I wanted to see how healthy they were for you so I went in to their site and found the option to calculate YOUR sandwich on the nutrition pages. I love this! You never think about it but when you pick your bread, add cheese, condiments and maybe even bacon, the calories and fat can really go up and then your healthy option turns in to a not so healthy option. I encourage you to take a look at their site and calculate your sandwich to make sure you are making the right choices when you order! Plus, be careful about over-adding to your meal – chips, cookies and soda can all add up. Thanks to Subway for the gift cards to try their new sandwiches. You should check them out or ask them yourself!

• Subway Nutrition
• Subway Twitter: @subwayfreshbuzz

WithAmyMac.com health and fitness tips and videos.

Vote EverydayBetter.com for Best Membership site! 

Thank you! ~amy

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Where:  Evbe Facebook Page

When: TODAY – 2pm ET/ 1pm CT

What: Topic is Holiday Weight and Winter Workout Tips

Who: Everyone is welcome! I will try to answer your questions as fast as I can!

Prizes:

• FREE evbe 10 Pound Cut Down 30 day memberships
• $10 Subway Gift Card
• $250 Human Trainer – home workout system
• and… surprises!

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Now. My vegetable juicing journey.

I’ve been drinking ONLY vegetable juice for the past 5 days and I’m hoping to go another 5… we’ll see. Many people do it to lose weight and others use it to give their bodies a break from all the processed, pre-packaged or difficult to digest foods (dairy, meat) that we typically ingest. Yes, many people call it ‘detoxing’ but it’s not that your body is getting rid of toxins, it’s that you aren’t taking them in during this time. Therefore, your system can take a breather and get realigned. Let’s call it a’Reset’ instead of ‘cleansing’ or ‘detoxing’ because those terms are overused. The idea behind juicing is that you are only consuming raw vegetables and some fruits in its simplest form so that the body can absorb all the available nutrients as quickly as possible.

I did this whole crazy experiment because 1) some friends wanted to try it for weight loss and I was curious and 2) I watched the documentary “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” and was curious. After doing lots of research and purchasing an affordable kickass juicer, we set out on our journey.

The Goal: 5-10 days of only vegetable juice.

According to what we’ve read, your body is adjusting for the first 5 days and then in tip-top shape for the last 5 days. Everyone seems to struggle with Day 3. The claims are weight loss, mental clarity, better skin, more energy, happy digestive system, etc.

My Experience:

Pre-Juice: Instead of easing into the juicing thing, I went out with a bang eating everything I wanted because I knew I’d be deprived for 10 days. This was probably not my best idea because it made Day 1 harder. However, it did cause me to gain weight, which was then easily lost in the first couple of days – a mental boost!

Day 1: This was an OK day. No, I was not running to the bathroom, but I didn’t feel awesome either. I was extremely tired (maybe just a tough weekend?) and then became light-headed and very yucky. We later attributed this to taking all of my usual allergy and asthma medications on an essentially empty stomach. I slept most of the afternoon and then felt better. Weight: 109 (usually 105-6 but thinking the junk food and carb-alicious weekend did me in!)

Day 2: Felt a little flu-ish. Might just be the lack of allergy medication in my system (plus the withdrawal of meds and hot tea)! Every time I was hungry, I drank a juice. They really seemed to taste like lawn clippings on this day. Ugh. 10 days is a long time but somehow I felt good at the same time. Weird. (Don’t stop taking your meds unless you speak to your Dr. first!) Weight: 105.6

Day 3: I was expecting to be yucky on this day. However, surprised to find that I felt pretty good. Of course, I did end up sleeping for 10 hours the night before, crazy! My body needed the rest, I guess! Not hungry. Pretty energized. Did manual labor for a few hours and this was better than having to think. My brain does seem to have adjusted though and the flu symptoms have subsided. This isn’t so bad after all. The biggest thing is that it’s annoying not to eat food. I’m not tempted to cheat, I just want to eat very specific, fresh, delicious foods. Weight: 104.8

Day 4: I’ve been working out pretty hard this week and yes, was able to even on juice alone! However, I was hungry on this day. I thought I was drinking enough but at the last count, I didn’t take in enough, especially for as much as I was burning. Thinking I need to do a schedule instead of waiting to be hungry. My brain is back to working although I do go in and out of focus with the hunger. Weight: 103.8

