Product Review: Omron Fat Loss Monitor

Raise your hand if you're trying to lose weight. Who isn't trying to lose weight these days? I've recently become obsessed with my bodyfat. If I'm going to lose pounds, I want those pounds to be FAT! I don't want to lose muscle or water weight.

In order to figure out how many pounds of fat you want to lose, you first need to know your bodyfat percentage. I have an electronic scale that claims to measure bodyfat through an electrical pulse (how fast the pulse goes through fat vs. muscle and bone is how the fat percentage is determined). However, I just don't think that I'm 33% bodyfat. I have some fat, but not that much!

Since I just rejoined the gym at my office, I decided to have the gym manager test my bodyfat with calipers. He tells me that I have 16.4% bodyfat. While I should be happy, I know that this percentage is way off, too. If I was 16% bodyfat, I should be way more defined than I am.

That's how I finally arrived at the Omron Fat Loss Monitor. It uses a method similar to my scale. But for some reason, it seems much more accurate. It tells me that I'm 22.3% bodyfat. That's more like it!

If you're wondering how to determine how much bodyfat you have in pounds so you can determine what you'd like to lose, here's an example:

• If you weigh 140 pounds and you're 20% bodyfat, that means you have 28 pounds of fat (140 x 20%).
• Let's say your goal is to have 15% bodyfat and weigh 130 pounds (130 x 15%).
• That would leave you with 19.5 pounds of bodyfat.
• Effectively, you would need to lose 10 pounds of fat to reach that goal.

Now with my handy Omron Fat Loss Monitor, I can track whether the pounds I shed are bodyfat or not. Stay tuned!

How do you track your bodyfat?

Congratulations to Our Fit Moms Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in our very giveaway!

I'm pleased to announce that winner is -- Liz!

She will receive a $15 gift certificate to CSN Stores. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need.

Stay tuned for future giveaways!

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in the United States, for both men and women.  It's such a huge problem that a lot of health advice focuses on diet and lifestyles that tend to prevent heart attack.  As you probably already know, a big part of that advice usually has to deal with diet and maintaining a healthy weight.  While that is an important piece of the puzzle, it's still only one piece.  Here are a few tips on how to keep your heart healthy -- in all aspects of your life.

1) Live an active lifestyle.

There are plenty of guidelines telling you how to increase your activity levels for better health.  One suggestion is to try to get about 30 minutes of activity every day.  That doesn't mean that you have to necessarily work out every day for 30 minutes; you can count the time you spend taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog, or whatever else you do that adds activity to your day.

A recent study also found that it's good for your heart if you take frequent breaks from sitting.  Whether you work in an office or spend a lot of time watching TV in the evenings, getting up periodically and walking around or stretching seems to reduce your risk of obesity and heart disease.  In other words, you don't have to be a gym rat; you just don't want to be a couch potato, either!

2) Eat a healthy diet.

Dieting doesn't have to mean you are always trying to lose weight, though it is better for you if you aren't overweight.  Even people with normal weights should watch their diet, though.  Try to avoid foods that are known to cause an increase in the risk of heart disease.  For instance, saturated fats have long been known to contribute to poor heart health.  More recently it's been found that trans fats -- fats caused by hydrogenating or partially hydrogenating unsaturated fats -- are just as bad for you.

The best diet for your heart is one that is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in fats and meat.  This doesn't mean that you have to become a vegetarian, although that's one way to do it.  Although there are some vitamins our bodies need that are typically found in meat, there are other ways to get them, and vegetarian diets have been proven to be very good for the heart.  If you do choose to eat meat, try to limit your fat intake.  Eliminating as many processed foods as possible from your diet is also a good idea.

Finally, as mentioned in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, eating less is also important.  Overeating is the biggest contributor to obesity, which is in turn a huge risk factor for heart disease.

3) Maintain a healthy weight.

Although your weight is not the only factor to consider for a healthy heart, it is a very important one -- and as mentioned above, it is also closely related to diet.  Being overweight puts you at higher risk for heart disease, and being obese makes that risk even higher.

How do you determine if you are overweight or obese?  Measuring your waistline is one way -- women's waistlines should be under 35 inches, men's under 40.  Another method is by determining your body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using your height and weight.  This is designed for normal people, however, not athletes -- if you have a lot of muscle, which is heavier than fat, you can have a high BMI without being overweight at all.

Now, this doesn't mean that if you are overweight, you should try out gimmicks, crash diets, or fad diets -- these types of diets are typically very unhealthy for you.  Instead, talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about how to implement a healthy diet, at the same time as you increase your amount of daily exercise.  Remember, a healthy weight-loss diet requires exercise in order to be successful!

The best way to a healthier heart is via healthy lifestyle choices.  Studies show that people who eat a healthy diet, exercise more, and avoid gaining too much weight are the least likely to have heart problems (as well as other diseases that tend to follow the same risk factors).  It all boils down to one rule of thumb: Take care of your body, as it's the only one you've got!

This guest post is by Kitty Vogen who writes about health for the web. She has previously worked in the office of a cardiologist, which is where she learned about heart health.

3 Ways to Sneak in a Workout - At Home!

According to the Mayo Clinic, adults should get a minimum of two and a half hours of exercise a week. That works out to half an hour a day with weekends off. Yet many people still miss that mark because finding half an hour of uninterrupted time to work out isn't always possible. While uninterrupted exercise is a luxury, exercise of some form is a necessity.
The house isn't just a place to relax, it's also a surprisingly effective gym. Sneaking in those thirty minutes is easy when those minutes are split up throughout the day. Here are the top three ways to fit in a workout at home even if you don't have an official home workout routine.

1. Lift "Weights" Around the House

Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. That means that building muscle helps keep weight in check. Don't have time or money for a full set of free weights? Household items double nicely as weights. Many common kitchen products like cans, bags of flour, and bottles are already labeled by weight, making them a good place to start for beginning lifters. A gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds and comes equipped with useful handles.

If fitting in a full half hour of weight training is the sticking point, then aim for smaller blocks of time. Lift the laundry detergent as the clothes finish drying or do a full set of reps with that ten-pound sack of potatoes before storing them.

Don't fear bulking up too much from regular lifting; athletes work for their muscular physiques, so lifting around the house will add definition, not big muscles.

2. Walking Counts as Exercise, Too

It's easy to overlook a vigorous walk as a form of exercise, but it is. For a 150-pound person, half an hour of leisurely strolling at 2 miles per hour burns 68 calories; that same walk at a more health-conscious pace of 3.5 miles per hour burns 120 calories.

How to use walking to sneak in a workout at home? Just do more of it at every opportunity. Look for more ways to get off the couch. Even in a small house, those short distances add up. It may seem natural to conserve steps when doing housework, but for better health, start looking for reasons to take more steps. Instead of sorting laundry by room and storing it at one time, deliver it item by item to where it needs to go. Do the same with groceries or toys. If you have neighborhood errands to run, skip driving, walk to where you are going, and save money on car insurance while you are at it (the less miles you drive every year the cheaper your car insurance rates will be).

Even without a treadmill, marching in place can get the heart rate up. Sound too boring? Dancing works even better than walking and is more fun. Never pass up an opportunity to dance; it's good for the mood and the body.

3. The Home Workout in Two-Minute Intervals

Think about things that happen multiple times a day. The list probably contains activities that aren't even considered activities: getting up from a computer chair, bending to pick something up, even visiting the bathroom. Each of these presents an opportunity to sneak in a workout two to five minutes at a time.

Here are some possibilities for adding exercise intervals to frequent tasks around the house:

• When sitting down or standing up from a chair (including the one in the throne room), do a set of ten squats. These squats can easily add up to fifty or sixty a day this way.
• Pick an item off the floor multiple times and it adds up to valuable minutes of exercise.
• Washing up after three meals a day means a nice chunk of time for leg-lifts and calf stretches.
• While waiting for water to boil or dinner to cook, do counter-top push-ups to tone arms and back.

Even the busiest individual can make room for these micro-workouts and start to get in shape, decrease their BMI, and feel better. Feeling too tired to contemplate leg-lifts while rinsing dishes? Start with just a few; exercise will actually boost energy as the body gets used to it. Get started today!


Author Bio
Linda is a freelance writer and mother to 4 kids (and a dog...and at times a husband). She contributes for a number of different websites including an online personal trainer website and a website with hundreds of weight loss tips. When she is not writing or shuttling her kids from one place to another she can be found trying to fit in her own 30 minutes of daily exercise!

Great Workouts You Can Do with Your Kids

Although you would like to embrace Michelle Obama’s mantra of “Let’s Move” to ensure that your kids don’t succumb to the video-game-playing, Facebook-updating, texting-and-tweeting couch-potato trend that seems to define their generation, you don’t exactly think they’ll be on board with the cardio kickboxing and spinning classes you prefer to frequent. In fact, they don’t seem to be interested in sports or outdoor activities at all. So how can you get them to participate in the physical activities they need to stay healthy while still getting in the workout you crave? Although it may be difficult to find a workout that delivers a happy medium for you and your kids, there are plenty of physical pursuits that will let you get the exercise you all need while still allowing your kids to have fun. Here are just a few options you might want to examine.

The first thing you should do is can the electronics (or at least ration them). While most parents seem to think that kids these days NEED a cell phone, you might recall that we all got by just fine without them twenty years ago. There are times when they come in handy, but instead of allowing your children free access, give them a phone to use only when they’re out with friends so that they have a way to contact you in case of emergency (then take them back). And when it comes to computer and television time, limit them to a certain amount of time each day so they can fill the remainder of their time reading or playing outdoors. These days it seems like a novel concept, but it could make a real difference in the level of activity your kids experience.

The next step is to get them moving, and doing it with them is a great way to spend some quality family time together as well as have a little fun. Hiking, biking, swimming, and roller blading are always fun, and even kids who aren’t very coordinated can manage at least a couple of these activities. You can probably find trails all around your area for hiking, and if you bring along a plant guide, you can even work in an education (and probably make the hike more interesting). You could also collect natural elements (leaves, rocks) for artistic purposes. Biking and roller blading will probably require paved surfaces, but why not take several trips a week to a nearby park so the kids can play on the equipment while you jog around the track? As for swimming, you’ll have to find a local pool, but the kids can take lessons while you do laps. And don’t forget about sports. A backyard game of baseball, soccer, or football on the weekends might seem like more fun than work, but that’s what makes it the best kind of exercise.

Another fun family activity is yoga. As an adult, you likely suffer from a lot aches and pains due to a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you work out regularly, you may have trouble with strength and flexibility. You can get your kids on track for a healthy future and work on your own bodily woes by starting to incorporate yoga into your daily routine. The tenets of mind-body focus will serve your children well throughout their lives and a little yoga each day will tone muscle, increase range of motion, and ensure that your body feels great.

Sarah Harris writes for Adiamor diamond engagement rings, where you can find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the one you love.

Diet and Exercise Tips Just for Moms

You’ve probably tried it all, and just the thought of trying to exercise while you are keeping up with your children makes you tired. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you implement just a couple of changes to your routine you will notice improvement.

Likely everyone is filled with great advice on how to get your pre-baby body back. Take the kids on walks, get a gym membership, or exercise with the kids by using an aerobic video of some sort. Maybe these work for some moms, but they just might not be feasible for your situation. You don’t have to have the kids all on the same nap schedule – yeah right – or bother with a sitter for the kids while you go to a pricey gym in order to get some exercise.

The best advice I have ever heard is to play like your child. If your child is like most, s/he does not sit still for long! Even sitting still, they tend to be moving at play or bouncing a bit. You have lots to do, but if you take a few minutes out of every day to really play with your young child, you will get closer and, if you take this advice, skinnier too. When they jump up and run, make it a game to jump up and run too. Roll around on the floor. Tickle. Laugh. It all burns up calories and it all adds up.

The second tip is to take advantage of what moments you have. We all know that moments are all a new mom -- or mom of a toddler -- has. The meals and the laundry and the cleaning don’t take care of themselves. While you are walking to complete these tasks, get in the habit of exercising on the way. Do lunges as you walk to the sink to start the dishes. Complete a simple stretch routine as part of moving the clothes from washer to dryer.

Consistency creates destiny. Any good habit will give you a positive outcome. So while it may seem ludicrous that a few minutes of stretching and active play here and there could really make that much difference, if you keep it up, you’ll see the results. It won’t be overnight, but fitting back into your favorite pre-pregnancy clothes is possible in months. Try it, what have you got to lose?

About the Author
Margo Smith graduated with a B.S. degree from BYU. Her passion is writing, and variety is her watchword. She enjoys authoring posts on subjects as diverse as healthy life decisions, to choosing online schools, to the importance of mom in the home.

Dueling Hormones: When Puberty and Menopause Collide

We're mixing it up a little today with a focus on perimenopause. Today's post is from Ellen Sarver Dolgen:

Now, more than ever, so many households are experiencing puberty and perimenopause and menopause (I call it PM&M for short) at the same time. Why? In 1980, the average age of a first time mother was 23. In 2010 that number jumped to almost 27 (26.8).  This matches up a 14 year old child with a 41 year old mother. So what happens when you mix adolescent hormones and menopausal hormones in the same house?  Hormone combustion!

These days, households with both teens and moms entering perimenopause and menopause (PM&M) can reach an atmosphere of playoff intensity and become a place of hate and not love.  That’s not a beneficial situation for anyone! I’ve heard so many stories that absolutely break my heart. From children going to stay with friends because neither child nor parent knew how to resolve the issues, to separation and divorce.

