Much needed break

Hi everyone. I hope this Christmas season finds you happy and healthy. Jalaine and I are taking the next 2 weeks off to be with our families for Christmas.

REMEMBER...Keep exercising! at least 30 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. Keep toning the upper and lower body.

If you live in Santaquin, or close, I'll be teaching a Mon 6am power pump class on Jan. 3 for FREE and Fri 9am power pump on Jan. 7 for FREE!! Come give it a try.

Happy holidays to you all!! Lacee

Principle 6-Discover the Satisfaction Factor

I love when I take a bite of an amazing bite of food and feel like I'm melting into it-that's why I love this step because it's so much fun to actually begin to enjoy and feel satisfied after you eat, instead of feeling guilty. Food tastes so much better when you find satisfaction in it. The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence-the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. One of my good friends, who happens to be a chef, recently lost over a 100 pounds. He said one of the things that helped him the most was finding joy in food. So instead of sitting down and just eating an apple-he would cut the apple into as many small pieces that he could and every bite he would take he would exclaim to himself-this is the best apple I have ever eaten, it is so good, I love it. He relishes every bite of food he takes and he ENJOYS IT!!!

Tips for finding joy in food:
1. Give yourself permission to seek pleasure in your eating.
2. Figure out what you really want to eat by paying attention to the following sensations associated with eating.
a. Taste-sweet, savory, salty, sour or bitter
b. Texture-hard, crunchy, smooth, creamy, etc
c. Aroma-sweet, acrid, mild, etc
d. Appearance--color, shape, eye appeal, etc
e. Temperature--hot, cold, icy, temperate
f. volume or filling capacity--airy, light, dense
3. think about how your body might feel when you finish eating: will you be physically satisfied, will a dense food make you feel uncomfortabley full later or an airy food leave you feeling empty, etc.
4. Make your eating environment enjoyable:
a. Eat when gently hungery rather than overhungry
b. make time to appreciate your food.
c. Create an aesthetic environment-placemats, colorful dishes, etc
d. Sit down to eat
e. Take several deep breaths before you eat
f. savor you food
g. pay attention to eating as slowly as you can
h. taste each bite of food taht you put into your mouth
i. provide variety in you meal.
j. Avoid tension while eating.
5. Don't settle, eliminate the unenjoyable

Wall Sit: Quadricep

Tone up your thighs: Wall Sits

Thanks again to my cute hubby (who refused to let me post his face!) for modeling the wall sit. This was in my un-finished basement, so pretend there aren't wires everywhere :) Thanks!

On with it!
This is designed to strengthen the top of your thighs..called the quadriceps. Often referred to as the "Quads" this large muscle group can increase your heart rate, just by toning them. Double whammy! Tone and sweat..HOORAY!


1. Find a wall to lean against.
2. Walk your feet a few feet away from the wall, so you are using your back to balance.
3. Feet should be shoulder width apart.

4. Bend your knees, keeping your back flush with the wall.

5. BEND people! This is where you make it count!

6. Knees MUST BE on top or behind the ankles. Do NOT let the knees move forward over the ankles. If they do, walk your feet away from the wall a few steps.

7. Don't allow the butt to go below the knees..increases risk of injury!

LAST, hold the sitting position for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times depending on fitness level.

Intermediate: Hold wall sit for 30 seconds. Repeat 5-6 times

Advanced: Hold wall sit for 1 minute. Repeat 4-5 times.

Spinach Melon Salad

6 cups torn stemmed washed spinach
4 cups mixed melon balls, such as cantaloupe, honeydew and/or watermelon
1 cup sliced cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dried mint

Directions: Combine spinach, melon, cucumber and onion in large bowl. For dressing, combine vinegar, honey, oil, lime juice, poppy seeds and mint in small jar with tight fitting lid; shake well. Pour over salad; toss gently to coat.



I love this recipe, it's such a great twist on salad and I make it anytime I can. ENJOY!!!!

Principle 5-Feel Your Fullness

I'm sure we've all had those times that we've not listened to our body cues and eaten so much that we feel we have to unbutton our pants to get comfortable. Principle #5 is to help us remember to stop and listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you're comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what your current fullness level is.

