What Is Your Trigger Point?

Why can't you get started?

How many nights do you get ready for bed and say to yourself: "Wow, I really ate too much today. Tomorrow I need to start losing weight"?

How many mornings do you weigh yourself and say: "This is it. Today I get control of my eating"?

Then you have a big breakfast (after all, you've heard that is good for you) and maybe a pastry or other mid-morning snack. Next there's lunch with a friend (where you eat more than you should, but stop paying attention half-way through the meal).

Maybe some chips, nuts or cookies in the afternoon (a bag could have 600 or more calories and lots of fat). If you don't also go out for dinner, you may "just grab something" (that happens to be calorie-laden). Or you cook something delicious (maybe something also loaded with calories) -- and over-eat that.

Lastly, there's the popcorn in the evening (not the buttered kind, so it can't have many calories, can it?). And maybe some wine or other beverage to go with it.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

What is the trigger point? The thing that makes it happen?

Confetti Chili

This may not be your idea of a chili. Maybe because it has no meat? Maybe because it's not brown and all a mishmash?

It's really a colorful confetti-like one-bowl dish that has beans, tofu and many of the ingredients you might find in a conventional chili. Much more delicate, though, with a hint of north Africa. It's super quick, too.

I hope you like it.

Let's Have a Pizza

What's the harm?

The other night I decided to make a small pizza for myself. I had some left-over tomato sauce and some kalamata olives and just needed the mozzarella cheese to go with a crust I would make myself.

So, I got some part-skim mozzarella cheese and was ready to go, when I saw this Boboli "thin pizza crust." 

Only 170 calories, it screamed out on the wrapper. Thin, it said, so it can't be all bad. I decide to try it out and went home to make the pizza, which I intended to eat without paying attention to the calories, fat, etc. Just because.

Keeping a Healthy Weight on Vacation

Does a vacation spell DOOM for a healthy weight?

My family (7 of us) just wrapped up a two-week lakeside vacation. I had many challenges to sticking with a healthy weight plan, some met better than others.

Here are some of the challenges I faced, and my strategies for dealing with them.

Thai Curry Chicken with Zoodles

This is not the Indian curry you might be expecting, but a delicate Thai concoction that is more red than yellow. It is only mildly hot. If you like it hotter, add pepper flakes or a hot sauce. The addition of kale rounds out and brightens the chicken, plus it adds fiber. Use fresh basil, if possible.

How to Make "Zoodles"

Tired of pasty pasta? Wanna cut down on carbs? Had it with rice? Or maybe you just want to eat more zucchini that doesn't taste so much like, well, zucchini? 

Then try "zoodles." Thin strips of zucchini that have the look and texture of spaghetti. Great as a side dish, with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and even holds up pretty well under a tomato sauce.

Zoodles with Cheese

 Serves: 1

First, you'll need to get yourself a cute Veggetti gadget (you might buy it at your local homegoods store, or see link at the end of this post to get one online).

Can you exercise yourself thin?

Not on your life

Ever heard these laments (or made them yourself)?

• "I work out at the gym several times a week, but I can't seem to lose weight."
• "I go to zumba and aerobics, but all I get is hungry."
• "I do yoga every week, but never drop a pound."
• "The reason I don't lose weight is that I'm gaining muscle, which I've heard weighs more than fat."

And what about these excuses?

• "I just burned calories in my step class, so I can have an ice cream or pizza."
• "I can have that extra helping of potatoes because I'm going to aerobics class later today and will burn it off."
• "My program (weight watchers/myfitnesspal, etc) gave me extra calories because I took a walk this morning, so I can eat a little more and still stay within my calorie goal."

So why do you think you aren't losing weight?

Kale salad with feta and grapes

Ok, I know that kale gets overworked, almost to the point of being trite. But, what a good way to get in some greens and fiber! And here we have it with low-fat feta deliciousness, the zing of grapes and the nutritious crunch of toasted pumpkin seeds. Rich enough to satisfy as a little lunch, when paired with some nice whole-grain crackers.

Kale salad with feta and grapes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound kale, tough ribs removed and leaves cut crosswise into pieces (about 9 cups)
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 Tbl red wine vinegar
1 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese--reduced-fat, or fat-free
Freshly ground black pepper

Salmon with balsamic marinade

Time to move off the gloom-n-doom and get us some delicious recipes. This time, it's fresh salmon, oven roasted with a balsamic marinade. So rich and delicious, so filled with healthy fats and proteins, and so so easy.

