Don't Let Those Pounds Creep Up On You!

It happens to so many people, those few pounds they gain every year.  While a few pounds doesn't seem like much over the course of 10+ years it can add up and suddenly you are 20-40 pounds overweight, out of shape and seriously unhealthy!  It is so much harder to lose weight than to gain it so start now to prevent this from happening.  If you have gained the extra weight are are trying to lose it, don't lose hope because you can take steps to get your health back.   While its true if you exercise like I do you can eat a lot more and not gain weight.  Most people however don't want to do that so it is important to eat a healthy diet and eat in moderation.   I like to first talk about what you CAN have and you can have lots of  vegetables because they are SO good for you and low in calories and most people don't eat enough.  They are loaded with nutrition, fiber, and they taste great!  Make sure not to ruin them by overcooking them and adding too many things that aren't healthy.  I was recently at Brio and the one item on the menu that had the MOST calories was brussel sprouts!  Brio is an Italian restaurant with lots of high calorie foods and the brussel sprouts had almost 1,800 calories!  They were loaded with oil and bacon and I'm sure they tasted good but they were clearly not the healthiest option.  So you can have plenty of vegetables just make sure you prepare them properly by not overcooking them and loading them up with unhealthy stuff!  You can have fruit in moderation and I prefer to choose fruits low on the glycemic index such as apples.  Berries are another good option that are loaded with lots of nutrients.  Just be careful not to overdo it by eating too much fruit.  You can have good complex carbohydrates in moderation too!  Make sure when eating these you measure them out and don't eat too much.  It's very easy to gobble down a few servings of brown rice or quinoa.  Some good carbohydrates are brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and yams.  Remember when eating out ask how they are prepared and watch the quantity.  When eating out the serving size can be so large you can take it home for 1 or 2 more meals.  I recently went out to eat and my boyfriend ordered salmon, quinoa, and vegetables.  When we looked up the calorie content it was over 1,000 calories! Salads are delicious and healthy if prepared right.  Make sure when you eat salad you use a variety of types of lettuce.  I use spinach, arugula, and romaine combination.  It's healthy and tastes great and there are so many other other options to put in your salad.  I am vegetarian so I don't eat meat in my salad so I usually will put some nuts and beans in my salad.  Eating salads out can be really bad if you don't pay attention to what they are putting on the salad and how much dressing they put on it. Always ask for the dressing on the side and avoid salads with lots of fried stuff like chips and fried meat.  Cheese is another killer for a salad.  If you tell them to leave some of this stuff off tell them to put more good stuff on it by asking for extra tomatoes or cucumbers.  Most times they won't charge you for those simple extras.

Take these steps to lose or keep the weight off for good!

• Weigh yourself on a regular basis at the same time of day.  I  prefer to do it in the morning and once a week.  
• When eating out check the calories of the foods on the menu.  Most places will have this listed but if they don't then use a phone app like myfitnesspal to look it up.  Most major restaurants will be on the app. 
• When eating out don't be afraid to ask how they are preparing it and if you can order it with less butter, sauce, or have them put it on the side. 
• Focus on what you can have instead of what you can't have.
• Don't eat out of boredom, if you are bored at home and want to snack try and get past the urge for 10 minutes by going for a walk or something.  Usually the urge will pass after a few minutes or better yet just go to bed! 
• I can't say it enough but preparing your food for the week because it is essential for success.  If you have to grab some thing at the last minute chances are its not going to be as healthy as something you have prepared ahead of time.  
• Keep track of your water intake!  If you are only drinking a few cups a day start by setting a goal of 1/2 gallon a day.  The ultimate goal should be at least a gallon a day. 
• Try and stay on a regular workout schedule and be consistent.  
• Keep stress to a minimum because stress is a killer when your trying to lose weight.  Increased stress will increase cortisol which leads to a number of problems if your trying to lose weight. 

Take simple steps to improve your health, live longer and feel better!

Coach Cyndee