Habit #10: Longer, Lower Intensity Cardio

A woman I know was training for a long bike race. She was a recreational rider, not interested in anything but completing and enjoying the race. But she recognized that since the race was going to take her a few hours, she'd better train up to that level to get through the event. She lived in an apartment and so she invited a few of her friends over one night, told them to bring their bikes and their stationary trainers (devices that cradle the back wheel and basically convert the road bike into a stationary bike). They rented a movie, lined the bikes up in front of the TV and pedaled for the length of the movie (about two hours.)

I thought that was a great way to get in the work in an enjoyable way that made the time pass quickly. Many people prefer actually taking the bike out on the open road on a quiet Sunday. Still others think of a day tossing a Frisbee and splashing in the breakers at the beach pure heaven. One of my long-time clients doesn't let many weekends go by without hiking one of the many picturesque trails in our area.

Whatever your choice of activities, it's a terrific idea to include at least monthly (and maybe even weekly) a longer, lower intensity cardio workout. This is anywhere from 90 minutes to a few hours with your relative intensity level somewhere between 5 and 6 on a 1-10 scale. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Lots of calories burned, mostly from fat stores.
2. Building stamina for similar functional activities (cleaning out the garage, yard work, house cleaning, etc.)
3. If you pick activities you enjoy, perhaps the high point of your week in terms of pure relaxation and re-charging your batteries.

There's a beautiful mildly hilly route here in my home town I've walked that ends in the heart of the very charming downtown area. It's been a while since I walked it, so I think I'll do that this weekend with a couple of soon-to-be very grateful dogs.

What are you going to do..?

Flat Belly Recipe: Hi-Pro Pasta Salad

This is a complete meal and loaded with nutrients. It's pretty simple. Get Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Rotini (8g of protein per serving!) and boil about half the package for 9-11 minutes. While it's boiling, zap some broccoli flowerettes in the microwave in some lemon juice and a fine thread of low fat Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing until they soften a little but are still fairly crisp and a rich green color (try a minute and then 30 second increments after that). Cut up a couple of pre-cooked apple chicken sausages (from TJs or any major super market) in 1/4 inch slices and then cut crosswise in half.

When the pasta is ready, run it under cold water in a colander, drain off the water, dump in the chicken, the broccoli and about 1/4 cup of Julienne cut sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil I want you to drain off first - maybe even dab them on a paper towel to mop up the excess.)

Finally, trickle on more dressing, stir it up, put it into a Tupperware bowl with the lid on and set it upside down in the refrigerator. Check it in a couple of hours by flipping it over, stirring it again and then tasting it. You should be able to taste the dressing but it shouldn't be greasy.

This keeps all week (if it lasts that long) and is a great one-stop meal for everyone.

Dig in!

Five Steps to Peace?

For a good while now, I have been searching, urgently - almost desperately - for a sense of inner peace. The past year has been tremendously difficult. It's been a time of almost unbearable upheaval and uncertainty. While I want more than anything to be a positive, loving influence on those closest to me, I've caused, perhaps, the most damage. But I've learned a great deal about myself as well. Much of what I've learned has been humbling. But then, of course, that means I needed to be humbled. What better condition to be open to learning then to realize how little you know?

This morning my earliest client cancelled, so I took the opportunity to meditate. Boy, did I need it. And when I was nearly ready to pack it up (I hadn't been able to find even the slightest sense of calm or relief - only distress from dwelling on everything that I felt was "wrong"), in that moment, something came to me. Five words surfaced in my mind and seemed to effortlessly string themselves together in a gentle, purposeful sequence:

Presence, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Love, Peace

These are ideas that I believe in deeply but have only advanced marginally in practicing daily. In a single moment, I saw a connection between them all that for the first time aligned itself like a process I could actually put into application - something that felt like it truly fit me.

Here's the thread I saw that made this have meaning for me and gave me an immediate and pronounced sense of relief:

Presence - We are so easily entangled in regret, resentment or guilt over the past. Five minutes ago is as finished as five thousand years ago. It's done. The future, which we become excited or anxious about hasn't happened and has no true relevance yet. Only the present is real. We can only control our thoughts and actions right now.

