Ghost Spotted in the gym?

I don't believe in ghosts but when I saw this video, it did make me pause and think...what if?

Judge for yourself?

And more importantly, does this mean that even when we're dead we still have to go to the gym to workout? Literally, no rest for the wicked.

See it here.

Happy weekend.

How to Stop your Thighs Rubbing Together

I recently saw a disturbing advert for a cream that you rub on your skin if you suffer from chaffing, for example, if your thighs rub together as you walk. As uncomfortable as this sounds, its sadly not that uncommon for some women to have chaffing at the tops of their thighs.  I did a little research on this and the only solution that seems to be offered is for them to wear support pants like Spanx each day.  Now that just sounds like swapping one uncomfortable problem for another  So, I thought I'd write up a couple of exercises that really target the thighs to keep them trim and toned and ensure you never go anywhere needing a product like the cream.

No one should ever need that cream.

Are you ready?


1. Single Leg Squats

Stand sideways on a bench or step
Adopt an upright posture with your tummy tight and shoulders back and relaxed
Hang your left leg over the side of the step taking your weight onto your right side while keeping your hips level
Squeeze your bottom muscles, sit back at the hips and bend your right leg
Allow the left leg to travel towards the ground but keep your hips level at all times
Keep the right knee above or behind the right toe as you bend the knee
Pause at the bottom of the movement
Keeping your stomach muscles and bottom muscles tight, straighten your right leg to return to the start position
Repeat for 10 squats on the right leg and then swap sides

2. Power step up

This move is similar to the Step Downs with Toe Tap only the movement is faster and you bring your active leg up so that the thigh is parallel with the ground at the top of each repetition.
Keep your stomach muscles and butt tight at all times
Complete 15 repetitions with each leg

Get a body like Gwyneth Paltrow's

We had a sneak peek yesterday into the 6 x 2 hour fitness sessions Gwyneth Paltrow does each week to get her body into A list (read skinny and toned) shape. Okay - she can afford the trainer and the top of the range equipment but the reason I"m mentioning it today is that I love the fact she didn't pretend it was all so easy. Looking at the photos of her in the gym

It's easy to see how she shed the 20lbs of baby weight she gained after the birth of her second child.

Weight loss isn't easy but it can always be achieved with enough determination and dedication. Gwyneth had her red carpet incentive - find your incentive and get dedicated.

Gwyneth hard at work shedding the weight.

Take your clothes off, it's dinner time

Earlier this week, I wrote about low calorie snack ideas that you could turn to when the hunger cravings got too much but you didn't want to ruin your diet.  Being a slave to your appetite can be a dangerous thing and even the most disciplined of people find it hard sometimes not to go for that third biscuit, second donut or dessert after you've already had two courses. So here are some fun / useful / crazy ways to help you control the urges.

Ever thought about eating in front of the mirror naked? Or how about taking a photo of every single thing you are about to eat. This is meant to make you think twice before over indulging knowing you have a captured image of it. I agree that some of these tricks work but at the end of the say it's important to find your own way to control over eating. 

After all, it is your body.

Here's the full list of novel ways to control over eating.


Photograph by thevoicewithin (flickr)

What to eat if you're on a diet but desperate for a snack!

There's something about going on a diet that makes you think about nothing but food all day long. You obsess about it, you long for pizza and you even dream about Chinese food / Mexican food / Indian food...... 

This is the reason I don't really think diets work because you end up resenting them because they deprive you. However, if you are on a diet and find yourself ready to chew your own arm off, what can you eat that won't ruin all your hard work so far?

Take a look at my list of 10 snack ideas and I'd love to hear about the snacks you turn to when hunger strikes.

The most important thing if you are on a diet and really hungry is not to ignore it. Starving yourself won't help you lose weight - just water.

1. Mug of hot water with a slice of lemon or a slice of orange. Refreshing and filling.

2. A banana or an apple. Both of these pieces of fruit will help quash the hunger pangs. Try frozen grapes for some variety.

3. A small pot of fat free yogurt. Sprinkle some nuts on top to add the protein (protein fills you for much longer than carbs)

4. Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. Often, when you think you are hungry, you are only thirsty. You should feel fine after 10 mins.

5. Hard boiled egg - if you're at home, this is a great snack and it'll fill you till your next meal.

6. 2 rice cakes. Not yummy admittedly but they do the job. Avoid the flavoured ones - stick to plain.

