sometimes promote weight loss, such as teas that recommend you drink it after dinner and then not eat anything else until morning. That way it could curb late-night eating, but it’s not necessarily a result of drinking the tea itself.
4. Diet patches and jewelry
Patches that deliver drugs though the skin have become popular for helping smokers quit and delivering estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms.
But experts say no effective weight loss drugs have been designed to be delivered through the skin via patches. Most of the time, these patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements or teas.
Also included in this diet scam category is jewelry, such as earrings or bracelets, designed to be worn on the body with the promise to help people shed pounds. According to the FTC, any claim that people can lose even a pound or more a week using these devices is false.
5. Body wraps or “slim suits”
If there were an “oldie but goodie” diet scam prize winner, experts say it would likely go to body wraps.
The thick, layered sweat suits once popular decades ago have morphed into silver “slim suits” and fat-melting body wraps designed to lock body heat in and melt away the pounds.
But researchers say the only type of weight loss caused by wearing these outfits is water loss caused by excessive sweating. As soon as you take a drink, you’ll gain all that water weight back.
6. HCG- Tune in next week for why this is the biggest scam of all! This one ruffles my feathers the most so I will have an ENTIRE post about it!

How to Spot a Diet Scam
Experts say the only way to lose weight for the long haul is to burn more calories than you eat, and that process is slow. That means any diet products or program that promises “quick and easy” weight loss without any effort or sacrifice is bound to be bogus.

But if that’s not enough to raise your suspicions, here are some frequently used buzz words to watch for, according to the FTC:
No Diet! No Exercise!Lose 30 Pounds in 30 DaysEat Your Favorite Foods and Still Lose WeightShrinks Inches Off Your Stomach, Waist, and HipsScientists Announce Incredible Discovery!Revolutionary European Method! Ancient Chinese Secret!Turn On Your Body's Fat-Burning ProcessAutomatically Convert Fat to Lean Trim Muscle!Absorbs FatDeveloped After Years of Secret ResearchNew Scientific/Medical Breakthrough

Not only do diet scam pitchmen tend to use the same words in their advertising, the FTC says they also employ some of the same sales techniques, such as:
—Extravagant claims of dramatic, rapid weight loss.
—Testimonials from "famous" doctors, researchers, or other medical experts.
—Dramatic before-and-after photos depicting substantial weight loss.
—Ads that tout the latest trendy ingredient in the headlines.
—A footnote hidden somewhere in an ad noting "diet and exercise required."

Rueben Made Betta

Rueben Made Betta is one of my favorite lunches!

Ingredients
1/4 cup canned Sauerkraut double rinsed and drained well
1 Tbs Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 tbs Low Fat Thousand Dressing Kraft Light
2 Slices Jewish Rye Bread Oroweat
2 Slices Hormel Deli Turkey
1 Slice Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese



Directions
Mix the Sauerkraut, Feta and Dressing in a small bowl,
Spread on 1 bread slice. Top with Turkey, Cheese and the remaining bread slice.
Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat until hot. add the sandwich and grill for 2-3 minutes per side until the cheese has melted.

Per Serving:
335 Calories, 23 g Protein, 42 g Carbohydrates, 9 g Fat (3 saturated), 1,625 mg Sodium, 5 g Fiber

Serving Size: Makes one sandwich serving

Number of Servings: 1
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 347.4
Total Fat: 8.4 g
Cholesterol: 34.8 mg
Sodium: 1,224.7 mg
Total Carbs: 53.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
Protein: 16.6 g

What/How do I eat??

Alot of people have been asking to see an example of my food journals! So here is a cut and paste from myfitnesspal.com, if you go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/erinhale you can see my food journals also. I reccomend to everyone trying to lose wieght and those wanting to gain control of their eating to join myfitnesspal.com! You can add me as a friend, erinhale, and I will check your food journals!

Breakfast
Gnc - Women's Ultra Mega Active Vitamins, 2 caplets
Gnc Wellbeing Be-Hot - Vita-Pack, 1 pack
Breakfast wrap, 1 serving

Lunch:
Fresh Express - Triple Hearts Crunchy Romaine, Tender Greenleaf, Sweet Butter (Lettuce)
Vegetable - Cherry Tomatoes, 3 cherry tomato
Greek Dressing - Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar,
Organic Red Onion


Dinner
Generic - Salmon Grilled 4 oz, 4 ounces 140 0 4 23
Green Giant - Green Giant Green Beans, 1 Cup 20 4 0 1


Snacks
Met-Rx - Big 100 Colossal Super Cookie Crunch Bar, 1 Bar (100g)
Glaceau Vitamin Water Zero - Rhythm,
Nabisco - Oreo Sandwich Cookie Double Stuff,
Quick Added Calories, 420 calories
Great Value Ics - Whole Milk, 1 cup

I earned 707 extra calories by working out!
*You've earned 707 extra calories from exercise today

What counts as exercise??

So lately myfitnesspal.com users are making me mad. I see women put in all teh time "carrying around 10-15 pound baby" 20 minutes, or "sex". I saw someone out 700 calories burned during sex. unless you are doing some crazy trantic karma sutra sex, you only burned about 50 calories every 30 monites! These are not calories you really need to be replacing. So I put this list together to help you very confused people on what exercise REALLY is.

Walking
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
A leisurely stop-and-shop visit to the mall won’t get your heart rate up to the cardio zone and keep it there. What does? A walk at a peppy pace of at least three miles per hour done in chunks of 10 minutes or more. Still, adding up steps at any speed is smart since studies show that those who take more of them are healthier. In one recent study, participants who increased their daily step count over five years not only lowered their body mass index (or BMI, a scale body weight), they lowered their risk of diabetes. Researchers estimate that going from 3,000 to 10,000 steps a day would improve a person’s insulin sensitivity threefold. MORE: What's Your BMI? Calculate it, fast!


Cleaning the House
Does It Count? YES
There's a reason they call it housework, honey. You can burn serious calories and work major muscle groups during a marathon cleaning session mopping floors for 30 minutes burns 112 calories and works your shoulders and biceps. Chores that don’t get your heart pumping? Folding laundry, ironing and washing the dishes. MORE: Dance away dirt with this Ultimate Spring-Cleaning Playlist


Walking Your Dog
Does It Count? YES

You have to walk your dog anyway, so bump up the workout with this little game: When you're in your yard or a fenced-in park, get a head start on your dog so it's chasing you. Then change direction so it races for you again. Try walking for three minutes and then sprinting for 30 seconds. Chase your pup fives times every doggy outing, and you'll burn 98 calories per 20-minute stroll.

Taking the Stairs
Does It Count? YES
Think of climbing a flight of stairs as a series of butt-firming, leg-toning lunges that counts as anaerobic exercise. (Spread it over 30-minutes on the StairMaster and now we’re talking cardio.) To get the best fitness benefits, it’s best to take them two at a time, according to a study at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. “You use bigger muscle groups when you skip a step,” lead author Jinger Gottschall, Ph.D., says. “Since these muscles require more energy to be active, you end up burning more calories.”

Carrying Your Baby or Pushing a Stroller
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
New moms likely rack up a couple dozen biceps curls each day by scooping up junior and a prolonged arm muscle contraction by cradling him—but cardio exercise it’s not. A better bet: Pushing the stroller at a 3-mile-per-hour pace or playing tag with your toddler.

Gardening
Does It Count? YES
Between all the up-and-down moves, lugging materials from the shed, winding up a hose after watering the lawn, and much more, 60 minutes of gardening can burn more than 250 calories all while working your arms and backs of your legs.

