What are you THINKING? Be Present!

If you’re trying to lose weight and not succeeding, part of the problem might be that you are eating mindlessly. Mindless eating means that what, when and how much we eat runs counter to both the body’s true needs and our own health goals.

Learn below how you can switch from mindless to mindful eating to support weight loss. Kelly McGonigal, PhD, health psychologist and yoga teacher at Stanford University, shares her insights.

How do you transitioon From Mindless to Mindful Eating?

Mindless eating is a major saboteur of weight loss. “In many cases, it’s not the meals we eat that cause weight gain,” says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of Eat, Drink and Be Mindful (New Harbinger 2009). “It’s the snacking, the mindless eating while watching television, when we’re on autopilot and not really aware of what we’re eating. Plus, the majority of food decisions have nothing to do with hunger. They have to do with stress, anxiety, sadness or frustration.”

Mindfulness can help. Mindfulness means paying attention, both to inner cues (thoughts, emotions and sensations) and to your environment. When applied to eating, this can mean the difference between one more failed diet and lasting weight loss.

What are the Three Components of Mindful Eating?

How can you eat mindfully? Mindful eating can be broken down into three areas.

• 1. Eat in the Moment. Get rid of distractions like reading, watching television or eating on the go and really taste, smell and enjoy your food. Practice knowing what it feels like to be hungry or full, and learn to honor those signals.
• 2.  Awareness of Eating Habits and Beliefs. Keep a food journal to get a clear sense of your eating habits, including where you keep food and how you go about food shopping. Also, notice how you talk to yourself about food. Common self-defeating beliefs include not wanting to waste food and putting foods into “good” and “bad” categories.
• 3. Awareness of Environmental and Emotional Triggers. A bakery case of pastries may trigger a craving that was not there a moment ago. That craving has nothing to do with the body’s true needs and everything to do with the eating environment. A mindful approach can help you become aware of the difference. When you are aware of your personal triggers, it is easier to avoid them or to pause and make a conscious choice. Also, mindfulness can help you recognize when you are eating for emotional reasons and can allow you to develop other strategies for self-soothing or celebrating.

How can get better at Mindful Eating?  Try these  Exercises

Susan Albers, PsyD, suggests the following simple exercises:

1. As you eat, pay close attention to all your senses. Use your tongue to feel the texture of the food. Gauge its temperature. Take a whiff of the aroma. Ask yourself, “How does this really taste? Is this something I really want? Does it satisfy my taste buds?”
2. Change how you eat and slow down. For example, use chopsticks, eat in a new location or include new foods in your diet. Put down your fork intentionally at least three times during a meal to give yourself a moment to pause.
3. When you eat, just eat. Try turning off the television while you eat and avoiding other distractions to keep you focused on your food. Even if it is just for a few moments, put down whatever you’re doing and focus on your snack.
4. Pay attention to the cues your body is sending. How does it let you know you are hungry? Have a rumbling stomach? Or low energy? Before you take a bite, ask yourself, “How hungry am I on a scale of 1–10?”
5. When you have the urge to eat, ask yourself if you are physically or emotionally hungry. If you are emotionally hungry, set a timer for 2 minutes and find an activity to distract you, or another way to soothe yourself. At the end of the 2 minutes, ask yourself again. This will help you slow down the rush to eat in order to fix your feelings.

References:  IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 8, Number 1

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Summer, Holiday Picnics and FUN! - Ally's Tips on how to enjoy without getting a spare tire!

Summer is a time filled with family, fun and vacations.  We should all be able to enjoy holidays and vacations without coming home with a spare tire around the mid section to worry about!

Here are some tips from Ally on how to minimize the battle of the bulge during summer cook outs, events and vacations!

Make a daily plan.

When on vacation, if it is the routine to eat dinner out, plan for this by having sensible breakfasts,  lunches and being active during the day.  Know the restaurants your frequent and order wisely by having meats grilled or baked and getting fresh steamed veggies on the side. Don’t forget to log your meals into Vitabot or even just on paper to avoid  calorie amnesia.  Logging and accountability is likely to make you think twice before indulging in huge portions or higher calorie options.

Plan and Pack for the Road Trip!

When we travel - I try to stick to on the go breakfast items.  You can get egg and english muffins at many fast food chains and that is much better than burgers and fries.  

Try to pack a healthy lunch of whole grain sandwiches and fruit for snacking.  Veggies sticks with snack pack hummus is also good road food.

Dried Fruit – Move past raising.  Try unsweetened apricots, pears, apples, papaya, and mango. Dried banana is also delicious, but avoid banana chips as these are cooked in oil and are high in saturated fat. 

Fresh fruit – Apples, oranges and grapes make the best traveling fruits as they don’t bruise easily, but if you plan on eating your fruit early in your journey try plums, pears or bananas as well. And of course, if you’re feeling extra hurried, you can buy pre-cut apples in bags!

Nuts & seeds –Nuts make a great snack for the road as they’re extremely filling. Raw nuts are your healthiest option, but roasted, unsalted nuts are also a good choice.

Baby carrots – Whether or not the rumor that these little guys are actually cut from full-size

carrots is true, a bag of baby carrots is a great snack-in-the-box food.

Peanut butter and pretzels– Take the jar or fill a mini plastic container. Ziploc a few mini-toasts or pretzels for dipping, and you’ve got a snack fit for any peanut-butter-nutter! Other nut butters like almond or cashew are also good.

Water – Avoid sugary sodas and bad for you diet drinks!  Freeze a few bottles of water and use that to keep your food cold.  

If you have to stop for lunch - BE SMART ABOUT IT!

Deli Wraps – Supermarket delis and salad bars provide a great way to grab a healthy and fast lunch.  Both Kroger and Publix have pre-made or made to order deli sandwiches and wraps.   

While at the HOTEL:

The free  breakfast can cause you to consume your whole day’s calories in one meal if you aren't careful.  Try the scrambled eggs and fruit with a whole grain english muffin.  Avoid the waffles, high sugar cereals and high carb bagels if you can.  

Water and coffee are your best choices.  Remember - don't drink your fruit - eat it!  Fruit juice is all sugar with none of the benefits of the whole fruit.

I really struggle with this because I love to hear what everyone else is ordering!  If you can - try o order first so you are not tempted to change your mind when others make their choices.

Share larger or more calorie-laden portions with others!  Portions are almost always big enough to share!  Save money too!

If you do want to splurge you can do so in moderation and with these tips to help you stay on track.  Most of all, don’t forget to use the vitabot to keep on track and download the app to your phone.  

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Lifestyle Changes One Step at a Time for Successful Changes!

I was presenting at an event on Saturday about healthy eating and how important it is to plan and prep for meals and snacks.  I was also thinking about how well my clients are doing on this particular issue.  

As a professional Lifestyle / Health Coach, we learn that is important to introduce change a little bit at a time.  When people try to completely overhaul their eating and exercise regime all at one time, they will eventually slip up and then feel as if they have failed and give up completely.  

What we have learned is, to introduce one small change at a time and let it develop into a habit - or a behavior - and then build on that success.  I find an effective first step for most people is packing healthy snacks and making sure those snacks are REAL FOOD (fruit or veggies with yogurt or hummus or nuts).  I believe that is a very good first step.  Snacks are important to keep hunger at bay, keep energy and blood sugar levels stable and set you on the right path for healthier meals.

I was thinking of this as I was listening to one of the speakers on the nutrition stage who stated that their clients are to cut out all processed foods, fast foods, anything not organic, wheat and dairy all at one time.  That may work for some, but research has demonstrated that is too difficult for most people and they end up feeling frustrated and giving up completely. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT!!!  

Research has also shown that focusing on changing one behavior at a time will is more effective.  Research also demonstrates that results will follow the behavior changes,  meaning pounds or inches lost, blood sugar reduction, lower cholesterol, etc. 

I believe the first step to a healthier lifestyle is to begin planning, prepping and packing healthy snacks.  This is a small change and easy to implement and quickly becomes habit.  I believe the second step is to begin planning, prepping and packing healthy lunches.  The less you eat out or rely on prepared foods, the more successful you will be.  The third step is to tackle dinners.  Basic cooking skills, shopping tips and knowing what staples to keep in your freezer, fridge and pantry will enable you to whip up delicious, nutritious meals in minutes.

Be sure to email AllyFitness to get on the list for the next "Simple, Healthy Meal Planning"  Workshop to be held in October.

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Make it a FAMILY AFFAIR!

Introduce good eating habits early in your children’s and/or grandchildren’s life.

• Let your children learn to respond to internal hunger cues rather than learned social ones. Don’t worry if your kids don’t eat as much as you think they should. 
• REMEMBER – a child’s stomach is about the size of their fist.  Pay attention to that and adjust servings appropriately.
• Encourage your children to be physically active. Remember not all physical activity is competitive.  Kids who choose not to participate in organized or team sports can still enjoy being active and the benefits are the same. Encourage them to ride bikes, skate or swim for recreation.
• Eat meals at home together. The time you spend at the table is a great way to help your children develop good eating habits and give them an opportunity to talk about the things that may trigger overeating.
• Keep bikes, basketball hoops, and other outdoor play equipment available for your children to use and in good working order.
• Teach your children to reach for water first to quench thirst. Fruit juices, such as orange and apple, are a source of calories that add up quickly.  Sports drinks are also a source of high calories that are not needed.
• Encourage your children to find activities that develop their own unique strengths. More time spent on hobbies and new interests means less time spent on passive entertainment such as television and video games.
• Take time to play with your children—play catch, build a snowman, take a nature walk, go for a bike ride, or dance to your favorite music.
• Get your children involved in preparing dinner.  Let them help select recipes, shop for ingredients, and prepare the meal with you.

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Are you Suffering from Portion Distortion?

