In the first experiment, scientists told subjects they were going to make them smoothies. One group was shown the actual ingredients (a modest portion) and another group was shown the same ingredients but with larger portion sizes.  Both groups were actually served the same amount but three hours later the group that had seen the larger bowl of fruit felt more satisfied.

In the second experiment, subjects were given a bowl of soup with a tube attached to it. All subjects started with the same amount of soup and were shown the same amount of ingredients before they started eating.  During their meal, scientists manipulated the amount of soup by either adding or taking away more as the subjects ate.  The end result?  Everyone felt pretty much the same level of satiety no matter how much soup they had eaten.  Their eyes told them how much they ate, their stomach didn’t.

Kinda cool, isn’t it?  I have to wonder on the second experiment how much snickering was happening with the grad students who were probably the ones manipulating the tube to the soup bowl.

To use this to your advantage try these “tricks” for yourself:

Eat on smaller dishes. The average plate size has crept up over the decades.  In the 1940s it was 9 1/2″ in diameter; today it’s 11 1/2″.  If you fill your plate today you’re eating quite a bit more food.  With a smaller plate you’ll have the appearance of abundance while actually ingesting less food.

Take a moment to “look” at the food you’re eating. We tend to just shovel food on our plate and dig in without thinking about it, mostly because our prior experience “tells” us what’s there.  Take a beat or two and look at the food you’re eating — quantity, texture, color, aroma, etc.  Absorb it all and then eat.

Compare your plate to standard portion sizes. A cup of food is about the same size as a baseball.  A serving of meat is about the same as a deck of cards.  Start serving yourself these standard portions and even though it looks like less on your plate, understand it’s the amount you should be eating and it won’t seem so small.  I literally recommend putting a deck of cards in your kitchen to compare your meal to.

Our  minds are so used to seeing portion sizes on TV and at restaurants, huge and overflowing plates of sumptious foods.  We’ve reset our brains into thinking these portion sizes are normal and if we’re eating less than this we’re starving ourselves. Since 66% of the country is overweight, clearly we’re not.

If we adjust our thinking, we’ll adjust our waistlines.

By downsizing our bias’ on portion sizes our bodies will get the proper nutrition but instead of thinking of it as self-inflicted torture we’ll be sated and happy and NOT focused on food.

How cool is that?  What do you think?

Lisa

I’ve been working with a nutritionist to lose 15 pounds (I’m a size 10 trying to get to a size 6 for, ahem, professional reasons).  Yesterday, she laid it on me: my full nutritional plan.  Here are the guidelines.

1. Journal every morsel you put in your mouth.  This includes time of day, hunger level, if I’m sitting or standing, where I am and with whom, and my mood.  It’s a bit eye-opening, let me tell you.  I eat more junk when I’m with my kid; I eat really well in front of friends and my peers.  I usually eat only when I’m hungry, unless I’m stressed, and then I eat a little more. If I’m sad, I eat a lot more.  (I’ve only been sad once so far while doing the journal, but boy did I plow through the fridge.)
2. Do cardio four to five times per week.  We had a rather large debate about this as exercise falls into my area of expertise.  I recommend that people should do 150 minutes per week to maintain weight and 200 to 250 minutes per week to lose weight.
3. Do resistance training twice per week.  We argued on this one, too.  She thought it was too much; I insisted we add it.  (I do it, anyway.  I love Pilates, and mostly I just wanted credit for what I was already doing.  Plus, resistance training is really important; I’ll need toned abs when I’m skinny!)
4. Eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables.  Yup, that many…

FYI, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends between 4 and 5 1/2 cup servings of fruit and between 4 and 5 cup servings of raw vegetables (or 1/2 cup cooked.)  Fruit and vegetable juices don’t count!

My nutritionist’s theory is simple: fill up on fruits and veggies and you won’t bother to eat all the starchy stuff people tend to go for.  My typical breakfast is shredded wheat, a little granola on top, and skim milk.  Today it’s a big bowl of blueberries and whole wheat toast.

I’ll be doing the Couch to 5K training run tonight with my family so there’s my cardio for today, and I’ll be sneaking in Pilates between clients, as usual.

