REAL Rock. As in, Not the Plastic Kind.

Happy Thursday! We are in the homestretch of the week and I want to throw something a little different your way on LaFemmeFITalle today. I realize that my readers are at varying levels of fitness- not to mention have varying interests in topics- and this one is for the high adrenaline-seeking types who like to try new things and think outside the box when "working out". 


Today, Danielle will give you a glimpse at a type of sport that few people (that I know, anyway) take up. It can sound a little daunting and, if she wasn't my cousin and one of my very best friends in the world, I'm not sure I wouldn't write it off as "too hard!" But having watched her truly fall (not literally!) for the sport over the past couple of years really makes me more intrigued to give it a shot. Perhaps I will when I visit her across the Pond next time...


 I don't want to give anything away so, please, enjoy Danielle's guest blogging post!
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From a former fitness enthusiast, now a climber: an

                        invitation to go outside.

Rock climbing is something  that most people have probably tried, ie. down at the climbing wall (every city has at least one) but that few have really tried—and by that I mean going to a crag and tying into a rope. Let me be honest: Pulling onto plastic rock, indoor rock—what an oxymoron—though it makes a cute(ish) photo op for Facebook, is not climbing. It is to climbing what the elliptical machine is to skiing. That is: Barely even related. 

When I first pulled onto real rock in 2009, it was on a friendly little route called Pillar Variant. I was there because climbing was something I’d always wanted to do, and I met a guy who was really into it and keen to take me out for a try (I’ve found out since that this is how so many female climbers begin…) My first route was a mere 40 meters high. They say the first route you climb is always terrifying, and indeed it was. It made anything I’d ever tried at the climbing wall seem like it happened in black and white, while this—real rock!—was in technicolor. The landscape, the adrenaline, my heart pounding … Nature is no gym. It is a million times better.

 Peak District, England

To be clear: I am not naturally athletic, strong, or brave. I am possibly the diametric opposite of all of those things. But, in the first weeks of trying climbing on for size, I found out it doesn’t take a traditional athlete to be a climber, nor does it take a lot of physical strength. Lots of people, especially women, are scared off it because they think you need to be strong; not true. 

Women, at a major disadvantage in terms of upper body strength, turn out to make some of the best climbers. (Check out Lynn Hill for one amazing example.) Our tiny fingers slip into cracks in the rock that guys can’t touch, and we’re smaller, which helps. Climbing, you’ll learn from your first time on real rock, isn’t about being strong. It’s about balance, poise, dynamic movements, timing … It’s surprisingly like dancing, as much an art form as it is a sport.

Muckross Head in Donegal, Ireland

I’m actually using “climbing”  to refer to a couple of different things. There’s sport climbing, which is where you tie into ropes, have a person belaying you from below, and you make your way up a rock face by clipping your rope into metal bolts that have been pre-placed into the rock. Sport climbing is pretty safe, as safe as climbing a route at the climbing wall. (If you’re competitive, sport climbing is a good way to channel that.)

Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, is about making your way up a rock face by placing gear into crevices and cracks that you find in the rock, and clipping your ropes into the gear you’ve placed yourself. If you have a technical/mechanical mind (ie. you like gadgets and machines), or if you’re especially independent, trad climbing is brilliant. If sport climbing is like driving an automatic, trad climbing is driving a manual: more control, more responsibility.

There’s also bouldering, which is about climbing rocks without ropes, on routes low to the ground, with mats placed on the ground below. Bouldering is about technical skill, and, for many people, the beauty of movement. I suggest trying every kind of climbing. I’m still a new climber, and have spent the past two years mostly bouldering with a bit of trad climbing and one adventure in deep water soloing (climbing on overhanging cliffs above the sea) all of which have their own charms and thrills. 

The best thing about climbing: It’s a zen thing, a teacher. Clinging to the side of a mountain with my left hand, unclipping a piece of gear from my harness with my right, I have been able to ignore the vast dimensions of space spreading out on all sides, and hone in on a tiny crack in the rock in front of me in order to correctly place that bit of gear and go on to the next move … and I can’t even throw a football.  Climbing forces you into the zone because—your body is telling you, regardless of the safety of ropes—this is life or death. And your mind responds by learning to handle stress in a different way, channeling it to help you get to the top.

Cliffs on the Mediterranean, near Olympos, Turkey 

The second best thing about climbing: It takes you to some amazing places. For me, so far, I’ve climbed over the ocean southern Turkey, in the desert in Texas, on mountains and rock faces all over Ireland, and England … And I’m just getting started. The key is to avoid convenience sometimes, to pass up the climbing wall (or the gym) in favor of something a little more primal. Your body and soul will know the difference.

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Like I said, a bit on the intimidating side but I think the "pros" Danielle just listed here make it a challenge worth accepting! Have you ever tried climbing? Would you? 

Special Delivery! Meal Planning Made Easy.

Hey Everyone! I'm switching it up a bit today and posting about food! Exactly two weeks into my Thailand trip, I have reached that point where you start craving a bunch of foods you can get anytime at home but are definitely not accessible here. Foods like.... a bagel with cream cheese and lox, Five Guys, and salt and vinegar chips.... Sigh. Despite the amazing Thai cuisine I've got here, my mind can't seem to forget my tried and true faves. 

If your mind tends to gravitate to these scrumptious yet not-so-nutritious meals on a regular basis, you might be interested in what my next guest blogger, Rachel, has to tell you about. A quick introduction: Rachel and I have been friends since middle school! Ahhhh, yes- We've endured countless (read: horrible) school lunches together, participated in (and by "participate" I mean tried to get out of) P.E. together, and even dormed together our first year of college (and we both managed to keep the Freshman 15 at bay, thank you very much!) 

She's a wonderful friend and I'm so happy to share her post with all of you. Enjoy. 

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Hi La Femme FIT-alle Readers,


                                    Q: What do I have in common with Dan Merino and Janet Jackson? 

Hey, Danny!

A: Nutrisystem!

I’m sure you’re wondering, first, "Uh...isn't that from 1970???" and second, "What does a 26 year old female, who isn’t significantly overweight, doing using Nutrisystem?" Well truth be told, a family friend started selling the weight loss program and offered me and my boyfriend a Friends & Family deal on it. Now, while we aren’t OVER-weight, long days at our desk jobs have left us above our ideal weight, and not getting those precious nutrients we desperately need. So we thought Why not? 

i-Phones make life- and dieting- so much easier!

The Nutrisystem plan consists of 3 daily pre-packaged meals delivered to your door each month. The meals are meant to be supplemented with fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy, as described in the helpful meal planner they send along with your delivery. There’s also a nifty app for it! 

Over the last month the convenience of pre-packaged, pre-planned meals has really appealed to me. Here’s an example of one of my days on Nutrisystem:

Breakfast:

1- Super delicious Nutrisystem banana nut muffin

1- Handful of blackberries

1- Cup of Coffee w/ FF Dairy Creamer

= Me out the door 10 minutes earlier!

Snack: 

1- Granny Smith Apple (love being told to eat more fruits!)

Lunch:

1- Nutrisystem Red Beans and Rice w/ Chicken Sausage (Add a little hot sauce and this is yummy!)

1- Green Giant Single Serve Frozen Veggies

**A moment about these little guys…if you don’t buy them YOU SHOULD! A super easy way to get veggies on the go and only 40 calories. Also, if you are a wannabe extreme couponer like me, you’ll see coupons for them pretty often.

1- Small salad w/ Low fat Dressing or just use Balsamic Vinegar

= Allowing me to stay chained to my desk while still getting some healthy food in my belly! 

Snack:
1- FF Greek yogurt

When deciding to undertake our trial of Nutrisystem, we opted for the “Dinners on Your Own” option. This makes the "sacrifice", so to speak, a lot more bearable. We both eat pretty healthy as it is, so I knew we wouldn’t blow our entire day come dinner time. 

