Resolutions vs. goals

Along with a new year, 2016 will bring millions of resolutions. Thousands of them will unfortunately fade away over time.
Creating goals for yourself as opposed to resolutions can help prevent this from happening.

Here is an example:

Resolution: I am going to become healthy in 2016.

Goal: In January 2016 I am going to become a member of a health club and work out on Mondays and Wednesdays after work.

Can you see the difference? The resolution is throwing what you want out there into the atmosphere. The goal actually outlines it exactly.

This concept not only applies to becoming healthy. You can easily outline your goals for all areas of your life.

We at Snap Fitness, hope you have a fantastic 2016!

Holiday hours for Christmas

Merry Christmas! We, here at Snap Fitness wish you the Merriest of Holidays!

Our staffed hours have changed for the Christmas weekend. As of Thursday 12-24-15 at 12pm, we will not have anyone on staff until Monday morning at 11am.

Please continue to use your electronic key card to come in and get your Holiday workout!

Add some fresh fruits to your Holiday menu this year...

Christmas is just days away and along with all the goodies we are going to eat, we can still add fresh fruits into the Holiday menu! Check out these 2 recipes:

The first recipe is a super easy and taste apple salad dressing. No preservatives in this one though!

Easy Apple Salad Dressing

• 2 apples, peeled and cored
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Cinnamon, two shakes
• Ground cloves, one shake

Add all ingredients into a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Pour over salad just before serving.


Juice your own sweet lemonade without any sugar or preservatives! Whip out that juicer you have stored in the cabinet and get to juicing again.

Some blenders are also capable of creating this sweet lemonade recipe. Instead of using a juicer, you can use a heavy duty blender as well. If you are, peel the apples and lemon for better results.

Apple Lemonade

• 4 apples, cored
• ¼ of a lemon, with peel

Press lemon through the juicer and then run the apples through.
It is that simple…fresh, sweet lemonade!

Add some sliced fresh fruit for added flavor and a festive Holiday look!

Overnight banana bread oatmeal recipe

I am all about simplifying life...particularly around the Holidays! Give this overnight banana bread oatmeal a try! It is perfect for the entire family. Check out the video to see how simple it is to prepare...

Banana Bread Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

• 1 banana, medium to large
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 cup cashew milk, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pecans or walnuts, chopped

Mash banana in a bowl.

Add oats, milk, seeds, cinnamon and honey.

Mix together well.

Add to a mason jar or other type of glass jar with an air tight lid.

In the morning before eating, top with nuts and enjoy!

This recipe has:

327 calories

0 cholesterol

9 grams of protein

12 grams dietary fiber

15 grams sugar

11 grams of fat

81 grams sodium

Vitamins A,C,calcium and iron

This is according to the Myfitnesspal app.

The recipe I have listed here is for 1 serving. Just double to triple to make several days worth!

Oh, Christmas tree...and a gift from us to you!

Aren't we festive here at Snap Fitness? 

Do you like our Christmas tree? 

We like it! 

Stop in for a workout and check it out. If you are not yet a member, let's get you started! Mention this Christmas tree post and we will get you started with $0 enrollment! Consider it an early Christmas gift from us to you! 

Can drinking water help us lose weight? (plus, cucumber lime water recipe)

We have all heard that we should be drinking 8 glasses of water every day, right? Well, according to Virginia Tech, people who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal lost about 5 more pounds than those who did not.

The reason they lost weight? It could be because the water took up stomach space and made them feel full. So, in turn, they ate less food at each meal.

Doctors will tell you not to wait until you are thirsty to drink water. It is always good to stay hydrated and not drink too much or too little water each day.

Try this flavorful recipe:

Cucumber Lime Water

• 3 small seedless cucumbers
• 2 liters of water
• 1/2 lime, sliced into small pieces

Add all ingredients into a pitcher. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Strain water and pour into glasses. Enjoy straight from the pitcher or over ice.

Simple exercise tips

If you are new to exercising or getting started again, here are a few tips that will help you through:

1. Be sure to allow your body days to rest. By doing this you allow your body time to repair muscle damage. So may time people jump into working out with two feet and then get burned out. Just take it slow. If you do not allow your body time to recover between workouts, you will tear it down very quickly.

Here is an example of a workout regimen:
Workout on: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
OR
Workout on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
Taking two days off on the weekend is not ideal, but if that is what you have to do due to your schedule, so be it.