I have a deadline for the fall to be at a certain weight.  It’s non-negotiable and it involves a good bit of money if I get it together, so I’ve got a pretty good incentive to stay the course.   My downfalls are that I’m social and I go to parties where there’s pretty good food to snack on and alcohol and I overeat a little at night.  For the record my BMI is at the high end of “normal weight” and I’m looking to bring it down to the low-ish end of normal.

We’ll see how I do.  Wish me luck.  If you’d care to join me, let me know.

Lisa

A recent study of obese people in Australia looked at how they perceived themselves in the media and what they thought about the approaches to “cure” obesity.

They perceived the diet industry as “greedy,” “a scam.” or a “rip-off” but most said they would still turn to the same industry for help with weight loss because they didn’t know where else to go for support.

It’s pretty sad that the “best” information out there is only provided by people hoping to make some money off the guy who’s just trying to get healthy.

Here’s what I propose as possible solutions to encourage people to lose weight.  Some of it is stick and some of it is carrot.  But the stick is aimed at food manufacturers, not individuals.

Tax junk food to make it as expensive as “good” food.  This is directed more at the food manufacturers so they’ll start making nutritious, good-tasting products instead of the processed crap they’ve been putting out since the 1970s.

Make over the General Practitioner’s Office. Doctor’s should be pushed toward wellness maintenance models instead of “sick treatment” models.  I want to literally place nutritionists and highly certified personal trainers in doctors’ offices.  A medical referral will provide you food and workout advice that’s safe, effective, and reasonable.

Encourage businesses to 100% reimburse their employees for fitness and weight loss programs.  I’ve read studies over the years that support this as a huge ROI (return on investment).  Workers immediately become more productive, take less sick time, and have less significant medical issues which drops the health costs for the company overall.

Stock workplace cafeterias and vending machines with only healthy food. Doesn’t this just make sense?  Why let an employee inhale a Twinkie and then deal with his 3:00 pm sugar crash?  While you’re at it, offer cooking classes during off hours at the cafeteria to show employees how to cook healthfully.  And for any healthy dishes served at the company cafeteria hand out recipe cards so folks can cook the meal at home.

In urban areas, focus on developing safe outdoor spaces for people to play and workout.  I’m lucky that Boston has a wonderful park system, beautiful paths along the Charles River, and tons of pocket parks throughout the city. Encourage the development of more pocket parks.  Look at developing roof tops as areas people can access.  Another great example is the old elevated railway renovation in Chicago.  They took an eyesore and turned it into a beautiful park and walkway.

Make all restaurants post nutrition content directly on the menus. This works.  Would you order a 2,000+ calorie meal from the Cheesecake Factory if you knew exactly what you were putting in your mouth?  The food industry is very sophisticated, they hire chemists and marketers to feed you mounds and mounds of cheap food that appeals to your caveman palate.  By insisting on menu disclosure these same people will need to retool their dishes with fresh herbs, healthy fats, and diet-friendly starches.  It’ll still taste great.  We’ll just be giving them a strong push to go in the right direction.

What do you think?  What would you add or take away from this list?  I’d love your thoughts.

Lisa

Yup, there is no magic bullet people.  But you knew that already, I know you did.

Researchers in Germany tested nine different pills in one of the most rigorous studies conducted to date.  The pills make various claims from blocking carbs to burning fat to increasing metabolism.  They compared each of them to placebos.

The placebos were just as effective as all nine pills.

I know, it would be so easy if we could just swallow something and be skinny.  Trust me, I wish I could do it too.  But we are all, sadly, out of luck.

According to WebMD about $3 billion a year is spent on weight loss supplements in Europe and the US combined.  That’s a lot of money that could be spent on new sneakers and health club memberships.

Here are some ideas if you’d like to lose weight …

• How to Lose 5 Lbs.
• How Much Exercise Do You Need
• How to Get Out of Your Rut
• The 5 Phases of Getting Fit

Hope they help.  Have you tried diet supplements in the past?  Did you find them useful, harmful, or irrelevant?

