Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Aug 06, 2010 @ 07:36 PM
Happy Friday, fighters! I hope everyone is having a great week! I came across the below article from Fitness Magazine, and I had to share. So many times, I hear my clients say things like "Maybe I'm gaining weight because I eat after 9" or "I think my metabolism is too slow to lose weight." Before you continue making those assumptions (or "excuses" as I like to call them), take this little quiz. Below are the 7 Deadly Diet Sins that could be halting your weight loss. If you find even ONE of these "sins" a regular occurance in your life, try putting it to rest this week. The reward will be heavenly when you do!
1. Bad breakfast. It’s old news that skipping breakfast is bad for your metabolism. But eating an unhealthy breakfast is nearly just as bad. A sugary doughnut or a fatty muffin sets the nutritional tone for your day. Instead, get a more filling breakfast with plenty of protein and healthy carbs.
2. Eating too little during the day–and overeating at night. If you deprive yourself of too many calories during the day, not only will you be cranky at night, you’ll also be more likely to overeat. Instead, eat several small meals throughout the day.
3. Using big plates. So many of the dishes we have in our homes do not represent appropriate portions, from giant mugs and wine glasses to dinner plates. Try measuring food out first or buy smaller plates and bowls. Studies have shown that people who use bigger plates are more likely to overeat.
4. Weekend splurges. It’s okay to treat yourself once in awhile, in fact it can help you stay on track in the long run, but that treat shouldn’t last from Friday afternoon to Sunday night.
5. Eating in front of the TV. Marketers spend millions of dollars researching what images will make your mouth water, so it’s no wonder that it’s easy to overindulge while watching your favorite show. Plus, if your attention is elsewhere, you’re less likely to pay attention to portion size.
6. Eating on the run. When you sit down to a enjoy a meal, you’re more likely to pay attention to the signals your body is sending and finish feeling satisfied. If you eat while you drive, you’re more likely to feel hungry every time you get behind the wheel.
7. Starting a diet by eating too little. Even if you have big weight-loss goals, don’t begin your diet with too aggressive a calorie cut. Not only will it slow your metabolism, it will make you more likely to feel deprived at quit the diet. It’s also healthier to loose weight slowly over time.
-Fitness Magazine
This week, I am going to work on eating my meals at the table, not in front of the TV. What are you going to work on?
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 04:47 PM
Happy Friday Fighters! I hope you had a great week!
This week, Full Life stumbled up this amazing little chart depicting exactly how much the average American eats in a year. Wow! The average American consumes 85lbs of Fat each year. And, check out the bottom of the chart: 24lbs of icecream? 23lbs of pizza! It really makes you think about how these little things add up and why the average American gains about 2lbs a year(American Chronicle). Not to mention, if the average American is eating 2700 calories a day, not even an intense workout of 600 calories burned is enough to make that a healthy day. My only question is, I wonder how other countries add up?
How does your diet compare to this chart? What are your thoughts?
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Thu, Jun 24, 2010 @ 10:41 PM
Happy Friday Fighters! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer!
As I was teaching my weight loss class this week, I asked the class things they saw in their environments that supported weight gain. Of course, I got some pretty helfty answers, including huge portion sizes, bad airport food, and the like. But, one of the most startling was when my client, Susan O. mentioned a TV show about a couple looking for a new home. The couple was looking at a home built in the 1940's. When they moved in, their plates didn't fit in the kitchen cupboards. Why? Because plate sizes have DOUBLED since then. Hence, so have portion sizes.
So, just in time for the Friday Fight, I thought it would be interesting to google "plate size increase," and I found a startling article from USA today . Not only have portions sizes actually increased by 69%, our "idea" of a normal size plate has increased as well. The proof? Plate sizes have increased in artwork of the oldest dinner in history..the last supper.
"Two researchers analyzed the food and plate sizes in 52 of the most famous paintings of The Last Supper and found that the portion sizes in the paintings have increased dramatically over the past millennium, from years 1000 to 2000
Using a computer program, they compared the size of loaves of bread, main dishes and plates to the size of the heads of the disciples and Jesus in the artwork, including Leonardo da Vinci's famous depiction of the event.
Findings published in April's International Journal of Obesity: Over that 1,000-year period, the main course size increased by 69%, plate size 66% and loaves of bread 23%. The biggest increases in size came after 1500.
Now, I'm not about to get religous. You can believe whatever you want. However, this isn't about religion, it's about a shift in cultural norms. And today's artists are painting what they think is the norm. HUGE plates, HUGE portions. It really tells us something about our society's views on food.
This really gives us something to think about. Next time you are at a restaurant, ask yourself what you would do if they gave you half of that plate... Would it be your last supper there? (yup, I couldn't resist a pun!) Would you think you weren't getting your dollars worth or it wasn't enough to eat? If so, retrain your brain, because half the plate is probably a healthy portion!
