1/30/10
1/29/10
Feel Good Friday
GOOOOOOOD MORNING, girls :) Horray, it's Friday!!! I couldn't be happier!!!
So remember the first side challenge during this 6 week Ten in Six challenge that was to plan an active date? Well of all the participants, I drew Jen's name and here's the Polar water bottle she won that I'll be giving to her tonight. BPA-free & Phthalate-free in case you were wondering :) My hubby loves these for summer bike rides b/c it keeps the water cold in the hot sun. I know Amy uses them, too. But the gift receipt is inside the bottle.... haha Horray, Jen! Can't wait to hear how all that dancing goes!
The second side challenge is kind of a big one, but it's one that I am REALLY REALLY REALLY EXCITED about! It will last not just today through next Friday, but today through the end of the challenge (3 more weeks!). It's been something I've been meaning to do for a long time, since all my recipes are loose-leaf computer printouts smeared with food in a huge stack on my counter AND in my cupboard.....with hodge podge books & what not interspersed of course....
2nd Side Challenge: Half the battle (or more than half the battle for me) in making a healthy meal plan and grocery shopping list for the coming week lies in REMEMBERING yummy, healthy meal ideas or lies in FORGETTING the cheesy, fatty, greasy meals I grew up eating. Wouldn't it make eating healthy easier if we had a quick collection w/ nutritional facts at our fingertips in the kitchen? This side challenge is something I've had on my to-do list for almost a year now! For this side-challenge, make a small healthy recipe album of your favorite recipes (include kid-friendly recipes, too!). You could do a small online collection, add in pictures of the foods & the nutritional facts per serving. You could print it out or keep it in digital form. Could be a word document or an elaborate online scrapbooking album. You could get all crafty with decorative 4x6" paper cardstock cards inserted into a photo album to keep on the kitchen counter. Or you could simply write out healthy meal ideas on 4x6" cards and put it in a small album to keep on your counter. The # of recipes you do is all up to you. If you want to do just dinner ideas, go for it. If you want to include breakast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack ideas, more power to you. If you want to have a section of just quick kids lunch box components, awesome. You could use a card file box instead of an album if you want. Do whatever you want to do. You could even just have a long Word document on your computer- keep it all digital. Or put all your existing unhealthy recipes out of sight and just leave your healthy recipes in your already organized kitchen. Have a favorite unhealthy meal at a local restaurant? Then re-do it at home, making your own healthy substitutions and voila- an edited recipe! Make sure you have the serving size listed on it and all the nutritional data like calories, fat, protein, fiber, etc. (You can analyze a recipe in MFP by going to a blank day in the future, entering in all the ingredients for the dish, then dividing out the total # of calories by the # of servings, dividing fat, protein, etc.) Take a picture or two of your finished album product and email it to me. I'll post them all when I get them. Use your creativity and make it completely your own!
I picked up a 3 ring binder from a scrapbooking store last night w/ the 12" x 12" blank clear pages inside that is meant to hold 4x6 photos in different collage arrangements. I am so EXCITED! The binder is shiny buttercup faux leather so it will wipe clean easily from all my food splashes (hmmm....maybe I'm a sloppy chef) and protect my recipe cards. I want to put just healthy stuff in it, and of course it will grow and expand over the years, then maybe a sealed off top secret opaque envelope at the back for all the sinful family recipes I don't want to lose track of, but shouldn't be looking at when I'm flipping through the book planning meals :) I can't wait to start it this weekend!
So remember the first side challenge during this 6 week Ten in Six challenge that was to plan an active date? Well of all the participants, I drew Jen's name and here's the Polar water bottle she won that I'll be giving to her tonight. BPA-free & Phthalate-free in case you were wondering :) My hubby loves these for summer bike rides b/c it keeps the water cold in the hot sun. I know Amy uses them, too. But the gift receipt is inside the bottle.... haha Horray, Jen! Can't wait to hear how all that dancing goes!
