Category: Healthy Diet

Six Ways To Lose Weight And Still Have A Blast This Summer!

shutterstock_388797451 - summer time fun

Summer has arrived! This means vacations and lots of outdoor festivities!

For many people, summer can be one of the easiest times of year to lose weight.  An abundance of daylight, outdoor activities, and fresh fruits and vegetables all contribute to easy weight loss.  However, long vacations and an abundance of picnics and parties can potentially hinder weight loss goals if we’re not paying attention.  Fortunately, a little awareness and some planning can help you stay on track with your weight loss goals and still have a blast this summer.

Six Ways To Lose Weight And Still Have A Blast This Summer

1) Pay attention to snacking.  With summer barbecues come lots of chips, dips, and appetizers. A serving of chips is usually between 9 and 16 chips; and a serving of dip is usually two tablespoons.  Go ahead and taste, but step away from the table to have a conversation.  Sitting in front of these yummy temptations can lead to mindless snacking.

If you’re really hungry stick to more of the lighter fare like fresh fruit, a portion of cheese, nuts, cold cuts, hummus, and yogurt dips.  Make sure to combine protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you from being hungry again in ten minutes.

2) Have a plan when you eat at buffets. Cruises and hotels offer wonderful buffets. However, when I have a choice between ordering from the menu or the buffet I will usually pick the menu. This helps me avoid overeating.

If the buffet is all you have to choose from, or you really want to try the food, then keep portion sizes in mind when filling up your plate.  Give yourself twenty minutes before going back for a second helping to make sure you are actually hungry.  Finish off your buffet with fruit for dessert which is a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

3) Consider having your own kitchen when you travel for longer than a weekend.  My husband and I like to rent timeshares or vacation homes with kitchens.  Over the years we’ve learned that eating every meal out in a restaurant when you are traveling can be a bit much.  If you are traveling for longer than a weekend, I recommend sticking as close to the way you would eat at home eighty percent of the time and enjoy treats for twenty percent of the trip.  Having your own kitchen makes it a lot easier to do this.  In the end, you’ll end up feeling less bloated and the chances of overeating are seriously reduced.

If you don’t have your own kitchen, try going to a deli or market and creating your own picnic lunch.  You’ll have fun shopping like a local and more control over portion sizes.

4) Watch for hidden calories in blended drinks.  Summer is the time for blended drinks with lots of fresh fruit. These “smoothies” can be loaded with calories.  Treat blended drinks like dessert if you’re not sure about the ingredients.

The same goes for the whipped drinks at the coffee shop.  A Starbucks Frappucino can be anywhere from 290-490 calories so best to keep these to a minimum.

5) Make sure to hydrate!  Watch your water intake even if you are spending the day by the pool. Water wipes the perspiration off of your body, yet your body continues to perspire in the pool.  When you are dehydrated, it can hinder your liver’s ability to metabolize fat.  Fortunately, keeping water close by is a nice easy fix.

6) Play a little more and sit a little less.  Recent research found that as little as a twenty minute reduction in sedentary time on weekends was tied to a loss of more than two pounds per year.  That may not sound like a lot but losing two pounds is always better than gaining two pounds!

Come up with some outdoor activities that you and/or your family enjoy or would like to try. Then, incorporate physical activity into your summer plans.

For example, I love to sit on the beach all day long! It’s so peaceful and I leave totally restored.  However, if I’m not careful too much sitting can pack on  a few extra pounds.  To counter the sitting, my husband and I like to go for a long walk and play in the surf with our dogs.

There are so many ways to burn calories while having fun outdoors. Some examples are Frisbee, Flag Football, swimming, boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, water jogging, and body surfing. It doesn’t have to be formal.  If it seems like a chore, pick something else.  It’s supposed to be leisure time.

This summer, make sure you take time to rest, play, laugh, and relax.  Reducing stress is one of the best things you can do for your waistline and overall health and fitness.  It really is about balance in every area of your life.

Here’s to a happy and healthy summer!

With Love,
Jennifer

The Biggest Loser Controversy – How We All Can Learn From It

THE BIGGEST LOSER -- Season: 17 -- Pictured: (l-r) Whitney Clark, Felicia Buffkin -- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank) - The Biggest Loser Controversy by Certified Personal Trainer & Healthy Lifestyle Coach Jennifer Ledford

THE BIGGEST LOSER — Season: 17 — Pictured: (l-r) Whitney Clark, Felicia Buffkin — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

The Biggest Loser has been a popular show for several years now.  Many people tune in to watch people transform their lives and find it inspiring.  I’m someone who loves to watch people succeed so I can totally understand why it’s been so popular.  However, the latest controversy regarding the contestants that have regained weight has the public asking some valid questions regarding weight loss and how the metabolism works.  As a trainer I am grateful that people are asking questions.

I have to be honest  I’ve always been a bit curious about the show’s weight loss methods.  I was concerned that the contestants were being overtrained and undernourished.  Please understand, this is not an “attack” on the show or the trainers.  The fitness industry is constantly evolving.  There was a time when it was thought that if you placed an extremely overweight person on a very low calorie diet their body would go into its “fat storage or reserves” to burn the extra fat and it would help them lose weight.  Current research shows us that if you want to lose weight and keep it off for good the opposite is true.  When the body is starved it will eventually go into “protection mode” and slow down the metabolism.  You need to eat food in order for your body to feel good about burning the calories.  This means a large person will need way more than eight hundred calories per day to safely lose weight long-term.  Especially if they are exercising.  A large person expends quite a few calories simply moving their body.