Most people gain weight because they are eating the wrong foods.  Portion size plays a bigger role in weight gain and weight maintenance.  People in today’s society have lost touch with what a portion size really looks like. This is partially because restaurants are now serving super sized portions and have servings large enough to share.  A large French Fry order at McDonalds in France is the size of a medium ordered here in the United States.  Even packaged foods have distorted portions. According to the CDC, portion sizes of ready-to-eat foods have slowly ballooned in size over the past 40 years.

Research has shown that when people are served large portions, they eat more.  Here are some tips to help you control your serving sizes.

Use Portion Control Plates
Portion control plates take the guesswork out of how much to put on your plate. Each plate is partitioned into slots. There are two slots for protein and starch and a larger slot for vegetables. A study carried out at the University of Calgary showed that people who used these plates lost significant amounts of weight. They’re a good tool for familiarizing yourself with portion sizes and how much you should put on your plate. In addition, they help you make better decisions about the composition of what you eat.  It takes practice and training your eye to learn the proper portion sizes.

Weigh Your Food

If you are not sure what a serving size is or looks like, get a kitchen scale and weigh your food before eating it. Over time, this will teach you to recognize what a portion size really looks like. Doing  this consistently for a few weeks will help you recognize when you’re eating an over-sized portion. Use the scale to fine tune your ability to eyeball portion sizes.

Become Skilled at Reading Labels

Food labels are tricky. When you buy a beverage or a snack, you might think you’re getting a single serving, but this isn’t always the case. Always check the number of servings before eating a “single-serving” snack. In some cases, there are two or even three servings in the bag or bottle. If this is the case, when you eat the entire bag you’re getting two to three times the calories listed on the label. Be a savvy label reader and know how much is in the package before tossing it in your mouth.

Always plate your food, even snacks!

When you eat a snack, remove an appropriate portion from the bag or box, and put the remainder away. If you eat from the container, you’ll end up eating more especially if you’re snacking while working on the computer or watching television. Do this with fruit as well. 

Control Portions When Eating Out

• Ask the server to box up half of your meal to take home before you even start eating, or see if you can order a half-portion instead.
• Be more portion savvy when you’re dining out or eating at home and you’ll have fewer problems controlling your weight.

Reference:

Centers for Disease Control. “Do Increased Portion Sizes Affect How Much We Eat?”

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Select the Right Proteins

Compare the following Proteins
6 oz porterhouse – 38g protein, 44 g fat, 16g saturated fat

6 oz salmon – 34 g protein, 4 g saturated fat, 18g good fat

1 cup lentils – 34g protein, <1g fat, high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals

Pick protein by the least amount of feet – fish, poultry, then 4 legged animals.

Fish – good food for the heart and the brain
       – protects arteries and blood pressure
       – protects against brain infarcts
       – predictors of stroke and dementia
       – fish provides DHA which has been shown to ward off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia

Poultry – protein with a punch 
            -- chicken and turkey have never been directly associated with chronic diseases 
            -- provide an abundance of nutritional goodness 
            -- poultry is largely devoid of saturated fats

Eggs – high quality, low fat protein
         --Prepare them boiled or poached
         --Microwave them too

Wild Game – Deer, antelope, moose, duck, goose, pheasant, turkey, quail and dove are great high quality lean proteins. Wild animals are free of antibiotics and hormones but are plentiful in omega 3 fats. 

Can you get too much protein?  Over the short term – not a problem.  But over a long duration, the acid released in the blood after consuming protein needs calcium to be neutralized or buffered.  If there is not sufficient calcium in the bloodstream, it is taken directly from the bones.  The calcium acid waste is secreted by the kidneys.  A long time high protein diet can predispose to osteoporosis.  The kidneys could also be overtaxed. 

Red meat contains -- a lot of saturated fat
                               – certain chemicals that are pro-inflammatory fatty acid
                               -- a lot of omega-6 fatty acids 
                               -- minimal omega-3 fatty acids

Portion control – Limit what you eat to what fits in your two hands cupped together – with the exception of fruits and veggies.

PLAN OF ACTION-- Select the right proteins

1. ALWAYS CONSUME THE HEALTHY PROTEINS –

·         Fish, shellfish, poultry, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, whole soy foods, wild game, omega-3 fortified eggs and low-fat / skim dairy

·         Strive for 3 servings of fish / week.  Oily fish is best (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring and lake trout).  Avoid shark, marlin, king mackerel, tile fish and swordfish due to toxins 

·         Consume omega-3 eggs as desired

·         For optimal appetite control, be sure to include healthy proteins at each meal

2. STRIVE TO EAT MORE VEGETABLE PROTEIN

·         Vegetable proteins guard and protect your health in ways that animal based proteins cannot

·         Beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters and whole soy foods are excellent sources of vegetable based proteins

·         Beef, pork, lamb and whole dairy should be avoided and limited

3. LIMIT UNHEALTHY PROTEINS

·         Limit red meat to 2 servings per week.  Choose lean cuts when you do eat these foods

·         Limit or eliminate whole dairy products

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Unhealthy health foods.

Not all of these are unhealthy, just pay attention to portion sizes and calories.  Unhealthy "health" foods! wrap sandwiches - generally these are very large portions! Try a sandwich on whole grain bread.

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