We are slowly moving towards the last part of the year, only four months left!  Where are you with your lifestyle change?  On track, off the course, or have you sidelined it all together? 

Time to kick it into gear people!  I asked Stephanie Fogelson a few questions around what we should focus on for the end of 2011.  Here are her words of wisdom:

• What should we focus on for the rest of 2011?

Let’s end this year on a happy note.  There is a mess in Wall Street, a mess in the white house, unemployment is rising, and so on.  I would like to challenge everyone to take a moment every day to feel blessed to have the air in your lungs.   Happiness comes in whatever form you let it. Only you have control of your emotions and overall state of mind, so control it!  Find what you DO have that makes your day a great one.

• What challenge do you have for all the Loser’s out there?

Don’t get discourage about the time their workouts take away from family, work and sleep. Realize that that time, the commitment, and the sweat everyday is actually an investment. It’s the return on that investment that is so crucial – a happier, longer, better life!

Let’s get going!  

 Stephanie’s Go to Dinner Option:

Seafood Gumbo!  I love seafood gumbo with wild rice.  You get the protein and the complex carb, plus it feels like it isn’t “healthy food”.  However, don’t forget to make it WITH healthy choices in mind but bring on the spices!

Stephanie’s Go to Snack Options:

Pistachios

Dried Pineapple

I have been trying to incorporate more green in my diet, but truth be told I am not a big fan of veggies.  I decided to get a little creative and after some Google searching I found that spinach was going to be a good way to work in a veggie creatively. 

www.naturally-healthy-eating.com lists the top 10 reasons to eat spinach: 

1. Very nutrient-dense
2. Readily available
3. Versatile food
4. Loaded with flavonoids (which act as antioxidants)
5. Heart-healthy food
6. Gastrointestinal health
7. Anti-inflammatory properties
8. Keeps your brain young
9. Protective against eye disease
10. Excellent source of iron

I am sure there are many more but these sounded excellent to me.  I began my challenge:  How do I get it into as much food as possible?  www.thekitchn.com lists five good ways to eat spinach:

1. Stir-fried, with tons of garlic
2. Rolled up in pasta
3. In pesto
4. Blended in soup
5. In something with cheese

My favorite however is using spinach instead of lettuce.  On tacos, on sandwiches, on salads, on…just about anything!   Get creative and give it a try.

Green never tasted so good.  Happy eating!

Are you on track with your personal goals?  Whether you are or aren’t quite there,  you might want to consider hitting the track.  Good old-fashioned exercise can help get you to where you need to be!  Many of the local gyms and recreation centers have tracks (as well as local schools and parks) that you will have many to choose from! 

5 ways to get going on the track to get on track:

• Walk – Yup, good brisk walking can be a huge benefit.   Get your heart rate up and keep it going.  Usually an hour of good brisk walking is a solid way to get off to a good start!  And no, you don’t have to wiggle your bottom and pump your arms unless you want to.
• Run – Begin jogging and build up to a faster pace as you see fit.  Running is a total body workout and fat burner.
• Circuit Training – incorporate your running with some strength training.   Run a quarter of the track, stop and do push ups.  Run another quarter of the track, stop and do sit ups.  Run another quarter of the track, stop and do lunges.  Run the last quart of the track, stop and do jumping jacks or jump rope. 
• Lunges – everyone’s favorite, right?   Well… no pain, no gain!  Try doing lunges during the longest stretch of the track and jog the remaining. 
• Sprints – time yourself on sprinting the longest stretch of the track.  Build up speed, endurance, and stamina.   

Half the year has passed us by and I know many of us are sitting here shaking our heads wondering, “where has all the time gone?!?”  During this speedy 2011, I am jus now slowing down, now that the heat is out in full force, and realizing that my goals for 2011 are creeping up on me!  I am not much closer to my weightloss goals and healthy lifestyle. 

Determined, refocused, and rededicated I am taking a strong look at what I can do TODAY to get rocking on change.  Step 1:  Food  and Step 2:  Environment. 

