Top 10 foods for a lucky 2010!
PIN IT!http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/new-years-eve/lucky-foods?GT1=47001
Out with the old…in with moderation.
Happy New Years Eve! Can you believe it’s nearly 2010? Although I’m spending half of today at work and drugged up on DayQuil, I will not let my minor cold get in the way of my party plans tonight and my bigger plans for the New Year.
If you recall, my resolution is to make and accomplish a new years resolution everyday of the new year. And so far, so good! I have 2 pages of notebook paper (back and front) filled with ideas and things to keep my resolution on track.
But I’m not the only person out there with a resolution for the new year. (That’s for sure!) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this conversation this week:
PERSON A: “I’m going to lose weight this year,” PERSON B “you said that last year, and hunny, you look the same!” A “Well that was different, I had ____ going on and _ and __ stopped me, this year is different!” B “what’s your game plan? how are you going to lose it?” A “By doing diet XYZ, and not eating _ and _!”
Just in that brief convo I can already see how person A’s resolution is not going to stick, and just like last year, they will find themself in the same predicament come December 31, 2010. Here’s why: Person A’s first response to person B was full of excuses and blamed everything on outside sources. You are 100 percent accountable for what you put in and what you do with your body. The first thing we need to do is take responsibility for how we treat our bodies. You can’t keep blaming your weight gain on a recent break up or fight with your mother, it’s ultimately you who decides how you react and handle these situations. [And eating 6 big macs is neither healthy or productive].
Reason #2 it won’t work: Person A’s weight loss solution is to follow a strict diet and completely cut certain foods out of their regime. This brings me to the main topic of my post today; moderation. No diet will ever be successful if you deprive yourself from any sort of food. Completely cutting chocolate cake from your diet may seem like a sure-fire way to lose weight, but really all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a total bingefest when you have a bad day, go through a break up, or fall prey to a temporary lapse in judgement. It happens to all of us, so why not plan, in your weight loss goals, for that day? You are never going to read ANYTHING that says one piece of chocolate cake a month is going to kill your weight loss strategies. You need to be realistic about your diet and become best friends with the idea of moderation.
What is moderation? Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. As adults, we have the ability to consciously make decisions and know the differences between right and wrong. Although the second photo looks like more fun, shoving your face into a cake and eating the entire thing is something we have to let go once we turn 5. But don’t worry. As adults, we can still have our cake and eat it too, just not as much cake as before 🙂
Instead of saying you can’t have something, why not say “I can have that cookie, but I’m only going to have one, so I can get the taste for it and satisfy my craving.” Who doesn’t like a diet with some wiggle room? We aren’t perfect, people. We need some chocolate, ice-cream or a slice of pizza every now and then. So instead of deprivation (which is really not a fun way to live), indulge and enjoy one piece, one scoop or one slice. It’s not going to kill you. Just remember, one of the keys to moderation is recognizing and honoring the body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Another important key to remember about moderation (that goes quite well with the cake example) is to follow moderate portion sizes. In today’s super-sized, extra-large society, portion control has quadrupled, giving people a misconception on what the healthy portion sizes are for foods. You might get shocked to see how much we SHOULD be eating versus how much we ACTUALLY do eat.
Pretty shocking!
What’s even more shocking though is seeing the calorie differences in what we should eat versus what we do. 250 calories can go a long way! (If you want to lose 1 pound a week, you need a 500 calorie deficit. So by drinking the recommended size soda and the regular hamburger, you’ve already saved nearly 500 calories!) Seeing the scale a pound lighter sure beats any supersized big mac any day.
Make your news years resolution stick by choosing to eat and live in moderation. You’ll be surprised at how much easier losing weight will be and how much more fun life will turn out!
For more information on portion sizes, visit http://www.mealsmatter.org/EatingForHealth/Topics/Healthy-Living-Articles/Portion-Sizes.aspx
Claire
Tags:diets, healthy eating, moderation, new years resolutions, portion control, weight loss that works
How often should you weigh?
