Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 @ 09:03 AM
Happy Friday, fighters! I hope you had a wonderful and healthy week! Spring is in the air..can you feel it? I certainly can! This is the time when many of us see the sunshine and immediately begin to cook lighter at home and make healthier choices when we're eating out. Foods like grilled chicken come mind when I think Spring. But remember, "chicken" doesn't always equal "healthy." A common misconception these days, chicken can be extremely calorie dense if not prepared correctly! Full Life Coach Monica sent me a great link to the Men's Health article "The Unhealthiest Chicken Dishes in America" and believe me..you certainly won't be doing the Chicken Dance when you see these nutrition facts!
Here are the TOP 8 WORST Chicken Dishes on the list. It is not often that I blatently cut and paste articles..but this one is worth the read!
#8: WORST CHICKEN SANDWICH
Chili's Buffalo Chicken Ranch Sandwich
1,560 calories
86 g fat (14 g saturated)
4,010 mg sodium
Take a minute to free associate. What comes to mind when you hear "chicken sandwich"? A light-and-healthy dinner? A good post-workout lunch? Both of those sound about right. But here's where this sandwich veers from expectations: It sucks up three-fourths of your day's calorie allotment. Plus it exceeds your daily recommendation for both fat and sodium. That's what you call a dirty bird.
#7: WORST CHICKEN SALAD
California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
1,570 calories
30 g saturated fat
2,082 mg sodium
Salads are healthy, right? Well, CPK's got some gnarly greens. Fully half the restaurant's salads top a thousand calories, but this one is hands-down the worst. To be fair, part of the day-and-a-half's worth of saturated fat comes from the blue cheese dressing. The trouble is, even if you switch to the restaurant's lighter Dijon vinaigrette, you're still facing 1,485 calories. Not a massive savings.
#6: WORST CHICKEN RICE DISH
Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl
1,880 calories
13 g saturated fat
4,250 mg sodium
Applebee's is making strides toward a healthier menu, but as of yet the chain still has a lot of ground to cover. To its credit, it recently launched a sub-menu featuring entrees that all fall below 550 calories. Unfortunately the regular menu still carries caloric catastrophes like this tortured bird. For starters, the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl delivers nearly a day's worth of calories, but to top that, it throws in more sodium than you'd find in a dozen large orders of McDonald's French Fries-a whopping two days' worth! That might be good for thawing your driveway in a snowstorm, but it's not so great for fueling your body.!
#5: WORST CHICKEN NACHOS
Baja Fresh Charbroiled Chicken Nachos 2,020 calories 110 g fat (41 g saturated) 2,980 mg sodium
Okay, so you already knew nachos were trouble, but could you have ever predicted anything like this? This one plate has more fat than an entire package of Chewy Chips Ahoy! cookies. (Yes, an ENTIRE package.) In fact, you could snarf down the whole 32-cookie set, then move on to a twin-wrapped package of Twinkies, and still come out ahead on fat.
#4: WORST CHICKEN APPETIZER Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla 2,141 calories 133 g fat (61 g saturated fat) 3,477 mg sodium
Since 2008 we've been harping on Outback to clean up its act, but so far the chain has refused. In fact, the only reason we were able to track down this nutrition information is that New York and California laws forced restaurant franchises to disclose their numbers. And only after we made it public did Outback start offering the numbers to all its customers. A victory for nutrition? Not yet-not with numbers like these.
#3: WORST AMERICAN CHICKEN ENTREE The Cheesecake Factory Chicken and Biscuits 2,511 calories 66 g saturated fat 2,725 mg sodium
Doesn't it seem like there's something un-patriotic about transforming a traditional American meal into a caloric saboteur? It's as if The Cheesecake Factory has declared nutritional warfare on the waistlines of this country. Or maybe they're in cahoots with the denim companies-the more your gut bulges, the more new pants you're forced to buy. (Okay, doubtful.) But whatever the guiding principal, you can guarantee it has nothing to do with your welfare.
#2: WORST CHICKEN CUTLET The Cheesecake Factory Crispy Chicken Costoletta 2,556 calories 85 g saturated fat 2,755 mg sodium
This entrée comes served with mashed potatoes and asparagus, and it's described on the menu as being "lightly breaded." Sounds relatively healthy, right? Therein lies the Curse of The Chicken Entree: It always sounds relatively healthy. You'd never guess the damage this dish was capable of unless The Cheesecake Factory decided to be completely forthright and disclose on the menu that it carries so much butter that it could exceed the saturated fat limit for an entire family of four!
#1: WORST CHICKEN ENTREE IN AMERICA The Cheesecake Factory Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic 2,579 calories 62 g saturated fat 1,983 mg sodium
Healthy it may sound, but chicken-in-pasta is the culinary equivalent of a wolf in sheep's clothing. In fact, The Cheesecake Factory's menu features fully half a dozen chicken-pasta entrees in excess of 2,000 calories apiece. That's a full day's energy needs in one meal. Level that with the rest of the oversized entrees and The Factory emerges as the absolute worst restaurant in the country. (You'd be better off going on a Haagen-Dazs binge.)
Article written by Matt Goulding and David Zinczenko
So fighters, what's the answer to enjoying chicken, guilt free? Grill it and prepare it at home with your favorite veggies! Avoid FRIED, BATTERED, BREADED, CHEESED OR GRAVY'D....hmm..I think I've finally learned the true meaning of Funky Chicken!
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
Turns out giving kids candy may endanger more than their teeth. A new study that will appear in the British Journal of Psychiatry in October reports a significant link between daily consumption of sweets in childhood and agressive behavior in adulthood.
Researchers found that 69% of participants who were violent by the age of 34 had eaten sweets almost every day whan they were children, compared with 42% of those who showed no agressive behavior. The association was consistant even after many other variables had been controlled for.
Giving children sweets on a daily basis is thought to stop children from learning how to wait for something they want. "Instant gratification can nurture impulsive behavior", say researchers from Cardiff University who looked at data collected from 17,500 participants over 35 years.
The link between sweets and violence is both "novel and "robust" and "needs further attention" researchers wrote.
Will a bag of Halloween candy make your kids criminals? That remains to be seen. But what we know for sure is that giving kids junk to eat doesn't do them any favors... and it is at least part of the reason our next generation is the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Our children are being treated for hypertension and diabetes at alarming rates - and it is clear that childhood obesity is one of our most pressing public health concerns.
We haven't come to the point where we look at M&Ms like we look at Marlboros... but as the evidence piles up against the fat on sugar on fat on sugar "food" we feed our kids (and ourselves) - it's time to make some changes.
Be creative this Halloween season... make the treats at your house non candy related. Give fancy pencils or party favors to the trick or treaters at your door, make clementines into jack o' lanterns with black sharpies, and roast up the seeds from your pumpkin carving for healthy snacks. Teach the kids that the fall harvest offers a wide range of healthy, delicious fruits and veggies. Pick apples and learn about the tens of different varieties to choose from - make baked apples with cinnamon for a warm, sweet treat.
It's up to all of us to create the change we want to see in the world - and if you want a world that's healthier for your family - question the status quo, reject the relentless push of the candy industry, boycott the bags of mini Mounds bars, and create healthier family traditions this season. A trip to the haunted house should be scary - not a visit to the pediatrician.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 05:57 PM
I have said it plenty of times and I am saying it again 'cause it's a need to know statement, "If it's there, you will eat it!"... and by "you" I mean "I" (I will definitely eat it).
Some of us can be fooled some of the time. But we are only fooling ourselves when we bring the cookies home from work "for the kids". The kids don't care. They didn't even know the cookies were there.
When we have momentum around our healthy lifestyle - especially when we are losing weight - we don't even think about bringing the cookies into the house. But when our momentum slows... "Walk on by" becomes "I'll just look", which morphs into "just a little taste" and finally "pack me a to go container"!
It's a weight management chicken or egg! Which comes first the cookie or the rationalization?
It doesn't matter. If it's there you will eat it and it doesn't matter why you brought the cookies home.
What does matter (to your successful weight management) is that you employ some simple skills based on the original need to know statement and its derivatives.
If it's there you will eat it. So make sure that fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and whole grains and HMR Meal Replacements are there. (By "there" I mean wherever you are.)
If it's not there you can't eat it. So make sure that the cookies are not there and the cake is not there and the BBQ ribs are not there and the cheeseburger is not there...this could take a while... but you get the point.
Here's the foolproof need to know - if you are not there you can not eat it. Translation? Stay out of the office snack room when you know your boss has brought the cookies!
When you are struggling with your weight don't set yourself up for failure by creating or frequenting environments that put your resolve to the test.
Graduate from knowing "if it's there you will eat it" to really living by it. Calculate the calories on the whole box of Triscuits before you put them in the cart. How many calories does the whole container of Ben and Jerry's have? Can you afford 1400 calories of Chunky Monkey today?
One last thing... "if it's there, you will eat it" is how we survived as a species. If you are eating it, you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. There's nothing wrong or abnormal about you (and by "you" I mean me). But we live in an a culture where high calorie high fat food is everywhere. So to be successful with our weight management we have to create our own safe "there" where we can be - and eat it, too!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Jul 13, 2009 @ 01:00 PM
One thing I have heard consistantly through my years as a health educator and coach is that it's hard to find a healthy substitute for snack food cravings - particularly the Salty/Crunchies.
HMR shakes and puddings fill the bill when you crave the sweet stuff - especially chocolate... and HMR entrees can be made into just about any comfort food you want. (Our HMR Recipes and Tips page is full of great ideas.)
But when it comes to the dreaded Salty/Crunchies - Healthy Solutions are hard to come by.
The old stand by is, of course, baked potato fries... just slice your favorite spuds, spread on a cookie sheet, spray with PAM and cook at about 450 until crispy. I like to broil them for the last couple of minutes to get them super crispy. Sprinkle salt, rosemary, chili powder, or Mrs Dash for flavor. Sweet potatoes are especially yummy this way - although they don't get as crispy as your average Yukon or Idaho.
Use red potatoes whole or quartered for a lighter treat - or splurge on baby gourmet potatoes - white, red or blue. Those can just be washed and cooked whole using the same methods. I especially like these because the skin gets nice and crispy.
If you are feeling adventurous - try the same recipe with Butternut Squash. Peel and cut the squash into fry size slices and bake/broil as above.
Try any of these recipes as a snack, or with HMR Turkey Chili, HMR Veggie Stew or a lean protein of your choice. Use any leftovers in a salad - or bag them up for a great grab and go snack you can eat on the run!
Happy Healthy Crunching!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 @ 03:07 PM
Having a variety of edible snacks increases the chances of eating more of them. The Oreo guys at Nabisco are banking on it. Every time I am in the grocery store there is a new variety of Oreo cookies on the end cap. End caps are prime grocery real estate, especially now that a lot of us have gotten hip to shopping the perimeter, so even with the best avoidance strategies, Oreos pop.
I haven't actually eaten an Oreo since - oh - college maybe - when I used to devour a row of double stuff at a sitting. (You have to finish the row...!) But still, Oreos have made their way into my consciousness by their sheer persistance and variety, and today, to prove the point that variety is key to longevity with any edible choice, I visited www.NabiscoWorld.com/oreo (for real) to find out exactly how many different kinds of Oreo cookies there are.
Turns out there are 48 different Oreo products to choose from on the website. (I know there are even more because the Oreo straws weren't on there.) 48! Some were same cookies, different package, but even accounting for that, there were still 30 DIFFERENT kinds of Oreos to choose from.
There are the standard Oreo and the golden, plus both of those double stuffed. For a little color you can choose purple, orange or red middles - or a nice chocolate fudge. There are Oreos for Halloween and Easter as well as Holiday Oreos (I assume those cover Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice and...New Years?) With a nod to health conscious consumers there are reduced fat Oreos and Oreos made with organic sugar. You can have your Oreos mini and in snack packs and in 100 calorie packs and to go. You can have them white fudge covered or chocolate covered with or without mint. And finally, you can have your Oreos turned into a cake or a pie crust, or put your Oreo ice cream in your Oreo ice cream cone.
From the Oreo page you can click on Oreo Moments and share your special Oreo experiences with others. Photos of the Eiffel Tower and The Great Wall of China pop up, suggesting that perhaps our experience of the world's great attractions would be enhanced if only we brought our cookies along.
What was not on the website, however, was the simple calorie information I am looking for. There are nutrition facts, with calories listed for grams of Oreo cookie products - but they don't tell you haw many grams there are in a single Oreo cookie. I finally had to settle on the single serving snack pack label which listed calories at 250, fat calories 100. Phew.
By now I am going pretty crazy in Oreo, NabiscoWorld, and that's when I check out the Consumer Alert. "WARNING!! Eating Oreos is hazardous to your health!!" Of course not.
In fact the Consumer Alert simply assures us of Oreo's quality, no salmonella tainted ingredients are used in Oreo Production. Well, Thank Goodness!
With so many Oreos to choose from how could I choose just one? I could, theoretically have a unique and memorable Oreo moment to share with a different Oreo every day of the month!
I pick on Oreos only partly in jest. We live in an impossible food environment, an environment designed for weight gain, created by a food industry (and I use the term food loosely) that churns out one sticky sweet gooey crunchy salty high fat processed product after another.
Managing your weight and health in this environment is more difficult than ever. (But there are fuji and gala and macintosh and pink lady and red delicious and green and cortland apples to choose from!) Keep trying. Keep working on new strategies, new recipes, new ideas, focus on building a variety of things to choose from. The more variety you have with your healthy choices, the more likely you will be to keep practicing them.
Check out our recipe pages for new ideas. Make sure to add extracts, flavorings, spices and veggies and fruits to your HMR meal replacements.Try new healthy foods every day. The Oreo guys are hard at work - so we have to work harder!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Sun, Apr 19, 2009 @ 11:56 AM
Mark Bittman is a food columnist for the New York Times. Here's how Mark found his way to fitness even while eating for a living...
A couple of years ago, I had the typical experience of every normal, middle-aged American guy. My doctor told me I had to lose weight and lower my cholesterol and blood sugar levels. In other words, take drugs or stop eating.
But since I eat and cook for a living, and because I wanted to avoid the drug thing, I needed a different route. As it happens, the fix is pretty straight-forward, and not only does it work - when the recession arrived, I was already eating on the cheap. It's just about making the right food choices.
But before you call me a nutritionist, think about this. The nuts-and-berries stories of our ancestors - the eating-turnips-and-cabbage-all-winter stories of our great grandparents - these aren't myths. Until recently, most people struggled to get enough calories to thrive. Meat was a feast food; sugar, a luxury; fat, a treasure. As we got smarter, we converted plant energy into high-calorie food that kept well. Things like cooking oil, meat, cheese and alcohol. And by the 20th century, we were doing that so efficiently that we started to eat in a way that makes us fat and unhealthy.
We now produce a billion animals like they were widgets; animals that produce 18 percent of all greenhouse gases. And we've ended up paying more for food that's bad for us than we do for what actually sustains us.
I'm not exactly a back-to-the-earth type, but it's clear that the key to avoiding the lifestyle diseases that plague many of us - even me! - is the same key to saving money on food: go to the source. Eat more plants, fewer animals, less processed foods. Easy to say, but tempted by delicious burgers, fries and hazelnut gelato at every turn, how to do?
For me the answer turned out to be simple: I began to eat plants and only plants. Vegetables and fruits, mostly. But beans and whole grains too, all day. At night, I reverted to the indulgent omnivore, and let myself eat the food I love most, but with a little restraint. I lost 30 pounds. My cholesterol and blood sugar went back to normal and my doctors love me. I go to the supermarket and spend half as much money for twice as much food. I have a smug smile on my face, because by an infinitesimal amount, I'm reducing the pace of global warming. And all by doing what my mother told me: I eat my vegetables.
Follow this link to hear Mark tell his story on NPR Weekend Edition, Sunday April 19, 2009:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103257424
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Apr 14, 2009 @ 09:23 PM
Too much matzo, too much ham.
Chocolate eggs and Peeps and... Damn
Who ate all the macaroons?
I did.
Too much whiskey, too much wine
Go without me - I am fine
When will I get out of bed?
Summer.
Devil smiles, and angel sings
One in each ear, questions ring
Chocolate bunny? Chocolate shake? WW---Do?
You Know.
Chop the carrots, peel potatoes
Time to wash the grape tomatoes
Hup two three four... shake it off
Let's Move IT!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Sun, Apr 12, 2009 @ 08:33 AM
It was a cold and cloudy day in Boston yesterday, more like November than April. I had planned to try a quiet day, having always been intrigued by what it would be like to be on a silent retreat. I got my grocery shoppng done and told friends and family that I wouldn't be answering the phone.
