1. Is it’s location convenient?

Getting to the gym is challenging enough alone! So reduce your odds of staying committed and make sure they gym you choose is close to either your home or where you work. Close, like 15 minutes away.

2. What’s are the hours of operation?

When you plan on working out is an important quality when considering what gym is right for you. If you want to get there before work and they don’t open until 7 a.m., then this is not the gym for you. Also do you plan on taking classes? If so, check out their current schedule to see if the class times coincide with your availability.

3. Do you fit?

Take a tour no matter what. Look at the upkeep of the facility, is it clean? Do the members look like you, meaning will you fit in or be intimidated by the type of members that currently work out there? How does the gym staff handle the members? Are the current members happy? Don’t be afraid to ask, a candid opinion coupled with your personal assessment will either enhance or diminish your experience, so make sure you fit.

4. Can you afford it?

The higher the quality the gym the higher their membership dues will be. Find out what qualities in a gym are important to you and which ones are not. You pay for what you get so figure it out before signing any contracts. Most gyms offer specials during off peak and peak seasons, such as the New Year when everyone is trying to get in shape, and early Spring when those people have let their resolutions go and membership has declined. Also most rates are negotiable so ask about stipulations in order to get the best rate for you. And lastly consider fronting the cash. Sometimes if you pay for an entire year or even two year membership upfront as opposed to month to month you end up saving major cash. Places like Costco offer deals like this too. A two- year contract to any 24 Hour Fitness is $320. This ends up being $13 a month as opposed to the normal $37 a month. Hello.

5. Does it ride well?

Test drive it. Most gyms will let you workout for free for a couple days or even a week before fully committing. Take advantage of this for this indeed will be the best way to confirm all the above and ensure that you find the perfect gym for you.

She’s now telling celebs to get in the zone – the “AJ Zone,” that is – which promotes less dieting, and more of “choosing your better.” Watch the vid below to see what she means.

How To Get The Most Out Of Working With A Trainer

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5 Tips For Working Out In Cold Weather

And while I also love keeping my body tight and right, passing up sweet treats is not a sacrifice I am willing to make. I am also not willing to subscribe to silly suggestions like, “Just take one bite of chocolate cake and walk away. You’ll be satisfied.” Get. Real. It’s like asking an alcoholic to walk into a bar and just take a sip of vodka. Foolish right? I’m eating the WHOLE slice, and you can too. Every girl deserves a little sweetness every know and then, so ladies dive into these guiltless goodies next time you need a sugar fix and walk away satisfied for real.

Skinny Red Velvet Cupcakes

These are absolutely fabulous. Definitely won’t miss the calories in this popular sweet treat. The applesauce is a great low fat substitute for oil. And the moisture that it provides?! Child please. You’ll never use oil again. So grab your blender and whip these babies up for your next party.

Servings: 26 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 140

For the Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 tbsp red food coloring

For the Low Fat Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with liners. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. In a large bowl beat sugar, applesauce and butter. Add egg, egg whites and vanilla, and mix well. In a small bowl mix baking soda and vinegar; set aside. Add half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Mix well, and then add buttermilk and red food coloring. Add the remaining dry ingredients and then fold in the vinegar and baking soda mixture. Pour in prepared cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. In the meantime make your frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let the cupcakes cool, then frost away.

Frozen Greek Yogurt Sandwiches

If you scream for ice cream you will flip when you taste this frozen goodness. Not only does it taste good, but its also good for you…Greek yogurt has twice as much protein and less carbs than regular yogurt, so double clap to that ice cream lovers.

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 sandwiches • Calories: 175

2 cups plain 2% Greek yogurt
4 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
4 rectangle graham crackers (8 squares)

In a freezer-safe metal bowl combine the honey and the yogurt with a few quick stirs so that the honey forms “ribbons” in the yogurt but is not blended completely. Cover bowl and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Spread 1/4 cup of the frozen Greek yogurt between 2 graham cracker squares and enjoy.

Quick Very Berry Cobbler

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 3/4 cup • Calories: 185

When it comes to comfort desserts cobblers definitely take the cake (pun intended). Loaded with mixed berries, this goody is an excellent source of both fiber and antioxidants. Delicious treat that taste good and is good for you…yes please!

For the Filling
Cooking spray
2 (12 oz) bags of frozen mixed berries, thawed
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp orange zest, finely grated

For the Topping
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chilled unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 tbsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss the berries with whole wheat flour, sugar and zest. Transfer the berry mixture to the baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter until many small pebble-sized pieces are formed. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and oil. Add the buttermilk-oil mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Do not over mix. Drop the batter onto the fruit forming about 6 mounds. Sprinkle with the remaining tsp of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes.

Simple Workouts You Can Do Without A Gym

How To Beat The Mid-Afternoon Energy Slump

Timing is everything. Don’t book sessions you know you’ll be tempted to cancel. Even when you dread it, show up—and eventually you might not dread it. An actress once told me, “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have it in me, but I’m always happy when I do the workout.”

Get what you’ve paid for. You want a trainer to map out the entire session so that during one interval, he’s already setting up the next few exercises. In between, you take a sip of water and he puts a dumbbell in your hand. You shouldn’t have to be the one wasting time fetching free weights. Go ahead and ask for the service you want—but you should only ask once. First time, shame on the trainer. After that, shame on you for seeing that trainer.

Pipe down. It’s good to have a trainer you like­—up to a point. If you can enjoy chatting while you train, that’s great, but if you spend too much time talking, you’re wasting your session. That said, talking can be a good gauge of how much you’re pushing yourself: If I have you do 20 reps, and somewhere around number 17 you go from “And then my sister Katie said…” to silence, that means the weight just kicked in. If you can talk all the way through, you need to increase the weight.

GET THE REST HERE!

Gym Etiquette: Do You Make These Mistakes?

6 Secret Sources Of Sugar You Should Stay Away From

Winter: Base-Building and Boredom-Busting

Your resolutions probably came with a regular gym membership and not-so-regular motivation. But this is when you need a schedule most. You have to build a solid foundation of strength and cardiovascular health before you can move on to more intense and more fun activities. If you haven’t exercised regularly, start with 2 days a week. Hit 6 weeks, and it’s a habit. Start here.

Beat the post-holiday bulge

Stay Low

Keep your cardio intensity lower than about 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, or a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. If you push too hard, you’ll peak early and burn out. Plus, you’ll burn fat by doing 30 minutes at 60 to 70 percent. When you train at lower intensities, you’re teaching your body to use fat rather than carbohydrates.

Be Spontaneous

Every once in a while, choose exercises the way you’d browse through a bookstore go in without a plan. You can do anything, just whatever you feel like, for 30 minutes to an hour. It’s a great way to avoid boredom, and you don’t have to wait for machines. For cardio, follow the guidelines outlined above. For strength, keep your weights low (low enough so that you can complete two to three sets of 10 mildly challenging reps), or just do one set of each exercise, mixing them as you please without thinking about what’s coming next.

Click here for more tips

How to stick to your New Year’s fitness resolution

Look Pretty In Your Ponytail
Ponytails can be sexy, flirty, simple, and chic. If your locks are long, you cannot really go wrong with this style.

