5 Reasons Why Having a Workout Partner Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

It's almost the end of the year, have you been thinking about your New Year's resolutions? Grab a friend & help reach both of your fitness goals for 2015!

Having a workout partner can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to your fitness goals. Unless you're consistently a highly motivated self-starter, your chances of sticking to a long-term fitness plan without a partner are significantly lower than they are with a partner.

1. The Time Goes by Faster

Working out with a friend or family member can make your workouttime go by much more quickly. When you work out alone, it's easy to watch the clock and feel the time drag by. Having that feeling of dread can make it harder for you to summon the motivation to work out. When you're able to chat with a workout partner and catch up on each other's lives as you exercise, the time will fly by and become an occasion to which you can look forward.

2. You Won't Cancel a Workout

When you answer to no one but yourself, it can become a habit to cancel a workout after a long, busy day because you feel tired or because you feel that it's a waste of time. You may think that canceling one workout won't hurt you, but if you cancel even one session, it can be more difficult to get back into the habit because you may decrease your endurance. If your workout partner is counting on you to be there for an exercise session, you'll be less likely to cancel.

3. You Can Coordinate Busy Schedules

Another reason you may not meet your fitness goals on your own is that you can't find the time. If you have to arrange a babysitter while you work out, for example, or you can't imagine having to cook a dinner before or after your workout session, it can become easy to cancel the workout. However, if you have a workout partner, you can coordinate your schedules. You can both share a babysitter or you can take turns cooking for each other and/or both families.

4. You'll Be Bolstered by Outside Perspective

It's difficult to view yourself objectively. When it comes to your fitness progress, you may not notice how your strength and endurance is improving or that you've lost weight or gained muscle tone over time. Your partner can view you more objectively and remind you of your progress so far. Having that validation can help bolster your self-esteem and keep your motivation levels high.

5. You Can Celebrate Your Successes

Celebrating your progress alone isn't as much fun as it is with a partner. You and your partner can set goals for yourselves and celebrate every few weeks after you've met those goals. Take a night off from work and stress and celebrate at the movies or a bar or at a mall.

Of course, there is the possibility that your workout partner can be a negative influence on your fitness progress if you choose someone who doesn't respond to your encouragement, belittles your progress and won't commit. Search until you find a competent, positive partner for your fitness regimen.

Reprinted from Fitday.com

Should I Exercise While Sick?

It's that time of year...coughing, sneezing, upset stomach. When is it ok to workout? Get the workout rules for when you're feeling ill.

By Chris Freytag

If you're exercising consistently—and I hope you are—you'll run into this problem from time to time. According to the American Council on Exercise, the average adult has two to three respiratory infections every year. (Consider this another reason to get your flu shot.)

The rule I like to use is called the "neck check." You can exercise while sick if your symptoms are all above the neck, like a runny nose or a sore throat. Of course, you should always listen to your body and take the intensity of your workout down a bit if your regular pace feels too strenuous.

If you're suffering from congestion or low energy, exercise often helps you feel better. A brisk walk can unclog your sinuses better than an afternoon on the couch. And gentle exercise will rev up your circulation, to counteract that sluggish, rundown feeling. But this is definitely a personal decision. You're the best judge of how you feel and what your body can handle when you're sick.

However, if you have any symptoms below the neck, such as body aches, chills, stomach problems or diarrhea, then I advise you to take it easy until you're feeling better. And if you're running a fever, no matter where your symptoms are, put off exercising until your temperature returns to normal.

Maintaining healthy habits may keep you from getting sick in the first place. So wash your hands frequently, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water and get adequate sleep. If you can find some room on your calendar, be sure to schedule a little "me time" to relax.

One more thing: If you exercise in a public setting, like a gym, please consider your fellow exercisers and think about how contagious you might be. If you can't get through a single set on a weight machine without coughing or sneezing, you have my permission to stay home with a box of tissues and some hot tea! 

Reprinted from Prevention.com

4 Tips To Beat Post-Holiday Bloating

Feeling bloated after Thanksgiving? Try these tips to feel better!

