Sneaky Ways to Add Activity to Your Day

Have you ever driven to the gym, or taken the train (as my fellow New Yorkers do)? You have officially defeated the purpose. The gym is not the only place that you can have a great workout. I have always endorsed dance classes, videos, and even FIT TV, as great sources for heart thumping exercise. But there are also some sneaky ways to add extra activity to your day, without too much effort.

The key is to find tiny segments of time throughout the day to work in some mini- workouts make choices in transportation and incorporate some sculpting moves during downtimes. The following tips have been part of my day no matter what. Start slow and try something new every day and soon they will be part of your lifestyle.

1. WALK OR BIKE TO WORK- city dwellers have absolutely no excuse for this one. You could not imagine how effective this is in kick starting some weight loss. The beauty of it is it is not only effective but it gets you where you have to go anyway. Forget crammed subways or tons of traffic: walk, walk, walk. If it is too hurried to walk to work, then walk from work to home.

2. CHORES AND STUFF- when you are running errands you generally tend to carry things, packages, groceries, etc. Use this extra weight while walking to intensify your walk. Don’t take shortcuts, walk with your groceries. You should see me on my days off; I look like a pack mule! It’s not cute but it works.

3. LUNCH TIME- use your hour wisely, pick up your food and brown bag it to same time. Use at least 15 minutes of your lunch hour to take a brisk walk, or go up and down stairs in your building. You can even do the activity before eating your lunch so you can relax with your food in the last 45 minutes. Others prefer to eat first and use the walk to help digestion. Over an entire week it really adds up!

4. WATCHING TV- ahh, some downtime after work, nothing can come between you and your remote, but how about some weights? You are too tired for some heart thumping cardio but how about something a little low-key, like a few reps with small weights, or some lunges or even some stretching. The key is sneaking some type of activity without interrupting your viewing pleasure; soon you won’t even have to think about it.

5. HOUSEWORK DAY- all those tedious chores at the house can be spiced up with some base blasting music and a mop. Whether its meringue (like me) or 80’s music, find what you love and have a blast. Dance your way through the house from chore to chore. Time will fly, you have worked out and your toilet will sparkle. That sounds like a day!

I am sure that if you think about your daily routines you will be able to find more creative ways to find some activity time. Make it part of your day and it will become a mainstay. Soon you will see some great results and have had some great fun!

Fiorella

Is Happy Hour Shaking Up Your Fat Loss Efforts?

Martini's at happy hour can really shake up your weight loss efforts. Many of us think that if we stick to hard liquor as opposed to high calorie sugary drinks like daiquiris and margarita, we are safe from putting on pounds, but alcohol itself is a culprit in weight gain. Alcohol has seven calories per gram and all seven are completely empty of any nutritional value. Alcohol does not require digestion, so it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and this is where the domino effect begins.

The body takes in this absorbed alcohol in the form of acetate, which it burns for fuel very quickly while ignoring your carbohydrates and fats and storing them directly as fat. Not only does alcohol provide a distraction to your normal fat burning, but it is a narcotic and therefore you are likely to build a tolerance to it and end up drinking larger amounts. Studies show that alcohol is absorbed in women more quickly than in men because we have less of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase in our systems and even less tolerance during our menstrual cycles.

In the liver, alcohol is metabolized before proteins or fats. The liver’s inability to metabolize the fat results in high levels of lipid in the blood. The liver cannot make glucose from stored glycogen and therefore leading to low blood sugar levels. This interruption of the body’s natural defenses can really sabotage your weight loss efforts.

In the digestive tract, alcohol acts as an irritant. Not only can it make conditions like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) worse, it actually damages the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Drinking has been proved to decrease the levels of folic acid, b12 and thiamine in the body which eventually leads to malnutrition in alcoholics. Lactose is another sugar that is not absorbed properly while alcohol is present which leads to lactose intolerance.

Studies show that when alcoholics are recovering, nutritional therapy is part of their progress and can reverse the effects of the damages. I tell my clients to curb their drinking drastically for optimal results in weight loss, but with the rising rate of binge drinking in woman; it seems to be a harder task than I thought. In the meantime I will offer some tips for the times you do go overboard

1. Try to avoid high fat and sugar foods when planning to drink

2. Do not drink on an empty stomach - have some food before hand to ensure slower absorption

3. Load up on dark leafy greens and enriched cereals to replenish Folate levels

4. Eat lean meats or pork to get your b-vitamins

Remember, alcohol has its time and place in moderation. Even though it seems trendy to drink too much nowadays with celebrities in rehab and dancing on tables, it really isn’t becoming to you. Don’t forget alcohol depresses you, ages you and makes you look and feel like crap. It may sound like a cheap shot but if I have to appeal to your vanity, I won’t hold back.

Fiorella