A few weeks...that is.
Science indicates that it takes your brain and body two weeks to nearly a year to acclimate to "new adventures". Not everybody is the same when it comes to forming new habits, especially when those habits are replacing old "bad" but beloved ones. What would your adventure be? Well....hmmm... you are the driver of that. Maybe you want to tighten up your nutrition. Or, maybe it's your tush you wish to tighten. I am here to encourage you to hang with it for the short (or long haul), just suck it up buttercup. Mind over matter. In short time you will find your body responding to a new norm with less cravings or inklings of falling back into your old, not so wanted, habits.
This is a challenge, I will admit, but there are ways to navigate through it. The key seems to be this: repeat, repeat, repeat. Complex actions or behaviors such as exercise may take longer than something as simple as drinking more water would. Expect setbacks along the way, they will happen. Stop beating yourself up, no one is perfect. We all deserve a break or even a splurge once in a while. Do try to take notice of why your setback occurred and arm yourself with tools to overcome it that next time around. Recruit your friends for help, a support system is essential in any behavior change. Tell others your plan so they can help hold you to "it" in those times when you need it the most.
One of the tricks I use to tighten my nutrition is drinking plenty of water all day long. Water is essential to, well, every bodily function I can think of. It is great for your skin, hair, heart (circulation), kidneys, liver, brain to name just a few. Drink, drink, drink. Find a way to make this work. Give up your soda for 2 weeks....and drink good ole H2O. Also, eating a small handful of nuts or a spoonful of nut butter is another trick that works for me when cravings hit. Man she is nuts. Ha, well yep, I admit it. There. I am talking about good old fashioned nuts such as raw almonds and walnuts. Nuts are a good fat source, in moderation, that can be extremely helpful to you as you tough it through a starvation mode.
Metabolism shifts happen and eating every 3 hours or so can be quite an effort...so make it easy on yourself. Get prepared. Stash healthy snacks such veggies or small handfuls of nuts in baggies in your vehicle and handbag. Make sure these are single serving size so you don't gorge when that "I'm starved" mode hits you. Natural snack bars such as Zing Bars are another great idea to have within reach. Believe me, hunger hits when you are least expecting it.
Gleefully trekking to the gym? Here's a habit we can all use. This one happens to be one that I have down pat but that is because fitness has been a lifelong activity of mine. I have been a sports enthusiast of sorts as long as I can remember. If you prefer sinking into your couch instead of schlepping your body to the gym studies indicate you are in for a longer turnover period before this becomes a habit. Just know that and prepare for it. These studies indicate changing complex behaviors takes one and half times longer to accomplish. Whew..that could be bad. The key here could be a buddy system and mixing up your fitness activities, not just sticking to the same activity day in and out. BoRINg. Even I would rather poke a hot stick in my eyeball than do the same thing everyday at the gym. Variety is the spice of life.
So September is upon us. The season of change. I purpose we all get busy and change up the bad habits we have for some good. Are you in??
Be Well
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Craving Some Carbs?
Since 1908 the recipe for Uncle Sam's Original Cereal has not changed.
- Ingredients: Wheat Berries, Flax, Malt, and (a little) Salt
- NO sugar, No additives, Nothing I cannot pronounce!
Plus a whopping 10 grams of fiber per serving, how could it get any better (for you). Give it a try. I found it at Trader Joes
or go to: Attune Foods for this and other yummy good for you bites to eat.
Be Well
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Rev up Your Engine ~part II
Let's just face it....after forty our metabolism takes a hit. I can't tell you exactly when it started happening but one day, around forty-something, my furnace tanked. It was a sad day indeed, the day I realized my metabo-time bomb had blown. And when it blew baby, it wasn't pretty. Something akin to my thighs being caught in a hail storm. You know what I am talking about. One day you notice those darn puckers all over the place. Hey...how did I become Crisco overnight? You know, fat in the can, LOL. Well let me tell ya, it is no laughing matter.
So what is a girl to do?
Boost it baby. Rev up you engine. Move it or lose it.
Build Muscle
Could it be as simple as that. Well partly. It is a known fact that our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is higher with more muscle. One pound of muscle uses 6 calories a day just to sustain itself. Now take one pound of fat. It takes 2 calories a day to sustain itself. Huh? These things sustain themselves? Well yes silly, fat cells are alive and clicking. Well truth be told, cells that carry fat are alive and well. OK, skip that. But really, 2 calories vs 6 calories? This is per pound, so multiply that by the number of pounds you carry around a day in fat or muscle and yes, it begins to add up over time, say a year.
Another tidbit to remember about muscle, is that its fibers get pretty excited after stimulus (exercise) which in turn activates and increases your energy needs post workout. Yippeee. So kick it up a notch cause higher intensity delivers bigger and longer metabolic bucks = increases metabolic rate. Yep Yep.
Drink More Water
Your beloved bod needs good ole H2O to process calories. Simple. Even being mildly dehydrated can slow down your metabolic rate cause of the lack of the body's ability to do the work. Bonus: Fresh fruit and veges are ....ummm...mostly H20...ever notice your quick trip to the ladies room after munching on a big green salad with veges. Oh, of course. Ding Ding.
I'll take mine on the rocks. Yes, drink your tall cool one with added ice (water girl, water!) Research has shown cold water prompts the body to burn more calories, if only a wee bit. 10 calories a day. Again, these things do add up over time.
