Monday Madness

One of my favorite websites has done it again.  Eat This, Not That! has given us an outRAGEous list of the craziest food creations out there in the world of eateries.  Now as you know, I believe in eating mindfully and intentionally - and if my intention includes satisfying the occasional (and I do mean occasional as in once or twice a year) craving for a cheeseburger, then so be it.  I build my calorie budget around it, I have my cheeseburger and life is good and my body doesn't explode or automatically gain 20 pounds overnight.  'Nuff said.

However... whoever invented these unbelievable creations make Dr. Frankenstein look like a saint.  Even "Big Frankie" himself wouldn't eat these concoctions!  With soaring calories (upwards to 2,800 calories -- yes, 2,800 calories -- almost two days' worth) -- in one dessert), unfriendly fats, and treacherous trans fats meals (and I say that loosely) are flat out dangerous.  

So without further adieu, swing over to this article: http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slide/kfc-double-down?slideshow=185172#sharetagsfocus  and check out what NOT to eat!

Blessings,

Coach Linda Bush

Tally It Tuesday

Do you know how many calories you burn a day? 

That's really important to know, because based on that number, you will determine how many calories a day you need to gain/maintain/lose weight as you calculate your food intake (fuel for the body).  

There was a great article by Aaron Snyder on just this, and even I (yes, I am a fearful math-phoebic) was able to figure it out!  I share this with you today (I figured out mine using an Excel spreadsheet).  

I've copied it below, but you can also read it at the original site:  

http://www.dailystrength.org/health_blogs/aaron-snyder/article/how-to-calculate-how-many-calories-you-burn-per-day

So grab your spreadsheet or calculator, figure it out, and make your meals COUNT for the maximum nutritional content!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Mama Mia Munch-Monster Monday

It’s summer.  You’re trying to make lighter, more healthful meal choices.  So what’s better than a good salad, right?  WRONG!  That is, if you pay attention to what the “Eat This, Not That” section of www.menshealth.com tells us!  In their most recent article they list “7 Salads You Should Never Eat!” and two nearly knocked me off my chair.

The first was one that I’ve actually ordered way long ago at my last visit to Applebee’s.  It’s their Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad, and it’s a whopping 1,360 calories with 80 grams of fat!  Wait a minute… isn’t this a SALAD?  Honestly, for that amount of calories I want something with fudge, brownies, wet walnuts and dripping with chocolate marshmallow ice cream and whipped cream!  Okay, now you know my secret – if I’m gonna indulge, it must satisfy my never-ending Grand Canyon-sized sweet tooth.  But seriously, 1,360 calories for a salad???  Here’s what the wrote:

Nuts can be a great salad topping, but because they’re calorie-dense, they should be applied judiciously. Applebee’s does not adhere to this advice. With this salad, the chain adds both crushed nuts and sugar-coated pecans. In addition, it adds deep-fried chicken and fat-heavy bleu cheese dressing. The total damage is more than a full day’s recommended fat intake and 117 grams of carbohydrates. You’d have to be nuts to eat that.

The recommend the Seasonal Berry and Spinach Salad (with chicken) instead, coming in at 620 calories.  Still a bit high for one meal, but much lower than the damage from the aforementioned calorie monster.

But the mother of all bad salads is from (no big surprise here) comes from the Cheesecake Factory.  It’s their Santa Fe Chicken Salad, and it is more than most folks daily calorie allotment – sitting down?  Got your seat belt on?  1,720 calories – holy guacamole, Batman!  If you’re bound and determined to eat there (and honestly, I can’t imagine any reason on earth why anyone would step foot inside the Cheesecake Factory to begin with), go with the Skinnylicious spicy chicken salad instead at 440 calories.  Here’s what they say about this reDUNKulous calorie-laden meal:

Tex-Mex salad iterations are rarely light, what with all the sour cream, guacamole, and creamy dressings. But wait—this salad can’t claim any of those usual culprits! The only two potentially troublesome toppings are cheese and tortilla strips, but how much damage could they possibly do? Well, based on these numbers—and the fact that their inclusion appears to be the main difference between the Santa Fe and the Skinnylicious salad below—a lot. Order accordingly.

Better on your budget and your body to make and eat your summer salads at home!  Exercise your “make it skinny” salad muscles and whip up some delicious and low-cal salads in your own kitchen this week!  And if you do venture out to your favorite eatery, be sure to Google up their menu and nutritional information beforehand - know your options so you can make the best choices.  You'll feel much better when you slip into that bathing suit or shorts and sleeveless top -- remember, a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!

Don't just dream it - BEGIN IT!!!

HEY! Instead of wasting away the summer down time just lying around at the beach reading some mind-melting novel, why not invest the time in yourself and your future?  Make this summer YOUR summer improvement plan and let me help you -- coaching can be done by telephone anywhere at all!  Imagine what you could accomplish this summer - start TODAY by calling or email me! Choose to make your future could be so bright that you'll need new shades!!!

You can find this article online at: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/7-salads-you-should-never-eat

Blessings,

Coach Linda

609-331-9833

linda@coachlindabush.com

Wellness & Life Transformation

Trim It Tuesday

Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to be resigned to a life of lemon water, celery sticks and steamed veggies! Many of you know that I believe in eating clean, while enjoying all your favorite foods – in moderation, and as long as you have no medical/allergic reasons for not being able to eat a certain food. For example, if you love pizza, have it – but have a big salad with it, and only eat a maximum of two slides, while keeping it within your daily calorie range. One of my favorite “trim-it” tips that will save 50%, yes HALF, of your calories, is to immediately ask for the take-out container when you go to lunch, and divide your meal in half and pack it away before you even start eating. Have the other half for dinner, or take it to work the next day for lunch. You’ve halved your intake, and doubled your pocket change by having another meal ready! Or… just split a meal with a friend.

