Win a Pair of Whooga Boots

Would you like a free pair of Whooga Boots? Well of course you would!!
I won a pair earlier this year and absolutely love them!!
Sign up for the newsletter and also spread the word to your family and friends. Send them to my blog so they can click the link and sign up.
My sister has been wanting a pair for a long time and so you can help me give her a great Christmas gift if you click my link to sign up for their newsletter because if you win.. so do I :)

Please do this for little ol' me :)

Good Luck :)

What Does "Toning" Really Mean?

All of us want to "tone" our muscles to achieve a cut, fit look. But what exactly is "toning"? Let me clarify a little: The word "toning" has nothing to do with the size of a particular muscle; it refers rather to making a muscle lean by burning intramuscular fat, and conditioning the muscle for better performance.

You can't actually build muscle mass unless you're eating more calories than you're burning, but you can tone a muscle to make it leaner. To tone your muscles, you should weight-train four days a week, working each muscle group twice a week. After you work a particular muscle group, you should give it two days of rest before you focus on it again.

Here's a sample toning program that works each muscle group without overdoing it:

Monday: Work the chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques.
Tuesday: Work the back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs.
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: Work the chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques.
Friday: Work the back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs.
Saturday: Rest.
Sunday: Do a cardio-only workout.

Remember: Exercise is the architect, but recovery is the builder. You have to give your body adequate recovery time to heal itself and grow stronger. If you work out too often without resting, you'll just break your muscles down.

From Jillian *

How to Beat Binge Eating

If you're inclined to binge, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to examine the emotional reasons for it. I know that processing such emotions is hard and takes time, but there are some good techniques that can help you modify your behavior and combat binge eating while you work on the underlying issues. Here are a few:

Banish binge foods from your environment. Don't buy or let into your house whatever you're prone to bingeing on — whether it's cookies, chips, or ice cream. After all, you can't eat what's not there.

Decorate your fridge with images that motivate you. I have two pictures on mine: One is a photo of my cellulite, and the other is of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Let me tell ya, there is nothing that will turn you off to eating too much like pictures of cottage cheese on your butt.

Call a friend. The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing.

Try taking up a hobby. Keep yourself occupied so that rather than medicating yourself with food, you'll distract yourself with something productive.

Do something to screw up your binge. In other words, pamper yourself with something that's positive rather than self-destructive. Get a mani-pedi. Take a relaxing bath. Go to the gym. There are many places to go and activities to take part in that'll also lead you away from the temptation of food.

It takes time to break a bad habit, so it's good to have some techniques to fall back on when life gets the better of you! Remember to take it one day at a time. If you do end up bingeing, work out a little harder the next day. Every day is a new one — got it?

From Jillian *

It's Time to Kick Your Butt Into Gear -- Step It Up!

If you're looking to squeeze that butt into skinny jeans this fall, I have just the exercise for you. These step-ups target your glutes, hamstrings, and quads and will help you build a rockin' lower body.

This exercise requires a bench or another type of sturdy platform that is ideally at about knee level. While you're stepping up onto the bench, pay attention to a couple of things. Make sure you maintain good posture — keep your abs drawn in and don't arch or round your back. Also, control your descent rather than letting momentum drop your body as you're stepping down. If you don't think you can step up very high, find a lower bench to work with — a step stool will do the trick!

Step-ups

1. Stand facing a bench or platform with your feet hip-width apart. Place your left foot up on the bench, making sure your whole foot (including the heel) is firmly on the bench.

2. Exhale as you press down into your left foot and step your right foot up onto the bench. Both feet should be firmly planted on the bench at the midpoint of this exercise. Slowly lower your left leg back to the ground, then lower your right leg. Repeat, completing 12 to 15 reps on your left side before switching to the right side for another 12 to 15 reps.

From Jillian *

Are You Eating a Breakfast That Lasts?

