How was your first week? One week down..Just five to go! Remember to weigh in today. Then go to myfitnesspal.com and click the check in tab. You will see a little box to enter your new weight in. If you didn't lose anything...stay strong and think about last week. Are there any changes you can make this week for better results? (The Weekend always throws me off my diet a bit so if you are in the same boat and need to weigh in on Tuesdays, that's ok too!)
There are several things that can sabotage our weight loss goals. I struggle with late night snacking and a crazy sweet tooth.
Here are a few of the challenges that can derail your diet plans:
Portion Control
An Insatiable Sweet Tooth
Nighttime Snacking:
Snacking while working:
Indulging too much when eating out.
Dealing with stress
Eating healthy on the go.
Making time to exercise (finding the motivation to exercise)
Do you struggle with any of these? Here's some help from Better homes and Gardens September issue:
Portion Control: Measuring and tracking your food helps you know how much you are eating. When I first started using Myfitnesspal I was surprised how many calories I was eating. It's not always necessary to count calories but doing it for a month gives you a good idea of how your doing. Ellie Krieger host of the food Networks Healthy Appetite uses this rule. "Every day when I finish eating lunch, I always feel like I could eat another plateful. So I tell myself that if I'm still hungry in 15 minutes, I can eat more." Only put one serving on your plate at dinner time and don't tempt yourself to seconds by keeping the food in front of you. The same goes for snacks and treats. Measure out one serving and put the rest away. (locked in a safe if necessary)
An Insatiable Sweet Tooth: This is a big one for me and others including Harley Pasternak a personal trainer for stars like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Megan Fox and Katy Perry. "I want to eat chocolate chip cookies every single day. But I don't buy a box and keep them at home. Instead, when I'm craving one really badly, I make it a special event. I go out and find the best, most decadent incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookie to eat. It ends up being so satisfying that the craving doesn't hit again for a few days." The moral: Keep your craving foods out of the house. Another way to help with the sweet tooth is to avoid eating a diet that is too low in fat. Studies have shown that the lower your diet it is in fat, the more carbohydrates you will crave. Opt for natural fats like avocados, nuts, olive and coconut oils used sparingly throughout the day.
Nighttime Snacking: Unfortunately, I struggle with this one too. Joy Bauer Nutrition and Health expert for NBC's today bemoans "late night noshing" as her Achilles' heel "One scoop of frozen yogurt or a chocolate chip cookie can easily turn into four or five. So knowing my tendency....I plan out a post-dinner snack that has no more than 200 calories like light popcorn, 1/2 dark chocolate bar, a handful of nuts, or a frozen fruit pop.' For a list of ideas try Googling clean eating snacks. One page I like is here
Snacking while working/distracted eating: I don't work and many of you probably don't either but I can have a problem with distracted eating. David Kirsh a personal trainer who has worked with stars like Anne Hathaway and Heidi Klum often feels the need to eat while working on his computer. He calls this "mindless nibbling which can spiral out of control. To keep myself aware oh how much I'm eating, my go-to snack is pistachios. I get them still in their shells because the process of shelling them slows me down and stops me from just shoveling the nuts into my mouth. Also seeing the growing pile of shells is a good visual reminder of how much I've eaten." Many of the clean eating options above take a while to eat...dipping apples in almond butter or veggies in hummus can slow you down a bit.
Indulging too much when eating out: The rosemary bread and warmed butter, the sparkling lemonade, the decadent chocolate dessert. I didn't mean to eat it all but it was calling out my name and was ohhh so good! Daphne Oz Host of ABC's The Chew (and daughter of the famous Dr. Oz) has a few tips for eating out. "To avoid overeating during the entire meal, I share as many things as possible and am a big believer in leftovers." She also eats a pear or apple before her meal so she's not famished and is likely to eat less. Better homes and Gardens writer Alice Oglethorpe recommends "If you are a party of two, order a few separate appetizers and share instead of each ordering a separate entree...Also only eat the bread if the restaurant is known for it." summed up...skip the bread and share the meal.
This is getting a little long so I'll sign off. Stay tuned for diet dilemmas-- part 2.
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