Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

            The hardest part about eating well isn’t necessarily about understanding which foods are “good” and which foods are “bad’. It’s not always about understanding protein, carbs, fat and when to eat each. The hardest part is CONSISTENCY. Sometimes good nutrition is less about the food and more about making sure the food is available when it’s time to eat.

-Precision Nutrition

            Look, I know you have a job, commitments, and responsibilities. I know you have so many of these obligations that you barely have time for yourself and who wants to take the one hour they have to prepare meals?!

            How do I know?

                        I am very good about doing this to myself on a regular basis!

            But ask yourself, “how important is a commitment to myself”?

                        Hopefully, your answer is VERY important!

            So, here are a few suggestions on planning and preparing for a healthy commitment to yourself…

Preparation Strategies (tips for saving time):

           

            *Chop veggies only twice per week.

                        Chop half your weekly veggie purchase as soon as you get home from grocery shopping, and chip the rest when you’re done eating the first half, three or four days later.

            *Add egg whites in with your whole eggs.

                        Eggs are a pretty common choice for most in the morning, but some stray away because they take more time to prepare. Rather than messing around with egg separation to get those egg whites, simply just pick up a few egg white cartons to mix in with one whole egg, and BAM! protein galore with little preparation.

            *Pre-cook your protein.

                                Prepare a big batch of chicken breasts, turkey sausage, burgers, etc. on shopping days (maybe while you are chopping your veggies) and refrigerate them until you need them.

            *Make big batches of stir-fry and chili.

                        Two types of meals that can easily be made in big batches and then portioned out at multiple times throughout the week.

                *Get personal meal-sized Tupperware.

                                Fill up your Tupperware with leftovers from last night, or even some of your chili or stir-fry you prepared ahead of time. Take it to work and a quick pop in the microwave makes for a great lunch. By personalizing your Tupperware, you can also focus on portion sizes that work best for you.

            *Eat wraps instead of sandwiches.

                                Although sandwiches are a staple in most people’s routine, they often are too low in protein and veggies and too high in processed carbs. An alternative to the sandwich is a wrap. Stuff your wrap with some of that pre-cooked protein as well as some of your pre-cut veggies, and you’ll be set for a quick and easy meal.

                *Use blenders and shaker bottles.

                                You could get a blender for home or possible a smaller version for work (Magic Bullet). You could pre-blend your shares at home and store them in the fridge at work (or in your car if you live in frigid cold weather like I do). Another option would be to pre-chop all your dried ingredients (mixed nuts, flax, oats…) and store them in Ziplock baggies (as with your fruit and veggies) and when you’re on the run, toss them all into a shaker bottle with cold water or a liquid of your choice, shake and go!

                *At restaurants, order with the Precision Nutrition 10 habits in mind.

                1. When did I eat last?

                2. Where is the complete lean protein?

                3. Where are the veggies?

                4. Where are the carbs?

                5. Where are my fats coming from?

                6. Am I drinking water or green tea?

                7. Are you eating whole foods?

                8. Is this meal planned and prepared?

                9. Is this part of a varied diet?

                10. Am I breaking the 10% rule?

*OR maybe you even develop your own “Breakfast Ritual” or “Sunday Ritual”! For more information on what these are, email me at hearley@mvhospital.net.

I would LOVE to hear what preparation strategies everyone has found that works for them! Do any fall into the categories above? Have you found something else that works even better? Please share at hearley@mvhospital.net or hop onto HFA’s Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MV-Health-and-Fitness-Academy/350605601718547?ref=hl  

and share with everyone!

Until next time!

Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, PN1

Health & Fitness Academy

(208) 557-2823

hearley@mvhospital.net

Zzzzzz......

Time to get some ZZZZ’s

How and when you sleep is one of the most important lifestyle choices you make every day. Studies have shown that subjects who sleep well both in quality and quantity are thinner, happier, and more energetic than those that toss and turn all night or do not get a full night’s sleep.

