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
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
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
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
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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
Monday, November 28, 2011
HOLIDAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE
On average, we can gain anywhere from 5-10 pounds over the holidays! At Windham Pilates, we are going to buck the average and NOT gain weight over the holidays! To top it off, we are going to hit the new year hard and after maintaining thru November and December, we are going to LOSE weight from New Years until Valentine's Day! Come into the studio this week and sign up for the HOLIDAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE. Remember - Valentine's Day is going to come wether you join or not. Wouldn't you rather be several pounds lighter than 10 pounds heavier when it comes?? Cash prizes!!! Are you in?? Noreen Gallo MSRD
The holidays are here!
TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING AT THE HOLIDAY TABLE
Thanksgiving is a great time of the year. The start of the holiday season, time to spend with family and friends and enjoy family traditions. Many of these traditions are centered around food and when you are trying to follow a healthy food plan – this can create stress. There are several steps you can take to help alleviate this stress and continue with your healthful plan.
Take the 80/20 approach. If you can stick to your healthy habits 80% of the time that will leave you with a 20% wiggle room buffer.
Make sure to have a high protein snack before leaving the house or pack one if you have a long drive. Examples are cheese stick and fruit, almonds, greek yogurt or peanut butter and whole grain crackers. This helps to avoid getting too hungry and making bad choices.
Alternate a bottle of water with every alcoholic drink you consume. This has a two-fold effect. Fills your stomach so you may eat less and cuts in half the amount of alcohol you will consume. (Saving calories)
Before you pile your plate, scan the table and choose only the foods that you truly enjoy. Don’t waste calories on something that you don’t really want.
It is ok to not eat everything on your plate – we have outgrown the clean you plate club! If this is difficult, use a smaller plate. This creates the illusion of eating more.
Don’t hang out next to the food table. It is too easy to nibble and graze while we chat with family and friends.
Be aware of what you are eating. Enjoy it and move on. Mindless eating is dangerous as we lose track of what we are consuming.
I will be going into this topic in depth over the next few weeks. Check in often for tips and motivation. Lastly – join us in our Holiday Weight Loss Challenge. Hold your weight over the holidays and then hit the New Year hard with the weight loss portion of the challenge! Prizes, consult with me (registered dietitian) and much more! Happy Holidays - Noreen Gallo ,R.D.
Thanksgiving is a great time of the year. The start of the holiday season, time to spend with family and friends and enjoy family traditions. Many of these traditions are centered around food and when you are trying to follow a healthy food plan – this can create stress. There are several steps you can take to help alleviate this stress and continue with your healthful plan.
Take the 80/20 approach. If you can stick to your healthy habits 80% of the time that will leave you with a 20% wiggle room buffer.
Make sure to have a high protein snack before leaving the house or pack one if you have a long drive. Examples are cheese stick and fruit, almonds, greek yogurt or peanut butter and whole grain crackers. This helps to avoid getting too hungry and making bad choices.
Alternate a bottle of water with every alcoholic drink you consume. This has a two-fold effect. Fills your stomach so you may eat less and cuts in half the amount of alcohol you will consume. (Saving calories)
Before you pile your plate, scan the table and choose only the foods that you truly enjoy. Don’t waste calories on something that you don’t really want.
It is ok to not eat everything on your plate – we have outgrown the clean you plate club! If this is difficult, use a smaller plate. This creates the illusion of eating more.
Don’t hang out next to the food table. It is too easy to nibble and graze while we chat with family and friends.
Be aware of what you are eating. Enjoy it and move on. Mindless eating is dangerous as we lose track of what we are consuming.
I will be going into this topic in depth over the next few weeks. Check in often for tips and motivation. Lastly – join us in our Holiday Weight Loss Challenge. Hold your weight over the holidays and then hit the New Year hard with the weight loss portion of the challenge! Prizes, consult with me (registered dietitian) and much more! Happy Holidays - Noreen Gallo ,R.D.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Whittle your Middle during Menopause!
Remember when you could eat pretty much anything you wanted and remain at the same weight? Remember when you could just go for a walk or 2 a week and notice your jeans getting looser? Remember?? For many of us, those days are gone. What is going on? This is a question I get from clients many times a week. Seems like we have to work twice as hard just to maintain our weight, let alone lose a few pounds. Guess what? There is a physiological reason for this and luckily there are some concrete solutions as to how to deal with this issue. It is related to peri menopause and menopause. 90% of women experience increased weight between the ages of 35-55 years old. It is a gradual weight gain, that tends to sneak up on us and suddenly we have 10-20 extra pounds to lose. These pounds are more difficult to lose due to several factors.
