Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Sep 03, 2010 @ 07:14 AM
Good morning, Fighters! Happy Friday!
When the Full Life staff came upon the below article from Men's Health, "The Scariest New Restaurant Foods", we knew this would be one for the Friday Fight. It seems that everyday, restaurants are competing for our attention with the biggest and "best" new offerings, and they're doing it the most destructive way: by making meals even fatter and even more fried. The bread on KFC's fried chicken sandwich is being replaced by more fried chicken. Burgers are being served on donuts instead of buns. Sound Crazy? Check out more examples from the article below:
Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt with wavy fries and marinara
1,260 calories
63 g fat (21 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3,010 mg sodium
CALORIE EQUIVALENT: 18 T.G.I. Friday’s Frozen Cheddar & Bacon Potato Skins. Apparently, Denny’s deemed the classic grilled cheese too boring for our novelty seeking taste buds, so they fixed it by driving four deep-fried cheese sticks into the core of the sandwich.
IHOP New York Cheesecake Pancakes
1,270 calories
CALORIE EQUIVALENT: 28 McDonald's Chicken McNuggets
Further blurring the line between dessert and breakfast, IHOP has infused their fluffy flapjacks with gooey hunks of cheesecake. Next thing you know they’ll be serving breakfast with big scoops of ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Friendly’s Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt1,500 calories97 g fat (38 g saturated)2,090 mg sodiumCALORIE EQUIVALENT: 15 Snickers Kudos Granola Bars. Is this a joke? Because it should be. Where a normal hamburger has buns, this one has grilled cheese sandwiches
Full Life's thoughts? Don't buy in! If Americans stop taking an interest in these crazy calorie creations, marketers will stop making a point to WOW us with more fat. Let's take an interest in fruits and vegetables instead. Let's take an interest in physical activity. Wouldn't it be great if Fast Food restaurants were banished completely? Well, I might be living in a dream world on that one. But if you banish them from your life, that's one less person marketers can effect with calorie destructions!
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Sun, Aug 29, 2010 @ 07:16 PM
Hello Fighters, I hope you had a fabulous weekend!
I had to follow up on my previous post about what Americans are really eating with this crazy stat from Fitness Magazine: Statistics show that the average American consumes 56% more processed foods like candy and ice cream than fresh food like chicken, veggies, and nuts.
WOW - 56% more processed foods! That means, when given the decision, the average American will choose processed foods more than half of the time when deciding what to eat for a meal. Maybe it's because our environment is continuing to produce and support things like this: sandwiches in a can (or Candwich, as he calls them). Check it out here: http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-mark-kirkland-21318007
As you go into your week, fighters, think about this stat when you choose your breakfast, lunch or dinner: Ask yourself: which choice am I making? Overly processed foods that don't support weight management? Or fresh foods that keep you healthy and lean? I think you know which choice Full Life supports!
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 Fri, Jul 09, 2010 @ 05:13 AM
Happy Friday, Fighters. I hope you are enjoying your summer so far! If you are on the East Coast, the heat is unbearable, so be sure to drink a lot of water! (and if you're on the West Coast, you can still drink lots of water too, it's good for you!)
For today's fight, I came across one of the worst meals in America and I had to share it with you:
Wendy’s Triple Baconator Combo Meal with small fries and small coke
1,850 calories
106 g fat (43 g saturated, 4 g trans)
2,790 mg sodium
"Combo meals are a dangerous breed. The standard pairing at most fast-food joints is a burger with a side of fries. Oh, and that “free” beverage? Fill that cup with soda, even if it’s a small like this, and you’ve just tacked on as much sugar as you’d find in two-and-a-half Hershey’s bars. So here’s a better plan: Skip the combo meals altogether and order what you know will fill your belly up without filling it out. Then drink water—the world’s healthiest beverage—instead of soda. Chances are you’ll save more money, and in this case, you’ll also save more than 1,300 calories while still enjoying a delicious meal.: from Men's Health
FULL LIFE's TAKE ON THIS HEFTY HITTER ? Wowza. You could eat 3 HMR entrees, 5 HMR shakes and 8 cups of fruits and vegetables in one sitting for that amount of calories! And I guarantee you, you'd be much more full and far less guilty!
