Trim Mom

How to Have a Healthier Thanksgiving

Of course, WeightLoss quests during the holiday season can be TOUGH! The holiday season is notorious for packing on the pounds, but eating a good Thanksgiving meal doesn’t mean you have to eat fattening foods. By the same token, eating a healthy meal doesn’t mean you have to forego your Thanksgiving favorites. With Thanksgiving coming up, I just wanted to give you a few ideas on Healthy Cooking For Thanksgiving.

Here are some easy ways to tweak the classics to be a bit healthier for you and your family.

Spices
As long as you use tasting and add them in small increments, adding extra spices to your foods is a great way to cut back on calories. If the food is well seasoned, you won’t need to add butter or gravy to make it taste good. Plus, if food is hot or spicy, you tend to eat less of it!

Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk is great for adding to recipes like pies or gravy. It adds flavor without all the calories of cream. Just remember to use a product made from skim milk.

Ditch the fat
When it comes to turkey, it’s pretty easy to cut back on the greasy fat. Cook the turkey in a drip pan instead of one that collects the fat at the bottom. Before you eat the turkey, be sure to remove the skin because this is where hidden fat and extra calories can be found.

Don’t stuff your turkey
Stuffing absorbs most of the fat and calories you’d rather keep out. Don’t worry, I’m not saying you can’t have stuffing. I love stuffing too and don’t think I could eliminate it from my Thanksgiving celebration. However, you can have more healthy stuffing by cooking it in a separate pan instead of inside your turkey. If you use the drippings to make gravy, skim the fat off first. You can add broth to these dishes to keep the moisture without adding the bad stuff.

Lose the butter
Butter is a big offender on Thanksgiving. You can put it on almost anything and it adds lots of fat and calories. Instead, try using chicken broth and evaporated milk to add flavor to dishes like mashed potatoes without all the fat.

Watch the drinks
You may not realize it, but Thanksgiving calories can come from what you drink as well as what you eat. Try having water or juice with your meal rather than high-calorie drinks like eggnog, soda, shakes, or alcoholic beverages.

Salad for side dishes
A lot of what we eat on Thanksgiving comes in the form of side dishes rather than the main course. Why not skip the stuffing or the rolls and start with a salad instead? This is a healthy option to help fill you up before the meal so you eat less of the fatty offenders with your turkey. Just remember that salads can be bad for you too, depending what you put in them. Personally, I tend to drown salad in dressing which is not the best idea for trying to get or stay trim.

Even Carrots Can Make You Fat
Just one last thought…Remember that no matter how good something is for you, if you eat thousands of calories, you’re probably going to gain weight. Even healthy food should be enjoyed in moderation, so watch your portions as well as the kind of food you’re eating.

Use these tips for a healthier, trimmer Thanksgiving celebration. Enjoy your holiday!

Technorati Tags: diet, holiday cooking, holiday diet, holiday food, thanksgiving, thanksgiving meal, WeightLoss Tips

From Tired to Fit - 5 Ways to Improve Fitness

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work only to see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them once you got home?  Since you’re tired, you refuse and promise that you’ll play “later.”  Sound familiar?

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, “yes” next time?  You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes helps you feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that even moderate exercise not only improves appetite, but sharpens your style in problem solving as well. Not only that. You will also find it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON’T you ever force your body! This is one of THE biggest mistakes newbies make.  If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you’ll be starting all over from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

You may be surprised at how many calories you burn simply by incorporating exercises into your daily routines and tasks. Doing these moderate exercises every day can burn from 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

Personally, I love high intensity exercise.  With high intensity, you feel like you’ve gotten a great workout and you see results relatively quickly.  However, not everyone finds it easy to get into high intensity, especially if you’re not used to working out.  If you’re not quite ready for high intensity these  moderate exercise ideas are a great way to get started on your path to improved fitness!

Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, health, moms weightloss, weightloss

Why Water is Vital for WeightLoss

Water: Essential for Melting Away the Fat

by sidney

Water is essential for life, our bodies depend on it, 55 to 75% of the average adults body is comprised of water. If you do not drink enough to maintain your body ’s fluid balance, you will impair every aspect of it physiological function including digestion, blood circulation, regulating body temperature, cushioning joints and protecting tissues and organs. It is undeniable that water is integral for the body to function properly but it is also a necessary component to a healthy and successful weight loss program.