7. Handful of dried fruit - keep a bag of apricots or raisins on your desk at work.

8. Chopped carrots, celery, radishes. 2-3 of these will sort out your craving.

9. Green tea - good for weight loss as well as satisfying hunger cravings.

10.Slice of chicken breast or turkey breast - the protein is filling but these lean meats will make you feel like you have filled the hole in your tummy.

Keep this list as reference so you always have something low in calories and low in fat to turn to when you're in need. What do you snack on?

Photograph by programwitch Flickr

Is your coffee habit making you fat?

While I was making my morning coffee today I was remembered something my nutritionist friend told me recently.

Caffeine has a half life of around 4 hours which means that if you drink one cup at 8am, you still have half the caffeine from that cup in your system 4 hours later - at 12 noon. And then you have half that amount still in your system at 4pm and so on through the day.

You can easily see why nutritionists recommend a maximum of one cup a day - it's plenty to deliver enough caffeine to last you for 24-hours. You can also see how 'chain drinking' one coffee after another can cause the jitters and loss of focus - you are literally flooding your system with one of the most powerful stimulants known to man.

It's even worse if you take the contraceptive pill....

Women taking the contraceptive pill having 1 cup of coffee should expect the the half life of caffeine to be increased to 5-10 hours and if you are pregnant it's roughly 9-11 hours.

So, although a little caffeine can help with fat burning, too much will over stimulate your system and send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster throughout the day which can make losing weight difficult. Too much caffeine backing up in your system will also make it difficult to sleep and disrupted sleep patterns lead to weight gain.

So do yourself a favour and start cutting back on the caffeine from today. Aim to reach a point where you have a single cup each day and really enjoy it. Seek alternatives at other times safe in the knowledge that more caffeine at this point will do you more harm than good.

Photograph by غzǻҰёll ♥ RAINBOW ! (Flickr)

Do you exercise enough for your age?

I'm regularly asked about how much exercise and how often to do it if you want to achieve weight loss. Or more specifically, 'I want a flat stomach, how long will it take'. When it comes to the amount of exercise you should be doing to reach / maintain your ideal weight and fitness, a lot of this depends on your age. 

Most people don't do enough exercise - simple. They may think that they do but perhaps they don't appreciate how much exercise it takes to keep fit.

Start early and get into the routine of doing it. 

Children should be doing one hour of exercise (playing, sports) a day. 

And 40 year olds need to do at least 2-4 hours a week. 

There's an easy guide on each age group for you to follow which I've linked to below. No more excuses. Grab exercise where you can in your day and make it part of your life and you'll never look back.


So are you doing enough exercises for your age group?


photograph by Kat (flickr)

5 Best Dinners for Losing Weight

Here is the final installment about what meal choices to make that are great when you're trying to lose weight. We're had healthy breakfast ideas and lots of lunch suggestions - today is all about dinner. Trying to eat healthily doesn't have to mean starving yourself and spending all day dreaming about your next meal. that's never going to work. But sometimes it's hard to find out what's good to eat that will fill you but not fatten you.

Here are a few suggestions of my own to give you some new ideas.

1.Grilled Salmon
Pre heat the grill and brush the salmon fillet with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper and crushed garlic. Wrap the fish in foil and place under the grill for 10 mins. Open the foil so the fish is exposed to the grill directly and cook for a further 5-10 mins depending on how you like your fish. Add a squeeze of lemon and serve with wild rice / cous cous / brown rice and small side salad.

2. Vegetable Pasta Bake
Choose 4 of your favourite vegetables (red pepper, mushrooms, carrots and leeks for example) and chop into medium size pieces and add to a pan on a low heat with a crop of olive oil. After 3 mins, add a can of tinned tomatoes and mix together. Season with oregano, thyme, salt and pepper (garlic optional). Using another pan, boil some wholewheat pasta in a pan and when it is al dente, drain the water and add the pasta to the vegetable and tomato mix. Pour this pasta / vegetable mix into a a casserole dish, add some low fat mozarella to the top, cover and place in the over for 20 mins.

3. Spaghetti Bolognese
Make this classic even healthier by using turkey mince instead of beef and use a jar of passata and not a pre-prepared bolognese sauce. Season with oregano, garlic and add some grated carrot. Serve with wholewheat spaghetti and a tomato and onion salad on the side. Yum!

