Losing Weight on a Budget

Is the high cost of food getting you down? Do you think trimming your food budget means an expanding waistline?

We are all aware of the bad news that ALL food prices continue to rise. This is especially true for fruits and vegetables - the basics of lower calorie eating.

Here are some of my favorite ways to stay on track with your diet without breaking the bank:

1. Drink tap water: No bottled water, or other low-calorie drinks. Good for your wallet and the environment.


2. Shop seasonally and locally: If it's local, and in-season, the shipping costs are largely reduced, with the savings passed on to you.


3. Look for frozen foods (fruits, veggies, poultry, fish) (without any added sauces): the same nutritional quality as fresh.


4. Buy store brands (private labels): These are often produced by the "name brand" companies.


5. Be flexible with "in-store" specials: Planning a fish dinner, but chicken breasts are a great buy? Change your menu!


6. Purchase foods in bulk from the "Big Box" stores like Sam's Club and Costco. Go in with a friend or two, to save money and reduce spoilage. You might not need 18 pears, but 6 or 9 would be perfect.

One BIG money waster: Driving from store to store for all the "best" bargains. You'll spend extra gas money, for small savings, and lose the frequent shopper advantages. Pick one major market, and become a mindful shopper there. Plus, when you get a "store card', you'll get coupons for frequently purchased foods, and other money-saving perks for your loyalty.

What are some of your money-saving diet tips?

Are You "Caffeine Sensitive"?

A report from England's Daily Mail came across my desk recently:

A 40-year-old man, a daily user of an energy drink, consuming 320 mg daily, collapsed at the end of his work shift in a supermarket.

Is this a high dose of caffeine? No, not for the average person, where in the US, the recommended daily intake is around 300 mg per day. This is about 2-3 cups of coffee or about 6 cups of tea. "Energy" drinks vary in their caffeine content - from about 80 mg per serving to about 300 mg in a serving.

It turns out, after an autopsy, that he had an enlarged heart. The pathologist on the case suggested that his higher-than-average caffeine consumption might have contributed to his heart attack, although for the vast majority of people this amount of caffeine is readily tolerable. While it's hard to say whether his caffeine consumption was a direct contributor to his cardiac problems, it's a good time, I think, to point out, that it's important to know your own sensitivities to even "natural" stimulants.

I've written before about the "pros and cons" , and "myths and facts" related to caffeine. Among the major buzzwords for those choosing to consume caffeine is that of the "caffeine sensitive" person. What does that mean, and does it really make any difference?

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and produces the familiar and desired effects of a stimulant - improved mental focus, arousal, and alertness, for example. The related biological effects also occur as part of this arousal mechanism - increased heart rate and increase in blood pressure. Here's where the caffeine sensitive part comes in. If you have a biological sensitivity to these effects, it's possible your body can "over-respond" to the metabolic signals from caffeine, and cause some potential health damage.

If you're a caffeine consumer, pay attention to how much caffeine you consume in a day. Watch out for terms like "turbo" or "super-caffeinated", and read the label on those energy drinks, to determine how much you're consuming at one time.

While caffeine is one of nature's stimulants, with many positives, now that caffeine is put in every product from cold remedies to diet pills, to energy boosters, it can often be too much of a good thing. How much caffeine do you consume?

What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Calorie Counts for Fast Food - A Good Idea?

There's been a lot of buzz about the importance of having "in your face" calorie counts for fast foods. I'm wondering if seeing a calorie label posted by the food - in the same size font as the price - will be a factor in consumer choice. I'd like to think so, but I'm not so sure. Would it be a factor in your decision?

While I strongly believe in consumer education, there doesn't seem to be any convincing scientific evidence that this kind of labeling will be a deterrent to high-calorie choices. However, research doesn't always readily translate into real world food choices.

There is the common sense factor. I think seeing 540 calories listed beside a Big Mac might make people think twice. Or, an 8-piece bucket of KFC chicken (original recipe) with 1700 calories might help you re-do the math of how many people that bucket should feed.

Would knowing a giant soda contains nearly 1000 calories steer you to a diet soda, or just to a smaller regular soda?

It gets more complicated when you look at items like Taco Salads - a great choice without the edible fried bowl, but a caloric overload when the bowl is included. Or, how about added condiments? Sometimes simply deleting the mayo or special sauce is enough improvement.