Also, you need to be careful when you are enjoying some of those fancy lattes that are so yummy but can be loaded with fat and sugar. Take a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte – one Grande (16 oz) cup has 380 calories (120 from fat – that’s 13 grams), and 49 grams of sugar!!! OUCH! But if you order a small 8 oz. cup instead, with nonfat milk, and no whipped cream, it’s down to 130 calories, ZERO from fat, with 24 grams of sugar. That’s a whopping savings of 250 calories!!! Keeping in mind that one pound is 3,500 calories, if you made this one change daily, in two weeks you will have lost one pound – simply by trimming up this one choice.

Exercise your choices! Now that was pretty painless, wasn’t it?

Blessings,

Linda

300 in Thirty Tuesday

Got thirty minutes? Want to burn 300 calories? Got your attention, didn’t I?

Today’s exercise is getting up and moving for 30 minutes. Did you know that one pound equals 3,500 calories? So if you can eliminate 500 calories a day (between burning calories and eating a bit less) in one week math says you can lose one pound. Now please note, I did NOT say eliminate 500 calories from your food intake – that’s not healthy. But let’s say you eliminate 200 calories out of your intake today, then burn 300 calories in 30 minutes, well, there you have it! You’re on your way to losing a pound this week, slow and safe and healthy. What equates 200 calories? Let’s see – half a sesame seed bagel (no butter or cream cheese), half a blueberry muffin, half a fast food cheeseburger, four slices of flax bread, 2 containers of low-fat yogurt, 2 glasses of non-diet soda, two tablespoons of peanut butter, one glazed donut, one Snickers candy bar, 1.4 oz. of Doritos, 1.3 oz. of potato chips, 8 Hershey kisses, 6 slices bacon, 2 oz. cheese, ½ serving of carrot cake, one soft pretzel, one toaster pastry. These are just a few, but you see how little things can add up. So forgo that ½ plain bagel, and you’ve hit the mark for today.

Now, getting back to exercise – on About.com, I found an article by Paige Waehner (certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise) about losing 300 calories in 30 minutes, and that’s where I’m getting today’s information. Here are some of her recommendations. Note –you do any of these exercises at your own risk and should ALWAYS check with your physician first before beginning any exercise plan.

For each exercise, warm up with 5-10 minutes of light cardio and keep track of your Perceived Exertion or monitor your heart rate. In general, for most workouts you want to be at around Level 5-6. If you're doing interval training, you want your recovery to be around a 4-5 and your intensity blasts to be at around 8-9. As you'll see below, working at a level 10 isn't recommended for most workouts. For longer, slower workouts, keep your PE at Level 5 or lower.

•Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bon bons
•Level 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day long
•Level 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder
•Level 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly
•Level 5: I'm just above comfortable, am sweating more and can still talk easily
•Level 6: I can still talk, but am slightly breathless
•Level 7: I can still talk, but I don't really want to. I'm sweating like a pig
•Level 8: I can grunt in response to your questions and can only keep this pace for a short time period
•Level 9: I am probably going to die
•Level 10: I am dead

Use this calorie calculator to determine how many calories you're burning. End with a cool down and stretch.

Treadmill
•Start with incline at zero and speed at a comfortable pace (walking or jogging). Perceived Exertion (PE) =Level 5 (see Perceived Exertion Scale).
•1 Minute: Raise incline one or more percent every 15 seconds. PE=5-6
•1 Minute: Reduce the incline one percent every fifteen seconds. PE=6-7
•3 Minutes: Walk or jog at a steady pace. PE=5
•Repeat entire cycle for 30 or more minutes
•Approximate calories burned: 320 (based on 140-lb person)

Elliptical Trainer
•Using manual program, enter workout time as 30 minutes and choose appropriate level
•6 Minutes: Set ramps (if option) and resistance levels at medium level. PE=5
•2 Minutes: Set ramps at highest level and increase resistance every 30 seconds. PE=6-8
•If you don't have ramps, set your resistance at the highest level you can manage for 30 seconds
•2 Minutes: Lower ramps and resistance to comfortable level. PE=5
•If you don't have ramps, lower your resistance until you're at a comfortable level.
•6 minutes: Set ramps/resistance to medium and go backwards. PE=5-6
•Repeat entire cycle for remaining time
•Calories Burned: 250-300 (based on 140-lb person)

Bike
•Using the manual program, enter your workout time as 30 minutes and choose appropriate level
•5 Minutes: Cycle at a comfortable pace. PE=5.
•2 Minutes: Raise your resistance 2-3 increments every 30 seconds. PE=6-8
•2 Minutes: Lower your resistance 2-3 increments every 30 seconds. PE=6-8.
•1 Minute: Set resistance at a moderate/high level and cycle as fast as you can. PE=8-9
•Repeat the entire cycle for 30 or more minutes
•Calories Burned: 245 (based on 140 lb person)

Hit the Road
Head outside for a walk/run.

•Warm up with a brisk walk/slow jog for 5-10 minutes.
•Jog/walk briskly for 3 minutes
•Sprint or speed walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds
•Repeat this cycle for 20-30 minutes, keeping PE between 5-9.

Have fun!

Blessings,
Linda