Lisa

A Deeper Look at the Numbers

• Adult obesity rates rose in 28 states
• 8 States have rates above 30% in 1991 no states were above 20%
• 38 States now have an obesity rate higher than 25%
• 8 States have a childhood obesity rate higher than 20%
• Blacks and Hispanics have higher rates of obesity than whites, this is strongly tied to income levels

A Reason For Optimism

Both Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver have aimed a big spotlight on obesity this year.  Oliver tackled it through his show Food Revolution and Obama unveiled the Let’s Move plan, a 70 point plan to eliminate childhood obesity in a generation.

I know I have a slanted perspective here.  I’m in the fitness industry and am always talking to people who are trying to be more aware of what they eat and how they exercise.  I’m also in one of the lowest 10 states for obesity rates.  I don’t see it the way people see it in Mississippi.  But through this blog and my other fitness writing it does seem like there’s a shift underway.  The voters agree …

• 73% say preventing childhood obesity is an important priority for the US government
• 56% say a comprehensive program to combat childhood obesity is worth the financial investment.
• 56% also believe it will ultimately save taxpayers money through reduced medical costs.
• 20 states have school nutrition guidelines tougher than the US government standards.  Five years ago, only four states did.
• 28 States have standards for selling “competitive food” (think vending machines) in schools.  Five years ago only six states did.

Do you think the government should spend more money to help combat childhood obesity?  What about adult obesity?  How can you help your specific community to get to a healthier place?  What about your household?

This is too important a topic not to discuss …

Lisa

I’ll be dissecting the study more tomorrow.  Here’s the ranking for today.  How did your state do?

