Excitement in a Blue Box

Forgive me a small diversion into the area of “cutesy”, but this just made me smile – laugh, actually!  While I was grocery shopping today, I saw the cutest little girl grab her mother by the coat and absolutely shriek with excitement, pointing at a box on the shelf:  ”Mama, MACA-CHEESA-RONI!!!!”  Oh, those cute little voices say the cutest things.

Looking back on shopping trips with my own children, I do recall that there is another side of shopping with small children:  ”Mommy, Mommy, MOMMMY . . . I WANT THAT!!!”  That part . . . I do not miss!

And, of course, the object of desire is never a vegetable.  Has anyone ever heard a young child beg a parent for a fresh veggie . . . of any kind . . . at the grocery store?!  Have you ever heard an excited little voice cry out, “Mommy, Mommy, . . . “BAY GAHS!”  Or “RUDY BAIGAHS” or anything resembling “rutabaga”.  I think not.

The picture made me laugh – hard.   The humor works so well in this case because it is such a human (maybe more female??) attitude toward the scale.  You either love it (smile) or hate it (look ashamed and sad).  The postcard says it all, doesn’t it?

It seems so ridiculous to think of girls this young even understanding what the scale measures, and that makes it funny.  It would probably not hold the same humor value if the females in the picture were older.  That would just look “normal”!  Does it really make any sense to give a mechanical object so much control over your emotions?  I think not.

According to a recent New York Times Magazine article, “Be It Resolved“, most people fare better with a resolution to guide them, but will power is limited.  It is helpful to keep in mind that will power has actual physical limits that are reached as fuel gets low and demands are high.

In short, it is smart to keep from becoming over-hungry, and it is also wise to avoid unfairly challenging a limited resource – your will power.  I know this makes intuitive sense to most people when they think about how desperate it feels to be ravenously hungry.  Will power takes a big hit during those times.

Similarly, we all know how we feel when faced with a series of challenging food temptations.  A person may resist the Cinnabon’s call at the local mall, but later the donut tray at work is just too much to resist.  Sound familiar?

I think it helps to think of will power as a limited resource.  You only have so much, so keep your supply replenished with healthy food on a regular basis, and don’t set yourself up to deplete quickly by continual exposure to will power drainers (unfair exposure to tempting foods).

I know this is easier said than done, but knowing there are strategies that help will make it more logical.  Then watch what happens to your will power.  It may not be as mysterious as it once seemed.

Did you know?

The average number of calories consumed on the day of the Super Bowl is second only to Thanksgiving!  Lightening up your usual dip recipe is a good start toward a healthier game day.  Try this easy basic recipe.  It works well with everything from chips to veggies.  Enjoy the game – GO PACKERS!!

Creamy Garlic Herb Dip

½ cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

¼ cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.  Yield:  ¾ cup (serving size:  2 Tablespoons)

Per serving:  55 calories, 4.4g fat (2.9g sat), 2.5g protein, 1.5g carb, 15mg cholesterol, 195mg sodium

From Cooking Light

Look Out For Pleasure Island!

Have you seen McDonald’s new ad campaign?  The billboard that told us to celebrate our cravings during the holiday months is now telling us, “You have about 10,000 tastebuds.  Use them all.”

I truly feel for all of the people trying to lose weight in this country.  The singular focus on pleasure and excitement from food that appears everywhere these days is certainly difficult to resist.  Trying to help people focus on a balanced approach that includes some pleasure from food, but also includes good nutrition and healthy habits, is a challenge.

With research telling us how hard it is to lose weight, it certainly does not help to have messages like this with their come-hither pictures.  It reminds me of the foxes on Pleasure Island in the story of Pinocchio I read as a child.  ”Come on . . . try it . . . What’s the harm?”

Advertising that is sly as a fox can have similar effects on those trying to lose weight.  The implication – “You wouldn’t want to waste all those taste buds. . .   They are there for your pleasure” – can be an easy sell, especially for the many among us who are over-stressed and under-pleasured.

I am not an anti-pleasure activist!  I am all for pleasure, including food that tastes good, but not at the expense of health and a fulfilling life.  Of course we are all responsible for our choices in all areas of life, but with so many people overweight and unhealthy, it does frustrate me to see larger-than-life messages like this.

I get it though.  McDonald’s is a business, and much as I would love for them to care about your health, that will only happen if they get the message that it will be profitable to care about your health.  I realize that not much will change as long as their customers respond to their current marketing strategies.

Still, it bugs me.  I see so many struggling with their weight, and trying very hard to change their thinking.  I cannot recommend driving by billboards with your eyes closed, but I can at least point out a very obvious attempt to hijack your will power.  Maybe that will be enough.

The Moral: Knitting projects do not finish themselves.

While cleaning out a closet recently, I came across a knitting project I started . . . let’s see, I was dating my husband, and we were married 4 years ago . . . .  I have not touched it in at least 3 years.  Guess what?  It is still just as unfinished as it was when I last put it away – half of a sweater, with only one sleeve, and I don’t even like it anymore!

As I thought about it, I couldn’t help but think, “This reminds me of how so many people approach dieting.  Go all in (knit or diet like crazy), and then abandon the project altogether.”  It occurred to me that if I had knit even one row a day for all of those years, I would have finished the sweater long ago.

The simple law of physics says it so well:  ”A body at rest stays at rest”.  In the case of my sweater, “An unfinished knitting project in the closet stays unfinished in the closet,” and in the case of any kind of behavior change, “A body that does not do anything differently is not likely to look or feel any different.”

Just as my sweater could have been finished by now with just a little momentum, any kind of lifestyle change requires some momentum.  Even thinking in a new way is a good start, because it can be that little push to get the ball rolling.  Baby steps will get you there, probably not as quickly as you would prefer, but you will get there.

