The Ladies That "Lunch" - Organic Style

I've never thought of myself as a "lady who lunches." You know the kind - stay-at-home Moms, rich, coiffed, perfectly attired, long fake nails, probably botoxed into oblivion. They sweep in and dine at swanky restaurants with other ladies of society and leave a swell of designer perfume in their wake. Well let's see, I am not rich. I am not perfectly attired (unless you consider Nike Shox and workout clothes a huge fashion statement). I have short nails with a chipped manicure. I could use a highlight touch-up AND I certainly do not have botox. I am a stay-at-home Mom, though (well kind of, I work about 25-30 hours from home). And I did do lunch at a lovely and lavish restaurant with a friend of mine yesterday. Oh, and I did wear perfume. So yesterday maybe I was a "lady who lunches."

A friend of mine brought me to this lovely restaurant in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas, called Villa O. She said "Meghan this is right up your alley. All organic and healthy." I was already in love. I am really on the fence about organic vs. regular, processed, pesticide infested foods anyway, so an organic lunch sounded like just the thing that this "lady who lunches" would like.

The ambiance was nice, the staff was incredibly attentive and the food...magical. All their food is organic and fresh. They had a variety of fishes, pastas, salads and other treats. My friend and I both opted for the wheat pasta with turkey meatballs. It was horribly cold and rainy and warm comfort food sounded delish. I don't usually have heavy lunches like this, but it seemed like a special organic occasion (and better to do it early in the day when I had time to work it off). Anyway, our meals came with a large basil sprig and thinly shaved Parmesan cheese. And, oh my! It was heaven. Who knew a turkey meatball could literally melt in your mouth?

They had an amazing list of desserts, which I promptly declined, but longed to sample. Maybe next time.

I would consider the food "better for you," not necessarily healthy. But, again, it's better for you than dining at any list of other places that slather their food in salt and oil to make it taste yummy. I felt good about what I ate. Both my stomach and my mind were in agreement on this one.

Anyway, if you are in the Dallas area, you have to try this little gem. It was all very trendy and hip, from the concept to the gorgeous water glasses that were apparently featured in D Magazine.

Who knows where this "lady who lunches" will lunch next...

Oh, and in case you were appropriately mortified to think that I "lunched" in workout clothes, put your fears to rest. I wore a very cute, mildly trendy outfit complete with make-up. And Baby Elvis wore his finest sweat suit.

Fat ain't PHAT

I hate the word "fat." Fat. Ick. F-A-T. It gets a little better when you say it with a "ph" so it's "phat." Like "those Nike Shox are phat."

Anyway.

We all want less of that nasty word, right? And in it's place - muscle. The remarkable thing is that muscle begets muscle. One pound of muscle burns about 25% more calories than one pound of fat. Building muscle increases your metabolic rate. Muscle tissue require the most energy, so it's your muscle tissue that determines the rate at which your body burns energy.

People that take my classes often asked me "how many calories do we burn in here?" I hate this question because the amount of calories that I burn is far different than what they might burn, especially someone that is new to regular exercise. When I wear my heart rate monitor, I can burn up to 900 calories in my 60 minute kickboxing class. But, I have a lot of muscle. I'm not bragging. Well maybe a little. I do strength training 4 times per week and do cardio 5 times per week. And, lifting an 18 pound baby 100 times per day doesn't hurt either.

No matter what your goal is - weight loss, general toning or maintenance - strength training is a critical component of your weekly regimen. If you belong to a gym like 24 Hour Fitness, check out a weight-lifting class. Your instructor will take you through a series of exercises that work all your major muscle groups. You can also ask your instructor how much weight you should lift for each exercise (if you are a first-timer). If you don't have a gym membership, grab some hand weights, an exercise ball or resistance band and do exercises at home. Shape.com is a great resource to find at-home exercises.

A common misconception is that lifting weights will make you look bulky (like a guy), but it won't if you use light weights and do lots of reps. The big muscle-head guys that often grunt or scream while working out at the gym (and also like to wear short shorts and carry milk jugs with water) get bulky by lifting REALLY heavy weight, but do only a few reps. Why do they wear those shorts anyway? I get that they are in shape, but seriously.

Oh, this all reminds me of when I was in high school and there was this super popular cheerleader that was incredibly toned. In our chemistry class one day a boy smacked her on the rear with a yard stick and it snapped in half. Seriously it did. I decided at that moment that I wanted a butt that broke things. And you know how you get that booty? Strength training.

Get lifting and your booty just might break things, too.

Stretch Naked Challenge

I have a competitive side. Even though I never played a team sport (unless you count dance team), I am amazingly competitive. Hard to believe that I NEVER played a sport, right? I tried out for basketball once (in 7th grade) and made D team. Did you know they have a “D” team. Preceded of course by the “A,” “B,” and “C” teams. I have surprisingly high self-esteem for such a sport-challenged person, huh?

Anyway, I am competitive nonetheless and love a good challenge. Two of my dear friends are trying to eat better, begin a workout regimen and overall lose weight. They have asked me to put together a meal and nutrition plan to help guide them in the right direction. I was, of course, more than happy to oblige. Then I thought I had better offer it up to all of you naked stretchers as a challenge to better your eating habits and to challenge you in your daily workouts.

Each Sunday for 3 months I will post a weekly plan including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and goody options. You can shuffle these options throughout the week (feel free to mix up the lunches and dinners, too). I will also offer a workout schedule for the week. I believe that if you follow this plan for 3 months you can lose up to 20 pounds (1-2 pounds per week). This of course varies by person. If you are already a skinny-minny (i.e., my gorgeous sister-in-law) you likely won’t lose 20 pounds. But no matter the goal, I think you will see positive results in weight loss, energy level and might just smile more.

I’m no guru, but I know a lot about nutrition and fitness. It’s my passion (thus this blog). The recipes are very simple and realistic. You will eat foods that are good for you and taste great. The workouts will challenge you and deliver results. No gimmicks, just eating less and moving more. Simple. Each day is roughly 1,500 calories.

So, are you in? Will you join my challenge? Post a comment if you are in.

Oh and I mentioned that I like prizes, right? Well, I bet you do, too. So, if you stick to the plan for 3 months and honestly adhere to the plan then I will give you a fab prize. I’ll reveal clues what this is soon. Oh, the suspense!

Go team, go! It starts tomorrow!


Week One: January 25-31

BREAKFAST (all portions serve 1)

1. Toast & PB
Two slices of whole wheat, high fiber toast with 1 TBS of reduced fat peanut butter. One cup of skim milk.
Calories: 384, Fat: 7 grams, Fiber: 13 grams

2. Oatmeal & Fruit
Either one low-sugar oatmeal packet prepared or fresh oatmeal (i.e., Quaker Oats) with ½ TBS of Splenda blend brown sugar. 1 cup of banana and blueberry mix. 1 slice whole wheat,, high fiber toast, dry.
Calories: 268, Fat: 2.5 grams, Fiber: 10 grams

3. Yogurt Parfait
1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt (I love Horizon organic), ½ cup low-fat granola, ½ cup blueberries. Layer each in a tall glass.
Calories: 449, Fat: 3, Fiber: 6.5

4. Banana Split Waffles
Low-calorie, whole wheat frozen waffles (Eggo makes some good ones), 1 banana split in half, 1 TBS low-sugar strawberry jam, ½ cup fat-free vanilla yogurt.
Calories: 455, Fat: 3.2 grams, Fiber: 8.8 grams

5. Turkey Egg White Omelet
Three egg whites, 1 cup of your choice of onions, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli), ¼ cup chopped lean turkey lunch meat, ¼ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese. 2 slices whole wheat, high fiber toast, dry. Use olive oil cooking spray to prepare omelet.
Calories: 328, Fat: 9.1 grams, Fiber: 12.5 grams

6. Granola
1½ cup low-fat granola with 1 cup skim milk.
Calories: 458, Fat: 5 grams, Fiber: 6 grams

7. Orange-Banana Smoothie
½ cup skim milk, 1 banana, ½ cup light orange juice, ½ cup fat-free vanilla yogurt, ½ cup ice. Blend until smooth. 1 slice whole wheat, high fiber toast, dry.
Calories: 338, Fat: 1 gram, Fiber: 6.1 grams


LUNCHES (all portions serve 1)

1.Mediterranean Salad
1 cup mixed greens, ½ cup sliced red onion, ½ can white beans, drained (try cannelloni), chopped Roma tomato, ½ cup cucumber, ¼ cup feta cheese. Toss with ½ TBS olive oil, 1 TBS lemon juice, salt, pepper and oregano.
Calories: 340, Fat: 14 grams, Fiber: 10 grams

2. Turkey Wrap & Fruit
Wrap 3 thins slices of lean turkey lunch meat, ¼ cup light shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 TBS hummus in a whole wheat tortilla. Enjoy with a cup of strawberry and blueberry mix.
Calories: 329, Fat: 8 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

3. Leftover Tortilla Soup (see dinner recipe)
Calories: 570, Fat: 11 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

4. Caesar Salad Pita Pockets
Mixed greens, 1 TBS light Caesar salad dressing, 1 TBS finely shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 grilled chicken breast, sliced, 1 TBS capers. Toss until dressing has coated the salad. Stuff salad into whole wheat pita pocket.
Calories: 472, Fat: 11 grams, Fiber: 6 grams

5. Turkey sandwich & Green Apple Salad
4 slices of lean turkey on whole wheat, high fiber bread. Top sandwich with avocado slices and a slice of reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Enjoy with a mixed green salad with ½ sliced green apple, red onion, ½ TBS olive oil and 1 TBS balsamic vinegar.
Calories: 428.5, Fat: 18 grams, Fiber: 18 grams

6. FREE
Your choice of a meal out or at home. The only rules are that you keep an eye towards health and avoid anything fried, creamy or oily.

7. BBQ Sammy
Use leftover BBQ chicken from dinner (see recipe below). Place chicken on two slices of whole wheat, high fiber bread with 1 TBS reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy with mixed greens salad with low-calorie dressing.
Calories: 582, Fat: 5.5 grams, Fiber: 8 grams


DINNERS (serves 2, have a friend join you on your mission!), nutrition facts are for one serving

1. Turkey Guacamole Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
Grill two ground turkey patties. You can buy these already formed into patties or buy lean ground turkey and form your own. Place grill burger between two slices of whole wheat, high fiber bread. Top with ketchup and 100-calorie pack Wholly guacamole.

For fries, preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges (from 1 large sweet potato) with olive oil until lightly coated, salt and cayenne pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.
Calories: 497, Fat: 20 grams, Fiber: 15 grams

2. Greek Wraps
Bake 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper. Once done, cube. Toss together cubed chicken,1 cup chopped cucumbers, ½ cup chopped red onion, ½ cup olives, 2 TBS capers, ¼ cup feta cheese, 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes and ½ cup light Greek salad dressing. Stuff into whole wheat tortilla.
Calories: 478, Fat: 15 grams, Fiber: 7 grams

3. Skinny Quesadillas
Take one large whole wheat tortilla and top with 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, cooked sliced chicken and ½ cup chunky salsa drained. Press another whole wheat tortilla on top. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Place filled tortilla on hot skillet and cook until golden brown on bottom, then flip. Cut tortilla into 6 slices. One serving is 3 slices. Serve with a dollop of light sour cream and a 100-calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole.
Calories: 385, Fat: 15 grams, Fiber: 7 grams

4. Tortilla Soup
Season raw, thawed chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bake chicken at 325 degrees. Let cool and chop into cubes. In a large pot, add a touch of vegetable oil and saute 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup carrots and 1 can of sweet corn until slightly browned. Add chicken, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can water, 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth, 1 jar pre-prepared salsa and 4 corn tortillas torn) and simmer for 1-2 hours on low heat. Note that the corn tortilla pieces will thicken up the soup and give it a nice corn flavor.

Serve with cilantro, 2 avocado slices and 1 TBS reduced fat cheddar.

Note that this serves 4 and you should save the leftovers to have for lunch the next day!Calories: 570, Fat: 11 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

5. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
In a crock pot, cook 4 chicken breasts in your favorite light barbecue sauce. Cook on low until done (usually 6-8 hours). Halfway through the cooking process, you can add sliced red onion. Serve with cooked sweet corn and a baked sweet potato. Baked sweet potatoes should be topped with salt, pepper and 1 TBS of brown-sugar splenda blend.
Calories: 582, Fat: 5.5 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

6. Pizza
Yes pizza! Top whole wheat mini crust (Boboli) with sauce, baked sliced chicken (1 breast), sliced red onion, sliced green peppers and 1 cup of reduced fat pizza cheese. Bake as indicated on crust package. Serving size is 4 slices. Serve with mixed greens salad and low-calorie dressing.
Calories: 570, Fat: 13 grams, Fiber: 3 grams

7. FREE
Your choice of a meal out or at home. The only rules are that you keep an eye towards health and avoid anything fried, creamy or oily. FREE LUNCH AND DINNER CANNOT BE TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY!


SNACKS (1 per day)

1. Hummus & carrots
¼ cup hummus and 1 cup of baby carrots
Calories: 140, Fat: 5 grams, Fiber: 2.5 grams

2. Blueberries & yogurt
1 cup blueberries and ½ cup of fat-free yogurt (flavor of your choice)
Calories: 173, Fat: .5 grams, Fiber: 3.5 grams

3. 1 ounce raw Almonds
Calories: 160, Fat: 14 grams, Fiber: 3 grams

4. Banana & 1 TBS Peanut Butter
Calories: 200, Fat: 6.5 grams, Fiber: 4 grams

5. Apple
Calories: 80, Fat: 0 grams, Fiber: 5 grams

6. Granola Bar*
Calories: 120, Fat: 2 grams, 2 grams

7. Laughing cow cheese
One slice light of Laughing Cow cheese with 5 wheat melba toasts
Calories: 88, Fat: 2.3 grams, Fiber: 1 gram


GOODIES (only 5, so choose wisely)
1. Wine (100 calories)
2. Wine (100 calories)
3. Wine (100 calories)
4. Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich (140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber)
5. 1 cup Frozen Yogurt (150 calories, 2 grams of fat)


WORKOUT

Cardio
On your chosen machine (treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bike), find your comfortable working level and your challenging level. Challenging should be where you meet your maximum heart rate. Start out with a warm-up on your chosen machine about 5 minutes, then move to comfortable working level for 10 minutes. Hit challenging level for 5 minutes, drop back down to comfortable working level for 5 minutes, challenging for 5 minutes, working for 5, challenging for 10, cool down for 5. This is a total of 50 minutes.

Repeat this 3 times this week.

