The answer is “For sure I can help you lose weight, and in a way that suits your lifestyle. Once we find the main obstacle that has been preventing weight loss, we can focus on it and follow a meal plan that will be easy to follow for the rest of your life. Well, not that easily, it does take persistence.” This is my philosophy because it’s the way I live. I love food, love eating, and the only way to maintain my weight is through constant vigilance. It doesn’t mean being obsessive; but being aware of eating foods that I like, and knowing the quantities my body can handle without gaining weight. These are the principles I apply to my clients’ concerns. Weight management means achieving the best weight possible in the context of overall health, mental and physical, and for the sake of appearance.

Good nutrition is important, not only for the obvious health benefits, but also for feeling good about you. When you plan meals and enjoy the foods you select, you become more active, feel better about yourself and make an effort to look good. You are in control because of making choices. They are all linked. You know when overeating you feel too sluggish to work out, feel depressed about losing control and don’t care about your appearance.

Now, take time to determine what you want to change in your life. Do you want to change the types of foods you eat, food quantities, your activity level, confidence or all of the above? Keep reading. The following steps will help you implement these changes to improve your quality of life. The keys to sensible eating are simply awareness of what you are eating and moderation of food quantities you consume. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to enjoy eating with a good conscience.

WHY DO WE OVEREAT?

Are there times when you reach for a certain food and say, “I shouldn’t be eating this,” then eat it anyway? If you’re like most of us, the answer is yes. The question is: Why do you eat it? It may be because it tastes good or because you don’t want to feel deprived. Perhaps that particular food gives you comfort when you’re under stress. Whatever the reason, you feel guilty after eating it. Is it so bad to eat this way occasionally? One “bad” meal will not ruin your good intentions. Ask yourself “Did I enjoy it?” If the answer is yes, don’t berate yourself. Carry on the next day as if nothing happened to destroy your faith in your self-control.

How do you know when you’ve eaten too much? If you “feel stuffed” after a meal that’s too large or too high in fat, you’ll know you ate too much. Remember that feeling the next time you’re tempted. Say to yourself “I’ll have a smaller portion” or “This is not my favorite food. I’ll wait until something I really enjoy comes along.” It isn’t an effortless decision, but with repeated positive thoughts, it will become easier. This awareness needs to be part of your new lifestyle.

Usually I’m the first nutrition expert my clients have met. They often have a good knowledge of nutrition, with only a little confusion creeping in. They know that healthy eating, changes in eating behavior and increased activity make them feel great. They’ve tried it in the past and can still remember that feeling. They also know that it’s difficult to make changes without continuous motivation. They often say, “I need a policeman, someone to check me each week, someone who’ll see that I’m doing things correctly.” I personally don’t like the word “policeman.” I’d rather be called a “nutrition coach,” who gently guides you in the right direction.

During a first visit, a client will ask me "How long will I be seeing you?" My reply: "Forever." Their response is "Thank you. This is what I need." In the past they’ve lost weight and then regained it because they didn’t have someone to motivate them regularly. They gradually returned to their old bad habits. They found it easy to make changes, but difficult to maintain them. Dietitians make these changes easier with kind reminders.

REGISTERED DIETITIANS - THE EXPERTS

New clients often tell me they have gained and lost weight repeatedly -- a process commonly known as “yo-yo” dieting. So why see a dietitian? Because registered dietitians are acknowledged professionals trained to advise you on diet, food and nutrition. They separate fact from fiction, healthy eating plans from unsafe diets, and they help you translate the science of nutrition into healthy food choices. They have completed a minimum of four years of education in dietetics at an accredited university. If you are not sure of their qualifications, ask them if they are registered dietitians. A giveaway is the letters RD after their name.

Dietitians determine your nutrient requirements, taking into consideration your age, sex, lifestyle and eating habits. Before making recommendations for improving your diet, they consider your usual eating pattern and work demands, as well as cultural or ethnic background. Dietitians offer practical ideas on planning menus, shopping for the best food values, and preparing good-tasting meals and snacks. They understand the importance of diet in the prevention and treatment of many disease conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, hypertension and heart disease. Their nutritional advice can enhance the quality of life for infants, young children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, athletes and seniors.

People need motivation. Boredom, stress or a vacation can make them return to their old habits, and then the same unhappy “loser” attitude prevails.

You need to examine the obstacles that make sensible food choices difficult. How can you overcome these obstacles and develop a healthy, fun, and enjoyable future?

THE MOST COMMON OBSTACLES AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM

The many obstacles to making healthy food choices can be categorized under three main themes - eating when you’re not hungry, eating for emotional reasons and unplanned eating. You may identify with one or all three of these complaints at different times of the day or at different stages of your life. There are solutions:

1. EATING WHEN NOT HUNGRY

“I’m never hungry”

“Do you eat when you’re hungry?” This is the first question I ask clients who want to lose weight. Most of them say, “I’m never hungry.” So why do they eat? There are so many reasons for eating - enjoyment, sharing a social occasion, and so on. If they only ate when they were hungry, they would reduce their chances of gaining weight.

NIGHT EATING SYNDROME (NES)
Eating unconsciously at night is a habit that needs to be broken. Many people eat 25 % of their calories after dinner. This is called Night Eating Syndrome. Others get up in the middle of the night and raid the fridge.
Studies show that people with NES are 2.5 times more likely to be obese that those who don’t have the syndrome. For diabetics, nighttime eating can also cause very high blood sugar in the morning, which leads to serious complications.
For my clients, I stop all eating after dinner. If they are starved, then they can try a piece of fruit or one cup of milk or yogurt. This habit is hard to change. After three nights of forcibly stopping yourself, you can prevent this habit from returning forever!

