Why Willpower Doesn't Work - Part 2

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. - Mark Twain

In my previous post, I discussed how knowledge and willpower is often not enough to reach your goals. Lasting, sustainable results come from changing your behavior patterns.

Changing your habits is challenging and requires persistent effort and hard work. On average, it takes about 21 days or 3 weeks to form a new habit. When we break down how change happens, it actually involves a 6 step process.

1. Pre-Contemplation: A person who denies or fails to recognize the problem. "Hey, that's not fat, it's muscle."

2. Contemplation: Being "on the fence." Acknowledging the problem without being ready to change it. "So what if my pants are tight, the ladies still love me."

3. Preparation: Getting ready to change. "All right, I'm ready to get motivated. Let me call Mary and make an appointment."

4. Action: Changing behavior and actually "doing it." "Wow, eating healthy never seemed so easy. This plan Mary put together for me is brilliant!"

5. Maintenance: Not falling off the wagon and "living it." "Eating healthy is just like brushing my teeth everyday. If I don't do it I feel gross."

6. Termination: The behavior has been tamed and no longer poses a threat. "I'm a lean, mean, muscle machine."

When folks try to go directly to action too quickly without being ready for it, they often relapse or return to their bad habits as quickly as they vowed to change. We then often beat ourselves up for being so "weak" or not having any willpower when in reality change is a process. We need to change our mindset from one of immediate action and automatic success to one of progress in which we advance from one stage to the next. Sometimes we relapse or fall back into our old behavior and might have to revert to a previous stage of change and re-evaluate. The trick is to get up, dust yourself off, get back on the healthy eating horse, and keep moving forward.

If you're ready to make some changes in your nutrition but need some help, contact me for an appointment today. An investment in your health is always a good one.

Why Willpower Doesn't Work - Part 1

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.

- Unknown Author

The other day when I was in the locker room of my local "Globo gym", I overheard a conversation between two other ladies. One said to the other:

"Wow, your spot on the floor in the aerobics class has gotten really popular."

"Yeah I know. I hardly get to stand in my spot anymore. Other people keep taking it."

Okay, you might be scratching your head right now if:

A. You're not a woman, and
B. You've never taken an aerobics class before

While some of you may be slightly perplexed at this notion of staking an imaginary claim on the floor (and getting upset when others don't respect it), we see the same thing happen when at school or a conference where seats aren't assigned. We tend to sit in the same spot even though we aren't required to. Yes, we're definitely creatures of habit. This can be a good thing when our habits are supporting our goals and not such a good thing when our habits become detrimental to a healthy lifestyle.

In terms of nutrition, we all know what healthy habits we should be following. Eat more fruit and vegetables, limit fast food, drink alcohol in moderation, etc, etc...

In theory the concept is simple. In reality the execution is challenging.

Why? Because overcoming our natural inclination to be a couch potato and eat delicious, calorie-laden food is difficult. Knowledge and willpower is not enough. We must retrain our brain so that we change the root of our behavior.

Changing our habits is crucial because seeing the results of our efforts takes more than 1 day. Do you expect your body to be magically transformed after doing 1 workout? I hope not but if you do I think I figured out who's buying all those exercise products off of infomercials. It's the same thing with nutrition. Eating one healthy meal doesn't solve all your problems and eating one "unhealthy" meal doesn't cause all your ills. It's all about consistency.

So how do we go about changing our habits? Most behavior change involves 6 stages. Stay tuned for my next post where I'll reveal the steps to making lasting healthy habits.

Easy Meatless Meal

Adding in a meatless meal a few times a week can be good for your waistline, wallet, and the environment. Substituting plant-based proteins (such as beans, lentils, and soy-based products such as tofu and tempeh) for your usual meat is less expensive and offers a heart healthy source of high fiber protein. Meatless is also good for the environment as farming livestock generates greenhouse gases.

Here is an easy recipe from The Vegetarian Time's Low-Fat & Fast cookbook. Going meatless has never been so easy or delicious.

