Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

SMART goals are goals that are defined in such a way that they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-framed. The term was probably coined by Peter Drucker in his seminal work “The Pracitce of Management”. This style of goal-setting is widely used in business and I believe these ideas can easily be applied to fitness, weight loss or any personal endeavor. If we make sure the goals we set for oursleves meet the SMART criteria, it can be a great help in attaining the results we are after.

Marinara Sauce

This recipe for marinara sauce is a staple in the Ranck home. My wife Vicky loves this sauce! When I make a batch, it lasts the 2 of us at least 3 days. I typically serve it over whole wheat or brown rice pasta with a side of a lean protein, such as italian chicken sausage. Why buy jarred sauce that has who knows what in it (and a lot of sodium and sugars) when you can whip this beauty up in 30 minutes? Really. I can put together a meal of homemade sauce, pasta, homemade meatballs, and salad with homemade dressing in 30 minutes flat. No kidding. Try this, you may never buy sauce again!

BMR, BMI, TDEE and Other TLAs

Huh? What? What’s with all the TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms)? Ok, TDEE is technically a four letter acronym, but whatever.

One of the questions we all wonder when we are thinking about losing weight is “How much should I be eating each day?”. The only proven way to lose weight (more properly lose fat) is to reduce the amount of calories consumed in proportion to the amount of calories burned.

Here are some ideas to help win the battle of the bulge…