Category Archives: Nutrition
Friday’s Food for Thought
I just realized I often wrap up the work week writing about something related to food or drink. Maybe that’s because one of my favorite ways to unwind after a crazy week is to join family or friends for dinner and drinks. On this Friday, however, I thought I’d address one of the foods many of us struggle with treating ourselves to on any day of the week: candy.
As my fabulous friend Amy recently pointed out, there’s been lots of advertising lately about the low-cal candies made by Skinny Cow™. However, there isn’t a lot of information about how much “better” these yummy options are for our diets. So, thanks to Amy, this blog post was born!
First of all, let me say I am a huge Skinny Cow fan! You’ll always find a box of Skinny Cow Fudge Bars in my freezer. At 100 calories and one gram of fat, they’re the perfect no-guilt dessert, especially after a good workout! (The fact that they blend nicely for a low-cal mudslide option is an added bonus). The other reason I like them so much is that a single bar truly satisfies my ice-cream craving. That makes the box of fudge bars a safer dessert option than a gallon of reduced-fat or “light” ice cream. In all honesty, I could easily eat that whole gallon in one sitting.
That brings me to the crux of the problem with the Skinny Cow candies and most of the lower-calorie options out there: if you’re like me, and you know one serving isn’t going to satisfy your sweet tooth, then you may be sabotaging your diet by bringing boxes of these treats into your home. Again, as someone in complete awe of those who can eat one piece of candy on Halloween and call it a day, I would definitely be at risk of eating the entire box of Skinny Cow “Dreamy Clusters.” Here’s what the damage would look like: while one pouch contains 120 calories and six grams of fat, the whole box – six pouches total – brings you to 720 calories and 36 grams of fat. Yikes!
So, for me, the better option is to “give in” to my chocolate craving and go for a full-size “3 Musketeers” bar. It weighs in at 260 calories and 8 grams of fat, but I know I’ll have only one. This is the reason I stopped buying Weight Watchers® snack cakes years ago. I could easily polish off an entire box of brownies, cookies or chocolate creme cakes during one re-run of “The Golden Girls.” Instead, if I want to “splurge,” I will have a real cupcake from Crumbs and plan out the rest of my menu for the day accordingly. At the end of the day, the key to remember is that lo-cal options may not always be the best option for you and your eating habits.
Finally, as a relentless promoter of the everything-in-moderation lifestyle, if you do go overboard today and find you’ve devoured the whole box of Skinny Cow candies or half the chocolate cake in the break room, brush off the crumbs and remember this: tomorrow brings new opportunities to make better choices so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Frosty Friday
TGIF!
-
Nothing low-cal about this drink on vacation, but you can make some adjustments at home!
Margaritas: Now that Crystal Light makes a margarita-flavored mix, why not celebrate Cinco de Mayo by putting some in a blender with a shot of tequila and saving some calories for the chips and guacamole!
- Mudslides: Oh, they are delicious, but boy, do they pack a punch when it comes to calories! According to CaloreKing.com, one Kahlua ready-to-drink Mudlslide has 2,364 calories. I tend to like Bailey’s in my mudslides, so my recipe replaces the Bailey’s with a Weight Watchers latte flavored ice pop. (Minus the stick, of course!) Put the frozen “ice cream” into a blender, and add crushed ice, 4-6 ounces of skim milk and a shot of vodka. Blend and enjoy! (You can also add a shot of Kahlua with the vodka, but that will up the calories a bit , but the final number won’t be anywhere near the 2,364 I mentioned above.)
- Calorie-Conscious Creamsicle: I learned about this one at a Weight Watchers meeting and still have to try it, but it sounds really good! Put one packet of a Weight Watchers vanilla smoothie mix into a blender, and add WW orange-flavored fat-free yogurt, crushed ice and one shot of vodka. Blend and enjoy!
- Speaking of Weight Watchers smoothie mixes, if you can get a hold of them, they’re really good and come in several flavors including vanilla, chocolate, caramel latte and even a berry blend. Mix one packet in the blender with fresh strawberries, blueberries or banana, along with crushed ice, skim milk (or water) and a shot of vodka or rum. (These taste just as good without the alcohol.)
