So, you’re lifting weights too then, right?

Why not? Weight lifting can be just as important to your health as aerobics! But most women shy away from weight lifting because they are afraid they will bulk up too much and appear too masculine. This is simply not the case. Weight lifting can help you tone and can only add to your appearance and femininity. There’s no danger of becoming too muscle bound unless you are injecting yourself with testosterone.

So, assuming that you’re not taking testosterone, adding weight lifting into your exercise routine can help dramatically increase your metabolism, tone and sculpt your body, and strengthen your bones. It can also help you lose weight faster than just exercise alone.

Studies show that the average woman who does weight training two to three times a week, for two months will lose 31/2 pounds of fat… all without cutting a single calorie. That’s because the more muscle you build the more calories you lose throughout the day even when you are resting. Women who lift weights burn 100 more calories throughout the day than women who don’t lift weights.

Weight lifting can also help prevent osteoporosis. Just weight lifting alone can improve your bone mineral density by 13 percent in only 6 months! High blood pressure and high cholesterol can also be combated by weight lifting thereby decreasing your risks of heart disease.

Some things to consider before you begin a weight lifting routine. Make sure you are using the right lifting technique. If you are using a machine at a gym, see if a professional trainer can help show you the right way to lift. If you are using free weights, make sure you use weights that are appropriate for you. Too light, and you won’t get a great workout. Too heavy, and you could injure yourself. How can you tell? A good rule of thumb is to assess how you feel the following day after a workout. Your muscles may feel tight and a little bit sore but your bones and joints should not ache.

By adding weight lifting into your exercise routine, you’ll be able to feel and see the benefits quickly, by losing weight, gaining muscle, and toning and sculpting until you get the body you’ve always wanted.

Start a discussion in the comment space below:

1 lb filet of sole
1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon
1 Tbsp chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika to taste

Directions
1. Spray baking dish with PAM and place filets in dish.
2. Mix all ingredients in small bowl, lemon juice, mayo, mustard and chives.
3. Spread mixture lightly over fish.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
5. Sprinkle with parsley.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until golden at edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
7. When fish is done, it should flake easily with fork.

Health Benefits
An excellent source of protein with the added benefit of being low in fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol. Fish should be enjoyed a couple of times a week to ensure your women’s fitness diet is supplying you with all the nutrients you need for a busy and productive lifestyle.

What do you think of this recipe?  Share your thoughts with us and our readers in the comment space below:

As a seesaw dieter, you may drop 15 pounds in a month or two. You starve yourself, push yourself to exercise, and do everything you can possible do to fit into that dress. Usually you have a motivating factor such as a school reunion or a wedding to attend and you want to look your best for people you see once every 10 years. Does this make sense? Shouldn’t you want to look your best all the time?

But you still do it. And then once the event is over, you go back to the life you lived before and say hello to those 15 pounds once again. Why? What is missing in your life that you allow this to happen? The answer is motivation. What motivates you to lose weight? You want to look good for an event… but you could look good all of the time.

Setting yourself goals or rewards can help you lose the weight and keep it off for good. By using this same motivation, you can look great for yourself and the people you see every day! The key is to start out slow. Don’t crash diet. Don’t start running 5 miles a day. This will quickly wear you down and have you back on that seesaw in no time.

Take is slow. Set yourself monthly goals. Take the time to eat right with a diet that you can maintain as a lifestyle, not just a fad. Eating healthy isn’t just a great way to lose weight, it’s a great way to stay fit and healthy and feel good about yourself.

Reward yourself. Try to stay away from food rewards, but if you crave ice cream, it’s ok to indulge yourself at the end of the month… IF you reached your goal. And just because you indulged does not mean your diet is ruined. Too many people give up once they fall off the wagon and give into temptation. Treat each day like a new day to eat right. What you ate yesterday doesn’t matter. What you eat today does.

Promise yourself a shopping trip or a weekend getaway if you reach your goal this month. Treat yourself to a day at the beach or dinner with friends. What do you like to do that you never get to do? If it means spending money, then maybe if you cut out the extra cup of $5 coffee you have every day, you can have some extra cash to burn.

Whatever it is, the key to successful dieting is to find what motivates you, and use that to reward yourself.

We highly regard your opinion.  Please share it in the comment space below:

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 carrots, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup shelled frozen peas
12 oz cooked shrimp
2 cups brown rice

Directions
1. Heat oil in pan or wok.
2. Add garlic, carrots, onions, mushrooms.
3. Sauté 5 minutes.
4. Stir in chicken broth and soy sauce.
5. Bring to simmer and add shrimp and peas.
6. Cook 5 minutes and stir.
7. Add 1 tsp cornstarch to thicken sauce if desired.
8. Serve over cooked rice.

