Treat Yourself

Hi all,

Last week of the competition and it is really time to focus in. When it is all said and done though, it is important to keep up the healthy habits. I found a gluten free delicious recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Sweets are my achilles heel so I thought I would share this. It makes a small batch and I read good things about it. So keep up the good work and keep looking for fun ways to treat yourself. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg
1 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
15-20 packets Sun Crystals all natural 5 calorie sweetener
2/3 cup almond meal
2/3 cup brown rice flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand at Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
- OR-
Use 1 cup Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix instead of brown rice flour, baking soda and baking powder
2 oz. dark chocolate bar (58% or 72% cocoa)
Optional: ¼ cup raw pecans, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist cookie sheet with olive oil. In large bowl mix eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla and sweetener with large spoon. Stir in brown rice flour, baking soda and baking powder (or TJ's Pancake and Waffle Mix) until the mixture is combined. Break chocolate into chunks. Stir chocolate chips and optional pecans into mixture. With a teaspoon, scoop up spoonfuls of dough and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

Variations: Use ½ the chocolate bar and replace with ¼ cup chopped dried UNSWEETENED cherries or cranberries.

Shout out

I do different searches each week for helpful websites for weigh loss, work out tips and what not. I want to give a shout out to http://allwomenstalk.com/. This site has weight loss tips, great tasting low calorie desserts and fashion advise.
I find that at certain times of the month I crave sweet foods and can't fight the sweet cravings and think about weight loss. Allwomenstalk.com has 10 delicious desserts that range from 100-300 calories. This would be far less trouble than going through half a bag of peanut M&M's.
Another great tip from this website is how to lose 48 pounds a year by using not being a couch potato.
This article from Life Hack tells us exactly how we can lose weight while watching TV:

What would happen over the course of a year if our average TV watcher got off the couch and did some simple, easy-to-do step-ups (stepping up and down on a box, step, platform) every time the ads were on? The answer is quite staggering.

The author went on to provide the figures. Here’s one example:

Weight of subject: 150 lbs (68 kgs)Daily stepping commitment: 15 x 3 mins

Additional energy expended per day (8 inch box): 460 cals
Additional energy expended per day (12 inch box): 552 cals
Additional energy expended per year (8 inch box): 167,900 cals
Additional energy expended per year (12 inch box): 201,480 cals

Potential weight loss for the year (8 inch box): 48 lbs (21.8 kgs)
Potential weight loss for the year (12 inch box): 57.6 lbs (26.1 kgs)

Imagine that! You can do some simple step-up exercises in between commercials, and you can shed off at least 48 lbs in one year!

Okay, so it’s time for me to don those sweat pants, get a 12-inch box and do those step-up exercises in between the TV ads -most of them are annoying, anyway. What about you, have you come across any innovative methods to lose weight?

Intensity

I have linked to another blog this week. It is called Burn the Fat. This week he has some great tips on circuit training. Ironically, this weeks tip from his blog is stair intervals. As a large group of us have done stairs already we know how good of a work out it can be.
These last few weeks are important to keep on pushing. Remember there is at least 1000 dollars to the winner for this competition. Keep up the good work.

Health Eating

I am posting a section from an article placed on dove.com. I really like their focus on the Real Beauty campaign. To read the full article, click on the title of this posting.

If dieting is bad how do we go about losing weight?
I think we are focusing on the wrong things. There is no quick and easy way to lose weight -- it took time to gain it, its going to take time to lose it. We need to develop awareness about portions; portions are extremely large. If you simply reduce portions, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and add activity where you can, you'll have a slower weight decrease but the weight will stay gone.

Think of it this way: An extra 100 calories every day for a year adds 10 pounds. Can you find ways to cut?

No one can avoid fast foods and restaurants all the time. How do you make smart choices even in an unhealthy environment?
Sometimes I think salads are the worst choice, because they are huge and the dressing has a lot of calories. My advise is to order what you want, but eat only half -- watch portion sizes. Stick with water for a beverage and ask for all dressings and things like mayo to be on the side.

This article went on to recommend three foods to cut out from your diet immediately, which are; white flour, hydrogenated oils and things with high fructose corn syrup.

Three foods to add right away are more fruits and vegetables -- no one in particular, omega 3's, and whole grains.

Making the Map

When driving from Portland to San Diego, I can generally follow the road signs and get there. I am way to anal for that, so I opt to print out directions for each step of the way. On the way to San Diego I check the map many, many time to make sure I am heading where I need to go.

