Thursday, December 30, 2010
Client success story!
Last week I bumped into a former client at the studio. Aside from just being very happy to see her, I was EXTREMELY happy to see how great she looked. She said she had not weighed herself in a while and asked to jump on the scale. She was happy to see she was down another 8 pounds. Guess what - she is a success story not only because she lost 8 pounds but because she has made permanent life changes. Obviously she has not been glued to the scale as she had not weighed herself in weeks but her way of eating has become a habit and her body has gradually shifted to where it wants to be. SUCCESS, Way to go MW (you know who you are!) Come join the LEAN TEAM and be the next Lifestyle Success Story! Noreen
What are your health goals for 2011?
New Years Day is almost here. New calendars, new schedules and new goals we set for ourselves. This is a great time to think about what we want to accomplish both professionally, mentally and physically over the next 12 months. Think back to last January, how far have you come in accomplishing the goals you set last year. Personally I have been successful in some areas and not so in others, But guess what - that is life! What I would like to point out is that as far as health and fitness goals, the more realistic, the better. 2 a day workouts and a liquid diet - probably not realistic. Pre-packaged food, supplements and a rigid exercise routine may work for a while but if it is not liveable, it will not stick. We will all be bombarded with advertisements for QUICK FIXES over the next couple of weeks. For example -lose 20 pound this month, eating everything you want and no need to exercise or give up carbs and lose weight effortlessly. News Flash - if it was this easy, we would have already done it. My advice to you is to wear blinders at the grocery check out, don't get sucked into buying that magazine with the newest fad diet or exercise routine, don't get sucked into purchasing some new fangled device that is suppose to shrink your abs over night. Rather, make some concrete decisions that you can fit into your lifestyle and realistically accomplish. I have people say to me, it is just too overwhelming, 1 or 2 pounds a week is just to slow, I will never get there, NEWS FLASH, 1 pound a week over the span of a year= 52 pounds!!! We can do it, we just have to put in the time and effort. Baby steps will get you there. I challenge you to choose 1 thing you want to accomplish over the next week. Eat more fruit and veggies or increase your water intake. Once you have succeeded with this, move on to another goal. You will be surprised how quickly these small steps add up. Again, lifestyle changes are the only way to go. Gaining and losing the same 10, 20 or more pounds is detrimental to our health. It is better to lose 10 pounds and keep it off thane 30 pounds only to gain 25 back. YOU CAN DO IT!! As always, I am just an e-mail or phone call away.
Best wishes for the New Year, Noreen
Best wishes for the New Year, Noreen
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Holiday Parties
This is a big week for holiday gatherings. Office parties, neighborhood get togethers, family gatherings, school parties, the list goes on and on. How we approach these social events will have a big impact on what number is on the scale on January 2, 2011. Remember, our goal is to Hold our Weight steady over the holiday season.
First and foremost - DO NOT GO TO THE PARTY HUNGRY!! Although it may seem like a smart idea to eat very little all day and save the calories for the party. No, No and No. All this will do is lessen your self restraint at the party. You will be so hungry it will be hard to make healthy choices. A better strategy is to stick to your daily eating routine. Eat breakfast, a light lunch and another snack prior to the party. Place the emphasis on lean protein, fruits and veggies. Salad with tuna or chicken is a great choice for lunch as the protein will stick with you. Many of my clients who balked at the "snack before the party idea" have been pleasantly surprised this season with the results of this simple tactic. A cheese stick and apple or a handful of almonds are quick and easy and will stabilize your blood sugar, thus reducing cravings at the party.
Scan the buffet table or menu before deciding what you want to eat. Don't just fill up your plate as you go, decide what you really want and only put that on your plate. Shrimp is a common holiday food that is a great lean protein choice. Veggies with hummus for dip is another great appetizer choice in place of chips with fatty onion or cheese dip. Try putting your food on a salad plate rather than a dinner plate. Less food fits!!
Take a breather after you eat! Once you have finished what you have on your plate, wait a while before you go back for seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we are full. Another advantage to waiting is there is more chance the food will be gone!!
Only put what you really want on your plate. Cheese and crackers, chips and pretzels are all foods you can have anytime. Why waste your calories on these? Allowing yourself only the foods you really want will cut back on wasted calories.
Stop after 1 or 2 bites. Decide wether the food is really worth it or if perhaps you only needed a taste and don't really need to finish the whole thing. We do not have to be members of the CLEAN PLATE CLUB.
Dilute your Drinks. No, I do not mean you have to go half and half with beer and water. What I mean is that always start the party with a bottle of water and then have the beverage that you want. If you want a second glass of wine, that is fine but you have to have a water or seltzer first. By alternating non caloric beverages with those with calories, you half your calories consumed AND water fills up your stomach and you may eat less.
Become aware of how many calories you are consuming and make wise decisions. A glass of eggnog can eat up 450 calories of your budget and hit you with a whopping 22 grams of fat. Remember, I am not saying you cannot have eggnog, just be aware of how many calories it contains. A tasty alternative to egg nog that still gives you the holiday feel is hot spiced cider - 80 calories and no fat. Holiday punch can have 220-250 calories while a glass of champagne contains 120 calories. Lastly, be aware of what you are mixing into your mixed drinks. Mixing with diet soda and tonic water or even better seltzer can dramatically reduce the sugar and calories in a drink.
Remember why you are at the party - to socialize with family and friends. Having a plan of attack in regard to your food and drink choices will lessen the guilt and also increase the chances of a positive outcome in our attempt to HOLD IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
A client gave me a great idea for decreasing the fat in a holiday dip - substitute fat free plain greek yogurt for sour cream when making your onion dip. It has the same thick consistency as sour cream but much more protein and less fat. Just add the onion soup packet to the yogurt, stir and add additional spices if you wish.
I hope some of these tips will be helpful over the next few weeks. Remember, the holidays can often be stressful and exhausting, BUT planning ahead, having healthy foods in the fridge to grab at a moments notice and maintaining an exercise routine are all ways to counteract this stress.
I would like to extend my best wishes for a peaceful holiday season and healthy 2011 to you and your family.
Noreen
First and foremost - DO NOT GO TO THE PARTY HUNGRY!! Although it may seem like a smart idea to eat very little all day and save the calories for the party. No, No and No. All this will do is lessen your self restraint at the party. You will be so hungry it will be hard to make healthy choices. A better strategy is to stick to your daily eating routine. Eat breakfast, a light lunch and another snack prior to the party. Place the emphasis on lean protein, fruits and veggies. Salad with tuna or chicken is a great choice for lunch as the protein will stick with you. Many of my clients who balked at the "snack before the party idea" have been pleasantly surprised this season with the results of this simple tactic. A cheese stick and apple or a handful of almonds are quick and easy and will stabilize your blood sugar, thus reducing cravings at the party.
Scan the buffet table or menu before deciding what you want to eat. Don't just fill up your plate as you go, decide what you really want and only put that on your plate. Shrimp is a common holiday food that is a great lean protein choice. Veggies with hummus for dip is another great appetizer choice in place of chips with fatty onion or cheese dip. Try putting your food on a salad plate rather than a dinner plate. Less food fits!!
Take a breather after you eat! Once you have finished what you have on your plate, wait a while before you go back for seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we are full. Another advantage to waiting is there is more chance the food will be gone!!
Only put what you really want on your plate. Cheese and crackers, chips and pretzels are all foods you can have anytime. Why waste your calories on these? Allowing yourself only the foods you really want will cut back on wasted calories.
Stop after 1 or 2 bites. Decide wether the food is really worth it or if perhaps you only needed a taste and don't really need to finish the whole thing. We do not have to be members of the CLEAN PLATE CLUB.
Dilute your Drinks. No, I do not mean you have to go half and half with beer and water. What I mean is that always start the party with a bottle of water and then have the beverage that you want. If you want a second glass of wine, that is fine but you have to have a water or seltzer first. By alternating non caloric beverages with those with calories, you half your calories consumed AND water fills up your stomach and you may eat less.
Become aware of how many calories you are consuming and make wise decisions. A glass of eggnog can eat up 450 calories of your budget and hit you with a whopping 22 grams of fat. Remember, I am not saying you cannot have eggnog, just be aware of how many calories it contains. A tasty alternative to egg nog that still gives you the holiday feel is hot spiced cider - 80 calories and no fat. Holiday punch can have 220-250 calories while a glass of champagne contains 120 calories. Lastly, be aware of what you are mixing into your mixed drinks. Mixing with diet soda and tonic water or even better seltzer can dramatically reduce the sugar and calories in a drink.
Remember why you are at the party - to socialize with family and friends. Having a plan of attack in regard to your food and drink choices will lessen the guilt and also increase the chances of a positive outcome in our attempt to HOLD IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
A client gave me a great idea for decreasing the fat in a holiday dip - substitute fat free plain greek yogurt for sour cream when making your onion dip. It has the same thick consistency as sour cream but much more protein and less fat. Just add the onion soup packet to the yogurt, stir and add additional spices if you wish.
I hope some of these tips will be helpful over the next few weeks. Remember, the holidays can often be stressful and exhausting, BUT planning ahead, having healthy foods in the fridge to grab at a moments notice and maintaining an exercise routine are all ways to counteract this stress.
I would like to extend my best wishes for a peaceful holiday season and healthy 2011 to you and your family.
Noreen
Monday, December 6, 2010
Reformer!!
One of the suggestions I mentioned at the start of the holiday season was to add a class to our regular exercise regime. WELL! I decided to sign up for a reformer class. I am a long distance runner and have been battling a nagging hamstring for more months than I would like to admit. I decided it was time to increase my flexibility and work on toning, 2 things that the reformer are suppose to be great for. Today was day 1 - all I can say is WOW! If you have not tried it, you should. I know Susan can walk give you a brief overview of the process and I really was amazed at how stretched out I felt after the class. I will keep you all posted on how it is going. GIVE IT A TRY!!
Whatever you decide, by adding 1 or 2 more sessions of exercise, it will really help you HOLD IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
Keep up the good work - Noreen MSRD
Whatever you decide, by adding 1 or 2 more sessions of exercise, it will really help you HOLD IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
Keep up the good work - Noreen MSRD
Blogger Jim heads into the holidays!
For those of you new to the blog, Blogger Jim is following the LEAN lifestyle with much success. He has wonderfully agreed to blog about his progress. Here is his latest entry. Way to go Jim!!!
December 1 - 2010.
Nine months ago I weighed 241 pounds and pacing easily toward 250. Today I'm at 230 steady. I eat so much better than I have in years and the change has come about virtually effortlessly.
Life changes so far: My eating habits are FAR better than ever (in fact, all of my weight loss is due to this), I'm eating less, more often through the day. And I'm getting pretty good at eating breakfast daily and starting to drink water as well.
Our goal is to lose three or four more pounds and get to 227 lbs before Christmas.
How we'll do it: At least 20 mins of cardio per day, Religiously eat breakfast and drink at least three bottles of water per day.
December 1 - 2010.
Nine months ago I weighed 241 pounds and pacing easily toward 250. Today I'm at 230 steady. I eat so much better than I have in years and the change has come about virtually effortlessly.
Life changes so far: My eating habits are FAR better than ever (in fact, all of my weight loss is due to this), I'm eating less, more often through the day. And I'm getting pretty good at eating breakfast daily and starting to drink water as well.
Our goal is to lose three or four more pounds and get to 227 lbs before Christmas.
How we'll do it: At least 20 mins of cardio per day, Religiously eat breakfast and drink at least three bottles of water per day.
Why Protein??
Often people will ask me why I put such an emphasis on protein when I talk about a healthy diet. Why can't we just worry about calories and leave it at that?? Although all nutrients are important protein has an interesting impact on our bodies. They keep us full and help to stabilize our blood sugar which in turn often helps to decrease cravings for sugars and refined carbohydrates.
What is protein? Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids that serve as the building material for all of our bodies cells and tissues. They are important in the hormonal regulation of metabolism and help with antibodies that are important when fighting infection.
Where is protein in food? The two food groups that are the best source of protein are the meat and meat alternative group and the dairy group. Lean meats, fish, lowfat and non fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans such as chick peas and garbanzo beans) peanut and other nut butters and some breads and cereals. Vegetables also provide small levels of protein.
A neat aspect of protein is that our bodies have to work harder (thus burn more calories) to break down protein so when we replace empty calories with protein calories we burn more calories.
I suggest trying to incorporate a protein into each meal or snack you have during the day. This can be as simple as spreading peanut butter on your apple or having a cheese stick with some whole grain crackers. This will help to regulate your blood sugar and keep you full until the next time you need to eat. I have clients who have lost a considerable amount of weight by making this one simple change in their diet. A nice side effect is that they did this with little or no hunger.
If you have additional questions regarding protein or need reccomendations on how much you need to consume daily, please feel free to contact me. I have included a delicious recipe for taco soup that someone gave me. It is high in both protein and fiber and best of all tastes DELICIOUS!
Taco Soup10 ounce canned yellow corn
28 ounce fat free chicken broth
15 ounce can black beans
8 ounce cannellini beans
29 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cup water
15 1/2 ounce can of fat free refried beans
1/2 onion chopped
Saute onion in pan
combine refried beans, tomatoes and onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients (do not drain beans or corn)
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. SImmer for 45 minutes
Enjoy! Noreen
What is protein? Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids that serve as the building material for all of our bodies cells and tissues. They are important in the hormonal regulation of metabolism and help with antibodies that are important when fighting infection.
Where is protein in food? The two food groups that are the best source of protein are the meat and meat alternative group and the dairy group. Lean meats, fish, lowfat and non fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans such as chick peas and garbanzo beans) peanut and other nut butters and some breads and cereals. Vegetables also provide small levels of protein.
A neat aspect of protein is that our bodies have to work harder (thus burn more calories) to break down protein so when we replace empty calories with protein calories we burn more calories.
I suggest trying to incorporate a protein into each meal or snack you have during the day. This can be as simple as spreading peanut butter on your apple or having a cheese stick with some whole grain crackers. This will help to regulate your blood sugar and keep you full until the next time you need to eat. I have clients who have lost a considerable amount of weight by making this one simple change in their diet. A nice side effect is that they did this with little or no hunger.
