Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Archives for October 2010

Happy Ham, Mushroom and Cheese Frittata

By

Serve this recipe for breakfast or lunch and make the whole family happy. It tastes good and is easy to make. Serve it hot and watch everyone make it to the table on time. This recipe serves 4.

Non stick cooking spray
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 cup cooked mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup red sweet pepper
6 slightly beaten eggs /egg white option—3 whites and 3 whole eggs
3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
Salt and pepper optional
2 tomatoes sliced thinly
1/2 cup shredded reduced- fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

Coat an unheated ovenproof skillet with Pam.
Cook, ham, onion, pepper, and mushroom in hot pan until veggies are tender and ham is lightly brown.
In bowl combine eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper optional pour over ham and veggies in skillet, continue cooking and lifting edges until egg mixture is almost set.
Place skillet under broiler, broil 1 to 2 minutes or until eggs are set.
Arrange tomato slices on top of frittata.
Sprinkle cheese over tomato.
Broil 1 min more.
Serve with my favorite—Ezekiel bread!

Health Benefits:
High in protein and low in saturated fat, this is a tasty treat that won’t leave you feeling guilty. The sweet pepper and tomatoes are full of antioxidants while the mushrooms provide zinc, an excellent benefit for the immune system.

Get Moving! Keeping a Fitness Journal at Work

By

Are you always at work? Do you feel like your work is keeping you from the healthy lifestyle you want? There are countless ways that your time spent working can sabotage your plans for a healthy lifestyle. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. A little bit of effort can go a long way if you are taking the time to incorporate a fitness journal into your work routine.

{+}

One way to use a fitness journal is to use it to record your activity and exercise. You may think that you don’t exercise much at work. However, unless you record your activity you can’t know this for sure and you might just be surprised! Consider wearing a pedometer and tracking how much you are actually walking in a day. Worried about what your co-workers will think? Pedometers can be very small and subtle. Tuck one on to your belt loop and it is a safe bet that it will go unnoticed. At the end of the day record your pedometer reading in your fitness journal to see how much walking you really are doing at work.

If you do discover that you are less active at work than you would like to be, there are some easy things you can do. Simple steps like parking at the far end of the parking lot and opting for the stairs instead of the elevator can boost your activity level. If you find yourself at a desk most of the day, consider adding walking to your break time. Rather than staying seated for small breaks take a walk around the office. This will not only increase your activity level but will help you resist having a snack. Don’t forget to record your activity in your fitness journal.

Another thing to consider is exercising during your lunch break. Have a light lunch and then walk some laps in the parking lot. If your office doesn’t have a large parking lot, head to a nearby park or even to a shopping mall. Is your gym nearby? You might have the time to get in a quick workout before heading back to the office. Record your new lunchtime exercise routine in your fitness journal everyday. At the end of the work week, take some time and look back over your entries for the week. You will be surprised at how quickly your exercise has added up!

If it seems impossible to get in any exercise during work, perhaps you can do it when you get off work. That way you won’t have to be self-conscious if you work hard and sweat during your workout because you won’t have to return to work and you can head home to the shower.

If you are lucky enough to work at a company that has a gym in the facility, make use of it, and get in your exercise each day. Then when you go home, you will have the feeling of accomplishment and will most likely have more energy to complete your household tasks, too.

Exercise is beneficial for the health of your heart and other organs but it is also great for increasing your flexibility. Muscles that are flexible help to protect our joints and bones from injury. Keeping your body loose and active through exercise means you’ll be less likely to get hurt. Be sure to bring your fitness journal to the gym if you go, so you can notate all of the exercises that you do.

But exercise isn’t the only thing that you can record in your fitness journal when you are at work. You’ll need to keep track of what you eat while at work too. If you ran by the break room and stuffed a pastry in your mouth, you need to go back to the journal and jot that down. You should write down everything that you eat and drink every single day. If you do miss a day, don’t despair just get right back into it the following day.

You might think this sounds like too much work, but it only takes a few minutes each day and the benefits are astounding. You see, when you write down everything you eat, everything you drink and all of the exercise that you do, you become accountable for your entire fitness program. You claim a serious stake in the outcome of your weight loss endeavor.

When coworkers see you writing in your journal, they may ask you what it’s all about. You don’t have to let them read your journal just explain the benefits that you get from it. Some may laugh and make fun of your attempts, but don’t let them sabotage your efforts. They probably won’t be laughing when they see your wonderful new body.

