Hotel Oatmeal Cooking 101

I've learned it's best to pack all food possible if I want to eat well when going out of town, but particularly for breakfast and snack foods. They seem to be the hardest things for me to eat balanced and clean when away from home. But one thing has always stumped me: How to cook slow cook-oatmeal in the hotel room.

If I cook it in the microwave (either in my room or in the breakfast area) the hotel mug or paper bowl I use is never big enough to accommodate all of the bubbling that occurs in the cooking process and it boils over, making a mess.

And if I just add hot water to the oats in the bowl it never gets cooked enough for me. Instant oats would cook with this method, but slow-cook are the healthiest kind so that's what I start my day with.

Now, you might be saying that I should bring my own bowl. And that would be ideal..... Except I always forget. Always. If I'd remember to add it to my packing list I wouldn't forget, but I never do and have finally come to accept the fact that I never will. It's a mute point. I seem to have a bowl block. (And spoon block, but at least you can get plastic spoons from the hotel lobby.)

So we are back to my oatmeal cooking dilemma. And finally this time, I had my AHA! moment. It's so simple I wondered why I haven't thought of this before: Cook it IN the room coffee pot. Here's how:

Pour water into the reservoir of the coffee make. Use a bit more than you think you will need to cook your oats. (This is to compensate for steam escape and "Oh crap! That wasn't enough water!" issues.) Put the carafe onto the burner. Turn the coffee maker on. Let the water run into the carafe. At this point it should be scalding hot. Remove the carafe and put it on a heat-proof surface. Carefully take the lid off (most coffee makers won't let the water drip into the carafe without the lid on). Pour the water out until it's about what you will need to absorb the oats (for me, this is about 1 1/2 times the amount of oat I have- I like thick oats). Dump your slow-cooked oats in there and stir them with the hotel spoon, which you ran to the lobby to get while the hot water was running into the pot. Put the carafe back on the burner (which should still be turned on) and let it sit and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it's the consistency you like. Take off the heat and stir in anything you want to add (for me this is a packet of Stevia- I always keep a bunch in a baggie in my purse). I eat ir right out of the carafe because: #1- It has a handle, making it easy, and B.) I forgot my bowl, remember?

Oats, protein powder mixed in water, an apple and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for some healthy fats.  Breakfast is served!

Word of warning: Do NOT put the dry oats in the container before the hot water drips in. You'll burn the oats to the bottom of the carafe before enough water gets in there to lube them up. No, I didn't do this. I may be too dense to remember my bowl but I DID at least manage to have enough forethought to keep from destroying the carafe and making the hotel smell like burned oats.

To wash I rinsed all the stuck gook out in the room sink. Then, in absence of dish soap, I filled the reservoir to it's top margin and ran the water through again, let it sit heating for a few minutes, then turned the coffee maker off, poured the water out, and put the carafe back into the maker to let the hot water steaming off to both dry it and do a bit of a sterilization job on the carafe.

And if you have a traveling partner who wants coffee..... well........ he's either going to have to wait or you can send him to the lobby for the stuff at the free breakfast bar. ;-)

My Suprising Weight-Loss Side Effect

Er... I'm about to talk about menopause, here, so any of you men who are uncomfy with the subject may want to skip this blog....

Is it just us ladies (and very brave men) now?  Okay.... then I can proceed:

One very interesting and unexpected side effect I have experienced with losing weight and getting fit is the disappearance of the side effects of menopause I had been experiencing.  I didn't make the complete connection until I read in one of Tosca Reno's books that she also has had no menopausal side effects since improving her lifestyle. 

I'm assuming this has something to do with the hormones that fat produces.  Reduced fat means reduced hormones, which could mean reduced symptoms. I also wonder if regular exercise plays in somehow.  But I'm not at all an expert on this subject, so really, what do I know?  I'm just grateful the night sweats, severe mood swings, and horrible headaches, among other things, are gone.

At 45 I don't think I've passed through "The Change" entirely.  But I started showing signs of pre-menopause 11 years ago, and at this stage of the game I have cycles perhaps twice a year (more than you wanted to know about me, isn't it?), so I think I'm getting close.  This also means, though, that I am at the point where I should be at the worst stage of symptoms, and instead I'm getting pretty much nuthin'.  No complaints from me!

My quest for fitness surprised me in a lot of ways, but I think this was the biggest one.  I'd be interested to hear if it happened for you, too.  And if you are still in the process of, or considering, improving your health, maybe this will give you one more motivating reason to keep on course!

Weight Lifting for the Very Heavy

Weight lifting is beneficial for just about everyone, but if you have a lot of weight to lose there are some special precautions you need to take.

First of all, bear in mind that your body is lifting weights every day just by moving around. Think about it: If you are 100 pounds overweight, that's literally lifting 100 pounds of weight every time you walk.  For this reason, you need to start out with very light weights, if any at all, because your bones can only take so much.  As your strength goes up, of course, you will be able to lift more.  But you will probably also notice that as your body fat goes down you will be able to lift heavier weights, also. This is because your body is used to lifting that much already, so adding more to your weights is simply asking it to do what it is used to because it has been doing it all along.  You will surprise and astound your weight lifting friends with your quickly increasing strength while you shrink before their very eyes!

Also, proceed with caution before raising the amount of weight you are lifting until your body weight starts moving down, and increase the amounts gradually when you do.  Because bigger bodies have more tissue to get oxygen and nutrients to, the heart already has quite the job.  Adding weights to this increases the load to the heart and internal organs.  You want to get the heart used to the added demand before you ask even more of it: We don't want you passing out with heavy stuff in your hands!

This should not discourage you from lifting weights if you have quite a lot of weight to lose, though.  There are added benefits that make it still very beneficial to you.  Two of the biggest benefits are: 1.) Muscle burns more calories at rest then fat, so you will lose weight quicker if you make some of that scale weight muscle instead of fat. And 2.) You will have a much more attractive body under there when you DO lose weight if there is some muscle to it, regardless of whether you are a man or a women. Ever see someone who loses a lot of weight but looks like a bag of bones?  Nor exactly the look most people are going for.  Don't let that person be you!

So start with no weights (particularly for arms).  You will still be getting an excellent workout!  Then increase the resistance slowly.  Before you know it, you will be a bonafide weight lifter well on your way to that shapely, fit body you've always dreamed about.  It really CAN happen, and the cool thing is that the power is all in YOUR hands!

If You Are Confused About Insulin and Fat Storage, Read This!!!

The past few years there has been quite a lot of hype about insulin and how it affects fat storage. It's super-confusing, but I think I've managed to whittle it down to something both understandable and practical for the every day person.

Here goes...... (Er, this isn't going to be real technical, so if you are into splitting hairs or are going to suggest I should have included more information, you may just want to skip this blog.)

Anyhow......

Carbohydrates make your blood sugar go up. Your body doesn't like this (high blood sugar is dangerous), so it sends out a storage hormone we call insulin to bring it back down. (BTW- the pancreas is what produces insulin, so that's why you hear so much about the pancreas when people talk about blood sugar.)

Insulin turns the carbs into glycogen and stores the glycogen in different parts of the body, namely the muscles and liver. BUT it also turns any excess glycogen that doesn't fit into the muscles and liver into fat and stores them in your fat cells. If there aren't enough fat cells to hold the fat that has been made, the body has to do something with it, so it makes more fat cells to store it in. And who wants more fat cells?

Okay, now lets add in one more thing Insulin does: It keeps another chemical, called hormone-sensitive lipase, from doing it's job properly. And that job is releasing fat from your fat tissues to be used as energy.

Sooooo..... when you eat a ton of fast-burning carbs (generally the kind that don't have much fiber in them), not only are you promoting fat storage because the muscles and liver can only hold so much, but you are also KEEPING the fat you do have from being burned off as energy. This is the main reason why low-carb diets work so well for weight loss.

Having said all of this, you don't need to run from carbs like they are the enemy. Slow-digesting carbs- like oatmeal, whole-grain breads (the real whole-grain stuff, not the kind that has white flour in it, too) and starchy vegetables- are just that: Slow digesting. They release the carbs slowly into your body so that you don't have an excess all at one time to be stored as fat.

Also, when you exercise heavily the body uses up the glycogen in your muscles very quickly. So you need to eat carbs to replace them so that you have power to not only get through your workout, but also through your day.

If you are anything like me, you are asking "So why do people go low-carb when they are exercising heavily?" The reason for that is another big, long technical explanation, but I'm gonna give the very-condensed-but-not-very-scientific answer: The body will turn fat into glycogen and burn it when your muscles and liver run out of it. And the process of turning the fat into glycogen burns calories in and of itself, so it's kinda like you are getting a little calorie-burning bonus when this happens.

