So here we are: the dawning of the new year is upon us. This typically means parties, plastic-ware and above all else: promises. Promises we make to ourselves to live a better, happier, healthier year once the ball drops and we can leave our troubles, antics and missteps of 2010 behind us.
I've said this before and I'll say it again and again until the day I die: resolutions are great, but if you wait until the new year to start on them, they are more than likely doomed to failure. This is because real changes, real determination does not have a start time other than right now. The moment you decide to change must be the moment that you START to change, otherwise you're setting yourself up for a binge of bad habits "getting it all out" before you even begin. And that's not a beginning for change, that's just pressing pause after overindulging in the on-demand feature.
But even still, I know many of my readers are making New Year's resolutions as I write this, ones that will begin starting tomorrow. After all, what fun would it be to start them BEFORE the NYE party?
I get it. I totally get it, and that's why I'm determined to help you stick to your resolutions and achieve your goals. I'll keep coming at you with new diet tricks, recipes, workouts, daily calorie burns, and money saving hints to help make sure that 2011 is the healthiest and wealthiest year you have ever had.
So tell me your resolutions. Tell me what you want to change, what you want to achieve and we all may find that we have the same goals and the same vices in common. If I were to call my recent resolutions "New Year's Resolutions" they would be the following:
-Stop swearing entirely
-Stop snacking on pizza at work
-Take hard core pilates at least once a week.
-GRADUATE!!!
These are my current goals, aspirations, and determinants for change. What are yours? Let's own 2011 together, shall we?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Penny pinching progress
Sorry it's been a few days. I haven't had internet at home...again. Here's the best advice I can give anyone:
DON'T PURCHASE AT&T DSL!!!
I warned them that if they continued to upset me that I would slander their name in every publication I write for, including my internet blogs and profiles...and they now say that even though my disconnect was their fault, I have to wait in line for my new order just like everyone else and won't get it back until Jan 12...so here I am, "slanderizing." Not only are they really incompetent, their service is some of the slowest internet I've ever had.
I'll be getting clearwire and trying them out tomorrow. So we'll see.
Anywho...
The whole reason I went with them was because they offered me a much cheaper deal than Comcast and everyone else. $19.95/mo for high (enough) speed internet. The problem is yo get what you pay for.
But on the other hand, I really am going to miss having such a low price. I prefer to keep my bills as low as I can without sacrificing too much quality on things that are givens like TV, Internet, and other monthly expenses. It helps keep us above water and on our feet, or in my case, my toes :)
That's really my biggest secret to share: penny pinching. I literally have a porcelain pig piggy bank filled with pennies, and recently counted, it adds up to over $50. That's pretty significant for pennies. I take every cent I'm given and I save as much of it as I can. I use coupons that seem small like 35 cents here and 55 cents there. I wait to buy certain foods or things like printer paper and laundry detergent until there is a good sale like BOGO or half off, and I'm usually not picky about brands.
While this makes people refer to me as a "penny pincher" this has also saved me TONS AND TONS of money over the course of a year. Think about it. I spent $1.99 on my last bottle of laundry detergent and it has lasted me about a month so far with still a bit left to go. Typically, laundry detergent costs around $6 a bottle. Even if I buy one bottle a month, that's $4 a month I saved. $48 a year. in 5 years that's almost $250 I saved on laundry detergent.
My greatest advice to anyone who needs to start saving (for anything) is to realize the value of a penny. We throw them away, toss them in fountains and smash them into trinkets (although that last one can be cool for cheap souvenirs). Even though it's value may be small, it still has value and if we save them, they can add up to be as valuable as large paper currency. But we have to care enough about them to pick them up and put them away.
Like our bodies, we tend to forget how important pennies can be in daily life. Don't just ingest sodas and candies and high fat foods because it's cheap and tasty and that's how you want to save your money. It does no good to save money on food quality now just to spend triple the cost on medical bills later. Save your pennies, start a savings, be smart with your money on the necessities (detergent, phone service, gas, etc.) and then you'll have enough to put your money where your mouth is...literally.
Just don't use AT&T. If Comcast or other cable internet is too costly for you (and it's seriously downright grand theft at the current prices they charge at Comcast right now), keep looking for other alternatives. Before I bite the bullet and go with $50/month for Comcast internet, I will try everything I cna find that might be comparable and save me $10-15/mo at the same time. Let's hope clearwire works. In the meantime, I'll keep saving these pennies just in case. ;)
DON'T PURCHASE AT&T DSL!!!
I warned them that if they continued to upset me that I would slander their name in every publication I write for, including my internet blogs and profiles...and they now say that even though my disconnect was their fault, I have to wait in line for my new order just like everyone else and won't get it back until Jan 12...so here I am, "slanderizing." Not only are they really incompetent, their service is some of the slowest internet I've ever had.
I'll be getting clearwire and trying them out tomorrow. So we'll see.
Anywho...
The whole reason I went with them was because they offered me a much cheaper deal than Comcast and everyone else. $19.95/mo for high (enough) speed internet. The problem is yo get what you pay for.
But on the other hand, I really am going to miss having such a low price. I prefer to keep my bills as low as I can without sacrificing too much quality on things that are givens like TV, Internet, and other monthly expenses. It helps keep us above water and on our feet, or in my case, my toes :)
That's really my biggest secret to share: penny pinching. I literally have a porcelain pig piggy bank filled with pennies, and recently counted, it adds up to over $50. That's pretty significant for pennies. I take every cent I'm given and I save as much of it as I can. I use coupons that seem small like 35 cents here and 55 cents there. I wait to buy certain foods or things like printer paper and laundry detergent until there is a good sale like BOGO or half off, and I'm usually not picky about brands.
While this makes people refer to me as a "penny pincher" this has also saved me TONS AND TONS of money over the course of a year. Think about it. I spent $1.99 on my last bottle of laundry detergent and it has lasted me about a month so far with still a bit left to go. Typically, laundry detergent costs around $6 a bottle. Even if I buy one bottle a month, that's $4 a month I saved. $48 a year. in 5 years that's almost $250 I saved on laundry detergent.
My greatest advice to anyone who needs to start saving (for anything) is to realize the value of a penny. We throw them away, toss them in fountains and smash them into trinkets (although that last one can be cool for cheap souvenirs). Even though it's value may be small, it still has value and if we save them, they can add up to be as valuable as large paper currency. But we have to care enough about them to pick them up and put them away.
Like our bodies, we tend to forget how important pennies can be in daily life. Don't just ingest sodas and candies and high fat foods because it's cheap and tasty and that's how you want to save your money. It does no good to save money on food quality now just to spend triple the cost on medical bills later. Save your pennies, start a savings, be smart with your money on the necessities (detergent, phone service, gas, etc.) and then you'll have enough to put your money where your mouth is...literally.
Just don't use AT&T. If Comcast or other cable internet is too costly for you (and it's seriously downright grand theft at the current prices they charge at Comcast right now), keep looking for other alternatives. Before I bite the bullet and go with $50/month for Comcast internet, I will try everything I cna find that might be comparable and save me $10-15/mo at the same time. Let's hope clearwire works. In the meantime, I'll keep saving these pennies just in case. ;)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
FITness for your wallet
I've said it before, and I know it's true: FIT-ness is always a pricey investment. And now that the holidays are over, we're all feeling the strain of our overspending and generous giving from the tinsel season. How ever are we supposed to get back on track when our budgets are too busted to afford the healthy foods and gym memberships?
Well, I'm known by many of my friends, family and even strangers at work or around town as the "coupon girl" or for my money-saving tactics in general. I've been able to meet my own healthily strict dietary needs on a small budget by using my usual tricks and trades, and it was brought to my attention today that this would be a great thing to share with my readers. So here I go:
To start: COUPONS! Don't be afraid to show up at the grocery counter with a handful, a stack even, of money saving coupons. 50 cents off on your favorite brand of shampoo and $1.00 off of two general mills cereals can be quite helpful, even if you think the savings is too small to matter. Trust me, these add up fast. Here's the breakdown of how I make the most of my coupons:
1. Clip coupons for everything you might like to eat, especially healthy and organic products. You can find these coupons in the Sunday paper, in the weekly/monthly flyer at your local organic foods store (aka Whole Foods and Co-Op grocery stores), and on websites like coupons.com.