Yay!

There is something about the Nutrisystem “plan” that really speaks to my OCD side, and then there’s also the ease factor. Nutrisystem is beyond convenient, and I love it for that reason alone! Also, the benefit of portion/calorie control makes the program super effective. I sadly confess that my lunch choices at work can sometimes be upward of *gasp* 600 calories! That’s almost half my daily recommendation! A Nutrisystem lunch will run you closer to 300 cal. That being said, 30 days of eating the Nutrisystem meal plan “most” days I can say that my boyfriend and I both noticed several positive changes! The 5 meals a day kept our energy levels high which led to more after work gym visits, and the extra nutrients found in Nutrisystem meals left us feeling all-around healthier.  AND (wait for it)…my waistline actually got smaller! Yay for fitting into skinny jeans! 

As with all things, Nutrisystem is not perfect.  Among the downsides is the cost. While you can order items a la carte, a full months’ worth will run you around $200/month. If you’re someone who budgets their grocery spending each month this will seem a lot more feasible, otherwise, coughing up $200 at the start of the month can be hard to swallow. The other con I was going to mention at the start of my blogging was the packaging and the thoughts that ran through my head that they hadn’t changed their stuff since the early 70s; however, to my surprise Nutrisystem has recently undergone some major rebranding and some meal makeovers including adding frozen food items, which makes the sight of Nutrisystem on my desk leaving me looking less like a dowdy secretary and more like the sassy, healthy, Executive Assistant that I am. 

So after my thorough review of the program, if your New Year’s resolution includes getting healthier and thinner order some Nutrisystem at 1-800-321-THIN. And if you’re looking for a super helpful service representative, ask for Sharon!

Happy, Healthy Eating in 2012!

~ Rachel

I Spin for Peanut Butter!

Happy Monday, everyone! (I know, I know... it stinks- But that's why I have another fun post to distract you for a few minutes!) 


Here in Thailand, it's actually already Monday night and I just hopped out of the shower. Not to get TOO personal but while I was in there, I was admiring my legs not only for the tan I've acquired in my tropical locale but also for their shape and definition. I have not had a single proper workout since I left NYC on Dec. 23rd and I was considering that even though I have not been able to hit the gym, my lifestyle here is so very active that I still feel (and look!) fantastic; well, I think so anyway...


 (I figure self-loathing on fitness blogs is so 2011 and in 2012, we should be admiring our bodies, yeah?) 


MUCH of my activity comes from riding a bicycle everywhere- the market, to the school I'm teaching at, to the Thai massage parlor, to the wat (temple), etc. Even when we go out to lunch and dinner, we ride our bikes. It's incredibly pleasant and I'm so thankful for the workout cycling approximately 4-5 miles/day has given me! I know I'd go a bit mad without it. Luckily, when I return to the States in a week, I won't have to give my newfound fitness obsession up entirely.....
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I Spin for Peanut Butter!

(Photo courtesy of Asphalt Green)

I do. And for ice cream, bbq chips, pancakes, cheeseburgers... all of it. It was the moment I saw Jenn Anniston’s rockin’ hot bod, then calculating the near 20 year gap between her and I, that I thought, “Okay, I need some spin in my life!”

So I joined Asphalt Green on the Upper East Side, and was off to my new life, and my first spin class. I was hooked! I thought I was going to die, and sweat like a man (the only available seat was next to the really adorable chap of course!), but I knew I was past the point of no return. I’d be back. I put together some tips for girls, who like me, and just starting off:

1. Have a positive attitude. You might want to kick and scream a bit, but have an open mind. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
2. Don’t let intimidation get the best of you. Sure, there will be classmates who look like Olympians and can spin circles around you, but the challenge in some beautiful way brings us together.
3. Drink water! Stay hydrated. Trust me, it’s your new best friend.
4. Motivate, challenge, push yourself. You are capable of burning up to 600 calories in one class! Find that picture, set that goal, the bikini you’ve been dying to wear, and go for it!  (Do you know how much peanut butter you can get with one spin class?... Only about 5 tablespoons. Rip off.)
5. Keep doing it! Don’t quit after the 2nd or 3rd class. It gets better and better, and so does your bod!
6. Get to know your spin instructor. I am loving Karen Sullivan, of SpinUpGirl.com. She is friendly, inspiring, encouraging, and a lot of fun! She makes me feel confident on the bike.

Benefits of spin class:

• Burn calories
• Increase endurance
• Get super fit
• Have fun!

There you have it. So, what do you spin for?

More about Asphalt Green
Asphalt Green is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. This premier athletic complex situated on a beautiful 5½-acre campus is one of New York City’s most valuable resources, acknowledged for its unparalleled programs and expertise. Learn More

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Elena Baxter
Co-Founder + Marketing Director
Lifestyle + Charity Magazine
@emabax
Facebook.com/ElenaBaxter
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So who else is up for a little spinning this year?! Elena, let's make it a date in the City when I return! Oh, and P.S. Be sure to check out the magazine Elena and her sister co-founded, LifestyleandCharity.com. There are some wonderful fitness articles there plus great events going on in the NYC-area!

The Battle Between Age and Fitness

Sorry to leave you guys hanging for a couple days! Now that we're about a week into our fitness resolutions, I figured you might need a little encouragement and a reminder to stick with your goals, no matter what. Soooooo.....


Today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to my good friend, Adam. I met Adam in March of 2010 while galavanting with two girlfriends around Europe. In fact, we met Adam on our very first night there- He was sharing a room with us in the hostel we'd booked. Some of my best memories of that trip include Adam showing us around La Ville-Lumiere and toasting to new friends (better yet, good friends!) in quaint little cafes. 
We would've never had the same first night experience without Adam and I'm so glad we've stayed in touch since then. Adam is now residing back in his home country of Australia, busy starting his own company and, of course, writing (he is a superb writer, as you will soon see for yourself). So without further adieu, I present to you: "The Battle Between Age and Fitness" by Lindsay (Adam) Gordon. Enjoy.


                            The Battle Between Age and Fitness 
                                                         Lindsay A. Gordon

Those of us in our advancing years are fallen, or at least falling, and age has wearied us. We, the zombifying masses, wake later, sleep less well, eat more, and exercise less. The Battle of the Bulge for us is no noble endeavour or act of bravery but a 40 year war with the scales annually weighted further against us. The fight has gone out of us and each diet and exercise challenge is reminiscent of Browning's "bridge too far".


So, how to fight this new war? Where we awoke one morn' and the battlefield has totally shifted? No longer the young fawn full of energy with a bottomless stomach, but an old slow buck who is tired and must watch every mouthful. As if the physical malaise was not enough, we are also in the peak of our stress (a'hem I mean careers) and food acts as an anti-stress drug that is just barely effective enough for us to continue to think it is a good idea. Mentally we become locked into certain (bad) habits and find our thoughts less maleable to our will - so we can't make ourselves fit for the sake of it. But we are wise enough to see through lots of 'otherwise really promising' carrot and stick schemes to get into shape.

Young Fawn

Old Buck

I think we can look to our friends, like the La Femme FIT-alle blog, to make the difference in our lives. At our age we have cultivated these wonderful human connections, and our eyes are open to the truly meaningful things in life, like friendship. How much easier is it to go to the gym or take a run with a friend? Suddenly that which was a chore becomes fun, and before you have finished chatting you've already jogged 1K! Our friends can tell us things we can't tell ourselves, and they can see things we cannot see in ourselves. This is an advantage of a cornerstone not to be missed!


The strengths of our youth were our vigour, ceding endless activities to play. And as we grow increasingly habitual, connected, appreciative, and knowledgable with each passing year perhaps we turn to these as our new strengths. Consider, have our friends taught us new habits and does it work the other way around?

So start appreciating a healthy diet and those delectable tastes of fresh fruit and veg that we know not to be purchased from the hybrid supermarket but from a market garden / our own backyard. And use your wisdom to come up with a sensible plan that will actually stick. Know that we need to start TODAY because TOMORROW never comes.

Yours in(spiration) friendship,
Lindsay A Gordon

Fly Away, Fly Away, Fly Away....

Welcome back to LaFemmeFITalle! You all are in for a treat today because my second guest blogger is going to tell you all about a trend that has hit yoga HARD and (thankfully) is not going away anytime soon! 

Rachael is my trusted resource for all things yoga in NYC- We've really enjoyed canvassing the city to take classes together and now that she is working the desk at OM Factory in Chelsea, I know exactly where to head to get my zen on. =) Please enjoy her post as she teaches you all about a yoga phenomenon definitely worth looking into. Who knows- It just might be your 2012 fitness obsession...

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Have you ever wanted to fly?  I remember dreaming of flying like a bird night after night as a kid.  I remember thinking to myself that when I grew up, I wanted to fly.  The closest I have come to fulfilling this childhood dream is AntiGravity Yoga…it gives you wings (and not the Red Bull kind).

Doesn’t sound familiar?  If you just shook your head and thought “What is AntiGravity Yoga all about?”  Then you can count yourself as being a part of the majority of people who have yet to experience AGY.  It is an art form that is in its infancy.  It is so new, in fact, that it doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page yet (!)  Not only is AGY a new art form, but its development has created a new genre of exercise, known as “suspension fitness” and involves the use of Hammocks which are securely suspended from the ceiling and function to allow people to hold challenging poses longer, build cardiovascular and muscular strength, and decompress the vertebrae of the spine without strain.  

I am fortunate enough to intern at OM Factory, one of the very few yoga studios in NYC that offers AntiGravity classes.  If you are lucky enough to take an AGY class there with AGY certified instructor, Josie Say, she will probably give you a brief history of the practice.   Last Thursday, she informed our class that AGY was dreamed up only about 20 years ago by Christopher Harrison, the founder of AntiGravity, Inc, an acrobatic entertainment group based in New York City.  She explained that AntiGravity Yoga is a hybrid practice combining traditional yoga poses with aerial arts, Pilates, and dance.  I can attest that elements from all of these arts were a part of the 75 minute class.  

The class moved at steady clip, with enough time in each pose to really feel the muscles activating.  If you are familiar with yoga, you will recognize that AGY classes move through the familiar poses, but the extra element of swinging in a hammock adds an entirely new dimension to the yoga practice.  Everyone began in a seated position in which the soft silkiness of the AGY Hammock envelopes your body.  This is called, “Womb” and is considered a levitating meditation or, in Sanskrit, Badda Konasana.  That was followed up with a zero compression inversion.  Josie very carefully guided us in and out through a series of simple progressions, while rhythmic music hummed softly in the background.  My second favorite pose was “Monkey” (my first being the “Screaming Cannonball” … it’s nicer than it sounds).  “Monkey” is one of the simpler inversions in which our legs carry the weight of our body as our bodies swing weightlessly upside down.  

Everyone Monkey!

The remainder of the class was dedicated to hydrating joints through mobility exercises, elongating and strengthening the muscles, decompressing the spine and fine-tuning proprioceptors for better agility through swinging exercises. At times, people needed a little extra-boost of confidence to make it into a pose & Josie seemed to have a sixth sense at these times and was able to say exactly what we needed to hear to move us forward in our AGY journey.  She and her assistant did a tremendous job of providing moral support to each of us, even giving hands on assistance when needed.  Believe or not, everyone was successful every time.  We finished with a “Floating Savasana” meditation where one seals in the positive effects of their practice.

Before I left the class, Josie and her assistant were nice enough to humor my questions about AGY and were even willing to help me into a few advanced poses.  

