WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

I hate to diet.
Diets never work for me.
I can lose weight but never see to keep the weight off
Eating healthy is too expensive and takes too much time
Been there, done that...

Sound familiar? Sound negative? Healthy eating does not have to be a negative experience, it can actually be quite the opposite. It all depends on your attitude. If we go into something thinking it is not going to work, guess what? It won't work. Changing our attitude about food and diets can be the first step towards success.

Step 1

Stop thinking of it as a diet, start thinking of it as a way of life.

Step 2

Do not try to make changes that you cannot live with FOREVER! If you like your glass of wine or the occasional desert. Don't eliminate these items from your food plan. Am I telling you that you can eat desert whenever you want? NO. But I am trying to help you get away from the all or nothing mentality.

Step 3

Educate yourself. Learn as much about nutrition and health as you can from a reputable source. Try not to get sucked into the diet of the week! I tell my clients to put on blinders when they are at the grocery store and not look at all the magazine ads about quick weight loss.

Step 4

Become educated about your family health history. Diabetes? Heart Disease? Cancer, Obesity? Knowledge is powerful and motivating. History tends to repeat itself. Healthy changes that you make now, can pay off in the long run for you and your family.

Step 5

Take a moment and jot down what and who you are doing this for. What is motivating you? Losing weight for a class reunion or special event is motivating to some degree but taking charge of your health and diet so you physically feel better, have more energy and set a good example for your kids is even more motivating! Take the focus off the scale and try to concentrate on your physical well being. I guarantee, if you do this, the scale will follow. FYI - 1 pound a week for a year equals 52 pounds!
Step 6

Write down your goals and share them with someone! Seeing them on a piece of paper and having the accountability to someone else is powerful and may be just the boost that you need.

Step 7

Develop habits that you can live with for the long haul. Have this be the last time you do this. Make permanent changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

"MOTIVATION IS WHAT GET YOU STARTED, HABITS ARE WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING" Jim Ryun

Feel free to contact me if you would like some help setting your goals

Noreen Gallo MSRD
603 598-0292
chgallo@comcast.net

HELLO HOLIDAYS!

Holidays are a time for enjoying family and friends. A time to relax, slow down and appreciate the ones we love the most. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the "EATING SEASON" which can make living the healthy clean life tough. What to do? White knuckle it and feel deprived? Throw in the towel and overdo it, only to feel sluggish and disappointed on January 1? There has to be an easier way. Guess what - there is!
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before Turkey day is here!

DO NOT SKIP MEALS

I know on paper it makes sense to save your calories so you will have more to enjoy at the celebration but this is exactly what you should not do. Going long periods of time between meals only decreases your blood sugar making it much more difficult to show restraint when the pie arrives. In addition, low blood sugar can make you grouchy and tired - not good when the family is all together.

ALLOW YOURSELF SMALL AMOUNTS OF THE FOOD YOU LOVE

After the first few bites, it all tastes the same. Take a small portion, eat off of a small plate and put your fork down after the first bite or two and see if you really need more.

CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT AND WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE

This pertains to buffets and cocktail parties. Standing next to the food table can be the kiss of death. Once you start chatting with friends, you are not paying attention to what you are putting in your mouth. Calories galore!

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Hunger is one of the first signs of dehydration. Before you decide to eat, have a big glass of water or seltzer. This will serve two purposes. Rehydration and keeping your stomach full. Try alternating a bottle of water for every higher calorie drink you consume. It will slow your drinking calories down.

Last but not least remember the word is holiDAY not holiWEEK! Give yourself permission to enjoy the day but try not to have the eating roll over to the next day or days. Give the leftovers away or freeze them for a later time.

