Hopefully you didn't miss this in the National Stroller Strides Newsletter that just came out, but if you did-check it out!

Stir-Fried Chicken Salad (from cookinglight.com)

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 4 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to broth mixture, stirring to coat. Let stand 3 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to the pan; cook 4 minutes or until done, stirring frequently. Stir in the reserved marinade. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat.

Combine greens and basil in a large bowl. Add chicken mixture, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve immediately. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 214 (30% from fat), Fat: 7.2g (sat 1.3g, mono 3g, poly 2.2g), Protein: 29.1g, Carbohydrate: 8g, Fiber: 2g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Iron: 2mg, Sodium: 594mg, Calcium: 60mg

Google any ‘diet’ and you will be offered hundred of quick fixes- promising to help you lose that weight FAST! Google ‘healthy weight loss & maintenance' and I can pretty much guarantee you will see the word “food diary”.

Ah, the food diary- if you want to lose or maintain a healthy weight- you really can’t do it without a writing it all down.
Why? Because you need to be accountable and knowledgeable about what and why you are actually consuming. According to Lean Mommy:

“Making small changes is actually easier than dramatic overhauls. But changing patterns and habits does take focus, patience and practice. You won’t get a quick fix this way. But you will get lasting results” (p. 24).

A food & fitness diary is the cornerstone to understanding yourself and from that understanding- making changes.

What is a Food & Fitness Diary?
- All you need to start this diary is a notebook. The most effective diary has the following entries: Day, Time, Location, Feeling Before, Hunger Scale, Meal/Activity, Food & Portions, Other People, Feelings After, Hunger Scale. Click here to download an example.

- You do not need a fancy “food diary”, but if you want one, Lisa Druxman uses & recommends FitBook

How do You Use a Food Diary? Identify
- Write down what you eat IMMEDIATELY after eating t
- Be detailed & honest- do not ‘forget’ to add things like “finished baby’s grilled cheese”
- Fill out your diary at least 5 days/week for 2 weeks

Ok, I wrote it down, Now What? Analyze
- Look at what you wrote down: are there any patterns? What triggers eating or skipping exercise?

Quick! What is the most powerful tool used to create a healthy lifestyle?
The food you eat? No.
How much you workout? No.
More powerful than any food you eat or any exercise you do, are your feelings about yourself.

Think about that for a minute. The MOST powerful tool you have to change your life- is your brain and how you feel and think about yourself.
Ever hear of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Basically, if you think it- you will achieve it. You think you’re a fat, ugly, loser? You’ll become one. Think you’re a fit, fabulous, fun, energetic & healthy woman and mom? You’ll become one.

Sounds simple, right? Just change the way you think about yourself? Well, if you’re anything like me, the way you think about yourself is something that began early in your childhood, was magnified 10 times in adolescence and young adulthood and is now simmering beneath the surface. What can we do to change how we think about ourselves? Lean Mommy gives us some ways to start:

1. Focus on Strong Points
If you’re going to pick apart your body, pick a part and think about how much it does for you. I have big legs, but MAN are they strong. They help me run up hills, play ‘froggie’ with my daughter and entertain my family with my ‘beautiful’ interpretive dances.

2. Be What Your Loved Ones See
Have you ever seen the bumper sticker “Please let me become the person my dog thinks I am” - well BECOME that person. Your kids think you are the most beautiful, fun, smart person in the world. BE that person. Create a ‘rosy’ picture of yourself- don’t let your kids see you worried or doubting yourself. Don’t talk badly about yourself in front of anyone, especially your children.

3. Look Gently in Mirrors
If you avoid mirrors- stop! Look at yourself, but look at yourself kindly. Instead of focusing on the bad parts- check out how proportionate your body is- your bum wouldn’t look as good on anyone else. :)

4. Keep Scales in Check
Weighing yourself weekly can be a great way to keep yourself on track, or in check BUT if you find yourself weighing yourself obsessively or having an emotional reaction to your weight- throw that scale out the window! As Lisa Druxman says, “your tombstone is not going to read, ‘Judy Smith, mother of three, weighing in at 155 pounds’..”

5. Reframe Self-Defeating Thoughts
Don’t like your body? Don’t let it know that! Trick yourself into loving it by telling yourself you love it- whether it’s daily affirmations in the mirror or just being kind to yourself- respect & appreciate your body & you’ll want to treat it better. Think of exercise as FUN not TORTURE and it will quickly become fun!

6. Watch What You Say
Each & every negative remark ingrains body-bashing deeper. Don’t allow yourself to make negative comments about your body or talk obsessively about dieting or calories. Talk about yourself they way you want your kids to talk about themselves.

7. Change Your Tapes
As we learn in LEAN and as LEAN Mommy describes- Our EVERY behavior stems from the desire to feel good or to avoid feeling bad. Make good eating something you love- make it pleasurable. Instead of thinking about exercise as something you ‘have to do’ think about how you feel afterwards.

You came out of pregnancy with a different body. And I’m not just talking about the things you immediately think of (boobs, belly, hips etc.). Your body’s accommodations for the extra weight of pregnancy led to adjustments in how you held yourself and if you don’t work to re-balance your muscles this can lead to poor posture for life. This poor posture can add to the daily strain your back experiences.
The work that you do every day as a mom contributes to the problem. Think about your day so far- can you count how many times you’ve bent over? Picked something up? Held someone/something on your hip? Just bending over can be stressful for your spine because discs between each vertebrae get compressed- when you’re tired, distracted or in a hurry you can forget to use proper form when bending or lifting.

What can you do about it? Targeting the weaker, overstretched muscles and stretching the tight, over-active muscles can establish better muscle balance. In addition to muscle balance think about how you lift things- do you use your legs? Do you drop the rail on your child’s crib when you reach in to pick them up/lay them down? Exercises from Lisa Druxman’s amazing book, Lean Mommy and Stroller Strides classes can help get you back into proper alignment, a great place to start is the Chest Stretch and Baby Plank.
Chest Stretch
Starting Position
Stand in a comfortable position, legs staggered, abs engaged, knees slightly bent, toes pointing forward. Grab the ends of the resistance band and extend your arms overhead, keeping your hands in line with the shoulders, elbows soft, palms facing forward (not pictured).
Action
Pull your arms further apart to open up the chest and allowing the band to move further behind your head. Your wrists might rotate slightly outward, but try to keep your wrists in line with your forearms. Breathe steadily. Hold stretch for 10-30 seconds, repeating 1-3 times.

Baby Plank

Starting Position
Begin this exercise by kneeling over your baby with your knees and forearms on the floor. Your elbows should be placed directly below your shoulders. Keep your feet together and your spine (including your head and neck) in a neutral position. Your feet should be touching or no more than an inch apart.

Action
Lift your body up on your forearms and toes, keeping your body as straight as possible. Maintain this position for as long as possible and challenge yourself to longer periods in the plank position. Try to hold the position for 15-30 seconds in the beginning, working your way up until you can hold the position for 3 minutes or longer. Repeat 1-3 times.