Tips for feeling your fullness:

1. Pay attention to your fullness signals. But remember, the only way that you can do this is to give yourself unconditional permission to eat. You must firmly believe that you will be able to eat again when you get hungry in order to be able to stop when you're full.

2. Be sure to honor your hunger. If you're overhungry, your urgency to eat will create great difficulty in recognizing your fullness signals.

3. Discard that notion that you must finish everything on your plate because you fear wasting food.

4. Increase your consciousness in order to help you identify satiety:

a. Try eating without distraction. Turn off the TV, shut off the computer, put down the book, etc.

b. Pause in the middle of a meal or snack and take a time-out to check your fullness level.

1. check to see if the food is still tasting good or if your just eating to be eating.

2. Ask yourself am I still hungry? Am I beginning to feel satisfied?

5. Identify the "Last Bite Threshold". This is the endpoint, this is the last bite that you know you can easily eat without feeling overly full or bloated.

6. Make sure you have plenty of food available for your meals. If you give yourself too little to eat you will never feel satisfied or full.

7. Select foods that have some substance. Higher fiber foods will keep you fuller for a longer time than "air foods".

Bow Chicka-Wow-WOW!! CALVES

I looooooove to wear heels!! You??

So, here is my favorite exercise to tone and define the calf muscles.

All you need is a step. Inside..outside..anywhere!!

Step 1: Find a STEP

Step 2: Lightly touch a rail/wall for balance.

Place ball of the foot on the step and allow the heels to hang off the step.

Next: RAISED HEEL: Lift heels up, feel the calf muscle (back of the shin) tighten.

View from behind....Heels are raised above the step, calf muscles are contracted.

(These are my adorable hubby's legs! I affectionately call them "Popeye calves")

Last, drop heels BELOW the stair.

Then, slowly squeeze ALL THE WAY back to a RAISED HEEL!

Repeat.

Beginner: 1 set of 15

Intermediate: 3 sets of 10

Advanced: 3 sets of 15

If you feel a cramp starting, stop and stretch. Then, continue.

Let me know any feedback or questions you have.

Now is THE perfect time to start Fab-bing up the flab!!

Keep up the hard work, Lacee!!

Key Lime Cheesecake with Strawberries and Fresh Mint

I thought this would be a fun and yummy recipe to post. Great lowfat, low calorie cheesecake option for the holidays. ENJOY!!!!

12 whole low-fat honey graham crackers, broken into small pieces

2 tbsp reduced fat margarine

2 packages (8 ounces each) fat-free cream cheese

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese

1 container (8 ounces) nonfat plain yogurt

2/3 cup powedered sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

1/3 cup sugar substitute (splenda) (or 8 packets of Splenda)

2 tsp lime peel

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups fresh strawberries, quartered

2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 9 inch springform baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Place graham cracker pieces and margarin in foor processor or blender; pulse until coarse in texture. Gently press crumb mixture on bottom and up 1/2 inch side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool completely on wire rack. Beat cream cheese, yogurt, powdered sugar, lime juice, 3/4 of the sugar substitute, lime peel and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer at high speed until smooth. Pour into cooled pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 2 hours or refrigerate overnight. Combine strawberries, remaining 1/4 of sugar substitute and mint in medium bowl 30 minutes before serving; set aside. Just before serving, spoon strawberry mixture over cheesecake. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition info: Calories 110 calories.

Principle #4: Challenge the Food Police

Scream a loud " no" to thoughts in your head that declare you're "good" for eating under 1,000 calories or "bad" because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The "Food Police" monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created. Chasing the food police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating.

Tips for Challenging the Food Police:

1. Identify your distorted food, dieting and eating thoughts and myths. Throw them out and replace them with the truth.

2. Listen for destructive voices which can speak harmful thoughts. Thoughts such as this food is bad or this food is good. Or I can only eat so many calories in a day, etc.

3. Develop helpful thoughts that can get you through hard times and make your eating relationship more comfortable.

4. Watch out for negative self-talk based on following irrational beliefs and distorted thinking such as: all or nothing, exaggerated thoughts, pessimistic thinking and linear thinking (allowing for no variables).

5. Replace negative self talk with postive self talk based on rational thinking. Focus on continual change and learning.