Strength
50 bicep curls with hand weights that you would consider medium weight
50 squats with heavy hand weights
25 lunges per leg with heavy hand weights
20 push-ups
25 tricep kickbacks per arm
50 crunches
25 reverse fly

Repeat this 2 times this week.

Note that nutrition facts are based on rough estimations from caloriecount.com.

*Check the nutrition content for the granola bar of your choice

GOOD LUCK!!! Would love to hear your thoughts on the workouts and recipes. Post a comment! Oh and email me for a checklist to put on your fridge (meghanhenderson77@gmail.com), just put "Challenge Checklist" in the subject line.


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist. Please consult your doctor before you begin any workout program or diet plan.

Dinner Time

I don't have a topic this evening, just wondering what you had for dinner? Was it healthy? How could you have made it healthier? Comments, please!

Ok, I'll go first:

I had grilled chicken glazed with BBQ sauce, Asian coleslaw (no mayo) and a baked potato. I have to admit that I added a little smart balance butter and a dollop of light sour cream. Then I had strawberries for dessert. I'd say pretty healthy.

How could I have made it even healthier? I could have 86'd the butter and gone with a little salt, pepper and salsa on the potato. Plus I could have added some broccoli to the potato or as a side.

Your turn! Tell me everything. The truth, please...

Recipe Makeover: Chicken Parm

I love chicken parmesan. It's one of my favorite dishes. In fact, I hope my last meal is pasta, chicken parmesan, lots of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, red wine and tiramisu. Have you ever played that game? You know, the "what would your last meal be if you had to choose?" Ok, just me and ad man hub? Anyway, I would totally have chicken parm. Well I have to share my recipe makeover with you. It's delish and better for you than the original.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 jar light spaghetti sauce, look for something "traditional" no extra stuff
Shredded Parmesan
Italian bread crumbs
2 egg whites
Cracked red pepper
Wheat pasta
Low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)
Olive oil cooking spray
Salt, pepper and any other Italian spices you like

Directions
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray until coated. Place egg whites and desired spices in one shallow bowl. Stir. In a separate shallow bowl dump a moderate amount of bread crumbs and add 1 TBS of Shredded Parmesan.

Place chicken breasts in a plastic baggy and pound with a rolling pin (or other device you might beat someone over the head with if they misbehave) until flattened slightly. Remove chicken from baggy and dip into the egg mixture first and then roll in bread crumbs until completely covered. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with second chicken breast. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. About two minutes before the chicken is done, sprinkle some parmesan cheese (or a pinch or so of the mozzarella cheese) on top of the chicken. Bake until melted.

While the chicken is baking, cook your wheat pasta and prep the sauce. For the sauce, I always like to "doctor up" a traditional prepared sauce with a few spices. I like it hot and spicy, so I always add cracked red pepper along with a mix of other Italian seasonings like basil, oregano, etc. There are also some already mixed Italian spices that you can grab at the grocery store. Those are great.

Ok, so you know how the rest goes. When the chicken is done, place it on a dish with a cup of pasta. Top with sauce and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and PRESTO - you have a lower-cal option.

My recos to make it even healthier:

1) Don't have bread with it. You've already got the carb action with the pasta, don't load up with anymore.
2) Don't substitute the whole wheat with regular pasta. The whole wheat is the best for you. A note about whole wheat pasta: ad man hub was SO anti whole wheat pasta until he actually tried it. He's on-board now, though. He (the guy who lives on Taco Bell and NOTHING lo-cal) thinks it tastes just about the same. So there you have it.
2) Add veggies to the sauce. If you want some more healthy stuff, add broccoli, onions, green peppers, etc.
3) Go EASY on the cheese. Really the little bit that I call for above will add the cheese flavor without the big hunk'o'cheese you get at restaurants.

Enjoy!

Nutrition per serving
Total Calories: 460
Total Fat: 6 grams
Fiber: 7.6 grams

Oh and P.S. hubs diet is STILL going really well. He hasn't even fudged once. I'm a proud wife!

The Skinny Mom: Tip #1 - Bjorn it

I'm a Mom. A lady who carried a child inside of me for 9 months. A strong person who gives hundreds of hugs and kisses daily. A teacher. A nurse. A best friend.

Being a Mom is THE most wonderful job that I've ever had. Hands down.

I have many friends that have recently had little ones like me and are trying to shape up the body that baby built. So, I am going to give a tip every week or so in the course of my blogging geared toward shaping up with baby in tow, called "The Skinny Mom." Here's my first tip. I tried it today and it was a winner.

Bjorn It
We recently bought a Baby Bjorn and this morning I decided to test it out. I bundled up Baby Elvis and positioned him facing out. I then grabbed the leash and the dog and went for a walk. We walked for probably 30 minutes, not at a brisk pace, but a good steady walk. Baby Elvis is about 17 1/2 pounds, so I figure I burned roughly 160 calories and got a decent leg strengthening workout.

It was nice for both of us to get fresh air and the Baby Bjorn kept Baby Elvis close to me for bonding (and warmth) sake.

Try this out Mommas. Use your bambino as an extra weight to lose the weight!

If you are looking for a Baby Bjorn, you can get it at Walmart, Babies "R" Us and other online retailers. There are lots of Bjorn knock-offs that work just as well, too. Here's the link to check 'em out:

Baby Bjorn

Looking to Score

You've heard of Weight Watchers, right? Every food has a points value and based on a height/weight/desired weight loss ratio you are given a daily points allocation. Ok, so a company named NuVal is giving all foods another type of point value.

They are taking the guess work out of shopping for healthy food. This mathematical ranking was developed by a panel of nutrition and medical experts and the results make it easy to determine what are the best items for you.

How? According to nuval.com "the NuVal System scores food on a scale of 1-100. The higher the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition. It’s that simple. It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol). And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds. And it’s coming to every aisle of your favorite grocery stores – right there on the shelf tag. Now you can compare overall nutrition the same way you compare price."

I think it's quite an idea. So I've listed some seemingly healthy items that have surprising low scores and some of the top ranking foods. Here's the good, the bad and the ugly:

Shocked it's not as healthy...
Pretzels (1 point)!
Cinnamon Raisin Bread (8 points)
Kashi Strawberry Fields Cereal (11 points)
Sauerkraut (13 points)
Baked Lays (24 points)
Chicken Breast boneless (39 points)
Healthy Choice Hearty 7 - Grain Bread (35 points)

Some foods with 100 point ranking...
Blueberries
Broccoli
Fresh Cut Whole Green Beans
Unprocessed Wheat Bran

You have to check out their site, too. They have great tips for choosing good foods and they list all the current point values. Nuval.com

This is not in the DFW area just yet, but I'm sure it will make it's way here soon enough. I am going to dig into this a little more and see if I can put together some recipes with high-scoring foods. Stay tuned...

Men vs. Women: Weight Loss

I have been married to ad man hub for 3 1/2 years. We dated for a year before marriage and I worked with him prior to that for about 2 1/2 years. So that means I have been a sweet, shining light in his life for 7 years. In that time I have always been an exercise nut and very conscious about eating healthy. Meanwhile, he has lived on a steady diet of Taco Bell, pizza, frito chili pie, Haagen Dasz and beer. The kicker is that he looks great. Always has. He has that amazing metabolism that has him looking as though he hits the gym daily, when in fact that is far from the truth. I think Baby Elvis will inherit that clever metabolism and will in turn eat as his father does. Men are just like that darn it.

I can see it now [insert dream sequence music] Hub and Baby Elvis (who is no longer a baby and is in fact a 22 year old strapping young man) are hanging out in the living room watching football and gobbling copious amounts of chili, queso, guacamole, and swilling beer. They look svelte, of course. Then there’s me. In the corner. Nibbling the corner of a rice cake in workout clothes about to hit the gym for my third workout of the day (so that the rice cake doesn’t go to my hips). But I look good (in this dream). I’ve had a boob job and botox. And perhaps I’m taller…

My point is men suck. They have quicker metabolisms and age more gracefully. Damn them.

You know the saying "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? Well it is true of horses and hubs. You'd think that after 7 years some of my subtle healthy tips and suggestions would rub off, but it has all fallen on deaf ears. I think he actually ignores me really. But despite this kickin' metabolism, hub has put on a few pounds in the past year or so. (I can tell you this because he doesn't read the blog). So the horse, I mean hub, has decided to go on a diet as of January 1. And I'll tell you a man on a diet is unstoppable.

The commitment is quite remarkable. When a woman decides she is on a diet, she whines and agonizes over the fact that she CAN'T have a cookie. While a man thinks about the fact that he CAN have one beer tonight and still keep within check on calories. Hub doesn't go over his allocated calorie count at all. A man on a mission. Maybe it's the one track mind at work here, but he's doing great! Now if he can hit the gym I believe he will see some serious results within a month.

Men do a lot of things differently and getting healthy is no exception. I did a little digging on how men lose weight versus women and wanted to share. We've all sat by and watched our male counterparts drop weight just by changing a few simple habits and it is frustrating. The below info is excerpted from an article Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD and it outlines the reasons why they lose weight as they do and offers some suggestions.

One big difference between the sexes lies in food preferences, according to Katherine Tallmadge, RD, the author of Diet Simple. "Men love their meat, and women are attached to carbohydrates," she says. "As soon as the men start paying attention to healthier food choices, they tend to get quick results," says Tallmadge. Call it beginner's luck!

There are some weight loss tricks that work equally well for both sexes, though. Both women and men who have been skipping breakfast usually get quick results when they add a healthy breakfast into their plan, observes Tallmadge. "I also advise everyone to divide their eating plans equally so that one-third of their calories is eaten before lunch."

Let's Get Physical
The simple truth is that men are larger and have more muscle than women due to the hormone testosterone. They are genetically designed to have a higher percentage of muscle and less fat -- which works in favor of keeping them fit and allowing them to eat more calories.

But with a little work, women can even up the odds a bit. To build more muscle and get your engine revving, pick up some weights and start pumping. You'll increase your muscle mass and decrease your fat stores by doing strength training at least twice a week.

Not only will strength training build muscle mass and help you burn more calories, but it will also strengthens your bones, preventing osteoporosis -- a disease primarily of women. (And, of course, it gives you a more shapely physique.)

There is at least one area where women have the edge, weight-wise. When men deposit fat, it most often goes to their middles, while women's excess weight tends to settle below the belt and in the middle. And it turns out that the "pear-shaped" body has a health advantage over the "apple": Those who carry extra fat mostly around their middles are at higher risk of developing heart disease than those who are bottom-heavy.

Who's Minding the Kitchen?
Many women come home from work and head straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I'm often one of them -- and, as I imagine many men do, my husband usually enjoys the newspaper until he is called for dinner.

Even in this day and age, women are primarily responsible for family meals. Planning menus, grocery shopping, and preparing meals is a lot of work, not to mention the extra temptation to nibble, taste, and eat more calories.

Try to equalize the workload and minimize the temptations by getting your partner and/or the kids involved in preparing quick and healthy meals. They will all benefit, and so will you!

Attitude Is Everything
Chances are, when you hear someone worrying that they are "too fat" or complaining about their clothing size, it's a woman doing the talking.

As a general rule, women tend to be more vocal about their feelings and more focused on their physical forms (we can probably thank our society's emphasis on women's appearance for much of this). Many guys, on the other hand, seem oblivious about their appearance.

This is an area where women could learn a thing or two from the men. Being positive about the way we look is especially important around children -- girls in particular. Eating disorders start with dieting and obsessions over appearance. You certainly don't want to model unhealthy behaviors for your impressionable young daughters to mimic.

Whether we're male or female, we need to make peace with our bodies. It's important to see weight management as a route to better health, rather than physical perfection.

Keep It in Perspective
In my experience, I've noticed that many men just see the numbers on the scale creeping upward and make a decision to correct it. Plain and simple, they decide to increase their activity and decrease their food intake.

But I've seen some women beat themselves up over a few extra pounds, even though this does little more than destroy their self-worth. Berating yourself will not help motivate you to control your weight and improve your health. So the next time those negative thoughts creep into your head, recognize them for what they are and replace them with positive ones.

The road to permanent weight control is a very personal journey. Individualized plans, tailor-made for either sex, are fundamental.

But while we are all different, we all have the same goal -- successful weight management. Whether or not you believe that "men are from Mars and women are from Venus," we can learn from one another and have some fun along the way.

That's just what hub did. He decided to lose weight and now he's doing it. I will post a "before" pic of him soon...



For the full article from Zelman, click here: medicinenet.com

Do my Shox Shock You?

I am obsessed with Nike Shox. Seriously obsessed. Obsessed like Fatal Attraction. Or like the kind of obsessed you are when you drive by a boyfriend's house in the middle of the night to make sure that his car is there since he told you he was home and going to sleep...I mean I've never done that, but it's like that kind of obsession. Ok, I did do it once in high school, but I was only 16 and your brain isn't fully developed at that age. He was there by the way. And my Mom went with me. I love that woman. She's got just a little bit of crazy in her too.

Ok, so back to tennies. Ad man hub likes to buy me sneakers for gift-giving occasions: my birthday, Christmas and Valentine's Day. He knows how hard I am on my shoes and he knows that I love beautiful, shiny new kicks. This year he spoiled me rotten with three new pairs, two of which are Shox.

Bliss. Absolute bliss for my feet.

So, I have terrible knees. In fact I used to get knee injections to help replace the cartilage that is darn near depleted from years of dancing and high-impact exercise. But, now the extra support from my glorious new shoes helps my knees, back and I think I might be able to jump higher. Maybe.

I believe it's imperative to find the perfect tennies for your feet (or knees as it were). For me, it's Shox.

I hear from so many folks that take my classes that they have bad knees. Runner's knee, as it is called, is actually among the top ten sports injuries according to the Sports Injury Handbook online:
http://www.sportsinjuryhandbook.com/injuries/index.html

The name is misleading, though. You don't even have to be a runner to get stiff, achy knees. This injury can occur from years of exercise, carrying around too much extra weight and from general wear and tear.

Whether you need the extra support or not, I encourage you to try a new pair, new brand or new style. New shoes can give you a little extra motivation to get to the gym and work harder once you are there. You have to show off the shoes, after all.

If you want to give the Shox a shot, you can get them pretty inexpensively. I posted some of the cheapest ones from my google shopping search:

http://www.6pm.com/nike-shox-sport-trn-sl-white-varsity-red-metallic-silver

http://www.6pm.com/nike-shox-sport-trn-sl-white-varsity-red-metallic-silver

http://store.nike.com/index.jsp?country=US&lang_locale=en_US#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-100701/pid-234011/pgid-306966

http://www.finishline.com/store/catalog/product.jsp?sourceid=shopping&productId=prod614246&NIKE&cid=42&CAWELAID=129980656

Now go get Shox-ey!

