Another Benefit of More Muscle

OK, I admit & you have guessed that I love weights & am a workoutaholic! That is my word. I do my cardio but I LOVE the weights! They muscle I have gained has allowed me to have a healthier & stronger body, eat more because my body burns more calories at rest (although I do eat pretty well) and I feel really good about sleeveless shirts!

It is getting to that warm weather time & there is nothing like some fit arms in a sleeveless top... and a nice back in a backless top/dress too. Lift weights or do resistance exercise of some form for a better body!

More on Muscle vs. Fat

Don't fall into the the trap of telling yourself that you can't start resistance training until you lose some weight because you don't want the fat to turn to muscle & still be big. It just does not work that way!!! Muscle & fat are two totally different things! By gaining muscle, it will help you burn more calories & also help you reduce the % body fat on your body. Muscle burns more calories at rest so it is much more efficient at helping you not only in your weight loss goals but also maintaining them too! A pound of muscle burns about 6 calories a day versus a pound of fat which burns only 2 calories in a day. As long as you are physically able to start a resistance program, do so.... it is definitely an important factor in terms of not only losing body fat but also maintaining a strong & healthy body.

Muscle vs. Fat

One pound of muscle takes up only 1/3 the space of 1 pound of body fat. That is why if you have more muscle & therefore a lower percentage of body fat, you may weigh more than another person that looks heavier than you. Muscle weights more than fat & is condensed into a smaller package.

So, for those of you with a good muscular frame, be careful of those generic BMI tests. A person like myself (in the pic here) that is 5'1'' and weighs 115-119 pounds depending on the time of month and other things may come out with a score that says I am not in a good BMI range even though I am a size 2 or 4 or 6 depending on the clothes & maker.

You can weigh yourself & keep a check on that BUT do pay attention to how your clothes fit too. They can be a much better indicator of how well your fitness program or weight loss program is working for you!

It Is All About Balance!

As I have said before, a health and fitness program is all about balance. You need to form a program that you can live with for life. Saying that, I want to emphasize that although I eat pretty well most of the time, I do enjoy too. I think I have mentioned my love of cookies. So, I am just like you.. I enjoyed my big ole cookie yesterday.. or should I say cookie and a half!!! I don't go for the little tiny ones. I love the big ones for my treat! I love the cookies at Pain du Monde Bakery. They are BIG, thick & oh so tasty. I am a fan of their oatmeal raisin cookie but they have lots of other flavors for the chocolate chip fans, the macaroon fans and more. I tried to find a picture to attach but to no avail.

I also like to give the Cookie Bouquets from Cookies By Design. Not only are the bouquets cute & fun, the cookies are delicious! Check out their web page at: http://www.cookiesbydesign.com/.

So, keep consistent with your fitness program but also keep BALANCE as part of it. From past experience, I know if you go too far & restrict everything all the time, it will drive you crazy & for some it will just drive them to quit.... BALANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All About Abs!

Check out the link below from Diet Detective that does a whole lot of explaining & information giving about the abdominals. Do take the time to read through it all. It is well worth your time! Picture is courtesy of Oxygen magazine.

http://www.dietdetective.com/content/view/44/157/

Get a Better Cardio Workout!

OK, I don't know how many times I feel like I must say this but I will again because I always see it at the gym & it is so well known that we should NOT do this. Please don't get on a machine & then hold on for your life. I was working out today & a lady got on the treadmill a bit down from me. She turned it on & immediately grabbed on for dear life as she jogged... at a slow speed too. Why not just walk at faster speed or on an incline & get something out of it! She alternated between holding & leaning on the treadmill for the complete duration of her cardio workout. Not only does this take away from how many calories you burn, but the act of just leaning/hunching over & grabbing on is terrible for your posture & could lead to future problems.

I know you are wondering why I did not say anything to this lady. I am always tempted to but I work out at a time when there are less people & so we all can see one another. I always like to check what other people are doing in case it is something neat that I could incorporate in to my routine... especially with weights. So, anyone can come up & ask for my advice if they want it and it goes without saying that we do know some people that just don't want others advice.

PLEASE!!!!! To get more out of your workout, don't hold on to the cardio equipment like it is going to take off! If you must, hold on lightly if it is the Stepmill or the StairMaster or something like that. Get the feel & then you can let go with time. Even a very light touch to the sides is fine too. It is the holding on like there is no tomorrow that is going to sabotage how much that workout will contribute to your fitness goals!

Look Fabulous Sleeveless!

Check out this picture from the website noted.... the push-up. I have blogged about this before but it is worth noting that different hand positions emphasize certain parts of the arm more than others. This close grip push-up will work your triceps - the back of the arms. You can see how the hands are placed in a triangle type position. As you push up, the elbows will flair out.

You can also move the arms a tad further out so that they are right at shoulder width with the fingers straight (facing forward). When you do the push-up with arms in the fingers straight forward position, make sure the arms stay close to the body, elbows going straight back. This is not a "chest push-up" although that triangle position does work those inner pecs & any form of the push-up will work the chest too.

Try these 2 variations & see how they tighten up those arms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More On Sexy Arms

Check out the link below showing you the triceps pressdown. Another great exercise to tighten up the back of the arm. You don't need to stand on the BOSU balance trainer. That is an intermediate to advanced move if you do eventually want to try that. Add this to your arm workout to help tighten them up!

http://www.shape.com/workouts/routines/141

Exercises for Beautiful Arms

All us women & men too want firm tight arms! Women always talk about that flapping stuff on the back of our arms. Check out the link below from Oxygen Online for 3 great exercises to firm that up plus you can modify and/or do them at home too! For example, the lying triceps extension can be done with dumbbells or even water bottles or canned vegetables at home!

Get sexy arms for the warmer weather! I do all 3 of these exercises in varying form every week!

http://www.oxygenmag.com/main.php?page=1&id=517

Log Your Emotions! Food Diary

I know I have written a lot about the fact that those that log their food appear to be the most successful at reaching their weight loss goals. But, I did want to point out one very important step in the process: LOG HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE EATING!!!!! Many of us our emotional eaters so we need to understand what triggers our eating binges & then take steps to finding other alternatives to eating every time we are upset.

So, not only log what you eat, what time you eat, the calories but also how you are feeling when you are eating at that moment. You need to use behaviour modification to change the stress/anger eating to things that will be better for you.... meditation, call a friend or family member, take a walk or whatever you think will work best for you.

Tackles those emotional eating times head on & win!

Low-Fat Cinnamon-Vanilla French Toast

From Oxygen Magazine

Start your day off right with this energizing breakfast of low-fat cinnamon-vanilla french toast. Serves 3.

Hands-on time: 10 minutes. Total time: 10 minutes.

We’ve re-vamped this breakfast favorite so that it’s lower in calories but still retains its sweet taste. Cinnamon and vanilla extract add a little zip to this traditional dish.

INGREDIENTS:
2 egg whites
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 slices whole-wheat bread
1 1/2 cups fresh fruit -- strawberries, bananas or oranges -- cut into pieces
1 1/2 real maple syrup Makes 2
cups.

Hands-on time: 10 minutes.
Total time: 17 minutes.

-->INSTRUCTIONS:

ONE: Heat a nonstick griddle to high or 400°F.

TWO: In a bowl, whisk together egg whites, milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

THREE: Dunk each side of bread in egg white mixture. Lay each slice on the griddle. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

FOUR: When you are finished cooking the toast, put two pieces on each plate, top with 1/2 cup fresh fruit and 1/2 tbsp real maple syrup.

Nutrients per 2-slice serving: Calories: 212, Total Fat: 2 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 37 g, Fiber: 5.5 g, Protein: 11 g, Sugars: 14 g, Sodium: 314 mg, Cholesterol: 0.5 mg

NUTRITIONAL BONUS: Egg whites are a good source of protein, and at only 16 calories per large egg, they are a guilt-free ingredient. They also contain 2 milligrams of calcium, and paired with the nonfat milk, this dish does your bones good too.

