Nice Arms Lady
Although my fitness goals have been different over the years, I realize that I always need to be asking myself if what I am doing is really helping me accomplish my weight and fitness goals? Am I bringing my “A-game” or am I bringing my “C+ game” and expecting an “A” anyways? Read Full Post
Researchers Have Discovered the “Fountain of Youth!”
Many researchers have called this lifestyle behavior the “magic pill” or the “fountain of youth.” Best of all, the effects are positive for everyone and it’s free. Do you know what it is? Read Full Post
Are You Ready for a PUSH?
Here’s a question for YOU: are you happy with your current weight and level of fitness? Are there healthy behaviors and strategies from the past that have fallen out of your routine? If so, is it time to take on a “push” to build more momentum around your health behaviors? Read Full Post
Girl about Town: Every Little Bit Counts
We know we need to make the time to get regular exercise – but we’ve all got crazy-busy lives, right? However, nothing helps you feel as good, as energized, and as ready for your day as good ‘ol physical activity. So why do so many of us resist doing it? We feel like we just don’t have the time. Read Full Post
Dixie Dog and My Workout Rut
Have you ever had a life change that completely disrupted your routine? Whether it’s moving to a new home, caring for a sick relative, or, in my case, the addition of a 4-legged family member, major life changes can be a huge blow to your regular workout routine. Read Full Post
5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! The Mileage Club
Have you ever heard of a Mileage Club Toe Token? Well, if you are a primary school student in my town, you are working very hard every week to keep earning them - in all different colors. I recently blogged about some of the “5-2-1-0 Let’s Go!” initiatives that my town is doing, and I have to say, Mileage Club is one of my personal favorites. Read Full Post
My Gym Dilemma
Recently, on a walk with one of my co-workers, we got to talking about our workout routines, mainly all the planning that goes into making a workout actually happen. Read Full Post
The Importance of Good Hydration All Year Long
Most of us know it’s important to stay hydrated, but what may be surprising is that our fluid needs in the winter can often be the same as at the peak of summer, when heat and humidity are excessive. Our internal regulation of fluids is managed by thirst, but dehydration can trick us into making poor decisions. Read Full Post
The 78-year-old Titan
Most of us seek out role models in our personal and professional lives to guide us and inspire us to be our best. However, when it comes to health and weight, most people have very few healthy role models in their lives. Read Full Post
Family Matters: Being Active Together
One of the resolutions I made this year is to be more active with my family - particularly with my 7-year-old daughter. The troubling headlines about childhood obesity do not paint a pretty picture. According to the CDC- approximately 17%, or 12.5 million, children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese. Read Full Post
Working Out in Winter Months
I’ve previously written about working out with my kids in tow. In thinking about exercise recently, I’ve come to realize that I rely on the outdoors, and more specifically on good weather, for most of it. Living in the Northeast with cold, icy winter weather makes me realize that I’m going to need to do some adjusting as it pertains to my regular exercise routine. Read Full Post
Your HEART is in Your Hands!
The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign raises awareness of heart disease in women and encourages them to make healthy lifestyle changes. On National Wear Red Day® (the first Friday in February), wearing red is a way to show support for cardiovascular prevention and education. Read Full Post
No Time for Morning Exercise?
No time for morning exercise right? Or at least that used to be the case. As the kids have gone, so have my excuses. I’ve learned that there are advantages to staying on the same morning schedule that used to be my norm when the kids were home, and using that time to exercise. But the reality is that it can be easy to talk myself out of it. Read Full Post
The DVR is my Secret Weapon
While working on my health over the past 25 years, I’ve discovered that if I want to sustain a high level of physical activity, I need to have a variety of strategies to do it. I’ve also learned that I need a “go-to” activity that I can count on, no matter what. Read Full Post
So You Made a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight. Now What?
