Search This Blog

Monday, January 28, 2013

Heathy Recipes: Soup's On!

It's been windy and rainy lately in Hawaii, and that means just one thing--it's time for some soup! Soup is the perfect comfort food. Not only is it easy to make, it's economical, filling, nourishing, and can be low in fat and calories! The trick is to use healthy ingredients and to avoid excessive butter and cream. Check out some of our favorite light recipes! 

Tomato Soup (from Health Magazine) 

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 129 
Fat: 7.3 grams 
Protein: 3 grams 
Carbs: 16 grams 
Sugars: 9 grams 
Fiber: 4 grams 

Minestrone Soup (by Ellie Krieger) 

Serving Size: 2 cups 
Calories: 260 
Fat: 8 grams
Protein: 15 grams  
Carbs: 37 grams 
Fiber: 10 grams 

Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup (by Skinnytaste) 

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups 
Calories: 306 
Fat: 6 grams 
Protein: 28 grams 
Carbs: 37.5 grams 
Sugar: 3 grams 
Fiber: 13.5 grams 

Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage (by Skinnytaste) 

Serving Size: 1 2/3 cups 
Calories: 232 
Fat: 4 grams
Protein: 19 grams  
Carbs: 31 grams 
Sugar: 3 grams 
Fiber: 5.5 grams 



Ladle up a cup of one of these soups with your family this week! 






Friday, January 25, 2013

Last Chance to Register for the Great Aloha Run!

Today is the LAST day to register for the Great Aloha Run! The 8.15 mile race is on Monday, February 18th. All DumBell classes will be canceled that day and rescheduled for the end of the session, so there is no excuse to not attend! 

Make sure to register as part of the DBF President's 100 Club. All PC members receive an extra goodie bag at the Expo, and after the race, they receive a backstage pass that comes with free massages, pizza, and beverages. We have almost met our goal of 100 Boot Camp participants, but we still need a few more! Make sure to sign-up under our group number, which is 168. You will enter the number during the 2nd step of the registration process. Register online today! 

We can't wait to see you all on Race Day! Let's go, DBF! 


The DBF Group in 2012! 

Recruits sporting their DumBell Gear at the 2012 race! 


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wednesday's Winners: Lauren Lanier

Please join us in congratulating Lauren Lanier, the December Biggest Loser Winner for the Ford Island 0715 class! 

After two months in Boot Camp, Lauren has lost 7 pounds. "I joined DumBell CORP in December, and I'm hoping to take my weight loss to the next level!" In addition to CORP and Boot Camp, Lauren is also training for the Great Aloha Run. When she can, she also squeezes in family hikes. "I'm still working on my diet with CORP, but my family really enjoys the array of fresh fruit that is available in Hawaii! I've never tasted pineapple so good! My goal with changing my diet is to not go for the prepackaged diet foods like I have in the past and instead learn how to make healthier meals for the whole family." 

Trainer Christina Landry has enjoyed watching Lauren's progress. "It has been a joy to see Lauren opening up to the world of fitness and health. With her hard work and focus on nutrition I have no doubt we'll see future successes from her! She always brings her A-game to class. I wish her continued success and know that she will achieve all the goals she has set forth for herself!"

Lauren and Christina
"My favorite part about Boot Camp is the other recruits," says Lauren. "I have met some really wonderful people, heard inspiring stories, and they make it a lot easier to get up so early and come. I love Christina for all her 'isms' that get stuck in my head. Every time I don't want to get up, I hear her pushing me on!" 

Congratulations again, Lauren! 


Monday, January 21, 2013

Vote for Military Spouse of the Year!

Owner and lead trainer of DumBell Fitness, Christina Landry, has been nominated for Military Spouse of the Year! To advance to the next round of the competition, she needs your votes! Voting takes place online on Tuesday, January 22nd ONLY.  Please help us spread the word! 

Click here to view Christina's profile page. 

Click here to vote! 

Thank you in advance for your support! 




