I recently stopped by a friend’s house and overheard a guest’s frustration over her weight. She worked out 5-7 days a week for an hour a day and claimed to have a healthy diet. From a stranger’s point of view, I would have never known that this girl lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Even if a person is a little overweight, I can usually tell that they are working out by their skin, and muscle definition. My assumption and answer to her was that the calories consumed were exceeding the calories being burned. I can also assume that she was spending more time on cardio training vs a balance of cardio and resistance training, due to the lack of muscle tone.

Many individuals fall into the same boat as the frustrated guest. The assumption that a person has a license to eat everything and anything if they workout is not necessarily valid. The frustrated guest felt that due to her hour spent workout every morning, her metabolism should be at its optimum and that she should be a skinny minny.

False.

In an article published in Exercise and Sport Sciences Review , Professor of Medicine Edward Melanson of the University of Colorado conducted a study involving 65 volunteers, measuring their overall calorie burn on workout days vs non-workout days. The individuals were chosen based on moderate to low activity levels. Half of the individuals were put on a workout schedule, while the others were not. The volunteers who were asked to exercise had to perform a stationary bike workout that would burn 400 calories, and all members had a controlled diet.

The conclusion to the study was that calorie burn in all volunteers did not make a difference whether they worked out that day or not. The true factor to weight loss was back to the most reliable formula: More calories burned vs calories in.

Researchers continue to support the idea of physical fitness because of the many health benefits to the body and mind. They suggest doing the math when it comes to calories being consumed. Please keep in mind that this study was done on moderate to low activity level individuals and more research needs to be done on high intensity exercise for prolonged periods.

I totally agree with this study. I used to be that girl that complained “but I workout so hard and eat so good!” Yes, I ate too good. After really understanding the basic formula of weight loss, it was smooth sailing from then on.

So if you don’t how many calories you’re burning throughout the day, then I suggest you find your magic number. To maintain your weight, eat around that magic number and if you need to drop some weight then eat a few hundred less.

You can do it!

xoxo

There are less than two weeks left until the grand Thanksgiving feast.

Thanksgiving is NOT for giving thanks anymore. It has become this is  festive day filled with family gatherings and gossip, all-you-can-eat foods, holiday inspired desserts, football and lots of beer. It has become a dreadful day for me and my waistline!

Here is my Thanksgiving day itenerary:

On November 27th, my mom is hosting a Middle Eastern inspired  Thanksgiving dinner. Is there such thing? No. But she has created it. Her Dinner revolves around a Basmati rice & chickpeas stuffed Turkey with a side of hummus, pita bread and other traditional dishes. Let’s not forget the Baklava and other pumpkin filled desserts.

Later that day, I am also invited to my boyfriend’s humongous GREEK  Thanksgiving. Here we go again! More turkey, more stuffing, spanikopita and more calories. It’s an insult not to have 2 or three plates in the Mediterranean culture.

I am totally schizzing because there’s not enough space on my calorie calculator to enter everything in. But no worries, because I have a plan! And if you’re serious about your health and fitness goals, you should too.

I’m not saying that you can’t taste everything, but you should plan your day and meal to avoid overeating and gaining those holiday pounds.

So here is the plan that I will be sticking to on Thanksgiving. Feel free to adjust according to your caloric allowance.

FIT AN EXTRA GYM SESSION: Most gyms are open on Thanksgiving day, so why not fit in an extra workout that morning so your mind can be at ease with cheating a little. I have promised myself that I will be there at 5:30 am pumping some iron and doing a little high intensity elliptical training. That’s a 400 calorie buffer in case I somehow overeat, which I won’t. So win win for me.

MAKE IT YOUR CHEAT DAY: I usually make Saturdays my cheat day, but to compensate for Thanksgiving I will choose to be strict on the Saturday before and make the feast day my cheat day. Once again, my cheat day is still well-balanced but may involve having a few bites of dessert.

SHOW UP 1/2 FULL: 1 hour before arriving at my mom’s or boyfriend’s parents home, I will be downing a low calorie, high protein shake. This will help keep my cravings at bay and prevent overeating.

MAKE A PROMISE & KEEP IT: Before arriving, make a promise to yourself about how many calories you will be taking in and what foods you will be avoiding. If you want a little dessert, then skip the corn bread and mashed potatoes. If you want the corn bread, then avoid the pumpkin pie. If you want it all, then take mini bites instead of full servings.