The thing with this is that you want to be very careful: When I have gone too low-carb I have wound up with all sorts of not-so pleasant side effects, the scariest of which is that I started to lose my long-distance vision. It was to a point where I was beginning to question whether I should drive at night because depth perception was thrown off. Other interesting side effects for me were running out of steam very quickly, getting confused easily, feeling mentally "fuzzy", headaches, becoming incredibly irritable (my daughter thought this was the worst side effect- She'd of rather I be blind than a wench), tripping over things, falling down frequently when doing cardio (Once I fell off a bench when doing step-ups, making quite a racket. People were rushing from all of the gym to help me- embarrassing!), and general lack of coordination. Clearly, super-low carb (under about 100g a day) for me is not healthy. I think different people have different thresholds, but if you are experiencing things like this while on a low-carb eating plan, I'd suggest adding a little whole-grain, fruit, or starchy veggie into every meal. Non-starchy veggies ARE a carb source, but they are not a very condensed form of carbs and would take so much of them that you would no longer be practicing portion control, which I believe to be a key factor in losing weight and getting fit.

And as a final and fairly unrelated note, if you are working with a coach who is helping you with your eating and experience any of these symptoms, TELL THEM! Any responsible coach will alter your diet and get you out of the too-low-danger-zone. If they don't, dump them immediately and find someone else to help you. Your health is not worth having a super-svelte appearance.

Stop The Blame Game!

If you are one of these people who is always blaming someone else for your current less-than-satisfactory physical condition, it's time to give it a rest.

The fact is that I've never seen one person successfully reach their weight loss goals blaming someone else for them being overweight and out of shape.  I suspect this has something to do with the fact that when you start pointing the finger at yourself, all your excuses go out the window.

Look, I know I sound harsh.  But I have the right to say these things because I know of which I speak:  I used to be a blamer. 

My favorite person to blame was my husband.  I'll still say to this day that the man is hard on a diet.  He's not trying to be.  Truly.  But focusing on eating as a prime source of entertainment and bringing goodies into the house "for the kids" does NOT help keep me in a mindset to maintain my goals.  However, it is ME who allowed myself to eat garbage once I was tempted with the yummy foods he exposed me to.  I had options:  Ask to go to restaurants that have guilt-free foods I can eat; Saying no to junk at the movie (even if he IS holding that delicious-smelling popcorn right next to me); Telling him to please take the kids away from the house to eat the goodies RIGHT NOW;  Removing myself from the house until the tempting foods were eaten..... I'm sure there were other solutions, but the fact is that it's me who was to blame, not him.  After all, I am the one who lives in my body.

I know people who are so busy blaming others as an excuse for their current condition that they are almost obsessed with it...... Mired down in the depressed state of victim,....... looking for sympathy from anyone who will listen as to their woeful tale of why being so fat and out of shape is not their fault.........

I think they feel like if enough people say "It's Okay- You can't help the way you are", they will suddenly feel accepted and the world will be Okay with them being overweight and out of shape, and somehow that will make them happy.

If this is you........, Guess what?  Even if everyone were to pat you on the head and tell you what you want so desperately to hear, you would still look in the mirror and see exactly what you saw five minutes before they told you that. And would that image make you happy?

Didn't think so.

A lot of folks like to blame their upbringing.  Okay, so I will give it to many of you that you were brought up in homes with very few good food choices and forced to clean your plate.  I see a lot of kids whose overweight condition I do indeed blame on the parents.  How can kids eat right if they aren't given right food choices?  If you are feeding your kids garbage, it's time to accept the blame for where they are and start feeding them healthy foods, even if you don't like healthy foods yourself.  Suck it up and set the example.

HOWEVER, if you are an adult who is out of shape and still blaming your parents, it's time to grow up and assume the responsibility for the way you look. Even if they locked you in a closet and fed you nothing but Twinkies your entire upbringing, NOW you are able to make you own choices.  NOW you can reverse what they have done.  NOW is the time to change your habits.  Besides, how long is it that you have you been out from under your parents jurisdiction?

Sorry- The Mommy Excuse just doesn't hold water.

The fact is that in order to maintain a body that is too big, you have to eat too much food.  I don't care how you got that body: To maintain it you have to be eating enough food to sustain it.  Make every excuse you want, but that's a fact no one can dispute.  Well, you could.... but you'd look pretty stupid to the rest of the world if you did.

Unless you lay claim to your own health, you will never own a healthy body.  That's just the way it is.  As long as you are deflecting the responsibility for your current state on someone besides you, you are nowhere near obtaining the healthy body you deserve to have.  YOU have all of the power in this.  YOU made choices that got you where you are today, whether you became unhealthy on your own or entered into adulthood that way.  And only YOU can get yourself out of it.

How?  Start with accepting.  Phrases like "I am the one who is responsible for being here."  "My dissatisfaction with my body is because of me, not anyone else." "Sure, other people may not have been supportive, but I make the choices that keep me here."

Believe it. Let it sink in.  Feel it.

And then?  Cast it away.  Forgive yourself.  Move forward, making better choices.  (I blogged about that here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2010/04/love-yourself-in-your-current-condition.html)

And enjoy life.  You have gone way too far being miserable. It's time to forgive everyone, including yourself (read the above blog link), and live life out from under the cloud of blame.  When you do that, you are ready to take care of yourself the way you deserve.

Protein Pancakes I Actually Don't Mind Eating!

After trying many recipes for protein pancakes and finding nothing I considered short of gag-inducing, I came up with my own recipe in sheer desperation of wanting a different way to combine my traditional oatmeal-and-eggs breakfast.

The two key differences in my protein pancakes is that I cook the oatmeal first, and I add baking powder. I think this helps the texture a great deal.

I will be the first to tell you that I am not a purist when it comes to clean eating. It's probably because I am lazy. At any rate, if this recipe does not measure up to someone's clean-eating standards, I apologize in advance, but making a super "clean" recipe wasn't my goal: Making a quick high-protein low-fat thing I cooked in a pan like a pancake and could put sugar-free syrup on was.

One more note before I share the recipe: While I love them and they take care of my pancake cravings, this is NOT going to taste like anything like the fluffy white pancakes you get at IHOP.  They are a different kind of pancake altogether.


Nancy Anne's Oatmeal Protein Pancakes:

First, cook 1/3 C oats in just enough water to make them really thick.

Next, spray a pan with non-stick spray and heat on Medium-high. (My burner goes from 1-10 and I put it on an 8.)  OR you can spray a griddle and heat it to 400.

While the pan or griddle is heating, mix into the cooked oats:
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I always use Beverly International's UMP.  Just seems to cook up the best without that weird taste protein powders can get when you cook with them)
- 1 egg white (This would be about 3T liquid egg white)
- 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste (optional)
- Small splash of vanilla extract
-  Pinch of salt

Mix well, then stir in just enough water to make it pancake batter consistency.

By now your pan should be good and hot. Pour about 1/3 of the above mixture into the pan. It should spread out by itself, but if it doesn't push it around until it's a round shape. Cook until the edges look dry, then flip and brown a little on the other side. (At this point it is mostly done, so no need to leave it sitting as long on the second side. You are just trying to make it un-gooey.)

Plate the pancake, and, if your pan is not non-stick, take it off the heat, spray with non-stick spray again, and repeat two more times. (If you spray it on the heat your spray will scorch and make the pancake taste not-as-good, never mind make the pan more difficult to clean.) If it's non-stick there's no need to re-spray and can just pour more batter in there.

If you are using a griddle, just make 3 pancakes.

When you are done, you will have three Oatmeal Protein Pancakes- it's a good sized plate of food! You can top with whatever you want. I use sugar-free syrup heated in the microwave and sometimes Smart-Balance light margarine.  

Here's a pic of my finished product:

Let me know what you think!

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Recently both of my adult daughters, one who is in college and the other who is married to an enlisted Marine (in other words, not much money right now) told me that they try to eat healthier, but it's expensive.  And you know what?  They're right.  Since being more selective about my food choices my grocery budget has gone way, way up.  I've been thinking about blogging about this for a while, but I've hesitated because it's a difficult blog to write.  First of all, while I am very good at saving money (I was the broke single Mom of four- I can pinch a penny til it squeals!), I am not by any means a guru of all the healthy foods out there, so I certainly don't know every tip available to mankind.

My daughter Alex, however (the one married to the Marine), encouraged me to blog about it so I'm going to give this a shot.  But I'm doing it with the warning that this is NOT a blog on how to eat cheap and super-healthy.  It's a blog on how to eat healtiER on a budget.  Because if your income is severely limited the sad fact is that you probably won't be able to eat 100% clean or have an optimal food supply.  There is no way I could afford to eat grass-fed organic meat (expensive!) with every meal.

