Santa Clara County Gets it Right!

I couldn’t be more proud to live in Santa Clara County (well, for the mean time) right now!! Santa Clara County is the first county in the nation to put a ban on selling happy meals to kids. Although I generally believe less government is a good thing, this is one area where I think government regulation is crucial in leading the fight against (or waging the war for that matter) childhood obesity. Parents and private industry have FAILED miserably to look out for our children’s best interests. Here are some shocking facts from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office on obesity:

• Two-thirds of adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese.
• The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. more than doubled (from 15% to 34%) among adults and more than tripled (from 5% to 17%) among children and adolescents from 1980 to 2008.
• An obese teenager has over a 70% greater risk of becoming an obese adult.

I hope you're as outraged by these statistics as I am! I am ecstatic that government is taking action and targeting the fast food industry. Kudos to Santa Clara County's elected officials for prohibiting the fast food industry from luring kids in with toys. We cannot continue to market (what did you think the happy meal toys were for??) this processed, fattening garbage to our kids, because it is killing them!

Watch the ABC news clip about Santa Clara County’s proactive campaign here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/where-happy-meals-are-illegal-19362009#video=19369064

Also, check out this blog on the Los Angeles Times website: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/04/fast-food-toy-ban-santa-clara-county.html

Bring on the Questions!

Someone who’s been reading my blog posts asked me a great question today that I’d like to share with everyone. This person commented that I seem very forgiving of my slip ups since I’m at my goal weight, but wondered how strict I was on myself when I was 15-20 pounds away from my goal weight. In the beginning, when I first decided to change my eating habits, I had to be very strict. To quote Albert Einstein, "The thinking that got you where you are today, won't take you where you want to go tomorrow." I couldn't continue to eat the way I was and expect to lose weight, so I pretty much cut out ALL bad food. I said NO to all the things I knew were holding me back including, dessert, dining out, office junk, big servings, high calorie and fattening foods, baking, etc. I also cut out my mindless and emotional eating especially when I wasn’t hungry. I had to learn to hold the power over food versus food holding the power over me. As I started losing weight, I slowly started reincorporating some of the foods I loved, but had cut out. Nevertheless, instead of eating them as often as I did, I ate them maybe once every 10 days and didn’t overdo it when I did. I learned to add back in the foods I missed, but also let go of the foods I could live without.

Another question this person asked me that I thought I’d comment on is that she noticed I don’t post how many fat grams are in my meals. This is because I know that my diet is mainly lowfat and the fats that I do eat are the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in foods like peanut butter, avocado, almonds, olive oil, etc.

I just want you all to know that I welcome your comments, questions, concerns, ideas, suggestions, thoughts, etc. If you have something to say, please leave me a comment on my blog and I’ll address it. This blog is meant to help YOU the reader so bring on the comments!

Put it in Writing

I was watching the Biggest Loser a couple of weeks ago when personal finance expert Suzie Orman made a guest appearance. Based on all the contestants’ finances, Suzie Orman predicts who will win the Biggest Loser contest for the season. She accurately predicted last year’s winner mid-way through the season. This year, she was going to pick one contestant based on his finances, but when she found out that he didn’t write down and track what he was eating every day while on the show, she decided to bet on a different contestant to win.

You may be thinking what does the shape of your finances actually have to do with whether you’d win the Biggest Loser? And furthermore, why is writing down and tracking what you eat every day such a strong indicator of your success with weight loss or management? I’ll address the first question now. Budgeting and weight loss or management actually require many of the same principles. If you don’t watch your finances, or what you eat the numbers can really add up, and quick. The more you watch and manage both, the more successful you’ll be. I know exactly how much money I have in any of my bank accounts at any given time. I have a spreadsheet tracking my income and expenses so that I know what’s left over each month. Whenever I log into my online banking, I am never surprised at what I see, I know exactly what to expect. If I spend a little more one week than anticipated, I compensate the following week and spend less. I use these same principles when it comes to managing my weight. Every day I write down what I eat (or if it’s the weekend, I at least tally it in my head). At the end of each day, I write down my total for the day. If I eat more than expected one day (i.e. a birthday dinner, weekend BBQ, holiday, girls’ night out, etc.), I compensate the following day by getting right back on track and eat healthy. Again, just like my finances, I’m never surprised with where I’m at and this puts my mind at ease. It is a much better feeling to know that even if you overdo it now and then whether it’s financially or with food that you have the ability to do so because 1. You’re fully aware of your situation and know that you can do so and 2. You’re responsible 80% of the time, so you can allow yourself to be “out of control” every now and then without risking your progress. I would much rather be aware of both my finances and food choices than ignore them and one day wonder why I’m in debt or gained 10 pounds. If you stay on top of both, you’ll never have to be in that situation.

As for the second question I posed about writing down what you eat, I believe (and apparently Suzie Orman does too) that this is ESSENTIAL to being successful in losing or managing your weight. Now, of course there are plenty of people that don’t have a problem with their weight and don’t write down what they eat. Lucky them! But, there are A LOT of people (me included) who need to write down what they eat to be accountable. I’m getting to a place where I am pretty in tune with what I’m eating that I don’t have to write it down anymore, but I still like to because it really does keep me accountable. If I write it down, I won’t want to eat an extra this or that because I know I’ll have to track and face it. If you’re not writing down what you’re eating and trying to lose weight, how do you know what the problem is with your diet? It’s much easier to eat a few chips, have a few pieces of candy, or a bite of this and that when you don’t have to write it down. If you had to write down all your little unaccounted for nibbling throughout the day, you might be shocked how all those little things can add up (just like how all those cups of coffee at Starbucks can add up at the end of the month). Also, I’m guessing if you’re not writing it down then you’re probably not measuring out what you’re eating or conscious of nutrition facts either. As I’ve said before, most of us don’t know how to eyeball a correct portion, or how much fat or calories are in some of the foods we eat. If you’re aware of what’s in your food, measure out correct portions, and write it all down, how can you not be successful in managing what you’re eating? It forces you to come out of DENIAL. It forces you to see your problem areas and address them.

My advice is this, if you’re struggling with either losing weight or maintaining your weight, write down everything you eat for one week without making any tweaks to what you eat for the week. In fact, write down what you ate yesterday too so you really can’t tweak anything. At the end of the week look back and reflect on your choices. What did you learn? Did you learn that you’re not sure if you ate a cup or two cups of cereal in the morning? Are you unsure how many calories are in your dinner? Are you constantly snacking on candy at work? If you really want to understand what to change, you have to first know what your problems are, just like your finances! I challenge you to write down what you eat because it truly will help you succeed in your goals. Also, understand that all your small decisions add up, so remember to look at the big picture. Let’s put it this way, if you buy a tall cup of coffee at Starbucks for $1.50 (doesn’t sound like much) five days a week, you’ve spent $30 on coffee for the month!! Think how much you could save each month if you just bought a $14 bag of Starbucks coffee and brewed it at home for the month? Same applies to food, if you find out that you’re eating 150 calories in candy at work every day that adds up to 3,000 calories a month. Personally, I’d much rather eat the 250-calorie bowl of ice cream once a week and save 2,000 calories than eat unsatisfying junk everyday at work.

So remember, the more aware you are the more easily you can address any issues that arise with minimal effort. Track what you eat, and you’ll never get on that scale and wonder how you gained 10 pounds. The more you know the more power you have!

Nutrition and Exercise Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Nutrition and exercise are like peanut butter and jelly, you just can’t have one without the other (well, at least if you expect to see lasting results). Most people wouldn't just make a peanut butter sandwich without jelly or vice versa. While a peanut butter sandwich alone is still good (I’d have some doubts about a jelly sandwich), it isn't as good as it could be if you added jelly. Most people have their peanut butter sandwich with jelly, because we all know that together it is a dynamite and much more satisfying combination. The saltiness of the peanut butter just meshes so well with the sweetness of the jelly. Well, the same is true for exercise and nutrition. Sure, they're both good alone, but together they're a dynamite and much more effective combination. They mesh just as much (if not more) as peanut butter and jelly!

When it comes to exercise and nutrition, we all love to cut corners. Often, our mentality is to do whatever achieves the quickest and easiest results. Because changing the way you eat and incorporating exercise is a huge lifestyle change, many people will do one or the other, but not both. Ironically, doing one or the other is the LONG way to achieving results and is much HARDER! Some people continue their regular diets, but exercise and wonder why they don’t lose weight, and on top of that why they actually are finding themselves eating more. Others change the way they eat, but don’t incorporate exercise and wonder why they aren’t getting toned as they begin to shed fat. The obvious solution to these conundrums is that if you want the total package (i.e. lose weight, gain muscle and tone, have a faster metabolism, etc.) you have to do both. This is especially true if you want lasting results. Like I said, by only doing one or the other, you’re making the process that much longer and harder on yourself.

