Mind Over Mayo

I just made one of my favorite treats to eat during this time of year. Forget the high-calorie, high-sugar pumpkin pie and Halloween candy. Try this is a low-calorie, yet satisfying dessert!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Bars

Mix together:

1 package spice cake mix (unprepared)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Bake in 9×13 pan for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cut into 36 squares for 50 calories each (or 1 Point if you are following Weight Watchers.)

Serve – guilt-free!

We had our first snow today. Yes, it’s only Oct. 12, but it snowed…ALL.DAY.LONG. I value my outdoor workouts a lot since you can’t do many of them in Minnesota. I was trying to tough it out last week and ran outside when it was 40 degrees, windy and drizzling. I made it three miles and I was pretty surprised with myself. I prefer to run in sun and 80 degrees even though some would say that is too warm – I love it!

But, back to the 40 degrees – I had to find the motivation to accomplish that run. As you know, some days it’s much easier to find incentives to work on your goals than others. For those days that you need to dig deep, make sure you have a written list of your goals handy for inspiration!

Answer these questions to help you get started:

-Why do you want to be healthy?
-What have you already accomplished?
-What is your next short-term goal?
-What is your reward for reaching that goal?

Let me know – What motivates you?

… you may end up somewhere else.

I love that saying because it’s so true. I am a queen of over-committing and I always have a full plate. I also tend to set expectations for myself that may be unrealistic – especially when it comes to weight loss efforts. In fact, I find that most people do the same.

I’m trying to combat this by setting some realistic and short-term goals for myself. I’ve been teetering about 3-5 pounds over my goal weight for the last several months. It’s as if I’ve been sabotaging myself for some reason. I find maintaining weight much more difficult than losing weight because you don’t have that constant motivation or change happening.

I’ve been creating some excitement again by writing down and posting different goals for myself – they are always specific, easy to reach in a short period of time and I tack on a small reward if I reach them. Taking these baby steps should help me reach my ultimate long-term health and fitness goals.

One of my favorite things to eat is salmon. Tonight I made it for dinner along with my homemade yogurt sauce. I typically make this with non-fat plain yogurt, but tonight I tried Greek yogurt for a change. Honestly, when I bought the Greek yogurt, I didn’t really know the difference between it and non-fat plain yogurt. I found the taste to be so much better, so I figured I’d better do some research. Usually better tasting means worse for you. But, I was pleasantly surprised!

8 oz. Greek Non-Fat Yogurt stats:
–121 calories
–151 milligrams calcium
–20 grams protein
–83 milligrams sodium

8 oz. Non-Fat Plain Yogurt stats:
–127 calories
–450 milligrams calcium
–13 grams protein
–175 milligrams sodium

Since I really watch my sodium, this was good news for me. I was disappointed about the calcium difference, but I take a supplement to meet calcium requirements. As far as the taste, I discovered that Greek yogurt is strained to get rid of the liquid that’s found in non-fat plain yogurt.

Verdict: I think I’ve just gone Greek!

Before I changed my lifestyle to a healthy one, I ate whatever I wanted. I ate whenever I wanted to and I ate as much as I wanted to. (And, it showed…)

If you could eat whatever you wanted – health aside – what would it be?

For me – pizza!

Second question – if you have changed your ways to healthy ones, is the answer still the same?

Personally, I still love pizza, but I don’t care for it in the frequency that I did before. Also, I love having fresh veggies or a salad with pizza. Even better, I love making homemade pizza. It’s not nearly as greasy and I can make it just how I like it – lots of veggies, lean meat and a whole wheat crust.

Remember…getting healthy doesn’t mean giving up foods you love. It just means having certain foods in moderation or making some adjustments to make your meals healthier.

Carb.

Never has one word brought so many conflicting thoughts to my mind: sugar-simple-energy-processed-calories-bread-complex, no-NO-NOOOOOO! But, no matter how much negativity is associated with carbohydrates, perhaps brought on by certain commercial diets, you do need carbs to maintain an overall healthy diet. Choosing the right carb is key to successful wellness.

Complex carbs include fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds/nuts and whole grains. These foods are not typically processed, so they are high in vitamins and minerals. These foods are high in fiber, keeping you fuller longer and providing you with a slow release of energy. Complex carbs foods are great options if you are trying to lose weight or manage hunger – GOOD CARBS!

Simple carbs are easily spotted – they are processed foods that provide little or no nutritional value because of the high fat and calorie content. Because they are difficult to digest, you’ll feel an energy spike, then crash. Examples are candy, soda or baked goods made with refined flour – BAD CARBS!

