When did we get the idea that a 1400 calorie meal was “normal?” Well, it took awhile, and we can thank a great marketing genius at McDonalds back in the 60’s, who discovered that although McDonald’s customers wouldn’t think of eating two hamburgers, they had little resistance to eating a bigger one, and they didn’t mind paying proportionately more for it. Little by little, not only did the burgers get bigger, but so did the serving sizes of French fries and soft drinks. What was once a reasonable calorie count for one person soon became a calorie count for THREE people! The damage did not stop there. Once other food establishments caught on, they, too, began offering larger proportions, knowing that the cost of the extra portion was considerably less than the proportional increase in price: that it, profits began to soar! And we began to change our concept of a normal portion size.
To further this point, I want to talk about an article I read in the San Antonio Express-News a few weeks ago: “What to do about Obesity?” I was taken aback by one teen’s comment: “As I look around school, I see girls and boys who just don’t seem comfortable in their skin. I want to let them all know that it’s OK to be a size 16 or a 4.” Say what???
When we began to supersize ourselves some years ago, the enablers among us decided that “Big is Beautiful,” and that a few extra pounds were a good thing. We began to glamorize obesity and decided that we shouldn’t discriminate against obese people. I don’t believe in discriminating against anyone, but obesity has NOTHING to do with who the person is. Is has everything to do with being unhealthy.
And now we have an epidemic of obesity, which is quickly overtaking smoking as the number one cause of death in this country. All I can say is “Thank you, McDonald’s.” NOT!!!
So what is “normal”? Normal is our ideal calorie intake. For me, this number is about 1800. And if I divide that into three meals per day, the maximum calories I can consume at any meal is 600. If I want to allow for a couple of in between meal snacks of about 200 calories each, then my per meal calories become about 475. A Big Mac has 580 calories and a Whopper has 670 calories!!! And that's without the cheese!
What brought this tirade on, you ask? Well, my own journey to re-achieving my ideal weight is going too slowly, and the setbacks have been disappointing. I know it has a bit to do with getting my hormones back on track after my total hysterectomy, but I began to wonder how long I would milk this excuse. I decided to really look at my calorie intake, instead of guessing. After calculating the calories in my favorite meal, a spinach quesadilla with brown rice flour tortillas (am gluten intolerant), I was a tad shocked at the amount of cheese I used. So here is what I discovered:
2 tortillas – 130 calories each - total 260
Cheese – equivalent to 4 – 1” cubes – each cube 110 calories - total 440
Shredded fresh spinach – less than 15 calories - total 15
¼ cup Salsa – about 20 calories - total 20
Grand total 735
OUCH! I had gotten so used to larger proportions, that I really lost sight of the amount of calories I was actually eating! After cutting out one tortilla and half the cheese, I found that I was still just as satisfied. It’s a little harder to eat without the top tortilla, but the fact remains I was still full. New calorie count: 385. Now, where is that tootsie roll?
By the way, if you must eat on the run, Taco Bell is the place to go. One regular crunchy taco has only 185 calories. Remember, if you’re really hungry, eat only a small amount and then wait. You’ll be surprised at how quickly Mr. Hunger goes away. Mr. Right Now is NO substitute for Mr. Right. And if you want to eat out, it's okay to share a meal. It's not okay to eat everything on the plate, just because you don't want to waste food. No, it's not!
Next week, I'll explore the ideal combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Achieving Your Ideal Weight Should Not Be a Battle!
Why is it that we rarely stay on diets? We all start out with great intentions and lofty goals, but within a few weeks, and for some just a few days, our plan begins to fail. I think that’s because we think of losing weight as an uphill battle, swimming upstream, waging war on our fat, and other exhausting thoughts. Battling with our selves is always a losing battle: one side has to lose for the other side to win. No one likes to lose, nor do we like having to admit that we’re wrong. And that’s exactly what happens when we feel that we have to change. But what if you didn’t have to “change”? What if it was as simple as shifting into a “new normal?” We learn new things every day; that’s not hard at all. When we focus on our new normal vs. a temporary plan to lose weight, there are no strict diets, no unattainable exercise plans, and no failures.
So, how do we determine what our new normal needs to be? First, we need to calculate what our ideal calorie intake should be to maintain our ideal weight, and second, we need to create a new meal plan that accommodates that calorie count – and yes, this is permanent, so make it reasonable and doable – and third, we must create an exercise plan – again, this will be permanent, so make it reasonable and doable, and then let go of the battle. Easier said than done? Not really, unless you have emotional triggers that send you running to the refrigerator, or old programming that kicks in before you even know it. Those triggers need to be addressed, either by a therapist, if there was deep emotional trauma in the past, or by an Ideal Weight Coach, if it’s a matter of helping you create your new normal and turning unconscious reactions to triggers into conscious responses.
Quit feeding the guilt, and quit battling the weight. Remember: What you resist - persists.
So, how do we determine what our new normal needs to be? First, we need to calculate what our ideal calorie intake should be to maintain our ideal weight, and second, we need to create a new meal plan that accommodates that calorie count – and yes, this is permanent, so make it reasonable and doable – and third, we must create an exercise plan – again, this will be permanent, so make it reasonable and doable, and then let go of the battle. Easier said than done? Not really, unless you have emotional triggers that send you running to the refrigerator, or old programming that kicks in before you even know it. Those triggers need to be addressed, either by a therapist, if there was deep emotional trauma in the past, or by an Ideal Weight Coach, if it’s a matter of helping you create your new normal and turning unconscious reactions to triggers into conscious responses.
Quit feeding the guilt, and quit battling the weight. Remember: What you resist - persists.
Ideal Calorie Calculation
How many diets have you been on? If you’ve been on more than one and you’re still struggling, then I’m hoping you’ve finally realized that DIETS DON’T WORK. Of course the next question is, “Then how do I lose weight?” Stephen Covey and every other highly paid motivational speaker say to begin with the end in mind, visualize where you want to be, and act as if you’re already there. How does this work in weight management, though? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Beginning with the end in mind means, first and foremost, to calculate your ideal calories. The key is to create a “new normal.” When you learn to eat, no less and no more, the number of calories needed to sustain your IDEAL weight, the body will acquiesce. For example, if I eat only enough calories to sustain 130 pounds, my body will eventually weigh 130 pounds. However, there is one caveat. If the body thinks it’s being starved, it WILL retaliate by lowering your metabolism. Pretty smart body, eh? Ah, but we have a secret weapon, and that is exercise.
Here is an example from my book of an ideal calorie calculation and explanation of how exercise fits in this picture:
130 x 10 = 1300 for basic functions
1300 x 30% = 390 for moderate activity
1300 x 10% = 130 for digestion
Adding those together makes my ideal calorie intake to be 1,820 calories.
The next step is to determine how much exercise I need to do to lose two pounds per week. Bear in mind, the body will begin to lose weight simply because of reduced calories; however, to eat less than the calories required to maintain your ideal weight will backfire, so don’t do it. It takes 3500 calories to make up one pound, so to lose two pounds you would need to burn 7000 calories per week, or about 1000 calories per day. That’s quite a lot of calories, so let’s assume that just eating “normally,” your body will shed about a pound per week, so you need to burn 3500 calories, or about 500 calories per day. This is doable. You can do this with just 30 minutes per day on an Elliptical machine. The list of opportunities to burn calories is endless. Do some research on exercise and amount of calories burned. The internet is full of information on this topic.
As for me, I finally made my goal of 153 with a bonus of another pound of body fat gone. I really like my Omron body fat analyzer. It may not be perfectly accurate, but at least it shows me the change in body fat.
Beginning with the end in mind means, first and foremost, to calculate your ideal calories. The key is to create a “new normal.” When you learn to eat, no less and no more, the number of calories needed to sustain your IDEAL weight, the body will acquiesce. For example, if I eat only enough calories to sustain 130 pounds, my body will eventually weigh 130 pounds. However, there is one caveat. If the body thinks it’s being starved, it WILL retaliate by lowering your metabolism. Pretty smart body, eh? Ah, but we have a secret weapon, and that is exercise.
Here is an example from my book of an ideal calorie calculation and explanation of how exercise fits in this picture:
Your basal metabolic rate – BMR - is the amount of calories your body requires to complete its basic functions, like keeping your heart beating and regulating your internal temperature. Knowing this rate is the key to calculating the number of calories you need to consume daily in order to maintain your desired weight. It is estimated that the body burns about 10 calories per day per pound. For example, a 150 lb person will burn 1500 calories just to keep alive. The next step is to approximate the number of calories burned in normal daily exercise. A person who sits all day is said to be sedentary, so the amount of calories burned would be about 20% of the BMR or 300 calories. A moderately active person would burn about 30% of the BMR, and an active person would burn about 40%. The final step is to add in the amount of calories burned by the digestive process, which is estimated to be about 10% for the general population. The amount of calories burned by a 150 lb person through the digestive process is 150. Adding the calculations together, we find that a 150 lb person requires 1950 calories per day to maintain that weight. Factors that can affect this calculation include age, gender, low calorie diets and medical conditions, such as those affecting the thyroid. However, the above calculation is a good start for most of us.So, to calculate my ideal calories, I will start with my ideal weight of 130 pounds, and I will say that I am moderately active. So the calculation for my ideal calorie intake is as follows:
130 x 10 = 1300 for basic functions
1300 x 30% = 390 for moderate activity
1300 x 10% = 130 for digestion
Adding those together makes my ideal calorie intake to be 1,820 calories.
The next step is to determine how much exercise I need to do to lose two pounds per week. Bear in mind, the body will begin to lose weight simply because of reduced calories; however, to eat less than the calories required to maintain your ideal weight will backfire, so don’t do it. It takes 3500 calories to make up one pound, so to lose two pounds you would need to burn 7000 calories per week, or about 1000 calories per day. That’s quite a lot of calories, so let’s assume that just eating “normally,” your body will shed about a pound per week, so you need to burn 3500 calories, or about 500 calories per day. This is doable. You can do this with just 30 minutes per day on an Elliptical machine. The list of opportunities to burn calories is endless. Do some research on exercise and amount of calories burned. The internet is full of information on this topic.
As for me, I finally made my goal of 153 with a bonus of another pound of body fat gone. I really like my Omron body fat analyzer. It may not be perfectly accurate, but at least it shows me the change in body fat.
Glycemic Index is Really Cool!
The foods you eat really do make a difference in your weight. For example, a huge portion of broccoli is not the same as a huge portion of potato chips, although they’re both carbohydrates. Broccoli has a much lower conversion rate on the glycemic index, and as such will not affect our blood glucose levels as do potato chips. Why does the level of our blood glucose matter? Well, it’s because consistently high levels of glucose in the blood, which is known as diabetes, will cause damage to our body. Those of us who are not diabetic produce our own supply of insulin, the hormone released by our pancreas that removes the excess blood sugar and eventually stores it as adipose tissue. And guess what adipose tissue is! FAT!
The glycemic index is about the quality of the carbohydrates we eat. Carbohydrates low on this index convert to glucose during the digestive process much more slowly than carbohydrates which rate high on this index. The slower blood glucose levels rise, the less insulin is released into our blood stream. The pancreas wants to keep our blood sugars steady and at a level that will not cause damage to our arteries and organs. If we eat foods that keep our blood sugars in a healthy range, the pancreas won’t secrete much insulin. Without insulin, blood sugars won’t be converted to glucose, and then ultimately to body fat. This is one of the reasons a low carbohydrate diet causes such quick weight loss: little insulin is produced to store glucose, so the body begins to use fat as fuel. BUT, like all diets, it must be a lifestyle change, as a low carbohydrate diet could create an even greater sensitivity to carbohydrate consumption, which means it could take even fewer carbohydrates to cause a release of insulin once you stop the diet. A quick weight loss usually leads to an even quicker and greater weight gain!!
You can find a good glycemic index for foods either on the internet or in your local bookstore. It is worth your time to find out more.
As for me, I am happy to report another pound of body fat lost: up to a little more than seven pounds of body fat since I started this blog. But did I lose scale weight? NO! And that makes me sort of mad, but then I reflect on my goal: to lost twenty-five pounds of body fat. I will stay committed, because what are my choices? In my mind, there is only one, and that to have a body fat percent of about twenty and a BMI of about twenty. My workout with weights accounts for my lean muscle mass gain, and my calculations say that I am on track, so I say, "Quit yer c'plainin', Anna!"
The glycemic index is about the quality of the carbohydrates we eat. Carbohydrates low on this index convert to glucose during the digestive process much more slowly than carbohydrates which rate high on this index. The slower blood glucose levels rise, the less insulin is released into our blood stream. The pancreas wants to keep our blood sugars steady and at a level that will not cause damage to our arteries and organs. If we eat foods that keep our blood sugars in a healthy range, the pancreas won’t secrete much insulin. Without insulin, blood sugars won’t be converted to glucose, and then ultimately to body fat. This is one of the reasons a low carbohydrate diet causes such quick weight loss: little insulin is produced to store glucose, so the body begins to use fat as fuel. BUT, like all diets, it must be a lifestyle change, as a low carbohydrate diet could create an even greater sensitivity to carbohydrate consumption, which means it could take even fewer carbohydrates to cause a release of insulin once you stop the diet. A quick weight loss usually leads to an even quicker and greater weight gain!!
You can find a good glycemic index for foods either on the internet or in your local bookstore. It is worth your time to find out more.
As for me, I am happy to report another pound of body fat lost: up to a little more than seven pounds of body fat since I started this blog. But did I lose scale weight? NO! And that makes me sort of mad, but then I reflect on my goal: to lost twenty-five pounds of body fat. I will stay committed, because what are my choices? In my mind, there is only one, and that to have a body fat percent of about twenty and a BMI of about twenty. My workout with weights accounts for my lean muscle mass gain, and my calculations say that I am on track, so I say, "Quit yer c'plainin', Anna!"
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