HINTS AND TIPS Save points by just dipping your fork tongs into salad dressing then into the salad. (no scooping the dressing on the tongs now)lol this will dramatically decrease the amount of salad dressing you use. Request teriyaki sauce instead of salad dressing. very tasty and very low in points I use heart smart squeezable butter it is 0 points for up to 4 TBS. The only draw back is that you cannot use this in recipes that need to be cooked. But it tastes great, just like Country Crock. Caffeine Contents of Various Drinks Note: these facts were obtained from the alt.drugs.caffeine FAQ. Units are mgs per 12oz can. Jolt 100.0 Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 58.8 Mountain Dew 54.0 Mello Yellow 52.8 Tab 46.8 Coca-Cola 45.6 Diet Cola 45.6 Shasta Cola 44.4 Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4 Shasta Diet Cola 44.4 Mr. Pibb 40.8 Dr. Pepper 39.6 Pepsi Cola 38.4 Aspen 36.0 Diet Pepsi 36.0 RC Cola 36.0 Diet RC 36.0 Diet Rite 36.0 Canada Dry Cola 30.0 Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2 7 Up 0 By means of comparison, a 7 oz cup of coffee has the following caffine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams in _J Am Diet_ 74:28-32, 1979: Drip 115-175 Brewed 80-135 Instant 65-100 Decaf 3-4 HELPFUL ARTICLES Slim-Down Secret by Jonny Bowden, M.A., C.N.S. When just about all nutrition professionals are in agreement about some aspect of weight control or health, my ears perk up and so should yours. We know, for example, that vegetables are in this rarefied category of "things about which there is complete agreement." What other food or supplement qualifies for this VIP status? Turns out it's not a food at all but a food journal. Most clinical nutritionists agree that it is critical to weight loss success. Here's why. When you keep a food diary, you're basically undertaking a project the sole purpose of which is to better understand you. The ancients believed that naming something allowed you to master it. Journaling gives you mastery by using the power of your own voice. In our case, the universe we're attempting to master is that of our own bodies, but the possibility exists that we'll end up mastering so much more. Fact vs. Fiction The journal helps you to crystallize what you're feeling and focus in on what is actually going on. Feelings are often diffuse, elusive, and hard to pinpoint. Separating "what happened" from the story we make up about it is easier when we write it down. (Think Sgt. Joe Friday in Dragnet: "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.") Always remember my favorite mantra: The facts don't make us miserable the meaning we attach to them (our "stories") does. I lost out on an audition. My boyfriend didn't call me. I gained ten pounds. These are simple, neutral facts. Where they get us in trouble is when we begin to make them "mean" something. "I'm a crummy actress that no one will ever hire," or "No man will ever find me attractive," or "I'm a fat slob with no will power" are examples of the "stories" that we make-up about the previously mentioned facts. A good exercise for separating fact from personal fiction is what I call the "So what?" exercise. State the "fact" that you think is upsetting you as plainly and neutrally as you can; then add the comment, "So what?" (I gained ten pounds. So what?") "SO WHAT?" the little voices in your head screams. "SO I'm a big fat slob with no will power and I'll never have a life -- that's so what!" But that is not "the fact" at all. The "fact" is this: You gained ten pounds. That you will never have a life is a story. The journal let's you clarify this all-important distinction, so that you can deal with the facts ("So what?") and leave the story behind. (Hint: The facts by themselves are NEVER as bad as the stories you tell yourself about them). Conscious Eating Food journals also have the more mundane purpose of letting us really see what goes into our mouths. A lack of consciousness is the biggest enemy of success in weight loss. Most overeating -- in fact, most eating -- is unconscious. It's a mindless, habitual, conditioned reaction to a wide variety of cues, few of which have to do with hunger. By forcing your feelings into consciousness by writing down what you're doing, when you're doing it, and how you're feeling at the time, you get the opportunity to really examine what's what and to transform automatic behavior into conscious choice. Food and Mood Journals also let us begin to make connections between food and mood. One of the problems with the American diet is that we eat so much and our physical and emotional reactions to food are often so delayed, that we lose sight of the effects food has on our