Stick with the GOOD CARBS! Check out www.mypyramid.gov – it’s a great resource to help you determine the portion of good carbs you should have per day.

I made a new recipe yesterday and it turned out fabulous! It had all of my recipe requirements: quick, easy (meaning I understood what all of the ingredients were and there were less than 10 items needed) and did not taste “diet” (meaning husband-approved!)

Credit for the recipe given to Women’s Health magazine. It’s called Superfast Stir-fry, however it seems more like fried rice to me. Next time I may try adding pork or shrimp. Either way, this was delicious and satisfied my Chinese food craving. If you double/triple the recipe, it could easily be used for leftovers during the week.

Superfast Stir-fry

Serves: 2 Prep time: 7 min. Cook time: 12 min.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 cups diced, precooked chicken
1 3/4 cups cooked brown rice
2 scallions, chopped
hot sauce to taste

HOW TO MAKE IT
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and saute until the onion softens (3 to 5 minutes). Add the egg, stirring frequently, and continue cooking until the egg firms up (2 to 4 more minutes). Add soy sauce, chicken, rice, scallions, and hot sauce to taste; stir and cook about 3 more minutes, until well blended.

Nutritional Facts per serving
CALORIES 416.7
FAT 9 G
SATURATED FAT 1.4 G
CHOLESTEROL 165.8 MG
SODIUM 842.2 MG
CARBOHYDRATES 49.4 G
TOTAL SUGARS 3.7 G
DIETARY FIBER 5 G
PROTEIN 33.9 G

(For those following Weight Watchers, I figured 8 POINTS per serving.)

It’s true! Lack of serotonin, a chemical produced by your brain, can cause you to cave into cravings. Your serotonin levels may be reduced due to lack of sleep, stress or even sunlight. Also, if you are eating poorly and not exercising, it’s likely your level of serotonin will be down as well. This can lead to a case of the tireds, which in my case and likely yours, means that you are more likely to give in on your diet.

What can you do to curb the cravings?

–Boost your serotonin levels by eating a balanced diet. Foods like turkey, chicken and brown rice help to produce serotonin.

–Go for a walk! Or do some other activity to keep yourself busy while the craving passes.

–Get an appropriate amount of sleep.

–Figure out what you really want. Are you bored, tired, sad, angry? Or, maybe you are just plain hungry. If you truly want the food you are craving, it’s best to just eat it! Plan for it within your daily calories and enjoy it! If you put it off, you are likely to “eat around” it, then eat it anyway, eating more calories that you typically would have in the first place.

–Keep an anchor with you at all times. This is a token or a picture that will remind you why you want to reach your health goals.

The most important part of your workout:

STRETCHING! Don’t skip this step! Take 10 minutes per day to stretch – even if you are not working out – and your body will thank you. Stretching will help keep you flexible and reduce body aches.

Warm up stretches help to wake up your muscles and get you ready for your workout. I highly recommend doing only dynamic stretching during your warm up. Static stretching could cause injury if your muscles are not loosened up. Spend five or 10 minutes doing the following: light jogging, jumping jacks, butt kicks, jump rope or even skipping!

Cooling down is important because you want to bring down your heart rate. Also, you want to stretch and lengthen the muscles you just worked, so they look fabulous! When you are cooling down, you can incorporate static stretching. Be sure to stretch the muscles you worked: hamstrings, calves, quads, hip flexors, chest, arms, etc. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds and remember to relax the areas of your body you are not stretching.

The commercials are everywhere – and they are actually starting to get on my last healthy nerve. Fast food prices continue to drop and “good deals” are advertised constantly seeking to provide cheap meals to families during the troubled economy. As grocery bills, and especially the cost of produce, continues to rise, these “deals” may actually sound appealing to society.

My questions:

–Who can afford to buy a new (and bigger) wardrobe?

–Who can afford to buy medications or pay for medical bills as Combo #3 “supersized” messes with your health?

None of us! WeightWatchers.com posted a great article about eating healthy during this economy. Check it out!

I have been a sushi-lover for quite a while. You can’t beat the health benefits! It’s a filling, low-calorie meal that’s high in protein, healthy fats and even has a bit of veggies.

Needless to say, if you like to go out to eat, it’s a great option versus a bar and grill (our usual choice). But, turning my husband onto sushi has been quite difficult. He’s very particular about fish in general, so raw fish is just that much worse. (”Is this salmon?” “It smells fishy.” “Is this fresh fish?” “Are those scales?” “I think this will taste fishy.”)

