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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

As the beginning of Holiday season nears, I just wanted to remind everybody to stay on track with your fitness goals. Just because you are off of work a lot and having a lot of social events doesn't mean you have to gain weight back. There is no excuse. In fact, with this extra free time from work it should be even more convenient to get a work out in. As I don't expect you to eat as healthy as you should, it becomes even more important to stick to your workout plan to help compensate for the increase in calorie intake.  Be active, go for a run, hit the gym first thing in the morning and stay consistent.  Get some type of exercise in 5 to 6 days a week. It will keep you feeling healthy and fit and relieve stress of the holiday season. Don't you want to show up to those holiday parties and  family gatherings looking to impress?

I know today, Thanksgiving Day, will be filled with your favorite traditional home cooked foods you love. It is after all only once a year and I'm not telling you to pass up on them.  But be realistic, watch your portion control and skip second helpings. The average American consumes 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat  from their Thanksgiving Day meal, not including other meals/snacks of the day! Take a look a this link and get an idea of what you might be at and consider serving sizes!  Thanksgiving Day Calorie Calculator

Monday, November 7, 2011

Liquids Have Calories Too!

When trying to get in shape, tone up, lose weight or whatever you term your fitness goal, diet is an important key to your success.  Sometimes we tend to overlook what we drink is also a part of your overall calorie intake for the day.  Starting off the day with coffee is OK in moderation but just like food, it can quickly change from things you add to it like cream and sugar. Milk of course is a healthy choice but go with 1% or skim milk to cut down on the fat, sugar and calories.  Next comes the obvious, cokes (as we like to call it in Texas) depending where you are from, maybe you call it soda or pop. If you are a habitual coke drinker, try to cut that from your diet for a week and two and I think you'll be surprised what an effect if can have on you.  You might experience headaches but eventually they will subside and you can get some caffeine from alternative sources.  Unfortunately many juices aren't much better for you than coke. They are packed full of sugar as well, so unless you are freshly squeezing it yourself, read the sugar content on the label before you think you reaching for a nutritious drink.  Lastly comes the nightcap. Here again are empty calories and carbohydrates you can eliminate from your diet and that will help change the shape of your body. Whether it is a mixed drink or beer, you are just adding more calories to be stored as fat! I know you've heard the term "beer belly" before! So instead of reaching for these drinks, just have a nice old fashioned glass of.....ICE WATER. Not only are you cutting these empty calories and extra grams of sugar, drinking a lot of water will help boost your metabolism, have you feeling more energetic and happy,  and improve your overall health.  If you get bored easily with the lack of taste, try a calorie free water enhancer like Mio.