I hear these statements all the time-
“I don’t have time.”
“It just takes too long.”
“I dont have several hours every week to prep my food.”
“It’s so expensive.”
“I have to cook my families food, you think I have time to cook and weigh my own? And for a week?”
Those are just a few of the excuses I hear. I tell people that they would be better off spending that hour in the kitchen instead of on the elliptical at level one going no where. It starts in the kitchen, and it doesn’t take me 5 hours to prep my food.
Today I decided to time how long it took me to prep all of my beef, chicken, breakfast loaves and my protein ice cream. Guess what? It took me 59 minutes. An hour from the time I cooked it until I weighed and packaged my food. I usually do this twice a week.
So stop with the excuses and take time in making yourself more successful with your diet.
Pumpkin Pancakes
3 egg whites
15 g vanilla protein powder (1/2 scoop)
30 g old fashion oats
60 g (1/4 cup) canned pumpkin
2-3 g sugar-free fat free cheesecake pudding mix
dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
splenda or stevia to taste (optional)
This makes 5 pancakes
Banana Raisin Oatmeal Cookie
25 g old fashion oats
15 g vanilla pp
10g raisins
2 g sugar free fat-free banana pudding mix
Optional splenda/stevia
4-6 Tbsp water (this will vary based on your preference)
• In a 14 oz Ziploc reusable bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with fork• Smooth mixture over bottom of container.
• Cook in Microwave at 60% for 1:20 (time may vary with different microwaves) If you prefer it more on the crunchy side, flip cookie and then cook additional 20 seconds on full power.
Nutritional Information:Calories: 196 Fat: 2.9 g Carbs: 26.3 g Protein: 15 g
Chocolate Banana Mini-Flapjack
10g old fashion oats
10 g vanilla pp (or your flavor choice)
1 egg white
2 g sugar free fat-free banana pudding mix
Optional splenda/stevia
1-2 Tbsp Davinci’s sugar free syrup (optional)
• Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Place on skillet on med/high heat.
• When ‘mix’ starts to bubble, flip and cook other side.
Nutritional Information:Calories: 101 Fat: 1.5 g Carbs: 9.5 g Protein: 12.6
Cinnamon Chips
1 whole wheat Pita
Spray butter
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup splenda (you may not even need all of this)
1 Tbsp Sugar Free Hershey’s syrup
2 Tbsp Fat-Free Cool whip*you can also use sugar
• Slice edges of Pita so that you essentially have 2 pita’s
• Using fat-free spray butter, spray both sides of pita and lay them oncookie sheet or stone.
• Then take cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it on pita (side facing up)
• Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes then flip and sprinkle cinnamon and splenda onother side. Bake for a couple more minutes. If you like it extra crispy, broilfor 1 to 2 minutes.I cut my pita’s into pizza shapes, drizzle sugar-free syrup over the top and serve with a couple Tbsp of fat-free cool whip.
Nutritional Information:Calories: 177.5 Fat: 0 g Carbohydrate: 35.5 g Protein: 7.5 g
Protein Pumpkin Cookies
35 g old fashion oats
3 egg whites
15 g vanilla protein powder (or ½ scoop)
¼ c (60g) canned pumpkin
4 g SF Fat Free Cheesecake pudding mix
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. cinnamon
3 packets of Splenda or SF syrup (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In bullet or blender mix egg whites and splenda together
• In separate bowl, add all remaining ingredients
• Pour liquid mixture in with dry mixture and mix thoroughly
• Place on cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes
Nutritional Information: makes 5-6 cookiesCalories: 284 Fat: 4 g Carbohydrate: 36.2 g Protein: 27.2 g
High Protein Banana Mini-Loaf
105g steel cut oats (or grinded oats)
9 egg whites
1 ½ scoops vanilla protein powder
8grams SF FF Banana pudding mix
90 grams raw banana
Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste (optional)
2-3 packets of splenda (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In bowl mix all ingredients together making sure it is blended well.
• Spray mini loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Pour batter into mini loaf pan.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
The recipe makes 3 mini loaves
Nutritional Information: For ONE loafCalories: 276 Total Fat: 3.6 g Total Carbohydrate: 35 g Protein: 29
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
10 Tips for Successful Goal Setting
1. Plan the work and work the plan: Write it down! Any goal setting is usually best done if it is documented and put into writing. Set the intention by putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and make yourself a list of 10 small and big goals that you would like to achieve. List them in chronological order with a target date for achievement. Once they are clear to you, break them down into individual tasks, activities and action steps you need to take to make the milestone a reality. It is especially important to break down the earliest goals NOW seeing that they will be the first on the list of things to do…
2. Set realistic deadlines: It is integral to set a time frame for each goal to determine that you will have sufficient time for the tasks and activities needed to achieve that milestone properly and effectively. As you work through each milestone, each task and each activity you will truly realize whether or not the timeframe you gave yourself is realistic or needs to be updated. Deadlines allow you to track your goals and give you accountability.
