It’s happening again. Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, “the Holidays,” Uncle Ed’s birthday, the in-law’s anniversary, New Year’s Eve, then New Year’s Day! Are you short on time too? This is a very busy time of year for everyone, and you have to keep up, or you’ll find yourself even more overwhelmed. Though it is hard to find time for yourself during the busy holiday season, making time for fitness doesn’t have to equate to an hour-long workout at the gym. My motto: Do what you can, when you can, because ALL activity adds up!

Here are 10 fun ways you can burn 10 calories, FAST!

1. Run up and down the stairs for 45-60 seconds.
2. Vacuum two large rooms (okay, maybe not fun – let’s call this “multi-tasking”).
3. Put on some great music and dance like no one is watching.
4. Play tag with your kids.
5. Go get the mail, and take three fast laps around your house while you’re out there.
6. Park in the furthest space from the door at the grocery store. Pushing a full cart of groceries clear across the parking lot burns calories and provides resistance for a two-for-one mini-workout.
7. Better yet, park at the end of the driveway and unload the groceries. The extra walking with heaving bags in your hands will be great exercise. You get bonus points if you have a steep or very long driveway.
8. When you’re unloading the groceries, before you put that gallon of milk in the fridge, use it to do 6-10 bicep curls per arm, then hold it in front of you while you do a set of 8-12 squats or lunges.
9. Set the timer on the microwave and see how many jumping jacks you can complete in one minute.
10. Rake leaves! This is a great upper body workout.

Kind of reads like a magazine cover, doesn’t it? In all seriousness though, there really are some simple steps that will help you achieve a weight loss goal…but you can’t do just one and kinda do the other two, or only kinda do all three. Do all three, keep you eye on the ball, and you’ll hit a home run.

Ready? Here we go…

Your Plan

1. Record your food intake daily. Include in your diet a variety of fruits and vegetables at 6-9 servings daily; 2-3 servings of lean protein; 3 servings of dairy; and quality oils.
Why? Keeping track of what you eat for a few weeks (I’m not talking forever people), can tell you several things:
* how many calories you are really eating
* what nutrients you are getting enough of and which ones are lacking
* why you may be sluggish at certain times of the day
* why you feel lightheaded and shaking an hour or so after a meal of snack (i.e, the meal may have too much sugar in it)
Food tracking sounds very tedious. At first, it is. But most of us eat the same types of things over and over, so once recorded, the hard part is done. Also, there are some spectacular apps now that help with food tracking. On the short list: MyFitnessPal.com(Free), MyNetDiary – Food and Exercise Diary for iPad ($9.99), and Calorie Counterby FatSecret for iPad (Free).

2. Find opportunities throughout the day to move (walk, climb stairs, do squats while waiting for bread to toast, etc.).
Why? All movement counts, so why not move whenever you can? How many times do you stand in front of the microwave and watch it reheat your morning coffee? You could knock out a set of push-ups in that amount of time, or some jumping jacks. Once you are in the habit of thinking about movement, you don’t have to think about it anymore and you’ll automatically take the stairs at work, or park farther away from the front door of just about everywhere.
There is an app for this too! Check out RunKeeper (RunKeeper.com) and find an app for just about every activity you can think of. If you like to walk, jog, or cycle, then MapMyRun will track your mileage for you.

3. Make goal-setting a habit. In a notebook, list 5, health-fitness-related goals for 2008 and record them DAILY. Review them 1-2 times per day. For example, “I weigh ____lbs by _____(date)” and “I eat ___ servings of fruit/veggies per day by _____(date)”
Why? When you write it down, the goal takes on a new life. As long as the goal remains in your head, it is just an idea you are tossing around. Write it down, and you can’t ignore it. Take this one step further: add the goal as a reminder on your smart phone, plaster it on your calendar, update your Facebook status with it, Tweet it…you get the picture. Involving others in your goal helps to hold you accountable, so the next time you bump into Aunt Edna at a family gathering and she asks, “I saw on Facebook you are training for some running race. How is your training going?” You’ll either sheepishly admit you bagged that plan, or proudly say, “it is going great!” Don’t be afraid to tell others your plan. You’ll find you have way more supporters than naysayers.
Helpful Apps: Life Goals ($3.99, iTunes), and Unstuck, winner of the 2012 Appy Award for Best Lifestyle App, (for iPad, free).

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” — Bob Moawad

Blue Sky Gym’s “Suggested Reading” list will inspire you to achieve your goals!

1. 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Today, by Steve Siebold
2. The Weight Loss Diaries, by Courtney Rubin
3. Weight Watchers’ Start Living, Start Losing: Inspirational Stories That Will Motivate You Now
4. Making a Habit of Success, by Mack Douglas
5. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, by Dr. Joe Murphy
6. Adventures Within, Dr. Joe Vitale
7. How to be a No-Limit Person, book or audio format, Dr. Wayne Dyer
8. The Secrets of the Power of Intention, book or audio format, Dr. Wayne Dyer
9. Get the Edge, book or audio format, Anthony Robbins
10. The Art of Exceptional Living, by Jim Rohn
11. Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, book or audio format, Dr. Wayne Dyer
12. The Power of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
13. Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want, by Dr. Robert Anthony and Dr. Joe Vitale
14. You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay and Joan Perrin Falquet
15. Love Yourself, Heal Your Life Workbook, by Louise Hay
16. I Can Do It, by Louise Hay
17. The Zone, Dr. Barry Sears
18. The Best Life Diet, Bob Greene
19. Living the Low Carb Life: From Atkins to The Zone, Choosing the Diet That’s Right for You! Jonny Bowden, PhD, M.A., C.N.S

What book helped inspire you? I’ll add it to my list

Before you start an exercise program, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your long-term success. If you really want your journey towards a healthier lifestyle to be successful one, take a few moments to go through the following three steps.

