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Don’t Get Tricked By Your Treats

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Thursday is Halloween and there is no doubt that your kid will be bringing home more candy than one person can consume in a decade. And, needless to say, some of that candy might look “suspicious” and need to be “taste tested”. I mean you don’t want your kid getting sick from bad candy, am I right? (on a side note, I always found it a little odd that my dad only checked out the chocolate candy and left the gum, Smarties and Jolly Ranchers for me to “look over”). Before you dig into the candy bowl this year, check out how long it takes to burn off those treats (via Self Magazine)

8 miniature York Peppermint Patties = 150 calories. To burn off a serving size of three pieces, you’d need to do about 17 minutes of biking at a moderate (12 to 14 mph) pace.

1 roll of Smarties = 25 calories. For each roll to reach for, you’d have to tread water for six minutes to burn off those calories

6 small Tootsie rolls = 140 calories. It may only take a seconds to devour the recommended serving size of six pieces, but you’ll need 40 minutes of moderate walking (at 3 miles per hour, or a 20-minutes-per-mile pace) to burn them off.

2 Fun Size Snickers bars = 160 calories. Two Fun Size bars equals about 22 minutes of vigorous Vinyasa yoga.8 Starburst = 160 calories. Since each Starburst square is 20 calories, to burn off a recommended serving of eight pieces, you’d have to do about 50 minutes of Pilates.

3 Snack Size Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars = 190 calories. This snack that will take about 59 minutes of light to moderate weight lifting to burn off.

2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins = 350 calories. Eat both pumpkins and you’ll need to run about 33 minutes at a 10-minutes-per-mile pace to cancel them out.

1 caramel apple = 250 to 350 calories. The apple itself is about 100, but the real damage comes from the caramel and other sugary extras. To burn it off, you’re looking at about 40 minutes of moderate effort–no breaks!–on the rowing machine at the gym.

halloween

This Halloween make sure your treats are just that – TREATS!!! Treats are meant to be consumed in moderation and enjoyed. You can reach into your kids bucket for a little bit of this or a piece of that, but don’t try to grab as much as you can and gobble it down before they can notice. To keep yourself at bay, limit yourself to 100 calories of candy so you don’t feel “tricked” in the morning when your pants don’t fit and you feel bloated. Here are a few example of the treats you can get for 100 calories or less:

 

1 Fun Size Butterfinger Bar

2 Twix Minis

3 Milky Way Midnight Minis

4 3 Musketeer Minis

5 Starbursts

10 Gummie Bears

13 Pieces of Candy Corn

28 Milk Chocolate M&M’s

 

And if you really don’t want the candy in your house after November 1st, here are a few ideas on how to rid your home of those treats:

Put the candy in freezer bags and store them in the freezer to bake with later

Ask the “Switch Witch” to pay your house a visit. The Switch Witch comes in the middle of the night and switches out the candy for a toy. Now, make sure your kids know about this and are on board or else you might have a whole other issue on your hands.

Organize a candy drive and donate the candy to Operation Gratitude. Operation Gratitude sends care packages to the awesome American Soldiers who make it possible for us to do fun things like Trick Or Treating.

The Top 10 FITmas Gifts in 2011

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Looking for that perfect gift for the fitness fanatic in your life? Look no further. Here are my recommendations for the best fitness gift of the 2011. I use these ALL of these products and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great gift for a loved one or yourself.

TRX SUSPENSION TRAINER

$199.95 If you’re looking for the ULTIMATE gift to give someone, this would be it. The TRX system is great for the traveling fitness freak, an outdoor enthusiast or the average Joe who doesn’t have much space to work out. Hook the TRX up to a tree, pole or sturdy beam in your house and your set for a great workout using just your body weight. Great for all fitness levels. Use code TRXGIVE when checking out and get FREE SHIPPING and 20% off.

BOSU TRAINER

$49.95-$109 Do you BOSU? You should. The BOSU is an amazing functional tool to help improve your balance, strength, agility and speed. Can be used flat side up or flat side down. The BOSU takes exercises like lunges, pushups and planks to a whole other level.

 

 

GYMBOSS

$19.99 The Gymboss interval timer will give your workout the discipline and structure necessary to take your workout to the next level. This easy to use timer will allow you to stay on track during your workouts by eliminating the pesky issue of checking the time during your intervals. Just set it, forget it put all of your focus on the workout to get the best results possible!

