Polyunsaturated fats are a second type of food-fat that we can still list in "The Good" category.
Especially when used in place of saturated fat, polyunsaturated fats can help lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
These fats include vegetable oils such as safflower,sunflower, soybean and corn oil; however, when choosing an oil, I really like the benefits of the MUFA oils we looked at yesterday. Walnuts are also a rich source of polyunsaturaed fat.
But a special polyunsaturated fat that has special interest for us -- not just in terms of weight management, but for our overall health -- is the Omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3's have a good effect on our cholesterol, blood pressure, and can reduce inflammation throughout the body, according to the American Heart Association.
Here's what the medical staff at the Mayo Clinic has to say about the omega-3 fatty acids:
"Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:
■Mackerel
■Lake trout
■Herring
■Sardines
■Albacore tuna
■Salmon
■Halibut
You should bake or grill the fish to avoid adding unhealthy fats. If you don't like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.
You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the benefits, but you won't get other nutrients in fish, like selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish. "
And here's a link to a healthy salmon recipe that weighs in below our 400 calorie dinner allowance:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00431
Bon appetit!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Fats: The Good! The Bad! And the Ugly!
First: the GOOD!
Good fats have an acronym that's easy to remember: MUFA (just say "mooooo-fah"!)
A MUFA is a monounsaturated-fatty-acid. See why I like to say MUFA instead?
If you have ever tried to lose weight before by changing your diet plan, or if you have ever been told to change the foods you eat in order to lower your cholesterol, you have probably learned about low-fat food choices, and you may also know there are three kinds of fats found in our foods.
Here's an easy way to remember which is which: the more saturated a fat is the more solid it will be at room temperature (think the white fat on beef or poultry skin or butter to visualize what saturated fat looks like). Saturated fat is linked to clogging our arteries and rasing the level of cholesterol in our blood, and we'll talk more about saturated fat in a couple when we get to "The Bad".
When we talk about good fats, MUFAs are first on the list!
MUFA's are fats in foods that can have good effect on our health by actually helping to lower the bad cholesterol levels, reducing our risk of heart disease. MUFAs are also of benefit because - like other fats, they are filling and add flavor to our food. Fats help us feel satisfied when we eat -- that's one reason we have a love affair with fatty foods!
Foods high in MUFA's include olives, avocados, most nuts and seeds, olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil. When you are cooking, choose these oils to add when you absolutely, positively have to have a cooking fat. A classic salad dressing is oil and vinegar....I like to drizzle a little olive oil directly on my salad, follow up with a squirt of a flavored vinegar ( cider, red wine, or balsamic) and toss -- saves a lot of calories -- and gives me that cholesterol protection I need. Chop up avocado for your salads, add pesto sauce to a 1/2 cup of pasta, have 1/4 cup of nuts as your afternoon snack - these are all ways to ge this healthy fat in your diet plan.
Prevention.com has an eating plan Called the "Flat-Belly Diet" that is recommends a MUFA at every meal. How can you get a MUFA at breakfast? Chop some walnuts or almonds and add to your cereal or oatmeal.
Some of us may say this is the best MUFA of all:
Yes, you are seeing right: chocolate! Dark chocolate has healthy monunsaturated fatty acid in it!
To get the healthiest benefits, go for small amounts of the darkest chocolate ( high cocoa content). This way you don't have to cut out a dessert when you are losing weight.
Many people decide to lose weight by swearing off fats, or choosing fat-free everything. Two problems arise: first, it's hard to sustain a completely fat-free eating plan forever. It can be done - Dean Ornish heart patients, for example, often regain better health by eliminating virtually all fat form their diets. But most of us are unwilling to give up fat forever; and most of us can lose pounds and increase heart health by modifying the type - and amount- of fat we consume. The second problem with many fat-free food products is that often food processors add extra sugar and other additives to make up for the difference in the way fat-free foods taste, so while we are getting less fat, we may be getting more calories.
When you change your eating habits to include a MUFA at every or most meals, you do your heart a favor and you still get that "fat-isfaction", but to make sure your waistline also benefits, bear in mind that like all fats, MUFAs have 9 calories per gram as opposed to the 4 calories per gram that you find in proteins and carbohydrates.Go for small amounts, but get big benefits!
So what's on your plate? Got MUFA?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Packing Your Tool Box
Once you become aware that you are sometimes eating for no real reason...it's there, and so are you....you may feel that you need more help than the Hunger Scale alone. The Hunger Scale increases our awareness of mindlesss eating, but do you have to rely on willpower alone?
There are behavior change tools you can use instead of the teeth-gritting reliance on will-power that often makes us feel less than happy.
The four "D"s are recommended by the American Cancer Society for smokers who are trying to quit in the ACS Fresh Start program, and they can work for you when you are trying to quit auto-pilot eating.
Delay.
Just telling yourself you are going to wait --- even for 10 minutes-- before you have a snack, can give you time to re-group by using another of the four "D"s.
Do something else.
Plan in advance an activity that you will do instead of eating. It might be going for a walk, knitting, playing piano ( breaking that hand-to-mouth cycle) or even brushing your teeth.
Deep breathe.
A fantastic break from routine that relaxes you and really helps avoid eating from stress!
And finally, one of our magic bullets:
Drink water.
Believe it or not, we often eat wen we are actually really thirsty. Water is also cleansing of course, and filling!
So there you have it: four new tools to use as you revise your eating plan to Lighen Up.
On Monday, we'll start looking at the facts on fats -- or as I like to call it "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!" Stay tuned!
There are behavior change tools you can use instead of the teeth-gritting reliance on will-power that often makes us feel less than happy.
The four "D"s are recommended by the American Cancer Society for smokers who are trying to quit in the ACS Fresh Start program, and they can work for you when you are trying to quit auto-pilot eating.
Delay.
Just telling yourself you are going to wait --- even for 10 minutes-- before you have a snack, can give you time to re-group by using another of the four "D"s.
Do something else.