One of the reasons low-calorie and restrictive diets are so popular is the quick results they can deliver in the short-term.  The majority of diet plans are next to impossible to sustain for the long-term which is why it’s not a total surprise to me that some of the previous contestants have gained their weight back.  It does, however, make my heart ache for them.

Creating new habits and developing self control for the long haul are not always easy tasks and sometimes people fall off track.  That’s just a part of life and it can happen to anyone.  However, I also believe that it is important for fitness professionals to help clients develop a plan that will give the person the best chance to succeed for the long-term, not just one event.

Hollywood is a unique place.  People are paid to look a certain way for movies and remain camera-ready most of the time.  They are willing to train hard and sacrifice a lot because they get paid for it.  Some of them must stay on very rigid diets in order to remain a certain weight.  People admire the looks of celebrities for good reason and it’s enticing to want to do what they do to look like them.  However, once you find out what’s involved you may decide it’s not what you want, especially if you are not getting paid for it.  I think that may be what some of the contestants found out the hard way.  Fortunately, with the right information and proper guidance they can lose the weight again and keep it off for good.

Food is very personal.  What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another so I don’t believe in a “canned” approach when it comes to meal planning.  After twenty seven years of working in the fitness industry I’ve learned that the not-so-sexy approach of finding what works for you, eating well, exercising most days of the week, getting good sleep, drinking lots of water, limiting processed food, and cutting back on liquid calories is still one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off for good.  The biggest challenge for most people is that losing weight without dieting requires consistency combined with patience.  It can take time to figure out what works best for your life.

An Important Lesson From The Biggest Loser

I believe that one of the most important lessons we can learn from The Biggest Loser is that losing weight and keeping it off for good really is about deciding what you want your life to look like and setting a realistic goal weight that you are able to sustain for the long-term.

Here’s to creating a happy and health lifestyle!

Shared with love,
Jennifer

 

How to Curb Your Cravings Without Depriving Yourself

iStock_couple eatingsweets - cravings

Have you ever found yourself craving an entire bag of potato chips or a huge bowl of ice cream on a bad day?  Or, maybe some days seem harder than others to stick to your normal eating habits?  If so, you are NOT alone.

Research is showing us that controlling cravings is a lot less about will power and a lot more about creating new habits or in some cases addressing a nutritional deficiency.

Know What Your Cravings May Mean

If you’ve been finding it hard to satisfy your cravings, here’s what some of those cravings may mean and how you can curb them without feeling completely deprived.

    • Cravings for salty foods.  A craving for salty foods could mean that you are dehydrated or have a mineral or electrolyte imbalance.  It can also be caused by cutting back too much on your carb intake.  If you find yourself craving salty foods for no apparent reason, try drinking plenty of water and make sure that you are eating carbs with each of your meals.  Choose recipes with interesting spices and herbs to satisfy your craving for savory foods.  Add salted nuts to your diet.  Nuts make great snacks, taste great on salads, and work well in stir-frys.  Remember to pay attention to serving sizes which is usually around 1/4 cup or 16-18 nuts.  A small handful of nuts can go a long way.
    • Sugar cravings.  Research shows that a person can become physically addicted to sugar which means the more you eat, the more you want.  If you find yourself craving sugar often try grabbing a piece of fruit instead.  Deprivation can lead to binging so if sweets are one of your favorites it’s a good idea to incorporate them into your diet in moderation.  When you do decide to have a sweet treat avoid the artificially sweetened diet foods which can cause more intense cravings. Instead, eat small amounts of the real deal instead.  You are better off enjoying a piece of pie made from scratch or a 1/2 cup of real ice cream than you are eating  most processed desserts.
    • The late night snack.  Late night snacking can be triggered by a number of different things.  You may be over tired, justifiably hungry, or simply bored.  A lack of sleep can affect hunger controlling hormones so if you know you’ve been sleep-deprived, focus on getting at least 7.5  hours of sleep per night.  If you notice hunger pains in the evening and it’s been several hours since you’ve had dinner, you are probably hungry.  Eat a light snack that won’t interrupt your sleep.  If you’ve just eaten and you know you’ve been getting enough sleep you may be bored.  Try redirecting your attention to an activity unrelated to food.  Things like reading, stretching, organizing, folding laundry, or playing with a pet are all great ways to keep your hands busy doing something other than snacking.
    • When you’ve had a rough day.  There’s a valid reason you turn to Mom’s chocolate cake when you need a little pick me up on a bad day.  Eating “comfort foods” gives you a boost of serotonin and dopamine, which are feel-good transmitters that act like anti-depressants.  While it’s true that elevating your serotonin levels helps fight depression, turning to the sweets to elevate your serotonin levels may not be the best choice. You may feel great for a moment after eating a large piece of cake. However, when your blood sugar drops, you can go right back into the dumps and may experience guilt for sabotaging your weight loss goals.  Try experimenting with the lighter versions of comfort foods like a whole grain macaroni and cheese or berries with a small piece of dark chocolate on the side.  Or, turn to alternative sources of pleasure like taking a walk with your dog, enjoying a hot bath, or sipping on a glass of wine.

We all have food cravings from time to time. It’s knowing how to deal with them that will make or break our weight loss and/or management goals!

To your health and success!

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford