10 ways to stay motivated

Santa Barbara-based Digifit was the first app developer to bring heart-rate monitoring to the iPhone, and they continue to develop applications  grounded in science and powered by technology. They sent along these tips on motivation - and who doesn't need help staying motivated?

See what you think.  Some of these work for me, but not all of them, which is probably pretty typical. For instance, if I don't have junk food in the house, I feel deprived and crave it. But if it's here, I know I can have it IF I WANT, and it's easier for me to say, "Not right now. I'll see how I feel in 30 minutes."  It may sound goofy, but for me, it works.  What works for you?

1. Set Realistic Goals: It's great to dream big, but smaller goals are easier to reach and manage. Every time you reach a realistic goal, you will feel good about yourself which will ultimately motivate you to keep working forward.

2. Track It: Recording what you eat, how many calories you burn and your weight will help you stay on course to reach your goals. Spending the time to track it all is a whole different story. Luckily, there are tons of great devices and apps that track the exercises for you. Digifit's fitness-tracking and heart-rate monitoring app (for iPhone and Android) measures, monitors and reports key workout stats like caloric burn, distance during more workout activities like walking, hiking, biking, running and even shooting hoops to improve performance and up the fun. The data synchs with a personalized profile at My.Digifit.com where users can analyze their workouts and their progress overtime which will ultimately keep them motivated to keep working hard.

3. Buddy Up: When you have a friend counting on you to go for a run or meet up at the gym, you are less likely to bail on the workout. Set appointments with alerts on your calendar and keep your word to workout.

4. Seek Expert Help: A trainer will push you harder and make you feel accountable for your exercise and food choices. Look for a personal trainer at your gym or sign up for a small group training class which is a more affordable option.

5. Trick Yourself: Mix up your workout routine and pick activities that don't feel like exercise and that are fun to burn calories and get fit. Big calorie burners like hiking, surfing, paddle boarding and kickboxing are great ways to step outside of your regular fitness routine. Pick an activity that you enjoy and it won't feel like work.

6. Make it a Family Affair: Encouraging everyone in your family to workout is a great way to create a support system for those involved. Family members can motivate each other and help detract you from making bad nutrition decisions when gathering for meals and celebrations.

7. Don't Buy It: If you have junk food in your home, you are more likely to cheat and indulge. Once you cheat on your diet and exercise plan, you may feel disappointed in yourself and discouraged to continue on. If you don't buy the junk food in the first place, you will have fewer opportunities to indulge and make poor decisions. So, fill your fridge and pantry with healthy foods and snacks.

8. Reward Yourself: Rewarding yourself when you reach various goals or milestones will help you stay motivated. The reward can be simple, like a day off or a massage at a local spa. You may also reward yourself with a new pair of running shoes or scoop of ice cream.

9. Rest: Your body needs time to recover from stress on muscles, that's why you need to incorporate rest days into your regimen. Don't overdue your exercise routine or you may burn out quickly and feel less motivated to workout.

10. Have a Cheat Day: As important as it is to rest and avoid burning out on your gym or exercise routine, it's equally important to avoid burning out on your diet. Let yourself indulge once in a while. Assign one day per week as a cheat day where you allow yourself to eat whatever you want during one meal that day without feeling guilty. This will help you feel good about your hard work at the gym and in the kitchen.

5 Nutrition Tips for Race Preparation

 The Dana Point Turkey Trot in Orange County, CA is one of the nation's largest turkey trots, and named one of America's best Thanksgiving Day runs by Fitness Magazine. CLIF Bars is a race-day sponsor, and sent along these tips for race preparation, which they gathered by polling the team athletes and nutritionists. I figured that it would be fun to pass along since I know a number of you are already thinking about your end-of-summer, fall, and holiday runs.

