Tweak of the Week: Burn 100 Calories Anywhere
Exercise will help you reach your weight-loss goals — we know that. But a recent Scottish study of roughly 20,000 adults also found that exercise reduces stress, eases anxiety, fights depression, and boosts happiness and energy levels. The study found that participants could get these benefits with as little as one 20-minute workout per week.
While we recommend more than one workout per week for weight loss, anything is a good start. In fact, you don’t even have to hit the gym to burn calories! The study found that almost any type of physical activity works: cleaning your house, gardening or brisk walking.
If you can’t fit in a full-on workout, here’s a list of activities that will burn around 100 calories. As an added bonus, most of these motions have to be done anyway, so by tweaking them just slightly you’ll be burning more calories while cleaning your house, yard or car.
How to Clean and Burn Calories
Do these chores at a brisk pace. Try not to take breaks and use some elbow grease to get things sparkling. It might also help to turn on some tunes and time yourself, trying to do it a little faster each week.
Washing Windows — 30 minutes will burn about 150 calories.
Doing the Dishes — Skip the dishwasher and do them yourself to burn 75 calories in 30 minutes.
Rearranging Your Room — 30 minutes of moving furniture burns 225 calories.
Vacuuming — Burn about 100 calories in 30 minutes.
Painting — Tired of your beige bedroom? Pick a new color and burn roughly 100 calories per 20 minutes of painting (think Karate Kid).
Outdoor Fat-Burning
Cutting the Grass — Mowing the lawn will burn 160 calories in 30 minutes, as long as you’re pushing the mower yourself.
Washing the Car — Burn about 150 calories in just 30 minutes (bikini optional).
Gardening/Raking Leaves – The digging and raking you do are big-time calorie burners. You can burn up to 100 calories in just 15 minutes!
Biking — A leisurely bike ride (approximately 10 mph) will burn more than 100 calories in 40 minutes. Grab the family and get pedaling!
Swimming — No need to go all Michael Phelps here. Just a 15-minute slow swim will burn about 100 calories.
Frisbee — A fun 30-minute Frisbee toss with your kids or friends will burn about 100 calories and hardly seem like exercise at all.
Pushing a Baby Stroller — Pushing a stroller burns about 60 calories in 20 minutes. Don’t have a baby? I’m sure your relative, friend or neighbor will be happy to lend you theirs.
Walking — It’s one of the simplest ways to burn calories because you don’t need anything to get started. Fifteen minutes of brisk walking will burn approximately 100 calories. A brisk daily walk at lunch time or after work will make a difference.
Dancing — Who doesn’t love to shake it? 20 minutes of dancing at a moderate pace will burn 100 calories. As Lady Gaga says, “Just Dance!”
*All of these numbers are based on a 150-pound individual.
MASTER THE BASICS! That's the golden rule for success in school, in business, in golf, in tennis, in exercise, in life and in nutrition.
I have learned that anything and I mean ANYTHING that claims to be the only way - my way or the highway - the only real way to get a result is a red flag! In nutrition there are basics - beyond that you need to know your body, know how certain foods work with or against you and how to change it all based on your current health conditions and physical goals- which are always changing by the way.
The basics, such a boring concept and yet the only way to begin.....
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Basic Nutrition 101
• If you know the difference between the produce isle of your grocery store and the boxed/canned food isles you understand clean eating. Foods that are in their most natural state are clean.
An apple is found in produce isles, applesauce is found in the jar isle and apple cinnamon honey buns are found everywhere in the store!
• If you understand that sugar is an addictive substance you'll understand that the first week of avoiding sugar will leave you feeling worse than eating sugar!
I cannot tell you how many conversations I've had with people who say they can't lose weight because they can't stay away from sugar! They start a diet plan and 3 days later they feel terrible so they decide they CAN'T live like that. Let's be real- you won't be living "like that". You are in DETOX! Detox sucks!
Any food/drug/substance that leaves you feeling like a strung out crack addict if taken away isn't good for you! If I took away green beans or asparagus or lettuce from your diet you wouldn't immediately go into fits of rage, angst and anxiety! Let me take away your pot of coffee, cigarettes, Hostess cup cakes, Oreos, or sodas and look out!
Starting to get the picture?
• If you understand that your inner body NEEDS the 3 nutrients (Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat) every day to function and rebuild itself, to ward off disease, to feel alive and be healthy, you will know what to eat.
If you don't "get" what food is included in the nutrient groups I bet you can Google/Bing it, or look through one of your 50 diet books in the house! You can also make it super simple and go back to the 75 years old diet tip: Shop the Walls! That's the produce, bulk grains, meats sections. It's all right there! That your basic diet! You can even get my eBook if you really want some help“.Those are tools to get the message out about the 3 nutrients we all need.
• If you get that a 250 pound man and a 150 pound woman cannot eat the same calories in a day you understand calorie restrictions.
If you sit down to a meal and you are with a member of the opposite sex you cannot eat exactly what they eat. One of you will have too many calories! - (Actually in today's world both of you are probably eating too many calories!) It's not a contest people and there is no prize for you ladies when you match your hubbies roll for roll! Ooohhh! There's a visual to remember - If you ladies match your male counterparts roll for roll (bread) you'll match his roll for roll (belly!)! I like that one!!
• If you log for a week what you currently eat (and you are either currently gaining weight or having no success in losing weight) you will know how many calories you need to cut.
Yes there is a scientific formula - yes its eventually a good tool to use but for Nutrition 101 you don't have to understand it or even count the calories to lose weight!
Log the foods you eat everyday for 7 days without trying to reduce anything. This is a picture of calories that are over your bodies needs to lose weight. The simplest thing to do is reduce the amount of those foods the next 7 days - you may even eliminate some of them altogether. There's your caloric reduction. It may not get you the body you want but it will get you off the "gaining weight" cycle. Simple math. Now it does get tricky based on individual responses to certain types of foods but for 101 - that's a good starter plan.
Remember years ago when Bob Greene was on Oprah and Oprah declared an "AHA" moment in her dieting quest? She said: I had an AHA moment and realized that I can't eat past 7:30pm. Bob Greene (her Trainer) quickly added that 7:30pm wasn't the magic time/number. He said its 2 hours before YOUR bedtime. The world went insane and once again took it all out of context. In a matter of 3 seconds of Oprah's AHA statement the world stopped listening and never heard what the trainer said to clarify. I have clients to this day that bring up the 7:30pm cut off time for food. I'm not even a big believer in that food cut off anyway“ It's WHAT you eat if you eat after dinner. The problem is not the "eating itself" and then heading to bed .It's WHAT you eat. Again“I dare anyone to prove that having raw veggie sticks just before bed is a sure way to gain weight or belly fat. My point here is that more than likely 90% of what you think you have read or heard is out of context.
So, if you've gotten this far in my soapbox nutrition rant I applaud you! You have hopefully had at least one AHA moment yourself. My goal today was simply to make you hit PAUSE on your brain. I want you to stop going in circles and I want you to stop telling yourself that you don't know what to eat to be healthy. YOU DO! I know you do! Unless you have lived in a bubble you KNOW WHAT TO EAT! You may need further assistance developing a program that is suitable for your goals and body type and metabolism and current health but you do not need all that until you are living by the Nutrition Basics I've outlined. Everything else, all the details of your nutrition plans will be based on these basics!
Can diet foods make you fat? I realize that this sounds like a contradiction, but the diet industry is like that. You need to come armed with some savvy to weed through the hype. Just look at what happened in the 1980s, when “fat-free” was a fad.
“Fat-free” appeared on all types of foods, and consumers (not surprisingly) assumed that fat-free meant calorie-free. Au contraire! For example, fat-free cookies have just as many calories as the original, maybe even more.
Some health experts link the “fat-free” craze to the explosion of obesity in the U.S., and certainly consumers are confused about what’s best, fat-free, carb-free, high protein, etc. Bottom line: You need to read the top line on the nutrition facts panel. Calories do count. Read the number of servings in the package or container, and then read calories per serving. When you know what you’re eating, it all adds up.
The Skinny on “Diet Foods”
All foods can fit into a healthy diet in the correct portion size. Even healthy foods can be “fattening” if you eat too much of them. Here’s the skinny on some “diet” foods you’d think would help you with your diet:
Juice: You’ve seen the ads: “100% pure juice with live enzymes and packed with vitamins and minerals.” It is often labeled with claims for weight loss, increased energy and better immunity. Let the buyer beware! To balance the scale in your favor, consider this: People suffering a low blood glucose reaction are given juice because the fruit sugar (fructose) is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Juice is not a diet food unless you’re on a weight gain diet. It’s one of the quickest ways of getting extra calories I know. Juice is extracted from the whole fruit; the beneficial fiber is left behind. Regardless of how pure the juice, it contains no inherent properties that will make you healthier or make you lose weight. Peel and eat an orange instead. See below for a tip about juice.
Enhanced Waters: Diet myths abound, displayed on labels of enhanced waters and sports drinks. Drink this for “energy, balance, performance.” I want to paste ‘Buyer Beware!” signs on the labels. These waters and flavored teas are certainly fortified“ with caffeine and sugar, plus high-fructose corn syrup.
Before reading the front label and advertising hype, read the ingredient list. If you?re working out strenuously for more than an hour at a time, then a sports drink is OK, but choose one with less than 8 grams of sugar per serving. If you prefer, buy an artificially sweetened beverage.