Spicy Southwestern Black Bean Soup

Make this soup a complete meal by either adding frozen chopped spinach to the soup or serving it over fresh wilted spinach and cooked brown rice.

Ingredients

1.5 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
One 4-ounce can chopped green Chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
Two 15.5 ounce cans black beans with liquid
2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water as need to thin soup
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional: sliced avocado for garnish

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil.
2. Add onion and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until onion is transparent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 2 minutes more.
4. Add all remaining ingredients except cilantro; stir and simmer about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in cilantro just before serving. Garnish with sliced avocado if desired.

Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Per Serving:

Calories 199; Protein 11g; Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 37g; Cholesterol 0; Sodium 336mg; Fiber 8g

You Can't Out-Exercise A Bad Diet

Many people think exercise is a cure-all to weight loss issues. People beginning a new exercise program will often see good results as it's a shock to their system. They start seeing the pounds melt away and they become convinced that they are one of the "special ones" that don't need to worry about their diet. Then they "hit the wall." The continual progress they were seeing comes to a screeching halt. They may get frustrated, unfairly blame their trainers for getting stuck, and stop exercising altogether. Today I'm going to let you in on a little secret:

You can't out-exercise a bad diet.

Let's take an example to illustrate the point. Say you go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Next let's assume you burned about 450 calories during your workout. Okay, now that your workout is complete you're feeling virtuous - you're a workout stud muffin. Hey don't you deserve a treat for your hard work? So you stop off at the local smoothie shop - hey smoothies are healthy aren't they? You order a medium (24 oz) smoothie and you effectively wiped out the calorie deficit you just got from exercising. Most medium smoothies run anywhere from 400 calories to over 700 depending on what you put in them.

Here's an entertaining video that also illustrates the point of the impact of diet versus exercise. It's very easy to undo the results of exercise in a few minutes of eating.

While this is over-simplifying the complex issue of weight management, the point I'm trying to get across is how nutrition plays a crucial role. While we often exercise anywhere from 30-60 minutes a day, if you want to continue seeing progress, you need to ask yourself what you're putting in your mouth the rest of the time.

Go Fish!

Fish is one of the healthiest foods as it's high in protein and lower in fat and calories than other sources of animal protein. The Amercian Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week, especially fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, and sardines) high in omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that omega-3s help to decrease triglyceride levels, lower the risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), slightly lower blood pressure, and help to reduce inflammation.

So what's the catch?

Some types of fish are high in mercury, PCBs, and other environmental contaminants depending on where they're caught or how they're raised. The popularity of fish is also causing environmental concerns about over-fishing to meet consumer demand and health concerns about farm-raised fish.

What's a consumer to do?

Here are 2 handy pocket guides published by the Environmental Defense Fund to help you make healthy choices for yourself as well as the environment. Here are the links to a pocket seafood and sushi selector. These guides categorize fish according to the eco-best and eco-worst as well as indicating whether the fish is high in heart-healthy omega-3s or high in mercury and other contaminants. Just print them out and stick them in your pocket for easy reference the next time you go out to eat.

The Power of Transformation

I love watching TV make-over shows - beauty and fashion, home decorating, and even dating. On TLC's show What Not to Wear, the participant is nominated by their family and friends for a fashion and beauty make-over. After folks you know declare how much they love you but that your true beauty is being hidden by your "cave troll" appearance, you're whisked away to NYC for a shopping spree, new haircut and make-up. Of course the more extreme the case (think Aunt Mildred with a mullet dressing like Britney Spears), the more satisfying the end result when the person is magically "fixed." The fact that the transformation is neatly packaged into a 1 hour show only adds to the allure. These type of shows may cause you to daydream: "Wouldn't it be nice if some part of my life - like weight loss - could be solved so quickly?"

The bad news: Magic wands don't work.

The good news: You have the power to change your life.

Maybe I love make-over shows so much because I believe in the power of transformation. The first step to changing your life is having a goal and figuring out what steps you need to take in order to accomplish this.