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS - Noreen

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

We may get a chuckle when we think of the silly children's song involving beans but the nutritional benefits of beans are nothing to laugh at. Beans, or legumes, as they are also referred to are nutritional powerhouses. Beans are high in protein, fiber, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, copper and zinc. Research has indicated that consuming beans 4 times per week can reduce the incidence of heart disease by 22% over people who had beans only once per week. Beans are also a great protein source for diabetics. Since beans are digested slowly, they have less of an impact on blood sugar and can minimize the spike after a meal. Beans have also been linked with a decreased incidence of certain cancers and help to keep us full, thus aiding in weight control. Ok, it is great to understand some of the health benefits of beans, but how do we prepare them and what are some ways to incorporate them into the diet? You can purchase dry or canned beans. Nutritionally, there is not much of a difference between the two apart from the sodium content. Canned beans tend to be higher in sodium but this can easily be "fixed" by simply placing the canned beans in a colander and rinsing under cool water for a few minutes. This essentially "washes" the sodium off the beans. There are many ways to incorporate beans into the diet: Toss on salads, throw into soups or stews, mash and use as a thickener for recipes, add to casseroles and roll into burritos to name a few. Don't forget about Hummus. This is just mashed up chick peas with added spices. Hummus can be used as a dip and also in place of condiments on sandwiches and burgers. I have a few clients who use hummus in place of mayo in their tuna salad! Use your imagination! Try to incorporate beans into you diet several times this week! Your body will thank you! Here is a great BEAN SALAD recipe I adapted a few years ago - Toss 1 can chick peas, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can black beans and 1 can corn in a colander and rinse under cool water for a few minutes. Place in a large salad bowl. Crush several cloves of garlic in to the mix and add 1-2 tbl of fresh lemon juice. Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar to the mix. Toss and add fresh snipped parsley to the salad. I tend to go heavy on the parsley and vinegar and light on the olive oil, you may want to experiment with how your family likes it. I usually try to make the salad a day ahead of time as the flavors meld nicely over time. Enjoy!

To Snack or not to Snack? That is the question...

Many people ask me if it is better to stick to 3 meals a day, or incorporate snacks into their daily routine. Snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon won't make you gain weight (depending on what you choose). They DO help keep your blood sugar levels moderate so you don't experience that 'tired afternoon crash' or binge eat at meals due to hunger. Low-fat dairy, unsalted nuts, whole fruit, hummus and whole wheat crackers or carrots make portable snacks. Aim to combine lean proteins with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep your belly full and brain in high gear!

Are You Addicted to Sugar??

Really? How can someone be addicted to a food? That is impossible... Really? Is it? Right now I am conducting a 30 day Sugar Challenge with the LEAN TEAM! We have signed on to try to avoid sugar in all its forms for the month of October. I have done this before with clients and am here to say - YES, one can be addicted to sugar. Research has indicated that sugar can be more addicting than cocaine or heroin. It is a hidden addiction as it is acceptable. No one is going to put you in jail for eating a chocolate bar or having a handful of jelly beans, but that does not minimize the detrimental effects sugar can have on your body. Excess dietary sugar has been linked with many medical conditions from the obvious Obesity and Diabetes to Heart Disease and Cancer. Over the next few weeks I will be blogging on sugar - how to identify it in foods, substitute for it in recipes and also how to eliminate it if you are truly addicted. Stay tuned for more. If you feel like you may have an issue with sugar or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, diabetes or insulin resistance, feel free to contact me and we can discuss how to deal with these conditions. Watch out for the candy corn.... Noreen Gallo MSRD

WHY DIET IS A 4 LETTER WORD

If you take the T off of diet what does it spell? DIE! Negative! Anyone who has worked with me knows that I will not give them a diet. I don't have a sheet to hand out that tells you what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I won't slap your hand if you have a bowl of ice cream and I won't necessarily pat you on the bat if you eat salad. I have had clients lose 20, 30, 40 plus pounds having a few dove chocolates every day and I have also helped clients completely give up sugar and white flour when that is what they have chosen to do. Re- read that - I said that is what THEY have chosen to do - not me for them. The point here is that I truly believe that diets are not one size fits all. What works for you, may not work for me and the diet in the magazine at the checkout at Walmart may work for Kim Kardashian, but not for a regular girl like me from Windham NH. You need to find what clicks - the term I use with my clients is to get them into their GROOVE. A way of eating that you can follow about 80-85% of the time and not feel deprived. A diet that helps your body slowly gravitate toward a healthy weight that it feels comfortable and can stay at. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be blogging about small changes that you may be willing to make that will direct you towards a healthier way of living! TO your health - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Join Private Facebook Group on Clean Eating!

