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“The key to losing weight is to cut yourself out from the outside world”. This is Esther’s quote of the week. She is entering into the 10th week of her weight loss journey and is a little disheartened with the slow down in her progress. Her weight is now 138 pounds, up from her low 2 week’s ago of 136 but still 10 pounds down from her initial weight of 148.

These past two weeks have been difficult as Esther has had more parties, family get togethers (including Greek restaurant!), work events, etc. She attributes her 2 pound weight gain in the past two weeks to more eating out.  In addition, she was sick which made it more difficult to get to the gym. Life gets in the way of losing weight! (Pic is of Esther and her friend Manny)

 (My apologies to Esther - I was on vacation last week so I didn’t post her progress report. Today’s post is combined from week 9 and 10).

My interview with Esther:

Martha: How did you do in the equinox contest?
Esther: I am waiting for a copy of the results,  I didn’t win or come in on the top but my trainer said I still did really well.  I will get a copy this week.

Martha: How are you doing with your exercise program overall? I see that you have been going on a regular basis for the past 8 weeks. 
Esther: Anastasia (Esther’s trainer) has been giving me a lot of positive feedback that I have been continuing to work out when I’m not with her which was not the case in the past.  When I trained with her in November I only went to her once weekly and did one pilates session.  Obviously that wasn’t enough.  I have been going to the gym from 4 – 6 days a week consistently now for 11 weeks !! Martha: Yeah!

Martha: Now that you are no longer dog walking (which caused her to walk an extra 2 miles a day), what have you done to increase your cardio? 
Esther: I added an extra day to my gym routine and am spinning a minimum of two days per week.  It has been too hot to walk home when I get out of work.

Martha: How did you handle your PMS cravings?
Esther: Handled cravings by only eating small portions of 100 calorie jello pudding cups, 100 cal snacks, and a lot of fruit.
 
Martha: Are there any potential problem situations coming up this week?
Esther: Paula’s Birthday dinner on Monday night - but all friends know I am on CGB and will keep me on track!  Otherwise I should be fine.  I am having lunch out with a client on Monday as well but will be sure to eat lightly.  (Esther enjoying a cocktail at birthday get together)

Did Esther meet her goals from last week?

Four Days of Esther’s Food Records:

Tuesday July 15    
Breakfast    
1 hard boiled egg  1 plum
Lunch    
1 chicken cutlet w/eggbeaters, breadcrumbs in pam    
w/ sm serving home made coleslaw, lite mayo, vinegar    
1 piece string cheese  1 pretzel rod  
pellegrino    
dinner    
3/4 pound boiled shrimp    
salad, romaine let, capers, feta 1oz w/oil&lemon    
1 tbspoon lite tarama (like hummus)    

Wednesday July 16  
Breakfast    
1 cup kashi cereal w/ skim milk    
Lunch    
grilled skirt steak    
plain salad    
3 tbl yellow rice, 1/2 cup black beans    
Snack    
6 rice crackers    
4 dried apricots    
dinner  
4 shrimp  
1 cup coleslaw (low fat mayo, vinegar)  
1 hagen daz yogurt sorbet bar 100 calories  

Saturday July 19
Breakfast    
iced coffee    
1/4 pound tuna salad *from Eli’s*    
5 wasa wheat crackers    
Lunch    
Kashi go lean entre 330 calories    
(chicken w/sugar snap peas, mushrooms & grains)    
Dinner
3 glasses white wine
1 shot size dessert wine
3 mini meatballs, 1 sm slice toasted bread
1/3 fennel, arugula salad w/cheese
4 olives, 2 pieces greek cheese
2 large grilled shrimp
1/3 appetizer grilled octopus w/capers
1/3 appetizer grilled cuttlefish
1/3 portion roasted lamb shank
1/3 portion grilled black sea bass
1 piece lemon roasted potato
3 sm greek cookies
1 bite of ice cream
 
Sunday June 21
Brunch at Atlantic Grill
Egg white omlette w/veg (brocoli,tomatoe..)
1/4 portion of the hash browns
2 tbspoons of ketchup
1 bite banana bread
club soda
Snack
1 nectarine
Dinner
sardines in soy oil 240 calories,
shirataki noodles,4 greek olives, 3 tbsp grated cheese
watermelon

My comments on Esther’s food records:

1. She ate out more than usual these past 2 weeks. That obviously makes sticking to an eating plan difficult -hence her quote “The key to losing weight is to cut yourself out from the outside world”.
2. She had quite a few really low calorie days (~ 1000 calories) which helped keep her caloric average to 1400.
3. Esther needs to get back on track with her alcohol intake and limit it to 2 drinks a week. She was getting her best progress with a limited alcohol intake.
4. Keep up the good work with light dinners when you eat home.

Esther’s goals for this week:

1. Continue with 1300-1400 calories
2. Continue with 2 personal training sessions, one pilates session and 3-4 intense cardio sessions. Continue to increase your walking
3. Two alcoholic beverages a week
4. Weigh your protein and measure your olive oil on occasion so I can get a more accurate calorie count for you
5. Be REALLY careful when eating out. Try to do less sharing of multiple appetizers and order more of your own “clean” food. Many of the appetizers that you share are healthy (ie. grilled octopus) but the olive oil can add up.

Good luck! You are doing great - averaging a one pound weight loss is right on track!

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This past weekend I celebrated my birthday. The actual number isn’t important but the people you spend it with is! We decided to stay local to beat the Jon Bonjovi insanity in Central Park. You may recognize some of the people in my pictures. Esther (from Esther’s weight loss journey) and Julia the fitness expert attended my get together in addition to some other friends. We started the festivities at High Life on the upper east side followed by late night activities at Uva. 

(Pic on the right is of Julia, Lisa, Paula, myself and new man friend - name forgotten)

Multiple drinks were had by all. I must say that I was very impressed by Esther’s “behavior” at my party. Normally she would have joined in full force with the food and beverages. However I witnessed her drink ONLY 2 vodka on the rocks followed by water. She declined all food stating “I already ate at home”. I was actually shocked. Way to go Esther! The rest of us made up for her minimal beverage and food intake. After all, a birthday girl is entitled to eat and drink whatever she wants. Esther avoided the fried shrimp, tuna tartar, spicy tuna rolls, quesadilla’s and chicken kabobs. (Pic is of Julia, bartender and Esther)

(Pic below is man friend, name forgotten, myself and Paula)

(Pic below that is of myself and Julia)

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Calling all city girls and guys  - want to end your weekend in a healthy, sweaty way … and pay for your weekend overindulgences? Check out Julia’s Sunday Evening Boot Camp in Central Park:

The class entails:

High intensity one-hour workout for all ages and all fitness levels in Central Park taught by experienced fitness instructor Julia Derek. Gain strength, lose inches, and have fun doing it!  Email julia@adrenalinefitnessny.com to reserve your spot and find out details about this event.

When: Sundays at 7:30 pm. (Class canceled July 27 and Aug 4th.)
Where: Sheep’s Meadow, Central Park
Cost: $15

For more info about Julia, go to www.adrenalinefitnessny.com

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What city girl doesn’t love chocolate? Some of us may have trouble controlling our intake of chocolate (including me!),  therefore it is best to purchase portion controlled chocolate treats.
I found this article on Web Md and thought it would be appropriate for CGB. Enjoy!

100-Calorie Chocolate Treats: Chocolately goodies that won’t do in your diet.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

WebMD Expert Column What do you do when you need a chocolate fix (gotta have it!) but only want to invest 100 calories or so? It’s not an impossible dream. Take it from a veteran chocoholic: You’ve got quite a few tasty options for 100-calorie chocolate treats.

When you’re trying to cure your chocolate craving, the key questions to ask yourself are:

- Do you absolutely need creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate — or will just the flavor of chocolate do? If it’s gotta be the real thing, take a look at the “real chocolate” options below.

- Do you want something that’s cold and refreshing as well as chocolatey? Then check out the frozen chocolate treats and chocolate dairy choices below.

- Are you in a hurry butstill need a shot of chocolate? Look through my grab-and-go suggestions below.

- Will only chocolate cake or cookies calm your craving?
(Check out this link for 100 calorie chocolate recipes)

100-Calorie Real Chocolate Options
When only real chocolate will suffice, try:

Nestle “Dark” Raisinets:1/8 cup has 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 4 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses:4 kisses have 89 calories, 0.5 g fiber, 5 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 11 g carbohydrates.
Hershey’s Sticks (they come in several flavors, including milk chocolate): 1 stick (11 g) has 60 calories, 0 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 6 g carbohydrates.

100-Calorie Chocolate Dairy Options
These chocolate options are cool and comforting:

Chocolate milk made with 2/3 cup 1% milk, 4 teaspoons Lite Hershey’s Syrup, and lots of ice: 100 calories, <1 g fiber, 1.7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 17.5 g carbohydrates.
Sugar-free instant chocolate pudding made with fat-free milk: 1/2 cup has 80 calories, <1 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, and 13 g carbohydrates.
Yoplait Whips Yogurt comes in several chocolate flavors: Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cherry, and Chocolate Raspberry. Two-thirds of a container has 100 calories, 0 g fiber, 2.5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates.

100-Calorie Frozen Chocolate Treats
There are some really tasty lower-cal frozen dessert choices out there these days, including:

Slim a Bear 100-Calorie Fudge Bars:100 calories, 4 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 20 g carbohydrates.
Slim a Bear 100 Calorie Chocolate Sandwiches:100 calories, 3 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 21 g carbohydrates.
Slim a Bear 100 Calorie French Vanilla Bars:100 calories, 2 g fiber, 6 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, and 12 g carbohydrates.
Weight Watchers Giant Fudge Bar:110 calories, 5 g fiber, 1 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 25 g carbohydrates.
Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bars(includes 3 g sugar alcohol): 80 calories, 4 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 13 g carbohydrates.
Skinny Cow Low-Fat Fudge Bar:100 calories, 4 g fiber, 1 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 22 g carbohydrates.

Grab-and-Go 100-Calorie Chocolate Fixes
When I think about grab-and-go chocolate treats, I think of two things: individually wrapped bags or bars that feature chocolate. Of course, just about the easiest things to grab are those “100-calorie packs” of treats. But keep in mind that most of what you’re paying for when you buy 100-calorie packs is portion control, pure and simple. So make sure you just grab one pouch.

Here are some of the quickie chocolate fixes I found in my supermarket that tally up to about 100 calories (some are a little more or less):

Quaker Mini Delights (Chocolatey Drizzle Multigrain Cakes): 1 pouch has 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, and 14 g carbohydrates.
Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps (100-calorie pack): 100 calories, <1 g fiber, 3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, and 18 g carbohydrates.
Chocolate Teddy Grahams (23 g worth): 100 calories, 1.5 g fiber, 3.4 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, and 16.5 g carbohydrates.
Honey Made Chocolate Graham Crackers (24 g worth): 100 calories, 0.8 g fiber, 2.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, and 18 g carbohydrates.
Kellogg’s Special K Bar (Chocolately Drizzle): 90 calories, <1 g fiber, 1.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, and 17 g carbohydrates.
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (Chocolate Chunk): 90 calories, 1 g fiber, 2 g fat, 0.5 gram saturated fat, and 19 g carbohydrates.
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (Chocolate Chip 25% Less Sugar): 100 calories, 1 gram fiber, 3 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 17 g carbohydrates.
Chocolate Honey Maid Delight Bars (100-calorie pack): 100 calories, 3 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fast, and 19 g carbohydrates.
Kashi TLC Chewy (Cherry Dark Chocolate): 120 calories, 4 g fiber, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, and 24 g carbohydrates.
Fiber One Chewy Bar (Oats & Chocolate): 140 calories, 9 g fiber, 4 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, and 29 g carbohydrates.
Slim Fast Protein Snack Bars (Whipped Chocolate Nougat): 110 calories, 0 g fiber, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates (8 g sugar alcohols).
South Beach Living Snack Bars (Chocolate Raspberry): 100 calories, 5 g fiber, 3 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, and 16 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar alcohols).

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From cycling, rollerblading, handball and tennis to simply walking, the warmer months – and the accompanying longer, brighter hours of daylight – bring on an increased yearning for being outdoors.  Being active in the outdoors can be more fun – and, in some ways, more healthful – than exercising indoors.  However, one potential downside is over-exposure to the sun’s intense rays.  Sports enthusiasts many times get so caught up in their activities, they tend to overlook the need to protect their skin.

Without the proper precautionary steps, an active individual can become vulnerable to premature aging of the skin and may become more vulnerable to skin cancer.  When your skin is excessively exposed to sunlight, its connective tissue fibers will lose their elasticity – causing your skin to become increasingly stiff and leathery.  Over time, this will cause you skin to sag and wrinkle.