Now that January 1st is behind us, many people like to get a fresh start and make New Year’s resolutions. Coming off of the holidays with all the high-calorie holiday “treats” that cause weight gain, the resolution to lose weight is a popular one. Here are some tried-and-true strategies anyone can do to lose weight and keep it off. Read Full Post
Sneaking in Physical Activity during the Busiest Time of the Year
No matter how busy I am all year long, December is even busier. Along with work, family, and maintaining a household, there’s all of the prep and activities for the holidays. Yikes! So, what’s an overly busy person to do? Short bouts! Read Full Post
Training for White Rock
If you read my last blog, you know I am in the process of recovering from a foot injury AND training for a half marathon. As I’ve trained for this, I have run countless miles, done cross training and conditioning…. and the big question is…. will all of my hard work pay off? Coming back from an injury just isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Read Full Post
The Kids are Back in Town
Ah, the joys of a visit from the kids! I look forward to the stories of friends, classes, life decisions and just the chance to catch up. However, along with the pleasures of bringing the babes back into the nest, comes the challenge of having to blow up the “I can do what I want on my timelines” routine. Read Full Post
Starting Over: How an Injury Brought My Exercise to a Whole New Level
December 23rd, 2010…a date that will be in my memory forever. It was the day I tore my Lis Franc joint in my foot – an almost guaranteed career-ending injury for most professional athletes – and an injury that would forever change my physical activity. Read Full Post
Can You Reset Your Metabolism?
There are many myths in the area of weight management but perhaps none as daunting as the “set-point”. According to this theory, each person has a set, pre-determined weight and body fat to which his or her body naturally gravitates. Essentially, this theory says that your metabolism adjusts itself to maintain a weight at which it is comfortable. Read Full Post
Yoga with Irene
Imagine you’re stuck in a small log cabin in Vermont with 3 young children while Hurricane Irene is storming outside! I know what you’re thinking – how fun! A day filled with baking bread and crazy art projects! Not so much. That's where we rode out the storm, and my husband and I pulled out all the tricks for what to do on a rainy day. Read Full Post
On the Road: How to Take Your Exercise with You
Traveling for business or leaving home on vacation does not mean that you have to leave your exercise habits behind. Here are some of my strategies for fitting in exercise when I’m traveling. Read Full Post
Benefits of Weight Loss that Your Doctor Won’t Tell You
There are so many other positive side effects of weight loss you can actually feel almost immediately. Some of these are due to losing weight, some of these are due to the additional exercise you’re doing, and most of them are due to both. So, with that in mind, here are some of the benefits of weight loss that your doctor may not tell you about. Read Full Post
Yikes! The Gym!
The GYM... Do you cringe when you hear the word? If you do, you’re not alone, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Trust me, after 22 years as a fitness trainer, I have learned some ways that will help you make the gym your best friend. Read Full Post
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly… of working out with kids in tow
I often find myself wondering “what was I thinking?” when I’m in the middle of a “workout” and I’ve tried to bring the kids along or, even harder, include or involve them. That’s when I started thinking about the pros and cons. Read Full Post
Girl About Town: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
One of the ways I make sure I get some exercise almost every day is that I am a bona fide walker. My commute to work has a mile-and-a-half built in each way, my neighborhood has some great walking routes that I frequently explore, and when I’m in town, I run errands by walking from place to place. Read Full Post
The First Step Really is the Hardest
It was 5:20 a.m. and I just didn't want to exercise. Period. And it wasn't the kind of not wanting where the exercise was a simple annoyance or just another necessary evil. No, the idea of getting on the elliptical this one morning just seemed un-confront-able - even though the stupid machine (!) is right in my basement. Read Full Post
You + Exercise = Better Mood/Better Brain
At hundreds of HMR trainings and seminars over the years, I have asked this same question: "Raise your hand if you feel better after you exercise..." and the inevitable sea of hands go up - every person, every time. Even those who, you find out later, hardly ever exercise or haven't for a very long time. Their hands go up too. Why is that? Read Full Post
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2012 (56)
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April
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Introducing the 2012 HMR Triple Imperative Challenge Is it Really More Expensive to Eat Healthy? No Longer Black and White! The Guinea Pig Diet Really Simple Soup: Garden Chicken and Rice Common Phase 1 Challenges: Family Pizza Night Jackson’s Drawing Top 5 from the Trenches: Entrees with Veggies Girl about Town: Every Little Bit Counts Take Control of Your Food Environment Healthy Families: Bringing Vegetables and Fruits into Meal Times
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March
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Dixie Dog and My Workout Rut Teach Your Children Well Sneaky Chef: The Purees Edition My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Blender Edition 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! The Mileage Club Hacking Your HMR Shakes Eating Healthy Fats Gluten-Free Diets – A Closer Look Hacking Your HMR Entrees My Gym Dilemma March is National Nutrition Month Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Shakes The Importance of Good Hydration All Year Long
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February
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Sneaky Chef: The Beans Edition The Can Man: Adding Volume to my HMR Entrees Family Matters: Being Active Together Really Easy Meals: The Five-Bean Potato 5-2-1-0: Eating through the Rainbow Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Spices, Coffee and Cocoa Those Little Cuties! Share the Love this Valentine’s Day Tell your Honey to Take a Hike! Working Out in Winter Months Your HEART is in Your Hands!
