To begin, let me explain to those of you who don’t know what gluten is.  Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is highly prevalent in the modern American diet. While you may identify gluten with your bread, pasta, cereal, and pastries, gluten is also commonly found in processed foods as thickeners and fillers.  When gluten is digested in a person with celiac, the immune system responds by damaging or destroying the intestinal villi.  The damaged villi, which normally allow nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream, are now unable to do so.  For people with celiac disease, digesting gluten can cause painful immediate side effects such as gas, bloating, chronic diarrhea, and detrimental long term side effects, such as but limited to infertility, depression, anemia and arthritis.  According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), over two million Americans or 1 in 133 people have been diagnosed with celiac disease, with many still undiagnosed  The only treatment for celiac disease is omitting gluten from the diet for a lifetime.

While celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, many people have wheat or gluten intolerances.  According to The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, the medical director indicates that anywhere between 5-10% of the population may suffer from gluten sensitivity in some form.  Gluten sensitivities can still negatively affect the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream, causing side effects similar to those who suffer from celiac. This is what brought me to my decision to try a gluten-free diet for just one month to see how I feel from following this diet.   Again, this is a personal experiment but hopeful outcomes for me include weight loss, increased energy, and clearer skin.

According to the NIDDK, thirty to fifty million, yes million, people are lactose intolerant in the United States. This translates into one in six people being lactose intolerant….and that is A LOT!  Lactose, the sugar found naturally in cow’s milk, requires the enzyme lactase to be broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream.  The problem is that after age two, many people stop producing lactase, thus being unable to absorb lactose. The unabsorbed lactose is what causes the unpleasant side effects of lactose intolerance, such as diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and nausea.  Although I have not been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, I am beginning to wonder that if so many people are unable to digest cow’s milk after age two, if it is something that is vital to my diet.  Again, this is just a personal experiment, and I am not giving medical advice to anyone who feels like they want to continue consuming dairy products.  I am just curious how I will feel after four weeks dairy free.

So now that you know why I am choosing to go gluten and dairy free, I’ll let you in on my plan to get week one done painlessly and nutritiously.  First thing I know I am going to have to do is stock up on the foods that I plan on eating for week one.  While I usually include wheat bread, low-fat cottage cheese, wheat pasta, and part-skim mozzarella in my grocery cart, this week I am altering my list. For week one I am keeping it simple and my variety low to create a new routine. I also recommend that anyone trying this diet approach to take a multivitamin, as well as calcium and Vitamin D.

Here are a few ideas of the foods I will be including this week:

• almonds/peanuts
• natural peanut butter
• lots of veggies: celery, carrots, leafy greens, corn, string beans, frozen stir fry veggies
• fruit: frozen berries, bananas, apples, pineapple
• proteins: eggs, shrimp, tofu, salmon, chicken, steak, turkey bacon
• organic soy milk (since my grocery store doesn’t carry almond milk, my fav!)
• sweet potatoes/sweet potato fries (Alexia sweet potato fries are gluten-free!)
• brown rice (yup! it’s gluten free)
• black beans

In additions to what I already have in m cabinets/refrigerator, I plan to follow this plan loosely:

Meals/Snack Ideas

Breakfast Options:

• egg/egg white omelet with turkey bacon
• Fruit smoothie with soy milk/berries

Lunch Options:

• Green salad with chicken or fish
• leftovers from dinner

Dinner:

• Brown rice, chicken/steak/tofu/shrimp  and veggies stir fry
• salmon, sweet potato/fries, veggies

Snacks:

• veggies & hummus
• fruit & natural peanut butter

Anticipated struggles for week one:

1. My boyfriend’s birthday is on my anticipated day one.  Hmmm.,..where to take him for dinner and how to deal with a birthday dessert??
2. I currently work at a restaurant/bar where the only gluten-free, dairy-free option is the salad, sans blue cheese crumbles….guess I’ll be packing snacks!
3. My boyfriend’s mother is flying into Hawaii for two weeks and staying with us.  That is going to mean more meals eaten out as part of entertaining.  Maybe not good timing for this on my part, but I wanted to jump in head first and get started!

Wish me luck everyone and I will be checking in shortly to let you know how week one went.  Please leave me some feedback or feel free to ask for advice if you are planning to try a similar venture~

“Celiac Information.” Gluten Intolerance Statistics. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.celiac-association.ca/celiac-disease-symptoms/gluten-intolerance-statistics/>.

