Ice Cream Cravings

It’s that time again… the heat is on! We all start getting warmed up and craving ice cream. Unless you are like me and crave ice cream regardless of the weather.  Either way, there are times you crave ice cream and that can be very tough when you are trying to eat healthy.

I’m not saying don’t indulge in ice cream on occasion.  I never say to cut out indulgences 100%. I will say that there are times to have these heavy-duty, high calorie, sugar laden desserts… like birthdays, weddings, family reunions, etc.  The problem I see is when you have these delicious melt-in-your-mouth treats multiple times a week.  If you are like me, this is a true problem. I crave ice cream constantly in the summer heat.  Winter time I’m all about the hot chocolate, fall is for pumpkin lattes, spring and summer are times for ice cream.

Post-run frozen treat? Yes, please!

I’ve recently turned to fro-yo shops to help me curb my cravings.  It’s not the best option but I do like how I can control the portions.  It’s also theoretically better for you. Theoretically. I haven’t done a lot of research on that fact so I won’t defend it.  I do think it’s lighter on the stomach than ice cream and you can easily control your toppings.  For someone watching their food, it’s helpful.

My personal choice…

Here’s a new trick I’m trying out.  Last summer I tried making my own homemade fro-yo… with mixed results. It also took more effort than going to a fro-yo shop.  When you need to curb a craving with a better option, you have to make that option equally convenient.  If you don’t, let’s be honest, you will go with the convenient craving you are trying to curb.

So here it is… freeze yogurts.  Go pick up some delicious flavors of greek yogurt cups and stock up your freezer. I’ve just tried one and it curbed my craving.  It’s frosty, creamy, delicious and healthy!  You’ll have a serving size determined for you and it’ll even last longer than a soft serve fro-yo.  Better yet, it’ll add much needed protein to your diet!  You can always add some toppings if you’d like. Maybe some fruit or granola?

Enjoy your summer and don’t feel guilty about your pleasures!

Perfect!

Where Do I Start?

I’ve recently fallen off my exercise horse… I’ve had a minor surgery on my arm that required me to take a week off from all activity that could cause my blood to pump extra fast. Seriously, doctors orders. I thought I could at least run, it was my arm so you’d think. But no… doctor said no. It was this last week in which I discovered I’d finally made exercise a habit that I WANTED to do. It’s taken me years to achieve that goal. And in a week of sitting on the couch taking it easy it’s hard to get motivated to get back out there. What helps is remembering where I started.

What else helps is whenever someone finds out that I’ve lost 50 pounds. They generally only find it out when I mention it, honestly. No one else hears about how I box twice a week, run three times a week and lift another three times a week and assumes there was a time that I didn’t. I think most people, me included, assume that kind of lifestyle is something that person has always done. Because when you don’t do the same you cannot imaging getting to that point, ever. I know… because there was a time I was 250 pounds and had no idea how to become that person.

Recently I was talking to someone who doesn’t know where to start but knows they need to lose some weight. To be real with you, they have already gotten to the starting line when they realize they need to do something. I’m not a physical trainer, therapist or nutritionist so please do not take my words for that level of professional advice. What I am is someone who made a life changing decision and got where I wanted to be. I’ve stayed there. And if nothing else I say stays with you, just remember that I’m not one special. I don’t have a naturally high metabolism, I’m not part of the 10% of the population with genetics giving me a model figure… I’m a regular person. Think about that… if I can do it there is no reason you cannot.  So let me tell you where you can start.

