A couple of weeks ago I was in San Diego for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference. Traveling, and conferences in particular, have always presented an eating challenge for me. However, this year I was determined to watch what I ate. Part of the problem at the ADA conference is the expo hall. Dietitians deal with food. This means the expo hall is FILLED WITH FOOD! And, in order to tell my clients about new products, I have to sample them. So, the ADA conference is not just an issue with eating while out of town, but managing sampling foods on the expo floor. I used a few strategies this year that I hope will help you manage your eating on the road, too.

Tip 1: Before you go, make a list of foods to have handy. If there are quick and easy meals or snacks you can put together without cooking, have a list of the items you need to make them with you. For example, I’ve started eating a few whole wheat crackers, a couple of wedges of Laughing Cow cheese, and some grapes for breakfast or dinner. Super easy and doesn’t require an oven. Add some peanut butter and you have a great snack of some peanut butter on the crackers. Also, plan for any food you need to support your training and working out. Do you need to pick up sports drink? What about your pre- and post-workout foods?

Tip 2: Find a grocery store. If you made a list before you left take it with you and get your hotel room stocked. If you don’t have a list, stop on the way in and make one so you can avoid impulse buys.

Tip 3: If you are going to drink alcoholic beverages, alternate them with water. This does two things. First, it slows down how fast you drink the alcoholic drinks (and the calories they contain). Second, it helps keep you hydrated since alcohol is dehydrating.

Tip 4: Use an appetizer as your entree. Most entrees in restaurants are 3+ servings. Rather than ordering an entree, order an appetizer to use as your entree. You can still order a salad (dressing on the side) or soup (broth-based) as your appetizer.

Tip 5: Order a  salad (dressing on the side) or soup (broth-based) as your appetizer then split an entree with someone else in your group. Most of us think that everyone at the table wants to indulge in a big meal, but in reality just about everyone at the table is probably conerned with managing their weight. One of your dining buddies may be very thankful for the opportunity to split and entree.

Tip 6: If you are eating alone and order an entree, get a to go box and put 1/2 to 2/3 of the entree in the to go box and set it off to the side. If you finish what is on your plate and wait a few minutes and are still hungry, you can retrieve some of the saved entree from the to go box. If not, you can leave the box behind. If you feel bad about leaving food behind, ask yourself if you’d rather have the extra weight on your body as a result of eating that food, or not. Personally, I’d rather leave the extra in the to go box than have it end up on my hips.

Tip 7: Often when traveling you may not know when food will be available. Either pack some snacks to take with you or pick some up at the store that you can keep in a briefcase, computer case, or purse. I like KIND bars, frut, and fig bars as options.

I hope these tips help you while you travel. If you have tips of your own, I’d love to hear them!

On another note – I’ll be moving the newsletter to MailChimp next week. The format will be a bit different. You shouldn’t have to do anything to move with me. If you have questions, please send me an email.

This morning when the alarm went off at 4:30AM, I thought really hard about turning it off, rolling over, and going back to sleep until 6AM. I laid there arguing with myself. “You need to go workout.” “Yeah, but I”m tired.” “But, you need the workout.” “I know, but I could do it later. The bed is so comfortable. I’m so tired.” “No, you can’t. You need to go now! If you don’t go, you’ll regret it the rest of the day.” Back and forth for a few minutes. I finally got up and ended up having one of the best workouts I’ve had in a long time.

How many times do we have these arguments with ourselves? Why is it that we have this evil little voice that always argues against doing what we know we want to do to reach our goals? When we have these arguments, who wins? If that evil little voice wins, does that help you reach your goals? Usually not. Usually, that evil little voice sabotages your efforts.

If that evil little voice is actually a saboteur why do we even listen to it? The key is to know that you have control over that voice. You can tell it to be quiet, or if you need to be stronger – mentally yell at it to SHUT UP! and not listen to it anymore.

I’m going to challenge you in the next week to quiet that evil little voice. When it starts talking, just say “I’m not going to listen to you” and keep doing what you need to in order to reach your goals. Because, if you engage in the argument, who really wins?

The goal I’m working towards is running the New York Marathon on November 6, 2011. I am raising funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) for this race. One of the other reasons I tell myself to do my workouts is because I am blessed to have two arms, two legs, and a body that lets me run and workout. There are many, many people who want to be physically active and who have to use something artificial to make it happen – a prosthetic leg or legs, a hand-cycle. I’m thankful I have a body that is whole and allows me to run, bike, and swim. Thanks to all of you who have given so far to help me help these special athletes. If you would like to help the athletes sponsored by CAF, you can make a donation (of any amount) here.

On Thursday, June 2, the USDA revealed a new tool to help Americans improve their eating. They Pyramid is out. The Plate is in.

