Can I Eat In Any Restaurants On My Diet?

Now there's a website that can answer that question for you!
HealthyDiningFinder.com is a great find.  When you go to the website, you enter your zip code and any other criteria (like price ranges for meals) you want to specify.  They'll come back with restaurants in the area that participate in their program, and entrees or appetizers that you can choose that are healthy.

The calorie criteria is not very strict--a meal can have up to 700 calories to be considered 'healthy'--but that's not too bad for a dinner, depending on your daily calorie allowance.  (To give most of you a better idea, that equals nearly 14 weight watcher points).

Each restaurant will advise you how to order special requests to keep your meal within the healthy allowance.  For instance, they may specify you need to ask for the sauce on the side, ask for "no mayonnaise", ask for the meat to be broiled, or some other side to be left off, such as guacamole.
And many of the items are far less than 700 calories.  The calorie content is specified for each dish.

This can come in handy the next time you want to go out to dinner at your favorite restaurant, join your co-workers for a lunch out, or even if you're out of town and aren't familiar with the local fare.

Give it a shot and let me know what you find!

"Easy Diet Labels" Help You Follow Your Diet Regimen

Check out this new product I came across reading Gail Davis' "Quick and Easy Weight Loss Tips" blog.

They're called "Easy Diet Food Labels" and they come in four variety packs:
One set is used to label your foods based on calorie content (low, moderate, or high); another for heart healthy foods (lower in cholesterol, fat, or sodium); a third for carb content, and my favorite, "family eating habits" to help guide your family members in their food choices.  You choose the set you would most often use for your particular preferences.

Sure, someone has to read the label!  But once you know what category the food fits into you just slap the sticker on in a conspicuous place and then when your husband or kids go to grab the item, they are forewarned by a warning label (often designed like a caution or stop sign) or the go-ahead green sticker for the green light to enjoy!

The cost is quite reasonable, at $3.99 for a package of 125 stickers... however, the  cost of shipping was over $5 a package through Amazon and that changed my mind about ordering.  It was easy to place an order through the Amazon site, and there are other venues where you can purchase these stickers.
Check out the website at http://www.easydietlabels.com/ for more details.

Happy dieting :)

Six Creative Ways to a Thinner You

Doesn’t dieting get boring? Counting calories and feeling deprived, and dragging through day after day until you can go off your diet is no way to lose weight. Try these six creative ways to weight loss and eradicate the boredom from weight loss plans forever.

1. Switch the focus from taking things out of your diet to adding things in:
On most diets we make lists of foods to eliminate: “no chocolate”, “no desserts”, “no eating out” in order to reduce calorie intake and this leads to cravings and feelings of deprivation. Instead, plan on adding things into your diet that are good for you: more glasses of water, more fresh fruits, more vegetables, and more whole grains. If you actually succeed at eating and drinking more of these healthy and filling things, you
won’t be hungry for some of the empty calories you’re used to eating, and the result will be weight loss!

2. Keep a journal, and make it fun: If you know that writing down everything you eat helps you lose weight, but you hate the idea, switch things up a bit; keep a record of how many minutes you exercise each day, or how many fruits and vegetables you eat—go for a record!

I know one woman who likes to track her “calories saved” every time she craves something high-calorie but instead walks away…”saved 550 calories driving by DQ instead of going in and ordering a blizzard” might be one of her entries. Then you can see the cumulative results of your positive actions add up during the week with lots of calories that you passed up.

3. Establish a reward system just like one that worked for you when you were a kid! I like to use pretty little stickers of flowers or smiley faces and give myself one in the margin of my appointment book for every day that I walk more than 10,000 steps or eat fewer than 1600 calories, for instance. When I accumulate a certain number of stickers, say 20 in a month, I treat myself to something worth that many ‘points’ like a
massage or a pedicure or a new book. Be sure you know what you’re working towards to give yourself that extra motivation, and start burning more calories and eating fewer to help you get to your weight loss goal.

4. Pedometer challenges. There are several websites that host pedometer logs and goals, and most pedometers come with an insert of ideas for you to get walking! The suggested daily number of steps—10,000—is about 5 miles. This includes any walking you do during the day, so you can get more in by parking a little farther away, taking steps instead of the elevator (even going down stairs adds to your accumulated steps), or walking up and down the aisles at the grocery store. Start by logging your usual daily steps for a week so you get an idea of your starting point. Then strive to add another 1000 every week until you get to your own personal daily goal.