HORMONES,STRESS, INSULIN RESISTANCE
I cannot help much with the first 2 factors but there are things we can do in relation with diet to combat insulin resistance. Insulin Resistance can be a huge contributor to weight gain and occurs when our bodies convert most of the calories we eat to FAT due to fluctuations in blood sugar.
What can we do about this?
1. GET RID OF THE DIET MENTALITY - this is a lifestyle change. You need to focus on changes that you can live with over the long haul. Gone are the days of having a shake for breakfast and lunch and a frozen diet dinner at night. If you cannot live with your dietary changes and go back to old habit - the weight will come right back. Additionally, scientific research has proven that quick weight loss from a very low calorie diet can slow down our metabolism. We want to keep the metabolism burning calories constantly all day.
2. Eat several small meals a day. This helps to level out your blood sugar. WIld swings in blood sugar increase appetite and cravings for refined carbohydrates. Going long periods of time without eating slows metabolism and consequently the next meal eaten - your body will hold on to every calorie. Shoot for a meal or snack every 3-4 hours.
3. Increase your protein intake. Protein comes from meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, legumes, nut butters etc... The body has to work harder to break down protein than carbohydrates and thus burns more calories eating protein. This is referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food. Protein also keeps us full longer than carbs. Always combine a protein and a carb when you eat. For ex. Have a handful of almonds or a cheese stick with your fruit or put peanut butter on your toast instead of jelly or butter. You will notice a difference in your fullness level almost immediately.
4. Cut down on the WHITE STUFF - sugar and white flour based foods. Much research on menopause has proven that when we take the white out of our diet - weight loss increases!! If you are going to have a sweet or dessert - have it within the context of a meal as oppose to skipping lunch to have an ice cream cone.
I will discuss blood sugar and diet in depth in another newsletter but for now - work on cutting back as much as you can and replacing these foods with protein and healthy fats and complex carbs. It will make a difference.
Please feel free to give me a call or e-mail me with further questions on this topic. I have many clients right now that are successfully losing weight after telling me they never thought they could, following these methods.
To your health!
Noreen Gallo MSRD
Registered Dietitian
Nutrition Counseling
(603)598-0292 tel
HORMONES,STRESS, INSULIN RESISTANCE
I cannot help much with the first 2 factors but there are things we can do in relation with diet to combat insulin resistance. Insulin Resistance can be a huge contributor to weight gain and occurs when our bodies convert most of the calories we eat to FAT due to fluctuations in blood sugar.
What can we do about this?
1. GET RID OF THE DIET MENTALITY - this is a lifestyle change. You need to focus on changes that you can live with over the long haul. Gone are the days of having a shake for breakfast and lunch and a frozen diet dinner at night. If you cannot live with your dietary changes and go back to old habit - the weight will come right back. Additionally, scientific research has proven that quick weight loss from a very low calorie diet can slow down our metabolism. We want to keep the metabolism burning calories constantly all day.
2. Eat several small meals a day. This helps to level out your blood sugar. WIld swings in blood sugar increase appetite and cravings for refined carbohydrates. Going long periods of time without eating slows metabolism and consequently the next meal eaten - your body will hold on to every calorie. Shoot for a meal or snack every 3-4 hours.
3. Increase your protein intake. Protein comes from meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, legumes, nut butters etc... The body has to work harder to break down protein than carbohydrates and thus burns more calories eating protein. This is referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food. Protein also keeps us full longer than carbs. Always combine a protein and a carb when you eat. For ex. Have a handful of almonds or a cheese stick with your fruit or put peanut butter on your toast instead of jelly or butter. You will notice a difference in your fullness level almost immediately.
4. Cut down on the WHITE STUFF - sugar and white flour based foods. Much research on menopause has proven that when we take the white out of our diet - weight loss increases!! If you are going to have a sweet or dessert - have it within the context of a meal as oppose to skipping lunch to have an ice cream cone.
I will discuss blood sugar and diet in depth in another newsletter but for now - work on cutting back as much as you can and replacing these foods with protein and healthy fats and complex carbs. It will make a difference.
Please feel free to give me a call or e-mail me with further questions on this topic. I have many clients right now that are successfully losing weight after telling me they never thought they could, following these methods.
To your health!
Noreen Gallo MSRD
Registered Dietitian
Nutrition Counseling
(603)598-0292 tel
Monday, May 16, 2011
Being prepared!!
Being prepared is probably the best advice I can give to someone who is interested in losing weight or trying to live a healthier life. It always seems that the best laid plans always seem to fall to the wayside when life gets busy. It is times like these when being prepared can be a lifesaver. We all know how 3 o'clock feels and we are in the car, need to pick up the kids and bring them to practice and are STARVING! Or just coming out of a meeting at work and suddenly your belly growls just when you are walking by the vending machine. If you knew you had a tasty, healthy snack in your drawer at work or the glove compartment of your car, this might be just the trick that will get you to drive by the fast food place or avoid the candy in the vending machine. I have pulled together a list for your emergency "stash" and I hope you find this helpful.
