One of the cardinal rules of weight management is "always eat breakfast." When we wake up, we haven't had anything to eat for sometimes 10 or more hours. After such a long time without food, the body begins to go into conservation mode and slows the metabolism in order to hold on to the body weight that's still there. That's why it's really important to have something within an hour of waking up--the body needs this signal to know that you are not starving and go back to the normal process of using the stored fat, etc. for energy rather than trying to hold on to it.
That being said, not everyone has a huge appetite in the morning. This is an opportunity to get some of your daily needs in for a small amount of calories. As always, listen to your body. If you find you're not that hungry in the morning, but you're ravished by 11 AM, you might want to save a few more calories for a mid morning snack and keep breakfast small. Here some of my favorite things to eat in the morning:
Oatmeal: Best choice!! Fiber and protein to keep you full, whole grains, low fat & calorie, zero sodium and you can mix with all kinds of good stuff. Stay FAR away from pre-packaged instant oatmeal. It's full of sugar and sodium, and it's more expensive. The best way to buy oatmeal is in bulk from a health food store. It's super cheap (even for organic) and just as easy to make as the packaged stuff. It only takes a minute and a half and adding fruit and nuts almost makes it the perfect meal. I do bananas, sliced almonds and organic, unsweetened soy milk and it's delicious and under 300 calories. I eat it every single day and sometimes twice in one day. Yum!
Eggs: Eggs are a really good choice for a fast, inexpensive breakfast. You can easily add veggies to them and make and omelet with whole wheat toast or an egg sandwich if you're on the go. The yolks in eggs get a bad rap, but they are actually pretty nutritious and have the good cholesterol that's good for heart health. I usually use at least one full egg and add a white or two to add protein without extra calories. You can also do an egg based breakfast for 300 calories or less.
Cereal: I love, love, love cereal but there are many varieties that are trouble for your health (think teaspoons of sugar per bowl!). Kashi cereals are a great choice, and if you want to go more affordable, plain Cheerios with some fresh fruit will also work well. Stick with skim milk or light/unsweetened soy milk.
In an emergency, alarm-didn't-go-off situation, keep some low sodium veggie juice on hand and pour yourself a glass before you head out the door.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
20 minute workouts
According to my textbook, the number one excuse people give for not working out is lack of time (I know I've said it more than once to myself and others). When we have several things on our plate, working out is the first to go when in fact it should be first on our lists. There are a whole host of benefits to exercising, and one that is usually not discussed as much is stress relief. Exercise releases endorphins that help with relaxation and elevate your mood. There's a reason why people rarely say, "I wish I wouldn't have gone to the gym." I know that every time I do some sort of physical activity, whether it's going for a walk or playing outside with my daughter, I always feel better and am better equipped to handle the rest of my day.
If you are truly struggling with finding the time, there are a couple of things you can do to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to time spent exercising. My two suggestions are cardio intervals and circuit training. Both are the among the top calorie burners and both can be done from anywhere. In fact, there are some great workout DVDs with 20 minute workouts that you can do in the living room with little equipment. One of my favorites is Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred. There are 3 20-minute workouts at progressively difficult levels, and they are very effective. You're done before you know it and you will feel and see the effects if you can squeeze it in 4 or 5 days a week. If you're not into working out via DVD, pick up an issue of Fitness or Shape magazine. Every month they have plenty of moves you can do at home and combine for a quick 20 minute session.
If it's nice out and you don't feel like messing with weights, go outside and rotate fast walking with short bursts of sprints. Almost anyone can do this for 20 minutes and it burns 1.5 times more calories than jogging at a constant pace because you are hitting your max heart rate and keeping it high even as you recover (the walking). Cardio intervals also give you a really good afterburn, meaning even after you're done you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate than normal. Even 20 minutes of this will make a difference if done regularly. You'll find yourself able to sprint longer and faster and in no time, you'll build up endurance for any phsyical activity you choose to do.