P.S. Nike doesn't pay me to give blatant plugs. I seriously LOVE these shoes that much.

Workout High

I love a good workout. I mean I really LOVE a kick-a*@ sweat session. It ranks right up there with finding cash in your jeans pocket, or a first kiss, or waking up to the alarm to find that it is actually Saturday. Or sex even.

Oh, I had a doozy of a workout this evening. I subbed a kickboxing class and had a blast. I always love going into a room full of people that love their regular instructor. They give you that look and fold their arms across their chests as if to say "if you don't give me a BETTER workout than my regular teacher than I'm walking out." I know this is what people think because I've given that look myself (before becoming an instructor, of course). I've even walked out of a class or two in my time.

But, their frowns quickly fade and they realize that I'm good. Dripping with sweat, they leave satisfied. Success!

So after leaving behind 824 calories behind at the gym (according to heart monitor), I went home and had a nice healthy dinner of chicken, pasta and veggies. And instead of reaching for a sugary treat, I had granola and organic skim milk for dessert. There is just something about getting an awesome workout that boosts your willpower.

I encourage you to get your rock star workouts in a couple times a week. This workout is a little more intense than your normal elliptical trainer or treadmill routine. You gotta crank it up a notch. If you normally take classes, try two in a row (cardio and weights), or add 10 more minutes to your cardio session, go for a longer jog or simply add more weight if you are doing strength training. Challenge your body. You will feel so good and not want to "screw it up." You will avoid fried food and dessert. Try it. I guarantee you will at least get some of those fabulous endorphins.

I love endorphins. Screw you sugar. You are the devil.

Can I get a boost here?

So, remember my post from yesterday? The one where I was all "I feel so great after doing cardio for two hours..." and then I mentioned that I felt dehydrated. Well, shortly after that post I took a nose-dive head first into the toilet. I ended up with some sort of tummy bug. Ick. Thank goodness hub and the in laws were here to run interference with Baby Elvis. Taking care of a little one with terrible nausea and a splitting headache was not working well. And no, I didn't drink a single drop of alcohol if that is what you were thinking.

I just seem to be getting sick A LOT. No really, way more than I should. Let's take a quick look at my illnesses in the past few months:

1. Flu
2. Mastitis
3. Common Cold
4. Tummy Bug of sorts

Pre-baby Elvis I rarely got sick. I always kind of looked down my nose at those people not blessed with a great immune system. As though me and my little immune system were somehow superior. Karma is a bitch, though.

So in a fit of frustration I google searched into oblivion to find out how to give my immune system a boost without all sorts of supplements and herbs. I wanted immune boost Au natural. Here's what I found from some pretty remarkable sites:

Eat my way healthy
There is a nice long list of good foods to incorporate into my diet to boost immunity. These include everything from lemon juice to garlic. In short, eat healthy. Which I do for the most part. Suite101 outlined a lovely blend of protein, raw fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. While none of this was particularly earth-shattering to me, what was is that in all my research the experts site refined sugars as immune system weakeners. I gasped. Out loud. Really? I'm starting to think that sugar is the source of all evil. It's the white devil.

Here's an excerpt from Suite 101: "Worse yet is the impact of refined white sugar. If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick. You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight distribution, immunity and your ability to think clearly when you break the cravings and stop eating refined sugar. Many holistic nutritionists consider sugar a drug for its impact on the human body; I have known practitioners to prioritize eliminating sugar from the diet over recommending that people quitting smoking."

Pretty damning for the white devil, isn't it? Well, I am willing to give it a shot. Cut out sugar. Hmmm. Ok.

Hit the Hay
Easier said than done in my case. I get sweet Baby Elvis off to la-la land around 6pm. Then I scramble to make dinner for myself and hub, check email, maybe teach a late aerobics class, shower, fold some laundry and then hop into bed. Right about the time I close my eyes and feel myself slip into a slumber (around 10 p.m.) Baby Elvis decides it's time to eat. Then this happens again at 2 a.m. and he's up at 4 a.m. Yes, I awake bleary-eyed and frazzled at 4 a.m. almost every morning. He doesn't go back to sleep until about 7 a.m. and then I feel guilty going to sleep then. I stumble into the shower and brew up the coffee. We're working on it though. Baby E is a plump little guy and doesn't NEED to eat at these times. He just likes it that way. I try the shushing and bouncing and rocking and singing and all the tricks. He just wants to eat. Then lights out. He's back to snoozeville.

I digress. In theory 6-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep is ideal. Everyone has their own sleep number, though. Not the fancy bed (which I would love to have, by the way). This number is the number of hours that you need. Some people need 6 and some people need 10. Sleep is so restorative. It's also been linked to "balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin."

I have vowed to go to bed at 8 tonight. Right after I finish this post.

