Which Comes First: Upper Body or Lower Body?

May 17, 2012 in upper and lower body, workouts with 1 Comment

A great question- should you work out your upper body or your lower body first?

According to Women’s Health Magazine you should start with your upper body first.

Why Upper Body First?

1. Our lower bodies are usually stronger.
We need to tone the upper body first so start there so you do the exercises and then work to the lower body, as those tend to be our favorite. I look forward to specific exercises- so I save those for last.

2. Lower body usually involves cardio- which makes you tired.
Cardio will wear you out if you do it first, making you lazier and more prone to injury during your upper body session. I do my circuit training and intense upper body workout first so I really give it a 100% effort. Then I use my remaining energy for cardio since that’s what I like best.

This is all negotiable.- I recommend doing your intense weight workouts involving multiple muscle groups first. When you do cardio first, it makes you tired so when you go to the weights, you are more prone to injury because being tired makes you lazy.
Your Homework:
Try toning a muscle group you usually leave alone.
Maybe you hate doing ab workouts- get in a plank! Maybe you hate lower body- do squats and lunges! Whatever you do, just do it!

4 Ways to Lose Weight before Lunch

May 14, 2012 in breakfast, Calories, Food, Protein, Weight with 0 Comments

Yes, those few hours from when you wake up to the time you eat lunch are crucial. Your health and the effectiveness of your weight loss count on doing these 4 things. This article was found in SELF Magazine and you can locate the original article here.

1. Eat breakfast first thing in the morning.
Regardless of how hungry you are, you should eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism giving you energy and starting fat burn right from the get go. Be sure to make a good breakfast choice- look for options high in protein and fiber, like oatmeal and fruit and eggs to stay healthy.

2. Work out in the morning.
People who work out in the morning may be more likely to stick to their workout routines. Early workouts are also easier for some than workouts at the end of the day. Either way, a good workout revs your metabolism, burning fat and calories for the rest of the day.

3. Snack on fiber.
Fiber will fill you up and keep your digestion moving right along if you know what I mean. Opt for fruit- bananas, apples, or berries, which are high in fiber and should be eaten every day! Other good sources are some types of organic cereals or high fiber english muffins. Don’t eat carbs if you aren’t reaping the benefits of fiber along with it!

4. Drink lots of water.
Water has no calories but is a requirement for bodies to function properly. If you feel hungry, you may just be dehydrated so grab that water and drink it all morning long.

 

These are just a few ways to burn fat and jump start your metabolism before you get to lunch. I would add to this list drink coffee! Coffee gets stuff moving and helps your energy level. Plus, drip coffee with a little cream and sugar is almost no calories and so delicious!

The Best Ab Move for a Flat Stomach

May 10, 2012 in Abs, workouts with 1 Comment

Here goes: the best ab move for a flat stomach. No, it’s not crunches.

It’s the plank pose.

A plank can be done in a variety of forms where the individual rests on arms or hands in some form and the body is suspended in the air with feet resting on the toes. Planks are the best ab move because they engage your entire core. The top of your abs, the bottom, your sides. Not to mention your arms and shoulders being engaged the entire time as well. This is better than a basic crunch because that move only engages one or two muscle groups where a plank pose requires your entire body cooperating to accomplish it.

Here are a couple ways this can look:

1. The Basic Plank
The basic move is great to do for extended periods of time. Go for a minute or two and start to feel your muscles shaking. I promise they will feel it. Want to make it harder? Try raising one foot a time and holding the pose to engage your rear and legs.

 

2. The Extended Plank
This move is just slightly different than the first one, where this requires your arms to be fully extended in front of you.
A great variation of this pose is side twists- keep your arms fully extended but bring your legs in one at at time across your body to the opposite arm pit and repeat for 15 reps on each side. This completely engages your core from the extended plank but adds more arm tone, leg tone, and the best part- your sides carrying love handles.

 

3. The Side Plank
As Jillian Michaels says “This one is mean, but it gets results.” Fully extending one arm you lift your entire body weight off of the ground and hold the pose. Legs are fully extended with feet stacked or one right in front of the other.
Two rockin’ variations of this pose:
1. Rotating side planks: To add cardio fat burning to your ab move- rotate your side planks by starting on the right arm fully extended, rotating to the left arm fully extended so you are alternating the sides your are facing and engaging your body.
2. Side plank with inner thigh raise: Here you hold the side plank pose and bring the bottom leg up toward the air, twist, and set it back down without bringing the knee to the ground. So your bottom leg of the plank pose is twisting the muscles on your side and working your inner thigh muscles.