2.     Be consistent. If you workout on a routine for 6 months and then take 2 months off, don't expect to be able to just jump back into it where you left off. When you start back up, it is like starting over.
If you stay consistent and push through the days, weeks or months when you do not feel like working out, your body will continue to improve and you will soon be able to go further, go longer and do more.

How do I have a healthy Thanksgiving Holiday?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We all deserve a day to enjoy food, family and friends! Here are some easy tips to keep you and your family healthy this Holiday. You can still enjoy the Thanksgiving foods you love…it’s true! You can also get your workout in on Turkey Day! Check out how…

Start the day off right with a healthy breakfast.
Jump start your metabolism by preparing a healthy breakfast filled with protein and healthy fats!  Try eggs with turkey sausage or hot oatmeal with fruits, nuts and seeds. Add some Thanksgiving flavor by adding a dab of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to your oatmeal and/or add a tablespoon or two of organic pumpkin puree!

Start a new tradition:  Include a sport or group activity on Thanksgiving Day. 
Have a family football game or just toss the football around in the yard. Another great option is to go for a family walk together…or how about an easy game of tag in the yard? Whatever you decide to do, it will create great memories and allow the family time to bond. In addition, it will get everyone moving and provide a bit of exercise on a day filled with television and food.

Load up on veggies.
Yup…make the veggies the start of the show! Saute some of your favorites in olive oil or bake them in the oven. Veggies are low in fat, calories and cholesterol!

• Serve salad as a first course…Heavy on greens…light on non-veggie add-ins like cheese.
• Try a new veggie recipe that packs flavor without extra calories. 

Holiday Food Facts

A typical Thanksgiving Meal:
Roast turkey (dark and white meat) with skin (4 oz)
Candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows (1 cup)
Green bean casserole
Jellied cranberry sauce (½ cup)
Caesar salad
Mashed potatoes with milk and butter (1 cup)
Apple pie with vanilla ice-cream
Pecan Pie
TOTAL CALORIES: 2,796 calories 

Light Thanksgiving Meal:
Roast turkey (light meat only), no skin (4oz)
Small Baked sweet potato
Sautéed green beans
Light cran-berries sauce (½ cup)
Mixed green salad with fat-free Italian Dressing
Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and skim milk (1 cup)
Light pumpkin pie
TOTAL CALORIES: 750 calories 

Food calorie list was taken from: 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joanna-dolgoff-md/healthy-thanksgiving-tips-recipes_b_1092915.html

Simple techniques to help keep ourselves and our children healthy

Check out this small list of ways we can keep our children healthy! We can also apply these techniques to our own adult lives as well:

• Never skip breakfast (enough said).
• Snack with purpose. Snack to fill the gap between meals, not just because there is nothing else to do. Snack on healthy foods.
• Beware of potion distortion. Use smaller bowls and cups to help portion control.
• Empty calories are consumed by sugary drinks. Watch the calories and fat in drinks as well as food.
• Eat more whole foods. Packaged foods contain high sodium, calories and fat. Eat fresh foods.
• Set the table. Eat together as a family. Cook with your children.
• Kick the sugar habit. So many of the regular foods we eat have sugar...even bread! Cut back on the amount of sugar we allow our children to consume.

Healthy chili recipe

Eating chili is a great way to eat your needed protein and fiber. You can serve this as vegetarian chili by leaving out the meat. You can also make the chili in the crockpot without the meat and cook your meat separately and serve it on the side. This works great if you are serving vegetarians and meat eaters at the same time.




Crockpot Chili

• 1 pound of ground meat, beef, turkey or chicken, grass fed and antibiotic free, defrosted
• 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp each: pepper, salt and garlic powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 shakes of hot sauce
• 1 small package low sodium chicken bullion (optional)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1, 6oz can tomato sauce (optional)
• 1 can each: kidney beans, northern white beans, baked beans, black beans and chili beans
• 1 can butter beans (optional)
• Olive oil

Add all ingredients to crockpot.
Cook on low for about 6 hours. Or cook on high for 4 hours.

Truths about sleep

Sleep, do you get enough of it?
Here is some helpful information about sleep:

Each night:
We should all be getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Napping:
Taking a 20 minute nap during the day should give us a boost of energy.
Exercise:
Exercising right before going to bed might help you sleep better.
Not getting enough sleep:
Cutting your sleep time back by 90 minutes for just one night will effect your alertness the following day.
Go to bed early:
Going to bed earlier will help your overall health, physical, mental and emotional.

Now go to bed! :)

Foods that will help control your cholesterol...

