THIS IS IT

This is a "THIS IS IT" Fitness-Friday!

I'm very excited about going to see Michael Jackson's "This Is It" today at 4:15pm. If you are a client of mine, you know I'm a big fan and I love working out to a lot of his greatest hits. You see, music is what ultimately inspires my workouts and my pursuit of the ultimate physique. The sound, beat and tempo of certain songs can inspire me to push a little harder, workout a little longer and SWEAT even MORE! If you don't workout, you won't understand.

Michael Jackson's music inspired me in the 80's to be more of myself. I could be having a bad day and hearing the right song could absolutely change my mood, thoughts and direction instantly.

*Note: Please keep your Ipod's and personal music players full of up beat, inspirational music. YOU can dream and achieve all of your dreams. Go see the movie and go for the GUSTO in your life!

Move It to Lose It
Know someone who's getting amazing results from an insanely low-calorie diet? It may be tempting to severely restrict your calories in hopes of a drastic weight loss, but don't even think about it! Truth is, very few people can maintain one of those crazy kinds of diets for more than a couple weeks. And to make things worse, most people on near-starvation diets gain back all the weight (and more) just a few months later.

In weight-loss terms, fat is energy and the best way to lose it is to use it. You have to do it with diet and exercise. If you diet without exercise, the majority of your weight loss will be from muscle. The minute you stray from your diet, the weight will come right back on.

Learn how to really burn fat

Jillian on Everyday Health
	Why Do Abs Exercises Hurt My Neck? Q: "Why are my crunches hurting my neck so much? Am I doing them wrong?" See Jillian's answer on Everyday Health

Gimme a Break

Do you remember the McDonald's slogan "Have you had a break today?" While we're certainly not recommending a Big Mac, we do like that philosophy. We all get caught up in the comings and goings of our hectic days — but don't let yourself get so busy that you skip your snacks! Challenge yourself to set aside 15 minutes (or more if you can!) to eat your snack, relax, and think about how you're going to handle the rest of the day. After all, eating healthy snacks and taking a break to rest your mind are the things that keep you from hitting the drive-through on your way home from work. www.5factordiet.com

Change for a Lifetime
Office Survival Guide

With all the hours we spend at work — whether that means time in an office, at home, or on the road — it's important to examine the challenges that your career poses to eating well and living a healthy lifestyle.

For example, is your job extremely stressful? Fatiguing? Fast-paced? Boring? Any of these situations could push you toward eating as a way to cope. Instead, try the following tips:

• Practice stress management. When the pressure mounts, instead of turning to a high-calorie, high-fat trigger food to calm your nerves, try healthy, stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing, visualization, and mindful meditation.

Continue reading for five more surefire strategies that can help you survive an unhealthy office environment. Read more

Simple Steps

Conquer Emotional Eating Now and Forever!

Are you an emotional eater? Almost all of us are, at least sometimes (including me!). Emotional eating means turning to food to resolve emotional issues. It means we eat when we feel a certain way — happy, sad, anxious, excited — rather than just when we're hungry. And the foods we turn to are usually comfort foods, foods typically high in calories and fat that don't provide too many nutrients, like ice cream, cookies, and chips.

Emotional eating is nothing to be embarrassed about, but if you allow yourself to eat emotionally on a regular basis, it can be harder to follow a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. And I know that's not what you want. So I'm here to help!

The solution to your emotional eating troubles is also your challenge for the coming week! You can control emotional eating. You just need another outlet for your emotions so you don't continue to use food to calm down or help yourself feel better. And one of the best ways to do this is by keeping a journal! Writing down what's going on in your life and the challenges you are struggling with provides that emotional release you're seeking, so you don't need food for comfort. Take some time to think about exactly you're feeling, and choose the right words, so they truly represent your emotions. You can put them down on paper or on your computer — your choice. Members can also log onto the site and use their online journals for this.