Plan in advance an activity that you will do instead of eating. It might be going for a walk, knitting, playing piano ( breaking that hand-to-mouth cycle) or even brushing your teeth.
Deep breathe.
A fantastic break from routine that relaxes you and really helps avoid eating from stress!
And finally, one of our magic bullets:
Drink water.
Believe it or not, we often eat wen we are actually really thirsty. Water is also cleansing of course, and filling!
So there you have it: four new tools to use as you revise your eating plan to Lighen Up.
On Monday, we'll start looking at the facts on fats -- or as I like to call it "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!" Stay tuned!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Are You on Auto-Pilot?
Gaining weight usually can be traced to a very simple cause: eating too much.
Sometimes we know we are over-eating....just think Thanksgiving Dinner!!!!
But often we go through the day grabbing a bite here and there, munching mindlessly while we sort the mail or watch tv, helping ourselves to office breakroom goodies as we pass by, or extra dessert at a birthday party --- not becasue we are hungry ---but just because the food is there.
I used to have a habit of walking in the door after work and going straight to the refirigerator and opening it. Sometimes I was actually hungry, but most of the time I was just on auto-pilot...I just did it our of habit. And ususally there was something that became a snack I didn't really need.
Can you think of times when you are on auto-pilot, eating just because it's there or"it's time to eat," or "everyone else is eating", or "I don't want the leftovers to go to waste"?
These mindless calories add up fast! When you are trying to lighten up, you do want to eat when you are hungry. And you want to eat just enough to stop being hungry and fuel your body for energy until the next time you eat.
So here's a tool I came across several years ago in Real Simple magazine, to help you judge whether you are eating for the right reasons, or because you are on auto-pilot:
Sometimes we know we are over-eating....just think Thanksgiving Dinner!!!!
But often we go through the day grabbing a bite here and there, munching mindlessly while we sort the mail or watch tv, helping ourselves to office breakroom goodies as we pass by, or extra dessert at a birthday party --- not becasue we are hungry ---but just because the food is there.
I used to have a habit of walking in the door after work and going straight to the refirigerator and opening it. Sometimes I was actually hungry, but most of the time I was just on auto-pilot...I just did it our of habit. And ususally there was something that became a snack I didn't really need.
Can you think of times when you are on auto-pilot, eating just because it's there or"it's time to eat," or "everyone else is eating", or "I don't want the leftovers to go to waste"?
These mindless calories add up fast! When you are trying to lighten up, you do want to eat when you are hungry. And you want to eat just enough to stop being hungry and fuel your body for energy until the next time you eat.
So here's a tool I came across several years ago in Real Simple magazine, to help you judge whether you are eating for the right reasons, or because you are on auto-pilot:
THE HUNGER SCALE
Eat when you feel like 1,2,3,& 4.
Stop eating at 5 or 6. If you are trying to lose, stop at 5, this allows your body to burn more calories than you intake.
Don't eat if you feel like 7,8,9,or 10.
10
Stuffed. So full you feel nauseous.
9
Very uncomfortable. You need to loosen clothing.
8
Uncomfortably full. Bloated.
7
Full. A little bit uncomfortable.
6
Perfectly comfortable. You feel satisfied.
5
Comfortable. More or less satisfied. Could eat a little more.
4
Slightly uncomfortable. You're just beginning to feel the signs of hunger.
3
Uncomfortably hungry. Stomach is rumbling.
2
Very Uncomfortable, irritable and unable to concentrate.
1
Weak and light-headed. Your stomach acid is churning.
Use the Hunger Scale to help you get in touch with real hunger, and then counting calories will become less important.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Is *Diet* a Four-Letter Word?
Well, technically and literally, of course it is!
In its purest form, your diet is what you regularly eat, whether you are watching your weight, trying to lose, or plain don't give a d***, Scarlett! I know that one is a four-letter word....is diet the same kind of word to you?
At work, we have a group of employees who offer each other support as they make their way thorugh the days and months of increasing activity and decreasing waist size! They are tremendous sources of inspiration and information. One of these folks shared a link to a great video - it's the wellness segment from a recent Today show. Fantastic information, so tune in and learn - and decide for yourself what the "D" word means to you!
In its purest form, your diet is what you regularly eat, whether you are watching your weight, trying to lose, or plain don't give a d***, Scarlett! I know that one is a four-letter word....is diet the same kind of word to you?
At work, we have a group of employees who offer each other support as they make their way thorugh the days and months of increasing activity and decreasing waist size! They are tremendous sources of inspiration and information. One of these folks shared a link to a great video - it's the wellness segment from a recent Today show. Fantastic information, so tune in and learn - and decide for yourself what the "D" word means to you!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Being the Change
Today, I spoke with a television news reporter about the latest release from the Gallop-Healthways Index which connects the influence of work, job stress, and economic worries to emotional and physical wellness :
http://www.well-beingindex.com/newsroom.asp#Press
This study is interesting in that it gives a daily snapshot of several wellness indicators – not just physical – of communities all around the country. Thousands of Americans are interviewed 350 days out of the year about their attitudes and beliefs about their personal well-being.
Once again, West Virginia is ranked last in the nation in terms of how well we are and feel about our lives on any given day.
Like many of the Southern and our neighboring states, West Virginia’s economic health influences our residents’ physical, mental, and emotional health on a daily basis. The low Life Evaluation score indicates that many West Virginians don’t expect to be better off economically in 5 years. They may perceive that they have little control over their work environment or job security and that leads to STRESS. Did you know that most conditions that end up in a visit to a doctor begin because of the way we handle or don’t handle the stress of life?
Last winter people came out in large numbers to get the H1N1 vaccine because they were afraid of getting the flu. What if folks were as motivated to make even small changes in their personal daily health habits? We should be just as worried about the effects chronic stress and poor lifestyle habits will have on our lives as we were of getting the flu.
