Week 4 Calendar Tasks

I realized last night that we're almost done! We're down to the last week - wow, this month has really flown by. To simplify things, we're going to roll next Wednesday & Thursday into this week, so add 2 additional days to your tracking sheets. Weigh in on Friday morning {November 2nd}, then text or email me your points for 9 days + the total number of lbs you lost over the entire 30 days.

Just a reminder that Healthy Holidays Round 2 will begin on Wednesday November 7th. Let me know ASAP if you'd like to sign up for the next round. I'm not anticipating any changes - I'm loving how this round has been structured! If you do have a suggestion, please let m know.

There will be 9 calendar tasks listed to get us through the end of the competition. Let's all finish strong!

* Email or text me 5 ideas for Calendar tasks {to be used in the next 2 rounds}
* Enjoy a Holiday Treat {Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread, Egg Nog, Caramel Apple, etc.}
* Give 5 compliments to non-family members
* Have some "girl time" - hang out with girlfriends, sisters, your daughter, mom, etc.
* Do a random act of service for a stranger
* Play a game {card, board, xbox, wii, etc.}
* Decorate or carve a pumpkin
* Try a recipe or fitness tip one of us has shared, that you haven't tried already.
* Do something fun to celebrate Halloween & document it {picture, video, etc.}

Erin's Recipe - Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

here is a recent favorite recipe for me that would be perfect for those cold, holiday mornings went you want something special but are too lazy to get up early to make it :) it's fromourbestbites.com (a website you should seriously check out if you haven't already--i make a ton of recipes from their site)----and to make it healthier, i used 1% milk, and you could use less butter too

Overnight Apple-Cinnamon OatmealRecipe very lightly adapted by Our Best Bites from The Yummy Life

Ingredients:

2 baking apples like Fuji (sweet) or Granny Smith (tart)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 (Erica again. I made this too, and it was yummy. Be sure to keep an eye on it though, because mine was done in less than 7 hours, and if I'd been sleeping {I made it during the day}, it might have burned)

Leslie's Recipe - Veggie Dip

Yummy veggie dip

Put low-fat cottage cheese in a blender. Blend until smooth. Then mix in a packet of Ranch Seasoning. Viola! A delish, protein packed veggie dip. 

Denise's Recipe - Quinoa Salad

I make a variation of this salad, but don't use a recipe, so I'm sending this because it is close to what I do.

 

Click here: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Recipe - Allrecipes.com

 

I don't love using a ton of ingredients, so mine is really quite simple. I cook the quinoa like rice, just using water (bullion would give it more flavor though), let it cool, add simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I submitted recipe to Erica a few rounds ago, so it's on the blog), fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper and whatever other ingredients I have, but I always include chopped tomatoes and a leafy green (baby kale, kale, spinach, etc) julienne sliced. The red and green together are quite festive. I have had it with pieces of bacon too, which is yum of course. Also delish with artichoke hearts. Hope you enjoy!

Erica's Recipe - Pumpkin Smoothie

Here's my recipe, from one of my fav food blogs, Budget Bytes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Smoothie 

INGREDIENTS		COST
1/3 cup	pumpkin puree	$0.42
1 medium	banana (frozen)	$0.22
1 Tbsp	ground flaxseed	$0.03
1 Tbsp	honey	$0.12
1/4 tsp	pumpkin pie spice	$0.05
1/4 tsp	cinnamon	$0.02
1 cup	vanilla soy milk	$0.41
TOTAL		$1.27

STEP 1: Add everything to a blender.

STEP 2: Blend until smooth. You may need to stop to stir once or twice. If the smoothie is too thick, add a touch more soy milk or even a little water.

Anne's Recipe - Skinny Chicken

Hmm, for a healthy holiday recipe I am not so sure, maybe you guys can help me out in that area, but I am dieing to share this recipe I recently found because it is healthy and soo delicious! How did I not know you can substitute greek yogurt for Mayo! 

SKinnny Greek Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients:4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese - grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:


1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Combine greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper in a bowl.

3) Line baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

4) Coat each chicken breast in greek yogurt mixture and place on foiled baking sheet.

{p.s. Erica here. I totally tried this the other week and LOVED it. So simple and delish!}

Anne's Fitness Tip

I love the skinny rules by Bob Harper on biggest loser.  He has a book about them if you are interested.  Alot of them are commonsense and you all may have read them already, but great reminders. Good Luck everyone!

