January 10th, 2009
It’s 7:00 am in the morning and the alarm clock just blared you out of bed. You drag yourself into the shower and 15 minutes later you are looking in the mirror and thinking ‘I need to shed some pounds’. The easiest thing to do at this point is to skip breakfast and the majority of people who struggle with weight do just that. Less food and less calories so that must mean I’ll lose some weight. Guess again.
The funny thing about the human body is that when it is starved for food it will take whatever you eat and immediately store it as fat. Skipping breakfast probably doesn’t sound like a good solution now does it?
The key to a healthy diet is having a nice breakfast to kickstart your day. Myself, I try to have a bigger breakfast so I can spend most of the day burning it off. This allows me to have a medium sized lunch and supper. I also like to have carbs for breakfast because it boosts my metabolism into higher gear. Now if you head out to an IHOP and load up on pancakes, waffles, sausages, bacon and hashbrowns then that’s a different story. Have just enough to get you half way through your morning (until mid morning snack time) or all the way through your morning (until lunch time).
Another key for me is that I like to eat within 20 minutes of waking up mainly because at that point it has been 8 – 10 hours since I’ve last eaten. I get the energy I need right away rather than dragging my feet around for an hour or two before I eat. It also gets me in ‘task’ mode which means I’m ready to start getting things done that day because I have already completed one task in having a healthy breakfast. If I don’t have breakfast, then I find I sit around longer doing nothing.
All in all, I can’t see any reasoning that suggests having breakfast first thing in the morning is a bad thing. Try to make a point of eating right away when you wake up and after a few weeks it just becomes a habit. Make sure you also have the appropriate foods in your refrigerator or pantry to sustain having a healthy breakfast long term. Without that, you will eventually fall out of the routine and continue to struggle with weight issues.
Categories: Health and Diet
January 9th, 2009
Silly as it sounds, eating regularly is not an easy feat to accomplish. The current standard is 3 meals per day but if you want to jump start your diet then you will most definitely want to consider upping your food intake to 6 meals per day. I know we have touched on this subject before and the whole concept seems out of whack, eat more often to lose more weight, yeah right! This is why I’m writing this new blog to further detail the benefits of eating every 3 hours.
After just 4 hours of not eating, your blood sugar level will drop and your cravings will be on the rise. So your next move is to the fridge to load up on whatever sugar and starch you can get your hands on. Why sugar and starch? Because people with low blood sugar will crave this the most and because you are absorbing all these carbohydrates, your blood sugar level will receive a quick boost. The only problem is that quickly rising blood sugar will cause your body to react and release a flood of insulin which not only tries to lower your blood sugar but will store anything you eat as fat, no matter what you are eating.
Are you ready for the scary part? Insulin tends to overshoot which means you will be experiencing low blood sugar again. That means another trip to the fridge to continue this vicious cycle. The only way to curtail this is to avoid the carbs which means avoiding soda, ice cream, chips, cookies or any other foods with added sugar. In the starch category you will want to limit your intake of pasta, bread and any other flour-based foods.
From this, you can see why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. By the time you wake up in the morning, you will have gone at least 7 hours without food. Do not let your body wait until lunch to get what it needs.
Below are some tips on how to control your cravings.
EAT REGULARLY
If you try to eat every 3 hours, this will keep your blood sugar levels consisten throughout the day and allow you to eat smaller meals without becoming hungry.
EAT PROTEIN
This will slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and help to prevent spikes in your blood sugar level. In other words, no cravings and no flood of insulin released from your pancreas.
EAT WHOLE GRAIN
If you eat carbs, then make sure it is 100% whole grain. Whole grains contain fiber which reduces the carbohydrate effect on your blood sugar.
Categories: Health and Diet
January 8th, 2009
I completely understand, it happened to me all the time. It still happens to me once in a while. I would work hard all week to eat healthy and keep the weight off. Then came the weekend and in a matter of 2 days I completely wiped out all the hardwork done the previous 5 days. Summer is the worst time of year for that too. Outdoor gatherings such as BBQ’s always got the best of me. But not anymore, not all the time anyways. We are still human and make the occasional indulgence but if you stay on course 90% of the time then it will make a difference in your life.
Do you want to curb how much you indulge? Then use the following tips to help.
The Temptation
You have a function to attend to and lots of food will be served (ie. Christmas Party, Birthday Party, BBQ, etc)
The Fix
Curb your appetite for destruction by having a healthy snack prior to attending the gathering. Have some fruit and drink lots of water as this will tend to fill you up the most.
The Result
When you arrive at the function, you will be inclined to eat less as your appetite will not be in full force. And since you won’t be in starvation mode either, you will likely be more selective and make the healthier choices. If you went on an empty stomach you may be more inclined to binge on any kind of food to quench your appetite.
The Temptation
Your best friend calls you up on Saturday and wants to hit the bar scene
The Fix
Stay clear of the beer unless it is the low carb version. If low carb beer isn’t your thing then opt for a Screwdriver (1/2 cup OJ, 1 1/2 oz. Vodka) as it is packed with Vitamin C as well as low in fat and calories. Another alternative, try a Bloody Mary (1/2 cup tomato juice, 1 oz. Vodka, dashes of Worcestershire, Tabasco, Salt and Pepper and add a celery stalk). This is low fat and filled with vitamins and antioxidants.
The Result
Your calorie intake will be cut down to a third of what you would normally have and your vitamin intake will increase dramatically. If you eat the celery stalks in your Bloody Marys then you might be less inclined to go out for fast food after last call.
The Temptation
It’s the weekend, time to go grocery shopping as supplies are getting short.
The Fix
Don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Everything will look good and you will make unhealthy choices. Try to go shortly after breakfast, lunch or supper.
The Result
Your decision making will be a lot healthier and mentally you will not be looking for junk food which is normally a quick fix for hunger. Take this opportunity to get the ingredients for your healthy alcoholic beverage selection also.
The Temptation
You don’t feel like making supper, time to order the pizza.
The Fix
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you should never ever order pizza again. As a matter of fact, if ordered properly you can cover all 4 major food groups in one slice. They key is not to over-order. Everyone always has left over pizza which likely means they over indulged. Try under-ordering next time and order a side salad which is usually an option. You could also just make your own salad and a few other healthier side options.
The Result
You will find yourself eating half the pizza you would normally eat and there won’t be any tempting left overs in the fridge the next day. The other great thing is that you have had your pizza fix to hold you over for a while and with no major damage done to your diet.
Categories: Health and Diet
