The single most effective weight loss tool ever

The single best weight loss tool ever
...if you choose to use it!

When people meet me, they think I always eat healthy.  They think I never cheat.  They think I’ve been eating like this most of my life.  I like when these people meet people who have known me for a long time and find out that it’s just not true.  They find out how “CRAPPY” I eat sometimes.  Let’s face it, I’m human and I fall off the wagon too.

Ok, so here is the real deal.  I eat healthy 90% of the time.  I eat a lot of grilled chicken and fish and roasted vegetables and salads. But I really love food and on a Saturday night, I cheat.  A glass of wine.  A dessert shared with my husband. And while most people would say that there is nothing wrong with that (and there isn’t), I know that my problem is that I can’t stop there.  A glass of wine turns into three.  A dessert shared between my husband and I turns into two desserts that I finish myself.  And all the diet progress I made during the week is lost in the span of one meal. And if I’m not careful that starts to snowball and I start eating crappy on Sunday and Monday.

It’s a slippery slope.

Sound familiar?

Well, for me the only way to stay on track and not slide down that slippery slope is to use the best weight loss tool ever.  No, its not some fancy piece of exercise equipment.  No, it’s not expensive supplements. And no, its not some crazy diet.  It’s actually free and I’m going to share it with you today.  You will have the answer in your hands and you can be successful too...if you choose to use it!

So what is it?

It’s a food log.

The simple act of writing down what you eat.

Why is this such a great weight loss tool? Well, it keeps you honest.  When you have to write down what and how much you have eaten, it forces you to be honest.

So if it is so simple, why doesn’t everyone food log? Well, here are just three of the many reasons.

Being honest with yourself is not always fun

Let’s face it, no one wants to food log because it makes you have to be honest with yourself about that cookie you had in the break room at the office or the french fries you took off of your son’s plate at the diner as you ate your grilled chicken salad.  To be successful, you need to log it all, forget anything and you aren’t being honest.  But just remembering that you’ll have to log that cookie may make you not eat it.

It’s time consuming

To really make food logging effective you need to think about your meals, prep them ahead of time, and count everything.  That includes measuring out your food.  From the number of almonds in a serving to how many ounces of chicken you put on your salad.  I know that this is where food logging becomes most effective for me.  I can spend weeks eating right and not lose weight because I am over eating the “right things”.  When I start measuring what I’m eating I become successful.

We become complacent

I don’t food log all the time.  Pretty much for the reasons discussed above.  I food log for a while, lose the few pounds I was looking to lose.  Tell myself that I am doing a good job and then stop logging.  I become complacent, and I’ll be good...for a while. But after a week or so I can no longer keep my over eating in check and need my food log again.  I know that if I want to continue to be successful, I need to keep on logging.

How can you make it easier?

 The right tools

Accurately logging what you have eaten is not an easy task but can be made much easier with the right tools.  Keep your measuring cups handy and invest in a food scale.  I bought one from pampered chef.  Its battery powered and measures either in grams or ounces.  I use it every day, especially when I am packing my lunch for work for the next day, or when I am portioning out a large batch of a recipe.  You can get a decent food scale for under $20 and it is a huge help.

There’s an app for that

There are so many food logging apps out there that are also available on the web so that you can log your meals on your phone or using your computer.  Personally, I have only used one but it has been very easy to use and helpful.  I use Myfitnesspal.  It is free for the standard version and has a few features that make food logging easier.  First, on the phone app you can scan the UPC code of any packaged food and you will instantly have all the nutritional information logged.  Second, it allows me to repeat meals so that if I have the same lunch or dinner I can just copy and paste the entire meal and make any edits to portion size as needed.  Lastly, I like to cook my own meals and it allows me to input recipes and save them so that the next time I make the same recipe the information is already saved on my profile.  You can even download the recipe from a webpage directly into the app.

Prelog

Part of logging is planning.  When you are planning your meals you can use your food log app to calculate calories and grams of fat, carbs, and protein.  It will also help you spread your calories out throughout the day so that you don’t get too hungry and start snacking.  Pre-logging your daily food will help you keep track without going over your goals.

So why food log?

Because it’s worth it.  If you really want to be successful, food logging is the way to go.  You already know what to eat and what not to eat.  We all do.  Now just plan ahead and keep track and you will drop the weight sooner than you think.

Lose Fear, Choose Opportunity

This summer, I have been on a journey, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, after completing the Spartan Sprint (3-5 mile obstacle course race) in June, I was convinced to sign up for the Spartan Super (8-10 mile obstacle course race) by a couple of friends. In the process of training, I was further convinced to sign up for the Spartan Beast (13+ mile obstacle course race) so that we can complete what is known as the Spartan Trifecta. 

The fact that I even signed up for these races shocked me. I never thought I would do anything more than the sprint. But apparently I was the only one who was shocked by it. I asked my coach when he knew I'd try for the trifecta, he said June 2014, right after my first sprint. That was more than a year before I signed up for these races. Truth is, I was so scared of that first race that I cried at work the day before the race three times. 

Why was I so scared? Thousands of people complete these races almost every weekend. They may not all win.  They may not be in incredible shape.  It may take them a long time to complete the course. But they finish. So why was I so scared?

As with most things, people are fearful when they are not confident in the outcome of the situation. I was not confident that I could do it and so I was scared. 

So in June 2014, I finished my first Spartan race. It was 4.5 miles and it was so much fun. It took almost 3 hours for me to complete, but I was so proud of what I was able to do. I couldn't wait for June 2015 to come around so that I could do it again. This year, no tears, no fear, just excitement. What was the difference? Confidence. 

Confidence is a powerful thing. 

Everyday people give up opportunities to grow because they lack confidence.  Maybe you didn't speak up when you had an idea at work. Or you didn't answer a question in class. Or you didn't go talk to the girl that you have noticed every Monday during lunch for the last 3 months. 

Think about who gets the promotion at work, or who tends to get a date with that girl. Is it the person who sits quietly or the person who walks into a room with confidence that everyone notices? 

Some people are naturally confident, but most of us aren't. 

That first Spartan sprint gave me the confidence to sign up for another one the following year.  That second race gave me the confidence to sign up for Spartan Super. But I didn't do it on my own. I'm fortunate enough to have coaches and friends that have supported me all along the way. Every time I lost that confidence, someone was there to build me back up. 

Lack of confidence in a major reason why people who want to lose weight don't go to the gym. If you walk into the gym and feel like you don't know what you are doing or that you can't complete the workout, or if you walk into a gym and feel intimidated by others, it makes you not want to even bother going back.

Why? What are we afraid of?

That you will make a fool of yourself?

Is that something to be afraid of?

What can you do to help your build your confidence?

Go with a friend.

Hire a trainer.

Build a support team. 

When I signed up,for the Spartan Super and then the Spartan Beast, just the idea of these races scared me, but I made a decision this summer to lose fear and choose opportunity. I knew I had a great team and supportive friends. So I spoke to my coach about training. And worked hard all summer. 

This summer I committed myself to the opportunity to complete the Spartan trifecta. I had a great time running the Sprint (just under 5 miles and about 21 obstacles) in June. This past weekend I completed the Super in New Jersey. It was about 9 miles and 27 obstacles and not something I thought I could have or would have done a year ago. I need to thank all the people who helped build my confidence when I didn't think I could have done this. 

There is one piece of the puzzle left. This weekend I will be going to Vermont to run the Spartan Beast. This race will be over 15 miles and more than 30 obstacles. I'm scared and my confidence is wavering from minute to minute, but I know I have done everything I could possibly do to prepare for the Beast. I also know that my team, friends, and coaches are there to build me up. I worked hard all summer for this opportunity. 

This summer I chose opportunity over fear, and it's been the best summer of my life. 

Two years of progress: Why you shouldn't put too much emphasis on the number on the scale.

When I first stepped into Training For Warriors (TFW) Long Island two years ago today, they had just opened. I really didn't know what to expect. I had just lost 15 lbs and wanted to start an exercise program. It was different than anything I ever experienced, and I couldn't even finish my first workout. The coaches talked about being lean and strong but it was lost on me. I just had a feeling that this was something special. So with blind faith, I signed up. 

Two years ago, I couldn't do most of what I could do today. My original deadlift goal is now the warm up set to my warm up set. I had no upper body strength. Any time I tried any upper body exercises, I would throw my back out. I couldn't do a push up, a pull up, or a chin up.  It took a while, but I strengthened my lower body, my core, and the upper body strength came too. 

There is no doubt that I am physically stronger today than I was two years ago but strength comes in many ways and more important than my physical strength is the mental strength that I have attained. Personally, I know I'm a stronger person now and that has made me a better wife, mother, friend, and teacher. TFW has given so much and in return I have tried to share it with as many of my friends as possible. 

While I can go on and on about how great TFW is, I am upset about one thing. 

As time went on and the membership grew, The coaches added new equipment and methods of support for the members. One thing they started doing was taking before pictures and measurements of all new clients. Since I joined so early on, they never weighed me, or took my measurements, or my pictures. I had a picture from before my initial weight loss (about 10 months before I joined TFW,) and I knew that I dropped 3 sizes after joining, but I never had a true TFW transformation picture. 

Until last week. 

If you don't know what timehop is, it's an app that accesses all your social media and tells you each day what you posted on that day the year before,and two years before and three years before, etc. Thanks to timehop, I finally have a Tfw transformation picture. 

Two years ago on July 4, I went to Aruba. A few days after  I got home from that trip, I joined TFW. Timehop sent me a picture of myself two years ago on July 5. If you compare that picture to one I took this year, you can see major differences in my body. Everything is more shapely and toned. So two years later I am leaner, stronger, and more confident and I could not have made this transformation without the support of my coaches and TFW familia. 

While I'm thrilled to finally have a transformation picture, an important lesson has come out of all of this. It's a lesson that has been very difficult for me to learn. While I lost some additional weight after I joined TFW, in the last 8 months, I have gained some of my weight back and I have been very upset. With every monthly weigh in I get frustrated that the weight is returning. When my coach asks me how my clothes fit, I always tell him that they still fit the way they have. Then he tells me to stop worrying about the weight. Let's go back to that transformation picture. Can you believe that I weigh more in the after picture that I do in the before picture? Well, it's true.  I guess being 135 lbs is one thing, but being 135 lbs and strong and lean looks and feels very different.

If you change nothing, nothing will change

If someone said to you that your life would be exactly the same 5 years from now, would you be happy or do you hope that somehow your life will be different?

Two and a half years ago I decided it was time I lose some weight. I was unhappy with my size and unhappy looking at myself in the mirror. I knew that I needed to change in order to achieve that goal. Clearly I wasn't going to lose weight by eating pasta every night and snacking constantly. 

In that time, I have experienced an ongoing series of changes in my life. Obviously the big two were changing my diet and adding exercise. But even within those areas, things have changed.  As the weight came off, my goals changed as well. I no longer just wanted to lose weight, I wanted to get fit. Then, it wasn't just about being fit, I wanted to be strong.  

When you start making drastic changes in your life, you quickly find out who your real friends are. They are the ones that are supportive and help you along the way even though they may not choose the same choices as you have. I was lucky to have a group of fantastic friends and an understanding husband who saw all the good my changes were making for me as a person and for us as a family. But trust me, not all of my friends were that understanding and so some of my friends changed as well. 

My idea of exercise used to be taking a kick boxing class or maybe taking a 1 mile walk. I never thought that two years later I'd be lifting weights, running obstacle course races, and running on trails through the woods for miles. I never thought that because two years ago, I couldn't do that, and even if I physically could, I never would have. If something was uncomfortable, I just didn't do it. Obviously sitting on the couch and watching tv is easier than running (something I had never done before).  But in order for me to reach my goals, I had to change.

In September I'll be running another Spartan race. This summer I'll be training for that race. The other day I went for a trail run with a few friends from the gym. This is only the second time I have ever done this. If you knew the pre-2013 me, you know this is not something I would ever volunteer for let alone help organize. And while this was part of my Spartan training, something great happened while I was there. I wasn't just training for a race, I was really enjoying myself. I found myself looking at the flowers in the woods and taking in the beauty of the scenery and thinking “How did I get here? How did I become this person who enjoys running through the woods up a mountain?” If you asked me two years ago where I thought I would be now, this was definitely not what I would have pictured. But the last two years I have embraced change (maybe not as willingly in the beginning, but much more so now).

So here is today's lesson, one I learned over the last couple of years from some really great people who have helped me along the way. If you aren't happy with something in your life, it isn't going to change itself. Sit down and be honest with yourself. What is your goal? What do you want to change? Now list 2 things you can do to make that change happen. Here is the hardest part- you have to decide that you want to do those things to make that change. No one can force you to change but you. And it's going to be uncomfortable. So unless you are committed to that change, it's not going to happen. You are in control of who you become and if you change nothing, nothing will change.

Who is your accountabilibuddy?

A great coach is a very important part of keeping someone motivated to get to the gym and train. However, sometimes getting that motivation is difficult, especially after a long day at work.

I'm lucky that I train at a gym with great coaches and an amazing group of people who constantly motivate and support each other.  Within that group, I have a smaller group of friends that keep me laughing and having fun throughout the day and especially while I'm training.  These are my ACCOUNTABILIBUDDYs.  We keep track of who is training when, and try to train at the same time.  Training together is FUN, and keeps me going even when I'm exhausted.

Lately, I've let the fun slip away but I was reminded by my coach not to forget to have fun.  Training with my buddies isn't always possible as we are all working moms with many responsibilities. In the last few weeks, I have been able to train with them again and I have been reminded about how fun it is.

If you are struggling to find the motivation to train, get a friend to train with you. Hold each other accountable.  But most of all, have fun.  It makes it so much easier.

I Love Beets!

I never used to eat beets. As a kid, I only tried pickled beets and that didn't do it for me. I never tried them again, until last year when my husband asked me to make beets for him. I went to the store and bought yellow beets, roasted them, and tried again. I was hooked.  I'll say it loud and proud, I LOVE BEETS!

Beets are sweet and delicious and a great add on to any salad or side dish for any meal, hot or cold. They are colorful and jazz up the presentation of any plate. However, in addition to their appeal both in taste and visually, beets have nutritional qualities that make them a wonderful addition to anyone's diet.

Why eat beets?

Aside from being delicious, recently, the chenopod family of plants, including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa, has shown an increasing number of health benefits not readily available from other food families. Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, that have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The antioxidant properties may have an anticancer effect and the anti-inflammatory properties may promote cardiac health.  Beets are an excellent source of folate and a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron.  Although you can see these betalain pigments in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb), the high concentration of betalains in the flesh of beets provides a great source of the compounds that promote these health benefits.

Okay, I'll go buy some beets. But what do I do with them?

Go to the store and buy fresh beets, they really are very easy to make. Beets can be purchased either with or without the greens.   I prefer buying them with the greens, because I think they are fresher, and because you can make a second side dish out of the greens. If you enjoy sautéed spinach or Swiss chard, I encourage you to try the beet greens. You can sautée them with garlic and add mushrooms or you can simply boil them for a minute or two.  They are very good.

I have only ever prepared my beets 2 ways. Usually, I stick with the simple roasted beets.

Roasted Beets
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the beet and rinse well
2. Wrap the beets individually with aluminum foil and place them in a baking dish
3. Roast at 400 for an hour
4. The skin will peel of easily after the beets are roasted.

In my research for this article, I learned that the betalains are sensitive to heat and begin to breakdown with lengthy cooking. The next time I make beets I am going to try the 15 minute steam recipe.

15 Minute Steamed Beets
1. Cut off the top and bottom of the beets, rinse well, and cut into quarters
2. Place a small amount of water at the bottom of a pan and bring to a boil
3. Steam the beets for 15 minutes
4. Allow the beets to cool and the skin will come off easily
5. Toss beets with lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.

Beets can also be consumed raw. They can be grated directly into a salad and are a great addition to slaws. Over the summer, I made a great carrot and beet slaw. I found the following recipe on the Spartan recipe website.

Carrot and Beet Slaw
Ingredients
2 medium beets
1 large carrot
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Peel beets and carrot.
2. Coarsely grate beets and carrot into bowl (i used the grating attachment on my foor processor).
3. Pour olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper onto grated beets and carrot.
4. Mix thoroughly; serve, and enjoy!

So if your only experience with beets was out of a can or a jar, I encourage you to try again. You may be surprised.

If you are a seasoned beet eater, please share your favorite beet recipes here. I'd love to expand my beet repertoire.

Step by Step- It's a Way of Life

When I started this blog 3 months ago and called it the “No More Crap Diet,” I never outlined an actual diet for you.  This is because it isn't a diet, it's a way of life.  Almost three years ago, I started to change my life.  In that time, I have tried to cut the crap out- out of my diet and out of my life.

“What diet are you on?”

I hate the word diet. Mostly because people associate it with something you do for a limited amount of time. People say “I'm on a diet” or “I'm off my diet today” or “I quit that diet a while ago,” and then they expect the benefits that were associated with those diets to continue even though they are no longer “on the diet.”

Do you continue to make money after you quit your Job? No. Then why would you continue to lose weight after you quit your diet? A diet won't work, until you change your outlook on eating.

When I use the word diet, I am referring to the way I eat, day in and day out. It didn't all happen at once, it evolved over the last three years and continues to evolve as my body’s needs change.

So how did I start? Pretty much the way most people who are starting a diet would start. I started by cutting calories and logging my food intake. It didn't take the first time, I started and stopped about 3-4 times before it became routine. In that time, I learned that I needed to eat protein and veggies and that would let me still eat enough and stay under the desired calorie count.

I started to cut some things out of my daily diet. I stopped grabbing a bagel when I didn't bring lunch. I stopped snacking on the cookies and cake that my coworkers were bringing in even though it looked delicious.  I stopped grabbing a handful of pasta that I just made for the kids for dinner. I started teaching myself to have self-control and, in the process, I cut a lot of crap!

I also had to start doing certain things.  I started cooking more instead of take out during the week.  I made sure that I always had healthy snacks. There was always a bag of carrots and a bag of almonds available both at work and at home. I bought plenty of fresh fruit and veggies or at least had bags of frozen broccoli in my freezer just in case.   I found the best place around work to get a customized chopped salad so I had a back up plan if I didn't prepare my own lunch.

As my routine changed, my body’s nutritional needs changed as well. When I started running and lifting weights, I had to increase the number of calories that I was eating. I started reading about nutrition and macronutrients and the body’s need for different fuel sources at different times (this is a topic for a different blog post).  While I previously had cut almost all carbs (except those from fruit and veggies) out of my diet, I have recently started to bring the carbs back into my diet. Oatmeal, sweet potatoes and Ezekiel bread are now staples in my meal planning.

“But it's so overwhelming…”

If you feel like it is so overwhelming, then don't change everything at once. Remember you are making a long term change for the better, so make sure you set yourself up for success.

Here are a handful of changes that I have made over the last three years.

• No more pasta

(This started as "pasta is not the main course, maybe a little on the side", and then "no pasta"- going cold turkey would be too difficult)

• Switched coffee with whole milk and sugar to coffee with only skim milk or almond milk

(This took 2 years to change)

• Drink at least 2 liters of water per day

(This was my 2015 New Year's resolution - read about it here)

• No more diet soda

(The most recent change as of February 2015- so far so good!)

All of my changes have been gradual, every couple of months I cut something bad out or start doing something good.

So start small and change one or two things over time. It may take longer but it will last longer too.

What changes have you made and what is your next step?