The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that they’re way above and beyond our means … and we don’t make a plan on how to accomplish them. Without a plan … you’ll be far less likely to fulfill your purpose. Think about it. You want to write a book? You need an outline and deadlines. You want to run a marathon? You need a training plan. You want to garden? You need to research what plants grow best in your climate and how to care for them. You want a new job? You need to make a checklist: update resume, get references, find connections, etc. You want to lose weight and keep it off? You need a sound nutrition plan … that’s realistic. Takeaways: make resolutions that you can actually accomplish and form a plan.

My resolutions for this next year are to write an ebook or two (I’m in the process of making an outline … get excited!); become a better cook (I’m making 2 new recipes each week); strength train at least three times a week (I mark off the days in my calendar); and to start a garden and move into a house from a flat (… these we’ll just have to see about … not technically resolutions … just life wants). I wouldn’t have come to these resolutions, goals, or life wants though without looking back at this last year. This last year has been quite informative. So, informative, in fact, that I made a fun little list.

21 Random Things I Learned, Live by, or Reconfirmed in 2011

1. Motivation comes from within. If someone is not ready to do something, they simply are not ready.
2. White asparagus is delicious.
3. Kettlebells are an awesome workout. I’m kind of in love.
4. All families are a little crazy, but in a good way. Just learn to accept, love, and let go.
5. Bicycling is a wonderful form of exercise, but I am not to be trusted on a bike. Rode one a year ago, panicked, and hit a fire hydrant. There’s more to the story, but this post can’t be that long. Rode one about a month ago and literally, almost got hit by a bus … I shall stay away from outdoor bicycle riding.
6. Roll a lemon or lime with the palm of your hand, before juicing to get more juice out of it.
7. Smile and laugh, especially if in a bad mood, it’ll help lift you out of your funk. Studies show that our facial expressions influence our emotions.
8. You never regret exercising, but you do regret not exercising. After a long day, and I’m spent … and debating working out or not … I repeat this phrase to myself. I’ll then march my butt to the locker room, change, and hit the floor to get a sweat on … and I never regret it.
9. Paris has the best espresso perhaps ever.
10. Women need to love themselves a little more. I have yet to meet one woman—whether 12 or 65, thin or overweight—who is completely satisfied with her weight or body.
11. Life is short. Make sure the people in your life know how you feel about them (but … if they’re negative thoughts … there are some things we should just keep to ourselves). I’m thinking positive here people!
12. If you have the ability to spend more than 20 minutes per day on Facebook, you have the ability to bring your lunch to work and make dinner.
13. If a man is not chivalrous on the first few dates (holds doors open, pulls your chair out, makes plans to see you next … then, etc.), then run for the hills. Not worth it. Chivalry is hard to find, agreed. But, it’s not dead. And, if he starts telling you that he’s a binge eater or talks about marrying you … on date one, run too (…this is neither a two-for-one deal nor an episode of the bachelorette).
14. In the words of my Nana, “If you get to the end of your life, and you have five people who you can count on—for anything—you have lived a very good life.”
15. Love happens when you least expect it. Just be open and take your guard down a bit. You can’t fall in love, unless your a smidge vulnerable.
16. You don’t need to spend more than an hour a day exercising. If you are and are not seeing results, you need to change your nutrition and/or get on a more effective exercise program.
17. Just because a cat has three legs, doesn’t mean it is any less functional.  But, it does mean it needs to eat less than other cats to avoid becoming a tad on the larger side. Yes, I have a cat with three legs. And … I need to come up with an effective diet and exercise regimen for my furry little three-legged feline…
18. Morimoto in Napa, California has the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life. Point blank.
19. The best time to exercise is any time that you’ll actually do it.
20. Spend your time and focus on people who make you laugh, smile, and excited. Those people are the gems in your life.
21. If you’re feeling somewhat “astray” this time of year and that you need a little focus, make a vision board. The exercise of creating one helps get you in the mind frame of what you want for you. Pretty cool.

How was your 2011? And did you make a resolution?

This is the time of year where the days blur together, you’re so busy. And being of the female nature, we have a strong desire to please—everyone. This time of year, every lovely lady I meet feels as though they’re pulled every which way, lending to skipped workouts, no sleep, and meals constantly eaten on the run. When I see, or rather hear this, I simply ask, “Tell me, what would help you feel better.” Inevitably, the response is something along the lines of more time, so I could do what I need to do for me.

