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Navigating Plateaus and Setbacks

by Annalise Hafner

As you work towards your goals, you may experience plateaus or setbacks. Maybe the number on the scale is not where you want it, or maybe you are not engaging in physical activity as often as you planned. It is frustrating when you feel as if you are moving backward rather than moving forward, but this is normal! Rather than losing motivation, learn to accept that progress will sometimes be two steps forward, one step back rather than a full sprint ahead. Here are a few strategies to keep in mind as you navigate plateaus and setbacks and get back on track.

Nutrition

What you eat and drink plays a large role in your weight maintenance and/or weight loss and can also influence non-scale factors such as energy levels, sleep quality, and mood. Go back to the basics and focus on eating healthy carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, while making the majority of your foods fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

  • Track everything! Noting what and how much you eat and drink can help you identify patterns in your diet. Maybe you have been eating outside the house at parties or restaurants more often. It is easy to underestimate the calories in your morning latte or exclude those M&Ms from your food diary, but the only way to see where you can make changes is by tracking everything you consume as accurately as possible.
  • Plan your meals and snacks. Start by checking your fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what you have on hand. Plan meals and snacks and make a grocery list based on what you have and what you need. Stick to your grocery list in the store. Read our Meal Planning 101 blog for a step-by-step guide.
  • Prepare what you can ahead of time. This can be especially helpful when it comes to snacks. Have a few healthy snacks on hand to replace any lunchtime vending machine runs or mindless snacking in front of the TV. Meal prepping, batch cooking whole grains, or even roasting a sheet pan of vegetables at the beginning of the week can ensure you always have healthy foods to pull from the fridge.
  • Is someone else in your household in charge of grocery shopping and cooking? Have a conversation with them about your goals. Try to split these roles or do them together. If their favorite snack is a temptation for you, discuss other places they can store it to keep it out of sight and out of mind.

Physical Activity

How much you move your body also influences your weight and overall health. Engaging in regular physical activity can improve mood, sleep quality, and reduce stress in addition to influencing the number on the scale. Maybe you are not reaching your physical activity goals or feeling as though your current routine is not the best fit anymore. Tracking your movement and scheduling your physical activity are great first steps.

  • Track everything! Yes, this applies to both nutrition and physical activity. Note your minutes, steps, calories burned and/or any other metric you use to track your physical activity. If your goal is weight maintenance, it is important to determine the calories you expend so that you can balance them with the calories you consume.
  • Schedule time for physical activity. Set aside 5 minutes on Sunday to look at your schedule for the upcoming week and make a game plan. Check out our Sample Weekly Workout Plans blog for more tips.
  • Be realistic and adaptable. If you do not have 30 minutes, look for three 10-minute periods where you can engage in physical activity. Do not become frustrated if you do not stick to your plan one day. Reset and prepare for the next day.
  • Change up your routine. When you plateau or become bored, vary some aspect of your activity. Try changing the route you walk or run or exercising at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time. Try a new activity. Refer to our Find Your Fitness Connection blog for inspiration.

Accountability is key!

Tracking provides great accountability, but leaning on others for additional accountability and support can be even more helpful.

  • Share your goals with family, friends or coworkers and ask them to check in with you on a regular basis. It can be as simple as one text or email a week asking about your goals. 
  • Find someone with similar goals and work on them together. Go on a walk with a neighbor after work or have a friend over and cook a healthy meal together.

As you work towards your goals, always remember to give yourself grace! Every day will not be perfect and that is okay. Unexpected family events or work tasks may come up that shift your physical activity or meal plans. Do as much as you can to fit in movement and eat healthy when this happens. Just because one day did not go as planned does not mean you give up on your goals and plans for the rest of the week. Remember why you set your goals in the first place and make small adjustments to continue moving forward. Do not be afraid to adjust your goals or set new ones!

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Risky or Not?

by Annalise Hafner

Have you ever wondered if it is safe to eat yogurt past its best by date or thaw poultry at room temperature? Maybe you are unsure if you can eat those roasted vegetables you left on the counter overnight or if you can store butter at room temperature. For all of your food safety related questions, look to the Risky or Not? podcast!