If you have additional questions regarding protein or need reccomendations on how much you need to consume daily, please feel free to contact me. I have included a delicious recipe for taco soup that someone gave me. It is high in both protein and fiber and best of all tastes DELICIOUS!
Taco Soup10 ounce canned yellow corn
28 ounce fat free chicken broth
15 ounce can black beans
8 ounce cannellini beans
29 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cup water
15 1/2 ounce can of fat free refried beans
1/2 onion chopped
Saute onion in pan
combine refried beans, tomatoes and onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients (do not drain beans or corn)
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. SImmer for 45 minutes
Enjoy! Noreen
Monday, November 29, 2010
Time to Focus!
I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing holiday. I am not a Black Friday shopper so no stress there. Now that the holiday is over it is time to focus and set some goals for the next couple of weeks, as they will be filled with fun, social gatherings and quite a few challenges. It is how you approach the challenges that will dictate how you feel both mentally and physically. Take honest stock on how your eating and exercise went over the weekend. What were you successful with and what backfired and needs to be adapted? Here are some tips to get back on track.
1. Get rid of anything in the house that will prove tempting this week. I will call this a trigger food. Now that the holiday is over, pie, sweets, stuffing etc... is just an extra. We have all had a taste, need to get back to our regular way of eating.
2. Go grocery shopping and stock the house with staples that you will need for the week. Make sure to get fruits, veggies and lots of lean proteins for both meals and snacks. Examples are lf cottage cheese, lean meats, low fat cheese, hundred calorie packs of almonds or walnuts and greek yogurts. Having plenty of protein to combine with your whole grain and complex carbohydrates will help keep the blood sugar stable and reduce cravings.
3 For the next couple of days try very hard to reduce your sugar intake as best you can, especially if you overdid it this weekend. The longer we go with reducing sugar, the easier it is to cut it out.
4. Choose a behavior that you would like to work on this week. Do not select something that is unrealistic to achieve. Start small and we will work from there each week. For example, increase you water intake or food logging for the week are 2 things that are manageable but not overwhelming. The purpose of this activity is to start changing behaviors for a lifetime. CHanges that we can live with and make a part of our everyday life.
5. Lastly, add 1 additional session of exercise to your regular routine. This extra 30-60 minutes of exercise will help boost your metabolism and help to burn off any extra calories that may have been consumed.
If anyone would like to discuss metabolism and its impact on weight loss please feel free to contact me and we can talk about it and see if you would like your measured.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
Enjoy, Noreen
1. Get rid of anything in the house that will prove tempting this week. I will call this a trigger food. Now that the holiday is over, pie, sweets, stuffing etc... is just an extra. We have all had a taste, need to get back to our regular way of eating.
2. Go grocery shopping and stock the house with staples that you will need for the week. Make sure to get fruits, veggies and lots of lean proteins for both meals and snacks. Examples are lf cottage cheese, lean meats, low fat cheese, hundred calorie packs of almonds or walnuts and greek yogurts. Having plenty of protein to combine with your whole grain and complex carbohydrates will help keep the blood sugar stable and reduce cravings.
3 For the next couple of days try very hard to reduce your sugar intake as best you can, especially if you overdid it this weekend. The longer we go with reducing sugar, the easier it is to cut it out.
4. Choose a behavior that you would like to work on this week. Do not select something that is unrealistic to achieve. Start small and we will work from there each week. For example, increase you water intake or food logging for the week are 2 things that are manageable but not overwhelming. The purpose of this activity is to start changing behaviors for a lifetime. CHanges that we can live with and make a part of our everyday life.
5. Lastly, add 1 additional session of exercise to your regular routine. This extra 30-60 minutes of exercise will help boost your metabolism and help to burn off any extra calories that may have been consumed.
If anyone would like to discuss metabolism and its impact on weight loss please feel free to contact me and we can talk about it and see if you would like your measured.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
Enjoy, Noreen
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I would like to wish you all a wonderful and restful holiday tomorrow. That being said, I am also going to arm you with some weapons to help you get thru the day successfully.
1. EAT BREAKFAST!!! This is very important. You want to keep your blood sugar on an even keel to avoid cravings, mood swings and hunger. Make sure you get some lean protein in to help fill you up. Stir a little peanut butter into your oatmeal or microwave some extra egg whites into your scrambled eggs. Avoid sugar at all cost at this meal as to not trigger sweet cravings later in the day.
2. PLAN YOUR SNACKS - Make sure, especially if your meal is later in the afternoon, to plan to have healthy snacks on hand. A handful of almonds mixed into some yogurt or String cheese and a piece of fruit are easy and quick and much better choices than chips, dips and high fat cheeses. By eating a protein and a carbohydrate every couple of hours you will not sit down at the table starving. Our willpower is weakest when we are hungry and our blood sugar is low.
3. DRINK WATER - Make sure you drink enough water. One of the signs of dehydration is hunger. Often when we are busy we forget to drink water. Stand in front of the sink a couple times during the day and just chug down a glass of water. It WILL make a difference.
4. WATCH THE BLTS - What is a BLT?? Bites, Licks and Tastes that we consumed while cooking. I saw a statistic the other day that said one could consume up to 750 calories while preparing Thanksgiving dinner. All made up of small tastes of things while cooking. BEWARE!
5. PLAN AND ENJOY YOUR TREATS - If you want to have dessert, have it. Put it on a plate, pour a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it with everyone else. Don't wait until your company leaves and finally break down to have that piece of pie. Remember, this is a live it, not a diet. We are in for life changes not the quick fix.
6. FOLLOW THE 80/20 Rule - IF we follow our food and exercise plan 80% of the time, that gives us a 20% wiggle room buffer for when real life steps in.
ENJOY - Noreen
1. EAT BREAKFAST!!! This is very important. You want to keep your blood sugar on an even keel to avoid cravings, mood swings and hunger. Make sure you get some lean protein in to help fill you up. Stir a little peanut butter into your oatmeal or microwave some extra egg whites into your scrambled eggs. Avoid sugar at all cost at this meal as to not trigger sweet cravings later in the day.
2. PLAN YOUR SNACKS - Make sure, especially if your meal is later in the afternoon, to plan to have healthy snacks on hand. A handful of almonds mixed into some yogurt or String cheese and a piece of fruit are easy and quick and much better choices than chips, dips and high fat cheeses. By eating a protein and a carbohydrate every couple of hours you will not sit down at the table starving. Our willpower is weakest when we are hungry and our blood sugar is low.
3. DRINK WATER - Make sure you drink enough water. One of the signs of dehydration is hunger. Often when we are busy we forget to drink water. Stand in front of the sink a couple times during the day and just chug down a glass of water. It WILL make a difference.
4. WATCH THE BLTS - What is a BLT?? Bites, Licks and Tastes that we consumed while cooking. I saw a statistic the other day that said one could consume up to 750 calories while preparing Thanksgiving dinner. All made up of small tastes of things while cooking. BEWARE!