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, May 28, 2010 @ 02:25 PM
Hello, Fighters! Happy Friday! Finally, a long weekend with beautiful weather. I hope you all have something active planned!
With Memorial Day weekend ahead, many of my personal training clients have been talking about summer all week: summer drinks, summer BBQs, summer temptations. How can we still keep our weight off when the dog days of summer present us with so many high calorie treats? With awareness and good planning, of course! Don't let these sneaky summer treats sabotage your healthy diet! (Courtesty of WebMD' Most Fattening Foods of Summer Article)
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High Fat BBQ: BBQ can sabotage your waistline. A 20 ounce T-bone can weigh in at 1,540 calories and 124 g fat; an average cheeseburger has about 750 calories and 45 grams of fat; and pork or beef ribs? Instead: go lean with cuts like pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef.
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Frozen Concoctions: Sweet, fruity alcoholic drinks may go down easy, but the calories add up in a hurry. A piña colada can range from 245-490 calories, a daiquiri from 300-800 calories, and a Long Island iced tea can be 520 calories or more. Instead: try wine, a wine spritzer, or a mixed drink with seltzer and a splash of 100% fruit juice.
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Refreshing Treats: A cup of soft-serve ice cream can have 380 calories and 22 grams of fat. A Dairy Queen chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard contians 720 calories with 28 grams of fat! Instead: Look for frozen desserts like HMR shakes, sherbet, fudge bars, or fruit bars.
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Mayo Based Salads: One small half-cup portion of potato salad has 180 calo
ries and 12 grams of fat; the same amount of coleslaw has about 150 calories and 8 grams of fat. Instead: try making your salads with light mayonnaise; or mix mayo with low-fat yogurt, light sour cream, or chicken stock. Or, try a German-style potato salad, using more vinegar than oil, then toss lots of veggies into any salad to increase the fiber and nutrients.
Remember, you are in control of your diet and your life. Why let the season control you?!
Enjoy the weekend, fighters! Remember to please eat healthfully and wear sunscreen! I plan to go for a long bike ride on Memorial Day. What are your weekend plans?
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 04:21 PM
Happy Friday, fighters! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful week!
As the sunshine comes out and the days get longer, I know many of you are beginning to take better care of your diet to reach your weight loss goals by summer. Maybe you have been eating more fruits and vegetables lately, grilling healthfully or eating at home a bit more to save calories. And if you're seeing the results of good nutrition, why let a few "diet wreckers" get in your way, right? Today, WebMD posted a great article about "Food Frauds" - 23 foods that appear healthy, but aren't. How could I let my Full Lifers be fooled?! Check a few out below. (My favorite? - the Low-Fat "healthier" granola has more sugar than the regular!).
- Caesar salad: Just a small bowl has 300-400 calories and 30 grams of fat, thanks to loads of dressing.
- Enhanced Water: Vitamins are commonly added to bottled water and advertised on the front label. But some brands also add sugar, taking water from zero calories to as much as 125. (as much as regular soda!)
- Breakfast Muffins: Muffins masquerade as a healthy choice for breakfast. They may beat doughnuts, but they're still mainly sugary little cakes of refined flour. One store-bought muffin can hit 500 calories with 11 teaspoons of sugar. WOW.
- Low-fat Granola: The low-fat version of this crunchy cereal has only 10% fewer calories and is still full of sugar. Plus, the low-fat label can easily lead you to overeat. A study at Cornell University found that people ate 49% more granola when they thought it was low fat -- easily blowing past the measly 10% calorie savings.
- Low-fat Yogurt: Too often this nutritional superstar - rich in protein and calcium - contains shocking amounts of added sugar. Some brands add 30 or more grams of fructose, sucrose, or other sweeteners.
- Iceberg Lettuce: This popular lettuce is big on crunch but a big "zero" when it comes to vitamins and flavor. And, it's boring taste leads many people to overdo it on the dressing.
So don't be fooled, fighters! To find out the 17 other "food frauds" and better options for your diet, visit WebMD here.
Have a glorious, and now even healthier, weekend!
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, May 14, 2010 @ 09:12 AM
Happy Friday, Fighters! I hope you've had a fabulous week!
I have to admit, I've been lacking in motivation to workout this week. (Yes, even trainers lack in motivation once in a while! Cut us some slack!). But I think I know why. My workout partner, Jakki, has been away at a super cool surf camp in Nicaragua for the week. And although I'm happy she was able to take some time off to ride the waves, her vacation left me (ugh) to workout by myself!
Trust me, I've spent many years working out alone without a problem. But, earlier this year, Jakki and I decided to lift weights together twice a week to push ourselves a little harder. We take a spin class together once a week, also. So, from someone who has spent years huffing it to the gym solo, this was a big change for me. But it was a welcome change for my psyche and for my fitness. When we workout together, we lift heavier weights, we offer up different exercises, and we push each other. We tell each other how good our pushups look today. We tell each other that our arms are "totally ready for summer!" Let me tell you, you can't do this alone. (Well, I guess you could, but you'd be talking to yourself). It's so motivating to hear it from someone else!
So while Jakki was away, it took some clever strategizing for me to push myself. Since partner workouts are most motivating for me, I enrolled my coworker Beth into doing 45 minutes on the step mill with me. We talked the entire time and caught up on each other's lives, all through tough and sweaty intervals. Turns out, we both usually stop after 35 minutes. Not today!
My point? If you are looking to push past your limits and reach your goals, find a supportive community or partner to push you! Even if you are used to working out solo, it's worth it! Try these tips to find that extra support you need:
- Join our Facebook page! With so many people doing the HMR at Home Diet with Full Life, our virtual Facebook community is a great way to share recipes and strategies daily!
- Find a Workout Buddy - maybe a coworker, a friend or neighbor. Don't be afraid to ask - most people want a partner, too! Then schedule your workout times together.
- Get a Trainer - Even though I am a trainer, I workout with another trainer each week. The appointment ensures I get one challenging workout in, no matter what.
- Take a Class at the Gym - Take a Zumba or a Latin Dance class. You'll find working out in a group is a lot more FUN when you're in it together!
- Try Partner Personal Coaching with Full Life! You and a friend can get Personal Coaching together and reach your goals faster!
And that folks, is your Friday Fight! Enjoy your weekend and your new support system!
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, May 07, 2010 @ 12:35 PM
Happy Friday, Fighters. I hope you are having a great week! Now that summer is fast approaching, it seems like everyone is out and about - planning social events, gearing up for vacations and filling their calendars with weddings, BBQs, and the like. Oh the joys of summer! But, as much as we love to be busy, it can often be extremely challenging to manage our weight and eat healthfully with so much going on. Especially in our environment, where social events seem to always be focused on FOOD!
But here's the great news....you can still have a social life AND manage your weight! It takes practice and planning, but with a few tweaks, you can successfully have fun and still fit into you bathing suit. How? Follow these tips:
- Stay accountable to your goals - tell your family and friends about what you are doing and ask for their support.
- Eat it, Write it - I have been successfully keeping off 40 lbs for 10 years. I write down my food intake every day to keep me in check. Then I can see trends, successes and focus areas.
- Remove Temptations- My theory? Why keep cookies in the house if the only one eating most of them is you? Remove your trigger foods and fill your fridge with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein for your whole family.
- Plan Ahead. Eat before you go to a party or ask what the menu will be. That way, you'll always be prepared. Bring a healthy dish to pass.
- Stay Full - Use high volume Meal Replacements. Make a TRIPLE shake w/ two fruits and pack an entrée and veggies to hold you over through those long soccer games or beach days!
Those are just a few of the key tips for losing weight throughout the busy summer months. Do you want to find out more ways to boost momentum and reach your weight loss goals this summer? I'll be teaching a 5-week Weight Loss BLITZ class at Milton Hospital, beginning June 1st! The class is every Tuesday night from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. My goal is to help you stay in the box for 4 full weeks, lose the weight and learn new strategies to keep you focused throughout the summer temptation. Plus, you'll learn new recipes, get weighed in every week, and have a great group to work with!
And even more exciting? Alicia Leeds-Meyers, Full Life Founder, and Monica Bautista, Personal Coach, are making a guest appearance on June 22nd to share their experience and knowledge about the best ways to manage your weight throughout serious summer challenges!!
Register for the BLITZ today and keep the weight off! To find out more, click HERE or call 508-353-7560 to sign up.
Have a great week, and I hope to see you soon!