VIDEO: Train Like a Champion
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It takes hard work and dedication to achieve your goals. No one knows that more than the gang here at eDiets. So take a hilarious look at Staff Writer
See his grueling training routine, eating program and get a glimpse into what motivates him to strive for greatness. Inspirational, educational and perfectly ridiculous -- this is one video you absolutely must see.
Want more video content? Help Shawn reach his dreams and comment below.
My So-Called, Off-Scheduled Life
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By Dorian Wagner
eDiets Senior Copy Editor
How many of us are actually where we thought we'd be at this point in our lives?
Personally, I'm what I like to call "off schedule." And with my birthday coming up (April 30, if you'd like to send presents -- thanks!), I can't help but think about things...
I say I'm off schedule because if you asked me 10 years ago where I'd be right now (turning 28), I would have told you I'd be married, planning kids, living somewhere in a lovely house -- that my husband and I own, of course -- with a cat or two and a dog.
I would have told you that my plan was to have kids by 30 (don't want to be an old mom), but that I wanted at least two years to enjoy married life and my husband before bringing children into the mix. And considering most people date for at least a year before getting engaged, and then there's the whole wedding-planning fiasco… I figure that in order to hit my "kids by 30" goal, I'd have to start that whole process by… oh, TWO YEARS AGO. Heh.
And, honestly, if I want to be married for two years before having kids, I'd have to get married by next Wednesday. Vegas, anyone?
Reality check: Still single; no ring in sight. No ring and no one thinking about buying me one. My mom actually made cardboard cutouts of "virtual grandchildren" last time I went over for a holiday at my parents' house. These virtual grandkids even sat at the dinner table with us. I guess it's as close as she figures she's going to get anytime soon.
But there's also a trade-off. Although I don't have a hubby or a little mini-me running around, I am doing better career-wise than I thought I would be at this point. So, that's a good thing. Not that I wouldn't mind sitting at home or shopping all day with my husband's credit card while he works to support me… But still, it'll be nice to contribute equally when (if?) I ever get back on schedule.
And all this got me wondering. How many of us are actually "on schedule?" Not just with marriage and kids, but with careers, life goals and personal accomplishments? How many people are actually what they wanted to "when I grow up?" I'd bet that although things don't normally go as planned, they usually work out for the best.
Things happen for a reason, they say, and I've come to believe that. After all, good things come to those who wait, right?
Labels: career, lifestyle, relationships
Fast Food Survival Guide: A Leaner Lunch
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By Shawn MckeeeDiets Staff Writer
I try to eat healthy -- really I do -- but sometimes between grabbing my gym clothes, finding my car keys, locating a pair of pants that look clean enough to wear to work and getting out into the quagmire that is rush hour traffic, I forget to pack my lunch.
Now I'm at the mercy of fast food purveyors, vending machines and the kindness of coworkers to get my lunchtime food fix. This is where I tend to slip off my normally healthy feeding routine.
A friend of mine was expressing her own disappointment in the fact that her life had become hectic and the first thing to suffer was her diet. Eating right takes planning and discipline, and even if you're using an excellent pre-packaged meal program like those offered from eDiets, you can still forget to grab lunch and be left foraging for food when the lunch hour arrives.
Before you throw your hands up in dismay and decide you'll get back to basics after a calorie-laden lunch, realize that you can minimize the deviation from your diet by making a few simple switches at your favorite fast food joints. You can make the right choices when it comes to food selection.
To unwrap the truth on fast food, eDiets ordered up a few simple switches with David Zinczenko, Editor-in-Chief of Men's Health and author of Eat This, Not That! David slowed down long enough to suggest several ways to make smart decisions, no matter where you eat.
"Most diet books out there exist in a hypothetical world where eaters have absolute control over every meal they eat, which sets up unrealistic goals and eventually another year of broken resolutions," Zinczenko explains. "Instead, we’re telling people to just go about finding the healthiest alternatives possible for every one of your favorite foods."
"For a nation that spends half of its annual food budget on eating out, knowing that a burrito from Taco Bell has 800 fewer calories than one from Chipotle, or that an Egg McMuffin is actually a really good way to start your day could help you save 10, 20 even 30 pounds by the end of 2008."
So Zinczenko delved deeply into the world of fast food and found that getting nutrition facts for many meals was about as easy as getting a Big Mac at Burger King. Many fast food franchises weren't forthcoming with the facts.
"One of the most concerning things we uncovered over the year we spent researching this book is the fact that many chains obfuscate the fat and calorie counts of their menu items, and fight any attempt to shed light on what, exactly, is going on between their buns and inside their taco shells," Zinczenko says.
If you barely have the time to pack your lunch, we know you don't have the time to canvas restaurants in your area to get all the food facts, so we've supplied some simple tips to cut fat and calories from your lunch.
