Welcome to Snack on this Saturday!

On Saturdays, I'm hoping to give you a quick fitness tidbit, and a healthy treat for your weekend. Enjoy!

Your Just-Right Workout Buddy

"The person exercising next to you can have a significant impact on your workout — for better or worse.

A recent study from the University of California at San Diego reports that exercising next to someone who seems “more fit” than you are can actually lead to shorter and less-effective workouts. The study found that participants spent less than three minutes on the pull-down machine when working out next to a more-fit person. Working alone had them spending four minutes on the machine. But when working out with someone of similar physical appearance and endurance, the participants used the machine for more than five minutes. So find a just-right buddy and hit the gym!"

Quoted from: makinglifebetter.com

Warm Cinnamon Apple

An apple is my favorite pre-workout snack. The sugar in the apple boosts my energy, while the fiber keeps me full while I burn calories. I love making it this way to spice it up a little.

1. Use an apple corer to slice up your apple.

2. Place your apple in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with cling wrap, and heat for 3 minutes on high.

3. Remove apple and uncover carefully. Sprinkle 1 packet zero calorie sweetener (I prefer Splenda.) And sprinkle with 1 tbsp cinnamon.

It's such a sweet snack to pump you up for your workouts. Enjoy.

Nutrition Info: 89 calories, .3g fat, 0 cholesterol, 2mg sodium, 26 carbs, 7 g fiber, 14g sugar, 1 g protein

Saboteur

So I was preparing this post about who or what is your weight loss saboteur? Like, is it the hubby who wants you to eat out a lot, or is it your mom who invites you over for unhealthy meals, is it your co-worker who brings their extra baked goods to the office to share, your boss made you work late again, etc, etc, etc.

Then I was at Turbo last night, going through the motions, joints aching, wishing I hadn't been talked into climbing 760 bleachers the evening before hand, when I realized, that (now this part is really important) I was going through the motions.

I had decided I was tired, and because I was tired, I was just going to do it and be done. OK, stay with me. This is when the next realization came. I control my body and my mind. I don't have to go through the motions that I expect from myself or that other people expect.

So I finished Turbo strong, and then did my 2 fastest miles ever on the track! Your body is stronger than your mind. I promise.

This is the key to weight loss. Taking over your own mind and your own body, and taking control of your life. You see, the saboteurs are out there. They always will be, and it is not always their intention to hurt you. Most probably don't even realize they are doing it. That's why you have to make the choice to be better, push harder, go farther. When your hubby wants to go to dinner, go, make a good choice off the menu. Compromise to eat somewhere healthier if you're going to go out. If your mom makes an unhealthy meal, eat less this meal. You will eat again, you won't starve! Your co-worker brings birthday treats, just say no... or if you have the calories to do so, then say yes. Your boss made you work late, don't skip your workout, squeeze it in, even if it's shortened. You will be glad you did. You are in control of your body. For success to come, we have to stop finding a way to place the blame on others, and instead put the control in our court.

So what am I saying, there are no saboteurs other than ourselves.

This week lets go farther. I challenge you to post one thing in the comment section that you will do this week to stretch yourself.

I will NOT DRINK ANY POP for 1 week. (This is huge for me! I drink 3 cans of Diet pop per day.) What will you do? Name 1 thing!

Sweat Your Cares Away

This is a quote from my friend Jacqueline Myles (Fitness Coach),

"An exercise physiologist taught me to do this when I'm tired or feeling sick.. Sit down and assess yourself.. Are you mentally tired or physically tired? Mentally tired? Do your work out! Physically tired? Take a break! When your body is tired you are prone to injury!"

I think it is such a great quote because there are so many times at the end of the day when I feel to exhausted to do anything else. I have no desire to change my clothes, pack up the kids, plan a meal around a workout, get to the Y, and workout, but 19 times out of 20, I do it anyways. Sometimes as late as 9:30 in the evening... and you know what. I am never sorry I did.

I may feel mentally exhausted, but that's what a workout is good for. From the Mayo Clinic website:

"Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression."

So stop, evaluate, are you physically or mentally tired. If mentally tired, then go make yourself feel better by sweating your cares away.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

... How often do you weigh yourself?

I am a daily weigher. I get up every morning, turn on the shower, use the bathroom, strip, and weigh. It's as consistent as I can get. I also track my weight each day on Calorie Count.

However, I only count my weekly weight loss on Fridays. You see, I seem to have a reasonably perfect diet from Monday through Friday, but come Friday night, all bets are off. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still eat well, but I overindulge a little, eat out, etc. By Monday morning the scale is usually up about 2 pounds, but throughout the week I lose those 2 pounds plus a couple more, so I only count actual weight loss for the week every Friday morning.

This is the best article I have ever read defending my position on weighing daily. I get people all the time telling me not to be so hard on myself. To "not weigh tomorrow". Weighing keeps me on track. Sometimes it even causes me to relax a little. Once I realize that I can eat things in moderation without gaining a ton of weight, I learn to enjoy this process a little more.

So fill me in, what is your routine? How often do you weigh?

Recipe: Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Oh my, these things are AMAZING! I have been eating one each morning with an egg beater omelet for breakfast. Here's the recipe:

Muffin:
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use the Splenda baking mix)
1/4 cup sugar (I use the Splenda zero calorie. NOT THE BAKING MIX)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp skim milk
2 tbsp butter, melted (I use Smart Balance sticks)
1.25 cups fresh raspberries (It's one of the small packages)

Topping:
1/4 cup chopped pecans (you can skip these if you prefer)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter, melted

Glaze:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1.5 tsp lemon juice

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. (I use a sifter to make sure they are combined well.) Combine egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in raspberries, careful not to mash them up too much. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray fill with batter (I do not use paper muffin cups with these).
• Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle about 1 tbsp over each muffin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack (be sure to do this, or your hot raspberries will cause your muffing to fall apart.)
  
• Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm muffins.

NOTE: If you use Splenda, be sure to freeze your muffins within 24 hours. Splenda has no preservative in it, and will cause them to mold quickly otherwise. Remove frozen muffin from freezer, place in microwave for 1 minute, and it will taste like you have one fresh out of the oven! Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin, 171 calories, 5 g fat, 23mg cholesterol, 83mg sodium, 27g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 3g protein These facts are calculated using Splenda products.

Welcome Mae!

We had a new buddy at Turbokick tonight! Welcome Mae, you were so brave to jump in on the front row, and you did such a great job. We look forward to seeing you at more TK! It is so much fun to workout with friends. If anyone is interested, here is my Turbokick schedule:

Monday, 7:15-8:15, at the Andover YMCA
Wednesday, 7:15-8:15, at the Andover YMCA
and
Thursday, 5:30- 6:30, at the East YMCA

I would love to workout with you. Let me know!

Top 5 Items I Can't Lose Weight Without...

Here are the 5 items I feel like I must have in order to lose weight or stay on track. (In no particular order...

1. Polar Heart Rate Monitor: I wear this watch to EVERY workout. It helps me track my heart rate to be sure that I am staying in my Target Heart Zone, and it tells me how many calories I burned. I find it very gratifying to know that I may be tired and sweaty after a workout, but I burned 700 or so calories. It has a really cool feature that reminds you to move if you haven't used it in more than 2 days. All in all TOTALLY worth the money, and definitely a must have tool for me.


2. Local YMCA: Now don't get me wrong, I don't think you have to belong to a gym to lose weight, but the Y has brought us so much more than just some fitness equipment. Since we have joined the Y, we go there 6 days a week. It has made being active a lifestyle. It is a close time for our family. We may take the boys swimming, rock climb... it doesn't only have to be about climbing on a treadmill to sweat. I also love having knowledgeable trainers and athletes wandering the building. I can always find someone to help answer a question, or to motivate me out of a rut. Our YMCA has been a great place to lose weight, be encouraged, and to get to know new friends.


3. The Biggest Loser: Laugh if you want, but you know you secretly love watching also. Watching the Biggest Loser has always created such inspiration in me. I was one of them. Am one of them. Going through a journey to lose over 100 pounds. I laugh, cry, and sometimes my body literally even aches with them. The Biggest Loser cookbooks, and products have also been wonderful to use.



4. www.caloriecount.about.com : The best free website I have ever found for weight loss. Like all websites, you have to take time to get to know it, but after using calorie count for a short time, I was very comfortable with it. I log my food and weight into it everyday to help keep track of where I am. With over 80,000 foods already pre-logged into the system, it is rare that I have to copy nutrition labels which saves me a lot of time. It is a wonderful tool, and like I said... IT'S FREE!
5. A food scale: WE EAT TOO MUCH. Most of us anyways. I never realized what a serving of anything was until I started taking the time to weigh it. Now my husband laughs at me because I weigh almost everything. I have 2 tips if you plan to purchase one: 1. find a scale that zeros out. This allows use to leave food on the scale, and hit a button to take it back to zero, so if you are making a salad for example, you can weigh your lettuce, hit zero, weigh your veggies, hit zero, and weigh your dressing all without having to make a mess of lots of containers to weigh them. 2. Use the gram setting. Most labels are weighed in grams also, and that tends to be more precise.

There you have it. A few of my favorite things. Do you have any fitness tools you can't live without?