Fitness tips from trainers

(Shamelessly stolen from another site, I don't remember which one...)

4 classic moves that work

• Crunches.
• Squats. They target your butt and legs.
• Push-ups. “The regular kind work at least five major muscle groups all at once,” says Waters.
• Biceps curls. Lift five pounds, minimum.

5 keys to finding the right routine

• Start slowly. “Jumping into a boot-camp class or a long run if you haven’t worked out in ages just guarantees you won’t love it—it’s going to be too hard.”—Valerie Waters of Valerie Waters Personal Fitness(Clients: Jennifer Garner and Kate Beckinsale)
• “Choose a workout for your shape. Looking great is about making your entire body appear fit and balanced. If your butt and hips are wider than your top half, for example, work your shoulders and back a bit more to even yourself out.”—Ashley Borden(Former clients: Mandy Moore and Christina Aguilera)
• Adjust your workout to your schedule. Work out three days a week if…you can really carve out a block of time. “Exercise for an hour total (that includes your cardio workout and your strength routine, plus 10 minutes each of warm-up and cooldown). You have to do it with intensity, though—no pedaling on the stationary bike at 0.1 mile per hour.”—Gunnar Peterson, creator of the Core Secrets DVD Series(Clients: Jennifer Lopez and Amber Valletta)
• Work out almost daily if…you have only a small window of time or just prefer shorter workouts. “You can go for less time; just be sure to do it nearly every day. My clients don’t exercise for more than 25 minutes. But they see me five days a week.”—Harley Pasternak, author of The 5 Factor Diet(Clients: Alicia Keys and Eva Mendes)
• Meet with a personal trainer—even if it’s just once. “Tell the trainer you’re going to be doing only a single intro session. Get a plan from him or her and be sure to take lots of notes!”—David Brainin, a master trainer at Crunch Fitness in Los Angeles, a celeb hangout

3 secrets to looking slimmer than your size

• “Focus more on the muscles that people see. If you have a closet full of sleeveless dresses and tank tops, then you should be doing twice as many moves for your shoulders and arms as for, say, your abs. People will assume everything else is toned to perfection too.”—Mike Alexander(Clients: Jessica Simpson And Amanda Bynes)
• “Don’t slouch! Good posture will instantly make you look 10 pounds thinner and 10 times more confident. Keep it up at the gym, too. Standing tall while you’re working out actually makes every move you do more effective.”—Ramona Braganza(Client: Jessica Alba)
• “Stop obsessing about the number on your scale. Not one of the female celebrities I train weighs what you would think. They’re all heavier but they’re still tiny, sizewise, because incredibly toned muscles weigh more than flab but take up less space.”—Ron Mathews, co-owner of Atom Fitness(Former client: Sarah Chalke)

8 genius eat-right rules

• “Don’t ask too much of your diet. Is it possible to drop 10 pounds in 10 days? Yes, if you’re willing to starve and exercise incessantly—but you’ll regain the weight and then some. One to two pounds a week should be your goal.” —Gunnar Peterson
• “Plan ahead. All my clients carry snacks like string cheese or yogurt. If you wait until you’re starving, you’re going to break down and order the 600-calorie croissant with your coffee.” —Valerie Waters
• “When you eat out, order whatever looks good to you—but cut the portion in half. This way, you don’t have to count calories or consider every single morsel that goes in your mouth.” —Ramona Braganza
• Add something crunchy to your plate. “Throw a few sliced almonds on your salad rather than just soft greens and chicken cubes. It makes you feel like you’ve eaten more than you have.” —Ashley Borden
• “Watch your daily caffeine intake. A lot of women guzzle coffee to squelch their appetites. But you need to be in touch with those internal cues; they tell you what to eat and when you’re full. Override them and you could end up eating more in the long run when nothing is hitting the spot—because you’ve killed the spot.” —Ashley Borden
• “Let yourself eat one or two ‘bad’ things each day. Women often give up if they’re not perfect one day, and then eat like they’ve been stranded at sea for a week. You’re much better off eating 80 percent well consistently.” —Ron Mathews
• “Skip the pre-gym snacks. Unless you’re working out hard for more than an hour, you don’t need one.” —David Brainin
• “And beware the postworkout nibbles. A lot of women end up having, say, three slices of pizza or the chocolate layer cake because they think, hey, I’ve earned it. But if your goal is weight loss, you need that calorie deficit from exercising to slim down.” —Valerie Waters