Simple detox tips & metabolic boosters
BY LAUREN JACOBSEN

If you have spent the last few weeks indulging on calorie-rich food, sweet treatsand alcohol, you are probably feeling more than ready to get back to your consistent clean eating and healthy way of life—especially if your jeans are feeling a bit too tight! To help relieve bloating and water retention from all the holiday fun, you can incorporate these quick fixes. This is by no means the answer or replacement to your regular healthy diet and workout program, but it’ll help you feel better sooner!

1. Reduce Carbohydrates
When we overeat carbohydrates, the body holds on to water. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen, and each gram of glycogen is bound to four grams of water! This means that when your liver and muscles are full of glycogen, you are also full of water. If you want to get rid of some of that extra water weight you gained during the holidays, reduce your carbohydrates for a week or so. When you lower your carbohydrate intake, the body will start using up the carbohydrates that are stored in the liver and the muscle. When you use that glycogen, you also lose the water. Lower your carbohydrate intake to 20-30% of your diet for about a week or so.

2. Cleanse With Green Veggies
Green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, asparagus and cabbage contain phytonutrients that act like natural diuretics, which can help increase your kidney’s ability to transport toxins into the urine. They also provide powerfulantioxidants that can help the liver cells recover faster. Not too mention they are also full of fiber, which can help clear the digestive track too. Add green vegetables to your meals, or try having a green shake. Just add kale, spinach or wheatgrass to your protein shake to make a detoxifying smoothie!

3. Stimulate Metabolic Rate
Up your intake of foods that can help stimulate the metabolism! Chili peppers contain the metabolism boosting capsaicin compound. Capsaicin, when placed on food, has been shown to increase metabolic rate and reduce appetite. Add hot sauce or hot peppers to your meals for a little extra boost.

In addition to chili peppers, green tea is also a great metabolism booster! Green tea provides EGCG – epigallocatechin gallate. EGCG is a great antioxidant that can help detox the body and is known to block a major enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine—the body’s fat burning hormone! Green Tea’s action can increase metabolic rate and thermogenesis for 24-hour energy expenditure. So, you will be burning fat both in and out of the gym!

4. Up The Intensity
Obviously, one of the first things you need to do is get back to your regular workout schedule. If you have missed workouts, specifically cardio sessions, you could be feeling a little sluggish. Cardio not only burns calories, it also helps rid the body of water via sweat! For your first week back after the holidays, up your cardio workout by performing longer and more intense sessions! Remember 3500 calories equals one pound of fat, so try to burn at least 500 calories per cardio workout session!

Reprinted from FitnessRXwomen.com
References

Cardoso GA, Salgado JM, Cesar MD, Donado-Pestana CM. The Effects of Green Tea Consumption and Resistance Training on Body Composition and Resting Metabolic Rate in Overweight or Obese Women. J Med Food. 2012.Yoshioka M, St-Pierre S, Drapeau V, Dionne I, et al. Effects of red pepper on appetite and energy intake. Br J Nutr. 1999. 82(2): 115-23.

Why You Need to Pump Up Your Workout With Music

Do you listen to music while working out? Livestrong.com explains how music can help during our workouts!

By KIRSTEN POTENZA and CRISTINA PEERENBOOM

No matter how different we are, we all have one striking thing in common: music. Listen and you'll hear an aural confirmation of our musical obsession. Whether it's taking us on a journey during our favorite TV show or movie or setting the tone at a party or on a romantic dinner, music is everywhere.

Our human connection to music runs deeper than we initially thought -- it's far more than just something we listen to for fun and enjoyment. New research is uncovering the power of applying music to exercise. Although we often experience music as just background noise in daily life, our brains hear it and respond to it in unique ways.

Our need for music is almost beyond our conscious control. A study conducted by M. Schwartzmiller and republished by the American Council on Exercise proved that if there's music playing during our workouts, we naturally and subconsciously follow the basic tempo with our bodies' movements. When that tempo increases, so does our exercise output, proving that when you bump up the tempo of your playlist, the intensity of your workout follows.

