Weight Loss Tips

I just got this article via email (SmartBrief for nutritionists) and couldn’t agree more.  25 tips to help you succeed when trying to lose weight. 

You can read all of them here…but these are my favorites.

1. Create a food menu - Like most things in life, having a game plan is vital. And, weight loss is no different.  Always start your week by figuring out what meals you’ll have ahead of time, and then prepare a grocery list that will guide you in what to purchase.

When you stock only healthy foods in your home, it’ll be so much easier to stick to your program.

I do this every week!

2. Clean out your cupboards - As much as you hate to part with it, try your best to clean out your cupboards and get rid of any foods that just don’t fit into your plan.

While it can be difficult to say goodbye to your favorite brand of cookies, if you do, the temptation to satisfy your craving will be reduced ten-fold.

3. Educate yourself on calories – If you want to succeed with weight loss, check out the calorie content of the foods you’re eating — I’m not saying examine every morsel you put into your mouth, but it’s good to have some idea of what calories you’re taking in.

So, start reading nutritional labels (particularly for those foods you routinely eat), so that you become more aware of what’s in the foods you’re eating.

4.Try one new recipe each week - One very good way to cure dietary boredom is to try at least one new recipe each week.

By doing this you’ll reduce your chance cheating on foods that aren’t nutritiously sound just because you’re bored with your current eating routine.

This is true for salads too…I eat lots of salads but they’re always different.  Try a new salad recipe!

5. Try an early morning cardio session - If you aren’t doing early morning workouts, make it your new mission to get in some early morning cardio training.

By getting it out of the way at the start of the day you’re less likely to put it off, and it’s a great way to begin the day, as you feel fired up to stick with your new healthy habits.

I couldn’t agree with this more!  If feel so great after a morning workout!

6. Add more fiber - Eating lots of fiber rich foods helps slow down your digestion, and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer.

Toss some blackberries onto your morning bowl of oatmeal for an easy way to add another 5-10 grams of fiber.

Add REAL fiber from REAL food…not the stuff found in processed food!

7. Cut out all processed foods - If there’s one group of foods you should avoid, it’s processed foods.

When you remove all packaged foods from your diet, you’re sure to see weight loss benefits.

8. Freeze some food portions - If you’re busy and don’t have much time to cook, cut down your meal prep by making a batch of healthy foods on the weekends, and then freeze some in containers for later.

Soups, stews, and stir-fries all work well for this purpose, and will make meal time a breeze later in the week.

I do this too!  I always have soup/stew/beans in my freezer ready to eat!

9. Get in some healthy fats - Do you avoid healthy fats because of the calorie content? If you do, it’s time to get over this.

Start taking in more healthy fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty sources of fish. These will improve your blood cholesterol profile and stabilize your blood sugar levels, without hindering your weight loss efforts.

This might be my favorite.  So many people trying to lose weight cut out WAY too much fat.  Fat doesn’t make you fat, unless you eat too much of it…same with carbs and protein – eat to much of those and you will gain too! 

10. Don’t shun night-time snacks - If you feel true hunger at night-time, a snack is not going to completely derail your progress.

If you plan for it, choose something healthy, and are sure to include it in your total calorie intake, there’s no reason why you can’t have a healthy snack, without gaining weight as a result.

The key here is the PLANNING part.  Know what you are going to have ahead of time if you are up late and get hungry.  If you are up studying until 1:00am and your last meal was at 7:00pm, you should be hungry…make a plan for a snack!

What I Eat

Football season is when I turn into a to-do list person…if I don’t, I run out of hours in the day.  And don’t have things done in time.  And end up staying up late.  For example, yesterday I woke up at 4:30 am, was in New Orleans by 7:00am (with a Starbucks grande soy latte and apple in hand), and stayed at the practice facility for the Jr Saintsation clinic until about 2:30 (I had a slice of Rotolo’s cheese pizza during the lunch break).  On the way back to Baton Rouge, I grabbed lunch (Subway turkey sandwich on wheat with cheese, mustard, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and black pepper; sun chips) and coffee #2…I was already anticipating the long night. 

I had 2 clients today and hadn’t been able to work on their nutrition analyses all weekend.  So when I arrived back at my apartment around 5:30pm I got to work…and continued working until past midnight (I stopped for dinner…had the last of the quinoa with some carrots and edamame hummus).  This morning I woke up early to finish.  I need more non-tired hours in the day!

