How many calories do you eat at the Fair?
August 18, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
It’s Iowa State Fair time again in Des Moines. Every year people flock to the fair to see shows, the butter cow, livestock, and of course to see what is the new food on a stick! Last year it was salad on a stick……it didn’t really go over very well! When you can get a pork chop on a stick or salad, most people will choose the pork chop!
A day at the fair eating fair food can kill your diet. It shocks most people to see just how many calories are in their favorite fair foods. Sometimes people think they are making the best choices only to find out they are assuming that just because it’s turkey its healthy….WRONG!
Here is a list of some of the most common fair foods available. Check out what you eat and see how you FAIR!
Fair Foods
Item Amount Calories Carbs (g) Protein (g) Fat (g)
Corn dog 1 460 56 17 19
Cola 12 0z. 160 39 - -
Carmel apple 1 medium 270 56 2 4
Homemade Taffy ¼ pound 450 104 - 4
Roasted/Salted peanuts ½ cup 460 14 19 36
Corn-on-the-cob w/butter 1 piece 170 32 4 3
BBQ Sandwich 1 340 34 15 16
Beef Dog w/bun 1 250 18 10 15
Deluxe Hamburger 1 510 40 26 27
Funnel Cake 1 (6”) 280 29 7 15
Pepperoni Deep Dish Pizza 1 Slice 390 42 19 16
Soft Pretzel 1 medium 190 38 5 2
French Fries Large 450 57 6 22
Popcorn 4 cups 220 25 4 12
Ice cream cone 1 drumstick 225 23 4 12
Dippin’ dots Vanilla ½ cup 170 16 3 10
Dippin’ dots No sugar added-low fat ½ cup 123 13 3 6
Fried Twinkie 1 420 45 2 34
Fried Snickers 1 444 42 4 29
Cotton Candy 1.5 oz 171 45 - -
Smoothies (Berry) 1 cup 350 80 7 1
Smoked Turkey Leg 1 1,136 - 152 54
Brat w/ bun 1 804 28 36 60.5
Dill Pickle 1 32 8 - -
Kettle Corn 7 cups 490 70 3.5 12.3
Lemonade 1 cup 210 52 - -
Gyro 12 oz. 680 55 31 40
Snow-cone 1 540 132 - -
Fried Shrimp 10-12 pieces 555 36 35 30
Frozen Banana w/chocolate 1 240 53 2 4
Fried Oreo 1 cookie 98 11 1.3 5.7
Nachos w/cheese 9” plate 861 70 19 59
Fried Onion Flower 1 onion 1,320 140 16 72
Donuts Jumbo Twist 7.5 oz. 907 108.6 11 49
Root-beer Float ½ cup 111 20 1 3
Cinnamon Roll 1 730 114 14.5 24
Fudge 1.5 oz. 199 25 1 11
Frozen Yogurt in sugar cone 1 476 94 19 2
Malt 1 cup 690 85 13 33
Source: Calorieking.com (Fair foods)
How much time will you have to workout to burn those extra calories you took in at the fair?? Go to Caloriesperhour.com
Look up your favorite activity and then put your current weight in and how long you will do it, and it will tell you how many calories you will burn.
Example: Average 160 lb. person will burn only 138 calories walking on the treadmill at 3.5 mph. This means you would have to walk on the treadmill for 4 HOURS to burn off one turkey leg!! Yikes!!!!!
So enjoy the FAIR!!
Deb 
The Best Diet Tip EVER
June 16, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Today’s post is going to be short, sweet and to the point.
That said, it may be the most valuable piece of dietary advice that I could EVER give you.
You see, last night around 9:30 PM while watching TV my appetite started acting up and I began to have some pretty intense cravings.
A couple minutes later, I found myself in the kitchen rummaging through the fridge, cupboards, and pantry looking for something to satisfy my hunger (yes, I’m human and I deal with cravings, too).