Water is a key factor in weight loss and has a direct effect on your body’s metabolism. One of the liver’s main jobs is to metabolize the stored fat in our bodies to be burned for energy. However the liver also assists the kidney’s when they are not able to carry out their duties in cases such as dehydration. When this occurs the liver steps in to assist and is therefore not available to breakdown fat as efficiently.

Another aspect of water ’s role in weight loss is actually twofold. Water contains no calories so you can drink it to suppress your hunger at zero cost. Drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day helps to keep you feeling full and are therefore less likely to overeat. The other component is that generally people can not distinguish between the brain asking for food or simple asking for water. If you think you are feeling hungry have a couple glasses of water and wait ten to fifteen minutes and then reevaluate.

When consuming liquids it is important to remember that they are not all created equal. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol both have a stimulating effect on the adrenal glands and therefore act as diuretics, causing a loss of water in your body. Juices and flavored drinks tend to contain large amounts of sugar thus calories. There are many alternatives on the market today you just need to take care and look at the ingredients before you make a decision. Simply adding a wedge of citrus fruit is an easy alternative. As you continue to incorporate water into your daily diet you will find that you will begin to crave it.

The general rule of thumb is to try for approximately eight glasses of water per day, however it should be noted that it is not always the same for different individuals. For instance if you have take into account such things as your daily activities or exercise habits as well as the temperature. If you are playing out side on a hot day with your kids you will require a much higher level of water consumption to maintain a balance in your body. It is also recommended that for every 25lbs you are overweight you should add one glass to the recommended daily amount.

When you start out incorporating water into your diet you may find you are going to the bathroom every five minutes, this will level out after a few days. If it does not then you may have to adjust your intake accordingly. A easy to check indicator to see if you are getting enough liquid in your diet is to simply check the color of your urine, if it is yellow you are not getting enough, it should be almost colorless. These are all just guide lines, use your judgment and do not get frustrated with the process of adding water into your daily life style, the benefits are endless.

About the Author

Christine Erickson writes articles relating to women ’s health and their endless struggle with weight loss. To learn more visit her at: http://exerciseforwomen-christine.blogspot.com or http://squidoo.com/women-exercise

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Technorati Tags: drink water, drinks, fluids, water, weightloss

Awesome Fitness Guide for Busy Moms

Wow!  Guess what I came across while surfing the internet for cool Trim Mom tips to share with you.  There is actually a book called The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide!

I love reading books, but there are some books that are just too boring to read.  One of the things I liked when I saw this book was what other moms were saying about it.

Here’s an example, “entertaining and persuasive style will help many moms.”

Thank goodness!  It’s not going to bore you to tears.  Like I said, I like to read, but there are some books that I just can’t get through because of the way the information is presented.  No matter how great that information may be, it does you no good if it’s presentation is so boring you can’t get through it.

Now another thing I like about this book was the fact that it really tackled the major issues we deal with as mothers.  Not only does this book address the challenges women face as “busy moms,” but it also tackles another significant sticking point many of us struggle with: motivation.

You may have listened to my first entry into my Trim Mom Journal.  It’s all about this specific issue, lack of motivation.  But The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide happens to be a great, easy to follow, step-by-step guide for mom’s wanting to be more fit AND it’s also a wonderful motivational kickstart as well!

If you’re looking for an easy read that will provide a wealth of fitness information engineered specifically for helping you overcome your weightloss challenges as a busy mom, go get The Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide and take your first step toward improving your fitness today.

Technorati Tags: busy mom, fitness, fitness book, guide, mom exercise, weightloss

How to Stay Trim During the Holiday Season

You and I both know how tough it is to maintain weight, much less lose weight during the holiday season. However, I’ve got a free guide to help you with great tips and tricks for keeping the pounds off this year!

• Why knowing your food triggers is key
• How to stick with exercise during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season
• How you may be setting yourself up for failure when you attend holiday get togethers
• Practical tips that give you power over your weight loss or weight gain
• An easy-to-follow plan of keeping the extra pounds
• and a bunch more

The best thing of all of course, is that this Holiday Guide is completely free. No credit card required.

If keeping off those extra pounds during the holiday season is a challenge for you, why not grab these tips and tricks to keep in your back pocket and help you make it through this holiday season without packing on the pounds?

CLICK HERE to claim your free holiday guide now.

Technorati Tags: holiday guide, Holiday WeightLoss Tips, weightloss