Appetizer (More or Less Philosophy Tip of the Day)
Eat MORE Yogurt. Yep, that’s right. I’m actually telling you to eat more of something because yogurt has been proven to actually help you lose weight. Studies show that women who added yogurt to their daily diet lost more weight and more body fat (especially in the little tummy pouch area that we all love to hate) than those who were on a low calcium, low dairy diet. Be sure to go with the low fat or fat free version though! My personal fave is peach flavored Dannon Light ‘n Fit.
Chicken with Indian Spice Marinade
1 cup of Plain Yogurt
4 skinned, boneless chicken breast halves (4 oz each) or fish fillets/steaks
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger*
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1. In a small skillet, over low heat, toast curry powder until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool 2 minutes. In a small bowl, combine Plain Yogurt, curry powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and ginger. Add salt and pepper.
2. For chicken: Marinate 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in marinade for at least 1 hour. Place broiler rack 6 inches from heat source. Preheat broiler. Broil marinated chicken breasts 4 minutes on one side, until beginning to brown. Turn. Broil other side until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
3. For fish: Marinate 4 firm fish fillets or steaks in marinade for 20 minutes. Place broiler rack 6 inches from heat source. Preheat broiler. Broil fish 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness, until just cooked through. Do not turn.
* To grate ginger: Peel 2 inches piece of fresh ginger. Grate on medium holes of box grater. Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast or fish fillet each)
If you use lowfat yogurt for this recipe, each serving (1 chicken breast) only has 180 calories & 1g of saturated fat. This is a winner!
Main Course (Real life application – Information that can help you get to the next level)
When you’re trying to lose or maintain weight – calories count. While I would never suggest that you meticulously count every single calorie that you ingest, I will tell you that paying attention to generally how many calories you’re taking in each day will help keep you honest – and aware. When asked, most people underestimate the number of calories they take in which is why they’re often left frustrated when they don’t see results after a week of “good” eating. Well, I’m here to tell you that every, single calorie counts toward your daily intake limit.
For instance, if you take a few french fries from your child’s Happy Meal, you need to add that to the count. A handful of M&Ms from your co-worker’s office during this afternoon’s boring meeting? Yep, add them in. Here’s a real rough one for you…It’s also not just what you eat because what you drink can have just as much of a detrimental effect on your healthy habits. You can eat salad and tofu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (This is hypothetical Folks – I hope no one is eating like that), but if you drink pop (or soda for you true southerners) or even juice during the day, you need to count those calories (and the sugar) towards your daily limits.
Seem hard? It’s really not. As with anything, you have to train yourself, and make paying attention to what crosses your lips a habit. Plus, there are plenty of resources available like Nutritiondata.com (I really like this tool – even though there are too many ads on the site) to help you out. Remember: Practice makes perfect!
Dessert (My personal journey – Hope to let you know that you’re not alone)
So this morning when I woke up, I stepped on the scale, and it read 143.6. Oh my goodness!!! In my eternal quest for seeing 135, this is the closest I’ve come since Summer 2003 – except for that miserable 48 hours a few weeks ago that a Subway turkey wrap left me with a bout of food poisoning. I lost several pounds that week, but I can honestly say that it wasn’t worth it. Nope, not at all. Now, in my heart of hearts I know that the number on the scale doesn’t matter as long as I’m healthy, but I have this gnawing insecurity that quietly whispers the “135, 135, 135, 135” mantra in my head throughout the day.
This is my scale…Uggghhh!
I feel a bit like an imposter because I’m constantly telling my clients that they can’t be “scale slaves,” yet I’m the #1 offender. One of these days I’m going to see what life without a scale feels like. Not ready for that yet though.
About Cafe Physique:
The mission of Café Physique is to help clients reach and exceed their personal fitness and nutrition goals. If you’re in need of an a nutritionist in Atlanta or an Atlanta personal trainer – Café Physique is the perfect solution. We offer Atlanta yoga instruction, Atlanta prenatal workouts, and Atlanta personal training. We also have private sessions of pilates that Atlanta residents are raving about. We invite you to let a member of our Atlanta registered dietitian staff or personal training team develop and implement a realistic and healthy lifestyle plan to meet your personal goals.
