Size Matters

Todays motivation is something I've written about before, and I'll write about it again. I just can't say it enough-it's all about portion sizes! All things in moderation people, that's the key!

Imagine you are ordering a small coffee from Starbucks. When you get your coffee, do you ever think "That's a small?!" I sure do. Last weekend we went out to eat icecream at a local shop. I ordered a small, and when they handed it to me over the counter I was almost positive they must have made a mistake and given me a large. That is, until I saw the woman behind us ordering a large cup. It was ridiculously HUGE. Why in the world do we even offer such a large amount of ice cream for one person?!

When I go out to eat these days I often order kids meals and kiddie sized things. The problem with this is that a lot of places won't let you buy a kid size unless you are 12 years old or younger. Again, ridiculous. So either I have to buy a huge amount that I won't eat even half of and waste the rest, or I have to eat up and stuff myself overly full?! No thanks.

In europe they don't even have cups as large as our small cups here in America, unless it is a beer mug. And it's not just the portion sizes that differentiate us from Europe. It's also the fact that we have so much processed, synthetic, high carbohydrate and sodium filled foods for preservation and fast availablitly. That's not something they do much in other countries.

This gorgeous european model is great inspiration right?

We live in America, but that doesn't mean we have to conform to these HUGE American portion sizes. I found a chart once to understand portions sizes better, and it's been very helpful for me. Let me share:

• A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit


• Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)


• Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts


• Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese


• Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry


• Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter


• Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato


• CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake


• Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish


• A rounded handful- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta

This is so important people. Portions! Moderation! Practice self disipline, in the end it will be so worth it. Stay healthy, don't starve yourself. Small amounts often, that's the key!

I have plenty of weaknesses. If I buy a Dr. Pepper, I only buy a small can. (Have you noticed how hard it is to find just a can of soda these days?!) And then I only drink half the can. If I buy a candy bar I eat a third of it and give the rest away. If I decide on dessert at the resteraunt, I split it or get a small personal sized dessert. Get the idea?

ALWAYS LOOK AT FOOD LABELS. This is where you will find the serving size, amount of calories (don't forget that's per serving size, which is often a few per package!), Nutrients, and ingredients. If you can't pronounce an ingredient listed, you should probably rethink eating it!

My Secrets

I am borderline perfectionist when it comes to being in shape and staying healthy. My disclaimer to this post: I am not full of myself and I am soooo not perfect.

The only time my scale has been over 130 pounds is when I was pregnant. I had my baby three and a half months ago and I now have 7 pounds until I’m back to my pre-baby weight of 120 pounds. Some people say things to me like "You're probably one of those girls that just does whatever she wants and is naturally skinny, ew." Well that's just not true at all. I work for what I have. I have some habits that I think play a huge role in my ability to stay healthy, and today I am going to share those secrets with you!

{ Water } I love water. I drink a ton of water. Depending on your age and weight it is recommend you drink up to 4 liters of water a day.

That being said, I drink tons of water but I also have a huge weakness-soda. Dr. Pepper, Coke, 7Up…they are all so delicious to me! I try to only drink soda when I’m out to eat for special occasions, but it’s seriously something I have to fight everyday to stay away from! If you are like me and you need some motivation to stay away from the soda, check out this article. No bueno!

{ Exercise } We obviously have to exercise in order to stay healthy and lose or maintain our ideal weight. This is something I do consistently. I do not, however, work out 7 days a week. Most of the time I don’t even work out 5 days a week! Generally I am at the gym 3 to 4 days a week, and I have found this is perfect for me to feel good about myself. Don’t push yourself to be at the gym every single morning. Shoot for a few days a week, that’s all we really need!

I’ll state the obvious: running is the best way to get skinny. Because it’s so hard on my bad knees, I have to keep running to a minimum. But if it works for you, do it! The majority of my work outs as of late are body sculpting classes at the gym. This is my suggestion for anyone who isn’t quite motivated enough to show up to the gym and do their own workout routine with weights and cardio. This is a 60 minute class that incorporates cardio and weights all in one. I love it! I get a great workout while toning all at the same time.

For my main cardio workouts I mix up Spinning, Zumba, and running. I generally do one spin class, one zumba class, and one three mile run each week along with body sculpting to tone. If you have a hard time being motivated to go the gym here are my two secrets:

Classes. Going to classes is almost like having a personal trainer, but with a group of people. When a fitness instructor is there going through the whole class with me I get a much better workout because I’m pushed to the max.

Workout buddy. Having a workout buddy gets me to the gym a lot more often. When you plan on meeting someone there every morning you won’t be able to talk yourself into sleeping in instead!

And don't forget to mix things up a little bit. That's the only way I stay so motivated!

