How to manage our weight without going on a diet

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How to manage our weight without going on a diet!

• Ellen MacIntosh-Harris RD
• Campus Dietitian,
• UNB Student Health Centre
• Email emacinto_at_unb.ca

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Outline of topics

• The real cost of diets
• Are you at a healthy weight?
• Healthy nourishing foods
• Portion awareness
• The culprits
• Hunger cues
• The way we eat
• All set!

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The challenge of weight loss

• A boom in weight loss programs yet weight
  problems continue to increase
• 95 of people who lose weight regain it, and
  more
• Diets create an unhealthy relationship with food,
  from denying and restriction. This can lead to
  deprivation, binge eating and ultimately weight
  gain
• Weight loss diets dont change our long-term
  eating behaviour
• Weight loss diets promote rapid weight loss-
  which incurs a muscle wasting and decreases our
  calorie-burning ability

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Determine your healthy weight

• Are you truly overweight?
• Check out your weight and waist circumference at
  www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guid
  e-ld-adult/bmi_chart_java-graph_imc_java_e.html
• Has your weight changed over the past few years?
  
• At what weight did you feel the most energy/most
  healthy?
• Are you really bothered or distressed by your
  weight?
• Losing sleep over it?
• Do you want to make changes in your lifestyle?
• Is now a good time for you?
• Do you want to talk with a Registered Dietitian
  to help you determine a healthy weight for
  yourself and the strategies to attain your goal?
  www.dietitians.ca

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Long-term weight loss

• Achievable by
• Eat more nutrient-rich, energy-poor foods
• Adjust portion sizes according to hunger cues
• Eat smaller amounts of energy-dense,
  nutrient-poor foods
• Life-style shift toward moving more!
• Dont give up on it! Look at it as a life-long
  process! 8020 rule

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Eat healthy, nourishing foods

• Use CFGHE as your guide
• Lets add it up
• 7-8 Servings of fruits vegetables
• 6-8 Servings of grains
• 2-3 Servings of dairy products
• 2-3 Servings of meat alternatives
• 3-5 tsp fats oils
• Total 1400-1800 calories

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Protect your body with MORE fruits and
vegetables!

• Buy fresh, frozen, canned and dried
• Try buying a new one each trip!
• 2 fists with meals, 1 fist as a snack

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Savour whole grains !

• Whole grains (whole grain cereal, multigrain
  bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice) provide
• Fibre (25-35 g daily) key in maintaining
  healthy weight and digestive system protects
  against cancer/ heart disease, diabetes)
• For maximum energy levels include 1-3 servings of
  grain at most meals
• The more active the more grains needed as it is
  fuel in the tank
• TOO LITTLE May feel washed out, unsatisfied,
  cravings if meals too low
• TOO MUCH may feel sleepy and tired after eating
  may NOT be hungry again for next meal
• ONE SERVING is 1 slice bread,1/2 bagel, 1/2
  cooked rice, pasta or cereal, 1 granola bar

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Protein A powerhouse of nutrients!

• A variety of beef, beans, chicken, chick peas,
  tofu, fish, nuts, seeds responsible for
• Tissue repair and strong immune system
• Iron, zinc, B12 Energy!
• Essential fats (fish and nuts) keeps your heart
  and plumbing healthy
• Regulate hunger cues sticks to your ribs
• Slightly more needed when high level of physical
  activity still easily met with CFGHE (1-1.5 g/Kg
  body weight)
• Because the nutrient content varies so widely the
  VARIETY in this group is extremely important
• One serving is to a deck of cards, ¼ cup
  nuts/seeds, ½ - ¾ cup cooked beans, peas,
  lentils, 2 eggs

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A ½ plate of vegetables
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Keep your energy going!

• The benefits of breakfast are endless!
• increases concentration
• regulates hunger
• Key to weight management
• Eat often The reasons are overwhelming!
• Stabilize your energy level
• Eat most when most active!
• Include 3 small meals daily, and 1-3 snacks
  depending on hunger cues
• Try to include 3-4 food groups _at_ meals, and 1-2 _at_
  snacks

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A sample day

• Breakfast fruit juice, cereal or toast,
  cheese or yoghourt (maybe nuts or eggs) water
• Snack (if hungry) a fruit or yoghourt, water
• Lunch veggies and dip or cooked vegetables,
  whole grain bread sandwich with hummus or sliced
  meat, milk or chocolate milk, water
• Snack (if hungry) fresh veggies or fruit or a
  granola bar, a handful of trail mix, water
• Supper Stir-fry with tofu or beef or curried
  chick peas on rice, water
• Evening (if hungry) (1-2 cookies) choice may
  depend on day, if low on a certain group, water
• Recipes available with handouts on Wellness
  Week website