Write at least one journal entry in the next seven days, and then every week from now on — but more is always better! You'll come to love writing in your journal and see it as a secret friend. I know I do!

www.deniseaustin.com

Thursday October 29 How to Prevent Stress Eating Many people respond to stress by turning to their favorite comfort foods, oftentimes making unhealthy food choices. But because you are following the South Beach Diet, you already know that certain tempting foods (processed chips, fried fare, sugary sweets, etc.) can easily derail your weight-loss goals. An easy solution? Learn what your food triggers are ahead of time so you'll be prepared before stress eating kicks in. Get 4 tips to help prevent stress eating. How Long to Improve Cholesterol Levels? "How long does it usually take to improve very bad cholesterol levels? Is a month an unreasonable amount of time?" Get the answer from Dr. Agatston. SouthBeachDiet.com is part of the Everyday Health Network. More From the South Beach Diet

Become a memberLearn moreMember sign in

Can Changing Your Diet Prevent Another Stroke?

What you eat could make a difference, especially if you choose foods that are healthier for your cardiovascular system and help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Learn about the benefits of nutritional counseling.

9 Celebrities With Type 1 Diabetes

You might have more in common with your favorite celebrity than the same hometown or hair color. If you have type 1 diabetes, you're among some pretty famous and talented company. Check out the photo gallery to see how diabetic celebs manage their conditions. Learn more about type 1 diabetes.

10 Great Family Fitness Ideas

Finding time for family exercise is a crucial part of parenting, especially considering the rising childhood obesity rates. But being active doesn't have to mean signing your whole family up for an expensive gym. Check out these simple and affordable activities.

Are Your Testosterone Levels Too Low?

In addition to causing erectile dysfunction and a diminished sex drive, low testosterone can also affect your muscle strength, mood, and energy level. Find out if you're at risk.

Behavioral Health
Are You in Touch With Your Emotions?

When you're faced with a powerful or uncomfortable feeling, how do you deal with it? Sometimes when we don't know what to do with an emotion, we turn to food to cope with it or cover it up. This response can become so automatic that you may not even be aware of the emotion that's triggering your impulse to eat. But if you understand what you're feeling and what you really need, chances are you will realize that food isn't going to meet that need.

Read on for four steps you can take to understand and deal with your emotions — without relying on food.

Read more

Quick & Light

No-Excuse-Needed Party Food!

I love this recipe — Lime-Grilled Chicken With Cuban Salsa — because it's festive to serve to company, and just as perfect when you make it for your family as a special treat. It's light and a little spicy — ideal for the summer, when you can throw the chicken on the grill, or the fall, when a broiler is the way to go. If you like, turn up the heat with more jalapeno! If you want to tone it down, use less (make sure you remove the seeds, too, which are extra spicy!). Allow a little extra time to let the chicken marinate before cooking — 15 minutes will do it. You can also marinate the chicken in a resealable plastic bag overnight in the fridge (just bring it back to room temperature before using) and make the salsa the night before. You'll have practically nothing to do to finish dinner but cook the chicken, set the table, make some brown rice, and put together a spinach salad.

Lime-Grilled Chicken With Cuban Salsa

Ingredients

For the salsa:
7 ounces black beans (half a 15-ounce can)
1 ripe mango, finely diced
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teeaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

To make the salsa:
In a medium bowl, stir together the beans, mango, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and jalapeno.

To make the chicken:
Place the chicken in a shallow dish. Add the lime peel, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper and rub the mixture into the chicken. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your grill or broiler. If using a broiler, coat the broiler pan with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the grill rack or broiler pan and cook 4 inches from the heat, turning once, until the chicken is no long pink in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve the chicken with the salsa; if desired, slice the chicken into strips before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 290 calories, 22g carbohydrates, 37g protein, 5g total fat, 80mg cholesterol, 5g dietary fiber, 620mg sodium . www.deniseaustin.com

Maximize Your Workouts

If you're using your dumbbells properly, you should be able to just finish the maximum number of reps before hitting the point of exhaustion. Sometimes this happens a little bit early, and you find yourself struggling to complete the last motion. But don't put down the weights too soon, because that struggle is as much mental as it is physical. As long as you're not in pain, challenge yourself to power through that last repetition and finish the set. Not only will you be looking better in no time, but you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment too!

www.5factordiet.com

Should You Exercise With Knee Pain?

You don't have to give up exercise if you're living with knee pain. In fact, staying active will help you maintain your weight and make your knees feel better. Get the dos and don'ts of exercising with knee pain.

3 Exercises for Stronger Knees

Senior health blogger DesertFlower2009 lets you in on a few of her strengthening exercises for weak knees. Read her blog and get moving!

How do I avoid the dreaded Halloween candy weight gain?

It happens every year…we vow not to gain weight over the holidays. Most people assume the trouble begins with Thanksgiving, but for many people the weight gain actually starts around Halloween. Follow these simple guidelines to keep from going overboard with the Halloween candy this year. Tip #1 Avoid candy all together. Buy healthier Halloween treats like bags of pretzels, granola bars or sugarless gum, or pass out non-edible treats like stickers or Halloween pencils. Tip #2 Buy Halloween candy at the last minute. Don’t buy bags and bags of candy three weeks before Halloween, even if it is on sale. The money you might save is insignificant compared to the extra calories and extra pounds you’ll put on from the inevitable candy binge. Tip #3 Don’t overbuy. It’s better to run out of candy and shut the lights off early then it is to have piles of tempting treats leftover. If you do end up with extra candy donate it to a local homeless shelter or community center. Keep in mind some places have rules about donations so be sure to check into that ahead of time. Tip #4 Out of sight out of mind. Don’t keep a big bowl of Halloween candy on the kitchen or living room table. You’ll be too tempted to grab a piece every time you walk by. Store it in a hard to reach place like a top shelf that you need to stand on a chair to get to or ask a reliable family member to store (or hide) extra candy for you. Tip #5 Buy candy you don’t like. If Reese’s peanut butter cups are your all-time favorite candy, then don’t buy them to pass out to your trick-or-treaters. Why torture yourself? Tip #6 Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals to allow for extra candy calories is not the way to go. Doing this will only make you more likely to over-indulge. Continue with your regular healthy eating plan and allow yourself a piece or two as a special treat. Tip #7 Stay active. Keeping up with your normal fitness routine becomes even more important over the holidays. You may even want to add an extra 10 or 20 minutes of cardio to allow for those extra Halloween goodies. Don’t make Halloween the enemy this year. Set realistic goals by ditching the “all or nothing” mentality. Focus on weight maintenance instead of weigh loss. Trying to stay away from the candy and failing is worse than allowing yourself some pre-planned leeway. "Giving in" can be associated with feelings of weakness and guilt that can drive you to emotionally eat. Maintain control by giving yourself permission beforehand to enjoy a few treats then get back on track. Happy Halloween! http://www.senseitalks.com/2009/10/how-do-i-avoid-dreaded-halloween-candy.html

How to Avoid Scary Halloween Candy Binges

By Concord Weight Loss Center

It’s here – Halloween is right around the corner, and so are the inevitable sweet temptations that accompany it. If you’re not careful, a few careless handfuls of your favorite mini treats and you’ll swear you’ve been tricked the next time you step on the scale.

Here are some tips to help you avoid the Halloween binge:

Do not stock your house early, despite the great sale price or two-for-one special! You know exactly what will happen – come October 25th that candy dish will be empty. You may tell yourself every year that you won’t eat it, or that “just a little bit won’t hurt”, but if it is sitting out and tempting you, you will most likely give in! So your best bet is to wait until the last minute possible to purchase your candy, even if it means your favorite won’t be on the shelf. Which brings us to our next tip…

Don’t buy your favorite! Candy is candy, sugar is sugar – your trick-or-treaters will enjoy most anything you hand out (excepting wax lips). Don’t be foolish and use Halloween as an excuse to buy six bags of the candy you can’t say no to.

Don’t buy more than you need. Sam’s Club offers great deals on bulk amounts of candy, but unless you are having a party there is no need to buy that 25 lb bag of Mary Janes. Just buy the realistic amount of candy you will need for the average amount of trick-or-treaters you expect.

Don’t give yourself a perceived free pass by purchasing sugar-free candy. The sugar alcohols and chemicals in these candies is actually worse than sugar. Sugar-free also does not mean calorie-free and fat-free.