Here’s an FYI: You burn about 100 calories for every mile you walk, which equals about 2000 steps. This makes it fun to go out and aim to burn 100 calories during a run to the grocery store and feel good about all the walking you’re doing when you have to take those steps anyway!

5. Switch up the diets. You may have found that there is a diet plan that works for you, but you just can’t stay on it for more than a few weeks. If you can stay on Atkins or Weight Watchers or Medifast for nearly a month, but then can’t manage another day, set a goal of just a few weeks for each diet. Instead of going off the diet and back to your usual way of eating (which lead to your weight gain), you’ll continue to see weight loss results every week as you continue to eat fewer calories . . . it doesn’t really matter which plan you are on! You might set some other goals that work for you for short terms, like “pack your lunch every day for 2 weeks” or “eat vegetarian at dinner for 2 weeks” or “have 5 small meals a day for the next 2 weeks”. These are all steps that reduce calories for most people and will lead to weight loss even though it’s an unusual way to go about dieting.

6. Games and blogs: Some people write blogs to journal their journey of weight loss and this may give you motivation to keep going—especially if you dare to make it public! One journalist wrote daily dieting blurbs on twitter throughout the day. She said it worked well for her because it kept her accountable—she knew people were watching and, what’s more, they were rooting for her.

Another blogger asked for a sponsor each week during the 52 weeks of her diet—each seven days she lost weight for the follower who was cheering on her efforts and that kept her motivated.

Look for games to motivate you towards your weight loss goal. One game works on a bingo-like board, with a board of 16 squares for you to cover every time you perform a certain activity: it might be eating a fresh fruit or having a healthy breakfast; having 6 glasses of water in one day; or going for a 5,000 step walk (about 2-1/2 miles). Play with others in your family, make up new activities, or challenge yourself to going for a ‘blackout’ and cover every square on the board!  (see product listing here if you'd like to try the game).

Diets are dreary and exercise can be something we don’t look forward to. In order to lose weight through eating fewer calories and burning more calories, strive to make eating healthy and exercising fun any way you can. Then developing healthy eating and exercise habits will be something you can look forward to as you shed those unwanted pounds.

Please leave us your comments to let us know what creative ways you have for weight loss and if one of the ones mentioned above worked for you!

Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight!

Chances are you've been on and off weight loss diets numerous times, but you probably weigh just as much now as you ever did. Do you get it? This means diets don't work. So stop going on diets and looking for the magic one that works for you. Here's why diets fail to help you lose weight and what you can do to get those pounds off for good.

1. Going on a diet implies you will go off it some day, right? You get this strict meal plan that outlines what you can eat, what you can't eat, and what times and how much. You resolve to stick to it strictly to get off a number of pounds for some special event coming up. And then, you can't wait to go off the diet! How is this going to help you keep the weight off? You're going to be looking for another diet a few months later when the weight comes back on. Meanwhile, eating something "not allowed" leads you to see yourself as being "off the diet". So you go and eat whatever you want until it's Monday, or some other appointed time to go back on the diet. See a pattern here?

2. Associating your self-worth with your diet adherance: I hear people talk about missteps on their diet, beating themselves up! "I really blew it this weekend" they say, or "I was so bad last night" or "I totally cheated when we went out". They are not pointing out that one choice was not good, or if they could do it over they would make a different decision. No, they are saying "I was a bad person" or "I failed at what I was trying to do". This just makes you feel worse and often people who are overweight turn to food to comfort themselves when they feel bad about themself. Not exactly helpful when trying to lose weight!

3. Feelings of Deprivation: How much do you want ice cream when you're on a diet that does not allow any? Pretty much, right?! As you plod along on your strict weight loss regimen, most of your focus is on foods you can't have: no cookies, no chocolate, no potato chips. On some diets it's even worse--maybe no pasta or other carbs or maybe it's no more than a few hundred calories per meal, leaving you hungry most of your waking hours. How long can a person be expected to stay on an eating plan that keeps them craving foods they are used to eating and that they love to eat? Not very long. So it's off the diet again and back to your old habits--habits that put the weight on in the first place.

4. Rewards of food: People who are overweight sometimes have the habit of using food for comfort, or a reward system, or a celebration. Heck, food is good for any emotion, isn't it?! Let's say you are going along, following a diet really well for a week and losing weight. Time to reward yourself and break out the cookies! Ooops, that doesn't help the weight loss plan. What if you "cheated" and "blew" your diet and ate what you weren't supposed to so you feel bad about it? I suppose eating some ice cream will make you feel better. Using food to soothe or celebrate may be what put some of the weight on in the first place, and until this changes, a long term weight loss will not be successful.