If you are truly struggling with finding the time, there are a couple of things you can do to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to time spent exercising. My two suggestions are cardio intervals and circuit training. Both are the among the top calorie burners and both can be done from anywhere. In fact, there are some great workout DVDs with 20 minute workouts that you can do in the living room with little equipment. One of my favorites is Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred. There are 3 20-minute workouts at progressively difficult levels, and they are very effective. You're done before you know it and you will feel and see the effects if you can squeeze it in 4 or 5 days a week. If you're not into working out via DVD, pick up an issue of Fitness or Shape magazine. Every month they have plenty of moves you can do at home and combine for a quick 20 minute session.
If it's nice out and you don't feel like messing with weights, go outside and rotate fast walking with short bursts of sprints. Almost anyone can do this for 20 minutes and it burns 1.5 times more calories than jogging at a constant pace because you are hitting your max heart rate and keeping it high even as you recover (the walking). Cardio intervals also give you a really good afterburn, meaning even after you're done you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate than normal. Even 20 minutes of this will make a difference if done regularly. You'll find yourself able to sprint longer and faster and in no time, you'll build up endurance for any phsyical activity you choose to do.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sanjay Gupta on Conan
I would not usually expect to get health advice while watching Conan O' Brien, but he had Sanjay Gupta on the other night (following the hilarious Tina Fey), and he actually had some pretty good tidbits. The first few minutes of the interview are about little things you can do to add years to your life. Who knew daily flossing can add 1 to 1.5 years to your life? Luckily, drinking coffee was also on the list. Two cups a day can add 2 years! Woohoo!
Here is the link, it's actually still a pretty funny segment:
http://fitperez.com/2011-04-20-dr-sanjay-gupta-talks
Here is the link, it's actually still a pretty funny segment:
http://fitperez.com/2011-04-20-dr-sanjay-gupta-talks
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Power of the Playlist
I've found that as I research different races to sign up for, some do not allow iPods/MP3 players to be used while you're running. Crazy! That's a serious deterrent for me. My iPod is what gets me through long runs, or really any type of workout for that matter. Music is extremely powerful. When you think about it, many important moments in our lives are celebrated through it, and it has the power to make you happy, sad, angry, sentimental or anything in between.
Everyone has different music that motivates them. I, embarrassingly, listen to all kinds of bad pop when I work out because that's what gets me going. It's the guilty pleasure songs that keep me running when I start feeling the fatigue set in. In my opinion, a well constructed playlist can make you work out a little longer or a little harder. For example, I have Kayne West's "Stronger" at the end of my running playlist and that almost always makes me go a little faster to finish up the workout. It's important to choose music that inspires and/or motivates you, whether lyrically or the sounds themselves.
I've also used music as a motivator in itself. Whenever I don't really fell like exercising or I haven't been the gym in awhile, I hop on iTunes and buy a song or two that I know I will look forward to hearing during a workout. Or sometimes I just make a new playlist with songs I like but haven't heard in awhile. Either way, it's taking you from the contemplating stage (I'm sort of thinking I should go to the gym) to the action stage (I'm preparing to go).
Buying music can also be an inexpensive non-food reward for when you're doing well in your wellness program. Say you are finally able to run that 9 or 10 minute mile, or you've just lost your first 10 pounds. Instead of celebrating through food or drink ("I deserve a cupcake for all my hard work!"), buy yourself a new cd or a few new songs. It will keep you going and give you a sense of satisfaction that you are rewarding yourself in a healthy way.
Everyone has different music that motivates them. I, embarrassingly, listen to all kinds of bad pop when I work out because that's what gets me going. It's the guilty pleasure songs that keep me running when I start feeling the fatigue set in. In my opinion, a well constructed playlist can make you work out a little longer or a little harder. For example, I have Kayne West's "Stronger" at the end of my running playlist and that almost always makes me go a little faster to finish up the workout. It's important to choose music that inspires and/or motivates you, whether lyrically or the sounds themselves.
I've also used music as a motivator in itself. Whenever I don't really fell like exercising or I haven't been the gym in awhile, I hop on iTunes and buy a song or two that I know I will look forward to hearing during a workout. Or sometimes I just make a new playlist with songs I like but haven't heard in awhile. Either way, it's taking you from the contemplating stage (I'm sort of thinking I should go to the gym) to the action stage (I'm preparing to go).
Buying music can also be an inexpensive non-food reward for when you're doing well in your wellness program. Say you are finally able to run that 9 or 10 minute mile, or you've just lost your first 10 pounds. Instead of celebrating through food or drink ("I deserve a cupcake for all my hard work!"), buy yourself a new cd or a few new songs. It will keep you going and give you a sense of satisfaction that you are rewarding yourself in a healthy way.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Goal setting without using the word "pounds"
I don't have any research to back this up, but I would say a significant portion the of health and fitness goals people make start this way: "I want to lose x pounds by x date." In my experience, weight loss goals are frequently triggered by an event: New Year's, a vacation, seeing a friend or family member lose weight, weighing yourself for the first time in months, or even watching an episode of the Biggest Loser. But once the thought of making a change occurs to you, it's important to get down to the nitty gritty. Just saying "I want to lose 20 pounds," or "I want to get healthy," isn't enough. How are you going to do it? What will you eat? How often will you work out? Will you follow a specific diet plan or do it on your own?
The over arching goal needs to have smaller goals (in a PR plan we'd call them objectives) that will get you there. Not only will this provide a specific plan, it will create positive reinforcement along the way. While it might take you a few months to lose 20 pounds, setting a goal like "eat at least 4 servings of vegetables a day" is something you can work on and feel a sense of accomplishment with every single day. And it will fit in to the overarching goal of weight loss or better health.
For me personally, this hit home when I decided to start running. I signed up for a race and began the training program, focused on my goal of getting through a 13 mile trek without passing out rather than on losing 20 pounds. A training program gave me small goals along the way, and I had small victories every time I completed the day's running assignment. As a welcome side affect, I lost 20 pounds. If I would have weighed myself daily and measured my success only on the scale, I probably would have quit. As we all know, the scale fluctuates wildly day to day, and I definitely put on muscle throughout my training which would have added weight. But as I completed 5, 6, and 7 mile runs, I didn't really care much at all about the scale because I knew I was making progress and meeting my smaller goals. So, I would challenge everyone to set small, measurable and attainable goals that will give you a sense of satisfaction along the way. Set a bunch in fact. Drink more water, do 30 minutes of some physical activity, eat less sodium ....chances are you'll be able to accomplish at least one or two a day to give you that sense of accomplishment we all need to keep going. And if you don't, tomorrow is another day!
The over arching goal needs to have smaller goals (in a PR plan we'd call them objectives) that will get you there. Not only will this provide a specific plan, it will create positive reinforcement along the way. While it might take you a few months to lose 20 pounds, setting a goal like "eat at least 4 servings of vegetables a day" is something you can work on and feel a sense of accomplishment with every single day. And it will fit in to the overarching goal of weight loss or better health.
For me personally, this hit home when I decided to start running. I signed up for a race and began the training program, focused on my goal of getting through a 13 mile trek without passing out rather than on losing 20 pounds. A training program gave me small goals along the way, and I had small victories every time I completed the day's running assignment. As a welcome side affect, I lost 20 pounds. If I would have weighed myself daily and measured my success only on the scale, I probably would have quit. As we all know, the scale fluctuates wildly day to day, and I definitely put on muscle throughout my training which would have added weight. But as I completed 5, 6, and 7 mile runs, I didn't really care much at all about the scale because I knew I was making progress and meeting my smaller goals. So, I would challenge everyone to set small, measurable and attainable goals that will give you a sense of satisfaction along the way. Set a bunch in fact. Drink more water, do 30 minutes of some physical activity, eat less sodium ....chances are you'll be able to accomplish at least one or two a day to give you that sense of accomplishment we all need to keep going. And if you don't, tomorrow is another day!
