Cracker Barrel

Despite it being Saturday, 11/28/09 I was up EARLY at 6:30a.m. as my hubby had to go into to work early this morning! 

Now, I did try to go back to sleep after he left, however I couldn’t so I just got up and headed downstairs quietly so I wouldn’t wake up my daughter & the dog.  While I waited for them to wake up I decided to make myself a nice cup of coffee as it was “freezing” in the house and while I drank it I snacked on an amazing piece of a Pumpkin Roll my friend gave me yesterday and surfed the net and did some blogging as well.

Early A.M. Snack

Around 9am my daughter finally woke up and I took the dog out for a walk soon after, than we got ready and headed out for a late breakfast just the two of us at Cracker Barrel.

I had the Old Timer’s Breakfast that included two scrambled eggs, two pieces of thick sliced bacon, two buttermilk biscuits w/gravy on the side, grits and fried apples!    

 

 

Old Timer's Breakfast

 

I shared my scrambled eggs with my daughter and only ate one biscuit, but the rest that you see was enjoyed by me! 

My daughter pancakes and syrup, which is her favorite.  =)

 

We did a little shopping after breakfast in their store and then headed to the grocery store to do some “much-needed” shopping before we went home. 

My husband didn’t get home until late afternoon so while I waited I put all the items I needed into the Crock Pot for the ”Chicken Tortilla Crock Pot Soup” recipe I got from Iowa Girl Eats at the following post:

http://iowagirleats.com/2009/11/16/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/

 

Lunch was skipped today as I was stuffed for a long time after my big breakfast.  I did however find myself hitting the below bag of goodies I got from my friend yesterday, SO GOOD!!!  =)

Bags of Goodies!

The Bags of Goodies included the following:

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls (on the top)
• Chocolate Covered Peanuts (on the left)
• Walnut Cinnamon Vanilla Powered Sugar Cookies (on the right)

In light of my skipped lunch, Dinner came early tonight and was homemade pizza.

Dinner

My side of the pizza is on the bottom right hand side that includes more cheese then the rest as my hubby doesn’t really like it but you must have a little on pizza of course.

My friend, Catrina, sent me some great TIPS to share on my blog that I will be sharing with you after my Sunday’s post tomorrow!  Sorry for the wait, but work is crazy after the long holiday weekend and I just can’t get to it until tomorrow morning!

Black Friday

Well, as I am sure you all know it is BLACK Friday, 11/27/09!  And, just in case you were wondering NO, I am not going shopping today.  I haven’t been in a mall on Black Friday since I was a teenager and though I know I miss the deals I do not mind as the frustration & stress that comes with shopping today is just not worth the savings I might get at least really early in the morning, however I may venture out in the late afternoon or evening to do some bargain shopping. 

I just have to ask……don’t you just love long holiday weekends!?!?!  I sure do as it allows me to get some much need rest & relaxation that I usually do not get on regular 2 day weekends.

 Breakfast was a repeat of yesterday’s, except I had an apple instead of a banana as we were all out.

Breakfast

The rest of my morning was very relaxing and spent on the computer and watching my daughter & dog playing in the living room while they watched cartoons. 

Around noon my daughter left for one of her friend’s house for the day and I headed out soon after for a nice outing with my mom.  We really did not have any set plans or anyplace to go…….we ended up at Barnes & Noble and got some Starbucks & some holiday magazines and just sat and talked, read & drank out coffee/hot chocolate.  After we headed to Michael’s as my mom wanted to get some ornaments for her co-worker’s and the grandkids.  Than we headed to her house for a bit where we snacked on some Brie & Crackers (sorry forgot my camera at home).  And, last we visited Old Navy as I needed to pick up some pants & long sleeves for my daughter as the weather has cooled down a lot here in Florida recently and she needs some winter cloths, finally!

I arrived home a bit after 5pm, visited with my hubby for a bit before I headed back out to pick up a few things at the grocery store, pick up my daughter and then get dinner.  We had Five Guys hamburgers & fries “again’ for dinner as we were all starving and I just wasn’t in the mood to cook. 

Dinner

This long weekend is turning out to not be the healthiest eating for me, however I feel you need to give yourself a break every once & awhile and eat what you want………..than get back on track after the long weekend, holiday or event!!!  Even though I do gain a few pounds during these “splurges” (like I am at 144 pounds today, when I was at 141 Thanksgiving morning) I always bounce back once I get back on track so I don’t stress it too much, though I do try to keep my “spurges” under control and not over do it too much.  It is all about Balance and sometimes part of that balance is enjoying the foods you love and taking a break from running or the gym. 

So speaking about “splurges”, check out some that I had after dinner courtesy of my daughter’s friend mom! =O  I only had two (2) of the chocolate covered peanut candies and three (3) of the powered sugar vanilla walnut cookies.

YUMMY GOODIES!

Bed came early tonight as we were all really tired after busy past few days!  GOOD NIGHT!

P.S.  In reference to the below tip I only brought home a few “leftovers” from my aunt’s yesterday and plan to incorporate them with other meals or in a healthy way the best I can as I think they should be enjoyed of course just in moderation and as healthy as possible, like it says below!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!!!

Holiday Hang-Up #3:

“I constantly feel tempted by all the delicious leftovers!”

Solution:

Grazing on a whole month’s worth of rich foods will take a toll.  “Look at leftovers and ask, “How can I incorporate this into my healthy daily routine?”  For lunch the next day, add proteins like ham and turkey to a salad or put cranberry sauce on half of a sandwich.  What you don’t want to do is nosh on mashed potatoes willy-nilly just because they’re giving you come-hither looks from the fridge.  “Don’t nibble out of the container! If you’re going to eat leftovers, put a precise portion in front of you, and count it as a meal.”  No need to invite added tempation, either: “If a host tries to push leftovers on you as you’re leaving, just remember you don’t have to accept them!”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Yeah, it is finally Thursday, 11/26/09……….better known as TURKEY DAY!!!  =)

We all slept this morning until 8:30a.m. and if you follow my blog you know that is a “late” morning for us.  After waking I walked the dog and then made some breakfast that included a cup of coffee with irish cream creamier mixed in and then two pieces of multi-grain toasted bread with peanut butter & 1/2 a sliced banana on one and a little bit of butter and raspberry jelly on the other.

Breakfast

I waited about an hour and then headed out for my planned long run.  An hour and 15 minutes later I was home after completing a little over 6 miles (6.15 in all).  It was a bit chilly during the first 1/2 of my run but started to warm up a the 1/2 way point so I took off my long sleeve and tied it around my waist.  Overall it was a very nice and easy run.  I only stopped and walked around mile 3 for about 30 seconds or so.  My knee did start to hurt a bit during the last part of my run but it did not bug me to much, luckily.  I am finding this happening after my fast runs and long runs.  I think I might have to start icing it if it continues.

Upon my return home I took a nice long hot shower.  Then I had a glass of cold chocolate milk to help in my recovery and snacked on some melon a bit after (sorry forgot pictures again).  I than made lunch for the hubby & little one.  I skipped lunch myself as I wasn’t hungry and knew we would be eating a big “Thanksgiving” meal soon.

Around 3pm we headed to my Mother-In-Laws for our 1st meal of the day.  I ate lightly at her house and only got a picture of the amazing Lemon Custard Cake desert my Brother-In-Law made, it was so light & fluffy and amazingly good. 

Desert

After 5pm we headed to my Aunt & Uncles house for our 2nd meal of the day, which was much more feeling then my 1st and left me VERY FULL!!!  You will see why below!!!

Dinner

I only ate about 3/4′s of the plate as even though my mind was saying yummy and I want it all my stomach was saying “no, no…I can’t hold anymore”.  =O  I also had a few glasses of wine and a small slice of Pumpkin Pie w/cool whip on top for desert.

We got home just before 10pm and I veggied on the couch until past mid-night.

I hope everyone had a great holiday! 

