Your Perfect Weight Week 14-17
Week 14: Better choices for dining out Exercise goal: Walk five days, three miles per day
There you are in the kitchen, about to prepare your umpteenth meal for the week, when somebody with a credit card announces, "Hey, let's go out for dinner tonight!"
Once you would've been the first one at the door, like a puppy with a leash in his mouth, ready to bolt to that diner or deli. But now that your weight-loss program has been going so well, you're worried that you might blow it.
Not likely--not with all the weeks of healthy meals and hearty exercise under your belt. But if it feels like it's been forever since you've gone out to eat and you are concerned about how to handle restaurant dining, rest easy. You can use the handy guide on page 216 to help you meet the challenge of dining out head on.
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Restaurant Survival Guide
This week, make a special point of dining out a couple of times. And instead of partaking of the fattening foods and behaviors you might have in the past (column A), try some alternatives (column B). They will add to your dining experience while subtracting from the scale. Always remember that if you've got a special restaurant meal coming up, plan ahead so you can enjoy it to the fullest. That means starting each day with a good breakfast, maybe going a bit easy on the calories at lunch, and squeezing in a tad more exercise over the weekend. Speaking of exercise, how's that going? It might be time for
a mileage check of your walking shoes. They may need to be replaced. | Column A | Column B |
| | You leave the house famished. | Drink a glass of water or club |
| | You could eat a horse! | soda and have a celery stalk or a | | carrot at home to take the edge | | off your hunger. |
| | Your dining companion says, "How | You say, "Hmmm, how about | | about French food (or pizza or ribs) | seafood (or vegetarian or Thai) | | tonight?" You say, "Fine--anything." | instead?" |
| | The moment you're seated, you | You drink the water poured for |
| | attack the bread basket. (And | you and, with your compan- |
| | don't forget the butter!) | ion's okay, ask the waiter to | | remove the bread and butter. |
| | You order an alcoholic beverage | You continue to drink the |
| | to start. | water or order tomato juice or | | mineral water. |
| | Somebody orders something that | You ignore what everyone else |
| | sounds good, and although | is ordering and just focus on |
| | you hadn't intended to order it | your own meal. In fact, you |
| | yourself, you do. | don't even open the menu-- | | you know what you can eat. |
| | You recite your order to the | You're unsure about how a dish | | waiter, no questions asked. | is prepared. You ask the waiter | | about it and possibly ask to | | have it changed--say, from | | fried to baked, or with sauce | | on the side. |
| | You eat and eat and eat and eat. | You eat and talk and eat
and talk. |
| | You finish everything on your plate. | You leave about half of your
meat or fish (and ask to have it
wrapped so you can take it home). |
| | You ask the waiter to bring | You ask the waiter to refill your | | more rolls. | water glass. |
| | You order a slab of cheesecake | You order some sorbet (and | | for dessert. | maybe have a forkful of a | | friend's cake). |
| | You get in the car and lean | You stroll home, or if it's not | | against the door, moaning, "I'm | too late once you get home, | | so full!" (The seat belt's feeling | you take a brisk walk. | | a mite snug all of a sudden.) |
| | You feel guilty. | You feel great! | |
Week 15: Use positive self-talk
Exercise goal: Walk five days, three miles per day
Nobody's perfect! Every now and then we need to remind ourselves of that trite but true saying.
Throughout this period of weight loss and establishing new health habits, you've got to be your own best friend, supportive of your efforts and forgiving of your mistakes. So says Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., professor of psychology and co-director of the Yale University Eating and Weight Disorders Clinic and co-author of Weight Maintenance Survival Guide. And there will be mistakes and setbacks--no doubt about it. Chances are you've already experienced one or two.
But you have to be kind to yourself and focus on your achievements, not your slip-ups. To do this, you have to pay attention to your self-talk. If you ever catch yourself saying or even thinking the words stupid, bad or cheat, take a minute to change them to positive ones. Instead of telling yourself, "I was bad to have that piece of cake," say, "I did eat that cake, and I will be more careful at my next meal."
If you think you've been too harsh on yourself, jot down some notes to that effect in Your Perfect Weight Success Diary, so you can review them in days and weeks to come. Remind yourself that you're up to future eating challenges, and give yourself regular, much-deserved pats on the back for your awesome accomplishments.
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Switch On the Positive
Get into the habit of switching "pain words" to "power words," suggests psychologist Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. "It's important that you monitor your words, using phrases that empower rather than weaken you," she insists. "So eliminate the 'can'ts,' 'shoulds,' 'problems' and 'struggles' from your vocabulary, and replace them with power words." Here are some word-swaps she recommends. | Instead of . . . | | Say . . . | | I can't | | I won't | | I should | | I could | | It's a problem | | It's an opportunity | | Life's a struggle | | Life's an adventure | | I hope | | I know | | If only | | Next time | | What will I do? | | I know I can handle it |
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Week 16: Cold-weather walking
Exercise goal: Walk five days, three miles per day
You've been doing a bang-up job with your walking program so far; don't let cold weather stop you! You can still keep up your outdoor workout, as long as you know what to expect from exercising in lower temperatures and you take the necessary precautions. This week, concentrate on getting your act together for cold-weather walking. Here are a few tips from the pros to help you keep up the good work. (If your Week 16 falls during warmer weather, please read the "Warm-Weather Workout," on page 265, instead.)
