My college bud Trevor sent me this video, a cover of the original “I Kissed A Girl” by Katy Perry. I was shocked to see it has 5.4 million views and 17,000+ comments.

Watch for the little “surprise” around minute 2:40.

by BRONSON PAGE

For the past four years, I’ve spent a total daily average of $12 on breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria at work. This translates to about $3,000 a year, for four years… you get the picture.  Plus we all grazed on snacks provided by the company.  With the financial downturn, they were the first perk to go.  If I went to lunch off-site, with coworkers, I would spend $20 instead of $12.  So given the national belt-tightening, and the effect of company-sponsored Danish butter cookies on my waistline, I challenged myself to find an alternative to the self-indulgent work time nosh.

Choosing from Trader Joe’s selection of ready-made meals and other non-refrigerated goods, I assembled the following meals for about $50: breakfasts and lunches for two work weeks, with only three items that need refrigeration, and the rest fitting into a standard desk drawer.

I chose 10 different entrees: ready-made Indian, Spanish, Thai and quiche selections.  They range in price from $1.49 to $2.19, and only the quiche requires refrigeration.  I increased the protein with almond butter in place of peanut butter, and by mixing a can of tuna into the ethnic food selections before warming it in the microwave.  The spiciness masked any heavy tuna flavor, and it tasted great.

Next time, I’ll try it at Von’s and let you know how it goes.

I’m just starting a cardiovascular exercise program and am about 140 pounds overweight. Should I start this exercise program now, or should I try dieting and wait to lose some of the weight first, and then start the program? I’m having difficulty keeping up in the classes and the movements seem really difficult. —Pamela, Redondo Beach

You’ll lose weight more rapidly if you combine calorie restriction with exercise rather than just restricting calories alone. If you’re having trouble with the classes, try non-weight bearing activities, such as bicycling on a stationary bike, swimming, or working on an elliptical machine which will protect your joints, ankles and wrists while you begin to lose the weight.

SAM:  Would you be able to tell me the best heart beat range for losing weight?  Is there a different range for cardio-exercise?  I’ve been using a stationary bicycle during the cold weather for exercise.  ~ Marcy, Utah

It’s easy to determine your target heart rate for losing fat (remember: you want to focus on fat loss, not weight loss).

The calculation is:

80% x [220 - (AGE)] = Heart Rate.

For example, I’m 34 years old, so I subtract my age from 220, then multiply the resulting number (186) by .80 to reveal a target heart rate of about 148 BPM.  That’s about 80 percent of my heart’s capacity.  The medical establishment says fat burning mode is between 55 and 65 percent of your maximum heart rate, but as a professional trainer, I’ve personally come to believe that you’ll burn more overall calories by working a little bit harder (e.g. 80%) and get more out of your cardiovascular training time.  Also, remember to give consideration to other factors, such as your medical history and what your doctor has to say.

HEY SAM— I have a Precor at home (love it). Anyway, I work out on it every night. What do you recommend: long, steady cardio, or sprint intervals? I used to do steady cardio for 60-70 minutes, but lately I haven’t had as much time. So I’ve done 45 minutes of sprints (1 minute super fast, then recover) at least 5 days a week. Is one better than the other?  —Debbie, Spokane

Interval training (or “high intensity interval training,” sometimes referred to as HIIT) is very effective at reducing body fat.  However, your body adjusts very quickly to exercise. If you’ve stopped seeing the results you want, then it’s time to mix up the program.

One way you can mix up your cardio is to alternate your longer-endurance days with interval training. That means do a few miles at a heavy resistance on Monday, do intervals Tuesday, take Wednesday off, a long slow (but steady) uphill climb on Thursday, and intervals again on Friday. Use weekends as an opportunity to cross train (play a sport, go skiing, jog outdoors, etc) and take one of your weekend days off.

An interesting thing about intervals: they’re super effective at getting rid of body fat, but scientists haven’t figured out yet which length of intervals (short, medium, or long) work best. So cover your bases and mix up the length of the intervals themselves, too.