I’ve heard about all kinds of ways to exercise or things to eat that will make you burn more calories; eating something cold, eating something spicy, wearing extra layers to sweat more, wearing fewer layers to burn more…

I had a conversation with another trainer yesterday about the idea of exercising in the cold and if your body would burn more calories. He was doing an experiment to see if it would work for him. He thinks it does and has lost a few pounds in a week by running in colder temps without adding extra layers of clothing.

Looked a few things up online and here is what I came up with. Yes, when you are cold your body can burn extra calories trying to keep warm. When you shiver your body is trying to generate extra energy to warm itself up. I read you can actually burn up to 400 calories per hour shivering!! That’s kind of crazy, must be a lot of shivering.

Here’s the catch; your body will burn more calories to increase its temps but once you start exercising (in the cold) and your body temp rises you won’t need to generate extra energy anymore to warm up so you won’t burn extra calories. It sounds like the extra calorie burn only happens during the warm-up phase; once you are warm your body burns normal again.

One of the articles did state that your body will actually burn more calories in hot weather while it works to cool itself.

So, either way, cold or hot, it seems there are benefits to burning some extra calories. If its cold be sure to wear a hat and gloves, cover your skin to stay safe but don’t over do it. Get the extra benefit of working harder to get warm.

Next time the weather is not perfect outside for your workout you can remember the added benefit instead of skipping it.

I’m the WORST left-over user person there is. Once I’ve eaten something I’m over it, unless it was something crazy good and most likely from a restaurant where I paid a lot for it. I just can’t bring myself to eat whatever it was I ate the night before.

I’m trying to change that and be less wasteful. I have a small family, 3 of us, so most packages of meet are a little too big and we end up with some left. Vowing to use a left over chicken breast for lunch I remembered some very easy lunch ideas I used to eat all the time and have gotten away from. These were some of the meals I used when I was really getting lean for an event, vacation, certain dress…you know what I mean.

Don’t toss the left-over chicken breast. Instead make a powerhouse lunch that will do great things for your body.

Chicken Wrap:

Mexican - Use a whole grain or low carb tortilla. Heat the chicken, heat tortilla for a few seconds in microwave and top with any of the following; avocado slices, black beans, shredded low fat cheese, plain low fat Green yogurt and/or salsa.

Greek - Kalamata Olives, feta cheese, red onions, shredded lettuce.

Turn the Greek Wrap into a Salad by tossing in chopped romaine lettuce and garbanzo beans.

Pita Pizza - Whole wheat pita, topped with small amount of pesto, add chopped chicken. Broil until pesto is bubbly. Mix arugula, pine nuts and sliced cherry tomatoes, toss with lemon juice squeezed from 1/2 a lemon. Top pita (after cooking) with arugula mix.

Soup - Chop the chicken breast or shred it when it is freshly cooked the night before. Add it to your favorite healthy canned soup; heat all together for a quick and filling lunch.

Start thinking about some old favorites you can use the left-overs for and I’m sure you’ll have some very health and tasty lunch ideas.

As I sit here writing this at 8:30pm, I think I could use a cup of coffee or maybe just need to get to bed. Today was National Coffee Day; I hope you got to pick up a free cup in your city.

People always seem very confused about coffee; is it good to drink, bad to drink?? I can tell you that I have a cup (a big mug) every morning. How else do you think I could get up at 4:10am for the past 4 years!

I think coffee, like most things, is fine in moderation. If you are drinking a pot or two a day by yourself you may want to consider cutting back.

One thing I have heard some of my trainer friends tell their clients is, if you are going to drink coffee, drink it to help your workout. Drink it about 30 minutes or so before your workout so you can use the energy boost to get a better workout in.

Here are some other benefits that have come about in different studies. By no means are these guaranteed to absolutely be true but it is what they are finding when studying the effects.

Coffee may reduce the risk of the following;

Alzheimer’s disease

gallstone disease

Parkinson’s disease

Cancer (certain types)

Gout in men over 40

Type 2 diabetes

** Coffee has been found to have antioxidants, magnesium and chromium which all help use insulin and control blood sugar.

