Break Your Weight-Loss Goals Into Manageable Chunks

I watched my teenager stuff her mouth so full of food, I was afraid she'd choke! Her cheeks were so packed that she could hardly chew! While it was funny, and we had a good laugh at her expense, it reminded me of goals. For this blog, we're talking weight loss and fitness goals. But goals are goals, regardless the subject area!

You see, a goal can seem huge, overwhelming, daunting and nearly impossible. We can psyche ourselves out and feel as if what we want to achieve is impossible. We might begin to wonder if we've bitten off more than we can chew. Yes, I think my analogy is becoming clear...

I'm currently a mother of many children, working a full-time job and taking two MBA classes this fall. There have been days, as I'm highlighting a textbook while working out on my elliptical machine at 11:00 p.m. at night, that I've wondered whether I've bitten off more than I can chew ... in over my head ... that MBA classes are the straw that broke the camel's back.

That's when I sit down and map out each little step I need to take to reach my final goal.

A large goal usually isn't met overnight with one event. It takes a series of events, repeated over and over and over, to finally attain your dream. For my classes, when I'm overwhelmed that I have 300 pages of text to read, one test, and a 25 page paper due in two weeks - I map out what I need to cover each day in order to finish in two weeks.

It's no different with your weight-loss goals! So you want to lose say, 50 pounds. Okay, does that sound like a huge amount? Overwhelming? Does your heart start palpitating when you think about how much that is? Take a deep breath. It's DOABLE! Yes, it is! But it won't happen overnight by eating healthy for only one day! I WISH!

No, it's going to take breaking that goal up into daily chunks that are manageable! For example: "I will walk for 30 minutes each day this week and eat three vegetable servings a day." Boom. You did it...you made a game plan for today that will get you closer to your goal! Instead of looking at 50 pounds, you've broken it down into something that will help you lose maybe 1 1/2 pounds this week.

Don't let the big picture scare you. While you have to plan for it, breathe and zero in on today. Then tomorrow. Then the next. Each day adds up until your goal is finally met.

You can do it!

Michelle Obama's Arms - Video

Whether you like President Obama or not, it appears universal that women love Michelle Obama's arms!

Msnbc.com posted a video featuring just HOW the first lady does it. But to me, even more important than HOW she tones her arms, is the attention given to her fitness philosophy! She's a stickler for commitment to exercise and touts individual responsibility when it comes to one's own health. She's a proponent of the idea that each and every day is filled with health and nutrition choices that have a cumulative effect on one's own life and our national health.

Her physique is evidence of her fitness ideology! No more proof required ... she doesn't just talk the talk about health, she obviously walks the walk.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Orchard Granola Crisp - YUMMY Fall Recipe!

Okay, I couldn't resist sharing this with you - a perfect fall recipe from the latest edition of Clean Eating magazine.

I LOVE fall. The smell of cool wind and changing leaves, the feel of crisp air, sweatshirts, bonfires...and apple picking! By now, you know my family and I head to the apple orchards this time of year. Mmmmm. Nothing like biting into a freshly picked Honey Crispin apple - it's so delicious - it tastes as sweet and satisfying as a dessert!

Any apple for that matter is worth picking. You just can't go wrong! And if you're as fortunate as we are here in upstate New York, your orchard might just also have pear trees to go along with this recipe.

If you're adventuresome and love recipes chockful of fabulous ingredients, here you go! ENJOY!

ORCHARD GRANOLA CRISP
By Joanne Lusted
Serves 8

Hands-on time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hours, 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
FILLING
• 2 Granny Smith apples (or your favorite variety),
quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 Anjou pears (or your favorite variety), quartered,
cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg, freshly ground

BASIL YOGURT CRÈME
• 1 cup low-fat plain organic yogurt,
strained overnight in cheesecloth
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare filling: Combine all filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Pour mixture into a 2-quart oven-safe
nonstick baking pan (about 8.5 x 11 x 2), ensuring the mixture is evenly distributed. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl prepare topping: Combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Add agave nectar, oil, cinnamon,
nutmeg and salt to bowl and stir well to completely coat oats and nuts with seasoning.
4. Spread topping mixture evenly over filling mixture in baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet to catch any liquid
that boils over during baking. Place pan into oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until mixture bubbles at edges and fruit is tender when pierced
with a knife. Remove aluminum foil and place pan back into oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until granola topping is crisp and golden brown.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature.
5. While crisp is baking, mix strained yogurt and basil together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve, slice crisp into 8
portions and serve immediately with a dollop of Basil Yogurt Crème.

NUTRIENTS per 1-cup crisp and 1-oz yogurt topping:
CALORIES: 280
TOTAL FAT: 11 g
SAT. FAT: 1.5 g
CARBS: 41 g
FIBER: 6 g
SUGARS: 23 g
PROTEIN: 7 g
SODIUM: 55 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 0 mg

GRANOLA TOPPING
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole raw almonds, lightly crushed
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg, freshly ground
• Pinch sea salt

I'm Still Here - Just Busy!

Well, when life gets crazy, something has to go!

I've just started taking two online MBA courses, I have five children living at home AND I started a new full-time job. My plate is full - no pun intended!

I'm giving you a heads up that my posts will probably become more infrequent. That's the "something that has to go." UGH. I will try to post when time allows - so don't forget to check back and see if there's something to spur you on or tips for getting in better shape, losing weight and becoming fit! I remain passionate about fitness and will continue to encourage others to pursue getting in the best physical condition they can.

I might surprise myself and make more posts than I think possible. But if not, I don't want to leave you hanging, wondering where I am!

I'm listening to my own advice, even the midst of my schedule...I hopped on my elliptical machine last night for 45 minutes WHILE I read my "Strategic Management" textbook! Boy, highlighting is hard when you're moving! :-) I will continue pursuing my own fitness goals through the coming months - no matter how busy I am! It will call for more commitment, more creative problem solving when it comes to fitting it in and more perseverance. I hope you do the same thing.

Thanks for listening to me and thanks for sharing my posts with others! I'll still be here.

Valerie

Bento Boxes for Lunch?

A friend sent me a link to an article about a fun, creative and artistic way to make lunches - and get a healthy meal in the process!

The New York Times article begins with Sheri Chen, a mother of a finicky 2-year-old girl. In order to get her picky daughter to eat, she decided to prepare bento boxes, a Japanese way of preparing and packaging a lunch!

According to the article, "With cookie cutters Ms. Chen makes her daughter star-shaped vegetables; and with decorative skewers, a plastic top hat and pieces of nori (dried seaweed), cherry tomatoes become smiley faced, mustachioed creatures. Her ruse includes assembling each meal in her version of a bento box, a Japanese lunch box, decorated with cute cartoon characters."

Hmmm, I don't know if I'd go to THAT kind of effort to get my kids to eat what I want them to eat! But the article states that this isn't just popular with kids. Adults are getting into this, too!

"It might seem like silly kids’ stuff, but that sense of fun has helped make bento boxes — obentos as the Japanese call them — increasingly popular with grownups in the United States, too. For dieters, they are an eye-popping form of portion control. Artistic preparation of ingredients can act as a pleasant distraction for health-conscious parents. For others, bentos are a way to make lunch pretty or indulge their love of things Japanese."

Jordan Smith, 20, a junior at Yale University majoring in East Asian studies and political science says he began preparing bento boxes while he was still in high school. The article states that while he was on the football team, he was interested in eating balanced and healthy meals. "He would group protein, rice and vegetables. 'I would usually use snap peas, tomatoes, carrots; basically things that were relatively colorful and not too bland tasting.' He endured a bit of ridicule — 'like, look at that white person pretending to be Japanese' — but that didn’t stop him."
The article also cites blogger Deborah Hamilton, 40, author of lunchinabox.net. She "makes boxes for her husband and 4-year-old son of, for instance, tamales, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes and a strawberry. 'You can make these as intricate or fancy as you like,' she said, 'or you can make them plain and simple. You don’t have to get all kinds of Martha with it. My regular bento takes 10 to 15 minutes, maximum.' ”

Click here to read the entire article - it just might inspire you to prepare your own bento boxes - and eat healthier in the process!

Feel Crappy after Eating Junk?

I visited my daughter at college today and she was excited to share a story that she thought I should place in my blog:

Her roommates went back to their respective homes this summer while my daughter remained in their college apartment. Since she only had to buy and cook food for herself, she made her meals quick and easy - but she concentrated on making them healthy as well. She explained to me that breakfast consisted of low-fat Stonyfield Farm yogurt with organic granola; lunch included foods like whole-wheat wraps with hummus and tomatoes; dinner remained simple with items like grilled fish and salad. She filled in with fruit and veggies for snacks.