moods, energy levels, and mental outlook. By making room in the journal for notes about what is happening and what we were feeling, we can also bring into clear focus just what conditions are dangerous triggers for non-nurturing eating behaviors. No Judgments Finally, for many people, the journal is one of the only places where we can really be alone with ourselves. Freed from the knowledge that someone else will see and judge what we're feeling and saying, we can make many discoveries about ourselves. We can explore feelings, behaviors, fantasies and even "unacceptable" thoughts that we spend a great deal of energy keeping hidden, not only from our loved ones but from ourselves. The journal is your private letter to yourself. Freed from the constraints of social acceptability and "proper behavior" you're able to really delve into the deepest parts of yourself. In 10 years of practice, I've yet to meet someone who gave journaling an honest try and didn't get some benefit out of it, often a benefit that was wholly unexpected yet profound. The beautiful part of it is that there's no "right" way to do it. You can scrawl angry words on a page, "say" things to parents, husbands, and loved ones that you've never been able to "say," or just make a simple old list of what you're eating and when. Be willing to be surprised by the results. You almost certainly will be. "Top 10 Tips For Fast, Healthy Weight Loss!" copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S. Most people want to lose weight as quickly as possible while not sacrificing their health in the process. Here are my top ten tips to help you accomplish that goal.. 1. Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, aerobic dancing, etc.) on a DAILY basis (preferably in the morning) for 30 to 60 minutes! It elevates several of your body's hormones that tell your body to burn more fat. It decreases hormones that tell your body to store fat. And, it gives your metabolism (basal metabolic rate) a boost and burns calories. Here's the bottom line folks - when you're sedentary, your body loves to hold on to fat. It likes to "store" as much as it can. Conversely, when you exercise, your body loves to "dump" fat. It does everything it can to get rid of fat. DAILY exercise! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Your body was designed to be active on a daily basis. When you are, the fat will go! 2. Tone your muscles with weight training three days per week. Toned muscles look great and they supercharge your metabolism! This should be done just after your aerobic exercise session so that your muscles are warm and supple and less prone to injury. 3. Do an additional 15 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in the evening, five days per week. Some people like to do this just before their dinner meal to decrease their appetite, but after dinner is fine too. In the interest of injury prevention and not getting bored with your exercise, try to alternate the type of exercise you do. For example, walking in the morning and cycling in the evening. 4. Incorporate "intervals" into most of your aerobic sessions. Intervals are a powerful tool to help boost your metabolism. they are explained in detail in my article, "Intervals for Weight Loss".. <a href=" mailto:Intervals@Landry.com ">Fit</a> 5. Develop a more active lifestyle. Look for the "hard" way to do things - the way that requires the most energy expenditure. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, a rake rather than a blower, etc. 6. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're "starving" because you haven't had food in 18+ hours (dinner meal one day to lunch meal the following day). As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism. 7. Find exercise that you enjoy doing. For example, many people enjoy walking in the beautiful outdoors, or if they don't, they make it enjoyable by listening to music or taped books, exercising with a friend, or perhaps by varying their route or the type of exercise they do. 8. Don't weigh yourself every day. Your body has daily fluid fluctuations that show on a scale day to day but aren't reflective of fat loss or gain. Weigh yourself once a week at most and preferably less than that. 9. If at all possible, exercise in the morning. 90% of people who exercise *consistently*, exercise in the morning. If you want to exercise consistently, odds are in your favor if you exercise first thing in the morning. When you exercise in the morning you'll be *energized* for the day! Read my article on morning exercise.. <a href=" mailto:Morning@Landry.com ">AM</a> Also, many people find that morning exercise "regulates" their appetite for the day - that they aren't as hungry and that they make better food choices. Many people have told me that it puts them in a "healthy mindset" 10. Train for a local 5k or 10k walk or run in your area or set higher goals and train to walk or run a marathon. This can be great motivation to exercise on a regular basis. Many of the people that are most successful at weight loss have a specific goal of participating in some type of race. Remember, achieving the goal is not in winning the race but in preparing for the race and participating! I've seen many people transformed from couch potatoes to lean, mean exercising machines, because they decided to enter and train for a competition. Don't think you can't do it.. YOU CAN! Get movin'! Caution: Always make gradual changes in the intensty and duration of your exercise sessions. Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers weight loss success stories and unique weight loss and fitness programs at his site.. <a href=" http://www.Landry.com ">Fitness</a> copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S. "Intervals for Weight Loss" copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S. If you're like most people, finding time to exercise can be a challenge, so you want to get the most out of the time you do have. Including "intervals" in your exercise routine can help you maximize your weight loss and fitness results. Intervals are brief periods (about one minute) of more intense exercise mixed into your regular aerobic exercise sessions. For example, if you're walking, you would do a one minute interval of faster walking about every five minutes throughout your exercise session. Here's how it will look.. you'll start with your normal three to five minute warm-up and then five minutes into your workout you do your first interval, one minute of faster walking (or perhaps jogging). At the end of that minute you should be "winded" and ready to slow down. You'll slow down to your normal exercising speed for the next four minutes and then your fifth minute is another one minute interval. This pattern continues throughout your exercise session. You'll derive several benefits from intervals.. 1. Intervals can help you to get past a weight loss plateau. 2. Intervals increase your aerobic fitness level by "pushing the envelope". While doing your interval you cross the anaerobic threshold into anaerobic metabolism, forcing your body to become conditioned to more intense exercise. 3. Your increased level of fitness means that a given level of exercise will feel easier and that you will be able to exercise at a higher intensity which "burns" more calories. 4. Your increased level of fitness also means that you will be less fatigued from daily activities and you'll have more "energy" throughout the day. 5. Intervals increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), causing you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. 6. Intervals cause you to "burn" more calories during your exercise session and for several hours afterwards. 7. Intervals will tone the involved muscles to a greater degree than your regular aerobic exercise would. 8. Intervals can make your exercise less monotonous and help the time pass more quickly. 9. Intervals will energize you! If you'd like to put a little excitement into your exercise, and you're looking for better results, give intervals a try! Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers weight loss success stories and unique weight loss and fitness programs at his site.. <a href=" http://www.Landry.com ">Fit</a> copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S. In order to boost your body image, build your confidence, and get a better body. You need to be active. It's essential for both looking and feeling your best. START IN FIRST GEAR A common mistake when starting a fitness program is setting expectations too high. Then you become discourage and quit when you don't reach those goals. Instead, picture a ladder, with your big goal at the top. Develop short-term goals for each run on that ladder. If your ultimate goal, for instance is to walk a 5-K race, make the first rung a 10-minute walk, and then work your way up. Each small success your realize builds your confidence about reaching the big ones. FOCUS ON BONUSES Exercise's benefits go way beyond cosmetic. When you establish a goal to lower your blood pressure or your cholesterol, for exmple, you have something besides your clothing size to measure your progress - and you'll feel better about your body on another level. SUPPORT A CAUSE Getting involved in runs, walks, or bike rides for a cause that's important to you- whether it's breast cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis-makes