After my meeting I needed a nap, but I also needed groceries…so I went to the store first (gotta have food!) and then took a quick nap.  Before heading to the studio I made peach-pecan chicken salad (recipe coming tomorrow or Wednesday), had lunch, and worked on a little choreo.  Studio from 3:30 – 9:30…and now I’m home!  Another busy day tomorrow, and then Wednesday I can finally relax (and sleep).  Oh the life of a teacher/choreographer/dietitian.

Today:

• breakfast – Wallaby vanilla and a peach; water
• pre-nap snack – fig and piece of French bread
• lunch – grilled cheese, tomato, and pesto sandwich or French; water
• snack – half of the usual latte; water
• dinner – peach-pecan chicken salad (veggies include celery and shredded carrots) over romaine; a fig; chocolate covered cranberries from Nantucket; water

I have a stove top grill pan that fits over 2 burners.  But when I’m grilling something small (and want to press it) I use my All-Clad panini pan.  Love it!  I got it either from TJ Maxx or Marshall’s when I lived in Houston. 

I make a huge batch of pesto each summer and freeze it in mini-muffin tins…and then once the little discs are solid pop them in a zip-top bag.  Pesto year round!  I can’t stand store bought pesto! 
The chicken salad is incredible (thanks to the perfectly summer-sweet peaches).  One of my favorite dancer moms told me about this recipe (remember, the one who makes the chicken and feta tabbouleh?), but I couldn’t find it online so I improvised.  Once she makes me a copy of the recipe I’ll have to compare.  I’ll have the recipe to you ASAP.

What I Eat (Day 5,6, & 7)

Did I promise a few days ago that I would blog everyday?  My brother, Adam, called this morning to remind me that I did…and that I have skipped 2 days.  What can I say, I’m a busy girl.

Thursday was a long day.  Private dance lessons in the morning and afternoon, taught from 5 – 630, drove to Mandeville for Saintsation practice and was back in Baton Rouge by midnight.  And in the middle of all this found out Adam was in the hospital with chest pain (he’s fine…nothing to worry about). 

I had a normal breakfast (yogurt and fruit…in bed), lunch (salad), and I packed dinner for in the car on the way to practice.  Edamame & cucumbers and an English muffin with almond butter and peach jam.  And an apple if I was still hungry.  Planning ahead is the key to healthy eating!!

After practice I was craving something sweet (we had cuts and that always stresses me out).  You will never guess what I got…a McDonald’s McFlurry!  With Reeses!  Told you I don’t always eat perfectly!

As far as yesterday…I have no excuse for not blogging!  Latte and fruit for breakfast.  Then headed to the studio.  I finally got a workout in, made a peach/yogurt smoothie and then took it with me to the pool to lay out (apartment living does have a few perks…still miss my house though!).  Lunch was an almond butter and peach jam sandwich.  And then I was just lazy on the couch working on some nutrition stuff (meal plans for people I’m working with).  Dinner was a repeat…quinoa over romaine with avocado.  And a little granola and milk for dessert! 

Today I woke up and headed to the farmers’ market.  LOVE.  Picked up an apple crostata for breakfast while I was there (plus a peach before at home).  Other purchases:  peaches, cantaloupe, tomatoes and eggplant.  After that, back to the studio for more privates!

Lunch was left over quinoa, turned into cakes!  Mixed about a cup of leftover quinoa with 1 egg and 1 tbsp flour and fried them up…served over a salad of course. 

I had to run to whole foods to pick up a few veggies for the salad (from the salad bar: shredded carrots, broccoli, and jicama plus a few tomatoes) and a lime for the dressing (equal parts lime & olive oil with a little honey, cumin, salt and pepper). 

And I got a banana lassi…couldn’t resist! It’s really sweet and thick (made with whole milk and Greek yogurt) so I thinned it out with a little milk.  Perfect treat while I type!  I’m only drinking half…the rest is for tomorrow. 

Tonight I have an engagement party to attend, so there’s no telling what I’ll eat/drink.  I’ll probably eat a piece of fruit before so that' I’m not starving when I get there.  I promise it won’t be a late night though.  I have to be in New Orleans at 7am for the Junior Saintsation Clinic…am I ready to be with 500+ little girls that early in the morning?  Hope so!

Chicken Marsala Casserole

Chicken marsala is my all-time favorite Italian meal.  I’m not a huge red sauce fan and I love mushrooms, so it is the perfect dish for me. 