What to do When More Time is Impossible?

I then break the news that more time is never going to just be. You’ve simply (or not so simply) got to make time, and one way to do that is uttering the occasional, “No.” Yes, that’s right. I said, “No.” As women, this word is sometimes hard to come by. “No,” could cause us to feel guilty; as a bad mother, friend, or wife; or fear that we won’t be liked as much. Yet, if you never ever decline invitations, requests to stay overtime at work, need to make extra cookies for your kids’ class, call to organize your company’s holiday party and then set up, etc., there is no question that you will lose your mind … and some of your health.

And if you’re not happy, then you honestly can’t make the people in your life happy. Strange enough, putting yourself first, at times, could very well make those closest to you happier as well. So … it’s time to start taking care of you! Or else, you’ll be lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays to the point of no return. Actually, to the point where you just had a vacation and are left saying, “I need another vacation to recover from my vacation!”

So—start saying, “No.” And, put to use the below tips to make your “skinny-me” plan stick. Better yet, use them to keep you feeling, healthy, happy, and energized! They work!

Top 3 Holiday Survival Tips

• Schedule your workouts: Yes. Pencil your sweat sessions in! Mark them in your Droid, iPhone, desk calendar or whatever you use—the point is to make a commitment. This way you’re more likely to follow through. And just think, you never regret going to the gym, but you do regret not going. There’s nothing like that sweet sweaty endorphin rush.
• Batch cook: You’re on the go, so make your food fit your lifestyle! Pick two or three times per week where you’ll cook a bunch of chicken, turkey or tofu; quinoa or brown rice; and/or chop veggies. This way you can quickly throw together a healthy home-cooked meal and be out the door in no time. Or, just have something healthful and easy to assemble when you get home.
• Prepare: Preparation is key! Without preparing you may be left stranded with no healthy eats! Imagine, it’s 3 PM, you’re at work—starving—and you’ve got nothing to nosh except Sally Jo’s bowl of candy a few cubicles over. Don’t let this happen to you! Toss some fruit and nuts in your bag, or a healthy bar, such as Kind or Luna. Or, even better, bring a mini-cooler or lunch bag to work and load it up with healthy stuff—fruits and veggies are a must; nuts or nonfat Greek yogurt for snacks; and your lunch. This way your environment will be set for success, and you’ll be ready for another healthy day!

What are your holiday survival tips?

I challenge you to sit back—just for a moment—and think about all the things in your life that you’re grateful for.

This may sound crazy in today’s text-message crazed world (yes, I’m guilty too), where a phone call seems largely invasive, or perhaps too personal, and email is verging on formal. Today, it’s very rare for us to take even five minutes and ask, “What am I thankful for?” As a society, we’re driven to constantly be thinking about moving forward, pushing ahead, and forging that next step. When this happens we lose sight of the here and now, causing us to never truly be satisfied. And to put it bluntly, that just sucks.

Now, I’m not saying don’t strive towards that next move. Because if that stops, then your mornings are going to end up looking pretty bleak. But, I am saying to enjoy all the little—and big—things that come along the way to get you to that goal, or next step. Or, to at least learn from them. In other words, appreciate the present too, especially around the holidays, where everything seems as one big blur—from family dinners to work gatherings. Or else, you’re missing out on life.

Ultimately, my fair readers, I challenge you to appreciate the present. And since, I practice what I preach … here I go …

Some Things I am Thankful for

This year I have a lot to be thankful for. Here are a few items:

• My family: Anyone who has ever met me will tell you, straight up, that I love my family. Yes, everyone loves their family, but I couldn’t do without them. There is not a single day that I don’t talk with a sister, grandma, Nana, parent, cousin, aunt, uncle, or now, second cousin. We’re a big bunch and if I tell someone something, that typically means about three of them already know what’s going on before I even tell them! For example, when I bought my ticket to London, several months ago, I told my mother and literally, within a day, three cousins knew, one grandmother, both sisters, and my father. My takeaway: if you don’t want anyone to know something, don’t tell a single member of my family … hahaha … just kidding … no, actually, this is quite true.
• That I was home this year: I lived in Boston a little over seven years and came back to the Bay Area about a year-and-a-half ago for a job and guess what? … My family. I feel blessed that I came home when I did because I was able to spend the remaining few months with my grandfather before he passed away. He was the hardest-working man I ever met in my life and was generous to boot. His parting words were, “Corinne, now you listen to me, you take care of yourself now, you hear me, you take care of yourself now.” So, to this day, I strive to do that as well as care for everyone else around me because I know he would.
• My friends: Gosh, everyone is all over the globe now, but we still all stay in touch. These core people are like gold to me. I pick up the phone, or we meet for dinner or lunch and in an instant they know how to pick me up or celebrate the good. Thank you.
• My body’s abilities: I can lift heavy objects (ok … semi-heavy, depending on who you’re talking to), run a half marathon, hike a mountain, walk up the Eiffel tower without wheezing to death, or workout with “the guys” in my gym and stick with them. I truly appreciate what my body enables me to do and will honor it by staying fit and active the rest of my life.
• My clients: I’m always touched by the kind words from clients. It literally fills me with joy when I see that someone has overhauled their life. That they are actively leading—and better yet—spreading a healthy lifestyle. One of my clients became so inspired that he started his own garden  and then got his girlfriend in on it too. He lost over 40 pounds and she lost over 30 pounds, and they’re both still going. Another finally found peace with food. Food was no longer her enemy. It was fuel to live a healthy happy life. I love it. This is what I live for. Someone once told me I have a purpose (possibly one of the best compliments of my life), and I believe it’s helping others find health within themselves. Yet, not only do my clients bring me joy, they inspire me to be a better person. Their motivation pushes me to take everything from my counseling to workouts to the next level.
• Food: Point blank, I feel extremely blessed to live in such a fine city where I can and am able to get some of the freshest produce and food around—anytime.
• People that smile and open doors: I like people, and I adore friendly people. And friendly people who smile? Oh, they’re the best. These people brighten my day. And then when they open doors or car doors, say please and thank you, send thank you notes (if warranted), or show their mannerly ways by watching out for me, I’m delighted. I’m fortunate to have so many people in my life on a daily basis who do just this. Thank you for caring.

What are You Thankful for?

This Thanksgiving I challenge you to focus on the positives in your life. Take five to ten minutes to sit and think about what you’re thankful for. Heck, write it down. And, let me give you some little words of wisdom. If you find that you’re thankful for people in your life, tell them! Trust me, you’ll light up their day. Too often we go without expressing thanks to those in our life that mean so much to us. This year, let them know. I bet that they’ll be pretty thankful—and happy. And in return, you’ll be quite thrilled by their response. I promise you. Just do it. And by the way, just so you know, happier people just so happen to live longer, stress-free lives, so you’re really doing something for your health and theirs. Now, that’s healthy living.

So—what are you thankful for?

First things first, it’s good to recognize that all this stuff will be there. You simply need a game plan for what you know will work for you to avoid it. For some, they are adamant about going “cold-turkey” with all treats and sugar. I don’t suggest doing this, as once you have that strict off-limits mentality with foods, they most often become more appealing, and you end up binging. The mental block has made that food more tempting. What’s that phrase again??? Why, yes, “You always want what you can’t have.”

Portion & Eat Clean the Majority of Time

Thus, my words of wisdom to you are, if you really want a treat, go ahead and have it. But, have a reasonable portion (i.e. 5 Hershey Kisses instead of a whole chocolate bar or 1 a quarter of a cinnamon bun instead of a whole monstrous one that your coworker brought in). If you start fantasizing about it, you’ll likely binge later. Not good! One 70-calorie Lindt chocolate is better than a 1,400 calorie bag of them. Also, make sure you really want it! Do something else for 15 minutes (check email, talk with friends, read, etc.), then, if you come back and you’re still fantasizing about chocolate or whatnot, have a small piece or portion—and here’s the clincher—enjoy it!

When you’re trying to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy weight, the key here is to stick to one daily treat per day (again, when you really want it) that is about 100-150 calories, depending, and to “eat clean” the rest of the day. For example, if you have oatmeal with berries and an egg for breakfast; a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat for lunch; almonds and berries for a snack; and for dinner, ½ cup brown rice, 4 ounces of chicken, and 1-2 cups of roasted broccoli, a small treat won’t do you in. In fact, it may help you from overdoing the treats or junk later. Basically, if you eat healthy 90% of the time and 10% is your daily treat, you’re A-okay, baby!

