• 6 Easy Ways to Ban the Holiday Bulge
• Break Away from Boring Workouts
• 5 Diet Destroying Comfort Foods
• Recipe: Turkey Chili

6 EASY WAYS TO BAN THE HOLIDAY BULGE

In retail stores around the country, the end of Halloween means the beginning of the holiday shopping season. In kitchens and living rooms around the country, it means the beginning of the holiday eating season. You've been working hard with Force Factor this year to get in shape and stay in shape – don't let the holidays set you back from achieving your goals! Check out the following simple ways to fit a little extra exercise into the upcoming weeks to offset the extra celebrating.

1. Celebrate the holiday, not the season.

   Beginning with our leftover Halloween candy, the eating frenzy surrounding the holidays seems to last from November 1st all the way through to January. We lose track of what we're celebrating too. Just because it's December 2nd doesn't mean you deserve to treat yourself to all of those sugar cookies. Save your splurges for the dates and events that actually matter most to you in order avoid splurging all month long.

2. Make decorating more active

   Making your home more festive can be a great way to burn extra calories outside of the gym. Start by raking up all the dead leaves – just 30 minutes of raking can blast more than 120 calories. Clean up indoors to prepare for company (and mom's annual inspection). A thorough cleaning can toast lots of calories. Try putting on your favorite workout mix to boost your energy and power while you're dusting, scrubbing, and scouring. Getting a tree this year? Try cutting down and carrying your own – the bigger, the better! Finally, grab your ladder and deck the halls (and the house) with garlands and lights. A few hours spent climbing up and down the ladder and stretching to hang those twinkling bulbs can be a great extra workout.  

3. Get in the game

   From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, the holidays mean you'll be getting together with others to celebrate the season. Instead of sitting at the table listening to Aunt Phyllis recount every detail of her trip to Palm Springs or Uncle Bill's exciting, can't-miss investment opportunity, try getting everyone out of doors and off the couch! A pick-up game of football or Frisbee can get everyone moving and burning far more calories than those left behind munching snacks on the couch. Plus, all that activity will have your relatives huffing and puffing, not talking!

4. Shop smarter

   No, we're not talking about scanning the shelves for the best deal (although that's a good idea too). At Force Factor, shopping smarter means planning out gifts for yourself and your loved ones that will keep everyone fit and healthy. Instead of a new tie, Dad might appreciate a few sessions with a great personal trainer and Mom might love a Wii Fit. Also, make sure everyone knows your fitness goals for the new year (so they can purchase your presents accordingly)! Buying a little something for yourself? Skip the video games that will just keep you on the couch longer and treat yourself to new supplements (like Force Factor's BODY RUSH) that will get you back on track faster in the New Year!

   Try to stay active while shopping too! Avoid the chaos of the parking lot by parking in the farthest spot from the store. Walk as briskly as possible in the mall, always choose the stairs over the escalator, and carry your increasingly heavy bags through the whole trip to save some time and burn some extra calories. Over the course of the season, the exercise from those shopping trips can really add up!

5. Pick and choose your holiday treats

   The smorgasbord of holiday fare on the table can be intimidating for anyone trying to stay fit and healthy. Think before you grab the spoons! Take a minute to assess everything on the table and decide what you're going to have and what you're going to skip before the dishes are passed your way. You'll be better able to resist the flaky dinner rolls if you've already mentally committed to having a small portion of stuffing instead. Make sure you follow the same rule at dessert!

   Fill your plate with vegetables when possible. Fiber-rich vegetables will fill your stomach up quickly with fewer calories and prevent you from indulging too much on the other offerings. Be careful about vegetables prepared in unhealthy ways though – sweet potato or green bean casseroles can wreak havoc on diets!

6. Celebrate the cold with new activities

   When the temperature drops our first inclination might be to shut the windows tight, light a fire in the fireplace, and snuggle up in front of the TV. However, don't forget that the new season brings new opportunities to mix up your exercise. Get the gang together for a little ice skating or a pick-up hockey game during your days off. A ski/snowboarding trip can also be a great way to fill your vacation time. Skiing engages muscles all over your body and can be a great way to burn excess calories from the holiday season!

BREAK AWAY FROM BORING WORKOUTS

You’ve been good for weeks. Every trip to the gym has been carefully scheduled and planned. But you’re losing motivation with every rep of the leg press and every mile on the treadmill. The same routine, while it’s been effective, is getting boring. Before you decide to ditch the gym all together, switch up your fitness program! We polled the team at Force Factor for their advice on keeping fitness fresh and interesting.

Social Support.

“When I’m getting bored with my usual workout schedule I start asking friends to join me at the gym. Making plans to meet someone ensures that I’ll show up at the gym – I just can’t put it off and ditch my friend! Plus, I always push myself harder when someone’s there to keep me honest about the number of reps I’ve done and my form. It’s best when my friend is stronger than me – it gets my competitive juices going and makes me push myself even harder.”

Extreme Exercise.

“Personally, I love extreme sports, so I up the intensity and the ‘danger factor’ in my exercise occasionally in order to break out of the monotony of the gym. One thing I’ve tried recently is rock-climbing – it’s an awesome workout, especially for my upper body, and the adrenaline rush I get is fantastic. I recommend off-road mountain biking too and paddle boarding or surfing in the summer months. When you’re a little scared, you don’t get bored.”

Take a class.

