JENNIFER’S GENERAL NUTRITION AND TRAINING RULES
TO LIVE BY:
UPDATE: December 2007

What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don't Want to Cook?

1. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ

2. Have the smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.

3. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple

4. Precooked chicken strips and micro waved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese

5. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

6. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts

7. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing

8. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, and mustard with horseradish.

9. Heat up a can of good soup.

10. High-fiber cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.

11. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway HOLD THE MAYO!!  Use mustard or fat free dressing.

12. Precut fruit for a salad and add low-sugar/low fat yogurt.
 
What's Your Best Advice for Avoiding Those Extra Holiday Pounds?


1. Don't tell yourself, "It's OK, it's the holidays." That opens the door to six weeks of splurging.

2. Remember, eat before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled egg, apple and a thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).

3. As obvious as it sounds, don't stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you'll find you eat less.

4. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there's less chance of overeating.

5. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don't allow much room for expansion. Wearing sweats is out until January.

6. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people or take it to work the next day.

7. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.

8. Make exercise a non-negotiable priority.

9. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they've done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.


PREVIOUS UPDATE: Summer 2007

MEALS: Eat every 3-4 hours. This translates to roughly 4 or 5 meals per day. One should be able to consume a good breakfast, lunch and dinner, with one to two snacks.

CALORIES: Find out your BMR. This stands for your Basal Metabolic Rate, or the amount of calories your body burns at rest. This also translates to the number of calories your body burns just sitting around all day and doing little of anything else but breathing. I always try to consume a couple hundred more than my BMR. When cutting, I consume a couple hundred less. Exact numbers you want? Well, that’s one of my specialties! For more specifics, send me an email, and I can give you a personalized program to get you into tip top shape!

PROTEIN: How much do you weigh? Then in order to maintain lean mass (muscle) I suggest that you eat .8-1g of protein for every pound on the scale that you weigh. If you weigh 130 pounds, then you should consume roughly 100-130g of protein each day from sources such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean meats, egg whites, and protein powder.

CARBOHYDRATES: Think of your body as your car, and carbs as gas. You really only need gas when you will be driving your car. Therefore, I suggest eating your starchy carbs (ie: rice, potatoes, oatmeal, yams, whole grains) in the meals that fall before and after your workout, and for breakfast. Every other meal can be comprised of veggies and protein.

FATS: I like to take these in sparingly. I always make a point of keeping my fat intake to around 15-20% of my total daily calories. I rarely use anything else except olive oils, peanut or almond butters, or fats that are found naturally in my animal proteins. Stick to the good fats found in fish, nuts and olive oil (Omega 3 and Omega 6’s). Saturated fats are pretty much good for, well, nothing.

WATER: You honestly can’t drink enough! Well, maybe you can… aim for at LEAST 64 oz per day. I personally aim for no less than a gallon (128 oz). The stuff keeps you hydrated, and helps everything in your body work better. It doesn’t make you burn fat, but it definitely helps your body’s processes move more smoothly and that may aid in weight loss. Also, dehydration isn’t healthy… so don’t put yourself in that position.


SNACKING GUIDELINES:

Snacking can actually help you lose weight and maintain weight loss. That's because by eating a planned between-meal nosh, you're less likely to overeat at your meals. The trick, however, is to not overdo the snacks. Here are some guidelines to follow:
• Women should strive for two snacks per day.
• If you get very little exercise and are over 50, limit yourself to 200 calories of snacks per day.
• If you are very active and younger, you can have two 200-calorie snacks per day.
• If you find that you are losing more than three pounds a week, choose from the higher-calorie snacks or add additional snacks to your daily menus until you maintain or lose at a rate of no more than two pounds per week.

• 100-Calorie Snacks
• 1/4 c 1% cottage cheese and 1 c sliced strawberries
• 1 hard-boiled egg dipped in 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing
• 1/2 c fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt
• 28 pistachios
• 10 almonds or cashews
• 1 large stalk celery stuffed with 1 Tbsp peanut butter

• 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 oz turkey breast
• 1 oz mozzarella string cheese and 4 green olives
• 1 c light yogurt
• 1/2 oz baked tortilla chips with 2 Tbsp salsa
• 1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup
• 1/2 whole wheat bagel (4" diameter), toasted, with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam
• 1/2 c steamed soybeans (edamame)
• 1 hard-boiled egg with 1/2 slice toasted wheat bread
• 1 c chicken noodle soup with 2 saltine crackers
• 1 small (4") whole wheat pita with 1 Tbsp hummus
• 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 oz sliced turkey breast and mustard
• 1/2 c 1% cottage cheese with 1 c cherry tomatoes
• 2 fig bars
• 20 animal crackers
• 1 c berries mixed with 2 Tbsp plain, nonfat yogurt
• 3 to 4 c microwave air-popped popcorn (see package for calories per cup)

• 200-Calorie Snacks
• 2 fig bars and a medium apple
• 1 oz trail mix and 1/2 c light fruit yogurt
• 1 c broth-based soup and 2 rice cakes
• 1/4 c roasted sunflower seed kernels
• 1/4 c dry-roasted mixed nuts
• 8 reduced-fat Tricuit crackers with 1 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 whole wheat English muffin topped with 1 Tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter
• 1/2 c raisin bran cereal with 1/2 c skim milk
• 1/2 c 1% low-fat chocolate milk and 4 squares low-fat graham crackers

• "Free" Hunger-Fighting Foods and Beverages
You can have virtually any vegetable (minus the more calorie-dense potatoes, yams, peas, and beans) as snacks during the day, and enjoy them in unlimited quantities.
• Hot tea with skim milk and sweetener
• Sparkling water with lemon
• Salad greens, any type
• Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Celery
• Tomatoes
• Steamed or fresh broccoli/cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Sprouts
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Green beans
• Vinegar
• Mustard
• Herbs and spices
• Low-sodium tomato or V-8 juice
• Low-sodium fat-free salad dressing


Sample Weekly Workout in Off-Season
(also appropriate for those wishing to lose a little fat and look sexy, toned and trim ;-D)
Note: I already have quite a bit of muscle, so my focus is to maintain what I have, and stay lean. For those wishing to build muscle, the workout would be a little different. HOWEVER, I find that most women (unless if you are a competitor) really want to maintain muscle and keep the fat off…. If that’s you, then this is a GREAT weekly routine! I can also help with gaining muscle. If that’s your interest, contact me and I can set something up for you!

Monday- Full-Body Circuit Weight Training
60-90 Minutes of Cardio

Tuesday- Pilates Class
60-90 Minutes of Cardio

Wednesday- Lower Body Weight Training
60-90 Minutes of Cardio

Thursday- 60 Minutes of Cardio

Friday- Back/Shoulders/Lunges or Step-ups in Weight Room
60-90 Minutes of Cardio

Saturday- Yoga Class
30 Minutes of Cardio

Sunday- REST!


JUNE’S FEATURED NUTRITION AND DIET TIPS:

I Eat Healthfully, but I'm Overweight - What Mistakes Could I Be Making Without Realizing It?

1. Skipping meals: Many “healthy” eaters "diet by day and binge by night."

2. Don't "graze" yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.

3. Eating pasta like crazy: A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.

4. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks

5. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel

6. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

7. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal


MAY’S FEATURED NUTRITION AND DIET TIPS:

Can You Give Me a Mantra That Will Help Me Stick to My Diet?

1. "The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."

2. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."

3. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a cookie now."

4. "I am a work in progress."

5. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."


APRIL’S FEATURED NUTRITION AND DIET TIPS:

How Can I Eat More Veggies?

1. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3PM. Low sodium is always better if you can find it…

2. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble sugar-free maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.

3. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week as a side dish.

4. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.

5. Rediscover the sweet potato.

6. Use pre-bagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.

7. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

8. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes and melons).

9. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. Makes a great quick dinner.


MARCH’S FEATURED NUTRITION AND DIET TIPS:

Are There Any Easy Tricks to Help Me Cut Calories?

1. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage and dessert.

2. When dining out: Order one dessert to share.

3. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.

4. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.

5. Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you'll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.

6. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent or skim. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you could lose 5 lbs in a year.

7. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day. Or better yet, dilute 40z of juice with water.

8. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.

9. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.

10. Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."

11. Use mustard instead of mayo.

12. Eat more soup. The non-creamy ones are filling but low-cal.

13. Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You could lose 25 lbs in a year.

14. Take your lunch to work.

15. Sit when you eat.

16. Have mostly veggies for lunch.

17. Eat at home.

18. Limit alcohol to weekends.


FEBRUARY’S FEATURED NUTRITION AND DIET TIPS:

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now -- What Should I Do?

1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.

2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions -- unless you want to supersize your clothes.

4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.