Thanksgiving is just next week and many of us will be chowing down on foods that are not only unhealthy for us, but also in quantities that are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. So, instead of feeling like a beached whale after your Thanksgiving dinner try these tips to keep you in check and on track.

1. Exercise in the morning so that you are already starting on a calorie deficit for the day (even better, join me in the morning at Vancouver's Turkey Trot, a 10km walk and run on Thanksgiving Monday).
2. Choose butternut squash over sweet potatoes and you will save yourself almost 30 grams of carbohydrates per serving (120 calories).
3. Use Splenda to make your own cranberry sauce (see recipe below).
4. Insist on white meat for your serving of turkey.
5. Go for a sliver of pumpkin pie, as opposed to pecan pie or chocolate cake. Pumpkin pie is the healthiest and can also be made with reduced-fat milk and sugar-substitute.
6. Go one step further and forget the pie and have berries and low-calorie Cool Whip instead. Very tasty!
   
7. No bread rolls. There is already stuffing on the table, so there is no need to add a basket of rolls or buns to the equation as well. Limit those breads!
   
8. Speaking of stuffing, whip up a low-cal version by using whole grain bread, low-sodium chicken broth, onion and spices. No need for lard or butter.
9. Fill up on salad. If a salad is not a normal appetizer for you and your family on Thanksgiving, now is a great time to start one. A spinach salad with dried cranberries and walnuts, drizzled with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette is a wonderful entree before the main event. 
10. Go for a walk right after dinner. This not only helps burn some of those calories you just consumed but it also helps to digest your food.
    

On September 26, 56 individuals were weighed in and registered for my 2nd PJ's Weight Loss Challenge. It was an amazing turn out and I was so proud of everyone who stepped up for the Challenge! For the next 6-weeks these individuals will work hard to lose weight for the final weigh-in on Nov. 7th.

At the final weigh-in, the top 3 people who lose the most percentage of weight will win the pot. The prizes are as follows: 1st place: $670, 2nd Place: $400 and 3rd Place: $250.

Good luck to everyone and if you missed this Challenge stay tuned for the next one in January 2011 - it's gonna be big!

Next set of Classes Commence:
Nov. 1, Mon 4pm
Nov. 2, Tues 9:15am
Nov. 4, Thurs 9:15am

Spaces are limited, email today to secure your spot! info@fitnesswithpj.com

Join me as I run in Vancouver's Turkey Trot run on Oct. 11, Monday. This is a great 10km run and I welcome everyone to come out and burn some pumpkin pie calories with me! If you are not a runner you can walk - so no excuses. Log onto www.turkeytrot.ca to register and then drop me an email info@fitnesswithpj.com and I will arrange car pooling for all of us. Race starts at 8:30am.

Check out my Events page on my website. Read on...

Directions: Mix together in a large pot: cranberries, Splenda, water & juice, ginger pieces (not ground) and orange zest. Bring to boil and cook about 10 min, or until all berries have burst. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a 1/2 hour. Remove ginger pieces and add cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice. Blend thoroughly and allow to cool completely. Put in a covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 3 cups.

Interval training, periods of high-level activity accompanied by periods of rest, are far more superior than steady state training (same speed for the entire workout). This type of training will boost your caloric burn faster and in a shorter amount of time than traditional training. It will also allow you to burn more calories afterwords (called exercise after-burn) and will improve your heart and lung function. Try these three interval programs to boost your next treadmill workout:
Beginner:

• 10 min warm up at a light to moderate walking pace
• Increase speed to 3.5 mph and the incline to 6%
• Maintain this speed and incline for 3 min
• Keep the speed, but bring the incline down to 2% and recover for 2 min
• This is 1 interval, perform 5
• Cool-down 5 min at a light walking pace with no incline
• Total workout time: 40 min

Intermediate:

• 6 min warm-up at a fast walk to a light jog
• Increase speed to 4.8 mph and incline to 6%
• Maintain speed and incline for 2 min
• Bring incline down to 1.5% (keep speed) for 1:30 min to recover
• This is 1 interval, perform 7 times
• Cool-down for 5 min at a brisk walking speed, 1.5% incline
• Total workout time: 35 min

Advanced:

• 5 min warm up at a light jog, 1.5% incline
• Increase speed to 5.5% and incline to 10%
• Maintain above for 2 min
• Recover at same speed but with a 1.5% incline for 2 min
• This is 1 interval, perform 8 times
• Cool-down light jog, 1.5% incline for 3 min
• Total workout time: 40 min

I'm a Maniac & Want More:

• Warm-up with a moderate jog (about 6.0 mph)/1.5% incline for 10 min - should run a full mile for the warm up
• Decrease speed to 5.8 mph with 10% incline for 1:30 min
• Decrease incline only to 1.5% for 30 sec recovery
• Increase incline back up to 10% for 1 min
• Decrease incline back down to 1.5% for 1 min
• That is 1 interval (5 min in total), do 6 times
• Cool-down with a brisk walk for 1-2 min
• Total workout time: 42-43 min