I thought it would be brilliant to make a chicken marsala casserole…a creamy, wine flavored mixture of rice, chicken and mushrooms, with a golden brown cheesy crust.  Sounds amazing, right?  And I was so proud of myself for coming up with an original idea (most of my recipe ideas come from cookbooks, magazines, blogs, and meals I’ve had at restaurants). 

But then after a Google search I realized that Rachel Ray had beaten me to it!  So much for originality.

 

I mostly followed her recipe.  I swapped half of the butter for oil (not that it makes much of a difference nutritionally).  I added more mushrooms and an onion to boost the veggies content.  Garlic was a must.  I swapped half and half for the heavy cream.  I didn’t have any brown rice, so i just used white…but next time around I’m going to give it a try. 

The results were delicious…exactly what I was hoping for!  Serve it with a side vegetable to round out the meal. 

Chicken Marsala Casserole
adapted from RachelRayMag.com

makes 8 servings

1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 – 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup marsala wine (or white wine)
1/2 cup half & half
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
2 packed cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until just melted. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the flour on top and stir in for 1 minute. Stir in the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of stock.

In a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole, spread the rice in an even layer; top with the chicken. Pour the mushroom gravy on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Discard the foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and bake for 5 minutes more.

Per serving - 245 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated), 25 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 fat, 2 protein, 1/2 vegetable; WW points: 5 )

What I Eat (Day 3)

• breakfast: overnight oats…1/2 cup Dorset Fruit, Nut, & Fiber Cereal soaked overnight in about 1 cup yogurt (1/2 FAGE 0%, 1/2 Wallaby Vanilla), plus a peach added this morning; a fig; water; iced latte (1/2%1/2, condensed milk, skim, Cool Brew)
• lunch: carrots with edamame hummus; chicken sandwich (Great Harvest Woodstock Bread, roasted chicken, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, black pepper); a fig; water
• snack: 1/2 of another latte…without the condensed milk
• dinner: apple; Mexican quinoa salad over romaine (quinoa, cilantro, corn, black beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil)

Another non-stop day!  I was at the studio from 8:30 – 1 and then 3 – 9:30, teaching, choreographing, more teaching, and then Saintsations…I should just move in.  And no workout 2 days in a row!  I need to get to Boot Camp in the morning. 
  
I ate breakfast before I left for the studio and brought the latte with me.  But when I got home at 1ish, I was starving.  Lots of dancing and not enough food!  Carrots with edamame hummus held me over while I made my sandwich.  I love having food ready to go in the fridge for this reason.  The hummus is very similar to the one I make with chickpeas…I just swap boiled edamame for the chickpeas.  It was inspired by this recipe.
  
Notice that I didn’t sweeten my coffee the second time around.  I try not to drink very many sweetened beverages and definitely no more than one in a day.  But honestly, I like lattes unsweetened…it makes the half and half more prominent…yum!

Lots of veggies today…my oncology RD friend (who emailed me in disapproval of my low intake yesterday) will definitely approve today.  Carrots, edamame, cucumber, avocado, romaine, corn, beans, tomatoes!  Fruits and veggies are one of the best things you can do to prevent cancer, right Danielle???  I try to have a vegetable based meal everyday…and I succeed on most days too.

I haven’t had dessert yet, but sitting here typing about food is making me want some!  Granola with milk maybe?  See ya tomorrow!

What I Eat (Day 2)

  

It was a busy day…2 private dance lessons at 8:30 and 10:00, a nutrition consult, and 4 hours of teaching.  It’s 10:00 and I just ate dinner…back into the routine!

• breakfast: overnight oats…1/2 cup Anderson Trails Granola soaked overnight in about 1 cup yogurt (1/2 FAGE 0%, 1/2 Wallaby Vanilla), plus a peach added this morning; a fig; water
• snack: iced latte with skim, splash of 1/2&1/2, and a teaspoon or 2 of condensed milk; 1 tablespoon of almond butter
• lunch:  almond butter and strawberry jelly sandwich on Great Harvest Woodstock Bread (100% whole grain); 2 figs
• dinner:  apple; tuna salad (tuna, celery, relish, eggs, mayo/Greek yogurt blend, Dijon) over romaine with 1/2 of an avocado
• snack:  mango buttermilk ice cream; handful of granola

I really like overnight oats.  They get so thick and creamy, but are cool enough for hot summer mornings (unlike oatmeal, which I don’t like eating after I run in the morning…too hot!).  Sometimes I use granola, sometimes muesli, sometimes plain oats…about 1/2 a cup.  Always soaked overnight in about 6 – 8 ounces of yogurt (about 1 cup).  Always with fruit.  Perfect breakfast in my mind…protein, calcium, fiber, fruit…filling and delicious.