3. Believe that you will accomplish the goal: Listen to your inner voice.
The little voice that is continuously sub-consciously judging self. The engagement of self-talk and personal commentary on each situation that you encounter. It can be both positive and negative. Positive inner dialogue and thoughts support the accomplishment of our goals and obviously negative chatter will undermine your self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image which will deter you from reaching your milestones. You can control and change its tone by believing in yourself and positive outcomes or resolutions.
4. Visualize the outcome: Paint a picture of what the end result of accomplishing a goal will look like! Really focus on what it will feel like when you get there. Close your eyes and pretend that you have already achieved it. How does it feel? Utilize that great feeling to give you fuel which will continuously motivate you to move forward. If need be go back to the refueling station and get some more good feelings. All it takes is the power of visualization. It will be your guide. Personally, I am a big fan of vision boards. Go out to your local magazine rack and pick up 10 inspiring magazines that cover a variety of topics that you enjoy. Go through them and cut them up into smaller pictures that you can paste onto a big sheet for you to refer to on occasion for inspiration. It is really cool to pull them out in the future and see some of the things you accomplished by implementing the Law of Attraction. Believe me, it works! I am already on my third one…
5. Make you goals measureable: Use the SMARTER acronym.
• S = Be specific. Make sure you are precise about what you want.
• M = Make your goal Measureable. Accurately measure your achievement.
• A = Achievable / Action oriented. Choose goals that you plan on achieving.
• R = Realistic. Even if the goal may stretch you make it realistic.
• T = Time-frame. Measure the success of you goal and set milestones.
• E = Exciting. Make it exciting so goals aren’t boring and tedious.
• R = Recorded. Writing it down will allow you to clearly focus on your goals.
6. List the benefits: Unless you know exactly why you are attempting to achieve any goal you will not be willing to make the effort needed to fulfill it accordingly. Why are you really trying to accomplish this? Why are you investing valuable time and energy into this? Why is it important to you? Answer these questions so that you are clear about your reasons for wanting to achieve your goal. It will guide you in realizing if it is a worthwhile project or that it needs modification so that it can become more important to you.
7. Share your goals: It is wonderful to have a support network around you when attempting to accomplish any goal. Make your goals public and be accountable to them. Share them with family, friends, co-workers, teachers and/or your boss! Of course it is best to only share with those that are supportive of your dreams. If you don’t feel that someone whole-heartedly believes in you nor has good intentions then sometimes it is best to keep your goals to yourself, quietly achieve them and make them aware of it once they have been accomplished!
8. Identify and eliminate any obstacles: If your progress is slow and you are unhappy with what you have achieved to date on any specific goal then you must ask yourself if the goal is really important? Why did you pledge to accomplish it? Are you going about doing things the right way? Are there specific obstacles interfering with the finalization of that goal? Attempt to do a root cause analysis to determine why you are not making the progress you desire. Be honest with yourself and take steps to change the picture if need be. If it there is a roadblock, figure out a way around it. Be a problem solver and move through it or just realize it isn’t part of the master plan and try a different path.
9. There is NO failure: Sometimes you will experience temporary setbacks, tragedies and disappointments which are really just opportunities to learn from and readjust your strategy. Embrace them with an open mind and recognize the opportunity that lies within each tragedy. Your goals may morph over time because of this so adapt to the change and update your goal list and action plan accordingly.
10. C E L E B R A T I O N Time!!! By rewarding yourself graciously every time you reach a personal goal it will be very satisfying and help you indentify your successes! It will give you energy and enthusiasm knowing that the next reward is waiting for you to be celebrated at the finish line of the next goal! You have devoted time and effort to the success of that milestone so it is integral to recognize that by doing, getting, buying, eating, participating and/or enjoying something SPECIAL of your choice! Now move on to the next goals with focus, drive, passion and persistence and look forward to celebrating again and again and again….
Set yourself up for success by applying these ten goal setting tips and enjoy the rewards! If you can dream it you can achieve it! Just remember that ACTION creates the ENERGY needed to accomplish anything, so get started NOW no matter how you feel and reach for your dreams!