Take it easy. Be sure to warm up more slowly than usual, and do so indoors. "Give your cardiovascular system a chance to get going before you hit the cold air," says Ronald Lawrence, M.D., president of the American Medical Athletic Association. "You'll feel better about going outside, and you'll create less stress on your heart."
Dress for the chill. Less is more in the world of high-tech textiles. New fabrics insulate, block the wind and wick away moisture without bulk or heaviness, and they do their job more effectively than wool or cotton. Start with a layer of synthetic fabric like polypropylene or hollow-core fibers to wick away perspiration. Next you need an insulating layer for warmth, such as down. And last, you'll need an outer layer, or shell, to protect you from the wind--something that's waterproof and breathable.
Treat your feet. As you warm up by exercising, your feet stay warm with you, and so you may not need any footwear other than your usual walking shoes. But as temperatures drop or as road conditions get icy, wet or slushy, you might consider a pair of hiking shoes. The type of hiking shoes that are appropriate for dirt trails should be flexible enough for a fitness walk.
As for socks, Douglas Richie, D.P.M., associate clinical professor, California College of Podiatric Medicine in Seal Beach, recommends a light trekking sock for cold-weather walking. A combination of wool and acrylic is the way to go. "Wool absorbs moisture and stays stiff, which allows it to hold air, and air is what keeps you warm," says Dr. Richie. "And the acrylic makes the sock more comfortable and moves the moisture out."
Protect your skin. Your face and hands generally suffer the most from exposure during the winter. To protect your hands most effectively, use two types of gloves: first a thick, insulated glove for warm-up, and then, as your body and hands warm up, switch to a lighter glove. To protect your face, a thin, silk ski mask is best. But if you'd rather not wear one, be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen--ideally one that's water-resistant and with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Allow it to dry, then follow up with an application of moisturizer or petroleum jelly.
Know when to chill out. While you may be eager to keep up your walking program, despite severe weather conditions, you should be reasonable. On very bitter days, switch to an indoor workout--use a stationary bike, swim laps in an indoor pool, skate (roller or ice) at an indoor rink or walk around a mall.
Pick the right fuel. Cold days demand hearty, tummy-warming foods. Choose a hot breakfast featuring oatmeal and a warm drink, hot soups and stews for lunches and dinners and a postexercise mug of cinnamon-spiked tea or sugar-free cocoa.
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Week 17: Learn how to graze
Exercise goal: Walk six days, three miles per day
How has your eating been going? Concentrating on getting fruit, veggies, grains and pastas into your day, every day? Exercising portion control? Keeping track of snacks? Good.
Now, while you (and your family) may be accustomed to your three squares a day, switching to several small meals throughout the day instead may actually be better for fat burning, according to some experts. If you're hoping to see better numbers on the scale during your weekly weigh-ins, this might be something worth trying.
What's wrong with three meals a day, you wonder? Well, after you eat, your body releases the hormone insulin, and the larger the meal and the higher it is in fat and sugar the more insulin your body releases in response.
"Insulin causes your body to save fat and burn carbohydrates," explains registered dietitian James Kenney, Ph.D., nutrition research specialist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. "Things that tend to pump insulin levels higher tend to promote weight gain."
Insulin helps prevent your fat cells from breaking down fat and releasing it into the bloodstream, where it could be burned as fuel. And it also helps turn your fat cells into magnets for the dietary fat that's been absorbed into your bloodstream.
But smaller meals, eaten more frequently during the day, keep insulin levels lower and more stable. "If you have less insulin in your blood, you store less fat and burn more fat," Dr. Kenney explains. "And because you burn more fat, you have less of an appetite because you're using calories instead of storing them."
But grazing only prevents insulin surges if you choose the right kinds of foods. Stick to high-complex-carbohydrate, low-fat foods like baked potatoes (with vegetable or nonfat cheese toppers), whole-grain pretzels, bagels and breads, legumes and vegetables. A typical grazing menu might go something like this.
Breakfast: oatmeal; skim milk
Midmorning snack: half a bagel with all-fruit jam; herbal tea
Late-morning snack: small banana
Lunch: sandwich of low-fat ham and low-fat Swiss cheese with lettuce and tomato slices on wheat bread; cucumber slices
Midafternoon snack: pretzels
Late-afternoon snack: tomato juice with nonfat crackers
Dinner: broiled fish with rice or pasta; two servings steamed vegetables; small green salad
After-dinner snack: nonfat yogurt
You should also be continuing to drink your six to eight glasses of water throughout the day.
If you do try this way of eating this week, it's especially crucial for you to keep your food diary up-to-date, so you don't "forget" about that half sandwich here or that container of yogurt there. The meals may be smaller, but the calories and fat grams still add up.
Check out your new walking goal: six days a week at three miles per day. Remember, the closer you come to daily exercise, the easier it'll be to keep those pounds away . . . for good!
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