Health Benefits
Low in fat and sodium, shrimp is a great source of protein. The garlic, carrots, onions and mushrooms add antioxidants and nutrients that are easily digestible and add the much needed fiber for a diet aimed at benefitting women’s fitness and health.

Have another awesome seafood recipe?  Please share it with us and our readers in the comment space below:

Many times a person’s body image impacts their self-esteem. Even people who otherwise feel happy and confident with who they are, cringe when they see a photo of themselves or catch a glimpse in a full length mirror. Since our mind does not have eyes to see, it is easy to “forget” about our weight until we see the proof of a paunchy belly or an expanding waistline.

Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve a woman’s self-esteem. Self-esteem — the opinion we have of our own worth — is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. A positive self-image helps us to exhibit greater social effectiveness and to accept others as they are. The key to self-esteem is developing self-acceptance and feelings of competence. Physical activity is instrumental in developing both.

To develop Self-Acceptance:
• Learn to accept your body and love it just the way it is.
• Don’t compare yourself to others, instead focus on one physical activity that you want to do better.
• Write down one thing that you are great at and carry it around in your pocket or purse, and read it often. Rotate it with your other affirmations.

To develop Feelings of Competence:
• Set a simple, achievable goal for a physical activity, like learning to play tennis, or walking two miles instead of one.
• Determine how you will find time to accomplish your goal, set short-term and long-term goals.
• Have a back-up plan if you can’t get out and walk or bike ride. Have indoor exercises that you can fall back on in case something happens.
• Enjoy the feelings of competence and confidence that you get from goal setting and achievement.

Does your weight affect your self-esteem? Are you conscious of your weight at all times or only when you see yourself compared to others, like in a photo or in a room full of slimmer bodies? How do you feel when you step on the scale? Do you hesitate hopping on that tattletale of a scale, even when you are the only one in the room? If you answered yes, then ask yourself what is the effect that your weight plays on your self worth?

Do you feel somehow less of a person because of your weight? Do you lack the confidence needed to walk into a crowded room or hallway because of your size? This feeling of being too big can affect many people of different sizes, even those people who are slightly overweight.

If your weight is affecting your self-esteem, can you identify your feelings? Why do you think being overweight is reason for a drop in your self-acceptance? Perhaps guilt is the culprit. You feel guilty that you have not mastered eating correctly for your body type. There, it’s out of the bag—the only reason your self-esteem is affected by your weight is because you feel guilty about how your weight is portrayed on your body and what others think of you because of your weight.

Now, once the latter thought has taken hold, you become paralyzed at the thought of physical activity in front of others for fear that everyone will be looking at your fat. You become obsessed with the fat that others will see and try to hide out, not taking part in activities and hiding your body under a layer of clothes that represent a walking tent.

Healthy self-esteem means you have a positive view of your self-image and you project an atmosphere of confidence wherever you go. Regardless of your size, you love your body and if you decide to lose weight it is more about safeguarding your health and wearing cute clothes than it is about comparing yourself to others. People with healthy self-esteem aren’t dependent on others for acceptance, they are happy and contented with who they are.

However, even happy, contented people, with no self-esteem issues, find that participating in physical activity boosts their confidence to a whole new level. Exercise is an empowering force that anyone can take advantage of. Physical challenges like sports and exercise help us in our day-to-day confrontations.

Physical activities, especially sports, require quick thinking and fluid movements—both attributes of regular exercise. This is just another way that the mind and body align and unite.

There are so many advantages to regular exercise, from weight loss to improved self-esteem, to quicker thinking, to reducing stress, to conquering guilt…exercise is the top choice for bringing about positive change in your life.

Because self-image plays such an important role in self-esteem, your weight can affect the way that you perceive yourself. One way to help you identify and crush these false images is to begin a fitness journal at the same time that you start your exercise program.

Believe me when I tell you, the fitness journal will be your key to success. The journal acts as a liaison between your body and your mind. You record your goals from your mind and compare them to the achievements of your body. By writing everything down and accepting accountability for what you eat and drink and how much activity that you do, you send a message to the brain to evaluate and deliver.

Your mind, so attuned to the written word, will work hard guiding you towards your goals. That’s why it is important to be as detailed in your journal as possible. Write down how you feel each day, too. If you are tired, upset or depressed, write it in your journal and be truthful about everything you eat. You can compare your feelings with your eating habits each day—determine if you consume more when you are having a bad day or a good day. Do you eat when you are happy, excited or frightened? Do any of these feelings cause you to snack all day?

The journal will help to keep your self-esteem intact. If your confidence is shaky, or your exercise program has hit a plateau, the fitness journal will be your written proof of all you have accomplished and will provide clues to kick start your program back into gear.

