Lose Weight Like a Pro!

With the BBQ's, backyard parties, and trips away, it's not always easy to stick to your fitness and diet goals during the summer months. 

In this month's issue of FAMILY CIRCLE magazine, Laney Solomon (who lost 87 pounds!) shares her secrets:

"I order smart at restaurants-

I get the sauces and dressings on the side. 
If something comes with french fries, I swap them for a baked sweet potato or a salad.

I eased into exercise- 

I started walking 20 minutes a day and slowly increased my pace until I could run 2 miles at a time.

 Now I'm training for my fourth 10K race!

I set small goals- 

1. Get below 200lbs (she started at 218)

2. Buy clothes with no X (goodbye XXL and XL!) 

3. Weigh less than my husband

4. Finally, focus on toning! "

Here are some more tips from Bicycling magazine that might help you keep that Xtend body you've been working so hard on...

Substitute good foods for bad foods.

 If you usually eat a whole pizza by yourself, and you want to cut that down, don’t just try to eat half of what you usually do. Instead, get a side salad to help fill you up.

Take your time. 

If you currently eat a box of Oreos every day, set an Oreo goal. Maybe it’s okay with your activity level to eat five Oreos each day. Don’t go from a whole box to five and think you’ll be able to sustain it. Instead, cut it one Oreo a week. You won’t see the fast results, but you’ll guarantee the long-term achievement.

Don’t completely cut out the foods you love. 

You only live once. If you’re happier with cookies in your diet, you should find a way to make it work, not remove it. 

Read labels. 

You might be surprised to find out that a “healthy snack” of nuts has more calories and twice of the fat of the sandwich you’re craving.

Seek out high volume foods with low calories,

 like popcorn, certain soups, or salads. You’ll feel full on fewer calories.

PMS???

If PMS is driving you nuts every four weeks like clockwork, try changing your diet. Lots of leafy greens, whole grains, and legumes (like soy beans) may reduce symptoms by 35% thanks to high concentrations of the B vitamins thiamin and riboflavin, according to a new University of Massachusetts, Amherst, study.

Edamame Dip:
In the bowl of  food processor, combine 1lb frozen, thawed, shelled edamame, 1 tsp onion salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder,  and 1/4 tsp hot sauce; process until smooth. With processor running, drizzle in 1/4 each olive oil and water. serve with whole grain crackers.

Stress Less, Come to the Barre!

Life is full of surprises...not all of them good. Life's little events can often cause stress, anxiety and a bad case of the blues. 

Unfortunately, we can't predict the future, but we can find ways to relieve stress in healthy ways. One of the best ways to work out the stress and pull yourself out of the dumps is to move your body.

Soothe Yourself with Exercise

When we feel down or depressed, we look for things that make us feel good. Often, we reach for the wrong things (food/ alcohol) most of which make us feel worse instead of better. It's important to take care of yourself when your feeling blue and there's nothing wrong with a little indulgence...as long as it's healthy and something that will genuinely make you feel better.

Outlet For Frustrations:

When life’s annoyances or frustrating situations build up, you can feel stressed or experience low-grade anger. More high-energy forms of exercise, like Xtend Barre Encinitas, can also provide an effective release of these negative emotions, turning these otherwise potentially unhealthy emotions into motivation for increased health and well-being.

Exercise and Stress Hormones:

Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones' like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals, giving your mood a natural boost. (This is the chemistry behind a ‘runner’s high’.)

Distraction:

Physical activity itself can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity at hand or get you into a "zen-like" state. Exercise usually involves a change of scenery as well,  taking you to an Xtend Barre Studio or outside,  which can be pleasant, low-stress places.

Lookin’ Good:

I have to include this possibly superficial, but significant, benefit of exercise: it helps you lose weight, tone your body, and maintain a healthy glow and a smile. You may feel a subtle but significant boost as your clothes look more flattering on, and you project an aura of increased confidence and strength. Call me shallow, but this does impact many people, and can relieve stress for those who are concerned with their appearance and worry that they don’t look as healthy as they could.

Social Support:

The benefits of social support are well-documented and manifold. Because exercise and physical activity can often involve others, you can enjoy a double dose of stress-relief with the combined benefits of exercise and fun with friends. Having others work out with you can make you feel good as well as help motivate you to push harder to get a better workout without it feeling so much like ‘work’.