Sound familiar?  You’re not alone.

The good news is that amidst all this chaos, there is an opportunity to turn this time into one of growth and connection.  We can all get through this together, if we really get down to the business of what’s really going on.  Often the anger or frustration that we send outward is really just an overflow, or misdirection, of that same anger and frustration that we might have towards ourselves. Working on yourself, your own personal growth, knowing your body and being prepared, will help ease the tension you have in your relationships – particular with those closest to you.

It seems as soon as our children begin puberty they stop talking. They begin pushing adult figures away in an attempt to achieve independence.  This process is hard enough on mom, but if she is experiencing perimenopause and menopause (PM&M), it’s a dangerous combination. Often this leads to a lack - or complete loss of - communication between mother and child. When the communication lines are down, everyone suffers.

How do you fix this? Keep talking! Dig it out!  A simple hug instead of a look of disgust is a good place to begin. To do this, both the menopausal mother and the teen need to try to stop personalizing everything each other is saying and doing.  It is nobody’s fault. Everyone is dealing with their own personal challenges. Keeping this fact in mind can be liberating. Your teen may roll their eyes and look at you like you’re an alien from outer space, but just ignore that.  It’s kind of how they look at everything; it’s really not about you. Keep communicating no matter what the response is. 

Be the first to give. If you share your challenges openly, you show that you’re willing to be vulnerable. This can be an incredible example to set for a child who’s going through a tough and confusing time. When you reach out and share your struggles, you’re setting an example through your actions that it’s okay to not be fine, it’s okay to be confused and frustrated, and it’s okay to reach out to your loved ones for support.

Look, teens can be total monsters (weren’t you?), but remember, so can a menopausal woman!  Of course, every situation is different, and it may take some tinkering to customize this loving approach to fit your family structure, but the more we educate our loved ones and ourselves, the happier and more understanding the whole household will be.

 

Check out "E" (Ellen Sarver Dolgen), author of Shmirshky: the pursuit of hormone happiness, a light-hearted, informative, easy-to-read book on menopause, and creator of www.Shmirshky.com, a resource treasure trove for women going through perimenopause and menopause (PM&M for short). E stands for everyone because everyone goes through menopause or knows someone who does. Ellen is passionate about promoting health and wellness in America.

Using Mind Control for Portion Control

Today's post is from Tracy Adler, who developed Yum Yum Dishes to help portion control:

2011 is here and like a lot of people you’ve made that one New Year’s resolution where come March, you’ll find yourself picking up a plate at the beginning of an all-you-can-eat buffet and wondering… what the heck happened?

You’ve promised yourself to get in shape and you want to keep that promise, but there are two obstacles you probably have to overcome if you’re making this resolution in the first place — your love of eating and your love of eating too much.

It’s common sense that diet and exercise are important when it comes to shrinking your waistline, but more and more studies are showing that what and how much you eat is most important. Now, that doesn’t mean you can unplug the treadmill or cancel your gym membership; you still need to exercise, but if you focus more on healthy eating habits at the outset, you’ll lose those extra pounds you packed on over the holidays.

You have to transition to healthier foods and control your portions; the latter not quite as easy as it sounds. Portion control gets a lot of press these days, but when it comes to eating less, well, it’s definitely easier said and done. The main problem when it comes to limiting how much you eat is where you’re sticking your fork to get it. If you’re eating 4 ounces of pasta from a bowl the size of your head, you’ll never be able to convince your stomach it’s getting its fill. Plates and bowls these days are pretty standard sizes and take quite a bit of food to make a full load, but here’s a novel idea: What if you load your forks and spoons from smaller plates and bowls?

You’ll be surprised how much control your mind has over stomach. If you see a normal-sized bowl that’s only half full, you’ll definitely feel cheated. But you if see that same amount of food in a healthy-sized bowl, you’ll have an easier time tricking your stomach. You can tell yourself time and time again that 4 ounces of food is enough, but our stomachs are accustomed to enough — they’re used to being full. And what we see before we eat plays a huge part.

A couple years ago — after my second child was born — I realized I was snacking too much. I'd drag a bag of chips off the shelf and head for the couch. Before I knew it, half the bag was gone.

The fact is, I didn't realize how much I was eating. I decided to do something about it.

I started using a small dish for snacking. As long as I didn't re-fill the bowl, I could never over-snack! In a short time, I was back to my original weight. I thought others might like to try out this simple method of portion control. The Yum Yum Dish was born, a 4 ounce dish that's fun and easy to understand.

The Yum Yum Dish is perfect for anyone trying to make his or her New Year’s wish of a smaller waistline come true. Moderation is crucial. And all it takes is a little less food, and a lot of mind control.

