Learning To Love My Muffin Top (okay, maybe not loooooove . . . )

 This photo is of me at about 7 or 8 years old. When I look at this picture, my brain barely registers my silly smirk, the way I am looking confidently right at the camera, or my jaunty pose.  All I see is my muffin top.  This picture was taken right around the time my gymnastics coach told me that I would never be truly competetive as long as I had a fat belly. That one statement has played over and over in my head for the last 30 years. It has changed many times: you won't win dance competitions if you have a fat belly, boys won't like you if you have a fat belly, students aren't going to listen to you if you have a fat belly, your husband won't stay faithful to you if you have a fat belly. The bottom-line message I have been repeating to myself most of my life is that it doesn't matter how smart, loving, fun, accomplished or healthy I am-- I CANNOT consider myself successful if I don't have a perfect body. I realize that my a-hole coach is not entirely responsible for this tape that loops through my head. In our society, we are constantly bombarded by the media and the people around us with the message that our appearances are the most important and defining aspect of our selves (especially for women). Welp, I'm shutting off the tape. I'm making a conscious decision to change my internal dialogue and to contribute positively to the way the people around me feel about their own bodies. To that end I will remember the following lessons.

1. What I say tells my kids how to think about their own bodies and the bodies of the people they love. My daughter is almost 8 years old (same as me in that pic) and we jokingly call her my mini-me. So when I look at this picture, I think of how her experiences right now could shape who she is and how she thinks about herself for the next 10, 30, 50 years. I want her to always know that what she does is much more important than how she looks. That being healthy, smart, kind, loving, resilient, determined and courageous will be the keys to her success. I also want my son to grow up believing that women should be respected and valued for who they are rather than their waist or bra size. If I spend all day talking about how I wish I had a flat stomach or bigger boobs, my children will learn that my physical imperfections are more important than the fact that I am a healthy, happy, and sucessful wife, mother and business woman.

2. What I say tells my friends what I value and can make them feel bad about their own bodies. Sometimes, we try to make our friends feel better by putting ourselves down. Have you ever been part of a conversation like this:

Friend 1:"God, I hate my muffin top."
Friend 2:"Are you kidding? It's barely even noticeable. At least you've got great legs; look at my thunder thighs!"

Now TWO people feel crappy about their bodies! A recent study conducted at Mount Allison University in Canada and published in the research journal Sex Roles, found that after women had a conversation about their bodies with other women, they felt worse about themselves. The researchers believe that when a woman criticizes her own body, she is effectively saying to her friend, "The way my body looks is very important to me and if it is not perfect, then it is unacceptable. Therefore, the way your body looks is also important and if it is not perfect, then you are also unacceptable." I like my friends. I know some really awesome women. The last thing I want to do is make them feel less amazing than they are.

Interestingly, the same study showed that when women talked about exercise, they ended up feeling BETTER about their bodies. So stop comparing body parts and start talking about the Zumba class you're going to take, or how strong your legs are getting in Strength and Stretch, or how flexible you're becoming from taking Yoga, or how your body just made an entire human being from scratch and then pushed it out! If you have to talk about your body, talk about what it can DO and not how it LOOKS.

3. Negative thoughts reinforce neuronal pathways that make me feel bad. By the same token, talking kindly to myself creates new, feel-good pathways. When we learn something new, a new neuronal pathway is created. Every time we rehearse this information the pathway is strengthened. When my coach made his comment about my body, a new pathway was created. For the last 30 years, every time I complained about my muffin top out loud or in my own head, I've strengthened the pathways to those negative thoughts and feelings. It's become automatic that when I look in the mirror, I feel dissatisfied and upset. But if I stop myself, and rehearse positive messages, I can rewire my brain. So instead of berating myself, I will find good things to say about my body. 

My body can:
1. Lift my children into a tree
2. Carry heavy objects and move furniture
3. Coach my son's soccer team
4. Show my daughter how to do a cartwheel (pointed toes and all)
5. Do crazy-fun stuff like take a flying trapeze class
6. Take hikes and explore nature with my family
7. Walk with friends
8. Engage in a career that I absolutely LOVE!
9. Hug my family and friends

What's on your body-loving list?

Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf (Gluten-Free!!!!)

