Lift weights according to Denise Austin.

For years, the common knowledge has been that if you want to lose fat, you have to do aerobic exercise. But while it is in part true, that belief unfortunately led many women to think that they could skip strength training. A study changed that way of thinking.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics recently found that strength training — or weight lifting — plays a key role in controlling a woman's weight. They discovered that women who lifted weights just twice a week were able to avoid the slow, one to two pound weight gain per year that's so common in middle age. While that might not sound like a lot, over the years it can really add up. Another plus? Women who lifted weights had healthier hearts.

So how does lifting weights help keep you slim? It's simple — strength training builds muscle, and muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, 24 hours a day — even when you are asleep! So if you aren't already, make strength training a part of your fitness program. Your efforts will pay off for years to come!

News from Denise Austin:

Wish your nails were stronger and healthier? Maybe you should start at the source — with some sound nail nutrition! Here's my recipe for naturally beautiful hands:

Make sure you're getting enough vitamin A, which fights dryness and brittleness in your nails. Good sources include dark green and yellow vegetables (such as broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin), yellow fruits (like cantaloupe and apricots), and such animal sources as liver, low-fat milk, and eggs.
Prevent those white bands across your nails with plenty of protein. To cut the fat and still meet your nutritional needs, choose lean sources like skinless white-meat chicken and turkey, or fish.
Be sure you're getting enough folic acid (a B vitamin), as it helps fight hangnails. You can find it in leafy green vegetables, asparagus, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, melon, sunflower seeds, and beans, as well as folic acid supplements.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drinking lots of water every day not only helps you lose weight and feel full but helps your nails grow healthy and strong!

Weigh in report

I lost 2.25 pounds this week. I had a good week of recording everything and of getting exercise in. I love the calorie counter It has made this process so much easier. I have always been more successful if I track what I eat. This makes it fun too!

We had to cancel our regualr TOPS meeting last night. We only did a weigh in, because we had so many absences that the three of us who did come decided to just have it a weigh in meeting.
I am off to Curves and then taking a walk in the park. it is a beautful day here in the Mountians. Have a great day everyone.

I went !

Just got back from Curves. They had a recipe there that everyone was passing around: WARNING !! This is not low cal but hey how bad can it me it's got chocolate.
Personally I can't wait to try it.
Crockpot Chocolate Cake
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup chocolate chips
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
4 eggs
1 cup water
3/4 cup oil

Mix all ingredients together. Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Pour batter into crockpot and cook on low 2 to 4 hours. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.
'Eat at your own risk!

Anyone else have this problem?

I know I need to go to Curves today, but I have put it off so long that now I don't feel like going. I realized I have to up my activity, so I have added walking and I chose Tues and Thurs for walking. I walked 2 miles today, but I still want to get 4 days of Curves in this week. I find myself bargaining with myself. I waste more time doing that then actually getting the exercise in. I have been doing realy great with recoding what I eat at caloriecount.about.com

If you haven't checked that out yet you should. Ok I am really going to make myself go to Curves.

Heart healthy recipe

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy David Hagedorn
Serves 8

Ingredients for the chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon picked thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt-free all-purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick
1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, quartered
4 tablespoons flour
¼ cup Pernod (optional)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2” cubes
1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
½ cup chopped parsley

Ingredients for the crust
1 and 1/3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
½ cup trans fat free margarine spread
3 tablespoons ice water

Directions
Prepare the chicken. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, tarragon, bay leaf, turmeric, salt-free all-purpose seasoning, pepper, salt and sauté for one minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for two minutes. Stir in the flour and coat the vegetables well. Add the Pernod, if using, and chicken stock and stir to blend well. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a 3-quart oval casserole. Cover loosely with foil and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. To make the crust, placed the flour (and salt, if using) in a medium-sized bowl and add the margarine spread, cut into in one-inch pieces. Cut the margarine spread into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter (this can all be done in a food processor) until crumbly. Avoid over-working the dough. Add the ice water and mix (pulse in a food processor) until the dough just comes together. Roll the dough between two pieces of film wrap until it matches the size of the casserole. (Hold the dish above the dough to check for correct size.) Peel off the top layer of wrap and bring the casserole next to the dough. Lift the dough by the bottom wrap and use it to help invert the crust onto the casserole. Trim the outside edges of the crust and gently press the dough so that it fits perfectly around the inside perimeter of the casserole dough. Cut eight, evenly spaced 1-inch vents in the dough as demarcations of portions and to release steam while baking. Place the casserole on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest for ten minutes before serving. Serve the pie in a soup plate over a small mound of Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes.

Note: This filling for the pie can be made a day or so in advance. Feel free to put an egg wash (one egg whisked with a tablespoon of water) on the finished pastry before baking if you prefer a sheen on your crust.

This version of pot-pie is loaded with vegetables, gets rid of the cream or milk usually called for in other recipes, and the crust is trans-fat-free.


Nutrition Analysis (per serving)

Calories
295

Total Fat 9.0 g

Saturated Fat 0.5 g

Trans Fat 0.0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g

Cholesterol 33 mg

Sodium 493 mg

Carbohydrates 33 g

Sugar 4 g

Fiber 3 g

Protein 19 g


Dietary Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 fat

This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face The Fats program. Recipe copyright © 2007 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere

Denise Austin says: Get off the YO Yo

If you've lost weight before, only to have it return, you're not alone! But that doesn't mean you can't do it — don't give up yet! Maybe you just need to try a different way! Here's what other Fit Forever! members have to say about getting off the weight yo-yo for good:
This time I'm not thinking of it as a diet that will "end" once I reach my goal, but as a change I'm making for life!
I'm not going to let slipups become an excuse to abandon my whole exercise plan. I'll just get right back on the horse and keep going!
I'm working out every day this time, instead of just trying to starve myself.
Don't look back. The past is not the future! This time can be different!
I'm following the plan, but no longer making food and mealtime the focus of my life. I weigh in once a week, keep a journal, and take it one day at a time.
Posting on the Discussion Boards really helps me stay motivated! Together, we can do it!
I'm not going to let how far I have to go discourage me or become an excuse to quit. I'm sticking with it as long as it takes!
I remind myself that every day I'm one day closer to becoming a better, healthier self!