Diet Guide Info - Diet and Health Blog » fitness

Self Plan

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:04:17 +0000

I do love magazines, I’m not gonna lie. I know the models are airbrushed and unrealistic, the information is regurgitated, but that doesn’t stop me from picking them up on occasion as a treat. I haven’t read Self in a really long time, and in a fit of needing inspiration I bought this, Health and Fitness when I was in WV the weekend before last. I do find inspiration in them, just having them around the house, in the bathroom (haha I know) or the coffee table, it’s like a reminder of what I’m doing. Where I want to be. Anyhow, the point of this is to share with you that the April issue of Self has (in my opinion) a really good and realistic weight loss plan. I’ve tried a lot of diets in my pre and post blog. Some that require counting calories or restricting carbs and they all work, it’s just about consistency and for me, the more down to earth it is, the more likely I am to stick with it. As soon as I decide I can’t have something for the sake of weight loss, that’s all I want. Even if I don’t really want it. The Drop 10 (and more, they talk about losing more weight) is pretty straightforward: 1,600 calories a day, with a 200 calorie treat a day that can be carried over to other days when you may need them more (like plus points with weight watchers), the only catch is that you can only stack 800 together at a time. So say, you are planning to go out for a celebration this coming weekend you can use up to 2,400 at one time and still lose weight. They also provide a daily exercise plan, recipes and a check off list to keep track of your progress. And for those wondering, I wasn’t paid or asked to promote this magazine or plan, I just really liked how simple and doable it is. I think having structure with the principles of Brain Over Binge (breaking bad habits) will be a winning combination. I’m traveling to WV again this weekend for a baby shower and plan to save some of my extra calories this week for that. Today’s breakfast: One Ezekiel cinnamon raisin english muffin with less than 1 T butter, 1 T cacao (cacao!) bliss and a cup of strawberries: 367 calories

Read the rest here:
Self Plan

Alternative Rock Winter Playlist

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:50:01 +0000

Rather than run Christmas classics ragged when working out, opt to play these alternative tunes mentioning Winter, snow, and the holidays. Upbeat tracks from bands like Vampire Weekend will keep you feeling powered up despite the dreary weather. Mumford and Sons, Simon and Garfunkel, Fleet Foxes, and the Head and the Heart offer classic, folk rock sound and seasonally appropriate lyrics so you can still shake it (without having to listen to something like “Jingle Bell Rock”) in the spirit of the holidays. Winter-themed songs from the Dodos, Swimming With Dolphins, and I Break Horses are lively and addictive to keep your spirits high even though the temperatures are low. See the track list.

