Cake Is Not Your Boyfriend

Cake Is Not Your Boyfriend

No, it’s not.  While cake may sit there quietly, its chocolate frosting all wavy and just oozing comfort,  it is also smirking at you when you feel guilty about blowing five days of pounding the treadmill and eating carrot sticks.  Emotional eating is perhaps one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome, because, let’s face it; it is something most of us have done on some level since we were children.  Eating to feel better about some stressful situation or emotional need is so common, it has reached comic proportions.  Still, calories count whatever reason they were taken in.  The feeling bad afterwards just adds an added layer of guilt that no one needs.

This is a very difficult behavior to change for many people, but it is not impossible.  The first step, as in a lot of things, is realizing that you are participating in a behavior that is counterproductive to your goals that you have established for yourself.  The “ why” part of the question is often multi-layered and difficult to reach but habits can be changed, if given the time and dedication.  Finding other activities that are known to reduce stress and frustration and using them to take the place of emotional eating is the key to avoiding those useless calories and the self-guilt that accompanies it.  Some activities that have helped people overcome emotional eating are:

Taking a hot bath

Getting out of the house and going for a walk

Calling a friend and talking about what is causing the problem

Another way to avoid overeating is to keep those foods you would tend to reach for out of harm’s way.  Do not pick up that box of French Vanilla ice cream when you are at the grocery.  Feel the power you have over your emotions when you make that choice at a time when you are perhaps not in a vulnerable position where you might waver.

I review a number of sources to help me with these posts I put on the blog.  While I was researching this piece about emotional eating I ran across a list of suggestions to exchange for high calorie foods in stressful situations.  On the list was eating broccoli; that’s right, broccoli.  Obviously written by a ridiculously stress free individual.  I am all about changing behaviors to reach your weight and fitness goals, but I don’t think even I could, with a straight face suggest that crunching on a few florets would ease the cares of the day away.  Good luck; talk to you soon.

Paul

A Shaky Proposition

A SHAKY PROPOSITION

If one has done this job as long as I have, one starts to see pendulum like swings of opinion regarding certain aspects of medical thought.  The pros and cons of estrogen therapy are perfect examples of how thinking can shift 180 degrees and back again over the course of time.  Salt restriction and high blood pressure share a similar history.

We have known for a long time that too much sodium in your diet is not good for your blood pressure.  The emphasis on sodium restriction as it relates to high blood pressure, however, seemed to wane years ago, as newer medications for blood pressure came on the scene.  Now there seems to be a renewed emphasis on salt restriction and how it affects blood pressure.

SALT INTAKE AND HYPERTENSION 

 Hypertension is seen primarily in countries with average sodium intakes above 2300 mg/day; however, it is rare in societies with average sodium intakes of less than 1200/day.  This effect appears to be independent of other risk factors for hypertension, such as obesity.

HOW MUCH SODIUM DO I NEED?

FDA guidelines call for less than 2300 mg of sodium per day, an amount approximately equal to one teaspoon of table salt.  Several groups of people, those with hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, those over 51 years old, and other groups should consume no more than 1500 mg of sodium per day.  The average American diet contains 3400 mg of sodium. 

WHERE IS SODIUM FOUND? 

 The main source of sodium in the diet is the salt added to packaged and processed foods, and in foods from restaurants. Processed foods include prepared frozen meals, canned foods, pickled foods, snack foods, lunch meats, condiments, sauces, and dressings, just to name a few. Notorious offenders are certain sauces, such as teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, which may contain up to 1000 mg sodium per teaspoon! Even the “lite” versions are very high in sodium.  Sodium found in processed food accounts for about 80 percent of a person's daily sodium intake in a typical American diet, and can quickly add up, even without the use of the salt shaker.

WHAT ABOUT LOW SODIUM FOODS?

Food labels can be very helpful but are sometimes confusing.  Here is a list of terms used to describe the sodium content of foods, thanks to Up To Date:

What do labels about sodium mean?

Sodium free	A tiny amount of sodium in each serving
Very low sodium	35 mg or less in each serving
Low sodium	140 mg or less in each serving
Reduced sodium	Usual level of sodium is reduced by 25 percent
Light or lite in sodium	Usual level of sodium is reduced by 50 percent

HOW DO I REDUCE MYSALT INTAKE AND STILL ENJOY MY FOOD?

As you will find out, here at the Right Fit, we are all about preserving flavor and enjoying food.  Those people who have grown up using a lot of salt often find it hard to put down the salt shaker and chips or other foods high in sodium.  To those of you who are in that category, let me offer a couple of suggestions.  First, think of expanding your flavor horizons and substituting herbs, spices, flavored vinegars, and lemon for salt.  People are often amazed at how new and exciting old recipes taste with a new twist.  Also, give it some time; to a certain degree salt preferences are learned habits and they can be unlearned just as well, especially if you are patient and make the change gradually.  Baby steps, remember.

Let the group know what types of substitutions you have found tasty in the search to shake the sodium out of your diet.  Thanks, see you soon.

