Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon

This recipe fits all of my criteria for a great dish: it's delicious, it's quick, it doesn't have a gazillion ingredients, it's nutritious, and it's allergy friendly!  It's got sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, onions, garlic, lemon, ginger ~ it smells incredible when it's cooking!  I normally tweak recipes after I've tried them once or twice until I find my perfect version but this one is perfect as it is. This is a fantastic recipe for a make-ahead meal. My son and I both really like it so when it's done cooking, I portion it out for he and I as lunches and keep them in the fridge. I've eaten it on it's own and over steamed brown rice. I think it would also work over Super-Easy Spaghetti Squash or Cauliflower Couscous. 

If you are trying to manage your calorie-intake, you should use light, unsweetened coconut milk. Also, be sure to use sun-dried tomatoes in a bag, not the kind packed in jars of oil. You'll cut out a significant amount of fat and calories without sacrificing much in the way of flavor and consistency. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! To see the recipe, follow the link below:

Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon from The Kitchn

Happy Accident "Cheesy" Sauce

I was trying to make a squash lasagna and it did not work out . . . at all . . . BUT, what I ended up with was a thick, creamy, "cheesy" tomato sauce with squash and mushrooms. I've eaten it plain (like a super-indulgent soup). I've eaten it over rice, and I've eaten it over spaghetti squash. I think my favorite was actually over the spaghetti squash because I liked the al dente "bite" of it in contrast to the creamy sauce and the other softer vegetables. Plus, spaghetti squash is super-healthy and weight-management friendly!

Ingredients:
2 small/medium zucchini
2 small/medium yellow squash
1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce (I like the Mezzetta brand because they use quality ingredients with no added sugar)
2 bags of Daiya Mozzarella shreds (vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free)
1-2 small cartons of sliced mushrooms
16 oz ground turkey (optional)

Directions:
I browned the turkey with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and some basil (I didn't measure the herbs, probably a teaspoonish of each and a couple turn of the salt grinder). If you want to keep it vegan you can omit the turkey. 

I sliced the zucchini and squash with a mandolin. They didn't stay in layers but the more uniform size probably helped things cook evenly.

I rubbed a little olive oil on the large glass casserole dish and then started layering:
a little sauce
zucchini
Daiya shreds
sauce
yellow squash
meat
Daiya shreds
sauce
mushrooms
meat
Daiya shreds
sauce

I covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked it in the oven for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Cook time may vary depending on your oven. I let it sit for about 30 minutes to cool before I scooped it out into mason jars. It freezes really well. My son LOVES it ~ and big shocker ~ my very-particular-foodie-daughter likes it too!

Please let me know how you like it and share any "tweaks" you come up with!

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Chair Exercise Video

Florence, one of my awesome students at TASC

I know I've mentioned before how much I love my job. Every week I get to hang out with the coolest people on the planet, helping them improve their physical and mental health. The classes at the Tustin Area Senior Center in Orange County, California are all low cost or FREE! In our efforts to keep it this way, we've produced a video of our Basic Chair Exercise Class which we are selling as a fundraiser. The video is $10 ($11 if you'd like it shipped to you) and all proceeds go directly to the Tustin Area Senior Center Fund. To purchase, please contact me at brooke@hbwbrooke.com.

The workout in the video is designed to be appropriate for most exercisers. Participants can use the chair as much or as little as needed and should modify movements as they see fit. Please consult your physician before performing any exercise program.

Here are a couple of clips from the hour-long workout video:

Basic Chair Exercise Warm-up: New York, New York

Basic Chair Exercise Strength Work: Fever

Lavash Bread and Paleo Hummus Sandwich - Gluten/Grain/Egg/Dairy Free, Vegan and Paleo Options

This is my new favorite lunch! The lavash bread is gluten/grain/egg/dairy free. It is also delicious and pliable which is not typical with bread that is gluten/grain/egg/dairy free :) I found this recipe on the Brittany Angell site: Lavash Bread (click the link to get the recipe). I used the spinach since it doesn't have it's own strong flavor but I'm sure the basil would be delicious. I also don't use cheese since I can't have dairy. Finally, I cut a little of the garlic out because even though I LOVE garlic, as a personal trainer, I need to be able to breathe on people without making them gag ;) After I make the Lavash Bread, I make a cauliflower hummus that I found on the site Livin Paleo: Paleo Hummus. I love the spices in this hummus! I haven't figured out the nutrition information to compare it to traditional hummus but I'm thinking you cut at least some calories using the cauliflower rather than garbanzo beans.

I spread the hummus on the lavash bread then add mixed greens (choose your favorites), sliced cucumbers, and sometimes a lean protein like grilled chicken breast or ground turkey if I have some. The lavash bread is made with psyllium husk and coconut flour so it will keep you full for a while. On that note, the bread is delicious but don't let yourself eat a lot at one time. As my mom pointed out to me, psyllium husk is basically Metamucil, so if you're not used to a LOT of fiber, you could be overloading your GI system if you eat more than one or two pieces.