Mine was great, as I was very happy to get to spend it with all my wonderful family and I am looking forward too all the holiday events to come!  =) 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!!!

Holiday Hang-Up #2:

“I tell myself it’s OK to eat whatever I want because it’s the holidays.”

Solution:

The next time you’re tempted to say, “What the heck?” I’ll have another desert,” pause and think about the future.  “Ask yourself, ‘How do I want to feel in January? Good because I stayed in control or bad because I fooled myself into thinking I could eat whatever I wanted?”  Try patrolling the party circuit with a friend who knows your goals – - hello, accountability! – or programming a stickt-to-your-goals message to pop up on your phone.  But don’t get to hard-core about cutting out holiday favorites.  “Giving yourself a regular treat can keep you from feeling deprived, so you won’t be as prone to bigger slipups.

Rain OR Shine

 

Well we woke up to a very foggy, drizzly & cloudy sky on this Wednesday, 11/25/09 morning and I was so happy that I did not have to get ready for work (though my hubby did, only a 1/2 day though for him luckily)!  =)

After the hubby headed out to work, I made some breakfast for myself and read some more of my December 2009 “Health” magazine that came in the mail box on Monday.  I was so happy to finally get to eat the frosted shredded wheat I bought over the weekend.  I had some with milk and a banana.

Breakfast

My daughter and the dog woke up soon after I finished my breakfast, so I took the dog out for a very short walk as she wasn’t enjoying the “wetness” outside, than I did some blogging, made my daughter breakfast and got ready to go out for a run. 

I intended on doing a 3 mile “fast paced” run , however the weather dragged me down as it was raining when I headed out and rained the entire time I was out so I ended up getting soaked and my VERY wet cloths & shoes did not help me in trying to run fast.  I finished in about 35 minutes.  Check out my rain drenched cloths piled on the floor of my bathroom below!  =O

Of course a nice warm shower followed my “rainy run” and it felt great.  I spent the rest of the morning between the t.v. and computer, than at about 1pm I started to get hungry so I heated up the last of my chili, added some cheese & sour cream and got some torita chips for lunch.

Lunch

Dinner was early around 5pm and we had taco’s and yellow rice.

Dinner

Since dinner was so early I munched on a pear later in the evening and I also had a nice cup of hot chocolate since it was cool outside and a small bag of kettle corn that I shared with my daughter (sorry I forgot to take a picture of both).

Pear

A long movie took up the rest of our evening and we ended up hitting the sack just after 12pm.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!

In light of the impending holiday and all the YUMMY eating that come along with it (i.e. appetizers, drinks, main meal, deserts, left overs & the eating out with family and friends that usually follows), I have decided center my Tips for the next three (3) days around an article I read in my Health magazine called ”Eat, Drink & Lose”!

Holiday Hang-Up #1:

“I find it difficult to get all my workouts in this time of year!”

Solution:

Scale back, but stay active!  It’s OK to take a few days off if you need to.  But once you stop working out, it can be very hard to get motivated again.  So, no matter what your schedule throws at you, try to keep moving.  go for a brisk 30-minute walk, either outside (if weather permits) or on the treadmill.  For some no-fuss strength training, do 20 minutes of moves that use your own body weight for resistance, such as squats, push-ups, and lunges.  And aim for three to five cardio workouts and two strength workouts a week, but don’t stress out if you can’t fit them all in.  Just do the best you can and try to bounce back the next day, week or month if you fall behind.

 

Last WORK Day For The Week!

Yeah, it is finally Tuesday, 11/24/09 and my last official day for the week!!!  =)

Today, went pretty much as any other work day accept it was a mad rush to get in a whole weeks work of work in 1 Day pretty much!

Once at work I got made some breakfast for myself that included some left over (frozen & thawed) breakfast bread with a little butter added after I toasted it and pear on the side.

Breakfast

 Around noon I started to get hungry but I wasn’t in the mood for lunch yet so I had a snack of Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt with the last of my Kashi Apple Orchard granola mixed in.

Snack

 Than I finally had lunch after 3pm and ate the last of my chili with some cheese.

