Why is Dinner Fattening?

Almost everyone looks back with warmth at memories of some family dinner.  Dinners are ideally associated with relaxation, laughter and talk.

The process of laughing and talking over food should technically stretch the meal, giving our brain ample time to send satiety signals.  Again, ideally, this should mean saved calories and leaner bodies over time.

The reality, however, is different.  In today’s hurried worlds, we rush home from work to errands, events or even kids homework.  The calories start building up way before they are consumed.  The hurried mindset usually means cutting corners in dinner preparation.

We add fats or fatty meats to add flavor, processed foods to cut cooking times, and heavy starches as comfort food.  We may even have skipped meals during the day, and get so hungry that we munch on a snack while waiting for dinner to get to the table.  By the time dinner is served, the average meal has doubled or tripled in calories.

As a society, we are also consuming dinner later in the evenings, which means we are not giving our bodies enough time to digest and assimilate the meal.  That adds to an automatic increase in fatty stores.  Welcome to the land of pear-shaped people!

So what can you do to prevent dinner from destroying your weight loss or weight maintenance plan?

Here are three tips:

1. Switch meals -  Making breakfast the biggest meal of the day not only gets your diet plan off to the right start, but a balanced breakfast also helps fight disease and reduce cravings through the remainder of the day.  It gives you the energy to keep going through the day (with a balanced lunch, of course).
2. Plan Ahead – This means taking the time to plan out menus for the week to ensure you don’t have to cut corners and add high-calorie substitutes later.
3. Enjoy with Company – Research shows that having a balanced dinner with friends or family on a daily basis prevents obesity as individuals tend to exercise more restraint on eating patterns socially than when eating by themselves.  Conversation around the table also means there is more time for your brain to signal, “I’m Full”.

These tips are all part of the Fat Loss Factor Nutrition program. 

 For more information on this amazing fat loss system click Here.

 Have an Amazing Day!!

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Stress, Comfort Foods and Weight Gain

What do you associate comfort foods with?  When do we need these ‘comfort foods’?  The answers to these questions bring forth the direct connection between stress, comfort foods and weight gain.

Most comfort foods are high carbohydrate, high fat, or both.  A bowl of macaroni and cheese or buttery mashed potatoes are just two examples of the variety of food we consider comfort food.  We are most likely to reach for these foods when we are under stress and need re-assurance at some level.  For a lot of us, comfort foods tend to provide that reassurance – the same feeling you probably got as a child eating those foods that all will be okay.

Not only do we eat more under stress, we also tend to consume alcohol more often.  That means we are not only adding in the calories from feel-good food items, we are also adding in a large number of empty calories from stress-induced drinking.  All the extra calories mean a lot of extra workouts to burn them off, or more than likely, weight gain over a period of time.

Studies have shown that women in particular are more at risk for eating and drinking in direct response to stress.  The primary cause for over-eating that women have stated in various studies is a lack of emotional support.  That makes it imperative for those of us trying to lose weight to build a support network that we can rely on during periods of stress.  It may mean reaching out to them for help, just blowing off steam, or socializing with supportive friends so we are not focusing on tough issues alone.  Being with company also means we are less likely to consume a box of chocolate, or a couple of bottles of wine.  Imagine the number of calories and weight gain you save yourself every time you do not eat an extra piece of chocolate or an extra serving of food?

What all of us can do is just to be more aware and conscious of how we react to stress.  This awareness in itself will help guide actions and help us make choices that don’t have to automatically mean weight gain.  It also means that we can and should stop using stress as an excuse to explain any weight gain.
These tips are all part of the Fat Loss Factor Nutrition program.
 For more information on this amazing fat loss system click Here.

Give it a try and see what happens :)

Have an Amazing Day!!

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4 Reasons Why You Can’t Burn Fat Fast

As you get older your metabolic rate generally goes into decline and you require a reduced number of daily calories. This decreases your ability to burn fat fast. If you are affected by a slowing metabolism, you need to take preventative measures or you will gain weight. You will need to take a number of preventative measures to stop your metabolism declining and some measures to boost your metabolic rate.

It is important to identify some major causes of a slow metabolism so you know what to avoid, and what to take action on:

ALCOHOL – Alcoholic drinks are full of sugar and calories.  They can also lead to dehydration which reduces the effectiveness of your metabolism.  An occasional alcoholic drink is OK but binge drinking and/or drinking every day can lead to a reduced metabolism.

BIG MEALS – Larger meals contain more calories than smaller meals.  Therefore, there is an increased likelihood that additional calories will be stored as fat.  To maximize your metabolism you have to break these large meals down into smaller meals that you eat more frequently.

SUGARY FOODS – Sugary foods have a low nutritional value, are high in calories and digest easily.  This means that less calories are burned in the digestion process and more calories are stored as fat.  The occasional sugary treat is OK but your overall diet needs to contain limited levels of sugary foods.  Look at your diet as a whole and try to substitute the unhealthy foods for healthier ones.  Healthier foods generally have a higher nutritional value and are harder to digest, meaning more calories are burned during the digestion process.  This has a positive effect on your metabolic rate.

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE – Remaining active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle will help to stop your metabolism from slowing down.  Taking your exercise more seriously can help increase your metabolic rate.  If you participate in regular cardiovascular exercise and regular weight training exercise, you will be on your way to maximizing your metabolism.

 These tips are all part of the Fat Loss Factor Nutrition program.
 For more information on this amazing fat loss system click Here.

Have an Amazing Day!!!

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Desk Job Jitters: Easy Ways To Avoid Over-Snacking

Work is a dangerous environment for your waist line. It is really easy to over eat and over snack because you aren't moving around that much, your job is typically repetitive work and you sit all day. Sound familiar? I bet at least part of that statement applies to you.
If it does, then these tips will give you some alternative snacks and some ways to keep you from over snacking.
1. First and foremost, always plan ahead and bring your own snacks. With a little pre-planning you can take the guess work out of snacking and pick the most filling choices.
2. Eat a large healthy breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You require the most energy in the morning, so eat more food. You have all day to burn it off! NEVER skip breakfast! You set yourself up for failure automatically.
3. Leave your loose change at home and only carry big bills. This will keep you away from the horribly unhealthy vending
4. Stay consistent with your eating... eat 5-6 smaller meals a day. Trust me, once you start on this, you will never leave. Eating 6 small meals/snacks a day will boost your metabolism, keep your hunger under control and keep your energy levels high.
5. Keep a glass of water next to your desk. Drink it frequently. Hunger signals get mixed up with thirst signals. When you feel hungry, take a few big gulps of your water.
6. Keep hard peppermint candies in your desk- peppermint stimulates energy and soothes digestion. Make sure you suck on it and don't bite it!
7. Chew mint gum. Same principle as above. Keeps your mouth "occupied".
8. Try to stay as active as possible. You definitely don't want to be thinking about food all day!
9. Keep your stress levels under control... when in doubt, take a couple minutes, shut your eyes and breathe!
10. Don't give in to peer pressure. Believe it or not, when you stop eating junk food, everybody and their brother will start tempting you and trying to get you to break down. This is because they are feeling guilty because you have the will power to stop and they don't.
11. Drink healthy teas such as green tea, yerba mate, oolong teas, etc. These contain anti-oxidants and other nutrients designed to help you in your weight loss journey.

What are some great alternative snacks?

1. Apple slices and Almond Butter... yes I said almond butter. It's much healthier for you than peanut butter. It can also be found everywhere.
2. Celery and Almond Butter (Natural peanut butter, only if you can't find almond butter)
3. Raw veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, green peppers, carrots, snap peas, and hummus to dip them in.
4. Small handful of raw almonds, walnuts, pistachios
5. Healthy beef jerky or turkey jerky
6. A protein and fiber mixed drink... (1 scoop of whey protein, 1 scoop of fiber powder mixed in water and ice if you have a blender)
7. Any raw fruit or vegetable combined with a small handful of nuts.
8. Healthy, protein bars... be very careful with these because the majority are not healthy at all. Make sure that you know how to read ingredient labels.
Your goal for a snack is to balance your carb, protein and fat ratios so that it keeps your blood sugar hormones at bay. You want to avoid the blood sugar crash. Which sucks the energy right out of your body.
Like I mentioned earlier, the key to stop over-snacking at work is proper planning. Add these tips to your lifestyle and see what happens!

These tips are all part of the Fat Loss Factor Nutrition program.

 For more information on this amazing fat loss system click Here. 

Have an Amazing Day!!

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