Know Fast Food

Fast Food is a fact of life for most of us, especially if you have kids. If you are like the rest of us who eat fast food anywhere from one to five times per week, here is a great website that lists nutritional information for many fast food and family type restaurants. It is easy to download the list, and it is free!

http://www.fastfoodbook.com

One of my best tips for fast food (or restaurants) is to know what you are going to order before you step inside the restaurant. The list from http://www.fastfoodbook.com will hopefully help you decide on a healthy choice before hand. If you can, make your choice while you have a full stomach and take the time to consider all the nutritional information. When you get to the restaurant, don’t even look at the menu board… just order what you have already planned… no matter what.

Also….

Drink water with your meal. Soda is a huge source of hidden calories. One 32-oz regular cola has about 425 calories, so this can quickly make up a big portion of your daily calorie intake. Try adding a little lemon to your water or ordering unsweetened iced tea.

“Undress” your food. When choosing items, be aware of calorie- and fat-packed salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream, etc. For example, ask for a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayonnaise. You can ask for a packet of ketchup or mustard and add it yourself, controlling how much you put on your sandwich. Eat an open face sandwich by removing one of the buns.

Watch portion size.  An average fast food meal can run as high as 1000 calories or more, so choose a smaller portion size, skip the fries, and don’t supersize anything… EVER. At a typical restaurant, a single serving provides enough for two meals. Take half home or divide the portion with a dining partner.

Remember the big picture.  Think of eating out in the context of your whole diet. If it is a special occasion, or you know you want to order your favorite meal at a nice restaurant, make sure your earlier meals that day are extra healthy. Moderation is always key, but planning ahead can help you relax and enjoy eating out while maintaining good nutrition and diet control.

Some fast food restaurants are working hard to make their food both healthier and tastier. One example is Chipotle, where their motto is “Food with Integrity”. Their objective is to serve food that is better tasting, comes from better sources, is better for the environment, better for the animals, better for the farmers, and in turn this produces food that is better for us to eat. Unfortunately their portion sizes are still huge, so be sure to always pay attention to calories and fat content.Chipotle is by far my favorite fast food place. I order the Chicken Bowl with no rice, no beans, but double the chicken, double the corn salsa, double the tomato salsa, and of course NO cheese and NO sour cream. With all the veggies and extra chicken, this bowl lasts for two complete meals!

When Your Workout Really Begins

We have all heard the phrase No Pain, No Gain. Depending on your goal, this phrase holds very true. If you want to see improvement and a noticeable difference in your muscle tone and or definition, No Pain, No Gain should be something that you think about during every workout.

When I was training for my body building competition, I would get to the point in the exercise where I felt like my muscle was on fire and I couldn’t do even one more rep. My trainer was very good at sensing this, and that is when he would make me do five – ten more reps. He would always say that the point when you feel that burn is the point when your workout really begins.

Too many people (and I am talking about both men and women) stop their set right when they start to feel the burn in the muscle they are exercising. Your workout doesn’t start at rep one, it starts once you feel that burn. Remember pain is just a temporary thing. In fact, you will experience greater muscle development and tone and burn more calories throughout the day if you can work through that burn and pain and execute that set properly.

I see so many people at the gym who clearly stop short of their capacity. I have a friend that whenever she is doing bicep curls, or any other exercise for that matter, stops the set as soon as she feels that sharp burn. And many times that set is stopped at rep 7. She says “I can’t do any more because I was starting to feel a burn.” This is the same person that wonders why her body has always looked the same and has never improved. The reason is because she has always trained that way and has never made more of an effort other than that.

You will not make a noticeable positive physical improvement training like that. The best way to monitor if you are working a muscle properly is if you are feeling a burn in the muscle. For the people who stop once they feel that burn, you truly are limiting your maximum muscle development.

My advice is don’t give into the burn; try to work through the burn and if you consistently think this in your mind when exercising, I can guarantee you will make more positive changes physically because you have maximized the muscle.

You can start off slow, For example, once you start to feel that burn, tell yourself that you will do two more reps. The next week, work up to three more reps, and so on. This will allow you to burn more calories throughout the day as well. When there is no pain there really is no gain.

