TIPS FOR JAN/FEB Want to be sure you stick with your exercise routine in 2007? Try working out in the morning! Nothing major has cropped up yet, its only 6 or 7a.m. Research suggests that women who work out in the morning are more successful at sticking with their programs than those who don't. The longer you wait in the day to exercise, the more excuses you can find to put it off. Another reason to follow the sun? You'll start your day with a smile! Fitness. December 2006. Page 16. If you decide to exercise in the morning, make sure you eat a good pre-workout breakfast. It is important for you to raise your blood-glucose levels that have dropped overnight. A 200-250-calorie snack with 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates will let you work out harder and burn more calories. Fitness. January 2007. Page 111. TIPS FOR SEPT/OCT Trying to avoid that "weekend weight gain?" Did you know that the average American takes in 115 more calories per day on the weekend? Over the course of a year that adds up to 17, 940 extra calories-about five pounds. Here is an exercise tip to reduce weekend weight gain: Be more physically active on weekends. If you tend to take the weekend off from your exercise routine, consider taking a day off during the week and exercise one day over the weekend. Take an extra lap around the grocery store or mall to burn a few extra calories as well. To reduce that "weekend weight gain," we also need to watch what we eat. Here are a couple tips to follow on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Water, water, water. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Often when your body feels hungry, it is just thirsty. Eat a healthy breakfast each morning including Saturdays and Sundays. Research has shown that if you eat a healthy breakfast, you tend to eat fewer calories the rest of the day. Don't skip lunch if you're planning on going out for dinner. Skipping meals only makes you hungrier when you finally do sit down to eat. TIPS FOR JULY/AUGUST Looking for a fun summer workout that gets you out of the gym? How about CYCLING! You can enjoy some scenery, sun, and speed. Not to mention the calorie burn. You can burn more than 800 calories an hour while sculpting a strong butt and legs. It's also very joint friendly, no impact! You can ride solo, with a buddy, or with the whole family. Try it today! Fitness. August 2006. Page 127. Do you ever find yourself shopping for the healthiest bread? Multigrain, 12-grain, oat nut...they all sound healthy. You'll need to look closer to make sure you're getting all the good stuff that comes only from true whole grains. Here is what to look for: 1. The word "whole" before any, or at least the first, grain or flour in the ingredients list. 2. Two to three grams of fiber per slice. Pay attention to serving sizes-many labels say two grams of fiber, but that may be two slices, not one. 3. Fewer than 100 calories per slice. Low-calorie or light varieties often supply all the same fiber and other nutrients for only about 70 calories per two-slice serving. Fitness. August 2006. Page 76. TIPS FOR MAY/JUNE Need an amazing stress release from your workout? Have you tried Kickboxing yet? This cardio workout burns an average of 500 calories per hour. It also targets your arms, shoulders, abs, thighs, and butt in one workout. Are you hooked yet? Do you know what food contains filling protein and fiber, Vitamin E, and is also a good source of magnesium? ALMONDS! Another plus is their ability to block calories. Research indicates that the composition of their cell walls may help reduce the absorption of all of their fat, making them an extra lean nut. Try for an ounce a day (about 23 almonds), with approximately 160 calories. Fitness. June 2006. Page 70. TIPS FOR MAR/APRIL Is your exercise goal to blast more calories? Did you know that a 30-minute interval workout (which varies bursts of intensity with moderate recovery periods) can burn approximately 30 percent more calories than a moderate, steady session done for the same amount of time? Apply this technique to any type of cardio: Divide your workout time into six or eight equal parts. (For a 30-minute workout you'd have six 5-minute interval sets.) Train for the first half of the 5-minute interval at a high-intensity and the second half at a low one. When your endurance increases, keep your workout fresh by spending more time at high-intensity levels. Fitness. April 2006. Page 107. Would you like to burn an extra 2,300 calories? Torch extra calories effortlessly by celebrating "TV-Turnoff Week" from April 24 to 30. If you're a typical four-hour-a-day viewer like most American women, you could burn an extra 2,300 calories just by switching off the set for seven days and spending that time cooking, doing crafts, or shopping. Each of these activities requires much more energy than staring at the tube. Fitness. April 2006. Page 55. TIPS FOR JAN/FEB Do you want to burn 570 calories per hour? Grab a pair of cross-country skis and you will be in for a treat! This low-impact, total-body sport sculpts your arms, legs, and glutes. Not to mention that calorie burn, 100 more calories than downhill skiing. There are many