This is our version of “Double Lotus”.  

You can see that I am enjoying my new relationship to gravity!  I can’t wait to do it all again next week.  As to whether or not you will take the leap and try AGY is totally up to you but I will leave you with a quote from AGY instructors to help you make up your mind: 

"The class emphasis is to have fun while learning new skills and experiencing a total body workout." –OMFactory

Namaste.

Rachael

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Oh, and P.S., if you are interested in a hilariously honest account of living in N.Y.C., be sure to visit Rachael over at her own blog:

                                                              WhenStarbucksRuledTheWorld.blogspot.com

Lessons Learned & Tools that Taught

Happy New Year, everyone! Hopefully you're waking up feeling afresh and ready to tackle any fitness goals you may have decided on for 2012. =) I'm currently enroute from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and wanted to take a moment here at Suvarnabhumi Int'l Airport to update LaFemmeFITalle starting with my first guest blogger, Kristy. 

Kristy is a dear friend of mine I've known since high school. We've traveled abroad together, partied together, and have even worked out together- You may recall my post about rafting this past summer up in Pennsylvania. Well, Kristy was along for that ride and we had a BLAST! 

Without further adieu, please enjoy Kristy's story of (weight) loss and triumph. It's sure to inspire all of us as we resolve to a healthier new year. 
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When my good friend, Ms. Laci, asked me to do this guest blog, I wanted to knock it out of the park! I wanted to do something different... something fun… but then I remembered; it's about being HEALTHY, not just cool and innovative ways to keep it interesting (which is a BIG part - but maybe a little down the line for some people).  For those of you who are starting a New Year resolution or who may have fallen off the workout bandwagon, this one is for you.  

At the bottom of the blog is my TOP TEN TIPS to jump start your weight loss and how to learn that part of being healthy is changing your LIFESTYLE.  That took me a while to figure out - but I did.  The proof is in the pudding and the tips are for real.   It's something that is embarrassing to reveal, even on here where the following isn't my own but I'm still putting me out there.  That is always scary. So, what better place to do it for the first time than on a friends blog that’s all about fitness and health!   

I, like many of you, refused to take pics so this is as good as it gets)

In December 2006, I was at my grandmother's house for Christmas and stepped on her scale.. It was BAD (deep man voice that makes it sound REALLLLY bad).  It was the highest I have ever weighed.   In that moment I decided I was done.  Done being uncomfortable. Done hating clothes.  Done breaking out.  Done being tired.  Done not caring.  I was DONE.   

The first thing I did was cut the crap.  I knew what I was eating was crap.  I started cooking-   eating chicken, chicken and more chicken.  I had green beans and corn and broccoli and wheat bread.  I started slowly changing my lifestyle.  In 8 months I lost 20 lbs.   

When you are heavy or eat crappy, the first bit goes the fastest.  I felt good, maintained for a while then I STEPPED. IT. UP. First up, working out.  I started with speed walking then once I could do that, I started running.  At first 30 mins, 3 times per week… then 45 minutes, 3 times per week.  Over the next two years I s.l.o.w.l.y did it.  A pound or two a week.  Be realistic; FAST weight loss means FAST weight gain!   I wanted this to be gone forever!  

 

Since 2009, I have maintained my weight and learned that even though that number didn’t get bigger when I stopped working out for a while, my body changed.  Having small goals of 5 pounds by my trip to Europe or 10 lbs before I was a bridesmaid help keep me on track – but if it didn’t happen it was OK.  It’s a process.  I would go through spurts but overall I learned with working out, I can maintain and eat things I want to.  But then something happened; the opportunities came and I noticed my appetite for all things bad had changed.   I had done it.  I made the LIFESTYLE CHANGE. 



