Quick Tips to eating healthy when Pregnant

Making smart food choices can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby!

Don't skip breakfast! If you are feeling sick, start with 100% whole-grain toast. Eat more food later in the morning. 

Eat foods high in fiber! Veggies, fruits, whole grains, and beans. (Green Peas, Broccoli  Raspberries, Pears, Whole-wheat Spaghetti, Oatmeal, Black Beans, Lentils)

Choose healthy snacks! Low-fat Greek yogurt with fruit, or low-fat cottage cheese with fruit, whole wheat crackers and low-fat cheese, fresh veggie platter with peanut butter.

Limit your caffeine! Try having flavored water or just water instead of soda! Drink decaf tea or coffee. 

The Water Bar

Start with Flat Water or Sparkling Water

You can add in any of the following to make a yummy water cocktail:

• Lemon Wedge
• Lime Wedge
• Orange Slice
• Strawberry Slices 
• Kiwi Slices
• Cucumber Slices
• Frozen Grapes
• Watermelon Cubes
• Dash of fruit juice, cranberry, orange, grapefruit
• Mint Leaves
• Basil
• Grated Ginger
• Rosemary
• Crushed Ice
• Ice Cubes Raspberry mint ice

"I have no Motivation" Excuse!

No two people are motivated by exactly the same things. Some of us are internally motivated, some need an inspiring story or person to help motivate them. No person can be pushed to be motivated because if motivation doesn't come from you genuinely, you will fail.

My advice: remember a time when you worked out and how GREAT you felt afterwards, or remember a meal you had where you ate to much and felt yucky, most of all REMEMBER WHY you want to be healthy and lose/gain weight! You can do this! 

Check out fb.com/gerberfitness for some other motivation tips and success stories!

Saying you're too overweight to exercise is like saying you're too skinny to eat.

    Your body needs exercise just the way your body needs food. No matter how overweight you are, you can do something to start the process of losing fat, strengthening your bones, and relieving your joints of the load that they're carrying.
    Start small: Walk 5 minutes day, and increase by 1 or 2 minutes every few days. Soon, you'll be fit enough to walk an hour a day. You can even start small with resistance training. Doing simple exercises with soup cans or books will stimulate your muscles in new ways-and begin the process of kick-starting your metabolism so your body can burn fat.

If you want to live longer, start today. Your family-and your younger body-will thank you.

It's too expensive to eat healthy EXCUSE.

According to the grocery breakdown data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, here’s where our grocery dollars are going per person:

Processed Foods & Sweets – $66.87
Meats – $62.78
Fruits and Vegetables – $42.63
Grains & Baked Goods – $42.05
Beverages – $32.41
Dairy Products – $30.95
Other Foods – $14.31

In doing some basic addition that comes to $155.64 for junk and $136.36 for meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
It seems to me, if you slashed your spending on junk and instead put all of that money towards good, nutritious foods, the “good stuff” wouldn't seem so expensive.  In fact, if the average two-person family just doubled their meat, vegetable, fruit, and dairy and cut out all junk, they’d actually save $40 per month.  This is a simple argument, but the point is valid: if you cut out the crap, the good stuff really shouldn't have much of an effect on your budget.
I think the root of the problem is, in an attempt to eat better, people spend more on good stuff without cutting out the junk, thus the appearance that healthy food causes them to blow through their budget.

Time Management....

This is by far one of the hardest parts of my day! I struggle to stay on task. In my mind if I can do 10 things at one time then I'm getting more out of my time. Right!....
WRONG!
Multitasking doesn't make us as productive as we think! Our quality of work actually decreases and it can actually be wasting time instead of creating new time.
The simple reason multitasking doesn't work is because we can't actually focus on more then one thing at a time, our mind just thinks we can!

