SparkPeople

Hello, Monday.  I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

My first week into 2011 went well.  I managed to eat pretty healthy, and made it to the gym four times (3x spin; 1x Body Pump) for solid workouts.  I got some running and hiking in there, too.  Now I just have to keep this momentum going...

Speaking of, wanted to share something I've found really helpful lately.  Over the past few months, I started using Livestrong to track what I was eating on a daily basis.  I thought doing so would be a pain, but it's really helped me understand some of the bad eating habits I have, and how better choices can make a big impact.  I guess there really is something to this whole balanced diet concept!

I recently switched over to using Sparkpeople to track this info (thanks to BrieFit ).  I think Sparkspeople is a bit more user-friendly, and I love that they focus on different goals within a diet, versus just limited calories and fat.  They also have lots of common take-out food (Subway, etc.) in their menu, which is nice if you don't always have the nutrition information available.

Here's an example of what one of my good days looks like....

 I try to stick to around 1,500 calories per day.  Of course, there are some days when I go above that, and some days I'm slightly below it.  I try not to stress about the exact number, and just go based on what makes me feel the best.  1,500 seems to be a good number for me when I'm doing moderate excercise, so that's where I am right now. 

My favorite part about Sparkspeople is that you can run a "Daily Feedback" report at the end of the day that charts out where you calories are going to in terms of nutritional value.  Here's the feedback from the same day tracked above:

I'm high on carbs (shock!).  I'm working on adding more healthy fats into my diet (almonds, etc.) and cutting back on some of the carbs, to help my body adjust.  See, such helpful information to have!

Back to the grind.

Golden Girls

I was browsing my Twitter feed yesterday during lunch, and an update from Self Magazine immediately caught my eye:

At first I just thought "well, duh" but then I got to thinking about how scientific one can be when relating friendship to overall health.  I read the article online, and thought it was really interesting.

Self claims that, among other things:

• Close friendships help women live longer (socializing positively impacts health)
• Our friends are often the best support for helping us get out of health ruts (I can attest to that!)
• Women with close friends are happier
• Women with close friends are more likely to survive breast cancer

That last one really hit me... 

So, I'd like to take a minute to say how appreciative I am of having such a wonderful, supportive, and caring group of golden girls around me.  I don't think I say it enough, but I love you all dearly and thank you for everything!  Whether it's giving me advice with my financial um, bumps... getting up at the crack of dawn for hiking, spinning, a walk, etc. or just being there when the going gets tough, THANK YOU.  I hope that I'm at least half as good a friend in return (because that would still make me super awesome).

xoxo,
Olivia

Tracking. Dislike.

It's official, over the past couple of months, I've completely fallen off the wagon.  Like hardcore, tumbled off, face first.  RIP, motivation.

As some of you know, I recently moved into the city, and I'm staying with my parents for awhile until I figure out my situation.  This means I'm living rent free for now, woot!  I'm still focused on building up my savings, but I decided to splurge invest in some personal training classes to get me back on the fitness track.  No big deal, right?  Um, worst (best) decision ever. 

First off, I have to track everything I eat.  WTF, this is not Weight Watchers.  What did I get myself into?  I see the point of it being an all around life improvement process, but I'm iffy about having to put the pen to paper when it comes to my diet.  Anywho, I'm doing it, and it's been interesting.  I've always heard that five small meals a day is best, but I feel like I sit around eating non-stop...

Here's my lovely tracking sheet, complete with columns for fat, calories, carbs, etc.  Talk about facing the facts!  Eep.

As a result, I've been eating lots of these:

Cosi Signature Salad with chicken, and half-portion of the reduced fat dressing.  Cosi is one of those places that people think is super healthy, but if you aren't careful, you can totally end up having a 900+ calorie meal... so definitely check out their nutrition facts online (also posted at each location) before you decide!

And I'm refraining from eating too much of this:

Sad, I love bread.  Luuurve.  Instead of eating the whole thing, I'll just take 3-4 bites then get rid of the rest (cuts the calories down by 60-70% but I still get to have some).  Kinda a waste, but better that it goes to waste than to my waist :)

I have ten sessions of PT to burn through (I'm on the 3x week schedule), so I'm going to give this food tracking/training combo a try for awhile and see how it goes.  It's definitely a pain in the ass, but I'm hoping that it will help me get into a good routine...

On a somewhat related note, please let me know if you have any advice for foods to eat pre-workout!  PT sessions are from 6:00 - 7:00 a.m., so I'm confused about how to fuel.  I don't want to eat right beforehand because then I may get sick from having food in my stomach (and no way in hell am I waking up at 5:00 a.m. to make a real breakfast), but I tried going the no food route and literally had to stop mid-workout because I was going to hurl.  No bueno.  I've heard bananas and peanut butter are good, but it just seems heavy.  Suggestions, please?