The key to preventing skin damage – or limiting aging – is to avoid exposure to high intensity sunlight.  But, avoiding sunlight is easier than it sounds – particularly for active people.  By taking the few basic steps outlined here, you will be rewarding yourself with more youthful, healthful skin – now and into the future.

10 Skincare Strategies:1. Try planning activities outside the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “hot zone,” – that time of day when the sun’s rays are most intense.  By avoiding these peak hours, sun exposure may be reduced by as much as 60 percent.

2. When outdoors for extended periods of time, wear protective clothing.  The best are white (to deflect some of the sun’s rays) and are made of light materials that whisk away perspiration.  Avoid cotton.

3. Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes prior to going into the sunlight.

4. Use lotions that have high protective factors (SPF15 or more).

5. Use skin cream or ointment (containing ingredients that help keep water in the skin) upon waking up in the morning and prior to going to sleep at night.

6. Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts. Avoid fried foods, animal fats, and heat-processed vegetable oils. Heating oils leads to the production of free radicals, which have a destructive effect on the skin.  Use cold-pressed oils only.

7. Avoid consuming alcohol and high-caffeine foods and beverages (coffee, non-herbal teas, chocolate, soft drinks, diet drugs, and some pain relievers.)  As diuretics, they speed up dehydration, causing the lose of fluids and essential minerals.  When dehydrated, the skin becomes a less effective barrier to infection.  Since water is necessary for vital processes within the skin, dehydrated skin may not be able to repair itself as easily as well-hydrated skin.

8. Drink 6-8 cups (8 ounces each) of water per day.  This hydrates and detoxifies the skin.

9. Get 7-7 ½ hours of sleep per night.  The skin’s cellular repair activity is at its optimum during this resting phase.

10. Whenever possible, choose playing fields or running paths that are more shaded.

A word of caution on hydration – do not drink too much water.  Consuming more than what the body needs increases the chances for hyponatremia – a condition whereby the body’s sodium levels are diluted to extremely low levels, thereby causing a host of dangerous, unhealthful reactions.  Although rare, serious athletes, and fitness enthusiasts should be aware of this condition.

As one of the largest and most versatile organs of the body, the skin plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s equilibrium.  It serves as a protective barrier preventing harmful substances from entering the body.  It also slows down the loss of water, assists in the regulation of body temperature, and allows for respiration to occur.  By taking the few basic steps outlined above, you will be rewarding yourself with more youthful, healthful skin – now and into the future.

The above article was written by Sal Fichera, MEd.  I met Sal at a Toastmasters speech competition (where I was one of the competitors). Sal won the competition! Sal is an exercise physiologist, corporate wellness consultant, and professional speaker. He helps corporations cut health care costs while improving employee productivity, presents seminars on a variety of health-related topics, and offers private fitness training sessions. He is also the author of Stop Aging, Start Training, which is available at bookstores and on the web.

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I was on the computer today working at the hospital and heard loud gulping/chomping noises. A nurse was in the corner of the computer room literally inhaling her lunch (a salad). I have never seen someone eat so fast. She obviously very pressed for time and was able to finish an entire salad in about 2 minutes. I was fearful that she might choke (we call it “aspirate” in the hospital). I thought how sad is was that she needed to eat that fast. I suddenly rememeber I did the exact same thing at my lunch. I had only 5 minutes to eat my lunch as I had a phone session with a client on my lunch hour.  So I choose to eat a pre-made sandwich (from the cafeteria - yuk!) instead of the salad I brought to work because I calculated I could eat a sandwich in about 3 minutes and and it would take me at least 10 minutes to eat the salad.

I know that the nurse and myself at not alone in our need to “inhale” our lunches. I hear these stories every day from my clients  - ” No time to eat lunch”, “Meetings during my lunch hour”,  “No time to wait in line for a salad”. So we tend to grab the quickest (and not always the healthiest!) lunch choice available. I doubt the the”slim” Europeans are inhaling their food.

Trouble with eating too fast:
1. It takes 20 minutes to feel that you are getting full. By eating so quickly, it is likely that you won’t feel satiated.
2. Food is an important part of our lives and we should enjoy what we are eating. By eating so fast, you won’t get any pleasure from eating. This will make it more likely that you will be headed towards the vending machines in a few hours for a treat (candy, chips, etc.)
3. Increased chance of choking (seriously!)
4. You probably aren’t making the most nutritious choice. It takes a lot more time to eat a salad with grilled chicken as compared to a slice of pizza or burger.