“National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).” Celiac Disease. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/>.

“National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).” Lactose Intolerance. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lactoseintolerance/>.

While reading the information below, keep in mind the daily nutrition recommendations from The American Heart Association for a 2,000 calorie/day diet are around 66g total fat, <15.5g saturated fat, and <1500mg sodium daily.

Jack in the Box:

Jack in the Box has a new deal.  Only $3.99 for their BLT combo consisting of a 20oz soda, BLT Cheeseburger, and small fries.  THANK HEAVENS it is a small order of fries, because when you down this meal, you are already eating 1500 calories!

Totals: 1500 calories, 78 g total fat, 28.5g saturated fat, 2,450mg sodium*

I was happy to see that on their website, Jack in the Box had recommendations for lower fat and lower sodium meals.  However, the list included options like a 25g fat Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich, which should hardly be considered low-fat and at 890mg of sodium the Chicken Sandwich is already over half your day’s recommended salt intake.

Kentucky Fried Chicken:

This $5 Big Crunch Box contains three extra crispy chicken strips with dipping sauce, a side of potato wedges, a biscuit and a medium drink.  This box of tan food might taste good, but with over an entire days worth of sodium I doubt it will make you feel good.  To put things into perspective, one teaspoon of salt has 2,300mg sodium, so forget the cinnamon challenge, eating the Big Crunch Box is like opening wide for a nice heaping teaspoon of table salt. Finger licking good!

Totals: 1160 calories, 49g total fat, 13g saturated fat, 2,250mg sodium*

Taco Bell:

If you’ve decided to “think outside the bun” maybe you’ve dived into a Five Buck Box from Taco Bell.  For your money you get a medium drink, a Crunchy Taco Supreme, Burrito Supreme Taco, and to top it off another Crunchy Beef Taco.  If you’re going to eat this for one meal, better load up on fruits and veggies for the rest of the day, because you’ve already eaten you entire days worth of saturated fat!

Totals: 1050 calories, 37g total fat, 15g saturated fat, 1800mg sodium*

Pizza Hut:

After a carbohydrate filled meal of pizza and bread sticks, what could be better? Pizza Hut decided the answer to that question was more simple carbs!  The $10 meal deal from Pizza Hut features a medium pepperoni pizza, five bread sticks with marinara sauce, and ten cinnamon sticks with icing dip.  They’ve taken the $5 meal to a new high, calorie high that is.  If you shared this box deal with a friend, you’d each be consuming over 2,000 calories.  Even if this box deal was split four ways, each person would be eating over 40g of fat.

Totals (calculated @ 2 servings/box): 2,185 calories, 85g total fat, 32g saturated fat, 5,035 mg sodium

Totals (calculated @ 4 servings/box) 1,092 calories, 62.5g total fat, 16g saturated fat, 2,518mg sodium

I know the recession has hurt people financially and changed society’s perception and expectations for value.  However, I continue to encourage consumers to question what the real value of the food they are eating is and think about how what may seem cost effective now may actually cost them later.

*Nutrition facts from 20oz regular soda used for totals

“Nutrition.” Jack in the Box -. Web. 07 Apr. 2012. <http://www.jackinthebox.com/nutrition/>.

“Nutrition – KFC.com.” Welcome to KFC.com. Web. 07 Apr. 2012. <http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/>.

“NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION.” Pizza Hut. Web. 07 Apr. 2012. <http://www.pizzahut.com   /nutritioninformation.html>.

“Taco Bell® | Taco Bell Nutrition Guide.” Taco Bell®. Web. 07 Apr. 2012. <http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition>.

Reading food labels may seem complicated, so for newcomers to the concept, here is an easy guide to the basics:

Start Here:

Serving size: Begin by looking at the serving size under the nutrition facts. Make sure that if you are choosing to eat this food, that the serving size matches up to a realistic portion of what you are going to consume.  For example, a 1oz serving of hard pretzels may fit the bill for your caloric intake of a snack at around 100 calories, but if you gobble up four handfuls, you most likely ate at least three servings.  Remember that if you are eating double the serving size, you must double all the nutrition facts.  In turn, if you are eating only half a serving size, you can cut the nutrition facts panel in half.

