The Gift of Breakfast

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we would never let our kids go off to school without eating a good breakfast.  So why do we as adults think it is okay to skip breakfast? Some people lack motivation and/or the desire to eat breakfast due to time constraints or lack of a morning appetite. Neither is a good excuse. 

                                                                                            
The morning hours are the most ideal time of the day for refueling your glucose levels, and providing your brain and body with the energy they need to function optimally throughout the day. Also, by eating breakfast, you are increasing your chances of maintaining and even losing weight.

Studies show that by starting the day off on a healthy foot, you are more likely to continue making good food choices for the remainder of the day, and that those who eat a healthy breakfast are less likely to play “catch-up” later in the day.  I have a friend who will often tell me that she has been so busy she hasn’t had time to eat anything all day. By the time she eats, she is famished and eats way more than she needs.  If you eat 2000 calories for dinner, chances are you will not be hungry for breakfast.  This same friend has also gained over 50 pounds in the last year.  Sumo wrestlers use the same strategy for eating.

                                                                                 
Give yourself the gift of breakfast. With a little planning, many breakfast meals can be prepared the night before to make for a quick morning meal or something easy to take with you to the office.  In our house we have a gallon pitcher of pre-mixed protein shake and a carton full of hard boiled eggs.  Add in a piece of fruit and /or a low fat yogurt, and you are good to go.  My husband does this every day.  I prefer quick cook oatmeal with flaxseed and cinnamon or Kashi cereal with low fat milk.

So what’s the best thing to eat for your first meal? The first thing I would recommend when choosing what to eat is to try to think outside of the typical “healthy” breakfast, especially if you have time constraints or don’t feel hungry in the morning.

Fruit is an excellent choice. It can be a fast option and something you can even eat in the car on the way to work.  If you have more time, a morning smoothie can be the perfect mix of protein and carbs.  If you’re willing to forfeit the normal breakfast routine, even a bit of steamed vegetables or soup can provide an optimal source of energy. Anytime I have a pot of left over sweet potato squash soup, that becomes my favorite breakfast. Many people do well eating their dinner leftovers the next morning which saves time and prevents food waste.

Regardless of what you ultimately decide to eat, the most important thing to remember is that each of us requires different foods and quantities based on our own biochemical, genetic and metabolic differences. The secret to breakfast is to choose something healthy, easy, and that you enjoy and can look forward to eating each morning.

A great way to determine what is right for you is to experiment. Try out seven different breakfasts over the course of a week and really pay attention to how you feel afterwards, and then again two and four hours later. Include in that experiment foods that you typically eat or desire the most at breakfast, regardless of their nutritional value, just to further understand the impact those foods versus other foods have on your body.

At the end of the week, I guarantee that you’ll have a clear understanding of the best energy sources for your body and know what to eat for this key mealtime.

Actions = Priorities

I’ve been pretty weak in writing articles lately and putting up new posts.  It’s been bugging me, but I’ve been so busy with other stuff  that it has been an ongoing dialogue I have with myself . Unfortunately, it hasn’t yielded any more action than that for a few weeks.

 
I spend a lot of time THINKING about how I’d like to be putting a lot more content out there. I’ve got all sorts of ideas about the things I’d like to write, and its actually something I love doing. Writing on my blog is one of my favorite things to do.

 
The reason I haven’t been getting into my creative zone is because it isn’t my priority right now. I would REALLY like it to be.  But look at my actions.  I simply haven’t been doing it.

 So many people want to lose weight.  They want to shed pounds, feel better, look better, get fit and so on. 

People will buy tons of books about it, join a gym, complain to their co-workers about it, buy products, consult with doctors, try new diets, try new pills, and try a new exercise program. And yet, they don’t lose weight – or they do but then they don’t keep it off.

It’s so common for people to be stuck in this weight loss cycle for years. 30 pounds lost, 28 pounds gained back.  17 pounds lost, 20 gained back.  It’s like an ongoing zero sum game where you go down on an escalator at Macy’s, just to turn around and go right back up again. 