So, whether you’re planning to raise a frosty glass in honor of Cinco de Mayo this weekend or are just looking forward to the longer, warmer days ahead, remember to enjoy yourself responsibly. Moderation and common sense are two key players in our lifelong journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Friday Fun
Happy Friday!
It seems everyone I’ve spoken to regardless of their age or profession has had one hell of a week! So, to help kick off what I hope will be an enjoyable weekend, I thought I’d share my newest favorite cocktail alternative that serves up some fun without all that sugary, calorie-filled guilt!
Crystal Light now offers mocktail mixes in Margarita, Mojito and Appletini. I’ve tried the Mojito and Margarita mixes and I have to say, I’m a fan! Like the other flavors, these drinks sans alcohol register at a mere five calories per glass. Add a shot of rum to the mojito or tequila to the margarita and you have another 100 calories. That’s a LOT better than a “normal” margarita where the mix alone can range from 200-300 calories per drink and a “regular” mojito comes in at around 175 calories. Want to skip the alcohol altogether? Add some club soda to these cocktails and serve over a tall glass of ice, and you’ll still have a refreshing way to end the day or make an afternoon more interesting!
Here are a few of my other staple “recipes” for low-cal cocktails:
- When mixing a Cape Codder (vodka & cranberry), replace high-sugar cranberry juice with light or reduced-calorie cranberry juice. For an even “slimmer” version of this summertime classic, mix one shot of raspberry or blueberry vodka with Diet Sprite, Diet 7Up, Sprite Zero or Fresca. You get the berry flavor without all the sugar.
- Use diet tonic water when mixing with vodka or gin.
- For the taste of cream soda with a kick, add a shot of vanilla vodka to a tall glass of Diet Coke.
Happy Easter Monday!
Whatever holiday you celebrated over the weekend, I hope it was happy!
I was all set to write about my first mammogram for today’s post. Unfortunately, due to a scheduling snafu by the imaging center, my Saturday appointment was postponed for a couple of weeks. Stay tuned. So, I decided to improvise with a short and sweet ode to chocolate.
The beginning of chocolate overload
I’ve been giving up sweets for Lent for as long as I can remember. While there’s obviously much more significance to Easter Sunday than breaking my fast, I won’t deny that one of the things I look forward to on this holiday is overloading on the treats I’ve missed for a little more than 40 days. It starts with Cocoa Puffs for breakfast (good to know there’s whole grains in that cereal now!) and continues with Italian cheesecake, rainbow cookies and at least one Creme Egg for dessert following a big, pasta and other carb-filled lunch with my family.
So, along with the moderation-is-key “rule,” another part of my lifestyle mantra is this: Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bad to get back to the good. That means today I’ll push my body extra hard at small group training (I’ll even welcome burpees if our instructor Roberto includes them in workout) and eat my normal healthy fruits and veggies and drink lots of water to get my body back on track. I can’t promise I won’t sneak in a leftover piece of milk chocolate or a peanut butter filled chocolate egg…but again, it’s all about finding a balance that works for you.
I’ll wrap up sharing a recent story on Foxnews.com that made me feel a little better about my guilty pleasure. Click here to learn about a study about chocolate and body fat.
Sometimes giving in to temptation (at least when chocolate is involved) is what you need to do so you can get it out of your system, and re-focus on the course to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Fast Food Friday
I thought I’d wrap up the work week with a post about something I haven’t written about in awhile: food.
If this isn’t your first time visiting LauraLovesFitness, you know I’m a big believer in the everything-in-moderation rule. As far as I’m concerned, life’s too short to deny yourself something you enjoy. For me, that includes red wine, chocolate and the occasional bacon cheeseburger. (However, I should point out I’m typing this post while enjoying a quick lunch break featuring a turkey sandwich on Weight Watchers rye bread, celery sticks, orange pepper strips and an iced green tea.) Since I do my best to strike a balance between eating healthy and enjoying the occasional treat, it’s an extra bonus when I find a place that lets me do both at the same time!
Cajun chicken wrap, baked fries & zero-calorie fruit punch
I’m not sure why it took me so long, but I recently discovered an “Energy Kitchen” in my neighborhood. Everything on the menu is either baked, steamed or grilled and everything is under 500 calories. It’s become my favorite place to get something when I’m on the go. They have everything from salads to varieties of bison burgers on whole wheat buns to chicken and veggie whole wheat or multi-grain wraps. Then there’s my favorite “treat” on the menu: the baked fries. They’re the best “healthy” fries I’ve had! (Maybe the fact that they come in at only 151 calories and 2 grams of fat makes them taste even better!) Right now you can only enjoy the fries and other non-fried treats if you live in New York, New Jersey or Florida, but something tells me you’ll soon find Energy Kitchens in other parts of the country, too.
Of course, the kicker for this yummy and better-for-you food is that it’s a bit pricier than some of the other “traditional” fast options out there. This seems to be a general problem with healthier food alternatives. When you compare the cost of a meal combo at one of the big greasy fast-food chains to the cost of buying fish or chicken, fresh produce and whole grains to prepare your own healthy meal at home, it’s no wonder many people choose the less expensive but unhealthy option.
There’s no doubt we’re all working harder than ever to be cost-conscious about every expense in our daily lives. But if you’ve made a commitment to take better care of yourself by exercising, remember this: you need the right fuel to keep your body moving so you can have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Your Workout Wednesday Following Fat Tuesday
No doubt I’ll be starting this Ash Wednesday in a bit of a post-chocolate haze.
Ever since my days at Northwestern,I’ve celebrated many a Fat Tuesday with millions of other people around the world in a bit of decadent indulgence.
Need to Un-Do Some Decadence?
Since I give up desserts and sweets for Lent, I tend to “stock up” on Fat Tuesday. In my 20s, that often meant enjoying a dinner of chocolate chip pancakes with extra butter and chocolate sauce and a thick chocolate shake to wash it all down. A decade later, while I don’t ingest all that richness at one sitting, I do enjoy a few sugary treats throughout the day and some kind of chocolate ice cream concoction as the grand finale.
However, there are three reasons I refuse to be consumed by guilt over this day of decadence:
- It’s a one-time event in a 365-day period.
- For the past seven years, Fat Tuesday has fallen on the same day of the week as my favorite group exercise class. I’m just sure to kick things up an extra notch at NYSC’s Club Strength on this specific Tuesday where I tend to throw moderation out the window.
- Workout Wednesday immediately follows Fat Tuesday.
So, if you went a little overboard yesterday, consider it some extra motivation to make today’s workout count! Not sure you need to be motivated? Consider this: pancakes rank at the top of the Fat Tuesday favorite-food list almost every year. If you enjoyed this crowd pleaser at a restaurant like IHOP last night, remember each pancake weighs in at approximately 180 calories and six grams of fat. According to CalorieKing, burning off the calories in just one fluffy combination of sugar, flour and eggs would require 50 minutes of walking, 21 minutes of jogging, 15 minutes of swimming or 27 minutes of cycling. If you enjoyed a stack of four or five…well, you can do the math.
All that being said, there’s another tradition I follow pretty religiously every year on this specific Workout Wednesday. It’s the perfect day for intense cardio training. I’m talking about taking things a step beyond a “typical” 30-minute jaunt on the elliptical. Click here for a refresher on how to take things to the next level with interval training. If you haven’t tried interval training before – it’s a good day to start!
I’ll end with a common LauraLovesFitness theme: life is simply too short to deny yourself the things you really enjoy. For me, that includes chocolate, cupcakes, ice cream and red wine. On the rare occasions I do splurge and enjoy one or more of those decadent items on the same day, I simply make it a point to get back on track with my healthy food choices the next day and add some extra time to my workout. Finding a balance for all the things that bring you happiness is a challenging but critical part of our journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Fitness Focus
Every time a national holiday comes around, I find myself wishing there were more three-day weekends on the calendar. If you’re fortunate to be off on this President’s Day, I hope you do at least one nice thing for yourself today. For those of you who are either wrapping up or about to embark on some quality time with family and friends thanks to February recess, here’s to a whole week’s worth of nice memories!
