SuperBowl Overload?

Feeling a bit bloated today after all those high calorie snacks that you indulged in against your better judgement? Don't beat yourself up... instead read on for 25 ways to get back on track NOW!

25 Ways to Get Back on Track Today
Don't Give Up on Your Goals!

Not long ago, you were energetic and determined to start your healthy lifestyle. Starting with enthusiasm and hope, you watched your food intake diligently, exercised like it was going out of style, and even avoided the temptation that seemed to lurk around every corner. You were confident that you were going to reach your goals once and for all!

Then certain tragedy struck! You ate an extra piece of birthday cake. Realizing you had “blown” your diet, you ate another and another and couldn’t get it together the next day either. Or worse, you missed one workout, and that turned into a whole week away from the gym. After that, your momentum to start over again was gone, and your gym bag hasn’t left the closet since.

Every time you misstep on your healthy journey, you have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings your closer to the future you want.

If you’re reading this, you might have been walking backwards for a while. But instead of waiting for the next day, week, month or even year to overhaul your habits, start TODAY. And start small. You can’t go from the recliner to running or from burgers to Brussels sprouts in an afternoon. But you can do one, two or even a handful of small things that will help you regain your momentum for healthy living.

When you feel like getting back on track is overwhelming, try one (or more) of these small steps each day.

1. Try a short workout. Even five minutes is better than nothing. For ideas browse our video library or workout generator.

2. Try a new recipe. Cooking healthy foods can be fun and it never has to be bland.

3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Your morning meal sets the stage for the rest of your day, so start if off right! Get lots of breakfast ideas here.

4. Drink your water. Try to aim for 8 cups each day and you’ll feel the difference!

5. Look at Motivational SparkPages. Seeing how others overcome similar struggles and obstacles can be a great source of motivation.

6. Track your food today. No matter how it adds up, you’ll learn from it.

7. Update your SparkPage. It’s a visual way to track your ups and downs, but also your progress.

8. Share your goals. Whether you post them on the Message Boards or share them with a friend, you’ll be more accountable.

9. Exercise for 10 minutes. Jump rope, march in place, or do some crunches. Small amounts do add up to something big!

10. Find a buddy. Get support from friends, whether you need someone to listen or a mentor to give you ideas and encouragement.

11. Take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or far you go—just get out there!

12. Create a motivational collage. Include pictures of your goal and reasons why you want to get there.

13. Go shopping for some healthy foods. Use this shopping list for ideas.

14. Check the nutrition facts before you go out to eat. That way, you can make an informed choice.

15. Ride your bike. Even a leisurely ride has benefits for your body and mind.

16. Work in the yard. Gardening and yard work is a great way to add activity to your day.

17. Take the stairs. Even if this is the only thing you do all day, you’ll feel stronger for it.

18. Rack up those SparkPoints! You earn them for every healthy task you do on the site—talk about motivating! Aim for a certain milestone, such as 100 points, and then reward yourself with a SparkGoodie!

19. Listen to an inspirational song. Better yet, make a playlist of them so you can turn to it whenever you need a boost.

20. Re-start your SparkPeople program. Sometimes it’s easier to get back on track when you have a clean slate.

21. Measure your portions. It’s a simple way to learn how much you’re eating.

22. Eat a piece of fruit. Even if 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to you, one is doable.

23. Slow down during meals. You’ll be less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy your meal.

24. Play! What kids call “play,” we often call “exercise.” Play a sport, a game, or use the playground equipment to bring the fun back into fitness.

25. Learn something new. Sometimes simply taking a quiz or reading an article about nutrition, fitness, or health can change your mindset and get you back on track.

In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you can consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame. With healthy eating and exercising, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.

You CAN get back on track today. Even if you’re moving slowly, you’ll be moving in the right direction!

-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator

4 Healthy Eating Strategies

Follow four smart eating strategies that celebrities follow and swear by.

A former champion bodybuilder, Rich Barretta has helped sculpt the bodies of celebs like Naomi Watts, Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Campbell. At Rich Barretta Private Training New York City, he offers personalized programs, including target-training methods and nutritional guidance. Barretta shares the four rules for healthy eating that his clients swear by, which you can easily adopt.

