Me: “So, are you making any changes with your diet?” Her: “Well, I don’t know. I was thinking about that last night. I’ve been walking, but I don’t know if I should do Paleo, or cut out carbs, or what. What do you think?” Whenever I hear someone mention a certain ‘plan’, whether it’s The Paleo Diet, The Zone Diet, or even The Eat Clean Diet, or even make drastic, sudden changes, I always cringe. Yes, I know it’s easier when you have a list of ‘rules’. This is what you can and cannot eat. There’s no grey area; that grey area where you’re unsure, “Am I on plan? or off?” It’s definitely easier to say yes or no to food if you know where the line of on and off are. We understand the rules. I basically have rules for my diet. But I’ve created those rules myself. And they’re not rules. They’re barely guidelines. And Read More . . .
Can I do that?
I’ve been through a lot of fitness phases in my journey. There’s one phase that I’ve been thinking a lot lately: that time that I was doing Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga is a yoga practice done in an ungodly hot and humid room. The class is a series of 26 poses, done in the same order, held for the same amount of time. You could go to a Birkam Yoga class in California, Brazil, Germany, or Japan, and each instructor is taught to cue the poses the same way. Some will look at this form of a class and think that it sounds boring: Doing the same exercises in the same order every single time? Ugh! I need some variety! Yes, you could look at it that way, but here’s the thing. Doing yoga this way taught me something about my body. Well, to be truthful, about bodies in general. Read More . . .
Am I NOT setting a good example?
Everyone has a “thing”. Right? Gary & my “thing” is pizza and red wine. It all started 15 years ago, this Valentines Day. I was still living in Chicago, but I was already planning on moving to Austin, and we were house hunting. His mom had given him a bread maker for Christmas, I think we had attempted making pizza on a sheet pan, but I recall, it was that Valentines Day that I bought him the pizza stone set. At the time, I was still working in high tech. I was about three years into my own fitness journey, but no where near thinking that it might become part of my future. I think it was at that time that we started having pizza on Saturday nights – or at least, it became a tradition to have pizza on Valentines Day, for sure. Our pizza making journey is almost as winding Read More . . .
What you know about dieting is bullsh*t
Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself from another time, and think, “What the hell was I so hard on myself for? My body was adorable! And I remember hating my body when that picture was taken!” For years I was looking for the magic pill. You know the one. The one that you find in magazines, diet books, following health gurus online. The one that is going to make you instantly the size and shape that you desire to be. I read everything. I scoured every magazine: 10 Days to a Bikini Body? I’m in. 5 Secret Fat Loss Foods? I need it! How to eat until you’re stuffed and still lose weight! Hey – Right on. I would look at what foods women were buying in the grocery store. Nope! Same foods (or junkier) that I was buying. I would see women at the gym, and think to Read More . . .
Live Better, Not Longer
As a fitness professional, when I get a new client, one of the first questions I ask is, “What are your goals?” After I understand my client’s goals, I then want to understand why s/he has decided to hire me now? What event happened that caused him/her to seek help? What I’ve noticed about these two questions, is that motivation and adherence change based on a persons age. When we’re in our 20’s, we want to look good. Our appearance is very important. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, oftentimes it’s not a strong enough goal to make us want to stick to the initial goal. In our 30’s & 40’s we want to be able to keep up with our children, maybe getting our clothes to fit a little looser. In our 50’s, we realize that for the past few decades, our children and careers have placed higher on Read More . . .
Tips for not breaking your diet on Halloween Candy
Halloween is over a month away & if you’ve stepped foot in your local grocery store, you’ve already seen the aisles filled with brightly colored Halloween candy. It seems hard to resist. I’ve written before about non-candy treats that you can give out for Halloween, but what if you still want to give candy? What are some techniques that you can use so that you don’t eat it all before your trick-or-treaters arrive? Buy your candy as close to Halloween as possible – Don’t buy candy now thinking that it will stay until Halloween untouched. It won’t. If it’s not in the house, you won’t be tempted to eat it. So don’t buy it, and don’t tempt yourself. Buy candy that you don’t like – I know! Is that even possible? probably. If you love chocolate, buy treats that are not chocolate based (candy corn, gum, jelly beans, Nerds, Sweet tarts, etc.). Read More . . .
Get something. Fill me.
It was about a year ago. We were at a party. I remember there being a large chocolate sheet cake with chocolate frosting. I wanted it. Throughout the night I could barely concentrate on anything that I was engaged in. I don’t remember any conversations because in the back of my head I kept thinking about that cake. I wanted the cake. It was all I could think about. At one point, I broke off & went to the bathroom, seeking the cake, but couldn’t find it. I think it was all gone & although I was disappointed, felt relief that I didn’t have to think about it any longer. Shortly after that party, I read James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces. It was the first time that I looked at my eating habits as an addiction: I smell the food, it is breakfast food. Eggs and bacon and sausage Read More . . .
The Four Pillars of Health
My [ever supportive] husband pointed out that this graphic does not represent pillars, but rather are arrows. If I had to draw “Pillars”, they wouldn’t look like this. touche. So, I thought I would write a little something about why I use this graphic & what it represents to me. First, as a wellness coach, these are the areas I work with my clients. These areas of health are my boundary. I don’t help clients with organizational, financial or relationship skills. I work with them on areas of health: their nutrition, activity, sleep management and stress management. The way I see it, these areas are so tightly connected that if one fails, they all tend to fail. I’m sure you’ve noticed that during times of high stress, that if you don’t take proper care of yourself, your nutrition starts to falter. When we stray from those foods that are good Read More . . .
Nutrition Tips for Reducing Bodyfat
Eat every 2-3 hours, balanced meals of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Exception: you don’t necessarily have to eat carbohydrates with your last meal or two of the day, you CAN just eat protein and fat. Unless it’s post workout (post strength training), then you NEED to eat some carbs. Try to keep the protein intake in each of your meals consistent. If you are resistance/strength training, eat a minimum of your bodyweight in grams of protein, divided up equally into each of your meals. Don’t be afraid of fat, you NEED fat in order to BURN fat. You need to turn your body into a fat burning machine. In order to do this, you keep your carbs fairly low (30-40 grams per meal is a good rule of thumb, but it does depend on your activity level) and your fat intake moderate. As in, the lower your carbs, the more Read More . . .
Foods & Their Macronutrient Categories
Wow! That is such a fantastic title for this article. I’m glad you’re still with me… I often have clients ask questions about “what is a protein?” or hearing that carbs are bad, not realizing the vast difference between the carbohydrates found in cookies versus the carbohydrates found in a tomato. This is a list of different types of foods, broken down into their MAIN category. I say “main” category because inevitably I’ll get the question about beans and or cheese: “But Elizabeth, beans & cheese have protein in them, don’t they?” Yes, they do. Beans have protein in them, but they are an incomplete protein [more on that in another blog post]. And although cheese has protein in it, it really has more fat than protien, so I put cheese and nuts in the fats category. And no. By all means, this is not a complete list. but it Read More . . .
What Statement Do You Make With Your Diet?
It’s not a question we really think about. What does my diet say about me? When I go to the grocery store, what are my priorities? When I counsel my clients in their nutritional choices though, it’s something that I need to know in order to help them in making the right choice. Example: My client asks me "Should I be eating soy?" Well, the answer to that is much more complicated than a straight yes or no. What are the reasons behind you asking this question? Some questions that would determine the answer are: Are you trying to reduce your carbon footprint? Are you concerned about the amount of protein you’re getting in your diet? Are you vegetarian or vegan? Are you trying to reduce the amount of animal products in your diet? Do you like soy? What are your thoughts on processed foods? Yeah – I know. That Read More . . .
How to Rock a Strapless Dress
Hey there, I just had a few questions that aren’t derby related. I am getting married in April and have been working out 4-5 times a week on top of derby now. I am concerned about toning my arms (among other things) because my dress is strapless. I have some okay biceps going due to my job but my triceps are pretty squishy. Do you have any tips on focusing on lengthening and toning arm muscles? I have a few small weights and treadmill, as well as doing push ups and working with a resistance band. Any advice to add to my routine would be much appreciated. Thanks! Chelsea Handle Her This is such a great question that I decided to answer it in a blog post because I think it’s a topic that many folks want the answer to: whether getting married, or preparing for a school reunion, getting Read More . . .
bodybugg vs fitbit: Round 2 – Food Logging
<< Previous Round bodybugg vs fitbit: Round 1 – Getting Going Logging your food is THE most powerful thing you can do to improve your diet & eating habits. Logging your food prevents you from mindless munching. It creates this awareness of everything that you put in your mouth – even if you're journaling your food with a pen & paper. I don't exactly know why it's so powerful – there are a lot of reasons: you become aware of everything that you're eating. Suddenly, you change your eating habits because you don't want to write it down (those 4 hershey's kisses that you scarfed off of your co-worker's desk. Additionally, you gain this awareness of how many calories are in the foods you eat. Whatever reason resonates with you, if you want to drop a few pounds, start journaling your food. Food journals have been around for ages! I Read More . . .