2. Bring these coupons every time you go shopping. You never know when something you have a coupon for is something that you want to buy that day. It's always good to have these on hand for any and every purchase.
3. Wait for sales to save even bigger. A $1.00 off the purchase of any two Kellogg's cereals coupon does double duty when used while the cereals are Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGO) at the store (which happens about one week out of every month, typically). I have coupons in my wallet for 70 cents off of one box of Cheerios that I'm saving for when Cheerios are BOGO. This means that instead of paying $3.99 per box, I'll end up paying only $2.59 for two boxes. Nice!
Certain foods like cereals, frozen vegetables and granola bars often go on BOGO sales AND have usually coupons in the paper flyers. These are great choices for healthy foods that won't break your budget, as opposed to living on Ramen and Hot dogs all the time, foods that won't break your budget...until you get your medical bills a few years later.
For m southeastern readers, Publix offers something that even my Mom didn't know about til today (which is amazing, since she's the one who taught me how to do all this saving!). The "Publix Promise" is something I'm always trying to watch out for and take advantage of at the store when I can. It works like this:
-Something you are buying rings up at the wrong price at the register. The price is usually higher than the one listed on the shelf tag. Watch your prices carefully as your groceries are scanned so you can make sure everything rings up right.
-But something doesn't ring up right and you ask the cashier to go read the tag so she'll know it was supposed to be cheaper.
-When she comes back, don't assume she'll just fix the price and move on. At Publix, there's a rule where if something rings up wrong, you get one of those items for free. That's the publix promise! So make sure if this ever happens to you at the check out line, you ask your cashier to honor the Publix Promise so you get one of your items for free. Today this happened with placemats my om bought me. Free placemats for the win!
More money saving tips to come. But try these out in the mean time and see how the savings can rack up!
Well, I'm known by many of my friends, family and even strangers at work or around town as the "coupon girl" or for my money-saving tactics in general. I've been able to meet my own healthily strict dietary needs on a small budget by using my usual tricks and trades, and it was brought to my attention today that this would be a great thing to share with my readers. So here I go:
To start: COUPONS! Don't be afraid to show up at the grocery counter with a handful, a stack even, of money saving coupons. 50 cents off on your favorite brand of shampoo and $1.00 off of two general mills cereals can be quite helpful, even if you think the savings is too small to matter. Trust me, these add up fast. Here's the breakdown of how I make the most of my coupons:
1. Clip coupons for everything you might like to eat, especially healthy and organic products. You can find these coupons in the Sunday paper, in the weekly/monthly flyer at your local organic foods store (aka Whole Foods and Co-Op grocery stores), and on websites like coupons.com.
2. Bring these coupons every time you go shopping. You never know when something you have a coupon for is something that you want to buy that day. It's always good to have these on hand for any and every purchase.
3. Wait for sales to save even bigger. A $1.00 off the purchase of any two Kellogg's cereals coupon does double duty when used while the cereals are Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGO) at the store (which happens about one week out of every month, typically). I have coupons in my wallet for 70 cents off of one box of Cheerios that I'm saving for when Cheerios are BOGO. This means that instead of paying $3.99 per box, I'll end up paying only $2.59 for two boxes. Nice!
Certain foods like cereals, frozen vegetables and granola bars often go on BOGO sales AND have usually coupons in the paper flyers. These are great choices for healthy foods that won't break your budget, as opposed to living on Ramen and Hot dogs all the time, foods that won't break your budget...until you get your medical bills a few years later.
For m southeastern readers, Publix offers something that even my Mom didn't know about til today (which is amazing, since she's the one who taught me how to do all this saving!). The "Publix Promise" is something I'm always trying to watch out for and take advantage of at the store when I can. It works like this:
-Something you are buying rings up at the wrong price at the register. The price is usually higher than the one listed on the shelf tag. Watch your prices carefully as your groceries are scanned so you can make sure everything rings up right.
-But something doesn't ring up right and you ask the cashier to go read the tag so she'll know it was supposed to be cheaper.
-When she comes back, don't assume she'll just fix the price and move on. At Publix, there's a rule where if something rings up wrong, you get one of those items for free. That's the publix promise! So make sure if this ever happens to you at the check out line, you ask your cashier to honor the Publix Promise so you get one of your items for free. Today this happened with placemats my om bought me. Free placemats for the win!
More money saving tips to come. But try these out in the mean time and see how the savings can rack up!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Resolutions
Merry tidings of health and fitness on this Christmas Day!
I hope the last 25 days have been filled with fun, family and FITness, of course. Remember today is a day to enjoy some great food and great memories with your family and friends. So if you can't find time for a workout, and you still really really want a second helping of your grandmother's pecan pie, go for it, and no one will fault you. Days like today, holidays and special occasions, are truly why it is so important that we keep our fitness and health in line every other day of the year. If every day is an indulgence, and every day is a lazy day, then it keeps us from really being able to enjoy these days that are so special. Not to mention, we may have fewer years and special days left if we keep living such unhealthy lifestyles.
So today, have your pie, glaze your ham, and chill out on your couch with the ones you love in front of your beautifully decorated tree... or menorah... or Festivus Pole. Because we earned it.
Tomorrow is a new day. I don't make New Years resolutions. In fact, I hate New Years resolutions. I believe that if you are resolved to do something or change something, you wouldn't wait even one minute to put it into practice. There's no sense in waiting until the new year starts to change something that's important to you, especially when it comes to your body.
That's how this cycle always happens.
"I wanna lose weight/ get fit/ be more active. Something has to change."
"The New Year is almost here. That's a good time for change. I think I'll start my new diet/ workout/ life after New Year's Eve."
"Oh well, I guess since I'll be doing this on the first, that means I should really enjoy the holidays and all the food while I can. That way I'll get it all out before I really buckle down and get to work on myself."
[Insert fifteen pounds here.]
"Today's a new day of a new year, and I am resolved to change! Maybe after a few weeks of hard work, I'll reach my goals."
[A few weeks later. You might be back down to the weight you were before the holidays started.]
Gorging before the new year doesn't help set you on the right track to getting healthy. That's almost like shooting yourself in the foot before starting a race. Yes, I do think you should enjoy yourself over the holidays. But don't wait until January 1st to add some cardio into your day, or throw out the ten bags of candy that you have, or buy that first pack of Nicorette. Every day is a new day, and the changes that last never have a countdown to when they start.
Today is Christmas. Tomorrow is Festivus. The 27th is my best friend's birthday. I'm working a double on the 28th. The 29th is another birthday. The 30th is an anniversary. And then there's New Year's Eve. There's always something that could keep me from tackling such a daunting project as changing my life. But fitness isn't a daunting project. Fitness comes from little changes and healthier choices that you make every day. You don't have to wait until after a major event to choose carrots over corn chips. You don't have to wait until the family is out of town to spend an hour at the gym, or take a yoga class. It's simpler than that. Decide you want to be healthy, and do it.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tonight I'm going to eat a jelly doughnut as I light my menorah, and I'm going to have a second helping of potatoes au gratin. And I'm going to enjoy some more of my Silk egg nog. But tomorrow I'm going to get up and run for an hour before my parents come on their last day in town, and I'm going to do my usual Sunday shopping for healthy foods at the grocery store after work. Because that's what I do to stay healthy and feel good no matter what day of the year it is. I'd love to hear what you guys are doing today, and what you plan to do tomorrow, so feel free to comment here or on Facebook.
So have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Belated Hanukkah, and a wonderful Festivus Eve.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Behind and buried
Hey guys,
How are your 25 days of FIT-mas going? I hope better than mine. I swear, right now the ONLY thing going well is my workout, and that's only because I don't let my day start until I've finished at least my minimum amount of cardio. Aside from that though, I'm behind in my workouts. I haven't gotten to take yoga, or dance or even weight train at all. It's not making for a happy Jenne. So I definitely hope that your workouts are going strong and keeping you sane throughout these stressful yet sweet weeks of holidays.
I've had quite a run, myself, and I wish I meant that literally. I hate to aire my laundry but I am going to use part of this blog to get out what's been going on with me, and why I've had some "radio silence" on this blog these past few days. I say this mainly because for those of you who can relate to my stress, I feel that we can suffer together and support each other through it.
To start, my move is finally complete, but the logistical nightmare it has become has only just begun. My house is set up, but the bills for it are all over the place. I have a bill for my previous address and my current address that overlaps because the electricity wasn't turned on at the old place...so they charged all of what was being used to me from the day I moved out until it was finally transferred on the 19th. Well S#!*
And I can't and won't even ask my old roommates to help with it because my moving out caused too many problems in the first place. I will take care of this, whether the electric co. fixes it or I just pay it. It wouldn't be right to put any more of the burden of my move on my friends.
More financial trouble: my baby girl, my kitten, Sayuri, is really sick. We took the cats to the vet the day we moved to get them checked and cured for worms, but Sayuri didn't come home right away. And she has gone back a few times since for tests. She has always had allergies, snotting everywhere. Gross, but kinda cute. But it's turned into something scary now and the vets are throwing words out that make me so scared I'm ready to write checks left and right for any test that might help her. Words like "tumor" and "Leukemia." We put her on an insurance plan that will cover some of these tests and all future vet visits but the monthly fee is something we hadn't expected. Still she is our baby girl and we will take care of her at whatever cost. If you pray, please feel free to keep her in your thoughts. We all hope she gets better.
To add insult to financial injury, Dave (my adorable fiance) has had to quit one of his jobs for one that will start after the new year. It will yield better hours and better pay once it begins, but for the time being, we are down about 1/3 of our income and our rent increased by 3x since we moved. Ouch. I've been working doubles every day I can to make up for it so we can afford all these little surprises.
Like my tuition for the spring. Yeah, there's another surprise. I had decided in October that being in the band and trying to take these classes was just too much to handle, and while I was pretty close to finishing, it would be better to put it on hold for a while so I can give it 100% when I went back. Good plan, right? Well, my major professor and my dean decided to do me the best favor ever by signing off on my program of study to be completed after taking just three classes this spring, accepting some course substitutions in place of further requirements. This is amazing, and I am so happy that I will get to graduate this April! However, I had already canceled my financial aid for the spring...so I'll have to pay the $3000 in tuition out of my wedding fund.
Let's not even go there lol.
So yeah, with all that happening just this week alone, I really haven't had time to write in my blog let alone feel inspired to inspire others. I've been really down and stressed, trying to stay afloat. It's been hard, bu I see light at the end of the tunnel. I know that if I keep pushing through, I will make it out okay. Dave's new job will start and he will be happy finally working in his field instead of in food service. I'll have a shiny new degree to hang on my wall come April and a sense of accomplishment and pride in myself along with it. I'll have all three healthy cats, that I very much consider as my own children. Good times are coming, for sure. I just have to push myself through the tough times.
Kind of like a diet/workout/fitness goal. There are tough times as we reshape our lives for a new, healthier, fitter us. It may get really hard some days, both mentally and physically. It might get hard financially (to afford healthier foods, gym memberships, etc.). But we can and will make it through. Together. Just like I know you, my readers, are there for me now when I need your support, even just as a :::hug::: from afar, I will be there for you. To give you advice, inspire you with new ideas and show you that we can suffer and succeed together.
I hope your holidays have been happy and healthy so far. Two more days of FIT-mas to go. Let's do this Holiday right! At the very least, let's have a happy and healthy sate of mind as we share our time with our friends and family. THAT is what this season is all about!
<3<3<3
Thanks for "listening"
-Jenne
How are your 25 days of FIT-mas going? I hope better than mine. I swear, right now the ONLY thing going well is my workout, and that's only because I don't let my day start until I've finished at least my minimum amount of cardio. Aside from that though, I'm behind in my workouts. I haven't gotten to take yoga, or dance or even weight train at all. It's not making for a happy Jenne. So I definitely hope that your workouts are going strong and keeping you sane throughout these stressful yet sweet weeks of holidays.
