The Pros and Cons of Calorie Counting

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com




If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

As we all know, when it comes to losing weight, everyone has their own opinion of what works, what doesn't work, what diet is best, etc. At the end of it all though, the simple explanation of weight loss is calories in vs calories out. But are all calories created equal? This is where calorie counting can get confusing.

image

Calorie counting is tracking the calories of everything you eat throughout the day. You have a set daily calorie goal, usually calculated for you according to your current weight and your target weight, and you base what you eat according to that number. You also log your exercise and your calories are adjusted accordingly. There are a lot of free apps out there for calorie counting. One that I have experience with (I do not calorie count but have tried it in the past), is My Fitness Pal. I actually think it is a great app and I would recommend it to anyone interested in calorie counting. I have also heard that LiveStrong is another good app.

All that being said, I think it is important to look at both sides of everything, so I want to give some pros and cons about calorie counting. As always, please consult with a doctor before starting any new program. 

Pros:

*Calorie counting can be great for people that are just starting to learn about nutrition and are unaware of portion sizes. If you do not know what typical serving sizes for food looks like, calorie counting helps make you aware of that since you have to measure everything to log your calories correctly. It is pretty shocking how small serving sizes are compared to what is "normal."

*It makes you aware of how many calories you take in when eating out. Pull up nutrition facts for your favorite restaurants online. Some things we eat at restaurants have the same amount of calories for one meal (not including appetizers and desserts) as we should be eating in an entire day! When I tried calorie counting, this is one thing that really stuck with me. Since then, I have really tried to only eat out once a week and share with someone when possible. Calorie counting helps make you aware of things like this.

*It can help keep you accountable. If you know you have to write down that candy bar after you eat it, you will be far less likely to indulge in it. It is a good idea to share your log with someone who is supportive of your goals so that they can help you stay accountable.

*Calorie counting can help motivate you to exercise. Since you log your exercise and it adjusts your calories accordingly, this can give you that extra push to get up and get going.

*With all the free apps readily available, calorie counting is an easy way to monitor what you are eating.

Cons:

*To answer my first question, no, every calorie is not created equal. A good example of this is to compare these energy bites that we posted a few weeks ago with tortilla chips. I calculated that each energy bite is approximately 115 calories. In most tortilla chips, a serving size is 9-12 chips (depending on the brand), and that gives you around 120 calories. The energy bites are dense and give you important nutrients like carbs, protein, and fiber. All of these nutrients will help keep you full and will fuel your body. On the other hand, 9 tortilla chips is not going to do much of anything for you. With calorie counting, all that matters is the number, not the nutrients in food. There is way more to making healthy changes than just calories alone when it comes to losing weight. 

*Calorie counting can make you ignore your bodies natural hunger cues. Since you are always just focusing on reaching that number, it is easy to ignore your body telling you if you are hungry or not. Listening to your body is a learned skill, but it is important to develop it and start giving your body what it needs instead of just what it wants. 

*It is easy to get obsessive over it. I have talked to many people that are so obsessed with counting calories that they think about what they are going to eat all day long. I think this is a form of disordered eating and do not think it is healthy.

*It can make you replace healthy, higher calorie foods with unhealthy lower calorie foods. I hear this all the time and it can even go as far as making people scared of certain healthy foods because they view them as being high in calories. An example of this is whole wheat. Whole wheat bread is often higher in calories than white bread but is much healthier. It is not just about the calories. If you are listening to your body and not overeating, healthy foods will be so much more beneficial to you, even if they are higher in calories.

To sum it all up: 

I think that calorie counting can be a good thing for some people to help cut down on portion sizes and start getting on the right track when losing weight. However, I do not think that it is the best long term solution. I think that listening to your body and learning about what foods are best and why those foods are best, is the best thing you can do for your health. Whether you calorie count or not, it is important to look at the serving size and nutrition facts in your food to make you aware of what you are putting into your body.

Have you ever counted calories? If so, what was your experience with it?

-Jaeme

Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com




If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

I made these muffins this past weekend as another alternative to eat after a workout and also as a breakfast or snack on the go for the little miss who runs my life :) They are very filling and packed full with yummy and good for you ingredients. I originally found this recipe on Pinterest off the blog Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and have made it a few times now. If you can't eat them all in a few days you can always freeze the rest and pull one out and microwave to warm quickly.

Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins:

Ingredients-

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 egg whites 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• raisins or nuts 

You can also add in wheat germ, flax seeds, or chia seeds. Anything that you want to add to give it that extra healthy punch.
Yield: 12-14 muffins

Directions-

Preheat your oven to 400* F and either spray muffin pan with cooking spray and line it with muffin liners.

Soak the oats with the cup of milk in a large bowl for one hour.

 (Oats will soften and soak up some of the milk)

After an hour of soaking combine the applesauce and egg whites with the oatmeal mixture and mix with a spoon till just combined. 

In a separate bowl combine with a whisk the wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and whatever other add ins you would like. (wheat germ, flax seeds, chia seeds)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Add in raisins or nuts and then spoon into muffin tin.

 (Don't over mix the batter because the muffins will become tough)

Once spooned into muffin tin sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of each muffin. 

Bake at 400*F for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool before trying to remove from linear. 

I promise you will love these. They are so yummy and filling. I hope you guys enjoy them as much as my family did. Let me know what you think:)

-Shauna

Weight Management Strategies to Keep You Sane

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com




If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

We are so excited to have Kelly Pritchett as our guest blogger today! Kelly is an Assistant Professor in Sports Nutrition at the University of Georgia. She has a PhD, is a Registered Dietitian, and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. Kelly has awesome ideas for weight management and also for keeping a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy! 

As moms it can be difficult to manage our weight due to our demanding schedules. If you are like me, you are constantly on the go – from being a mom, working a full time job, dropping kids off at their activities, to changing diapers. So, how do we keep the pounds from creeping up on us?

1. Schedule time for exercise.  Put it on your calendar and you are more likely to stick to the plan. Otherwise, you will end up with every excuse in the book as to why you didn’t exercise.

2. Watch out for portion distortion. Its well known that today’s portions are much larger than they used to be. Try using smaller plates, cups, and bowls when serving yourself at home. When dining out, opt for smaller sizes.

3.  Fill up on fruits and veggies. High in fiber, and water – snack on fruits and veggies. Start with a salad before a meal to prevent over doing it with the main course.

4.  Don’t drink your calories. Beverages tend to be a source of hidden calories. While they don’t always fill us up, they may be filling us out. Watch out for added calories in your favorite caramel, vanilla Latte- opt for a cappuccino and sweeten with cinnamon. Extra calories in your favorite cocktail, wine, or beer can also add up. Try alternating with water in between. Consider adding fruit (citrus, berries) or mint to make water more appealing.

5.  Start each day with breakfast.  Do as your mother told you “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. It gets the metabolism going. Research suggests that breakfast eaters tend to be leaner than those who don’t partake.

6.  Don’t deprive yourself –think small “indulgences”. I’m sure you have experienced this before. You’ve been avoiding cookies like the plague, then one day you cant resist and overdo it. Better to allow yourself to have one piece of chocolate, one cookie, etc. so you don’t over do it the next time you bake cookies.

7.  Stick to 4 or 5 small meals a day. This will help keep you fuller and satisfied throughout the day. You will be less likely to overdo it later on in the day.

8.   Cook smart.  Bake, sautee, and boil your foods as opposed to frying them. Use olive oil and canola oils for healthier options. Bake with bananas to replace sugar.

9.  Food prep on Sundays. Wash and cut your veggies ahead of time. Plan and prepare healthy meals that will get you through the week. You will be less likely to opt for take out or run through a drive through.

10.  Make simple swaps. Try using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey on your salads as opposed to dressings.  Bake with bananas to replace sugar.

11.  Get moving! And I’m not referring to your daily exercise routine. Stand up as opposed to sitting down, it recruits more muscle fibers which will increase the calorie burn. Take the stairs, walk or bike to work versus driving.

-Kelly Pritchett

Thanks Kelly! Hopefully we can all take this advice and apply it to our lives to be happier and healthier! Have a great rest of the day! 

-McKell 

Race Week Preparations

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com

If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

I received a great request from one of our readers to post about things to do the week leading up to a race. Since my half marathon is next Saturday, it was perfect timing!

Race pic from my half marathon last September

Race week workouts:

You have completed all of your long runs and moved onto taper runs, so now what? The week leading up to a race is an important time to find that balance between keeping your endurance up and letting your body rest. This is not the time to start a new exercise plan or to push yourself too hard, but you also do not want to take the entire week off. 

Perform some easy runs throughout the week and also plan a few cross training days. It is a good idea to go for a short, easy run the day before your race to loosen up your legs. If you have kept up a good training schedule, keep your same schedule, just take some mileage off of your long runs. 

On race day, your adrenaline will be going crazy, so make sure to practice pacing yourself this week so you don't use up all your energy on the first half of the race. I made this mistake on my first half marathon. My pace for the first 5 miles was 1 minute faster per mile then my normal pace, and by mile 8, I was feeling it. I had to slow down a lot which hurt my overall time. Pacing is important!

What to eat leading up to race day:

Have you heard of carb loading? Many runners swear by it before a big race. Carb loading basically means increasing the amount of carbohydrates you are eating during the last few days leading up to a race. Carb loading can increase the amount of glycogen stores in your muscles to help keep you going strong during prolonged, high intensity exercise. This can help increase your athletic performance during a race. That being said, carb loading is normally not necessary if you will be running for less than 90 minutes. 

According to Runners World, carb loading does not mean you need to be increasing your calories, just have more of the calories coming from carbohydrates. The best time for your large, carb loading meal is at lunch the day before a race, then have a smaller carbohydrate based dinner. This will give your body time to digest and store the food so you are ready to use those nutrients during your race.  

This is not the time to start a new diet or to cut carbs out!

Get your gear ready:

Start watching the weather so you can make sure you have the right type of clothing to wear on race day. Make sure your gear is not worn down and that it is functioning properly. Do a test run in your outfit to make sure chaffing is not going to be an issue. If you are prone to chaffing, investing in some glide will save you on race day. My dad recommends Body Glide, which goes on like deodorant and is much less messy then gels and liquids. 

The day before your race, make sure all your gear is laid out and ready to go. Most races have "drop bags" where you can leave a bag of items at the start line. If it is a chilly morning, take advantage of this and bring a jacket or other warm clothes that you can wear while you wait for the race to start, then take them off just before you begin.

Rest!

It is recommended that you take a full rest day (a day off of exercise) 2 days before a race. This means if your race is on Saturday, you want a planned rest day on Thursday. This may be hard to do after being so strict with your training schedule, but it is important to let your body recover to prevent injuries and allow your muscles to be ready to work at their full potential on race day.

This week it will also be important to get enough sleep. Keep your body well rested and healthy! The night before a race, try to relax, stay off your feet, and get to bed early. I know it is exciting, but save your late night celebration for after the race.

Above all, remember to have fun! You have worked so hard and come so far, enjoy the experience and take it all in. Take lots of pictures!

-Jaeme

At Home Workout Challenge

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com

If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

I found this 1000 rep workout challenge a few years ago on Body Rock TV. After I tried it the first time, I was hooked! It is such a good workout and each time you do it, you are pushing yourself harder. It is also great because it is easily done at home and no exercise equipment is required. Another one of the things I love about this exercise is that if you are short on time, you can just do it a couple times through and it gives you a quick and effective sweat session.

For this workout, you do 10 workouts, 10 reps each, 10 times all the way through. At the end you will have done 1000 reps! Try to do it as many times as possible without stopping, then each day you after that, do it one more time then you did before. Push yourself and see what you can do! Its awesome to see yourself get stronger and be able to do more each time. Once you can do the challenge all 10 times, start timing yourself and work on getting through it  faster. Do not be intimidated-if you are a beginner, start by doing it 1-2 times all the way through and work up from there. Just make sure you are always using good form on your workouts! Pictures and descriptions of each workout are below. If you would like to see a video of the workouts, go to Body Rock TV here.