2. Set realistic deadlines: It is integral to set a time frame for each goal to determine that you will have sufficient time for the tasks and activities needed to achieve that milestone properly and effectively. As you work through each milestone, each task and each activity you will truly realize whether or not the timeframe you gave yourself is realistic or needs to be updated. Deadlines allow you to track your goals and give you accountability.
3. Believe that you will accomplish the goal: Listen to your inner voice.
The little voice that is continuously sub-consciously judging self. The engagement of self-talk and personal commentary on each situation that you encounter. It can be both positive and negative. Positive inner dialogue and thoughts support the accomplishment of our goals and obviously negative chatter will undermine your self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image which will deter you from reaching your milestones. You can control and change its tone by believing in yourself and positive outcomes or resolutions.
4. Visualize the outcome: Paint a picture of what the end result of accomplishing a goal will look like! Really focus on what it will feel like when you get there. Close your eyes and pretend that you have already achieved it. How does it feel? Utilize that great feeling to give you fuel which will continuously motivate you to move forward. If need be go back to the refueling station and get some more good feelings. All it takes is the power of visualization. It will be your guide. Personally, I am a big fan of vision boards. Go out to your local magazine rack and pick up 10 inspiring magazines that cover a variety of topics that you enjoy. Go through them and cut them up into smaller pictures that you can paste onto a big sheet for you to refer to on occasion for inspiration. It is really cool to pull them out in the future and see some of the things you accomplished by implementing the Law of Attraction. Believe me, it works! I am already on my third one…
5. Make you goals measureable: Use the SMARTER acronym.
• S = Be specific. Make sure you are precise about what you want.
• M = Make your goal Measureable. Accurately measure your achievement.
• A = Achievable / Action oriented. Choose goals that you plan on achieving.
• R = Realistic. Even if the goal may stretch you make it realistic.
• T = Time-frame. Measure the success of you goal and set milestones.
• E = Exciting. Make it exciting so goals aren’t boring and tedious.
• R = Recorded. Writing it down will allow you to clearly focus on your goals.
6. List the benefits: Unless you know exactly why you are attempting to achieve any goal you will not be willing to make the effort needed to fulfill it accordingly. Why are you really trying to accomplish this? Why are you investing valuable time and energy into this? Why is it important to you? Answer these questions so that you are clear about your reasons for wanting to achieve your goal. It will guide you in realizing if it is a worthwhile project or that it needs modification so that it can become more important to you.
7. Share your goals: It is wonderful to have a support network around you when attempting to accomplish any goal. Make your goals public and be accountable to them. Share them with family, friends, co-workers, teachers and/or your boss! Of course it is best to only share with those that are supportive of your dreams. If you don’t feel that someone whole-heartedly believes in you nor has good intentions then sometimes it is best to keep your goals to yourself, quietly achieve them and make them aware of it once they have been accomplished!
8. Identify and eliminate any obstacles: If your progress is slow and you are unhappy with what you have achieved to date on any specific goal then you must ask yourself if the goal is really important? Why did you pledge to accomplish it? Are you going about doing things the right way? Are there specific obstacles interfering with the finalization of that goal? Attempt to do a root cause analysis to determine why you are not making the progress you desire. Be honest with yourself and take steps to change the picture if need be. If it there is a roadblock, figure out a way around it. Be a problem solver and move through it or just realize it isn’t part of the master plan and try a different path.
9. There is NO failure: Sometimes you will experience temporary setbacks, tragedies and disappointments which are really just opportunities to learn from and readjust your strategy. Embrace them with an open mind and recognize the opportunity that lies within each tragedy. Your goals may morph over time because of this so adapt to the change and update your goal list and action plan accordingly.
10. C E L E B R A T I O N Time!!! By rewarding yourself graciously every time you reach a personal goal it will be very satisfying and help you indentify your successes! It will give you energy and enthusiasm knowing that the next reward is waiting for you to be celebrated at the finish line of the next goal! You have devoted time and effort to the success of that milestone so it is integral to recognize that by doing, getting, buying, eating, participating and/or enjoying something SPECIAL of your choice! Now move on to the next goals with focus, drive, passion and persistence and look forward to celebrating again and again and again….
Set yourself up for success by applying these ten goal setting tips and enjoy the rewards! If you can dream it you can achieve it! Just remember that ACTION creates the ENERGY needed to accomplish anything, so get started NOW no matter how you feel and reach for your dreams!
10 Easy Tips & Afternoon Snack Ideas
1. Portion out your snacks first. Snack size zip-top bags are the perfect size bags for your child. Place 1/4 cup nuts, dried fruit, or chips into Snack Bags and make your own 100Kcal snack packs! It's never wise to send your child to the table or out to the livingroom with a full bag of chips! That's a recipe for disaster instead. Teach portion control--not blind eating!
