vadimstudio.com Blog

 Tamra Rosenfeld

Recovering From Summer Weight Gain

You really wanted to lose weight this summer and had the best intentions. Then the barbeques began with lots of meat and beer. It was way too hot to exercise. Before you knew it you had gained a couple pounds. Now is the perfect time, before the holidays begin, to get back on track.

Here are some tips to help:

• Start keeping a food diary including portion sizes and drinks. This is the best way to keep track of your eating habits. Reflect daily on the food you have eaten and use it as a tool to prevent overeating.
• Drink 8-12 cups water daily. Water can help boost metabolism and curb appetite.
• Fill up on veggies. Vegetables have 25 calories per serving (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup leafy greens). Vegetables can help you feel full due to their high fiber and water content. In comparison ½ cup pasta or rice is 120 calories.
• Limit red meat. Each ounce of red meat has between 50-75 calories. One quarter-pound hamburger can have between 200-300 calories without the bun. Try a chicken sandwich or lean turkey burger instead (but be aware that some turkey chop-meat can be ground with skin and high in calories too).
• Eat at regular times throughout the day. This way your body knows when to expect food. The calories can add up quickly if you snack throughout the day.
• Don’t skip meals. Meal skipping can slow down your metabolism. In addition by the time of your next meal you will be tempted to overeat. Try 3 meals and 1-3 scheduled healthy snacks daily.
• Start an exercise program now. The weather is perfect, not too hot or too cold. If you build a routine now it will be easier to keep it up in the winter.
• Avoid snacking on simple carbohydrates such as pretzels and crackers – you will feel hungry again very quickly. Try low fat yogurt, fruit, or 1 oz of nuts. High fiber food or food with protein will help keep you full for longer.
• Substitute foods instead of eliminating them. If you feel deprived it will be more difficult to stick with your diet.
• Make gradual changes. Overwhelming yourself will make it difficult to maintain the diet changes.
• Don’t under-eat. If you eat too few calories you may not be able to get the nutrients you need, In addition, under-eating can slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain later on.

 Tamra Rosenfeld

Summer is a difficult time to lose weight. Weekend barbeques with potato chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, lemonade, beer, and ice cream can add to a rapid weight gain. In addition to the high calories, many of these foods are high in saturated fat which can lead to heart disease. Here are some tips to make summertime barbeques a bit healthier.

• Have a light snack before attending a barbeque or party. That way you won’t be starving when you get there and tempted to eat everything in site.
• Bring something healthy such as carrots sticks with light dip, a vegetable salad, or a fruit salad – that way you know there will be a healthy option.
• If vegetables are available load up vegetables with dip instead of potato chips and dip.
• Choose chicken on a bun, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, or turkey hot dogs for when available. If you put pickles, ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut on the turkey burger or turkey hot dog it may not taste as different as you think.
• If you decide to have a hamburger or hot dog, decide which one instead of having both.
• Choose light beer or wine spritzer (with seltzer) instead of regular beer and wine.
• Try eating more salads that are not mayonnaise based when available.
• Eat a larger portion of fruit salad for dessert and a smaller amount of other desserts.
• Exercise daily – remind yourself that one hamburger is equal to at least an hour of exercise!

 Tamra Rosenfeld

Myth: All foods should be low fat.
Fact: Fat is an important part of the diet and should account for 25-30% calories. Some fat can actually lower your bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Choose foods low in saturated fat and Trans fat such as high fat meat, dairy products, and baked goods. Foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat such as nuts, oils, and seeds should be included in the diet to lower cholesterol.

Myth: I should eliminate carbohydrates from my diet to lose weight.
Fact: 50-65% of your diet should consist of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate rich foods include fruit, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. By eliminating carbohydrates you are eliminating essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and cancer fighting chemicals from the diet. Carbohydrates are also the preferred source of fuel for your body and brain.

Myth: Artificially sweetened food and beverages will help me lose weight.
Fact: Several studies have recently linked artificial sweeteners to weight gain. Consuming artificial sweeteners may work to increase appetite and contribute to overeating.

Myth: If I am regular I do not need to add fiber to my diet.
Fact: Fiber intake should be between 25-35 grams daily and the average American consumes 10 grams daily. Fiber can help with weight loss by slowing digestion and increasing satiety, reduce cholesterol, improve the health of the colon, and help regulate blood glucose.

Myth: I need to eat more protein when I exercise.
Fact: Most Americans consume 2-3 times more protein than is actually needed. Protein intake for moderate exercise should be between 0.8-1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Myth: Protein shakes and bars are a great snack in between meals.
Fact: Protein shakes and bars are made to replace meals and are often high in calories, fat, and sugar. Consuming these products regularly can lead to weight gain. Instead snack on fruit, vegetables, or low fat dairy products such as yogurt or cheese.

Myth: If I don’t have high blood pressure I don’t need to limit salt.
Fact: Even those with normal blood pressure should limit sodium to 2400 mg per day. Increased amounts of sodium can make your kidneys work harder to eliminate it. If your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, it can accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts water, blood volume can increase which raises blood pressure. Too much sodium can add to calcium excretion which can lead to osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Myth: I should eat as few calories as possible to help me lose weight.
Fact: Eating too few calories can actually slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain in the long term. In addition under eating can lead to nutrient deficiencies and loss of lean body mass.

Myth: If I have diabetes I should avoid eating fruit.
Fact: Counting carbohydrates is an important part of diabetes management. How much carbohydrate consumed is more important than the type. One small fruit counts as one carbohydrate choice. Fruit contains essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and cancer fighting chemicals and should be a component in all diets.

Myth: Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is the same as getting them from food.
Fact: Vitamins and mineral supplements are important if there is an issue with getting proper nutrition from food or if there you have any absorption issues. For the average person consuming a wide variety of foods from all food groups will provide the proper vitamin and mineral amount. Supplements may not be absorbed as well as nutrients in food. Supplements also do not contain some compounds that are important for prevention of heart disease and cancer.

 Tamra Rosenfeld

Whether you are trying to lose weight, manage your diabetes, or simply just live a healthier lifestyle, reducing the amount of added sugar in your diet can help you achieve these goals. Added sugar has little nutrition value and can displace other important nutrients in your diet. Too much sugar can contribute to weight gain, poor blood sugar management in diabetics, and dental carries.

Added sugars can be found in many products such as soda and other fruit drinks, candy, dessert foods, muffins, breads, hot and cold cereal, canned fruit, yogurt, ice cream, coffee drinks, flavored creamers, sweetened milk, meal replacement bars and shakes, and granola bars. Here are some tips to reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet and manage your sweet tooth:

• Read food labels for added sugar. A few names for added sugar are:
     o High fructose corn syrup
     o Honey
     o Molasses
     o Fructose
     o Sucrose
     o Maltose
     o Lactose
     o Invert sugar
     o Glucose
     o Dextrose
     o Corn Syrup
     o Corn sweetener
• Be wary of store bought sugar free cookies and cakes. To compensate for the reduced sugar there is usually more added fat.
• When baking cake replace some of the sugar with fruit purees such as unsweetened applesauce to add some natural sweetness. If baking with fruit puree, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for every cup of fruit puree.
• Bake muffins and breads with apples, or banana’s instead of sugar to add sweetness.
• Use raisins or nuts instead of chocolate chips when baking cookies.
• Try baked apples or pears with cinnamon for dessert.
• When eating canned fruit look for no sugar added syrup. If the canned fruit contains syrup drain and rinse to reduce the amount of sugar.
• Reduce the amount of soft drinks from your diet. Try mixing 6 ounces of water with 2 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice to add some flavoring.
• Use sweet tasting vegetables such as carrots, turnips, or sweet potatoes. Add cinnamon and a touch of butter for flavor.
• Use fruit purees without added sugar instead of jelly.

 Tamra Rosenfeld

Having struggled with weight in the past I was very concerned about pregnancy weight gain and the ability to lose weight post partum. Being through 2 pregnancies and my knowledge as a registered dietitian I would like to share some professional and personal advice to help others in the same situation.

With a healthy weight prior to pregnancy, a pregnancy weight gain of 25-35 pounds is recommended. This only allows 300-500 extra calories a day which equates to about 1-2 oz of protein food, a glass of low-fat milk, and a fruit. Even with the best knowledge and intentions sometimes cravings can take hold and that 800 calorie weekly sundae quickly adds a few more pounds to overall weight gain. So now the pregnancy is over – how do you lose that excess weight? You’re not sleeping, you have no energy or time to cook what do you do?

If you have decided to nurse it can help with weight loss (nursing burns extra calories) but it can make you feel very hungry. Depriving yourself of too much food can also diminish your milk supply. For the first 6 weeks post partum you should not try to lose weight. After the first 6 weeks a 1-2 pound weekly weight loss is recommended. This can be frustrating but weight loss is easier in the long term.

Depending on how much weight was gained during pregnancy it can take a year or even more to lose that weight. And chances are you will not be able to fit into the same size you were before pregnancy – unless you are one of those lucky few. Don’t be too hard on yourself, your shape changes to help with childbirth.

Here are some tips to help get the pregnancy weight off more quickly:

* Start good habits early. You may be telling yourself that you will start good habits when your baby starts sleeping through the night. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months. Years later your 3 year old is up all night long and your weight is the same. Telling yourself, “I just had a baby” only lasts for so long.
* Start exercise as early as possible. Even if it is just walking a bit, building that routine is really important. Try pacing with the baby (instead of sitting on the couch), cleaning bottles, or doing laundry. Sleepless nights make it a little hard but the sooner you start the better you will feel. If you start lounging it will be much harder to start.
* Try to resist night time eating. This is really difficult when you are awake with the baby at 1, 3, and 5 AM. Once you start the night time eating habit you will want to continue doing it. Try brushing your teeth right after dinner and make a commitment to yourself to not eat until breakfast time. Not only will you not lose weight if you eat all night long, you are likely to gain more weight!
* Try to have quick, easy food readily available. Even with the best intentions you are most likely not going to whip up gourmet meals when you are exhausted. Keep carrot sticks, low fat cheese, and fruit easily accessible. Have frozen vegetables, soups, minute rice, and canned beans in your home for easy meals. Buy vegetables and fruit that is already washed and cut. Although it costs more money it will be cheaper than ordering out.
* Keep the stuff that you really like (cookies, chips) out of your home because you will most likely eat it. When you are sleep deprived you tend to crave high carbohydrate, sugary foods. If it is not there you will not be going to the store to get it.
* Plan to lose weight gradually. If you lose weight too quickly it will be harder to keep off, plus you may be losing some muscle mass.
* Do not skip meals! Even if you don’t think you have time to eat try small, quick snacks. If you skip meals at your next opportunity to eat you will most likely overeat.
* Try keeping meal and snack times as consistent as possible. This will help train your body to feel hungry at certain times. If you “graze” all day long you probably won’t be aware of what, or how much you are eating.
* Slow down – the baby may be crying but stuffing food into your mouth is not good for you. The baby will not go anywhere if you put him/her down for a few minutes (this is a very hard thing to do with the first child but by the second one you realize it is something that needs to be done).
* Buy a slow cooker. You can put a few ingredients in the morning and your dinner will simmer all day long. By the evening you can have a nice meal with protein food, vegetables, and starch with only 1 pot to clean.

Keep in mind that your children will learn from your example. If you don’t eat vegetables they won’t either. If you stand up while you eat and eat food quickly your children will try to do the same. If you start being healthy today it will help your whole family in the long term.