Check out the plate size increase in the artwork here:
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Jun 11, 2010 @ 01:03 PM
Happy Friday, Fighters! I hope everyone had a wonderful week! My apologies for taking last Friday off from the blogging world, as I was attending the Perform Better Summit for Fitness Professionals in Providence, Rhode Island. More to come on that later!
But this week, as I was training one of my clients at the gym, we were discussing how our country needs to learn to cook in order fight obesity. Currently people are turning to quick, easy options for their families, like frozen pizzas, fast food, etc. A perfect example of this is when Jaimie Oliver raided a family fridge, only to find 50 frozen pizzas. But cooking healthfully is truly a skill and just like any skill - it must first be learned and then practiced, right? I guess it's time to roll up our sleeves and get back in the kitchen.
That's what Dr Eisenberg, head of the complementary and integrative medicine division, at Harvard Medical School thinks, too. His mission is to get America cooking again. And he wants the physicians to be the ones to teach their patients the rules of healthy eating. Dr Eisenberg said this:
"We need to first teach the teachers... A physician's own behavior is one of the strongest predictors of how they'll counsel their patients."
Dr Eisenberg helps lead culinary conferences, to give doctors the knowledge and skills they need to inspire their patients to start cooking. He believes this is one of best strategies to battle obesity and chronic medical conditions in America.
Seriously, how cool would it be to get a Rx from your doctor that said Make this Recipe and call me in the morning?
Registered Dietician, Robyn Webb agrees:
"It's not enough to tell people to eat 20 grams of this or that," she said. "They need to be able to translate that into food choices and learn how to do it."
I think this is a great idea..finally someone grabbing the reigns and saying "Just knowing WHAT to do is not enough, we need to teach families HOW to do it". This is how we have always worked at Full Life, but it is wonderful to finally see clinicians saying "Hey, we need to learn this stuff and then teach it!".
My only concern is, do physicians have the time and will this catch on? I hope so.
How do you weigh in? Should it be part of their role as clinicians? Can they prescribe exercise too? How would you feel if your doctor had you cooking? Leave us a comment and tell us what you think!
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Apr 30, 2010 @ 05:55 PM
Happy Friday, Fighters. I hope you all had a healthy and happy week!
Those of you who read the Friday Fight know I am constantly posting crazy (and sadly, real) examples of how our environment continues to be a difficult place to manage our weight. Fast food restaurants are supersizing their already supersized menu items, foods are becoming increasingly higher in calorie, and marketers love to lure us with sneaky tactics to treat food as a reward.
That's why the staff at Full Life was thrilled to see the first bill passed to ban Happy Meals in the County of Santa Clara, California! The way we see it (along with those who proposed the bill), is that the toy serves as the prime motivation for kids to pack in over 550 calories, and 25 grams of fat. A pure marketing tool that has been a major contributing factor in a country wide childhood obesity epidemic.
"This ordinance prevents restaurants from preying on children's' love of toys" to sell high-calorie, unhealthful food, said Supervisor Ken Yeager, who sponsored the measure. "This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes."
We coudn't agree more. Quite honestly, we were just stunned at the amount of people who opposed it, stating it is not the fast food chain's fault, but moreso the choice of the parents. Yes, we also believe it is the parents responsibilty to help their children eat good foods. But the fact is, if it is there, we'll eat it. Why not make sure it's not there, take that choice out completely and fill the space with something good? My final thought: If we are going to change how we eat, it has to start somewhere. Way to go Santa Clara!
For more info, check out the video here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/where-happy-meals-are-illegal-19362009
We want to hear your thoughts. How does your opinion stack up?
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Apr 23, 2010 @ 09:07 AM
Happy Friday, fighters! I hope everyone has had an amazing week. As many of you know, I ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, so I spent most of the week recovering! Wow, do I love the Boston Marathon. Whether you run it or simply watch it, it is truly a moving experience. That's why today, I decided to give you a bit of inspiration in the Friday Fight.
For anyone looking for inspiration to exercise, go out and watch a local race. There are so many people of different shapes, sizes, ages, and bodies. And they're all running for a reason - maybe they're running in memory of a family member or friend...maybe they're running to relieve stress. Maybe they're running because they don't know what it would be like not to. You don't have to be an advandced runner to appreciate a good race. Because the beauty of running is that you can go at your own pace and find inspiration from anyone, at any level. One of my favorite shirts I saw during the race was one that read "There is a stronger you inside."
With that in mind, I have to share the "Why I Run" section on Boston.com. This is a forum where ANYONE can post their stories and favorite reasons to run. It truly brought tears to my eyes. Here's just one of the posts:
"Running is my unicorn pursuit. Doing it makes me feel I can accomplish the impossible. It satisfies my yearning for adventure, my insatiable sense of inquiry, and my desire to experience the world in ways inimitable. Running gives me epiphanic moments of clarity otherwise unreachable, and it makes me a fantastic wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Running will alleviate the world's ills, and, in the process, make all of us better, stronger, fitter, faster people. There's nothing quite like it."
Want more inspiration? Check out more stories here: http://www.boston.com/newsprojects/whyirun/#/story-214
What inspires you?
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 @ 08:42 AM
Good morning, fighters, and happy Friday! Earlier in the week, we heard Michelle Obama speak about the new Let's Move Campaign, to fight against and prevent childhood obesity. Today, a third of our country's children are overweight or obese. Another alarming fact? People who are overweight or obese spend and EXTRA $1400/year on medical bills. As the first lady spoke, she mentioned that although weight is a sensitive issue among our children, it's not about size or the scale, it's about helping our children FEEL healthy and strong.
That's why it kills me to see restaurants popping up like the Heart Attack Grill, a real place in Chandler, Arizona that boasts foods like the Quadruple Bypass Burger. We blogged about this place before, watch the video here, where the owner admits, "Hey this is bad for you, and it's gonna kill you."
But NOW, the grill's newest special? People over 350lbs eat FREE. WHAT?! What kind of reward is this? Perhaps the Heart Attack Grill is thinking of saving you a few dollars to put towards your $1400 medical bill at the end of the year.
How can we continue to teach our children healthy behaviors when our country continues to reward obesity? As we go into the weekend, fighters, I encourage you to be healthy role models for your children. Have fun with fruits and vegetables. Get up and move. Reward them with extra activites like playtime, not food. Because if you don't, who will?
And, as the Let's Move campaign unfolds, remember the motto for your own family's activities this weekend.."Let's Move!"
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Feb 05, 2010 @ 12:21 PM
Happy Friday Fighters! I hope all of you are wearing your red today! Today is National Wear Red Day, to raise awareness about the #1 killer in women- heart disease. Here's a quote from the American Heart Association about heart health and heart disease prevention:
The more thoughtfully you protect your heart, starting as early as your 20s, the less likely you'll face the life-threatening challenges posed by cardiovascular disease. No matter what your age or where you feel you are in your life, the best time to take action and get healthy is always right now.
From jogging with your friends, to swapping healthy recipes, to keeping up with loved ones and learning your family history, your heart health depends on a life-long commitment. As always, the first way for you, as a woman, to Go Red is to take good care of yourself every day. Because when you do, your life can be as beautiful as you are yourself.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves..
Check out this site for details: http://www.goredforwomen.org/national_wear_red_day.aspx
So fighters, if you have not broken out your favorite red sweater or tshirt..it's not too late. Do it and inspire others to raise awareness for heart health too! And yes, red just happens to be my color =)
Have a heart healthy weekend!
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Jan 29, 2010 @ 10:26 AM
They say everything's bigger, brighter and bolder in Vegas. Maybe that's why Vegas ranks as one of the Top 50
UNhealthiest cities in the country. Check out this Turkey Brisket Sammich, submitted by a Full Life fighter himself while in Vegas. How does one even eat this? Anyone want to make a bet on the calorie count?
As a reminder fighters, I don't post these outrageous meals to tempt or frustrate you. I post them to congratulate you for living a HEALTHIER lifestyle..to acknowledge that this is the kind of culture and behavior you fight against every day. So go ahead, applaud yourself for choosing your health over the norm. Remember, being healthy isn't about good luck (especially not here in Vegas!) or good genes...it's about making good choices and being good to your body! Now that's something I'm willing to bet on.
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 @ 05:21 PM
Happy Friday, Fighters! I hope everyone had a healthy and happy week.
Today's blog topic kills me. The Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet. (I'm sure all of you have seen the commercials playing on every channel since January 1st. For a refresher, check it out below.
The ad features a spokesperson, Christine, who says she has lost over 54 pounds on the Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet. First and foremost, since when do the words "Taco Bell" and "Diet" ever go hand and hand? And secondly, if this is anything like the Subway Jerad promotion from years past, Christine is definitely going to gain her weight back. (Anyone seen Jared lately? He's definitely struggled, and it is no suprise. No one can eat the same meal everyday without finally being ravenous enough to chose a philly cheesesteak sub the next time he walks in). Thirdly, Taco Bell is catching a lot of heat in the marketing world from the ad for "false advertising" a full blown healthy diet plan. In fact, the Drive Thru Diet is simply seven new healthier options on the Taco Bell menu, and Christine simply cut her calories and did more exercise.
I have to agree with online blogger Jezebel, who put it this way: "It's not surprising that companies are pushing their products hard during New Year's resolution season, but you know things have gotten a little out of control when even Taco Bell hops on the ol' weight loss bandwagon."
My advice? We all want fast results, but it will never come from fast food! It's the hard work that makes it great!