Surefire ways to keep FAT by your side...

Now that I have had the weekend to cool down from my heated tirade about how irresponsible Time magazine is, I have a few things to share with you.

First off, please do not take what I said last week as bashing nutrition. As I mentioned, how you eat will ultimately decide the effectiveness of your weight loss/muscle building exercise program. But realize that THEY ARE BOTH PART OF THE EQUATION. That is why I was so frustrated last week.

If you do any of the following you can pretty much be sure you won't lose weight...

• Eat fast food with any regularity
• Skip breakfast with any regularity
• Drink Soda
• eat white breads, bagels and pasta's
• fail to drink at least 4 glasses of water on a daily basis
• eat donuts and coffee directly after you exercise (or eat them on a regular basis at all)
• avoid eating fruits and vegetables
• fail to know how many calories you are eating on a daily basis

These are just a few of the things. But notice many of these things are popular choices Who doesn't enjoy a bagel, soda or skips breakfast. Some of thesewere touched on by Diane Campbell, our Registered Dietician (RD) who has answered even more of your questions about weight loss in our series of interviews below.

AG: Lots of people really like frozen meals that are already prepared, such as Lean Cuisine. Although easy to make, are they really that healthy for us?

DC: There are many frozen entrees to choose from. Some are low fat and some are extremely high fat (i.e. Hungry Man). The portions in the low fat ones are usually small which is what makes them low in calories. They are okay to have as a sometimes food. A salad and fruit should accompany it. Also, frozen entree's are usually high in sodium and have many additives and preservatives. A better choice would be to bring leftovers from a healthy meal made the night before. Whole natural foods are always a better choice

AG: As you mentioned, fruit is often considered a staple in weight loss diets. But is it possible to actually eat too much fruit?

DC: Yes. Remember that just because a food is healthy for us, overeating any food can cause unwanted health conditions, like obesity. The recommendations for most people are to eat 5 servings of fruit a day. The serving size of a fruit is smaller than you think. A serving size of an apple, orange or pear is to be the size of a tennis ball and 1/2 of a banana is equal to one serving of fruit.

AG: We have talked and made it clear the importance of journaling our food intake. When people are writing down what they eat in a food journal, how accurate are they really with what they eat? And how can we make sure we are as accurate as possible with the amount of food we are eating?

DC: Most people who start a food journal do really great for the first week and then slowly stop doing it. Food journaling is so important when trying to lose weight because it helps keep you accountable. Without it, most people underestimate what they eat by AT LEAST 500 calories, and maybe even more. Here are some simple tips to help you be successful.

1. Always keep a little notebook with you and write down your food intake right after eating a meal or a snack.
2. Food journal with a friend who is also trying to get healthy. Ask to see each others journal every day.
3. Your food journal should contain the time you eat, what you eat and how much you eat. For more precise servings you may want to purchase a food scale and/or go to www.mypyramid.gov. This website tells you what is considered a serving size for all foods.

So there it is guys. Take these notes and really apply them to your life!! CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT FOOD and you'll see a big difference in when you eat and how much you eat. Food is fuel. You only need enough to do what you are asking your body to do. Any extra will be stored as F-A-T.

See you tomorrow!!