Playing Wii Games
Does It Count? IT DEPENDS
You won’t work up a sweat if your video game of choice is Guitar Hero, but a study by the American Council on Exercise found that others like Wii Fit’s Island Run and Free Run burn about 5.5 calories per minute. Still, say the study authors, it’s a “very, very mild workout” so opting for a Wii Sports title may be more of the jumping around you need to turn up the burn.
You can make physical activity a regular part of your life by deciding what to do and making a realistic plan. Check out your choices below.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, works your muscles, and raises your breathing rate. For most people, it’s best to aim for a total of about 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. If you haven’t been very active recently, you can start out with 5 or 10 minutes a day and work up to more time each week. Or split up your activity for the day – try a brisk 10-minute walk after each meal. If you’re trying to lose weight, you my want to exercise more than 30 minutes a day.

Here are some examples of aerobic exercise. Check off the ones you’d like to try.

•Take a brisk walk (outside or inside on a treadmill).
•Dance.
•Take a low-impact aerobics class.
•Swim or do water-aerobics.
•Ride your bike outside.
•Use a stationary bike inside.
•Go ice-skating.
•Go roller-skating.
•Play tennis.
•Do a workout DVD, go tot eh gym and run on a treadmill, get a personal trainer, GET MOVING

Strength training
Strength training, done 2 to 3 times a week, helps build strong bones and muscles. It makes everyday chores like carrying groceries easier. Strength training can also help prevent weight gain. Here are some ways to do it.

•Lift weights at home.
•Join a class to do strength training with weights, elastic bands, or plastic tubes.
• Do a wieght trainign DVD, google quick workouts, get a DIY plan for you that incorperates both cardio and weights.

Flexibility exercises
Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, help keep your joints flexible. Gentle stretching for 5 to 10 minutes makes aerobic activities such as walking more comfortable.
•Take an aerobics or fitness class that includes stretching.
•Join a yoga class.
• take 10 minutes a day to get stretch

Be active throughout the day
Look for opportunities throughout your day to be active. Being active burns calories.
•Walk instead of drive whenever you can.
•Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
•Work in the garden.
•Do some housecleaning or other chores.
•Park at the far end of the shopping center parking lot.
•Walk down every aisle of the grocery store.
•Walk in place or stretch while you watch TV.
•Walk around the house or up and down stairs while you talk on the phone.

Making my plan for physical activity
Choose the activities you’d like to do for each type of physical activity. If you have health problems, talk with your health care team to make sure your choices are safe for you. Then make a detailed plan.

Don't replace your calories unless you heart rate is in the "areobic zone" for 30 minutes or more.

WomensHEalth/WEBMD/Fitness MAg

Whats for dinner?? Cranberry Chops and Roasted Vegetable Risotto

Cranberry Chops
Ingredients
• 1 1/4 lb thin boneless pork chops
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried sage (optional)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 C white wine
• 1/2 C water
• 1 C cranberries, chopped
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp grainy mustard
Directions
1. Sprinkle pork with salt and sage. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in nonstick frying pan over high heat and brown pork, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Remove and lower heat to medium-low. Cook garlic 1 minute. Add wine and scrape up brown bits. Stir in water, cranberries, honey, and mustard and simmer until thickened, about 7 minutes. Spoon over pork.

Roasted Vegetable Risotto
Ingredients
• 1 cup 1/2" cubes peeled, seeded butternut squash
• 1 cup diced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 garlic cloves (2 crushed, 2 minced)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice (a short-grain variety)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss the squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, and crushed garlic with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a 4-to 6-quart pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter on medium. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add a ladleful of broth to the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until absorbed. Add more broth, a ladleful at a time, making sure it's absorbed before adding the next ladleful. Cook the risotto until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, stir in the vegetables, Parmesan, and basil. Adjust the seasoning and top with more Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
One-Pot Principle: Customize a basic recipe for the season

Whats for Dinner?? CRISPY TROUT AMANDINE and apple and endive salad

CRISPY TROUT AMANDINE

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 trout fillet, about 6 oz
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup green beans, trimmed
2 tsp sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating, sprinkle the flesh side of the trout with salt, pepper, and cornmeal, pressing lightly so the corn- meal sticks.

2. Place in the pan, flesh side down, and sauté for 4 minutes. Flip it and cook for another 2 minutes. Top with the parsley.

