Years went by, however, and our waistlines either stayed the same or expanded–probably because an increase in calories made up for the absence of fat. It took awhile, but I began to understand that fat-free isn’t calorie-free. Nor is it necessarily healthy!

In truth, your body needs fat. You’ve heard of essential fatty acids? They’re so named because they are, in fact, essential: Your body cannot manufacture them from the food you eat. These fats play an important role in growth and development as well as in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Fat serves other practical purposes as well: It adds flavor to your food and, because it is digested more slowly than other nutrients, keeps you full between meals.

There are three main types of fats: Saturated are the “bad” fats. Typically solid at room temperature, these fats are found mainly in meat and dairy products as well as coconut and palm oils. A diet too high in saturated fat leads to heart disease and cancer. Polyunsaturated fats are in corn, soybean safflower and sunflower oils. Substituting these for saturated fats lowers cholesterol, but too much polyunsaturated fat can promote cancer. “Good” monounsaturated fats also lower cholesterol. They’re found in olive, canola and peanut oils. However, no refined fat is “healthy”; consume these good fats primarily in their most natural state (such as in olives, avocados, nuts and seeds), and use oil only in very small amounts.

Other fats have also recently become household names. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats are unsaturated fats which have been altered to extend their shelf life. They contain harmful trans fats and should be avoided completely. Cholesterol is a type of fat the body produces (as do the bodies of other animals). Eating cholesterol raises your cholesterol, as does consuming saturated and trans fats. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential polyunsaturated fats. In the typical American diet, omega-6 fats are plentiful while omega-3s are scarce. This dangerous ratio leads to inflammation (a factor present in many chronic diseases), heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases and depression. The body cannot make sufficient DHA, another essential omega-3 fat, on a diet high in omega-6 fats and low in omega-3s.

Don’t waste too much energy on how much of each kind of fat is in your food; simply eat a diet rich in a variety of whole, unrefined foods, as close to their most natural state as possible. As mentioned above, the best sources of good fats (including omega-3s) are almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower kernels and avocados.

Are raw nuts and seeds too expensive at your local grocery store? Buy them in bulk here.

How much fat should you eat per day? If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, it’s okay to consume very little fat while you lose weight, because your body will use what it has stored. But don’t stay on a non-fat or extremely low-fat diet long-term! If you are at a healthy weight and exercise regularly, eat as much as three to four ounces (about 2 small handfuls) of raw nuts or seeds per day, an avocado, or a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Growing children or someone who has a hard time gaining weight can eat more than that, but it should still be fat in its most natural form. Even if you are healthy and an ideal weight, fat should comprise no more than 30% of your total calorie intake at most; on a 2000-calorie diet, that’s about 600 calories worth. Put another way, about 65 grams.

Any way you look at it, remember that even the healthy fats in avocado, nuts and seeds pack a nine-calorie per gram punch, so if you want to maintain or lose weight, watch your intake. (In contrast, protein and carbohydrates contain only four calories per gram.)

One last bit of fat trivia: The fat on your plate will very easily be converted into body fat. So easily, in fact, that a biopsy of the fat on your waist, hips or thighs would reveal precisely where that fat came from: a pig, a chicken, a hunk of cheese or handful of nuts! Now that’s food for thought…

If you already walk, walk faster. Simply picking up the pace can burn 25% more calories. If walking faster for your full 30 minutes is too daunting, try 2 minute intervals of more brisk walking, alternating with 2 minutes of your normal pace.

Advanced plank pose. For beginner plank, keep both feet on the floor.

If you already do crunches, do your crunches on a balance ball. Using an exercise ball engages 40% more of your upper abs and 47% more of your side abs. To engage your inner abdominal muscles, do plank pose and hold it for 30-60 seconds.

If you already do cardio, add strength training. Don’t substitute, you need to add a 30-minute total body strength training workout two to three per week to the cardio you’re already doing. A study showed that individuals who did both intense cardiovascular exercise AND total body strength training lost twice the body fat and four times the belly fat compared to those who just did cardio. And remember that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns even while you’re just sitting in front of the computer.

If you already strength train, lift weights while standing on one foot, a wobble board or an inflatable disk. By forcing your body to focus on balancing, this will engage more core muscles without you really even noticing.

I liked the ideas in this related article as well, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33916015.

