If you're like me, there's nothing that will motivate you through a workout like good music. I've always loved to listen to a high energy dance song to keep me going at a high intensity.
I love having an MP3 player, because I can listen to an endless number of songs. I remember when the thing to have at the gym was a portable CD player, and I'd be happy with my one little CD. By the way, the thought of carrying around one of those things around the gym now is hilarious! If you haven't yet bought an iPod or other brand of MP3 player, please, please, upgrade.
Anyway, if you need a good song to listen to check this out. This is my favorite song of the moment, and I love listening to it while I'm working it out on the eliptical.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Think You're Too Busy to Work Out?
I know we all have busy schedules and it can be tough to fit in a workout, but even the Obamas find time!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Quick Link: Derrie-Air
OMG! What if they really did this. That photo next to the article where it says $2.25 per pound cracks me up!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Say No to Juice
Listen up (okay, I know you can't really "listen" because you're reading, but whatever, you get my point). If you're trying to lose weight, you definitely want to stop drinking empty calories. So cut out the juice because it's full of them. By the way, an empty calorie is basically a calorie that your body can't use and will turn in to fat. Juice labels might brag about their vitamin content, but they aren't saying how the drink is loaded with sugar. And sugar is not what you want. If you eat healthy foods, you'll get all the vitamins you need. And then if you're still concerned that you're not getting all of your vitamins, take a multi-vitamin.
Juices aren't the only beverages that are full of empty calories. Stay away from specialty coffee drinks, alcohol and soda. You'd be surprised how many calories you will save from cutting these out.
For example: Let's say you're out and about running errands and it's hot because it's summertime and you want a cool, tasty drink. So, you decide to go to Starbucks and get a frappuccino. Sounds yummy, right? Okay, so let's say you get grande double chocolaty chip frappuccino blended crème. Delicious. Well, that sucker will set you back 510 calories and 19g of fat. Wow. See for yourself. Too many of those will make the back of your arms jiggle so bad, I don't even want to get into it. I mean, seriously, if you drink these regularly, I guarantee that you won't be too eager to stip down at the pool. Can you say sarong? Might taste good, but so not worth it.
Juices aren't the only beverages that are full of empty calories. Stay away from specialty coffee drinks, alcohol and soda. You'd be surprised how many calories you will save from cutting these out.
For example: Let's say you're out and about running errands and it's hot because it's summertime and you want a cool, tasty drink. So, you decide to go to Starbucks and get a frappuccino. Sounds yummy, right? Okay, so let's say you get grande double chocolaty chip frappuccino blended crème. Delicious. Well, that sucker will set you back 510 calories and 19g of fat. Wow. See for yourself. Too many of those will make the back of your arms jiggle so bad, I don't even want to get into it. I mean, seriously, if you drink these regularly, I guarantee that you won't be too eager to stip down at the pool. Can you say sarong? Might taste good, but so not worth it.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Quick Sunday Links
Here are some quick links that I discovered between breakfast and going to the gym. See you later.
-Want to know how to boost your metabolism? Check this out.
-Good goodness, I see people do this stuff all of the time.
-It's good that New York is helping people know what they're eating. I would love to have this available to me when I go to P.F. Changs every Sunday.
-Want to know how to boost your metabolism? Check this out.
-Good goodness, I see people do this stuff all of the time.
-It's good that New York is helping people know what they're eating. I would love to have this available to me when I go to P.F. Changs every Sunday.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Protein Shakes Post-Workout
After a hard training session of lifting weights, the worse thing you could do post-workout is to skip out on a protein/simple carb mix.
At this time your muscles asbolutely need protein and sugar to help replace glycogen stores and help build your muscles.
NEVER skip your post-workout shake. Now, you could actually opt for a meal instead with a piece of baked chicken and a piece of fruit, for instance. But, protein shakes are a little more convenient.
I like to make mine before I leave for the gym so it is ready for me as soon as I am done lifting. I usually pack it in a cooler or sometimes I will add a lot of ice to it to make sure it stays cold.
Here is a new recipe for a protein shake that I recently came across:
8 oz water
1 heaping Tbs of sweetened Kool-Aid
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
Add all ingredients together, mix, shake and enjoy!
At this time your muscles asbolutely need protein and sugar to help replace glycogen stores and help build your muscles.
NEVER skip your post-workout shake. Now, you could actually opt for a meal instead with a piece of baked chicken and a piece of fruit, for instance. But, protein shakes are a little more convenient.
I like to make mine before I leave for the gym so it is ready for me as soon as I am done lifting. I usually pack it in a cooler or sometimes I will add a lot of ice to it to make sure it stays cold.
