Do you work in an office setting? The office can be a disaster for your nutrition. You probably pass at least 6 candy jars on the way to your desk (if you don’t have one on your desk already:0) And then there’s the staff birthdays, celebrations, and “I baked cookies and had extra so I brought them in for you”. It’s a setup for failure.

Here at the studio we don’t have those temptations. But we do have, “I baked this new cookie recipe with no fat, no carbs, tons of protein, and no taste. It’s practically air! Wanna try?” Kidding of course:-). But it IS a supportive environment. (That’s a secret in itself.)

So how do you fight the office temptation?

How do you stay focused on your goals and avoid the brownies, cake, and cookies? And the all too evil vending machine?

The answer is simple. The answer is YOU. It’s self-control. It’s self-discipline. It’s self-motivation. You see, it is you. If you’re not committed to improving your health, fitness, and weight loss goals, then consider yourself committed to trying out your coworker’s new triple chocolate chip cookie recipe.

***The Secret***

I just finished up a nutrition consultation with one of our new clients. Nina is more focused than ever. She knows she has to forgo the candy jars, office treats, and vending machine. She now knows she has to keep her carbs in check, get more protein, and control her serving sizes.

And she even revealed the secret. Whether she knew it or not.

“I know if I’m hungry I’ll eat it. If I’m following your plan and eating my balanced meals throughout the day then I’ll be able to say no.”

That’s the secret! If you’re famished ready to eat your arm off, then you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll eat the office birthday cake. You must stay nourished throughout the day. On a scale of 1 to 10, your appetite should always be at a 5. You’re never starving. And you’re never stuffed. You’re nourished. And YOU are in control.

Try to keep this rule of thumb in mind:
Don’t eat because you’re hungry. Eat so you don’t get hungry.

A small change in mindset, but a major shift in your health, fitness, and weight loss.

Ok, hope that helps. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. Do you work in an office setting with temptation galore? How do you fight it? Post your comment below. Maybe we can start a list of tips and tricks for the office…
Now go eat something healthy,

Tim

P.S. If you’re not a client and would like to set up a consultation and find out more about our fitness and nutrition programs click here. If you are a client and need a nutritional ‘kick in the butt’ just call or email and we’ll set up a time to do so. You’re on this list Jan!

Posted under Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I was in New York City a few days ago visiting my girlfriend. As you may know she’s in culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park (Yeah for me:-). But right now she’s completing her externship at Eleven Madison Park, a French restaurant in the city. As you can imagine she’s a foodie. (The definition of a foodie is a little ambiguous, but I think you’ll see what I mean.) But me, not really. Although I can appreciate it. I guess I do have some foodie tendencies. But I’m content with reheated noodles and chicken breast!

We had lunch at Jean-Georges. Jean Georges Vongerichten is a renowned Chef known for infusing the technique of the French cuisine with the flavors of Asia. His restaurant is 3 Star Michelin. That’s like winning an Oscar in the restaurant world.Here’s what lunch was like…

Bread: They don’t put a basket of bread at your table, but walk around and ask if you’d like one slice of wheat or a sourdough roll.

Amuse Bouche:  This literally translates to ‘mouth amuser’ and is compliments of the Chef.  It was 3 very small items. This primes your palette. It’s the opening act if you will. Kampachi sashimi with olive tapenade (about the size of a dime), carrot miso soup with a drop of orange oil (served in a small shot glass), and a potato fritter (the size of a thimble). As you can see these are VERY small and focus solely on taste.

First Course: Japanese Snapper Carpaccio, Crystallized Ginger, White Radish and Olive Oil. This was 4 slices of raw fish with a fantastic glaze on it. The radish was added for texture.

Second Course: Roasted Veal, Quince-Pineapple Compote and Roquefort. It was about 3 oz. of veal with fruit and a small amount of blue cheese matched perfectly.

Dessert: I chose the ‘Caramel’ dessert. This consisted of Vanilla Soda, Chocolate Pop, Coffee-Cardamom Ice Cream, Caramel Curd, Dehydrated Sponge, Roasted Pineapple Sorbet, Warm Caramel Tart, and Crispy Olive-Hazelnut Praline. I know that sounds like a lot, but it wasn’t. All together were 5 bites.

It was one of, if not THE best lunch I’ve ever had. And it lasted for about an hour and half. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t overdone. We walked around Central Park after because we had the energy to do so. We didn’t feel stuffed. We didn’t feel tired and lethargic. 