I didn’t have time to eat lunch until after my nutrition consult, so I needed a little something to hold me over until then.  A spoon of AB did the trick.   Plus a latte, made from Cool Brew, a local product made by a company based in New Orleans.  SO much cheaper than Starbucks.  And it’s really good.  No bitterness typical of most iced coffee.



After dance I was so glad I had an apple in my purse…a common occurrence.  I try to throw one in my bag, on my way out the door everyday.  An apple tastes so good when you are hungry! 
Dinner was quick to prepare.  Already had the tuna salad made, the romaine washed and chopped, and the avocado halved (it was a leftover half…I don’t pre-cut them to save time). 



My evaluation of today…not enough veggies.  None with lunch and not much with dinner (romaine and celery).  And maybe too much added sugar (yogurt, latte, jelly, ice cream, and granola)  I’ll make sure I make up for it tomorrow!  It’s all about balance, right?

What I Eat (Day 1)

Where, oh where have I been?  Has it really been nearly 2 months since the last time I blogged?  Um, yes it has!

I promise I have a good excuse (or actually several)!  First of all it’s summer and I have been completely out of a routine.  The recital came and went, followed by 2 weeks R&R (which I definitely needed), apartment hunting, and packing.

At the end of June we had a family beach trip.  It rained just about every day we where there (needless to say, I didn’t get very tan and need a second trip asap).

After the 4th of July, I got back to Baton Rouge and summer classes began at the studio.  I taught 2 weeks worth of kids cooking classes at Whole Foods and moved into a new apartment.  I’ve had Saintsation practice weekly (can’t wait to be back in the Dome!!), choreographed and taught 2 competition routines for a studio in Mississippi, and made a trip to Houston.

And now it is August and Fall classes start at Tari’s tomorrow.  I can’t wait to get back on a normal schedule!  And football season is so close!

As part of returning to a routine, I am going to try to blog EVERYDAY for a MONTH!  Mostly about what I eat each day…to clear up some confusion I’ve heard recently about how “perfect Blair eats”.  I get it all the time:  “you eat _______?” as someone asks me about a food that they perceive as unhealthy or off limits. 

Part of what I hate about being a dietitian is that people think I’m the food police and don’t like telling me what they eat because they think I will judge them.  My sister-in-law (Jess…also a dietitian) even does it!  But I don’t eat perfect…what is perfect anyway?!?

Sunday August 1st

• pre-run snack: 1/2 a mango
• 3 mile run
• post-run breakfast: the rest of the mango, 1/2 of a Starbucks iced coffee with a splash of 1/2&1/2 and a little condensed milk (I love Vietnamese coffee)
• lunch: from Maxwell’s…an entire West Coast sandwich (turkey, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, balsamic vinaigrette, on white French bread) and water
• snack: the rest of the iced coffee with a few bites of Seeduction bread from Whole Foods
• dinner: from Whole Foods…half of a broccoli cheese cake, half of a artichoke lemon fritter, and a salad (spinach, white beans, roasted cauliflower, quinoa, bell pepper, balsamic vinaigrette) and water
• dessert: about 1 cup of mango buttermilk ice cream (yep, I made it myself)

Dad was in town this weekend and was staying with me.  So after a quick workout this morning we went and had lunch and then ran some errands.  The sandwich was great!  And I was HUNGRY (I guess that’s what happens when you don’t eat enough breakfast!).  Notice the white bread…example #1 of me not eating “perfect” all the time.  I buy whole wheat bread at the store, so that’s what I eat 99% of the time, but let’s face it…this sandwich would not have been the same if it was on anything but crusty white French bread!

I needed to do my grocery shopping for the week, so after church that’s where we headed.  I love the prepared food at Whole Foods.  Makes a last minute dinner so easy!  I picked the broccoli cake and artichoke fritter because I knew I would be sharing with dad (example #2…I usually don’t get fried things when I eat out, but I will eat them).  To lighten up the meal, I made a salad at the salad bar with lots of yummy things and then added a homemade vinaigrette once we got back to the apartment.

Oh and the dessert?  Example #3…I eat dessert!  Not every night for sure (I try to do fruit on most nights).  If you have an ice cream maker, you should give it a try…2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and whatever fruit you want (about 1 1/2 cups added at the end of churning).  Low-fat, but delish!  A great way to use up leftover buttermilk.  I think next time I’ll try cutting back a little on the sugar/syrup…it was a little sweet for me!