Six Ways To A Lower Calorie Super Bowl Party

1. Boneless Buffalo Wings

We love buffalo wings, but they are typically not the healthiest of party treats. These boneless buffalo wings, made from chicken breast tenders and little added fat, will taste great while not ruining your diet. Serve with blue cheese dipping sauce for the full effect.

2. Baked Tortilla Chips
It is just a given that the Super Bowl menu includes a bowl of chips. But, instead of indulging in high-fat, high-calorie, sodium-laden commercial snack chips, make your own out of corn tortillas, cooking spray, and a little salt. It doesn't get any simpler than this!

3. Two-Tomato Salsa

What is a chip without a dip? You could go for fat-laden cheese dip to accompany your chips, or you can get a boost on your veggies with this attractive two-tomato salsa to serve along with your chips. They are a traditional pair, so nobody will sense that they are low calorie when served together.

4. Herbed Vegetable Dip
Again, serving finger foods that take advantage of lots of vegetables is an easy way to keep the spread low-calorie. Make a batch of this yummy herbed vegetable dip, and serve with a colorful array of veggies such as carrots, radishes, red bell pepper strips, celery, and any other vegetables that your guests love.

5. Low Calorie Bean Tostadas
Serve these tasty, low calorie bean tostadas, but let your guests dress them on their own! Provide the crisp tortillas, then set out serving dishes with the beans, cheese, olives, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, and lettuce.

6. Banana Blackberry Smoothie
Sure, smoothies aren't the first thing you would think about in the middle of winter, but as things heat up with the big game, this might be a refreshing treat to finish off the Super Bowl meal. Use frozen blackberries, and whip up a large batch that you can divide among guests so that you are not tied down in the kitchen. The smoothies only take a few minutes to make, so you can quickly make another batch on commercial breaks if needed.

www.worldgymdc.com

Nine Reasons Why We Don't Keep Our Fitness Resolutions

Nearly half of us have made New Year's fitness resolutions, but less than 10 percent of us are actually keeping them. Whether it's lack of motivation, resources, or we just lose interest, it's time to make a fresh start and figure out ways to finish what we've started. Here are 9 reasons why we don't stick to our New Year's resolutions and how to keep it from happening this year.

Reason 1: Going it Alone


Whether it's quitting smoking, improving your tennis game, or going to the gym more often, don't go it alone. "If you are someone who has a higher success rate when you have outside support, then get a buddy," says success coach Amy Applebaum. "This creates accountability, which is essential for success."

"Surround yourself with people who inspire you to be more, do more, and have more," advises The Mojo Coach Debi Silber. "If you play tennis and want to improve your game, play with people better than you who inspire you to be better." Remember, your buddy should be a positive force in your life, not a negative one. Silber recommends avoiding people who drain you mentally and emotionally.

Reason 2: Extremely Lofty Resolutions
If your goal is to solve world peace, maybe a more attainable goal is to vow you'll finally read War and Peace. "Most of us create resolutions that are too ‘big' and therefore we can't meet them," Applebaum says. "Examine your resolutions. Are they what you really want or did you commit to them because you thought you were supposed to?"

Take it day by day, says life coach Hunter Phoenix. "I've made a pact with myself to stop obsessing about the past, fantasizing about the future, and to instead embrace the present and what I can do to make a difference here and now."

Reason 3: Giving up too Easily
Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. "Many people make their resolutions with a genuine belief that they can accomplish them, bu come February the excitement wears off and other priorities begin to take precedence," says Andrew Schrage, founder of MoneyCrashers. "To cure this issue, try to set benchmarks throughout the year. By doing so, you can keep yourself on track throughout the year and use the power of positive reinforcement to keep your momentum going."

Reason 4: Time Management
Sometimes you realize your resolution is a bigger time commitment than you'd originally intended. Instead of trying to accomplish it all in one day, break it up into manageable increments. "I resolve to devote five minutes a day to being clutter-free and organized," says professional organizer Melinda Massie. "The easiest way to get and stay organized and clutter-free is to make it a daily habit, and everyone can spare five minutes a day."

Reason 5: Unrealistic Resolutions
You may fantasize about your svelte new size-6 body or that six-figure job, but can you really make it happen before the year is out? "If you think you will lose 100 pounds in three months, this is not going to happen," says nutrition and fitness expert Erin Palinski. "You need to set a goal that is actually achievable in the time frame you set for yourself."

This also means being realistic with yourself and taking a hard, long look in the mirror. "Resolutions require changes in behavior, and most of us don't want to face that there is often a laundry list of changes to make," says Alabama-based clinical psychologist Josh Klapow. "So pick one you have confidence in and stick with it. It is far better to succeed at a smaller, more manageable resolution than to fail at a larger, loftier one."

Reason 6: No Plan
"The best resolutions are those that actually include a plan of action," says hypnotist Michael Ellner. Applebaum says people set themselves up for failure because they commit to a resolution, fully knowing they have no plan in place to actually achieve it.