Take a flat brush, spray a high shine, holding spritz on it, and brush your hair into a ponytail. International creative consultant for John Frieda, Harry Josh, suggests that the ponytails should be at eye level and to pull out some strands of hair in the front to hang naturally, “A wispy, piecy look is sexy,” says Josh. It also holds well while you’re aerobicizing or working with weights.

Stiletto Aerobics With Celeb Stylist June Ambrose

Exercise The Weave
Are you gearing up for a boot camp or exercise retreat? Cheat. Give your real hair a break, add some locks, and create a style that you’ve had your eye on. Owner of J Spot Salon in Atlanta, GA, celebrity weave pro Derek J, said, “A weave is great because it gives your natural hair and edges a rest and allows your hair to grow.”

Be Fabulously French
Straight styles can easily be pulled back into a modern braid. Gently tease your hair behind your ears, create a bump by taking hair from the section between your temples, and pin it back with a comb. Take the remainder of the hair and create one cute French braid. To keep your locks in place while you’re sweating at the gym, be sure to spritz beforehand with a little bit of hair spray.

5 Reasons Your Weight Is Seesawing

Dramatize The Schoolgirl In You
Separate your tresses into two equal sections, pull hair forward, covering your ears and secure the pigtails. This style is flowy and foxy as you keep finger combed hair out for a bang effect during your workout. Remember, earlobes should be covered.

Strengthen Lungs With Yoga

Short, Stylish and Glam
Halle Berry, an Oscar winning actress, sports naturally chic and short styles. She has always made headlines for her looks. For these styles, pulling it in a braid will not work, yet scarves can look tacky. What is the alternative? When you have hair with star power, let your gorgeousness flow. Working out creates a humid environment, spray your stylish look with an anti-humidity spray or anti-humidity pomade before your exercise session.

Research shows that yoga helps to maintain or control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and stress. Here are some of the additional health benefits of Yoga:

• Improves concentration and creativity

• Improves blood circulation

• Boosts self-esteem

• Improves muscle tone, flexibility, strength and stamina

• Reduces stress and tension

Many gyms and fitness centers offer Yoga, and you can get started by using simple online tutorials or books from your local bookstore! Wouldn’t that be a great start to a new year? Just think of this as a positive beginning to the new and improved YOU.

Get health tips, recipes and more at yoplait.com/yoplaittoday.

“Healthified” Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip [Recipe]

Give The New Year A Healthy Start

Don’t Sleep In On The Weekends
Even though you look forward to being able to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays, don’t do it! This throws off your body’s internal clock, making it harder to get up early during the week.

Make 2011 The Fittest Year Of Your Life

Get The Right Amount Of Zzzzzz’s
If you’re putting your head down at 2 a.m. every night and then wondering why you can’t get up at 7 a.m., chances are that you’re not getting enough sleep. If you need a full eight hours then make sure you get to bed no later than 11 p.m.

How To Stick To A New Year’s Resolution

Create A Bedtime Ritual
Turn off the TV, take a hot shower and/or meditate about 30 minutes before you plan on going to bed. This will start to calm your mind so you can actually get in those hours that you need.

Stop Snoozing
Those extra 30 minutes you snooze through is not actually allowing you to get more sleep. You body takes a long time to reach a deep sleep so those extra 10 minute intervals are just messing around with your internal clock.

Read more tips at fitnessmagazine.com

5 Ways To Get Through A Lousy Day

Research shows that exercise can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and minimize the side effects of treatment.

Sisters Network Inc.’s 2nd Annual ‘Stop the Silence’ Breast Cancer 5k

The Department of Health says local initiatives can get people moving.  Macmillan’s report, Move More, says that of the two million cancer survivors in the UK, around 1.6 million are not physically active enough. Adult cancer patients and cancer survivors should undertake 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week, the reports says, which is what the Department of Health guidelines recommend.

In the report, the American College of Sports Medicine also recommends that exercise is safe during and after most types of cancer treatment and says survivors should avoid inactivity. It doesn’t need to be anything too strenuous, doing the gardening, going for a brisk walk or a swim, all count” Getting active, the report says, can help people overcome the effects of cancer and its treatments, such as fatigue and weight gain.

“The evidence review shows that physical exercise does not increase fatigue during treatment, and can in fact boost energy after treatment.” [SOURCE]

GET MORE HERE

Foods You Should Eat for Younger Looking Skin

Walk Off that Belly Flab

When you’re stuck in a rut and no longer seeing progress, it’s important to figure out how to get out of the slump and back on track. When your progress begins to slow, re-evaluate your plan, and then start back at it. Read on to learn which culprit is to blame for your fading energy, and what you can do to give it a boost.

Culprit #1: Boredom

If you’re doing the same exact thing every time you work out, your body will become conditioned to the exercise. Pretty soon, the challenge is gone, and you’ve stopped improving and seeing visible results. But how does this happen-even when you’re being consistent?

Say you’re doing bicep curls several times a week with the same weight and the same number of reps. This exercise used to be hard but after awhile you can do it with ease. Instead of basking in the effortlessness of the workout, bump it up! Increase the frequency and intensity of the activity and you’ll start to see more progress. Shock your body into making changes.

Another way to avoid boredom is to spice up your fitness routine. A good exercise program doesn’t have to include an hour at the gym each day. For a new challenge, try hiking, riding a bike, playing tennis, or doing yoga. Even an hour playing outside with your kids will burn calories. Keep things interesting to keep the boredom at bay. You also might try hooking up with a “fitness buddy” to keep things entertaining. A pal can keep you motivated and challenge you to push your body.

Culprit #2: Overtraining

While some people need to increase their gym time, there comes a point when you might be working your body too hard. If you’re going to the gym on a regular basis, you’re creating a healthy, lifelong habit. But if you are going to the gym for hours each day, you might be tearing your body down too much. Muscles need recovery time to build back up. Overtraining affects the body as well as the mind. You’re probably pretty drained if your life is starting to revolve around the gym every day. What’s the cure you ask? Take a couple of steps back. This might mean cutting back on your workouts, or taking a week off to replenish your body and mind. After you’ve rested and recovered, come back to your workouts slowly, paying close attention to how your body responds.

Want To Burn Calories? Try Jumping Rope

Culprit #3: Diet

In all probability, you’ve heard about the calorie equation. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. But, if you’re drained during your workouts, take a good look at both sides of this equation.

You can’t focus on exercise if you’re not also mindful of what you eat. If you’re still overeating, then working out alone isn’t going to change your body. At the same time, eating a lot of the wrong foods (junk, empty calories, sugar) won’t give your body enough energy to complete an intense workout.

Water is another key to a successful workout. Drink water throughout the day on a consistent basis, but also make sure to drink extra water during your workout since you lose hydration through sweat. Water helps keep your joints moving fluidly and your muscles primed for exercising.

What are two other ways to get motivated for working out? Click here to find out.

VIDEO: Make Over Your Abs

1. Pick an activity that interests you and run with it (possibly literally!) If you can find an activity that involves exercise that you actually enjoy doing, it won’t be so hard to get yourself to go out and work up a sweat! For example, I’ve found that I enjoy doing yoga, which actually isn’t as easy as it looks. While it’s a stereotypically “relaxing” activity, it can actually be pretty strenuous – however, I usually come out of the hour class feeling simultaneously tired out and relaxed. As long as you find some form of exercise that gets you excited to work out, whether it be running, a sport like soccer or basketball, or even just hitting the exercise bikes at the gym, whatever gets your blood pumping is a good use of your time.