Having said that, here are some tips you can implement to help reduce your grocery budget while making healthier choices.  Pick and choose as they apply to you:

- Eggs!  They're usually less than $2 a dozen, and are packed with all sorts of good things for you.  Also, a whole egg will usually keep you feeling full for a long time.  If you eat two whole eggs with toast and a salad or a piece of fruit, that's a filling and quick meal that costs very little.  Also, egg-based dishes like quiche can be made crust-less and poured into a greased pie pan for relatively little money.   I have a recipe that uses canned skim evaporated milk (store brand very cheap), cheese (I use 2%- this is a couple of buck), and ham (I buy the cheapest cubed store brand they have).  Lots of protein, and the whole thing goes together for about five bucks and lasts at least a couple of nights.  More if you are not feeding other people.

- I've done the math and liquid egg whites, while they appear to be expensive per container, are usually less expensive per white than separating the white from a whole egg.  Plus, it's a lot more convenient.  Having said this, if you want the most nutritional value for your buck, eat two whole eggs and forget about separating whites.  You'll get a little more fat and calories, but you'll be full longer for less money.

- Turkey bacon is less expensive than pork bacon and lots lower in fat.

- Frozen veggies, particularly store brand, are economical, usually more nutritious than fresh (fresh usually loses nutrients in shipping and shelf-ripening), and keep better so there is less waste.  Make sure they don't have pasta or sauces added.  When you see a sale on them and have a few extra bucks, stock up!  Then on those days when you are flat broke you can have a veggie omelet and fill your tummy with nutritious food.

- I know everyone touts the benefits of Ezekiel bread, but at $5 a loaf it's almost a mute point to even suggest it to someone on a limited budget.  If you can, get double fiber bread.  Or at least 100% whole grain.  And don't feel guilty about eating packaged bread- You know how much better whole-grain bread is for you than the white junk most Americans consume?  Which reminds me: No matter HOW broke you are, don't buy white bread.  Bad, bad, bad.  It's completely and utterly nutritionally void, and I don't care what kind of stuff they've sprayed in there to "fortify" it.  This is one place you need to spend an extra buck.

- Keep in mind that lots of things, like bread and even milk and cheese, freeze.  So if you find a really good deal on something, toss it in the freezer until your current supply has run out.

- Skim milk is usually lower priced than other milks that have fat in them.  And look for the store brand of milk!  It's usually less expensive than name brand.  Often people don't realize more than one brand of milk is on the shelf.

- Forget soy, almond, and any other non-milk "milks".  First of all, they're expensive, and second of all, their calcium count is usually far below that of cow's milk.  Furthermore, I've found that almond and soy milk, while lower in calories, are higher than fat than skim milk  (Which has no fat)

- If you are military and have access to a base commissary, USE IT!  Particularly for perishable items.  Produce, meats, dairy, and frozen foods are almost always significantly less expensive in base commissary's.  If they are a bit of a drive away, go once a month or every two weeks to stock up on the staples.  On canned items, though, you can often do better price-wise if you buy the Walmart brand.

- If you have an Aldi near you, peruse the aisles of it to see if there are any healthy options.  Their milk and produce is usually quite a lot less expensive than a regular grocery store  Be sure to bring your own bags and be prepared to fill them yourself after checking out!

- For canned items, get the store brand.  The truth is that they are often made in the same facility as the more expensive stuff.

- Check the price of ground turkey breast against the price of lean ground beef.  I've been surprised to find in some stores that it is less expensive.

- Speaking of ground beef,  be aware of which level of fat is REALLY the best deal.  Sometimes the leaner cuts are more expensive by the pound, but when you figure that 1/4 of the bulk will cook out of the cheapest kind in the form of fat, sometimes the leaner beef actually winds up being a better bargain.  On the other hand, if you are making a recipe that calls for cooked and drained ground beef and the fattier kind is significantly less expensive, go ahead and get it, making sure to buy 1 1/3 pounds of 75% lean ground beef for every pound of beef called for in your recipe, since 1/3 a pound will cook off as fat.  Then after it is done browning rinse it REALLY well with hot water for several minutes in a colander (keep the hot water going after the beef is drained, to keep the fat from clogging up your sink), before proceeding with your recipe.  You will be left with beef that is just about, if not as, lean as the 95% lean beef.

- Work beans into your diet frequently.  They help take up bulk and stretch meat dishes farther, and are really good for you!  And are they ever cheap!  Canned are inexpensive (rinse then first to reduce their sodium content), but dried are cheaper yet.  You have to soak the dried kind, but they are a wonderful dollar-stretcher.

- If you have a local Farmers Market USE IT!  You will get very fresh produce that tastes better and is healthier than anything you can get in a store for a lot less money.

- Buy in bulk.  If it is something you know your family will eat a lot of and the price is less per ounce (you need to check), go ahead and stock up.  But make sure it won't go bad before you can eat it all.

- Don't buy in bulk.  Yeah, I know I am contradicting myself, but if you are trying something for the first time and not sure you will like it, or if you can't eat it before it goes bad, or if the container isn't going to fit in the space you have to store it, buying in bulk is risky business.  You could wind up paying $8 for that big box of cereal that you are never gonna touch again, or have to throw away because it spoiled, or your roommate throws away because they are tired of it sitting on the counter since it won't fit in your dinky little dorm cabinet.  That eight bucks coulda gone in your gas tank.  Better to spend half as much for a much smaller size.

-  Fake crab meat.  It's an inexpensive and low-fat high protein food that tastes pretty good.  With it I make crab enchiladas, crab omelets, crab quiche, and crab salad.  

- Canned Tuna in water.  It keeps for a ga-zillion years on your shelf and when you're hungry and low on money it's a good, lean source of protein.

- Before you go shopping make menus and a list of everything you will need to cook them, and then stick to it.  The one exception here is if you find a great deal on meat in the store- Then it's okay to swap out for one of your more expensive meat meals on your menu list.  For this reason, bring your menu list to the store, too.  (Mine is typed right into my shopping list- After I get back it hangs on the fridge.)

- Eat in!  It's really hard to find a meal you can eat out for less than the price you can eat at home.

If you found yourself saying "I don't like that!", or "My family won't eat that" to all of my above suggestions, then I am sorry, but I can't help you.  Sometimes to compromise and save money while eating healthier you just have to eat what is not your favorite.  My kids and I learned to like beans when I was a broke single mom.  You can, too.  What's more important?  Your taste buds, or your health?

Additional suggestions would be appreciated!  And if you see comments on this blog below, be sure to read them:  You might pick up even more tips!

All Oil Counts!

This is gonna be a real quick blog, and one that most of you probably don't need, thank goodness!  But I thought it was worth a mention, because occasionally I have heard people say that don't feel they need to count the oil that they cook food in, such as for a stir fry, on top of the stove.  They seem to think it either evaporates or the calories go away some other way.  This is simply not true!  Those calories soak right into your food and are what keeps it from sticking to the pan!  Then it goes right into your body.

Also, I've run across more than one person who take copious amounts (I'm talking tablespoons) of coconut oil a day, thinking it will somehow magically make them thinner.  Some even eat it right off of the spoon.  They don't count the calories, then wonder why they are not losing weight.  At 120 calories a tablespoon, these calories can add up very quickly and absolutely stall your weight loss.  Just because a fat is a "good fat" does not mean it's good for you if you eat too much.  You really CAN have too much of a good thing!

Count your oil in your daily foods!

Dealing With the Inevitable Naysayers

I haven't blogged in quite a while- I allowed someone to take the wind out of my sails for a bit, and I am sorry about that.......

Recently I had several inconsiderat things said to my about my choice to live a fit lifestyle.  It cut me to the quick, so I reached out to other fit people I know and was surprised to find out that every single one of them had been through similar things, usually many times over. I thought a blog about this might be prudent because the fact is that if you are going to choose to lead an improved lifestyle, the odds are that you are going to be met with similar comments and situations, as well.

First of all, take into consideration the physical state of the person making the comments.  If they are someone who is not in ideal shape, themselves. give that consideration before taking their comments to heart.

In light of this it stands to reason that, as my husband says, your success is probably making what they feel are their own shortcomings glaringly apparant to them.  So it's more than likely a feeling of inadequacy with themselves that leads them to say cruel or unreasonable things to you, not a true criticism of you.  So in a way they are acknowledging that they recognize your success.  For this reason, it can be taken as an off-handed compliment, if you can muster the inner strength to view it that way.

Also, bear in mind that it is NEVER your fault that someone else is not doing well in the weight loss and fitness game.  Your success cannot possibly be the reason for their non-success, regardless of how someone tries to justify it.  It is human nature to want to blame others for our own problems, so please keep that in mind when your share of criticism hits you.