you feel good. It also makes you grateful that you have a healthy body that can exercise. SEIZE THOSE SECONDS Just because you don't have 45 minutes to work out doesn't man you should skip exercising entirely. Doing something is always better than nothing. It all adds up in the long run. Even if you exercise for only 10 minutes, mark it on your calendar as a day you worked out. Being consistent will make you feel better about yourself and help you lose weight. Poor body image often comes with a little sound track in your head that repeats this tune: "My weight loss efforts have never worked before, and they won't work now. I'm a failure! If you keep that negative sound track playing, you probably will fail. TALK BACK One quick way to stop the negative voices in your head is to simply tell them to quiet down. "Most people walk around putting themselves down without even realizing it. Pay attention when those self-defeating thoughts pop up. Every time your internal voice starts saying, "I'm to fat, I'm too uncoordinated, I can't do it; answer back: That's enought, I can do whatever I put my mind to". WRITE YOUR RESUME Confidence changes from situation to situation. It might be high in the office, yet low at tthe gym. You want to transfer all the assurance you can from one situation to the other. Think of it as writing your resume. You don't always have the experience a job calls for, but you do have the skills. "Write down the skills you have to succeed at a fitness plan. List attributes such as I'm a hard work, I manage my time well, I'm a fast learner. Then use these skills to suceed at your fitness program. RECOGNIZE SUCCESS Think of develooing confidence like building a house with a strong foundation brick by brick. "Each little sucess is a brick" "Calling a gym that interests you is one brick. Going to observie an aerobics class is another. Don't disregard all these liggle steps: Applaud yourself for making progress. FIND NEW FRIENDS A weight loss buddy can go a long way toward building self-confidence. The more like-minded people you have to support you, the more confident you'll feel, and the more likely you are to succeed. "Take advantage of the bullentin boards at the gym. Or you can find a fitness buddy online at Preventions Healthy ideas website www.healthyideas.com. Click into the weight loss and fitness area, then register under finding support in the weight loss program section. It's common to avoide situations that make you feel worse about yourself, such as shopping for clothes or going to parties. Feeling better about yourself requires facing those situations. Pick one thing you avoid, such as wearing a bathing suit, and take small steps to conquer that fear. First, just buy the suit. The next day, wear it around the house for 10 minutes. Later, wear it in front of a friend. Soon, you;ll feel comfortable enough to swim laps or take part in an aqua aerobics class. BE POLITE If you had a friend who said, "What a big butt you have!" every time you saw her, you wouldn't reman her friend. Don't folerate that treatment from yourself either. Every time you start putting yourself down, stop cold. Insteqad, encourage yourself as you would a friend. Say, "Yeah, my shape isn't what I would like, but I'm taking steps to change it. And that's a positive thing. DITCH THE MAGIC NUMBER Some women have their whole body image wrapped up in a number on the scale. If theyr're just a couple pounds off, they feel horrible about themselves. "Give yourself an aceptable weight range between 5 and 10 pounds, so you can have healthy, normal weight fluctuations and still feel good about your body. HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH When your're busy thinking your thighs are too big, you assume everyone else is thinking that too, so you feel self-consious. "People never judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves. If you hold your head up, smile, and project a healthy, confident person, that's what they'll see -and that's how you'll feel. YOU WALK EVERY DAY. You watch what you eat. So why are you still struggling to lose weight? The answer may be all in you head: Hating your body-a common reason for wanting to lose weight in the first place-can actually sabotage your weight loss attemps. The good news: You can learn to like your body and more than double your chances of getting slimmer. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, CA., found that people who started a weight loss program feeling happiest with their body were more than twice as likely to lose weight as their counterparts who were least satified with their body. But how do you get happy with your body before you lose weight? With Prevention's feel-good plan. Step 1: RESPECT YOUR BODY People who worry about how their body looks often avoid the bery things that can help them look and feel better, such as exercising and developing better coping skills. "Once women improve the way they feel about their body, they take better care of themselves, which helps them lose weight. LOOK IN THE MIRROR Instead of cringing every time you see yourself, start acceptin yourself. Slowly acclimate yourself to the image in the mirrow by spending a few seconds a day looking at your body clothed. Slowly wear less and less, working up to viewing yourself unclothed for a few minutes. In a few weeks, you'll become comfortable with your reflection and realize that you have some positive physical qualities. You also begin to realize that you got yourself into the shape you're in, so you can also get yourself out of it.
8 Steps to a Healthy Weight Welcome to 8 Steps to a Healthy Weight You can eat any food you like and still enjoy a nutritionally balanced diet with Winning Points. That's because foods that are "good" for you are naturally low in POINTS. Weight loss can improve your health, especially when you're doing it in a healthy way. Guide your weight-loss journey with these principles and you'll feel great! 8 Steps to a Healthy Weight 1. Pay attention to serving sizes. 2. Choose at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 3. Choose at least 2 servings of milk and milk products a day (3 if you're over 50). 4. Include protein-rich foods in your diet. 5. Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. 6. Limit alcohol, high-sugar and high-fat foods. 7. Drink at least six glasses of water every day. 8. Insure your nutritional well-being by taking a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement every day. Step 1: Serving Sizes Pay attention to serving sizes. While there's no need to measure everything you eat, you do need to be sure that the amount you're eating matches the number of POINTS you're counting for it. You can use everyday objects including plates and serving spoons to estimate portion sizes. Your hand and fingers can also be helpful guides. Use your hand to help you "guesstimate" these portion sizes: Your fist = 1 cup or 1 medium whole fruit Your thumb (tip to base) = 1 ounce of meat or cheese Your thumb (tip to first joint) = 1 tablespoon Fingertip (tip to first joint) = 1 teaspoon Index finger (first to second joint) = 1 inch Cupped hand = 1-2 ounces of nuts or pretzels Palm (minus fingers) = 3 ounces of meat, fish or poultry More Portion Tips Scoops, ladles and serving spoons often correspond to household measures and are especially helpful for portioning casseroles and the like. Serve food with ordinary kitchen utensils after you've checked the amount they hold. Eating out can be especially challenging when you're trying to control portion sizes. It can help to divide your plate into quarters, filling 1/4 with a grain-based side dish, 1/4 with your entree, and the remaining half with 0-POINTS vegetables. Misjudging portion sizes can hinder your weight loss. Recheck your portion sizes every few weeks to ensure they don't creep up in size over time. Step 2: Fruits and vegetables Choose at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Fruits and vegetables are nutritious, delicious, plus they're very low in POINTS. Lots of vegetables have 0 POINTS! Here are some whys and hows for filling your fruit and vegetable quota. More and more studies are confirming the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. From reducing the risk of heart disease to improving regularity, these foods get the green light. And recent research suggests that, for vegetables in particular, variety is the key to successful weight management. You can fill up on vegetables and fruits without spending a lot of POINTS. Most vegetables have 0 POINTS (see the box below), while starchy vegetables (like corn, green peas, and potatoes) and fruits have 1-3 POINTS per serving. As a general guide, 1/2 cup of a vegetable counts as a serving. For raw, leafy vegetables, like lettuce and spinach, a serving is 1 cup. 0-POINTS Vegetables (per cup) asparagus mixed vegetable juice beans green mushrooms (fresh) beans wax okra beets peppers (all varieties) broccoli pickles (unsweetened) Brussels sprouts pumpkin cabbage radishes cauliflower salsa celery sauerkraut cucumber scallions eggplant snow peas endive spinach escarole sprouts fast food side salad (without dressing) squash (spaghetti, summer and zucchini) greens sugar snap peas hearts of palm tomatoes leeks tomato juice lettuce turnips mixed green salad (without dressing) watercress Step 3: Milk Products Choose at least 2 servings of milk