Fitnessgirl's Blog

Dinners, Drinks & Sweets, Oh My!

It’s that time of year again. The holidays – love them or dread them  – we can’t escape them.  And along with the holidays come articles, newsclips and advice on how to “eat healthy during the holidays”.  Is it really possible with the numerous family dinners, holiday parties, social gatherings, happy hours, potlucks, treat days, cookie exchanges, luncheons, travel, shopping, and stress???  Temptations abound at this time of the year more than any other and healthy routines can get off track.  Is this a mission  im-possible?  Actually, armed with a few fresh tips, common sense, mindfulness and a real desire to do better, it can be done!  Sometimes we just need a little reminding.  Here’s my top ten tips to stay on track.

#1 MODERATION –We’ve heard this one before, but truly this is the number one thing to remember. You can have a bit of everything in moderation.. What is moderation? Saying “no” to seconds. Taking just  a “taste” of the high calorie foods. Eating only until you are almost full. Use a smaller plate and don’t pile it high. Leave some space on your plate by taking only so much that none of the foods touch. Place your napkin over your plate after you are finished and clear away your dinnerware soon after you’ve finished.

#2 DEPRIVATION – A big diet crasher is to deprive yourself of things you’d like to eat. But also depriving yourself of regular meals and good nutrition. Holiday shopping, running errands and preparing for events can lead to poor nutritional choices. Try to resist the temptation to resort to fast food, the dreaded food court or even skipping meals.  Don’t deprive yourself of your regular eating habits and meals. Eat breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks as usual before a big holiday dinner or party.  Treat the holiday meal like any other meal but with just very special foods. Eat in moderation, prevent deprivation!

#3 SATISFACTION – Satisfy your cravings by allowing yourself a piece of chocolate, a glass of wine, small slice of pie. Enjoy eating the items you choose or you will feel guilty instead of satisfied.   If you eat in moderation and don’t deprive yourself, you will feel satisfied and therefore less likely to overeat or binge.

#4 SENSATION –  Eating and drinking are sensory experiences and meant to be enjoyed.  Eating includes all of the five senses – taste, touch, smell, sight, and even hearing – enjoy the crunch of a cookie, the slurp of a soup, the pop of a champagne cork. Take your time and savor every bite and sip. Sit down to eat , don’t stand and talk and nibble from the food table. You’ll eat more and enjoy it less.

#5 REGULATION – Keep to your regular sleeping, exercising and eating schedule as much as possible.  Stick with your routine and monitor your calendar. Keeping close to your regular schedule may decrease your stress level(preventing stress eating) and increase your energy level. You’ll be in control which will help you control your cravings.

#6 SUBSTITUTION – It is no longer cool to say – I don’t eat low fat/low sugar, low salt, low calorie. When you can substitute an ingredient or a food with a healthier alternative, why wouldn’t you? With the myriad of health problems facing American adults and the child obesity epidemic, it only makes sense to reduce calories, fat, sugar and salt whenever possible. It is easier than ever to make substitutions with the variety of healthier options available.  Substitute fat free mushroom soup for the full fat version in green bean casserole.  Use salt alternatives to increase flavor in dishes like stuffing and vegetables. Lower sugar content in sweet treats by replacing some of the sugar with a sugar substitute. Just a few changes can make big difference in the calorie count and healthiness of holiday recipes.

#7 SELECTION –  The holidays bring so many foods and drinks to choose from. Dinners may consist of ten different dishes. Parties may have a buffet of  sweets and treats 50 feet long. Selecting what you eat may be as important as the old moderation philosophy. Be mindful and think about your choices. Do you really need a roll  and butter with your meal? No – skip it. What to do with six different desserts to choose from?  Choose one that you really want to eat and take a small portion. Don’t take a “sample” of them all.  Begin your meal with either a healthy vegetable salad or a few raw veggies. Watch the dressings and skip the dip unless you know they are low fat healthy versions. Choose turkey over ham. Pick boiled shrimp over fried oysters.  Leave off the gravy. Scrape off the marshmallows from the sweet potatoes. Save yourself some calories with good selections and have a little desert or a holiday drink.

