One day I noticed that they had reduced the price of the class in HALF (at my gym you have to pay an additional fee to participate in kickboxing and you have to purchase your hand wraps and gloves) and I decided that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and go for it.  A lot of my hesitation was joining a new group, being with people I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how I would like it. 

After about a month I am happy to report that I am having a lot of fun!  At my gym we have a lot of options in terms of when we can attend the class which is a great perk.  There are at least 5 potential times that you could take the class in any given week and you do not have to commit to that time in advance.  I think this is probably unique and different from a lot of gyms, but a great feature. So what are the pro’s and con’s of this type of workout?

Pro’s

• Fun and different: If you are a runner or slave to cardio equipment this type of workout will challenge you in different ways
• Burns MAJOR calories: I wear a heart-rate monitor and I burn about 800 calories/hour.  Spark People estimates that 150 lb woman burns about 687 calories/hour. 
• Allows you to release frustrations by striking something:  Most of us (including myself!) could benefit by having something to hit and let out our frustrations.  According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (SGMA) boxing and kickboxing have become the preferred methods to release frustrations and alleviate anger among exercise participants. 

Con’s

• Additional Costs: Most gyms in my area require that you pay an additional fee to participate in the class that I am describing where you have gloves, bags, etc.  If you are already paying a decent gym membership this might be a deterrent in joining such a class. 
• Equipment: For most kickboxing classes you have to purchase a set of hand wraps and boxing gloves.  At my gym we were able to come to an intro class and borrow equipment the first time around, but you do need your own equipment.  Hand wraps are about $5-10 and gloves are about $30 or more.

Boxing gloves

Hand Wraps

 Kickboxing is definitely something worth giving a try if you are looking to shake things up!  Have you tried kickboxing before? Are you currently participating in a kickboxing class?

Lady Gaga, Raleigh – September 2011

So I’ve been a “bad kid” lately! It has been FOREVER since I posted and I really want to get back into my blog and putting my thoughts, etc. out there (even if no one reads it!).   I have really gotten into Twitter  lately and have been reading tons of “Fitbloggers” and consequently blogs from UNC interns (we have several here at DPH right now).   I admire all of these folks who maintain these very interesting, organized, and aesthetically pleasing blogs—I want to be one of them damnit!  This blog needs a total makeover!!

I have been really horrible about posting in the last few weeks. Between wrapping up my April classes, starting this new session, and working my other part-time job I have been running around!!

Hoping to have something new this weekend

Have a great week/weekend!!

Jamie

I just left the office of Tracy Owens, registered dietician (RD) and nutrionist at Triangle Nutrition Therapy.  I have been really wanting to visit an RD to ensure that I am eating a balanced diet, getting all my nutrients, and to see where I stand in terms of the calories I’m burning and the calories I’m taking in.

Prior to visiting Tracy I kept a food journal for a couple of days, trying to include times that I was eating, calories, etc.  I wrote down questions for her, as well as what I hoped to gain from our session.  What I hoped to find out was a good calorie range for me to concentrate on to lose weight and eventually maintain, and I wanted to see if I could be building better meals or choosing better foods.

The first thing we did was test my resting metabolic rate (RMR), the number of calories I am burning at rest.  This can be calculated using a series of formulas, but in order to get the most accurate reading we used a metabolic rate analyzer called a Body Gem.

Body Gem - RMR Analyzer

The test takes about 10 minutes and requires you to breath into the machine while your nose is clipped.  My reading showed that I am burning about 1500 calories at rest, which I was very happy to see.

While I did the RMR test, Tracy reviewed my food journal and tried to get a good idea of what a typical day eating looked like for me.  I was glad that I put the time stamps on my meals/snacks because that was really the main issue for me.  I was eating breakfast, a bunch of snacks , and then a late dinner.  Because of my schedule it is hard to eat an actual lunch—I teach everyday during lunch and usually I head straight to the gym after class.  I definitely need to work on getting a meal in before or after my classes.

Oh yeah, and I eat a lot of sweets I have known for many moons that I need to work on my intake of sweets in the evening, but Tracy pointed out that I could probably help solve this by not going so long without a true meal and a little willpower.

I really enjoyed this experience and I would highly recommend visiting a registered dietician, especially if you are eligible to visit for $25 under Blue Cross Blue Shield NC (and I think most NC State Employees are BCBS).  Tracy is great and her office is off of Falls of the Neuse Road at the Spring Forest intersection.  Her website is: http://www.trianglediet.com/

She was very helpful in letting me know the best way to find an RD through BCBS (for those of you who do not live in the area) is on their website: http://www.bcbsnc.com/apps/providers/search.do?searchType=Doctor.  Based on your plan, you would select “Nutrition” under the “Specialty” category when conducting your search.