For every benefit of coffee I am sure there is a study discussing the down sides. On National Coffee day enjoy a cup and think about using your coffee habit to better your daily workouts. Remember exercise and healthy eating is the best way to ensure a healthy body :)

Grilled Shrimp, Sauteed Shrimp, Raw Shrimp, how about some Spicy Shrimp?

I’m actually very excited to try this recipe tonight. I found it over the weekend in a magazine (either Fitness or Women’s Health, tore it out so not sure?).

Hope you like it!

Buffalo Shrimp Salad with Spicy Pita Croutons

1 small whole wheat pita

Olive oil cooking spray

1 large pinch chili powder

1 larger pinch garlic powder

1 larger pinch ground black pepper

1 Tbsp BBQ sauce

1 dash hot sauce (or to taste)

10 large shrimp, boiled

3 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1Tbsp blue-cheese crumbles

Dressing:

1 tsp granulated sugar

1.5 tsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp light canola mayonnaise

1 Tbsp blue-cheese crumbles

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in food processor or whisk until smooth.

2. Cut pita into eighths, spray with cooking spray on both sides. Sprinkle with chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Toast in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Set aside.

3. Whisk barbecue and hot sauces together. Toss shrimp with sauce mixture and set aside.

4. In large bowl, combine romaine lettuce, celery, red cabbage and tomatoes. Toss well with dressing.

5. Top with shrimp, homemade pita croutons, and blue cheese crumbles.

Makes 2 Servings:

199 kcal.

8g fat

22g carbs

5g fiber

12g protein

I’ve been hearing whispers about Chia seeds and how it is the “new” super food.
You know the saying things that are old are now new again, well that’s a definite with these tiny little seeds.

Dated back to the Aztec Indians (pre-Columbian Era; before European Influence on the American Continents; aka – a LOOONG time ago!) Chia seeds were an important crop which is still grown in Mexico and Guatemala.

A friend of mine introduced me to them earlier this summer. I tried a sample of them and liked the crunch they added to my dish but didn’t really look too much into them.

I ran across them again the other day at the grocery store. I bought a container of them to take a closer look.

These rumors may be true; they sure do seem like THE super food. Check out what is packed in these tiniest of seeds:

• 1 serving (2 scoops according to my jar) = 156 calories

• Omega-3 Fatty Acid (Alpha Linoleic Acid) – 6.1g

• Omega 6 Fatty Acid (Linoleic Acid) – 2g

• Total Carbs = 10.5g

• Dietary Fiber = 10.4g! That’s 42% of the daily value base of 2,000 calories.

• Protein = 6.3g

• Calcium = 30%

• Iron = 25%

After looking around on line Chia seeds are even surpassing blueberries when it comes to antioxidant activity as well as helping to keep blood pressure and blood sugar under control.

Not bad for a seed.

What do you do with these seeds? You can sprinkle them on your food, mix into a smoothie and if you are really inspired grind them up to mix in with flour and use when baking.

My experience with the Chia seed is very new but here are a few ways I have incorporated them into my diet.

Mix them into my morning oatmeal.

Sprinkle on a salad.

Sprinkle onto peanut butter sandwich.

Mix into a protein shake.

Take another look at the Chia seed; it’s an easy way to incorporate something really good for you into your daily diet with ease and not a lot of fuss.

And yes, I think these are the same seeds as in Chi-Chi-Chi-Chia but don’t order a planter of your favorite character or shape to get them, buy the ones at the grocery store.

PS – when you eat them they get a gelatin like bubble around them so be sure to check your teeth 

A few posts ago I wrote about A Complaint Free World. Am I complaint free?? Um, not yet. But…I can say it does make you more conscience of what you’re saying and snapping about during your day. I have found myself in situations where I could have let it roll into a big ball of anger and tick me off for the entire day, which would only have ruined MY day, not the person or situation I was irritated by.