5. You can't live on a diet forever: The fact is, you can lose weight on a diet. For as long as you take in fewer calories than you burn, the weight will come off. But you can't stay on most diets for long. Eliminating food groups, counting daily calories, or eating pre-packaged meals isn't realistic to do on a daily basis in the long term. What works is establishing new habits, learning to eat lower calorie choices every time you eat, and working a healthy lifestyle into your every day life.

Dieting may get the weight off while you can adhere to a strict plan, but once you go off the diet the weight will return. Stop dieting and start living! Get into a healthy routine as a way of life, lose weight, and keep it off for good.

Pay Close Attention To the Food Label

I just returned from the grocery store where I was looking for some tasty munchies that weren't too high in calories. Most chips and snacks have 120-180 calories per serving. Some serving sizes are quite small!

So I found this new variety of chex mix (their sweet-n-salty variety) which contains 9 servings at 120 calories each. That sounded good, so I bought them.

Well, I started thinking when I got home--this looks almost like a 'big grab' bag of a snack that would realistically only be two or three servings. I started thinking that if anyone in the household opened the bag, they would easily eat half of it and not realize they had downed what I calculated to be 540 calories--an awful lot for a snack!

So I decided to portion the bag out into the 9 servings in little snack baggies.

Only I ran out of chex mix way before I got to the 9 baggies!

Here is what I managed, pictured on the right: Five--count 'em--FIVE little baggies. Now, I think the little ziploc bagful is okay for a snack, but I also think most people would probably easily eat two of the portions I ended up with if they weren't paying careful attention, or dishing out their snack serving before they sat down to eat it. Eating out of the bag would surely be a lost cause!

Meanwhile, if I eat one of these portions I just made, it comes out to about 215 calories. Not what I had in mind for a lower-calorie snack!

If you've been reading labels for portion sizes and calories, good for you! But my little experiment showcases how off we can be when thinking about an amount of a food we might realistically eat. Think about portioning out your snacks in a measured dish next time you count on having one with a reasonable number of calories!

Six Steps to Get to the Weight of Your Dreams

What habits have been keeping you the weight you are right now?
You really can lose a significant amount of weight by making only a few small lifestyle changes. Try one of these or shoot for them all, and see the weight melt off after a few short weeks.

1. Keep a diet diary: This is a simple step that requires no more than a pen or pencil and a small notebook. Yet it's been proven over and over again during the past few decades that recording a person's intake invariably results in their weight loss. It increases awareness of what is being eaten, and gives one a second thought before unconsciously eating something for a purpose other than hunger. You'll find yourself putting back all sorts of sweets and treats and walking away shaking your head, thinking, "I sure don't want to record that I ate that"!

2. Regular walks: Although vigorous cardiac exercise will certainly burn more calories, a regular walking routine helps millions of people lose weight and keep it off. Simply put, every mile walked burns an average of 100 calories, regardless of your speed, and this will add up to a pound of weight loss after approximately one month. Keep in mind, this adds up to 12 pounds of weight loss by the end of the year!

3. Feel good now, and envision yourself feeling better: Getting down on yourself about your weight, appearance, or eating habits doesn't do anything positive for you. Start learning to like yourself for who you are and remind yourself of all the positive attributes you possess. Feeling good about yourself may reduce the number of times you turn to food to feel better. Then envision who you want to be, and spend a great deal of the day feeling what's it's like to be in those shoes. Whenever you have time (while you're showering, driving, walking, or doing other tasks which you currently spend berating your last binge) practice being the person you want to become. Thinking positively is immensely powerful in getting you to where you want to be.

4. Know what you're eating: Read labels, comparison shop, look up restaurant menus on the internet, and collect fast food nutritional information. You can't know what is in a food (how many calories, grams of fat, grams of sugar, etc) without the nutritional label. Lots of websites have information on the foods that do not yet have labels, so seek these out and be an informed consumer. You may easily find ways to save hundreds of calories a day by choosing a different fast food entree or another brand of soup!

5. Eat healthy foods: You do not have to give up chocolate forever or go on a crazy fad diet in order to lose weight. Get in the habit of eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and while you're at it you can have a snack in between meals, and--yes--even before bed. Find snacks that contain fewer than 200 calories, like Skinny Cow Ice Cream Novelties, Weight Watcher bars, or granola-type bars which are abundantly available.
As for meals, try using smaller plates and take only one serving. Don't starve yourself--you can start eating like this and keep losing weight for a long time to come, and you won't feel like you're on a diet!

6. Hang out with healthy eaters: It's difficult to be around people who want to go out for pizza, ice cream, or buffets. Concentrate on socializing with others who like to eat healthy foods and take a cue from them.
Maybe you'll even take a walk together :)
Try starting some new healthy habits and see yourself shrink to your old healthy weight once again.

If you would like the assistance of a personal diet coach to get you on the road to weight loss, come on over to http://www.mycoachlaurie.com or email me at laurie@mycoachlaurie.com. We'll get you started right away!

The Five Worst Ways To Attempt Weight Loss (aside from cutting off a limb)

There are some pretty bad ideas out there to supposedly help people lose weight. Unfortunately there are more people who are desperate to lose weight. So they will try anything... things that are unbelievable, pills and potions that are unhealthy, and procedures that are downright dangerous. Have you been using one of these methods to lose weight? Let us know how they worked for you!

1. Diet pills, including over-the-counter and 'herbal' supplements

Do you really believe any claim that tells you, “eat whatever you like and no need to exercise!” or “lose weight while you sleep”? You must be kidding … do you think if such a magic pill or potion existed that Oprah would still be anything over a size 6?

Whatever is included in these pills may include stimulants similar to caffeine to simulate the speedy feeling you can get that blunts your hunger response. It can also increase your blood pressure and cause other serious side effects.

If the supplement is made from ‘herbs’ or other ‘natural’ ingredients, it’s likely not regulated by the FDA so you really don’t know what’s in it, or if it’s unsafe.

2. Crash Diets

Going on a diet plan that provides you with less than 1200 calories can help you lose weight very quickly—but that’s not all. You can’t possibly get the nutrition you need if you’re eating less than 1200 calories, so you’ll end up suffering in the long run. That is, if you can stay on the diet for more than a couple of days!

Chances are you’ll find yourself starving and miserable and give up in a short time. If you don’t, you may lose several pounds, but—I’m sure you know—you’ll gain it right back when you return to your usual eating habits.

3. Liposuction

Don’t get me wrong: liposuction does have its place. It’s designed to suck fat off of small body parts where fat can accumulate and cannot be lost by dieting: places like your chin.

It is not a procedure for sucking 15 extra pounds of fat off your midsection! Any plastic surgeon who agrees to this is likely not board-certified (check out his credentials) and is putting your health at risk to use this technique when a healthy diet and exercise plan would work just as well.

4. Colon Cleanses

Colon cleanses do not help you lose weight. Oh, sure, you may see a lower number on the scale when you step on, just as you would if you had an episode of food-poisoning induced diarrhea, or heavy sweating from spending too long in a sauna.

You can lose water-weight, along with water, electrolytes, and other essential nutrients that can leave you feeling downright weak and sick.

Colon cleanses are not regulated by any state licensing bureaus, so you never know what you’re in for … it’s just not a good idea. It’s not necessary either, since your body naturally cleanses your intestines regularly—it’s called having a bowel movement.

5. Fad Diets

These diets, like any other, work for as long as you can stay on them. Not to be confused with some of the popular diet-chain centers that provide you with group support, nutrition classes, and counseling (which can be very nutritious and simple to follow, and end up working for many people) fad diets aren’t typically ones you can stay on for long. Something like the Cookie Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, or the Beverly Hills Diet have set plans for each day, and warn you to ‘drink plenty of water’ and stay on the diet only for a limited period of time. That’s because these diets are incomplete sources of many nutrients and the promoters know you could get truly sick from eating like this for any length of time.

These are the bad ideas--how can you tell if a diet plan is good? The hallmark of a good diet is one that provides nutrition, but also gives you fewer calories than you burn. You can stay on it for any length of time. And there aren't any crazy promises like "lose up to 80 pounds this month (results not typical)". It is possible to lose weight while staying healthy, and not feel like you are starving and deprived. An optimal weight loss diet is one you can stay on indefinitely, as you see the pounds come off and feel satisfied at the same time. It actually becomes a way of life as you replace healthy new habits for older bad ones.

If you are ready to lose weight the healthy way, consider having your own diet coach. I can provide you with one-on-one counseling—short term or long term—or you can do-it-yourself with some aid from my e-course or e-books. Check them out on http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/productmenu.