On Tuesday, I had a chance to put all my tips to good use. I met an old co-worker for dinner at Ninfa's. I have only been to Ninfas a couple of times and forgot how unfriendly it is to healthy eating. First of all, as soon as I sat down, they brought out a huge bowl of chips and not only salsa but green sauce and queso as well (apparently Tuesday is free questo night)! Then the waiter very politely asked if I would like a margarita, since it was two for Tuesday. Most margaritas will cost you around 500 calories! I said no thank you. I quickly pushed the chips across the table, squeezed some lemon in my water, and sat on my hands to prevent myself from devouring the entire chip basket. They had three items with little heart healthy symbols next to them; none of them sounded very good and they were all over $14! Geezee this is why everyone says it is so expensive to eat healthy (it's really not)! So I decided to get creative. I ordered the small chicken fajitas and asked to have it not cooked in butter (he looked at me like I had lost my mind, but my chicken made it out butter free). Then I proceeded to be even more annoying by trying to order black beans instead of refried beans and having them hold the sour cream. I'm pretty sure the waiter wanted to spit in my food by this point, but he politely said no problem. When my food came out I made a fajita (when I asked for wheat tortillas that pushed him over the edge) with chicken, beans, a little bit of guacamole and some salsa. It was pretty delicious! I skipped over the rice and ate the rest of my chicken plain. My chip strategy is to resist eating any before my food comes out, and then I allow myself to have 5 chips with my meal. This way I control my intake without feeling denied. Although it was hard to resist shoveling queso in my mouth, it was a great chance to put all my strategies to good use! So now let's tackle side dishes, what to do when your meal comes out, and dessert!


The background dancers (side dishes):

• Order as many vegetable options as possible. Try to make sure they are steamed, stewed or boiled veggies with little or no added butter or oil. Be careful of veggies that come covered in cheese sauces or anything labeled "creamed."
• Stay away from the loaded baked potato! It will be "loaded" with calories.
• Coleslaw is often considered a healthy option, when it is actually full of calories and fat.
• Fruit and fruit salad are great side dishes! Even if it's not on the menu, you can always ask.
• Plain rice or noodles are better options than anything that comes fried or covered in creamy sauce or gravy.

What to do when your meal hits the table:

• Start with your lowest calorie items; veggies are always a winner.
• Stick to the amount you would normally eat at home. Just because the restaurant loads your plate with food doesn't mean you have to eat it all.
• Eat slowly, take your time. Really try to enjoy each bit. Take a sip of water between bites and enjoy conversation with your dinner mates.
• When half of your food is gone, take a moment and check in with yourself. Are you still hungry? I know it sounds simple, but a lot of us eat without even paying attention to how hungry we are.
• Once you have decided you are done, don't pick at your food. Cover your plate with a napkin, pour salt and pepper or salsa on it, or drop your utensils in your food so they are messy. Again, this sounds silly, but it will keep you from eating when you are no longer hungry.
• As soon as I am done eating, I put a piece of gum in my mouth so I am not tempted to eat anymore. This is my all time favorite trick!
• You can also ask the waiter for a box and box up your food as soon as your done.

Dessert

• Fruit is always your best option for desert, as long as it's not dripping with syrup or whipped cream.
• Sorbet or frozen yogurt are a great alternative to ice cream, but you still have to watch out for sugar.
• completely denying yourself dessert every time you go out to dinner, can actually backfire. You simply have to find balance, one cookie isn't going to throw off your whole diet.
• Angel food cake with fresh strawberries and low fat whipped cream is a great option!
• Lemon meringue pie, or other meringue pies, are usually pretty good choices.
• The old saying, "leave room for dessert" actually has some truth to it. If you are going to order dessert, plan to eat a little less during your main meal.

So three days and a million bullet points later we have successfully gone out to dinner without derailing our healthy eating habits! Tomorrow we will tackle Fast Food!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Ok you’ve picked a restaurant, sat down at the table, and turned away the bread basket. Now what? The things you do next will decide if this meal is simply another step on your path to a healthy happy life or if it will be an total disaster in the world of all things healthy. Ok, Ok I am being slightly dramatic (or really dramatic)! However, what you order at your favorite restaurant can have a huge impact on your overall diet success. With as much as we eat out, learning how to order healthy food is a must.  Follow these few simple tips and finding the right food will be as easy as 1-2-3!

Appetizers

• Don’t always assume you should skip the appetizers just because you’re watching what you eat. While you may think you're helping yourself by skipping the appetizers, jumping right to the heavy stuff when you’re hungry may actually cause you to consume more calories. 
• Healthy options such as salads, soups, side items, and even breakfast items might be hiding in the appetizer section
• Some great meal starter options include: melon (mmmm watermelon!), fruit, steamed seafood, and smoked salmon. 
• Some restaurants will put together a small veggie plate if you ask nicely.
• Broth-based soups are usually a great choice. Studies have shown that people who eat a low calorie soup before their main meal consume fewer calories.
• Avoid anything fried or breaded at all costs, and be careful of anything that comes with a dip. 
• If something fried does sneak on to your plate (hey things happen), peel of the coating (this is where the fat hangs out).
• Trade ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, salsa or taco sauce for mayonnaise, tartar sauce or any creamy sauces or dips. 

