Hi, I am a 35-year old female in pretty good health. I work out once or twice a week and eat pretty well. I would just like to lose 10 or 12 pounds but my problem is craving chocolate. I don't eat huge portions but I need some every day. Do you have any advice on how I can kick this habit? I know if I could give up the chocolate, the weight would come off in time. Thanks, LeeAnne
Dear LeeAnne,
There is no physical way, to my knowledge, to stop craving chocolate. I do know the more you eat it, the more you'll want it. And, believe it or not, once you give it up the cravings will lessen over time.
Mentally, the way to kick the craving is to find something else that is more important to you. What works is finding a reason that you really want to lose 10 pounds. If you'd just "sorta like to" then that won't be anywhere near strong enough to overpower the little chocolate voice calling "come have some of me--I taste sooo good"!
I would suggest sitting down for a while and giving some serious thought to your priorities. Try coming up with a list of 10 ways your life will be better if you lose 10 pounds. And they have to be specific reasons--sharp enough to envision when the chocolate starts calling you over. For instance "I'll look better" probably won't cut it at least half the time--but having a vision of yourself wearing a certain dress at a certain gathering may go a lot farther in being able to say "no" to that little chocolate devil on your shoulder.
Some other options include limiting the number of days a week you indulge, or calculating the number of calories of chocolate you're eating and resolve to burn those off in exercise sometime that day!
If you could use the help of a diet coach to get you through the next 3 months while you get the weight off, take a visit over to my website, MyCoachLaurie.com, and give me a call!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
How Do I Find My Personal Nutrient Needs?
Hi,
I am 21 years old and would like to find out what my own personal nutrient needs are--not just what the general population needs. I am 5'4" and 130 pounds female and fairly active. Thanks, Jolene
Dear Jolene,
Here is a link to the USDA website with dietary reference intakes and an explanation of how to use them. Every single vitamin and mineral (along with carbohydrate and protein needs as well) is categorized according to gender and age. Your height and weight are not included as factors in considering nutritional needs for these purposes.
The numbers were determined over years of studies on large groups of people. After the healthiest intake was realized in each case there was a generous cushion applied so the needs of 99% of the population is estimated to be met with each level. What this means is you do not have to add an extra amounts "just in case"... they've taken care of that for you!
I am 21 years old and would like to find out what my own personal nutrient needs are--not just what the general population needs. I am 5'4" and 130 pounds female and fairly active. Thanks, Jolene
Dear Jolene,
Here is a link to the USDA website with dietary reference intakes and an explanation of how to use them. Every single vitamin and mineral (along with carbohydrate and protein needs as well) is categorized according to gender and age. Your height and weight are not included as factors in considering nutritional needs for these purposes.
The numbers were determined over years of studies on large groups of people. After the healthiest intake was realized in each case there was a generous cushion applied so the needs of 99% of the population is estimated to be met with each level. What this means is you do not have to add an extra amounts "just in case"... they've taken care of that for you!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
How Do I Burn More Calories Than I Eat?
I've been on a diet since January 1st. I cut out complex carbs and starches. My diet now consists of high proteins, fresh veggies and fresh fruits. Occasionally I'll have a small glass of orange juice.
I've been using my exercise bike and averaging about 12 mph for about 90 minutes per day. According to my bike I'm burning off 1000 calories. My concern is, my calorie intake a day is only 1200 - 1400 calories a day. The general rule I've been told is "You have to burn off more than you take in" so... how do I burn more than 1000 calories and how have I been losing weight?
I started out over 300 pounds and I'm down to 265 so I've lost 35 pounds in just 2 months. I feel great but I just don't understand the math!
Thanks, Loryn
Dear Loryn,
Relax! Your body is burning over 2000 calories a day just doing what it does! It takes all this energy for you to breathe, pump blood around, digest food, walk, even to stand. The 1000 calories you're burning on the bike is just extra :)
I would definitely suggest you increase your calorie intake to at least 1600-1800. You could be decreasing your metabolism by cutting your calories so drastically (1200-1400 level) and that is tough to recover from.
Consider adding in a few whole grains like toast or cereal for breakfast and rice or potatoes for dinner. A serving (a slice of bread or 1/2 cup rice) provides less than 100 calories and these foods give you the energy you need, especially for the exercise you're doing.
Congratulations on sticking with your new eating habits and regular exercise for 6 weeks... it should be getting easier now. Although your weight loss may slow, don't get discouraged. Even if you lose just 5 pounds a month you'll be close to 200 next year :) Keep up the good work!!
