What is Normal Eating?

I happened to be surfing the web and came across a definition for “NORMAL” eating on the Ellyn Satter website. In my opinion, it really defines what a healthy relationship with food looks like.

What is Normal Eating?

“Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it -not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food. Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good. Normal eating is mostly three meals a day, or four or five, or it can be choosing to munch along the way. It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful. Normal eating is overeating at times, feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. And it can be undereating at times and wishing you had more. Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating. Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.

In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.”  Copyright © 2012 by Ellyn Satter.

Two sentences in the description that I really connect with are 1) ” It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it -not just stop eating because you think you should” and 2) It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow”.

If you want more information on Ellyn Satter visit  www.EllynSatter.com.

If I Lose 1 Pound Each Week This Year!

A friend shared this poem with me. How brilliant it is!

IF I LOSE 1 LB. EACH WEEK THIS YEAR…..

By Valentine's Day I'd be 7 lbs. lighter

I'm loving it!

By St. Patrick's Day I'd be 11 lbs. lighter!

With the luck of-the Irish I'll make my goal.

By Easter I'd be 16 lbs. lighter!

I'd be a cuter bunny.

By Memorial Day I'd be 23 lbs. lighter!

Won't let it rain on my parade.

By Flag Day I'd be 25 lbs. lighter!
Boy, could I wave my flag then.

By Independence Day I'd be 27 lbs. lighter!

That's a neat declaration of independence from overeating!

By Labor Day I'd be 36 lbs. lighter!
What a wonderful reward for all my hard work.

By Columbus Day I'd be 41 lbs. lighter!
What a joy to discover what I can do.

By Halloween I'd be 44 lbs. lighter!
I didn't think I had a ghost of a chance.

By Thanksgiving I'd be 47 lbs. lighter!
I'd have so much to be thankful for.

By Christmas Eve I'd be 51 lbs. lighter!
Talk about being merry.

By New Year's Eve I'd be 52 lbs. lighter!
It's not just a new year, it's a new ME!

* If you shoot for losing just 1 pound a week you can lose 52 pounds in a year!

Exercise Pants that Keep the Jiggle In Check and Activate Your Muscles!

I am always on the lookout for the most body flattering exercise gear. I came across Reebok EasyTone pants. These pants are absolutely amazing. The pants are form fitting and have a inner tight that sucks in your thighs and stomach. The inner tight is made with 24% spandex! It is like having a girdle inside your exercise pants, but is unbelievably comfortable!

In addition to making you look great Reebok states that the pants have toning bands that create resistance as you move, resulting in increased muscle activation. This action tones and strengthens your quads, hamstrings and butt.
They come in both capris and full length pants.

Here is the description from the Reebok website:

Part of our EasyTone Apparel Collection, an innovative performance line that uses uniquely placed resistance technology, the EasyTone Fitness Pant hugs the back of your legs while you work out and is stylish enough to be worn as everyday clothing. Fitnes

• 88% Nylon / 12% Polyester outer shell tricot pant
• Fitted athletic design contours to your body
• Play Dry technology wicks moisture, reduces chaffing and doesn’t trap heat
• Contrast color waistband option adds feminine flair
• 75% Nylon / 25% Polyester jacquard inner short
• Won't get in your way or slow you down during high-performance exercise
• EasyTone construction incorporates resistance technology

Below is the TV commercial for Easytone apparel:

One Strategy to Stop Snacking When Your Not Really Hungry!!

When I was overweight I was constantly snacking when I wasn't really hungry. For me it was usually when I was bored or watching TV. I took three steps to stop the incessant snacking:


1. Assessed the Situation: I made a list of when I was "over snacking." I realized it was usually when I was bored or watching TV.

2. Created a Plan:  I decided I would make a list of things I could do instead of snacking; things I enjoyed doing that would keep my mind off food. I also decided I would post it in the places where I kept the food I was snacking on.

3. Took Action: I created an eye catching  list on my computer, printed it and posted it on my refrigerator and on my food cabinet where I keep my snacks. Every time I went to grab a snack I would see it and be reminded of the things I could do instead. I would pick an item from the list and do it!
 
What about you? When do you tend to over snack? What do you enjoy to do that you could do instead of snacking? Where in the house do you need to post your list of things to do?

 

Get More Bang for Your Buck! Eat Nutrient Dense Foods!

When you are trying to lose weight it is very important to eat nutrient dense foods. A food with high nutrient density is very nutritious relative to the number of calories it has. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential fats. High nutrient dense foods include greens, eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, watermelon, raspberries, apples, cantaloupe, papaya, brown rice, wheat bran, whole wheat bread, nonfat plain yogurt, skim milk, tuna, scallops, shrimp and black beans.

A Bracelet That Counts Your Bites!

Press Release

Clemson University researchers are making every bite count

CLEMSON - Two Clemson University researchers seek to make diners mindful of mindless eating.

Psychology professor Eric Muth and electrical and computer engineering professor Adam Hoover have created the Bite Counter, a measurement device that will make it easier for people to monitor how much they eat. Worn like a watch, the Bite Counter device tracks a pattern of wrist-roll motion to identify when the wearer has taken a bite of food. Think of it as a pedometer for eating.

"At the societal level, current weight-loss and maintenance programs are failing to make a significant impact. Studies have shown that people tend to underestimate what they eat by large margins, mostly because traditional methods rely upon self–observation and reporting," said Muth. "Our preliminary data suggest that bite count can be used as a proxy for caloric count."

The advantage of the Bite Counter is that it is automated so that user bias is removed. The device can be used anywhere, such as at restaurants or while working, where people find it difficult to manually track and remember calories.

The device is not based on what happens in a single bite (i.e. exact grams or specific food nutrients), but in how it simplifies long-term monitoring. For commercialization, Bite Counters eventually will be sold as simple consumer electronics alongside such familiar devices as activity monitors, heart-rate monitors, GPS watches and pedometers. A device is available from Bite Technologies now for professional and research use at http://www.icountbites.com.

"The device only requires that the user press a button to turn it on before eating and press the button again after the meal or snack is done. In between, the device automatically counts how many bites have been eaten," Hoover said.

In laboratory studies, the device has been shown to be more than 90 percent accurate in counting bites, regardless of the user, food, utensil or container, according to Hoover. However, there are few existing data on how bite count relates to calorie count or how a bite-counting device could be used for weight loss. The device will allow for such data to be more easily collected.

With prototypes completed and manufacturing under way, devices are being tested in 20 subjects for one month. The devices will store logs of bite-count activities, which will provide researchers baseline data for developing guidelines for completely new and innovative weight-loss studies.

Check out the video below.

Try FIT Radio for Free for a Month!

I was recently looking through the available apps for my iphone and came across FIT Radio. The app is amazing! If you like great music when you are working out this is the app for you!  It allows you to listen to commercial free music that is geared towards athletic activity. Once logged in you can choose music by genre, station or DJ. There are 14 genres, 14 stations and a list of top DJ’s to choose from. You also have the ability to favorite genres, stations and DJ’s so you can easily access your favorite music. I only wish it gave you the BPM’s (beats per minute) for each song. It only gives you the average BPM’s in a particular genre. It would be nice to be able to create music lists by specific BPM’s not just ranges.

Cost: FIT Radio lets you download their app (iphone and android) for a free one month trial.  After that, once you get hooked, it is $36 a year. But, I just went on livingsocial today and saw that for the next three days you can get a one year subscription for $18 instead of $36!

“Recent scientific research overwhelmingly reveals the correlation between workout performance and music choice.  As one doctor who has thoroughly researched music’s relationship to physical performance states, “…there is a science to choosing an effective exercise soundtrack [for working out]”, meaning that high-tempo music serves as a crucial motivating force for exercising.[2]  The professionally mixed non-stop musical compositions heard on FIT Radio make this scientific choice for its listeners an easy one, thus revealing another way FIT Radio stands apart from its market competitors”- FIT Radio.

I read the above quote on the FIT Radio website. How true this is. In my experience when you are working out to great music with the proper BPM for the activity it energizes you to perform better. So, if you like great music to work out to try FIT Radio for free for a month! For more information visit http://www.fitradio.com You can also checkout the video below.