Friday, January 18, 2013

Healthy Habits: Working Out While Pregnant!


“Christina, I’m pregnant. Should I keep working out?” I always answer with a question, “Is this a high risk pregnancy?” If yes, I tell the client to quit immediately. Thankfully, the answer is usually no, but sometimes the client is still hesitant. Allow me to ease some of your fears with a list of proven benefits that come from exercising while growing a human being on the inside:

  • Your body will be better prepared for delivery 
  • You'll be able to control your weight gain 
  • Better control over balance and coordination 
  • A decrease in normal pregnancy aches and pains 
  • Higher chance of having a smoother faster labor 
  • You'll bounce back to your pre-pregnancy size more quickly 

If you’re already taking a DBF Boot Camp it should be easy for you to continue until about 20 weeks. After 20 weeks we will readdress your physical state on a case-by-case basis. You will know when Boot Camp has become too much. I had one unique client continue Boot Camp until she was well into her 8th month of pregnancy. (I literally had to kick her out to take the Hot Mama’s class!) Most clients tend to switch over around five or six months into the pregnancy. The ultimate decision will have to be made by you and your doctor. After all, you know your body better than anyone else.  

The good news is the transition into our Hot Mama’s class will be an easy one for you. Our qualified instructor, Laurie Weber, follows the same DBF Boot Camp format, but makes low-impact modifications for our mothers-to-be. The following are some great modifications to start you with:

1. Working out your back is extremely important; largely due to the amount of stress it will endure while supporting your growing belly. Continue working out with resistance bands. Creating your own row machine while seated on the floor is a great back exercise. 

2. Instead of lower back exercises like Super Heroes try Yoga style Cat/Cow stretches. Check out our DumBell Yoga class for more explanation. 




3. Instead of Swimmers to target the lower back, combine abs, lower back, and glutes by starting on all fours and reaching out with your right arm and left leg. Then bring them in and stretch out the opposite side limbs.


4. Planks are still a great exercise to use for the abdominal region.

5. Instead of using weights for resistance, just use your body’s resistance while doing leg exercises like squats and lunges.

6. All cardio burst should include one foot on the ground at all times. Goodbye jumping jacks, hello half jacks!


Remember to listen to your body. If an exercise seems too intense or too strenuous, simply step back and try a modified version of it. (Yes, there is a modified version of Burpees for pregnant women. So, don’t take it too easy on yourself!) You can find many more ideas related to working out while pregnant and clean eating ideas for baby once they arrive on our DumBell Fitness Pinterest account.

So get out there, keep moving, and we’ll see you back in Boot Camp once the little ones are six weeks old! 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

DumBell Gives Back: Operation Homefront Update!


Back in November, we held a donation drive for our local Operation Homefront's Holiday Meals for Military campaign, and with your help, we raised $1900! Each recipient received a meal consisting of a ham, a pie, green beans, corn, yams, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, biscuits, and bottled water. Thank you for helping us give military families a very happy holiday! 


Operation Homefront Volunteers 

All the food bags ready for distribution! 











Monday, January 14, 2013

Project Green Thumb: Container Gardening

Gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh produce. You can control every element of your food--the soil, the fertilizer, and the variety. It's a wonderful way to incorporate truly local, organic food into your daily diet. However, not everyone has the space to have a traditional in-ground garden. That's where container gardening comes in!

Container gardens come in all shapes and sizes. Some people simply have a few pots of herbs, while others use old wine or shipping crates to create a larger garden. (Christina has a very large raised container garden, which you can learn more about here and here.)

Veggies that do well in container gardens: 

Lettuces 
Swiss Chard 
Cherry Tomatoes 
Fennel
Radishes 
Onions
Herbs 

Tips to keep your container garden thriving: 
  1. It is more "stressful" for plants to grow in containers than in the ground, so they will dry out more quickly. Make sure to water them more often than you would a regular garden plant. 
  2. Because they are deprived of the natural nutrients found in the ground, they will also need to be fertilized more often. Most experts recommend using fertilizer every third to fourth watering. 
  3. Make sure to give potted plants plenty of room to grow. It's tempting to crowd them to make them look more full, but that will also cause them to be "stressed." 

