How to Stop Smoking Without Gaining Weight

A weight loss patient came to me venting her frustrations over weight gain after she quit smoking.

She was at her breaking point and ready to start smoking again to get the extra weight off.

Smoking is the last thing you want to do to try to maintain a healthy weight. Even if your weight might be normal, your overall health is suffering.

Here are the ideas that I reviewed with her to get her on track to reaching her weight loss goals, while ridding that extra frustration.

Begin an exercise routine if you haven't already. This is the number one thing that helps most former smokers. Since smoking does burn extra calories, you can replace your previous calorie burn with exercise burn! An added bonus is that exercise helps to relieve stress, tension, and anxiety that you may be dealing with. Focus on eating mindfully. It is important not to become an emotional eater when you quit. Instead of reaching for a cigarette, many will reach for comfort food. Focus on your true physical hunger levels instead. Have snacks for munching readily available. When you do feel the need to put something in your mouth out of habit, grab a piece of sugar free gum or hard candy. Popcorn, fresh fruit, carrots, and other raw vegetables are good for crunching.Remove trigger foods and beverages from the home. This includes alcohol which may make you want to start smoking again, and contributes to empty calories in the day. Keep junk food and other "comfort" foods out of the house so you are not tempted.Eat 3 regular small meals and 2 or 3 healthy snacks in your day. This will help to tame your increased hunger levels. Yes, there are plenty of people out there who still smoke! Even though the rates have drastically dropped, people still need all the support they can get.

Those of you who have struggled with "food addiction" know what addictive behavior feels like. So, next time you meet someone who is struggling, you can share some of these tips.

If you have quit smoking, what strategies worked for you?

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Weight Watchers Smart Ones Satisfying Selections: Smart or Not?

Weight Watcher's and Heinz team up to produce Smart Ones, frozen meals that are designed to be used with Weight Watchers PointsPlus or for anyone looking to cut calories, but avoid the kitchen.

I was sent a few coupons to try the new Smart Ones Satisfying Selections. Since we focus on healthy eating, let's see how these low calorie, frozen meals measure up.

I sampled Smart Ones Sesame Chicken, which comes in a single serving bag. It can be heated by placing the whole bag in the microwave or the contents can be placed in a non-stick skillet. An 11.7 ounce serving delivers; 360 Calories, 7 fat grams, 6 grams of fiber, 25 grams of protein, and 49 grams of carbs with 10 of those coming from sugar.

The meal was a satisfying portion and it tasted good. It looked to me like there were less vegetables in the actual product, then were pictured on the package and the chicken was breaded, which was a little soggy. I'm not sure why they went that route since breading only adds calories.

Here's where Smart Ones Sesame Chicken derails a bit. This frozen meal contains over 50 ingredients and while this is largely due to the the breakdown of how each main ingredient is made i.e. noodles, sauce, breaded chicken etc., there are some processed ingredients that we should be aware of.

Wheat- This product is predominately wheat based so people with gluten sensitivity should avoid it.

Sucralose- This product is artificially sweetened. Some people have reported allergic type reactions to this sweetener.

Chicken fat- This ingredient is added for flavor, but it also adds cholesterol and saturated fat.

Soy- Soy sauce, soybeans, soy protein, and soybean oil are used in this product so people with soy allergies should avoid it.

Preservatives- This product does contain preservatives. Potassium lactate and sodium phosphate are both used. Both are generally considered safe, but sodium phosphate is also a drug given to people to empty the colon prior to a colonoscopy.

While the taste of Smart Ones Sesame Chicken and portion size are definitely positive, I think the product could be improved nutritionally. They could use grilled chicken instead of the breaded chicken, which would cut down on processed ingredients and calories. To make up the calories saved by this change, they could add more vegetables to the product to increase its vitamin and fiber content.

Overall, Smart Ones seems to be one of the better frozen meal options available, especially for people following the Weight Watchers program who need some quick lunch or dinner options. However, the majority of their meals should be ones in which they prepare themselves using fresh, wholesome, non-processed ingredients.