“One of the most valuable parts of the program is the weekly contact with the coach. It adds an element of accountability that encourages sticking with it when perhaps I might become slack or think it’s not important! Also, when an investment is made it becomes more important. It is well worth the money involved—I want to be around for my family and the grandchildren! My feeling of well-being has been greatly enhanced and my spirits raised simply because I am doing something and not just wishing to live better.” –JT, Maryland

“The weight I wasn’t able to lose for so long is finally getting lost! And I get to eat so much good food that I think the scale will go up, but then I lose ANOTHER pound. Because of you, I’m 10 pounds lighter even though I couldn’t exercise much, I’m in less pain and I have much more energy. Can’t wait to see the look on my doctor’s face the next time he sees me. Thanks, Emily, for being a life-changing coach and helping me stay on track. Couldn’t have done it without you!” –JK, Tennessee

“Having Emily as a wellness coach has made a tremendous difference in my ability to formulate goals and follow through with them. Checking in with Emily every week has helped me to understand why I have had difficulty reaching my goals in the past. She has an amazing ability to help clients get to the heart of the matter, and to stay on track. I would recommend Emily’s service to anyone who is serious about reaching their goals!” –BP, Washington

Click here to see the results my clients have enjoyed.

http://weight-master.blogspot.com/2009/08/weight-management-and-fitness-forum.html

Check it out for lots of other good info on weight loss and fitness.

The Nutrition Facts panel is usually on the back or side of all packaged foods. The first thing to notice is serving size. Keep in mind that the subsequent nutrition information applies only to one serving, not the whole package. Remember to account for this if you plan to eat the whole package!

Next look at the total calories and calories from fat. Divide the calories from fat by the total number of calories to find the percentage of fat. Avoid foods with more than 20% fat, especially if you need to lose weight. Exceptions to this would be avocado or raw nuts and seeds, which are naturally high in the good fats our bodies need to function properly—but eat these good fats in limited quantities!

Next on the list is fat. Manufacturers are required to list total, saturated and trans fats. Some will also list polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Research shows that both saturated and trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).

Next is cholesterol. If your diet is made up of exclusively plant foods, cholesterol is a non-issue because only animal products contain cholesterol.  If you eat animal products, make sure you get no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day. If you want to lower your cholesterol, eliminating all cholesterol (as well as saturated and trans fats) from your diet is the surest way to success. Your body produces as much cholesterol as you need, so any you get in your diet can elevate your cholesterol.

When it comes to sodium, your processed foods should contain less than one mg per calorie, and not more than 140 mg total per serving. Even “health foods” can be high in sodium because it is in so many of the additives used in processing. A high-sodium diet is the primary cause of high blood pressure; to lower your blood pressure and minimize your risk of stroke and heart disease, consume no more than 1000 mg of sodium per day.

When evaluating carbohydrates, look for foods with at least 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories. If you have diabetes, subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrates for the number of “available carbohydrates,” or those that will elevate your blood sugar.

With all the high-protein hype these days, you may think protein is the most important nutrient. Studies in the 1950s showed that we only need 20 to 35 grams of protein per day. All your protein needs are easily obtainable on a plant-based diet. Even vegans routinely consume 60 to 80 grams of protein per day. Outside of North America, most of the world’s protein intake comes from plants. Where do you think the cow got its protein? The elephant? The gorilla? The world’s largest land mammals are primarily herbivores. Plants contain all the protein you need!

Finally, read the ingredient list carefully. Ingredients are listed in order by weight from most to least, so the first one to three ingredients comprise the bulk of the product. Avoid foods with sugar in the first three ingredients or with multiple forms of sugar. Corn syrup, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, honey, fructose and sucrose are all forms of sugar. Only brown rice and oats are typically used in their whole form, so if the word “whole” is not before each other grain listed, your food is not whole grain. Words such as “enriched,” “milled,” “de-germed” or even “wheat flour” do NOT mean whole grain. Unless it says “whole” in the ingredients, wheat bread is simply white bread with a tan. If your product contains vegetable shortening or partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, it will contain trans fats. Don’t buy the product if it contains any ingredient you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce.

Though making sense of the Nutrition Facts labels may seem daunting, with a little practice you can unravel the mystery. And remember, fill your grocery cart with foods without labels!

What we like is largely a product of what we’re used to. Teaching kids to enjoy healthy foods gives them an advantage for the rest of their lives.

Conveniently, the same diet is good for you and your kids. Just being a vegetarian isn’t good enough, though; a veggie hot dog on a white bun loaded with mayonnaise, ketchup and pickle relish is not a high-nutrient food and will not significantly reduce disease risk. You must consume foods that are naturally high in nutrients: whole, unrefined vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts and seeds. If you eat animal products, refined foods or sweets, make those the exception rather than the rule.

Build your diet around foods that are as close to their most natural state as possible—steamed broccoli instead of broccoli cheddar soup, whole olives rather than olive oil. Think of it as eating low on the food chain—the greens themselves rather than the cow that ate them, or instead of the cheese made from the milk that came from the cow… You get the idea.

Your example is crucial; you must model good eating choices. If your child sees you eat a bowl of ice cream, she’ll want ice cream. If she sees you eat a fruit smoothie, she’ll want a smoothie. Set a good example and she’ll follow you.

Teach your kids why healthy eating is important. Start a discussion over the dinner table about why what you’re eating is good for you. Tell them you eat healthy because you love them and care about their future; let kids give feedback and share how they feel about it too.

Make your house a safe haven. It’s much easier to make good choices when there aren’t any alternatives! The decision to eat healthy starts at the grocery store. If your child is a picky eater, replace all unhealthy foods in your house with nutritious ones. Your child will not starve himself to death; if only healthy foods are available, he will eat healthy foods.

Get creative at incorporating vegetables into your meals. Blend frozen fruit with a little soymilk or orange juice and throw in a handful of fresh spinach or kale. Serve it in an opaque, covered cup with a colored straw and your kids will never know they’re eating vegetables. Chop kale, collards or spinach greens and add them to pasta sauce. Stuff a pita pocket with salad or shredded vegetables. Bake shredded zucchini, carrots or beets into cookies and cakes. Do your kids want pizza? Rather than ordering out, use whole wheat pita bread to make personal veggie pizzas. Have a contest to see who can use the least amount of cheese, or leave it off completely and pile on the veggies.

Plant a garden and let each child have a corner where they choose what to grow and are responsible for tending; they’ll be much more likely to eat what they’ve grown themselves. If a garden isn’t an option, have a few pots on your deck. Or, take your kids to a nearby farm to pick your produce.

Does preparing a healthy meal take more time than the drive-thru? Absolutely. But that time is an investment in the future. And if we believe our bodies are God’s temples, that time can become a sacred ritual of worship.

Setting an example goes for exercise, too. If kids see their parents in a regular exercise program, an active lifestyle becomes their norm. Make sure kids have the equipment they need—bicycles, helmets, roller blades—to engage in activities they enjoy. Choose age-appropriate activities that fit your child’s personality: Little League for the athlete, biking around the block for the casual athlete, swinging at the park for the non-athlete.

With childhood obesity and early type 2 diabetes on the rise, it’s increasingly important to watch what kids are eating and make sure they’re getting enough exercise. Our future is shaped by our childhood. If you’ve tried to change your lifestyle, you can appreciate how challenging it can be. Give your kids the advantage of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle now, and disease-proof them for life!

Here’s a little about my own journey.

I love sweets. One Friday evening in about 1997, I invited a bunch of friends over for a dessert potluck. Yes, it was exactly what it sounds like–the only thing on the menu was dessert! I remember having a vague sense that I enjoyed the various “dishes” more than anyone else. Though I grew up in a vegetarian household in which eating anything from an animal source was a taboo leading surely to death, fatty, sugary desserts abounded. Really, my parents did the best they knew at the time. In our defense, it wasn’t until the ’90s that fat became a villain, and the early ’00s when carbs appeared in the spotlight. Nevertheless, even knowing the evils of fat and refined sugar, I still struggle against a sweet tooth, and sometimes I give in all too willingly. (Just ask my in-laws, who keep more sugar around their house than I do at mine, so I invariably sugar-binge whenever I’m there! Or my husband, who frequently hears me say at the end of a meal, “I want something sweet!”) I used to curl my lip in disgust when I’d go out to eat with friends and they’d order salads as their entrees. At the boarding academy where I attended high school, I served as an RA in the dorm my junior and senior year. In our nightly (late-night) meetings, the dean fed us homemade treats regular basis. From a friend I made my junior year of high school, I learned how easy it is to sit and eat a whole bag of something. I don’t recount these stories to lay blame, just to let you know where I’ve been. (And even sometimes, still am…) Needless to say, I gained some weight that year.

I’m still not perfect, by any means. But my eating habits have greatly improved over the years–it’s not unusual for me now to order a salad for my entree! So the point of sharing my journey is to show that you can change too! And to prove it, I’m going to get real detailed about my current journey…

Because lately, in the last few weeks before my wedding last April and on the honeymoon and then in the first months of settling into a new routine of married life, I’ve let my discipline slip. Preoccupied with everything else that’s been going on, I’ve given in to my sweet tooth and instant gratification much more willingly. And I have to say, my cravings for sweet stuff only intensify the more I give in!

Here’s another example of my current battle: I’ve determined that part of my “grand opening” for this blog is that I’ll keep a food log. I really think that one of the reasons (besides my fear and self-doubt) I’ve dragged my feet about getting this up and going is that I’m embarrassed to log what I’ve been eating, and I’m reluctant to change back to the healthier habits I’ve had in the past!

