Low Fat Chicken Curry Recipe

Posted on November 20, 2013 by James

If you’re trying to lose weight, the hardest part can be living without your favourite foods. There’s no need to compromise on flavour on a diet, but you do need to be much more careful about your choices of ingredients, and make changes to what you put into your meals. Our Low Fat Chicken curry Recipe includes all of the great flavours you’d expect, but is a lot lower in calories than regular dishes, so it’s great if you’re trying to cut down on your calories.

This low fat chicken curry recipe serves 2 people, and takes around an hour to prepare and cook, so it’s ideal for a romantic evening in!

Low Fat Chicken Curry Recipe: Ingredients

2 skinless chicken breasts – cubed
1/2 pint chicken stock
1 sliced onion
2 Cloves
Peppercorns
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of mild chilli powder depending on your taste
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1/2 tablespoon of fresh grated root ginger
2 cardamom pods
Small piece of cinnamon stick (about half an inch)
1/4 pint fat free plain yoghurt
Salt
coriander leaves for garnish

Low Fat Chicken Curry Recipe: Method.

Prepare the ingredients for the low far chicken curry recipe as above, and allow the yoghurt to reach room temperature
Boil the sliced onion and garlic in about 2./3 of your chicken stock in a large saucepan for about 10 minutes before simmering for a furhter 20 – the onion should be soft and golden brown.
Add all of the spices and garlic to the pan and bring back to the boil before adding the sliced chicken.
Pour the remaining chicken stock into the pan and bring back to the boil
Let the pan simmer for around 20 minutes so that the chicken is cooked through and has had a chance to absorb the flavours.
Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the yoghurt
Serve with boiled rice,

If your diet’s going well, and you’re looking for some work out tips to help you shift some extra pounds, be sure to sign up for the free workout programmes at vytalz.com!

5 Minute Tone Up Video

Posted on November 7, 2013 by James

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We want to bring you the best possible fitness experience, so we’re launching our new fitness video section. Each week we’ll add a new 5 minute work out video to the blog so you can improve your fitness with a carefully balanced routine that will work your entire body. In our 5 minute tone up video, you’ll work every single muscle group as hard as you can.

If you like our 5 minute tone up video, be sure to grab a free account at http://vytalz.com/join.php where you can find loads of workout routines and share your progress with your friends.

All you need to do for a Vytalz 5 minute workout is follow the instructions on screen and enjoy. Make sure you have enough space to move around, and stretch out before you start to prevent any strains or other sporting injuries – the last thing you want to do is compromise your fitness regime with a pulled muscle because you didn’t warm up!

Enjoy this free 5 minute tone up video, and be sure to check back soon for more fitness tips, guides, exercise routines and weight loss information to help you hit your health and wellness goals.

The Best Workout for a Great Butt

Posted on November 2, 2013 by James

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Let’s be honest, we judge ourselves by the way we look, and most of us are pretty self conscious about our rears. We all want a nice pert bottom that looks good and gives us more confidence when we’re out and about. Traditional workouts can help to tone up your bum, but if you want real results, you need to work hard. Here’s what we think is the best workout for a great butt – and best of all, it only takes 10 minutes each day!

The Best Workout For a Great Butt

Best Workout for a great butt

The chances are, you wont be able to bash this one out in full first time, so try hard, and build up to it. When you’ve managed one full set, start working on building a second and a third in – you’ll find that this workout will give you some pretty fast toning, but the more you do it, the better it gets. Enjoy the results of the best workout for a great butt!

50 Squats
30 Walking Lunges
50 Kick Backs
20 Jump Squats
50 Bridges

When you’re doing the best workout for a great butt, be sure to concentrate on form. Aim for the numbers, but don’t be ruled by them. You will get better results doing 20 really good squats than you will from 100 bad ones. Get things right, move smoothly, and relax into the workout, and you’ll soon find your glutes getting tighter and more defined.

Let us know how you get on with the best workout for a great butt. Does it work for you, or do you have suggestions to make it even better – we love hearing your success stories!

How to do the Plank for Longer

Posted on October 31, 2013 by James

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The plank is a powerful exercise for developing core stability and strength. A strong set of core muscles will help you in almost any other type of exercise including running and sport because it trains you to hold yourself in a more stable way. You develop strength through the exercise because you are holding the muscle groups against gravity and in dynamic opposition with each other. The plank can be difficult to do at first, but as you get into your stride, you’ll think about how to do the plank for longer in order to get more benefits.

How to do the plank for longer

There are two main components that impact on how to do the plank for longer. The first is physical strength. That part is pretty easy to train. The more frequently you plank, the more basic strength you’ll get in your muscles, and the more physical stamina you’ll build for the exercise.

The second thing part of the question of how to do the plank for longer is the mental aspect. This exercise HURTS. You feel pain through your core muscle groups of abdominals and hip flexors that develops quickly and can make you quit. Here’s our tips on how to train your mind to let you do the plank for longer:

Don’t look at your stop watch

Avoiding knowing the time lets you quit when you hit certain time milestones. Don’t look, just hold it for longer (but stop the clock when you finish so you can track your progress)

Divert your attention

If you’re not thinking about pain, you won’t allow yourself to dwell on it. Place a book or magazine between your arms and focus on the words on the page. You’ll have a very effective distraction.

Divert your attention 2

Listen to a piece of music. Choose something inspiring that you enjoy, and lose yourself in it. The average song lasts for more than 3 minutes – if you can hold it that long, you’re doing well.

Count downwards. Slowly.

Counting down aims your attention at a specific goal (0), so you don’t have a choice about stopping. Counting up is unlimited – you stop whenever, and make excuses that you’ve done enough. Set your target and stick to it. You’ll thank yourself later.

Every time you plank, you’ll get stronger. It’s an exercise that really rewards commitment and training, and you’ll quickly feel the benefits in terms of strength, but also in terms of definition of your abs, and your waist size.

How much should you lift?

Posted on October 27, 2013 by James

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People have lots of different reasons for getting fit. Some people want to be stronger, other people have specific objectives around sports or performance, others simply want to look great, while for others, the main objective is just to be stronger. Of course, one of the big questions that you should ask about improving your strength is how much should you lift.

How much should you lift?

When a lot of people start strength training, their objectives are fairly fluid – simply to be able to lift more, and there is a lot of debate about exactly what your goals should be. Ultimately strength is relative, and is also largely dependent on your size, because the amount of leverage that you have is always relative to your own body.

How Much Should you lift?

Different exercises use different muscle groups with different levels of strength – you can’t expect to be able to curl as much as you can squat, because the capacity of your leg muscles is much higher than your arms, so how much you should lift is entirely dependent on the type of exercise.

We’ve spoken to a number of fitness professionals to find out how much weight they consider to be representative of true strength as a ratio of body weight. They suggested the following as targets to aim for as part of your strength training for key exercises:

Squats - Aim for 200% Body Weight as maximum weight to lift for squats

Dead Lifts - Aim for 200% Body Weight as maximum weight to lift for dead lifts

Bench Press - Aim for 150% body weight as maximum weight to bench press

Barbell Row - Aim for 150% body weight as a maximum weight for barbell row

Incline Press - Aim for 130% body weight as a maximum weight for the incline press

Bicep Curls - Aim for 50% body weight as a maximum weight for bicep curls

As an example, if you weigh 100KG, then you should aim for the following:

Squats – 200KG
Dead Lifts – 200KG
Bench Press – 150KG
Barbell Row – 150KG
Incline Press – 130KG
Bicep Curls – 50KG

It’s really important to remember that overall, you probably want to combine targets about how much you should lift with other elements of fitness such as endurance and weight loss in order to get the best overall results from your regime.

If you’re ready to start on a new fitness programme to improve strength and build up better fitness, check out our online personal trainer system Vytalz.com, in the meantime, why not tell us how much you can lift in the comments!

How to do the perfect push up

Posted on October 26, 2013 by James

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Push ups are one of the most effective body weight exercises for building strength int your arms and chest, but if you concentrate on your form, and think about how to do the perfect push up, then you will find that they actually provide a full body work-out for you,a nd give benefits to your whole core strength and posture.

How to do the perfect push up

As we said above, think first about form. Work on technique and think about how to do the perfect push up throughout your whole work out. You’ll find that a more efficient movement from start to finish will help you to do more repetitions, which in turn will burn more calories and give you better overall results.

Step 1: Kneel on the floor and bend forwards to put your hands on the ground. You should start with your hands parallel and approximately shoulder wide. This will ensure that you finish the exercise with your arms straight and vertical to maximise the range of movement.

Step 2: Stretch out so that your body is straight. Legs should be roughly together,w ith your weigh resting primarily on your arms and balanced on your tip toes. Your whole body should form a straight line from your shoulders down to your ankles. Hold this pose with your core muscles to ensure that they get worked out throughout the exercise.

Step 3: As noted above, the whole point of learning how to do the perfect push up is to maximise the benefits that you get throughout your key muscle groups, so remember that all movement should be through the shoulders. The rest of your muscles will naturally support and balance the strength development of your shoulders, chest and arms.

Step 4: Lower your body so that your arms bend just further than a right angle. Don’t go too far down as this can hyperextend your elbows, but similarly, don’t go less than right angles, as this means that you won’t get full movement.

Step 5: Hold the straight pose for a couple of seconds before driving back upwards with your arms.

Keep your core muscles tight, but not tense as you carry out the push up, and don’t bend your neck at all.

Here’s a video that demonstrates it really well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E

Vytalz helps you concentrate on building overall strength and fitness through free body weight workouts. Concentrating on form throughout your exercise routine will help with the benefits of every exercise that you do, and help you reach your fitness goals more quickly, as well as giving you better results and balance throughout your body. Learning how to do the perfect push up is just one part of that process.

Special Offers on Home Fitness Equipment

Posted on October 24, 2013 by James

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For many people, working out at home provides an opportunity to build up their fitness without having to sweat it all out in a busy gym. That can be a big thing if you’re self conscious at the beginning of your health journey, however there are plenty of choices when it comes to home fitness equipment that can help you to bring the gym into your own house, and train at your own pace.

Home Fitness Equipment - treadmill

When you’re starting out, whether you’re using fitness DVDs or the exercise tracker and planner at Vytalz Social Fitness, one of the big challenges is keeping up the pace of your workouts after the initial phase of enthusiasm drops off.

As you get more into your stride with your fitness regime, you might want to start investigating some of the home fitness equipment that’s on the market.

Over the past couple of years, home fitness equipment has got a lot better than it used to be. When you buy a treadmill or elliptical trainer these days, it’s very unlikely to be the kind of throwaway flimsy item that you’d get a few years ago. A lot of the workout systems that are available on the market today offer similar standards to what you see in a lot of public gyms.

They’re not quite the same of course – the average home treadmill is likely to get used for a maximum of 5 hours per week compared to 10 times that in a gym, but the equipment that you can buy for your home will serve you well for a few years at least.

Offers on Home Fitness Equipment from UK Sports Imports

We’ve found some great offers on home fitness equipment from UK Sport Imports Ltd, including elliptical cross trainers from as little as £99.95, and Vibration plates to tone you up from £149.95.

This type of home fitness equipment is ideal for people who are either not ready to commit to a long term gym membership because of self consciousness, or who simply want to enjoy the benefits of home training and want to be able to use top quality equipment.

How Many Calories in an Easter Egg

Posted on March 31, 2013 by James

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If you’re trying to stay in shape, Easter can be one of the trickiest times of the year. Wherever you go, you’re faced with a huge selection of chocolate eggs, and pretty much everyone ends up a little bit tempted.

There’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence once in a while. And while over-indulgence isn’t a great idea, seeing how many calories there are in an Easter Egg can be a real motivator to train harder and work off the extra calories.

How many calories in an Easter Egg?

Here’s a little insight into what some of the most popular Easter treats are hiding…

Calories in a Cadburys Medium Egg (162g)

Are you sitting comfortably? Each medium egg contains a whopping 858.6Kcals. That’s the same as a third of a Dominos large pizza. It also contains 92g of sugar, and 30g of saturated fat.

CALORIES IN A NESTLE SMARTIES EGG

Without the Smarties, a small Nestle Egg is healthier than the cadburys equivalent – although that doesn’t mean you’re not going to need to work harder afterwards. Your 138g egg contains 731Kcal, and contains 40g of fat (11g is saturated).

CALORIES IN AN CADBURYS CREME EGG

A perennial favourite. According to Cadbury’s, each creme egg is filled with delicious goo. It also comes with 180 KCals, 3.9g of saturated fat, and 28.5g of carbs (mostly sugars)

Calories in a Kinder Surprise Egg

If you’re feeling playful, you might reach for a Kinder Surprise, which seems like a fairly safe option. It’s a comparatively svelte 115Kcal and has 4.7g of saturated fat.

Calories in a Cadburys Mini Egg

Each Cadburys mini egg weighs around 3g, and contains 16Kcal. Of course, you’re never going to eat just one.

How far do you Need to run to work off an Easter Egg?

You’ll probably think twice about eating chocolate eggs when you realise how far you need to run to work the extra calories off. An average 75KG person uses around 120KCal for every mile they ran, so for the eggs above, you’d need to run the following distances:

Cadburys Medium Egg – 7.1 Miles
Nestle Smarties Egg – 6.1 Miles
Cadburys Creme Egg – 1.5 Miles
Kinder Surprise Egg – 1 Mile
Cadburys Mini Egg – 0.1Miles

If you want to check how far you need to go to burn off your chocolate intake, check out our running calorie calculator, or sign up for our free online workout generator, and start burning those excess calories straight away!

6 Tips To keep Your Diet On Track

Posted on March 6, 2013 by James

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We’re already 2 months into 2013, so if losing weight was your biggest resolution this year, you’ll either be seeing the benefits of your dedication, or thinking about what you did wrong.

One of the biggest problems people have with any diet is the fact that in order to lose weight, you’ll generally need to eat less of everything, which means eating less of the things you like. Keeping yourself motivated throughout a weight loss cycle can be tricky – especially at times when your weight plateaus, and you’re no longer seeing any change in your weight at your weekly weigh in.

Here’s 6 tips to help you stay motivated and keep your plan on track.

Treat yourself!

If all you do is restrict what you’re eating, you’re going to lose motivation pretty quickly. It’s better to give yourself a little treat from time to time to keep yourself happy. Here’s a suggestion:

Everyone likes an ice cream, and on average, a cone and one scoop is about 170 calories. Why not take a walk to your local ice cream shop and have a cone – the weather’s getting better at the moment, so it’s a nice way to spend some time on a Saturday. An average person burns about 85 calories for each mile walked, so a two mile round trip with an ice cream to enjoy means that your little treat will be burned off by getting it – add some ankle weights, and you’ll tone up while you walk!

Add Spice

Many diet meals skimp on flavour as much as they skimp on fat. That’s fine but it makes dinner time boring. Cooking a vegetable stir fry with a spicy marinade will be delicious and filling!

Add “Spice”

That dessert is tempting. You know what else is tempting? Nipping off to your bedroom for afters. Make your meal times into a romantic opportunity, and carry on afterwards with some love making. Aside from it being a great piece of exercise, it’s also fantastic as a way of satisfying your appetite – and getting closer to your other half!

Keep a Diary

It’s easy to think that the back of crisps and pack of biscuits didn’t happen, but if you get it down in black and white, it’s harder to hide from. Keep a diary of what you eat and when. It will be a much better conscience than your conscience.

Don’t weigh, Measure

Weight loss plateaus are completely normal as your body changes and adapts, but there’s no denying that they are a real demotivator. One of the reasons why your weight might not be changing is because you’re building more body mass in the form of muscle. The good news: muscle is about 3 times as dense as fat, so even if your weight isn’t changing, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get into those new jeans. Measure your waist, chest, and other areas, and watch as the inches drop off, even when the pounds aren’t.

And finally … Don’t Give Up!

Remember why you want to lose weight, think about how well you’ve done to get as far as you have, and talk to the people around you. Whether you’re part of a group, or part of a family, if you’re losing weight, make sure the people around you know and support you, and ask them for help.

Valentine’s Day – it’s all about the love

Posted on February 12, 2013 by James

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Love is good. Love keeps us happy, and happiness is healthy.

At this time of year – around Valentine’s Day – love is everywhere. Every card shop is filled with gifts and wherever you look, you’re surrounded by hearts.

Vytalz is all about making getting healthy as simple as possible. People who exercise on a regular basis reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle including a lower risk of heart disease.

Of course, keeping a healthy heart is essential, and shouldn’t just be something you think about once a year. Love is the same. Valentine’s isn’t just one day any more. It’s a whole week of snuggles, hugs, and gifts that give you the chance to express your love for your special someone – just don’t forget to think about yourself too!

Our Valentines Day gift to you is a collection of beautiful romantic thoughts to inspire you over the next week. You can see our Online Valentine’s Card here.

Valentine’s Day is a great reminder of how important love is in the world. It’s also a great time to think about your own heart as well as the ones you share with others. If you’ve not already signed up for a free fitness planner from vytalz, or tried out our online workout generator, why not do it today. It’s free, simple, and you can start your training plan in less than a minute!

Meanwhile, if you’re not quite ready to join Vytalz social fitness, why not check out our valentines card to you.