2. EMOTIONAL EATING

Most people eat for emotional reasons — stress, anger, depression, etc. Here are examples and solutions:

LOSING CONTROL
“I’ve lost control” - Heather, a clothing store manager.

Heather had tried dieting (or rather, depriving herself of food) over and over again and had succeeded in losing weight for a while. Then she’d lose control and eat everything in sight. She would become unhappy with herself and feel like a failure. She would give up hope and start a continuous eating cycle again. Heather stopped caring about herself and became sensitive to anything that reminded her of her insecurities. If someone was talking about gaining weight, tight clothes, or overeating, she’d always think they had her in mind. She assumed they knew how weak she was and that they’d noticed how she was disguising her extra weight by wearing baggy clothes. Her low self-esteem made her unhappy and short-tempered with her family, friends and colleagues.

Heather needs to rethink her philosophy (perhaps you do, too). Strict dieting is obviously not the solution to weight loss; eating sensibly is. How do you achieve this goal? Remember how good you feel when you do make healthy food choices and keep active. Decide that you want to have that good feeling every day. Ignore a bad day and aim for healthy food choices the next day. Listen to your body. Remember; don’t starve or deprive yourself - you’ll be setting yourself up for failure again.

I love food and hate getting hungry, so I’m used to having great meals and snacks every day; great in taste, not great in size. Eating in moderation makes me feel comfortable and good about myself. I suggested to Heather that occasionally, when her schedule is thrown out of whack, she must accept this as her way of life and do not worry about it. She needs to become aware of her eating habits. This applies to you, too: when you are hungry, eat; when you are not, don’t! Focus on remembering the good feelings that come with sensible and healthy food choices. Have those feelings again and again. This is the only approach to adopt for long-term weight management.

EATING UNDER STRESS
“I eat under stress” - David, a dentist.

David has a high stress job. When he becomes tense, he starts looking for food. He gobbles down any food he can find without really tasting or enjoying it. Between meals he consumes baked goods such as muffins, Danishes and chocolate-chip cookies. For lunch he eats chicken or bacon burgers with all the extras, plus fries and a chocolate bar.

David turns to food to relieve his stress. Food makes him feel good for those few minutes, but then he grows very angry with himself for overindulging. He thinks he’s the only person who is weak. He is so disciplined in his work; he cannot understand why he doesn’t apply the same control to his food intake. He’s embarrassed at his childish attitude.

I told David to pause for thirty seconds each time he’s stressed and breathe deeply. He needs to remember how he felt after he’d eaten under stress last time - terrible. Can you identify with this? You need to bear it in mind and say to yourself “next time this won’t happen.” You don’t want to feel that way again. You need to conquer the habits that make you feel bad. It will give you a feeling of strength and control. I suggested to David that another way to relieve stress is to take a thirty- minute walk when he has a patient who misses an appointment. Instead of being annoyed by the change in his schedule, he can do something positive. During his walk he has time to think, he burns energy and feels relaxed afterwards. If he’s stressed at home, he can make himself a cup of tea, take a bubble bath and slow down with a smile on his face.

David has lost thirty pounds in five months. He’s delighted that he has better control over his eating habits. He does indulge in the occasional binge, but it’s two cookies instead of ten.

ANXIETY EATING
“I eat when I’m anxious” - Jill, a future bride.

With her wedding coming up, Jill found she was anxious. In this state, she would always buy a chocolate bar, eat it and regret it. There were so many things that had to be done right for the wedding day to be perfect. She decided to come and see me four months before her wedding. She wanted to lose ten pounds, which would give her a better shape and make her one size smaller. The chocolate bar she would eat supplies 250 calories and 11 grams of fat. As her calorie intake should be about 1500 calories and her fat intake 40 grams to lose weight, she was using up a good deal of it on an “empty calorie” food that she hardly tasted. (“Empty calorie” foods are high in calories and containing negligible other essential nutrients.)

Jill had other food habits that concerned me. She was skipping breakfast and having a muffin at 10 a.m., skipping lunch or “grabbing anything” and eating chocolate-chip cookies in the afternoon. In the evening, tired after her day, she would order in Thai food, fried chicken or large sandwiches made with mayonnaise. Her activity level was sporadic.

Below is an example of a healthy meal plan for one day that suited her hectic routine and her hunger.

MEAL PLAN FOR A HECTIC DAY

BREAKFAST (eat while dressing)
1-cup cereal (6 gm fiber) with skim milk
½ banana
Coffee

SNACK (hungry time)
1 yogurt
½ banana
Tea

LUNCH (order in)
6” whole wheat Sub with 1 slice cheese and plenty of vegetables, 1 tsp mayonnaise
Tea

SNACK (hungry time)
1-cup skim milk café latte
2 Tbsp nuts plus 2 Tbsp dried cranberries

DINNER (order in)
6 small carrots while waiting for food
4 oz chicken breast (no skin), 1 cup brown rice, 2 cups vegetables

SNACK
3 cups light popcorn, no butter
1 apple

ACTIVITY

Jill loves walking, so I suggested a routine of walking briskly to and from work (45 minutes). Twice a week she would spend one hour at a gym, doing half an hour on the Stairmaster, 20 minutes weight training and machines and ten minutes stretching.

RESULTS

Jill lost the ten pounds in three months by just following this meal plan and increasing her activity. Jill did slip up over Easter and gained two pounds but went right back to being focused and lost that weight immediately. She felt fantastic when her wedding dress fit her perfectly one month before the big day. However she was still terrified that she would gain it back before the important event because of her “anxiety” eating.

I insisted that she continue her visits until the event. On the way to see me two weeks before the wedding, the pressure was so great that she stopped to buy a chocolate bar. She recognized an old habit that wanted to come back. She stopped herself and arrived at my office beaming. Jill could not believe how wonderful she felt for being able to control such a small but destructive habit. It was the first time this had happened. She felt successful and confident. I reminded her that she had listened to her body that told her that she was not hungry, since she’d had her afternoon snack. I encouraged Jill to keep her awareness up.

Remember the successes you have achieved; don’t belittle them. Not eating that piece of chocolate heralds the beginning of new habits. Have the chocolate when you can really enjoy it.

EATING FOR COMFORT

“I felt sorry for myself as my body grew bigger and found sympathy in bags of cookies. No wonder I gained forty-five pounds.” - Susan.

Food is a comfort. It was given to us as children whenever we hurt ourselves or when we cried. It’s only natural that we should turn to food when we’re under stress.

Certain foods are “trigger” foods, they trigger a binging reaction; once we start on this item of food, we can’t stop. Be sure to keep trigger foods out of your reach - none in the home or office drawer.

If you’re feeling desperate, do something else that will make you feel better immediately - walk or run around the block.

ALCOHOL TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

“I drink every night to wash away my troubles.” - Constance, an office clerk.

Constance drank herself into a stupor every night just to forget her family problems and her own miserable life. Unfortunately, she chose to drink liquor high in sugar. She was finishing half a bottle of liquor every night! As she had come to see me for weight loss, I had to convince her to stop her excessive alcohol consumption.

Actually, this particular choice of drink is rare; it’s usually wine, beer or scotch that people confess to over consuming. Most of them really do have problems that are hard to solve, but drinking does not make the problems disappear; it only makes the person feel bad, emotionally and physically, which exacerbates their existing problem.

I told Constance to drink only with family or friends, and to slowly decrease her intake to four ounces a night, then to two ounces a night, until it wasn’t necessary to drink for stress reasons. Although she found it difficult at first, Constance felt so much better about herself, with improvements each week. Bad habits are formed by continuously practicing them; they can be stopped by continuously developing new, better habits.

CLOSET EATER
“When no one is around, I sneak into the kitchen and finish off the meal and dessert.” - Gillian; a computer programmer.

Gillian confessed that she ate on the sly and was ashamed to admit it. Whenever her family looked for leftovers, she would tell them she threw away the food. Although she ate very little in front of them, her body was growing bigger and bigger. She was sure her family figured out where the leftovers went when she gained thirty pounds in three years.

I told Gillian it’s okay to eat all these foods, but she has to eat them in front of someone, anyone, never on her own. This way, she would not feel deprived, because everything was available to her. Foods that were included in her healthy meal plan she could eat on her own or anywhere. Gillian found this helped her considerably. It taught her to eat everything, but to consume moderate portions. She certainly didn’t heap her plate with food in front of everyone, but ate more “normally” at dinner and when entertaining.

GUILT AND FOOD
“I feel guilty when I eat the wrong foods” - Maxine, a bus driver.

Maxine has a job where she sits all day long. On her breaks, she buys coffee and a doughnut. In the evenings after supper, she walks to the corner store and buys chips and chocolate. She knows it’s not the right food and feels guilty.

I hear this word guilty, all the time. Guilty of what? Of eating a food you know is not nutritious? This is yet another negative attitude. Don’t relate “guilt” to food. It brings your mood down. If you overeat, you feel stuffed and uncomfortable. This is a physical feeling of discomfort; don’t make it an emotional feeling, too. Take away the fear and guilt you associate with different foods. You must learn to enjoy the taste and pleasure of healthy eating.

I suggested ways for Maxine to make better choices and she has followed the advice. She found a store that sold the freshest whole-wheat bagels (which is a low fat-food) and the tastiest fruit. In the evening, she air-pops popcorn and eats three cups of it. She doesn’t feel guilty anymore. When Maxine comes to see me, she is so proud of herself, and tell me that this way of eating has become part of her new healthy lifestyle. She is sharing her ideas with her colleagues. She finds that she needs to concentrate on it much less as the weeks go by.

DIET AND DEPRIVATION
“I feel deprived when I go on diet” - Jennifer, a librarian.

When Jennifer goes on her own “diet,” she is too strict on herself. She feels she must be perfect. She doesn’t touch a fatty or sweet food because she doesn’t want to be “bad.” She feels very stressed and panicky at a party because the food might be “wrong.” If there are only fried or creamy foods available, she becomes so upset she gives in and eats everything in sight. Feeling defeated, she then returns to her old habit of not caring about what she eats.

This attitude must change! If you’re going to an event where the food choices are not necessarily “healthy,” choose half of what you would normally have and enjoy every mouthful. Make sure the food item is well prepared, tasty and fresh. If it’s not fabulous, leave it.

I was at a meeting and there was a large assortment of cookies. I knew I couldn’t resist them so I chose the most decadent looking one, with chocolate and nuts. After one bite, I found it had no flavor. I hid the rest of the cookie under my napkin. It just wasn’t worth eating - very disappointing. Cookies are my weak spot, but they have to be fantastic. Cookies are not to be found in my home because I would eat them when I didn’t feel like them (if that’s possible). When out I allow myself one if my weight is under control. You need to discriminate, too. Save your appetite for your favorite foods in moderation, such as chips (10), nuts (2 tbsp) or chocolate-covered almonds (5).

THE CLEAN-PLATE CLUB
“As a child, I was always told to finish everything on my plate because people were starving all over the world” - Elaine, a university professor.

When Elaine was growing up, the post-war mentality that insisted kids eat everything on the plate was forced on her. Children grew up believing this, and suffering as a result. Now they’re adults, they still feel bad should they leave anything on their plate, even when full. As a child, dessert was dangled in front of Elaine as a reward for a clean plate.

This belief that she must eat all is ingrained in her mind. I told Elaine to forget about her childhood experiences, which make her unhappy now. She is an adult and can take responsibility for her own attitude towards food. She must not use her body as a garbage can, finishing food that should be thrown away. If you belong to the “clean plate club,” there are two strategies you can follow. When cooking at home, either cook smaller portions, or dish up smaller portions and put the extra food away for a meal the next day. If you’re at a restaurant, share the salad and main course with your companion. Elaine says she feels stingy about sharing food, as if she can’t afford a complete meal, so she orders an expensive glass of wine to compensate.

WOMEN’S MONTHLY CRAVINGS
“I crave carbs premenstrual.” — Rebecca, a hospital administrator.

Rebecca knows when her periods are coming. She craves chocolate and starchy foods. She becomes cranky and irritable. She feels bloated and uncomfortable. This happens every month and she doesn’t know what to do about it. She experiences loss of control, gets depressed and feels that it ruins all her good intentions for a healthy lifestyle.

I told Rebecca that she couldn’t allow the few days before her periods to influence the way her life is going to turn out. Periods are part of a woman’s life cycle and we have to accept the changes every month. However, we can handle them better if we understand what is going on with our bodies.

The premenstrual craving for starchy foods is not unusual. The theory is that fluctuations in estrogen

levels cause an increased desire for carbohydrates. This in turn leads to an increase in fat intake as many high-carbohydrate foods such as muffins are high in fat. Don’t resist your craving. At times like these choose one starchy food or one sweet item per day. It’s okay to eat one extra fresh cinnamon bagel a day until the craving disappears. Maybe you crave a small slice of carrot cake (a high-fat food). Make sure the food item you choose is one that you really feel like. That way, you can relax and enjoy satisfying your urge. If you resist too much, you may binge at a later stage. As one client avowed: “I have less fear of cravings since I’ve allowed myself one extra carb on these days.”

The distention you feel is caused by the increase in starch or sugar in your diet. When these foods are digested and stored in the body, they need water in order to be stored. That leads to water retention and bloating. You’ll know because the rings on your fingers will be tight. You’ll also find you don’t urinate much during these days. Once the craving has disappeared, you urinate frequently because your body will want to rid itself of the stored water. Your bloated feeling goes away and you feel slimmer. Accept these symptoms and don’t worry about them.

During the premenstrual phase, you experience a decrease in endorphins, which precipitate happy moods. Do you want to improve your mood? Of course. The way to achieve that goal is with increased activity. Many women have noticed that when they eat better and are in a fixed workout routine, their mood swings and bloated feelings are decreased considerably. So keep up your activity, even if you’re feeling blah.

PMS Checklist

Pre-menstrual you need to:
• Relax.
• Be pleased your periods are regular.
• Keep active.
• Satisfy cravings with one starch or one sweet.
• Ignore bloating.
• Plan events that elevate your mood.

CRAVINGS DURING PREGNANCY
“I gained too much weight with my pregnancies because I craved so many sweet foods. I haven’t lost it all” - Kathy, a freelance writer.

This is a well-known complaint. Women tend to gain too much weight during their pregnancies because their appetite increases and they “crave” foods. After the birth of their babies, the extra weight stays on.

Kathy needed help to return to her former eating habits. I made her an “individual meal plan” and started her on an activity schedule, which she enjoyed. She is now back to her pre-baby size and feels so much better.

Many women who come to me who have gained too much weight with previous pregnancies and want to have a healthy weight gain during their next pregnancy. It is very easy to fall into the “binge trap” when pregnant and so it is important to keep your awareness up. By focusing on healthy food choices, you lower your risk of such complications as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, back and knee problems and heartburn.

Kathy’s activity consists of a one hour aerobic class on Saturday and Sunday when her husband takes care of the children, half-hour brisk walks two mornings a week when her mother can watch the children, and two mornings a week she works out with a one-hour exercise video. Her total activity time is five hours, which includes aerobic exercises, stretches and stomach-strengthening sit-ups.

THE LOVE AFFAIR WITH FOOD
“I love food too much” — Anthony, a gourmet food shop owner.

Anthony was convinced that he loved food so much that he’d never be able to reach a healthy weight. I asked him what foods he likes. He says he loves pâtés, Brie, rabbit stews, duck dishes and cookies, but feels tired and sluggish after he consumes these foods. He also said that he dishes up large portions and then finishes it all. Sometimes he’ll have second helpings out of habit, not because he is still hungry.

Explaining to Anthony that if certain foods make him feel good while he eats them, as well as afterwards, then they should be his choice. Some of these will be high in fat, some lower in fat. He mentioned he also enjoys many low-fat foods such as salads, breads and fruits, but never thinks of eating them. I incorporated them into his meal plan and now he consumes high-fat foods only on special occasions, never indulges in second helpings, and finds that he appreciates the taste more.