Otherwise, drink water before, during and after exercising. Adding just a quarter-cup of 100-percent orange or grapefruit juice and a dash of salt to a quart of water makes the perfect sports drink.
Turkey Burgers: When dining out, have you ordered a turkey burger while your friends are all having steak? You may think you’re eating diet food, but you may be better off with that sirloin. Turkey breast is an ultra-lean protein, but most restaurants don’t serve ground turkey breast; rather, they serve ground turkey in their burgers, which likely contains the more fatty dark meat and even skin. Restaurant turkey burgers are also enhanced with mayonnaise and even cheese.
If you can’t be certain the turkey burger is made from skinless turkey breast, order a grilled chicken breast sandwich or grilled fish sandwich sans mayo and cheese.
Breakfast cereals: Eating breakfast is one of the lifestyle habits that predict weight loss and maintaining that desired weight. I love my cereal in the morning, but exploring the cereal aisle can be a confusing experience, especially for dieters. Don’t read the front of the package to get the scoop on cereals. Read the back first, namely the ingredient list and the nutrition facts panel.
Cereals labeled “smart” or “whole grain” or “fruit” are not necessarily smart for your waistline or your health. Often they contain a bit of whole grain, but there is no limit on the other ingredients, including sugar. Here’s a tip: The first ingredient should be whole grain: whole wheat, whole oats, rye or other. Read the nutrition facts panel and note the serving size. The standard serving size is 3/4 to 1 cup, and you make your decision from there.
If one serving contains more than 4 to 8 grams of sugar (1 to 2 teaspoons), then move on. Kashi GoLean, Shredded wheat, All Bran cereals, Fiber One, unsweetened muesli and granola (fat-free) are good choices. Watch out for “code words” that mean sugar and fat have been added. Cereals that are labeled “Crunchy,” “Frosted,” “Honey” or “Honey Nut” may have more sugar added.
Add your own sugar; don’t let the manufacturer add it for you. For example, a 1-cup serving of Cheerios with a half-cup of nonfat milk has 150 calories. A 3/4-cup serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 170 calories; a smaller serving for more calories. Not a bargain.
By Susan Burke March MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
Hi Everyone - - Another week closer to our goals - How is your HEALTHY eating coming along?Are you eating too many “healthy” nuts BECAUSE THEY ARE “GOOD FOR YOU”? What about healthy avocadoes, are you eating maybe ½ of an avocado, instead of a ¼ or less? Are you juicing only high fructose fruits because they are good for you but not adding protein? Are you buying expensive frozen yogurts because they have yogurt in the name? Or what about that fancy high calorie coffee drinks? Some foods off the top of my head that are “healthy” that I see on food journals but not necessarily going to get you closer to your goals of losing fat can include Trail Mix, Dried Fruit, Whole fruit juices, whole fruit jams and Frozen Yogurt.
Let's take a closer look at frozen yogurt.... Healthy - yes - but......when I compare the nutrition facts- In a ½ cup of yogurt vs. ½ cup of frozen yogurtSugar – Frozen Yogurt has 20g and Yogurt has 4.5gCalories- Frozen Yogurt has 100-120 and Yogurt has 75Protein- Frozen Yogurt has 3g and Yogurt has 10gSo for the calories I am much better off getting a lot more nutrition for less sugar in regular greek yogurt.
Question: What food or foods am I NOT willing to sacrifice or give up“.. for the jeans challenge?
In a resent blog - a challenger wrote......
"One of the happiest days of my life was when I found out that chocolate (yes, chocolate!) was actually good for me. The rich, creamy candy I'd been surreptitiously snacking on since I was a kid was packed with heart <http://www.webmd.com/heart/picture-of-the-heart> -healthy antioxidants.
I gleefully loaded up my shopping cart with bars and bags of chocolate -- dark, of course -- and gorged myself silly.
Then I came to another realization. Dark chocolate, though undoubtedly healthy in small quantities, happens to also be loaded with sugar and fat. I owed my thighs a sincere apology".Think through your food choices.Do you rationalize eating foods that are “healthy” but may also be the very foods that are keeping you from fitting into your thermometer jeans?
Cheers - Patty
How do people successfully lose weight
and maintain that loss? To answer that question, the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) tracks successful weight losers--individuals who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than 1 year. Common behaviors that these individuals share include monitoring weight and food intake, maintaining a low-calorie and low-fat diet, eating breakfast almost every day, engaging in 1 hour of physical activity daily and limiting television viewing to 10 hours or less per week (NWCR).
Here are some tried-and-true weight management methods that may help your clients.
