The Truth About Your Body

There is no good time to tell you this, but I think you should know something:

Your body doesn't care about the holidays. It doesn't even know it's supposed to be on hiatus until January, much less care.

It doesn't process calories, fat, or sugar any differently because it's Christmastime. It just keeps plugging away.

"Hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I go...taking in all of these yummy goodies and...oooh, eggnog!...why is she eating all of this junk anyway? Whatever, I don't get paid to ask questions, no time to think, just gotta keep processing this food 'cause that's what I do and wow there sure is a lot of it..."

I imagine the above being said in a sing-song voice similar to the ones on the Mighty Machine DVDs that apply human voices to garbage trucks and construction vehicles.  I've watched a lot of Mighty Machines so the voices are pretty much drilled into my brain forever.

Anyway, your body isn't on vacation - it's still open for business.  So even if you've pressed pause on your wellness until next week, your body hasn't.  Sooooo......yeah.  Sorry 'bout that.

I'm glad we had this little talk. :)

I'd also like to get all warm and fuzzy with you (I know, what?!) and say thanks for your readership. I love writing in this blog and knowing that you read it and maybe even glean some value from it makes me merry and bright.  I hope you have a wonderful wonderful wonderful holiday filled with wonderfulness. 

Now snap out of it and get back to being healthy and stuff!  Trust me, you'll love it!

The Fanny Pack

This woman's face hidden
 to protect her dignity.

Are you wearing your fanny pack?  If you ate something you didn't need today, then I am willing to bet you are! 

I was reminded of my fanny pack yesterday when talking about - what else? - holiday weight loss with a friend.  I explained a visual tool I use when I find myself eating something my body has no use for: putting that food into a fanny pack that is strapped across my waist. 

For example, fudge. When my stomach growls and I give it fudge, it's less than grateful. I mean, what is a hungry body going to do with fudge?  So it politely thanks me for the fudge, tucks it into the fanny pack, and then 10 minutes later tries again:

"I'm hungry. The fudge was great but I need something I can work with. Perhaps some whole grains and a little protein?" 

And let's say I give it a Christmas cookie.  My stomach may take that cookie, put it into the fanny pack, zip it up, and say, "thanks, but not really what I needed.  I need something I can use for fuel. Let's try again."  And the cycle continues. You keep feeding, it keeps storing, and you know what happens.  The belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly happens. And in January you look into the mirror and say, "but I only had a few bites!"

Look - when you eat something that is nutritionally bankrupt, your body has no need for it. So it tucks it into your virtual fanny pack and asks for something else.  If you keep giving it stuff it can't use, that fanny pack is going to get more and more full.

Have you ever tried to sit down wearing a fully-loaded fanny pack? I have, both literally and figuratively. It ain't cute either way. I've got too much that I want to do in a day to carry around that extra stuff. 

Take off the fanny pack! Stop putting things into it!  When you get to a table laden with holiday goodies, imagine yourself unzipping your fanny pack, putting all of the stuff inside, and carrying it around with you all day.

It's a pretty darn accurate analogy if I do say so myself. :) So get on with it!

Good day!

Healthy Holiday Hint: Eat like a kid again!

Half the time when I pick up my kiddo from school, his lunchbox still has a few cleaneating goodies in it - graham crackers, a cereal bar, these great fig-newton (it's not a cookie! it's a fig newwwton!) thingies I found...just miscellaneous things he didn't get around to eating. And because I am a product of the "eat what you're given and don't complain," generation I ask him why he didn't eat all of his lunch.

And for some reason I am always pleasantly suprised to hear him tell me, "I was just done eating."

He was just done eating. He eats his lunch until he isn't hungry anymore and then he just stops and closes his lunchbox. That's so...healthy. I love how kids do that. They get a bum rap for only wanting to eat junk food but most of the time kids are actually pretty healthy with their eating patterns.  The food they want to eat may not be that healthy, but at least they eat it in a healthy way. :)

So that's our Healthy Heather Holiday Hint for today: eat like a kid again!  Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're not hungry anymore. I'll be at a Christmas Eve party on Friday with a buffet full of delicious holiday food, and you better believe I'll be remembering this hint. 

Healthy eating is more than just what you eat, it's also how you eat. Pay attention to your hunger signals this week and listen to them. They won't steer you wrong.

Remember: He sees you when you're eating! :)

The Lies We Tell

Liar! 

Yes, you!  Me too, if I'm being honest.  We all tell lies to ourselves about the food we eat, especially this time of year when there is so much to lie about.  Do any of these sound familiar?

No one saw me eat that (or I just had a tiny bite), so it doesn't really count. Truth: if your body digests it, it counts. If it goes down your esophagus, it counts. Your body doesn't know it wasn't supposed to count. It's gonna do its thang either way.

I've been so good all week, I deserve to have a treat. Truth: you're right! You do deserve a treat! Go get a pedicure! Buy something pretty to remind you of your hard work. Call a good friend and brag on your great week. Treat yourself right...by not ruining all of that hard work.

I'll make up for this tomorrow.  Make that next week. Truth: you might. But when I tell myself this lie, I almost never follow through and if I do, I resent it.  Exercise should be proactive, not damage control!

When I notice that I am telling these little lies to myself, I try to see it as a sign that I am feeling deprived or too restricted in my nutrition. If I was truly happy with my nutrition plan, I wouldn't be looking for ways to rebel (and then try to pretend never happened), would I?  So I relax things a little and give myself some wiggle room until I feel like I am sufficiently indulged.  But this is the clincher - I still log it, I still eat clean, and I still remain accountable to myself for what I am eating and what that means for my fitness. And sometimes I think about those added calories (and the added water weight I will carry as a result) and decide it's not really worth it.  I mean, it's just food.  Food is a temporary situation.

If you hear yourself telling sweet little lies, take a step aside and ask yourself why. Do you need some wiggle room?  Are you feeling left out of the food celebrations? But are your fitness goals bigger than that?  Maybe so, maybe not.  Either way, be honest with yourself and about the reasons you feel that way.

Santa's watching, after all!

Be merry and bright today. :)

Healthy Holiday Hint: The Feeders

As we get into the thick of the holidays, our resolve begins to wane. Doesn't it? I know mine has. Just turning on the television these days plants visions of sugar plums in our heads...and after seeing them enough times chances are your brain will begin to resent all of that teasing and want to bite into one. 


So it's time for reinforcements. Before you head into the weekend, read up on these Healthy Heather Holiday Hints.


There is an army of sugar plums out there, and they're armed. So, we're going to profile the threats. It may be your mother-in-law, your co-worker, or your neighbor…but you know who it is. That person who corners you and insists that you try their Triple Cheese and Bean Dip. They’re “feeders” and they want to feed YOU!  You can categorize them as such:


The Nurturing Feeder: needs connection and affection, which you can provide without eating pie.  A hug, a shared laugh, an inside joke...all of these things can provide what the Nurturing Feeder needs, but they don't make you fat.


The People Pleaser: needs to feel needed and appreciated, which you can provide by praising their thoughtfulness (but not eating the fruits of their labor).  You can even ask for their recipe...and then "healthify" it on your own. 


The Controlling Feeder: wants to take you down. They may be angry that you are not enabling their bad habits, or they may be jealous of your discipline and success. Regardless, your best line of defense here is to change the subject with haste. 


Feeders aren't bad people.  Well, that last one may have some anger issues.  But for the most part, they're just swept up in what they consider to be celebrating the holidays. If you want to have a healthy holiday, take a deep breath when you see these folks coming (holding a plate of something they want to feed you), remember their real motivation, and celebrate your relationship with them without the extra pounds.


It can happen! You can do it!

Holiday Party Tips: Getting Real About Special Food

I know I told you yesterday that we were going to talk about the R in creating SMART goals but I changed my mind. It's my blog and I can do that!  Instead, since its Friday and I know you probably have parties and whatnot this weekend, I want to shove a few more healthy holiday hints down your throat.  Did I say shove? I meant suggest. Strongly suggest.

Today, it's about getting real about “special” food!

Yall, we are lucky enough to live in a country where food is bountiful. We have 24-7 access to Wal-Mart, which carries every vice you can eat. Sure, your mom only makes her special peanut butter cookies once a year, but what’s to stop you from making it in the middle of July (don't do that)? The point? There is no such thing as “limited time offer” when it comes to food.

So, consider this when you head out this weekend:  instead of placing so much emphasis on the food traditions surrounding the holidays, create memories by interacting with your family in a new way that is not food-related. Institute an annual Christmas jog through the park. Break out the puzzles. Play freeze tag. Whatever, just remember – people are a limited-time offer, not food.

It bears saying again: people are a limited-time offer, not food.


Focus on the people.
 
And have a lovely weekend.  We'll talk about setting realistic goals once we come back to the reality of Monday. :)

Healthy Holiday Tip: Get Stubborn!

Okay yesterday was really long so I'll keep it short today!  Here are a few tips to help you accomplish what we talked about yesterday - achieving a calorie deficit (AKA progress) or break-even if you want to avoid gaining holiday weight when you're at those food-laden parties.


That's right, it's Healthy Heather's Holiday Hints!


The first step, of course, is to make a plan.  Always make a plan. Write it down and stuff it in your pocket if you have to.


Then, channel your inner three-year-old. That's right, dig in your heels and get stubborn!

Learn to say “no” creatively. Save the three-year-old routine for your internal dialogue, however, unless your plan to avoid holiday weight gain is to not be invited to any more parties. Instead, when you’re confronted with something that is not on your plan, use positive language to redirect the attention away from your refusal to indulge. 


For example: 

• Express gratitude (thanks for offering! that looks delicious!)
• Acknowledge the effort (it is so thoughtful of you to make these for me!)
• Suggest an alternative (I’ll have to try some a bit later.)

And then DROP IT. Stop talking. Move on. Drink some water. Smile.  Tell a joke.


Remember – no one can force open your mouth and make you eat something. Well, they can but they won’t. Don’t engage in a debate over whether you “should” or “need to lose weight.” It’s your decision, and they don't want to hear it anyway. 


If all else fails, tell them you are allergic.


Happy holidays!

Holiday Weightloss: A How-to Guide

Ha! SO SO SO SO SOOOO not true.

Warning: this is a long one. I'm going to make you think on a Monday.


Okay, so we've been talking (or at least I have) about saying focused on our wellness goals and not gaining the average seven pounds that Americans put on during the holidays.  And you may be sitting looking at your screen saying, "Sounds good Healthy Heather but HOW?  How the heck am I going to do that?!?"  


Well keep your britches on! I'm going to tell you!  You'll need two things:


1. A calculator (yes, there is math)
2. Someplace to accurately log calories.  
I suggest an account on the free food journaling website Fitday.com.


In order to lose or maintain weight during the holidays (or any time of year) you need to know what you're working with.  In other words, you need to  determine your Basal Metabolic Rate.  Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest.  That is, if you were to lie in bed all day watching Harry Potter movies back to back all day long, your BMR is the number of calories it would take for your body to keep pushing the remote control past all the parts with Dobby the House Elf in them. That's your base.  To find out what yours is, use this formula.  Keep in mind this is just an estimate!

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)

For example, this is what that looks like for me: 

• 655 + (4.35 x 140) + (4.7 x 64) – (4.7 x 34)
• 655 + 609 + 301 – 150 = 1,415 calories burned AT REST

Okay. Now, unless you really do lie in bed watching Harry Potter every day, we need to multiply your BMR by your activity level.  Use the following descriptors to categorize yourself, and if you're somewhere in the middle of two categories, well, split the difference!

• Sedentary: multiply BMR x 1.2
• Light activity (1-3 days per week): BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (3-5 days per week): BMR x 1.55
• Very active (hard activity 6-7 day per week): BMR x 1.725
• Extra active (training for a sport full time): BMR x 1.9

Example, for me: 
1,415 calories burned AT REST x 1.725 = 2,440 calories burned on average each day

According to my collected data, this is pretty darn accurate. On average, on days when I exercise, my GoWearFit shows that I burn between 2,500 and 2,600 calories. On rest days when I just walk around doing normal stuff but don't work out, I burn an average of 1,800 – 2,000 calories.  So I trust this formula.

Okay!  Now that we have a good idea how many calories we are using up in a day, we need to know how many we are eating.


