Know What Youre Drinking & a Sunday Funny!

What we drink can really pack a punch of extra calories, fat, & sugar- dont let those sneak up on you! Heres some info that can help keep us in the know and help us limit those liquid calories!

I found both of these images on Pinterest.....heres a funny for your Sunday

Sugar Content in Fruit & a Sunday Funny!

26 Low Calorie Snack Ideas & a Sunday Funny!

USA Today's Top 25 Weight Loss Tips & a Sunday Funny!

USA Today's Top 25 Weight Loss Tips

1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most experts recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week.

2. Keep track. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Get help from family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.

WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGE: Lose the excuses to get in shape

SUCCESS STORY: Tom Slater lost more than 100 pounds

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Some research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep things like grapes, clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.

12. Make some stealth changes. That will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim and 1% milk.

14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one cookie or a fun-sized candy bar.

15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly and savor each bite.

MORE TIPS:Weight-Loss Challenge

16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.

17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silverware. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food naturally.

18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks after dinner.

19. Buy a pedometer. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge.

22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance. Get salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.

24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily.

25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.

Read more on the USA Today website.

Get the Health 411 on Salad Greens & a Sunday Funny!

Smart Snacking Shopping List & a Sunday Funny!

99 Diet Foods Recommended by Dr. Oz & a Sunday Funny!

What Laughter Can Do For You & a Sunday Funny!

Dr. Oz's 10 Commandments of Weight Loss & a Sunday Funny!

1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch

Your clothing is an early-warning system for weight gain. When it's getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it's time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.

2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Fat Clothes in Your Closet

When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don't come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your "fat pants."

3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week

Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from 2-legged animals such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.

4. Thou Shalt Not Graze

Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.

5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm

When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won't pay attention to how much you're putting in your mouth) and you're more likely to pick high-calorie snacks.

6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge

Larger portions equal more calories. 'Nuff said.

7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite

Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don't chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.

8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Plate

Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else's sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.

9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills

Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.

10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up

Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you're eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you your full before it's too late.

Read the entire story on Dr. Oz's website which includes more detailed information.

Sunday Fitness Funnies

Here is some fun fitness humor to start your week off! Make it a great one!

Quick Tips & a Sunday Funny!

Here are some quick healthy tips I do my best to live by:

• Find healthy foods you love and work with those
• Find an exercise you enjoy-if you don't like it-you wont do it
• Exercise for 45-60 minutes 5-6 days a week and make sure your working hard! A leisurely stroll around the block for 20 minutes 3 times a week isn't going to get you results. 
• DON'T ignore strength training-we need it! 
• Do not work the same muscle groups two days in a row (abs are an exception) 
• Cut out "white" foods (mayo, full fat dairy, white pasta, white rice, white bread) most white foods are refined - the nutrients have been removed.
• Aim for your body weight X 10 for your caloric needs (ie 150 lb person should consume 1,500 calories a day). BUT most people should not exceed 2,000 calories a day and do not under 1,200
• Read food labels-check sodium, sugar, HFCS, calories, fat, etc!
• Cut out fast food. Prepare your meals based around fresh fruits and vegis and lean proteins.
• Eat enough food. Don't use this as an excuse to overeat but know that undereating will come back and bite you. Your body will store more fat and not function properly without proper nutrition. You will end up binging when you deny yourself too much.
• Drink plenty of water
• Find a support or motivation group- a friend or spouse in real life or an online forum/ group/ blog etc. to help motivate you and keep you accountable
• Logging your daily food & water intake and/or exercise routine is a very helpful tool for many
• Raw or steamed vegis are your best choice, grilled & baked are next best. Boiling drains nutrients! 
• Fresh or frozen fruits & vegis give you the best nutritional bang for your buck!
• Eat whole grains: brown rice, whole wheat pasta, bread, and tortillas. Read the label and make sure whole grain or whole wheat is the 1st ingredient on the label.

Head on over to Fitness For the Rest of Us & enter to win Mindy Mylrea's All Out Cardio DVD courtesy of Collage Video!

Sunday Funny

Have a fun & fitness filled weekend everyone!

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Sunday Funny

Have a wonderful weekend WLB'ers!!!!

5 Healing Foods That Are Healthy!

Hi fitness friends! Here are 5 healthy foods that can help cure what ails you!

1. Banana

Cure for: Stress or anxiety

Next time your buttons get pushed, reach for a banana, says Molly Kimball, RD, a certified specialist in sports dietetics with Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. With only 105 calories and 14 g of sugar, a medium banana fills you up, provides a mild blood sugar boost, and has 30% of the day’s vitamin B6, which helps the brain produce mellowing serotonin, getting you through a crisis peacefully.

2. Raisins

Cure for: High blood pressure

Sixty raisins—about a handful—contain 1 g of fiber and 212 mg of potassium, both recommended in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Numerous studies show that polyphenols in grape-derived foods such as raisins, wine, and juice are effective in maintaining cardiovascular health, including bringing down blood pressure.

3. Yogurt

Cure for: Bloat

One and a half cups of live-culture yogurt (high in gut-friendly bacteria) pushes food more efficiently through the gastrointestinal tract, says a 2002 study in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. The beneficial bacteria also improve your gut’s ability to digest beans and dairy lactose, which can cause gas, adds Kimball.