Water
Water consumption is just like sleep, everyone has a special number. An interesting finding on my google scour is that everyone has a unique amount of water they need each day. We've always heard the recommended 8 glasses per day, but I found a fun formula that determines how much water you actually need.

weight divided by 2 = the amount of water in ounces you need to drink each day. For a 150 pound person they need 75 ounces, roughly 9 8-oz glasses of water per day. This is pure water. Sodas, coffee and sugary drinks do not count.

So by my calculations I need to drink another 4 glasses before I go to bed at 8:00. Seems counterproductive since I'm trying to get more sleep. Water will just make me have to go to the bathroom ten times during the night...

So, lots of water (early in the day).

Herbs
I didn't necessarily want to add all kinds of supplements to my regimen, but the evidence cannot be argued. Echinacea, garlic root and an interesting one called Goldenseal are all players in the battle against germs and infection. What seems the most doable for me, though, was to introduce herbal tea in the mornings vs. coffee.

Please share any other immune system boosters that have worked for you. This is a topic that we should all take note of. Healthy immune system for healthy, happy folks!

I also wanted to share a FAB site for fellow Mommas. There are some cool giveaways that support Mom-owned businesses and blogs. You can even search health-related businesses. They support my site and I fully support theirs. Check it out: http://livingmymoment.com/

Sources:
http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/10_ways_to_boost_immune_health
http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/factsheets.asp?article_ID=112

Burned 1,000 calories today!

So, I'm off to a great start with my new year's resolution! And I helped others achieve their goals, too. I taught two classes back-to-back this morning and am EXHAUSTED, and to make it even sweeter I burned 1,000 calories!

Did you get your workout on today? You certainly don't have to do two hours of cardio, it's a little excessive really, but Saturday is a great day to do your long workout. Weekday workouts tend to be a little rushed if they are in the morning or during lunch and we tend to be too tired to do more than an hour in the evening. Consider making Saturday the day to do cardio and weight training. Check out the schedule at your gym because weekend class line-ups are usually jam-packed with fun formats and convenient times. The best combo is a cardio class (kickboxing, step, etc.) and then a weight-lifting class.

I am really dehydrated, though. I drank two big bottles of water, but the gym was super humid.

That is my tip for the day: DRINK WATER! LOTS OF WATER!

The Skinny on Getting Skinny in the New Year

Millions of Americans are making New Year's resolutions this evening (and recovering from a hangover). Get more organized. Be nicer to people. Quit smoking. Find a man who is worth a darn. Lose weight.

Yep. Lose weight. I saw on the news this morning that losing weight is the number one resolution amongst Americans. I believe it. I'm one of those Americans. I still have six pounds of baby weight to lose and of course would like to tone up the areas that Baby Elvis "changed." So, number one on my list is to lose weight. P.S. it used to be only 4 pounds left to lose, but good ole holiday cheer (and cookies, cookies, cookies) came into play.

So let's chat a little about making and keeping resolutions. Do you remember your resolution from last year? How long did you keep it?

So, I didn't achieve my goal either. I have no earthly idea what I even vowed on January 1, 2009. If the goal was to gain 35 pounds, have a beautiful baby and start a blog, then I guess I achieved it...

OK, so really I didn't achieve it I'm sure. I bet it was something totally unnecessary like "be a better housekeeper" or "take more pictures."

My mistake was to vow some lofty and ambiguous goal and not keep tabs on it. This year however, I have the goal to lose six pounds and be back to wearing crop tops at the gym again.

I really think that the key to creating resolutions is three-fold:

1) Keep it Realistic
2) Map out a Plan
3) Check back often

So, for me, I feel like the resolution is certainly realistic. 6 pounds in a year is not a big deal. Now the toning up part – realistic, yes, but also ambiguous. So, I need to map out that plan by noting how many inches I would like to lose (2-4 inches from my waist, hips and legs respectively). Tracking inches lost vs. weight lost is a much better way to chart your fitness progress. It's actually more indicative of your accomplishments since muscle weighs more than fat.

My plan:
– Continue teaching my 7 classes per week
– Add a 20-30 minute jog (with Baby Elvis in jogging stroller) twice per week
– Add one additional session of weight training per week (I already weight train for 45 minutes on Tuesdays and do a little bit of weights in my boot camp classes)
– Move more!! Walk the mall, park far away from the entrance to stores, etc.
– Weigh myself once per week (here's that check back often part!)
– Eat dessert only once per week
– General healthy eating
– Keep health & fitness top of mind by blogging daily (I just saw Julie & Julia and am so inspired to write daily and have a great following!)

Whew! Can I do it? Join me on my journey and let's find out together. I will post pics. Ugh. I promise. I'll have ad man hub take some pics of me in a bikini and you can watch me transform. Ugh again. You got to check back often just to see the train wreck, right? It won't be a train wreck by the end of the year, though. I am going to be a hot momma.

I encourage you to identify a goal or two for the year and post it! Make it public for all the naked stretchers to see.

Bring it on 2010!!!