Just a little reminder...

Halloween can be dangerous on the pant size. Don't get too excited and tell yourself you have the energy of a two year old and you're going to run off the hundreds of extra calories from all the sugar. It's most likely that you'll overindulge and then feel gross afterward wondering how that whole pile of extra Halloween candy ended up in your mouth.

A few things that help me this time of year to avoid the excess junk is make a plan. Plan for the treats you are going to enjoy. Guaranteed every time you turn around you are going to have an excuse/opportunity to have extra treats that normally aren't around. Last week I allowed for a caramel apple and this week I am going to allow for one special treat on Friday. That's it. I plan for it into my day and then I don't feel guilty and I can enjoy the special holiday goodie.

Also if you're passing out candy don't pass out your favorite. I personally love M&M's and Peanut Butter Cups. However...there's no way I have these in the house. I get tootsie rolls or the sour candies that don't appeal to me. Takes a bit of the temptation away.

Just remember the holidays are full of fun and should be enjoyed, but just don't go too crazy because I will bet if you gain five pounds looking back it will not have been worth it!

Bored with the Treadmill?

Quick Fitness Tip: It's easy to get sick of doing the same thing at the gym. Try mixing it up. Switch machines. If you always use the elliptical go to the bike or stair stepper. Variety is the key and your muscles get used to doing the same thing so they're less likely to change. Who cares what you're doing as long as you get your heart rate up and you're moving.

Here's one of my favorite workouts to do on the treadmill if I don't feel like running on it. Try walking. I know it might sound pretty easy, but give this workout a go and you'll change your mind about that.

5 min-warmup 3.0 mph
5 min-3.5 mph/incline 1.o
5 min-4.0 mph/incline 2.5
10 min-3.5 mph/incline 3.5

Repeat 2 or 3 times and then cool down for 5 min at 3.0 mph. You'll be feeling it in your legs and heart for sure.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had the best cookies this weekend. They are super yummy and perfect for this time of year. I don't know about you guys, but I'm making these the staple at our house when we need a treat around the holidays.
-1 box spice cake mix
-2 cups canned pumpkin (add more if you want them to be more gooey)
-1 cup chocolate chips
Just mix, drop, and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, and enjoy. I got the recipe from my sister in law Bethany, but I think they might be a Weight Watcher Recipe.

Interval Training

Quick Fitness Tip:
Mix up your normal cardio routine with interval training. I see people at the gym do the same thing everytime they come in. They hop on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike and just dilly dally along for 20-30 minutes leave and then wonder why they're not losing weight or seeing changes in their body. If you're just trying to maintain weight this might be fine, but most people are not so be effective with your workouts and your time.
Try adding intervals. Sprint as fast as you can for 1-2 minutes and then recover at a normal speed for 1-2 minutes. Keep repeating this for the rest of your cardio and I guarantee you will feel a major difference.
To see changes you have to push your body past it's comfort zone. It's hard to sprint for an extended period of time, but by switching back and forth between a sprint and recovery you will still reap the benefits from pushing your heart rate to the max. Try it next time you're at the gym and see for yourself.

Cooking/Baking Tips

One of the benefits of cooking your own food is knowing exactly what you're putting in it.  Still lots of recipes call for things that can be exchanged with healthier options to cut out excess fat and calories. And the best part is it can still taste good!

Here are a few of my personal favorites that I use all the time in the kitchen:

• Instead of using butter for grilling (or even a more healthy option olive oil) just use cooking spray.  zero calories is better than 150-300 extra calories that often aren't remembered.  
  
• If you have to use butter use Smart Balance or I can't believe it's not butter butter spray.  For oils best options are olive or canola.
  
• Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour.  I personally like the taste with all wheat flour, but if it's too strong for you do half white flour/half wheat flour.  Adds fiber to the recipe and isn't as noticeable.
  
• Swap out butter in baked goods with applesauce, mashed bananas, or low fat yogurt.
  
• Add vegetables to everything. 
  
• Don't add salt and if you do a little goes a long way.  In cooking I don't use it at all.  Average american has high blood pressure and we naturally get enough sodium from our daily foods.  Adding extra salt just isn't necessary.
  
• Use Splenda instead of sugar.  Zero calories yet again!
  
• Don't forget your spices.  They add tons of flavor to all sorts of recipes.  Cinnamon is my personal favorite because it helps with digestion and circulation. 
  
• If given an option always go for the low fat or zero fat option.  Ex: Sour cream, cheese, sauces, dressings, etc.
  
• Oatmeal is great for baking.  Adds fiber in a second.  I try add it into cookies and muffins even if it's not called for. 
  
• Need a chocolate fix?  Cocoa powder has quite the punch and dark chocolate and semi-sweet goes a long way.  Try and use these when baking.
  

Hopefully some of these will help you in the kitchen.  If you have a few of your own please comment and let the viewers know them as well :)

DOMS

You might be asking yourself what's this?  DOMS=Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.  I like to call it DOBS=Delayed Onset BODY Soreness or when you feel like your muscles are so tight they are going to fall off.  

I recently ran a marathon and I had some extremely sore muscles for a good 2/3 days.  I was quickly reminding myself of all the helpful tips I've learned to relieve muscle soreness and to get back to normal.

First of all lets talk about why we get DOMS.  After putting the muscles through any type of stress (exercise, lifting weights, physical therapy, etc.) the body actually breaks the muscle down in order to build it up and make it stronger.  The torn muscle fibers then result in stiffness and pain that can come anywhere from 12-48 hours after.  

People get sore for different reasons.  A few examples of when you might get sore would be starting a new workout program, changing your workout routine, increasing intensity/duration of a program, or just switching to a different type of movement that your body isn't used to.

Ways to treat DOMS

-Rest/Ice/Compress/Elevate 

-Gentle massaging

-Ibuprofin (800 mg every 4 hrs) this doesn't help the muscles to actually recover it just helps to relieve some of the pain

-Warm baths (add 1-2 cups of Epsom salt in bath to help even more) 

-Gentle stretching/yoga if you feel up to it

-Keep moving.  light exercise or just walking.  If you completely stop activity your muscles will contract even more and it will feel like they're just getting worse

-Drink plenty of water to help with circulation

So there you have it.  A few of my tips that helped me get my legs back.  Hopefully this will help next time you feel like your 90 years old walking around with a cane.