Forgiveness - Holding grievances is the single most destructive emotional act you can experience. Guilt and resentment aren't necessary to act appropriately in the present - only our better judgement - our higher selves need be consulted for guidance. There's a Chinese proverb that says if you are bent on revenge, you'd better dig two graves. If you're abusing yourself with guilt, stop the behavior you feel guilty about and forgive yourself for the time it took you to learn the lesson. Release the poison.

Gratitude - How, once you have let go of the past or the need to control the future (and everyone and everything connected to the future), can you feel anything but awareness and appreciation for the countless blessings that surround you. That's not self-delusion - it's clarity.

Love - What is this, really? Isn't it being true to yourself and accepting everyone for exactly who they are? Isn't is allowing everything to be exactly as it is, unless it's clear that you have some responsibility to act with courage and compassion (rather than anger and viciousness)? Isn't it being open to life's lessons about hope, beauty and growth?

Peace - I believe that peace is a deeply rooted and always accessible state, although sometimes circumstances and the way we are conditioned to react to those circumstances with fear or anger can erect temporary barriers to that sense of peace. But it's always there. And perhaps the level of peace we can achieve is directly related to the enormity and the difficulty of the trials we face.

I'd like to believe that.

In any case - I wish for you today presence, forgiveness, gratitude, love, and mostly, peace.

Eat NU~DE: Salads with Protein

Salads - rabbit food or power-packed nutrition? Well, both, actually. If you're trying to lose body fat while getting the most vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein you can in your last meal of the day, it's hard to argue with the salad.

But is a salad enough for you? It should be if you add a lean protein source and a little bit of fat. Now, don't get confused about the difference between getting your blood sugar up quickly (which a soda or a plate of pasta will do beautifully) and getting enough nutrient-density, calories and food volume to satisfy you for the rest of the night. They're not the same things. Salad (especially with protein and fat) is a very low glycemic index (G.I.) meal that will take a while to address your hunger, but will hold you for a long time, provided you have enough. And it will do it with a lot more nutritional value than most other foods and at a much lower calorie count. That helps you reign in your calories for the day (making it easier to draw down your surplus - body fat) and get everything you need to recover optimally from your last workout at the same time.

Here are some easy variations (remember darker greens are more nutritious than pale varieties):

Butter leaf lettuce with sliced roast beef, cherry tomatoes and shredded carrots

Spinach salad with hard boiled egg (plus an additional white or two), peas, cranberries and Mandarin orange slices

Mixed baby greens with baked Teriyaki tofu, pecans and caramelized pear slices (put the pear slices in the toaster oven, brush with canola oil and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon)

Romain lettuce with Trader Joe's Cesar style "Just Chicken", a low fat Cesar dressing and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Fish like salmon and tuna is also great on salads. I sprinkle lemon juice and balsamic vinaigrette on drained canned tuna and then pile on the other produce for a colorful, delicious, healthy meal.

I also use a small amount of full-fat or low-fat dressing with lemeon juice for flavor, rather than zero-fat dressings that sometimes have a bunch of additional sugar. I figure the meal on balance is still pretty low in fat, and I'm not trying to have a sub-10% fat diet. Neither should you.

If you mix it up and skip nights between salads, you'll enjoy them much more and keep them as a regular staple in your NU~DE eating plan!

Precautions for the 40+ Back

Did you know that the most common precurser to back pain (besides a traumatic injury or a genetic condition) is a combination of weak core muscles and tight pelvic and lower body muscles?

If you did, you might also already know that most adults (and a surprising number of kids, from my experience) have both conditions. This is a big factor in the percentage of Americans develop back pain at some point in their lives - 80%.

Protecting your back against injury basically entails two separate but closely related (and interdependent) efforts:

1. Proper posture and biomechanics in everyday functional activities (including recreation and sports)

2. Proper conditioning as a preventive measure

Today I'm going to briefly discuss elements of the first, since most people don't exercise but everyone does physical stuff around the house, yard and office. I'll expand and provide more detail in future posts. My main objective initially is to get you thinking about the importance of all this.

I blogged about posture recently so let me touch on biomechanics for everyday activities. I could easily draw up a page-long list of "do's" and "don'ts", but let's face it - you'd forget most of them almost as soon as you read them. So I'll focus on the most common /severe mistakes and how to fix them:

1. Hunching and picking something up with both feet together. This puts way too much uneccesary stress on your low back. Correct that by doing this instead:

Drop to one knee and wrap yourself around the load (rather than bending forward out over your feet), grip the load keeping your spine as vertical as possible, brace your abdomen (like you contract it when you laugh or you're "dropping the kids off at the pool") and use your legs to get upright.

2. Bending and twisting at the same time. This is how most people pick things up and then put them down in a different direction. Bad move. How to fix it? Follow the steps described above and come up pointing in the same direction you're in when you grip the load. Get vertical and then turn by repositioning your feet.

Just these two simple modifications of everyday movements can provide an effective safeguard against unnecessary back problems.

Next post I'll cover some exercises you can do to strengthen the core and gain flexibility in your lower body.

Flat Belly Recipe: Tuna and Cheese (Super Hi-Pro)

If I haven't lost you already - stick around for a second - you may just be convinced to try it when I'm done.

First, it's pretty simple - you just take some canned tuna, drain off the water, mix it with an equal amount (more or less) of Knudsen low fat cottage cheese (I like this brand because it doesn't get watery or "tangy" after just a few days like some other brands and because it has a mild flavor and nice consistency), and, if you want, add a few other things to it to enhance the flavor and texture.

Pros:
1. It's super quick and easy.
2. At around 50g of protein, it supplies more than half of most peoples daily requirements.
3. It's a great source of calcium, heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
4. It's low calorie for a lot of nutritional value.
5. It tastes better than it sounds like it tastes.

Cons:
1. It sounds like it tastes pretty bad.

But once you get over the one con by actually trying it, I think many of you will want to include it in your diet at least once or twice a month. You can really add to the enjoyment of it by adding a little sun-dried tomato pesto and/or Almond Toppers (seasoned sliced almonds for salads found in the produce section.)

This is the one food idea that I actually learned from my brother - another triumph of resourcefulness when the refrigerator is down to a hodge-podge of random items and you're too lazy to actually make something.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Habit #9: Correct Posture

Back about the time CDs were just staring to replace vinyl albums, I was on vacation with my first wife, her best friend Lori, and Lori's husband Larry. Larry was a long-distance runner, lifted weights, taught martial arts and was once profiled in a local magazine in an article titled "Best Bodies in the Bay". He was the one they picked in the male, 20-29 category.

We were in a seaside town strolling by various shops - the girls were in front of us, Larry just in front of me. Larry didn't just enter a room - he glided in like a sleek, massive jet rolling out of the hanger. As we passed our reflected images on the adjacent smoke-tinted shop window, I watched each of our images mirror us as we passed. Vanity has always been a weak point (I'm proud, but not proud of that fact, if that even makes sense), so, of course I looked at my own reflection after watching Larry's pass by in the mirror.

Big mistake.

Somehow I had mysteriously transformed into some hideous cross between a unibrow, knuckle-dragging Neanderthal and a ridiculously twisted Elephant Man. Ok, it wasn't that bad, but after seeing Larry's reflection a split second before mine, well, it wasn't pretty.

It wasn't that I had a terrible body, but the way I carried the one I had: slump shouldered, crane-necked and shuffle-stepped. Was I just some defeated creature looking for a place to lay down and die? At 21?

Flash forward to the present day. I teach a couple of Pilates classes each week, strength train to balance all the functionally opposing muscles and hold my head high whenever it's not on a pillow. When I compare pictures from 20 years ago to recent ones, besides the fact that I have more muscle, less hair, more wrinkles and less fat (a pretty even trade off down the line, don't you think?), the big difference in appearance is that I always looked tired. In recent pictures I usually look crisp and energetic. And I never have back or neck problems - a very common trait among my peers. Training is a big reason. Posture is the other.

