Archive for the ‘Diets and Weight Managment’ Category

I might as well have

• Another drink
• Dessert at lunch and dinner
• A second helping
• Both pieces of pie
• A bacon cheeseburger

The Possibilities Are Endless

So, you’re thinking, “I already blew it by shoving a gazillion calories into my mouth, so what the heck, I might as well have (insert your choice here).”

The problem is that you’re compounding the problem.  The gazillion calories turn into day after day of a gazillion calories despite your good intentions every morning.  The scale starts its inevitable upward creep and your pants keep getting tighter.  And, it keeps getting harder and harder to control your eating.

What To Do

There are lots of choices – and you have to choose what’s going to work best for you.  Unfortunately, most of us decide to go pure Spartan and cut out everything that we really like to eat.  A total denial of goodness.  Guess what.  That kind of strategy not only doesn’t work, it probably ends up backfiring in a big way.

Make Some Realistic Choices

Instead of denying yourself everything that tastes good, how about making some personal rules.

Especially during the holiday season telling yourself that you will not have a single Christmas cookie or glass of cheer is really like spitting into the wind.

Instead, think about some trade-offs. If you have a drink, limit it to one and allow yourself a small piece of dessert.  If you invade the bread basket, skip the dessert.  Have two vegetables with some lean protein instead of a big plate of pasta and allow yourself a glass of wine.  The rules are yours.  Just set them before you find yourself in an eating situation – and then commit to them.

Try One Or Two Of  These Tactics, Too

These are some tactics that work for many people.  Perhaps you can incorporate one or two of them into your daily routine.

• Drink water, especially before meals.  It fills you up and hydrates you.
• Exercise for ten minutes.  Jump rope, march in place, get up and walk around during every television commercial.  It all adds up – and makes you feel better.  Just don’t exercise over to the fridge.
• Open the door and take a walk. Don’t worry about how long or how far you go – stick your nose out the door and follow with your body.  Small amounts add up and you’ve distracted yourself from eating.
• Check the nutrition facts of foods you are likely to eat before you go out so you can make informed choices.
• Take the stairs whenever you can.  Use the bathroom on another floor and take the stairs to get there.

Try coming up with some other rules, distractors, and motivators of your own.  Don’t overload yourself with choices.  Pick a few and stick to them.

And, if you blew it – realize that everybody does at some point.  Recognize it, don’t dwell on it, and put some personal rules in place.  Honestly, having your own rules and a plan really works!

The season of sugar plum fairies, ribbon candy, and sparkly cookies (and even fruit cake)  is upon us.  For about the past ten years we’ve been warned about watching how much sugar we’re eating and we still haven’t really listened.

According to the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee, Americans average 475 calories from added sugars every day.  That’s a lot more than the recommended daily max of 100 calories (six teaspoons) from added sugars for women and 150 calories (nine teaspoons) for men.  Think of it this way, that extra added 475 calories of sugar is the equivalent of 30 teaspoons a day.

A big problem with added sugars is that they both add calories and those “empty” calories displace the other nutritious foods.

Where Do Our Calories Come From?

Added sugars and solid fats account for about 35% of the calories in the average American’s diet. The recommended maximum is 5-15%.

About 36% of the added sugars come from sugary soft drinks — so cutting back on them is a good place to start trimming.

Natural vs. Added Sugars

Natural sugars are found in foods like milk and yogurt (lactose) and in fruit (fructose) as well as in many other foods. Because these sugars are found along with other healthy components in the foods, they’re considered okay.

Unfortunately, nutrition labels don’t differentiate between natural and added sugars.  Look for any form of sugar in the food’s ingredient list.

Look for all forms (typical sugars end in –ose like lactose, glucose, fructose) including brown, raw, or invert sugar and/or “syrup” including corn, high fructose corn, and malt syrup. Also look for honey, molasses, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, and fruit juice concentrate.  Don’t be fooled by these. They sound healthy but are really just other forms of sugar.

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Examples Of Foods With Added Sugar

A 16 ounce soda has about 11 teaspoons of added sugar. Although most of our extra added sugar comes from soda, sweetened beverages like fruit drinks, sports drinks, and teas; desserts; candy; and breakfast cereals all contribute.

Here are some examples of the added sugar in some common foods. This is just the added sugar, not the natural sugar that might also be in these foods.

• Cola, 8 oz. 22 grams

• Cranberry juice cocktail, 8 oz., 20 grams

• Chocolate Milk, reduced-fat, 8 oz., 14 grams

• Tea, instant, sugar-sweetened, 8 oz., 21 grams

• Applesauce, sweetened (1 cup), 16 grams

• Baked beans, canned (1 cup), 15 grams

• Oreo-type cookies (3), 12 grams

• Cranberries, dried (1/3 cup), 25 grams

• Fruit cocktail in syrup (1 cup), 26 grams

• Granola bar (1 oz), 12 grams

• Jellybeans, (1 oz, 10 large), 20 grams

• Popcorn, caramel-coated (1 oz), 15 grams

• Fruit yogurt (6 oz container), 19 grams

Fructose:  A Simple Sugar

Fruit sugar, or fructose, is a simple sugar that your body metabolizes quickly and easily. Fructose, has few, if any, advantages over sucrose, the kind of sugar in candy.

Moderate fruit intake is recommended as part of a healthy diet. The simple sugars, like fructose, found in fruit are not a problem for active and healthy people. But, if you have diabetes or prediabetes, too much fruit could throw your blood sugar levels out of whack.

Fruit juice is often made from fruit concentrate with added refined sugar, so too much fruit juice can be a bad thing.  FYI:  there really isn’t a big nutritional difference if your jam is sweetened with “sugar” or “fruit juice sweetener.” They are both sugar.

A Good Idea

Having fruit in your diet is a good idea for a bunch of reasons. It tastes good and most of it has a substantial amount of fiber — which helps to reduce the risk of some diseases. Fruit is also a good source of vitamins and minerals.  A well rounded diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, and some lean protein is a good bet.

It’s also pretty cool that a lot of fruit comes in it’s own wrapper and single serving package.  Think oranges, clementines, tangerines, apples, pears, and bananas to name a few.  They’re really grab and go.  And berries – so high in antioxidants.  Delicious, too.  Watermelon is 92% water by weight, filled with vitamin C, and a necessary part of so many barbecues and beach parties.

All sugar adds calories but there are certainly a lot of reasons to choose fruit and its sugar over the nutritionally empty sugared sweet stuff like candy and soda.

The fiber and water in fruit help you to feel full.  The fruit is packed with vitamins and minerals.  Because of its fiber, fruit takes longer to digest than processed sweets made with refined sugar.  And, it doesn’t create a spike in your blood sugar —  which is then followed by a steep drop that makes you hungry all over again.

Sugar And Calories In Popular Fruit

Some examples:

One fruit or the portion shown Calories Carbs (in grams) Apple (with the peel) 81 21 Apricot 17 4 Banana 105 27 Blackberries (½ cup) 37 9 Blueberries, fresh (½ cup) 41 10 Cherries (½ cup) 52 12 Grapes (10 medium seedless) 36 9 Grapefruit (1 medium half) 46 12 Mango,  fresh 135 35 Melon:   Canteloupe (1 half) 94 22 Melon:   Honeydew (1 tenth) 46 12 Nectarine (medium) 67 16 Orange 65 16 Peach 37 10 Pear (medium) 98 25 Pineapple,  fresh (½ cup cubed) 39 10 Plum 36 9 Prune (1 dried & pitted) 20 5 Raisins (dried ½ cup) 110 29 Raspberry (½ cup) 31 7 Rhubarb (½ cup cubed) 14 3 Strawberries (½ cup) 23 5 Tangerine 37 9

Plates:  Bigger Isn’t Better

The size of our dinner plates might be contributing to our country’s obesity problem.

Since 1960, the surface area of our average dinner plate has increased 36%. Today, the average dinner plate measures 11 to 12 inches across, but a few decades ago they were 7 to 9 inches. By comparison, a European plate averages 9 inches and some of our restaurants use plates that are about 13 inches across.

Supersized Eating

Just as serving sizes in restaurants have been supersized and package sizes in the market have grown, so have the plate, bowl, and glass sizes we use in our homes — by 36% in some cases.

Our ideas about portion sizes and how much we need to eat and drink to feel full have grown along with the size of our dishware.

Six ounces of cooked rice with a little chili looks like a good portion on an 8 inch plate. The same amount on a 12 inch plate would look paltry  and probably cause the typical person to add more rice to the plate — which ends up increasing the portion size and calories.

What To Do

The fact of the matter is that we eat most of what’s on our plate regardless of the size of the plate.

But, when you switch to a smaller plate you eat a smaller serving. According to research done at Cornell, when you switch from a 12 inch plate to a 10 inch plate you eat 22% less.

So, you can control your portion sizes by downsizing the size of your plate. You can switch from a dinner plate to a salad plate or search vintage stores for older plates that are smaller in size.