The variations are endless since the bread does not have it's own strong flavor and you could change the spices you use in the hummus. Now it's your turn ~ how would you build your sandwich?

Mango Quinoa Salad

I love mango. I love quinoa. I love spicy food. This salad has it all! The amount of dressing makes it very wet so it is perfect to have over a big bed of greens. Filling, nutritious, and delicious!

Salad:
2 cups red quinoa
1 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion finely chopped (soaked in ice water for ~ 15 min, it takes away some of the "bite")
1 cup of black beans (no salt added, rinsed and drained)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

calories: 208
carbohydrates: 43
fat: 3
protein: 7
sodium: 8
sugar: 19


Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 an orange
1/2 a lime
1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (I put the whole pepper right out of the can. If you don't like a lot of spice, you can rinse the sauce off and/or split the pepper and take the seeds out)

I put all of the ingredients in my Vitamix and blended until it was completely smooth and liquid. You should be able to use any blender to achieve the same results. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly.

calories: 139
carbs: 5
fat: 14
protein: 0
sodium: 71
sugar: 19

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value = 7 PP for the salad and the dressing

I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Green Salad Staples

A member of my Facebook accountability/support group recently asked what salad staples I keep on hand so I can throw something together quickly. I gave her a list off of the top of my head but I've spent a little more time thinking about it and came up with this:

Pantry:
Black beans no salt added
Mandarin oranges in their own juice (no sugar added)
Roasted peppers
Artichoke hearts in water
Sundried tomatoes in a bag, not packed in oil
Water chestnuts
Dried cranberries ***
Dried cherries ***
Salsa
Balsamic Vinegar
Rice Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil ***
Olives *** my family especially loves Kalamata

Healthy dressings-- I tend to go as natural as possible even if it means higher fat and calories. I don't want a bunch of chemicals on my healthy food. Just use it sparingly. You'll find that you don't need as much if you add a lot of other fun stuff to your salad.

Fridge:

Here is some fordhook chard growing in my garden

Greens I try for a variety of pre-  washed mixes, baby spinach, and any that are growing in my garden
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Carrots
Green onions this one is usually dependent on my plans the rest of the day!

Seasonal:
Avocados ***
Berries
Asparagus
Beets

Protein:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Shrimp
Canned tuna
Lean ground turkey

Nuts/Seeds***: I like to toast them a bit first (thanks for the tip, Mom!)
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Pistachios
Cashews
Walnuts

Cheese *** is also great in salads. I can't have dairy anymore so cheese is no longer in my staples but a little goat cheese added to a salad can be heaven!

***Be careful with these additions as they are calorie-dense so they can rack up the calories or Points Plus Values very quickly. They can make a "good" salad into a sabotage salad in seconds.

I shop a lot at Trader Joe's and Sprouts but most of these items can be found at any grocery store.

What do you love to add to your green salads?

Big Green Salad #1

Many of us struggle with an issue we've "solved" in the past only to find ourselves in the same predicament again. I've been struggling with a little extra padding that is making me uncomfortable in my clothes. I eat very healthy foods . . . I just eat too much. I know I need to eat less, but over the last few months, every time I've tried to reduce the amount of food I'm eating, I end up ravenous and cranky! I've been very frustrated trying to figure out a plan of attack and then I finally realized that I already knew what to do. In the past, every time I've been successful at losing weight or maintaining it, I've eaten a lot of green salads -- low-calorie, high-volume, nutrient-dense green salads! So my challenge for this week has been to eat a green salad every day. So far it has gone well, even though I have been very busy with my work and the fun summer activities I've been doing with the kids. Eating the salads has helped me reduce the number of Points Plus I'm eating each day to a range that should end up with some weight loss and I have not felt shaky, cranky or homicidal at all!

I made this salad for my lunch the last two days. Both days I knew I was going to be away from home at lunch and my only options were to bring food with me or to eat fast food. The salad was satisfying and kept Points Plus low enough that I could still eat later in the day. Both times people made comments about how delicious it looked :)

I pre-cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts in the Crock Pot the other night so I'd have them ready (just seasoned with some salt and pepper). I also buy the pre-washed greens for my salads. The same night, I washed, tore and put some fordhook chard from my garden in a bag and cut up the artichoke hearts and tomatoes, storing them in containers in the fridge. When I do this, I can throw a salad together in a matter of minutes.  I saw a great idea related to this on pinterest: you use a mason jar and fill it up with the dressing on the bottom, the denser veggies next, then the greens on top. It's a great way to make the salad the night before and transport it safely wherever you're going. Because the dressing is on the bottom, the greens won't get soggy. And it looks so pretty in the jar!