So imagine you are on the phone with someone and you are following up with a question from customer at the same time. Both of these tasks take communication, you can't talk to someone and write a focused well explained email at the same time, it's to conflicting. Your mind will get overloaded at this point. Now say you are writing an email and listening to someone at the same time. This task is a bit easier, but the person you are listening to will fade in and out. You simply can't focus on both tasks at once.

Another downside is the stress levels of dealing with multiple things at once. You feel overwhelmed  drained, and under appreciated. At the end of the day you don't feel like you really accomplished anything.

How do you stop multitasking??? Here are some ideas "m trying out to help me improve my time management skills:

• Plan your day in blocks. Set time aside for phone calls, emails, cleaning, etc...
• Keep a journal of what interrupts you the most. After one week look over your data and adjust what you need to in order to limit or take away these interruptions.
• Learn to focus on ONE task at a time. If you find your mind wondering take a 15 second break, breath and tell yourself "I'm in this meeting I need to focus on what I'm learning here!"

This is only a very small piece of time management! I hope this helps you have a more successful day!

Looking for a sweet treat for Halloween without the guilt??

How about a Healthy Shake that tastes like a Reese Cup??


1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 cup of Unsweetened Almond milk (or skim milk)
1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp of PB2 (or 1 Tbsp of natural Peanut Butter)
1/8 tsp of vanilla extract
Ice to taste

Mix in a blender of 1 minute and ENJOY!

learn more at http://www.shakeology.com/agerber

10 ideas to stay fit with the Family!

So it's getting colder out and winter is soon shutting our windows and doors. So what do we do inside to stay active with our families?? 60 minutes of staying active a day right! So here's a few ideas to help you and your family keep moving!

1. How about a game of TWISTER! Get all tangled up, laugh, and have a good time!
2. Can you find it??? Try a Scavenger hunt! Hide things around the house and set the timer! 
3. Bowl-a-rama! Set up water bottles (with a tiny bit of water or pasta for weight) and use a small rubber ball or make it silly and use and apple and go bowling in the living room! STRIKE!
4. Dim the lights, Shut the blinds, and hand everyone a flashlight and get dancing! That's right turn on some disco music and you be the disco ball!!!
5. HOPSCOTCH! You remember that game right?? So get out the masking tape and make a hopscotch pattern on the floor! You can also use the masking tape to make a balance beam, don't fall down!!!
6. Read a book then play it out (like charades)!! 
7. Do the kids miss throwing ball?? Use marshmallows instead! Get out a bucket and toss them in or play hot potato with the marshmallows! Small or large!
8. Have a relay race. Have the kids (and you) get out all their winter coat stuff) Have a race to see who can put all the warm clothes on and then off! Don't forget hat gloves scarf.....
9. Grab a straw and a ping pong ball and start huffing and puffing! See who can blow the ping pong ball across the floor (or table) first. (make it harder and try getting it in a cup that is laying on its side!)
10. Try so morning yoga with the kids! Before breakfast do a few moves to get their bodies awake and ready for the day (mountain pose, archer pose, bowing pose, tree pose, jumping jack pose, etc)!

GET MOVING! 

5 Great Benefits/Uses of Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.

1. Has been found to be effective in fighting against disease (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, and more)
2. It may help prevent gallstones 
3. Can help soothe Ulcers
4. It's a great skin moisturizer (can be used for a close shave, or for chapped lips)
5. Taking a sip before bed can help relax your throat muscles and cut down on snoring! (I won't tell if you slip this to your husband before bed!)

Fluffy, Tender Denver Omelet

Serves 2

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c finely chopped red onion
1/2 c finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 oz of chopped ham or turkey bacon (about 3 TBSP)
2 large eggs,
3 large egg whites
1 Tbsp chopped parsley leaves

Add 1 tsp olive oil to cast iron skillet, add onion, bell pepper, and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Stir in the ham and cook until heated through. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.
Preheat broiler to low. Lightly beat the eggs together. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, swirl in pan to insure it is fully coated up to 1/2 inch on the sides as well. Add the eggs and onion mixture and mix the ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes (or until the bottom is set). Place the pan under the broiler and cook until firm on top (about 1 minute). Let is stand 1 minute. Slice into 4 wedges and serve. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Calories: 233
Fat: 15g
Protein: 14
Carbs: 8.6

Warm to your soul Chili!

