Weekend Challenge - What's on Your Grocery List?

Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is to evaluate your grocery list.

If this is what your grocery list looks like you may need to re-evaluate that liquid lunch.Retrieved from http://itsthelist.wordpress.com/tag/grocery-list/

This weekend I challenge you to evaluate your grocery list.  Take a look to see if what's on your list are good food choices.  The more processed your food, the worse it is for you.  We eat a lot that has very little nutrient value.  Think about your "must haves", are they healthy choices?  Think about the snack foods you buy.  If you have a cookie in your house, eventually you'll want to eat it.

If you don't have them in your house, you can't snack on them in a moment of weakness.  Choose healthy snacks to have on hand.

Don't know where to start?  The list below is just a sample of "healthy kitchen must haves", a framework for you to get your start.  Don't buy what you won't eat, you're just wasting money.  Avoid unhealthy snacks, build a pantry with good, whole foods and phase out processed foods.  If it's in the house, you'll snack on it.  It takes planning, but eating healthy has benefits way beyond the money you can save.   Think about the true cost of bad eating habits and obesity.  

There are 2 things you don't want to leave to chance, your food and your exercise.  Plan both and you are well on your way to being ready to get that New Year's Resolution to lose weight to finally be your reality.  Plan your weekly menu and grocery shop once weekly, avoid going when you're hungry and utilize a list...then stick to it. 

A Sample Grocery List of Staples:

Dairy (Some people avoid dairy completely, but here are a few things we like.  Hey, we are from the Dairy State, after all.):
1% or Skim Milk
Cottage Cheese
Free Range Eggs
Plain Greek Yogurt
String Cheese 

Fish:
Salmon

Fruits & Veggies:Dark Green Veggies
Frozen Berries
Seasonal Fruits and Veggies:  Click link to see Fruits and Veggies in Season in the Winter

Grains:
Whole Wheat Torillias
Multi Grain Bread
Baked Crackers
Whole Wheat Pasta

Meats:
Chicken
Lean Ground Turkey
Turkey Slices for Wraps

Misc.:

Honey
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Regular Vinaigrette Dressing
Natural Peanut Butter (No sugar added)
Refillable Water Bottles
Shakeology
Salsa

Nuts:
Almonds
Walnuts

Weekend Challenge - Avoid Fast Food!

Finally Friday - Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is AVOID FAST FOOD! 

Tony Horton of P90X fame faces off with the clown; American lives are at stake, Obesity must be defeated!

This will be a busy weekend, especially around here as I post this challenge.  In my neck of the woods we are digging out from Snowstorm Brianna and hustling to get that last minute Christmas shopping done.  Fast food will be easy to grab, but it's so bad for you: high in sodium, deep fat fried, low in nutrition and calorie dense.  

Weekend Challenge: avoid the fast food, completely for this weekend!

How much activity do you have to take on to burn off that large fry?  You can find out with a free membership at MyFitnessPal.com!

Thinking you'll grab the salad as a better alternative?  Most of these come loaded with bells and whistles, packing in as many calories as the burger you avoided.  Then comes the dressings, mostly fat.  Check the nutritional information, you'll be shocked.  Choose your dressings wisely.

The Hardee's Charbroiled Chicken Club comes in at 550 calories.  

The Mc Donald's Asian Grilled Chicken Salad is a better choice, but did you expect 300 calories?

Eating out offers challenges to your dietary goals, no matter the restaurant.  Planning ahead and making informed decisions will help, regardless of the chain.  For this weekend, avoid them all together!  Can you?

As with everything, moderation is the key.  Portion size helps, understand what a portion is.  Pass on the soft drink.  Don't supersize.  Read the nutritional label so you understand what you're eating.  Break the habit of grabbing some thing just because it is convenient.  This challenge of total avoidance is a great way to break the habit and start a better trend.

For more information on just why fast food is so bad for you visit the Livestrong article.

Resources:

Calorie count and nutritional information for menu items at Hardee's.

Calorie count and nutritional information for menu items at Mc Donalds.

Calorie Counter at CalorieCount - over 250,000 foods in the data base with nutritional information!

Be a Label Reader - portion sizes and how to read nutritional lables

Connect with me at the fitter Fitter on facebook for motivation, support and interaction.

Weekend Challenge - the Wall Sit

Finally Friday - Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is the Wall Sit.  I saw this on MensHealth.com and thought it was a great idea.  Are you in?