I measured the foods that contribute to the Points Plus values in grams just because I find it easier to enter.

Ingredients:
Baby spinach (about 2 cups)
Spring mix lettuce (about 1 cup)
Fordhook chard (about 1 cup)
87 grams chicken breast
68 grams of raw avocado (sliced or cubed)
a couple of tomatoes
half a can of artichoke hearts (canned in water)
about 1/2 a cup of roasted red peppers from a jar
14 grams of sundried tomatoes from a bag (not in oil)

Dressing:
I happened to have some Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Strawberry Champagne Culinary Sauce in my pantry which were both low in calories and didn't have any weird preservatives in them. I mixed about 1 Tbs of each together and added a little salt and pepper. It wasn't too exciting but it was less than one Point Plus. It "wet" the salad and didn't compete with the flavors of the other ingredients so I was happy. I am going to spend some time researching dressing recipes and experimenting so hopefully I'll have some good ones soon!

The Weight Watchers Points Plus value of this salad came out to 8 PP which is great for such a huge amount of food! The protein from the chicken and the fat from the avocado kept me satisfied for a few hours.

So tell me, what do you put in your salads?

Spiced-Up Green Tea Smoothie

 

I was experimenting today (like I usually do when it comes to making smoothies) and concocted this gem of a drink. It is packed with healthy fruits, veggies, and spices. I don't know that you could create a drink with more antioxidants than this one! Green tea, berries, leafy greens, cinnamon and ginger are all high on the list of antioxidant powerhouses.

Warning: while there is fruit in this smoothie, it is NOT sweet! Prepare yourself for something more like a V8 kind of drink than a Jamba Juice style smoothie. But it is yummy and so, so healthy!

8 oz of unsweetened Green Tea (I used Lipton Superfruit today)
3/4 cup of fresh blueberries
3/4 cup of frozen raspberries
1 fresh peach
1/2 cup of fresh mint
1/2 of a fresh orange
4 cups of fresh greens (I used parsley, spinach, dandelion greens, purple kale, and fordhook chard)
2 small thumbs of ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

I put all of the ingredients in my Vitamix in the order listed. I also added quite a bit of ice toward the end since I like my smoothies cold. This filled the entire blender so it's plenty for a whole family or a couple of very hungry friends! You could take out the peach and it would probably taste the same; I happened to have one that was on the far end of ripe and didn't want to throw it away. Taking it out would cut the sugar/calories. Keep in mind that if you are following Weight Watchers, they don't count the fruit and veggies in a smoothie as zero Points Plus. I calculated 6 Points Plus for the ENTIRE recipe (which, as I said before, filled the whole blender). This is an incredibly nutritious and filling 6 points! If you had less and added a little protein either into the smoothie or on the side you'd have a snack or meal replacement that could make you happy for at least a couple of hours.

On a side note, I bought these cups at Sprouts and I love them for smoothies.They have the little wire ball inside so that you can shake up a powder smoothie without using a blender. If you don't guzzle down your green smoothies pretty quickly they can start to separate and then you have a thick frothy part that I don't find very appealing. A quick little shake in one of these bad boys and it's good as new!


I hope you enjoy the recipe! Let me know what you think!

Moderation Makes Me Fat ~ Part 2

I was going to post a different picture but it included some cake and I didn't want to trigger a binge for anyone ;)

In Moderation Makes Me Fat ~ Part 1, I discussed recent research and theories regarding why some of us binge-eat. Here I will share some of the strategies other people have used to stop bingeing as well as my own plan to try to get my behavior under control (and to fit back into my clothes comfortably!).

1. Retrain My Brain: Kathryn Hansen battled bulimia and has an interesting take on how to stop bingeing behaviors which she shares in her book Brain Over Binge. I have not read the book (yet) but I did spend some time on her website and her basic theory is that binge-eating trains your brain to binge-eat. Therefore, the key to stop binge-eating is to prevent the binge in the first place. There are many behavioral techniques to do so, most of which are intended to distract you from the food. You can go for a walk, call a friend, knit, clean, drink a glass of water, etc. Or you can be sure that you are eating "consciously": sit down, plate your food beautifully, avoid distractions. To me, though, this all seems overwhelming and exhausting since my urges to binge are almost constant. I already feel like I'm in perpetual motion and tired all of the time. The thing that resonated with me about what Kathryn Hansen proposed is that the battle can be won. It might not be a matter of resisting the urge to binge all day, every day, for the rest of my life. Maybe each time I avoid a binge, I'm making a little change in my brain. And maybe each of these little alterations will eventually change my brain enough that the urge to binge will subside or even retreat entirely. To me, this idea holds the possibility of liberation.

