Is it just me or does the holiday season seem to be filled with land mines to keeping my nutrition on track?  There are cookie exchange parties, friends’ parties, work parties, etc.  There just seems to be food and drink everywhere I turn.  Does this happen to you, too?  I’ve decided to share a few tips I use during this season to stay on track.

Eat before you are starving. We all tend to get so busy we may actually ignore our body’s hunger signals until we are ready to eat anything and everything in sight.  Every hour or two, stop and ask yourself, “Am I hungy or will I be hungry soon?”  If the answer is ”yes,” then grab a bite.  You can also keep snacks like granola bars and trail mix in your car so you have something quick and available when you do notice you are hungry.

Eat before you go. A lot of holiday parties have buffets of foods and desserts.  Rather than not knowing what will be there and how it was prepared, eat before you go so you do not have to rely on what is served.  Even then, sometimes I have a hard time staying away from the buffet.  What I do in that situation is to position myself as far away from it as possible and keep a beverage in one hand.  Honestly, a vast majority of the time the food on the buffet really doesn’t taste very good.  So, I’ve decided I don’t want to spend my calories on foods that I don’t really enjoy.

Think before you drink. If I’m going to have an alcoholic beverage at a party, I decide ahead of time how much I’ll have.  Then, I’ll alternate between a “beverage” and water.  This helps me stay hydrated and reduce the impact of the “beverages” on my mental state.  Since alcohol tends to loosen my resolve for the buffet (see above), I really try to watch what I drink.

Mentally rehearse. If I’m attending a dinner party, I will mentally rehearse what I’ll do when I get there.  If there are going to be passed appetizers, I’ll see myself declining unless it is something I really, really want (as with buffets, a lot of times the passed appetizers generally don’t taste great).  If the event is at a restaurant, I’ll look at the menu on line or call to see what will be served so I can anticipate what will be there.  Also, I can find out if something is being served to which I’m allergic or intolerant and ask for accommodation.  If it is at a friend’s house, I typically won’t ask what is being served ahead of time, but take a few bites of just about everything.

Make time to exercise. Make time to exercise – even if it is just a 5 minute stretch break or 10 minute walk.  Exercise can help keep my mind straight and help me stay more relaxed so I can enjoy the season.

I hope you have a great holiday season.  I hope it is filled with family, friends, love and joy.

Thanksgiving is a time of giving thanks. Thanks for all that we have – friends, family, health. Even thanks for the challenges we have faced since those challenges often make us appreciate what we have even more. We also give thanks for the food that we prepare, serve, and eat on Thanksgiving day.

However, it is easy to get lost in the food on Thanksgiving and forget about giving thanks – real thanks – for it. Most of us will have more food on the table than can be eaten on Thanksgiving day and in the days after. Most of us focus on how much we can fit on our plates and in our stomachs rather than on the blessing of having the food available to us.

For those of us working on losing or maintaining our weight over the holidays, Thanksgiving can present a HUGE challenge. So much of the Thanksgiving holiday is wrapped up around food. So, what are you do to?

Give yourself permission to indulge. Thanksgiving comes once a year. What you eat on one day should not sabotage your efforts for the weeks and days before and after Thanksgiving. I would rather have a client give themselves permission to indulge and enjoy the food, the company, and the day rather than constantly worrying about how many calories is in the pumpkin and marshmallow casserole. My only rule for giving yourself permission to indulge is that you indulge fully – by engaging all of your senses. Choose only foods you really, really want to eat. If you are not sure, take a bite or two and return for more if you like it and are still hungry later. Pay attention to how the food looks and smells. What sounds are going on around you? And, how does the food feel and taste in your mouth? Eat slowly and enjoy each bite; there is plenty of food. You do not have to rush to get more. Give thanks for each bite by enjoying it fully. Pay attention to how full you are as you eat. Every few bites stop and ask yourself “am I still hungry or am I satisfied?” If you are satisfied, stop. There will be plenty of leftovers to snack on later. Thank each person who prepared any part of the meal. And, do not feel guilty about what you chose to eat.

