Fabulous Finds - EA Sports Active

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Dea.

I got the EA Sports game, Active, for the Wii for Christmas this year.  I didn’t even crack the box until after New Years, of course.  I just finished day 3 of my first 30 Day Challenge.  And I must say, I really really like this game.

You answer some questions, enter your weight, and pick music style, and you’re up and running.  The game combines cardio with toning exercises to give you a good full-body work out.  It also adjusts the work outs for lower and upper body concentrations from day to day, to give muscles a rest.

I really like the variety of exercises in this game.  So far, the only thing I’ve done all 3 times I’ve worked out is walk/run in place.  The toning band included with the game is decent, though I’m sure I’ll need to buy a harder level in the near future.  Which is fine, as I can let my kids use the easier band when they work out with me.

So far, my only complaints are the leg strap and the sensor.  The leg strap either falls down, or if I wear it tight - it started to rip already.  I’ll be contacting the manufacturer about that one.  The sensor, though, is a bit annoying.  I have knee problems, so I can squat or lunge as low as most people.  But I can do a modified version, which is fine, right?  Wrong, according to the game.  It wants me deep, despite my status as a “beginner” and my weight.  You’d think it would work up to a full squat during the challenge.  I’ve fixed this by taking the one remote out of the holster on my leg and “faking” the full bend position in mid-air while doing my modified squats and lunges.

Otherwise, this is a really nice all around trainer.  It’s not just a static work out - you do different exercises each time you turn on the game.  And to me, that’s perfect - boredom is a big problem for most people starting out a work out regimen.

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Welcome to 2010…

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Dea.

…and hopefully, some new posts, eh?  Yeesh - holiday season stinks because I wind up way too busy.  EXCUSES!  Anyway - I’ll try to post more….Becca too!

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Butt Buster - the Saga on Summit

Monday, November 9, 2009 by Dea.

A friend of mine was talking about her morning walk at school pickup the other day.  She and several other moms called the hill on one of our town’s streets the Butt Buster.  My ear immediately perked up and I started to pay attention.  I love a good butt workout.

The street is appropriately named Summit.  I’ve driven there, and honestly had never even thought about it.  For a prairie region where the highest elevation in my county is a former garbage hill lovingly named Mt. Trashmore, hills are not common.  So walking is, generally, a little flat.

I went out the next morning, figuring it would be a nice change from my bike routine.  The weather here is gorgeous, especially for November.  I decided ahead of time I was going to do the Butt Buster 5 times.  Not a bad goal, I’m walking, not running a marathon.

It was about halfway up this monster of a hill that I realized 5 was a pretty lofty goal.  I was huffing, and sweating despite the 50 degree temperature.  I saw a few other moms walking the neighborhood, and they saw that I was doing the hill more than once, and they laughed.

I made it all five times, albeit slower each successive time.

The next morning, I was to meet 2 mom friends at 6 am to walk together, and we were going to include the Butt Buster.  Let’s just say that I am not an early riser.  It also did not help that my butt was, indeed, busted.  I did, however, get myself out of bed and to the meeting point.

We’ve been meeting and walking for 3 mornings now.  I love it.  It keeps me accountable, because I am meeting people.  The fresh air is fabulous.  And my butt is consistently being busted.  Fantastic!  I sure hope the weather holds, and we don’t have early snow this year.

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El Tacodor - Taco Night Can Be Fun AND Healthy!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 by Dea.

Taco night can be a fun and healthy way to have a family dinner together and spark laughter and conversation at the same time.

Through a site I belong to, MyBlogSpark, I received information about Old El Paso’s new game, El Tacodor.  I received a fun pack of coupons and the game play materials, and I used them to have Taco Night with my family.

To make the tacos healthier, I mixed ground turkey and ground beef, and I drained the meat of as much fat as possible by placing it in a wire strainer after cooking and squeezing it out.  It’s amazing how much fat came out!!!  I also purchased fat free sour cream and low fat cheese to serve.  And of course, salsa and fat free refried black beans!!

The game was fun.  There are 5 categories, and the game play reminded me of a simpler version of Cranium - acting things out, trying to list as many movies as possible in a minute, etc.  We got a little silly, and enjoyed an extremely tasty taco dinner with Old El Paso products.

In addition to all of this - I have a prize pack I can give away!!!  Prize pack includes (2) two coupons to purchase Old El Paso dinner kits, and a $10 gift card to purchase any additional meal needs (i.e. meat, cheese, lettuce, etc.) and information about the El Tacodor game, all courtesy of Old El Paso!  Anyone interested in trying out a taco game night with your friends or family, leave me a comment with your favorite taco topping, or your trick for making tacos healthier!  Earn another entry by mentioning this contest to your friends on Facebook (link me to your post in the comments).  If you blog, earn yet another entry by linking this post in a blog (again, link me to the post in the comments).  Deadline for this contest is on Wednesday, November 11, 2009, at 5 pm!!  So give me some great ideas, and we’ll have a random drawing for our winner.

Posted in Freebies, Healthy Eating | Print | 12 Comments »

Smart Snacking

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by Becca.

I’m a snacker.  I eat three well balanced meals everyday, but I usually also eat three snacks.  Snacking can be wonderful for your health.  It’s a good way to keep your blood sugar levels even throughout the day, it can keep you from over eating at meals, and it provides your body with a constant fuel source which can boost your energy resulting in a higher likelihood that you will be more active.  The list could certainly continue!

Unfortunately, snacking can also be a major speed bump on the road to living a healthier life.  If you snack without thinking about it or really seeing what you eat, you can derail your otherwise stellar eating habits.

I keep this from happening by planning my snacks the same way I plan my meals.  Sure, sometimes it feels a little bit like kindergarten when I look up at the clock and think “oh, it’s morning snack time” or “is it time for afternoon snack yet?”, but maybe we were on the right track back then.  Now, if I could only get away with “nap time” every day!

Posted in Tips and Tricks, Healthy Eating | Print | 1 Comment »

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words….

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by Dea.

‘Nuff said.

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Soft Drinks are Hard on the Body

Monday, November 2, 2009 by Dea.

We’ve all heard that water is the best bet for our health.  We also know that a regular soda pop is high in empty calories.  Not everyone knows, however, that diet pop is just as bad.  And it isn’t just the sugars and artificial sweeteners that are bad for us!

Simple sugars, like the ones found in regular soft drinks, make the body’s insulin response over-react, and thus cause extra calorie consumption beyond just the soft drink!  But don’t jump over to diet sodas instead - there are several studies which point to possible weight GAIN from sugar substitutes for the same reason!

Not only is the caffeine found in  many soft drinks a diuretic, the salt found in them as well will aid in dehydration!  That’s right - the beverage that does NOT hydrate.  Pretty crazy, isn’t it?

Some sodas contain phosphorus as well - which binds to calcium, and can leave your bones being leeched of important calcium.  Yes, you can take an extra calcium supplement to counteract this, but do we always remember to do that when popping open a can of coke??

Basically, the short list of dangers from sodas, especially in children, is tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.  Mmmm, yummy - sure, my teeth are falling out, my butt is enormous, and I have a bad heart - but dang, it tastes good.

I’m thinking I’m skipping the soda aisle in the future.

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Fighting to Get Healthy

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 by Dea.

Some days, I feel like I’m at war.  I’m fighting against advertising, societal pressure, and my own errant brain to try to live the healthiest life possible and lose weight.  I get anxious when I have to drive a certain route because I know the myriad restaurants I’ll see, and smell, as I go along.  And I know that the temptation can be overwhelming.

I’m a person who, once the idea of a food gets in my head, obsesses.  I think many times an hour about that food.  It’s frustrating, because there’s only so much of that obsessing I can ignore.  If I could get my brain to just shaddup, I might be strong enough to ignore the commercials and the smells.

It’s a big commitment to get on a healthy track.  It’s a lot of work to change the way you look at food.  I often get frustrated that I can’t see results right away.  It’s not a war fought through battles with obvious wins, and you don’t get medals.  Each small victory isn’t noticeable to other people.   Or even noticeable on the scale, in the mirror, or in your jeans.

Every small victory, though, is beneficial.  Frustration is something we all face, but we can’t let it get the best of us.  Whenever we’re upset because our hard work isn’t showing yet, we need to remind ourselves of where we started, what we’ve accomplished, and how each of our good choices and healthy changes adds up to move us along our march toward better health.

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Fabulous Finds - Hostess 100 Calorie Packs

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 by Dea.

These tiny little cakes taste just like the regular ones!!  I tried the Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cakes (these were always my favorites as a kid) and they tasted as good as I remembered.

Hostess has basically scaled down their cakes (these were about 2 bites each, and you get 3 per 100 cals) and given people watching their weight some portion control.  They’ve added fiber, as well!

If you follow WW Points, the Cinnamon Streusel 100 Calorie Packs are only 1 point per pack.  That’s right - 1 point!  It’s a very nice little treat for just 1 point, and you can get a sweet fix for a craving with a controlled portion.

They reminded me of Jenny Craig desserts, only better tasting!!

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Fun Theory

Saturday, October 17, 2009 by Dea.

Would you take the stairs over the escalator if it were fun and silly to do so?  Volkswagen tested what they call the Fun Theory in this viral video.

This video got me thinking about every day work outs and ways to be healthier. Would we all develop better habits because we’d made those habits fun? It’s an interesting concept.I like to mix up my work outs by using different equipment, different music. But I know I really enjoy my work out when I bellydance or play the Wii Fit games. I’m sure that we all have ideas that could test the Fun Theory. And I would bet we’d all do these healthy little habits more often because they’re fun.

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