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. 

Eating Healthy on a College-Style Budget

When I was in college living off campus, the famous small packs of noodles sold 10 for $1.00.  I loaded up my cart (50 for $5.00!), along with frozen flavored pasta & veggie mixes, bagels and other varieties of noodles and rice with flavor packets.

I look back sadly on my eating habits during those days, now knowing so much more about good nutrition.  I might as well have been eating dust.  White noodles...with a salty flavor packet...likely infused with some not-so-good artificial ingredients and preservatives.  Yep, they filled me up, but did I get many vitamins, minerals and fiber alongside the calories from those meals?  Not so much...

Budget eating can be a challenge whether you are a student, post-grad trying to pay off school loans, a working professional hit hard by tough economic times, or if you are just plain frugal. 

Is it really possible to eat healthy on a budget?
The simple answer is yes.  There are a few tricks of the trade.  Not all of them may work for you, but even applying two or three will probably lead to some savings in your pocket!

1.  Buy nutrient-dense foods.  What does this mean?  Choose foods where you get the most vitamins, minerals, calories, protein and carbs per serving.  Nuts, eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, fruits and vegetables are all good choices.  Nuts can be pricey, so buy in bulk or when on sale. 

2.  Buy small amounts of foods that spoil quickly.  Peanut butter, nuts and dried beans have a long shelf life, so stock up when you find a sale, or buy a large container at a wholesale club.  Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts that you know you will eat in the next 3-5 days.  Throwing spoiled produce away is like putting dollar bills down your garbage disposal!

3.  Replace meat with beans.  One pound of Laura's Lean Beef costs about $5.00 and provides four, four ounce servings.  A one pound bag of lentils costs about one dollar and will provide you with many more than four servings!

4.  Drink water.  Only water.  From the tap.  If you don't like your local water, use a filter. Juices, alcohol, sweet tea and sodas are simply extra calories that our bodies don't need that take extra dollars that we do need from our bank accounts.

5.  Make a pot of soup.   Any bean based soup is inexpensive when made with canned beans, but will be even cheaper if you use dried.  Chili, tortilla, lentil, vegetable - the varieties are endless! This only requires the forethought to soak the beans overnight, then you are ready to go.  If you choose lentils, there's no soaking needed.  As an example, I made chili this week. Ingredients included: 

2 (15oz) cans beans (store brand organic) = $1.78
48 oz can V-8 juice (store brand) = $2.19
2 (15oz) cans tomatoes with jalapenos (store brand) = $1.98
1 lb ground beef, 92% lean (Laura's Lean Beef) = $5
1 onion = $0.79
1 red bell pepper = $1.79
1 zucchini = $0.82
Spices (already had on hand, but you could just add salt and pepper)
Jiffy cornbread mix = $0.50 (need to add 1 egg and small amount of milk)
Total Cost: ~ $15.00
Number of Cups:  10

At one cup per serving, you have 10 servings @ $1.50 each including cornbread.    Even if you ate two cups per serving, the cost is roughly $3.00 per person and will still feed five.  With the exception of fast food, I cannot think of one time I've ever eaten at a restaurant for $3.00!

To cut the cost further, choosing dried non-organic beans over canned organic would be cheaper and going with the store brand meat (which I don't necessarily recommmend) would all lower the cost more.  Make it vegetarian by leaving out the meat and you save another $5. And if you can't eat chili for an entire week?  Freeze it and save for later.

But what if I'm trying to lose weight while eating on a budget?  
Cut your usual portion of food by one-third to one-half of what your normally eat or share your meal with a friend, spouse or coworker.  The good news?  Not only will your waistline start to shrink, but your tab at the grocery AND when dining out will magically shrink too!

Tired, Sore, and Falling Asleep at 9pm? Welcome to Step It Up!

I started Boot Camp in August of 2009.  Up until then, my fitness routine for two years prior consisted of doubles tennis and power walks with my dog.  Although I thought I was in decent shape, boot camp was just about to smack me in the face with a wake up call telling me otherwise.

I committed to perfect attendance for one month.  I kept a daily food log, skipped the booze, and learned my midnight bedtime was no longer possible.  I was exhausted.  Wasn't exercise supposed to give me MORE energy?

My bedtime quickly changed.  I had trouble keeping my eyes open much past 10pm, sometimes nine.  My muscles ached, and I did the homework religiously on our off days, which helped the soreness.

Ryan repeatedly told us at boot camp that we could do anything for 10 seconds.  It wasn't easy at all, but he was right.  Mind over matter.

Sound familiar?  Are you feeling sore and tired at the end of week one? 

Keep going. You have already crossed the biggest hurdle - starting a lifestyle change. It WILL get better. It WILL get easier. 

By the end of month one, I could run one mile without stopping in 10 minutes, compared to 12 minutes on day one. I could do 15 real push ups, compared to zero on day one.   I could do more sit ups and tricep dips. I was getting stronger and despite losing zero pounds on the scale, friends were asking if I was losing weight.

I had such amazing results that I wanted to keep going. I set goals for myself each month for my fitness test and achieved them. Over time, I adjusted my bedtime back to 9:30-10pm most nights and slept like a baby on a nightly basis. Five a.m. soon became a part of my routine.

January 2012 is month 18.  I've survived a year and a half.  I do take a week off from time to time and miss classes due to my schedule and vacations, but for the most part, I can't quit. With a new perspective, I never want to go back to my out of shape self. 

The transition to better health and fitness takes time.  I can honestly say it took me three months of boot camp until I was less sleep deprived and actually had MORE energy.  This is a normal adjustment period.  But in the meantime, what can you do to make the change easier?

• Adjust your bedtime.  Aim for at least 7-8 hours.  This means snoozing by 9 or 10pm for a 5am wake-up.
• Stay hydrated.  You need to drink roughly half your body weight in ounces of all fluids daily.  Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.  Dehydration can affect muscle fatigue and soreness.
• Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day.  Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, have 3 smaller meals and work in 3 snacks between meals.  Smaller more frequent meals help fuel your energy levels throughout the day
• Eat protein with each meal and snack.  Your best sources of protein are lean meats, low-fat cheese and yogurt, skim or 1% milk, nuts, beans and legumes and soy products.  Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, will help you feel fuller longer, and is needed for muscle repair post workouts.
• Eat a small snack 30 minutes before camp.   If you are new to exercise, this can be tough, as your digestive system is readjusting to the change in your routine just like everything else.  If morning doesn't work for you, try a bedtime snack to have fuel on board for workouts. The best choices?  Different things work for different people, but generally speaking, one slice of toast or saltines with peanut butter, low-acid juices, sports drinks, yogurt or low-fiber cereals or cereal bars all may work.  Experiment to see what works best for you.
• Do the homework.  Homework exercises are at Step It Up Fitness under your log in information.  If you can't do these, at least go for a 20 minute walk and stretch on your off days to help with muscle soreness.
• Avoid alcohol for the first month or two.  Alcohol in excess can lead to dehydration and hinder your performance at camp, as well as interrupt sleep during the night.  And if you are trying to lose weight, cocktails provide extra calories without any protein or nutrients.  

Boot Camper Question: I'm thirsty all the time - is this normal?

Last month, I asked fellow campers to share their nutrition questions.  This one caught my attention.

A camper complained of being thirsty all the time, despite drinking large amounts of fluids every day. 

What could be the cause?  Excessive thirst can be caused by many things, including high blood sugar (diabetes), exercise and eating salty foods. 

But first of all, let's look at how much fluid we need for adequate hydration.

Generally speaking, if you take your body weight in pounds and divide that by two (2), that number is how many ounces of fluids you need daily.  For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should drink about 75 ounces per day. If you are exercising in a warm climate outdoors, you may need more.

Aside from measuring fluids you drink, how else can you tell if you are well-hydrated? 

Watch the color and concentration of your urine.  If the color is dark and the odor is strong, you are not taking in enough liquids.  This can also be a sign of a medical problem, but for most healthy people, it likely means you are dehydrated.

If you are getting adequate fluids and your urine is not dark and concentrated, consider the following questions:

• Do you add salt at meals or eat a lot of salty foods daily? If so, try cutting back on salty foods and skip the salt shaker to see if this improves your symptoms.
• Do you take daily prescription medication(s)?  Many prescription medications have minor side effects, including excess thirst.  Talk with your pharmacist and/or physician to see if this could be the cause.
• Are you training for an endurance event?  If so, you could be losing excess salt and water during training sessions.  Try adding sports drinks with sodium or eating a salty meal after runs to better replace losses.
• Have you recently had vomiting or diarrhea?  Both can cause a loss of sodium and water that may lead to dehydration.  Your body naturally will crave fluids and salt to replete the losses. 

If you continue to be thirsty and have exhausted these causes above, see your physician to rule out medical causes of excess thirst, such as diabetes or diabetes insipidus.