Lo and behold, her roommates returned a few weeks ago for the start of the school year - and the refrigerator and pantry have been filled with not-so-healthy fare again. My daughter has resorted to cooking and eating typical college foods: processed and prepackaged.

She said, "Mom, you need to write about this in your blog. I have felt crappy for two weeks since I started eating 'junk' again. It's a direct correlation! My body became accustomed to ultra-healthy foods, and now that I've started eating unhealthy again, my body wants to reject it!"

From the mouths of babes . . . I can't say it much simpler than she did!

Your body CRAVES nourishment - from healthy and whole food. When it finally becomes accustomed to a regimen of wholesome food, it will in essence feel as if it's rejecting food that has no nutritional value! You might feel headachey, tired, fuzzy-brained, irritable and bloated when you eat foods heavy in sugar, white flour, additives and empty calories. Almost like withdrawal! YUCK.

Anyone who's fallen off the bandwagon of healthy eating knows exactly what my daughter is talking about. It's just not worth it! If you've veered off course, remember just how good your body feels when it's not attacked with sugar highs and energy lows - and let that lure you back into good, healthy eating habits!

Shaun T's Insanity versus P90X - Insanity VIDEO

Some people have asked me what I think of Shaun T's Insanity workout program. It's a 60-day, 10-DVD home workout program offered by BeachBody - the same company that offers Tony Horton's P90X program.

If you've read my blog, you know I completed the P90X program and loved it. But I have not tried the Insanity program - so I can't give you a personal opinion about it. You can click here to read a side by side comparison of the two programs from someone who's done both, or look at the videos below to get a glimpse of what the Insanity program is about:

18 Quick Breakfast Recipes - Start Your Morning with Nutrition!

I know, I know. You've heard me say that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day - and the importance of starting the day with nutrition! But it's worth repeating! I know my own kids skip this vital element in their day if they're rushed or running late...

For those of us having to wake-up and be to work in the mornings, we know morning routines are already busy. Add school children to that mix (yes, school starts next week in upstate New York!), and the routines are even crazier.

Do yourself and your kids a favor by providing a power punch of nutrition to your breakfasts! Click here for 18 quick breakfast ideas - and plan ahead in order to avoid the harried mornings that lead to sugar rushes (Captain Crunch cereal or pop tarts!) or to skipping breakfast altogether!

Can Running Actually Be Good for Your Knees?

If you're a runner, I'm sure you've heard the same "concern" from non-runners: "You'd better quit running - you're going to kill your knees!"

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a millions times! There are days in which my joints hurt and I think, "Maybe they're right!" But there are other days when my body feels terrific - and I think the naysayers are just saying it because they don't run themselves! Ha!

I recently came across an article by Tara Parker-Hope on the New York Times Web site titled: Can Running Actually Help Your Knees? She brings up some very interesting studies about running and the impact (pun intended) on knees.

Parker-Hope cites a study from Stanford University that seems to indicate runners are NOT prone to degeneration of the knees!

She says, "Instead, recent evidence suggests that running may actually shield somewhat against arthritis, in part because the knee develops a kind of motion groove. A group of engineers and doctors at Stanford published a study in the February issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery that showed that by moving and loading your knee joint, as you do when walking or running, you “condition” your cartilage to the load. It grows accustomed to those particular movements. You can run for miles, decades, a lifetime, without harming it. But if this exquisite balance is disturbed, usually by an injury, the loading mechanisms shift, the moving parts of the knee are no longer in their accustomed alignment and a “degenerative pathway” seems to open. The cartilage, like an unbalanced tire, wears away. Pain, tissue disintegration and, eventually, arthritis can follow."

In fact, Ross Tucker, a physiologist in South Africa and co-author of the new book “The Runner’s Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer and Faster,” says the "biggest predictor of injury is previous injury.” Hence, one of the best defenses against suffering a first knee injury, or any further knee injuries, is to participate in targeted strength training. Tucker says, "The hip stabilizers, quads, hamstrings and core must all be strong enough. As soon as there is weakness, some other muscle or joint must take over, and that’s when injuries happen.”

Click here to read the entire article. And for you runners, it will give you something to tell those naysayers!