Keeping all of this in mind, it's a delicate thing to know how to handle these situations.  We certainly don't want to drive people further away from changing their lives for the healthier, but on the other hand we shouldn't be targets for their frustrations, either.  I asked my friends who have also dealt with this how they handle these situations and the best suggestion yet came from my friend Tia.  She said that when critical things are said to her, she simply asks them "Why do you say that?"  This is, in my humble opinion, a brilliant strategy because it does the multiple purpose of getting the spotlight off of you, finding out where they are coming from on the off chance you might be able to help them, and getting them to reflect on their own motives.  And when done kindly, it lets them see you care about their feelings.  People can't grow when they feel attacked.  Quite frankly, I wish I'd of handled the criticisms that came my way in this manner.

Another perfectly acceptable strategy (this works particularly well when the criticism comes in a written form) is to say nothing at all.  You are under no obligation to answer a question just because someone asked it or reply to a statement just because someone said it.  And often silence says far more  than words ever could.

Also, if I had it to do all over again I wouldn't handle ANYthing by Email, letter, or text.  This is a good way to get all parties extremely upset, since your tone of voice can't be factored into the words and they can be taken in a way they were never meant.  I'd suggest, if you feel the need to communicate with someone who has written you in some way that you send them your phone number and tell them you'd much rather speak to them about it personally.  Chances are they will never call and the issue will die down, but if they do your meaning and caring will come across in your voice.  Also, people on both sides of the equation will usually type things they would never say with their voices, so for issues where it could get emotional actual talking really is the best way to go.

I hope this helps. If you are changing your health for the better and have not run into this issue yet trust me, it's coming.  Often from the least expected people.  Sometimes you will find that those you thought would be your biggest allies in your transformation will wind up being your biggest adversaries, and vice verse.  It's painful when it happens and you can't know who will say what when, but it will almost always surprise you.  If you are mentally ready for it you will hopefully be able to handle it with more grace and dignity than I did.

My Daily Supplements

I think anyone who has considered taking supplements to help boost their potential with weight loss, in the weight room, or both will agree that there are so many choices out there it's confusing and overwhelming.  This one area I will admit I am not extremely knowledgeable about.  But I have managed to learn a little and pick out what I believe to be the best and most effective supplements for my needs.  What you need may different, but this might help someone to get an idea of how to go about selecting supplements.

I take three different "stacks" (combos of supplements), timed morning, afternoon, and before bed:

1. With breakfast (for maximum absorption) I take-
- A multi-vitamin. I don't take any one brand- I just try to find a well-rounded one.  Truth be told, right now I am taking children's gummy vitamins.  So shoot me.  My diet is good enough that I don't feel I have to get picky about this one.
- A calcium/magnesium/D supplement.  The one I take has about 30% daily recommended amount of calcium and 50% recommended daily amount of D per pill (not per dose- a dose is 2, and I only take one at a time).  I take the calcium because more often than not I don't get two servings of dairy in daily.  The magnesium is for max absorption of the calcium.  And the D is because I have a past history of depression that I have noted is a lot better when I am in the sun frequently.  I thought this might be related to vitamin D, and sure enough, when I started taking D my depression was a lot easier to manage.  If I didn't get magnesium or D with the calcium pills, I would take them as a separate supplement along with it.
- An Omega fatty acids pill.  The one I take has all 3 Omegas in it (3, 6, and 9).  There is enough scientific evidence behind this one that I believe it is worth the expense.  Plus, I swear my eyesight is better when I am taking it.  On days I eat fish I skip this supplement.

In the afternoon (with lunch, if I remember) I take:
- Another Omega Fatty Acid pill
- An Iron pill, because I have a low iron level.  I keep the iron pill far away from calcium intake, either in diet or supplement, because calcium inhibits Iron absorption.

Before bed I take:
- Another calcium/magnesium/D pill.  This is a great time to take it because cal/mag has been proven to help with sleep.
- A glucosamine pill, because I have arthritis in a knee and it's supposed to help with joints.

In addition to these, on days I work out I take an L-Glutamine pill with my breakfast stack.  I guess it's best to get L-glutamine in powder form immediately following working out, but since I have a bunch of them in pill form and I know pills take a while to break down and get into the system, I take them with breakfast, reasoning it will reach my muscles by the time I am done lifting. My reasoning is NOT based on science, though; just simply on what I think, so I could be dead wrong with this one. But I don't want to waste the pills, so until they are gone this is what I will be doing.  After that I don't think I will take Glutamine at all anymore.

And right after I am done working out I have 5g of BCAA (branched chain amino acid) powder in protein powder that I put in my gym bag and add water to after lifting so I can drink it while I am walking out of the gym.  Since starting this I swear I am not as sore after my workouts.  I think they are also supposed to help aid in weight loss, but I'm not quite sure how.  I use the Modern brand and the recommended dosage is 10g, but since I am a 150-lb woman I just take 5g (single scoop).  This helps to stretch the container.  A word of warning about flavoring with BCAA powder- make sure it has some!  I got the plain the first time and my goodness, it was bitter!  I had to add a packet of stevia to my protein powder/BCAA concoction to make it palatable enough to swallow.  The flavor seems to help mask quite a lot of the bitterness.

Okay- so there you have my stacks and my reasons for them.   I used to take more, but this is what I've brought it down to and I believe benefits me the most.

What I Eat Over the Course of a Day

I'm always amazed at the number of people who ask me what it is I eat and drink in the course of a day.  This is a really hard question for me to answer, because I don't eat the same things all the time, but here are some general guidelines I try to follow:

1. I always have at least one serving of complex carbs.  This is usually 1/2 C of dry oatmeal, cooked, about an hour or so before I workout.  Often I'll have more servings of complex carbs than this throughout the day, though.

2. I usually eat oatmeal or some kind of whole grain cereal and a lean protein (Most often an egg with 3/4 cup of egg whites) for breakfast.

3. I eat before I workout.  When I don't I find myself short on both strength and endurance.  This meal is usually the above breakfast.

4.  On the way home from the gym I have a whey protein shake and a piece of fruit (usually a banana).

5.  I try to eat at least one salad a day, either for lunch or dinner.  My favorite is some kind of a southwestern salad so that I get some carbs from the corn.  It always has a source of protein (usually shrimp or chicken breast), and I ask them to leave off any chips or croutons and go easy on the cheese.  If the meat is grilled on a griddle I ask them to go easy on the butter.  I get whatever dressing I like (usually creamy), but order it on the side and fork-dip for the non-flavorful bites.  Very little is gone by the time the salad is finished.

6.  I usually have two afternoon snacks, because it's a very hungry time of day for me.  Almost always one is a small protein bar (I make sure it's really a PROTEIN bar with about the same grams of protein as carbs and low fat- otherwise I consider it a carb bar).  If it's a big one (over 300 calories) I cut it in half.  The other snack is usually low-fat string cheese and lean beef jerky OR a scoop of protein powder mixed into Greek yogurt.

7. I try to limit my fruits to 2 servings a day (I consider a banana 2 servings), and have at least 3 servings of veggies.  More is better on the veggies.

8.  The meal that is not a salad is usually a lean source of red meat (I have low iron), a whole-grain carb like brown rice, OR a baked sweet or regular potato, and a LOT of non-starchy veggies.

9. I don't drink my calories (unless it is a protein shake).

10. I drink at least a gallon of water a day (read my blog on The Importance of Water to see why).

11. If I drink anything in addition to the water, it is unsweetened tea.  Sometimes I'll put a little Stevia or Splenda in it, but I've learned to usually drink it unsweetened.  I just don't think the additional stuff does my body any good.

12.  Before bed I have a scoop of Casein powder mixed with cold water into a pudding.

If you were counting, that's seven feedings on most days.  I am always eating!  :-) 

I'll blog about supplements next blog, but that's what I ingest as a general rule most days, whether losing or maintaining.   When I am in maintenance mode my portion sizes get larger.  I hope this helps someone!

Eat Breakfast!

We've all heard the importance of starting our day off with breakfast, for not only weight loss but also general health.  But I hear so many people say "I'm just not hungry when I wake up!'.  While I normally don't advocate eating if you aren't at least a little hungry, breakfast is one time I break that rule. 

Two reasons:

First of all, with breakfast you really are breaking the fast from the night before.  To make a long metabolic description really short, when you are fasting your body will begin to turn to muscle for fuel.  I don't know about you, but I've worked very hard for this muscle and I'd rather see it sitting on my body than being burned up as energy.  So to keep as much muscle on our bodies as we can it's very important to eat breakfast and keep the fasting state from hot having eaten since the night before as brief as possible.