I can use myself as an example because I have always had to control my weight. I told Anthony what I do. Sometimes I’m not hungry but really crave a decadent chocolate brownie with nuts and caramel. Inevitably, at those times, there are no fresh wonderful-looking brownies in any of the stores. Disappointed, I buy a café latte made with skim milk and go back to the office. Two hours later I feel good! Then I remember the last time I did manage to find a rich treat. I felt tired and sluggish afterwards, and could hardly continue working. You need to remember your feelings after you’ve overindulged. Remember the good feelings that come from making healthy food choices..

WEIGHT OBSESSION
“I weigh myself every day” — Jeff, an advertising executive.

Jeff likes to do everything perfectly. He likes to check his weight often, at least three times a day. He works out vigorously, yet he has seen his weight gradually creeping up on him and finds this very depressing. He would like to stop being obsessed about his weight. It’s upsetting his wife and family and causing tension in the home.

Continuous weighing has to stop! For many clients, their weight often decides whether they’re going to have a good or bad day. What a negative activity! Weight fluctuates from day to day without reason, so you can create many bad days for yourself. Stop now! For these clients, they may only weigh themselves except once a week with me. If their weight upsets them, I won’t tell them what it is. Their weight change needs to be going in the right direction and not too quickly. Remember, your weight can go up even when you’re following a healthy meal plan.

Some days you may drink a lot of fluids or feel bloated. Being disappointed by the numbers on the scale is not reason enough to give up looking after you. Once you learn not to depend on the scale for your mood, you will feel freed from a huge burden for the rest of your life. For maintenance, Jeff bought a pair of jeans that fit him exactly. That way he can feel it in his clothes if he has gained or lost weight. His focus is to be on better food choices, enjoyment of meals, increased activity and feeling great, not weight obsession.

3. NO TIME TO PLAN MEALS

EATING ON THE RUN
"I always eat on the run"- Susan, a lawyer.

Susan is too busy to think about lunch until she’s ravenous. So she chooses the quickest and easiest food she can think of and grabs a tuna fish sandwich. After eating her sandwich she feels uncomfortably full and tired. She knows there is plenty of fatty mayonnaise in the tuna salad, yet she makes the same mistake every day. She always feels disappointed with herself but doesn’t know how to change her habit.

This is where it’s important to know your schedule. If you make the tuna fish sandwich yourself, it can be low in fat (6.5 grams fat and 300 calories), but a bought one is loaded with high-fat mayonnaise (21 grams fat and 450 calories). I suggested to Susan that she spend five minutes each evening thinking about tomorrow. She always makes a bad choice at lunch and regrets it. So why allow such a negative feeling into her life? What better choices can she make? What’s available? She needs to plan.

Either she needs to spend 30 seconds thinking about a better lunch choice to buy or she needs to pack her lunch. Another idea is for Susan to use the one-hour lunch break in a more positive way. Take a brisk walk to a grocery store, buy fresh fruit, tuna, low fat mayonnaise, a fresh whole wheat roll, low fat cheese, yogurt, carrots and celery and walk briskly back to the office. The fifteen-minute walk is invigorating for Susan because she’s under so much pressure at work; this gives her the opportunity to “air” her mind. She then takes five minutes preparing her lunch and stocks the fridge for future emergencies.

Now she can make herself a tasty tuna sandwich with one tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise and clean a carrot and celery stick every day. It’s delicious. She’s done something special for herself and has taken a break from her high-pressured job, all in just twenty minutes. A small change has given her a substantial sense of achievement.

MAYE MUSK’S MEAL PLAN

My schedule changes every day according to my appointments, projects and presentations. Usually, the night before, I know what is going to happen the next day so I can plan my meals. Breakfast is pretty standard; I wake up and look forward to my cereal. Lunch and dinner I prepare myself, pick up or eat out. Below is a good day, so that I’m always available to be tempted by something delicious that appears at social occasions.

BREAKFAST - 7 a.m.
1-cup cereal (combination of 3 different kinds), 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1/2 banana, 1 cup 1% milk
1 cup coffee, 1% milk, 1 sweetener

SNACK - 10 a.m.
1 yogurt, 2 tbsp nuts
1 cup coffee, 1% milk, 1 sweetener

LUNCH - 12 noon
1 boiled egg, 1 tbsp light mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato
2 slices whole wheat bread
1-cup tea, 1% milk, 1 sweetener

SNACK - 4 p.m.
One café latte, 2 tbsp nuts, 2 tbsp dried cranberries

SNACK — 6 p.m.
2 carrots, ¼ cup humus

DINNER - 7 p.m.
½ cup frozen edamame
2 cups frozen vegetables
1-cup quick-cooking brown rice
1-cup tea

SNACK - 9:30 p.m.
(if hungry)
1 apple and/or 1 low-fat yogurt

I follow my appetite, eat out often, and try many different foods, so exact amounts and food types vary each day.

ACTIVITY
I always plan to work out seven days a week, managing five workouts, as work or social pressures can take priority. My standard activity consists of fifty minutes on the stationary bike while reading the paper, weights three times a week, stretches and stomach-tightening sit-ups while watching TV. It is boring if there’s not something else to do. Working out isn’t fun for me, but is important for physical and mental health. Total exercising is five hours, plus walking five hours a week and taking stairs often.

UNPLANNED DRINKS
“I get tired when I have alcohol at lunch,” — Jack, a stockbroker.

When Jack drinks alcohol at lunch, he wants to sleep all afternoon. I suggested he stop drinking at lunch and report back to me. Avoiding alcohol at lunch made him feel much better. His stamina has increased remarkably.

Jack told me this interesting story. He had important clients to take out for lunch. Naturally he ordered an expensive bottle of wine. To his surprise, no one drank any alcohol at lunch. It seems his clients had made the same decision. Actually, nowadays, few people drink at lunch on business days; it’s become a widely followed trend.

LACK OF ENERGY
“I have no energy” — Jackie, a politician.

When Jackie’s lunch is a fatty meal or a large meal, she loses her energy in the afternoon and she has difficulty staying awake.

Explaining to her that her body will use it’s energy to digest all the food she’s eaten, so naturally after a large lunch she’ll feel tired. We decided to change her lunch choices to lower-fat dishes. If she has no choice, she only eats half of whatever is put in front of her. She was surprised at the surge of energy she felt in the afternoons after a light meal.

You’ve met people with plenty of energy. Even you have plenty of energy sometimes. What a marvelous feeling it is! So why not decide to be energetic every day? Know when you are eating out, know where you are eating, and decide to make a healthy choice. Keep your foods light with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Be aware; be conscious of your choices. Just deciding to plan your food intake gives you a positive feeling and more energy.

Researchers have found that people over forty years of age tend to feel tired after a high-carbohydrate lunch. Just as women become sleepy, men become calm. This leads to decreased mental alertness. It would help to include protein foods in your lunch bag such as a sandwich containing tuna, cheese, egg, chicken, low-fat cold cuts or peanut butter.

In the evening, carbohydrate-rich dinners can enhance your calmness, preparing you for a restful night’s sleep. If you’re eating a high-protein supper, eat before 7 p.m. If you’re eating later, choose a pasta, rice, potato or bread dish. Even a small dessert would make you feel dozy.

EATING WHEN TIRED
“I eat when I’m tired” - Ruth, a physician.

Ruth works long, exhausting days, so, to store up energy, she looks for any food that is quick and easy to “inhale,” like chips, chocolates or cookies. The problem is, Ruth is eating when she isn’t hungry. After eating the chips or chocolate, she still feels tired, as well as angry with herself.

There are many reasons you could be tired. Did you sleep well last night? Was your lunch too large or too high in fat? The most common time to be tired is after lunch. Maybe that’s why many southern Europeans enjoy a relaxing lunch and a rest afterwards. Unfortunately, this doesn’t suit the American lifestyle of go, go, go.

By listening to her body, she realized she wasn’t really hungry, she was thirsty and dehydrated. She started choosing fresh fruit and drinking water.

EATING WHEN BORED
“I eat when I’m bored, usually late evenings and weekends” - Jane, a mother of three small children.

During the week, Jane is very busy looking after her children, doing housework and endless chores. In the evening, when everyone has gone to bed and she has time on her hands, she ends up going to the fridge and cupboard looking for something to eat. On weekends, when her husband takes the children out to give her a break, she snacks all day.

Boredom is such a common reason for overeating. Many of my clients have problems on the weekend, away from their busy schedules. This is when they say: "Well, what should I do now?" Then look for anything and finds stale cookies. Afterwards, they say, "Why did I eat them? I feel disappointed because I didn't even enjoy what I ate."

I told Jane to be aware of her bored times. When you’re bored, dust off the low-fat cookbooks that we all have, find a delicious recipe with plenty of vegetables, write down the ingredients and walk briskly to the store. Come back, prepare the vegetables and enjoy a wonderful meal. Keep some cleaned sliced veggies in the fridge to snack on. You’ll be doing something positive for yourself and the end result will be a feeling of accomplishment. Remember to watch the portion sizes, and keep leftovers for the freezer.

Learn from my experience: “I have a tendency to gain weight easily, so limit myself to eating when hungry, not bored. In actual fact, I never allow myself to get bored. My days are well planned to fit in everything I want to do, even if it’s only taking it easy and reading a book.”

AFTERNOON HUNGER
“I am starved at 4 p.m.” - Marilyn, a businesswoman.

Every day, Marilyn decides she wants to lose weight. The day goes well until late afternoon. Then she gets really hungry. She tries to starve herself from lunch until dinner but finds that she becomes so ravenous that she can’t think anymore. Once home, she starts bingeing on any food in the house as she prepares dinner. By the time food is served, Marilyn isn’t hungry but she eats out of habit. After these repeated episodes she always feels miserable, depressed and confused.

Late afternoon is a common time to be hungry. Recognize it as a real hunger, and not due to boredom, tiredness or stress. When you are hungry, you should eat. Plan to eat a filling snack before you’re starved, at about 3:30 p.m., and you’ll be ready to enjoy your meal at suppertime. Some snack suggestions are: café latte (made with non-fat milk); yogurt and an apple; four Melba toasts with low-fat cottage cheese and an orange; eight mini rice cakes and one tablespoon peanut butter.

If exercising at 7:00 p.m., prepare a tuna sandwich, with lettuce, tomato and chopped celery and eat at 5:00 p.m. This is your dinner. Then have a snack after your workout. There is no need to follow the norm. Remember: do not go six hours without food or you’ll get too hungry. If you are the type of person who has trouble making the right afternoon choices, don’t let it get that far. Plan, plan, plan.