{ Eating habits } Some people eat as little as possible to stay skinny, even nothing if they have to. Some people fight everyday to choose healthy food instead of junk food. Everyone has their own weaknesses. My weaknesses: cookie dough, chocolate, soda pop. But rather then do without my weakness, my secret is: everything in moderation.

I keep this easy by having five small meals a day. This is seriously a huge deal that I know without a doubt has contributed immensely to my being able to maintain my weight so well, especially after having a baby! Breakfast is a must. Then I always have a midmorning snack. Some examples of a good snack might include: a bowl of fruit, a small baggie of crackers, a yogurt, string cheese, etc. Then comes my favorite meal of the day, lunch. Mmmmm I love me some lunch! Salads and sandwiches are great healthy options for lunch. (I have large lunches and smaller dinners, which boosts my metabolism.) Then an afternoon snack, then dinner! I stay away from eating after 8:00 at night, and I try and make sure I have some sort of greens with my dinner every night.

But remember, don’t completely stop eating the foods you love or you will probably give in at some point and over indulge yourself. For example: I made cookie dough and portioned it out into very small pieces and stuck it in my freezer. Then I’m only allowed to eat one small portion for dessert and I don’t end up accidentally eating the whole bowl! That’s my secret.

Side note: Starving yourself doesn’t work to lose weight girls. It may show some drastic results on the scale initially, but the more you lower your calorie intake per day the more you become fatigued, unable to concentrate, lose energy, get cranky, and then of course you have a serious health hazard on your body. And the less you eat on a diet of starvation, the more your body holds on to every bit of fat it gets and the more you actually gain the weight you are trying to lose! It’s a vicious cycle that you should not try!

{ Stay Active} TV these days is a killer. I only know this because I recently had a 2 month maternity leave in which I had th oppurtunity to see everything on tv. It sucks you in! My secret: stay away from adicting tv shows and get out and do something! Rock climb, hiking, going on walks outside, boating, camping, play some frisbee, …anything that gets you out and moving. My husband and I are active, outdoor kind of people and that is a great way to stay skinny and healthy! Avoid the couch and the tv!

So to sum it up in short, here are my secrets to being happy with my body and staying healthy:

Drink lots of water.

Exercise 3 – 4 days a week.

Eat all things in moderation, 5 small meals a day.

Stay Active, avoid tv.

Another thing I am is a happy person. I'm a glass half full, optimistic kind of girl. I love life and I'm so happy with my life. If I was adding some of my secrets for my happiness (which goes hand in hand with being healthy!): do what you love, make sacrifices for other people, find something you are passionate about, be true to yourself, don't just follow the crowd, be a hard worker, read books and learn new things, travel, surround yourself with the people you love and be good to them.

I hope you are all living healthy and happy, because I tell ya what-that's the best way to live!

I'm back, with some YOGA for the soul!

I'm sure everyone who had at one point been reading my health blog has now given up on me. I didn't have the intention of starting a health blog and then abandoning it, I swear! But the farther along I got in my pregnancy, the less time I had. And, of course, once the babe came I had no time at all!

But now I have a healthy, beautiful, sweet little (not so little, BIG chunker!) 3 month old baby boy and I have a schedule down, which means I have much more TIME then I've had in a while! Which means...I'M BACK! Yippee!

YOGA.



I love Yoga. I love Pilates even more, but I got into prenatal and postnatal yoga recently and I loved it! Let me give you some motivation: we've all seen Jennifer Aniston, right? Gorgeous! What's her secret? Yoga! (Well, and a little bit of money, yes...) I know this because I'm a little bit of a Jennifer Aniston fanatic, it's true. But she has an awesome bod, and knowing Yoga contributes to that is good motivation to try it, right??

What I want to teach you today is something that is actually used as a warm up pre-Yoga sessions, but when I don't have time to pop in my dvd's in my busy life, just doing this twice every morning has proved to be super beneficial! I want EVERYONE to try it. From personal experience, I guarantee this will make a difference in your life!

It's called "Sun Salutation". It's super easy! It builds strength and increases flexibility. There are 12 postures in the set, I'll go ahead and give you the step by step instructions:

(**One important thing to remember if you're new to yoga is to inhale as you extend or stretch and exhale as you fold or contract.)

1: Mountain

Begin by standing in Mountain pose, feet about hip width apart, hands either by your sides or in prayer position. Take several deep breaths.


2. Hands Up

On your next inhale, in one sweeping movement, raise your arms up overhead and gently arch back as far as feels comfortable and safe.

3. Head to knees

As you exhale, bend forward, bending the knees if necessary, and bring your hands to rest beside your feet.


4. Lunge

Inhale and step the right leg back


5. Plank

Exhale and step the left leg back into plank position. Hold the position and inhale.


6. Stick

Exhale and lower yourself as if coming down from a pushup. Only your hands and feet should touch the floor.


7. Upward Dog

Inhale and stretch forward and up, bending at the waist. Use your arms to lift your torso, but only bend back as far as feels comfortable and safe. Lift your legs up so that only the tops of your feet and your ahnds touch the floor. It's okay to keep your arms bent at the elbow.


8. Downward dog

Exhale, lift from the hips and push back and up.


9. Lunge

Inhale and step the right foot forward.


10. Head to knees

Exhale, bring the left foot forward and step into head-to-knee position.


11. Hands up

Inhale and rise slowly while keeping arms extended .


12. Mountain

Exhale, and in a slow, sweeping motion, lower your arms to the sides. End by bringing your hands up into prayer position. Repeat the sequence, stepping with the left leg.

A single round of Sun Salutation is two complete sequences of this, one for the right side of the body and one for the left side.

For a visual, check out this video. (Be prepared for some awesome African tribe song in the background!)

Try it, twice every morning. Once you get used to this you can sneak in some actual Yoga sessions into your busy schedule, even just once or twice a week. You'll see, life is much better with some Yoga in it!

Fast Food Anyone?

I'm honestly not a huge lover of french fries and burgers, but I will admit that every now and again I have the craving for fast food. My favorites for the unhealthy cravings are Wendy’s and Arby’s. Mmmm. But are we aware of what we're really eating when we decide on fast food? Let’s look at some healthy options and advice, just in case you get the occasional craving like me.

What to AVOID:

SUPERSIZED PORTIONS – Don’t supersize anything! At a typical restaurant, a single serving provides enough for two meals. Take half home or split it with someone else.

SALT – This is tough for me, because I LOVE salt! But the high sodium items that fast food restaurants are known for are a major contributor to high blood pressure.

BACON – Few nutrients, high in fat and calories. Are you wanting to add more flavor? Instead of adding bacon try extra pickles, onions, tomatoes, or mustard. Flavor without the fat!

Some extra TIPS:

DRINK WATER with your meal. Soda is a HUGE source of hidden calories.

Be aware of calorie and fat packed “extras”: salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream, etc. You can even ask for no mayo or ketchup, then get the packets and put it on yourself so you can control how much goes on your food. And instead of the fat packed salad dressings, try oil and vinager!

EAT SLOWLY. If you haven’t already heard, it takes time for our bodies to register what we have eaten. Eating slowly relaxes you and prevents you from overeating.

Here are just a few meal options to keep in mind next time you end up at a fast food joint when grabbing a quick meal:

Salads:

Don’t be fooled by thinking salads are always healthy. Obviously most salads tend to contain mostly whole unprocessed food - and those who eat salads do have a higher nutrient intake. But fast food restaurants (and others, as well) tend to have a lot of calorie-dense salads. Stay away from the following, to name a few: Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad (520 calories), Arby’s Sante Fe salad (844 calories), Dairy Queen’s Grilled Chicken Ceaser Salad (800 calories), Café Rio Pork Salad (700 calories).



Sandwiches:
Ask to hold the mayo and cheese on any sandwich or hamburger. It cuts out unnecessary calories and fat! Try some of these:

Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger: 230 calories (without cheese)
Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Go Wrap: 250 calories
Arby’s Market Fresh Turkey & Cheese: 235 calories (Same with the Ham&Cheese. Avoid the Roast Turkey Ranch & Bacon Fresh Market Sandwich at 834 calories!)
Arby’s Junior Roast Beef Sandwich: 273 calories
Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich: 280 calories
Chick-fil-A: Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap: 390 Calories


NUGGETS:

Avoid the wings altogether…they are all over 500 calories!
Wendy’s 4 piece chicken nuggets: 190 calories

SIDES:



Wendy’s small Chili (my personal fav!): 190 calories (Large chili 280 calories. Avoid the crackers and cheese, these add just about 100 calories.)
Wendy’s baked potato: 380 calories (WITH sour cream and chives)
Burger King frozen yogurt vanilla: 120 calories (130 for chocolate)
Chick-fil-A Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup: 100 Calories


{And on a side note, just remember...SUBWAY rocks. I know it’s not the French fries and hamburger fast food we sometimes crave, but it’s delicious…and it’s fast! And you can find the amount of calories on every sandwich at the restaurant. Genius.}

Getting some Zzz's

I know, I know…we’ve all heard it a million times. I don’t want to put you to sleep by writing a long, boring and typical article on getting enough sleep. So I’ll keep this short and simple, but listen up! This is probably more important than you realize.

Lack of sleep can lead to many things: moodiness, absent mindedness, irrational decisions, trouble focusing, bad eating habits and weight gain, a poor immune system, anxiety, bad skin, lack of energy, etc.

On the same note, getting too much sleep may be hazardous to your health. It may lead to higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and even premature death. We’ve been brainwashed to think we need 8 hours of sleep a night, but remember that sleep requirements vary by age, stress level, and health. A lot of research actually suggests that 7 hours is closer to the amount of sleep that the average adult needs.

The optimum amount of sleep has been defined as the least amount of sleep possible while still feeling physically energized and mentally alert. So how do you know how much sleep you need? Here’s a test I found online:

First, start with 8 ½ hours of sleep. Make sure you get the full 8 ½ hours. No more and no less.

Second step: The next day, complete the Sleep Optimization Form. This is a simple form to gauge how you feel (physically and mentally) at different times during the day. Because stress, eating habits, and a host of other factors can influence our energy levels and outlook, try to keep all other variables constant.

Third: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for four nights in a row.

Step four: Reduce your sleep by 30 minutes and start the sleep/test process again for four nights in a row. Keep cutting your sleep in Step 1 by 30 minutes until you reach 7 hours.

Step five: Analyze the data. Review your Sleep Optimization Form and identify which days you felt the best (based on higher scores). If you find that you feel good on 8 ½ hours of sleep, but you also feel good on 7 ½ hours of sleep, you’ve just saved yourself an hour a night and given yourself an extra 30 hours a month to create something.

If you really want to get fancy, you can test 15 minute increments (e.g., 7 hours and 45 minutes versus 8 hours). Remember, we’re trying to identify the absolute minimum amount of sleep you need because every minute you aren’t sleeping is another minute for you.

Once you've figured out your optimum sleep amount, start changing your habits and getting into a routine. Set a regular bedtime and stick with it. Don't drink caffeine six to eight hours before going to bed. De-stress yourself by taking a relaxing bath or doing some relaxing yoga poses. Try some soothing music before bed.

For more sleep advice, try looking here.

{FYI: I find that my sleep cycle plays a HUGE role in my ability to exercise as well. It's a cycle: sleeping more will help you exercise more and exercising more will help you sleep better!}

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving!

Well folks, the Holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is now two days away, and counting! I love Thanksgiving and everything that comes with it. Being surrounded by family, lots of yummy food, games and traditions...what's not to love? Maybe the average over 2,000 calorie Thanksgiving dinner? Yep, it's a bummer when you hear the numbers.


Let me share a few tips so that you can have a great Thanksgiving Holiday while not feeling guilty!

First of all, make sure you start the day with breakfast. Don't starve yourself before the feast! By starting with breakfast you'll actually get your metabolism fired up and eat less throughout the day. For a healthy breakfast try having two eggs, some fresh fruit and a bowl of warm oatmeal.

Do Thanksgiving excersizes. Some people are hard core and start the day by hitting the gym. {I have to admit, I am not one of those people.} Just remember, you can still stay active while taking the day off! Play some football instead of just watching it, or go on a walk around the block. If you live where I do, the weather will be freezing cold this year and going on a walk or playing football might not be an option... Don't be discouraged, you can still burn some calories inside! Try doing body squats, push ups, sit ups and resistance band excersizes. Go ahead and get creative, turn up the radio and dance around the house! Anything to get a few calories burned before the big meal.

Watch your portion size. Like I've said before, moderation is always the key! Go with smaller portions. And keep in mind there are health benefits in your dinner. Turkey has little fat, is full of protein and is an important source of B vitamins. Cranberries are a great source of vitamin C, and contain compounds that are believed to block certain bacteria that cause infections. Pumpkin is a terrific source of beta-carotene and fiber. Eat plenty of vegtables for your pre-dinner appetizers. And remember to drink plenty of water!

Don't try to deny yourself dessert, or I bet you will end up eating it and over-indulging. Plan on a small slice of pie. Remember, moderation! After the big meal, avoid sitting the rest of the day. Keep active and have fun!

I'm sure we all have plenty to be thankful for this year. Be grateful you are able to have such great food, such a great family and the means to get together to celebrate. Happy Healthy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Tracking Calories

Would you believe me if I told you that a Nutrition Professor at Kansas State University lost 27 pounds in 60 days on a "Twinkie Diet"?? Well it's true! Click here to read the article.

I don't think this is a diet to go on by any means, but I love the results: if you burn more calories then you eat, you'll lose weight. I've always been a firm believer in "all things in moderation" rather then depriving yourself of foods you love.

So even if you're not in it to lose weight, keeping track of your calories will help you maintain your weight and stay healthy. Try this: register at http://www.thedailyplate.com/.

Registration is free, and the site gives you an estimate of how many calories you should be obtaining every day, and an easy way to track those calories. Try it, I dare you!

{And if you're pregnant, like me, you get to add 300 calories a day to your daily calorie intake. *smile*}