Sleep also acts like a hormonal reset button for your body, drastically changing and balancing your hormones. Our bodies are constantly balancing cortisol, insulin and Leptin levels. These hormones all play a very big part in regulating blood sugar levels.  Even staying up late and watching TV elevates cortisol levels and other stress hormones. Sleep lowers Leptin, insulin, and cortisol levels and elevates melatonin, HGH, testosterone, and others that have anti-aging effects and help control blood sugar and insulin response.

• ·         8 Hours of sleep is optimal, if you think you can cheat this number you are wrong
• ·         Bad sleep habits are formed overtime just like good ones
• ·         Get to bed by 10pm every night and watch how fast you feel better
• ·         Avoid Computer and TV screens after 9pm to let your body know that it is night and time to sleep.

So get to bed….and really rest this season.If you have any questions about how to implement good sleep habits into your health and fitness routine, contact us at ghouston@mvhospital.net.

The 3 Bite Rule – A Tool in Portion Control

While working on maintaining weight throughout the holiday season, there has to be a way to still enjoy some of your favorite holiday tradition foods. The answer: the 3 bite rule.  The 3 bite rule is a tool to help you enjoy the yummy foods you love, in tiny portions, to still help you reach your weight loss/maintenance goals.

Here’s what happens with 3 bites:

The 1^st bite is delicious

The 2^nd bite confirms the first

And by the 3^rd bite, your palate has had its fill and it’s time to stop.

The concept is that we should not deny ourselves any of our favorite foods, instead we should be allowed to eat 3 bites of the food, just enough to satisfy our craving. Studies have shown that after three bites, the food loses its initial appeal and most of us just keep eating out of habit.

Can this rule be taken to extremes though and abused? Of course it can. Be sure to use your judgement, and be conscious of your decision. One thing to think about is how big a bite actually is. One way to think about it is that one bite should equal about a tablespoon. That does not mean that one bite is the biggest bite that you can fit in your mouth – again, be mindful of your decisions.

Three bites of ice cream, pizza, or a Big Mac never made anyone fat. Three bites of anything is not the cause of the obesity epidemic. The entire portions of these foods though on a regular basis could certainly have the scale mobbing in the wrong direction, since it is an overall calorie surplus that packs on the pounds, not an innocent bite or two here or there.

With the 3 bite rule, you get 100% of the enjoyment, and 0% of the guilt. Try it out and see for yourself! 

Until next time!

Miranda Harris, CSCS, CEP

mharris@mvhospital.net

208-557-2823

Stress Eating

Stressful Eating

The leaves are changing, it’s getting colder and the Holidays are just right around the corner! This is my favorite time of year; pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING, sweater weather, time with family and friends. And all the football you can handle!

But with the Holidays soon to be here there also comes with it STRESS! The stress of preparing for the end of the year, in-laws coming for Thanksgiving, for Mountain View Employee’s 4^th Quarter brings all sorts of daily stress into your life. And just the word “Christmas” only can bring a sense of alarm. Let’s face it for how wonderful this time of year is it can also be the most stressful!! And stress can be deadly when trying to lose or maintain your weight!

Many people turn to food when they are stressed. If that's you, learning new ways to handle your emotions is a must!

Experiment to find things that work for you

Some ideas:

•Get outside and enjoy nature.

•Torch stress (and calories) with a serious workout.

•Go shopping (although this may get you into a new kind of trouble)

•Do yoga to chill out.

•Connect with family or a friend.

•Find somebody who needs lifting up and serve in ways that you can.

•Clean House (or like my mom, do “spring cleaning” in November)

•Read a Book.

There are so many other ways to deal with the stress rather than turn to food, just find what it is that works for you and stick to it!

Don't go it alone.

Another tip when trying to lose or maintain weight during the Holidays is having support or a team behind you, not trying to do it all on your own! Whether it is a gym buddy or a walking buddy, a friend or family member that can offer you support or help keep you accountable!