You get the picture. But, I’ve slowly turned him onto a few good sushi restaurants over the last couple of years, being sure to order him the “safe” sushi (read: no eel) and he has finally converted!

If you are new to sushi, here is a great reference. Most options are great, but as this article states, beware of those labeled “spicy” or “philly”. These contain mayo or cream cheese, which adds extra fat you don’t need. (Mind Over Mayo, remember?) Also, anything tempura means fried in oil! Stay away and opt for a California Roll!

Eat This, Not That – Sushi!

My husband's first time at sushi. Red Sushi at the Golden Nugget, Las Vegas

I just finished my latest Boot Camp session, which once again kicked up my strength and endurance! I will be starting my third session on Sept. 8.

Until then, I needed to find something to keep me busy during my time “off”. I don’t want to lose everything I’ve gained. So, I found a great 14-day workout online that includes strength training, cardio/interval training and circuit training – all things I love to do!

I started day one yesterday and I am feeling it today! But, I’m off to the gym now to start day two. If you are looking for a kickstart or change-up to your workout plan, give this a try:

https://www.wellnessforlifecenter.com/article.cfm?ArticleID=25106

Do you ever get an invitation to one of those in-home “parties” and cringe? You know, the candle/food/makeup/jewelry or whatever product that your friends pedal out of their home. I cannot stand them! I always feel obligated to go and I end up buying an overpriced product that I don’t want or need.

That said – and I can hardly believe my stubborn self is saying this – but, I believe I may have found a product that will change the tune I’ve been singing about home-based businesses. We went to a wine tasting the other day and they had several vendors there selling jewelry, crafts, lotions, etc. Usually, I browse these booths, but I’m never very interested in what they are selling. However, this time I found a great new product line that I will be integrating into my health and wellness routine. I cannot say enough about it – which is saying a lot for me! Like I said, I never get on board with these home-based businesses.

What do I love?

–It’s hometown-based (Twin Cities).
–It’s green. All products contain only plant-based, eco-friendly ingredients (no alcohol!).
–Not animal tested.
–They are anti-stress products that support my belief in health and wellness.

If you want to try it out, I highly recommend the purifying salt glow, which is what I purchased. It’s AMAZING! And, my husband and I will be fighting over it because he loved it, too! It’s $28 for about 80 applications. If you want to check out the entire product line, I recommend it! Again, I’m not a sales person for this company, but I cannot believe how amazing these products are!

Aihu: To cherish and protect

I get so many questions from people wondering how I’ve lost weight and kept it off. Or, how do I get back on track with weight loss after taking a break? Aside from actually wanting to lose weight, a significant factor is journaling or tracking what you eat, why you eat and tracking your activity level. Tracking can often be viewed as a chore. Try these tips if you want to get back to journaling, but you aren’t sure how:

1) I show my journal to a friend every week, which gives me accountability.

2) If I lose weight for the week, I give myself a little reward each week. This is just a little something I wouldn’t normally get for myself, but something I want like a new book or magazine, a new lipstick, etc.

3) This one is a little childish, but it works. If I have a good day, I put a sticker in my journal. This is silly, rewarding and allows me to go back and check out a good day if I’m struggling.

4) If I REALLY don’t feel like tracking perfectly, I allow “guesstimates” for two meals a week. This way I don’t feel deprived and knowing I don’t have to be absolutely perfect every day actually takes the pressure off and makes it easier for me to stay on plan the other days of the week.

…but for the past several weeks I’ve been getting up at 5:00 a.m. to go to a boot camp class at my gym. It was very difficult at first because I have always done my workouts after my work day. However, now that I’m about two months into my morning routine, I really dig it. I’ve even gone to class on days that I have off from work!

Why I love it:

I see results!
It’s always better to have someone train you to push you to your maximum. I would never push myself this much during my own workouts.

I’d rather get up to workout than get up for work.
Sad, but true. It’s much more motivating to get up and start my day with a vigorous workout instead of meetings and emails. I always have better days at the office when I’ve had a great workout beforehand.

I’m burning more calories.
Studies show that morning workouts can jumpstart your metabolism and keep it going all day. The scale and measuring tape have proven that to me as well!

It’s difficult to start the routine, but once you try it, you may like it! I challenge you to start off your Monday morning with a workout. Even if it’s just a 10-minute pilates routine in your living room, I guarantee you’ll be happy you did it and it will reward you throughout the day!