My husband keeps pointing out that the leaves are piling up on the lawn. That can mean only one thing for the family this weekend; it's time to get out the rakes (and the leaf bags, tarps, and blowers). And while raking leaves may not be on my top 10 ways to spend my Saturday (and probably Sunday too),  I have read that it's a real calorie burner. Try about 250 calories an hour. Not bad! Have a great weekend:) Go RU!

*If you're having a rake free weekend and looking for things to do, go to http:// www.fitsugar.com/slideshow/2392207 to see how some of these other fun fall activities (Biking, Horseback Riding, Hiking, In-Line Skating) stack up in the calorie count.

Each serving has 482 calories and 17 grams of fat. If you find this too high to fit into your daily plan you can reduce your servings of chicken (this recipe is analyzed for 2 chicken thighs) or you can exchange light meat chicken for the dark meat. A nutritional profile of this recipe is available.

Remember that you can reanalyze this recipe with the modifications that you make. Don't forget to save this recipe to your My ND Recipes.

I am at my last conference of the year way out in St. Louis, Missouri away from Boston and while I was out doing my customary walk around the new city taking in the culture, I noticed one very disturbing trend. What I saw was that probably 8 out of 10 people I passed were well overweight.

Literally everywhere I turned I saw more and more people moving slowly, deliberately, and looking like their overweight bodies were causing them physical harm as they walked.

I also noticed (or failed to notice) that there weren’t any health clubs. My hotel has a private one up on the 25th floor, but I couldn’t find one in downtown St. Louis... Now, I’m sure there is one, but unlike most major cities where there’s one on every corner, I couldn’t find one today.

All I can conclude is that it seems like all these people who may want to lose weight and take back their health have far less options.

So what if you’re like many of the people here who don’t have easy access to the gym, what are you supposed to do to get back in shape?

What’s your “fallback” when you can’t make it to the gym? Do you workout at home, take a long walk, go for a run outside, complete body weight exercises, play your favorite sport…?

Personally, I enjoy going for long walks and completing dumbbell workouts at home. I like knowing that no matter what comes up I can always fall back on both of these old, time-tested methods for burning fat and staying in shape.

Hello from Doha!  The 2008 season is winding down and I am here for the last tournament of the year, the Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2008.   This has been one of the best years in my career with lots of great results, winning the gold at the Olympics being the most memorable experience of my life.  Being a part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has been such a fantastic experience for me.  The last few weeks alone have taken me to Germany, Russia, Japan and Luxemburg, where I was thrilled to win my eleventh tournament just a few weeks ago. 

Since arriving in Doha a few days ago, my jam-packed schedule has included press conferences, photo shoots, a few sponsor activities, and most importantly getting ready for this very challenging event, which I have been fortunate to come to for the eighth time.   Only the top eight players compete in the Sony Ericsson Championships, so I am very proud of being here once again.  The tournament will definitely be exciting as I am playing the best of the best.  This is my first time in Doha and I really love this city so far. 

A few days ago, Ana Ivanovic, a tennis player from Serbia, and I shared a very memorable experience.  We took a dhow, an ancient Arabian boat, to Palm Island, a deserted island in the middle of Doha Bay in the Arabian Gulf.  There is nothing on the island other than one tree (which I think is a palm tree), and Sony Ericsson built a replica tennis court just for us.  Ana and I played a tennis match while a helicopter circled around us filming footage that is being used to promote the Sony Ericsson Championships.  The whole experience was thrilling and the views of Doha stunning.  It was a great way to kick off the Championships and a very unusual way to play a tennis match.  Doha is a beautiful city, but seeing it from such a remote location was phenomenal. 

I also participated in a fashion photo shoot, always a fun experience to dress up and pose in the most beautiful designer gowns, a nice break from the practices and the matches. 

My fellow tennis players and I participated in the Draw Ceremony, the always fun part of the tournament during which we find out our opponents and schedule of play.  During the ceremony all the players were announced to the media and we got a chance to meet the folks that worked really hard to make this tournament happen.  I also participated in the All Access Hour which gave me a chance to speak with the international media during a press conference and tape a few television interviews. 

 Now that the off-court activities are over, I am concentrating on my matches, playing my best tennis and staying focused.  I try to relax between my matches and get a massage in order to stay fit and healthy.   So far, I am feeling great and excited for the upcoming week, which I hope will be successful.  Thank you to Self.com and to everyone who has been cheering me on this season.   I am off for now, but will speak with you soon!

Elena Dementieva

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

Getty Images

But there’s one hitch, we have to get the parents to eat vegetables first of course. We all know that parents have to be the role model. Children will do what their parents do more than what parents tell their kids to do.

But how do we get anyone to eat more vegetables in the first place?  Start by checking Dana's blogs regularly for options. Even today's Asian salad is good! More veggies like snow peas, cabbage, and lettuce can be easily added as well.

Tomorrow I’ll share some of my ideas that may work for both parents and children.  Readers what are some of your quick and easy favorite vegetable recipe ideas?