Here is a new recipe for a protein shake that I recently came across:
8 oz water
1 heaping Tbs of sweetened Kool-Aid
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
Add all ingredients together, mix, shake and enjoy!
What I Ate
As of today, I am 11 days out from my figure competition. It is definitely crunch time! I am ready for this diet to be over! But I am almost there, there is no time for slip ups now. Here is a look at what I ate today.
8:00 1/2 cup oatmeal
2 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
11:00 4 egg whites
2 turkey sausage patties
2:00 baked skinless chicken 6oz
1 cup broccoli
5:00 baked skinless chicken 6oz
1 cup broccoli
7:15 2 scoop carb free protein powder
w/1 cup light soy milk
10:00 1 cup broccoli (snack)
1 gallon of water
carbs=35g (not counting veggies)
protein=165g
fat=13g
8:00 1/2 cup oatmeal
2 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
11:00 4 egg whites
2 turkey sausage patties
2:00 baked skinless chicken 6oz
1 cup broccoli
5:00 baked skinless chicken 6oz
1 cup broccoli
7:15 2 scoop carb free protein powder
w/1 cup light soy milk
10:00 1 cup broccoli (snack)
1 gallon of water
carbs=35g (not counting veggies)
protein=165g
fat=13g
Monday, February 18, 2008
Eating Healthy While Dining Out
When most people begin a new diet program, dining out doesn't seem like an option. Well, I am here to tell you, it is possible.
The key is to choose meals that are not fried, avoid creamy sauces, pastas and load up on the veggies.
Recently, I went to dinner at P.F. Changs, Outback and Houlihans. Here is what I ate.
P.F. Changs: Changs Spicy Chicken, brown rice and a side of steamed broccoli.
The portions of chicken and rice are way more than a serving, so I ate 1/3 of the chicken and one spoonful of rice and took the rest home. Ordering a side of broccoli not only allowed me to get veggies in my meal, but also prevented me from overeating. I filled up on the broccoli first, that way I wouldn't be tempted to eat too much chicken and rice. As for a drink -- water, of course.
Outback: Chicken Grillers with broccoli.
This dish actually comes with whole grain wild rice, but you can substitue it for a different side and I chose broccoli. I really like this dish because the chicken is grilled and you don't have to worry about extra calories from unwanted sauce. And you can never go wrong with steamed broccoli. As for a drink -- you guessed it, water, with lemon.
Houlihans: Blackened tilapia with sweet potatoes and a side of broccoli.
Now, I must admit, I was a little worried about whether I would find a healthy option here, but I was pleasantly surprised with the tilapia. As with my strategy at P.F. Changs, I ate the broccoli first so I wouldn't eat too many potatos. While sweet potatos are the ideal potato when eating healthy, the portion size was a little large. So, I ate the fish, all of the broccoli and a couple bites of potato. And yes, water with lemon was my drink of choice.
As you can see, eating healthy while out isn't impossible. Just remember to look for grilled meats without heavy sauces, load up on the veggies and watch the portions. If it is too much, half it. Eat one half at the restaurant and take the other half home.
The key is to choose meals that are not fried, avoid creamy sauces, pastas and load up on the veggies.
Recently, I went to dinner at P.F. Changs, Outback and Houlihans. Here is what I ate.
P.F. Changs: Changs Spicy Chicken, brown rice and a side of steamed broccoli.
The portions of chicken and rice are way more than a serving, so I ate 1/3 of the chicken and one spoonful of rice and took the rest home. Ordering a side of broccoli not only allowed me to get veggies in my meal, but also prevented me from overeating. I filled up on the broccoli first, that way I wouldn't be tempted to eat too much chicken and rice. As for a drink -- water, of course.
Outback: Chicken Grillers with broccoli.
This dish actually comes with whole grain wild rice, but you can substitue it for a different side and I chose broccoli. I really like this dish because the chicken is grilled and you don't have to worry about extra calories from unwanted sauce. And you can never go wrong with steamed broccoli. As for a drink -- you guessed it, water, with lemon.
Houlihans: Blackened tilapia with sweet potatoes and a side of broccoli.
Now, I must admit, I was a little worried about whether I would find a healthy option here, but I was pleasantly surprised with the tilapia. As with my strategy at P.F. Changs, I ate the broccoli first so I wouldn't eat too many potatos. While sweet potatos are the ideal potato when eating healthy, the portion size was a little large. So, I ate the fish, all of the broccoli and a couple bites of potato. And yes, water with lemon was my drink of choice.
As you can see, eating healthy while out isn't impossible. Just remember to look for grilled meats without heavy sauces, load up on the veggies and watch the portions. If it is too much, half it. Eat one half at the restaurant and take the other half home.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
What I Ate
Food Journal for Thur Feb. 7
8:30 a.m.