Nope, most likely they will be asking how you did it. And have you ever noticed that when one person loses weight at work that others jump on the bandwagon and start to lose weight or go on diets or head to the gym. It’s contagious and is the cause of much envy. Those that laughed may be seen carrying their own journals before too long.

Using a fitness journal at work is a wonderful complement to a healthy lifestyle. We are all busy and workdays seem to be especially challenging. By taking a little time and looking for opportunities to exercise, eat healthy and use a fitness journal at work you can work toward a healthy lifestyle.

Dismiss excuses, make a plan and get started. Fitness4Her makes it all easy with a complete diet and fitness program designed for women. A diet that consists of 5 meals a day, an exercise plan to help you get in shape in as little as 30 minutes a day, and a journal to record your results. My journal has helped me come a long way, I believe a fitness journal will help you too. Believe it and achieve it!

Share your journaling at work tips below:

Creamy Peas and Onion

By

When my husband and I were first married, we used to go to this little restaurant that served the best creamed peas. The boys were small so getting out for just a short while by ourselves was a real treat. I always ordered the turkey meatloaf which came with a side of creamed peas. I wanted the boys to like peas too, so I kept trying variations of this recipe until I found the version that fit my guys the best. I hope your family will enjoy it too. Serves 5.

Two 10oz. packages frozen peas with pearl onions
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
1 Tbs. milk (fat-free) your choice
Salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Cook peas according to package, drain return peas to pan.
2. Stir in cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper and garlic powder cook over medium heat setting.

Health Benefits:
The green peas are full of antioxidants and low in sodium. Fat-free cream cheese will make this dish extra creamy without adding saturated fat. Onions too are high in antioxidants that fight cancer-causing free radicals that try to invade the body. Arm yourself with a healthy diet to boost your immune system.

Womens Fitness: Who Among You Is Inspired To Take The First Step

By

If you’ve been thinking about losing weight and getting in shape, I have to wonder what is standing in your way? If you are looking for a fitness program that is designed for a woman’s body, then you are in the right place.

Fitness4Her.com is an online diet and fitness program that is fully dedicated to women’s fitness. By becoming a member, you gain access into all the secrets that I have uncovered when it comes to losing weight and getting in shape.

You see, I was not always physically fit. A mother of three, I spent many years, driving my boys around to their many events and rarely had time for myself. Looking to get in better shape, I longed for an exercise program that would fit into my busy schedule.

However, finding time to exercise was just a myth, I realized it was up to me to create time to exercise, if I really wanted to get fit. It was all up to me. I couldn’t sit back any longer and just wish my body into shape.

I had to take charge of my life and my fitness program and so I began exercising for 30 minutes every day. It wasn’t always easy, and I certainly had a list of other responsibilities that I needed to attend to, but I also knew that I needed to take better care of my health. I had often heard the adage that people rarely appreciate their health until it is lost and didn’t want to be just another statistic.

Exercise changed my life. Not only did I feel better physically, but I felt great mentally and spiritually as well. I believe that physical fitness promotes clarity of thought and boosts confidence too.

Is there one of you who is inspired to take the first step for fitness today? Join Fitness4Her and learn to love food and embrace a healthy lifestyle as you work towards your fitness goals. You’ll find 100’s of recipes and step-by-step exercise routines that will help put you on the right track to get in shape.

Let this be day one of your journey to fitness, all you have to do is take the first step and join Fitness4Her, today.

Rich and Creamy Banana Shake

By

A friend of mine gave me this recipe and says she craved banana shakes so often when she was pregnant that her doctor suggested this alternative. Like its name, this shake is rich and creamy, but a purely guiltless indulgence. Makes 4 servings.

1 1/2 cups vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 3/4 cups fat-free milk
2 whole bananas
5 Tbs. Banana flavored fat and sugar free pudding mix

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together till smooth garnish with banana slices, fresh strawberries and grated chocolate.

Health Benefits:
Sugar free, low in saturated fat and cholesterol. A good source of calcium, yogurt offers prebiotics and probiotics, healthy bacteria that protect the body. Bananas are high in potassium and provide a tasty source of fiber. Add a few strawberries for that Vitamin C kick we all need each and every day.