Posted by Lee Crabb on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 @ 08:56 AM
I know what you are thinking, "I am going to eat my face off this weekend and then hit the gym HARD until Christmas". Pretty much the definition of binge eating, and it won't be as easy as you think to lose those L-Bs that you are about to gain.
Now, don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving is definitely about the food and I wouldn't want you to insult your Grandmother by not enjoying some stuffing at the table this year. Just keep things to a reasonable amount. As Kate Moss once said, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." OK she caught a lot of heat for that line but it makes sense on some levels. Here's a quick little plan to keep you feeling good through Temptation Thursday this year:
Wednesday: Run. Inside or out for as long as you can (not really but make it a good amount of time). You are busy finishing up work and traveling home, so just put in 30-40 minutes of good running/fast walking and you will feel a lot better about not skipping out.
Thursday: If you can make time in the AM, bring your parent's dog out for a brisk walk or throw the football around with your cousins for an hour. Get outside because it's not often that we get 50 degrees on Thanksgiving and we should be thankful for that. Have a healthy breakfast after wards, (oatmeal and fresh fruit would be perfect) and that way you won't be starving to over-indulge once the turkey plops down in front of you. Once that happens, you can eat it, whatever it is, take some of everything but don't overdo it- you still have to get over Friday Free-for-all with the leftovers.
Friday: Make time for a real workout. Either hit the treadmill in the basement or go get a free day pass at a local gym. This will make you feel so much better. Friday night you can have yourself a big turkey sandwich without feeling like crap.
After those couple days, hopefully life will get back to normal and you can get back on your daily workout schedule. Now would be a good time to add in a power yoga or kickboxing class to really get your butt in gear before the New Year.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Posted by Lee Crabb on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 10:31 AM
Every magazine right now has a "foolproof" way to keep off those holiday pounds. Most of them are pretty common sense, yet not easy to follow. Here are a few ideas (not just for the holidays but for life in general) about how to kick off some weight or maintain what you have if you're happy with it.
--First things first, everyone has to drink more H2O. I know it's a pain some days but just do it, think about every beer you consumed on Friday night....then drink that many waters today. Old rule of thumb that will always stick: If you feel hungry, drink a water first and wait 10 minutes. Chances are you won't be as ravenous afterwards.
--A wicked easy and healthy way to drop some lbs and to stay full all morning is a breakfast shake (notice how I said breakfast instead of protein). We aren't talking Muscle Milks or PumpIt drinks here people. We are thinking more along the lines of yogurt, fresh fruit, flaxseed, peanut butter, etc. You can throw in basically anything that looks good to you that morning. Make sure to try to keep it under or around 300 calories but add in good sources of protein and you will be full until lunchtime. One that I enjoy (and feel free to subsitute/add any fruits you want):
Banana Milkshake:
1 Banana, sliced
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Handful of ice
Blend and enjoy!
--Last (and possibly easiest and most fun) would be to find a class at one of the best Boston health clubs (mainly BHAC but we try not to pimp it too much) and put that class on your schedule each week. The more interesting, out-of-the-box and new it is, the better! Some of our favorites:
CardioBoxing at Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs in North Station
Zumba in the Morning at Boston Center for Adult Education
Running Clubs at Social Boston Sports
Helixing at Revolution Fitness Boston
This winter- you will lose weight, don't sweat it
Posted by Lee Crabb on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 @ 09:12 AM
Let's think about this for a second, how many of us always have weight on the mind? Can I make it to the gym today? Did I just eat my emotions in that pint of ice cream? Are these jeans seriously too tight again? Is Thanksgiving going to ruin my weight-loss plan? Can I put on 10 lbs of muscle before I show off my chest for Halloween?
We all think about it, one way or another. (or if not, we should) It is hard to eat completely healthy every day and make it into the gym between work and social commitments. We hear ya. This is just a few tips to keep you on track and make it a little more "doable" around the holidays to stay healthy.
First things first, who doesn't love a good Autumn recipe? Something simple that may require a quick trip to the farmer's market would do us all a little good this Fall.
A few of our favorite healthy (but quite filling) recipes right now:
Banana Walnut Bread- perfect for a Sunday snack with some coffee
Pasta w/ Butternut Squash and Sage-comfort food that won't add cushion to your waistline
Mexican Braised Pork w/ Pumpkin- a good one to impress the in-laws
Pear Muffins w/ Ginger-Vanilla Glaze- no explanation needed. These are SO GOOD
Now with these delicious meals every day- the only thing you need to add is a good SWEAT. Our suggestion is to commit to a class each week. Make it a fun one and you will make yourself go each week. Come to our of our Brighton gyms and try the Cardio funk- you will learn a complete music video dance by the end of class! (our other suggestions are Pilates, Zumba, Triple Threat, Power Yoga Boston, etc.) That's one day that you know you will make it to the gym. Now pick 2 or 3 more days to work up a sweat and there ya go!
Bring on the turkey- you will be ready for it!