So my first step is to retrain my brain and body regarding what is "normal" eating. I'm sure you've all heard that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the messages from your body that you've eaten and are satisfied. Well, I've been doing my own personal research on this and have realized that for me, it takes more like 40 minutes to an hour for those messages to reach my brain. So part of my plan is to plate a reasonable amount of food (like, maybe even the actual portion guidelines) and to then wait 40 minutes to an hour before I allow myself to eat anything else. This is going to be very difficult for me. When I eat and don't feel stuffed, I think I'm still hungry. I'm not a fun person to be around when I'm hungry. So if you hear me yelling at my kids or I don't smile when you say "hello", please cut me some slack. Hopefully it will be because my brain is too busy retraining itself and dealing with pseudo-hunger to engage in social niceties.

2. Go Cold-Turkey on my Trigger Foods:
I've realized that the times in my life when I've been successful at anything, it has been when I get a little extreme. So I've decided to get extreme with my eating. I've had to cut a lot of foods out of my diet due to allergies and I've realized it's not as big a deal as it seems. It certainly makes life a little more complicated and it's hard to watch people eat things like pizza, but for the most part, my life is not significantly diminished because I can't eat certain foods. I have binged on all sorts of food, but there are certain foods that are major triggers for me; chocolate, peanut butter and refined sugary treats are the worst culprits. With these foods, nothing satisfies my cravings. I eat some which makes me want more which ends in me either eating until I feel sick or until the food is gone (usually the latter). So I really do need to have forbidden foods. I've hidden the peanut butter in the back of the fridge so that it's there if the kids want it but I don't have to look at it every time I open the doors. Most of my other triggers can be kept out of the house entirely. I've also decided that if and when there is an occasion where I end up with these foods in my house, I will throw them away. This is another difficult action for me as I hate the idea of wasting food and money, but I think for now, it's the lesser of the two evils. My Weight Watchers leader has said, "You're paying for the food either way so you need to decide which is really more expensive." The negative feelings I have after a binge and the havoc it wreaks on my body is definitely more "expensive" to me than the few bucks I'm throwing in the trash.

Hopefully these concepts and strategies will work for me and might give you a starting point as well. I have already found that with each day that I am able to refrain from eating my trigger foods, I think about them less and less. Please let me know what strategies you are planning to try or what has worked for you in the past. 

Thanks for reading and sharing!

Moderation Makes Me Fat ~ Part 1



Hmmmm, is this really true for all of us?

One of the most common ideas in weight loss and maintenance is that you can eat anything, as long as you eat it in moderation. I believe this to be true. You can have some peanut butter, you just shouldn't have half of the jar in one sitting. You can have a cookie, but you might not want to have 15. I've also come to realize that for some of us, moderation is almost impossible. I am about to turn 38 and I've come to the conclusion that I am not a moderate person. My moods are extreme. I am either intensely absorbed by something or completely disinterested.  I am either in a smooth routine or my life is complete chaos. My house is either spotless or a complete shambles. Okay, that last one is a lie; my house is NEVER spotless. But you get the picture. I am either on point with my eating or am having (and giving into) major cravings and binges. When I binge, or just eat more than is necessary to satisfy a typical person's hunger, I wonder "why"? Why am I so extreme? Why can't I stop at one cookie, or a few chips, or a spoonful of peanut butter? Traditional thinking has posited that binges are a maladaptive way to deal with emotional troubles. This can absolutely be the case, however, it is usually not my "why". Luckily, researchers are conducting more and more studies to determine why people binge.  

Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen has done extensive brain research and has shown that for many people, foods (especially sugar) activate the pleasure centers of the brain the same way the use of drugs stimulates the brains of drug addicts. Dopamine and serotonin are important neurotransmitters that affect our mood and feelings of satisfaction. Anything that causes a spike in these neurotransmitters is going to make us feel good. So for many of us, eating certain foods triggers brain activity that mimics drug addiction. You eat, and your brain gets rewarded with a "high". Then your brain sends messages that it wants that feeling again. This provokes a craving and you want more of that food. And just like an addict, our brains may need MORE each time to get the same "high". Studies have also shown that the number of dopamine receptors may be significantly lower in some people, especially obese individuals. This may make it so that they have to eat even more than a typical person to get the same good feelings (He-ll-ll-ooo binge).

Unfortunately for us bingers, it may not even take actually eating the food to trigger our brains to act up. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Labaratory demonstrated that people who were diagnosed as binge-eaters had elevated levels of dopamine in the caudate region of their brains after just smelling their favorite foods. The significance of this study is that the caudate region of the brain is the reward-seeking center of the brain. The binge-eaters' brains were yelling at them to, "Go get the food!" after smelling it. The control group (non-bingers) did not have any elevation in ther dopamine levels (damn them!). I was talking to my friend Jenny about this and we are both convinced that all it takes is seeing food on t.v., or even thinking about it, to make our caudate regions go all dopamine-rush on us.