More on Working the Back

Here is a move that is a staple for me, the bent over row. I use dumbbells, barbells, exercise bands & more to do this move. This will help sculpt a beautiful back & while you are doing that, help with the appearance of a smaller waist! Give it a try!

This is from Oxygen Magazine. If you want to see lots of great exercises, check it out at your local store.

Set Up: Stand tall and hold a barbell with an overhand grip. Bend 45 degrees at the waist. Keep your core engaged to protect your lower back.
Action: Keep your arms close to your torso and pull the barbell toward your waist. Be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades and hold for a count of two. Slowly lower the bar to the starting position. Tip: Initiate the move from your back, not your arms. (Think of your arms merely as hooks.)

Passover Recipe Makeover

For those of you that celebrate Passover, there is nothing like fried matzo! I loved it as a kid & my dad made the best. I am sure we all say that our parents made the best. Anyway, over at the Hungry Girl site, she offered up a less calorie/less fat version of fried matzo. I know, we all love the tried & true but for those of you really wanting to stick to your healthy eating plan, click at the link below. It is the second question on that page. Hey, you can always have the real fried matzo as a treat for the week... just don't eat it non-stop!

http://www.hungry-girl.com/askhg/askhgdetails.php?isid=1397

More On Smaller Waist

So, a lot of people think I have a smaller waist but it really is an illusion. I do have a larger waist for the size clothes I wear. I am one of those people whose ribs come right down into the waist. You may be a person that has a very straight body. Or maybe you have a pear shape & want to balance out your body appearance.

To give the illusion of a smaller waist, work your shoulders/back(lats) to get that V shape. You need to widen that top area & it will seem like your waist has gone down a couple inches.

Basic moves are machine, dumbbell or barbell presses & side raises for the shoulders. For the back, you can do lat pull downs or wide grip assisted or unassisted chin ups and seated rows to start with. There are many other exercises for both the shoulders and the back but this is a start.

Get on your way to "a smaller waist"!

Smaller Waist

Check out my tip of the day. I will post more about this later today.. right now I need to get a bit more sleep. Until later when I will expand on the subject matter of how you can make your waist appear smaller!

Healthy Dining

My husband & I were out the other day & the Subway store had a decal on it that said healthydiningfinder. I checked it out & this is a great resource for those of you that are on the go a lot & have those times when you can't pack your own food to take with you. Also, this site is good for those dinners out when you want to stick to your healthy eating plan. Just go to the Site Map from the main page & it will give you lots of options like finding a restaurant near you, their criteria for choosing restaurants for their site and much more. Click on the link below & I am adding it to my Fav Websites area on this blog. Use this to help you make informed decisions!

http://healthydiningfinder.com/

Glutes Continued-Squat!

Did you know that the squat not only works the legs but is great for the glutes too! You can vary your foot stance from narrow to hip width.

Another variation is the sumo squat with your feet out wide & toes pointing out. This not only works the legs but the inner thighs & glutes too!

Whenever I am doing my squats, I am always squeezing my buns as well. Might as well get as much possible out of each move you do!

Another Glute Exercise

Another great glute exercise is the step-up. I have a link below that shows a basic step-up with a kick back. You can do this one or you can also step up & bring the non working leg in front & bent at a 90 degree angle similar to a marching motion. You can also work towards adding weight (start out without weights to get your form & make sure your knee does not go over the toe). Another way to make it harder is to add height (additional risers or a higher step) as you get stronger. This exercise not only works the butt but also works the legs. There are other ways to do this exercise but I will leave it here for this post.

Enjoy all your new butt exercises so far!

http://exercise.about.com/b/2006/09/11/exercise-of-the-week-step-ups.htm

More on the Glute/Butt!

I keep talking about this area because we all want a tight butt, don't we! Here we go... Another fav butt exercise of mine is the lunge. There are so many variations of the lunge:

• Standard split squat which is basically when you place your feet in the lung position & squat up & down in the same place. Remember to switch legs!
• Front lunge
• Reverse lunge
• Walking lunge
• Reverse or front lunge off a platform
• Side lunge

There are many more ways but these are some of the common ones. You can up the intensity by holding weights, using a barbell on your shoulders or a resistance band.

Give these a try & see your legs & butt tone up in more ways than one!!!

More on Glutes

Another fav butt exercise of mine is the 45 degree leg press with my feet high up on the foot plate & also with toes off the foot plate. You can vary your feet from narrow to wider. Play around with foot positions, weight etc. I actually put my hands on those glutes to feel what I am working. Who cares what others think as long as you get the results you want!!! I also do a wider stance with my toes pointed out to work both my butt & inner thighs. Some workouts I do heavier weights with less reps & others I do lighter weights with higher reps. Give it a try. YOU WILL FEEL IT!!!!!

Glutes & Inner/Outer Thighs

I know lots of us want to tighten up those glutes(butt) and the inner & outer thighs. As I age, my legs & hip area have been the hardest to keep "tight". My arms are hanging in there!

Some of my favorite exercises for these 3 areas are ones I have used for more years than I care to comment on & I always feel the burn! I use a cable cuff attached to a low cable machine. I stand on a 10lb. plate to do these. I found some pics on the web that are not the best but at least it gives you an idea of what the exercises look like... play around with your footing & where you stand to get what feels best for you. I do these every week .... I always make sure that I feel it by adjusting my feet!!!!

For the outer thigh, stand with your side to the cable machine & attach the cuff to the ankle furthest away from the machine. Let your leg cross in front of you towards the machine & then kick out in a slow controlled manner & return in the same way keeping tension the whole time. Don't try to go heavy on these.. you may pull your alignment out of whack! You will feel this with lighter weights. See link below:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/HipAbductor/CBHipAbduction.html

For the inner thigh, do the opposite. Attach the cuff to the ankle closest to the machine & move your leg once again in front & across your body with slow & controlled movements keeping the tension for all the repetitions. See link below:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/HipAdductors/CBHipAdduction.html

For the glute(butt), face the machine & kick back in controlled movements per link below:

http://www.shapefit.com/butt-exercises-cable-hip-extensions.html

For each of these, you will most likely have to hold lightly on to the the cable machine for support & obviously switch sides to get bot legs done for all 3 exercises. I like to do the outer, than inner than butt before braking to rest & then doing the other side. I also don't do a set number of reps for each set. I just count away until the burn is too bad, rest & start up again for a preset number of reps I reaching for on that workout. As always, change things up & switch order, weights, reps etc. I always feel the burn on these 3!!!!!!!

5 Simple Food Swaps - Lose the Weight

Here are five simple food swaps that can help you lose more than 10 pounds in the next six weeks per Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN, TODAY nutritionist and diet editor. She discusses things like portion size, small changes in condiments/extras, cutting back on certain "extras" and more.

You don't have to do everything at once. Like I always say, small steps lead to big changes. Don't try to lose the weight that took you 1-5 years to put on all in a month. If you take the weight off slowly by making & learning about better choices, you are more likely to keep the weight off for life. Check out the article at the link below & start your baby steps to a healthier life today!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23982779/

Glutes & More Glutes! That Means Your Butt!

Very exciting news!!!! My Fav magazine, Oxygen Women's Fitness, has their Special Glute Spring 2008 issue on sale right now!!!!!! It is full of lots of different exercises to get that butt in shape along with clean eating recipes, food plans, workouts and more. Check it out at your local bookstore or a store near you. It is a great issue with old favorites & new exercises to add to your leg/glute routine! A must have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ABDOMINALS, Again!

It never ceases to amaze me that I keep seeing this question come up over & over again: "What ab exercises can I do that will get me that elusive six pack.. I have tried everything & nothing works." OK, I know that I have said this so many times that I ought to tape it & attach it to my blog somehow! You can do all the ab exercises in the world but IF YOU DON'T BURN OFF THE LAYER OF FAT OVER THEM, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEM! In order to see that 6 or 4 pack or any abdominals, you must eat clean, do cardio & do what is necessary to lose what is covering them! There is no secret here.. sorry.

