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Not Losing the Weight You Want? – Consider These Six Things

March 27, 2012 By

Losing weight can be invigorating… and frustrating, maddening, overwhelming, etc. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could choose a diet plan that would allow you to lose 2 pounds a week (or 5 pounds, or insert your number here ____) every week until you reached your goal?

But if you have ever been on a diet, you know that’s not how it works. Some weeks your effort reflects the number of pounds lost. Some weeks you work your butt of and lose nothing. Some weeks (all be it rare) you slack a little and lose a pound or two.

Calories IN vs. calories OUT is definitely important, but there are other things that creep into the equation.

Here are 6 things to keep an eye on to make sure your effort reflects your outcome.

Eating too few carbohydrates
It’s true that we need to be careful when it comes to carbohydrate intake to maximize fat loss, but we still want to make sure we are getting enough carbs. Did you know that fat molecules will not enter the fat burning cycle unless they have a little glucose (carb) molecule to take them there. It’s easy to get excited when you reduce your carbs and instantly lose weight, but often this is more of a factor of storing less water than fat loss.

Eating the wrong type of carbohydrates
You might be eating the right amount of carbohydrates, but the type of carbs you eat has a big effect on weight loss. There is a buzz around high glycemic index (GI) foods and low GI foods, and the reason is that the type of carbs you eat will directly affect your weight loss. To keep it simple, low GI foods are good, high GI foods are bad.

Good carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates that take the body longer to break down. These carbohydrates typically are high in fiber, which takes the body longer to break down and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. The best sources of good carbohydrates include fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and beans. All of these foods provide the body with energy, vitamins, fiber, minerals and phytonutrients. In addition to fresh fruit and veggies, good carbohydrates include whole grain cereals, whole wheat breads and pastas, and brown rice.

Bad carbohydrates are foods that are easily digestible and provide the body with limited nutrients and vitamins. Because these foods are so quickly digested, your body will experience a quick spike in energy followed by a crash. Examples of bad carbs include soft drinks, cakes, cookies, chips, white bread, white rice, alcohol.

Eating too little fiber
When we are eating for weight loss and we restrict our carb intake, it also changes our intake of fiber. Fiber might be the single most important secret to weight loss, and it is an essential factor for maintaining health. It helps you feel fuller and therefore eat less. It also binds with acids in the body and helps carry out excess fat, and it speeds the transit time of the food we eat, keeping the intestines in good order.

Getting too little sleep
When we are constantly sleep deprived the body secretes a hormone called ghrelin. Higher ghrelin levels have been shown to reduce energy, stimulate hunger and food intake, and promote retention of fat. Do you ever notice that some days you feel hungry all day, even though you are eating your regular diet. Think back to your sleep patterns, and you may realize that you haven’t gotten as much sleep lately.

Eating too little fat
Low fat diets have been really popular, but too little fat may actually make it harder for us to lose weight. Essential fats (aka good fats) help burn fat by helping to transport oxygen, vitamins, nutrients, and hormones to the body’s tissues.

Good fats include foods like non-hydrogenated oils (olive, canola, sunflower, peanut, sesame), avocados, olives, raw nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews), fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines), and tofu.

Bad fats include things like high-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork or chicken with the skin) whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream), butter, ice cream, commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough, packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips), margarine or vegetable shortening, any fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish), and candy bars.

Drinking too little water
Dehydration happens more than you think. If you want to have steady fat loss and high energy, it’s necessary to keep your body and liver hydrated every day. Our liver converts the fat soluble toxic chemicals (that we consume, breathe in, and absorb through our skin), into water soluble chemicals that are flushed out by the kidneys through urine. With limited water supply, the kidneys cannot completely flush out metabolic and foreign waste and weight loss can be more difficult.

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Motivation Tips To Keep You Moving

May 31, 2011 By

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What motivates you?

What makes you want to succeed? It is different for everyone, but once you find what pushes you to be your best, you need to use it every day, so it will get you through those difficult days when you want to skip a workout or cheat when you shouldn’t.

Here are the things that motivate me.  Some days it is all of them, and some days it may be just one.

1. Visualization

There are many tricks for visualizing your success. When I was training for my body building competition, I would visualize myself on stage going through all my poses. Then I would visualize myself taking the first place trophy!

Some need to actually see it in a photo, so they cut out a picture of someone they admire or want to look like. You can even take your head off of one photo and paste it to the body of someone whose physique you want. Just make sure that if you are a Tyra Banks, you don’t visualize looking like a Kelly Ripa.

2. Competition

Many people have that competitive spirit.  I definitely do. This can work to your benefit no matter what kind of exercise program you follow.

Beating someone or achieving victory is a great feeling even if you don’t think of yourself as super competitive. On the flip side, losing and seeing others “win” drives people too.

Another way to compete is to compete against yourself. Whatever you did last week, you can try to beat this week.  This can come in the form of a faster mile, adding 5 pounds to your bench press, doing an extra push up, staying on the treadmill for an additional 10 minutes, etc.

3. Role Models

Most athletes, whether basketball players, tennis players, or bodybuilders have a person that they look up to and want to emulate.

So if there is anyone out there that has done what you want to do, they can inspire you and motivate you to achieve your goals. It doesn’t have to be someone famous, either. Maybe your mom or neighbor has achieved something that you want to achieve.

4. Positive vs. Negative

Both types of re-enforcement can motivate, and it is just a matter of what works for you. A big generalization, but men often do okay with negative re-enforcement, where as women are more drawn to positive re-enforcement.

When we were living in South Korea, we took a Tae Kwon Do class with two other women teachers.  Koreans take their Tae Kwon Do very seriously, and our “teacher” was very serious.  He didn’t speak any English, and we barely spoke Korean, but we could tell by his tone and his facial expressions of disappointment that we were not doing things right.  Almost every class had one of us girls crying by the time we left.  My husband never even flinched.  He didn’t even understand what we were talking about when we tried to describe how the “teacher” made us feel.

If you are one of those people that needs to be comfortable and positive to achieve your best, then make sure you are surrounded by coaches and people who offer that type of encouragement.

On the flip side if you respond better to proving the haters wrong, or showing your coach you are not a weak piece of poo (or whatever), then you know the type of coach or training partner to look for. You are not wrong for either tactic pushing you.

Whether it is any of these strategies or something else completely, as long as it is something that motivates you and makes you more confident in your abilities, then use it to your advantage to reach all of your goals.

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Getting Healthy Takes Time – 3 Steps to Help You Make The Most of Your Time

May 17, 2011 By

The other day I was watching a segment on TV about face creams.  The spokeswoman was talking about the products and how each of them treated the different signs of aging.  For one product, she said that the most important ingredient was patience, because it might take time, up to a few months, to see any results.

Getting fit and healthy is the same, and one of the most important ingredients is patience. It takes time to see results. 

Ironically, people end up wasting a lot of time because they don’t manage their time wisely. They spend too much time doing one thing, not enough time doing important things or wasting time doing anything and everything but the right thing. When people feel as though their effort does not match their results, they give up. 
 

Here are 3 simple steps to help you make the most of your time.
 
Take more time to eat less. Eating right takes time. The whole process starts with grocery shopping. If you don’t shop well, you can’t expect to eat well. You have to prepare the food and do whatever it takes to make sure you have healthy food with you at all times. Packing lunches and snacks are a vital part of avoiding temptation. Paying closer attention to calories and portion sizes will also require some time but the payoff is tremendous.  
 
Take less time to exercise more.  Many people invest a lot of time in what they would call exercise, but it  is really just increased activity. Although activity is good for your health, it’s not as effective for weight loss. Many people are just going through the motions and wasting a lot of time doing minimal effort. I see people doing 60 minutes of cardio casually reading a magazine.  What a waste of 30 minutes.  If  they would do 30 minutes of intense (where it is tough to speak a sentence let alone read a magazine) cardio, the effect would be more dramatic, and they would see results quicker.   Really burn some calories by turning  up your cardio effort. If you do weights, train at a higher intensity with less rest in between. You don’t have to spend three hours at the gym everyday. Commit to one powerful half hour three to five days a week and make every minute count! The more quality time you invest, the greater the reward.
 
Take the time to make sure you are not wasting time. This is a biggie. People spend a lot of time and energy on things that don’t work. Fad diets, weight loss gimmicks, books and fitness magazines often lead you to believe weight loss can be easy. It’s our human nature to try the easy way first. In the end, we just waste a lot of time trying to avoid the inevitable. Other people struggle because they completely go it alone with no guidance at all. A person who is basically guessing their way through their fitness program is doomed. Don’t waste your time floundering around aimlessly. Invest a little time initially to get good information from a trainer, a doctor, a well respected web site, or even me. Diet and fitness work. If you take time to understand why and how it works, you’ll see results in plenty of time.

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The Great Carbohydrate Debate!

April 23, 2011 By

carbohydrates

To eat carbs or not to eat carbs?  Many Americans still seem confused about whether they should eat carbohydrates or not.  Years ago, some popular diet plans suggested that carbohydrates make us fat.  The reality is our bodies need carbohydrates for energy.

So why all the controversy over carbohydrates?  It may stem from the type of carbohydrates that most Americans choose.  When you think of the typical American diet (and the foods your kids beg for) which comes to mind?

Frosted flakes for steel cut oats?

Apple juice or a fresh apple?

White rice or brown rice?

A candy bar or some trail mix with dried fruit?

The American diet is filled with refined sugars and simple carbohydrates that absorb into the bloodstream quickly, resulting in sugar “highs” and “lows” throughout the day.  These types of foods are typically high in calories and low in nutrition and are associated with unhealthy weight.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are associated with a great number of health benefits.  They are high in fiber which helps with digestion and slowing absorption into the bloodstream.  Fiber also helps us to feel fuller faster, and stay satisfied longer, which can help maintain a healthy weight.

In other words, you no longer need to fear carbohydrates, but you do need to choose the right ones. Avoid baked goods made with white flour, processed cereals, fruit juices, table sugar, soft drinks, and candy.  Instead choose from a variety of healthier carbs including whole grains, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and low fat Greek yogurt.

Enjoy!!

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Fit Tricks – Tips to Eating Healthy

April 20, 2011 By

So I don’t call my web site Fit Chick Tricks for nothing. Here is a list of my favorite “diet” tricks that I use almost every single day. These are easy little changes that can make a huge difference.

** Fit girls don’t drink their calories. If you want a sweet beverage, don’t go for a soda, juice, or sports drink. They are loaded with calories, usually 100-200 calories per serving. Water should be your number one choice. If you need something sweet, try a flavored sparkling water, iced tea/green tea with lemon or as a last result even a diet soda if you must.

** Fit girls don’t eat chips with their salsa. Carrots are a great alternative to the tortilla chip. Carrots add the crunch without the calories and fat, and you still get the great taste of the salsa.

** Fit girls don’t read the menu at a restaurant. Dining out can sabotage a healthy eating plan. It is good to splurge once and a while, but when eating out on a regular basis, you want to choose the healthiest option available.

(a) When you know you will be going to a specific restaurant on a specific day, plan ahead. After you have had a meal, and you are feeling full, go online and look up the restaurant’s website and menu. In the privacy of your own home, on your own time, you can really read the food options and decide on the best choices. You can take all the time you need, and since you have a full stomach, you won’t be influenced by hunger. Make your choice for the next time you are dining out… and stick with it. Don’t even open the menu when you are at the restaurant.

(b)If the restaurant doesn’t have a website, or you don’t have time to look it up, when you do have to open the menu, look to see if they have heart healthy options. Most places have a little symbol that they place next to the healthy choices. Only look at those options. Don’t read through all the yummy appetizer descriptions; don’t read through all the yummy pasta dishes, etc. Choose only from the heart healthy menu items.

** Fit girls don’t eat in their car. Stop eating major meals in your car like it’s a restaurant on wheels. Skinny girls will eat things like a health bar or some fruit, but no eating burritos, sandwiches, and pizza. How much can you really enjoy your food and pay attention to your portions if you are driving around and paying attention to 10 other things. Also, because skinny girls don’t eat meals in the car, there is no need to go through any kind of drive through which typically belongs to fast food joints.