2. Designate a snack shelf. If you wish to provide your child a sense of choice and at the same time limiting their indulgences create a shelf or drawer that is labeled afternoon snacks. To help with quantity make a list of foods that they can only have 1 item, if they can have 2, and fruits & vegetables can be 3 pieces!
3. Beat the heat with a frozen treat. One of my favorites--peel a banana and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Freeze! Or you can spread peanut butter on the banana and dip in melted chocolate--now freeze!
4. Create a "cook" book for your kids. There are plenty of cookbooks out there, but why not make your own. Team up with your child to select 10 of your own approved recipes for your child to make without you home or your assistance. If you need help in this department let me know. I created one back in college and I still have it on hand. I'd be glad to share!
5. Cut it up. If you want your fruit & vegetables to be eaten then you need to prep them. If you don't feel up to it buy the fruit or vegetable trays at your grocery store instead. Cut up the oranges, slice the apples (you can keep them cut up in lemon water), wash the grapes, and cut up the carrot sticks.
6. Make it fun. Do you have wooden skewers around? If so, cut them in half and they are perfect fruit kebabs for the kids! It's an easy activity and tasty, too!
7. Something warm. A simple warm snack is Triscuits with sliced apple on top and then broil a slice of cheddar over top! There is a reason why apple and cheddar are thought to be soul mates! You can also try grapes with mozzarella!
8. Blend it up. Smoothies are always fun, and you really don't need a recipe to give it a swirl. Try 1 cup liquid to 2 cups fruit and you will be safe. Add in yogurt, granola, nuts, or cookies for some fun! My favorite is 1 banana, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup peach yogurt, and 4 ginger snap cookies!
9. Let it roll. Tortillas are a staple in my house--both flour & corn. Toss one in the microwave for 15 seconds, top with meat, cheese, and roll! Pizza rolls are easy--2 Tbsp. pizza or spaghetti sauce, 1 tortilla, 1 slice of ham, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
10. Parfait time. Parfaits just look pretty! Thankfully they can also be tasty and nutritious, too. Take 1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt, top with 1 cup fresh berries or fruit, and 2 Tbsp of cereal. My favorite--Lemon yogurt with blueberries and Honeynut Cheerios!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Biggest Loser Stuff
Biggest Loser Diet
- modified, low carbohydrate diet 45% of calories from carbohydrates (mostly fruits, vegetables and some whole grains), 30% of calories from protein, and 25% of calories from healthy fats or oils (seeds, nuts, avocado, olive oil)
- no “white stuff”
- whole foods, elemental ingredients
- 4-3-2-1: daily 4 cups minimum of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of healthy proteins (e.g. fish, skinless chicken breast, 93% lean ground turkey), 2 servings of whole grains, and 1 serving of healthy fat.- Aim for everyone to have 1 serving of fish daily.
- There is room for 1 optional treat per day.- Cereals must have minimum 5 grams of fiber per serving and less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. This limits the cereals to certain oatmeals, bran cereals, or other high fiber cereals on the market.
- Goal of 7 calories per pound of body weight for daily caloric intake. This is recalculated after significant weight loss.
Biggest Loser Exercise
- Goal is 7 hours per week of exercise
- Incorporate weight training, coaching, teamwork, and competition
- modified, low carbohydrate diet 45% of calories from carbohydrates (mostly fruits, vegetables and some whole grains), 30% of calories from protein, and 25% of calories from healthy fats or oils (seeds, nuts, avocado, olive oil)
- no “white stuff”
- whole foods, elemental ingredients
- 4-3-2-1: daily 4 cups minimum of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of healthy proteins (e.g. fish, skinless chicken breast, 93% lean ground turkey), 2 servings of whole grains, and 1 serving of healthy fat.- Aim for everyone to have 1 serving of fish daily.
- There is room for 1 optional treat per day.- Cereals must have minimum 5 grams of fiber per serving and less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. This limits the cereals to certain oatmeals, bran cereals, or other high fiber cereals on the market.
- Goal of 7 calories per pound of body weight for daily caloric intake. This is recalculated after significant weight loss.