Day 5: Might’ve been the worst day yet. Woke up hungry and whenever that happens, I can never catch up, especially on juice alone! Felt light-headed and almost caved in at lunchtime but had a stalk of celery with peanut butter and it helped immensely. Yes, it’s cheating but it wasn’t a burger and fries- it was a STALK OF CELERY WITH PEANUT BUTTER! Was still hungry most of the day. Been complaining a lot today and I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing it but I really didn’t feel awesome today. However, the one thing that kept me from bailing was the when I had some juice, I did feel awesome. So once again, we are thinking that I’m not drinking enough juice or water. Ugh, so still my fault. It’s so weird. I want to bail and yet, when I feel good, I feel REALLY GOOD. I skipped a workout today just because I think my body is repairing and doesn’t need any additional stress. Weight: 104

I won’t do another day like today. If I feel the same tomorrow, I’m done. However, maybe I’m really close to getting to the good stuff?! I don’t know but I do know that I’ll cave if I think it’s an actual health problem and not just my mental state dealing with my apparent food addiction! I’ve always said, “I eat to live, not live to eat.” After this week, I think that I’ve been lying to myself for a couple of years. I use to eat plain, boring, healthy foods to survive, but in the last few years, I’ve enjoyed excellent cuisine and gourmet ingredients and have really grown to appreciate them.

Everyone else seems to be feeling about the same. Some weight loss, some flu-ish symptoms, highs and lows for sure. I would strongly recommend teaming up for an experiment like this because the accountability is ridiculously awesome! We have an ongoing group text that has kept me off the ledge a few times!

Here’s my take so far:

I think juicing is powerful and awesome. I think that incorporating it into my daily life will up my energy, make me look and feel better and maybe even help me focus without caffeine. I might even juice all day for a day or 2 every now and then to reset myself and maybe drop a couple of pounds (holiday weight – never again!).  It would also be great before a photo shoot or special event! I’ll keep you posted on the rest of our journey. Now, someone cue Bon Jovi!

Update:

Day 6: It was a Saturday and I never realized how much eating has to do with our weekend! We had plans for dinner, a hockey game, after game drinks… and we were juicing. Depending on how you look at it, we cracked. Or maybe we just decided to live life, who knows. But, we decided to take 24 hrs off from the juice and enjoy our plans. It turns out, when you juice all the time, food tastes absolutely amazing. We had SMALL portions of everything, savored every bite and it was a complete win. We decided that we enjoyed juicing so much that we were going to do juices all day (when we can) and then eat a light dinner. I’m also having a small lunch. Then, when we eat out or have plans, it’s no big deal. We enjoy it and then get back to the plan.  Weight: 102.4

Day 10: While our house cracked on Day 6, our amazingly hardcore friends made it to Day 10 and we had the healthiest splurge meal I’ve ever seen to celebrate! Fish, kale salad, salad and tabouleh, with delicious energy bite no bakes for dessert. Everything was amazingly fresh and delicious. Weight: 104

Today is almost a week after our 1st splurge and I’m amazed at how we’ve incorporated ‘the vuice’ into our daily lives and yet still aren’t those weird people that can’t be social… you know who I’m talking about! :) We’ve continued our 2x day workouts, we’ve been eating a bit of food, me more than Nik because he really wants to lose more weight. I made an amazing vegan chili and we even broke down and ordered a pizza one night after a very thought-intensive brainstorming day! Overall, though, our bodies are nutrient happy and the lack of calories has Nik losing weight and me holding pretty steady at 102.6 – lower than I’ve been in years without being hungry! It’s just crazy. I think we are really going to just keep on with this as a lifestyle and I’m sure we’ll drop off for a week or two every now and then and have to reset ourselves so we can get back on track but we feel better, look better, sleep better and all food smells and tastes better so I just can’t find anything wrong with this scenario!

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Use the pants o’meter!

Unbuttoning the top button of your pants might be ok on Thanksgiving day but on any occasion… um, no. However, when your pants start feeling snug, stop eating! When people push food your way, you can honestly say “I’m stuffed” and be convincing about it! Honesty is the best policy so trust your jeans, pencil skirt and belted dress to keep you in check!

• Fight Holiday Weight Gain Tip #1
• Fight Holiday Weight Gain Tip #2

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Turn Away the Crazy Coffee and Hot Cocoa Drinks!

Fancy drinks are loaded with empty calories that will do you no favors when it comes to fitting in to your holiday party dress! I’m all about warm drinks but stick with hot tea and regular coffee because these will warm you up and not plump you up! Of course, you can have the occasional treat but make sure to pick and choose because you want to savor that treat and feel that the calories were worth it!

Did you miss Avoid Holiday Weight Gain Tip #1? Click here!

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Here is one of my favorite ways to fight holiday weight gain OR any other diet sabotaging pitch-ins, parties, cookouts, etc…

Take a dish that is healthy!

This means that you will have something to eat AND most likely, everyone else will be glad to have a healthy option. (I’ve never brought home leftover fruit salad!)

It doesn’t have to be something that takes hours to prepare, you can throw together a quick salad, take a veggie tray, a fruit salad for dessert or even a simple broth-based soup! Making sure there is something healthy that you can eat, helps to give you control in these situations. Yes, of course you can sample a couple of other dishes, but make sure to make a loop around the table before filling your plate. You want to use those calories on the best dishes only! :)

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Top Pick for Fitness Gifts:

iPod Shuffle at Amazon

Price is $49.99 and you can pick a color that matches their personality!

Fit Links:

• Fitness Gifts to Avoid! – Fitness Magazine

Here is the press release explaining everything about our online workout DVD program and how to sign up for FREE!

Press Release
Giveaway Signup

When I found a Living Social deal for pole dancing classes, I was excited. I talked a friend in to joining me and we had 2 classes in which we got to do sexy walks, spins and oh, right, work out. Pole dancing fitness is a trend and I think it’s becoming pretty popular. Carmen Electra brought Striptease fitness to the world a few years ago and since then, being sexy and getting fit have gone hand in hand.

Does it count?
I always tell people to have fun with fitness, try new trends, learn a new skill or just find something that doesn’t feel like exercise! This logic applies to pole dancing fitness! I was curious as to how the classes would measure up from a fitness perspective. I’d put them as a 3-4 on a 10 point scale because I wasn’t sweating during or sore afterwards. However, the 2nd class was much more intense than the first, which makes me think that the better you are, the harder the work out. The upper body was the most worked because you are swinging and holding on to the pole. I wouldn’t use this is a kickboxing class replacement but if you are looking to have fun, learn some sexy moves and burn a few calories, then sign up!!

Sexy Factor
I think there is something awesome about being “forced” to be sexy. We all signed up for the class so we clearly wanted to be sexy doing sexy moves. But then, the lights go out, the music starts and everyone is suddenly shy about wiggling their hips and running their hands over their body. As a former hip hop dancer, I had an advantage because I can commit no matter what (even though many times, it’s not pretty!). It was nice to see people relax, loosen up and after being instructed and reminded on ways to be sexy, everyone starting to get in to it. I think being able to take that step over the line of shyness and be comfortable with your body is a must, no matter what your age, size or fitness level.

Class Layout:
20 minutes of stretching, pushups, crunches and warming up
25 minutes of learning spins and moves – we learned 4 spins per class (none upside down- damn!)
5 minutes of free-styling to sexy music and strobe lights.

Overall, I had fun. I want to sign up for more classes. I secretly want to be able to spin upside down on the pole. I’m not sure anyone outside of class will ever witness these new-found skills but I like it, I’m good at it, I was challenged and I got a work out. Sounds like the perfect activity to me!

Moral of the story: Grab a friend or 2, your favorite booty shorts and sign up the next time you see a Groupon, Living Social, etc deal.

As we roll into the holidays, we all worry about 2 things:

• Spending TOO MUCH MONEY
• Gaining TOO MUCH WEIGHT

So we decided to flip the script and give away $15,000 in product AND help you lose 10 pounds!

We were planning on rolling out our newest exercise program, the 10 Pound Cut Down, on January 1st but we are toooo excited and in the spirit of the season, we decided to give away 500 memberships (that’s over $15,000 in product) to our online personal training program!

If you are interested in:

• Looking Better
• Feeling Better
• Rocking Your Skinny Jeans
• Preventing Holiday Weight Gain
• AND Getting A Jump on your New Year’s Resolution

ALL before the new year rolls in, then enter your email below and get on the list so your spot is guaranteed!

Enter your email and you’re on the list to get the 10 Pound Cut Down FREE!

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

Limited to 500 spots. Reserve your spot now!

We only have 500 spots and we expect them to go quickly!

Sign up now and fight holiday weight before it hits first!

 

What is the 10 Pound Cut Down?

It’s a workout program that brings you personalized coaching from a personal trainer with all the convenience of a workout DVD. The workout videos are 10 minutes and you work out less than 1 hour per week. This means you have to work hard, but if you are up for it – then you will see results and in a fraction of the time of all your friends’ workouts! Learn more at EverydayBetter.com

 

WithAmyMac.com Health and Fitness Tips

Check out this post I wrote for evbe about how to make your Thanksgiving healthier and it’s not just about the food!

from EverydayBetter.com

Thanksgiving is an eating day. There is nothing you can do to change that. However, there are things you can do to make Thanksgiving healthier either by modifying some recipes, finding a fitness event or anticipating the feast. Here are the how-to’s for a healthy Thanksgiving…  (Read Full Article!)

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Check it out!

You can see more about this interview and find all of the other interviews on The Startup Slingshot!

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Drink more water
Its not just that water is so good for you, its that by focusing on water, you will be eliminating less healthy beverage options. Water, unsweetened tea and coffee are all good for you so you can mix it up to avoid boredom. Drinking lots of water will help to keep your body well-hydrated, which will make everything work better, including deflating your belly and giving you skin a glow. If you aren’t a fan of water, try adding lemon, lime, mint, ginger, cucumber, berries or even on occasion, the 0 calorie flavoring packs.

Eat smaller portions
Yes, you should eat healthier but more importantly, you need to eat less of everything! Here in the U.S., our portions are out of control and when you’ve been raised to ‘clean your plate’, you can pack on the pounds very quickly! Fight this trend by paying attention to your portions. Use smaller plates and look at packages to learn proper portion sizes. Also, and this is a big one, never, ever, eat from the chip bag or pick at a dish in the center of the table. What I mean is, when all 4 people at the table order a dish and put them in the center to share (great!) BUT in order to prevent over-eating, scoop out your portions from each dish and put them on a plate, then you can eat your whole meal and not wonder at the end how you got so full. How to lose weight in a month can’t be simpler than ‘don’t overeat’.

Add vegetables
Everyone has vegetables they don’t like but there are so many to try that you need to find ones that you love and stick with them! For example, if you hated those bland, cooked peas from a can growing up, you might be surprised to find that you love cold sugar snap peas. Experiment each season and you’ll find something you enjoy and won’t be bored because the selection is always changing! Adding vegetables to dishes, as an extra side dish or salad or replacing other higher calorie foods will definitely help you lose weight in a month. Vegetables aren’t just good for cutting calories though, they are also full of nutrients and fiber which make you feel fuller longer and help to clean out your digestive system so it’s healthy and happy.

Get moving
Of course I’m going to tell you that exercise is how to lose weight in a month. However, I’m not going to tell you to go crazy and jump on the latest fitness trend or buy an expensive gym membership. I’m just going to tell you to get moving. The more you move, the better you’ll feel and the more weight you’ll lose. Be careful though! You don’t want to jump into a crazy complex fitness routine that will burn you out in a week or be too intense and cause injury. Start with walks, dancing around the house, running up and down the stairs, and jumping jacks.

Sleep
Sleep is such an important part of losing weight. Sleeping and relaxing help to reduce stress, re-energize you and help to regulate your hormones. This isn’t just a girl thing either! Everyone has hormones that control your hunger and stress and when they are out of whack, your body will crave foods that it doesn’t really want. Plus, these chemicals can prevent weight loss and even increase the chance of gaining weight! What does this mean? It means that even when you have a huge project deadline, you have to get some sleep!

There you have it. How to lose weight in a month? Drinking water, eating correction portions, eating more vegetables, move more and getting some sleep will help you to lose the weight and start looking and feeling better in a matter of days!

If your goal is to lose 10 pounds in a month, then you should check out the 10 Pound Cut Down video workout plan – its cheap, easy and effective!

The warm days of summer and loose-fitting sundresses are gone and ready or not, it’s time for jeans season! Do you need to know how to get rid of the muffin top that’s popped over those jeans?

Whether you are a skinny jeans girl or not, no one wants ANYTHING hanging over their low, mid or high rise jeans! Not to mention, you have to be able to get those jeans up over your rump before you can even walk out the door! If you need to know how to get rid of the muffin top, then here is workout you’ve been looking for!

Doing these “No More Muffin Top” exercises 3 times a week as part of your workout plan will help to squeeze you into your jeans and FAST! These 4 exercises are all great for targeting the core, which consists of your ab, back and butt muscles!

Here’s How to Get Rid of Muffin Top!

If you want to do these exercises with a certified personal trainer, check out the 10 Pound Cut Down workout program. It contains trouble zone targeting workouts for the abs and butt. The Ab Blast workout is everything you need to get rid of the muffin top!

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Sally from Nashville, TN recently spent several weeks in Italy. While this could’ve been the perfect time to Eat, Pray, Love herself into a bigger pair of jeans, she decided to take in the scenery and make her own workouts.

from Sally…

There you have it. It’s super simple and all it takes is some imagination! There is no excuse to skip a workout, even when you are living remotely. Take a tip from Sally and look at your surroundings and make your own workout – it will keep you feeling and looking great!

You’ve seen my hotel workout featured in Inc. Magazine and heard Sally’s travel solutions, what do you do on the road for fitness? Leave your answer in the comments below!

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Why wear weight lifting gloves?

I’ll never forget the first time I wore a pair of weight-lifting gloves. It turned my fitness world upside down! I had no idea that you could avoid the calluses and ripped up palms by using a pair of $15 gloves! I use to worry that I looked like I was trying to be all hardcore with my gloves and little dumbbells but I just don’t think that’s the case. I’ve been asked numerous times about the gloves and where to get them – they are always a hit! (They also make great stocking stuffers!) They are washable, protect your hands from the wear and tear of lifting, plus, they give you a layer between you and germs! When Harbinger asked me to try out their Pro-Gloves, I was pumped!

I’ve been wearing the Pro-Gloves from Harbinger for the last couple of weeks and I can’t say there is anything I dislike about them. I’ve used Harbinger gloves for years and these don’t disappoint!

My favorite features:

• Comfortable
  • Love the ½ finger design
• Cushion
  • Good cushion to protect the palms but not so much that gripping is difficult.
• Adjustable wrist strap
  • Makes it easy to get them on and off.
  • Helps encourage proper wrist positioning while lifting.

I also love the black and pink design. I’m not a girlie girl but I do love the splash of feminism (especially in the month of October*) and they remind me of a baseball glove I had once and loved!

Take the plunge and get yourself a pair of inexpensive yet durable (mine usually last 2 years!) gloves and keep those hands soft and feminine!

Harbinger Women’s Pro Gloves

Stay tuned for a glove giveaway from Harbinger!

* October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time when women around the world unite wearing the color pink in support of breast cancer survivors and as a symbol of hope for a cure.

Along with awareness and early detection, the Susan G. Komen Foundation says that regular exercise plays a positive role in prevention and treatment of breast cancer while the National Cancer Institute states, “exercising four or more hours a week may decrease hormone levels and help lower breast cancer risk.” Both organizations estimate that exercise lowers the risk of breast cancer by about 20%.*

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I was given a pair of Harbinger Pro-Gloves for review but was not compensated for this review or post.

Amy Mac’s Favorite Free Weight Exercises for Women’s Butts:

Exercise	Step-by-Step Instruction
Squat Jumps	This squat will strengthen the booty and get the heart pumping at the same time!  • Feet wide, weight in the heels, stick the booty back and squat. • Jump up and land soft.
Side Lunges	I love doing the move and I love including it in a training session because no matter how in shape you are – you will feel this move working its magic on the inner thighs!  • Start standing tall, feet together holding a weight at your waist. • Take a BIG step to the right with your right leg, bend the knee and bring the weight down to the right foot, keeping the upper body tall. Using the leg muscles, not momentum, bring the right leg into the center and repeat with the left side. • Make sure the knee doesn’t come over the toe and don’t forget to breathe! When you’ve mastered this move, you can check out the side lunge with an added press!
Plie Squats	This squat works the legs and butt and improves your flexibility!  • Feet wide, toes out. Squat and then squeeze the legs and butt as you come back up. • Squeeze the stomach keep the upper body tall.
Whale Tail	This is the whale tail. Don’t be fooled by the name, this is a small exercise but comes with big results. Add a little lift in your butt with these leg pulses. Notice your lower back gets a little bit of movement but not enough to make it ache.  • Start kneeling next to the ball. • Roll out onto the ball until your hips are on the ball. Keep the feet a couple inches apart and squeeze the butt to lift the legs. • Bring the legs back down. Work to keep the lower back from arching too much. Squeeze the stomach! • Lift the legs again and then lower.

Working the booty is so important, not only for appearance reasons, but for health reasons too! The lower body does so much to keep the back, hips, knees and feet healthy. When you do these lower body free weight exercises for women, you are working to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. The glutes, of course, make your jeans look great but they also have a lot to do with the lower back and hips strong and flexible. The hamstrings, quads and calves all work to protect the knees. Finally, strong calves help to prevent shin splints and keep the feet aligned to protect your back!

I hope you enjoy my favorite free weight exercises for women’s butts and if you think I’ve missed some, leave them in the comments!

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