Another theory has been proposed by a woman named Kathryn Hansen who fought her own lengthy battle with bulimia. She also believes that many people who engage in binge-eating are prompted by a less than ideally working brain. She believes that for herself and many others, the actual act of bingeing is enough to establish patterns in the most base parts of our brains. Especially if this behavior started in childhood or adolescence. In essence, when we first binge, we are teaching our brains that this pattern of eating is normal. Our brains subsequently tell us to keep eating even when it is unreasonable to do so. So for many of us, the binge-eating isn't a symptom but rather, it's own cause.

For some of us, bingeing is a result of brain chemistry and structural activity that isn't working quite right. For me, this was a liberating finding. I am not just weak or repressing some sort of trauma in my past. Trying harder isn't the answer for me. It may not be the answer for you either. In part 2 of this post, I will share my findings on how to deal with this issue and explain my personal plan of attack. 

Crisp Apple Slaw

This is another favorite in our house. The last time my husband made it, the kids and I ate it all before he had any. He wasn't happy. So I decided to find the recipe, tweak it a bit to reduce the calories, and see if I could create the same magic. The result is cold, crispy, and sweet with just the right vinegar bite. I make enough for an army so the amount here would be perfect to bring to a bbq or to feed a large family. If your family doesn't scarf it down like mine, you could definitely cut everything by half and have enough for a dinner and leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 small head of green cabbage, shredded (12 cups)
1 small head of red cabbage, shredded (12 cups)
1 fennel bulb (3.5cups)
3 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks (6 cups)
3 pink lady apples, cut into matchsticks (6 cups) -- you can use any sweet, crisp apple

3/4 cup canola oil (I found a non-GMO one at Sprouts)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup + 1 Tbs no sugar-added apple juice
1/3 cup honey

Cut all the veggies and combine. I used a trick that I learned from my Aunt Kathy who loves to entertain and cook for crowds. I put the veggies in a clean trash bag and shook it all around. Then, I whisked all of the wet ingredients together, poured it over the veggies and shook it again. This can be done in a bowl instead, but then you don't get to dance around the kitchen shaking a trash bag full of cole slaw :)

This is fantastic for anyone with an egg allergy or who is vegan.  It is also a safer salad to take on a picnic as the dressing is not mayo based. Plus, it's yummy and healthy!

Serving Size: 1.5 cups

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 3

Nutrition Info:
     Calories: 114
     Carbs:    14
     Fat:        6
     Protein:  1
     Sodium:  24
     Sugar:    10

Next time I will probably reduce the oil a bit which will bring the fat and PPV down. I think the nutrition values/PPV are also a little high because if you let the slaw sit in the fridge for a bit, a lot of the dressing settles at the bottom of the container so you're not actually eating it. But, if you're trying to manage your weight, it's usually better to OVERestimate your calorie consumption.

I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think. If you tweak it, please let me know how it comes out :)

Make a Fresh Start

Random funny picture someone posted on Facebook

SCHOOL STARTED!!!!! I have very mixed feelings about this. My daughter started second grade today and my son started Kindergarten. While it was difficult to see my kids take one more step away from me in the whole growing up process, I'm so excited to have more time for my business and myself. And no more preschool tuition!!! Whoo-hoo!!! I've decided to channel all of my angst about my kids into new focus and dedication to achieving my own goals. With school (and soccer season) comes a lot of routine and scheduling. My plan is to build my personal challenges into THEIR routine as much as possible.

My desired outcomes in this Healthier You Challenge have been to increase my muscle strength and flexibility, and to reduce my body fat percentage. I've been hit or miss on following through with the challenges that would get me there. I struggled all summer to get into a weight lifting routine. Other than teaching my Zumba classes, I didn't really fit in much exercise. It seemed like every time I'd get into a groove doing strength training and yoga, something would come along and blow it to smithereens. So I decided that with this fresh start, I would make my health a priority. I've committed to walking the kids to school (1 mile each way). I will work up to running the parts that I'm alone. Today I did 3 round trips. I also bought a month of unlimited classes at The Bar Method. I plan to go to classes there 3-4 times a week, starting next week. I push myself much harder when I'm taking a class so I'm very excited to fit this in! These actions, in addition to teaching my regular classes, should help me reach my desired outcomes. After this month, I will reassess and possibly find a new kind of class to try (Crossfit, here I come!). Or maybe I'll be able to keep those times for working out at home with my suspension straps. So far, this is the only action they are getting:

So my focus right now is not so much what I'm actually doing with my body, but to get myself into a routine that allows me to fit in fitness while I continue to work, to spend time with my family, to help coach my son's soccer team, to do laundry, to go to the grocery store, etc., etc. A bonus is that I have time to chat with my kids as we walk to and from school (sometimes they even let me hold their hands!). And I have a couple of friends who will also be doing The Bar Method classes so I can pretend I have a social life!