Soups and Salads

• Salad bars can be a diet saver or a diet destroyer depending if you use them for good or evil. Skip the cheeses, eggs, creamy dressings, bacon, croutons, pasta salad, potato salad, and macaroni salad (I know all the fun stuff). Load up on sliced carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas, raisins, nuts, garbanzo beans, fruit and other fresh produce.
• If you order a house salad, ask for extra veggies.
• Order the spinach salad, it may cost more but it is totally worth it.
• Always, Always, Always order your salad dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into your salad
• If they don’t offer low fat dressings, try a squeeze of lemon, or vinegar with a little bit of oil (I even like to put salsa on top if all else fails)! Have you ever asked someone at a fast food restaurant if they have low-fat dressings? Well let me tell you, they look at you like your from mars!!!
• If you order salad for your main meal, avoid breaded chicken, olives, cheese, bacon, eggs and croutons. Check out 40 Salads that Can Kill You.
• Beware of taco salads; they can be filled with unnecessary calories.
• Avoid creamy soups like clam chowder or tomato bisque. Stick with broth based soups like minestrone, wonton, beef barley, gazpacho, tortilla, or chicken noodle.

Entree

• Check to see if there is a "healthy options" section of the menu.
• Bad words to watch for- buttery, breaded, buttered, fried, pan-fried, creamed, scalloped, au gratin, a la mode.
• Good words to watch for- grilled, baked, steamed, broiled, poached, stir-fried, roasted, and blackened. 
• Ask to sub french fries for an extra veggie or a salad.
• If ordering anything on a bun, ask if they have a wheat bun or if you can get it on wheat bread.
• If your meat comes on a bead of rice, ask if you can sub a veggie for the rice. 
• Avoid sauces made with milk, cheese, oil or mayonnaise. If you can’t see through it be careful!
• Marinara and tomato-based sauces are usually more flavorful and healthier than creamy sauces and gravies. Remember red is usually better than white or yellow!
• Get anything liquid on the side, including sauces, gravies and creams.
• When ordering pasta (especially with cream sauce) ask the waiter to go light on the sauce. 
• Know your meats! 
• Pork- fairly lean minus sausage, bacon, and ribs
• Fish- great option, usually lean and most contain healthy fat
• Chicken- fairly lean especially when the skin and fat is removed. White is better than dark meat. 
• Ground beef products- (from bad to not as bad) ground beef, ground chuck, ground round.
• Avoid eating the skin of chicken, turkey or duck. If you peel off the skin you can save yourself tons of calories and fat!
• Ask for your fish or meat to be broiled, and for the kitchen to hold the butter. Restaurants LOVE butter!
• When ordering prime rib or roast, ask for a center or inner cut (these usually contain less fat).
• Vegetarian options are not always lower in calories, especially if they are loaded with cheese, nuts, butter, bread and other non-vegetable ingredients.
• Remember, a salad and a healthy appetizer can make a great meal.

Wow that’s a lot to take in! Just remember when it comes to ordering, take your time and follow your healthy eating intuition! Originally, I was going to do a three part healthy dining series. However after this post, I have decided to break it down further into four parts. Tomorrow, we will discuss ordering side dishes, what to do once your food hits the table, and how to order dessert safely. Then on Thursday, we will talk all about Fast Food! Happy Dining!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Articles of the day: Healthy Restaurant Eating by the USDA, America's Healthiest Restaurants

Your refrigerator is stocked with lean meats, the pantry is full of whole grain goodies, and the fruit basket is piled high with in season fruit. All is safe and healthy at home, but what happens when your best friend calls you up for a dinner date? Are you going to turn them down so you don't have to deal with the temptations brought on by eating out? Of course your not! Life is about living, not locking yourself up in your house with your skinless chicken breasts and frozen broccoli! When I decided to write a blog about how to eat out without ruining your diet, I quickly realized there was way too much to talk about for just one post, so I decided to break it in to three (that seems to be the magic number lately). Section one, will cover what to do before you go the restaurant and right when you sit down. Section two will cover what to order and do during the meal, and section three will be completely devoted to fast food.

Although I know we all cook delicious healthy meals at home all the time (I'm being sarcastic), according to the the US Department of Agriculture, Americans eat 29% of our meals away from home. An even scarier statistic is from the National Restaurant Association, it states that we spend 44% of our food budget eating out. If we are spending that much money dining out, don't you think we should get our food exactly how we want it?

Making a Smart Choice

• Avoid all-you-can-eat places. These places can derail your diet faster than you can say Golden Corral!
• Choose a place that offers a lot of variety. This gives you a better chance of finding something healthy that you actually like.
• Don't decide to eat out on the spur of the moment. If you know you are going to eat out for dinner, you can adjust what you eat earlier in the day to compensate.
• Try to avoid restaurants that promote "entertainment" as part of the eating experience. Most of these are full of fried, fatty or greasy dishes. Think Chuck-E-Cheese or Gattiland.
• Stay away from restaurants with mascots.

The Healthy Dining Finder can help you find the healthiest places to eat in your neighborhood. Simply type in your zip code and presto healthy dining options at your finger tips! They will even help you find the nutrition information for most menu items. Talk about your dining out secret weapon.

Preparation is Key

• Surf the web. Most restaurants have their menus on the Internet. If not have them fax you one. Even better try and find the nutrition facts for your favorite restaurant. You would be shocked at how many calories some "healthy sounding" dishes contain!
• Try to decide what you want to eat before you even leave the house. These will help you not cave to temptation.
• Make reservations. This will cut down on wait time so you're not starving by the time you sit down.
• When you make reservations ask what they fry their food in. This can be eye opening.
• Know how much of your calorie budget you have to spend, but don't starve yourself!
• Don't leave the house ravenous. Around 1-2 hours before dinner, have a small healthy snack to avoid devouring the bread or chip basket.

