Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 package sugar free vanilla pudding
1 package sugar free strawberry jello
4 cups Strawberries
Fat free whipped topping (optional)

Instructions:

Bring water and pudding mix to boil. Take off stove, add package of jello and stir. Allow to cool. Line a pie plate with sliced strawberries. Pour pudding on top of strawberries. Allow to set in refrigerator for at least one hour until firm or overnight for best result. Top with fat free whipped topping if desired.

Think Cooking Healthy Food is Time-Consuming? We've got Lots of Recipes for Fresh, Light AND Quick Dinners. Start Eating Healthy Today!

Affiliate Disclosure

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
FitYummyMummy.com

Breakfast is easily the most overlooked solution than all other fat burning tips combined.

Q: Breakfast.

I always eat breakfast but often don't get to it until about an hour or sometimes two (if I'm up early) after I get up. Is this OK or do I have to eat earlier than this? (I'm busy during the week getting the kids ready and off to school). What's the maximum amount of time I can go from waking to eating brekky?

A: Hooray! You are eating the most important meal of the day!

Many Busy Moms tend to skip this meal for a variety of reasons. However, doing so will only work against your body's ability to lose fat.

Skipping breakfast will only send the message to your body that you're starving - you haven't had food in the last 6-8 hours. This leads your body to SLOW your metabolism for survival purposes. You essentially are choosing to start your day in fat storage mode.

PLUS - if you do not start your day with a supportive breakfast, it is only natural that by the time lunch rolls around - You are STARVING. The best of intentions cannot overcome the cravings that accompany this feeling. Sure, you may start off your "lunch time" snack or meal with something you consider to be quite healthy. Yet, those nagging cravings do not go away and you are compelled to eat more.

To make matters worse, skipping breakfast also leads to eating more later in the day - a big "dinner". Eating more calories during the last meal of the day, when your metabolism is naturally slower during the second half of the day and slower because breakfast was skipped leads your body to store those calories as fat.

In fact, studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. If you skip meals, you tend to feel hungrier later on and you will eat more than you normally would.

To get the Best Benefits of Breakfast - yes, eating within an hour of waking is best. Breakfast will provide you with the energy you need to get through your day. The more energy you have, the more active you’ll be and the more active you are, the more calories you burn.

Favorite Busy Mom Breakfast: Cereal is a MUST.
It’s convenient, easy to prepare, easy to eat and full of nutrients – No…"Whole Grain Lucky Charms” does not fall into this category. Choose cereals carefully based on the information on the food label.
Top Breakfast Choices have:

~ 5 grams of Fiber or more
~ 8 grams of Sugar or LESS
~ Sugar is not listed as one of the first 4-5 ingredients.

Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of FitYummyMummy. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom's to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness. Don't miss her Free Report: Top 5 Busy Mom Metabolism Boosters.

Affiliate Disclosure

KINDAYOGA offers lifestyle guidance for children and teaches life skills before life's challenges. From: kindayoga

Affiliate Disclosure

Who says you can't have candy when you diet!

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almonds or nuts of your choice, chopped/crushed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (enough to coat your hands)

Instructions:

Blend together raisins and walnuts in food processor or blender. Coat your hands with oil (or spray them with nonstick spray) and roll mixture into individual balls (like forming a peanut butter cookie)! Roll each ball in the crushed almonds. Cover and store in the refridgerator.

Makes a great sweet treat without loading up on calories.

Think Cooking Healthy Food is Time-Consuming? We've got Lots of Recipes for Fresh, Light AND Quick Dinners. Start Eating Healthy Today!

Affiliate Disclosure

Most people who join a weight loss program do so with a lot of initial enthusiasm, they think that it is as easy as a pie to lose weight, and that they can lose weight within a matter of weeks. When however, these people are faced with new challenges and barriers, they give up too easily, thinking that weight loss is totally impossible. Nothing in this world is impossible if you believe in yourself. In this post, I will tell you about the main reasons why people quit one weight loss program after another, as well as how to get out of this rut!

There are actually three groups of obese people. One group joins the strictest weight loss program in the world, thinking that the stricter the program, the faster they would be able to lose weight. They follow every rule as laid down in the rulebook, make the diet and exercise routines too severe for their bodies, and then quit it all, thinking that they were nuts to believe in the possibility of weight loss.

Then there are people who blame it all on themselves. This leads to nothing but a lower self-esteem, which does more harm than good. Then there is a third group of people who believe that starving is the way to go! The more you starve, or the longer you fast, the quicker you would be able to burn the fat. As a matter of fact, fasting NEVER works. As soon as your stomach growls out of hunger, you will be forced to eat anyway, and more often than not, you will start munching on fatty and processed foods, thereby worsening your situation.

The only way to get out of this rut is to change your attitude. If something is not working for you, quit it and try something else, or think differently. It certainly doesn't mean that your previous plans and choices were bad; it just means that you may need to view things in a different light.

