"The Diet Starts Tomorrow"

"The Diet Starts Tomorrow"... or does it? If this sounds familiar to you and/or has become your Sunday night mantra, this one is for you!
The first mistake in this mantra is the term diet. Using this word is your first step in letting yourself down. The word diet resembles:

• restriction
• protein
• fat free
• low carb
• starvation
• boring
• frustration
• low calorie
• tasteless

Does this list of adjectives sound fun to you? Does it sound realistic to maintain? Does it excite you? Didn't think so! So why would you put yourself through the torture of "committing" yourself to this word every Sunday (or whatever day you choose)? Is it a surprise to you that by the afternoon of "tomorrow" you have already broken your "diet" and given up on the rest of the week, only to redeclare your mantra the following Sunday?

This is my point friends. DIET'S DO NOT WORK! They set you up for failure and are unrealistic! I don't care if your diet choice is no sugar, high protein, carb fearing, hormone drops/injections, or pre- packaged meals. The fact is that they are all unlikely to be maintained for the remainder of your life. Sure, you may drop a few or many pounds originally, but what happens after you reach your goal? What happens after you eat a piece of bread? A grain of sugar? YOU GAIN IT ALL BACK, PLUS SOME!

So what next? What happens when you realize that protein is not the answer, carbs are not deadly, and sometimes sugar in the right form is necessary? What are you supposed to do now?

Having been someone who has tried every single diet ever written, from grapefruits to Adkins, trust me when I say that the only way to be happy and not food obsessed and miserable is to eat sensibly. Well obviously if it was as easy as that, obesity wouldn't be an epidemic in our country and fat loss supplements and diets wouldn't be the billion dollar industry it is. I know it is not easy and does not come naturally to most of you. But all I am asking is that you think about this and give it a try.

Start by deciding that you want to be healthy. That you want to age gracefully and not spend every morning taking cholesterol and blood pressure medication. That you don't want miss out on chasing your kids around in the park playing soccer. That you want to live a healthy life to be there for your children through their milestones in life. That you want to feel energized. That you don't want to have to worry about low bone density and dangerous falls when you are older. There are millions of more reasons such as these that do not have to do with looking good on the beach. Try to shift your focus and watch the weight fall off.

How?

By making ONE healthy decision, ONE meal, ONE workout, ONE day at a time!!!!

You know what foods are unhealthy and will not contribute to a nutritous meal. You know what foods will. Just start slowly focusing on all the yummy healthy foods you could be eating. Start with the foods on the perimeter of the supermarket and eat more of those foods than those in the isles.

In case you need a list, here you go:
Dairy - White cheeses, yogurt, milk,
Fruit - Any and all welcome
Protein - Chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, legumes
Carbs - Potatoes (not fried!), quinoa, cous cous, BROWN rice, whole wheat bread
Veggies - Any and all welcome

Balance your meals with a variety of these foods. Portion out your servings and don't eat till your stomach hurts.

On the odd occasion that you crave something sweet, then let yourself have it. Ask yourself if you want it because you are stressed? Bored? Upset? Anxious? Or, if you really do just need something sweet. Have a small piece of chocolate instead of a king-size candy bar. Have a mini frozen yogurt instead of an extra large ice cream with a million toppings.

Be we wise and be healthy. Focus on your well being. Take it one step at a time. Don't set huge long term goals, set smaller ones and accomplish them one at a time. You have to crawl before you can walk. So get out there and shop and order smart and make it your goal to get at LEAST 30 minutes of physical activity in each day. From there, depending on what your fitness level is to start off with, increase the frequency, intensity, time and types of activities you do. You may start off with a 30 min walk, and then a slow jog, and then a run. You may start off with lifting 3lb weights, then 5lb, then 10lb. You may start with a level 1 yoga class, then level 2, then level 3. Eventually all of these components will make up your 1 hr a day workout!

So, go out there and get started! Your healthy life filled with nutritious meals and exercise starts TODAY!

In Great Health,
Dani S.

Trick or Treat

Dear Fitness and Wellness Enthusiasts,


In the spirit of Halloween I found it fitting to blog about our sugary treat foes. 


For starters, a few stats on candy and its association with Halloween.

