Fad Diets Don’t Work

I firmly believe that the “cleaner” you eat, the “leaner” you will be. I have been in the fitness business for over 15 years and have worked with many clients who have experimented with many different diets. The clients who lost the most weight and kept it off made lifestyle changes, and didn’t follow a strict diet.

Throughout the years, I have watched my clients transform their bodies. Instead of cutting out entire food groups or going on “crash diets,” they were able to do this purely by working hard and resisting the temptation of large portions and processed foods. In fact, many of them only gave up diet sodas and didn’t change anything else in their diets and they still lost weight.

 

I believe that the chemicals in processed foods, especially in diet sodas, have to go somewhere. My clients have helped prove this point. Just because a food has 0 calories doesn’t mean it just evaporates from our bodies. We have to figure out where it goes, what nutrients we need from it, and how to digest it.

 

In fact, I was watching The Biggest Loser last week and the first diet quiz question was, “What makes you live longer, diet sodas, or regular sodas?” The answer was regular soda of course and surprisingly, both contestants got it right. I’m happy to see that the current trend in health and fitness is eating right, not trying diet after diet! 

 

 

Why Fad Diets Don’t Work

Fad diets are easy to spot. Anything that has the word, “diet” in it is a fad! When you go on a diet, you cut either calories, carbs, fats, and or proteins, or a combination of all of them. Therefore, when you come off of the diet, you are adding the calories back in some way that usually causes a weight gain.

As a Certified Nutrition Consultant, I try to get my clients to not “diet,” but instead make a lifestyle change. Small changes equal big results if you make them consistent! For many people, dieting is difficult, and it should be. Anytime you take foods you love away, you are left thinking about them! A better approach is to make a lifestyle change and still eat some of your favorite foods, but in moderation.

For example, I love to eat Mexican food, and we all know how fattening that is. But here is my solution to that. I love the chips and salsa and can never say no. Instead of depriving myself of something my body wants, I eat some and order just a side of beans and rice and steamed veggies and maybe a little guacamole! The beans and rice make a balanced protein and carbohydrate meal, and the chips and guacamole are the fat! Whether you like Italian, Chinese, or some other type of food, there are always ways to make better choices.

When consulting a new client, I always tell them to try to eat six times a day. They usually respond by rolling their eyes and saying they do not have enough time to devote to making that many meals. The answer I tell them is simple: if you go out for lunch, whatever you order, divide it in half and take half back to work. There is your afternoon snack. If you go out to dinner, do the same thing. Order your meal and have the server bring a to-go box with your meal and presto, you have an evening snack, or a mid morning snack for the next day.

Now, when it comes to breakfast, that is easy. A piece of toast with peanut butter is both quick and nutritious and balanced. Just make sure to buy peanut butter that only has the ingredients peanuts and salt. That is it. Or, better yet, buy organic. For a mid morning snack, I always suggest energy bars, especially the 3BAR. It’s tasty, it keeps me full for hours, and I can pronounce all of the ingredients!

So there you have it! Making a “lifestyle” change instead of going on a fad diet isn’t as hard as everyone makes it out to be. And this way, once you lose the weight you will have a much better chance of keeping it off.

Tips for People Living With Food Allergies

If you have a child who has a food allergy or you have one yourself, you know how frustrating it can be to find food that meets your dietary needs but also tastes great.  Today, you should be able to find substitute ingredients that allow you to make certain meals, but what about those days you are on-the-go or just don’t feel like cooking?

As a personal trainer and triathlete, I advise my clients and friends to keep healthy snacks on-hand at all times.  Having something readily available decreases the chance of eating junk food or over eating later during a meal.  This same logic can be applied to someone with a food allergy.  If you keep allergy-friendly food on you at all times, you’ll be less likely to snack on something that could be harmful to your body.

Maybe you fall into both categories: you have a food allergy and you are looking to get into shape.  If you do, you probably feel like there aren’t many choices out there.  In response to this problem, I have created 3Bar.  3BAR is formulated to be a balanced, all-natural energy bar that is wheat and gluten free, diabetic-friendly, safe for hypoglycemics, vegans and vegetarians, and is the best food for energy.  It’s also a Kosher product.  3BAR helps you stay satiated for up to two hours.  Which means you won’t be reaching for those doughnuts in the office break room around 3 p.m.

3BAR is a great option for those suffering from Celiac Disease, moms, dieters, and just anyone looking to be healthy.  You can check out the available flavors and ingredients at my website: http://www.tri3bar.com/Unwrapped.shtml.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a food allergy, please tell us your story in the comments section.  Also, feel free to share any tips, informational websites, or support groups you found to be helpful.

The Importance of Portion Control

It’s that time of year again when people constantly ask me for advice on weight loss, food choices, and exercise.  As a personal trainer and triathlete, there is one question I seem to get all of the time: “How do you stay in shape?”  My normal answer is always, “Eat less, and exercise more!” But, the truth is, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

If you’re like many people, getting to the gym before or after work is the last thing on your laundry list of things to do for the day.  Depending on where you live, if you don’t have a gym membership, the weather might be keeping you from taking your usual run.  While you don’t always have control over when and where you are able to exercise, you can still manage your weight and even lose pounds by eating less.

Instead of focusing on what kinds of food you’re eating, I try to get people to monitor how much they are eating.  Portion control is hard, but once you see the results of controlling it, then you will be more willing to stick with it! 

I suggest eating 5-6 meals a day.  It actually isn’t as hard as it sounds.  Be sure to keep healthy snacks with you at all times.  My favorite trick is to always have energy bars on hand (car, purse, desk) (3BAR’s www.tri3bar.com).  They are great at keeping me full for 2 hours or more.  Also, when you go out to eat, order a to-go box with your meal and cut that in half, so later you can eat the other half for one of your 5-6 meals.  There’s nothing wrong with eating leftovers for breakfast!

If you’re not a fan of the gym or you just don’t have time to work out every day, take control of your health and weight by eating small meals frequently throughout the day.

Posted by: Erin DeMarines, CEO of e-Fit Foods