Your Homework:
Give planks a try. It’s almost swimsuit season, and your body will thank you.

Easy and Full of Fiber: Chickpea Burgers

May 8, 2012 in Calories, Food, Protein, Recipes, Tools, vegetarian burger with 0 Comments

I made these chickpea burgers from Eating Well a couple of weekends ago, and they were delicious! I fed them to my dad and fiance who also admitted they were delicious. And when men will admit that a vegetarian burger is good, you know the recipe is the real deal!

I doubled the recipe to make 8 burgers: so the amounts below will make close to 4 burgers when left alone.

Chickpea Burgers:

Ingredients:

- 2 TBSP Sesame seeds
- 1 TBSP ground coriander
-1 TBSP ground cumin
- 2 Tsp canola oil
- 4 scallions chopped
- 1/4 white onion, finely chopped (I added this to the recipe because I thought it was really helpful in the flavoring)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 TBSP garlic is the same amount)
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (1/2 cup uncooked will become a cup cooked) **
- 2/3 cup wheat germ
- 3 TBSP lemon juice
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 1/4 Tsp ground pepper

** I cooked brown rice earlier in the day to save 30 minutes later when it was time to make dinner

Directions:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Toast sesame seeds until light, golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the coriander and cumin. Cook for about a minute, until spices are fragrant. Transfer spices to a plate and let them cool.

2. Add oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add chopped scallions, garlic, and chopped onion. Cook for several minutes until veggies are softened, stirring occasionally. Onion can be as soft or crunchy as you would like. Set aside.

3. Place rinsed chickpeas in food processor (or they can be hand mashed, but this takes much longer). Pulse chickpeas until finely chopped but not pureed. They should still be chunky. Transfer chickpeas to a large bowl.

4. Mix together mashed chickpeas, rice, 1/3 cup of wheat germ, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, reserved spice mixture, and veggie mixture. Mix together well and taste to see if you want to add anything else.

5. Shape mixture into 4 patties. Press formed patties into remaining 1/3 cup of wheat germ, pressing firmly onto both sides of patties.

6. Grill the chickpea burgers over medium heat in a large saucepan with oil. Cook  covered on each side for anywhere from 5-10 minutes. The chickpeas will heat more thoroughly when you cook them longer on a lower heat. Remember to keep them covered!

Eating Well recommends eating these burgers in pita bread with some spinach, tomato, and a yogurt sauce.
We ate them in pita bread or sandwich thins with either hummus or dijon mustard as a garnish- your choice!

Nutrition:

1 burger contains 245 calories, 9 grams of fiber, and 10 grams of protein.

Add a pita or whole grain patty to add a few more calories AND fiber and protein!

8 Things to Always Keep in the Pantry

May 7, 2012 in Food, Info, Protein, Tools with 0 Comments

Ever wonder why you can’t shed those last few pounds? Take a look around the house and see what’s really hanging out in your house. Unfortunately, the pantry can become a place for secret snacks that we should never be eating, but it’s time do some cleaning.

Toss out the bad and add these 8 foods to your pantry:

1. Pasta
Pasta is not the enemy. Toss out any processed white pasta and buy whole wheat varieties. Whole wheat pasta fills you twice as fast which means you eat less because you are fuller faster, and you are eating fiber instead of processed white flour.

2. Beans
This is a personal favorite. Keep several cans of your favorite beans on hand. Look for low sodium varieties and always rinse your beans before cooking with them. Having black beans on hand makes it easy to cook black bean burgers on a night where it seems there’s nothing in the house to cook. Find that recipe here.

3. Grains
Keep brown rice, quinoa, quick oats, and any other favorites in the pantry. These grains make excellent sides or add ins with meals so keeping them around really helps.