Go here to see the original:
Alternative Rock Winter Playlist

Dole Health Summit Recap: Part One

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:10:45 +0000

Sitting down to write this post is daunting. Mainly because there is so much to cover and much to still think about. So my solution is to break it up into little pieces and go from there. A couple of months ago I got an email from a PR firm representing Dole asking me to join other bloggers in California for a summit. They covered the airfare, hotel costs at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village , transportation and the food during my stay. It was hard to say no. To start, I’m still not 100% sure why I was invited. I’m not a full-time blogger, nor am I a “popular blogger”, not sure what that means, but I’m no KERF, right? To be frank, I struggle with blogging. There were ladies at the summit who were blogging the entire time. Tweeting, facebooking, networking, linking, and did I mention blogging? They were on top of their blogging game. I just kept looking around thinking “I’m at Dole! I’m in California! oooh this food is good! wow, I’m learning so much! palm trees!” Not to mention the elephant in the room. Pun intended, I can’t help myself. The thing is, if you look at the roster of bloggers, and the group photo. You’ll notice the obvious… I was the only fat person there. I couldn’t help but sing “one of these things is not like the other” . For the most part, I was okay with this. But, I’d be lying if I said I was super confident about it either. Before I even stepped foot on the first plane to California I did a lot of self talk. Some of it was purely indulgent to make myself feel better. Here’s what it sounded like in my head: They want you to go for exactly who you are now, you are providing a different perspective, you’re representing other Americans who struggle with binge eating, you are on a journey, you can do this! At one point I almost asked for a refund and high tailed it home when I found out our first flight was cancelled. I was uncomfortable. A lot was out of my control and I was vulnerable. If Josh hadn’t been there to convince me to keep going, I probably would have chickened out. When we arrived in California 16 hours later, I didn’t care that I was sleep deprived and looking like a hot mess, I was in California. Once I stepped foot into the king suite at the Four Seasons, nothing else mattered. Awkward encounters and ugly duckling feelings be damned, there was a TV in the bathroom and a soaking tub, not to mention l’occitane soaps and shampoo. I was in heaven. Because I arrived a few hours later than expected, I missed the cocktail hour and the Thanksgiving food challenge. But, I was just in time for the first Dole meal and it was incredible. We started with a creamy asparagus soup before we were lead to the buffet filled with fig salad, fish, turkey, cauliflower gratin, and the star of the show: roasted yams with bananas. Everything was savory and flavorful, yet healthy and light. They even gave us recipes for the dishes served to recreate a home. Enjoying a cup of banana soft serve- my favorite! I ended up sitting with those working for and with Dole. Their PR team and marketers. I’m not sure how this happened, but it strangely put me at ease. I felt 12 again, hanging out with the parents on a 6th grade field trip. I chatted with Marty Ordman, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Donna Skidmore, Director, Consumer Services and Michael, who works for Dole, but I cannot remember his last name or title. Amanda Notarangelo who does PR for Dole with Gibraltar Associates in DC was also at our table . We were ooh and aahing over the food when I had to go and ruin it with a question about local food and farming, GMOs (which I was told they don’t use) and pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables. I kicked myself immediately for asking during dinner, but it just came out. I thought for sure I was going to have to sleep outside of the Four Seasons that night. But, they took it in stride, apparently these were frequent, yet valid questions. They explained that they support and encourage local farming, they support people eating more fruits and vegetables regardless of where it comes from. And that they are always working on new ways to work with local farmers with their projects such as the salad bars they sponsor in public schools. But I learned something else. Not everyone is as lucky as I am. I live in a town where local food is prevalent, abundant and affordable. This is not normal for small-town America. For example, on my way home this evening I stopped at a locally owned grocer and bought a big bag of local and organic mixed salad greens for $3, organic/fair trade bananas for about $4, and a few other produce items that were either local or organic, if not both. I even got a zucchini for free because it was a little soft. My total was $37 and the food will last till the end of the week. Not to mention that I was about 2 miles from my house. But there are people in our country, children, who have never had fresh fruit or vegetables. There are a lot of mouths to feed in the world and I’m not sure that small farmers could keep up with the demand. I don’t have a major point or opinion other than, it’s easy to throw our hands up and talk about how screwed up the system is. It is. But, it’s complex. Dole is trying to make bananas affordable and look as cool as soda or twinkies. I can get behind that. I’m trying to get to a point where I’m not becoming narrow from my assumed opinions of the food industry. I think sometimes we want an easy answer, and there isn’t always one. There are better answers and solutions, but I appreciate that they are taking public opinion seriously. I appreciate that they took the time to answer the harder questions, because I wasn’t the only one asking. I took some time to research Dole before I went on this trip and found the documentary “Bananas!” enlightening and heartbreaking. I also found out that Dole launched www.doleorganics.com in 2007 in response to demand from consumers who increasingly want specific information relative to the farms where the Dole organic bananas are grown or purchased from growers (referenced from www.non-gmoreport.com ) You can also read about Dole, Monsanto and GMOs here . Next up: Part Two, Dole food testing, the other bloggers and much more! Here are a few recaps from some of the bloggers who attended. Meals and Miles: Dole’s Test Kitchen , A Cooking Challenge Run Eat Repeat : Double Dole Day , Dole Healthy Lifestyle Blogger Summit Cranky Fitness: An Unusually Frank Blog Update Iowa Girl Eats : Healthified Meat and Potatoes Meal CarrotsNCake: Dinner At Onyx , Sunrise Run + New Dole Products , Dole’s Healthy Lifestyle Blogger Summit , It’s Over Already