In fact, music was recently coined "a type of legal performance-enhancing drug" by scientist Costas Karageorghis. Through his research, Karageorghis proved that if we make the effort to sync up our movements to music, seven percent less oxygen is required to do the same exact physical task as participants who do not sync to the music.

The best part of all? Music changes our perception of how difficult our workout tasks are. Exercising with music allows for increased physical output without feeling like we're working any harder than usual, which was recently proved by Matthew Stork and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. We feel "distracted" from the pain, exertion and repetition of exercise when listening to our favorite playlist, so we're able to work out harder for longer.

New research reveals that these music-driven physical benefits are boosted even more when participants don't just work out to the beat, but instead become responsible for the beat. This term, called "musical agency," by cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Tom Fritz, can be experienced when you can hear your body working -- or taking it a step further, when you feel your movements controlling the beat.

You experience this when you punch a punching bag and hear the quality, precision and intensity of your strikes reflected in how they sound. A strong sense of musical agency, according to a recent study, lowers perceived physical exertion and makes strenuous physical activities less physically exhausting.

Put these simple tips into action to burn more calories, increase your endurance and push through even the most challenging workout.

1. Turn your favorite song into an interval workout. Double your pace and sprint each time you hear the chorus (the part of the song that repeats). This automatically designs a perfect three- to five-minute interval workout. And if you create a 12-song playlist, you'll have a great 30- to 50-minute interval workout in the bag.

2. Listen to your body working. Turn your body into an instrument by listening to your movements. Take note of how your feet sound on the pavement or how loud you are when you kick a punching bag. Maybe even clap your hands to make a little noise during exercises like squats or lunges.

3. Sync to the beat. Find the basic downbeat and time your movements to it. Run to the tempo of a fast-paced song, weight train to a medium-cadence jam and walk to a moderately paced tune. Make sure each step, stroke and move is timed to the downbeat to maximize your workout.

4. Turn your body into an instrument. For workouts in which you can hear your body working, burn more calories and stress by getting louder. Associating a sound with a move provides your body and brain with powerful feedback that will improve coordination, timing, precision and spatial awareness.

– Kirsten and Cristina
Reprinted from Livestrong.com

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/need-pump-workout-music#ixzz3JLsrdQjr

19 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Becoming a Morning Person

By Kelly Fitzpatrick, Life by DailyBurn
Let’s start with the bad news: Only about 1 in 10 people is a true morning person, according to The Body Clock Guide to Better Health. The good news is, only 2 in 10 fall into the category of night owls, while the rest fall somewhere in between. Better still: Even if you operate best in the wee hours of the night, you can still train yourself to be an early riser. Here’s how.

Plan Ahead

Waking well-rested starts with getting enough sleep. “Hitting the snooze button a couple times before getting up is a clear sign of sleep deprivation,” says Nathaniel Watson, MD, president-elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “If you are getting enough sleep, you should be able to wake up on time without a morning alarm.” Sounds easier said than done? First, follow these tips for catching the zzz’s you need to wake refreshed.

Practice good sleep hygiene“Keeping a consistent sleep schedule is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting quality, restful sleep,” says Dr. Watson. If you need to shift your schedule earlier, start moving your bedtime forward by just 15 minutes at a time. Adjustments more drastic than that will keep you rebounding between early and late bedtimes rather than creating lasting change.

Take your time

Balancing your own well-being against other personal and professional responsibilities is tough. Often, finding the right work-life equilibrium starts with saying “No,” and so does getting enough sleep. Pare down your evening commitments so that you’ve got an hour completely blocked off to wind down before bed.

Implement a routine
Establishing a schedule can help clue our bodies in to what’s to come. Maintaining a regular evening routine will help chill you out and let your mind know that it’s nearly time to fall asleep. For example, that could mean drinking a cup of (decaffeinated) tea and reading for 20 minutes each evening before bed.

Nap cautiously

If you have a sleep debt to repay, it’s better to nap during the day than to mess up your nightly sleep schedule. That said, you don’t want a daytime snooze to keep you up at night. (For more napping tips head here!)