Tips to slow down your rate of eating:
1. If you rarely have time to leave your desk for lunch, try bringing your lunch from home. At least it will be there when you are ready for lunch. And of course, bring in something healthy!
2. You really need to make lunch a priority. I actually feel that lunch is the most important meal of the day because it will help determine how your energy levels will be for the rest of the afternoon. Skipping lunch, eating the wrong kind of lunch or eating too little for lunch will cause your energy levels to drop a few hours later.
3. Meet a friend for lunch. Studies show we eat slower when we are with others. Not too attractive to inhale food in the prescence of others!
4. Set a goal of leaving at least 30 minutes for lunch. Iif possible, try to get out of your office. This will help to breakup your day, aid in stress management and most likely give you a little burst of energy (as compared to sitting at your desk staring at the computer).

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Esther is entering the 8th week of her weight loss journey. She lost another 3 pounds last week! Her weight is now 136, down from her staring weight of 148. This is rather suprising considering her difficult holiday weekend. Esther, like most of us, experienced a lot of temptation at her family’s Greek BBQ on Sunday. See her food records below. The leftovers carried on to the next day!

As I mentioned in my last progress report, a change on the scale does not always correlate with how you did on your eating and exercise plan for that week.  This is because on some weeks the body holds onto water and the scale doesn’t drop (even though you may have followed your eating/exercise plan 100%). On other weeks when you didn’t follow it so closely, the scale drops because for some reason your body released water. Esther’s week is an example of this. This week her caloric intake was 1600 and she lost 3 pounds, whereas last week she stuck to her calorie goal of 1300 and her weight did not change.

My interview with Esther:

Martha: I know last week you were a little bit nervous as to how you would handle your family’s BBQ. How do you think you did?
Esther: I did ok - much better than if I were not being “watched” on CGB, but it was still really difficult as there was so much food around (my favorites!). However, my brother & niece were on guard and watched me at the BBQ,  my Mom made me healthy food to take home for the week ( chicken w/ okra, spinach w/ chick peas…) and my father made me a huge chopped salad for the week.
Martha: That’s great - sounds like your family is being really supportive

Martha: Aside from the BBQ, did you encounter any other problem situations last week?
Esther: Can’t have pistachio’s in the house,  too addictive
Martha: You aren’t alone -  many people can’t control their portion of nuts. It is too bad because they are so healthy. However you are best off not keeping problem foods in the house!

Martha:  Are you getting any comments from other people with regards to how you look? Are your clothes fitting differently?
Esther:  I have been getting comments from people that I look different. Pants that were skin tight now feel loose.

Martha: I know are trying to be very careful with what you eat and drink. What do you miss the most? 
Esther: I miss having a cocktail at night after a long day.  Especially in the summer when it is so hot,  Pelligrino has been my drink of choice but would like some vodka or a cool glass of wine as well…   (Pic is of Esther’s good old days with indulging in a martini(s) )

Martha:  Any potential problem situations for the upcoming week?
Esther: This week should be smooth,  I will probably have dinner out at least one night However, last month I had really bad PMS cravings. It is that time again….

Did Esther meet her goals from last week?

Four days of Esther’s food records:

Monday, June 30, 2008
Breakfast   
special K, w/1/2 banana low fat milk   
Lunch   
chicken w/panko crust in pam   
zucchini in tomato sauce   
1 cup brown rice   
2 kirby cucumbers   
1 sm piece feta cheese   
Dinner   
grilled salmon / w. mustard on the side   
steamed broccoli w/ olive oil & lemon   
30 pistachio nuts   
watermelon    

Thursday July 3, 2008    
Breakfast    
iced coffee    
4 oz 2 % cottage cheese    
Lunch    
sm can tuna in olive oil    
tomato, basil, fresh moz. oil & vinegar    
Dinner:    
1/4 lb boiled shrimp, 1 tbs lite taramasolata    
1/2 rib eye steak    
sm portion cole slaw (lite mayo, vinegar, salt&pepper)    
1 plum    
1 nectarine    
6 rice crackers    
1 sm piece choc (trade show)  (pic is of Esther, her cousin and his partner at The Fancy Food Show last week) 