Drinking and want more? In addition to good old water, turn to black coffee or green tea for bonus metabolic boosts, altho small, who cares cause it's something.
Eat More Often
Burn baby burn, disco inferno. Burn baby burn. Train your body to burn more by simply eating every 3 to 4 hours. When studying snackers, it was shown they consume less at their main meal times because they simply are not STARVING!!! You know what starving means; it's the biggest setup to failure, a ravenous appetite often leads to overeating.
Spice up your meals while you are at it. 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can temporarily boost your metabolic rate by 23%. But this is short lived, like maybe 1/2 hour but still you can't complain about the fact that you get a tiny boost so grab those red pepper flakes and sprinkle them on your next main dish. Waaa laaa! You'll be zipping in no time.
Eat more protein. I have chirped about this one enough. Protein is satisfying, along with good fats. They satiate your appetite. Satiate and I am a happy girl, enough said. Protein also makes the body work twice as hard to digest it vs. how hard the bod works to digest fats or carbs. But...(there is always a but hahaha) balance is important. Please note I am not advocating a high protein diet. I'm a rather staunch supporter of moderation. Simply substitute a little protein in for some of your carbs or fats.
Avoid Crash Diets
Do NOT ever dip below 1000 calories a day. Can you say metabolic disaster grander than the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster? These diets are notorious for quick weight loss, but guess what? At the expense of muscle (gasp!) ...Oh crap! Really, double CRAP! I don't get excited about much, too often, but this one just sets me off!!! Why on God's green lovely earth would you give up any precious muscle? Isn't this where this discussion started!??? We are losing it naturally, hormonally, honey... Yikes, please do not sabotage your efforts. Never. The worse part of post low cal diets, is the fact that when you start eating normally again, you gain weight easier and faster. And it is now harder to lose cause you have less muscle mass then prior to that crash diet. Less muscle = less calories needed. Oy Vey! I'm just saying.
Best Bet
Here is the fun part. Some of the individual impacts of the above steps are small beans but when lumped together, they really start to add up. Sustained weight loss is attainable. Workout smarter and eat smarter. That's my motto and I am sticking to it.
Get up, slam your ice cold water. Grab a cup of Joe or TWO with your breakfast which is consumed within your first waking hour. Get to the gym for your workout sometime during the day (or get outside and move). Head for the kitchen for your snack or meal (sprinkled with chili flakes LOL) every 3 to 4 hours to keep your furnace firing. Drink lots of water (ice) throughout the day. Grab an afternoon green tea...and incorporate balance into your meals and life. And Laugh, laugh a lot cause nothing is better than a good ole belly laugh. Enjoy your life.
Be Well
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Heard That Said Before...
Have you heard any of the following:
Carbs play a vital role in relation to our energy needs. Specifically, the type and amount of carbs needed day to day IS dependent upon that days specific training intensity and your overall body composition (ratio of muscle to fat) goal. Not all Carbs are created equal tho, so that is where we will start.
Carbohydrates are one of four macro-nutrients we need to survive, the other three being water, protein, and fat.
Carbohydrates either contain mostly starches (amylopectin, amylose) with fiber (grains, potatoes, pastas, rice) or mostly sugar (glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, and glucose polymers such as maltodextrin).
Glucose is the only molecule that can be oxidized (used) by muscle. Fructose and galactose must be broken down (and rather slowly) by the liver into glucose before they can be used by muscle. These sugars are monosaccharides.
Disaccharides are a combination of two monosaccharides. Sucrose, lactose and maltose are examples. Sucrose is by far the most abundant sugar in our diet and provides 20-25% of our energy. Beet and cane sugar, brown sugar, table sugar, maple sugar and honey are sucrose. Sucrose is a molecule of glucose and fructose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. It is composed of a molecule of glucose and galactose.
Oligosaccharides are 3 to 9 monosaccharides combined and are found in most vegetables.
Polysaccharides are 10 or more monosaccharides and are referred to as glucose polymers or maltodextrins and then there is starch, glycogen and fiber which contain up to a thousand monosaccharides (essentially these are storage forms of carbohydrates).
So you can start to see by the above descriptions how all carbs are not equal. To keep this somewhat simple nutritionists refer to carbs as starch (ST) and fruits and vegetables (F/V). The simple carbohydrate sugar is not really something you will see scheduled into your eating plan when working with a nutritionist {darn!}, but it is something you will find abundantly in processed foods when reading food labels. So goes the thinking that the healthiest eating plan involves eating minimally processed foods as to avoid the over consumption of sugar.
Now let's take a look at your blood sugar response as you eat. When you wake up in the morning, your blood sugar will be at its lowest point. When you eat breakfast, your blood sugar rises as you digest the nutrients of your meal. The pancreas kicks out insulin in response to the rise in your blood sugar. The insulin moves the glucose in your blood into the cells for energy. As insulin continues to work on moving the glucose from your blood into your cells your blood sugar levels start to drop, eventually returning to a similar level as before you ate.
Looking at your blood sugar response in relation to what types of foods you eat takes this one step further. Ingestion of carbohydrates alone, such as pasta and breads, causes a much larger spike in your blood sugar versus eating protein along with fiber and smaller amounts of carbohydrates, such as chicken and vegetables, which produces only a moderate spike in your blood sugar. The overall goal is maintain a moderate response in your blood sugar as compared to a large spike, often referred to as a sugar high, followed by that drastic drop often referred to as a crash. The goal then becomes focusing on foods that have more protein and fiber (fruits and vegetables with lean meat) with less refined carbs and sugars. Check this out:
High Carb Day (large spikes in blood sugar)
Breakfast: OJ, Bagel with PBJ, Banana
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Pretzels, Soda
Snack: Granola
Dinner: Pasta with marinara, Breadsticks, Sorbet
vs.