Weekend Challenge: the Wall Sit.  How long can you hold it?

Did you know that the squat might be one of the most effective exercises of all time?  When done correctly (sticking that money-maker out, knees behind the toes and weight on your heels) it trains a lot of muscles.  Anytime you do squats, remember that form is fundamental and in proper form you will find better results and better safety.   Proper form guards from injury, so never let those knees get in front of your toes.  In your squat you should be able to drop your hand from your knee and it should land on your foot behind your toe if you have proper form.  Really sit that butt back.  Ok, that being said, back to the benefits.  It fires big muscles like your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings.  Because it fires those big muscles it's going to burn calories, more calories per rep than almost any other exercise.

Start getting the benefits of the squat with this Weekend Challenge, watch the video below of Todd Durkin, trainer of some of pro sports biggest names and author of The Impact! Body Plan.  

This Weekend Challenge: the wall sit.  How long can you hold it?


The wall sit adds resistance to the most difficult portion of the squat, the bottom.  Brace your back against a wall and then slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.  Then, hold this position for as long as possible! By maintaining the wall sit position your muscles will be under tension, which results in strenghtening of weak areas and stimulating new muscle growth.

Are you in?  Grab a stop watch and sit!  Todd Durkin held the sit for 3 minutes and 37 seconds.  How did you stack up?

Want Todd Durkin's book?  Go get The Impact!  Body Plan

Todd Durkin is the most sought-after personal trainer in sports, and if you don't know his name, you've definitely seen his work. He is the man who helped world-class athletes such as quarterback Drew Brees win a Super Bowl MVP, pitcher Cole Hamels win a World Series MVP, and professional snowboarder Shaun White win two Olympic gold medals. He is known throughout sports as the one trainer who can use any person’s unique raw materials to transform them into—quite literally—the best they can be.

 

Now Durkin has tailored his elite training program for anyone looking to transform their bodies. Based on groundbreaking “muscle matrix” research, Durkin’s program is designed to adapt to your body to help you shed flab, build strength and flexibility, and enhance your athletic performance.

Resources:
Menshealth.com - the wall sit weekend challenge
The Impact! Body Plan  by Todd Durkin

Other Weekend Challenges:
Cleaning IT up... and make it pay!
Be Grateful
Give More
It's all about Water

Finally Friday - Give More

Finally Friday - Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is to give more.

Photo from a Degree Deoderant facebook challenge post

It's easy to give to others, we all feel better about ourselves when we help out.  Especially at Christmas time.  But, how do you treat yourself?  

How do you treat yourself?  
That's a big question.  Take a few moments with a sheet of paper and pencil.  Write down what you think of yourself, what you say to yourself.  Be honest.  Do you call yourself stupid?  When you look in the mirror do you still think "ok, fatty, that's the best you can do, just head out the door"?  If you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror while dressing or getting in or out of the shower, do you think "who could love that"?  Look at your list and ponder this.  Would you say any of those things to your friends?  Would you even say them to a stranger?  Chances are no.  I know I am way harder on myself than I am on anyone else, I forgive their shortcomings and mistakes but for myself I expect much, much more.

Do you realize that to erase one of these bad things you will need to repeat a positive thing 1,000 times?  Turn those negative comments into affirmations.  "I am loyal and dedicated."   "I never give up."   "I have true beauty that radiates from the inside."  Whatever it may be, write them down and post them everywhere.

Got that?  Good.

Don't Choose Excuses, Choose to Take Action

Insert Excuse HERE:__________

Now, ponder this: we choose how our tomorrow will shape itself.  We make a choice to cheat a little today, and eat a candy bar because it's easy.  We choose not to do our workout because it's hard, we don't have time, we don't feel good, insert excuse here ________.  By doing these things we are saying that our need to be fit and healthy is not as important as sitting on the couch, that bag of potato chips, that candy bar.  Then we are disappointed by the weight gain we see tomorrow.   Take a moment to view what Zig Ziglar had to say about setting goals, it's pretty inspiring and talks to my point.



This Weekend Challenge is to push yourself.  
Take that goal of yours, write it down, embellish it, love it, honor it.  Then push yourself to meet it.  Go 5 more minutes, give 5% more in your workout, pass up that beer before the holiday dinner party, or the dessert after.  Do more.  Because, when we cheat on these things that, if we did them, would propel us toward our goals, we are only cheating ourselves.  Would you ever go back on that promise to your parent, your spouse, your child, your best friend?  No?  Then why would you ever give yourself anything but your very best?  

Push yourself.  Go 5 minutes more.  Put 5% more effort into your workout.  Give more to yourself.  You are so very worth it!

Interested in any of these challenges?  Connect with the fitter Fitter on facebook!

Other Weekend Challenges:
Be Grateful
Cleaning IT Up...and making it Pay
It's all about Water

Other Challenges:
Take the Beachbody Challenge - what it is and what you get out of it, while this post is Shakeology specific, the premise is the same.
How Bad Do You Want It - my first Beachbody Challenge
I'm a Winner - learn about the Clean Slate Challenge

Finally Friday - It's All About Water

Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is to drink more water!

Retrieved from http://www.joyamartin.com

Few of us sip water all day.  Unless we get thirsty, we don't think about tipping a glass of water, but with all the health benefits to staying hydrated it's a worthwhile habit to develop.  They say that if you do something 21 times you develop a habit.  We'll start small with this Weekend Challenge, follow through with this for the weekend and see how much better you feel!

The benefits of drinking more water range from weight loss to headache relief, relief from constipation to better skin.  If you need a little flavor try adding unsweetened lemon juice.  For weight loss, drink a glass of water 15 minutes before eating (so as not to dilute stomach acid and lessen the chance of indigestion) and make it ice water.  Your body will need to burn calories to heat the water for use.  

How Much?

The Mayo Clinic suggests men need roughly 3 liters per day (13 cups) and women need 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) per day.  Keep in mind that if you are sweating, sick or in a hot or windy environment, you will need more.   Even on a mild day while riding a motorcycle or in the boat, moving air will dehydrate you faster and you may not even realize it.

Tips to increase your water intake:

1) Make it a habit - just like brushing your teeth when you're a kid, if it's part of your routine, you'll be more likely to-do it.  Have a glass of water upon waking as you dehydrate while you sleep.  Have a glass 15 minutes before each meal.  Have a glass before bed.

2) Keep it handy - invest in a re-useable water bottle and take it everywhere with you.  Refill as needed.  (Plus it's better for the environment, we throw away far too many of those plastic bottles every year.)

3) Start Slowly - If you can't bring yourself to replace those sugary drinks, then start by diluting them with water and weaning yourself off of them.  Replace one at a time and keep working at it.

4) Flavor it - Lemon is a great way to flavor water and has many health benefits of it's own. 

5) Track it - This can be as simple as a tick mark on your pocket calendar.  Having a buddy for accountability is great, too!

6) Invest in it - invest in a set of bpa free water bottles to keep in your fridge, ready to go.  Invest in a filter for your tap water to keep them filled.  Keep in mind that all that fancy bottled water is just someone else's tap water. 

Resources: 

Water, Water Every Where... - a fitter Fitter post

How Much Water Should You Drink Everyday? - what the Mayo Clinic has to say about water intake

Study: Drink More Water, Loose More Weight - USA Today article linking water intake to weight loss

Refillable Water Bottles - save refrigerator space with these handy bpa free water bottles for boys, girls, mom and dad!  Find a wide variety here.

Filters - there's nothing better about commercially bottled water, your tap water can be just as good.  Why pay more for water than you do per gallon of gas?  From in sink to pitcher to whole house or replacement filters, you can shop here.

Is Bottled Water Better? - a WebMD article about whether the expense of buying bottled water is worth it.

Finally Friday - Be Grateful

Yay! We made it to Friday! Every week we post a WEEKEND CHALLENGE! This week’s challenge is to keep a gratitude journal.  How fitting that this is posting the weekend before Thanksgiving?

Image retrieved from attractingwellness.net

Think of the people around you, think of all that you do have.  Look around, we often don't have to look far to find someone less fortunate than we are.  This is the basis of your gratitude.  When you are grateful for all the good in your life, it improves your health and adds to your personal happiness.  This is a weekend challenge my friends at GolladayFit run on occasion, and it is a great one.

Focus on Positive
Focusing on the negative, getting stuck in our own personal pitty party is easy.  But does this focus on the negative serve us in being happier?  Not a bit.

Everyone has bad days, everyone faces challenges.  We can't stop life from happening, but we can decide how we attack these challenges, we are in control of the path we take to navigate these challenges.