The good news in terms of weight loss is that you don't have to go on this journey alone. My 9-week weight loss class starts next week on Tuesday, Jan 26. We meet every Tuesday night for 9 weeks. In addition to weight loss, the goal of the class is to help you develop a healthy partnership with your body. It incorporates eating and exercise strategies to achieve a more balanced, healthy lifestyle and a more efficient metabolic rate. The class also provides the accountability and support you need in a small group setting to help you transition into your new way of living.

Don't just dream about changing your life. Take the first step today and make a commitment to yourself. You have the power!

Run for Your Life!

Here's an article I wrote on running and nutrition for the Georgetown Running Company's January newsletter.

Many people start the New Year by making resolutions to get back into shape; however for us avid runners, the New Year often means a time to set goals about taking our performance to the next level. We think about what races we want to run, how we want to improve our times, and start mapping out a training plan to achieve our goals. Yet many runners often leave one very important piece out of this equation – nutrition. Developing a strategic eating plan is essential to getting the most out of your training.

Many athletes who train at a high level support the philosophy of author John Parker in his book Once a Runner that "If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything." The drawback of this philosophy is that many runners have a difficult time figuring out how hot their furnace is actually burning, leading to an energy imbalance of either overfueling or underfueling. Another drawback is you may be getting a lot of toxic byproducts if you’re always choosing low quality fuels. For example, if your daily eating consists of lots of processed foods such as soda, chips, sweets, and fast food, you may get the calories you need but also lots of sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. These “toxic” byproducts impair optimal energy and recovery. You may be unfairly blaming your tired legs and decreased speed at the end of the week on your training routine when it is really your low octane nutrition that may be the culprit.

Therefore, the key to keeping you a high performance machine is to provide a foundation of quality fuel with occasional treats. You want to focus on nutritious foods 85-90% of the time while enjoying “fun” foods 10-15% of the time. As you consider your nutrition, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do I consider my diet a part of my training regimen?
• Am I tailoring my diet to support my training cycle?
• Am I getting in at least 2 pieces or cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables every day?
• Am I mostly eating less-processed foods, closer to the earth in their natural state? For example, apples rather apple juice, baked potato rather than French fries, whole grain bread rather than white bread.
• Am I including healthy fats in my diet such as nuts and seeds, nut butters (such as peanut and almond), avocados, olive oil and canola oil?
• Am I balancing my carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, grains, fruits, vegetables) with servings of quality protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, tofu, low fat diary products)?
• Am I eating consistently throughout the day, eating every 3-4 hours, to maintain my energy levels?

To quote world-class marathon runner Juma Ikangaa: "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." Don’t forget that preparation includes nutrition.

Kale Chips

This may sound unusual but they’re actually really good. It’s an easy way to get more veggies in your day, especially kale. Kale is a veggie superstar with its high antioxidant levels and powerful phytochemicals that help fight cancer. It also contains carotenoids which help protect against macular degeneration.

1. Wash and dry one bunch of bite-size kale pieces (make sure to remove tough stems).

2. Brush 2 tsp olive oil onto kale, thoroughly coating.

3. Ad ¼ tsp sea salt and mix.

4. Spread out on baking sheet, making sure that kale is not overlapping.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

Enjoy!

Check out my Facebook Fan Page to see a picture of how my kale chips turned out last night.

Simple Is Not The Same As Easy!

Now that we're well into January, we're being overwhelmed with TV commercials for diets and infomericals for exercise gadgets that promise us the body of our dreams. One of the latest commericals is the Drive-Thru Diet by Taco Bell, featuring Christine who lost 54 pounds over 2 years by choosing items off their lower calorie Fresco menu and reducing her overall calorie intake. Keep flipping TV channels and you might see commericals for the Special K diet, Subway's poster boy for weight loss Jared, or one of the many companies that offer pre-packaged meals. So if losing weight is just a matter of eating healthier foods and smaller portions, why is losing weight and keeping it off so hard?

Because simple is not the same as easy.