Yep.


You gotta write it down.  Everything.   Half cookies count, that little spoonful of peanut butter counts, and food you taste even though you're making it for someone else...that counts.  Food that no one saw you eat, yeah, that counts.  If it is digested by your body, you count it.  It's science people. I can't help it.

Fitday makes it easy to keep track of it all with a ginormous food database, and it calculates everything for you.  Your goal is for the number of calories you EAT to be the same or less than the number of calories you BURN.  


To lose weight, you need to burn more than you eat.  It really is that simple.  If when you enter in your food and you don't like what you see on either end, change it. Either eat less or move around more - your choice.  I think you will see that the cleaner and healthier your food choices become, the happier that scenario begins to look.  However, pay close attention to the number of calories you are taking in; eating fewer than 1,200 calories for women or 1,800 calories for men is not recommended and can do more harm than good.  You have to eat. Again, it's science.  I can't change science. If I could, trust me things would be different around here.


Remember, our goal during the holidays is progress, not perfection. By being aware of your caloric needs and intake, you can minimize the damage done to your wellness and make January a much happier month.  


Do the math!  Do it today!  Make progress!

Wham! Pow!

What a great workout this morning!  I donned my boxing gloves and spent a little time sparring with my trainer, which was a really fun way to start the day.  People say that boxing is a good way to get rid of any frustrations, but I have had such a fun week that I don't have much angst built up.  But it still felt good to hit stuff.


We're coming into the first weekend of the holiday season, so you may be facing parties, baking, and more. Remember our deal - progress, not perfection.  I'm doing some baking myself this weekend and my goal is to weigh the same on Monday as I do tomorrow morning!  The number on the scale is just one small part of our overall wellness, but knowing you're going to be checking is a good way to stay accountable about those sneaky little things like sodium, alcohol, and sugar that will cause us to retain water and feel unhealthy, which will make us frustrated and lead us to be less motivated to stick to our healthy goals.  So give it a shot!


I've also broken out my trusty calendar stickers, and I've been putting one for exercise and one for nutrition on my calendar each day.  November looks awesome!  All of those stickers all lined up means I had one healthy month.  I have the same goal for December: a sticker on five days a week for exercise (real, hard, sweaty, calorie-torching exercise) and a sticker for every day of the week that I have a calorie deficit.  


Take the weekend to think of some small things you can do to make sure you're making progress on your wellness this month.  Then, rest up.  I have a doozy of a post for you on Monday!


Have a great, healthy weekend!  Good day!

Sometimes: A Confession

There's something I need to tell you.  Brace yourself, it may come as a shock. Are you sitting down?  Here goes:

I'm not perfect.

I know.  I know!  I was just as surprised as you!  But here's the thing - sometimes I just don't feel like doing the healthy thing.  And I am here to confess it to you today. 

Sometimes I don't feel like getting out of bed and going to the gym.  Sometimes I walk part of my run because I just don't wanna. I run harder the next day.

Sometimes I have a serious craving for a big greasy cheeseburger. And some of those times I get one.  

Sometimes I ask my husband to make me a chocolate martini even though they are loaded with sugar and I don't really have the calories for it.  And I eat the Hershey kiss he puts in the bottom.  And I put it in my food log even though I don't want to.

Sometimes I slack off at the gym and don't work as hard as I can.  I work harder the next day instead.

Probably four nights out of the week, my husband, son, and I eat completely different things for dinner and I don't care one bit even though there are probably hundreds of child psychologists  who will tell me I am ruining my family.  Sometimes we just don't want to eat the same thing and I don't see why we should have to.

I bribe my child with trips to get "ice cream" (shhhh, it's actually fro-yo) and sometimes I don't put fruit on mine. Sometimes I put little pieces of cheesecake. Scandal!

I feel better telling you this because sometimes I get worried that all of the people who think I never do unhealthy things really do think I never do unhealthy things. But I do.  Granted, my diversions from wellness are pretty pathetic in the grand scheme of things, but still.  They're my diversions.


Don't judge my diversions! LOL


And during this time of year, it's easy to let the sometimes things turn into the usual things and eventually turn into the way you've always done it.  


Look, I know its harder to be healthy during the holidays. I get that.  But I don't care!  It's still important!  


So let's make a deal: we don't have to be perfect. Gasp!  I can't believe I typed that!

You're not off the hook to be healthy just because it's National Goof-off Month! We don't have to be perfect, but we do have to still make progress.  
Because sometimes, it's amazing what you can do when you try.

Fit Tip for the Holidays

Some people say it is better to give than to receive during the holidays. I've noticed that a lot of those people are trying to give me rum cake.

But they're right - giving is a joy and the ability to give is a blessing.  So, give yourself and the people around you a gift this season: the gift of a wonderful January because you didn't eat all that rum cake.


That's right - here is today's Healthy Heather's Holiday Tip!


Tip 'o the Day: Be prepared!

Even the best-laid plans can go awry, but rarely does that happen when you are prepared. Look ahead to your week and categorize any holiday activities this way:


1. Category 1: What you can control. Like for example, YOU can control what you eat for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. For real, you can. I dare anyone to open your mouth with a prybar and shove food down your throat. 

2. Category 2: What you can’t control.  You can't control what your friend makes for a party that you attend, and you can't control what someone brings to the office kitchen and displays in plain sight.  You can, however, control your reaction to it.  Which brings us to category number 3!

3. Category 3: What battles you are going to fight.  Okay, I get that it is the holidays and I know it is hard to not get caught up in the food worship.  So, if necessary, compromise with yourself – maybe a glass of wine is okay but not wine AND cheese and crackers.  If you want to indulge in holiday food, make it worth it.  There is a difference between an indulgence and a binge.  Know your limits.

As always, please remember - the holidays are about celebrating with family and friends, and that can be done without food being the centerpiece.  By thinking ahead and making a plan, you can avoid being mistaken for Santa Claus come January.

Be good!  He sees you when you're eating! :)

The Turkish Get-Up is not a dance step. And there is no turkey.

For some, bracing for crowds, snatching deals, lifting shopping bags, and balancing their Christmas shopping is enough of a workout on the day after Thanksgiving.  Others brace themselves in an uber-plank, snatch kettlebells, lift their own body weight, and center their balance in a whole new kind of turkey-inspired indulgence.  I would fall into the second category. But you knew that.

On Black Friday I put on my black chucks and headed to Boot Camps to Go to workout with one of my most favoritest trainers, Laurel Blackburn.  I like Laurel because she not only knows her stuff when it comes to human physiology and conditioning, but she is a stickler for the details of form and function, just like me.  You can read more about her in Women's Health and Oxygen magazines, where she's been profiled for her no-nonsense perspective on achieving physical fitness and her popular Boot Camp workouts.  She's super cool.

Anyway, I was glad to finally have some time to learn about kettlebells, the ancient workout that is the new rage among fitness types.  Read my post on Kettlebells: Know Your Pro for the info.  I was not disappointed!  Wow, not only was working with kettlebells seriously tough mentally and physically, I managed to burn off the bowl of Thanksgiving Oatmeal I had devoured on the drive over in no time.  That was pretty sweet.

Kettlebells require serious attention to form and technique, and that is what makes the certification of your instructor so important.  In just the hour that I spent learning some of the basics, I could see how this is the kind of workout that never gets stale: there is always another level of improvement, heavier bells, and more advanced technique.  Working out with kettlebells is about more than just burning calories (which it does, in droves).  It's also a deliberate way to center your focus on one task, which requires you to forget about everything else cluttering your brain.  That was pretty sweet, too.  I learned how to correctly swing the bells, how to do a kettlebell squat, and got reacquainted with the fact that I am so not flexible.  Check me out in my super-fly workout gear! Oh yeah. I'm glamorous.


I think my favorite part of my Black Friday workout, though, was the nap.  What?  Okay, I didn't actually take a nap but I did get to lie down.  When Laurel told me we were going to do the Turkish Get-up I wasn't sure if she was going to give me her Thanksgiving leftovers or teach me a new dance step. It wasn't either of those.  Instead, well, it's easier to show you.  This video is long, but watch it anyway.

Learning this move was interesting, and I've been practicing it at home. It's a full-body exercise and a great way to start the day!

Look, it's a crucial time of year for staying healthy. The average person puts on seven pounds just in December!  If you want to avoid that, shake up the routine: increase intensity, try something new, and challenge yourself to not become a weight gain statistic.  For you locals, Laurel has a Monday, Wednesday, Friday KB class starting up in December - register for it!  If you're not from these parts, find a certified kettlebell instructor near you and give 'em a shot!

Consider it a Christmas gift to yourself. :)

Turkey Trot Success!

Well let me tell you, there's nothing quite so thrilling as peeing in the woods to make a Turkey Trot memorable.  Thanks, gents, for making your arrival known to me before we became much better acquainted!


I set a goal going into the 15k Trot of 1:33, and by my watch I finished at 1:33:16. Not bad considering I spent about a minute and a half de-tangling myself from a sticker bush and finding a nice big oak tree to pee behind around mile three! I don't know what this thing is with having to go during races, but I am so over it. Not cool, bladder. It was funny the first time but we're not doing that again.  Please make a note of it.  


Thank you.


Anyway, Thanksgiving was a low-key affair for me. As you know, I am not a big fan of the eating holidays; they're just mine fields for overdoing it in the name of sentimentality.  So I kept all of my Turkey Tips in mind and made it a really healthy day: a nice long run and lots of clean eats including a big Thanksgiving salad full of spinach, turkey, unsweetened dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. I planned on making my healthy pumpkin pie, but decided to skip it.  My husband doesn't really care for pie, I could live without it, and I didn't want a whole pie sitting around, so I considered it a sign from the Turkey Gods that I just was not meant to gain a pound this Thanksgiving. Thank you, Turkey Gods!  I was rewarded with a nice calorie deficit this morning according to my GoWear Fit. A deficit of 29 calories, but hey I am so counting that as a victory.  Take THAT Thanksgiving!


And now Christmas is rushing towards us like a steam engine.  That means it's time to kick things into high gear!  Over the next month, I'll be here with tips, workouts, recipes, and more to help make your holiday a healthy one.  Starting off - my Black Friday workout at Boot Camps to Go.  


I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  Now wake up!  Naptime is over! 


The holidays are here!

Turkey Day Tip #3

Wait!  There is still time to be healthy on Thanksgiving! 

Here's how:

1. Exercise, fool! Many many many cities in this great country host Turkey Trots every Thanksgiving morning, and I am willing to bet good money that they are still taking registrations. Starting the day off with a run, or even just a brisk walk, is a great way to kickstart your metabolism plus put you in a healthy mood.  Exercise helps you eat less and feel happier about it, just sayin'. You can find a turkey trot near you!

2. Slim down your favorites. Look, I love sweet potato casserole just as much as you do. But I love feeling healthy and strong all day long more than the 10 seconds it takes to eat it.  Even if you're not a sadist like me, you can at least slim down your holiday favorites with some simple substitutions.  My friend Tiffany at The Gracious Pantry has some great holiday recipes that will make you feel like you're splurging without actually doing it.  Check them out!

3. Remember the REAL reason for Thanksgiving. My friend Ellen sent this article to me the other day because she knew I would dig it - it's not only chock full of my favorite historical demographic - naughty Puritans - but it's also about how Thanksgiving was intended to be a day of meditation and reverence, not gluttony and consumerism. Its a nice reminder to make family the focus of the day, not a personal challenge to eat everything you passed up the other 10 months of the year.

My Thanksgiving day plans? The Turkey Trot 15k, making mimosas and some whole-wheat clean eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast, watching the parade and complaining about all of the product placement, baking my healthy pumpkin pie (recipe below) with my munchkin, and having a delicious Thanksgiving-themed salad full of spinach, home-dried (AKA unsweetened) cranberries, toasted walnuts, and yes, TURKEY. Then a whole lotta rest so I can be ready for my post-Thanksgiving workout at Boot Camps to Go.

And now for the recipe...keep in mind I cook for fuel (which is to say I am not a chef!)

Healthy Heather's Pumpkin Pie


Ingredients:
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 8 ounces almond milk
• 3 egg whites
• 1 ½ cups crushed whole wheat graham cracker crumbs (I use Mi-Del)
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• pumpkin pie spice
• 2 egg whites, for the crust


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make graham cracker crust: combine 1 ½ cups crushed whole wheat graham crackers with about 2 tbsp melted butter and press into a greased pie plate. To make to crust less soggy, brush egg whites over it and bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes before adding the pie filling.

3. Mix pumpkin, milk, and egg whites until smooth.

4. Add the pumpkin pie spice

5. Pour into crust and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 45 minutes (may vary depending on ovens).


Have a WONFERFUL Thanksgiving...see you soon!

Signs, signs, everywhere signs

Do you believe in signs?  You know, those seemingly random events that seem to confirm a decision that you knew you wanted to make but didn't know you knew?
I do. I leave a lot of stuff up to gut instinct to lead me in the direction I should go.  I rely on signs to give me that extra confidence of "yep, I made the right decision!"  So naturally, I'm the kind of person who thinks everything is a sign.

When I see people running down the sidewalk in the mornings, I see a sign to reconnect with my own fitness goals.  On days when I've had a good workout , I feel a real sense of community with these people, like we're in a secret club together.  And on days when I want to go to Starbucks and get a big frosted pumpkin scone, I seem to see those people more often.  I think its a sign, reminding me of my bigger goal.  Which, if you're not following, is to NOT eat big frosted pumpkin scones from Starbucks.

They had some samples of those out one day and I tasted a tiny little sliver of one and...yeah....I don't need to eat that. 

The other day I kinda wanted a few more almonds, but I knew my body didn't need them...and at that moment I reached over to get something and bumped my gym bag, which is next to my desk. An upper-body weight workout I had jotted down on an index card fell out of a pocket on my bag, reminding me of my goal to increase my muscle strength.  I chuckled to myself; it was a sign that gave me the extra oomph I needed to put those almonds out of my mind.  And I did.

Yesterday, in church, my son snuggled up next to me and I smiled and reveled in our cozy little moment.  Then he said, loud and clear for all to hear, "mommy, your tummy makes such a nice pillow."

That was definitely a sign.

Well here's another one:  today I am celebrating two straight weeks of a 3,500 calorie deficit, representing two pounds lost! Woot woot! I said I was back and I meant it - I am excelling in every single area of my plan, and I am soooo glad I paid attention to those signs.  My tummy has turned into a bit of a pillow lately...and I'm sad to tell my kiddo not to get too comfortable on it.

Have I lost my mojo? Hell no! I've got it in droves! 


Tomorrow's Blog Preview: What do I have in common with Marty McFly?  See you soon!

My Favorite Mistake

Who would have thought that accidentally sprinkling pepper on my Thanksgiving oatmeal yesterday would be the tastiest decision of the day?

Lately I've been making what I call "Thanksgiving Oatmeal," for my morning snack.  It is so yummy and nutritious.  The recipe is a cinch:

40 grams of old fashioned oats
15 grams of raisins
15 grams of chopped walnuts
15 grams of chopped apple
15 grams of whole, unsweetened cranberries
Pumpkin pie spice
Hot water

Combine, fuel, move on. It's good and good for you!

Anyway, I also like a dash of salt in my oats. I know, weird.  But the salt and pepper shakers at my office are always mixed up and I can't rememember which is which, so I usually sprinkle a little in my hand to check.  Well yesterday I was in a hurry so I skipped that part, and ended up with PEPPER in my oatmeal.

And then I was all, "Well, that's just great. So that's just sooooo awesome."  But in a really sarcastic internal voice. 

But what do you do?  Toss it out?  No way!  That is some high-octane fuel right there!  So I ate it.  And it was really not bad!  In fact, I think I may do it again today!

Just a tiny tiny bit.  Try it!

Have a good, tasty, high-octane fuel kind of day!

New Month! New Goals!

Ahhhh.....November. A fresh new clean month.  The past few have been doozys for me so I am really glad to see a calendar with almost nothing on it!  A few races and that's it.  What a treat!

And it's also time to brush off the training goals and set some new ones for 12/31.  So, as of this morning my new training schedule is in full effect:

Mondays: 5 mile run, weights, and Pilates

Tuesdays: 8 mile run and swim (yay!)

Wednesdays: bike intervals, weights, and Pilates

Thursdays: rest. Bah. *grumpy*

Fridays: 5 mile run, weights, possibly swim, and Pilates

Saturdays: bike to my 10 mile run, bike home

Sundays: rest.

I have two 5ks, a 15k, and a 10-mile race over the next eight weeks, which will keep the legs busy, and I am FINALLY getting back in the pool for some swim training.  Becoming a stronger swimmer is a 2011 goal and I like getting a head start.

How about you?  What are you doing to stay fit, healthy, and strong through the next two months?

Have a great day!

Big Day for the Healthy Types

What a witch! 

I always feel like the biggest hypocrite on Halloween because I preach all day about NOT eating candy and sugar and stuff for fun, and then I go and pass it out to children.  I really do wrestle with that; I know its just moderation and candy can be part of a healthy life, but still, it bugs me.


That being said, I did actually buy candy this year.  In the past I have had a hard time putting it in my buggy, but the BOGO at the grocery store helped ease that pain this year.  A few moments ago I pulled it out of the pantry to bring to our friends' house tonight for trick or treating and one of the bags was open.  I turned to my husband and asked, with incredulity, "did you open the Halloween candy early?"  His hands flew to his face in mock fear and he replied, 

"We must have rats!"

Okay, so here's the thing - if you're one of those people for whom one piece of candy is the trigger on the sugar machine that turns you into a depraved lunatic looking for a fix, DON'T EAT CANDY TODAY.  Y'all, it is just not worth it.


But, if you're one of those people who truly can have just one or a few pieces of candy and walk away, choose wisely and enjoy.  You're one of the lucky ones.


And then get your butt up tomorrow morning and get back on the healthy track.  The holidays have started, and they will be a lot more fun in a fit, functional, active body that isn't weighed down, literally and figuratively, by sugar.


Happy Halloween!  Be safe, have fun, and most of all BE HEALTHY!

Holiday Fit Tips!

It's the holidays, but your health never takes a holiday!

Wah wah, how sad. I know, I'm such a buzzkill.

Anyway, to help keep you (and me) focused on our health and fitness this season, I'm sharing some of my Healthy Heather's Holiday Hints each week for the next couple of months to help you remember that you CAN enjoy the holidays without needing to wear stretchy pants at the end of it.

Here are this week's tips. Ready? Here we go!

1. Anticipate hurdles and make a plan. Unless you live a very sad life, it’s unrealistic to think that you will not be invited to at least a couple of parties during the holidays, laden with cookies, cakes, candy, and more. But it IS realistic to think that you can get through the party without eating it. Think ahead and try these tactics for controlling your food environment:

• Volunteer to bring something (and make it something you can eat without stress)
• Bring a bottle of water and keep it in your hands, refill throughout the party as necessary
• Spend time socializing, not eating.
• Practice responses to people who pressure you to indulge. From experience, I can advise that crossing your arms in front of your face and shouting, "back off, hater!" is not recommended.

2. Be realistic, not defeated. Some people throw up their hands during the holidays in defeat, assuming there is nothing they can do to be healthy. While it isn’t realistic to think you may go from couch potato to triathlete during the holidays, it IS realistic to believe that you can enter January without needing to wear one of those belly bands that pregnant women wear to extend the waist of their pants and avoid buying maternity clothes. Define what success means to you and make plans to achieve it. Success may be not gaining weight, it may be losing weight, it may be just not eating Aunt Martha’s sweet potato pie until the button pops off of your jeans. But one word of warning: until you believe in your ability to do that and actually want it, your plans are moot.  I'm just sayin'. You gotta want it.

3. Get stubborn. Sometimes maintaining a certain standard of health means just being stubborn. Channel your inner three-year-old and just say NO to people or events that hijack your plans. No way, no how, no thank you. It can feel awkward at first to turn down someone’s chocolate caramel goo-goo brownies with fudge icing, but trust me: they will get over it. Okay, they might not get over it, but you will.

The holidays can be nostalgic, emotional, carefree, and indulgent times. Just take care to apply those elements of the season to the actual living people around you, not the food. I hope it is a wonderful holiday season for you, full of health and emotional well-being.

Good day!