I refocus my dietary needs and stock my pantry properly I contacted Stephanie Fogelson of West Valley’s Biggest Loser and picked her brain.  Here is what I found out:

Q:  What is a grocery list of things I should ALWAYS have on hand in my house?

• A: Cooked chicken breast ready cut/serve, tub of greens – either Spring Mix or Spinach, box of Kashi cereal, some greek yogurt with fruit, raw almonds, string cheese, hard boiled eggs ready to grab, green apples,  LOTS OF WATER

Q:   What is the perfect snack for a boost and fill me up?

• A:  Greek yogurt, string cheese, almonds, and small amounts of fruit – these offer you the best options. 

Q:  What is the best plan of attack to stock my fridge and pantry appropriately?

• A:  Things that will expire within two weeks.  Keep raw, whole grain foods in your home and you will lose weight.  Eat what you have and have what you need to eat at all times. 

Next – environment.  Being active is the focus so I decided that for me, visual reminders work best.   I set out my workout clothes and shoes the night before, in the kitchen, by the coffee pot.   If it is there I have to do something about it.  Might as well put it on and workout!   Next, I set reminders in my phone and wrote notes on my calendar.  I penciled myself in!  And finally – I told the family I am off limits during my active times.  I need to focus and get things done.  Unless the house is on fire, I am sure it can wait. 

Hopefully with a renewed purpose I will get back on track… and yes, I threw away the chocolate and cookies.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

It’s that wonderful time of year again – Independence Day!  A time of family, celebration, fireworks, and FOOD!   It is going to be a hot one this year so whether you stay cool in the pool, camping up north, or just staying in doors here are a few ideas for a healthy food fare for all!

Appetizers & Munchies

The great thing about summer is all of the wonderful produce and the great prices that go with it!  Check out your local grocery stores for good deals but my store of choice is Sprouts Farmers Market.  Not only do they have good pricing but also the quality is always wonderful, not to mention the friendly and helpful staff. 

Go for simple - veggie and fruit platters!  Select a good variety of color and flavor.  My go to for fruit platters are apples (red and green), grapes (all colors), pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, and oranges.  You can also add some good variety with peaches, nectarines, and plums.    For your veggie platter, remember color!  Make it fun by taking colorful bell peppers and use cookie cutters to make fun shapes to dunk in homemade dip!  Add broccoli, celery, carrots, and cucumbers for a fresh mix. 

For the dip – I have to steal my 12-year-old daughter’s recipe that she learned in her food camp this summer:

Meeg’s Greek Dip:

1 container of Greek Yogurt – plain, thyme, salt, seasoned salt, garlic powder, oregano.  Use all the herbs to taste – for a little bit of a kick add some hot sauce, or for a little more tang add lemon juice and dill.  DELICIOUS! 

Main Course:

Go for protein!!!!  This year BBQ up some chicken kabobs!  Sprouts has them ready made in the meat section or you can make your own.  Take skewers and alternate seasoned chicken with onion and peppers.  Add to the grill and cook up some fun food on a stick! 

Side dishes for the meal?  Focus on veggies – I suggest a spinach salad as well as some grilled yellow squash and zucchini.  Purchase a grill basket (about $8.00 at Target) to cook up some delicious roasted veggies.   Slice your squash and zucchini and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Add to the grill basket and place directly on the grill top.  Shake them around as you grill to give even cooking.   For the salad – make dressing options! 

Always try to make your own dressing.  Store bought dressing packs in too much sodium, fat, and calories.  Go simple and flavorful. 

Meegs Greek Salad Dressing:

Again stealing my daughter’s recipe (hey!  It is good!)  1 TBSP Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, salt.  Mix together and add to your spinach salad! 

Basic and Delicious:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar.  I suggest Red Wine Vinegar for more tang plus some Italian Seasoning for good measure. 

Dessert:

Here is where you have to decide what calories you want to add on and which you want to leave off.  But if you are going to have something sweet here are some ideas that are refreshing, delicious, and fun!

