Tricia has already lost 110 pounds!  She approached her weight loss this time by her own prescribed diet and exercise regimine; which means it is EXACTLY the right way.  It took her over twenty years to figure out that she could do this without spending money on the lastest new fad, diet or diet pill.  


Her approach:

• Calorie counting using My Fitness Pal app (free) 1200 calories per day
• Using the Endomondo app (free) to track her fitness
• Saying no to the food at work and all around her (said this was hard at first)
• Bringing her lunch to work
• Declining invitations to lunch and would offer instead, to each bring their lunch to work and sit together
• Finding time to exercise at the end of a long work day and using Endomondo for tracking exercise (she started on Saturdays and realized she could fit more in- baby steps!)
• She sticks with 1200 calories regardless of exercise time (she does not eat more just because she burned more)
• Planning what’s for dinner 
• She has support at home and work (we are all her biggest fans!)

Why it is right and why it works:

• Portion control
• Meal planning
• Healthy choices
• Calorie awareness 
• Goal setting
• Exercising 
• Saying no 
• Consistency

There is nothing in her self described plan that tells her what she can and cannot eat.    It took her about one month of using My Fitness Pal to familiarize herself with the calorie content in foods.  Calorie content awareness and understanding nutritional values helps her make the right choices, allowing the concious decision to eat a food or not.  Consuming only 1200 calories a day, helps you make the choices you want to make and ask yourself when you are tempted, “is it worth it?” 

If you have ever dieted and lost weight, you understand the natural progression and ease of saying no to certain foods once the weight starts coming off.  Losing weight inspires. Each day is easier when you see results.  Her initial goal was much less than 110 pounds. Here goals become larger as a natural progression of her acheivement and success.  We will share her maintenance weight when she decides what she wants it to be.  She is on FIRE!

Health Inspires.  

Butter, margarine, butter spreads and oils.  It is confusing on which is healthiest with the abundance of mixed marketing and heart healthy labels, marketing and; did I say marketing?  


Seeing people I love pick up the tub of butter that says “made with olive oil” because of olive oil's known heart healthy benefits, fuels my desire to clear up any marketing misconceptions and write this blog.  If you look closely at the ingredient panel, you will see that this specific product is made with partially hydrogenated oil.  Not good; and not the olive oil you think you are getting.  

Here are clinically based evidence facts mixed in with my opinions.

The Bad: Saturated Fats
The Ugly: Trans fats
The Good: Unsaturated Fats

Butter is a saturated fat.  Butter tastes good.  Butter is real. Butter should be used in moderation.

Butter is a Saturated Fat

• There is no dietary requirement for saturated fat (i.e., not essential, we do not need it)
  
• A higher intake of saturated fatty acids is associated with higher levels of blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)

• Higher total and LDL cholesterol levels are risk factors for cardiovascular disease

Margarine is a trans fat (most cases).  Margarine tastes ok. Margarine is processed.  Margarine should be used in moderation if used at all.

Margarines and Some Butter Spreads contain Trans Fats:

• There is an evidence based association between increased trans fatty acid intake and increased risk of cardiovascular disease
• Trans fats are recognized as ingredients “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”
• Trans fats have an LDL cholesterol- raising effect (bad cholesterol)
• Trans fats are clinically proven to be worse to your cardiovascular system than saturated fat 
• Some trans fats are naturally occurring but most are synthetic (chemically transformed through hydrogenation) 
• Found mostly in some margarines, snack foods, and prepared desserts and many processed food products 

My preferred Butter Spread is Land O Lakes Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil:

• Only three real ingredients: Sweet Cream, Canola Oil and Salt

• The canola oil ingredient cuts the saturated fat content of butter in half
• Provides the satiety and taste that butter gives and spreads easily 
• Has the benefits of canola oil to balance out the ill effects of saturated fat

Canola oil is a mono-unsaturated fat.  Canola oil is a good, heart healthy fat.  Canola oil is still a fat.  Fats should be consumed in moderation.  Canola oil is a good choice when choosing oils for sautéing meats or veggies, marinades, and in dressings.

Canola Oil is an Unsaturated Fat:

• Rich in heart healthy unsaturated fat (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) 
• Mono-unsaturated fatty acids help to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood
• Contains linoleic (omega-6) and α-linolenic acid (omega-3, like that in fish oil) essential fatty acids 
• The oil contains valuable amounts of anti-oxidant vitamin E, protecting cell membranes from the harmful effects of free radicals

Key Take-aways:

• Fats are essential to help our bodies absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
• The USDA recommends that adults over 19 years of age only have 20%-35% of their total calories come from fat.  This applies when you are getting all of the other proper nutrients that helps manage risk of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease 
• Calorie perspective:  That is a big range (20%-35%) and my guess is, science aside, the USDA is accomodating for specific populations and there are politics are at play here.  It is true you can consume more than the recommeneded daily intake of fat and not gain weight as long as you are still balancing calories consumed with calories burned.  Consider it differently; what nutrients are you displacing by consuming too much fat?  What does that do to your body, your heart and the way you feel?  My input here is to mention if you are consuming salmon and nuts and sauteeing green veggies in olive oil and staying within your calorie limits; you are healthy.  If your fat is coming from saturated fats and processed foods, try and make one change today
• Limit saturated fats in your diet to no more than 10% of your daily calories with the remainder coming from unsaturated fats.  However, studies show that having less than 7% of calories come from saturated fats can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
• Saturated fats come from animal products
• Replace saturated fats with heart healthier canola and olive oil (monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fatty acids) when you can
• Be aware: Food manufacturers are changing ingredients from “hydrogenated” and “partially hydrogenated” oils to palm oil.  Do not let this fool you.  Palm oil is a saturated fat and equally as harmful and artery clogging as any other saturated fat
• Fat is fat and comes with 9 calories per gram
• The USDA reports that the types of fatty acids consumed are more important in influencing the risk of cardiovascular disease than is the total amount of fat in the diet

To learn more about the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans visit

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2010/policydoc/policydoc.pdf

My wish for you is that healthy choices come easily.  Make one today.  

Health Inspires.