and milk products a day (3 if you're over 50). Milk and milk products are not only a terrific source of calcium, they also provide protein, zinc and other nutrients that are important to healthy weight loss. Plan on spending about 4-6 POINTS from your Daily POINTS Range to meet this guideline. If youre lactose-intolerant, look for dairy products that are labeled lactose-free or lactose-reduced. If youre not getting enough calcium, consider taking a supplement or choose foods that provide the calcium equivalent to a serving of milk (25% or more of the Percent Daily Value or Recommended Daily Intake). Calcium-Rich Foods The following chart lists foods that have about the same amount of calcium as 1 cup (or 1 serving) of milk or yogurt. When choosing these foods, be sure to count the POINTS values towards your Daily POINTS Range. Milk and Milk Products Calcium-Rich Foods & POINTS Cappuccino,* 1 grande 2-4points Cereal bar, calcium-fortified 2-4 points Cereal, fortified, 1 cup 2 points Cheese: cottage cheese,* 2 cups 6-10 points hard or semi-soft,* any type, 1 1/2 oz 2-4points ricotta,* 1/2 cup 2-6points Dairy shake, reduced-calorie,* 1 packet 2points Hot cocoa, instant, calcium-fortified, 6 fl oz 1-2points Juice, calcium-fortified, 1 cup 2points Latte,* tall 2-5points Meal replacement/nutrition supplement products: bar for weight loss, 1 (1 oz) 3points drink,* 1 cup 5points drink for weight loss (prep. from powder using ff milk, or canned),* 1 cup 3points Milk shake, fast food,* 1 (10 fl oz) 9points Pudding, reduced-calorie (made with fat-free or 1% milk),* 1 cup 2points Rice drink, calcium-fortified, 1 cup 2-4points Soy milk, calcium-fortified, 1 cup 2-3points Waffle, low-fat, frozen, calcium-fortified, 3point *Counts as 1 serving of milk products. Step 4: Protein-Rich Foods Include protein-rich foods in your diet. In addition to the protein you get from having 2-3 servings of milk products each day, you should also include additional sources of protein in your eating plan. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dry beans, soy products, and nuts are all terrific sources of protein. Choose lean cuts of meats to get the biggest portion per POINTS and limit saturated fat. When looking for lean cuts, choose the loin, round or leg and trim visible fat. Take the skin off poultry (either before or after cooking). Protein Sources Did you know that you get protein from lots of different foods? While meat, meat alternatives, and dairy products are especially rich in this important nutrient, you also get some protein when you eat breads, grains, cereals and vegetables. Step 5: Grains Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. These nutritious, delicious foods form the foundation of a healthy diet. Whole grains provide fiber, other nutrients and protective factors that are often missing from their refined counterparts. In addition, the fiber can help to fill you up faster and keep you satisfied longer. Look for foods that are labeled "whole grain" on the package and choose them often. Whole grain foods & POINTS 1 cup cooked brown rice 4points 1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta 3points 1 cup cooked oatmeal 3points 1 slice whole wheat bread 2points 1 cup whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal 2points 1 (6-inch) corn tortilla 1points 3 cups air-popped popcorn 1points 3/4 cup bran flakes 1points 1 slice reduced-calorie whole wheat bread point Step 6: Alcohol, High-Sugar and High-Fat Foods Limit alcohol, high-sugar, and high-fat foods. This is one area where most of us eat more than we should. That doesn't mean, however, you can't include them in your menus. Simply choose your POINTS carefully and keep portions moderate so that you enjoy the pleasure of these foods without hampering your nutritional well-being. Sugars, syrups and oils are often added to food during processing or preparation. The only way you can tell if they've been added is by reading the ingredient listing. For sugars and syrups, look for ingredients such as corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, and malt syrup. To limit saturated fats, it's a good idea to steer toward liquid oils and away from solid fats and hydrogenated fats when selecting foods. To avoid the ill-health effects associated with alcohol, experts recommend that alcoholic beverages be limited to no more than one a day for women and two a day for men, and that they be enjoyed with meals. Step 7: Water Drink at least 6 glasses of water every day. It's refreshing, can help curb your appetite and has 0 POINTS. Any type of water plain, sparking, club soda and unsweetened, flavored seltzer counts. You can also have 3 of your 6 glasses as juice, milk, decaffeinated beverages, or any other beverage that doesn't contain alcohol. These 6 tips will help you get your 6 glasses of water a day: 1. Carry it around. Buy a large, plastic, refillable bottle and take it with you wherever you go. Fill it with two thirds ice and one third water, and it should stay cool for a good part of the day. 2. Flavor it. Add slices of fresh lemon or lime for a little zing. Or freeze orange, cranberry or grapefruit juice in an ice-cube tray, then toss a few juice cubes into a glass of sparkling mineral water. 