Saturday July 5, 2008
Breakfast: 
2 hard boiled eggs 
2 sliced ham 
1 tomato 
Snack 
banana 
Lunch/BBQ: 
2 diet cokes 
1 sm spinach pie 
5 Israeli pickles 
1 lamb skewer 
1 chicken leg 
hot dog w/o roll 
sm serving cole slaw, potato salad 
1 tablespoon orzo 
1/2 corona 
sm serving fruit salad 
1 macaroon w/ chocolate 
sm bite of greek pastry 
sm bite of Birthday cake 
Snack 
sm serving fruit salad 

Sunday July 6, 2008 
Breakfast 
iced coffee 
1/2 bialy w/ 1 tsp cream cheese & nova lox 
Lunch 
1 tomato & 1 avocado w/ 1 tsp olive oil & lemon 
2 pieces CRUSTLESS quiche, zuchini, cheese 
Dinner 
mixed salad w/ olive oil & vinegar 
1 chicken leg 
1 hot dog w/o roll  
4 cubes of lamb kebab 
spinach w/ chickpeas, lemon 
1 sm bite of greek pastry 

My comments on Esther’s food records:

1. She averaged 1600 calories, mainly due to the BBQ and some other high calorie foods.
2. Once again, she had a few low calorie days that helped to offset the higher calorie days.
3. Good job with adding in more fruits and veggies.
4. I am curious as to what your portion sizes are of the mozzarella cheese and olive oil. I would recommend that you weigh the cheese on occasion and measure the oil into a measuring spoon.
5. Excellent job with the minimal alcohol intake!

Esther’s goals for this week:

1. Continue with 1300-1400 calories
2. Continue with 2 personal training sessions, one pilates session and 3-4 intense cardio sessions. Find a way to increase your walking (since you are no longer dogwalking)
3. 2 alcoholic beverages this week
4. Be prepared for potential PMS cravings. If you have a strong urge for something sweet, stick to small portions, such as 100 calorie packs or a diet ice pop. Ideally, anything under 100 calories for  snack. Download my Snack Survival Guide (on the right) for more ideas. Keep bulk trigger foods out of your apartment (i.e. a box of cookies). Make sure you have adequate protein at meals and don’t skip healthy snacks. Going too long without eating can lead to low blood sugar which can increase cravings.

Good luck and keep up the great work!

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It is 95 degrees outside and you see a Mr. Softee ice cream truck. The pavlovian response kicks in and you find yourself crossing the street towards the truck. Or perhaps the sight of a Haagen Daz ice cream store gets you salivating.

For many of us, the warm weather brings cravings for ice cream. I often get asked by my clients “what’s the deal with soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt - is it loaded with calories?” Or “are the calories really accurate?” Read on for the low down on frozen yogurt and soft serve ice cream.

Tips to keep in mind when ordering ice cream or frozen yogurt:

1. There are so many options available that you’ll be able to find a product that won’t pack on the pounds. The key will be to find something that isn’t loaded with calories AND one that you like. Some ice cream products leave something to be desired when it comes to taste!

2. Be careful portion sizes. Serving sizes are often much larger that what the stated caloric content is based on. For example, in the following chart, the calories are based on a “small” serving size, which is usually 4 oz. However the sizes you receive in most ice cream stores are often a lot larger than 4 ounces, hence you may be receiving double the calories, fat and carbs.

3. Are the calories accurate? The FDA allows a 20% range of error in either direction for calories. Aside from that, I’m not really sure that anyone knows for sure about the accuracy of calories.  For example, a few years ago, there was a lot of talk in the news about CremaLita providing falsely low calorie information. I always say that if something seems to good to be true, than it probably isn’t! To be on the safe side, order a small size.

4. If possible, get a non fat or low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. It is quite a bit lower in calories and fat than the regular version. For example, a small size of Hagen Daz or Ben & Jerry’s has up to 400 calories and 20 gm of fat. Compare this to the lower fat versions listed below.

5. Keep in mind that sugar free doesn’t necessarily mean lower in calories. Some of the sugar free ice creams and yogurts have just as much fat and calories as the regular product.

6. Try to avoid the ice creams with added extras like brownie pieces or cookies or toppings such as sprinkles or granola.

7. There is nothing wrong with having the “real thing” once in a while, especially if you don’t like the reduced calorie products. But keep in mind that they can be loaded with calories and fat so make it a “treat”!