1. Monitor Weight and Food Intake
People who weigh themselves regularly are more successful at weight loss and weight management, as the monitoring process allows them to make adjustments if weight begins to creep back (Butryn et al. 2007). Since many people grossly underestimate the number of calories they consume, a record of food intake can be a useful management tool. Becoming more mindful of what, when, why and how we eat is important for changing and maintaining behaviors.
Weight Control Tip. For consistency, choose a day and time to weigh yourself weekly, and tune in to how your clothes fit each day. For people who are just starting out, it’s wise to record daily dietary intake in order to learn about eating habits, triggers and where adjustments can be made. As weight is lost and new behaviors become habits, this may not be as necessary. Use a reliable online food record or a simple spiral notebook.
2. Adopt an Effective Eating Frequency & Pattern
When and how often one eats may determine weight. Studies show that eating four or five small meals/snacks throughout the day is associated with lower energy intake and reduced or no obesity risk, and eating less or more than this may actually increase the risk of obesity (Forslund et al. 2005; Ma et al. 2003), perhaps more so in men than women (Westerterp-Plantenga et al. 2003; Drummond et al. 1998). In addition, skipping breakfast is associated with a higher body mass index and increased obesity risk (Ma et al. 2003; Cho et al. 2003).
Weight Control Tip. Spread calories throughout the day. If you don’t eat breakfast, start eating a single item, like a carton of low-fat yogurt or a banana, within 1 hour of waking and then aim for a daily high-fiber breakfast made up of two to three different food groups.
3. Control Portions
Paying attention to portion size is a proven strategy that can help people reduce energy intake and lose weight. Eating slowly and savoring the food will help control appetite and calorie intake. Shoveling food rapidly into the mouth blocks the body’s natural appetite control process.
Weight Control Tip. Retrain skewed perceptions of what a serving is by measuring food for a few days with help from your hand: 1 cup = size of medium fist; serving of meat = medium-sized palm; cheese serving = two fingers; and a serving of oil = thumb tip. Teach yourself to slow down by choosing one meal a day (or week) that you purposely enjoy slowly, while sitting at a table.
4. Fill Up on Less
Increasing intake of nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables is a positive strategy for controlling portions. Thanks to water and fiber, low-caloric-density foods offer larger portions with fewer calories, so you fill up without filling out. Examples include fruits, vegetables, beans and soups. High-fiber foods also slow digestion and absorption and stabilize blood sugar, which helps control hunger and further aids weight loss.
Weight Control Tip. Fill up on nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods to satisfy hunger and reduce caloric intake. Adults should aim for 25–35 grams of fiber per day and increase gradually. To control calories, choose fresh, frozen or canned fruits without added sugar over fruit juice and dried fruits.
Barefoot training has recently experienced a surge in popularity and has been shown to improve foot mobility, stability, and activity. Additionally, it has been linked to increased lower limb muscle firing and greater muscle activation patterns through the kinetic chain. In some cases, there is evidence that barefoot training can even decrease lower extremity, hip and low back pain.
When you go barefoot, your movements become the movements of a child—playful and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. You experience the unbound joy of stepping, hopping, and running across any surface on earth, simply to get from here to there.
Vibram FiveFingers® allow you to relive that sensation. Unlike conventional shoes that insulate you from your surroundings, FiveFingers footwear deepens your connection to the earth and your surroundings. FiveFingers enhance your sense of touch and feel, while improving foot strength, balance, agility, and range of motion. Because wearing Vibram FiveFingers is so close to going barefoot, you’ll enjoy the health and performance benefits of barefooting without some of the risks.
Outdoor enthusiasts have found FiveFingers to be the ideal crossover shoe for multiple sports and activities—from ChiRunning and bouldering to kayaking and windsurfing. Fitness enthusiasts use FiveFingers for core strength training, yoga and Pilates. Our customers continually discover new and creative uses for our alternative performance footwear.
by Patty Hartong
Learning to do Standing + Paddling = The newest fad in the water sports, known as SUP. What’s SUP? ‘Stand Up Paddling’, a rewarding workout atop a buoyant long board. See my facebook for a video of me learning how to SUP!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
CSD Step has changed to an Interval/Circuit Class.
This class offers you a total body workout! We will still incorporate upper and lower body exercises into one high intensity and dynamite conditioning class. We will continue to utilize step aerobics as one of many exercise tools. Each class combines a variety of interval/cardio drills and muscle conditioning exercises to provide you with the ultimate workout.
This class offers you many fitness styles and will use a combination of body weight exercises and exercise equipment, such as steps, jump ropes, Bands, Bosu, body weight exercises and free weights to give you a full-body workout. Each class will be packed with lots of variety and tons of fun.
Be prepared to WORKOUT when you step into the new CSD Group Fitness Class.
Cheers-Patty