Monday, April 18, 2011
CHEESE!
I once had an aunt challenge me to give up cheese for a week. Or maybe it was a month, but either way I couldn't do it! I've never done well on eating plans that completely restrict a food, and while I don't eat tons of cheese, I do like a sprinkle here and there. Regular cheese is notorious for saturated fat content, which leads to all kinds of issues both weight and health wise. However, you (or I!) don't have to give it up completely. Decent reduced fat cheese is available, and I personally believe reduced/low fat dairy can be used in moderation with any eating plan. As always, pay close attention to serving sizes! Most shredded cheese is in 1/4 cup servings, which isn't a whole lot, so measure it out and don't feel you have to use the entire serving if you feel you can go with less. I find and 1/8 cup on a taco or turkey burger will do for me, and that's usually less than 50 calories.
I'm a big, big fan of Sargento reduced-fat sharp cheddar, but do note that it doesn't melt quite as well as its full fat counterpart. If I'm watching my money, I will go with Kraft pizza cheese, which is half cheddar and half mozzarella. Since most mozzarella is made with lower fat milk, it's naturally lower in fat than cheddars without being labeled (and priced) "reduced fat." Just make sure the mozzarella is labeled "part skim," as there are whole milk mozzarellas out there. Since the Kraft pizza cheese is half and half, you are still getting the cheddar but it's lower in fat and a little cheaper than purchasing the reduced fat packages. Some store brands have a pizza blend, or you can easily make your own by combining a regular cheddar (or even better, a reduced fat cheddar for an even lower calorie/fat count!) and keeping it in a freezer bag or Tupperware-like container.
Put a 1/4 cup of some reduced fat cheese on some healthy bread (will post later on that) and enjoy an under 200 calorie grilled cheese. Or my personal favorite--add it to some baked french fries and indulge guilt-free on some cheese fries :)
I'm a big, big fan of Sargento reduced-fat sharp cheddar, but do note that it doesn't melt quite as well as its full fat counterpart. If I'm watching my money, I will go with Kraft pizza cheese, which is half cheddar and half mozzarella. Since most mozzarella is made with lower fat milk, it's naturally lower in fat than cheddars without being labeled (and priced) "reduced fat." Just make sure the mozzarella is labeled "part skim," as there are whole milk mozzarellas out there. Since the Kraft pizza cheese is half and half, you are still getting the cheddar but it's lower in fat and a little cheaper than purchasing the reduced fat packages. Some store brands have a pizza blend, or you can easily make your own by combining a regular cheddar (or even better, a reduced fat cheddar for an even lower calorie/fat count!) and keeping it in a freezer bag or Tupperware-like container.
Put a 1/4 cup of some reduced fat cheese on some healthy bread (will post later on that) and enjoy an under 200 calorie grilled cheese. Or my personal favorite--add it to some baked french fries and indulge guilt-free on some cheese fries :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Good tortilla substitute
I LOVE Mexican food. Especially fajitas...yum. But I try to stay away from white flour/refined stuff, which is of course what flour tortillas are made from. I've never been a big fan of the whole wheat tortillas, and frankly they are still a little high on calories for me (I want as many fajitas as I can have!). Last year I stumbled upon Joseph's whole grain pitas at Wal Mart that are only 60 calories each for the entire pita! Granted, they don't taste like a flour tortilla but they taste good enough for me, especially when I can have two for the same calories as one tortilla.
They also have some other good stuff in them like oat bran, flax and omega-3's which are good for heart health. They are lower in sodium than regular flour tortillas and have 6 g protein and 4 g fiber to help keep you full. Not sure where else they are available, but you can buy online @ josephsbakery.com. I think if you buy online you have to get 5 packages at a time, but they freeze well and you can use them in place of bread or even pizza dough. I put a tablespoon of pasta sauce, some low fat cheese and veggies on one and throw it in the toaster oven for an under 200 calorie pizza snack, and it is GOOD. Let me know what you think, or if there are any good bread/tortilla alternatives I'm missing out on!
