Many of us sabotage our weight loss efforts by eating the things that satisfy an emotional need rather than a nutritional one. We tend to subconsciously reach for food that makes us feel good. Usually we reach for junk food before reaching for something healthy. We all have that one guilty pleasure, our favorite snack or poison (caffeine, salt, iced coffee drinks etc) that we just can’t do without.
So, why is it that you binge on junk food? Junk food has very few nutrients but lots of calories and our brain is looking for nutrients, so when you eat food that is packed with sugar, additives, and fillers, your brain will still be looking for those very important nutrients it is lacking, causing you to grab for more food or junk food.
Many people are not aware of the effects that both fat and sugar have on the brain, they act like a stimulant to the brain’s reward center through the nuerotransmitter dopamine just like a drug would, says Kathy Preston, author of “The Lean“. Dopamine is what makes you feel good just like heroine or morphine. So you should treat sugar, fat and also caffeine as if they were an addictive drug. You have to ween yourself off junk food.
Ditching your sugar or caffeine habit is a crucial step for women over forty. Sugar is found in so many of our favorite foods, however, it depletes the body of phosphorus. Top nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman says "if you are eating excessive amounts of sugar you’re profoundly disturbing the calcium/phosphorous ratio. We’ve all heard how important calcium is for strong bones, but without adequate phosphorous, bone marrow doesn’t get the calcium it needs so the body pulls calcium from storage sites in the bone." This can lead to osteoporosis.
Sugar is disguised in many ways on food labels and the best way to identify sugar is by looking for words that end in -ose. The most common forms of sugar are high fructose corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, lactose and glucose. Don’t forget the obvious sugars like honey, molasses, maple syrup and more recently, agave nectar and stevia. Sucrose is a mixture of fructose and glucose found in fruits. While lactose is a mixture of glucose and galactose found in milk. Sugars are produced commercially for convenience in individual packets of sugar, syrup, black treacle (molasses) and honey. They all just pile on the calories and are often referred to as empty energy. (Humphries)
Caffeine is one of the most addictive “drugs” that is found in soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, prescription/non-prescription drugs, diet pills, coffee etc. Caffeine is found in health foods as well because it is considered a natural product. Taken in moderation, some researches claim caffeine has positive benefits on the body. Remember, however you put it, caffeine acts like a drug and has drug like effects. Yes, coffee. Excessive consumption of coffee, tea, regular soft drinks, chocolate and other foods containing caffeine will increase your risk for osteoporosis by reducing blood calcium levels, triggering calcium to be pulled from the bone, and flushing needed calcium out of your body. In Ann Louis Glittleman's book “Super Nutrition for Menopause" she notes that a mere three cups of black coffee can result in a 45mg calcium loss and women between the ages of 35 and 50 drink more coffee than any other age group. So, women be mindful or your caffeine intake.
How to Say No to Your Poison, Junk Food or Guilty Pleasure:
The secret is all about “crowding out” and breaking into healthier snacking. It’s how you eat in a healthy way so that you crowd out the junk you think you want by choosing to eat key foods throughout the day to keep you satisfied. (Kathy Freson)
You want to break out of the bad habit of reaching for those high calorie, fat ladden, sugar filled, salty comfort foods that offer little or no nutritious benefit. So the best way to do this is to clean out your cupboards of junk food and replace your junk food with more healthier choices. Just so you won’t have to go cold turkey, and derail your efforts, you want to break-in to healthier snack choices that include fruits, nuts and whole grains. These choices will deliver the needed nutrients your body needs and signal to your brain that you are satisfied.
Start to create your own power snack packs. Eat your snacks in between your three meals. Keep each of your snacks under 400 calories, for the more advanced weight-losers, 100 calorie snacks are ideal. For even better results, split your snack calories in half if doing snacks under 400 calories. For instance, make one snack only 200 calories and another one 200 calories. The goal is to keep you from going more than 4-5 hours without eating. The snack packs will help keep your energy and blood sugar steady, keep your metabolism revved up and prevent your hunger from getting out of control. (“Flat Belly Diet” by Liz Vaccariello)
Choose Snacks based on your project level:
Beginner: chose low-fat yogurt and milk, limited deli meats (Applegate Farms brand), low-fat whole grains (Food For Life or Kashi), low-fat muffins, low-fat cheeses, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Make sensible choices, read low-fat labels for hidden sugars and calorie counts.
Intermediate: chose skim milk or milk alternatives (soy, almond, rice etc..), organic cheeses and deli meats, hummus, fresh or frozen organic fruits and vegetables, raw unsalted nuts & seeds, low-fat whole grains
Advanced: chose certified organic foods, certified vegan, organic whole grains, raw unsalted nuts & seeds, non-dairy milk & yogurt (soy, rice, almond, etc..), organic fruits and vegetables.
Create your own snack packs
Mix and match using whole grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables and select proteins and good fat- Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). This is just a partial list to give you an idea of how versatile you can be when creating a healthy snack. There is no restrictions saying that you have to pick one item from each category. You can chose a snack that consists of a whole grain, a dairy, a fruit and a MUFA that equals up to 400 calories. Or, you can just have a protein, whole grain and MUFA. The possibilities are limitless. Try to include a MUFA with every snack, these healthy fats are essential in helping to eliminate belly fat as denoted in the Flat Belly Diet, from the editiors of Prevention Magazine.
Whole grains:
Corn tortillas (2- 90 cal)Popcorn (4 cups at 20-25 cal per cup)
Ry Krisp Crackers (3- 75 cal)
Thomas Multigrain Pita (½ - 70 cal)
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs (1 cup- 70 cal)
Oatmeal (1 oz pkt- 100 cal)
Dairy:
Applegate Farms provolone cheese (1 slice- 70 cal)
Cottage Cheese (non-fat ½ cup- 80 cal)
Feta Cheese (1 oz- 80 cal)
Milk (skim, 1 cup- 80 cal)
String Cheese (1 oz- 80 cal)
Yogurt (6 oz- 80 cal)
Fruits:
Apples (80 cal)
Berries (1 cup- 60 cal)
Mango ( 1cup- 110 cal)
Orange (70 cal)
Papaya (1 cup- 55 cal)
Peach (50 cal)
Pear (100 cal)
Pineapple (4 oz or ½ cup canned in juice- 60 cal)
Red/Green Grapes (1 cup- 60 cal)
Sliced Banana (½ cup- 70 cal)
Unsweetened raisins (¼ cup- 130 cal)
Watermelon (2 cups- 90 cal)
Vegetables:
Baby carrots (1 cup- 50 cal)
Broccoli florets, raw (2 cups- 40 cal)
Grape tomatoes (1 cup- 30 cal)
Red bell pepper (1 cup, sliced- 40 cal)
Salsa (¼ cup- 40 cal)
Proteins:
Applegate Farms uncured black forest ham (4 oz- 100 cal)
Black beans (canned, drained ½ cup- 90 cal)
Chunk Light Tuna (in water, 3 oz- 120 cal)
Deli chicken slices (4 oz- 100 cal)
Deli turkey slices (4 oz- 100 cal)
Hummus (¼ cup- 100 cal)
5 Categories of MUFAs (Monounsaturated fatty acids)
- Oils- canola, safflower, sesame, soybean, walnut, flaxseed, sunflower, olive, and peanut. The recommended oil for your snacks will probably be flaxseed oil especially beneficial in your smoothies.
- Olives- there are many varieties of olives to choose from, whether black or green. Kalamata olives are used more frequently in healthy dishes.
- Nuts & Seeds- there are many choices when it comes to nuts and seeds. You have peanuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, etc
- Avocados- are loaded with good fats so still use moderately
- Dark Chocolate- chose a chocolate that is at least 60% cocao, the less sugar the better. Health enthusiasts and experts say the best chocolate is one that starts at 72% cocao. This does not include milk chocolate or the basic candy bar chocolate which has lots of added sugar. The more percentage of cocao, the better. Caution: 100% pure raw cocao/choc is considered toxic.
How to Put Together Your Snack Packs:
Blueberry-Almond Oatmeal: 1 pkt instant oatmeal, cooked, topped with 1 ½ cups blueberries and 2 tbsp almonds, served with 1 cup skim milk (384 cal)
Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal: 1 pkt instant oatmeal, cooked, topped with 1 cup raspberries and ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (367 cal)
Strawberry Chocolate Sundae: 1 cup sliced strawberries, ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips mixed into ½ cup cottage cheese (347 cal)
Apple Snack: 1 medium apple cut into wedges with 2 tbsp peanut butter as a dip, and 4 cups air-popped or light microwave popcorn (368 cal)
Apples & Crackers: 3 Ry Krisp crackers spread with 2 tbsp almond butter, topped or eaten with 1 medium sliced apple (387)
Berry-Nut Whip: 2 cups sliced strawberries and 2 tbsp dry roasted unsalted peanuts mixed into 6 oz (80 cal) vanilla yogurt (363 cal)
Hummus Dip: 1 cup hummus sprinkled with 2 tbsp pine nuts served with 1 cup red pepper slices (403 cal)
Grab-n-Go Snacks
Option 1: 1 low-fat string cheese, 1 cup pineapple fruit cup (in juice), 1 cup baby carrots, and 2 tbsp dry roasted unsalted peanuts (340 cal)
Option 2: 6 oz (80 cal) yogurt, 1 medium apple, 2 tbsp Brazil Nuts and 1 cup skim milk (350 cal)
Option 3: 6 oz (80 cal) yogurt, 1 medium orange and 2 tbsp almonds (259 cal)
Basic Smoothie: blend 1 cup skim or soy milk, 6 oz vanilla yogurt, 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry etc..), add handful of ice if using fresh fruit, then blend together for 1 minute, transfer to glass and add 1 tbsp organic cold-pressed flaxseed oil.
100 Calorie Snacks
1 oz low fat cheese
8 oz cottage ceese
1 oz dried fruit
½ oz nuts
12 mini rice cakes
1 ½ oz string cheese
1 oz turkey
8 oz non-fat yogurt
Checklist:
Drink 8 glasses of water
Eat a hearty breakfast
Get movin
Eat an Apple
Say no to your guilty pleasure
Assignment
You need a way to determine how your efforts are paying off. The scale is not your friend. Please do not weigh yourself everyday, this can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Your weight can go up and down daily so, it is better to weigh yourself at least once a week. Your assignment is however, finding a way other than the scale to chart your progress. For example, pick a clothing item that fits you snuggly and use it as your gauge. A pair of pants or a dress can better let you see if you are losing inches. Losing inches is much more satisfying than just losing weight.
References
“Flat Belly Diet” by Liz Vaccariello
“The Lean: A Revolutionary and Simple 30 Day Plan for Healthy, Lasting Weight loss” by Kathy Freson
“Super Nutrition for Menopause; Take Control of your Life Now and Enjoy New Vitality with a Diet and Exercise Program Designed Just For You” by Ann Louise Gittleman
“7 Day Low Fat Low Salt Diet Plan: to change your eating habits for life” by Carolyn Humphries
Personal Note: Check out overeaters anonymous for support in your weight loss efforts. Here you can connect with others struggling to lose weight and get help with those emotional barriers that block successful weight loss.
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