 

 

2 LB. WEIGHTED GLOVES WITH REMOVABLE WEIGHTS

$17.99 These adjustable gloves can be used for strength training, boxercise, walking. Removable 1 lb weight packets allow the gloves to go from 0-2 lbs. I love these gloves because there have been so many times when I am in between weights and these allow me to make small weight increases.

10 LB MAX-VEST

$44.99 I’m a sucker for the Cathe products and this vest is awesome. It adds just enough weight to fry my legs during my plyo workouts. I love doing walking lunges when wearing this vest.

 

THE PERFECT PUSHUP

$39.95 Don’t knock it until you try it! When a client of mine suggested I add it into my chest routine, I laughed at him. I am not one to try “infomercial” products because they are usually cheesy and junk. But I tried it and it took my pushup to a whole new level – it added depth and rotation into a normal pushup while keeping me in perfect form with less strain on my wrists.

 

 

THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT LOG

$12.95 This 24 week workout journal allows you to log your cardio and strength workouts. Every page has a motivational saying and gives you fitness information and facts that can help you reach your personal goals.

 

 

 

FITBOOK JOURNAL

$22.95 A personalized, flexible, and functional fitness/nutrition journal that offers a unique 12-week system to plan for success, track your progress, and reach your goals. At just 5.5″, the fitbook is portable – but durable enough to endure being toted around. The fitbook is small in size, but packs a punch in utility with durable plastic coil, an elastic strap to mark your place, a handy slot in the back to stash your gym card, and includes a pint-size pen.

 

FITNESS TO GO GEAR

$20-$40 Look cute and fit while sporting the Fitness To Go Apparel. Jackets, short sleeve sweat wicking tees and tank tops in lots of fun colors. Also, stay hydrated while drinking out of your Fitness To Go water bottle.

 

 

 

FITNESS TO GO GIFT CERTIFICATES

$10-UNLIMITED Give the gift of health this year. Purchase Gift Certificates that can be used for any Fitness To Go Service. Classes, Training, Equipment Orientation, Custom/Private Bootcamps, Program Design – you name it, Fitness To Go can help you get in the best shape of your life in 2012!

No Excuses For Parents

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I think I have heard every excuse in the world on why a person can’t workout. Seriously, I could write a book on the subject – 101 Excuses to Not Workout and Other Fun Ways to Tick off Your Trainer. I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I have to cancel our appointment because my son flushed my car keys down the toilet. True story – that one made me giggle for a week. What I’ve noticed in my years of “excuse hearing” is that most excuses come from parents. Now, it’s true,  I don’t have kids, but  I can only imagine what a world filled with diapers, play dates, midnight trips to the ER because someone stuck a toy car up their nose AGAIN, school functions and all the other “perks” of a being a parent would be like. Being a parent, from what I’ve witnessed only, is a tough job. You are constantly running somewhere to pick up someone/something or racing to drop something off for someone who forgot said something and at the end of the day you are exhausted. (I’m exhausted after writing that sentence). It seems like there is never enough hours in a day to do the things that you really have NO energy to do anyways. Well parents, that is the one reason right there why you should make time to workout. Imagine a world where you can take time out of every day to destress, get energized and maybe even have a little peace and quiet to yourself. What if that could be a reality? Well, maybe not the peace and quiet part, but you know where I’m going with this. Taking as little as 30 minutes a day to workout will do wonders for your energy level and mental health. Exercising releases these amazing endorphins that make life’s little stressors easier to handle and gives you more energy to do all the things you want to do in a day. How great would it be if at the end of a long work day you actually had the energy to go outside and play with your kids? Combine the exercising with a healthy diet and you and your kids will both be living a healthier lifestyle that will benefit the whole family. And don’t be selfish and keep the fun of exercising to yourself – get the entire family involved. Take walks or bike rides together, sign up to do a Family Fun Run/Walk or do something as simple as play tag. Starting a fitness routine now will not only benefit you, but it will teach your children the importance of their health as well as yours. Be proactive in your health to ensure that you can have a long, active and healthy life with your children.

Dude – This month’s for you!

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June is National Men’s Health Month and most of us wish our man was a little more active and a little less of a couch potato. It can be tough on a relationship when one person is “pro fitness” and the other person isn’t. Not only do you worry about the other person’s weight, you also worry about their health, mortality and stress levels. It’s unfortunate we can’t make people do what we want, but there are some ways you can nudge your partner in the right direction. And if gentle nudging doesn’t work using your womanly mental manipulation skills always does the trick.

