What Are you Hungry For? Full Life's Healthy Lifestyle Blog

The Mommy Post: What Happens On Vacation Stays on Vacation!

This is my favorite time of year and my least favorite time of year all at the same time!

I love the time I get to spend with my children, the trips to the pool, the zoo, miniature golf, and the many weekends and weeks away on vacation visiting family and friends.

What I don't like is packing a bag for 5 people, packing the car, driving for what seems like hours on end, and getting off my routine.  What always happens to me is picking up the pieces of vacation for weeks afterwards...doing laundry, sleep routines for the kids getting back to normal, and most of all exercising in my own environment, and eating MY foods on MY schedule.

Even when we have the best intentions of our behaviors on vacation, something can always get in the way.  I take pride in my planning of car snacks and meals on the drive from Ohio back to Boston.  I always pack turkey sandwiches and a cooler with fruit, all individually cut up and bagged for the kids.  I also include a whole bag of homemade trail mix with popcorn, pretzels and raisins for the kids.  Of course, water bottles are included in the cooler, as well as Benefit Bars for Mom and Dad.  We try to avoid stopping along the way for meals as it is very easy to fall in the "GAP"!  Wherever you turn, there are fast food restaurants and convenience stores. 

When I plan for a trip, I always pack my workout clothes.  I figure as a family we can get out for walks often, and since my husband would be around more than we are when we are home,  I could get out for a solitary run or "sanity run" as I like to call it.

Since we are staying with family, I do the grocery shopping when I get there and am sure to stock up the shelves with OUR foods, as it keeps us in our routine and keeps our weight in check.

The most important skill that ALWAYS gets in my way no matter how hard I try to control it, is my record keeping.  We all know that if you are not keeping records, you really have no idea what you are taking in for calories and outputting in physical activity.

This vacation was no different.  I had a record keeping book with me and even though I did pretty well with my meals and snacks, and most of my plan was executed, things got in my way and my records were non-existent for almost 10 days.

The result...5 pound weight gain. BOOOOO!!!!

My work this week being back has been the hardest and harder than it would have been had I thought a little bit more about my records.

I am leaving that on my vacation and am back to my routine, my house, my schedule, and MY RECORDS.  In one week, I have lost 4 out of those 5 pounds, but it has taken me a lot more work to get it off.  In essence, it is going to take me 2 weeks to get out what I gained in a little over a week.

What is the point here? Let the bad behaviors go from vacation, and start fresh now.  It is NEVER too late to make a difference even when you have a weight gain. 

Have a great week!
Julie

Weighing In - Taking on Challenges - Creating Change

I have a bad shoulder lately.  Not sure what I did, but as some of you know - what happens after 40 happens harder and longer.

I am frustrated by this because my yoga practice is a big part of my weekly Physical Activity and I now have to rest the shoulder during practice, do fewer down dogs and more child poses, and take days off in between classes to rest.  In addition to that, I have to change the way I do things, change the way I position my hands on the floor, change the way I move from pose to pose.  I have to unlearn my routines and make space for new ones.  

And, I have to find some other type of PA to do on the off days.  I don't want to.

But what I need to do to maintain my health doesn't change just because my shoulder is bumming me out right now.  

As a weight loss coach I pull no punches when it comes to knowing what it takes to change, to lose weight and keep it off.  It isn't easy and sometimes you just don't want to.  That's OK. 

But what you need to do to maintain your health doesn't change just because _____________

- your shoulder hurts

- it's raining outside

- your mother-in-law is here for a visit

- it's windy outside

- your boss brought in donuts

- I'm tired today (you're tired today)

- it's hot, sunny, humid, snowing, blustery, or partly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms...

What you need to do to lose weight doesn't change.  What you need to do to maintain your health doesn't change.  

The way you problem solve life's challenges does.

I have taken up swimming. It's inconvenient. I have to be semi naked in front of other people (ugh!). Worst of all I have to get wet which ruins my hairdo and my mascara.  

But I LOVE it!  Really! I love the quiet, the rhythm of my breath, the way I feel energized, clean, cool and refreshed.  I get my heart rate up without pounding the pavement, dodging oncoming traffic or sweating it out amidst the whir of machines and TVs and music blasting on the gym floor. No shouting, pumping grunting or jumping.  I swim! 

My injury turned into an opportunity because I had to find a new solution.

In order to make long term lifestyle change give yourself some rules to follow.  Rules like doing some type of PA every day.  And eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies. 

Then find the opportunity within every obstacle, recommit to your health with each challenge. And have some fun! Be the change you want to see in your own life and the world!