2. Get a group of friends or family members to join and/or support you! Why should exercise be a solitary activity, especially during the summer when outdoor activities are prime for groups? Ask some people close to you who also might want to get back into fitness to accompany you to an exercise class or if that’s not what they’re into, local YWCAs or recreation departments, for example, have tons of different activities to choose from. As long as you have support in your exercise endeavors, it’s easier to get back out there and feel motivated to stay active!

3. Schedule in at least half an hour a day to move. You could be doing something as simple as a beginner’s fitness DVD or taking a walk around your block – every bit of exercise counts to your body. If you work up your endurance over time by taking out time every day for an activity, your body will thank you for it, plus you’ll be able to keep up the pace longer. It’s important to keep yourself keep moving, no matter what – keeping up exercise over time will keep you healthier and help you live longer!

5 Ways To Accomplish The Most Before Summer Ends

4. Get outside. It’s the summer, so there’s no reason for you to be inside all of the time! The fresh air will do you good and there are plenty of ways you can get your strong, independent self some quality work-outs. Even just walking around the park or getting to the beach for a short swim can be the difference between being inactive and an active participant in life!

5. Use exercise as a way to rev yourself up or wind down. If you’re like me, exercise isn’t the way I relax, but more of a way to get myself pumped up for a day. However, I have some family members who claim that by working out, they are able to feel better about themselves in a relaxing way. Either way your brain works, if you correlate exercising with positive imaging, it’ll be more likely that you’ll keep up with the fitness in the future. Sisters, get yourselves out there and get your body moving!

Exercising and getting your body moving might be strenuous and hard to think about for some, but even during the summer, it’s important to keep up the fitness and not slack off on yourself! While a bit of rest and relaxation are always called for, there’s a fine line between taking a break from your daily stresses and being lazy. Be the strong, independent women you are and find some way to stay healthy, happy, and in-shape during the end of the warm weather!

5 Ways To Make Time For Reading During The Summer

Here are some uses for your timer from realsimple.com:

* Use the timer in the bathroom to teach children how long they should be brushing their teeth (at least 2 minutes).
* Replace the sand timer in a board game. (Sand doesn’t ding to let you know that time is up.)

How to use a lemon to clean your kitchen.

* Time exercises. Who can look at a watch while holding a yoga pose?
* Set it when you first call the family to dinner. When the timer rings, they must stop checking e-mail and come to the table, pronto!

How to clean your microwave

Weekly Goal: By next week, I must weigh in at 200 pounds even. By June 2011, I want to be at 163lbs.

DAY 1

5:00 am: Good Morning! Got up at 5am and got dressed for work. Stared at the mirror for longer than I intended. Told myself, “I HAVE to let go of this weight.”
7:00 am: Arrive at work, change into my sneakers. I’m going for a walk!
8:30 am: Just got back from my walk. I feel invigorated and ready to take on the day. Oh, yea, and I’m starving, so I scarf down a banana. Hoping it holds me over until brunch.
11:00 am: For brunch I’m having a yogurt (100 calories), soy milk (70 calories), and a salad (75 calories). Sounds good, right? But it was hard! My boss had donuts!
2:30pm: I couldn’t help myself and had a slice of pizza for lunch. Extra pepperoni too! Will need extra time on the treadmill later.
5:00 pm: Hunger pains were attacking so I took a walk by the vending machine. I’m proud to say that I didn’t give in. Instead, I went back to my desk and had a grapefruit!
7:30 pm: Dinner is light tonight. Having grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies. No more food for the day! I had pizza today so I am in fighting-food mode! Tomorrow, I work out at Curve!

DAY 2

7:30 am: Wake up. Drink some water before I eat anything. On Saturdays I fast until noon and I only work-out for 30 mins & drinks lots of water. I’ll be honest though, in my mind I’m thinking pancakes and eggs…
12:00 pm: But in the real world, I have yogurt, soy milk, a large grapefruit & a whole wheat English muffin.
1:30 pm: I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. My stomach is doing something not cute. I’m going to lay down – maybe I’ll feel better later in the day.
9:30 pm: I had a weight-loss setback. I just came from the ER. It turns out working-out on a 500 calorie diet is NOT a good idea. I wasn’t drinking enough water and I was severely dehydrated. The doctor suggested I consume at least 500 more calories to continue my work-out regiment. I have to remember it’s not all about looks; we have to stay healthy! Since tomorrow is Sunday I will just recuperate and stock up on protein and water.

DAY 3

8:00 am: Good morning! Happy day light savings time! I am at work. Breakfast is wheat English muffin, a bottle of water, one red apple, one green apple, orange, and a banana.
9:00 am: Work out for 45 minutes. For the rest of the day, I’ll take it easy. I’ll drink a lot of water.
12:00 pm: Lunch is a large grilled chicken salad. I had one cookie but I don’t feel that guilty!
4pm: Feeling a strong craving for Pop-Tarts. I am a sucker for Pop-Tarts! But at 210 calories, I’d better stay away.
10:00 pm: Bedtime! I had a really fulfilling dinner. I had salmon and mashed potatoes and veggies. I feel physically and mentally prepared for a good work-out tomorrow.

DAY 4

7:00 pm: Just got home from work where I had long day! For breakfast I had the same things ate yesterday. For lunch, I had a chicken teriyaki sandwich. I am about to change clothes so I can start my work-out!
7:30 pm: Riding the stationary bike for 30mins. Wish me luck!
8:15 pm: Dinner is a salad made of spinach, mozzarella, tomatoes and a fat free dressing (watching the sodium) Oh, and half glass of Mojito…I know, I know.

DAY 5

5:40 am: Good morning! Another day and another chance for improvement! Breakfast is  one banana, wheat English muffin, water, lite yogurt and one orange.
6:30 am: Time to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Ladies, if you can’t go to a gym or afford one? No worries, use your stair steps!
6:30 pm: Work was crazy! I could not stop for lunch but my snack was a cup of instant oatmeal (160 calories), water & an orange.
7:00 pm: On my way home to my favorite salad! Capri salad! & 30 mins on the stationary bike!

DAY 6

7:00 am: Good morning! I’m on the treadmill and I’m inspired! I am now 204 pounds even! it’s time to step the game up. Walking for an hour today.
10:00 am: Snack is 8oz of soy milk, water, one orange, one cup of cereal.
1:00 pm: Lunch is a chicken salad, 8oz of soy milk and water!
8:00 pm: Spending an hour on the stationary bike. It’s great because I can catch up on my reading! I even answer emails while I work out.

DAY 7

2:00 pm: For lunch I had 1 Portobello mushroom sandwich, whole wheat bun, half glass of house wine and salad.
6:30 pm: For dinner I had tostadas, which had lettuce, shredded cheese, refried beans, turkey meat, sour cream & salsa! It was delicious and I didn’t even feel guilty!

TOTALS: Despite a health setback, I was able to go from 207 to 203.5 with exercise and diet. I realized that going from 207lbs to 200lbs in seven days is not the healthiest option. I still have a long way to go, but I’m very confident that I’ll make my June goal. I can’t wait to check back in with HelloBeautiful to show you my progress.

Read more “Diaries” entries here:

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The Business Analyst Who’s Fighting With The Food Devil

1. Plan outdoor activities
Set aside one day a weekend to do something active as a family: swimming in the summer, sledding or hiking in the winter, or biking in the spring and fall. Taking along a picnic lunch-and splurging on some healthy snacks after a good workout-will help the day go by without a complaint.

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2. Take classes together
Ask around at fitness clubs and community centers in your area about yoga or aerobics classes offered to parents and kids together. If your little one is too young to participate, look for classes that help you burn calories with your baby by incorporating them into your yoga moves or pushing them along during stroller workouts. No kids? Check out partner yoga or even “doga”-yup, yoga for you and your dog.

3. Redo your family room
Too often, family rooms are the center of laziness in a home: a comfy couch, a video-game console, a shelf full of DVDs, and nothing to encourage fitness or physical activity. There are ways to add in subtle reminders, however, without overhauling your entire room or dragging in a giant piece of workout equipment. Set a time limit on weekly television and incorporate these Skinny House essentials to keep your whole family moving.

To read more tips about staying active with your family, click here!

Tip#1: Eat Fruits And Veggies

Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. Consume 5 servings per day and keep your calorie count nice and low.

Tip#2: Don’t Skip Meals

Eating frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced

Tip#3: Eat Small Portions

Be sure to watch your meal portion size! Instead of eating 3 hearty meals, eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Tip#4: Keep a Food Journal

Keeping a food journal helps you identify and manage your eating habits. Write it all down and then modify it to fancy your diet plan

Tip#5: Don’t Be Overly Restrictive

Having a ‘cheat treat’ every once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Just keep it reasonable and don’t go overboard!

Tip#6: Exercise… period!

You should get at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. If you can’t get to the gym, take a walk or do leg lifts while watching TV!

Get health tips, recipes and more at yoplait.com/yoplaittoday

Make No Excuses

Plus-size women have complained about not finding cute workout clothes in their sizes, but now there’s no excuse not to look great at the gym. Brands like Junonia have a variety of styles and sizes that go up to 6x, making it easier to find a look that’s just right for you.

Invest in a Lightweight Jacket

If the gym isn’t your thing and you’re more interested in pounding the pavement, invest in a warm but stylish workout jacket. Just be sure it’s not bulky like your normal winter jacket as you will work up a sweat and need the ability to move your upper body freely. This stylish belted Run Winter Jacket by Stella McCartney ($216, shopadidas.com), is cute and practical for winter runs.

GET THE REST AT BLACKVOICES.COM

Make 2011 The Fittest Year Of Your Life

Beat The Post-Holiday Bulge

Weekly Goals: Workout 3-4 times a week, loose 5 lbs, and return to my weekly Weight Watchers meetings.

Day 1
5:30 a.m.: I woke up to the loud sounds of my alarm and cell phone. I tell myself I’ll get up in 10 mins to work out and have breakfast. I then roll over and press the snooze button.
7:00 a.m.: I am now up. Of course, I’m rushing for work and must be out of the house in an hour. I shower quickly, flat iron my hair, and iron my clothes. All the while, I am thinking, “what am I going to eat for breakfast?”
8:00 a.m.: I am finally dress and ready for work. Thankfully, I prepared lunch last night so I just grab my healthy lunch of cooked cabbage, an apple, roasted sweet potatoes from the fridge. For a snack I grab a rice cake and 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter. I’m determined to reach my goal this week.
9:00 a.m.: I grab a fruit salad on the way to work. However, as soon as I walk in the door to my office, I hear loud chatter coming from the office kitchen. OH NO!!!! Someone decided to bring in dozens of baked cookies from a weekend holiday party. Oh hell naw, the devil is trying to sabotage me!
10:15 a.m.: I can’t resist the temptation. I convince myself that it’s ok to just look at the goodies. Wrong move! I grab two chocolate chip cookies and head back to my desk. As I indulge in the bliss of those cookies I feel a sense of pleasure and agony. Oh well I start over the next hour.
12:00 p.m.: I eat my healthy lunch. I’m completely satisfied. Yes I messed up a little this morning but if I stay on track I can reach my goal.
3:00 p.m.: I eat my rice cake and peanut butter. Its ok, but lord knows I would love another one of those cookies. I give into the devil and grab 2 sugar cookies from the office kitchen. I think to myself I’m going to have to workout an extra 20 mins tonight.
6:30 p.m.: I meet my trainer for our one-on-one session. I put my all into our 1 hour together. I’m going to work off those cookies!
8:00 p.m.: On my way home from the gym, I stop by the grocery story. Its cold outside and I want to cook some collard greens and turkey neckbones. It’s a country meal, I know lol. But it’s healthy and would be tasty.
8:45 p.m.: I arrive put my turkey neckbones in the slow cooker. I’ll let them cook over night. Eat a small salad and prepare for bed.
11:00 p.m.: In the bed I say a quick prayer to God asking him to help me on this journey. Lord, knows its going to take Him to help me fight the food devil.

Day 2
7:00 a.m.: I’m tired and sore as hell from working out last night. I snooze for 25 more minutes.
9:15 a.m.: I had already decided on my drive to work that I deserve a treat this morning. I mean I worked my butt off last night. So, I stop by my favorite deli to grab a freshly baked blueberry muffin.
12:00 p.m.: I eat my boring lunch. I’m satisfied at the moment. But I know I’m going to be hungry later.
3:30 p.m.: Yep I’m hungry. I grab my coat and head out into the cold to make a quick trip to the Subway Restaurant, about 5 blocks away. I grab a healthy oven-roasted chicken salad with fat-free Italian dressing.
6:00 p.m.: My salad from Subway was so good that I decide to get another one on the way home from work.
7:15 p.m.: I get home eat my salad quickly. I start cooking the collards I had brought yesterday by first reheating the neckbones in the slow cooker. I figure that while these are cooking I can get 30 mins of cardio in. So I run down to the gym in my condo building.

Day 3
5:30 a.m.: I hit the snooze button for the first of about 20 times this morning.
7:30 a.m.: After snoozing for 2 hours and trying to convince myself to get up, I finally decide to get out the bed. I cut the TV on and decide that I don’t care whether or not I’m extremely late this morning. It’s just one of them days…
11:00 a.m.: I’m extremely hungry because I didn’t eat breakfast. I decide to eat my lunch early. I’m excited because I’m finally eating the collard greens and neckbones I slaved two days over. They are just as yummy as I thought. The only thing missing is the sweet-buttery cornbread my grandmother makes. But of course, I had to pass on that. Oh well, for now this will do.
2:00 p.m.: I’m hungry again. I eat a salad that I brought from home. That satisfies me for a short moment but I’m now starting to crave something sweet.
3:00 p.m.: I’m really not trying to give into my craving for chocolate. I do everything to avoid breaking down. I try eating a pear but that does nothing for me. I eat a spoonful of natural peanut butter, that does nothing. I overhear my co-workers discussing the new box of chocolate covered cookies someone brought in. I give up this battle. I can’t fight the food devil this time. I grab two chocolate covered wafers. It felt like heaven
4:30 p.m.: I’m not feeling too well. The first few days of my monthly friend are horrible for me. I text my trainer telling him I wont be able to make our session today.
6:30 p.m.: I’m finally home after a long day. I heat up a plate of collard greens and open a bag of salad. Dinner is yummy and satisfying.
9:30 p.m.: I’m in the bed early for a change. But I’m still craving chocolate. I breakdown once again and grab one of the mini Take-5 bars I keep in the freezer. I eat the chocolate bar quickly and proceed to bed.