So, I have two reasons for posting a food log here. First, to give you ideas. As a wellness coach, clients frequently ask me, “What do you eat?” This food log will show you what I eat, and hopefully give you some ideas for yourself. I make no claims of eating perfectly, I like my ice cream and my quesadillas just as much as the next guy. But I do strive to make healthy choices every day, and to keep those treats as exceptions rather than the rule.

Secondly, this gives me someone to be accountable to! Any time you keep a record of what you’re doing, you’re more likely to be conscientious about what you’re doing. Even better, if I know you’re going to see what I’m eating, I make healthier choices! (Last time I did this I lost 5 pounds without even trying–just because I was making slightly better choices!) 

My goals are:

1. Eat at least one salad every day.
2. Eat an additional serving of fresh or cooked vegetables every day.
3. Eat 3-4 servings of fruit every day.
4. Keep my dairy (cheese, eggs, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream etc) intake to no more than twice a week.
5. Keep my refined sugar intake to no more than twice a week.

Beginning July 26, I plan to keep this food log for 4 weeks alongside an exercise log. For interest sake, I’ll be keeping track of any changes in my BMI and waist size as well. Watch for corresponding recipes, too.

After the initial 4 weeks, I’ll continue blogging meals I thought were particularly good and healthy, things my husband especially liked, or traditional meals for special occasions which I made healthier than usual (like Thanksgiving or Christmas).

“I’ll just have a little piece.” “Have some, it’s fat free!” “A little bit of [insert your weakness here] now and then won’t hurt.” Sound familiar?

As a backpacker, I’ve been excited by the relatively recent explosion of ultralight gear. The ultralight mantra is: Ounces add up to pounds. Shave a few ounces here, drop a few ounces there, and suddenly your pack is a few pounds lighter.

Similarly, calories add up to pounds—and it can be surprising how quickly! In fact, 3500 calories equals one pound. In order to lose one pound in a week, you have to either reduce your intake and/or increase your output by 3500 calories. Some people try to complicate weight loss, but it’s really just a simple formula: burn more than you eat.

If you’ve tried a fad diet or two, you probably know how miserably they fail. Most dieters end up gaining back the weight they lost, and then some, as soon as they go back to their old eating habits. If you need to lose weight, reduce your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure, your best bet for long-term success is a lifestyle change. Some people can immediately change their lifestyle and never go back; others have to make smaller changes over time. If you’re part of the latter group, start with these steps to eliminate or burn more calories.

Hara hachi bu. The Okinawan Japanese are known for their longevity. Their healthy lifestyle incorporates what they call hara hachi bu, or eating until only 80% full. Rather than eating until you’re beyond stuffed, stop before you’re full. In a restaurant, order an appetizer instead of a full meal. Or, ask for a take-home box as soon as you get your meal and set half of it aside for lunch the next day.

Add five minutes to your workout. If five minutes at a time is all you can do, start there! Next week, make it ten…then fifteen…then twenty… Unless you’re the classic couch potato, fulfilling the basic recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week will maintain your current level of fitness. To improve, add a day each week until you are exercising six days per week. Next add five minutes to your workouts each week until you’ve reached 45 minutes. Finally, make your workouts more intense.

Pump iron. Strength training is an essential part of a well-rounded exercise program. Unless we strive to maintain it, we lose muscle mass at a rate of about five percent per decade starting at age 30. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn when you’re just sitting around!

Drink water. Soda and juice are a source of unnecessary calories with few nutrients. Moreover, without adequate water, your liver’s ability to metabolize fat is compromised, sabotaging your weight loss efforts. If you need flavor but are tired of the same old lemon wedge, try using orange slices, cucumber slices, mint leaves, or watermelon chunks. Or, drop an herbal tea bag into your water bottle.

Wear a pedometer and, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, you’ll walk an average of one mile farther each day than you do without it. Yes, take the stairs and park farther from the door—and maybe walk to your co-worker’s office instead of calling or e-mailing.

Go green. Eat vegetarian a couple of days a week. If you’re already vegetarian, build your meals around vegetables—especially the leafy green kind—and beans instead of grains and starches. Making unrefined plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds) the foundation of your diet means you get more nutrients per calorie and are less likely to crave more calories than you need. Try to eat foods in as close to their most natural state as possible.

Write it down. Keeping a food log raises your awareness of what might need to change. This is especially true if you’re doing everything right but still aren’t seeing progress. A food log also keeps you accountable to yourself; don’t be surprised if you think, “I don’t want to have to write that down so I’m not going to eat it.”