Risky or Not? is a short (about 11 minutes per episode) podcast hosted by Professor Ben Chapman, one of our colleagues and a food safety extension specialist at NC State University, and Dr. Don Schaffner, a food science extension specialist at Rutgers University. Dr. Don and Professor Ben release episodes about 3 times each week and answer all of your questions “about everyday risks from germs.” These extension specialists keep their science-backed answers succinct and straightforward so that you will finish each episode feeling informed on the topic at hand.

Here are a few Risky or Not? episodes to check out:

For a complete episode list, look through the Risky or Not? website. You can listen to episodes directly through the website or find them on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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Proper Portions

by Annalise Hafner

The amount of food we eat is just as – if not more – important as the types of foods we eat when it comes to weight maintenance or weight loss. This is another reason why tracking food intake is critical to weight management. We tend to think we are better at estimating the amount of food we eat than we really are. Fortunately, we can learn to better estimate portions in order to accurately track food intake and ensure we are not overeating.

Here are helpful tips to keep portion sizes under control:

Estimate portions with everyday objects.1

  • A baseball is about 1 cup. This is the recommended serving of a fruit or vegetable. 
  • A tennis ball is about ½ cup and is a helpful measurement to portion out whole grains.
  • A deck of cards is about the size of a 3 oz serving of fish, poultry or meat.
  • The distance from the tip of your thumb to the thumb knuckle is about a tablespoon. This is a useful measurement for peanut butter, salad dressing or olive oil.
  • These tips are especially helpful when eating in a restaurant, ordering takeout or other scenarios when you are not in control of cooking or serving your food.
  • Refer to our Smart-size Your Portions blog for more information on estimating portion sizes with your hand.

Make your meal smaller.

  • Ask for a to-go box with your meal if you are eating in a restaurant. Put half of your meal in the box before you begin eating and get 2 meals for the price of 1!
  • Choose an appetizer or kids meal instead of an entreé. Be sure to choose something with fruits or vegetables.
  • Use smaller bowls and plates when serving your meals. We tend to fill up our dinnerware, so try eating from a smaller bowl or plate.
  • Use smaller serving utensils and silverware. These can help you monitor the amount of food you are serving and take smaller bites to enjoy meals more mindfully.

Utilize nutrition labels.

  • Determine the amount in one serving and portion out your food accordingly.
  • Be mindful of the calories per serving.
  • Check out our blog on Reading Nutrition Labels for more information.

Build balanced meals and snacks.

  • Try filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables before adding any other foods. This can help you control portion sizes while increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.
  • Fill the other half of your plate with whole grains and lean protein for a balanced and delicious meal.
  • Include healthy carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your snacks.

Start practicing these skills today!

1 https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/nutrition-facts-and-food-labels/serving-size-vs-portion-size-is-there-a-difference

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Sample Weekly Workout Plans

by Annalise Hafner

With busy schedules, it is not always easy to fit physical activity into our days. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adults strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week and 2 days of muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups. Looking at your schedule in advance and creating a plan at the beginning of the week is a great way to fit physical activity into your routine.

Below are examples of weekly workout plans that meet aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening guidelines. These are designed to assist anyone looking to create their own plan but are not meant to serve as recommended or individualized regimens. That being said, feel free to use these plans as a starting point and always modify any activities to suit your needs. A mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity exercises may be more realistic. Additionally, muscle-strengthening activities may also contribute to your aerobic activity minutes if performed in a circuit fashion with shorter rest intervals or in a HIIT training style.

Keep the following in mind as you plan your weekly workouts:

  • Be as physically active as any health conditions, injuries or disabilities allow. Refer to these resources to find activities that work for you.
  • Increase your activity levels gradually to meet the recommendations. Take into account where you are now, where you want to be and increase your activity over time.
  • Make a game plan and write it down. Be as specific as possible.
  • Outline what you want each activity to look like.
  • Add up your planned aerobic activity minutes for the week. Double any vigorous-intensity activity minutes when finding your total minutes.

Disclaimer: Individuals should seek medical evaluation and clearance from a doctor before beginning any exercise regimen. All activities should be carried out at a pace and intensity that is comfortable for the individual.

