In a live video chat yesterday, Shape magazine’s senior associate health editor Bahar Takhtehchian shared her best tips for beating the bulge during this holiday season. The chat was sponsored Fiber One, which is launching a new line of high-fiber brownies. Aside from all the tempting holiday foods, Takhtehchian says it’s easy to gain weight this time of year because “a lot of people associate eating with relaxation.”
Takhtehchian says that by planning to make smart meal choices, you can avoid unwanted weight gain despite the many temptations of the holiday season. Her first big tip is always eat a filling breakfast, even if you know you’ll be eating something rich later in the day. Starting the day with a meal that has plenty of protein and whole grain, which can keep you fuller throughout the day and less tempted to eat something you shouldn’t. In the afternoon, Takhtehchian recommends eating a lighter lunch and a snack. “Snacking will rev up your metabolism,” she explains, as long as you pick foods with plenty of fiber, like a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit. For those with a sweet tooth, she also suggested the Fiber One brownie. “One of the benefits of fiber is that it does keep you full,” she says.
The health editor also offered tips for navigating holiday parties. Takhtehchian advises against ever going to a party feeling hungry. “When you show up starving, you know what happens,” she says. “You eat everything in sight.” Instead, eat a filling meal before arriving. Cocktails are another healthy diet downfall, not only because they’re loaded with calories but also because one drink too many will lower your guard against unhealthy foods. Pick cocktails that are low in sugar, and swap soda water for tonic. “Vodka soda is one of my favorites,” she says, adding that you can give this drink a kick with a wedge of lemon or lime. Another good strategy to avoid extra calories is to drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
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Written by Randy Fritz, co-creator with Diana Herrington at Real Food for Life
One hundred calories doesn’t seem like a lot, but you can easily add at least one or two of these fun, easy strategies and they will add up over time.
I’m not lazy by any means, but in my opinion, if you have to strain or deprive yourself, you may not keep it up. To eliminate calories, you can either burn them up by adding a preferred activity or avoid the calories by making a smart substitution of some common food you are eating.
I have listed only healthy, green tips. Hopefully these examples will help jog your mind to others. What steps do you take to be active and be smart?
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I love the heat of summer, so although there is much to love about fall – football, cider, pumpkins, boots, etc. – I cannot say I look forward to fall. I certainly relish it once it arrives though, because fall also brings tailgating, Halloween candy, Thanksgiving feasts, and the promise of Christmas parties. It can be a dangerous season for dieting, especially combined with more inclement weather which tempts us to stay inside and inactive. At the advent of the autumn season, I encourage you to prepare your home to help you meet your weight loss goals throughout the cooler months when you will likely be spending more time inside.
Kitchen: Clean out the pantry and fridge, eliminating temptations. Place the healthiest options within sight and easy reach. Take the fruit out of the crisper and put it on the top shelf or on the counter. Make it easy to grab smaller plates, bowls, and flatware. According to Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink, when we choose a 12-inch plate over a 10-inch plate we are likely to eat up to 22 percent more, we eat up to 14 percent more using a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon, and we will fill a shorter, wider cup 30 percent more than a taller, thinner cup.
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Try as we might, there’s no way to escape the science of calories. Every calorie counts and unfortunately lots of our favorite foods have too many calories. But don’t fret, life doesn’t have to be lived eating flavorless celery and lettuce. There are lots of great ways to cut calories without feeling like you’re being deprived.
Here are 20 great tricks we’ve compiled to help you get through the most important meal of the day with fewer calories, and without sacrificing taste.
1. Use Blue Diamond Almond Breeze milk instead of cow’s milk
While a cup of whole milk contains nearly 150 calories, Almond Breeze contains no more than 45 calories. The unsweetened flavor has 40 calories per cup and the vanilla and chocolate flavors have 45 calories per cup. Yes, chocolate milk for 45 calories per serving, you read that right.
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By Michelle Schoffro Cook for Care2.com
Do you have a spare tire, love handles, or a belly bulge? Don’t fret. Here are a ten simple tricks from my best-selling book, The Life Force Diet (Wiley, 2006) that can help you make this a lighter and healthier year.
1. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to beat dehydration. Alcohol consumption, fatty foods, and insufficient water are some of the main reasons people feel “hung over” and heavy. Every cell in your body needs adequate water to function properly so try to drink at least two liters a day to flush fat and toxins out.
2. Take a high-quality B-complex and vitamin C supplement, both of which are depleted by alcohol consumption and stress, and chances are you had both recently.
3. Eat fruit in the morning on an empty stomach. Fruit is the best food to keep the lymphatic system cleansed and moving properly. The lymphatic system is what I call “the body’s version of a street-cleaner” — it sweeps up toxins, fat, and the by-products of bodily processes to lessen pain, inflammation, cellulite, and toxic overload in the body. Just don’t overdo.
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