Nutritional content of various frozen yogurts and soft serve ice cream

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Do you have trouble sleeping when you aren’t in your own bed? Have you ever had to resort to sleeping in a bathtub? Read on…  Ok, so this post is not really about eating, but about sleeping. However, sleeping has to do with eating because when you don’t get enough sleep, you tend to crave more carbs and junk food the next day. In addition, inadequate sleep has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.

Now moving on to the bathtub story… I heard this story from a CGB reader (who shall remain nameless). She took a 1/4 share in the Hamptons. This person already has “sleep issues” and the thought of sharing a bedroom with several other people was somewhat anxiety provoking. She actually fell asleep in her bed, however was awoken an hour later to her roommate snoring VERY loudly. At that point, the thought of sleeping on the living room couch was not appealing as the other housemates would be coming home shortly - likely a little drunk and loud. The last option was to sleep in the bathtub, where at least she would get some peace and quite. Of course, she was soon awoken by someone who had to use the bathroom. Needless to say, this person got minimal sleep that night - which did not have a positive impact on her weekend in the Hamptons. 

I bet there are quite a few city girls and guys who also have trouble sleeping away from home. Sleep disturbances are very common. I know that many of my clients have them because I always ask about sleep habits in my counseling sessions. As I mentioned above, lack of sleep can lead to cravings, and of course fatigue. With the summer season here, many of us travel and sleep away from home. I thought this would be a good time to give some tips to help you improve your sleeping away from home.

Tips to improve your sleep away from home1. Bring earplugs and a sleep mask. You never know if you will have snoring roommates, loud housemates or traffic. Many city girls and guys I know sleep with earplugs every night, especially with the loud traffic and constant construction going on in the city!

2. You may also want to invest in a white noise machine. You can find them in stores such as the Sharper Image. Pack it in your travel bag. It will drown out the noise of your snoring roommate.

3. While it is fine to have a few cocktails, do not depend on alcohol to sedate you. While it may initially cause you to feel sleepy, it usually causes broken sleep and you may find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night.

4. If possible, try to read in bed before going to sleep. You could invest in a small reading light you attach to your book so you don’t bother your roommate. Reading in bed can help you to feel sleepy.

Hopefully these tips will keep you out of the bathrub!

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As I had predicted, Esther did not lose any weight this week. This just goes to show that your weight doesn’t always correlate with how you did on your eating plan. For example, 2 weeks ago, she didn’t have one of her best weeks. I would have actually thought her weight would have stayed the same - or even gone up a pound -however she lost 3 pounds. This week, she did quite well with her eating plan and yet didn’t see a drop on the scale. Her weight is stable at 139. So the lesson learned here is not to get frustrated with plateaus in your weight loss. If you stay on track with your eating and exercise plan, your weight will eventually drop. Check out my previous post on Plateaus. 

My interview with Esther:
Martha: So you are entering in week 8. Still as motivated?
Esther: I’m definitely still in the mindset to keep going,  it’s more difficult when I am in a social situation

Martha: What type of problem situations, if any, did you encounter last week?
Esther: Going to the Fancy Food Show on Sunday was the most difficult.  It is a trade show for people that own restaurants and gourmet stores for them to sample all the different vendors of everything from fresh cheeses, meats, and desserts.  I stayed away from the sweets and tried to concentrate more on the cheeses, only tasted one tiny martini cocktail and took a lot of mini samples home so that if I have a craving it is only one bite of something. 

Martha: How about this upcoming week?
Esther: This week I have a family BBQ for my brother’s birthday on Saturday, but I am sure I will be watched by my brother & niece and won’t even consider cheating. (Pic is of Esther’s Dad, Mom, Esther, my niece Lizzy, and my brother the “hawk”)

Martha: I noticed you did a lot of dog walking( Esther was dog sitting Zoe, her friends dog). Do you think that helped to increase your activity?
Esther: Walking to and from my home to Zoe’s (the dog) home added at least two miles of walking per day.  Now that her parents are home I have to find another way to add that activity into my day.

Martha: Are you doing less socializing because of  your eating and drinking goals?
Esther: A little bit,  I usually eat out a couple of times a week and have cut it down to once a week.  I also have been bringing lunch to work 4 out of 5 days to make sure I eat right.
Martha: You are probably saving lot’s of money! You can use it to buy new clothes after you’ve lost more weight.

Martha: I remember you said that you joined a Weight Loss Challenge at your health club, Equinox. Any news on that?
Esther: The Equinox challenge is over today so I am getting the �