Go Small – But Not Too Small

It sounds too good to be true, but using smaller dishes can also help you feel full even when you’re eating less. Amazingly, studies show that people are more satisfied with less food when they are served on 8 inch salad plates instead of on 12 inch dinner plates.

Use smaller plates and bowls. It’ll keep the portions smaller and you feeling fuller.

But — be careful not to go too small with your plate.  With too little food you might end up going back for seconds. A plate 2 inches smaller than the one you normally use is probably about right.

A Time For Giving Thanks and a Celebration of Abundance

Those of us who are lucky enough to go to or host a Thanksgiving dinner are often faced with a dilemma:  overabundance.  The Thanksgiving meal has become associated with a true groaning table – a table loaded with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes in multiple formats, cranberry sauce, gravy, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, and traditional family specialties. For closers there’s apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, ice cream, cookies, and whatever other desserts Grandma, Aunt Sue, and Mom decide to make or bring.

A Feast and a Caloric Overload

How can you enjoy your traditional Thanksgiving dinner and not feel like a slug for days afterward? The ironic thing is that the usual main dish is really lean poultry (turkey), and the main vegetables and condiments are nutritional powerhouses (sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and cranberries).  The traditional dessert is made from a vegetable (pumpkin pie) or nuts (pecan pie) so you wouldn’t think this would be so difficult.

The calories in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner are estimated to range from 2,000 to 4,500, depending on what you put on your plate. Given that people of average size who get moderate activity should eat between 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, Thanksgiving dinner is quite a hefty meal. Not everyone gains weight over the holidays, but if you do, those pounds rarely come off.

Who Wants to Count Calories on a Holiday?

Most of us don’t want to count calories on a day of celebration. If you deprive yourself of the traditional foods you come to associate with holidays, more often than not you end up paying the piper. That’s when you find yourself standing in front of an open fridge rummaging for leftovers because you feel deprived from the stare down you had with your favorite foods earlier in the day.

Have Your Own Plan of Attack

Create an eating plan of attack before the celebration day. You know you’ll eat a bit more – or maybe a bit more than a bit more – than on a typical day. Mathematically allow for your holiday meal. Remember, calories in – calories out. Compensate by eating a little lighter the days before and after. Add in a long walk.

Don’t starve yourself the day of the grand meal. If you do in an attempt to save up calories for a splurge, you’ll probably be so hungry by the time dinner is ready you’ll end up shoving food into your mouth faster than you can say turkey.

The Key Is Balance, Not Deprivation

Inevitably if you deprive or restrict yourself you eventually end up overeating. The mantra becomes – “it’s just one day.” The problem is the one day extends to leftovers the next day – then the weekend – then to Christmas parties – then to the New Year’s Eve party. It could even extend to Super Bowl Sunday!

Celebrations the day of are fine. Celebrating for weeks on end is not. Plus, you end up hating yourself!

Try some of these:

• Give yourself permission to not eat something just because it’s tradition.
• Only eat it if you want it. Eat what you want not what you think you should.
• Say no to the friend or relative who is pushing the extra piece of pie. You’re the one stepping on the scale or zipping up your jeans the next day – not them.
• Make some rules for yourself and commit to them.
• Make a deal (with yourself) that you can eat what you want during dinner. Put the food on your plate and enjoy every last morsel. I’m not even suggesting that you leave some on your plate. But – that’s it. No seconds and no double-decking the plate.
• Limit the hors d’oeuvres. They really pack in calories. Make eating one or two your rule.
• Trade hors d’oeuvres for a luscious piece of pie for dessert.
• Alcohol adds calories (7 calories/gram). Alcohol with mixers adds more calories. Plus, alcohol takes the edge off lots of things – including your ability to stick to your plan.
• Drink water. It fills you up. Have a diet soda if you want. If you’re going to drink, limit the amount – alternate with water.
• Control your environment. Don’t hang around the buffet table or stand next to the platter of delicious whatevers. Why are you tempting yourself?
• Talk to someone. It’s hard to shove food in your mouth when you’re talking.
• Get rid of leftovers. The best laid plans have been defeated by leftover stuffing.
• Don’t nibble during clean-up (or preparation for that matter). Broken cookies, pieces of piecrust, and the last spoonfuls of stuffing haven’t magically lost their calories.

If you ignored a lot of this, you ate everything is sight, and your exercise was walking back and forth to the to the buffet table, put on the tourniquet. It was just one day — just don’t let it stretch into days or weeks.

Remember to enjoy the holidays. Be grateful. That’s the point, isn’t it?

I’ll be posting more holiday facts and tips on my blog: www.SocialDieter.com as we enjoy this celebratory season. I invite you to share some of your own.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.