Trigger Toning!

I liked this article from Weight Watchers. Check it out!


Although they don't give you a workout in the same way as aerobic activity, this type of exercise is vital if you want to firm up while losing weight.

Trigger Happy
The trick is to use specific moments during the day as triggers to remind you to do toning exercises. These need only take out a minute or two of your time and, at the end of the day, you'll be amazed at the amount of toning time you squeezed in.

Even small moves help keep you and your joints flexible, as well as burning off energy. And we all know that every little bit helps.

Trigger: Getting Out of Bed
First thing in the morning, stretch to the ceiling on tiptoes and then, feet firmly flat on the floor and legs straight, gently bend forward as far as you can. Don't worry if you can only reach your knees or shins, within weeks you'll find yourself much more flexible.

Trigger: While Cleaning Your Teeth
Lift yourself up and down on your toes as you brush. Calf raises are great for flabby calves and a good pre-ski exercise.

Trigger: Waiting for a Bus or Train
As many buttock clenches as you can manage.

Trigger: Watching TV
At the beginning of the show and during each commercial break, get on the floor and do 10 sit-ups or push ups (start off doing push ups on your knees.

Trigger: When the Telephone Rings
Breathe out and hold stomach muscles in for a count of 20.

Trigger: Waiting for Coffee to Brew or the Kettle to Boil
Standing press-ups against the wall or 10 squats.

What triggers do you have throughout the day that you could use? You can use anything from checking your email to emptying the cat food bowl as your trigger. Be creative and consistent with your "reminders" and activities.

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What street are you walking down?

• A man walked down the street and fell in a hole. He really had to struggle to get out, but he finally did.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole and fell in again. He thought, "I've been here before I know what to do." He got out after struggling, but it was easier than the first time.
• The next day he walked down the same street. He saw the hole and fell in again. This time he thought, "I've been here before - this is my fault." He got out one more time.
• The next day he walked down the same street, saw the hole, remembered what it was like to fall in and walked around it.
• The next day he walked down a different street where there was no hole.

What street are YOU walking down?

You Scream - I Scream - We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Source: Weight Watchers.com newsletter

The one-size-fits-all term of old now has several sub-categories, with varying degrees of waistline-friendliness.

The rich, decadent flavor of superpremium ice cream comes from an abundance of milkfat (at least 14 percent) and very little added air—and denseness means more calories. Premium is a step down from there (11- to 15-percent milkfat, and a bit more air), but still packs plenty of POINTS® values. Both varieties tend to come in more unusual, “gourmet” flavors. Regular contains at least 10-percent milkfat, and has even more air than premium. Compare nutrition facts labels—you’ll be surprised by how well some regular ice cream fits into the program. Reduced Fat contains at least 25-percent less fat than its regular counterpart. Light and low-fat has less than 30 percent of calories from fat or no more than 3 grams of fat in a half-cup serving. Non-fat has less than 0.5 grams of fat. That said, always check the nutrition facts: the “light” variety of a superpremium brand may have more POINTS values than the “regular” from another brand.

A few words about milkfat: Because the amount of air pumped into different brands varies so greatly, the percentage of milkfat doesn’t correspond precisely to the number of fat grams per serving. For example, if a superpremium vanilla has 16-percent milkfat and 12 fat grams per serving, the regular might have 10-percent milkfat and 7 grams of fat in a serving, and the light could have 4-percent milkfat and 4 fat grams. That’s why it’s so important to calculate the POINTS values for each specific brand you try.

Slow-churned, cold-churned or double-churned
Three names for the same thing, this is a revolution in reduced-calorie ice cream production, a new process that disperses the tiny globules of milk fat more thoroughly. The basic recipe—and the milkfat content—is the same as other low- and reduced-fat ice creams, but the technique used to make it creates the illusion of richness. These products can offer the satisfaction of premium ice cream with far less fat and calories. One brand, for example, has a POINTS value of only 3 per serving, but it still feels indulgent. Note that “no sugar added” doesn’t always equal a big difference in calories (or POINTS value).

Soft serve
Surprise! Those sweet swirls are almost always reduced-fat—most recipes call for only 3- to 6-percent milkfat. Plus its soft texture comes from churned-in air, which yields fewer calories by volume. Frozen custard is not the same as soft serve—it’s got added egg yolks, plus a higher percentage of milkfat.

Gelato
Similar in texture to soft serve but with a much more intense flavor, gelato can be an occasional treat. It usually has more milk than cream, meaning a lower fat count than regular ice cream, but with much less air—so there are more calories in less volume. Stick to small servings.

Frozen yogurt
With a taste and calorie count that’s similar to light ice cream, this is usually a good choice—but don’t forget to read the nutrition facts! Some frozen yogurts have a higher POINTS value per serving than slow-churned ice cream.

Non-dairy frozen desserts
If you’re a vegan, lactose intolerant or watching your cholesterol, you can still enjoy a creamy treat. Frozen desserts based on soy or rice are plan-friendly—relatively low in calories and fat—and, while they may not taste exactly like the real thing, they’re a whole lot better than nothing.

Sherbet and sorbet
Sherbet has less milkfat and more sugar than low-fat ice cream, and its POINTS value is relatively low. Sorbet has no dairy in it at all, so it’s usually fat-free—but the high sugar content means that it may have just as many calories as some ice creams. But texturally it’s entirely different: more icy and refreshing, but less decadent.

How Important is WHEN????

I came across this article today and thought I'd share it. Interesting...... what do you think?

Is When You Eat Important?