A great lesson is taken from my Gramps.  His philosophy was simple, any day you were able to sit up and take nourishment was a good day.  In his mid-80's he had a triple by-pass and had a valve replaced in his heart.  Knowing he'd be down to recover for a while and that he needed a new roof on his house, he decided to do it before his surgery.  Our family doctor told me once that regardless of the difficulties ageing gave him, he never remembered my Gramps ever not smiling, nor did Gramps ever have a headache.  On my mother's side, their farm had burned during the war.  A family of 8 lived in an 8 x 12 foot wood shed for the winter because it was more important to rebuild the barn first.  When the house was rebuilt they had to get a permit to reclaim construction materials from an abandoned house because during WWII, these resources were needed for the war effort.  It fostered a make due attitude that resides with my mother to this day.  An attitude that you do what you can, pray, live well and the Lord will offer a means to provide.  Both of my parents have a sense of humor, it is what gets them through the hard times. 

I also fondly remember a friend of mine.  He had Parkinsons, he could no longer work with the tools and worked in supervision for the last few years before retirement.  His wife, who had suffered migraine  headaches for years, had a devastating stroke that put her in the nursing home with no real hope for returning home.  Never once did I hear him complain about his situation.  He was grateful for what he did have, he made sure his friends knew just how important their friendship was to him.  He was involved, he tried to make a positive impact with everything he did and was loud and proud in being grateful to God for what he did have.  When he passed away the impact was devastating, but also inspiring.  At his wake it was obvious how far reaching his positive impact was.

Complaining Isn't a Fix
Complaining doesn't fix anything, it highlights the problems but offers no solutions.  By nature I am a fixer.  While it is helpful in problem solving to brainstorm and analyze a problem, complaining about it doesn't help.  What it does do is place emphasis on the problem.  A pity party highlights what's wrong, fueling the cycle of sadness and depression.  We choose to find our out, we do have the power to alter how we view a situation.  Is it a problem, or an opportunity?  No one else can choose for us.  Joy or sorrow, it is our choice.  We choose how we react to a situation, we choose is we will not react at all.  It is in our hands how we will face a situation.

the Weekend Challenge
Take time this weekend to think of ALL the positive things in your life.  What are you grateful for?  Let's see if your list grows as we go through the weekend.  Comment on this post, whether  you're doing this weekend before Thanksgiving or at any time of the year, and let me know what YOU are grateful for.

Enjoy your weekend!


Thanks to GolladayFit for the Weekend Challenge idea.

Finally Friday - Cleaning IT Up...and making it pay!

It's Finally Friday and every Friday I offer a Weekend Challenge.  Challenging ourselves is how we acheive personal growth.  Try a new habit on for a few days, walk around in it, see if it's something you could get used to or maybe if it's difficult but just what you need. 

If you could change one thing, what would it be?
This weekend challenge will be a little different than others.  This weekend, you pick.  This weekend, the sky's the limit,  This weekend, you choose what you need to work on.  For some it's kicking sugar, for others it might be emotional eating.  Maybe you leave the seat up and your sweetie is about to snap over it.  Is it swearing?  Do you swear so often that you don't even notice it?  Spend a little time contemplating this.  What is one thing you need to work on in your behavior that would make you happier if you could change?  Don't make this too easy, it should be a challenge.

Pick a "Cause"
So, you have chosen one annoying behavior that you would like to curb kick.  Now it's time to pick your cause.  You've heard me talk about Shakeology, if you haven't, take a moment to ready my post about it, then continue on.  (Don't worry, the link will open in a new window so you can come right back here.)  Maybe you REALLY, REALLY want to start Shakeology, but are a little scared about that $4.00 meal cost.  Maybe you've seem the Les Mills COMBAT video and want to pre-order.  Pick something you want to SAVE for, make it something you really want to invest in.  This is the goal, this is your "cause". 

Fitness Jars can be used to break a habit or to reward yourself. Use it to get that Challenge Pack you've been dreaming of, then when you achieve that, use it to reward yourself everytime you complete a workout!  Retrieved from http://brookenotonadiet.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/6-tips-on-making-working-out-a-habit/.