So how do you quickly and easily correct your posture?

Here's a great visualization I learned in a local yoga class: Imagine you have three strings attached to your body; one each to your shoulders and the third to your crown. Each is being pulled in its respective direction (left, right and upward.) This opens you up and stands you tall, rather than forcing a pinched, rigid unnatural stance and carriage. It feels good too.

The other instruction I give my Pilates students to correct the ever popular one-side hip-lean is, when standing, to always feel your weight evenly distributed between:

1. Each foot (lateral)
2. The balls and the heels (forward/back)

It's also good to engage the core, which you can do by gently contracting the low abs and slightly drawing the navel toward your spine (not vacuuming the entire abdominal wall like the desperate pot-bellied middle aged dreamer as the hot bikini-wearing nymph floats by on the beach.)

If all this seem like just too much to bother with, start with the "three strings" and see how much difference it makes in how your back feels (you can do this sitting as well as standing.)

You may just like the way it looks too.

Should You Work Out After a Rough Night?

Jerry Seinfeld has a cute bit about the split personality we each have before and after a night of partying (just the top paragraph of the script): http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheGlasses.html

You may someday find yourself in the unenviable position as "morning guy" and wonder if you should go ahead and work out anyway. Here are some things to think about:

1. Do you feel at nauseated, light headed or have a severe headache? If so, skip it.

2. Do you usually feel a little better after moving around on days like "this"? Then maybe you should.

3. Are you going to be doing something where you can pull back on the pace and intensity or abort altogether if you start feeling worse? A hilly walk might be fine, a snow-boarding trip might be a big mistake.


If you decide you're up for at least trying, these tips should make it a more pleasant and productive experience:

1. Drink plenty of water before, during and after (but don't guzzle all at once)

2. Start about half your normal warm-up pace and warm up twice as long as usual.

3. Stop after the warm up and rest for a couple of minutes to see how you feel before continuing.

4. Avoid intense strength training and cardio that drives your exertion level higher than a "7" on a 1-10 scale (10 being max.) Light cardio, Pilates, Muscle endurance work (staying within 10 reps with loads you can normally lift 15+ times) are better options.

5. Stop every 5-10 minutes, rest and re-evaluate how you feel before continuing.

6. End the workout if you start feeling progressively worse. It's not just unpleasant - it's unproductive.

Remember if you miss a workout that day, it's not the end of the world. Sometimes rest is exactly what the body needs most. If you do decide to go for it, remember - it's the boss, so listen to it.

If you don't - it might demand your attention...:-)

Better than Running?

I know there are quite a few of you out there for whom running is almost like a religion - peaceful, meditative, invigorating and life-affirming. Congratulations, if you've found your niche. You're fortunate if running is your thing and your body responds well to it.

But many people aren't well-suited for running as a primary cardio activity, and some aren't comfortable with it at all. The biggest obstacles for many include everything from pre-existing lower body injuries, to back problems, to strength-to-bodyweight ratio related discomfort, to just plain not enjoying the feel of it. And that's fine. There are other ways to achieve the aerobic benefits, the low dependence on equipment and the "do it almost anywhere" benefits running presents. Here's a circuit I developed for just that purpose:

1. Jog-in-Place while flexing at the elbows (like raising a glass to your lips) and then reaching above your shoulders, reversing the movement and repeating with control and fluidity. [4 min]

2. Rope Skip (or if that's too difficult for you, jog lightly in place while pretending to skip a rope, continually rotating wrists and forearms forward rhythmically) [3 minutes]

3. Jumping Jacks (or if that's too difficult, jog in place lightly but do the upper-body portion of the jacks) [1 minute]

Rest at the end of the circuit until you can talk without too much effort, then repeat the circuit 1-3 more times, depending on your fitness level. Finish with Pilates: http://45yearold6pack.blogspot.com/2007/12/healthy-habit-4-pilates.html

This sequence integrates some of the best aerobic benefits as running, but without nearly the wear and tear on the bones and joints. Why? Because it puts a similar load on the heart and lungs, but it distributes the muscle workload much more evenly through the entire body, dramatically reduces the impact and eliminates the shear force (caused by the forward momentum stress on the knees) that running incorporates.