Do you eat by the clock? Skip breakfast or lunch? Avoid snacking as a weight control strategy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep reading and learn how to change the timing of your meals and snacks to control not only hunger, but weight.

Our structured lifestyle has led many of us to believe that we must eat at certain times of the day. Many people routinely skip breakfast and lunch due either to time constraints or to a misguided weight-control strategy. Society and weight loss programs have taught us to believe that snacking is bad and should be avoided. Stop listening to others, and listen to YOUR body instead.

Overeating by definition means consuming more calories than our body needs at that point in time. Whenever we overeat, our body stores any extra calories as fat. Fat cells have a seemingly unlimited ability to grow to accommodate more stored calories. The defining factor in the growth of fat cells is the AMOUNT of calories eaten and the REASON they are eaten.

So, how often should I eat?

In the best of worlds, we would eat when we were hungry and stop when we were full. Sound impossible? Watch a six-month-old baby. She cries when hungry, and most certainly stops eating when full. If a baby can do it, so can we.

Try the following:

Instead of eating by the clock, or avoiding snacks because you think they are bad for you, listen to your body. Figure out how your body tells you it's hungry. Does your stomach rumble? Do you become listless and tired? Learn to separate physical hunger from so-called mouth hunger. Physical hunger is our body telling us it needs fuel to continue to function. Mouth hunger is our brain commanding us to eat brownies because we’re stressed. What type of hunger causes you to consume most of your calorie intake?

How much should I eat?

Just as you can relearn your hunger signals, you can also relearn your body's satiety signals. Eat slowly and mindfully, paying attention to how the food tastes, how it feels in your mouth, and how your body feels while you are eating. Stop every five to ten minutes and assess your satiety level. Am I full? Still hungry? Or perhaps I am thirsty. Stop eating when your body signals it is pleasantly full, not stuffed to the point of undoing your belt.

The bottom line:

Instead of paying attention to the clock or the latest fad diet plan, learn to listen to the ultimate expert: your body. Decode your body's messages and eating becomes more natural and less stressful. When you listen to those messages, you are naturally more comfortable, and you'll incline toward the weight your body is meant to be.

Source: http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage written by Lynn Grieger

CREAMY CUCUMBER DIP

POINTS® Value: 2 for 1/2 cup serving
(Thanks Skinny Week.com)
Servings: 8
Note: To make this a CORE plan recipe, swap the reduced-fat yogurt and mayonnaise for fat-free versions of the same products.

2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1 1/2 cup cucumber(s), seedless (English), diced
1/2 cup red onion(s), diced
6 Tbsp mint leaves, fresh, chopped
6 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped

In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add cucumber, onion, mint and dill; stir to mix.

Guacamole!

Guac 'n Roll!

This is from Hungry-Girl.com and it sounds great! I'm going to give it a try very soon....

We KNOW guacamole, people. And we are POSITIVE you're gonna FLIP over this stuff! (Pssst... we recommend dipping cut veggies and baked tortilla chips in it!)

Ingredients:
One 15-oz. can early/young peas, drained
1/2 cup mashed avocado (about 1 medium-small avocado's worth)
1/3 cup chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (like Fage Total 0%)
4 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. chili powder
Optional: chopped cilantro, chopped jarred jalapenos, additional salt and pepper

Directions:
Place drained peas in a medium bowl and mash thoroughly with a potato masher or fork. Add all other ingredients except for the tomatoes, onions and optional items. Continue to mash until blended. Stir in the tomatoes, onions and, if you like, some chopped cilantro and/or jalapenos. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy! MAKES 6 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! This stuff is a great spread for sandwiches, pitas and wraps -- and it's an excellent omelette topper. Two tablespoons of it has just 29 calories and 1g fat, plus 1.25g fiber (POINTS® value 0*)!

Serving Size: 1/3 cup (1/6th of recipe)
Calories: 78
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 320mg
Carbs: 10.5g
Fiber: 3.5g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 3.5g

POINTS® value 1*

How Nutrition Affects Your Hair

Does nutrition affect your hair? You bet your boots it does! Want healthy, shiny hair? Make sure you eat a balanced diet and your hair will be happy, happy, happy! Just a little bit of trivia on the topic that you may find interesting. I sure did!

• - The most important factor in the quality of your hair is your overall nutrition and health.
• - Optimal hair growth occurs when there are no nutrient deficiencies.
• - If you’re shedding more than normal, it may be due to an iron deficiency.
• - Biotin – aka vitamin H – is recommended to strengthen both nails and hair.
• - Deficiency in vitamin H – aka biotin – can result in hair loss that includes losing eyebrows and eyelashes.
• - Hair problems resulting from poor nutrition can be reversed by restoration of proper diet.
• 
  
• - Vitamin A deficiency that goes untreated can result in dandruff caused by the buildup of cellular debris in the hair follicles.
• - Each strand of hair is made up of 25% water. So make sure you stay hydrated if you want moisturized, soft hair!
• - An L-cysteine supplement can increase the hair shaft’s diameter. L-cysteine is a non-essential amino acid.
• - To avoid your hair becoming dry and brittle, make sure there’s enough protein in your diet.

Source: diet.com

Cool New Gadget

Okay - so today I was snooping on the wonderful world wide web and stumbled across this very cool device. It's a sports bra (or shirt) that has special fibers that monitor your heart rate and are transmitted to a watch or monitoring device on your wrist. Isn't that cool? What a nifty way to monitor if you are hitting the target zone that you desire.

Here's a link: NuMetrex Heart Monitor