Biggest Loser Exercise
- Goal is 7 hours per week of exercise
- Incorporate weight training, coaching, teamwork, and competition
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
9 Cold, Hard Weight Loss Truths
Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, chances are you’ve seen some ideas on how to do so: “Eat what you want and lose weight!” “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!” “Finally, a diet that really works!” “Lose one jean size every 7 days!” “Top 3 fat burners revealed” “10 minutes to a tighter tummy!” But these claims are readily rebuked by anyone who’s tried to lose five, 10, or 100 pounds. Losing weight ain’t that easy. It’s not in a pill, it doesn’t (usually) happen in 30 days, and judging from the myriad plans out there, there is no one diet that works for everyone. Looking past the outrageous claims, there are a few hard truths the diet industry isn’t going to tell you, but that just might help you take a more realistic approach to sustained weight loss.
1. You have to exercise more than you think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week; this includes things like shoveling snow and gardening. And while this is great for improving heart health and staying active, research indicates that those looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss have to do more—about twice as much. For instance, members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR)—a group of over 5,000 individuals who have lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for five and a half years—exercise for about an hour, every day. A study published in the July 28, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine supports this observational finding. The researchers enrolled 200 overweight and obese women on a diet and exercise regimen and followed them for two years. Compared with those that gained some of their weight back, the women who were able to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent of their initial weight for two years exercised consistently and regularly—about 275 minutes a week, or 55 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. In other words, things like taking the stairs, walking to the store, and gardening are great ways to boost activity level, but losing serious weight means exercising regularly for an hour or so. However, this doesn’t mean you have to start running or kickboxing—the most frequently reported form of activity in the NWCR group is walking.
2. A half-hour walk doesn’t equal a brownie. I remember going out to eat with some friends after a bike ride. Someone commented on how we deserved dessert because we had just spent the day exercising; in fact, we had taken a leisurely 20-minute ride through the park. This probably burned the calories in a slice of our French bread, but definitely not those in the caramel fudge brownie dessert. Bummer. And while it’s easy to underestimate how many calories some foods contain, it’s also easy to overestimate how many calories we burn while exercising. Double bummer. Even if you exercise a fair amount, it’s not carte blanche to eat whatever you want. (Unless you exercise a ton, have the metabolism of a 16-year-old boy, and really can eat whatever you want). A report investigating the commonly-held beliefs about exercising, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, concludes that although exercise does burn calories during and after exercise, for overweight persons, “excessive caloric expenditure has limited implications for substantially reducing body weight independent of nutritional modifications.” In other words, to lose weight, you have to cut calories and increase exercise.
3. You do have time to exercise. If you have time to check email, watch a sitcom or two, surf the Internet, have drinks, coffee and dinner with friends, go clothes shopping, and on and on, then you have time to exercise. Yes, sometimes you have to sacrifice social, TV, or leisure time to fit it in. Yes, sometimes you have to prioritize your exercise time over other things. But your health and the feeling you get after working out is well worth it.
4. Eating more of something won’t help you lose weight. The food industry is keen to latch onto weight loss research and spin it for their sales purposes. A prime example is the widespread claim that eating more dairy products will help you lose weight. However, a recent review of 49 clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 showed that “neither dairy nor calcium supplements helped people lose weight.” This idea—that eating more of a certain type of product will help you lose weight—is constantly regurgitated on supermarket shelves (think low-fat cake, low-carb crackers, whole grain cookies, and fat-free chips), but is in direct opposition to the basic idea behind weight loss—that we have to eat less, not more.
5. Calories in = calories out? There is a fair amount of controversy over the basic question of how people gain weight. Is it simply a matter of energy intake being greater than energy expenditure? Or is there more too it; do the type of calories we eat matter and can avoiding certain types help to lose or prevent weight? The various low-fat, low-carb, and glycemic index advocates can’t seem to agree on which it is. However, most can agree, and logical sense would tell us, that drinking 500 calories of soda is not equal to eating 500 calories of fruits and vegetables. One is simply “empty” calories—those that provide no real nutritional benefit and don’t do much to combat hunger. Whether you ascribe to the simple idea of trying to burn more calories than you take in or focus on avoiding certain types of calories, you want to minimize intake of empty calories, and maximize nutrient-dense calories.
6. Your body is working against you. Most people have noticed that it’s hard to lose weight, but easy to gain it. This is a relic of harder times, when food was not as abundant as it is today. Our genetic taste buds made energy-dense food desirable because it was necessary to pack away calories so we could make it through the thin times. We feasted when we could, in preparation for the famine. But now that we live in a time of abundance, that system predisposes many of us for weight gain and retention. And for obese dieters, this system is even harder to overcome; after weight loss, they become better at storing fat, making it harder to keep weight off. However, this isn’t to say that many haven’t lost weight and kept it off successfully. It just means you have to be diligent.