I've had quite a run, myself, and I wish I meant that literally. I hate to aire my laundry but I am going to use part of this blog to get out what's been going on with me, and why I've had some "radio silence" on this blog these past few days. I say this mainly because for those of you who can relate to my stress, I feel that we can suffer together and support each other through it.
To start, my move is finally complete, but the logistical nightmare it has become has only just begun. My house is set up, but the bills for it are all over the place. I have a bill for my previous address and my current address that overlaps because the electricity wasn't turned on at the old place...so they charged all of what was being used to me from the day I moved out until it was finally transferred on the 19th. Well S#!*
And I can't and won't even ask my old roommates to help with it because my moving out caused too many problems in the first place. I will take care of this, whether the electric co. fixes it or I just pay it. It wouldn't be right to put any more of the burden of my move on my friends.
More financial trouble: my baby girl, my kitten, Sayuri, is really sick. We took the cats to the vet the day we moved to get them checked and cured for worms, but Sayuri didn't come home right away. And she has gone back a few times since for tests. She has always had allergies, snotting everywhere. Gross, but kinda cute. But it's turned into something scary now and the vets are throwing words out that make me so scared I'm ready to write checks left and right for any test that might help her. Words like "tumor" and "Leukemia." We put her on an insurance plan that will cover some of these tests and all future vet visits but the monthly fee is something we hadn't expected. Still she is our baby girl and we will take care of her at whatever cost. If you pray, please feel free to keep her in your thoughts. We all hope she gets better.
To add insult to financial injury, Dave (my adorable fiance) has had to quit one of his jobs for one that will start after the new year. It will yield better hours and better pay once it begins, but for the time being, we are down about 1/3 of our income and our rent increased by 3x since we moved. Ouch. I've been working doubles every day I can to make up for it so we can afford all these little surprises.
Like my tuition for the spring. Yeah, there's another surprise. I had decided in October that being in the band and trying to take these classes was just too much to handle, and while I was pretty close to finishing, it would be better to put it on hold for a while so I can give it 100% when I went back. Good plan, right? Well, my major professor and my dean decided to do me the best favor ever by signing off on my program of study to be completed after taking just three classes this spring, accepting some course substitutions in place of further requirements. This is amazing, and I am so happy that I will get to graduate this April! However, I had already canceled my financial aid for the spring...so I'll have to pay the $3000 in tuition out of my wedding fund.
Let's not even go there lol.
So yeah, with all that happening just this week alone, I really haven't had time to write in my blog let alone feel inspired to inspire others. I've been really down and stressed, trying to stay afloat. It's been hard, bu I see light at the end of the tunnel. I know that if I keep pushing through, I will make it out okay. Dave's new job will start and he will be happy finally working in his field instead of in food service. I'll have a shiny new degree to hang on my wall come April and a sense of accomplishment and pride in myself along with it. I'll have all three healthy cats, that I very much consider as my own children. Good times are coming, for sure. I just have to push myself through the tough times.
Kind of like a diet/workout/fitness goal. There are tough times as we reshape our lives for a new, healthier, fitter us. It may get really hard some days, both mentally and physically. It might get hard financially (to afford healthier foods, gym memberships, etc.). But we can and will make it through. Together. Just like I know you, my readers, are there for me now when I need your support, even just as a :::hug::: from afar, I will be there for you. To give you advice, inspire you with new ideas and show you that we can suffer and succeed together.
I hope your holidays have been happy and healthy so far. Two more days of FIT-mas to go. Let's do this Holiday right! At the very least, let's have a happy and healthy sate of mind as we share our time with our friends and family. THAT is what this season is all about!
<3<3<3
Thanks for "listening"
-Jenne
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ten days to go
Only ten days to go, are you ready? I don't mean do you have all of your gifts bought and wrapped (I sure don't), is your tree decorated (wonder if its not too late to get one...) and do you have your house and kitchen ready to receive guests (my kitchen still isn't ready to receive me)?
I mean are you ready to kick up the intensity and get through these next ten days as healthy and on track as you were before Thanksgiving was even a thought?
Today, I'm going to hit both diet and fitness points to give you some extra help for these extra sweet and extra stressful days.
A workout for family and friends
As family flies, drives, and even sails into town, one of the first things that they are going to ask is, "so what are we gonna do?" Traditionally, this is where families twiddle their thumbs all day, waiting for the one thing they had planned, which was dinner. Sure you may have planed movies, shopping, or tours of your city, but for the most part, the main event involves food. Now there is no way of changing this, but you can try to add more active events to your days which will be sure to entertain everyone from the little ones to the great grandparents. Here are a few ideas.
- pack a fitness picnic. get a frisbee, a volleyball, some jump ropes, and anything else yo wanna bring and head out to a park. Have the guys get a game of football going, and maybe try to get in a nice game of hide and seek. Hey, maybe grandma can teach the little ones some old fashioned double dutch from back in her day. Going to the park is a great way to spend quality time with your family while staying active and not spending any more holiday money.
- go to a game room. this one is for the kids, but you can trust me. AS an adult, you can have a pretty darn fun time, too. Head to whatever game room you like, Chuck E Cheeze is a good one since all games are only a quarter, and let the family run wild. You can even burn some of your own calories (and excess stress) playing games like Dance Dance Revolution and Pump It Up.
You can also do his at home with the Wii, the Playstation Move, or Xbox Kinect. Remember, the family he plays together, stays FIT together.
A HEALTHY BAKING HINT!!
Its no secret that I hate Splenda (sucrolose), Equal/Nutrasweet (aspartame), and Sweet 'n Low (saccharin). While I know that using these in your baking can knock out quite a few calories, I firmly believe you are better off sucking up the calories of real sugar than using one of these potential cancer catalysts.
Instead, you can use Stevia. Stevia in the raw, and a few other brands have been approved for use in baking. I've made a few treats with this, my most favorite sweetener, and I can tell you they're just as sweet and delicious as the real thing (but don't tell Grandma). You can also try honey, applesauce, or agave nectar as good replacements for sugar and/or oil.
I hope that these hints help you. If I find any restaurants that serve more lower-calorie desserts that you can pick up for your family gatherings, I'll post them here. Let's keep going and stay FIT, healthy, and happy. Now get back to gift wrapping!
I mean are you ready to kick up the intensity and get through these next ten days as healthy and on track as you were before Thanksgiving was even a thought?
Today, I'm going to hit both diet and fitness points to give you some extra help for these extra sweet and extra stressful days.
A workout for family and friends
As family flies, drives, and even sails into town, one of the first things that they are going to ask is, "so what are we gonna do?" Traditionally, this is where families twiddle their thumbs all day, waiting for the one thing they had planned, which was dinner. Sure you may have planed movies, shopping, or tours of your city, but for the most part, the main event involves food. Now there is no way of changing this, but you can try to add more active events to your days which will be sure to entertain everyone from the little ones to the great grandparents. Here are a few ideas.
- pack a fitness picnic. get a frisbee, a volleyball, some jump ropes, and anything else yo wanna bring and head out to a park. Have the guys get a game of football going, and maybe try to get in a nice game of hide and seek. Hey, maybe grandma can teach the little ones some old fashioned double dutch from back in her day. Going to the park is a great way to spend quality time with your family while staying active and not spending any more holiday money.
- go to a game room. this one is for the kids, but you can trust me. AS an adult, you can have a pretty darn fun time, too. Head to whatever game room you like, Chuck E Cheeze is a good one since all games are only a quarter, and let the family run wild. You can even burn some of your own calories (and excess stress) playing games like Dance Dance Revolution and Pump It Up.
You can also do his at home with the Wii, the Playstation Move, or Xbox Kinect. Remember, the family he plays together, stays FIT together.
A HEALTHY BAKING HINT!!
Its no secret that I hate Splenda (sucrolose), Equal/Nutrasweet (aspartame), and Sweet 'n Low (saccharin). While I know that using these in your baking can knock out quite a few calories, I firmly believe you are better off sucking up the calories of real sugar than using one of these potential cancer catalysts.
