How many times have you tried to diet only to give up after a week? Or maybe you were able to stick to the Whole 30 diet for a month, but as soon as the month was up you were back to your old ways?  The stats are pretty depressing …. up to 90% of people that lose weight end up gaining most or all of it back within 3 to 5 years.  Why the bleak stats? Most people trying to lose weight are looking for a quick fix and promise of rapid weight loss. The thought of losing ½ -2 pounds a week isn’t enticing! The problem is that most “diets” don’t work on making behavior changes, take into account your lifestyle, eating habits, food preferences, eating triggers, etc. In addition, many diets tend to restrict certain food groups (usually carbs) in order to promote a rapid weight loss. This restricted plan is usually sustainable for only a short period of time. After that, most people fall right back into their old eating habits and regain the weight, and often more. In order to lose weight and keep it off, you’ll need to learn how to identify problem areas and make permanent behavior changes in diet and exercise as well as other areas including sleep, stress, and less sedentary time.

Check my interview from The Diabetes Council.com on my tips on why diets don’t work and more importantly, what to do about it. You’ll hear what 50 other nutrition experts have to say as well! Click here to read the full article. It’s loaded with practical tips to help you lose weight and keep it off!

What tips and tricks have helped you lose weight and keep it off?

How many of you feel stressed right now? The holidays (while they are great!) tend to have a way of exacerbating stress for many of us. Too much to do in too little time. Gifts to buy, spending money that you may not have, traveling delays, dealing with family “issues”, parties to plan … or just feeling lonely.  So before you inhale another 5 holiday cookies, read my dietary tips to combat stress (and eating sweets is not one of them!)   (pic credit)

 Top 10 Dietary Tips to Deal with Stress

1. Limit caffeine. Caffeine has a direct effect on the brain and nervous system. Have you ever felt the “coffee jitters” when you have had too many cups of coffee? Because caffeine and stress can both elevate cortisol levels, high amounts of caffeine can exacerbate the effects of stress in the body, leading to prolonged elevated levels of cortisol. While small to moderate amounts of caffeine can lift your mood and give you a boost, excessive amounts can make you jittery and on edge. It can also interfere with your sleep. Bottom line, limit your caffeine intake and avoid consumption after 3 pm to prevent it from interfering with your sleep.

2. Limit alcohol. Many of us get the urge to hit the “the bottle” when stress levels rise. However this may actually be the worst thing you can do. Alcohol adds further stress to the body, can disrupt sleep and adds empty calories. In addition, alcohol is a depressant that slows brain activity down. While one or two drinks makes most people feel relaxed, more alcohol may cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and often aggression. 

3. Limit sugary foods. These foods can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels. They will cause a spike in your blood sugar levels only to be followed by a crash. This “crash” can be associated with fatigue, weakness, headache, etc. These symptoms will only make exacerbate your stress!  (pic is me and my co-worker Amy who make delicious “chocolate balls” for the holiday) 

4. Don’t take your carbohydrate intake too low. All carbs prompt the brain to make serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect in the body. Basically it is our “feel good” hormone. Low levels can make us feel sad or depressed. Serotonin is also thought to give you that satisfied feeling from food and help promote sleep and relaxation. Following a very low carb diet can lead to low levels of serotonin, which in turn can worsen mood and increase cravings for carbs. It is best to select complex carbs such as whole grain cereal and breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, legumes, fruits and old fashioned oatmeal. These carbs are broken down more slowly, thus causing a slower rise and fall of blood sugar, resulting in a more even flow of energy and perhaps serotonin release.

5. Include foods rich in B vitamins
Stress can cause a slight increase in our bodies’ B vitamins requirements. Most of the B vitamins help to maintain the nervous system – which is working overtime when we are stressed.

6. Include omega 3 fatty acids in the diet. In recent years, research has linked omega-3 fatty acids in the diet with specific health benefits in the body, including: reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, lowering blood pressure, reducing symptoms depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system. A 2003 study from Diabetes & Metabolism found that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can prevent surges in the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Omega 3 fatty acids are found naturally in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and flaxseeds and walnuts

7. Include foods rich in antioxidants. Stress can take a toll on our immune system. Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help to bolster the immune system. Here are the major antioxidants:
Beta-carotene (found in apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon).
Vitamin C (found in berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, orange, papaya).
Vitamin E (found in wheat germ, nuts, safflower oil, soybean oil, mango, chard, mustard and turnip. Zinc (found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood, whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products).
Selenium (found in Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, poultry and fortified breads, and other grain products)  (pic credit) 

8. Avoid getting low blood sugar by going too long without eating. Skipping meals or going too long without eating can lead to low blood sugar. Symptoms include headache, irritability, shakiness and fatigue. Your best bet is to eat 3 moderate sized meals with a small snack in between. Suggestions for healthy snacks include: fruit and yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit, peanut butter and crackers, nuts and fruit. If you lose your appetite when stressed, try to eat multiple mini meals versus 2-3 larger meals. Keep healthy snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, whole grain crackers in your desk, briefcase or purse.

