Great Recipe!

With all this cold weather, soup is a great solution for lunch or a quick dinner. I came upon this recipe for Minestrone soup in Prevention magazine. I have modified it a bit and it is delicious! I would reccomend tossing in a little cut up cooked chicken to increase the protein, especially if it will be your dinner meal. You all know how I feel about getting in enough protein!! Either way the beans add protein and lots of fiber Enjoy! Noreen


Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped, 1 cup
4 cloves minced garlic
1.5 tsp dried basil
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 fennel bulb cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 can (4.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach
15 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
DIrections

1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over med high heat. Add onion, garlic, and basil. Cook, stirring occaisionally until onion softens. Stir in squash and cook until starts to soften. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until veggies are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.

2 Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, 5 minutes. Add beans and pepper, cook until hot. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Tips - I did not add the fennel, was pretty sure my kids would not eat it and I also threw in a handful of whole grain pasta. Enjoy!!

Want to lose more weight? LOG!

To log or not to log - that is the question. Well, I guess the next question should be - how much weight do you want to lose? Research has backed up what we have known for a long time, people who write down what and how much they eat - lose more weight! There are many ways to log your food intake, some clients keep a small notebook in their bag or at their desk at work, others write down what they are going to eat the day before, while others use their computer of phone to help them keep track of what they eat. I know in my own practice that the clients that are committed to logging are the people that lose the most weight. Why?? because they can see what works and what does not work. If you have really good week, you can go back and see why it was good, and if you have an off week, again, you can go back and see what may have thrown you off. For example, just last week, I had a client who told me she was hungry all week. SInce she had logged on the computer, we could easily go back and identify the culprit, she had significantly decreased the protein she was eating and barely drank any water. If she had not logged, this would have been much more difficult to figure out. Give it a try. I, myself, have started using the Calorie King computer program that we have at the studio, this is a great, user friendly program but there are apps for phones and always the trusty old notebook. Whatever you choose, stick with it. I bet that the chocolate chip cookie will not be as appealing if you know you have to write it down. Feel free to contact me if you would like to take a look at the Calorie King program or if you would like a list of other programs that are available.

Stay focussed! Noreen

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

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

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

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.