The day after Thanksgiving, start following your eating plan again. If there are leftovers, fit them into your daily eating plan – if you want to eat them. The key is to get back on track as soon as possible to reach your goal.

I’m sending this tip out a bit before Thanksgiving to give you some time to think about it and prepare yourself mentally for the day. You can start rehearsing in your mind – visualizing – how you will fill your plate, how you will sit and enjoy each bite now. That way, it will be easier – almost automatic – to do when the day arrives.

And remember, give thanks not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.

One of the questions I get often is “how many  meals should I eat a day?”  My answer is that there is no one way to eat – you need to eat how your body wants you to eat.  For some people, that means three times a day, others five or six, and once or twice for some.  Regardless of how many meals you eat a day, your body still has a certain number of calories it needs to maintain your weight.

I started thinking about this today when I heard a story about a study that talked about how the rise in overweight and obesity may be linked not to the size of our meals, but to the between meals snacking.  Back in the 50′s there were three meals a day without snacks.  Now, we tend to have meals and snacks.  It makes sense that adding additional calories with snacks could lead to weight gain (in addition to the size of the meals getting larger).

If you are someone who eats more than three meals a day, remember that those snacks count towards you total daily calorie bank account just like a meal.  In fact, you can think of your snack as a meal or a mini-meal.  The best meals (and snacks/mini-meals) have a mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  Having all three (like a piece of fruit with some yogurt)  helps you stay fuller and sated longer than eating a candy bar.

Next time you reach for a snack, ask yourself is that snack an appropriate mini-meal or meal.  If not, are you really hungry and need the snack or are you just grabbing the M&Ms because they are on the desk?  If you are a snacker who is working on maintaining or losing weight, remember to think about that snack when you have your meals and determine if you need to adjust the size of your meal.

Now. . . where’s that apple and string cheese?

When we do something “good” we typically like to have a reward.  And, many times that reward is food-related.  Often, this reinforcement begins when we are kids.  “You are such a good boy/girl.  Here, have a cookie!”  Many times, the foods that were and are used as rewards are ones that contain fat, sugar and salt.  A chocolate chip cookie has all three of those ingredients – one reason cookies are so yummy.

Seems simple – right?  Well, let’s look at it in more detail.  When you were young, you did something good and got a cookie.  You liked the cookie.  The cookie was tasty.  And, you probably didn’t get cookies often.  Next, you start thinking about how to get a cookie.  You remember “Last time I was good, I got a cookie.  What can I do to get another cookie?”  You find something “good” to do to get the reward, do it and get the cookie.  This behavior has now been reinforced (or strengthened) twice – you did something and got the yummy cookie.  Every time you do something “good” and get a cookie the link between the behavior and the reward (the cookie) gets stronger.  You start anticipating the cookie.  When you think about doing something “good” you immediately start thinking about the cookie – how soft, warm, yummy, sweet that cookie is.  Now, the behavior has an added aspect of anticipation.  The more these behaviors, anticipations, and rewards happen, the more they are reinforced.  Just like any other habit – the more you do it, the stronger that habit becomes.

Now that you are older, you realize that you do no need to reward yourself with food all the time.  However, you still really like those cookies.  How can you break that habit and link between being “good” and the cookie?  There are two key tools you can use to break this association.  The first is to redefine the reward.  Yes, cookies may be yummy, but does a cookie help you maintain or reach your goals?  How do you feel after eating the cookie – immediately after and a little while later?  Do you get a rush then a crash?  Can you stop with just one or do you need two, three or more?  You have to change how you think about the cookie.  For example, you could tell yourself “Yes, the cookie is good, but I know I won’t be satisfied with just one.  Its better not to start.”  Or, “Yes, the cookie is good, but eating it won’t help me reach/maintain my goal weight.”  Find a couple of messages that work for you.

The second tool is to practice strengthening the new behavior.  Just like the old behavior took time to develop and be reinforced, so does a new behavior.  Plan ahead and decide how you will reward yourself with something other than food.  You may want to write it down somewhere or state it publicly.  For example, “When I finish writing that report I don’t want to write, I’ll spend 30 minutes playing a crossword puzzle.”  You are substituting doing the crossword puzzle rather than having a cookie.  Then, when you finish the report, give yourself that reward.  Now, you have reinforced that doing something “good” gives you a different reward.  The key is to plan the situations and rewards you will use so that when the time comes you don’t have to think about it.  You are taking away the choice of having a cookie because you have already told yourself you will work on a crossword puzzle, take a walk, call a friend, or play with your dogs (or what ever you reward is).  Each time you reinforce your “good” behavior with a new reward, you are reinforcing that behavior and weakening the cookie reward.

Yes, this takes some work and a bit of time.  But, the more you practice new rewards, the easier it will become.

Along with learning to eat when I’m hungry, I’m also working on using smaller portion sizes.  Portion sizes have gotten out of control.  Want to know more?  Check out this Portion Distortion quiz – it is quite enlightening.  In addition to portions getting larger, our plates, bowls, cups, glasses, etc. have also gotten larger.  In the 1950′s a juice glass was 4 oz – a serving.  Today, if you go into a restaurant (or even at home) and get a glass of orange juice it will be a minimum of 12 and probably 24 or more ounces of juice.  That is a lot of juice and a lot of calories.

One way we judge the amount of food on our plates is with our eyes.  If you have a normal portion of food on a large plate, you will think “gee, that’s not very much food, I’d better get more” because of what your eyes saw.  One way to adjust to smaller portions is to eat off smaller plates.  Most dinner plates these days are 12 inches.  Try a 9 inch plate – or even your salad plate.  Food is abundant.  If you are still hungry you can always go back for more.

What I’m doing in putting smaller portions on my plate and in my bowl.  The other day I was pouring myself a bowl of cereal.  It was mounded over the top of the bowl.  It was probably three or four servings.  Hum. . . . I put about half back and was still full until just about lunch time.

When you are eating out, be aware that most restaurant entrees are 2+ (sometimes up to 4) of what is considered a “normal” serving.  Make a note of that when the food comes to the table.  Ask for another plate and put what you are going to eat on it, or ask for a to go container and put at least half in there and out of sight.  If you are still hungry when you finish that, you can get a little more from the plate or to go container.  Or, split an entree with someone else.

It may seem odd at first, but getting portions under control is one of the best, fastest and long-term ways to lose or maintain your weight.  And, you have one one of the best portion control tools with you at all times – the palm of your hand.  For protein and starch servings, think the palm of your hand and one inch high.  When you are serving yourself or at a restaurant, you can hold your palm over the food to determine about how many portions are on your plate.  Start by eating one.  Then, if you are still hungry have a little more – but, don’t continue eating just because it is sooooo gooooood.

Another way to get used to smaller portions is to have a smaller portion, then check in with yourself every thirty minutes or so to see if you are hungry yet.  If you are, grab a little more or have a small snack.  Next time, have a little more than you served yourself the last time.  Eventually, you will find a portion size that works for you.

And, remember that that “right” portion size may vary depending on your training.  For example, if you are training for an Ironman as you get closer to the race you will probably be hungry all the time because you are training a lot.  Honor what your body is telling you and have some extra food/fuel.

Next time you sit down to a meal, stop and look at the portion on your plate or in your bowl and ask yourself “if I eat all of that, am I going to be too full?”  Then, try to eat less than you normally would and see what happens.

I’ve been working on paying attention to my body’s hunger signals.  As simple as it sounds, knowing when I’m physically hungry versus bored, tired, sad or just eating because it is that time is a bit of a challenge.  I’m finding that my body isn’t hungry on schedule.  When I think I should eat, I’m not necessarily hungry.