Balanced Day (moderate blood glucose response)
Breakfast: Milk, Omelet with spinach, tomato, and mushrooms, Blueberries
Lunch: Mixed greens with black bean, avocado, Hummus with veges, Herbal Tea
Snack: Greek Yogurt with nuts
Dinner: Salmon, Asparagus, Mixed Fruit Salad
The second menu offers a stable blood sugar response throughout your day as well helping you feel fuller longer (greater satiety) with the added protein, fiber and good fats included in each meal. Satiety equates to less cravings so the tendency to overeat can be avoided.
By eating balanced meals, along with training aerobically, we can teach our bodies to use more of its fat stores over time. This helps us reach our weight and body composition goals. Eating too many carbs with little or no fat and protein leads to an increased carbohydrate burn for fuel simply due to the higher insulin response. Insulin inhibits our ability to burn fat.
Control your blood sugar through balanced food choices and in turn teach your body to use fat stores more efficiently. Or in other words, to control your blood sugar, burn more fat, and preserve your carbohydrate stores, you need balanced nutrition and moderate variable intensity training.
When eating before a workout, the goal is to prevent an energy depletion during the training session. The best way to avoid this is to eat 2 - 3 hours before an hour long workout. If it will be longer than 3 hours after your last meal and the end of your training session, have a snack prior which consists of protein and carb to maintain your energy levels throughout. In the hour following your workout, try to get your next meal in to refuel your muscles and avoid entering a catabolic state, one in which your body goes on a manhunt internally for fuel and starts breaking down your hard earned muscle as its fuel source. In other words, no starvation post workout. Listen to your biological hunger mechanisms and eat when signaled.
As you can see this topic is a bit crazed, but hang with me for future postings on good carb (ST) choices and the timing of such in your diet.
Be Well
- Night Time Eating Makes You Fat
- Some Sugars Are Bad For You
- Coffee Is Not Good For You
- Less You Eat, The Better
- Switch to Sea Salt to Reduce Sodium
- Drink More Water To Peel Off Pounds
- Sugar Makes You Hyper
- Athletes Need a Ton of Protein
- Too Much Sugar Causes Diabetes
- Carbs Lead to Weight Gain
Carbs play a vital role in relation to our energy needs. Specifically, the type and amount of carbs needed day to day IS dependent upon that days specific training intensity and your overall body composition (ratio of muscle to fat) goal. Not all Carbs are created equal tho, so that is where we will start.
Carbohydrates are one of four macro-nutrients we need to survive, the other three being water, protein, and fat.
Carbohydrates either contain mostly starches (amylopectin, amylose) with fiber (grains, potatoes, pastas, rice) or mostly sugar (glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, and glucose polymers such as maltodextrin).
Glucose is the only molecule that can be oxidized (used) by muscle. Fructose and galactose must be broken down (and rather slowly) by the liver into glucose before they can be used by muscle. These sugars are monosaccharides.
Disaccharides are a combination of two monosaccharides. Sucrose, lactose and maltose are examples. Sucrose is by far the most abundant sugar in our diet and provides 20-25% of our energy. Beet and cane sugar, brown sugar, table sugar, maple sugar and honey are sucrose. Sucrose is a molecule of glucose and fructose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. It is composed of a molecule of glucose and galactose.
Oligosaccharides are 3 to 9 monosaccharides combined and are found in most vegetables.
Polysaccharides are 10 or more monosaccharides and are referred to as glucose polymers or maltodextrins and then there is starch, glycogen and fiber which contain up to a thousand monosaccharides (essentially these are storage forms of carbohydrates).
So you can start to see by the above descriptions how all carbs are not equal. To keep this somewhat simple nutritionists refer to carbs as starch (ST) and fruits and vegetables (F/V). The simple carbohydrate sugar is not really something you will see scheduled into your eating plan when working with a nutritionist {darn!}, but it is something you will find abundantly in processed foods when reading food labels. So goes the thinking that the healthiest eating plan involves eating minimally processed foods as to avoid the over consumption of sugar.
Now let's take a look at your blood sugar response as you eat. When you wake up in the morning, your blood sugar will be at its lowest point. When you eat breakfast, your blood sugar rises as you digest the nutrients of your meal. The pancreas kicks out insulin in response to the rise in your blood sugar. The insulin moves the glucose in your blood into the cells for energy. As insulin continues to work on moving the glucose from your blood into your cells your blood sugar levels start to drop, eventually returning to a similar level as before you ate.
Looking at your blood sugar response in relation to what types of foods you eat takes this one step further. Ingestion of carbohydrates alone, such as pasta and breads, causes a much larger spike in your blood sugar versus eating protein along with fiber and smaller amounts of carbohydrates, such as chicken and vegetables, which produces only a moderate spike in your blood sugar. The overall goal is maintain a moderate response in your blood sugar as compared to a large spike, often referred to as a sugar high, followed by that drastic drop often referred to as a crash. The goal then becomes focusing on foods that have more protein and fiber (fruits and vegetables with lean meat) with less refined carbs and sugars. Check this out:
High Carb Day (large spikes in blood sugar)
Breakfast: OJ, Bagel with PBJ, Banana
Lunch: Turkey Sandwich, Pretzels, Soda
Snack: Granola
Dinner: Pasta with marinara, Breadsticks, Sorbet
vs.