The Critical Moment (when you sit down)

• Politely send back those freebies they give you. Yes, I am talking about the bread basket, rolls, and tortilla chips. Many people forget how many calories these contain. You can end up consuming over 500 calories before your meal even arrives.
• Now if you think my previous statement is completely ridiculous, put one serving of the freebie on a small plate and then send them back. This way you eat only one roll or a few chips and not the whole basket.
• Also, don't be afraid to ask if they have whole grain bread, or rye crackers. They just might surprise you!
• Just say no to butter!!!
• If you are at a Mexican restaurant, opt for salsa over cheesy fatty queso and guacamole.
• Order a large glass of water ASAP, and spice it up with lemon or lime. Much of what we mistake for hunger is simply dehydration, so drink up!
• There is no reason to torture yourself. If there are large dessert menus with delicious looking pictures on it on your table, turn it upside down or give it to your server.

Order Wisely

• Order first. You don't want to be swayed by what others order.
• Don't be shy about asking questions or making requests. It is your food so get it how you want.
• Try ordering things a la carte. Platters and combo meals are are calorie bomb shells!
• Ask how large a dish is, and consider ordering the lunch portion if available.
• Beware of the four C's- Crunchy, Cheesy, Crispy, and Creamy!
• Ask for your food to be prepared without butter, cream sauces or oil.
• Taste the rainbow! When in doubt go for colorful foods. Most high-calorie, high-fat foods are brown, beige, white or pale yellow (minus dessert).
• Don't let the waiter or your fellow dinner mates rush you. Take your time and explore all of your options.

Remember these tips next time you go out to dinner, and any restaurant can be a diet friendly!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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All of the nutrition books tell us some fat is necessary in our diets, and we think to ourselves yeah right but fat makes us fat!! (unless we read sugar busters and know sugar actually makes us fat but back on topic) The books are right! Some fat is essential to maintain a healthy and happy body. Fat keeps us feeling satisfied, usually tastes pretty good (although it would make things way easier if it didn't), and most importantly it stores fat-soluble vitamins which we literally couldn't survive without! The fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K are often found in fat-containing foods, and are stored in the liver or adipose tissue until they are needed. When the bodies ability to absorb fat is impaired, so is its ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. However, fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body for extended period of time before they are excreted. Although, the ability to store fat-soluble vitamins is a benefit in most cases, it can also increase the risk of toxicity from overconsumption.

Here is the break down on Fat-soluble vitamins (click to make larger):

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Article of the Day: For more detailed information on each water-soluble vitamin check out: Vitamins, Water Soluble .

We all know vitamins are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. But have you ever been to someone's house and they have 18 vitamin bottles sitting out on their kitchen counter? I'm talking a bottle of vitamin C,  a bottle of vitamin E, another bottle for their B vitamins etc. etc. Is all of that really necessary? Over the next three days, I am going to give you a short and sweet explanation of; which vitamins you need, how much of each one you need, the best sources of these vitamins, and most importantly, why the heck you need them! We will break vitamins down in to three categories- water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals (which really aren't vitamins, but are just as important).

Today, we are going to discuss the water-soluble vitamins, which are thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, biotin, and vitamin C. These vitamins all dissolve in water and are cofactors of enzymes involved in metabolism. Minus vitamins B6 and B12, water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and are disposed of when you visit the little boys/girls room. So lets break these down: (click on the table to enlarge)

This informtaion is based on guidelines presented by the National Academy of Sciences.
*RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)
*AI (Adequate Intake)

Now, we know a little bit more about the different water-soluble vitamins and what they do for us. Tomorrow we will discuss fat-soluble vitamins! Stay Tuned!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Summary of this book in one sentence: Most of our body fat comes from ingested sugar not ingested fat!

Sugar Busters! is an oldie but a goodie! I give this book four stars for it's usefulness and sound information. Sugar Busters! is written by four men- H. Leighton Steward (CEO of a fortune 500 energy company), Dr. Morrison Bethea (cardiac surgeon), Dr. Samuel Andrews (endocrinologist), and Dr. Luis Balart (gastroenterologist). Talk about a line up! The basic concept of this “diet,” is to have a positive influence on insulin and glucogon secretion through nutrition. The Sugar Busters! way of eating includes a diet composed of natural unrefined sugars, whole grains, veggies, fruits, lean meats, fiber, and alcohol (in moderation). So why cut out sugar? Sugar stimulates insulin secretion, which instructs our body's metabolism to create, store and hold on to fat. That is never good! On the other hand, protein stimulates glucagon secretion, which does the opposite of insulin. Glucagon instructs our metabolism to mobilize and convert fat back to glucose, which reduces our fat stores and waistlines! Gooooo Glucogon! Sugar Busters! isn't the Atkins diet, but it does recommend cutting out all overly processed carbohydrates and excess sugars. Overall, this book was very informative without being overly confusing. I was a little nervous about a book written by three doctors and a CEO. I was half way expecting to need a dictionary every other word, but that was not the case at all! 

