Category: Meal Planning

You CAN Eat Out And Still Fit Into Your Jeans

 

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As a San Francisco Bay Area resident, I have by nature become a “foodie.”  That doesn’t mean I’m a food snob.  It just means I really like great food.

Life is too short to eat food that doesn’t taste good. Food is part of our life and it’s more than just fuel. It’s an experience.

With that being said, too much indulging can make or break our ability to maintain or lose weight.

Over the years,  I’ve had the opportunity to witness many clients lose weight by simply cutting back on how often they were eating out.  Or, if they were not able to pack meals regularly, they lost weight by ordering foods that contributed to their weight loss when ordering off a restaurant menu.

One client that comes to mind  lost two clothing sizes because she stopped eating out for lunch on work days.  By limiting the amount of meals she was eating in restaurants, she was able to have way more control over what and how much she was eating.

I realize that eating out while conducting business can be part of someone’s job description.  If that’s the case for you, make a mental note to yourself to pay attention to what you are ordering when you eat out for any event that is not “social.”  This includes volunteer work as well.  Some salads and sandwiches in restaurants can pack in over 1000 calories per meal.  So, no matter how much exercise you are getting in, if you eat out often you could be sabotaging your efforts.

I encourage you to bring lunch and snacks with you when you are out for the day. If you are someone who eats out often for business then you want to get to know your menus and think of the food as energy to keep you going rather than a special treat. That doesn’t mean that you have to throw taste out the window.  Just pick things like grilled fish instead of the triple cheeseburger.

Do your best to make take out in the evenings an exception and not the norm. If you are not sure what to cook, get a subscription to some good cooking magazines that have easy light recipes. I use these when I do my weekly meal planning before I go to the grocery store.  We do not sacrifice taste for calories in my house.  If it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point?

When eating out becomes more of a treat you will notice that you enjoy it more and you are less likely to overindulge.  You may even find you have extra money to spend on something special that’s not food related at all.

To your health!
Jennifer Ledford

P.S.  Have a question or personal tip you’d like to share?  Please leave it below.  I’d love to hear from you!

 
This post contains an Amazon affiliate link which means that if you click on the product link, I’ll receive a small commission. Twenty percent of all Amazon commissions will be donated to charity.  It’s a pleasure to serve you! 

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How To Avoid Weight Gain During Stressful Times

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A common problem that I witness in the fitness industry is weight gain during seasons of high stress.  This usually comes from a combination of higher caloric intake, and a reduction of exercise.  However, in some cases it can be the result of a client not eating enough food and their metabolism slows due to the starvation mode their body is experiencing.  Lack of sleep and dehydration are other culprits that can play a part as well.

If you have a pulse it’s pretty difficult to avoid periods of higher-than-usual stress in your life. Stress can come in negative forms but it can come in positive forms as well.  For instance, a new promotion at work is usually a great thing, but it can come with higher demands that require some adjustments to manage the new responsibilities.

Since most of us will deal with a high stress period at some point in our life, the big question is how do you get through it without gaining a bunch of weight?  Let me help prepare you with a few  simple tips.

Beware of the “who cares” mode.  “Who cares” mode can be a slippery slope.  When we are dealing with serious issues or managing busy seasons, it can be tempting to eat foods that we think will comfort emotions and are easy to grab quickly.

During high stress periods it’s really important that you fuel your body properly.  Your immune system may already be compromised by the stress, so eating healthy is super important.  Do your best to pack lunches.  Stick to balanced meals that include complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, fruits, and lots of vegetables.  Keep healthy snacks close by and drink plenty of water.

If eating out frequently is a must (sometimes you have no choice), then do your best to pick the healthiest things on the menu.  You’ll be happy you did when you have the energy to carry on.

Pay attention to how you reward yourself.  I’ve seen this happen when clients are working especially hard on a project.  This can range from starting a new business, running the PTA fundraiser, or any other big event or business deal that comes to mind.  The client is working so hard that they feel they deserve a giant bowl of ice cream every night.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating accomplishments and I have no issues with ice cream!  However, when rewarding with food or beverages it should be practiced in moderation.  A nightly high-calorie reward can potentially cause weight gain.  Alternative rewards like a movie, a fun outing, something that contributes to a hobby, or a new outfit can be just as fun and will offer positive feelings for a much longer time than most food experiences will.

Keep your freezer stocked.  Keep a stash of frozen foods that are good for you and you enjoy eating.  Add them to your next shopping list and make sure to replenish them from time to time. I’ve stopped counting how many times we have avoided takeout because we had an organic pizza in the freezer and I made a quick salad to go with it.  Foods like pizza, wild caught fish sticks with baked french fries, frozen vegetables, and leftovers that you have frozen can all be life savers during times of high stress.

Order out the healthy way.  There are services available like Munchery that will allow you to order meals the same day.  Companies like Safeway and Whole Foods Market  are now delivering groceries.  Ordering online will allow you to plan your meals and avoid impulse buying in the restaurant or at the store.  The closer you can stick to your regular meal plan, the better!

I hope and pray that you and your loved ones avoid as much high stress in your lives as possible. However, the tips I mention above can help you stay healthy if you find yourself in a season that demands a lot of from you.

Shared with much love,

Jennifer Ledford

P.S.  If you have a great tip on managing stress or a question, I’d love to hear from you.  Please leave your tip or question in the comment section below!  🙂

Gluten Free Doesn’t Have To Mean Grain Free

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Over the years gluten has made its way into the nutritional spotlight.  Gluten is a substance found in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. It is a mixture of two proteins, and  it causes serious life threatening illness in people with celiac disease.

To date, approximately 1.5% of the country has been diagnosed with celiac disease and about 1% more are diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.  Anyone that has been diagnosed with the actual disease should avoid gluten at all times.  For people that have gluten sensitivity issues, a gluten free diet can be beneficial.

So what do you do if you find out you, a family member, a friend, or even the random dinner guest needs to eat gluten free?  Does that mean bread and cookies are off the table?  Fortunately, that’s not the case.  There are many grains you can prepare and/or serve that are free of gluten and because there is such a great variety, most people won’t even notice the absence of wheat.

Here is a list of grains that do not contain gluten.  Just make sure to read the labels and confirm they are not processed with other gluten-containing grains.

Amaranth

Arrowroot

Buckwheat

Corn and cornmeal

Flax

Gluten-free flours (rice, potato, bean, almond, corn)

Hominy (corn)

Millet

Quinoa

Rice

Sorghum

Soy (I do not recommend eating soy.  I’m only listing it because it qualifies as gluten free and can work in a pinch.)

Tapioca

Teff

The list below contains gluten and should be avoided:

Barley

Rye

Triticale

Wheat

Durum flour

Farina

Graham flour

Kamut

Semolina

Spelt

There are many other foods that contain gluten and there are more gluten free options as well.

For a more complete list and an easy to read article on a gluten free diet, here’s a link to the Mayo Clinic’s website.  This is one of the best I’ve read so far.  You may want to print out multiple copies for easy reference.

If you’ve been diagnosed with celiacs disease or gluten sensitivity, I highly recommend that you print out a list (or save it on your smart phone) of the foods that contain gluten and the foods that are gluten free.  This helps my clients while shopping or eating out until they eventually memorize the list.

Have a tip or a gluten free recipe you’d like to share?

Please leave a comment below.  I love to hear from you!

Jennifer Ledford