Sample Plan: Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise

Monday
7:00 – 7:30 am Water Aerobics
12:20 – 12:30 pm Brisk Walk at Lunch		40 min
Tuesday
12:20 – 12:30 pm Brisk Walk at Lunch
5:30 – 6:00 pm Bodyweight Strength, Squat to Overhead Press, Reverse Lunge with Rotation, Push-Ups, Single-leg Romanian Deadlift, Reverse Ab Crunch		10 min
Wednesday
7:00 – 7:15 am Yoga
12:20 – 12:30 pm Brisk Walk at Lunch		25 min
Thursday
12:20 – 12:30 pm Brisk Walk at Lunch
5:30 – 6:00 pm Bodyweight Strength, Squat to Overhead Press, Reverse Lunge with Rotation, Push-Ups, Single-leg Romanian Deadlift, Reverse Ab Crunch		10 min
Friday
7:00 – 7:30 am Water Aerobics
12:20 – 12:30 pm Brisk Walk at Lunch		40 min
Saturday10:30 – 11:00 am Family Bikeride30 min
Total Minutes:155 min

Sample Plan: Vigorous-Intensity Aerobic Exercise

Monday6:30 – 7:00 pm Kickboxing Class (x2)60 min
Tuesday7:15 – 7:45 am Lap Swimming (x2)60 min
Wednesday6:30 – 7:00 pm Bodyweight Strength, Squat to Overhead Press, Reverse Lunge with Rotation, Push-Ups, Single-leg Romanian Deadlift, Reverse Ab Crunch
Thursday7:15 – 7:30 am Run (x2) Jog 3 min, Run 9 min, Jog 3 min30 min
Friday6:30 – 7:00 pm Bodyweight Strength, Squat to Overhead Press, Reverse Lunge with Rotation, Push-Ups, Single-leg Romanian Deadlift, Reverse Ab Crunch
Total Minutes:150 min (75 min vigorous)

To learn more about the difference between moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity check out the CDC’s Physical Activity Basics.

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Don’t Wait, Start Your New Year’s Resolutions Today!

by Annalise Hafner

Resolutions should not be reserved solely for the New Year. You can make resolutions or goals at any time of the year. Why not start now, with a holiday season goal: to be the healthiest and best version of yourself during this busy time of the year!

Big things happen when we start with small changes in our everyday routines. Maybe it is the year that you devote time for self-care and mindfulness to reduce stress and avoid the tendency to overindulge with holiday foods. 
Use these 3 simple steps to begin your holiday season with a goal for a healthier you.

  • Write down a few goals for yourself and place them in a location that will serve as a reminder, such as a bathroom mirror or computer screen.
  • Include why these goals are important to you. Be specific: include steps as to how, when, and where these goals can be achieved.
  • Give yourself a pep talk. Imagine what it would feel like to accomplish your goals. Stay positive and believe in yourself. 

Read our blog post on how to stick with your goals.

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Do Omega 6 Fats Cause Inflammation?

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN
A plastic bottle of sunflower oil beside an empty pan on a gas stove

You may have heard that foods high in omega 6 fats (soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, vegetable oil) can cause inflammation in the body. Since inflammation is the root cause of most chronic illnesses including heart disease this would not be good. So, where is this theory coming from that omega 6 fatty acids cause inflammation? One reason for this claim is that omega 6 fats such as linoleic acid can be converted to arachidonic acid in the body. Arachidonic acid can be converted to prostaglandins which can set off an inflammatory response. BUT WAIT – in reality, hardly any linoleic acid gets converted to arachidonic acid.

According to Dr. Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard TH Chang School of Public Health, “Although the pathway is there, it’s not active unless there is a deficiency of omega 6 fats. When you eat omega 6 fats, you’ll see an increase in linoleic acid, but you will not see an increase in arachidonic acid or prostaglandins.”

Many studies show that consuming foods containing omega 6 fat, especially when they replace saturated fat, lowers the risk of heart disease. “There is no good clinical research that shows adverse effects for omega 6 fats. In fact, studies actually show beneficial effects.” Sacks says.

This points to something we teach intro nutrition students. Just because there is a pathway for something to happen in the body – linoleic acid to arachidonic acid to prostaglandins – does not mean it will happen. Logic without proof is not a reason to change dietary recommendations. 

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5 Tips for Using Your Freezer to Waste Less Food

by Sarah Myer
Woman standing in front of fridge with both the fridge and freezer doors open making a grocery list.