Lunch

I left work just after 5pm and headed straight to the gym and completed the following for the night:

• 20 minutes of abs
• 40 minutes of upper & lower body weights

I decided to skip my usual 30 minutes of “cardio” tonight as I am going to run 1st thing tomorrow morning and then again (a long run) on Thanksgiving morning.

I stopped at KFC on the way home and got my hubby some grilled chicken he mentioned he would like the other day.  I skipped it myself tonight and had the following items for dinner:

• Cole Slaw
• Green Bean Salad
• Chicken & Artichoke Lean Pocket

Dinner1

Dinner2

Dinner3

 A shower and then “video game” playing with the hubby followed dinner.  While we played we munched on some chips & salsa.

Late Night Snack

Bed of course called around 11pm, as usual, I think my body is officially programmed now to go to bed at 11pm and wake up just before 7am every morning.  Hey, I can’t complain as I usually always get 8 hours (give or take) each night and that is the recommended amount.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!!!

Rule #8: Set out your sneakers.

A recent FITNESS poll found that sneakers — with sports bras being a close second — are the piece of gear that is forgotten most often, foiling women’s workout plans. Clear that obstacle by, well, making them an obstacle in front of the door you exit in the a.m., suggests Diane Klein, PhD, chair of exercise and sports sciences at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens. “Seeing them will remind you that you planned to exercise,” Klein says. For motivation to move, kicks are worth a thousand words.

Take My Daughter To Work Day!

My daughter came with me to work on this Monday, 11/23/09 as she has the week off of school, however both me & her Dad had to work! 

We backed her DS, laptop and a book she has to finish reading for school this week so she wouldn’t get bored in the office and headed out after she had breakfast of course.  I myself had breakfast after getting to work and quickly whipped up my usual cinnamon brown sugar instant oatmeal with diced apples mixed in.

Breakfast

Everything kept her occupied until almost noon and then she started getting a bit bored.  I was able to stretch things until 2pm and then we had to finally leave as she was starving and I did not have any lunch for her in the office, so we stopped and got some McDonalds for her on the way home and I had a bowl of chili and cheese for my lunch after we got home.

Lunch

I then waited a few hours and headed out for a “fast” 3 mile run that I completed in just over 30 minutes, to my surprise as I had missed 2 runs last week and surely thought I would have a hard time bouncing back but I guess the amazingly cool weather and the fact that I was jones to run helped!  =)

After my run I took a MUCH NEEDED shower, rested a bit and then got cracking on dinner…..which was re-heated some chicken that I cut up and mixed in a Chicken Southwest Salad for myself that included the following:

• romaine lettuce
• cherry tomatoes
• celery
• cucumbers
• carrots
• black beans
• corn (off the cob)
• white meat chicken
• torita strips
• Newman’s Southwest Dressing

Dinner

Some t.v. time followed dinner until bed time at 11pm.

___________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!

Rule #7: Go like Gumby.

Consistent stretching significantly decreases muscle soreness, according to a study at the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for Health Services in Oslo. Skipped your stretches postexercise? Wind down with this 17-minute allover loosener from Jennifer Huberty, PhD, an exercise physiologist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

• Warm up first with 5 minutes of brisk high-knee marching.
• Toe-reach stretch (targets hamstrings, which remain shortened all day as you’re seated): Sit on the floor with your left leg straight in front of you, knee slightly bent, right leg bent out to the side and resting on the floor. Reach for your toes without bouncing and hold for 30 seconds; relax. Do 3 stretches, then switch legs and repeat.
• Hip-flexor stretch (targets hips, which also are tight in desk jockeys): Lie faceup on the floor with your left leg bent, left foot flat, and bend your right knee out to the side so your right ankle is crossed over and resting on the lower left thigh. Grasp your left thigh with both hands and pull it toward you until you feel a comfortable stretch in your right hip, glutes, and outer thigh. Hold for 30 seconds; switch legs and repeat. Do 3 stretches per side.
• Side stretch (targets upper back and waistline): Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Raise arms overhead and interlock fingers with palms facing up. Keeping your middle centered, hinge at the waist to the right; hold for 30 seconds. Return to center and reach up; hold for 30 seconds.
• Switch sides; repeat. Do 3 stretches on each side.