Right before March 2009, I felt so good! I had reached my goal. So I did something I have always wanted to do: I donated to Locks of Love. I did it- I cut off all my hair and suddenly I felt a sense of freedom. Gone now was my shield from the world. It was the one thing I was complimented on. Not my clothes and not my shoes and not my body. Losing weight helped me see I was beautiful outside as well as in. I didn't feel the need to hide anymore. I donated 13 inches and have never felt better.   


A few months ago I reached my "it's never gonna happen but still in the back of my mind goal" goal.  After 5 years I lost 54 lbs!   I now want to lose about  15 lbs more lbs but its really not a numbers game anymore because I am happy with ME.  For the first time in a long time.   


          KRISTY'S TOP TEN "Back to Basic" TIPS:  

• Get a good play list for running/walking.
  - Get songs with fast beats for running.  Test a few while working out since you really don’t know what kind of pace you need till you are doing it.  If I didn’t have "Major Tom" by the Shiny Toy Guns I wouldn’t have made it the last 5 min stretches on those crappy days you just don’t want to do anything.   
• Cut out whites!
  - White bread, pasta, cheese, and mayo.  I weaned my way into taking coffee black.  Trust me, its not forever but its helps for the initial boost.  (now I don’t even like mayo and eat everything whole wheat)
• Always go with Whole wheat vs. Multi Grain. 
  - They can throw a splash of several grains in something but you want to make sure you have all the nutrients you can get. The WHOLE grain.  
• Fiber is good! 
  - Grab a box of fiber bars ( my fave is Kellogg's FiberPlus Chocolate Chip)  and have a stash in your car or purse so when you get hungry out you have something to snack on instead of stopping in for fast food.  
• If you must have fast food go CHICK-FIL-A! (if you're fortunate enough to have one in the neighborhood...)
  - Grab a Char Grilled Sandwich (3 g of fat & 270 cal) - No fries.  And don’t be fooled; that Honey Mustard sauce they give you has 6 grams of fat in it.  Say NO THANKS and if a sauce is a necessity ask for their fat free honey mustard sauce.  * Ignore the funny looks, you are better then that!
• Weight loss is cutting the fat. Healthy is eating nutritiously.  
  - At first cut the fat… maintain by knowing its ok to eat healthy fat.  Hummus and Peanut Butter for example.  
• Take the stairs!
  - Every little bit helps.  Skip the escalators, elevators, close parking spots and  WALK.  If you have avoided and looked for stairs but still cant find them sprint. Get in the left hand lane, pass those lazies and treat the escalators as stair climbers.  
• Don’t keep junk food on hand!
  - "Duh!" -right?  WRONG.  When someone give you home made treats or you get to get a taste of something you haven't in a while it gets tricky.  Eat it!  Yup, I said it. Eat it!   Just PORTION CONTROL.  Eat a little get you TASTE (not fill) and toss the rest - or donate to hungry friend or neighbor.  But get it gone ASAP!  Don’t make it harder then it already is.  I love baking, so I make cupcakes/cakes/pumpkin bread (yum!) have me a slice and pass my sweets along! 
• Have quick healthy snack available.
  - Apples.  Oranges.  Grapes.   If you are hungry for too long you will find that cracker or piece of bread to snack on and add extra calories that are unnecessary.
• And last but not least - BE HAPPY!!!
  - Don't kill yourself to loose a pound or to fit into a dress.  If you want chocolate - eat some (... preferably dark), but don’t overindulge.  Its about taking the power back.   If you want a burger, do some research - bison burgers are lean.   

Your Cheat Sheet: 
*Cut the crap.*FAST weight loss means FAST weight gain!*You are beautiful outside as well as in.*Lose some lbs then maintain for a few months.  Teach your body the weight it's going to be.*When you stop working out even though the number doesn’t change or get bigger your body does.*It's the little things that count;  the first time I could sit and hold my knees to my chest.*I can maintain my weight and splurge on bad foods by working out and maintaining a lifestyle of healthy - (and actually enjoying it!) *Changing your BODY doesn't change YOU.

 

              Hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday - Now, Tis the season of WEIGHT LOSS!   ;)