Read the rest here:
Dole Health Summit Recap: Part One

7 Rules For Hiring a Personal Trainer

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:04:21 +0000

A personal trainer can be a fantastic way to help guide you towards your fitness and/or weight loss goals. The problem is that there are hundreds to choose from in some places. Here are some things to look for when hiring a personal trainer. Continue reading…

Do You Prefer the Back of the Fitness Class?

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:14:34 +0000

Whenever I take a fitness class, I make a beeline for the back corner of the room. I prefer being out of everyone’s sight and find that when I’m in the back, I feel less self-conscious, which helps me to better focus on my workout. I’ve also found that being in the back row affords me more floor space. This is especially helpful during a new class – it gives me a little more room to stumble through a new routine! In my experience, I find that many people are particular about where they press, squat, and lunge in class. Just like in middle school, there’s the girl who is always front and center, while a handful of us, without fail, migrate to the back. How about you? Source: Flickr user lululemon athletica Do You Prefer the Back of the Fitness Class? Yes No

Read the original:
Do You Prefer the Back of the Fitness Class?

Stressed From Wedding Planning? Get Moving!

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:42:30 +0000

You’ve been putting extra hours in at the gym in hopes of getting toned Michelle Obama arms for the big day . And when the weekend rolls around, it’s either hiking with your fiancé or convincing him to go to yoga class with you . Kudos to you! Not only are you well on your way to shedding those extra pounds before your wedding , but you’re also de-stressing in the process. Wedding planning is a full-time job in itself and can often increase tension and stress between you and your future hubby. But by incorporating some cardio at least two times for 30-40 minutes into your weekly routine, you can really combat your stress levels. And if you’re in crunch-time and really feeling the stress from last-minute preparations, here are some quick fixes to help you chill out .

More here:
Stressed From Wedding Planning? Get Moving!

Link Time: My Run, Death by Pasta and More

admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:17:54 +0000

First off all this week, Diet Blog has been ranked the 25th Best Fitness Blog by Weighttraining.com. Of the tens of thousands of fitness related websites on the internet, they compiled a list of the top 100. We want to thank our great writers and, most importantly, our loyal readers for making Diet Blog the valuable site that it is. 0 Comments | Continue reading…

Go here to see the original:
Link Time: My Run, Death by Pasta and More

The Children’s Fitness Manifesto

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:19:10 +0000

We have a fight on our hands. A fight to reclaim a physical culture, that I fear has become lost on this current generation. A task of this magnitude requires a basic understanding of the needs of children from an inspirational, developmental and physical perspective. The following is a bullet-point primer on some philosophies of children’s fitness, and how we can help reclaim the health of our youth through activity. Continue reading…

The rest is here:
The Children’s Fitness Manifesto

Diet and Fitness: What We Can Learn From the Japanese

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:07:17 +0000

Japan is a land of great innovation but also steeped in tradition. Here are some of the aspects the traditional Japanese lifestyle, including diet, exercise and in general a way of life that should be the model of healthy living for the rest of the world. Continue reading…

Original post:
Diet and Fitness: What We Can Learn From the Japanese

Link Time! Inspiration Boards, Instant Oatmeal, and More

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:04:14 +0000

This is interesting: A diet rich in starchy, processed carbs will pack pounds on both men and women . But, when it comes to heart disease, the same diet seems to be harder on women’s hearts than men’s, says Charlotte at The Great Fitness Experiment. Couch potatoes don’t go from flab to fit overnight. If you’ve been off your fitness game, the best way to get back to it is one step at a time , says Skwigg Blog. This “fitness snowball” adds one gradual change on top of another until you are back in your full program. Continue reading…

See the rest here:
Link Time! Inspiration Boards, Instant Oatmeal, and More