Tips to Staying on Track

• Keep up a regular eating pattern. Don’t skip meals and snacks in order to “save up” for later. You’ll screw your metabolism and overeat at your next meal—not ideal for weight loss.
• Prepare ahead. Think ahead and prepare! If you’re hungry and not prepared, you’ll go off track, eating whatever is around.
• Measure. Portions matter, point blank. Brown rice, olive oil, and nuts are healthy, but 1 cup of brown rice=200 calories; 1 tablespoon of olive oil=120 calories; and ¼ cup nuts=200 calories. If trying to whittle that middle, portion control is pertinent and most have no clue as to how much they’re truly eating before measuring.
• Fill up. A protein and fruit or veggie should be at every meal to help fill you up before filling you out! Think protein and produce first.
• Keep grains and carbs whole. They have much more fiber and nutrients to satisfy you! Think quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, sweet potatoes (they’re a complex starch along with other taters), and brown rice.
• Listen to yourself. Indulge when you REALLY want something and keep it small!
• Find motivation. Keep motivating pictures and phrases in your kitchen, dresser, etc.
• Plate all of your food! No eating out of large containers.
• Start tracking. Writing down your food and portion sizes, so you can see what is really going on can be a huge eye-opener.
• Be conscience and a mindful eater. Are you full, hungry, satisfied? Pay attention and listen to your body.
• Have a GAME plan! Envision what you will do before you arrive to that party or start your day. Some of the best athletes do this before a competition (envision success that is), and ya know what? They succeed. Do it.

So, when I got to college, I was on it like almond butter to an apple. What can I say? It’s the nutrition dork in me. In short, below is what I told the girls. Yet, whether packing up for college or heading out the door for work, these tips are key to avoiding that added “15,” no matter what stage or age in the nutrition game.

Top Tips for Keeping off the “Freshman 15”

• Eat breakfast: As I told my girls, “If you walk away with one thing from this talk, have it be that you must eat breakfast every day for the rest of your life.” Yes folks, this is a biggie and the research shows it. If you don’t eat breakfast, you don’t break the fast, the body becomes super efficient at holding on to what it’s got, and you—in the long run—gain weight. Hence, nosh on a source of protein, whole grain, and fruit in the morning to get you going and keep your hunger hormones in-check. For example, 2 ounces of smoked salmon on whole wheat toast with an orange; a kind bar + hardboiled egg + plum; 3/4 cup cooked oatmeal with 1 cup of berries and 6 ounces of non or low-fat Greek yogurt. See where I’m going here? If you hate breakfast, I don’t care! Eat it. You not wanting it is a sign that dinner was too big or your metabolism is a tad off. Give it 1-2 weeks, and I betcha you’ll be hungry in the AM! A good thing!
• Eat every 4 hours: I asked the ladies, “What happens when you go from lunch to dinner and you don’t eat anything in-between?” They replied, “You get really hungry and want to eat a lot.” That prompted me to my follow-up question, “So, what do you think you should do?” Their response? “Eat a snack.” Ladies, you could have my job! Love it. Yes, if lunch is at noon and dinner is at 7 pm, I bet that dinner will be massive, which won’t help with weight management. Grab a healthy snack and combine a source of high-fiber carb + protein to keep you satisfied, such as ricotta cheese on whole-wheat crackers, topped with sun-dried tomatoes, or a hard boiled egg and pear.
• Don’t  starve yourself: I realize that the “freshman 15” is a very scary thing indeed. But, ladies—I beg of you—don’t go hours without eating or become super restrictive. In the long run, you will ruin your metabolism, become more prone to binging, and eventually, gain any weight that you lost back, perhaps more, once you start eating again. Your body is a temple. Treat it like one.
• Be Prepared: Buy healthy items for your dorm room. Think hand fruit (pears, apples, bananas, etc.); raw nuts; protein-rich non or low-fat Greek yogurt; high-fiber cereals; Kind bars; seaweed snacks; turkey slices; string cheeses; light Babybels; mini whole-wheat pitas; natural peanut butter, etc. This way, if you’re studying til 2 or 3 am and starving, you’ll have healthy options to choose from instead of greasy fried late-night dining options. Additionally, if you sleep in late and are running off to class, all you need to do is grab a string cheese and piece of fruit and at least you have a breakfast going on.  Otherwise, you’re stuck with whatever dining options are around, and they may not be the healthiest.
• Watch portions & choose the right foods: In short, half your plate should be produce; 1/4 should be protein; and 1/4 starch. If eating at a buffet, load your plate first with veggies and lean protein and then your starch (brown rice, pasta, potato, etc.). This way you’re filling up on lean muscle-building protein and filling veggies and then delving into the starch piece, which should be no more than 1 cup or about the size of your fist. Eating the protein and veggies first will help fill you up, so by the time you hit the starch, you may eat less, helping keep your calories in-check.
• Be a lady: Just because your friends are partying like rock stars 5 nights out of the week, doesn’t mean you have to! If you plan to be a healthy gal, be one. You can still go out with your friends and have a good time, you just don’t need to be binge-drinking the majority of the week. After all, alcohol is metabolized like fat, has extra calories, and slows down your fat burning. Word of advice: limit the booze.
• Take care of YOU!: You’re heading to a new world full of parties, new friends, mad studying, papers, vending machines, food stations, no Mom, and loads of new faces. Don’t get lost amongst the sea! Get your sleep, make yourself a schedule, exercise, get in your fruits and veggies, and watch all that fried greasy stuff. Yes, I sound like your Mom, but remember, when you go away to school, you won’t have Mom telling you all this! It will be up to you to make sure that you are, in fact, taking care of you—physically and mentally.

Bottom Line: The “freshman 15” is avoidable. Weight gain is a result of excessive calorie intake and/or lack of calorie-burning physical activity. It is the college atmosphere—late night eating, greasy foods, large portions, excessive drinking, lack of sleep, meal skipping, and meals out—that promotes weight gain. If you are in control of these variables, you will succeed. Let’s make it happen.

Do you have any tips?

Ah—fabulous question! There is a little trick of the trade made noted by the fabulous nutrition researcher, Barbara Rolls, PhD, called Volumetrics. Basically, it’s based on the philosophy that people like to eat more, NOT less—and in a culture where we’re surrounded 24/7 by food one can see why this occurs.

Volumetrics 101

Volumetrics is based on the idea that when people feel full, they are less likely to eat more. The crucial point here is that you need to get “full” from low-energy dense foods with high nutrient quantities. And eat less of high-energy dense foods. Essentially, low-energy dense foods are foods with more water, and they fill you up due to their high-water content (fruits and veggies are about 80-95%) and don’t pack in a lot of calories, leaving you more satisfied with less calories. Pretty snazzy, if ya ask me.

Examples of low-energy dense foods (the ones you want more of):

•  Nonstarchy veggies (basically, all veggies except peas, corn, potatoes, and winter squash)
• Fruits
• Non-cream based soups
• Non-fat dairy

Examples of high-energy dense foods (the ones you want to portion control)

• Chips
• Cookies
• Chocolate/Candies
• Nuts
• Butter
• Oils
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Pasta, rice, quinoa

So—what’s my point?

For those who despise calorie counting, or who are out at a restaurant, left to their own devices, please think about the energy-density of your food. Are you getting mashed potatoes, brown rice and sautéed chicken? Well, that’s a pretty dense meal. Let’s get grilled skinless chicken, steamed broccoli, and a baked potato. These simple changes cut at least 200 calories—and when you’re playing the weight loss game, what you eat matters. And keep in mind that the less you have to lose (aka those last 5-10 pounds), the smaller margin you have to play with.

Take home

Keep up with your regular meal times and snacks to keep your metabolism humming along BUT pay attention to the density of your meals. My motto is that there are two things you MUST have at a meal—lean protein and produce! The lean protein will keep you fuller longer and provide fuel for your muscles and the fruit and/or veggies will amp-up your fiber intake without a lot of calories, keeping you satisfied. And when it comes to grains, keep ‘em whole and portioned. Remember, 1 fist is about 1 cup.

Now, this power that “the number” has can drive you crazy—not in a good way. You know it does if you want to hurl your scale across the room after you get on it. Yes, that’s a sure-fire sign a scale break is in order. Another biggie is your reaction after weighing-in.  If you find yourself stepping on the scale every day and that “the number” determines your mood, then the scale needs to take a back seat for now. As I’ll sternly tell my clients, if the “scale scare” starts to occur,  don’t focus on the scale, focus on your behaviors and actions. Because it is what you do that determines that number. Seriously. And, only get on the scale ONCE a week. Do it in the morning, first thing after you wake up and after you go to the bathroom. And be sure to use the same scale every weigh-in and do it in the buff, folks.