Alabama:  Adults 31.6%, Children 17.9%, Rank 2

Alaska: Adults 26.9%, Children 14.1%, Rank 24

Arizona:  Adults 25.8%, Children 17.8%, Rank 29

Arkansas:  Adults 30.1%, Children 20.4%, Rank 8

California:  Adults 24.4%, Children 15.0%, Rank 41

Colorado:  Adults 19.1%, Children 14.2%, Rank 51

Connecticut:  Adults 21.4%, Children 12.5%, Rank 50

Delaware:  Adults 27.9%, Children 13.3%, Rank 20

District of Columbia:  Adults  21.5%, Children 20.1%, Rank 49

Florida:  Adults 25.1%, Children 18.3%, Rank 36

Georgia:  Adults 28.1%, Children 21.3%, Rank 17

Hawaii:  Adults 22.6%, Children 11.2%, Rank 47

Idaho:  Adults 25.1%, Children 11.8%, Rank 36

Illinois:  Adults 26.6%, Children 20.7%, Rank 26

Indiana:  Adults 28.1%, Children 14.6%, Rank 17

Iowa:  Adults 27.6%, Children 11.2%, Rank 22

Kansas:  Adults 28.2%, Children 16.2%, Rank 16

Kentucky:  Adults 30.5%, Children 21.0%, Rank 7

Louisiana:  Adults 31.2%, Children 20.7%, Rank 5

Maine:  Adults 25.8%, Children 12.9%, Rank 29

Maryland:  Adults 26.6%, Children 13.6%, Rank 26

Massachusetts:  Adults 21.7%, Children 13.3%, Rank 48

Michigan:  Adults 29.4%, Children 12.4%, Rank 10

Minnesota:  Adults 25.5%, Children 11.1%, Rank 32

Mississippi:  Adults 33.8%, Children 21.9%, Rank 1

Missouri:  Adults 29.3%, Children 13.6%, Rank 12

Montana:  Adults 23.5%, Children 11.8%, Rank 43

Nebraska:  Adults 27.3%, Children 15.8%, Rank 23

Nevada:  Adults 25.6%, Children 15.2%, Rank 31

New Hampshire:  Adults 25.4%, Children 12.8%, Rank 35

New Jersey:  Adults 23.9%, Children 15.4%, Rank 42

New Mexico:  Adults 25.5%, Children 16.0%, Rank 33

New York:  Adults 25.1%, Children 17.1%, Rank 36

North Carolina:  Adults 29.4%, Children 18.6%, Rank 10

North Dakota:  Adults 27.7%, Children 11.4%, Rank 21

Ohio:  Adults 29.0%, Children 18.5%, Rank 13

Oklahoma:  Adults 30.6%, Children 16.4%, Rank 6

Oregon:  Adults 25.0%, Children 9.6%, Rank 39

Pennsylvania:  Adults 28.1%, Children 15.0%, Rank 17

Rhode Island:  Adults 22.9%, Children 14.4%, Rank 45

South Carolina:  Adults 29.9%, Children 15.3%, Rank 9

South Dakota:  Adults 28.5%, Children 13.2%, Rank 15

Tennessee:  Adults 31.6%, Children 20.6%, Rank 2

Texas:  Adults 29.0%, Children 20.4%, Rank 13

Utah:  Adults 23.2%, Children 11.4%, Rank 44

Vermont:  Adults 22.8%, Children 12.9%, Rank 46

Virginia:  Adults 25.5%, Children 15.2%, Rank 32

Washington:  Adults 26.3%, Children 11.1%, Rank 28

West Virginia:  Adults 31.3%, Children 18.9%, Rank 4

Wisconsin:  Adults 26.9%, Children 13.1%, Rank 24

Wyoming:  Adults 25.0%, Children 10.2%, Rank 39

These numbers are scary.  As I was revising them from last year I kept deleting the old number and putting in a higher one.  I’m just shaking my head.  Celebrities like Jamie Oliver and Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move plan are really too young to have made much of a dent.  I’m hoping next year’s numbers will reflect improvement.  How do you feel about this?

Lisa

Let me guess. Being healthy and eating good food is important to you – probably very important – but you really get sick of all the time it can take. Not just the actual meal preparation, but the shopping, the planning, and even just thinking about it. Sometimes it would be easier if you could just replace your meals with pills and be done with it. Of course that wouldn’t really be much fun, and realistically, it wouldn’t be very healthy either, would it?

As a busy Mum/personal trainer/blogger and would be writer extraordinaire, I can relate to the idea of not wanting to spend too much time worrying about food. This wasn’t always the way. I’ve been through phases where I’ve literally spent hours and hours each week on food. And truth be told I do enjoy it, but it’s not realistic every day, is it? Sometimes I think it would be easier if we were forced back to a caveman style approach. Only able to eat those foods which we came across on the daily hunt. Sometimes having to go hungry. And definitely never having the chance to anally worry about whether or not we ‘should’ be eating or eliminating certain things.

Well. You may not be ready to take things quite that far, but I think we can definitely find a way to make healthy eating work for you on even your busiest days. Let’s take a look at how to do just that with my 6 fast-healthy-food tips.

1.    Chunk. We all know about chunking tasks such as email and creativity, but have you ever thought about chunking your cooking time? This could mean going so far as to cook for an entire afternoon or day on the weekend and freezing all your meals for the upcoming week, or it could just mean cooking up a monster pot of healthy soup, stew, or a big wok full of stir-fry every 3-4 days and then freezing the rest. Last week OI went to the trouble of making chicken stock (which sounds complex but it’s really not), and as a result I have enough ‘ready to go soup’ for at least 6 meals. A worthwhile investment.

2.    Simplify. Nobody said that turning out a fancy home-cooked meal has to mean making umpteen sauces and brews from scratch. Slow-cookers are my favourite for throwing a few things in and ending up with something that any guest or family member would deem fancy. Roasts are actually ridiculously easy as well. Sometimes it’s the idea of preparing meals that exhausts us more than the reality of throwing it together. Which is why I recommend this next point.

3.    Loosely plan your meals a week out. Take a couple of minutes on the weekend (or whenever suits) to jot down your meals for the coming week. Consider meals that will fit in with your current shopping style, and if you’re not chunking a big day of cooking then plan to prepare at least 2 meals each week that will carry you through the next few days for lunches and leftovers. Having a plan is not just about preparation – it will keep you accountable to making healthy choices.

4.    Consider ordering your fresh food online. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend not just shopping but driving to and fro from the store? I’ll bet you have. And I’ll bet it’s not really your favourite part of the week. I use a fantastic delivery service in Melbourne where I live. The food is fresh, it’s organic, and it’s well-priced. Jump on Google to find something similar in your area.

5.    Make healthy eating a social or family event. Food shopping can be a chore, but not if you make it a fun outing with a friend or your kids. Talk about two birds with one stone! Farmers markets are fantastic, and usually a lot of fun as well as a great chance to get outdoors. Kids love going, and usually you can get really great fresh produce cheaper. They generally have a coffee stand and so it’s a great chance to organise a catch-up with a friend while getting your errands done.