9. Avoid eating heavy meals late at night. They can trigger heartburn and have a negative impact on your sleep. You are better off eating a light dinner and then having a small carb rich snack prior to bed time. This may boost your serotonin levels and help you sleep better. Suggestions: slice of toast with jam, 3 cups of low fat popcorn or a small bowl of cereal.

10. Eat foods rich in magnesium. Magnesium levels can become depleted when the body is stressed. A magnesium deficiency in turn, raises the stress hormones. This process will escalate the stress response. Foods high in magnesium include legumes, nuts, whole grains, and green vegetables.

And of course it goes without saying that you need adequate sleep and regular exercise to best deal with stress!  DOWNLOAD MY 

 Happy Holidays to all! 

You work long hours, feel stressed out, have minimal time for the gym and often grab a not so healthy lunch to eat at your desks (or skip it totally!) To make matters worse, you frequently find your office full of tempting goodies. This is a perfect breeding ground for job related weight gain. Read on for solutions to these potential problems and learn how to prevent workplace weight gain.

I’ve experienced every single one of these problems I’m going to discuss – and so have many of my clients. So I decided to write this post to brainstorm some solutions.

Solutions to Prevent Job Related Weight Gain

1. Not enough time to take a real lunch hour, so you end up grabbing something quick and eating at your desk. The problem is that “food on the run” tends to be not so healthy and eating at your desk provides no satisfaction. The wrong kind of lunch can pack on the pounds, zap your energy levels and increase afternoon carb cravings.
Solution: What you eat for lunch will set the tone for the rest of the day, s really important to eat the right kind of lunch – one that includes protein, a moderate portion of healthy carb, a little fat and volume to help keep you feeling satiated. Your best bet is to bring lunch from home so you can control the ingredients. If that isn’t realistic, find healthy options close to your office. That you will have several “go-to” lunches. Most lunch places even deliver. The deli near my office keeps my credit card on file and knows exactly what I want and when to deliver! In addition, if possible, try not to eat at your desk. You will feel more satisfied with your lunch. *Download my free Lunch Survival Guide#1, #2 and #3 for tons of healthy lunch choices. You will get the link to download the survival guides each time you get my post emailed to you – so make sure you are subscribed to my email updates!

2. Goodies in the office. Whether it’s someone’s birthday, a holiday, cookies served at meetings, the famous “Snack Drawer” or kitchen full of goodies – there always seems to be temptation around. One of my clients even gets daily “snack emails” from co-workers alerting her as to what treats are leftover from meetings. Talk about temptation!
Solution: Stay clear of the room where the treats are kept! I was actually faced with this situation this weekend. I was stuck working all weekend in the hospital. One of my co-workers had Girl Scout cookies in the office (see pic). I knew that I would dig into her stash (sorry Samantha!), so I used a computer in another room. I avoided the trigger. Other suggestions include:  bringing in your own healthy snacks such as fruit, yogurt, 100 calorie mini bags of popcorn, string cheese , Mini Bonbel cheese and a few crackers. For many people, the trick is not get started with these treats as one often leads to multiple. It can also establish a pattern of allowing yourself to indulge on a regular basis. FYI – I told my client to get her name off the “snack email” list … and it has really helped get her mind off those kitchen snacks.

3. Free meals. Many of my clients get free lunches every day and free dinner if they work late. I see this with a lot of law firms – I guess some kind of compensation for making their employees work into the night.
Solution: If you want to take advantage of this financial perk, at least look for healthy choices such as Japanese, grilled chicken or fish on a salad, 1/4 BBQ chicken with rice and veggies or a veggie burger and a salad. Avoid the mentality that you can eat as much as you want … calories still count when food is free.