THE BENEFITS OF BREAKFAST
To determine whether breakfast is important, a study was conducted with students. Males and females who ate breakfast had a significantly higher intake of fiber, and males who ate breakfast had a higher vitamin C intake and lower fat intake than breakfast “skippers.”

If you overeat in the evening, you won’t be hungry for breakfast. Stop eating after dinner and you’ll be hungry for breakfast.

SKIPPING MEALS
“I skip meals to lose weight but I don’t succeed” - Angela, a bank manager.

Angela doesn’t eat breakfast or lunch because she isn’t hungry and wants to lose weight. But once she gets home, she eats continuously from 5:00 p.m. until bedtime. She figures that if she doesn’t eat all day, she can eat a large amount in the evening and still lose weight. Instead, she isn’t losing weight and finds it hard to sleep because she’s so full.

The following are four reasons not to skip meals:
1. Food is needed for energy during the day.
2. Your body reacts when meals are skipped by lowering your metabolic rate so that it uses whatever food you give it more efficiently. It actually thinks it’s being starved, and refuses to use up any stored fat quickly. This is the direct opposite of what you want to happen for weight loss.
3. When you overeat in the evening (to make up for the rest of the day), your total calorie intake could be much higher than if you had eaten sensibly during the day.
4. If you starve yourself by skipping a meal, you can develop bad breath. The reason is that the body is burning up energy improperly and forming toxins (ketones) that are released through the lungs. These toxins produce a recognizable and unpleasant smell of acetone.

SHORT ON VEGETABLES
“I know I don’t get enough vegetables, but they’re such a nuisance to prepare” — Derek, an accountant.

Derek knows he should be eating plenty of vegetables but doesn’t know how to prepare them. He loves cooking but needs ideas.

Most people don’t eat enough vegetables. I told Derek to be creative and save recipes from magazines and newspapers until he has time to cook something new.

Everyone loves cooked vegetables, stir-fried vegetables, vegetable soups and salads - we just don’t get around to preparing them. Canned vegetables are a great standby as they contain most of their original nutrients. When we do have the time to shop, we don’t think buying vegetables is a priority. It is. What I love to make is a large soup, including lentils and canned or soaked dried beans, and all my leftover vegetables from the week. I freeze the soup in one-portion containers for a quick lunch or late-afternoon snack. For interesting salads, use fresh lettuce, tomato and celery, then add canned peas, corn and tuna with a boiled egg for a quick lunch. (My daughter’s favorite meal). It won’t take you longer than six minutes. If you like stir-fries, use leftover meat or chicken and add frozen or canned vegetables. Quick foods can be healthy. For the office, pack a tasty sandwich with bean sprouts, lettuce and tomato or choose carefully from the fast food-outlets or deli.

MORE NUTRITIOUS VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
All vegetables are good for you. However, some are higher in the antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, than others. As you need to include —five to ten fruits and vegetables per day, choose from the following list first. Add other vegetables for variety, taste and texture. Note: Beta-carotene gives some of the following produce its orange color; in others it is masked by chlorophyll, a green color. So brightly colored vegetables give a good clue to good choices.

ORANGE/RED VEGETABLES
Carrots
Hubbard squash
Peppers, red
Pumpkin
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnip greens

GREEN VEGETABLES
Asparagus
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Green beans
Peas
Peppers, green
Spinach
Zucchini

ORANGE/RED FRUITS
Apricots
Berries
Cantaloupe

Cherries, fresh or dried

Cranberries, dried
Grapes, red
Guavas
Mangoes
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Peaches
Pink grapefruit
Plums

Pomegranates
Prunes
Watermelon

GREEN FRUITS
Grapes, green
Kiwifruit

Juices from these fruits are also high in antioxidants but lower in fiber.

TREATS FOR THE KIDS - I DON’T THINK SO
“I buy treats for the kids but end up eating them myself” - Kay, a nurse.

I’ve done this in the past, especially when I’m hungry, so I know what Kay means. These treats could be fresh breads, cookies, cake, chocolate or chips. Kay finds that she usually buys the kind that she likes, not the kind the kids like.

The way to overcome this is to plan ahead. Don’t go near a shop if hungry. Grab a banana or eat a small container of yogurt so that by the time you get to the shop, the ravenous feeling is gone and you can think rationally before buying anything. Buy a treat that the kids like, not one you like. In order to encourage and maintain healthy food habits in the home, you should buy a single cookie at a time for each child. That way, they don’t learn to snack on fatty foods all the time.

SABOTAGED WITH “TRIGGER” FOODS
“My friends and family sabotage my efforts” - Dawn, a lab technician.

Dawn has been making healthy choices, increasing her activity and feeling good. But when her family and friends come to visit her, they bring her a chocolate or pastry as a reward for losing weight. This upsets Dawn because the food is too tempting to resist; she eats the treat, which triggers her to continue eating all day. She feels miserable afterwards and wants to give up her healthy goals. How could she be so weak?

Very easily. I told Dawn to relax about it and not to make a big fuss. She can tell these well-intentioned people: “Thanks, I’m just not hungry.” That way, they cannot force her to eat anything. At a later stage, she’ll become more confident with her attitude towards healthy eating and will be able to handle a small piece of pastry without letting it trigger a binge reaction.

HIDDEN CALORIES = WEIGHT GAIN
“I eat healthily all the time. Why am I gaining weight?” - Frank, a computer consultant.

I took Frank’s dietary history and he was right. He was eating very well and exercising regularly. He made good food choices most of the time, ate a wide variety of foods and his serving sizes were right for his size and activity. As he was leaving the office, he told me, “I forgot to mention I drink fruit juice.” I asked him how much. He said five to six glasses a day!

What Frank didn’t know is that one-cup of orange juice equals two whole oranges in calorie value. I’m sure he would never be able to eat twelve oranges a day. He just wouldn’t have the time to peel them. Fruit juice is a quick way to get in calories without realizing it. If you are thirsty, drink water. If you want to drink fruit juice, remember that to lose weight, you should limit yourself to four fruit portions per day, equivalent to two cups of orange juice a day. In that case, rather eat the whole fruit to feel more satisfied.

NIBBLIES
“I nibble in the kitchen while preparing the meal and clearing the table” - Nancy, a charity worker.

Although many women and men have the nibbling habit, they are unaware of how much they eat. One thing they have in common, they’d like to break the habit.

I have my clients write down everything they eat everyday, and in this case focus on the nibbling. When you have to write down three chips, four crackers with dip, 1 Tbs. mashed potato, 1 oz. chicken, and so on, you can see that it adds up. A planned snack will take away the immediate hunger in the right way. You won’t have to nibble. You will also end up enjoying the meal much more. When clearing the dishes, do not nibble leftovers, no matter how small. It is best and more economical to pack away extra food for another meal or snack.

* * * * * * * *

If you’ve been able to identify yourself with some of the people in these case studies, make a change and make it now. Note the obstacles that you’ve had to confront in the past and remind yourself of them everyday. This will keep you highly motivated to make changes to your life.

“What should I weigh?”

What should you weigh? That used to be the most important question. Now it is: What is your ideal weight? One table says 140 pounds, and another one says 142 pounds? What if you’re big-built, small-built, active or muscular?

Well, relax - your ideal weight is whatever you are happiest at. The weight which is easier for you to maintain without feeling deprived or stressed. Here are two examples:

“I need to lose 100 pounds”
Each 10 pounds means a different size; that makes quite a difference. So, if you want to lose 100 pounds, take off 10 pounds at a time. That way, the goal is much easier. Changes are made gradually and activity starts off slowly until new habits are formed. These new habits are for life so they have to be enjoyable.

“I need to lose 10 pounds”
The desire to lose 10 pounds is not a trivial one. Men and women who have been ten pounds lighter all their lives and have gained weight gradually, are miserable: their clothes are too tight and they don’t want to go to a bigger size. If that’s you, you need to be aware of the reason for your weight gain. It is usually less exercising and increased eating. Write down the specific change you want to make. Don’t concern yourself with the rest of the day. For example, your sporadic activity will now be planned into your weekly routine. Or, when eating out, you’ll spend thirty seconds longer deciding on a meal that is lower in fat, but equally delicious as the meals you have been choosing. Your weight will gradually come off without any stress. As you start fitting into your clothes again, you will have renewed motivation to lose the ten pounds and keep it off.

BODY MASS INDEX

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is your goal. Know your healthy weight, not the weight of those waif-like models in fashion magazines.

If you are over forty years old and lose weight rapidly, you may find that you start looking scrawny and older. We need a little fat to plump out the wrinkles in our faces. If you lose weight slowly, you can stop at a happy medium. I believe it was Catherine Deneuve, one the world’s most beautiful women, who said: “Sacrifice a little extra on the hips for a younger-looking face.” When the face starts looking gaunt, stop losing weight for a time and start maintaining your weight.

You should try to be within a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range. BMI is simply the relationship between a person’s height and weight. More precisely:
BMI = weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared.

However, you don’t have to learn formulas. Go online to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/, put in your height and weight and your BMI will be calculated.

A BMI of between 20 and 25 is associated with the lowest risk of illness.

Few people use the BMI, but my clients feel more confidant knowing that there isn’t a specific weight to which they must adhere.

If you’re obese, with a BMI above twenty-seven, the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, digestive, pulmonary and gall-bladder diseases is dramatically higher. Health risks also increase if you are underweight, BMI less than twenty. Either way, you need to take better care of yourself.

BMI should not be used if you are under twenty years of age or over sixty-five years of age, very muscular, pregnant or nursing.

CHECKLIST TO HEALTHY EATING

Eat when Hungry - Don’t hold back until ravenous; only eat when hungry.

Enjoy your Foods - Eat foods that are good tasting as well as nutritious.

Watch Nibbles - Wait two hours between your nibbles.

Spice it Up - Be liberal and creative with herbs and spices when cooking. This will lower the amount of, or dispense with, oils, butter and salt in a recipe, while maintaining great taste.

A Splash of Color - Add color and nutrients to meal presentations with new and interesting vegetables, fruits and even edible flowers.

Experiment - Aim to try one new recipe each week. Dust off those healthy, low-fat cookbooks and find a tasty dish that appeals to you.

Try Ethnic Dishes - Explore a variety of low-fat ethnic cuisines (Japanese, Chinese, Thai).

Out on the Town - Choose wisely from the menu. Ask for salad instead of fries.

Sleep when tired - Do you eat when tired? Take a nap, relax for ten minutes, or just slow down. You will feel refreshed and ready to face the world again.

Take a Hike - If you tend to eat when bored or stressed, take a brisk 10 - 20 minute walk instead. Take every opportunity to be active. Walk the halls and stairs of your home or walk to the store for a lovely piece of fruit. The fresh air and exercise will help refuel your energy.

Keep Motivated - Read this book again, particularly the inspirational passages that relate to you.

Find Supportive Friends - See caring friends, avoid those who depress you.