It's that time of the year again - that time when so many of us will make a New Year's resolution. According to several sources, 45% of Americans will make a resolution, and only 8% will be successful in achieving it. The number one resolution? Weight loss. Improving fitness comes in at number five.This will drive people to strange and uncharacteristic behaviors ranging from giving up any myriad of activities cold turkey, to purchasing gym memberships that won't be used more than a handful of times, to joining clubs or weight loss groups or starting a detox program of some sort. (Keep in mind that detox drinks/diets/plans are one of the biggest scams out there. You have a cool little organ called your liver that already does this for you, and no amount of water, cayenne, lemon juice, vinegar, or green tea can hold a candle to what your liver does for free.) I'm sure you've heard this before, but I'll put it out there again: The diet industry pulls in a staggering 40 billion dollars a year, with a failure rate of 95%, meaning that 95% of people who diet in any form will re-gain all of the weight they lose - and often more - within 1-5 years. It's brilliant, from a business perspective. I mean, think about it - a product that will never work but can be marketed again and again and again as if it might work this time so that consumers will continue to buy it. And try. And fail. Changing the packaging or the name or the marketing messages seems to be enough to keep people coming back for more failure. Amazing. Holiday weight gain is real, and New Year's is a convenient time to address it. I believe there is a downward slide that begins with Halloween candy, brings us to Thanksgiving feasting, and then the month of December, which seems to be one huge Lindt-ball laden extravaganza. Couple that with cold temps outside, short days and less time to exercise, and by this time, I think most people are feeling like they're ready for a change, or at least to shed a few pounds. But here's a radical idea: Rather than set yourself up for failure with a resolution or a diet, start with self-acceptance. Instead of using BMI calculators or calorie counters or squeezing into your skinny jeans and feeling awful, try this: Look in the mirror and say "Today I am at my perfect weight." Because you are, at least in the sense that this is where you are today. Self-love and acceptance are incredibly powerful tools. First of all, they work instantaneously. You don't have to wait a few days or experiment on yourself - just be kind to yourself. Now. Today. It's a great place to start. It will breed a desire to care for and make better, rather than to punish your body. Having struggled through anorexia as an adolescent, I feel like I have spent the last three decades of my life (I can remember this as far back as 10 years old) looking into mirrors or at photos and saying "yuck" or seeing every single flaw, to a point where it is a reflex as natural as breathing for me. If you have that same reflex, fight it. Talk back to it. Look at yourself and see the things you love. Or find things to love. Or start loving the things you've always hated. Make a choice that this year is going to be different, not because you are going to get skinny or perfect, but because you are you going to accept yourself, exactly where you are, right now. I have never, ever met a woman who has not wanted to lose at least 5 pounds. Never. Let's try something different. Perspective helps. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:
Extreme dieting ---> Failure ---> Complete lack of awareness of anything diet-related ----> Weight gain ...and then back to the beginning Five years or so ago, I decided to start feeding myself better to improve my health in areas where there were some concerns - blood pressure, hormone balance, blood sugar control - and it worked. Amazing. That stops the cycle before it even begins, and it is a form of feeding and loving myself, rather than punishing. And while I did lose significant weight that I have kept off, I was actually more excited about the changes I saw in my health than anything. This was a crucial paradigm shift, and it's made all the difference.
There are good, compelling reasons to lose weight for some individuals, in some circumstances. And there are ways to successfully lose weight and keep it off. But there is no quick fix, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Don't give in to the diet industry this year. You are at the perfect weight for this moment, this day, maybe even this year. Accept that, and see what else opens up to you.
0 Comments
One of my favorite things to order out is a Greek salad from Panera. They are delicious. Really. But not really worth $8.95, either. I have started making Greek salads for myself, and bringing them to work for lunch. I have found that the key to a great salad (any type) is to have lots of different ingredients, and chop everything up nice and small. So, that's what I do with all of the following ingredients, except for the olives and the banana peppers. Toss it all with the dressing, and it's WAY better than the Panera salad, hands down. Cheaper and organic, if you buy organic produce.
In terms of quantities, I find that I like a high ratio of lettuce to other stuff, meaning that I have an equivalent amount, probably, if you were to measure (which I don't) of lettuce to everything else chopped up. But that, of course, is completely customizable according to your preferences. Mixed baby greens Red onion Cucumber Red pepper Grape tomatoes Feta cheese Fresh Kalamata olives Banana peppers (I buy the rings in the pickle aisle) Dressing: Juice of one lemon, mixed with 1/4 cup of olive oil, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, and a teaspoon of oregano. Whisk together and use liberally. Ideally, I take the time to grill or saute some chicken breast on Sunday, which I reserve to put on my Greek salads throughout the week. But this is also great as a stand-alone. It is important to move our bodies. We are bipedal critters, made/designed/evolved/adapted to move. Movement produces a variety of desirable side effects, including lowered blood pressure, better mood, better blood sugar control, and a stronger body. But who has the time, right? An hour or two at the gym or out on the road running or doing crazy yoga moves on a daily basis is just not feasible for most folks. What to do, what to do? It's important not to get frustrated and give up altogether. I've learned that exercise doesn't have to mean special clothes and shoes and breaking a big ol' sweat. There's a lot you can just do while you go about your business for the day.
In Turkey, I learned about the ease with which exercise can be built into a day out of necessity. Walking to the stores and markets to get groceries and run errands meant that I was probably walking 1 or 2 miles a day, without ever putting on workout clothes and sneakers. I was having to carry bags of groceries for some of that distance, climb stairs, avoid tripping over sidewalks...great cross training! I learned to dress in a way that was presentable, but comfortable, and wear shoes that were flat and good for my feet, but not sneakers. I stopped "working out" so much, and started to go about my daily tasks. This was a great way to increase fitness, though not always enjoyable. Rain, heat, and humidity can all make running errands a lot more daunting, and pulled shoulder muscles from trying to carry home too many groceries were fairly common. But it did keep me moving! It's harder in suburbia. There are no stores to walk to - everything is 2-3 miles away from my house, so that means jumping in the car anytime there are errands to be done. Very irritating. I hate sitting in cars when my body is so good at walking. I have developed some tactics to stay fit and stay on my feet despite this change in lifestyle. I thought I'd share some below. If you have other ideas, feel free to comment. I do participate in some intentional exercise, but not much anymore. The backbone of my fitness routine, at this point, is all done at home or on the streets around my home. Two days a week, I do a bodyweight-based strength routine that takes 20-30 minutes. Easy. Once a week, I try to do some sprints and interval training on the treadmill or with a jump rope (not a pretty sight due to my remarkable lack of coordination, but a really hard workout), or outside when the weather permits. This is usually limited to 30 minutes. I might do yoga or pilates once a week, go hiking in the mountains, or take a swim at the Y, but lots of weeks it just doesn't happen. The rest of the exercise I get is just built into my day. People who work on their feet all day (teachers, nurses, doctors, construction workers, etc.) have some great built-in activity. But for many people, a desk job or other sedentary work makes it difficult to stay active. Living in the suburbs makes it challenging, as well, as there is nowhere to walk. Here are some ideas for keeping active: 1. A standing workstation. I first read about this idea on Mark's Daily Apple, and I have grown to love this adaptation to my working time. Last year, I set up a standing work station area in the back of my classroom at a lab bench. When I want to sit down, I just move my laptop to a table or desk. Of course, they make real, honest-to-goodness adjustable work stations, but this works just fine for me. Why stand more? Standing uses more energy than sitting. It allows you to do a number of fun stretches, exercises, and maneuvers while you type or surf or read or grade papers...toe raises, lunges, squats, standing tree pose...you get the idea. Sure, you'll look funny to your workmates, but who cares. You should feel more alert and engaged in your work than if you were sitting all day, so you'll be more productive. OSHA has published guidelines for setting up an ergonomic standing work stations. You can see them here: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/positions.html 2. If you don't live in a big city, pretend like you do. Park far away from stores or other destinations when shopping or running errands. Carry your bags back to the car instead of using a cart. (I know, I know, this doesn't work well for moms with young kids. Sorry. You get enough exercise chasing toddlers.) Walk to the end of your street and back once or twice a day, just because you can. 3. Work some bodyweight, strength-building activities into your daily routine, especially easy if you have kids to play with. When you walk down the hall, mix in some lunges. Get in a plank position, call yourself a bridge, and let your kids crawl all over you. Crab-walked or bear-walked lately? It's a great full body exercise, and your kids will gladly race you. Do 40 squats or 60-second plank hold during a commercial break. Run up and down the stairs 10 times. Again, you might get some strange looks from those around you, but that's okay. You're getting fitter. 4. Housework like cooking, cleaning, laundry, and vacuuming requires moving, lifting, standing and provides some great activity in the day. Don't underestimate the contribution of these activities to your overall fitness level. 5. I tend to want to sit when I get on the phone. I have no idea why. Try standing. Waiting somewhere? Stand. And so on. All of these small efforts through the day will add up to make big changes without setting aside time to "work out". Any other ideas? This entire meal will take about 20 minutes of prep time, then 1 hour of oven time, during which you can do other things, like read. Or workout. Or throw a load of laundry in.
