Four Halloween Survival Tips

Halloween begins the Triple Threat weight gain time of the year.

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas 

Here are four tips to make your Halloween fun while controlling the high calorie tricks.

1. Start the burn early

Workout in the morning. A calorie burn in the morning will boost metabolic rate all day and give some extra calories for nocturnal indulgence.

2. Keep candy calorie counts in mind

Candy is candy, and you will have lots calories, sugar, and fats in any treats you receive. However, not all candy is equal. Some candy choices hit the calorie and fat bottom line much harder than others. Here is a quick guide on Best and Worst Halloween Candy courtesy of Eat this, not that.

Portion on control is key as well. Enjoy only a few of your treats on Halloween and save or share the rest over the next one or two weeks.

3. Watch the alcohol

Adult parties with adult beverages are common on Halloween. The calorie breakdown for common alcoholic drinks includes the following:

• 12 oz beer = 150 calories 
• 5 oz wine = 100 calories 
• 6 oz Margarita = 327 calories 

Moderate your drinking or even skip the alcohol to save yourself some calories.

4. Trick-or-treat on your feet

Walk instead of drive the trick-or-treat route. Besides the extra calorie burn with walking, you'll get some additional benefits including:

• visiting fewer homes which means less candy 
• actually talking to neighbors or meeting new people 
• getting your children active 

I hope these tips help you create new Halloween habits. 

Haloween Biggest Loser Show Recap

I was on the road this week and happy for help from the DVR again.

Ten pieces of Halloween Candy has roughly 750 calories

The theme was Halloween for this show. I want to say again that I really HATE temptation challenges. There is something really wrong about rewarding poor choices. This week's temptation was to eat Halloween candy. I was glad to see that nobody succumbed and ate.

The show format was different as well with everyone's status in jeopardy this week which always shakes things up. I expected that the producers would begin to shake things up with things such as team changes or trainer changes. The trainer change came this week, and I see that team changes are next week.


Drama and Love this Week 

Ramon and Jessica are officially a couple. Being on the Ranch really seems bring out romance, witness Matt and Suzy Hoover.

We also got some personal details on John and his life. He wants to be more emotional and open. I mentioned in that past that he comes off as insincere to me. Maybe, he is being real, and he will drop the facade. We also get a bit more on Vinny's tough childhood.


The Trainers

It was good to see the trainers get a chance to work-out everyone this week. The variety of work-out styles was really showcased. Anna's tennis workout was unique and highlighted that a good workout can come by many different methods.

Bob seems to bring the best in everyone including Bonnie. 

Elimination

Jennifer was eliminated this week. Hints were dropped last week that she didn't fit well in the Black team. Everyone seemed to gang up on her even when Sunny gained 5 lbs. I guess she was a source for a lot of drama at the Ranch that was shown. There no hugs or good-byes at her departure further suggesting

I am glad for her that she has lost 102 lbs, and she is gunning for a win at the marathon.

Remains of the Pumpkin

Home Hack Job

Carving the pumpkin is a fun Halloween tradition. I just finished carving our family pumpkin. I included a photo of the hack job.

The job of pumpkin carving is a messy one. The most obvious reward is a hopefully scary or silly jack-o-lantern for the porch on the 31st.

However, the pumpkin seeds present a hidden reward for those who are willing to invest some extra effort.



Toasting pumpkin seeds from the carved pumpkin makes for a fun and flavorful snack. Cleaning the seeds is relatively easy. They can be washed thoroughly in a colander or boiled briefly to remove the stringy pumpkin flesh.

Here is a basic recipe courtesy of Food Network  for toasted pumpkin seeds. I use this basic recipe, but I add 2 teaspoons of cumin along with 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper.

Pumpkin seeds are relatively high in fat as are all nuts. A cup of toasted seeds has 286 calories. However, enjoyed in small portions, they can be a tasty treat. Give them a try this Halloween Season!

Five Cardio Workouts to Break Boredom and Lose Weight

Aerobic exercises are great for your cardiovascular and lung health, for losing weight, and for burning fat, but the challenge is how to maintain commitment and prevent burn-out. A powerful key to combat burnout is variety in exercise choice.

Fortunately, there are many cardiovascular exercises to choose from. Here are five suggestions for cardio exercises you can do:


1. Basketball

Even if you can't shoot a basket to save your life, you can still participate in basketball. This is a great exercise for exercising both your upper and lower body.  Your heart rate will increase with constant movement up and down the court, burning calories.  


