Although I am slightly “off the wall” by suggesting you do your leg lifts while fixing the inside of a car… (which by the way, I am clueless about), I am totally serious about doing leg lifts through out your day.

Here is the deal… you can’t just randomly kick your leg up and down and expect major results. It all comes down to technique and form. If you approach your leg kicks as if you were in a ballet class, doing a ballet bar while you wash dishes, and fold laundry, not only will you work your inner and outer thighs, but your core/ tummy muscles as well.

So if you are hanging out around your home with or with out your kids, get a bunch in.

Here is how!

-Start by standing straight and tall, as if a string were pulling you up from the top of your head. Make sure you keep your shoulders down and your tummy engaged, (tight). This will help you with your balance.

- Start with your right leg, ( it doesn’t matter, just pick one), and lift it to the side, (6-7 inches) while flexing your foot. Flexing the foot really helps work the outer part of the thigh.

-Make sure that your hips don’t wiggle and that they are squared off to what you are facing ie. a table, kitchen sink…. To maintain your balance, keep abs tight, and body pulled up.

- Bring your leg down and up 20 times on each side while you go through your day doing what ever.

THE KEY TO RESULTS… YOUR FORM! ( once you get the hang of it, you can really get a bunch in by the end of the day!)

Read her blog below and learn how to makeover your clutter chaos.

P.S.

If you want to take it four steps further… throw in some squats, leg lifts and plies, while shuffling through your papers, hehehe

Post by Debbie:

One of the most frequent requests I get from potential organizing clients is help with the never-ending stream of papers that come and go every day. So this week I will start the first in a series of posts dedicated to helping you create The Ultimate Family Command Center . . .

How many times a week do you answer the same questions about where various papers are in your house?

“Where’s that piece of paper with my friends phone number?”
“What happen to that credit card bill that was due sometime this week?”
“Where’s the take-out menu for the pizza place?”
“Who has the invitation to the party the kids were invited to this weekend?”
”Where’s a pencil and paper to take down a phone message?”

Despite efforts to go paperless, most household are over-run with paper piles. And if the papers aren’t over taking your kitchen counters, they are most likely relegated to that infamous junk drawer.  It may be in the kitchen, or in an office desk.  (Or maybe you have multiple junk drawers.)  Some place where you throw those little bits of miscellaneous papers, clippings, and mail.  We’ve all been guilty at one point or another of this form of organization.  But when it comes time to find these various objects, how easily, and better yet, how quickly, are you able to retrieve them?

My answer to household paper clutter is creating “The Ultimate Command Center.”

Similar to an airplane’s cockpit, which is a place for everything the pilot needs to communicate with those on the ground and simultaneously control the aircraft, the Family Command Center is a central place for managing household communication and running the family’s daily activities.  A Command Center manages: input (papers coming in), processes (what we need to do with those papers), output (papers going out), supplies, and frequent references.  It is the go-to spot for all the things you need to help your house run smoothly. 

When I put a Command Center together for a client, I encourage them to locate it in a central location, preferably near where you most often enter and exit your house.  Since the kitchen is usually the hub of the house, an ideal location is in an upper cabinet in the kitchen near the phone.

But you can also create a space in your home office.  If you use your computer for scheduling or contacts, you might want to locate the Command Center near the computer.  Just make sure it’s a functional space and that the location works best for you.
Find a way to incorporate a cork board or magnetic board.  I usually try to attach a cork board directly to the inside of the cabinet door using wood glue.  This keeps the board out of sight, but very accessible.  Use this board to post a list of frequently called numbers, lunch menus, invitations, grocery list.

Setting up the System

Step 1: An Organized Junk Drawer

The first step is to create an “organized junk drawer” for all those office supplies you’re constantly asked for over the course of a day.  This will be their new “home.”  Each item will have its own space and the major rule here is:

ALL ITEMS MUST BE RETURNED TO THIS SPOT WHEN YOU ARE DONE USING THEM.

The goal here is for everyone to know where these items can always be found.  You can purchase inexpensive containers or you can re-purpose items you may already own:  small bowls, trinket boxes, clean baby food jars, the top of a glass butter dish, an empty mint box.  Have fun with it and make it as creative and attractive as you’d like, that way you’ll be more likely to keep it tidy. Another tip is to consider calling it something other than the “junk” drawer (you don’t want it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, now do you?). How about “utility drawer” or “office supplies drawer”?

Step 2: Papers In/Papers Out

There are different supplies and products you can use to put your Command Center together, but the basic set-up includes slots or cubbies for each member of the family for papers that come and go on a daily basis:  mail, children’s permission slips, notices, etc.  It is also useful to have a slot for incoming bills, as this will be the place where you sort the mail every day. In the pictured command center, the labeled slots are in the black organizer inside the right half of the cabinet. These don’t have to be expensive, just functional. Most times simple black stackable paper sorters work beautifully.

