Traveling Tips...

Holidays are coming up and that means a lot of people are traveling on the road and spending extra time in the car. What's worse for your healthy lifestyle/diet than a road trip and sitting all day? Eating convenience food and fast food along the way. If you're lucky you'll get a Subway at your rest stop, but most of the time your left with either Burger King or even better Dairy Queen...(said with sarcasm in my voice.)

Don't play the game of "I had no other choices and I had to eat the junk food because that's all there is." Plan ahead!!! Bring snacks such as fresh fruit, string cheese, nuts, pretzels, granola bars, water, and gum. Rather than stopping at fast food places for lunch stop at a grocery store and get stuff to make sandwiches or something else that's light and easy to take on the road.

Also don't forget to get in your exercise along the way. Stop every couple of hours and stretch your legs, run around in a park or along the side of the road, and get your blood flowing by doing a few lunges, push ups, or even bring a jump rope. Plan extra time into your trip to stop and go on a hike or see a site along the way to get you outside and give your body a break from being cramped in a car all day.

Follow these tips and I guarantee you'll feel rejuvenated when you get to your destination instead of feeling like you've gained an extra five pounds.

Late Night Eating...

Tip of the Day:
There's a huge rumor out there to cut off eating at a particular time of day to lose weight and that eating late at night will make you gain weight. I've heard 7 is the magic number for some reason. The truth is there is no science that says if you stop eating at a certain time of the day your body is going to burn calories and you'll lose weight. I like to think of it as a overeating food trap if you cut off your calories at 7. Especially if you're a night owl like me you'll end up starving by 11 and you'll want to eat everything in sight.

A good rule of thumb that you can apply to your own schedule and lifestyle is to cut out food 3 hours before bed. Calories are calories and your body can't tell if you're eating at 6 p.m or 10 p.m. It's a good idea to cut off food about 3 hours before bed so you can digest your last meal. Otherwise you'll go to bed on a full stomach that will likely store those calories not burned away as fat.

But don't try and force yourself into cutting out your calories early in the evening thinking it's a magic trick that will solve all of your problems. Because it's not and the law of thermodynamics just doesn't work that way. Total calories during the day are total calories. Overeating in general causes you to gain weight. It doesn't matter when you eat them they all still count!

Get this...

Zinczenko did it again. But now a kids version. Now I don't have kids, but I'm loving all of the additional tips and suggestions that this book offers. I've talked to some people and they feel that this book doesn't tell them anything they don't already know. I'd like to say for maybe some people that might be true, but overall there are all sorts of things that people eat that they consider to be pretty healthy and in actuality they'd be better off eating a stick of butter.

Also our society is different today then it was even 20 years ago. The average American eats out 4.2 meals per week. We live in a different world and in a perfect world we'd make every meal from scratch and have fresh fruits and veggies all the time, but the reality is that just doesn't happen. This book helps to educate you to make that better decision when you are eating out. It might not be the best compared to a fresh home cooked meal, but just because you decide to eat on the run it doesn't mean your waistline has to suffer.

I love that it is mostly pictures. It's great when you need a quick decision on what to eat. How many times are you stuck eating out somewhere you don't want to go or you feel lost as far as what to get when it comes to cereals or crackers. This book is your answer. I now have both and I keep one in my purse and one in the car so I have it handy when I need it. Even if you only eat out twice a week this book is a must have. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Tip of the Day: If you love brownies or cookies like I do it can be hard when you end up making a batch and it can serve 12 when there's only 2 of you. As soon as they get out of the oven I set aside my singe serving and immediately portion out the rest in zip lock bags and throw them in the freezer. Eat the leftovers on another day and you don't run the risk of overeating just because it was sitting around. Try it!

Having a slump?

Sometimes this time of year, when it starts to get cold, it can become more of a challenge to get to the gym or get your daily workouts in. Something I like to do is try looking for a race or something new to do. There are so many things out there 5K's, 10K's, triathlons, splash and dashes, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, cycling, mommy and me classes, dance, etc.

The options are limitless. All it takes is the decision to get off your booty and do something. I find it helpful particularly this time of year to mix everything up a bit because it's so easy to get stuck in a rut and say, "I'll stay curled up in the sheets and do it tomorrow" or you end up skipping a day which turns into a week. Keep your workouts fun, exciting, and new and your mindset will follow.

Step out of your box, get off of your couch, and try something new and fun. That's an order!!!

Read This...

For anyone who is trying to turn their life around and get healthy this book is a must have. I actually had the author of this book as a professor in college and he was great. He writes the book so it's easy for anyone to understand. I really like this book to because it's about educating and teaching you about why whole grains are important or why trans fats are bad. He covers all of the important topics of health and what you need to know.

The overall take home message of the book is that our sedentary western living lifestyle is making the US overweight. By making lifestyle changes and changing your everyday habits you can become more healthy and avoid the risk of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, etc.

I know I like to give diet tips and tricks to lose weight on my blog, but the key to staying fit, thin, and being healthy is making fitness a way of life. Read this book and it will give you the encouragement to make these steps and to know what to do to make your health a way of life.