Making an improvement in healthy habits is a great way - maybe the best way - to improve the quality of daily life, deal with stress and gain a sense of control over your future. And every year, I believe more people are making those changes! I look around and see more people planting gardens, providing healthy foods at our farmer’s markets, coaching youth athletics and organizing wholesome activities that are alternatives to aimless “partying.” I see more and more walkers! I see our many community agencies working tirelessly to provide safe, free or low-cost services of all kinds to our residents, including health fairs, parenting classes, Meals on Wheels, day care and counseling. Our state offers free hotlines and counseling for people who need help with the depressive addictions of tobacco, prescription drugs, and gambling.
So I remain optimistic about our community’s resilience and wellness, and you who are following the Lighten Up program are a major reason for my optimism. I am encouraged to know all of you who do want to improve your health- -right now we have 450 enrolled in Davis Health System’s free walking program and more than 200 following this free online weight-loss blog!
You may know the Ghandi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” When you participate in these programs, you are the healthy role models and “real time” wellness leaders of our communities. On the days you struggle to get out in the rain to walk – or choose to drink water instead of a Coke- or count those calories! - know that your healthy choices make a difference that can change our whole community.
So while we wait for the economic climate to improve, I applaud you for taking charge of your health to “change the things you can” and for being the forerunners for change who can influence others! Help encourage people to seek support and education from our social service agencies, senior centers, local health departments, doctors, Family Resource Networks, wellness-based centers, and faith communities when they need it. At our own Davis Health System we are striving to change he way we deliver medicine to be where you need us with the services you need closer to home- or even in the home. Our local college, Davis & Elkins College, has become invested in promoting community health by opening its indoor track free of charge for walking. Positive steps!
Every step you take – every step we as a community take - toward healthy lifestyle change – will help move West Virginia up the scale of the Well- Being Index! We'll be dealing more in the upcoming weeks with the problem of stress and weight, but for today, thank you for “being the change.”
http://www.well-beingindex.com/newsroom.asp#Press
This study is interesting in that it gives a daily snapshot of several wellness indicators – not just physical – of communities all around the country. Thousands of Americans are interviewed 350 days out of the year about their attitudes and beliefs about their personal well-being.
Once again, West Virginia is ranked last in the nation in terms of how well we are and feel about our lives on any given day.
Like many of the Southern and our neighboring states, West Virginia’s economic health influences our residents’ physical, mental, and emotional health on a daily basis. The low Life Evaluation score indicates that many West Virginians don’t expect to be better off economically in 5 years. They may perceive that they have little control over their work environment or job security and that leads to STRESS. Did you know that most conditions that end up in a visit to a doctor begin because of the way we handle or don’t handle the stress of life?
- Economic stress can lead to unhealthy ways to deal with stress like overeating or eating the wrong things or smoking, or misuse of drugs and alcohol.
- Those behaviors often lead to chronic health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, depression, or lung and heart disease –--- which leads to more stress and more economic worries.
- So it becomes a vicious cycle – and it’s a cycle we need to work on changing at every level – in our communities to create stable jobs and infrastructures that support healthy lifestyles --- and in our families to adopt and pass on healthier habits and provide emotional support to one another.
Last winter people came out in large numbers to get the H1N1 vaccine because they were afraid of getting the flu. What if folks were as motivated to make even small changes in their personal daily health habits? We should be just as worried about the effects chronic stress and poor lifestyle habits will have on our lives as we were of getting the flu.
Making an improvement in healthy habits is a great way - maybe the best way - to improve the quality of daily life, deal with stress and gain a sense of control over your future. And every year, I believe more people are making those changes! I look around and see more people planting gardens, providing healthy foods at our farmer’s markets, coaching youth athletics and organizing wholesome activities that are alternatives to aimless “partying.” I see more and more walkers! I see our many community agencies working tirelessly to provide safe, free or low-cost services of all kinds to our residents, including health fairs, parenting classes, Meals on Wheels, day care and counseling. Our state offers free hotlines and counseling for people who need help with the depressive addictions of tobacco, prescription drugs, and gambling.
So I remain optimistic about our community’s resilience and wellness, and you who are following the Lighten Up program are a major reason for my optimism. I am encouraged to know all of you who do want to improve your health- -right now we have 450 enrolled in Davis Health System’s free walking program and more than 200 following this free online weight-loss blog!
You may know the Ghandi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” When you participate in these programs, you are the healthy role models and “real time” wellness leaders of our communities. On the days you struggle to get out in the rain to walk – or choose to drink water instead of a Coke- or count those calories! - know that your healthy choices make a difference that can change our whole community.
So while we wait for the economic climate to improve, I applaud you for taking charge of your health to “change the things you can” and for being the forerunners for change who can influence others! Help encourage people to seek support and education from our social service agencies, senior centers, local health departments, doctors, Family Resource Networks, wellness-based centers, and faith communities when they need it. At our own Davis Health System we are striving to change he way we deliver medicine to be where you need us with the services you need closer to home- or even in the home. Our local college, Davis & Elkins College, has become invested in promoting community health by opening its indoor track free of charge for walking. Positive steps!
Every step you take – every step we as a community take - toward healthy lifestyle change – will help move West Virginia up the scale of the Well- Being Index! We'll be dealing more in the upcoming weeks with the problem of stress and weight, but for today, thank you for “being the change.”
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Power of Ten
What are you hoping for - what is your reason for wanting to lose weight?
For many of us, time goes by and we notice we are getting heavier and our clothes don't fit as well --- or we know we have always been a few sizes larger than we "should" be -- and for still others, we want to be 10 pounds lighter before a class reunion or beach vacation. What I'd like to have you think about today, is how important losing even 10% of your body weight can be to keeping your organs and systems disease-free and even help you live longer!
First, it's important to figure out if you need to lose 10%. So I'm inviting you to visit this website:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
and plug your personal information into the BMI calculator.
The BMI - or Body Mass Index Chart - is also in the booklet provided to you; it looks a little different from the one on WebMD's site. Your height/weight ratio is used to calculate your body mass as a single number - each time the number goes up "one" - say from 24 to 25, it represents a change of about 5 pounds in weight. So you can use the chart in the book, or just bookmark this interactive tool and use it as you make progress on your journey to Lighten Up.