Healthy eating strategy # 1: Cut back on booze
If drinking is a big part of your social life, your waistline may suffer. Not only is alcohol loaded with carbs and empty calories, but people tend to make bad food choices when they're buzzed. A couple sugary cocktails can easily add up to a thousand calories (half of the average person's daily need), so Barretta advises avoiding alcohol altogether. If you are going to indulge, opt for a glass of wine or slim down your drink with smart swaps like trading tonic for club soda.

Healthy eating strategy # 2: Just say "no" to fried food
"Grill it, bake it, broil it, steam it, just don't fry it," says Barretta. Frying something perfectly healthy, such as chicken, takes away nutrients, while adding fat and calories. Plus, by eating fried foods at restaurants that still use trans fats, you run the risk of raising artery-clogging bad cholesterol and lowering fat-clearing good cholesterol.

Healthy eating strategy # 3: Avoid carbs at night
There's no need to deprive yourself of carbohydrates, but you should be conscious of when you eat them. By consuming high-carb foods (potatoes, rice, pastas and breads) early in the day, you have more time to burn them off. At night, carbs are more likely to go unused and be stored as fat. Barretta's smart eating rule of thumb: Stick to lean protein and veggies after 6pm.

Healthy eating strategy # 4: Choose unprocessed foods
We all know that fresh unprocessed foods are better for us, but often reach for processed products out of convenience. While it's challenging to cut out processed foods entirely, there are certain ingredients Barretta suggests you steer clear of, including high-fructose corn syrup, MSG, white flour and processed sugar. Your best bet is to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store, where you'll find fresh meats and produce.

By Alla Byrne, Shape.com

5 Ways to Survive the Superbowl

Little known fact is that Americans will consume more calories on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day except Thanksgiving. The biggest culprits are cheese dips, fried wings, greasy pizza, beer and sodas. On this one day, most people will consume more than twice the amount of food they need to eat. The average individual will eat close to 3000 calories from kickoff up until the Lombardi trophy is handed to the winner. To burn that amount of food, you would have to vigorously shovel snow for 8 hours or run an entire marathon (26 miles) at 6 miles per hour. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the day but avoid adding inches to your waistline. And at the end of the article, another follows with great lower cal football food recipes!

Don't go hungry If you go hungry, trust me, you will definitely over eat. So don't go on an empty stomach. Have something healthy before you leave for the party.

Get your own plate If you eat from the large communal serving tray, you will always eat more than you should. You will simply not be aware of how much food you are eating. The mentality of eating from a common plate is that we are all a team and everyone is helping. So get your own plate. You will know exactly how much food you are eating and it will be easier to stop when its time to stop.

Go Green Eat those fresh fruits and vegetables, they are good for you. Fill your plate with the foods from the veggie platter. I love fruits and vegetables because they are so nutrient dense, full of fiber and they make you feel full. One more thing, please don't drown your veggies in the fattening dip.

Watch the Drinking This applies to both Alcohol and Soda's there is no nutrient value in these drinks and it's so easy to over indulge when it comes to drinking. So, set your limit before you go to the party.

Everything in Moderation It's not about how miserable you can make yourself. Super Bowl Sunday is about enjoying the game, the commercials and the company of your friends. When it comes to food, you can enjoy a greasy pizza or deep fried wing if your heart desires, it all amounts to how much you eat it. It's really simple, don't eat like its going out of style, you will only regret it later. Besides you will eat again tomorrow right?


http://www.healthcentral.com/diet-exercise/c/58426/19828/5-bowl-diet

Healthy Superbowl Recipes

25 Super Bowl recipes to make your game-day party delicious and healthier.
We all know that Super Bowl Sunday is not just about the game—it’s about the food. But pass on the store-bought snacks and take-out food—they’re loaded with fat and sodium. Try our easy Super Bowl recipes for healthier homemade chips and dips, like Chile Con Queso and Chile-Lime Tortilla Chips, which pack less than half the calories and fat of traditional versions of Super Bowl favorites. Or try our healthier Boneless Buffalo Wings recipe, chili recipes and dessert recipes so you can still enjoy all your favorite Super Bowl party recipes. Regardless of who wins the game, you’ll score points among your fellow fans with these healthy Super Bowl recipes.

CLICK HERE to look at all the recipes or try the Boneless Buffalo Wings below...


Boneless Buffalo Wings

Even though boneless Buffalo wings are made with healthy white-meat chicken, they're usually deep-fried and drenched in hot sauce laced with butter. The solution: chicken tenders are dredged in seasoned whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, pan-fried in only a small amount of oil and then drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce. With a fraction of the fat, calories and sodium, these boneless wings are reason enough to throw a party.

8 servings (2 "wings", 1/2 cup vegetables & 2 tablespoons dip each) | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
•2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
•2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
•1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wings & Vegetables
•3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
•3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, divided
•3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
•2 pounds chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)
•6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
•6 tablespoons cornmeal
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
•2 cups carrot sticks
•2 cups celery sticks

Preparation
1.To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3.Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.

4.Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.

5.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip.

Nutrition
Per serving : 256 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 83 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 353 mg Sodium; 248 mg Potassium
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat

Tips & Notes
•Make Ahead Tip: The chicken can marinate (Step 1) for up to 1 hour.
•Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
•Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

The WALL-SIT Challenge

This week's mini challenge is physical...but something you can all practice through-out the week in preparation because the challenge will take place at weigh-in next Monday! Beginning at 4:00pm, and repeating again every 20 minutes...
4:00pm
4:20pm
4:40pm
5:00pm
5:20pm
5:40pm
6:00pm

Anyone that wants to participate will line up together against a wall in our gym as we yell Ready-Set-Go! Each person will take on the wall sit position (See below), and the person in each challenge to hold their wall sit the longest wins! You have up to 7 chances to win!. If you enter at 4:00pm and don't win, you can hang around and enter again at 4:20, or 4:40... ! See the prizes in the Mini-Challenge box on the left of the page! Practice on your lunch break at work, as you watch TV at night, or while your oatmeal is cooking in the microwave in the morning!

Wall sits are a challenging way to develop your leg muscles. You also do them in almost any space, provided it has a wall. Stretch your legs before you start, especially your quadriceps.

• Lean your body against the wall at a 45-degree angle with your back to the wall.

• Bend your legs and slide your back down the wall until your legs are at a 90-degree angle, bent at the knees. It should look like you're sitting on an invisible chair. Hold the position for as long as you can.

• Your first attempt at a wall sit will be difficult. You might be able to hold the position for only 30 seconds. With practice, you'll be able to hold the position long. Your legs gradually will get stronger and leaner.

Soup on a Cold, Rainy (or foggy) Day

In general, soup ought to be a wonderful way to improve your nutrition, but many soups are high in fat and calories, and very high in sodium. While there are some good alternatives at the grocery store, you can make flavorful, healthy soups at home, without all the additives of the store-bought variety. Here are six delicious low-fat, low-calorie soups to get you started.

LOW FAT BROCCOLI SOUP
Add body to low-fat soups by using potato and some low-fat or nonfat milk, then purée the soup in a blender. This low-fat broccoli soup makes a delicious and satisfying lunch.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
•2 tsp olive oil
•1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
•1 stalk celery, finely chopped
•1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
•4 cups fresh broccoli, including stems, chopped
•2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
•1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

Preparation:
Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Gently sauté onion and celery for 3-4 minutes, until onion is softened. Add potato and chopped broccoli, followed by the broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Allow soup to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender in 2-3 batches, and blend until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat gently until ready to serve.

Serves 6.

Per Serving: Calories 88, Calories from Fat 16. Total Fat 1.8g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 83mg, Carbohydrate 13g, Fiber 3.1g, Protein 4.9g


For the other 5 recipes CLICK HERE

By Fiona Haynes, About.com Guide

Choose Your Exercise Regime

Any exercise that gets your large muscle groups moving, like walking, running or biking, is excellent for managing your weight. These so-called aerobic exercises get your heart and lungs going, so they’re tops in burning calories and building your stamina.


We recommend walking as your main form of programmed exercise. Why? There’s no other exercise routine that’s quite as simple and accommodating to any lifestyle. In fact, it’s already part of your lifestyle. You already know how to do it, and you don’t have to buy any special equipment other than a pair of comfortable, supportive walking shoes. You can walk alone or with others, at any time of day, indoors or out. Mile for mile, it burns almost as many calories as running does, with less stress on your joints. How long you go is more important than how far you go.