3,500 calories consumed equals one pound of fat. If you want to lose a pound a week (if weight loss is your goal), you need to cut 3,500 calories from your current diet. Now, you can go about this several ways. You can cut out 500 calories worth of food every day, burn 500 calories every day exercising, or do a combination of both. I love food way too much to cut out 500 calories a day from my diet, and I can't imagine spending seven days a week in the gym working out vigorously (because burning 500 calories through exercise calls for high intensity workouts), so in my opinion, I take the easy route and do both. Now, my goal isn’t to lose weight, only to maintain my current weight, but doing a combination of both allows me to easily stay where I’m at, eat healthy while still enjoying my favorite foods, and be active. Of course, eating healthy and being active have a host of other benefits beyond keeping me at my current weight. Eating healthy foods means I am getting more nutrients my body needs (and less artery clogging fats for that matter) and exercising means I am keeping my muscles, bones, and heart strong, as well as building my endurance; these are amazing benefits that will serve you well for your lifetime. And, one of the best benefits of exercising consistently is that once you reach your goal weight, exercise will help keep you there.

So remember, incorporate both exercise and nutrition into your lifestyle for lasting results. Doing both is much easier than placing the entire burden on one side of the equation. You’ll actually be able to stick with this course of action since it requires smaller tweaks to your diet and exercise routine. Trust me, you will feel and look better if you do both, and your body will thank you!

For more information on exercise’s affect on weight loss, read this recent, interesting article from the New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18exercise-t.html?src=me&ref=homepage.

A Look Back at My Own Journey

When I was younger, I used to envy people who could eat whatever they wanted and still look great. I would think why can’t that be me? Why do I have to be conscious about what I eat and workout so hard to achieve what comes naturally to others? Now, I look back and laugh. I am actually incredibly thankful that I have had to struggle because it’s made me a much stronger, healthier, and more appreciative person. I’d rather have to eat healthy and workout hard to stay in shape than be the person who eats whatever he/she wants (good and bad), never works out, and still manages to have a nice body. I guess it’s because I know that even though me and that other person may look the same on the outside, I’m 100 times healthier on the inside, and that’s what really counts.

I’ve always struggled with my weight ever since I was little because I’ve always had an extremely healthy appetite. I was the kid who didn’t want to order off the kiddy menu at the restaurant and the kid who ALWAYS had room for dessert after dinner. My dad recently reminded me that it was because I had two great chefs cooking for me (my mom and dad), and he’s right. My parents are both amazing cooks, and I grew up eating like a queen! While I never became obese, I was overweight for my age during most of my adolescence. I participated in sports and dance all through elementary, middle, and high school, but it wasn’t enough to combat the portion sizes and junk food I ate. A few times I went on diets and actually slimmed back down, but because diets are short-term fixes, the weight always came back (a quick note on this: even though I wasn't always happy with my weight, I've NEVER used extreme measures to lose weight, even then. I've never thrown up my food, starved myself, eliminated entire food groups from my diet, fasted, been on any liquid or other crazy diet, or taken over-the-counter weight loss pills). In high school, my weight struggles continued, and I reached my heaviest weight ever. I look back now and completely understand why. My friends and I were living off of fast food, pizza, and cookies. When I went to college, I slimmed down some, but as soon as I moved out of the dorms and into an apartment with my two friends, the weight went right back on. Having two great friends as roommates equaled many pizza and ice cream runs, dinners out at our favorite restaurants, and 10 extra pounds.

At the end of 2004, I got serious about working out. Something just clicked one day for me and I wanted to be more active. I was paying money each month to be apart of San Diego State’s athletic club and I was using it maybe a few times a month. I decided that I wanted to make working out apart of my lifestyle, not just something I did once a week. From that point on, I never looked back! I have consistently worked out at least four times a week since I made that choice in 2004. I’ve also taken ownership over my food choices and have managed to maintain my current, healthy weight, eating habits, and workout schedule no matter what life throws at me. I am 30-40 pounds lighter than I was in high school and college and now have a healthy body mass index.