Also, the reason I say 4 pack is for women, we do have a predisposition to carry fat in that area so for some, the 6 pack may never come unless you want to eat like you are training for a fitness contest. I know this first hand because I am one that tends to carry what I call "my inner tube" in that lower area. I usually can see the upper 4 pack but that 5th and 6th become hard for me & I have to be eating cleaner than clean for that. Plus, being the age I am & with perimenopause, well, it all becomes more difficult. BUT, with hard work, there are times that I may see them. I am happy just to see the 4 pack though!

So, do your ab/core exercises, eat clean, do the necessary work to burn up what is covering them & then you will see them!

For some, seeing "that pack"is not important & that is fine but do not cut out ab/core exercises as they are integral to overall body health by creating a strong core & helping you from injuring yourself now or as you age!

Neat New Tools!

Check out Fitness Magazine's new tools at their website: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/. They are free & all you have to do is sign up as a member. You can build your own workout, see yourself at 5, 10 or more pounds thinner by using their online tool, create a food plan, lots of calculator tools and more. Utilize this online resource to assist in your weight loss or get healthy goals!

The New Disease Fighting Foods

Smoothies that lower cholesterol? Energy bars that fight cancer? The real deal on whether the latest fortified foods can help your health. Check out the link below from Shape Magazine that discusses the pros and cons of different foods for health, disease fighting, dieting etc. After reading it, you can make your own informed decisions.

http://www.shape.com/EHTML_toplink/HEALTHY_EATING/8005?page=1

Glute Work

Let's say you are short of time but want to get some cardio & work your glutes at the same time. If you are a gym person, here are some things to try:

1. Incline walking on the treadmill
2. Incline jogging on the treadmill
3. Walk backwards on the treadmill with an incline. Go slow at first to get used to this.
4. If you have a step mill(revolving stairs) at your gym, this is great! You can even take every other step and/or do that with a kick back with the non planted foot. Take this slow too at first, hold on lightly to the handrails & look down at your feet so that you don't trip. When you look down, do so with your head, not a full body lean over! You still want your body upright.
5. Elliptical at high incline.

If you jog or walk outside & live near hills, do some hill walking/hiking & enjoy the outside at the same time. If there are no hills, you can incorporate walking lunges as part of your outside routine & even stop along the way & hold on to a solid object like a light pole or anything solid to do squats. If there is a school nearby & not in session, take advantage of the bleachers to do some bleacher stepping. If you live near the beach, beach walking/jogging or even lunges on the sand can really work the glutes!

There are lots of way to work those glutes & cardio at the same time if you are short of time. BUT, in general, do find time to work the legs/glutes specifically for awesome legs & tight glutes!

Perfect Chicken Pizzaiola

Here is a great dish to try from Yahoo Health. Sodium is high but you can make your own changes to bring that down by cutting out the extra salt & using no-salt alternatives & using no salt diced tomatoes or other substitutions.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 potatoes, peeled, and cut into 8 pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced lengthwise into ½" pieces
2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) low-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

3. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper. Sauté the breasts until browned on both sides.

4. Transfer the chicken to a large plate, and cover. Add the potatoes, onion, peppers, oregano, and pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, until just tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth. Bring it to a boil, and remove from the heat. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet, cover tightly, and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, and serve.

Makes 4 Servings. Per Serving: 360 cal, 47 g pro, 27 g carb, 7 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 100 mg chol, 7 g fiber, 820 mg sodium

Can You Target Reduce? NO!

I just want to go over a very old myth that people still tend to believe.... You can't target reduce specific areas of fat. It amazes me that people still believe this! For example, if you want to lose the fat around your hips, there is no way to target reducing the excess weight from that area or any particular area. When a person loses weight, it will come off all over. For women, unfortunately, we tend to lose it in the breasts first & it works its way down from there & normally the hips and thighs are the last places to lose the excess weight.

Now, saying that, you can target specific areas to strengthen & tone with weights or resistance training. That is a known but there is no exercise that burns fat in a specific area.

Do a routine the combines the cardio of your choice along with resistance training for best results. Round that out with stretching & as always, food plays a huge factor in weight loss... nothing new there!