2nd Side Challenge: Half the battle (or more than half the battle for me) in making a healthy meal plan and grocery shopping list for the coming week lies in REMEMBERING yummy, healthy meal ideas or lies in FORGETTING the cheesy, fatty, greasy meals I grew up eating. Wouldn't it make eating healthy easier if we had a quick collection w/ nutritional facts at our fingertips in the kitchen? This side challenge is something I've had on my to-do list for almost a year now! For this side-challenge, make a small healthy recipe album of your favorite recipes (include kid-friendly recipes, too!). You could do a small online collection, add in pictures of the foods & the nutritional facts per serving. You could print it out or keep it in digital form. Could be a word document or an elaborate online scrapbooking album. You could get all crafty with decorative 4x6" paper cardstock cards inserted into a photo album to keep on the kitchen counter. Or you could simply write out healthy meal ideas on 4x6" cards and put it in a small album to keep on your counter. The # of recipes you do is all up to you. If you want to do just dinner ideas, go for it. If you want to include breakast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack ideas, more power to you. If you want to have a section of just quick kids lunch box components, awesome. You could use a card file box instead of an album if you want. Do whatever you want to do. You could even just have a long Word document on your computer- keep it all digital. Or put all your existing unhealthy recipes out of sight and just leave your healthy recipes in your already organized kitchen. Have a favorite unhealthy meal at a local restaurant? Then re-do it at home, making your own healthy substitutions and voila- an edited recipe! Make sure you have the serving size listed on it and all the nutritional data like calories, fat, protein, fiber, etc. (You can analyze a recipe in MFP by going to a blank day in the future, entering in all the ingredients for the dish, then dividing out the total # of calories by the # of servings, dividing fat, protein, etc.) Take a picture or two of your finished album product and email it to me. I'll post them all when I get them. Use your creativity and make it completely your own!
I picked up a 3 ring binder from a scrapbooking store last night w/ the 12" x 12" blank clear pages inside that is meant to hold 4x6 photos in different collage arrangements. I am so EXCITED! The binder is shiny buttercup faux leather so it will wipe clean easily from all my food splashes (hmmm....maybe I'm a sloppy chef) and protect my recipe cards. I want to put just healthy stuff in it, and of course it will grow and expand over the years, then maybe a sealed off top secret opaque envelope at the back for all the sinful family recipes I don't want to lose track of, but shouldn't be looking at when I'm flipping through the book planning meals :) I can't wait to start it this weekend!
1/28/10
Feel the Burn Thursday
Good morning, slimming divas!
What workouts have you done this week (be specific so we can all get good fresh ideas)????
If you're bored with your workout, try Googling some new moves, taking a class at the gym you've never tried, or borrowing a workout DVD from a friend who's tired of it. Here's the workout page from Prevention with some good strength training ideas, since we talked about that a lot before this session. There are even a couple of free iPod download workouts! 1/27/10
Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday
Good late morning, lovely ladies! It's been quiet lately on the blog.... What have you ladies been eating? Share your snack ideas and yummy meal recipes!
Kim, to answer your question from last week about what proportions to eat of what types of foods, etc, I would say your nutritionist would know what’s best and that it sounds pretty good. I’m no expert in that area, and I’m always trying to learn more and improve. That's an area I need to read some books on! The guidelines I go off of don’t take a lot of thinking power luckily and are pretty laid back- 6 mini-meals a day instead of 3 huge meals, keeping my foods high protein, medium to low carbohydrate, and pack in as many raw foods like fruits and veggies as possible. When I have breads or pastas I make sure it’s multi-grain. I also have been trying since this post (about a fantastic Runner’s World Diet article that I can’t find any more on their site) to have the high-energy carbs of my day clustered around my workout afternoons/evenings and have my feel-full-longer fat/fiber of my day clustered around my mornings/mid-day when I’m not active. I have a lot of room for improvement in that department, though, because I don’t put enough thought into when I eat my healthy snacks, I just eat them when I want them, listening to my body.
It’s so amazing that raw foods out there were created for our every need! Here are some workout-friendly must-haves that I love:
Berries fight inflammation (relieving muscle and joint soreness post-workout)
Avocados have healthy fat to prevent muscle & joint injury, Bananas keep us from cramping up and give us energy to work out, and Chocolate Milk helps our muscles to recover post-workout
This & this & this all about how Tart Cherry Juice fights inflammation, too
I am really intrigued by the Cherry Juice. Have any of you tried it? I haven’t and I wonder if it’s yummy. I’m thinking about picking up a jug at the grocery store soon to give the experiment a shot!
Share your snack ideas and yummy meal recipes!
Kim, to answer your question from last week about what proportions to eat of what types of foods, etc, I would say your nutritionist would know what’s best and that it sounds pretty good. I’m no expert in that area, and I’m always trying to learn more and improve. That's an area I need to read some books on! The guidelines I go off of don’t take a lot of thinking power luckily and are pretty laid back- 6 mini-meals a day instead of 3 huge meals, keeping my foods high protein, medium to low carbohydrate, and pack in as many raw foods like fruits and veggies as possible. When I have breads or pastas I make sure it’s multi-grain. I also have been trying since this post (about a fantastic Runner’s World Diet article that I can’t find any more on their site) to have the high-energy carbs of my day clustered around my workout afternoons/evenings and have my feel-full-longer fat/fiber of my day clustered around my mornings/mid-day when I’m not active. I have a lot of room for improvement in that department, though, because I don’t put enough thought into when I eat my healthy snacks, I just eat them when I want them, listening to my body.