Chili is one of the dishes that actually is fun to make and healthy to eat. I love trying different ways to make Chili!  Spice it up, or substitute your favorite lean meat or textured vegetable protein. Experiment with different beans and legumes. It's also great for using up those soon to spoil veggies.  Try to avoid certain popular mix-ins like cheese and sour cream that add more fat than flavor. 

1 lb. ground chicken/turkey, extra-lean (or make it without meat and use buglur wheat)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

28 oz of fresh tomatoes diced

2 tbsp of tomato paste

1 bay leaf

12 oz of fresh tomato juice

2 cans (15 oz.) black beans or tri colored beans, rinsed

2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, brown ground turkey. Spoon out any excess fat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and pepper,  and sauté until veggies about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least 30 minutes. The longer it's cooked the better! Can be served immediately (although leftovers are great, too). Serve with hot sauce to taste. Serves 4.

Who doesn't love pumpkin in the fall!

Did you know that pumpkin is an extremely good source of vitamins A and C, essential for maintaining good eyesight and a healthy immune system, high in potassium, manganese, copper and one of the B vitamins, riboflavin, considerable amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, iron, folate, vitamins E and B6, niacin, thiamin and pantothenic acid — and is low in salt, cholesterol and saturated fat.

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-pumpkin-quesadilla/

Looking to boost your immunity this season??

9 Power foods to help give your immunity a kick start and running great!

1. Yogurt (with Live Active Cultures)
2. Oats and Barley (fiber)
3. Garlic (helps fight infection and bacteria)
4. Fish (vitamin D and omega-3)
5. Chicken Soup (the salty broth keep the mucus thin)
6. Green Tea (amino acid)
7. Beef (zinc)
8. Sweet Potatoes (vitamin A) 
9. Mushrooms (increase white blood cells)

3 Benefits of Honey vs Sugar

Remember Honey and Sugar have almost the same calories in them. So when you think why change to honey if I'm adding the same calories...this is why! I hope this helps you make the better choice!

1. Sugar is made up of two molecules bonded together, when we eat sugar our body has to use it's own enzymes to break down the sugar before we can use the sugar's energy.
The bees add a special enzyme to the nectar to make the honey into two simple sugars which our body can adsorb directly. So the Glycemic Index of the honey is less, which is better for our blood sugar levels!

2. Table Sugar lacks vitamins and minerals, so your body has to use it's nutrients to metabolize the sugar. Which is why eating to much sugar for long periods of time can cause malnutrition.
Honey Contains natural vitamins and minerals which helps your body absorb the bad cholesterol.

3. Honey also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, which sugar does not.

So what are you going to do today?

Did you know exercise boosts brain power? Exercise increases energy levels and increases serotonin in the brain, which leads to improved mental clarity. All that makes for a more productive day. Improved productivity not only makes you a better worker, it makes things better for everyone in the workplace. Companies with less wasted work hours and less sick time end up with lower health care costs -- and an improved bottom line.

Veggie Chicken Burger

So one day I was trying to use some of my "end of the road" veggies up, and I came up with this awesome recipe that my family and I love! Let me know how you like it!


1 pound of lean ground Chicken
1/4 to 1/2 of very small chopped avocado
1/2 of a large sweet red pepper chopped very small
1/4 of a large red onion chopped very small
1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil
1 to 2 tsp of seasoning salt

Mix and patty up the Chicken into 4 4oz patties, cook on the grill until done, serve on romaine lettuce or with  whole wheat hamburger buns. Add light cheese and whatever you LOVE on your burger! ENJOY!

