Weekly Challenge #4 - Tap on an App!

 

As the saying goes, "Abs are made in the kitchen." 
It's week 4.  Perhaps you have reached your goals for this month.  Or perhaps you thought you should have seen better results?

If your boot camp attendance has been 100%, but you don't notice changes in your body OR the scale, it's time to take a look at what you are putting in your mouth.

One of my favorite tools to get started is a food journal.  Studies show that those who write down everything (yes, everything) they eat or drink have more success losing weight AND maintaining the weight loss. 

And if that's not enough incentive, technology has made food journaling a breeze. Just 10 years ago, when I asked clients to do a food journal, they would write it on notebook paper, then I would review it, enter it into a database and look at the results.  Smartphones and apps now make this simple for both me AND the client. 

What if I'm already very conscious of what I eat?  Why use an app?

Most apps have large databases of most foods.  Simply select the food or beverage you consume(d), quantify it, and the app does the magical math for you.  In the click of your mouse or button, you know exactly how much you've eaten.

Most people underestimate the number of calories they take in daily - yours truly included.  I'm always amazed when I use my food tracker just how quickly it all adds up.  Odds are - you are underestimating too. 

My favorite apps give you a calorie "budget" for the day based on the goals you enter along with your height, weight, age and gender.  As you enter your food, it subtracts the calories from your daily budget, so if you enter your food in real time, you always know how much you have left to "spend"...AKA "eat."

Which should you choose? 

I personally like Livestrong.com's My Plate best.  It's user friendly, syncs with your PC, and has a huge database of foods.  Other clients like LoseIt, My Fitness Pal, Spark People and Weight Watchers (members only).  

It truly doesn't matter which you use.  Just do it.

It's Time to Give Up... But Not on Boot Camp

It's week 3.  How are you feeling?  Did you do your boot camp homework over the weekend?  Did you try last week's challenge of trying a new fruit or vegetable?  

For Christians, Lent started last week with Ash Wednesday.  As it's common practice for many to give up or sacrifice something during this six week period, I thought it was fitting for this week's challenge as well - whether you are Christian or not. 

What should you give up and why?

• Think about giving up a food or drink you enjoy and eat too much of at one time.  For me, no doubt that's ice cream.   Ice cream was and still is a favorite among my entire family and I purposely buy a pint or single serving container to limit my portion.  And if it's chocolate?  I'm really in trouble.  For me, giving up ice cream is truly a sacrifice.

• Think about a rich food you consume too often that may be hindering your weight loss success.  The late afternoon candy bar, the fast food lunch every day, the sugar-filled donut each morning or the grande cafe latte with whole milk are all examples of diet sabbotagers.  Habits like these that set you back 300-500 calories in one serving can put a hault on reaching your goals - for your waistline and your finances.

• Think about giving up the impossible.  My friend Neil is currently "going vegan" for one month as a result of a New Year's bet.  He loves his green egg AND every last morsel of meat that he cooks up in it.  Many friends thought this was impossible (I'm sure he had his doubts too) but he's eating vegan and having success along the way.   A challenge like this not only  changes your perspective, but imagine the confidence you will gain in accomplishing something (even for a week) that you never thought you could do.

What will you give up for the next 7 days?  Tell us about your sacrifice on our Facebook page!

Weekly Challenge #2 – Try a New Fruit or Vegetable

Fresh beets

So you’ve survived week one.

How are you feeling?  If you are new to boot camp, is it getting any easier to wake up at 5am?  If you’ve been a boot camper for more than a month, are you still improving, or have you plateaued?  Do you still have goals to reach?

If you are a vet and boot camp is now a habit, congratulations!  But if what you put into your body has gotten the best of you, give this week’s challenge a try.

It's simple.  Try one new food this week.  Just one. 

If the one you try doesn’t agree with you, try another.  And consider making this a new habit – once a week, once a month or if you really aren’t the adventurous type – once a year. 

