No such thing as a "Quick Fix"

Trainer: You should try this Fat Burner drink. It's a great supplement to your workout.

Guy: So I can still eat my Whopper at Burger King, drink this and lose weight?

Trainer: Uh...that's not what I said. It's a great supplement to good nutrition and a workout regimen.

Guy: Sweet! Screw this gym membership. I'm just gonna drink this. Better stop and get some Taco Bell on the way home.

Ok, this is dramatized a little bit. But my sister witnessed a very similar exchange between a trainer and customer at the gym yesterday. She was so shocked that the guy couldn't grasp the idea that she had to call and tell me about it. We decided I had better write about this!

So, the trainer was very clear that the supplement was not a replacement for healthy habits like diet and exercise. He repeated himself multiple times and the guy heard what he wanted to hear: "This burns fat and I don't have to do all this working out business."

Well, I have news for the Taco Bell, Fat Burner man - THERE IS NO QUICK FIX. Period. There is nothing that you can do, not do, eat or drink that will help you lose weight and keep it off other than good old fashioned exercise and healthy eating. I feel like I should add one hundred exclamation points after that!

Unfortunately there is so much propaganda out there about new fangled diets or pills that lead you to believe that you don't have to put forth any effort. When in reality they are harmful and/or not maintainable. You are in the minority if you haven't tried some lose weight quick scheme. It's like "get rich quick" ideas, they don't work! I recently read an article about some of the most popular quick weight loss diets and the criticism of those diets.

"Fad diets not only fail to produce long-term weight loss, they can lead to deprivation, weight gain, and discouragement," says Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don't Work."In other words, you are often worse off than before you started." She outlines some of the worst offenders (excerpted from her article):

1. Diets that focus on only a few foods or food groups (like the cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, strict vegan diets, raw food diets, and many low-carb diets)
Beware of any diet that rules out entire food groups. People need to eat from a variety of food groups to get all the nutrients they need, says ADA spokeswoman Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD.

Yale University's David Katz, MD, author of The Flavor Point Diet, says that while restrictive diets do work initially, they fail over the long haul. You can lose weight on diets that focus on single foods (like cabbage soup), but how much cabbage soup can a person eat? Before long, you grow weary of eating the same foods every day, and cravings for favorite foods lead you back to your former eating behavior.

2. "Detox" diets (like Master Cleanse, the Hallelujah Diet, and The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox)
Extreme regimens calling for procedures like liver flushes, bodily cleanses, colonics, hormone injections, and more are highly suspect, experts say.

"All the flushes and cleanses are pure nonsense, unnecessary, and there is no scientific basis for these recommendations," says Pamela Peeke, MD, chief medical correspondent for the Discovery Health channel. "Your body is well equipped with organs, such as the liver and kidneys, and the immune system, to rid itself of potential toxins and does an excellent job of cleansing itself without needing flushes or cleanses."

3. Diets with 'miracle' foods or ingredients (like supplements, fructose water, bitter orange, green tea, apple cider vinegar)
Dieters are always searching for the food, pill, or potion that will help them lose weight, but unfortunately, there are no such miracle ingredients. "No one single food or group of foods eaten together or at a certain time of day has any impact on weight loss," notes May.

4. Fasting and very low-calorie diets (like the "Skinny" vegan diet, Hollywood Diet, and Master Cleanse)
Fasting has been a cultural and religious tradition for centuries, and is fine for a day or so, but fasting for weight loss is counterproductive, Giancoli explains.

"When you ... consume too few calories, your body thinks it is starving and adjusts the metabolism," she says. "But when you go back to eating normally, your metabolism doesn't readjust and therefore you need fewer calories than before -- otherwise known as the yo-yo syndrome."

What's worse, weight loss during a fast is usually a combination of fat, fluid, and muscle, but the pounds regained will probably be all fat.

