Can you actually avoid gaining weight over the holidays?

So last year I have to admit I didnt gain weight on the holidays. I did avoid the scales the day directly after but the following day I did weight myself and my weight did not go up. I have two boys so a lot of it is the constant chasing after them since they are out of school and are board. I ate a little bit of everything for dinner and only had one slice of the most yummy look pie. This year we are away from both our families and I refuse to make more than one pie for the four of us. Espicially since my two boys are not quite big enough to be eating three or four slices of pie in one day. Maybe in a few years when they are teenagers but right now I luck out and we only need one.

Looking up tips and tricks I found a few and there was a lot of overlap. This particle article I choose has it narrowed down to eight ways to avoid the holiday bulge.

1. Move your body. Lots of us are busy on the holidays but a good 30-45 minutes of cardio wont ruin your day and might actually make you feel better. I know its hard I balance two boys, a husband in the military so his schedule changes on a minute notice, a job, writing, and I promote my Body By Vi Challenge. I get busy but a little me time might actually be what the doctor ordered and will help you work of some of those extra calories.

2. Aim for seven a day. This goes for fruits and vegtables. Try to feel up on these yummy alternatives (preferably without loading up on a ton of dressing on it) and its a great way to feel fuller without adding lots of extra calories. You will also get the benefits of the extra fiber.

3. Control risk or temptation. This for me means dont stand by the dessert table. If desserts aren't your thing but you love a good dip....don't hang out next to that table. Make a small plate and walk away. There is nothing wrong with a little bit its just making sure you dont over do that little bit.

4. Limit one a day. I am terrible of the "I will not eat sweets" I instantly want it. Well if you know you can have one than some of the pressure is off so have one cookie or one piece of the yummy cake you only have once a year anyways. Enjoy it. But only have one.

5. Always plan ahead. This is great advice for those of you that are busy running from one place to the next. Have a little something yummy and healthy before you go that party. This could be a small yogart, granola bar anything that will make you a little less hungry so your empty belly does not cause you to put more on your plate then you need.

6. Be in charge of your party choices. Little helpful hints can help. Choose a small plate to eat with, avoid the sauce, what you eat for dessert, and watch what you drink. These little things can save you a ton of calories.

7. Say no polietly. I married into latin family and they really hate when I say no. They consider it rude and will constnatly try to talk me into more. I always have to follow a no thank you with "I am so full if I eat another bite I will explode, it was so good." I love them dearly and I dont want to hurt there feelings so I have had to think of the nicest way to say no without huring anyones feeling.

8. Focus on Socializing. This means not hanging out at the food table but walking around talking to your friends and family and having a great time.

Hope this helps. I know I have at least two dinners to survive and two weekends of back to back gatherings.  For more on the article check out:  http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/holidayeating12_01.aspx

Join me on my 90 Day Challenge at http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Is your weight loss goal realistic?

So those of you that have been following my blog have read that I have switched my weightloss goal to a fitness goal since I have PCOS and an underactive thyroid. The inches are coming off and I have been builiding lean muscles since I have started working out and drinking my Body By Vi Shakes but my weight just seems to fluctuate. Super annoying for a girl that is partly scale obsessed switching my goal has been good (still checking the scale but as long as my pants keeping getting loser and loser I haven't broken the scale for being mean to me).

For those of you that have heard of the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge I think this article is great. First of, if you haven't, I want to explain that the 90 Day Challenge is not about you picking a unrealistic goal of dropping 150 pounds in 90 Days and your life doing a complete 180. No the man or woman of your dreams is not guaranteed to show up in those 90 Days or your spouse that you are having problems with won't suddenly realize how lucky they and that you suddenly will be guaranteed a six figure income. 

I will say that I have heard of some people achieving some very high weightloss goal and there are a few people who became promoters and within 90 days are making a very, very lucrative income and have quit their day job. It is possible so I dont want anyone to get discouraged some of us take longer to get to that goal than others and that is ok, our journey is just meant to be different.

