What happens when you get home from work and there is "nothing" in the house to eat? Well, if you are like me it's off to a restaurant to satisfy the hunger! My guess is that most of us have done this at least once in the past 2 weeks. Well, planning ahead may help both your wallet and your waist line.
The most important thing to lose or maintain a healthy weight is to plan! Planning both meals for the week and times to exercise will help you to stay committed! One of the best ways to plan meals for the week is to sit down with your family once a week (usually Saturday or Sunday works best) and write down a few meals you would like to have the next week. If a particular food that you believe to be is unhealthy like pizza or burgers then look up lower fat alternatives (thin crust veggie pizza or hamburgers made with extra lean beef and low fat cheese). From the menu ideas make your grocery list...then it's off to the store! Most of your food should be fresh (fresh veggies, fruits, and meats). The canned and frozen alternatives do not offer our body as many vitamins and are usually loaded with salt and preservatives.
By planning ahead this will allow you to know exactly what to cook when you get home. Cooking your own food also allows you to know exactly what is in it whereas restaurants add a lot of fat and salt for flavor! An added bonus: much money can be saved by cooking food yourself instead of going out to eat.
Planning exercise times at the beginning of the week can also be beneficial. This will help you plan other activities around your exercise time. This allows you to prioritize exercise, instead of trying to sneak it in at inconvenient times which is a more difficult task!
Hopefully planning ahead will help keep you on track with your wellness goal. Keep up the good work!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"I can eat whatever I want"
Myth: You can eat whatever you want as long as you work out
False: Just because you have burned some calories doesn’t mean you can eat more. Research shows that often times we will workout for 30 minutes and burn only 200 calories (depending on intensity, of course), as a result people think it's okay to have more food; like adding a dessert after dinner. Unfortunately, that dessert is probably 4 times that in calories of what you had burned.
Truth of the matter: If you’re not eating healthy while working out, you won’t reap the benefits and lose the weight.
It’s simple science. To lose weight you must be expending more calories than you are taking in!
Picture provided by http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/energy-balance-continuum.jpg
False: Just because you have burned some calories doesn’t mean you can eat more. Research shows that often times we will workout for 30 minutes and burn only 200 calories (depending on intensity, of course), as a result people think it's okay to have more food; like adding a dessert after dinner. Unfortunately, that dessert is probably 4 times that in calories of what you had burned.
Truth of the matter: If you’re not eating healthy while working out, you won’t reap the benefits and lose the weight.
It’s simple science. To lose weight you must be expending more calories than you are taking in!
Picture provided by http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/energy-balance-continuum.jpg
Friday, December 4, 2009
Out to Dinner
Before I head to a restaurant I like to go online and check out the menu. This way I can go ahead and find the healthiest choice and check out the nutritionals (if their available). This helps when your table side in the midst of everyone ordering (even though you weren't ready) and will keep you from making a last minute decision on a meal that probably was fat-filled, calorie laden and would have cancelled out the calories you burned on your 30 minute run!
Remember healthier cuisine is found labeled as grilled, roasted, braised, broiled or baked meat, vegetables steamed, dressings on the side (non-creamy that is) and possibly start with a tomato or non-creamy soup (this may help fill you up). When you get your meal split it in half, eat half and take the rest home!
You don’t have to sabotage your routine just because you go out to a restaurant. You can make it ALMOST as healthy as eating at home under your own watchful eye. Don’t be scared to say no butter, ask for things on the side or ask how things are cooked!
Remember healthier cuisine is found labeled as grilled, roasted, braised, broiled or baked meat, vegetables steamed, dressings on the side (non-creamy that is) and possibly start with a tomato or non-creamy soup (this may help fill you up). When you get your meal split it in half, eat half and take the rest home!
You don’t have to sabotage your routine just because you go out to a restaurant. You can make it ALMOST as healthy as eating at home under your own watchful eye. Don’t be scared to say no butter, ask for things on the side or ask how things are cooked!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Helpful yet, Healthful Holiday Gifts!
Healthy holiday's don't have to be about food. Some helpful gift ideas if your stumped and have a calorie conscious, exercise guru in the family...or if your trying to sway someone that way?
-Gym membership
-Yoga gear and mat
-Workout videos or workout equipment for the house/office (I actually just bought my first set of dumbbells)!
-Workout clothes (You might as well look good doing your workout, right?)
-Sign someone up for cooking classes
-Pedometer
-Health and Fitness magazine subscriptions
Let's go shopping!
-Gym membership
-Yoga gear and mat
-Workout videos or workout equipment for the house/office (I actually just bought my first set of dumbbells)!
-Workout clothes (You might as well look good doing your workout, right?)
-Sign someone up for cooking classes
-Pedometer
-Health and Fitness magazine subscriptions
Let's go shopping!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
I am my worst enemy
A perfect way to sabotage your weight loss goals is by focusing too much on your number [on the scale]. Yeah it’s a big deal to you…but no one else really knows what it is and frankly, as long as your feeling good….what’s it matter? If you keep worrying about your numbers you’ll become stressed about your weight…(is it too late?).
Research shows that stress releases a hormone called cortisol which is secreted by your adrenal glands and involved in several functions. This “stress hormone,” triggers your body to eat in a ‘fight or flight’ activation caused by higher or prolonged levels of cortisol in your bloodstream. It is associated with higher blood pressure and increased abdominal fat (to mention a few).
Don’t cause another dietary disaster because you’re stressed out, try laughing once in a while! Stop wasting your energy on stress and put it into a good workout!
Research shows that stress releases a hormone called cortisol which is secreted by your adrenal glands and involved in several functions. This “stress hormone,” triggers your body to eat in a ‘fight or flight’ activation caused by higher or prolonged levels of cortisol in your bloodstream. It is associated with higher blood pressure and increased abdominal fat (to mention a few).
Don’t cause another dietary disaster because you’re stressed out, try laughing once in a while! Stop wasting your energy on stress and put it into a good workout!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