2. Handball and Raquet Ball

Another full body workout can be had with either of these sports. Your heart rate and legs will get a great workout with the sprinting you'll be doing. Don't be afraid to look foolish starting out. The time learning to do it well is worth the investment.  An average sized person can burn more than 400 calories in just half an hour!

3. Elliptical Trainer

Boring is the first word that comes to mind with the elliptical trainer; however, this machine is a great way to get into shape and increase your endurance without high impact on your joints. Try this tool as an alternative to running outdoors or on the treadmill. An average build person can burn 300 calories in just half an hour.

4. Step Aerobics

Step aerobics are a lot of fun and the only equipment you need is a height adjustable step.  Your hips, glutes, and legs will get a major workout and you can burn up to 400 calories in just half an hour.  Most classes include upper body movements coordinated with step moves giving some full body workout benefit. A good intense workout would be to try to do 40 steps in about two minutes.

5. Rock Climbing

Climbing gyms have become more popular. Find a buddy or a group to try out rock climbing. Climbing gyms provide training and equipment. You'll find people at all skill levels in these gyms.

Rock climbing uses the strength and power in your legs and arms and burns almost 400 calories in half an hour.  Your arms will be well worked out and sore after a good climb.

Former Biggest Loser Winner Sighting

My wife spotted Season 6 winner, Michelle Aguilar on TV earlier this week. I learned that she married a few years ago and has been working as a Christian motivational speaker.



She was promoting her book, Becoming Fearless: My Ongoing Journey of Learning to Trust God

She has appears to have gained back a good bit of her weight which probably explains why she hasn't been seen on the Biggest Loser recently.

I am glad for her that she is pursuing her passion and calling. I am sad for her that she appears to have not continued the habits she learned on the show to maintain most of her weight loss.

October 18th Show Recap

Thank Goodness for DVR

It was a busy week, and I only just watched the show earlier today. I usually DVR the program and watch it to skip the commercials as well as other parts that seem boring to me.





At Home Challenge 

Sunny is wins a week at home 

Sunny was sent home for a week of training at home after the first challenge - a game of plinko. Fortunately, Bob came with her for the the trip. I feel sorry from her outdoor training at a ranch in the summer Texas heat. This summer was the hottest on record in Texas. It was a amazingly hard to do much outdoors when the sun was up.

I always like the at home challenges because it simulates real world challenges that contestants as well as everyone on a journey to better health faces. Finding variety in workouts, dealing with self-consciousness at the gym, and eating out healthy are all universal challenges.

Bob's presence appeared to make Sunny's week easy - her weight loss was the highest it had ever been. I continue to be amazed at Bob's skills of training and motivation.


The Trainers

I've already spent time on Bob. I still like Dolvett; however, I can't understand why his team continues to lose weigh-ins. He seems to have the right work-out strategies, and he is a motivator. I can only speculate there's something up with his team.

Blue Team does pool workout 

I have nearly decided to write off Anna Kournikova as a trainer. She did try an adapted workout in the water this week. However, she still is unable to effectively workout and motivate Bonnie. She took a really destructive judgmental line when she and Bonnie argued at the weigh-in. I really hope NBC can get Jillian Michael back for next season.

The Teams

The Red Team faced elimination again. I don't understand why this group can't lose the weight. They have youth as well as players with no physical limits like the other teams. They are seem the most happy and fun-loving of the teams. Maybe, they just aren't serious or disciplined enough.

The cracks in the Black Team were very apparent this week. Jennifer and John both don't seem to get along with the other black team members. This was the first mention by black team members and Bob about problems with Jennifer. I suspect there is more to come. I haven't liked John much since the second week. There's a real insincere vibe from him.

Staying negative, I am so ready for Bonnie from the Blue team to leave. She is such a whiner.

Elimination



Courtney was eliminated from the Red Team. I wish her well. She as well as the other eliminated Red Team players have the best shot of winning the marathon.

Four Letter Secret of Maintaining Weight Loss Success

A recent medical study on longterm weight loss success reinforced timeless wisdom. The study looked at the profile of people who were successful in maintaining 10% weight loss over a 10 year time period. Eight characteristics were identified in the successful group.