6.    Always keep healthy snacks on hand. This is just common sense, but sometimes it pays to be told something you already know. I’d suggest keeping healthy snacks such as your own trail mix, raw or dark chocolate, some organic cottage cheese or yogurt, fresh raw vegetables to have with nut butter, and eggs to boil. Always have some at your home, at work, and even in the car if need be.

And finally – not really a tip, but definitely worth nothing – don’t stress if you do find yourself unprepared from time to time. By incorporating the above steps into your regular routine you’ll find yourself eating very well at least 80% of the time. Which makes it okay to have that occasional take-out at the end of a long day.

How about you? Do you have any tips of your own for making healthy eating a simpler and more enjoyable process? Let’s hear ‘em in the comments section!

Kat Eden is a personal trainer and blogger from Melbourne, Australia. Her blog www.bodyincredible.com offers regular tips on nutrition, lifestyle and motivation. To learn more about Healthy Food For Busy People, visit her Facebook page of the same name.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melbourne-Australia/Healthy-Food-For-Busy-People/111602388881029?__a=28

As our girth increases in the States we need to start taking a good hard look at what we’re eating.  I’ve been playing around with this concept lately, the math geek in me comes out and I start trying to find visual ways to explain why we need to cut back on the bad stuff and substitute those fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains.

So what does 36 teaspoons or 7 ounces look like?  Here you go … do you want to ingest that every single day?  Well, chances are, you already are …

What your daily sugar intake actually looks like

So I know some of you are saying, yes, but there is naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables and so on.  Yup, this is true, but it’s in far smaller numbers than that processed stuff we eat.  So to give you an idea …

How many teaspoons in various fruit

• Apple is 3 to 5 teaspoons
• Orange is 2 teaspoons
• 1 cup of grapes is 3 teaspoons

How many teaspoons in various junk food

• Twinkies, 18 teaspoons (assuming you eat the whole package)
• Vanilla Ice Cream, 4.5 teaspoons for 1/2 cup (do you ever eat 1/2 cup?)
• Grande Coffee Frappuccino from Starbucks, 4 teaspoons

You get the idea.  Do your teeth hurt yet?

So here’s what I’d suggest.  Check out the Weekly Challenge on True Food Movement.com to see how you can cut back on sugar.

Quick Tips To Cut Down

1. Don’t eat anything with sugar as one of the first 3 ingredients
2. Don’t eat anything with multiple sources of sugar in the ingredient list
3. Shop the perimeter of the store to avoid the processed stuff
4. Avoid vending machines like the plague
5. Bring healthy snacks from home instead of raiding the vending machine or office candy dish

What do you think?  I’d love to see your comments.  By the way Sugar Stacks gives great examples of how much sugar is in various snack foods.  Check ‘em out.

Lisa

Betsy is doing our 90 Day Challenge!

I own Pilates studios in Eastern Massachusetts.  My fourth one recently opened and one of my favorite twitter people, Betsy MacKinnon, happens to live nearby.  We got to talking and one thing led to another and Betsy is doing a 90 day Challenge at the studio/fitness center and blogging about the whole thing.  It’s pretty cool, actually Betsy is pretty cool and we’re enjoying the experience as much as she is.  She’s lost 8″ in just 3 weeks!

Here’s her post for Week #3.  My apologies for not blogging about this myself sooner.  I was in the middle of moving and just couldn’t get here.  (Would love for my husband to set up wifi sometime soon!)

What Betsy found she’s struggling with this week is food.  Always a source a frustration!  Here’s a few quick tips to keep your food intake in check.

Journal it. You can write it down in a notebook, get an iPhone App, or join a weight loss community such as Weight Watchers.  However you do it, do it religiously and you’ll see the pounds drop right off.  It’s amazing how quickly you’ll start editing your food choices when you know you have to write it down.  You’ll also see times or day or certain situations that trigger eating.  Once you know what they are, they’re a lot easier to stop doing.

Frozen dinners. I swear by this.  I buy a whole bunch of ‘em and stick ‘em in the fridge.  I know the calorie count, nutritional content, etc.  Then when I’m stuck I can just nuke something and stay on my plan.

Granola/nut/protein bars.  This isn’t the best option, but if you’re out of your home and choosing between fast food and a protein bar you’ll be better off with the protein bar.  I like Kind bars, Luna bars, Clif bars and I like those mixed nut packets at Trader Joe’s.  I always have one floating around in my purse and I stash a couple at work too.

Calendar planning.  Sit down with your husband and figure out which nights you’re all home for dinner and which nights you’ll be flying solo or out on the town.  Then go to the grocery store and buy accordingly.  Yes, you can do the whole elaborate menu planning, but you’ll probably only do that for a week and then start ignoring it.  It’s better to go with a general plan and map out meals as you go because you’ll actually do it!  We do grocery runs twice a week.  When I’m at the store and there’s a special on pork chops or they just got in some sweet corn I can pick that up instead of the broccoli that I’ve written down.

Hope this helps Betsy, looking forward to the next installment!  Losing 8″ in 3 weeks is amazing!

Lisa

We curbed smoking in the US by scaring the bejesus out of everyone with pictures of black lungs and pale people hooked up to ventilators wheezing away.  We added a Surgeon General’s warning to the packaging.  We taxed cigarettes into the stratosphere and made it difficult for people to smoke around others; smoking bans are in place in most public places now and many of the healthy and haughty look down their noses at those who smoke.  My sister got offered a job that was later rescinded when her potential employer learned that she smoked.  This was entirely legal for them to do and it was the impetus to get her to finally quit the habit.

Should we do the same thing with obesity?

The magazine poll had 31% of respondents in agreement that we should penalize unhealthy behavior.  To the poll responders’ credit, 38% said no to penalties, but felt insurers should offer incentives to help people live a more healthy lifestyle.

The American Lung Society heavily promotes the Great American Smokeout, a random day chosen to encourage smokers not to light up for 24 hours, and maybe quit altogether.  ALS offers lots of support and corporate sponsored programs and t-shirts and water bottles.

Should the American Obesity Foundation (I made that up) create the Great American Scale Day where everyone who is overweight gets weighed and embarks on a rigorous diet and exercise program?  Is anyone getting uncomfortable yet?  Does anyone feel Big Brother breathing down our necks?

We took cigarettes off the shelves and sequestered them behind counters, available only with proper ID.  Will we be forced to do that with Doritos too?  Yeah, right…

There are some parallels to both health problems; most smokers don’t want to be smoking, and most overweight people don’t want to be overweight.  But there are some pretty distinct differences, most glaringly that smokers can live without cigarettes, but people can’t live without food.

So what are some smarter ways to address the problem?  Here’s some options:

Encourage grocery stores to reorganize their shelves to put the healthy stuff at the front and the not-so-good stuff in the back.  Feel free to cut down on the availability of unhealthy stuff, too.

Educate children on how to eat well.  I was sadly shaking my head watching Jamie Oliver on his TV show in front of a class of grammar school students who couldn’t even identify a potato.  These kids had only ever seen processed food!  Teach them to eat well and maybe they’ll shame their parents into making better choices.  That’s what the green movement is doing and it’s working wonderfully as children make their parents swap out incandescent light bulbs for flourescents.

Continue to ramp up and fund the US government’s campaign against obesity.  Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” plan is targeted towards kids but it will spill over quickly to adults for the reasons mentioned above.   By getting the message out there, over and over again (like the smoking campaigns of the ’70s and ’80s), we’ll provide people with information and educate them to make wiser choices.

Calorie labelling in all restaurants.  This trend has started coming to the larger chains, but I’d love to see this trickle down to every restaurant we visit.  It’s really not that hard to figure out the calories of a dish.  Simple computer programs do it in a few minutes.  In New York state where this law is already in effect, researchers have already seen changes in behavior; people are choosing the lower calorie, and presumably healthier, meals.

Give the biggest risk groups more tools.  Inner city kids need safe places to play and burn off energy.  When revamping school lunch programs, start with the poorest school districts and work our way up.  The upper middle class has the least problems, statistically, with obesity.  Put the money where it really needs to go first.  If we can turn around our poorest schools successfully, then it should be easy to encourage the more affluent ones.

What would you do?  Should health insurance companies charge “by the pound”?  Please share your thoughts.

Lisa