Diaries Of A Skinny Fat Girl, Part I: The Media Maven Who Appreciates A Good Fad Diet

Day 4
7:30 a.m.: I actually slept through my alarm clock and didn’t wake up until my body was ready. Damn! Once again I’m rushing this morning.
8:15 a.m.: I eat a quick bowl of Special K-Blueberry and head out of the house.
9:30 a.m.: On the way to work I get excited thinking about my Weight Watchers class this evening. I haven’t been there in months! I have promised myself that I can’t make any excuse this week for not going.
12 p.m.: I eat more of collard greens and neckbones. They are still quite tasty but I’m starting to get bored.
3:00 p.m.: I eat a pear, 2 rice cakes and 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter.
6:30 p.m.: I left work early to make it to Weight Watchers. This is the first time I have been to this particular location. Weight Watchers has a new plan that they just released 2 weeks ago. Damn, this means I gotta learn the entire program all over again. During the meeting, I stepped on the scale and become disappointed because I have only lost 2lb since Sunday when I last weighed myself. I beat myself up because I know I shouldn’t have had any of those cookies or chocolate bars this week.
7:15 p.m.: I get the best text in the world from my trainer! He tells me he isn’t going to weigh me in the morning because he knows my monthly friend is here this week. The Lord steps in right on time!!!! I definitely didn’t want to see the look of disappointment on his face tomorrow.
8:30 p.m.: I eat a bowl of Special K – Chocolate Delight. I can’t stop it with this chocolate craving.
9:00 p.m.: I quickly prepare my gym bag and clothes for work. I have to get up bright and early in the am to meet my trainer.

Day 5
5:00 a.m.: I wake up eat a bowl of Special K – Blueberry flavor and slowly get ready to meet my trainer.
6:30 a.m..: I arrive at the gym. I put my all into my workout session although I feel like crap.
9:30 a.m.: I eat a pear at my desk.
12:00 p.m.: I meet my sister for lunch at Union Station. I really want to have a lunch full of grease. But I opt to get a sandwich from Subway Restaurant. Sure it’s boring, but I’m just happy to have a piece of bread.
8:00 p.m.: After a long week of work I decide to spend Friday night alone. I cook a big and juicy turkey burger and bake French Fries. Watch a little tv and then I’m out for the night.

Day 6
11:30 a.m.: I rush to my bi-weekly hair appointment. I try to talk myself out of eating one of the mini red-velvet cupcakes they have displayed. Of course I give in. Thankfully, it wasn’t as good as it looked. Otherwise, I’m sure I would have grabbed another one.
6:00 p.m.: I did a bunch of errands today and semi forgot to eat. I say semi only because this evening I have a holiday party at one of the most fabulous hotels in the city. I’m not going to think at all about calories this evening. Nevertheless, because I don’t want to over do it, I eat a salad and bake French Fries.
9:00 p.m.: At the party I enjoy a few mixed drinks and the best damn chocolate mousse-fudge cake I have ever had. I don’t even feel bad at all. Shoot, sometimes you just gotta live in the moment.

Day 7
12 p.m.: After church I head to brunch with a group of friends at the trendy restaurant Matchbox. Matchbox has the best pizza and I couldn’t resist. Instead of ordering brunch food, I order a personal pizza: ½ veggie and ½ chicken. I eat every piece of that pizza. Damn it was good. I’m stuff and won’t eat anything else today.

Totals: Overall this week was a moderately successful. I did reach my goal of working out at least 3 times this week and attending Weight Watchers. However, I lost 3lbs instead of the 5lbs I wanted to lose. I blame myself for giving into my love of sweets. Oh well, we will try again next week.

Do you want to share your Skinny-Fat Girl Diaries with us?  Tweet us @hellobeautiful or write on our Facebook wall.

Weekly Goals: Successfully complete the Sacred Heart Diet.  Work out 4 times this week.  Lose 5lbs…at least

Day 1
6:30 a.m.: I woke up with full intentions of either working out in my living room or going to the gym.  It’s too cold and I decided I can still work out if I sleep for 45 more minutes.  I turn over and press snooze.
7:30 a.m.: If I get up now I can still work out.  I whisper to myself to wake up…it’s not working.  I roll over again.  I fail.
8:15 a.m.: I’m now awake and at risk for being late to work.  After a quick shower, I prepare for my first day of doing the Sacred Heart Diet.  I pack up the vegetable soup I cooked last night before bed and grab enough fruit for an entire day out of the refrigerator.  I keep an apple out to eat on the walk to the train.  I feel in control, I got this.
10:30 a.m.: The morning is flying and I have eaten almost all of my watermelon and cantaloupes.  The healthiness of it is making me feel inspired.  Also, I’m so busy at work having food within my reach prevents me from silly idle missions like lunch or snack breaks.  Again, I got this.
1:00 p.m.: I finally get up and go over to the lunch room and microwave my vegetable soup.  Someone in the lunch room is eating pizza.  I look and smell with envy.
1:15 p.m.: I’ve eaten the soup.  I can’t say I’m fulfilled but I’m also not hungry.  I have two hours of meetings ahead of me so I’m almost through the day.  Thank God.
6:30 p.m.: Those meetings were brutal and my stomach was growling so much I thought someone was going to call on me for comments. I have eaten the soup and all of my fruit.  I have nothing left.  I’m going home to  work out and eat strawberries.
8:00 p.m.: I’m not working out today and I’m ok with it.  I almost killed an entire carton of strawberries.  I ate more soup.  I decide it does not taste good.  I read more of “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”  Sleep.

Day 2
6:30 a.m.: I tell myself to get up and work out.  Unfortunately it’s raining outside and it’s not going to happen.
8:00 a.m.: Feeling more energetic this morning so I take more time getting dressed.  I even wear super high boots, which I’m  going to regret as I take that 15 minute walk to the train.
8:15 a.m.: I’m feeling hungry but today is vegetable day.  I can only eat the soup and vegetables.
1:00 p.m.: I’m running across the street to the salad bar to get as many delicious vegetables as I can.  I load up on asparagus, green beans and salad.
6:00 p.m.: I grab another salad from a deli around the job before heading home.  The diet says I can eat as many veggies as I want and hey, I’m hungry again.
6:30 p.m.: I’m home and dressed for a workout. I’m just about to start when I check the Sacred Heart Diet plan and realize I get to eat a baked potato tonight.  I am elated!  I wrap my potato in foil and plop it in the oven.
7:25 p.m.: I made it through the entire tape.  I stopped twice for air and water.  I’m tired but my body feels amazing and is thanking me for my hard work.   Now my taste buds will thank me for this potato.