We would love to hear about your journaling ideas.  Please leave a comment below:

It’s true, you know. It happens to the best of us. As we grow older, get fixated on achieving wealth or just making ends meet, concerns for our health are “back burnered.” The sad thing is our health is never more important than when we lose it. And many times, once it gets too bad, no amount of money will help us get back what we’ve already lost.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is essential to good health as we are what we eat. Staying active is vital to optimum health too. Activities that increase your heart rate should be part of your exercise routine as well as strength training that builds muscles.

But, how do you get yourself motivated to exercise? Do you set a schedule? Or maybe reward yourself with something like a massage, a manicure or a new outfit?

I like to try new things, whether it’s an exercise class or a session with a new client. Even getting a cool new water bottle or downloading a new song or podcast that I can listen to while I exercise is a great motivator. I get my exercise gear together the night before and the next morning I’m ready to go. These extra preparations performed in an organized fashion, really help me get excited about working out. My mind latches onto these little tasks and happily anticipates the outcome, which of course means me exercising for better health.

Primarily, weight loss begins with a committed vision. Getting in shape necessitates a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise, six days a week. You’ll always want to save that seventh day for rest. Now if you have a crazy schedule, you might be wondering how you will find 30 minutes to exercise.

If we review a 24-hour day, 10-11 hours are dedicated for your job. That includes an 8 hour workday, an hour for lunch, an hour for travel and another hour for getting ready or dropping the kids off to school. If you are luck, eight hours is dedicated for rest/sleep. With, another 5 hours left in the day to watch television, eat and other life responsibilities. 30 minutes dedicated to yourself for exercise is an attainable goal.
It’s a tight schedule, I know. But just consider how much better you will feel once you start taking out just 30 minutes a day to exercise. Combining aerobic exercise with resistance training will boost your cardiovascular health, build muscles and help you lose weight. You’ll look thinner, healthier and more vibrant. All these benefits and all you have to donate is a mere 30-minutes-a-day.

Don’t compromise your health in search of your wealth. Make both a part of your life, you deserve the very best—don’t settle for less.

Start a discussion in the comment space below:

6 boneless skinless, chicken breasts
4 oz sliced fat-free Swiss cheese
3 oz lean smoked ham
1/4 cup flour
2 egg whites, beaten
1/3 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
Vegetable cooking spray (PAM)

Directions
1. Pound chicken breast with flat side of meat mallet, until very thin.
2. Layer cheese and ham on chicken, cutting to fit.
3. Roll up chicken and secure with toothpicks.
4. Coat chicken rolls lightly with flour, then dip in egg and coat in bread crumbs.
5. Spray rolls generously with cooking spray.
6. Cook in skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Health Benefits
A great source of protein, chicken is low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Choose lean ham, for the least about of fat, but try to keep your diet varied for interest. The ham adds a flavor sensation that the chicken alone just can’t provide. Portion control is key, but you can enjoy a guilt-free meal that includes flour and bread crumbs. When it comes to a lifestyle dedicated to women’s fitness, flavorful food is a mainstay.

Have you tried this recipe?  Tell us about it by leaving a comment.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
Pepper for flavor
1 lb mushrooms, washed and stems removed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced chives
2 Tbsp stevia

Directions
1. Whisk olive oil, basil, thyme, oregano, stevia, chives and pepper together in medium sized glass bowl.
2. Add mushrooms and toss gently.
3. Add onion and coat mushrooms with entire mixture.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or longer.
5. Serve chilled.

Health Benefits
Low in calories and fat, mushrooms are a great source of potassium and selenium, an antioxidant that works to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. Important for women’s fitness and health, mushrooms are nutrient dense and add flavor with very few calories.

Have you tried this recipe?  Please share your thoughts with us and our readers in the comment space below:

Finding the motivation to start an exercise program isn’t always easy. It’s hard to break old habits like watching your favorite television shows while relaxing on the couch. Daily responsibilities seem to suck up all of your free time and it just never seems the right time to begin exercising. The problem is, you know that it’s essential to good health to exercise regularly and you really would like to get started.

Affirmations can help get you moving. Now, before you dismiss this, hear me out. Stating positive facts aloud to yourself has a powerful effect on your sub-conscious. Talking about the muscles that you are going to work and imagining the effect of the exercise on the muscle helps to give you the ultimate workout advantage. Your mind focuses on that particular muscle and triggers the appropriate hormonal release to allow you the most benefit.

Try these affirmations when you need to begin an exercise program:
• I will exercise for 30 minutes this morning.
• I love the way exercise makes me feel.
• I love the way I look when I exercise regularly.
• I feel better after I exercise.
• I am thankful that I can walk.

Try these affirmations as you continue through your exercise program:
• I love the way exercise makes me feel.
• My body is changing because of exercise.
• My spirit soars after I exercise.
• I am amazed at my own abilities.
• I will walk/workout for 15 additional minutes today.

These sample affirmations will get you started, but as you progress, you will no doubt come up with your own positive power words. It is important that you believe in what you are saying. Think about the words that you are saying and buy into the belief.

Words speak volumes and can enrich every part of your life. Try affirmations for fitness, diet, health, financial or personal. Write them down and keep them in a book for quick reference. They really do make a difference and you’ll see that it’s easy to get fit with affirmations.

We’d love to hear about your affirmations for getting fit in the comment space below:

Especially if this is the first time that you have filled your pantry with healthy foods, you may need a course in Grocery Shopping 101 in order to beat back the temptations that food manufacturers have strategically placed in your path.

Before leaving home, make a grocery list. But before you make a grocery list, make the upcoming week’s meal plan. Developing your meal plan doesn’t have to be difficult, but consider some of the foods that are already in your cupboard to make things easier and less expensive. Once you’ve got your meals planned out for the week, inventory the ingredients that you will need for each dish and notate the ones that you will need to purchase. After you have established what you need, make the grocery list, and list the food in order of the grocery store layout. This way you won’t go haphazardly down aisles that you don’t need to search.

Try to avoid the aisles with cookies and processed foods, such as sugary cereals. Many of these aisles are in the center of the grocery store, with the fresh items at each end of the store. Look for whole grains near the rice and pasta. Read labels to look for 100% whole-wheat to be sure you are getting whole grain products. Take some time to find the healthier foods rather than going straight for your old reliables.

Fresh vegetables and fruits should make up the largest part of your grocery list. I recommend that you eat at least seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose seasonal produce and get a variety, especially if you are feeding a family.

Proteins and meats should consist of mostly fish, poultry and lean meats. Eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes should be part of your list.

Beverages should be kept simple. Water, low-fat milk, juices and herbal teas are all good choices. If you opt for soft drinks, choose diet sodas and soft drinks to avoid extra sugar.

Choose low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese. Try soymilk or rice-milk for tasty alternatives to whole milk. Don’t forget, many fruits and vegetables are good sources of calcium like avocadoes for instance.

Take caution when buying dressings, cooking oils and condiments. They can be sneaky sources of refined sugars and high in fat and calories. Read labels to choose dressings made with healthy oils such as olive oil and canola oil.

Frozen vegetables are convenient and nutritious. If you are cooking for one, there are many single-serving frozen entrees that cook up in minutes. These make it easy to have a variety of vegetables, without having to throw any of it away. If you do have more than you can consume, consider saving your left over veggies to add to a soup for another meal.

Canned foods and foods in jars are very convenient. Make sure the soups and veggies that you choose are low in sodium. Avoid high-fat gravy and sauces like spaghetti and ravioli dishes.

Peanut butter sandwiches can be very healthy. Look for homemade peanut butter without added sugar.

Low-fat meats such as turkey slices, chicken or lean roast beef are better choices for sandwiches than processed lunchmeat.

Learn to Read the Food Labels
Every box of processed food includes a food label. Other foods include them too, but all processed foods are required to list the ingredients and the percentage of nutrition as compared to the RDA (Recommended Daily Requirement).

Looking at the food label above, you’ll notice the nutrition facts. Each serving size is described,
as one serving and the box contains six servings. There are 100 calories in each serving. Calories from fat are 30 calories, which is less than a third of the total calories in each serving.

Next we get the skinny on the fat content. Three grams of total fat with 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 1 gram of monounsaturated fat. This represents 8% of the recommended daily value. According to the food label, there are no trans fat and no cholesterol in this snack.

There is 120 mg of sodium in each serving, which makes up 5% of the daily requirements. Likewise the total carbohydrates are 16 grams, making it 5% of the daily requirements. 6 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein is included in each serving.

There are no significant traces of Vitamins A or C but each snack offers 4% of the daily-recommended amounts of iron.

According to this label, the Percent of Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on the amount of calories you consume in a day.

Quick Tips For Every Day Shopping
• Never go to the grocery store when you are hungry.
• Always eat a meal or light snack before heading to the store.
• Keep a cold bottle of water in your car, so you won’t be tempted to opt for a high calorie drink when you are thirsty.
• Bring a pen and check off everything on your grocery list.
• Forego the candy aisle and buy some scented candles or new kitchen gadget instead.
• Park your car further out in the parking lot, for more exercise coming in and going out.
• Don’t eat in your car. Not only will this keep your car much cleaner, it will keep you from mindlessly eating while driving down the road. We have a tendency to forget about the calories, sugar and fat that we consume when driving.
• If you will be out and about all day, bring a small cooler and stock it with fruit cups, fresh fruit, water and juice. This will give you plenty of healthy snacks and you won’t be tempted to stop at the fast food hangout.

Start a discussion by leaving a comment below: