Easy Diet Tricks to Jump Start Weight Loss

We all know that losing weight is one of the hardest things to do.  One reason is because people focus more on what they are eating than how they are eating.  Although choosing healthier foods is the best way to lose weight and live a healthier life there are also some small tricks you can do to start shedding a few pounds before you are ready to give up those not so healthy snacks:

1.) Everything in moderation! If you eat something with lots of calories, fat and sugars only eat a few bites just to fulfill that craving.  If you lack the self control than buy those 100 calorie snack packs (although they aren’t the most substantial calories you’ll be much better off than eating an entire bag of chocolate or potato chips!)

2.) Eat small meals throughout the day.  This makes it easier for your body to burn off those calories instead of storing them as fat.  This means that you’ll eat throughout the day–the goal is to never be hungry and never be full–you always want to be satisfied.

3.) Eat a low sugar breakfast (and preferably low sugar all day.) Breakfast will jump start your metabolism early in the day and keep blood sugar levels low throughout the day.  This will help you avoid the feeling of hunger when you crash from your sugar high

4.) Try to eat slowly.  It always takes a bit to realize how full you are.

5.) Have dinner be your smallest meal.  If you are sedentary after dinner that means your metabolism is too.  This means that you are much more likely to store your dinner as fat.  If a big dinner is unavoidable, then just make sure you are active afterwards.  This doesn’t mean you have to go on a run, just do the dishes, take your dog on a walk, anything to keep your metabolism going for as long as possible.

6.) What you eat should depend on your activity level afterwards.  If you are being more active than you are allowed to eat carbohydrates (meaning whole wheat, fruit, vegetables, etc.) but if you are going to be more sedentary than eat more protein (chicken, fish, lowfat dairy).

7.) Drink lots of water throughout the day.  This will fill you up and keep your metabolism going all day.

8.) DON’T STARVE YOURSELF!!!  This will just stop your metabolism which defeats the whole purpose…

9.) Find out what your metabolism is! It helps if you know how many calories you should be eating each day… everyone’s metabolism is different there is no magic number of calories for weight loss…

And let us know if we can help!

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #8: Tips for dining out

You can eat out and eat healthy, too. Many restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a diet high in saturated, trans fats and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, and it’s also a risk factor for stroke.

Don’t be shy about making special requests. Most foods on most menus will probably fit into a heart-healthy diet if prepared with low-fat ingredients and less salt. Ask your server if the kitchen can alter preparations to meet your needs, or call ahead before you choose your restaurant. If your food isn’t prepared as you requested, send it back.
Equally important is the portion size. Help control your weight by asking for smaller portions, sharing entrees with a companion, or putting half of your meal in a to-go box to enjoy another time.
• Fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed foods are high in fat and calories. Instead, look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods. If you’re not sure about a certain dish, ask your server how it’s prepared. You can request that visible fat be trimmed from meat and skin be removed from poultry before cooking.
• Request that your meal be prepared with vegetable oil (made from canola, olive, corn, soy, sunflower or safflower) or soft margarine instead of butter. Ask for soft margarine for your bread.
• High-sodium foods include those that are pickled, in cocktail sauce, smoked, in broth or au jus or in soy or teriyaki sauce. Limit these items. Ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG.
• Have gravy, sauces and dressings served on the side, so you can control the amount you eat or skip them completely.
• Ask if the restaurant has fat-free or 1 percent milk instead of whole milk.
• Even if they aren’t on the dessert menu, many restaurants can offer you fruit or sherbet instead of high-fat pastries and ice creams.

Summer Running Season

The summer running season is upon us. Some of us may be training for 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons, or even a marathon. Things to keep in mind while training for one of these races: 1) Make sure you are consuming enough calories to maintain your training plan. The diet of a 5k runner looks much different than someone training for a marathon. If you aren’t sure what to eat, there are lots of books and running forums to help you out. 2) Make sure you pay attention to your mileage. If you just run without knowing what you have done, you won’t be able to note improvements. 3) PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY! Some days you may need to take a day off. Listen to your body, it will give you the right advice on how to train. Enjoy your training and good luck with your PRs.

Increase your metabolism fast!

As our meal sizes get larger, more people have started to wonder if they have thyroid issues.  Now there are plenty of people out there with an underactive thyroid and it certainly doesn’t hurt to get it checked.  Unfortunately however, our bodies just don’t need that many calories a day to maintain weight.  In fact the average woman only needs around 1200-1400 calories a day to maintain not even lose weight!  Here are a few tricks to bump up your metabolism:

†    Pack on some muscle—muscle mass requires at least 5 times more calories per day than fat so for your metabolism’s sake pick up some heavy dumbbells!

†    Burn a couple hundred extra calories by throwing high intensity cardio intervals into your workout—these intervals take longer for your body to recover from so you’ll be burning calories even hours after your workout!

†    Get some sleep! The rate of calories your body burns at rest represents 60-75% of your daily calorie burning—don’t skip out on the easiest way to burn calories!!

†    Eat every two or three hours—If you eat frequently your body can use up the calories and not store it for fat—the key is you never want to be hungry, you never want to be full

†    Eat lots of fiber, fruits and vegetables—each is low in calories, high in nutrients and bumps up your metabolism

†    Drink as much water as possible—this will bump up your metabolism and fill you up—remember the human body is 60% water so one cup of water before just isn’t going to cut it!

Dining Out With Your Personal Trainer

Installment #5: Starbucks (Kristen please don’t come after me in my sleep)

Starbucks is one of the biggest coffee franchises in America today. They have their share of tasty drinks, but most come not only with a hefty price tag, but are also calorie laden. Don’t drink your calories! Research shows that our bodies do not register calories from fluids, meaning that the amount of calories your drink contains has no effect on your satiety level. Starbucks is smart though, and will adapt to your healthy lifestyle by making their beverages in low-fat versions, just ask!

Best Beverage
Café Misto with Skim milk (grande)

Caloric Value: 70 calories, 0g fat

Choosing low-fat or skim milk and no cream will instantly cut your calories in half. Whole milk and skim milk have the same amount of protein, yet 1 cup of whole milk contains 160 calories and 5g of fat versus skim milk which contains 80 calories and 0g fat.

Worst Beverage
Strawberries & Cream Frappucino (grande)

Caloric Value: 570 calories, 15g fat

This drink contains as many calories as a slice of pizza. Instead of ordering regular frappucinos, opt for the light, blended versions, for a savings of over 400 calories.

Have a heart (cardiac rehab)

A recent NY times article spoke about the new link that has been made between people who have had heart attacks and the frequency that they partcipate in cardiac rehabilitation.  After a major cardiovascular event, people who partcipated more often in cardiac rehab sessions lived longer and had fewer re-occurences.  What does this mean for those who have not had any sort of heart problems?  It means that exercising frequently, in addition to dietary changes, can lead to a signifcantly lower chance of heart problems.  Not only that, but your quality of life will be much higher.  You will find that you have more energy, and will save money on your health care over the long haul.

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/for-seniors-an-underused-heart-therapy-the-gym/