My New Year’s Plan…
January 2, 2010
So first of all, I pigged out over the holidays which is really out of character for me. I’m tired, sluggish and feel like a blob, so I’m ready for the holiday food to end and real life to resume! I miss the gym, my healthy diet and all the energy that comes with them! I’m not big on new year’s resolutions but I’m all about being supportive so I’ve taken on a couple of challenges in this new decade…
1) Chris and I are going to train for a the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in April (as long as my knees hold out).
2) Nik and I have made a sizable wager on us completing the P90X. If either of us drops out, we owe the other mucho dinero, if we both complete it, then we are going to plan a big celebration!
Working out with a buddy helps keep you accountable, especially when the winter blahs are in full effect! New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to just be for losing weight. You can just focus on feeling better. I’ll keep you posted on our health and fitness progress… what are your goals for the year?
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Fresh Start to 2010 in 5 Minutes or Less!
December 31, 2009
You don’t have to make huge commitments to change your life in the New Year. You can start small, feel productive and really make a difference. Here are just a handful of things that won’t take much time and you’ll feel great going into 2010!
Got one you think should be added? Comment below!
A few tiny things you can do to make a fantastic fresh start in 2010!
- Wash your weight-lifting gloves
- Change your main computer and email password
- New toothbrush
- Clean out your wallet/ purse
- Wipe the germs off your cell phone
- Cash in your spare coins
Notice: I didn’t even add something about fitness and how easy it would be to do a few pushups, crunches or squats! :)
Over the holiday hump… now what?
December 28, 2009
Well, now what? Only 1 more holiday to go! If you’re like me, you’ve stuffed yourself full of junk food and given yourself so many stomachaches in the last week that you are ready for the new year to roll around just so you can stop eating the junk food. I normally don’t get into the whole “holiday treat” thing but this year for some reason, it just sounded fun. Of course, now my jeans are a little too tight, I’m longing to get back in the gym and feel like a lazy bum – so that plan worked out well!
For some reason, I felt the need to bake lots of holiday treats this year and I have no idea why. I didn’t really want to eat them and I didn’t really want any of my family to overload on the calories either. So what is the draw to these things at this time of year? Better yet, how do I unload these unhealthy foods after I’ve had the joy and adventure of making them. Right now, they are just sitting around taunting me…
General Mills to Cut Sugar in 10 Kids Cereals
December 10, 2009
I don’t know about you, but I grew up on cereal. Although, while I was eating Cheerios and not adding sugar, some of my friends were eating all kinds of sugary, chocolatey cereals and still dumping sugar on them! Yet, somehow, we didn’t have the childhood obesity problems that plague kids now. Maybe it was all the tag during recess or bicycling around the neighborhood instead of computers, tv and video games. Anyway, the past is the past and our kids now are getting bigger everyday. General Mills has announced that they will be reducing the sugar content on 10 of their popular kids cereals, taking some of them to single digits – this is good news. I usually try to eat cereals that have less than 7g per serving so maybe this will open up some other options. General Mills is hoping to do this by spring. Apparently, they have already reduced sugar in some of their cereals by up to 20%.
Fit Links:
General Mills Plans To Further Cut Sugar In Children’s Cereals – Wall Steet Journal
General Mills Cutting Sugar in Kids’ Cereals – MSNBC
Kate Moss and I Agree
December 3, 2009
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”
– Kate Moss’ personal motto, Time Magazine, December 7, 2009
What do you think of Kate’s personal motto? Her saying this, of course, sparked concern about eating disorders, but I have to say that I think she nailed it.
I’d never really put it into words or a quote before, but I think my motto is similar,
“If I’m going to eat it, it has to be worth it.”
I think that having your priorities set are important in maintaining your desired weight and a healthy lifestyle. I still have my struggles/ bad days/ etc, but I use to come home from a bad day and need some Fish Food ice cream to feel better. Then one day I decided that if someone upset me, why would I give them the satisfaction of making me gain weight, be unhealthy and unhappy?! (Not that they would ever know, but in my head this works.) Many times when you are treated poorly, it is because that person is unhappy and misery loves company. The best way to overcome their hold on you is to show them how healthy, happy and in control you are of your life.
I’ve talked before about my love for chocolate chip cookies and my friends and family always joke about it. But they also know that I won’t just eat just ANY chocolate chip cookie, it has to be a great one. I’m not going to waste the calories on something that is mediocre. By keeping my standards high, I focus on quality and not quantity. This also allows me to be guilt-free when I eat an amazing cookie because I know it is worth every minute I’ll spend in the gym working it off. I’m also not willing to give up foods that I enjoy or spend 1/2 my day in the gym so therefore I carry a few more pounds than some fitness experts and personal trainers, but its a trade-off and I feel that I have struck the right balance for me at this time. You have to find YOUR happy weight.