This is my son's plate from dinner tonight

I usually make a double batch of this recipe in the hopes of having leftovers. This is one of maybe 4 recipes I make that the kids (and Dwayne) actually cheer for when they find out it's for dinner. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa (I use the red but the white is fine)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (Cuisinart!)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 (20 oz) package of ground turkey (I use Jennie-O, lean)
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. hot pepper sauce (I usually use Frank's Red Hot; if you have a family member who's sensitive to spicy food you might want to use less or omit all together.)
2 Tbs. A1 sauce (the original recipe called for Worscestershire but I didn't have any so I subbed A1 and it was delicious!)
1 egg or egg replacer
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp A1
1 tsp water

Directions:
1. I use my rice cooker to pre-cook the quinoa and follow the directions for brown rice. Here's how to cook the quinoa stove-top: Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool. If you purchase raw quinoa, you will want to rinse it first. Quinoa in the box should be ready to go.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

4. Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 Tbs. A1, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined (I put surgical gloves on the kids and have them help with this step). The original recipe has you form this into a loose loaf on a baking sheet. I actually make something more like meatballs in a muffin tin. It doesn't take as long to cook and it makes portion control simpler

5. The original recipe calls for mixing the brown sugar, 2 tsp. A1, and 1 tsp water in a small bowl and then rubbing it over the top of the meatloaf. I actually skip this step as the meatballs taste great and I figure "why add the extra sugar?" If you make it once and feel it needs a little extra sumthin', try adding the glaze next time.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes for a loaf, about 15-25 minutes for balls, depending on size.

When I put this into the Weight Watchers recipe builder a few months ago it came back with 2 points for a muffin-tin sized ball. If you are tracking points, you should make a batch and figure out how many servings you end up with because the size of the balls can vary so much. I'll be interested to hear what other people get when they enter the recipe into the recipe builder. I have not figured out the exact nutrition information and I wouldn't use the original recipe as a guide because that author used fattier ground turkey and I changed a few of the ingredients. But I can tell you that it's got lots of great nutrition and is a yummy dish that will hopefully please your whole family the way it does mine!

Italian Bean Dip

This is a recipe I've made for a few parties and people seem to really enjoy it. It's great as a dip for veggies and would be fantastic as a sandwich spread. I put a TJ next to the ingredients I got at Trader Joes. I'm sure most are easily available at other stores as well. I "cook with love", which is the lazy cook's way of saying, "I don't measure ingredients". You might need to taste as you go and play around with it.

1 -- 15 oz. can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed TJ
1 -- 14 oz. can of Artichoke Hearts in water, drained TJ
1 -- 12 oz. jar of Fire Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers, drained TJ
1/2 -- bag of Sun-Dried Tomatoes (in a bag, NOT a jar of oil!) TJ
3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar (splurge on the good stuff, it's worth it!)
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
Fresh Herbs to taste: Basil, Oregano, Sage
Can add garlic to taste (definitely more yummy, but also more smelly!)

All you do is throw the ingredients into a food processor and whirl away.

The recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups total. For a 1/4 cup serving it is 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus. It has fiber, protein, healthy fat, and above all, it's yummy, yummy, yummy, and easy, easy, easy! Enjoy!

"Rock Me" Zumba Demo

If you'd like to see a routine we do in my Zumba and Boogie Body classes, click here. The song is "Rock Me" by the Bastard Winos and is available on iTunes. So get up and dance!

4 Healthy Swaps for Cravings

Cravings suck. They can be induced by

1. Environmental triggers:

• Seeing a photo of food or a commercial on t.v. -- I've heard the Food Network described as food porn.
• A certain time of day -- "It's time for Grey's Anatomy and a glass of wine"
• Something you just ate -- I always crave something sweet after I have something salty and spicy (like chips and salsa)

2. Emotional triggers:

• You come home after a hard day at work and feel like you "deserve" certain foods
• You are angry or sad about something and believe that food will help you feel better
• For me, my cravings are sometimes not even about a specific food but about finding MORE food to eat. I don't get a chance to sit very often so sometimes, when I'm wiped out, I eat past satiety because it gives me an excuse to keep sitting. Hello binge.

3. Hormones:

• Do I really need to explain?

So how do we deal with them? There are a lot of great answers to this. In The Beck Diet Solution, Judith Beck suggests distracting yourself or telling yourself forcefully, "No Choice!". She believes that if you tell yourself the food is absolutely off-limits, your brain will soon focus on something else and the craving will go away. Unfortunately for me, my brain is sometimes a petulant child and it doesn't like to follow directions. So in those instances, my trick is to substitute a better alternative for what I'm craving. Here are my personal swaps:

1.Salty/Crunchy/Filling: Rather than reach for a bag of chips, I pop some air-pop popcorn. I usually spray grapeseed oil with a mister over the popcorn. The grapeseed oil is a healthy fat, has very little of it's own taste, and gets "stuff" to stick to the popcorn. The mister ensures I don't use a lot. Weight Watchers even has a sprayer that measures out 1 Points Plus worth of oil. Depending on whether or not I'm watching my sodium, I use Hawaiian Salt, a BBQ seasoning, or some of the Mrs. Dash salt-free blends (I particularly like Fiesta Lime and Carribean Citrus) to add flavor. This usually takes care of the craving and I can eat enough to feel full and satisfied. Popcorn also has health benefits such as being high in fiber and packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that help battle all kinds of icky stuff our bodies are exposed to every day. Most of the antioxidants are in the hull, so make sure you're eating that part as well (at least the ones that don't get stuck in your teeth!).

2.  Sweet: Extra Sugar Free Dessert Delights gums. They have a wide range of flavors like Strawberry Shortcake, Orange Creme Pop, Rainbow Sherbet, Key Lime Pie, and Apple Pie (better than it sounds, I swear!). My personal favorites are Mint Chocolate Chip and Root Beer Float. They satisfy my craving for something sweet and my desire to chew. I know there are concerns about artificial sweeteners and I do try to avoid them, but I'm willing to indulge on some sugar free gum if it keeps me from eating a tub of frosting ;)

3. Just want MORE: Ginormous salads. I've been known to fill a large mixing bowl with spinach, spring mix lettuce, and a variety of veggies. Some of my favorite toppings are: roasted bell peppers, artichoke hearts packed in water, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, beets, snap peas, corn, grilled zucchini, asparagus tips, and avocado. If I actually want a meal, I might add beans, lentils, or meat such as grilled chicken, tuna salad or steak. I try to use oil-based salad dressings and sometimes I just mix up good balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I either dip my fork before I spear some salad, or I pour a measured amount on the salad and toss it really well. It takes a long time to eat a salad that big and by the time I'm done even MY jabber-jaw is too tired to chew anything else. Plus, I've just given my body lots of good nutrition!




 4. Night-time snacking: Yogi Bedtime Tea and Angry Birds. The tea gives me something warm to put in my mouth and Angry Birds on my phone keeps my hands busy.

How do YOU deal with cravings?

 

 

Victory Is Yours!

Our 60 days of the Healthier You Challenge have come and gone. How did you do? Most of you are probably like me: I made some good progress but didn't consistently meet all of my challenges. I assessed and tweaked along the way. I patted myself on the back some and kicked myself in the butt some. I didn't achieve major physical transformations but I do feel like I learned some valuable lessons and adopted some good behaviors along the way.

The challenges you set for yourself will largely determine how you assess your progress. Hopefully you wrote out your challenges so you can look back at them now to review what you've accomplished. Your challenges were supposed to be process-oriented rather than goal-oriented but you also stated desired outcomes. These are generally how we measure our success.

Here are a few of the responses I've gotten from people about the outcomes they've earned by challenging themselves to adopt healthy behaviors like quitting smoking, drinking more water, eating a healthier diet, exercising, taking vitamins, and sleeping more: 

• Look younger
• Breathe easier
• Sleep better
• Better digestion, fewer stomach aches
• Less moody
• Improved overall mood
• Reduced stress
• Fewer headaches
• Improved relationships
• Able to get things done more easily (housework, yardwork, etc)
• Clothes fit better
• Improved blood sugar levels
• Improved blood pressure
• Improved cholesterol levels
• Fewer falls
• More independent (have the strength and agility to lift, bend, carry, etc.)
• Can put on underwear without holding on to the dresser (still my personal favorite!)