Don’t Nag! Telling the man in your life over and over and over again that he should workout with you will only discourage him. Beating him over the head with the fitness stick won’t crack that thick skull of his. Plant the seed and let it grow. Tell him when you are heading off to the gym. If he doesn’t speak up and say he wants to join you, leave for your workout. When you get back mention how good the workout felt and then drop the subject.

Make a game out of it. Exercising doesn’t mean jumping on a treadmill and running until your legs fall off. Exercise is just the simple task of moving. Want your man to work up a sweat, challenge him to his favorite game. My hubby usually picks the one sport that I hate – basketball. He only picks it because he knows he can beat me at it every time. I always go along with it because the winning makes him feel oh so manly, but secretly I WIN because I got him exercising. Tera – 1 , Hubby 0.

Brag. Tell your hubby about all the amazing gains (and losses) that you’ve made in the gym. Model  your “pre workout jeans” and let him see how fit you have become or challenge him with a pushup contest and show him how strong you’ve gotten. BTW – getting beat by a girl in a pushup contest will definitely get him to the gym more often, so if you really want him to workout – start working on your pushups.

Make it interesting. Just because you love doing Body Pump and Zumba doesn’t mean he will too. If he is an absolute newbie to the gym, help him find activities that he would like and want to stick with. Are you unfamiliar with all that a gym has to offer? Hire a trainer for your guy. A trainer knows all of the ins and outs of a gym and they can help steer him in the right direction to find what workouts would fit him best.

Be Honest. Tell your partner why you want them to get more active. Is it because heart disease runs in his family? Is it because you’ve noticed a few health problems? Or do you notice that he’s having a harder time doing things that he used to do with ease? Honesty is always the best policy, but also remember their feelings. Even though our men seem to be made out of steel, they still have feelings too. Imagine how you would feel if the love of your life told you that you were getting a little soft around the middle? Harsh criticism hurts, so be gentle.

Get SMART and Reach Your Goals

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Did you get off track over the Holidays and you’re not sure how to get back “on”? Do you have goals you want to reach in 2011, but you’re not sure how to? Try the 2011 SMART PLAN! With the 2011 Smart Plan, you’ll learn how to create your goals and how to stay on track until you reach them.

Specific

Measuarble

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

PLAN

Specific: Be specific with your goals. Don’t just plan to run a marathon or lose 50 pounds. Instead make it a specific goals like, “I will run the Twin Cities Marathon this fall” or I will lose 50 pounds by September 1st. Being specific makes the goal “real” because you have a specific thing you are striving for.

Measurable: Make your goal measurable! If your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain date, determine how much weight you’d have to lose per month to reach that goal. This creates smaller goals out of a larger one. Sometimes the big picture can feel so far away, but meeting the smaller goals will keep you motivated to reach the ultimate one!

Attainable & Realisitic: Make sure your goal is attainable. Losing 50 pounds in one month is NOT ATTAINABLE OR REALISTIC! No matter what you see on the Biggest Loser, no person living in the real world can lose weight that fast in a healthy way. Just like you can’t go from no activity to running a marathon in 1 month. Make sure your goal is one that you can attain. Setting goals that are not realistic is only setting yourself up for failure and a huge let down.

Timley: Set a time frame of when you’d like to reach your goal. If you don’t set a time frame of when you’d like to reach your goal, then the commitment is too vague and you might play the “I’ve still got time” game. You can also break down the large time frame into smaller ones to help you stay motivated and moving forward. If you are looking to run longer distances, plan to run “X” miles one week and add on a half mile the next week, and then another half mile the next week until you are you to the distance you want to run.


PLAN: Plan for slip ups and temptations. We live in the real world and in the real world NO ONE is perfect. You will reach a point during your journey where someone says “Come on…just one piece of cake”. You may feel tempted, but do you know what you’ll do in that situation if you really don’t want to eat that cake. Or, if you do eat the cake, are you prepared for the possibility of eating another, and another, and another? Plan for this so you can be ready if you find yourself in this situation and how you will stay on or get back on track.

Get A Head Start on 2011

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It’s almost New Year’s Eve and we all know what that means: New Year’s Resolutions. This IS the year you are going to make changes and stick to your resolutions. New Year, New Goals, New You – right? It can be if you have the right plan. Here are 10 tips to help you create and reach your goals for the New Year.