I’m sure someone out there thinks that I have an unhealthy mindset about food, some might think that Kate Moss does, but I think its mind over matter for everyone and what works for you should not be scrutinized. Of course, this logic goes out the window when the view becomes extreme and therefore unhealthy.
Find fitness tips, exercise videos and discount codes at WithAmyMac.com!
Turkey Trot Time!
November 23, 2009
Yes, overeating is a part of Thanksgiving for most of us. However, you can be proactive in burning those calories and maybe even give back to your community at the same time by participating in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning! Many of the turkey trot events support a local food bank. This is usually a fun, short run that the whole family can participate in. I know several people that make it an annual family tradition! Check out the link below to see if there is an event near you.
Active.com – Turkey Trot event list
This is a great way to start your long holiday weekend, support your community, burn calories, rev up your appetite and have some fun too!
Fitness tips, exercise videos and healthy recipes at WithAmyMac.com
Sprint the Chorus
November 16, 2009
Ever need to kick your elliptical or running workout up a notch but just don’t know how? How about changing your tempo? Sounds easy but how do you really implement that solution? I find that there are a few songs in my workout playlist that are perfect for ’sprinting’ during the chorus. I really tune into the song and then every time that fast paced chorus pops up, I’m off to the races! Increasing your heart rate for even short intervals will help you improve your cardiovascular system, as well as burn a few more calories!
Couple of my favorites:
Seether “Remedy”
Outkast “Hey Ya”
Find more fitness tips at WithAmyMac.com
Calories Posted on Menu – Make any difference?
November 10, 2009
A few weeks ago, a small study indicated that posting the calories on menus had not impacted ordering decisions in NYC. More recently, city health officials have revealed that there has, in fact, been a difference in the menu selection since the calorie-labeling law went into effect. Many people claim that they aren’t paying attention to the numbers but at 4 chain restaurants, Au Bon Pain, KFC, McDonald’s and Starbucks, fewer calories were ordered.
What does this mean?
I think its a good sign that many people want to reduce their caloric intake but don’t know how. By giving them this information, they can make an informed decision. It seems like a simple, inexpensive step for restaurants to take to help fight obesity. I don’t think it affects their profits because people are already in the store and going to order. So this means the only bottom line affected is ours, which is a good thing.
How Posted Calories Affect Food Orders – NYTimes
Health and Fitness tips and videos at WithAmyMac.com
Holiday Savings with our Discount Codes!
November 9, 2009
Save money while you shop and travel for the holidays with these discount codes and promotional links. Plus, you’ll be supporting your favorite health and fitness show producer!
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Gift Ideas for Other (or yourself!)
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What Martha and her friends left out…
November 5, 2009
Anyone following my tweets this week knows that I’ve spent much more time than usual in the kitchen. It’s no secret that I’m not a good cook. I don’t have the time, patience or the attention span to be successful as a cook and I’m fine with it. However, sometimes I have a burst of motivation to get ahead with meals, try a new recipe or experiment for the show. This week was one of those weeks and I spent a couple of hours Monday afternoon making 3 soups – vegetable, chili and chicken with wild rice – so we could freeze some for later and enjoy this week.
Let me be the one to lift that Hollywood production veil for you…
Foreshadowing – Explosions
Should’ve known it would be a rough day when on the way home from the grocery store, my milk exploded in the back, then my sparkling water exploded all over me at lunch.
Incident #1 – Miscommunication
I read in Better Homes and Garden magazine that you can put soups in storage bags and then lay on a cookie sheet to freeze. Then you can store them flat and upright. I thought this was brilliant so I tried it.
FAIL. Either the soup was still too warm or too heavy because it bust right through the bag! I cleaned it up and used tupperware.
Incident #2 – Equipment Failure
Chris always asks for pot roast but I have no idea how to make it. I tried it yesterday. I seared it on all sides (thank you Gordon Ramsay) then put it in the slow cooker for 6 hours with grilled onions and chicken broth. I checked on it a couple of times and noticed that it wasn’t very warm. I switched made sure it was on, plugged it and even switched outlets to troubleshoot.
FAIL. At the end of 6 hours, it was still lukewarm, uncooked and Chris spent 5 hours cooking it on the stovetop last night. We had cereal for dinner. The slow cooker, which made soup on Monday, has been labeled broken.
The Unseen – Other things cooking shows and magazines don’t tell you or show you.
Chop Time
I had no idea how long it took to chop vegetables for these soups. I cut, sliced and diced for an eternity!
Clean Up
I have never seen any ‘after’ pictures or watched Martha do dishes. My kitchen was destroyed and took an hour and 2 dishwasher loads to return to normal.
Lessons
Live, learn and accept that you don’t have a team of people and experts to help you.
Always plan on prep and clean up time.
Check your equipment.
Overall
My soups turned out awesome and we will enjoy them for the coming weeks.
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