Want to eat less this holiday season? Learn in today's Lean Plate Club why eating more may be the way to control calories--and your waistline--from now until New Year's Day.
Today begins Week Six of the Lean Plate Club Holiday Challenge. Tell us how you're doing in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat, live from 1 to 2 p.m. EST. Can't join live? No problem. Just leave your comments or questions ahead of time, and come back later to see what other LPCers had to say. Or e-mail me any time at [EMAIL PROTECTED].
What's for Dinner Tonight?
Who says you don't have time to cook even at the holidays? Chef Jacques Pepin's "Fast Food My Way" can turn a precious minute or two into a cooking class and a meal for tonight's dinner.
Peasant Soup uses chicken broth, leftover bread, scallions and a little Swiss cheese to quickly produce a full-volume first course or snack that will leave you full on just a few calories. Or throw a few sweet potatoes in the oven while you're doing last-minute wrapping, decorating the tree or cooking Christmas dinner. Pepin shows you how to turn a few sweet potatoes into a quick Sweet Potato Chowder.
His Carrot and Walnut Salad is great for the holidays because you can fix it ahead and keep it in the fridge for several days. Since there's plenty of healthy fat in the walnuts, you can scale back on the oil in the dressing (as your taste and waist allow). Pepin says that the salad, which is also rich in beta carotene, can be eaten as a snack, used as a filler in sandwiches or accompany a meal. Add Gorgonzola cheese and a crusty, whole grain bread for a quick, healthy meal.
Basil, Cheese, Fig and Nut Bites are fast and mouth-watering. Aside from its great flavor, it also provides calcium, fruit and healthy fat.
And for less than 300 calories per serving, you can savor Pears Poached in Port With Ginger Crumble and Yogurt Sauce from Natural Health magazine.
Joy of Motion
How many calories do you really burn doing various activities? Two Web sites will do the numbers for you: NutritionData and CaloriesPerHour.
Instead of just sitting while you visit with friends and family during the next couple of holiday weeks, consider activities that will help you burn calories and have fun. So how much can you burn? Here are a few examples, culled from CaloriesPerHour, based on a 145-pound person (if you weigh less you'll burn a little less; if you weigh more, you'll burn a few more calories): ice skating (74 calories/10 minutes; 445 for an hour); shooting baskets (48 calories for 10 minutes; 286 for an hour); walking the dog (32 for 10 minutes; 191 for an hour); preparing food--no nibbling: (26 calories for 10 minutes; 159 for an hour); and miniature golf (32 calories for 10 minutes; 191 for an hour.)
Almost everybody knows a few exercises to tone thighs, abs and trim hips. In this month's Natural Health magazine, discover ways to work those forgotten muscles in your shoulders and upper back. When they're toned, they improve posture, which helps you look and feel healthy.
And if you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift, learn in today's Moving Crew why a personal trainer may be just the thing to get a jump-start on an exercise regimen for 2005.
Ever wonder why you're so tired? Yoga Journal offers some possible reasons for feeling tired beyond the usual lack of zzz's.
And Woman's Day magazine offers 26 last-minute ideas that will help you get through the holidays.
Lean Plate Club Extras
We ran out of time in a recent Web chat before this could be posted. (Please know that I read all your postings and e-mails and answer as many as time allows.)
Downtown D.C.: A couple of months ago, I decided I needed to get in shape. I looked at my diet and realized it wasn't that bad, but needed improvement: I don't drink sodas, I don't keep chips around the house and seldom buy them, and I eat fast food only once in a blue moon. (Once every couple of months, maybe?) On the other hand, I don't/didn't eat enough fruits and vegetables and I simply eat too much food overall. So the new regimen is all the fruits and vegetables I want--replacing some of the starches and meats--and counting calories. I started walking at least two fast miles a day and I added an upper-body workout (about 10 minutes) every day. The result? NADA! I've gone down a size and I see and feel a lot more muscle, but I haven't lost an ounce! What am I doing wrong?
Sally Squires: Nothing, D.C.. You're doing lots of right things and you're already seeing results. Despite promises of quick fixes from best-selling diet and exercise books, weight doesn't magically "melt" away. Take a look at NBC's reality show The Biggest Loser. Participants are focused completely on weight loss and getting back into shape. They work out for hours a day, and in last week's show one participant lost only two pounds. So keep doing what you're doing. Focus on the habits. You already know that your muscles are more toned. The weight will eventually decline if you stick with your new regimen. It's just not a straight downward drop, as many LPCers who have lost significant amounts of weight often report. It takes time and focus.
In Search Of
For an upcoming story in the Health section, I'm looking for thin parents with overweight children and thin children of overweight parents. Any age is okay. E-mail me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and please put "family weight" in the subject line.
Happy Holidays!
Today's Web chat is the last before 2005. So share your holiday tips, ways you've gotten back on track after slip-ups and yes, even your healthy habit goals for 2005. Join us live from 1 to 2 p.m. EST today or leave your comments and food finds ahead of time. Too busy to join live? No problem. Just leave your thoughts ahead of time and then come back at your convenience to read the discussion transcript. And remember, all of the discussions--of 2004 and before--are available in the LPC Discussion Archive.
We don't publish a newsletter next week, but we'll be back on January 4 with lots of new ideas for healthy eating and physical activity. Happy Holidays!