Tips for a Leaner Lunch:
"Simply ordering your sandwich or burger sans mayo saves up to 25 grams of fat (go with barbeque sauce or honey mustard instead)," David suggests. "And every slice of American cheese you melt on your burger adds 6 grams of fat."
Save 370 calories and 20 grams of fat by skipping the over-sized shell with your next taco salad at Taco Bell. Also, you can order almost any menu item "fresco" style which will replace the cheese and sauce with chunky salsa to dramatically cut calories and fat.
"Always opt for the thin crust variety rather than the pan pizza or the deep dish -- that alone will save you at least 100 calories per slice," David explains. "Eating just four pieces of pepperoni on your pizza packs an additional 100 calories."
Instead of ordering a foot-long sandwich at Subway, order the six-inch sub and double the meat. You'll save more than money -- this simple switch will save you 230 calories on a turkey sub.
Get a side salad instead of fries. Even eating three garden salads from Burger King would still give you less calories than one small order of French fries. A Whopper Jr. (without mayo) and a garden salad from the King weigh in at 365 calories and 12 grams of fat, while a BK Big Fish Sandwich and medium fries tip the scales at a staggering 1,000 calories and 52 grams of fat.
So even at a place like Burger King, which David ranks as pretty low on the healthy list, "with more harmful trans fat clogging its menu than McDonald’s or Wendy’s and several 1,000-calorie-plus burgers," it is possible to make a healthy choice.
So if the King doesn't rule when it comes to a leaner lunch, what places top the list for healthiest fare?
"Chick-Fil-A is a clear winner," David proclaims. "Not a single entree on the menu breaks the 500-calorie barrier, a feat unmatched in the fast-food world. Subway is another good choice, as long as you go easy on cheese and dressing. They offer an impressive selection of 6-inch sandwiches containing less than 400 calories."
Those are just a few easy ways to make your lunch a little leaner, because life very rarely goes according to plan and, sometimes, you have eat on the fly. Just remember, when they ask, "Would you like fries with that?" The answer is "no." Order up!
For more information or to buy a copy of Eat This, Not That! click here.
Have you crafted an emergency meal that satisfies your craving for fast food without destroying your diet? Do you have your own tips for successful lunchtime survival? Tell us about it!
Top 10 Healthiest Jobs
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By Carolina Diaz-BordoneDiets Contributor
Wake up, nine-to-fivers: You spend 2,080 hours a year at work... Is your career healthy? High stress, low physical activity, little motivation and depleted morale levels are signs that your daily work environment is suffering and in need of some serious adjustments.
Given that you spend more than half your weekday waking hours on the job, your work surroundings can have an immense impact on your health. When you are engulfed in an unsound ambiance day in and day out, it can take a major toll on your emotional and intellectual well-being.
Chances are, your work will suffer and affect your ability to cope and be productive in the workplace. While you may not be able to throw away your computer and put a stair master in its place, you can transform your individual work conditions by making minor modifications.
Workplace stress is one of the biggest problems you cannot afford to ignore. Stress can lead to absenteeism, high health care costs and loss of performance, all of which can impact your company's bottom line. One way to help reduce stress is through breathing exercises. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a few seconds to breathe deeply through your nose. Do this several times before getting back to work.
Physical activity is the best natural stress reliever. Try to save some time during your lunch break to take a 10-minute walk. Get up every hour and walk down the hall and stretch your legs. Even if you can only get up for a few minutes, it's important to take the time to move.
Another way to increase your health environment is by coming to work nutritionally prepared. Pack healthy snacks to munch on throughout your day and try to avoid drinking large amounts of caffeine.
You should also make adjustments to your personal space to make it more conducive to a satisfying and pleasant workday. Organize your clutter and make your area functional. Also, try to smile and not take things too seriously. Rather than getting upset, listen; be assertive but remember you can't control everything.
You can, however, control the way you deal with others and situations. Don't waste your time listening to negativity. Surround yourself by optimistic people. This will help keep you motivated and inspired.
Here's a list of the top 10 healthiest jobs, according to Monster.com. The jobs don't include professional athletic sports, but they do include athletics-related careers and jobs that promote a balanced, wholesome workplace environment.
2. Chiropractor
3. Choreographer
4. Florist
5. Massage Therapist
6. Nutritionist
7. Personal Trainer
8. Professor
9. Running Coach
10. Yoga Instructor
Got any great tips you use at work to help reduce stress and keep you in shape? Let us know by commenting below!
You're Wearing THAT to the Office?!?
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By Joanne Eglash
eDiets Contributor
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -- Mark TwainWith apologies to Monsieur Twain, let me share my philosophy about career clothes for women: The right clothes can help pave your path to the corner suite at the office. A frumpy wardrobe may keep you in a claustrophobic-sized cubicle forever.
You can be bright, brilliant and bold -- but if you show up at the office in a polyester, chartreuse green pantsuit and Pepto-Bismol-pink plastic boots, your passion for fashion may inspire the wrong kind of awe.
So what belongs in your closet of career classics? Try these on for size and you'll always look great:
--For "casual Fridays," go for chic, crisp tailored slacks in dark hues (navy blue, brown or grey) and a tailored blouse in a color that suits your complexion (e.g., I know that green makes my skin look jaundiced, so it’s on my "fuhgeddabout it" list).
--Low to medium-sized heels. And please donate scuffed shoes to Goodwill or another organization NOW. The most professional, carefully-chosen outfit can be ruined by a careless shoe choice. Also on your not-for-the-office list: tennis shoes (unless you’re a personal fitness trainer!), spike heels, shoes that make noise and open-toed sandals (especially if you have bright red toenail polish that’s chipped).
--A small to medium-sized purse. No suitcase-sized bags that, when opened, reveal a decade’s worth of accumulated treasures like used Kleenex. And please give the cute little pink purse decorated with hearts or a "Born to Shop" emblem to your teenage niece.
Skin-colored nylons. Glitter, colors that glow in the dark and other fun varieties of nylons are wonderful for weekends -- but not for the office. Ditto the tights that are ideal for ballet class but not for the boardroom.
--Lingerie that fits. And actually wear it -- don't leave it at home. Remember Drew Barrymore’s braless "oops, not a good decision" appearance on the Golden Globes (where, unfortunately, the name of the show gave late night talk show hosts extra "mean remarks" ammunition)? I once had a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with a young colleague who wore blouses that were so low-cut that her lack of a bra was like a walking human anatomy class. When she leaned down to talk to me, I averted my eyes. Some of the men, however, did otherwise -- and she was subjected to several "tactful talks" by the human resources department.
Perhaps the most important guideline of all for career classics: Choose clothes that
make you feel good about you. Take your time shopping and invest in good, quality attire that says, "Now there’s a successful woman!"
Can clothes really make or break your career? Tell us your stories by commenting below!
Joanne Eglash is a writer and an editor specializing in health, weight control and fitness. She's written for a variety of publications and websites, ranging from Energy for Women magazine to KidsHealth.org. For more information about Joanne, visit her Web site at www.geocities.com/trendclues.
Always Tired? 5 Energy Boosters
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Colleen Flynn
eDiets Contributor
As much as we'd all like to think energy comes in a bottle, it doesn't. But that doesn't mean you can't find it elsewhere. You just have to know the right places to look for it!
First of all, don't believe the hype. No matter how many commercials you see with energetic, skinny people running around, they didn't get like that from whatever product is for sale. It's called acting, and the product is most likely a scam.
Second of all, one of the most well-known sources of energy drain is stress. You'll see as soon as you learn techniques to reduce stress, your energy levels will increase. One great suggestion to try is deep breathing; another is meditation.
With that said, check out these five surefire tips to aid you in regaining an upward momentum:
1. Get adequate sleep -- This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people suffer from different forms of insomnia. Although the average amount of time is eight hours, it's whatever you need to feel rested and only you can determine that. Avoid caffeine and alcohol to assure a good night's rest.
2. Stay hydrated -- It is not only important to stay hydrated for your skin and digestive health, but your overall engine running, as well. Remain conscious about how much you're drinking throughout the day. You'll feel better when you've imbibed enough water!
3. Take a multivitamin -- Eating a balanced diet doesn't insure you'll get the minimum dietary requirements you need for energy. To remind yourself, put your bottle of multivitamins next to your toothpaste or something else you know you'll use at least once a day!
4.Exercise -- Although many people think exercise makes you tired, it does just the opposite if done in moderation. Exercise actually increases energy by getting the heart pumping, providing oxygen to working muscles and by increasing cardio respiratory capacity.
5. Eat breakfast -- Many may think it's not that important, but those who eat breakfast sure can tell the difference on days they skip. Your body is resting all night and the only way to get it started in the morning is by feeding it. It's like trying to start a car without gas -- it won't work. Something light and healthy is a great way to start your day.
Although the idea of a fizzy, lifting drink like the one in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a fantastic one, there is no such thing. Actual products on the market try to persuade the public their liquid energy is a magical experience. But it's not. Red Bull doesn't really give you wiiiings.
And next time you're feeling a little sluggish, don't rush to Starbucks for that Venti Mocha Frappuccino with extra whipped cream. Put on your mp3 player, kick on some energetic music, grab a bottle of water and take a brisk walk.
Everyone could use a little more energy in their day. Just a little push is all we need sometimes to kick into high gear. Just changing a few things in your everyday routine can make a difference. Try these tips -- they're almost a guaranteed prescription for increased energy.
Labels: career, motivation, tips, workout
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