1000 Rep Challenge
10 Burpees
10 Squat Jumps (with or without added weight)
10 Push ups
10 Toe Touch Sit Ups
10 Tricep Dips
10 Tuck Jumps
10 Plank Jaxs
10 Jumping Lunges
10 Leg Drops
10 Squat Thrusts

Burpees:
Start in a standing position. Bend down into a squat with your hands on the floor, jump into plank (pushup position), jump back into your squat (hands still on the ground), and jump back up to standing position. It should all be a continuous and smooth movement.

Squat Jumps:

Perform a squat keeping your bum back so that your knees do not go over your feet. From your squat, jump up, then smoothly land back down into your squat. 

*My pictures of this did not turn out so I borrowed some from one of our previous posts :).

Pushups:

If you need to, drop down onto your knees for your pushups. Make sure to keep your back and bum flat.

Toe Touch Sit Ups:

Start laying flat. Pull up your legs (keeping them straight) and your chest at the same time, then go back to starting position. If you need to modify this, you can bend your legs into your chest (third picture).

Tricep Dips:

Find something that you can put your arms up on, a chair works great. Hold yourself up on your hands. Keeping your arms close to your body, slowly bend down at your elbows then back up.

Tuck Jumps:

Start in a standing position. Jump up into a tuck and smoothly land back down to standing position.

Plank Jaxs:

Start in plank position. Jump both legs out at the same time, then back in, like a jumping jack.

Jumping Lunges:

Lunge with one leg in front (never let your knee go over your foot). At the bottom of your lunge, jump up and land in a lunge with the opposite leg in front. Land softly and try to make it a continuous motion.

Leg Drops:

Lie on your back with your legs straight up. Slowly lower your legs down until they are almost touching the ground, then raise them back to starting position. Lift your head off the ground to increase difficulty. 

Squat Thrusts:

Start in plank. Jump your legs into your chest with your hands still on the ground then back out to plank. 

Have fun challenging yourself!

-Jaeme

Strength Training is For Everyone

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com




If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

When most people hear the word strength training they think of lifting weights and bulking up. While that is a form of strength training there is so much more to the equation here at hand. Strength training has many health benefits and is great for anyone at any age.  It can improve...

- Bone Health: After puberty you start to lose about1% of bone and muscle strength each year. Adding strength training helps control and can reverse that process.

- Control your Weight: Muscle burns more calories than Fat, so the more muscle your body has the higher your metabolism will be resulting in a more controlled weight.

- Boost your Endurance: The stronger your muscles get the longer they can handle work without showing signs of fatigue.

- Manage major Chronic Conditions: Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and back pain all can be improved or prevented by strength training.

-Improves your quality of life: The stronger your muscles are the more your body is capable of doing functional things which will improve your outlook and confidence of your self.


Now that we know some of the benefits of strength training lets now see how we can achieve it. There are many choices of strength straining and ways that it can be done. You are recommended to exercise for at least 30 minutes 3-5 days a week.   You can either do...

-Free weights: Lifting dumbbells, barbell, kettle bells or any other form of free weight that will cause your muscles to do increased work. Using free weights forces all of the work on to your muscles causing even supporting muscles to be worked. You have to lift in a 3-dimensiaonal plane using all functional muscles. Lifting using free weights does not allow your body to rely on the machine for support.

-Weight Machines: Machines are great at allowing the desired muscle that you are working to handle more weight than it would by using free weights. With Free weights you can only lift as much as your weakest point in that rang of motion can handle. When using a machine it changes the displacement of the load allowing you to lift a heavier weight providing optimal resistance throughout the entire range of motion. 

- Resistance Tubing: Is a great way to add strength training at home for a cheap and easy storage option. It is a lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched

- Body Weight: Without any equipment at all you can still perform a great strength training workout. With just using your own body weight you can focus on stabilization and control while performing strengthening movements. Examples would be: pushups, squats, crunches, lunges, planks, and many more.

Strength training is such an important part of exercising and you should not overlook it and leave it out of your routines. Remember to switch up your routines often so not to see a plateau and have your muscles get used to the movements it is demanded to perform. Try increasing your weight or using all of these different methods of strength training in your workouts. You can also even try using free weights with your body weight movements to increase the intensity even more.

Let me know how your strength training programs are going and what type of exercises you like to perform.