It’s so amazing that raw foods out there were created for our every need! Here are some workout-friendly must-haves that I love:
Berries fight inflammation (relieving muscle and joint soreness post-workout)
Avocados have healthy fat to prevent muscle & joint injury, Bananas keep us from cramping up and give us energy to work out, and Chocolate Milk helps our muscles to recover post-workout
This & this & this all about how Tart Cherry Juice fights inflammation, too
I am really intrigued by the Cherry Juice. Have any of you tried it? I haven’t and I wonder if it’s yummy. I’m thinking about picking up a jug at the grocery store soon to give the experiment a shot!
Share your snack ideas and yummy meal recipes!
1/26/10
Tuesday Motivation
“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”
-Carl Sandburg
How do you spend those precious spare moments in your day? Workouts don’t need to be a full hour blocked off on your schedule where you zone the rest of the world out- they can be quick little bursts throughout the day. Check out the workout page of Fitness Magazine’s site: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/. There are links to all kinds of 15 minute exercises: 15 minute butt, 15 minute arms, 15 minute cardio, 15 minute jump roping, etc. Honestly, who CARES if you’re a little out of breath and glistening when you run your next errand- you’re going to feel really proud of yourself, and your body is going to be slimming, so who cares what other people think!
If 15 minutes is too big of a chunk of time, try little things like sitting on an exercise ball while at the computer instead of on an office chair- tiny little flexes on your core will make a difference over time. Try doing plies (like Marianne) or squats while you’re brushing your teeth in the bathroom in the morning or while you’re in the shower shampooing your hair.
Park your car at the back of the parking lot and hike in. Not only will you not feel that anxious must-find-front-row-spot feeling, but you’ll be proud of yourself for the extra 50-100 steps you’re taking!
Cleaning the house, go ahead and do multiple trips up and down the stairs at a fast pace, rather than making a pile at the bottom of the stairs of stuff that needs to be taken upstairs and then taking it up only when it gets to be a massive load. Find a project that you need to do at home, like re-organizing cupboards above your head in the kitchen, or lifting and rearranging storage in the basement or garage- your arms and shoulders will love you.
Play with your kids; do airplane, horsey rides, tickling, rolling around and laughing, somersaults, cartwheels, jumping rope, hula hoop, etc. You’re doing double duty workouts & quality fun time with the kiddos.
In warmer weather, keep a jogger stroller or a wagon in the back of the car. If you’re waiting 10 minutes for picking someone up or while you’re running errands, take the littler kiddos for a walk or a wagon-pull around the school grounds. Be spontaneous and say “yes” when your kids see a fun new park or playground they’ve never stopped at and climb on the jungle gym with them for 5 minutes!
Just a little bit of exercise will ENERGIZE you for MORE exercise! Add up 5 minutes here, 2 minutes there, and you might be surprised by the end of the day how much of a workout you got in!
What other ideas do you have for squeezing in little workouts in your busy schedule?
1/25/10
Monday Morning Check-In
Happy Birthday, Nicki!
How did your 2nd week go? Let us know how much you're up or how much you're down this week. What's your game plan for this coming week- anything you're going to do differently or anything new you're going to commit to that you want the group here to hold you accountable to?
Remember, according to the instructions in the link on the left side bar for how to accurately weigh and measure yourself, don't even get on the scale if it's your week of the month, b/c it will make you cry and it's just retained water. If it's your week, just keep working hard on eating right and working out and you'll see two weeks worth of numbers on the scale the following week. Keep your head up!
How did your 2nd week go? Let us know how much you're up or how much you're down this week. What's your game plan for this coming week- anything you're going to do differently or anything new you're going to commit to that you want the group here to hold you accountable to?
Remember, according to the instructions in the link on the left side bar for how to accurately weigh and measure yourself, don't even get on the scale if it's your week of the month, b/c it will make you cry and it's just retained water. If it's your week, just keep working hard on eating right and working out and you'll see two weeks worth of numbers on the scale the following week. Keep your head up!
1/24/10
Happy Birthday, Ashley!
It's a big week w/ 3 Ten in Six birthday gals :) Happy Happy Birthday, Ashley!!!!
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