• Avoid refined carbohydrates at all cost!
• “Potatoes are for pigs and corn is for cattle” (old french saying)nthey are both quickly converted to pure sugar and have a very high insulin response. Other high offenders are beets and carrots.
• Beware of sauces- ketchup, BBQ sauce, and salad dressing can all be loaded with sugar. 
• Whole grain (stone ground not whole meal) products are ok, but avoid ones with dextrose, maltose, honey, molasses, brown sugar or corn syrup. Read the ingredient labels! You might be surprised by what is hiding in your favorite loaf of bread. 
• Opt for smaller more frequent meals versus two or three larger meals. Less frequent larger meals will alter the body’s response to insulin secretion and increase fat storage.
• Proper portion sizes are still very important. This book does not give you a free pass to eat three plates of fatty steak for dinner!
• Since most cholesterol is manufactured at night (while we are sleeping), try to finish your evening meal by 8:00pm. Then close the kitchen.
• Healthy snacks are encouraged, and most fruits (except watermelons, pineapples, raisins, and bananas, which all have a high glycemic index) are great for this occasion. This part of the book almost brought me to tears due to the fact that watermelon is my all time favorite food! I’m talking even more so than ice cream!
• Fruit contains the basic sugar fructose and stimulates approximately 1/3 the insulin response of glucose. Fruit is great when eaten alone, but loses the advantage of lower insulin secretion when consumed with other carbohydrates.
• Caffeine should be limited because it makes the stomach produce gastric acid, which stimulates appetite.

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Article of the Day: Exercise: the Anti-Aging Shield This article is a must read, especially if you are having a hard time convincing someone in your life exercise is important!  

Last week we discussed how the calorie readouts on cardio machines are not always accurate. So how can you figure out how many calories your latest sweat session burned?? You have a couple of different options.

Option #1 Invest in a heart rate monitor. These can run you anywhere from $100 to $500. Even the basic $100 version monitors caloric expenditure. The Polar Heart Rate monitors determine caloric expenditure based on specific personal information. When you first use the monitor, it will ask you to input your gender and body weight. A polar developed feature, known as OwnCal, uses the required information to choose the correct regression equation based on gender. The internal part of the monitor then chooses the correct equation and, based on your workout intensity, determines the number of calories you burned.


Option #2 Purchase a calorie management system such as the Bodybugg for around $199. The bodybugg is an armband that uses a series of sensors to find caloric expenditure. These sensors monitor motion, physical exertion, the amount of heat being dissipated from the body, Galvanic Skin Response, and skin temperature. The bodybugg uses these readings along with the individuals personal characteristics (age, sex, weight, height) to figure out how many calories the individual is burning. The Bodybugg is designed to track your total caloric expenditure throughout the entire day. The company suggests you wear the bodybugg at all times, minus when you are in the shower. It also comes with an online program (which you have to purchase for $9.95 a month) that tracks your food intake and compares it to how many calories you burn.

Option #3 Estimate based on your weight. There are hundreds of websites with calorie calculators that estimate caloric expenditure based on your weight, choice of activity, and duration of exercise. These are actually fairly accurate once they are adjusted for weight. Between these two websites, you should be able to find out how many calories you burned doing just about any activity!

HealthStatus.com
SparkPeople.com

Hopefully, one of these three options will work for you!!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

Question of the Day: Do you currently keep track of how many calories you burn while exercising, and if so how?

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Article of the Day: Lately, I have been having more than my fair share of headaches, so when I came across this article I had to share it with everyone! 5 Foods That Can Fight Migraines 

We have all hopped on our favorite elliptical or stair master, pressed the quick start button, completed our workout, and then celebrated as the calorie read out told us we burned 500 calories in only 30 minutes! That sounds too good to be true…..Because IT IS! Most cardio machines yield cardio readouts that are reflective of the average person. So if it says you burned 400 calories, your actual caloric burn could be anywhere between 323 to 491 calories (TheWashingtonPost.com). These machines are inaccurate (especially when you use the quick start function) because they do not take in to account your personal characteristics such as resting heart rate, muscle mass, overall fitness level, and working heart rate. Many machines simply use averages and then compare those to the distance you covered on the machine and come up with your total calorie burn. Experts agree that these machines can over predict the amount of calories burned by apporximately 25%! To investigate this matter further, my friend Alison and I decided to conduct our own experiemtn. We each wore our polar heart rate monitors (which we have input our personal information in to) while exercising on different pieces of cardio equipment. On each piece of cardio equipment we used the quick start program. After our workout, we compared the calorie readout on the machine to the calorie readout on our heart rate monitors. Here is what we found out:

Now, I’m not telling you to disregard the calorie readout completely, just keep in mind that is not always 100% accurate. Wearing a heart rate monitor is one of the most accurate ways to calculate caloric expenditure during exercise. However, if you do not own a heart rate monitor, you can increase the accuracy of the machines by taking the time to type in your sex, height, age, and weight. So next time you jump on your favorite piece of equipment, type in your information and remember, even if the calorie readout says you burned 1000 calories, that does not give you permission to eat a whole chocolate cake when you get home.

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Yesterday, we talked about how keeping a food diary can help you meet your health and fitness goals. However, the thought of toting around a notebook and pen might sound archaic to some! For those of you who like to keep everything on your computer or iphone this is for you. There are literally hundreds of online food and exercise journals to choose from. Some are super in-depth (and in my opinion complicated), some are easy to use, some are expensive, and some are free. With so many to choose from, how do you know which one to use? Hopefully, I can help narrow the field for you a little.

But first, let’s talk about why online food and exercise journals are so great! Taking your food diary digital can help you keep a detailed record of exactly how many calories, carbohydrates, grams of fat, etc. you are consuming each day. If you did this with your paper journal it would take you hours to track down all of that nutritional information, but the online sites do it for you. With most of them, you can simply enter in the foods you eat and it will look them up in its database and give you specific nutritional information on each item. This is great if you are new to healthy eating, and are not quite up to speed on the nutrition facts of most foods. Many of these sites will even create specific meal plans to help you meet your goals! Another great thing about the online journals is most of them will track your exercise as well. Once you input your food intake and exercise for the day, it can then compare them and see if you are in calorie deficit or if you consumed more calories than you expended. This is especially handy if you are trying to lose weight!

So let’s take a look at some of my favorite sites:

MyNetDiary.com

• Free!
• Has a corresponding iphone app
• Tracks calories and other nutritional information
• Database of over 88,000 foods
• Online support community
• Charts to track improvement

My-Calorie-Counter.com

• Free!
• Tracks calories and other nutritional information
• Tracks exercise and caloric expenditure
• Compares caloric intake to caloric expenditure
• Database of over 45,000 fast food, brand name, and generic foods
• Online support community
• Built to work with the leading diets such as the Atkins Diet, The South Beach diet, Weight Watchers, and The Zone Diet

MyFitnessPal.com

• Free!
• Tracks calories with a very easy to use input system
• Database of over 463,000 items
• Has your own personal food database where you can add your own foods and recipes! (This one is huge and a lot of websites don’t allow you to do this)
• Computes caloric expenditure from exercise
• Support and discussion forums
• Customized diet profile
• Supports different types of diets such as The Atkins Diet, The South Beach diet, The Zone Diet and more

Sparkpeople.com

• Free!
• Food tracker and personalized meal plans
• Customized fitness plan
• SparkPoints motivation program
• Support from experts on message boards
• Includes articles, recipes and exercise tips

In summary, if you are looking for a website to use simply to track your food and exercise I would go with MyNetDiary.com or My-Calorie-Counter.com. However, if you want help coming up with meal and exercise plans I would try MyFitnessPal.com or SparkPeople.com. Also, if you are someone who makes a lot of their food at home or eats what some might consider “different” foods, I would highly suggest MyFitnessPal.com. The fact that you can enter in nutritional information yourself is so nice! For example, if you eat a specific type of cereal everyday for breakfast and that cereal is not in the database you can simply look at the nutrition facts enter in the information, and save that food for future use! This is quite possibly my favorite feature!

It doesn’t matter if you track your progress online or on paper, keeping a food and exercise log can be your golden ticket to better health!

If you try out any of these sites, let me know what you think!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Article of the Day: Do Negative Calorie Foods Really Exist? Many people say that eating celery can help you lose weight because it takes more energy to digest than it contains. But is that really true?? Check out this article for the truth on this commonly asked weight loss question!

We have all been told over and over that keeping a food journal can be our best ally in the battle of the bulge. I will admit that even though I know it is good for me, I often fall of track and stop logging my food for a few days or even weeks. (yikes bad bad me!) But I am determined to stick with it for the long haul this time. I have my super cute journal and I am ready to go!

Food journals are a great tool to help you lose, maintain, or even gain weight. Tracking everything that passes your lips can be really eye opening (and in some cases jaw dropping)! The American Journal of Preventative Medicine conducted a study that followed 1,685 overweight or obese adults aged 25 and older for six months. The participants kept food diaries and were encouraged to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. They also met weekly to share their food diaries and go over skills like how to judge portion size. Those who were diligent with their food journals six days a week or more lost twice as much weight as those who only wrote in the journals one day a week or less. That’s all the proof I need! Journaling here I come!

Top 12 reasons to keep a food journal:

• Helps keep track of food intake (main purpose).
• Holds you accountable.
• Assists in developing an accurate picture of factors contributing to weight gain or preventing weight loss.
• Enables you to monitor calorie intake.
• Encourages focus on food choices, makes eating a mindful, conscious activity and not mindless or unconscious.
• Creates a record to monitor progress or failure.
• Helps control binges.
• Encourages development of new eating habits
• Reinforces commitment to weight loss goals, changing eating habits and improving diet.
• Helps identify problem eating times, food triggers, types of foods and foods used for comfort.
• Documents the relationship between food and mood.
• Helps identify where, when and why you are eating.

What to Track:

• What you ate
• How much you consumed
• When you ate
• Where you were while eating
• How you felt before, during and after you ate

Tips to making the most out of your food diary:

• Include the small details: Include even the small details in your food diary such as the extra topping, extra cheese, or a candy etc. This will help you to realize and avoid the foods which add extra calories
• Track as you go. Don’t wait until the end of the day to write down what you ate.
• Keep reviewing: Keep reviewing your food diary. This will help you to know your eating habits and set new goals to lose weight
• Watch the portion size: Watch the amount of food you eat. Using measuring scales or cups at home can help you learn to recognize portion sizes. Check out Portion Distortion for help with correct portion sizes.
• Don’t Skip indulgent days. I know we don’t want to admit to ourselves that we fell off the wagon, but don’t skip over your journal on an indulgent day. Tracking what you indulge in can help you recognize emotional and environmental triggers.

Are you convinced yet? Now go out and find a cute journal and get to writing. If you are more of the techy type, get excited about tomorrows blog. Tomorrow, we will talk about the best websites and iphone apps to track your food and exercise intake!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Quote of the Day: "Time And health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted." -Denis Waitley

I have always enjoyed cooking, but ever since getting married I feel like I should cook exciting and delicious things all the time. I think it is the inner 50’s housewife coming out in me! This weekend, my parents went on vacation, and Eric and I kept the kiddos. We went and saw a movie, went swimming, went to the driving range, and Brooke (my 14 year old sister) and I went on a walk and experimented with delicious and healthy No Bake Glow Cakes. I found the recipe for No Bake Glow Cakes on the blog “Oh She Glows!” Brooke and I first made the original recipe, and then experimented with different ingredients and found a really delicious Apple Peanut Butter combination!

Original Recipe: Chocolate No Bake Glow Cakes
1 large banana
½ cup oats
¼ cup crisp rice cereal (we used Kashi honey puff cereal)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
½ tbsp peanut butter
1-2 tbsp cocao nibs (we couldn't find these, but you could definitely add chocolate chips)
1 tsp cocoa powder
Shredded unsweet cocoanut, for garnish (we also omitted this ingredient)

Our Recipe: Apple Peanut Butter No Bake Glow Cakes
1 large banana
½ cups oats
¼ cups crisp rice cereal (Kashi honey puff)
¼ cup low fat granola
1 ½ tbsp peanut butter (you can definitely add more if you’d like!)
¼ cup unsweet all natural apple sauce
**Afterward, we realized cinnamon would probably make these even more delicious! So feel free to add a dash if you’d like to!****



Directions: (for both recipes): Mash banana in a medium size bowl (an avocado or potato masher work great). Add in cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, or apple sauce (pretty much all the wet ingredients). Now stir in oats, cereal and granola (if your adding it). Spoon batter in to a muffin liner or straight into the tin (the liner makes it really easy to transport them). Sprinkle with coconut (if you are using it) and place in the freezer for 60-80 minutes. If you do not eat them right away, (which you probably will) they keep well in the freezer but you will need to thaw them for around 5 minutes if they are frozen solid. We don’t want any chipped teeth! I would also take them out and put them in a Ziploc bag so they don’t get freezer burned! Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.


What are your favorite summer recipes? Please share them below! Even if they're not healthy, I bet we can find a way to make them healthier together!

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Quote of the Day: "People are either nurturing your strengths or strengthening your weakness" -Rev Run

TGIF!!! Boy did we have a long night last night! It all started when I ran over a nail and got a flat tire. My ever so handy husband decided he could fix it no problem (which he could if the nail didn’t go through my tire sideways).  So…. We went to Wal-Mart and bought a fix a flat kit and Eric set to work. Like I said, the nail went through sideways so fixing it with the little kit proved impossible! After about 2 hours of trying, a few not so nice words, and Eric burning his arm with tire sealant (not fun), he decided to just take the tire off and put on the spare.  Pheww, finally we would be done with this and could go to bed. Of course, it could not be that easy! The flat tire did not seem to want to part with my car. I think it must have been stuck on with tire sealant or something. Good thing Eric works out!  After a lot of tugging, it finally came off. We (meaning Eric) put the spare on, and we finally called it a night around 12:30pm. 12:30pm isn’t too bad, unless you have to wake up at 5AM for boot camp (which I did)!

So you’re thinking, “Enough whining already and what does this have to do with Fitness?” Well it does- I promise.  After our tiring (haha no pun intended) adventure last night, I woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I went to boot camp (thank goodness I teach with two of the sweetest girls in the world), and then came home to make a smoothie. I decided I needed an extra zing to my smoothie, so I decided to add a little morning spark (which is a caffeinated energy powder). I’m usually not a huge fan of spark, but mixed with the right fruit it is downright delicious! So next time you’re having a tough time getting going in the morning, try my Spark Smoothie Extravaganza! (In case you didn’t know Extravaganza is my all time favorite word!)


Lauren’s Spark Smoothie Extravaganza!

• 1 cup ice
• ½ cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries & raspberries)
• ½ banana (I like mine frozen)
• ½ scoop vanilla whey protein (you can always use a little extra protein!)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 orange spark packet (if you want to go easy on the caffeine just use ½ a packet)

Directions: Blend and Enjoy!!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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 Not So Fun Fact of the Day: In 1970 15% of Americans were obese, where today 30% of considered obese.

Articles of the Day: Portion Size, Then Vs. Now. Take this quiz to see if you can recognize What 100 calories look like. 

Sometimes we know what we should eat, but we are just not sure HOW MUCH we should eat. Portion sizes in America have grown out of control in the past 40 years. In 1970, 47% of Americans were overweight or obese, compared to today where 66% of the population is overweight or obese. A bagel in 1970 was 3 inches and 140 calories, but today a normal bagel is 5-6 inches and 350 calories. Even our dinner plates have grown from 10 inches in 1990 to 12 inches today! So how do you know what a proper serving is?? Below you will find tables for each nutritional group (click on one to make it bigger) that outlines the correct serving sizes of most basic foods. Next time you sit down to eat a steak, remember the picture of the deck of cards and decide how many servings your steak really is!

When eating packaged foods, it is very important to look at the nutrition label to check the serving size. Many seemingly single serving packages, like bags of chips, pretzels, and muffins are really multiple servings. For example, Uncle Wally's fat free gourmet corn muffins have 130 calories per muffin, but there are 2 servings per muffin (which will cost you 260 calories). Who walks around cutting their muffins in half? Not me! Another sneaky food is cereal. Especially the very dense cereal like granola and grape-nuts. Pay special attention to the serving sizes here, because what many American's consider a bowl of cereal, is really 2-4 servings! Talk about starting your day off with a bang (more like a calorie bomb)! Moral of the story is, until you can properly eye ball serving sizes bust out the measuring cup just to be sure!

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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Website of the day: Mypyramid.gov can help you find out exactly how much fat you need in your diet to reach your health and fitness goals.

There are so many conflicting reports out about fat that nobody knows what is good or bad anymore. For years, we have all been told that dietary fat is causing the battle of the bulge. But is that really true? Even though fat has a pretty bad reputation, it has certain health benefits we can’t live without (literally). Lets break it down:

The Good:

• They provide essential fatty acids (EFAs) that our bodies cannot produce on their own. These are also known as linoleic acid and alphalinolenic acid.
• Fat also transports the vitamins A,D,E and K throughout our body.
• We all want gorgeous glowing skin, but that is not possible without some fat.
• Fat also plays a key role in promoting proper eyesight and brain development in babies and small children.

The Bad:

• It is well known that excess fat intake is linked to an increase risk for heart disease and stroke risk.
• At 9 calories per gram, fat contains over twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and proteins. Therefore, food with a high fat content, also have a high calorie content. Remember, it is too many calories, not too much fat that is responsible for weight gain.
• Diets rich in saturated and trans fat (bad fats) can cause high blood cholesterol which can lead to clogged arteries that block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain.

So we need certain types of fat, but how much? According to mypyramid.gov, someone consuming 1,800 calories a day needs approximately 40-70 grams of total fat, with 14 grams or less from saturated fat and 2 grams or less from trans fat. Saturated fat and trans fat are what are often called bad fats and these are the ones you want to try and limit.

Now let’s discuss the different types of fat. Fats fall in to three main categories: unsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are often labeled your “good” fats. These include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and should be the main type of fat consumed in a balanced diet. Monounsaturated fat is found in foods such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and peanut butter. Polyunsaturated fat is found in corn oil, sunflower oil, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, soybeans, tub margarine and seafood. Seafood is a fat champion, because it contains high levels of omega-3 fats called DHA (docosahexanoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentanoic acid). These are unsaturated fats that can lower blood triglycerides, reduce risk of blood clots, and encourage a normal heart beat.

Saturated fats on the other hand, should be limited. They are responsible for clogged arteries, increased risk of heart attack and high cholesterol! Saturated fats are found mainly in fatty meats, full-fat dairy products (cheese, ice cream, and whole milk), highly saturated vegetable fats (coconut oil, palm, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter), and in many packaged foods (milk chocolate, cookies, crackers, and snack chips). I know this is all pretty depressing, because who doesn’t love ice cream? Your body does not actually need any saturated fat because it can produce enough on its own. With that being said, it is almost impossible to cut out saturated fats completely, so try to keep it less than 7% of your total daily fat.


Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about trans fat and how it is responsible for all of America’s health problems. Although I don’t think one single thing can be responsible for ALL of our problems, it is definitely not helping the situation. Trans fat contributes to clogged arteries, and has been linked to certain cancers, such as breast and colon cancer. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, eliminating trans fat from the American diet could prevent approximately a quarter of a million heart attacks and related deaths a year. That is a huge number! So where are trans fats hiding? There are very small amounts of trans fats in fatty meats and full fat dairy products, but the main source is the end product of hydrogenation. This is where we get the term partially hydrogenated oil. Chemists converted oil into a firmer, tastier and longer lasting product by adding hydrogen atoms to it. Delicious right? Luckily, partially hydrogenated fat (trans fat) is slowly being removed from most packaged food, but is still found in some shortening, fast food, cookies, and microwave popcorn. The best way to avoid Trans fat is to read nutrition labels. However, even when a food is labeled, “trans fat free” it can still contain up to half a gram of Trans fat! Isn’t that lying?

Three easy ways to avoid bad fats:

• Avoid packaged foods whenever possible.
• Eat lean sources of protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains, legumes and fruits and vegetables.
• Use healthy oils such as olive, canola, and sunflower oil, and small amounts of tub margarine for cooking.

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

Sources: Fat Facts: Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats WebMD.com, Trans fat Facts: Where are trans fats now WebMD.com

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Quote of the Day: "The groundwork of all happiness is good health." Leigh Hunt

Article of the Day: 17 Ridiculously Healthy Reasons to Exercise

One of the main reasons I love health and fitness is that it is always changing. There is always new research being produced and new fitness equipment being invented. However, all of the changes can sometimes lead to clutter and a lot of false information floating around. Hopefully, by sharing my thoughts about the latest books, equipment and research, together we can weed out some of the clutter.

I am currently reading, “This is Why You’re Fat (and how to get thing forever)” by Jackie Warner. Some of you might recognize Ms. Warner from her TV show Workout on Bravo. She is what they call a celebrity personal trainer. I’m not sure if that means she trains celebrities or if she is a personal trainer that just happens to be famous. Anyways, when I saw her book my first thought was, “wow what a harsh title.” However, I was intrigued so I hit the internet super highway to see what people were saying about the book. Most of the reviews I read were positive, so I decided to pick one up.

The tag line for the book is, “Eat More, Cheat More, Lose More- and Keep the Weight off.” Well that sounds too good to be true right? Based on the TV show, Jackie seems like a very intense person who is probably very strict with her diet and workout routine. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The main theme of the book is that sugar is the enemy and if you fuel your body with healthy good for your foods your body will naturally burn excess fat. There are no crazy food restrictions or crazy juice only detox diets. She uses sound nutrition principles and encourages consumption of food that naturally help your body burn fat and stay healthy.

The beginning of the book discusses how what you eat affects your hormones, and which hormones make you fat and which ones make you thin. I thought this was the most interesting part of the book. Next Jackie shares her diet and nutrition principles and exercise plan.

Key Diet and Nutrition Principles:

1. Never skip a meal. You should always eat three meals a day and 2 snacks to help regulate blood sugar.
2. Sugar is your enemy not fat. Excess sugar is like a wrecking ball to your body. Initially, sugar is stored in your liver in the form of glycogen. However, when your liver runs out of room, glycogen is released in the form of fatty acids. These travel all over the body and lodge themselves in your fatty areas.Yuck!
3. Follow a 5-2 eating plan. Eat clean 5 days a week, and then enjoy 2 (yes 2 not one!) cheat meals on the weekends.
4. Do not eat food with more than 9 grams of sugar (during your 5 clean days).This one requires you to pay very close attention to nutrition labels.
5. Pay attention to serving size. Learn what a proper portion is, and stick to it!
6. Do not use working out as an excuse to eat whatever you want. You have to be at a calorie deficit to lose weight.
7. Eat within an hour of every workout to prevent your body from eating into muscle for energy.
8. Add certain nutrient rich foods to your diet every day. Some of these include eggs, oatmeal, detox veggies, whole fruits, water with lemon, whey protein, and herbal teas. Again none of these are crazy! 

Key Exercise Principles:

1. Ramp up your intensity! It is not important how long you workout, but how hard. You should incorporate 20 minutes of high intensity cardio each day. (I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I did one of the workouts from the book and only burned 250 calories, which means I have to be pretty restrictive on calories to produce a calorie deficit. However, I do agree with the work harder not longer method. I’m just not sure if 20 minutes is long enough.)
2. Weight training is essential for all women trying to lose weight. Aim to do resistance training 3-4 days a week. Jackie points out, if you add 3-5 pounds of muscle to your body, you will burn 250-500 extra calories per day which equals 3-5 pounds of fat loss per week. That’s huge!
3. The fastest way to your ideal body is through power circuit training. Jackie combines three upper body exercises and three lower body exercises into one giant set. You do not rest in between and you alternate quickly from upper to lower body exercises for maximum fat burn.
4. Focus on the mind muscle connection. You want to visualize the muscles you are working to actually increase muscle tone.

Overall, I have really enjoyed reading this book. The information on how what you eat affects your hormones, and in turn your weight loss was very interesting. The best thing about this book, is that it can be done by anyone. No expensive pre-packaged meals or gym membership required.

Yours truly,

Lauren G.

P.S. Are you reading any good books right now or is there a book you are thinking about reading but haven't started yet? If so, let me know what! It does not have to be health and fitness related.

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Fun Fact of the Day: Every 5 degrees above 60 (Fahrenheit) can slow your pace 20 to 30 seconds per mile. So if you feel a little sluggish while running in the heat, know that you are not alone! (Runners World)

Article of the Day: Swim Suit season is here whether we like it or not! Check out these healthy swaps to help you feel your best in your swim suit. The Worst Swimsuit Food

Eric and I have been married for about a month and two weeks. Wow has time flown by! A couple of weeks ago I shared with you how Eric doesn't necessarily have the best eating habits. To put it simply, he eats a ton of sugar! I never really thought too much about it because he was so skinny and fit. But now that I see what goes in to his lunch every day, I just couldn't ignore it any longer. This began the highly unpopular (with Eric) lunch makeover. We have made little changes over the past few weeks, and personally I think it is going very well! Here is what we have changed so far:

Breakfast: Huge Bowl of Frosted Flakes - Oatmeal and a banana

Mid-morning: Brown sugar and Cinnamon pop tarts - he still won't give these up

Lunch:
2 peanut butter and honey sandwiches on white bread - 2 Turkey and cheese sandwiches on WHEAT bread!
Chili Cheese Fritos - Baked Cheez-its
Fruit snacks - I left those alone because he actually likes the Welch's fruit snacks
Chewy granola bars -reduced sugar chewy granola bars
And we added a piece of fruit!

He has actually made most of these changes without too much of a fight (minus the pop tarts)!


Our next big adventure on the road to being a Healthy Happy Married Couple is the Austin Couples Triathlon this weekend. The Triathlon consists of an 800 meter swim, 11.2 mile bike and a 3.1 mile run. Training for a race or athletic competition is one of the best ways to stay motivated to workout. If you know you have to swim 800 meters or run a half marathon at the end of your training, you can't slack off or your performance will suffer. With that in mind, I thought this would be the perfect way for us to do something athletic and healthy as a couple. There is just one problem.....Eric definitely performs better on land than in water. He has been training hard over the past 2 months and I know he will do great in the race this weekend! Even if he took 30 minutes to do the swim, he could still catch me on the bike. He has legs of steel! I will let you know how the race goes next Monday. Hopefully we will both come back alive.

I want to hear how everyone is doing with the 100 push up challenge! If you are participating in the challenge (you can still totally join), let me know how it is going! I started with week 3 so they already have me doing pretty high reps, but it is going well so far! 


Yours truly,

Lauren G.

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