Eat (and drink) smart
Some experts caution against going to bed too full or too hungry, as the discomfort may keep you awake. The same goes for drinking: Sipping too much before bed can cause mid-slumber trips to the bathroom, and caffeine and alcohol in particular have been shown to disrupt sleep.

Power down

Any kind of light can shift circadian rhythms, making it harder to sleep at night. And if you’re constantly plugged in, you’re even less likely to hit the hay right away. Research has shown that the blue light emitted by electronics like laptops and cell phones disturbs sleep even more than natural light. Turn off those electronic screens at least an hour before bed to make dozing easier.

Prep before bed

Wondering what to do with that electronic-free hour? Use the time to get together anything you’ll need in the a.m.—like a healthy lunch, make-ahead breakfast, or a gym bag. Shortening your morning to-do list just might make it easier to roll out of bed.

Get cozy

Temperature, noise, light and comfort can all impact your ability to sleep well. A cool, quiet room (around 65 degrees) has been shown to be an effective sleep environment. And if your mattress leaves you achy, you’ve got a good excuse to upgrade—your health may depend on it! The offers even more recommendations for tweaking all of these for better sleep.

Check out more tips on becoming a morning person at DailyBurn.
reprinted from Health.com

Sneaky Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat and Be Healthy

Livestrong.com blogger Jennifer Christman offers up some sneaky ways to get your kids to eating healthy!

By JENNIFER CHRISTMAN

When it comes to getting kids to be healthy, many parents struggle. Competing priorities, such as busy schedules and dealing with temptations, can derail the best intentioned plans. Below are a few tips to help parents easily sneak in healthy foods and behaviors into every day.

[Read More: The Truth About "Healthy" Cereals]

Get Creative. Cut fruits and vegetables into fun, easy-to-grab shapes. Add a low-fat dip and you have a perfect snack for young children, especially toddlers. For picky eaters, you can purée fruits or vegetables and add them to existing recipes. Macaroni and cheese is popular with kids, and it's a great opportunity to add some puréed butternut squash or cauliflower.

Make Fruit the Dessert. Don't be afraid to experiment with puréeing fruits. You can turn almost any fruit into a popsicle. Purée some watermelon, banana or cantaloupe, pour it into a popsicle mold with sticks and you have an ice cream-like dessert that's healthy.

[Read More: Foods to Keep Out of Your Kitchen]

Mix It Up. Some kids are turned off by certain vegetables because of the bitter taste. Solution? Mix bitter vegetables with sweeter ones. Try adding spinach to sweet potatoes. These two vegetables are an unlikely pair, but extremely colorful and loaded with nutrients.

Get Involved. Have your kids help find new recipes, make the grocery list and shop. This gives them a sense of ownership in the decision-making process.

At the grocery store, let them choose which foods they want and are willing to try. Once you get home, involve them in the prep and cooking of the meal. If they're involved from the beginning, they'll be more proud of their accomplishment and want to share their healthy meal with the family.

Be a Role Model. It isn't a surprise that the main role models for children are mom and dad. When parents take the lead on exhibiting healthy behaviors, the kids are already ahead of the game. Take a close look at how you react to healthy foods. Do you turn your nose up at green beans or Brussels sprouts?

[Read More: Make Your Own Paleo Girl Scout Cookies]

Children are sponges and tend to mimic whatever their parents do. Reacting positively to healthy foods shows children that they taste good and are good for you. Even if kids don't like the food, they may change their attitudes over time, solely based on the parents' reactions.

Have Fun as a Family. Exercise can sound like work to some people, but consider fun activities that you can do as a family -- hiking, playing tag, kicking a ball, dancing and swimming, to name a few. When parents set the agenda for activities, the exercise just naturally sneaks its way in there.

Create Active Chores. This one is a win-win for parents and kids. Create a competition around active chores, such as putting clothes away, cleaning or yard work -- whoever wins gets a prize. Creating competition can help motivate kids to kick their efforts into high gear.

Invest the Time. Last, but not least, take the time to research interests and foods that your family enjoys together. Taking the time from the beginning can help ensure that these sneaky tips will work themselves into your everyday life and become habits.

