Navigate The Holidays: Navigate the Dinner
- If you have to have a drink, chose red wine.
- Chose white meat over dark, and no skin!
- Keep gravy to a tablespoon or 2.
- Chose regular bread stuffing over corn bread.
- Nix the cranberry sauce – lots if sugar.
- Eat sweet potatoes baked rather than in casseroles.
- If you’re going to have pie choose pumpkin.
How to Survive The Holidays while Trying to be Healthy!
It’s soon time for the wonderful time known as Christmas. Parties, drinks, family, food, desserts, visiting, baking, cooking, did I mention drinks?
I am going to do project on how to survive the holidays while trying to be healthy. It will feature what holiday foods to nix, to keep; how to eat around the dinner so you can have 
a few favourites; how to squeak in workouts so the drinks/food damage can be neutralized; portion control; how to survive parties; etc etc etc.
Let the holidays begin!
Dear Diary
November 26, 2009
Dear Diary,
I went to my nutritionist/trainer yesterday. I was honestly scared because I haven’t been that religious about eating, and have drank a lot lately. I didn’t gain though, still at 149lbs but I did lose a bit more body fat!
Goals is to not gain over the holidays and to improve body fat. Maybe to make shakes that can last me all day (balanced, enough for 3 meals).
Also he showed me workouts for when I have no time to get to the gym.
Upperbody: Pushups! Start with a set of 15. Rest 30 seconds. Do a set of 14, rest for 30. Set of 13, rest for 30 and so on. Upper body workout in a short time!
Lowerbody: Squats! Set of single leg squats, each leg. Then wall squats. Start at a set of 15 with 30 second breaks. Work down to set of 1 as above.
Intervals: Do a set of pushups, squats, crunch, sprint. Do for 15 minutes.
Dear Diary
November 20, 2009
Today is the day! New Moon day, that is. I haven’t done a Dear Diary in a while. A little overwhelming this past month.
I still weigh around 150lbs. I lost about 15lbs since I started this blog. Woohoo! I am seeing a nutritionist, who is also a trainer. We will be meeting next Wednesday and will take workouts.
I have been keeping up with the workouts when I can. I do back/chest and 20min cardio, arms/shoulders with 20min cardio, and sometimes legs (need to lose some mass on these) and try to run when I can and light permits.
I have been eating better than in the summer. No more carrot cake. I have been drinking more though. I eat around my workouts and lots of protein.
Let me know how your workouts and diet plans have been going!
Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes
I couldn’t sleep in this AM (crazy, I know). I have an 830am class and I was awake from about 4am on. So needless to say I had a lot of time to make a big breakfast. That is usually not the case.
Here is a link to Women’s Health and recipes for quick and easy breakfasts. They include:
- An oatmeal recipe
- Waffle sandwich
- Burrito
- Mushroom cheese scramble
- Something that resembles a dessert made of breakfast food
- Omelet
- Pancakes
- Herb scramble
- Egg and cheese sandwich
- Tex-Mex
Avoid a Cold: Eat, Sleep and Exercise
EverydayHealth.com says paired with washing your hands frequently, eating well, sleeping enough and exercising can prevent colds. Eating, sleeping and exercising boosts your immune system. Whole foods and vitamins (if your diet is lacking) can help you make it through this winter without the sniffles. Check out the article here.
On the note of colds, here’s a good question:
Q: Should you work out when you have a cold? Anything special to keep in mind?
A: The rule of thumb for exercising while sick is called the above/below-the-neck rule. If your symptoms appear above the neck (runny nose, sneezing, sore throat), then yes, you can continue with a low-intensity workout. Studies have shown that exercising at a moderate-intensity level does not intensify cold symptoms or compromise the immune system. Avoid high-intensity exercise, such as heavy weight lifting and high-intensity aerobic training, which has been shown to have a negative impact on the immune system during a cold or any respiratory infection.If your symptoms are below the neck (diarrhea, intense coughing, vomiting, fever), then the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest you let your illness run its course before resuming physical activity
Fast Food and Depression
I know that I get depressed when I eat fast food for the reason that I just broke my diet and ate about a day’s worth of calories in one gorging.
But scientists’ say that fast food and depression are linked. People who ate fast food were more likely to develop depression, and people who ate whole foods (ex. Eat Clean Diet) had lower odds of developing depression.
Check out the study here. Just another reason to not use fast food as my treat….now I just need someone to tell me no!
Please Don’t Pass The Salt
From Men’s Health, foods that contain the most hidden salt:
- Shredded parmesan
- Smoked salmon
- Ramen noodles
- Microwaved pork bacon (Sodium Equivalent: 3 orders of McDonald’s large French fries!!!)
- Salami
- Cooked turkey bacon
- Capers
- Canned anchovies
- Teriyaki sauce
- Soy sauce
Upping Weight, Can’t Knock Out the Reps
From EverydayHealth.com:
Q: According to my workout program, next week I should be ready to increase the weight of my dumbbells and reduce the number of reps for each exercise. The problem is, the next heaviest set of dumbbells at my gym is too heavy for me to complete the entire set of reps. What should I do?
A: A good gym should have dumbbells that increase in weight by 2.5-pound increments up to 25-pound weights. If you are reducing the number of reps by 5, which is what I recommend, and increasing the weight by only 2.5 to 5 pounds, you should be able to get through all of the reps for the exercises. If you start to feel that you can’t do the last few reps, you can go back to the lower weight you were using over the previous couple of weeks.In general, you should pick a weight that’s heavy enough that you can just barely complete the prescribed repetitions with perfect form….for the rest of the answer click here!
8 Rules of Dressing Slimmer for Men
Click here to find out details on how to utilize each tip!
- Hide big problems with small patterns.
- Ditch the pleats.
- Say yes to pinstripes.
- Stay untucked and un-elasticized at waste.
- Lower the buttons.
- Buy stuff that fits.
- Minimize the contrasting colours.
- Trade crews for V-necks.
On a side note, check out ThePeopleOfWalmart.com. So funny! It’s where I got the above pic from.
I Want My Sexy Back! 