When you first implement this system it may be hard to get your kids, or even your significant other, into the habit of checking and using their slot.  So I like to place little surprises in the slots occasionally to motivate them to use it.  A piece of candy, a new pencil, love notes . . . just something to create the habit of using the system.

So what will become of all those papers once they make it into the cubbies? Wednesday I’ll post Part 2 of this series, which will focus on creating a family resource binder, so stay tuned for more! In the mean time, if you have any questions about setting up your own Command Center, please leave a comment below.

Simply yours,
Debbie

That being said… I quickly discovered this Fab exercise that is soooo easy to incorporate during bath time, and quickly gives you fast results!

I call this “The Bathtub Bench Press”. I get 2-3 sets of 10 while running the bath water and filling up the tub.

Here’s what you do.

-Face away from the bathtub and place your arms behind you on the tub’s edge, keeping them straight.

- Bend your knees and make sure your legs are shoulder width apart.

- keeping your abs tight, and shoulders down, slowly bend your elbows and bring your tush down , with out toughing the floor.

-Hold for a count of one then come up slowly as you straighten your arms.

-Do this 10 times. If you can do another set, then repeat for an additional count of ten.

Note: Remember to listen to your body. Don’t push yourself.  if you feel pain, stop. If you have neck or lower back problems, consult your doctor before doing this exercise.

Blog by Carrie Chesloff Rossenfeld, “Getting real about weight”.
Check out her web site!

http://gettingrealaboutweight.blogspot.com/

The Pasta Question

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know how I feel about starchy, refined carbs–limit, limit, limit! They really contain very little nutritional value for the calories consumed, and they can put weight on you faster than almost any other type of food. Yet I don’t believe in completely eliminating any food from your diet (except for trans fats, which I’ve explained before). So how do you incorporate pasta–a delicious starchy, refined carb–into your diet?

First of all, consider the type of pasta you’re eating. Is it made from 100% refined grains, 100% whole grains or some combination of the two? The more whole grains it contains, the great the fiber and nutrient content and the more healthful it is. This leaves room for a little more pasta indulgence. Second, how much pasta are you eating in a serving? A standard pasta serving is 1/2 cup and weighs in at around 200 calories, which is far, far less than what you’d typically serve yourself for an entree and way less than what a restaurant or takeout place would serve you. It’s very easy to consume large amounts of calories from pasta, particularly if it’s the main course of your meal–and also because it’s so yummy, right?

My solution is, on the infrequent occasions you eat 100% refined pasta, make it your side dish or “tasting” item rather than your main course. Sure, you can add veggies to it and a healthful sauce, but you’re still likely to consume more calories than you think and the type of nutrients your body will store rather than burn. Translation: fat storage! If you make pasta your side dish, you’ll be controlling your portion sizes more easily and leaving room for the stuff your body needs and that will help you shed pounds: lean protein, veggies, fruit, etc.

So be judicious about your pasta intake and you can treat yourself now and then so you won’t feel deprived. Pasta is one of life’s great pleasures, so enjoy–in moderation, of course.

“Egg in a Mug”

Try this quick, healthy breakfast choice that’s under 100 calories

I would rather take a frying pan and smack it over my head than take the time to fry an egg with it. So… I figured out how to make this fluffy, delicious, breakfast  treat, ( That’s under 100 calories and takes under 100 seconds to make).

You will need:

a mug

2 eggs (one whole egg, one egg white)

a splash of low fat milk

half a teaspoon of light cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

(NOTE: you can also add mushrooms, or spinach)

Here’s how:

Whip ingredients together in your mug. As you do this, get into a deep squat position, and make sure your abs are engaged, (tummy tight). The deeper the squat, the more you will work your tush. Whip your egg for 30-45 seconds as you hold this position. The longer you whip, the fluffier the egg, and the better the burn.

Then stick your mug in the microwave for 1 minute.

While you wait for the beep, take this opportunity to do your counter top presses. Make sure your arms are shoulder width apart on the counter, and that your back and your neck are a straight line. As you bring your chest down to the counter, keep your tummy  and tush tight.Do this until you hear the beep. If that’s too difficult, try getting in at least 10-12Not only will you burn calories before you eat them, but you only have a mug to clean, when you are done!

Enjoy!

First watch video, and apply these notes:

1) Form is so important. Make sure you are standing tall, with your shoulders down.

2) put one hand your sink for balance, and brush with the other. For a more advanced move,or simply remove your hand and balance while you brush and kick. 

3) Lift your leg and bend it at the knee trying to make your inner thigh flat like a table, make sure you are pulled up with your supporting leg.

4) Do this 15-20 times on each leg. Good luck and let me know how it works for you!

If you are taking the time to fill your tank up with gas, don’t just stand there watching the numbers change on the gas pump. Take this opportunity and “TASKERSISE”.

The key to really benefiting from this, (yes, you will look like a geek), is to commit to it.Get over feeling like a dork, and really focus on your form while you fill up with gas.

Here is how to do the squat while you fill up:

Get into a deep squat position, keeping your back straight and your abs tight, Imagine a tall string being pulled from the top of your head so you sit tall as if you are in a chair. (Make sure you keep shoulders down.)

The goal is to hold this position for at least 30 seconds. If you feel you can do another 30 seconds, go for it, but really listen to your body.

For a more advanced move, simply put your arms above your head and hold them straight, with your fingers reaching for the sky. ( Really try to keep your shoulders down and your abs tight.

You can challenge yourself by holding this position till your tank is filled.

Watch video and see my new friends I made at the gas pump, try it.

Or…mix it up with plies!

I like to mix things up a bit at the gas station. Try doing plies while you fill up.

Make sure you remember your form. Turn your feet slightly out and stand with your feet shoulder width apart.Make sure that when you bend your knees, that your knee doesn’t go beyond your toe. Also, make sure that you keep your abs tight and back straight. Try to get in 20 plies while you fill up. (Or, do as many as you can, untill your tank is filled.)

Listen to your body!

Check out her web site at http://gettingrealaboutweight.blogspo

If you’re like me, you not only attended several parties over the holidays, but you ate a lot more restaurant meals than usual, too. This impacts not only your budget (ouch!), but also your waistline. My solution? Be more creative with meals at home, and give the restaurants a rest, at least for a little while.

It is certainly possible to eat healthfully in a restaurant, but it takes work: scanning the menu, deciding what sounds appealing and possibly in line with the day’s allotment of calories, fat, etc. And without a doubt, we should be able to splurge once in awhile nutritionally and financially on restaurant meals. But when we start to go overboard, we feel it. Restaurant meals almost always have more calories in them than the ones you cook yourself–definitely the portion sizes are larger than what you’d typically serve yourself. With rare exceptions, chefs are more concerned with how the food tastes and looks than how healthful it is, and you never really know how much butter or oil was used to cook your meal.

So, if you want to reverse an upward trend in weight and/or spending, start eating more meals at home. If you have a family, make it a fun weekend project to cook meals together. Start by researching healthful versions of family favorites (www.cookinglight.com is a good place to start), maybe trying some exciting new cuisines or pulling out an old classic that you haven’t made in years. There’s a wealth of great recipes available online, so you’ll never be at a loss for what to make. A quick trip to the supermarket will ensure you have everything you need. No doubt, you’ll see the scale inch downward and your wallet fatten up before long.

In order to lose a pound a week in a healthy way, you need to decrease your calories for the day by 500. That may sound very difficult to many of you, but here is a little secret. Split up the 500 calories. Cut out 250 calories from your diet and burn 250 calories by elevating your heart rate and doing cardio.

How to cut 250 calories with Cardio:

If you find that you don’t have time to burn it off with cardio, you are WRONG!

You can burn up to 300 calories if you do the “Rag Drag” for seven-ten minutes twice a day! Even if you are not cleaning your floors, you can do the “RAG DRAG”  in the bathroom watching your kid in the tub for 10-15 minutes, or try it while you are in the kitchen and your kids do their home work, be creative. The key to burning the most calories is to push yourself every other minute. This will elevate your heart rate. Do one minute at a low intensity then one minute at a higher intensity. I swear this is so doable and is an insane cardio work out that tagets not only your heart rate but tightens your tummy, inner, outter thighs and tush! It’s so easy to sneak in!

Here is how to do it!

How to cut 250 calories a day from your diet:

-Replace your morning bagel and cream cheese with an English muffin and cottage cheese.

___ Skip the large bakery muffin in favor of 1 slice of whole wheat toast topped with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

__ Instead of a big muffin, choose 3/4 of a high fiber cereal

___ Instead of scrambled eggs, choose egg whites

___ Replace your 450-calorie lunch with a high protein egg whites tossed in a salad

The key is, not to feel like you are on a diet, but with each meal or snack, modify it a bit and you will be surprised how many calories you will subtract by the end of the day!

Good luck and let me know how that woks for ya!

Order the cLEANmomma DVD today, for just 14.95 and get your FREE Ebook!

Next time you are faced with the up or down button that lights up, don’t press it, instead remember my little voice in your head,”TAKE THE STAIRS!!!!!!!!! Just do it, or don’t, it’s your choice

Let me know how that works for you!

For a full boot- camp style work out on how to get fit quick tips, Order the cLEANmomma Dvd, now! only 14.95!