--Jennifer

Readers -- How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods? Do you have to "trick" them into eating vegetables? If so, how? Have you tried any of the tips mentioned? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Jennifer Christman, RD, LDN, is the clinical nutrition manager at Medifast, Inc. Jennifer helps organize all of the nutrition content that goes into our marketing materials. When she's not busy tracking the latest and greatest nutrition information, she's helping guide our clients and customers on their weight-loss journeys. Jennifer brings more than 10 years of experience as a registered dietitian and is passionate about getting you healthy.

reprinted from Livestrong.com

The No. 1 Reason Your Workout Isn’t Working

By AMANDA RUSSELL

In my experience, there's one obstacle I see in most workouts, especially women's workouts. After countless hours of teaching exercise to people all over the world, I noticed it popping up everywhere. This wasn't a verified scientific study, just my personal observations through experience.

So what is this obstacle?

Intensity.

Sounds obvious, right? But it's the culprit that's keeping so many of us from getting fitter, losing weight and seeing results. The good news is that it's easy to overcome.

Lack of intensity comes in many forms, but the bottom line is that people are OK with getting moderately uncomfortable during a workout, but we rarely push ourselves to the limits. We think, "This is uncomfortable, I'm sweating, I'm moving and that's good enough."

But it's not enough, not if your goal includes big changes. Our bodies are stronger than our minds let us believe, but it's our instinct to pace ourselves to preserve energy in order to make it through a workout.

That's the problem with most 45- to 60-minute workouts: The levels of intense segments are too long for us to really push the limits, so we lower our effort level to a state that allows us to preserve our energy.

Here are six ways to crank up the intensity and get the most out of your workout:

1.Make the Commitment. Nike got it right: "Just do it." There is no "try." The first step is deciding to take on the challenge. Don't just promise yourself to work a little harder, commit to a certain time slot each day.

2. Have a Plan. Without a plan, a trip to the gym can quickly become a complete waste of time. To avoid wandering aimlessly from one piece of equipment to the next, sketch out your workouts ahead of time and set clear training goals.

When you go in with a purpose, you'll maximize your time. You'll be able to push so much harder if you know you only have 30 seconds before a break.

3. Be in the Moment. Rather than trying to work out for a long period of time, focus on what you're doing. Don't think about what's ahead -- concentrate on the interval at hand.

It's better to go hard on your first couple of intervals and need more recovery between each one than it is to sail through all of them without needing the recovery.

You can do anything for a limited period of time, and it allows your body (and mind) to push harder than it could for unknown time intervals.

4. Don't Multitask. It might be tempting to fire off emails on the stationary bike or browse Instagram on your phone, but don't do it.

Your workout should be the time you disconnect from the world and focus on working your body. Up the intensity by using the timer on the machine to do intervals, keep active recovery under 60 seconds and cap workouts at 45 minutes.

5. Get Uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to get breathless. Keep that goal at the front of your mind. Think "faster."

Cardio-loving distance runners may prioritize pacing and mileage, but try adding sprint bursts to your runs. Sprinting all-out for 10 sets of 30 to 60 seconds can blast more fat and energy in less time than a long run.

Add some intensity and variety to workouts by performing shuttle runs, hill sprints or 100-meter repeats with short recovery periods in between. Not running? You can do this with anything: On a bike? Bike faster. On the elliptical? Go harder.

6. Change Up Your Workouts. Don't stagnate. You'll get more out of accumulating a series of short, high-intensity intervals than a long steady-state workout.

Of course, you need to do both, but if it's results you're after and you're not finding them fast enough, you need to reevaluate how hard you're working. I promise: Exercise does work, but you have to keep up the intensity levels.

Here are five "go-to" interval workouts, no equipment required.(Note: These routines give you the framework; you decide how hard you can do an exercise.)

Tabata-Style Body-Weight Workout
Quick 100-Calorie Cardio WorkoutSuper Burn WorkoutCrazy-Intense Total-Body WorkoutBest of Barry's 12-Minute Interval Workout

Please note: There are many other factors that could be obstacles in keeping you from results, such as consistency and diet. But in my experience, intensity is the number-one problem I've noticed when it comes to the time people spend working out!