FILL UP ON PROTEIN AND VEGGIES FIRST: I like to fill my plate with White meat Turkey breast (lower in fat and calories), veggies like string beans and broccoli, and a spoonful of yams. If I’m still hungry, then I’ll go back for more veggies.

CHOOSE YOUR DESSERT WISELY: Thanksgiving desserts are undoubtedly amazing especially a warm pumpkin pie! I usually ask my boyfriend to grab one so I can steal a bite. I down it with some coffee and call it a day.

TAKE A PLATE TO GO: I know the feeling of “I have to eat as much as I can because I won’t experience this meal again until next year!”       NOT TRUE. Food will always be there, and so will my hips if I don’t control myself. If you happen to think that way, then ask the host for a plate to go, so you can have more of the goodies later on that night or week.

I hope that my plan will inspire you to behave this Thanksgiving. Remember, right after we have Christmas dinner then “let’s get twisted” New Years! There are more upcoming DANGER ZONES so prioritize your goals and stick to them.

Trust me, you’ll thank me this summer when you look hot in that swim suit.

Love,

Ghada.

Even though scientists and experts have studied obesity for many years, they are still far from understanding the truth behind this issue.

But, a recent study conducted at the Oregon Research Institute reveals interesting findings on a brain chemical that seems to lead to overeating: Dopamine.

What is dopamine? Dopamine is a brain chemical that senses pleasure. For example, take a comforting food like warm apple pie. As you stuff your face with a huge bite of pie, dopamine levels are boosted giving you a satisfactory sensation.

Senior scientist, Dr. Eric Stice lead a study that suggests that dopamine levels are less active in obese individuals compared to the fit and lean.

The study involved 43 college girls ages 18-22, and 33 teenagers ages 14-18. The girls ranged from very skinny to obese. 

They were all asked to sip on delicious chocolate milkshakes while a scanner studied an area of their brain called Dorsal Striatum, the pleasure center filled with dopamine.

Scientists noticed that the pleasure center was less active in the obese volunteers compared to the thinner ones.

Scientists suggest that less dopamine activity may lead to overeating.

For example, if the person’s pleasure senses are low when indulging in a milkshake, then he or she may overeat to compensate to reach the level of satisfaction.

So, how do I feel about this released study?

I find this dopamine study to be very interesting but I also feel that there are more factors that need to be researched before this conclusion is definite.

Since I have experienced being in a bigger body and overeating, I can say that I was always satisfied with my meals. I did feel a boost in my dopamine levels as I tasted all the flavor and appreciated every texture. But, only under a scanner will I really know how active my pleasure center was, compared to now.

I also had an addictive behavior and used food for comfort. I felt insecure and unworthy so every bite was a symbol of happiness.

I felt that the problem was me, myself and I.

I realized I had to battle my mind by learning how to retrain my thoughts about food. The difference between then and now, is that I enjoy eating while practicing portion control. I eat to live, not live to eat.

What are your thoughts on the study?

Love, Ghada.

 I love my mom and dad to death, but they sure did a number on my body. When I think back to what I used to eat as a child, I don’t blame my body for retaliating against me like it did.

My parents were amazing cooks, but like many moms and dads they worked full time jobs during my early years and fast food was always convenient after a long day of work.

So let’s take a walk down memory lane.

Let’s start with breakfast.

During the work week, milk and cereal was a breakfast classic! Whole Milk and Kellog’s Frosted Flakes, Rice Crispies, Cocoa Crispies, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and the oh so healthy Honey Combs. The best part of a cereal breakfast, was the sweet flavored milk left over. I wished they just made apple jacks milk.

Lunch & dinner time!  School lunches consisted of sandwiches, fries, cookies, chips and juicy juice. McDonald’s Happy meals were the best! I loved when mom used to bring home that cute little box filled with chicken nuggets, fries, and a surprise. Milk shakes were awsome  too. After a long day of work, a bucket of KFC original recipe always hit the spot.

Snack time!

Our kitchen was also supplied with goodies filled with her love. Pringles, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Cheetos, Munchos, Lays, Snickers, Kit Kats and more.

I think I’m going to throw up right now.