Tips for the “Scale Scare”

If you feel as if the scale, or calorie counting for that matter, has become your enemy while you’re trying to ditch some pounds, keep the following  tips in mind. And if or when you decide to befriend your scale again, only weigh-in once a week. It’ll simply serve as a barometer. At least that’s my advice. However, everyone’s relationship with their weight and the scale is different. You do what works for you and keeps you feeling good. Because eating healthfully and being active is all about feeling good and at peace with your body. With that said, check out my top tips for living healthfully and happily without your stinkin’ scale or mad calorie counting.

1. What color is your plate? Yes, colors do matter! Each color of the rainbow dishes up different antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals, and vitamins. In other words, the more colors you have, the more health benefits you’re reaping. If your dinner is chicken, cauliflower and mashed potatoes, you need to mix things up! Swap the cauliflower for cancer-fighting broccoli and switch out the mashed potatoes for roasted sweet potatoes, which provide a healthy dose of Vitamins A and E and potassium without the added fat and calories from the mashed potatoes. Basically, at each meal try to maximize the colors of the rainbow. Not only will you get in extra vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, but you’ll notice that whole foods with lots of color just so happen to be fruits and vegetables! These fiber-filled wonders will help fill you up, without filling you out. Be on the color look out!
2. What does your journal say? Keep a food journal for at least a week to keep track of what you’re putting into your body. This will enable you to see your eating patters, ratio of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs), and connect your mood with the food. Writing down the foods, times, and amounts you eat, enables you to see if anything in your eating patterns is awry. For example, do you not eat breakfast? Do you go more than 5 hours without eating,causing you to overeat at your next meal? Do you dine out a lot? The journal will let you see what eating pattern/s need to be changed. Another biggies is the ratio of proteins, fat, and carbs you’re eating. Each meal and snack should contain a source of lean protein (turkey, chicken, tofu, pork, fish, seafood, low or non-fat dairy) to keep metabolism and lean muscle mass up and you feeling full. Each meal or snack should also have a carb—think fruits, veggies, and/or whole grains. You must food combine here. Don’t just have an apple for a snack, throw in a light Babybel cheese. If just having salad and chicken for dinner and still ravenous, throw in a serving of starch, such as 1/2 cup of brown rice or an ear of corn. Lastly, write down your mood when you eat. If you notice that you’re eating when stressed or lonely, recognize the connection, make a list of other things to do when you feel this way, go to the list when the emotion occurs next, and do one of the “distractions” on your list, such as reading or calling a friend. The more you say, “No,” the more you break the reward system in your brain associated with that emotion and food, breaking the pattern for good.
3. Do you follow the hunger scale? This one is always so much easier said than done. For the simple reason that people eat for so many reasons beyond hunger, but when trying to lose or maintain weight that becomes an issue. With that said, make a conscience effort to rate your hunger before  a meal or snack. If 10 is stuffed and 0 is ravenous, on a scale of 1-10, you want to stay around a 3-6. Three being that you feel hunger and 6 being satisfied. You never want to let yourself get too hungry or stuffed because if you go to one extreme, you’ll soon be at the other and the cycle will only continue.

Choose a Goal

While keeping the above tips in mind, it’s now up to you to choose a goal. One that is achievable, realistic, and tangible. For example, if you always dine out for lunch, perhaps deciding to bring your lunch four days per week is your goal. If you only eat one serving of veggies per day, up it to three or four each day (1 serving of veggies = 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw leafy greens).

My point is to just choose a goal! Work on it til it’s achieved and then choose another one. Keep in mind if  you’re trying to lose weight or live healthier, it’s a process that takes time and dedication, but you will get there! Studies show that achieving small  healthy goals  on a daily basis is what keeps people on the longer path of achieving their ultimate weight loss goal. It keeps motivation and the positive factor up! Lastly, please realize that a healthy range of sustainable weight loss is 0.5-2 pounds per week.

So—go on! If you’re having a “scale scare,” take your scale break and focus more on goals! Then, once complete, choose another goal! And the process just keeps on going! Remember, healthy living is about appreciating your body and all it can do for you, fueling yourself  with real whole foods, and feeling energized, vibrant, and well.

How do you feel about the scale?

