Knowledge is Power for Weight Loss Success

Knowledge is power. You can accomplish your weight loss goals as long as you have the right information. You can educate yourself, understand what you need to know, accept it, and then do what it is you need to do to lose your weight. If you believe a fad diet will truly help you lose the weight and keep it off, you do not have the correct information to attain your goals.

Put simply, there are no shortcuts. You have to educate yourself and you have to learn how to do things correctly and consistently. So what do you need to know?

• Seek quality professional guidance, or find a reputable source of information to help you find the right food plan for you as an individual.
• A healthy food plan contains all the food groups, the correct amount of calories you need, and the correct balance of macronutrients.
• Find any additional resources you need to be successful with dining out, emotional eating, etc.
• Develop some kind of accountability for your actions
• Exercise regularly.(Refer to Steve's blogs for all kinds of tips on activity.)
• Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.

When you know the right things to do and follow through with them, you will lose weight. Knowledge is power!

Mediterranean Diet - Meat, Poultry and Fish

The Mediterranean diet, leans heavily towards a vegetarian-type diet. The majority of foods are plant based, but it still incorporates animal proteins, just in smaller amounts than we are usually accustomed to.

It is recommended that about 8-ounces fish be eaten weekly. Depending on your your daily needs will determine if you should consume between 1-4-ounces of another lean meat. Choose animal products such as fish, lean white-meat chicken, and lean cuts of beef.

Testing Your Resting Metabolic Rate

Why should you know your resting metabolic rate?

Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is a measure of the number of calories your body burns each day to maintain life. Your RMR is equal to approximately 60-70% of daily total caloric expenditure and also relates to how much lean body mass you have. Basically, your resting metabolic rate gives you the number of calories your body would need if you were to lie in bed all day and not expend any other energy or exert effort. The remaining 30% percent of calories burned come from your body's daily physical activity such as digestion, daily living, and exercise.

Why should you measure your RMR?

Your body is unique and your metabolism and caloric needs will differ from the person next to you (even if you both weigh the same amount).

Here are some factors contributing to your body's metabolism:
• Age
• Height
• Gender
• Body composition – lean body mass to fat ratio
• Activity level
• Exercise intensity and duration
• Varying physical and environmental influences

How can you test your RMR?

The whole process takes about 15 minutes and is very easy and painless to complete. A qualified, registered dietician or health professional will have you lie or sit down and then place a soft, form-fitting mask around your mouth. The RMR program they use will then calculate the oxygen and carbon dioxide data collected. It will then analyze the data and provide you with your personal resting metabolic rate.

The testing is also fairly accurate, especially with a qualified technician fitting the mask to your face. I have personally seen discrepancies of up to 5-10% when completing the test within the same week. However, this is still better than estimating your own RMR, which is often off by as much as 20-25%. For example, if you calculate your RMR to be 2,000 calories and it's really 1,500 you can see why you would be gaining weight from consuming an additional 500 calories per day…

Make sure to retest your RMR every 8-12 weeks, as your energy and caloric needs may change depending on the results you have achieved through your weight loss program.

Reader Poll: It's Your Time to be Heard!

My goal is to deliver the most useful health and fitness information available to help you achieve your goals.

To better help me write about the topics you most want to learn about please take a second now to vote for your top choice.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Waste or Waist?

One issue I hear repeatedly is "I hate to waste food." My answer to that, is it better to waste some food in a garbage can or put it directly on your own "waist?"

I grew up with parents from the depression era so I know about waste. Back then it was about all the starving people in China. I don't deny there are starving people all over the world but the logic defied me. Were my parents going to send leftover food to those people in China? Wouldn't it spoil? The point of course, is that we needed to eat the food ourselves even if we were full. So I finished my plate and many years later I still agonize about throwing food away.

So what do you do if you are still hung up on the waste issue? There are many solutions. Cook only what you need. Put smaller portions on your plate. Freeze the leftovers. If they are empty calorie foods (cakes, cookies, sweets, etc.) what's the real waste? Do these foods contribute to health in any way or just to your weight issue?  Lastly isn’t it a waste of life to die younger due to heart disease, diabetes, or some kind of cancer? Isn’t it a waste to destroy the quality of your life (both emotionally and physically)?

Mediterranean Diet - Grains and Legumes

Grains and legumes are what makes up the body of the Mediterranean diet. Grains are at the bottom of the Mediterranean pyramid, suggesting 8 or more servings of whole-grain breads, pastas, rice, and cereals. You can make these grain dishes even better by adding legumes, nuts, seeds or vegetables.

Make One Change per Week

I was recently speaking with some people who said they failed on their New Year's resolution. They said that they did so because they tried to do too much too soon…

It's understandable that if you stress yourself out about completely changing your routine and your way of life, you will eventually crumble under the pressure. It can be totally overwhelming when you think about how much weight you actually have to lose and how long you've been carrying it for.

The truth is, and I know you've heard it before, you didn't put the weight on overnight and you shouldn't expect to take it off that way either. However, you can lose your excess weight (body fat) by taking a systematic approach to weight loss. That means you should take it one step at a time to ensure that not only will you burn off body fat, but you will keep it off permanently.

You may be asking how this is possible when you have fallen short so many times before…

The difference is asking yourself to implement only one piece each week. That means you will make one dietary or exercise related change every seven days all while journaling every step of the way. You give yourself a grade each week and track your progress as you begin to achieve new personal bests in weight loss. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed from having to turn your lifestyle upside down.

Each new healthy lifestyle correction will eventually become a habit and part of your routine. You'll find that this is the real key to living well and looking great!

Learning Self-Accountability with Weight Loss

Yesterday I discussed accountability and finding support while losing weight. Today I want to elaborate on the importance of learning self-accountability.

Accountability is probably one of the biggest reasons why dieters fail while trying to lose weight. If you only have yourself to answer to each week where's the positive stress to keep you on track?  Yet, many people still insist they can lose weight on their own. Remember 95% of dieters fail. (Just so you know it took me literally years to lose 30 pounds and keep it off, and yes, I actually did it by myself.)

All too many times I've had a person say, "Well I'm following the plan perfectly," yet it's very clear to me from the few pages of a food diary that the person is really not following the plan and this has to be kindly pointed out.

So how do you learn self accountability? You learn this first by knowing, really knowing specifically, what plan you are following. Many people just think they are following a plan and actually are only following it in the mind. The food diary (I suggest using ND's free Pantry) should match your plan up with what you have actually done. Are they the same? If you are attempting to lose weight by yourself and truly want results it is imperative you be brutally honest with yourself and track it by using a food diary.

The Mediterranean Diet - Eat Your Fruits and Veggies

Yesterday I wrote about the healthy fats that are part of the Mediterranean Diet. Today brings up a reoccurring theme, which is part of the Mediterranean Diet and also a key component to weight loss; eating your fruits and veggies.

The Mediterranean Diet suggests that you eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables. It encourages eating up to 10 servings a day. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrition and provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Another benefit is that they are low in calories and high in fiber and water content which helps you feel full. Here are some suggestions for getting in your fruit and vegetable servings:

Accountability and Support with Weight loss

Every now and then a client misses a weekly appointment. I don't think it's by coincidence that by the next visit the client has lapsed. Other clients come in saying "I know what to do but I just don't do it." This is telling me these individuals need both accountability and support and they need it often.

But not everyone can afford a qualified nutritionist or life coach to keep them on track. So if you are seeking a friend for support here are some things to really consider:

• Is this a person that I can really trust? You might be telling this person things you are normally embarrassed about sharing with most people, so make sure this person can keep a confidence.
• Is this a person who will give you unconditional support that you can depend on and at the same time be lovingly firm about helping you find ways to change? Would this person really make you accountable for your actions?
• Has this person had the same experience in weight loss as you have had? Can he honestly relate to your challenges and weight loss struggles? If he hasn't been overweight himself he may not be able to understand what you are going through. Can he honestly be non-judgmental?
• Will this person be available to you when you need support either by phone or email?
• Will this person sincerely cheer you on when you are doing the right things?

Losing weight is hard work. Support and accountability can make the process easier. Readers who do you lean on for help? What helps you the most?

The Mediterranean Diet

Elaine recently posted about how monounsaturated fats may promote weight loss . The Mediterranean Diet is part of the same thought process. It promotes olive oil as the primary source of fat as well as consuming nuts and seeds.

All olive oils contain monounsaturated fats, but look for "virgin" or "extra virgin" since they are less processed. Use olive oil in cooking, salad dressings or to dip whole grain bread in, but remember to use in moderation because of the high caloric content.

Nuts are also high in fat, but tree nuts, such as walnuts, pecans and almonds are low in saturated fat. Since nuts are high in fat you should limit yourself to a handful a day. Look for raw or natural nuts and avoid ones that are roasted or heavily salted. Use natural nut-butters to avoid trans-fats.

A New Way of Doing the Food Diary

I am a total believer of the food diary whether it is hand written or whether it be utilizing ND's free Pantry. The May/June issue of Weight Watcher's magazine had a different take on the food diary. But I would only use this "short cut" diary when you absolutely have to, as it certainly would not be too concise and would not give you the full picture of what you are doing with your food, especially around calorie intake.

You still need to record food that you consume but when you have a meal, you simply place the word, "small, medium, or large"  by it. Then before your last meal of the day you check your food diary to see how many "larges" you have already checked. If you have too many in that category, you know you need to downsize dinner and maybe that evening snack. Maybe this isn’t the greatest of ways to track your food but it would be better than nothing and it would keep you aware.

A high-fiber, high-protein vegetarian soup

Soup is usually associated with winter, but it can still be an easy, and satisfying spring dish. Curried Lentil and Spinach Soup, which is high in fiber and protein, makes a great lunch or dinner. This soup can me made up to one day ahead and also frozen in individual portions to have on hand. Per serving there are 537 calories, 38 grams of fiber and 34 grams of protein; a nutritional profile of this recipe is available.

If you feel that the calorie level of this dish is too high, or that you won't feel full with just a bowl of soup alone, make this recipe 6 servings instead of 4. This will bring each serving to 357 calories with 25 grams of fiber and 22 grams of protein. Add a nice slice of whole-grain bread or a side salad, as your daily plan allows, and you'll have a delicious and filling meal. Don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

Fats May Promote Weight Loss

Yesterday I cited a study that promotes monounsaturated fats as a key to controlling dangerous belly fat. But  be careful with how much fat you are consuming. All fats are calorie dense. I actually had a client that was having a half a cup of processed peanuts several times a day thinking he was going to lose weight by including more monounsaturated fats.  But think about this, four ounces of peanuts would be equal to 656 calories and 56 grams of fat, about 11 servings of fat at one sitting! Ideally he should have had about 10 whole (in the shell) peanuts for a small snack, worth one serving of fat.

So what are other sources of monounsaturated fats and how do they measure up?
•    1/8 of an avocado is a fat serving.
•    Unprocessed nuts like seven almonds, six cashews, four pecans halves, and one tablespoon of pine nuts are each equal to one serving of fat.
•    One teaspoon of olive oil or five olives is equal to a serving of fat.
•    One tablespoon of organic peanut butter (buyer beware: commercial brands frequently include trans fats/hydrogenated fats) is equal to about two servings of fat (about 100 calories) and one teaspoon of peanut oil is equal to one serving of fat.
•    One tablespoon of unprocessed sesame seeds is a serving of fat.

And yes, Canola oil may be a monounsaturated fat but there is a lot of controversy around it being a genetically modified oil so I personally would avoid it or limit the use of it.

The lesson here is to consume small amounts of monounsaturated fats and then limit the unhealthier saturated and trans fats. You might also use ND's free Daily Needs Calculator to determine the total calories you need for the day to lose weight.

Burn More Calories Walking

Since we're officially into spring now and the weather is becoming a lot nicer, this is a great opportunity  to get outside. I also wanted to give you some helpful tips to burn more calories while walking and breathing in some fresh air.

Here are 5 ways to lose more weight while walking:

1. Walk with Intensity
Remember to swing your arms and push forward using your glutes

2. Head for the Hills
Make sure to include some uphill battles in your walking route

3. Walk on Dirt, Gravel, or Grass Paths
It takes more work for your body to navigate uneven surfaces

4. Wear a Weighted Vest or Backpack
A little added weight can go a long way in terms of burning more calories.

5. Use Walking Poles
Walking Poles will help you burn more calories and up the intensity of your walk

These 5 tips should help you lose more weight while going for your daily walks. Enjoy the nice weather and keep on moving!

Keeping Up with Going Green

Even though Earth Day was this past Tuesday, I noticed on many news shows, that this whole week was dedicated to going green. Here is another "green" recipe for you to try - Orecchiette with Cannellini and Broccoli.

This vegetarian recipe is high in fiber, 10 grams per serving, which will help you feel satisfied so you can stay on your path to weight loss. Each serving also provides 21 grams of protein, which is equivalent to eating 3 ounces of animal protein. This will help play a part in keeping your diet healthy as well as our planet. Don't forget to look at your local farmer's markets for some of the ingredients in this recipe, it's just another way to keep going green.

A nutritional profile of this recipe is available. Don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

Is there Hope for Curing Belly Fat?

It finally looks like we have some hope on the horizon for those with belly fat. A new, cutting-edge study published in Diabetes Care in July 2007 and conducted by scientists at Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, placed a group of overweight people on 4-week diets containing the same number of calories but with different ratios of carbohydrate and fat. "The plan rich in monounsaturated fats prevented the accumulation of both types of belly fat—without additional exercise." It appears that the monounsaturated fat is the real key to the plan.

Prevention Magazine did another study of their own with good results and wrote another weight loss book utilizing the monounsaturated fats in a new diet plan. It also touched on some good solid eating advice.

Just remember these are just a few small short term studies. And even though these studies suggest consuming healthy fats, too much fat in anyone's diet will not promote weight loss if there's simply too many calories from them (or other sources). Tomorrow I'll go over these various kinds of monounsaturated fats and give you some specific serving sizes and calorie measures of fats.

"Will I Bulk Up If I Lift Weights?"

That largely depends on your genetics, lifting program, nutrition, and recovery.

Believe it or not, it takes a fair amount of effort for most people to add any lean muscle. You really have to be disciplined about your exercise program.

Special note for women:

If you are a woman, have no fear of bulking up! Why? The hormone, testosterone, is largely responsible for adding muscle and bulk. Women just don't have the hormone levels to create that type of anabolic environment for massive muscle growth.

Adding lean muscle is something you should continually strive for. At the very least you will preserve your current lean muscle and keep your metabolic rate up. Also, muscle is very dense as opposed to body fat.

So, the moral of the story is not to worry about bulking up from lifting weights. If anything, you'll end up slimming down and toning up from the greater caloric burn.

Ratatouille is an easy way to get in your high-fiber veggies

Ratatouille is a stewed vegetables dish that can be a side dish to any protein or grain. It can also be a meal on its own. It is low in calories, high in fiber, and is an easy way to get in some of your vegetable servings.

Monkfish with Ratatouille is an easy to prepare, one dish, meal. Each serving has 305 calories and 7 grams of fiber; a nutritional profile of this recipe is available. Since ratatouille can go with so many different things try doubling the recipe so you have leftovers. You can use the ratatouille for tomorrow's lunch mixed with some quinoa or whole-wheat pasta or even for tomorrow's dinner with baked or roasted chicken. Don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

Photo by Ann Straton

What Price Will you Pay to Lose weight?

How many diets have you been on? How much money, time, and energy have you spent? Many a dieter starts a weight loss program and all too quickly gives up not realizing the actual work that is involved when losing weight. The following is a quote from Daily Motivation that touches on success as a "toll road":

"THE HIGHWAY TO SUCCESS IS A TOLL ROAD
You must give up something to get whatever you want in life.
The greater the value, the greater the sacrifice that will be required.
Everything you want has a price.

You pay a price if you want to make things better,
and you pay a price for just leaving things as they are.

Nothing worthwhile will come easily to you.
Work, continuous work and hard work,
is the only way to accomplish the results that last.

You'll find no success at bargain basement prices."

  Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com
Reproduce freely but maintain Copyright notice.

Slash Your Sick Days

In the news:

People who exercise have on average 40-50% less sick days! That means that they take off half as much time as those who merely sit behind a desk and never get their bodies moving through exercise.

The reason for this amazing statistic is that when your blood pressure increases through vigorous activity, your disease fighting immune cells get pushed through your blood. They are able to detect and fight off cold viruses before it's too late.

That's great news for you, your boss, and your deadlines. Plus, the flip side is you'll feel healthier and more energetic by incorporating exercise into your daily program.

Check out this post on how lunch time breaks can be the perfect time to fit in a 30 minute workout.

Easy prep, low-calorie meal

Fish Fillets in Parchment with Asparagus and Orange is easy to prepare since it is all done in parchment paper. This makes for an easy clean-up as well. The combination of these ingredients bring to you a low-cal, low-fat and low-carb meal. A nutritional profile of this recipe is available.

An easy plan ahead tip is to get the fish ready a few hours in advance so when it is time to cook all you have to do is just place the fish in the oven. A great side to this dish would be a serving (1/2 cup) of whole grains, such as bulgur wheat, mixed with slivered almonds and dried cherries (use 2 tablespoons of each per person). Don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

photo by: Coral von Zumwalt

Vegetarian Protein for Earth Day

Happy Earth day! I hope you all are living up to yesterday's challenge of going vegetarian today.

Beans and legumes are such an under eaten food and yet sooooo healthy for us I'd like to discuss how we can easily work them into our current diets as a nutritious and ongoing vegetable protein with minimum hassle.

• Plan bean meals in your weekly menu so you can foresee and account for any needed prep work. (Or you can just simply make them on the weekends and freeze.) The day before you plan on cooking them post a note to soak them or you can use the quick soak method below.
• Soaking beans will lessen cooking time. Legumes and lentils do not require any soaking. Beans do. (Alternative quick soak method: Simply cook beans in water for two full minutes; turn off heat, cover, and then let stand for one hour. Drain thoroughly and proceed with cooking your bean recipe.)
• To avoid the whole embarrassing issue of gassiness, add a teaspoon of baking soda while soaking your beans and then rinse thoroughly. http://www.drmirkin.com/recipes/degas.html also offers additional hints on this issue. Or you can consume Beano prior to consumption. Beano is available at most drugstores and health food stores.
• Note, the smaller the bean the quicker it will cook but times will vary according to the freshness of the beans. Purchase your beans where you know there is a high turnover rate.
• After soaking beans you can utilize a pressure cooker. Cooking time is really quick, espececially with the bigger beans. Follow manufacturer's directions carefully! Or… Use a crock pot. The newer ones have timers that go on and off according to your directions. And of course you just cook the beans on the stove.
• Beans go well all year around. In the warmer months simply make cold bean salads, burritos, or top your green salads with them.

Lunch Break Exercise

Why should you spend your mid-day break being active?

There are so many reasons! For starters, you're less likely to order unhealthy food and this alone could save you an extra 500 calories a day (that's almost a one pound weight loss your first week right there!).

Second, you'll have more energy throughout the rest of the day after getting some lunch time activity.

Third, you can do something as simple as going for a 30 minute walk. It's easy and you can add those expended calories from walking to the calories you skipped by not hitting the vending machine or choosing some other unhealthy meal. Instead, you'll be more likely to go for a well-balanced, energizing lunch.

Now you can see how just 30 minutes during your lunch break can really help with your weight loss goals. Be sure to check out my 7 part Spring Shape Up series for more details.

A vegetarian dish for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Both Monica and Elaine have written about how to make an impact on our planet through diet. What has come up again and again is moving away from animal products and trying vegetarian food.

Vegetarian Cassoulet is a hearty and healthy vegetarian meal to try in honor of our planet. Per serving there are 12 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein. So even the biggest carnivore will feel satisfied after this meal. A nutritional profile of this recipe is available.

Don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry so you can try, as Elaine suggested, a "Veggie Day" once a week.
Photo by Romulo Yanes

Earth Day is Tomorrow. What are You Doing?

Monica has already made some real good points in today's newsletter and previous blog regarding Earth Day (please read it if you haven't already) on how what we choose to eat strongly impacts our environment and our health. One of her comments, "One of the biggest ways to lower the energy cost of your diet is to reduce the amount of animal protein products you consume…" rings loud and strong. And just last week I wrote a blog suggesting that one day a week make it a "Veggie Day" based on an idea from The Super Foods Rx Diet  book. (Heavy protein eaters you can still get plenty of protein by consuming nutrition packed beans, lentils, organic tofu, low fat cheese, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.)

Here are some great tasting vegetarian recipe ideas from Dana to get you started (remember you can save these to your own free ND Pantry for future use:

• Sauteed Greens with Cannelli Beans and Garlic (Add more beans and organic tofu for protein and reduce the fat for a lower fat dish.)
• Curried Lentil, this is a meal in one with plenty of protein and veggies to warm you up on a cooler spring evening.

Readers are you up to the challenge for tomorrow? I encourage you all to make a statement on Earth Day by what you consume. Go vegetarian for a day. Please tell me how you do!

 

"Will my Muscle Turn to Fat if I Stop Working Out?"

This is another really popular question that has an easy answer, but for some reason this myth just won't die…

Muscle and fat are about as equal to each other as red meat and butter. They aren't the same fiber type and one can't become the other. It's physiologically impossible.

When you stop using your muscles at your current capacity, your body becomes significantly less efficient at burning calories, which allows body fat to start to accumulate. That's why the scale may not be changing in terms of the number, but your body composition certainly will when you start to lose muscle and add fat. What happens is that your ratio of fat to muscle will shift significantly and your body begins to look softer and less toned.

Your goal should be to add lean muscle while burning the fat. If you're a beginner you can just start with 2-3 days a week of body weight exercises. Then you can graduate to other forms of resistance to keep your from plateauing.

Try walnut oil to add new flavor to your salads

I came across this Beet, Ricotta, and Arugula Salad with Walnut Oil from the Flying Trapeze and decided to give it a try. Since Elaine has been posting a lot about the importance of eating vegetables I was excited to find a new salad recipe that would have more flavor than olive oil and vinegar could provide.

I was not sure about the walnut oil, since it can be quite expensive, but it was worth it. The combination of flavors really made this salad taste great and since walnuts are high in omega-3s I was also getting some heart healthy fats into my diet. Just a little bit of walnut oil goes a long way. This salad recipe calls for 2 teaspoons per serving which is an easy and delicious way to get in your fat serving each day. Besides salad dressings walnut oil works well in marinades, dips and baking.

A nutritional profile of this recipe is available.

To Weigh or Not to Weigh

I either have clients that get on the scale too much or others that shun the scale completely. So what's the best thing to do when you are losing weight?

Newer studies indicate that dieters should weigh themselves daily. I'm personally not a fan of weighing daily because people expect too much, but I do think a few times a week is acceptable. 

But weighing in once a week is a MUST. You know the saying that "ignorance is bliss?" For some reason not getting on the scale keeps people in denial of what's going on.  How do you know what you are doing is working if you don’t get on the scale? I would hate to waste a whole month and then find out my plan isn’t doing a thing! The flip side of weighing daily is that weight may fluctuate from day to day for various reasons and discouragement can set it.

And then there are some people who have a favorite pair of jeans and they gauge themselves by that. If that works, great!

I think in the end it really depends on the person. If you discourage easily then stay off the scale. If you need the scale to stay on top of things and it doesn’t disappoint you then by all means get on it more often.

Readers tell us what your thoughts are on this subject. What have been your experiences?

A low-cal, Asian inspired meal

Steamed Chicken with Black Mushrooms and Bok Choy is a delicious meal with only 282 calories and 12 grams of carbs per serving. This Asian inspired dish may take longer to prepare than ordering in from your local restaurant, but at least you are the one in control of the preparation allowing yourself to stay on your weight loss plan. A nutritional profile of this recipe it available; don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

The combination of mushrooms and bok choy can help you reach your goal of the minimum 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. To read more about the importance of eating your veggies read Elaine's post from earlier this week.

Photo by: Romulo Yanes

Keeping Veggies Convenient for Weight Loss

Let's face it. Veggies do take a bit more time to prepare.  You usually have to wash them, cut them and then cook them. So of course it is easier to simply grab something else to snack on as our reader was challenged with the other day. (The problem with just grabbing something else is that it can end up being higher in calories and lower in nutrients.)

When it comes to keeping veggies convenient here are some tips:

• Buy a veggie platter or precut veggies to have on hand. Use promptly as they lose taste and nutritional quality quickly. Buy a low calorie "dip" or use hummus. Or puree some cottage cheese for a dip and season as desired.
• Find a good recipe for marinated veggies (I personally use the non-fat salad dressings/marinades and add a tiny amount of olive oil.) This keeps well for several days in the frig.
• Make up some veggie soups and freeze. Some delis have plain vegetable soups available year around. Just watch the sodium.
• Grocery stores frequently offer a variety of frozen blends of vegetables: fiesta blend, Italian blend, etc. Extra seasonings can be added for more flavor; you might add fresh basil for the Italian blend, or Mexican seasonings for the fiesta blend. These can be used as side veggie dishes, made into a main dish with additional protein and pasta, or thrown into a soup.

Keep in mind this way of eating is a mindset. You want it to become a habit for good health and weight loss. You have to want to be healthy, you have to want to lose weight, and yes, you have to want to do just a little work. But you also have to remind yourself of the rewards of wholesome eating!

Add a low-calorie spiced soup to the mix

Even though the weather is spring-like, having soup can still be an option at mealtime. Stick to broth based soups or soups prepared with lots of veggies to help fill you up with minimal calories. Indian Spiced Carrot Soup, prepared with a low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, can be a mid-afternoon snack, a satisfying lunch or a great starter for dinner.

Per serving there are 163 calories, 8 gram of fat and 4 grams of fiber. This is an easy to make recipe that is sure to fit into your daily plan. A nutritional profile of this recipe is available; don't forget to save this recipe to your Nutrition Data Pantry.

Buy the Right Size Jump Rope for You

I get this question a lot and I totally understand…

In my last post I wrote up a concise jump rope conditioning program, but a lot of people asked, "how are you supposed to know what is the right size jump rope for you?" Too long and it will throw off your timing… too short and you'll end up tripping over it.

Here's how to eliminate all the confusion.

Stand with both feet in the center of the jump rope and pull up both ends towards your shoulders. The two handles should equally reach your armpits. If you can raise your hands higher than your shoulders your rope is too long. The reverse is also true; if you can't reach shoulder height then your rope is too short.

Although most jump ropes are adjustable, you're better off buying the right size the first time. If you're buying your jump rope off the internet, then I would recommend grabbing a piece of old rope and using that to find the right length. You can then lay the rope out straight and measure it from tip to tip. This will give you the exact length you should order.

That's it – so get going!

Veggies Can Taste Good!

Wednesday a reader responded to my blog on the challenges of eating vegetables. Jordan actually made two really good points which are: 1. Veggies are not as pleasurable to eat compared to other food sources.  2. It is simply easier to snack on nuts compared to veggies. Today I will comment on the first challenge and work on making veggies taste a little better!

"Vegetables are boring, they don'€™t taste as good," etc. etc. Some of you may have been fed canned vegetables or simply overcooked mushy vegetables. Yuk! Also I think many of us have grown up with very simply prepared vegetables.  I can see why there's not a lot of excitement around eating our vegetables. So what to do?

• Really fresh vegetables can make a huge difference in how they taste.  Shop at the farmers markets and eat your most perishable veggies early in the week.
• Be creative. Check recipes out periodically and prepare some different vegetables entirely or prepare a different combination of vegetables.(If a veggie recipe seems too high in fat, say over 5 grams of fat per serving, simply reduce the amount used; you will still retain the flavor.) Utilize some spices to zip them up a bit.

Start collecting veggie recipes and them save them in the Pantry so they are convenient. And remember, opting for healthier foods such as veggies is frequently about developing the habit of