Even if back-to-school isn't a relevant time marker for you, use this opportunity to evaluate your routine. Fall is coming and with it will come changes in the length of the day, the types of fruits and vegetables available, the kinds of clothes you are wearing, your ability to workout outside. Some of those changes may be ones you welcome and are excited about; some may pose a challenge. Take some time now to shake things up or to plan ahead for the changes you'll be facing. You can give yourself a fresh start any day. You can even buy yourself a new backpack for it.

 

Giving Credit When Credit Is Due

Since it's back to school time, I have a little test for you:

1. Have you fulfilled your challenges?
   
    A. 100% perfectly the entire Challenge thus far.
   
    B. Mostly. I've had a few slip-ups or had to make some
        changes, but I'm doing pretty well.
   
    C. It's been a major struggle and I've barely made any changes.
    
    D. I gave up the first day and just eat Nutter Butters while I read the Blog
        posts.

Hopefully you answered "B". If you answered "A" you are probably either delusional or a robot. If you answered "C", re-read some of the previous posts and see if there are some tweaks you can make either in how you articulate your challenges or how you structure your life in relation to them. If you answered "D", you should probably call me to set up a one-on-one session. Soon ;)

Interestingly, whether you answered "B" or "C" may have less to do with the percentage of change you actually made and more to do with your attitude toward yourself and your behaviors. Many times when we attempt behavior change, we pay a disproportionate amount of time beating ourselves up for "messing up" and very little time congratulating ourselves when we do well. If you've kept a log of your challenges this whole time, review it objectively and ask yourself how you would react if a friend or loved one showed you the same log. Would you berate them for the times they didn't follow through perfectly? Or would you congratulate them on their efforts and achievements thus far and encourage them to do better? Maybe you'd even have a conversation with them about the struggles they've had and try to help them problem solve. If you wouldn't have a log to show someone because you haven't been keeping track of your behaviors, START NOW!

I spent a lot of time last week thinking about this and paying attention to how I talk to myself about my behaviors. It was hard to force myself to give little mental pats on the back every time I made a good choice but even in just a few days, I got more comfortable with it. One day last week I was tired and busy and hungry. I had a Costco sized jar of peanut butter that was calling my name. I really wanted to sit on the couch just me, that jar of peanut butter and the Property Brothers. But I didn't! I cut up some melon, grabbed some turkey breast, and sat down at the dining room table with the kids while they ate their lunch. I was very proud of myself. Later that evening, I was hungry again and REALLY wanted peanut butter. So I spooned some out into a bowl and poured in a bunch of blueberries. I ate the mixture while I watched So You Think You Can Dance. It was more than a single serving of peanut butter and I know I shouldn't watch t.v. while I eat, but it was a reasonable amount and still better than sitting down with the whole jar (and possibly a carton of chocolate soy ice cream). So, baby steps. I finished the day feeling fairly positive about the choices I'd made and I felt like I'd strengthened my willpower muscle.

If you have a hard time giving yourself credit when you make a good choice, here are some ideas to make it a more conscious process.

1. A chart with squares. Each time you make a good choice, put a sticker in a square or make a check mark.
2. A clicker like the kind they use at the entrance to events. Click each time you make a good choice.
3. A string you keep in your purse or pocket. Make a knot each time you make a good choice.
4. A marble jar. Each time you make a good choice, drop a marble in the jar.
5. Pennies in your pocket. Start the day with all of the pennies in one pocket and then transfer one to the other pocket each time you make a good choice.
6. Use something on your smart phone. There has to be an app for that! (If not, please create one and give me royalties!)

Don't be afraid to give yourself credit for the little things or even for partial improvement. Something is better than nothing! After doing this for a few days, you should feel proud, encouraged, hopeful and more in control. I know I do.

Do you have any suggestions for how you can give yourself credit in a conscious way? Share them here please!

Losing Focus?

This is about the time in many people's drive for change when they start to really lose focus. The novelty is wearing off and they may not be seeing big results yet. This is when it is MOST important to get excited again!

I've said before that part of creating a challenge is to articulate how changing your behavior will improve your life. In The Beck Diet Solution, Psychologist Judith Beck calls it stating "the advantages". She suggests writing the advantages of your behavior change on index cards or even using the list as your computer screensaver. You should then review the list multiple times a day to maintain your focus and enthusiasm. Reminding yourself why you are changing the behaviors should make you more likely to actually change them.

Another way to keep it fresh is to add new challenges. Now that you've tweaked your plan and gained some momentum, you should be able to pick something that's a little harder. And remember not to beat yourself up if you haven't been perfectly consistent. I've had ups and downs the last few weeks and while I try not to make excuses, I also realize that real-life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid plans. If I'm doing better than I was before I started the challenge, I choose to see it as success. Try to pick something fun for your new challenge. I'm replacing one day of weight lifting with a workout using my new suspension straps (okay, I hear some of you saying, "really, that's fun?"). I get really amped about new exercise gadgets so now that I finally have the straps mounted in my workout room, I'm eager to try them.

If you feel like you're not getting anywhere, take a hard look at what's going on in your life and what behaviors you are trying to change. Maybe the benefits don't outweigh the difficulty right now. It's okay to not be ready to change. But if it's important to you, you CAN find a way to make it work. It might take more planning, or finding an incentive that really excites you, or changing your methods. If you believe that your behavior changes will improve your life, isn't it worth making them a priority? So bust out those index cards or find some other way to remind yourself why you are engaging in this challenge. And remember, I'm always here as a sounding board and problem solver!

Diet or Exercise?

I have heard a lot of discussion lately about a recent study regarding physical activity, metabolism, and weight. Researchers studied a group of 30 hunter-gatherers in an effort to determine how their physical activity affected their metabolisms. The basic finding was that their metabolisms adjusted to their high level of activity and low calorie consumption. They did not burn significantly more calories daily than most people living in developed societies who sit at a desk all day.

What some people are taking away from this is that exercise is not an effective tool for weight loss; that only what we eat makes a difference. THIS IS NOT TRUE!!! Even the authors of the study stated that, "Physical activity has important, positive effects on health, and increased physical activity has been shown to play an important role in weight loss and weight-maintenance programs."

If you are trying to lose weight, you should not be asking the question, "should I exercise or change my eating habits?" BOTH are important for weight management. One of my favorite quotes is, "You can't compete with what you eat." You can work your butt off in Zumba with me but if you leave and drink 2 margaritas you've probably just consumed more calories than you burned in class. Does that mean that class was a waste of time? Does it mean that you can't ever have a margarita again without feeling guilty? Of course not.

When we think about the food/exercise balance, we shouldn't think about exercise as a way to compensate for what we eat. In Zumba class one day, I really pushed myself hard. About halfway through class, one of the students asked, "What did you eat this weekend that you feel so guilty about?" This question made me laugh because my intensity wasn't about "burning off" anything I'd eaten, it was about working harder as part of a challenge I had set for myself. But there have been many times in my life where that is exactly what would have been going on. The sad thing is that it was never effective. I would severely restrict my diet, feel deprived, engage in gargantuan binges, then exercise excessively to try to "make up" for what I had eaten. But that was impossible. While I was engaging in that behavior I was overweight. And my weight fluctuated all the time. And I hated my body. And I felt like a total failure. Even long, hard exercise sessions couldn't burn the number of calories I was eating in those binges. And because the focus of those workouts was guilty feelings, I stopped enjoying exercise.

I saw a demonstration of this kind of thinking on a weight loss reality show once. A participant was struggling to change his eating habits and was still engaging in behaviors like bingeing on Oreos. The trainer had him hold two Oreo cookies in his hands as he walked up and down a flight of stairs. He wore a device that measured the calories he was expending and she had him keep going until he had burned the same number of calories as the two Oreos contained. He was at it for a LONG time! He said he had learned a valuable lesson and was going to ditch the Oreos. But I don't think that's the lesson we need. We have to be aware of the calories in, calories out equation, but we can't think of activity solely as a way to burn off those Oreos. We can eat the Oreos in moderation as long as we fit them into our overall target calorie consumption. And exercise should not be punishment or compensation for what we eat. If you're eating a generally healthy diet with a calorie intake that is less than your expenditure, you should be able to eat a couple of cookies here and there and still lose weight. 

A related note we can take from the Hunter-Gatherer study is that exercise can't be a green light to eat whatever we want. Part of the metabolism equation for the study participants was their very low calorie consumption. I have a new Zumba student who mentioned that since she started exercising more, and harder, she felt hungry, "ALL the time!". That is a pretty common experience. I cautioned her to eat when she felt hungry but to try to be sure that the foods she chose were healthy and nutritious and to keep an eye on the overall amount she was eating. It is awful to work hard at exercise and feel like we are not getting the results we're looking for. So really, anyone looking to achieve or maintain a healthy weight should engage in a consistent exercise routine AND have good eating habits.

The hunter-gatherer study reinforced that our bodies seek homeostasis. If you exercise, your body will adapt. If you cut your food consumption, your body will adapt. Our bodies are amazing, complicated machines. I will explore adaptation more in future posts. For now, eat healthy foods because they are yummy and they fuel your body. Exercise because it is good for you in many, many ways (and can be a lot of fun!).

So this week's challenge is to look critically at the way you think about the food/exercise equation. Do you need to change your thinking about why you eat the food you eat? About the feelings you have after you eat? About why you exercise? If so, now's a great time to practice! Permanent behavior change requires changing our thinking. Write down those negative thoughts and feelings and try to rewrite them with a healthier view. You can even post them here and I can help!

To read the entire article on the hunter-gatherer study, click here

Healthier You Challenge Week 3: Be a Tweaker

Now that we're three weeks in, you can start to assess and modify your plans if necessary. How is it going so far? I've spoken with quite a few of you who are participating *silently* and I know that some are struggling with motivation or with fully completing your behavior challenges. Here is where we figure out what's working, what's not, and how you can tweak your plan to be more successful.

If you have done well, but not perfectly, you should still be proud of yourself. Is it easy to identify why you were not able to fully complete your challenge? Two weeks ago I skipped one day of strength training because I didn't do it first thing in the morning and told myself I'd do it "later". The problem was, that day and the next were packed minute by minute so there really was no way to get it in. This reinforced that I am much more consistent when I workout in the morning before my family gets up. So my plan last week was to be up at 5:30 M/W/F to lift weights. Unfortunately, I had to schedule two last minute early appointments so my plan was out the window. Because I learned from the previous week that I couldn't just promise myself I'd do it "later", I scheduled a specific time those evenings to do them. It worked and I felt so proud that I didn't let myself make excuses. If you can figure out what thwarted your efforts, try to brainstorm alternatives. Don't come up with just one, try to figure out a plan B, C, D, etc. If you can't stick to your plan, adjust your plan. If you are flexible in your thinking and can get right back up when you stumble, you'll stay on the right track in the long term.

Part of a behavior challenge is keeping track of your behaviors. I've been using the irunurun app (note: you don't have to have a smart phone, you can log in from your computer). I like it because they send me an e-mail reminding me to update my log. If I haven't done something, the reminder is a good nudge to get it done so I can mark it off. If you haven't been logging your challenges, that might be the first tweak to make. One of the participants told me that even though she was a little frustrated that she didn't do as well as she'd hoped the second week, she was able to see that she'd improved from the first week which encouraged her.

If you're struggling to get started, go back to the beginning and pick something easy to gain some momentum. I started with drinking water before my coffee because I knew I needed a "win" in the beginning. What is a small change you can make this week? Could you replace one calorie-laden drink with water? Could you move more even if you're not ready for a long, structured workout routine? Could you write down what you eat? Even if you don't measure portions or figure out calories, your eating will probably change by the sheer fact of having to write it down. Two of my personal training clients who've been struggling to do more than their workout with me once a week just agreed to join Weight Watchers (you know who you are and I WILL be waiting at the door!). So for them, just showing up, and signing up, will be a big move in the right direction. Maybe you're moving along fantastically and you're ready for a new challenge this week. But if you aren't where you'd hoped to be, change things up. You can make small tweaks to the challenges you've had the last two weeks or you can chuck them completely and start over again with a new challenge. You are in control and you make the choices that move you forward or hold you back. You will need to be flexible because there will always be obstacles. It's up to you whether they are roadblocks or detours.

How are you going to tweak this week?

Healthier You Challenge: Week 2

Now that you've finished your first week of the Healthier You Challenge, it's time to assess how you did and plan your next week. If you did a fantastic job last week, you are ready to add a new challenge. Here are some guidelines to help choose your challenge for week 2: 

Hook desired behaviors onto current activities – Choose a behavior that you do without having to think about it and attach the new, desired behavior to the existing one. I need to drink more water so I’m drinking 24 oz. in the mornings before I have my coffee. You can use this same thinking to avoid behaviors you are trying to eliminate. If you usually eat late at night in front of the t.v., head to a different room and try reading instead. You may find that changing a neutral behavior will help change your target behavior with very little effort.

Scaffold your behaviors - Lay a foundation and build from there. Maybe your challenge for the first week is to take two Zumba Fitness classes. After two weeks of that routine, you add two days of strength training. In the fifth week, you add in a hike. Once you have the routine you desire, you can start changing up your activities to keep your forward momentum. Remember, we are not working toward a goal. We are engaging in challenges. Once you feel like you've "accomplished your goal", it's easy to start sliding backward. In order to avoid plateaus or the kind of attitude that leads to yo-yo dieting, you have to think of this as a journey without end. Focus on the job at hand but always think about how you will challenge yourself next.  The great thing is, once you've made the bigger lifestyle changes, your challenges can get more and more fun!

If you didn't do as well as you had hoped last week, use this as a time to reflect and learn. My challenge for last week was to complete three strength training sessions. I only managed two, so I need to figure out how to do better this week. I am going to keep up my challenges of drinking water before my coffee, taking vitamins every day, and completing three strength training sessions. I realize that the best way to guarantee getting those in is to wake up before my family gets up for the day. I will hook the strength training to checking my computer. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will complete my routine before I turn on the computer. Hopefully, this week will go smoothly and next week I'll be ready to add another challenge behavior.

What will your challenge be this week?