** Fit girls stop eating before they are full. This is a big one. By taking a few minutes before you feel full, you can cut serious calories from your diet without feeling deprived. You must really pay attention to how your stomach is feeling, and stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. (I started doing this, and it has worked every time. I am always amazed that even though I don’t feel full, if I stop eating, within a few minutes I feel full and sometimes stuffed. ) Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you to feel your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!

** Fit girls eat a meal or snack before going to the grocery store. Grocery shopping can sabotage any healthy diet, as there are yummy temptations at every turn. If you go to the grocery while hungry, it can lead to crazy, unhealthy purchases, and in some cases, binge eating when you get home.

** Fit girls don’t eat salads at fast food restaurants. We all think of salads as being healthy, but his can be very misleading, especially at fast food joints. Most Wendy’s salads have over 600 calories each. A grilled chicken breast sandwich open face (remove one of the buns) or a bowl of chili is a much better option at less than 500 calories each. Salads can be a great choice because they are filled with veggies and fiber, but once you add the restaurant dressing (even the fat free option) it can put your calories way over the top. Don’t mistakenly make salad your “healthy” default menu option, because most times there are healthier, lower calorie, higher protein options. My favorite is a broiled chicken breast sandwich. I take off the side of the bun that has the mayo, and eat it as an open faced sandwich with a knife and fork.  Trust me, as a mom with kids who love fast food, I can tell you that almost every single fast food place has a broiled chicken breast in some form or another.

** Fit girls avoid food products that make healthy claims. Generally speaking, a health claim on a food product is a strong indication that it is not really a food but a food-like substance that has been scientifically engineered. You can find any type of junk food that will have a healthy claim tied to it, but just because a bag of potato chips has “no trans fats” doesn’t mean that it is healthy or low in calories.

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Fiber – How much do you need and why?

April 15, 2011 By

fiber foods

Daily fiber recommendations for adults range from about 20 – 35 grams per day. Yet it is estimated that the average American consumes only 10-15 grams per day. That’s less than half of the recommendation.   Pretty scary numbers considering fiber can help lower the risk of condition such as:

  • Heart Disease, which accounts for nearly 40 % of deaths each year
  • High blood sugar
  • Constipation
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Diverticular disease

Additionally, fiber has been shown to be beneficial in weight control. High fiber foods have more bulk than low fiber foods, and can help you to feel full faster, and stay full longer.

Adding fiber to your diet can be very simple, and very tasty.  Start by choosing less convenience, processed, and refined foods. Instead, reach for these higher fiber options:

  • Whole grain cereals
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Brown rice
  • Oats
  • Dried beans and peas

When increasing fiber, do so slowly to avoid intestinal discomfort, and always drink plenty of water.  Then sit back and enjoy, knowing that you are taking care of the one body you have been given.

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Good Morning Butt – Tighten your Gluteus Maximus

April 13, 2011 By

I really like exercises that work a couple of different areas really well.  I also like exercises that I can offer to you that you can do at home or in the gym.

And when I saw the sketch of this girl’s butt, I definitely wanted to share this one.  Who doesn’t want a butt like that?  I know I do!

So, among the exercises that strengthen lower back muscles and work to tighten and build your “gluteus maximus” (as my daughter would say, and then laugh) is the exercise called ‘Good Morning’. It provides wonderful results on a regular basis.

Why on earth is it called Good Morning?  You can snopes this, but I heard that it was called that because the action of it looks like a bow of respect used in some cultures to say hello, good morning, etc.

Good Mornings can be done with two dumbbells, or a barbell, or just your body weight.

Hold the weight at your shoulders in the initial position. Then you bow slowly with your back straight and knees bent a bit. You should bow down as far as possible without stretching your back below parallel and then return to the starting position, using hips to provide necessary balance.

The basic rule of Good Mornings is keeping your spine straight, without any curvature or rounding. To do this you should keep your chin up and work with your hips as well as lower back muscles on returning to the starting position.

If you want an extra challenge, keep your legs perfectly straight, and that will add an extra blast to your hamstrings.