Why does this happen? 
Because in spite of a sincere desire to feel and look different, it just isn’t a priority to really make the changes to succeed and change it.

 
Something is just not working in this equation that we’re being sold from all directions about how to lose the weight we want. 

We’re promised over and over again that this diet or this exercise sequence will help us to shed pounds easily, solve all our problems, and in 6 short weeks we’ll look like the slim young woman or the buff guy on the exercise video from HSN.

I think a big piece of this comes down to priorities.  We can talk all we want about how we really want to lose weight and how we are thinking about really getting serious with the diet advice or exercise suggestions we have read.

But at the end of the day, you’re not losing the weight because it’s not really your priority to do so.

At the end of the day, you don’t lose weight because the chocolate mousse that was served at your best friend’s dinner party over the weekend was more important to you than losing weight.

Eating the pizza, chips, dips and Margaritas your neighbors served at their Super Bowl party was more important to you than losing weight.

 One of the biggest tricks to losing weight and keeping it off is to really shift these priorities. 

So the next time you start to feel frustrated about the glimpse you catch of your profile in the mirror, instead of feeling frustrated how the last diet you tried didn’t work, instead sit down and make a list of your priorities in life. 

What are the 10 most important things to you in your life? 

Is your health and weight really on that list?  If so, where is it? If not, don’t kid yourself into thinking you can lose weight successfully.

Really work with your priority list.  Be ruthlessly honest with yourself.

Look at your actions as the evidence for which priorities truly belongs where.  Once you get that sense of where your priorities have been, you are in a much better place to decide where you want them to be.

25 Quick Steps to Diet Smarter

It’s the little things that can make all the difference, and the little things can be easy to change without feeling deprived of substance and taste.

Here are 25 quick tips that will help you diet smarter not harder.  By making small tweaks to your food choices you don’t have to sacrifice flavor, but you can cut a calories, fats and sugar to help slim down your waistline. Go ahead: Increase your vegetables and whole grains, but decrease the fat, salt and sugar. If you’re really serious about changing your family’s diet, clip this page and post it on your refrigerator as a daily reminder for everyone.

                Increasing Vegetables

1. Learn to properly steam vegetables.
2. Decrease the meat and increase the vegetables called for in stews and casseroles.
3. Add grated carrots, zucchini or cabbage to chili and meatloaf.
4. Offer washed and trimmed carrot and celery sticks for snacking.
5. Add finely grated carrots, pumpkin, or zucchini to baked breads and cakes.

 

Increasing Whole Grains

1. Substitute whole-wheat flour for bleached white flour when you bake.
2. Top casseroles with wheat germ or whole-wheat bread crumbs.
3. Serve bran-based cereals, or those made from shredded wheat.
4. Serve imaginative whole-grain side dishes (bulgur, kasha, etc.) instead of egg noodles.
5. Offer crackers and corn chips containing whole grains.

 

Reducing Fat

1. Cook with less fat by using non-stick skillets.
2. Blot all fried meats on paper towels.
3. Add a spoon of water or broth as needed instead of more fat when sautéing onions and vegetables.
4. Substitute low-fat yogurt for mayonnaise.
5. Substitute ground turkey for ground beef.

 

Reducing Salt

1. Substitute lemon juice or herbs for salt when cooking pasta or grains.
2. Avoid cooking with soy or Worcestershire sauce.
3. Substitute garlic or onion powder for garlic or onion salt.
4. Avoid using products that contain monosodium glutamate.
5. Use unsalted or low-salt vegetable broths and products.

 

Reducing Sugar

1. Choose canned fruits packed in water instead of heavy syrup.
2. Use only fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh is unavailable.
3. Cut the sugar called for in most recipes by one-third to one-half.
4. Sweeten waffles and quick breads with cinnamon and vanilla or almond extracts.
5. Add pureed banana to baked goods and reduce the sugar or applesauce to reduce the fat (oil/butter)

Focusing on the basics… again

Everyone gets off track.  Clearly, I have gotten off track of keeping up with my blog over the past few weeks.  That is not a reason to give it up all together, but to re-commit to getting back into the groove.

