Is a Calorie Truly Just a Calorie?

Is a Calorie Truly Just a Calorie?

Lots of info in this article, but don't get bogged down by it. As a low-carb/high-protein eater, I agree with their summation and have found that I have to manage my total intake AND be mindful of my fat intake.

Are you a low-carb eater? Do you count your calories? Talk to me, FP!

Lentil Lovin'

Lentils are not very attractive looking legumes. I've passed them up several times, too put off by their appearance to give them a try. I probably never would have taken a nibble if my co-worker hadn't made some for an office potlock. Sitting amid the steaming dishes of baked macaroni & cheese, hashbrown casserole, and corn pudding the little dish of brownish-green beans didn't look very appealing but I put a few tablespoons on my plate anyway. Ahhh! It was love at first bite.

Variety of lentils

After my initial encounter with this lovely legume I did a little investigating. To quote Marc Anthony, "Tu amour hace bien!" (your love does me good) because these little beans are packed with all sorts of benefits. They are low in calories, high in fiber, stabilize blood sugar, high in iron, great source of B vitamins (most notably folate and niacin), lower cholesterol, and (my fav) packed full of protein. Protein makes up 26% of the calories in lentils AND they are the third highest level of protein than any other plant food. One cup of lentils is about 230 calories, 18 grams of protein, <1 gram of fat, and 16 grams of fiber (net carbs of 24g).  How can you not love that, Fit People??

Another thing I love about lentils is that they don't require soaking or other such non-sense that encroaches on my time. My requsite for just about anything I cook is that it can't complicate my life. Soaking and a lot of prep do not work for my lifestyle most days. Also, it doesn't take a lot to make these babies delicious. My first adventure with cooking lentils was a nice and easy lentil soup recipe that I found on www.fatsecret.com--of course I made some changes to suit my taste.

Ingredients:

My lovely lentil soup

2 bay leaves, whole and dried

• 1 dash black pepper, coarse ground
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 3 cups of water
• 2 cups of frozen mirepoix mix (already chopped celery, onion, and carrots) 
• 1 clove garlic (I used already minced in a jar)
• 1 16oz package of lentils (mine cost $1.25)

1. Dump lentils into a bowl and rinse them. No need to soak!
2. In stockpot lightly saute or "sweat" the mirepoix mix in the olive oil. Add garlic; pour in the chicken broth and water.
3. Add lentils, and seasonings bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender.
4. Remove bay leaf, season with additional salt and pepper if desired. 

That's it!! We ate off half a pot for about a week and I froze the other half. I had it by itself, as a side dish, and as a pre-workout snack. So easy, so delicious, and so good for you. Ahh, that's amore! 

Until our next adventure EAT Fit4Life!! 

The Skinny on Fat Loss Muscle and Fitness Hers

The Skinny on Fat Loss Muscle and Fitness Hers

Interesting responses to the questions posed. Over the past couple of weeks I've gone back to tracking my meals to see just what I'm eating and the spread of my calorie intake. One of the changes I've made is no sweets and less dairy...that's two changes. I think the ideal for me is somewhere in between low-carb and low-fat.

Your thoughts?

No More Yo-Yo

"When everything seems like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top." ~ Unknown  

Standing in line at the grocery store I saw a magazine with a woman on the cover who lost 170 pounds in some number of months and they had an article on how to lose some number of pounds in a couple of months. Having been injured and in plateau mode since April, I can understand the desire to drop weight quickly. I get it.  

A person I know took B12 shots last year and dropped down a couple of sizes. She raved about it and went out and bought hundreds of dollars worth of new clothes. Then she stopped the shots...and she's back in her old clothes. 

Back in 2003 I lost 60 lbs--the most I ever lost to that point--and got down to a size 18. I thought I was the bomb-diggity. Then it got harder and life happened. Two years later I was back where I started plus some. And every time I tried to lose weight I would get frustrated because it seemed like it was taking too long, like nothing was happening. I tried all sorts of diets and tricks. I woke up at 4:30am and went walking. I bought Jillian Michaels' fitness set. A few weeks in and I was frustrated again because I wasn't losing weight quickly enough. Then I would go into a downward spiral and hate myself because I failed. Then I would eat. Then I would stop exercising...and the cycle repeated itself.

A friend recently contacted me and asked for help in getting started and staying motivated. I'll share with you what I shared with her: 

1) Understand that this is a process and will take time. You will have moments when you "fall off" but the key to moving forward is not staying in that spot--don't allow yourself to go into "F-It!!" mode.  The more you stick to it, the better you get, the better you feel, and the more progress you will make. Would you quit a five mile race at mile three or would you push through just those two more miles to the end? If you quit, you don't get to enjoy that moment of victory--and trust me, it's so sweet.

2) Don't try to change everything at one time. You will feel overwhelmed and confused and frustrated. Pick one or two things to incorporate/change over three weeks or 30 days. Once you have those behaviors down add something else to the mix. For example, make your goal getting in 30 minutes of exercise five days a week--no matter what--for the next three weeks. This will teach you how to plan your week, how to overcome obstacles, and will get  your body ready for more activity. Maybe add to that drinking an adequate amount of water daily. That might mean not allowing yourself to drink any other type of beverage until you've hit your water goal. 

3) Surround yourself with people who will help you move forward. Ask someone at work to partner with you. Join a group, page (Fat2FitPosse) , or discussion board to keep yourself accountable and motivated. Positive people will help you stay positive. Active people will help you stay active.  Encouraging people will help you stay encouraged. Find a Meet Up group. Find a running/walking club. Become a "regular" at a fitness class. 

None of this is rocket science; it's mental science (aka psychology). And no, these are not the elements to quick weight loss. But having experienced both sides of the coin, I'm enjoying sustained weight loss much better than I ever enjoyed the yo-yo dieting. These three tips are keys to changing your behaviors and how you view this journey; they will help you start and keep going. Decide to be in this for the long haul. Commit to doing what it takes to reach your goals. Succeed daily and celebrate YOU!

Be Fit4Life!! 

Cardio Workouts Workouts: self.com

Cardio Workouts Workouts: self.com

Adventures in Kale

Everyone raves about kale. Kale chips, kale in smoothies, kale salads, kale, kale, kale! After passing by it in the grocery store a bazillion times I decided last week to give it a try. One of the changes I've had to make on this journey is adding and deleting foods from my tank, er huh, plate. As serendipity would have it, Kroger had kale on sale for $1 a bunch so I bought some...actually, one bunch. 

What's so great about kale? According to the article "The Truth About Kale" by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, one cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily value requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of  magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Armed with my kale, its nutrient benefits, and the internet I looked for some easy recipes to try. I like simple. I like very few ingredients. I like versatility. If a recipes calls for 15 ingredients and Top Chef level prep work, this Fit Girl will move on. While I came across a lot of tantalizing possibilities, I decided to go with two test dishes. The first, my weekly batch of veggie soup. The second, a basic sauteed kale recipe I found Eating Well.

My veggie soup recipe changes every week depending on what veggies I have on hand and what I have a hankering (yes, I said hankering) for that week. Other than the broth I don't really measure my ingredients. I just shoot for the quantity and array of colors that look appealing to me. And I use a mix of frozen and fresh veggies.

Veggie soup concoction

This week I used kale in place of spinach. I wasn't sure how to cook it but it looks so much like the greens my Granny cooks that I figured boiling it couldn't hurt. After sauteing the onion, garlic, basil, red pepper, mushrooms and adding all the veggies and broth I threw in the kale.

While the taste was not bad the texture threw me off a little bit in my soup. I'm guessing I didn't allow the kale to cook long enough because it was tough.  Not easily daunted I decided to give it another shot and try the sauteed kale recipe I found online.


Basic Sauteed Kale
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of EVOO

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of coarsely chopped kale, ribs removed

• 1/2 cup of water

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

• 2-3 teaspoons of sherry or red-wine vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

**Let me pause here and confess that I did not have 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of kale. Remember, I only bought one bunch; so I improvised and just used what I had on hand. Also, I don't mince garlic, I buy it already minced--sue me! And another thing, I had three types of vinegar on hand none of which was red-wine vinegar. My choices were balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar. My taste buds advised that I go with the tried and true white vinegar.**

It really did turn "bright green"

Heat the 1 TBSP of oil in a Dutch oven (I just used a regular pan) over medium heat. Add kale and cook, tossing until it's bright green, about 1 minute.

Add water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until kale is tender (12-15 minutes). **Another pause--I added a little sea salt and pepper. Okay, continue.**

Push kale to one side, add the remaining 1 tsp of oil to the empty side and cook garlic and crushed red pepper in it until fragrant (yes, I stood there smelling it), 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar to taste and salt.

Nutrition info: 1/2 cup serving, 80 calories, 5g fat, 7g carb, 1g fiber, 2g protein.  

This recipe was pretty good. The taste reminded me of my Granny's collard greens--especially with the red pepper and vinegar--without all the "pot liquor." However, I still don't know how I feel about the texture. It's a lot tougher and more fibrous than spinach. I can see how some people might over cook it to make it more tender (like my Granny's greens) but doing so would strip it of it's nutrients.

I can't say that I'm a huge kale fan now, but I will add it to my repertoire of veggies. Maybe next time I'll attempt kale chips--which really does not make me salivate in the least.
Until our next adventure EAT Fit4Life!! 

Garrison Personal Training: Guest Blog: "Strong is the new Skinny," by Collett...

Garrison Personal Training: Guest Blog: "Strong is the new Skinny," by Collett...: Learn more at http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/p90x.do Since announcing my plan to feature a guest blog, written by one o...