The circuit is also a great warm-up sequence for longer distance training runs if you are a runner preparing for a half or full marathon.

Try it and let us know how it works for you!

Taking a Risk

Today I stumbled across this poem: http://www.heartnsouls.com/stories/k/s1013.shtml

When I read it, it was un-credited. I was curious about who wrote it so I did a little research, and found that at least four authors (including "anonymous" and "unknown") were given credit by different sources for penning the verse. I guess the fact that it survives without a clear consensus about who's responsible is a testament to it's enduring value.

It hit me pretty squarely because I've been thinking a lot about the difference between perceived risk and actual risk lately, and how easily we can get the two confused. If you believe that living a good life is defined by hurting as few people and being hurt as infrequently as possible, you may feel that risk is something to avoid. Certainly risk can be associated with failure, which can be devastating. But failure can also be looked at another way. You can't fail at anything without learning something about your growth capacity. And we make mistakes - we're supposed to - but they're also the most valuable experiences from which to learn. Is it possible that avoiding risk is the biggest mistake of all?

I'm now more than halfway between 40 and 50 years old. Like many of you, I've done my best but would do many things differently given the wisdom I've acquired since I made those mistakes. But looking back, I realize the main reason I see things differently now is precisely because of what I learned from taking risks.

Maybe there's something in your life that presents one of the biggest risks you've ever taken. Maybe the indecision is paralyzing you. It might be the idea of finally finding out what kind of physical condition you're really in, and then putting yourself in the uncomfortable and unfamiliar position of testing and breaking through those limitations. Or it may be something else.

Consider carefully where the real risk lies. If it requires integrity, dignity, honoring your true self, and most of all, courage, chances are that's the risk you need to take.

Let No Man Put Asunder

How many people can say their ex-spouse is one of their best friends?

I'm blessed to have a terrific relationship with the mother of my oldest boy. She's the woman I spent my twenties with, became a parent for the first time with, and went through some of life’s most profound and transformative experiences with - and we're still speaking!

Not just speaking, but communicating with respect, compassion and insight.

We met Friday to talk about our son, who is about to graduate from high school in a few months. Like many of the conversations we've had since we divorced, it was honest, open, positive and constructive.

As I left the coffee shop, it got me thinking about the vast difference between form and content. The bond between us has transcended role definition. In fact, there's no need to define it all. It's good.

Running a few miles a week is form. So is lifting weights, abdominal work, stretching and eating well. Content is treating your body the way it deserves to be treated, so it does the same for you.

Content over form. The proper focus is rare, but always there for us to re-evaluate and get right in the future.

Today is a good day to think about that. So is tomorrow.

Don't Drink Your Calories

I'm not a huge fan of getting a good portion of calories from liquid sources. Why? It depends on the beverage how nutrient-dense it is, but one thing is universal - when it's in liquid form, you can power it down a lot faster than solid food.

Certain liquids just happen to be super-concentrated sources of calories with almost no nutritional value. Soda and alcohol fall into that category. In fact, alcohol supplies almost as many calories per gram as a stick of butter (7 versus 9). Fruit juice has vitamins and minerals, but the fruit itself has more fiber and takes longer to consume. And that builds in a limitation on volume consumed. We tend to drink until we're not thirsty anymore, and sometimes beyond that point. But the thing is, if you're thirsty, you need more water, plain and simple. The calories are just a bonus.

The biggest mistake many people who are trying to maintain or lose body fat make regarding liquid calories, besides over-consuming and consuming too quickly, is "cannon-balling" their not-quite-completely-chewed food while eating. What better way to eat a lot more, a lot faster, than to "wash it down" with a caloric beverage, right?

That's why I always drink water before meals, and sometimes tea afterward, but never a beverage with a meal (especially dinner.)

So what do I drink?