• "The average American eats 24 pounds of candy a year, and most of that is likely consumed right around this time of year." Huffington Post
• "Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy a year for Halloween." Huffington Post
• "The U.S. is the world's largest candy consumer, spending more than $8.8 billion on various sweets in 2008" Bloomberg Business Week

You get the idea, that is a ton of candy and therefore a fortune of sugar and calories. 


However, to paint a clearer picture and to create a bit of a visual, picture one pound of candy, lets say fun size Butterfingers, weighing in at 100 calories per piece. 


In one pound of mini Butterfingers there are approximately 12 pieces of these chocolates. 


So, time for some math.  

 12 chocolates x 100 calories = 1200 calories per pound of fun size butterfingers

3500 calories = 1 pound of fat.

This means that eating 3 pounds of these delicious treats, will put on 1 pound of fat onto your body, with an excess of 100 calories. 

So, we as a nation consume how much candy? How many calories? Well, if these 24 pounds of candy consumed by the average American in a year are fun size Butterfingers, then that is 28,800 Calories! If the 600 million pounds of candy we purchase for Halloween are also fun size Butterfingers, then that is 720 BILLION calories!

This is crazy! 

Just so that I'm not a complete devil for blogging this entry this Halloween, I end off by saying that ONE of these fun size treats sure won't kill you. BUT, you have to stop at ONE!

All this sugar spikes our insulin levels and leaves us wanting more, so be sure not to get sucked in to the vortex of candy consumption today and all year long. 

BE WISE AND HEALTH SMART AND SAFE OUT THERE TONIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND DON'T BE TRICKED BY THE TEMPTATION OF MORE TREATS!!!!!

Happy Halloween!

In Good Health,

Dani S.

Workout Apparel

Old Navy Jacket

Lucy Perfect Core Pant

Gap Contrast Panel Tank

Dear Fitness Enthusiasts,

Lately a few of you have been asking me about some good places to buy workout clothing. So, I have decided to share with you some of my favorite places to shop for some cute, good fitting, comfortable and sporty fitness attire. Below is a list of places accommodating various budgets and body types.

• Lululemon- more on the pricey side; men and women; great fit
• Lucy- a little pricey but great sales; great fit for you ladies who love Lulu but prefer a more conservative fit
• American Eagle Outfitters- reasonable prices; great workout pants; 
• Old Navy- My new favorite find for workout pants and thumb-hole jackets and long sleeve winter workout tops. Very reasonable prices. 
• Target- average prices; men and women; various fits and styles; equipment, clothing, shoes
• Sport Chalet- various price ranges and brands; men and women; clothing shoes and accessories.
• Marshall's- less expensive; several brands; men and women; equipment, clothing, shoes
• Big 5 Sporting Goods- less expensive; men and women; clothing; equipment; shoes
• Gap- averagely priced, great sales, comfy, conservative, men and women

Hope this list helps you! If I missed a place that you like and think others would appreciate, please add it in a comment below!

In Good Health,

Dani S.

Men's Under Armour @ Sport Chalet

Men's Lululemon Tank

Warm Up

Jumping Rope

Walking Quadriceps Stretch Sequence

                                                                                         
                Yes, summer is ending and the weather may be cooling, but that is not what I refer to when I say "Warm Up". The "Warm Up" I am in fact talking about is actually the first 5-10 minutes of your workout, which if it wasn't before it is now! This is a crucial part of your exercise regime because it is these precious few minutes that prepare your muscles for the work ahead of them and prevent injury.
    Can you imagine trying to bake a very healthy low calorie cake in the oven without pre-heating it and expect it not to flop? Or driving your car first thing in the freezing winter morning with ice/frost still on the windshield and the engine so cold without exhausting your transmission? Now, why would you pick up those heavy weights and start your workout when your muscles are tired, cold, tight and not warmed up? Exactly... you shouldn't! It is when you exercise without adequately warming up that you are at high risk of pulling a muscle(s).
    The warm up exercises are cardiovascular (aerobic) activities needed to heat up your body by circulating blood and oxygen through all your muscles. As your body is warming up, your heart rate starts to rise and your breathing becomes progressively more frequent. So, not only are your muscles in your legs, arms, back, etc. ready for the great workout you have planned, but so is your heart and your lungs. 

A few of my favorites are:

• Jump Rope
• Jumping Jacks- with arms up over head (regular) and with arms across your chest
• Skipping
• Alternating High Knee Jumps 
• Grapevine/Karaokes
• Side Shuffle Runs
• Dynamic Stretching- Stretching in motion. For example, walking quadriceps stretch. 
• Shuttle Runs
• Treadmill - Incline Walk/Jog
• Bike
• Elliptical

Before your next workout, make sure to remember to warm up and prepare your body for exercise!

In Good Health,
Dani

30 minutes

Only have 30min? Don't think you have enough time for a workout? Think a quick run is all you can fit in? If you find yourself in these predicaments, stress no more! In just 30 minutes you can use all the major muscle groups in your body, increase your heart rate, burn calories, increase your resting metabolic rate for the remainder of your day, elevate your energy level, and of course, break a sweat and feel great! What does it take? A strength training circuit! Today I did the following workout in just 30 minutes!

The Warm Up:
Jump Rope (1 min)
Burpees (x15)
Jumping Jacks (x 20)

The Circuit:
~ TRX back row (20 reps)

TRX BACK ROW

~ Body Bar squat - reverse bicep curl - shoulder     press (20 reps)
~ Bosu Ball Push Ups (20 reps)
~ Kettle Bell Swings (20 reps)
~ Plank (30 sec hold)
~ Jumping Jacks (20 reps)                                                                              REPEAT CIRCUIT x 3

                                                                           
 

Give it a try! I look forward to your feedback!

In Good Health,

Dani S.

Welcome!

Dear Fitness and Wellness Enthusiasts,
I would like to welcome you to my new blog! For a couple of months I have been blogging on a different site and have now moved to it's new, more user friendly home. I hope you enjoy the new URL location and different look! To those of you have no idea what I'm talking about and did not follow my previous blog entries at my original blog URL, I am going to transfer all the older posts over here so that you don't miss out! I hope that you will want to read more about what I have to say on everything health and fitness and continue to follow me by subscribing to my blog. Please feel free to comment on any of the posts as I welcome your feedback!
In Good Health,
Dani S.

Self Myo... What?

Tiger Tail                         Foam Roller                          Massage Stick

So, you may have seen these obscure looking pieces of equipment in your gym, friends home, or local sporting goods store. They may resemble to some of you an item that you think belongs in Martha Stewart's Baking section at Macy’s, the rolling pin. Well, let me tell you, these are not your mamma’s baking utensils that she uses to roll out that delicious home made cookie dough. These rollers are meant for rolling more meaty tissue, and I’m not talking about steak. The meaty tissue these bad boys prefer rolling out are YOUR MUSCLES! Yes, you and your tight, sore, crampy, tired muscles! Ouch? That’s right, it will hurt. But only while your royal toughness surrenders to this magical phenomenon and leaves you feeling oh so much better in minutes! This practice is known as “Self Myofascial Release” (in the biz we say SMR).  Self Myo… huh? This fancy scary name simply put means massage, and I’m clearly not talking about the relaxing joyful soothing spa Swedish massage. This massage actually requires active involvement and attention, and maybe a little pain ;-)

The myofascia is a layer of connective tissue that surrounds our muscles. This tissue can tense like a web over our muscles when our muscles tighten up from everyday life and exercise. When this happens we can experience muscle soreness and decreased flexibility. We use these rollers to loosen up the kinks in our myofascia to allow more movement for our muscles and therefore more flexibility and less pain. This is a great technique for reducing back pain and most of the other muscles in our body.

The big roller is better used for the larger and denser muscles in our body and can also be used for postural, rehabilitation, and stability exercises. The Smaller rolling sticks are better used for smaller and more specific difficult to target muscles, but can be used on the larger ones as well. The foam rollers come in different densities and colors, white most likely being the mostly recognizable one as it was the original and least expensive. The smaller massage sticks come in the 2 above pictured materials (sponge and beads) as well as several other variations. I prefer the black and orange one (the tiger tail) because the beads move around and can pinch your skin.

SMR is a great theory and even better practice. I strongly encourage you to implement this technique into your workouts and every day life. Make sure your muscles are a little warmed up prior to this practice. If you have any serious injuries or spinal issues such as a slipped/herniated disc, take caution and preferably the instruction of a fitness professional.

Happy Rolling!

In Good Health,
Dani