10 shortcuts to faster results

• “Lift the heaviest weights you can once a week. To see that great definition, you have to kick your own butt once in a while. For your other weekly strength session (yes, you need at least two), you can use lighter weights.”—Teddy Bass(Clients: Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu)
• “And lift those dumbbells slooowly. Take at least three counts to raise them and three to lower. If you speed through the reps, you’ll use too much momentum—and that’s cheating!”—Yumi Lee, co-owner of Atom Fitness(Former clients: Demi Moore and Julianna Margulies)
• “Check your form. I see women crunch and crunch and never get the flat abs they want—the reason is that they aren’t getting into the right position before they start. Begin with a slight curve in your back, then pull your belly button to your spine tightly. Then crunch up. Your form really can make the difference between seeing results now—or never.”—Gregory Joujon-Roche, owner of Holistic Fitness(Former clients: Pink and Demi Moore)
• “Use a heart rate monitor. I give one to every client to take the guesswork out of ‘Should I work harder?’”—Ashley Borden
• “For flat abs, work your thighs. Adding lean muscle to large muscle groups like your thighs boosts metabolism and helps you melt fat off of your entire body—belly included.”—Jackie Warner, owner of Sky Sport & Spa and star of Bravo’s Workout
• “Try a mini triathlon at the gym—hit the treadmill for 10 minutes, then the bike, then the rowing machine or stair climber. You’ll get results twice as fast because of the variety.”—Gregory Joujon-Roche
• “If you’re not slimming down, check your diet and exercise habits. If weight loss is your goal, you should lose at least a pound after two weeks. Don’t wait a month to reassess. The sooner you figure out what’s wrong—such as not pushing yourself during workouts—the better.”—David Brainin
• “Get a big inflatable ball. Doing moves like crunches on the unstable surface will work lots of little muscles you never even knew you had.”—Gunnar Peterson
• “Grab some weights and walk. Set the treadmill for a comfortable but brisk pace as you do biceps curls, shoulder presses, triceps extensions, and front and side raises. You’ll get your cardio and strength training done even when you’re time-crunched.”—Michael George, author of Body Express Makeover(Former clients: Reese Witherspoon and Meg Ryan)
• “Pick moves that tone several muscles at once. Do biceps curls while you do a lunge, for example. You’ll work your upper and lower body with one exercise.”—Yumi Lee

5 things to eat (and drink) more of

• Veggies, veggies, veggies.
• Lean protein “It’s what will keep you feeling satisfied,” says Peterson.
• Think chicken breast or fish. Good Fats like the unsaturated ones found in avocados, nuts and olive oil.
• Healthy carbs—the whole-grain and unprocessed kind.
• Water.

5 basics every trainer believes in

• Do what you like.
• Add variety to your workout. “Otherwise, you will stop getting results,” says Bass.
• Lift more weight. “Many women use dumbbells smaller than their engagement ring,” says Peterson.
• Pull your belly to your spine during any move for added ab benefit.
• Do intervals (think two minutes at a fast speed, then two minutes at a slow one) to burn extra calories.