We start with fresh salmon steaks, which you can find at (wait for it) MY Hannaford's in Modena! You can pobably get them at Gadaletto's or Adams, maybe even Shoprite or Stop and Shop. But I KNOW you can get them at Hanaford in Modena. Six-ounces pieces of fresh and uniform wonderfulness.

You can pair this with one glass of a nice savignon blanc and zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano for a delicious satisfying meal. Oh, yes a salad would be good, too, with mixed spring greens, alphafa sprouts, fresh dill and fresh torn basil, topped with a nice lemon salad dressing, or something like Newman's Own Lite Balsamic (my go-to dressing when I don't make my own).

The power of a sandwich - reality check

Let's grab a bomb (I mean, a sandwich)

You're out at the mall or passing through town, and you're hungry. Why not stop and grab a sandwich? Maybe you just need something to "hold" you until dinner. A sandwich can't be very fattening, since it's wrapped up in that cute package and goes down so fast.

Well, think again, because you've just bought yourself a time bomb. This isn't meant to scare you, but to help unravel some of the mystery about why we continue to gain weight (or can't seem to lose it). And if these particular foods aren't in your life, just substitute what you DO eat, and look up their nutritional information on something like myfitnesspal.com.

I call bagels and sandwichs stealth bombs. They are compact and look like nothing. The fattening ingredients are squshed up and hidden inside. The bread is just something to hold the other ingredients together, and doesn't really count (even if it amounts to a half a loaf that you would never eat, if it were laid out on your plate). And you need to eat it quickly so it doesn't fall apart - so quickly that you won't even notice how much you have eaten.

Let's take a look at how big these bombs are:

Zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano

A very quick and delicious side dish. You can use dried oregano, if you must, but try to get fresh oregano. You won't be sorry because it is so different from the pizza-tasting dried version.

Zucchini with shallots and fresh oregano

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)

4 medium shallots

1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Going to California

Face the facts and develop a strategy

Losing weight is a lot like going to California. Let me explain.

I hear you saying that you want to "lose some weight." Before you go to bed at night, you probably get on the scale and say to yourself: “Tomorrow, I need to start losing some weight.” You say the same thing in the morning. Maybe your doctor has even told you that you need to lose some weight. Maybe you have tried to lose some weight, but failed.

Notice how that phrase “lose some weight” keeps appearing? What on earth does that mean? Saying you want to lose some weight is like saying you want to walk around a little and hope to end up in California. Why? Because you have no concrete facts, no direction -- and no strategy for getting there.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Here's a quick, absolutely delicious dish to serve for company. Pair it with a side of fresh broccoli or green beans and a tossed salad with a light dressing, such as Newman's Own Lite Balsamic or Lemon Salad Dressing with Fresh Basil.

You can usually get large fresh portobello caps at Wallkill View and at "my" Hannaford's in Modena (they should give me a commission for every time I mention this store!)

Lemon Salad Dressing with Fresh Basil

If you're looking for a quick and delicious light salad dressing, this is the ticket. You can use dried basil, of course, but there's nothing like the aroma of fresh basil. Another pitch for Hannaford in Modena: they almost always have little hydroponic plantlets of fresh basil near the tomatoes.

Notice that there is only a small amount of olive oil, relative to the vinegar. If you blend the ingredients in a blender, or whisk them well, you'll be surprised how this emulsifies and makes a satisfactory light dressing, with no artificial ingredients.

Etiquette When Eating With Others

One of the hardest things about staying (or getting) a healthy weight is keeping to your plan when you are in a social setting. Maybe you're at a friend's house, or at a party, at a restaurant or a potluck meal. What to do without blowing everything?

Here are some things that might help:

Don't Talk About It All the Time

We all know people who are always on a diet -- and they never miss an opportunity to tell you about it. Whatever you serve them to eat at your house, they "really shouldn't" eat because of their diet. Often they seem to know everything there is to know about food combinations, food taboos and fad diets. The only problem is that they continue to be overweight! Your most fervent wish is that they would just shut up and DO it already. 

The fact is that nobody cares what you can or cannot eat. They probably won't even notice what you do, or don't, eat. When you go out with friends, do you care what they eat? No, of course not. So, unless specifically asked, there is no need to talk about what you are doing here.

Just eat what you want to eat, and don't eat what you don't want to eat. Do your friends a favor, and talk about something else.

Restock Your Pantry

OK, so maybe you don't actually HAVE a pantry. But you must have cupboards and other places where you keep staples, herbs, and spices. Maybe you don't cook all that much and like to rely on packaged products.

Well, it's time to make a brutal and honest assessment. Throw out anything that is old or isn't nutritious and totally delicious. Get rid of fat-laden and stale false friends, and bring in fresh, low-calorie friends. Away with all those fake substitutes, and welcome real, delicious, nutritious food. Buy the best you can afford. This is no time to indulge in cheap substitutes.

While you're at it, haul out those cooking utensils and gadgets. Get ready to do you some cooking and experiment with recipes. Before we finish, you'll be eating the most nutritious, delicious food imaginable -- just not too much of it.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Here's a quick recipe to be sure you get your protein allotment for the day. It's adapted from a recipe I found in the 2014 issue of "Weightwatchers Five-ingredient 15-Minute Recipes" magazine.

If at all possible,find yourself some FRESH oregano. It will make a world of difference. I know they have it at Hannaford in Modena (MY Hannaford!), in little packages in the produce department, but they probably have it at other markets, as well.

Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Getting Started with My Fitness Pal to Record Your Progress

Wanna have some fun with your healthy weight loss?  Keep records of what you eat and track your progress. Ok, this might not be fun for everyone, but it COULD be fun. At least it will keep you honest and on track. Plus, when you've reached your goal, it will be great to be able to look back and wonder if you could possibly have ever been "there."

Naturally, you can record everything by hand -- if you're willing to research and record calories, fat, etc in each thing you eat. But, boy will it be tedious!

Since I'm kind of a gear geek and use apps for all kinds of things, I really recommend that you get My Fitness Pal, not only because it records EVERYTHING, but because, once you get over the resistance and early learning curve, it's like a game. You really only need to track things for a few weeks; after that, you'll pretty much know what's what. So......

Here's how to get the program

What is the TRIM UP Strategy?

Here's an expansion of the six-step TRIM UP strategy:

Take stock - Find your height (be sure to measure; you might not be as tall as you remembered), weight, BMI and body measurements. We'll provide a chart for that in a later post. Set your goals. Imagine the results.

Record everything - Get an account with myfitnesspal and check out some of the typical foods you have been eating. Later on, you'll record the food you consume each day, as well as your weight, measurements, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and exercises.

Ignite your engine - Walk it off, bicycle, swim, water aerobics, pace. Do it alone or with friends. Remember, though, that exercise is no substitute for getting control of your eating habits.

Meals that are delicious - Toss out stale herbs and spices, and replace them with fresh ones. Add new flavorings and staples, like low-sodium broths and sparkling mineral water. Replace fat, sugars, bread and pasta with healthy alternatives. Buy the best you can afford, organic when possible. Find new recipes. Everything must be wholesome and super delicious.

Unload the worst offenders - Get rid of the easy stuff, like alcohol,cheese, chips, dips, dressings, cookies, candy. Find low-fat, low-calorie, delicious alternatives.

Portion control - Dramatically reduce your portions. Pay attention to the portion size listed on items you eat. You need a fraction of the amount of food you have been consuming.

Mock Sour Cream Recipe

Here's a recipe adapted from "The Pritikin Promise," published almost 25 years ago. I'll review that book, as well as many others, in future posts, but want you to get this recipe right away.

The recipes I'll be featuring will usually be low-fat and low-calorie -- without resorting to artificial ingredients. So try out some things you may not have thought of before. One is a mock sour cream that can be used, as is, for a vegetable dip. Or you an gussy it up with chopped scallions, radishes, etc, some herbs like tarragon, parsley, basil, horseradish, or dill. Transform it by adding chili powder or curry powder.

If you want to put the sauce over fruit, toast or pancakes, maybe add a little applesauce, cinnamon and honey?

Buy the best ingredients you can afford. I'd love to hear how you've made it your own -- and delicious.

Mock Sour Cream 

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup 1% cottage cheese

½ tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Pour buttermilk and cottage cheese in blender (or use an immersion blender), and mix until creamy

2. Blend in the lemon juice

3. Add flavorings of your choice

Per serving ( 2 Tablespoons): Calories 15, fat 1, cholesterol 2, sodium 64, carbohydrates 1, sugars 1, protein 2.