Why Always Fruits and Veggies?

High levels of fruits, vegetables, greens and beans help you lose weight because they are low in calories, high in volume and high in critically important nutrients. On a very practical level they fill you up, without loading you up with fat and calories. And when your stomach is filled up with high volume, low calorie food, there is less room for other stuff.

There is also a growing body of evidence that shows that plant-based foods help to control food cravings and overeating. They are nutrient dense which simply means they are packed with all sorts of good things for you, which is something most of us know. But what is new is the idea that a diet very high (much more than the recommended 5 servings a day) in fruits, veggies, and beans can help turn off our cravings for processed foods. Our body is really smart, and often sends us signals. Hunger is a big signal. It is your own body telling you to eat. Your body is looking for specific nutrients and is not getting them in nutrient poor processed foods, and anything marked low fat or low carb. So you eat and you eat and you eat but the body still hasn’t gotten what it needs. It’s still looking for the nutrients available in fruits and vegetables, so it continues to send hungry signals.

One thing I hear over and over is that people know a lot of this stuff but have a hard time following through and putting it into practice. Many people have developed an all or nothing mentality when it comes to weight loss. This is human nature, but also can lead to failure. SO…for now, I challenge you to add one fruit and or one veggie at every single meal.

“Pumping Iron” Misconceptions

(Hi Everyone.  So I went on vacation, and I fell off the blogging wagon.  I am finally back and excited to get back into my musclemommy blog.)

 

 

So, you want to get into shape? And all I seem to talk about is how resistance training is an amazing way to tone up your body. You’ve purchased your gym membership, and want to make sure you maximize your results. Before you start pumping iron, make sure you avoid these common resistance training mistakes…

Arnold Schwarzenegger syndrome. Most women believe that if they lift weights, they will end up with huge muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is not true. I am living proof of that. I trained hard… really hard (7 days a week, 2 times a day) for six months, and you can see by my picture that I didn’t get huge man like muscles. My goal was bodybuilding, so I wanted to get as big as possible, I trained accordingly and gained a lot of muscle, but nothing freaky or huge. The only way you will end up with mountains of man muscles is to take steroids. I know you’ve seen several women who have so much muscle that they look like men. These women are pumping themselves full of steroids, and other illegal performance enhancing drugs. You will never look like that, so remove this fear from your head and hit the gym!

 

Fear of big weights. 100 pounds sounds like a lot of weight, doesn’t it? Well, it is a lot of weight, especially for a woman. But this should not keep you from lifting it, if you can. Most women shy away from heavier weight training exercises like squats and deadlift, simply because of the heavy weight involved. The reality is this…heavy weight training exercises are generally the best exercises for toning the areas of your body that you want toned. The best way to fight this fear is by asking for help. Every gym has a crew of trainers who can answer questions and show you proper techniques. I can also provide you with basic instruction and tips. Just ask.

 

Overuse of machines. Resistance machines are a good way to get your body moving after years of neglect. But if you truly want a toned, fit and eye-catching physique, you need to walk away from the machines and start training with barbells and dumbbells. Barbell and dumbbell training is called free weight training. Free weights are the most efficient resistance training tool if you are seeking to transform your body from fat to fab. It is still OK to supplement your training with machines, but do not let them be your weight training staple. Again, ask for help with proper technique for free wights.

 

Avoiding the squat. Most women want an amazing backside, and tight, toned thighs. Want to know an incredible secret? The fastest way to a lower body that turns heads is by performing barbell squats. Squats work your bottom, hips, legs, hamstrings, and more. Squats are hands down the single best exercise for toning your body. 3-6 sets of heavy squats per week, and you’ll be well on your way to your dream body.

 

Not adding more. Resistance training works very well for the first three months. After that point, the body starts to adapt, and progress becomes more difficult unless you start adding more weight. If you continue to train with the same weight over and over again, your resistance training regimen will soon become worthless. It is very difficult to tone (add muscle) to your body, if you don’t try to lift more weight from time to time. So, when you can do 3 sets of 10 repetitions of an exercise, bump the weight up by 5 pounds the next time you hit the gym. But always use good form when lifting.

