KrisCross Training: August 2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

Are you ready for some football????

Pre-season is almost over... So we've got Monday night football, Sunday night football, college football...what does all that mean? Football parties! Who doesn't love grilling up some burgers, chips and dip, and beer? I'm sure plenty of you have your own traditional eats as well and I'm sure many aren't counting the calories. But football season can easily pack on the pounds if you are not careful. It's ok to splurge once in awhile but if you are frequently having or attending football parties then you may want to plan and prepare as to not add extra weight before the holidays even get here. So here are some tips that can help you out. For burgers try either extra lean ground beef or ground white turkey (regular ground turkey can have just as much fat as regular ground beef). Use regular size whole wheat hamburger buns as the bigger buns can pack an extra 200 calories. Try using just a little mayo (mayo with olive oil is even better) and you can use all the mustard you want as it is only 5 calories per serving and no fat or sugar! Really try to avoid ketchup. Ketchups has sooo much sugar in it and most people use so much of it and don't even think to consider it part of their daily calories but if you have to have it use one tbsp. For the chips try Baked Lays and check the bag for the serving size (about 11 chips). Try not to mindlessly eat them or you can consume multiple servings without realizing it (110 calories per serving). Salsa is always a great option for dips as it is much lower in fat and calories and it's good for you! If you really must have some beer then opt for the lite version and limit yourself on this as well. Again many people don't add these empty calories in and can't understand why they won't lose weight or keep gaining. It all adds up and one fun football party can really add up. It takes 3500 calories to add an extra pound of fat and one can easily consume this at a party without realizing it. I know it can be hard so if you blow it don't be so hard on yourself, it is very hard to eat healthy when we have so much good food around us. It takes time and practice to have good will power. If you do blow it then try adding a couple of extra workouts in that week. (Trust me I end up doing that often, especially around the holidays, lol) Now lets get ready for some football!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Exercise and Arthritis/Joint Pain

I've come across many people over the years who live with arthritis that will not exercise because their pain is so bad. I know how they feel as I have lived with Lupus for the past 11 years and it seems I live with joint pain. When you hear arthritis you probably don't think of exercise. However according to the Arthritis Foundation, not only is it ok for people with arthritis to exercise but it can also help your arthritis and decrease the amount of pain you live with. Getting started in an exercise program can be scary for fear of the pain. You should really start slow and start with a good flexibility program. Once you are comfortable with this then you can move on to strength training and a cardio program such as bicycling or water activities. It might be tough at first but if you stick with it you can significantly decrease your overall joint pain and stiffness along with giving you more energy and helping you sleep better. I know how hard it is to get motivated when you are already in pain but I know from experience that when I don't exercise my pain gets much worse. I use that as my motivation to get moving. Finding a good personal trainer can help motivate you and help you stave off other disease such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Good luck and Good health!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009