FitRinny Fave: Mix 1 Hi-Antioxidant Fiber Drink Dark Berry

I was running late this morning and didn't have time to pack my lunch. After my shoulder workout, I wanted something with a mix of carbohydrates and protein. I picked up a Mix 1 Hi-Antioxidant Fiber Drink Dark Berry and was surprised at how good it tasted.

I am not a big fan of anything that tastes artificial. Heavy whey protein flavor makes me gag a little. Thankfully, this Mix 1 drink was fruity and yummy. Light, not too thick. It reminded me of a thin yogurt smoothie.

An 11oz serving has:
115 calories
1.5g fat
17g carbohydrates
9g protein (whey)
And a whopping 8g of fiber!

Also contains green tea extract, vitamin C & E, lycopene and lutein.

FitRinny Recipe: Lemon Feta Chicken

Chicken is one of the easiest, leanest protein sources around. If you are tired of the barbecue and plain roasted varieties, try this simple, tasty version. If you are avoiding dairy, just skip the feta and add a little salt.

Lemon Feta Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Place chicken in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour lemon juice over chicken; sprinkle with feta cheese, oregano and pepper.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
  

Four servings, with each roughly 170 calories, 8g fat, 1.5g carbohydrates and 24g protein.

Dear Mr. Scale

Today you are my friend. Amazing how a good number from you can start my day with a smile. The opposite - an unexpected increase or dreaded plateau - and watch out. My mood will be low, I might be snappish and heaven forbid my spouse tell me I “look beautiful.” Grrrrh.

I’m just guessing you are male, although more likely you are female…we are so much more judgmental and critical.

Why do you have this power over me? My rational side knows you are an inanimate object that just spits out a number, yet even now after years of our love hate relationship, my heart still races when I step on. I know deep down that I have control over you and your results, not vice versa, but you still scare and thrill me a little.

Thankfully, my decision to check in with you daily has taken most of your power over me away. I know my number, accept it and do what I need to either maintain it or change it.

You have helped me finally attain a weight that I am happy with, so thank you. After years and years…and years…I am accepting my number and have no desire to drastically change it. My goal now is to improve my overall health, fitness and strength.

So, today was a good day, but I know that tomorrow might not be. And it might not be because of anything I’ve done or not done. Our daily meetings have shown me one thing…the body is fluid. Weight ebbs and flows. As long as I am taking the right steps and eating properly, you will react accordingly, in your own time. An increase could have been a result of hormones, soy sauce marinade or heck, just a change in my sleep habits. I promise not to panic if I see an unexpected number, although I may still be cranky. See you in the morning.

The 80/10/10 Guide to Weight Loss

People often ask me what is the best workout for weight loss.  They are surprised when I tell them it isn't really about exercise, it is about diet.  Weight loss is 80% diet, 10% exercise and 10% genetic.

Genetics will determine some of how your body responds.  Lucky folks lose more quickly than the masses.  Men, with their increased muscle mass, take off weight much more easily than most women.  However, these are factors out of your control so focus on the two you can control - diet and exercise.

I know from personal experience that weight loss is mostly dependent on my diet.  This concept has been reinforced over the last three weeks as I've followed a detox cleanse eating plan.  I've lost 5+ pounds and actually been working out less!  For 21 days I've done yoga, light cardio and haven't even wear my heartrate monitor...and guess what?  Those pesky few pounds I've been struggling with are gone because I eliminated crappy carbs and kept my caloric intake steady.  All diet.

If you look at the numbers, it makes sense that diet is more important.  A typical gym session will only burn 500-600 calories (and that is if the person is really pushing themselves).  I know I can wolf down 600 calories in about ten minutes with a plate of brie, french bread, chocolate and a bottle of wine.  No matter how hard we try, or how badly we want to, we cannot "burn off" our caloric indulgences.

Now, I'm not saying don't exercise.  Quite the opposite.  Exercise should be a foundation and should be done routinely as part of a wellness regiment.   I do cardio and resistance training most days of the week, but I don't factor the caloric burn into my daily targets -- exercise is assumed and is a non-issue.   I workout because it makes me feel good and strong...not because it is burning a measly 300 calories.  When exercise becomes more important is during the maintenance phase.  Once the weight is off and dietary restrictions ease up slightly, exercise is crucial to keeping it off.