I have a very rocky relationship with a certain bathroom appliance. Some days, I’m so angry with it I nearly smash it to pieces with a baseball bat. Then some days, I’m so full of love for it I want to dress it up and take it to dinner. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this love/hate relationship is with my bathroom scale.
And that love/hate relationship is completely normal. Why? Well, when the number is higher, I feel a little lower, and when the number is lower, well, you get the picture. And I’m not the only woman with that problem. As women, that little number dictates how we feel about ourselves that day, that month, in general. So it’s no wonder so many women don’t own a scale. So when should you weigh, if ever? Everyday, once a week, once a month, never?
Although the scale can be a woman’s worst nightmare, it can also be her best friend if she uses it right. Women who weigh themselves have a better idea of their starting point, which make it easier for them to establish a realistic end point. For example, women who know how much they weigh and how much they want to weigh have a higher success rate than women who are just ball parking it. Even if the number on the scale is higher than you had hoped, just knowing it puts you in a better place than women who turn a blind eye. So again, how often should you weigh? everyday?
Now, I’m a daily weigher, but I’m not going to say it’s for everyone. It’s really based on personal preference.
Some women who are trying to lose weight find the daily fluctuations (up to 5 pounds per day) depressing, and leave them feeling anxious and hopeless about their diet routine. So if you are in this boat, try weighing yourself once a week. The best time to weigh yourself is in the morning after you’ve used the restroom. And to get the most accurate count, weigh yourself in the nude. If you are going to stick to once a week, chose one day and make that your weigh day.
However, on the other side, some women who are losing weight finding weighing themselves daily to be their dieting best kept secret. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15234322/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/. If you are one of these women (hello, I am!) follow the same simple rules as I mentioned above. Do it naked 🙂 For me, seeing a number in the same range everyday keeps me from eating another donut and instead, another lap around the track.
So weigh everyday or take a few days sabbatical from the scale, just make sure you don’t let that little number be the boss of how you feel and who you are! Weight is just a number, and let’s get real here folks, we are more than just 3 digits.
Claire
Tags:bathroom scale, fluctuating weight, frequency of weighing, scale, weighing everyday, weight
A new years resolution that will keep
Can you believe 2009 is almost over? As I sit back and look at what a year this was, I’m so incredibly thankful I made it through [and for all of the amazing opportunities it brought!] And with 2010 just around the corner, I get eager and excited to see what this next year has to bring for me. As I sit and daydream of what is to come, I also start to think of what resolution I will make when the clock strikes midnight. Year after year, I’ve made a resolution, some more attainable than others, some more vain or superficial. And each year as the months pass, my resolution seems to fade in the passing days. And it’s not that I’m not trying my best to achieve my promise, it’s that things get busy and life, well, just happens. So no matter how hard I consciously try to keep my new years resolution, it always falls at the wayside and I’m left to wonder, will I ever keep a resolution I make on New Years Eve?
Well this year, I vow for things to go a bit differently. I vow to keep my resolution. Not just keep it. I vow to practice it, every, single day of 2010. How?
Well simple! My new years resolution for 2010 is not your average, run of the mill resolution. It’s one that took some serious thinking and will take some incredible motivation, courage and passion. So what is this super-charged resolution you ask?
Instead of trying to keep one resolution all year long, I vow to make a different New Years resolution every day of 2010, and accomplish each one.
I know what you’re thinking. GASP! Did she just say she’s going to make and accomplish a New Years Resolution, EVERY SINGLE DAY of 2010? She’s either insane or completely delusional. There is no way she’s going to be able to keep it.
Which, trust me, I’ve thought to. How on earth am I going to be able to do this? Well, it’s not going to be easy. I’ll have to take baby steps, but it’s something I know I can accomplish.
I’m the queen bee of never finishing anything I start. For example, I have a few novels with beginnings, but no middles, or ends. I have a house that still needs some TLC, a GRE that isn’t going to take itself, and a stack of graduate school applications that only have my name on them. So for once, this year, I want, I VOW, to finish something. And if it’s this, well, that’d be alright by me.