Day 3
6:30 a.m.: As usual the alarm goes off.  As usual I don’t get up and work out.
8:30 a.m.: I wake up and curse loudly.  I slept way too long and now I’m going to be late.  I also need to spend extra time on my hair today because I worked out last night and sweated it out.  It’s also time for a relaxer.  My hair is short and I fear I look like a chia pet.
12:30 p.m.: Today I get to eat fruits, veggies & soup. I go to the salad bar and get an assortment of veggies and brussel sprouts.  As I eat them my co-workers complain endlessly about the aroma.  I’m also feeling kind of gassy.  Good thing I sit in the back of the office.
7:00 p.m.: I go to the bathroom and glance in the mirror on the way out.  I’m feeling slimmer already.  The Sacred Heart Diet says I should have lost 5 pounds by today.  I feel like I have–even if it was just water.
7:45 p.m.: I’m at The Standard with the bff who’s in from out of town.  She orders a meal paid for by her celebrity boss.  I order a wedge salad.  She order grilled cheese and fries.  When the food comes I am sad but proud of myself.
9:30 p.m.: The celebrity boss is taking everyone to Sofritos a darling east side Puerto-Rican restaurant that has the most amazing paella and empanadas.  Of course everything will be free.  I’m about to have a serious downward spiral….
11:00 p.m.: I’m at Sofritos.  I have not ordered a drink…yet.  The Celebrity Boss has ordered family style plates of appetizers for the table.  Suddenly, fried chicken, calamari, empanadas and other deliciousness is sitting in front of me.
11:01 p.m.: Suddenly I’m eating some type of nacho with shrimp and avocado on it and filling up a plate with little mini chicken wings.   I reason with myself that vanity is not worth passing up on a paid dinner by Celebrity Boss with my closest friends at Sofritos.
11:15 p.m.: I order a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
12:00 p.m.: Celebrity Boss is taking the gang to the Boom-Boom Room.  I can barely hold my eyes open so I make my first responsible decision of the evening.  I go home.  I don’t feel guilty in the slightest but I vow to work out in the morning.

Day 4
6:30 a.m.: The alarm clock goes off.  This time I get up.  I am motivated by guilt but still I get up.
6:45 a.m.:  I work out for 40 minutes.  I’m back on the horse…
9:00 a.m.: I’ve eaten an apple.  I have broken the Sacred Heart Diet and I’m not sure if I should start over or just say forget it.  The soup is getting soggy and today is banana and milk day.  I hate bananas and I’m lactose intolerant.
9:30 a.m.: I ate a banana.  That is all.
12 p.m.: I have a little bowl of Chicken Noodle soup on my desk that I brought in a few weeks ago.  I decide to warm it up in the lunchroom.  It’s Thursday and I have even more meetings that I do on Tuesdays.  I’m swamped and don’t have time to think about food.
6:20 p.m.: I have no idea what happened in the last few hours.  Time to go meet the Almost-Boyfriend so we can go to the birthday party. I got to Au Bon Pain and get a fruit cup.
8:00 p.m.: I realize I basically haven’t eaten anything today and I’m starving.  Almost boyfriend and I got to eat at Dos Caminos.
8:10 p.m.: I order a glass of Rioja.  I’m so tired and such an emotional wreck I realize that I actually physically require wine to hold myself together.
8:15 p.m.: I toy with the idea of salad but get shrimp and rice instead.  It seems light and I do not feel guilty.
8:30 p.m.: I drink my wine and pour my sorrows out to the Almost-Boyfriend.
8:45 p.m.: Our food comes and I eat every last drop of mine AND some of the Almost-Boyfriends.  His is better than mine.  I am not pleased.
9:15 p.m.: We head out to go home.  I have a complete emotional breakdown.   I’m stressed out and tired.  Perhaps this isn’t the time to be guilting myself about food and exercise.

Day 5
6:30 a.m.: I wake up feeling better and craving a breakfast sandwich.  I don’t have one.
12:00 p.m.: I order three Sushi rolls for lunch.  I really wanted it.
5:30 p.m.: I have a meeting and decide it’s Friday and I want to leave work early.  Across the street,  I have two glasses of wine, chips and guacamole and we share a shrimp quesadilla.  I do not feel guilty.
8:00 p.m.: Me and the Almost-Boyfriend meet up for birthday party number two of the week.  He’s a trooper.  I have another glass of wine or two…I can’t remember.
10:00 p.m.: Party-time is over.  I’m completely un-invested in monitoring my eating today so much so that I can’t remember if I ate again.

Day 6
1:30 p.m.: Lazy Saturday means I don’t eat until midday.  I make an smoked-salmon omelet with Swiss cheese.  It’s delicious.
7:00 p.m.: I drag Almost-Boyfriend to dinner in the city.  We go to this fabulous Italian restaurant called De Andrea that I’ve been meaning to try for years.
7:15 p.m.: I order smoked salmon penne pasta…and a glass of wine.
7:30 p.m.: I eat every ounce of my pasta.  I am happy.

Day 7
3 p.m.: I arrive home and I am starving.  I have eaten nothing all day.  I decided I’m going to burgers with the birthday girl later so I cook myself and Omelet with feta and make a small salad.  I am content.
6 p.m.: The birthday girl and I go to dinner.  I order the biggest most amazing turkey burger with Swiss and mushrooms.  Any thoughts of the Sacred Heart Diet have long since faded away.  Oh and I had a glass of red wine.  Again, I do not feel guilty.

TOTALS: 2 ½ successful days of dieting, 1 night of sheer foodie bliss, 1day of reasonable eating, 1 day of complete disregard for my waistline, 2 days “eat what you want, it’s the weekend food” = 1 failed week of Sacred Heart Dieting, 2 workouts and 0 weight loss.

Do you want to share you Skinny-Fat Girl Diaries with us?  Tweet us @hellobeautiful or write on our Facebook wall.

How To Make Sure Your Current Workout Is A Healthy One

6 Smart Moves To Trim Your Body & Sharpen Your Mind

Take steps to avoid heart disease —don’t smoke, get regular exercise and eat healthy foods. Avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy lifestyle today. Here are five heart disease prevention tips to get you started.

1. Don’t smoke or use tobacco products

Smoking or using other tobacco products is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,800 chemicals. Many of these can damage your heart and blood vessels, making them more vulnerable to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack.

How To Make Sure Your Current Workout Is A Healthy One

2. Get active

Regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater. Physical activity helps you control your weight and can reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. It also reduces stress, which may also be a factor in heart disease.

Want To Burn Calories? Try Jumping Rope

Visit Mayoclinic for further details on this article

Even relaxation can bring out the best in you — but make sure you do it properly. The Corpse Pose or Savasana may look like a simple relaxing pose that is done in between or after a Yoga pose (Asana), but this exercise requires a lot of concentration and will develop through continued practice. This exercise, if done correctly, will stimulate blood circulation and will lessen or relieve fatigue, nervousness, asthma, constipation, diabetes, indigestion, and insomnia. It will also improve one’s mental concentration.