1.       Caffeine. Typically given a bad rap, caffeine, taken in moderation, will actually help improve your performance on a run. Caffeine gives you the extra boost, keeps you clear of that “batteries are draining” feeling and helps you enjoy the activity. Moderation for most runners sits between two to three cups of drip coffee per day, but keep in mind that every body is different. Take the time to know your body – ask yourself, where do you feel best and what did you just put in your mouth that made you feel that way? Team CLIF Bar recommendation: CLIF Shot Energy Gel for an extra caffeine kick to maintain energy between breaths.

 

2.       Stay Hydrated. Hydration is the trickiest part of fueling running as every cell in your body thrives on fluid. Your hydration mantra: drink fluids early and often. Water is important, but a mistake is assuming you can get by on just H20, especially when your runtime totals more than an hour. This is where electrolyte drinks come into play. When making your hydration selection, make sure your sports drink has sodium as the main mineral player – this will keep your body and emotional state at full efficiency. Team CLIF Bar recommendation: CLIF Shot Electrolyte Drink to counteract both electrolyte and fluid loss to help prevent a race day meltdown.

 

3.       Carb Up. Carbohydrates should make up about 2/3 of each meal. Carbs are the most important source of fuel for your muscles and your brain. Pick and choose carbohydrates that are high in fiber, such as wheat bread, pasta, bran cereals, oatmeal, CLIF Bars, potatoes and popcorn. Team CLIF Bar recommendation: The original CLIF Bar in Oatmeal Raisin Walnut.

 

4.       Powerful Protein. Protein is necessary to repair and rebuild muscle. Approximately 1/3 of each meal should contain this powerful prop. To help counter the wear and tear of training and racing, rebuild with foods like grass fed beef, antibiotic-and-hormone-free chicken, low mercury fish, lentils, cheese and soy. Team CLIF Bar recommendation: CLIF Builder’s bar packed with 20g of compete protein.

 

5.       Meal Planning. Eat frequently and eat a variety of foods. Make sure you eat three meals each day and two or three healthy snacks in between. This will help prevent energy highs and lows throughout the day and make you more energized for training runs. Team CLIF Bar recommendation: Try a CLIF CRUNCH granola bar for a snack break - a favorite; Chocolate Peanut Butter.

 

For more information about the 35^th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot, visit http://www.turkeytrot.com. For more information about the best nutrition tips and practices for approaching race day, listen to the entire ClifCast sports nutrition podcast series from CLIF Bar at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/clifcast/id370438300.

 

Bay Club Silicon Valley opens August 1, 2012

The Bay Club Silicon Valley opens August 1, and it seemed an appropriate time to write a little about my personal impressions of the club.

 I did an overview piece for San Jose Fitness titled, Bay Club Silicon Valley prepares to open in Cupertino" which talks about the club.You'll see that I like the club, I like the feel of it, and I like that it seems to hit a nice spot for the busy Silicon Valley professional. You can also see what the Cupertino Courier (a Mercury News local edition) had to say about it: Bay Club Silicon Valley Settles in at Vallco

But even after my article ran, friends asked what I REALLY thought about it. Is it outrageously overpriced (no - it's not the cheapest place in town but it's not into the gouge-you territory); is it snooty (not at all - well, members will have some effect but the atmosphere feels good).

Is it family-friendly? Yes, but not the ideal place if you have young children who want to swim, be in sports, etc. There's an urban feel to it, which the club understands well. I saw an article about an upcoming singles mixer there, which seems like an "ah hah" kind of marketing.

And speaking of marketing, what was most impressive to me as a marketing professional is that when I told people I had toured it, no one said, "Oh, I didn't know there was a new club."

The women in my neighborhood (about seven miles from the club) and friends of mine who live in Cupertino had all heard about the club. Just goes to show the power of great marketing. 

I met their marketing chief at the press tour, and she said they did several mailings to a radius of about 15 miles of the club. I think it is more than just the list, of course. Their materials were branded well, good sales tools - overall,  I was impressed.

So far as whether you should try it, if the location works for you (off 280 on Wolff and DeAnza in the Vallco Shopping Center) you should definitely stop by for a tour. 

Author tells how to create a healthy love affair with food

Real Moms Love to Eat author Beth Aldrich sent these healthy eating tips, and they seemed like such good, common sense advice I wanted to share them. I've shortened the tips, just because of the limits of  reading on a blog, but if you like her thinking,  follow her on RealMomsLoveToEat.com. 

Aldrich describes her philosophy as falling in love with your food.  The full title of her book is actually: "Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous."

(On a personal note, I cut out sugar and processed food 18 months ago, and though I didn't lose a pound (drat!) I would never go back. I feel so much better mentally and physically.)

It’s wonderful to take pleasure in food, she says. It’s even OK to eat the things we shouldn’t every once in awhile – just be sure to savor every bite.  Aldrich makes the point that, “Eating in front of the TV is not savoring."

 

Aldrich offers ways to kick off the romance:

• Make it all about YOU: Get back to the basics, remembering the pleasure inherent in the food experiences of your childhood. Think of the simple joy you had crunching into a sweet apple.
• Get naked with raw foods: Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers who foraged for and consumed a wide variety of caloric intake, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after you include more raw food into your diet.
• Tame your cravings dragon: One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthy snacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed sweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurs when moms are busy and haven’t planned their meals for the day and it leads to a spike in blood sugar, a crash and then – another monster-sized craving. Have healthy options ready to go. Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal will turn that dragon of yours into a pussycat in no time.  
• Hungry for more lovin’?: Think you could force yourself to eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day? High-quality dark chocolate – the kind that doesn’t have all the fillers – actually has lots of benefits, not the least of which is … it’s chocolate! Dark chocolate contains natural chemicals that serve as mood boosters and elevate serotonin levels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Health benefits range from keeping blood vessels elastic to increasing antioxidant levels. 

“The wrong way to look at the whole-food diet is as an obligation,” said Aldrich.

Teriyaki Tofu Kebabs from Food Network's Hungry Girl

I've been thinking about how hard it is to make reasonably simple, healthy summer recipes on the grill (though I love veggies, I've never been taken with them on the grill).

Here's a recipe that I haven't tried yet, but it was sent to me by Lisa Lillien, a.k.a. Hungry Girl, the NYT bestselling author and famed Food Network and Cooking Channel TV star. She recommends House Foods America’s Premium Tofu which she says is ideal for grilling.

The kebabs are full of protein (which helps rev up the metabolism in the - ahem - over 50 body) so it sounds perfect for my next grilling adventure.


Teriyaki Tofu Kebabs 

Created by Hungry Girl

Serves 4

One 12-oz. block House Foods Extra Firm Premium Tofu

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 medium zucchini

4 scallions

1/4 cup thick teriyaki marinade or sauce

2 tbsp. sweet Asian chili sauce

1 kebab: 155 calories, 5.5g fat, 539mg sodium, 16.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 10g sugars, 11g protein 

Directions:
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning. (You'll need four.)

Pat tofu block dry. Lay it on a dry surface with the shorter sides on the left and right. Vertically cut into 4 even pieces. Horizontally cut each piece into 4 even pieces, for a total of 16 pieces. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with seasonings, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut bell pepper into pieces similar in size to tofu, discarding the stem and seeds. Remove and discard ends of zucchini, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut zucchini halves into pieces similar in size to the tofu. Slice off and discard root ends of scallions. Cut the solid part of each scallion into 3 even pieces. (Save the hollow ends for another use.)

In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix teriyaki marinade or sauce with chili sauce. Alternately thread tofu and veggies onto four skewers, tightly packing the pieces together.

Bring a grill sprayed generously with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Lay kebabs on the grill and brush with about 1/3rd of the sauce mixture. Grill for 5 minutes with the grill cover down.

Gently flip kebabs. Brush with another 1/3rd of the sauce mixture. With the grill cover down, grill for 5 - 7 minutes, until veggies and tofu have slightly charred.

Serve brushed with remaining sauce mixture!

Healthy Girl Alternative! Cook your kebabs on a grill pan, and adjust cook times as needed. If the pan doesn't have a lid, just loosely cover it with a skillet lid.