5. Diets that sound too good to be true (like The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About.)
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Diet plans that claim to have a "secret," that make dramatic statements against respected health authorities, or make recommendations that contradict those of scientific organizations are suspect.


Bottom line, weight loss and maintenance are simple, but not easy. Nothing that is worthwhile is ever "easy." You must burn more calories than you take in. Whether that means you workout at the gym, with a DVD at home or run in the great outdoors - you gotta put forth the effort. So what about supplements? A common misconception about supplements is that they can do the work for you. False. Supplements are just that, a supplement to your workout and nutrition plan. They may help you recover more quickly or get needed vitamins or nutrition that are lacking in your diet, but they do not do the work for you.

As some of you know I sell Beachbody products and I have to say that the supplementation I sell is some of the best out there. Whether it's muscle recovery, a multi-vitamin or a meal replacement I believe in these products. They aren't a quick fix, they must be accompanied with a healthy diet and exercise.

Rant complete!

For more info on fad diets, read this full article: Webmd.com

For more info on Beachbody, visit my website: http://teambeachbody.com/meghanh

Sweetheart Breakfast

Oh sweet tooth, I take care of you on Valentine's Day! For me and my sweet ad man hub I made delish Amaretto French Toast with granola salad to start our Valentine's Day off the right way! Here's my recipe. Doesn't it look delish? Share it with your honey...

Amaretto French Toast
Serves 2

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1 capful of almond extract
2 packets Truvia or Splenda
1/4 cup skim milk
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 Fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup Granola

Directions
Spray skillet or griddle with nonfat cooking spray. Heat skillet or griddle until it sizzles when a little water is dropped on it. Stir together egg whites, Truvia/Splenda, almond extract and skim milk in a shallow bowl. Dip bread in mixture until soaked through. Place bread on skillet and brown both sides.

Serve with granola salad on top of french toast. For granola salad scoop 1/4 cup of fat-free vanilla yogurt onto french toast and top with 1/4 cup granola and fresh raspberries. A little shout out to Target, they have the BEST granola. They have this dark chocolate hazelnut granola (Archer Farms brand). I am completely in love with it. It's not low-fat, but it makes a protein and fiber-rich dessert. I felt like it was appropriate for this Valentine's treat. Seriously you will LOVE it.

The sweetest deal is it's LOWFAT and LOW CALORIES:
Calories: 315
Fat: 3.8 grams
Fiber: 7.5 grams

Feel free to share your fave low-cal sweet treat here!

May your Valentine's Day be sugary sweet (or at least Splenda sweetened)!

It's Valentine's - Indulge without all the calories

I love sharing dessert with ad man hub. It's kind of a sweet way to say that we share our lives and love together (and it's less calories). I like to think all the sugar and calories are in his half! But, this Sunday, even though it's Valentine's Day, I'm not letting it be an excuse to eat too many calories.

I'm going to make a sweet, yet sinless, dessert for us to share. Here are some easy recipes and ideas for your Valentine's sweet tooth. Share 'em with your honey of course!


Sweetheart Soda Pop Cake

Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can Diet Dr Pepper cherry
1 tub fat free cool whip
1 box fat-free, sugar-free jello mix
1 jar sugar-free or low sugar strawberry jam

Directions
Preheat oven as indicated on your boxed cake mix. Grease two round cake pans with a nonfat cooking spray. Add 1 cup of the Diet Dr Pepper Cherry to the cake mix. Stir until moist. You may need to add a splash or two more to make it completely moist. Yep, that's it - no eggs, no milk, no oil. Pour the batter into two round cake pans and bake as indicated on box. It will take a little longer to finish, but start with the amount of time the box calls for. It is done when a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

While cooling, mix 3/4 of the box of jello mix with the cool whip and put in fridge.

When cake is completely cooled, spread a layer of jam on top of one round cake. Stack the other one on top and spread the cool whip on top and sides. Sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles for a festive touch. Yep, they make sugar-free sprinkles.

