Snickerdoodles...don't do it!

Today's take it off tuesday post is a simple piece of advice:

If your 11-year-old daughter asks to make snickerdoodles and you allow her to do so (being the good mother you are and wanting to encourage her pastry-chef dream), you will end up eating at least half the batch and gaining two pounds in 48 hours. So don't let her anywhere near the kitchen!

(And if she accidentally adds 1/2 cup of baking soda instead of 1/2 teaspoon, don't let her start a new batch. Rather, let her make the mistake. Then you won't eat half the batch of cookies and the scale won't need to be recalibrated yet again...) --Emily

Want to run a half marathon?

I've run one half marathon (Canyonlands Half Marathon) and one full marathon (Kona Marathon as part of an American Stroke Association fundraiser). That was back in, oh, 2002. I don't think I've run more than 3 miles at a time since then. I don't love running (I prefer weightlifting) but I do love setting goals, so my sister and I are planning to run the Hobble Creek Half Marathon in August. (Mom, you're with us in 2010!) Though she's getting up to 4+ miles, I'm still around 2 1/2 but I still have a few months to get up to speed distance.

Want to run a half marathon but don't know where to start? Try MORE magazine's Marathon/Half-Marathon training section. Though it is geared to the MORE | FITNESS Marathon + Half-Marathon, you can still find lots of wonderful advice, training schedules and other running resources. I like it because the site is geared toward women of all ages and experience.

Want to know what tunes might make your training go by a little faster? Try the playlist from Fitness magazine's article "The Half-Marathon Training Playlist." I honestly don't know over half those songs, and something new always make the time fly by (even if the scenery doesn't). You can also read "Running 101: A Beginner's Guide," a great list of running-related questions and answers.

Two other great sites are Runner's World and Road Runner Sports, for both advice and gear. You'll want to do your research, especially if you're new at the running thing, to avoid injury. I HIGHLY recommend going to a running store to get fitted for the proper running shoes. They make all the difference and are one of the best ways to avoid injury. The investment is more than worth it, I promise.

Most of all, have fun! And look forward to that sense of accomplishment you'll have once you cross the finish line. --Emily

Question: Have you run a half or full marathon? How did you train? What worked for you? Did you enjoy the experience?

Photo via Fitness Magazine, "Training Guide: Running a Half-Marathon"

A quick Q & A about detox diets

It's late and I almost gave up on a post for take it off tuesday, but I still suffer from guilt when I don't do posts on a daily basis. Fortunately I found this quick-and-easy ready about detox diets from Fitness magazine. LeShan and I once tried a juice fast--the results weren't pretty including lightheadedness, cold sweats and nausea. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a real detox diet but a juice fast is one way people try to cleanse their system. We haven't tried anything since, unless you consider subsisting solely on brownies and caffeine a detox diet.

In "Can a Detox Diet Improve My Looks?" Fitness magazine focuses on one reason many people detox, and as you can tell it's not for the internal benefits:

Toxin-flushing detox diets are still popular, despite crazy ingredients, weeks-long durations, and extreme restrictions. But can a detox diet really improve your skin and hair, or will it do more damage than good? Top experts reveal the real effects detoxing can have on your looks.

Out of the four questions, my favorite is, "What will I look like after a few days on a detox?" The answer?

Not pretty. You can drop up to five pounds in a week -- primarily water weight. "Losing water that fast can make your skin dry and wrinkly," Blatner says. And going a week without protein can weaken hair, which is 97 percent protein, says Tara Gidus, RD, of the American Dietetic Association.

That's all I need to know! You'll want to read the full mini article, especially since it also answers the question, "Do I need to eliminate toxins with a special diet?" I'll give you a hint: the answer starts with an "n" and ends with an "o." --Emily

why 13 is your lucky number

Today your lucky number is 13. You can go ahead and change it tomorrow but for take it off tuesday, stick with 13. Why? Because that is the number of things you probably never knew about your weight. In a recent Reader's Digest article appropriately titled "13 Things You Never Knew About Your Weight" (see how well that fits into today's subject?) Joanne Chen throws out some pleasant and not-so-pleasant surprises about the ins and outs of weight loss and fitness. The article is worth a full read but for those wrapping up their 10-minute coffee hot chocolate break, here's the Cliff's Notes version:

1. Yes, genetics have something to do with it. (Ever heard of the fat gene?)
2. It's all in the number--and size--of fat cells. (Some people even have twice as many!)
3. Rev up your metabolism! (Yes, you can change it.)
4. Stress = weight gain. (For me it's a more complicated equation: stress = chocolate + bread - fruits - veggies - sleep = weight gain.)
5. Too much weight gain during pregnancy doesn't help. (Try telling that to a woman craving a Big Mac--who the heck cares?)
6. Sleep has something to do with it. (Sleep, what's that?)
7. Your spouse has something to do with it as well. (For better or for worse...)
8. A virus can do more than cause unwanted phlegm.
9. Dessert and dopamine. (Need I say more?)
10. Tainted taste buds, who knew?
11. Antioxidants are your friends. (Just say "no" to free radicals!)
12. Moderation, not deprivation, is the key. (From Atkins to South Beach, diet gurus agree.)
13. Size might not matter. (When it comes to being physically fit, of course.)