So what are a few of these “mini new years resolutions ” I’m going to make and do? I’ll give you a few examples 🙂
1. Run a half marathon by years end [which obviously I can’t do in one day, so it’s a goal I’m shooting for by next year]
2. Strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to me on the metro [given they aren’t a serial killer]
3. Not watch tv for an entire day
4. Go an entire day without checking Facebook
5. Cook every night for 2 weeks [real cooking, not just pop in the microwave]
6. Buy a meal for a homeless person
7. Eat only raw food for one day
8. Not cuss an entire day
9. Go one week without drinking wine
10. Go an entire day without complaining
11. Go one day without weighing myself
12. Start a savings account and NOT spend a dime of it
So those are just a few of the tasks I have lying ahead of me in the year to come. Don’t seem as daunting once I have them written out.
Well, wish me luck! I know I’ll need it.
Holiday gifts for your favorite health nut
Can you believe it’s ALREADY December 9th??? Where did November go? Although I’m consumed with holiday cheer, there is still plenty of room left for stress, anxiety and all-out panic! It’s incredibly overwhelming having to make sure you have the perfect gift for your friends and family, especially when you have to wait until you get paid again to buy it! (Aka, my life story). I’m constantly having to go in and re-do my holiday budget (which I’m shocked I’m staying in) to add and update people’s presents. AND not to mention trying to decide what people should get me! I know, picking our your own gifts should be the easiest task to check off on my holiday to-do, however, I just haven’t had time to do it! And I KNOW I’m not the only person struggling to keep their head screwed on this holiday, with buying presents and finding time to persue a wish list of their own! So to make everyone’s lives a little easier, I’ve created a list of hot gifts to buy for your favorite health nuts.
Happy Shopping!
- Reebok Easy Tone Sneakers. ($ 90-120) These sneaks are a hot commodity in the fitness world! Why? The Easy Tone technology in each of their Easy Tone sneakers improves muscle tone in the hamstrings, calves and gluteous maximus (butt) by up to 28%! These sneakers come in a variety of colors and design (shown aqua Easy Tone Go Outside and pink Easy Tone Inspire.) visit www.reebok.com for more information and prices!
- Great workout DVD’s: $15-30 per dvd. With the economy still slagging, many people have had to cut out their gym memberships from their monthly budgets. But luckily, there are a plethora of fantastic and very effective workout DVD’s available that allow you to work out from your home, no membership required! The best workout dvd’s this year include:
Jillian Michael’s: The Complete Workout for Beginners ($24.95). This DVD can burn up to an estimated 460 calories for 97 minutes of excercise!
10 Minute Solution: Blast Off Belly Fat ($14.98). This DVD helps you burn 40 calories per 10 minute session and is geared solely at helping you tone up your tummy!
Get Ripped 1,000 with Jari Love ($14.99). This DVD is for those people in search of a serious sweat. You can burn a whopping 1,000 calories for the 70 minute workout!
Pilates Core Challenge ($14.98). For those in search of toning to the core, this DVD is perfect! You can burn 225 calories per each 60 minute exercise and it strengthens your entire core.
[all of these DVD’s can be purchased from www.amazon.com, as well as other fitness retailers)
3. Workout clothes ($10-100+). Nothing puts you in the mood better than a hot outfit. (Who doesn’t love that new, sexy feeling that comes with a brand new dress?) Well, same goes for work out attire! The better you feel GOING INTO the workout, the more effort you’ll put into it and the better you’ll feel afterwards. Nothing motivates me to go to the gym more than a new pair of running shoes or bright running shorts. You should always feel good and confident in your clothes, no matter what your activity, and I’ve never, EVER felt confident and motivated in a pair of sweats from highschool and a stained, Goodwill t-shirt. For ideas on the best gear to get, visit www.fitnessmag.com. For the best selection on workout gear, visit www.nike.com, www.reebok.com and www.dickssportinggoods.com. You can find something for just about anyone, whether they be a yoga lover or a marathon runner. [Here are a few examples, based on my own wish list!]
