Dining Out Tips

Does your favorite restaurant serve piles of tempting foods on platters rather than plates? Are the biggie-sized meals at fast food restaurants trapping you into overeating? How do you deal with a bountiful breadbasket? Eating out is fun and relaxing, but you can make it healthier. Use these tried and true suggestions the next time you lock up the kitchen and step out for a meal:

• Never go out while hungry. You’ll find yourself nibbling on everything that comes your way.
• Foods that are grilled, baked, steamed or broiled provide healthy, flavorful alternatives. Ask how an entrée is prepared to ensure that your selection is not swimming in butter or other fattening sauce.
• For pasta selections, choose a marinara sauce instead of a white cream sauce.
• Order a healthy appetizer, salad, or small-sized entrée for your meal.
• Select white chicken or turkey meat rather than dark meat, and have the skin removed.
• Avoid the "all you can eat" and buffet-style restaurants.
• Split a meal with a friend.
• Get a doggie bag before the meal and put in a portion of the food when it is first served.
• Avoid foods that have been prepared in heavy cream.
• Eat slowly! Put your fork down between bites. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to realize that it is full.
• Order your salad or potato with the dressing, butter, sour cream, gravy and other extras on the side.
• Trim all visible fat from meat.
• Select fresh fruit, sorbet or frozen yogurt for dessert.
• Watch the alcohol… it is loaded with calories and can lower your defenses against food, causing you to eat more.
• Beware of the breadbasket. It comes early and can be refilled several times. Ask that it be brought with the meal and limit yourself to one serving.
• Water is your best beverage choice. Order diet pop, tea, and coffee with artificial sweetener. Go light on the sugar and cream.
• Don’t be afraid to special order menu items.

The key is to plan what to order in advance and stick to it. Decide on your priorities before going to the restaurant and avoid looking at the entire menu. Find what you had decided on and close the issue. Then, simply do the best you can with some smart choices. If you came for the burritos, then avoid the beans and rice. If you are there for the cheesecake, order a light meal or salad, with dressing on the side. With a few simple strategies, dining out does not have to totally destroy your dieting efforts.

INDOOR LOCATION

The 5:45AM class with be heading indoors starting next session Oct. 20th at the West Burnaby United Church (6050 Sussex) - YAY!

No more cold, wet mornings in the dark. Keep in mind, we will still be venturing outdoors for the majority of class, so come prepared to class with appropriate workout gear - light water-proof layers.

ATTENTION PM:
Unfortunately, the church is not able to accommodate our evening class until mid November. I apologise to those of you who are registered for the night class - we will still be meeting outdoors. We will be meeting at the Marlborough Elementary School on the Corner of Grange and Nelson (a few blocks from the United Church. There is a few uncover areas that are roomy and dry enough to accommodate our class until we are able to venture indoors.

Here is a map to the Church meeting spot:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Burnaby+&state=BC&address=6050+Sussex+Avenue

Curb your sweet tooth

Do you feel like you're constantly giving in to your sweet tooth? Are your cravings so constant that they're hard to ignore? Like any other habit, turning to sugar can be a tough one to kick. It seems like the more sweets and desserts you have, the more you are waiting for the next hit. Where does the battle end?

There isn't a single cure-all to this problem, but in general, the less sweets you eat, the less you'll crave them. So how do you get to that point? Here are a few tips that just might help you pull your own sweet tooth once and for all.

• Try to find a substitute. Generally, people tend to crave sweets after a meal or as a pick-me-up in the late afternoon. It might be helpful to have something else there and ready to fight off those cravings. For example, peppermint tea might work in the evening, a box of raisins in the afternoon, a piece of fruit, or anything else that you can think of that would be somewhat nutritious and easy to keep with you. If you must have "sweet," go with something that's naturally sweet, such as dried fruit or even 100% fruit juice.
• Set daily goals and reward yourself for meeting them. To a sugar addict, nothing is tougher than getting through the day without a sugary treat. The longer you can hold out, the easier it will become, so try to find a reward that would be worth holding out for. I did this about a year ago and gave myself a dollar for every day that I did not indulge in sweets, and at the end of the month, I would go get a manicure or buy myself something nice.
• Recruit someone to do it with you. If you are married or have a family, this would be a healthy habit for everyone to adopt. Clean out the cupboards and refrigerator of unhealthy foods and tempting treats. Make it a team effort. Hold each other accountable and support one another through the tough times.
• Put yourself in good situations. If you are one who loves to use the vending machines at work or will drive through the local gas station to fill up on snacks, then try to do things in a new way to prevent yourself from falling into old habits. Clean out all of the change in your wallet so you aren't able to feed the vending machine. Go grocery shopping after a meal, so you don’t load up on unhealthy foods.
  

As hard as it might be to believe, you CAN quit the sugar habit. Not only will you probably lose some weight, but you will feel better and more energetic.

Good luck!

Uncovering Hidden Sugar

Ready for a little experiment? Grab that jar of sugar, a measuring spoon, a plate and a can of regular soda. Then, dump one teaspoon of sugar onto the plate. Repeat this nine more times. Do you know what you have, besides a mess? The amount of sugar in one 12-ounce can of soda! Just look at that mound!

Now locate the sugar listing on the soda's nutrition label—40 grams. Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon. Do the math. That innocent can of pop contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and 160 empty calories.

Even if you don’t drink regular soda, the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every day. That sugar alone adds up almost 500 extra calories—about 25% of the average person's caloric intake. WOW!

Less is More
So how much should you limit your sugar intake? Several health organizations suggest that added sugar should be limited to no more than 10 percent of your total calories. This does not include naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) and dairy products (lactose). The chart below lists the maximum recommended daily sugar intake based on various calorie levels.

Maximum Sugar Intake

Daily Calorie Intake	Grams	Teaspoons
1200	30	7.5
1500	37	9
1800	45	11
2100	52	13
2400	60	15
2700	67	17

Deciphering Labels
It can be confusing to try to find out how much added sugar a food contains. The sugar listing on a Nutrition Facts label lumps all sugars together, including naturally-occurring milk and fruit sugars, which can be deceiving. This explains why, according to the label, one cup of milk has 11 grams of sugar even though it doesn't contain any sugar “added” to it.

To determine how much sugar has been added to a food product, follow these two tips:

• Read the ingredients list. Learn to identify terms that mean added sugars, including sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, honey, invert sugar, maple syrup, raw sugar, beet sugar, cane sugar, corn sweeteners, evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, malt, molasses, and turbinado sugar.
• Refer to the chart below for approximate amounts of hidden sugar in foods.

Hidden Sugars in Foods

Food	Serving Size	Added Sugar
Cakes and Cookies
Angel food cake	4 oz piece	7 tsp
Banana Cake	4 oz piece	2 tsp
Brownie, no icing	1 oz piece	4 tsp
Cheesecake	4 oz piece	2 tsp
Chocolate cake, iced	4 oz piece	10 tsp
Chocolate chip cookie	1 cookie	2 tsp
Coffee cake	4 oz piece	5 tsp
Cupcake, iced	4 oz piece	6 tsp
Fig Newtons	1 cookie	5 tsp
Gingersnaps	1 cookie	3 tsp
Glazed doughnut	1 doughnut	6 tsp
Oatmeal cookie	1 cookie	2 tsp
Candies
Chocolate candy bar	1 bar	7 tsp
Chocolate mint	1 piece	2 tsp

Eating out doesn't have to be hazardous to your waistline

Before you eat out check to see if the restaurant has their nutritional information is listed on their website.

Here are a few that I know of - feel free to add any that you may know of:

Starbucks - http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_freshfood.asp
Milestones - http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/starters-and-share-plates.html
Joeys Med Grill - http://www.joeysmedgrill.com/joeysexperience/nutritionalinformation

FAQ: Weight Loss

FAQ:

Q: Since I started hitting the gym more often, I feel famished and I'm eating all the time. What gives?

A: The increase in appetite may be your body's way of trying to replace the calories you're burning off (it should subside in a few weeks). It could also be that you feel entitled to more food as a reward for your hard work. A growling tummy is no reason to stop getting sweaty, though. Exercise promotes health and can speed weight loss. First make sure you're not thirsty (which is likely after a workout). If water doesn't help, try low-cal foods like peppers or juicy fruit like oranges to satisfy your taste buds without undoing all that time on the treadmill.

Q: I'm dieting, but my weight loss has stalled. How can I jump-start it?

A: You've hit the dreaded plateau, which occurs when your metabolism slows to match your lower calorie intake. You can make simple tweaks to your diet—without having to cut calories—to get the scale moving again. By adding more lean protein and trimming carbs and fat, you'll enjoy the same amount of food but burn more calories. That's because protein revs metabolism more than carbs or fat. Instead of pretzels, grab a handful of protein-packed nuts.

Q: What should I do first when my weight starts to creep up?

A: First, identify the reasons for the change. Some culprits are easy to spot, such as canoodling with Ben & Jerry, but a food diary can help you uncover subtler sources of added calories, like inflated portions or extra cocktails. Scaling back your intake to your pregain level should halt or even reverse the trend, but for faster results, also try these three easy calorie-trimmers:
Make every sandwich open-faced. Bypass the top slice of bread to save 70 calories. If you eat a sandwich a day for lunch, you'll shave off 490 calories a week.

Eat slowly. Turn off the TV, have a seat and savor the flavor of every bite. Research shows that women take in about 67 fewer calories per meal when they slow down.
Skip salad dressing. Use balsamic vinegar instead. Dressing can be 75 or more calories per tablespoon, so this trick saves at least 150 calories per salad. You're feeling lighter already!

Q: I've heard caffeine can rev your metabolism. Is this true?

A: Yes, it's true, but caffeine has never been proved to aid in weight loss. That's because the boost you get is tiny and temporary, usually not enough to make a dent in your calorie burn. That said, a shot of caffeine can give your workout a jolt: Research shows that having as little as 100 milligrams—approximately the amount in a cup of coffee—helps serious exercisers work out harder and longer, possibly by increasing alertness and diminishing fatigue. (Now-and-then exercisers weren't studied, so it's not known if they'll gain the same lift.) Researchers also speculate that caffeine may stimulate muscles to contract differently during exercise. But don't adopt a coffee habit merely to fuel workouts. Caffeine in high doses can increase blood pressure and irritate the stomach. And take a pass on weight loss supplements with caffeine: They may contain high doses and other ingredients that can further raise blood pressure—not a healthy idea for anyone.

Q: How can I shake these last 5 pounds?

A: Use my 25 percent solution: Leave 25 percent of your meal on the plate at lunch and dinner (only nonstarchy veggies such as spinach, broccoli and peppers are exempt from the rule), and increase your workout time by 25 percent. Little changes can add up: If you eat 6 ounces of sirloin instead of 8 and only 3/4 of a baked potato, you trim nearly 200 calories off your meal. Do this every day for a month and you will shave off 3 pounds. Factor in the extra exercise, too, and you'll be well on your way to dropping those final 5.

Q: What's the biggest dieting mistake?

A: Not eating enough. Going below 1,000 calories a day can backfire because it's nearly impossible to maintain such a restrictive diet. Even if you're able to stick to a starvation plan, it's counterproductive: Your metabolism hits the brakes when your body detects too little food coming in, which impedes weight loss efforts long-term. Plus, your body may eventually begin to raid its own muscle stores for the energy it needs. The best news I can give dieters: You can eat plenty of healthy foods and still lose weight.

Q: I am watching my calories and wondering what my best bet is: beer, liquor or wine?

A: Ounce for ounce, beer turns out to have the fewest calories (13 for regular, 9 for light), followed by wine (25) and liquor (64 to 82). But when you consider how much you're typically served of each, you may be better off ordering a cocktail. That's because a drink containing a jigger of alcohol, mixed with water, seltzer or diet soda, will have no more than 124 calories—roughly 25 calories less than a 6-ounce glass of wine or a 12-ounce bottle of beer. (Light beer, with only 103 calories per bottle, is also a good choice.) If you like your drinks mixed with regular soda or juice, however, beware: You could slurp down 300 or more calories.