Try teaming up with family, friends, or co-workers, keep checking in with that person every now and then. Stress can derail you from the goals that you have for yourself but when you have someone to support and cheer you on, you can accomplish anything! Vacations, holidays, and stressful life situations happen, and no one eats according to plan all the time. That's OK. The trick is to get back on course as soon as possible. Make it a learning experience, not a failure. Remember that you can move on from setbacks, and maintenance is a marathon, not a sprint!

Eat to 80% Full

Everyone knows what it feels like to be stuffed – take your favorite holidays and reminisce on what you ate, how much you ate and how you felt after you ate. Most people ate to where they had to unbutton a few buttons on their jeans or throw on some sweats just so they didn’t have to feel the tightness of their stomach protruding, this we’ll call 150% full.

We also know what it feels like to be hungry, this is 0% full.  So what we’ll want to focus for our “maintain no gain” challenge is to eat until we are 80% full.  Stop when you have a few bites left on your plate – no need to clean the plate or use a smaller plate.

Here are some helpful tips from PN’s lessons on how to measure 80% full:

1.     Take a bite.

2.     Stop.

3.     Take a breath.

4.     Check in with yourself. How do you feel? Pause to notice.

5.     If it feels like another bite is a good idea, take another bite. And repeat.

6.    If you feel like you might be around 80%, stop.

Try this experiment and see what works for you, in the beginning it may feel uncomfortable until you get the hang of it.  

        

Leaf it Behind

What an Amazing time to make the commitment to create change in your life. As we have entered fall we get to savor all that comes with it. The changing colors of the leaves from green to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds. The trees line our streets and litter our mountain sides with their new found glory and fill our hearts with a joy that only fall can bring.

Soon the colors start to fade and the winds change remove those brilliant leaves from their branches where they will dance on the air and rest gently on our streets and yards. This brings a different joy by the rustle of the leaves as they twist and twirl in the breeze and the crunch under our feet as we walk on them. Memories will flow as we rake the leaves into piles and watch children jump and play games in them. If we are wise, we will join the young ones and play in those piles. Our sense of smell is awakened with the moist leaves as we finish the fun and place them into bags or re-purpose them in our gardens.  Ahhh..can you sense the joy?!

All this change amazingly comes with such ease and without effort. The trees follow the seasons and allow change to take place, "knowing" the change has a purpose. The letting go allows them to have energy for the winter months and to recharge for the beautiful new growth that will take place in the spring. I don't recall the last time I wandered down a street and saw a tree having a tantrum about its changing colors or the letting go process. They just allow! They just release.

What an awesome example these beautiful pieces of nature are for us as we enter the season of joy, celebrations and renewal. Change happens!  We can choose to allow it to take place and transform us into our more improved selves or...we can fight it and remain our same uncomfortable, unhappy selves. The best part of this is...we get to choose! I say this year we take a look at the trees and really let it sink in what they are teaching us and choose ease. Choose transformation. Choose to release the parts of us that no longer serve us in positive ways.  Choose to dance!

As we make the decision to emulate the example of the trees I want to point out this little detail.  As the the tree experiences this great and beautiful change, one thing remains. Its trunk and branches!  The core of who the tree is! It still stands to face the winter winds and reminds us who it really is and that it lives for the coming renewal. This is no different for us as we allow the leaves that no longer serve us positively and weigh us down, to flutter away. As the leaves dance on the wind and settle to the ground, we at our core remain the same. Beautiful! Sometimes Shivering! Resilient! Bruised! Strong! Still Living! Feeding from our stores! Ready for change! Ready for renewal! Ready to show off our newly created beauty!

We celebrate you for committing to yourself and for joining the Maintain Don't Gain Challenge and invite you to be like the trees. Hang onto what really serves you well and be willing to release what doesn't. Maintain the positive to release the excess that weighs you down literally and gain the life you were meant to live.  This is more than about weight and trees...this about You and You are worth it!  Show off your colors, release, laugh, dance, and be free!