Have a great week!!!

I have had a busy weekend working, working out, baking, chopping, and unfortunately eating WAY too much!

Friday I received an email from Hungry Girl about changing up boxed cake mix and substituting a variety of different elements in place of the oil and eggs (http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=2126).  So far I have only had an opportunity to experiment once–yellow cake mix and applesauce!  I honestly think this combination is better than actually using the eggs and oil.  The cake was incredibly moist and tasty.

In order to create the cake/cupcakes using applesauce, combine 1 cup water + 1 cup applesauce + cake mix.  Follow the baking directions given on the box.

I’m hoping to do devil’s food cake and greek yogurt tomorrow.

In addition to baking these delicious treats, I also had to make a fruit tray for my mom’s birthday party.

I wanted to make a dip as well and found a REALLY easy recipe that is super easy and very low in calories.  All you need is a light cool whip and fat free yogurt!  My mom requested blueberry, but I think it would be really good if you used some of the creative flavors that are available.  I am also considering using this as an icing for the cupcakes.

Hopefully I will be doing the other cake/cupcakes tomorrow and will have pictures and a review for that later in the week!

Jamie

Hoping to try some of these (or just 1 b/c I will eat them if they are here!) cake modifications from Hungry Girl:

http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=2126

I have my eye on the Greek Yogurt combo!

Pics/reviews to come soon!

Jamie

http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/

I have been so busy the last week or so working working working and training for my triathlon.  On Sunday, I swam for about 20 minutes and then biked for 16.4 miles! That is the farthest I have ever gone in one trip! I was pretty tired Monday and even a little today.

Not too much to share on my end, except that I made eggs in a coffee mug!!!! This is so exciting!!  For those of you who are in my classes, you  know that I do not like to wash dishes (who does?!?!) so this was the best thing that has happened in a while  I have heard from many of you that do this and said it was “legit”, but I have been apprehensive because I thought the texture might be really freaky.

WELL I made my eggs in a mug and they’re WONDERFUL!!  It’s so easy…Spray nonstick spray in a microwaveable coffee mug, microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave for another 30 seconds, and then breakfast is ready!

Spray nonstick spray in a coffee mug...

Breakfast in 90 seconds!

I love making eggs and this makes life so much easier and convenient!

This past week we discussed planning more meals at home and some different strategies to help with making that happen.

Links

• Hungry Girl: I love this site!!! – http://www.hungry-girl.com/
• Eat Better America – Healthified – http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/Healthified/
• Printable Coupon Database – www.printablecoupondatabase.com
• Krazy Koupon Lady – http://thekrazycouponlady.com/
• Meal, Planning, Shopping, and Budgeting Resources from the USDA: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=15&tax_level=4&tax_subject=261&topic_id=1243&level3_id=6213&level4_id=10046
• Here is a link to subscribe to a blog called Here’s the Deal which is published by the News and Observer:  http://www.newsobserver.com/life/columnists_blogs/

I have been really busy waiting tables again ALL weekend and getting ready for my triathlon when I had a free moment. I will hopefully be posting pics, etc. from my Turkey Lasagna recipe tonight!!

Hope everyone has a great week and if you’re heading out on vacation be safe!!

Jamie

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! I got up early this morning to hit the gym for a treadmill/weights class and then swam for about 25 minutes in preparation for my upcoming triathlon (Aug. 15).  I was trying to work on my flip turns because I think that improving that skill is going to help me with my swim time.  I was doing horribly, but luckily an experienced and knowledgeable swimmer was in there to offer me some help!

I have also been roasting vegetables like crazy! At the farmer’s market this past week I purchased squash and zucchini and roasted it along with some asparagus I bought from BJ’s.  So good! I literally ate about 75% of the vegetables on my own!

Roasted Squash, Zucchini, and Asparagus!

For my post this week, I thought it would be helpful to outline some products that I have been using and give you my 2 cents about them.  When trying to eat healthy it can be very difficult sometimes because you may be apprehensive to try certain products for fear of wasting money because you may not like it.  Many of these are from Trader Joe’s that I tried based on YOUR recommendations, so please keep them coming!