1. Rotate your legs in and out, and then let them fall gently out to the sides.
2. Let your arms fall alongside your body, slightly separated from the body, palms facing upwards.
3. Rotate the spine by turning your head from side to side to center it.
4. Then start stretching yourself out, as though someone is pulling your head away from your feet, your shoulders down and away from your neck, your legs down and away from your pelvis.
5. Breathe deeply and slowly from your abdomen.
6. Hold the pose for several minutes. Make your mind still and concentrate on your breath or the body.

Here’s a taste of this week’s Yoga Flava TV Snack, “Guided Relaxation”, and check in weekly for new episodes on Elev8:

Join Robin Downes on BlackPlanet.com

In the New York tri-state are? Then join us for:

Robin Downes’ Yoga Flava Summer Series Sessions
Monday Nights – 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Get Your Sensual Summer Body!

Location: The New Seminary Center For Interfaith Studies, 2672 Bway @ 102nd St. 2nd floor, NYC 10025
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Yoga Flava Video: Enjoy This Guided Meditation To Bliss

Put Your Back In It: Yoga & Sexual Union

Inhale “Ahh” To Calm Nerves

VIDEO: Try Releasing Stiffness With A Strap

To put your best foot forward this season (and the rest of the year, too), challenge yourself to incorporate at least two of these guidelines. Making small strides each day will build good habits to give you big rewards over time!

1. Increase your exercise

If you know you’ll be knocking back some extra wine (4 oz = 160 cals) at a party, make sure you balance out the scales with a long walk, jog, bike ride, rollerblading session, or a swim beforehand. For every mile of activity, you burn about 100 calories. So an hour of moderate activity can burn 600 calories! Not too shabby.

Remember that just because you exercise, you do not have a license to overeat.

Exercise in the morning on an empty stomach and you’ll burn 30% more fat.

Also, try to add weight lifting to your regime 2-3 times per week for a good metabolic boost. Stressing your muscles by lifting heavy weights programs your body to repair (and subsequently build) them up, raising your calorie-burning potential even while your body is at rest.

Remember that just because you exercise, you do not have a license to overeat. Treat your body kindly.

2. Watch your portion sizes

Okay, so you want to eat your Grandmother’s Death by Chocolate cake at an outdoor barbeque. The one you dream about, remember eating as a child, can taste in your mind when you’re feeling blue. Go ahead, have your cake and eat it too-just take a small piece so you enjoy the taste without the guilt.

Once you take away the “I can’t eat that” from food, you remove the power it can have over you.

When you eat, really enjoy what you’re eating. Savor the flavor, without guilt. Put your fork down between bites. Allow your body the 20 minutes it takes to feel full. Chances are, you’ll feel full before your plate is empty, and will end up eating less anyway.

The Top 10 Threats To Our Health

3. Drink alcohol in moderation and always with food in your stomach

Alcohol is liquid sugar. It is absorbed within minutes into the bloodstream, and causes your blood sugar to rise and fall, turning on the body’s hunger signals. Drinking with food can offset the blood sugar fluctuations and subsequent food binges that may follow. So remember- there’s peanuts at the bar for a reason. Eat something before you start drinking.

Space out your drinks over the course of the evening. Mentally prepare yourself for the party and decide ahead of time how much you’re going to drink- and stick to it.

GET MORE HERE

The 8 Worst (And Best) Snack Foods

Want to get rid of that belly fat? Here’s an ab workout that will help you shed those pounds in your mid-section:

What are the 5 misleading fitness myths? Find out here.

4 easy recipes to get rid of belly fat.

We’re bipedal creatures, designed to walk, run, and dance, yet we spend much of our lives sitting still, whether at our desks or in front of the television. You might think this lack of motion helps shore up energy, but the opposite is true. Being sedentary makes you lose muscle mass, which decreases the efficiency of your mitochondria, causing energy levels to plummet. When you’re tired, you don’t feel like moving. But inactivity exacerbates fatigue, setting up a vicious cycle.

The Fix

When you’re feeling drained, hopping on a treadmill, picking up a pair of dumbbells, or stretching your limbs into Downward Dog may be the last thing you want to do. Yet you need to expend energy to get more of it. That’s because regular physical activity not only improves your mood and helps you sleep better, it can increase both the number of your mitochondria and how efficiently they work. For the best results, aim for a half hour of aerobic activity most days of the week — swimming, cycling, or a daily speed walk on your lunch break — plus strength training and stretching a couple of times weekly. Try interval training, which combines short bursts of high-intensity exercise (such as sprinting) with longer periods of lighter exercise (like brisk walking or jogging). This can help you burn more calories while you sleep, boosting your metabolism and your energy levels.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Visualize your way to losing weight

4 ways to tone your body in time for summer

Healthy weight gain during pregnancy usually hovers in the 25- to 40-lb. range. When you do go through the nine-month span of pregnancy and deliver your baby, you are destined to have at least some residual weight leftover. You can lose your baby weight in your own home. In order to do this, you still need to go through the same motions as for weight loss. Here are some tips from shine.com:

Step 1

Eat foods that are high in nutrients and low in empty calories. Avoid processed meats, commercial baked goods, deep fried foods, white bread, chips and candy. Consume foods that are quality sources of protein, carbs and fats, like chicken breasts, eggs, lean beef, whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and oils.

Step 2

Consume water as your only beverage. Stay away from the soft drinks, fruits drinks, alcoholic beverages and sweetened teas. They offer empty calories and they can cause your baby weight to stay right where it is. Drink eight to ten cups of water daily instead. Drink it with your meals to help fill your stomach.

How to deal with morning sickness

Step 3

Prepare a small meal every two to three hours to keep your metabolism elevated. Baby carrots and celery stalks with cheese sticks is a good meal example. Make sure that each meal has a portion of fiber-rich complex carbs and protein. This can keep you feeling full and prevent you from overeating.

Step 4

Do push-ups. Lie on your stomach with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees on the floor. Cross your legs over one another and push yourself off the floor until your arms are fully extended. Contract your core to straighten your back and slowly lower your chest toward the floor. Stop when it is about the width of your fist away and then push yourself back up.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE TIPS

How to get your baby to sleep through the night

(BlackDoctor.org) — “It’s hard enough to get up in the morning early enough to get to work on time. You expect me to get up early enough to exercise?” It may sound like an uncanny suggestion. And 500 calories burned are no different whether they are burned in the morning than in the afternoon, but there are certain benefits of morning exercise that you don’t get when you exercise later in the day. Read on to find out what these benefits are.

1. Exercising early in the morning “jump-starts” your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you’ll be burning more calories all day long, just because you exercised in the morning.

2. Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day, not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you.

Want to lose weight? Dance it off!

3. Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to 10 hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

4. Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a better quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)

5. When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body’s endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes. That’s beneficial because:

• Your body is not “confused” by wildly changing wake-up times, which means waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don’t need an alarm clock most days.)

• Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc.

• Your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you’re sleeping. As a result, you’ll feel more alert, energized and ready to exercise when you do wake up.

READ MORE HERE

4 ways to spring clean your workout routine

(BlackDoctor.org) — When it comes to beauty and looking your age, black women are very lucky. Because of darker skin pigmentation and the heightened amount of melanin in the skin of women of color, there is a minimum amount of flaws and imperfections that appear with the coming of age, such as: crow’s feet, wrinkles and sagging skin. And even though we know that weight gain knows no race, women of color wear their weight differently; usually in the lower half of the body, and at times this too can increase with each birthday.

The truth is that a great nutrition plan, diet regiment and exercise will all help to ensure that you stay on Mother Nature’s good side. In the meantime, a little extra help doesn’t hurt. Here are a few simple tips that can keep people asking, “How old did you say you were again?”

1. Buy a good bra, not just a pretty one

Sometimes we get a little too taken with lace, sheer and embroidery and forget the best thing of all is the fit. Most overweight women wear bras that let their breasts fall too low, making them look older and heavier. However, a good bra can make you look leaner and slimmer. If you are unsure, get fitted in the lingerie department of your favorite department store. You will see the difference next time in your favorite shirt

2. Make it a point to add color in your wardrobe

Because black women come in so many shades, why limit yourself to dark and neutral colors. Venture outside of the box. Try beautiful pastels and earth tones, and even some vibrant patterns. Try bright colors on your good features and dark colors on problem areas. Since black women come in all colors, so should the wardrobe. Color will make you look much younger.

3 ways to work out at home

3. Know yourself is knowing your size.

Another common mistake that plus-size women make is that they squeeze in the wrong size trying to look thinner. But, the unfortunate and blatant truth is that this only makes you look bigger and older. Women believe that if they risk going up a size than they have to eventually deal with that weight gain, which might be true. But who says that you have to look terrible while waiting to lose the weight. If you look your best at any weight, you might find yourself in a better frame of mind to take on a diet and exercise routine.

4. Boot camp on boot cuts

Please, please, please ladies; throw out tapered and ill-fitting jeans. As mentioned, black women tend to carry weight at the bottom making a lady looking larger and shorter. If you want to make your hips appear slimmer, try boot cut jeans. These jeans flare out at the knee and give you the appearance of being slimmer and taller.

Get Mary J’s get-fit-anywhere secret

5. Accessorize Your Wardrobe

Black women are naturally beautiful. To enhance that beauty, try a host of attractive accessories. Scarves, long dangling earrings, pins, handbags and shoes all help you look very attractive before and after you lose weight. After all, it’s very hard to notice problem areas on your body when you are adorned with an array of eye-catching accessories.

Lastly, don’t try so hard to be noticed, just being yourself will get you plenty of attention. Black is beautiful no matter what!

Take a look at the hottest celeb pics on the net

(From livestrong.com)

The breasts are highly composed of fat, ducts, glands and connective tissue. Over the course of time, they can become lax and start to sag. If you are currently experiencing sagging breasts, there are several exercises you can do to lift them. Muscle beneath the breasts can be strengthened to offer you support.

Step 1

Utilize the weight of your body to do push-ups. Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and your knees on the ground. Lift your lower legs up and cross them and straighten your back by contracting your abdominals. Push your body up until your arms are fully extended, then lower yourself down toward the ground. Stop when your chest is the width of your fist away and push yourself back up.

Get a gold medal-worthy body

Step 2

Adjust a bench to 45 degrees to do incline presses, suggests ExRx.net. Lie on the bench and hold dumbbells straight above you with your palms facing forward and the weights an inch apart. Slowly lower the weights down to your sides by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor and push them back to the starting position. Repeat for a series of reps.

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Make 2010 the fittest year of your life

Imagine being able to workout any time, any place even while watching TV! Even couch potatoes can whip themselves into shape while keeping their eyes glued to the tube:

Top 4 common workout mistakes

Make 2010 the fittest year of your life

Setting aside time during your morning routine for exercise yields great benefits. People who exercise in the a.m. will find themselves much more energized throughout the day, as well as an increased metabolism. It is important, however, to choose your morning exercise routine carefully–losing too much sleep (not getting your recommended 6-8 hours of beauty zzz’s)–can actually harm you. Sleep is an important part of maintaining your healthy, high energy, calorie-burning body. With that said, here are our morning exercise suggestions that you can try at home from shine.com. Just 15 minutes each morning can lead to a healthier, happier you!

The Plank

In this exercise, you want to form yourself in a push up position, being sure that you are a straight line from your neck to your feet. Your arms should be a straight line from your shoulder to the floor and your feet shouldn’t be flat–you should be on your toes.

Holding yourself in this position for one minute a day helps create stability and build core strength. With no prior training, this exercise can be difficult. Work your way up to the full minute by starting with 10-15 second planks at first. If even this is causing too much upper body strain, try the modified plank by coming down to your elbows rather than your hands.

Work out on your lunch break

One Leg Teaser

This is a little more difficult, but is designed to flatten your abs! Begin by lying flat on your back, with your hands at your sides, palms up, and your legs bent at 45 degrees with feet flat on your mat. Raise one leg off the mat, creating a straight line without moving your knees. Tuck your chin to your chest and begin reaching for extended foot, slowly; maintaining your balance and posture. Remember to use your core muscles, this exercise is not led by upper body strength. (If you have trouble finding your core, take a deep breath in and exhale fully, bringing your belly button toward your spine and holding it there. Maintain this throughout all Pilates exercises, or you will not see the benefits.) When you reach your arms to the tip of your toes, pause, then roll back down, slowly, ending where you started, with your hands over your head. Repeat five times on each leg.

For beginners, leave both feet on the mat. Roll up and tap your knees, pause, then roll back to start position. It can take several weeks before you will be ready to try the full teaser exercise.

Get in shape by dancing

Note: In Pilates, some of the best results come from stretching out your muscles after working them. When your muscles are heated up, stretching them will result in much greater flexibility. So, in between workouts, lie flat on your back and form a straight line with your body, from the tips of your fingers to the end of your toes and feel yourself getting a great stretch!

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(From sheknows.com)

Are you looking at your tummy after nine months of stretch and wondering whether it will ever be the same again?

If so, take heart, because you can really make a difference in its recovery and build strength and suppleness very easily without spending time in the gym each week. When people say “wow, you got your figure back really quickly” you’ll be able to smile and say “why thank you, I have worked at it and it’s paid off’. And you’ll feel good too. Here are eight simple moves, designed exclusively for Pregnancy and Baby by Lindsey Jackson, expert in Pilates for pregnant women and post natal moms.

Pre six-week check

Most countries have a post natal check at six weeks to assess whether the woman can get back to normal activities, including exercise. But do you have to wait until then? Well, as long as you don’t have any complications here’s what you CAN do. (including cesarean section births)

From day one:

Exercise 1: Pelvic floor

Fast and slow pelvic floor lifts not only regain bladder control of this stretched and bruised area, but also promote circulation (which will help ease swelling) and begin to tone the deep abdominal muscles that work in conjunction with the pelvic floor.

What to do:

Each time you feed the baby or change a diaper, draw up your pelvic floor as fast as you can 10 times then release. It should feel like you are stopping yourself from urinating. Aim for a maximum contraction. Even if you can’t feel anything at first, keep going and visualize the area contracting. It will come back and you will soon start to feel it. The great thing about this move is that in the early days post birth, your uterus can contract quite strongly when you feed, which makes it easier to develop awareness of feelings low down.

How to get your child to go to school

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How to care for a newborn