 

Avoiding the back. Women tend to avoid back training, and generally, it’s not on purpose. A strong back is important, especially over the age of 35. A strong back also helps during pregnancy, and when you have younger children. Deadlifts, dumbbell rows, and pullups are three great exercises that give you overall back strength. And if you can’t do pullups, try assisted pullups, or machine pulldowns.

 

Avoiding the chest. It is often much harder for a woman to workout her chest using free weights. Men tend to hover around the bench press at the gym as if it were a shrine to testosterone. If your gym is like this, consider making dumbbell bench presses a routine staple. Dumbbell bench presses are an awesome way to tone up your chest, as well as the back of your arms. Fight flabby arms and a sagging chest by performing presses.

 

“I just want to tone” syndrome. How many times have you heard someone make this statement…”I don’t use free weights or heavy weights because I just want to tone my body.” Here is the reality…you can’t simply do the stair climber or treadmill, cut back on calories, and expect a toned body to be waiting underneath your flab. To have a toned look, you need to add muscle…at least 5 pounds of muscle. If you don’t use heavy free weight exercises, the only thing you will get after you cut back on calories is a smaller, flabby body. There are plenty of slim women who have tubby tummies and cottage cheese thighs.

 

Eating only salads and Subway. When trying to get into shape, women tend to go to extremes. These extremes usually includes eating only veggies, oatmeal, some fruit, and Subway or Lean Cuisine for dinner. The problem with this diet is that it’s short on protein, fat, and calcium. The body needs a minimum level of quality, healthy fats each day. It also needs calcium and protein. Make sure you don’t avoid dairy products altogether. And lastly, make sure you are eating at least 60 grams of protein per day, spread out over at least 4 sittings. Protein is a vital macro nutrient, and helps your body add muscle and maintain a higher metabolism. 60 grams is a low end recommendation. 80-100 grams of protein each day would be even better. This might sound like a ton of calories, but it’s not. 100 grams of protein is only 400 calories of food.

 

Quitting. Don’t quit. Resistance training is hard, especially during the first several months. Don’t kill yourself in the gym during this time. And whatever you do, never stay more than one hour. Get to know your body, and explore various free weight exercises. Find some folks who have great bodies, and study what they do. I always check out the women with the best bodies and watch what exercises they do.    I always ask questions too, when I see someone doing something that looks challenging.  I want to know what muscles it works and the proper technique. Drive to the gym, even when you don’t feel like it. Nothing makes you feel better than performing a workout on down days. Working out when you are in the mood for it and have a boost of energy is easy, but persevering over a low energy day and still getting in a quality workout is a triumph!

Hands Down Winner – Change Your Body

 

 If you want to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important thing you can do is lift weights. Diet and cardio are equally important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you’ve hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can:

1. Help raise your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn all day long.
2. Strengthen bones, especially important for women, especially starting at 40.
3. Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance
4. Help you avoid injuries
5. Increase your confidence and self-esteem
6. Improve coordination  

The Basics

As you begin weight training, remember these basic principles during each workout.  Continually do a mental check of these principles to make sure you are maximizing your workout and working smarter.

1. Overload: To build muscle, you need to use more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is important because the more you do, the more your body is capable of doing, so you need to constantly increase your workload to get the best results. In plain language, this means you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should be able to finish your last rep with difficulty but also with good form.
2. Progression. To get the best result, you need to increase your intensity regularly. You can do this by increasing the amount of weight lifted, changing your sets/reps, changing the exercises and changing the type of resistance. You can make these changes on a weekly or monthly basis.
3. Specificity. This principle means you should train for your goal. That means, if you want to increase your strength, your program should be designed around that goal (e.g., train with heavier weights closer to your 1 RM (1 rep max)). To lose weight, choose a variety of rep ranges to target different muscle fibers.
4. Rest and Recovery. Rest days are just as important as workout days. It is during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change, so make sure you’re not working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row

Make January 1st the Finish Line

Why do so many people plan their weight loss to start on January 1st.  Everybody has done this before.  The New Year’s Resolution to lose weight.  How many years have you had this resolution.  Let’s try something different this time.  Instead of making January 1st the starting line, we are going to make it the FINISH LINE.  Exercise and healthy eating start now.  Instead of ending the holidays with an extra 10 pounds, say hello to 2010 with an established habit of exercise and eating healthy.