Calories: A calorie is a unit of energy.  Everyone requires calories on a daily basis for the bodies basic function, and you require even more for daily activities and exercise.  Caloric balance is a term used when the calories you are consuming is equal to calories you output each day.  Caloric balance is an ideal goal for those trying to maintain their current weight.  Simply put, if you are trying to lose weight, cutting back on calories can help you achieve a calorie deficit, aka eating less calories then you are consuming.  If you are trying to gain weight, you can achieve caloric excess by eating more calories than you are using daily.  Everyone requires a different amount of calories each day according to their goals, so keep your daily goals in mind when reading food labels.

Limit These:

Total Fat:  According to The American Heart Association, total fat should be limited to between 56-78g/day.  These recommendations are for 25-35% of total calories from fat based on a 2.000 calorie diet.  Depending on what your calorie needs are, your fat intake may be higher or lower.  As a Registered Dietitian, I usually recommend a total fat daily percentage to not exceed 30% of total calories.  To find your needs, multiply your daily calorie needs by .30 and then divide this number by 9.  For example, a person on a 1500 calorie/day diet should not consume more than 50g of fat/day (1500 x .30 = 450/9 = 50)

Saturated Fat: Saturated fat, aka bad fats, can be found primarily in animal and animal byproducts, as well as processed foods and sweets.  Since these fats contribute to heart disease, limit them! This number is a subdivision of your total fats, not in addition to. Like the above equation, aim for saturated fats to be <7%  of your daily caloric intake.  To find your needs, multiply your daily calorie needs by .07 and then divide this number by 9.  The same person eating 1500 calories/day should consume no more than 12g/saturated fat/day. (1500 x .07 = 105/9 = 11.6).

To learn more about dietary fat, read my article Dietary Fat: Eat, drink, and be fit and happy.

Sodium: Recommendations for daily sodium intake were recently lowered to just 1,500 mg/day.  Keep in mind that processed foods tend to contain high amounts of sodium to add flavor and help preserve shelf-life.  If you are eating a food that is high in sodium, try to eat fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, for the rest of the day.  Also remember that even foods that contain no calories, like diet soda, may still contain sodium.

Sugar: Although there are no set recommendations for daily intake of sugar by the FDA, try to keep daily intake on the lower end to help prevent weight gain, heart disease, and Type 2 Diabetes.  When reading nutrition facts, keep in mind that for every 4 grams of added sugar on the label, it is equivalent to one tsp on added sugar in that food.

To learn more about sugar in the diet, read my article Brush Up on Your Basics: Sugar in the Diet

Get Enough of These:

Protein: Although the average American diet is not lacking protein, I feel it important to make sure there is healthy protein in the foods I am eating when reading food labels.  The reason for this is that foods that contain protein help you stay full longer, since they take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates and sugar, as well as provide the body with essential amino acids for muscle recovery and maintenance.  If total calories and saturated fat are being monitored and within the recommended limits,and other food groups are not being neglected, I recommend protein be eaten without further boundaries.

Dietary Fiber: The average adult should eat somewhere between 25-35grams of dietary fiber/day.  When looking at food labels, soluble and insoluble fiber may be distinguished.  Both are good for health, helping to lower cholesterol, slow the absorption of food, and aid in digestion, but just focus on getting your total numbers within a healthy range to meet basic fiber needs.

Vitamins/Minerals:  Both naturally occurring and added vitamins and minerals are listed in percentage form on the nutrition label of foods. Remember that the percentage is based on a 2.000 calorie diet, which is not suited for everyone.  The FDA requires that Vitamins A, C, calcium and iron be listed on every food label, so keep these vitamins and minerals in mind when reading.  For example, if you consistently notice that foods you are eating do not contain any calcium, a supplement may be a good option for you.

So now that you know how to decipher a food label, keep this information in mind to become a more educated consumer.  Take advantage of your knowledge to choose foods that fit into the right diet for you!

Graham, Dan J., and Melssa N. Laska. “Nutrition Label Use Partially Mediates the Relationship   between Attitude toward Healthy Eating and Overall Dietary Quality among College             Students.”       Www.andjrnl.org. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 14 Nov. 2011.             Web. 27 Mar. 2012.             <http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S0002-8223%2811%2901540-        9/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=2212       2672_201203_112_3&elsca4=nutrition_dietetics>.

“What Choices Are You Making?” Ibx.com. Independence Blue Cross. Web. Apr. 2011.