3. Place the beans in a steamer basket and steam for 5 minutes. Toss them with the remaining oil, the almonds, and the salt and pepper. Makes 1 serving
Simple side: apple and endive salad
• 1 head endive
• 1 small green apple
• 1 tbsp diced walnuts
• 1 tbsp low fat balsamic vinaigrette
Directions
1. Peel off the outer leaves of the endive (think of it as a single serving of lettuce) and chop into bite size pieces. Core the apple, then chop it into bite size pieces. Toss well, then top with the nuts and dressing.

Workout for the Week: Sexy Core

To really benefit from this workout, do it 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days. I have all my cleints do this as "homework" because it such a great workut in 6-8 minutes!

Do as a contunious set:

30 Sec Plank, Rest 30 Seconds, 30 Sec Plank

30 Sec Slow Mountain Climbers , Rest 30 Seconds, 30 Sec Slow Mountain Climbers

30 Sec Side Plank, Rest 30 Seconds, 30 Sec Side Plank (build up to repeating side plank so both sides get done twice)

Plank: Start by lying face down on the ground or use an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms. Maintain a flat back and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground.Remember to not let your hips and back sag. This exercise will only be effective if you work to maintain a flat line from your shoulders to your feet. You might want to start in front of a mirror to learn the technique.


Mountain Climbers: Lie prone on the floor with you hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Come up to a push-up position by extending your arms and keeping your body straight.
Bring your knees up one at a time, as if running up a mountain but GO SLOW (holding the knee to chest for a 2 second count). Try to keep your knee in as close to your chest as possible. Keep your head up, eyes forward and your mind focused.

Side Plank:Lie on your side with your right hand on the ground or use an exercise mat. For beginners, it is recommended to begin this exercise on your elbow. Lift yourself up to form a plank with your right arm straight and your left arm on your side.Remember to keep your body in a straight line, tightening your abs and butt muscles. You might want to start in front of a mirror to learn the technique.

Whats for Dinner?? ENCHILDA LASAGNA with POPEYE AND OLIVE OIL SALAD

ENCHILDA LASAGNA
What You'll Need

1⁄2 lb ground turkey breast
1 1⁄2 c reduced-fat Mexican-blend or Cheddar cheese
1 c canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 c low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese
1⁄4 c canned jalapeño peppers, diced
1⁄2 c chopped scallions
2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
9 6" corn tortillas
1 c taco sauce

How To Make It
Brown the turkey in a nonstick skillet. Let it cool, then combine it in a bowl with the cheese (reserving 1/2 c), tomatoes, cottage cheese, peppers, scallions, chili powder, and garlic, stirring well. Coat an 11" x 7" baking dish with cooking spray. Place three tortillas in the dish and top with half of the turkey mixture. Layer three more tortillas, then the remaining turkey mixture. Place the last three tortillas on top, pour taco sauce over them, and sprinkle with 1/2 c cheese. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings

POPEYE AND OLIVE OIL SALAD
Ingredients [ View Metric ]
1 1/2 c chopped baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 c chopped romaine lettuce

3 slices chopped prosciutto

1/3 c mandarin orange slices

1/3 c sliced strawberries

2 tbsp diced red onion

1 For The Dressing
1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp red-wine vinegar

1/2 clove garlic crushed

1/8 tsp black pepper

Preparation
Mix and enjoy.

GreenWay Tour This Saturday @ 8:30am!! Come Join Us CHARLOTTE!

I would like to extend an invite to everyone, my clients and I are doing a Bicycle Greenway tour every Saturday in May. We are doing a few mile bike ride this Saturday starting at 8:30am at Mallard Creek Elementary School. This is a leasurily ride but make sure you bring water!

Don't let a "few miles" intimidate you, honestly its so easy!

Directions:
I-85 to Exit 45 (WT Harris Blvd)
Take WT Harris West to Mallard Creek Rd
Turn Right on Mallard Creek Rd
Follow Mallard Creek Rd until you see Mallard
Creek Elementary School on Left. Parking allowed in lots closest to street.


We will start promptly at 8:30am (as long as Gemma, my 15 month old, allows it!)