Diets Don’t Work

Open up any magazine, especially the ones targeting women, and you will find the perfect diet. Even physicians have bought into the concept of eating “special” food to lose weight. Anyone who is overweight, eats more than they’d like, craves sugar or other foods will never be successful long-term from dieting. That’s why we still have so many overweight people. There is NO magic pill. I lived it, learned it and now teach it. I’d love to hear what you think…

Is FLAB Sabotaging Your Eating?

Don’t let FLAB sabotage your efforts to eat healthy foods and listen to your true physical hunger. Before you eat, ask yourself if you are Frustrated, Lonely, Anxious or Bored? Eating in response to an emotion will not satisfy your “hunger” and relieves the unpleasant emotion only temporarily. After, you may feel frustrated for consuming extra, unnecessary calories and the cycle begins. If you answered Yes to the question, what could you do instead of eating?

Mindful Eating or Diets

Do you have rules about how much to eat, when to eat and how much you should weigh or do you listen to your body? Mindful eating is about attention and intention… paying close attention to your hunger signals and stopping when just full enough and the intention of fully enjoying each bite. No strict rules, measurements, scales… yet if you need to lose weight, you do. Which sounds better to you? Dieting or mindful eating?

Best Food for Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is to satisfy a need other than hunger, but before you grab any sweet or salty snack, follow the advice offered by Michelle May, MD. Ask yourself the Four-Really Test: Do I really, really, really, really want this? If you do, eat it bite by bite, ever so slowly, enjoying it’s taste, texture and aroma. If you eat something you don’t really want, you’ll eat more of it because it’s not satisfying. What is your favorite feel-good food?

Grocery Shopping

When you go into the grocery store and push the cart down the aisles, are you filling it with whatever strikes your fancy at that moment, or are you choosing the foods that will nourish your body AND taste good? Many of us buy out of habit, emotional needs, food industry advertising, visual triggers from seeing “tempting” junk food and just because. When we plan and go with a list, we can still buy food we enjoy, but not get pulled into the trap of environmental cues to overeating and cravings. Which type of shopper are you?

Clench Your Fist and Cut the Cravings

As you are craving that yummy piece of chocolate cake, try clenching your fist and tightening your arm muscles. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research done at the University of Chicago, indicated that muscle tightening when aligned with your goals (healthier eating) helps with self-control dilemmas. The authors of the study state that the mind-body are so closely tied together that engaging these bodily actions can serve as a non-conscious source to recruit willpower. Interesting concept! If you have sugar cravings, give it a try.

Weekend Food Binge

If you eat healthy all week and then overeat on the weekends, either because of social events or because you are rewarding yourself for “being good all week”, data has shown that overeating for even short periods of time can have a long-term effect on weight. Plan your eating strategy in advance when you have a social outing and reward yourself with a non-food pleasure. What special things can you do to reward yourself?

Serve from the Kitchen & Eat Less

Keep the food on the counter or stove in the kitchen and fill your plate from there. Bringing the food into the dining room will likely mean a 19% increase in the amount of food that you will consume. According to Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating, having food at least 6 feet away gives us a chance to stop and ask if we are really hungry enough to go back for more. Better to be mindful…

Is Your Salad Healthy?

A salad loaded with veggies is a great way to get in all your vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But when you add high-calorie, high-fat bacon bits, cheese, croutons and dressings, salad loses some of its value. Try adding beans, extra veggies, hard-boiled eggs, grilled or broiled chicken breast or tuna, and homemade dressing. If you don’t like olive oil and balsamic vinegar, try this Maple Vinaigrette: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup and dash of sea salt and pepper.

Nutrition-You Get What You Pay For

Many people complain that healthy food is too expensive, but check out the nutrients in the product to determine if you are really getting your money’s worth. Assess the protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals per serving versus the fat, salt, sugar, preservatives, and other chemical additives. You will probably see that a lot of the “cheaper” products are full of the unhealthy things. Your body is your best asset and you only have one… isn’t it worth the best?

Successful Weight Loss Maintenance

To be successful in weight loss and maintaining that loss, gradually changing unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones is key. That’s why diets don’t work- no one can maintain them forever. Make simple changes you can live with, such as eating salad with your burger instead of fries dipped in mayo. As I always told my kids growing up, “inch by inch, everything is a cinch”. What small changes can you make today?

Changing Your Bad Eating Habits

Identifying your challenge areas in eating will benefit you in changing those habits. Do you stuff yourself at meals? Do you eat quickly at your desk? Do you dine out often, choosing high-fat, high-calorie meals? Do you snack frequently, even though you’re not really hungry? You may fit into one or more of these areas. Keep track by writing down what you eat, who you are with and what you were feeling at the time… for just 3 days. What will you find?

Avoid the All-or-Nothing Trap in Eating

Many people attempt a new healthy eating plan, only to become discouraged and abandon it when they aren’t “perfect”. Adopting a healthy eating plan is a gradual, lifelong process, so to avoid the all or nothing trap, try the 80-20 technique. Plan to eat healthy, whole foods 80% of the time with 20% leeway for vacations, holidays and socials gatherings. If you can fit in more than 80%, superb! If you are going to a 4th of July BBQ, don’t stress, enjoy!

Adding Foods for Weight Loss

If weight loss is a goal, instead of focusing on the foods that you need to cut out of your diet, start adding all of the tasty fruits and veggies that are abundant this time of year. Add new grains like quinoa, amaranth, barley, bulgur and spelt. Experiment with recipes and cooking classes that feature healthy, whole foods. Expanding rather than limiting your choices is the key to successful weight management. What new or healthy, interesting food have you tried?

Craving Sweets

If you are craving sweets, imagine yourself eating the object of your desire, and you will eat less of it. Typically the advice has been to ignore cravings, but research from Carnegie Melon University found that the difference between imagining the experience and actually eating the food is much smaller than originally thought. Perhaps it’s similar to the concept of the mind not knowing the difference between visualization of exercising and the actual workout. Research has already shown those who do both have higher muscle mass than those that just workout. The mind is amazing! So visualize vividly first and savor each bite. What do you crave?

Losing Body Fat

Losing body fat is a gradual process. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, using a linoleic-acid rich oil, such as safflower oil daily (1 teaspoon) decreased fat composition of women by 6.3%. Here is a yummy citrus salad dressing using safflower oil: 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, 3 tbsp safflower oil. Whisk together; season with salt and pepper. Makes about 1/3 cup. From Jennifer Chandler, author of Simply Salads.

Too Much TV Makes You Fat

If your plan to unwind tonight includes lounging in front of the TV, you may want to limit the time. According to the Nurses’ Health Study, for every 2 hours spent watching TV, the risk of obesity goes up 23%! The positive spin is that you can lower that risk: for every 2 hours spent standing or walking in the home, it decreases the risk of obesity by 9%. Pick out your favorite show, enjoy it- before or after walking the dog or gardening or doing the laundry (yuk), or… what keeps you active?

Breakfast Fill Up

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Did it include fiber and protein? Having a food with fiber for breakfast keeps you feeling full longer and maintains your blood sugar level. Protein takes longer to digest, also keeping you full longer. People who eat breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day. Try steel cut oats with fruit and nuts. You can even make the oats ahead and heat in the microwave for rushed mornings. Experiment with different fruits and nuts. What’s your favorite?

Summertime Vacation Overeating

Summertime and vacation getaways bring relaxation and fun but they also can mean over indulgences in food and drink. Living a healthy lifestyle does not mean being on a diet, but maintaining wellness for your mind and body. Food is fuel for your body but also for enjoyment. Rather than ordering a meal like fried fish with french fries and rich dessert every night on vacation, pick just a few of your favorite indulgences. Eat healthy, nourishing foods most of the time and have fun!

You’re Thin, I’m Not, How Come?

How do thin people stay thin? One of the success strategies for people who have lost weight and continue to maintain that weight loss is to find healthy foods they really like and stick to them. According to a study published in the journal Obesity, when new behavior becomes automated, you will choose that behavior by default, even when stressed or fatigued. So if you like turkey on whole wheat, make that your lunch stand-by. I love organic raisin bran and organic fat-free milk for breakfast. What do you like to eat?