Losing Motivation? How To Hang on to the Goal.

Let's face it, any long term goal can seem impossible to reach.  It seems that we're chugging along and still the end goal is not quite in sight. It can be so frustrating.  The first key is to remember why you want this goal in the first place.  It has to be something that motivates you and you alone.  It cannot be something you are doing for someone else.

Are you running a race?  Why?  What are you going to get from finishing that race?  Imagine the tangibles:  how will your body feel?  how will your self-esteem be impacted?  how will you look?  (it's fine to be a sweaty mess - you just completed a race)!  Now think about what else it might realistically lead to, your possibilities are endless.

Do you want to lose weight?  Again, ask yourself why.  It could be for health, to fit into clothes, to improve your quality of life.  Again, imagine the outcome.  How will you feel and how will you look?  What else could you accomplish? Be realistic - weight loss is not a magic cure for all of your troubles in life.  You will, however, enjoy the new found energy you have.

Post these goals and reasons every where.  I'm not kidding.  Use them as your computer log ins, put post-its on your mirror and the fridge, stick notes in your wallet or purse, put reminders in your calendars, your car, and anywhere else that will jog your memory.

The other tip is to break down the long term goal into smaller bite size chunks.  I do this with my clients in my coaching programs and I do this myself as a runner.  I know darn well that I'm not going from running 3 miles to 13.1 in three weeks.  There has to be build up, 10% mileage increases, speed drills and hill training.  I set a goal for the week and work at it.

It's the same thing for weight loss.  I'm not going to lose 20 pounds in two weeks and keep it off.  But I can add vegetables to my meals and next week I can eat one less treat per day.  I can swap a sweet drink for seltzer with mint and lime and another week I can add in exercise.

Make it a game.  What makes you feel your best?  Notice what meals or workouts make your body feel alive and doing what it is meant to do.  Notice what makes you feel sluggish and drained.  Write them down so you can repeat what works and discard what doesn't.  Journaling is one way to notice and keep track of progress and goals.

Do you need help resetting your eating?  I'm leading a whole food cleanse on October 14th.  You can visit the events link in my website for full details, http://empoweredplate.com/.

Exercising & Eating Well But Not Losing Weight?

I've had several people tell me recently that a) they're exercising and not losing weight and b) that they're not eating a lot of food.  I understand, I've been there too.  You're watching what you eat, working that cardio, and still you're not getting the results that you want.

You're starting off on the right path and to get the most out of exercise you need to mix it up.  Strength training is going to rev up your metabolism and keep it stoked.  You will burn more calories throughout the day since muscle uses up more energy than fat does.  Your body needs to repair itself after strength training and that helps keep you burning calories.

Another way to rev up your metabolism is through interval training.  Adding short bursts into your cardio routine maximizes your workout.  They should be repeated regularly throughout your workout.  So if you walk briskly add in jogging spurts.  Do you ride the bike or do the elliptical?  Crank up resistance and pedal like you're being chased.  Even your regular aerobic workout can have higher intensity bursts.  Your body has to work harder and it will also need to recover afterwards.

Another reason you might not be losing weight is due to food sensitivities.  When your body feels as if it's under constant low level attack you develop inflammation.  Your body is defending itself and it's not likely that it's going to shed pounds.  I recommend doing an elimination diet for 10 - 21 days to rid yourself of any toxins that are accumulating in your body.  After this period of time you start slowly adding foods back in to your diet.  Your body will react to the foods it has sensitivity to.

A sensitivity is not a full blown allergy.  An allergy will trigger symptoms right away and your body cannot tolerate the offending item.  It is an immune system response and it mistakes foods for an invader.  Some of these allergies are very serious and can prove to be fatal.  A sensitivity is a caused by a food that you cannot digest properly or breakdown easily which can lead to bloating, cramps, headaches, or irritability.

Do you feel that this applies to you?  If so send me an email, janinemchale@empoweredplate.com, and we can set up a 30 minute consultation to if we would like to work with each other to solve your challenges.  You can also visit my website, http://empoweredplate.com, for more information.

My New Breakfast Obsession

I've had this breakfast every morning for the past three days.  It's like a pudding rather than eating oatmeal.   I'm thinking of making it again with some different flavors for tomorrow.  What can I say, I love my overnight oats?  I find regular cereal does not keep me full, even when it's full of fiber and low in sugar.  I don't always want a smoothie and it's been too warm for cooked breakfasts.  Plus, honestly, I don't usually feel like cooking in the morning.  I've got other things to do and I want to get out the door quickly.

This is quick to put together the night before.  It needs time to set up and for the milk to be absorbed so it doesn't really work as well in the morning.  On the other hand, it only takes 5 minutes to put together; including chopping any fruit that you want to add.

I find that if I use banana or mango it does not need any added sugar but you might want to add a little maple syrup or honey to yours.  I use rolled oats, steel cut oats will not soften properly and quick oats can get mushy.  The chia seeds, which can be found in health food stores, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, give the cereal its pudding consistency.

The below recipe is what I've been eating.  For tomorrow I'm thinking of using mango, coconut, and vanilla protein powder and eliminating the cocoa, almond butter, and strawberries.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
1/3 c rolled oats
1 c milk of your choice (I use coconut milk beverage -  not the canned one)
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 Tbs raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs peanut or almond butter
1/2 banana, chopped (or fruit of your choice)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 or 5 strawberries, cut into bite sized pieces (or fruit of your choice)

Mix all ingredients, except for strawberries, in a large cereal bowl or a container with a lid.  When there are no lumps add in the berries.  Cover and put in the fridge overnight.  Uncover in the morning and enjoy.

You can top this with coconut, cacao nibs, extra milk or a little natural sweetener.

Tired of the not having energy during the day?  Bored with your same old meals?  Send me an email, janinemchale@empoweredplate.com, for a free consultation.  You can also visit my website, http://empoweredplate.com.

Other Ways to Get Some Exercise

A client and I were speaking recently and he mentioned how annoyed he gets by women who say that their housework is exercise.  I had to get him to say a bit more about that before I gave a reply and to not voice the first response that sprang to my mind.  He went on to say that going up and down the stairs with laundry a few times wasn't really exercise.  To which I was able to reply, no, it's not.  But giving the house a thorough cleaning for at least an hour; including scrubbing, vacuuming and mopping is quite a good workout.  You work up quite a sweat on a good house cleaning jag.

Another great way to build in exercise?  Gardening.  You get to be outside and connect with nature.  I trimmed the ivy and dug up some rouge trees this morning.  My shoulders and arms ached pleasantly by the time I was done and I worked up another good sweat.

If you live in a walkable area you can leave your car at home and do your errands on foot.  There is no need to take the car on small errands such as going to the bank or the drugstore if you can walk it.  (I know this is not an option in all areas).  Walk like you have somewhere to be and you can get a decent workout in there too.

Do you have a pet?  Give your pooch a good walk or explore your local park's hiking trails.  If you don't have a pet can do some good by walking a shelter dog.  He or she will love the attention and you get a walk or run in as well.

Stuck in an office all day?  Use your lunch time to walk or use the stairwell for a great workout.  Jog up a few flights of stairs and then make games out of stepping to the corners of the steps in a zig-zag motion or skip every other step for a few more flights.  You can also use the steps for some lunges or do sets of squats on the landing.  Just have some baby wipes handy for a quick clean up after your stair session.

So on days when you aren't able to hit the gym or get a run in, you can still sneak some fitness into your day. And your house, yard or pet can also benefit.

What's your favorite way to sneak some exercise in during your day?

Do you want to start an exercise plan but don't know where to start?  Send me an email, janinemchale@empoweredplate.com, and we can set up a free consultation to see whether I can help you with your goals.  You can also visit my website, http://empoweredplate.com/, for more information.

I've Been Cooking Up a Storm This Week, Who Am I?

Truth be told I usually cook the first 3 days of the week and re-purpose my foods into new meals two other days.  This week I've been on a cooking and baking kick.  You would think fall has arrived!  I've made ratatouille, grilled fish with bok choy & brown rice, cauliflower crust pizza (yes, that's right - cauliflower in the crust), grilled chicken, pesto, steak and roasted potatoes, and Chocolate Girl Scout Cookie Truffles.

Today I baked chocolate chip cookies and banana bread.  There's no big ta da for dinner tonight though.  I'm going simple with chicken burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and chard.  All of it will be cooked on the grill, including the chard.  The a/c worked hard enough while I baked!

Most of the cooking was done in two days with light prep and finishing touches on the other nights.  I'm a big believer in cook once, eat at least twice.  I do not feel the need to stand in front of the stove for every meal every day if I can help it.  If I'm chopping zucchini and eggplant for ratatouille I'm going to chop enough to have it for a few meals.  It was a side dish two nights and the topping for the cauliflower pizza crust another night.  The trick is spacing it out and re-purposing them so you don't feel like you're eating the same thing over and over. It can as simple as adding the pesto into the ratatouille to change up the taste or using left over chicken for chicken soup another night.

The cauliflower pizza crust is not a recipe I can claim as my own.  There are a bunch of versions of it on the internet and I picked the one that went a little easier on the cheese.  It's simple and it tastes good when topped with whatever you're in the mood to put on your pizza.  For me it was ratatouille, pesto, mushrooms, turkey bacon and a little more shredded cheese.  It's not really something you can pick up and eat with your hands but it is satisfying.  The picture above is a double recipe, but I still only used one egg.  It stayed together just fine.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza
1 cup riced cauliflower
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tsp Italian herbs

To rice the cauliflower pulse 1/2 a small head of roughly chopped cauliflower in the food processor.  It should resemble rice pellets.  Put into a bowl and add the egg, cheese & seasoning; mix well and spread out on to a baking sheet to form a crust.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake another few minutes until they're warmed.

If you don't have a food processor, steam the cauliflower a few minutes to soften.  Use a grater to grate the cauliflower into little pieces.  Let cool and then add in the rest of the ingredients, mix together, and bake.

Need help in creating healthy meals for your busy week?  Send me an email, janinemchale@empoweredplate.com, and together we can set up a plan that works for you.  You can also visit my website:  http://empowerdplate.com.

Kind of Bummed so I Made Truffles

I'm kind of bummed and not be these very yummy truffles.  Two of my favorite sites have closed.  One has "reinvented itself" and I'm not sure I really like the new format.  The other sent out it's daily email as usual and then this afternoon sent a goodbye email.  No warning, just thanks but we're closing the doors here.  Weird to not even make it to the end of the month.

I know it's hard to keep things going.  Getting new ideas and keeping things fresh on a daily basis is sometimes trying.  I just can't help but think there's still more that can be explored and more stories to tell. Truth be told, the site that folded is one I get some of the ideas I share on Facebook and Pinterest.  I will still have healthy bits to share but I'll have to broaden my scope of where I find them.  That's a good thing for me and who ever reads these items.

One of my recent findings is Chocolate Covered Katie, a vegan healthy dessert blog.  I've made several things and the chocoholic that I'm married to has no clue the treats are vegan until I tell him.  The chocolate chip muffins with garbanzo beans were a hit (no taste of bean at all), as were the Fudge Daddy silken tofu brownies.  Honestly, I could have eaten the pan myself.  Have I piqued your interest?  I tinkered with her Girl Scout Cookie Truffle and the recipe is below.

Chocolate Girl Scout Cookie Truffle
Recipe based on Girl Scout Cookie Truffle by Chocolate Covered Katie
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

1/2 c pitted dates (packed)
2 Tbs unsweetened coconut shreds
1 Tbs raw cacao or unsweetened coco powder
1 Tbs coconut milk or 2 tsp coconut oil
1 Tbs chocolate chips
1 dash vanilla
1 pinch of salt

Put the items into the food processor and blend until mostly smooth.  Roll into balls and you can garnish with a few extra chocolate chips.  I made 8 small truffles.

Do you want to live a more energetic & vibrant life?  Then send me an email, janinemchale@empoweredplate.com and we together we will create a plan that works just for you.

Doesn't Look Like a Last Minute Meal

I was tossed on a few ideas for dinner the other night but none of them sounded like what I wanted to eat.  We had chicken a few times, I didn't want fish and dinner had to be a fairly quick affair because my husband was running out to teach a guitar lesson.  Which also meant he was not going to have time to grill a steak.  By the time he called me to tell me he was leaving work and on his way home I still had no real clear plan on what to make.

And then I saw a recipe for chickpeas and broccoli with onions over pasta.  It sounded good but I didn't want pasta.  Then I thought about what I did have and the fact that I had about 30 minutes to get everything together and on the table.  So out came the small pink eggplant, the onion, the tomatoes, and the broccoli.  All sauteed together in some olive oil and garlic and  topped with fava beans.  I love fava beans because they're firm and meaty.  And, yes, they go nicely with a glass of Chianti.  (for all of you Silence of the Lamb fans).   I would use whatever vegetables you have on hand.  You could also add some broth or tomato paste if you would like to put this over pasta.

Ingredients:
1 small head of broccoli, chopped (trim the stems & slice them into coin size pieces and use them as well)
1 small eggplant, chopped into 1 - 2 inch cubes
1 small onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 can of organic fava beans, rinsed & drained
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large garlic clove, smashed
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two.  Add broccoli stems and saute for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the broccoli and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the eggplant, tomatoes and fava beans, sauteing until cooked through, about 5 - 7 minutes.

I served this over amaranth grains but you can use wheat pasta, brown rice or quinoa instead.  I put some feta cheese on my dish and my husband put some Parmesan on his.  This is a great choice for Meatless Monday or any night when you just need a quick dish.  It's hearty enough not to miss the meat.  We also had the leftovers as a side dish a few nights later, it was still tasty.

Need ideas for meal planning?  Send me an email at janinemchale@empoweredplate.com.