7. Our cultural environment is also working against you. Let’s face it, modern society does not make it easy on those trying to eat healthfully and exercise. According to Linda Bacon, associate professor of nutrition at University of California at Davis, “We get a tremendous amount of pressure to eat for reasons other than nurturing ourselves, and over time, people lose sensitivity to hunger/fullness/appetite signals meant to keep them healthy and well nourished. It’s hard for people to come to a healthy sense of themselves given the cultural climate, and nutritious and pleasurable options for healthy food are not as easily accessible as less nutritious (ones).” That doesn’t mean this can’t be overcome, but it does require maybe putting other parts of your life on a “diet.” TV would be the biggest culprit, since many food advertisements, especially for children’s junk food, come during this time. Other areas to put on a “diet” are chain and fast food restaurants (where portion sizes are distorted), a bad-influence friend, or driving, which may help increase walking and biking.
8. Maybe you don’t need to lose weight. Some feel that the medical problems associated with excess weight are exaggerated. Gina Kolata, a New York Times science writer questions the notion that thin is a realistic or necessary objective for most. In her book, Rethinking Thin, she asserts that weight loss is an unachievable goal for many, and that losing weight isn’t so much about health as it is about money, trends, and impossible ideals. Recent research also challenges the idea that being overweight is bad. A study in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that being 25 pounds overweight did not increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, and may even help stave off infections. It’s true that people can be fit and healthy and not necessarily be thin, just as it’s true that thin people may not necessarily be healthy. Good health, rather than weight, should be our focus; too often, it’s not. Striving for an unhealthy level of thinness may be detrimental to our health, but understanding the health repercussions of obesity is also critical.
9. This is not a diet; this is your life. The diet industry would have us all think that we can lose weight fast, and that’s that. But most people who maintain their weight understand that eating and exercising are not temporary conditions, to be dumped once a pair of jeans fit. Instead, they are lifestyle choices, and ones to be made for the long haul.
-- By Brie Cadman of DivineCaroline.com
1. You have to exercise more than you think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week; this includes things like shoveling snow and gardening. And while this is great for improving heart health and staying active, research indicates that those looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss have to do more—about twice as much. For instance, members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR)—a group of over 5,000 individuals who have lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for five and a half years—exercise for about an hour, every day. A study published in the July 28, 2008 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine supports this observational finding. The researchers enrolled 200 overweight and obese women on a diet and exercise regimen and followed them for two years. Compared with those that gained some of their weight back, the women who were able to sustain a weight loss of 10 percent of their initial weight for two years exercised consistently and regularly—about 275 minutes a week, or 55 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. In other words, things like taking the stairs, walking to the store, and gardening are great ways to boost activity level, but losing serious weight means exercising regularly for an hour or so. However, this doesn’t mean you have to start running or kickboxing—the most frequently reported form of activity in the NWCR group is walking.
2. A half-hour walk doesn’t equal a brownie. I remember going out to eat with some friends after a bike ride. Someone commented on how we deserved dessert because we had just spent the day exercising; in fact, we had taken a leisurely 20-minute ride through the park. This probably burned the calories in a slice of our French bread, but definitely not those in the caramel fudge brownie dessert. Bummer. And while it’s easy to underestimate how many calories some foods contain, it’s also easy to overestimate how many calories we burn while exercising. Double bummer. Even if you exercise a fair amount, it’s not carte blanche to eat whatever you want. (Unless you exercise a ton, have the metabolism of a 16-year-old boy, and really can eat whatever you want). A report investigating the commonly-held beliefs about exercising, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, concludes that although exercise does burn calories during and after exercise, for overweight persons, “excessive caloric expenditure has limited implications for substantially reducing body weight independent of nutritional modifications.” In other words, to lose weight, you have to cut calories and increase exercise.
3. You do have time to exercise. If you have time to check email, watch a sitcom or two, surf the Internet, have drinks, coffee and dinner with friends, go clothes shopping, and on and on, then you have time to exercise. Yes, sometimes you have to sacrifice social, TV, or leisure time to fit it in. Yes, sometimes you have to prioritize your exercise time over other things. But your health and the feeling you get after working out is well worth it.
4. Eating more of something won’t help you lose weight. The food industry is keen to latch onto weight loss research and spin it for their sales purposes. A prime example is the widespread claim that eating more dairy products will help you lose weight. However, a recent review of 49 clinical trials from 1966 to 2007 showed that “neither dairy nor calcium supplements helped people lose weight.” This idea—that eating more of a certain type of product will help you lose weight—is constantly regurgitated on supermarket shelves (think low-fat cake, low-carb crackers, whole grain cookies, and fat-free chips), but is in direct opposition to the basic idea behind weight loss—that we have to eat less, not more.
