You Might Be Fat Because of Label and Size Trickery

Posted on July 8, 2013 by therapysoup

I have written before about portion control. It is important to know that since the 1950s, people have been doubling in size, but that is because portions have doubled in size.

And the food industry does a great job of hiding facts and they have been tricking you into eating TOO MUCH FOOD!

I had a client come to my office with a 15 ounce large bottle of Green Machine Naked Juice (GMO fruits, company owned by Pepsi) and he attempted to drink the entire thing himself. The bottle had at least 5 or 6 small servings for a family at breakfast and because it was in a bottle, he thought he should drink it himself. You have to be careful reading labels. This is what the label says:

1 cup is almost 30g of sugar (almost 8 sugar cubes) and almost 35g of carbs. No wonder diabetes is on the rise.

Stick to cup-sized portions. Get out a measuring cup and get accustomed to the size of it.

HERE IS THE TRICKERY!

So, do you know how much is in a cup? Most people don’t. A cup is 8 ounces. How many ounces are in the bottle? 15 ounces!!!!!!!!!!!! (some of the other Naked Juice drinks are even worse!)

So, if you DOUBLE the amount of nutritional information if you DRINK THE WHOLE THING, then you will realize that you are actually drinking almost 60g of sugar (about 16 sugar cubes) and almost 70g of carbs–about as much as you want for the whole day if you don’t want to maintain or lose weight.

I have seen many people drink these whole bottles as one meal. You need to look at your labels! You could have had a whole plate of spaghetti and meatballs instead and liked it better!

The standard serving for soft drinks is one cup – 8 fluid ounces. But most cans sold in vending machines are 12 ounces. Bottles drinks often come in 20 ounce portions, all for consumption by a single person. That is just way too much in one go. We are eating too much, drinking too much.

At Starbucks, the portion sizes are not only skewed to large, the names are confusing as well: Tall (12 ounces), Grande (16), and Venti (24).

It gets even harder to order the smaller options when you do the financial calculation – the larger portion almost always is cheaper per ounce than the smaller one.

What to do when you’re eating out?

only eat 4 ounces of meat (a palm-sized amount), a cup of vegetables, small salad size.
Ask for a take-out container and put your food in there even before you start to eat so you won’t be tempted to keep eating.
ask your server / waiter what the portion size is for the dish you are ordering
order the smaller option (including kid sized portions, which are the right size for an adult in the first place)
share your dish with your dining partner
drink water – no serving size limit!
I don’t do pasta, but if you do, remember what a cup looks like! (and it is about 43g of carbs! That is a lot and it is just a cup!

PREPARE Your Daily Protein: For Weight Loss and Reduce Cravings

Posted on July 6, 2013 by therapysoup

During the day at home or at the office, you might find yourself getting hungry. You are supposed to eat breakfast, (about 3-4 hours apart from your meals)lunch and dinner, but you are supposed to have three healthy snacks in-between and after dinner (about 3-4 hours apart from your meals). SIX PROTEIN MEALS IN ALL PER DAY!

Healthy protein snacks/meals can help normalize your blood-sugar levels at crucial points in the day. If you reduce swings in blood sugar, it helps to curb cravings and keep you on a successful weight-loss track.

I try to keep between 50-100g of carbs a day to lose/maintain weight. Most meats and cheeses have barely one carb in them. Nuts, Greek Yogurt and protein bars too have carbs. Look at labels….

10 Suggestions for protein snacks

Raw veggies, such as celery, green or red bell pepper strips, cauliflower, and broccoli florets. Use hummus or 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter for dipping (2 tablespoons).
Lean, reduced-sodium deli meats (turkey or chicken breast, roast beef, boiled ham), about 4 ounces.
Part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks (no more than 2 sticks or low-fat mini Baby Bells).
Nuts (15 almonds, 20 peanuts, or 30 pistachios, or about 1/4 cup of any nut, is a serving), but be sure to stick to one serving and count it toward your daily protein. OR Sunflower seeds (3-tablespoon serving; count these toward your daily protein.
Low-Carb Protein bars or drinks. Look at the labels. Try not to go higher than 20g of carbs.
Cottage cheese (1%, 2%, or fat-free varieties) with salsa, or one of your two small servings of your fruit for the day,or chopped cucumber added
Dry-roasted or boiled, ready-to-eat edamame (green soybeans) or a hard-boiled egg
Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat) (again you can add one of your two small servings of fruit
Low-sodium tomato juice or vegetable-juice blend, single-serving can for the day)
Water-packed light tuna or salmon (individual cans or pouches)

Do not eat on the run. Go shopping on the weekend if you are too busy and buy stuff for the week and put what you need for each day aside the night before and have it ready to go for the morning. You can have stuff to eat in the car if you have to do it that way, but PREPARE and don’t buy crap at drive-thru places, where you are likely to succumb to cravings or smells. Learn to do this daily and it will become habit, a way of life and you are more likely to get and stay skinny!