Tracy Adler is a former restaurant owner and mother of two. She created Yum Yum Dishes™ to help parents teach their children about correct portion size and is a strong advocate in the fight against childhood obesity. For more information or to place an order visit www.YumYumDish.com.

Launch the New You: Tips to Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

To mix things up, I'm pleased to share a guest post with you from health and fitness expert Danny Russo:

February is here, which means one thing: most of us have already abandoned our new year’s resolutions.  It’s the same old story. We start off strong, but around Martin Luther King Day we fizzle out. During my Launch the New You Tour across America, I’ve had the opportunity to meet women of all ages, shapes and sizes. They all had one common goal: the desire to be thinner, firmer, stronger, and healthier—but most important, the desire to feel better about themselves!

Women deal with a lot of physiological variables that men don’t. Pregnancy, menstrual cycles, water retention, and hormone problems all the way up to, and including, menopause are just a few of the issues that women must address within their fitness program. Each individual woman is unique within herself.

In my 30 years in the weight loss business I have seen almost every type of diet and workout regime known to man (and woman). Most of them are fad diets. So how do you know what works? Listen up, ladies!

Food, Exercise and Water (FEW) are the key to your success. No funny workout tapes. No gimmicks. Just a stripped down plan that actually works. Think of FEW as a system. One can’t work without the other. But when combined, the possibilities are endless. For those of you women out there who have made a resolution to lose weight and keep it off, here are three steps to launch a new you:

1. Food: Start by eliminating three complex carbs from your diet. Pasta, rice and potatoes are good place to start. These foods are difficult for your body to breakdown. Not all women are the same so after 1-month, attempt to reintroduce these foods in your diet and measure the results as opposed to when you were not eating them. This is an excellent way for you to start learning how your body reacts to certain foods.

2. Exercise: Focus on squats, leg press, and leg extensions, all of which can do wonders for the sculpting of a woman’s body. Let’s face it, as a woman you’re concerned with different areas than men. A fitness routine for a male does not help you to achieve your goals. Squats, leg press, and leg extensions aim to flatten your abs, tighten your tush, and firm your thighs without the “bulking up” seen in most workout regimes designed for men. 

3. Water: Drink 20 ounces of water at the same time each day. Drinking by the clock is structure and timing. Your body reacts to that. Drink water before you exercise and a sports drink or chocolate milk after your workout. Keeping hydrated is one of the most important aspects to a fit and happy life.

What you take into your body has to go somewhere. It’s important to watch what you eat and be conscious of calories, acids, and sugars. Your intake is where you must start if you have the desire to be thinner, firmer, stronger, and healthier and to feel better about yourself!

Remember, you are unique and there’s no cookie-cutter plan out there that works for everyone. Find out what works for JUST YOU. Then get out there and launch the new you!

Health and Fitness Expert Danny Russo has been a fighter, Army Ranger, systems analyst, NFL strength trainer, bodybuilding coach and health club owner and manager. After decades training men, he turned his keen mind, bodybuilding expertise and motivational muscle to helping women achieve lifetime health and fitness. Over more than 30 years he developed and perfected FEW (Food, Exercise and Water) Fitness, a strength training, wellness and nutrition regime individualized to the health and fitness needs of each woman. Since 1995 this self-proclaimed "fitness evangelist" has taken his fitness seminars on the road to 1,000 cities across America. Danny teaches enthusiastic crowds of women how to become thinner, firmer, leaner, stronger and healthier while feeling great. Learn more at www.LaunchTheNewYou.com.

Winter Means a Free Workout

Tired of winter yet? Enough with this snow! The Northeast has been slammed with a snowstorm on nearly a weekly basis since the holidays.

Although when you take a look on the bright side, all of this snow makes for a pretty good, free workout. Have you ever stopped to consider the calories burned when you go outside to either remove snow or play in it? Check out these calorie burners (based on a 5'6", 135 woman):

• Sledding burns 350 calories per hour
• Shoveling snow torches 250 calories per hour
• Building a snowman takes care of 285 calories per hour
• Snowball fight burns 320 calories
• Making snow angels torches 215 calories
• Downhill skiing (light effort) burns 230 calories
• Cross country skiing (moderate speed, 4.0-4.9 mph) burns 400 calories per hour
• Snow shoeing takes care of 400 calories per hour

So the next time you go to curse the snow, think about how you can incorporate it into getting a good workout.

What's your favorite way to burn calories outside when there's 2+ feet of snow on the ground?

P.S. We're extending our CSN Stores giveaway to February 15th!!! You've gotta be in it to win it!