Restaurant Portion Control The restuarant industry is trying to sabatoge your weight loss goals
by serving up huge portions of food to Americans. Unfortunately, we
are buying it. Beat them at their own game by dividing up your food
portions in half and eating half of everything on your plate before
deciding whether you have had enough. If you have taken at least 20
minutes to eat and sipped on your water, chances are you can call it
quits and doggy bag the rest for lunch the next day. Portion control
is your ticket to a slimmer you.
Think Before You Endulge If one of your new year goals is weight loss then start putting
equivalents of how much exercise work it will take to burn what you
are eating, especially desserts and high-calorie foods. Reaching for
the Oreo cookies or high-fat, high-calorie choices could easily negate
your last trip on the treadmill. To lose weight you must create a caloric
deficit to be successful. Think before you endulge and make wiser choices
more often.
Don't Be A Nutritional Roller Coaster Poor eating habits and meal skipping will decrease your metabolism
and slow down your fat burning ability. Erratic blood sugar levels cause
late-day sugar cravings and can put you in a situation where you do
not make good food choices. Start your day with a healthy breakfast
and fuel up often with healthy between meal snacks to stay sharp and
energize your day.
Let Your Brain Catch Up With Your Stomach
Did you know it takes your brain about 20 minutes to figure out that
you are full? So if you are inhaling your meals in less than 20 minutes,
you may be over-consuming calories your body has no physical need for.
Slow down your meal time by eating slower and half of everything on
your plate first before determining whether you are full. Drink plenty
of fluids with your meal and engage in conversation so your brain has
a chance to register that you are full. You may find that you don't
have to eat nearly as much to be satisfied. Afterall, controlling your
portions is one of the keys to successful weight loss.
Stock Up On Ready To Go Snacks
Half the chore of eating right is making sure your pantry is stocked
up with quick and easy snacks to keep you fueled up for your workouts
and increase your metabolism (ability to burn body fat). In fact, snacking
can be the best thing for you if you make wise choices. Here a few easy,
between-meal snack ideas with a good mix of carbs and protein:
Peanut butter crackers - Don't fear the fat! A good source
of protein that sticks to your gut and cuts down sugar cravings.
Cheerio & almond mix - You loved them as a kid and
they still are a nutritious, low sugar snack. Add some almonds for
a shot of protein.
Low-fat cottage cheese & Pinapple - Get in a serving
of fruit and a great source of calcium and protein.
Apple & mozzorella cheese stick - How many times have you
nibbled on fruit and cheese at a party? Just as easy during the
day and just as nutritious.
Low-fat/low-sugar yogurt - All the nutrients you need and
easy on the go.
V-8 Juice - Emergency carbs and an easy way to get your
veggies in. Beats a Coke hands down!
Are You Eating Too Low Fat?
If your diet consists of lots of fat-free items your body may be rebelling
and not allowing you to let lose of your own stored body fat. Keep the
animal and dairy based saturated fats low by eating red meats in moderation
and choosing lower fat diary alternatives like 1% milk or low fat cream
cheese. Don't be afraid to eat plant based foods that contain some fat
like peanut butter and high protein nuts like almonds. Healthy fats
fill you up and reduce your sugar cravings so you aren't tempted to
snack on high sugar foods. Always be searching for a way to cut out
100 or so dead calories a day by reducing your sugars (carbonated beverages,
candy, cookies, excessive fruit juices).
Breakfast: Very Important!
What does your breakfast look like? Did your mom tell you that breakfast
was the most important meal of the day? She was right! Skipping breakfast
can slow your metabolism drastically and set you up for overeating late
in the day. Try having a semi-balanced breakfast. A breakfast made up
totally of carbohydrates may cause you to have low blood sugar mid-morning.
Try having whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a glass of 1% milk,
or how about egg white scrambled eggs on an English muffin and a small
glass of juice! The best breakfast is the one you’ll have!
Make one change!
Did you know that making one small change to your diet can result in
big changes in your body? Try switching from full fat to low fat dairy
products, this can save you lots of calories and loads of saturated
fat, the kind linked to heart disease. Or maybe you need to increase
your water intake. Make it your resolve to drink 8-10 cups of water
per day. This change alone can result in weight loss!
How much water are you drinking?
Did you know that our bodies require water for many functions including
metabolism, digestion, cooling and yes even to burn fat. The recommended
intake suggests drinking a minimum of 8- 8 oz glasses of water per day.
You need even more if you exercise often. We suggest getting in a habit
of drinking water with any other activity. For example, every time you
sit down to surf the web, go for a walk, jump in the car or head to
the gym, grab a bottle of water and make it part of your daily routine!
Studies show that most Americans go to the same seven locations
inside the grocery store.
Eating the same foods everyday means you're missing out on lots of beneficial
nutrients. Try experimenting with your diet. Buy the fruit that's on
sale....it changes every week!
Small changes equals big results!
You can shave about 100 calories by not adding butter or mayonaise to
your sandwich, 140 calories by skipping the regular soda and a whopping
300 calories by choosing a hamburger instead of a "Big Mac"! Over time
this equals big weight loss. Small changes mean big results!
Nutrition
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