I'm sure you've heard some of these tips before. I'm also certain a little remindedr this time of year can only help.

Last week I wrote about setting yourself for a successful new year by tackling resolutions well before the ball drops. This way you can maneouver around early stumbling blocks and relapses without feeling like a failure or letting your good intentions fizzle like stale champagne!

Navigating the Holidays without feeling like the world is spinning off its axis take some effort. I hope some of these tips stick in your mind and help you sail through the busy holiday season with a self-satified smile.

1. Start the day Strong!

Getting exercise in the morning, before life gets too crazy, can help ensure you make healthier choices all day long. You may have to wake up a bit earlier to give yourself an extra 15-60 minutes of time at home, outside or at the gym. Good news! Reseachers at the Universisty of Toronto found that early risers often have a more positve outlook than those who sleep in! What winter blues?! Start small and make time for a 15 minute circuit routine (Push-up, Squats, Jog in Place, Repeat) to get moving. Follow that with a healthy breakfast and you'll be setting yourself up for a great day!

2. Build willpower to stay Strong!

It's true that willpower is like a muscle. It has to be built and maintained with training. We use our self-restraint every day, not throwing a fit waiting at the post-office, dealing with crazy traffic. Sometimes it feels all used up. Replenish your willpower from the inside out. Before doing anything rash, before raiding the dessert table, STOP.  Take 10 deep breaths, chew a stick of gum, suck on a mint, phone a friend, go ahead check your email, anything to "hold on" until you get over the urge and reconnect with your real feelings or hunger.

3. Concentrate your workouts.

When time seems shorter than usual and evenings are packed with social events it's too easy to let workouts slip. But, this is when we need stress-relieving, calorie-burning exercise most! Even just 15 minutes can help maintain your routine and fitness. You might not be able to make your favorite Zumba class on Friday night, so how about dialing up a You-Tube version and dancing in your living room?? Or grab a jumprope and burn a whopping 200 calories in 15 minutes. My favorite quickie cardio sequence at the gym is 5 minutes on the rowing machine working as hard as I can, then 10 minutes of intervals of the treadmill alternating running and walking uphill every minute, followed by climbing stairs for however much time I have left. In 30 minutes I'm a sweat-happy-mess.

4. Stave of Snack Attack and Buffet Binges

Cutting back during the day or skipping meals before a big night out might seem like a good way to "save up" calories but it's a really bad idea. By the time you arrive at the party you're starving and it's impossible to keep sane surrounded by all those ooey-gooey, cheesy treats. A grumbling tummy can quickly chip away at willpower.  Best advice is to eat your regular meals, fill up on veggies, fruits and lean protein, and have a small snack before going out. Take back control with smart choices like hummus and carrots, hard boiled eggs, or whole grain crackers with nut butter.

5. Have Go-To Meals

You don't have to count every calorie you consume to stay on track.  Make things simple by having a rolling list of go-to meal options for when you are eating at home or the office. I eat the same thing pretty much every day for lunch and dinner depending on the season.  In the Winter, I love to start my day with hot coffee, sliced ripe pear, a scramble egg with spinach and cheese and a slice of toast with melty almond butter. Lunch is usually soup and a salad, or an open faced tuna-melt.  My snacks are almonds and carrots, Think Thin bars, rice cakes and Laughing Cow cheese wedges or hot cocoa. If we aren't going out or making a holiday meal dinner is simple too; pork chops with sauteed apples and onions, beef stew in the crock pot or baked chicken.

6. Slow Down and Pay attention

Seriously, this tip is the best. It takes practice but it works like MAGIC. Eat meals sitting down at the table. Do not eat in front of the TV. Distraction quickly leads to over eating and rarely leaves you feeling satisfied. Slow down. Slow WAY down. It takes time for your body to digest food and tell your brain when it's had enough. Chew each bite and swallow before even picking up the fork again. Try it. It's hard! Avoid a crampy bloated belly by chewing food fully (about 30 chews each bite). Focus on your food and you'll feel fuller faster and probably end up eating much less.

7. Choose FUN!

Holidays are supposed to joyous occasions for celebration. Well, we all know things are way more complicated than that! But, we also know celebrations are supposed to be fun. So, laugh, light candles, curl ribbons, have desert (just not all of them!) I love to play games. Family and friendly get-togethers are my favorite time to challenge folks to a raucous game of Yatzee, or Uno, Mad Gab or Cranium. Heck, I'll sit around for hours and try my hand a gin rummey with my Mom or anyone who'll play. Now, of course, I think a lovely glass of red wine makes the dice roll my way, but I'm having too much fun and giggling too much to do any serious damage.

