Lie to me....

You know that feeling when you see an infomercial for a new exercise machine, work out video, revolutionary breakthrough on diet pills, or fad diet? They're high paced, flashy, energetic, and super motivational. It's the reason that the industry makes over $30 BILLION a year on their products.

I personally (and I hang my head in shame) bought the Tony Little Gazelle when it first appeared on a late night infomercial...as soon as I saw it. It did a LOT of good....in the corner of my room....where I kept it. And boy, did I use that thing.....as a coat hanger.....EVERY DAY. What do you mean, that's not what it was for?!?

My point is, we could spend $10,000 on every widget, gadget, exercise tape, gym membership, or diet...but it won't do us any good unless we rectify our lives and USE THEM.

We need to stop LYING to ourselves. Myself included. I have been known to say, "I've tried EVERYTHING, and nothing works!" Well, the sad truth of the matter is, yes, I have "tried" everything but, I never committed to it. I didn't give 1/2 of the gimmicks a chance, because I would quit after a week of "trying" because I didn't see results. Who's to say that it didn't work? I gave up...I quit...I failed. I shiver to think of the total amount of money I have spent on my journey to Skinnyville. Perrish the thought.....

There are a lot of little "lies" we tell ourselves when it comes to our weight:

1. I'll start tomorrow...after this McDonald's meal.
2. My bathroom mirror adds ten pounds, and the bathroom scale is in on the conspiracy.
3. If you eat it with your fingers, it doesn't count
4. A glass of juice or lemonade is way better than a can of soda
5. Any calories in a Margarita are killed by the alcohol (Die calories, DIE!!)
6. A "bite" isn't big enough to have any caloric value (i.e. a bite of my daughter's cookie, a bite of my husban'ds pizza, a bite of anything and everything from the buffet or mini-dessert tray)
7. If no one SEES you eat it, then it never happened
8. Dark chocolate is a health food

You get the idea....

The bottom line is...a calorie is a calorie. 3500 calories = 1 pound, so if you're eating more than your body can burn, you're going to pack on the pounds. Ain't no miracle machine or pill that's gunna change that.

Have a great weekend!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Chain of events

When I look in the mirror, and don't like what I see, it effects SO MUCH MORE than most people realize.

My attitude is less optimistic
I carry myself in a different manner
My face looks tired
I have less energy
I feel depressed
I don't care about what I eat
I allow myself to spiral into a place that I don't want to be.

However, when I look in the mirror, and say "I'm looking great today," I feel invinceable, energized, sexy, hot, smart, refined...I feel like a super hero! I carry myself with confidence, walk taller (sometimes with a little swang), and people notice me. They notice me because I love myself, and because I am noticed, I am happy.

Everything that you do in life effects how you feel; how you portray yourself, either consciously or subconsciously. How you see yourself plays a HUGE part in the result of your weight loss or goals. Positive thinking, optimistic actions, and a cheerful attitude are just what the Dr. ordered when you find yourself in a slump.

When you wake up in the morning, greet yourself with a smile. Compliment your eyes, or how great your hair looks, turn around and check out your own butt. Don't critique, jiggle, crinkle or poke anything, because you are beautiful. If you've recently lost a few pounds, verbally tell yourself how proud you are and that you know you can lose more. Admire yourself in a new shirt or pants, and remark how great they look. Try a new perfume, a new necklace, or even new shoes. Anything that you feel compliments they way you see yourself....FLAUNT it. When you notice yourself, people notice you. When people notice you, you are happy. When you are happy, you strive to do more to get more people to notice you, and that, my friends, begins a lasting, encouraging, motivational chain of events, that will bust you out of any old slump you may be in.




Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Pasta

Can you smell it? Can you FEEL it? Have you tasted it yet???

Autumn is in the air.

It's my favorite season. It's my favorite smell. It's my favorite feeling.

I love the crisp mornings, just chilly enough to make you think twice about needing a jacket. I love the colors (sorely miss the leaves this time of year), fresh produce, endless possibilities with squash, apples & sweet potatoes. I love the scent of holiday candles, background music, craft time, baking with my kids, trick-or-treating...it just makes me feel inner peace, warmth & pure content.

I ♥ fall.

As a tribute to my affection for this season (and the one that follows) I will be posting recipes that seem to evoke the "warm & fuzzy" feeling that I can't seem to get enough of. I know that you probably already have a few dozen "family recipes" that are time honored traditions in your household, but I can almost bet that they are NOT healthy. Why not try to add these to your dinner celebration traditions...no one needs to know that they're good tasting AND good for you!

Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Pasta

4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium)
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup diced plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

Nutrition: Per serving: 402 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 546 mg sodium; 738 mg potassium.

Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Say What?!

When times are tough, and we seem to be discouraged about where we are physically, I can't get over some of the extremes that people go through to lose weight.

