Tracking your Fitness

Sit back and take a glance at our society, media surrounds us every second of every day...we cannot escape it. You, like my brothers, may even find yourself camping outside Best Buy in order to receive the newest iPhone upgrade or game system. We rarely leave our cell phones out of arms reach and we are unfortunately losing the value of having real relationships with other people due to social media. So why not use our “best friend/companion” for a little help in the area of fitness and health?

The days are long gone from carrying around a pad of paper and pen to write down every single food item and beverage that you consume during the day, however you DO carry around that handheld touch screen with many functions. So… instead let’s figure out some ways to record food/beverage intake as well as fitness with your favorite electronic. Spend some time glancing through the different apps available for you to find the best one. Below are a few of the favorites I have seen and tried. When I starting looking for apps… I had to choose from 5,405 that pulled up so find your personal favorite!

My Fitness Pal has become my favorite app to use to track my exercise, weight and daily food intake. It gives a calorie goal and tells how many calories are left after each meal. It gives a good graph to monitor weight over a period of time. So set a goal and give it a try!

Map My Run is another running app that I use as I am training for my next race (which I need to find some motivation for!) It shows mileage and routes.

Fitness Buddy Pick a region of the body in which you want to focus on working out (core, shoulders, back, etc) and the app gives you exercises. I have never used this but looks like it would be a good exercise tool.

Nike+ Running or Run Keeper Keep up with the mileage and time you are running while listening to your music.

Couch to 5k/Half marathon My roommate and I have given this a try during occasional afternoon runs. It begins with a walk and jog for a few minutes and then walk again. The day I tried it the work out flew by. If you have never run a race and deep down want to make that a goal then give this a try!

Calorie King Eating out can become overwhelming and frustrating if one is trying to limit caloric intake. Check this out next time you are given a menu and find a healthier option that best suits you.

My Lunch Plate

So today marks day five of eating the same lunch…

• Turkey sandwich on wheat bread
• Vegetables and yogurt cucumber dip (only 60 calories for 2 T)
• Apple
• 7-10 wheat thins or pretzels

 

Despite the fact that I love this nutritious meal and feel full after I finish eating, I am kind of tired of the same old meal every day. With this being said, I thought I would take some time to brainstorm today to help “spice” up the lunch menu!

• Cottage Cheese with tomatoes and pepper
• Pita chips/bread with humus and vegetables
• Grilled chicken with a spinach salad
• Pasta salad with vegetables and light dressing
• Leftovers from dinner the night before
• Grilled cheese with soup
• Yogurt parfait with fruit and small handful of almonds

Feel free to share any fun lunch ideas that you may have! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

A Cup of Calories

Eggnog, peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes! They are everywhere! These tasteful beverages are filled with flavor, holiday fun and…. calories. The word that haunts us all. So how do you get around the excess calories in these festive drinks? Can we afford to spend 300-400 calories on a tasteful holiday beverage? It was not until three years ago that I ventured out to try these beverages that I might go as far to say taste like “Christmas in a cup!” So that leaves me and many others with the question of how to go about enjoying these drinks in moderation as well as dodging the excess calories…

Let’s take a look at the calories in your cup…

(Drinks are calculated in 16 oz portions with skim milk.)

• Eggnog: 343 calories
• Peppermint Mocha: 330 calories, 8 g fat, 60 g CHO
• Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha: 440 calories, 10 g fat, 75 g CHO
• Hot Chocolate: 290 calories, 9 gram of fat, 47 g CHO
• White Hot Chocolate: 420 calories, 12 grams of fat, 62 g CHO
• Eggnog Latte: 460 kcals, 21 g fat, 53 g CHO

Now let’s look at some alternative ways to fill that cup with fewer calories…

•  Club soda: 0 calories
• Mixed drinks with diet soda: ~130 calories
•  Glass of red wine: 150 calories
• “Diet” Hot Chocolate (Swiss): 25 calories
• Apple Cider: 120 calories
• Skinny flavored Latte: 130 calories, 0 g fat, 19 g CHO
• Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte: 210 calories, 0 g fat, 40 g CHO
• Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Light: 150 calories, 1 g fat, 30 g CHO

Now it’s your turn to shock your friends and party guests with fun-filled, healthier beverage options. Meanwhile I will enjoy the skinny peppermint mocha that awaits me…for only 130 calories! Happy Holidays!

Low-fat Eggnog

Ingredients:

-          6 cups 1% milk

-          1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

-          2 large eggs

-          2/3 cup sugar

-          2 T all-purpose flour

-          ¼ teaspoon salt

-          ¼ cup brandy, bourbon or rum (optional)

-          2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-          ¼ cup light whipping cream

Directions:

-          Brink milk and nutmeg to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.

-          Whisk eggs, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk; return mixture to saucepan.

-          Cook the eggnog over very low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. (Temperature must reach 160°F; do not let eggnog come to a simmer.) Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl.

-          Whisk in brandy (or bourbon or rum) and vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the eggnog and refrigerate until chilled, for at least 8 hours or overnight.

-          Just before serving, add cream to eggnog. Ladle into cups and serve garnished with more grated nutmeg.

Nutrition: 142 calories, 4 g fat

Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com.

"Party Pounds"

First and foremost I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This time of year is my absolute favorite due to the fun activities and many festive parties! With that being said… this holiday season I have a total (as of this moment) of six Christmas parties within two weeks! Now don’t get me wrong, I love this time with friends while we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and spend time with one another. However, with these parties one problem always poses a threat: those tempting desserts leading to those extra holiday pounds. Like many of you, I have a huge sweet tooth which is a slight problem during this time of the year. Not only do I have a problem resisting the sweet table at parties, but baking is one of my all time favorite hobbies! So since I am past the obstacle of the “freshman fifteen” I am again approached with the next hurdle of what I call “party pounds”.

From my few years of schooling and the start of my career in nutrition I have accumulated some holiday tips that I am writing down and posting to follow this holiday season. These have helped me dodge those extra pounds from previous Christmas parties and activities and I am hoping it will help again this year. My hope is that sharing these may inspire you to stay healthy while enjoying your holiday season!

• Eat a small snack before attending the party (it will help from overeating at the party)
• Sip on a glass of water throughout the duration of the party
• Stand away from the food table to prevent grazing (grazing will add up unwanted calories!)
• Sample small amounts of a variety of foods and wait for 20 minutes before going back for seconds
• Focus your attention on your friends and company rather than the food table
• Choose more fruits and vegetables since they are lower in calories and nutrient-rich
• Take a walk with friends and family after a holiday meal for some fresh air and exercise
•  Choose your beverages wisely. Many holiday drinks are full of calories.
• When shopping, pack your own snack to save money and calories
• Trail mix
• Nuts/Seeds
• Popcorn
• Yogurt
• Granola bar
• Vegetables
• Dried/fresh fruit
• Park far away from the store when you are holiday shopping to get some extra exercise

This small list will hopefully give you some healthy tips to follow for this holiday season. Maybe it will even help you jumpstart those New Year’s resolutions for 2013! Stay tuned in the next couple days for some healthy drinks that you can surprise your guests and friends with at your next party. Have a Merry Christmas!