4. Peer pressure to order in food with your group (ie. pizza, Chinese food). You feel out of place eating the salad your brought in from home when everyone else is eating pizza in the conference room. The same peer pressure can be felt to join in when others are eating kitchen snacks or heading out for Happy Hour after work.
Solution: The reality is that most people don’t care what you eat. Chances are that they will actually be jealous of what you brought in and how disciplined you are! I have several co-workers who bring in their lunch from home. Bottom line, it is your health. Don’t worry about what others are thinking (or more accurately, YOUR perceptions of what they are thinking!) As far as Happy Hour goes, you can limit yourself to one drink, or drink club soda.

5. Too much sitting. You sit on your behind for the majority of the day. Not only does sitting most of the day slows your metabolism, but studies have shown that it can actually generate new fat cells in your buttock area. In addition, it increases risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Solution: Get up and walk around as much as you can during the day – even 2 minutes here and there will help. Take the stairs as much as you can. If you live in the city, no excuse not to walk at least part way to work! And of course, plan a few workouts into your week. (pic is of nurses doing wall squats)

6. Fatigue and inadequate sleep from working long hours decreases your willpower to watch what you eat. Normally you might have been able to resist the sweets, but not when you are exhausted. In addition, studies have shown that inadequate sleep can contribute to weight gain.
Solution: Easier said than done I know as I always struggle with this issue!  You will need to make more of an effort to get a even a little more sleep. Make it a point to be in bed 30 minutes earlier each night. Get off the computer earlier. Limit drinking alcohol before bed as it can interfere with sleep in the middle of the night. Turn down a few nights out with friends to get caught up on sleep. Don’t go too long without eating during the day – and choose healthy foods (see #1 recommendations). Eating sugary treats will only cause you to feel more tired.

7. Stress can lead to emotional eating and weight gain. When we are stressed, most of use tend to crave sugar and fat. In addition, stress in itself can cause weight gain (see the link below). Lastly, stress can interfere with adequate sleep. What you have heard it true – chronic stress can contribute to weight gain!
Solution: You will need to do a little work to get this answer. Download my free download – Dietary Tips to Combat Stress  (remember, the link all my downloads will be in the blog email you will get when you subscribe to my blog)

8. Dialing for dinner. Working long hours decreases the chances you’ll cook a healthy dinner … this often meals more take-out.
Solution: Again, find local restaurants where you can order in quick,  healthy meals. Note: these portions are for weight control. If you aren’t trying to watch your weight, you can increase your portions. Here are some suggestions:

–Chinese: steamed chicken, shrimp, tofu or scallops and veggies with sauce on the side and brown rice
-Rotissere chicken, ½ baked potato or piece of pita bread and steamed veggies
-Japanese: 2 rolls and soup or salad or one roll and 5 sashimi and soup or salad
-Middle Eastern: chicken kabobs and salad, piece of pita bread
-Frozen dinner under 350 calories and salad
-Fresh Direct under 500 calorie meals
-Salad with grilled chicken (add your own lowfat dressing)

Stay tuned for a future blog post on healthy take-out meals dinners!

Does this sound familiar?
– You always check your email before doing other things
– You constantly have a little voice telling you to check email/texts/vm
– Have you ever chosen to go online rather than go out with people?
– Do other people in your life complain about the amount of time you spend using technology?
– You find it difficult to even go to the gym without your phone (what if you miss an important text or email?)
– Leave your Blackberry on the table while on a date (nice…) 
– You pick up a not-so-healthy take out dinner (who wants to spend the time cooking) while checking out facebook and answering texts with the tv on in the background.

If this sounds familiar, it is likely you have computer brain overdrive. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego say people consume 12 hours of media a day on average, when an hour spent with, say, the Internet and TV simultaneously counts as two hours. That compares with five hours in 1960. Computer users visit an average of 40 Web sites a day, according to research by RescueTime, which offers time-management tools. Experts say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. This is also increasing our stress levels and how we think and behave.  And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist.

My personal observation
While I am far from a cutting edge techie, I find myself feeling distracted and stressed at times when multitasking: working on project on the computer, frquently checking 3 different email accounts, responding to texts and answering my work phone that rings nonstop. So what do I do? Get up and go look for food (preferably chocolate) when feeling this stress. I have also noticed that it takes longer to complete a project than it should have without these distractions.

Possible effects of “computer brain” on food intake
1. Increased stress levels can lead to more cravings and weight gain.
2. More time spent with various technology devices  means less time cooking/preparing meals.
3. More time sitting on your butt at the computer means less time to exercise!
4. Feeling “less in the moment” whether it comes to spending time with family, friends or just enjoying your food! Studies have shown that “computer brain” continues on even after you have stopped using the technology devices. 
5. It can have an effect on your sleep. Less sleep means more craving for carbs.

Tips to decrease computer brain’s effect on your eating habits
1. Try to set aside some time each day without your phone/computer. The most crucial times would be about an hour before bed or while you are eating. I would also recommend shutting off your personal phone for periods of time during the day. Start with an hour and build up. Leave your phone in your gym locker.

2. Set a curfew as to when you will get off the computer at night. Being on the computer right before bed can have a negative impact on your sleep.(Ok – I will try to practice what I preach on this one!)

3. When the urge to eat hits you, pay attention to your body’s cues. Are you really hungry or is the urge coming from stress, anxiety, frustration, etc.?  Of course, if it has been 4 hours since your last meal, it is likely hunger. But if you just ate an hour ago … likely not!

4. If you feel emotions, such as stress, are causing the desire to eat, try to delay this urge by 5 minutes or so. Preferably get out of the environment, away from your computer. Talk a 5 minute walk … and leave your phone at your desk. Chances are that you will no longer feel as strong a desire to raid the vending machine!

5. Keep all problem foods out of your environment. This way if the computer munchies strike, you won’t be able to dive into a bag of cookies. Stock up on healthy snacks.

6. When you do eat a meal, pay attention to what you are eating and enjoy it! If you inhale your food while on the computer, you won’t even realize that you ate and will soon be looking for more food.

7. Incorporate stress management into your life. Exercise is a great stress reliever. You also might want to try yoga. Download my Free Newsletter: Dietary Tips to Manage Stress  

8. Don’t depend upon ordering out for all your dinners. Yes, preparing meals takes some time (away from the computer, tv, etc.) but it is healthier and cheaper than always ordering out. Made a large batch of food one day and save for leftovers the next few nights.
 

Bottom line, we’ve experienced numerous benefits from the advancement of technology – from a business, personal and even health standpoint (i.e. helps to keep our brains sharp). However studies are showing that spending too much time on technology can have adverse effects. We need to set limits and spend more time with our family, friends and pay more attention to what we eat!

Check out the NYT article for the full story

Does stress lead to belly fat? We’ve all heard the commercials, but can stress really lead to weight gain? The answer is yes!  I wrote this post in response to a question from a CGB reader.

Question from Greg: I am curious to know if there is link between stress and weight gain. I’ve been under quite a bit of stress in the past year due to losing my job. I really don’t feel that I’ve changed my eating habits that much – although I am probably not exercising quite as much as I was. Why have I gained 8 pounds? Could it be from stress?

Answer from Martha: So sorry to hear about your job situation. These are tough times for many of us and so your question regarding stress is quite timely. You are correct in your assumption that stress can lead to weight gain. This weight gain can occur for several reasons.

1. Behavioral factors. When we are stressed, preparing healthy meals is often not a priority and we may end up making not-so-healthy food choices. These foods tend to be higher in fat and calories. Some people also increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol provides empty calories, decreases willpower to watch what you eat, increases cravings for junk food the next day and can exacerbate stress or depression.
In addition, when we are stressed we tend to cut back on exercising due to lack of focus, fatigue or it just not being a priority. More calories in and fewer burned off leads to weight gain.  Even something as small as an extra 50 calories consumed a day or 50 fewer calories burned off a day will lead to a 5 pound weight gain a year!

2. Emotional factors. Many people eat in response to stress even when they aren’t hungry. We  may have more cravings for fat or carbs (more on this at a later post).Pay special attention to emotional eating.

3. Physiological factors. The body produces more cortisol when under stress. Cortisol signals the body to produce neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its receptors in the abdominal area. This  leads to growth of abdominal fat. It has been noted that even lean people can grow a bit of a “pot belly” when under chronic stress. In addition to being unsightly, abdominal fat can increase risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Greg, I would recommend that you keep a food record for a week or so to make sure your diet is on track. In addition, make a point to increase your exercise. Not only will it burn calories and speed your metabolism, but it is a great stress reliever.

Stay tuned for my newsletter on Dietary Tips to Deal with Stress coming out in the next week or so.

BTW – those pills that claim to reduce cortisol levels and belly fat don’t work … save your money!