Cheers to you all! Come see me before the end of the year! Let's get fit together!

And don't forget our December Specials -- Best Prices of the Year on Personal Training and Massage. Hmm, sounds like help for the holidays to me!

With Love,

Remy

I've been making resolutions in November for the past few years.  I don't like January to come around with the feeling that I'm somehow behind, or that I have to make up for the past.  I prefer to set the ball rolling ahead of time so January feels like the next step along the road to reaching my goals.

As a fitness professional and weight loss coach many of the goals and resolutions my friends and clients set revolve around weight loss, breaking bad habits and sticking to their exercise routine.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this -- in fact, I've got a few ideas to help make these resolutions a reality. I also think it's important to take a look at what you hope for the future and ask if those few pounds that you keep gaining and losing really need to be at the top of your to-do list (again). Can you let go of the battle to do more? We often go around and around and around beating ourselves up over the same tedious and monotonous tasks.

This year, consider setting healthy goals that give you back the strength and power you deserve.  Let the quest for the perfect numbers, pant size, weight on the scale, fall away with 2012. This new year can still be about the quest for a happier, healthier, fitter you (otherwise I'd be out of a job!) but without the negative, self-critical approach.

Let's put it in the positive!

Consider starting NOW. We have still got several weeks left until ringing in 2013.

If you have joined our Holiday 31 Day Challenge - you are already on your way. If not, here you go!

Grab your calendar, a pen or pencil, or fancy phone and maybe some glittery gold stickers for pizzazz. Every day you achieve something on your list give yourself a big star. At the end of each week tally up your stars. Take a look January 1st and see how much you accomplished.  Let this energy propel you into the new year with confidence and momentum.  If you find that you've set yourself some difficult or lofty goals, modify them to something more bite-sized, don't be discouraged or give up. Send me an email. Tell me what you want for yourself, your family, your future and I'll help you write a plan to get there.

Some great uplifting feel good daily to-do's you might try...

Workout for 20 minutes a day or 100 minutes per week.

Start each day with a big glass of water.  finish 6-8 glasses by the end of each day.

Get in bed before it's too late:-) Aim for 7-9 hours a night.

Take a group fitness class you have tried before.

Eat a fruit or veggie with every meal or snack.

Say something complimentary to yourself and someone else every day.

Trade your evening snack-fest for a brisk walk around the block.

Spend five minutes of quiet time focusing on relaxing and calm, deep breathing.

Laugh.

Hope to see you all on Saturday night!

Show off those legs it's PARTY TIME!

The tickle in my throat started last Thursday. By Friday I knew the germs had worked their way into my sinuses. Saturday, I managed to race my bike in Bend dangerously launching green boogies from my nose. (I know! Gross!)

Halloween weekend is always a raucous good time.  Cyclocross racers from all over gather in Bend to race their hearts out on Saturday and then get all dolled up in costume and try to ride in wigs and wild outfits on Sunday. Like this guy/bird.

By Sunday I was a totally mess! Sucking on cough drops, swallowing terrible tasting all-natural Elderberry and Indian root – something syrup. Gag. My attempt at racing dressed as my coach, a burly man with hairy legs and a beard was cut short by the hacking, coaching and general ickyness I felt by that afternoon.

Time to rest. I probably shouldn’t have even tried to race. But, everyone else was doing it!!

I called in sick to work on Monday morning. I can count the number of times I’ve ever done that! Maybe a few days every other year. But this thing got me down. For days.

Read more here if you want to hear me complain.

http://remywright.blogspot.com/2012/10/sick-day.html

We often wonder if we should work out when we are sick. I say it depends. Can you? If you can breathe, your body and head aren’t aching and you aren’t upchucking (I know! Gross!) then you can probably exercise. A little. But, really, give yourself a break. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the only one we get. Catching that bug finally means you get to stay in bed all day. But, good grief, it feels awful! Not my idea of a great day off.  It’s a sign though you should heed. Your body needs to rest. Do your best to honor that request and it will get healthy faster and stay that way longer.