For any and all improvements in health behaviors, people generally find that they experience emotional changes as well. Many of us feel:

• More confident
• More competent
• More energetic
• Happier
• More optimistic

When you change a health behavior successfully and feel the emotions above, you might also feel more able to take on other challenges in your life. The tools I've given you during the Healthier You Challenge can be applied to virtually any area of your life. Are you stressed about money? Do you feel rushed and anxious a lot? Are you afraid to have anyone over because your house is always messy? Are you unhappy with your performance at work? Why not set some challenges in these areas? Remember these key steps:

1. State challenges in the positive
2. Make your challenges process-oriented rather than goal oriented
3. Make challenges Specific, Measurable, and Achievable
4. Scaffold and Hook behaviors
5. Log your behaviors
6. Reassess and Tweak as needed
7. Give yourself credit
8. Keep challenging yourself in new ways as you maintain the behaviors you've already changed
9. Make a fresh start if you need to

You can always refer back to previous posts if you need a refresher on any of these steps.

I'd love to hear from all of you about the changes you made, the benefits you earned, and what new challenges you are planning. Your experiences might help other people change their lives too!

Is FOMO Holding You Back?

A few months ago I read an article about FOMO -- Fear of Missing Out. The author argued that one impact of social media has been that we now overextend ourselves because we're so afraid of missing an opportunity. She used examples like seeing a friend post fun photos on Facebook of a dinner out that you couldn't attend. The result of having a few experiences like that leads us to say "yes" too often, wreaking havoc on our schedules, our bodies and our minds which all need some rest. As I read the article, I kept thinking about how for most of my life, being healthy was fraught with FOMO moments. Here are a few FOMO inducing situations and how you might be able to deal with them:

1. FOMO: Social Events -- In our culture, socializing and celebrating often revolve around food and alcohol. Sometimes, we feel like the only way to stick to healthy behavior changes is to avoid social situations where we will be challenged. Rather than feel like you are missing out, can you change the way you and your social circle spend time together? Here are a few ideas: 

Invite friends and coworkers for a walk or hike.

Instead of a dinner-out with your spouse, try a new fitness class together (like, maybe Zumba? wink-wink). Couples who take on new challenges together tend to be happier. Plus, studies show that when you work out, dopamine levels in your brain increase which makes you feel more loving toward your partner. Double-Bonus!

I will be teaching Stroller Strides soon and one of the aspects of the program I like best is that it gives parents a chance to socialize with each other and to build a community while everyone is getting fit! Much better than Moms and Muffins (or Moms and Margaritas).

Maybe exercise is not part of your Healthier You Challenge. Maybe you are trying to eat healthier foods, quit drinking alcohol, or quit smoking. What if you learned something new with your friends that didn't revolve around eating, drinking, or smoking? Take up knitting, or woodworking, or photography.

 

 

Maybe you are trying to get more sleep but you stay up late with your partner, or friends, or on social media like facebook. It may not be a matter then of changing your environment or activity but of setting clear boundaries with the people in your life and explaining those boundaries to them. "Hey, _________, I really love our late night chats but I'm trying to get more sleep. Could we get together for a walk twice a week instead?" If your social network is not on board with your healthy changes, it may be time to find some new friends. That may sound harsh, and I don't mean cut people out of your life entirely, but you may benefit from finding people who already engage in the healthy behaviors you are trying to adopt. Hang out with them, learn from them, be inspired by them. Create your own social events that incorporate your new, healthier lifestyle. You won't have FOMO because you'll be too busy having fun in different ways!

 

2. FOMO: Food --  For some of us, the only way to control what we eat is to control our environments and avoid being around certain foods that we tend to over-eat. You might be like me in that once I eat things like cookies or chips, I want to keep eating them, at that moment, and for the foreseeable future. I find that I have to pretty much eliminate high-calorie, low-nutrient foods to keep my weight stable (crackers, chips, sweets, ice cream). I found out a couple of years ago that I am allergic to gluten, eggs, and all dairy. While it is challenging to avoid these foods, I find I don't miss them as much as I thought I would. I use substitutions and I remind myself how awful I feel when I eat them. It almost always works. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that food is just food and that we really can live without eating certain things. Maybe not peanut butter. But just about everything else we can live without.

What provokes FOMO for you? How can you fill that space with something that will help you with your behavior challenges? Take some time this week to think about it and plan ahead for those FOMO moments!

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