Product Reviews

1.  Trader Joe’s Fat Free (0%) Greek Yogurt – Plain

• Price: $2.99 for a 16 oz container– it can be purchased in individual portions as well.  The 16 oz container lasts me about a week.
• Nutrition Label:
  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 120
  • Total Fat: 0g
  • Sodium: 70 mg
  • Sugars: 6g
  • Proteins: 22g
  • 20% of daily Calcium
• Why I love it: I have tried many different greek yogurts out there, and I have to say that I think that I like this one the best.  I don’t know if it’s the price that has somehow effected my love of it (typically I pay about $3.89 or more for a container of the same size), but I love the texture and would highly recommend this product!!  I buy the plain and add fresh fruit (usually blueberries) with a packet of stevia to sweeten it up a bit.  You’ll notice that the flavored yogurts usually have a lot of added sugar.

Trader Joe's Fat Free Greek Yogurt

2.  Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice from the freezer section

• Price: $3.49 for 3 microwaveable bags.  Each bag contains about 2 cups of rice.
• Nutrition Label:
  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 160
  • Total Fat: 1g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Sodium: 0g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2.5g
  • Protein: 4g
• Why I love it:  If you have ever cooked brown rice you know that sometimes this process can take about 45 minutes.  Luckily there are “minute” rice versions out there, but this is by far the easiest way to have brown rice in minimal time with minimal effort.  I thought it tasted just as good as rice I would have typically made on the stove.  The only downside is the cost.  It is much more expensive than buying the boxed rice and making it on the stove, but in some instances I think the convenience factor makes it worth spending a little extra money.

Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice - Frozen

3.  Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Chicken Burgers in the freezer section

• Price: $3.49 for 4 frozen burgers
• Nutrition Label:
  • Serving Size: 1 burger/ 4 oz
  • Calories: 150
  • Total Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Sodium: 310mg
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 19g
• Why I love it: I happened upon these at the sample counter at Trader Joe’s one afternoon.  They paired them with their whole wheat hamburger buns and corn salsa which caused me to fall in love with them immediately.  When I make these at home I add a little guacamole and mustard and they are great. They take about 10 minutes total to prepare – 5 minutes on each side on the grill – and can go on frozen minimizing prep time.  I think they’re wonderful–fairly inexpensive, delish, and ready in 1o minutes.

Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burgers

4.  Yoplait Smoothies (Strawberry Banana flavor) from the frozen food section

• Price: For 1 package (makes two 8oz smoothies) about $2.50 at WalMart.  However, you can buy these in bulk at BJ’s for $9.99 for 5 packages (makes ten 8oz smoothies) AND there is usually a coupon out there for $1-$1.25 off–check out this link for coupons: www.printablecoupondatabase.com
• Nutrition Label: Double everything if you’re using the entire packet at once with skim milk.  I’m listing all of the nutritional information for the prepared smoothie (prepared means 1/2 cup of skim milk)
  • Serving Size: 1/2 pouch for 8oz smoothie
  • Calories: 110
  • Total Fat: 1g
  • Saturated Fat: .5g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g
  • Sugars: 9g
  • Protein: 1g
• Why I like it: I don’t know if “like” is a strong enough word to express how I feel about these smoothies.  I’m kind of obsessed.  My mom told me about them and also filled me in on buying them in bulk at BJ’s which helps to keep the cost down especially when using a coupon.  I have been using these as my nightly dessert, topped with a little bit of light cool whip.  These smoothies are very thick and creamy like a milkshake (thanks to the frozen yogurt pieces) and all you need is a skim milk and a blender.  The flavor I’ve highlighted is Strawberry Banana, but you can also get these in Triple Berry & Strawberry Mango Pineapple.

Yoplait Smoothies

Portion Control Links

We discussed Portion Control this past week in class and here are many of the links that I emailed out to participants.  Enjoy!

• NHLBI – Portion Distortion Quiz: See if you can guess how many calories are in super-sized items and how many minutes of physical activity it takes to burn it off! - http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/
• Prevention Magazine Portion Control Quiz:  http://www.prevention.com/portioncontrol/
• CDC – Portion Size:  http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/portion_size.html
• Women’s Health Magazine – Portion Control Tips: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies-1
• Cooking Light – Why Portion Control Matters:  http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/portion-control-00400000062003/
• Weight-control Information Network (WIN) – Just Enough for You: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/just_enough.htm
• If interested in buying a digital food scale, here is my search in Google Products: http://www.google.com/products?addr=raleigh%2C+nc&q=digital+food+scale&hl=en
• Thank you to Tania for Mediations for Weight Loss: http://www.meditationsforweightloss.com/dailys/947143.html