Bad Luck Comes In 3′s

Well my weekend was full of “bad luck”, however I am not going to dwell on it and will be letting it go and hoping the new week ahead will bring the opposite, but I wanted to mention it because it put me and my schedule off track all weekend long!  =(

It all started on Saturday, 11/21/09.

I woke up around 8am, walked the dog, got into my running cloths and was just taking my first bite of my breakfast when the 1st of the bad luck hit.  After I did not feel like eating but I ate as much as I could of my whole wheat toast with peanut butter & sliced banana on top and ended up tossing a few bites in the trash.

Breakfast

My appetite pretty much was NON-EXISTANT the rest of the day.  I did nibble on a cookie that Jai Lei’s friends mom sent me home with after I picked her up from their house.  I also skipped my schedule run and grocery shopping trip as well, which threw my entire day off track. 

So as you might of guess lunch was skipped and later in the early evening the 2nd bought of bad luck hit, rounding out the “yucky” day. 

I was able to recover and ended up dropping my daughter at a Birthday Slumber Party that I originally was going to have her skip since she stayed Friday night out at a friends but I thought it best in light of the day we had.

On the way home I picked up “Chipotle” for dinner as I was in no mood to cook as you might have guessed.  I got my usual chicken burrito bowl with rice, black beans, pico, lettuce, corn, cheese & a little sour cream.  I usually only eat 1/2 but this time I finished the WHOLE thing as I was starving.

Dinner

Some much-needed REST came after dinner and then bed!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, 11/22/09 was a little better than yesterday, however it was when the 3rd (and hopefully FINAL) bought of bad luck hit so I can’t say it was much better now!  =(

It started just before 8am and my morning went like this:

• Walked the dog
• Started laundry
• Cleaned the “entire” house
• Picked up my daughter
• Went grocery shopping

I did end up eating a little more today luckily, however I did miss breakfast and ended up snacking on a banana just after noon.

Snack

Then I made my husband & daughter some lunch and after that I also made some Chocolate Chip Cookies as a treat for them (and me too) as they have been bugging me to make for a while now.  I had a few myself, with a glass of milk.

Treat

I used the following brand when making the cookies.  Both me and my daughter liked them, however my (spoiled) husband did not so much as he of course is used to getting cookies from scratch throughout his childhood.

Dinner ended up being “Five Guys” as I again did not feel like cooking!  I had my usual little cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles and ketchup and some of their amazing fries on the side, it was YUMMY….nothing like a good cheeseburger & fries to perk me up!  =)

Dinner

Now, I do not usually get “take out” or “fast food” twice in two days or during the weekend, however sometimes things go that way and exceptions have to be made!  Luckily, for me the scale did not freak out due to both!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

WEEKEND TIPS!!!

Rule #5: Take a power walk to beat a midday slump.

Call it the 20-20 rule: As little as 20 minutes of low-intensity aerobic activity such as walking can give you a 20 percent surge in energy, research at the University of Georgia in Athens finds. “It’s paradoxical: Many people assume that they’ll get tired from exercise. But the opposite actually happens,” says study author Patrick O’Connor, PhD, a professor of kinesiology. “We’re not certain what the biological mechanism is,” he says, “but indirect evidence suggests that brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are altered and cause the improved energy.” Besides, that quick recharge just burned about 75 calories. Sure beats adding 250 spike-then-slump calories’ worth of Skittles.

Rule #6: Do the two-step.

When you opt for the stairs, go at them two at a time — as long as you’re not wearing heels. The quick bursts of power activate your legs’ fast-twitch muscle fibers, which burn more calories than slow-twitch fibers. Plus, you’ll be using a part of your muscles that commonly doesn’t get enough action. “Fast muscle cells are designed so you can jump far, kick hard, punch fast — moves that you call on less and less in modern society,” says Scott Mazzetti, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Salisbury University in Maryland. “But unfortunately it’s a use-them-or-lose-them situation, so it’s good to activate them regularly.”

