Lucille Roberts Blog

Summer Weight Loss Fruit: Papaya

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Michelle

If you haven’t yet planned an exotic trip, the taste of a ripe papaya will definitely take you on that tasty journey. The earth is abundant with natural foods that help you lose weight and look healthy. This is one of the finest foods good for your health and especially for your weight loss journey.

Papaya is a pear-shaped fruit with a butter-like consistency and has a discrete sweetness. In comparison with mango, which is also sweet and meaty, the papaya fruit is more massive and is one pound in weight. Its sweet, buttery flesh carries powerful nutrients: it is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like calcium, iron, and phosphorus, which act as great boosters for your metabolism. These metabolic boosts cause your body to consumes fat deposits more quickly to generate energy. And of course, loss of fat cells leave you with a leaner and more toned body. Continue reading →

Posted in Diet, Diet Tip, Vegan | Tagged diet, Lucille Roberts, papaya, weight loss | Leave a comment

Dr. Emily’s Fitness Tip: Building a Bold Back

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

Dr. Emily explains two exercises for strengthening and toning your back muscles.

Posted in Dr. Emily, Exercise, Video | Tagged back, Dr. Emily, emily splichal, Lucille Roberts, muscles, strengthen, tone | Leave a comment

Recipe: Vegan Starlite Smoothie

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

This smoothie recipe is ridiculously easy–and delicious! I use rice milk because I’m vegan, but it’s also great for those who are lactose intolerant, who suffer from seasonal allergies (welcome to New York), or who want to hop on the rice milk bandwagon. There are various milk substitutes, like soy, coconut, almond, hazelnut, and even sesame seed (often consumed by raw food fans). I chose rice milk for this recipe because I’ve yet to hear of anyone with a food allergy to it.

Vegan Starlite Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice milk
½ banana
½ cup strawberries
½ cup canned pineapple
½ tsp. raw sugar (optional)
Several ice cubes
1 straw

Directions:

Put it all in the blender (except the straw, obviously) and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass. Then enjoy an all-natural smoothie that, even on the rainiest day, will make you feel like the sun is shining.

Calories: 227 without adding the raw sugar, 235 calories with the sugar

Recipe by Sharon A. Gordin, personal trainer at Lucille Roberts Forest Hills.

Posted in Diet, Lucille's Cookbook, Recipe, Vegan | Tagged diet, Lucille Roberts, sharon a. gordon, smoothie, vegan | Leave a comment

Summer Foods to Flatten Your Belly

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Michelle

Even if you’ve spent the past months dieting yourself into firm form, a few poor food choices each week can quickly add up. Don’t believe us? Consider the caloric damage of typical summer activities. Backyard BBQs provide pounds of juicy burgers topped with high-calorie condiments; ice cream dates offer options of double and triple scoops, smothered in sugary, fattening toppings; and seasonal drink choices (the kind you add umbrellas to and sip from faux-coconuts) give you the option to wash it all down with hundreds of extra calories. Not exactly flat-belly fare.

Check out this list of 6 essential summer foods. The more of these you eat, the better your chances of keeping those abs flat throughout this skin-baring season.

GREEN TEA

Per cup: 0 calories, 0 g fat

Catechins, the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, are known to increase metabolism. A study by Japanese researchers found that participants who consumed 690 milligrams of catechins from green tea daily had significantly lower body mass indexes and smaller waist measurements than those in a control group. It’s safe to say that green tea is the one of the best beverages for your health. Continue reading →

Posted in Diet, Diet Tip | Tagged avocado, belly fat, eggs, grapefruit, green tea, kefir, quinoa, summer | Leave a comment

Win a FREE 6-Month Membership at Lucille Roberts!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re giving away 6 months FREE at any Lucille Roberts gym to one lucky winner!

The contest is open to both members and non-members. You can enter if you are a mom or if you are a daughter–or both!

Enter to win below. Contest ends Wednesday night. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Contest | Tagged contest, giveaway, Lucille Roberts, mother's day | 66 Comments

This Saturday: Workout in the Park with SELF Magazine

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

We are looking forward to some wonderful weather this weekend, and we’re planning to spend Saturday in Central Park with SELF Magazine for the 19th annual Workout in the Park.

The event takes place at Rumsey Playfield (5th Ave. and 72nd St.) from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be exercises classes and celebrity hosts, including Dolvett Quince from The Biggest Loser and Louis Van Amstel, dance coach on Dancing with the Stars. There will also be beauty and fashion consultants, nutritional information, and lots of freebies and giveaways from the sponsors!

Grab your girlfriends and come work out with us in the park!

Tickets are $20 and are available only online at SELFWorkoutinthePark.com.