Balanced Day (moderate blood glucose response)
Breakfast: Milk, Omelet with spinach, tomato, and mushrooms, Blueberries
Lunch: Mixed greens with black bean, avocado, Hummus with veges, Herbal Tea
Snack: Greek Yogurt with nuts
Dinner: Salmon, Asparagus, Mixed Fruit Salad
The second menu offers a stable blood sugar response throughout your day as well helping you feel fuller longer (greater satiety) with the added protein, fiber and good fats included in each meal. Satiety equates to less cravings so the tendency to overeat can be avoided.
By eating balanced meals, along with training aerobically, we can teach our bodies to use more of its fat stores over time. This helps us reach our weight and body composition goals. Eating too many carbs with little or no fat and protein leads to an increased carbohydrate burn for fuel simply due to the higher insulin response. Insulin inhibits our ability to burn fat.
Carbohydrates eaten alone per meal = more insulin produced by pancreas = decrease fat oxidation = less fat burned for fuel.
Control your blood sugar through balanced food choices and in turn teach your body to use fat stores more efficiently. Or in other words, to control your blood sugar, burn more fat, and preserve your carbohydrate stores, you need balanced nutrition and moderate variable intensity training.
Always include protein with every meal & snack.
When eating before a workout, the goal is to prevent an energy depletion during the training session. The best way to avoid this is to eat 2 - 3 hours before an hour long workout. If it will be longer than 3 hours after your last meal and the end of your training session, have a snack prior which consists of protein and carb to maintain your energy levels throughout. In the hour following your workout, try to get your next meal in to refuel your muscles and avoid entering a catabolic state, one in which your body goes on a manhunt internally for fuel and starts breaking down your hard earned muscle as its fuel source. In other words, no starvation post workout. Listen to your biological hunger mechanisms and eat when signaled.
As you can see this topic is a bit crazed, but hang with me for future postings on good carb (ST) choices and the timing of such in your diet.
Be Well
Sunday, January 2, 2011
It's Time to Overhaul Your Home Base
Yikes, have you peeked in your pantry lately? I did and man it's not looking so good.
I need a kickin' in the booty baby....it's time get the crud out before it settles on the back of my thighs, bumm and God knows where else. If you are not sure what I mean by crud, well, uhhmm ..it's sugar and processed goo. If you have not figured it out yet, sugar and processed foods are NOT our friends, certainly not our back-side's friends. Those little puckers (no that is not a typo) are my nemesis.
Ok, so let's get this taken care of. In with the happy healthy foods, out with the crud. Time to clear the pantry. What goes? What stays? Let's work on the stay list. If you don't see it here and it comes in a box, toss it. If it has a bunch of ingredients you cannot pronounce, toss it. If it has a long shelf life, definately get rid of it.
Keepers
Whole Oats
Quinoa
Lentils
Whole Grain Pasta
Brown Rice
Sweet Potatoes, White or Red Potatoes
Pumpkin, Squash,
Barley
REAL Shredded Wheat
Ezekiel Bread, Sprouted Grain Breads
Wheat Tortillas
Couscous
Cream of Wheat
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Mixed Greens / Spinach / Romaine / Mache
Mixed Nuts (except peanuts)
Natural Peanut Butter or better yet, Cashew or Almond Butters
Canned or Bagged Beans such as red, black, lima
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vinegar
Green Tea
Whey Protein powder
Fish Oil
Hemp Oil
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil
Green Foods
Extra Lean Ground Beef / Turkey
Chicken / Turkey Breasts
1% Cottage Cheese
Egg Whites
Whole Eggs
Tuna
Tilapia
Haddock
Cod
Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster
Organic (non processed) Yogurt
have I missed anything??? Yes...water filters, drink plenty of filtered H2O ~1 gal/day
What Goes?
I am going to mention some NO-go's. Please avoid the following:
Potato Chips
Fruit or Granola Bars
Cookies, low fat or regular
Crackers
Regular Peanut Butter
most Cheeses
Chocolates and Candy ( this is what is lurking in my pantry!)
Soda Pop
Instant anything, like cake mixes, potatoes, oatmeal
Bread Crumbs, Croutons
Alcohol!
Margarine
Mayo
Fruit Juices
Baked Goods -yes even homemade :(
Frozen Dinners
Bagels, Breads not listed above
This is by far not a complete list, but a great start. If you have any specific questions let me know. What we need to remember is moderation is key, with moderation being defined at staying focused and eating healthy 90% of the time. If you fall off the good wagon one day, get back on the next. Avoid taking your cheats two days in a row. Food in your possession will eventually get eaten so remove all foods not on your keeper list, and do that soon. Keep healthy foods in plain sight. Learn what foods are; carb, protein, or fat. In a previous blog I spoke about eating protein with every meal and snack. That should become your number one priority along with the importance of having a truly safe home base. Overhaul it if it's not!
Be Well
I need a kickin' in the booty baby....it's time get the crud out before it settles on the back of my thighs, bumm and God knows where else. If you are not sure what I mean by crud, well, uhhmm ..it's sugar and processed goo. If you have not figured it out yet, sugar and processed foods are NOT our friends, certainly not our back-side's friends. Those little puckers (no that is not a typo) are my nemesis.
Ok, so let's get this taken care of. In with the happy healthy foods, out with the crud. Time to clear the pantry. What goes? What stays? Let's work on the stay list. If you don't see it here and it comes in a box, toss it. If it has a bunch of ingredients you cannot pronounce, toss it. If it has a long shelf life, definately get rid of it.
Keepers
Whole Oats
Quinoa
Lentils
Whole Grain Pasta
Brown Rice
Sweet Potatoes, White or Red Potatoes
Pumpkin, Squash,
Barley
REAL Shredded Wheat
Ezekiel Bread, Sprouted Grain Breads
Wheat Tortillas
Couscous
Cream of Wheat
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Mixed Greens / Spinach / Romaine / Mache
Mixed Nuts (except peanuts)
Natural Peanut Butter or better yet, Cashew or Almond Butters
Canned or Bagged Beans such as red, black, lima
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vinegar
Green Tea
Whey Protein powder
Fish Oil
Hemp Oil
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Oil
Green Foods
Extra Lean Ground Beef / Turkey
Chicken / Turkey Breasts
1% Cottage Cheese
Egg Whites
Whole Eggs
Tuna
Tilapia
Haddock
Cod
Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster
Organic (non processed) Yogurt
have I missed anything??? Yes...water filters, drink plenty of filtered H2O ~1 gal/day
What Goes?
I am going to mention some NO-go's. Please avoid the following:
Potato Chips
Fruit or Granola Bars
Cookies, low fat or regular
Crackers
Regular Peanut Butter
most Cheeses
Chocolates and Candy ( this is what is lurking in my pantry!)
Soda Pop
Instant anything, like cake mixes, potatoes, oatmeal
Bread Crumbs, Croutons
Alcohol!
Margarine
Mayo
Fruit Juices
Baked Goods -yes even homemade :(
Frozen Dinners
Bagels, Breads not listed above
This is by far not a complete list, but a great start. If you have any specific questions let me know. What we need to remember is moderation is key, with moderation being defined at staying focused and eating healthy 90% of the time. If you fall off the good wagon one day, get back on the next. Avoid taking your cheats two days in a row. Food in your possession will eventually get eaten so remove all foods not on your keeper list, and do that soon. Keep healthy foods in plain sight. Learn what foods are; carb, protein, or fat. In a previous blog I spoke about eating protein with every meal and snack. That should become your number one priority along with the importance of having a truly safe home base. Overhaul it if it's not!
Be Well
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Are You Willing to Own Up?
The Art of Journaling
A while back I mentioned keeping a fitness / weight loss journal. Today I wanted to dive a little deeper into the art of journaling and how it can help you on your journey to a fitter, more fab you.
What do we journal? Anything your heart desires, really. Your workouts, your emotions, your food, drink, and your sleep (aka rest).
If you are looking to take down your body fat % or make a change in your weight, a well kept, brutally honest journal will help decipher what changes you need to make to meet your goals. Without your journal, we are left with no idea of what needs to change. Are you willing to own up? Are you willing to jot it ALL down?
You eat healthy right? You work out 3 to 5 times a week. But you still find you are stuck in this place you don't want to be. Insert your journal here. Turning back page by page in your journal you may find you are working out too hard, not getting enough carbs and protein, and really not getting enough rest or sleep. Hmmmmm....
Journals allow you to see just what you are up to, the little things we tend to forget about tomorrow. Journals don't forget! You write lists for the grocery store, so why not jot down your workouts and meals? Are you having a light bulb moment yet?
We can start. That is what our homework a week ago was....journal everything. Tracking honestly may be the only thing you need to change. Some find if they have to write down everything they put into their mouth, they get serious and the weight starts to drop. Yeah!! Or some of us may find we track and we see 80% effort, by missing workouts, or eating stuff "off" the plan. (More on the plan to come in a future post.) The journal shows us what we simply don't remember happening. Tip: As you enter brutally honest posts into your journal, simply put a big X by the items that are "off" plan. This offers a great visual to easily see at a quick glance when you have missed. The fewer X's in your journal, the tighter you are to the "plan".
My story:
Back in late 2008 I took a long hard look at myself. What I saw was an athlete who got lazy. Motherhood hit and family obligations prohibited maintenance of my fit physique, one I'd had since childhood. For two weeks I went to Everyday Health online and entered everything I ate. What I learned quickly was that my diet was lacking good fuel and I was taking in processed junk. I learned I didn't eat a lot of calories and that I didn't eat often enough. I worked out 3 to 5 times a week on the elliptical, working my way up to 60 minutes straight. I was the endurance queen but I still fought softness all down my backside and legs. My upper arm circumference was growing and not in a good way, flabby and soft. The arm skin flaps that wave back at you when you wave to your friends. I used to joke about them. I picked up a book on weight training for women and got off the elliptical. I started lifting weights and eating clean. My metabolism skyrocketed again, with my growing muscle base and the good fuel I fed my body every 3 hours. I hired trainers to help, and whaa-la! Here I am, stronger than I think I ever have been, and wearing skinny jeans in sizes I never dreamed I'd get into.