180 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram fiber


Champagne-soaked Strawberries
Remove strawberry tops and slice in half. Place strawberries in a shallow bowl. Pour two cups of champagne over top and soak for at least 3 hours (overnight is best). Serve with a dollop of cool whip mixed with 2 TBS of champagne. Serving is 1 cup of strawberry halves

115 calories, .5 g fat, 3 g fiber


Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches (courtesy of Ellie Krieger)

Treat yourself to three (yes, three!)

Ingredients
1/2 cup light vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt), softened at room temperature
24 vanilla wafer cookies (1 1/2 inches in diameter)
1 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions
Line a shallow storage container with waxed paper. Put a small scoop of ice cream (about 2 tsp) on a cookie; top with another cookie. Roll sandwich in chocolate so chips adhere to ice cream. Place in container. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 12 mini ice cream sandwiches. Cover container and place in the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes, or freeze for up to 1 week.

220 calories for 3 sandwiches, 8 g fat, 1 g fiber


Raspberry-Chocolate Angel Food Cake (inspiration from a SELF.com recipe)

Ingredients
1 box angel food cake mix
1/2 cup sugar free or low sugar raspberry jam
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Preparation
Bake angel food cake as directed on box, except bake in a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray. For filling, heat the jam in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a light simmer. For the frosting, heat chocolate chips in a zip-loc bag in microwave. Heat in 10 second increments until completely melted. Open zip-loc and drop in sour cream. Squeeze bag to mix.

To assemble: Place a cutting board over cake pan; invert cake onto board. With a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (or heart-shaped), cut 12 rounds from cake. Top 6 rounds with 1 heaping tbsp of raspberry filling (you will have some left over), then place 6 remaining cake rounds on top. Snip the corner of the ziploc bag to create a piping bag. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over top and sides. (You should have some frosting left over.) Top with raspberries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.

250 calories per cake, 5 g fat, 3 g fiber


Wishing you a sweet Valentine's Day!

A Kiss for Valentine's Day

The big day is Sunday. The day for flowers, cards, love and CHOCOLATE. As much as I long for a big box of Godiva truffles, this year I have my sights set on healthier things. I came across the best gift idea. Wanna know what it is? Ok, let's play a little guess who. I'm usually made of chocolate, calorie-free and so sweet. What am I?

A Hershey kiss...necklace that is.

Men listen up, you can save your love's diet and make her swoon with a Hershey's kiss necklace. So sweet. They range in price from $49 for a basic sterling silver charm and chain to over $6,000 for a diamond-studded version.

Couple this with a single rose and you are golden. You will be indulging in other calorie-burning behavior for your efforts (if you know what I mean).

Someone should drop this necklace hint with ad man hub...I'm just saying.

Here are some sites to check out
Fancy Diamond Necklace

Standard Necklace

Customizable Necklace

It's also available in-store at Zale's.

Stretch Naked Challenge: Week Two

Week two is here! Hope that you had a great first week on the nutrition and exercise plan. What was your favorite meal? Fave snack?

Ok, so here are 6 new breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options. You still get a free lunch and dinner! Use these recipes or repeat some of your favorites from last week. Save all the recipes so that you can mix and match in the coming weeks.

Oh and I love the workouts this week. Some of my faves!

Week Two: February 1-7

BREAKFAST (all portions serve 1)

1. High Fiber Granola Bar
High-fiber granola bar (like Fiber One chewy bars). One cup of skim milk.
Calories: 350, Fat: 7 grams, Fiber: 12 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. Breakfast Burrito
Prepare with 1 small whole-wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup egg substitute scrambled or 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup assorted cooked vegetables and 1 ounce of reduced-fat cheese.
Calories: 304, Fat: 7, Fiber: 6