Other good choices for aerobic exercise are jumping rope, cross-country skiing or using rowing machines or elliptical trainers. You might also choose organized activities, such as an aerobics or dance class. Just be sure you can attend them regularly, and that you’re moving continuously throughout your session.


Join the Team. (Again.)
Team sports like soccer, baseball and tennis are a terrific way to make a regular commitment to being active. Moreover, they make fitness fun and social, which just might be the incentive you need to get started. You’re also more motivated to show up when you know a team, or a partner, is waiting for you.

Don’t worry if you haven’t been on a team since high school; chances are, there’s a recreational league that welcomes participants at all levels. For information, check out your neighborhood recreation center or continuing education program, or the YMCA. Have fun!


Tick, Tick, Tick: The Power of the Pedometer
Need a little push to get you started moving regularly? Consider investing in a pedometer or step counter. This little wearable device tracks the number of steps you take daily—every single step, including walking down the hall to the bathroom and going to the mailbox. It can be powerfully motivating to see how many steps you’ve taken by the end of the day, and how easy it is to add a few more.

While most of us can easily fit in an additional thousand daily steps without having to become serious walkers, most step-counting advocates suggest aiming much higher. A good starting goal is about 2,000 daily steps—that adds up to about one mile. Work up gradually, increasing your steps by about 500 per week, until you’ve reached what many consider the ideal goal of 10,000 steps daily, the equivalent of five miles.

A good pedometer doesn’t have to be expensive; a reliable model will cost about $20 to $30. (Not long ago, a major fast-food chain was even giving them out for free with a “healthy” meal combo!) For the motivation it delivers, it’s well worth the investment.


Strength Training
While aerobic activities are most effective for calorie burning, another kind is also important for building fitness: strength training, or resistance training. This type of exercise involves using your muscles to push or pull weight by lifting weights, working out on weight machines or using resistance bands or stability balls. Resistance exercises like pushups and abdominal crunches also qualify, because the weight you’re pushing and pulling against is your own.

Strength training helps strengthen bones and muscles and improves your body’s sense of balance. It also revs up your metabolism; muscle tissue burns calories, so the more you have, the more calories you’ll burn. And, as you’re losing weight, strength training helps preserve some muscle tissue that might otherwise be lost along with the fat.

One of the best reasons to add strength training to your exercise routine, though, is that it produces satisfying results fairly quickly. No matter how old or sedentary you are, you’ll soon notice that everyday tasks, like lifting groceries, are easier to do. This can give your weight-loss plan a motivating kick start.

You don’t have to be a pumped-up bodybuilder or gym rat to benefit from strength training: as little as 15 minutes a day, two or three days a week, is usually enough to produce noticeable fitness gains. It doesn’t take a large investment in equipment—just a pair of inexpensive hand weights can be used for a wide range of strength-building exercises. (Instructional guides are available at bookstores and online.) To get started on a strength-training program, you may want to ask your doctor for a recommendation or check your local YMCA, neighborhood recreation center or health club. If you’re trying it for the first time, it’s worth investing in a few sessions with an exercise trainer; those that are certified as athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches or personal trainers are your best bet.


In case you need more convincing…
If losing weight, having more energy and looking and feeling great aren’t incentive enough to get you moving more, just think about how happy it will make your doctor. There are literally dozens of medical reasons why exercise is probably one of the most important things you can do for your health. Studies show that regular physical activity can:

•Keep your heart healthy by strengthening your heart muscle and making it more efficient, lowering blood pressure and boosting your levels of heart-friendly HDLs (high-density lipoproteins).

•Help reduce risks of some types of chronic diseases, including breast cancer and some aggressive forms of prostate cancer. If you have diabetes or are “borderline,” regular exercise can improve your blood-sugar control. Got arthritis? Strength training and aerobic exercise might help boost flexibility and strength.

•Keep your brain sharp. Regular exercise helps improve blood flow to the brain, and regular exercisers tend to do better in maintaining cognitive ability as they age.

•Help you live longer. A recent report from the long-term Framingham Heart Study—which has been gathering health data from more than 5,000 people for almost six decades—found that those participants who had moderate or high levels of activity lived 1.3 or 3.7 years longer, respectively, than those who were mostly sedentary.


By Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino, Ph.D., R.D., The EatingWell Diet (2007)