Once you have an exercise habit, it becomes automatic. You just do it.  You go to the gym, you run three days a week, you play tennis every other day, you take a kick boxing class every Tuesday, etc… there is no force involved.  Here are some tips to get started NOW.  Choose the ones that you like and make the most sense, and then choose a few that don’t.  You may be surprised at how well some of these tips work.

Reward Showing Up –  90% of making a habit is just making the effort to get there. You can worry about your weight, amount of laps you run or the amount you can bench press later.

Commit for Thirty Days – Make a commitment to go every day (even just for 20 minutes) for one month. This will solidify the exercise habit. By making a commitment you also take pressure off yourself in the first weeks back of deciding whether to go.  Just go!

Make it Fun – If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you. There is an endless range of programs that can suit your tastes.

Enjoyment Before Effort – After you finish any work out, ask yourself what parts you enjoyed and what parts you did not. As a rule, the enjoyable aspects of your workout will get done and the rest will be avoided. By focusing on how you can make workouts more enjoyable, you can adjust your workout plan to incorporate all the exercises you like and take out the exercises you don’t like.  You will notice that after time, your likes and dislikes will change.  An exercise you used to hate, may become one of your favorites.

Realistic Scheduling – Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are often good places to put it. Lunch-hour workouts might be too easy to skip if work demands start mounting.

Get a Buddy – Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit.

X Your Calendar – One person I know has the habit of drawing a red “X” through any day on the calendar he goes to the gym. The benefit of this is it quickly shows how long it has been since you’ve gone to the gym. Keeping a steady amount of X’s on your calendar is an easy way to motivate yourself.

Measure Fitness – Weight isn’t always the best number to track.  But fitness improvements are a great way to stay motivated. Recording simple numbers such as the number of push-ups, sit-ups or speed you can run can help you see that the exercise is making you stronger and faster.

Habits First, Equipment Later – Expensive equipment doesn’t create a habit for exercise. Despite this, some people still believe that buying a thousand dollar machine will make up for their inactivity. It won’t. Start building the exercise habit first, only afterwards should you worry about having a bunch of  equipment.  Furthermore, some of the most effective exercises require no equipment at all. 

Isolate Your Weakness – If falling off the exercise wagon is a common occurrence for you, find out why. Do you not enjoy exercising? Is it a lack of time? Is it feeling self-conscious at the gym? Is it a lack of fitness know-how? As soon as you can isolate your weakness, you can make steps to improve the situation.

Start Small – Trying to run ten miles your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit.  Ease your body and mind into your exercise routine, and after a few weeks you will want to start challenging yourself by doing more.

Ask for help on how to work SMARTER not HARDER- Email me at musclemommy@live.com .  I will answer any of your questions. 

ALL IN

 In my last few posts I have been talking about changing just one little thing in your diet. I recently read an article that followed a similar practical approach to get started on a healthy eating plan. Most people say that it’s highly unlikely to be able to stick with all greens, or a completely healthy no sugar menu all day long. Nor should you feel guilty if you don’t stick with it. 

A good and reasonable end goal is to do it 80% of the time, you won’t get crazy cravings for chocolate and cheese, and you will feel completely satisfied without the deprivation. Once you try to go all in, you may find yourself wanting 15 chocolate bars in one sitting. If you’re just starting out with this new way of life, I would start out with only a 20% approach. Add a vegetable to every meal as your first step in. Take a baby step. After you get used to this, give up your favorite cheese in your eggs. Skip the milk in your coffee. Add a piece of fruit at breakfast. One step at a time until it becomes 80% of the way you live. If you try to go all in, you end up feeling defeated when you step off for a day, and that usually leads to another bad day and then ultimately giving up. If you’re having trouble going all in, focus on working up to 80%, sticking with your good habits 80% of the time and see how it works for you. By giving yourself some wiggle room you boost the odds of staying on track.