Step 1: Know what you want to achieve

This seems like an obvious thing to consider before starting any project, but many times this crucial first step is overlooked. If your weight loss journey is to be a lasting and successful one, it must become part of who you are, so sit down and really think about what you want to achieve. Not what you hope to achieve, what you want to achieve. What is your intention? Is it to lose weight? How much weight do you want to lose? Is it to get in shape? What kind of shape do you want to be in? Marathon-running shape, toned and more energetic, or would you be happy just getting up the stairs without getting winded? These are important considerations –  without a clear sense of what you want, you’ll become easily distracted en route to your destination and the journey itself won’t be nearly as efficient, productive, fun or rewarding.

When stating your intention, keep it broad and brief, at least in the beginning. Intentions that are too specific are difficult to achieve. So use the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple, Silly

Example of a broad intention: “To develop a healthy body composition.”

Example of an intention that is too specific: “To lose 2 lbs per week for 8 straight weeks by running five times per week for 40 minutes and by limiting calorie intake to 1500 calories per day.”  Even if you feel and look better at the 8-week mark, if you didn’t lose 16 lbs as you intended, you’ll likely see failure rather than success, even though you did have success.

Step 2: Know why you want it.

In other words, who is behind the change (you, or something/someone else?) If you want to lose 30 lbs, why do you want to lose 30lbs? Is this your decision? Your spouses? Your physicians? Your mothers? Know why you want what you want. The most lasting and successful plan will come from clear reasons why you want it. Spend time fleshing this out – it is important. If the catalyst for change is someone/something other than you, your odds of being successful are slim.

Write it down now. Why do you want it?

Step 3: Know what you like to do.

This almost seems too obvious to mention, but I am frequently stunned at the blank stare on clients’ faces when I ask, “what activities to you enjoy most?” Participating in an activity that you enjoy increases the likelihood you will stick with your fitness plan, so spend a few moments on these next two points:

1.  Consider the type of exercise you like to do and when you prefer to
do it (morning, evening, mid-afternoon).

2.  Make a list of all of the activities you enjoy doing, even past sports
you participated in, and childhood activities that were fun. Why do (did) you like these activities?

Have a tip that helped you stick to your guns? Comment below and share it with readers…

Who doesn’t like sugar? It’s sweet, and oh so addicting. It provides a quick pick-me-up when you’re in a hurry. It is also one of the biggest reasons you may be having trouble losing weight.

There is an alarming trend among Americans – Did you know we consume 2-3 pounds of sugar consumption per week? It adds inches to your waist and increases your risk of developing diabetes. Hidden in most of the foods you consume, you can easily consume 1 cup of sugar/day without even realizing it. ONE CUP!

Common culprits:

• Simple carbohydrates (bagels, bread, rice, rice cakes, popcorn, crackers, cookies, cakes, snack bars)
• Beverages (soda, juice, store bought yogurt smoothies, alcohol, mochas and other sugar-laden coffee drinks)

What is even more alarming is the amount of research linking sugar consumption to an array of diseases. Here is the short list (yes, there is a longer list):

Sugar can…

• suppress the immune system.
• contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
• produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
• reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
• promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
• cause hypoglycemia.
• cause kidney damage.
• increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
• interfere with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
• speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
• contribute to weight gain and obesity.
• increase the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• contribute to osteoporosis.
• lead to decreased glucose tolerance.
• cause cardiovascular disease.
• increase systolic blood pressure.
• cause food allergies.
• cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
• cause toxemia during pregnancy.
• overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
• cause atherosclerosis.
• cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
• increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
• cause depression.
• increase fluid retention.
• cause hormonal imbalance.
• cause hypertension.
• cause headaches, including migraines.
• increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of blood clots and strokes.

How much sugar is enough?
2-3 teaspoons per day should do it. Even less would be better.

Are you ready to lose a few pounds and improve your overall health? Kick the habit in 7 days! Here’s how:

1. Get in the habit or reading food labels. Note the number of grams of sugar per serving of each food you consume and aim to keep it under 8 grams of sugar per serving or less.

2. Replace snack foods with low-glycemic foods, such as fresh fruit, apples, pears, red grapes, or blueberries. These foods also tend to be high in fiber, which slows digestion down a bit, which helps keep blood sugar levels steady.

3. Add an extra serving of vegetables with your meals in place of one simple starch. Nix white potatoes, french fries, dinner rolls, white bread or refined wheat bread, pasta and white rice and replace them with foods that have a higher nutritional punch (and less sugar). A simple switch: replace white potatoes with sweet potatoes, which are packed with vitamin A and other vital nutrients. Long grain wild rice, quinoa, bulgar, and barley are great substitutes for white rice. If you must have a roll with dinner, choose one made with 100% whole wheat.

4. Eliminate sweetened beverages, such as juice, pop, sweetened coffee/tea. Watch alcohol intake — it has sugar too!

5. Keep a food journal. Logging your daily food intake will shed light on problem foods that you eat every day without really thinking about it.

It will take one to two weeks for you to get used to having less sugar in your diet. At first you may miss the sweet flavor of your favorite foods. Be patient. You’ll soon notice that your taste buds will change. Foods you once thought were bland will taste more sweet than ever. A sweet red pepper, for example, will taste even sweeter. Learn to savor the flavors that naturally accompany fresh produce – - these are nature’s sweet treats.

Need more help getting the sugar out of your diet?

Try reading, “Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet,” by Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD.

Other book recommendations: