Hi everyone….I appreciate so much that you email me with your questions and comments. I did an interview earlier this week on snacking and looked at some of the nutrition numbers for various summertime treats. Long hot summer days just call for ice cream which I love. But with these numbers, a little on the lips can truly be forever on the hips. Did you know that according to wedmd.com, a Baskin- Robbins (one of my favorite ice creams) Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Sundae contains 1, 220 calories, 80 grams of fat and 92 grams of sugar? With four grams per teaspoon of sugar…that’s about 23 teaspoons of sugar. So ladies, if you’re trying to eat about 1500-1800 calories per day to lose a few pounds, this sundae alone is most of your days calories. Not to pick on Baskin-Robbins because a Cold Stone Creamery Dark Chocolate cone (large) has about 800 calories, 47 grams of fat and 68 grams of sugar.
And you know that corn dog and fries that you see at the summer fair? Count them…770 calories and 1600 milligrams of sodium. Yes, I totally get that sometimes you just must have them but I want you to understand why weight loss is such a problem. The portion sizes and thus total calories taken in require such an output in exercise that just never happens…the weight comes on and it’s tough to take off. Remember, you are in charge of yourself and your health so think about how you spend you calories. Can you split this splurge with a friend? Order a child’s portion? Choose a lower fat variety? Maybe switch to a frozen treat of 150 calories or less such as fruit bars or fudge bars, light ice creams, fruit and yogurt parfaits, or how about fresh berries dipped in dark chocolate? Trail mix with some M&Ms tossed in? There are a lot of great options.
Don’t forget to try this month’s recipe from Family Circle magazine: Black Bean Chili Burgers…perfect for these summer nights.
Do you ever feel bummed because you’re working so hard…doing everything right to lose weight and nothing happens? I was talking to a girlfriend the other day that I went to college with and she said to me, “I’m so frustrated. I just can’t seem to lose any weight and I’m trying to do everything right. What am I doing wrong?” There are several pitfalls that can cause any diet not to work. Family Circle Senior Editor Margit Ragland joins me on the podcast this week to talk about these diet downfalls.
I had a chance to see Margit last week in New York. Margit attended an editors’ event sponsored by one of my clients, Target. We had such fun talking food and nutrition and of course, eating!
OK, diet downfalls. I think many of you probably feel like my girlfriend. You’re frustrated and are not sure why the weight isn’t coming off. Some of these potential downfalls truly can sabotage the best attempt to lose weight.
1. Diet downfall: You eat a small breakfast.
Undo the damage: Aim for a breakfast of roughly 400-500 calories. Be sure to include a lean protein and a high fiber carb such as peanut butter on a whole grain bagel or piece of whole wheat or rye toast. The Weight Control Registry’s research shows that the most successful losers eat breakfast regularly which also seems to help them eat less later on in the day.
2. Diet downfall: You skip meals.
Undo the damage: If you skip breakfast or lunch, you will want to eat the door off the refrigerator and forget about nutrition or portion control. It’s out the window. Hunger takes over and that’s all you can think about. Try not to go longer than four hours without a snack or meal. Your energy level will stay up and your cravings/hunger will go down.
3. Diet downfall: You eat only so-called superfoods.
Undo the damage: Bottom line: you must eat less than you burn off. Even healthy foods such as nuts, avocados and dried fruit can wreck your diet if you eat too much. So practice portion control. Use your hand as your guide. A thumb is a good portion size for salad dressing and two thumbs for nuts or avocado. Use your fist for a serving of rice or potatoes, your palm for protein.
If you’re a regular blog reader, you know that Steve Holbrook, WDBO’s Program Director, was my guest this past January and April on the podcast. Steve heard me discuss the research on protein and weight loss during my radio segment and he took it on as his personal weight challenge around March or April. Steve is the perfect example of a super busy guy who made a personal decision to change his eating habits, weight and health regardless of his crazy schedule…. which he knew wasn’t going to change.
Be sure and listen this week. Steve has lost and kept off 10 pounds in the last 4 months. He talks about his struggles and successes and how he has made the changes that are working for him so well. To celebrate, he has bought new clothes which are a size smaller than he wore before. That’s one great feeling.
Steve told me that he is now working to decrease his portion size of meat to a more realistic four ounces. He uses the golfer strategy of ‘thinking about your shot’ to set his mind on what he plans to do and how. He’s motivating, real world, honest and open about his weight struggles. You don’t want to miss our conversation.
By the way, in case you are wondering just how many calories you need per day, try this simple estimate.
How many calories do you need in a day?
If you’re a lounge lizard: your weight x 10
If you only exercise on the weekend: your weight x 13
If you work out a half-hour most days: your weight x 15
If you work out an hour most days: your weight x 18
Remember, to lose one pound a week which is equal to 3500 calories, you need to cut back or burn off 500 calories per day.
For the past few years research has been back and forth on the role of calcium in weight loss. A new study in the March issue of the British Journal of Nutrition looked at overweight/obese women who reported consuming less than 600 milligrams of calcium per day. In food terms that’s less than two glasses of milk. One group of women was given supplemental calcium and vitamin D along with their calorie reduced diet and the other placebo group received the calorie reduced diet only. The results indicated that in the group taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements, fat loss increased. This fat loss may be due to a calcium specific appetite control. So as we learn more about the role of calcium in weight loss, it’s a smart idea to consume adequate calcium and vitamin D every day. For most people this need is somewhere between 1000-1300 milligrams for calcium and 400 or more IUs of vitamin D. Many people have low vitamin D blood levels so you may want to ask your doctor to check it with a blood test.
One of my favorite ways to start my day and get a big boost of calcium is to make my favorite peanut butter smoothie. It’s so easy. I keep those bananas that are looking a little ripe, cut them up and put them in the freezer. Then I always have bananas ready to go. Toss about 3 banana pieces into a blender along with 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter (almond butter works too), ½ cup or so of high calcium/high protein milk and ¼- ½ cup of Greek yogurt. That’s it…blend and drink…yum! Sometimes I use the vanilla Greek yogurt and that’s really tasty.
Some other good calcium sources courtesy of Family Circle (July issue) besides milk, cheese and yogurt include:
Breakfast
½ cup oatmeal made with 1 cup skim milk, 300 mg
A smoothie made with 1 cup low-fat yogurt, ice, ½ cup strawberries and 1 peach, 400 mg
Lunch
2 cups tomato soup topped with ½ cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese, 235 mg
2 cups vegetable chili made with black beans, 160 mg
Snack
1 piece of low-fat string cheese and 3 Tbsp almonds, 225 mg
1 cup mixed veggies with ½ cup low-fat yogurt dip, 225 mg
Dinner
3 oz canned salmon with bone, 2 cups mixed greens with 2 Tbsp low-fat dressing, 235 mg
1 ½ cups whole-wheat pasta with 1 cup frozen spinach and ½ cup broccoli, 290 mg
Each month Family Circle Senior Health Editor Margit Ragland shares a tasty recipe that we post at the WDBO Nutrition and Health Center. For July, it’s a Sausage & Pepper Hero. Guys, you are going to love us for this recipe and ladies, if your man is a sausage kind of guy who loves an overflowing hot dog bun, we have a healthy version that only you will know is good for him.
How does eating more and weighing less sound to you? I like the idea because I like to eat. Here’s how it works. The latest nutrition science on weight loss suggests two points to remember:
Choose foods that are low in calorie or what’s also referred to as low energy dense foods. They are low in calorie but high in either fiber or water or both. You feel full longer on less calories.
Include lean protein at every meal and snack if possible. Protein is also known for helping you to feel full for a longer period of time or what is referred to as satiety.
I chatted with Family Circle Senior Health Editor Margit Ragland about this concept and here are four easy food swaps to try. Notice that all four swaps include high fiber foods and lean protein except the popcorn snack which you could sprinkle with parmesan cheese for a protein boost.
Breakfast:
Instead of: 2 slices of white toast with 1 tbsp of butter
Fill up with: 1 cup of non-fat or low-fat yogurt with ½ cup of blueberries and ½ cup pineapple
Lunch:
Instead of: A turkey sandwich on a roll with lettuce, tomato and mustard
Fill up with: A turkey burger or a turkey sandwich on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato and 1 tsp ketchup or mustard
Dinner:
Instead of: Spaghetti with marinara sauce
Fill up with: Filet of sole in a lemon pepper seasoning with asparagus and a baked sweet potato OR add lean meatballs to the spaghetti and try the whole grain spaghetti
Snack:
Instead of: 4 ounces of honey wheat pretzels
Fill up with: 5 cups of low-fat microwave popcorn (sprinkle with parmesan cheese to add protein if desired)
Looking for a summer pizza to do on the grill? Check out the Grilled Mango BBQ Pizza just posted on our recipe page. It’s quick and delicious.
Guys…what’s your gut feeling? No, I don’t mean that gut around your waist but rather your ‘inner voice’ gut. Is it telling you to pay more attention to what you eat? Is it time to turn that gut feeling into gut reduction?
Speaking of successful gut reduction, I’m excited to have Steve Holbrook, WDBO’s Program Director, back again on this week’s podcast so be sure and listen. If you recall, Steve was our guest on the January 28th podcast when we talked about protein for weight loss. Steve had heard me discuss the new research on protein and weight loss during my radio segment and he took it on as his weight challenge.
Steve has not only lost over 10 pounds in the last two months or so but he has dramatically changed his eating habits. He now includes a lean protein source at every meal and eats more total grams of protein per day than he did prior to starting the weight challenge. A long distance biker, Steve needs the protein to replenish, maintain and build new muscle.
You’ll want to hear how Steve successfully navigates his many business lunches and dinners and still stays in control of his eating. He talks about how most golfers think about their shot before they take it and how he has made this strategy work for him when he eats out and selects food.
Steve feels good about his weight and body and the way that his clothes fit. Speaking of body image, this past week the media was all over the comments made by conservative pundit Laura Ingraham about Meghan McCain’s (daughter of John McCain) weight. Women can be very cruel to one another as many of you have shared with me. You can read Meghan’s blog that addresses these comments at her blog for The Daily Beast.
As I commented on her blog, women are held up to unrealistic weight and body images (including the inability to age gracefully) yet most women in this country are a size 12 or 14. There is also a double standard with men. It is doubtful you would ever hear a man trash another man for his gut being too large or having a double or triple chin. Certainly not in a business situation. Everyone but especially young girls and women should be empowered to eat a healthy diet, be proud of their body image and feel good about themselves regardless of their size and weight.
I just read in the April 1st issue of Family Circle magazine that if you give up one regular 20-ounce soda a day, you’ll save about 91,000 calories a year. Do the math at 3500 calories per pound and that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds you could lose. That’s huge! Sweetened beverages including juices can pack on the pounds but here are some usable tips to help prevent that gain.
Go for a 50-50 mix. Since juice can be a concentrated source of calories, dilute it with water, sparkling water or club soda. As you adjust to this mixture, try a little less juice and a little more water. Remember that sweetened beverages do not provide you with a feeling of satiety or fullness so you can consume a lot of calories and still be ravenous.
Heads up, many sports drinks and sodas actually contain more than once serving if you check the Nutrition Facts label. When you consume the entire bottle, you need to double or triple the calories depending on the servings in the container. Be a label sleuth.
Are you hungry after you workout? I am. If I’m not careful, I can easily consume more calories rehydrating than I just burned off. Be sure and check the calories of your favorite flavored waters and sports drinks. Some contain upwards of 300 calories.
Hi everyone….I appreciate so much that you email me with your questions and comments. I did an interview earlier this week on snacking and looked at some of the nutrition numbers for various summertime treats. Long hot summer days just call for ice cream which I love. But with these numbers, a little on the lips can truly be forever on the hips. Did you know that according to wedmd.com, a Baskin- Robbins (one of my favorite ice creams) Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Sundae contains 1, 220 calories, 80 grams of fat and 92 grams of sugar? With four grams per teaspoon of sugar…that’s about 23 teaspoons of sugar. So ladies, if you’re trying to eat about 1500-1800 calories per day to lose a few pounds, this sundae alone is most of your days calories. Not to pick on Baskin-Robbins because a Cold Stone Creamery Dark Chocolate cone (large) has about 800 calories, 47 grams of fat and 68 grams of sugar. 
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