5 Ways to Slash Calories on Thanksgiving

Good old Turkey Day is right around the corner. What started as a holiday to give thanks for the harvest has now turned into a day where most Americans eat until their pants burst and sit around watching football afterwards. (Or you’re doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen. In my family this was determined by your sex, but not sure about other families. Wink wink.)

So, here are a few tips to slash calories on Thanksgiving and to not let all of those extras turn into fat on our bodies.

#1: Know your math.
I’m usually not a fan of calorie counting per say, but on a day like this with so many temptations it is a helpful tool to use. An excess of 3500 calories will add one pound of fat to your body if it is not used for energy. The amount of calories in a typical Thanksgiving meal is close to a whole day’s worth of calories or more depending on your metabolic rate.

Here is a quick guide to a typical Thanksgiving meal:

2 glasses of sweetened tea, wine or cider: 300 calories
1 oz. of cheese: 100 calories
6 oz. white or dark turkey: 340 calories
1/3 cup of gravy: 100 calories
1/6 can of cranberry sauce: 100 calories
1/2 cup of stuffing: 180 calories
1/2 cup mashed potatoes: 150 calories
1/2 cup sauteed green beans: 50 calories
1 dinner roll w/ 1 pat of butter: 155 calories
1 cup of eggnog: 400 calories
1 piece of apple pie (1/8 of 9" pie): 410 calories

Total Thanksgiving dinner: 2185 calories


Tip #2: The morning burn.
Before you start cooking (or whatever you do), schedule time to get to the gym on Thursday morning. If you can’t get to a gym, go for a walk/jog/run outside or do an exercise video. No excuses. Wake up 40 minutes earlier if you have to to squeeze it in. This will fire up your metabolism for the rest of the day and you will burn more calories.

Tip #3: Plan your drinks wisely.
We all know by now that soda is just empty calories and loaded with sugar, so skip it and drink water instead. Egg nog alternatives like those made from soy (Silk nog), are delicious and less than half of the calories. If you drink juice or sweetened teas, dilute them with water and slash your calories in half. If you are drinking alcoholic beverages have a limit. Also, if you use spirits don’t use mixers that have sugar like fruit juices and soda. Use club soda, tonic and a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime to save on calories.

Tip #4: Put a Rainbow on Your Plate.
Include green vegetables like broccoli and salad, orange sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, yellow squash and purple eggplant and before you know it there won’t be too much room left for white foods like bread, pasta, white rice and white potatoes. These white foods have higher glycemic indexes and will spike your sugar faster setting you up for weight gain. Eating from the rainbow will ensure that you get a wide array of antioxidants, minerals and fiber.

Tip #5: Make your own desserts.
Store bought desserts are loaded with gross trans fats and high fructose syrup. Follow a recipe but cut the amount of sugar you use or better yet, substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for sugar in recipes. You never need as much as the recipes call for. Make an apple pie without the bottom crust or make a pumpkin pie that has half of the calories than an apple pie.

New Urban Warrior LA Fitness Class: First Class is on me!

My very own brand of fitness classes called Urban Warrior kickboxing classes are now in Los Angeles (from NYC!).

The Urban Warrior kickboxing class is an intense mix of boxing, kickboxing, yoga, conditioning, fat-burning cardio, core strength, and always ends with a martial meditation leaving you empowered, centered and focused to take on your day. Urban warriors want maximum results and efficiency. My students typically burn an average of 500 calories per Urban Warrior class and boost their metabolism for the rest of the day.

Your first class is on me! You only have to do one thing: Pass this on to one friend you know that may be interested in trying it out. Pretty easy! And I will happily comp your first class. This offer is good just through the month of November.

Classes are on Wednesday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30.
Swerve Studio
8250 W. 3rd Street, corner of Sweetzer

I promise you a fun-filled hour of power that will leave you energized for the rest of the day!

Keep in mind that I also offer private and semi-private training to specifically meet your needs and goals as well as nutrition counseling as a certified nutritionist. Email me to inquire for rates and availability.

You can also go to Swerve's website at http://swervestudio.com/classes_instructors.php#70.

See you soon and stay fit!

E! TV Appearance: Stilettos and Self Defense

Check me out on E! TV giving a self defense demonstration hosted by "That Morning Show"'s very own Karla Cavalli and Mark Long.

It was a super fun experience and I got a chance to let American women know that they too can release their inner "She Beast" and tap into their inner power in the face of any adversity! I love it!

Click on the title or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUjJw87ZMos