Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fight Halloween Candy Cravings

Tempted by those little Halloween cadies? Learn what its going to take for you to burn off those extra calories.

Here are the calories for some Halloween candies:
Nestle’s Crunch – Fun Size 3 bars=210 calories
Peanut M&M’s – Fun Pack 2 bags=80 calories
M&M’s – Fun Pack 2 bags=180 calories
Snicker’s – Fun Size 2 bars=160 calories
Milky Way – Fun Size 2 bars=150 calories
Kit Kat – Fun Size 2 bars=100 calories
Hershey Chocolate Bar – Fun Size 1 bar=90 calories/ 5grams of fat
Reese’s Cup – 1 cup=80 calories
Butterfinger – Fun Size 1 bar= 100 calories
Twix – Fun Size 1 bar= 80 calories
York Peppermint Pattie – 1 pattie=70 calories
Twizzlers – 1 treat size pkg= 45 calories
Almond Joy – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds – 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger – 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
SweetTarts – 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
1 Tootsie Pop – 1 pop = 60 calories
1 Tootsie Roll – 1 small roll = 13 calories

Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween snack or fun size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.

If you are not worried about all of these extra calories over the next week that is fine, but if you would like to avoid Halloween candy and the calories that they offer here is a few tips.

1. Change the way that you think about the little Halloween candy. Most of us will associate these candies with childhood and that carefree feeling, instead think of them as something that will raise your blood sugar and make you jumpy.

2. Eat properly so you can stay away from Halloween candy. If you keep yourself on track for eating then avoiding the Halloween candy is easier because you will not be hungry.

3. Only buy the Halloween candy that you do not like. What may be tough for someone to resist may not be too hard for you to resist.

4. Decide what you are willing to eat ahead of time. Look at the list above, there are some good decisions that you can make that will stop you from making this a weight gain holiday by eating the right Halloween candy. I am a big fan of Tootsie Rolls and those are apparently OK to eat.

5. Just stay away. there is some willpower involved in not eating the things that we are not supposed to eat. Have some willpower and you can stay away from treats, it is only a one week holiday anyway, right?


Cancel Out Candy Calories in 3 Moves

TRY: Mountain Climber
Start in plank position (hands and toes on floor, back straight, abs engaged). Bring right knee to chest and tap toe on floor; straighten leg. Repeat with left knee. Do for 3 minutes.

Burn off: 70 calories, or 13 pieces of candy corn.

TRY: Power Jump

Stand with feet 6 inches apart. Squat, then push up, leaping forward and as high as you can. Repeat, jumping to the left, back and to the right. Do 25 rounds.

Burn off: 80 calories, or two Snickers Minis.

TRY: High March
Extend arms while holding a candy-filled pumpkin. March in place, bringing knees up as high as you can for 2 minutes (without spilling candy!). Rest 1 minute. Do 3 sets.

Burn off: 40 calories, or one mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

To find out how long it takes to burn off that Halloween candy, click here.

Source:
Evil candy calories: http://ow.ly/wPf6
Candy Lovers' Calorie Blast: http://ow.ly/wPBm

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Gotta love Judy Foreman, Health Sense columnist for the Boston Globe. She really "gets it". She articulated the importance of exercise and nutrition. They do go hand in hand regardless of what you might here out there. Thanks Judy. http://ow.ly/oGbq

Monday, August 17, 2009


Was there absolutely nothing relevant and newsworthy going on in the country last week? Is that what lead TIME Magazine to run their flamboyant and irrational cover story titled, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” by John Cloud?

As a fitness expert, I read with horror this erroneous information. Despite ALL evidence pointing towards the effect of exercise combined with weight management, in a time when 32% of our population (that’s almost 90 million) is considered obese and our country’s youth are literally growing horizontally at an alarming rate, this article disputed the in-numerable benefits regular exercise provides to anyone and everyone for physical health and mental well being.


The image of the woman exercising on a donut states the obvious. Indulging in donuts regularly or any food, high in preservatives and fat will, well, make you fat. We know this. It is obvious. There are plenty of facts to support this. We do not need an article on the front page of TIME Magazine to tell us this.