Pot Luck

Friday, 11/20/09 has finally arrived and I had a really nice day, which was a nice change from the typical “crazy” Friday’s I usually have!  =)

My morning was a whirl wind that included a stop for a chocolate covered donut for my little one (a treat she gets every few weeks for breakfast), then a stop to get gas, a drop off at the bus stop and a pick up at the dry cleaner before I got into work.

Once at work, which was a short trip do to the lack of traffic….a wonderful holiday side effect, I grabbed a yogurt from the fridge for breakfast and a cup of coffee.

Breakfast

I ate a really “light” breakfast this morning as I have an office Pot Luck to attend at noon in which TONS of great foods & deserts will be available so I need to save some room in my tummy and also save on some fat/calories!  =O

I was able to do a little blog surfing in the at work this morning and I read an excellent & very informative post from Tasha @ The Clean Eating Mama about “Her Clean Eating Philosophy”, so I asked her if she would mind if I shared what she had to say on my blog and she said yes, so check it out at the below link:

http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2009/11/my-clean-easting-philosophy.html

At noon I went over to my other office for a Pot Luck Lunch and had the following, sorry I didn’t take any pictures as the whole office was there while eating and I knew they would find it strange that I was taking pictures of my food………….=(

• Broccoli Salad
• Sheppard’s Pie
• Pulled Pork on a 1/2 of a Hamburger Bun
• Mac & Cheese
• Green Beans

Deserts from the Pot Luck were put in a Tupperware container and brought back to the office to share with my boss and enjoy around 3pm.  I got a pic of these for you since I ate them all by my lonesome in my office along with an apple so I could be partly “healthy”.  =)  Here is a list of what I sampled:

• Pumpkin Mouse (made by my friend Lindsay)
• Peanut Butter Pie
• Tiny Brownie
• Yellow Cake w/Chocolate Icing 

Deserts

Once I departed from work I stopped by the grocery store for some dinner items for tonight, then dropped them off at home, picked up my daughter from school, than dropped her off at her Girl Scout meeting and then headed home to make dinner which was a “Friday Night Special” of course, yes you guessed it, PIZZA!!!  

Dinner

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and watching t.v. with my hubby as we were all alone for the evening!  =)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!

Rule #4: Give up your seat to trim your bottom line.

Even regular exercisers could benefit from extra toning of their tush, the largest muscle group in the body, which dozes all day at your desk job. “When you’re walking or running, it’s your hamstrings, hip flexors, and calf muscles that get the most work,” says FITNESS advisory board member Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Unless you’re going uphill, your glutes don’t play a major role.” The good news? If you bailed on doing those butt-firming squats during your workout, you can easily sneak them in when your cube mate isn’t looking. Stand up from your chair, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your bottom to the seat as though you’re going to sit, touch down, and then spring up, squeezing your glutes as you straighten. Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps two or even three times throughout the day.

Birthday Lunch

It is my friend and fellow co-worker’s birthday today on this fine Thursday, 11/19/09!  =)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINDSAY!!!

I had some maple brown sugar instant oatmeal with 1/2 a diced apple and a dash of cinnamon for breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

Around 1pm I headed out for the Birthday Lunch.  We ate at a local downtown restaurant named “Ember”, which is beautiful inside and out.  Plus the food is amazing.  I had one of my favorites a BBQ Chicken Flatbread and a unsweetened iced tea.

Lunch

I ate all the above but “1″ piece and I really wanted to eat that but I knew we would be having cake later so I left it on my plate.

Just before 4pm I headed over to my friend’s office for some Chocolate Fudge Cake from Publix, I had a small slice and left the icing on top of my piece on the plate.  I only got a picture of the birthday girl & her cake before my camera died, so sorry you couldn’t see my slice, but I promise it was small.