10 Foods that SHOULD be in your Shopping Cart!

How do I pick just 10 foods?? I can give you 100 foods that should be in your cart. But I don't want to overwhelm you. Start small, we've talked about baby-steps before. These small changes in your lifestyle will bring you to the goals you are trying to achieve. So go grab your list and start writing.

1. Avocados- Heart Health (can help lower Cholesterol and lower the incident of heart disease!)                                                               
2. Quinoa-great source of fiber, iron, and it is rich in protein!
3. Tree Fruits (apples, pears etc)     control your weight, and a great source of fiber, vitamin C (immune function), A (healthy vision) , and E (heart healthy antioxidant)                     
4. Hummus- has Tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine which can promote good quality sleep and uplift one’s mood.
5. Greens (Romaine, arugula, Spinach, etc)-balance your pH, they have omega-3 fatty acids which help improve many body functions including the brain, they are a blood detoxifier, and help support the immune system.  
6. Oils (olive, grapeseed, coconut, etc)-have so many benefit! I will have a whole post on this!
7. Blueberries -rank the highest of any fruit for antioxidants  1 cup delivers 14% of your daily fiber and nearly a quarter of your Vitamin C, plus they are low in calories!                                                            
8. Honey or Agave  Nectar-there are many benefit to using honey instead of sugar but one is that it is cleaner, or not processed! Again I will go into detail with this topic in a later post!
9. Fish (salmon, tuna ,cod, trout)- low fat high quality protein! May decrease the risk of depression, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and diabetes! Our bodies don't make omega-3 so we must get it in our food and this is a GREAT source!                     
10. Nuts (raw almonds, walnuts, etc)- Rich in energy, protein, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much discussed omega-3 fatty acids. Delicious nuts are wonderful gifts to humankind by Mother Nature.                                                                                                                

The 80/20 Rule

The 80/20 rule applied to your nutrition by the great Chalene Johnson!

 ~Resolve to eat clean 80 percent of the time. You have to give yourself a little wiggle room. Instead of stuffing yourself, give your stomach time to digest your food by stopping yourself when you believe you're 80 percent full. 80% of what you eat needs to be what you would feed an athlete. When you HAVE to choose between nutrition and fitness, always make your nutrition a bigger priority!~

How often do you have your "treat" ??

So I learned a hard lesson this past week. I restrain myself and my family and we eat so perfect for a good 4 weeks....so I've taught my family that they don't need the willpower I have it for them, but when all my willpower is gone no one is there to help me fight against my cravings. So I fall down...and I fall hard! So after way to much Ice Cream and a few to many s'mores I have come to realize I need to "treat" myself a little more often and not take so much control of how my family eats. If they slip, I can't use all my energy talking them down. Hard lesson, but I'm glad I've learned it! I see the next 4 weeks being much more productive and a lot less stressful! What are you learning on your journey?

Do you love fries??? Me too...try these

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-curry-parsnip-fries/

Morning, Noon, or Night?

In my perfect world I would wake up at 5:00 am and eat a small breakfast...clean the house for 30 minutes and then do my workout! I would shower and be ready to start my day! (daydream)
Oh sorry back to reality! I have two kids, one is a baby and one is in First Grade and I homeschool her....so my world is NOT even close to perfect...But I do schedule my workouts!
I workout around noon time! When my son is sleeping! It makes my day start very late but I ALWAYS schedule my workout time in! Just like I would an appointment! If someone asks hey can you call around noon...nope, sorry I have myself scheduled for that time to be doing something else!
You are more likely to do your workout if it's on your calendar then leaving it to chance! So I ask...do you workout morning, noon, or night? Are you scheduling it?
Happy Workouts!

5 Breakfast Ideas for Busy Lifestyles

It's hard to eat healthy when you have a busy lifestyle! Breakfast is so important! After you have fasted through the night your body will be glad to have a healthy meal!

Oats: Many varieties! (rolled oats, steel cut oats, etc...) A quick cook oat will save you lots of time! You can add nuts, fruit, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nut butter, honey or whatever you want!