Foodies appreciate food. For its taste. Its texture. Its experience. It’s no surprise that we Americans have a portion control problem.  We get wide eyed at quantity, not quality. We’re victims to the ‘Super Size Me’ and ‘All You Can Eat’ options. And it causes the weight gain most Americans experience.

Foodies see and think different. They get wide eyed about taste, texture, and experience. So portion sizes are smaller. Focus is on quality, NOT quantity. And it’s the healthier way to view food.

The next time you cook dinner prepare a three course meal. A small appetizer, first and second course. And have dessert. But  don’t have an xtra large Ted Drewes concrete. Just a few small bites for the taste. That will satisfy your sweet tooth and save your diet. Then see if you feel different. I bet you do. I’ll also bet if you make this a habit you’ll be healthier. I guarantee it.

Posted under Nutrition Tips

I read a lot. And a lot of what I read is on fitness and nutrition.
Recently, I read an article in a  lesser known nutrition newsletter called
Environmental Nutrition. It was on the six biggest
eating mistakes people make when trying to lose
weight. I wanted to share these with you as they
can be helpful to be aware of them whether you
fall victim or not. All with my comments of
course;)

Mistake #1: Going too long without food

A lot of the people I consult with will skip
breakfast or lunch. They don’t understand why
skipping meals still causes them to gain weight.
But the fact is, studies have shown that people
who have lost weight and kept it off eat breakfast
everyday.

The problem is two-fold. First a balanced
breakfast is needed first thing in the morning to
stoke your metabolism. Just as throwing logs on
the fire get it going, so too does breakfast. I
once read that eating a Snickers in the morning is
better than nothing at all! Maybe it’s true.

Secondly, skipping meals throughout the day will
lead to an imbalance in blood sugar and insulin,
and thus cause you to make poor food choices later
on. It’s a vicious cycle that prevents any
possible weight loss.

Mistake #2: Banking Calories

We’ve all done this haven’t we? You have a big
party scheduled tomorrow. And you know they’ll
serve the most delicious desserts! So you just eat
a little less today to ‘even it out’.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it
doesn’t work like that. The calories you save
today almost never equal the calories you’ll
consume at the party tomorrow.

The real way to weight loss is to maintain healthy
eating strategies at the party. Eat a high
protein, low calorie snack ahead of time so you
don’t go to the party hungry, alternate a glass of
water with your alcoholic beverage, and stick to
smaller portions.

The difference is that those strategies work!
Skipping meals before hand only confuses your
metabolism and ultimately does NOT work.

Mistake #3: Skimping on protein

It’s essential. And it can be challenging. But I
have vegetarian and vegan clients that can do it.
So can you!

One study showed that people that started the day
with two eggs consumed 300 calories less during
the day than someone who started the day with a
bagel supplying the same calories as the eggs.

Adequate protein also helps build and maintain
muscle mass. A metabolic enhancing certainty! This
is also why we suggest Cinch meal replacements.
They have added leucine which helps preserve
muscle mass on a weight loss plan.

Mistake #4: Cutting Calories

There is no doubt you can lose weight by cutting
calories. You’ve heard it, ‘less in, more out’.

I’ve dubbed this type of diet ‘The Oprah Nutrition
Cycle’. You will inevitably fall into the classic
yo-yo diet. When calories are restricted to a low
level not only is weight lost, but malnutrition
occurs causing you to ‘fall off’ the diet.
Further, you lose muscle weight (also called
atrophy) which inhibits metabolism. And lastly,
your metabolism slows down thinking that the body
is starving to death! So when you finally crack
mentally and/or emotionally you won’t be able to
handle the calories you once could.

This is a vicious cycle!

Mistake #5: Denying yourself treats

In all my time as a fitness and nutrition coach,
I’ve never suggested someone to deny themselves
something they love. Now, depending on your
current situation and your goals, you may have to
deny yourself a little more than normal. But it’s
not wise to set yourself up for failure.

Most Saturday mornings my dad would bring home
donuts for my siblings and I. I loved it!! It was
my favorite day for breakfast. But we didn’t get
donuts Monday through Thursday. We had to eat
eggs, oatmeal, Raisin Bran, and the other stuff my
parents forced down our throats for breakfast.

It’s ok to enjoy your favorite snacks. Just do so
in moderation and make sure it’s in line with your
goals.

Mistake #6: Taking weekends off

This is similar to banking calories for a big
party or occasion. And it’s sabotaging your
results. Sticking to the plan through the week and
splurging through the entire weekend is setting
you up for failure. If you overeat on Saturday and
Sunday, you’re overeating 29% of the time. It’s
nearly impossible to make up for that during the
week.

Posted under Nutrition Tips