The ELFF Diet

Lance Armstrong - Nutrition Expert?

Lance Armstrong, Tour de France master, has an area on his Livestrong website that is actually pretty interesting.  The Daily Plate is an online calorie counter, food diary and nutrition tracker.  It does require registration, but once you do so, you have an unlimited area of knowledge at your fingertips.  You can determine your daily calorie requirement, enter the foods you eat and the website tallies your intake and computes a breakdown of fat, cholestrol and calories.  There are discussion boards and forums. 

Would you use a site like this?

There's a Light at the End of the Tunnel

Let's just hope it's not an oncoming train, ready to mow me down.  I HOPE my bad luck with injuries has left the building.

Now, let's be clear.  I'm not back in martial arts classes, I'm not running at all, nor am I walking for distance yet.  Or even for speed - people still notice that I'm moving slower than usual.

BUT.

I'm up to 30 minutes on the exercise bike, I've been doing plyometrics, which has added small jumps, both reclining on a weight bench and standing in a four square area, jumping from one square to another.  The physical therapist added burpees today - my LEAST favorite exercise ever. ( A burpee jumps down to a squat, out to a pushup, does a push up, jumps back to a squat, and then jumps straight up in the air. Barf.) 

So, there's forward progress. Yay!  I want to try to add in some walking, but I'm afraid to run.  Yes, I said afraid. 

Juice, Anyone?

Which juice has the fewest calories per serving - pomegranate, apple or grapefruit?

How many gallons of juice does the average child between the ages of 6 and 11 drink in a year?

What's one of the best, and worst, things that you can drink for your diet?

Answers?

Grapefruit, 19, and juice.  But you already knew the answer to number 3, right?

JUICE.  In moderation, there isn't too much that's bad for you.  Juice can be a great source of vitamins, especially Vitamin C.  There are often juices with calcium added, particularly helpful if you have kids that don't drink milk. There's a big difference, though, between juice and juice blends, which mix juice with sweeteners, color and flavor additives.  Juice drinks, flavored waters, teas and the like - and you all know that there's precious little, if any, juice in things like Fanta and Snapple - can wreck more havoc on a diet than you'd think possible. 

I'm not advocating that no one ever drink juice. 100% fruit juice, mixed in a blender with frozen fruit and protein powder, makes one of my favorite beverages.  I'm a fan, in particular of V-8 Frusion juice.  It makes a great smoothie. 

When in doubt, eat whole fruit. It fills you up for very little calories, most of it has a bonus of fiber, and it tastes good -  win all around!

I Think I'm Crazeee

Or, at least, I'm going there.  This not working out stuff is for the BIRDS.

I'm continuing with my upper body work, but the lack of cardio has seriously hampered my life.  My pants are t-i-g-h-t. I've got to do something.  Not to mention that without the ability to blow off steam, I'm feeling antsy and jittery, but at the same time alllll too comfy with grabbing a second helping - or adding in some higher calorie foods. 

So.  I've been given the all clear to recumbent bike - I'm up to 10 minutes, which feels PATHETIC - and elliptical - a ground swelling 5 minutes before my leg wimps out.

Anyone got any more ideas? 

Can you Gain Weight On a Liquid Diet?

While driving home from dropping my kids off, I was listening to Cosmo radio, and there was a long discussion on liquid diets.  Not so much the actual, drink only water type diet - but it morphed into the reality that now, more than ever, people are gaining weight just from their beverages.

People drink Starbucks once or twice a day - I used to.  People drink a 2 liter of soda a day - I used to.  People drink Jamba Juice, Tropical Smoothies and milkshakes every.single.day - I used to.

The trouble with drinking beverages like this is that the calories don't really register as actual FOOD.  And so, you still eat your regular food.  And you wonder why your pants are getting tighter, your shorts creep up your hiney, and you can't squeeze into the dress you bought last summer.  Some coffee drinks have 1100 calories in them!  That's more than half of your daily recommended intake, and you haven't even had a bite of solid food!

If the scale isn't budging, or, worse yet, moving in the wrong direction, check out your liquid intake.  Stick with water and decaf unsweetened iced tea, and be sure that your morning coffee isn't more sugar and cream and less coffee.  Every one of us could definitely use more water!

A Seriously Addictive Treat

I love me some nuts.  I have to be careful with them, of course - both because one of my kids has a life threatening allergy and also because I have a very bad habit of eating the entire container.  Recently, I was asked to review Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds for my local newspaper.  I liked them SO MUCH - and so did my husband - that they have become a standard purchase in my household. Seriously.  We like them THAT much.

These roasted almonds are dusted wtih dark cocoa powder - and sucralose, which is not one of my favorite products.  But for these, I almost don't mind.  They are sold in an 11 ounce container, with a lid that portions out each one ounce serving - so you get the correct serving size AND NO MORE.  (well, unless you eat more than one serving.  Ahem.)

The flavor is just sweet enough to feel as if you are eating a treat, but you definitely get a great nut flavor as well.  I keep them in my car for the late afternoon munchies that always seem to sneak up on me while waiting for carpool.

Five Quick Hints

1- exercise in short spurts - jump rope for three minutes - we do this in Muay Thai class for four sets and I can testify to the cardio boost I get from just one set.  What about running around the back yard, climbing steps for three minutes, or squatting when you put the dishes away?

2 - Put it in writing.  Add it to your calendar, synch it on your PDA, or even just write a contract with your spouse.

3 - Make date night a moving occasion.  Go hiking, bowling, running, or even for a stroll on the beach.  Go dancing, fly a kite, or try out roller or ice skating. Any of it's better than sitting on your butt, filling your mouth with nacho chips.

4 - Pick a never miss television program, and make a commitment that you will exercise for the length of the show.  I don't know about you, but I have a hard time watching The Biggest Loser without feeling the need to do SOMETHING. Squats, sit ups, push ups - even just walking on the treadmill for the entire hour is better than sitting still.

5 - I know you are all doing this, but it bears repeating - don't make your life easy.  By that I mean, park and walk; take the stairs; do your own errands rather than sending a kid - oh, ouch, I can't believe I just typed that.  All of those actions, over the course of a day, can add up.