Archive for October, 2007

I came across this interesting article and thought to share this with you all because a lot of people sometime struggle with getting the daily serving of fruits and veggies in. In the past I thought that was impossible, but it really is not. As you seen from my previous post I listed some of my meal plans and you can see how I fit it in. I am glad that I do because I feel that my body digest my food much easier and my weight moves off a little faster. Another bonus is that I do not feel as bloated either. But if you are looking for some ideas as how to add them into your existing meal plan check out this article and get started today!

-Enjoy

Easy Ways to Eat Fruits and Vegetables
By Rachel Lukasavige

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Yet most of us don’t make the effort to eat them as much as we should. Many of us are aware that fruits and vegetables can help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as aid in weight loss, but surveys have shown that 78% of Americans do not even eat five servings per day, the amount recommended by the FDA.

When we look at our culture, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that the two most commonly consumed fruits and/or vegetables are French fries and ketchup. These foods are easily accessible, and some might say cheap. It seems that although we know what is good for us, we do not always do what is right.

It is not unrealistic, or difficult, to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. It may actually surprise you to learn what counts as a single serving. Here are just a few examples:

One small wedge of watermelon

12 baby carrots

8 large strawberries

1 large banana

2 large stalks of celery

An easy way to add more fruits and vegetables is to add them to things we are already eating. Think about adding strawberries or blueberries to your waffles or pancakes, or add spinach, broccoli or mushrooms to your egg or egg white omelet. Use vegetables as a topping on pizza; add lettuce, tomato and onion to your sandwich. For a snack, toast whole grain bread with peanut butter and add banana slices. And always try eating at least two vegetables with dinner.

These simple steps will easily and quickly help you reach your five recommended servings.

Rachel Lukasavige is a Health Coach at Lukas Coaching. Visit http://www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life!

www.lukascoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Lukasavige
http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Ways-to-Eat-Fruits-and-Vegetables&id=792572

Tags: Nutrition, weight loss tips, Daily servings, fruits, diet

Happy Halloween everyone!

Day 4 if going so far good even with all of the candy around I am doing great!! Today I ate all of my meals as planned and I am finishing my last bottle of water,glump! Then after I come back from trick or treating with the family I will come home and get my son ready for bed and work out my legs. I am so glad that my legs are not as sore anymore and I can more better today than yesterday.

I probably should have not got on the scale, but I am down another 1.5 pounds this week totaling 3 pounds loss. I guess this meal plan from Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is working well along with the exercise and water!! Yeah!! but I will not hop on the scale anymore until Monday for a true read. I am just too excited to be getter back to 160 (right now 165) and then I will push into the 150’s. Well, I better go for now.. It is starting to get dark here and the kids will start trick or treating very soon.

Chat Later!

Tags: weight loss, Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle, fitness, nutrition

Hey did you all see the biggest loser show tonight? The end of the show had me in tears! David was eliminated off the show. Everyone was so emotional and knew that he could continue to lose the weight from home. Why? He had such a strong support system and he was no longer afraid to do this on his own which had me in tears. The best part was when he said to the fellow cast members is that they should through the game out of the window and remember why they are truly on the show. Which is to get healthy. I believe a lot of the cast members took that to heart.

It was so nice to see when David arrived home and the reaction of his family members was surprised with his weight loss!! How cool was that!! His family was awesome and I know for sure that he is going to stun every at the finally as well. Keep you eyes open for next week’s show because there is supposed to be more drama happening! With you know how, Neil.

On a side note. I finally completed my cardio today with step aerobics. I was hard today I guess because my lower body is still sore for 2 days ago. Dang! But I made it through. I got all of my food is, water and abs in too! Yipee!! Now I am going to browse a bit and hit the showers!

Chat Later!!

Tags: the biggest loser, weight loss, nutrition, fitness, health

I just had to post this photo of Alicia Denson. She is a TV host and fitness model that I feel has awesome abs! Wouldn’t you agree? I want those abs and I placed a photo of her courtesy of Oxygen.com as inspiration. Today is the day I do cardio and 10-15 minutes of ab work. For my ab routine I will workout to exercise on demand and try Great Abs by Tony Horton. I tried it before and he really worked out all of the areas of the abdomen and the next day I was sore which is good. Then later today i will complete my step aerobics. I have to say this eating clean is tough, but great at the same time. The great thing I notice is that my scale dropped 1.5 pounds today, so I am excited about keeping this up because I am losing fat and building muscle too!! Well, I better get my workout in while my son and I practice quiet time together. He goes and play quietly while mommy get some housework done or exercise and at the end of the time we play, read stories, and he is off to naptime (I doubt that though).