5. PLAN AND ENJOY YOUR TREATS - If you want to have dessert, have it. Put it on a plate, pour a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it with everyone else. Don't wait until your company leaves and finally break down to have that piece of pie. Remember, this is a live it, not a diet. We are in for life changes not the quick fix.
6. FOLLOW THE 80/20 Rule - IF we follow our food and exercise plan 80% of the time, that gives us a 20% wiggle room buffer for when real life steps in.
ENJOY - Noreen
Sunday, November 21, 2010
HOLD IT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
There is no denying it, the holidays are here! I was reminded of this yesterday when I attempted to make a quick trip to Salem to get my son some new sneakers. Traffic, long lines at the store and not finding what I was looking for quickly let me know - they are here! Holidays can be stressful and busy but they also provide us with a much needed break from our normal routine, quality family time and comforting traditions. We need to strike a balance between the 2. The same holds true for our diet and exercise routines over the holiday. We will be faces with many temptations and opportunities to skip a workout. We need to figure out how to find a balance that will get us thru the holidays both rested and healthy. On average people gain approximately 12-14 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years. Our goal at WIndham Pilates it to avoid this gain. It may be unrealistic and overwhelming to try to lose a significant amount of weight during this time but trying to maintain our weight is very realistic. Over the next 6 weeks I will be posting a blog each monday with healthy eating tips, behavioral tactics on how to approach a big party or family dinner and motivational inspiration. I will post some healthy holiday recipes and if anyone would like to give me a favorite family recipe, I will try to lighten it up without changing the taste. Many times we can cut back on sugar or oil without changing the taste or texture of the food. FIrst things first, weigh yourself today and post it somewhere you can see it. This is the weight you want to be on January 1, 2011. Second, get a small spiral notebook and start writing down what you eat every day. This can be very informative and will help to identify mindless eating and patterns that may need to be changed. The clients I work with that are committed to food journaling, either on the computer or on paper are much more successful. Third, jot your workout days on your calendar just like you would a meeting at work or a doctors appointment. Exercise is going to play a key role in maintaining your weight over the holidays. I would love to give you a hand in this endeavor, please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail and we can work together to get thru the holidays healthily. Keep checking my blog as Blogger Jim will be posting soon. He is within 10 pounds of his weight goal and doing great! Take a few minutes to get yourself organized and you will be pleasantly surprised when you step on the scale in January.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Blogger Jim Rolls on!
Blogger Jim has been plodding along this spring/summer and is making progress on both the scale and in behaviors. Here is his latest post.
Down to 232 pounds - hovering just above my interim goal of being in the 220's.
Here's why I think I'll get there soon ...
I've learned that I have to log religiously (got a little sloppy a week ago and paid the price).
I've learned that beer, although fun, is NOT an ally to my weight loss plan.
I'm starting to exercise regularly - the new workout room in the basement is done and I'm walking at least a half-hour everyday on the treadmill.
Also, I'm working with the catchers and hitters for the Hudson American Legion team (Post 48), so am continuing to work up good sweats 2 or 3 times a week while pitching batting practice.
All in all - I went a little backward last week - nothing major, but still gained a pound or two. Lesson learned - now moving on!
Down to 232 pounds - hovering just above my interim goal of being in the 220's.
Here's why I think I'll get there soon ...
I've learned that I have to log religiously (got a little sloppy a week ago and paid the price).
I've learned that beer, although fun, is NOT an ally to my weight loss plan.
I'm starting to exercise regularly - the new workout room in the basement is done and I'm walking at least a half-hour everyday on the treadmill.
Also, I'm working with the catchers and hitters for the Hudson American Legion team (Post 48), so am continuing to work up good sweats 2 or 3 times a week while pitching batting practice.
All in all - I went a little backward last week - nothing major, but still gained a pound or two. Lesson learned - now moving on!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Accountability
Have you ever wondered how those few pounds creep up on us? All of a sudden, we step on the scale and we are seeing a number that we have never seen before? How did this happen? Well, the first step to catching these few pounds before they become out of control is by keeping a food log for a few days. For many of us, it is quite an eye opener to see how that "small" handful of pretzel turned into 1/4 of the bag, or 1 cookie really was 4. One way to get a handle on this is by keeping a food log. Nothing too fancy, perhaps a small notebook kept in your purse or on your kitchen counter. Some people like to use computerized programs that actually compute calories per food. There are many programs out there. Most importantly, track your food each day. From this log you can see patterns of behavior. Dangerous times of the day and even events that can trigger overeating. Research has shown that people that track their food intake are most successful at losing the weight AND keeping it off! Please feel free to contact me if you should have questions regarding this or would like a list of names of computer programs that are user friendly. Keep track of your food intake and watch the scale go DOWN!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Blogger Jim Rolls on!
Many weeks since my last post and time to catch up.
I'm down to 231 pounds (started at 245) and am feeling good about things. The best part of this is that I've developed good eating habits vs. 'dieting'. In other words, I feel like I'm not in danger of 'going back to old habits. That's brings a peace of mind I don't mind having.
Five things that have changed for me in the past month or so:
1) I eat better food. Fattening snacks are out (with rare exception) and fruit is in.
2) I have smaller portions at each meal and snack in between.
3) Water intake, although not regularly there, is much better.
4) I'm aware of what I eat now - I'm staying on top of logging my meals for the most part.
5) Although I've not started an exercise regimen, I do walk whenever I get the opportunity. I go to NYC for business a fair amount and haven't taken a cab in months. Also, every day before baseball practice at the High School, I walk the perimeter of the field two or three times before the kids show up.
Keys to my success so far; No dramatic changes - just a raised awareness of what I eat and great coaching from Noreen Gallo.
I'm down to 231 pounds (started at 245) and am feeling good about things. The best part of this is that I've developed good eating habits vs. 'dieting'. In other words, I feel like I'm not in danger of 'going back to old habits. That's brings a peace of mind I don't mind having.
Five things that have changed for me in the past month or so:
1) I eat better food. Fattening snacks are out (with rare exception) and fruit is in.
2) I have smaller portions at each meal and snack in between.
3) Water intake, although not regularly there, is much better.
4) I'm aware of what I eat now - I'm staying on top of logging my meals for the most part.
5) Although I've not started an exercise regimen, I do walk whenever I get the opportunity. I go to NYC for business a fair amount and haven't taken a cab in months. Also, every day before baseball practice at the High School, I walk the perimeter of the field two or three times before the kids show up.
Keys to my success so far; No dramatic changes - just a raised awareness of what I eat and great coaching from Noreen Gallo.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Job Well Done!