As the pressure to get summer bathing suit ready approaches, remember to focus your effort on what makes the greatest impact -- diet.  Don't worry about whether you burned 300 or 500 calories in your spin class...focus on what you will eat AFTER your spin class.

How Bad is Strawberry Milk?

After watching last week's episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution where Jamie went on a mission to remove flavored milk from the schools, I wondered how bad the flavored milk actually was.  So,  I checked it out on Calorie Count and in one cup:

Plain 1% Milk:

102 calories

2.5g fat

12g carbs (12g sugar)

8g protein

Strawberry 1% Milk and Chocolate 1% Milk:

180 calories

2.5g fat

26g carbs (26g sugar)

7g protein

The major (only) difference is the amount of carbs/sugar.  At first glance, it might not seem like that is a big deal, just 14 grams of sugar.  But one teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams.  Thus, the flavored milks have almost 4 extra teaspoons of sugar in one cup!

Unbelievably, the schools defended the flavored varieties saying they increased consumption.  Apparently, the schools are more concerned about children's calcium intake than their sugar intake.  Considering the childhood obesity epidemic, schools might want to rethink that stance.   

The most encouraging part of the episode was when many of the kids that ordinarily would have taken flavored milk started taking the plain milk. They did so because their teacher, after learning from Jamie about the nutritional differences, encouraged them to.  So, even if schools continue to serve flavored sugar milk, we can get our kids to choose the healthier option through education, awareness and encouragment.

Stay Active and Stay Young

"We do not stop exercising because we grow old; we grow old because we stop exercising." - Dr. Kenneth Cooper

Part of my motivation to exercise comes from wanting to put off the inevitable, delaying the eventual inability to do physical activities that I currently take for granted. I remember my Grandmother taking forever (for-e-ver!) to get out of her Buick.  She couldn't ride bikes and by 80, she couldn't climb stairs. I refuse to be that woman. Or at least I refuse to go down without a fight. 

One thing I try to remember is that it is so much easier to maintain fitness than to build it back up from scratch.  Stay active and stay young.

FitRinny Fave: Friendship 1% Lowfat Whipped Cottage Cheese

"It's Gold Jerry, Gold!" 

I love this cottage cheese and barrel through a 16oz container every day or so.  Here's why:

• Light, yet creamy 
• Fluffy and isn't soupy like many other brands
• Only 90 calories per serving
• High in protein with 16 grams per 1/2 cup 
• Only 3 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fat  
• Like most cottage cheese, it is a little high in sodium, but since sodium isn't a major concern of mine, I'm okay with it.  

I only wish it was from an organic dairy farm.  Sadly not.  

Friendship 1% Lowfat Whipped Cottage Cheese can be found at Giant and Wegman's.

Top 10 Gym Pet Peeves

I wish I wasn't, but I am really easily irritated.  Not sure what that says about me...maybe that I grew up with a Dad and sister who were even more easily irritated, so they called my attention to otherwise trivial noises and behaviors.  I know people aren't trying to get on my nerves and usually they are just oblivious.  The gym has some of the worst offenders.  Here are my top ten:

10.  Squatters --  No, I'm not referring to people doing actual squats.  This is when someone just sits on machines, resting a ridiculously long time between sets.   Either push the weight or get off
9.  Worker-Inners -- "Can I work in?"  Seriously?  There are plenty of other machines and Joe Muscle has to come work in with me on the cable fly.
8.  Sweaters -- Nope, not referring to a wool knit.  These gems leave their sweat pool whereever they go and don't wipe down the equipment after they've used it.
7.  Daters -- people who use the gym as a pick-up joint.  I guess I'm used to it with men, but it is especially cheesy when women do it.  My old gym was full of these chicks who dressed provocatively and talked to any guy who would give them the time of day.
6.  Stinkers -- either because of B.O. or cologne/perfume.  Nothing is worse than getting a big whiff, particularly if I'm already gasping for air doing cardio intervals.
5.  Noisemakers -- Excessive noise, whether grunting, dropping weights or cracking gum.  
4.  Out of shape aerobics instructors -- if you can't make it work for you, why should I believe it will work for me?
3.  Women who only lift tiny, colorful dumbbells.  Come on ladies, you are stronger than that.  I promise, lift heavier...you won't "bulk up."

2.  Chatters -- People who do more talking than working out.  Chatters are especially annoying when they are on the machine next to me.  If you can carry on a full conversation, particularly if that conversation is on a cell phone (major gym faux pas) you are obviously not working hard enough.

1.  Not reracking weights -- This is when men (yes, it is usually men), load up the chest press or squat racks, do their sets and then just leave the weights on the bar.  They are relying on the next person, namely me and my scrawny arms, to struggle with their 45s.  Please, for the love of Pete, just return the plates back to where you found them!  

Did I miss any of your gym pet peeves? 

Getting Kids to Eat More Fruit and Veggies

 
Wash it, cut it up and put it out.

I could just end the post there.  Seriously, sometimes it is just that easy.

One of my kids asked for blueberries, so I bought a pint.  Few days later, the pint still sat sadly untouched in the fridge.  So, I took it out, rinsed the berries and put them in a bowl on the counter.  Gone that afternoon.

We could have apples in the produce drawer for weeks, but if I pull them out and slice them, the kids will eat them.  I've seen some parents pack whole oranges in their kid's lunches.  Are they truly surprised when their child doesn't eat it?  I wouldn't even peel an orange if I only had 15 minutes to eat. 

Even works with veggies.  I buy a head of cauliflower, rinse it and cut it up.  My youngest gobbles it up.  I know it won't always be this easy.  Raw broccoli is still a hard sell in our house.

There are some schools of thought (my Mom) that believe that teenagers should be self-sufficient and be able to prepare their own food.  Well, anyone who actually has a teenager knows that is highly unlikely.  So, I suck it up and do the 2 minutes of work for them knowing I feel better when they eat their fruits and vegetables.

Rowing Past The Competition

Even after years of lifting, my upper body is still pretty scrawny.  My hubby calls me T-Rex because of my disproportionately developed legs compared to my relatively small arms.  So, I love any workout that utilizes my arms and back.  Enter, the rowing machine.  

The other day, I was rowing at a decent pace, but not really pushing myself.  Until...another rower hopped on the machine next to me.  She was about my age, fit and blond.  I immediately started rowing faster and harder.  I watched how fast she was rowing and could tell she was also watching me.  I had originally intended to row for ten minutes, but stayed for fifteen.     

As women, we aren't always encouraged to be competitive, but in sports all bets are off.  I ride harder in my Spinning classes when my girlfriends are riding too.  When other women are lifting nearby, I push out a few extra reps.  I want to be the best, the strongest, the fittest...for me and my own personal satisfaction.   

Morale of the story:  If you are having trouble getting motivated, try working out with someone else...especially someone who pushes you past your comfort zone.  

Ask FitRinny - Where does fat go when I lose it?

Question:  When I lose weight, where does it go?  Bodily functions and sweat?  Does it evaporate?  Where does all that ‘stuff’ go?

Answer:  Everyone has a set number of fat cells determined by genetics.  These fat cells have an almost unlimited capacity to store fat.  They expand when you gain weight and shrink when you lose it.  So when you are thinner, you still have the same number of fat cells, they are just smaller.  Some people have more trouble losing weight because they were blessed/cursed with more fat cells.  For most of us, this set number of fat cells only increases with pregnancy or by gaining A LOT of weight.  The only way to reduce the number of fat cells is through liposuction, but then if you gain weight, it will just get stored in the remaining cells elsewhere.  

Think of fat as stored fuel.  When you are dieting and losing weight, your body is in caloric deficit.  Thus, it taps into these fat reserves.  It uses the fat to fuel bodily functions and then excretes waste through sweat and urine.  

Have a question?  Email me at FitRinny@gmail.com.

Testing the 3 Bite Rule

My Mom always told me about the "Three Bite Rule" -- that 3 bites of something would satisfy a craving without going completely off plan.  I usually ignored her, wolfing down the entire dessert, only to feel sick afterward.

Today, after having a wonderful lunch, I was craving chocolate.  I decided to test the theory with some dark chocolate peanut m&ms.  And it worked!  I savored each bite and by third, felt the good chocolaty rush.  I didn't need to eat the entire bag. 