--Amanda

Amanda Russell is a top-rated fitness and lifestyle writer, professional keynote speaker, Olympic-trained athlete, model, spokeswoman, founder of FitStrongandSexy.com and one of the industry's leading experts on fitness, wellness and change. Amanda hosts and executive produces the online fitness series: Fit Strong and Sexy. To watch Amanda's show, visit AmandaRussell.tv.

Connect with Amanda on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

Reprinted from Livestrong.com
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/1-reason-workout-isnt-working#ixzz3Ghn8KrvU

Lifting Weights Can Help Your Memory

Bonus: It takes WAY less time than you think.

BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS | Women's Health

Whether you’re going over notes for a big work presentation or cramming for an exam, new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that lifting weights after your study session may help you better memorize your material.

For the study, 46 young adults (20 years old, on average) looked at a series of 90 photos on a computer screen. Researchers didn’t ask them to remember the photos, but secretly, they were waiting to test their memory.

Then, the participants sat down on a leg-extension machine. Half of the participants performed 50 reps at max effort, which took about 20 minutes. The rest just sat on the machine and let the researchers move their legs for them. Meanwhile, the researchers also monitored each participant’s blood pressure, heart rate, and saliva (for stress-linked chemicals).

Two days later, all of the participants came back to the lab and checked out a series of 180 photos—the 90 originals mixed in with 90 new ones.

Researchers found that while the non-lifters remembered about half of the photos from the first lab session, those who had lifted remembered 10 percent more. Pretty handy trick, huh?

And this isn’t the first study to find a link between a fit body and a sharper brain. One Brazilian study, for instance, found that six months of resistance training enhanced lifters’ brain function, including their short- and long-term memory. Meanwhile, recent research published in Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience found that young adults who are aerobically fit perform better on memory tests than non-fit ones.  

However, this study is unique (and awesome!) in that it found that just one post-study weight-lifting session can improve your memory.

But how’s that work? Researchers explain that people are more likely to remember experiences after undergoing acute stress, which weight lifting provides. What’s more, they say it should also work with bodyweight strength moves like squats, lunges, and pushups. So there’s no excuse not to reap weight lifting’s memory-boosting benefits!

Reprinted from Women's Health

10 Easy Ways to Lighten Up Any Recipe

Looking for a way to skinny up your favorite recipe? Spark People has a few great tips just how to do it!

Boost Nutrition and Cut Calories in the Kitchen

By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian

Choosing healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two completely different forms when it's quickly sautéed in olive oil versus battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it comes to home cooking.

The first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.

Here are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe overhauler!

1. Sauté—the skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of  low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you'll save calories to use elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
    
2. Say no to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture  (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.
    
3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
    
4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you're watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
    
5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving.
    
6. Puree your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories. In this recipe, Chef Meg thickens a taco soup with chickpeas!
    
7. Get cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.
    
8. Pump up the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles. The opportunities for adding veggies are endless for almost any dish!
    
9. Cut the cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.
    
10. Make your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You'll also save sodium by not using the store-bought varieties!) Try cutting the meat in strips before dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.

As you can see, there are endless ways you can boost the nutrition and reduce the calories of almost any recipe. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen. You may just find that you like these new ways of cooking just as much—or even better!

Reprinted from SparkPeople.

40 Things to Try When You Don't Want to Work Out

Some days motivation to workout is low. SparkPeople suggests these 40 ways to motivate yourself!
reprinted from SparkPeople

By: Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger

We all have the days where we plan to work out and know that we should, but when it's time to lace up your shoes and go…You. Just. Don't. Wanna.
 
I have those days, too, but when I remind myself how GOOD exercise makes me feel, and how it will help me reach my goals, I generally suck it up and do it anyway. Getting started really is the hardest part. Once you get going, you're generally glad you did. And when it's over, you feel even better.
 
But some people have less willpower or dedication. Some give in to the temptation to skip exercise too easily. While that's fine once in a while, it can become a hard habit to break if you skip out on your workouts too often.
 