I have since joined forces with Jodi at Modelper4mance to help me fine tune my physique with proper nutrient timing and workouts designed to build my muscle mass. I continue to journal everyday, my workouts, my meals, my rest, my weight, my emotions. I have learned to plan ahead a week with my meals and my cheat snacks, so those too don't take me off course. Staying on track also means giving a little. I allow myself one "fun" meal a week of my choice. As Jodi puts it, what I want right now! One other little rule I now follow is: If I have a bad day, or one of those days meant to celebrate, a special occasion, etc. That's OK, but never two days in a row. Or in other words, do not take the whole weekend off from your "plan".
If you struggle to get the results you want, journal. If you are short on time, journal. If you are working hard but not seeing results, journal. Journal to see all that you are forgetting.
Be Well
A while back I mentioned keeping a fitness / weight loss journal. Today I wanted to dive a little deeper into the art of journaling and how it can help you on your journey to a fitter, more fab you.
What do we journal? Anything your heart desires, really. Your workouts, your emotions, your food, drink, and your sleep (aka rest).
If you are looking to take down your body fat % or make a change in your weight, a well kept, brutally honest journal will help decipher what changes you need to make to meet your goals. Without your journal, we are left with no idea of what needs to change. Are you willing to own up? Are you willing to jot it ALL down?
You eat healthy right? You work out 3 to 5 times a week. But you still find you are stuck in this place you don't want to be. Insert your journal here. Turning back page by page in your journal you may find you are working out too hard, not getting enough carbs and protein, and really not getting enough rest or sleep. Hmmmmm....
Journals allow you to see just what you are up to, the little things we tend to forget about tomorrow. Journals don't forget! You write lists for the grocery store, so why not jot down your workouts and meals? Are you having a light bulb moment yet?
We can start. That is what our homework a week ago was....journal everything. Tracking honestly may be the only thing you need to change. Some find if they have to write down everything they put into their mouth, they get serious and the weight starts to drop. Yeah!! Or some of us may find we track and we see 80% effort, by missing workouts, or eating stuff "off" the plan. (More on the plan to come in a future post.) The journal shows us what we simply don't remember happening. Tip: As you enter brutally honest posts into your journal, simply put a big X by the items that are "off" plan. This offers a great visual to easily see at a quick glance when you have missed. The fewer X's in your journal, the tighter you are to the "plan".
My story:
Back in late 2008 I took a long hard look at myself. What I saw was an athlete who got lazy. Motherhood hit and family obligations prohibited maintenance of my fit physique, one I'd had since childhood. For two weeks I went to Everyday Health online and entered everything I ate. What I learned quickly was that my diet was lacking good fuel and I was taking in processed junk. I learned I didn't eat a lot of calories and that I didn't eat often enough. I worked out 3 to 5 times a week on the elliptical, working my way up to 60 minutes straight. I was the endurance queen but I still fought softness all down my backside and legs. My upper arm circumference was growing and not in a good way, flabby and soft. The arm skin flaps that wave back at you when you wave to your friends. I used to joke about them. I picked up a book on weight training for women and got off the elliptical. I started lifting weights and eating clean. My metabolism skyrocketed again, with my growing muscle base and the good fuel I fed my body every 3 hours. I hired trainers to help, and whaa-la! Here I am, stronger than I think I ever have been, and wearing skinny jeans in sizes I never dreamed I'd get into.
I have since joined forces with Jodi at Modelper4mance to help me fine tune my physique with proper nutrient timing and workouts designed to build my muscle mass. I continue to journal everyday, my workouts, my meals, my rest, my weight, my emotions. I have learned to plan ahead a week with my meals and my cheat snacks, so those too don't take me off course. Staying on track also means giving a little. I allow myself one "fun" meal a week of my choice. As Jodi puts it, what I want right now! One other little rule I now follow is: If I have a bad day, or one of those days meant to celebrate, a special occasion, etc. That's OK, but never two days in a row. Or in other words, do not take the whole weekend off from your "plan".
If you struggle to get the results you want, journal. If you are short on time, journal. If you are working hard but not seeing results, journal. Journal to see all that you are forgetting.
Be Well
Monday, November 8, 2010
Rev Up Your Engine - what do you say?
Monday equals: do over day, back in the saddle cookie, start over, think again.
This is a offshoot of my previous posting Rev Up Your Engine. Uh, actually, it's an assignment. Time to get busy and pick your madness.
What am I ranting about?
Seriously , what's it gonna be? Don't go for two, only one. If you can only give me 70 to 80% effort on this one, stop reading now and go back to your couch.
This is a offshoot of my previous posting Rev Up Your Engine. Uh, actually, it's an assignment. Time to get busy and pick your madness.
What am I ranting about?
I want you to pick one thing from the list. What list? Take your little mouse and hover over Rev Up Your Engine above to see. Pick the item from the list you can stick to, I mean stick to like glue! for 2 weeks. I am asking you for two weeks of 90% compliance. ( Ok, now I'm sounding like I am at my day job - on Bug Patrol.)
Seriously , what's it gonna be? Don't go for two, only one. If you can only give me 70 to 80% effort on this one, stop reading now and go back to your couch.
I will post more about my favs in the weight room another day. Today it is all about making a new habit. So what did you choose. You are beautiful and strong, invincible...so get to work on fine tuning your life one step at a time. Hey, you don't believe me, head over to Model Per4mance and check out one of my other favs in this world, my trainer Jodi and her wise side kicks.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...I almost forgot, along with your one habit change, please considering doing two, no... three other things for me.