I know this approach won't work every time...I just can't see myself taking 3 bites of tortilla chips or french fries, but it seems especially handy after a big meal, when you really just need a taste of something sweet.

Food Makeover Courtesy of Jamie Oliver

Americans love makeover TV.  Extreme Home Makeover, What Not to Wear, heck even car makeovers with Pimp My Ride.  I especially love weight loss makeovers ala Celebrity Fit Club or Biggest Loser.  Seeing the light bulb go on and then watching how participants triumph over their exercise and nutrition demons is inspiring.  Makes those watching believe they can do it too. 

Last night, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution aired on ABC.  Jamie is a British chef who is on a mission to change how Americans, especially children, eat.  He choose to start the American movement (he already is working on England) in Huntington, West Virginia -- the unhealthiest city in the world.  Huntington not only has the highest obesity rate of any town in the US, they also appear to have some of the angriest, most negative and most change adverse people around.   Although this show isn't a typical weight loss makeover show, it is bigger.  It is about planting a seed of change that could have a positive health impact on all those featured and all who watch.

The show began with Jamie attempting to alter an elementary school lunch program.  Not sure about you, but I remember my lunch ladies being pretty set in their ways.  One in particular even gets offended when Jamie calls her a "lunch lady."  The cooks, as they prefer to be called, proudly defended serving pizza for breakfast and potato pearls (don't ask).  Although I felt badly for Jamie, I also sympathized with the cooks -- they had a job to do and budget to meet.  

What I liked most about the first show was how it made me really think about what I serve my kids and what they might be eating at school.  Thankfully, I pack my little one's lunch every day, but what about the older kids who make their own choices?  It also sparked conversation between my hubby and I about why people resist change, as well as what other challenges Jamie will face in coming weeks.  We were wondering...

• How do you offer fresh foods at school while keeping on budget and without increasing staffing needs?
• How do you get kids to choose healthier options when the less healthy options are still being offered?
• How do you convince parents to change eating habits at home, especially when budget is a factor?

I can't wait for the full premiere on Friday to see how Jamie tackles these issues and more.  For more information about Jamie Oliver and his food revolution, check out his site:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

FitRinny Fave - Trident White Cool Colada Gum

I admit it...I am addicted to Trident White Cool Colada Gum.  I know which stores carry it and which don't.  I even just became a fan on Facebook. 

Sweet and refreshing, it is perfect after a meal (especially when trying to avoid dessert).  It also retains its flavor and doesn't get stale.

Not All Personal Trainers are Created Equal

I was at the gym this weekend and watched this poor woman doing lunges with horrific form, knowing her knees would be singing the next day.  The worst part was that she was working with a trainer and he didn't even correct her. 

There are some really great personal trainers out there, but there are also some doozies.  How can you tell which is which, especially if you are a gym newbie?  Here are some tips:

• Check out their physique.  Are they fit?  If not, move on.  My old gym had this male trainer who was obese...that is like a doctor who smokes.   
• Watch them, both while they are training a client and during their own workout.  Do you like the moves and exercises they use?  Do they push their clients?  Do they seem upbeat?   
• Some experts might say to check their personal training certification, but that isn't always a sure-fire bet.  There are many certified trainers that I wouldn't work with.    

Once you pick one and start working with them, 

• What is the initial meeting like?  Did they ask questions?  Is there a questionnaire?  Did they take stats?  Measurements?  Or did they just jump into a workout without any background?
• Did they help you set clear goals with time lines?
• Are you required to sign a long-term contract?  If so, don't do it.
• How do they prepare for your sessions?  Do they come to the workout with a plan?  If you hear "what do you want to do today?" walk away and find another trainer. 
• Do they talk about nutrition and diet?  Although personal trainers are not typically nutrition experts, they should at the very least discuss your diet and how it will impact your goals.  Most of us cannot achieve our fitness goals without altering our diets.    
• Do they focus on you?  Or are they looking around, chatting with others during your workout?

After workouts, 

• Are you sore, but not too sore? 
• Are they accessible outside the gym?  Cell phone, email?
• Are you seeing results?