#8 LIBATION – Holiday drinks can be a diet destructor on their own. From eggnog to glog, beet to wine, and everything in between, the variety of drinks offered up may rival the food. Alcohol contains empty calories ranging from 100 for a light beer to1000 for a large margarita or a few eggnogs. But calories aren’t the only hazard to your health with too much holiday libation. Celebrations can easily lead to drinking a bit more than we usually do. Keep yourself, your family and others safe. Drink in moderation. Designate a driver. Plan to stay over. Drink water and eat healthy snacks between alcoholic beverages. You’ll consume less calories and feel better in the morning.

#9 EDUCATION – Learn what your best food choices are and know what ingredients are in the dishes you are eating. Surf the internet and use your resources for healthy recipes and calorie counters. Find healthy recipes and how many calories you burn doing an activity on www.myapex.com.  Get the calorie count and nutrition information of foods at www.calorieking.com . Do you know how many calories are in a piece of pumpkin pie? A glass of wine? A serving of stuffing?  A slice of ham?  Read labels, research recipes, and get informed  about cooking and your health.

#10 CELEBRATION – It is a tradition to combine celebrations with food. It has been said that food and drink bring people together. Combine food, drink and the holidays and the celebrating can get out of control! But if you remember the other nine tips listed here, you’ll have a reason to celebrate. You may just get through the holidays with your weight  and your health in tact. It is the enjoyment, the sharing and the excitement of the season that is the real cause for celebration. 

Eat & Drink (in moderation)  & Be Merry for your New Year!

I heard a couple of radio hosts talking about their favorite Halloween candies and of course chocolate is high on most people's lists.  They also mentioned some of the least favorite treats they had received which included toothbrushes, popcorn balls and suckers. According to new information and recent polls, many folks are opting to give "alternative" treats such as trinkety toys, coloring books, and granola or energy bars. Did you say "granola bars"? Yes - and it seems there are so many to choose from. these days.  There are literally thousands of energy bars on the market today.  Of course the new bars are much different from the days of the dry and hard oats and honey granola bars - although those are still around! The bars of today are as varied in their types as they are in names - energy bars, meal replacements, weight loss bars, healthy snack option, protein bars, performance power, xtreme energy and on and on. The new granola bars may be covered in chocolate , filled with peanut butter, swirled with caramel or loaded with chocolate chips.  Sounds like health food right?  Sounds more like a candy bar to me. Before you bite into that next granola or energy bar, you might want to read the nutrition label. You may be shocked to see just how many calories, fat grams, sugars and other diet de-railers are in your favorite bar.  Let's compare two products made by M&M Mars Company - A Snickers "Candy" bar and a Snickers Marathon Protein Bar. 

                                                    
        Nutrition Facts

Snickers Candy Bar                                             Snickers Marathon Protein Bar

                                                                         
         Caramel Nut Rush (Chocolate coated)

Serving Size - 1 Bar (2 oz)                                    Serving Size - 1 Bar (2.82oz)

Calories 273  Calories from Fat 126                Calories 290  Calories from Fat 90

Total Fat 14g  22%                                               Total Fat 9g  14%

Saturated Fat 5.1g 26%                                      Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 7mg   2%  Sodium 152mg 6%     Cholesterol 5mg  2%   Sodium 200mg 8%

Dietary Fiber 1.4g    Protein 4.6g                        Dietary Fiber 11g  Protein 21g

Sugars 28.1g                                                  
      Sugars 20g

Side by side comparison shows that while the Marathon Protein bar does contain more fiber and protein(it also contains vitamins & minerals) much of the rest is the same or very close. If you are counting calories - the energy bar is higher in calories than the candy bar!   Besides all this number crunching - no pun intended - it comes down to a matter of taste and satisfaction. How does that energy bar taste?  is it going to satisfy you so that you can stay on track during the day with meals and snacks? The new bars  look like candy, smell like candy and even taste like candy. The granola bar world has come a long way!

The radio hosts finished out by saying, "If I got a granola bar, in my treat bag,  I'd have to TP (toilet paper) that house!".   Now before you go buying the mega roll of Charmin to attack your neighbors trees,  take a good look in your Halloween treat bag and if you do come across an energy bar - you might want to give it a second chance - if it's covered in chocolate and swirled with caramel and loaded with chocolate chips - it might not be so bad!  But if you do get one of those dry, crunchy cardboard tasting old style granola bars - Well,  I'll leave the rest up to you.....