4.Grilled Steak with Greens
Buy the best cut you can afford and make sure it's lean. Season with some black pepper and salt and a little steak seasoning mix if desired. Chop a few mushrooms in half and put under the grill at the same time as the steak. Grilling times according to taste. Serve with steamed spinach, green beans and peas.

5. Grilled Mackerel on Toast
Squeeze a wedge of lime over the fish and season before placing under the grill. Serve on top of 2 slices of wholemeal / granary toast. This makes a perfect light supper that will still fill you.


Photograph by marielito (flickr)

Best Lunch ideas when trying to lose weight

Lunch is a meal that shouldn't be messed with.

It can make or break an afternoon and just the anticipation of it can get you through from 11am when you're in the office. But all too often, you can end up making the wrong choices and end up feeling bloated and unsatisfied from sandwiches or hungry and sulky after a bowl a soup.

I gave you some healthy and hearty breakfasts ideas last month so here are some ideas of what you can eat for lunch without ruin the diet. Yum!


If you are one of those super organised people who takes a packed lunch into the office with them, here are a few suggestions:

1. The Filling Ham Sandwich
Make sure you get a good quality ham from the deli counter rather than out of a packet. Use 2 slices.
Use wholemeal, multi grain or sourdough bread to make the sandwich as this will also keep you feeling full for longer than white bread.
Add a small spread of mustard instead of mayo.
Add two sliced tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper to season.

2. Hummus and pitta bread
At the supermarket, select a large tub of reduced-fat hummus so you can have this 2/3 times during the week.
Chop up some crudites - cucumber, carrots, spring onions. Take one standard sized pitta (warm this at work if you have a microwave -15 seconds) and slice into thin slices for dipping.

3. Tuna tortilla wrap
Buy a packet of tortilla wraps from the supermarket (they also have wholemeal versions now but white would be OK).
Spread a thin layer of low fat plain yogurt and season a little.
Add a generous spoonful of tuna from a can and top with some finely shopped tomatoes and red pepper.
Roll up and wrap tightly in foil - ready to go.

Eating out options

4. Soup and Roll
Don't pick a light soup though or you'll be hungry within the hour. Go for a hearty choice like mixed bean, french onion or lentils. Have this with a wholemeal roll.

5. Baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn or cottage cheese or baked beans.
Choose a medium sized potato - don't go over the top and accept one of those monster sized ones you see!
Add no butter. You won't miss it once you start eating.
Have a small side salad if you fancy some more greens with just a squeeze of lemon for dressing.

6. Sushi
Most supermarkets sell trays of sushi nowadays.
Get a medium sized tray (approx 9 pieces)
Avoid the trays with the deep fried in batter options.
Drink plenty of water with this lunch as soy sauce is salty and the wasabi is wonderfully fiery.

7. Turkey Salad
Go for the works when it comes to the salad - aim for a good mix of colour on your plate.
Avoid the dressings that are creamy and oily even if they claim to be low fat. A dash of balsamic vinegar is perfect.
Top the salad with a generous portion of chopped roast turkey (or chicken).

I'm sure there are some new ideas there for you to try and remember, all these lunches will not add to your waistline and will give you enough energy to get through the afternoon without that sleepy lull that an over sized meal can cause.

Remember to have a small snack around 4pm. A banana or orange is ideal.

Look out for Best Ideas for Dinner coming soon.

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Photograph by WordRidden (Flickr)

What to do when you start forgetting things

I was recently sent an early copy of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Midlife & Beyond.  Someone at the publisher had read my blog and thought the book might be a good fit with what I write about. What to do when you start forgetting things is just one of the questions they answer in the book. 

Written by two doctor, they've compiled a guide based on the real questions their patients have come to them with over the years.  This makes the guide practical, relevant and real rather than purely academic and also allows you to use the guide both as a comprehensive overview of the changes to their bodies that women face through the years or as a reference to look up specific issues.

The book is a good mix of the medical and the everyday practical and what’s really clear is that although some of the issues discussed may not become priorities until midlife, there are plenty of reminders that living well now will pay dividends in the future. 

So I’d say the book is worth a read at any age – for those who’ve reached midlife it will provide a lot of answers and save you some potential anxiety.  It’s also useful for younger readers as it offers motivation to stay on track with looking after yourself each and every day.

 
For more details, take a look at the guide here and it may just answer any questions you've ever wanted to ask the doctor.