1. Eat a calorie moderated diet of no more than 1800 calories per day with no more than 30% fat content
2. Eat breakfast regularly
3. Eat fast food less than once per week
4. Eat out at restaurant no more than three times per week 
5. Regularly eat same foods with no over-eating at parties or other special events 
6. Track weight at least once per week 
7. Spend less than 10 hours a week on screen time 
8. Participate in regular physical activity 

FOOD is the four letter secret!

Five of the eight success areas deal with food choices. The four major areas of focus in food choices include:

• Timing 
• Portion size  
• Calories content  
• Carbohydrates content 

If you haven't already started a healthy diet. Begin it today. Small steps in changing your food choices will lead to a healthy life and loss of weight.

Pick up the Pace with Cycling

Pick up the pace with cycling

Cycling provides a powerful fitness and weight loss exercise. You gain benefit in strengthening leg muscles which translates to better endurance in other activities such as walking or stair climbing. In addition, there is less impact on joints reducing the risk for joint damage. The aerobic benefit from moderate intensity cycling is a great way to burn calories.  Peddling at a speed of 12-14 mph will burn up about 500 calories an hour.  peddling at twelve to fourteen miles per hour.

A variety of choices are available for cycling as well. You may choose an indoor spin bike, road bike, or a mountain bike. Each choice for cycling has benefits and drawbacks. Fair weather is a great time for a family bike ride. Enjoying nature or camaraderie of the group is also best done in the outdoors. However, outdoor cycling requires more preparation, and fickle weather can ruin a good bike ride.

Indoor spin cycling while for more boring has several advantages including the all important removal of the bad weather factor. Less preparation or gear is required for indoor cycling. As I mentioned previously, a group spin class can be a great motivator.

Getting some physical exercise from cycling bike riding will help you burn calories, strengthen leg muscles, and boost your energy. Get motivated today. Pull out your bike and go for a ride or get to the gym for a spin class!

s.

Eat Your Vegetables

Green Beans with Honey-Mustard Glaze

Sugars and calories can quickly sneak their way into the diet. Many foods are fortified with high fructose corn syrup which is questioned as a culprit in weight gain.  Compared to many other foods, most vegetables and fruits have less calories and sugars per serving. An obesity research study published in 2001 showed multiple benefits in families targeted to increased fruits and vegetables in their diet.
Obesity prevention begins in the home and includes the entire family. However, healthy eating can be a struggle in children who are most at need for  establishing early healthy eating.

Here are some quick tips and recipes courtesy of Cooking Light to get more healthy vegetables into family meals. 

Show recap for October 11th

All-weather Challenge

I got my wish from last week with more outdoor workouts. The ultimate obstacle course challenge in multiple terrain and weather was the challenge this week.

I liked the swimming workouts with Bob. Swimming is a great way to workout with minimal stress on the joints. I will be adding some swimming back into my weekly workouts and will do an entire post on my experience with some tips.

Dolvett and Courtney shot some hoops. Shooting baskets is a great upper body workout and can really mix things up in the weekly exercise plan. The same workout experience is true for tennis. I was happy to see Anna trying new workouts with her team.

The Trainers

Bob and Dolvett were engaged and motivating to their teams. I've noticed now for several weeks that Anna is wearing a lot of make-up in her close-ups. I really wish she'd lose the make-up. It's distracting and makes it hard for me to take her seriously.  Her team's weigh-in loss also seals it that she is not a good replacement for Jillian.


Past Season Contestants 


Great to see some of the former contestants visit and offer motivation. Hannah, Marcie, and Adam look great. Hannah's stuffed turkey bell pepper recipe has 140 calories per serving and looks delicious.

Jerry Hayes from Season 7 would have been a great visitor for the blue team.

Elimination

Sad to see coach Mike leave.



Bonnie's decision to eliminate her team's strongest player seals the blue team's fate. I predict the entire blue team will be gone within 2-3 weeks if the current team arrangement stays.

Sunday NFL and the Treadmill: A Fitness Recipe

Treadmill workouts are a good tool in the fitness arsenal. Treadmills have several advantages over outdoor running including:

• Ease on the joints 
• Immunity to weather 
• Variation of incline 

A good workout can be had without the need to run. Brisk walking, especially on an incline is  great way to burn calories and raise the heart rate. 40 minutes of walking on a steep incline burns equivalent calories to a brisk run.

