The 3 EASIEST way to CUT CALORIES!

Looking for a good way to cut out a few calories from your day? 

1. Pay attention to the small things you eat. 

As a mom I get tempted by the food the kids eat. Lame huh. I love corn dogs and chicken nuggets. I love sugary cold cereal {Like a lot} And I've been known to take the first bite before I hand it over to the kids. 

Or finish their plate as I'm cleaning up. 

The crust of grilled cheeses or peanut butter sandwiches are the best part anyways and they always leave it for me to eat. Or how can you say no to the persistent 2 year old who you are teaching to share when she hands you her goldfish crackers or fruit snacks. Really? You can't!! So nice of them to share but 

What is it doing? !! Well, let's think about those small bites in calories. It may just be 20 or 50 calories here and there but if you're adding that on top of your meals, and snacks it means hundreds of extra calories every week. These calories turn into energy which our body needs but if you aren't using all that extra energy it gets stored. Mine gets stored around my waistline first, then my cheeks, (top and bottom cheeks!) 

BUT this is a simple thing to STOP!!!!  Just be conscious of it. It's not your food. Don't eat it. It's OK to throw that food away. Or better yet, make your kids finish it so it's not tempting you! You will see a difference on the scale if you do I promise. 

2. Stop Snacking at Meal Time! 

Another thing to remember is when you are cooking dinner to not get tempted by snacking and cooking. Grabbing something to munch on while you grab your ingredients for dinner out of the pantry while you cook is not a bright idea. You ruin your appetite and eat more calories than you need too. Just be patient and wait. If you can't possibly wait and your might pass out of hunger, grab a healthy choice or something to compliment your dinner. For example, if I am baking chicken and still have 45 minutes left, start with your salad, the veggies or cut up a apple. This way your filling yourself with nutrient dense calories.  If I wait too long to eat, I usually over eat so this is a good way to keep that under control too. 

Remember to stay attentive when you eat and keep portions in your mind. Some days your body needs more calories than others due to your workout or hormones, so give it what it needs but give it healthy options. If you are hungrier eat more vegetables with dinner or add more berries to your oatmeal. 

If you feel all is lost, 

3. WRITE EVERYTHING YOU EAT DOWN! 

Nothing gives you a more detailed outlook on where you are getting your calories and where you are falling short than the old fashioned pen and paper! 

 Don't forget to drink your water and keep your food colorful! I am not saying Skittles colorful, but carrots, peppers, bananas, apples, broccoli.. get the idea?! 

Plank Pyramid

Total Body Workout

24 minute Tabata

20 minutes total body workout

20 minute Playing card workout

No equipment 24 Minute Tabata

40 minute workout- only need a chair

Oh hey there... looking for something to challenge yourself? Build muscle but don't have a bunch of time to do it? Well, grab a chair, any chair will do,  get a timer, and lets get started.

First things first, set your timer for 45 seconds. If you have an interval timer that you are using,  put it on repeat 4 times.  This will get you through one round! We are doing each round 3 times. 

Round 1: 

Knee pulls: With one foot on the chair, pull your other leg up almost tapping it on the chair. Your planted foot should stay at a 90 degree angle  causing your quad to burn and hurt so good! 

Push up: you can do these a couple of ways! 1- Place your hands on the chair and push up from there. or 2- Place your feet on the chair, hands on the floor. This is a more advanced way of doing this exercise because the weight of your body is now more over your shoulders. 

Tricep Dips:  Remember when you do tricep dips that you want to make sure your arms are doing the work. You should be able to feel it in your arms. If you don't feel it in your arms, then slide your feet out farther from the chair. This will make it harder and help you focus on using your arms, not your legs!

Round 2:

Leg over chair: Stand behind the chair and take one leg over the back of the chair from one side to the other. Switch off with your legs. 

Fast Feet: Standing in front of your chair and tap your chair seat with one foot at a time as fast can! If the seat is too high for you, tap the back of the chair. Remember it's called fast feet for a reason... go fast!

Basic step: This is just like in step aerobics. Up with the right then the left foot. then down with left and then right. up with left, right, down right, left.  repeat. 

Calf Raises: You can use the chair to help you keep your balance if you need. Calf raises should burn your bum too! Get up on your toes! 

Round 3: 

Lunges: You are going to put one leg on the top of the chair and make sure your front leg is far enough in front of the chair that your knee doesn't go over your toes. This is very important in preventing injury!

Squats: Again one leg is on the chair and the other is on the ground. Make sure to sit back like you are going to sit in a chair and keep your knees behind your toes!

Round 4:

V-Sits In & Out: Sitting right in front of the chair you are going to be putting your legs on one side of the chair, then through the middle then on the other side! 

Plank off the chair: With your toes on the chair, shoulders over your wrists and head lined with your spine, take one toe and tap it on the ground, then put it back on the chair. Repeat on the other side. Total body workout right there!

V-sit pendulum: Sitting in front of your chair again, with your knees together, you are going to take them up and over the the top of the chair. Rest on your hands if you need extra support. 

Bridges:  Put your feet up on the chair, and raise your hips to the ceiling. You can add some weights to this to make it harder! 

I hope you can feel a good burn throughout your whole body! 

Happy Sweating!