Diets - especially strict ones - are so popular because many of them have simple, straight-forward but rigid eating rules. Often they limit all choice. As long as you're following the rules you're "on track" and guaranteed quick success. Strict diets are so appealing because in our busy and stressful lives we are often happy to "check our brain at the door" and just be told exactly what to do. No thinking required. Many of these type of diets are successful in the short term - you lose weight and think "Yes, I've accomplished my goal."

Then life happens.

You might start to go back to you previous eating habits and the weight starts to creep back on. Or you've been so strict with your eating that you feel deprived and start eating all your "forbidden" foods and can't stop. Or you find that trying to stick to the diet is "consuming" your life and only making you feel frustrated and deprived. Next comes the "shame spiral" in which we mistakenly beat ourselves up for being so "weak" when in reality it is our diet that has failed us.

I have many clients that come to me after trying to stick to these popular diets. In the beginning they often get quick results but often these results quickly diminish and they soon realize that it's not feasible for them to continue these habits for the long-term.

Don't just diet. Change your life.

This year I challenge you to not just diet but to develop a lasting, healthy partnership with your body. One way to do that is through an informed and supportive environment. I'm offering a 9-week weight loss class starting Jan 26. Check out the following link for more details:

http://www.dynamicnutritionservices.com/RevItUpWeightLossClass.html

Will this be the year that you create a healthy new life? Only you have the power to decide.

Super Fast Supper

Miso-Glazed Salmon with Wilted Spinach

We all know we should be eating more fatty fish to get those heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but one of the biggest challenges my clients face is how to cook fish. This is a super easy and delicious recipe that I found in Cooking Light magazine. Just prepare the glaze, brush evenly over your fish, and then broil for about 8 minutes. Wilted spinach complements the salmon. Add a side of mircorwavable brown rice or a sweet potato and you've got a complete meal in under 20 minutes.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste. It can often be found in the dairy aisle (near the tofu) at natural food stores. Look for jars of time-saving pretoasted sesame seeds in the spice aisle.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 3/4 cup spinach mixture)

Ingredients

Fish:
1 tablespoon white miso paste
2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Spinach:
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare fish, combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, and brush evenly over fish. Arrange fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil for 8 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. To prepare spinach, while fish broils, heat sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and spinach to skillet; cook 30 seconds or until spinach just begins to wilt, tossing mixture constantly. Stir in 2 teaspoons soy sauce.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 347
Fat: 16.5g (sat 3.3g,mono 6.9g,poly 5.1g)
Protein: 37.5g
Carbohydrate: 12.6g
Fiber: 4.9g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Iron: 5.3mg
Sodium: 805mg
Calcium: 175mg

Could A Financial Fast Lead to Weight Loss?

As we start off the New Year, many people's focus is on detoxing from two overindulgences - eating and spending. We eat and spend our way through the holiday season and then in January the bill comes due - either as extra weight or literally as our credit card bill arrives in the mail. Here's a way to conquer both of these goals at the same time.

Sunday's Washington Post's business section had an interesting article by personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary on how a 21-day financial fast will improve your money management. In the article she recommends taking 21 days to only buy the absolute necessities - food and medicine.

In terms of nutrition this means no eating out (yes breakfast and lunch count), no fast food, no grande lattes, and no snacks from the vending machine. Instead food is made at home and brought with you to work or on-the-go (even coffee). Ideally you would also determine your food budget and then write out a list for the grocery store before you go to reduce impulse purchases.

Eating out less is not only healthier but also saves money. One lady profiled in the slide show saved about $250 during the financial fast "just by eliminating basic 'snackage' such as morning breakfast treats and trips to fast-food restaurants." The financial fast could help you lose weight as preparing your own food makes it easier to control how it is made and also to be aware of portion size. While most of us typically don't serve ourselves a steak the size of a dinner plate at home, we're disappointed if we don't receive large portions when eating out because we perceive we're not getting as much value. Taking a break from constantly buying meals and snacks can also help make you more aware of what you're habits are and what is an absolute necessity.

If doing a 21-day challenge seems daunting, I recommend at least trying it for 5 days. You will probably be surprised at what you learn about yourself and what you can live without.