Get a Jar
Now you get to go a little Martha Stewart.  Find yourself a nice jar.  For me I used the little cookie jar, it really wasn't good for anything else, so I repurposed it.  Perhaps you have a big ol' Vlasic pickle jar, the jar from those pickled eggs or pickled pig knuckles (gak...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth)  or maybe the nice big jar left over from that homemade hot cocoa mix your auntie made you for last Christmas.  Find a nice one, a big one.  Now get your craft on and lable it.  Have fun.  Make it a thing of beauty and a wonder to behold.  My guess is you'll be so happy with this process and your progress that you'll keep this going for all your Weekend Challenges or even extend this through the weeks, working on different habits until your goal is met.  Then you can use it for the next goal.  When you have your jar labled, set it in a prominent place.

Set your toll, announce your goal
Think about those you love, those you admire and respect in your life.  Make a list of these names.  Add the names of all those who you would disappoint if you broke a promise to them.  It's been proven that when we make a promise to someone we care about we will go to great lengths to not disappoint them, hell or high water. 

Set your toll.  Make this a manageable amount, but substantial enough that it will make you think every time you have to pony up and pay the piper.  A good amount that is both manageable and stings enough for a penalty is One Buck.  Yep, That's right, $1.00.  If things are tight, you could go $0.50, but make it enough to count, enough to sting, enough to make a difference.  You want this amount to be enough to be both an encouragement and a penalty, not too much or too little....just right.

Do this part now, not in 10 minutes or tonight or tomorrow but now.  Use email, the phone or a text.  What ever is the easiest way to contact them.  Tell them what your goal is.  Announce it loud and proud.  This is your accountability. 

Make your statement: "I'm challenging myself to clean up my language.  For every time I swear this weekend I promise you that I will put a $1.00 toll in my Saving for Shakeology jar." 

Short, sweet and powerful.  You now have accountability.  If you have kids, tell them, they WILL hold you accountable...gleefully.

Follow through
Now, follow through and be honest with yourself.  Remember, this is for you.  The point is to break a bad habit, but when you slip up the toll will go to pay for something good.  Check in with those who are holding you accountable, let them know how you did.  On Monday, let them know how much you have saved, or how many times you have caught yourself.

Versatility in a jar
As I said earlier, this is a great idea to help yourself save for just about anything.  My son is using a "cuss jar" to save up for an elk hunting trip he wants to take with a budy in two years.  He set his goal, he set his toll and he set a dead line.  Once you save up and get that challenge pack (Shakeology Home DIrect and your home fitness program bundled  together at an average of a $54.00 savings over buying them separate), repurpose your jar, or start another.  This time use it as a reward.  Everytime you complete a workout you put in $1.00.  Maybe you're saving this time for that trip to Disney with the kids, or that second honeymoon with your sweetie, or your next home fitness program.  Whatever you decide, this is a great way to save a little, encourage yourself to drop bad habits or to reward yourself for your efforts.



glossary:
Shakeology - Shakeology is a meal replacement shake, nutrition in a bag.  The most intelligent calories of your day, like 5 trips to the salad bar in one shake.  It averages about $4.00 per shake.  This sounds expensive until you weight the health benefits, the strides it takes to getting you to your goals, against what you pay for a meal.  My son, an emergency room tech, or my sister-in-law, an RN, could both benefit from a meal replacement shake they can grab on the go in a job that doesn't offer regular, reliable sit down breaks for their lunch.  If you go to Subway every day for the special, the $5.00 foot long, you'll save a dollar a day by switching to Shakeology.  It's less than that designer coffee from Starbucks.  It's less than the breakfast special at our local greasy spoon.

Shakeology Home Direct - this program brings you your Shakeology on a keep filled basis, one bag per month so you don't need to remember to re-order.  It also saves you shipping.  Every month.

Challenge Pack - A Beach Body Challenge Pack bundles a home fitness program with Shakeology Home Direct.  The savings for bundling averages about $54 per offer.  The nutrition in Shakeology greatly increases the effectiveness of your home fitness program because, face it, you want FAST results, not just results.

Accountability - when we hold ourselves accountable for our actions we are much more likely to follow through.  This is a great thing about ordering your home fitness program through an independent beach body coach rather than Beachbody.com.  You get that coach for support, motivation and accountability.  The coaching is FREE.  That's right, it costs you nothing.  If you have already ordered through Beachbody and have a coach that does not work with you daily to help you reach your goals, you can change.  As me how.  The support and accountability will get you there.

Remember that you can always find me (Traci Glisczinski-Parrott) on facebook to ask me more questions or for more on my story and my continuing journey to health and fitness.  Find me there to interact daily on the fitter Fitter page by clicking LIKE on the page.