Quinoa: Great source of protein! It's similar to oats, you can add whatever you want!

Fresh Fruit: A fruit salad is a great breakfast! Be creative try new things!

Eggs: You can do anything with eggs! Make a sandwich, add spices, and veggies...endless ideas!

Shakeology Shake: Shakeology is by far the quickest healthiest breakfast you can have! It's very filling! You can add anything to it! I love almond milk and a tbsp of PB2! Lots of ice! Yummy! (let me know if you want more info on Shakeology!)

Enjoy your breakfast! Find something that works for you and stick to it!

Love being in a Good Mood!

So what are you waiting for?? That's is what I'm telling myself now! Going to do my workout right now! Join me!

Memorize it!

You can clean your eating habits up so much by just cooking your food different. If change is hard for you and you're wanting to start small...start here! Change how you cook and we can work on changing what you cook later!

Clean, Comfort Chicken Dumplings! At about 145 calories a serving!!!

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-chicken-dumplings/

Polar FT4! This is on my Christmas list!!!

Do you use a heart rate monitor to tell you how many calories you burn? If so, what are you using? Do you love it?

Quinoa and Black Bean Lettuce Wraps

                                                

http://keepyourdietreal.com/food/appetizerssnacks/quinoa-and-black-bean-lettuce-wraps/

Starting October 1st we are branching out! Come join my TEAM!!!

Here's a few fun, healthy, and mostly free, activities you can do with your family!

http://www.ultrasoundtechnicianschools.org/100-fun-healthy-and-mostly-free-family-activities/

So what are you made of?

Recipe: rip (washed) kale into bite sized pieces (no big stems) coat with olive oil (about 2 tbsp) and salt to taste bake ate 350 for 8-10 min. or until CRISPY but not brown.

This Tastes so good! I love them! So low calorie and so good for you! EAT AWAY! And throw away that bag of chips! You won't need them! ENJOY!

What does your plate look like!?

I get a lot of questions about what to eat and how much....yoyo diets, and gaining weight back!

When you talk about dieting you are setting your-self up for failure! You are not going to gain long term success from a diet. So instead of cutting out carbs completely or eating certain foods for a certain amount of time, lets CHANGE what we eat and how we cook it.
You eat eggs and bacon with butter toast for breakfast! Ok, so do I! I eat 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites (120 calories compared to 3 whole eggs at 210 calories!) I eat 2 strips of turkey bacon (50 calories compared to 100 calories) and I have one slice of whole grain or whole wheat bread with my egg and bacon on it! So I don't need butter .... that saves another 50 calories! So my breakfast is 280 calories and yours is  460!
You eat a bag of chips for a snack....try lightly salted cucumber or 100 calories bag of plain popcorn with light salt!!
For lunch you stop at a burger joint and get a triple burger and large fries !!! I have a turkey burger with sweet potato fries!
You may skip the next snack which makes you hungrier at supper time so you eat two plates instead a one. You double your calories right there! Portion your meals! If one portion is too high in calories try to fix the recipe in order to lower the calories!
I hope this helps you! Small Changes in you lifestyle can make a huge difference! Switch pop for water and you will see a huge change over a 30 day period! But don't go back! Start with one less pop today and one more water....then next week 2 less....and so on! 100 extra calories a day equals 10 pounds in one year! Start in small steps and you will see yourself GROW! And your pants size shrink!

So get out of your own way!!!

How much did you drink today??

How many Calories should you Consume??

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS!  Knowing your numbers is the key to not just losing weight but maintaining that weight loss! So todays a big day for you. You'll learn why calories count, and why, if you have a histroy of crash dieting you've probably diminished your body's ability to metabolize calories. Finally you'll learn to calculate those numbers! Yes there is some math involved!