If you fall in the range of overweight or obese, losing 10% of your weight can help you meet several goals - and wearing a different size in jeans is just one of them!
Let's say you weigh 200 pounds. Losing 10% would equal 20 pounds. By following our recommendations in this blog, you could expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds a week. So it could take you 10 to 20 weeks to lose 10 % of your body weight. To some that may seem like a long time, and indeed, many people will lose that - or more - in less time. But let me ask you this: how happy would you be to be 20 pounds lighter by Halloween?
And here are some of the tangible, life-changing benefits you could reap by losing that 10%!
Love Your Heart!
By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, it is possible to lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, as reported by Weight Watchers. High cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension) are two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Heart disease, as most of you know, is the leading cause of death – not just in West Virginia, but in America – for both men and women.
Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Being overweight dramatically increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, a condition in which your body can't make enough, or properly use, insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps convert the sugars in food to energy in our body. According to the Diabetes Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a reduction of 7 - 10 percent of your body weight improves your body's ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease. If you already have type 2 diabetes, shedding that 10 percent may improve your blood glucose control and that helps to prevent complications of diabetes. I have known people in our community who were able to reduce or stop taking diabetes medications when they lost weight. So preventing and managing diabetes by lifestyle changes (diet, weight management and physical activity) is extremely important.
Increased Well-being
Just a 10 percent weight loss can increase your energy, improve sleep and sleep disorders, and improvements also often can be seen in our mental attitude. You may find that suddenly you have the energy and interest to do things that you used to lack interest in doing. When you stick to something and see it work, it can be immensely motivating - you know the old saying” nothing breeds success like success.”
Losing 10 percent can give you the self-confidence and motivation you need to keep going if your ultimate weight loss goal is more than that. Regardless of the amount you want to lose over the long haul, a 10 percent weight loss improves your body mass index every time you lose 5 pounds – pushing you closer and closer to a healthier weight range and a healthier future! And that is no small achievement!
For many of us, time goes by and we notice we are getting heavier and our clothes don't fit as well --- or we know we have always been a few sizes larger than we "should" be -- and for still others, we want to be 10 pounds lighter before a class reunion or beach vacation. What I'd like to have you think about today, is how important losing even 10% of your body weight can be to keeping your organs and systems disease-free and even help you live longer!
First, it's important to figure out if you need to lose 10%. So I'm inviting you to visit this website:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
and plug your personal information into the BMI calculator.
The BMI - or Body Mass Index Chart - is also in the booklet provided to you; it looks a little different from the one on WebMD's site. Your height/weight ratio is used to calculate your body mass as a single number - each time the number goes up "one" - say from 24 to 25, it represents a change of about 5 pounds in weight. So you can use the chart in the book, or just bookmark this interactive tool and use it as you make progress on your journey to Lighten Up.
If you fall in the range of overweight or obese, losing 10% of your weight can help you meet several goals - and wearing a different size in jeans is just one of them!
Let's say you weigh 200 pounds. Losing 10% would equal 20 pounds. By following our recommendations in this blog, you could expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds a week. So it could take you 10 to 20 weeks to lose 10 % of your body weight. To some that may seem like a long time, and indeed, many people will lose that - or more - in less time. But let me ask you this: how happy would you be to be 20 pounds lighter by Halloween?
And here are some of the tangible, life-changing benefits you could reap by losing that 10%!
Love Your Heart!
By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, it is possible to lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, as reported by Weight Watchers. High cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension) are two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Heart disease, as most of you know, is the leading cause of death – not just in West Virginia, but in America – for both men and women.
Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Being overweight dramatically increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, a condition in which your body can't make enough, or properly use, insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps convert the sugars in food to energy in our body. According to the Diabetes Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a reduction of 7 - 10 percent of your body weight improves your body's ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease. If you already have type 2 diabetes, shedding that 10 percent may improve your blood glucose control and that helps to prevent complications of diabetes. I have known people in our community who were able to reduce or stop taking diabetes medications when they lost weight. So preventing and managing diabetes by lifestyle changes (diet, weight management and physical activity) is extremely important.
Increased Well-being
Just a 10 percent weight loss can increase your energy, improve sleep and sleep disorders, and improvements also often can be seen in our mental attitude. You may find that suddenly you have the energy and interest to do things that you used to lack interest in doing. When you stick to something and see it work, it can be immensely motivating - you know the old saying” nothing breeds success like success.”
Losing 10 percent can give you the self-confidence and motivation you need to keep going if your ultimate weight loss goal is more than that. Regardless of the amount you want to lose over the long haul, a 10 percent weight loss improves your body mass index every time you lose 5 pounds – pushing you closer and closer to a healthier weight range and a healthier future! And that is no small achievement!
Friday, June 18, 2010
What does 1500 calorie- per- day eating plan look like?
Yes, another day of talking about calories, but it won't last forever! I promise! We have lots more to talk about as the weeks go by ...like healthy snacks, emotions, fiber....sounds good, huh?
But bear with me for a few more postings about caloric numbers because it really, really matters.
Yesterday, you started looking at food labels. If you read all the way down to the bottom of each label, you saw that recommendations about vitamin and mineral percentages are based on a recommended 2000-calorie per day diet. That's considered average for a young - to -middle age person who is moderately active (remember that means 30 minutes of sustained physical activity every day).
We know now, that for those of us who are older, less active, or already overweight....2000 calories per day is too much. and for those of us who tracked our calorie intake for couple days, we may have been shocked to find we were taking in way more than 2000 calories per day.
So to lose, we are going to shave about 500 calories from that 2000.... and here's an example of how to do it. First, I am taking it for granted that you will know what your portion size is, and what the calorie content of each food is.
Second, you are going to have to commit to eat breakfast! we'll be talking about breakfast in another blog, but for now , know that meal skipping is over if you want to lose weight in a healthy way.
So a healthy 400 - calorie breakfast is going to look like this:
about a 1/2 - 3/4 cup high fiber cereal like unsweetened oatmeal or Fiber One with fat-free milk or unsweetened almond milk (you can get it at Food Lion, Kroger or Wal-mart), a sprinkling of blueberries or raspberries, or a 1/2 orange, and coffee or tea. An alternative might be a whole wheat English muffin toasted with an egg and low-fat cheese. Both of these will provide you with fiber, protein, healthy fat, and give you energy without causing your blood sugar to spike.
Mid-morning, eat a 100-calorie snack. Yes, you could go for those pre-packaged 100-calorie snacks, but those are usually sugar-filled and won't keep you very satisfied. So I recommend 5-7 triscuits, or a string cheese, or a palm-full of almonds or walnuts. That will keep you full till lunch.
Lunch time you will need another 400 calories. Needless to say, if you are used to grabbing burger, fries, and coke, that won't work now. Some burgers are almost 1000 calories all by themselves! Basically, a 400 calorie lunch or dinner needs to have a healhy protein whether meat, chicken, fish, soy or beans - and the serving size should be about the size of a deck of cards. Fill up the rest of your plate with veggies. Oh, and for us, a potato is no longer a veggie - it's a starch ( kinda like bread), so we are going to limit it.
For lunch you can put your protein and veggies on a wrap if you miss having a sandwich. I usually build a green salad, add peas, kidney beans or chickpeas to it and top with a small grilled chicken breast. For dressing I use oil and vinegar - or I put a dab of ranch dressing on and thin with vinegar. We'll be talking salad again later!
Mid-afternoon, have another 100 calorie snack....could be soup, microwave popcorn, a cup of leftover veggies, an apple. Drink water every time you eat. And in between. If you need to sweeten your tea or coffee, use Splenda or Truvia. If you need to sweeten your water(!!!!), use those Crystal Light sticks.
At dinner time, you can repeat lunch if you like to keep life simple. A 400 calorie dinner will have fresh green, yellow or red veggies fillilng half the plate. One-fourth of the plate will be a lean protein - again, something like grilled fish, chicken, lean beef or beans. The last 1/4 of the plate can be a healthy complex carbohydrate ( wow, will we be talking carbs later!) - like brown rice, whole wheat bread or couscous.
Sweet tooth? If you have saved room -calorie-wise, you can treat yourself with a square or two of dark chocolate! Don't panic, dessert doesn't go away forever, but we are going to let your palate take a break from sweet a little and learn to love the taste of real food!
Here's a website if you'd like to peruse other recipe ideas:
http://www.deliciousdecisions.org/
So there are lots of ways to vary a low-calorie, weight-loss food plan...this is one of them...and it's one that is high in nutrition and will not leave you feeling hungry or low on energy! Another advantage is that this is a simple way to eat in terms of shopping and cooking. Let me know if you try this and what your reactions are! Bon apatit!
But bear with me for a few more postings about caloric numbers because it really, really matters.
Yesterday, you started looking at food labels. If you read all the way down to the bottom of each label, you saw that recommendations about vitamin and mineral percentages are based on a recommended 2000-calorie per day diet. That's considered average for a young - to -middle age person who is moderately active (remember that means 30 minutes of sustained physical activity every day).
We know now, that for those of us who are older, less active, or already overweight....2000 calories per day is too much. and for those of us who tracked our calorie intake for couple days, we may have been shocked to find we were taking in way more than 2000 calories per day.
So to lose, we are going to shave about 500 calories from that 2000.... and here's an example of how to do it. First, I am taking it for granted that you will know what your portion size is, and what the calorie content of each food is.
Second, you are going to have to commit to eat breakfast! we'll be talking about breakfast in another blog, but for now , know that meal skipping is over if you want to lose weight in a healthy way.
So a healthy 400 - calorie breakfast is going to look like this:
about a 1/2 - 3/4 cup high fiber cereal like unsweetened oatmeal or Fiber One with fat-free milk or unsweetened almond milk (you can get it at Food Lion, Kroger or Wal-mart), a sprinkling of blueberries or raspberries, or a 1/2 orange, and coffee or tea. An alternative might be a whole wheat English muffin toasted with an egg and low-fat cheese. Both of these will provide you with fiber, protein, healthy fat, and give you energy without causing your blood sugar to spike.
Mid-morning, eat a 100-calorie snack. Yes, you could go for those pre-packaged 100-calorie snacks, but those are usually sugar-filled and won't keep you very satisfied. So I recommend 5-7 triscuits, or a string cheese, or a palm-full of almonds or walnuts. That will keep you full till lunch.
Lunch time you will need another 400 calories. Needless to say, if you are used to grabbing burger, fries, and coke, that won't work now. Some burgers are almost 1000 calories all by themselves! Basically, a 400 calorie lunch or dinner needs to have a healhy protein whether meat, chicken, fish, soy or beans - and the serving size should be about the size of a deck of cards. Fill up the rest of your plate with veggies. Oh, and for us, a potato is no longer a veggie - it's a starch ( kinda like bread), so we are going to limit it.
For lunch you can put your protein and veggies on a wrap if you miss having a sandwich. I usually build a green salad, add peas, kidney beans or chickpeas to it and top with a small grilled chicken breast. For dressing I use oil and vinegar - or I put a dab of ranch dressing on and thin with vinegar. We'll be talking salad again later!
Mid-afternoon, have another 100 calorie snack....could be soup, microwave popcorn, a cup of leftover veggies, an apple. Drink water every time you eat. And in between. If you need to sweeten your tea or coffee, use Splenda or Truvia. If you need to sweeten your water(!!!!), use those Crystal Light sticks.
At dinner time, you can repeat lunch if you like to keep life simple. A 400 calorie dinner will have fresh green, yellow or red veggies fillilng half the plate. One-fourth of the plate will be a lean protein - again, something like grilled fish, chicken, lean beef or beans. The last 1/4 of the plate can be a healthy complex carbohydrate ( wow, will we be talking carbs later!) - like brown rice, whole wheat bread or couscous.