When it comes to fast food choices (whether you've chosen to go there, or dragged along!), my recommendation to my patients is one I follow myself: stick with a kid's meal. Real food in small portions. With a water or diet drink, you're consuming around 500 calories, no matter which kind of restaurant you're in.

A lot of food for thought here... there are no easy answers. Let me know what you're thinking and take this survey!

Weight Loss Battle of the Sexes

When it comes to weight loss, it often seems like men and women are from different planets. That’s the topic of my Today Show segment. Does gender really make a difference in your ability to lose weight and keep it off? Read on, as I answer some questions I’m often asked. The answers are both biological and behavioral – not a surprise when it comes to Mother Nature. Do you have others? Let me know what you’re thinking!

Watch the segment from TODAY Is it easier for men to lose weight than women?
It often can be. Men have more testosterone, which does two things: (1)supports greater muscle mass (so resting metabolism is usually higher); and (2) promotes more muscle mass with exercise – both which burn greater numbers of calories.

Plus, women have a biological “yo-yo” – childbearing, where excursions of weight are normal, and it’s often a struggle to get exactly back to the same pre-pregnancy weight. Monthly changes in hormonal status (up to and including menopause) also can stimulate appetite.

Do men and women accumulate different kinds of fat?
The fat is the same, but it’s distributed differently. Men typically have “belly” fat – around the middle, and women tend to have lower body fat, around the hips, thighs, and buttocks.

Is one kind of fat harder to lose than another?
Belly fat, most common in men, actually is targeted first during exercise. So, if you’re an exerciser, the biggest changes first seen will be in abdominal fat. The lower body fat is often deposited during the child-bearing years – where it is meant to be used when the baby is born to nourish (via breastfeeding). There are female hormones that target this fat at that time.

Do men and women eat differently for comfort?
In general, women are greater consumers of fruits and vegetables than men. When it comes to comfort, women seek out sweet/fat foods – think ice cream, baked goods, candy and chocolate, while men tend to look for savory and salty/fat foods – think pizza and cheeseburgers.

What about keeping weight off?
Weight maintenance is the great equalizer! Both women and men struggle with long term weight maintenance. Both sexes are “yo-yo” dieters. It appears that the same strategies for long term weight changes are the same for both men and women. One thing for sure, no matter how it comes off, we all need social support as a key strategy to keep it off!!

What do you think about this?

Small Changes DO Lead to Weight Loss!

I've been checking out the recent iVillage challenge about small changes that can make a big difference in your weight loss effort. We all have to fight the urge to do "all or nothing" when it comes to losing weight.

What I LOVE about the iVillage community is the interest and support that keeps people connected. A must-have when it comes to weight management. Here are some of the top changes YOU have found helpful, and I'd like to "weigh in" on those! Let me know more of what you're doing!

CHOOSE LOW-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS.
Switching from full fat to reduced/low fat products can save hundreds of calories each day, without much of a change in taste. It's not necessary to select fat free dairy - many people don't like the taste or texture of the foods. When it comes to dairy foods, it's not all or nothing - think low fat milk, cheese, and yogurt!

BUY PRE-CUT FRUITS/VEGGIES/SALADS
A BIG reason many of us don't get enough fruits and veggies is lack of convenience. While a little more expensive, it's often worth the convenience to pull out some carrot sticks from the fridge, or some cut-up melon. A bagged salad is ready-to-use, with a little waste and a lot of variety.

SELECT WHOLE GRAINS
The extra fiber in whole grains - from rice to pasta to breads and cereals - helps to keep you more content and full on a smaller serving (and a major calorie saver!). Look for a combo of fiber rich/low calorie products - like the 100 calorie english muffins with 8 grams of fiber (that's a third of your daily requirement!). Aim for 25 grams of fiber a day.

SIT DOWN WHEN YOU EAT
Walking around, and doing other things when you eat is a major cause of mindless overeating. When you make it a point to sit down - even when you're not at home in your kitchen - before you eat, you're more aware of what you're eating, and will often stop and think before you eat.

READ FOOD LABELS
While it seems the package labels are like reading an encyclopedia, there's a two-step process that will help you save hundreds of calories:

• Step 1: check out the calories per serving.


• Step 2: check out the serving size. Don't be fooled by something that looks like it's a serving for one; it's often 2-4 servings so the "calories per serving" can appear low!

There are dozens of other great ideas. Check out the message board for more!