Pilates and Low Carb

Susan Lucci inspired me to begin Pilates. Between her love of Pilates and he commitment to low carb eating, she has managed to achieve the most amazing physcal beauty and health. When I want to have what someone else has, I find out what they do and try it. After testing out the Dukan diet, I realized that there was not enough flavor to interest me, nor enough vairety. The first week of Dukan, I was tired everyday. Atkins was always a great plan for me but now in my mid-life, I find that eating all the fat I want makes it too hard for me to lose weight.  Suzanne Somers has a pretty good plan for hormonal weight loss but she adds too many carbs. What to do? I think I'll keep the low carb but cut away as much fat as I can without losing the flavor and some needed energy.  I love food and I always will. My taste buds enjoy bright flavors. I actually know some people whose tastebuds are nearly comatose. It never natters what they eat bacuase they don't really like food (no reference to anorexia). It's pretty easy to lose when you don't really enjoy food. My buds will always need good, flavorful food. Dukan is done. Low carb, lower fat, reasonable portions sounds really good to me. Here's what is for Brunch on Saturday with chicken sausage...



Caprese Baked Eggs



Cooler with a chance of rain? Try out this grouping from oldnavy.gap.com...

Today, for breakfast, I had a spinach, roasted red pepper fritatta with swiss cheese melted on top. It was as tasty as it was pretty to look at. I have enough servings left over for a light lunch or a snack. Extra portions made ahead helps to keep me on my plan. If I get too hungry and have to decide what to eat, I tend to choose the wrong food.  Emotions drive my eating behavior so I have a friend who has overcome emotional eating that I'm checking in with daily.  She knows what I need to know and understands my challenges. I only have to choose the next right meal and I'll be alright.

So there you have it. No matter what kind of day it is outside, always bring your own sunshine with you!

Can Pilates Increase My Height?

Yes, this totally true if you suffer from poor posture, back pain, or any spinal condition that causes you to bend over when you could be standing straighter.  There is a lot of talk about calcium deficiency and bone loss but those things tell only half of the story. Weakened muscles that line and support the spine can be strengthened to hold up fragile spinal bones. Of course, strong core muscles are critical as well. As we age, muscles loosen and adapt to our changing bone structure. What if you could cause your bone structure to improve by empowering your muscles? My height has increased. I had lost a half an inch or more and now that I have increased my accessory muscle strength, I stand tall again. Even young people sometimes lose their height to slouching for various reasons. It is cruel to tell someone to stand straight when they don't have the strength to sustain their posture. But with committed Pilates practice, you can regain lost height. One more perk to standing tall: it increases confidence. How we hold our bodies affects our mindset, either postively or negatively.

You Are Only as Young as Your Spine is Flexible

Until our spines are frozen, herniated, or in major pain, we really don't want to talk about spinal health. It's boring. Can't we hear about something more interesting? Take a minute to consider that building strong and pain free spines makes life so much easier. One of my students in her fifties remarked to me the other day that her husband strained his back simply trying to put their grandchild into the car seat. While she felt sory that her husband hurt himself during a simple task, she also noted that she didn't have problems like that because her spine is in good shape from taking Pilates. Pilates builds a strong set of upper, lower, and oblique abdominal muscles to carry the load that many still carry with their weak backs. Additionally, Pilates focuses on spinal flexibility and accesses the smaller spinal muscles to strengthen them. These small muscles protect the spine from all sorts of injury.  Pilates does so many good things for the body especially focused spinal strengthening adds alot more ease and freedom to our lives, regardless of age.

Carbs vs. Pilates Abs

On my blog, suzuspetals.blogspot.com, you'll find my daily experience with the Dukan Diet.  The first week, I lost six pounds. No kidding, all of it has come off my belly. That's just more proof that too many of the wrong kind of carbs messes up gorgeous Pilates Abs.  Because Pilates is the only true core exercise discipline, once you strengthen your abs the Pilates way, they stay flat even when you aren't working out, unlike the ususal sit-ups, crunches and what have you. But if you over-eat carbs, any of them, your belly will be the first place the fat attaches to. Eating too much fat will also hide flat abs. That's what makes the Dukan Plan so smart.  Dukan helps you to lose water weight. I always smirk when I hear someone complaining about only losing water weight. Well, would you rather keep it? Seriously. It creeps up blood pressure and makes you look bloated and awful.  Too many carbs creates water weight gain.  The formula for gorgeous abs:  Pilates - carbs +  a daily liter of water. Try it for a week and test it yourself. Send me your observations. Week 2 of the Dukan Diet begins today.  Follow my progress on http://suzuspetals2.blogspot.com/.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Is there anything better than peanut butter and chocolate? Pause and ponder that. For me, the answer is no. but I choose not to indulge in just any peanut butter and chocolate thing.  I have a delicious tasting alternative to fattening shakes. Today's recipe is for a protein packed, scrumptious power smoothie. I had one last night for a bedtime snack. The creamy texture and bright chocolate peanut butter flavor satisfied me completely. The protein sustains me to keep my blood sugars stable so that I don't crave other kinds of sweets. There is a secret ingredient that you mustn't leave out: a tablespoon of cream cheese. If you a re low-carbing it, choose full fat. If you are on Dukan diet, choose low fat. If you are on low calories, choose fat free. Here is the recipe:

One scoop of chocolate Shakeology (see link on right side of page) or a scoop of EAS low carb Vanilla protein powder (Costco has this for an excellent price)

2 tblsp of good cocoa (not the kind with sugar in it it, just plain cocoa)
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp cream cheese (makes the texture unbelievable creamy)
Splash of vanilla
Sweetener to taste ( I like Sweet & Low)
8 oz water ( I don't use milk because I don't want to cut the brightness of the flavor)

Throw all this into a bullet blender or regular blender and whiz until the cream cheese is smoothly incorporated. Then add ice.  Continue blending and the pour.

Let me know how you liked this or your own favorite versions of low carb smoothies. I have many other recipes for power hsakes and smoothies on a board of the same name at http://pinterest.com/.

Perfectly Lovely

For the first time since I began teaching Pilates, I gained significant weight. If you know nothing about that, I both hate you and want what you have. Teaching with extra weight makes it  harder to do all the moves I want. My clothes don't fit nicely. These things, added to an already intense fear of being fat, can cause me to think in a very different and negative way about myself. Before Pilates, I'd panic and do something rash to get rid of it and, that will bring the weight back on  faster that not dieting. There is a difference in the way I feel about my body now. I'll  never forget the moment when I began to love and appreciate my body. After six months or so of  regular Pilates, I had an epiphany. I suddenly realized that I loved my body. I'd seen it change and strengthen but it was more than that.  In Pilates, I had to apply my mind to the work my body is doing so the mind/body connection had healed. My mind was no longer working against my body. Now, the extra weight I carry doesn't make me hate my body. I still don't like it but I feel more patient and caring towards me.  I wish this for every woman on the planet. Other forms of exercise are effective but only on Pilates can you heal the rift between and mind.  I feel perfectly lovely and I like it.

Start It Up!

Always do a Monday Pilates class. Sitting around, cleaning, gardening or road tripping (that's what I did) tend to leave sore, stiff muscles. What I do on Mondays sets the trend of the week. A good start keeps me motivated and cheerful. If I don't do it, I tell myself that I'm starting my week over on Tuesday. In fact, anytime a day hasn't gone the way I wanted it to, I stop and tell myself that I'm starting this day over right now. The "Starting Over Right Now" tool gets me back up and going after a disappointment or some other stumbling block. Remember that no matter what the circumstance, use the power of choice to direct your thoughts upward.

If you like the Elf, see more of him at http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/assets/images/sd34-pic.gif.