Have a pup? If not, borrow one! Get out and burn those calories for the both of you!

AWWW, He is sooo cute!  Our family has had three pups and sadly, Bear and Dodger have gone to doggie heaven, but we still have Teddy, our Yorkie:). It is so amazing with pets, it doesn't take much to please them. I also noticed that whenever I would put my shoes to go for a run, Bear and Dodger would get SO excited, because they knew that they were going to take a walk when I came home!  And now.. Teddy goes crazy! lol.  I almost feel bad not walking him first and then go for a run,   because he is soo excited and I feel like I am breaking his heart.

I usually take Teddy for a little walk after my run, and it is good for the both of us.  For me, it is good because I can "cool" down and walk it out after my run.  But the other day, I was thinking, okay.. I know that I burn about 80 calories per mile when I run, so when I walk Teddy for about 20 minutes, that is about a mile (he stops at every bush, lol)... so maybe I burn about 60-80?  Have to use my Nike Chip to find out.. 

But I realized, a pound is 3,600 calories of energy, right? So if you were to walk EVERY DAY, 30 days x 80 calories - 2400 calories burnt..  and if you were to not drink maybe one glass of pop, that extra handful of chips, extra scoop of icecream, etc..  that would be about a minimum of a deficit of 100 calories per day x 30 = 3,000, geeze! That is a total deficit of 5400 calories!!  

WOW! It is so amazing what can happen when you keep track of what you are putting into your mouth, it adds up!  So get out there, it is good for you and your pup!  They will love you and they need it too!  The best is after dinner, because who likes being full, and then headed for the couch?  NOT I SAID THE FLY! 

Even if you walked your pup 10 minutes in the morning and 10 at night, same difference!  If you don't have a pup, I bet that your neighbor would be soo happy if you would volunteer to take their little bundle of joy for a walk! So get out there!

I can't wait to hear about how you did! Just a little effort every day goes a long way and forms good habits :).  Great for the family too!  View it, pass it on, and let's get healthy!

 

Two More Great Snacks of the Week!

When you need ENERGY

MMM, I wanted to make this picture bigger because it looks sooo delicious!  We all have those days when we are just plain running ragged and feel like we need a shot of something.. Our body is craving sugar,, mmm, that chocolate cookie, snickers, etc.. But the BEST thing that you can do for yourself is to grab a "handful" of trail mix.  

Raisins provide potassium, the nuts provide protein,, and... magnesium.  Did you know that when you workout strenuously, you lose magnesium and the body will therefore produce "lactic" acid. This ultimately will bring on muscle soreness. But if you eat nuts, the magnesium will help increase your metabolism and help the "nerve" function of your body. So when your body is on empty, and you lose magnesium, it is the same affect of "working out".. so get that trail mix! 

Planters makes a healthy mix of 5 snack bags in a box.. LOVE IT!  It is Heart Smart, and usually just 1/2 of a bag helps me :)

What NOT to do!

 

Starbucks, Mc Cafe, Tim Hortons,  I know IT IS SO TEMPTING to treat yourself!  No matter why Starbucks sells "Expresso Shots"!  We are such suckers, lol.. but when the fuel tank is on E, which sounds better? lol...  Instead of grabbing that Latte or Expresso, try the Trail Mix!

When you have one of these bad boys,, you are putting at least 15 grams of sugar into your body.  As we know, yep, you will feel great,, then..... CRASHHH. And a few hundred calories later.. 

Hope that you enjoyed these tips today!  You can still treat yourself to your "expresso", but why not "treat" yourself when you are feeling great..then you can really enjoy it, like the Italians and French do. NO CLOCK TICKING and TELLING YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO BE!:))

Merci, and talk to yah tomorrow!  Would love to hear what "healthy" snack picks you up!

Foods to Help you "destress" and increase" your metabolism

Foods When You Are Stressed

When you are stressed, it is best to eat 1 cup of yogurt with a handful of nuts.. why?  Yogurt provides "lysine" and nuts provide "arginine". 

What NOT to do....

 

WE all love a Coke here and there;  but when we are under stress, research has found that if you drink more than 20 ounces of soda a day, you are three times more times likely to be depressed and anxious, compared with those who drink less. 

 Want to Increase Your Metabolism?

We all know that green tea is one of the best teas to drink to receive the benefits of "powerful" antioxidants".. but did you know that if you drink more than 690 mg per day, you may have a smaller waistline and lower BMI?  How you ask? Green Tea is full of one of the most powerful antioxidants, catechin.  This powerful ingredient will set your metabolism on fire!!  

WHAT NOT TO DO>> EAT NOTHING!  

Yeppers, although, we think, oh, we are so disciplined, and do not have to eat a thang... honey child..  got news for yah!  If you "starve" yourself, your body will naturally go into "survival mode" and will SLOW down your metabolism Therefore, you will NOT lose anything.. You need to rev up your metabolism with proteins and have a mini snack throughout the day..  Yogurt and nuts mid morning, and a boiled egg, or my fav. hummus and a veggie for a protein packed snack in the afternoon. 

Looks good!!! mmm, I think that I need to go to the store and stock up on yogurt, nuts, green tea, eggs, hummus and veggies! Want to join me?? 

Hope these help you, I have more tips for you this week!  Remember, exercising, eating right, are all apart of a making small changes in your lifestyle,, nothing to hard :)..  If you a smoker and want to quit,, we would love to help you quit!  You are SOO worth it!  Stay tuned for more tips for you smokers!

Let me know if you have a fav hummus!