Grab a notebook and start journaling your nutrition (everything you eat a day, and I mean everything right down to the 3 mini snickers you stole from your kids Halloween stash....opps, that was me!), your exercise, your emotions, your day. Do this for 2 weeks, and I promise in return I will post some little tidbits about why.
Take a multivitamin every day and throw in an Omega-3 fish oil supplement too.
Want a recap?
1. Pick one habit you will stick to for two weeks and just do it.
2. Start a journal, nothing fancy, any notebook will work.
3. Take a multivitamin and fish oil daily.
Be well.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Rev Up Your Engine
I'm sure you have heard this all before, nothing I am about to say is new or even remotely news worthy. What I hope is, that in reading this each of you will choose to incorporate at least one of following into your life and own it. I mean own it, make it your mantra, your gift to yourself. Rev up your engines, it's time to go.
How to Become a Metabolic Machine
(Rev up your metabolism)
- Eat breakfast
- Eat every three to four hours
- Eat veggies and protein with every meal
- Skip drinking your calories
- Eat good fats
- Have a daily nutritional game plan
- Stick with your nutritional plan 90% of the time
- Eat minimally processed foods
- Drink tons of water
- Get adequate sleep
- Find an exercise program that works for you
- Exercise daily or at least every other day for at least 30 minutes
- Take one day off from exercise each week in you're an avid exerciser
- Incorporate resistance exercise into your workouts
All of this said, keep in mind that change takes time and to be successful, cut yourself some slack, knowing that there will be occasions when things completely fall out of whack. Stop right there, admit it, and get back into the groove. 90% of the time means there will be days, meals, or workouts that are not perfect. Ok, it really is ok, that is what life is about. There's a saying, 'when you least expect it, life happens'.
Tip: Do not to let 'life' happen two days in a row.
Protein: lean sources of fish, chicken, turkey, beef, and pork, no processed meats please
Carbs: select with care (starchy carbs) and limit them to early in your day
Veges: these non starchy carbs, eat as many as you like, anytime
Fruits: 2 a day please
Protein drinks: limit to 2 a day, eat real food, meat
Fats: can act to help decrease body fat and boost your immunity. Choose good fats like olive, flax, avacado
Water: drink in ounces 1/2 your your body weight (weight 120lbs, drink 60 oz)
Eliminate sodas, energy drinks, and creamy sugary coffees or use them only as your cheats (10% of time)
Fuel your metabolism with food and watch it grow. Avoid skipping meals, this will KILL your metabolism instantly! Be prepared, always have a stash of good snacks available for those times when you least expect it and you need to grab something fast. This may be a strange concept for some, but believe me, as you feed your metabolism, you will know when it's time to eat...just be prepared and eat the right things!
Be well.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Apple of Your Eye
Fall Fruit
Since I have been on the "get 'em while they're hot!" kick lately, I thought it appropriate to share with you my love of fruit. Hey, they say I am a bit fruity, so if you can't beat them, join them!
Apples really have stolen my heart, but before I go there, I feel obliged to mention that there are many great fruits at their peak through November. Bananas, Clementines, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, pears, kumquat, persimmons, pomegranates, and tangerines.
Apples, ah yes...
The Apple of My Eye or An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
Apples, from my research, are the most varied food on the planet, according to the US Apple Association. There are over 7,500 known varieties worldwide, with at least 2,500 varieties grown in the US. As for Minnesota, the Haralson apple is the number one grown, with production at 50%. The Fireside apple introduced in 1943 is known as "The Minnesota Delicious". In 1991 the Honeycrisp apple, a cross between Macoun and Honeygold varieties developed by University of Minnesota research, stole my heart. The Honeycrisp fast became a worldwide favorite with production rarely meeting demand, making this apple sometimes hard to come by and a bit spendy. The Honeycrisp is well worth searching out, by my estimates. Other well know Minnesota varieties are the Courtland, McIntosh, Keepsake, Sweet Sixteen, and Regent, just to name a few.
Apples are bursting with fiber (4-5 grams per medium apple), vitamin C, and flavonoids such as quercetin. The apple skin is jammed with cancer fighting polyphenols which stop free radicals in their tracks. How this happens is really quite intriguing. When polyphenols are introduced into a system of damaged cells (diseased) the polyphenol sends a message to the damaged cell to "self destruct" with no negative side effects to the host. Way cool! Who wouldn't want to partner with an apple for the protection against free radicals.
Well then, get me my apple!
Apples make a great snack. I heard once, somewhere in my meanderings, that if you think you are hungry and it's not quite snack time, drink some water. Often times we are dehydrated and our tummy turns on the growls, but if you feel that you can eat a whole apple, then snack away. Don't forget to add a little protein as a side dish to your apple and enjoy.
When shopping for your apples look for firm apples with minimal broken skin marks and no bruising. Store in your refrigerator crisper for up to one month.
Be Well, I am heading to my frig crisper for a Honeycrisp, honey.
Since I have been on the "get 'em while they're hot!" kick lately, I thought it appropriate to share with you my love of fruit. Hey, they say I am a bit fruity, so if you can't beat them, join them!
Apples really have stolen my heart, but before I go there, I feel obliged to mention that there are many great fruits at their peak through November. Bananas, Clementines, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, pears, kumquat, persimmons, pomegranates, and tangerines.
Apples, ah yes...