Fruit Pops:

Select the fruit combos you like.  I really like strawberry/banana or pineapple/mango.  Cut up chunks and place into the blender.  Adding just a touch of frozen yogurt (vanilla) blend together until liquid.   Using ice cube trays pour your liquid in and cover with plastic wrap tightly.  Slice very small holes above each ice cube tray slot and stick in a Popsicle stick (should stay up with the plastic wrap).  Place in the freezer until frozen!!!    By making your OWN Popsicle you avoid extra sugars, preservatives, and empty calories/fat. 

For a little warmer treat:  chop up apples and nectarines – add to a microwave safe bowl.  Add oats to the bowl.   Drizzle with honey (I like a lot).  Cook for 2 minutes in the microwave and then stir.  Repeat this process until the fruit is cooked through and the honey has soaked into the fruit and oats.   Serve along side a small scoop of frozen yogurt. 

HAVE FUN, BE SAFE, AND EAT WELL!  HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Hi Greg Drejza here from the Round 5 group of the West Valley Biggest Loser program.  Great week of work and sweat, change is also in the air.

The Who had a famous song “Baba O’Riley” that started with the lyrics: “Out here in the fields, I fought for my meals”, we are back to Boot Camp mode as part of the 5th round of the West Valley Biggest Losers.

We are working out again at Goodyear Community Park and we started with a run around the outside of the park followed by working across 6 stations.  Arm band presses, dumbbell punches, medicine ball push ups, dead weight overhead lunges, Bicep Curls and sprinting.  We did two of the stations in succession then 6 of the 20 yard sprints. By the last 2 stations I could hardly catch my breath, what a workout!

I missed Tuesday’s workout in order to attend a Phoenix Chamber of Commerce networking event at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM),  a must see place!

Wednesday we started out with 30 minutes Tai Chi, very relaxing and yet healing.

Thursday was back to boot camp!  We 1st did a waist measurement and I lost another 1 3/4 inches. We then started our workout,  planks, elbow planks, sprinting, squats, side stepping, backward running, push ups, lunges,  crunching and stretching.  We had some funny moments sprinting around a group of 5-8yr kids playing flag football.

This was also the week Stephanie told us that she and Sedona Palms were parting ways.  Unfortunately this parting will force many of us to decide where will we finish out out last 2 weeks of the program. I hope the communication from both sides will be clear to help us decide the best path for us a individuals.

Stephanie has given us a game plan for the next 2 weeks, swimming, Kickball and boot camp.  No word on whats next from Sedona Palms.

I will be interested in what my Round 5 colleagues are thinking and feeling as this plays out……

Hello again, Greg Drejza here with my update from week #9 of the West Valley Biggest Loser program!  We have only 3 weeks left!

Well this was an exciting week! Monday started with my weigh in and losing another pound.  I feel great despite a couple minor aches and pains, I am eating well.  Portion cotrol, drinking lots of water and no eating after 8pm has been my key tasks to success this week.  

We showed up Monday to the NBC casting director for World’s Biggest Loser on site filming Stephanie and the rest of our family.  Everyone was sooo supportive!  The praise given for Steph is extrememly well deserved.  She is an inspiration and “rock” for many of us who are working to make these crucial life changes. Best of luck to her!

Tuesday I did not attend (played music at Yates Buick GMC Pontiac). 

Wednesday we started by running around the block in a single file line with Mike and Steph leading us where, the last person in line had to sprint to the front of the line. We then went inside and worked across 11 stations, lunges, crunches, step-ups, pop up push ups, dead lifts and exercise ball squats.  After about 25 minutes everyone went outside an worked with Mike and weights.

Thursday we spent the whole hour doing yoga with Leatha.  We started with a short introduction to yoga & breathing.  Then we went through several poses working every part of our bodies.  And the end we laid on our back and did some Relaxation Poses (Savasana).  A great night and Leatha did a wonderful job!

Here’s a couple pictures just before the yoga session!  Steve Lerma had it a bit backwards…he was relaxing before yoga!