Secondly, I usually work out in the AM.  I've done this both without eating breakfast and with.  I note a big difference between my energy level in the gym when I eat first as opposed as to when I don't.  I sure as heck don't want to spend any amount of time trying  to better my body without the ability to put max effort into it- I don't have enough hours in my day to be wasting time like that, and I'm sure you don't either.

As for the "I'm not hungry" excuse, it won't last long!  After a couple of weeks of eating breakfast as soon after rising as possible, you will start waking up hungry.  These days I usually wake up pretty much starving and breakfast has turned into what is often my biggest meal of the day.  This is a big departure from the gal who used to hoard up all of her calories all day to be able to eat a big dinner.

You don't have to start off with anything huge.  If your appetite is virtually nonexistent first thing in the morning, just have a few bites of a good-quality protein bar and a drink of water.  If you can handle a little more than that, have a scoop of protein powder in water and a small piece of fruit, or 1/4 cup of dry oats cooked and 1/2 C of cooked egg whites or egg beaters.  As time goes on, you'll be able to eat more.

Breakfast is too valuable meal with too many health and weight loss benefits to be skipping.  It is really, truly, no-kidding important that you eat breakfast.  So no more excuses!   Time to start making your morning re-fuel a habit!

Another Product Recommendation: Micro Steamer- For More than Just Veggies!

First off, I want to say that I am NOT a Pampered Chef consultant!  (I don't even know a Pampered Chef consultant, come to think of it!)

Now I want to ask a question:  Do you own a Pampered Chef Micro Steamer? http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=251&catId=8&parentCatId=8&outletSubCat=

I've had one of these things for YEARS and all I thought I could make in it was vegetables.  It got quite the workout, but that was the limit of it's usage. 

Then we went to visit my sister in Phoenix last Christmas, who pulled hers out and used it to make slow-cook oatmeal in the microwave.  I was stunned!  I'd been making my oatmeal the old-fashioned way on the stove before that.  She just put the amount of dry oatmeal she wanted to cook in there, added as much water as she wanted, and nuked it for a few minutes.  No boiling over (my common problem with making it in the microwave), no watching it on the stove constantly and stirring so that it doesn't burn to the bottom.   She found it humorous that I was so amazed and said "It's good for more than just vegetables!".

So I went home to Texas and tried it for myself, and that thing has been getting a workout almost every day.  As a matter of fact, I think I need to get a second one because I find myself washing the one I have every morning to have it ready to steam veggies that night.  I think I might get the smaller one next time around.

At any rate, for 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal I put in about an equal amount of water (I like mine thick), put the lid on and nuke it for 2 minutes.  Then when it's done I let it sit a minute or two to soak up any additional water that didn't get cooked into it.  If it so happens that I put too much water in there and it's too soupy for me I just tip it over the sink, because the little steam holes also act as a strainer.  Then I add whatever I like to it (this morning it was pureed pumpkin, maple syrup, stevia, and cinnamon- yummy!).  After it's all mixed together I dump it into a bowl and enjoy. 

If I am having eggs and oats, I'll make my eggs while the oatmeal sits after cooking and then scramble the cooked oats in at the end of the cooking time.

Great way to get a quick hot breakfast before hitting the gym!

Maybe everyone else already knew this, but I thought I'd pass it on to any of you who hadn't thought of it before.

The Older You Are, The More You Gotta Move To Lose!

When I was 34 years old I lost 30 pounds without exercise. I followed the Weight Watchers program (materials purchsed on Ebay because I was a broke single mother of four) and occasionally took short walks during my lunch at work. That was it. I lost at the rate of 1-2 pounds a week, just like I was supposed to. Back then it wasn't all that hard.

Fast forward: Now I'm 10 years older and if I were to do that now, my weight would not budge. Not a bit. I think this is typical for most of as as we get older (and for many people in general): If we don't move, we won't lose.

I know they say that diet is 70-80% of the weight loss battle, and to a degree I agree with that. Why? Because when I eat whatever I want while exercising I GAIN weight. But if I eat what I am supposed to and don't exercise, I stay the same or lose very, very slowly. That tells me the diet is more powerful in keeping fat at bay than exercise. But if I, and most other people in mid-life and older, don't exercise we are going to have trouble shedding serious pounds.

Barring a medical condition, the only time I have seen people drop serious weight over the age of about 40 without exercising is when they have tremendous amounts of weight to lose. At first, these folks can just follow a sensible eating plan and weight will come off at a fairly predictable pace. But I've noted that usually when people get to within about 60-70 pounds of their goal weight their loss will either slow down significantly or come to a standstill without exercise.

At this point, something has to change. After close examination of diet (Are they TRULY following the program? Getting enough protein? Too many calories? Too few calories? Eating often enough?), the next thing to look at is the dreaded E word: Exercise.

But here is the beautiful thing: If you have been sedentary, you don't have to spend hours in the gym every day. You can just go for a 20 minute walk. The important thing is that you go higher than your current exercise level most days of the week. Often this little bump in activity is enough to get the metabolism going and the scale moving downward again.

As time goes on, you may hit another plateau. Then it's time to re-examine your diet and exercise levels again. Assuming your eating plan is on target, it's time to bump up the exercise a little more. I know this stinks, but it's just what has to be done to lose weight as we get older.

One thing you need to keep in mind if you are new to exercise, or if it has been a long time (several months) since you have exercised, is that you do NOT want to start off all gang-busters. If you do this, one of two things will more than likely happen: You will either burn out or get hurt. Bodies need time to adjust. At first an easy walk will be enough. When you feel ready (make sure you know the difference between "not ready" and "lazy"), either pick up your speed or increase your time. When you get to where you can walk an hour (if you have that much time), it's time to pick up the pace. There is really not a lot of point in spending more than an hour doing cardio exercise, unless you are a distance athlete.

When you get to where you feel mentally ready, you can also start to add some weight lifting. But I've blogged about that before. The point of today's blog is that if you want to lose weight when you are middle aged and older (and some younger folks with slower metabolisms) you will probably have to exercise past your current activity level to see the scale move. This is a fact a lot of people don't want to face, but if you truly want to climb out from underneath your excess fat, you are going to have to get going!

Exercise is the key that unlocks the nutrition door so that your healthy eating plan can do it's job and move the excess fat off of your body. Just give in, accept it, and start moving. :)

Don't Pre-load Your Fork!

This is a really simple tip that I heard somewhere lately (I think it was a Weight Watchers meeting): Don't pre-load your fork.  Wait to put more food on it before you are done chewing and swallowing the current bite.


I have a deserved reputation among family and friends for being a very fast eater.  This is going to sound like a excuse akin to "The devil made me do it", but I really was born this way:  There are literally photos of me screaming because my poor mother (who looks caught between amusement and horror) is not shoveling my baby food into my mouth fast enough.   When I went off to boot camp I got faster yet.  Then add motherhood to the mix and I developed the ability to positively inhale my food.

But when following the "Don't pre-load your fork" rule, I have to pay attention to my food and the process of eating.  This helps me to feel more satisfied, which, in turn makes me less likely to overeat.

Nothing horribly earth-shaking, but perhaps it can help someone else.

10 Things That Might Surprise You About Me

1.  I eat.  A lot.  I enjoy a large volume of food and this helps to keep me from binging.  My secret?  My plate is piled high with non-starchy vegetables, and I have gi-normous salads often. To season my veggies I sprinkle on various seasonings, but most often I just use salt, pepper, and lemon pepper (the secret here- no butter or oil!).

2.  I eat out often.  I have to.  Right now I am raising my daughter alone, plus I have an adult handicapped son that she and I frequently spend time with (my husband lives and works far away).  As the sole driver for her many activities I just don't have time to do as much cooking as I would like.  Plus, I really enjoy letting someone else do the dishes.  I always look for places that have healthy options at a great value.

3. I rarely share my meals.  I'll let you have a taste, and I might taste yours, but it's my food, and I'm hungry!  If it's a day where I need to be careful I'll order a grilled chicken salad and have them hold the cheese and crunchy things (Dressing is always on the side and I fork-dip), or get the baked chicken with broccoli and baked potato (toppings again, always on the side and I use sparingly).  If I feel like splurging I work it into my daily macronutrients, but I'll be eating the whole danged thing, thank you very much! 

4. Likewise, I don't need a to-go box.  On the rare occasion that I don't eat everything on my plate (including the parsley!), I'm not taking it with me.  It may look like a waste, but I don't consider it a value to have tempting stuff sitting in my fridge.

5. I have an intense sweet tooth.  A couple of times a week I'll have a few cookies or a small ice-cream cone or some other yummy thing. I've found that as I've gotten leaner I can afford to do this less and less, but the fact is that I have a sweet tooth and to deny it entirely is unreasonable, if not impossible.