Enjoy A Delish Low-Carb Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2013 by therapysoup

So, you want holiday fun for the Fourth of July, but you are afraid you will gain weight? You can enjoy your food and it will be great, just make some alterations!

Here are 3 great ideas for Independence Day Skinny Food!

1. Barbeque any low-fat meat, even beef. Go ahead, have a hot dog. However, if you want to not gain weight, keep it to a minimum. Only one meat item, or half of two. You can put a little BBQ sauce on it, a little ketchup, but those items have sugar/carbs, so watch the amount. Mustard is better. Do not wrap it in a bun, wrap it protein style in a lettuce wrap or just eat it plain, with a knife and fork. You will not be hungry, because you are a smart eater and will fill up with veggies and salad. You can even put a burger on a salad…I have done that. It is delish!

2. Veggies and salad. Grill the veggies for flavor. Wrap them In tinfoil, spray with olive oil and put them on the grill for a few minutes. They get toasted and tasty. Eat maximum a couple of cups of lettuce and some veggies in it. No croutons, no bread.

3. Dessert! Don’t eat cake or cookies. Have berries in whipped cream and low-carb Greek yogurt. Delish. Or if you must, low carb ice cream like Smart Carb.

Motivation

Please remember that you want to be thin and if you decide to cheat, then it will set back your goal. There are ways to enjoy your food that is skinny-good-for-you food and you can still enjoy yourself. This isn’t a diet, it is a lifestyle. Learn to compromise and toss away your past poor preconceived notions and patterns about food and holiday food, which only led to you getting fat in the first place.

If you want a cocktail, stick to one only, with vodka and tonic. Those drinks are the lowest in carbs, but remember that alcohol takes a lot out of your body. Your body is so busy metabolizing the liquor, it does not burn your fat. So, essentially, if you drink and eat the wrong things, not only will you not lose weight or maintain weight, but you are more likely to gain weight. And why? For Independence Day? It isn’t supposed to be about food. It is supposed to be about getting together with friends and family and celebrating your freedom. Are you really enjoying freedom trapped in a body that you are unhappy being in? I can tell you that the best feeling of freedom was when I hit my weight goal. It was awesome. You can do it too.

Healthy Weight Loss and Lifestyle Challenge

Posted on June 19, 2013 by therapysoup

Saw a healthy 3 week challenge online today and thought I would share it. It actually incorporates all that I do talk about on Skinny-Rules. It is low carb. Remember though, to eat your veggies, salads, proteins, fruits, nuts. Wheat bread, only once or twice a week at one slice each time.

The purpose of this challenge is supposed to help you learn a healthier lifestyle and get a jumpstart to weight loss. The creator of this challenge also suggests cutting out potatoes. (I do! Even sweet potatoes)

There are TWO exceptions to this challenge–
1. NO CHOCOLATE— you can make your OWN chocolates with cacao powder and stevia (or Truvia baking blend)– I am mainly wanting to break the cycle with store-bought, processed chocolate. If you make your OWN desserts from scratch, it is healthier. Dark cacao powder is actually proven to have some extra health benefits as well.

(I still have my chocolate or peanut butter Crunch Bars and I still like my Nature Valley Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Protein bars (dark chocolate is good for you, right?)

2. NO CHIPS— This means NO POTATO CHIPS. (That is a no duh! No potatoes)

(And I still am going to have my diet soda here and there. Sorry, gotta have something!)

3. Also, NO ALCOHOL– if you are trying to lose weight. The body will not break down fat when it is busy breaking down alcohol.

Here is the challenge:

So, you think you are up for it?

The Big Con: The Big Food Companies Duped You To Have A Weight Issue!

Posted on June 13, 2013 by therapysoup

Today, I was writing to a chat room about being addicted to sugar and how it is like being addicted to crack and some people got really defensive. But, seriously, it isn’t all our faults. We have been manipulated by food companies. Certain foods are engineered by their companies to make us eat more of them. They are designed to taste good and give us pleasure. The combination of sugar, salt and fat is done to maximize the impact that the foods have on our taste receptors and pathways to the brain.

There are many ways to make foods taste good and give us pleasure.

One of the best ways is to use a combination of sugar, salt and fat to maximize the impact these foods have on our taste receptors and reward pathways in the brain. And when you add artificial flavors and textures, the foods are hard to resist.