I was never a fan of the Pyramid.  It was confusing and, really, unusable. However, the Plate is something every person can use when eating. Overall, I’m happy with this new tool. In fact, I have been using a version of this in my counseling for years.

I like that the Plate is visual. You can look at your plate and see how well it matches the picture. Is half of your plate fruits and veggies? Is about a quarter protein? Is about a quarter grains?

On the My Plate website the USDA provides additional guidance of “enjoy your food, but eat less” and “avoid oversized portions.” Also, great guidance.

Although I think the Plate is a great tool, and I know there are limitations in the presentation, there are a couple of things I would change. First, I would rename  ”grains” to “starches” and include not just grains, but also starchy veggies. Some people will fill half of their plate with French fries or mashed potatoes and believe they have gotten their veggies. Your body treats starchy veggies and grains in a similar way that is different from non-starchy veggies like green beans and leafy greens. All starches should be limited for us to be healthy and at healthy weights.

Second, I like the guidance about “eat less” and know that it is hard to quantify “eat less” for everyone. However, “avoid oversized portions” could be quantified. I know a lot of guys who can go to a buffet, load up their plates multiple times and not consider that “oversized portions.” For proteins and starches, I tell people to use the plam of their hand, one-inch high to estimate servings. For non-starchy veggies and fruits, I say eat as much of them as you want. The other thing to consider is the size of the plate. If you are eating the way the Plate recommends on a nine-inch plate, you will have smaller portions than if you are eating on a 12-inch plate.

The dairy on the side is an interesting inclusion. I do not necessarily believe that you need dairy at every meal. If you are going to include it, choose non-fat or low-fat varieties.

Take a look at the Plate and see what you think. Will you use it when you plan your plates? Do you like it?

One of the only TV shows I keep up with is “The Biggest Loser.” I do not agree with everything, but am also inspired by how the contestants transform not only physically, but mentally. In an episode a couple of weeks ago, the contestants went home for two weeks. When they returned to the ranch, one of the contestants said that she learned that saying “no”  to food and other things that would not move her towards her goal was really saying “yes” to herself and her success.

That statement struck me as profound. What a mind shift! That attitude can enable all of us to stay on track towards our goals. When you come across something or someone who will not move you forward, you can say “no.” And, that “no” will help you move forward and reach your goal. That “no” is really a “yes” to yourself and your goals.

Are there things that you can say “no” to that really are a “yes?” I encourage you to look for those things that do not move your forward – food, eating opportunities, and people. Practice saying “yes” to yourself and “no” to those things that do not help you. 

What kinds of things can you say “no” to that really are saying “yes” to yourself?

I have seen a bunch of people lately who are trying to lose weight or change their body composition. They have a number for how many calories they think they need to eat each day. They could have used an online calculator to get this number. They could have asked someone else how much they eat. Or, they could have just pulled it out of the air.

Each of our bodies has a certain number of calories that they need in order to function. Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the amount of calories your body needs to perform all of its functions when you are at rest. This is the minimum number of calories your body needs each day. On top of RMR you add calories for other activities you do during the day including sitting at your desk working, walking around, and working out.

If you want to lose weight, you should consume fewer calories than you expend. . . within reason.  If you want to lose a pound a week, you should eat 500 calories less per day than you take in.

Remember, food is energy. There is a limit to the amount of calories that you reduce. If you reduce the calories too severely, your body will start conserving the food – and energy – that you give it through eating.  One of the ways this happens is when people consistently start eating less than their RMR. When this happens, your body goes into conservation mode. An example will help explain this concept. Sam has  an RMR or 1900 calories and a total of 2800 calories expended throughout the day.  He consumes 1500 calories per day. This means that on a daily basis, Sam has a deficit of 1300 calories.  Since there are about 3500 calories in a pound, Sam should lose 2.6 pounds per week (1300*7/3500=2.6). Sam lost weight at first. But, recently Sam hasn’t lost any weight in weeks. He is frustrated. Very frustrated. What is going wrong?

What is wrong is that his body is saying “Sam is only going to give me 1500 calories but ask me to do 2800 calories of work. I’m going to start slowing all my metabolic processes down so I can conserve the calories he does give me.”

When I have clients like this, I explain this to them and explain that they have to eat more. Yes, eat more. In these instances you have to eat more to lose weight. It may take some time for your body to realize that you are going to fuel it properly. It may decide to put on some weight at first. Once your body trusts that you are going to fuel it properly, you will start losing weight again.

I know it seems counterintuitive to eat more to lose weight, but if you have drastically reduced your calorie intake and are not losing weight, ask yourself if perhaps you have cut your intake too much.

If you want to know how many calories your body needs, you can get an estimate using some calculations (I have a blog on how to do that here). You can get your RMR  measured using special equipment called a metabolic cart. There are also the MedGem and the BodyGem.