If you are looking to cut bad cholesterol from your diet, here is a list of certain foods to add and remove from your plate:

ADD:
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruits
Whole grains
Low-fat dairy products
Fish
Turkey, white meat, no skin
Chicken, white meat, no skin

REMOVE:
Egg yolks
Beef
Red meats
Full fat dairy products

If you have elevated or high cholesterol, be sure to exercise. Often times, with the proper diet and exercise, people have been able to manage lowing their bad cholesterol without having to use medications. Be sure to consult your Doctor if you have questions pertaining to your cholesterol! 

Off road walking and running tips...get out this weekend!

Now that the weather has cooled down, many of us are spending more time outdoors. Autumn is a great time to be outside with family and friends. Check out these off road walking/running tips from Runner's World and use them to get some fresh air and exercise this coming weekend!

Correct form:
Short strides, eyes on trail and arms slightly raised away from your sides.

Running uphill:
Very short steps and increase arm swing frequency.

Running downhill:
Keep weight back slightly and extend arms out from body for balance.

Avoid obstacles:
 Roots, rocks, gravel, mud and ice are not good. Slow down if you have to avoid them.

Happy Halloween from Snap Fitness North Raleigh!

Have a safe and fun Halloween! 

Fall back this Sunday!

Fall is here! Time to set our clocks back one hour! Have a safe Halloween and a restful weekend!

Eating smart when traveling for the Holidays

Prepare, prepare, prepare! This is the best advice I can give you as to how to eat smart when you are traveling this Holiday Season.

Take a cooler and pack your fresh fruits, vegetables and bottled water.

In addition, take along your granola bars, fiber bars and protein bars.

Peanut butter travels well, even without a cooler. Peanut butter is high in protein, so bring along your peanut butter, healthy bread and crackers. This will provide you with lunch or a snack.

Unopened Gatorade is also easy to travel with because you do not need a cooler for that either. (Although water is the best option for quenching your thirst...water does not contain sodium as the sport drinks do.

Always pack nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, etc. These are great for protein and snacking.

Along with the water in your cooler, pack nitrate free sliced lunch meats and cheese for sandwiches.

Don't forget the vitamins!

Easy ways to cut fat and calories from my diet...yes please!

Looking to cut out fat and calories from your diet? Most of us are! Here are 7 easy ways to go about it:

Cut fat from your pizza: Double the tomato sauce and go light on the cheese. This will cut 20 grams of fat per pie.

Order the steak fries: Order the fat ones instead of the skinny ones, they absorb less oil.

Use juice concentrate in your stir fry: Use a couple of spoonfuls instead of oil and cut the fat.

Soften your butter or spread: Warm to room temp and use less than straight from the fridge.

Refrigerate canned goods: Such as meats, soups and gravy. The fat will rise to the top and you can skim it off.

Dilute your juice: Add water to your juice and drink less calories.

Use olive oil on your potato: Use olive oil in place of butter and sour cream on baked potatoes.

Information taken from: Yahoo! Health / Men's Health  

Snacking on walnuts? Yey or Nay?

Walnuts are actually an excellent snack! They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are naturally cholesterol free. In addition, walnuts are also sodium free.

You can easily eat them for a mid-day pick me up. You can also cook and bake with them. Adding chopped walnuts to your oatmeal is a great way to add these into your diet.

In addition, walnuts are economical. They are definitely one of the better priced nuts to buy. You can easily replace other nuts called for in your favorite recipes with walnuts. By doing this you not only save money, but you will be investing in your health as well!

To learn more about walnuts and get new recipes, please visit:  Walnuts.org

Is running good for you?

If you enjoy walking and running, here are a few good reasons to keep it up! 
If you do not walk or run, these are great reasons to start:

• You may be less likely to have cholesterol issues.
• You may be less likely to have blood pressure issues.
• It will strengthen your bones.
• It may help you be more productive throughout your day.
• It can help you have a better nights sleep and/or fall asleep faster.
• It may boost your immune system.
• If you suffer from asthma, it can help keep it under control.
• It can help you live a longer life.
• 
  
  

Join Snap Fitness: North Raleigh today to get started! 

Information given by: Runner's World on Active.com

Do parents neglect their health?

