Category: Personal Training

Celebrate This Fourth of July Without The Extra Calories!

 

This year my dog (Dillon) and I will be marching in our local parade on the Fourth of July. I am super excited to be part of the celebration honoring the birth of our country and the people who fought for our freedom.

I do have a confession to make!

There’s another personal reason I agreed to do it. I wanted the exercise! What a fun way to get my workout in for the morning. It’s always great to find fun ways of exercising so it never feels like a chore.

One of my tricks to weight management without dieting is to get exercise on days I will be indulging.  I don’t use this method only on the Fourth of July — I practice this principle all summer long! For more tips on how to lose weight while enjoying your summer, read Tips for Your Summer Weight Loss Plan.

It is totally possible for you to have fun and avoid the extra calories this year!

1) Exercise! If you are walking in your local parade, this is a great way to get exercise. Committing to an event will help keep you on track when you might be tempted to “blow off” exercise.

You don’t have to be in a parade to get exercise on the fourth! You and your family and/or group could walk or hike before all of the grilling starts. Try calling to set it up in advance. If it’s too tough to fit in — plan fun, active games. This will also prevent the mindless snacking that can occur while visiting.

2)  Go Light! Having a potluck? Bring the lighter version of your traditional dish. Something as simple as substituting regular mayonnaise with the light version can cut back significantly on calories! Google is great for helping you find the lighter fare without compromising taste. Ask other friends if they want to bring light dishes as well. If appropriate, why not make “cooking light” the theme?

Choose leaner meats for the barbecue. A Kielbasa sausage has 330 calories. That doesn’t include the bun! Substitute with a chicken sausage that has 170 calories.

3)  Make calorie conscious choices! Limit foods like chips and dip. Nine chips and two tablespoons of dip is usually a serving and can have 200 calories easy! Load up on fruits, veggies, and green salad. Take smaller “taste size” portions of the heavier dishes like potato salad. This allows you to keep from feeling deprived and stay on target with your weight loss/management goals.

Substitute sparkling water or plain iced tea for sweet tea, energy drinks, and soda. Wine and beer have a lot less calories than blended “umbrella” drinks. If you plan on drinking some of your calories, you may want to skip dessert or vice versa.

Make a plan before the party starts. For example if the tea is sweet, I”ll choose water.

4)  It’s only one day!  You have to really pig out to gain weight in one day. However, the fourth can set the tone for the rest of the week and even the summer. If you overdo it, get right back on your normal eating and exercise plan the following day!

These tips will help you have fun without gaining weight! If you have a great tip you want to share or have a question, please leave a comment below!

Have a super fun and safe Fourth of July!

Blessings to you and your family!

Jennifer

 

 

How to Lose Weight Without Feeling Deprived Or Hungry

Woman is Hungry Dieting

My friend wants to lose weight, so we were discussing weight loss the other day. She loves to cook and has a very healthy diet.  My friend believes it’s all about portion control.

Hang on! Here’s a trick you can use that goes way beyond portion control!

She’s right that reducing portion sizes can spur initial weight loss for many people. Or, at the very least stop the weight gain! However, after 20 plus years of helping people lose weight, I’ve learned that there’s more to it than portion control. For long term weight loss and management, you want to pay attention to portion sizes AND the calories in your food choices!

When you hear low calorie, you often think you have to give up on flavor or the foods that you really enjoy. Unless you frequent fast food chains on a daily basis, that is simply not true. The trick to losing weight without feeling deprived is substituting low-cal recipes for the original recipe.

Here are six yummy recipes you can convert to be lower in calories:

1) Buffalo Wings — 52 calories each. You have to eat a lot of wings to get full (maybe 10, so that would be 520 calories)! Buffalo Chicken Thighs from Cooking Light Magazine — 318 calories per two thighs.

2) Traditional recipe of Sesame Beef Stir-fry — 563 calories per serving. That doesn’t include the rice! Sesame Beef Stir-fry from Cooking Light Magazine — 230 calories per serving.

3) One plate at an Indian Buffet — 900 calories. Indian Spiced Chicken and Rice from Fitness Magazine — 376 calories per serving.

4) Homemade Macaroni & Cheese is a whopping 858 calories per serving! For some that’s half of their daily calories! Creamy Light Macaroni Cheese from Cooking Light Magazine — 390 calories per serving.

5) Traditional Pork Tacos — 419 calories per two tacos. Chipotle Pork Tacos from Cooking Light magazine — 299 calories per two tacos.

6) One battered large piece of cod — 556 calories. Never mind the fries! Crisp Crusted Fish Fillets via cooking light magazine — 291 calories per Serving. [minor changes to this section for consistency in formatting]

In most of these examples the caloric difference is major! Over time these extra calories add up for either weight loss or weight gain!

Wouldn’t you like a little dessert and still maintain your weight?

Maybe you are happy with your weight and just want to maintain. If that’s you, congratulations! Choosing the lower calorie meal allows you extras like dessert or a glass of wine without gaining a pound. If weight loss is your goal, the lower calorie meals will allow you wiggle room to splurge a little without sabotaging your efforts!

If you eat out often, try making the low cal version of your favorite dishes and bring the leftovers for lunch. By replacing traditional restaurant dishes with the lighter versions you are cutting down on the calories. Plus you will save time and money!

When eating out becomes less of the norm and more of a treat you are more likely to lose weight.

Can’t avoid eating out often? Here are some tips: 

  • Subscribe to a free calorie tracker like loseit and learn how many calories are in the typical restaurant meals you eat.
  • Look for the lower calorie meals on the menu and order them!
  • Choose fruit for snacks.
  • Substitute high calorie drinks with lighter fare (a glass of wine has less calories than a traditional margarita).
  • Save splurging for the weekly dinner with your spouse, friends, family, etc.

For more tips on how to eat out and still lose weight, go to my most recent article on this subject.  Here’s the link.

It is totally possible to lose weight without feeling deprived or hungry! Moderation in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “to lessen the intensity of.” Choosing lower calorie versions of your favorite meals and correct portion sizes fits this definition!

What secrets can you share that have helped you lower your daily calories? Is there anything specifically you would like to ask me? I love to hear from you! Please comment below!

Blessings!

Jennifer

Can Convenience Make Us Fat?

America is blessed with so many conveniences! Unfortunately, it has also increased our obesity rate! Fortunately you don’t have to be a casualty.

Your great-great grandmother would laugh!

She’d wipe the sweat off her brow and let out a belly laugh. “A what? A gym?” Especially after coming in from milking the cows, weeding the garden, churning the butter and doing the family laundry by the river.

It hasn’t been until recently (about the 1950’s) that Americans have faced a need for formal exercise. With automation came less lifestyle activity. About the same time more processed “fast” foods entered the scene. Convenience crept in — and it is here to stay!

It’s no mystery when you stop and calculate how automation has caused us to burn less calories and consume more of them.

Today, it is possible to stay home for 30 days straight and never leave the house. You can have your food delivered, your trash picked up, your movies delivered, your mail picked up, and even have your dog walked!

Hang on Jennifer. Do you want me to live like the Amish?

Now please don’t get me wrong. I like my washing machine, dishwasher, and my automobile. Since I live on an island, I really like that I can have some of my favorite retailers deliver to my front door. These conveniences free up my time for other priorities.

For busy people, outsourcing some of the less physical everyday tasks will actually assist you with your health and weight loss goals. It will free up your time to plan healthy low-cal meals, exercise more, and even rest.

Here are some everyday tasks that can help you lose weight:

  • Park in the back of the lot.
  • Walk downtown for an errand.
  • Take the stairs.
  • Walk your kids to school.
  • Walk the dog.
  • Walk to the mailbox.
  • Go shopping.
  • Do careful meal planning and cooking.

You can exercise during leisure time as well!

  • Turn off the screen and go for a walk.
  • Walk to your local video store for a movie. (Multi-task by bringing the dog.)
  • Walk to your local restaurant.
  • Plan outdoor activities for your off time.
  • Meet a friend for a walk and then have coffee or lunch.
  • Walk on the beach.
  • Go hiking and have a picnic for a date.
  • Plan vacations that offer physical activities.

Last Tuesday, a close friend of mine was in town. She wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and sight see. We walked a little over three miles and had so much fun. It was a beautiful day. After, we went to Sausalito for lunch.

It would have been so much easier to stop in the car, take a few photos, and drive on to Sausalito. I’m so glad that we made the extra effort to walk across it. We combined our exercise with our leisure time. We had fun and met our daily exercise goal all at the same time.

There’s no getting around it — we have to plan to lose weight!

Modern convenience has permanently created an environment that requires us to pay more attention to calories burned versus calories consumed. In order to lose and/or maintain our weight for the years to come, healthy eating and regular exercise must be incorporated into our daily lives.

Whether you prefer to “disguise” exercise in your every day activities or like to do formal workouts, it will require some thought and planning. Check this out for tips on how to lose weight living your life.

Convenience can open the door for a “last minute” mindset. Use your calendar to schedule exercise and healthy meals into your day. If you’d like suggestions on how to do that, I offer you nine meal planning tips that lead to weight loss. Don’t worry. They’re perfect for busy people, and even save you money!

Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything you are struggling with. Or, if you have a success story you would like to share! I love hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer