Need to save money when buying healthy groceries? I have your solution!
Looking at your bank account each month you may wonder, “Where does it all go?” The cost of living increases each year, but there’s a good chance your bank account doesn’t.
One cost that’s going up and up and up is the price you pay for food. What happened to the days when a loaf of bread cost 50 cents and a gallon of milk cost a couple bucks? A little something called inflation. Thanks to inflation and some other factors, food costs have practically doubled over the past 20 years!
Don’t lose heart just yet! Use these practical tips to save on food each month without spending hours clipping coupons. Here’s 5 easy ways to save money:
#1 Stick to a List
Whether you shop for groceries once a week or once a month, make a list of what you need. Plan your meals ahead of time, inspect your pantry for what you already have, then make a list of what you still need for each meal.
Keep in mind that making a list is only half the trick. Once you get to the store, you’ve got to stick to your list. A list takes the guesswork out of what you need to buy. It also makes you less likely to buy on impulse the things you don’t need—that bag of chips, candy bar, and pint of ice cream.
If you need help planning meals in advance or have special dietary needs, there are websites dedicated to planning meals and creating a shopping list. Try the Menu Planner on Allrecipes.com.
#2 Paper Not Plastic
Take advice from financial experts and make a budget. Know how much you can spend on food each month. Then use cash for your purchases. Instead of paying with plastic (credit cards), pay with cash. Research has shown that people who pay with cash spend 12 to 18 percent less on groceries than those who use credit cards. So take your budgeted amount of cash to the grocery store with you and you’ll have no choice but to stick with it and save money in the process!
#3 Go Generic
Another way to save money on food is to buy the store brand. For the most part, the store brand taste just as good as their name-brand counterparts. Occasionally, you’ll even find that some of them taste better than the pricier options. As a wallet-saving perk, you’ll be able to save as much as 20 percent on your food bill.
#4 Shop Around
It may not be as convenient, but shopping at more than one store makes it possible to save shoppers as much as 15 percent on your groceries. Compare prices at two or three grocery stores and see which one offers the best deals on the foods you regularly buy. Also, don’t be afraid to shop grocery discount stores. You may not be able to get everything on your list at one store, but if you have the time, it’s worth it. Shopping at more than one store won’t save time, but it’ll save money. Once you figure out where to go for what items, the extra time it takes will be negligible.
#5 Do It Yourself
If you prefer convenience over price, this money saving tip isn’t for you. Buying pre-made food or foods in small packages may save you time when you’re packing the kids’ lunches, but it won’t save you money. It is definitely cheaper to buy food in large packages and then divvy it up yourself. Pre-packaged snacks can cost up to three times as much as the normal package. And it’s not just the snacks. Salad mixes, sliced fruits, spice mixes all cost more than doing it yourself.
Watch Your Savings
Grocery shopping can get old. You may in fact dread going to the store…again. It’s especially dreadful when the cashier rings up your total. Adopt a few of these money-saving tips, however, and your next trip to the grocery store may become something you can tolerate!
Who doesn’t like pizza? A healthy pizza is even better! It’s a favorite meal that’s simple, delicious, and can be topped with all sorts of foods. Unfortunately, the way pizza is often prepared makes it high in saturated fats, calories, and sodium. With one slice of pizza ringing in at 300 calories, it’s easy to ruin your best dieting intentions with one meal. Add high-calorie toppings and the count goes even higher.
So if you’re watching your weight, pizza usually isn’t an option. But if you’re craving a slice or two of pizza, there are ways to make it diet friendly while keeping that delicious taste you crave.
From the crust to the sauce to the cheese and toppings, here are tips to make your pizza night low in fat and high in nutritious goodness.
Crust
Whether you prefer thin crust or thick crust, the best way to make it healthy is to buy or make whole-wheat dough. Find simple, easy recipes online for whole-wheat dough or substitute white flour for wheat in your recipe. Crust made from whole-wheat flour will increase the fiber in your pizza by 50 percent. And as you know, foods high in fiber are great for your digestive system and keep you feeling full for longer. (What a great trick for eating less!)
Make an even healthier crust by adding a vegetable in the dough. Look for a recipe that adds zucchini, cauliflower, or squash to the ingredients. Your taste buds and health will both benefit!
Sauce
Pizza sauce can either make or break a pizza. Red sauce, pesto, garlic sauce, and hummus are healthy options. Red sauce has half the sodium of white sauce and less saturated fat. If you love white sauce, find a recipe made without butter or cream but uses skim milk and Parmesan cheese. If using tomato sauce, use lots of it. Tomato sauce contains high amounts of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that fights disease.
Cheese
What would pizza be without cheese? Unfortunately, the majority of calories and saturated fat found in pizza come from cheese. Cheese may be a great source of calcium, but it is high in calories. With many different types of cheese to choose from, your best bet for a healthy pizza is to go easy on the cheese, use a low-fat option, or substitute with a vegetarian cheese alternative.
Meat
The processed meats commonly used on pizza are not options if you’re trying to eat healthily. Sausage and pepperoni are greasy and high in fats, and they’re associated with an increased risk of colorectal and stomach cancers. If you’re craving meat on your pizza, try lean options such as chicken or shrimp. If pepperoni is your favorite topping, try seasoned chorizo instead. This cured meat has 80 mg less sodium and 20 fewer calories than pepperoni. Replace Italian sausage with chicken sausage to cut the calories and fat in half. Because of the high sodium content of anchovies, try olives. Better yet, keep the meat off your pizza and become a pizza vegetarian.
Toppings
Next come the toppings. Load your pizza with as many vegetables (or fruits) that you like. You can’t have too many! Low in calories, veggies and fruits will add extra flavor, as well as ample fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Great veggie topping options include onions, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, olives, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, zucchini, peas, potatoes, corn, or asparagus. Fruit can even be yummy on certain types of pizza. Try pineapples, pears, figs, or apples.
Whether you get creative or go traditional, your pizza topping options are endless. Plan a family night in the kitchen and let the kids help make their own pizzas. That way everyone can be happy and healthy at the same time!
If you have arthritis, physical activity may be the last thing you feel like doing. The pain, stiffness, and swelling associated with arthritis often limit your range of motion and leave you feeling fatigued and depressed.
But inactivity can lead to muscle loss, weight gain, and tighter joints.
Make exercise part of your treatment plan.
Depending on what kind of arthritis you have, your physical therapist or physician can help you develop an exercise program that includes three or four types of exercise: range-of-motion, endurance, strengthening, and hydrotherapy. The combination of these exercises will help relieve symptoms and improve one’s quality of life.
How can these exercises benefit those with arthritis and how do you do them?
Why Exercise?
Though you may not feel like moving with arthritis, the benefits are usually well worth the effort. When living with arthritis, the right type of exercise may increase joint mobility, improve muscle strength and flexibility, help you maintain a healthy weight to lessen pressure on your joints, protect joints from additional damage, keep your bones and cartilage strong, and improve your endurance and overall fitness level.
Range-of-Motion Exercises
Many people find arthritic pain relief by keeping the affected joint bent, whether hands, fingers, or knees. A bent joint may bring temporary relief, but keeping a joint held in the same position for long may eventually cause permanent loss of movement or worsen the condition to the point that you’re no longer able to perform normal daily tasks.
Range-of-motion exercises are also called flexibility or stretching exercises. These exercises work to counteract the desire to keep one’s joints bent. The goal of these exercises is to keep joints functioning as normal as possible by improving flexibility and joint mobility.
By gently straightening and bending each of your joints, you’ll help preserve their normal function. Straighten and bend your joint only as far as you can without discomfort. Each session you may be able to straighten and bend more until a near-normal range of motion is achieved. Then these exercises will help to maintain your mobility.
Flexibility and stretching exercises are also used as a warm-up for your strengthening and endurance exercises.
Strengthening Exercises
Another important type of exercise to include in your arthritis treatment is strengthening exercise. These activities work to keep your muscles strong. When you have strong muscles, you’re better able to support weak joints and protect them from more damage. Isometrics and isotonics are two types of helpful strengthening exercises.
Isometric exercises improve muscle strength without requiring you to bend your painful joints. In these exercises, your muscles get a workout by flexing and relaxing.
Isotonic exercises involve joint movement and are usually done with by increasing weight resistance with dumbbells or stretch bands.
Endurance Training
A third type of exercise recommended for those with arthritis is endurance exercise, also called aerobic or cardio exercise. Endurance exercise leads to increased stamina, strong muscles, and weight loss—all three which will reduce pressure on joints. Endurance exercises are those that get your heart rate elevated and your blood pumping. Start out slow, but work your way up to 30 minutes a day on most days of the week.
As you enter the world of endurance training, find an exercise that places the least stress on your joints. Good options might include walking, bicycling, tai chi, or swimming. Hydrotherapy, or aqua therapy, is also a great option. An exercise program that takes place in a pool, hydrotherapy is designed for those with painful joints or other medical conditions.
Since arthritic pain often comes and goes, be careful not to overdo it on your good days. Avoid any high impact activities such as running or jumping, and listen to your body. If a specific exercise makes your problem worse, find what works for you and stick with it.
Starting on Monday, June 10, 2013, local Dearborn Boot Camp Weapons 4 Weight Loss will host an evening session at 8pm at Levagood Park in Dearborn.
Not a morning person? Not to worry! Now you can get all the fat-melting benefits of the indoor morning class, without feeling like you’re dragging ass! No more excuses!
Evening classes will run Monday through Friday at 8pm.
The outdoor sessions feature the same interval workouts with modifications for all fitness levels, a guaranteed safe, fun and effective workout!
If you are interested in joining the boot camp in Dearborn, check out the link below to claim your free week and body diagnostic assessment with Nick, the head trainer.
Claim your FREE week of boot camp ===> CLICK HERE
You’ve got nothing to lose but unwanted fat!
I’m always honest with everything I say, so believe me when I tell you that all my life, I was NEVER a morning person.
During the summer, my friends would wake me up with a phone call at 11am to go to the park and play basketball. I loved sleeping in and typically, my day started at 11:30am and I usually went to bed around 2:30am or 3am.
Then I got a “grownup” job and started working 8-5. I knew I wouldn’t have the energy to workout after work, so I forced myself to wake up at 5:20am every single morning so I could workout at home before I left for work.
I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say it was easy, because it was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do, especially to be consistent with it.
One of the biggest obstacles people face is getting in the habit of waking up early. They always tell themselves “I’ll do it, no problem. I’ll wake up at 5:30am”
Then their alarm goes off and they hit snooze….5 minutes later it’s another snooze….then they say screw it and go back to sleep.
This goes on for days and they never get in the habit of waking up when they really want to. They’ll say “I’ll do it tomorrow for sure”
Tomorrow then turns into next week, next week turns into next month and before they know it, they’re 10-20 lbs heavier then when they first started out!
I was the same exact way.
So to help you out, I’m going to share my top 4 ways to become a morning person. Let’s get started!
1. You Gotta Plan Ahead!
When I worked a 8-5 job, I always made sure I had everything ready to go for the next day: my prepared meals, water bottle and work folders and stuff. This way, if I overslept a little bit, I’d still be on time.
2. Unpack and Re-pack AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME!
Throw all the dirty Tupperware in the sink or dishwasher, throw all your sweaty clothes in the hamper, and get your new clothes for the next day. Also, cook your meals for the next day too.
If you’ve read most of my blog, you know that cooking healthy food takes very little time.
Doing it like this really stops you from getting lazy as soon as you get home, because you WILL be tired and WILL NOT do it if you wait and unwind. I guarantee you that.
3. Stick With It!
Whatever your morning routine is (wake up, brush teeth, make coffee, feed pets, workout, shower, go to work, etc) ALWAYS DO IT THE SAME.
Not only will this aid in being consistent, but it will help you prevent you from forgetting something in the morning. Yes, it will get monotonous, but you know what? IT WORKS.
4. Avoid Distractions!
I used to check my email right after I woke up but I never replied to anything that wasn’t urgent. I waited until I got to work to do that. Avoid going on your smartphone and using the internet or different apps, it’s very distracting and before you know it, 10 minutes will go by, throwing your entire schedule off!
Don’t learn this the hard way, just take my word for it.
And last but certainly not least…
5.GET ENOUGH F#!CKING SLEEP!
Don’t be dragging ass all day! Get your sleep!
This one always baffles me, so it’s incredibly frustrating for me to talk about. People don’t realize that they are waking up at 5:30am….that’s really damn early if you think about it.
If you want to get 7-8 hours of sleep like you SHOULD, you’d have to be getting to bed at 9:30pm or 10:30pm. Not Midnight!
Sleep effects EVERYTHING about you. Your mood, energy, strength, focus, mental function, etc. These are really important things and sleep should be one of your top priorities.
Not only the quantity of your sleep (i.e. how many hours) but the quality of your sleep is also important. Are you waking up every 2-3 hours? If you are, take a deep look at what’s going on in your life that might be causing this, unless it’s obvious like a baby or something. Fix the problem ASAP!
Well there you have it, my top 5 tips to become a morning person. Please understand that this whole process takes time to get used to. Don’t get frustrated with yourself, just have patience. It WILL pay off, I promise.
But I also have to be honest with you and say this…
You may NEVER like waking up this early, I can honestly say that I STILL hate it. Even though I’m used to it now, it still sucks ass.
I’ll never like waking up so early, but that’s ok, but I don’t have to like it, I just have to do it!
I know the benefits wayyyy outweigh the cons here. So it’s a no-brainer.
Just accept that you hate it, and do it anyways, that’s REAL dedication.
I hope this helps you out a lot, keep the motivation going!
-Nick
PS: What are some of your tips for waking up early? Let me know below!
A lot of common weight loss motivation techniques really don’t last in the long term. Avoid these mistakes below and learn why these common techniques don’t last and how to correct them!
Mistake #1: Getting off to a fast start
Don’t get the wind knocked out of your sails!
Let me explain. Everyone usually starts off great, changing their eating habits, working out more frequently, being more active….but then 3 busy work-filled weeks later, the scale hasn’t changed, you get frustrated, start eating a little bit more, and the vision of your dream body fades away.
Setting long-term goals can help you keep things in perspective. But it’s also important to keep in mind that your goal scale weight is simply a number and by no means the only life-changing benefit from exercise and improved nutrition.
In the beginning, focus more on the immediate internal benefits (more energy, better sleep, lower cholesterol, better mood, etc.) This can help you stay motivated, even if the scale isn’t changing the way you want it to. Setting some short-term goals like 4-10 lbs each month (but this varies so much for each individual) or goals that don’t have to do with your weight (like committing to workout 3-4 times per week) can also help you stay on track.
Mistake #2: Believing in the hype
No matter what, there’s always going to be some new stupid diet or exercise gizmo that will promise you fast results. Watching a bunch of ripped men and women use said product/service on TV can really get you motivated.
I mean, why wouldn’t you want to try the newest 5 minute workout or the newest weight loss pill? It worked for those celebrities that are in crazy good shape, right?
You’re smarter then that, we all know the real truth. Those people are PAID to do those commercials and I guarantee they did NOT use the product/service to get in the shape they are in.
To make things worse, your motivation will drop extremely fast once you don’t get the results that you saw on TV or on the box…even though it says at the very bottom of the screen “results not typical.”
It usually also says: “Results were achieved along with a calorie-reduced diet and regular exercise.” ….Yeah no S#!T!
Save your hard-earned money and stick with what works: hard work, dedication and consistency!
Mistake#3: Stealth Mode
Don’t be like sewer horse.
If you were like me, you were already pretty self-conscious about your weight. You certainly don’t want your inner circle (close friends/family) to make a big deal about starting your weight loss journey, right?
You know you can do this all by yourself, so you start bailing on eating out with your friends in the hopes of keeping everything on the down low.
This may seem like a good idea at the start, but trust me, sooner rather than later YOU WILL START TO FEEL ISOLATED, LEFT OUT and LONELY!
This is very counter-productive. So what should you do?
I could act like a sneaky used-car salesman and say : hey, join the bootcamp in Dearborn! …But I won’t do that 
No but seriously, the easy fix here is to find a friend, a facebook group or a family member to join you on your journey. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people can make ALL the difference when it comes to staying motivated.
Also, putting your goals out there for the public on facebook really help keep you accountable. Now of course, there will be those facebook friends (or mere acquaintances) that really don’t give a crap about what you put on facebook, but nevermind them!
The people that really care about you will support you on your journey, and that’s what’s most important.
Getting really good at keeping your motivation strong is not a difficult process. But it takes effort, the effort that I’m sure you can put forth. It’s your body after all, right?
-Nick
In this great age of technology, it’s important to take advantage of these smart phone apps and use them to help us during our weight loss journey.
You don’t have to use both of these, in fact that would be redundant. But I invite you to use one of these two apps.
The first app is free and it’s called My Fitness Pal. It’s used to guage your daily caloric intake. This is the app that I use when I find my progress stalling.
Like I’ve said before, don’t stress yourself by counting calories, but it IS important to have an idea of how many calories you’re eating rather than to just eat whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted.
This app is preloaded with tons of common food and dishes (including fast food!)
The second app is Lose It!
Also free, it’s basically the same thing, but if I recall correctly, there is a scan feature that lets you scan a barcode of the food you ate and the caloric value will pop up on your phone, which is very convenient.
With everyone having a smart phone nowadays, it’s a great (and free) way to expedite your weight loss progress!
And remember: you can ALWAYS out-eat your workouts, no matter how much you sweat!
What’s up everyone, I’m proud to announce my first Groupon promotion!
You’ll get an entire month of sessions plus a 21-day nutrition plan to follow along for maximum results!
Check it out here ====> http://www.groupon.com/deals/weapons-4-weight-loss
This Groupon is subject to availability, which means that these classes WILL fill up fast!
If the class is full by the time you purchase the Groupon, you will be put on a waiting list so act fast.
-Nick
Hey what’s up everyone. I know we all have sweetooths to some degree so I’ve been trying different healthy cheesecake recipes…and I think I finally found the perfect one!
Now I honestly hate baking, I like cooking healthy food, but I’m not a fan of baking anything but I love cheescake so I figured what the hell, I’ll give it a shot.
Anyways, here’s all you’re going to need for this:
24 oz. fat-free cream cheese
2 scoops whey protein powder
3/4 cup stevia
Vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/4 package of Jello Brand Sugar Free and Fat Free Pudding mix (cheesecake flavor)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Now I know you’re thinking….where’s the crust?! I agree that the crust is one of the best parts, but since this is a low-carb version, we’re not using one, it also saves many calories too. Don’t worry, you’ll still get all that great cheesecake taste.
Directions:
Basically just make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so it mixes easily, then blend all the ingredients with a mixer, either a machine one or a handheld electric like I used.
Make sure it’s completely smooth and blended, then dump it in a 9-inch aluminum pie pan thing and throw it in the oven for 45 minutes at 300-degreees.
Once it’s done, throw it in the fridge for around an hour and a half so it can cool and harden a little.
Then enjoy!
Feel free to top with fresh fruit!
Ah Taco Bell, a drunk’s best friend at 2am. Everyone knows it’s bad for you, partly because the ground beef is like grade C. But I’m going to highlight 5 of the worst items on their menu. Some might surprise you.
1. Mountain Dew Baja Blast, 40 ounce
Nevermind the fact that it’s 40 freaking ounces which is obscene. It’s a whopping 550 calories of sugar water. Drink water instead!
2. XXL Grilled Stuft Burritos
XXL Grilled Stuft Burritos are anywhere from 830 to 880 calories, with an average of over 37 grams of fat. And that’s regardless if you get chicken, steak or ground beef.
3. Volcano Nachos
First off, these nachos will burn the hell out of most peoples mouths, which defeats the purpose of enjoying your food. But more importantly, they pack 970 calories, 520 from fat, and a whopping 58 grams of fat. Almost 1000 calories from nachos? I could find way more and better tasting 1000 calories of food!
4. Fiesta Taco Salads
Don’t be fooled people, salads at fast food restaurants are NOT healthy! These have 730 to 780 calories and average out at 37 grams of fat. You’d be better off just eating a regular bean burrito!
5. Beefy 5-Layer Burrito
Btw, it NEVER looks like this. It’s much sloppier.
Alright, the last thing I am is a hypocrite. If I ever go to Taco Bell, I usually get this sloppy burrito. But that doesn’t mean it’s good! It has 550 calories and 22 grams of fat. It’s my favorite thing on the menu and I think it’s pretty damn good….but I limit it to once a month, if that!
I always feel like crap after eating fast food, so I keep it to a limit.
