FitSugar

Common Diet Sabotages: Part Two

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Can't seem to figure out why you can't lose those last few pounds? It may not be the hours you're not spending at the gym or those random fast food runs that are sabotaging your diet, but rather the little things we may not even think about. Women's Health found common culprits for what may actually be keeping you from your goal weight. Here are more highlights:

You're too routine. Nothing is wrong with a schedule, but your body thrives on variety. Especially when it comes to working out and eating. If you eat the same thing and do the same workout every day, you're not doing as much to help your goal than if you were changing it up from time to time.

There's more so read more.

Your recycling bin is always full. Fresh foods do not come in boxes and cans. While there are some healthy prepackaged foods, most are high sodium, high fat, and highly processed.
Your car is littered with wrappers. Spending a lot of time in our cars often leads to eating in our cars, which is not always healthy. Just like watching TV, people tend to overeat when they are multitasking. Save the eating for when you're able to concentrate on how much you're actually putting in your body.

For more information, don't forget to read the Common Diet Sabotages: Part One. Have anything that is sabotaging your diet? Share it below.

Source

Common Diet Sabotages: Part One

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:30:00 -0700

You're using the wrong serving utensils, and I'm not talking about etiquette here. If you find that you're always using big spoons and knives. Knives and spoons often go hand in hand with unhealthy items like mayo, peanut butter, ice cream. Forks, on the other hand, are better served to dig in to foods like salads, steamed fresh vegetables, and chewy lean meats.

There's more so read more.

Your produce is always going bad. Sure you're buying lots of fresh fruits and veggies at the store, but are you actually eating them? A drawer full of rotten produce may mean that you're not eating as healthy as you could be.
You're hungover. You can eat salads until you're green in the face, but splurging on cocktails is not helping your cause. Any drink with alcohol in it is high in calories and not to mention not nutritious at all.
You're always tired. Just like eating healthy and working out, sleep should become a priority. It's not only been proven that folks who get enough sleep have faster metabolisms. When push comes to shove, sleep is more essential than hitting the gym. So in a pickle, choose your bed over pumping iron.

Stay tuned for more common diet sabotages, but in the meantime do you have anything that is sabotaging your diet? Share it below.

Source

Ten Culprits Sabotaging Your Diet This Summer

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Due to the nice weather, summer may be the time where you actually get out and and get moving. However, along with summer comes some culprits for sabotaging you efforts at staying healthy. Canada.com has identified the top ten most notorious culprits:

AIR CONDITIONING: When eating out, consider sitting on a patio rather than in a cool restaurant. You'll be less likely to order a calorie-laden special of the day like lasagna while outdoors but while dining inside a cool eatery, it might be appealing.

BARBECUES: Hamburgers, hot dogs and big hunks of meat are traditional barbecue offerings potentially providing an excess of fat and calories. And these days, because of the ease of firing up a gas grill, barbecues can often be a daily occurrence. Raise the nutritional quotient by including plenty of grilled vegetables or barbecuing some fish on a regular basis.

BEER: While drinking beer on a hot day is not a new activity, it's the amounts consumed that may affect health. Research shows that in excess, the beverage may really contribute to a beer belly and it's this location where fat raises disease risks.

COOLERS: Mixed drinks and bottled coolers can pack a mighty caloric wallop. A couple of servings can set you back about 500 calories. Alternatively, the same amount of alcohol combined with soda water or a diet mixer is less than half the total.

ICED COFFEE BEVERAGES: These popular beverages may seem just a little richer than a cooling iced latte made with low-fat milk. But at 500 calories a pop for some offering topped with whipped cream, the caloric totals can surpass those you might consumer at a meal.

Ice cream, salads and social events made the list too, so read more

ICE CREAM: This summertime favorite has been transformed over the years from a scoop containing moderate amounts of fat to la creme de la creme varieties packed into large waffle cones that could feed a family of four. The same goes for some ice cream novelties that are akin to butter and sugar on a stick.

SALADS: A bowl of veggies tossed with a little dressing used to be a light dish. These days, you can find numerous gargantuan offerings that have been drowned in a sea of oil. Instead, ask for the salad to be dressed lightly or by having the dressing on the side.

SOCIAL EVENTS: It's summertime and the livin' is easy -- the time of year for entertaining and being entertained. And unlike in the winter, catching up with friends happens right through the week. And as the activities likely will involve food and drink, recognize how often it's happening and pace yourself.

SWIMMING: With the popularity of backyard and community pools along with cottages on lakes, swimming has never been more popular. But if the water's cold, appetites can be revved. If so, go for lots of low-cal fillers as an appetite-taming measure.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS: Add in vacations and summertime can turn into a longer festive season than the holiday period during December. Try to build in some physical activity in your vacation pursuits to balance out the decadent delights.

Source

Not Losing Weight? Your Brain May Be to Blame

FitSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Sometimes your brain overrides your good intentions when it comes to dieting. Researchers continue to find that our brains don't behave in a predictable manner when it comes to diet and exercise. Consciously, we want to adopt healthier habits but our brains lead us to do the opposite.

To study this disconnect between the brain and good intentions, a small study was performed where 53 college students were shown posters promoting exercise. Then they were asked to evaluate some raisins, and told they could eat as many as they needed for their evaluation. Then the researchers ran a similar experiment, but showed the students posters that promoted making goals and being successful. After, they were asked again to evaluate raisins.

To hear the results of the study, read more.

It turns out that students ate more raisins after looking at the fitness posters. Researchers thought this proved that when we see TV commercials or magazine ads that encourage us to work out, our brains are inspired to do something, but often that translates into eating more if we're near food. They suggest that these types of ads might be doing more harm than good if they're not targeted correctly.

This study seems a little weak if you ask me. These researchers make it seem like there's nothing you can do to lose weight because your brain will take over and sabotage your good intentions. What about willpower and determination?

Source

Weekend Reading: Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

FitSugar — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

The key to mastering your metabolism, according to the new book by Jillian Michaels? Hormones! But not in the way you normally think of hormones.

In Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For a Hot and Healthy Body!, the Biggest Loser trainer explains how the myriad hormones that make up your endocrine system - including cortisol, ghrelin, testosterone, and leptin - work to keep your body healthy and balanced.

One of the new anti-diet books, this incredibly detailed guide combines personal memoir, serious science, and healthy eating recommendations to shed light on how artificial additives and other external factors can sabotage our weight-loss efforts. The book starts out incredibly academic, defining the various hormones and how they work; it was too much scientific jargon for me. But after wading through that I learned a lot. To find out what, read more.

Michaels's basic premise is that the toxins in processed foods, nonorganic produce, prescription medications, and the environment can throw our hormones out of whack, wreaking havoc on our systems. She writes, "Any and every body function you can imagine is controlled by your hormones." Her "three diet secrets" divide the book into three phases: removing these toxins from your life, replacing them with healthy foods, and rebalancing your hormones through diet, sleep, and exercise.

She offers a strict and simple meal plan that involves eating every four hours and tells you how to look at all the labels in your pantry and toss out the really bad stuff. She also acknowledges that we can't eat perfectly all the time and offers suggestions for good but not great foods. Along the way, she adds personal touches, like memories of being an overweight kid and confessing that she hates to exercise (which I have a hard time believing).

I like how the book offers different reasons for eating healthy than the ones we're used to hearing. It really made me think about how bad junk food really is and how every decision about what we put in our bodies has a ripple effect. This certainly isn't a book you can absorb with a quick skim; it's very dense with information. But I learned a great deal reading it and plan to return to it as a reference.

Don't Let Your Thoughts Sabotage Your Workouts

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

A mind is a powerful thing. Often we don't realize how destructive our internal dialogue can be to our attempts at healthy living, dieting, and exercise. We trash talk our best intentions on the treadmill. We undermine our will power when confronted with a pint of ice cream. We easily rationalize the health benefits of a Snickers bar since it is chock full of peanuts. Does this sound familiar? The good news is that reigning in your mind can actually help your body shape up.

Psychologist Gareth Dutton says, "The first step in charting the right course to fitness is to recognize how your thoughts are undermining your exercise plan. The second step is to challenge the negative thinking." If you can't ignore your unhealthy thoughts completely, then work on changing them so they're more positive. Here are some examples:

Negative thought: I don't feel like working out today.
Positive thought: Even though I don't want to go to the gym, I'll go and work out for only 20 minutes, because I know I'll feel great afterward.

Negative thought: I'm already fat so I might as well eat another piece of cake.
Positive thought: This cake was so delicious that I could go for a second slice, but I know I'll be proud of myself for not over-indulging.

To see the other examples of spinning your thoughts on their heads, read more.

Negative thought: I hate running.
Positive thought: Running isn't my favorite, so I'll do running and walking intervals instead.

Negative thought: It's raining so I can't go for a bike ride.
Positive thought: It's raining, so I'll do some strength training inside.

Negative thought: I'll never be able to lose weight.
Positive thought: I lost one pound already, and that's one step closer to my goal weight.

Do you have negative thoughts that sabotage your healthy lifestyle? Share them below and tell me how you rise above them.

Source

Are You a Stress Eater?

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:30:00 -0700

I don't think it is possible to listen to the news without becoming at least somewhat stressed. First there is the economy, then more bad news from the Middle East, anxiety about the upcoming presidential election, and in my neck of the woods, fires. Many people reach for carbohydrate-rich foods when they are stressed, and often sugary ones at that. Carbs help the brain make serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical. Stress eating is often unconscious, which can sabotage a diet and make it hard to maintain a healthy weight.

While you can try to nourish yourself and placate the gnawing stress in your belly by healthier means than donuts, it can be hard. One creative business owner opened a smash shack where you can throw plates at a wall to relieve your stress. I guess better to throw a plate than to eat the plate.

What I want to know is . . .

Source

Don't Let the Weekend Slow You Down

FitSugar — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I like to think of dieting as a lifestyle change, not just a means of limiting calories. This means when the weekend rolls around, you need to continue your healthy lifestyle and forgo the many splurges Saturday and Sunday can offer, like brunch and extra cocktails.

New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that dieters tend to eat more calories on the weekend. Eating more calories than you expend means you slow down weight loss. I think an occasional splurge is OK, but two days of consistent splurges can make the needle on the scale stagnate, or even worse head in the wrong direction.

Going "weekend casual" doesn't mean you can let your willpower off the hook. Watch your portions of both food and alcohol. Plan ahead just like you do during the week. Don't sabotage your hard earned week of work in two days.

Source

Tips Straight from The Biggest Loser

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

If anyone knows weight loss, it's the folks over at The Biggest Loser.

While the new season of the Biggest Loser does not start until September 11th, 2007 (I am so excited I can hardly contain myself), Kim Lyons, Devin Alexander (author of The Biggest Loser Cookbook) and several of the "Biggest Losers" offer these tips and tricks on WebMD to help motivate you:

"Eat often -- snack often," says Alexander. While this may seem contrary to traditional dieting advice, the chef says that as long as you keep an eye on calories and portions, eating often will stave off hunger attacks that ultimately sabotage your diet. "When you're starving, you grab whatever is available -- and that's the quickest way to get off your eating plan," says Alexander.
"Eat your carbs in the morning," says Biggest Loser contestant Brian Starkey. "It gets your day off to an energetic start." Lyons adds that carbs are quickly burned with activity, so eating them may help motivate you for that morning walk or bike ride.
"Post a picture of yourself on the refrigerator -- at your worst," says Biggest Loser contestant Dana Desilvio. "The next time you're thinking of grabbing something you shouldn't from the fridge, you'll be reminded of what you don't want to look like!"
"Instead of watching the clock during workouts, listen to music," to make the time go faster,says Erik Chopin (pictured above), The Biggest Loser's season-three winner. Lyons reminds us that everyday activities, like bike riding, tossing a Frisbee, or walking your dog, count as physical activity, too.

There's six more so read more

"When eating out, always ask for a 'to-go' box -- at the start of your meal," says Biggest Loser contestant Bobby Moore. Then, when your food arrives, immediately put half of it in the box, he suggests. This way, you'll not only get used to eating smaller portions, but you'll have a snack for later.
Learn to cook healthfully. "Cooking healthy doesn't have to be hard -- or take more time," says Alexander. While many "Biggest Loser" contestants said they thought cooking healthy would be complicated or time-consuming, Alexander says, most found that cooking healthy is actually easier, less expensive, and faster.
"Never overlook the power of seasoning," says Alexander. One way she made even the blandest diet foods grab the contestants' attention was by using low-sodium seasonings. "People never realize what a major difference spices can make on even simple dishes like grilled chicken or salmon," she says.
"When it comes to cooking in flavor, it's never about the oil," says Alexander. Many dieters believe that unless food is fried in oil, you don't get much flavor. But, she says, the real secret is pan-browning, which can happen without oil. The trick to getting restaurant-quality taste, she says, is to never overload your pan with food. "If you put too much in the pan, the moisture content causes the foods to steam and not pan-fry," she says. "By reducing the amount of food in the pan you get that tasty pan-seared browning, without the use of any oils."
Don't try to do too much exercise, too soon. You not only run the risk of injury, but you'll also get quickly discouraged. "Don't try to stare down 45 minutes of exercise," says Lyons. "Tell yourself it will be OK to quit after 10 minutes, because most of the time once you get going, you'll keep going."
Remember: Self-esteem feeds on self-esteem. Accomplishing a little something toward your weight loss goal every day will not only get you on the road to success, but help keep you there. "You are not just losing weight, you are changing your life and your lifestyle," says Alexander. "If you keep that in mind, you come to see that every change, no matter how small, comes together to make a huge difference in not only your weight, but your life," says Alexander.

Shocking Secrets From Inside a Restaurant Kitchen

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:45:00 -0800

Me, I like to think I know how to navigate my way through a restaurant menu when it comes to making the healthiest choices. However, recently eDiets got the inside scoop on common restaurant practices that can sabotage your diet that you might not have considered.

Here are a few practices that shocked me the most:

Even steamed veggies are high in fat. “Fat is what sells food in restaurants,” says Deborah Fabricant, a Los Angeles-based restaurant consultant, former chef and author of Stacks: The Art of Vertical Food. “That’s why it ubiquitous, even in vegetable dishes.”
Egg-white omelets aren’t necessarily better for you. If you’ve been to a fancy buffet brunch with an omelet bar, you’ve seen the chef generously ladle a clear liquid into the pan before making your mushroom-and-spinach favorite. The liquid is fat, and the ladle holds at least 2 tablespoons. That’s 22 grams of fat (16 grams saturated) and 200 calories added to an otherwise healthful dish.

There are more shocking revelations so read more

Those “plain” toasted buns are covered in butter (or worse). It’s pretty obvious when you take a bite of garlic bread at a steakhouse that it’s dripping with butter. But butter or other fat is added to bread a lot more often than you know. It’s common practice to slap sandwich buns with some form of grease to keep them from sticking to the flattop grill. You may think you’re having a plain grilled chicken sandwich, but there’s a good chance those wheat buns were smeared with margarine before being toasted. This adds 5.5 fat grams (4 grams saturated) and 50 calories.
Meat, chicken and fish get a fat rubdown before cooking. At culinary school it was drilled into chefs that before any piece of meat is cooked – no matter how it’s to be cooked – it absolutely must be rubbed on both sides with olive oil. Rubbing a 4- to 6-ounce chicken breast, steak or piece of fish adds up to 10 grams of fat (2 grams saturated) and 90 calories. And if it stops there, you’re getting off easy.

Source