3. Make iced tea. Steep caffeine-free tea bags such as peppermint-lemon or mango passion in a large pitcher of water for a few hours in the sun. Add a twist of lemon and some ice and enjoy. 4. See it, sip it. Fill a pitcher with water and leave it on your desk or kitchen table. The more you see it, the more you're likely to drink it. 5. Make it a ritual. Plan to drink one glass of water with breakfast, lunch and dinner that's an easy three down. 6. Take water breaks. Set a timer to ring every hour or two on your computer or watch, reminding you to drink up. Step 8: Multiple Vitamin-Mineral Supplements Insure your nutritional well-being by taking a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement every day. Reading the labels will help you choose a product that's right for you. Here are some extra tips to take note of: Choose a general formula that provides you with no more than 100% of the Percent Daily Value (%DV), Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI), or Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). A single serving of any food that's been fortified to provide at least 26% of the Percent Daily Value (%DV), Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI), or Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) can be used in place of the multiple-mineral supplement. Fortified foods that "count" as the multiple vitamin-mineral supplement & POINTS Cereal, ready-to-eat, fortified, 1 cup 2points Meal replacement/nutrition supplement products: bar for weight loss, 1 (1 oz) 3points drink, 1 cup 5points drink for weight loss (prepared from powder using ff milk, or canned), 1 cup 3points Many people take additional dietary supplements for personal and medical reasons. You should follow your physician's advice for supplements in addition to the recommendations made here. I finally got around to reading First for Women - 12/31/01 issue. An inter esting article on eating for your type. And it definitely could fit in nic ely with WW. You ask yourself 3 questions: #1 - If I eat a light breakfas t: A. I'm famished by midmorning and have trouble controlling my appetite or B. I'm hungry, but I can still wait for lunch. #2 - I'm comfortable o n a calorie-restricted diet as long as I can eat a large: A. Breakfast or lunch. or B. dinner. #3 My food cravings are at their worst: A. By mid-af ternoon. or B In the evening. If you are mostly A's it means you are a ty pe A Plan and If you are B's you are a Type B plan. Both plans suggest hav ing about 45% carbs, 30% fat, and 25% protein. But type A's space out thei r day this way: Breakfast - 1 fat, 1 carb, 2 protein, 8 oz skim milk Lunch - 1 fat, 1 carb, 2 protein, 8 oz. skim milk, 1/2 c fruit Dinner - 1 fat, 1 carb, 3 protein, 1 c fruit And Type B's look like this Breakfast - 1 fat, 1 carb 1 protein 1 c fruit Lunch - 1 fat, 2 protein, 8 oz skim milk 1/2 c fruit Dinner, 1 fat 1 carb 4 protein 8 oz skim milk I answered the questions and I'm a type B. A very noticeable difference be tween the two is that more protein is given at lunch and dinner for type B' s - also no fruit at dinner for type B's. The higher protein towards the l atter half of the day is what keeps you from being a binge eater after dinn er. When you look at your journals, you can look at them with another perspecti ve if you are having trouble losing your weight or staying on track. I kno w that most of you are using the new points system, but sometimes we forget to see what we are eating and how our points are distributed. So this is just some "food for thought". Flowersun in Florida WW Start Date 1/2/02 - Lifetime over goal Tuesday, January 22, 2002; Page HE02 Imagine if a few scribbles daily could help control weight. Sounds too hokey to be true, doesn't it? Well, think again. Just jotting down what you eat each day is scientifically proven to be one of the most powerful predictors of not just losing weight but also keeping off pounds long-term. For this reason, recording the food you eat -- not limiting it -- is the newest goal for The Lean Plate Club Everyday Challenge. The challenge is designed to promote more healthful eating and a less-sedentary lifestyle with an eye toward holding the line against weight gain. Do that alone and you'll be ahead of the game, since most Americans gain a little weight every year. And if you happen to also shed a few unneeded pounds, that's okay, too. (For earlier installments of the Everyday Challenge, which began Jan. 8, go to www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/health/columns/leanplateclub/.) Numerous studies show that "people who keep the most food records lose the most weight," says Victor J. Stevens, assistant director for epidemiology and disease prevention at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. Turns out that simply jotting down what you consume each day focuses your attention on -- what else? -- food. Yes, it's simple and, yes, it works. "Just that act alone is very helpful," Stevens says. "It provides awareness and accountability." It also tends to reduce mindless consumption of calories throughout the day, helps promote the scrutiny of nutrition facts on food labels and highlights the huge portion sizes that have become standard fare. "People come in and say, 'I had no idea that macaroni and cheese had this much fat, or that I was eating three servings of meat instead of two,' " says psychologist Tracy Sbrocco, who uses food records as part of a weight-loss research program at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. "They learn that their portion sizes are way off the mark." So beginning this week, record the amount and type of food and drink that passes your lips. It's important to record everything, even those "harmless" little candy snacks you sneak during the workday, or those morsels you eat right from the carton standing in front of the open refrigerator. (We've been watching.) For each thing you do, write down the food and amount (using product labels, measuring cups, a diet scale or some other way to get an accurate measure of your intake). How you record what you eat is up to you. Studies show it doesn't matter whether you use low-tech paper and pencil or one of the new high-tech computer programs now available online or downloadable to hand-held devices. You may want to carry a pocket notebook, place a clipboard in the kitchen or get one of the many portable food diaries you see in book stores. "One of my most successful weight-loss clients wrote everything she ate on 3-by-5-inch cards that she kept in her pocket," Stevens says. "Any method that you can stick with is the right method for you." Don't change your eating patterns -- and be honest in your records. Making yourself appear to eat more healthfully than you do is a fool's game. Just jot down what and how much you consume. There's also no need to count calories -- at least not yet. The goal this week is just designed to make you more aware of what you eat. (If you feel compelled to count calories, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index at www.usda.gov/cnpp/, which counts calories, tells how your daily fare stacks up against the Food Guide Pyramid and will save up to 20 days of meal data online. Bookstores also carry many printed guides that include nutritional information for common foods.) If you really want to be daring, show your daily food intake log to a buddy. Stevens and his colleagues have found that doing so improves accountability even more than tracking it by yourself. In the meantime, be sure to keep up the new, healthy habits that you've already begun under the Everyday Challenge: Continue eating those five servings a day of fruit and vegetables and be sure to drink enough fluids -- figure on about five to eight cups of water daily. The new exercise goal for Week Three is simply to add a couple minutes -- target 14 minutes a day -- to the daily routine. Remember, you don't have to get this activity all at once. Don't miss the opportunity to meet your goal with lifestyle exercise: Walk the dog, take the stairs, walk to work, sweep the front walk, get off Metro a stop early and hike the rest of the way, take your kids to the playground -- and go down the slide, too. Eating five servings of fruit and veggies a day, drinking five to eight cups of water, recording your food intake and getting 14 minutes daily of exercise. Meet those goals to keep up with the Everyday Challenge and you're well on your way to a healthier lifestyle -- and, if you need or want it, maybe even losing a little weight, too. -- Sally Squires How are you meeting the Everyday Challenge? Share your tips -- or ask a question about any aspect of healthy eating -- when Sally Squires hosts The Lean Plate Club, our weekly online chat about healthy eating, today at 1 p.m. on www.washingtonpost.com.
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