Water
Non fat milk
V8 juice
Herb tea
Lattes (mostly steamed milk with some decaf coffee)
Smoothies (occasionally)

Sound boring? It's not. I get all the hydration I need, these are the most satisfying beverages to me and when I'm hungry, I don't drink, I eat.

If you just have to have juice, or soda, or something as close to one of them as possible, try this:

6 oz. of your favorite juice mixed with 6 oz. of Lime Calistoga soda water. Delicious and refreshing, with half the sugar and calories that you would otherwise get.

Old Fart Exercise Do's and Dont's

Do:

Don't:

Do:

Don't:

Do:

Don't:

Want more info? Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com

Flat Belly Recipe: Hi-Pro, Low-Fat Baked Spuds

Did you know that one potato can make a complete nutritious and delectable meal?
Here's how (it's kind of like stone soup - just without the interesting story or moral about a community pitching in together.):

One Large Russet Potato
Butter
Trader Joes 2% Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Broccoli Flowerets
Cheddar Cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Salt
Pepper

Scrub the skin and then microwave the potato for 10 minutes, then check to see if the middle is soft (try 15 minutes if you’re doing 2-4 potatoes)

If you like the skins toasty (I do), put it into a toaster oven at 450 for another 5 minutes or so. Drizzle some balsamic dressing on the broccoli and zap it in the microwave for about a minute, check and reheat until it is slightly soft but still crisp and a rich green color.

When the potato is done, cut it down the middle and mix in about a teaspoon of butter and the Greek yogurt. Lightly salt if you like and pepper to taste, then top with the broccoli. Grate a very thin layer (you should see more broccoli than cheese) of cheddar and zap in the microwave if you need to in order to melt it onto the broccoli.

Dig in!

Strength Training - It's Not About Reps, Sets or Loads

I may have just branded myself a fitness heretic for making such a bold statement (although I prefer to think of myself as a courageous idealist), but that's one of the benefits of getting old. Call it cantakerous or eccentric, but each day I lose another few grey hairs (although I'm pretty sure it's the dark brown ones that are abandoning ship), I find I'm less and less worried about offending people. Especially when I'm telling the truth. Status Quo, be damned!

There - I said it.

It may sound like I'm being silly (well, maybe, just a little, but again, oldsters like me like to amuse ourselves) but there are those out there who live and die by their "three sets of ten reps each" mantra. It's garbage. Unless it just happens to precisely meet your specific muscle building objectives, dogmatic loyalty to a particular template whose most attractive feature is that it is a predictable quantity of sets, reps and loads, you're missing the point. And you may be missing important opportunity to get a much more effective strength workout in.

The basic strength training equation is this:

Relative Intensity x Time Muscles are Under Load

The first part addresses the workload difficulty in terms of an individuals unique capacity (the only relevant reference point), and the second part addresses the volume of the work performed. And they have an inverse relationship. The more weight you lift the less time you can keep it up. Makes sense, right? So the trick is to manipulate those variables to improve your strength and/or endurance exactly the way you want. How many ways are there to do that? More than a million. So where do you start? With the right exercises, proper form and loads that don't overwhelm you in just a few lifts (because that's high-risk power training appropriate for only a very few narrow athletic applications) but that you can't push for several minutes straight (because that would only improve your strength modestly and use a ridiculous amount of time to accomplish very little).

That's where reps, set, and loads come in - simply as tools in your tool box - not as the compass to point the way to your destination. It's fine to have a set routine but what's much more important is that your understand what you're trying to accomplish, how to accomplish that goal and why the method you choose works best.

An experienced, nationally certified trainer can be a big help with that but there are great books that explain these points well too.

I will be covering these points in more detail myself in future posts. If you can't wait, I'm available for on-line coaching at Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com.

Quite a Day

It's been some day. It started around 6:00am with another discouraging installment of a long-running conversation. The issues remained unresolved; both tensions and the stakes - very high.

Late afternoon brought a welcome "date" with the two gorgeous creatures you see above - the lights of my life - at a local coffee hangout after picking my son up from school.

