Broke and Chic

Posted 229 days ago by Jacob Chavez

For most of us, our New Year’s Resolution always has to do with health, fitness or weight loss. Why? Because we over indulge every holiday season. From Halloween all the way until New Year’s Day we’re munching on Kit Kat bars, turkey, stuffing, cookies, pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and of course…candy corn.

Instead of gaining 10 pounds during the Fall with the goal of losing it before bikini season hits, why don’t we just control ourselves? Read this great guest post from Jacob Chavez, a health and fitness writer from California! He’s going to teach us how to not only control ourselves during the holiday season (yep, Starbucks just put out their holiday cups yesterday so it’s official!) but to actually lose weight along the way!

xoxo

Amanda Raye | Editor-in-Chief

With diet fads, workout trends, and a world of organic, gluten-free, low-carb and antioxidant labels, the upcoming holiday season is likely to serve as a test of will power for the health-conscious. Losing weight before the holiday season comes is a goal that many people will attempt to work toward before seeing out-of-town friends and distant relatives.

Of course, when Christmas or Hanukkah dinner comes along, and it’s time to get your grub on, the weight loss thing kind of phases out. Time to eat! But what about for those who don’t want to gain weight, but still want to  enjoy the holidays? Here are a few tips that will help keep you motivated to stay fit when you’re facing those decadent dishes of November and December:

Jot Down a “Winter Weight Mission Statement”!

“I will maintain 165 pounds from November 1^st through January 1st,” or “Lose 10 pounds by Christmas Eve.” Whatever your immediate fall/winter weight goals are, write them down on a piece of paper. Don’t use your smart phone notes or Facebook wall, as the goal will easily get filed away in the back of your mind to be forgotten about. Post it on a bulletin board or calendar on your wall, along with some seasonal motivational visuals. Maybe you want to send holiday photo cards to friends and relatives, and are working on maintaining or improving your physique so you can look stylish! If you have visual goals to look at every morning, it will help you focus and achieve that winter weight goal!

Eat Reasonable Portions During Holiday Meals

Only 10 percent of people end up gaining five or more pounds from the pre-holiday period up to the post-holiday period, according to a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine, explains FYILiving.com. However, the study also reports that on average, most people gain only around a pound throughout the holidays. You can relax a little bit; a plate full of turkey and stuffing and some brownie indulgence isn’t going to wreck your life. Just go easy on anything deep fried or doused in sugar. Egg nogs and margaritas can set you back quite a few calories. On Good Morning America, Dr. Oz reported that a glass of Eggnog contains 450 calories!

Find A Partner!

One great way to stick to a winter weight goal is to pair up with someone and motivate each other. It won’t be tough to find other friends or relatives with similar nutrition and fitness matters on their mind during the holidays! Challenge one another with a daily push up contest, increasing the quantity of push ups each day until Christmas or Hanukkah. Whoever does the most at the end of the challenge wins money or a special prize under the Christmas tree. But remember, don’t reward  yourself with food!

Another great way to include friends or family in your mission is to text or email each other everything you ate and drank over the course of the day. The fact that someone so close to you is going to see everything you ate that day will make you want to focus on eating healthy as your teammate is relying on you to stay motivated. Regardless of how much weight you put on or off, hit the gym after the holidays, as most of us tend to forget about the weight and cardio between office parties and family dinners of the season. A little sporting will do you well!

What happens to be your favorite holiday treat? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted 528 days ago by Amanda Raye

The holidays are officially over. Cookies, cakes, champagne, chocolate and of course the sweet potato casserole has all happened and you’re one week into your “eat healthier” resolution. You won’t fail if you follow these 12 amazing diet tips!

1. Drink plenty of water.

No, Diet Coke doesn’t count. Many people confuse hunger with thirst. Before you grab those Doritos, grab a bottle of water first. If you still feel hungry go for it, just not the whole bag.

2. Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you can take away.

Start by making sure you’re getting the recommended daily 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. Make veggies the star of the plate, not just the side. Ratatouille anyone? Don’t have time to cook? Make a daily stop to your local juicer for a green juice. Don’t worry, they actually taste good. Try the Supa Dupa Greens at Juice Generation. It’s filled with kale, spinach, cucumber, romaine, parsley, celery and apples!

3. Be choosy about your midnight snacks.

Don’t be a mindless eater. Most snacking occurs after dinner, when your relaxing on the coach in front of the television. You could down a whole bag of cookies if you’re not paying attention. End the eating amnesia by just not buying unhealthy snacks. Buy yogurt, granola bars and apples instead of potato chips and candy. Even better, substitute late night snacking with a cup of decaf herbal tea.

4. Enjoy your favorite foods.

Everything in moderation is the key to a long healthy life. If you swear off cookies forever, your diet will last less than three weeks. It’ll end with a sprint to your local bakery out of sweet deprivation. Don’t eat 20 cookies, eat three instead. Actually pay attention to the serving size on the back. Your best bet is to NOT buy in bulk. Just get a slice of pizza for dinner — not a whole pie.

5. Enjoy your treats away from home.

If you’re kitchen is filled with ice cream, candy and cakes…it’ll be eaten. If you want something sweet, leave the house for it. Even better, ask for that ice cream sundae in a kid size instead of the famous and fattening 5 scooper!

6. Try eating several little “meals” a day.

If you consume less calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight. Instead of having 3 large meals a day, have several fist sized meals throughout the day. You’ll be able to control your appetite better.

7. Only shop in the outer area of the grocery store.

If you pay attention, all the processed foods are in the center, while all the fresh and healthy items are on the outside. Don’t even let your self wander into the middle.

8. Have protein at every meal.

Protein helps to keep your body fuller for longer. Plus, it’s way more satisfying than carbs and fats. Think yogurt, tofu, almonds, skim milk, lean meats, hummus and edamame.

9. Get your body moving every day.

Gym memberships are expensive. If you can’t afford one at the moment, there are tons of other alternatives to get your heart pumping. For one, stop taking the elevator. All buildings that have elevators are required to have stairs…take them. Hiking up 6 flights of stairs a day will do your lungs, heart and legs some good. Also, don’t fight with the other drivers for that parking spot right in front of the door. Opt for that lonely spot way at the other end. Your car could benefit from this too. If no one’s parked next to you, no one can slam their door into yours. Double win!

10. Buy some cute workout clothes.

You’re more likely to go for a jog outside if you have a cute pair of hot pink sneakers to put on. Don’t opt for drab workout gear, make it colorful and stylish. Check out your local Target for some affordable and stylish gear.

11. Instead of going out for milkshakes, go out for smoothies.

Not only will you be getting some of your much-needed daily fruit servings, you’ll also avoid the 500+ calories in that milkshake. Just make sure it’s a healthy smoothie. Some places add sugar infested sorbet and sherbet to their smoothies. Really pay attention to the ingredient list on the menu. You want it to have soy, whey or hemp protein, fruit, ice and perhaps fat free yogurt or milk. Have to have that milkshake? Ask them to make it with skim milk instead of whole, or just ask for the kid size.

12. Don’t reward yourself with food.

If you do loose weight, reward yourself with a new pair of shoes, or a new dress. Not with a big greasy burger.

These are just a few Broke & Fit tips for you to start 2012 off right. If you have any more to share, feel free to leave them in the comments! Happy New Year!