The food industry has learned through research what the public wants. It is their job to sell products and make money. They reward the pathways to our brain and they make us ADDICTED to these foods.

So, this is how you get repeat customers, but it destroys the health of those who eat these foods. So, you get addicted, you have the ability to an abundance of these foods and therefore, there is a huge obesity and diabetes epidemic happening. It is the reason people become addicted to these foods and literally can not stop eating even though they know the foods are causing them severe harm.

Here is a link to the story in NPR about it and the book that exposes the secrets.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/02/26/172969363/how-the-food-industry-manipulates-taste-buds-with-salt-sugar-fat

Do you like the fact that you were and are being manipulated for profit? Think about reading this book and work on your food issues as an addiction. It might make more sense this way for you when you change the way you eat.

What About Processed Foods?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by therapysoup

I have discussed carbs, but some of you (and I) are concerned about processed foods and their safety. Processed foods are not really good for us. In fact, I read today that they can really affect our auto immune systems.

What are processed foods?

Processed foods have been altered from their natural state, either for safety reasons or for convenience. The methods used include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

Some of these foods are not bad for your health at all. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it’s pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating, so most of us are happy to consume the healthy processed milk we find in our grocery stores.

Freezing vegetables preserves most vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to store, cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food and fortified with supplements. Oatmeal, unbreaded frozen fish fillets, canned salmon, frozen berries and 100-percent whole grain bread are also examples of processed foods that are good for you, except now there is a concern that the wheat is modified and not good for us.

Sure, there are a lot of processed foods that aren’t good for you. Many of these bad ones are made with trans-fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These processed foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly.

Processed foods that may be bad for your diet:

Canned foods (including soup) with large amounts of sodium or fat.
Pasta meals made with refined white flour instead of whole grains.
Packaged high-calorie snack foods such as chips and candies.
Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners that are high in sodium.
Packaged cakes and cookies.
Boxed meal mixes that are high in fat and sodium.
Sugary breakfast cereals.
Processed meats. *

* Some studies suggest that eating processed meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats. These meats are frequently high in calories, saturated fats and sodium.

Breakfast cereal can be good for you if it’s made with 100-percent whole grain and fortified with additional nutrients, but many breakfast cereals are low in fiber and contain too much sugar, and again the wheat can lead to problems and weight issues.

Be sure to look for products that are made with more whole grains, less sodium and have fewer calories. They should also be low in saturated fat and free of trans-fats (be sure to read the label, sometimes foods that claim to be trans-fat free still contain partially hydrogenated oils). Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods with more fresh foods. If you choose a convenient meal in a skillet, add a garden salad, fresh vegetables, and some whole grain bread to make the meal healthier. You can also the nutritional value of ramen noodles by adding fresh vegetables.

Low Sugar and Carb Toppings

Posted on May 30, 2013 by therapysoup

Walden Farms makes outrageously tasty toppings and syrups for those who are either on a low sugar, low-calorie or low carb diet or are just diabetic. You should try one or more and there is a sale right now on Vitacost.com. There are some stores that carry some of the products, but you should check it out. Any order over $45 has free shipping. Chocolate sauce, jams, pasta sauce, salad dressing, etc.

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?NttSR=1&ss=1&x=0&y=0&ntk=products&Ntt=Walden%20farms%20fudge

Mother’s Day and FOOD choices

Posted on May 11, 2013 by therapysoup

Tomorrow is the biggest day of the year for restaurants. Mother’s Day. Everyone takes mom out to eat or has something at home. It can be disturbing to a diet, if you allow it.

Remember that you can eat, but you should stick to portion control and carb control. If you do more carbs at that one meal, keep a count of them and work it out to have less throughout the day. Keep in mind the amount between 50-100. You can have a great omelette, but try to steer clear of buffets or eating all of the buffet food.

Stick to eggs, bacon, sausage and try to avoid the bread, potatoes, pancakes and waffles. Have a bite, but you do not need to eat a whole piece.
Ask for replacement items like sugar-free syrups, non-dairy creamer for coffee instead of milk and Splenda for sugar.
Have fruit and/or grilled tomatoes instead of bread or potatoes.

So, what if someone bought a cake and you feel you must have some. Get a sliver and only eat a piece of it or half of it. Don’t ruin your diet to make other people happy. Your gaining weight isn’t going to make or break someone else, but it will upset you. You could also bring your own desert, like Splenda chocolate pudding or low-carb ice cream that you buy or prepare the day before you go. You just let your host know in advance or when you get there that you are on a special eating plan and that this is your desert. No one has to know it is a diet. I have said things like, “I have to eat gluten-free now” or “I am not allowed sugar for now.” Telling people that a doctor ordered you to do something or that you are allergic to something usually shuts them up from their usual sabotage tactics to get you to be bad about choices like they are doing.

Eat, but pick and choose and don’t be greedy. You are working to be low-carb and those high carb and sugar items will only make you feel worse later.

Remember: Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels! Don’t use holidays to blow that!

Oh, and have a Happy Mother’s Day. It is about the company and not the food! Keep reminding yourself about that.

THEY’RE BAACCKK!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by therapysoup

Nature Valley Protein Bars, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter. Can be bought at Target or online, but the big box of 18 is at Costco (which is oly there, here and there, but they are back!). Turns out to be like 65 cents per bar. Get them while supplies last. 10 g protein, 14g carbs, 5g fiber–so net carbs is 9g. I use these as one of my protein snacks throughout the day and it tastes AWESOME! It is like having a dessert.

Discipline is Better Than Potatoes

Posted on April 20, 2013 by therapysoup

Discipline quotes:

“Discipline weighs ounces, regret weighs tons.” ~Author Unknown

“Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” ~Jim Rohn

“Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. “ ~Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Insecurity of Freedom: Essays on Human Existence, 1967

One of the hardest parts about dieting is getting over past eating styles, styles which got you into the shape you are in right now. You have to come to realize that you ate crap, didn’t exercise enough and learned BAD habits. It might have been no fault of your own, but it happened. You are a grown person, so you have to deal with it.

You have to learn to eat a different way, but like with anything, if you learn how to do it in a way that you don’t find boring, you find things that you like to eat that are better for you and you do it all long enough, it is a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Do you want to be skinny? Do you want to stop feeling bad that you say you want to do it or you will start tomorrow and never do it? Then just start.

Go shopping and find all of the necessary ingredients. Read my past blogs and find out what you can do to make it happen. Ex: 6 proteins a day (I write all about lists of them), only 50-100 g of carbs per day, 4 small servings of veggies, 2 small servings of fruits (each has different carbs, research…berries and citrus are the lowest), and two small salads a day. Eat every 3-4 hours and don’t let yourself get too hungry or thirsty. Drink your non-sugar beverages. Look at labels. Count carbs.

Stop procrastinating. How much do you want to do it? Do it and stop whining. It is not hard. I will answer any questions that you might have, but start it. Realize that you have the discipline to say “no.” When I go out to eat and I order my protein meal (meat and salad, eggs and bacon, etc.), I ask for grilled veggies or tomatoes instead of potatoes and I ask for fruit instead of toast or bread. It is habit now. I always turn free bread away before they put it on my table. You have to learn to do it or to just have one. Don’t let them bring the never-ending bowls of carbs to your table. JUST SAY NO!

I spent years wondering why I was overweight. I was overweight because I ate those bread baskets, and ate the fries, hash browns or the chips that came with a meal. I don’t allow those in my life anymore. There is a Russian lady who makes my salads and I told her that I noticed that everyone that came in who was overweight ate a healthy sandwich or salad and had a bag of chips with their meal. She said, “American’s love potato chips.” That is true, and there is also a correlation with the potato lovers and that our society is so obese right now. You want a fry? Have one or two. You can’t be thin and eat a serving of potato chips, hash browns, baked potatoes or fries. I don’t do potatoes, rice and my wheat is limited (no bread or cereal–although, once in a while, I have Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 bagel at 10g net carbs and a low-carb burrito tortilla at about 7 g net carbs–ONCE in AWHILE.).

At first, this all seemed like a sacrifice, but it was actually not so bad after a few weeks. Now, I feel very disciplined and good that I watched about 40 pounds fall off of me and I will be damned to put them back on. So, I still follow all of those rules. My husband backs me and when anyone tries to sabotage me with trying to get me to order something against my rules, I tell them quite frankly, “No, I don’t do sugar or wheat.” I am proud of it and it makes me feel even better about my self-esteem. Losing weight and being able to say no are very empowering. If no one else likes it, too bad. This is my health, my life and my body.

Now, it is your turn to feel this way! JUST SAY NO. You won’t die with low carbs and no potatoes in your life.

REPLACEMENTS OF POTATOES:

There are tons of cauliflower recipes out there where you can make faux pizza crusts, faux mashed potatoes, etc and they taste great–instead of potatoes. You can make baked Kale chips instead of eating potato chips.

So learn NEW ways to make things, enjoy them and they will become part of your new skinny lifestyle. Or you will start to look like a potato.

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Processed foods that may be bad for your diet:

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