“We went to Cheesecake Factory tonight for dinner and in NY (we are in Albany, half way) they now have to print all calorie info on all menus.  CRAZY!!!!!!!!!  Things were like 2000, some 2400 for one dish.  Most everything was over 1000 even the salads.  It was really eye opening.  I opted for one of the “Weight Management Salad” which had 400-something calories with the low fat dressing.  It had chicken, blue cheese crumbles, pecans and pears – endives, lettuce, greens.  It was delish!!!

I could not believe how many calories everything had.  It made me veeeeeerrrrrry conscious of what to pick which is a good thing. Joel has ordered the burrito grande many times - 1900 calories!!  OK, it’s big but he can mostly eat 80 percent of it.  All the cheesecakes had about 1000 calories for a slice.  The kids meal grilled cheese and fries had over 800 calories and the chicken fingers/fries had 1000 and this is a KIDS meal.  CRAZY!!!!!”

Let me know what you think about the newly implemented N.Y laws and if you think they would be beneficial where you live.

P.S- My cousin is still in shock over the menu.

P.P.S – Wednesday’s Steps – 10,025 (Phew! Went for a 20 minute walk at 7.30 to get them all in! )

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1. My Picks at Five Fast Food Restaurants – Mc Donalds
2. Low Calorie, Low Fat Cheesecake. Minus the Cake.
3. How to Order Healthy at a Greek Restaurant

I don’t know if you’ve been in a Starbucks recently – but they are pushing their new instant iced coffee – VIA. That’s all well and good- and the coffee actually tastes good- but what makes me mad is how they are advertising it. They are offering samples and telling tasters that it’s “lightly sweetened”.

If you look at the back of the package and read the nutritional label, lightly sweetened it is not.

There are two ingredients in VIA. Sugar and Coffee. Sugar is THE FIRST ingredient.

One packet, which makes two cups (or one Grande sized drink) has 100 calories in it. Pretty low compared to a Strawberry Frappachino – but NOT lightly sweetened. It’s sweetened. I guess when the lady at the store told me it was ‘lightly sweetened’ I assumed that it had maybe 16 calories worth of sugar (1 teaspoon), not 100 (6 teaspoons) . ***It has just 20 calories less  than a Grande Coffee Frappachino Light.***

If they offered samples and simply said – yes there is sugar in here – I would not have to write this post – but it’s the way they are selling it that frustrates me. So, from me to you  – a friendly heads up!

At least this way when you make the decision buy the new instant iced coffee from Starbucks, you know what your drinking.

Related posts:

1. My Picks at 5 Fast Food Restaurants – Starbucks
2. How to Order Healthy at a Greek Restaurant
3. Cravings, Cravings, Go Away.

Interval training is great because:

• Burn maximum calories.
• Work harder for shorter period.
• Train your heart to be better and stronger.
• Turn your metabolism into a fire burning machine!

**Before you start attempting intervals, you should be able to hold a steady heart rate of around 75% – 80% for 20 minutes.

Triple Three’s

This is a great 21 minute workout with a warm up and cool down. You can do this on a Stationary Bike, Elliptical or Treadmill.

* RPE- Rate of Persevere Exertion.

If 0 is lying in bed.

5 is a brisk speed walk/ light jog but you can carry a LIGHT conversation.

6- Jog.

7- Saying things like, yup, no, o.k and stop talking to me.

8 – You won’t be talking to anyone!

10 is as fast as you can go / or as hard as you can push yourself on a resistance level.

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1. How to Keep Cardiovascular Exercise Interesting
2. The Benefits of Strength Training
3. Circuit Training At Home

• 1 ounce raw nuts. I like Almonds, cashews and brazil nuts.
• Fresh cut up veggies. I like celery, carrots, cucumber and peppers. If you can’t stomach veggies on their own try it with 2 tbsp of hummus or 1 tbsp of low-fat Ranch or Cesar dressing.
• Cheese Strings. ( These last a few hours outside of a refrigerator)
• An emergency bar like a LARA Bar or The Simply Bar.
• Piece of fruit.
• Whole grain crackers like WASA crackers and some Light Laughing Cow to spread on top.
• Celery/ whole grain crackers and Natural Peanut Butter.

If you are going to have a snack like rice chips, pretzels or something processed like that. Just make sure you look at the back of the bag and portion out your one serving. Place your 8 chips or whatever it is in a zip lock baggy and bring JUST THE BAGGY to work with you.

Snacks for your house OR if you have a refrigerator at your office:

• 3/4 cups skim milk with 1/4 cup chocolate milk. Have it on the rocks or warm it in the microwave for a hot cocoa.
• Cottage cheese with cinnamon for a sweet tooth.
• Cottage cheese with cucumber and tomato for a savory tooth.
• Cottage cheese with fresh berries for a sweet tooth.
• Single servings of yogurt.
• 1/4 cup low fat Ricotta cheese with fresh berries.

I never leave the house without something on hand. And if I do find myself in a situation where I don’t have anything to eat and I’m out running errands – I grab a tall non-fat latte. It’s approximately 8 ounces of milk and a great tide me over snack that holds me until my next meal.

Feel free to write in with ideas and thoughts!

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1. Damage Control
2. Heathy Breakfast Ideas
3. On The Go Breakfast Ideas

VS

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you have to eat to lose weight. But you have to eat the right things.

If a cookie is 2 points on Weight Watchers and a glass of milk is 2 points. The glass of milk and the cookie are NOT equal.

The glass of milk will help you loose weight, the cookie will not.

The milk is full of protein that will help you stay full and curb your appetite for later cravings. It will regulate your insulin levels so that you don’t ‘feel like’ crap. CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WHY PROTEIN HELPS KEEP YOU FULL!

The cookie is full of sugar and simple carbohydrates that will leave you feeling hungry after you eat it and it will leave you craving more cookies (and other such carbohydrates things).

THERE IS A CHEMICAL REASON why after you eat a high in sugar food (even the fake kind) you only want more of it.Your insulin spikes and your Adrenal Gland actually releases a ‘feel good’ kind of secretion – 10 minutes later your insulin drops and the feel good goes away- so although you actually don’t NEED food – because you just ate 3 cookies- you ‘feel’ fake signs of hunger.

Where you get your calories from DOES matter.

• Lean protean, high fiber, fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy rich foods will lead to weight loss.
• Eating processed high in sugar foods, simple carbohydrates like white anything and low calorie processed treats will negate weight loss. You will feel hungry after you eat them, you will activate your ‘sweet tooth’ leading you to want seconds and a thirds.

Have a look at this chart comparing 3 Oreo Cookies to 1 ounce of Almonds :

The calories are the same, and in fact, the Almonds have more fat in them than the Oreo’s! But here is the kicker, The Oreo’s are all carbohydrates and no protein or fiber. A formula bound to set you up for more treats or at  the very least more calories throughout the day. And although the Almonds are higher in fat, it’s a natural fat that is good for your heart – not a processed one like you get from the Oreo’s. Not to mention the protein and fiber in the Almonds will help keep your hunger  (AND CRAVINGS!) at bay, the sugar in the Oreo’s will ignite hunger (AND CRAVINGS). When in doubt read the ingredient list. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INGREDIENT LISTS. The Almonds are made of one thing. The Oreo’s are made of 19 ingredients- many of which are not even food!

I’m interested in your thoughts on this one! Send ‘em in!

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2. 8 Steps To Help You Turn Fat Into Muscle
3. Grab and Go Healthy Snacks

I truly think the HARDEST part of working out is actually starting. Once you start you’re 90% there! Even if you spend 15 or 20 minutes exercising it’s 100% better than no minutes at all! In fact 20 minutes, 3 times a week is nothing to sneeze at (is that even the right expression?). 20 minutes, 3 times a week is fantastic!

So here is my pep talk for the day. Put on your work-out clothes and just START. MOVE. If you have a gym membership – walk in that door (bring your clothes with you to work) and climb onto a machine and just press START. If you work out at home, no problem! This blog is filled with easy to do exercises you can preform at home with little or no equipment. Just put your work-out clothes on, grab a bottle of water, turn on your favorite show and follow one of my circuits. CLICK HERE , HERE or HERE for a few of my many circuits. Or CLICK HERE for my T.V WINNER workout.

You are 100% guaranteed to feel better about yourself after the work-out. And if starting is really the hardest part- then just changing into work-out gear and pressing START puts you 90% closer to feeling better than you do right now

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2. 5 Workout Do’s
3. The Best Way to See Workout Results

I promised I would give you some ideas as to what to fill your cupboards and refrigerator with. Let’s start with breakfast. I’ll hit snacks, lunches, dinners and your purse/car in the next few days. Keep these lists handy and use them to help you grocery shop Even put them on your refrigerator door so that you can use them as a reference when you are deciding what to have in the morning. The key here is to have healthy (yummy) things readily available to grab in the morning on your way out the door. This way you don’t have the option of grabbing a high sugar processed cereal bar – or even worse, noting at all.

1. Skim or 1% milk.
2. 1% Chocolate milk
3. Yogurt – I personally would choose a Greek Style Non Fat Plain Yogurt- but if you hate plain yogurt, pick one that you like.
4. Eggs.
5. Cheese.
6. Cottage cheese.
7. Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, berries, grapefruit, kiwi’s and pineapple.
8. Oatmeal.
9. High Fiber, low sugar cereals like Weetabix and Bite Sized Shredded Wheat
10. Whole grain or sprouted wheat bread.
11. Natural peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.
12. Pea-meal Bacon.

10 healthy breakfast ideas you can make with this list:

• Fresh Fruit Plate.
• Cottage Cheese and Berries.
• Yogurt and berries.
• Toast with Peanut (or other nut butter) and a glass of 1/4 cup chocolate milk – 3/4 cup skim milk.
• Breakfast sandwich with pea-meal and eggs. – Great to go!
• Cereal. With or without fresh berries.
• Banana dipped in Peanut butter with a glass of milk. (add 1/4 chocolate milk to this for a delicious chocolate peanut butter banana breakfast)
• Oatmeal. You can add banana to sweeten it up. I have a client who puts 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter in her oatmeal!
• Scrambled, poached, soft boiled or sunny side up eggs and toast.
• Cheese Toast.