Denise's Fitness Tip

I receive e-mails from Shin Otake (his info is below). Just thought I would share this one about sugar. Long, but good info. Denise Are you completely frustrated with the one problem area you just can't seem to get rid of....your belly? It seems like you're doing all of the right things...putting time in at the gym, sweatin' up a storm, and you may have already made headway with other areas of your body. Yet those elusive flat, sexy abs still hide somewhere underneath that stubborn layer of belly fat. The reason you have excess stomach fat may be due to one thing... SUGAR. I know what your thinking..."I only eat sugar here and there". But if you really counted how much sugar you consume in a day, I bet it's a lot more than you think. The thing with sugar is that it's in too many things. Ready made foods, fast foods, processed foods, etc.. all have TONS of sugar in them. It's hidden almost everywhere and unfortunately, even if you don't taste it, your body knows it's there. You see, every time you consume sugar, it triggers a biochemical process in your body that releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is responsible for maintaining healthy sugar levels in your bloodstream. But the problem is that there's just too much sugar in most of our diets and it ends up overwhelming your system. The end result? The de-sensitization of insulin. This is not a good thing... A lack of insulin sensitivity slows the uptake of sugar from your bloodstream. The extra sugar left behind ends up being stored as fat. And guess where it loves to settle... Your belly. So even if you think you're being good about not eating too much sugar, if your insulin is already insensitive from your prior bad eating habits, even a little amount of sugar that you eat will get stored as belly fat. And remember, sugar doesn't have to be sweet. Booze (beer and liquor) and starchy foods like bread, rice, and pasta break down into to sugar quickly, perpetuating the problem at hand. The good news is you can re-sensitize your insulin and lose the love handles, but you MUST ditch your sugar habit. Here's what you can start doing today: Eliminate refined sugars (sweets like candy, soda, cookies, etc...) at least 5 days out of the week, moderate your starch intake, and go easy on the alcohol. Instead, replace your sugar cravings with fruits and starch cravings with vegetables. The fiber content in fruits and vegetables slows down the entry of sugar into your bloodstream, helping your insulin from being overwhelmed and becoming insensitive. If you can change just this ONE bad habit, your insulin will thank you and body will start shedding away that stubborn belly fat so you can finally get rid of the muffin-top and finally get reveal your tight, sexy midsection. Eat your way to permanent fat-loss and optimal heath with my 90-day rapid fat-loss plan, The Lean Body Diet (for a limited time only, you get this book free when you purchase MAX Workouts). You'll learn how to calculate your daily calorie needs (protein, carbs & fat) and choose from an extensive list of healthy, delicious foods. Plus, discover the hidden dangers of processed foods, the one food that will keep you fat (no matter how much you exercise), and learn my secret to curbing late-night cravings. I'll reveal 32 anti-aging and disease-fighting foods, meal plan ideas and my supplement list (I'll tell you about the good ones AND the bad ones). Follow this 90-day plan in combination with MAX Workouts for accelerated fat burning and insane muscle definition! To learn more, visit:www.maxworkouts.com Stay Lean, Shin Ohtake Author of MAX Workouts, The 90-Day Ultimate Lean Body Fitness Program

Erin's Fitness Tip

my advice would be to be open minded when it comes to when you do your workout and what workouts you are willing to try. for years, i thought i had to work out during the day and that i had to do one particular workout that had worked for me in the past to lose weight. so, what happened? life. and when i found i couldn't do that workout when i wanted to do it, i just didn't work out at all. i finally did try something different, but couldn't seem to stick with it either. finally, i was shelving dvds at the library and i found myself reading the back of a yoga dvd. reading not about the great 6 pack i could get from the workout, but rather how it would help me stay positive, boost my metabolism, help with depression really caught my eye. now, i am the least flexible person i know, so never, ever had i considered yoga, but i decided to give it a try. who would have thought--i loved it! i have been doing the workouts from this dvd ever since and they are low impact enough for me, and relaxing enough, i can do them at night after the kids are in bed so i'm not interrupted every 30 sec. i feel so much better when i get my yoga in, so i'm so glad i finally wised up and decided to try something different. so, my advice is to try things you would not have even considered before till you find the right fit for you!