Nike Cold Weather Thermal Running Hoodie ($70) www.nike.com
Nike Tempo Track Women’s Running Short ($25) www.nike.com
Nike Woman Seamless Running Shirt ($50) www.nike.com
The North Face’s Woman Sentry Full Zip Hoodie ($90) www.thenorthface.com
The North Face’s Women’s Windstopper Hybrid Tight ($125) www.thenorthface.com
Reebok’s On the Move Go Awake Smoothfit Long Bra ($45) www.reebok.com
4. A subscription to a health/lifestyle/fitness magazine ($10-25). Clark, It’s the gift that keeps giving all year around! (Little Christmas Vacation humor-except this is much better than jelly roll of the month club). I have a subscription to SELF, and let me tell you, it makes having to ride the metro bearable!
Fitness Magazine
If you order a year-long subscription with this fitness favorite, you get a full year free and a free gift! That’s 2 years worth of monthly magazines for only $15. Each of these magazines in the grocery store are almost $3.50 a pop!
SELF Magazine
This is one of my favorite magazines, and for a mere $10 dollars for one year or $18 for 2 years, it’s a super cheap gift! Now, if you subscribe, you also get a free tote bag!
Shape Magazine
If you subscribe to Shape now, you only pay $14.97 for 12 issues (which is 75% off the cover price) and you receive a free absolution, which is a step by step guide to getting a flat tummy!
5. Books about weight loss, health, life ($5-30). A book is one of the easiest (and cheapest) gifts out there, and are almost never returned! Getting your friend, who is down on the dumps and having trouble losing weight, a funny, inspirational and realistic memoir about the struggles of weight loss is a great way to show them that you care and they are not the only one out there facing that problem. Sometimes, we feel so alone in our insecurities and our body troubles, all we need is to read a true life account about someone going through the exact same thing, and is making mistakes and having trouble. Here are a few of my absolute favorites:
Half-Assed: A weight-loss memoir, by Jennette Fulda ($10.85 from Amazon). This book is funny, sad and inspirational all in one! Jenette documents here weight loss struggles and how she managed to lose 186 pounds! She realistically documents her struggle to find herself again and journey from 376 pounds to 190.
Thin Is The New Happy, by Valerie Frankel ($16.46). For any of you with a mother who is always on your case about your weight, this book is perfect! Valerie discusses how she was placed on a diet at age 11 and has struggled with trying to be “thin enough” for her mother’s love. This book is funny, uplifting and a real look at how hard it is to try and be perfect for someone else’s approval.
Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp, by Stephanie Klein ($18.96). This funny account comes from a former chubby girl turned mother who is asked to gain 50 pounds for a pregnancy. She is then flooded back with memories of her youth where she spent her 8th grade years at a fat camp. Going from thin to fat to thin again and dealing with the battles of growing up overweight, this book is a hilarious account of growing up.
Confessions of a Carb Queen, Susan Blech and Caroline Bock ($9.99). This book is a definite read for anyone who has ever let their emotions guide their eating patterns. Blech, who ballooned up to 468 pounds, documents her time spent in a NC weight loss clinic. A very funny, and very emotional and truly inspiring, memoir that shows just how easy it is to let your emotions get the best of you.
Naturally Thin, by Bethenny Frankel ($10.88). This book is a great look at the life of the naturally thin and it can help anyone, no matter their shape, change their mindset. Bethenny quotes “everyone is naturally thin.” This book features many great low-fat , low cal recipes and cocktail ideas, as well as advice and easy fixes to some diet blunders. This book will help you transform your thinking to that of a skinny girl.
6. A trip to the spa for a massage or spa day. After spending hours at the gym, a health nuts muscles are sure to be screaming for a little TLC. So indulge your favorite fitness fene with a massage at your local spa, or if they’ve been really good this year, send them to one of the nation’s most renown luxury spas. For a complete list of spas in your area, or a list of the best spas in the country, visit http://www.spafinder.com/
Hopefully these gift ideas make shopping for your favorite health nut a little easier! When in doubt, a nice dinner or a great bottle of wine will work too.
