Protect Yourself From the Flu, Tricks to Not Catching a Cold

What germs are lurking on elevator buttons?

This year's flu and cold season is at an all time high. So we need to exercise, eat healthy and be cautious.
USA Today reported this morning: The flu season, which peaks in January and February, is off to a roaring start with a bug that looks "particularly severe," according to the Food and Drug Administration. Outbreaks have hit 31 states.

Since commiting myself to exercising regularly, I haven't been sick and haven't had a cold since December 2010. And, I used to catch a cold like clockwork every winter. Exercising boosts your immune system. I'm also cautious in public areas and around those who are sick.

I tend to touch my face a lot so I try to minimize what else I touch so germs don't enter my body through my eyes, nose or mouth.

My little tricks are:

10 Simple and Fast Tricks to Cut Calories and Help You Lose Weight

We're always on the go... which can come between our dieting and exercise time. But, even if you don't have time to workout during your hectic day, you can still manage to not splurge and in fact cut the number of calories you eat.

One thing that really affects the way I eat is the way others eat around me. 

Do you eat more while at work?

Working in an office setting can be good and bad. Good because you may have a group of people dieting who can give you that extra push needed and then bad because there seems to always be a group who constantly orders out (one day is Chinese food, the next day is Italian, and so on). 

Download Your Free Monthly Motivational Calendar!

It's only January 3rd so you still have time to follow along to Daily Bite's motivational calendar. This calendar is a great source for motivation that includes health, wellness and fitness tips. Post it up on your refrigerator, on your wall or on your desk at work so you can follow along to these daily reminders.   

Keep Your New Year's Weight Loss Goals

A new year, a new you, right?

Let's stick to that! What are your weight loss goals for 2013?

 

Don't fall into the trap of setting goals in the beginning of the new year and then fall off your plans by February. Write down a reasonable goal, weekly or monthly, and set little reminders for yourself so you can reach them.

 

Find motivation - whether it be from others cheering you on or maybe you want to lose weight for vacation - and let that be a guide to your weight loss goals.

 

PEOPLE Magazine published How to Keep Your Weight Loss Resolutions (Read more here).

 

My Weekend Eats & Exercise, Steam Veggies Without a Steamer

Oct. 20 Food Diary

 Breakfast - 224 cals

Fruit on the Bottom, Blueberry - 140 cals
Coffee, cream w/ Stevia sugar, 16 oz., 2 cups - 84 cals

 Lunch - 518 cals

1 Baked garlic chicken thigh -287 cals
1 BBQ Chicken thigh - 230 cals

Snacks -  200 cals
Shoprite cream cheese, 2 Tbsp - 100 cals
w/ 6 whole grain saltine crackers - 60 cals
Fuji Apples Freeze Dried Crisps, 1 bag - 40 cals (pictured below)

These dried fruit snacks are very good! I like the strawberry and banana pack better than the apples. And might I add, they are only 45 calories a pack!

Smoothies are Better When You Make Them!

I'm a hugeee fan of smoothies and I suggest making your own. Some places claim to have real fruit in their smoothies but you never know how much added sugar and other not-so-good things are in there. So, if you make your own, you can add what you want and know exactly how healthy it really is.

Scale Stepping

For your best weight results:

• Weigh yourself the same time of day, same day each week
• Wear no clothes or light clothing, no shoes
• Use the same scale
• Weigh yourself on a flat surface (on bathroom tile)

I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 206 even! No point anything at the end of the six.

Progress! 

Seeing those numbers go down motivate me to keep on working hard towards my weight loss goals. But even if I gain a pound, I don't beat myself up over it because it could be a pound of muscle and that is never a bad thing.

I must admit I'm a little obsessed with the scale. I step on the scale everyday in the morning before I eat and after I use the bathroom (this is the time when your real weight is supposed to show).