I will be starting a new private Facebook group for people interested in getting a little more support in their quest towards clean eating. My hope is to get a group of followers that will support each other with ideas, tried and true recipes and general tips on how to clean up our diets and take them to the next level. If you are interested in joining, friend me on Facebook and we will get started. Noreen Gallo MSRD

Sugar - How Sweet it is????

Easter had come and gone but are the jelly beans chocolate eggs and malted milk balls still hanging on? To our bodies that is? We love sugar! There is no getting around it. Research shows that on average Americans consume about 142 pounds of sugar a year, translating into about 700 calories per day from added sugars. Combine sugar with fat and together they add up to about 35% of the calories in the American diet. People ask me every day why it is so hard to cut back on sugar? My answer is - because for many of us, sugar is addictive. There has been research done in rats that indicates that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine. Yet we continue to eat and drink it every day even though it has been linked with diabetes, obesity, cavities, heart disease, cancer and the list goes on. What can we do? Obviously going cold turkey and cutting all added sugars out of the diet is the solution. BUT - can we do that? My answer is probably not and if we can, how long can it be sustained. My approach is to work with people to first, become aware of where sugar is in our diet and cutting back and substituting as much as possible ( and I don't mean with fake sugars here, they will be the topic of another post!) You can start with cutting back on sugary drinks - this accounts for about 43% of all consumption of added sugars. Sodas, sports drink, specialty coffees and fruit drinks to name a few. Second - READ LABELS! Become familiar with ingredients that are the same as sugar. News flash, honey, brown sugar, raw sugar all are metabolized just like sugar in our body. A good rule of thumb when reading a label is that for every 4 grams of sugar on the label this equals 1 teaspoon of added sugar. Take a hard look at your kid's sports drink and see how much sugar it contains! Third - become aware of hidden sugars - catsup, bbq sauce, crackers, breads etc.. may all be sources of hidden sugars in your diet. The longer you can go with cutting back on sugar - the easier it will become. I am not saying this will be a piece of cake (oops, sorry, no pun intended!) But you can do it! Your body will thank-you! To your health - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Sports Nutrition - It makes a difference!!

Although the white stuff is flying outside right now, Spring is just around the corner. This is a time when many of us get the itch to be outside and moving! A time to re-focus on fitness and getting in shape. Finding the right combination of strength and cardio workouts is very important, but unless we make smart choices in the food department, it will be difficult to see the results we want! Without a doubt, what you eat and when you eat affects your athletic performance. A proper combination of carbohydrates, protein and fats can have a tremendous impact on how you feel during your workout. Next thursday I will be presenting a seminar focusing on sports nutrition at the Windham Pilates Studio. I will be covering such topics as pre and post workout meals and snacks, how to lose weight and maintain energy while keeping up with your exercise programs, fluid replacement and much more. Contact, the studio to sign up and feel free to contact me with any specific question you may have. I have seen many clients make huge strides in their athletic performance with some simple, basic changes in their food plan!!

