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The Secret to Clobbering Cankles–Build the Muscle and Burn the Fat

December 9, 2009 By Karen Ficarelli

The big buzzword for this season, a person is said to have cankles if their calf merges with their foot, erasing all sign of ankle definition. Millions of Americans suffer from the dreaded cankle. While the term gets its share of laughs, there is nothing funny about cankles for those who are plagued with them.

Heredity, obesity and even pregnancy can play a big part in whether or not someone is affected by cankles. Mostly associated with overweight individuals with fat ankles, by contrast, a skinny person whose legs are devoid of shape may appear to have disappearing ankle syndrome, too.

Diet can affect the size of cankles. A diet high in sodium can cause you to retain water, causing your legs and ankles to swell. Avoid as much as possible, the amount of processed food that it is in your diet. Develop a habit of eating healthy foods that are low in sodium, calories, sugar and fat.

Drink more water. Consuming at least eight 8 oz glasses of water every day will help move the excess salt and retained fluids from your body. A body that is well hydrated will actually retain less water.

The 2 main muscles in the calves are the gastrocnemius and soleus, sometimes referred to as the twins. Developing these muscles will give you shapely, sexy legs.

Sculpting the shape of the calf can help to make ankles look thinner. This can be accomplished by doing calf raises. Try these easy to do exercises when you are watching television. Stand behind a stationary chair with your hands on the back of the chair for support. Rise up and down on your tiptoes, as if trying to see something on a top shelf. Repeat these 25-30 times until you are able to do 3-5 sets of these. If you are looking for a bigger challenge to this exercise, you can add weights to take it to the next level.

Walking is one of the most beneficial exercises that you can add to your fitness routine. Spiritually uplifting, this low stress activity can improve your overall health and result in significant weight loss. Brisk walking at least 3 times a week for 30 or more minutes will give you the best results. Walking combined with stretching, jumping, lunges, squats and Pilates can also help you clobber those cankles!

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Filed Under: Women's Fitness

Nectarine No Apple Applesauce

December 8, 2009 By Karen Ficarelli

The nectar of the gods, as one Chinese Emperor hailed the nectarine, it’s fiber rich and full of vitamins. Great as a complement to any meal or enjoy a serving for snack. Adding a small amount of Stevia instead of sugar will sweeten your dish without adding calories.

16 nectarines, stems removed
¼ cup of Stevia to taste

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
3. Cook until applesauce is thick.
4. Serve hot, warm or cold, it’s delicious anytime.

Health Benefits: Nectarines provide a high source of carotenes that are especially beneficial for heart health. This fruit is high in potassium and vitamins A and C. Using the no-calorie stevia to sweeten this dish doesn’t affect blood glucose levels, either.

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Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

10 Motivational Hints to Empower Beauty

December 7, 2009 By Karen Ficarelli

Beginning a fitness program take guts. It also requires inspiration and determination. Many women begin an exercise and diet program full of guts, inspiration and determination; but somewhere between day number two and day number 60, the motivation ceases to exist. Sadly, once the motivation is lost, all the guts, inspiration and determination in the world don’t seem enough to get you back into the groove.

Follow these 10 helpful tips to keep you motivated for the 90-day challenge to Empower Beauty.

1. Prioritize your goals. Long term goal: up to 12 months for fitness, medium range goal should be at a 3 month marker and short term goal could be at 2 weeks. Post these somewhere that you will see them every day.
2. Confide your fitness goals to three positive minded people. This is not a time for nay-sayers so you want to announce your goals to people who believe in success.
3. Find a partner or friend to exercise with. If none of your friends are game, then hire a personal trainer or try to befriend someone at the gym. Having someone to work out with makes it much more enjoyable and less boring.
4. Plan your meals ahead of time. Nothing throws off a diet more than not having easily accessible healthy foods to eat. Deny temptation by replacing sugar laden and fatty foods with healthy whole foods that are deliciously appetizing.
5. Create a journal to keep account of what you eat and drink each day. Be sure to record all of your physical activities too. Charting your progress helps to keep you motivated to keep improving.
6. Remember that everyone is unique and realize that it may take you longer to lose weight than someone else. Don’t let that discourage you from working towards your goal.
7. Start each day with a positive affirmation. Concentrate on what you are rather than what you are not.
8. Reward yourself for your achievements. A new blouse or new jeans can really make you feel special about the weight you have already lost, and will help to keep you motivated to continue your fitness regimen.
9. Make healthy eating a family affair. Enlist family members to help in food preparation and swap fatty, calorie laden foods with healthier choices.
10. Mix up your exercise routine. Pick 3 days a week to participate in Fun activities. Swimming, bike riding, skating, running or even walking are all fun ways to get aerobic exercise.

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Filed Under: Motivation

Journaling Your Way to the Next Level

December 4, 2009 By Karen Ficarelli

Our deepest fear is not of being inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are more powerful than anything we could imagine.

Do you ever look at highly successful people and know that you could be just like that,{+} only you’re a bit afraid of that much success? Maybe it’s because you know how much dedication and commitment it takes to ensure it, or maybe it’s because you are afraid it will change you in some way.

You will change, you know. All through life you will undergo changes. Some are very obvious, while others can barely be detected. But like it or not, you will change many times from birth until death. Learning to deal with these changes can help as you climb to the next level.

Climbing to the next level of fitness will certainly provide plenty of physical changes. But it will also bring forth changes in the way you think, too. I’m talking about having more confidence in everything that you do. This new way of thinking will show in the way you handle yourself, the way you walk and talk.

Are you ready to stand out in a crowd? Can you handle that much attention? Be forewarned that others will notice the changes in you, too.

So now that you are convinced that you can handle the positive changes that you seek, how can you use your journal to take you to the next level? It’s easy, you know and it’s probably just the challenge you need.

First off, what is your target? What do you hope to achieve? Without this vital information you will never know if you have reached the goal. Successful people choose a target and then take aim. They decide where they want to go, formulate a plan to get there and then stay focused on their goal until they taste success.

Reaching your next level of fitness works the same way. That’s why keeping a fitness journal is so instrumental. Writing down your target goals, making a plan to achieve them, and charting your progress as you move toward your own finish line will ensure your chances for victory.

Remember to log everything into your journal, even notes about your muscle soreness and any other pain or discomfort you have when exercising. This will help to keep you focused and greatly increase your chances for success.

If you are looking for advanced exercises, check out my Exercise section and notice the Take it to the Next Level or Advance examples. You can add more weights, advance on the ball, or increase repetitions. These moves will build muscles naturally to show off your incredibly sexy feminine curves.

Your journal can help to take you to the next level. Each week you’ll need to record your weight and measurements and if possible take a picture of yourself. Then decide on your short-term goal. This is where reading your old posts will come in handy. When you read your previous goals, your strategies and your results, you can better determine what works and what doesn’t.

Will you need to spend more time with your workout? Perhaps thirty minutes is not long enough to accomplish all the exercises and cardio activities that you have planned. Be sure to record your start and finish times in your journal. The time of day that you exercise and how you feel afterward will give you a good indication of your energy level at that hour.

Daily devotion to your fitness journal will train your brain to accomplish the mission that you set before it. When you get an idea then validate that idea by writing it down on paper, you command your brain to make that plan happen. Your brain reacts to stimuli, once you give it the same command over and over, it figures out how to make it happen without really having to think about it.

Think about when you learned to drive a car. The first few times you may have experienced difficulty remembering the many aspects of driving. But after you did it a few times, it became easier to remember until operating the car takes little thought at all. This is all because repeated actions cause the brain to create a pathway so it doesn’t have to do all that heavy thinking.

This is the basis of daily journaling. Once you form the habit and begin making journaling part of your day, you will be amazed at how easy it is to accomplish the things you desire. This is especially true with your fitness journal.

As you write down your goals and follow up with your daily activities, including everything you eat and drink, you give your brain a clear vision of the work that needs to be done. The brain benefits from this type of workout and writing everything down helps to emphasize its importance and relieve your mind of the burden of pent up thoughts.

If you haven’t kept a journal before, select one that will be easy to keep with you as you exercise. You can use a homemade one if you like or even a spiral notebook. Just make sure that the book is used only for journaling so it will be easy to chart your journey to success.

Make journaling as simple as possible. Keep a pen handy, and get accustomed to devoting time to your writing. Don’t let little things throw you off schedule or stand in your way. Allow this time to be an important part of your day.

As you progress with your fitness routine, reassess your short-term and long-term goals. Reward yourself for a job well done and use your journal to record just how great you feel. This will give further validation that your brain is doing a wonderful job and it will continue to work towards the goals that you put before it.

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Filed Under: Journaling

Quick White Bean Dip

December 3, 2009 By Karen Ficarelli

Who says you have to ditch the dips when you’re watching your diet? With this low-fat, high fiber spread, you can double dip for a devilish delight. A great snack but keep it healthy with veggies and whole grain crackers. Remember: portion control is a major factor in weight loss, so don’t over-indulge.

One 19 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed.
3 jarred or canned anchovies, rinsed and patted dry.
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients except pepper in food processor.
When mixed, add pinch of pepper.
Serve with a dish of raw veggies such as carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, or your choice of whole grain crackers.

Health Benefits: High in soluble fiber, protein, iron and potassium. A low-fat dip that should require no extra salt, since the anchovies are a naturally salty fish. Anchovies are high in heart-friendly polyunsaturated fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. The lemon juice helps to break down the white beans while adding a pleasant taste to the dip. The extra-virgin olive oil brings out the creaminess of the white beans for a smooth texture.

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Filed Under: Healthy Cooking

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