When my husbands lunch box comes home for the 3rd time in a row with an uneaten ham and cheese, soggy carrots and only potato chip crumbs, I know it's time for a change. Trying to avoid the urge to hit the food carts everyday packing a yummy lunch can save cash and calories. But, it sure can get boring. Here are a few things that are easy to make and easy to pack. Another idea is to pack up leftovers from dinner and try to make them into lunch or a side dish for the next night. I've been really enjoying roasting a huge batch of winter veggies and then tossing them in morning scrambles, soups or just heating up and eating for lunch. If you've been reading for a while, you already know how much I love squash! (I'm resisting the urge to post more recipes using my favorite gourd:-) 

This weekend we are heading to Bend for a two day cyclocross extravagansa! Tomorrow the races are going to fast and fun. Sunday we break out the costumes and things get super silly. It's always a wonderful weekend of celebration and sport with friends from all over. I'll be packing brown bags myself with fresh picked apples, peanut butter and jelly roll ups, and other easy to eat race fuel. Hands down, the best of all being leftover pancakes! Magic:-)

I hope you all have a great weekend! If you do your cooking on Sunday for the week think about whipping up a few chopped salads, like the Quinoa Edamame Salad or Sweet Tuna. Hard to wrong with a warming soup or stew, you'll find a quick Turkey Chili recipe too.  

See you all soon! 

Hummus and Roasted Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

1 soft tortilla shell
Handful of your favorite veggies (try spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini)
Hummus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Roast veggies for about 20 minutes at 350°F with the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Top your favorite type of tortilla with hummus (store-bought or homemade), add the roasted veggies and some goat cheese, then bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.

3. Slice and enjoy!

Quinoa Edamame Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry quinoa
1 cup shelled edamame
8-10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/3 cup chopped onion
2-3 tablespoons vegetable broth

For the dressing

2 lemons, squeezed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Sprinkle of cumin or black pepper

Directions

1. Cook quinoa in a pot with about 1 cup water until it becomes like rice.

2. In a heated pan, pour the vegetable broth and simmer. Add onions, tomatoes, and edamame. Transfer quinoa to heated pan and stir-fry.

3. Add dressing on top and serve. Makes one hearty meal or two smaller portions.

5-Minute Turkey, Avocado, and Hummus Wrap

Ingredients

1 whole wheat tortilla
2-3 tablespoons red pepper hummus
3 slices low-sodium deli turkey
1/4 avocado, sliced
Pickle slices

Directions

Spread tortilla with hummus, then layer on turkey, avocado, and pickle slices. Roll, then slice. Makes 1 wrap.

Turkey Chili Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 1/3 pounds 99 percent lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
10 ounces RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies
15 ounces canned or frozen corn, thawed and drained
15 ounces kidney beans, drained
8 ounces tomato sauce
16 ounces fat-free refried beans
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
2 1/2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. In a large pot, brown turkey on medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, add onions and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, taco seasoning, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Optional: Serve with a few baked tortilla chips and your favorite toppings such as low-fat sour cream, jalapenos, reduced-fat cheese, chopped scallions, onions, or chopped fresh cilantro. Freeze leftovers for individual portions for future meals. Serves 9 with a serving size of 1 1/4 cups.

Sweet Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 can tuna in water, drained
3-4 tablespoon sweet relish
2 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey mustard
Salt and pepper
Optional add-ins: onions, baby carrots, cucumbers, celery, corn, dried cranberries, or chopped grapes

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix together and enjoy on top of a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich or pita, or scooped up with your favorite whole-grain crackers.

It was a beautiful day in Portland, Oregon. My wish is that all of you enjoyed it too.  Yesterday I walked to work instead of driving or riding my bike. Slowing down made a world of difference in how I felt by the time I arrived.  The stroll home was even more incredible because I had time to look around and notice the sweet purple buds on the trees lining my street and inhale the crisp leafy scents. If you haven’t taken time for a walk lately, I highly recommend it. Sometimes we just get too busy to slow down and that’s most likely when we need to the most.

This morning’s 9:30am Team Training was a seriously tough workout. Dear Ladies, You Rocked It!  Team trainings are the best way to get a kick butt workout with your buddies (or make some new ones). And a killer deal too – just $250 for 10 1-hour long sessions with a personal trainer. That’s 25 buck a pop! The hour just flies by and you leave feeling fantastic! Pumped up and smiling. Doesn’t get much better then that!

Every week I offer Team Training on Wednesday’s from 10am-11am, Thursday’s from 9:30am – 10:30am and Friday’s from 8am-9am. Come to one, come to all! Each session is designed to strengthen and shape your muscles, burn calories and fat, and get the feel-good exercise energy flowing.  I am also happy to tailor the session to the needs and wants of the group. Want to rock out on the spin bikes and get super sweaty? O.K! Want to lift big heavy weights and push the sled around? Sure! Need to stretch and relax and leave feeling refreshed? We can do that too.

Check out a session next week and experience the awesomeness. I bet you’ll want to come every weekJ With no more than four women per group you are guaranteed to get special attention – whether you like it or not, I’m watching.