How am I telling when I am really hungry?  I heard some great advice from Bob Seebohar.  Bob said that you can tell you are really hungry when your stomach starts making noises (although this may be too late – you may be too hungry at this point) and/or your thinking starts getting fuzzy.  Another option is to use a hunger scale.  A hunger scale is a 10 point scale.  1 on the scale is when you are beyond hungry – you are about to eat the table.  10 is beyond full – like after finishing Thanksgiving dinner AND dessert.  5 is neutral – not hungry and not full.  You typically want to start eating about 3 or 4 and stop about 6 or 7.

If I think I’m hungry but not sure, I stop and check in with my body and see what I’m feeling.  If I’m really hungry I eat.  If I’m not sure I wait ten or fifteen minutes and re-assess.

Do you know when you are really hungry?  If not, give this a try and see if you can re-connect with your body’s hunger signals.  If you want a full version of a hunger scale, drop me an email and I’ll send it to you.  And, let me know how it goes!

I’ve started reading The End of Overeating by Brian Kessler again.  One topic that got my attention is that the top two emotions people report when eating for emotional reasons rather than physical hunger are sadness and anger.  And, that when we eat for emotional reasons, we reach for food that has provided comfort in the past.  Those foods typically contain three magic ingredients – sugar, fat, and salt.  One of my favorite comfort foods is Chips-A-Hoy.  Looking at the ingredient label, I see sugars listed twice in the chips (sugar and dextrose) and twice in the rest of the ingredients (sugar and high fructose corn syrup) for a total of 11 grams of sugar per serving- almost three teaspoons.  Fat is listed once in the chocolate chips (cocoa butter) and twice in the rest of the ingredients (soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil) for a total of 8 grams per serving.  And, salt is listed (110 mg/serving).

Sugar, fat, and salt appear to do a couple of things.  First, when they are together they enhance the flavor and palatability of each other.  Second, they set off certain reactions in our brain to make us remember how good that food is.  When we think about how good that food was, we remember why we ate them (the cue).  For example, I’m sad and I eat some Chips-A-Hoy.  I feel better.  Next time I’m sad, I remember “Hey, last time I was sad I felt better after those Chips-A-Hoy.  I better go get some more Chips-A-Hoy!”  Now, I may experience temporary relief of my sadness from eating the cookies, but then I may feel sad I ate the cookies which then causes me to eat more cookies, and then I feel sad . . . Get the picture? It can setup a downward cycle – with each step in the cycle re-enforcing the last.

This process works just like developing any other habit.  Each time I’m sad and eat Chip-A-Hoy and feel better, I’m reinforcing the response (Chips-A-Hoy) to the cue (sadness).  Over time, the reaction to sadness becomes automatic – “Chips-A-Hoy, here I come!” without even really thinking about it.

This habit-forming eating is true in other areas as well.  For example, when Sam gets home from work, he always grabs some chips and salsa to “hold him over” until dinner.  After a while, it becomes automatic and Sam eats chips and salsa whenever he gets home regardless of if he is actually hungry or not.

The next time you’re heading for the fridge or pantry, stop and ask yourself “am I really hungry?”  If your stomach is growling or if your thinking is a bit fuzzy, then you probably really are hungry.  However, if you are not sure, you might wait a few minutes and spend that time thinking about what is really going on.  Are you eating out of habit or emotions?  If so, and you are not physically hungry, take a few minutes to determine what will make you feel better – without food.  Using food out of habit can be broken just like any other habit.  You just have to be aware of the habit and work to change it.

We have five tastes available on our tongues: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami.  Combinations of these make up all the wonder flavors we experience when we eat.  However, I often think that one dominates – sweet.  Have you ever noticed how much sweet stuff you eat on a daily basis?  A while back, I started noticing how many sweet things I ate every day – tea with a sweetener, sweet snacks, fruit, etc.  The list goes on and on.  After I started paying attention to it, I realized how much I was looking for sweetness in my foods.  Then, I started reading David Kessler’s book The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite.

In his book, Kessler proposes that there are certain things that drive us to eat more – primarily sugar, salt, and fat.  And, it makes sense.  Just look at how many foods that we eat which contain sugar, salt, and fat.  French fries for example – salty from the salt on them, sweet from the catsup, and fat from the frying.  No wonder you (or at least I) can’t eat just one.  Next time you start to eat a food with a wrapper, take a look at the ingredient list and see where in the list a sweetener and/or salt (including MSG) falls.  Traditionally, if a sugar is in the first three ingredients that food is considered a “high sugar” food.  Food manufacturers and restaurants use these three items to drive us to eat more.  The more we eat, the more we have to buy, the greater their profits.

I do not like to label foods “good” and “bad.”  And, I’m not proposing that you stop eating things that contain sugar, salt, and fat.  Rather, I’d like you to be aware of this combination.  The next time you eat stop and ask yourself does it have sugar, salt, and fat.  If so, ask yourself how you feel after eating it – immediately after and again later.  Do you feel energized or run down?  How does your stomach feel?  Like it has a rock in it or satisfied?  Do you like how you and your stomach feels?  Given this, would you eat it again?  If not, what would you choose next time?

Each time we eat is an opportunity to learn what works for our bodies and what does not.  If you put regular gas in a high performance car, it is going to run well?  Probably not.  Same idea with your body and the food (or fuel) you put in it.  One way to get your body to run well and feel great is to learn what foods it does and does not like.  If your body does not like a food, it may be best to avoid it – even if it tastes great.  Just ask yourself “Do I want to feel like I did last time after eating that?”  And, this works for beverages too.

I have cut out a lot of the sweets I used to eat.  Yes, there were some cravings at first but after a few days they were gone.  And, now I do not like the super-sweet treats I used to love.

Let me know what you think about how sweet your food is!

“What do you mean ‘backload my calories?’” I hear you asking.  Backloading calories is when you consume most of your calories at the end of the day.  Calorie backloading can happen for a number of reasons including dieting or just a lack of time to eat in the morning.  Often, when people are trying to lose weight, they will start of by “being good” and either not eating breakfast or only having a tiny breakfast.  Then, they may be “good” and have a small lunch.  But, by the end of the day they are STARVING and eat everything in sight during the evening.  This undermines the calorie deficit they’ve built during the day and, potentially, caused them to consume more calories than if they had eaten a reasonable breakfast and lunch.

One way to avoid a calorie backload is to reverse your meals.  Most of us grew up with a small breakfast, medium sized lunch and large dinner.  Why not switch it around so breakfast is the main meal of your day, have a medium sized lunch and a small dinner?  This is frontloading calories.  For some people, this can help with weight loss because they consume fewer calories throughout the day.

Interesting?  Give it a try for a few days and see what you and your body think.  Then, let me know how it goes

Do you eat fast?  I do – unless I’m paying attention.  Last year I started timing how long it took me to eat and was surprised it was usually under 10 minutes.  Not good.  I’ve been working on slowing down when I eat and paying attention to my food – how it looks, smells, tastes and the texture.

Texture is a HUGE issue for a lot of people.  For example, sweet potatoes – people who do not like them usually say it is because of the “stringy” texture.  Some people do not like granola because it is “too crunchy.”  Breads are another area of contention.  Some people like white bread because of the texture and won’t touch a hearty 7 grain because it is “too dense.”  Textures can also lead to liking a food.  How about some nice cold, creamy ice cream on a hot day?

How often do you pay attention to the texture of the food you’re eating?  Thinking about the texture can help slow down your eating which can lead to eating less because you give your body time to register satisfaction or fullness.  You may find there are textures you like and do not like which can expand your food horizons.  Many chefs consider texture when planning a meal.  They do not want everything on the plate to be mushy – they want a variety of textures in addition to a variety of flavors.

Your challenge for the next week – at least once a day stop at a meal and pay attention to the textures of the food you are eating.  Let me know how it goes!