After scoping out what was available, I ultimately ended up eating some sliced steak and big portion of spinach. (Thank God Carol’s Éclair dessert was all gone!)
Do you know what stopped me from downing a bowl of ice cream or reaching for a bag of potato chips last night?
Simple. These foods aren’t in my house.
Do you want to end your struggle with late night snacking (with the wrong foods) and increase your dietary adherence ten-fold? Then here it is, the best diet tip I could ever give you:
Keep your house free of anti-diet food.
Simply put, if it’s not available, it’s not a temptation.
Do you find that having “off-limits” foods lying around is screwing up your diet? Let me know your thoughts!
Train Hard & Expect Results,
Deb
Host a healthy barbeque
June 1, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Phil Romans on flickr
1. Don’t Burn Your Burgers
Studies have shown that well-done and charred meat contains carcinogens that can increase your risk of cancer. Choose lean cuts, trim off excess fat and marinate meat before grilling.
2. Get Rid of the Six Pack
Beer and drink mixers are packed with calories. Instead of throwing back a six pack, try staying hydrated with plenty of H2O throughout the barbeque.
3. Just Add Veggies
Control the amount of meats and starches you eat by layering the grill with veggies, which are packed with disease-fighting flavonoids. Try kabobs with chicken, peppers, onion, squash and mushrooms.
4. Go Easy on Ice Cream Cones
Embrace the season with a fruit salad, sliced watermelon or grilled pineapple, and lightly dip it in dark chocolate. You’ll get a delicious dessert with antioxidants and fewer calories and sugar than ice cream
5. Serve Up Some Fish
A great alternative to meat, fresh fish like salmon and tuna are packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and are low in calories. Add a squeeze of lemon and you’ve got a healthy meal.
6. Don’t Treat All Salads the Same
Potato, pasta and egg salads are high in saturated fats. Instead, fill your plate with fresh greens and veggies. You can try the pasta or potato salad, but limit yourself to a small portion.
7. Be Aware of Food Safety
Avoid food poisoning by thoroughly cooking meats and keeping raw and cooked meats separate. Keep cold foods stored in coolers with lots of ice until you serve them. If it’s above 90 degrees outside, don’t keep food out for more than an hour.
8. Play Games, Burn Calories
Barbeques don’t have to revolve around food, and we think it’s more fun when eating’s not the only activity for the day. Work up an appetite with a group bike ride, swim or backyard games.
Host a barbeque for your neighborhood or invite family; it’s a great way to have some summer fun and enjoy some healthy eating all at the same time! PS: Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Deb
Salads the New Junk Food?
May 14, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
This information was submitted by Cheryl Freauff one of CrossTrain’s personal trainers. She sheds some light on how eating a salad doesn’t always mean you are eating healthy!!
Here’s what she says:
While at subway I carefully selected a 6″ grilled chicken on whole wheat with extra pickles and spicy mustard. Yummy!! The woman in front of me was doing what so many of us do. She selected a salad and proceeded to pile on what she thought were good choices. Her mistake was not the peppers and variety of veggies, but the hunk of tuna loaded with mayonnaise and “seafood” which by the way is imitation and loaded with sodium and sugars. To top it all off she asked for what turned out to be her biggest mistake……. ranch dressing and an extra packet to boot.
If you go to subways website, you will see that the sub I select offered just 325 calories (however the extra sodium from the pickles were not good), her salad had a whopping 1150 calories. Not to mention all the sodium and added fats.
Don’t get me wrong I LOVE salads and eat at least one a day, but what we put on those salads can make it a health food or junk food. Mayonnaise based dressing can be particularly fattening and unhealthy. Using balsamic vinegars and herbs are far better options. If you must use a mayonnaise based dressing then making your own is rather quick and easy using reduced fat mayonnaise.
In the end knowing what goes into your salads will help you make the best decision.
Thanks Cheryl for this great info!