Though the list was long I highly doubt you were bored while reading it. When you read "13 Things You Never Knew About Your Weight," you'll feel the same way. Though I already knew 5 of the 13, I learned a lot about the remaining 8. If you have any other items to add to the list, we'd love to hear about it! --Emily

two kick-in-the-pants treadmill workouts

When the weather outside is frightful, my workout moves from the gym to the basement, which is where we have our treadmill. I don't do cold and I don't do icy roads. Actually, the basement has been my gym away from gym for a while now. With two little ones at home and a mom who prefers the midnight hours to the crack-of-dawn hours, working out at home has been a good fit.

Don't get me wrong, I miss the gym and the weight machines and actually getting out of my house to exercise, but all in good time (i.e. when colds no longer abound in the gym daycare). I've actually used our treadmill enough to warrant one visit by a repairman and I fear a second one here soon. Though I don't have a specific treadmill workout, I do try to vary my routine so I keep my body guessing. One day it's run/walk intervals, another it's hills and another it's distance. At least it's not boring. (America's Next Top Model on the flat-screen helps too.)

It's been a while since our last take it off tuesday so I thought I'd share a few intense treadmill workouts from Fitness magazine so you too can shake up your routine a bit. And if you have more dust than sweat on your treadmill, this is a great excuse to power it up!

• The 20-Minute Treadmill Hill Workout (not as highly rated as the Glute-Sculpting one below but at least with hills you can read a good book!)
• The 20-Minute Glute-Sculpting Treadmill Routine (who doesn't love a nicely sculpted glute?)
• Burn 2,000 Calories on the Treadmill (the perfect 7-day plan for blasting those holiday goodies)

If you don't own a treadmill but are interested in buying one, Treadmill Shopping Tips from Fitness magazine is a great place to start. I also love the sites Treadmill Doctor and Treadmill Ratings and Reviews. We actually bought ours off the local classifieds, which is a great place to shop. Most treadmills end up being used as a clothes drying rack rather than an exercise machine so they still have a lot of life left in them! --Emily

holiday dieting? really?

Apparently you can diet during the holidays, although it's probably more correct to say "keep from gaining 20 pounds" rather than "diet." What's the secret other than avoiding that fourth helping of buttery mashed potatoes and third slice of pumpkin pie? For take it off tuesday I bring you this great article from WebMD with some helpful hints for handling those holiday temptations--and I'm not talking about post-Thanksgiving-Day sales.

In "Top 10 Holiday Diet Tips of All Time," WebMD consulted diet gurus across the country and consolidated their advice into a list of 10 recommendations for keeping off those unwanted (are they ever wanted?!?!) extra pounds that tend to creep up on our thighs starting October 21st and ending January 2nd. Here's the list in short form. You'll definitely want to read the entire article for the "why" behind each one of these tips.

1. Trim back the trimmings. (Seconds on the salad not the stuffing.)
   
2. Wear snug clothes and keep one hand busy. (Does playing Wii count?)
3. Chew gum. (I use this trick at night when I get the late-night munchies.)
   
4. Be a food snob. (But what if I really like Grandma's homemade rolls?)
5. No skipping meals. (Like that's an option!)
   
6. Check it out. (Sipping and socializing--totally doable!)
   
7. Add fun and games. (Okay, playing Wii does count if it's Wii Fit!)
8. Alternate alcohol with nonalcoholic beverages. (As long as I have a Diet Coke in hand, I'm good to go.)
   
9. Skip the appetizers. (La la la...not listening to this one...la la la.)
   
10. Limit the variety. (Variety is the spice of life but it could also sabotage your diet.)
    

These tips seem to be pretty common sense; it's following them that's the hard part. As I get older I'm learning I gain weight more easily and have to work twice a hard to lose it, so there's some serious incentive to avoiding even a second helping of stuffing!

Do you have any tips or tricks to help you survive the non-stop holiday buffet? We'd love to hear them!