The same is true for setting goals. The first step is writing the weight loss goals down. These goals need to be reasonable or you will set yourself up for failure. For our 12 week program 12-24 lbs of weight loss is a reasonable goal. Anything more than that is possible but takes a lot of extra work. Now that those goals are written down, they need to be looked at often. My map to San Diego would not be useful to me if I didn't pick it up and stare at it every time I came near a new highway. We need to remind ourselves of our weight loss goals every time we sit down to eat. It may make you steer away from that cookie or fast food for lunch. Knowing the weight loss goal is not enough.

This is another reason I like the websites that help you track food and exercise. Most of the websites have charts to show you were you should be with your weight loss if you stick to the goals. If you find you are gaining weight again, it is time to look at the goals again so as not to become lost. Click on the title to this blog post to learn more about goal setting.

Trimming the Fat

It seems to be an easy concept to eat less and work out more, but for some of us it is not that easy. Some weeks we gain weight or fail to lose the weight we expected to lose. If this is the case it is really important to write it all down. I have mentioned in the past there are free websites to track the calories. One is www.livestrong.com and the other is www.sparkpeople.com. I tend to like spark people a little better. It seems a little more user friendly. My name is Harpie19 on the site if you want to link up with me or give me referral credit.
Otherwise write down everything you eat. I have found the days I think I am getting around 1700 calories I am actually eating around 2000. It makes a difference in what I need to do for a work out if I am eating more than I think I am.
Also it is helpful to look for ways to trim the calories here and there. I cannot start my day without a good Chai. Starbucks has some low calorie options but I found if I make it at home not only do I save money but save on calories. I also switched my Chai from low-fat milk as a base to almond milk. The texture of my Chai is not as creamy as with dairy but it is still the rich spicy flavor I am looking for. I save myself 30 calories with every Chai made that way, but by the end of my five day week, I have saved 150 calories, which means the first 15 minutes of my Adapt work out is now just burning fat calories and not Chai calories. :) What ways do you think you can trim the fat/calories?

A History of Eating

Just some fun facts. The government occasionally keeps track of what people are eating and we also use how much restaurants serve as a guide now as well. The last official data from the government was from 2005.
In 1909 the average American consumed 3500 calories a day but most of it was vegetables and carbohydrates and the jobs involved more labor than anything else. By the 1970's people were consuming around 2300 calories a day. The latest data says Americans now consume 2800 calories a day. The 500 calorie increase is mostly due to sugar and fat consumption. Our consumption of sugar has gone down by 28% since 1970 but our consumption of corn sweeteners has gone up by 490%!!!
So what does all of this really mean? In the sedentary world we live in, we have to eat less than or equal to what our body burns(our Basil Metabolic Rate)just by being awake. The average sedentary female BMR is around 1900 calories a day. If we consume 2800 calories a day and only burn 1900 a day that means we are gaining .3 pounds a week. It's not much so it can easily sneak up on us weeks at a time.
Just remember 1 pound is equal to 3500 calories so burning 500 extra calories a day ( or a work out equivalent to an hour of hard dragonboating) will help burn off one pound a week. Keep up the good work all.

Nighttime Noshing

Any of you have your biggest meal of the day for dinner? Or, find that you snack quite a bit and eat 50% of your days calories before bedtime? If it is a consistent thing it may be Night Eating Syndrome, which is considered an eating disorder. More can be read about it by clicking on the title of this posting.
If it is just an occasional problem here are a few tricks to help out
* Brush teeth after dinner
* Plan a healthy snack for after dinner
* Buy 100 calorie snack packs
* Plan events to keep your hands busy at night
* Write in a journal if you feel anxious about eating
* Eat breakfast with in 45 minutes of waking up even if not hungry

A combination of these tricks may help keep calories down at night. Working on eating breakfast and snacks in the morning will also eventually help to decrease night time hunger. Again if the issue persists, it may be an eating disorder and requires seeking professional help.

Comfy on the Couch Syndrome

Ever get that snuggled in feeling? Where you get home turn on the TV and feel like you are content to park it for the rest of the evening? Well I do. I have awesome at home work outs like Windsor Pilates and P90X but sometimes I just don't want to stop watching my shows. To combat this feeling I have taken a great idea given to me by my good friend Christine Pezzulo. I grab a deck of cards and assign a work out to each suit. Sit ups for hearts, push ups for diamonds, mountain climbers for clubs, and squats for spades. Pick another exercise to replace any or all if these if you feel you cannot do one or more of these. Shuffle the deck well and turn over one card at a time. The number on the card indicates the reps, face cards are worth 10 reps and aces are 15 reps. If you do one card right after the other, the work out can be done in 20-30 minutes and you can still watch your show through most of it. Don't want to miss a minute of your show? Flip the cards on the commercials instead and you will get the work out done in just under an hour. Either way by the time you finish, you will have done 99 sit ups, 99 push ups, 99 mountain climbers, and 99 squats. A work out without any extra equipment or thinking and all done while keeping the tv on. Try it out.

Six Dinners Under 500 Caloires

Hi all,

Sometimes we need some ideas for how to cook healthy. Here are several recopies. Please feel free to post your own favorites.

Veggie Pad Thai 393 Cal/ Serving
•1/2 pound(s) flat rice stick noodles
•1/3 cup(s) Thai sweet chili sauce
•2 tablespoon(s) low-sodium soy sauce
•2 tablespoon(s) fish sauce
•2 limes, juiced
•1 lime, cut into wedges
•2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
•2 teaspoon(s) minced garlic
•2 teaspoon(s) grated fresh ginger
•3/4 pound(s) (6 cups) mustard greens, stems discarded, leaves torn into small pieces, and washed well
•1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
•2 cup(s) shredded carrots
•6 scallions, thinly sliced
•3 large eggs, lightly beaten
•Bean sprouts, optional
•2 cup(s) fresh cilantro leaves
•Chopped dry roasted peanuts, for garnish, optional
1.Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan; add noodles, stir to separate, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand 4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened. Drain; rinse with cold water. In a small cup, combine chili sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice.
2.Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add greens and cover with lid for 2 minutes or until wilted. Add bell pepper, carrots, and scallions; stir-fry 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables to a bowl.
3.Return skillet to heat. Add remaining oil. When hot, add eggs and scramble just until set. Add to bowl with vegetables.
4.Return skillet to heat and add chili-sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add noodles; gently toss, using a pasta fork, for 1 minute, to coat. Return vegetables and eggs to skillet. Cook, tossing with pasta fork, for 3 minutes or until hot and noodles are tender. Stir in bean sprouts, if desired.
5.Transfer to a serving bowl with cilantro and toss. Top with peanuts, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Flank Steak Souvlakis 333 cal/ serv
•1 1/2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
•1 tablespoon(s) red wine vinegar
•1 1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed garlic
•1 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
•1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
•1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
•3/4 pound(s) flank steak
•3/4 cup(s) fat-free Greek yogurt
•1 small (1/3 cup) cucumber, grated
•2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh mint leaves
•1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
•1 small orange bell pepper
•1 large onion, cut into thin strips
•4 (9-10 inch) whole-wheat sandwich wraps with rosemary, warmed according to package directions
•8 Romaine lettuce leaves
1.In a small cup, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil , vinegar, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper; brush over flank steak and let marinate on a plate at room temperature 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a stovetop grill pan over medium heat.
2.In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, cucumber, mint, and the remaining garlic, salt, and pepper until blended.
3.Grill steak 6 to 7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
4.While steak is grilling, heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and sauté 8 minutes or until crisp-tender.
5.Thinly slice steak across the grain. Top each wrap with 2 lettuce leaves, steak, peppers, onions, and some yogurt sauce. Roll wraps around filling. Wrap souvlakis in parchment or foil.

Grilled Pork with Glazed apples and Yam Mash 495 cal/ser
•3 medium garnet yams or sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
•1/4 cup(s) skim milk
•1/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
•2 teaspoon(s) unsalted butter
•3/4 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
•3/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
•1/2 cup(s) frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
•2 tablespoon(s) grated onion or shallot
•1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon(s) apple pie spice
•3 large Golden Delicious apples, cut crosswise into 4 thick slices
•8 (2-oz each) thin-cut boneless loin pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick
•Olive oil cooking spray

1.Combine yams and milk in a 2-quart glass measure or bowl; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 10 minutes; let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, and 1/4-tsp each of the salt and pepper; mash until smooth. Keep warm.
2.Meanwhile, heat a double stovetop grill pan over medium heat. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler source; heat broiler.
3.In a 2-cup glass measure, whisk juice concentrate, mustard, onion, cumin, and spice; microwave on high 3 minutes or until glaze boils and begins to thicken. Arrange apple slices on broiler pan rack; brush apples with glaze. Broil 3 minutes, turn slices, then brush with more glaze. Broil second side 3 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
4.Meanwhile, season pork chops on both sides with remaining salt and pepper and lightly coat with cooking spray. Grill pork chops 7 minutes, turning once and brushing with remaining glaze, until just barely pink in thickest part when cut with a knife. Serve with apple slices and mashed yams.

Chicken and Chard Pasta Fagioli 345 cal/serving
•2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
•3/4 pound(s) Swiss chard, stems diced (1 cup), leaves torn (4 cups)
•1 1/4 cup(s) diced onion
•1 1/4 cup(s) shredded carrot
•2 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
•2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper flakes
•5 cup(s) reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
•1 can(s) (28-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
•1 can(s) (16-ounce) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
•2 cup(s) shredded roasted chicken breast
•1 1/4 cup(s) (about 6 ounces) ditalini or tubetini pasta
•2 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese , plus extra for serving, optional
1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add chard stems, onions, carrots, rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; sauté 2 minutes or until wilted.
2.Add broth, tomatoes, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes longer, until pasta is cooked. Stir in grated cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve with extra cheese, if desired.

Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa 353 cal / serv
•1 cup(s) fresh or frozen corn kernals
•1 can(s) (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
•1/3 cup(s) finely diced red onion
•1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
•1 1/2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
•8 corn tortillas
•1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
•1/2 teaspoon(s) minced garlic
•1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
•3/4 pound(s) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
•1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
•1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
•1 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
•1 small Hass avovado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
1.Salsa: Heat corn in a dry large nonstick skillet over high heat and cook, tossing corn frequently, 4 minutes or until lightly charred in spots. Add tomatoes and onions; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Keep salsa warm.
2.Tacos: Stack tortillas and wrap in damp paper towels. Place in microwave.
3.Heat oil , garlic, and cumin in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt, and pepper and cook 3 to 4 minutes, tossing several times until shrimp are firm and cooked through; remove from heat and toss with lime juice.
4.While shrimp cook, steam tortillas in microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes or until softened. Fill each tortilla with 6 or 7 shrimp and top with warm corn salsa and diced avocado.

Turkey Piccata 220 cal/ serv
•2 lemons
•1/3 cup(s) plain breadcrumbs
•4 (1/2-inch thick , 1 pound total) turkey breast cutlets
•Olive oil cooking spray
•1 pint(s) grape or cherry tomatoes
•4 large fresh thyme sprigs
•1/2 cup(s) dry white wine
•2 tablespoon(s) minced shallot
•2 tablespoon(s) drained capers
•1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
1.Cut off peel and pith from lemons. Cut into slices, then cut slices in half; reserve. Spread breadcrumbs on waxed paper. Press cutlets into crumbs to coat.
2.Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Lightly spray cutlets with cooking spray. Cook 2 1/2-minutes per side or until golden and no longer pink in thickest parts. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
3.Add tomatoes and thyme to skillet, raise heat to high, and cook, shaking pan, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tomato skins start to char and split in spots; transfer to platter.
4.Add wine, shallot, and capers to skillet; boil 1 minute or until wine is reduced by half. Reduce heat and swirl in butter and reserved lemon slices until butter is emulsified. Spoon over turkey and serve with tomatoes.

Breakfast Boost

There are numerous studies out there to support eating a healthy breakfast. Breakfast should be eaten with in 45 minutes of waking to support the metabolism. Not only will a small meal give your metabolism a boost, but those who partake in a healthy breakfast will also have better focus and work output than those who do not. For those who do not eat breakfast I would like to throw down a 14 day breakfast challenge. Eat breakfast for 14 days in a row and see how you feel at the end of it. Most likely you will feel more energized and your weight loss will be easier.
Breakfast does not have to be labor intensive An English Muffin with peanut butter and a banana will take less than 3 minutes to prepare.
Another option for those who are busy in the mornings is to cook ahead of time. On Sunday night, scramble up eggs and add spinach, peppers, salt and pepper or other veggies or low fat, pre-cooked meat that you like. Once it is all scrambled together, place in a Ziploc baggie. Make five different types of scrambles or just one large batch of scramble and put it in five Ziploc bags. Boil water in a medium size pan. Add all of the bags to the boiling water for 3 minutes or until cooked through. (Very similar to rice in a bag)Once the scrambles are cooked, they can be stored in the fridge and heated in the microwave briefly so that you have a breakfast that is ready to eat in minutes. It is better to have the eggs fresh every morning but a busy life style mad need some compromises. One large egg has approximately 70 calories. One egg, one egg white, a small handful of veggies and an English Muffin plain equals less than 300 calories for breakfast.

Another Round

Welcome to another round of the biggest loser. This blog is meant to provide healthy tips and helpful information for weight loss. It is also a place to post about any wins or any frustrations during the process of the weight loss. On the side bars there are a few amazon stores selling helpful products with my reviews as well as other helpful websites. Lets give a shout out to ADAPT fitness for helping us by offering some great work out classes. Anyone super sore from the work out this Saturday? My calves are sore but otherwise I feel pretty good. Healthy wishes to all of you for participating.