Deb
Minimize the Bleeding
May 6, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
In conversation with one of my business partners Luke Carlson I was sharing how my week had been pretty tough because of being in the hospital all week with my daughter Kali. I said that I found myself falling back into some old habits of turning to food instead of God for comfort.
His response was this:
Minimize our mistakes needs to be a tip of the day…….. We know mistakes are going to happen, but when they do we need to keep the bleeding to a minimal amount. This was one thing we always talked about in sports. When you are on top of the mountain things go well and the weight comes off or we play well, but it’s not the mountain top that keeps us on track it is how we do in the valley. This is where the adults are separated from the children physically, mentally and spiritually. The thing we need to remember is that the Holy Spirit will get us through when we turn to God instead of food for our comfort.
Then when he does help get us through or when we are on top of the mountain we must remember to praise God through our actions of being diligent and using self control.
Luke’s words reminded me that we all will have the good days and we all will have bad days….that is life. It’s how we react to those days both good and bad that truly matter! Remember to praise God today for mountains and the valleys!
Have a Blessed day,
Deb
Have you lost 16-32 pounds in 2010?
April 22, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Today marks the 16 week mark of 2010.
It is important to pull the bus over right now and be honest with yourself about how the first 16 weeks of 2010 went:
Do you have more energy?
Are you generally in a better mood?
If weight loss is one of your goals, have you lost 16 to 32 pounds (1 to 2 pounds per week)?
Are you getting more tone?
Are your clothes feeling loose/are you losing inches?
If you answered yes to at least 1 of these questions, then Congratulations! You are “in the game” and you should be proud of yourself.
If you answered no to all of the questions, then it is time to re-commit and change your approach.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. – Albert Einstein
Now is the time to alter what you are doing so that you can accomplish the fitness and/or weight loss results that you deserve. You and your health are worth investing your time and energy into to so make today your January 1st and start kicking butt!
Maybe you need some help? Here are some tips to get you going:
- Hire a personal trainer….I happen to know a few good ones at CrossTrain!
- Get a workout partner
- Sign up for REV
- Try a free workout class
- Increase intensity on the circuit
- Increase your weights….when is the last time you increased your weights??
- Sign up for Jump Start for help with your food
- Make appointments for your workouts and KEEP them!
- Eat more fresh fruits and veggies!
- Drink you WATER!
Now start TODAY and kick some Booty!
Train Hard & Expect Results,
Deb
How to tackle those Hotels breakfast buffets
April 19, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Cheryl one of my instructors at Crosstrain sent this wonderful tip as she travels for her job and thought this may help others who do too!
This is what she wrote:
While on a recent business trip my hotel offered the free breakfast buffet. Typically I will find at least one or two items that I am confident will fit into my calorie/nutritional goals. However on this trip I was faced with more questions and unsure what was my best option. My choice of waffles, mini yogurts full of sugar, donuts and pastries were at my disposal. Attempting to stick to my usual breakfast I searched for whole grains, fruit, and some type of acceptable protein. Finally realizing as consumers we must ask or speak up I asked the front desk if I could see the labels’ on some of the other potential choices. To my delight they were more than happy to escort me to the kitchen area to see for myself the calorie, sugar and fiber values of the breads and “generic brand packaged” oatmeal. Now I was set to go about my day knowing I started on the right foot without guilt!
Thanks Cheryl for the great tip!
Happy & Healthy Travels,
Deb
Are portions hurting your results?
April 11, 2010 by Deb · 2 Comments
The truth is that we all eat too much. We probably only need about 3/4 of a plate of food, but most people eat a full plate and then often go back for seconds. And the portion sizes at restaurants are not helping us lose or maintain our weight either.
I want you to start concentrating on eating until you are no longer hungry vs. eating until you are full. This difference will make a huge difference when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.
Here are a few scary but telling facts (from research done at Tufts University) about Americans and their portion sizes:
- Americans consume more calories per person than any other country in the world
- In 1970, the average American ate 2,170 calories per day.
- In 2000, the average American ate 2,700 calories per day. That is a 530 calorie increase (a 25% increase) in 30 years.
- In 2008, the average American ate 3,330 calories per day. That is a 1,160 calorie increase (a 53% increase) in 38 years.
I want you to start eating 3/4 of what you normally eat during breakfast, lunch and dinner (consider using a salad plate). And yes, I am serious. It may help to write down everything you eat for a day or two. This normally shocks people when they do this and then add up the calories.
Please don’t take an all-or-nothing approach to your eating – you just need to keep it simple and take action. No Excuses!
To lose 1 pound you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. So burning 500 more calories (doing your Interval Workout) per day more than you consume (this is where your portion control comes in) should lead to 52 pounds of weight loss in a year. This is not “Deb’s theory on weight loss”, this is a fact!
Take control of your portions today and I promise you that you will be amazed at what this does for your fitness and weight loss!
Important: Please go back and read this post a few more times so that the message and information really hits home and sinks in because this is beyond important.
Deb
Tomatillo Fish Tacos
March 12, 2010 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serves 4
Calories 230
Protein 13g
Total Fat 4.5g
Saturated Fat1g
Carbohydrates 33g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Ingredients
- 12 oz tortilla-crusted tilapia
- 4 hard tortillas
- 1/2 yellow onion, minced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 4 tomatillos, chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- Make tortilla-crusted tilapia or saute tilapia in a pan.
- In a bowl, mix together 1/2 of a minced yellow onion, 1 minced jalapeno, 4 chopped tomatillos, and 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Crumble the cooled fish in a bowl.
- Split cumbled fish between the four hard tortillas.
- Cover each with the tomatillo sauce, and serve.
10 Healthy Holiday Traditions
December 7, 2009 by Deb · Leave a Comment
Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. For many of us, the sacred aspects of Advent are lost in the holiday shuffle and it becomes the unhealthiest time all year. Unhealthy food seems to be everywhere. Shopping, holiday baking, parties and traveling leaves us tired and stressed.
This season, use these traditions to change some of the unhealthy habits. Think of the holiday season as a time to spend more time with family and friends. Take time to build traditions that encourage healthy living during the most wondrous time of the year.
1) Do-It-Yourself Christmas. Get outside and gather twigs and your own materials from your neighborhood or yard. Create your own manger scene. Make ornaments. Start a tradition of making a branch tree with your own home-made ornaments. Gathering the branches can be part of your tradition.
2) Sunrise Walk. Take a sunrise walk as a family on Christmas morning. Make time for silence on the walk. Find a stopping point along the way and read the Christmas story.
3) Animal Christmas. Animals surrounded Jesus and his parents in the manger. Volunteer at your local animal shelter and take a dog for a walk – it’s good for both of you.
4) Praying through Advent. In this time of stress, take a small Sabbath every day. This relieves stress, giving you time for you and God.
5) Healthy baking tradition. Instead of more batches of sugar cookies and brownies, make granola or a healthier sweet together. Replace sugary holiday breakfast’s treats with a giant fruit salad.
6) Christmas dance. Have a Christmas dance party. Dance and sing with your children to your favorite holiday songs. Make an event of it and invite family and friends. Children love to see adults being silly!
7) Visit a tree farm. Pack up the family or a group of friends and visit a Christmas tree farm. Walk through the fields to find the “perfect” tree to cut down and drag back to the car. This is a great way to get active as a group.
8 ) Run/Walk race. Many cities have races on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. Gather together a team of family and friends to run or walk together as a team.
9) Healthy Advent calendar. Instead of a chocolate Advent calendar, have a crèche Advent calendar or let your children make their own from supplies you have around the home! Have a prayer each day on the journey that Mary and Joseph made before Jesus’ birth.
10) Vigorous caroling. Plan a caroling route that covers several miles. Combine singing and walking for some carols.
By doing some of these healthier traditions you and your family will be well on your way to starting the New Year out right! Blessings to all!
Deb