I also got a book called The Writer's Diet by Julie Cameron, best known for The Artist's Way. My quiet day was the perfect time for me to check it out.
The book didn't start well for me because her premise is a cliche that really bugs me, "It's not what you're eating - it's what's eating you". The truth is - if you are struggling with your weight, chances are really good it is what you're eating that's the problem...
Nevertheless, I decided to give the rest of the book a chance. Though it's still too soon for a final verdict, I think she's got some valid things to say.
Her first suggestion is to write three pages of anything when you first wake up. Morning Pages. I love this idea for personal growth -but not as a weight management strategy. It's like sweeping the streets of your mind. (It brings back my memory of shopkeepers sweeping their sidewalks every morning in Madrid.) Starting the day with a clear path lets you get to know yourself better, and keeping in touch with your thoughts is good thing.
Second, she suggests keeping a food journal. Write it all down. And next, a daily walk. Right On! Both of these things are essential weight management strategies. Now we're on the same page.
She goes on to suggest questions to ask yourself before you eat and states of being to avoid (like angry, lonely, and tired). Here she loses me by making things too complicated - asking questions and concentrating on feelings are non quantifiable behaviors, immeasurable to do's.
At the end of the day, it matters more that you fill your refrigerator (and your belly) with fruits and vegetables than what questions you have about pizza or how you feel about it. You can be happy when you eat the pizza or angry when you eat the pizza, fact is - eating pizza will not help you manage your weight. And studies show that people who are overweight do not have any more significant psychological difficulties than those who manage their weight more successfully. Although, here I will argue that since Physical Activity eases depression, people who move (increasing their chances of successful weight management) feel better because of the exercise alone.
That's about as far as I got before I got hungry and came up with my new favorite Rich and Creamy, Orange You Glad You Can Eat The Whole Pot, Butternut Squash Soup. One thing I can tell you about food and the quiet day; without noise in the background, eating took on a whole new dimension. Everything tasted amazing. And, I really felt more satisfied and more nourished by focusing on eating without reading, answering email or watching TV.
A day of silence, like concentrating on questions and feelings, is not a weight management strategy any of us can expect to achieve consistently - but it did allow me to access my physical hunger and also my physical satiety - sensations which often elude me. Being quiet did make an impact on my experience with food.
OK - so after not speaking for 24 hours, here's what I have to say:
MAKE The Soup. - It's Good for Your Body!
Write! - Your Food and PA Records (anything else is a bonus).
Walk! - Anywhere and Everywhere, Everyday!
And Be Quiet every once in a while, even for a moment, there's a lot to hear when you stop talking.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Apr 07, 2009 @ 12:23 PM
"How much heavier were you?" my Tuesday Ladies' Class wants to know.
Up 25 (and down 25) - A 50 pound swing. Today I'm right in the middle.
I tell my Tuesday Ladies about my recent trip to the grocery store - Ben and Jerry's on sale 2 for 5. Leslie and I choose 2 pints, put them in the cart. 160 calories a serving - 4 servings per container that's 640 calories for each pint of frozen yogurt. I know Leslie won't eat her whole container tonight - but I will eat mine - and then some of hers, too.
I'm turning the cart down the end of the aisle and coming up through the meat section. Looking at the pints in the cart. She choose Half Baked - some cookie dough and brownie yumminess and I choose Cherry Garcia. I love the deep dark semi sweet chocolate chips in the creamy sweet cherry yogurt - and I'll spoon a bit of the brownie stuff in, too.
It won't be enough. 800 calories of frozen yogurt and when it's over it won't be enough. I'll go to sleep wanting more and wishing I didn't eat it. I'll wake up feeling crummy.
25 pounds up and 25 pounds down. Here I am in the middle of the store, thinking about my Ben and Jerry's. I love frozen yogurt. I love them. And I deserve it. It's Sunday (or is it Saturday?) It's my day off. It's on sale and I never have it. I'll walk six miles tomorrow.
I already made it past the Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs. Probably the most perfect combination of textures and flavors to ever grace the candy aisle. They come in a six pack. 160 calories each. 960 calories of peanut butter eggs. They look SO good.
They only come around once a year and I already had one the other night. I would have had another one right away, except there wasn't another one, so I had some blueberries.
I turn the cart back down the ice cream aisle and put the Ben and Jerry's back. I put 4 bags of frozen blueberries (at $4.45 a pop) into my cart. For that money I could get 7 pints of Ben and Jerry's.
25 pounds up, 25 pounds down, and here I am in the middle with my bags of frozen blueberries. It's not about the weight, and it is. It's not about the calories, and it is. It's not about the frozen yogurt or the blueberries. It's not What I'm Hungry For.
It's what I choose to do. It's how I feel about myself. It's still unlearning the meaning of "treat". It's putting into practice what I know about health. It's accepting how I behave around food and learning better ways to be.
Right now, Shaw's brand frozen blueberries are my magic bullet. I can eat the whole bag. 210 Calories. I could eat 2 bags - 420 calories and still come out ahead. Shoot, I could eat 4 bags for about the same calories as the Ben and Jerry's. And I can eat! - but not 4 bags of frozen blueberries at one sitting.
That's the point. That's the point I try to make in class with my Tuesday Ladies.
My healthy weight is the result of trying to accept who I am, focusing on who I want to be, and making the healthy choices that will help me be better here and get there. My struggle with food is the weight I will have to keep learning how to carry.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Jan 27, 2009 @ 05:01 PM
Ask the Expert
Question of the Day:
Q. I constantly think about food and am always fighting with my mind over wanting foods. I recently have reached my goal weight but cannot seem to control my overpowering urge to eat everything in sight. Any suggestions?
A. This is a great question! It speaks to the common misconceptions that when you finally lose the weight ...
#1 - You can eat whatever you want, or
#2 - You will feel so great (cured, enlightened) that the goodies you loved will no longer appeal to you
Well, the truth of the matter is that it takes a very long time to establish lasting healthy habits - and maintaining weight loss is even more challenging than losing it for most of us. And, for some of us, those food cravings never really go away...
The good news is that you can still learn the skills you need to manage your weight with commitment, dedication and practice!
So, what do you do when that out of control feeling around food starts to happen and you are determined to keep the weight off (this time)?
#1 Practice - MORE is Better! More of the good stuff that is. Make sure that you are eating enough throughout the day to stay full. Have plenty of fruits and veggies, low fat dairy and lean proteins and whole grains. Use HMR shakes as meals and snacks - especially when you are on the go...a 240 calorie double chocolate shake could save you hundreds of calories at the coffee shop! I'll say it again, STAY FULL!!!
#2 Eat often. Eat Often. Every couple of hours. As soon as you let yourself get hungry, your ability to make healthy choices begins to decrease. The hungrier you are, the more out of control you will be. If you are hungry, you will eat and you will eat what's there and what's there in America usually makes us gain weight.
#3 Create Supportive Environments by adding in the healthy stuff. Have plenty of fruits and veggies cut up, cooked, peeled, sliced and ready to go at home, in the car, at your friend's house, at work, in your bag...Never leave home without snacks. HMR 70+ puddings are a great snack option you can mix right in the packet. Bring food with you to social events, Edible Arrangements are awesome (and you can easily make a do it yourself version with BBQ skewers and cut-up fruit).
#4 Create Supportive Environments by taking out the unhealthy stuff (realize that even some healthy stuff should be removed if it's a trigger food for you!) Don't expect to be superwoman. If the cookies are not there - you can't eat them. Keep it that simple. Peanut butter is healthy - but not if you eat the whole jar in a sitting. Be realistic and throw away - or give away (food pantries and homeless shelters) - the foods that don't work to support your goals.
#5 Give yourself a break by staying out of places and situations that do not support your weight management goals. If you're a fast food junkie, don't expect that you'll be able to order a salad every time you drop in McD.'s...so don't go there! Choose different restaurants - or better yet - figure out new ways of interacting socially that don't center around food!
#6 Be Physically Active Every Day!
#7 Focus on the positives. Make a list of the foods you can eat and experiment with new recipes, reward yourself for the little things like having all your veggies this week. Put on your favorite new clothes and tell yourself how FaB-U-Lous!!! you are.
Be patient and consistent. Tolerate your feelings of discomfort. You are learning a new way of life and change is hard. Forgive yourself if you make a mistake, move on, try again. Look at every experience as an opportuniity to learn something new about yourself.
Congratulations on reaching your goal weight! You are doing an awesome job! Keep up the good work!