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.

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

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

Spring Clean your Diet

I think it is safe to say - Spring is coming! I know we had snow last week but as I look out my window, I see some purple and white crocus flowers blooming and I am given hope. Pretty soon the winter jackets will be put away and shorts and t-shirts will be coming out. ARE YOU READY?? Here are some tips to get ready for spring.

Set realistic goals for yourself. Exercising 3 hours a day and never having sugar pass our lips is a great thought but is it achievable? Probably not because if it was - we would have already done it. It is much easier to choose a couple of do-able goals that we can accomplish and build from there. Place the written goal on the fridge where you can see it daily.

Do not get sucked into a quick fix. We will be bombarded with so called quick easy ways to lose weight before summer. They do not work. Again, if they did, you would be at goal. Steady, consistent weight loss is the way to go. My most successful clients are the ones who lost the weight the right way. Making behavioral and dietary changes that they could live with for the long haul. Guess what? These are the clients that are still at or below their goal weight.

Clean up your diet. Take a look in your pantry and cabinets. Get rid of the junk. Look at food labels. If you cannot pronounce the ingredient, it is probably not too good for you. Try to stick to as many whole foods as possible. Reducing white flour and sugar will have a dramatic impact on both your weight and how you feel. Try not to make the mistake of replacing sugar with artificial sugar. This can impact your metabolism and hunger in a negative way. Increase your consumption of fruits and veggies. This will help to keep you full and give your bodies some important antioxidents and vitamins.

Eat frequently. Small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism fired up so you are always in fat burning mode. If you go too long between feedings your body is more likely to convert the food to fat.

Drink water! This helps to keep you full and flush out your system. One of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. Often we think we are hungry when in reality we are just thirsty.

Increase your exercise! Move more! Play catch with your kids in the back yard, rake, weed - MOVE! Purchase a pedometer and count your steps. I recently did this and am amazed with how competitive I have gotten with myself and the number of steps I get each day. One easy way to increase steps is to toss a pair of sneakers in the back of the car. Walk around the perimeter of the baseball or lacrosse field this spring while your kids team is practicing. Every time you sneak in some exercise - you have just fired up your metabolism which translates into more calories burned.

Most importantly lose the diet mentality. The goal is to find a balance that you can live with. If you follow the plan 80% of the time, this gives you a 20% cushion for the other stuff! Remember - this is a LIVEIT! Not a DIet.

I am always around to answer questions or set up an appointment. Feel free to contact me and we can discuss further!

HAPPY SPRING - Noreen Gallo MSRD

What Type of Fat should I eat and Why???

Hmmm... Why does Noreen tell me to eat fat when that is exactly what I want to lose?? The days of the low fat/non-fat diet are over! That being said, don't hop in the car and head to the fast food restaurant. There are different types of fat and some are better than others.

Saturated Fat - This is the type of fat that I would like you to try to cut back on. This is animal fat, lard etc... Who uses lard, I know but it is an example of a saturated fat. A good way to understand saturated fat is that it is solid at room temperature. When you make a beef stew and put it in the fridge over night, that layer of white, waxy stuff that is floating on top the next morning, that is saturated fat. Skimming it off will make a big difference in the calorie and fat content of the food. This does not mean you have to give up meat, as you know, meat is a very good source of protein, something that will help you to lose weight. My suggestion is to choose leaner cuts of meat. Watch for marbleing when you are selecting red meat, marbeling is the fat within the meat. You can easily cut fat off the outer edge of a steak but it is difficult to remove it from within the meat. Choose white meat over dark meat when selecting poultry and try to choose non fat or low fat dairy products. Another way to "defat" ground beef is to brown it on the stove and then put it in a strainer in the sink and "wash" the meat with warm water, you will be amazed at how much fat you can rinse off the beef. SImply return it to the pan after rinsing it and season as usual. Very similar to what you would do if you were rinsing canned kidney or garbanzo bean to rid of excess salt. Saturated fats can be a factor in clogging your arteries which can lead to heart disease. There is also some research indicating saturated fat may be linked to type 2 diabetes.

Polyunsaturated Fats - These are fats coming mainly from plant based foods and oils. Corn, safflower, sunflower oil. Omega 3 fatty acids are also polyunsaturated fats, these are the types of fats also referred to as fish oils. Found in several types of fatty, cold water fish, walnuts, ground flax seed and flax oil. There is strong evidence that this type of oil can be very helpful in warding off heart disease.

Monounsaturated Fats - These are the fats obtained from olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds and avocados. I guess we could call these the healthy fats. These are the types of fats to focus on while staying within your fat budget.

Trans fats - This is a type of fat that for the most part is created during food processing when trying to make a liquid fat more solid. It aids in extending the shelf life of a food and makes some fats easier to cook with. AVOID these fats as they can be harmful to your heart. It is required for the food processor to label a food that has trans fat in it so check the label. Although many food companies have eliminated trans fats, some margarines still contain them.

This is a lot of information regarding fat, bottom line. There is a place for healthy fats in the diet. They help to maintain blood sugar and keep you full. But remember - they also have calories. Become aware of the calorie content of the types of fats you enjoy. Peanut butter is great when you stick to 1 or 2 tablespoons. Several more and you will not see the scale change. Nuts are another type of food that you need to check the portion size. About 23 almonds is a portion, not 1/2 the can.

Stay Healthy - Noreen

Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is a great, flavorful way to prepare veggies.

In the summer, we can just throw the vegetables on the grill and roast them. I don't know about you, but my grill is hidden in the back of the shed in my yard, a shed that has a 3 foot pile of snow in front of it!

It is possible to roast veggies in the oven. SImple prep your vegetables, onions, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, whatever you like. Lightly coat them with olive oil or cooking spray. Toss them together with some seasoning and garlic and place in a shallow roasting pan. Best not to crowd the vegetables. Bake at 425 for about 5-7 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir veggies. Roast for an additional 12-15 minutes, turning twice during this time.
ENJOY!