My Fitness Pal

My Fitness Pal is a great way to track calories and exercise.  I have found that the food database is among the best available.  There is also a social aspect to MyFitnessPal in that you can share progress with friends, family, and all users of this application.  (You can also keep it completely private if you wish).  Sometimes the best motivation is competition with friends or family and studies show that you'll lose more weight and be more likely to reach your goals if you "publicize" them.  If you tell the world you're going to lose that last 15 lbs. or you're going to get your body fat percentage into a healthy range, you're more likely to stick with it because you've made a "public" promise to do so.  You will not want to let anyone down and the added "pressure" will help you stay motivated.  MyFitnessPal can be used online, for iPhone and iPad.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

1) Preheat over to 350F
2) Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise
3) Scrape seeds out of squash with a spoon (it doesn't have to be perfect)
4) Place squash skin side up onto a lightly greased (I use PAM spray) cookie sheet
5) Cook for 30-40 minutes (a sharp knife should easily pierce the skin when the squash is cooked
6) Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it without getting burned!  If you're really anxious to enjoy it, then hold it with a hot pad or gloves.
7) Use a fork to scrape the strands (spaghetti) from the squash.  This will be quite intuitive once you begin.  The strands scrape out easily.

 

This is spaghetti squash sauteed with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and garlic.  You can top with chicken and parmesan cheese if desired.

An Incredible Transformation

My wife and I are very proud of our close friend, Kim Lynch.  She is extremely close to reaching her goals on her lifestyle modification and weight loss journey.  About 2 years ago, my wife Rosanna and Kim began working out together at least 5-6 times per week.  They go to Les Mills Bodypump (strength training) and Les Mills RPM (spinning) classes each morning at the Beverly Athletic Club (BAC)during the week and then head to cardio kickboxing at Latitudes Sports Club in Peabody on Saturday mornings.  Most mornings after going to the gym, they come home and then meet in downtown Salem to walk the dogs.  Rain or shine, hot or cold they almost never miss this hour long walk to the waterfront in Salem.  It is great for the dogs and a solid 3 miles of walking for Kim and Rosanna.  In tracking this walk, we have found that it is around 7,000-8,000 steps and burns about 400 calories.  Sundays are normally a day free of vigorous exercise, but there is the occasional organized event such as a 5K run that they participate in.  The long dog walks continue on Sunday. 
Another key aspect of this ongoing transformation is nutritional control (Notice I didn't use the word "diet").  By being conscientious 90% of the time, you can still enjoy yourself occasionally.  Because of an increased level of activity and normal healthy eating habits, we can still indulge occasionally without significant setbacks.  This isn't a rigid diet with a final stop.  This is a lifestyle change that allows freedom and flexibility.  I can teach you how to accomplish what Kim and my wife have done.  If you are looking to change your life, forever, and with a lot less yo-yo dieting and failure, please reach out to me at davidely.email@gmail.com 
The proof that it works is in the pictures of Kim below.

Congratulations!

Blackberry Vanilla Creme Smoothie

Here is a great smoothie recipe.  I use this smoothie as a meal replacement or a post-workout fuel source, especially if it is only a couple of hours before I go to bed.  This recipe contains casein protein, which digests much more slowly than whey protein.  Because of this it provides fuel for your muscles while you sleep.  If you are trying to build lean muscle, it is a good idea to have casein protein before you go to bed, especially after a strenuous workout.  Whey protein is digested rather quickly and doesn't have the same sustained protein release that you get with casein powder.  An added benefit is that your digestive system works to utilize the casein protein and since it takes longer, your body will burn more calories while you sleep.  I normally caution my clients not to consume fruit before bedtime due to the sugar content, however with this smoothie there is more than enough protein (and fiber from the blackberries) to offset the "sugar spike" and glycemic reaction you get with fruit and you'll be unlikely to store the excess sugar as fat.