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." ~Erma Bombeck

FRS: it's all about healthy energy

It's another late night and I'm totally exhausted. Maybe that's why FRS popped into mind when thinking about a post for take it off tuesday. And because I'm so terribly tired I'm going to refer to the review I did on FRS for Boutique Cafe rather than writing a post completely from scratch. I just don't have it in me tonight, but this is a really great product for the energy-starved.

Here are the highlights from "FRS gives you energy without the post-energy crash:"

• The FRS (Free Radical Scavenger) formula was created in 1997 after 7 years of research into the benefits of plant-based antioxidants on human health.
• FRS Healthy Energy combines quercetin, which is a natural, powerful antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables, with 7 essential vitamins. “Quercetin helps extend your body’s natural energy and fight fatigue caused by oxidants that build up in your body from daily activity, exercise and stress.”
• One can of FRS Healthy Energy has the same amount of flavonoid antioxidants as 3 servings of blueberries, 8 servings of red onions or 10 servings of raspberries.
• FRS Healthy Energy comes in four different variations: cans, concentrate, powdered drink mix and soft chews. (The Low Cal Orange and Peach Mango concentrates are my favorites and though I didn’t have scientific research to back it up, I felt like I got the quickest energy boost from the concentrate.)
• FRS can also enhance your focus and alertness and support overall weight management. My favorite use for FRS was to take it about 30 minutes before a workout so I not only had the energy to get on the treadmill but had the energy to exercise just a little harder (so I could have an extra Dove chocolate or two later).
• Lance Armstrong recently joined FRS’ Board of Directors and chose FRS as the exclusive beverage he represents worldwide.

If you’re tired of the lows that come after the Diet-Coke-and-Halloween-candy high then you might want to learn a bit more about FRS Healthy Energy. It’s a tasty way to get your “daily allowance of enhanced mental focus, increased performance and the energy to keep you going”…and we could all use some of that! –Emily

Being Healthy for Busy People

Today is a take it off tuesday kind of day and I have a great new website for you! I discovered it via Twitter (@tallivansunder is a great Twitterer to follow) and am a big fan. Being Healthy for Busy People is the perfect site for most women since 99.9% of women are super busy.

The site features a popular podcast by Talli, who has a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. "She is a physical therapist by trade. She is a health fanatic by passion. She is also a wife, mom and an all around busy person." Talli has owned her own physical therapy clinic and worked as a personal trainer. She is all about bettering the lives of clients and now she is improving the health and well being of the virtual world.

You'll find a few ways to listen to the show, and if you're more a reader than a listener (though we should all be good listeners), Being Healthy for Busy People has a blog. You'll find yourself agreeing with pretty much every post and setting new goals to be healthier and happier. Talli offers common sense to combat the craziness of fad diets and weight-loss gimmicks. Here's a taste from her recent post, "Want Something to Eat?":

If someone asks if you’re hungry and you have to think about it before answering, you’re probably not truly hungry. You’re not asking your stomach if it needs more food. You’re thinking about whether it can fit any more food.

Sound familiar? Thought so.

Being Healthy for Busy People is a great resource for busy women like myself because it reminds me that even I have time for a little health and well-being in my busy day! --Emily

what to eat before a workout

Today's take it off tuesday is all about food--more specifically what your body needs before you work out and when it needs it. In "Fuel for Your Workout: Which Foods Work Best" from the site divine caroline, Allie Firestone talks about the types of food that will give you the most bang for your bite before and during your workout...and depending on the type of workout you have planned.

The basics? Complex carbs with a side of protein is the best: "...whether it's yoga, an hour of hardcore kickboxing, or a weightlifting session ... [your meal] should ... be composed of foods that break down slowly, supplying the body with a steady stream of energy and nutrients." So basically half a king-size Twix isn't going to cut it but a ripe banana with a side of peanut butter should do the trick.

Just as important as what you eat is when you eat it. Timing depends on the size of your meal and the types of food in it:

Different factors affect how quickly the meal will break down, like whether it's liquid or solid (liquid digests faster), or if it has some healthy fats (fat needs more time to break down). ... A more snacky meal... usually takes one to two hours to digest, but a larger meal ... will need a full two to three hours.

Though natural foods are best, protein bars and shakes can be a good option if you're in a hurry or on the go. "Fuel for Your Workout" even outlines the best meals for Pilates or yoga (dark chocolate--yum!), cardio (oatmeal--yummy with a little brown sugar and a handful of raisins) and weight lifting (it's all about the protein, baby). With what limited time you have to work out, you might as well get the most out of it! --Emily

Gourmet Momma's drop a dress size dinners

When it comes to "taking it off," healthy eating is a very important part of the equation. Sure, cardio and resistance training play a major role but without a healthy low-fat diet you won't see the results you're looking for.