“I’ve always had a tough time motivating myself to do cardio at the gym. I just get so bored on the treadmill and I’ll go slower and slower until I just give up. A friend convinced me to start taking group exercise classes at the gym recently though and now I’m hooked! From step to spinning to cardio kickboxing, there’s just so much variety and the class leaders get my energy up so quickly. The variety of classes offered ensures that I’ve always got other options to switch to.”

Mix up the tunes.

“Nothing gets me ready for my workouts like my music. One of the things that has really worked for me is borrowing a friend’s favorite workout playlist or asking a friend to make a new playlist for me. It’s usually new music to me and I stay interested waiting to hear which song they’ve chosen next. Plus getting all the new tunes for my ipod is an added bonus!”

Move it outside.

“My solution to boredom in the gym is to ditch the gym! I’ve tried to move most of my exercises outside. Running on the treadmill or biking on a stationary bike gets too boring way too quickly for me. I just can’t stare at that tiny TV screen and stay motivated. Now, I do all my cardio outside, weather permitting, and mix up the biking and running routes every week. I’ve tried doing yoga and pilates group exercises in the park as well and those are great.”

5 DIET-DESTROYING COMFORT FOODS

The days are getting shorter, the temperature is starting to drop, and now you find yourself craving something warm and comforting as you cozy up on the couch for a long day indoors. Don’t use the new season as an excuse to break the good habits you were building and maintaining in the warmer months. Stay active, even in the cold and check out these comfort foods that work against your fitness goals! Don’t worry; you won’t need to forsake comfort food entirely. Our team has some suggestions for how to get the same comfort without all the fat and calories.

1. Hot Chocolate

   Coming inside from the cold outdoors is so much sweeter when you’ve got a steaming cup of hot chocolate to sit down to. Be careful though, a medium-sized cup of hot chocolate (made with 2% milk) can have more than 350 calories! The dollop of whipped cream on top will add on extra calories another 7 grams of fat too!

   Get that same warmth and chocolate flavor by mixing a store-bought powder with boiling water. Fat-free versions can have as few as 50 calories! Splurge for the mini marshmallow variety (70 cal per cup) for a truly guilt-free and comforting treat! Need to have your cocoa made with milk? Make sure to specify nonfat at the coffee shop and skip the added flavorings, whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle!

2. Creamy Soups

   What better way to start dinner on a cold night than with a bowlful of creamy, warm soup. Hot soup in general isn’t always a bad choice. We run into trouble (and fat and calories) though when we choose the creamy varieties. A bowl of New England clam chowder at Red Lobster will run you 480 calories and a whopping 34 grams of fat! And that’s not counting the extra bread or crackers you’d use to sop up any of the creamy remains.

   As a prelude to dinner, try non-creamy soups that are full of vegetables. The extra liquid and veggies can be a great way to take the edge off your hunger and keep you from overeating later on. These days, the big soup companies have a variety of “light” and “reduced sodium” options – scan the aisles to see if they have a healthier version of your favorite variety. Choosing soup at a restaurant? Check the portion – a “bowl” is typically much larger (and much more calorie-intense) than a “cup.”

3. Hearty Stews and Chili

   Piping hot, thick, and meaty, chili and stews can be the ultimate comfort foods in the winter months. If they’re thickened with heavy cream or full of fatty red meats, they can also be the ultimate diet disaster. Just one bowl of chili at Steak ‘n Shake has 880 calories, 47 grams of fat, and over 2,000mg of sodium (even scarier – the “deluxe” version has 1220 calories and 74g fat)!

   Chili can be a healthy choice, but it depends on how it is prepared. Avoid the extra cheese, guacamole, and sour cream toppings and eat it without any chips or cornbread. Go for the turkey or chicken variety when possible to cut back on fat. Making your own chili or stew? Choose the leanest meats and drain off the fat from the pan after cooking before adding them to the stew pot. Add extra seasonal vegetables like butternut squash and turnips to make it hearty and filling.

4. Cheesy Pasta Dishes

   Nothing says comforting like mom’s homemade lasagna. Hearty pasta dishes may seem healthy at first glance, but they’re often full of fat and cholesterol from a variety of cheeses and the meat sauce. The plain pasta itself may be too carb-intense for your diet and lacks the nutritional stats you’re looking for.

   There’s lots of ways to lighten up mom’s recipe with new items from your grocery store. Instead of the full-fat cheeses, choose part-skim ricottas and mozzarellas – you won’t lose any of the gooeyness or taste. These days there are a lot of great whole wheat pasta options available in your grocery store as well. Whole grain pastas are full of the B vitamins that will help your body turn this comfort food into fuel for your workouts later.

5. Warm Desserts

   Now that the meal is over, we want one last little piece of warm comfort. A slice of freshly baked, warm apple pie would do the trick. And it has to be healthy because it has fruit, right? But be careful – the average slice of apple pie (no matter if you bought it in the frozen food aisle or if Grandma had it cooling on her window ledge) has 500 calories and 25 grams of fat.

One way to avoid the temptation of the warm dessert is to make sure you’re full from dinner. Meals that are full of protein and fiber are more likely to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Vegetables and beans are great sources of fiber (as well as tons of other essential nutrients) so make sure you have some with every meal. Have to have dessert with every meal? Ditch the pie crust and try baking your own apples with cinnamon and a little brown sugar.

RECIPE: TURKEY CHILI

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DERRICK ROSE: SHOULDER WORKOUT

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