Question of the Day: Protein Drinks
Today’s Question is from Sarah: "I would also like to get your opinion on protein drinks. What do you think of them? Do you recommend them or suggest staying away from them? I have heard lots of people talking about them, and one even came with my workout program (which I have been taking), but I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to do. Any suggestions?" Oy! Protein Drinks! Let’s start with some definitions. Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. There are lots of "fitness" foods out there: Protein Drinks, Energy Drinks, Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs), Meal Replacement Drinks (MRDs), Protein Bars, Energy Bars, and Meal Replacement Bars. Meal replacements are designed to replace a complete meal, and therefore have a nutrient formula similar to what that manufacturer believes should be the nutrient breakdown of a meal. It will have an adequate supply of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These Read More . . .
Let Your Food Burn Calories For You
You’ve seen the titles of books & magazine headlines: “Fat Burning Foods”; “Eat More to Weigh Less” and it goes on & on. So what are these articles & books trying to teach us? THey’re trying to get us to use the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) to burn more calories, and yes, it does work. Thermic Effect of Food Defined: “the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use” or, the number of calories our bodies use in eating. Yes, we burn calories by eating. NancySBrandt: I’m thinking this #bodybugg thing might be too good to be true. How can I have 747 calorie deficit after eating fast food for two meals? bodybugg: @NancySBrandt Ucould eat donuts all day &still hv a calorie deficit! it doesn’t mean tht it’s a good thing. Uburn fewr K digesting fast food Read More . . .
How Quickly Will I See Results?
I received a question on Twitter today that I thought warranted a blog post. @dasschus asked “how long does it take for a surplus of calories to show up as a weight gain? How long until is shows as stored fat? Curious.” The answer to this question is pretty complex & like everything in health & the human body, what may be the answer for one person may not be the solution for all. Therefore, I’m going to answer this question from my own personal experience. The short answer is that it doesn’t happen instantly. That’s good and bad news because just as one day of eating poorly isn’t going to derail your weight loss goals, neither will one day of excessive activity make a noticeable difference either. The body ultimately takes an average of my calories in & calories out over a period of time. I notice a lag Read More . . .
Yummy Low-Cal Tortilla Chips
Happy Cinco de Mayo Everyone! One of the most common questions I get, is "What do you eat?" Up until now, I’ve omitted this meal. Gary & I probably eat tacos, chips & guacamole at least once per week. BUT WAIT! It’s not what you think. You can do this with relatively little damage to your diet. In honor or Cinco de Mayo, I’m publishing my recipe for tortilla chips & guacamole. Tortilla Chips: About a year ago, I found Mission Extra-Thin Corn Tortillas. The nutritionals on these tortillas are great! Considering that most flour tortillas start at 140 Calories for one, and go up from there, and typically one regular corn tortilla will be around 80 Calories. With the Mission Extra-Thin Corn Tortillas, you get two 6" tortillas for just 80 Calories! That’s fantastic! By dividing the chips into 6 wedges, each chip is ~7 Calories. 6 Mission Extra-Thin Read More . . .
King Corn
I watched King Corn (free on iTunes) a few months ago & have been meaning to write a blog post on it. I’ve only now gotten re-motivated to write about it now because I’m currently reading the Omnivore’s Dilemma & the two compliment each other beautifully. The movie, King Corn is a documentary about two college buddies who through some random events decide to get their hair analyzed. The results come back that they have an enormous amount of corn byproduct in their bodies. Confused, because corn isn’t a food product that they typically eat, they decide to move to Iowa, plant an acre of corn rented from a farmer, and follow that acre of corn from production to consumption. The two film-makers, Ian Chaney and Curt Ellis do a really good job of explaining how corn gets into our food – through corn-fed beef (not only are we what Read More . . .
What’s Eating Elizabeth?
I’ve just added 3 fantastic recipes to my website: Ropa Vieja – I make this in the crockpot. I call it Ropa Vieja because it’s inspiration is from a cuban dish that I get that is devine. This recipe is good & it’s also really easy. Make sure that you get a low fat cut of beef. Tabbouleh Salad with Chicken – This recipe makes for a fantastic side dish or light lunch. Inspired by Moraccan Tabbouleh Apple Cobbler – YUM! Enjoy! Read More . . .
3 Tips for Eating & Weight Loss
Part 1 in the Runtex University Bucky & Bob Speaking Series My husband tells me that I eat more food than anyone that he knows. He’s probably right. I can eat large volume of food. I also remember as a kid going to an ice cream parlor with my sister. After I finished mine, I finished hers too. She looked at me & stated "Your stomach is a bottomless pit." Looking back, it’s really not a mystery to me that I ended up overweight, but also that I’ve devised a few really good strategies for being able to eat, not depriving myself & still being able to maintain my smaller size. 1) Don’t Drink Your Calories Have you seen the calorie counts on some of the Starbucks coffee drinks? A Venti Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème has 670 Calories! That’s about a third of my calorie budget! Plus, in Read More . . .