Fitness Tip of the day

So I have a few fitness buffs in the family...and one imparticular is also keeping up with a fitness blog...thank you Josh for your great explanation of the following important info that is good for all of us to remember!!

First, a calorie or Calorie (also Kcalorie) is nothing more than a measurement of energy in food. All Carbohydrates (all Carbs, whether simple or complex) have 4.5 Calories per gram, all Protiens have 4.5 Calories per gram and all Fats have 9 Calories. NOTICE that fat contains twice the energy per gram and is the easiest to maintain on the "bodies economy" (what it cost's your body to maintain functions) that is why your body wants to store it so bad when it recieves certain signals.There are also different types of Carbs, Protiens & Fats. The most important to pay attention to are the carbs & fats. We want to avoid simple carbs (sugars, white flour products) and try to consume the complex fibrous carbs (oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, etc.) We also want to avoid the saturated and trans Fats and when we consume fat try to consume the mono-unsaturated “healthy” fats like cooking with virgin olive oil instead of Crisco, butter, and other choices.

No quick fix diet can substitute a pattern of healthy eating...you work hard at the gym but the other 23 hrs of the day can either sabatoge all that work...or enhance your results!
Next time you have to make a food choice, ask yourself...Is this going to help me reach my goal? If the answer is no, reconsider and decide if at that moment if it's worth it. Sometimes, it is. Just try to be concious of everything you decide to put in your body and just becoming aware can bring about change in your behavior for the better!

Halloween Temptations

It's coming....the beginning of the holiday season and c-a-n-d-y.....especially if you have little trick or treaters in your house. My kids end up with a ton...and I've been known to snatch a little "good chocolate" once in a while. In the journey to your goal...ignorance isn't bliss. It seems easier to eat a "mini" size candy bar or two and then that turns into another one 2 hrs later, etc. Here is a little guide to let you decide when that moment hits - whether or not it's worth indulging. Sometimes there is nothing else that can take the place of the treat, but if weight loss is a goal, you need to re-think those sweet treats more often than not....here goes
This is a list of treats that add up to 100 calories...which can take 10 minutes of running at 6.0 on the treadmill to burn off. (Makes a difference when I think if it that way :)

5 Starbust fruit chews
2 Twix Minis
1 1/2 Snack Size Twix
1 1/4 Snickers Fun size bars
4 1/2 Tootsie Roll Midgees
8 Dots
3 Milky Way Midnight Minis
13 1/3 Brach's Candy Corns
1 2/3 Snack Size Peppermint Patties

Halloween Temptations

It's coming....the beginning of the holiday season and c-a-n-d-y.....especially if you have little trick or treaters in your house. My kids end up with a ton...and I've been known to snatch a little "good chocolate" once in a while. In the journey to

Thought for Friday

Great job this morning girls....it was our "weights day" and all those lunges will have our legs ready for a nice long walk tomorrow :) You all were fantastic and worked really hard!!

Ok - so here's a thought for the weekend. As women, we all tend to compare ourselves to other women starting from a very young age. I would challenge you the next time you find yourself doing this to remind yourself that there will ALWAYS be someone that has already gone a little further with their fitness level, and there is ALWAYS someone that has a bit further to go - to get to where you are.
Even if that comparison has to be the extreme. There's a show on TLC (I think) called "Big Medicine" or something like that....watch that sometime. The next time you think you are "less than" another with your fitness, try to think about those folks and be grateful that you don't have as far to go as they do. So focus on the "I am really happy that I have come this far" rather than the "oh why can't I look like that?" With a little practice doing that, you will come to appreciate where you are at this moment, and continue to strive for improvement daily :)
I hope you all have a great weekend and looking forward to Monday with everyone!
-Melody

Yummy Protein Shake

I am not one that can just mix the powder with water, shake and drink. If you are...more power to ya, but if you're like me ~ you need a little more to get it down. So...after lots of playing around with it, I have come up with a yummy way to make a shake.
First you start off with a scoop of protein powder...if your stomach will allow it. My body has issues with whey, but after trying all different types, I found the brand Designer Whey to be the one that I can tolerate the best. So - 1 scoop of powder
then add 1 cup of skim milk or water (or soy milk if you have issues w/ milk) - and stir well so that all the powder is dissolved.
Here's the trick to getting a really creamy, milkshake consistency shake....frozen banana. What I do is throw a bunch in the freezer - skin and all - before the bananas become ripe. The closer they are to green, the less sugar they contain. Grab one out of the freezer, run it under water for a couple seconds - get a knife and peel it. Then chunk it up in 3 little parts, put it in the cup. Throw in some ice over it all...and blend! I use the magic bullet - it's a great little gadget that you can get at a couple diff. places (Kohls, dept stores)....you get about 4 mugs w/ it, and the base where the motor is. So instead of having to wash a big blender daily, you drink the shake right from the mug and throw it in the dishwasher. Very easy.

I have found something else that is even better on the stomach - but harder on the wallet...it's Muscle milk light. I substitute the powder for this...but everything else stays the same. You can get a case of 18 for $24 at Sams. It's lactose free, and only 100 calories, but lots of protein. Just another option in case the whey doesn't work for you!