After work I headed straight to the gym and completed the following:

• 10 minutes of abs (crunches, leg & but lifts and sides)
• 20 minutes of lower body weight machines (leg lifts & extensions, squats, inner & outer thighs)
• 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical)

Since I had a piece of cake I only had a small salad for dinner, plus I did snack on some mixed nuts as well a little later in the evening when my stomach started grawling.  They always help curb my hunger, learned this trick from my hubby.  =)

Dinner

A shower, dog walk and t.v. time followed dinner “of course” (my usual routine these days)!  Bed didn’t come until almost 12am though as me and the hubby had a lot of DVR recordings to catch up on.

________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!!!

Rule #3: Push your pace, rev your metabolism.

Finished toning and ready to get sweaty? Gun it a bit for a bigger afterburn. “High-intensity exercise increases the release of growth hormones, which mobilize fat to be used as fuel, plus it causes your metabolism to stay elevated about 10 to 15 percent above its baseline, so you’re burning more fat for several hours post-workout,” says Arthur Weltman, PhD, director of the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In other words, if you worked off 300 calories during your session, you’ll get a bonus burn of about 45 calories even after you’ve toweled off.

To net the effect, stick to a speed you consider challenging: In a 16-week study that Weltman conducted with obese women, those who worked out at what they felt was high intensity (a brisk walk or jog in most cases) three days a week and at low intensity for two whittled an inch and a half more from their waists than the low-intensity-only group. Or try alternating between sprinting (racewalking, pedaling fast, swimming at top speed) for one minute and slowing down enough to recover for the next minute.

Think Outside The Bun….

…………Wednesday, 11/18/09!!!

It is finally “hump day”, all down hill from this point on and next week is a short week (work wise) so I am looking forward to some time off and a long weekend!   =)

My breakfast was once again at home this morning and was MulitGrain Cheerios with 2% milk and a glass of orange juice.

Breakfast

My tummy started “grumbling” around 11am and I was not quite ready for lunch at that point so I had a Late Morning Snack instead, which consisted of toasted high-fiber whole wheat bread with peanut butter and 1/2 an apple on the side.

Late Morning Snack

Some late afternoon “outside” errands made my lunch very delayed and I did not end up eating until around 3pm.  Once I was back in the office I quickly heated up some chili with some cheese mixed in.

Late Lunch

After work I headed Park to do my scheduled 30 minute run, which ended up being a “fast” run for me as I got to the park late and was really tight on time.  I ended up completing 2.5 miles (approximately).

 There were a few stops between the Park and home I had to make so I got home a little later than I had hoped, so dinner was ready until almost 8pm in light of that but it happens that way sometimes.  We had taco’s with yellow rice that had corn & black beans mixed in and that I topped with cheese & tomatoes as well.

Dinner

A nice long walk with the dog followed dinner as I felt a bit full and wanted to get a little exercise in so the food in my belly would start to burn off.  I watched some t.v. after the walk and then my bed called early tonight around 10:30p.m.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

TIP OF THE DAY!

Rule #2: Hit the metal before the pedal.

Instead of going from zero to 60 to sweat off the calories, consider this: Doing a quick sculpting routine pre-cardio could increase the amount of fat you melt. Exercisers in a study at the University of Tokyo who biked within 20 minutes of lifting weights tapped more of their fat stores than those who rested longer or didn’t tone at all.

The firm-then-burn order is also good for your heart: Arteries stiffen during resistance training, increasing blood pressure, but a cardio chaser such as a 20-minute run counteracts these effects and expedites your arteries’ return to normal, explains Rohit Arora, MD, chairman of cardiology at the Chicago Medical School. Plus, strength training “takes coordination and good technique, so you get more out of it if you come to it fresh,” says Kent Adams, PhD, director of the Exercise Physiology Lab at California State University, Monterey Bay. “Meanwhile, cardio is a rhythmic, low-skill activity that’s the easier of the two to do in a fatigued state,” Adams says.

I have read several articles that have stated the above after other studies around the country and I in fact started doing this in my “gym” routine about a year ago and found that it worked great for me!