FitOrbit!

Now you personal train with me no matter where YOU are!

Check out: http://fitorbit.com/trainers/LindsayB

Gobble Green Weight Loss Challenge

In support of Earth Day, eating responsibily, looking and feeling damn good - I had to let you know about this great program from Gobble Green, the gourmet Vegan Meal delivery service I told you about last week. If you missed my review of their awesome meals ... click here: http://damn-ilookgood.blogspot.com/2010/04/gobble-green.html


The owners of Gobble Green, Jennifer Clary & Kevin Haberer emailed me to let me know about this amazing program, for an unbelievable price!

The press release is quoted below:


"The Gobble Green Challenge is the amazing new 12 week weight loss program that will slim your waistline and save lives! Sign up for The Gobble Green Challenge at www.gobblegreen.com/challenge today to get on The Custom Green Plan, featuring personalized menu preparation and exercise instruction from Gobble Green’s fitness and nutrition expert, Erin Gerlitzki. The Custom Green Plan retails for $850.00, but for participants of The Gobble Green Challenge, there are packages starting at only $495.00 per month for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert every day plus access to Gobble Green’s nutrition and fitness advisor. That’s just $16.50 per day to eat delicious gourmet cuisine, get in shape with your own personal nutritionist/fitness trainer, and win amazing prizes like sponsorship of animals and hungry children by Gobble Green…you can’t afford NOT to take this challenge!

Call 1-800-684-7618 or go to www.gobblegreen.com/challenge today to sign up for The Gobble Green Challenge, the weight loss program that will change your life and the lives of others!"

Less than $20 bucks a day for all your food and a fitness plan, plus you are in it for charity!!

If you've been looking for a way to implement a plant based diet, to get in shape or you just want to look and feel damn good ... check out The Gobble Green Challenge!

(image from: gobblegreen.com)

Tabata Brutality

How about a workout that takes just four minutes?

But, these four minutes are the toughest bouts of :20 seconds of intense work followed by only :10 seconds of recovery repeated eight times.

Let me spell that out:
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery
:20 intense work
:10 recovery

Now ... apply these intervals to whatever exercise modality you like ...

Spinning
Jogging
Strength Training
Plyometrics
Yoga
Stepmill

And voila! You have four minutes of intense activity that translates to cardiovascular and strength gains!

I challenge you to repeat your tabata intervals up to four times for a twenty minute killer workout!

Be sure to follow with a long, deep stretch, lots of water, an ice bath, epsom salts or whatever else you need to recover from TABATA BRUTALITY!!

(image from: istockphoto.com)

Almased

An ad for Almased caught my eye while paging through Cosmo magazine.

Almased is a meal replacement shake that is made from yogurt, honey and soy.

Simply packaged and endorsed by a pharmacist (because they are known for their nutritional prowess and weight loss expertise?) The two page spread details a "Bikini Emergency" diet plan that consists of three days consumption of just three Almased shakes and as much vegetable broth as you can consume.

With only 180 calories (1g of fiber, but 25g protein) per shake, The Almased plan comes in at a grand total of 540 calories per day.

Last time I checked - that qualifies for a starvation diet.

The diet then graduates you to two shakes and one meal per day and eventually two meals and one shake per day. Sound familiar? This is the second coming of Slim Fast packaged as "health" food.

If you read this blog daily, you know this is a positive place. I rarely write about products I don't like, but I have to speak out when I feel unhealthy and dangerous eating habits are being directly targeted at women.

I am constantly shocked at people's misconceptions around food and nutrition in general. Even the most educated folks sometimes don't really think about what they are putting in their mouths. A product like Almased further distorts the issue of dieting and health food by promoting a product to sustain a starvation diet.

Please consider what you consume carefully. If you want to change your body, eat whole, fresh, unprocessed foods in sensible portions. Keep track of your calories in Fitday, undertake an exercise program and watch your body and life transform - the healthy way!

(image from: almased.com)

HCG Diet

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, http://celebrityfitnesstrends.com and saw a post on something I wasn't aware of ... The HCG Diet.

Apparently, JWOWW from Jersey Shore's uses it to lose weight and sells it on her website ... hmmmmmmm ...

Read the post here: http://celebrityfitnesstrends.com/index.php/2010/01/jersey-shores-jwowws-diet-secrets/

So, I did a little detective work on what exactly this HCG diet is.
According to http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-illness/wellness/physical-fitness/weight-loss/hcg-diet1.htm:
HCG is a hormone found in pregnant women's urine and is actually one of the first signs of pregnancy. This is what pregnancy tests are based on.
HCG stands for "human chorionic gonadotropin" and is the hormone responsible for making sure a fetus gets the nutrition it needs regardless of the caloric intake of the mother.
It does this by releasing fat stores in the body.
Although JWOWW is selling homeopathic HCG drops on her website, traditionally the hormone is injected for a cycle of 26 to 43 days.
Dieters are instructed to consume only 500 calories of high protein, low carbohydrate foods. Allegedly, no hunger is felt at this extremely low caloric level due to the fat stores being released.
Um ... 500 calories?

