100 Days of Weight-Loss - Days 12 & 13
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| Thu, 01-25-2007 - 4:26pm |
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Day 12: Fuel or filler
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Take a close look at the foods you eat most. Are you getting adequate amounts of fuel? Or do you keep adding lots of filler to your tank? Keep in mind that fuel keeps your body running, but filler often gets sent directly to your fat stores.
Quality fuel provided solid nutritional content, with limited amounts of fat, sugar, and empty calories. Generally, you get decent fuel from most healthy foods, such as low-fat meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Filler foods tend to add extra calories but provide minimal nutrients. Most sweets, chips, and snack foods fit into this category. It's not that filler is bad for you. But when you constantly fill your tank with easy-to-grab snacks such as cookies or chips, it's hard to get good mileage from your body.
Even with healthy foods, watch to be sure that you're getting quality fuel. Sometimes what starts out as fuel actually turns into filler. For example, a bakery muffin typically has the same amount of sugar and fat as a large cupcake. And when you pour extra dressing on your salad, you dilute all of the fuel benefits of the salad greens and vegetables.
FILLER DRAINS ENERGY
Don't ask your body to run on junk. Filler usually harms your energy as well as your weight-loss efforts. When you reach for snacks or desserts that you know are filler, limit yourself to small amounts. Focus on appreciating the tastes of these foods rather than using them as your main fuel source for the day.
To improve the quality of your fuel intake, look for foods with a lot of nutrient density. For salads, use dark-colored greens such as spinach and add lots of vegetables. Expand your fuel list by trying less common but healthy foods such as kiwi, jicama, kale, or mangoes.
PLAN YOUR FUEL
Never assume you can get healthy food at a moment's notice. To avoid getting trapped without fuel, pack your own meals for airplane or road trips. Carry a protein bar with you when you go shopping. If you'll be spending most of your day in meetings, bring along a fuel kit that contains healthy snacks such as fruit and a container of yogurt.
TODAY
- Record each of the foods you eat today, then rate each one based on whether it provides fuel or filler.
- At the end of the day, determine how well your fuel needs were met.
- Decide whether you need to replace some filler items with healthy foods that provide more fuel.
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Day 13: Oops! I forgot to eat!
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It's been a crazy day. You've attended meetings, answered numerous telephone calls and emails, then pushed to meet the deadlines on a major project. Suddenly, you look up at the clock and realize you completely missed lunch.
Now you're famished, so you eat whatever you can get your hands on quickly. Often that ends up being a candy bar or a small handful of nuts from your desk drawer. So much for getting quality fuel!
Skipping meals might sound like an easy way to lose weight. But it rarely works because your body outsmarts your plan. Whenever you go long periods without fuel, your body protects itself by hoarding some of the calories for later use. You also rick getting a late-day energy slump, which leads to even more eating struggles.
SAVING UP CALORIES
Whenever Susan knows she's having a big dinner at night, she avoids eating all day. In her mind, she's saving up the calories so she'll have lots of room for her favorite foods. Unfortunately, this pattern tends to do the opposite of what Susan intended.
In reality, our bodies know how to manage fuel sources very efficiently. When you undereat during the day, your body believes it may not get enough food, so it conserves what does come in. Even if Susan eats the same total number of calories as usual, her body will store a portion of that large evening meal, causing her to gain weight.
In the same way, if you routinely follow a one-meal-a-day plan, your body will train itself to get by on a small amount of food. Eventually it adapts so well to the low-calorie level that it refuses to lose weight.
YOU HAVE NO CHOICE
During the yeas when I was working in hospitals, I knew a diabetic nurse named Ellen. While the rest of us complained that we couldn't stop for lunch, Ellen always found time to eat her meals and snacks. She said, "I don't have a choice. If I don't eat, I'll pass out and I won't be any help at all."
You don't have to be diabetic to use this strategy. Just make it a habit to tell yourself, "I have no choice." By convincing yourself that skipping meals is not an option, you'll work a lot harder to routinely take care of your fuel needs.
TODAY
- Write down the times of the day when you plan to eat your meals and snacks.
- Make an effort to eat within 30 minutes of these scheduled times. At the end of the day, review your eating patterns to see how well you did.
- If you tend to skip meals or forget to eat, set an alarm to remind yourself when it's time for fuel.
| Fri, 01-26-2007 - 8:29am |