3 egg whites
1 slice whole wheat toast w/ butter spray
11:45 a.m.
1/4 cup oatmeal with water and 1 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
1.5 scoops protein powder with water
2:30 p.m.
Large salad w/
-1 serving baked skinless chicken
-3 Tbs olive oil vinaigrette dressing
5:30 p.m.
1 serving baked skinless chicken
1 cup broccoli & cauliflower
7:00 p.m.
(pre-workout)
1 slice whole wheat bread
9:30 p.m.
(post-workout)
Protein shake
-1.5 scoop protein powder
-1 cup soy milk
-1 cup mixed frozen berries
-1 packet Splenda
1/2 cup orange juice
Approximately 1250 calories
143 grams protein
57 grams carbs (not counting veggies)
1 gallon water
1 cup coffee
8:30 a.m.
3 egg whites
1 slice whole wheat toast w/ butter spray
11:45 a.m.
1/4 cup oatmeal with water and 1 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
1.5 scoops protein powder with water
2:30 p.m.
Large salad w/
-1 serving baked skinless chicken
-3 Tbs olive oil vinaigrette dressing
5:30 p.m.
1 serving baked skinless chicken
1 cup broccoli & cauliflower
7:00 p.m.
(pre-workout)
1 slice whole wheat bread
9:30 p.m.
(post-workout)
Protein shake
-1.5 scoop protein powder
-1 cup soy milk
-1 cup mixed frozen berries
-1 packet Splenda
1/2 cup orange juice
Approximately 1250 calories
143 grams protein
57 grams carbs (not counting veggies)
1 gallon water
1 cup coffee
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I've Found a New Bar!
With all the protein bar selections on the market, it can be a little confusing as to which ones are the good ones. "But, Tiffiany," you may say, "aren't they all good, they have protein, right?" Well my friend, don't believe all the hype, there are a lot out there that aren't much better than eating a candy bar.
The thing to really watch out for is sugar. Many of these bars are loaded with sugar which is not what you want to be consuming if you are trying to eat healthy.
So, recently I was at a different grocery store than the one I usually frequent. I was browsing the store's health food section when I came to the protein bars. I stood there surveying the options when I saw some bars in light green and peanut colored wrappers. I grabbed one and feel in love when I read they were sugar free!
The brand is called ThinkProducts. They have protein bars that have 20g of protein, around 220 calories and the best part, have no sugar. Now maybe I'm really late and these bars have been around for a while, but they are new to me and I am thrilled! I would totally recommend having a stash of these around so when you are pinched for time and need to eat, you can just grab a bar. They have variety of flavors: dark chocolate, brownie crunch, creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter and chocolate fudge (and yes, I've tried them all). You may saying to yourself, "yeah that sounds good, but how do they taste?" And to that, all I have are two words, de-lish!!!
The thing to really watch out for is sugar. Many of these bars are loaded with sugar which is not what you want to be consuming if you are trying to eat healthy.
So, recently I was at a different grocery store than the one I usually frequent. I was browsing the store's health food section when I came to the protein bars. I stood there surveying the options when I saw some bars in light green and peanut colored wrappers. I grabbed one and feel in love when I read they were sugar free!
The brand is called ThinkProducts. They have protein bars that have 20g of protein, around 220 calories and the best part, have no sugar. Now maybe I'm really late and these bars have been around for a while, but they are new to me and I am thrilled! I would totally recommend having a stash of these around so when you are pinched for time and need to eat, you can just grab a bar. They have variety of flavors: dark chocolate, brownie crunch, creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter and chocolate fudge (and yes, I've tried them all). You may saying to yourself, "yeah that sounds good, but how do they taste?" And to that, all I have are two words, de-lish!!!
Leg Day
One of my favorite muscle groups to train is legs. These workouts usually tend to be long because you have a lot of muscles in your legs and they all need training. I always hit the major muscles of the leg which are the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. And I will use my leg day to train glutes as well.
I don't do exercises for my inner and outer thighs on the abductor and adductor machines (those machines where you are sitting and squeezing your legs together and pushing them apart). I find that you get an awesome workout doing exercises that hit all the muscles like squats. Plus, I don't really want to increase the size of the muscles that the abductor and adductor machines focus on. A common misconception with those machines is that people think they are burning the fat off of their legs. Wrong! You will need cardio for that.
I would recommend changing your leg routine every few weeks. (This would actually apply to any weight training routine.) The reason you want to change it up, is because your body adapts to the exercises and those exercises become less effective. It's sort of like your body knows what's coming and so it doesn't work as hard. If your change your routine to a new set of exercises, your body will work harder because it hasn't had a chance to adapt.
