Be the man (or woman) with the plan..

Walk into the grocery store without a list and you leave the checkout counter with three bags of random foods from every aisle, but nothing for dinner. You did actually GO to the grocery store and you did SHOP for food, but with no plan of what to buy and no list of meal ingredients, you end up with bits and pieces, not a final product.
It’s the same with exercise. Sure you make the effort to get on the treadmill, walk into the gym, and even pick up a few dumbbells, but what are you working toward?
I know we’re supposed to applaud ourselves for taking the first steps and I commend you for doing that. But take a little time to figure out what you really want out of your workout. Just a few minutes of planning can help maximize the time you spend working out!
If you’ve been trying to rev up your cardio to really burn some calories, logging long stretches on the machines can be counterproductive. Get a heart rate monitor and see exactly how many calories you’re burning while you’re trudging along watching TV. And don’t depend on those lying calorie counters on the machines. Chances are you’re burning about half the calories racked up on the screen.
Strength training is essential as well, but just picking up a dumbbell and curling your arm won’t give you the results you want. What body parts are you working? What muscles will you strengthen? Have you allowed adequate time to rest the muscles between workouts? Are you using correct form or rushing through the movement? You can spend a lot of time in the gym throwing your “weight” around with no visible results.
Wouldn’t you rather spend less time with better results? Have a plan! It can be a personalized one from a trainer (recommended), or from a book or magazine. Skim through any major fitness magazine and you’ll find dozens of body specific workouts, ways to maximize your cardio, and pictures of proper form and technique.
I advise writing your daily workout plan on a 3x5 note card and carrying it with you as you work out. As you try out these plans, you can identify which ones garnered your best results. Stick with a plan for about 6 weeks to really see your results and then change it up again.

Ya gotta eat…Although it seems contrary to a fit and healthful lifestyle, I’m a hamburger addict! I try to eat well most of the time, but there’s nothing like the feeling I get from the first bite of a juicy cheeseburger! I do succumb to the greasy spoon variety on occasion, but in between, I treat myself to a burger that’s both wholesome and scrumptious. To make the best of this recipe, get the ground chicken from your butcher and ask if it’s all white meat or a blend of white and dark. Ground chicken breast only is available at places like Whole Foods and other specialty meat groceries. You can also vary the horseradish and mustard in the recipe according to your level of tolerance for the flavors. By substituting oatmeal for bread crumbs in the burger, you add fiber to your meal, and using egg whites instead of whole eggs keeps the burger juicy without adding too much cholesterol.
The following recipe makes 4 burgers:
Chicken Burgers1 lb ground chicken breast
1 pkg Knorrs Dry Vegetable Soup Mix
2 egg whites
2 T Horseradish
1-2 t Spicy Whole Grain Mustard
1/3 cup Oatmeal
1-2 tsp water
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix together all ingredients. Shape into 4 burgers. Grill on Forman grill according to directions or grill on outdoor grill 4-6 minutes per side, being careful not to dry out meat.
Serve on whole wheat buns or wraps

What I'm Loving Now...

What I’m loving now is…
Zumba! Contrary to what you might think, it’s a FUN workout that really burns calories.
Now I’ve been taking fitness classes for longer than I care to remember. Always looking for the perfect workout, the more intense the better, I’ve been pounding my feet, jumping too high and killing my knees!
I read about Zumba and saw a demo on TV and just had to find a class. Zumba was created by Columbian dancer and choreographer, Alberto “Beto” Perez. He forgot his regular class tapes one day and used some of his salsa and merengue music instead. The class loved it and begged for more. Using the music in its original form made the class seem more like a party or a night out at a club. Perez decided to call the class Zumba, after the Colombian slang word meaning to buzz like a bee or move fast.
Since then, the craze has spread to fitness clubs all over the country, including here in St. Louis. What I love about the classes is that everyone has fun and no one, not even the instructors, judge your dancing ability (or inability for that matter); they just enjoy.
Most local clubs offer some variation of Zumba. In the classes I’ve attended, we leave our egos at the door and do our best to follow along. Some days I think I’m on “Dancing with the Stars” (although my daughter, who takes the classes with me, tells another story) and other days I’m lucky if I can turn without falling. But the immediate camaraderie that comes with this workout makes it easy to just enjoy the music and keep moving. It doesn’t seem like I’m working hard in class, but my heart rate monitor shows that I burn as many, if not more calories than I do in a spinning or kickboxing class. I’m not rating the effectiveness of one class over another, but I am saying that if you are having fun, you’re going to work harder.
If you take a class, bring a friend with you (or if you are lucky enough, your daughter! Maybe other family members; they even have Zumba for kids in some cities). It’s a great bonding experience, and when you miss a step or two or three, you can giggle together.
To find a class near you log on to www.zumba.com/us/ , click on “Find a Class’ and type in your Zip Code.
You’ll have a blast!