6. I usually take weekends completely off from exercise. I do long and hard workout sessions most weekdays, but I don't want to have to worry about going to the gym on the weekends- they're for me and my kids.

7. I binge. This is a hard one to admit, but it does happen sometimes. Thankfully, not as often as it used to, but occasionally I do go nutz with the eating. This is a psychological (and sometimes hormonal) issue, and I'm working on it. But it still happens from time to time. (It usually starts with peanut butter.) The difference from now compared to when I was heavy is that I no longer view it as utter failure and allow it to send me into a downhill spiral of continuing to eat like crap for days on end. I start fresh the next day and really clean up my diet to help off-set the damage by reducing carbs, being careful about sodium, and making sure to get plenty of lean proteins, non-starchy veggies, and water to help the garbage I ate move out of my system.  I also try to get in a little extra cardio the next few days to help burn the stored glycogen from the binge out of my system before too much of it can get converted to fat.

8. I take at least a week off of exercise every 10 weeks or so.  This varies according to A.) How intensely I have been working out and 2.) What is going on in my life.  When I am hitting the gym super-hard, the break will come closer to the 8-week mark.  When my intensity level is lower, I'll take a break every 12.  These breaks are important to both my fitness and mental well-being, and I look forward to them.

9. I usually go for the full-fat/higher calorie version.  Fat free sour cream?  Way to ruin a perfectly good taco!  Light mayo?  Nasty!  Deserts made with Splenda for sugar and apple sauce in place of the oil?  Forget it!  I'd rather have a little of the "real" stuff than a bunch of bad-tasting and unsatisfying low-cal stuff.  And don't lecture me about how much worse this stuff is for my body.  I know, and I'm eatin' it anyway.

10. I eat a great, big breakfast.  I mean, huge.  It's calorie dense and yummy, although usually very healthy.  A typical breakfast for me is 1/2 C of dry oatmeal with a chopped up apple cooked in it and about a teaspoon of Smart Balance Margarine and cinnamon mixed in (this makes a pretty big bowl of oatmeal, BTW).  I'll eat along side this a whole egg scrambled with 1/2 to 3/4 C of liquid egg substitute or egg whites.  I like to start my day with a full belly. 

Being fit is work, but I am far from perfect and there are some things I just won't compromise on.  Maybe some of these things will change as I progress (#7 would be a great one to lose!).  But if none of them do I'm not kicking myself.

Make Sure Your Trainer Or Nutritionist Is Qualified

Make sure that who you hire as a Personal Trainer or Sports Nutritionist is qualified to help you. Here's a few tips:

- Ask to see their certification. In person, either a personal trainer or sports nutritionist should be able to show you a little card given to them by their accredited organization that tells when their certification expires. When working with a trainer long-distance they should be able to send you to a profile on-line with the organization they are certified by. I'm not trying to solicit business, but just so that you can get an idea of what I'm talking about, here's mine: http://www.acefitness.org/findanacepro/ACECertifiedProfessionalProfile.aspx?acecp=dxwz6zz

- Watch out for their phrasing when they discuss who they are certified with. For instance, if they say "I have been certified with", and then rattle off a bunch of accredited organizations, beware! This probably means they are not currently certified. It also means they are trying to be deceitful. Do you want to pay money to someone who is trying to deceive you from the get-go?

- While personal trainers can legally give you some help with diet, to hold the title "Sports Nutritionist" in almost every state a person needs to have both a degree in a related field (duh!), and an additional certification as a Sports Nutritionist. If you ask to see the certification, you can pretty much know that they have the degree. So a chef who is also a personal trainer does not a Sports Nutritionist make.

Here's an article on it, if you want a little more info: http://www.ehow.com/about_6587653_education-plan-sports-nutrition.html

And trust me, you won't have to ask if they have a degree- any accredited Sports Nutritionist will let you know right off of the bat that he or she has a bachelors in Sports Nutrition. If they don't, either start asking questions or run away!

- Just because someone is a sports nutritionist does not mean they are a personal trainer, although changes are they will also have that certification, as well, because it just makes sense.

Why is certification so important? Because we have to keep our certifications current, which means we are taking CEC courses, which means we are learning the latest in at least one area of our field. I have taken CEC courses in lifestyle and weight management, women's fitness, targeting exercise specifically for the clients needs, and senior fitness. Additionally, at least with ACE, we get a monthly publication that keeps us abreast of all that is the latest and greatest in the health and fitness world. When someone has access to the very latest information (I usually find out about it before non-certified people do) , they can give you the best help possible.

The Importance of Water

One of the keys to losing and now maintaining my weight has been drinking copious amounts of water (rarely less than 1 and sometimes up to 2 gallons a day).  I promised someone a while back who was surprised I considered it so important that I would post a blog on the subject.  I'm finally making good on that promise.

Here are a few of the many benefits of drinking plenty of water (not zero-calorie beverages:  WATER!)

- Let's start with the most motivating one:  Water helps waste move through the body in a mighty way. This means that a bunch of crud won't be hanging around inside you and you're more likely to weigh less on the scale in the mornings (after you've peed), because the content of your intestines will weigh less.  Full intestines can cause several pounds of scale weight gain if you are.... er..... stopped up.  So drinking water helps to give you a truer scale weight.

-Water helps to break down the nutrients in your food better, thus increasing your metabolism.  Not only that, if you are getting the nutrients you need the chances of cravings is reduced.

- Water helps regulate blood sugar, which helps insulin levels to stay steady, also reducing your likelihood to overindulge in sweet stuff.

- Water helps to give your stomach a full feel so that you are less likely to overeat.

- Plenty of water in your system helps your body to keep you cool during workouts, therefore allowing you to work out harder and get more bang for your exercise buck.

- Water is the primary ingredient in the synovial fluid around the joints, which allows them to move freely and gives them cushioning during your workouts.

There are a TON of other ways that water benefits the body, but these are ones that specifically relate to weight loss and fitness.

Can you drink too much water?  Yes- There is such a thing as water toxicity.  But to get that you have to drink stupid amounts of water.  The kidneys can process quite a lot of water an hour (over a quart) easily.  You'd pretty much have to TRY to drink too much water to get water toxicity.  Stay away from water-chugging contests and you'll probably be fine. :-)

And lastly, do I pee a lot?   YES!  But you don't pee out all that you drink- water goes out of you in other ways, like sweat and respiration, too.  And I will say that my bladder size has increased since increasing my water intake.  So while I still visit the bathroom more often than most other adults I know, I'm not seeing the inside of the ladies room as often as I did this time last year.

It's All In the Details

I've been working with an individual who is in the middle of his weight loss journey.  He has managed to lose about 40 pounds but still has at least that much to go and has hit a plateau.  I asked him if he was logging everything that crossed his lips, explaining that most often eating plans don't work because the user is doing something wrong.  He assured me that he was.  So we bumped up his calories.  Still no progress.

Than last week he called and said that he was looking at the back of his jar of olive oil and was stunned to see that it had 120 calories per Tablespoon.  Turns out he had not been logging the points from his oils and condiments, thinking there were such small amounts that it wouldn't make any difference in his weight loss.  I explained that these calories can add up very quickly and indeed stall well-intended weight loss efforts. 

He said something that I was, quite frankly, relieved to hear.  And that was; "I think that when I had more weight to lose I could get away with making mistakes like this, but now that I've lost some weight I have to be more diligent." 

Bingo! 

EVERYONE who is trying to lose weight should account for everything that crosses their lips, but it's especially important for people who have been on the weight loss journey a while.  And when you get down very close to goal (within about 10 pounds or so) it is particularly important to be fastidious about logging virtually everything you eat and watch your macronutrient ratio.  (I like 40% of calories from each carbs and protein and 20% from fats, as I blogged about in my "Moving Past a Weight Loss Plateau" blog a couple of months ago.)

Also, little things like the sugars in ketchup, eating bites off of your kids plates, and eating starchy snacks before bed (this can do a real number on your insulin levels, causing you to store fat instead of burning it while you sleep) can make the difference between losing weight or not.

So if the scale isn't moving-

1-  Go back to the basics and re-read the ground rules of the program you are on.
2-  Recommit to the plan in it's purest, un-you-if-ied form.
3- Measure everything- Portions tend to grow with time when you are eyeballing them.
4- Drink plenty of water each day. (I'm talking a gallon or more- no kidding!)
5- Most importantly, investigate the calories of EVERYTHING you eat, and log them.

Most times I am less likely to eat a handful of BBQ chips if I know I have to write it down and account for the calories and macronutrients.

It's the little things, I've found, that can make or break weight-loss success.

Lunging Without Damaging Your Knees

My belief is that, after Squats, lunges are the best exercise out there for the lower body- Especially the butt! If yours is flat, lunges will help round it out. If it's too round, lunges will help it look more compact. The folks I've seen who do lunges religiously have nice firm backsides and hamstrings, and flared hips with reduced saddlebags.

But a lot of people are afraid to lunge and never realize the benefits of this compound move. And with good reason- Lunging wrong can cause some serious damage to knees. I avoided them for a long time, then started to do some experimenting and discovered a few very simple things that finally made lunging possible for me again:

1. Do walking lunges ONLY! Forget stationery lunges or back lunges- both types seem to aggravate the knee of my forward foot when going into the backwards part of either motion. (This would be pushing back into start in the case of front lunges, and lowering down in the case of back lunges). The tendency when going backwards is to stabilize with the toes, and my experience is that when I am stabilizing with the toes my knee will instinctively go in front of my toes to balance my body, which stresses it. Walking lunges enable me to leave my toes out of the equation entirely, if I really concentrate on pressing through my heels.

Also, in my opinion, walking lunges simply do a better job of shaping the lower body, since they use all the muscles together through the entire range of motion.

2. Push through the heel of the front foot! Just as with squats, I make a mindful effort to think "heels, heels, heels" when I am lunging. When I push through the toes of the front foot, there goes my knee too far forward again and I feel that old familiar twinge for the next few(or more) days.

3. Take a big, "This-feels-way-too-long" step forward. The farther out you step, the safer the position is for your front knee because it's as far away as possible from being over the toes.

4. When following through with your back foot (bringing it forward), pause slightly, touching your toes to the ground next to the stationary foot.  This allows you to regain your balance and center yourself.  THEN bring what was the back foot to the forward position. This will help keep you from landing on your toes to balance you when that rear foot moves to the front position.

One added note- I hate those short lunges people do to better hit quads. They just look to me to be a knee disaster waiting to happen. If you want to do a multiple-joint exercise that focuses mostly on quads, do front squats or close-stance leg presses.

And that's it! In a nutshell, do walking lunges with big, wide steps, pause before you bring the back foot forward, and stay in your heel on the front foot. You'll feel these the next day, and your backside will thank you!

Top 12 Things I Wish I Could Say to People in the Gym

1. Ask me for help!  I'm not going to bite, and I'd be honored!

2. You aren't lifting enough!  If you are still leg pressing the same weight you were pressing six months ago (or one year or five years ago), you aren't challenging your muscles and aren't going to see growth.  Women especially are guilty of this.  They seem to think "Eight pounds is what I curl", instead of "How much more can I curl?"

3.  You're lifting too much!  If you are losing your form (arching your back, using momentum to get the weight up, or otherwise employing bad technique), for Pete's sake, lower the weight and do it correctly!  Not only will you dramatically reduce your risk of hurting yourself and gain better muscle, but you also won't look like an idiot to everyone else in the gym.

4. You aren't going low enough on squats!  Check my blog "Squatting Re-learned" here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2009/12/squatting-re-learned.html to see what I'm talking about.

5. Your back isn't strait enough!  Hunching when you do ANY exercise is bad form.  You're back should feel so strait that it feels like you're butt is protruding.  I see a hunched back most often on Dumbbell Bent Rows and Tricep Kick Backs.  Look in the mirror and check your form!  You should be able to put a 3/4 full cup of coffee on your back and not have it spill.

6. Let go!  When you set the treadmill to an incline and then hold onto the handles and lean backwards while walking, you are no longer at an incline!  Let go and do an incline that you can manage withOUT hanging on!

7. Stop it with the cardio, already!  As I've said in the past, lifting weights does more for fat loss and body shaping than cardio ever could.  Cut your elliptical time in half and come lift weights!  We really aren't scary people at the lifting end of the gym.... really!  (Please refer to #1)

8. Unrack your weights!  Okay, all of you lugheads... Not everyone can take that 45 or 100-pound plate down from a bar that's 5-feet off the ground.  And it's just a hassle to have to put someone else's weights away.  Practice good gym etiquette and put ALL your weights away after you are done using them.  Even if you started with weights that were already racked.

9. Read a book!  Or a magazine...... Pick up some literature on correct lifting technique and setting up a program.  You'll be safer and see results quicker this way.

10. Try something new!   Ever seen the big guys that are in their 50's and played football in College and are STILL lifting the exact same way because "I've always done it like this!"?.  Notice that they don't look like college football players anymore?  This is because they are missing one very key component:  Football!  Look, when you're out there doing the stuff that a sport, particularly football, requires, you don't have to be as comprehensive in the gym because the sport itself is most of your workout.  But when you take the sport out of the equation, you need to change your gym routine to reflect that!  (And they wonder why their bodies never change.)......  This rule also applies to anyone who is not getting results in the gym- You can't do the same routine forever expecting to get the same results, because muscles adapt so quickly.  Keep 'em guessing and try new moves frequently!

11. Ask me to spot you! I may be a female, but my partner is the most muscular fella in the gym.  If I can spot him, I'm pretty sure that between me and you we can get that heavy weight off of you before it falls on your head and knocks you cold or crushes your sternum.  I'd rather spot you than perform CPR.

12. SHUT UP!  Just stop talking and exercise, already! :-D

A Product Recommendation: PACE Weights

For Christmas I recieved something I feel is a valuable tool in my strength and muscle gaining arsenal: PACE Weights ( paceweights.com )

These were first mentioned to me by Ross, a trainer I worked with a year ago.  He told me about little 1/2 pound magnetic weights that attach to other types of metal weights (to include plates on cable machines) and make it possible to go up in poundage.   I Googled them, bookmarked the site, then asked for them for Christmas this year.

I'm sure you have experienced times when you can't go up to the next 5 or 10 pound weight, but the current weight is just a little too light for the number of reps you had in mind.  It's frustrating!  BUT, if you can go up 1/2 pound at a time, you can inch closer to that next weight mark.  Ross said "Can you imagine how fast you can gain strength if you can go up just a pound at a time?"  He was right- since starting to work out with my PACE Weights my strength has increased MUCH faster than it did without them.

IMHO they're kinda expensive- the full set is $89 and with shipping it comes out to $103.  This is for 18 PACE Weights (9lbs).  You can also get a smaller set of 9 PACE Weights (4 1/2 pounds), for $57.  But unless you strictly work out with one Dumbbell at a time, I'd recommend  the larger set.  I've had occasion to use more than 9 of them at once already.   And get the ones that include the case!  It makes them portable and more accessible with a place to store them.   I take mine to the gym and use them 5 days a week.

My friend Tammie saw mine, got PACE Weight envy, and purchased a set for herself.  I got a text this morning telling me how much she likes them.  This is one really great product! 

And no, I'm not on commission! :-D  I just believe in recommending a great product when I find it.

Moving Past a Weight Loss Plateau

Stuck?  Can't get the scale to move?  The information in this blog might help you.  These are also excellent techniques to apply even if you aren't plateaued- This information is good for everyone to know.  I'm a firm believer that knowledge is power!

The very first thing you want to do is be honest with yourself about what you are eating.  Are you slipping extra food in there you don't acknowledge?  Pretending that cookies are 25 calories a piece?  Drinking sugary drinks with the theory that since they slide down so quick the calories don't count?  If this is the case get real with yourself, then read.

The next thing you want to do is determine your BMR.  I used to do this by an actual mathematical formula, but then I found this web site (there are other BMR calculators online, but this one is my fav because it has other numbers you need on there, too): http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm  Simply enter in your information and then select "Basal Metabolic Rate" (that's what BMR stands for, by the way) in the drop-down menu.  BMR is approximately the number of calories that you would burn if you were to just lie around all day.  This is a number you do NOT want to go under very often.

Next, choose the drop-down option in the box that has the amount of days/intensity you exercise.  The numbers that come up below will give you maintenance, weight loss, and extreme weight loss.  Here's one place where I have a beef with this site:  The "extreme weight loss" number is almost always less than your BMR.  Forget that!  For max weight loss, simply bring your caloric intake down to your BMR number.  The biggest..... no.... scratch that.... The SOLE cause I've seen of stalled weight loss in a reduced-calorie diet is people eating less than their BMR.  When you eat too little, your body slows down it's metabolism in an act of self-preservation in case you should suddenly become comatose.  If you raise it to just above your BMR you will actually burn more calories than the added number you are consuming.  People have a hard time believing me on this one, until they actually start DOING it.  Then they are simply amazed!