How could my parents promote this? I love my parents but I don’t think they knew how much harm they were causing. I know that my mom and dad meant well and were simply showing their love through food, but as a child I knew nothing about calories and weight gain. I ate anything and everything that was around.

After many years of bad eating habits, I finally opened my eyes and realized that I was heading down an unhealthy path. Even though I have done a great job losing weight and adopting a healthy menu, I am still struggling with maintaining my weight. It took years to put it on, and I accept that it will take years to get to my healthy goal.

Instead of dealing with obesity and weight issues at a later age, we need to tackle this epidemic from the early stages of childhood.

Take a trip to Barnes and Nobles or jump online to begin your research. There are so many books and web sites that cater to parenting and creating healthy menus for children without sacrificing taste.

One of my favorite sites is the Sneaky Chef.com that features Author and Chef Missy Chase Lapine.

“With over 75 simple recipes, The Sneaky Chef is chock full of proven strategies for ingeniously disguising “super foods” in kids’ favorite meals. Like blueberries hidden in burgers, broccoli in meatballs, cauliflower in mac ‘n cheese, and wheat germ in cookies (they can’t see or taste anything different!).
With the addition of a few fast and simple make-ahead purees or clever replacements (some may surprise you!) parents can pack more fiber, fruit, vegetables and whole grains in their kids’ foods”.

Here are just a few tips to get you started:

* Pack your kids’ lunches and meals. Include a variety fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For example: Turkey & Cheese on whole grain bread, apple slices, and a water bottle.

* Involve your kids in the cooking process while educating them on why you have chosen certain ingredients.

* Teach your kids to love water instead of sodas. Feel free to add a slice of orange or a few raspberries to the water to give it a hint of refreshing flavor.

* Teach your children how to keep a journal tracking their foods, activities and emotions. Find stickers to simplify their tracking. For example, find veggie stickers. Every time they eat carrots, they can place that sticker in their journal. That will motivate them to both eat the carrots and continue to use the journal.

In addition to adopting a healthy menu for your family, you should also come up with other ways of showing your love whether it is by playing sports, indulging in arts and crafts or taking up a music instrument together.

With the increased availability of food, obesity has become such a worldwide epidemic, and through education and awareness we can make a change. One of my favorite people in the world is doing just that!

Dr. Oz (Oprah’s handsome Dr. guest!) has started Health Corps, an organization that introduces nutrition and exercise programs to public schools, to educate children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

HealthCorps® is up and running in 45 high schools in California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Through a strategic plan, HealthCorps will continue increasing its outreach in current states and initiating outreach to schools in new states such as Connecticut and Arizona in 2009-2010.

Thanks Dr. Oz!

If you are a parent who is already promoting a healthy lifestyle, I would love to hear from you!

If you are a parent who is guilty of over feeding their children, make today a fresh start.  I would love for you to share with me your current situation then explain how you will improve your family’s health and lifestyle!

Love,

Ghada

You’ve heard this over and over and over!

It takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stretched out belly telling you that you are full. Well, you don’t have time to sit around and watch your food for that long so you decide to over indulge and continue to stuff your face.

Guilt kicks and you begin to justify your actions. It is your “cheat” day again, your birthday is coming up and your wise mother told you to never waste food. You picture all the starving people in the world and it is your duty to eat for their cause.

You may be laughing right now ladies but you know it’s true!

I have justified my overeating habits plenty of times but since adopting the Love Your Life Program, I have learned to control myself.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions to help prevent overeating:

• Use a smaller dish, so that it looks like your plate is more full.
• Serve up an appropriate portion, and don’t tempt yourself with seconds.
• Put away leftovers quickly after dinner, and store them in portion-controlled containers. Freeze whatever you don’t want right away.
• Never eat right out of the bag, box or takeout container. Put bowls or platters of food away or out of sight during dinner. 

Here are a few more tricks that I use in addition to the previous suggestions. 

• Drink a protein shake 30 minutes before your meal
• Drink a glass of water before your meal
• Eat at the table and slowly eat your meal
• Eat your protein first
• Fill your plate with veggies
• Fill up on soup before your meal
• Make a promise to stick to your planned portion
• Chew strong flavored gum after your meal

For your homework this week, I would like you to start applying some of these tips while paying attention to your hunger level. 

Please feel free to post more helpful hints so we can all benefit.

Keep me posted!