If you have a big weight loss goal start with a mini goal. Even a small change can have a big impact on your health. A good first goal is to lose 10% of your current weight. I would like to loose 60 lbs evenutally if I narrowed it down to 10% of my body weight that would be 19 pounds. That goal is a lot smaller and easier to achieve. Set up little rewards as you reach your mini goal. One thing to avoid though is to make your reward around food. What is one thing that you love but dont get to do very often or that you have wanted to buy but have put off for one reason or another. Those are great rewards. 

Make a change you can live with. I love my Body By Vi shakes so that is something I can live with. I get the protein I need plus fiber and a bunch of other vitamins and minerals I know I am missing in my daily diet. For me that is an easy change. That may or may not be you. This might be somehting more like adding more lean proteins, would you be able to comfortably adding more vegtables to your diet, or getting rid of soda (one of my weaknesses). This would be personal to you so dont let others tell you what you should or should do or give up. Only you know what you will be able to live with and stick with. 

Realisticly you may not loose every week or you may not reach your exact goal. Take stock. If you lost half a pound or didnt gain this week isn't that better than gaining half a pound. If you did gain weight is it because you started lifting weights and you gained a little muscle and have noticed that your clothes are looser but the scales said you gained a pound. Every day that you keep trying and push forward and not let your little slips discourage you from moving forward is a win. 

For more on the actual article: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/is-your-weight-loss-goal-realistic

Interested in joining me on my 90 Day Challenge? http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Do I really need to give up on bread?

I have friends that swear to me that they quit eating bread and lost 50 or so pounds. I love bread and pasta. Oh and lets not forget garlic bread to eat with my pasta. So heres the question "Is bread my enemy?"

So today I read another great article on WebMd that talked about this very thing. Most of us that love bread and have weight issues over do it on the white bread. Bagels, which my mom loves and eats most mornings, are pretty high in calories not overly high in fiber and according the food pyrmaid uses at least half of her carb intake.

The main problem with bread is that those bread items that we like that are not made with whole grains cause us to have a spike in insulin produciton and raises our blood sugar level. The bright side is if we are more aware and opt for the healthier whole grain versions of our favorite bread products it will get absorbed slower and we wont see such a huge spike in our sugar level.

Another problem with bread is that there seem to be more people with celiac disease or those that are senstitive gluten. This is something people need to be aware of because it does cause bloating, abdonminal pain, and fatigue. This is something you should talk to your doctor if you notice and get tested and if this is the case you my find you feel better if you put yourself on a gluten free diet. I do know several people that are on a gluten free diet and have found great recipes for all the things that they love including cake so do not despair it might take a few tries and a few recipes but there are great alternatives.

For those of you that do not fit in that category but are struggling with their weight and love bread there are a few alternatives. If you love bagels maybe switching to the bagel thins or split it, I eat the smaller bottom half and usually half the top between my kids when I find myself craving a bagel. I also make my burgers open face I use the bottom portion of the bun and leave the top off. If you can switch to whole wheat alternatives for your sandwhiches. They are generally healthier and have more vitamins and minerals than their conterparts. Check the label since companies have gotten crafty and started adding molasses to trick the consumers.

I guess the thing that we should learn is that if you are senstive and notice that you do get tired or bloat after bread talk to your doctor. If not than remember portion control. Pay atteniton to how much bread or bread like products you eat any day. Find a good alternative. I am eating less bread by replacing two out of my five meals a day with a Body By Vi Shakes. That works for me. Find what works for you and remember small changes can eventually lead to a big impact.

For more on the article check out: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-bread-and-diet

Want to join me on my 90 Day Challenge and see how one small change can impact your life. http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Should you exercise with a Cold??

Ok its that time of year again and my kids have shared with me their cold. Well I just started my third week of the 90 Day Challenge. I made mine a physical challenge which means I work out everyday but Sunday. So the question becomes should you work or not? The lazy part of me is like lets skip but the other part of me says you have been doing good if you stop now you might not start again. So what do the expert says.