4 ways to stay motivated

• “Don’t hide your body in baggy clothes. If you wear something schlumpy, you’ll feel schlumpy and less motivated. Many of my clients love Nike Dri-Fit tights—they are the most flattering, cellulite-hiding pants in the world. I’ve had clients who weigh 240 pounds and clients who weigh 100 pounds, and they look amazing on everyone.” —Ashley Borden
• “Go to the gym, even though you don’t feel like it. Then get dressed and walk out of the locker room. If at that point you still want to go home, fine. Nine times out of 10, you’ll stay.” —Mike Alexander
• “Give yourself credit for what you have done, rather than beating yourself up for what you haven’t.” —Michael George
• “Work out in the morning. You’ll likely have more energy then. Plus, if something comes up and you don’t get to exercise, you still have a chance to make it up later in the day.” —Mike Alexander

5 moves to remake your body

• For abs… The plank. In a raised push-up position, pull your belly button to your spine and hold for 30 seconds. “It works that hard-to-tone part of your lower belly, which makes your torso look slimmer.” —Valerie Waters
• For butt… The butt lift. Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, with a towel rolled between your knees. While squeezing thighs and butt, lift hips up as high as you can; pulse a tiny bit higher for 50 counts. —Mari Winsor, owner of Winsor Pilates
• For thighs… The modified leg lift. Stand with arms lifted out at shoulder height. Lift right leg a few inches off the floor and turn foot in; lift leg up to the side as high as you can; lower. Do three sets of eight on each leg. —Teigh McDonough, co-owner of Swerve Studio
• For shoulders and arms… The push-up/punch combo. Start by doing as many push-ups in a row as you can. Then stand up, grab a couple of soup cans and punch one arm out, then the other, for one minute. —Jackie Warner
• For posture… The dumbbell row. Holding weights, stand with feet hip-width apart; bend at hips until back is slightly arched. Reach toward floor; bring weights to armpits, bending elbows and squeezing upper back; lower. Do two sets of 20. —Michael George

“Don’t let the urgent overwhelm the important.”

I will add this to my blog, but I wanted to send it out as well because I think the message is important.

Joseph V. Tripodi, chief marketing and commercial officer at the Coca-Cola Company — whose Coca-Cola brand is the strongest in the world, according to a new survey by Interbrand — evoked imagery from the Great Depression.

“Don’t go to the ledge,” Mr. Tripodi said. “Don’t let the urgent overwhelm the important.”

Coca-Cola has long been considered a leading indicator of the mood of the American markets. When Coke does well, the general mood of the US consumer is considered to be good. When Coke starts seeing slow downs, it is considered an indication that the mood of the American consumer is waning. This has been the case since the mid-80s. In some instances it is even considered an incator not just of the mood of the American consumer but also of the health of the average American consumer's financials.

I believe Tripodi has it dead-on with his remark. We need to stay focused on the important things. Things are difficult right now. With unemployment expected to hit new highs of 7.5-8% by Jan 2009, credit markets tightened up to all except those with very good credit and large amounts of cash, and salaries decreasing below their 2000 level, it is easy to get caught up in the urgent and lose sight of the things that really matter.

So everyone take a moment for a collective deep breath.

This is a time to turn to your support systems - and be glad you have them. Friends and family can help you through almost anything. I am not talking about handing out money. I am talking about having someone to talk to - who will listen and not judge, someone who will sit next to you and laugh at the silly movie playing on the TV, or someone who will share a brownie with you over afternoon coffee.

After all, this too will pass. People are going to have to make some tough decisions in the near future. If you had planned on retiring and your money was still largely invested in stocks, you may have to look at delaying your retirement for a couple of years. If you had been saving to buy a house, then ended up suddenly unemployed, you may have to spend some of your savings on just getting through for a while. If you ended up in a lower paying job and can't meet all of your obligations, then someone may not get paid. None of these things are dire, they are just decisions. Sometimes there is not a good option - only the least damaging choice of several bad options. It's hard to admit when times are tough, and its often embarrassing to talk about - but we all have had to deal with tough times in some form - and we all have made it through and will do so again.