Knock Out Self-Doubt! Photo by Leslie Hassler
In light of this being a holiday weekend, I thought I’d keep things pretty light today. So, I offer this post as an opportunity for you to assess how your 2012 health and fitness goals are coming along. When I arrived at New York Sports Club for my cardio workout this morning, I was greeted by a sign advertising special membership rates to help people with their “re-resolutions.” That’s when I realized it’s about that time again: the time when you no longer have to wait in line to use a treadmill or elliptical machine after work or arrive ridiculously early to claim a spot in your favorite group exercise class. If you’re enthusiasm about working out is waning, it’s a good time to re-evaluate the reasons why you made the commitment to take better care of yourself in the first place.
I know from first-hand experience how things like weddings, college reunions and other special occasions can be great motivators to get your butt into gear when it comes to working out and eating healthy. However, when the party’s over (literally), you’re right back where you started. So, if you don’t find a long-term source of motivation, you could be setting yourself up to fall right off the health and fitness wagon for more than a day or two. Since it takes up to six weeks for a behavior to become a habit, you need to find a more meaningful reason to make the behavior stick so eventually packing a gym bag every night or leaving your sneakers near the door for a morning run will be just as routine as brushing your teeth. That being said, make sure the focus of your motivation always comes back to you. Yes, this is one time when being selfish really can be a good thing. Instead of saying “I’m going to exercise because of the kids,” why not try “I’m going to exercise because I want more energy to play with my kids.”
One final and important note: don’t let vanity be your only source of motivation. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing to want to drop a jean size so you have more energy and feel healthier overall, it’s not okay to say “I want to be the same size as (insert name of friend or celebrity here).” Stop short-changing yourself and remember all the unique qualities that make you the person you are. Positive affirmations are an underutilized source of strength that can help all of us stay focused on the lifelong journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Don’t Skip the Workout Today!
I hope you all enjoyed a great weekend filled with football-championship fun!
It may not be a national holiday, but Super Bowl Sunday is an American tradition right up there with turkey on Thanksgiving and apple pie. In fact, I know plenty of non-football fans who look forward to this day. Why? Because the Big Game offers the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family and indulge in many of the foods most of us try and avoid on a regular basis.
Even I go a bit overboard on Super Bowl Sunday. Which is the main reason I’m on a mission this Monday to squeeze in a post-Super Bowl workout to burn some calories. (I’m pretty sure getting up off the couch to dance to some of Madonna’s half-time show club tunes didn’t do the trick.)
With some help from a great website called CalorieKing, I put together a rundown of how some of America’s favorite Super Bowl foods score on the calorie counter. Considering many or all of these items may have been on your game day menu, I’ll let you add them up based on what you did or didn’t eat and factor in how many pieces, slices or serving sizes you enjoyed.
- Doritos’ Tortilla Chips, Cool Ranch Flavored (12 chips) = 140 calories
- Lays’ Potato Chips, Sour Cream & Onion Flavored (17 chips) = 160 calories
- 5 Pigs-in-a-Blanket = 470 calories
- 5-wing serving of hot wings = Anywhere from 300 to 597 calories (depending on the sauce and dip they’re served with)
- 1 Slice of Cheese Pizza = 240 calories
- 1 Slice of Pepperoni Pizza = 298 calories
- 1 Slice of Papa John’s “The Works” Pizza = 330 calories
- Bowl of Chili = Calories range from 300 – 600 based on the recipe. (e.g. cheese v. no-cheese)
- 1 Light Beer (12 oz) = 96 calories
- 1 Regular Beer or Ale (12 oz) = 150 calories
- 1 Regular Soda (12oz) = 140 calories
If this list didn’t give you enough of a reason to want to get up off that chair and start and go for a run or find the next Zumba® class in your area, maybe this great article from Friday’s Washington Post will give you an extra push to break a sweat.
Whether or not you cared about which team won, I hope you enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday! If that included going a bit overboard with the food and drink, no doubt you had your fun – which means there’s no time like today to get back on track with your plans to be fit and feel fabulous!
Happy Heart Month!
Take Heart! It's Time to Get Up and Get Moving! Photo by Leslie Hassler
Wow, it’s February! While I have mixed feelings about celebrating yet another birthday this month, there is one noteworthy event I welcome with enthusiasm: today kicks off American Heart Month. If you’re still looking for a reason to make your healthy 2012 resolutions stick, I just gave you one. There’s simply no time like the present to take stock of how well you’re taking care of your ticker!
I don’t think you can offer too many reminders about the seriousness of heart disease in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
- Someone in this country has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Each minute, someone dies from a heart disease-related event.
- Heart disease doesn’t discriminate. It’s the number one cause of death for most ethnicities in the U.S.
- Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease.
While your family history can put you at greater risk, there are lifestyle choices each of us can make to decrease our behavioral risk factors for heart disease. These include obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol and diabetes. Guess what? Along with quitting smoking and following a healthy diet, getting exercise is one of the best things you can to keep these risk factors in check. Ultimately, exercise is one of your most powerful weapons in the fight against heart disease.
This doesn’t mean you have to sign up for a boot camp class or half-marathon during today’s lunch break. The latest guidelines from the American Heart Association indicate we need 30 minutes of brisk activity on five days a week. You can even break down those 30-minutes into a couple of 15-minute bouts. If you’ve never exercised before, your goal should be to get up off the couch and get moving. Take a walk around the neighborhood or get a fitness game for the kids’ video console. If you do want to join a gym, consider joining with a buddy for support. Try group exercise classes (like Zumba®!) until you find one you like and look forward to participating two or three times a week. Treat yourself to a couple of personal training sessions so you learn to navigate your way safely through a fitness routine. This is your health we’re talking about. If you don’t take the time to invest in it, who will?
Check out these sites for more information about heart disease, prevention tips, American Heart Month and other year-round initiatives like Go Red for Women:
http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/index.htm
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
http://www.goredforwomen.org/index.aspx
Finally, don’t forget to wear red this Friday, February 3rd. I’ll be pulling something fiery out of my closet to show my support for National Wear Red Day®. When it’s over, I look forward to doing all I can to take care of my heart -and hopefully encouraging all of you to do the same – as part of a year-round plan to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Taking Fitness on the Road
Don't forget the workout wear!
The start of this new work week marks one that will include my first business trip of 2012. As anyone who travels for work knows, there’s no way I’d classify this as “luxurious” getaway. I’ll fly to Dallas Tuesday afternoon, pick up a rental car at the airport, drive to the hotel, eat dinner, prep for the shoot we’re producing for SC Johnson and then try to get some sleep before Wednesday morning’s early wake up call for a drive to a suburb called Flower Mound. (What in the world did we do before GPS?)
Tonight, as I pack my bag, there are a couple of things I’ll be sure not to leave behind: the notes for my shoot and my workout wear. While working out is obviously part of my routine during a normal week when I’m grounded here in New York City, getting some exercise is sometimes even more therapeutic when I’m on a business trip. Breaking a sweat helps shake off the stiffness from sitting on an airplane. It also helps circulate that stale airplane air out of the lungs.
Chances are the gym at my hotel won’t have all the equipment I’m surrounded by at New York Sports Clubs. However, I’m pretty confident there will be an elliptical machine, treadmill or recumbent bike for some cardio and at least a handful of free weights or some kind of weight machine set up. If I’m lucky, there may even be a stability ball tucked in a corner. If you do get stuck in a hotel that doesn’t have even a tiny fitness center, here are some exercises you can do in your room that require no equipment at all:
As far as taking my healthy eating habits on the road, my rule of thumb is I simply do my best. Luckily, more airports are starting to offer healthier quick-grab items like salads and fruit for you to take on the flight or eat while you’re waiting for your connection.
Here are a couple of additional healthy-eating tips for my fellow business travelers:
- Pack healthy snacks. Even on overnight trips, I keep raw almonds and a couple of Fiber One bars in my bag. If I can’t eat for a while because I’m wrapped up in the project, or if the food options aren’t optimal, at least I have a satisfying snack to hold me over for a bit.
- Monitor portions. If meals are brought in for meetings or you’re going out for lunch or dinner (or both!), watch your portion sizes and perhaps choose to have a cocktail, but skip dessert; or skip an appetizer and a drink but indulge in something sweet after your meal.
The bottom line is there’s no reason to turn traveling for work into an excuse not to take care of yourself. No one cares if you break a sweat in a wrinkled t-shirt. So roll up those workout clothes and toss them into your overnight bag along with a couple of healthy snacks. With a little planning, your next business trip doesn’t have to take you on an unwanted detour from your journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
lauralovesfitness 