This is a basic meatloaf recipe. Nothing fancy, because that's the way the boys like it. The sauce I put on the top is my mom's "secret" recipe. Ingredients: 1.5 lb ground beef 1 cup milk 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 small onion, diced or grated (I learned to grate onions in Turkey. It's great for kids who don't like onion bits in their food.) 1/2 cup bread crumbs (use gluten-free, or use GF oats) 1 egg Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp mustard, and 2 Tbsp brown sugar. Barbecue sauce works, too. Mix everything together. I often use my hands and knead it like bread dough. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, then put the topping mixture on and bake for another 30 minutes. While the meatloaf is baking, put a few scrubbed potatoes in the oven for baked potatoes. Maple-y Acorn Squash Boats: Cut an acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place flesh-side down in about 1/2 inch of water in a baking dish. Let it bake for the first 30 minutes with the meatloaf. After 30 minutes, turn the squash over, empty the water from the pan, and add a pat of butter, a sprinkle of salt, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Bake for 30 minutes more. This is one of my "convenience" meals. It's quick (under 45 minutes) and, in my opinion, just as yummy as restaurant curry. This requires using a Thai Kitchen product called Green Curry Paste. You can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores, along with the coconut milk you'll need for this recipe. One jar will make 3-4 batches of this meal. It will cost around $4.
I once researched how to make my own green curry paste. As you can see, I buy it. Much less complicated. There are directions on the jar for making this curry, but I do things a little differently. Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (optional) Olive oil or coconut oil 1.5 lb chicken, boneless breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized chunks 3 cups of chopped vegetables - I have used carrots, cauliflower, fresh green beans, broccoli, red peppers, all in different combinations 1 can coconut milk 2-3 Tbsp green curry paste 1 Tbsp brown sugar Salt, to taste (I usually add about 3/4 tsp) 1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 5 minutes. 2. Turn heat up to medium high. Add chopped chicken. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. 3. Turn heat down. Add vegetables, coconut milk, curry paste, and brown sugar. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. While it simmers, start cooking rice of your choosing (I'm partial to Basmati), or prepare a package of rice noodles. Serve curry over rice or noodles. The season of darkness is upon us here in New England. By the time I get home from work at 4:30 or 5, it is too dark to walk or run on the trails or the streets around our house. The one night I did head out with a head lamp, I got yowled at by a fisher cat, which prompted a fairly brisk run home. I'm just not wired for that level of adventure. So the workouts on workdays have moved indoors for the winter. This morning I wanted to squeeze in a quick workout before getting ready for the day. I love working out at home for a number of reasons: it's free, it's private, and I can be done with a workout in the time I would have spent driving to and from the gym. Many people I talk to about working out at home say that they are more motivated by going to the gym - which I totally get. But I also think it's just a matter of establishing habits. Get your workout gear in one place. Have a room or an area that you always work out in. Let the family/cats/dogs/roommates know that you are working out and they should go away. Get it done, and get on with the day. I usually limit my workday workouts to 20-30 minutes. I like to do longer, more strenuous activities on the weekends and days off: hiking, cross-country skiing, and (soon) downhill skiing. The exercises I incorporate throughout the week focus on large muscle groups and strengthening and conditioning the muscles that I need for the more "authentic" pursuits that I really enjoy. The weekday workouts are maintenance for the fun stuff. One of the challenges of working out at home is that it can feel isolating. Also, some days after a day of work, it's nice to have someone telling you what to do, or inspiring you with ideas that will keep you moving. I hope that these posts will offer that to someone out there. I will be posting some of my weekday workouts here in order to offer ideas to make working out at home more accessible and enjoyable. If you've tried working out at home and don't like it, I encourage you to try one of my workouts. You do NOT need to do a 90-minute workout to get results. Working out smart = working out less for the same (or better) benefits. This is a spin-off of my prison cell workout and Tabata protocol posts. There you can read more about the benefits of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and the logic behind working out this way. I can tell you, it works. I'm going on 6 or so years of working out this way, and it hasn't failed me yet. I can do a 15-mile hike on a weekend or cross country ski for 3 hours without needing a break. I'm stronger and fitter than I've ever been, even as I (gulp) approach 40 in a few months. Try it. You'll like it. Today, I used my trusty box. You don't need a box to do HIIT at home - not at all - but I like to have one for the variety it provides. (The post about the prison cell workout offers exercises that require no equipment.) It also gives me a platform to try to build up to doing pull ups from. Ken built it for me for Mother's day last year, along with installing a pull-up bar (my request). It's a beautiful box, as you can see. He made it from scraps of lumber we had lying around the basement. Mine is 8 inches high. If you don't have a box, or an old step aerobics step in lying around in the basement, you can use the bottom stair on a flight of stairs or some other box-shaped object. Maximum starting height should be 6-8 inches, and it should be sturdy and slip-resistant. So the idea is this: do each of the exercises below for 45 seconds. (Use a stop watch or clock, or just estimate.) While you are doing the exercise, be mindful. Focus on the muscle groups you are working. Keep your core muscles engaged. And work as hard as you possibly can. Then rest for 15 seconds, and move onto the next exercise. I will try describing exercises...I know videos would be better, but this is a start. (I would appreciate feedback on what would make the descriptions better or easier to follow.) There are 16 ideas below - go through the list once, then choose 4 to do one more interval with. After you've gone through all of your exercises, you will have worked out for 20 minutes and you're done. I try to get a full-body workout in these 20 minutes, so the exercises will alternate between muscle groups. It's that easy. Want a shorter workout? Do 10 of the exercises. Or run through them twice for a longer workout. This is infinitely adaptable. Good music helps. There are links to videos and explanations of many of the exercises below - just click on highlighted terms and instructions will open in a new window. Jumping Jacks - basic, old school, effective Box step ups - Step up and down onto the box with alternating legs. Jump rope - if you don't have a rope, just make the same motion you would if you did have one. Box lunges - straight back - Stand on top of the box. Step one foot back into a low lunge position. Step back onto the box, then step the alternating foot back into a low lunge position. Repeat. High knees - run in place, or around the room if you have space, getting your knees up as high as possible. Box jump-ups - stand on the floor in front of the box, then jump with both legs and land with your feet close together on top of the box. Step or hop down and repeat. (Be careful. This is the move that I am most likely to trip/fall while doing.) Plank with up and downs - get into plank position on your elbows. Place your right hand on the floor and push up to straighten your arm. Repeat with your left arm. Lower back down to your right elbow, then your left elbow. Repeat, alternating movement between starting on the right and left. Box-top running - step onto the box using a running motion. Alternate your stepping leg between left and right. Walking lunges - You don't have to carry dumbbells. Also, you shouldn't touch your back knee to the floor like the guy in the video is doing. Your front knee should never bend beyond 90 degrees, and should not go past the plane of your toes. Box Chinese jump rope - Remember this from grade school? (in, out, side, side) Stand on top of the box length wise. Jump down so that both feet are on the outside of the box. Jump up so feet are together on top of the box. Step right foot down to the side into a low side lunge. Come back up to the top of the box and step the left foot down into a low lunge. Come back to the top and start over. Box march - low Box side lunges - Stand on top of box, lengthwise. Keeping left foot on the box, lunge out to the side with your right foot, then come into a low squat. Leap back to the top of the box and repeat on the right side. Side Shuffle Box jump ups - wide stance - do jumps as above, but keep your feet a little more than hip width apart. Plyometric squat leaps - Come into a low squat, hold for five, then leap up to standing. Repeat. Box triceps dips - Place your palms on the box, or a bench or couch. Lower to the floor as shown in the video. For easier dips, bring your feet closer to your core, and for a challenge, move your heels farther away from your core. Enjoy. Contact me or comment with other ideas or your own experiences with this type of workout. I had the pleasure of trying this dish a few weeks ago at a small Lebanese restaurant in Nashua. It was amazing. I think this is a delicious and satisfying midweek option for a family. Caramelized onions make a great base for soups, pasta (like this one) and pizza sauces, and work great in this dish, as well, adding that interesting combination of sweet and savory. Serve this dish with plain yogurt and a nice salad for dinner. Also reheats nicely for lunches the next day.
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 clove of minced garlic 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt and fresh black pepper to taste 2 cups of lentils, rinsed 6 cups of water, or broth of your choosing 1 cup of rice (I use brown) 1. Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute gently for 10 minutes, until softened. Stir frequently. When onions start to brown, add about 4 Tbsp of water and allow them to cook until the water cooks off. This will complete the caramelization. 2. Add cumin, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, just enough to let the flavors combine. 3. Add the lentils and 4 cups of liquid. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes, until lentils are softened. Stir occasionally. 4. Add enough liquid so that the lentils are covered by about 1 inch of water. Stir in the rice. Cover and turn the heat to low. 5. Check the lentils and rice after about 20 minutes. They should both be tender, and all of the water should be absorbed. If needed, add more liquid, cover, and cook for a few more minutes. 6. Serve garnished with fresh parsley, if desired, and with plain, full-fat yogurt on the side. Weekends are the time when most of us catch up around the house and prepare for another busy week. One activity I relish on the weekends is cooking meals that require a little more time than is allowed on a school night. A trick I've learned is to prepare a meal that will also provide ample leftovers or raw materials for another, quicker meal later in the week. Roasted chicken is a great place to start. Today I am roasting two chickens, rather than one. Tonight we will have roasted chicken, along with mashed potatoes and gravy, and oven-roasted vegetables. Tomorrow morning, I will start a pot of chicken stock made from the chicken bones. I will use that stock to prepare chicken vegetable soup for tomorrow's dinner, and save some of the stock and chicken to make a skillet, stove-top version of chicken pie on a work night. I imagine this could all be done in one day if I were super organized and had nothing else to do, but I will do it in stages this weekend as there are other things going on, and this meal plan actually stages quite nicely. Roasted Herbed Chicken I am roasting two chickens because they are "organic" and thus smaller than your conventional roaster. But, obviously, this could be done with one large roaster as well. Also, my two kids eat like grown men, or even more sometimes, so I cook in much larger quantities these days. Place chicken(s) on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choosing, or skip the herbs. Cut an onion in half and place in the carcass, along with several sprigs of fresh parsley. Put 1 cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover and place in a 375 degree oven on the bottom rack. Cook according to size until done, approximately 1.5 hours for the two chickens I'm cooking today. While the chicken roasts, prepare mashed potatoes or other side dishes. Chop vegetables for roasting in the oven. Today I will use Brussels sprouts sliced in half, cauliflower florets, and broccoli florets. Spread in a single layer, sprinkle with a generous amount of olive oil, add salt and pepper and any other seasonings. Set aside. You'll find a more detailed blog entry on this here. When chicken is nearly done, remove lid from roasting pan and turn oven up to 400 degrees. Put the tray of vegetables in on the top rack, stirring/flipping them after about 10 minutes. They should be nice and brown and delicious after 20-30 minutes. Remove the chicken when it looks golden-brown and let rest. Prepare potatoes. To make great gluten-free gravy, I remove the chickens from the roasting pan, leaving the drippings behind. Place on medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Mix 1 cup of water with 3 Tbsp corn starch in a bowl, then pour into drippings on stove. Whisk together, bring back to a boil, and you should find you have nicely thickened gravy. Preparing to Make Soup: After dinner, I clean all of the meat off of the chicken carcasses. I package it up and store it in the fridge. Then I take carcasses and place them back into the roasting pan, and put in the fridge as well. In the morning, I will use them to start a batch of chicken stock. The method I use is here. I like to let it simmer for 6 hours or so. After straining it, I put about 6 cups into a soup kettle, and put the rest into a jar to store in the fridge. Add 2 cups of chopped chicken, and whatever other vegetables you enjoy in chicken soup. I add green beans, carrots, and corn. In the last 20 minutes, I throw in a handful of rice noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Now you should have enough stock and meat leftover to make quick(er) stove-top chicken pot pie. And there you have it - 3 meals for 4 people from 2 chickens. Enjoy. This is a quicker alternative to a traditional chicken pie, good for a work night. It will take about an hour from start to finish, and does require quite a bit of that time in the kitchen. It doesn't require that you make a crust, though it does call for a batch of biscuits. I usually start my filling simmering before I mix up the biscuits. Ingredients: 4 Tbsp butter 3 Tbsp GF flour (any blend or flour will do) 3 cups chicken broth 1/2 tsp salt dash of black pepper 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded 1 cup corn 1 cup green beans 1 cup mashed potato (optional) 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until combined. Let cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbly. Do not let it brown! 2. Add broth, salt, and pepper. Stir and simmer until slightly thickened. 3. Add chicken and vegetables. Carrots are good, too. I used frozen vegetables, but any form will do. 4. I added leftover mashed potatoes, both to use up the potatoes, and to further thicken the filling. If your filling doesn't thicken enough, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/2 a cup of cold water and add to the filling. Stir well. It should thicken more as it heats. You will need to make a batch of biscuits to top the filling with. My recipe for GF biscuits is here. After allowing filling to simmer for 30 minutes, place a layer of biscuits on top. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 5 minutes. This will cause steaming of the biscuits, which will make the underside nice and soft as they soak up flavors in the chicken filling. Uncover and serve. |
AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
All
Archives
June 2019
|