Ingredients:
FAGE (or other 0% fat Greek yogurt)
Frozen, unsweetened blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
Optimum Nutrition Cookies N' Cream Casein Powder (or similar)
Pure Protein Vanilla Creme Whey Powder
Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Milk (40 calorie/cup version)

*Since you are using frozen berries you won't need to add ice to thicken this smoothie

For a full recipe (best for meal replacement and/or if you need a big boost of calories and protein from activity such as heavy lifting or after a long run or grueling hike)

6 oz. FAGE
1 cup frozen blackberries
2 cups of vanilla almond milk
1 heaping scoop of cookies n' cream casein powder
1 level scoop of Pure Protein Vanilla Creme whey powder
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
This yields one or two servings (you can save half for later or just reduce the recipe by half if you wish.  My wife and I often split one.)

Full recipe= 541 calories, 51 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat, and 70! grams of protein
1/2 recipe= 270 calories, 25.5 g of carbs, 4 g of fat, and 35 g of protein

Great Article From Huffington Post about Diet Soft Drinks

I found this article to be very interesting.  As a personal trainer, and someone who reads about nutrition all of the time, I can tell you that Dr. Mark Hyman doesn't stand alone in his opinion.  We all need to take a closer look at what we are eating every day and make smart choices. 


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/diet-soda-health_b_2698494.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Battle Ropes Video

This morning my wife, Rosanna, and I participated in the Saucony 1 miler at Latitudes Sports Club in Peabody.  This race was run on the indoor track on the 4th floor of the gym.  There were 3 different heats of runners, each with around 10 runners.  It was a lot of fun to run the mile and see where I'm at.  Both Rosanna and I will be running the Bolder Boulder 10k in May and I start a training program tomorrow.  It was great to see what I could do and give me an idea about what kind of pace I can train successfully for.  I finished the mile in 6:52 and Ro ran a personal best of 8:13!  After we were done we watched the other heats and made our way down to the smoothie bar for the awards ceremony and running clinic.  We both wanted to work out a little bit more so we did some ab exercises and played around on the battle ropes.  The first video shows Ro do alternating battle ropes on an unstable BOSU ball and the second video shows the battle ropes on a stable BOSU.

Highlight Snapshots from St. Kitts, Virgin Islands (February 2013)

My wife and I recently had the good fortune of spending a week on St. Kitts and Nevis in the Virgin Islands.  It was thoroughly relaxing, except when we returned home to find a recently-ended blizzard (Nor'easter) had left our driveway buried!  6 hours later, using a snow-blower, we were free.  We just had another bad winter storm and I think it is time to reflect on just how fortunate we were to enjoy some sun and great weather in the Caribbean.

 

The 3 pictures above were taken at the Brimstone Hill Fortress.

This dragonfly was photographed at Caribelle Batik.  I believe it is a roseate skimmer.

This is me enjoying the company of green vervet monkeys at the Shipwreck Beach Grill and Tavern, located at South Friars Bay.

This is Frigate Bay where our hotel was located, as viewed from the road winding above the area.

I photographed this cooperative gray kingbird on the Royal St. Kitts Golf Course.

This donkey and monkey appeared to be making an escape as a team as they ran across the golf course near the Marriott.

This is an adult little blue heron.

Yellow-crowned night heron

On the left is the Atlantic ocean and on the right is the Caribbean.

My wife, Rosanna, enjoying the beach.

Vervet monkey

This is me, enjoying the local libations at Sunshine's Beach Bar on Nevis.

Sunset on South Friar's Bay

Pearly-eyed thrasher

Male Lesser Antillean Bulfinch outside our hotel room.

Yellow crab on the beach.

Yogurt Parfait Recipe

1  Fage 0% in 6 oz. container
1 cup of fresh or thawed frozen berries of your choice (I like Wyman's Triple Berry Blend)
3/4 cup of whole grain granola
   -Or-
1/4 cup of unsalted sunflower seed kernels, almonds, or walnuts for a gluten-free option
1 scoop of protein powder (I like ON Cookies N' Cream flavored casein powder)
   -Or-
A gluten-free protein powder such as Vanilla Whey Protein

Stir all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!
This recipe is 1 serving and is around 450 calories depending on your choice of ingredients.  It contains roughly 50 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs using the option with nuts.  You'll also get over 15 grams of healthy fats from the nuts.  The granola option will yield more carbs and fiber.  This is a great breakfast and an excellent dessert.  If you use it as a dessert, you can split it with someone, though you probably won't want to!