4. Snacks
You will eat the snacks in your pantry so make sure the options are healthy. If you eat crackers, make them whole grain. Keep different nuts, popcorn, oatmeal, pretzels, and protein bars on hand. Make sure your snacks have either protein or fiber and won’t set you back a couple pounds. Meaning chips are not really the route you should go…

5. Canned Tuna or Salmon
Look for brands packed in water that offer low sodium varieties. Avoid flavored or sandwich ready tuna because that means more fat and calories.

6. Broth
Keep organic broths on hand. Broth makes it easy to throw together soup on a quick dinner night. Look for reduced sodium and organic brands to keep your salt levels down.

7. Flour
Keep both all purpose flour and whole wheat flour on hand, using a 50:50 ratio when baking with them. Add to this section cornstarch, sugar, breadcrumbs, and any other basic cooking or baking items you may need in a given moment.

8. Canned Veggies and Fruit
Keeping these cans on hand makes throwing veggies into a soup easy. I recommend beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste, and anything else you may enjoy. I also recommend keeping a few basic fresh veggies like onions on hand ever week too.
Look for canned fruit with 100% fruit juice and not 100% syrup. Keeping plain applesauce on hand is also a great fat substitute in baking to add moistness to cakes.

Honestly:
You can’t expect to become a healthy chef if you don’t keep healthy ingredients in your pantry.
By throwing out processed flours and carbs, ridding yourself of high sodium foods, and keeping fatty snacks out of the pantry, you are already doing yourself a HUGE favor.


Your Homework:
Go check out the pantry. There is no shame in purging your pantry of the foods you shouldn’t be eating. Consider the purging of your pantry significant of the purging that will take place in your body when you stop feeding it the wrong foods.

Take Time to Rest and Eat Ice Cream

April 30, 2012 in Desserts, Food, Weight, workouts with 0 Comments

Today’s post is short and sweet. Literally.

There are 2 things I have learned on my quest to be a healthier person, and they may surprise you.

1. Take Time to Rest
I injured my knee last fall because I failed to take time to rest from working out. Too much running too many days in a row, and I couldn’t go running for a couple months.
In addition, usually Saturdays are my intense workout days, but this Saturday I didn’t work out at all. My week was exhausting, I had already put in 5 good workouts for the week, and my body was begging me to slow down. So I did- Saturday and Sunday I rested. And you know what, it was okay. It actually helped me and probably prevented muscle injury because I wasn’t pushing a sore and tired body.

2. Eat Ice Cream Sundaes
You may be saying “whaaaaat!?” But seriously- take time to enjoy a food you love. I finished work Friday, came home and had a a few emotional moments to say the least, moments that reflected the intensity of my week. So Friday night AND Sunday night I ate something I love- really creamy gelato and then a turtle ice cream sundae last night.

 

Honestly, health is more than being toned and fit- it’s truly about your emotional and mental health as well.

Last week I was exhausted and had already put in 5 hard workouts for the week, so I got to Saturday and told myself it was time to slow down. Because I had eaten well and exercised during the week and ate well during the days this weekend, I ate a nice ice cream sundae last night to seal off my weekend.

2 Things I Know:
Slow down and rest. Sit down and eat ice cream.

Fact vs. Fiction: 8 Dieting Myths Debunked

April 26, 2012 in Calories, Food, Info, Tools, Weight, workouts with 0 Comments

For the longest time I was working out hard trying to lose weight, and it just wasn’t working. Come to find out, there were diet myths I had believed or dieting facts I ignored that completely put my weight loss at a standstill. Shape Magazine outlines these myths in this article online.

Here’s to helping you discover the fact instead of the fiction!

1. Eating late at night does not make you fat.
There is nothing wrong with eating something after dinner AS LONG AS you haven’t already consumed the calories you’re supposed to for the day. Don’t use this as an excuse to start munching if you have no business putting more calories into your body before bed; however, if you do have room to spare, grab fruit, veggies, or popcorn (my favorite!).

2. Hunger does not always mean you need food.
Hunger can often be a sign that you’re dehydrated. Drink 16 oz of water  before you reach for something to chew- your hunger may dissipate.

3. It’s harder to keep weight off than to lose it.
Losing weight is hard, but keeping off the lost weight is harder. Around 90% of people gain back weight lost because they go back to eating the way they did when they were heavier. A lighter body means you don’t need as many calories as you did pre-diet. The less pounds you carry, the less calories you should be eating to maintain your weight.

4. Exercise does NOT make you tired.
The more in shape you get, the more energized you feel. Even after a long day at work when my brain is exhausted, there is an amazing amount of energy that surges as soon as I start exercising.

5. Working out is not a huge time commitment.
Too often people think there’s no point to work out if they can’t give it an hour. FALSE. All you need is 20-40 minutes 3-5 days a week. That’s it.

6. You don’t lose fat in an area just because you train that area.
If you want to tone a specific muscle, I’m sorry to say, you won’t lose fat there faster because you work it out all the time. Your body burns fat in specific areas before it hits others. You can tone a muscle all day long, but until you hit the cardio and circuit training hard, you’ll never burn the fat off of the muscles you are trying to see.

7. Weights won’t make you bulky.
Women are often concerned that lifting weights will make them bulky and ripped. Sorry ladies, it’s an excuse. Training with weights will not make you bulky but actually give you the extra tone and trimmed body you’re looking for.

8.  Carbs are NOT the enemy.
Instead of fearing carbs, embrace the right carbs. Get rid of any white flour or processed grains you are eating. Embrace whole grains in breads and pastas and make sure you are only eating the recommended serving size. My favorite whole grain bread and english muffins is Ezekiel Bread- found in the freezer section at Kroger and any Whole Foods or health market.

I hope these facts help you reevaluate some things. There’s alot of information concerning diet and exercise, but you cannot believe everything you hear.

 

Your Homework:
Pick one item from the list above and do something about it.
Try whole grains, do some weight training, or save your calories so you can have a snack after dinner. Enjoy being healthy instead of always feeling like you’re being tortured by the diet police.

Is Your Weight Ideal?

April 23, 2012 in Calories, Info, Tools, Weight with 1 Comment

Ideal Weight- the weight that you would love to see every time you look at the scale. Also, the weight that is right in the middle of a healthy weight range for your height.

Typically, doctors say that “ideal weight” is 100 pounds for someone 5 feet tall and then add 5 pounds per inch after that. So I’m 5’9″- a doctor might say that 145 pounds is the ideal weight for my height. Now whether or not the doctor tells me what my “ideal weight” is, I will still pick a number I want to weigh and work to achieve it. All men and women have the idealistic number in their head they want to see on the scale; however, idealistic may be unrealistic.

I found this article from Prevention magazine- please reference it here.

DOES YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT NEED TO BE PUT ON THE BACK BURNER?

1. Don’t aim for ten more pounds if you’re already in the healthy weight range.
So many of us think “only 5 or 10 more and THEN I’ll be happy.” Honestly, if you already fall in the healthy weight range for your height, don’t waste your time stressing over this magical number that probably won’t lead to ultimate happiness. You can find a healthy weight range chart here.

2. Ask WHY you want that number so badly?
If you are already at a healthy weight, why is 5 more pounds really going to matter? A size or number you had in a previous season of life may not be realistic for the new season you are in. Some of us may be smaller than we were in high school; however, that’s probably not most men and women.

3. Decide on a new way to measure.
The scale is not the best measure of health. It does not account for muscle mass or fat composition. It also can’t take your measurements and determine which areas really need the work, if any need help at all. You may need to start measuring body fat composition or inches lost instead of depending on the little scale in the bathroom.

4. Don’t let food or the gym become an obsession.
A truly  healthy individual (mentally and physically) should be able to eat food they want in moderation. There are some foods I have given up completely because I don’t think they are ever worth it, but I still eat the foods I enjoy. Also, if you’re living at the gym all day every day, that’s not healthy either. If your ideal weight is causing you to set unrealistic expectations in your eating and exercise habits, it’s time to reevaluate!
Your Homework:
Decide if your goal weight is actually realistic. Are you already in a healthy weight range for your height? Don’t be so hard on yourself. OR would losing ten pounds really benefit your overall health? Kick it into gear. Just don’t get unrealistic- hardcore and intense dieting is never sustainable.

2 Great Workout DVD Recommendations

April 12, 2012 in Intervals and Circuit Training, Jillian Michaels, Running, Workout DVD, workouts with 0 Comments

While cardio is great and necessary to keep your heart healthy and your body lean, you should be doing some type of weight workout during the week. I am the first to admit that strength training is never my go to workout, but I will also admit that it tones the muscles and trims the areas that running just can’t tone and trim.

I know we all know her, but Jillian Michaels makes the BEST workout DVD’s. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, her exercises will burn fat and make you healthier. If I go through a season not doing her DVD’s, I am always sore when I come back to them. I could be running 6 miles at a time and still be miserably sore after one of her circuit/strength training sessions. You better believe with my wedding coming up, I have worked these DVD’s back into my routine, and it is paying off!

My Top 2 Recommendations:

1. 30 Day Shred

30 Day Shred was what truly jumpstarted my weight loss 2 years ago. This DVD contains 3 workout at Level 1, 2, and 3. don’t be fooled, Level 1 will still kick your rear. All you need is 2 handweights- I use 5 pounders. Each workout is under 25 minutes longs and contains 3 circuits. Each circuit contains 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs, and you repeat each exercise twice in a single circuit. Circuit training burns fat and tones like nothing else can!

2. 6 Week 6 Pack


How many of us have abdominal muscles we really love to show off?  Anyone? This DVD contains 2 workouts- Level 1 and Level 2, which of course will both kick your rear into gear. You only need one handweight for this DVD- I still use a 5 pounder. Jillian uses cardio, body weight, hand weights, and static ab work to cut your abs and burn fat off of the muscles you are so desperately trying to find. Each workout is 34 minutes, where you go through an entire 17 minute circuit and then repeat it. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

 

If you’re like me, you may truly love cardio. However, if I go through a season without doing these workouts and then start back up, I  notice instant muscle definition gain. I could have been running every day, but I would never gain the muscle tone these DVD’s give.  I like to do half of a DVD and then go run just to change it up.

Your Homework:
Go buy one of these DVD’s and try it! Let me know how it goes. If you’re stuck in a workout rut, this will either help you keep losing weight or tone the muscles that are still hiding.

 

A Delicious and Healthy Blueberry Tart

April 10, 2012 in Calories, Desserts, Food, Info, Recipes, Tools with 0 Comments

Martha Stewart has done it again! This blueberry tart is absolutely delicious (and pretty healthy.)
You can find this recipe in original format here!

We made this tart this past weekend, and my entire family absolutely loved it. This tart is full of blueberries, which are LOADED with antioxidants and fiber.  That amazing color blueberries pack is how you know the antioxidants are packed in there too. You should be eating some kind of berry every single day!

INGREDIENTS

The Crust:*

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Tblsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

*We used a pre-bought crust from Pillbury, and it was fantastic. So do however much work you want to.*

The Filling:

6 cups fresh blueberries (about 5-6 small containers), rinsed and dried
2 Tblsp corn starch (Or you can double it and use 4 Tblsp flour)
2 Tsp Lemon zest*
3 Tblsp Lemon Juice*
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

*Lemon zest and juice will take about 2 lemons*

For the crust: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine crust ingredients in food processor and process until large crumbs form so that dough holds together when squeezed.

2. Transfer dough (or pre bought crust) to 9 inch tart pan. Press evenly into bottom and sides of tart pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. (This is not necessary if you are using a pre-made crust. Prick the bottom of your crust (made or pre-made) all over with a  fork. Bake until golden, 20 -25 minutes, or however long your crust says to bake it!

For the filling:

3. While cooking tart, begin prepping filling. Reserve 1 cup of the blueberries and set aside for topping. In a medium sauce pan bring 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and 1/4 cup water to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer until blueberries begin to break down, 3-4 minutes. Continue to let berries break down for a few minutes.

4. In a small bowl mix cornstarch with 2 Tblsp water, and add to berries once they have begun to break down. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to mixture. Bring mixture to boil and reduce the heat. Let simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

5. Stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups berries with hot berry mixture. Immediately pour all filling into the tart shell, smooth with a spatula, and place remaining 1 cup freshberries on top by pressing into hot filling.

6. Allow to cool several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts:
This whole tart only contains 2017 calories (when using a pre bought crust), which means you can eat an entire eighth of this tart for only 250 calories! Not to mention getting almost a full cup of berries in a 1/8 serving!

 

Eat up! This is fresh and oh so delicious!

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