Anyone else remember when light chips or cookies came out. It must have been more than twenty years ago. Fellow employees kept an open box on their desk and nibbling throughout the day. I viewed the word light as permission to eat as if I’d never eat again. Of course, everyone believed that limiting fat in an item would equal thin.
Twenty years later, we are a nation with a weight problem. Part of the reason is less fat makes a food less filling, which means we eat more to get a full feeling. Most companies add more sugar when they take out the fat to approximate the same feeling in your mouth. The excess sugar turns into fat along with the excess carbs. Lack of portion control is part of the issue.
On A Biggest Loser episode, Bob dropped in on a mother and daughter participants who were in the process of making dinner. They used lean meat and fresh vegetables as instructed by the nutritionist, but they weren’t making the progress many contestants had on the show. Bob explained that they were eating the equivalent of five portions of food. True, it was good food, but enough for five people. They changed their food, but not their eating style.
Even healthy foods like nuts need to be measured. It's easy to pop open a can of almonds and munch away. It's better to measure out a 1/4 cup and put the can up.
Twenty years later, we are a nation with a weight problem. Part of the reason is less fat makes a food less filling, which means we eat more to get a full feeling. Most companies add more sugar when they take out the fat to approximate the same feeling in your mouth. The excess sugar turns into fat along with the excess carbs. Lack of portion control is part of the issue.
On A Biggest Loser episode, Bob dropped in on a mother and daughter participants who were in the process of making dinner. They used lean meat and fresh vegetables as instructed by the nutritionist, but they weren’t making the progress many contestants had on the show. Bob explained that they were eating the equivalent of five portions of food. True, it was good food, but enough for five people. They changed their food, but not their eating style.
Even healthy foods like nuts need to be measured. It's easy to pop open a can of almonds and munch away. It's better to measure out a 1/4 cup and put the can up.
My husband and I have wrestled with some weight gain after our initial weight loss. I had to analyze what happened.
Reasons for Weight Gain on the Atkins Lifestyle
· Not drinking enough water
· Too much caffeine, which doesn’t allow the body to flush out the system
· Not enough sleep. Our bodies tend to hold onto weight when we don’t sleep well.
· Too much stress. Our bodies react to stress by holding onto fat.
· Not enough exercise.
· Too much salt, which leads to water retention. Soy sauce can do a real number on you.
· Hidden carbs in restaurant foods
· Pigging out on forbidden items too much
· Portion control (Ding, ding, we have a winner, here.)
I can see myself guilty of many of these things, but I think portion control was my most serious one. For example, I’d take an Atkins entrée to work for lunch, but decide it wasn’t enough food. It actually was, but I wasn’t drinking enough water or complimenting the entrée with other healthy choices.
Occasionally, we eat out and assume whatever the restaurant gave us was a portion. If it's cheap food like pasta, pancakes,or potatoes the plate will often be crowed giving the appearnce of abundance and value. McDonalds' kid meal is an actual adult portion only we've grown used to everything being bigger.
Reasons for Weight Gain on the Atkins Lifestyle
· Not drinking enough water
· Too much caffeine, which doesn’t allow the body to flush out the system
· Not enough sleep. Our bodies tend to hold onto weight when we don’t sleep well.
· Too much stress. Our bodies react to stress by holding onto fat.
· Not enough exercise.
· Too much salt, which leads to water retention. Soy sauce can do a real number on you.
· Hidden carbs in restaurant foods
· Pigging out on forbidden items too much
· Portion control (Ding, ding, we have a winner, here.)
I can see myself guilty of many of these things, but I think portion control was my most serious one. For example, I’d take an Atkins entrée to work for lunch, but decide it wasn’t enough food. It actually was, but I wasn’t drinking enough water or complimenting the entrée with other healthy choices.
Occasionally, we eat out and assume whatever the restaurant gave us was a portion. If it's cheap food like pasta, pancakes,or potatoes the plate will often be crowed giving the appearnce of abundance and value. McDonalds' kid meal is an actual adult portion only we've grown used to everything being bigger.
As Americans, we are used to seeing servings wildly out of proportion of what we should be consuming. People want to see their plate covered with spaghetti, instead of the one-cup actual serving. At the beginning of our Atkins induction phrase, I measured everything. As things went on, I started reviewing things and assuming it was a portion.
Recently, a work accident put me on the couch and out of the gym. The result was I grazed on healthy foods, but used no portion control. Snacking on Atkins treats did not equal a meal. I didn’t exercise either. I found myself popping open cans of diet soda for energy. I ended up putting back on five pounds. Now, that I’ve reviewed the culprits it’s time to eliminate them
The great thing about Atkins, you can make the changes needed. I needed to measure the portions. Drink more water and avoid caffeine and soy sauce. As for the delicious Atkins treats, it isn’t a treat if you have it all the time. As for the weight gain, I’ve loss two pounds so far and I’m back in the gym.
Recently, a work accident put me on the couch and out of the gym. The result was I grazed on healthy foods, but used no portion control. Snacking on Atkins treats did not equal a meal. I didn’t exercise either. I found myself popping open cans of diet soda for energy. I ended up putting back on five pounds. Now, that I’ve reviewed the culprits it’s time to eliminate them
The great thing about Atkins, you can make the changes needed. I needed to measure the portions. Drink more water and avoid caffeine and soy sauce. As for the delicious Atkins treats, it isn’t a treat if you have it all the time. As for the weight gain, I’ve loss two pounds so far and I’m back in the gym.