Not sure where to start?

Aim for the produce section at your favorite grocery store.  Not only are there hundreds of fruits and vegetables to choose from, but they are low in calories (great for weight loss) and packed full of nutrition.

If you are short on time and the type of person who grabs food on the go, be adventurous with fruit.  Check out fruits you’ve never tasted before, choose one, wash it and if you aren’t sure how to eat it – google it.

For the less adventurous, check out kiwi, papaya, mango or a fresh pear.  (Pears.  Seriously. I'm ashamed to say I only tasted fresh pears in the past year.  Thought I hated them because I tasted canned pears in my elementary school cafeteria.  Who knew?)  

If you have tried most fruits, aim for a different variety (i.e. if you always buy Bartlett pears, try an Asian pear, or if you love oranges, try a blood orange).  If you are more adventurous, check out a star fruit, dragon fruit, pomegranate, or passion fruit.  

I know what you're thinking.  Our local neighborhood grocery doesn't carry too many adventurous foods.  And you may be right.  So guess what?  Venture out of your comfort zone and take a trip to the DeKalb Farmer's Market, or Harry's in Marietta.  Your adventure will suddenly involve more than a new food! 

If you have more time on your hands and want to try cooking a new recipe, try a vegetable you haven’t had before.  If you feel you have tried many vegetables, try another variety of something like purple sweet potatoes, or orange cauliflower. 

And if you love most vegetables, try cooking one in a new way.  I hated Brussels sprouts for 30+ years until I had them roasted.  Now they're on my weekly grocery list.  Whatever vegetable you choose, be adventurous, google a recipe and give it a try.   

Share your new food experiment with your fellow boot campers by taking a pic and posting it to the Step It Up Facebook page. 

Weekly Nutrition Challenge #1 - Hydration

If you are new to boot camp, I know what you’re thinking.  What in the world am I doing getting up to workout at 5:30am? 

Two and half years ago I was right where you are.   But I committed to a month, and then one month turned into two, and before I knew it, two years had passed and my fitness level was better than it had been in over 5 years!

Fitness is one side of the coin, and eating well is the other.  Both fitness and good nutrition are important to health and if you are missing one part, you may miss out on reaching your goals.

Starting this month, I’m introducing a weekly nutrition challenge.  Your challenges will break bad habits and introduce you to new foods.  I challenge you to try each change for one week, and if it works for you, consider a month, if you feel better, consider 12 weeks.  And at the end of 12 weeks, you may have a new habit. 

Small changes add up over time and before you know it, you will be well on your way to eating well for life, rather than just following another diet that’s guaranteed to fail.

This week’s challenge:   Hydration (This is actually a 2-part challenge)

Part 1) Take in enough liquids

How much fluid should you drink? 

A good rule of thumb is to take your current weight in pounds and divide by 2.  This is the number of ounces of fluids you should have per day.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should take in 75 ounces of fluids per day. 

Which fluids are best? 

Try to make most of your fluids water, or a calorie-free beverage.   Unsweetened tea, coffee and club soda are other options if you aren’t a big fan of plain water.  Personally, I do best with water with a squeeze of fresh lemon, fresh lime or even a splash of OJ.   Find what tastes good to you – you’ll be more likely to stick with it!

Part 2) Avoid alcohol

Why no alcohol?  

·         Alcohol is a diuretic - it affects hormones that impact water reabsorption.

·         Alcohol has calories and few nutrients.  If you are trying to lose weight, this isn’t going to help.

·         Alcohol affects sleep.  A 5 am wakeup is tough enough sober, let alone with a hangover.

·         Alcohol increases your risk of injury.   A sprained ankle isn’t going to help you reach your fitness goals!

Are you up for this challenge?  Start today - calculate your water /fluids needs, then keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times.  Hold off on the alcohol this week, or better yet, try it for a month. 

To learn more, visit Alcohol: Friend or Foe? and/or Boot Camp Hydration 101.