cross-country ski areas and trails in the United States and Canada. Try it out this new year! Fitness. February 2006. Page 21. Having trouble keeping off the pounds this winter? One good way: eat more water! Foods that have high water content include: soups, fruits and vegetables, and hot cereal. The trick is that water adds weight and volume without adding calories. Try it today! TIPS FOR NOV/DEC Getting tired of your daily exercise routine? Not burning enough calories? How about trying dancing for your cardio exercise today! Researchers at California State University found that a cha-cha, polka, or swing session burns up to 655 calories per hour. Vigorous dancing, such as salsa, can burn as many as 1,000 calories. Line-dancing is my favorite, try doing that for an hour. Definitely a great cardio workout!!! Fitness. December 2005. Page 21. Cook off calories! When it comes to holiday treats, it is much better to give than to receive. When you whip up the famous family recipes, you can burn enough calories to burn off samples of your hard work. For example, take 50 minutes to make sugar cookies from scratch and you'll expend enough energy to burn off two samples of your hard work. To avoid over-sampling, try chewing sugarless gum. TIPS FOR AUG/SEPT Is your weekly exercise program a "complete fitness program?" To be a "complete fitness program," you must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise. Here is why. The aerobic exercise does good things for your cardiovascular system and is an important part of weight management. Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury, and is also an important component of a weight management program. Flexibility exercise is needed to maintain joint range of motion and reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness. Can you survive without water? No, you cannot! Water must be consumed to replace the amount lost each day during basic activities. Water not only composes 75 percent of all muscle tissue and 25 percent of fatty tissue, it also acts within each cell to transport nutrients and dispel waste. Water also regulates the body's temperature, allowing heat to evaporate from the body in the form of sweat. In one hour of exercise, the body can lose more than a quart of water. If there is not enough water for the body to cool itself through perspiration, the body enters a state of dehydration. We as regular exercisers need to maintain a constant supply of water in the body. TIPS FOR JUNE/JULY Have you ever lost motivation to exercise? Don't be afraid to admit it, it happens to all of us at some point. What we need is a change of heart to really change our hearts (and our muscles, too.) Fortunately, making small changes frequently can have a big effect on changing our levels of fitness. What's the best way to change your workout? Any way that keeps you interested and challenged. Here are some ideas: 1. try interval training with a stopwatch-count time instead of repetitions, 2. try varying your equipment or machine attachments by alternating between cables and exercise bands. 3. alternate days of heavy lifting/fewer reps with light lifting/increased reps. Small, frequent modifications will keep boredom to a minimum and fitness levels at a maximum. Ever try reducing your fat? Just one pointer when you do this. When you reduce fat, replace it with something healthy. You want to eat more fruit and vegetables and whole grains, not fat-free brownies, cookies, and ice cream. Remember also that fruit and vegetables are rich in cancer-preventing anti-oxidants as well as fiber and are low in calories. TIPS FOR APRIL/MAY As the weather gets nicer outside, we find ourselves working out in hotter environments. Remember that this can make you susceptible to heat injury. One of the main ways to avoid heat injury is to make sure you are well hydrated. To do this during a workout, make sure you drink 30 minutes before exercise, at least 6 ounces of fluid after every 20 minutes of exercise, and drinking beyond thirst cessation during the recovery period. Water is still considered the best hydration fluid unless the duration of exercise exceeds 60 minutes. If you exercise longer than an hour, a sports drink may be more beneficial. Do you need to consume extra protein if you are an athlete? NO! The American Dietetic Association recommends increased protein intake only for individuals involved in intense aerobic training, (greater than 70 percent VO2 max.) Even though the ADA developed such a recommendation, it recognizes that average Americans, including most athletes, consume protein above this recommendation. TIPS FOR FEB/MAR Want more motivation to exercise? Here you go! If you exercise, people see you as a "harder worker, more confident, and as having more self-control" than non-exercisers. Exercisers were perceived to be healthy, muscular, and sexually attractive. Non-Exercisers were perceived to be sickly, scrawny, and sexually unattractive. Wouldn't you think that this would make more people exercise regularly? Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2000. Page 22. Do you eat all your fruits and vegetables each day? Here is another reason to eat plenty of them each day. They help you manage your weight! By being low in calories and high in fiber, they can help you control your waistline. By eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer high-calorie foods, you'll find it much easier to control your weight. TIPS FOR DEC/JAN Feeling a little overwhelmed this holiday season? I know it is especially hard to find time to exercise now with all the demands of the holidays. Don't set unrealistic goals. Aim to exercise 20 minutes a day instead of an hour. You'll be sure to get at least 20 minutes of exercise per day without feeling disappointed if you do not complete an hour. Want a good New Year's Resolution? How about eating breakfast everyday! People who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off eat breakfast everyday. Researchers speculate that eating breakfast helps people manage both their hunger and food intake throughout the day. TIPS FOR OCT/NOV Do you think that high-protein/low-carb diets will affect your workouts? The answer is YES! Carbohydrates are the body's preferred fuel for exercising, so someone who limits them will fatigue more quickly. That's especially true if you exercise at a high intensity for longer than 30 minutes. One more reason to avoid the low-carb craze: some experts say working muscles that are already depleted in glycogen (stored carbs) could increase the risk of injury. Fitness. November 2004. Page 30. People wonder if the phosphorus in soda leaches calcium from their bones. Truth is, phosphorus isn't the problem: it's the caffeine that could potentially harm your bones. Caffeine is a diuretic that can cause your body to excrete more calcium than normal. Limit your intake to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. (one 12-ounce can of cola has about 37 mg and a cup of coffee has 95 mg.) Fitness. November 2004. Page 80. TIPS FOR AUG/SEPT Do you ever wonder what time of day is the best to work out? Some recent research says that mid-morning to mid-afternoon workouts will yield the best results in exercise performance. That is when you are least likely to upset the body's circadian rhythms. However if you are an early bird or a night owl, that is ok. Most fitness experts agree that the single best time to exercise is really whenever you are consistently likely to do it. Fitness. September 2004. Page 40. Do you take a multivitamin? For people who are at risk for some deficiencies, it is important for them to take one. Take a multivitamin if: 1. You're on an ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet (fewer than 1,200 calories per day.) 2. You're a strict vegetarian/vegan. 3. You are lactose-intolerant Fitness. September 2004. Page 121. TIPS FOR JUNE/JULY Have you ever wondered which exercise burns the most calories? Running is the answer. Since it continuously engages the body's largest weight-bearing muscle groups (the legs and glutes), it is very effective. Even if a person runs a moderately paced 10-minute mile for one hour, they are burning nearly 650 calories. Go for a run today! Fitness. July 2004. Page 35. Are you struggling with your cholesterol levels? To get the best results, combine exercise with a diet low in saturated and trans fats. By itself, a diet low in saturated fat lowers both bad (LDL) and good (HDL) cholesterol. Increasing your intake of foods containing monounsaturated fat like nuts and olive oil can up your HDL. In addition to eating right, aim for 30 to 45 minutes of exercise three or four days a week. Fitness. July 2004. Page 80. TIPS FOR MAY Did you know that you can burn calories following your cardio workout? YES! After most moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic workouts, your metabolism may be elevated for one to two hours. For most people, this "afterburn" equals roughly 10 to 15 percent of the calories burned during a workout. For example, if you burn 500 calories in a typical cardio session, you'll continue to burn an extra 50 to 75 calories post-exercise. The greater the intensity, the higher the afterburn effect! Fitness. June 2004. Page 38. Grab one of summer's most refreshing treats, watermelon! It has many health benefits for you. A big, juicy wedge of watermelon packs more than four times as much cancer-fighting lycopene as a tomato for just 85 calories. It also provides 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of immunity-boosting vitamin C. Fitness. June 2004. Page 89. TIPS FOR MARCH/APRIL Now that spring is upon us, make a list of all your favorite outdoor activities. Whether it be running or gardening, it can be great exercise. Try to alternate these activities throughout the week so you can stay motivated. Just being outdoors should be a new motivation in itself. Stay fit and have fun! Ever wondered how much cholesterol you should have in a day? The American Heart Association recommends you limit your dietary cholesterol intake to 300 mg per day. If you have high cholesterol and/or a history of heart disease, your limit should be 200 mg per day. TIPS FOR JANUARY Do you want a way to assure you can always work out? Invest in elastic resistance tubes or bands. These are GREAT to bring along when traveling, plus they're very affordable. You can use them in