• 2 F/V, 2 Gr, 1-2 Milk (1 Pro), 1 fat
• 1 F/V or 1 Mk
• 2-3 F/V, 2-3 Gr, 1 Milk, 1 Pro, 1-2 fat
• 1 F/V, 1 Pro
• 2-3 F/V, 1-2 Gr, 1 Pro
• 1 Gr
• Totals 8-10 F/V 6-8 Gr 2-3 Milk 2-3 Pro
• F/V is fruits and vegetables, Gr is grains, Milk
  is dairy foods and Pro is protein foods

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Portion size awareness

• Check out the portion distortion quiz at
  http//hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/

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Examples of foods that are often causing weight
gain

• Cakes and pastries
• Donuts and muffins
• Nachos, potato chips and other salty snacks
• Chocolate bars and candy
• Fast foods

• Flavoured coffees
• Pop, sweetened fruit drinks
• Pre-fried products- chicken nuggets, egg rolls,
  french fries
• Frozen ice-cream treats

A once-in-a-while treat !
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Restaurant meals part of the challenge

• On average a Canadian household visits a
  restaurant for a meal or snack 520 times per year
• Canadians spend about 30 of food budget on food
  services
• The most common food and beverages sold at
  Canadian restaurants are french fries and coffee!
• Calorie dense foods Big Mac, large fry and a med
  shake 1900 calories, 78 g fat , 1800 mg sodium!

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Respect hunger cues

• Learn to really listen to your body
• Ask yourself before eating/during eating- Am I
  hungry ? Just bored ? Stressed ? Sad? Happy?
  Thirsty?
• Eat so hungry cues resurface every 2-4 hours
  during the day nurture those hunger cues
• May try journaling hunger cues
• If you start eating without real hunger, how are
  you going to know when to stop!
• ? Your guide to portion size!

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Defining hunger cues

• 3 The bloated stomach feeling Past the point of
  being full, stomach may actually hurt
• 2 More than satisfied Stomach says no, mind
  says yesto a few more bites for example the
  fresh cookies are so good when they are warm
• 1 Just a bit over Knowing what you want to
  having it maybe leaving something on your plate
• gt Satisfied No more hunger Content, happy,
  energized and able to focus
• -1 Mild hunger Time to eat Expect to feel
  hungry again in 3-4 hours after eating. You will
  sense a mild hollow stomach feeling and start to
  think about food
• -2 Thinking about food constantly Fantasizing
  about food constantly. You are hungry and cant
  wait to eat
• -3 Empty the hollow stomach feeling Urge to eat
  is strong concentration for work and friends is
  lost

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Its how we eat!

• SLOW EATERS maintain lower weights! (BMJ article
  in the fall of 08)
• Prevent getting famished less control over what
  you eat and eat too fast
• Pause between bites and assess your hunger level
• Experiment! Try cutting your portions by 1/3 and
  see how you feel!
• A nation of mindless eaters! ( "Mindless Eating,
  Brian Wansink,Bantam 2006)
• Isolate activity of eating so a conscious
  celebrated activity!
• Use a smaller plate
• Keep treat foods away the house/ even arms reach
• Do not eat from the package
• Have good food available!
• Go to the grocery store on a regular basis
• Eat at home whenever possible
• Take good food with you so not vulnerable to
  unhealthy food around!

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Lifestyle Shift

• People who lose weight and do keep it off include
  an hour of activity most days as well they
  include others means of exercise (walking to the
  store, taking the stairs, parking farther from
  the door) (National Weight Control Registry,
  University of Colorado http//www.nwcr.ws/Research
  /default.htm)
• Life-style shift toward moving more!
• Pedometer challenge aim for 10 000 steps!
• Campus recreation activity
• Wii fit
• Shoveling snow, sliding, skiing, swimming!
• Make it social-join a running/ walking group!
• Dancing in your living room
• Squats, push-ups, sit-ups
• Wise advice Do something to get out of breathe
  once-a-day
• FEEL ALIVE! HAVE FUN!

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What is a good goal for you?

• S specific
• M measurable
• A attainable
• R realistic
• T time sensitive
• ?Small enough that you feel really confident
  about attaining it - then work up!
• ?Build on success it increases confidence!
• ?It all about good food and feeling great!

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Resources

• http//www.dietitians.ca/resources/resourcesearch.
  asp?fnviewcontentid8026 to find the
  presentation handout on the Dietitians of Canada
  website
• http//www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm The
  National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), identify
  and investigate the characteristics of
  individuals who have succeeded at long-term
  weight loss
• "Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink,Bantam 2006 -A
  fascinating book!
• www.allrecipes.com 10 000 recipes-star rated,
  Quick and easy search
• www.bodypositive.org Loving our body is the
  first step!
• www.healthy-canadians.ca For Canadas Food Guides
  and lots of interactive info

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Thank you!