PNF’s Holiday Fitness Survival Guide – Part 1
Part 1 – How To Stay On Track At Thanksgiving Dinner
There probably is no better meal than Thanksgiving dinner, okay Christmas dinner is pretty good too. At least that is until you have finished eating and find yourself about to slip into your annual after dinner bloated food coma. You know, the feeling you get after eating so much that loosening your belt or slipping on your comfy sweat pants doesn’t even help. So you slowly make your way to the couch to sit down and talk with friends and family. And of course watch the annual football game, even though you could care less about the Dallas Cowboys.
No! How did this happen? You said to yourself that you wouldn’t let this happen again this year. You’ve worked hard all year changing your body. You’ve committed to a workout plan for the last ten months, changed your eating habits, and you have even lost two pants sizes. But, now you are nervous that you are going to slide back into your old habits. After all, this is the hardest time of the year for you and it seems like every year you gain at least five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. You said not this year, but so far you are not off to a great start.
So how do you prevent overeating this Thanksgiving and still enjoy all the delicious food that you look forward to?
Here’s how:
#1. Take smaller portions, but take some of everything.
#2. Skip the bread. That is why there is stuffing, so enjoy that instead.
#3. Eat a healthy breakfast. That way you will not be starving when it is time to sit down and eat, or craving sugary carbs. If you are eating later at dinner time, make lunch healthy too.
#4. Do not pick at the meal while it is being prepared.
#5. Go for a walk with the fam after the “big dinner”, or play a game of touch football with them. This will help you digest and burn off some of what you just ate.
Keep these five steps in mind as you enjoy your dinner. And if you completely blow it and overeat, it is just one day. Get back on track tomorrow. This journey isn’t about perfection, it is about consistency over time.
Workout Smarter, Not Harder Using Heart Rate Zones
Workout smarter, not harder.
The harder you workout the more calories you burn and the leaner you get, right? Well, not exactly.
Does keeping your heart rate in 80 and 90 percent range for most of your workout produce the best results? No again.
To look and feel your best everyday you want to keep you heart rate in to 60 and 70 percent range (blue and green zones if using MyZone). This is the range that allows your body to burn the most stored fat. When you reach the 80 and 90 percent range (yellow and red zones if using MyZone) you begin to burn sugars stored in the muscles, called muscle glycogen. When the body burns off its stored glycogen during a workout it causes you to go home and pig out because your body is depleted of energy. Additionally, working out in this high heart rate range tends to make you excessively tired and results in you being less active throughout the day. So while you may see calories burning like crazy on the screen and feeling like you are killing your workout, you end up burning less through out the day due to reduced overall activity along with being extremely hungry with a strong craving for carbs and sugar. So you end up eating more and this can turn you into a fit fat person overtime.
Also, working out in the higher ranges leads to chronic tiredness, aches and pains, injury, and burnout. None of which you set out to achieve when you began your fitness journey.
As you increase your fitness level you will find yourself having a harder and harder time leaving the 70 percent range. This is good. It is the result of an increased work capacity, meaning you are able to work at a high level for a long period of time without tiring easily.
The people who workout in the 60 and 70 percent range find that they feel great after their workout, leave the gym energized, and experience less injuries. They also tend to be leaner and look more fit than those who are always trying to stay in the highest heart rate zones.
So the next time you hit the gym for your workout remember, the yellow and red zones equal tired, injured, and excessively hungry. While the blue and green zones equal healthy, lean, and energetic people who are ready for whatever the day throws at them.
It is important to workout hard, but only hard enough.
Recipe of the Week – Mexican Chili
This week we have a quick and easy recipe for a spicy Mexican Chili. Prep it in 10 minutes and then let it simmer for about an hour and dinner is served. Save the leftovers for a healthy lunch!
Ingredients:
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
2 15oz cans of kidney beans
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
4 tbsp of chili powder
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 square of organic 86% dark chocolate, chopped
Salt to taste
3 pinches of cilantro
1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Brown the grass-fed ground beef in a large pot. Diced onion and garlic. Chop the chocolate. Once the meat is browned add all of the ingredients. Let simmer for about 1 hour. Serve with shredded cheese and jalapeños on top. Enjoy!
Delicious Mexican Chili
Healthy Crab Cakes
There is nothing better than chowing down a couple of crab cakes for dinner. Unfortunately, they are usually deep-fried, loaded with calories, and not too friendly to your waistline.
That is why we found this healthier version that is just as delicious, but only packs a third of the calories of traditional crab cakes. That’s three for the cost of one!
View the recipe here:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/crab-cakes-with-spicy-rmoulade
Exercise of the Day – Slider Jack Push Ups
Grab a pair of Valslides and give the Slider Jack Push Up a try.
Step #1 – Push up position with toes on slides.
Step #2 – Lower down and spread out legs.
Step #3 – Press up and bring feet together.
Step #4 – Repeat for reps!
Need a progression for your push-ups? Give this one a try.
Kettlebell Squat to Stand
A simple exercise to add some variety to your workouts.
Tired of doing the same old squats each and every workout? Give the Kettlebell Squat to Stand a try for some variety and let us know what yo think.