Posted in After the Gym, Exercise | Tagged 2012, central park, Lucille Roberts, SELF magazine, workout in the park | Leave a comment

Trainer Tip: Rock Your Swimsuit With Rock-Hard Glutes and Thighs

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

In addition to looking HOT in a pair of jeans, shorts, or that sexy swimsuit in the back of your summer drawer, your glutes and thighs make up some of the larger muscles groups in your body. That means these muscles burn a ton of calories both during activity and at rest! Strong, flexible buttocks and leg muscles protect the back and knees from injury and can help rehabilitate existing injuries.

The subgluteal ridge, where your buttocks meet the back of your leg or hamstring muscle is an area many women struggle to keep toned and tight, especially with today’s sedentary lifestyles. Women are generally hardwired to store higher levels of body fat than men store. Our hormonal and genetic make-up make this adipose tissue (fat cells) stubborn and difficult to lose. By using the most recent scientific data to our advantage, we can dispel the myths of the weight loss world and get down to the business of burning fat faster!

In order to really sculpt and tone the lower body, a diversity of exercises must be performed. The following moves are some of my favorites for targeting this hard-to-tone area of the body—because they work! This routine MUST be combined with cardiovascular activity and proper diet in order to see the results you truly desire. Only then will you see the sculpted, lean muscle revealed in true form. Combine this lower-body routine along with 4-6 days per week of aerobic activity for best results. A minimum of 30-45 minutes of cardiovascular activity is necessary to achieve truly amazing results. This can be performed in any of our motivating, high-energy cardio classes, on our treadmills, elliptical, or bikes, or even outdoors. Be sure to up your post-workout burn (or EPOC – exercise post-oxygen consumption), by making 2 to 3 of those cardio sessions high intensity interval training (HIIT). One of my personal favorites is sprints on the treadmill followed by brisk walking intervals. Try alternating high and moderate intensity drills on any piece of cardio equipment, or hit the running track! Aim for a 1 to 2 ratio. For example, sprint for 1 minute, then walk briskly or jog lightly for 2 minutes.

Continue reading →

Posted in Exercise, Trainer Tip | Tagged butt, exercise, glutes, Lucille Roberts, sandra ferrerio, summer, swimsuit, tone | Leave a comment

Recipe: Carrot-Cinnamon Juice for Metabolic Boost

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

A summer of skimpy bathing suits and bare sundresses is upon us, and many women will begin thinking more about their weight. Incorporating juice into your diet is a popular and healthy way to lose weight because you get nearly all of the nutrients your body needs in one glass. Recent studies also show that consuming cinnamon boosts your metabolism. The spice can help you lose weight by lowering your body’s blood sugar so that you store less fat.

This juice recipe contains cinnamon as well as vegetables and fruits that are low in simple sugars.

Carrot-Cinnamon Juice

Ingredients:

8 oz. cold water
4 large carrots
2 stalks of celery (including leaves)
1 green apple
1 handful of spinach
1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend and enjoy!

Nutritional info: Makes 1 serving with 221 calories, 1.5 g fat, and 2.96 g protein.

Recipe by Michelle Blaga, social media and blog contributor for Lucille Roberts.

Posted in Diet, Recipe | Tagged carrot, cinnamon, juice, Lucille Roberts, metabolism, recipe | Leave a comment

Trainer Tip: Mommy & Me – Fun Exercises for Moms With Babies

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Lucille Roberts

To all of my mommies out there, I know that getting to the gym is a lot more challenging when you have a baby. So, in honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, here are some fun exercises for you to do with your little ones in the comfort of your own homes.

(Make sure to check first with your doctor that both you and your baby are ready to do any of these exercises.)

Mommy & Baby Exercises

Peek-a-boo Squats: Chances are, you have played peek-a-boo at some point or another with your child. To do this exercise, your baby can be sitting in his or her high chair, lying down in the crib, propped up in the Bumbo seat, you name it. Cover your eyes, and perform a regular squat in front of your baby. When you come up, uncover your eyes and say, “Peek-a-boo!” Not only will this be enjoyable for your baby, but you will be getting in a solid legs and butt workout at the same time!

Sleep Walking Lunges: It is 3:00 a.m., and your little one refuses to stay asleep. Take this time to work those legs even more! Securely hold your baby in your arms and proceed to do walking lunges around your house. The constant up down motion may help soothe your child back to sleep, and the little bit of exercise you are getting will help calm your nerves, as well. (Just make sure you’re awake and alert enough to do this safely! An alternative is to do this in the afternoon when it’s time for your baby’s nap.)

Seated Pony Ride: Sit down while holding your child securely on your lap. Keeping your toes firmly planted on the floor, raise your heels up and down. You are getting in a great calf workout all while your child is having a blast bouncing up and down on your lap! Continue reading →