Resolving to be Resolute

As my devoted members and clients were piling into the gym today to work up a sweat,  I was reminded of the cliche that good health and fitness is a lifestyle, not a once a year resolution to ourselves that quickly dwindles as February rolls around.  If you want to be fitter, stronger, lower your cholesterol, get off those high blood pressure medicines, then you need to make the changes - lasting changes that will help you achieve those goals.  These tips are from myself and my clients who have successful lost 98, 82, 50, 45 pounds and profoundly changed their health.  You can too!!

1.   Decide what health, wellness and fitness goals you want to achieve.  Why are they
        important to you at this time.  What else will you gain from achieving them?

2.  What do you need in order to achieve them?  A Weight loss group or do you want
        a plan designed specifically for you based on your food bio-individuality and life style?
        Hire  a personal trainer.  Try a new class.  Get a buddy.  Jot down the different
        options you have.
  
3.  Make one change each day and stick with it. Eat breakfast, add one  fruit or veggie to your
      diet or take out one soda or sweet.  Walk or jump on the elliptical for 10 minutes.  Increase your time
      a little each day.

4.  Keep track of your progress, even if just a quick note in a notebook or on your iphone calendar.

5.  Get support and be social.  You are more likely to enjoy your activities and stick to it if you are
      doing it with someone.

         Wishing you great success for all your "resolutions" in the New Year!  ~ Rachel
  

Eat, Drink, Be Merry & "Light"

To cut calories and a hangover, skip sweet drinks such as  eggnog, with over 400 calories a cup, and 20 grams of sugar.  Order a mixed drink with a clear liquor like vodka and seltzer with a twist of lemon, for a mere 100 calories.  The darker the booze, and the more sugar in the drink, the worse you'll feel the next day.  They contain more congeners, chemicals produced during the fermentation process that case head bangers! 


Choose a small plate and fill it with veggies and lean protein.  Both are more filling than carbohydrates. The fiber and water in the veggies gel up in your stomach, both digest slowly,  moderating blood sugar levels.   Choose shrimp cocktail and you will get an added calorie burn and burst of energy.  Shrimp contains high levels of iodine, which fires up the thyroid, the king of our metabolisms.  


                                       You'll enjoy your party and have no regrets in the morning!


                                                Happy Holidays Everyone! 

Tired and Stressed already?....

 Two tips to that will have you up and running for another round!

Tip #1.  Try acupressure - when you feel yourself fading, apply firm pressure to the "3-mile point" - named because it gives distance runners and extra 3 miles of energy!  Find the spot in the depression between your shinbone and muscle, about 4 fingers below your kneecap and 1 inch to the outside of your shinbone. Press for one minute on each leg, and hit the treadmill for that workout!

Tip #2.  Stressed?  Pop a piece of gum in your mouth.  Chewing gum can lower stress levels by 16%
and increases focus and concentration - and you'll be ready for the misletoe....

Crunching Thanksgiving's Numbers

Whether you will be cooking or just eating, it's never to early to start planning for your Thanksgiving dinner.  Conscious "spending" will go a long way with damage control!  How long would it take to "burn off" this Sweet Potato Casserole?  Read on.... 

The values below are averages based on a 155-pound person. Turkey, at about 150 calories for a 4-ounce (skinless) serving, it’s hands-down a healthy choice. From The Food Network.

Starters
•    6 stuffed mushrooms = 350 calories = 1 hour of belly dancing
•    1 serving spinach-artichoke dip  = 320 calories = 35 minutes of sit ups

Sides
•    ¼ cup gravy = 50 calories = 15 minutes of vigorous house cleaning
•    1 cup stuffing = 350 calories =2 hours of yoga
•    1 cup green bean casserole = 400 calories = 45 minutes of push ups
•    1 cup sweet potato casserole = 500 calories = 45 minutes of jogging (10 minute mile pace)

Desserts
•    1 slice pumpkin pie = 400 calories = 45 minutes of basketball
•    1 serving apple pie a la mode = 575 calories = 1 hour 10 minutes of spinning
•    1 slice pecan pie = 500 calories = 1 hour of high impact aerobics

 Stay tuned for recipes to "lighten the load" on your favorites!   ~Rachel

Tricks....or Treats?

“They’re so cute and little”  you tell yourself as you frantically toss 5 bags of Hershey's miniatures into your cart – 2 more, by the way, than you need.  And so it begins…..  Every year we swear we aren’t going to gain weight at the holidays, we play little tricks on our minds, rationalizing that it's only for the holidays.  Well, for many people, that slippery slope starts at Halloween, not Thanksgiving. Here are some easy to follow tips to keep from Tricking your weight loss efforts with too many Treats!

1.  Buy only candy you don’t like – why test your willpower??

2.  Skip the candy completely, get little bags of pretzels or sugarless gum instead.

3.  Buy it at the last minute.  You'll hit the sales and save calories you don't eat.

4.  Don’t buy more than you need.  Run out early? Watch a scary movie rather than         be tortured by leftover candy.  If there are extras, give them away or throw them out. Better than wearing them on your hips tomorrow!

5.  Hide them -  out of sight, out of mind. Put them on high shelves or hard to get cabinets, even in dark bags. Or ask family or friends to hide them for you.

6.  If you feel in control, allow yourself to have one, but make up for those calories – do 20 to 30 minutes extra cardio (yes, it takes that much) or skip the bread or wine with dinner. 

Enjoy your Holidays, and lose weight too by setting realistic goals and giving yourself pre-planned treat meals.  Cut back on your daily calories and increase  your exercise.  Not just cardio but resistance training that produces calorie-torching muscle.  You can lose weight through the holidays, as one of my clients, Michelle did – she actually started at Thanksgiving and went on to lose 82 pounds over the next year! See her blog at my website, rachelryansfitness.com. Maintain control by giving yourself permission beforehand to enjoy a few treats -  then get back on track.  Show those M&Ms who’s boss!

Happy Halloween!  

 ~  Rachel

Take the Stairs!

I love to run stairs - especially the ones in buildings -like schools -where you know you're not supposed to..... When I was a teacher, I would sprint up and down, defying the cameras that lurked in every stairwell.  When I lived in Georgetown, WDC, running the stairs that were in the movie "The Exorcist" - made my lungs and quads burn, as I pictured Linda Blair's head spinning .... 

Whether you are at work, home or on the playground, sprinting on the stairs can burn 200 calories or more in just 20 minutes! Plus it helps build endurance, increase muscle power, balance, and flexibility. And you get a nice tight butt to boot! 

Got Milk? "Shake it up" ...with Chocolate!

Over the past few years, dark chocolate has become a staple in our diet.  What with all those  "cell-protecting flavanol antioxidant compounds",  who could resist a square or two a day? 

Besides  putting you in a feel-good mood,  they increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and enhance blood flow to the brain.  Just two tablespoons of natural cocoa have more antioxidant capacity than 3 ½ cups of green tea, ¾ cup of blueberries and 1 1/3 glasses of red wine.

Mix cocoa with protein rich milk and you'll get 16 grams of protien to  repair the muscle you just tore down.  The cocoa also has  6 grams of fiber,  and a chemical called theobromine which acts like caffeine for another energy kick!  Try my recipe for a  powerful post-workout recovery drink that will have you sprinting for the blender! 

Cocoa Moo
1 1/2 cup  Calorie Countdown non-fat milk by Hood
4 frozen chocolate milk ice cubes (make ahead of time)
2 level Tablespoons  dark cocoa unsweetened powder
2 Splenda

* Blend until smooth and thick