The Apple of My Eye or An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
Apples, from my research, are the most varied food on the planet, according to the US Apple Association. There are over 7,500 known varieties worldwide, with at least 2,500 varieties grown in the US. As for Minnesota, the Haralson apple is the number one grown, with production at 50%. The Fireside apple introduced in 1943 is known as "The Minnesota Delicious". In 1991 the Honeycrisp apple, a cross between Macoun and Honeygold varieties developed by University of Minnesota research, stole my heart. The Honeycrisp fast became a worldwide favorite with production rarely meeting demand, making this apple sometimes hard to come by and a bit spendy. The Honeycrisp is well worth searching out, by my estimates. Other well know Minnesota varieties are the Courtland, McIntosh, Keepsake, Sweet Sixteen, and Regent, just to name a few.
Apples are bursting with fiber (4-5 grams per medium apple), vitamin C, and flavonoids such as quercetin. The apple skin is jammed with cancer fighting polyphenols which stop free radicals in their tracks. How this happens is really quite intriguing. When polyphenols are introduced into a system of damaged cells (diseased) the polyphenol sends a message to the damaged cell to "self destruct" with no negative side effects to the host. Way cool! Who wouldn't want to partner with an apple for the protection against free radicals.
Well then, get me my apple!
Apples make a great snack. I heard once, somewhere in my meanderings, that if you think you are hungry and it's not quite snack time, drink some water. Often times we are dehydrated and our tummy turns on the growls, but if you feel that you can eat a whole apple, then snack away. Don't forget to add a little protein as a side dish to your apple and enjoy.
When shopping for your apples look for firm apples with minimal broken skin marks and no bruising. Store in your refrigerator crisper for up to one month.
Be Well, I am heading to my frig crisper for a Honeycrisp, honey.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
More Fall Veggies
Variety is the spice of life.
That is what they say.
Looking for some variety for your palate this fall then head to the store and conduct a search and destroy mission...well destroy meaning bring it on home and prepare to feast.
Sweet Potatos
Have I told you how much I adore these precious little goodies?
For 130 calories you get a whopping 200% dosage of your daily vitamin C plus powerful antioxidants, great anti-inflammatory babies!
Artichokes
A nutrient dense veggie packed with fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus...all in only 60 calories per serving.
Beets and Carrots
Beets are a powerhouse with only 35 calories: Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and then some!
Carrots are, well, what your mother told you to eat: One large carrot contains 30 calories with a dose of vitamin A, B6, C and Niacin. Yummy and good for your eyes!
Finally! Collard Greens
What on earth? Deeee-lish leafy green, low in cals but high in nutrients: 1 cup provides 5 gm of fiber, 300% vitamin A, plenty of thiamin, potassium and riboflavin.
So what are you waiting for? ... Go get 'em while they are hot!
Be well.
That is what they say.
Looking for some variety for your palate this fall then head to the store and conduct a search and destroy mission...well destroy meaning bring it on home and prepare to feast.
Sweet Potatos
Have I told you how much I adore these precious little goodies?
For 130 calories you get a whopping 200% dosage of your daily vitamin C plus powerful antioxidants, great anti-inflammatory babies!
Artichokes
A nutrient dense veggie packed with fiber, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus...all in only 60 calories per serving.
Beets and Carrots
Beets are a powerhouse with only 35 calories: Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and then some!
Carrots are, well, what your mother told you to eat: One large carrot contains 30 calories with a dose of vitamin A, B6, C and Niacin. Yummy and good for your eyes!
Finally! Collard Greens
What on earth? Deeee-lish leafy green, low in cals but high in nutrients: 1 cup provides 5 gm of fiber, 300% vitamin A, plenty of thiamin, potassium and riboflavin.
So what are you waiting for? ... Go get 'em while they are hot!
Be well.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fuel to Burn Fat
Foods of the Month
Pumpkin and Squash
October, ah yes, fall and 'tis the season of pumpkins and squash.
What could be better than a bowl full of butternut squash soup, yummmy!
Buying in season saves 30 to 60% on the cost of produce, makes cents.
Pumpkin and squash currently are at their peak in nutritional value and flavor.
When shopping look for firm, heavy squash and pumpkin, preferably without blemish.
Besides being so tasty, these babies are FULL of fiber. Fiber helps our fat loss efforts in numerous ways such as assisting in the processing of dietary fat, scrubbing our intestines clean, slowing the absorption of sugar, and helping control our insulin response (low the glycemic index food) at mealtime. Fiber also creates a sensation of fullness, helping us feel fuller sooner, longer which helps avoid snacking between meals.
In addition to fiber, pumpkin and squash provide a good source of potassium, great for heart health and lutein, which is good for our eyes....didn't your mother tell you to eat your carrots??
NutriTip: Pumpkins, Squash are are starchy carbs so get these babies in early on in your day when energy needs are at their highest.
Be well
Pumpkin and Squash
October, ah yes, fall and 'tis the season of pumpkins and squash.
What could be better than a bowl full of butternut squash soup, yummmy!
Buying in season saves 30 to 60% on the cost of produce, makes cents.
Pumpkin and squash currently are at their peak in nutritional value and flavor.
When shopping look for firm, heavy squash and pumpkin, preferably without blemish.
In addition to fiber, pumpkin and squash provide a good source of potassium, great for heart health and lutein, which is good for our eyes....didn't your mother tell you to eat your carrots??
NutriTip: Pumpkins, Squash are are starchy carbs so get these babies in early on in your day when energy needs are at their highest.
Be well
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