dozens of exercises, from squats to curls. To increase your intensity, just tighten the amount of tension or choose a thicker elastic. These can do a great job toning and strengthening your muscles. Are you looking for some healthier snack foods for the new year? Here are a couple good cookies that are easy on your diet without skimping on taste. Number one: Snackwell's Devil's Food Cookie Cakes. They have a sponge-cake-like texture and almost addictive chocolate icing. Number two: Nabisco Fat Free Fig Newtons. These taste pretty much like the original but are a little softer. Try these cookies next time you are craving sweets. YUM! Fitness. February 2004. Page 74. TIPS FOR NOVEMBER Want a way to stay in shape this holiday season? Don't trade your gym time in for daily trips to the mall. Keeping your regular exercise routine going is one big way to keep your waistline under control. Your workouts will also help you keep your sanity. Studies show that low-intensity exercise is one of the best ways to improve your mood. Fitness. December 2003. Page 113. Want an easy way to fight off germs this flu season? Load up on winter fruits and vegetables. The produce that is available in the winter months is PACKED with immunity-boosting nutrients. Carrots, spinach, winter squash, and sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A. Grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines are among the best sources of Vitamin C. And bananas are rich in Vitamin B6. Eat up! Fitness. December 2003. Page 62. TIPS FOR OCTOBER Do you want a chance to see the beauty of fall? How about squeezing in a long fall walk, run, roller blade, or bike ride. There won't be too much time left for outdoor exercise this year, so take advantage of it now. Make it a family event and everyone will be happy! Did you know that people who have high-calcium diets burn more fat than those who get less calcium? YES! Supplements, fortified foods, and nondairy sources, such as broccoli and tofu, can help, but dairy products are most effective. Some good choices of calcium are the following: 8-ounce glass of skim milk, 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, and 1 1/2 ounces of reduced- fat cheese. Parenting. October 2003. Page 59. TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER Did you know that drinking water can even help you work out longer? YES! Research has shown that exercisers who are sufficiently hydrated can work out for up to a third longer than those who don't drink enough fluids. That could mean burning an extra hundred or so calories! Drinking about 16 ounces of fluid 30 to 60 minutes before exercise is recommended. Fitness. October 2003. Page 20. Want an easy tip on how to prevent diseases? If you select at least one fruit or vegetable from each color, you'll cover many nutritional bases with a wide range of disease fighters. For example, dark green vegetables such as spinach are loaded with nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber and lutein. Red items like tomatoes, grapefruit, and watermelon all contain lycopene which guard against heart disease and some forms of cancer. Be colorful!!! Fitness. October 2003. Page 66. TIPS FOR AUGUST Are you guilty of having poor posture while strength training? Slouching may make lifting weights easier, but it also makes the workout less effective and increases your risk of a back injury. To help you correct your problem, try this. Begin your workout by exaggerating good posture-keep your back tall, puff out your chest, and tighten your abs. When fatigue sets in, your hunchback won't. Fitness. September 2003. Page 30. What are trans fatty acids you wonder? You will mostly find them in margarine, fried foods, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, crackers, and microwave popcorn. Nutrition experts recommend that you avoid this type of fat as much as possible. Trans fat raises cholesterol, just as saturated fat does. You won't see this term on labels until 2006. However, until then, you can look for terms such as: hydrogenated oil and vegetable shortening. Fitness. September 2003. Page 107. TIPS FOR JULY Did you know that muscle takes up 18 percent less volume than fat does? This is why your pants seem to fit better when you add strength training to your fitness regimen. To get the full body-shaping effect, add regular cardio training to burn excess fat. Fitness. August 2003. Page 34. Want a way to prevent your children from getting an eating disorder? Simply dine with them at mealtime. A study was done and girls who ate meals alone were almost 3 times as likely to develop a full-fledged eating disorder. Dining with other people presents a meal as a healthy social activity and discourages unhealthy eating behaviors. Fitness. August 2003. Page 98. TIPS FOR JUNE Are you a long-distance runner? If so, listen up. You have probably always heard to drink as much water as you can, right? Based on new studies, this could be killer advice. Drinking too much water can actually cause the level of sodium in your blood to drop like a rock. This brings on a condition called hyponatremia. The new advice out there is advising runners to drink only as much water as they sweat away during a run. To determine your fluid loss, weigh yourself before an hour's run and then after. Figure out how much fluid you need every hour to maintain your body weight. The Gazette. June 2, 2003. Did you know that eating soy can actually protect women from getting breast cancer? Yes. Soy contains genistein, which is a weak estrogen. Proponents say it blocks real estrogen from nourishing breast cancer cells. TIPS FOR MAY Wondering what the best way to isolate and strengthen your ab muscles is? The crunch continues to be the best way to tone your abdominal muscles. If you want to make the move more challenging, hold your arms away from your body. The farther your arms are from your belly button, the more load you have to lift. Keep crunching away! Fitness. June 2003. Page 28. Do you want to fight your chances of getting diabetes? Eating 5 tablespoons of peanut butter each week may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 20 percent. Peanut, almond, and cashew butter are all packed with healthy monounsaturated fats. Fitness. June 2003. Page 100. TIPS FOR APRIL Tired of your indoor fitness program? Now that the weather is getting nicer we can reenergize our program by going outside. Here are some examples. If your indoor exercise is running on the treadmill, how about trying trail running. Trade an indoor program of stairclimbing in for an outdoor hiking workout. Ever thought of trading your indoor cycling in for mountain biking in the great outdoors? All of these workouts burn big calories and sculpt several muscle groups at once. Did you know that vegetables contain a ton of fiber, which keeps you feeling full? Yes, and keeping you full also results in eating fewer calories each day. When you're planning your daily meals, always start with vegetables. Choose different colored veggies to maximize your intake of disease-fighting phytochemicals and to prevent your diet from getting boring. Fitness. May 2003. Page 133. TIPS FOR MARCH Sick of going to the gym everyday to workout? You don't have to go to the gym to get a good workout. Try something new today. Go skating, learn how to two-step, try belly dancing. By trying new things you will stay motivated and get the results you want. Did you know that Americans are eating 150 more calories per day than they were 20 years ago? Yes, thanks to supersized portions we are eating WAY too much. Portion control goes hand in hand with weight control. Here are a couple examples of what servings should look like. Number one: one serving of peanut butter should be the same size as one Oreo cookie. This serving has 190 calories and 16 grams of fat in it. Number two: one 8 ounce serving of fruit juice should be the same size as a container of yogurt. This serving has 112 calories and 0 grams of fat. Save countless calories by sizing up your servings! Fitness. March 2003. Page 94. TIPS FOR FEBRUARY Have you ever wondered whether running outside or on a treadmill is more effective? According to recent research, you'll have better results outdoors. This is because people tend to run at a faster pace outdoors. Participants of the study said they found the scenery and fresh air more enjoyable outside. Fitness. March 2003. Page 32. Most people don't know how important magnesium is for women. It is just as essential as calcium, folic acid, and iron. Here are the benefits of meeting the 320-milligram RDA of magnesium. It prevents migraines, builds strong bones, cuts diabetes risk, and even fights fatigue. You can meet the RDA for magnesium by having a diet rich in green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Fitness. March 2003. Page 93. TIPS FOR JANUARY Are you finding yourself searching for a health club to join in the new year? If so, consider these important details. Is the location convenient for you? What is included in the package for the rate you are paying? Is there child-care for you available? Are the times of the aerobics classes going to work with your schedule? These and many more details are all very important to consider before making a decision about a health club. Need another reason to exercise? Scientists have discovered it makes cholesterol less dangerous. A new study has found that even modest exercise changes the size and density of cholesterol-carrying proteins so they do less damage. These benefits will even occur if a person's total amount of cholesterol and their weight stay the same. Sounds like even more of a reason to exercise to me! The Gazette. November 2002. TIPS FOR DECEMBER Should I be breathing a special way while lifting weights? Yes. Otherwise you could have spikes in your blood pressure. Exhaling on exertion will help you avoid passing out on the gym floor. Being aware of your breathing may also help your performance. Pace yourself so you're inhaling for two to three counts while lifting a weight and exhaling for at least the same amount of time when lowering it. By coordinating your movement to your breathing you will work the muscle more completely. Fitness. December 2002. Page 29. Doing some holiday shopping? If you are, you will probably face boredom, hunger, and exhaustion at some point, a major eating trigger. Plan ahead for this. Bring nutritious snacks with you to ensure you're not desperate for a quick meal. If you do need to eat at one of the fast-food joints, seek out vegetables and lean protein. Make sure you pass up desserts and anything fried. Take your time reading the menu and make smart selections. TIPS FOR NOVEMBER Are you guilty of doing the same workout over and over each day? This will quickly lead to boredom and burnout. One solution to this is to try periodization. This means training in cycles of gradually higher intensity, then finishing with a lower-intensity cycle. For example, if you are strength training, increase the weight you lift by 10 percent each week for three weeks. The fourth week, reduce the weight by 20 to 30 percent. The following month, repeat the cycle starting from where you left off at your peak. Fitness. December 2002. Page 22. Ever wonder just how much cereal you are eating? You'd be surprised how many people eat several servings instead of one or two. Try taking a minute to measure just how much you are eating. Once you get an idea of what a measured portion looks like when it's in your bowl, you can quickly eyeball the right amount to serve. TIPS FOR OCTOBER Doing abdominal exercises is a very important component of every exercise program. However, some people wonder if they should train their abdominal muscles every day. The answer is no. You should treat your abdominal muscles like any other muscle group, which means you shouldn't train them every day. Your abdominals, like all of your other muscle groups, need recovery time between workouts. Ace Fitness Matters. September 2002. Page 14. Overall, Americans may eat too much fat, but 90 percent of us don't consume enough of the fats that are good for us. The right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is vital to cardiac function, joint and skin health, insulin balance and mood stability. Most of us consume too little omega-3 fatty acids and too much omega-6. To increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, eat fish at least twice per week. You should also increase your consumption of green leafy vegetables and walnuts while cutting out as much animal fat and hydrogenated vegetable oil as possible. Ace Fitness Matters. September 2002. Page 5. TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER Having trouble finding time for your workout? How about working out during your lunch break. Recent research from the American College of Sports Medicine has revealed that exercising in the afternoon can help you get impressive results fast. Your flexibility, strength, and resistance to injury are at their greatest at that time of day. Reason being, your body temperature is higher in the afternoon than in the morning. How can you fit it in? Join a gym close to your office, use a nearby park, or use a playground close by. Do whatever it takes to get that workout in:-) Would you ever guess that watermelon could fight cancer? This is correct. Besides being a delicious fruit, it is good for you in many other ways. Watermelon is one of the best sources of the antioxidant lycopene. Studies have shown that lycopene can help ward off heart disease and prostate cancer. A single serving of low-cal watermelon contains more lycopene than a medium tomato. Eat watermelon and be healthy! TIPS FOR AUGUST Calling all you YOGA addicts! We all know how addicting YOGA can be. Just be careful if you are replacing your cardio exercise sessions with Yoga. This exercise is great for flexibility and relaxation, but doesn't burn as many calories as you may think. Words of advice, keep doing Yoga if you like it but don't drop your cardio exercise routines. That way you will get the flexibility training you need along with your calorie burning. And don't forget to strength train too:-) Happy stretching! This is for those of you who are pregnant, or those who are thinking about becoming pregnant. KEEP exercising throughout your pregnancy. There are SO many benefits of this. To name just a few, here they are: limited weight gain, less physical discomfort, more energy, a shorter labor, and a quicker recovery. Isn't this enough to get you to want to continue your exercise program? It sure is for me. E-mail me for lots of other information if you are expecting a baby, I have lots of it. TIPS FOR JULY Substitute a water workout for your regular routine one or two days a week. Enroll in a class at a local pool or health club. If you're taking a dip on your own, imitate the cardio and strength exercises you do on land. The resistance in water is at least 12 times greater than on land so your body has to work harder to do simple movements. Therefore, more calories burned. By cutting just 100 calories a day, you can lose up to 10 pounds a year. Here are some simple ways to cut those 100 calories. (Each one of these things can save you 100 calories or more.) Number one: instead of eating 2 slices of pepperoni and sausage pizza, eat 2 slices of cheese pizza with peppers. Number two: instead of eating 1 cup of air-popped popcorn with 1 Tbs. butter, try eating 3 cups of air-popped popcorn with 1 Tbs. parmesan cheese. Instead of eating 1 medium sized chocolate bar, eat 1 chocolate-chip granola bar.