I was happily surprised that my husband and daughter were interested in the idea and are both wearing complaint bracelets. They are not yet non-complainers but I think the same goes for them, it makes you more aware.

The first day my daughter wore it to school I asked her how it went and she told me she had to switch the bracelet from one arm to the other a whole lot that day. I’m not sure what a 10 year old can complain about but if she can get a better outlook on life down at her age, she will have many relaxing years ahead of her.

My take on it, use it to help YOU. I’m not sure any of us can go with out a gripe but pick an area you want it to help you in. I decided to focus on my household. I want to do less snapping at my husband and daughter and find better ways to express things instead of SNAP and I’m off!

I don’t know if it’s in me to not snap at a person trying to steal my parking space or some loud mouth who I’ve had my limit of but I do feel it can make my family communicate better and I think that is a great start.

Good luck with you non-complaint goals or any life improvement you may be working on.

…and take lots of deep breaths.

Motivation comes in many forms. Why do you work, why do you clean, why do you sign up to be on a committee, why do you exercise???

I believe you have to be very honest in why you are doing anything you do. Is it to get ahead in the world, to one-up your neighbor, to be a better parent?? It’s hard to stick with anything if you cannot be true to yourself about why you are doing it.

I honestly have never sat down with someone in the Fitness Biz and heard them say, “I’m tracking my cholesterol and my goal is to drop it 10 points.” Or, “My bone density test came back low so my goal is to do more resistance training and see if I can improve it over the next six months.” Trainers, just like majority of my clients, have a goal to look good…bottom line.

So, why do you exercise or want to start exercising? Maybe for better health, maybe because heart disease runs in your family or maybe to fit into an old pair of jeans. Whatever it is OWN IT! You have to really want something and be honest about why to reach that goal and get it.

I’ll focus on exercise (obviously). It is not easy to stay or get into shape. It takes planning, commitment and hard work on a daily basis.

I believe it can be one of the hardest things to stick with and get the results you want. Not because you can’t, because it takes consistency and honesty to get there. Too many people stop before they even start to see a change.

If you are in this place right now of wanting to be fit or change your diet and you keep “failing” it’s time to be real with yourself. Be honest and figure out why you want it. It can’t be because your neighbor works out or you’re “supposed to” workout. There has to be an end result that you want badly and will commit to get it.

Here’s your starting tips: 1. Figure out why you want to change and DON’T FORGET IT! 2. PLAN! Not for a day or a week but plan out a month of times you can exercise, meals you can prepare and grocery lists. 3. You CANNOT let excuses get in your way. There’s a ton of them and I hear them all.

If you can stick to something for a month and really stick to it, you will start to feel the change and that will become even more motivating than any picture on your refrigerator or any pair of jeans in your closet. Once you feel lean, energized, healthy you will want that feeling forever and you will know you can do it!

Our bodies are funny little machines. If you’ve had 2 good days you cannot celebrate with a meal at your favorite Mexican place. Even a good week can be wrecked by that and then back to square one, disappointment and frustration. Once you FEEL the difference you will learn your time line for you body.

For me, I have to be perfectly on my workouts and diets for at least 7-10 days and then one morning I’ll wake up and WHAM! There are the results. From there on it becomes way easier to turn down pizza for dinner or at least eat 1 slice compared to 3!!

Get motivated, get to the point where you feel the WHAM and you will get it 

What do you do on a morning when boot camp has been nixed due to lightening? Well, I think of other things I can share with my camp to help them reach their fitness goals. Today I wanted to find a recipe for the grill because it’s summer…right? Well, it’s June so maybe it will feel like summer soon.