They also have some other good stuff in them like oat bran, flax and omega-3's which are good for heart health. They are lower in sodium than regular flour tortillas and have 6 g protein and 4 g fiber to help keep you full. Not sure where else they are available, but you can buy online @ josephsbakery.com. I think if you buy online you have to get 5 packages at a time, but they freeze well and you can use them in place of bread or even pizza dough. I put a tablespoon of pasta sauce, some low fat cheese and veggies on one and throw it in the toaster oven for an under 200 calorie pizza snack, and it is GOOD. Let me know what you think, or if there are any good bread/tortilla alternatives I'm missing out on!
Back to Studying!
I'm about 7 months from my 30th birthday, so naturally I've been doing a lot of life reflection lately--especially since I've been going to many, many 30th birthday parties for my slightly older friends. I, as I'm sure a lot of people do when they are about to hit a new decade of life, am going through the list of things I thought I would have or have done by now and wondering where the time went. While I can check off some things on that list, there are definitely some areas that need some improvement. Item one is career.
There are many people who have no idea what I do for a living without a long explanation, and as it turns out, entire regions of the country that don't understand the concept of public relations at all (and therefore won't pay me to practice it). So I've decided to switch gears to something that's useful in every area of the country and that I'm actually interested in--health and fitness.
On Tuesday I signed up for a course to get my personal training certification. Through research online, this appeared to be a relatively simple process--they send you a book and some study materials and you sign up and take an exam when you're ready. However, when I opened the Fed Ex box, there were THREE books waiting for me, mostly filled with terms I am not familiar with (oligosaccharide??!!). Looks like this might be a little more intense than I thought. Anyway, this brings me to the point of this post. I read the chapter on the business of being a personal trainer and one of the suggestions was to keep a blog, I guess for new business purposes but either way it's a good idea, as I think it will be interesting to document the process.
I named the blog Fit For Eating, because If you know me, you know I LOVE to eat. I've never succeeded on a diet where I was deprived of nachos or pizza. Not natural! So I've had to figure out ways to still eat what I like while still losing weight (or at least not gaining it!). Luckily, I don't mind a hard workout and I've been able to lose more than 30 pounds in the last 6 months or so still eating cheese fries and having a few beers on the weekends. Basically, this blog will be a place to talk about ways to do that--getting fit in a way that still lets you enjoy food. So if you're reading this, feel free to comment, question, or share whatever is on your mind!
There are many people who have no idea what I do for a living without a long explanation, and as it turns out, entire regions of the country that don't understand the concept of public relations at all (and therefore won't pay me to practice it). So I've decided to switch gears to something that's useful in every area of the country and that I'm actually interested in--health and fitness.
On Tuesday I signed up for a course to get my personal training certification. Through research online, this appeared to be a relatively simple process--they send you a book and some study materials and you sign up and take an exam when you're ready. However, when I opened the Fed Ex box, there were THREE books waiting for me, mostly filled with terms I am not familiar with (oligosaccharide??!!). Looks like this might be a little more intense than I thought. Anyway, this brings me to the point of this post. I read the chapter on the business of being a personal trainer and one of the suggestions was to keep a blog, I guess for new business purposes but either way it's a good idea, as I think it will be interesting to document the process.
I named the blog Fit For Eating, because If you know me, you know I LOVE to eat. I've never succeeded on a diet where I was deprived of nachos or pizza. Not natural! So I've had to figure out ways to still eat what I like while still losing weight (or at least not gaining it!). Luckily, I don't mind a hard workout and I've been able to lose more than 30 pounds in the last 6 months or so still eating cheese fries and having a few beers on the weekends. Basically, this blog will be a place to talk about ways to do that--getting fit in a way that still lets you enjoy food. So if you're reading this, feel free to comment, question, or share whatever is on your mind!
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