One of the most common goals we hear from people wanting to start a new fitness routine is to lose weight. Pilates will definitely help you build muscle, and having more muscle ultimately signals the body to burn more calories. In Pilates, we also focus on strengthening, or “toning”, your core, which often results in a smaller waistline. But to effectively lose weight and keep it off, you have to change the way you eat for the rest of your life!
With small, easy steps and tweaking foods you already love to eat, it’s easier than it sounds.
Diets have been proven over and over again NOT to work. They often result in over-restriction, yo-yo dieting, and can cause long-term damage on your metabolism and body’s function. Anything you do on a temporary basis is going to give you temporary results. So what can you ADD to your diet instead of removing from it?
By now, pretty much everyone has heard several recommendations of what not to eat: red meat, processed foods, sweets, etc. So instead, what I like to focus on is what foods to eat MORE of - specifically 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. What is a serving? In general, it's about 1 cup. Think about that: 7 cups of fruits and vegetables in 16 waking hours? How would you have room for anything else? Well, that's the point! If you focus on eating more plants (I'm also a huge fan of legumes and nuts), you will inevitably cut out some of the bad stuff!
So, how does one eat this many fruits and veggies? And, how do I trick my kids into eating them? SMOOTHIES! We have a Vitamix at home which will pulverize just about anything, but most blenders will do! Here are just a few of my favorite, basic recipes that everyone can make out of the produce in their freezer, and always please the crowd:
Kale smoothie:
- Get the protein and leafy green micronutrients in without the crunch or earthy flavor!
- 2 cups kale
- 2 cups water or vanilla soymilk
- 1 banana or 1 cup pineapple
Berry smoothie (a favorite for the kids):
- 2 cups berries (frozen or fresh)
- 2 cups water or vanilla soymilk
Mint smoothie (for the kids - tastes like mint ice cream):
- 1.5 cups vanilla soymilk
- 2 bananas
- 2 drops vanilla
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 drops peppermint essential oil
Another hidden veggie secret - drop in a few leaves of spinach to give that minty ice cream green color!
These recipes are just some of the basics. And they all can be made into homemade popsicles with those little freezer sets - yet another way to trick the kids!
Try a Club Pilates Cooking COREner recipe and share it with us on social media by tagging Club Pilates!
Written by: Rebecca Stalek Davis, Franchise owner of Club Pilates East Meadow and Austin Street
