I believe without question one of the biggest enemies you can have is the bathroom scale. Weighing yourself once a month- FINE.Weighing yourself everyday or several times a day like many of my clients do- AWFUL.
The most important thing you can do is change your body composition (percentages of body fat and lean mass) and that is what you should go by.For example, if you start your exercise program at 31% body fat and 69% lean mass and then a month or two later you have 29% body fat and 71% lean mass, you can call this success.I’ve seen countless times where a client made progress with their body composition but the scale didn’t move.This stirs up negative emotions, negative self-talk, and feelings of failure which stall progress.
People want instant gratification which is why fad diets and commercial weight loss programs get so much attention.The problem is, these results are not real and they are not lasting.So you waste your time and money and most importantly your emotions.
The real solution involves time, lifestyle changes, and good old fashioned hard work. You just can’t get around it.LASTING WEIGHT LOSS is only achieved when you’ve changed your body composition by adding lean muscle and increasing metabolism.This takes time.
The secret steps to what really works…
1)Discover your calorie requirements are for your metabolism. See my previous post titled “Nutrition 101”
2)Next, look to uncover any hidden obstacles that could be keeping you from losing weight (hormonal imbalances, inconsistency with workouts, eating out too much, drinking too much alcohol, etc.) Drill down to find out exactly what’s going on with your body and what you need to change.
3)Commit to making the necessary changes with exercise and diet that you can make on your own.
4)Seek help for the changes you cannot make on your own (i.e. a doctor for hormonal imbalance, personal trainer for workouts, nutritionist for diet, etc.). It’s just too hard to make all these changes alone. You just need someone to hold you accountable.
5)Stay the course.Be persistent and consistent with your diet and exercise program.If you have a bad day or a bad week or hit a plateau don’t quit and don’t put yourself down.Just shake it off and get right back on track.
Are you going to lose 10 pounds in a week or see crazy fast weight loss like with the other so called “solutions”? No, but you will be able to change your body composition and most importantly MAINTAIN YOUR RESULTS! Now put the scale away you scale whores!
I'm not a huge fan of steamed broccoli or cauliflower but this is soooooo good. My neighbor made it for our kids and us yesterday and now I'm hooked! Fast, easy, healthy, yummy, what else ya want in a side dish?
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 cups broccoli
2 cups cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (I used Mrs. Dash seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Place broccoli & cauliflower in a baking pan, drizzle with oil, and toss.
Bake at 450°, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash, pepper, and cheese, tossing to coat.
The skinny: Calories:67 (57% from fat) Fat:4.2g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.5g) Protein:3g Carbohydrate:6g Fiber:2.4g Cholesterol:1mgIron:0.7mg Sodium (if you use salt instead of Mrs. Dash): 636mg Calcium:58mg
People makes excuses all day long for why they can't lose weight or get in shape. This is Zanna's list of ALL you need in order to lose weight. The list is in no particular order.
1) BALLS
2) Persistance
3) Faith in yourself (a.k.a positive self talk)
3) Support from someone who knows and cares
Please note that I did NOT say money, time, or self control. So if one of those 3 excuses is on the record you play over and over in your head, SHUT IT OFF.
By the way, this same list applies to anything you want to have success with in life. Again, just a personal opinion but I dare you to challenge me on this one! Have a GREAT WEEKEND!
Anyone who has worked out with me knows I am a huge fan of doing high intensity interval training.If you are not seeing the results you want, you HAVE to do this!
1.What is a high intensity interval training?High Intensity interval training means you are alternating periods of high-intensity (breathless) work with periods of low intensity recovery/rest.
2.How do you do high intensity intervals?This can be done in the gym on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical or while running, walking, swimming, roller blading outside.We also do this in boot camp with jump rope, up/downs, squat jumps, mountain climbers, etc.Start by alternating 60 secs of work with 60 secs of rest. You can repeat the work/rest alternation 1-20 times.You need to allow your body 48 hours of rest in between high intensity interval training, so 2-3 times a week is enough!
3.Why should you do high intensity interval training?Interval training is important because it increases total calorie expenditure and fat utilization during AND after the workout This is called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it’s a definite bonus!
**This is an excellent 30 minute workout, calorie scorching workout.Warm-up for 5 minutes, do high intensity interval training for 20 minutes, cool down for 5 minutes.BOOM.You are done.Oh, and did I mention that you will likely burn an extra 160 calories later that day while you are sitting on your #$%?!
If this video doesn't motivate you to work out, don't call me cuz I'm pretty sure I won't be able to either! It's definitely on my boot camp and running mix. Enjoy and hope you had a great hump day!
I hit up the Cheesecake factory the other night with friends.There are LOTS of pretty nutritious choices on this menu due to the fact that it is SO BIG.My personal favorite is the Luau salad but you have to split it, otherwise it’s not a good choice. I love it because it is packed with nutritious veggies and is quite satisfying and filling.
Luau Salad: Grilled Chicken Breast Layered with Mixed Greens, Cucumbers, Green Onions, Red and Yellow Peppers, Green Beans, Carrots, Mango and Crisp Wontons with Macadamia Nuts and Sesame Seeds. It comes tossed in their Vinaigrette which is not low cal.I ordered it with their Low-Cal Sesame-Soy Dressing on the side and it was delicious.
The skinny on the Luau salad (remember, I split it so everything is cut in HALF): Calories: 801 Fat: 31.9g Carbs: 90.4g Protein: 43.5g Cholesterol: 90mg Sodium:1137mg Sugars: 35mg
The skinny on the low-cal sesame dressing (this is for 1 Tablespoon so you probably want to DOUBLE): Calories 13 Total Fat 0g Sodium 254mg Carbohydrate 1g Protein 0g
Add a glass of wine (122 calories) OR split the Low carb original cheesecake 3-ways (190 calories each) and you have yourself a pretty decent food intake for restaurant eating!548-616 calories isn’t bad for eating out.Especially if you squeezed in a workout that day!
“People who are fat simply eat more than people who are lean.” - David Kessler MD -The End of Overeating, 2009
GOOD NEWS! There is no secret to weight loss.If you consume fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight.It’s that simple.You HAVE to watch your portion sizes if you want to successfully lose or manage weight.Many people do not know what an appropriate portion size is.I have attached a wallet size and fridge size portion guide for you to print off and USE.
Some tips for portion sizes
·MEASURE your food.Buy a scale ($5 at Bed Bath and Beyond), measuring cups, and spoons and measure out everything…not forever but until you get the hang of things.
·Before eating packaged or prepared food, read what a serving size is on the box and follow it.
·When eating out, split a meal with a friend or ask the waiter to put ½of it in a to-go box before it’s even brought to the table.
If you are like most people who want to lose weight, you are impatient and you want to lose it FAST. This is generally done by drastically restricting calorie intake and this is the WRONG way to go about losing weight. You will most likely not be able to sustain your eating habits and you may start a vicious cycle of dieting, binging, losing, and gaining that causes diet distress and self-loathing.
The ESTIMATED daily caloric need of women 31-50 years is 1,800-2,200 and that of men is 2,200-3,000. Eating less than that might actually backfire and sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Your body will go into starvation mode and store fat- the opposite of what you want it to do! This is why some people stop losing weight and reach a plateau.
This concept is hard for many people to come to terms with. If you have been restricting calories your whole life, it's not easy to allow yourself to eat more. But hey, if you are reading this, my guess is something is not working for you! You may need to give it a try. My suggestion is to WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING YOU EAT and add up the calories. Do this several times a week until you get an idea of how much and what kinds of food add up to the appropriate amount of calories.
REMEMBER: The most effective way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you expend, creating a calorie deficit. This should be done through BOTH exercise and eating right. Period. And PS (on a side note)- if that exercise plan of yours does not include strength training, you are wasting your time!
I love casseroles because they can be made in advance, doubled and frozen for later, and kids love them! However, they are generally loaded with butter and extra fat. I found this one that was low if fat and really easy and yummy! My son loves it! ENJOY!
7 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles (uncooked) 1 lb. ground beef or turkey 1 onion (sliced thin and chopped) 1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce with veggies (try to find low sodium/sugar) 2 c. water 2 c. part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
Brown beef and onion in stewing pot. Mix in spaghetti sauce and water. Break up noodles into 1-2" pieces and mix in to beef mix. Pour all into greased 9x13" casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese (for lower fat, cut cheese in half). Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325°F for 90 minutes.
Add a tossed salad on the side (if you have time) and call it a meal!
I'm the only crazy person who makes soup in 90 degree weather, I know! But give it a try! It's healthy, easy, you can throw it in the crockpot whenever you get 15 minutes, AND it provides great leftovers all week long! I made this last night and it was so good!
1lb lean ground beef or turkey 5 cups water 1 medium size onions, chopped 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup celery chopped 3 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed 1/2 cup carrots, chopped 1/2 cup corn (if frozen, thawed) 1/4 tsp. salt (I leave this out and use Mrs. Dash seasoning) 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1. Brown beef or turket in skillet. 2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, except peas 3. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours (my crockpot only requirs 4) 4. One-half hour before serving, stir in peas
The skinny (per serving): 290 calories 1 gram total fat 40 mg cholesterol 190 mg sodium 22 grams carbohydrate 26 grams protein
Take full advantage of crockpot meals being EASY and add any other veggie you want or omit any you don't have and don't want to take a trip to buy...it will still turn out great! Example: I didn't have celery so left that part out. I used red potatoes instead of gold. I used canned carrots instead of fresh (although try and use as much fresh produce as you can), and I used fresh corm instead of frozen. Get creative and BE BRAVE! It will taste great, I promise!