1. Anywhere. Literally. Once you know what you need to do it can get overwhelming. I know when I set out to lose 65 pounds originally, the number itself scared me. It took years to pile that weight on and I had to come to terms with the fact it would take years to get it back off. I just had to start. So let go of the overwhelmed sensation, embrace that this will take work and set yourself a course. Either start by increasing your physical activity or improving your diet.
2. It’s OK to get help. Some people need a professional to give them a plan. That’s why you can hire physical trainers or go to a gym and take boxing lessons. You are not alone, there are people who exist with the sole purpose of helping improve your living condition physically. I was broke, so I went home from my doctor and called my brother. My brother used to be a physical trainer so I asked his advice. I’ll never forget what he told me. He said I just needed to get on a treadmill and walk on a ‘hike’ setting for half an hour, and that every time I wanted pasta I had to eat a vegetable. That sounds simple… but you don’t know my love of pasta.
3. Make sacrifices. Like pasta. Or beer… or sleeping in on the weekends. If you set yourself a course and you have the desire to follow it, you will have to make sacrifices.  I gave up mayonnaise on my sandwiches, fries and beer on my nights out, my lazy after work routine… it has to change. You know this… you’ve seen that you need to make a change, now you must be ready to do it. If it was easy everyone would be able to sit where I am telling you this. It’s not but remember… if I can do it, you can do it.
4. Take a hard look at your fridge. As I mentioned above, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. You’re going to need to re-evaluate how and what you eat… and when.  Aim for more small meals, more often. It helps keep you from gorging in one sitting and keeps your metabolism up. At first, it will feel like you’re starving. That was the hardest part for me but it made me realize what my problem was. You see, I was not lazy. I walked 20 minutes to my college classes and back, in the Alaskan winter. I just had a serious food problem.  There are plenty of resources online that can help you retrain yourself to eat better. I like baking and cooking, which is perfect because you will have to cook for yourself A LOT more than you think. Throw out the Campbell’s and get some chicken to bake instead. Toss out all the salt and stick with a little pepper for kick. Get rid of the ranch and use oil and vinegar. When you need a condiment on a sandwich pick an avocado instead of mayonnaise… Everything adds up.
5. Keep track. Log your workouts, log your food and keep a progress journal. My sister who was with me every step of the way logs here information on paper. She tracked her measurements and I tracked my weight.  I used a very helpful app called MyFitnessPal. It’s completely free and chock full of dietary information. You can log your weight, your workouts and your food in one place. It’s as easy as scanning bar codes. It’ll put your calories burned into your calorie budget for the day and deduct the calories from the food you log. It’s simple and I probably would not have lost the first 30 pounds without it. It also has the menus from several major restaurants in it so you can look up what to get for yourself and you’ll be sure you’re not blowing your calorie goal each day.

Overall, the message is the same. Once you know you need to start you’ve got the first part down. You just need the confidence to know you can make it and the strength to get through to the end.  It took me 2 years to lose my weight. I got down to 6 pounds away from my goal weight. My goal weight was arbitrarily set at my high school weight so I adjusted. After 2 years I stopped logging on MyFitnessPal and decided to try it out for my own. It’s been 2+ years since then and I’m holding steady at 200 pounds. It’s not my BMI (which is not a good goal to be honest) and it’s not my original weight but it is my happy weight. Your happy weight is where your weight stops swinging and you are stable without trying, basically.  I don’t think I’m fat… I run 5k every week and I eat pretty much what ever I want. I think that makes me the perfect happy weight! You can find yours too, you just have to start!

Salmon

Welcome to the most Alaskan blog post I’m likely to ever make. The one in which I instruct you to eat salmon, as it is a glorious food source almost unmatched in nutritional benefits. It’s almost perfect… unless you are a vegetarian or hate fish.

If you enjoy fishing, as I do, you have two options. Either you are a catch-and-release sports fisherman or you are going to be bringing home dinner.  I am the later, as I don’t personally ascribe to risking killing an animal I have no intention of eating. So, it’s of good fortune I happen to love fish.  Salmon is a hell of a fish to catch, very thrilling and satisfying when you land a big one. It is also among the ‘fishier’ fish, and cooking it is the difference between gagging and enjoying your meal.

It’s important for you to enjoy your food. For one, life is too short. On another level, salmon is a fantastic and healthy meal. A filet of salmon is power-packed with high quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids and a smorgasbord of vitamins and minerals. There are four major specifies of salmon in Alaska that we love to fish. High among them is the King Salmon, also known as the Chinook Salmon. It’s both a fun catch, averaging around 30 lbs, and has a delicious distribution of fat within the meat. The perfect fish for steaks. Which leads me to my most important point.

If you are going to eat salmon, and you definitely should, you really need to know how to prepare it. There are two variations I really enjoy, for different reasons.

1. The Filet.  The better the filet is cut, with minimal bones, the better it is to eat. A good filet means less work, more pay off.  It’s also important to eat these filets sooner rather than later. The longer the fish stays in the freezer, the fishier it will get. Keep that in mind if you want a light seafood dinner.  Place your filets on a baking sheet, set your oven to 400 degrees and season. I like to use either a salt rub of lemon slices. Bake for 15 minutes until the meat flakes easily.
2. The Steak. Steaking a salmon is to cut it into slices from head to tail with the spine in. Baking these is just as simple as the filet, it’s the bones that are the problem. These are also fantastic for grilling but I do not have the experience in that regard. Also grilled fish is drier, and personally I would rather eat a succulent meat.  So once you have the steaks arranged on a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil across the tops. This helps seal in the fats and oil, maintaining moisture.  Salmon steaks are best mildly seasoned. They need nothing more than a sprinkle of lemon pepper and they are good to go. Bake for 15 minutes and you are ready to eat.

Stay nutrition, keep your salmon delicious and have a good meal. Don’t forget the tartar sauce.