I'm not going to sit here & lie. There have been times in my battle with the bulge that I've thought, "I need to just get this all cut off." I've contemplated gastric by-pass, lap-band, and liposuction. I've dreamt of waking up one morning and seeing a flat tummy, an overnight effect of some lower body lift. Instant gratification. But, somehow....every time I think about going to an extreme to get quick results, I think of the pain. The healing time, the recovery, the muscle mass loss, and wonder..."would it really be worth it?"

I read something today that still has my head shaking in disbelief...a NEW tactic that some people are using as an aide to weight loss.

Are you ready for this? I hope you're sitting down:

According to an article posted September 21, 2009 in the Chicago Tribune, California cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nikolas Chugay has developed a wildly innovative weight loss tool. He’ll sew a postage stamp-sized mesh patch over your tongue, which makes eating food so excruciatingly painful that patients are forced to stick to a liquid diet. Ten whole patients have been crazy desperate brave enough to try it and some lost “as much as 20 pounds” a month after the surgery.

The weight, I'm sure, is sure to return the minute the patch is removed and the patient starts eating solid food again.

"I'd say the Chugay Tongue Patch is a daily reminder that just because your physician has an M.D. behind their name it doesn't mean they're bright," said obesity doctor Yoni Freedhoff, author of the Weighty Matters blog. "That a physician believes that 'doing no harm' involves promoting physical discomfort as the key to helping inspire long-term behavioral change in patients is truly depressing, both for his patients and for the profession."

I don't know about you, but nothing I've heard before tops this radical new weight loss "tool." In fact, it kind of makes exercise and salads sound appealing, no? For patients who can’t make it out to see Dr. Chugay, here's another solution to curb your rumbling tummy: Simply imagine that there is a mesh patch on your tongue. It's a total appetite killer!

What will they think of next? Thy-ning oth thor nowh...(man it's hard to speak with this patch on!)

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Drink your water

When I was paying for a personal trainer at a local gym, I remember them telling me that every person should drink 1/2 of their weight in ounces of water a day. I thought (and still do) that in order to meet that goal, I would have to have an IV line inserted in my arm all day! On average, I drink about 60-70 ounces a day...give or take 10 ounces, and at the end of every night, I am DONE with pushing it down my throat.

I got to thinking, how important is drinking your allotment of water REALLY & how does it impact your weight loss?

Of course we know that all functions within the body require the presence of water. A well hydrated body enables these functions to occur quickly and efficiently. All chemical processes involve energy metabolism and drinking pleanty of water will make us feel more energetic and boost our metabolic rate. But, did you know that water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster?

According to weightloss suite 101.com, Water has many benefits for your body, some of which you may not even realize. Water is an appetite suppressant. Many times people feel hungry when they are actually dehydrated. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water then wait ten to twenty minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you’re not, it was actually dehydration.
Drinking cold water can help speed up your metabolism. Your body has to work to heat up the water, thereby increasing your metabolism. Drinking water is important, especially if you're trying to lose weight. Some studies have shown that the thirst & hunger sensations are triggered together. If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid. As most food contains some water, if one doesn't drink much they may be subconsciously driven to eat more to gain the necessary water supply however, you also gain the undesired effects of increased caloric consumption. Drinking more water can help to prevent overeating and benefit weight loss.

Many people don't like drinking pure water. Gaining water from eating fruit high in water content is a great way to boost water consumption without drinking it directly. Fruit will also help fill up the stomach with low calories and gain tons of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to increase vitality. Knowing that AND equipped with the MONSTEROUS list of "water add-ins" that I gave you last week (see by clicking HERE), there is no reason NOT to be getting your daily fill of water.

Now, go grab a glass & thank me later!


Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Excuses, excuses, excuses!

It took years for me to get to the unhealthy weight I am now. There was always something more important, some reason I gave myself to induldge, an excuse why I deserved relaxation time when I could have been exercising. I was busy, I was tired, my work schedule didn't "allow" time to eat healthy or work out, and as a result (in addition to having 3 kids), I gained 80 pounds and got very out of shape.

Today, I'm even MORE busy, even MORE tired, and my schedule, in addition to my full time job, now includes acting as tutor, taxi-driver, cheerleader, and photographer. But, today, I don't allow excuses for myself anymore when it comes to taking care of my health. Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can. As a result of that logic, I am losing weight, very healthy and more fit every day, and am careful and aware of the things I eat.

With every reason why something that CAN'T be done, there is an equal but opposite reason why it CAN be done. All you need to do is believe that you can...and do it.

Only when you make the decision to be a story of success, will you be successful.

"Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right."

I believe in you, do you believe in yourself?

Have an awesome weekend!!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Diet Soda for weight loss??

Happy October 1! I really can't believe that we're already in OCTOBER! Before you know it, we'll be singing Christmas Carols and revisiting last year's resolutions!

I read, sometime within the past few months, that artificial sweetener (all kinds) have been shown to actually INCREASE your weight, or at the very least, impede your weight loss. As an effect, I have sworn off diet sodas, splenda in my occasional coffee, and any "sugar free" labeled goods. There are times however, when the gallons of water I drink just ain't cutting my THIRST for a beverage...and I slip off the wagon and reach for a diet drink. I know, I know....bad fit-now-girl!! After all, the cherry flavor in a diet cherry Coke is sweet and helps with cravings, the carbonation makes it more desirable than other alternative drinks, and it just so happens to feel a little like cheating-even though it's technically not.

However, I recently came across these facts about soda, which have been published widely on the Internet. Resist hanging your mouth open as you read them-you might catch a fly. But after reading this, I suppose even that is better than reaching for yet another can of soda.

Miscellaneous facts:

1. The pH of soda equals the pH of vinegar (2.5), making it the most acidic beverage you can buy.
2. Phosphoric acid (which is the main ingredient) in soda can dissolve a nail in as little as four days? If you're worried about osteoporosis (and who isn't?) then you should also know that phosphoric acid, which takes calcium from our bones, can be a contributor to the disease.
3. Did you know that the trucks carrying soda syrup concentrate have to use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials? Yeeks!
4. If you put a T-Bone steak in a bowl of coke and let it sit, it will disintegrate within two days.
5. Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not
6. Coke is powerful enough to clean the inside of a dirty toilet.
7. In certain states in the US, the highway patrol officers carry two gallons of coke with them to remove blood from the highway after car accidents.
8. Aluminum foil soda dipped in soda can remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers.
9. Got greasy clothes? Pour a can of soda into the wash with the clothes and run the washer on the regular cycle. The soda will lift the grease.
10. A can of soda can be poured over a car battery to erase corrosion. It can also be soaked into a towel and put over a rusty bolt to loosen it.
11. If you've taken a trip and have a lot of windshield "debris", pour a soda onto your windshield to remove the bugs.
12. It's been rumored that distributors of soda have been using it to clean their truck engines for years.

Whether you believe these facts are true or not, they deserve your attention, if only to make you realize that what we put into our bodies matters. These facts really raise the question, "How much can something assist with weight loss if it is putting a bunch of "junk" right back into your "trunk?" Think about it.

So what's a camel to do?? There's only so much water (I hate tea) that I can drink! Is there ANYTHING (other than lemon) that can be added to water to make it a little less drab? Why yes! There are 32 "natural" ingredients that are safe to add to water when you're just no feeling the plain old tap! (Courtesy of SmarterFitter.com):

1. Citrus fruit – Lemons, lime, oranges, grapefruit. Flavor is just a squeeze away!
2. Tea – A tea bag works just as well in cold water as it does in hot water. Just steep it for longer.
3. Ginger – Steep slices of ginger in hot water. Pour over ice.
4. Sliced cucumber
5. Mint – Break apart the leaves to release the flavor. Also good with vodka and lime. =)
6. Unsweetened fruit juice
7. Fresh pomegranate seeds
8. Wine – They recommend plum wine or umeshu. I'm sure the same can be done with other syrupy liqueurs.
9. Strawberries
10. Raspberries
11. Blueberries
12. Peaches
13. Pineapple
14. "Sangri Water" - Mix ~ 4 slices each of lemon, orange and lime * 1 ripe peach, cut into quarters * 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks & let steep for four hours
15. Fresh stevia leaves – Stevia is a naturally sweet non-caloric leaf that is usually sold in packets, but it also makes a nice houseplant.
16. Mixed fruit – Orange, lemon, lime, strawberries, and cucumber go well together
17. Lemongrass – Let a sprig of lemongrass steep sit in a glass of water for a few hours.
18. Parsley – Break apart the leaves to release the flavor.
19. Sliced cucumber and lemons
20. Ginger and lemon
21. Strawberries and mint
22. Citrus fruit ice cubes – oranges can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes. You could do the same thing with mandarins, clementines or satsumas.
23. Salt – I am sure you have heard of the term “electrolytes” in the marketing for energy drinks. Actually electrolytes are just ions that can be found in common table salt. Adding a little bit of salt to water helps your body absorb the liquid more quickly. As long as you don’t go overboard with the salt the water should be very quenching and it would be great for workouts since the body loses salt through sweat
24. Vinegar – Adding vinegar to water is similar to adding citrus. You will get sour water that has vitamin C. When I was a kid I liked adding apple vinegar to water and then drinking it.
25. Hibiscus (Red Zinger) tea.
26. Cubed honeydew melon with cucumber
27. Lavender buds
28. Angostura bitters - This stuff is often used in martinis and other boozy drinks, but it’s also good in ice water. Just add a few dashes.
29. Spiced Ginger and Citrus Infusion – Steep the following over hot water for 5 minutes, then drink it hot or on ice: 1/2 in of peeled ginger, a couple of cloves, a small piece of cinnamon stick, and a couple of slices of citrus fruit. You can add honey if you like as well.
30. Watermelon juice
31. Cucumber, lemon, mint and rosemary
32. Sun Tea – Lipton tea bags and sliced lemons served over lots of ice. You can make it more interesting by adding mint, fresh fruit, lemons, whatever you fancy. It’s SO refreshing on a hot summer day.

That's a lot of additives! Happy drinking.

Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