Yesterday I bumped into a former client from last year and I was thrilled to see her. Not only because she looked wonderful but because she told me she FELT wonderful! This client really wrapped her head around the foundations of the program. Combining healthy carbohydrates with lean proteins at every meal/snack. She has continued to keep the "white stuff" out of her diet and has worked hard on eating every couple of hours! She told me she did not think she could ever go back the her old way of eating!!! She also mentioned that it has become easy for her to live this way. Isn't that what we all strive for? Eating well, feeling great and having it not be too hard!!! Congrats to all of you who are working towards this point. I often comment to clients that they are too hard on themselves, that they don't have to be perfect. This is a process and bumping into this old friend reminded me of this!!! On another note, Blogger Jim is doing great, down almost 10 pounds and that includes a visit to Mom's house!! He will be blogging on this later in the week. Take a moment to reflect on all the positive changes you have made over the last couple of months and start setting a few more goals to strive towards! COntact me if you would like some help in setting concrete goals - summer is around the corner!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Dirty Fruits
I recently came across some information on Prevention.com regarding organic produce. I am not a huge follower of organic foods due to the simple fact that I have 4 boys and with the amount of food they consume, we would go broke if I bought all organic fruits, vegetables and meats. But I thought I would pass on this info regarding a few types of fruits that seem to be a bit "dirtier" if you may. It seems that peaches, bell peppers, celery, apples and strawberries are more likely to carry pesticides to your table. It is harder to clean off pesticides from soft skinned fruits and vegetables and consequently they are more likely to linger after you have washed them. The sticker on a piece of produce tells you if it was grown organically. Look for a 5-digit number beginning with 9. A 4 digit means the produce was conventionally grown. I hope all is going well with the sugar challenge. I have decided that it is a work in progress and the more aware we all become of the sugar content in food - the easier it is.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Blogger Jim is making progress!
The past couple weeks, real life has taken over and I've been busy to say the least. But, I'm glad to say that my diet hasn't suffered too much. In fact, a remarkable outcome of this effort has shown itself in the foods I grab when on the fly. It used to be things like Peanut butter crackers and cookies, now it's apples and bananas (and Kashi bars, even though I'm still getting used to them).
I'm still not as good with drinking my fill of water every day (I'm working on it!) and exercise is sporadic. The High School Baseball season is in full swing and I work up an occasional good sweat - but nothing consistent yet in terms of exercise. Down nine pounds so far though.
I'm still not as good with drinking my fill of water every day (I'm working on it!) and exercise is sporadic. The High School Baseball season is in full swing and I work up an occasional good sweat - but nothing consistent yet in terms of exercise. Down nine pounds so far though.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Quick Snack Ideas
After my last post I realized I have spent time telling you what to cut back on, but need to give you ideas on what to eat while trying to cut back on sugar. It is very important to never let yourself get too hungry, eat every 3-4 hours. This will keep your blood sugar stable and decrease cravings. Always combine a protein and a carbohydrate when snacking, again, this will keep your blood sugar stable and keep you full longer. Proteins and healthy fats stick with you longer and keep you full. Peanut butter on an apple or celery, cheese stick and fruit, a handful of almonds thrown in a yogurt and low fat cottage cheese and fruit are a few examples of snacks that will stick with you for a while and decrease your craving for sugar. Keep it up!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Hidden Sugars
I hope everyone has been successful in taking a look at their sugar consumption and perhaps also been successful in cutting back on the sugar in their diet. I have noticed interestingly, that as I try to eliminate sugar, I find myself wanting crackers and pretzels and tortilla chips! What is that all about? After doing some research on this I have found that these foods act like sugar in your body and in turn, as you decrease the obvious sugars, your body will crave these foods more. Beware of this, try to get your sweet fix with fruits. I always recomend whole fruits over juice as you will get the benefit of fiber and nutrients that are in the skin. Be careful not to eat too much fruit as it is sweet and may trigger your craving for sugars more. Apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries and cantelope tend to be lower in sugar than some of the more tropical fruits like pineapples and bananas. Beware of the sugar that is hidden in processed foods like ketchup, crackers, cereal and yogurts. The rule of thumb is on the label, every 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Best of luck this week and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
SUGAR CHALLENGE!
What is a Sugar Challenge? Well, it will be different for everyone. For some people it will be to cut out sweets and sodas from their diets. For others it will be to start checking labels and cutting back on some of the hidden sugars that may be lurking in foods. For others is will be to go a bit further and try to also cut back on what I like to call "white foods". These are foods that are made from refined flour and act like sugars in our body. Foods such as pretzels, crackers, white pasta and white rice. These foods have a similar effect on our blood sugar as refined sugars and can lead to cravings and difficulty losing weight. Whatever you goal is, today is the day to start. Look in your cabinet and refrigerator and take stock of some of the foods you eat on a regular basis. Is sugar one of the first couple of ingredients on the food label? If so, try to cut back on this food. Your job for this week is to keep a food diary of all the foods you eat and drink each day. Research has shown that this is a great way to stay accountable and also it will serve as a tool to help you identify some of the foods you consume on a regular basis that contain sugar or refined flour. Every couple of days I will include additional information on this subject and before long we will be reaping the benefits of a healthier, low sugar diet - more energy, less mood swings due to stable blood sugar and if necessary weight loss! I will keep you posted on my progress. Just because I am a DIetitian does not mean that I don't like sugar! My goal is to eliminate it as much as possible as I have heart disease, cancer and diabetes in my family!!! I have included a list of things to look for on a food label that indicate sugar.
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose
Friday, April 2, 2010
Inspiring Quote from Bill Cosby!
"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."
Remember to clear out the Easter candy on sunday - get ready for the sugar challenge!
Remember to clear out the Easter candy on sunday - get ready for the sugar challenge!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
SUGAR CHALLENGE TO START MONDAY APRIL 5!! Check the website for information and ideas on how to cut back on sugar in your diet. Learn how to identify hidden sugars in seemingly "healthy" foods. Learn tips on how to get your kids to cut back on sugar in their diet. Reap the benefits of stable blood sugar levels! Join me on monday and we can work on this together! Noreen
Monday, March 22, 2010
Our LEAN blogger Jim is doing great. Read on to see how he is progressing! I have also included a very good recipes for Taco Soup that I got from Sparkpeople nutrition website.
Taco Soup
16 oz ground turkey or lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion chopped
taco seasoning
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chillies
14 oz can (drained) kidney beans
1 cup water
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, smashed
Directions -
Brown meat and onions over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occaisionally. Drain off excess grease and add taco seasoning. Add diced tomatoes and stir for a bout a minute over med heat. Add beans and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn and mashed garbanzo beans. Simmer additional 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro, baked tortilla chips or sour cream.
3/19/2010
I have lost two lbs per week since we've started. (A total of four pounds so far.) Noreen weighed me yesterday at our weekly meeting and we're down to 239 lbs.
Two pounds per week is a good pace for me right now - I'm still transitioning into a new mindset. But, I'm developing a solid sense of what food is going into me (and how much) and suspect that I'll take exercise more seriously soon. Before, things like healthy diet and exercise were just fleeting thoughts in my busy day - with little to no chance of getting traction. That's changing and it feels good. The key is I'm developing self-awareness and discipline.
I've done well keeping below my calorie budget. I'm not drinking enough water yet though and exercise is negligible. Also, it's been tough for me to routinely eat breakfast.
Noreen advised me to start small on the exercise - like walking the dog even for 10 mins a few times per day.
So, let's see how I do when I start exercising, drinking my quota of water, and having breakfast every day. My self-awareness and comfort with the fact that this isn't hard stuff to do are both growing strong. I'm building a solid foundation for the rest of my life. I'm optimistic about it, for sure.
Highlighted day - Tuesday, March 9th -
• 900 calories in 40 minutes (Twizzlers - chain-munch).
• A 570 calorie dinner on board the USS Dallas (SSN-700) - Los Angeles class Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine.
Thanks to my friend, Bill, a former Submarine Captain, I was a guest of Commander G.R. Arnold and his crew onboard the USS Dallas (SSN-700). This is a sister ship to the USS Montpelier (SSN-765), on which Commander Arnold once served under Bill's Command . She's in Portsmouth for some upgrades and maintenance and the opportunity was seized for a visit.
On the way there, I downed a ton of Twizzlers (close to 1000 calories). I knew what I was doing - no excuses - except for the fact that I was extremely jazzed to be on my way to a private tour of a state-of-the-art Nuclear sub ... accompanied by my friend, a decorated and distinguished former Commander.
So, 900 calories later, we pull into the Portsmouth Shipyard. Talk about an overwhelming sense of history and tradition. There are buildings there dated back to the mid 1800's (the mind swims that within those stone walls were the people back in the day constructing and maintaining the ships we still read about in our history books) - and buildings so large it's really hard for the mind to comprehend. The place means business.
The tour was ... overwhelming. If you ever get the chance to go on a tour - DO IT! Once you step down the ladder you're immersed in a totally self-sufficient world - clean as a whistle, efficient as mankind can muster, and crewed by some of the most impressive and well-trained people in the world. You'll sleep better at night knowing that we have the best equipment, best people and the most advanced technology out there. War's a awful thing - but if we're going to tangle, it's good to know we have the best there is - bar none.
Near the end of the tour, we came to the Officers' Mess - a small but comfortable room with space for about 10 people to eat (the table is big enough to serve as a surgical operating table - for which it which it serve doubles-duty). The table was already set and Commander Arnold asked us if we'd like to join him for dinner.
We started with a Salad, then to the main course of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots - all served family style. A Galley Crewman stands by and takes your plate away after each course, followed immediately by the next. After dinner, I had a small piece of cake and cup of coffee to finish out what was arguably one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. There I dined with two Submarine Captains - one current, one former - and was treated to outstanding conversation, a fine meal, and excellent service - all in the belly of a 300 foot plus nuclear fast attack submarine - who's accomplishments are still classified to this day. Tough to beat that. And, all this for 570 calories.
I think I can forgive myself for the Twizzler-fest this time.
And, speaking of indulgences - I actually got away with downing a few beers last Wednesday night after a Baseball Board Meeting. Even with three, stayed below my budget. Not sure I'd blog about it if I had more. ;-)
Taco Soup
16 oz ground turkey or lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion chopped
taco seasoning
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chillies
14 oz can (drained) kidney beans
1 cup water
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, smashed
Directions -
Brown meat and onions over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occaisionally. Drain off excess grease and add taco seasoning. Add diced tomatoes and stir for a bout a minute over med heat. Add beans and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn and mashed garbanzo beans. Simmer additional 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro, baked tortilla chips or sour cream.
3/19/2010
I have lost two lbs per week since we've started. (A total of four pounds so far.) Noreen weighed me yesterday at our weekly meeting and we're down to 239 lbs.
Two pounds per week is a good pace for me right now - I'm still transitioning into a new mindset. But, I'm developing a solid sense of what food is going into me (and how much) and suspect that I'll take exercise more seriously soon. Before, things like healthy diet and exercise were just fleeting thoughts in my busy day - with little to no chance of getting traction. That's changing and it feels good. The key is I'm developing self-awareness and discipline.
I've done well keeping below my calorie budget. I'm not drinking enough water yet though and exercise is negligible. Also, it's been tough for me to routinely eat breakfast.
Noreen advised me to start small on the exercise - like walking the dog even for 10 mins a few times per day.
So, let's see how I do when I start exercising, drinking my quota of water, and having breakfast every day. My self-awareness and comfort with the fact that this isn't hard stuff to do are both growing strong. I'm building a solid foundation for the rest of my life. I'm optimistic about it, for sure.
Highlighted day - Tuesday, March 9th -
• 900 calories in 40 minutes (Twizzlers - chain-munch).
• A 570 calorie dinner on board the USS Dallas (SSN-700) - Los Angeles class Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine.
Thanks to my friend, Bill, a former Submarine Captain, I was a guest of Commander G.R. Arnold and his crew onboard the USS Dallas (SSN-700). This is a sister ship to the USS Montpelier (SSN-765), on which Commander Arnold once served under Bill's Command . She's in Portsmouth for some upgrades and maintenance and the opportunity was seized for a visit.
On the way there, I downed a ton of Twizzlers (close to 1000 calories). I knew what I was doing - no excuses - except for the fact that I was extremely jazzed to be on my way to a private tour of a state-of-the-art Nuclear sub ... accompanied by my friend, a decorated and distinguished former Commander.
So, 900 calories later, we pull into the Portsmouth Shipyard. Talk about an overwhelming sense of history and tradition. There are buildings there dated back to the mid 1800's (the mind swims that within those stone walls were the people back in the day constructing and maintaining the ships we still read about in our history books) - and buildings so large it's really hard for the mind to comprehend. The place means business.
The tour was ... overwhelming. If you ever get the chance to go on a tour - DO IT! Once you step down the ladder you're immersed in a totally self-sufficient world - clean as a whistle, efficient as mankind can muster, and crewed by some of the most impressive and well-trained people in the world. You'll sleep better at night knowing that we have the best equipment, best people and the most advanced technology out there. War's a awful thing - but if we're going to tangle, it's good to know we have the best there is - bar none.
Near the end of the tour, we came to the Officers' Mess - a small but comfortable room with space for about 10 people to eat (the table is big enough to serve as a surgical operating table - for which it which it serve doubles-duty). The table was already set and Commander Arnold asked us if we'd like to join him for dinner.
We started with a Salad, then to the main course of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots - all served family style. A Galley Crewman stands by and takes your plate away after each course, followed immediately by the next. After dinner, I had a small piece of cake and cup of coffee to finish out what was arguably one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. There I dined with two Submarine Captains - one current, one former - and was treated to outstanding conversation, a fine meal, and excellent service - all in the belly of a 300 foot plus nuclear fast attack submarine - who's accomplishments are still classified to this day. Tough to beat that. And, all this for 570 calories.
I think I can forgive myself for the Twizzler-fest this time.
And, speaking of indulgences - I actually got away with downing a few beers last Wednesday night after a Baseball Board Meeting. Even with three, stayed below my budget. Not sure I'd blog about it if I had more. ;-)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I would like to introduce you to Jim - our weight loss blogger! He will be letting us take a peak into his weight loss journey. Best of luck Jim! 3/4/2010
Today it started. Well, I guess it really started about week ago when I was offered the opportunity to work with nutritionist, Noreen Gallo. I'd had a nasty chest cold and was told that in order to get my Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) - which will serve as a baseline referencing caloric intake - I'd have to be able to breathe into a testing apparatus for 10 minutes without coughing. Anyhow, I'm better and Noreen came by this morning to administer the test.
