Weight Loss Tips (Part 3)

Continuing with our guest blogger series from Carrie Covington, here is Part 3 of "Weight Loss Tips".  If you missed the previous entries, check out Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing to read this blog.

There is no wagon to fall off or track to get on… 

We have to change our relationship with food to have permanent weight loss.  I am sure there are some foods you feel like you can’t ever have if you want to lose weight and keep it off.  You may even label every food as “good” or “bad”.  I can relate…I was once there.  It was torture to always wish I could eat anything I wanted.  In reality, I can and you can.

Tip#3:  Get rid of the guilt and get rid of labels.  There is no wagon to fall off of or a track to get back on…be where you are!  We are completely in control of what we put in our mouth and, in moderation, everything is OK.  Learning a proper portion can help you feel that you can eat foods you may label as “bad”.   It is more about being in a place that you want the healthier choices because you know it is better for you.  Hear this. You are in control of your choices, they are not in control of you...although sometimes the vicious cycle makes you feel that way. 

Tip #4:  Learn to have emotion.  A poor relationship with food will often result in emotional eating.  When you are motivated, you will replace the bag of chips or gallon of ice cream at bedtime with carrots and fat free dip but what is more important is finding what void your eating is filling and fill the void.  Emotional eating is a hard habit to break and an easy one to fall back into.  From birth we are comforted with food from the bottle to the suckers at the doctor’s office.  So give yourself slack if you struggle in this area, it is how we are programmed.  However, if you want to have permanent weight loss you need to fill the emotional void without feeding the emotion.  If you are tired, sleep don’t eat.  If you are sad, what can you do to cheer up?  If you are stressed, learn stress management tools.  If you are bored, then finish one of the hundreds of projects that you have started.  Emotional eating will sabotage your weight loss.  Again remember Tip #1:  weight loss is NOT mindless.  Learning to have emotion is healthy...stop trying to numb it!

Healthy Snacking

Are you a "snacker"?  Are you one of those people who needs to eat something every couple of hours?  According to the American Dietetic Association, approximately 38% of us have an afternoon snack.  Snacking, when done properly, can be beneficial to maintaining a healthy diet and may even help with weight loss.  How, you say?  By snacking, you decrease the length of time between meals.  This may help reduce the chance of overeating at your next meal. 

Worried about overdoing it with your snacking between meals?  Keep your snacks to 200 calories or less;  unless your metabolism requires extra energy, then shoot for 200-300 calories.  Here are some healthy snacking tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

• Think of snacks as mini-meals that contribute nutrient-rich foods.  You can fit snack calories into your personal healthy eating plan without over-spending your day’s calorie budget.
• Snack only when you’re hungry.  Skip the urge to nibble when you’re bored, frustrated or stressed.  Feed the urge to do something by walking the dog or working in the garden.
• Keep portion control in mind.  Have a single-serve container of yogurt or put a small serving of nuts in a bowl.  Eating directly from a multiple-serving package can lead to overeating.
• Plan snacks ahead of time.  Keep a variety of nutritious ready-to-eat supplies on hand, such as whole-grain crackers and low-fat cheese.

Need some snack ideas?  Try some of these 200 calorie (or less) snacks:

• One tablespoon peanut butter spread on slices of a medium apple
• One cup tomato soup with five whole-grain crackers
• Three cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with three tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Small baked potato topped with salsa and 1 ounce low-fat cheese 
• Toaster waffle topped with ½ cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt
• Six whole-wheat crackers and one slice low-fat Colby cheese
• Fruit smoothie: Blend 1 cup fat-free milk, ½ cup frozen strawberries and ½ banana
• One 6-inch flour tortilla with ¼ cup black beans and 2 tablespoons fresh salsa

For those active adults who may require higher calorie snacks, here are some 200-300 calorie ideas:

• Whole wheat pita cut into wedges with 2 tablespoons hummus for a dip
• Yogurt parfait: Layer 6 ounces fat-free yogurt, ½ cup berries and ¼ cup granola 
• Trail mix: Mix 20 almonds, miniature box of raisins, and ¼ cup sunflower seeds 
• Instant oatmeal made with fat-free milk with 1 tablespoon honey, ½ cup sliced peaches and dash of cinnamon
• One 4-ounce fat-free, ready-to-eat vanilla pudding with ½ cup fresh fruit and 5 vanilla wafers
• Veggie pizzas: Split whole wheat English muffin. Top with 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, ½ cup diced fresh veggies and one ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese
• Cinnamon-raisin mini-bagel spread with one tablespoon peanut butter
• Hot chocolate made with low-fat or fat-free milk and a small oatmeal cookie
• Whole-grain toaster waffle with 1-½ tablespoons chocolate-flavored hazelnut spread
• Banana split: banana sliced length-wise topped with ½ cup frozen yogurt and a tablespoon of chopped nuts

Remember, plan ahead when it comes to snacks and then you won't be tempted to run to the drive-thru or raid the vending machine at work.  Print a copy of this blog and keep it in your kitchen.  You don't have to just eat boring baby carrots.  Experiment with some of the snacks listed above and find what pleases your palate the most. 

Need more help planning your meals and snacks?  Make an appointment with our nutrition specialist and set a plan for healthy dining.  Call PROMATx Health Club today and remember...snack on, people, snack on!!

Portion Distortion

Ever notice how big portions are in restaurants these days?  How about when you see people come out of a fast food restaurant with a "bucket" of soft drink?  Over the past 20 years, portion sizes have grown significantly and, to no surprise, so has the American dinner plate.  

Let's take a look a some of the portion sizes and how they have grown over the past couple of decades.

Muffin 20 years ago:                Muffin today:

                                      

210 calories                                        500 calories

1.5 ounces                                          4 ounces

Coffee 20 years ago:               Coffee today:

Coffee w/ whole milk & sugar              Mocha w/ steamed whole milk & mocha syrup

                            

45 calories                                         350 calories

8 ounces                                            16 ounces

Bagel 20 years ago:                Bagel today:

                           

140 calories                                        350 calories

3-inch diameter                                   6-inch diameter

These are just a few examples of how much portions have changed.  What can you do to counteract this?  Here are a few tips to help control your portions (and your waistline):

1. Leave pots/pans/serving dishes in the kitchen.  Make your plate with a single serving then sit down at the dinner table.  This will help you to resist second helpings.  Remember...it takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach you are full.  So wait after your first helping...if you are still hungry after 20 minutes, have a smaller, second portion.
2. Learn true serving sizes...NOT portion sizes.  A serving (3 ounces) of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards.  A serving (3 ounces) of fish is the size of a checkbook.  A serving (1/2 cup) of pasta, rice or potato is the size of half of a baseball.
3. Eat smaller meals.  Eating more frequently throughout the day will help to stabilize your blood sugar and will keep you more full longer.
4. Split your meal at a restaurant.  Share your meal with a friend or ask the server to place half of your meal in a to-go box before it is brought to your table.  Then you have lunch for tomorrow!!
5. Fill your plate with veggies and use meat as a side dish.  Most of us do not get enough veggies in our daily diet as it is so fill your plate with green, red, and orange veggies.
6. Place leftovers in "pre-packaged" containers".  Don't just put all of the pasta in one big bowl.  Portion out everything so your next meal is ready to go and is easy to pull out of the fridge.

Remember...cook once, eat twice.  Most at-home cooks make larger portions of food than needed so go ahead and package your next meal before serving your own dinner.  Also, think beyond the dinner plate.  What does that mean?  Take time to enjoy your meal.  Sit down with family and friends and talk about what's happening in everyone's lives.  Turn the TV off during meals and put away the electronics.  Those activities take our mind away from eating and can cause us to overeat.  Enjoy your food, enjoy your company and most of all, breathe and take a moment to relax!

Need more help with portion control?  Make an appointment with our nutrition specialist to find out what you can do to get your portions under control.  Remember, the PROMATx staff is here to help but you have to take the first step.  Don't be embarrassed about what we might think about your meal habits.  We aren't here to judge...we are here to help.  Stop by today.