What is absolutely, 100% true is that a healthy balance of exercise coupled with a well balanced diet and sleep will buy you time in life. Yup, it’s that simple. Many folks could kiss their health issues away, such as heart problems, diabetes, some forms of cancer. These are diseases that kill millions of Americans each year often because they did not exercise, eat right and generally did not take care of themselves prior to getting sick.

At Fitcorp, we have been leaders in our field helping people feel better, look better and just plain lead a happier and healthier life by introducing exercise into their daily routine. We tailor programs that meet the fitness goals of our members. We understand that everyone is not an uber-athlete and everyone has their own personal fitness needs. We also understand that many professionals are in front of a computer dealing with daily stress and a sedentary life. Our job is to help people get moving, find a plan that they can actually do within their time frame and enjoy.

We see the benefits of exercise and its impact on folks everyday. We have members who have been able to stop taking medicine for a chronic health problem due to a healthier lifestyle incorporating regular exercise, members that are able to chase after their children after getting into better shape. We have spurned confidence in thousands of people who were hiding behind their weight. We’ve seen folks leave some forms of depression behind as exercise creates endorphins that made them feel better.

How can anyone possible argue with this? Ask the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association if exercise is an important element in avoiding these diseases. They’ll all tell you the same thing.
REGULAR EXERCISE COUNTS. REGULAR EXERCISE CAN HELP SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Where does diet fit in here? It fits in everywhere. Just because you are exercising, it does not give you the liberty of living on junk food. Exercise alone with no regard to what you put in your mouth does not help you lose weight and most certainly does nothing for your good health. You can lose weight and feel better all the way around by taking some consideration of what you eat combined with regular exercise. The author states that his 360-calorie muffin was erased by an hour of aerobic activity. So if he hadn’t exercised, he would have eaten an egg white? I don’t think so. He likes blueberry muffins and he should be able to eat one. You can do that and eat a brownie once in awhile too if you combine your regular exercise with a balanced diet.

This is not rocket science here and shouldn’t be the tempting topic of what we consider a national news-worthy magazine such as TIME. Sensationalizing these important issues at a time when obesity, and health related deaths are skyrocketing is simply irresponsible. We need all the help we can get here at Fitcorp as do all health and fitness centers. Giving people an excuse to NOT exercise doesn’t help anyone. Here at Fitcorp, we are proud of what we bring to our members’ lives. We help them feel better, look better, be healthier and have a happier, more enjoyable life. It doesn’t get better than that. More than anything, we wish we could help EVERYONE feel the benefits of regular exercise. We know for a fact, if they tried it, they would see the benefits and alter their life.
We go home at the end of the day knowing we have made a difference in someone’s life and that feels good.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

To Improve Fitness, Try Sleep - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Thinner wallets, fatter bellies

How the bad economy is encouraging bad habits - and how health officials are fighting back

By Elizabeth Cooney, Globe Correspondent | July 20, 2009

As if it wasn’t hard enough to lose weight, along comes this relentless recession to make it even more challenging.

Fattening foods are cheaper and easier to find than healthier fare. People are working longer hours for less pay, taking second jobs to make up lost earnings, and struggling to maintain a gym membership - or all three. Worrying about work translates into wider waistlines, it turns out, mostly for people who are already overweight. Oh, and losing sleep, too? That’ll add on the pounds, as well.

While it’s giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “the weight of the recession,’’ it has also presented doctors and health officials with an opportunity to remind people that healthy choices can be made in boom times and in bad times.

State and national health experts say it’s too soon to tell if the anemic economy is boosting obesity. But healthcare providers and exercise experts are seeing changes they tie to tighter times, for better or worse. Whether people turn to fast food because it’s what they can afford or skip exercise because they’re starved for time, the result can be unhealthy weight gain.

“There certainly are dangers during these difficult economic times,’’ John Auerbach, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said. “It becomes more challenging for people to try to eat the healthiest foods or exercise regularly. It is an issue we are concerned about.’’ Click here to read more.