Paul

Breakfast Smoothie

                        Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups orange juice, preferably calcium-fortified

1 banana

1 ¼ cup frozen berries, such as raspberries, blackberries, and/or strawberries

½ cup low-fat silken tofu or low-fat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sugar or Splenda Granular (optional)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender; cover and blend until creamy.  Serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings, 1cup each

Per serving 157 calories, 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0g mono), 0 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 4 g fiber, 19 mg sodium

Nutrition bonus:  Vitamin C (110% daily value), Fiber (16% dv).

This comes compliments of Judy Fehlenberg; I tried it and thought it was great.

paul

Stay on Track

STAY ON TRACK

Long-term success in any endeavor is about Mastering the Self-Improvement Process, not about how many calories you ate or how many miles you ran or how many dollars you earned or how many words you wrote on a particular day. You can have a "perfect" record for months, but if you're not learning how to cope with the imperfect days, the first few that come along can derail you completely.

It's a simple idea (that you've heard a bunch of times before) but the implications of this are really powerful. It means that for the long haul, it doesn't matter if you ran a marathon today or stayed in bed with the flu. Whether you ate 1500 calories or 5,000 calories.

What matters is that you did what you needed to do to Stay On Track.

Staying On Track is the most important thing. Over time, if you Stay on Track, there will be good days and bad days but the good days will eventually predominate. Healthy living is still a pain. But the longer you keep doing it the less of a pain it is. It will probably never, however, be completely easy and fun. You will always be tempted to Slack. Thus you need to know how to Stay on Track for the rest of your life.

For Life. It stinks but it's really important.

So what are some of the essential components of Staying on Track?

1. Staying Accountable and being Honest with yourself.

2. Acknowledging your Achievements and not just taking them for granted.

3. Trying your best but refusing to get all Punitive and Self-Hating when you inevitably screw up.

4. And so Not Quitting in self-disgust because you screwed up.

5. Then Starting Over if you do happen to quit in self-disgust despite being told Not To.

6. Setting Realistic goals and making positive changes Gradually and Steadily.

7. Accepting that while "All" may be nice, "Some" is better than "None" when it comes to good behavior.

8. Analyzing the Triggers for bad behavior and planning to Avoid them or Minimize their impact in the future.

9. There are Lots more but this is starting to get Boring.

Note one important thing about all of these items (except for #9): They Are All Impossible if You Insist on Perfection!

You will find yourself lying to yourself if your goals are lofty and become inviolable rules in your own mind. You will "forget" to write things down; you will fudge and cheat and you will be psychologically Off Track no matter how well you are actually doing. You will frequently feel disappointed in yourself even when you are objectively doing good things. You won't praise yourself for your good days because they're ALL supposed to be good days. You will feel easily discouraged and tempted to just go off the wagon in a Big Way, because it's just too hard to be good. And you won't learn how to minimize problem behaviors if you're not admitting to them or accepting them as natural and inevitable and part of the process. Blah blah blah, you get the idea.

Good luck, I know you are trying.  Send me your thoughts on what you do to stay on track.

Paul

Southern Fried

Those who know me well know that I am about as country as homemade pickles.  That translates to a deep and abiding love of fried foods.  If it walks, crawls, swims, or shoots up from the ground, I have probably dipped it in cornmeal and thrown it into the deep-fryer.  If I could figure out how to get the batter to stick on a trailer hitch, I would think about dropping it into hot peanut oil and giving it a go.

But I don’t do that, at least not very often.  At least 90% of the time I am walking the straight and narrow path of grilled this and baked that.  I do this because I am not extremely interested in having any more arteries clogging up and having to get them roto-rootered or worse.  I have never been confused with being the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I can tell you that I have seen the light and I am definitely with the program.

I said 90% of the time; that’s because if I want to have my momma’s fried chicken (best in the land) when she comes to visit, I do.  It’s a non-deal to stray a bit on rare occasions.  Sometimes we beat ourselves up so much for those departures, it derails all of our best efforts.

Remember, there is no perfect.  Adhering to your plan 90% of the time will get you to where you want to be without driving you crazy.  The weight loss industry has purposefully, in my opinion, tried to heap guilt on anyone who deviates an inch from the “ideal” plan.  I think we should lighten up a bit.  Life is too short and there are too many other things to stress over without the added weight of moaning over a chicken leg once every blue moon.

This is not an open invitation to move the 90% needle to 75% or 50%.  If you see that you are going down that slope, pull up, call me and let’s get back to the plan.

Please comment on the concept of the 90-10 rule and how that can ease some of the frustration that comes with making significant changes in food choices.

See you soon,

Paul

Breakfast and Lunch Ideas for Busy People

These tips come from Judy Fehlenberg, the nutritional expert member of our team.  Try them when you are pressed for time and still want a tasty and nutritious meal.

Too busy to think about what to make for breakfast or lunch? Try these easy-to-make ideas.

Breakfast

You do not need to eat the same breakfast day after day. Try one of these easy suggestions:

▪ Spread cottage cheese on a piece of raisin bread, top with a dollop of crushed pineapple, and broil for a few minutes

▪ Cook soy sausage patty according to package directions; mix Egg Beaters^®, diced red pepper, precooked soy sausage patty (crumbled), low-fat cheese, and salsa together; cook over low-medium heat in a skillet; then wrap egg combination into a tortilla 

▪ Mix low-fat pancake mix, according to package directions, but add a few handfuls of bran cereal and fruit before cooking

▪ Make Cream of Wheat^® according to package directions, and then stir in reduced-calorie jam and slivered almonds

▪ Make a bowl of old-fashioned oats, according to package directions, but halfway through the cooking time add ¼ cup (C) chunky applesauce, 1 diced banana, ¼ C raisins, and a dash of cinnamon; stir in ¼ C vanilla-flavored soy milk 

▪ Mix ground turkey, one or two slices of torn wheat bread, sage, a diced apple, and a dash of black pepper together; form mixture into patties; broil until cooked through

▪ Mix Egg Beaters and milk together; add some vanilla extract and cinnamon; dip thick slices of whole-grain bread into mixture, coating both sides; place into a baking dish and add peach slices to dish; bake for 15 minutes at 450° F, flipping halfway through baking time

▪ Mix 1 C Egg Beaters and ½ C lite whipping cream together; add diced bell pepper, fresh broccoli, reduced-fat Swiss cheese, and/or low-sodium ham to egg mixture; pour into a 9″ frozen pie shell, which has set out for several minutes to soften; spread with 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) yellow mustard; bake for 30 minutes at 350° F or until egg is set 

▪ Spread a whole-wheat English muffin with peanut butter; top with a sliced banana; drizzle with honey

▪ Top frozen whole-grain waffles with blackberries and lite maple syrup; add a dollop of reduced-fat whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon

Lunch

You can prepare all of these meals the night before. All you need is a refrigerator for storage or an insulated lunch box to keep the food cool.

▪ Mix cooked cheese tortellini with peas; stir in a dressing made from fat-free mayonnaise, mustard, and skim milk; chill well; serve chilled

▪ Marinate sliced cucumber, broccoli pieces, sliced onion, diced tomato, and sliced red or green peppers in honey mustard; serve vegetable/mustard mixture in a whole-grain pita pocket

▪ Mix a can of chicken with low-fat mayonnaise, a diced Granny Smith apple, a small handful of raisins, and a dash of black pepper; serve on a ciabatta roll

▪ Cook 1 C bulgur in 1 C boiling water for 5-10 minutes; mix in cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced onion, a splash of lemon juice, and fresh mint

▪ Mash a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas with a jar of sun-dried tomatoes (drained and chopped) and ½ C low-fat mayonnaise; spread on a whole-wheat tortilla, lined with fresh lettuce leaves; sprinkle part-skim mozzarella cheese on top

▪ Mix cooked long-grain rice, drained and rinsed canned black beans, and salsa together; serve chilled

▪ Combine cooked rotini pasta with cooked chicken breast, an assortment of your favorite vegetables, reduced-fat cheese cubes, and Italian dressing; chill well; serve chilled

▪ Mix your favorite variety of lettuce with chopped red onion, black or green olives, and feta cheese; drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar; serve in a whole-wheat pita

▪ Mix cooked pasta with canned salmon and baby tomatoes; drizzle with a basic vinaigrette or low-fat Italian dressing

▪ Mix Neuchâtel cheese and drained roasted red peppers together; spread on whole-wheat crackers; top with smoked turkey breast 

Portion Control

The basis for the Plate Method for Good Nutrition and Weight Loss is relying on portion control to limit the calories you eat.  It is very simple but not that easy.  There are people out there who have no trouble at all with portion control, but not many. For most of us, there is a big difference between what we need to eat, and what we want to eat. And a lot of the time, unless we're really strict with ourselves, want is going to win out over need.

We are using tableware that is smaller than what is commonly used nowadays.  There is a significant body of work in the scientific literature that backs up the effectiveness of this approach.  Let me tell you about one such study.

So a couple of guys at University of Pennsylvania, Andrew Geier and Paul Rozin, actually get paid to study this stuff. They've conducted studies on "unit bias"--how people decide that a particular portion of food is the right amount, and how that influences how much food people eat.

In one study, they put a large mixing bowl of M&M's at the concierge desk of an apartment building. Below the bowl hung a sign that read "Eat Your Fill" with "please use the spoon to serve yourself" written underneath.

The tricky researchers sometimes set out a small spoon for people to use, and sometimes a large one.

When there was a small spoon, most people took a single scoop, even though the sign encouraged them to "eat their fill." But when the spoon was larger, they'd take a much bigger scoop and eat twice as many M&M's.

"It is more than just people afraid of appearing greedy," said one of the sneaky scientists. "They didn't know they were being observed. We have a culturally enforced 'consumption norm,' which promotes both the tendency to complete eating a unit and the idea that a single unit is the proper amount to eat."

So, dear readers, don’t underestimate the power of the plate to get you where you want to be.

Let me know how the plates are working.

Paul