5. Calories in = calories out? There is a fair amount of controversy over the basic question of how people gain weight. Is it simply a matter of energy intake being greater than energy expenditure? Or is there more too it; do the type of calories we eat matter and can avoiding certain types help to lose or prevent weight? The various low-fat, low-carb, and glycemic index advocates can’t seem to agree on which it is. However, most can agree, and logical sense would tell us, that drinking 500 calories of soda is not equal to eating 500 calories of fruits and vegetables. One is simply “empty” calories—those that provide no real nutritional benefit and don’t do much to combat hunger. Whether you ascribe to the simple idea of trying to burn more calories than you take in or focus on avoiding certain types of calories, you want to minimize intake of empty calories, and maximize nutrient-dense calories.
6. Your body is working against you. Most people have noticed that it’s hard to lose weight, but easy to gain it. This is a relic of harder times, when food was not as abundant as it is today. Our genetic taste buds made energy-dense food desirable because it was necessary to pack away calories so we could make it through the thin times. We feasted when we could, in preparation for the famine. But now that we live in a time of abundance, that system predisposes many of us for weight gain and retention. And for obese dieters, this system is even harder to overcome; after weight loss, they become better at storing fat, making it harder to keep weight off. However, this isn’t to say that many haven’t lost weight and kept it off successfully. It just means you have to be diligent.
7. Our cultural environment is also working against you. Let’s face it, modern society does not make it easy on those trying to eat healthfully and exercise. According to Linda Bacon, associate professor of nutrition at University of California at Davis, “We get a tremendous amount of pressure to eat for reasons other than nurturing ourselves, and over time, people lose sensitivity to hunger/fullness/appetite signals meant to keep them healthy and well nourished. It’s hard for people to come to a healthy sense of themselves given the cultural climate, and nutritious and pleasurable options for healthy food are not as easily accessible as less nutritious (ones).” That doesn’t mean this can’t be overcome, but it does require maybe putting other parts of your life on a “diet.” TV would be the biggest culprit, since many food advertisements, especially for children’s junk food, come during this time. Other areas to put on a “diet” are chain and fast food restaurants (where portion sizes are distorted), a bad-influence friend, or driving, which may help increase walking and biking.
8. Maybe you don’t need to lose weight. Some feel that the medical problems associated with excess weight are exaggerated. Gina Kolata, a New York Times science writer questions the notion that thin is a realistic or necessary objective for most. In her book, Rethinking Thin, she asserts that weight loss is an unachievable goal for many, and that losing weight isn’t so much about health as it is about money, trends, and impossible ideals. Recent research also challenges the idea that being overweight is bad. A study in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that being 25 pounds overweight did not increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, and may even help stave off infections. It’s true that people can be fit and healthy and not necessarily be thin, just as it’s true that thin people may not necessarily be healthy. Good health, rather than weight, should be our focus; too often, it’s not. Striving for an unhealthy level of thinness may be detrimental to our health, but understanding the health repercussions of obesity is also critical.
9. This is not a diet; this is your life. The diet industry would have us all think that we can lose weight fast, and that’s that. But most people who maintain their weight understand that eating and exercising are not temporary conditions, to be dumped once a pair of jeans fit. Instead, they are lifestyle choices, and ones to be made for the long haul.
-- By Brie Cadman of DivineCaroline.com
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Clean Eating Foods
If it swims, flies, comes out of the ground or falls off a tree, it’s yours!
Here is a list of foods that should be selecting from daily:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg5qm82n_9c6k2rbdt
Here is a list of foods that should be selecting from daily:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg5qm82n_9c6k2rbdt
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Say NO to popcorn @ the movies
Popcorn shocker
If you're used to popcorn being a better-for-you option, you'll probably fall out of your chair when you find out the stats on the movie theater version. A large size with butter packs in around 1,500 calories and 130 grams of fat. Opt for the smallest one (Kid's Combo), leave off the butter and it'll still set you back around 500 calories and 25 grams of fat). It just doesn't seem worth it at all, does it? Sneaking in your own microwave-popped bags is one potential solution, but we don't need to tell you that movie theaters frown on this. So chomp on your own popcorn at home or just skip it altogether, because movie theater popcorn + you = larger pants (sad, but likely true).