So we know to lose a pound you have to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. Don't destroy your metabolism by focusing only on the deficit and work to create a dramatic deficit for as long as you can, the consequences of this approach, are weight gain, muscle loss, stored fat, and a slow metabolism.

So we begin with a calorie, a unit of energy. We get calories from the food we eat. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts food to energy.
So when I say I want you to know your numbers this is what I mean.

RMR (resting metabolic rate) The number of calories you burn while resting.
DAB (Daily Activity Burn) Calories burned outside of exercise.
DE (daily exercise) This will vary on your activity (I currently burn around 650 a day with Turbo Fire)
CD (caloric deficit) This is the number of calories you'd like to cut out. A deficit of 500 calories a day averages to a loss of one pound per week. (don't use more than 1,000 a day)
DCI (daily calories intake)  The calories you take in...all of them! Every bite...try to get within a 50 calorie range ( so know how many calories you eat as close as you can ...like within 50 calories of the right number)

So to figure out your numbers....

Your current body weight x 10 = RMR   ___

Sedentary RMR x 10%= DAB __
Moderately Active RMR x 10% = DAB __
Very Active RMR x 30% = DAB  ___

Add calories burned from your DE. Although this will vary, get as close as possible! (Use myfitnesspal or a heart rate monitor to help get this number more accurate!) ____

Subtract or add your CD. This is the number or calories you'd like to cut out or add to your current diet!

Put all those numbers together to find out how many calories you need!
RMR + DAB + DE - CD = DCI

Need a Healthy Clean snack for the Football Game?? Have no fear!

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/01/20/super-bowl-snacks-a-cleaning-eating-bbq-chicken-pizza-roll-the-men-will-love/

Being sore is awesome! Don't take a rest day just because your sore!! The best way to work the soreness out is to workout again!!!

If you SERIOUSLY can't get off the Couch!

Why use Coconut oil??

Get fit while Playing this Fall!!

http://www.teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/269#216373523

Today's Workout....55 minute Cardio! What did you do?

So What's your excuse?

http://www.teambeachbody.com/web/guest/showcase/-/bcp/1772129059/90522

I love my CHANGE!

AWESOME RESULTS MAN!

“If what you’re doing is not your passion, you have nothing to lose.”

Drinking the right amount of water everyday is a HUGE part of your weightloss!! To maintain your weight drink half your body weight in ounces. To lose you need to drink more!

Check out these stability ball exercises!

http://www.ball-exercises.com/exercises/index.html

If you have any ideas to add to this list, I’m all ears! These are 300 calories snack/meal ideas

Low Fat Cheese Sticks and Almonds/ piece of fruit

Cottage Cheese and fruit

Chicken with roasted veggies

Whole wheat crackers with low fat cheese

Whole grain bagel with nut butter/low fat cream cheese 

Apples and nut butter

Hummus and veggies

Hard boiled egg and whole wheat crackers

Ricotta Cheese with agave and fruit

Greek yogurt with agave

Cottage Cheese, salsa, cucumber

Whole wheat crackers and veggie plate

Shakeology

Be your own Trainer!!

If you're workout isn't helping you lose the weight...maybe you should start looking at your diet! How do you eat?

Are you taking rest days?? I feel they are very important. My body needs a day to relax. Don't forget your mind does too! Yoga or meditation is a perfect rest day 'workout'. So sit back, read a book, catch a movie, or meditate! Make sure you are still getting in all your water!

http://goodlifezen.com/2008/04/18/how-to-start-meditating-ten-important-tips/

What's your Favorite Veggie?? What's a Veggie you'd love to try but haven't?

Workout DONE! Turbo Fire Core and 40 minute Stretch!Stretching helps prevent injury and improving your flexibility also helps you build your muscles better! How important do you thinking stretching is??

YUM!

It's a lifestyle Change!!!

Wow! I use this...well used this! We need to find something else. What do you use?

Les Mills Combat!

Tell me what you think??

Todays workout "Max Interval Plyo" Last week of Insanity