In the interim between deciding to have a go with this and actually getting started, I did start to pay a little more attention to my diet -but definitely did seize on numerous opportunities to indulge before becoming accountable.
So, I'm accountable now ... and what an awakening it's been. I've snubbed my nose at any kind of eating/exercise discipline since ... wow, since I was in my early 20s. I'd always been active, and athletic and pretty lean and I even took a small bit of pride in how my body was still in good shape - in spite of my complete inattention to it.
To tell you the truth, it hasn't bothered me too much. I've had a good time in life so far not sweating the details and just eating and drinking what I felt like - with no thought to consequence. But, like anything that deviates from the optimal path, eventually it's going to catch up with you. And it has with me, and now I'm ready. In fact, I'm pretty excited.
From the RMR test with Noreen, I found out that for my weight (243lbs) and my height, 6'1", my RMR is around 2300 calories. This means that if I were to just sit on the couch all day with a clicker, I'd start losing weight if I ate less than that - and gain weight if I consumed more. That simple.
I'm tracking my dietary intake with CalorieKing - a really solid and intuitive calorie counter program for the Mac and PC . It makes it very easy to track calories, carbohydrate, fat, protein and fiber intake. The program has determined that for me to steadily and slowly lose weight, I need to max out at 1850 calories per day.
Today, on my first day of accountability, I went over the calorie budget by about 200 cals and I red-lined on fat intake as well. Rookie mistakes , I think, did me in. (Two roast beef sandwiches at lunch with half a plate of tortilla chips and then some Chinese chicken for dinner? You think?)
I'm logging my exercise separately in an excel spreadsheet - haven't started on any exercise routine yet but am pretty active with baseball and carpentry. Tonight, at informal High School baseball workouts, I caught close to 250 pitches . That's probably about 200 squat-thrusts over an hour and a half - and I worked up a really good sweat.
3/5 -
Used 765 cals out of my budget of 1085. Ate great too. Had a good breakfast (Mini-Wheats) - no lunch (woops) - and a baked potato, salad and cottage cheese for dinner. And, I snacked on a pack of Tastykake Tandy Takes and a bowl of popcorn.
Exercise - I'm helping my friend finish his basement exercise room - today we framed for about 6 hours and although I don't remember working up a sweat, we worked steady and hard.
3/6
Another good day with regard to caloric intake budget. Used 994 of my 1850 daily limit. A little surprised to find that I maxed out on fat at lunch. (Who knew a tuna sub with lettuce had so much?) A couple eggs and a small glass of OJ in the morning, the offending (but well worth it) tuna sub, a small bag of chips for lunch and a Coke Zero for lunch. A glass of OJ for dinner. (Woops? - but I really wasn't hungry). Framed my friend's basement pretty much all day. We worked hard and steady.
3/7
Today, I sat on my butt for no less than 8 hours evaluating Little Leaguers during our annual tryout. Then from there directly to the Windham Hitting Academy - where I pitched for two hours straight. Worked up a seriously good sweat.
For breakfast, I had a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats (which my wife pointed out was really two bowls).
For lunch, the guys brought in pizzas - of which I had three pieces. With water. Dinner - I ate good food - and a lot of it (Baked potato, salad, cottage cheese, roast beef, and a ton of red grapes ... say, 25 or so?) and still came in right around budget for the day. Woohoo.
I couldn't have imagined even a couple years ago that paying attention to my diet would be enjoyable. It actually is - and I'm not going hungry at all.
It might be my imagination, but I'm telling you I'm feeling better already. And I have to say, what makes this even better is I'm not focusing on quick-fixes - my goals are longer term and sustainable. I've been big long enough - not in a huge hurry to dump it all at once.
Today it started. Well, I guess it really started about week ago when I was offered the opportunity to work with nutritionist, Noreen Gallo. I'd had a nasty chest cold and was told that in order to get my Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) - which will serve as a baseline referencing caloric intake - I'd have to be able to breathe into a testing apparatus for 10 minutes without coughing. Anyhow, I'm better and Noreen came by this morning to administer the test.
In the interim between deciding to have a go with this and actually getting started, I did start to pay a little more attention to my diet -but definitely did seize on numerous opportunities to indulge before becoming accountable.
So, I'm accountable now ... and what an awakening it's been. I've snubbed my nose at any kind of eating/exercise discipline since ... wow, since I was in my early 20s. I'd always been active, and athletic and pretty lean and I even took a small bit of pride in how my body was still in good shape - in spite of my complete inattention to it.
To tell you the truth, it hasn't bothered me too much. I've had a good time in life so far not sweating the details and just eating and drinking what I felt like - with no thought to consequence. But, like anything that deviates from the optimal path, eventually it's going to catch up with you. And it has with me, and now I'm ready. In fact, I'm pretty excited.
From the RMR test with Noreen, I found out that for my weight (243lbs) and my height, 6'1", my RMR is around 2300 calories. This means that if I were to just sit on the couch all day with a clicker, I'd start losing weight if I ate less than that - and gain weight if I consumed more. That simple.
I'm tracking my dietary intake with CalorieKing - a really solid and intuitive calorie counter program for the Mac and PC . It makes it very easy to track calories, carbohydrate, fat, protein and fiber intake. The program has determined that for me to steadily and slowly lose weight, I need to max out at 1850 calories per day.
Today, on my first day of accountability, I went over the calorie budget by about 200 cals and I red-lined on fat intake as well. Rookie mistakes , I think, did me in. (Two roast beef sandwiches at lunch with half a plate of tortilla chips and then some Chinese chicken for dinner? You think?)
I'm logging my exercise separately in an excel spreadsheet - haven't started on any exercise routine yet but am pretty active with baseball and carpentry. Tonight, at informal High School baseball workouts, I caught close to 250 pitches . That's probably about 200 squat-thrusts over an hour and a half - and I worked up a really good sweat.
3/5 -
Used 765 cals out of my budget of 1085. Ate great too. Had a good breakfast (Mini-Wheats) - no lunch (woops) - and a baked potato, salad and cottage cheese for dinner. And, I snacked on a pack of Tastykake Tandy Takes and a bowl of popcorn.
Exercise - I'm helping my friend finish his basement exercise room - today we framed for about 6 hours and although I don't remember working up a sweat, we worked steady and hard.
3/6
Another good day with regard to caloric intake budget. Used 994 of my 1850 daily limit. A little surprised to find that I maxed out on fat at lunch. (Who knew a tuna sub with lettuce had so much?) A couple eggs and a small glass of OJ in the morning, the offending (but well worth it) tuna sub, a small bag of chips for lunch and a Coke Zero for lunch. A glass of OJ for dinner. (Woops? - but I really wasn't hungry). Framed my friend's basement pretty much all day. We worked hard and steady.
3/7
Today, I sat on my butt for no less than 8 hours evaluating Little Leaguers during our annual tryout. Then from there directly to the Windham Hitting Academy - where I pitched for two hours straight. Worked up a seriously good sweat.
For breakfast, I had a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats (which my wife pointed out was really two bowls).