Jenn's Fitness Tip

I'll be honest, I don't enjoy exercise, but I do enjoy the results I recieve from exercise.  In order to get in the proper number of minutes, I plan my exercise for the week in advance.  I know how i'll exercise and when i'll exercise on sunday, so that i'm all planned out for the rest of the week.  To help myself enjoy exercising a little more, I try to mix up my routines every day.  sometimes i'll walk, jog on the treadmill, do an exercise video, jump on the tramp, etc.  I've found that variety really helps to get me through it.  also, including my two oldest children helps too.  we'll compete to see who can hold a plank the longest or who can walk faster.  they keep me motivated. 

Erica's Fitness Tip

I don't care for straight cardio {unless I'm reading a book while on the stationary bike}. I much prefer to lift weights; I love, love when I can feel firm muscles under my less-firm areas. Silly, I know, but still - I love feeling strong! But we all know that cardio is good for our hearts, vascular systems, etc. So here's my fitness tip: TABATA! In Tabata, you work harder, not longer. It's a high interval training style set up in 4 minute rounds. You push for 20 seconds, rest for 10, then repeat - a total of 8 rounds. With the flexibility of the new workout points, it's a great, fast workout. I usually do 4 rounds in a workout, varying the exercises and ending with a cardio stint - cycling, sprinting, elliptical or rowing. This is TOUGH! You will definitely feel sore, but it's that I-had-an-awesome-workout sore. You can use any type of exercise you want, so it's easy to set up a workout and easy to do from home. 

On days I don't do Tabata (which is often), I make sure to move from exercise to exercise quickly. And I usually try to do whole body exercises; a squat with a front raise, lunge with a bicep curl, etc. By still pushing myself and not resting for longer than 10 seconds, I can keep my heart rate at a "cardio" pace, without all the time on the treadmill. 

And that's my favorite fitness tip.

Emily's Fitness Tip

One great way to keep weight in check as we get older (as well as feel your best) is to add resistance training to your exercise routine.  Our metabolism slows as we age for a variety of reasons.  One of the big reasons for this is because we naturally lose lean muscle mass as we get older (especially after the age of 40).  Resistance training is also great for building bone density.  

For years I struggled with resistance training because it seemed so intimidating- I never knew what to do, didn't want to look silly at the gym, and even after I did learn a little bit about how I should be lifting- it took forever!  So long story short- I had a hard time with any kind of consistency and did not see any results.  After working with a trainer I learned a much better way to strength train.

The rules he use to put together my routines were simple- I can now do a quick routine (30-40 minutes) that strengthens my whole body, and is great for calorie burn as well.  I do a routine similar to this 2-3 times per week.  Doing this consistently over the last year has dramatically changed my body for the better!  I feel strong and toned.  I know I am in good shape!  It was amazing how quickly I built my strength just by being consistent about my workouts.

The workouts he would create for me all had a very similar pattern:

6-8 excercises approximately 15-18 reps (depending on weight).

These can be performed all in a row, and repeated three times, or sets of 2, repeated 3 times, or sets of 3 repeated three times.  

Exercises are selected based on major muscle groups

chest and biceps-1 exercise (pushups, chest press, etc... an upper body "pushing" exercise)

back and triceps- 1 exercise (any kind of row or pull down... an upper body "pulling" exercise)

butt and hamstrings-1 exercise (squats, dead lift, bridge, etc.)

quads- 1 exercise (any kind of lunge or step up)--- 

full body move- 1-2 exercise (something like a burpie- anything that involves many muscle groups and gets your heart rate up)

core/abs- 1-2 moves

Sometimes also adds one move for shoulders-- like overhead press or lateral raise.

Here is an example routine that can easily be performed at home with a simple dumbell set.

squat (16-30 lbs) 16 reps

prone dumbell row (10-15 lbs) 12 each arm

alternate these two moves, repeat 3 times

12 burpies

forward lunge (0-15 lbs) 12 each leg

push up (guys or girls) 15-20

alternate these two moves, repeat 3 times

12 burpies

pelvic bridge 25 reps

plank 1 minute

alternate these two moves, repeat 3 times

This is just one example... the combinations are endless! 

Great resources for workouts like this are everywhere on the internet.  Another good source for these kind of workouts is in magazines like shape and fitness.  I personally like shape magazine- it has at least one new full body workout every month.  

Here is a site that explains a similar style of routine, probably much better than I just did:)  

http://www.answerfitness.com/150/full-body-workout-plan-workout-routines/

Week 3 Results

Here are the results for this week:

the Skinny Witches - 1378
Hocus Pocus Focus - 1375
E squared - 1365

Good Job Everyone!