One of my favorite sites for diet-friendly meals is Gourmet Momma. This blog has a whole topic called "drop a dress size dinners" that features yummy, healthy meals sure to fill your empty stomach while satisfying your tastebuds. From Bean and Veggie Burritos to Moroccan Lamb Dinner, these recipes are short on calories and fat but long on taste. Who says eating healthy has to be tasteless and boring? You know, those rice cakes aren't all they're cracked up to be!

Gourmet Momma also has a whole topic for Light and Healthy Meals; now you have no excuse to plan tasty, healthy meals for your family all month long! --Emily

engage your mind, body and spirit with a little yoga

Today's take it off tuesday highlights the growing trend of incorporating yoga into your fitness regimen. I have done yoga off and on for the past few years and love, love, LOVE it! Though Wednesdays are currently my power yoga days, I ought to do it more often and not just because it feels good once I'm done. When I practice yoga regularly I find I am more aware of my posture, my flexibility increases along with my confidence, and though it may sound a little cheesy I do feel more centered (i.e. I have more patience with my kids).

Yoga is gaining in popularity for those same reasons and more. I love the recent article Yoga Your Own Way from Fitness magazine:

...Experts say yogic breathing techniques can help insomniacs sleep better and ease anxiety and depression. Still other research shows that people who practice yoga lose weight and maintain a healthy weight more easily than those who don't practice yoga. And if that's not enough to make you do some sun salutations, a consistent yoga practice can also lead to a healthier heart in just six weeks, according to a Yale University School of Medicine study.

I had no idea about the healthier heart or the insomnia. Perhaps my husband should start a little yoga so I don't have to serve as his "woobie" at bedtime!

I am a big fan of power yoga, preferring to break a sweat after countless downward dogs and warrior poses. I have two favorite power yoga DVDs. The first is from Bryan Kest, and not just because he's good looking. ;) His 3-DVD set, Power Yoga 1/2/3 Series, gives you a variety of skill levels and poses. Just don't be discouraged by the pros in the background. I had no idea that kind of flexibility existed! (Note: check ebay for a great price on this set.)

My other favorite (thank you, LeShan) is from Kristin McGee. Her Power Yoga DVD definitely makes me sweat and it gives a great burn for the butt and thighs, though it is lacking in abdominal moves. I rotate hers in with Bryan's so I never get bored and my body is always trying to guess what's coming next.

If you'd rather use yoga as a great way to relax before bed or before you head to work, you'll find a variety of wonderful DVDs on Amazon.com. Whether you're practicing yoga to drop a few pounds or decompress after a long day, your mind, body and spirit will thank you! --Emily

the Love Your Shape Workout

Usually Tuesday are reserved for fashion trend tuesday but blogging about fashion is outside my comfort zone so I'll leave that to LeShan. When she's not posting about the latest style trends I've decided to dedicate Tuesdays to health and fitness, designating it take it off tuesday. (And no, I'm not referring to those new pole dancing fitness classes.)

I enjoy working out and reading health and fitness magazines, so when I stumble across something that sparks my interest I'm going to share it with you. You can read about healthy eating or a new, great ab exercise on Tuesday and then reward yourself for doing all those crunches by making one of our yummy food for thought friday recipes! It's all about rewarding yourself, right?

For our first take it off tuesday I found this great article from Fitness magazine, The Love Your Shape Workout. The article talks about how to "get your best body -- at any size" with a customized cardio and sculpting plan. Here is an excerpt:

This plan tackles your entire package, using the latest thinking from trainers who recognize that when it comes to workouts, one size does not fit all. 'By building up weaker or less developed parts of your body, you'll maximize your natural shape,' says Laura Mak, owner of Mak Attack Fitness in Marina del Rey, California.

To begin you find a body shape that most likely resembles your own: pear, apple or chili pepper (what? no chocolate bar?). Though all three body types follow a similar basic strength workout, each one completes a different number of sets and reps. Throw in a little cardio and you have a new fitness workout tailored just for you!

If even if you're already in great shape sometimes it's nice to change things up a bit. Often you'll discover muscles you never knew you had and your metabolism will get a jump start in the meantime. Of course we should all love our shape no matter how toned it is, but if you're looking to add a little definition to those pear-like curves, read The Love Your Shape Workout from Fitness magazine. Fresh fruit (i.e. a healthy body) is always in season! --Emily