The next thing you want to do to maximize your weight loss AND preserve muscle is be careful to get enough protein.  I've found a fairly safe and effective ratio for someone is a split of about 40% of calories from each protein and carbs and 20% from fats, most of which you want to be healthy fats.  This is pretty easy to figure out if you remember the following things:

- Both Protein and Carbs have 4 calories per gram
- Fat has 9 calories per gram.
(By the way, I cover this information in my blog "Carbs, Fat, Protein" here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2010/03/carbs-fat-and-protein.html)

So, let's say your BMR is 1450 calories and you decide that, to be safe, you want to come in at around 1500 calories a day. (Trust me, the extra 50 calories won't matter to a hill of beans in the big picture of weight loss, and since everyone is an individual and the BMR calculator is approximate I always advise to raise the amount slightly just to make sure you are getting enough.)

All you have to do is multiply 1500 by .4 to know how much 40% is of your calories- in this case it is 600.  Divide this by 4 (the amount of calories in a gram of both carbs and protein), and you come up with 150.  So on a 1500 calorie diet, you want to get about 150 grams of each carbs and protein.

The remaining calories, then, will of course come from fat.  (Or you can multiply 1500 by .2 for 20%, but I find it's easier to just work with the remaining calories.)  At any rate, by either method the answer for a 1500 calorie diet is 300 calories from fat.  Simply divide 300 by 9 (the amount of calories in a gram of fat), and you get the grams of fat you want to shoot for in a day.  In this case, it's 33.33.  For simplicity's sake, lets round this up to 35.  (Yeah, I know that's about 15 more calories a day, but it's no big deal!)

So we have determined that someone on a 1500 calorie diet is going to aim to get in a day:
- 150g protein
- 150g carbs
- 35g fat

Try as much as possible to get an even amount of carbs and protein within each meal, and try to make as much of your fats as possible from healthy/natural sources (the fats in your meats, olive & canola oils, avocados, nuts, etc.).  This will, of course, require tracking your foods.  There is a pretty good free on-line tracker on sparkpeople.com that breaks down the macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat).  You have to make an account to use it, but I've found it invaluable. 

It's an interesting way to eat that requires some adjustment.  You will find that things like french fries will very quickly throw your numbers way out of whack.  You will start to determine if eating something like chocolate cake is worth it to you to feel bloated and see a rise on the scale the next day (it's the carbs, and they'll burn off quick enough once you go back to your exercise and the 40/40/20 way of eating- I cover this in my blog  here: http://itallmakesadifference.blogspot.com/2010/05/unexplained-gain-is-nothing-to-sweat.html).  You won't look at food the same after eating like this for a while, and in my opinion that's a good thing.

I'll be honest:  Most people have an easier time raising their calories than they do raising their protein and lowering their fat.  Why?  Because it requires truly changing the way they eat, and folks love their carbs.  But if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep looking like you've been looking. 

It's your body.  It's your choice.  But now at least you have the tools to make a difference.

Are You a Lone Wolf, or a Pack Animal?

What works best for you?  Going it alone, or being part of a team?  For your best success you really need to figure out which you are and be true to yourself.

I've tried to lose weight as part of a partnership before.  I failed miserably.  Why?  Probably for the same exact reason I am not fond of team sports:  I'm afraid of screwing up the team.  And, worse yet, when one of my partners falls down I feel like the team is down, so therefore I am down.  I stop trying.
 
Also, when I am in a state of  focus on self-improvement, I've found I'm kinda wobbly- I'm focused like a laser beam in an attempt to get solid footing on a new venture.  Consequently, I'm easy to tip over!  While a lot would look at a partner as a source of support, I look at another person as someone who threatens my balance.  To me, it's sorta like two people trying to walk on a tightrope at the same time.

The truth is, all that trying to be part of a weight loss partnership has ever done for me is set me farther back than I was when I started.  I finally reached the conclusion that I really am better off on my own.

On the other hand, I can be great in a workout partnership, but it takes a particular kind of person for this to work for me:  He has to be male (women don't tend to push me hard enough), knowlegable about lifting so that I don't have to be a trainer while I'm trying to get a good workout, pretty danged muscular (if I'm going to be lifting heavy with you, I need to be able to relax enough to know you can keep the 150 pound weight from crushing me), very dependable, and ON TIME!  I'm prompt- A lifting partner who is not also prompt tends to cause me a great amount of stress.  It's very hard to find all of these things in one person, BTW.  My current lifting partner even leaves a little something to be desired in the promptness department.

On the pack animal side, there are three guys in my gym who work out together cross-fit style with amazing regularity.  I think the camaraderie is what keeps them coming back and pushing themselves harder.   They continue to do what works for them, day after day after day.  They have my respect.

I also know ladies who would rather go to their weight loss meetings in packs.  They cheer one aother on and meet regularly, encouraging each other to make smart choices.  In some ways I very much envy them and the compatibility.  As a naturally social person I very want to be a part of the group! 

I remember one particular instance about 6 months ago when  I was sitting in a restaurant after my Weight Watchers meeting.  At a table nearby there was a group of gals who not only went to the same meeting, but also had gone to church with me.  One of them spokekindly to me when she passed by to use the restroom, but I was most certainly not invited to join them.  Did I feel a little self-conscience sitting there alone eating my grilled steak and sweet potato without butter while they laughed and had a good time together nearby?  Yes.  But eventually all of them stopped going to the meeting- One of them dropped off and then the rest quit in quick succession (this further proves to me that my "If one falls, the rest aren't far behind" theory).  It might also be worth noting that I reached my goal weight and am STILL going to the meetings to help maintain my weight loss.  Alone.

This isn't to say I don't believe in supporting others:  I do!  I sincerely desire to support and encourage others to lay claim to their own health and be the very best that they can be.  I truly feel this is part of my calling, and I enjoy it. I'm a big encourager at my Weight Watchers meetings, I'll spot anyone who asks me in the gym, and on-line I try to help as many people as possible.  Sometimes I will also seek out support and encouragement.  These things energize me!  But for the actual work of getting the job done for myself personally, I need to think of myself as a one-woman team.

I know I'm not making a very good case here for the pack-animal mindset, but the point is that I thought it through, found my reasons for choosing to go about my weight loss the way I did, and then DID it.  I'm hoping that by relaying my personal experiences you will start to think about what will work best for you.

You also need to be very honest with yourself about not only what style works best for you, but also your circumstances:  You can be as convinced as anything that you'd do better with buddies, but if you live on an isolated island and want to be healthy, you'd better accept the fact that if it's going to happen you're going to have to develop the determination to do it by yourself.

Lone Wolf or Pack Animal?  Which are you?

Abs Are NOT Made in the Kitchen!

I've heard the phrase "Abs are made in the kitchen" quoted lately by a lot of people I greatly respect.  I've given it a lot of thought and have finally decided that, while I think I understand the intention behind this statement, I don't agree with it.  At least, not entirely.

You can eat right all you want to and reduce the fat on your body, but the muscle that makes abs is not made in the kitchen.  Mine were made mostly flat on my back on the floor doing ab exercises.  And since my kitchen has a hard tile floor, I can say with utmost certainty that my abs were NEVER made in the kitchen.  Uncovered in the kitchen?  Yes!  Made there?  NO!

I guess I don't like the phrase "Abs were made in the kitchen", because it gives the false impression that if folks just eat well enough, they'll have abs of steel.  Tight, muscular abs come from the hard work of exercise.  Getting them hard, however, requires dedication to reducing fat through diet.  Becuase let's face it:  Fat isn't hard, it's soft.  So if you have hard ab muscles but they are covered up by soft fat, you're still gonna have soft abs.

I've said before and will say again that you can build all the lean, strong, beautiful muscle you want to, but if it's covered up by fat no one is gonna see it.  It doesn't mean the muscle you are building isn't doing you any good, because it certainly is!  It's benefiting your health in a myriad of ways I won't take the time to go into here.  But the fact is that you won't be able to actually visibly SEE the muscular fruits of your labor if you are over-fat. 

It's always a two-part equation to building ANY muscle, not just abs:  Fat reduction and weight bearing exercises.  You can't leave one out and expect to see big results.

Abs are built in the gym and unveiled in the kitchen.

Forget Making Fitness Your New Years Resolution!

The term "New Years Resolution" sounds temporary-  Like it is only supposed to last through the in new part of the year.  Instead, make your fitness goals a "Life Time Resolution".

The problem with making weight loss and being more fit sound like temporary goals, even if you reach those goals, is that they aren't temporary at all!  Who wants to lose the weight just to gain it back?  Or get fit just to lose all of the progress they have made and go back to what they were before they set the goal?  "Not I!", said the cat!  These are goals that we want to be permanent, and to make them permanent you have to start patterns and habits that you will employ for the rest of your life.  Otherwise, you are going to find yourself right back where you started.

So save your New Years Resolution for one-time good deals, like buying a new house or re-doing the spare room.  Your health-related resolutions should have nothing to do with the New Year and have everything to do with being resolved to live a healthier life from this point on out.