Check out one of my favorite leg training routines below.
4 sets of each exercise
Smith machine squats 90x20*/180x10/180x10/180x10
Decline leg press 270x15/270x15/270x15/270x12
Leg extensions 90x15/120x12/140x10/140x10
Leg curls 105x15/120x10/120x10/120x10
Deadlifts w/ bar 95x10/95x10/95x10/95x10
Standing calf raises 90x20/90x20/90x20/90x20
Cable kickbacks (glutes) 35x10 ea. leg for 4 sets
*90x20 means 90 pounds for 20 reps. Each set is notated by a /
I don't do exercises for my inner and outer thighs on the abductor and adductor machines (those machines where you are sitting and squeezing your legs together and pushing them apart). I find that you get an awesome workout doing exercises that hit all the muscles like squats. Plus, I don't really want to increase the size of the muscles that the abductor and adductor machines focus on. A common misconception with those machines is that people think they are burning the fat off of their legs. Wrong! You will need cardio for that.
I would recommend changing your leg routine every few weeks. (This would actually apply to any weight training routine.) The reason you want to change it up, is because your body adapts to the exercises and those exercises become less effective. It's sort of like your body knows what's coming and so it doesn't work as hard. If your change your routine to a new set of exercises, your body will work harder because it hasn't had a chance to adapt.
Check out one of my favorite leg training routines below.
4 sets of each exercise
Smith machine squats 90x20*/180x10/180x10/180x10
Decline leg press 270x15/270x15/270x15/270x12
Leg extensions 90x15/120x12/140x10/140x10
Leg curls 105x15/120x10/120x10/120x10
Deadlifts w/ bar 95x10/95x10/95x10/95x10
Standing calf raises 90x20/90x20/90x20/90x20
Cable kickbacks (glutes) 35x10 ea. leg for 4 sets
*90x20 means 90 pounds for 20 reps. Each set is notated by a /
Saturday, January 26, 2008
What I ate
Hey! Sorry I've been behind on my posts, I have been super busy. I started taking a chemistry class last week. This is the first of many I will be taking toward becoming a registered dietitian. Between my class, training my clients and training myself for my figure competition in April, free time is scarce. But, I think I can commit to putting up a new post once a week. As of today, I am 12 weeks out from my competition. My diet and training must be very strict from this point forward. Here is what I ate today.
9:30 a.m.
1/4 cup oatmeal with water
1 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
1 scoop protein powder with water
12:30 p.m.
Homemade chicken sandwich
-1 serving baked boneless/skinless chicken breast
-1 whole wheat bun
-1 Tbs light Miracle Whip
-tomato, lettuce, red onion
Salad greens w/ 2 Tbs vinaigrette dressing
-tomato, cucumber, 1/8 cup light blue cheese crumbles
3:30 p.m.
1 serving Chicken Fiesta
- mix of brown rice, baked chicken, green & red peppers, onions, black beans rinsed & drained
7:30 p.m.
1 serving baked chicken
1 cup broccoli
1 Tbs natural peanut butter
10:30 p.m.
1 tilapia fillet
1 cup broccoli
2 liters water
Approximately 1220 calories
Cardio for the day= 1 hour 15 minutes
Comments: I didn't go to bed until 2:30 a.m. so eating at 10:30 p.m. wasn't bad. My water intake should have been higher -- I need to be drinking 1 gallon per day. Other than that, I'd say today was perfect.
9:30 a.m.
1/4 cup oatmeal with water
1 Tbs sugar-free strawberry preserves
1 scoop protein powder with water
12:30 p.m.
Homemade chicken sandwich
-1 serving baked boneless/skinless chicken breast
-1 whole wheat bun
-1 Tbs light Miracle Whip
-tomato, lettuce, red onion
Salad greens w/ 2 Tbs vinaigrette dressing
-tomato, cucumber, 1/8 cup light blue cheese crumbles
3:30 p.m.
1 serving Chicken Fiesta
- mix of brown rice, baked chicken, green & red peppers, onions, black beans rinsed & drained
7:30 p.m.
1 serving baked chicken
1 cup broccoli
1 Tbs natural peanut butter
10:30 p.m.
1 tilapia fillet
1 cup broccoli
2 liters water
Approximately 1220 calories
Cardio for the day= 1 hour 15 minutes
Comments: I didn't go to bed until 2:30 a.m. so eating at 10:30 p.m. wasn't bad. My water intake should have been higher -- I need to be drinking 1 gallon per day. Other than that, I'd say today was perfect.
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