fit.tam: 2012

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Baked Potato Make-Over

It's that time of year again. Outside, leaves are falling and the fall air is crisp and cool. The time of year that makes me want to cuddle up in bed with something warm and sinful. Today I had a craving for a hot baked potato, loaded with all the toppings- melted butter, sour cream, crumbled bacon, and of course an abundant sprinkling of melted cheese. However, a baked potato with all the trimmings is not too friendly on the waistline, with about 620 calories and 33 grams of fat! So instead of feeling guilty about my food choice, I decided to give the traditional baked potato a make-over! By swapping out some of the fattening toppings for more healthy options, I was able to slash the number of calories to 315, and eliminate 14 grams of fat! Now you will be able to enjoy piping hot baked potatoes with all of the delicious toppings all fall and winter long!

Made-Over Baked Potato

1 Smart Potato (I used Pro Health Baking Potatoes from Hy-Vee, which I got on sale--only $1.79 for a 10-lb bag!)

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt

2 Tsp Low Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 Slices Low Sodium Turkey Bacon

First, preheat your oven to 400 F. Scrub your potato and dry well with a towel. Take a fork and pierce the skin of the potato about four times on each side. Rub the olive oil all over the potato. This will create a delicious crispy skin! When the oven is ready, place the potato directly on the rack, in about the middle of the oven. On the rack below, place a piece of aluminum foil to catch any drippings. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the potato is tender. Meanwhile, cook the turkey bacon in a skillet. Let cool and then crumble into small pieces. When the potato is done, remove carefully from the oven. Cut the potato in half, and top with yogurt, cheese, and bacon bits. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to speed up the cooking process, the potato and bacon can be cooked via microwave. I personally love the way a potato skin crisps up in the oven, but I regularly use a microwave when crunched for time. These make a great and healthy lunch option as well! Bring your toppings and potato to work with you. At lunch time, pop your potato in the microwave and you will have a fresh hot meal in minutes! Feel free to experiment with new toppings as well! Thanks for stopping by :)

here's to living,

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Kaching!

I recently became a Student Ambassador for CengageBrain.com. Having previously purchased books through my college bookstore, I was amazed at how much money I was throwing away by not taking advantage of other companies. There are many reasons why to buy or rent your books at CengageBrain.com, but the most convincing one is definitely their low prices. Here are some specific reasons to check if CengageBrain.com has your textbooks for the upcoming semesters.

Their prices are up to 65% off! Because books are so expensive, these kinds of reduced prices can really save you lots of money. And every college student loves having a little extra spending money!
They provide seasonal promotions, offering additional discounts and savings!
Free shipping on orders over $25! Free is my favorite four letter word :)
There are multiple format options available for your textbooks. I personally prefer having the fell of an actual book for most of my textbooks, but in certain instances I have used the e text versions and found them very convenient and affordable.
If you are late on ordering your books or have to have a certain textbook in a short period of time, CengageBrain.com offers free ebook access while your textbook ships!

These are just a few of my favorite advantages that come with using CengageBrain.com as my textbook and ebook provider. If that isn't enough to convince you to check it out, here's one more incentive. Using the promotional code CEN00083 will give you an additional 15% savings on your ENTIRE order. I'm so happy that I have found CengageBrain.com. I have saved so much money and time by purchasing all of my books there. I hope you have as much luck as I have had!
here's to living,
T.

http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/index.html

Monday, July 23, 2012

Glitz & Glam

Glitz & Glam by tamara-reisch featuring black handbags

Lipsy sequin dress
$170 - lipsy.co.uk

Victoria's Secret high heels
victoriassecret.com

Dorothy Perkins black handbag
dorothyperkins.com

River Island wrap bracelet
$20 - riverisland.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