1. Set resolutions that are realistic and based on your personal history. Learn from your failures. If you want to exercise five days a week and you haven’t done it in the past, try to do something that you are positive you will and can do. Start with exercising twice a week. And go from there.

2. Set “in between goals”. You might want to lose 50 pounds or get a 6 pack, but it won’t happen overnight. Set your sights on small goals that will lead you to the big goal. Completing the small goals will keep you motivated and excited to reach the ultimate goal.

3. Evaluate whether or not you have the skills to attain your resolution. If you want to start a strength-training program but have never lifted a weight or been inside a gym, there’s a good chance you’ll get intimidated or confused and give up. If you’re not sure how to reach your goal, get help.  Ask a friend for advice, seek a pro or hire a personal trainer.

4. Write down your resolution and your plan. Be clear on what your goal is, how you plan to reach it and what you will do if you slip up. A well laid out plan will help to ensure success.

5. Keep track of your progress. For example, if you write down each workout, in time you can look back at past workouts and see the gains you’ve made.

6. Be positive. If you say you can, you can! The way you talk to yourself really affects your ability to attain your goals. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re human! Acknowledge it, figure out why you slipped up and remember what happened so you will be ready for the next time.

7. Lose the excuses. Excuses are just reasons that you create because you are too scared to move forward. Don’t let excuses and fear keep you from your goals.

8. Get support. Reach out to your family, friends or a group of people who share the same goal and who can encourage you and help you through difficult times.

9. Use common sense. Avoid tempting situations that my cause you to make poor choices. If your downfall is ice cream, then don’t walk into the ice cream shop.

10. Be prepared! If you plan to go to the gym after work, have your bag packed & ready to go the night before. If you want to eat better, make enough healthy foods to last you all week. Put them in clear containers in the fridge for easy to grab meals.

‘Tis The Season! Goblins, Gobblers, Gatherings & the Gift of a Spare Tire.

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As we enter the holiday season, many of us stress out about gaining excess weight. With all of the delicious meals & family gatherings filled with baked goods, how could one not be tempted? There are many ways to stay on track & even improve your fitness level before the New Year rolls around. This year let’s try to do things a little differently…No more punching extra holes in your belt, refuse to buy yet another pair of stretchy waisted pants to help with post-meal discomfort & win the battle of the bulge! If you’re looking to maintain or lose weight this Holiday Season, here’s a SMART PLAN you can refer to help you stay in shape & avoid the typical holiday weight gain.


Sweets

Meals

Alcohol & Agua

Rest

Training


Plan ahead

Light

Adjust your Attitude

Nutrition


Sweets: Sweets & treats are THE downfall of the Holiday Season. You can have them, but limit your sweets & treats to the actual holidays and days that being with “S”. Eat your sweets slowly & REALLY enjoy your treats. Savoring the flavors will cause you to slow down and be more conscious of what & how much you are eating. You can indulge, but remember to do so in MODERATION!

Meals: Eating 5-6 small meals a day instead of 2-3 large meals will help keep cravings and overeating at bay. Each meal should be between 200-300 calories and be rich in lean proteins, produce and whole grains.

Alcohol & Agua: Limit your alcohol consumption and increase your water intake. When drinking alcohol, try to make low-cal choices like wine or champagne and stay away from high calorie drinks like daiquiris. Also, drinking water or a low-cal non-alcoholic drink in between your alcoholic drinks will help reduce your calorie intake.

Rest: All of the running around we do during the Holidays can be exhausting. Make sure to get your 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Being rested will lead to you making better food and exercise choices and ensure you have the energy to keep up with all the holiday activities.

Training: Get in 30-60 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week. Exercising doesn’t mean being a “slave” to the gym. You can make it fun – take the kids outside & go sledding, snow shoe on hiking trails, have an old fashion snowball fight. Whatever it is, just get yourself moving.


Plan Ahead: Schedule workouts in your day planner & treat them like you would any other important appointment. Make a grocery list of good food choices for healthy meals so you won’t be tempted to buy “whatever is easy & in a box” at the store. Having a plan in place will make it easier to stick to your goals. If you know you are going to a big Holiday party on weekend, then you can plan out healthy meals and a workout schedule for the week so you won’t feel guilty splurging a bit at the party.