I've been using my exercise bike and averaging about 12 mph for about 90 minutes per day. According to my bike I'm burning off 1000 calories. My concern is, my calorie intake a day is only 1200 - 1400 calories a day. The general rule I've been told is "You have to burn off more than you take in" so... how do I burn more than 1000 calories and how have I been losing weight?
I started out over 300 pounds and I'm down to 265 so I've lost 35 pounds in just 2 months. I feel great but I just don't understand the math!
Thanks, Loryn
Dear Loryn,
Relax! Your body is burning over 2000 calories a day just doing what it does! It takes all this energy for you to breathe, pump blood around, digest food, walk, even to stand. The 1000 calories you're burning on the bike is just extra :)
I would definitely suggest you increase your calorie intake to at least 1600-1800. You could be decreasing your metabolism by cutting your calories so drastically (1200-1400 level) and that is tough to recover from.
Consider adding in a few whole grains like toast or cereal for breakfast and rice or potatoes for dinner. A serving (a slice of bread or 1/2 cup rice) provides less than 100 calories and these foods give you the energy you need, especially for the exercise you're doing.
Congratulations on sticking with your new eating habits and regular exercise for 6 weeks... it should be getting easier now. Although your weight loss may slow, don't get discouraged. Even if you lose just 5 pounds a month you'll be close to 200 next year :) Keep up the good work!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
How Do I Get Enough Potassium in My Diet?
I know that the RDA of potassium for an adult is 3,500 mg. A banana has about 420 mg of potassium.
I eat about 6 bananas/day. How do I get the remaining? I am trying to keep my blood pressure in check. I am 140/90. Marcus
Dear Marcus,
Actually the recommendation for potassium is 4700 mg per day. But it can--and should--be reached by eating a variety of foods in the diet! There is no need to have more than one banana per day, and having many servings of one food are preventing you from getting nutrients that other foods provide.
Other great sources of potassium (that are common in most people's usual diet) are potatoes, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, milk, meat and fish. It is rare to see a potassium deficiency from a poor diet since it is abundant in so many food groups.
Here is more information about potassium in foods: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/pdfs/hhs_facts_sodium.pdf
And since you are watching your blood pressure, there is a great diet for keeping it lower (although this is a 64-page book!) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
I eat about 6 bananas/day. How do I get the remaining? I am trying to keep my blood pressure in check. I am 140/90. Marcus
Dear Marcus,
Actually the recommendation for potassium is 4700 mg per day. But it can--and should--be reached by eating a variety of foods in the diet! There is no need to have more than one banana per day, and having many servings of one food are preventing you from getting nutrients that other foods provide.
Other great sources of potassium (that are common in most people's usual diet) are potatoes, sweet potatoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, milk, meat and fish. It is rare to see a potassium deficiency from a poor diet since it is abundant in so many food groups.
Here is more information about potassium in foods: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/food/pdfs/hhs_facts_sodium.pdf
And since you are watching your blood pressure, there is a great diet for keeping it lower (although this is a 64-page book!) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf
Monday, January 25, 2010
Is There a Diet to Lower My Triglycerides?
My doctor just advised me my triglyceride levels are elevated, although not bad enough yet to warrant medince. I have been taking fish oil for a while now. Are there any particular foods that I should be eating or avoiding to lower them? Joy
Dear Joy,
Triglycerides are the intermediate product of carbohydrate and sugar absorption. When you eat pasta, bread, sweets, and other carbohydrate foods these yield calories. As your body decides what to do with these calories--use them for energy, or store them as fat for later use--they travel through the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides. This means that if you get your blood tested without fasting the levels will be higher because they are still circulating after a meal. So when your doctor says "don't eat breakfast before your blood test" it is because the test results will be significantly affected.
People who are overweight tend to have higher circulating levels of triglycerides, so weight loss will help.
I would never suggest avoiding carbohydrate foods, but certainly limiting them to a reasonable two or three servings per meal. Piles of pasta, donuts and other pastries, sugary beverages and even large amounts of fruit juice can keep triglyceride levels high (above 140 mg/dL). Limit sweets and alcohol, and focus on whole grains which can slow sugar absorption.
Fish oils are also proven to help. Eating fish is the best way! Taking more than 1000 mg (usually found in one fish oil pill) should not be done without a physician's consultation. High levels of fish oil can affect blood clotting and lead to stroke.
Dear Joy,
Triglycerides are the intermediate product of carbohydrate and sugar absorption. When you eat pasta, bread, sweets, and other carbohydrate foods these yield calories. As your body decides what to do with these calories--use them for energy, or store them as fat for later use--they travel through the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides. This means that if you get your blood tested without fasting the levels will be higher because they are still circulating after a meal. So when your doctor says "don't eat breakfast before your blood test" it is because the test results will be significantly affected.