Sweet tooth? If you have saved room -calorie-wise, you can treat yourself with a square or two of dark chocolate! Don't panic, dessert doesn't go away forever, but we are going to let your palate take a break from sweet a little and learn to love the taste of real food!
Here's a website if you'd like to peruse other recipe ideas:
http://www.deliciousdecisions.org/
So there are lots of ways to vary a low-calorie, weight-loss food plan...this is one of them...and it's one that is high in nutrition and will not leave you feeling hungry or low on energy! Another advantage is that this is a simple way to eat in terms of shopping and cooking. Let me know if you try this and what your reactions are! Bon apatit!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Since we are nearly three weeks into the 100 Miles and Lighten Up in 100 Days program, it's a good time to pause and take stock of where we should all be at this point.
1) By now you have logged at least 16 miles of walking or other kind of aerobic physical activity. Feel better? Stronger? Have a routine yet?
2) You recorded your June 1 weight and kept track of at least two days of what you ate and how much.
3) You used the online resource http://www.calorieking.com/ to calculate how many calories you got on those two days.
4) You've learned why calories count as well as how to count them, and why the extra ones we eat get stored as fat.
5) By doing all that you have also figured out whether you are someone whose "style" can adapt to counting. Don't be discouraged if calorie-counting seems like a drag to you - you don't have to do it forever. But the truth is, to lose weight you really do have to learn what it is about what you are doing that is preventing you from being at your ideal, healthy weight.
Which brings us to the subject of LABELS. It's not Mission Impossible, but your next assignment is to become a label detective. The USDA requires that all foods we buys be labelled with the nutrional content including recommended serving size and the calories, fat, and other nutrients for each serving - and that is an invaluable tool for you to use to plan what you eat each day.
If you are not used to reading labels, you can check this website:
http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
One of the most important ways to use the food label is in planning the amount of food you will eat. For example, you may see that a serving of cereal is 120 calories, but the serving size may be a half cup at 120 calories. If you have filled your bowl, you may actually be getting 3 times as much before you even add the milk!
So use your labels to guide your shopping, eating at home, and eating out.
Happy hunting! And have a great day walking!
1) By now you have logged at least 16 miles of walking or other kind of aerobic physical activity. Feel better? Stronger? Have a routine yet?
2) You recorded your June 1 weight and kept track of at least two days of what you ate and how much.
3) You used the online resource http://www.calorieking.com/ to calculate how many calories you got on those two days.
4) You've learned why calories count as well as how to count them, and why the extra ones we eat get stored as fat.
5) By doing all that you have also figured out whether you are someone whose "style" can adapt to counting. Don't be discouraged if calorie-counting seems like a drag to you - you don't have to do it forever. But the truth is, to lose weight you really do have to learn what it is about what you are doing that is preventing you from being at your ideal, healthy weight.
Which brings us to the subject of LABELS. It's not Mission Impossible, but your next assignment is to become a label detective. The USDA requires that all foods we buys be labelled with the nutrional content including recommended serving size and the calories, fat, and other nutrients for each serving - and that is an invaluable tool for you to use to plan what you eat each day.
If you are not used to reading labels, you can check this website:
http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
One of the most important ways to use the food label is in planning the amount of food you will eat. For example, you may see that a serving of cereal is 120 calories, but the serving size may be a half cup at 120 calories. If you have filled your bowl, you may actually be getting 3 times as much before you even add the milk!
So use your labels to guide your shopping, eating at home, and eating out.
Happy hunting! And have a great day walking!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Matter of Style
What’s your diet-style?
There are lots of eating plans and diets out there and some people have tried them all:
Adkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, TOPS, Nutri-system, Jenny Craig, cabbage soup, sugar-busters, Best Life, and of course, the “Mayo Clinic” diet, which the real Mayo Clinic is quick to point out, is not their diet at all.
Some people are respond to counting and keeping track and some just want to be told what and how much to eat. Some people want all the meals prepared, pre-measured and pre-packaged for them, and some enjoy planning their menus and trying “lite” cooking techniques. As I mentioned before, what works best for you long-tem – while still being healthy and nutritious! - is the best choice for you. If only we could all be Oprah and have Bob Green preparing our meals and training alongside us! Of course, even Oprah gets off-track.
I can tell you that many people who are successful long-term “losers” have a couple things in common: first, they learn to love simple, high-nutritious foods and second, they tend to choose the same – or very similar foods most of the time. I think of those as “Go-to” meals. And although that might sound boring, it doesn’t have to be. Many of you know Jill Dailer, who directed the Randolph-Elkins County Health Department for years and was a very successful Weight Watchers participant who kept the weight off. I attended many lunch meetings with Jill over the years, and I don’t think she would mind my sharing with you one of her success habits: she almost always packed her lunch. So she was always in control of her hunger, her calories, and her portion sizes.
Jim Severino, our registered dietician at Davis Memorial Hospital, strongly recommends food diaries, writing down everything you eat – portions and calories – for as long as it takes for you to just “know” what 1400 – 1600 calories a day looks like, and to learn where you can cut fats and sugar. Something else food diaries help with is figuring out “why” we are eating, because let’s be honest, we aren’t always really hungry when we get that second helping or visit the vending machines or pop the top on a Coke.
So contemplating your “style” is an important aspect of deciding what and how you are willing to change.
There are lots of eating plans and diets out there and some people have tried them all:
Adkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, TOPS, Nutri-system, Jenny Craig, cabbage soup, sugar-busters, Best Life, and of course, the “Mayo Clinic” diet, which the real Mayo Clinic is quick to point out, is not their diet at all.
Some people are respond to counting and keeping track and some just want to be told what and how much to eat. Some people want all the meals prepared, pre-measured and pre-packaged for them, and some enjoy planning their menus and trying “lite” cooking techniques. As I mentioned before, what works best for you long-tem – while still being healthy and nutritious! - is the best choice for you. If only we could all be Oprah and have Bob Green preparing our meals and training alongside us! Of course, even Oprah gets off-track.
I can tell you that many people who are successful long-term “losers” have a couple things in common: first, they learn to love simple, high-nutritious foods and second, they tend to choose the same – or very similar foods most of the time. I think of those as “Go-to” meals. And although that might sound boring, it doesn’t have to be. Many of you know Jill Dailer, who directed the Randolph-Elkins County Health Department for years and was a very successful Weight Watchers participant who kept the weight off. I attended many lunch meetings with Jill over the years, and I don’t think she would mind my sharing with you one of her success habits: she almost always packed her lunch. So she was always in control of her hunger, her calories, and her portion sizes.
Jim Severino, our registered dietician at Davis Memorial Hospital, strongly recommends food diaries, writing down everything you eat – portions and calories – for as long as it takes for you to just “know” what 1400 – 1600 calories a day looks like, and to learn where you can cut fats and sugar. Something else food diaries help with is figuring out “why” we are eating, because let’s be honest, we aren’t always really hungry when we get that second helping or visit the vending machines or pop the top on a Coke.
So contemplating your “style” is an important aspect of deciding what and how you are willing to change.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Calories 101
So energy in = energy out. When we keep that in balance we don’t gain weight. But we don’t lose weight either! And you are here because you are interested in losing.
Now we need to do a little math. Not as scary as it sounds!
Remember that yesterday we saw that one pound of weight gain – or body fat – equals 3500 calories. So logically, if you burn an extra 500 calories a day AND cut an extra 500 calories from you diet each day, you should be able to lose about 2 pounds per week. And after analyzing how many calories are in your usual diet, you may find that that is pretty achievable. You will probably find that it is actually easier to change your diet than it is to burn more calories through exercise.
Here’s a way to apply our “math lesson” to our daily lives:
A typical cheeseburger has about 590 calories. That’s almost 200 more calories than we need for lunch. To burn those extra 200 calories, you would have to bike or walk briskly for 30 minutes on a flat surface. And that is just to maintain your weight. So it’s much easier to know how many calories are in the foods you choose from, and choose healthy, low-calorie options.
How many calories do you need each day?
Well, just by breathing and keeping our basic body functions going (metabolism), most of us burn about 1300 calories. So I never recommend a diet that takes in less than that unless you are being followed by a physician who is directing your weight loss. For most people, 1400-1600 calories a day will produce a calorie-deficit yet let you eat a wide variety of nutritious food divided into three meals and two snacks. Add to that your “calorie burn” from daily walking, and you should be on your way to a healthy weight loss plan that you can sustain over time. And that’s what Lighten Up is all about. Living lighter, healthier long term….not just for a short-term gimmick or fad.
Now we need to do a little math. Not as scary as it sounds!
Remember that yesterday we saw that one pound of weight gain – or body fat – equals 3500 calories. So logically, if you burn an extra 500 calories a day AND cut an extra 500 calories from you diet each day, you should be able to lose about 2 pounds per week. And after analyzing how many calories are in your usual diet, you may find that that is pretty achievable. You will probably find that it is actually easier to change your diet than it is to burn more calories through exercise.
Here’s a way to apply our “math lesson” to our daily lives:
A typical cheeseburger has about 590 calories. That’s almost 200 more calories than we need for lunch. To burn those extra 200 calories, you would have to bike or walk briskly for 30 minutes on a flat surface. And that is just to maintain your weight. So it’s much easier to know how many calories are in the foods you choose from, and choose healthy, low-calorie options.
How many calories do you need each day?
Well, just by breathing and keeping our basic body functions going (metabolism), most of us burn about 1300 calories. So I never recommend a diet that takes in less than that unless you are being followed by a physician who is directing your weight loss. For most people, 1400-1600 calories a day will produce a calorie-deficit yet let you eat a wide variety of nutritious food divided into three meals and two snacks. Add to that your “calorie burn” from daily walking, and you should be on your way to a healthy weight loss plan that you can sustain over time. And that’s what Lighten Up is all about. Living lighter, healthier long term….not just for a short-term gimmick or fad.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Energy Balance
To all our Lighten-Up participants, I am writing today from the sunny Outer Banks of North Carolina! I haven’t had access to the internet for several days, but now should be back on-line through Friday. On vacation, I’ll be expending more energy than usual – swimming, walking and biking. Which brings me to what I want to talk about today: energy.
Food represents a lot of things to us: we may think of it as a source of vitamins, life-sustenance, a reason to socialize, or a way to be comforted – there are actually genres of restaurants now called “Comfort Foods”, but when you get down to the very basic reason we need food, it is to provide energy. Our bodies break down the nutrients in food and use them to power our breathing and digestion, to make fuel for our muscles, and to strengthen our mental processes. We can’t think, work, sleep or play at our best without energy from food.
We measure the energy potential of food in terms of calories. We can also measure our activities in terms of calories burned. Our goal in maintaining our weight right now is to burn just as many calories as we take in. If our goal is to lose weight then we have two choices: burn more than we take in by bumping up our activity level, or take in fewer calories than we burn off by changing the way we eat.
You have chosen to do both by adding at least a mile of walking to your day, every day, and by choosing to change your diet through the Lighten Up activities. In order to know how to change your eating, it’s important to know where you are now. I asked everyone to keep a food diary for a couple days; now I’d like you to calculate how many calories you took in on those days. You can do that by consulting a food/calorie guide if you already have one, or you can go to www.calorieking.com. It just takes a few minutes to jot down and add up the calories per portion size. Please note that most portion sizes for most foods are from ½ - 1 cup. Something to keep in mind as you think about the size of portions you normally have on your plate.
Something else to think about is that a pound of weight gain equals about 3500 calories. That means eating about 500 too many calories in one week would cause you to gain a pound that week if you didn’t exercise enough to burn off the extra 500 calories each day. In fact if you eat just 100 more calories (about one can of pop) than you burn every day, you’ll gain about 10 pounds a year. Remember, I mentioned how our bodies break down the calories to use for fuel? Well, our bodies are ingenious machines….the calories (fuel) we don’t burn off through metabolic processes or exercises, gets stored for the future...and gets stored as extra pounds, gets stored as – you guessed it – fat.
Food represents a lot of things to us: we may think of it as a source of vitamins, life-sustenance, a reason to socialize, or a way to be comforted – there are actually genres of restaurants now called “Comfort Foods”, but when you get down to the very basic reason we need food, it is to provide energy. Our bodies break down the nutrients in food and use them to power our breathing and digestion, to make fuel for our muscles, and to strengthen our mental processes. We can’t think, work, sleep or play at our best without energy from food.
We measure the energy potential of food in terms of calories. We can also measure our activities in terms of calories burned. Our goal in maintaining our weight right now is to burn just as many calories as we take in. If our goal is to lose weight then we have two choices: burn more than we take in by bumping up our activity level, or take in fewer calories than we burn off by changing the way we eat.
You have chosen to do both by adding at least a mile of walking to your day, every day, and by choosing to change your diet through the Lighten Up activities. In order to know how to change your eating, it’s important to know where you are now. I asked everyone to keep a food diary for a couple days; now I’d like you to calculate how many calories you took in on those days. You can do that by consulting a food/calorie guide if you already have one, or you can go to www.calorieking.com. It just takes a few minutes to jot down and add up the calories per portion size. Please note that most portion sizes for most foods are from ½ - 1 cup. Something to keep in mind as you think about the size of portions you normally have on your plate.
Something else to think about is that a pound of weight gain equals about 3500 calories. That means eating about 500 too many calories in one week would cause you to gain a pound that week if you didn’t exercise enough to burn off the extra 500 calories each day. In fact if you eat just 100 more calories (about one can of pop) than you burn every day, you’ll gain about 10 pounds a year. Remember, I mentioned how our bodies break down the calories to use for fuel? Well, our bodies are ingenious machines….the calories (fuel) we don’t burn off through metabolic processes or exercises, gets stored for the future...and gets stored as extra pounds, gets stored as – you guessed it – fat.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Most Basic Idea of Weight Management
Have you ever bought a diet book? Spent money to join a weight loss group or special "nutri-foods" ? Well, most Americans have, becasue the dieting/weight loss industry is booming to the tune of $40 Billion a year; I guess I have contributed to that economy - I am always on the look-out for "what works." Yet despite the money spent, people continute to gain weight. Why?
A few years ago the book I read on my beach vacation wasn't a thriller, it was The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen - it's about the American food industry and our way of eating. His next book, In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto, had a simple rule for eating healthy and staying at a healthy weight:
By food, of course , he means "real" food: substances we can identify as coming from a plant or animal: an egg, milk, vegetables, a fish. Mac'n'cheese in the box? Twinkie? Energy drink? Probably not.
Another short manifesto I like is EAT LESS. MOVE MORE. That would be my recommendation for today.
The most basic idea then of losing weight is to eat, but eat small portions, and eat the most nutritious food you can when you do eat. And then balance your calorie intake with activity output. And that's what Lighten Up is all about.
How much would you have to change to eat real, food, eat mostly plants, eat less and move more?
And how willing are you to change?
A few years ago the book I read on my beach vacation wasn't a thriller, it was The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen - it's about the American food industry and our way of eating. His next book, In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto, had a simple rule for eating healthy and staying at a healthy weight:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
By food, of course , he means "real" food: substances we can identify as coming from a plant or animal: an egg, milk, vegetables, a fish. Mac'n'cheese in the box? Twinkie? Energy drink? Probably not.
Another short manifesto I like is EAT LESS. MOVE MORE. That would be my recommendation for today.
The most basic idea then of losing weight is to eat, but eat small portions, and eat the most nutritious food you can when you do eat. And then balance your calorie intake with activity output. And that's what Lighten Up is all about.
How much would you have to change to eat real, food, eat mostly plants, eat less and move more?
And how willing are you to change?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Welcome to DHS's Lighten Up in 100 Days!
Hi and welcome to the first posting of our Lighten Up in 100 Days blogspot! This is the primary way I'll be giving you information and coaching you toward your weight loss goal through the summer months!
I'm new to writing a blog, and you may be new to reading one, but I bet we both get the hang of it pretty quickly. I know I could talk all day about healthy living, so my biggest challenge will be to keep these short and limited to small "bites" of information at a time. I hope you will feel comfortable leaving comments from time to time.....either to add to what is printed here or to ask a question ..or just to offer your experience and support to other members. You can write a comment and leave your name, or write anonymously...whatever is comfortable for you.
And how many others are there? Nearly 200 of the 100 Milers have signed up to learn about weight management !!! That's about half of our walkers. When you think about the impact all of you who are committing to making healthy changes can have on your own health, your families, and your friends, it's pretty incredible.
So today, I am testing the "blog -o-sphere" to make sure everyone can access this site....I want to thank everyone who has sent their miles in already and congratulate you on taking real steps to change.
And change will be our topic tomorrow......because getting lighter...losing weight...means we are going to have to change some of the things we are doing now. I'll be posting again tomorrow afternoon. See you then!
I'm new to writing a blog, and you may be new to reading one, but I bet we both get the hang of it pretty quickly. I know I could talk all day about healthy living, so my biggest challenge will be to keep these short and limited to small "bites" of information at a time. I hope you will feel comfortable leaving comments from time to time.....either to add to what is printed here or to ask a question ..or just to offer your experience and support to other members. You can write a comment and leave your name, or write anonymously...whatever is comfortable for you.
And how many others are there? Nearly 200 of the 100 Milers have signed up to learn about weight management !!! That's about half of our walkers. When you think about the impact all of you who are committing to making healthy changes can have on your own health, your families, and your friends, it's pretty incredible.
So today, I am testing the "blog -o-sphere" to make sure everyone can access this site....I want to thank everyone who has sent their miles in already and congratulate you on taking real steps to change.
And change will be our topic tomorrow......because getting lighter...losing weight...means we are going to have to change some of the things we are doing now. I'll be posting again tomorrow afternoon. See you then!
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