The Dreaded Plateau

In this week’s blog, I want to address plateauing. Anyone who has lost weight but later experienced the scale no longer going down may have plateaued. Plateauing happens when you have reached a point where you no longer loose weight or you loose very little. The first thing to do is to take a closer look at what you’re eating. In other words, start logging what you eat. Are you getting enough fat in your diet? If not, your body will go into survival mode and stop burning calories at the rate it should. For instance, your body will begin to store calories rather than burn them. What about your exercise routine, are you getting enough or too much? If your still following the same exercise routine you began with, chances are your body has adjusted and is no longer progressing but maintaining. In such case try changing your routine, make it more challenging. In contrast, too much exercise can cause the same effect. If you’re consuming too little calories and exercising your butt off with no results, this too can cause your body to go into survival mode and hold on to fat rather than burn it. Try scaling back and changing your exercise regimen. For example, do weight training 2-3days a week and add in some aerobic activity 3 days a week for 30-60 minutes (depending on your situation).

Another thing to avoid is crash dieting. Crash dieting is not the answer, in fact it’s a bad word, as well as the word “diet.” I am an advocate of healthy lifestyle changes that include reversing poor eating habits, adding physical activity and setting realistic goals. Crash dieting may take the weight off right away but there is a price to pay. Crash dieting can result in muscle wasting and an increased level of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is excreted by the adrenal glands and helps the body metabolize fat and sugar for energy. In addition, it helps manage stress. Too much cortisol may sabotage weight loss. Increased cortisol can also be an effect from using diet pills or diet energy drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine, sugar and other stimulants. My advice to you is to eat healthy, exercise regularly and give me a call in the morning and I’ll be glad to help :).

Can you really have a vacation that includes exercise and eating well?

Can exercise and vacationing go together? How about eating healthy and vacationing? To most people that may seem like an oxymoron but believe it or not it’s not. I’m a mountain girl and enjoy the great outdoors and every year my family and I spend a week up in the Sierras. Keep in mind, that I’m not much of a camper, meaning camping outside doing the “tent thing/ sleeping bag,” that just doesn’t work for me. However, I will stay in a cabin;) Anyways, we usually stay at a cabin right along the Lake. The cabin is rustic, meaning it contains limited amenities. Which means, it does have the basics (small kitchen, bathroom and a bed). The nearest grocery store and restaurant is about a good 45-minute drive down the mountain. My job is to plan the menu for the week and do grocery shopping for the week. And that means, there will be some healthy eating going on with exception to these “to die for” Cinnamon Rolls that we manage to make several 40 minute trips during the week to get. Oh, and I must confess that I did engage in eating a hot dog on one day and a Sirloin Burger on another day and yes I did have some cookies for desert on several days but it was the Kashi’s Trail Mix whole grain cookies that taste just like a macaroons :).

During my vacation my plan was not to exercise but to do the things that I enjoy such as taking an am run through the forest, going on a boat rowing tour across the lake with my family and Kayaking solo several times during our stay, hiking and my new favorite rock climbing. Every morning started with a breakfast of egg whites, a bowl of shredded wheat with soymilk, 2 cups of green tea and I was fueled for the morning. Even though my plan was not to exercise, I engaged in all the activities that I love to do and before I knew it, I had already spent around 2 hours or more some days exercising. For one thing, it’s not like riding the stationary bike or running on the treadmill wondering if you’ve reached the hour mark. Hiking through the forest and enjoying nature does not seem like exercise nor does scaling granite rocks along side of a waterfall seem like you’re burning calories. In fact, all I can think about is what a sense of freedom I have and the privilege to view such majestic sites of beauty that only God can create.

