Another One For The "Laugh" Category...

what NOT to do with a stability ball!

Oops I Did It Again!

I did a very bad thing this weekend. In an effort to be more transparent and real with you all I have decided to share with you the mistakes I make when it comes to eating and trying to live a healthy life.
Every Sunday is what I call my "cheat day". Those of you who know me personally, know that to me, Sunday means getting to pretty much eat whatever I want, chips and salsa, pizza, french fries, you name it and it's fair game. My friend Deborah and I used to LIVE for Sunday we made it our mission to see just HOW much we could consume from the time we woke up to the time we went to bed. We justified this behavior by saying we worked-out and watched our eating all week and this was our day to reward our otherwise strict ad regimented behavior. It was our good friend Jon, who in his brash, obnoxious way pointed out to us that we were not having a "cheat day"... we were BINGEING! And pretty much, he hit the nail right square on the head. We have since modified our 'cheat day' and have become more moderate in our indulgences, sticking to a relatively healthy way of eating but perhaps lightening up on the rules just a bit...some dessert with dinner or popcorn during the movie...little things throughout the day that we normally wouldn't do.
This weekend... I fell of the wagon, and then let it run over me and pin me underneath a wheel.
I won't bore you with the details and give you an itemized account of everything I consumed...let's just say it was too much food for one person to eat.
The real lesson I learned from this was that I am not allowed to keep certain things in the house! If we KNOW we do not have the willpower to resist things...we should NOT tempt ourselves by keeping them around.
So, this weekend I tripped and fell... it's not the end of the world and the next day was my chance to start on the right path again.
How about you...in what ways are you setting yourself up for success or failure? Do you have stashes of things in the house that in moments of weakness you can't resist? Do yourself a favor...get rid of it! It's a lot easier to break bad habits and patterns if you take away whatever it is that's calling your name.
Cheers!
S.

Boxing Your Butt Off!

Have you ever thought about ditching the treadmill for a pair of boxing gloves?
If you have, I've got great news for you! Not only does boxing burn the same amount of calories in an hour (648) as running at 5.2mph, but it's much more invigorating.
As you throw punches and work on your sparring techniques, you are also stimulating your
core muscles and engaging in a full body workout. It's the kind of workout you don't think is going to be overly challenging until you actually lace up the gloves. After just 90 seconds, you'll have your heart pumping and you'll be wondering how the seemingly simple concept of punching can make your body work so hard.
So, if you've ever considered taking a day off from your typical cardio routine, I'm giving you the green light to try something new and exciting. Don't be surprised if you feel like you're working a whole lot harder than you would if you were running. When you move in multiple directions and fire more muscles, like in boxing, your body is going to require more oxygen. That's a good thing for you because you'll know that your body has now switched gears and revved up your metabolism.
I also love that boxing workouts seem to help people unwind and destress from a hard day's work. There are so many other fringe benefits to giving it a try, but I think I'll let you find them out on your own.

Words Fail Me.

if for no other reason...THIS is why we need to workout!!!

This Is Delicious!!!

Pumpkin Hummus and Pita Chips

6 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 8 wedges (or just use pita chips – it’s easier!!)
2 tablespoons tahini*
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (optional)
* Tahini is a thick paste made of ground sesame seeds that can be purchased already prepared from many supermarkets and specialty stores.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place pita wedges on baking sheets; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 6 minutes or until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside. (I used pita chips you can buy in a bag at Whole Foods)
Place tahini, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, salt, red pepper, pumpkin puree, garlic in a food processor, mixer or blender, and process until smooth. Add parsley; pulse or mix until blended. Spoon hummus into a serving bowl; sprinkle with pumpkin seed kernels, if desired. Serve with pita wedges.

NOTE: Can be prepare up to a day ahead and refrigerate.
Makes about 2 cups.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (74g)
Recipe makes 10 servings
Calories 100
Calories from Fat 20 (20%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 2.3g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.3g 1%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 306mg 12%
Potassium 199mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 17.4g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugars 1.0g
Protein 3.2g 6%
detailed view...

We USED To Do It!

So what happened when as we got older that made us think we should not still take a nap? If you know me, you know I am a HUGE advocate of taking a time out in the middle of the day to recharge. There have been several studies that show a midday nap can boost alertness, productivity and your mood during the later hours of the day.
Don't just take my word for it... Read what the Boston Globe has to say about it and learn how to do it for YOURSELF!
Cheers,
S.

it's OVER!

So... You have now made it through Thanksgiving dinner! A typical Thanksgiving dinner is about 4000 calories...That's pretty outrageous, but I can almost hear many of you saying, "but it's ONLY one day..." "It's only ONCE a year." I do advocate letting yourself splurge once in a while. What I want to remind you of is...turkey day is over! Do you still have a refrigerator full of leftovers? A couple of half eaten pies sitting around? I would like to encourage you now to not KEEP EATING thanksgiving dinner over and over again! Especially if you are having forkfuls of pie or stuffing everytime you go to the fridge for water or something. Hang on the the turkey if you like, but maybe you should consider throwing out the rest of the stuffing, mashed potatoes made with whipping cream and butter, what about the green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup...unless you want a cream of mushroom ass...it's probably time to let that go too.
Get back to your healthy eating habits...remember, we still have one more major holiday to get through!
Cheers!
S.