Light: As the amount of daylight decreases, so can our moods. The combination of the cold weather & the lack of sunshine can cause you get the winter blahs and want to snuggle up on the couch with some junk food until spring. Get outside and exercise or open up the shades on sunny days to let the rays in to increase your mood.

Adjust Your Attitude: Stop thinking “It’s the Holidays, it’s ok to put on a few pounds” and start thinking about how you can look HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS! You can stick to a healthy diet and moderate exercise program and still have fun. Eat healthy and exercise most days of the week and you can “cheat” without destroying your diet.

Nutrition: Make sure you are getting the right foods to keep your body healthy during the hectic Holiday Season. A diet full of colorful fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains will give your body the nutrients that it needs to stave off sickness, give you energy for workouts and keep you up and running to all those Holiday Events.

Wish in one hand and……

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Can someone PLEASE help me out…I’m really confused! Would you not show up to work for a month and still expect a paycheck? Can a person withdraw money from their empty bank account? No? I didn’t think so. You have to actually do something in order to get something, right? Then why do people expect to get fit and healthy by doing nothing? Wishing, complaining and making excuses will get you NOWHERE!!! Like my dad says, “You can wish in one hand and $hit in the other – see which on fills up first.” You have to stop making excuses why you “can’t” and start thinking of reasons why you “can”! There is not, nor will there ever be a magic pill that you can take that will give you a body like Gisele Bundchen and the athletic ability of Lance Armstrong! It takes hard work, focus and dedication to be fit and healthy! No shortcuts, no easy ways out! You have to make the commitment to eat right and exercise in order to get a healthy body. It’s not hard once you decide to make the changes necessary to reach your goals. You CAN do it – I know you can! You just have to get out there and do it!

7 Rules to Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

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As the first few months of the New Year slip away, do you find your resolutions slipping away as well? Resolutions should be reasonably attainable so that you are setting yourself up for success rather than disappointment. Try focusing on small intermediate goals that will ultimately lead you to your primary goal. Do not expect to be perfect. Aim for a healthy lifestyle that you will feel comfortable sticking with.

1. TAKE SMALL STEPS:
Simply establishing the goal of leading a healthy lifestyle should make you feel good about yourself. To make that goal more attainable, come up with small goals you know you can meet each day to help keep yourself feeling positive. Accomplishing the smaller goals will leave you with a more immediate feeling of success. If your goals are too large, you may get caught up in them and feel disappointed when you do not see immediate results.

2. CHANGE FOR YOURSELF:
Any goals that you set should come from a sincere desire to change for yourself. Research has shown that negative feelings are a frequent cause of relapse in behavior-change programs, and resolutions that feel like punishment can cause negative feelings. All resolutions should be perceived as positive changes that will help you reach optimal health and well-being. Do not decide to change to please anyone other than yourself. Stick to your resolution by considering it a promise to yourself, not a test of your willpower.

3. BE CREATIVE:
Perhaps you can find ways to exercise while also accomplishing other goals. If weather permits, try walking to do errands that are in close proximity to your home or office. Maybe you need to spend more time with your family. Try walking with a family member or bringing your children along on bikes while you walk or jog.

4. BE REALISTIC:
Be sure that your plan of action is realistic. Plan to work out at times when it is convenient for you. If you are not a morning person, do not plan to work out early in the morning or you will just be setting yourself up for failure. Try to make things as easy as possible for yourself. Set your goals at reasonable heights so that you can reach them one by one without feeling overwhelmed. The only way your goal is going to become reality is if you believe in it and, most of all, if you believe in yourself.

5. BE POSITIVE:
If things like weather and illness will prevent you from sticking to your plan, make alternate plans for situations that you cannot avoid. Most importantly, do not let a missed day or two throw you completely off target. Instead, do your best to get back on track as quickly as possible, which should not be extremely difficult if you have set appropriate goals. It is easier to stick to your plan when you feel good about yourself. Try to find a new and healthy way to reward yourself when you meet your smaller goals.

6. BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM:
Get the support of your family, friends and co-workers. Let them know your goals and ask for their respect and support with your decision to live a healthier lifestyle. Remember that you are your best supporter.  Focus on positive self-talk. Congratulate yourself every time you take a step towards your goal. Be your own best cheerleader.

7. USE COMMON SENSE:
Avoid situations that put you in temptation’s path, in other words…if you’re on a diet, don’t go to the ice cream parlor.  Keep your gym bag packed and in the car so you don’t have to run home and get it.  You will be more likely to want to stay home once you get there.

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