The one-month period is a critical measuring stick to assess your progress, alter your goals, or consider revamping your resolution entirely. According to a 2010 study in the journal “Sports Health,” most New Year’s resolutions last just two months. It may provide some solace to know that you’re not the only one struggling with your goals at this point, but having this knowledge also allows you to take some precautionary measures to keep you motivated and avoid dropping your program.

Here are some tips, both for those who are struggling and those who are well on their way, to making 2012 the best fitness year of your life.

1. Make Your Resolution Specific and Measurable

We all want to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle, or become healthier. But these are simply dreams, not goals. For a resolution to become an actual goal, it needs to be specific. Research has demonstrated that the more specific and detailed you can make your resolution, the more motivated you will be to achieve it and the more likely you will be to achieve it. Make your resolution as specific and measurable as possible. Don’t just lose weight in 2012. Lose 20 lbs. Don’t just build muscle. Bench 200 lbs.

2. Set a Timeline

As with the specificity of your goals, you may also not have set a timeline for accomplishing this goal other than “sometime in 2012.” You need to take it a step further than that. Have a specific date at which point you’d like to get that goal over and done with, so you can move onto the next one. If you feel that this goal will take the entire year, set several intermediate target dates so you can measure your progress. I suggest one per month.

3. Alter Your Goals

It’s okay, you’re not ditching your program if you need to make your goals a little easier. Just by getting out and exercising more than in 2011, you’re heading in the right direction. But if you’re finding it more difficult to keep your exercise or nutrition program going, make it easier. It’s much better to accomplish an easy goal and feel successful than to feel like a failure for not accomplishing something that you didn’t have at least a moderately reasonable chance of achieving anyways. It always baffles me, but this is the concept that many people don’t seem to get. Goals are just tools and they’re not concrete. You need to use them to your advantage. If your goals are defeating you, it’s okay to pull back on the reigns a little bit. As a rule, a goal should be about 10 to 15 percent harder than your previous level of performance. For example, if you can run a mile in nine minutes, a realistic goal is to run it in eight minutes and ten seconds by your next time point.

4. Reward Yourself

If you’re like me, you berate yourself when you don’t accomplish something but fail to compliment yourself when you’ve done something well. This “never-good-enough” attitude is dangerous when it comes to goal-setting. It’s okay to be hard on yourself from time to time, but ultimately this will wear you down and lead to what sport psychologists call a failure-based goal-setting style. We set goals to avoid failure, not to achieve success. This attitude will never allow you to perform your best, only enough to avoid feeling like what you construe as a failure. Reward yourself when you achieve your goals, but avoid punishing yourself when you don’t. How you reward yourself is up to you, but make sure to acknowledge your own success and efforts.

5. Add Some Social Support

If you’re struggling on your own, involve a friend or family member in your exercise or nutrition plan. Friends and family members can hold you accountable for your program and you can also do the same for them. Sport psychology research has shown that exercising in a social or team environment leads to markedly improved performance and motivation compared with going it solo.

6. Shake it Up

New Year’s resolutions are fun because they inspire us to improve in some way and they make us feel as if we’re stepping into a new “us.” This rejuvenating feeling, however, will fade after awhile and causes many people to rid themselves of their programs or jump to new ones. Don’t completely ditch your program. Simply find ways to mix it up so that your resolution constantly feels fresh and new. If you always exercise in the gym, go hit the mountain or run on the beach. If you’re sick of your nutrition plan and eat the same things everyday, go to a new grocery store or find a bunch of new recipes. Because of practical issues, you probably have to adhere to some sort of routine. But at least once a week, exercise or eat in a way that you never have before. This can even be your reward.

7. Remember Your Purpose

Your purpose for your resolution will keep you motivated when times get tough. Remember why you chose to set a New Year’s resolution. This isn’t your goal itself, but it’s the reason you decided to set the goal in the first place. Maybe you set a goal of losing 20 lbs. because you were generally feeling lousy about yourself. Or maybe you wanted to eat more servings of fruit to avoid getting cancer or to live longer in order to see your grandkids. Your purpose is the one thing that shouldn’t change during your resolution and it will be the one thing that should always provide a sense of motivation. If you don’t know, or don’t remember, what your purpose for changing was, really think on this and try to find one. With a strong sense of purpose, achieving your resolution itself will be almost secondary.