Have a fabulous Friday and weekend :)
- Shauna

Strengthening Exercises to Prevent and Reduce Back Pain

Thank you for reading ThreeHealthyMommas! Our blog has recently moved over to Wordpress due to complications with blogger format. Please head on over to our new blog and check it out!

 ThreeHealthyMommas.wordpress.com




If you are not automatically redirected, please click here

Did you know that one-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year? Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is one of the most common reasons for missed work. The back is a very complex structure made up of bones, ligaments, muscles and joints. Back pain can be a result of spraining a ligament, straining a muscle, irritating joints, or doing the simplest of tasks like picking up a box or a fallen object from the floor. 

I loved this picture so I had to share;) 

Soooo, that leads to my next point! Remember that awesome thing that I always talk about? The "miracle drug"? If you guessed exercise, then you are completely right! Exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent and treat chronic or recurring back pain. Exercises that strengthen the muscles that support the spine have the ability to prevent, reduce, and sometimes even completely get rid of lower back pain. Stretches for the back can also do this. 

The core is one of the most important things to focus on for strengthening the back. Weak core muscles are often the root of the problem when it comes to back pain. The core muscles (muscles of the back, the abdomen, hips and buttocks) work together to support the spine. Think of your core as your center of gravity. It helps you sit upright (that good posture your mom always told you to have) and it keeps the spine stable so that we are able to perform our daily tasks. The core helps our spine stay put while we are moving around. If we strengthen our core and back, we will protect our back and have a great quality of life! No back pain = one happy person! :) 

Those of you who have zero back pain may be thinking that I am wasting your time with all of this back pain jibber jabber...think again! EVERYONE can benefit from the following exercises. Prevention is key! Strengthen your back now so you don't have to deal with back pain in the future. 

**If you have had a recent back injury, make sure you talk to your doctor before performing these exercises. 

Choose a few of these exercises and do them at least three days a week:) Shoot for 10-15 reps of each exercise. When just starting out, do 5 reps of each. If you do not feel any post exercise pain, build your way up to 10-15. 

Bird Dog (Opposite Arm and Opposite Leg):
Start on your hands and knees. Keep your core engaged throughout the entire exercise. Extend one arm to the front and extend the opposite leg to the back. Bend arm and leg to center of body and extend again. Repeat and try not to touch the ground until desired reps are performed.

Plank:

Go into a pushup position. You can either hold the position here or get on your elbows/forearms. Keep your core engaged and keep your back straight- don't let your bum stick out! Hold for at least 30 seconds. You can also do a side plank. Same thing, just facing to the side on one arm.

Cobra:

Lie on your stomach with your hands down by your side, palms facing the floor. Engage your core and lift your chest and your hands up off of the floor. As your lift up, turn your thumbs so that they are facing the ceiling (yep it feels kinda awkward!). Keep your feet on the floor. Hold for 2-5 seconds and repeat. 

Bridge: 

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Engage your core and lift your bum and lower back off of the floor. Hold for a few seconds, bring your bum back down and repeat. To make this exercise harder, do it on one foot (hold other foot straight into the air).

Bridge March:
Just the same as the bridge, but instead of bringing your bum back down, you are going to hold the bridge position and march your feet, right then left then right, etc.

Superman:

Lie on your stomach with your arms up by your ears. Engage your core and lift your arms and legs at the same time. You should feel your lower back working!

Alternating Superman: 

Same as the superman exercise, but instead of lifting both arms and legs at once, lift your opposite arm and leg at the same time and repeat on the other side. 

Cat/Cow:
This is more of a back stretch...which is also super important! Start on all fours. Round your back (like a cat does), and then arch your back (Someone explained to me that this was the cow part because your stomach is lower to the ground like a cow's udders...hahaha I was dying! I have never forgotten which part was the cat and which was the cow, so I guess the explanation was effective!)

For more core exercises, click here to check out Jaeme's blog post about her favorite ab exercises (she has pretty rock hard abs, so I would take her advice haha).

Thanks!! Have fun strengthening that back of yours! 

-McKell

Sources:

Statistics taken from the American Chiropractic Association

www.bigbackpain.com