Researching this was pretty easy and found a article on Web MD here are the highlights:
First thing it goes into is how exercise is good to prevent chronic illness (on this I feel cheated I mean really I have been working out for two weeks that counts right?). Regular exercise is known to jump start your immune system. With exercise the number of aggressive cells (the ones that fight illness) increase by 50-300%.

This did not have to be hard core exerecise but even just walking regularly could increase your white blood cell count. The study compared women their 60's who walked at least 30 minurtes regularly to women in there 30's. White blood cell count for the active women were the same as those 30 years younger.

Now the question comes in "Should you exercise with a cold?" A majority of the time it usually is according to the article, as long as you listen to your body. If you do a very intesnse workout you need to make sure you give your body enough time to rest between workouts. Now if you suffer from asthma and have a cold you should definetly talk to your doctor.

If you are taking cold medicine you may cause your heart to work really hard so this again is a listen to your body. I dont usually take cold medicine so I can't use this excuse but if you are you may want to think about lowering intensity based on how your body feels.

So I am still working out but I have lessen the intensity a little by slowling the pace and taking more water breaks as needed. I hope this helps.
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/exercise-when-you-have-cold

Ready to start your own 90 Day Challenge?  Join me at http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Why Diet and Exercise are Both important

I at one point have tried just dieting....than just exercising. Actually I just exercised while eating everything I wanted. I find that if I just diet but dont eat the right foods I am actaully starving most the day. I hope I am not the only one who has done this.....

So looking up other results I have found an article that discusses this. The article I found discusses a study she found that had 400 women participants between the ages of 50-75. They were broken down into four groups, diet only, exercise only, both, and those that did nothing. The study lasted a year which is I think great because how many of us loose weight in the first few weeks of our program just to turn around a quit long before we get to a year right.

The results were exercise only lost 2.4% of there starting weight, diet only 8.5%, both lost an everage of 10.8%.  Those that were the highest in that category also kept a food journal.

You dont have to make a big change to start but making one small change well lead to another. My small change was adding the Body By Vi protein drinks and than I slowly made another and than another.

Its not how you start but how you finish. Here's a link to the article if you want more information http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=both_diet_and_exercise_are_important_for_weight_loss_success

Ready to start the challenge?? http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Why I Changed my 90 Day Goal to a Fitness Goal

I tease my mom all the time for not "shopping for genetics" before she got pregnant with me. I don't really mean anything by it but I do have to admit I was aware of my short comings before I hooked up with my husband and tease him that part of my attraction is he makes up for up them.

I am five feet two inches he is just around six feet, where I have an underactive thyroid and PCOS he has a fast metabolic rate. Both those problems I have main system is....weight gain. That is right ladies and gentlemen I have two medical diagnosis that systems cause me to gain weight.

When I started my 90 Day Challenge with Body By Vi I was determined to loose weight. My friend did and with it being the number one weight loss company in North America hundreds of others have done or are currently doing it.

The weight came off a little at first but than stopped. I was not happy but I kept on going and well since I did my measurements I kept on doing them and realized I was loosing more inches than pounds. Well to keep myself from getting depressed about the scale I shifted my focus and I am happy to say have officially finished two weeks of the Insanity workouts. I have never been able to do that much before. Healthy diet and shifting my focus have helped me physically be in better shape than I was before. With the extra benefits of great support from my Body By Vi Family and my friends and family that are cheering me on I feel good.

Want to join me on my 90 Day Challenge? Have a fitness or weight loss goal in mind? Contact me and lets get started.  http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net

Why WE all need to add water to our daily diet.

I am first to admit I am really, really bad at drinking water. I would rather have something that taste yummy like soda, a sugary coffee or well anything else but water. Even now while I am trying to drink more water I find I use things to make it taste better. This morning I am drinking some with Visuals Neuro. It counts as water but I know I am not drinking enough. So today I am researching all the reasons I need to add sort of as a reminder to myself.