4. Apricots

Cure for: Preventing kidney stones

Eight dried apricot halves have 2 g of fiber, only 3 mg of sodium, and 325 mg of potassium—all of which help keep minerals from accumulating in urine and forming calcium oxalate stones, the most common type of kidney stones, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, an integrative nutritionist in private practice in Sarasota, FL, and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

5. Tuna

Cure for: A bad mood

A 3-ounce serving of canned white tuna has about 800 mg of omega-3s, which research suggests may treat the kind of blues that leave you feeling low or anxious. The fatty acids in fish have been endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association as an effective part of depression treatment, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Eat Your Way to Happiness. For a seafood-free way to get happy, nosh on a small 

bagel. The 37 g of carbs will give you a dose of mood-boosting serotonin.

Read more on Prevention here.

Friday Funny! Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi WLB followers! We are still accepting season 4 contestant applications for another week or so, please head on over & apply here. We will notify those selected on March 28th and season four will begin on April 1st. We have a TON of awesome sponsors already lined up: 

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Friday Funny!

Hope you all have a low-carb weekend ;) 

And don't forget season four of Win, Lose, or Blog will start up on April 1st and we are now accepting applications. Check out this post to apply.

Ignite Your Calorie Burn

1. Drink Cool Water

Exercisers who drank refrigerated water (39°F) worked out about 25% longer than those who consumed the same amount of warmer water—and they said their exercise sessions felt easier too.

2. Swing Those Arms

Turn your walk into a calorie-torching workout by bending your elbows 90 degrees and pumping your arms as you stride. It not only automatically speeds up your pace but helps you burn up to 15% more calories every time you work out. 

3. Pick Up Some Weights

To really rev your calorie burn, it is not about the number of reps, but the size of the weights. Even when exercisers lifted identical volumes (such as 10 pounds 10 times or 20 pounds 5 times), those using the heavier dumbbells burned about 25% more calories when they were finished.

4. Crank Up the Incline

Challenge yourself on the treadmill. Crank up the incline to firm up your derriere and rev up your calorie burn by up to 60 percent. And when you come back down to earth, walking will feel easier

5. Log at Least 12 Minutes

Any amount of cardio will burn calories, but to really fight off pounds, you need at least 12 minutes (beyond a warm-up) of continuously moderate to high-intensity activity (where you're breathing somewhat hard) most days a week.

6. Intervals

Introducing short bouts of vigorous activity can speed up weight loss and cut your workout time by up to half or more. Australian researchers found that women who alternated just 8 seconds of high-intensity exercise with 12 seconds of low-intensity activity for 20 minutes, 3 times a week, slimmed down faster than steady-paced exercisers who worked out twice as long. 

7. Don't Skip Stretching

Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, helping to prepare them for exercise and recover from the effort afterward. Skip the stretches, and you won't get nearly the benefits you should from aerobic exercise and resistance training. Read more on Prevention here.Want some fitness freebies? Check out these giveaways:~Win Lose or Blog: $25 Fantasy Jewelry Box giftcard, Bondi Band, Food Should Taste Good chips here.~Fitness For the Rest of Us: $30 Stick-e giftcard (Stick-e yoga socks, gloves, etc) and Collage Video: Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning dvd, Brook Benten's Kettlebell: Butts & Gutts here~Huff & Buff: Tracie Long Fitness, Paul Katami, Women's Health Diet book here.

Mental Tricks to Control Cravings

1. Treat yourself.

Cutting out a food you love only makes you want it more. Dieters who were told not to think about chocolate ate twice as many candies as those who weren't resisting, a study inAppetite notes. Pick a guiltless sub: Trade Fritos for edamame or ice cream for a fudge bar.

2. Turn off triggers.

Break patterns that encourage binges. Are you a postwork snacker? Come home through a door that doesn't lead to the kitchen and you'll be 18 percent less likely to graze, per unpublished research by Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author ofMindless Eating (Bantam).

3. Ride the crave.

When the urge to splurge hits you, don't ignore it. Tell yourself that the feeling may pass in 10 minutes. Focus on your breathing, taking in your surroundings. Are you eating out of sadness or frustration? If so, address your feelings and let your yen naturally diminish. If your stomach's still growling, have something nutritious.

4. Feed your hunger.

Going past hungry to ravenous might make you choose junk. Mice injected with high doses of ghrelin preferred a room where they had previously found high-fat food over one where they expected to find less fat and sugar, a study in Biological Psychology reports. Eat protein and fiber at every meal to keep ghrelin gremlins at bay.

5. Pace yourself.

It takes 12 minutes for a thin person's brain to register that she's eaten, but it may take 25 minutes in an overweight person, says Mark Gold, M.D., chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. A heavy person's brain changes its priorities over time to favor eating-related sensations. Set a timer to get used to making a meal last 25 minutes.

6. Tire your taste buds.

Your taste buds get worn out after a few bites, so each mouthful is less delicious than the last. Employ the technique of a wine connoisseur when you sink your teeth into your culinary crush; relish every bit and stop when the flavor falters.

7. Flip the script.

Banish negative self-talk: "I ate two Oreos. I'm weak and I've blown my diet. I might as well keep going." Instead, take stock and talk yourself up: "So I ate a couple of cookies. It's no big deal. It won't make me fat. I can stop now and feel good about myself."

8. Start small.

Self-control is a limited resource, so if you try to tackle your morning doughnut, afternoon chips and evening ice cream in one swoop, you'll be sunk. Allot willpower to one behavior at a time. When a day without doughnuts becomes the norm, move on to the next goal.

Read more on Self Magazine.com here.