Even though we hate to admit it, too much of a good thing can be just that: too much.  This even applies to all that healthy food we are constantly telling you to eat.  Unfortunately as soon as we perceive something to be good for us, we tend to let our guard down.  We might add nuts, olive oil, and avocado to our salads because these are all “healthy” foods, not realizing that we just threw 700-800 calories on top of our lettuce and we are left wondering why we can’t lose weight.

Food and Nutrition researcher Brian Wansink (author of “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think”) found this same phenomenon occurs at fast-food restaurants that are perceived as “healthier” (like Subway).  In Wansink’s research, consumers were more likely to underestimate the amount of calories consumed and also were more likely to order sides, drinks, and desserts as compared to eating a fast-food restaurant perceived as being “unhealthy” (like McDonalds).  These additional drinks and sides all added up to a significant amount of extra calories. 

This also occurs in the grocery store when we see an item labeled “organic” or “all-natural”.  Yes, there are some important reasons to choose organic items (especially produce, meat, and dairy) but labeling a cookie “organic” does not make it any better for you.  A graduate student at Cornell examined this in her research when she asked 144 individuals at a local mall to compare the taste and rate the perceived nutrition content  for cookies, plain yogurt, and potato chips that were labeled  either “organic” or “conventional”.  Each of the food items were actually all organic but were labeled differently for the research.

 What did she find?  The majority of the subjects reported preferring the taste of the food that was labeled “organic”.  The subjects also perceived the organically labeled foods to be healthier – lower in fat, higher in fiber, and significantly lower in calories – even though the comparison “conventional” foods were EXACTLY the same!

So what can you do to overpower the health halo?

• The truth is in the nutrition facts label so read it!  An organic cookie can still be high in saturated fat and calories.  Organic does not automatically equal healthy.  A chip is still a chip and a cookie is still a cookie.
• Be portion size savvy when eating out.  All foods have calories, even healthy ones!
• Don’t sabotage your healthy choices by adding extras sides just because you think you have extra calories to spare.
• Be mindful of extras such as seeds, nuts, avocado, oils, and cheese, especially on salads.  The calories can add up quickly.

Bottom Line: Ignore the misleading “healthy” claims of packaged foods, pay attention to your portions, and read your food labels.  Your waistline will thank you for it!

Later that day, I had two clients ask me about the study and what I thought. Then, my papa who’s “all up in this nutrition stuff” was asking me if he should start restricting? Um … what? Thus, I had the urge to take it to the bloggeroo.

Cranky, Backed Up & Lethargic = No Good

First, as mentioned in the news blurb, the study only suggests that long-term strict calorie restriction may help humans live longer. Second, there were only 24 people in the study—not nearly enough to start applying these results to the population as a whole. Third, the research is inconclusive about how many more years slashing calories by a minimum of 25% could even possibly have you on this planet.

Most importantly, slashing calories by 25% or more, if at an already ideal or healthy body weight, could have you in a seriously foul mood, constipated, and lethargic with a turned-down metabolism. That doesn’t sound like a healthy or fun lifestyle to me!

For example, if you’re a 57 year old woman at an already healthy weight and require 1,450 calories to maintain your weight, creating a 25% reduction in calories would result in a meal plan of 1088 calories—the rest of your life.

Now, anyone who’s ever done calorie counting knows that this is a pretty low number, meaning you don’t get much food. And when you have less food, you have less fiber to take in and when there’s not enough fiber, constipation isn’t unheard of. Whether a 57 year-old woman or a 25 year-old man, slashing calories by 25% or more, when at an already healthy weight, will not only have you feeling “backed up,” but a little cranky and sluggish—mentally and physically. Now, let’s delve into a little on why…

Carbs and Eating Does do a Body Good

Severely downgrading your calories can have you feeling sluggish because our brain and nervous system run on carbohydrates—you need a minimum of 130 grams a day for your brain—so if you start slashing calories and start eliminating carbs, as most do when trying to restrict, you’ll likely be feeling “not so with it” and “foggy.” And if you don’t right away, you will. Not to mention that your muscles run on carbs too and without enough, your muscle stores of carbohydrates, glycogen, become depleted and overtime, your workouts do too. Because you need carbs and enough energy in order to exercise! Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and if constantly underfed and hungry, it likely won’t stick around.

Furthermore, carbohydrates help boost your feel-good hormone serotonin and protein helps increase your dopamine levels. So, with a significant decrease in calories, you’ll likely be in a less-good mood. Plus, you may not get in enough vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and phyotonutrients from real foods. Protein, carbs, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients—all things needed to keep you disease and fancy free and HAPPY! Trust me, no one wants to be around someone who’s starving, cranky, and feeling unhealthy because they haven’t had enough energy to exercise!