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1. On The Go Breakfast Ideas
2. The Passover Challenge – Breakfast Ideas
3. Grab and Go Healthy Snacks

I just want to vent for a second. Many people who are on diets get rewarded if they exercise. If they exercise, they get to eat more. Personally I think if you are trying to lose weight it’s because you were eating too much in the first place. After a workout you should treat yourself in some other way – other than with food and extra calories. Treat yourself to a manicure, time with a book or a tea with a friend. The reality is, most people actually think they burn WAY more calories then they really did. The extra eating they do as a reward for working out erases all the work they did.  I think if you’re trying to lose weight and you worked out- keep your calorie deficit that you worked so hard for –  don’t eat EXTRA. Eat your healthy three meals and two snacks and let the work-out work for you not against you.

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3. Working Out But Not Losing Any Weight?

1. Interval Training. Intervals allow you to burn maximum calories in a shorter amount of time. CLICK HERE to learn how to add simple intervals into your routine.
2. Step it up on your favorite cardiovascular machine. CLICK HERE to read about how to maximize your time on the elliptical machine so that you’re not wasting your time. CLICK HERE to watch a video of proper form.  CLICK HERE to find out how to maximize your time on the stationary bike.
3. Add an element of stability and balance to your workout. From doing bicep curls on one leg to preforming exercises on a BOSU Ball – adding instability will increase core strength, ankle strength, strength in in the muscles that surround your spine, help with done density and burn extra calories. CLICK HERE and you’ll learn 8 new exercises targeted at balance and stability.
4. Think TOTAL BODY exercises. Total body = total calories! CLICK HERE for a great total body circuit.
5. Think Glutes. Your butt is made up of the biggest muscle in your body. The bigger the muscle you work the more calories you are going to burn. Things like squats are great for working those muscles!
6. When in doubt- add a jump! Plyometric exercises (fast powerful movements) are a great way to get your heart rate up and build strength at the same time. Things like squat jumps, runners starts, side skater , toe taps , square dance and bur-pies are all great exercises.
7. Body Weight exercises are great. As you lose weight the exercises get easier Great motivation to keep you going. Things like push ups, step ups and plank . Check out my series on exercises you can do with your own body weight. CLICK HERE.
8. Try a class at the gym you’ve never tried before like boot-camp, spinning or kettle bells.
9. Jump Rope. This is great because you don’t need a gym membership to reap the rewards of the  best cardiovascular exercise out there. CLICK HERE to ready why jump rope is so good for you and why it can burn more calories than running.
10. Sleep. CLICK HERE to find out why if you need sleep, you should listen to your body.

HAPPY WORKING OUT!!!

Related posts:

1. Calorie Blasting Circuit
2. 8 Steps To Help You Turn Fat Into Muscle
3. How Many Calories Do You Burn Working Out ?

Have a look at how I changed the recipe! Apply these alterations to this one or something else you want to try!

She calls this one Kitchen-Sink Chicken Stew.

Here is what you’ll need:

• 4 large chicken breasts -bone in, skin on. (Martha used 8 chicken drumsticks)
• 1 Olive Oil (Martha used 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, I prefer olive and I tried to cut back)
• Large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, chopped ( I added an extra carrot)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped ( I added an extra stalk)
• 3 garlic cloves, mashed
• Martha used russet potatoes, I omitted the starch.
• 1 pound collard greens, chopped
• 32 ounces V8 Juice (Martha used 48 ounces. I choose to cut back because I was a little afraid of the intense V8 flavor.)
• 16 ounces low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp White vinegar
• Cooked Quinoa ( Martha did no use Quinoa. I added some to replace the potatoes and make it a filling meal in a bowl)

Here is what you do:

1. Pour 1 tablespoon of In a large pot on medium/high.
2. Season the raw chicken with salt and pepper and add it to your pot. Sear – about 5 minutes a side.
3. 
4. Remove chicken from pot and add  carrots, garlic, onions, celery and collard greens.
5. Cook for 5 minutes, until onions are clear and greens are wilted.
6. Pour in your V8, chicken stock, worchestershire and add your chicken back in.
7. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Once the soup is done. Remove the chicken from the pot and take the chicken off the bone (it should fall off)
9. Add the chicken meat back into the soup.
10. Add in two tsp of white vinegar.
11. Serve! If you’re adding Quinoa, now is the time to do it. I use 2 ounces of already cooked Quinoa (I always have some in the refrigerator).

This is a great recipe because it keeps for a few days in your refrigerator. It’s a good one to bring for lunch and warm up in the microwave. It’s also nice to come home after a long day of work and have dinner ready.

*Nutritional Information  - Serves 8

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