Set Realistic Goals

You aren't likely to hear some rookie say he plans to win the New York Marathon when he finished in last place the year before and he has yet to get off the bench. In other words, most athletes set realistic goals. So face it: You're not going to lose 30 pounds by your 10-year class reunion next weekend. (A more realistic goal is approximately two pounds per week.) Focus on taking one baby step at a time, keeping your ultimate goal in mind. It will be all the more rewarding when you finally get there.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Check Your Fuel Gage

While you'd never put sugar in your gas tank, many of us put junk into our bodies on a regular basis and then wonder why we don't have the energy to get through the day. 

While training for the World Championships, I made myself eat healthfully because it was very obvious that my physical and my mental shape depended upon it. After I retired, however, I developed a weakness for junk food, despite the fact that it made me feel sluggish and fatter. I was stuck in a negative behavioral pattern only I could resolve.

Then, after consciously making myself aware of the issue I concluded that I'd only been addressing half of my fitness dilemma. Besides focusing on exercise, I also needed to eat more wisely accordingly to my daily activity expenditure and find a way to relax through meditation and relaxation techniques.

Now I give in to my junk food cravings only one day a week, and my body feels and looks much better. Eating to sustain life rather than living to eat our problems away is a much better solution to create harmony in life.  

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Celebrate Your Success

During my years as a pro-athlete, working out regularly and being in top shape was a given. These days, I feel an incredible sense of achievement whenever I complete an ordinary 60-minute workout. Sure, I use to push and pull over 15 tons of iron in a single session, but now I'm beside myself with joy when I break the ton or two.

Aiming to stay at the gym 60 minutes but can only stay 30 minutes? Celebrate anyway, because you're on your way. You can give yourself little rewards here and there — as long as it's not junk food. Instead, splurge on a smoothie or a low-fat yogurt.

Every 6 weeks of success for sticking to your training routine, celebrate big time by treating yourself for a big night out, dinner and popcorns at the movies. You will be able to have a cheat day on a weekly basis once you have reached your optimum weight and body composition.

Remember that taking care of yourself inwardly and outwardly is crucial to a life in balance; it will affect positively everything in all areas of your life. The opposite is also true.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

How To Determine Fat Calories of Food Products

When on a nutritional plan that is low in fat, it’s always a good idea to determine how much of it you are actually consuming. I personally recommend not to exceed 20% of your daily calories requirements. Check the fat content of food products. To find what percentage of the total calories of a food are fat, use the following formula:

Read the label to discover:

1.       Amount of fat per serving (in grams) ______________

2.       Amount of fat per serving                    ______________

Multiply the number of grams of fat by 9 (the # of calories per gram) to determine the number of calories per serving derived from fat.  _________ x 9 = _________

Divide the number of total calories of fat by the total calories. __________ ÷_________ = _________

Multiply by 100.  ________ x 100 = __________%

This formula gives the percentage of calories derived from fat.

Example: Frozen Mexican Diner

25 grams of fat

350 calories per serving

25 x 9 = 225 calories per serving derived from fat.

225 ÷ 350 = 0.642

0.642 x 100 = 65% of the calories are from fat.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional

How to Eat Well While Traveling?

You've heard it over and over again that you should eat five or six small meals a day to maintain a healthy weight and keep your energy levels high, particularly if you workout on a regular basis. But for many of you finding time to cook a meal a day can be a challenge, never mind five or six. When you're on the go and looking for a quick, healthy meal, it helps to be aware of your choice; because you have a choice. With airport regulations the choice is a little limited. Nevertheless, you can get a healthy and fast meal such as “healthy fast foods”, meal replacements, and protein bars. You will find below a few meal ideas:

Fast Food:

 Try to drink 8 oz of water before consuming any of the following (you will eat less by doing so).

1-   McDonald Chicken McGrill without mayonnaise 300 Calories, 4.5 gr. Fat, Carbohydrates 37gr, Protein 27 gr.).You also eat only half of the bun; this would reduce the total calories to 220 calories, hence reducing the carbohydrates and fat content.

2-      McDonald Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 300 Calories, 6 gr. Total Fat, Carbohydrates 12 gr., Protein 30 gr.

3-      McDonald California Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken without Liquid Margarine: 280 Calories, 11 gr. Fat, 12 gr. Carbohydrates, 35 gr. Protein).

4-      (Burger King) BK Veggie® Burger Patty Without reduced fat mayonnaise: 310 Calories, 7 gr. Fat, 45 gr. Carbohydrates, 15 gr. Protein.

5-      Starbucks: Roma Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwich: 380 calories. Ham & Swiss Sandwich: 360 calories. Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate: 250 calories. Farmer's Market Salad: 230 calories.

6-      California Pizza Kitchen: Asparagus Soup: (vegetarian and creamless) 106 calories per cup, 213 for a bowl. Moroccan Chicken Salad (half): 421 calories. Chinese Chicken Salad (half): 376 calories. Frozen Lemonade: 70 calories

7-      TCBY: Every soft-serve yogurt is under 120 calories per ½ cup serving, top with any berries for less than 10 calories extra. Have it on a sugar cone for 50 more calories

Easy Meal Replacement

·         Protein Bars (not energy bars) :

When choosing a bar, you should consider a few factors. Avoid bars with too much sugar. Look for products that have at least 3 grams of fiber. And scan the label for high quality ingredients like whole grains. Generally I would rather see a whole grain as the first ingredient, rather than high fructose corn syrup. Get 10-20 grams protein per bar if you are a woman and 20-30 grams if you are a man.

·         Whey or Soy Protein Shake:

You can also prepare your own protein shake and drink it before crossing security (at home), it will fill you up for a couple of hours and will keep you from giving in to junk foods, or prepare it at your hotel.  Try my recipe, the “Nordine’s Power Punch” (Featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Showhttp://www.oprah.com/food/Nordines-Power-Punch.

Servings: Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

Nordine's Power Punch

·         2 tablespoons soy or whey protein powder

·         1/2 cup fat-free milk

·         1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

·         1/2 cup strawberries

·         1/2 medium banana

·         1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve in a tall glass.

Nutritional Information

260 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 5 mg of cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 51 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams fiber, 16 grams protein

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Do You Really Want to Change?

No one can “make” another person change his or her behavior. Only the person himself can control his choices and create that change. All I can do for you in this book is what I do when I’m sitting in a room with a client—that is help you to determine what your goals are and what you truly want for yourself, help you to identify your current negative and positive behaviors, and help you to create a plan of action that will facilitate the changes you want to make. Doing all that is a process—one I go through with my clients every day and that I will be going through with you.

Change doesn’t happen in an instant. In fact most of us, at least initially, are afraid of change. If you don’t believe me, just think how many people remain for years in dead end jobs or moribund marriages. Why? Because they may not be happy with the result of their current behavior, but at least they know what that result is. And they’re afraid that if they change their behavior, the result may be worse rather than better than what they know. Even our bodies hate to change. All our systems and our organs work constantly, every day, to keep things the same. What our bodies seek is homeostasis—the maintenance of internal stability. That’s a biological fact.

So how do we bring about change for ourselves, mentally and physically? It is, as I’ve said, a process. We move from not thinking about change at all to thinking about it, planning it, and then testing various means of creating it.

Excerpt from my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head!

                 

How Do You React to Failure?

When failure arises, how do you react to it? Do you blame yourself or others for your failure? Do you swallow the deal and learn from it, adapt to it and keep moving forward or do you give up and look for an easier way? Most people love to blame when things don’t go their way and deny any “personal responsibility” even at a great cost. To be responsible for your actions is to accept the consequences or rewards of those actions and therefore acknowledge, accept and let go of all blames and negative feelings if things don’t really go as you’ve planed. Try again, and again! After all, Thomas Edison tried 9999 times before he invented the light bulb. His motivator: ‘there is no such thing as failure, just another opportunity to get closer to success?” He was right!!!

Don't Believe Lies: It's All Lies!

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

That bit of wisdom came from Franklin D. Roosevelt during a radio address in 1939, and though he wasn't talking about fitness, it certainly applies to the following fat loss myths.

Myth #1: Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat

The Facts: Your body doesn't have an internal timer that causes late night eats to be stored directly as fat. Weight gain happens when you eat too much and exercise too little - you could eat too much in the morning, the afternoon, or late at night and it would all result in weight gain.