"You need to create a plan that will help you achieve your goals," say Karena and Katrina, founders of ToneItUp.com. "Break your end goal down into smaller, weekly goals so you feel like you're working towards something immediate, and make a calendar with something to do every day that will get you closer to your desired result," they say.

Reason 7: Lack of Honesty
Are you truly committed to running a marathon, losing weight, or whatever else you are committing to do? Be honest with yourself. "Oftentimes we find ourselves committing to things because we think we should," Applebaum says. "Don't waste your time with that. You will only be disappointed in yourself. Make resolutions you actually want to achieve because you really want to and are actually going to put a plan of action towards," she says.

Reason 8: Wrong Perspective
While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Put it in perspective. "Rather than associating the New Year with resolutions or changes you need to make, consider it a time for reflection on things you wish to work on throughout the year," Applebaum says. "Quit dwelling on what you have not accomplished and focus on what you will accomplish instead."

Reason 9: Not Believing in Yourself
According to Beverly Hills psychotherapist Barbara Neitlich, sometimes all you need to keep going is a pat on the back—from yourself. "Congratulate yourself for your progress. The problem is that many individuals have a very black and white attitude. They see it as either you have achieved your goal or you have failed, but there is a grey area," she says.

If your goal was to send out ten resumes a week for a new job and you only sent out five, don't beat yourself up for it. "Rather, congratulate and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal. That will give you the energy and stamina you need to continue achieving your initial goal," Neitlich says. And kill yourself with kindness, says Silber. "With friends, we often offer kindness, praise, warmth, and positive feelings, but most people don't speak to themselves that way. Commit to offering that same kindness and compassion to yourself."

www.worldgymdc.com

Reset Your Metabolism In 2014: A New Way To Approach Food This Year

Have you hit a wall in your weight loss journey? Do you feel like no matter how little you eat you just can’t lose any weight? If this sounds like you, then why don't you try a something NEW in 2014? You can reset your metabolism and get you body burning calories like a furnace once more. Here is a no-frills, easy to follow plan. You could eat like this for the rest of your life (which is the idea) and have a good chance of sticking with it.

The Detox-Metabolism-Revving Diet Plan: 

1. TOSS: Go through your house & throw away anything with added chemicals, corn syrup, fake sweeteners, added colors or preservatives. Toss all the food, that isn’t real food. Hint: if it has a label telling you how healthy it is… its probably bad for you… read the ingredients.

2. VEGETABLES: Buy a wide array of colors, heavy on GREEN & leafy. The more colors the better. Pre-chopped & bagged is fine though more expensive (just make sure there is only ONE ingredient in the bag – no chemicals or additives). Buy organic as much as you can afford… especially the green leafy things.

3. FRUIT: Fruit is now your dessert. Buy organic if you can. Fruit is not breakfast or lunch, its not for a smoothie. Fruit is your sweet-treat now. Eat the whole fruit (no juicing).

4. CARBS / STARCH: Breakfast cereal, white rice, and white breads are out. Read labels and find the lowest sugar, most “whole-grain” bread you can find. OR even better, if you are up for it, cut gluten all together. I’ve not been able to do this, but I have really cut way back on anything containing wheat. Instead opt for whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, millet, and starches like sweet potatoes, beans and legumes. Attempt to cook these items from scratch vs opening cans as much as possible. If you have to start with cans, fine. Try and move to the dried version as soon as you can.

5. MEAT: Meat is now a condiment instead of the main course. Fill up on vegetables first, unprocessed carbs/starch next and meat last. Look for meat that is grass-fed when possible and at least anti-biotic free if you can. 3-4 ounces of meat at dinner is more than plenty. Less at lunch.

6. DAIRY: No rBHT treated cows! Cattle feed should be GMO free! Personally I don’t eat a ton of dairy in any form. Consider limiting dairy if you eat a lot of it. You can easily get more fat than you need in a day from dairy. Also, many people don’t even realize they have issues with dairy digestion which can lead to inflammation*

7. SAUCES / CONDIMENTS: When you cleaned your kitchen of all food-stuff with chemicals and preservatives most of your sauces and condiments should have been tossed as well. Season food with citrus juice, chili flakes, pepper, a small splash of good olive oil or vinegar. Hot sauces made with no additives are great choices for adding flavor without the junk. If you cook, make some of your own sauces!

8. DESSERTS: See # 3 and perhaps a small amount of dark chocolate now and then.

9. NO TRANS-FATS. Enough said. Fat itself is not a problem, but trans-fats are poison.

10. ORGANIC: Buy organic – as much as you can afford & especially the green leafy foods.

11. QUANTITY: Lets not measure yet, but here are a few tips:

• Instead start using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
• You can have fat & carbs, but don’t go crazy. Veggies are what should be more than 1/2 of what you eat.

Bottom line: Yes you are going to have to eat real food &  have to cook unless you can get someone to cook for you. But you are going to love the results.

How much should you eat?
Here is the great part.  You should eat at LEAST 5 times a day,  3 meals + 2 snacks.  No more skipping breakfast or lunch and pigging out at night when you are starving.

www.worldgymdc.com