There is no magic weight-loss pill… no substitute for hard work, physical activity and a balanced, healthy diet within your calorie-range. However, the most important part of all of this is that you make it a lifestyle, meaning that physical activity and diet are a consistent and harmonious part of each and every week of the year. It’s not too late to change last year’s bad habits of dieting, slacking off, and then playing catch up. Use some of the tips below to help you stay motivated all year ’round:

Schedule in Work-outs

In the beginning of each week, take a look at your calender and jot in work outs that realistically fit into your schedule.  I find that fitting in workouts in the mornings help me stay consistent, because by the latter part of the day, other things like a shopping trip or happy hour may stray me away from my commitment.  On the flip side, some of my clients who have problems with late-night eating find that an evening workout helps them fight eating out of boredom during the 7-10pm hours.   If you get an hour lunch break, consider a forty minute mid-day session with a quick protein shake or bar for lunch.  Find out what time of day will work for you, and put it on your calendar.  Towards the end of the week, set aside a time for a “make-up” workout, in case life throws you a curve-ball.

Join a class or running group

Including other people into your work out will help hold you accountable.  Look into if your gym or community center offers group exercise classes like spinning, Zumba, or Pilates.  A lot of areas are beginning running clubs like  http://www.westchesterrunningclub.com/. Not only will this help you regularize your weekly schedule for work outs, but it will also make working out a social part of your day.  Becoming a “regular” in a class or running club will have others asking you where you were if you decide to skip out on a workout.

Reward Yourself for a Job Well Done

Nothing motivates people more than rewards!! Sure, you may say that your fresh-n-fly hot body is the best reward you could ask for…but realistically,in this day and age people like instant gratification.  Since we already know that it takes consistency for weight loss, I want you to alter your instant gratification mindset into a short-term/long-term reward mindset.  Set yourself one to three weekly short-term goals that will help you on your way to your long-term goal.  Good examples of some starter weekly goals could be including four hours of exercise, logging a food journal daily, or packing lunch for work instead of eating out.  If you comply to your weekly goals, reward yourself!! The key to good rewards is making them something that will motivate you to continue with your good habits for the next week.  For example, if you made it to the gym for four hours, buy yourself a few new songs on i-tunes or a magazine that you can only listen to/read while working out.  Maybe you will treat yourself to buying new spices/herbs to encourage more in-home cooking,  Long-term goal rewards should be larger, but with the same general concept.  Maybe one full month of on-track work outs could mean a new pair of running shoes or buying a wok to make new home-made cuisine.

Graur Razvan Ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is much confusion in fitness centres regarding what the best methods are for reducing body fat. So many people are using terrible training and nutritional protocols that I cringe every time I step foot in a gym! This article aims to help abolish some of the common misconceptions people have regarding fat loss, as well as offer some appropriate guidelines to achieving a more toned physique.

If I eat less and less, I will weigh less and less!

This is NOT the ideal method towards achieving fat loss! By starving yourself, you allow anabolic hormone production that is responsible for metabolism to go down. While it may be true that you will lose some weight initially, your metabolism controls the total amount of calories you burn on a day to day basis. Allowing your metabolism to slow down will actually make it more difficult to burn fat! There are several studies which examine this phenomenon. For example, one study held by the American Society of Clinical Nutrition measured the resting metabolic rate to lean body mass ratio in 6 six women over 3 weeks on a very low calorie diet. The study found that resting metabolic rate to lean body mass ratio decreased to an average of 82% of the original values within just 3 weeks! Assuming you had a basal metabolic rate of 2000 calories a day (the amount calories your body burns in a day), at 82% of that you would only be burning 1640 calories per day! So assuming you were to starve yourself, you may be able to lose weight at the beginning, but your metabolic rate would slow down and cause you to easily put the weight back on.

Graur Razvan Ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If I do Strength Training I will get Hyuuuuge!

Your body composition will change according to the amount of calories you put into it. People who are looking to burn fat are usually on a light to moderate daily caloric restriction and restricting calories is not conducive to muscle growth. For instance, you can strength train all you want, but you will not gain inches on your biceps if you are eating salads all day. However, strength training does have its usefulness in a fat loss program in that it can help to increase metabolism, and maintain fat free mass (lean muscle).

Aerobics are the Only Exercise I Need to Lose Weight!

Aerobics are an effective weight loss tool, but only when used in conjunction with strength training. Excessive aerobic exercise will cause you to lose muscle mass which is responsible for giving your body a healthy and defined look. So in other words, while you may be able to lose weight doing exclusively aerobic exercise, your body fat percentage will remain high because you will lose muscle mass as well. Strength training must be used in conjunction with cardio in order to attain a lean physique. Furthermore, the higher the intensity of the exercise protocol, the greater the effect on exercise post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). Your metabolism increases as your oxygen consumption increases, so what you ideally want is a large in increase in EPOC after exercise. Therefore, if you want to optimize your cardio, the best way to go about it is using high intensity exercise methods. I have my clients include interval training as cardio in conjunction with weight training. Aerobics alone are not as effective!

Guidelines for Effective Fat Loss

• DO NOT starve yourself! Your body needs calories in order to maintain a healthy metabolism and hormone production.
• DO perform strength training. A full body program which utilizes compound movements (exercises which work several muscle groups) will increase metabolism as well as maintain fat free mass.
• When performing cardio it is best to use high intensity interval training for fat loss. This method elicits a greater oxygen consumption response within the body which will in turn burn fat.

References

Effects of strength or aerobic training on body composition, resting metabolic rate, and peak oxygen consumption in obese dieting subjects

http://www.ajcn.org/content/66/3/557.short

Energy-metabolism adaptation in obese adults on a very-low-calorie diet

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/826.short

Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men http://jap.physiology.org/content/76/1/133.short

The effects of intensity of exercise on excess postexercise oxygen consumption and energy expenditure in moderately trained men and women http://www.springerlink.com/content/rgk7421182182pjm/

I’ve written about some of these diets in other posts, but I want to reiterate that weight-loss is not a secret. Any diet program that claims that losing weight involves the consumption of some “magic bullet” nutrient or avoiding other key macronutrients is likely a gimmick. Not only are they gimmicky, but they are costly. Personally, I find it funny that losing weight — which should actually lower your grocery bill because you are consuming less — ends up costing people thousands of extra dollars each year.

Luckily, you don’t need these costly programs to lose weight. These programs offer nothing you cannot replicate yourself. I will admit that most people I know who go on some of these diet programs do end up losing weight. In fact, some of them shed amazing amounts of weight very quickly. But when I look closely at their diet programs, I quickly realize one of two things. Either the program is physically dangerous, or it is no different than the tried-and-true weight loss strategies that dietitians have know for years. Here’s a closer look at what expensive commercial weight loss programs offer, and how you can replicate similar, or better, diet strategies at home for free.

Motivation

Perhaps the biggest advantage commercial diet programs offer is the psychological benefit. They require you to set goals, monitor your food intake and exercise performance, and many even have counselors and support groups in which you can motivate each other and share stories. They require you to cut calories, exercise more, and stick to your program.

This will be the most difficult part of losing weight yourself, but you can do it. You have to start by setting a goal, and I recommend that your goal have nothing to do with the amount of weight you lose. There are no guarantees that you will lose a certain amount of weight with any program, and this should not be the key determinant of your program’s success. Instead, set  a goal of achieving 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. Set another goal of cutting 250 to 500 calories from your diet each day. If you do these things, weight loss will take care of itself.

Monitoring

Most online weight loss programs allow you to record what you eat, enter it into a diary, and some even provide elaborate graphs and charts of your food intake. This simple goal measuring strategy is one of the key reasons commercial diet programs are so effective. They provide a visual representation of your progress, they allow you to see how well you are actually following your program, and they allow you to set new goals.

You can easily keep track of your own food intake. I suggest WebMd or the Mayo Clinic websites, which each have similar tracking systems. You can also simply graph your food intake and exercise patterns in an excel sheet or home diary.

Specific Diet Strategies

Here’s where commercial diet programs begin to veer in many different directions. Low-carb diets are popular because of the misconception that carbohydrates cause weight-gain. Protein-based diets help because protein requires more energy to digest, thus burning more calories. However, the small effect these programs have on your metabolism pales in comparison to the effects of simply cutting calories and increasing activity level.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most commercial diet programs are effective because they emphasize restricting caloric intake and monitoring your food intake. As mentioned above, you can easily do this yourself. Start by following the 3,500-calorie rule — you need to burn 3,500 calories beyond what your take in through food to lose 1 lb. of body fat. This rule may vary slightly from one person to the next, but it’s a great start. If you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you’ll lose about 1 lb. each week. Burn more calories through exercise, and you’ll lose more.