According to Yahoo! Health and Self magazine, parents do neglect their health. Here are the ways they can:

We:
Rarely or never exercise
Do not make eating healthy top priority
Do not take enough "me" time

Here are some ideas on how to improve in these areas:
Choose activities you enjoy and do them with your friends. This will help get in regular exercise.
Join a local gym close to home and set aside days each week to workout.
Download myfitnesspal to your smart phone and use it!
Choose healthy snacks, pack your lunch.
Sit down for dinner, eat breakfast and stop eating when you are full.
Schedule time to snuggle with your significant other.


Time savers to allow more time for "you":

Pay bills online to save time.
Change air filters in the house to cut down on dusting.
Use online shopping to order groceries, pick them up on your way home from work, school, etc.
Make chore lists for the children to help keep things around the house clean and organized.

Hydration during exercise...drink your water!

Staying hydrated while exercising is so important!

First of all, by drinking water and staying hydrated, you will not have as much if any: muscle cramps, gas or light headedness.

Drink water before, during and after working out.

Try not to wait until you are thirsty to drink water, sip on it as you work out.

Great ways to assure you have water handy when exercising:

Have a waist belt that will carry a water bottle.
If you are riding a bicycle, you can get a water bottle holder made for bikes.
In the event you are walking or running with a stroller, you can always stash your bottle in there. Walking with your working dog? Get him/her a vest and place your water bottle in there.

There are many places to store a water bottle when you are out exercising!

Small ways to cut sugar from your diet

Guess what! Sugar is not only consumed in chocolate and ice cream! True story. It is hidden in the little things we eat every day too. Reading labels is the best way to find out if what you are eating has sugar in it and if it does how much is in there.

Here is a short list of foods that contain sugar, how much is in there and what you can eat instead:

• Ketchup has 3 Grams per Tablespoon / Mustard has ZERO
• Tomato soup has 8 Grams per cup / Chicken noodle soup should not have ANY
• Honey mustard salad dressing has 5 Grams in 2 Tablespoons / Ranch has about 1 Gram
• 1 Chocolate chip muffin has a whopping 43 Grams / 1 Chocolate glazed donut has 16 Grams
• 1 Mocha latte has 18 Grams / 1 regular latte has ZERO
• These numbers were taken from an article in Eating Well Magazine.

On a side note:
The liquid flavor additives you may have added to your morning coffee drinks do contain sugar. They do offer "light" options, and by choosing those you are then adding "fake sugar" into your body, which is actually worse for us than the real thing. If you must choose between sugar or an unnatural sugar alternative, choose sugar...unless of course you have been instructed by your Doctor to choose otherwise

How to make the most of your walk...

Walking is very good for you! There are some things we can do to get the most out of our walks:

Walk instead of talk. If you walk with a friend, that is a wonderful thing! Just be sure you focus on your pace and not the topic of conversations. Keep up a quick walking pace as you walk, you will burn more calories!

Change up the program. You may have a certain place you always walk or a certain way you walk around the neighborhood. Change it up! This will work new muscles and may burn more calories.

Never forget to stretch. Stretching is very important. If you do not stretch you could get muscle cramps.

Drink your water. Stay hydrated before, during and after your walk. Water makes the muscles work better!

Try and walk further today. Walk just a little bit further each day!

Or... Try a bike ride! 

Eat your oatmeal!

Have you often wondered if instant oatmeal is just as good for you as rolled oats are? If so, I have the answer for you!

Rolled oats are a better choice than instant oats and here is why:
By using rolled oats, you will reduce the added sodium and sugar that are in the instant variety.
In addition, by eating the rolled oats you will feel fuller for a longer amount of time. This is because it will take your body more time to break down the rolled oats.

So, there you go! Stick to the rolled oats and stay fuller and eat healthier.

TIP: 

Since rolled oats do not come in the flavors of the instant oats, you can easily add some flavor to them yourself. Add a dab of honey and/or ground cinnamon to your oats. You can also add raisins and/or dried cranberries. For a dab of sweetness, add some low sugar jelly or jam. For crunch, add nuts or top it with granola. The possibilities are endless, just get creative!

Easy weight loss tips that can help everyone...

Aren't we all looking for easy things we can do to help us lose weight? Whether it be a few pounds or a substantial amount, we can all apply weight loss tips into our daily routines.

Here are several easy things you can do to help you lose weight:

Walk while you talk

Sip green tea before exercise

Sprinkle flax seed on your cereal or add to your smoothies

Drink more water

Order fish when out to eat

Buy smaller packages of food

While out for a walk, break into jogging

Before eating that sweet treat, do 10 sit-ups

Go for chunky soup instead of pureed soup

Having pizza? Blot off the oil with a napkin before digging in