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January
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The Super Bowl: Who’s Going to Win? 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! After-School Snack of Champions BBQ that’s PDQ and ITB A Blast from My Past: The Counter-top Blender The Childhood Obesity Dilemma The Secret Life of a Five-Bean Entrée No Time for Morning Exercise? How to Pick a Diet Soup: The Weight-Loss Secret That Comes in a Bowl The DVR is my Secret Weapon So You Made a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight. Now What? The Rehabilitation of Brussels Sprouts
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April
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2011 (71)
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December
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Girl about Town: Hot Drinks for Cold Days Suffering from Holiday Diet Fatigue? Pump up the Volume! Demo-licious! To Snack or Not To Snack? Sneaking in Physical Activity during the Busiest Time of the Year Healthy Hanukkah Helpings The Phase 1 ‘Stay In the Box through Year End’ Challenge Banishing the Baking Blues Moo Goo Gai Pan: In the Box Take-Out Food Training for White Rock Girl about Town: The Well-Stocked Pantry Pesto Change-o Turkey Chili with Beans: Three Ways
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November
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The Kids are Back in Town Are You Planning to Stay “In the Box” on Thanksgiving? Un-learning Theory Building the Better Burger: Portabello Burgers The Phase 1 Thanksgiving Challenge Wondering How to Make Sense Out of Health Information on the Internet? Autumn Chili Taking a Bite out of Holiday Weight Gain My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Food Processor Edition Raise the BeneFit Bar Starting Over: How an Injury Brought My Exercise to a Whole New Level On the Road… and on the Decision-Free Diet Lettuce Play With Our Food
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October
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Empty Nest – Empty Fridge! Can You Reset Your Metabolism? Yoga with Irene On the Road: How to Take Your Exercise with You Picnic Beans Girl about Town: Party Down at the Pot Luck My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Crockpot Edition Freeze, Frappe or Float A Train, A Plane, and A Hotel Room Dips Without Chips Sneaky Chef: The Zucchini Edition
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September
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A Conversation with Jason Fast Food for a Family of Five Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Extracts Dynamic Entree Duos Are School Lunches Getting Healthier? Farm Fresh, Any Time of Year Girl About Town: The Lost Weekend Misleading Labels: How ‘Zero’ Calorie Foods Contain Hidden Calories Just Like Mom Used to Make Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-Free Pudding or Jell-o Yo-yo Dieting: Harmful or Harmless? Kids and Kabobs
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August
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Recipe Substitutions: Great Taste, Less Calories! Benefits of Weight Loss that Your Doctor Won’t Tell You Yikes! The Gym! Veggies Undercover I Eat Whole Cantaloupes No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 1 Looking for Straight Talk about Nutrition? The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly… of working out with kids in tow Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-free Syrups Girl About Town: Putting Your Best Foot Forward CSA Share, How Do I Love Thee? Diary of a Demo The 4 O’clock Shake Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Diet Soda or Sugar-free Flavored Water What’s on the Menu? Lots of Calories!
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December
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