4. Skinny French Toast
Make with whole-grain bread and egg whites blended with 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of cinnamon. I also like to use orange extract instead of vanilla for a different flavor. Top with light syrup or low sugar strawberry jam. A fun variation that adds about 100 calories is to dip the whole wheat bread in egg and then roll in special K flavored cereal (like vanilla almond) and then put on the skillet. Serve with fruit. So good! I had this at a hotel in South Texas once and it was seriously the best breakfast ever. I doubt they used egg whites and skim milk, though!
Calories: 278, Fat: 6 grams, Fiber: 5 grams

5. Grapefruit & Toast
Grapefruit with whole-wheat toast & almond (or peanut) butter. Add a little Truvia on top of the grapefruit, and it cuts some of the bitter taste.
Calories: 304, Fat: 8.4 grams, Fiber: 15 grams

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

7. Bagel & Fruit
1 small whole-wheat bagel, 1 ounce reduced-fat cheese or 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, plus 1 cup fresh fruit (strawberries or blueberries). Calories: 384, Fat: 6 grams, Fiber: 12.3 grams

LUNCHES (all portions serve 1)

1. Veggie Sandwich
Toss thinly 1/8 cup sliced red onion with rinsed and chopped artichoke hearts (1 jar or can), 1 medium tomato diced, 2 TBS balsamic vinegar, 1 TBS olive oil, oregano, shredded romaine lettuce and sliced pepperoncini. Add veggie mixture to a hollowed out whole wheat baguette (scoop out all the unnecessary bread in the middle for lower carb and calorie count). Add a slice of provolone cheese or sprinkle with feta cheese.
Calories: 264, Fat: 8 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

2. Cheese & Bean Burrito
Add 1/3 cup vegetarian refried beans, 2 TBS shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded romaine lettuce in a whole wheat tortilla. Top with prepared salsa and 1 TBS of light sour cream. Yay, because you can have two burritos!
Calories: 371, Fat: 13.5 grams, Fiber: 7 grams

3. Leftover Turkey Tacos (see dinner recipe)
Calories: 470, Fat: 20 grams, Fiber: 9 grams

4. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
I loved having this on cold days when I was little! Use 1 TBS of light butter or margarine on one side of a slice of high fiber wheat bread. Place on a hot skillet and top bread with 2 TBS of shredded reduced fat cheese. Prepare light tomato soup (Campbell’s has a good one).
Calories: 370, Fat: 16 grams, Fiber: 11 grams

5. Turkey sandwich & Romaine 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 ¼ cup craisins, 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. FREE LUNCH AND FREE DINNER CANNOT BE TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY!

7. Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad
Spinach salad with grilled chicken breast, light Italian salad dressing, 1 cup berries, 6 ounces light yogurt, 1 slice whole-wheat bread.
Calories: 418, Fat: 4 grams, Fiber: 5.5 grams

DINNERS (serves 2 or more), nutrition facts are for one serving

1. Grilled Salsa Chicken
Season chicken with salt and pepper and bake until cooked thoroughly. Top with prepared chunky salsa, a TBS of reduced fat shredded cheese and a dollop of light sour cream. Serve with baked tortilla chips (1 ounce).
Calories: 510, Fat: 14 grams, Fiber: 6 grams

2. Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps
Prepare ½ cup of instant brown rice. Set aside. Cook lean ground turkey in a skillet with 2 TBS sesame oil (or olive oil). Once cooked through, add water chestnuts, garlic, green onions, bell peppers, ½ cup of low-sodium chicken broth, prepared light teriyaki sauce and ½ cup brown rice and cook until thoroughly heated. Scoop into lettuce cups (Boston lettuce) and top with shredded carrots and cilantro sprigs.
Calories: 285, Fat: 11 grams, Fiber: 5 grams

3. Baked Salmon & Couscous
Place raw salmon in tin foil and coat with 1 TBS olive oil, juice of one lemon and several sprigs of rosemary. Wrap up and bake until desired doneness. Serve with 1 cup prepared couscous and 1 cup steamed broccoli.
Calories: 424, Fat: 6.3 grams, Fiber: 11.2 grams

