FitSugar

Eat Every Four Hours to Prevent Late-Night Snacking

FitSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Some people eat minimally throughout their day; either they're too busy or they're trying to lose weight. When dinner time rolls around, these folks often stuff themselves silly. In response to their previous evening of eating, they don't eat much again throughout the next day, but the late night eating pattern repeats itself. By limiting calorie (read energy) intake during the day, they've created an imbalanced metabolism, which can lead to weight gain and affect blood sugar levels.

The best way to manage your eating habits is to eat every four hours. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and throw in one or two snacks between if your meals are more than four hours apart. Eating throughout your day will satiate your hunger so you'll be less likely to crave late-night snacks. I'd also feel free to indulge a little on sweets or whatever you crave, so that when night time rolls around, feelings of deprivation don't force you to devour an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's.

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Diet Tip: Whiten Your Teeth and Prevent Snacking

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

When it's about 6 p.m. and I start making dinner, I sometimes find it hard to resist snacking. If this sounds familiar then here's an odd, but effective trick to keep you from munching. Try wearing Crest Whitestrips while you cook. For the 30 minutes they're in your mouth, you cannot eat or drink. It'll take you about that long to prepare your meal. By the time you're ready to eat, you can remove the strips and your appetite won't be spoiled with mindless snacking.

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Alexa Fishback on Right Way to Snack

Guest Writer — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:00:07 -0700

We are pleased to announce our first ever guest blogger, nutritionist Alexa Fishback. Since the Get Fit For 2010 challenge this week is all about healthy snacking, we asked Alexa for tips on maximizing the nutritional power of your snacks.

The good news? You should have two snacks every day, in addition to your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bad news - you probably already do. But maybe one snack comes in the form of mindlessly grabbing a handful of M&M's off the reception desk in your office and the other grazing on some pretzels and a Snapple from the work fridge. At the end of the day, these options are highly caloric and not very satiating.

The solution - plan ahead for two snacks every day, one small snack (0-100 calories) and one more substantial snack (100-200 calories) - to keep your blood sugar levels stable between each meal, to give you the energy you need to get through the workday, and to prevent overeating at the next meal. If you can, plan to eat two of these three snack options in some form every day - fruit or veggies (raw, dried, or cooked), nuts or nut butters spread on whole wheat crackers, bread or fruit/veggies, and/or a cup of yogurt or cottage cheese.

Like what you're hearing? Then be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2010 community contest and challenge, by sharing your fave healthy snack in our Get Fit group. A year of personalized nutrition plans by Alexa is part of our fabulous grand prize.

Source: Flickr User gcfairch

Cheryl Burke Keeps It Healthy Even on the Go

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:28 -0800

With the new lineup of Dancing With the Stars announced and training under way, cast member Cheryl Burke is once again on the go. Because the two-time DWTS champion splits her time between the show and managing three dance studios, she is no stranger to travel. Cheryl, 25, recently told Shape that keeping up with healthy eating habits "can be especially grueling" when she's away from home. Here are some of Cheryl's tips for staying healthy when away from home.

Pack snacks. Keeping healthy snacks on hand is a great way to avoid having to eat out all of the time. "I'll munch on Triscuits and peanut butter or cut-up vegetables. And I always have a South Beach Living protein bar, fruit, or almonds in my bag."
Eat in the morning. Cheryl's learned to never underestimate the power of breakfast. "I used to skip breakfast. But now I know it gets your metabolism going and prevents you from overeating later. My go-to meal is an egg white omelet with lowfat cheese and whole wheat toast."

See more of Cheryl's tips when you read more.

Order it your way. "I ask for restaurant dishes to be made with olive oil rather than butter or for them to hold the cheese. If they can't accommodate me, I find something else on the menu."
Go food shopping. If traveling for an extended period, Cheryl says to get grocery shopping. "If you have a fridge in your hotel room, stock up on a few healthy staples from a local supermarket or Whole Foods. When I'm on the tour bus, I'll make a grocery list that includes salad, nonfat vanilla yogurt, lowfat granola, and organic microwavable soups."
Go with the grain. Skip refined carbs and always go whole grain, says Cheryl. "I feel better about any food choice when it's served with fiber-rich pasta or bread."

Check out the rest of Cheryl's tips in the March issue of Shape, currently out on newsstands.

Clean Up the "Carbage" Because It Can Drive a Mom Crazy!

LilSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:00:00 -0800

Garbage in the car can make a mom crazy, especially if she spends a portion of her day shuttling the kiddos. Some people chalk it up to having children, but many parents had cluttered vehicles before babies. Whether it's snack wrappers, forgotten toys, or spare clothes, here are five tips to eliminate the moving mess!

One-toy rule. Lil ones love to bring a toy box worth of goodies with them wherever they go, but few kiddos ever get to playing with all their loot, so limit them to one belonging. And make sure they exit the vehicle with it.
Pay the meter, toss the trash. Food cartons, water bottles, and juice boxes can add up - especially when kids need to snack between activities. To prevent backseat buildup, toss the trash each time you park or pay a meter. Turn it into a game for your youngsters by delegating the task to one of them.
Save the paper and plastic. Find a spot in the trunk or glove compartment and start a bag arsenal. Instead of tossing the sacks you get at the drug or grocery store, keep a few to use as trash receptacles or in an emergency.
Assigned seating. Most families have one messy kid- the child who has mysteriously sticky hands or empties his sandy sneakers on the car mats - so stick to assigned seats that hold each kid responsible for his or her space.
Weekly wipe down. Keep your vehicle tidy using wet wipes and a hand vac to clean spills and hard to reach crumbs at least once a week and make sure to enlist your children in the routine. When they find out how much time and energy goes into cleaning up soiled messes, they are less likely to make another one!

Valentine's Day Candy Breakdown

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:00:50 -0800

Hello Happy Hour: Calorie Edition

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:06 -0800

After work, most people love to de-stress by kicking back a few drinks with friends, and munching on some snacks. Whether you hit up your local sports bar or invite friends over to your place, knowing how many calories are in that glass or appetizer can prevent weight gain. Let's see if you know which drinks and foods are lowest in calories.

Take the quiz

FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:50:08 -0800

After seeing Pink soaring through the air during her Grammy performance last weekend, now I'm getting pumped for Super Bowl Sunday. Check out my food breakdown to see which snacks are the best to choose. And if you're up for making something healthy, give my Creamy White Bean Veggie Dip a try, or these other snack recipes. Remember that the best way to prevent overeating is to keep the food in the kitchen and out of the living room. To see what else we've been talking about this week, start the slideshow.

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You Asked: Late Workout and Even Later Dinner

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:28 -0800

Dear Fit,
The only time I can exercise is after work, but I don't get to the gym until 6:30. By the time I'm finished, showered, and get home, it's 8:00, and I'm starving for dinner. Is it too late to eat a big meal? Am I undoing all the work I did at the gym?
- Working Hard and Hungry

This is an excellent question I'm sure many others who work or go to school full-time can relate to. I'm happy to hear that you're still fitting exercise in, and not letting work commitments get in the way. That said, I have some thoughts about how to handle dinner after your late night workouts, so read more.

Refueling after you work out is a must, so don't worry about eating dinner, even if it's late at night. You may have heard that eating past 7 p.m. will lead to weight gain, but that's a myth, so don't be concerned with your late night meal undoing all your hard work.

That said, you still want your evening meal to be healthy, and you should eat an appropriate portion size that contains protein and carbs to refuel your muscles for your next sweat session. I'm concerned that since you're famished upon arriving home, you're more likely to reach for quick and easy junk foods, and eat more calories than you would if you were only slightly hungry. To prevent this from happening, make sure you eat a pre-workout snack around 4 p.m. that contains carbs and protein and fiber. Yogurt and a piece of fruit or a KIND fruit and nut bar are great options. This snack will give you energy to sweat it out, but should also keep you fuller longer. Be sure to pack a small post-workout/pre-dinner snack to munch on while you drive home from the gym. A piece of fruit or some trail mix will be just enough to ease your hunger so that when you get home, your starving state doesn't cause you to devour an entire bag of pretzels for dinner. You should also try to plan ahead and pre-make some dinners so when you get home, you can grab a salad, warm up some soup, or heat up some grilled chicken and broccoli, and not have to waste time preparing a nutritious meal.

Holiday Eating Survival Guide: Pass the Appetizers

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:47:55 -0800

Is there a holiday party in your near future. Those appetizers tend to be packed with calories, but I have a trick to prevent overeating.

We all know that it's best not to arrive on an empty stomach since that leaves you absolutely ravenous for anything in sight. After munching on a healthy snack before you leave the house, employ this strategy when you arrive. If appetizer platters are passed, decline the first time you're offered each type of hors d'oeuvres. Chances are all the appetizers will make a second appearance later in the evening.

This will allow you to check out your food options, so you're not wasting your calories on something that you don't really want. You'll be more satisfied knowing that you indulged on food that you truly enjoy and didn't just jump at the first thing presented to you. On top of that, you'll likely consume less calories throughout the night.