What’s the rush anyway.  I don’t know about you, but I look back to a year ago and wonder how 365 days went by so fast.  Where do you want to be at this time next year?  Think about how those baby steps add up over time, and just start the forward motion toward improvement.

In my case, I think it’s time to get supplies for a new knitting project, one that I am excited to finish.  The reward at the end has to be worth the effort, right?  I think I will increase my chances of finishing by taking on a smaller project this time – maybe a scarf.  That should be a good strategy to avoid finding it unfinished in my closet 2 years from now!

Discipline – that’s what Americans have in ample supply as January rolls around, on the heels of our guilty pleasures and overeating sprees.  ”I will bring this weight down, once and for all!” the nation screams in a panic, as pants won’t button and muffin tops roll over waistbands.

If you cannot maintain the lifestyle you force on January 1, or any day of the year for that matter, what good is it really?  I think lifestyle is everything.  So, I urge you to seriously consider the question above:  What does your most realistic improved lifestyle look like?  Today.  Not next June, or last September, but now, the only time that really counts.

Yes, I want you to improve your health habits.  Please start to move a little if you have been sedentary all your life.  Of course I would love to have everyone gather momentum toward better eating habits.

So, I recommend sitting down during a non-panic moment, relaxing, and being very honest about what your most realistic IMPROVED lifestyle would look like.  Would you have some limits on chocolate – again, realistic ones – and would you add a vegetable at least once a day if you are now eating none?

Your current lifestyle – the one that is a big picture look at how you live – corresponds to your current body.  Any short term changes will be small blips in the pattern.  It just stands to reason that if you improve your lifestyle, even in small ways, the changes will show up in your body – how it feels, how it performs, and how it looks.  Anything else is just senseless.  It won’t last.

Let your year start out in a new way.  Keep a keen eye on an improved lifestyle, identifying definite goals that will help you get there.  Listen to your body, and modify the plan as needed.  Use any tools that help.  That is to say that eating plans and workout routines can be quite helpful, but they must feel right, and they must be realistic.

If you try something and it doesn’t work as well as you would like, keep trying.  Don’t be afraid to fall.  The successes you gain will be real, and they will truly be yours – and they will be sustainable.  Happy New Year!  Stay Healthy!!

How about looking at what you can actually DO to change your health, appearance, and sense of well-being?  Weight loss that lasts is created by permanent lifestyle changes, not by following one of the new diet fads or purchasing one of the endless pills or devices I see 24/7 on TV at this time of year.

Will you really develop a realistic plan for adding activity to your life in 2011?  Are you truly planning to change the way you eat, or are you just thinking you can turn your eating upside down for a month or two, only to find that you never intended to make the changes permanent?

Who cares how much weight you lose if you will just gain it back?  Let the goal be behavior change.  The scale will reflect that – over time.  The scale is a fickle friend, as anyone who has dieted knows.  Why not evaluate yourself based on how you are doing with lifestyle changes (realistic ones!) instead?  And don’t forget to give yourself credit for a job well done.

Whatever your dream number is, let this be the year you feel the freedom of letting go of that focus, along with all of the stress it creates.  Focus on feeling better and meeting your needs in healthy ways.  This alone is a huge change of strategy.

The new ones have a wider bowl than our previous ones, a fact that provided me with an opportunity – love that word! – to revisit the quantity of wine in my glass.

As we sipped our wine with dinner that night, I discovered halfway through the meal that the glass had played a trick on me.  Normally one glass of wine (5 ounces) is my limit.  Less than that is fine.  More is definitely not.  Yes, I am a lightweight, but it keeps me from exceeding the recommendations for healthy alcohol consumption.

I was about 2/3 of the way to the bottom of my glass by the time I discovered that I was feeling a little loopy.  Then it dawned on me – ahh, this is a big glass, and there is more than 5 ounces in there!

No real harm was done, but it was a good reminder.  Pay attention to the size and shape of your wine glass.  It makes a big difference!  Take a look at the difference!

One of Our Old Wine Glasses

One of the New Ones

Balance Needed!

I love fashion . . . and I love food.  Where am I going with this?

‘Tis the season for dressing up, and there are lots of examples of tasteful outfits and fashion “mistakes”  at every gathering.  Most fashionistas know the basic guidelines:

1.  Mix heavier fabric textures with lighter ones.

2.  A big accessory, or a looser fitting item, calls for the contrast that a smaller, or more fitted, item creates.

3.  A little glitz is good when paired with other simple items.  Too much is TOO MUCH.

The same is true for healthy eating guidelines.  I always try to balance heavier dishes with lighter ones.  Complex flavors call for simpler accompaniments.  It simply tastes better that way.

This is typically the time of year for over-the-top eating.  Goodbye balance!  Gooey cheesy potatoes and cheesy lasagna served alongside a salad loaded with blue cheese is the culinary equivalent of a rhinestone studded blouse over glitter covered pants with 4-inch hooker heels and huge dangly earrings – just too much!

Paying attention to the balance among items on your plate can be a surprisingly simple way of keeping the pleasure while containing the calories in a meal.  Serve your favorite mac ‘n cheese with a simple piece of fish or chicken and steamed vegetables.  On pizza night, have a big simple salad on the side.

Balance is the simple guiding force behind tasteful fashion and tasty, healthy eating.  A little bit of rich flavor (or glitz, in the case of fashion) keeps life interesting, but there is no need to go over the top.  Holiday time (or while you’re on vacation) is a great time to practice this.  You may be surprised by how effortless it can become.  Why?  Simply because it is so simple!