People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.
- Author Unknown
Welcome to the January issue of the Mom to Mom Newsletter! The beginning of a new year, the start of a new decade – did you resolve that this would be the year you would improve your health, your exercise habits, your stamina, or your diet? Want to see a smaller number on the scale? Congratulations, you are in good company! More than 75% of all New Year’s Resolutions involve diet and exercise.
However, by February 1, more than 70% of all of those vows have gone by the wayside. Changing your life in a significant manner takes time, effort and energy and does not happen overnight, but if you persevere you will see results!
I know – I made the vow for years and years and was finally successful in 2006. Hang in there! You can do it, and I’m here to help!
Learn more about my journey:
Carmen Staicer's Weight Loss Success Story
Getting Started with Weight Loss
Until next month,
Carmen
Join Carmen at FitBloggin'
FitBloggin' is the conference for health and fitness bloggers. We're giving away conference tickets to two bloggers. Two people will each receive one conference ticket, you just have to tell us how badly you want it! Respond in the comments on the post and let us know why you need/want/have to go to FitBloggin’, and why one of these tickets, valued at $99.95, should belong to you. Learn more
Fitness: Making Fitness Fun Again
The desire to decrease your waistline and increase your fitness level does not have to mean that you spend hours a day on a treadmill, walking to nowhere. Certainly, treadmills are useful and have their place – I use one myself three times a week. But keeping fitness dull equates to laying on the sofa. We want to make fitness fun and something that you look forward to! Studies have shown that those who make fitness fun will create a life long habit.
Joining a gym is one of the best ways that you can do so. A good gym has offerings for every member of the family, in every age group and weight/exercise level, and can be affordable for just about everyone. Take a tour of the local offerings, and choose the facility that is closest to you. A gym that offers exercise classes can be a wonderful choice, for the ability to have fun and make friends will increase your chances of repeat visits. Check out the classes – Zumba? Kickboxing? Belly Dancing? The offerings are all new and a welcome change from step aerobics and jazzercise, and make getting in shape fun!
Family: Swimming in January
Swimming? In January? Before you toss me off as some kind of Bahamas residing lucky duck, think about some of the fun times that you’ve had with your family. Odds are good that at least a few of those times involved swimming or other water sports. Find a location with an indoor pool, grab your suits and get your family together. Splash, swim laps, play Marco Polo – even kicking around with pool noodles will burn calories. It’s a welcome change from running/walking/spin class, gets your heart rate up and will make you a rock star to your kids! No pool around? Many gyms offer one-day passes, and there are indoor water parks in many major cities – why not take a vacation day and treat your family? I promise you, your entire family will thank you – and as a bonus, it will tire them out!
Food: Beef Veggie Stew
Perfect for those cold winter days, and delicious all by itself, this Beef Veggie Stew is also amazing served with whole wheat bread or corn muffins. Pop the ingredients into the Crock Pot early in the morning and enjoy the tantalizing aroma as you go about your day!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 1.5 pounds stew beef
- 2 Tbs. beef base
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped cabbage
- 1 small can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat oil on medium heat, cook garlic and onion until tender
- Set aside
- Add more olive oil and brown beef
- Drain
- In same skillet or Crock Pot, add water, beef base, and remaining ingredients
- Cook on low for 1-1.5 hours
Fun: Healthy iPhone Apps
Did you get a new smart phone for the holidays? Did you know that you can put that phone to great use for your diet and exercise endeavors? Here are some of the best iPhone apps out there, designed with your health and well being in mind.
With offerings like the following, your phone will be your greatest diet
companion:
- iFitness is a particular favorite of mine and I love how it is updated frequently with new routines
- Skimble helps you keep track of your fitness as you go
- Couch 25K helps you train to run a 5K
- iCore is a series of fitness apps for men and women with easy to follow workouts
- Weight Watchers Mobile is a free app to manage your POINTS and more
- Daily Burn Food Scanner makes food journaling incredibly simple
- Stress Free from Deepak Chopra helps users reduce stress through meditations, videos and more
A friend of mine had resisted efforts to get him to run with our jogging group until his doctor told him he had to exercise. Soon thereafter, he reluctantly joined us for our 5:30 a.m. jogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. After a month of running, we decided that my friend might be hooked, especially when he said he had discovered what "runner's euphoria" was. "Runner's euphoria," he explained, "is what I feel at 5:30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."
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