Jennifer Saunders
ButtinGear, Reiki Energy
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Intuitive Transformation Coach
Behavior Change Specialist
Everyday Super Hero

Slow Down!

Maintain, Don’t Gain CHALLENGE WEEK 1

Holiday season is approaching quickly and the Health & Fitness Team has created a “Maintain, Don’t Gain” challenge to help get you through the holidays without adding on those unwanted extra pounds. Stay tuned to the weekly blog for tips to help you through this 12 week challenge.

First thing is first! We had such a great turn out for the challenge weigh in on Friday, Sept 30, that we have extended the weigh in 1 more week! Aren’t able to make it in, or don’t live around the area, but still want to join the challenge? Just reach out to the Health & Fitness Team and we’ll make it possible!

Now, for the most important part, the tip of the week!


“SLOW DOWN”


Wait…what?! Slow down is the tip of the week? How is this supposed to help me not gain weight? Learning to eat slowly is one of the simplest, yet powerful things you can do to improve your overall health.

Did you know slowing down while eating can lead to better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with our meals? Meanwhile, eating quickly leads to poor digestion, increased weight gain, and lower satisfaction.

Think about it like this. Have you ever eaten a meal and, shortly after, regretted how much you ate? Felt bloated? Sick to your stomach? Just way to full? That’s me…everytime I eat at Olive Garden! Yummy chicken fettucine alfredo!

Did you know it takes about 20 minutes for our satiety mechanisms to kick in? In other words, the communication from our gut, to our brain, and back to our gut is slow. Because of this, if you eat quickly, you’re likely to eat far too much in the 20 minute time period before your brain finally says, “I’m content. You can stop eating now.”

So how do you know if you’ve eaten slowly enough? Or if you are full enough? Or still hungry?

To help you get a handle on this, here are some tips and cues from Precision Nutrition that will be extremely useful.


The “How You Should Feel” Timeline

     *Eating until SATISFIED, rather than eating until FULL*

Hour 0 Immediately after eating
     You’re probably still a little hungry. It will take roughly 15-20 minutes to get a sense of satisfaction from a meal. If you’re a fast eater, wait it out before you go for more.

Hour 1 One hour after finishing
     You should still feel satisfied with no desire to eat another meal.

Hour 2 Two hours after finishing
     You may start to feel a little hungry, like you could eat something, but the feeling isn’t overwhelming.

Hour 3 Three to four hours after finishing
     You should feel like it’s time for the next meal. Your hunger should be around a 7 or 8 out of a 10 (where 10 I the hungriest you’ve ever been), but may be more or less depending on when you exercises and what your daily physical activity level is.

Not really hungry yet? You may have had too much food at your previous meal.

Hour 4 More than four hours after finishing
     You’re quite hungry, like nothing is getting between you and the kitchen. You’re at 8 or 9 out of 10. This is when the “I’m so hungry I could eat anything” feeling appears.

Whether it’s the 4 hour mark or 7 hour mark, if you’ve let your hunger get to this point, you’re likely to make poor choices, eat quickly to get rid of the hunger sensation, and as a consequence, overeat.


In the end, this habit can be as simple as chewing each bite more, setting a timer, stopping just short of your usual intake, or setting reminders (post-it note, phone alarm, rubber band on your wrist). It could mean eating until full rather than overfull. Anything that takes you one step closer to slowing down while eating is improvement and progress!

For you learners out there, check out more details on eating slow, provided by Precision Nutrition at http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-slow-eating.

Need help and accountability? The HFA’s Spooky Special on Personal Training is still running through October 31. Check out some amazing deals and get the one-on-one attention you desire to help you succeed through the holidays. Email me, Hayley, at hearley@mvhospital.net for more details or call the HFA Team at 208-557-2823.

Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
Mountain View Health & Fitness Academy Supervisor
hearley@mvhospital.net
208.557.2823