Healthy Snacks, Meals and Treats for the big game this weekend!

With the Super Bowl approaching this weekend we wanted to share some healthy snacks, meals and treats for the big game.

This will give you time to grocery shop, prep and enjoy the game!

Meals:

• Chili Bar - make a large crock pot of chili and then have toppings to add to the Chili.  Some great toppings include: plain greek yogurt, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and rice
• Taco Bar - This is so simple, just brown some ground beef or ground turkey in some seasonings and add some fixings!  Great toppings include: Corn tortilla, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot sauce, plain greek yogurt, avocado, lime, pico, peppers, jalapeños and corn
• Chicken Wings - Just bake or Grill some un-breaded chicken wings and drumies.  You can then make a great ranch dip by adding ranch seasoning to plain greek yogurt.
• Cauliflower crust pizza - (blend cauliflower, butter and cheese if you want to create the crust), bake the crust and then add toppings, like bbq sauce, chicken, pizza sauce and a little cheese, we then put it back into the oven to heat up!

Snacks:

• Homemade kale chips - they are so easy, just put some kale on a baking sheet, add coconut oil and sea salt, bake until crispy and enjoy
• Homemade sweet potato fries - similar to the kale chips, just cut up to your liking and add seasonings, coconut oil and sea salt.  Cook until crispy and enjoy
• Homemade buffalo chips - Cut either regular or sweet potatoes, season and cook.  Then make a dip of greek yogurt and seasoning salt to dip them in.
• Potato skins - cut either regular or sweet potatoes in half, bake them with bacon and add chives
• Broccoli Salad - the dressing is vinegar, truvia, and olive oil mayo.  Then mix the dressing up and pour over broccoli, bacon and sunflower seeds.
• Potato salad - cut and boil potatoes, after they cool mix with plain greek yogurt, onions, celery, dill, mustard and sea salt

Treats:

• Black Bean Brownies - make the brownies like normal but instead of the oil and eggs use pureed black beans, you can also season with cinnamon
• Banana Ice Cream - mush up frozen bananas and peanut butter, you can even add a couple of chocolate chips for taste
• Baked Pears - cut pairs in half and bake with cinnamon

Looking to lead a healthier lifestyle?

It seems like there is a new fad diet out every month for people to try, but the reality is losing weight, maintaining weight and eating better to be healthier is about our lifestyle and the choices we make. 

This gives some great tips on simple ways to eat healthy. It talks about making small changes that lead to eating a healthy diet. It is best to eat real food and not to rely on supplements and pills to get the vital nutrients our bodies require. 

There are 9 tips that are attainable for everyone, because they are simple, accessible and when you do these you actually will feel so good! 

The tips are set yourself up for success, moderation is key, it’s not just what you eat it’s how you eat, fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables, eat more healthy carbs and whole grains, enjoy healthy fats and avoid unhealthy fats, put protein in perspective, add calcium for strong bones and limit sugar and salt. 

The article goes into more detail with each tip and it’s worth the read. I really thought it was great to explain that every positive change counts and that you do not have eliminate foods you enjoy eating. Along with regular exercise and plenty of sleep, eating well will round out a healthy lifestyle that benefits us in countless ways!

Here is the link:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

This review was completed by OSR Fitness intern Melissa Sanchez

Push up variations

Everyone talks about push ups.  From "How many can you do" to "How do your push ups look".

As long as you have some abdominal strength and no injuries to your shoulders you can do some variation of a push up.

Here are some different push up variations to try.  Good luck and remember to start small!

Support

Are you making good progress so far this new year?  If you are, you are either really motivated or have a great support system.

Support systems will help keep you accountable and make decisions easier.  If you are struggling to find a support system there is still time to sign up for our January reset, just contact Steph.

If you are looking for some additional resources around the house check out this article:

http://simplemarriage.net/5-ways-to-encourage-healthy-habits-in-your-spouse/

It has some great advice on eating well, even if the rest of your family is not on board.

Keeping a New Year's Resolution

Did you set a New Year's Resolution that related to fitness? Many people set resolutions like "I will lose 20 lbs this year, or I will gain 5 lbs of muscle this year." Many times, our intentions are in the right place, then life gets in the way. Slowly, as the months go by, we forget what our New Year's Resolution was.

Here are some tips to make this year's New Year's Resolution an achievement that you will be proud of.

First, let's be realistic. With an optimal program, the average weight loss is 0.5% body fat/4 weeks; in that same time you can gain of 1 lb of lean muscle/4 weeks (Bernardi & Andrews, 2010). So, start by getting your calendar out and setting a realistic achievement date. For example, if you would like to lose 5% body fat, then your goal date should be 40 weeks away. If you a week-long vacation planned where you know your nutrition will be suboptimal and you won't workout, then just add that week to the end of your plan. For example, a goal date 40 weeks away with a 1 week vacation = 41 weeks till goal achievement date.

If you're thinking to yourself, "but I can lose 5 lbs in 2 days," you are correct. However, that is water weight, not a real change in body composition. If you're wondering how contestants on "The Biggest Looser" and other popular shows achieve fast results, there are plenty of books and websites on how to do this. However, if you want a real and sustainable change, stick with the science-based guidelines.

Second, set a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-oriented. For example, "I will lose 5% body fat in 40 weeks".



Third, set the behavioral goals that support your outcome goals. Behavioral goals are month-by-month goals that you are in 100% control of. They support your outcome goal. Here are a few behavioral goals that can get you started on supporting a goal like the weight loss goal above:

1. I will drink 8 glasses of water/day.
2. I will sleep 8 hours/night.
3. I will perform my planned workout 45 min/day.

At the end of a week or month, try grading yourself A-F on your dedication to your behavioral goals. If you have all A's, refine your goals for the next month. Try to stick with no more than 3 goals/month. If you have all F's, let yourself start with a clean slate for the next month. It's a new month and it's OK to move on. Decide if you want to try your previous goals again, or refine them for the coming month.

Have thoughts or questions? Leave us a post! 

Not sure where to start? Join in to our January Reset program, or schedule a complimentary consultation with our Personal Trainer.