I remember what it felt like when I was insecure about my body and I never want to go back to that place. Knowing how far I’ve come makes me feel so good about my hard work. I used to be the girl who hated running, to the girl who runs three miles five days a week now. I used to be the girl who ate too much junk food, to the girl who makes the healthy choice 80-90% of the time. The changes I’ve made have changed my entire life. Not only do I feel more confident about who I am on the outside, I feel better about who I am on the inside knowing that my body is healthy. I am able to do so much more physically than ever before and it is beyond gratifying to see how much hard work, consistency, and determination have paid off.

When it comes to losing weight or leading a healthy lifestyle, you have to be in it for the long haul. Don’t workout and eat right for just a short-term goal like a vacation or wedding. While it is great to have short-term goals to keep you motivated, don’t forget the big picture. What keeps me motivated every day is how far I've come, how much I am able to physically accomplish, how rarely I get sick, how much more I can enjoy life and food without worrying what a slice of cheesecake or cheeseburger will do to me, and how nice it is to know that all my good habits will have a lasting affect on my vitality. Being in control of my life is worth all the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve put into getting healthy. I am thankful everyday that I had to learn the hard way!

Eat This, Not That

As I've alluded to in a previous post, not only do we not have a sense of appropriate portions in America, but we also really don't understand how many calories and fat are in some of our favorite foods. And trust me, some nutrition facts can be really scary!!

A great tool I discovered a couple years ago from my mom is the Eat This, Not That book from the editors of Men’s Health magazine. The book has become so successful that they now have five different versions of the book focusing on areas, including navigating supermarkets and restaurants, healthy food options for kids, and also a book detailing the absolute worst food in America. If you really want to have a better understanding of the choices you’re making in the supermarket or at your favorite eatery, grab this book and keep it handy. It’s a great tool when you’re out and want to know the healthiest options available to you whether it's at the mall, McDonalds, or Outback Steakhouse. This book has information on many favorite chain restaurants and fast food eateries comparing some of their healthiest options next to some of their worst options (and a lot of times they will surprise you). Or, if you are craving something unhealthy, it'll tell you which option is the lesser of the two evils. It also compares the best and worst options available in the supermarket from yogurt to lunch meat to frozen TV dinners. Finally, the book helps you navigate holidays, mall food, alcoholic beverages, and more.

To learn more, click here: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home. This website has lots of great information, so go check it out and educate yourself about what you're putting in your mouth!

What’s on My Menu for Today?

Now that I’ve given you some advice on how to get healthy, you’re probably wondering what I eat in a typical day. Lucky for you, I write it down (I’ll be blogging about why you should write down what you eat in the near future). Along with what I eat in a typical day, I also drink 10-12 glasses of water every single day. So, here is what’s on my plate for today:

Breakfast – 7:15 a.m.
Quaker Oats High Fiber Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal with ½ cup of Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk
Two cooked egg whites
Coffee with four tablespoons of Coffee-Mate Fat-Free Vanilla Creamer

Calories: 350
Fiber: 10 grams
Protein: 14 grams

Mid-Morning Snack – 9:30 a.m.
½ cup of 1% cottage cheese and pineapple chunks

Calories: 150
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 14 grams

Lunch – 12 p.m.
Chicken breast pita sandwich with hummus, lettuce, and tomato

Calories: 310
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 30 grams

Mid-Afternoon Snack – 3 p.m.
Medium banana
100-calorie pack of almonds

Calories: 200
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 5 grams

Dinner – 6:30 p.m.
Taco Salad: 4 ounces seasoned extra lean, ground turkey with lettuce, tomato, 2 ounces of avocado, ½ cup black beans, and 2 tablespoons of light ranch dressing

Calories: 400
Fiber: 12 grams
Protein: 42 grams

Today’s Grand Total
Calories: 1410
Fiber: 32 grams
Protein: 105 grams

I hope by seeing what I eat you understand that, 1. You can actually eat a good amount during the day and still be healthy and lose weight, if that is your goal (this one's especially important for the ladies to understand since so many of you think you should consume less than 1,200 calories a day, you know who you are), 2. You should eat frequently throughout the day (no skipping meals) and spread your calories out fairly evenly among your meals, and 3. There are actually a variety of yummy foods you can eat when you're trying to be more health conscious. My menu for today is just one example of foods I eat during the week, but I have plenty of other meal and snack options too. I make sure I have a lot of variety in my diet because that's what keeps me happy and satisfied!