The Friday Fight: KFC's "Double Down" Sandwich Uses Fried Chicken as the BUN!

Happy Friday, Fighters!! I hope you had an active and healthy week! 

Today's post is no April Fool's joke (although many  thought so when word of KFC's new sandwich leaked on April 1st) and it has certainly shocked the staffers here at Full Life.  Check out the post below from the blog 5 Blogs Before Lunch about KFC's new Double-Down sandwich.

KFC has made big strides in convincing Americans that "grilled" chicken could be a healthier, and tasty alternative to "fried" chicken.

So, when the fast food chain introduced a new sandwich on April 1, made up of bacon and Monterey Jack cheese snuggled between two "fried" chicken fillets as the "bun," it should come as no surprise that a lot of folks assumed this was an April Fool's prank.Unfortunately it wasn't.

The KFC Double Down, which the company describes as "so meaty there's no room for the bun" will launch April 12.

The sandwiches are backed with 540 calories, 32g fat and 1380mg of sodium.

Source: The Consumerist, 5 Blogs Before Lunch

Full Life's Take on FRIED BUN? Eat this and you certainly will not have Buns of steel!   It would take 50 minutes of running at high intensity to burn this baby off.  Not to mention, we're pretty sure this Double Down would have you doubled over after about 10 minutes. So remember Full Lifers, skip the fried bun and just go for the run.  Your weight and your heart will be glad you did!

 

The Friday Fight: Ain't No Spring Chicken!

Happy Friday, fighters! I hope you had a wonderful and healthy week! Spring is in the air..can you feel it?  I certainly can!  This is the time when many of us see the sunshine and immediately begin to cook lighter at home and make healthier choices when we're eating out. Foods like grilled chicken come mind when I think Spring. But remember, "chicken" doesn't always equal "healthy." A common misconception these days, chicken can be extremely calorie dense if not prepared correctly! Full Life Coach Monica sent me a great link to the Men's Health article "The Unhealthiest Chicken Dishes in America" and believe me..you certainly won't be doing the Chicken Dance when you see these nutrition facts!

Here are the TOP 8 WORST Chicken Dishes on the list. It is not often that I blatently cut and paste articles..but this one is worth the read!

#8: WORST CHICKEN SANDWICH
Chili's Buffalo Chicken Ranch Sandwich
1,560 calories
86 g fat (14 g saturated)
4,010 mg sodium

Take a minute to free associate. What comes to mind when you hear "chicken sandwich"? A light-and-healthy dinner? A good post-workout lunch? Both of those sound about right. But here's where this sandwich veers from expectations: It sucks up three-fourths of your day's calorie allotment. Plus it exceeds your daily recommendation for both fat and sodium. That's what you call a dirty bird. 

#7: WORST CHICKEN SALAD
California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
1,570 calories
30 g saturated fat
2,082 mg sodium

Salads are healthy, right? Well, CPK's got some gnarly greens. Fully half the restaurant's salads top a thousand calories, but this one is hands-down the worst. To be fair, part of the day-and-a-half's worth of saturated fat comes from the blue cheese dressing. The trouble is, even if you switch to the restaurant's lighter Dijon vinaigrette, you're still facing 1,485 calories. Not a massive savings. 

#6: WORST CHICKEN RICE DISH 
Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl
1,880 calories
13 g saturated fat
4,250 mg sodium

Applebee's is making strides toward a healthier menu, but as of yet the chain still has a lot of ground to cover. To its credit, it recently launched a sub-menu featuring entrees that all fall below 550 calories. Unfortunately the regular menu still carries caloric catastrophes like this tortured bird. For starters, the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl delivers nearly a day's worth of calories, but to top that, it throws in more sodium than you'd find in a dozen large orders of McDonald's French Fries-a whopping two days' worth! That might be good for thawing your driveway in a snowstorm, but it's not so great for fueling your body.!

#5: WORST CHICKEN NACHOS

Baja Fresh Charbroiled Chicken Nachos                                  2,020 calories 110 g fat (41 g saturated) 2,980 mg sodium

Okay, so you already knew nachos were trouble, but could you have ever predicted anything like this? This one plate has more fat than an entire package of Chewy Chips Ahoy! cookies. (Yes, an ENTIRE package.) In fact, you could snarf down the whole 32-cookie set, then move on to a twin-wrapped package of Twinkies, and still come out ahead on fat.

#4: WORST CHICKEN APPETIZER Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla 2,141 calories 133 g fat (61 g saturated fat) 3,477 mg sodium
Since 2008 we've been harping on Outback to clean up its act, but so far the chain has refused. In fact, the only reason we were able to track down this nutrition information is that New York and California laws forced restaurant franchises to disclose their numbers. And only after we made it public did Outback start offering the numbers to all its customers. A victory for nutrition? Not yet-not with numbers like these. 

#3: WORST AMERICAN CHICKEN ENTREE The Cheesecake Factory Chicken and Biscuits 2,511 calories 66 g saturated fat 2,725 mg sodium
Doesn't it seem like there's something un-patriotic about transforming a traditional American meal into a caloric saboteur? It's as if The Cheesecake Factory has declared nutritional warfare on the waistlines of this country. Or maybe they're in cahoots with the denim companies-the more your gut bulges, the more new pants you're forced to buy. (Okay, doubtful.) But whatever the guiding principal, you can guarantee it has nothing to do with your welfare. 

#2: WORST CHICKEN CUTLET The Cheesecake Factory Crispy Chicken Costoletta 2,556 calories 85 g saturated fat 2,755 mg sodium
This entrée comes served with mashed potatoes and asparagus, and it's described on the menu as being "lightly breaded." Sounds relatively healthy, right? Therein lies the Curse of The Chicken Entree: It always sounds relatively healthy. You'd never guess the damage this dish was capable of unless The Cheesecake Factory decided to be completely forthright and disclose on the menu that it carries so much butter that it could exceed the saturated fat limit for an entire family of four!

#1: WORST CHICKEN ENTREE IN AMERICA The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic 2,579 calories 62 g saturated fat 1,983 mg sodium
Healthy it may sound, but chicken-in-pasta is the culinary equivalent of a wolf in sheep's clothing. In fact, The Cheesecake Factory's menu features fully half a dozen chicken-pasta entrees in excess of 2,000 calories apiece. That's a full day's energy needs in one meal. Level that with the rest of the oversized entrees and The Factory emerges as the absolute worst restaurant in the country. (You'd be better off going on a Haagen-Dazs binge.) 

Article written by Matt Goulding and David Zinczenko

So fighters, what's the answer to enjoying chicken, guilt free?  Grill it and prepare it at home with your favorite veggies! Avoid FRIED, BATTERED, BREADED, CHEESED OR GRAVY'D....hmm..I think I've finally learned the true meaning of Funky Chicken!

Have a great weekend!

HMR Shake of the Week - Pina Colada

Spring is just around the corner - but you may be feeling like a little spring break in February - so... Whip up this yummy Pina Colada, garnish with a maraschino cherry or a fancy paper umbrella and grab your sun block!

You Will Need:

2 Scoops HMR 120 Vanilla Shake
1 Can Crushed Pineapple or 1 Cup Fresh Pineapple
Coconut Extract
Rum Extract
Water and Ice

Start by putting about 1/2 cup water in the blender and adding pineapple, shake mix and extracts (just a couple of drops at a time!).  Blend until smooth.  Add water and ice to desired flavor and consistency.

Make this shake whenever you need a touch of the tropics (it will help you get bikini ready, too!)

Bon Apetit!

HMR Shake of the Week - Strawberry Ice Cream

There's just one word for this week's shake of the week.

YUM!!

The key to making this shake deliciously different is saving 1/2 of the berries to fold into the ice cream rather than blending up the whole batch. You will be amazed at what changing the texture of a shake can do to add variety. Freeze this shake for 30 minutes before serving to thicken it up.

This is a great recipe to have on hand when everyone else is indulging in dessert. (Remember that most gourmet ice cream comes in around 300 calories per 1/2 cup!) With recipes like this you can have treats you love without busting your calorie budget.

You will need:

• 1 scoop HMR 120 Vanilla
  

• 1 C Strawberries (fresh or frozen) - chopped

• 4-5 drops strawberry extract
  
  
• 1T Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding
  

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup crushed ice or ice cubes
  

 

Directions:

Put water, 1 level scoop of HMR 120 vanilla, 1/2 C strawberries, strawberry extract and pudding mix into the blender. Blend on medium speed as you gradually add ice. Continue blending until desired ice cream consistency is reached. Fold in other 1/2 C chopped strawberries.

Bon Apetit!

 

HMR Shake of the Week - Chocolate Banana Bread

When I was a kid, bananas made their way into my diet as the most delicious banana bread you can imagine.

Now, while I would love to convince myself that banana bread (and cherry pie and blueberry muffins) offers my required serving of fruit - you know and I know that's a stretch of the imagination that's sure to bust any calorie budget.

Here's a recipe for a thick, rich HMR shake that has all the flavor of fresh baked banana bread AND is packed with protein to keep you going all morning long.

You will need:
16 oz. cold water
1 scoop HMR 120 Vanilla Shake
1 Packet HMR 70+ Chocolate
1 banana
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ice, cubes or crushed

Directions:

Pour water in blender, add HMR 120 Vanilla Shake, HMR 70+ Chocolate Shake, banana, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch nutmeg and blend.  Add ice and continue to blend to desired consistency.

You can use any combination of HMR Chocolate and HMR Vanilla shakes for this one - but I think the V120 and C70+ has just the right amount of sweetness and richness to balance the full flavors of the banana and spices.

Bon Apetit!

 

 

The Friday Fight: What happens in Vegas....

They say everything's bigger, brighter and bolder in Vegas.  Maybe that's why Vegas ranks as one of the Top 50 UNhealthiest cities in the country. Check out this Turkey Brisket Sammich, submitted by a Full Life fighter himself while in Vegas.   How does one even eat this?  Anyone want to make a bet on the calorie count?

As a reminder fighters, I don't post these outrageous meals to tempt or frustrate you. I post them to congratulate you for living a HEALTHIER lifestyle..to acknowledge that this is the kind of culture and behavior you fight against every day.  So go ahead, applaud yourself for choosing your health over the norm.  Remember, being healthy isn't about good luck (especially not here in Vegas!) or good genes...it's about making good choices and being good to your body!  Now that's something I'm willing to bet on.

HMR Publishes Weight Loss Results

One of the questions I get all the time when people are considering the HMR Program is "What is the Success Rate?"  Well, as one referring physician said to me this week, "I have never seen anyone do the program as it is designed and not lose weight. "

HMR has always set the standard for excellence in the field and measurable outcomes have been the cornerstone of the HMR Program for more than 25 years. 

This month, The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a new study showing just how effective the HMR Program is.  Patients who participated in the Healthy Solutions Program (HMR shakes, HMR entrees and fruits and vegetables, behavioral coaching and 2000 calories PA) lost an average of 37.5 pounds in 18 weeks. These data represent two to three times more weight loss, in less time, compared to published results of any other commercial diet program.

(The HMR at Home Program, the latest, most convenient diet option, uses the same HMR meal replacements and diet structure as HMR Healthy Solutions in a clinical setting.)

What is the success rate?  Simply stated... portion and calorie-controlled meal replacements used in a structured weight-loss program are successful in facilitating medically significant weight loss.

Check out this link for more information. http://www.adajournal.org/home

 

 

Better Results with Personal Coaching and HMR at Home

Your hairdresser, your accountant, your lawyer and your electrician, all have one thing in common. Expertise. And the reason you hire them is because they know more about your hair, your money, your rights and your wiring than you do.

But when it comes to weight management you choose to go it alone. Why?

If you have decided to commit yourself to losing weight (really, this time I am going to do it) and learning something new to keep it off (really, this time I am going to do it) give yourself the best chance of success - not just to lose weight - but to make a long-term lifestyle change.

The HMR at Home Program is easy to follow. Each day you have 3 HMR Shakes, 2 HMR Entrees and 5 servings of fruits and veggies - it's so easy you can do it yourself. Sure. But who do you turn to when you get bored with your strawberry shake? Who helps you figure out how you will take the business trip and stay on the diet so you don't lose momentum this time? Who will give you that extra support you need when you see your old behaviors creeping back in to your life?

The Personal Coaches at Full Life have years of experience in all things weight related. We use the HMR products. We struggle with and problem solve the out of control food environment we live in. We have to fit our Physical Activity in between work and the kids and the house and the dog. We have spouses and friends who ask why we are always eating fruits and veggies anyway... just have _______ with us tonight. We are real people in the real world who are managing our weight successfully. And we are trained professionals who will help you get results.

Our top priority is helping you make a long-term lifestyle change for weight loss maintenance and better health.

We will help you successfully transition from being "in the box" to figuring out what you need to do in maintenance. We will teach you how to use the HMR Calorie System to balance your calories in and calories out. We will provide the support, accountability and coaching you need when you have had a tough week - and make sure you have the tools to get back on track before that 2 pound vacation weight gain becomes 5 pounds or 10.

If you are serious about losing weight and keeping it off (really, this time I'm going to do it) Make the choice to work with a Personal Coach at Full Life. Contact us to set up a coaching schedule that works for you. Don't wait - CLICK HERE NOW!