Quick Weight Loss

Any diet program that advocates losing weight quickly is ill-advised, and places you at risk of nutrient deficiencies and dehydration. For example, much of the weight lost in protein-based diets is from dehydration, not fat. Low-carb diets should actually focus on avoiding simple sugars and foods high in the glycemic index, but not carbohydrates in general. Consuming less than a certain number of carbohydrates each day can limit your intake of certain vitamins and minerals.

Quick weight loss programs are dangerous and you don’t want them. Not only are they dangerous, but they typically do not provide lasting results. Once the weight is gone, many people resort back to their old eating habits. Losing weight slowly allows your body to shed fat rather than water weight or protein stores, and also forces you to engage in healthy physical activities which you can enjoy for the rest of your life. Avoid attempting to lose more than about 1 to 2 lbs. each week if you really care about your body.

Bumble Bee Easy Peel Sensations Bowls

Tuna is one of my lunch time favorites, but sometimes even the thought of opening, draining, mixing, and seasoning can leave me feeling overwhelmed with two minutes to get out the door. That’s why I love Bumblebee’s Easy Peel Sensations.  Each individual bowl can be easily opened without a can opener and there is no need to mix with mayonnaise because each bowl is already seasoned to perfection.  With flavors like lemon and cracked pepper (my personal favorite), sundried tomato and basil, and spicy thai chili, these bowls are my secret weapon when I want to eat healthy but skip the prep work. Each bowl has less then two-hundred calories and about thirty grams of protein!

Campbell’s Select Harvest Light Soups

Soups are a classic lunch food, and since many come in easy microwavable containers they are an easy on the go meal to bring to work.  However, many of them are packed with sodium, and I find the low-sodium options to be lacking a lot of flavor.  This is why I scanned the grocery store aisles and did some taste sampling to find the best tasting, moderate sodium, low calorie soup to help my clients and readers make good choices at the lunch table.  Campbell’s got it right when they created their Select Harvest Light soup varieties.  All their twelve different varieties contain 100% all natural ingredients and even if you eat the entire container, it will only set you back between 100 to 160 calories.  Although the sodium levels are not low, two cups contains around 1,200mg, so as long as you pair your soup with other lower sodium choices throughout the day you should be okay.

Green Giant Healthy Blend frozen vegetables

Green Giant recently came out with their health blend veggies which conveniently steam in the microwave and make it easy to get in a couple servings of vegetables at lunch.  Each variety spotlights a different aspect of good health including their antioxidant-rich blend, healthy vision blend, heart health blend, digestive health blend and healthy weight blend.  My favorite is the healthy weight blend, which contained carrots, sugar snap peas, black beans and edamame tossed in a light butter sauce.  There are two servings in each container, and eating the entire package provides ten grams of fiber, ten grams of protein, and only has six grams of sugar and 180 calories.

EAS Myoplex OriginalReady-to-Drink Protein Shakes

I am an advocate of healthy homemade protein shakes made with real fruit, but sometimes getting out the blender doesn’t fit into your morning to-do list.  EAS Myoplex shakes are a great option and not only take absolutely no time to prepare, but I think they taste great.  Each three-hundred calorie shake container is seventeen ounces and packs in forty-two grams of protein, six grams of sugar, and has only two grams sugar.

Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal

One of my favorite breakfast/lunches is 1/2 C Quaker quick-oats, 1/2 banana sliced and 1 C almond milk in the microwave for three minutes and topped with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter.  It is so warm, so filling and the combination of ingredients is delicious! However, sometimes there just isn’t time for measuring, slicing, and waiting! For those types of days, I am glad I have Quaker Weight Control packets on hand.  Just add hot water and you’ve got a warm meal with seven grams of protein, six grams of fiber and one gram of sugar, this oatmeal is a good option for a lunch where all you have to do is add hot water and eat!

My advice, pick up some of the above options for the days where ten minutes of extra sleep feels like an extra hour and pair with other grab-n-go items like fruit, greek yogurt, whole-grain crackers or protein bars for a complete meal.

Below you will find my recommendations for men and women for snack portions of protein bars for both weight loss and weight maintenance.  Remember that calorie needs may vary person-to-person depending on metabolism and activity level and these calorie levels should be used as a basic approximation for a moderately active individual.