Start with these steps—but don’t stop there! Continue to challenge yourself until you’ve reached your optimum. Never gamble with your health!

Author and advertising executive Bruce Barton put it this way: “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things – I am tempted to think there are no little things.” Keep that in mind next time you reach for that little piece of [insert your weakness here] and tell yourself, “This little bit won’t make a difference…”

Ounces add up to pounds!

Things to Remember:

• 3500 calories = 1 pound
• 12-ounce can of soda = about 150 calories
• 8-ounce glass of juice = 100-150 calories

Health information appears daily in the media nationwide. You’d have to be living in a closet not to know what’s good for you. For most of us, ignorance isn’t the problem. So if we know what to do, why don’t we do it? The apostle Paul knew this struggle: “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15)

“There are individuals whose minds are prepared to recognize the importance of things that unprepared minds ignore or throw away,” say James Prochaska, John Norcross and Carlo DiClemente in their book Changing for Good. These researchers uncovered a predictable pattern of change by studying thousands of individuals who changed successfully.

Successful “self-changers” followed this pattern whether they overcame smoking, depression, low self-esteem, or obesity. Precontemplators typically deny their problem and resist change. Contemplators acknowledge their problem and, though perhaps not ready to act, know what overcoming it will take. When they begin to contemplate the solution rather than the problem, they progress into preparation, intending to act within the next month. The action stage begins when they make the move they’ve prepared for. However, without maintenance, relapses to contemplation or precontemplation often occur. A maintenance plan is crucial to long-term success. Finally, successful maintenance leads to termination: the problem is solved when they have reached the criteria that eliminate risk (i.e., smoking cessation, ideal body weight, or cholesterol below 200).

This six-stage program offers hope to previously unsuccessful self-changers. Prochaska and his associates also discovered distinct processes used during each stage, giving the self-changer control over the cycle of change: Learn what stage you are in and apply the appropriate processes for that stage. It’s not about having the willpower to say “no”; it’s about making use of every available tool. Even those who aren’t ready to act can begin the process.

How does this research relate to health? People who feel they have tried everything without success often resign themselves to “fate”. Others believe their health is pre-determined by genetics, and their actions don’t matter. But this concept is not Biblical. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7 Thousands of studies reveal the link between our choices and our health. Heredity loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger! The leading causes of death in America are lifestyle-related. These and many other diseases can be prevented, even reversed, through nutritional excellence and regular exercise.

Your first step is to assess what stage you’re in.

1.      Did you solve your problem more than six months ago?

2.      Did you take action on your problem within the past six months?

3.      Do you intend to take action in the next month?

4.      Do you intend to take action in the next six months?

Precontemplators answer no to all four questions. Contemplators answer yes only to question 4. People in the preparation stage answer yes to 3 and 4. Those in the action stage answer yes to 2, and those in maintenance answer yes to question 1.

Next apply the appropriate processes. Precontemplators and contemplators use consciousness-raising to recognize their problem and learn more about the topic. What risks does your behavior entail? How have others overcome a similar problem?

Precontemplators begin using social liberation and continue through the action stage. Social liberation involves modifying your environment to facilitate change. For example, instituting a no-smoking area at home or work.

Emotional arousal and self-reevaluation are employed during contemplation and preparation. Emotional arousal may be a sudden emotional experience surrounding your problem, alerting you to your defenses against change. Self-reevaluation involves careful analysis of your problem. What might life be like if you overcame it? Does your behavior conflict with your values?

Commitment begins in preparation and must be maintained through action and maintenance. Commitment involves stating, privately and publicly, that you are choosing to change. Doing so acknowledges that you, not your circumstances or other people, are responsible for your behavior.

Use rewards during action and maintenance to recognize your hard work! Rewards can be simply self-praise, or a purchase made with money you might otherwise have spent on your problem behavior.

Countering, environment control, and helping relationships facilitate your change during action, maintenance and beyond. Countering substitutes new behaviors for the one you want to overcome. Environment control involves changing your environment to encourage healthy behaviors and discourage your problem behavior. Self-change does not preclude the encouragement and nurturing of a support system. Whether they be your family, friends, church or a formal support group, helping relationships are vital to your success.

Whatever your goals—lose weight, exercise regularly, save money, or floss daily—you have more than “willpower”, you have the tools for success!

The Six Stages of Change Are

• Precontemplation
• Contemplation
• Preparation
• Action
• Maintenance
• Termination

Adapted from Changing For Good: A revolutionary six-stage program for overcoing bad habits and moving your life positively forward by James O. Prochaska, Ph.D., John C. Norcross, Ph.D., and Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D.