My immediate reaction is that this is nothing more than a dangerous starvation, crash diet. I mean, consuming 500 calories a day - hungry or not - will lead to weight loss regardless of hormone supplementation.

Plus - the "G" in HCG stands for "gonadatropin" - meaning it causes genital development. I don't know about you, but I don't really want any further genital development ... that would be a scary price to pay for losing a little weight.

Additionally ... I'd be a little concerned with where exactly the HCG comes from that I was putting in my body.

Make your own judgement on this one ... but, HCG is one diet craze I'll be skipping.

(picture from: iStockphoto.com/TommL)

Victoria Beckham's Three Bite Rule

We are quickly approaching big holiday meal number two this weekend! (The first of which was Thanksgiving and the last will be New Year's Eve ...)

Hopefully, you've been staying fit and trim throughout the holiday season. This is always right around the time I start to lose my resolve a bit, indulging in Christmas cookies and too much champagne...

Well, fashionista, disciplined eater and devoted exerciser Victoria Beckham has a strategy to fend off holiday pounds without sacrificing your favorite foods or the social situations that go with them.

According to The Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/victoria-beckham-adopts-three-bites-rule-at-christmas-to-maintain-size-zero-figure/story-e6frf96o-1225811404157,) Ms. Beckham is going to indulge in holiday traditional meals, but will only take three bites of each item.

I love it. What a great way to exercise portion control while not missing out any of the fun!

And who really needs more than three bites of a single item when there are going to be endless dishes to sample?? The first bite is always the best, the second is almost as good and by the third bite ... you know it's not going to taste any different after that, so move on to the next food!

I'm going for it!

Will you??

(photo from: ppshop.co.uk)

Dahl

Feeling bloated, heavy and overindulged from Thanksgiving?

Make a homemade batch of Ayurvedic Dahl to eat for the next few days.

Dahl is a lentil based stew that is extremely easy for our bodies to digest. It has all the nutritional components necessary for energy and health from simple, vegetable sources.

Eat the dahl for one to three of your meals per day for three to ten days. Chew each bite completely and drink extra water during the day.

Be sure to exercise 30 - 60 minutes per day to help flush toxins out.

The following recipe is from Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner, Shanalee Gallagher in Chicago, IL. You can contact her for wellness and dietary services at: 312.613.1099 or Email Shanalee

Shanalee's Dahl Recipe (in her words):
**There is ritual to making this recipe. So, follow instructions and add lots of love**

4 cups split yellow mung dahl
12 cups filtered water or 6 cups veggie stock and 6 cups water.
5 organic medium carrots
1 bunch organic kale, washed and destemmed, sliced into thin pieces
1 fresh jalapeno sliced thin
1 heaping tbsp cumin - whole seeds
1 heaping tbsp corriander - whole seeds
1 heaping tbsp fennel - whole seeds
1 tsp turmeric - ground
1 level tbsp celery seed - whole seed
1 -2 bay leaves
Coconut oil
Cilantro
lime

1. Rinse the dahl in warm to cold water. Put dahl in large bowl. Add water. Stir with right hand in clockwise direction. Drain water and repeat this step three times total. Dahl will "suds." Be sure to rinse until there are no "suds."

2. Put clean dahl in large soup pot and add 12 cups of filtered water. Place over low to medium heat. Lentils will start to slowly warm while you do the next steps.

3. In a separate pan, roast all seeds (not turmeric) in 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil. Cook until brown. Keep stirring so they do not burn to a lightly roasted state.

4. Transfer seeds and turmeric to mortar and pestle or a bowl and use a wooden spoon to crush.

5. Add crushed spices and bay leaves to lentil pot. Raise to a medium heat.

6. Chop carrots, jalapenos and kale.

7. When you see lentils start to break, add carrots and jalapenos. Maintain a covered soft boil about an hour or until lentils soften and break and thicken and turn into a "bean base." Soup will be thick and smooth.

8. If soup is too watery - add more lentils ... or too thick add more water.
You can't mess it up - it will either be a "soupy" bean base or it can be a thicker bean base with less cooked broken lentils. Experiment with the consistency you like.

9. Add Kale after right consistency is achieved. Simmer covered on low for an additional 15 - 20 minutes.

10. Serve immediately or to reheat ... add a bit of water.

11. Serve the dahl with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice or extra steamed greens if you wish. I like to spoon on 1/2 to 1 tsp extra virgin coconut oil or ghee, squeeze the juice of 1/4 to 1/2 fresh lime and add a dash of sea salt on top.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.





(photo from: heartandstroke.sk.ca)

Physique 57

The best $57 dollars and the most effective 57 minutes you will spend this year. The Physique 57 Technique is a fantastic alternative or addition to your current exercise regime that gets noticeable results in a short amount of time.

The Physique 57 three DVD series is worth every penny and will add a jolt of new movements into your exercise regime, waking up muscles you probably never knew existed.

Based on the Lotte Berk method (www.lotteberkmethod.net), Physique 57 creator Tanya Becker focuses on toning the accessory muscles using dance like movements. Using mostly your own body weight and minimal equipment; a chair, a playground ball, a mat and light weights, the method hits the entire body from unique, inventive angles with noticeable results.

The DVD set comes with a 57 minute full body workout, a 30 minute express full body workout and a 30 minute arm and ab booster. The method recommends performing the 57 minute workout three non-consecutive days per week and each of the 30 min workouts once per week.

Performed correctly, these incomparable movements will have your whole body shaking and sore. Ultimately, you will notice a leaner, tighter, smaller shape.

The arm and ab booster DVD starring the motivating and charismatic Shelley Knight is worth buying the set alone!

You can purchase the DVDs for $49.95 (plus S&H for a total of about $57)here:
http://physique57.com/shop/products/

Additionally you can experience the method in NYC at their studios:
http://physique57.com/studio-locations/

Give Physique 57 a try and share your results!!

(photo from: physique57.com)

The F Factor Diet

If you haven't jumped on the fiber train yet, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist to the NYC and Miami elite, Tanya Zuckerbrot's book, "The F Factor Diet" will make you get on board. And I don't mean cardboard. Get ready for your perception of fiber to shift! Her plan's fiberlicious recipes will make you a fan and ultimately give you strategies to look damn good!

After I posted on GG Crackers, the company was kind enough to send me a copy of "The F Factor Diet" - as their crackers are a huge part of "The F Factor Diet" plan. Read the original post here: http://damn-ilookgood.blogspot.com/2009/10/gg-crackers.html

I am so glad they did - because EVERYONE should read this sensible, educational, easy to follow program that gets results. The great thing is nothing is off limits on this plan - even alcohol is allowed!

The gist of the program is to eat fiber and protein at four meals throughout the day. The fiber is mainly consumed through GG Crackers (5g each),Fiber One Cereal (14g per serving)and high fiber foods for a total of 30 - 40 g per day. The diet is divided into three phases, easily followed by xeroxing and filling out copies of food diary pages that the book provides.

As with all diets, the amount of calories consumed is going to be the determinate of weight lost, but the combination of fiber and protein leads to a satiety that makes it easy to control how much you eat.

This is a fantastic program to start now - before the holidays. The program is easily maintained through parties, eating out and social events, so why not get a slender leg up before January?

After you read the book, be sure to join the social communities for support at:
www.skinnyandthecity.com
www.twitter.com/skinnycity
And check out:
www.ffactordiet.com

You can buy "The F Factor Diet" ON SALE for $5.47 at www.Amazon.com and the GG Crackers here: www.brancrispbread.com

(photo from: ffactordiet.com)

Oldie, but look damn Goodie Sunday

Fiber equals fullness equals eating less equals achieving your look damn good goal!!

GG Crackers are an easy, tasty way to get fiber into your diet.

Check out the original post here: http://damn-ilookgood.blogspot.com/2009/10/gg-crackers.html

More to come on Fiber tomorrow!

GG Crackers

I am about to give you the greatest bit of nutritional information you will ever receive.
Hold your hands out and grab a large bottle of water - because you are going to need it to process the amount of fiber in this product.
GG Crackers.
Memorize it.
Learn to love them.
Go to their website and buy two cases right now:
www.brancrispbread.com
Eat eight per day and watch what happens ...
Let me tell you my personal experience with these little fibrous miracles.
I have an insatiable appetite. I mean it - I seriously lack the hormone that signals your brain that you are full. I should have a career in eating contests because I swear I could out eat anyone. If I didn't work out like a maniac I'd have a MAYJAH problem.
My truly adorable and fabulous step mom is an upper east side NYC mom ... yes, the real deal - not the made for TV Bravo kind.
Her friend and nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot introduced her and scores of other upper east side moms to GG Crackers through her F Factor Diet.
Hence, how they made their way into my mouth.
I have lost almost ten pounds in one month ... I haven't changed anything workout wise or really nutrition wise - except that I am eating whatever I want - no restrictions. But, I am eating less - because the GG Crackers make you full. Yes - they make even this truck driver's appetite stuck in the body of a 5'2 Jew feel satiated. I've come to love these crackers so much I eat them plain.
Here is a typical day of working eight crackers into my life:
Meal one: Protein shake, two GG Crackers, one to two eggs, two pieces of bacon
Meal two: Two GG Crackers with peanut butter and sugar free jam
Meal three: Chicken Breast with marinara and parmesan cheese, broccoli, dark chocolate
Meal four: Two GG Crackers with cottage cheese and hot sauce
Meal five: salmon, green veggies, two GG crackers with melted feta cheese
Meal six: ice cream or greek yogurt or chocolate chip cookies - something yummy
My body has completly shrunk. I know this because my clothes fit differently, people are noticing and saying things to me and I feel FABULOUS!!
Try them! You will love them!
(photo from brancrispbread.com)