Your Ideal Daily Calorie Needs


If you have ever tried to lose weight, you've probably tried a diet based around restricting calories. However, you may never have tried to determine the ideal number of calories your body needs per day to maintain your weight. We have this tendency to worry about calories only when we want to lose weight and then when we are "done" with the "diet" we just go back to eating whatever we want. But how much is too much or too little in our daily lives?

As many of you already know, a dedication to healthy eating is a life-long journey and requires planning and thought. I am not a fan of fad diets, diets that omit or severely restrict a specific food or foods, or major calorie restricting diets. I just don't think they are realistic for daily life and are probably the biggest reason why the diet industry is so huge in this country. People look for a quick fix, they lose weight, and then go back to eating poorly and gain it all back and then some.

What I'm suggesting here is a more moderate, practical approach to eating that is about making healthy choices most of the time, eating foods that nurture your body, mind and, soul all of the time, and a focus on moderation and portion sizes.

There are a ton of online calorie calculators to help you determine your ideal calorie needs to MAINTAIN your current weight. I stress maintain because the calorie requirement will seem high if you are attempting to lose weight. I would like to direct you to the Mayo Clinic's Online Calculator to help you determine your daily calorie requirements. I like this calculator because it takes into account your activity level as well as the requisite height, weight, and age. Activity plays a huge role in the number of calories we need to fuel our bodies. If you are very active, you need more fuel. If you are sedentary, you need less fuel.

Once you have your daily calorie number, start to play with it. Think of it as an experiment. See how it differs depending on how much you do on a given day.

If you want to lose weight, this number will need to decrease. How much depends on a variety of factors but a very safe way to lose weight and keep it off is to lose about a pound a week. There are 3500 calories in a pound so that means you will need to burn 3500 calories over a given week to lose one. If you exercise a lot, you can factor that into the equation but if not, you will need to take the calories out of the food you eat. This may be more clear in an example:

Let's say my daily calories needs to MAINTAIN my current weight is 2000. So, if I want to lose a pound this week, I need to burn about 500 a day over 7 days (adding up to 3500) which would mean I need to either:

1. Eat only 1500 calories a day to create the 500 calorie deficit
2. Eat the 2000 but burn 500 calories through exercise each day (this is A LOT of exercise)
3. Do a combination of each which might be to eat 1700 and burn 300 calories a day (or some other combination)

Seitan - The Other Meat Substitute!
From The Vegetarian Resource Group Website

Seitan is a mock meat that comes from the protein part of wheat. Many people still haven't heard of it but may have eaten it at a vegetarian restaurant that uses meat substitutes. Tofu is part of the mainstream in many parts of the country but Seitan is still making its way into our vocabulary and our diets. Here's an easy, low-calorie and low-fat recipe to try! Seitan can be found at co-ops, health food stores, and other specialty grocery stores.

Seitan-Squash Sauté
(Serves 4)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 small carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1/2 pound of seitan, marinated in tamari broth, cut in small chunks
1 medium-size yellow squash, diced
1 medium-size zucchini, diced
1 gray or roly-poly squash, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 large tomato, pureed
1 Tablespoon seitan marinade or 2 teaspoons tamari with 1 teaspoon water
1 Tablespoon arrowroot (starch) mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until onion starts getting translucent. Add seitan, squash, garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add the pineapple juice, pureed tomato, and marinade. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add the arrowroot mixture, stir well. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Serve hot over rice or noodles.
Total Calories per Serving: 137
Fat: 3 grams

Yoga Pose of the Month: Head Stand (Sirshasana)

This pose requires an open mind, strong shoulders, and a strong core! It also requires a lot of mental preparation -- meaning that you must want to do it and tell yourself that you can do it with lots of practice. If you have never done this pose, I strongly suggest working with a certified yoga teacher in-person first before doing this by yourself at home. Injuries from yoga poses are on the rise because yoga is more popular. You can work with a certified teacher either in a class setting at a yoga studio or in a private session (search for a teacher near you on the Yoga Alliance website). But, once you have a basic understanding of the correct form and what to avoid, you can safely start to work on it at home. This is an advanced pose so please be patient with yourself. Sometimes it takes months or even longer for someone to get into the full pose.

If you would like help with headstand, please contact me for a private session or come to one of my classes!

Getting into the Pose

• Go to a wall and fold your sticky mat over once to pad your head and forearms. Kneel on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set the forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders (shoulder width). Actively press your forearms into the floor which should in turn, press your shoulders down and away as well.
• Set the crown of your head on the floor. The back of your the head should be pressing gently into your open palms. Once you place your head down, DO NOT turn your head or neck at all when you practice headstand. This can cause injury to the neck and spine. Keep your gaze forward.
• Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet towards your face so that your hips come directly over your shoulders (this may not happen the first few times you try it, especially if your hamstrings are tight - be patient). Press your forearms into the floor and move your shoulders away from your ears. This should help prevent the weight of the shoulders collapsing onto your neck and head. If you are new to this pose, this may be where you stay for now. Progressing to the next level when you feel comfortable with this part.
• Inhale and lift one leg up, just to get a feel for the increased weight in your forearms and head. Let the leg come back down to the floor. Lift the other leg up. When you lift each leg, activate your core to bring a lift into the movement. If you are new to this pose, this may be where you stay for now. Progressing to the next level when you feel comfortable with this part.
• When you feel ready, exhale and engage your core and start to hug your knees in towards your belly to bring both feet away from the floor. Maybe you just stay in this position - with your knees hugged into the belly or you can even bring your hips up over your shoulders and keep your knees bent. Flex your feet and activate your leg muscles to help you bring them up.If you are new to this pose, this may be where you stay for now. Progressing to the next level when you feel comfortable with this part.
• The next step is to extend your legs up overhead. Flex the feet and activate the leg muscles. Engage the belly. Since you are near a wall, you can lean your legs on the wall at first and carefully move one leg away from the wall and then the other. Continue to press into the forearms and keep the weight evenly balanced on them. Keep engaging the belly to lengthen the tailbone upward toward the heels. Once the backs of the legs are fully lengthened through the heels, maintain that length and press up through the balls of the big toes.If you are new to the pose, stay at the wall for safety and as you get more comfortable, you can move away from the wall.
• As a beginner, stay here for a few seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for longer.
• Come out of the pose by engaging the belly and slowly lowering your knees towards your face and gently land the feet on the floor. Then lift the torso up slightly and sit back into child's pose for a few breaths for a nice counter pose.

Prenatal Yoga and Mindful Parenting Workshop!

For those readers in Madison, WI, Miri is offering Prenatal Yoga at The Chakra House on Tuesdays from Noon - 1:15pm. Please join us!

The body goes through many changes during pregnancy and yoga can help women feel confident in their bodies and stay connected to the present moment during this special time. With Miri, you will practice strengthening and balancing poses to help you stay strong and centered as your body grows, hip openers and breath work to help with labor and delivery, and gentle, restorative poses to remind you to relax and enjoy the present moment with your growing baby.

Each class begins with a brief update on everyone's' pregnancies so you can connect with other pregnant women in the community. Miri hopes to create a positive, warm environment for moms and moms-to-be in the Madison area!

This medium intensity vinyasa class is appropriate for women in all stages of pregnancy, and no prior yoga experience is necessary. Partners are always welcome to join us too. Please consult with your doctor or midwife before participating.

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Mindful Parenting

Sunday March 15th from 12-2pm
Bliss Flow Yoga
Cost: $30 ($25 for bliss flow members)
Register Now!

Whether you are a new parent or have five children, being a parent can be very overwhelming, especially in our fast-paced society. Join Miri to discuss some of the challenges of being a parent today and participate in exercises that incorporate yoga poses, breath work, and visualization to heighten your awareness of the moment- to-moment experiences of parenthood and see things through your child's eyes. The session will end with a few restorative poses to help you, as parents, enjoy some much needed relaxation.

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Miri also teaches the following classes at Bliss Flow Yoga:
Monday, Yoga Flow, 9:30-10:45am
Thursday, Yoga Flow, 10-11am
Private and semi-private yoga sessions by appointment

The Power of Positive Self Talk

Most of us have a voice track in our heads that chatters on and on throughout the day, telling us what we want to eat, what we need to do next on the to-do list, how we look, if we are good enough for a given person or situation, etc. I think its only human for that voice to tell us negative messages at times. Hopefully the voice also tells us positive messages too.

The thing is, we underestimate the power this negative self talk can have on who we are as people, how we live our lives, and what we will end up doing or NOT doing because of it.

The theme this issue is about getting out of our comfort zone. Well, this is going to be a sad truth but its worth saying -- many of us find comfort in those negative messages. Yes, it may seem odd but if we tell ourselves we aren't good enough then we don't have to take any risks and we can live in our safe little boring and comfortable lives.

We have the power within us to turn these messages around and make them positive. It takes hard work, practice, and, at first, may feel a bit contrived. But over time, it will start to be more natural and the negative messages will come less and less.

Of course, like anything worth your time, it will be hard work and its a life-long journey. Just like your yoga practice if you have one, a sport or fitness activity you perform, a musical instrument you play, or other skill you possess, you work hard and keep practicing to continue to improve over time.

Start small. The next time you hear that voice track saying something negative -- talk back by challenging it with a positive statement. For example, the voice may say, "you don't deserve this." Talk back by saying "Why not? Of course I do!" You will be amazed at how much easier it is to take some small risks and get out of your comfort zone when you KNOW in your heart that you deserve to life your life to the fullest!

If you'd like assistance turning those negative messages into positive ones, consider working with me as your wellness coach! Feel free to learn more about me and my approach on my website - Bodywise Wellness.