If you have been trying to lose weight and are stalled, I would encourage you to look at how many calories you need, how many you are taking in, and decide if you have reduced you calories too far.

If you have had success losing by eating more, let me know.

Food companies are always trying to get us to think their food is good for us, which can encourage us to eat more. A friend sent me a link a couple of weeks ago to a story that Frito-Lay is going to start making half of their foods using natural ingredients.  Over the holidays, John and I wanted cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We were in Whole Foods and picked up some packaged cinnamon rolls that are touted as “All Natural.” Using terms such as “natural” and “organic” are an attempt to give a food a halo – getting you to think it is better for you than it may be.

I’m probably the only person who compares nutrition facts panel for cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls labeled as “all natural” have 5 rolls per can with each roll having 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein. A similar cinnamon roll – Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Sweet Rolls with Icing have 310 calories per roll, 9 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of protein. Not really a lot of difference between the two. Even when I look at the ingredient lists there is not a lot of difference between the two. Choosing the “all natural” cinnamon roll isn’t really a “healthier” choice.

Next time you are in the store and you see labels that make you think the food is “healthy” take a look at the nutrition facts panel and the ingredient list and determine for yourself if it really is a better choice for you.

A recent study showed that most American’s do not know how many calories they need to eat each day to maintain their weight.  Honestly, I’m not surprised.  This also means people do not know how much they need to eat to lose weight (for most of us, eating to gain weight is not an issue).  In order to help you know your calorie needs, I’m republishing one of my first newsletters.  It is longer than usual, and you’ll need a calculator, but by the time you are done, you’ll have a good idea about how many calories you need per day.

• The equation is an estimate.  You need to pay attention to your weight to determine if the estimate is right.  If you’re gaining and don’t want to, reduce the calories.  If you’re losing and don’t want to, increase the calories.
• Be honest about the information you plug into the equation.  Remember the saying “garbage in/garbage out”?  Well, this is a prime example of that situation.  If you aren’t honest about what you put in, you’ll probably get extra “garbage” on your waist, hips, thighs, etc. 

• Male: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age + 5
• Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age – 161

Notes:

• Weight is in KG.  Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2
• Height is in centimeters.  Take your height in inches and multiply by 2.54.
• Age is in years.

Now that you’ve determined your BMR, you need to realistically determine your activity level.  To get a better feel for your activity level, you can use Metabolic Equivalents (METs).  I’ll include how to do this in another newsletter.  The activity levels are:

• 1.200 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
• 1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
• 1.550 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
• 1.725 = very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week)
• 1.900 = extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job)

Take your BMR and multiply it by your activity level (the number in front of the descriptions) and it gives you the calories you need for a day.  You can also choose numbers between the given activity levels.  For example, if you feel you are between moderately and very active, you could choose 1.6 or 1.65.

If you work out a lot and know the calories you burn during your workouts, I would recommend using the activity level of your daily life (e.g. sedentary or lightly active if you sit at a desk all day) then add on the calories from your workouts.

Example:

• 155 pounds / 2.2 = 70.45
• 5’8″ = 68 inches x 2.54 = 172.72
• Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height – 5×age – 161
• BMR = (10 x 70.45) + (6.25 x 172.72) – (5 * 40) – 161
• BMR = 1423
• Total daily calories = BMR * activity level
• Total daily calories = 1423 * 1.725
• Total daily calories = 2455

Now that you know your total calories, what next?  Well, if you want to lose or gain weight, you need to subtract or add calories to that number.  A pound is approximately 3500 calories.  If you want to lose one pound per week, you need to eat 3500 calories less per week, or 500 calories less per day.  If you want to lose 2 pounds per week you need to eat 1000 calories less per day.  If you want to gain, then add that amount to your total daily calorie number.  Remember, safe and sustainable weight loss is considered no more than two pounds per week.

Mindful eating is an area where I continue to hone my skills both personally and professionally.  Recently, I have been reading Eat What You Love Love What You Eat by Michelle May, M.D.  In the first chapter she talks about being in charge, not in control.  At first glance, “in charge” and “in control” seem like the same thing.  But, something kept nagging at me about the difference.  I’m still working it through, but thought I’d share some thoughts with you about being “in charge” of your eating vs. being “in control” of your eating.

When I think of being “in control” there is a negative – not being in control.  It almost seems like that if I’m “in control” there is a chance of being “out of control”.  For some reason “being in control” sounds rigid, restricting.  Maybe that is why we think so much about being “in control” or having “self control” when we are working on changing or maintaining our weight or following a diet.  It lends itself to labeling things “good” or “bad.”  Being “in control” is being “good.”  Being “out of control” is being “bad.”  It also seems like when you are “in control” your options are limited because everything has to stay controlled.

In contrast, being “in charge” implies that you are responsible for what happens.  There is flexibility, and you have the ability to weigh the pros and cons of decisions.  You can then make a decision and take responsibility for it.  When you are “in charge” there is not the same sense of “good” and “bad.”  You can make a decision to do something (have that slice of birthday cake) or not do something (not eat that candy bar) because you have looked at the pros and cons of the choice.  You are empowered by being “in charge” and are responsible for what happens.

I like the idea that we are “in charge” of our eating.  Part of mindful eating is making decisions when and how to honor your body’s hunger signals.  It is hard to make those decisions if you are “in charge” of your eating (when your body may be asking you for something different).  Being “in control” allows you to listen to your body’s signals and decide “am I really hungry?”, “what am I really hungry for?” and decide.  You can decide to eat that candy bar when you are stressed when you are in charge and take responsibility for that decision.  However, when you are “in control” and you eat that bag of M&Ms you then may feel guilty because you were “out of control.”

“How does all of this relate to eating?” I hear you asking.  I would like for you to think about if you think you are “in control” or “in charge” of the eating choices you make.  How does that mindset affect how you eat – what you choose to eat and not to eat, when you choose to eat or not to eat.  If you have the mindset of being “in control” how would your eating change if you were “in charge” instead?

Over the next week think about being “in charge” vs. “in control” and see if you find differences in the decisions you make and what you choose to eat.

Eating mindfully can be a great way to achieve and maintain your body’s best weight.  Notice I did not say “ideal” weight.  Your body’s best weight may be higher or lower than what is calculated or found on insurance weight charts.  Our bodies are finely tuned machines.  They need fuel to run.  The better the fuel, the better they run.  Give your body excess fuel, and it stores it in case it needs it later.  Our bodies also have a fuel gauge like a car.  Unfortunately, the body’s fuel gauge is not visual and can be a bit hard to interpret.  Our body’s fuel gauge is a feeling of hunger.  However, our brains can interfere with the fuel gauge and we eat when we are not hungry but think we are, or are bored, angry, sad, frustrated. . . . the list could go on and on.

However, to start getting back in touch with your body’s fuel gauge and start working towards mindful eating, you can use three little words whenever you are thinking you need to eat: “Am I hungry?”

Do you know or remember what true hunger feels like?  Sometimes your stomach rumbles, you feel lightheaded, if you are really hungry you may get the shakes, or a headache.  It is important to ask yourself, “am I hungry” when you are thinking about eating to check you body’s fuel gauge.  If you are hungry, then choose high quality fuel for your body.  If you are not sure, maybe you should choose wait a few minutes.  If you are not hungry, but want to eat anyway, take ownership of that choice.

You can also ask yourself, “am I still hungry?” while you are eating.  Pause, put your fork down and ask yourself those three little words.  If you are still hungry, take a few more bites.  If not, stop.  If you are not sure, wait a few minutes.

For the next week, remember to ask, “am I hungry?” when you are thinking about eating and see if paying attention to that fuel gauge changes how and what you eat.

. . . Then it probably is.  Celebrety trainer Jillian Michaels is facing, to date, three lawsuits based on her supplements.  On the package of one product, Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control™, it states “Two Capsules Before Main Meals And You Lose Weight. . .That’s It.”  Really?  All I have to do to lose weight is take two of these pills before my main meals?  Sign me up!

Then, I look a little closer at the label and find this:  WARNING:This product contains a significantly potent xanthine (i.e., caffeine and caffeine-like stimulants) mixture of about 100 mg per regular 2-MetaCap serving. Consult your physician before use if you are sensitive to stimulants. Do not exceed suggested daily serving. Not for use by individuals under the age of 18 years. Do not use if pregnant or nursing.

A Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine in an 8.2 oz can.  A cup of coffee has between 80 and 135 mg of caffeine.  If you take six capsules of the supplement, you’ll be consuming 300 mg of caffiene – about the same as three cups of coffee.  Not necessarily an issue, unless you are sensitive to or avoid caffeine.

This supplement also contains guarana extract, cocoa seed extract and ginger root powder.  These are intended to suppress your appetite.  Guarana is claimed to help with weight loss, but the research has not show this to be true.  Also, those with a heart condition, high blood pressure, or anxiety disorders (among others) should not consume guarana due to the high caffeine content.  When you stop using guarana, you can experience withdrawal symptoms like those when you are addicted to caffeine.  It just keeps getting better.

I could go on, but am going to stop here.  What’s the moral of the story?  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  If you are looking at a pill, supplement, or anything you put into your body do some research and be comfortable with it.

If losing weight was easy, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic.  Losing weight takes work.  Keeping weight off takes work.  If you are struggling with your weight, find a healthy way to do it.  Find a Registered Dietitian and someone to help you find a way to burn calories you enjoy.  It can be done, and done without pills that promise outrageous claims.