Before 6:00pm, I had serious conversations about painful and permanent transitions with two very important people in my life. It's a strange experience to discover that sadness and hope can somehow coexist.

As the evening unfolded, I gave the rugrats a bath, set up lunch for later this week with one of my closest friends of the last 20 years and called another on the eve of his surgery.

The kids and I shared a new ritual I started last week I call "Circle of Love" meditation. We put on soft instrumental music, sit around a small scented candle and hold hands in a circle. Then we just chill and "feel the love". You might be surprised at how calm a three year old can be in a situation like that. I know I was. But they both seem to enjoy it as much as I do. After a few minutes (can't push that sort of thing with a pre-schooler!) we read and I tucked them both in bed.

Oh, I almost forgot the defining moment of the day. It happended somewhere between the first part of the day and the evening activities. My daughter came up behind me, wrapped her arms around me and sweetly declared: "I love you Daddy."And then this priceless line:

"Happy 'I Love You Day', Daddy!"

Indeed.

Munchies Late at Night? Try One of These...

I have talked about this principle in previous posts, but if your goal is to trim excess body fat, the point bears repeating (and emphasizing):

The closer you get to bed time, the fewer calories you should consume.

Why? It's just a simple equation of calories in versus calories out. As your metabolism slows, preparing for rest, you need fewer calories to get through the rest of the day, and you have less of an opportunity to burn off what you do ingest. So if you're going to need 700 calories between 6:00pm Tuesday and 6:00am Wedesday, and you want to lose a pound of fat this week, you'd better only get in 200 calories in that time frame. The trouble is that most people take in their single biggest chunk of calories in during this window of time. A major contributor for many is after-dinner snacks.

I'm targeting this topic today because, in my experience with hundreds of clients, this is one of the toughest habits for many people to break. So one way to minimize the impact of late-night snacking on the daily calorie equation is to keep the snacking to one of these three low calorie, high nutrient-density options:

1. Carrot sticks - this is a good choice if you're into the crunchy texture more than anything else. They're high in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, and you literally cannot physically consume so many that you'll be making a serious dent in the calorie deficit you worked so hard to create earlier in the day.

2. A glass of non-fat milk - the perfect combination of easily digestable carbs (unless you're lactose intolerant) and highly bio-available protein, which will help to keep you satisfied longer than strictly carbs. Plus you get the bonus of healthy doses of calcium and vitamin D.

3. Frozen grapes - you have to try this if your weakness is a late-night sweet tooth. They're fun to pop in your mouth, taste delicious and you have to eat them more slowly when they're frozen, so it's harder to stuff yourself. Grapes are also rich in healthful anti-oxidants.

Try one of these great alternatives to cheetos or ice cream and you'll find that you can have your cake (well, maybe not cake!) and eat it too!

What's the Purpose?

I have always believed that if you do what you believe in your heart is truly best for you, emotionally and spiritually, then, ultimately, it will be right for the others in your life as well. I believe that's true regardless of how they receive it initially, or whether they even ever truly recognize that fact. If your life has meaning and joy, it's better for everyone on the planet.

The trick is sorting out what appeals to your ego (fears, selfish indulgences) from what you genuinely feel, at the depth of your soul, is in concert with your inner purpose.

So, I decided to start a list of criteria that feel right for me. I hope it will help to guide me, and perhaps others on this critical journey. It's an unfinished list. So please, feel free to add to it with your comments.

1. Does it give you energy and provide it's own inspiration?
2. Are you more than you thought you were as a result of your experience with it?
3. Have you grown in ways you wouldn't want to reverse because of it?
4. Are you more sure about who you are because of it?
5. Would you want your children or your best friend to have a similar experience?

There was a time in my life that I found myself more focussed on this matter than anything else in my life. Then I went on with my daily activities and the urgency (and the sense of priority) faded.

Recently I've been reminded, in no uncertain terms, of it's importance. Purpose is everything. Everything.

I have it with my children, with my work, with my friendships and with my health. But there are always opportunities to find purpose in nearly every aspect of your life. I recognize I still have unexploited opportunity in mine.

Do you?