1) Baggies of nut. Buy a big jar of almonds, peanuts or walnuts and put 15-20 in each baggie. This with a bottle of water will fill you up for a couple of hours. FYI - Pistachios are the lowest fat nut and take longer to eat if you buy them in the shell.
2) Kashi TLC granola bars. Only 140 cals, 6-8 grams of protein and not high in sugar.
3) Toss a piece of fruit in your car every morning - this will fit the bill when you want something crunchy.
4) Keep some packets of oatmeal in your drawer at work. Kashi GO LEAN truly vanilla oatmeal has 9 grams of protein to help keep you full and you just need to add water and microwave.
5 )Keeping a jar of natural peanut butter and a box of whole wheat crackers at work can be a lifesaver for those days when you forget your lunch.
5) Protein bars for when you do have to delay lunch or perhaps forgot to eat a balanced breakfast. Watch the sugar content as some are rather high. Think Thin bars have about 20 grams of protein and taste pretty good.
6) Always have 2-3 bottles of water as back ups, remember one of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. Many times we think we are hungry but in reality we are thirsty.
I keep a case of flavored seltzer water in my car at all times - saves money when the kids want to stop for a drink after practice and has zero calories!
I am sure if you brainstorm, you can come up with some additional ideas that will fit your needs. But remember - this is your emergency stash. Make packing meals and snacks for the day a habit and only save these items for the days you dash out the door with your lunch on the counter!
The Meltdown to Summer is officially over and the results are in! All participants did a great job and worked really hard for 90 days! Congratulations to ZOEY who lost 8.94 % for a total of 11 pounds and Cookout Mom who lost 5.26% for a total of 8 pounds!
Participants tracked food intake and exercise and made major strides in changing their behaviors!
Remember, slow and steady wins the race. I have been working with a client successfuly for quite a while and he has lost just about 30 pounds. He recently had to take some time off due to a stressful work issue. We have started back up again and happily reported that he had only gained 1/2 pound. He was thrilled! It really opened his eyes to all the progress he has made. He mentioned that in the past, he would have re-gained much of his weight during stressful times and was so happy to have maintained! He is ready to finish his "race" and attain goal in the next few months! IT WORKS!!! Call me if you need some help attaining your GOALS!!
Enjoy your Spring!! Noreen MSRD
1) Baggies of nut. Buy a big jar of almonds, peanuts or walnuts and put 15-20 in each baggie. This with a bottle of water will fill you up for a couple of hours. FYI - Pistachios are the lowest fat nut and take longer to eat if you buy them in the shell.
2) Kashi TLC granola bars. Only 140 cals, 6-8 grams of protein and not high in sugar.
3) Toss a piece of fruit in your car every morning - this will fit the bill when you want something crunchy.
4) Keep some packets of oatmeal in your drawer at work. Kashi GO LEAN truly vanilla oatmeal has 9 grams of protein to help keep you full and you just need to add water and microwave.
5 )Keeping a jar of natural peanut butter and a box of whole wheat crackers at work can be a lifesaver for those days when you forget your lunch.
5) Protein bars for when you do have to delay lunch or perhaps forgot to eat a balanced breakfast. Watch the sugar content as some are rather high. Think Thin bars have about 20 grams of protein and taste pretty good.
6) Always have 2-3 bottles of water as back ups, remember one of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. Many times we think we are hungry but in reality we are thirsty.
I keep a case of flavored seltzer water in my car at all times - saves money when the kids want to stop for a drink after practice and has zero calories!
I am sure if you brainstorm, you can come up with some additional ideas that will fit your needs. But remember - this is your emergency stash. Make packing meals and snacks for the day a habit and only save these items for the days you dash out the door with your lunch on the counter!
The Meltdown to Summer is officially over and the results are in! All participants did a great job and worked really hard for 90 days! Congratulations to ZOEY who lost 8.94 % for a total of 11 pounds and Cookout Mom who lost 5.26% for a total of 8 pounds!
Participants tracked food intake and exercise and made major strides in changing their behaviors!
Remember, slow and steady wins the race. I have been working with a client successfuly for quite a while and he has lost just about 30 pounds. He recently had to take some time off due to a stressful work issue. We have started back up again and happily reported that he had only gained 1/2 pound. He was thrilled! It really opened his eyes to all the progress he has made. He mentioned that in the past, he would have re-gained much of his weight during stressful times and was so happy to have maintained! He is ready to finish his "race" and attain goal in the next few months! IT WORKS!!! Call me if you need some help attaining your GOALS!!
Enjoy your Spring!! Noreen MSRD
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