TIME is the key to success in treadmill walking and also a big barrier to success use of the treadmill. The time spent on the treadmill workout is usually very boring. Music, TV, or a friend can counteract the monotony of the treadmill.

A quick tip for Sunday treadmill walking - distract your mind with an NFL game while you walk. The average NFL game last 3 hours. Watching even a single quarter will nearly finish your workout. Try this tip next Sunday. Not an NFL fan? - this trick works for regular TV shows as well.

Jillian Michael podcast impression

I mentioned in the motivation on the go post that I planned to check out Jillian's podcast during my commute this week. I actually checked out two different podcasts and have double the info.

The first podcasts turned out not to be what I expected. The Jillian Michaels Fan Cast is not hosted by Jillian but by a guy named Dave. The casts have some news about Jillian interspersed with lot of marketing of her products. There's a website associated with the podcast where you can buy products mentioned on the podcast.

I give this podcast thumbs down and removed it.  Dave's story on one of his other weight loss websites is a good one, but I prefer practical advice over marketing.

The Jillian Michaels Show does have Jillian and a co-host, Julia (?). I listened to partials of a two her her podcasts on Friday. I didn't get exactly what I expected. My expectation was to hear straight-on fitness advice. However, the opportunity to hear Jillian in a more unplugged setting was good.

Jillian chats free-form with the co-host a good part of the podcast and takes calls from people seeking advice. Her advice is honest and practical.

I give this podcast a tenative thumbs up. I'm still not sure the format meets my current personal needs, but we'll see.

Show Recap for Tuesday Oct 4th

NFL Week


It was cool to see different work-outs with NFL players. A criticism I have of the show is that they don't show more outdoor workouts or other boot camp style workouts. I wish they would highlight more of the circuit training routines.

I especially liked the segment with Eric Dickerson. The guy was motivating and looks great. I am glad that Coach Mike won the superbowl tickets with the week's biggest percentage of weight loss.

The Trainers

Bob - you are super-human! I am amazed at the results that his team achieving. It is just phenomenal to see him workout Courtney with her knee stress fracture. It is truly inspiring to see that focus in diet coupled with a modified workout plan can achieve so much.

Anna's training ability remains a big question mark for me. Her team finally managed to acheive big numbers and avoid elimination. I notice that her team only seems to work on the cardio equipment. I finally saw them using weightsand ropes which may have been the difference. I would really like to see alternative workouts for the older group such as pool training or more weight circuits. This would inspire lots of seniors and others with physical limits to keep going. She could use a lesson from Bob in adapting her workouts.

The Teams

The red team faced elimination which was a shame. They seem like a very fun bunch of people who like each other. Ahhh! - Was Vinny wearing a speedo or just tight underwear? I'm surprised the camera lens didn't break.

I fall into the black team age group. It is great to see them achieve consistent success. I suspect their maturity combined with "Zen-master Bob" is a winning recipe. The blue team is now winnowed down to the consistent performers. I hope the three stay around for a while. I like them.


Elimination

Patrick chose to sacrifice himself at elmination. I think his choice was noble. He did have the most home support and seems well connected. If he remains committed, he may still return via the marathon.

Join the Group: Fitness Class Tips

I was inspired yesterday after attending a 24hr fitness spin class to write about group exercise classes.






Group classes are a great way for consistent, accountable exercise. The biggest road block for most of us when we think about group exercise class is seeing lots of fit people that look like they could put you to shame in an exercise class.

I encourage you don't let your anxiety about looking bad in a class stop you from taking a step to better health and fitness. Here are some quick tips to help you get going and keep the exercise habit in your weekly routine.

1.  Get Support 

Ask a family member, friend, or co-worker to go with you.  You can bring your own support and encouragement to a class. You can also work to make new friends in your class. Feel comfortable sharing your worries or struggles.

2.  Get Information 

Talk to the people at the gym or watch a class or two before you jump in. There are diverse choices in class from cardio training like spin class, yoga, or weight training. Figure out what kind of class or classes you are interested and able to do.


3. Get Prepared 

Pack and prepare for the class the day prior to the class. You eliminate mental excuses not to attend if you eliminate barriers. Also, get any equipment has as yoga mats or biking shoes to help you fully participate.


After a few weeks, you'll have created a new fitness habit. You'll end up feeling good . . .physically and about yourself because you took the first step to become a better you!