Week 3 Calendar Tasks

Sorry these are a day late. It's getting harder to come up with original calendar tasks, so sorry for the recycle . . . 

* Be in bed by 10 p.m.

* Work on a project for 20 minutes

* Spend 20 minutes pampering yourself

* Do a Halloween craft/activity with your kids

* Share a favorite fitness tip - fav workout, advice, post workout smoothie, etc.

* Eat dinner as a family and have everyone share their favorite thing about the day

* Give someone a hug {hubby, kids, sister, friend, etc.} and tell them something you like about them

Week 2 Results

Ladies,

 Andrea & Leslie had a death in the family and were driving across country to attend the funeral. They opted to drop out, rather than drag down their teammates. So we're back to 3 teams.

Coming in first for this week is....

A Tie!
Congrats to Erin & Denise and Jenn & Anne, who tied for 1st with 1380 points per team.
E squared came in strong with 1331

Great Job everyone! Combined, we've lost 20.5 lbs in just 2 weeks! I'll be adding in the bonus points and posting those the last week of the competition, so nobody loses steam or gets discouraged. Ha ha.

Week 1 Results

Here are the results for the first week of fun . . .

2 Diamonds in the Rough {Jenn & Leslie} - 1380
Hocus Pocus Focus {Erin & Denise} - 1370
A & A {Anne & Andrea} - 1369
E squared {Emily & Erica} - 1219

New Teams, Sick Days and Week 2 Calendar Tasks

A few items of business . . .

1. New Teams

We had one gal drop out due to back problems {steroid shots & muscle loss make exercising tricky}, which takes us down to 8 contestants. As nobody replied to my email to complain about switching to teams of 2... we're switching to teams of 2! The teams are listed below and have been randomly drawn. 

Team 1: Erin & Denise

Team 2: Jenn & Leslie

Team 3: Anne & Andrea

Team 4: Erica & Emily

Give yourself the 5 points for the team name calendar task. Get with your new teammate and get me a name ASAP. 

2. Sick Days

I've been hesitant to make an allowance for sick days, as everyone has varying degrees of "sickness". A few rounds back, I caught a nasty head cold that was tricky to work around, but I plugged along. Last round I had some questions about sick days, but still wasn't sure what to do. I hate to change rules after the games begun, but... After seeing my doctor today, and learning that the nasty stomach bug I caught on Saturday can last 7-10 days {and I'm only on day 3}, I'm going to do it. Just in case any of the rest of you acquire this nastiness that's seriously making the rounds, here's the deal: Do your best. For the record; I got in my 60 ounces of water & 10 healthy foods prior to them rapidly exiting my body. With no negative food points. And I had over 3/4ths of my exercise points before this hobbled me. As I climbed in the car this evening to head to the gym {throbbing, excruciating headache, body aches and all} and started dry-heaving {I know, TMI}, I thought - I can do this. But halfway there I realized this was ridiculous and headed home. I fully intend to get all of my points this week; this isn't an excuse to slack. But if you do get a stomach flu, just let me know. As long as you've done your best, that's great. No need to drag out the anguish.

3. Week 2 Calendar Tasks

Have a Free Dessert

Get 8 consecutive hours of sleep/rest

Spend some quality time with a child

Email the group a healthy holiday recipe

Do a good deed for a non-family member

Write/tell somebody 3 things you admire about them

Work on another item from you Holiday List

Any questions, please call, text or email me. Remember to get me your point totals by 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Teams

Since we ended up with 9 participants for this round, I decided to simplify and make teams of 3. It's the fastest, easiest solution I could come up with. Just because there are 3 to a team doesn't mean you can slack though. :)

Teams were chosen randomly, using the old-fashioned number-out-of-a-hat-method. I realize that most of you won't know your teammates, but I promise, it's ok. Exchange cell numbers so you can text each other encouragement or check-in. Look at it this way: you get to make new friends, be healthier and lose weight!

And here are the 3 teams for Healthy Holidays...

Team 1: Andrea, Denise & Erin

Team 2: Karin, Erica & Leslie

Team 3: Anne, Jenn & Emily

Week 1 Calendar Tasks

* Get me your $20 participation fee
* Pick a team name and email it to me
* Tempting foods: toss 'em, feed 'em to your kids or send them to work with your hubby
* Donate, Reuse or Recycle 5 items
* Listen to a Conference talk
* Read for 30 minutes
* Make a list of 7 things you need to do this Holiday Season & start on one of them