Cooking during the pandemic definitely changed how we use the freezer. These 5 tips have been helpful to reduce food waste, reduce meal prep time, and help us use our freezer more effectively.

Freezing Food is about Preserving the Quality of the Food

Oftentimes you will see the phrases “Best if used by,” “Sell by” and “Use by,” among others. It can be confusing but these dates refer to product quality and flavor and are not expiration dates. (The one consistent exception to this is infant formula. That date does mean what it says and any unused formula should be discarded after that date.)

The next time you notice a food product whose label date has passed, check for signs of spoilage like color, consistency or texture before deciding to consume or throw away.

Know How Long Something Can Be Refrigerated or Frozen

Technically, if you freeze something, it should last forever. But in reality, the quality of the food diminishes the longer it is in a freezer. Here are some guides from NC State Extension and FoodSafety.gov that may help.  

Freeze food when it is fresh

The freezer cannot reverse time. It just stops it for a while. It is best to freeze food that is fresh or food that has just been cooked (but cooled properly).

This is especially important for fruits and vegetables. Blanching fresh fruit and vegetables before freezing will kill enzymes that cause produce to turn brown and deteriorate.

  • Frozen vegetables will be mushier than their fresh counterparts so consider using vegetables in soups, sauces, or mixed side dishes.
  • Sauces and stocks freeze well. Making extra sauce and freezing it has definitely helped us on busy nights when there isn’t a lot of time for meal prep or dinner.    

Do not put hot food in the freezer

This is both a health safety issue and a food quality issue. The food danger zone is 40o to 145o. Food should not be in the temperature range for more than 2-6 hours depending on the food. Cooked foods should be cooled down to under 40o before being frozen. Bacteria can grow in this temperature danger zone and your freezer temperature can be raised if you have a lot of hot food in your freezer.

Do not put food in the fridge to cool down immediately after cooking. Ideally, food should be left to cool down to room temperature on the stove or counter, and then transferred to the fridge to keep cooling down to 40o or below. Then food can be frozen. If the food is not cooling down quickly, you can portion out the food into smaller portions or add an ice bath to the food to cool it down.

Label Everything

This is one of my favorite tips from the “It’s Always Freezer Season” cookbook by Ashley Christensen and Kaitlyn Goalen. They even have a google spreadsheet with a list of everything they have in their freezer. We don’t have that much space in ours, but labeling everything has definitely helped us be more confident about the food we pull out of the freezer.  

Labels should be easy to find whether you store your frozen foods in glass, plastic, or plastic bags. Make sure you include the date as well as a description of the food.

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How to Modify Any Workout

by Annalise Hafner

There are countless workouts available online, but they likely are not always a perfect fit for you. The good news is you can modify any workout you find! Maybe not yet, but after reading through these tips, you will have the skills to make any workout your own.

Start by focusing on the FITT principle for physical activity.

That is, think about the frequency, intensity, time, and type of physical activity you include in your routine.

  • Frequency refers to how often you engage in physical activity. Choose to adhere to a workout plan 3 to 4 days out of the week rather than everyday if that better fits your needs and current physical activity levels. Find a schedule that works for you.
  • Intensity refers to how hard you are working during your physical activity session. You always have the option to lower your intensity by slowing your pace, grabbing lighter weights, or performing 2 sets rather than 3, for example. In the same vein, you can always increase your intensity to make a workout more challenging.
  • Time refers to the duration of your physical activity session or intensity intervals. Decrease the total moving time for a cardio plan or shorten work intervals during a HIIT workout to modify the time.
  • Type refers to how you are being physically active. You do not have to stick to one type of activity. In fact, it is great to vary your movement patterns and engage in different activities. Maybe a strict jogging plan is not for you. Try jogging with the plan some days and cycling or doing bodyweight strength workouts on the other days to add variety.

Look up exercise modifications to make any workout your own!

In addition to the countless workouts available on the internet, you can also find modifications to any exercise.

  • Search for exercise modifications. For example, “how to modify a plank” or “alternate exercise for jumping jacks” yield a variety of resources and options.
  • Try searching for standing or no jumping workouts on YouTube for routines with fewer exercises you may have to modify.

Key Takeaway: You have the ability to make any workout fit your needs and work for you! Do not let one exercise or one aspect of a workout stop you from trying it out. It may take practice and a little more effort on your part at first, but learning to modify workouts can empower you to move more and try different activities.

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Happy Planksgiving!  30 days of Thanks and Planks

by Kelly Nordby, RD, LDN

It’s Thanksgiving!  What a great time to give gratitude for family, friends, colleagues, and a support system that is absolutely crucial to keeping us upright…our core! Be sure to check out the plank modifications and challenges below to create a challenge that works for you.

Woman planking

My aerobics instructor shared that she was doing a Planksgiving Challenge…30 days of thanks and planks.  Just to be team players, several of us offered to join her about a third of the way through the challenge.   On day 1, you begin with holding a plank for 1 minute and incrementally work up to 5 minutes.  I have been choosing the forearm plank, but everyone chooses the plank position that works best on an individual basis.

I have to say that the idea of holding a plank for 5 minutes is daunting, but we have gradually worked up to 3 minutes so far and while I am not comfortable by the end, it is not as bad as I thought that it would be.  Doing it with the support of others and an upbeat song that lasts about the duration of that day’s plank is key!!

The challenge that we are doing is adapted from ilovekickboxing.com; however, I googled “Planksgiving Challenge” and about 564,000 results came up, so apparently there are many out there who are giving thanks to their abs.

Our Planksgiving 30-day Challenge* (feel free to adapt to your own personal fitness goals):

  • Feel free to adapt to your own personal fitness goals. Adjust the times and modify as you see fit.
  • Plank Modifications
    • Place your forearms or hands on a stable chair or on the wall.
    • Lower your knees to the floor.
  • Plank Challenges
    • Try a plank march, alternating the arm you begin with.
    • Raise and lower one leg at a time while maintaining your plank position.
  • Disclaimer: Individuals should seek medical evaluation and clearance from a doctor before beginning any exercise regimen. All activities should be carried out at a pace and intensity that is comfortable for the individual.
Day 1 – 1 minDay 11 – RestDay 21 – 3 min, 15 sec
Day 2 – 1 min, 15 secDay 12 – 2 min, 30 secDay 22 – 3 min, 30 sec
Day 3 – 1 min, 30 secDay 13 – 2 min, 45 secDay 23 – Rest
Day 4 – 1 min, 45 secDay 14 – 2 min, 45 secDay 24 – Rest
Day 5 – RestDay 15 – 3 minDay 25 – 3 min, 30 sec
Day 6 – 1 min, 45 secDay 16 – RestDay 26 – 4 min, 15 sec
Day 7 – 2 minDay 17 – 3 minDay 27 – 4 min, 30 sec
Day 8 – 2 minDay 18 – 3 minDay 28 – 4 min, 45 sec
Day 9 – 2 min, 15 secDay 19 – 3 min, 15 secDay 29 – Rest
Day 10 – 2 min, 15 secDay 20 – 3 min, 15 secDay 30 – 5 min

Happy Planksgiving!

*adapted from ilovekickboxing.com

Is it ok to eat a hot dog every now and then?

by Cathy Thomas
A hot dog with ketchup and mustard

For most of us, we should strive to eat healthy most days of the week. However, “cheat” days are part of our lives and on some eating plans, encouraged. So what do you eat on splurge days? Pizza, pasta, hamburgers, sweets or hotdogs? Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences published findings in Nature Food detailing their newly developed Health Nutritional Index, analyzed individual foods based on their composition to calculate each food item’s benefits using 15 dietary risk factors.

According to the author’s calculations, a beef hot dog on a bun resulted in a loss of 36 minutes of healthy life “largely due to the detrimental effect of processed meat,”. The interesting news is that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was associated with an increase of 33 minutes. Foods like baked salmon, salted peanuts, and rice with beans were also associated with gains between 10 and 15 minutes.

It is important to know that swapping 10% of daily caloric consumption from beef and processed meats for fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and certain kinds of seafood could reap significant health benefits, with the team citing a gain of some 48 minutes per person per day making these foods the winners and gave us precious more minutes.

So knowing this, I am saying no to hot dogs. NO MORE HOTDOGS on my menu as well as limiting highly processed meats. I am looking forward to more wonderful days of enjoying this great life and good health. Hotdogs and highly processes meats, you lose, health, you win!

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