A-Z Fitness - Yogurt

Okay, yogurt itself is not the best fitness advice I have for you this week. Essentially it's pointing to eating healthier items, as opposed to regular snacks you usually grab, i.e. Candy Bars, Chips or Cookies. One package of Reese's Peanut Butter cups has 260 calories and 15g of fat. 4 Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies have 160 calories and 8g of fat (and really, who can only eat 4 thin mints)? A 1 oz. serving of Doritos chips has 140 calories and 7g of fat. Now compare that with a Yoplait yogurt which has 80 calories and 0g of fat. Now compare this type of snacking once a week and you can see how the added calories and fat in the other snack foods really add up.

Tips: Don't kid yourself into thinking you need to stick with a simple vanilla flavor. There are many brands, all offering various flavors. Many of these are also fat free and very low in calories. Weight Watchers has many great flavors from Strawberry to Amaretto Cheesecake, all very tasty and in the 100 calorie range. Look around and find a variety you enjoy.

Remember: Obviously yogurt is not the be all and end all of healthy snacking. If you are not a yogurt person, there are many things you can find to substitute for cookies and chips. Perhaps you enjoy cottage cheese? There are a few great tasting varieties, some even including fruit. Which reminds me, fruit is the most natural snack to turn to instead of anything else. But if you are going to pick up yogurt, keep away from the varieties which include cookies pieces and candy for mixing in. Wouldn't that be defeating the purpose of altering your snacks?

Goal: Replace some of your unhealthier snacking this week with something healthier, like yogurt. If you are already doing this, I want you to try new varieties or flavors and find a new favorite. And of course, report back and share your experiences.

Last Weeks Goal: The last goal was to find 10 minutes of exercise time a day. How did you do? Were you able to fit in time at the gym or walking in the neighborhood? Did you do anything different or unusual? Feel free to share. I like to try and do a few minutes on the Wii fit in the morning and a bit of walking on my lunch break at work.

What fitness words starting with the letter "Y" inspire you?