Holidays and weekends could be sabotaging your weight loss

Came across a great article that hit home. It's about a new study that found that dieters regularly comsume more calories on the weekends than during the weekdays and those extra calories were making weight loss impossible. The reason it hit home for me is that one of my patients is having that exact issue. The scale won't budge, yet Monday through Friday his diet is pristine. The weekends are sabotaging all of his great eating during the week. Alcohol, eating out and less physical activity are all culprits. Interestingly, according to the study people who are extremely strict about their diet and do not give themselves breaks to cheat - like weekends or holidays - are 1 1/2 times more likely to keep off the pounds.
So, as we go into this Labor Day holiday weekend - keep your diet on track and do not allow those extra calories to sneak in. Here are some tips to help you:

• Eat a high-fiber breakfast with some protein (eg. oatmeal w/skim milk, egg whites and whole wheat toast + a piece of fruit) --make sure to eat enough to keep yourself satisfied, skimping on breakfast can backfire; I find about 400 calories at breakfast is right for most women
• At BBQs fill up your plate with salad, veggies, whole grains if there are any, and a small piece of lean protein; skip anything with mayonnaise
• If you want a drink, have one and make it a glass of wine or light beer; those fruity cocktails are really high in calories
• Exercise, at least 30 minutes each and every day - even holidays and weekends
• Keep a food journal and write down what you eat each day of the weekend; it holds you accountable
• Weigh yourself on Monday mornings; knowing you'll have to face the scale may help you to stay on track

Look for many more great tips to help you lose the baby weight and keep your diet on track in our new book The Baby Fat Diet -- available for preorder and on bookshelves this December.

Back to school healthy lunchbox ideas

As the lazy days of summer wind down and kids head back to school, you may start thinking about what to pack in the lunchbox. This is something I struggle with every week of the school year: getting my kids to eat a nutritious lunch that can be prepped fast. Here's an article I wrote with 8 easy, healthy lunch options. By the way, these are great lunches for yourself, as well. They are all nutrient packed and have less than 500 calories, so can help you stay (or get back) on track with your diet this fall. Since they are full of fiber and protein, feeling satisfied through the afternoon is a guarantee. So once again, eating like your kids is beneficial to your health and your waistline!
Tip: For me the quickest way to get through the grocery store with healthy food in my cart is to make a list ahead.

New Quick and Easy Recipe

I have another recipe to share with you that I created with ingredients found in my fridge and pantry -- my family really liked it and so it passed the test for blogging!

1 lb cooked chicken breast -- you can boil or bake it (I boiled the chicken the night before)
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup no-fat sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (I used my small chopper)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (I used the small chopper again)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup organic, low sodium tomato sauce
Whole wheat tortillas (or use corn for a lower calorie option)
1 tbsp olive oil

1. Chop the cooked chicken breast in a chopper (I cut up the chicken and used my small chopper since it is easy to clean) and place into pan with olive oil
2. Add all ingredients (except tortillas) and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes (you may want to adjust some of the ingredients based on your desired consistency)
3. Using a tablespoon, place mixture in center of tortilla, spread and roll tortilla - repeat until all mixture is used up (or you run out of tortillas).
4. Place tortillas in baking dish and drizzle more tomato sauce over top if desired and cover with foil.
5. Bake at 425 for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Enjoy with brown rice and small red kidney beans
Nutrition info for two tortillas --
340 calories (made with 2 whole wheat tortillas) or 180 calories (made with 2 corn tortillas)
13 grams protein and 5 grams fat (with either the whole wheat or corn)

Amazing Olympians and their diets

Are you watching the Olympics? I'm addicted to it. In fact, I've been up every night well past my bedtime watching the swimmers, divers, gymnasts and volleyball players. It's so inspiring to see these athletes performing such amazing feats. The other day I was on the treadmill jogging and watching the 100 meter runners racing. I felt like we were running together - of course, I was going about 1/100th the pace they were going.
Watching all of these extremely fit individuals led me to think about the diets they follow to fuel the record breaking performances. I found some articles talking about the diets of amazing gold medal swimmer, Michael Phelps and his teammate, Ryan Lochte. You have to see what they are eating - it's mind boggling! While their calorie needs are really high because they're burning tons of calories, I would think their diets would be pretty pristine. Not so, for some of the athletes - filled with fast food! Gymnasts seem to be a little more conscious since maintaining a sleek physique is part of the deal - and they don't burn quite as many calories.
So, enjoy reading about what the athletes are eating but I wouldn't follow their lead - when it comes to diet, anyway. Let them inspire you to get off the couch and go for a run or a bike ride, instead. Enjoy the games!

New moms are drained

A new report confirms what all new moms already know -- having a newborn is demanding and stressful. In addition to trouble sleeping (3 AM feedings, anyone?), the report found that 40% of the women had trouble taking off the baby fat and 24% experienced chronic backaches. I'm guessing they're related - it can be challenging to exercise if your back is injured. They also found that a large percentage of the women were back at work by 12 weeks postpartum, which adds another challenge.

So, to all you new moms out there it's important to cut yourself a little slack. Just like you wouldn't expect your newborn to start crawling or walking immediately after entering this new world, you shouldn't expect that you'll immediately be able to spring right back into your old body or prior energy level. Take baby steps. Set small, realistic goals for yourself. For this week, try this goal: each day eat 1 more fruit and 1 more vegetable than you currently do. Go for a walk this weekend with the baby in the stroller.

And know this, there is a light at the end of tunnel - life does get easier. I always say that as a new mom, it's all about finding your groove -- getting used to the new norm. And by making small healthy lifestyle changes along the way, before you know it, you'll be movin and groovin right back into your skinny jeans!

Restaurants posting calorie counts

If you found out there were way more calories in your favorite soup and sandwich combo than you thought, would you start ordering differently? That's what is happening at my husband's office. He works in New York City and about a year ago the city passed legislation requiring labeling on menu boards for chain restaurants. (Since then a number of other cities have passed similar legislation.) When my husband and his co-workers recently saw that several of their favorite lunch eateries started posting the calorie contents for the items on the menu board and they were significantly higher than they thought, their orders changed. One of his colleague's favorite soups was astoundingly high in calories and quickly dropped off the list for ordering a "light" lunch. This is a good reason why labeling of foods at restaurants is so important - it's extremely hard to guess the number of calories in a dish prepared by someone else and we can be underestimating by hundreds of calories.
So, while it's always a question as to whether people will change their eating habits by just knowing how many calories are in the foods they enjoy, this has clearly been the case in my husband's office. I know that I would have a hard time ordering anything with a huge number of calories staring back at me on the board. Luckily, I live in the suburbs and can blissfully (and ignorantly) enjoy my favorite foods - for now. I'm kidding, of course. My hope is that menu labeling will spread throughout the country and perhaps make a real impact on the public's health and waistline. Because, obviously for my husband, this is making a real difference in the foods he's choosing and I know I have a definite interest in him living a long and healthy life. Do you think it would be helpful to see the calories right on the menu or board at your favorite eating establishments?