In closing, I’m sad that my trip came to end an end but I have no regrets of overindulging in foods that to some might be “off limits.” I ate balanced and if anything I ate more than normal to compensate for my high activity level. For example, trail mix was a wonderful energy sustainer for longer activities. I stuck to a trail mix that was mixed with dry fruit and nuts, less the simple carbohydrates such as chocolate, m&m’s etc… I also ate every 2 hours or so to properly refuel and stayed well hydrated. And when the evening came, I enjoyed a balanced dinner and popcorn as a late snack, a glass of chardonnay topped with a picturesque view of the lake. So next time when you ask yourself, how can I get through my vacation eating healthy and exercising? Simply pick out some activities that you enjoy doing and focus on eating a balanced diet. That will allow you to enjoy your vacation without the fluctuating energy level due to poor eating and planning. And in return, you will enjoy your vacation with a higher level of energy resulting in more time spent doing the things that you like best.

You look great! But...

Have you heard the saying, “we are our worse critic”? This is true, especially us women seem to have a difficult time accepting a compliment without adding a “but” to it. I have to confess that I am my worse critique and nothing I do is quite good enough. You may have even thought to yourself, I wish I could run a little faster, look a little better, a few inches taller, weighted a little less, more attractive, I wished my family didn’t complain so much (including me:D), I wish more people liked me and why can’t I be a little more like… you feel in the blank. Instead say, I run at a good pace, my height is fine, I look great because I’m God’s creation. My weight is fine for my size and I’m grateful for my family because they are there for me through thick and thin. And if someone doesn’t like you for who you are, then they shouldn’t be a part of your life.
Accepting a compliment doesn’t mean your conceited, snobby, to good for your own good, better than everyone, high and mighty nor will it go to your head. Accepting a compliment from yourself or anyone for that matter is a good thing! We are all beautiful and God made us all unique. We represent a rainbow of beauty and our individuality compliments us. Because of this we are all gloriously different and beautiful. So, next time someone says, “you look great,” say, “thank you” and say to yourself, “I do look great.” Saying that will build your self-esteem, give you confidence, make you feel good, and make your whole day feel a little more worthwhile. And the most important part is, you are beautiful because you are you. So take care of yourself

Sodium in Moderation

A high sodium diet increases your risk of stroke, hypertension and heart disease. The recommended daily allowance of salt is 2300mg a day. This is for people who are not at risk of heart disease, hypertension or stroke. A high sodium diet equals not only poor health but also some other bothersome symptoms such as, water retention and thirst. People who do have a predisposition to hypertension, stroke or heart disease should limit their sodium intake to 1500 mg a day. This daily allowance can easily be met, if your not careful of what you eat. For example, a slice of pizza can range from 200-875 mg of sodium. Most people eat more than one slice of pizza in one sitting. Even an uncooked chicken breast without seasoning can contain 150mg of sodium as a preservative. This poses a problem because most people will apply additional salt prior to cooking.

Salt is in just about everything you eat and that means even pastries as well as some candies. Processed foods still remain the biggest culprit of salt but can be avoided by preparing your own food using fresh ingredients. Here are a few tips if you’re trying to lower your sodium intake.

· Use herbs and spices to season your food.
· Try olive oil, pepper and lemon as a salad dressing.
· Read food labels. Look for foods containing less than 300mg of salt per serving.
· Watch your food portion size.
· If you’re eating at a restaurant ask for a nutritional guide.

Cutting salt might be a challenge if your not use to low sodium foods, but it’s not impossible. Overtime with patience, your palate will get an acquired taste. Keep in mind that salt is salt. In other words, Sea salt is not a better alternative. Sea salt does contain trace amounts of minerals but still needs to be monitored.

Women & Strength Training

This week I had a client who was concerned about putting too much lean muscle on her body frame. She didn’t want to promote a less than feminine appearance. This seems to be an issue for some women who want to get into weight training, so I’m going to touch on this subject a little. Women gaining too much muscle from weight training should not be of concern. It’s not possible, unless you have the genetics. For example, if you genetically carry more muscle than the average female or partake in drug use such as steroids, you will not turn into Mr. Woman. Also, women carry less muscle mass than men. In fact, we carry more fat than lean muscle tissue and because of that, it contributes to a more feminine appearance. So weight training will not morph you into a man. One of the many benefits for not only women but men as well is, building lean muscle means more calories burned. For every pound of lean muscle your body has, you will burn 6 calories a day. On the other hand, for every pound of fat your body has, it burns only 2 calories (per pound of fat). What this comes down to is, strength training has more pros than cons such as helping your body be more efficient at using energy. Strength training not only builds lean muscle but it has many other benefits such as, a decreased risk of osteoporosis, reduces the risk of muscle loss due to aging, helps to transform your body composition, resulting in a better appearance. Also, an increase in strength, reduces stress, improves your immune system and helps to increase your sex drive.

The facts are in and women have a lot to gain from strength training, so pick up those weights and start lifting :).

Moderate exercise 5 days a week vs. high intensity, less days a week?

Recent studies have shown that exercise moderate in duration for less than 4 days a week is not likely to produce the same results as exercising four or more days a week. The study showed that people who exercised less than four days a week did not achieve the results of the group that exercised four or more days a week. In fact, the group that worked out more lost 13.3 lbs and showed significant fat lost compared to the 4 lbs that the other group lost while working out less than 4 days a week.

What this means is those infomercials that claim you can workout less than 4 days a week for 20-30 minutes and get the same results as someone who worked out more is not true. Following a moderate to high intensity routine for 20- 30 minutes 2 days a week, don’t get the same results as someone who has worked out more than 4 days a week. Some of the latest exercise crazes claim you can burn significant calories by doing an extremely high intensity workout. If anything these intense routines will increase your chance of injury and the amount of effort that is required to follow such workout will eventually burn you out. One can get good results by working out several days a week at an intensity of 70% of your target heart rate. Even experts say, “There is no secret to weigh loss beyond that which we already know to be true.”

So my advice to you is quick killing yourself by following an extreme routine for 20 minutes 2 days a week. You’re better off working out 5 days a week for 30-60minutes at moderate intensity and following a nutritious diet.

What’s For Dinner?

Wednesday was one of those days where I had several clients booked with a 1-hour gap in-between each appointment. At the same time, I had my priorities so I made sure I had time to help my son with his homework and spend time playing with him. And during the other time gaps, spend time working on my psychology paper that was due this week. Long story short, it all worked out but what I hadn’t figured out was, “what’s for dinner?” I knew I wouldn’t be back home until 5:30pm and I certainly didn’t not want to be prepping my dinner for 30-minutes and cooking it for 45-minutes. Usually I’m pretty good about planning a menu for the week that’s healthy and wholesome and provide leftovers but some how Wednesday escaped me. I quickly grabbed a copy of Real Simple magazine and found a great looking recipe for a vegetarian dish called “Linguine with Asparagus & Pine Nuts.” At my house we eat a lot of nuts because we’re nuts and I like variety, so I happened to have a bag of pine nuts on hand, and the other ingredients that were required. The best part was this recipe said it would take 25-minutes from start to finish. This of course was for the rest of the population, not me. If a recipe says 25-minutes for me that’s 2 hours, however I was willing to give it a try, besides it didn’t seem too complicated. Surprisingly, it did take 25-minutes to make, we were able to eat dinner by 6pm, I had leftovers, it was delicious and it looked just like the picture! If you like vegetarian or are up for trying something new then give this recipe a try! Bon appetite and happy Mother’s day to all you moms!

Linguine with Asparagus & Pine Nuts

¾ box of linguine
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
4 cloves of sliced garlic
2 lbs of asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 cup of shaved Parmesan cheese

1.Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pot.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, add pine nuts & garlic stirring frequently, until golden (1-2 min). Add asparagus & cook, tossing occasionally, until tender (2-3 min).

3. Add asparagus mixture to the pasta along with 1 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper and toss together. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.