Enjoy the snow - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Portion Distortion

Over the past ten years the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased from 1 in 4 people to 1 in 2! Lack of exercise is a big part of the reason but running close behind is the Megameal Mentality that many restaurants and food companies have adopted. Remember back in the day what size a bagel or muffin was? About the size of the palm of our hand. A quick stop at the local coffee shop will quickly show you that is not the case anymore. A plain bagel with nothing on it can have more than 350 calories and a muffin can be even more if you take into consideration all the added fat. Super-sizing at restaurants is common and often they entice us with lower prices. What can we do?
1. Become familiar with accurate portion sizes
2. Read food labels to see how many servings are in the package. Often with drinks and individual wrapped items, there are 2 1/2 servings in the pack or bottle.
3. Eat off a smaller plate - visually this will make you feel as though you are eating more.
4. Measure out commonly eaten foods until you are comfortable with eyeballing what an accurate portion size is.
5. Split a meal or dessert with a friend - this way you get to enjoy the food without over doing it!!

Remember - Eating 500 less calories a day can lead to 1 pound lost over the span of a week. This can be relatively painless once you become familiar with portion sizes and really become accountable for what you are eating!
I have several great handouts that can help you with portion control. Shoot me an e-mail or call me and I can help you with this info!
Happy Valentines Day!! Remember, a little chocolate is ok, but check the portions!

Noreen Gallo MSRD

Rev up your metabolism - tip #2

EAT ENOUGH!!!

You may chuckle and think I don't know what I am talking about on this one. Why would I encourage you to eat more when you are trying to lose weight?? Well, research has indicated that people who eat too few calories are far more likely to be overweight. How can this be? When you eat less than what your body needs to function (for most women this is less than1200 calories) your metabolism will slow down, thus, burn less calories. In addition, it will also start to break down lean body mass, calorie burning muscle, which also slows metabolism. So you need to EAT to LOSE WEIGHT!! 3 balanced meals with 1-2 snacks spaced in between should be sufficient. Remember - it is important to make sure your calories are coming from the right sources! Contact me if you need some help in balancing your calories. The clients I have worked with who tweak their calories the correct way have seen tremendous results!!

Stay Healthy! Noreen Gallo MSRD

How to Super Charge your Metabolism

Your metabolism is your internal engine. It is how fast you burn calories. In other words, your metabolism is your furnace! Over the next few days I will be blogging on different ways to get your engine running on HIGH!

Rule Number One - EAT BREAKFAST!!

Skipping breakfast is a sure fire way to slow your metabolism. You need to put some calories in first thing in the morning to rev up your metabolism and keep your energy level on high for the day! Research shows that people who skip breakfast are 4 1/2 times more likely to be obese!! Grab a greek yogurt with some almonds, pour a bowl of high fiber, high protein cereal and milk or spread some peanut butter on a whole wheat english muffin. Mom knew what she was talking about when she told you to eat your breakfast!

Contact me at the studio if you want to have your metabolic rate measured. This will tell us how many calories you need to eat to lose weight!

Stay warm - Noreen Gallo MSRD

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Approximately 90% of people make New Years Resolutions every year. Guess what tops the list for most of us? Lose Weight and Get Healthy!!! Unfortunately for many, by SuperBowl Sunday, the resolution is a thing of the past. One reason for this is that we put the focus on diet - deprivation, elimination and starvation, rather than really taking the time to focus on some lifestyle changes that we can stick with for the long haul. I a diet plan promises that you will lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks with no exercise - beware! If a diet requires that you cut out a complete food group or has you eat the same thing every day - beware! If a diet has you eating foods that you do not like - Beware. You cannot live this way forever and whatever weight you lose, will come right back! Take a few minutes today to jot down 4-5 reasons why you want to lose weight and put them somewhere you can see them. This constant reminder of your reasons will help you in reaching your goals! Also jot down 2 behaviors that you would like to change, that you know will help you lose weight. For example, for me, my schedule is crazy and I often find myself eating while standing up and doing something else. I know I am not as aware of what I am eating when I do this and consequently, am probably eating more than I think. One of my behaviors I am working on is to always sit down when I am eating. I can already see that it will be tough, but I know it will become a habit with practice. Remember, it can take about a month to make something a habit. Make this month a month you will change even one behavior and you will be on the road to success with your resolution! Keep up the good work and as always - contact me with any questions or comments! Noreen Gallo MSRD