So recently, I polled members of SparkPeople.com, America's No. 1 fitness and healthy living community, asking what THEY do to motivate themselves when they don't feel like exercising. Let me tell you: These people are a creative bunch. The next time you feel less-than-enthusiastic about your upcoming exercise session, take their advice. Here are 40 things you can do (or think about) to get your workout motivation back—and get moving. 
 
SparkPeople members answer: "When I don't feel like working out, I ___."

1. Do it anyway. (This was the most popular answer!)
2. Tell myself to go for 15 minutes. If I still feel bad or unmotivated, I can quit. I have yet to quit.
3. Look on Pinterest for motivation! (Check out Pinterest's Fitness section and followSparkPeople's Pinterest boards.)
4. Ask a friend along to the workout it helps us both with accountability.
5. Do a heavy house cleaning (vacuuming, moving furniture, scrubbing) so I have a reason to work out.
6. Watch a Crossfit video on YouTube. It always inspires me. Then I get it done.
7. Take a 10-minute brisk walk.
8. Take the dog for a long walk.
   
   
    
9. Force myself anyway and feel better for it.
10. Go to a yoga class. It gets me moving, and I always have fun!
11. I sit by myself for a few minutes and think about all the things I can't enjoy because of my poor health.
12. Sometimes I find myself doing it just to get my fitness minutes for the month. Proof that SparkPeople works!
13. Work out anyway…then bask in the awesomeness!
14. Find something new to do! If you run then go for a swim or a bike ride. Maybe you are getting bored with the same routine.
15. Complain about not feeling motivated, then go do it, since I don't like hearing myself complain.
    
    
     
16. I drag myself to the gym anyway. Before I realize it, an hour is passed and I'm glad I went.
17. Post about your lack of motivation on Facebook, and get chewed out.
18. Do it anyway because this is for me.
19. Try to force myself to just do something for 1 minute (jumping jacks, squats, etc.). But usually I tell myself I will be happier that I did it instead of mad at myself for not doing anything.
20. Put on my work out clothes, lace up my shoes and go for a walk. Once I'm out and moving I find my motivation.
21. Do a SparkPeople workout video! They are always great workouts and I love that they are not super hard and complicated!
22. Remember a time when I couldn't work out, and how sad I was when I was heavier, and how I don't want to feel sad again!
23. Listen to some music—something with energy that I like. It's funny how the right music can make you move even when you think you don't want to, and it usually provides a mood boost, too (which is probably why I didn't want to workout in the first place).
    
    
     
24. Put my feelings aside and use logic and reasoning. My feelings then change after a good workout.
25. Follow an "easy" DVD and tell myself I'll do just one part of it. I end up doing it all usually.
26. Put on my workout clothes!
27. Do a workout at home instead of going to the gym.
28. Remind myself why I started working out and how much better I feel and feel about myself when I am done!
    
    
     
29. Do it anyway, just not as long.
30. Remember how easy it is to loss fitness even after missing a few sessions.
31. Put on my workout clothes first thing in the morning. Once I'm in them there's no reason to not work out!
32. Remind myself of one of Gods promises in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
33. Think how good I feel after a workout! Nothing else gives me that same feeling!
34. Go bowling.
35. I go get my small weights and start toning up.
36. Do something light and slow, like yoga.
    
    
     
37. Start working out anyway, and then, I figure I've already started, so I may as well finish STRONG!
38. Put on dance music and move!
39. Call a friend to encourage me.
40. Think of all the people who can't and I go do it and am grateful that I CAN.

There are a lot of things in life that we should do but don't always feel like doing. For many, exercise is one of those things. But the only way to make it a habit is to do it—consistently. So next time you don't feel like it, make like these strong-willed SparkPeople members and do it—or something—anyway. Just get yourself moving, even if it's light and easy, and even if it's only for a few minutes. You'll be glad you did!

How do YOU get motivated to exercise when you don't feel like it? Do you skip your workouts or "just do it" when you'd rather not? Tell us in the comments below!
reprinted from SparkPeople