the one about kisado

The most important thing to remember about working out is to enjoy what you are doing. Being healthy is a lifestyle change, and if you want it to be a part of your life, you need to enjoy it. There is truly no way around it. If you dread your work out and spend every second wishing you were done with it, then you won't stick with it and you won't get good results. Experiment with different forms of physical activity until you find something that is fun to do. However, don't confuse fun with easy. Your work out should still be challenging. There is no greater feeling than completing a tough work out! Variety is also important. Participating several different activities keeps your work outs fresh and exciting. It also has its physical benefits. By keeping your body "guessing", you can achieve greater results as you won't fall into the dreaded plateau. Incorporate dynamic and challenging work outs into your routine. Find goals such as running a 5K or competing in a triathlon to fuel your motivation and movement! My friends and I have written up a weekly schedule, where we are taking up a variety of fitness classes. We look forward to our work out "dates". In the past 5 days I have tried so many new things! From Sweatshop, a high intensity interval class that pushed me to my limit, to Zumba, a fun weekend dance adventure, to Kisado, an interval class which incorporated punching bags to make working out even more of a fun stress reliever, the classes we went to were new and exciting. We are amazed at the benefits we have noticed this early! We sleep better at night and have more energy in the day. We also feel more inspired to eat healthy and drink adequate amounts of water, so we are not undermining our results. I even feel stronger and my abs look great when I wake up in the morning :) I never have regretted working out, and I doubt I ever really will. Don't undermine your goals, go out and make them happy!
here's to living,
T.


My fitness inspiration, Jennifer Nicole Lee!

Photo Credit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8894523.htm

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

the one about making plans

As previously mentioned, having a set plan for achieving any goal is a necessity. Establishing a clear action plan to accomplish your dreams will help you stay focused and organized. Today I sat down with my two good friends, TiAnna and Andrea, to construct a work out schedule. Our University's Wellness Center offers a wide variety of free fitness classes, and we have finally decided to take advantage of them. Having a group of supporters not only builds up motivation, but it increases reliability. It is much easier to let yourself out of doing something than to abandon a friend! Because we are in class for most of the day, we have scheduled to work out in the evening. The classes we will be attending throughout the week include Kisado, a high-intensity interval training course, Bosu Playground, a cardio/strength training mix done entirely on a Bosu trainer, Kick & Sculpt, a high energy kick boxing class, and Sweatshop, a Insanity-inspired class which focuses on intense and fast-paced training. I am excited to finally be taking advantage of these classes. Each day will offer a different way for me to break a sweat and get my heart rate up! In addition, we plan to do some P90X-inspired ab training. I also hope to continue some light weight training, because I just love the sculpted results that it offers :) If you have a fitness goal in mind, team up and create a strategy. Don't let your motivation to make yourself better fade!
here's to living,
T.

A little motivation for all those who are starting something new!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

the one about getting fit

Yesterday, my best friend Kelli and I had a work out date at the University's Wellness Center. Living a healthy lifestyle is something that is really important to me, but it seems that I let so much get in the way of it. From making less than stellar eating choices at Commons to spending my spare time watching Mad Men instead of logging some much needed miles to wasting time and money on the ultimate empty calories, alcohol, I have found my goals for healthy living indefinitely stalled. However, I don't want my inability to act on my goals to be a defining quality of mine. So I am going to try to take things into my own hands. The thing about healthy living is that the only way it will ever work is if YOU yourself decide to make changes. No other person can make you do it, not if you want it to be a lasting decision anyways. Something that Kelli said yesterday really put things into perspective for me. Her new fitness mantra was "Eat for the body you want, not for the one you have." What a true and inspiring statement. If you imagine the body you want whenever you make a food decision, I am sure that it will be easier to make healthy decisions. I think that the most important step when deciding to live a healthy lifestyle is to have a set plan and some basic goals. This is really the only way you can evaluate what needs to be done, within both your diet and physical activity. I would highly suggest reading The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. Tosca is one of my greatest fitness inspirations. She has completely turned her life around by embracing a healthy lifestyle. Her books are easy and enjoyable reads. She lays down the basics of "Clean Eating," as well as the importance of physical activity. She also has oodles of delicious and healthy recipes, which makes Eating Clean a pleasant experience. I would also suggest subscribing to Oxygen Magazine. I can't help but get excited and a fresh wave of motivation every time I get my monthly issue. Oxygen magazine provides fresh and current information, work outs, and recipes for people who are serious about healthy eating and intense work outs. I also subscribe to Fitness Rx and Muscle and Fitness Hers. I am excited to establish my goals and create a plan to achieve my best body yet!
here's to living,
T.