4. Slim Stir Fry
In a large skillet or Wok, cook 2 TBS of Sesame Oil, diced chicken, bean sprouts, green onion, garlic, bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots until complete. There are some great seasoning mixes/packets at the grocery store to give this a great stir fry flavor. Grab one and add it to the hot mixture. Serve over 1 cup brown rice.
Calories: 425, Fat: 8.6 grams, Fiber: 9 grams

5. Philly-light Cheesesteak
Cook onion sliced very thin, sweet red bell peppers, garlic and 1 TBS of olive oil in skillet. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside. In the same skillet pan-fry extra lean beef tenderloin (sliced very thin) until brown. Add veggie mixture until blended. Spoon hot onto whole wheat bun (with middle hollowed out) and top with 1 slice of provolone cheese.
Calories: 530, Fat: 17 grams, Fiber: 7 grams


6. Turkey Tacos
Cook lean ground turkey in skillet with 1 TBS olive oil until browned. Add 1 packet of low-sodium taco seasoning. Continue cooking until done. Wrap ground turkey in two corn tortilla with 1 TBS prepared salsa, 1 sliced avocado, 1 TBS reduced fat cheese and a dollop of light sour cream divided among the torillas.
Calories: 470, Fat: 20 grams, Fiber: 9 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 FREE DINNER CANNOT BE TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY!

SNACKS (1 per day)

Baked Cheetos 100 Calorie Mini Bites
Calories: 100, Fat: 4 grams, Fiber: 0 grams

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

M&M Granola
Half of a 1.08-oz container of M&M’s minis mixed with 1/2 cup low-fat granola
Calories: 261, Fat: 6 grams, Fiber: 3.5 grams

1 cup of edamame
Calories: 200, Fat: 6 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

Banana
Calories: 200, Fat: 6.5 grams, Fiber: 4 grams

Starbucks Mocha Light Frappuccino (tall)
Calories: 100, Fat: 1 grams, Fiber: 2 grams

Bag of Popcorn
3 ½ cups of low-fat popcorn
Calories: 200, Fat: 2 grams, 5 grams

Berry Salad
1 ½ cups of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry mix
Calories: 100, Fat: 1 gram, Fiber: 7.4 grams

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
3 sessions is the minimum this week.

Session 1: DANCE BABY! Go to a dance class (Zumba, Hip-Hop, Salsa, whatever!) OR go to a club and dance with the girls (watch your alcohol!) OR buy a dance DVD workout. You can find some great ones at Target or online. You won’t even feel like you are working out! If you want to come and take any of my dance classes, let me know and I can get you a free pass!

Session 2: Run/Jog/Walk. I have found that I can get major results from the free and simple art of jogging. The weather should be getting nicer and it’s a perfect time to pound the pavement. No matter your fitness level, this is a great workout. My reco for a beginner is to walk/jog, meaning jog for 5 minutes, walk briskly for 5 minutes. Alternate the two for 45 minutes. If you are an experienced runner, alternate 4 minutes of jogging with 1 minute sprinting. Do this for 45 minues.

Session 3: Walk some stairs or hit the stairmaster. If you have ever climbed stairs, you know how out of breath you get. Climbing stairs gets your heart rate at the perfect level for burning major calories. Find an office building (perhaps your own) and try to climb 30 flights. Obviously you can repeat flights if you don’t have 30 consecutive flights. I know this sounds insance, but it seriously is one of the BEST workouts.

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


Note that all calorie counts are rough estimates based on information entered into caloriecount.about.com.

Some of the recipes are inspired from other recipes on Eatingwell.com and Self.com.

I am not a nutritionist. Before starting any nutrition or fitness plan, consult your physician.

Stretch Naked Challenge: Week Two

Good Morning all!

I'm working on this post as we speak! I will have brand new delicious and healthy recipes + your workouts for the week posted shortly. Check back soon.