Over-fill your little ghosts and goblins’ bags. When they ring your doorbell, give them more than they expect. You’ll be the neighborhood hero and the hero of your own fitness and weight loss progress.

The morning after – give it away. Deliver your leftovers to a neighbor or drop it in the office break room. Out of sight, out of mind – it really works! I regularly bake a lot of brownies and cakes for people, it’s one of my passions. But my secret to sticking to my fitness plan is make it and get it out delivered before temptation is stronger than my willpower.

Don’t beat yourself up if you did over-do it. However, don’t use it as an excuse to stay off the wagon for days. Simply accept that you enjoyed your craving and start over the next day. Forgive yourself and dive back in to your routine.

Happy Halloween!

Why Workout Variety Is So Important
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein's famous statement also applies to exercising. Think of all of the people who have been going to the gym 5, 6 and even 7 days a week for years. They show up like clockwork. They have been on the same cardio machines, lifting the same free weights, and using the same nautilus equipment since day one. They do each for the same amount of time, and always in the same order without fail. Read this article if you want to find out why adding variety to your workouts is so important! Read Article >>



Success Story of the Week - Jerilyn
This area is dedicated to weight loss success stories shared by our visitors. These are real stories from real people who have achieved real results. Each person shares their nutritional tips, exercise advice and insight about how they successfully lost weight and kept it off. Learn exactly what these people ate and what specific exercises they used to lose excess body fat and build lean muscle. We hope these stories will provide you with the inspiration and motivation to make the changes that will make your life healthier and happier. See After Photos >>

Setting Daily Goals
Your first step on the road to total health and your best life is simple: You can't achieve success if you are not moving toward something, so before you do anything else, you have to establish both short- and long-term goals. Need some motivation? My Message Boards are a great place for daily inspirations.
Find out what goals my online team wants to accomplish today

Jillian on Everyday Health
	Advice for Pear—Shaped Bodies Q: "I have a pear shape my thighs have always been bigger than my hips. When I do leg exercises, my thighs get even bigger and my pants get tighter around the thighs. Any ideas?" See Jillian's answer on Everyday Health

BE ON JILLIAN'S NEW SHOW!
Does your family need Jillian's special brand of tough love to shape up? NBC is now casting for Losing It With Jillian, a new 8-episode series to air next year. In each episode, Jillian will help a family struggling with their weight and wellness — she will get to the bottom of the issues each family member faces and will arm them with the tools necessary to make life-altering changes. Read the news release and get casting info here!

South Beach Diet-Friendly Treats

Halloween is traditionally a day reserved for horror movies, scary costumes, and, of course, candy — and lots of it. But if you're following the South Beach Diet you've already taken an important step toward improving your health and setting a good example for your family.

Read up on the top 6 South Beach Diet-friendly Halloween treats.

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Best Greens for You?

"What are the benefits of eating dark greens, and which in particular do you recommend?"

Get the answer from Dr. Agatston.

Ask Denise!

Build Your Self-Image

Q: I'm about 50 pounds overweight, and I just started working out at a gym for the first time ever. But I feel so out of place next to all the fitness-model types around me that I'm tempted to just stay home. How do I cope?

A: You've already made a huge step by deciding to get fit and joining a gym — don't lose your momentum now! They — even the skinny folks — felt out of place at the gym in the beginning. And focusing on those around you instead of on your own workout is naturally going to distract you from the task at hand! But what you aren't realizing is that most folks are so busy and preoccupied about their own workouts that they don't have time to pay attention to you or make judgments about you.

Besides, you never know people's stories. That fitness-model type may have started out like you and worked her way to her current size. Focus on reaching your weight-loss goal. Be confident! Let your fellow exercisers motivate you! Just think: In a few months — with lots of hard work and dedication — you'll be the one whom people look at and think, "Wow, I wish I had that body!" You're on the right track, so keep going!

www.deniseaustin.com

Food & Nutrition
Handling Buffets

If you had to name the type of meal that poses the greatest challenge to your control of how much you eat, chances are you'd choose the all-you-can-eat buffet. Loaded with appealing choices, a buffet can make even the most dedicated weight manager falter.

Read on to get seven fresh ideas for facing the buffet table. Read more

Better Breakfasts for Weight Loss

How you start your day can affect your eating habits into the evening. Some breakfast food choices can also boost your metabolism — and help you reach your weight loss goals. Learn which breakfast foods are best.

It Pays to Eat Less as You Age

Being a little more conscious of what and how much you eat can help ward off age-related weight gain. Get more tips for adjusting your weight-loss strategy with age.

Is Obesity Inevitable?

Thirty-two percent of Americans are now considered obese. How did this happen, and what can you do to make sure that your weight doesn't start creeping up on you and affecting your cardiovascular health? Follow these tips to avoid weight gain.

When to Take an Exercise Break

Overtraining is common, but learning to tell how much is too much can be difficult — especially when you have a specific goal that you're trying to reach. Find out if you could benefit from an exercise break.

Curb Your Nighttime Nibbling

Find yourself craving an evening refrigerator raid — almost every night? It's more than likely due to stress or sheer habit than a ravenous appetite. Satisfying, healthy meals throughout the day should help curb an evening food fest, but if you still find yourself craving food after 7 p.m., here are some solutions:

Brush your teeth immediately after dinner, or chew a piece of minty sugar-free gum. This is an effective tactic — chocolate ice cream and spearmint are not a great combo.

Go ahead and have a snack. Just be sure to limit your portion size to one serving. If you're in Wave 1 and going for nuts, count a few out in your hand and leave the rest in the kitchen. If you're choosing a Wave 2 or 3 fruit, try cutting it up as you eat it. This forces you to eat slowly and methodically, so you'll savor your snack and be more mindful of how much you're eating.

Eat breakfast every day! Something as simple as one cup of whole grain cereal with one cup of skim milk can jump-start your metabolism in the morning and help curb your appetite later in the day. If you're satisfied all day long, you'll be less likely to go snack-crazy at night.

Members Get More! Sign Up Now!

Stress Less About the Scale

Do you weigh yourself every day? Do you worry about even the slightest change in your weight? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you may be too focused on the scale — and if you're trying to maintain healthy habits, this behavior can actually be counterproductive.

Learn how different factors determine your weight.

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Women, Hormones, and Heart Disease

It may appear as though women don't get heart disease because they tend to develop it later in life than men, largely due to the protective effects of natural estrogen. As long as women are having regular menstrual cycles, they enjoy a significant, although not absolute, level of protection.

Learn more from Dr. Agatston.

Make MONDAY Marvelous! Although my joints are sore, I'm pretty excited for week two of the MAX Insanity DVDs. I was much stronger when I repeated two of the DVDs on Friday and Saturday. Digging deeper has definitely become easier. I feel so proud every time I finish a workout. Insanity was definitely the challenge I needed.

Halloween is Saturday, I'm against over-eating on sugary candy. It's a depressant if you ask me. The guilt that comes with eating candy bar, after candy bar is ridiculous. Why do it to yourself again this year. Just my feelings.....

Tip of the Day: Take (1) package of Quaker High Fiber Instant Oatmeal and cook it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then, add a serving of Greek Plain yogurt. Mix it together......

It will keep you full for 3 hours. Sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top and you have the perfect breakfast. Who doesn't have time to make this 2 minute breakfast?

YES! You should be sweating for an hour today! No more excuses!

The Great Motivators: 14 Reasons to Keep Pushing Play

The Great Motivators: 14 Reasons to Keep Pushing Play

By Denis Faye and the Beachbody, Message Boards Community

Exercise is easy. Buy a video, pick up a weight, and you're doing it. Nutrition is easy. Buy good foods, eat them, and you're doing it. So why aren't we a world of the fit and the skinny? We'll tell ya why.

Because motivation is a killer. It's one thing to know how to eat right and exercise. It's another thing entirely to actually do it.

The trick is to find your magic button—that motivator that pushes you to blast out a P90X® Ab Ripper X session when you'd rather stay in bed, that motivator that makes you eat celery when chocolate cake is so much more delicious.