Have a Happy & Safe Halloween & remember - everything in moderation!

Are you "bugging"? NBC's Biggest Losers are bugging and folks in Springfield are bugging too. Bodybugging that is.

As aBodybugg™ devotee myself, I was very excited to learn that the participants on the Biggest Loser TV show had begun using the Bodybugg™ program this season to aid in their weight-loss goals. FitClub began utilizing the Bodybugg™ to assist individuals with their fitness and weight-loss goals in early 2007. As a 20 year veteran of all things fitness, I was amazed with the Bodybugg's technological advancements in weight-loss, fitness and health. What the Bodybugg™ provides, on the most basic level, is fitness on your own terms.

Long term weight-loss has been an issue for many for a very long time. The biggest problem most people have is knowing how many calories they burn and how many calories they really need. There was simply no easy way to find actual calorie burn for an individual person or to know the amount of calories one should consume. It was based on charts that gave ranges for exercises and activities, such as 40 minutes of step aerobics will burn XXX - XXX number of calories, or cardio rowing will burn X number calories based on a 150 pound man or 130 pound woman . There were also formulas for calculating heart rate targets, target training zones, resting metabolic rates, daily caloric needs and many others. How do these charts and forumulas help the average person? Not very well and not with much accuracy. This uncertainty leads to discouragement and ultimately to failure in weight-loss goals.

The Bodybugg™ is a small device(like an ipod)) worn on the back of the upper right arm. It uses a patented process for interpreting an individual's calorie burn. The "bugg" collects a range of data using a multiple sensor system that along with your personal parameters(age, height, weight, gender) provides an accurate estimation of calories burned. The information from the bugg is downloaded via computer to your personal website. You are then able to see how many calories you burn daily doing various activities. It was pretty amazing to see how many calories I burned doing a variety of activities such as mowing the grass, teaching a group exercise class, jumping on the trampoline with my kids, grocery shopping, washing my car, taking a shower and even sleeping! Did I mention it's in real time - minute by minute? Once you know how many calories you burn every day minute by minute there's only one other component needed to find the path to long-term fat loss and weight management- how many calories are you consuming daily? The online Bodybugg program makes it easy. Simply enter the foods eaten each day. I don't have to do any calculating or deciphering of formulas or enrolling in additional math or science courses! The calorie count and complete nutritional information for over 40,000 foods are built into the program. The program then provides your calorie balance for the day. We know that the way to weight loss it to burn more calories than we consume. This program gives you all the information you need to do just that. You set your goals, giving you control and information - and fitness on your own terms.

Want to get "bugged"? For more information log onto www.fitclub.net or call (217)787-8348 and speak with a certified fitness professional.

Yoga, a 2,000 year old practice, is still going strong all over the world. In fact, it is gaining in popularity every year. Why?  Simply, because it works and can be done by almost anyone, any age.  If you think yoga is simply sitting on the floor in the dark, humming and breathing, you would be mistaken. There are many styles of yoga being practiced now from Bikram "hot" yoga that truly taxes your system,   Ashtanga yoga or "power" yoga,  Hatha yoga , the most common form,  and new trends like fitness yoga, yoga for athletes, kids yoga, yoga for golf and more. Ask anyone who practices yoga on a regular basis and they will give you their opinion of what yoga is and what is does. That is the great thing about yoga - the student gets out of yoga what they want. Whether is is stress relief, increased flexibility, mind-body connection, meditation, improved balance and coordination, or increased muscular strength, many are joining in yoga programs everywhere.

If you are the least bit curious or you are a seasoned yoga veteran, you won't want to miss out on a unique event taking place this Saturday, September 22nd at 11:30am in downtown Springfield at beautiful Union Station Park. It's not an eclipse or a once in 100 years comet - but for many people it is pretty exciting!  Erinn Tanner, FitClub yoga instructor, and her students will be performing many, many, many sun salutations taking part in the Worldwide Celebration of the Sun Salutation. What is a sun salutation? It is a flowing series of 12 postures that use the entire body in coordination with a breathing pattern. Click on this website for a user friendly, quick start guide to the salutation complete with a stick man demonstration http://www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm

Yoga literally means to yoke, to come together, to unite.  This is your invitation to try something new, join in with others and enjoy the day - promises to be a good one! Bring a friend or two, your towel, blanket or yoga mat  - And yes - you will learn to downdog!

