Diet

Go Ahead… Eat That Beef!!

on January 28th, 2012 by Rob

When I was doing the People Magazine interview… the first one, the reporter asked me what I ate. She wanted to know if fast food was a problem for me. I could not deny that I did eat some fast food, but I told her that this was not the real problem.

For me the real problem is Steak. Yep… I try to eat it as often as I can. The problem for me before I lost any weight was that I was eating it three times a week… and I was not exactly eating a lean cut. I like rib-eyes- the most marbled part of the cow I think.

Well, as it turns out, I really just have to modify my steaks a little. You see…Harvard researchers recently discovered that while eating processed meats like hotdogs and bacon can contribute to heart disease, there is no such risk for people who consume only unprocessed meat. And many studies have linked protein consumption with weight loss.

Also, meat is one of the only dietary sources of vitamin B12, which helps your body make blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system. But here is the tricky part– Eating too much saturated fat has been linked to heart disease, so go ahead and eat that steak, but make it a NY strip or something even more lean. And eat it only once a week.

Remember to Get Up!! Get Moving!! And Get a Better Life!!!

more

Eat Your Whole Wheat Bread!!

on January 23rd, 2012 by Rob

I know… It’s not as good. It really isn’t. But, it IS good enough.

A couple of days ago, I had to use some white bread for something. My wife had bought a loaf for some recipe she was working on (don’t ask me why she didn’t substitute whole wheat) and I was out of bread. I REALLY wanted a ham sandwich. So, I did the substituting. It was REALLY good.

When people ask me how I did it. How did I lose the weight. Part of that answer is WHOLE GRAIN.

So, don’t let anyone tell you that bread will make you fat. A recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that overweight people who obtained all of their grain servings from whole grains lost more belly fat than those who skipped the whole grains altogether.

The thing is- or one thing is that eating whole grain has a lot more fiber… and fiber fills you up and keeps you filled up.

Oh, and make sure to NOT buy the “fake” wheat bread. Check the label and make sure that the word ENRICHED is nowhere to be found in the ingredients list.

Remember to Get up!!! Get moving!! and Get a better life!!!— and eat that whole grain.

more

How Kids Learn to Hate Food-

on December 28th, 2011 by Rob

Well, the good folks in Congress have done it again.

A couple of weeks ago, Congress killed the Department of Agriculture’s new food guidelines that would have increased the amount of fruit and vegetables in school lunches. This was after Schwan and ConAgra spend millions “convincing” our Congressmen and Women that it was a bad idea. Oh, and they also lobbied to continue to count french fries as a vegtable… and the sauce on pizza as a vegtable. Pretty hard to believe.

Now some said that it was “not up to the nanny state to tell us what to eat”. And by the way, I think that the nanny state is a problem in this country. There are too many instances where the government is getting into our business where it does not belong. However, in this case—- do we really need ConAgra telling us what to eat??

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good french fry as much as anyone. But I just think that it is too much to ask for these corporations to “do the right thing”.

Remember kids!!! Get up!! Get Moving!! And Get a Better Life!!!

more

Why Diets Fail

on December 23rd, 2011 by Rob

I know you have heard me say it before… but this is a lifestyle change- not a diet. To me, this is the most importaint, basic part of my weight loss experience.

If I was to try to go on a diet, then inevitably, I would go off of that diet- and then, well, you know what happens!!!!

Besides, it looks like, according to some really smart guys, that when we diet, we are putting our bodies in a situation that they will resist.

Over the course of my life, I have noticed that my body kind of “settles into a weight”. Now, what I mean by that is that I can eat and eat and eat, and I will not gain any weight. Then all of a sudden, I will gain 15-20lbs- only to kind of level out, stay at that weight for quite some time- until it is time to gain some more. Very strange. It is almost like my body is searching for a sweet spot that it likes. Almost like this is set by God.

Well, as it turns out, this may not be too far from the truth. It seems that Australian researchers got together a group of 50 overweight folks. The researchers put them on a strict diet designed to help them lose weight, which they did. Then, a year later, the researchers went back and tested them again. WOW!!! The hormone levels, like ghrelin (a hunger stimulant) and leptin (which keeps appetite in check) had changed DRAMATICALLY— to slow their metabolism and intensify feelings of hunger. These hormones were working to get the weight back on!! A year later!!!!

All I can say is that dieting is NOT going to work. We all need to watch what we eat— but the main thing we need to do is to EXERCISE!!!

Get up!!! Get moving!!! Get a better life!!!!! Despite the hormones!!

more

Turkey Day!! 4 Ways to Get Through It!!

on November 21st, 2011 by Rob

I just read on my handy day by day trivia calendar that there is a day in the U.S. that surpasses Super Bowl Sunday for food consumption. Thanksgiving. Well, that does figure. The whole thing was built on the assumption that the way to celebrate and give thanks is to eat yourself into a diabetic coma. Fair enough… I like to do that on Thanksgiving and then watch some football as I fall asleep. It makes for a good time.

Well, if we can, we need to watch it. I am not saying that we shouldn’t have a good time and eat as much as we want on Thanksgiving. But the fact of the matter is that we seem to just keep on going right through the new year.

See- it’s the leftovers… all the Turkey sandwiches and turkey and dressing and all the other ‘’stuff” that we eat for the rest of the next two weeks.

Then you know what happens, you start in on the holiday parties. Yep, it can get pretty out of hand. Then Christmas comes along and we do it all again…. just 3-4 weeks later. Oh, and don’t forget new year. Have another cocktail.

Well, what we need is a little help getting through these situations. Here are some strategies.

1. Don’t go hungry! Eat a little bit BEFORE you go to the holiday party. That way you won’t over do it when you get there because you are so hungry.

2. Shop smart- When you go to the store to get some of the stuff for turkey day, get WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS, LOW FAT COTTAGE CHEESE, SKIM MILK. Shaving a few calories here and there can really make a difference.

3. Enjoy the meal. I always try to pick the things that I like the best… and skip the things that don’t really do it for me. For example, I can live without green bean casarole in the sea of mushroom soup- but live without the pecan pie??? Forget it. I will skip the beans and have a small piece of pie- because that is the second part of this- watch your portion sizes. If you don’t have the pie (or whatever it is that really does it for YOU) then you’ll just end up pissed off—- then you might go on a pie bender. (That is what I would do).

4. I say this time and again during the year- and it goes double for the holidays. Don’t beat yourself up. It is normal to want to eat some of those special things durring the holidays. If you do slip up and do something you shouldn’t, give yourself a break and start over immediately. Don’t wait till after the new year.

Finally- remember to work-out during this time of year. It is so easy to say “To heck with it, I will start again in January.” Don’t do it!!! Keep going. Start again immediately.

Get up!! Get moving!!! Get a better life!!! Even during the holidays!

more

Denmark institutes the “Fat Tax”

on October 19th, 2011 by Rob

O.K.- This headline was difficult to ignore. And, it is not a tax on fat PEOPLE, it is literally a tax on FAT.

As it turns out, the Danes already have a tax that is higher on sugar, chocolate and soft drinks – and this is not that unusual. There are several European Union countries that have these taxes. However, it appears that Denmark is the first to tax the fat. Now, the information that I have does not explicitly say that the end user will be taxed directly (I am talking about the guy that goes in to eat a burger)… but you can bet it will be passed along.

It is not very much. The tax translates to about $2.90 per kilo (2.2 lbs) of fat… primarily saturated fat. The health minister in Denmark says that this is an important step towards increasing the life expectancy of Danes. Right now they are a little below the European Union at 79 years. (Just as a side note, they also have a tax on tobacco).

I don’t know if these work. I mean, it seems like it might in theory. However, the research that I have done suggests that the price of a hamburger will go up about 0.15. I am not sure that that would discourage me. However, to the entrepreneur  that is purchasing his hamburger meat for his restaurant— and the fatty meat just got a little more expensive per pound— don’t know, might work.

more

Why Are We a Fast Food Nation!

on October 10th, 2011 by Rob

These days we all walk into fast food joints (I know I pick on McDonald’s a lot- but they are easy to pick on)… and we see a lot of choices. In fact, we see some healthy choices.

Remarkably, we see more and more healthy choices every day from these guys…. including McDonald’s. We see salads and we see fat free and low fat dressing. We see grilled chicken as a choice, instead of the fried variety.

But here’s the thing. Even though we have all this to choose from, still, most people opt for the burger and fries. Why is that?

I think there are a couple of reasons.

1. Food addiction. I think that this is more prevalent that we think it is. It is a tough one because we HAVE to eat. It is impossible to stop. It is easy to stop doing Cocaine… well, not easy to stop but you know what I mean. You don’t HAVE to have Cocaine to live.

2. Lack of self-esteem. Now, obviously this is not an across the board truth… but it is for me. When I was at my heaviest, I was not liking myself very much. I was struggling with depression and eating was a way to self medicate.In order to lose weight, in order to take better care of myself, I had to change the way I was thinking. I had to RE-FRAME my thoughts. I never would have thought that losing weight would help me that much, but I did. I am more confident as a Father, as a Husband and as a Professional person… now that I have lost weight.

This lack of self-esteem was very elusive to me. Very hard for me to see it until it was in the past.

These two go hand in hand. Once again, not necessarily the case for everyone that is overweight, but it was for me.

Remember, Get up!! Get moving! Get a better life!! Even if you are not sure that you need it!

more

It’s getting worse!

on September 20th, 2011 by Rob

I have a stunning statistic for you today…. by the year 2030, we are looking at an obesity rate of 45% to 52%! That is astounding. Right now in the U.S. we have an average rate of about 30%-33%- on a good day. This speaks volumes about the rate at which we are becoming a super-sized nation. The trend is not good. Obesity is defined as someone that is roughly 30lbs overweight. Right now in the U.S. we have about 99 million people that are overweight. This trend would increase that to about 164 million. Nice.I

You think we have health care problems now. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. This will be an epidemic that no one can fix. We have to stop this ride NOW if we want to avoid the all the heart disease, cancer and type two diabetes that is to come. The check is in the mail.

I think that this is due to a couple of factors. I think most important of these is the sedentary life-style that most of us live and the high-calorie junk food that surrounds us. LITERALLY SURROUNDS US! It is everywhere. And we are starting to get our kids involved too.

Now, I am not going to be hypocritical… I will tell you that I occasionally take my kids to McDonald’s. They like it and they like the toys. But this is very limited. I think that we can make so much progress as a society and individually if we would just eat at home more. Whole grains, fruit and vegetables are going to be the key ingredients of this battle.

On top of that, it is critical that we Get up!! Get moving!! And have a better life!!!

more

Don’t Add Those Extra Pounds at College

on September 2nd, 2011 by Rob

I swear, I think this is me from my freshman year!!! Well, not sure I was ever this thin but you get the idea.

I have said many times that college is really not a place to learn. It is a place to practice. Practice life that is. For many… including me, it is or was the first time away from home. It was the first time that I was able to make choices completely on my own. I didn’t do such a good job.

See… I went to Ole Miss. A place that one of my friends has described as Disneyland with a bar. It really is the happiest place on earth… except Sunday afternoons when you are hung-over and you have a paper due and you can’t believe what you did last night… and “What!?!?!?! I hit on who??????? —— different story for a different day. But you get the idea. I for one did not make those good choices.

Well, how do you make them? Believe me, I know it is much easier to go to Wendy’s and get something than to cook. Almost impossible to cook in a dorm room and frankly, my apartment was not much better. Not because it was not equipped…. because I was not equipped. See, my Mom had done all my cooking up to that point.

Well, here are a couple of tips to help you along.

1. Two words- FRESH FRUIT. Easy as easy can be. Honest to God… all you have to do is run it under the water and you eat it. Grapes, apples, peaches—- geeesh, if you go with a banana you don’t even have to stick it under the water.

2. Salads at the fast food joint. Just don’t get all the dressing on there. Worst part of a salad and can make it WORSE than a burger.

3. Chicken and baked potatoes at the fast food joint. These were the staple of my diet when I was in the People Magazine Weight Loss Challenge. I would go to Back Yard Burger regularly and get a Blackened Chicken Sandwich, baked potato with just a little butter and un-sweet tea. Worked like a charm.

4. Nuts- eat these as snacks, weather it is in your dorm or your car. Just watch the portion sizes as they can be full of fat. But overall, I promise you these are better than Twinkies!!! No brainer.

These are just a couple of tips that you can use. Also, get to the gym. Most colleges of any size are going to have a gym for students. Probably part of your tuition that you can use it…. or maybe your activity fee. You are paying for it (or at least your parents are) so you might as well use it. Go there. Hang out. You can find some people to work out with. Play basketball with. Get moving with. When you go away to college, you will be meeting all kinds of new people- might as well be the right kinds. Use it as an opportunity to make “work-out” friends if you have never had them before.

Most of all, make the right choices about alcohol. I want everyone to have a good time and to fit in and make friends and chase girls and all that… but for the love of God, take it easy. Young people’s minds are effected by alcohol differently than older people.

Remember, Dean Wormer says that fat,drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.

Get up!! Get moving! Have a better life!!!!!

more

Mindless eating!!

on August 20th, 2011 by Rob

I do this, but it is usually with wings!!

O.K.- Do you do this?? Sometimes I am sitting there, minding my own business…. watching the Braves on a random Tuesday night- and I look down and (very southern phrase coming up) low and behold, I have hoovered (I love that word- so descriptive) a whole jar of peanuts.

The fact of the matter is that before I lost any weight, it was more like Nilla Wafers. Do you realize that it was a common occurrence for me to sit down with a box and wipe it out…. in one sitting while I was watching something on T.V.? This was nothing for me.

This happens. It happens to the best of us. This is mindless eating and in order to lose weight- in order to have a better life, we have to STOP IT!!

So, what can we do? How can we get off of that train BEFORE it leaves the station? Well, I have some tips. I don’t always follow these, but I do most of the time and it really helps.

1. Go with smaller plates. Or just plates. One of my biggest things was eating “out of the box”- and no, it is not anything like thinking out of the box. It is NOT a good thing. If I just go get 4 Oreos… put them in a bowl and go watch T.V.- I can somehow avoid having 27- it is just not as easy to get them, so I have to stop and make an effort to go get them. Gives me an opportunity to say- “Hey, I am not really hungry anymore- I can pass.”

2. Don’t eat while watching T.V.- Well, it is an idea. But if you are like me, then T.V. and sports and eating chicken wings – all hand in hand. Almost sacreligious to NOT eat while watching the game. But once again- I think that the best way to combat this is to not carry the whole bag of chips into the other room with you. Fix it in the kitchen and then be done with it. Oh, and yes, using a small plate helps. It tricks your body into thinking that you have eaten more than you have. “I had a whole plate.”

3. Slow down. It takes about 20 minutes for our stomach to send signals to our brain (if it happens at all) telling us that we are full. If you eat too fast, then you will eat more and more before you get the message to STOP! So, slowing down will help you to “listen to what your stomach is telling you.”

It is a fact that most people (not just obese people) will eat the amount that they are served. If you will follow these tips- you will eat less, think more and:

Get up! Get moving!!! Have a better life!!

more