For lunch, the guys brought in pizzas - of which I had three pieces. With water. Dinner - I ate good food - and a lot of it (Baked potato, salad, cottage cheese, roast beef, and a ton of red grapes ... say, 25 or so?) and still came in right around budget for the day. Woohoo.
I couldn't have imagined even a couple years ago that paying attention to my diet would be enjoyable. It actually is - and I'm not going hungry at all.
It might be my imagination, but I'm telling you I'm feeling better already. And I have to say, what makes this even better is I'm not focusing on quick-fixes - my goals are longer term and sustainable. I've been big long enough - not in a huge hurry to dump it all at once.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Exciting things to look forward to on the blog!
I hope everyone is having a good March! There are some new things to look forward to in my blog. First and foremost, we will be having a client blog their weight loss journey on this site. He has agreed to submit frequent reports on how his diet and exercise goals are coming along! He has had his resting metabolic rate measured and should be reporting soon. Second, I would like to put forth a challenge to all! Many of you know how I feel about sugar and its impact on our diet and health. I would like to start a challenge for anyone interested in decreasing the amount of sugar in their diet! Once I hear back from anyone interested, I will be posting frequent blogs on sugar and ideas to try to get it out of our system (myself included!!) I guess misery loves company! Lastly - Happy National Nutrition Month!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Lets have a Super Healthy Super Bowl!
Sunday is the big day! Superbowl Sunday. Although sadly the Pats are not in the big game, it is still a great reason to have a party. Typically we think of football fare as high in fat, sodium and sugar - but it does not have to be. With a few easy substitutions, trade-offs and tips you can have a great time and not break the calorie bank.
- Go for a walk, run or take a class. Just move your body. Calories burned before the party will help to compensate for the extra calories consumed later in the day. Another fun idea is to pull out the Wii during half-time and have everyone work up a sweat.
-Do not starve yourself during the day with the thought that you will save extra calories for later. Research has shown that eating a light snack with a good balance of protein and carbohydrate prior to the party will help deter from getting there and being so hungry you eat everything in sight. Feeling satisfied when you get there will allow you to sample the things you really want in moderation and walk away from the table before you overdo it.
- Try not to drink too many calories during the party. Lite beer is an obvious choice over regular beer but do not forget the calories obtained from sodas and juices. Calorie-free flavored seltzers and water can be more interesting than plain water. Alternating seltzer with a beer or soda is a great way to dilute out your calories. Another advantage to consuming seltzer or water is that it fills you up and may help decrease snacking.
- Fill your plate and walk away from the table. Standing next to the food table is a sure way to overeat! Think how many potato chips or m+m candies you can eat during a 10 minute conversation with a friend. Using a small desert plate rather than a dinner plate is another tip to decrease portion size.
- Bring a healthy snack to the party. Fruit or veggie dips are great portable snack ideas With veggies you can use a lite ranch salad dressing or hummus (a great high protein choice) for a dip and low fat vanilla yogurt is a great choice for fruit. Bring a couple bags of microwave popcorn to pop once you get there. Make sure you choose a low fat or lite brand as regular microwave popcorn can pack a huge fat punch! In addition, sprinkling some seasonings on the popcorn adds flavor with little to no calories. A tip here is to spray the popcorn with a little nonstick baking spray before you sprinkle with seasonings - helps them to stick.
- De-fat some of your favorite Football Fare! When making chili, brown the ground beef and rinse it in a colander under water to wash off the fat before returning it to the pan for seasoning. You will be amazed at how much fat is removed with this method with no impact on taste. Choosing ground turkey rather than ground beef is another way to save on fat and calories. Use baked tortilla chips when making your nachos. Once the toppings are put on, no one will notice the difference. Make sure you use part-skim cheese as a topping and non-fat sour cream. Salsa is great dip, very low in calories and high in nutrients! Just a few of these small changes can make a huge difference in total calories and fat. Go heavy on the seasonings!! Spicy is good!
- Don't go nuts over the nuts! Nuts are an extremely healthy food but are also high in calories. A few handfuls can send your calorie budget haywire. Pistachios are a great choice. They are a lower fat nut and usually in the shell thus taking longer to eat and hopefully you will eat less.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful. Remember, small steps are the way to go! You have to be able to LIVE with the change in order to attain your goals.
I would love to make this blog more interactive. Feel free to send questions, ideas, recipes and of course success stories to me and I will post them on the blog.
- Go for a walk, run or take a class. Just move your body. Calories burned before the party will help to compensate for the extra calories consumed later in the day. Another fun idea is to pull out the Wii during half-time and have everyone work up a sweat.
-Do not starve yourself during the day with the thought that you will save extra calories for later. Research has shown that eating a light snack with a good balance of protein and carbohydrate prior to the party will help deter from getting there and being so hungry you eat everything in sight. Feeling satisfied when you get there will allow you to sample the things you really want in moderation and walk away from the table before you overdo it.
- Try not to drink too many calories during the party. Lite beer is an obvious choice over regular beer but do not forget the calories obtained from sodas and juices. Calorie-free flavored seltzers and water can be more interesting than plain water. Alternating seltzer with a beer or soda is a great way to dilute out your calories. Another advantage to consuming seltzer or water is that it fills you up and may help decrease snacking.
- Fill your plate and walk away from the table. Standing next to the food table is a sure way to overeat! Think how many potato chips or m+m candies you can eat during a 10 minute conversation with a friend. Using a small desert plate rather than a dinner plate is another tip to decrease portion size.
- Bring a healthy snack to the party. Fruit or veggie dips are great portable snack ideas With veggies you can use a lite ranch salad dressing or hummus (a great high protein choice) for a dip and low fat vanilla yogurt is a great choice for fruit. Bring a couple bags of microwave popcorn to pop once you get there. Make sure you choose a low fat or lite brand as regular microwave popcorn can pack a huge fat punch! In addition, sprinkling some seasonings on the popcorn adds flavor with little to no calories. A tip here is to spray the popcorn with a little nonstick baking spray before you sprinkle with seasonings - helps them to stick.
- De-fat some of your favorite Football Fare! When making chili, brown the ground beef and rinse it in a colander under water to wash off the fat before returning it to the pan for seasoning. You will be amazed at how much fat is removed with this method with no impact on taste. Choosing ground turkey rather than ground beef is another way to save on fat and calories. Use baked tortilla chips when making your nachos. Once the toppings are put on, no one will notice the difference. Make sure you use part-skim cheese as a topping and non-fat sour cream. Salsa is great dip, very low in calories and high in nutrients! Just a few of these small changes can make a huge difference in total calories and fat. Go heavy on the seasonings!! Spicy is good!
- Don't go nuts over the nuts! Nuts are an extremely healthy food but are also high in calories. A few handfuls can send your calorie budget haywire. Pistachios are a great choice. They are a lower fat nut and usually in the shell thus taking longer to eat and hopefully you will eat less.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful. Remember, small steps are the way to go! You have to be able to LIVE with the change in order to attain your goals.
I would love to make this blog more interactive. Feel free to send questions, ideas, recipes and of course success stories to me and I will post them on the blog.
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