Instead, you can use Stevia. Stevia in the raw, and a few other brands have been approved for use in baking. I've made a few treats with this, my most favorite sweetener, and I can tell you they're just as sweet and delicious as the real thing (but don't tell Grandma). You can also try honey, applesauce, or agave nectar as good replacements for sugar and/or oil.
I hope that these hints help you. If I find any restaurants that serve more lower-calorie desserts that you can pick up for your family gatherings, I'll post them here. Let's keep going and stay FIT, healthy, and happy. Now get back to gift wrapping!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The ABC's of ABC
ABC being Atlanta Bread Company. Now here's another restaurant that is seemingly healthy, but can have more fat and calories than meet the eye.
For starters, their salads have plenty of healthy ingredients that are both filling and light. However, once you slather them in one of ABC's many dressings, they no longer qualify as light and healthy choices. The garden and Caesar salads both average between 90 and 150 calories per salad, but that's without dressing. The chopstix chicken salad has a reasonable 240 calories in it, even with the noodles and almonds in it. The dressing, whether you go with the Asian sesame or choose another full fat dressing, on the other hand can add around 100 calories per 2oz serving. On average, we Americans tend to drown our lettuce in a bath of sweet or savory dressing, so I would factor in at least 2 servings of dressing (which is what mos salads are served with) unless you use it sparingly.
Their sandwiches CAN be healthy, but for most sandwiches, you have to tweak the menu a bit to make sure what you order is not a belt buster. Here's a few ideas for you:
-NIX the mayo! Leaving off the mayo can save you at least 100 calories!
-Lighten up on the cheese. Either ask for it with half the cheese or pick some of it off before you start eating. Each slice of cheese can have between 70-100 calories, so even taking off one slice can help you out tremendously.
-Stick with lean deli meats. Turkey, Ham, roast beef and pastrami are great, lower calorie/lower fat choices for sandwich meats, as opposed to chicken and tuna salads that have lots of mayo in them.
The soups are always a great choice for a hearty meal without the heart attack. The garden vegetable soup and French onion soup both have less than 100 calories per serving, so these are a great addition to any well crafted sandwich or salad. Just AVOID THE 500 calorie BREAD BOWL!!!
I hope this helps you navigate the menu at a place that looks healthy upon first glance, but can be worse for you than fast food if you aren't careful with what you order.
For starters, their salads have plenty of healthy ingredients that are both filling and light. However, once you slather them in one of ABC's many dressings, they no longer qualify as light and healthy choices. The garden and Caesar salads both average between 90 and 150 calories per salad, but that's without dressing. The chopstix chicken salad has a reasonable 240 calories in it, even with the noodles and almonds in it. The dressing, whether you go with the Asian sesame or choose another full fat dressing, on the other hand can add around 100 calories per 2oz serving. On average, we Americans tend to drown our lettuce in a bath of sweet or savory dressing, so I would factor in at least 2 servings of dressing (which is what mos salads are served with) unless you use it sparingly.
Their sandwiches CAN be healthy, but for most sandwiches, you have to tweak the menu a bit to make sure what you order is not a belt buster. Here's a few ideas for you:
-NIX the mayo! Leaving off the mayo can save you at least 100 calories!
-Lighten up on the cheese. Either ask for it with half the cheese or pick some of it off before you start eating. Each slice of cheese can have between 70-100 calories, so even taking off one slice can help you out tremendously.
-Stick with lean deli meats. Turkey, Ham, roast beef and pastrami are great, lower calorie/lower fat choices for sandwich meats, as opposed to chicken and tuna salads that have lots of mayo in them.
The soups are always a great choice for a hearty meal without the heart attack. The garden vegetable soup and French onion soup both have less than 100 calories per serving, so these are a great addition to any well crafted sandwich or salad. Just AVOID THE 500 calorie BREAD BOWL!!!
I hope this helps you navigate the menu at a place that looks healthy upon first glance, but can be worse for you than fast food if you aren't careful with what you order.
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