• Your Solution: Consider how many calories you eat and burn each day, rather than when you eat.

Myth #2: Snacking Promotes Weight Gain

The Facts: Eating snacks throughout the day is actually a great way to keep your metabolism up and to avoid overeating at meals. However, if you snack on junk food then be prepared to pack on pounds.

• Your Solution: When it comes to snacking it's all about what you snack on.

Myth #3: You Can Lose Fat Without Exercise

The Facts: Exercise and healthy eating go hand-in-hand when it comes to permanent fat loss. Your body needs exercise just as it needs to be fed a diet filled with fresh produce, whole grains and lean protein.

• Your Solution: Accept exercise as a part of your daily lifestyle.

Myth #4: Fat Free Means 'All-You-Can-Eat'

The Facts: It's time to close your eyes and mentally erase everything that the 90's taught about fat-free dieting. Fat-free foods are not the equivalent of flavored air – they contain plenty of calories and often lots of sugar.

• Your Solution: Be mindful of calories when eating fat-free foods.

Myth #5: Eat as Little as Possible for Maximum Fat Loss

The Facts: Eating too little causes your metabolism to shut down and puts your body into starvation mode, and prone to store fat rather than burn it.

• Your Solution: When it comes to fat loss think burn rather than starve.

Myth #6: Diet Pills Work for Fat Loss

The Facts: The only thing that diet pills are capable of burning is the extra cash in your wallet. Billions of diet pills are sold every year – all to no avail.

• Your Solution: Healthy eating and exercise can never be replaced by a pill.

Myth #7: You Should Never Eat Fast Food

The Facts: It's all about what you order. Fried, processed and salty foods will cause weight gain - don't order them. Lean meat, salad, vegetables and beans, on the other hand, are available at many fast food chains - order these instead.

• Your Solution: When eating fast food skip the fried items, stick with lean meats and salads.

Trying to lose weight is often a frustrating experience. In a world filled with quick fixes, lasting weight loss is not something that happens overnight. Remember that it took time to gain the weight, so it will also take some time to lose it.

Permanent weight loss happens as a result of a proper exercise and diet plan - my expertise.

This article or post is not intended to provide individual advice which should be obtained directly from your health care professional.

Matter Of The Spirit - How Meditation and Prayer Can Work For You

Your mind and body are connected, you can connect with your spirit and begin contemplating how it can help you achieve the transformations you desire.

I've already defined spirit as the authentic essence that gives you your individuality; your life force. You are born with it; it is yours to treasure; no one can damage it or take it away.

Everyone defines spirituality in his or her own terms. I define spirituality as an individual's relationship with oneself, other people and their actions, the natural world and the fabricated, technological world. Just as the Creation is a mystery and our universe is largely uncharted, there is also something miraculous and ultimately unknowable about spirit and spirituality.

I choose to embrace the mystery, however, because I know my spirit is my greatest ally, even if I can't explain why. After all, it's worked for me pretty well so far in my journey! I simply tap into the power of my spirit so I can live life to the fullest and help my clients accomplish their goals.

Because spirituality cannot be defined or quantified, there are no large-scale medical studies that provide evidence of a direct connection between spirituality and health. But you should know that there are many compelling studies in the medical literature suggesting that religious faith and frequent prayer as well as meditation help promote stress management, alleviate depression, increase purpose in life, and promote participation in self-help recovery.

Dale Matthews, M.D. discusses this research in his 1999 book, "The Faith Factor;" Herbert Benson, M.D. also devotes part of his book, "Timeless Healing," (1996) to what science says about how prayer works. Another physician who has investigated prayer, health and healing and personal growth is Larry Dossey, M.D. In his 1995 book, "Healing Words," Dossey discusses over 100 scientific studies, many conducted under strict laboratory conditions. Over half of these showed that prayer brings about significant physiological and psychological changes in humans and other living beings.

By praying and meditating for health, strength, transformation, courage, love, compassion, patience or other desirable outcomes, you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Use prayer and meditation to connect with your deepest aspirations for wholeness, and increased self-esteem will be one the many benefits you'll enjoy.