People who are overweight tend to have higher circulating levels of triglycerides, so weight loss will help.
I would never suggest avoiding carbohydrate foods, but certainly limiting them to a reasonable two or three servings per meal. Piles of pasta, donuts and other pastries, sugary beverages and even large amounts of fruit juice can keep triglyceride levels high (above 140 mg/dL). Limit sweets and alcohol, and focus on whole grains which can slow sugar absorption.
Fish oils are also proven to help. Eating fish is the best way! Taking more than 1000 mg (usually found in one fish oil pill) should not be done without a physician's consultation. High levels of fish oil can affect blood clotting and lead to stroke.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
How Quickly Can I Lose 80 Pounds?
I basically just started to eat just fruits and vegetables and whole wheat bread lately. My goal is to lose 80 lbs. And for my work out I dance all the time to get in a good workout. I read that Michael Jackson lost like 7 lbs. a night from all the dancing he did because he was a strict vegetarian. What do you think about my diet and exercise routine? Will I reach my goal of losing 80 lbs.? And how long will it take for me to lose this weight? Kenneth
Dear Kenneth,
Losing 80 pounds is an admirable goal. It's great you've found an exercise you love to do, and that you are motivated to eat healthier.
Don't be mislead by reading fantastic stories of weight loss: No one can lose seven pounds in one day unless it is water loss from perspiration (which should be replaced as quickly as possible). And there are many vegetarians who are not only overweight, but unhealthy.
Realistically you can expect to lose one pound per week for doing an hour of heavy exercise every day. Another pound or two per week can be lost by cutting out hundreds of calories of extra food intake. A maximum safe weight loss of three pounds per week means 10-12 pounds per month. For an 80 pound loss you are looking at 8 to 10 months. Reasonably.
My concern is that you are eliminating healthy foods in your effort to concentrate on weight loss alone. You have no good source of protein in your diet, for instance. If you want to eat a healthy vegetarian diet you can include beans, nuts, whole grain pastas, rice and cereals, for instance. Here is a link for a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet.
So, keep up the exercise, balance a healthy diet with fewer high-calorie foods and more nutrient-dense foods, and enjoy the weight loss as it comes off at a safe rate of 10 pounds per month. Don't be in a hurry. If you do it right you will be exactly where you want to be in the fall and you'll never have to diet again!
Dear Kenneth,
Losing 80 pounds is an admirable goal. It's great you've found an exercise you love to do, and that you are motivated to eat healthier.
Don't be mislead by reading fantastic stories of weight loss: No one can lose seven pounds in one day unless it is water loss from perspiration (which should be replaced as quickly as possible). And there are many vegetarians who are not only overweight, but unhealthy.
Realistically you can expect to lose one pound per week for doing an hour of heavy exercise every day. Another pound or two per week can be lost by cutting out hundreds of calories of extra food intake. A maximum safe weight loss of three pounds per week means 10-12 pounds per month. For an 80 pound loss you are looking at 8 to 10 months. Reasonably.
My concern is that you are eliminating healthy foods in your effort to concentrate on weight loss alone. You have no good source of protein in your diet, for instance. If you want to eat a healthy vegetarian diet you can include beans, nuts, whole grain pastas, rice and cereals, for instance. Here is a link for a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet.
So, keep up the exercise, balance a healthy diet with fewer high-calorie foods and more nutrient-dense foods, and enjoy the weight loss as it comes off at a safe rate of 10 pounds per month. Don't be in a hurry. If you do it right you will be exactly where you want to be in the fall and you'll never have to diet again!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Are There Certain Foods to Help Control Blood Pressure?
I've heard that some foods, like bananas, help lower elevated blood pressure? What can you tell me about this and other foods? Anna L.
Dear Anna,
There is actually an entire diet plan to help lower blood pressure and you can view the entire 64 page booklet printed by the National Institute of Health here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf . It's called the DASH diet and stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
The focus is to reduce sodium (salt) intake and to eat more foods that provide potassium (like bananas and many other fruits and vegetables) and calcium. This mineral ratio has been proven over decades to help lower high blood pressure.
Dear Anna,
There is actually an entire diet plan to help lower blood pressure and you can view the entire 64 page booklet printed by the National Institute of Health here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf . It's called the DASH diet and stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
The focus is to reduce sodium (salt) intake and to eat more foods that provide potassium (like bananas and many other fruits and vegetables) and calcium. This mineral ratio has been proven over decades to help lower high blood pressure.
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