Beverage blunders
A movie theatre-size "small" soda (16 not-so-small ounces) clocks in at around 200 calories The scary slushy machine pumps out an equally offensive beverage; with around 220 calories in each same-size serving Skip 'em — stick with water or diet soda, and save your calories for things you can actually chew.
Helpful food fact
Studies have shown that people eat more during sad movies than they do during upbeat funny ones. So arm yourself with guilt-free snacks if you're going to see a tearjerker!
King size mistakes
Watch out for those giant-size movie candies, people!
A 3 oz. bag of peanut M&Ms contains 470 calories and over 24 grams of fat! Reese's Pieces 8 oz. Movie Size has 1,200 calories and 60 grams of fat. Zoinks!
Twizzlers 6oz. Movie Size contains 600 calories and 4 grams of fat. And you thought this low-fat treat was a good idea, right?
P.S. What is all this "Movie Size" about?? Why don't they just call it what it is....Extra Extra Large!!
Movie Snack 911
Until movie theaters start selling healthier treats, you may need to resort to subtly bringing in your own. Here are some no-guilt snacks that can easily fit in your purse: Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops: With just 60 to 70 calories each, and hardly any fat at all (Blow Pops are fat free), these will keep your mouth happy and occupied for a long time. Yum!
Apple Slices: Apples aren't boring — cut up a pretty Fuji apple, squirt some lemon juice on it (to keep it from getting brown) and toss those slices into a zip-top bag. You'll have a delicious and completely healthy snack that has fewer than 100 calories.
If you're used to popcorn being a better-for-you option, you'll probably fall out of your chair when you find out the stats on the movie theater version. A large size with butter packs in around 1,500 calories and 130 grams of fat. Opt for the smallest one (Kid's Combo), leave off the butter and it'll still set you back around 500 calories and 25 grams of fat). It just doesn't seem worth it at all, does it? Sneaking in your own microwave-popped bags is one potential solution, but we don't need to tell you that movie theaters frown on this. So chomp on your own popcorn at home or just skip it altogether, because movie theater popcorn + you = larger pants (sad, but likely true).
Beverage blunders
A movie theatre-size "small" soda (16 not-so-small ounces) clocks in at around 200 calories The scary slushy machine pumps out an equally offensive beverage; with around 220 calories in each same-size serving Skip 'em — stick with water or diet soda, and save your calories for things you can actually chew.
Helpful food fact
Studies have shown that people eat more during sad movies than they do during upbeat funny ones. So arm yourself with guilt-free snacks if you're going to see a tearjerker!
King size mistakes
Watch out for those giant-size movie candies, people!
A 3 oz. bag of peanut M&Ms contains 470 calories and over 24 grams of fat! Reese's Pieces 8 oz. Movie Size has 1,200 calories and 60 grams of fat. Zoinks!
Twizzlers 6oz. Movie Size contains 600 calories and 4 grams of fat. And you thought this low-fat treat was a good idea, right?
P.S. What is all this "Movie Size" about?? Why don't they just call it what it is....Extra Extra Large!!
Movie Snack 911
Until movie theaters start selling healthier treats, you may need to resort to subtly bringing in your own. Here are some no-guilt snacks that can easily fit in your purse: Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops: With just 60 to 70 calories each, and hardly any fat at all (Blow Pops are fat free), these will keep your mouth happy and occupied for a long time. Yum!
Apple Slices: Apples aren't boring — cut up a pretty Fuji apple, squirt some lemon juice on it (to keep it from getting brown) and toss those slices into a zip-top bag. You'll have a delicious and completely healthy snack that has fewer than 100 calories.
Recommended website w/daily emails
www.hungrygirl.com
"Hey, Hungry Chicks...Sign up now for your DAILY Tips & Tricks... Each day you'll receive tasty tidbits from the world of food and dieting. Monday is the day for all the latest NEWS HEADLINES, Tuesday get our picks 'n' pans in CHEW THE RIGHT THING, Wednesday is ASK HUNGRY GIRL day with advice straight from HG, Thursday's WEEKLY WEIGH IN offers a revolving door of diet content and Friday's GIRLS BITE OUT serves up survival strategies for the weekend ahead."
"Hey, Hungry Chicks...Sign up now for your DAILY Tips & Tricks... Each day you'll receive tasty tidbits from the world of food and dieting. Monday is the day for all the latest NEWS HEADLINES, Tuesday get our picks 'n' pans in CHEW THE RIGHT THING, Wednesday is ASK HUNGRY GIRL day with advice straight from HG, Thursday's WEEKLY WEIGH IN offers a revolving door of diet content and Friday's GIRLS BITE OUT serves up survival strategies for the weekend ahead."
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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