Let's Begin Our Journey

Today is the first day of our journey on our challenge to become fit and healthy! Even if running isn't your bag , that is okay.  Let's find something else that you love to do:)   Exercise has to be FUN or you just won't do it!  You have to think, this is my "20 minutes" or "hour",  this time is reserved for me!  

First, you need to decide WHEN you are going to "treat" yourself :), get your calendar and SCHEDULE it!  If you have a neighbor who wants to join you, than more power to you.  Trust me, there are days when I don't want to get out there, but I know that I will feel much better when I do. 

Did you know that when I was training for my Marathon, I read that peeps don't have an issue with training and increasing their mileage, it is the "getting out the door" syndrome.  Like, you know, I will just put one more load of laundry in, cut the grass, vacuum,. Guess what peeps?  IT WILL ALL BE THERE WAITING FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK,  IT ISN"T GOING ANYWHERE! BUT YOU ARE! :))) 

Secondly, let's talk about your gear..  running and exercising is pretty simple and doesn't require a big investment.  However, I do highly recommend a good pair of running shoes and the Nike Plus Chip as shown above.  If you have an Ipod, Itouch, or IPhone (the 3G is not compatable), YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS CHIP!  It is only 28.00 (see the Amazon ad below).  You put the chip into any pair of Nike Plus shoes and you are good to go.  If you do not wear Nike, , you can purchase a lace lid. (See the ad). I cannot run without this! 

You can tell the program what your goal is; calories, distance, time, etc.  Then while you are running, it will talk to you. When you are finished, the program will tell you your distance, calories burnt, average mile, and total time.  Once you download the info on line, you keep track of your progress.. and it is soo cool!  So far, I have burnt 30,000 calories and have ran across the country 1/2 way since I have my chip. Pretty amazing! You can also compete against other people in challenges, it gives you motivation. 

Okay, so you have your "appointment" with yourself and the road, gym, or your preference of exercise.  You also have your shoes, Nike Chip, and gear,,,  So, let's get going!  IF you are TOTALLY new to exercise, let's take it slow so you won't over do it.  With running, let's start and have a goal of running and walking up to 2 miles.  Once you can run the entire 2 miles without walking, then you are ready to increase your mileage. 


A good rule of thumb to help prevent injuries is to never increase your mileage more than 10%.  Unless, you are training :).. 


Let's hit it!  Don't forget to reward yourself, by putting a sticker, star, or happy face on your calendar..  no matter what you do, give yourself a pat on the back.. because you did it! 


If you would like to take our smoking cessation, weight manangement, or nutrition classes, make check out our www.faceboook.com/LaserPointHealthServices or talk to me and I will share more with you.  Follow me on Twitter!


Post on FB how you did!!!  Now go out and burn some rubber!

Who is the first brave soul to take on the challenge of getting into shape?

 MILE 23!

Welcome to our first blog with our goal of bringing good health to you and your family everyday!  We are here for you to help you quit smoking, achieve better nutrition and maintain weight management.  How you ask?  First, by giving you little tidbits to help you make the healthy changes in your lifestyle.   Secondly, for those of you who want the "meat and potatoes" and need the extra coaching, we can help you by taking our Kick Butt Bootcamp Smoking Cessation, Nutrition, and Weight Management programs.  Just let us know! 

As you can see, I posted a pic of myself, running my first Marathon last May!  This was at Mile 23! This is a perfect example of how much that our mind and body can stretch and achieve what we may have thought was impossible!  But let me tell yah, I have been running for 30 years, but never ran a Marathon.  Half Marathon, yes, but this was a goal that I have ALWAYS wanted to achieve, but was scared of not finishing.  A few of my brave neighbors joined me, and we began our journey. It took dedication, discipline, and desire.  Every Sunday for 4 months, we would hit the trails; following a Marathon training schedule.  It was brutal at times, and we had to focus.  There were times we didn't go out the night before, cut down on our "bad habits", we sacrificed!  But the result, was so incredible and I feel as though I achieved a milestone in my life.  At 40 years old, I did it!!!! The best part, I qualified for the Boston at 3:47... 

I have ran 2 Half Marathons recently, and my times are even better!  When you commit to yourself and know that it will payoff, your desire will kick in! Running isn't for everyone, but man, it sure gets your body in shape.  It changes everything about you and your mindset.  If you start out with a proper plan, you can do whatever you want ! And it is free!  No club memberships, the only cost,  shoes.  You can run wherever you want! 

Running, yes, is a major part of my life, and always will be.  When I lived in MI, I still ran all winter, and it felt GREAT! You just have to wear the right "gear". My intent is not to to "brag" about me and my race times, but I hope that I can instill a little bit of desire within you to find your own goal... what is it? And how can I help you?  

This last week, I have had two friends ask me for their help, they want to get out there, but are "frozen".. I don't think that it is an issue of being "lazy", I think that sometimes as peeps we overanalyze?  Instead of just "doing it" as Nike says, we worry, and have high expectations of ourselves... and are afraid of failing.  What holds you back? 

So, I thought that because bikini season is right around the corner, why not offer a "challenge" for those of you who want to start running, exercise, eat better, quit smoking, etc.   Our face book page is so awesome, and it is designed to be there for you!  Ask questions, crow about yourself, share, let's cheer each other on with our health goals.  

You have nothing to lose, but the old "unhealthy" you!  It is the "daily healthy habits" that you incorporate into your life that will make the change and you can pass that on to your family.  When you feel good about you, you are a better spouse, parent, daughter, son, sibling, friend,, etc, You get the picture right?  

Can't wait to hear all about your goals and who wants to take on the challenge. Even if you have never stepped foot in a pair of running shoes.. talk to us! Who is the first brave soul???