Week 3: Keep it Moving

By Kathleen Crowley
Features Editor
Issue Three of The Pioneer is not only an accomplishment for our new and improved staff, but a huge achievement for those continuing to follow our new nutritional guide to a healthier life style. By now, we should have figured out how to pick and choose what is and isn’t healthy and how to fit a workout routine into our hectic schedules.
Unfortunately, now that the Fall season has finally settled in, the cold weather seems to damper our ambition to work out and eat healthy. We are all undeniably tempted by the luxury of cozy comfort food, and the warmth of our beds (which is only properly appreciated with a bag of chocolate and movies!) We lose the desire to get up and work out, and the thought of a cold plate of fruit and vegetables no longer seems refreshing. Especially now that tank tops and short shorts are no longer part of our daily attire, we layer up in oversized sweaters and sweatpants that not only keep us warm, but encourage us to indulge in unhealthy food and avoid the gym, right?
What this week’s guide will inform you is that there are ways to fight the temptation of lazy days, and encourage you to stay moving and motivated.
Music is motivation: It is known that workout routines at the gym can become a bit monotonous; the same environment, the same machines, the same 20-30 minutes on that boring treadmill –the thought of just running in the same spot for that amount of time seems more dreadful than exciting. However, the motivation of a good playlist is essential to an exceptional work out. Each time you go work out, try to put together a different mix of fast and upbeat songs that keep you motivated. Also, for those of you going for a long period of time, choose songs that set and change your pace –alternating fast and slow tempos, matching songs to the type of workout you want to engage in.
Jackie Warner, celebrity trainer and star of Bravo’s Thintervention, agrees that the number-one way to get motivated is through the music you choose on your playlist. In an interview on Shape.com, Warner shares one of her favorite and most current playlist that she suggests we all try:
• California Girls, Katy Perry
• Bulletproof, La Roux
• Acapella, Kelis and David Guetta
• Rock that Body, Black Eyed Peas
• Te Amo, Rihanna
• Not Afraid, Eminem
• Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z and
Alicia Keys
• Sex on Fire, Kings of Leon
• Womanizer, Britney Spears
If you have a different taste of music, Shape.com conveniently put together a selection of playlists to suite every type of regime. “From running and walking to biking and boxing, we have the best beats to take your routine to the next level. Get ready to rock your workout!”
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/playlists/playlists-best-tunes-for-every-workout
For those of you who still can’t figure out how to eat healthy, here are some easy rules that will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy eating.
– Don’t get crazy with calorie counting, just aim for fat free and low fat foods.
– Make sure to be eating three meals a day, plus two small snacks to stay full.
– Craving sweets? Have a cup of herbal tea and a piece of fruit first, then reassess.
– Cut out distractions while you eat! Pay attention to the food you’re consuming, and enjoy each bite. Those who watch TV, go on the internet, or do work while eating, are more likely to over-eat.
– Protein, protein, protein! The best thing to put in your body (besides water) is lean protein: fish, eggs, chicken and beans. Having one serving per meal will lower your appetite and keep you fuller longer.
– Whatever you do, cut out sugar and carbs past 8 PM! As the day comes to an end, we become less active and our metabolism starts slowing down. If you aregoing to have carbs, have them earlier in the day, allowing your body to have time to break them down and store them properly.
– Avoid wasted calories; forgo the unnecessary. Cut out what has no nutritional value such as ketchup, alcohol, soda, etc.
– Go ahead, treat yourself to a cheat day! Nobody is perfect and we are all going to have those lazy chocolate days. Try to aim for six days of healthy eating, and allow yourself ONE day where you eat what you deprived yourself of all week. Splurge and feel good about it, then just get back on track the next day.
Snack Right! Sally Sampson, the author of 100-Calories Snack Cookbook, shares some appealing low calorie snacks that satisfy both salty and sugary cravings that do NO harm to your healthy regime.
So before you go and spend your last dollar on a quick fix Snickers Bar, try out one of these recommended snacks that are both easy and delicious:
– 3/4 cup mango tossed with lime juice and red pepper flakes (86 calories)
– 1 sheet of graham crackers spread with jam (80 calories)
– 1/2 cup of strawberries dipped in microwaved sugar free chocolate chips (100 calories)
– 1/2 large pink grapefruit sprinkled with 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar (70 calories)
– 1 large hard boiled egg, sliced and sprinkled with salt or nutmeg (80 calories)
– 3 ounces deli turkey spread with 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and rolled in 2 Romaine lettuce leaves (90 calories)
– 1 cup of Campbell’s Select Harvest Light Soup Roasted Chicken (80 calories)