Joel Osteen says that challenges in life are preparation for the next great thing. The challenges help you to appreciate that next success. There is a reason that "Happy Days Are Here Again" was so popular in the 30's, and in 1933 F.D.Roosevelt said in his first inaugural address "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." In every challenge lies opportunity - learn from the past, take advantage of these times to learn something new - learn a new job skill, learn to cook, learn to sew, learn to overcome. Try to appreciate the challenges of the person you used to look at and think "They think they have it tough, they should try walking a mile in my shoes." Instead of wanting them to walk a mile in your shoes - try walking a mile in theirs, it may be tougher than you think. Reach out to people because even in tought times you still have something valuable to give - lend a hand to those in need, don't be afraid to ask for help for your own needs. Don't be afraid to not have the answer, know that you are strong because at least you had the strength, courage and intelligence to ask the question.

Next time you are dealing with a crisis - whether it be pushy debt collectors, an uhappy client, an employee who is not performing, or a broken down car - just take a deep breath and ask yourself - is this "urgent" or "important" and deal with it accordingly. The urgent things are not the things that last - its the important ones that matter and change your life.

Big Group Hugs (BGH - my new acronym! I am going to have it branded!) to everyone,

Clean your home in 19 minutes a day - RIGHT!

I am a terrible housekeeper, so when I saw this article about being able to keep your house clean by spending just 19 minutes a day, I had to read it. Now I realize that they were talking about someone who has a 600 sf 1 BR 1 BA apartment not someone with a house.

So here is the article content - with actual times for me next to their estimate...

Kitchen, 4 1/2 minutes daily - REALITY: 16 minutes (21 minutes if you count time to find the vaccuum)

Always start with the sink. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.
Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds). (2 minutes)
Wipe down the stove top (one minute). (at least 2 minutes - because it probably has something burnt on)
Wipe down the counters (one minute). (4 minutes - this person obviously has a very small kitchen that is not used much)
Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes). (8 minutes - plus it takes me 5 minutes just to find the vaccuum, swiffer, swiffer pads, broom, and/or dustpan!)


Bathroom, 2 minutes daily (REALITY: 10 minutes daily)

Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.
Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). (2 minutes)Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds). (1 minute - or 2 minutes if a man lives in the house)
Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds). (1 minute - all you can do in 15 sec is move the water around...)
Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds). (1 minute)
Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds). (4 minutes - I don't have a squeegee and I like to actually get the soap off too, not just surface dry it)
Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds). (1 minute)


Bedroom, 6 1/2 minutes daily (REALITY: 13 minutes daily)

Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seen like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.
Make the bed (two minutes). (5 minutes - if it only takes you 2 mins then you aren't making the bed, you are barely pulling the covers up!)
Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes). (5 minutes - but then I don't wear jewelry)
Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds). (3 minutes - I actually use my nightstand...)


Family Room, Living Room, Foyer, 6 minutes daily (REALITY 20 minutes)

Start with the sofa -- as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.

Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute). (5 minutes plus another 2 minutes for the chair)
Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes). (5 minutes - in 2 minutes you have not fluffed the pillows!)
Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute). (5 minutes - more if something sticky has spilled!)
Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos. (Two minutes.) (5 minutes - this person obviously has not owned a home long enough to actually get mail.)

So, their 19 minutes is because they live alone, have no pets/children/spouse, live in a small one bedroom apartment, have minimal furniture (note they said nothing about having to clean off a table after eating, wash dishes, etc.) for the real world is actually 1 hour - 2 hours if you don't live alone and have more than one bedroom - 3 hours if you actually live in your house and don't just stop by between hanging at the mall with your friends and going to parties.

Get REAL!

Relationships

I found this great article today about relationships, so I am putting it here to remind me. I will write more later.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlerb.aspx?cp-documentid=10010017&page=1

Inspirational quotes

"Real friends are those who, when you have made a fool of yourself, don't feel you have done a permanent job."

"When God measures a man, he puts the tape around the heart instead of the head."

"The grass may look greener on the other side, but it still has to be mowed."

"Allow for delays. You will enjoy life's journey more."

"Hoping for change rarely brings about change. Work, however, generally does!"

"If at fist you don't succeed, try reading the instructions."

"Decisions can take you out of God's will but never out of His reach."

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." Proverbs 13:20

"A person's true character is revealed by what he does when no one is watching."

"You have got to do what's honest and right and what the rules say. I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games; they don't ever forget what your made of." Coach Cleveland Stroud (Conyers, GA)

"Too many churchgoers are singing "Standing on the Promises" when all they are doing is sitting on the premises."

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13:13

"Actions can change feelings. Motion can result in emotion. Love is established not so much by fervent promise as by often-repeated deeds."

"The might oak was nothing but a nut who stood it's ground."

"Conscience is God's built in warning system. Be happy when it hurts you and worried when it doesn't."

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9

"He who wants milk should not sit on a stool in the middle of a pasture and wait for the cow to back up to him."

"Success in marriage is more than finding the right person, it is being the right person."

"A man is rich according to who he is, not what he has."

100 Diet Tips

From the American Dietetic Association:

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?
1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.
2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.
3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.
4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.
5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.

Are there Any Easy Tricks to Help Me Cut Calories?
7. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.
8. When dining out, make it automatic: Order one dessert to share.
9. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
10. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.
11. Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you'll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.
12. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you'll lose 5 lb in a year.
13. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.
14. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.
15. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.
16. Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."
17. Use mustard instead of mayo.
18. Eat more soup. The noncreamy ones are filling but low-cal.
19. Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You should lose 25 lb in a year.
20. Take your lunch to work.
21. Sit when you eat.
22. Dilute juice with water.
23. Have mostly veggies for lunch.
24. Eat at home.
25. Limit alcohol to weekends.

How Can I Eat More Veggies?
26. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 pm.
27. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.
28. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.
29. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.
30. Rediscover the sweet potato.
31. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.
32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.
33. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons).
34. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. Makes a great quick dinner.

Can You Give Me a Mantra that will Help Me Stick to My Diet?
35. "The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."
36. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."
37. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a cookie now."
38. "I am a work in progress."
39. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."

I Eat Healthy, but I'm Overweight. What Mistakes Could I Be Making without Realizing It?
40. Skipping meals. Many healthy eaters "diet by day and binge by night."
41. Don't "graze" yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.
42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.
43. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.
44. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel.
45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.
46. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.

What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don't Want to Cook?
47. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ.
48. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.
49. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.
50. Precooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.
51. A healthy frozen entree with a salad and a glass of 1 percent milk.
52. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!
53. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.
54. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing.
55. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.
56. Heat up a can of good soup.
57. Cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.
58. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.
59. Precut fruit for a salad and add yogurt.

What's Your Best Advice for Avoiding those Extra Holiday Pounds?
60. Don't tell yourself, "It's okay, it's the holidays." That opens the door to 6 weeks of splurging.
61. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled Egg, Apple, and a Thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).
62. As obvious as it sounds, don't stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you'll find you eat less.
63. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there's less chance of overeating.
64. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don't allow much room for expansion. Wearing sweats is out until January.
65. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.
66. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.
67. Make exercise a nonnegotiable priority.
68. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they've done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.

How Can I Control a Raging Sweet Tooth?
69. Once in a while, have a lean, mean salad for lunch or dinner, and save the meal's calories for a full dessert.
70. Are you the kind of person who does better if you make up your mind to do without sweets and just not have them around? Or are you going to do better if you have a limited amount of sweets every day? One RD reported that most of her clients pick the latter and find they can avoid bingeing after a few days.
71. If your family thinks they need a very sweet treat every night, try to strike a balance between offering healthy choices but allowing them some "free will." Compromise with low-fat ice cream and fruit, or sometimes just fruit with a dollop of whipped cream.
72. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It's amazing how your cravings vanish.
73. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in his diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.
74. Eat your sweets, just eat them smart! Carve out about 150 calories per day for your favorite sweet. That amounts to about an ounce of chocolate, half a modest slice of cake, or 1/2 cup of regular ice cream.
75. Try these smart little sweets: sugar-free hot cocoa, frozen red grapes, fudgsicles, sugar-free gum, Nutri-Grain chocolate fudge twists, Tootsie Rolls, and hard candy.

How Can I Conquer My Downfall: Bingeing at Night?
76. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.
77. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.
78. Drink cold unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.
79. Change your nighttime schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.
80. If you're eating at night due to emotions, you need to focus on getting in touch with what's going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a nonfood method of coping with your stress.
81. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after Dinner."
82. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you: No more food.
83. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV, or sitting at the computer.
84. Eating late at night won't itself cause weight gain. It's how many calories—not when you eat them—that counts.

How Can I Reap Added Health Benefits from My Dieting?
85. Fat-free isn't always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember, use your dressing in moderate amounts.

86. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. To fill up healthfully and tastefully, try this sweet, fruity breakfast full of antioxidants. In a blender, process 1 c nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 1/3 c frozen strawberries (no added sugar), 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 348 calories and 1.5 fat grams.

87. If you're famished by 4 p.m. and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts—. The same goes if your only choices are what's available in the hotel minibar.

88. Next time you're feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forgo that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yogurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in an 8-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt will give you a sense of fullness and well-being that coffee can't match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven't eaten in 3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.

89. Making just a few changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight loss goals. Here's what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads—go for whole wheat. Trade in those fatty cold cuts like salami and bologna and replace them canned tuna, sliced turkey breast, and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to fat-free milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try transitioning down to 2 percent and then 1 percent before you go fat-free.

90. Nothing's less appetizing than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, plus they may have greater nutritional value than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze veggies just a few hours after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh veggies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.

91. Worried about the trans-fat content in your peanut butter? Good news: In a test done on Skippy, JIF, Peter Pan, and a supermarket brand, the levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving were far lower than 0.5 gram—low enough that under proposed laws, the brands can legally claim zero trans fats on the label. They also contained only 1 gram more sugar than natural brands—not a significant difference.

Eating Less Isn't Enough—What Exercising Tips Will Help Me Shed Pounds?
92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

93. When you're exercising, you shouldn't wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you're done exercising.

94. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It'll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk—and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you'll need to take a cab home!

95. Think yoga's too serene to burn calories? Think again. You can burn 250 to 350 calories during an hour-long class (that's as much as you'd burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you'll improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.

96. Drinking too few can hamper your weight loss efforts. That's because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 percent, or about 45 fewer calories burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing 5 pounds more. The key to water isn't how much you drink, it's how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 8 ounces gulped down at once.How Can I Manage My Emotional Eating and Get the Support I Need?

97. A registered dietitian (RD) can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight with food. To find one in your area who consults with private clients call (800) 366-1655.

98. The best place to drop pounds may be your own house of worship. Researchers set up healthy eating and exercise programs in 16 Baltimore churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 20 lb. Weight loss programs based on faith are so successful because there's a built-in community component that people can feel comfortable with.

99. Here's another reason to keep level-headed all the time: Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress—shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations—ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).

100. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online weight loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counseling shed 5 1/2 more pounds than those who got none. Counselors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions, and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features.

Quote for the day (8/26/2008)

From Ellen Tien:

Divorce is no longer the shame that spits stain upon
womanly merit. Conventional wisdom decrees that marriage takes work, but it
doesn't take work, it is work. It's a job -- intermittently fulfilling and
annoying, with not enough vacation days. Divorce is a job too (with even fewer
vacation days). It's a matter of weighing your options.

Here is a link to the complete article.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/08/26/o.divorce.dreams/

I have been feeling particularly in need of company lately and I really enjoyed Ellen Tien's take on marriage and divorce. And while she made this comment about divorce, I rather feel this way about marriage:

Having choices is a cornerstone of strength: Choosers won't be
beggars. "Thinking about divorce is kind of like living in New York City with
its museums and theater and culture," a doctor friend of mine said. "You may
never actually go to any of these places, but for some reason, just the idea
that you could if you wanted to makes you feel better."