(If you use a barbell, make sure it rests across your shoulders and not on your neck)

One exercise you can do anywhere… to work your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings… now that is working smarter!

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Is breakfast REALLY that important??

April 9, 2011 By

kids eating breakfast with mom

Yes, yes, and YES!!! Most nutritionists and dietitians agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  And yet studies show that Americans are becoming more inclined to skipping this morning ritual.

Some people skip breakfast in an effort to consume less calories and lose unwanted weight.  But in fact, skipping breakfast can do just the opposite.  The word breakfast literally means to break the fast.  Our bodies fast overnight as we sleep and metabolism slows down.  Eating breakfast boosts metabolism. An early morning meal can actually help you burn more calories throughout the day.

Others skip breakfast because they are just too busy.  Mornings are a busy time for everyone, but especially for moms.  Eating a healthy breakfast while attempting to get a toddler ready for the day should be recognized as a sport!! It’s easy to see why some moms opt to skip their own breakfast and sometimes even skip it for the kiddos.  While planning an extra 15 minutes for breakfast isn’t always easy, it is definitely worth it.  Eating a healthy breakfast can help mom to have more stable moods and increased energy, and can help kids to have better concentration and do better in school.

Not all breakfasts are created equal.  The best breakfasts have a mixture of good quality protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats.

So skip the drive-thru, and steer clear of pastries, sugary cereals, and anything fried.  Instead, opt for something healthy that will not only leave you satisfied, but give you the energy to take on anything the day may bring.

Here are some of my quick and easy favorites:

An apple with 1 tablespoon of natural almond butter

½ cup of oatmeal (preferably steel cut oats) with fresh or frozen blueberries and sliced almonds.  I love to add a tsp of cinnamon and a dash of stevia for sweetness.

Veggie scramble. Use your favorite veggies – I love spinach and onions with a tiny bit of garlic and salt & pepper – saute veggies and scramble in 2 organic eggs.

Protein shake plus. For those really fast paced mornings try a protein shake with skim milk or unsweetened almond milk, some frozen berries, and added fiber.  My favorite shakes are from Arbonne (www.dreaminc.myarbonne.com).  They are certified vegan with 20 grams of good quality protein per serving.

So pull up a chair and enjoy breakfast with your kids.  Not only will you be better equipped to handle the day, but you will have a few moments to really connect before the craziness begins!

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6 Questions to Ask Before You Start Your Next Diet

March 31, 2011 By

vegetables

Have you ever been one of those women that says “I’m going to start my diet on Monday so I’ll just enjoy myself now”? It’s come out of my mouth before. I’ve also started, stopped a diet and restarted the same one all in the same day before. It’s not uncommon, we decide we want to start a diet without really being ready. Diets don’t work, lifestyle changes do.

So, what do you need to do to get ready to lose weight?


See the tips below to determine if you’re really ready to invest in an eating or lifestyle change before you start your next diet:

1. Decisions, Decisions. Ask yourself if you’re ready to make lifestyle changes. Are you ready to do what you need to do to get where you want to go? A quick assessment will help you decide.

2. Are you ready to take it slow? Making lifestyle changes take some time. Habits take time to break. Knowing what will work for you takes time to figure out. Expecting fast results will only lead to disappointment and frustration when you don’t see the results you’re expecting.

3. Is this for REAL? Is the eating plan you’ve decide to follow realistic? Is it something you can follow in your day? Does it require a lifestyle change. How easy or difficult will the changes be? These are some things you need to consider before you jump in.

4. Ease into it. Fasting and detoxing can be tough on your body.  Be careful in choosing what you will do. Make sure the approach you are taking is appropriate for you.

5. Take Care of You. Have you been taking care of yourself? What’s your baseline? Have you had your check ups? Do you need to make significant changes or small ones? Along with looking at eating and lifestyle changes you can also look at what you need to do for further wellness.

6. Get Support. If you have been a chronic dieter or struggled with losing weight then you may need additional support. Working with a professional may be just what you need to get the ball rolling and make this the last time you need to lose weight and get back in balance.

Are you ready to start your next one or are you on one right now? What has worked for you before? Can you think of things that have gotten in the way?

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