Holiday Preparedness Guide!

We are still a couple of months away from the holiday season but now is the best time to start planning in order to avoid the stress and time constraints that may undermine your year’s worth of hard work!

Begin by listing all your holiday stressers then come up with simple solutions for each. My rule of thumb is “keep it simple.”

• Holiday shopping:  I no longer shop, I send checks.  While many say this is impersonal I assure you no one has ever returned my gift and the bonus is that it saves me time, money and my sanity! If you must shop then try online shopping, or purchase your gifts and decorations before the holiday rush. 
• Holiday Parties:  Another stresser and healthy-lifestyle-sabotager are the endless social commitments. I limit how many parties I will attend during the season to one a week.  If there are two that week and I am conflicted, I choose the one I was invited to first.  I also strategize my eating.  For cocktail parties I will eat a light dinner first so that I am not starving and then attend the party and graze on the healthier appetizers.  If it is a dinner party, I will apply my usual weight management plan. 
• Family gatherings:  These can be the most challenging because we are already stressed out and now have to deal with our well-intentioned family members trying to force feed us.   I have successfully dealt with this for several years now by taking on the sampling approach.  I place a small serving of each item on my plate then eat, nibble or discard accordingly. 
• Be unapologetic and firm about your time.  By taking control of your schedule you will be able to eat properly, continue your exercise routine and avoid all the stress that comes with dealing with the madness the holidays are known for. 

If you start planning now, you will have holiday-proofed the upcoming season and you just might enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season!

Surviving the fall from the wagon!

It has happened to the strongest and most willful of us all.  We have not just fallen off of the weight management and fitness wagon but we have stayed off.  While we are saturated with information on how to lose weight and tone our bodies, we rarely get the help we need when the inevitable lapse occurs.  

My rule of thumb to work my way back onto that wagon is to begin by remembering that To err is human, to forgive YOURSELF divine!

Once you have accepted that this is temporary set back you will realize that there are benefits to falling off the wagon.  For starters, it will give you an opportunity to revisit what you were doing and why you did not stay motivated.  A lot of times it could be that the system you were using was either too challenging or not challenging enough.  Or perhaps you are dealing with outside stressers that are derailing your efforts.   Whatever the reason, here are some ways to help you get back on track.

• Revisit and revamp: Just because a weight management program works for your friend or sibling does not mean it will work for you.  Do your research and find one that fits your lifestyle and your tastes.  Keep in mind that the best systems are the ones that put you in control of your food intake and encourage healthy weight loss.  It is far easier to stick to a system that you can enjoy and live with.
• Revise and Re-energize:  If you are dreading that drive to the gym or hating the idea of lacing up for a run then this is your opportunity to either refresh your current routine or find a new one.  There are many ways to step up your current workout with a change of clothes, music or routine.  If that does not work, then explore other ways you can get your aerobic exercise by taking up a new sport or exercise system.

Do not let a slump end your goals to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle, instead use it to strengthen and improve it!

Motivation!

I am always fascinated by the tools people use to stay motivated and continue on their weight management and fitness programs.  Here are a few of my favorites.  I hope you find one that works for you!

1. Five Pound Rule:  I get on the scale once a day to monitor my weight.  My goal is to stay within five pounds of my ideal and healthy weight.  I usually remain the same, but on those off times when stress or overindulging pushes that number up, I do not panic because if I catch the weight gain earlier enough – I won’t have to lose so much down the road.  It is easier to lose five pounds than it is 10, 20 or 50!
2. Do it before the Sun Sets:  Years ago I decided that living a busy life would no longer be an excuse to ignore my fitness plan.  My rule is that I will not go to bed until I have done at least thirty minutes of exercise.  Be it cardio, yoga or strength training – I chant to myself that I will “do it before the sun sets.”  Because I know I have no option but to do it, I find myself effortlessly carving out time in the morning so that I am able to get it done before the day gets even busier.
3. Evoking the Mantras:  Certain quotes or mantras can quickly snap us back to our goal when we find ourselves wavering on our weight management, exercise or during our workouts. 
• “All it takes is all you got.” –Marc Davis
• “Who am I?  I AM a champion!” Check out the entire inspirational video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1GWBB7qrBA
• “Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
• “The task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.”
• "Run hard, be strong, think big!" - Percy Cerutty
• “Today you have 100% of your life left.” –Tom Landry
• "Anticipate. Devastate. Dominate."

 And lastly remember to “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Go on, count those calories for happy and delicious weight loss!

Most of my blogs are inspired by conversations I have with friends and family about their efforts towards living a healthy lifestyle.  What I usually find is that almost always one of them is embarking on yet another new way to keep extra pounds off and stay toned.  Recently my friend told me that she is no longer counting calories.  She will just be eating certain foods that she can indulge in and will not pack on the pounds.  This sounded like a fantasy weight management program so I listened.  She went on about the approved foods for this program and I quickly realized that the reason she will lose weight is because the list is made up of foods that no one will want to eat, let alone, indulge in. 

We are all tempted by the promise to lose weight using some magical and sacrifice-free method but the reality is that weight loss and weight management does involve ‘some’ work but can still be manageable and delicious.

Although I have maintained my weight for the last decade, I still check calories.  One of the reasons is because there is some good news on that list.  Being a calorie counter gives you the freedom to eat anything you choose while providing you a limit.  Allowing you to have your cake, and eat it too.  There are no restricted foods.  Just the amount you should consume.  That works for me because I love desserts and I have learned ways to dress up a serving size.  A scoop of my favorite full caloric ice cream is 100 calories for ½ cup.  I serve it in a medium size bowl, then load it up with a “pinch” of chopped nuts, chopped dried fruits like raisin or cranberries, then top it off with a warm strawberry or blueberry compote.  I feel completely satisfied while gaining some nutritional perks!

Weight loss and fitness does require your commitment.  And if you want long term success, choose a program that will not only give you results, but will also be one you can adopt, adapt and live with!

Health and fitness for your kids!

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is difficult enough but sometimes the biggest challenge is to get your kids on board.  Here are some ways to make the transition delicious and enjoyable for them and stress free for you.

When it comes to food the best approach is to keep the same favorite foods while substituting the ingredients. 

When using ground beef or ground poultry to make meatballs, hamburgers or meatloaf save some money, calories and fat by just adding seasonings and oatmeal.  This healthy substitute will go undetected and keep your dish moist.

A friend of mine has confessed that she likes to sneak vegetables into sauces and meats by pureeing them and using them to cook.  She is the one that taught me to use applesauce or yogurt in place of oil when baking cakes. 

My son hated when I introduced wheat pastas. He complained that they had the consistency of beach sand.  But now thanks to Quinoa I can make a variety of pastas without him noticing.  

Desserts also got healthier without losing any of its appeal.  Most fruits are naturally sweet so one of my favorite recipes is my rustic blueberry pie.  It consists of store bought piecrust and a carton of blueberries.  After rinsing and drying the berries, I pour them into the raw piecrust and bake.  I serve the slices with a shot of whipped cream.  This recipe works with most berries and bananas.

Exercise is a bit harder to sneak into your kids’ lives and it is for this reason that you may want to work on a reward system that avoids using food.  Experts recommend children should get at least an hour’s worth of exercise.  If your child is not participating in any type of sport or walking/biking to school you may want to carve out some time after school for a bike ride or a swim.  There are also several video games on the market designed to get them off the couch and on their feet. 

Any change will come with much resistance.  Remember to be patient and loving.  And remind them how eating right and exercising is another way you show them how much you love them!

Time and Money No Longer An Excuse to Skip Good Nutrition and Fitness!

 I have a confession to make.  I am one of the least motivated and thrifty people that I know.  So when people tell me that they cannot embrace a healthy lifestyle because of time and/or money I assure them that they CAN.

Fitness:  My lazy and thrifty fitness plan began with an old pair of sneakers and brisk walks around my neighborhood.  I walked an hour every day until I had to adjust my exercise time to fit my demanding schedule.  In effort to cut the time in half I began to run.  To this day I run an average of 30 minutes a day having increased the amount of miles throughout the years.  Once I get home I work on toning with weights and spot training for about 10 minutes.

Food:   It will not surprise you that I am not much of a cook but all of my meals are delicious.   They are lean and require little prep and cooking time.  Chicken, fish and meats are seasoned and baked in the oven then served with a side of quinoa and spinach salad.  I use a variety of vegetables to season the food, keeping costs down and nutrition up.  I also replaced many foods with their healthier equal.  Salads are now made with spinach instead of lettuce.  Rice and pastas are now replaced with quinoa.  I use olive oil for everything, even baking cakes.  Sports drinks are used sparingly and my after training drink is a splash of tart cherry juice with no added sugars in a tall glass of water and ice.

Your health should be your top priority.  The most responsible thing you can do with your time and your money is to strive for a healthy lifestyle.  If you are healthy you will not only add years to your life, but quality to those years.  And think of the money you will save when you do not have to spend it on medicines to control the variety of illnesses brought on by poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle!

Power words to Power up your fitness!

One of the biggest challenges I have encountered is getting my friends and family to change the terminology they use when talking about their fitness.  Whether we realize it or not, words not only communicate our thoughts to others but also send a message to ourselves.  Those messages are powerful and can either motivate you or sabotage you.  It is for this reason that the words I choose are both realistic and encouraging.

Not Diet – Live it!:  I do not use the word “diet” in relation to weight loss.  Fitness guru, Richard Simmons said many years ago, “it’s not a diet, it’s a live it.”  The word “diet” immediately evokes thoughts of deprivation.  Dry toast, bland tuna and lots of grapefruits. 

Boring “healthy” foods or exciting “Power foods”:  When people ask me how I maintain my weight I tell them that I eat anything I want in moderation while incorporating “power foods.”  The term “power foods” is my way of saying healthy foods.  Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, oils. The word “healthy” is just not flashy enough for me so I choose to use a term that truly defines what these foods do for the body and the taste buds - power it up while tasting good.

Skinny or fit?:  The word “skinny” has always made me uncomfortable because it conjures up images of waifish models parading on a stage with a far-out look in their eyes seemingly brought on my hunger.  Being naturally slim is one thing but striving to achieve a weight that will not properly nourish your body is unwise.  The word “fit” suggests to me that an individual has achieved their ideal body weight by eating well and exercise. They are strong and lean. 

When it comes to my health and fitness I function best when I feel empowered and energized.  By keeping my inner and outer dialog inspiring and strong I am better equipped to achieve all my fitness goals.