Increased Health:

While stress can cause illness, illness can also cause stress, with the physical pain, missed activities, feelings of isolation and other costs that come with it. So improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can also save you a great deal of stress in the short run (by strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu and other minor illnesses) and the long run (by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it).

Resilience To Stress:

That's right, research suggests that physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Simply put, those who get more exercise may become less affected by the stress they face. So, in addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well as a way to cope with current stress. If that's not a great reason to get more active, I don't know what is!

Healthy Fast Food

Let's face it! No matter how hard we try, sometimes it's just unavoidable... the need to purchase fast food!!

Whether it be because of a long road trip or back to back practices for the kids, we eventually find ourselves at the counter trying to find something that will be filling, but not break our diet rules.

Here are some top picks for "healthy fast food" not to exceed 450 calories!

Dunkin' Donuts- 

Egg White Turkey Sausage Flatbread= 280 call, 8g fat

*This ion and fiber packed sandwich is available ALL DAY!

Starbucks-

Roasted Vegetable Panini= 350 cal, 12g fat

*You'll get 2 whole servings of veggies with this sandwich 

and it also packs 40% of your daily vitamin C.

Taco Bell- 

Fresco Bean Burrito= 350 cal, 8g fat.

*There's a whopping 12g of fiber in this burrito- 

that's nearly half your daily amount!

 Plus the vitamin C in the tomato salsa will help 

your body absorb more iron from the beans.

Subway- 

6inch Veggie Delight Sub on Italian Bread, Apple slices, and a small bag of Baked Lay's= 385 cal, 4.5g fat

*This is the lowest-fat sub on the menu; just remember to hold the cheese!

Chick-Fil-A- 

Char-Grilled Chicken Garden Salad with Honey-Roasted Sunflower Kernels and Light Italian Dressing and Large Fruit cup= 395 cal, 14g fat

*This salad starts at 180 cal, so feel free 

to sprinkle on the sunflower seeds for some healthy fats, 

but skip the buttery croutons!

Wendy's- 

Large Chili with side of mandarin oranges= 420 cal, 10g fat

*made with ground beef and kidney beans, 

this classic only has 4g saturated fat and a full cup packs 9g fiber 

and almost 25% of your daily iron requirement.

KFC-

Honey BBQ Sandwich and large Corn on the Cob= 450 cal, 4.5g fat

*Surprise! This sandwich has less fat than the grilled chicken breast!

Adding the corn cob bumps the fiber intake up 4g.

Best Breakfast Under 250 Cals:

Dunkin' Donuts- 

Egg and Cheese Wake Up Wrap= 180 cal, 11g fat

*There are 8 filling grams of protein in this wrap!
Burger King- 

BK Breakfast Muffin Sandwich= 210 cal, 8g fat

*Swap the sausage for ham and hold the honey butter sauce 

and eliminate HALF the calories and 60% of the fat!

Starbucks- 

Perfect Oatmeal with Nut Medley Toping= 240 cal, 11.5g fat

*most of your fat grams come from the nuts 

Subway- 

Egg & Cheese Muffin Melt and Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt= 250 cal, 6g fat

*You can sub for Egg Whites to save 30 calories

More time? Try these order in and take out restaurants:

Panera- 

A Cup of Vegetable with Pesto Soup and a Half Smoked Turkey Sandwich is only 380 with 5g fat.

Noodles & Co- 

A small Bangkok Curry with Sauteed Shrimp has 285 calories and 6g fat.

MAKE IT BETTER

*When in doubt, order off the kids menus. 
You'll get the smallest portion available, plus they usually offer healthier side choices, like apple slices.

*Hold the mayo. 
Doing this alone will save you about 100 calories.

*Toss the package of croutons, crispy wontons, tortilla strips, etc. 
These extras don't add anythin but fat and calories.

*Use only half your package of dressing.

*Make sure you order your chicken grilled.

*Opt for the leaner ham choice over sausage or bacon in your breakfast choices.

*Request they cook your burger without added salt.

 At McDonald's you can order one without the "grill seasonings"