Chat later

Tags: Fitness tips, exercisetv, exercise, abs, weight loss

it is day two of my challenge and i have to  say that all is well with the exception of being sore on the lower half of my body. Which is okay. Today I my workout was as follows;

1. Bench press 3 set of 15 (95Lbs)
2. Butterflies 3 sets of 15 (60lbs)
3. Biceps (hammer curls) 3 set of 15 (5Lbs dumbbell) Bicep curls 3 set of 10 (5lbs dumbbells)
4. Triceps 3 sets of 15 (10Lbs)
5. Lats on the bowflex (95Lbs) 3 set of 10

The my meal plan was:

1. Meal 1: Oatmeal, orange, turkey
2. Meal 2: Muscle Milk, banana, whole wheat bread
3. Meal 3: Chicken breast, zucchini, whole wheat bread
4. Meal 4: chicken breast, green beans
5. Meal 5: chicken breast, green beans, baked potato

I also got in 70oz of water which is in between my goal, so i am not too upset about that. Tomorrow I am off of work so I will definitely fit in my cardio 30-35 minutes of step and I will also complete a 10 minute ab routine from exercise on demand too. Later hubby, our son and I will be heading to a pumpkin patch in the area to pick pumpkins to carve that evening and get everything ready for Halloween on Wednesday. My son is soooo excited because he can’t wait to wear his costume again and of course the candy. well I am off for now!

Tags: weight loss, bodybuilding, fitness, nutrition

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by
the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

Tags: Motivation, weight loss tips, weight loss, healthy living, women

As you know, I am in the process of burning more fat off this body and building more muscle to achieve an overall lean firm physique for this coming summer. Lately I have been researching many products out there on the market that claim to help burn fat and build muscle through a variety of protein shakes, supplements, and pills. Now, I am one not to try pills, but I will definitely try protein shakes.

I recently joined Bodybuilding.com in hopes finding the right shake out there to try since there are so many out there in the market from Myoplex to Whey Gourmet and many more. Many of the professional figure competitors and athletes that came across have recommended me to try CytoSport’s Muscle Milk. So I was like okay!! I was a little reluctant, however intrigued because I have been seeing this product in Oxygen Magazine and other fitness periodicals. Many people have raved that when they use this product they have noticed that their muscle grows faster than gainers, whey or even creatine.

Muscle milk is very easy to use too! I will be using it as a protein substitute for 1 or 2 of my meals during the day in addition to my starchy carb, simple or Fibrous carb for convenience. The flavor I purchased was the strawberry milkshake, however if strawberry is not your thing Muscle Milk comes in many other flavors. Today is my first day trying this and I can not wait to see my progress with it on November 21st.

Chat later!

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Tags: Muscle Milk, CytoSport Muscle Milk, Bodybuilding, fitness, CytoSport Muscle Milk review

I am so happy and so is my body too! The day is coming to a end and I was 100% to my goals that I have set for my 26 day challenge until thanksgiving. I ate my meals as scheduled, yey, and I also got my workout in today too. I workout my lower body today:

1. leg extensions on the bowflex 3 set of 15 (100lbs)
2. leg curls 3 sets of 15 (85 pounds)
3. Later this evening I did reverse and front lounges 3 set of 12
4. inner and our thigh abductions 3 set of 15 each
5. squats
6. Stiff-legged deadlift
7. In 5 minutes I will get my cardio finished which will be tae bo for 30 minutes

My meal plan was:

1. Meal 1: Muscle Milk, banana, whole wheat toast
2. Meal 2: Chicken, whole wheat bread, raw broccoli
3. Meal 3: Chicken breast, green beans, half baked potatoe
4. Meal 4: Muscle Milk, carrots
5. Meal 5: salmon, zucchini, half bake potatoe

I also drank 80 ounces of water which I have not done in a long while! So I am feeling satisfied and ready for tomorrow. I think I will be working out my upper body which will consist of my chest, abs, biceps, triceps, and back. i will take a day off from cardio and resume that on Tuesday since I am off from work. How was your day? Did you get done what you had plan? Did you have a plan? If not make one and you will be surprised.

I just have to through a shout out to my friend Tressa. She just completed her figure competition in the New York area and placed 5th!! i am so excited and proud of you girl. Maybe you will give me some tips when it is my time. Hugs to you!!

Well, I am off to complete my cardio and I will pop back in after that.

tags: weight loss, fitness, nutrition, diet, healthy living, exercise

I have been such a slacker with my eating this weekend already and I need to really stop it! Yesterday I had chinese and today I hate to say it, but Jack in the box too, ugh!! To top it off I am starting to feel bloated and the time of the month is on its way. Yuck! In order for me to stop this downward spiral I am starting a challenge for myself which is to do the following:

1. Eat clean for the next 26 days no cheats!!
2. Drink 64-80 ounces of water each day
3. Exercise with cardio 3 days a week and weight lift 4 days a week.

I will start this challenge tomorrow and that means I have to avoid treats at work. I even told my husband that his is going to have to suffer from the lack of treats in the house too. So, it will be hard, hell we have a stash of Halloween candy in the house already and I will be giving it all away! No left overs. The only left overs there will be is the candy my little boy brings home from trick or treat. Each day I will post how I am doing and if you would like to join in please do! We can keep each other motivated and possibly shed 5-10Lbs during this challenge. With that said I will gulp down my last evil treat which is a strawberry Fanta soda and give myself a cheers for weight loss of 5 pounds bringing me back to 160, again and to see some transformation with my muscle tone as well.

Chat later

Tags:weight loss, health, diet, fitness, nutrition