Here are two great resources for starting your container garden! 


How to Start a Container Garden (includes in-depth tips about items to plant, and how much soil/water each individual plant needs) 


Already have a container garden? About to start one? Send us your photos and we'll feature them on the blog! 



Friday, January 11, 2013

Quick Tips: The Importance of Food Journals

A key teaching point of our 6-week nutritional course, DumBell CORP, is the importance of keeping an accurate food journal. People that keep a diary lose 50% more weight than those that do not. Here's a few reasons why a good log can help you be successful! 

We're Busy: These days, we are so overscheduled, that we can honestly not realize how much food we put into our mouths during the day. Between snacks, "tastes", and beverages, we can easily add hundreds of calories to our daily total. Keeping a journal will help you realize how much you're actually consuming in a day. 

Accountability: Writing everything down and actually seeing what you eat increases your perception of your daily diet. If you know you have to write it down, you will think twice about eating it! 

Learn portion size: No longer will you just say that you had a medium bowl of cereal. You will write down that you had one cup of cereal, and you'll list the calories. After a few weeks of measuring all of your meals, you will again learn about appropriate portions sizes! 

Emotional connection: In addition to writing down your meals, also write down how you were feeling when you ate. Keeping track of your emotional health can show a pattern of what triggers your unhealthy eating. Is it stress? Are you fatigued? Is your spouse traveling? Once you know your triggers, you can arm yourself with tools to combat them. 


To be successful, be consistent with your journaling. And most importantly, BE HONEST. If you had a bad day, write it down. If you had a good day, write it down! If you lie or try to fudge your calories, you will only hurt yourself. 

Keep a small notebook in your purse so you never have an excuse to skip writing down your calories. Or, use a smartphone app! Some of the highest rated are the SparkPeople Diet and Food Tracker and MyFitnessPal. 


We hope you'll use this proven (and free!) weight-loss tool, and take control of your diet today!


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

DumBell Gives Back: Training the Military!

On January 4th, 32 crew members of the LSV-4 (logistic support vessel), part of the 163rd transporation detachment, were worked out by Halsey Trainer Devin Snevel! The mission of the 163rd is transporting military and DOD equipment in the Pacific Region. 








"The ladies and gentleman of the LSV-4 did exceptionally well in the class," said Devin. "I did not expect anything less since they PT almost every day. During squat exercises that they do not normally do, I could tell it was more challenging for them compared to say push ups, but they were really troopers and pushed through! They did a fantastic job!" 




Some comments from the crew post-work out! 

"I didn't know how out of shape I was until today." 

"It felt good mostly...until we started working our backs!" 

"Someone is going to have to help me up the ladder on the boat." 

"That is one great work out!" 



Monday, January 7, 2013

Trainer's Grocery Lists: Alicia's List!

The start of 2013 is the start, a renewal, or a continuation of living a healthy lifestyle for many of our recruits. Today's trainer's grocery list will help with any of those resolutions! Hickam trainer Alicia Palmer has shared her typical family grocery items with us today, and we love how well-rounded and tasty her normal haul is! Have any additions or questions? Post it in the comments section! 

This is what I usually have in the house. I don't generally buy cookies or granola bars or anything like that, but I do make them for my kids. I also try to make some sort of muffins or waffles or something like that for breakfast for the week on Sunday. My kids are pretty picky eaters, but I try to make them eat as clean as I can- but they definitely do not eat like I do.

My typical meals:

Breakfast: overnight oatmeal (oats, yogurt, milk, honey, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon) and a banana

Lunch: leftovers, or peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple

Dinner: about 80% vegetables, then some kind of protein- either meat or beans

I also get a bi-weekly fruit and veggie delivery from Kula fields.


Costco:

Tillamook Cheddar Cheese
Kirkland brand wheat bead (no high fructose corn syrup, and a deal! 2 huge loaves for 4.50)
Craisins
Some sort of trail mix, I like the dried fruit and nuts mix
Organic frozen chicken breast
Panko-coated frozen chicken breasts (the raw ones)
Any fruit/veg that is in season. Berries in the summer, clementines in the winter
Organic apples when they have them in
Kirkland brand organic salsa
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Coffee
Honey
Vanilla

Commissary:

Produce: 

Apples
Bananas
Spinach
Tomatos
Avocados
Zucchini
Beets
Sweet peppers
Strawberries
Squash:  spaghetti, acorn, butternut
Sweet potatoes
Grapes
Pears
Garlic
Ginger

Meat/Poultry:

Flank steak
Pork loin or chops
Italian sausage (either the all chicken, or the chicken pork mix)
Ground beef
Bacon
Lunchmeat (when my hubs is home)

Dairy: 

Milk
Half and half
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Go-Gurt (kids)
String cheese (kids)
Mozzarella cheese
Feta or blue cheese
Parmesan cheese
Cream cheese (kids)
Unsalted butter

Frozen Items: 

Frozen pizza (cheese)
Frozen edamame
Frozen mixed veggies (kids)
Kashi frozen waffles (sometimes)

Snack/Bread/Pasta Items: 

Pretzels
Tortilla chips (occasionally)
Graham crackers
Cheez-its (kids occasionally)
Kashi crackers
Oatmeal (I like Old Wessex 5 grain cereal- but I am having a hard time finding it!)
Raisins 
Bagels (kids, hubs)
Spaghetti (kids)
Quinoa 

Canned/Baking Items: 

Muir Glen spaghetti sauce
Applesauce (mostly used for baking instead of oil)
Canned pumpkin
Chocolate chips
White sugar
Brown sugar
King Arthur white whole wheat flour (usually find this at Target)
Apple cider vinegar
Pam
Chicken stock (if I do not have homemade)
Garbanzo beans, dried or canned
Black beans, dried
Lentils, dried








Wednesday, January 2, 2013

New Class Offering: DumBell Pilates!

As if the return of DumBell CORP wasn't enough, we are also introducing DumBell Pilates! This program will complement our current DumBell Yoga offering, and will be offered on Thursdays from 0830-0930. DumBell Yoga will be held on Mondays from 0830-0930, and both classes will continue to have free childcare. To register for this class, a punch card is required. Punch cards can be purchased for $50 at the DumBell office on MWF from 1000-1400. 

Class Description: 

This 60 minute class is a form of body conditioning designed to lengthen, strengthen and sculpt your muscles. This method places emphasis on muscle awareness, balance, breath, concentration, core, precision and flow. Learn how to use your body efficiently during your daily routines and workouts. Please bring a yoga mat and water to class.


Instructor Bio:


Tanya Rogers (one of our Ford Island recruits!) began her classical ballet training in San Diego and it was there she was exposed to the Pilates method of body conditioning at the early age of 14. She went on to dance professionally with City Ballet of San Diego for over 7 years and it was during this time she discovered the benefits of Pilates. Trained by Master Instructor Rael Isacowitz, Tanya earned her certificate in mat and equipment-based Pilates in 2003. She uses her knowledge in anatomy and movement to help each client reach their fitness goals with attention to detail, body awareness and alignment.



Update: FREE class offering! 

For those that DO NOT already have a Yoga/Pilates punch card, we are offering a free demo class on Tuesday, January 8th, from 0830-0930. Childcare is included. The first 30 minutes of the class will focus on Pilates; the second half of the class will focus on Yoga. This class is limited to the first 20 eligible participants. To register, e-mail j.hartman@dumbell-fit.com. Again, this class is only open to those that do not currently have a Yoga/Pilates punch card.  


Both Yoga and Pilates are a wonderful addition to your regular Boot Camp workout. Sign-up today!