Women weight loss Snack (Approx. 1200-1500 calories/daily diet):

• 120-150 calories
• <15g carbohydrates
• 9g protein
• >3g fiber
• <6g sugar

Women weight maintenance snack (Approx. 1800 calories/day diet)

• 180-200 calories
• <20g carbohydrate
• 13g protein
• >3g fiber
• <8g sugar

Men weight loss snack (Approximately 1600 calories/day diet)

• 150-200 calories
• <20g carbohydrate
• 15g protein
• >3g fiber
• <8g sugar

Men weight maintenance snack (Approximately 2200 calories/day diet)

• 200-300 calories
• <30g carbohydrates
• 20-25g protein
• >3g fiber
• <10g sugar

Weight loss does not have to be complicated.

While women and men tend to differ in body size and composition, as well as hormonal characteristics, they do not differ in measures of relative strength, nor do they differ in their responses to exercise. The same weight loss principles, therefore, apply to both sexes.

Is There a “Best Weight Loss Program?”

Much debate exists regarding the best weight loss programs. Advocates of Atkins, Paleo, Ideal Protein, and other low-carb diets attest that carbohydrates are the main dietary culprits in weight-gain, and you need to keep these nutrients to a minimum if you want to reduce body fat and total weight. More traditional dietary programs advocate reducing fat, particularly saturated and trans fat, to cut total body fat and weight.

Whatever the current dietary trend, in almost all cases you can find research that both supports its principles as well as research that contradicts them. For example, you’ve probably heard, and may even know, people who have lost weight as a result of engaging in one of these diets. However, the Mayo Clinic asserts that these diet fads are generally successful simply because they cause people to pay more attention to what they eat, they become more physically active, and they naturally reduce the amount of food they consume.

Any dietary program that places an unusual emphasis on any one particular nutrient, whether it be carbs, protein, fat or a vitamin or mineral, has the potential to harm your body. In reality, regardless of your current weight and health status, your body needs a balance of macronutrients and micronutrients to operate efficiently and to meet its variety of metabolic needs.

So what constitutes an effective diet? The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) explains that there are two tried-and-true principles for losing weight in the majority of individuals, and you’ve heard them before.

1. Be More Active

If you want to lose weight, stop focusing on what you eat so much and go get physical. My diet almost never changes. I eat a lot, all the time. Yet my weight consistently fluctuates throughout the year according to how much exercise I get. During the summer, when I’m kayaking a lot and leading several practice sessions throughout the day, I tend to lose a lot of weight. During the winter, when the season is over and I’m focused on writing and designing training programs, I naturally gain weight. I’m sure most people have similar reasons for gaining or losing weight at certain times.

Much of the reason adults put on weight as they grow older is not because of the natural process of aging, but because their metabolism slows down due to less and less physical activity over time. Adults lose muscle as they age, not because of time, but because they simply are not out running around all day jumping over things, playing sports, and swinging on monkey bars like they did when they were kids.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends achieving a minimum of 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each day to maintain cardiovascular fitness and a healthy weight. Recent research actually suggests that people need closer to an hour of aerobic exercise each day. How many of us really achieve this much? Moderate exercise for 30 minutes can burn 250 to 500 calories, about as much as an entire meal.

2. Restrict Calories

While becoming more active will help you lose weight over time, you’ll lose weight more quickly if you cut calories. The caloric-deficit rule of cutting 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. of body fat, while perhaps overly-simplistic, is correct. Each 1 lb. of body fat contains 3,500 calories, and you need to ultimately need to achieve this negative energy balance to lose weight.

Cut about 500 calories from your diet each day, and you’ll lose 1 lb. each week through diet alone. But, you do not need to place particular emphasis on restricting any one nutrient. While a variety of factors influence your weight and metabolism, no rule is as important as obtaining this caloric deficit (NSCA, 2008). You need to obtain about 50 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 20 percent from protein. You can calculate these percentages regardless of what your total caloric consumption is.

For example, if your body requires 2,000 calories to maintain its current weight, and you want to lose 1 lb. each week, you need to achieve a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories. You can do this by limiting your caloric intake to 1,500 calories a day, exercising more, or both. Pretend you get 30 minutes of exercise each day, which burns 250 calories. You need to cut 250 more calories from your diet each day to lose 1 lb. a week. If your diet now calls for 1,750 calories, you need to consume 875 from carbs, 525 from fat, and 350 from protein.

Final Words (of Wisdom)

The best weight loss program for men and women is a program that you can adapt permanently into your lifestyle. Don’t listen to all the marketing hype of a new revolutionary finding that will let you use 10 lbs of fat in a week. If it does work, it can’t be healthy. You didn’t gain all that weight in week so don’t expect to lose all that weight in a week either.