If your exercise routine is off track, don’t worry. Now is the time to re-commit. Right now.  If you have gone a few days or a few weeks without exercising or eating healthy… go grab an apple right now. Go for a walk right now. Go to the gym right now. Let’s get back on track together.

 

Your first main goal with weight training isn’t appearance. Focus on strength and then appearances can come later. Build on becoming stronger in the basic moves each week, even if it is only a little bit, and then after several weeks you can move to isolation(moves that focus on certain muscles) movements.

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Improve your posture while training and at home. Stand and sit up straight. No slouching while exercising. This helps you improve your self image and prevent injury by reducing bad form. It also promotes a stronger core, which can protect your lower back. So stand tall, shoulders back, stomach in and it will make the form of the movement balanced and more effective. Working smarter not harder.

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While strength is your mission, it should be about form too.  Throwing around heavy weights improperly will not do any good for your muscles. There are a ton of videos on proper exercise form that you can find on U-tube.  You can also get assistance from a good personal trainer.

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Have a recovery period.  Your muscles develop and grow during rest. So make sure you give your muscles time to rest. 3-4 days rest for each muscle group is best for the most effective muscle development.

There is an effective time limit for Cardio. You don’t want to end up breaking down muscle mass, and simple sugars, over fat. Normally this is about 45 minutes on a treadmill. Any more is a waste of your time and gains. If you really need more cardio, you can move to two times a day to be effective.

Every 6 weeks try something fun you couldn’t do before.  For example, try a new exercise class. If you were worried before that you wouldn’t be able to last an entire session, try it anyway.  If you have been walking, add a few minutes of interval jogging in your routine. You are six weeks stronger and you will definitely surprise yourself. Knowing that you can do something you couldn’t before is a great motivator.

A healthy portion of skepticism

I love infomercials.  I am a sucker for many of the products that I come across while channel surfing.   Products that promise quick and easy weight loss without diet or exercise  seem to run 24/7 . Wouldn’t it be nice if — as the ads claim — you could lose weight simply by taking a pill, wearing a patch, or rubbing in a cream?

Doctors, dieticians, other experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity so you burn more energy…. and we all know this. But these infomercials can be really convincing.

A reasonable goal is to lose about a pound a week. For most people, that means cutting about 500 calories a day from your diet, eating a variety of nutritious foods, and exercising regularly.

When it comes to evaluating claims for weight loss products, the FTC recommends a healthy portion of skepticism. Before you spend money on products that promise fast and easy results, weigh the claims carefully.

Here are some of the most common, yet rediculous claims:

#1) “Lose weight without diet or exercise!”

 Fact: Achieving a healthy weight takes work. Take a pass on any product that promises miraculous results without the effort. Buy one and the only thing you’ll lose is money.

#2) “Block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories!”

 Fact: Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that there’s simply no magic non-prescription pill that will allow you to block the absorption of fat, carbs, or calories. The key to curbing your craving for those “downfall foods” is portion control. Limit yourself to a smaller serving or a slimmer slice.

#3) “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!”

 Fact: Losing weight at the rate of a pound or two a week is the most effective way to take it off and keep it off. At best, products promising lightning-fast weight loss are false. At worst, they can ruin your health.

Shopping Smart

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? What better time to improve your health than now!  Start by Shopping Smart.

 Get the Facts on Food Labels

Become a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods you eat. The Nutrition Facts panel found on most food labels will help you:

• Find out which foods are good sources of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin C

• Compare similar foods to find out which one is lower in fat and calories

• Search for low-sodium foods

• Look for foods that are low in saturated fat and trans fats

A Quick Guide to Reading the Nutrition Facts Label

 

1. Start with the Serving Size

• Look here for both the serving size (the amount for one serving), and the number of servings in the package.

• Remember to check your portion size to the serving size listed on the label. If the label serving size is one cup, and you eat two cups, you are getting twice the calories, fat and other nutrients listed on the label. 

2. Check Out the Total Calories and Fat

Find out how many calories are in a single serving and the number of calories from fat. It’s smart to cut back on calories and fat if you are watching your weight!

3. Let the Percent Daily Values Be Your Guide

Use percent Daily Values (DV) to help you evaluate how a particular food fits into your daily meal plan:

• Daily Values are average levels of nutrients for a person eating 2,000 calories a day.  A food item with a 5% DV means 5% of the amount of fat that a person consuming 2,000 calories a day would eat.

• Remember: percent DV are for the entire day — not just for one meal or snack.

• You may need more or less than 2,000 calories per day. For some nutrients you may need more or less than 100% DV.

4. The High and Low of Daily Values

• 5 percent or less is low — try to aim low in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium

• 20 percent or more is high — try to aim high in vitamins, minerals and fiber

 

 

 5. Check the Ingredient List

Foods with more than one ingredient must have an ingredient list on the label. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. Those in the largest amounts are listed first. Effective January 2006,manufacturers are required to clearly state if food products contain any ingredients that contain protein derived from the eight major allergenic foods. These foods are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

6. What Health Claims on Food Labels Really Mean

FDA has strict guidelines on how certain food labelterms can be used. Some of the most common claims seen on food packages:

• Low calorie — Less than 40 calories per serving.

• Low cholesterol — Less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm or less of saturated fat per serving.

• Reduced — 25% less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product.

• Good source of — Provides at least 10% of the DV of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.

• Calorie free — Less than 5 calories per serving.

• Fat free / sugar free — Less than 1⁄2 gram of fat or sugar per serving.

• Low sodium — Less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.

• High in — Provides 20% or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving.

• High fiber — 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.

Fact or Fiction

 If you can’t put in enough quality time to exercise, than there’s really no point in doing anything at all…

FICTION

 A lot of dieters/exercisers think that if they can’t get at least 30-60 mins in at the gym then they’re not doing enough to make a difference in their body. That is absolutely false. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to get your body into shape, or at least shape-up your health, is to think “there’s not enough time in the day.” What about when you were at the mall this week and took the escalator rather than the stairs? That was a moment when you could have made a choice to make your body work a little harder, and when you make choices like that multiple times throughout the day, the sum effect will start to show on your body.

Small Acts of Fitness Equal Great Returns

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
• Walk during your lunch break instead of sitting down to eat
• If you work at an office, take small breaks throughout the day to walk around
• Go talk to a co-worker face-to-face instead of using the phone, email or instant messaging
•  Take the dog out for a walk in the mornings or at night
• Park farther away from the office, store, mall or wherever you’re going and walk the extra distance
• Take the kids to the park and play on the jungle gym with them
• Walk in place or do sit ups while watching your favorite show

You really can make a difference in your health and in the way your body looks by making random acts of fitness a part of your day, everyday.

Fact or Fiction? Losing 2 pounds per week is the norm

FICTION

Losing 2 pounds per week, every week, is not the norm. I’ve seen people lose a pound a week and actually become disappointed. They are set on the expectation that they can lose 2 pounds a week and anything less becomes upsetting. Every body is different and one sushi dinner can up the scale by 3 pounds. Often times you’ll lose a couple pounds one week, one pound the next week and sometimes you’ll gain a pound the following week. If you ever watch the Biggest Loser, you see this type of fluctuation with all the contestants. What is important is the trend. You didn’t gain the weight in a measured fashion of 2 pounds per week, you’re most likely not going to lose it in the same way. Recognize the trend and chart your progress week to week to notice the overall loss.  Successful weight loss efforts with diligent plans have an average loss of 5 pounds a month.