If you've found your motivator, more power to you, but for those who haven't, we asked the crew members on the Message Boards about their motivators. Answers ranged from wild to wonderful to weepy to just plain weird. If you see one that you like, grab it. It's on the house.

Here are a few of them

1. "What motivates me is the high I feel a couple hours after a really good workout. Nothing can beat that!"—JLYNNFL01

   Exercise causes your brain to release endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. A nice side effect of these little hurt-masking hormones is that they can also induce euphoria, even with moderate exercise.

2. "The thought of elastic waist bands keeps me pressing play." —Chelle Bean

   This is in no way a judgment, but the simple fact is that when you're fit, you have access to cooler clothes. And once you toss that muumuu away to make room for your skinny jeans, you won't want to go back.

3. "I motivate myself by thinking about how wonderful it will feel to be my husband's trophy wife!"—shellyv

   Although your spouse will probably love you either way, it's always nice to make him or her drool a little. Remember, being fit makes you feel good about yourself, and when partners feel good about themselves, it makes it easier to feel good about the relationship.

4. "Looking at my before pictures. If I ever start to feel like I don't want to exercise I just pull those gems out."—RyGuy

   Everyone seems to like their "after" picture so much more than their "before" picture. There was a lot of sweat and pain in the transition.

5. "Even though the ex-wife did not leave because I was not ripped, I still can't wait to take my shirt off at the pool for our son's birthday and have her see all the things she is missing out on. His birthday is in August, so I have just enough time."—Puckmaster

   Here's an old quote: "Revenge is a dish best served cold." It comes from either Afghanistan or the Klingon language. We're not sure which.

6. "Rock climbing alone isn't a key ingredient to a full life, at least not for me. Climbing with my kids, on the other hand, is another story. Spending time together, being able to keep up, starts to be even more promising. Ultimately, that is my big picture; my family, my kids, and my health are all intertwined." —Fitz62

   Being fit opens up a whole world for a parent. And technically, running around with your rugrats counts as exercise, so you get a bonus.

7. "My 2-1/2-year-old son who asks, 'Daddy are you exercising today?' And afterwards puts my shirt in the laundry basket for me. I want to be here as long as possible for my family." —Sgpratt

   Here's an even bigger motivator when it come to exercising for the sake of your family. Not only will the quality of family time improve, but also, in the long run, you'll have lots more of it.

8. "My daughter is my motivation. I do not want her to see me struggling with weight as I saw my mom."—Fufi28

   Here's the biggest motivator of all. Kids model their parents—the way they eat, the way they live their lives. If you live your life healthily and strongly, your kids will too.

9. "My favorite motivational tool is to use some P90X workouts or other exercises to create unique challenges and do them for time."—Coach Marc

   Goal-oriented people fire themselves up with, wait for it, goals. If working through 90 days of grueling exercise isn't enough for you, create mini goals during that time. Increase sets or do things faster, whatever fires you up.

10. "I make each workout an appointment . . . and I don't like missing appointments."—Blotman

    Most people like to live up to the commitments they've made. If you make a doctor's appointment, you don't miss it, do you? Well, you're just as important as your doctor, so if you make an appointment with yourself, honor it!

11. "WOWY keeps me accountable, I may not know a single soul personally, but just knowing thousands of other people are putting their health first keeps my conviction strong!"—Maii Beloved

    Of course, if you're just not willing to give yourself the respect required to keep those appointments, maybe you'll respect the thousands of people who track you when you use the WOWY® accountability system.

12. "The more you work out, the more you can eat!"—j-ro

    This one is a slippery slope, but there's some truth to it. Just keep in mind that exercise isn't a license to pig out on junk because "junk in, junk out."

13. "I enjoy seeing others' reaction when I wear a tank top. I get a kick out of them staring at the veins in my biceps."—Padstack

    It's always nice to get checked out and know that your hard work is paying off.

14. "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS"—VOLTOWN

    Well, if you don't want to do it for yourself and you don't want to do it for your family, there's nothing wrong with doing it for the ladies, we suppose, or for the men, of course. Just don't go too crazy, Voltown.