Finally, as most who are trying to cut calories do, meals and snacks are often slashed, lending to sluggish metabolisms and increased hunger hormones that often lend to binge-like behaviors. As you see, an unguided significant reduction for most folks is neither sustainable nor conducive to a healthy active lifestyle. No thank you!

Bottom line

If you’re overweight and want to live longer, let’s get you to a healthy weight, which will involve a caloric deficit and hopefully, a dietitian . But, if you’re already at a healthy weight, I wouldn’t suggest decreasing your calories by 25% or more in an effort to possibly live longer, unless you personally enjoy feeling backed up, grumpy, and lethargic.

After I fully realized that, “NO, we’re not there yet!” I started to do some mental pushing. My body was trained well enough. Now, I needed to train my mind.

The first thing I did was put my main goal in perspective. I’m training for a half marathon. I can do this. I’ve come thus far and it’s not that much further. I then looked at my watch and focused on just the next ten minutes. If I can get through this ten minutes, then I can do the next. I was creating mini-goals along the way til I finished this run.

During this two hour and twelve minute 13.62 mile run, I focused on each step and committed to accomplishment.  Plus, I had no other way to get back home (ha-ha), so I really had to keep on running!

As I finally got into a groove, my mind started to wander, and I began thinking about what you need to achieve a goal—whether training for a marathon or seeking to ditch those last 10 pounds—the steps to goal accomplishment don’t really differ. Thus, without further ado, below are some tips from me to you that powered me through this run and are powering me on through training. I hope they help you achieve your goal.

Top Tips for Goal Accomplishment

Keep your main goal in mind: Whether looking to lose 75 pounds, run a marathon, or dine out less—choose a goal! And better yet, once you choose your goal, keep it in the back of your  mind. Without that focus you lose drive. You push less when you don’t have an end in sight.

Respect the progress you’ve made and celebrate milestones: Be proud of all the little things you do throughout the day to help you achieve your main goal! Because it’s those little things that add up! Do what I do with my clients. Set mini-goals that amount to your one big goal and each time you hit a mini-goal, pamper yourself! For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, and you lost 10 pounds in five weeks, hitting your 1st mini-goal, go celebrate with something special to you—a massage, new dress, bread machine, or whatever tickles your fancy. Take time out to recognize what you’ve achieved. Yet, to break that down even further, some of my clients keep calendars and mark off their “good” days with a star, heart, or sticker to keep them motivated and moving along their “healthy-me” path.

Have a partner: Share your goal with someone and then the genius part—check in with them—so you do what you say. Funny how that works. But, I’ll tell ya, without a running partner to kick my rear into high gear, I’d be WAY less likely to keep pounding the pavement … over and over … and over.

Set a deadline: Let’s face it, most of us are procrastinators, without a deadline for your main goal, you’re less likely to achieve it. Simply because you’re not truly committed. Commit! Mark a date on your calendar and please make sure it’s realistic (read below!). By the way, if your goal is weight loss—no more than one or two pounds a week folks because if it’s more, it comes back—and as fat! Um, no thank you! Keep it metabolically real.

Be realistic: If we have unrealistic expectations, then we’ll fail to meet them and guess what? We’ll be upset! And that doesn’t send you on any wave of spiraling life-changing-goodness. As I tell my clients, choose something small that you can do and from there we’ll continually make changes until you are changed for the better.

Challenge yourself: What’s life without a good challenge? How far can you go? I bet it’s farther than you think. As my fave fitness goddess, Jillian Michaels, says (right about when I’m thinking I should have opted for the monotonous ellipitcal instead of kick-ass plyometrics and weight moves), “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” because that’s when you see change. It’s true folks. It’s true. For example, if you’re eating take out more than 40% of the week—change that! Start cooking at home! Yes—it takes time, preparation, and forethought, but that’s where YOU come in. Make it work. You’ll see changes in not only your body, but your home life too. Just watch.

Find inspiration: Inspiration drives us. Whether you want to look better, feel better, or accomplish the once before “unaccomplishable,” let inspiration guide you. Or, perhaps you have someone who inspires you to simply be better. Whatever floats your boat, use that to float you right on over to goal achieving!

What’s your goal?