1.    Weigh yourself once a week.  To stay consistent get on the scale before you had anything to eat or drink.

2.    Always start your day with a healthy breakfast.  Include a lean protein to help you stay full, such as a non-fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or eggs.

3.    Don’s skip any meals.  Skipping meals does not save you on calories, it only increases your hunger which makes you eat even more during the next meal.

4.    Start a food journal and write EVERYTHING down you eat AND drink.  Food diaries keep you accountable and can help you identify what’s keeping you from    your weight loss goals.

5.    Exercise at least three times a week.  As busy as you may be, try to include some exercise into your day, even if it’s only 10–15 minutes of brisk walking, it matters!

6.    Don’t drink your calories, step away from sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, juices and sweetened teas.  These calories can easily add up and studies have found that we don’t compensate for these calories by eating less.

7.    At holiday parties and get-togethers focus on the conversation not the food.  Try not to stand next to the snack or buffet table and mingle with people.

8.    Eat slowly and wait 20 minutes before going for seconds.

9.    Drink alcohol in moderation– that is one drink for women and two for men.  And choose your drinks wisely.  A Margarita can have close to 800 calories.

10.     Try not to snack when cooking or in-between meals– these little bites can add up! If you are preparing the food, try to chew gum or snack on baby carrots or cucumber sticks.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I remember when I was a kid living in Germany my mom would make a freshly baked cake, whipped cream and a huge pot of coffee (milk for us kids) on Sunday afternoons. She’d invite her friends/family and they would sit and talk for hours. Visitors would bring flowers or sometimes even more cake or pastries from the local bakery. This is a tradition called “Kaffeeklatsch”, which basically means coffee and gossip. Now that I’m older I’m always looking for new recipes for my own Kaffeklatsch.

This recipe is adapted from my one of my new favorite pastry chefs, David Lebovitz.  It’s perfect for Kaffeklatsch; it’s easy, packed with apples and perfect with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

3–4 large apples ( I used Granny Smith)

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp rum

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

7 tbsp unsalted butter or Earth Balance

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.  Butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan and place on baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the flour baking powder and salt.

4.  Peel and core apples and dive into about 1 inch pieces.

5. In a larger bowl, beat eggs until foamy and then whisk in sugar, rum and vanilla.  Add half of the flour mixture and half of the melted butter. Alternate with the rest of the flour and butter and stir.

6.  Fold in all the apples and pour into the prepared springform pan. Even out the top to make sure it’s flat.

7.  Bake the cake for about 50 minutes to an hour. You can test if it’s done by inserting a knife into the center of the cake and it comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes before you loosen the edges of the cake from the pan.  Remove sides of the cake pan.  Serve with vanilla flavored yogurt and a strong cup of coffee!

I thought I could do without another gadget for my iphone,  so I was content with carrying my smartphone in my pockets or even holding it in my hand when I was exercising.  But this got old really fast, my smartphone would fall out of my pocket or I would have to lay it on the ground and do the exercises without music, either way, annoying!  I’m not the type to buy the first thing I see, so I did some research online.  Sure enough, I came across the Sporteer Armband from pdo.

The armband is only $24.99 and comes in two different sizes, small and medium/large, which I like (because there is no such thing as one size fits all).   I also liked the fact that it has an integrated pocket for keys.  If you are an early morning or nighttime runner you are going to like the reflective material as well.  It has a full screen protector which still allows you to use the touch screen.

Added bonus, shipping is free and I got it within a couple of days.

Ingredients:

2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

graham crackers, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 F.  Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.

2.  In a food processor, combine all ingredients except for graham crackers, and blend until smooth.

3.  Divide mixture among 12 muffin cups and sprinkle graham crackers on top.

4.  Bake for about 25–30 minutes, until fillings are set.  Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool completely, then refrigerate (in pan) for at least 2 hours.

5.   When ready to serve, invert cakes onto plate and peel off liners. Enjoy with a strong espresso!

Which vegetables are great for the grill?
The possibilities are endless.  I’m listing a few of my favorites to help you get started.

Corn
Summer Squash– cut lengthwise
Mushrooms-leave whole
Eggplant-cut into rounds
Endives-halve lengthwise through core
Fennel-cut thin slices
Onions– cut into slices
Peppers (red, green, yellow or orange)- halve lengthwise remove insides and cut into thirds
Scallions– leave whole

What about fruit?
Grilling fruit makes a great dessert.  Serve with a dollop of low-fat ice cream or honey sweetened Greek yogurt and you will never look at fruit the same way again. Here are some fruits that are great on the grill:
Pineapple– cut into rings
Banana– you can grill with skin or peel and cut lengthwise into planks
Peaches-cut in half and remove pit
Nectarines-cut in half and remove pit

Ingredients:

2 cups cilantro leaves

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 jalapeno chile (remove seeds for less heat)

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 scallions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tsp agave nectar

1 package (14oz.)extra firm tofu pressed* and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Directions:

1.  Heat grill pan to medium.  In a food processor, combine cilantro, 1/4 cup oil, jalapeno, ginger, lime juice, agave nectar and the green part of the scallions.  Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

2.  On a baking sheet, place the tofu slices and brush with oil.  Season with salt and pepper, repeat on other side.

3.  Lightly brush grill pan with oil and place tofu slices and scallion whites on pan.  Grill for 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally;  brush with cilantro sauce and grill 30 more seconds.  Transfer to platter and serve slices with the remaining cilantro sauce.

*Pressing Tofu

Place tofu on a plate and wrap with paper towels.  Place another plate on top and place canned goods or heavy pan on top.  Let drain for at least 2 hours, replace paper towels as necessary.

Here are my four back to basics weight loss tips, to help you reach your weight loss goals.

1.    Determine your reason for weight loss.  What is your reason for wanting to lose weight?  The more meaningful and important the reason, the more it will help you adhere to your weight loss goals. Do you want to live longer? Avoid type 2 diabetes or heart disease? Have fewer medical bills? Or do you want to keep up with your children or grandchildren? Whatever the reason, write it down and keep it with you at all times.  On those occasions when you are tempted to get second-servings or have that rich guilt-filled dessert, re-read your reasons.

2.    Decrease your portion sizes.  There are no short cuts; if you want to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories.  To help you do that, keep track of what you eat, whether it is with an App or pencil and paper. What’s important is that you keep a daily tally of what and how much you eat.  The more honest and accurate you are with your records, the more successful you will be in attaining your weight loss goals.  See available apps here.

3.    Exercise more.  Find an exercise you enjoy and make it a habit.  Studies show that people who exercise loose more weight and are more successful at maintaining their weight loss efforts than those who don’t exercise.  An added bonus is that exercise helps reduce blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity, increases lean muscle mass, improves sleep and is a great stress reducer, to name just a few.  Everything counts; if you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, start with 10 minutes.
On days when you just don’t feel like exercising, “fake it until you make it”.  You are not always going to jump into your workout clothes feeling ecstatic, but once you’re done working out, you will feel accomplished and glad you did.

4.    Weigh yourself regularly. The numbers on the scale can tell you if what you’re doing is working for you or if you need to make changes.  It’s important to see the scale simply as a weight loss tool, which can help guide your eating habits.  It can be a great motivator when you lose weight, but it can also help determine if your diet and/or exercise habits need to be adjusted. If the scale goes up, try not to give in to negative thoughts or feelings. Simply think about what you could do differently for the scale to go down the next time you get on.