As many of you know, breakfast is an absolute MUST in my book. Eating a hearty breakfast helps reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, keeping you satisfied throughout the morning and allowing your mind to focus on things other than your next food fix. While you probably don't have time to make a gourmet meal before work each morning, that's no excuse to skip breakfast. There's nothing easier than pouring low-fat milk into a bowl of whole-grain cereal; more involved recipes can be made ahead of time, or you can cut down on the morning workload they entail by preparing the core ingredients the night before.

Try this vegetarian egg bake — it's packed with high-volume, low-calorie veggies and lots of healthy protein that will keep you satisfied and prevent energy lags later in the day. The salsa adds a nice kick! Make this the night before and give it a quick warm-up in the microwave in the morning.

Vegetarian Egg Bake

Ingredients

* 10 egg whites, beaten
* 1/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Cooking spray
* 1 large onion, diced
* 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
* 1 cup fresh spinach
* 1/2 cup salsa

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine egg whites, milk, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

Spray a large, heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Sauté onion 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and spinach and sauté another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Transfer vegetables to egg mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled glass pie plate and bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Do not overcook.

Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature with salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

From Jillian *

Looking for Blog Contributors

With life being so busy for me I would really love to find a few blog contributors to keep things current and flowing on Living Smart Girl.

I want people to blog fitness, giveaways, nutrition, healthy eating, etc.

If interested email me at sheilarae71@gmail.com

Thanks

Exercise Classes Can Change Up Your Routine

Signing up for an exercise class is a great way to add variety to your weekly cardio routine. And let's face it — misery loves company, right? Having companions with you to sweat through all that cardio can be a great motivator.

Just be sure that if it's a cardiovascular class, it involves a minimum of 45 minutes of activity and keeps your heart rate up. For maximum calorie burn, I recommend working out at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, or MHR. (To calculate your MHR, subtract your age from 220. Multiply that number by .85 to get your target heart rate.) Wear a heart rate monitor or check your pulse a few times during the class to make sure you're staying on track.

Go to your local gym or fitness center and see whether you can get in on one of these bad boys:

Spinning: Climb on the bike and pedal to motivational music and instruction. Spinning doesn't require a whole lot of coordination, and you can go at your own pace; in any case, it's a real calorie burner.

Step: Start stepping up and down to the beat of your step aerobics instructor. The stepping motion offers a boost to cardio by adding another level of intensity.

Boot camp: This high-intensity workout will kick your butt — in a good way. It's a combination of cardio and strength training, and it works the whole body.

Kickboxing: A personal favorite of mine, kickboxing aerobics classes incorporate punching and kicking motions and are great for toning muscles and releasing pent-up stress.

From Jillian *

The Secret to a Better Butt

The gluteals — your butt muscles — are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Their function is hip extension, or driving the upper legs backward. I cannot overstate how important it is to make sure these muscles are getting their workout. Activities that engage this muscle group include walking, running, jumping, and climbing. Lunges, leg lifts, and squats are all great for exercising the glutes. Here's the lowdown on some of my favorite squats.

Traditional squat (good if you're a newbie): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Keep your abs tight and your shoulders squarely over your hips. Sit back and down as if you were going to sit on a bench. Keep your back straight. Then stand up, straightening your legs, and repeat.

Sumo squat (good if you're a little more advanced): Place your feet as wide apart as you can and point your toes outward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a beat, then exhale and press back up to the starting position. Repeat. This squat modification places a greater emphasis on the inner and outer thigh muscles.

One-legged squat (good if you're a hard-core exerciser): Stand with your weight balanced on your right leg. Lift your left foot an inch or so off the ground. Keep your head up, and don't lean forward; abs stay tight, and the right heel stays on the ground. Don't let the knee extend over the toe. Slowly lower yourself as far as you can comfortably go. Exhale and stand up straight, still balancing on the right leg. Continue for a full set on the right leg, then switch to the left leg and repeat. This modification requires tremendous balance and allows you to strengthen each leg.

From Jillian *