Workout Tips and Tricks While at Work or at Home

20 Tips and Tricks to Burn More Calories at Home and at Work Without the Workout

1)      Unload the dishwasher or dish rack, one dish and utensil at a time

2)      Set the table one item at a time

3)      When cleaning the house, dust one item in one room then go the furthest part of the house and dust/clean something else

4)      Do calf raises or stand on one leg when brushing your teeth in the morning

5)      Walk around the house while you brush your teeth

6)      Put the laundry away one piece at time, leaving the basket on the other side of the room

7)      Lightly jog in place while cooking, doing dishes, etc.

8)      During commercials do exercises

9)      Watch TV standing up

10)   Walk around the house or go up and down the stairs during commercials (try to limit TV time to 2 hours a day or under.  Studies have shown that people who sit more than 2 hours a day are taking hours off of their life for each hour spent sitting)

11)   During television time, it is a great opportunity to stretch and use a foam roller as well

12)   Take the dog for an extra walk (Great for both of you; my dog gets about 5 miles worth of walks per day)

13)   Clean the house more often.  In all honesty, the biggest calorie burn days I’ve had (outside of doing 20 mile runs) have been the days where I cleaned the house, cooked dinner, went to the grocery store, walked the dog, did laundry and all the other little things you do to support your life on a full day of errands.  If you sneak out for a run or hit the gym in the middle of all that as well, you’ll see even more dramatic results.  These things could all be considered “drudgery” but they have a hell of an impact on your fitness.

14)   By a push mower and sell the riding lawn mower (They’re much easier to keep running as well).

15)   Shovel the snow

16)   Get a baseball glove and play catch with a friend or significant other.  Even if you’ve never done this before, your brain will thank you for teaching it something new and you’ll burn a few calories as well.  Being in the sun itself and getting some Vitamin D will help with weight loss.

17)   Always stand and/or pace when you take a phone call.

18)   Drink lots of water.  This will keep your metabolism higher and you’ll burn calories walking to the restroom all day long.

19)   Always take the stairs at work

20)   Park in the furthest spot away from your destination as long as it is safe (well-lighted, in full view, etc.)

 

 

Workouts from Home or the Hotel

Move from one exercise to the next with no more than 30 seconds of rest in between.  Repeat the entire circuit 2 or 3 times

15 Traditional Crunches

15 Bent-Knee Leg Raises

15 Oblique V-Ups/ side

Plank (Hold for 60 seconds)

Lunges or Walking Lunges  (15/leg)

Pushups (as many as you can)

Squats or traveling squats (15)

Dips (using a chair or coffee table) 15

Wall sit for 60

*use household items to add weight to the lunges and squats such as laundry detergent jugs, gallons of milk or water, buckets of kitty litter, or just about anything with handles

CARDIO

Don’t let the rain or snow, heat or cold keep you from getting a cardio workout.  Do any of the items listed below or a combination of them for 20-30 minutes (or 10-15 minutes in the morning and again in the evening)

1)      Burpees (do at least 50)

2)      Jog in Place with high knees (do from 5 minutes to an hour)

3)      Shadow Box in the mirror (make sure you’re moving you feet quickly the whole time and aim for 3 minute rounds—just like the real thing).

4)      Go up and down your stairs as many times as you can in 10 minutes

5)      Jump rope.  If you don’t have a jump rope, imagine that you do and do it anyway for at least 2 minutes each time

6)      Step ups.  Use stairs or a low bench and step up with one foot, then the other, then step down with the first foot that was used and down with the second.  This is tried and true.  It is a standard test for cardio endurance for many professions requiring cardio endurance, such as forest fire fighters.  Try to do this exercise for at least 5 minutes at a time.

7)      Toe jumps.  Use just your feet and calf muscles to quickly hop in place while you reach for the ceiling.  Shoot for 2-5 minutes per round.