When you start any weight loss program, your body will inevitably need to go through a period of adjustments. Some of these adjustments may seem like huge challenges to you. One of hardest things to bear with is hunger. While you are on a diet, you cannot eat as much and as frequently as you used to do, and as a result, you will inevitably feel hungry at times. Hunger will sabotage all your weight loss efforts; therefore you'll need to find ways to curb this hunger.

The best way I have found to curb hunger is by drinking plenty of water and eating healthy snacks between meals. Another way is to eat six small meals a day instead of three big meals.

Recommended Product: Fit Yummy Mummy

Affiliate Disclosure

The type of exercise you do will depend on you and what you like to do.

What are the exercises that you hate doing? Do you want to pay membership fees at a gym or do you want to buy equipment to use at home? These are all things you will need to consider when starting an exercise routine.

If you choose something that you don't like to do, you will not keep doing the exercises long enough to benefit from them. Before starting any exercise routine, give it some thought - if you don't like jogging, you aren't going to get up at 6 AM and go running.

If you can't find something you like to do, try starting with a simple walking routine. Walking is great exercise, as it suits every level of fitness. It is just the intensity and duration that differs. Walking can also be a social exercise, as it isn't to difficult to find a training partner to chat with while you exercise. Walking with a partner will also make time go by faster.

If you are just starting out with exercising, you should start by walking for 10 minutes each day. Then, every 2 weeks increase each walk by 5 minutes. To keep things interesting, you could walk a different course every few days. You can also try to find a different friend to walk with you each day of the week.

If walking isn't your thing, try a fitness center. They have a variety of equipment and most have trainers on hand to answer any questions you may have. When you choose a fitness center, make sure that they give good service.

If they aren't willing to treat you well before you join, then they certainly won't after you join. You should also make sure that the equipment they use is well taken care of. It's easy to find out, as all you have to do is listen to the machines. If they squeak a lot or make noise, then chances are they aren't being taken care of.

If you still aren't sure what exercises you want to do, try asking friends, family or co-workers what exercises they do. Look up books on exercises at your local library or on the internet to find something you are interested in trying.

No matter what exercise you choose, you should start at a low level of intensity and build it up over a period of weeks, which is essential to the longevity of your exercise program. If you start off too hard, you could end up with an injury which will require time off to get over.

Before starting any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Recommended Product: Fit Yummy Mummy

Affiliate Disclosure

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/3 cups shredded carrot
2/3 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1/4 cup egg whites, lightly beaten

Insturctions:

Line muffin pan with papers or spritz with nonstick spray. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl mix together carrots, milk, sour cream, and egg white. Blend together dry and wet ingredients. Fill each muffin cup a little over half full.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. A toothpick or fork inserted in center should come out clean when done.

Recommended: Now You Can Fill Your Freezer With Delicious Home-Cooked Diet Meals. Save Money - Save Time - Eat Good - And Still Lose Weight.

Affiliate Disclosure

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or substitute 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
8 oz raspberry fruit spread (no sugar added)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Season chicken with thyme and salt. Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion. Add chicken to skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.

Add fruit spread, balsamic vinegar, and pepper to oil and onion in skillet. Cook until spread is melted and sauce thickens. Pour over chicken and serve.

Garnish with fresh berries and parsley for added presentation.

Recommended: Now You Can Fill Your Freezer With Delicious Home-Cooked Diet Meals. Save Money - Save Time - Eat Good - And Still Lose Weight.

Affiliate Disclosure

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
FitYummyMummy.com


If there were ever a magic potion for fat loss – it would be water. Our bodies are comprised of about 70% water. We lose about a liter (34 ounces) of water per day under normal circumstances and when the temperature in our body rises, as during exercise, we lose higher amounts of water through sweat. It only makes sense that we need to continually replenish this supply for water is necessary for nearly every function in our body. Water regulates our temperature, supports and protects our organs, helps with digestion, transports nutrients to our muscles and helps move along waste by products.

Water is, in essence, the key to fat metabolism. Here's why: one of you liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat to be burned for energy. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly and the liver begins to take over – as a result of working overtime, the liver metabolizes LESS fat so MORE fat remains in your body.

Sometimes we mistake mild states of dehydration for hunger. If we don't get enough fluids, our bodies give us indications that are similar to hunger pains. When this occurs, we start eating because we misunderstood what are bodies were telling us. Unnecessary calorie consumption can lead to excessive fat!


Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps to keep you feeling full. If your stomach feels full – you are less likely to overeat!

A constant supply of water is vital before, during and after a workout. Dehydration leads to a lack of energy, muscle fatigue and cramping. Even small amounts of water loss can hinder exercise performance.

Remember that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, making you lose even more water, so be sure to compensate for the additional loss.

How to do it: You can replace the water lost during a typical day by drinking a minimum of 6-8 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Begin by drinking your first big glass of water right when you wake up. Drink a full glass of water with each meal. Keep water with you at all times.

To prevent dehydration, make sure you're drinking adequate amounts of water before, during and after a workout. As a rule of thumb, drink 8-12 ounces of water at least an hour before beginning to exercise, 8 oz during exercise and 8 oz when finished. If you are hungry about an hour after eating, try drinking a glass or two of water- you maybe misreading thirst for hunger. If you are still hungry after 15-20 minutes then proceed with a supportive snack to tide you over until your next meal.

Here's a ‘success strategy' to get you started: Make drinking water more fun by adding a slice of lemon or lime. Drink water out of a frosted mug or colorful glass. Grab-n-go flavor packets add variety to water between meals. Keep a bottle of water in the car at all times. At work, pack an allotted number of bottled water and set a goal to finish the pack by the end of the day.

For those who tend to prefer carbonated beverages to plain water try sparkling water. Not only is it crisp and refreshing, it satisfies the need for carbonation. Just make sure you choose a sparkling water that does not contain sugar or fruit juice to avoid additional calories.

So if your goal is fat loss, combine a total body strength training program, supportive nutrition and some interval training with your magic fat loss potion and you're destined for success!


About the Author
Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to FitYummyMummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

Affiliate Disclosure

Nothing is more important to EJ Cooksey than protecting the private information of visitors to our site. Below you'll find information about our commitment to ensuring the privacy of your and your children's personally identifiable information (such as your full name, address, email address, telephone number and/or other identifying information) and preserving the integrity of the medium.

Please read the following carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please send us an email at ejcooksey@ejcooksey.com.

Gathering and Use of Information

EJ Cooksey will never willfully disclose any personally identifiable information about our online audience to any third party without first receiving the user's permission. We do not collect personally identifiable information from our visitors other than what is supplied to us on a voluntary basis.

Visitors to the EJ Cooksey Web Site may voluntarily supply certain personally identifiable information in connection with (i)contest or sweepstakes registration, (ii) subscription registration for sites or services which require subscription (such as email newsletters), (iii) requests for membership information and (iv) e-commerce transactions. In addition, personally identifiable information is voluntarily provided in connection with certain content submissions, community postings (i.e., forums or bulletin boards), comments and suggestions, or voting.

EJ Cooksey may use such information only for conducting the activities stated above, for internal marketing and promotional purposes.

Interest based advertising

The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. When users visit an AdSense publisher's website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user's browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help AdSense publishers better serve and manage the ads on their site(s) and across the web.

Google and the DoubleClick DART cookie:

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on your site.
• Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

By using this site, you signify your agreement to the terms and conditions of this EJ Cooksey Web Site Privacy Policy. If you donot agree to these terms and conditions, please do not use the site. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this policy at any time. Please check this page periodically for any changes. Your continued use of the EJ Cooksey Web Site following the posting of any changes to these terms shall mean that you have accepted those changes. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at ejcooksey@ejcooksey.com.

Affiliate Disclosure

Yoga is about toning the body, calming the mind, and reducing stress. It doesn't take much time. Yoga may be the perfect exercise for busy moms.

Yoga is flexible (pun intended). All you need is comfortable clothing and a mat. Since the equipment is minimal, the routine can be performed at home, on vacation, or in a hotel room on a business trip. The main piece of equipment is your body and that goes with you everywhere.

Yoga has several health benefits for mom. The poses work to increase flexibility in the muscles. Muscles that are more flexible resist injury. They also strengthen the body by engaging the core muscles in each movement. Muscle tone is increased through the practice of these poses which sculpts a longer leaner body.

Yoga postures concentrate on proper alignment of the body. The pressure on the vertebra of the neck and back is reduced. Abdominal muscles are drawn in when the body is standing tall. Correct posture increases lung capacity and allows for deeper breathing.

A major part of yoga is breathing. These breathing techniques are called pranayama. Attention is paid to the movement of air into and out of the body. More air into the lungs means more oxygen throughout the body. Increased oxygenation to the brain aids in focus and mental acuity.

Yoga techniques reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Moms know how quickly the blood pressure can rise in a tense situation. Deeper breathing promotes mental calmness and stress reduction. Yoga helps moms deal with stress without overtaxing their bodies.

We often forget that what we think can manifest itself in our bodies and not always for our good. A hectic schedule can make you wish your body could go to the tropic place that your mind is imagining. Yoga emphasizes the mind-body connection. Over time, the poses become easier and the body relaxes in response to what you are asking it to do.

If you don't have the time or money for a yoga class, invest in a DVD. There are several on the market that teach the basics of yoga including the poses and breathing techniques. Some workouts are as short as fifteen minutes or as long as thirty or forty minutes. Choose the one that fits into your schedule best.

Yoga can also be practiced by children. If childcare is an issue, include your kids in the workout. Even kids can benefit from decreased stress, increased flexibility, and muscle toning. You may be surprised at how much calmer they seem.

Yoga is a mind and body tool to keep busy moms on the right track. The techniques promote balance in the body, which translates into a sense of balance in other aspects of a mom's life.

Affiliate Disclosure