Have a nice day or as we yogis say - Namaste~

For more information about the WorldWide Sun Salutation event:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ch
i-schmich_bd.1sep09,0,5009775.column

How do you feel about your fitness routine? Good? Bad? Indifferent? or What fitness routine you say?  Whatever your answer, now is the time to "ditch" your old routine and make a seasonal "switch" to something different or new~

DITCH - Your old workout shoes > > > SWITCH - To a new pair for more than just looks! Working out and/or running/walking in shoes that are worn out or "broken" down can lead to unexplained pain and at the worst- injury.  Fitness shoes need replaced regularly no matter how good they look on the outside. If you average 10 miles/week with running/walking/cardiowork, replace shoes in 12 months, 15 miles/week, replace every 8 months, 20 miles/week, every 6 months, 30 miles/week, every 4 months.  Don't remember when you bought the current pair? Time to shop for a new pair and to keep track of how long you've had them - just write a date on the box or even somewhere on the shoe. 

DITCH -  Those light weights  > > > SWITCH - To heavier weights that will actually challenge you.  This means you ladies! Still lifting those 5 pound dumbbells for your bicep curls  that you've been using for years? You'll never see change - without change! Our bodies have the amazing ability to adapt very quickly to exercise. If you don't regularly and gradually increase the weight, you will plateau. Who wants to do all that work to stay the same? But I don't want to get big ugly man muscles you say? Well you won't - unless you are a man. Gals - we don't have the capability to build muscles like men.  You'd have to train like some of my bodybuilding friends to "get big".  Think about this - how heavy is your handbag?  10lbs? Gym bag? 12lbs? Diaper bag?  15lbs? If you lug around heavy things like bags and kids and you are lifting tiny weights what type of change will you see? Like your weights - little.  Now the guys don't usually trouble with increasing the weights regularly.  Just make sure to increase weight gradually over time to a weight you can control with proper form, good quality and no pain.

DITCH - Thinking that more is always better when it comes to working out > > > SWITCH - Your focus to an effective, quality workout in less time. You can get the same benefit from your workout routine by shortening the time spent but pushing yourself harder. You don't need hours in the gym. And if you are one of those who say "I don't have time to workout" Well who does? I'll tell you who - those who set aside time and schedule their fitness. It is getting easier to get fit. Group Exercise classes have changed to match this fitness trend as well.  Lunch hour "express" classes, 30 minute blast classes, 45 minute classes, and 15 minute classes focusing on one muscle group such as abs, glutes or arms.  Try this - instead of walking/biking/jogging/taking class at a moderate pace for an hour, cut the time by 1/4 or 1/2 and get the same caloric burn by pushing yourself harder with some speed walking, uphill bike sprints, running sprint intervals, adding more weight in class or by incoporating pliometric options to your cardio class workout. Kick it quick and then have more time for other things you enjoy!

DITCH - The "same old - same old" > > > SWITCH - To something you've never tried before!  Still doing the SAME 20 minute cardio routine at the SAME pace on the SAME days each week on the SAME machine? Stil doing the SAME weight lifting routine with the SAME weights and the SAME number of reps ? See the common problem here?  Do the SAME - Stay the SAME. Step out of your comfort zone and give your body the shock it needs to generate change.  Tight muscles - try a stretch class. Stressed out -  join a yoga class. Need new/more cardio- kick it with some martial arts or hop into a cycling class.  Looking for a whole new weight lifting work - give Gravity training a try.

There is so much out there to experience. Find something that works, that you enjoy and that you can stick with - at least for the season. Remember - the change in seasons reminds us - time to change your fitness routine. Ditch & Switch Winter,  Spring, Summer and FALL.  ENJOY!

Visit the American Council on Exercise website at  www.aceftness.org  for accredited fitness information.

Sheila Tapscott, Certified Fitness Professional