So why drink water:
1. FAT METABOLISM: This one thing alone should make me try and be more aware of how much i drink right. Let me explain according to the article Water is needed for every task of the body if the body does not have enough water to draw from it will use the water in fat, any fat stores that the body uses to get water from will less likely be used. So we store that fat.....uggg so basically we made it so our body has to store it. Not the goal I have in mind on my 90 Day Challenge.

2. Kidneys and Liver: Kidneys need a LOT of water to perform there fuctions. If they are not able to get it they function at lower capacity and will ask the liver to help out. The livers primary funciton is to metabolize stored fat...so if it is stuck helping out the kidneys because it doesnt have enough water to function how is it going to get rid of that fat you have been trying to get rid of?

3 Water Retention: This is similar to the starvation mood your body goes into if you dont eat enough. It starts to store what you put in so if you drink more the body will release more and you will retain less. If the body is getting enough water it will also release the extra soduim which we love to play for water retention.

4 Water and Exercis: Water helps with muscle tone and contraction. So if you find yourself feeling really hungry on days you workout or extremely tired you may need to increase your water intake. Yes 64 oz is the amount they recomend but if you are exercising (espicially doing a hard workout that causes you to sweat a lot) you may want to increase. Some articles say woman should have 90 or so ounces and men 100 or so ounces.

So the article I read actually references other articles for each statemnet and remember most this stuff from my health class in college. But sometimes we all need a reminder. If you want more information or want to read the whole article you can find it at http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jenheath4.htm

Want to joing me on my 90 Day Challenge  http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net/ 

A few skinny Cocktails to get you through the holidays

Most of us are hosting at least one party this holiday season. For those of you that want to have a few drinks without ruining your diet here are a few things to try:

1. Watermelon Mojito: No sugar instead use cubes of watermelon gently crushed with a few mint leaves than add rum and sparkling water

2. Simple Margarita: Skip the syrups for color instead one shot tequila, lime juice to taste and splash of triple sec shake with ice and you have a simple low calorie margarita.

3. The skinny Pina Colada: Using rum infused with flavors will help cut out some of the calories so you wont need to add the coconut milk mixer instead use one shot coconut rum add fresh strawberries, splash of agave syrup and blend with ice. 

4. Slim Berry Daiquiri: 1 cup no sugar added berries, rum, ice and sweeten with 1 teaspoon stevia than blend.

5. Asian Flavor Fussion: Try Ginger Vodka with lime sparkling water. You can change the sparkling water flavor for a rich combination of Asian Flavor Fussions.

These are just a few of the skinny cocktails I found. For more recipes check the link http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-skinny-cocktails?ecd=wnl_wlw_110312&ctr=wnl-wlw-110312_ld-stry&mb=

Ready to start your 90 Day Challenge? http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net/

Why Omega's are important to a healthy diet

So I am taking my omega pills from Body By Vi and I love them because no weird fishy burps after but when someone ask me why I take them I have no real answer other than I know they are good for me so I looked it up. This is what I found:
Omega 3 and Omega 6 are essential fatty acids that are cruicial for normal tissue function. These two forms of Omega are not made by the body. Omega 9 is made in the body and can be used to replace what you are not getting if you do not intake enough Omega 3 and 6 but it sort of like a cheap subsitute.

Part of Omega 3's role is to: Prevent blood clotting and prevent cancer cell growth, help decrease the risk of heart disease, help maintain good mood and fight depression, helps lower the bad cholestorol in body. This is just a few things it does.

Omega 6 helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails and healthy immune system.

Omega 9 helps in cancer prevention and helps fight heart disease and cholestorol.

Adding Omega 3 to your diet is supposed to help reduce the fatty food craving and also reduces insulin production which reduces hunger.

I love my Omega Vitals I get in my weightloss kit for my 90 day Challenge. For more information the article used to help explain why Omegas are so good for you can be found at:  http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Omega-3,-6,-9-Fatty-Acids-to-Weight-Loss&id=1912032

Ready to start your own 90 Day Challenge? 
http://lanischweitzer.myvi.net