Hope everyone is well, and sorry I haven't been posting as much lately!  It's my busiest time of the year at work, so I'm still trying to get myself into a workable schedule.  More to come!

xoxo,
Olivia

Shakin'

Jilly, this post is for you :)

A few months back, I was reading Oh She Glows, and came across a link to Angela's Green Monster Movement.  Sounds scary, but Green Monsters are just smoothies made with a mix of fruits and veggies.  I was completely grossed out at first, but decided to give it shot.  I've tried a few different combos, but I like the basic "virgin" version the best.  I made one tonight for dinner, since I had lunch at 3:00 p.m. and wasn't very hungry. 

"The Virgin Green Monster"

• 1 cup of spinach (or more if you're feeling ambitious)
• 1 cup of milk (I use 1% but skim or soy works just as well)
• 1 tablespoon of flax (optional, but I always include it)
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla whey (alternately, any cocoa power or chocolate sauce works)
• Ice (I used 6-8 cubes)

Directions:

So easy.  You just add everything together (minus the ice), and blend for about 15 seconds.  I like to add the spinach on the bottom of the cup, then the banana slices, followed by the flax and whey powder, and finally, the milk.  This way, the lighter ingredients are weighed down by the heavier items and everything gets mixed together well.

After the first round of blending, just add the ice and blend for another 15 seconds and waaaa-la!  Green Monster goodness :) 

Keeping in mind that it is a healthy shake, I think it tastes phenomenal and definitely fills me up for a few hours.  I'm even going to out on a limb and say that it takes like a chocolate banana milkshake.  You can totally sub stuff in and try other combos -- I've also tried using cherries instead of banana, which was delicious.

If you come up with something particularly good, please share :-)

Happy shakin'!

xoxo,

Olivia

Beautimus

As crazy as it may sound, it's 90 degrees in DC today. Seriously, I'm in love with this weather. In typical DC fashion, it's going to drop about 30 degrees by Friday, but we'll take what we can get. Sunshine makes me happy :)

Saturday would have be the perfect day to run the J. Brian's 1.5k that I posted about awhile back.  Unfortunately, after a visit to the podiatrist last Friday, I'm on a forced hiatus for a few weeks. I've been having awful shin/ankle pains in my left leg, and after a couple rounds of x-rays, the doc said that it looks like I have a tibia stress fracture.  The good news is that I'm already a couple of weeks into the healing process, so I just have to take another 3-5 weeks off running to let things completely heal.

The podiatrist I visited is a runner, and had lots of good advice for an amateur like myself. I talked about how I've been regularly running and working out, but haven't really seen the results/progress that I would like. He gave me a shpeal about understanding different types of running, and how your body reacts according to intensity levels. For instance, fast and high intensity running won't necessarily mean weight loss (from fat), but can instead burn muscle mass and not do much for endurance (or something along those lines). He recommended that I get a heart rate monitor that will gauge which zone I'm in, and that can help me focus on burning calories from fat vs. training for endurance or speed. Since I'm a sucker for gadgets, I did some research and decided to get a women's Polar HRM watch.  Below is a chart Polar publishes that illustrates the benefits associated with each hearth rate zone (click image to enlarge):

Good to know!  I'm super excited to give my new little gadget a spin once I've got it setup.  While it wasn't cheap, if it helps me workout smarter, it's worth the investment.  Stay tuned....

Other than that, I've been keeping busy at the gym by switching things up between spinning, swimming, and the elliptical, all of which are low impact and thus tibia friendly. Happy tibia = happy O-livia. This Saturday I'll be going for a hike with JB instead of the race, so that will be fun and great exercise.  Plus, more fun in the sun!  Love.

xoxo,
Olivia

Revolutionary

Have a hot second to do some good?  Sign Jamie Oliver's petition, part of his Food Revolution to provide America's kids with better food at school and better health prospects.  He's planning to take this petition to The White House after his show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution airs this spring, to see if he can get the Obamas more involved with helping improve nutrition in schools.  Pretty cool!  I watched the first episode of his show this weekend and loved it -- there's so much hidden truth behind some of the food we think is good for us. 

Here's Jamie's message:

The American Food Revolution needs to start now! If you care about your country and the health of its children please help us make a difference. We need your support to get people back in touch with food and keep cooking skills alive before it's too late. We want to make sure every kid gets good, fresh food at school. It's proven that real food promotes more effective learning. If you want better health for your kids the junk food must go. I need to be able to show The President and industry how many of you out there really care about this issue so please don't wait, sign up today. It will only take 30 seconds.

He's doing good things.  Plus, he's easy on the eyes.  Double bueno :)

xoxo,
Olivia

Knowledge Is Power

Regardless of which side of the health reform debate you take, there is one positive change I think we can all agree is a step in the right direction. While this hasn't been talked about as much as pre-existing conditions or insurance caps, the health care bill calls for chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus.

Here's an excerpt with more information from Fast Food Maven:

A little-known provision within the Health Care Reform Bill is a mandate for menu labeling at chain restaurants across the nation.  Passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday, the bill requires restaurants with 20 units or more to provide calorie information on menu boards. Vending machines will also be required to post calorie counts.

The national mandate would pre-empt existing legislation, including California’s current menu labeling law. By Jan. 1, 2011, the state law will force restaurants with 20 or more units to post calorie information on their menus and indoor menu boards. The National Restaurant Association, which expressed concern over the health-care provisions of the main bill, said Monday that it approves national standards for menu labeling. Chain restaurants in California must provide nutritional brochures.

“This legislation will replace a growing patchwork of varying state and local regulations with one consistent national standard that helps consumers make choices that are best for themselves and their families,” said Dawn Sweeney, president of the association, a lobbying group for the restaurant industry.

Some restaurants are already making the switch, including Panera Bread. The chain recently announced plans to install new menu board with calorie counts in all company-operated units by next month. As of July 2009, chain restaurants in California must offer diners nutritional brochures.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled about the idea of knowing how many calories I'm about to subject my body to before inhaling a cheeseburger, but I do think just having the information available will increase awareness and get people to make smarter decisions. Case in point, when going to Panera, I usually opt for the Sierra Turkey sandwich.  After all, how bad can a turkey sandwich be? Well, I'm a sucker because the Sierra Turkey has around 1,000 calories. For comparison purposes, a Big Mac has only 700 calories. Holy.crap. I looked up the Panera nutritional facts, and it turns out that a much better choice would be a roast beef sandwich or a turkey panini. Good to know!

I think this is a really positive move and one that will greatly benefit the American public. Knowledge is power, friends :)

Ok, stepping off my soap box now.

xoxo,
Olivia

March Madness

It's March.  When did that happen? 

I looked at my calendar this morning and realized that the St. Patrick's Day 8K is next Sunday.  Holy crap! I'm so not ready, but I know I'll get through it one way or another.  I did four miles in 50 minutes on the treadmill yesterday, which didn't hurt as badly as I expected (yay).  I'm hoping to do the full five mile distance one evening this week, when I'm feeling extra energetic.  Wish me luck!

A friend was telling me about how she amps up her health/fitness routine a few times a year with what she calls "30 Day Challenges."  It's basically just a month where you set goals at the beginning and do your best to maintain throughout the month.  I'm making March 2010 my first "30 Day Challenge" month, focusing on maintaining my workout routine and finding a better balance when it comes to eating healthy.  My goals for the month are pretty flexible since I'm a believer in baby steps:

• Workout 4+ times a week (mix between cardio and weight training/BodyPump)
• Eat a healthy breakfast everyday.
• Pack my breakfast and/or lunch 3+ days a week.
• Get 7+ hours of sleep a night.

Not so bad, right?  I pretty much follow these points already (minus the sleeping part - I'm awful about getting enough rest), but I want to stick with a formal plan and see how it goes.  Today I packed my breakfast and lunch, and tried to keep it fairly low in fat/calories since I have class until late tonight and won't have a chance to workout.

Here's what I had for breakfast -- a "yogurt mess" of 2% Plain Fage Greek Yogurt; 1/2 cup of Raspberries; 1 cup of Kashi Puffs.  It may sound scary (took me awhile to come around to the idea of so much yogurt for breakfast), but it is actually delish and very filling:

I stayed pretty full until around 1:00 p.m.  For lunch I packed 1/2 of a roast beef sandwich (I will eat the other half around 5:30 p.m. when I'm on my way to class), a bag of sliced red apples, and some green grapes.  Oh, and I had a Diet Coke.  I think I went a bit overboard on the fruit, but I think this should hold me over until the end of the day.  I'm working on wheaning myself off Diet Coke, but for now I'm alright with just having one or two a day.  See, baby steps :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I made a big batch of Turkey Chili last night, so that will probably be my dinner.  Not to bad, for a Monday. If anyone has good ideas for healthy and easy to make breakfast/lunch items, please do tell.  I need all the help I can get!
 
xoxo,
Olivia