In my many attempts to rebuild my life between disasters, I find myself much less tolerant of things that used to just be. People who don't call when they say they will. Dogs who try to eat people when they shouldn't. Cats who seem to forget who you are until you have food in your hand. Among these things, I have discovered one rather irritating thing about myself - as I rebuild my life I still go marching right in to the next disaster thinking "Maybe this time will be more fun than the last even if the outcome isn't any better!" And off I go.

While "an optimist" is not generally the word people think of when they think of me, I guess in a crazy way I am. I can't help but believe there is a reward out there, and the journey of life is finding it.

A Woman's Brain

This is the best article I have seen in a long time about the differences in how men and women react to things - and well worth noting.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlematch.aspx?cp-documentid=8860752&GT1=32023

I thought it was particularly interesting that the person who wrote this article also wrote a book called "Man With Farm Seeks Woman With Tractor"

Contrary to this article, I am the worst person at remembering all of those special little dates - I think my ex kept moving them around on me because he knew I wouldn't know the difference. But this definitely put a smile on my face today.

Hydrogen Cars (8/14/2008)

Hydrogen cars are, in my opinion, the best new fuel option for replacing current gasoline powered vehicles. There is currently a procession of Hydrogen fueled cars making its way across the country. The fuel cells were produced by companies such as UTC Power in South Windsor and was lead by a CT Transit hydrogen fuel cell bus. The purpose of the tour is to raise awareness of automobiles as a significant application of fuel cell technology.

To give an idea of the capabilities of these vehicles, the Hyundai Tucson vehicle has a range of 180 miles on 4 kg of compressed hydrogen - which is roughly equivalent to 4 gallons of gas. The water produced as emissions is clean enough to drink. Other cars in the armada included BMW, Daimler, GM, Honda, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagon. (BMW had to be special and use liquefied hydrogen in a bi-fuel standard combustion engine versus the others which used hydro-electric engines.)

Wondering where a cross country caravan of Hydrogen cars will fuel up? California has 25 hydrogen fueling stations. Outside of that, Linde North America, one of the largest producers of hydrogen and the supplier of technology and liquid hydrogen to BMW, is part of the convoy with a fueling truck. However, a 2 meter solar cell array can produce enough electricity to run an electrolyzer that can take hydrogen out of water. Right now the US produces 9 million tons of hydrogen a year - enough to fuel 34 million automobiles. Most of which currently goes to producing ammonia used for fertilizer and hydrogenated oils in such edibles as shortening.

Fuel cell technology goes back to the 50's where it was being looked at for use in space travel (fuel that becomes water the astronauts can drink - nice benefit!). UTC Power and Union Carbide were both ground breakers in Fuel Cell technology. FuelCell Energy makes fuel cells large enough to power and heat convention centers - but those run off of bio-fuels. Proton Energy Systems gets its hydrogen from water and has more than 1200 commercial hydrogen systems around the world. It has helped to set up fueling operations in the US and Europe.

Another Day Another Dollar

As I cycle through my day full of ups and downs, successes and frustrations, I have to wonder if it is worth the dollar that it brings.

I ask myself the following questions at least once a day:
1) Why am I here?
2) Is God trying to punish me, or does he just have a weird sense of humor?
3) If I leave now, will anyone notice?
4) If Samson could whip the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass in the ultimate hissy-fit, what could I get away with?
5) Will I get the hug I need when I really need it? Can I have it now whether I need it or not? (Ok, so I am not the most patient person...)

As for this particular day, probably not worth the dollar, but since yesterday was worth 2 then I figure its all working out.

Life Love and the Pursuit of whatever makes you feel good!

Jennifer

A New Day

Let's see what excitement this day holds.