Top with 2% greek yogurt (Trader Joe's), drizzle on some honey and throw on some fresh or thawed frozen berries.
Makes about four pieces so double if you have a more than a couple of people you're cooking for.
Awesome!
Fitness, Supplement, Exercise Schedule, Exercise Equipment, Figures, Tips And Tricks
Is there a better set-up than the idiot box in front of your eyes and meal under your nose? Ah, consumption heaven!
Why is the idea of eating and watching TV at the same time so enticing? Maybe it's because we spend all day trying to cram as many tasks we need to get done together in the shortest period of time. And then when we finally settle in to relax for the evening, we want to let the sensory waves wash over us with the same enviable rate of productivity - no time to waste!
It could be that it's just a comfort thing - feeding our minds (or at least a small part of them) and our mouths at the same time just feels doubly good. Whatever the reason, it's a problem if you're trying to cut calories (and trim body fat). A 2006 study conducted at Penn State University revealed that we eat up to 30% more food while watching TV than we do with the TV off. Several of my clients confide to me that one of their biggest obstacles to losing weight is their habit of snacking after dinner while watching their favorite shows. If you're eating any calories late that you don't need - it all goes to stored fat.
The problem is that we are much less mindful about how much we're consuming as it relates to how much we need when we're distracted with the television. Have you ever finished a show or movie you watched while snacking and suddenly realized you're stuffed? If that happens an hour or two before you go to bed - that's nearly all excess you won't burn off that day.
So what are some good alternatives to eating in front of the boob tube? Here are a few:
Also, if you're alone, try walking around your house or apartment at commercial breaks, or write short cards or notes to friends or family. If you are with someone, make a point to hit the mute button during commercials (they always assault your senses with a big increase in volume for the commercials anyway - just in case you dozed off during the program) and discuss the show or share something that happened during the day. All these activities will help you to be more aware and focused on what you're doing - and less likely to consume mindlessly.
The next time you eat without watching TV, or watch TV without eating, stop for a minute to notice how each was just a bit fuller experience than it is when you're combining the two.
And greater enjoyment is a pretty good incentive to keep up healthy behaviors.
Now some people do really well with structure and repetition, and the idea of introducing any variation at all makes them skeptical. You don't have to give up a framework of structure to get some variation in your program, though. There are literally an infinite number of ways that you can vary it and still keep enough structure to keep it familiar and manageable. Here's an idea for cardio, for strength and for flexibility:
Cardio - If you're used to running on the treadmill for 30 minutes twice a week, try substituting a rotation of different activities on your second cardio day each week like a class, multiple circuits of jogging in place for three minutes and then skipping rope for two, swimming, rowing, elliptical trainer or stationary bike.
Strength - If you lift twice weekly and you want to stick to one major exercise for each body part for simplicity, alternate between your normal loads (8-12 repetition failure range) on the first day each week with about 60% of those loads for a 15+ repetition range on the second day each week.
Flexibility - Instead of doing all your stretching at the end of the workout, experiment with stretching each muscle group after working it on strength days and breaking up cardio with stretches at each 15 minute mark, as well as at the end of the workout.
If you are more the adventurous type, and you feel very comfortable with radical changes to your program (I work with a few competitive athletes who fall into this category), you need more objective-specific guidance. In this case I strongly recommend working with an experienced, nationally certified trainer (ACE, NASM, ACSM or NSCA) in your area to make the changes that will best suit your needs. Here's an article from my website to help you find the right trainer: http://www.trivalleytrainer.com/resources_3cs.html
Make your exercise program work for you. You're constantly growing and evolving. It should as well.
Several years ago I was going through a divorce and seeing a counselor to sort through some difficult issues. I had gotten married when I was 19 years old, so maybe that was reason enough for it not to work out. Still, it was very painful and threw my sense of self and, really, my whole world into a tailspin. During one of our sessions, he listened patiently and thoughtfully to me, paused, and then said:
"Oh - you need to do things that make you proud of yourself!"
That was a major turning point for me. It led to, among other things, a new family, a career change and, incidentally, to the fact that you're reading my words right now.
At the time, my only child was a seven year old son who thought I was awesome. Being a good dad to him was a no-brainer priority, but since I only had him half the time now, I had to figure out how to spend the rest of my time in ways that actually did make me feel proud of myself. Here are some of the things I did that year:
I love to work out, and I love the way I feel and look as a result. But if you've ever dealt with depression, you know that one of the symptoms is that you sometimes can't get enthusiastic about anything. And dragging yourself to the gym or even physically moving when you feel like doing nothing can feel like too much to handle.
Do it anyway.
Besides the mountain of research on both the short and long-term beneficial effects of exercise on mood and symptoms of depression, here are some other compelling reasons:
Note: If you haven't been doing things that make you feel proud of yourself lately (or if you have been doing things that make you less than proud of yourself), don't waste time beating yourself up. Start with something positive and constructive today - no matter how simple or unglamorous. You may slip back. I've fallen more times than I can count. So what. We're human. Start again.
And notice how you feel after each small step in the right direction.
Each of those should hold you for about 2-3 hours tops, so have a mid AM snack like a small handful of fruit/nut trail mix. At lunch, try to stay with small portions that emphasize veggies like stir fries, salads with meat, or steamed/grilled veggies with a protein source like lean meat, beans or tofu. Another good idea is to order appetizers only, like a cup of broth (not cream) based soup and a small salad with lean meat and maybe a small piece of bread. Keep meal sizes to no more than two fist sized portions. It's a good habit to have the waiter bring you a take-home box right when they bring the entree. Put away at least 2/3 of it. After a five minute wait, you can go back for a very small portion of seconds only if you are truly still hungry. You know you're successful if you are feeling hungry for a snack no later than 4:00pm or so.
Sushi is generally great , as long as there's not a bunch of mayo, fried stuff or cream cheese. I get minestrone and eggplant (very light on the cheese and pasta sauce or I scrape most of it aside) or a salad w/meat at Italian places, tortilla soup or fish tacos at Mexican places, broccoli beef or asparagus chicken at Chinese restaurants and never dessert. I usually just mooch a few bites off my companion's plate if I really want something sweet. But if I don't order dessert, they usually don't either (positive peer pressure!)
You can get a regular burger (dump the top bun) and a side salad at burger joints. Pile on the produce (but, again, lose the top bun) at sandwich shops and skip the mayo. At Taco Bell, have a bean and cheese burrito and a grilled chicken soft taco (no sour cream, extra lettuce and tomatoes.)
No sodas or caloric beverages with meals - remember to have water right before you chomp into your meal - it will help.
Keep me posted!
- Dan