I love scallops and never think of grilling them but this sounds great! Try it for a new twist in your weekly menu insted of your usual fish options:

Soy-Lime Scallops with Leeks

Makes: 4 servings Prep: 10 minutes Marinate: 30 minutes Grill: 8 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen sea scallops

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

4 baby leeks, rinsed well and trimmed

8 medium scallions

1 medium lime, halved

Directions

1. Thaw scallops, if frozen. Rinse and pat dry. For marinade, combine soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Place scallops, leeks, and scallions in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Add marinade. Seal bag; turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Discard marinade. Place leeks, scallops, scallions, and lime halves (cut sides down) on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill 8 to 10 minutes, turning scallops and vegetables occasionally. *Tip: Place your Scallops on skewers to keep them from falling through grill.

4. To serve, top veggies with scallops. Squeeze limes over the top.

Nutrition facts per serving: 130 calories, 20g protein, 9g carbohydrate, 1g fat (0g saturated), 1g fiber

Taken From: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/healthy-summer-barbecue/grilling-recipes/?page=2

What a perfect morning today for boot camp. Spring is finally here, hopefully to stay! We now have sun for the entire hour of camp, we can sport our capris, shorts and tank tops instead of winter hats, gloves and 5 layers.

With warmer weather comes a change in habits. We should be drinking water through out the day all year long but here in Chicago its hard to think about cold water when it’s cold out.

Here are a few warm weather workout tips:

1. Drink a glass of water as soon as you get up. You’ve gone 6-8 hours (or however long you sleep) overnight with out hydrating, getting a glass in first thing is good for you and gets you started for the day.

2. Get a water bottle you really like. Is this really important? Well, it is if it helps you remember to use it and keep it with you and drinking water all day.

3. Put on some sunscreen for your outdoor workout. Even if you are out at 8am you still need protection from the sun. You might not feel the heat yet but before you know an hour workout in the sun each day can add up to skin damage.

4. Drink water throughout your workout and all day long. This will help your muscles recover and not cramp up on you after a hard workout. Dehydration can lead to soreness and muscle cramping which is never fun.

Get out there and enjoy the weather, even if its a walk at lunch time we have to take it all in and enjoy it while we can here in the Midwest.

I noticed a few women at my gym “exercising” on the recumbent bikes and I wanted to yank them off. Why? …Because they are wasting their time. As I warmed up on the upright stationary bike next to them I peeked at their screen, one woman was on level 1 and another on level 3, both reading books. Maybe the gym is like their coffee shop where they come to enjoy a good book but I think most people come to change their health or their bodies.

Gave them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they are warming up. Nope. I did my warm up at a level 9…and that’s not bragging because it’s not hard, it’s a warm up. Don’t get me wrong, I know some people have limitations or they are just starting but these women weren’t. So, will they hit whatever their goal is or in a few months will they get frustrated and blame the workout “I workout everyday but I just don’t get results!” Well, I would have to tell them you come to the gym everyday but you haven’t worked out one time.

There is non-stop access to information on health, fitness and nutrition. Many times it’s too much information, an overload that confuses people. Instead of trying to follow the weekly trend or latest diet or the new infomercial special just keep it basic. When you workout make sure you are breaking a sweat, you are breathing heavy and it’s a little uncomfortable….now do that for an hour 6 days per week. Stay away from sugar, fried food and bad fat and you are on your way to a cleaner diet.

Here’s a quick interval workout with some plyometrics mixed in to get the heart rate up. Compare it to what you are doing now. Are your trips to the gym just as tough or are you strolling through the park when you are at the gym. If it’s too much for you at least ditch the recumbent bike and book and speed walk on the treadmill up hill at a 5% incline. It will get you started on the right path.

Warm Up: march in place, arm circles, body weight squats, 20 jumping jacks.

Do the following 2-4x through:

10-20 Push Ups

10-20 Burpees (from plank, jump feet in and jump up reaching hands above you)

20 Squats

10-20 Squat Jumps

20 (10 each side) Plank with Leg Raises (holding plank lift leg using glute and keeping leg straight)

20 Superman crunches (lying on stomach, raise arms and legs to a superman then releas back to mat)

10-20 Push Ups

20 Reverse Lunge

20 Lunge Jumps

Stretch