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Re-proportion Your Plate to Lose Weight

We all know we need to eat more whole foods and fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. But, knowing the exact portion sizes for every single food out there can be daunting.

This past summer, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) introduced a helpful visual to make life easy. They call it MyPlate; I call it the half plate vegetable rule.

Make half your plate vegetables at mealtime, or combine fruits and vegetables on half your plate. This will help add filling fiber to your plate, keep the calories down, and add some quality nutrition to your meal.One quarter of your plate should be a protein choice. This could be anything that has significant protein like lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, beans, or tofu. Adding this protein will help make sure you get the amino acids you need in the day, and help to keep you fuller longer.The other quarter of your plate should be a high quality carbohydrate source. An example of this is brown rice, whole wheat pasta, more beans, peas, legumes, or whole grain breads. Adding this carbohydrate will help round out your meal, keep it balanced, and help you feel satisfied.Use added fats sparingly on the plate and make sure they are healthy fats like oils, nuts, seeds, or avocado.Fat free or low fat dairy can be included in moderation. An example is a cup of skim milk or 6 ounces of a fat free yogurt.The plate rule can be very helpful to those who don't have time to create different meals for the family, or for those who don't want to worry about all the details involved in calorie counting. It's simple, and easy to remember when dining out as well. You can apply the principle anywhere--all you have to do is be determined to stick to it!

Do you have any plate portion techniques that you use to keep your meals healthy?

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Re-proportion Your Plate to Lose Weight

We all know we need to eat more whole foods and fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. But, knowing the exact portion sizes for every single food out there can be daunting.

This past summer, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) introduced a helpful visual to make life easy. They call it MyPlate; I call it the half plate vegetable rule.

Make half your plate vegetables at mealtime, or combine fruits and vegetables on half your plate. This will help add filling fiber to your plate, keep the calories down, and add some quality nutrition to your meal.One quarter of your plate should be a protein choice. This could be anything that has significant protein like lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, beans, or tofu. Adding this protein will help make sure you get the amino acids you need in the day, and help to keep you fuller longer.The other quarter of your plate should be a high quality carbohydrate source. An example of this is brown rice, whole wheat pasta, more beans, peas, legumes, or whole grain breads. Adding this carbohydrate will help round out your meal, keep it balanced, and help you feel satisfied.Use added fats sparingly on the plate and make sure they are healthy fats like oils, nuts, seeds, or avocado.Fat free or low fat dairy can be included in moderation. An example is a cup of skim milk or 6 ounces of a fat free yogurt.The plate rule can be very helpful to those who don't have time to create different meals for the family, or for those who don't want to worry about all the details involved in calorie counting. It's simple, and easy to remember when dining out as well. You can apply the principle anywhere--all you have to do is be determined to stick to it!

Do you have any plate portion techniques that you use to keep your meals healthy?

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Eating Mindfully Can Assist Weight Loss

Many are always trying to follow a certain diet for weight loss, but we often forget about one of the most important dieting behaviors: mindful eating.

Mindful eating means being fully conscious and aware of your eating process. We often eat mindlessly when sitting in front of the TV, rushing out the door in the morning, or just by following old habits. Mindful eating is the key to staying slim and healthy for life.

Before you think about eating a meal, stop and think about the reason you are eating. Is it boredom, stress, or real hunger? In addition, rate your hunger on a scale from one to ten. One means you are starving and ten means you are uncomfortably full. Decide what controls your eating. Is it your schedule or lifestyle? Is it your emotions? Or, is it simply the presence of food?Fill your plate only half-full with food. When you finish with that plate, take a moment to see how full you feel. If you are still hungry, add food to about 20% of the plate. You may continue to do this until you feel satisfied. Cut food into smaller bites so that it takes you longer to eat the same amount of food. This will allow more time for you to realize when you are full. Fully experience mealtime by smelling, tasting, and thinking about each bite of food. If you think you feel hungry, set a timer for twenty minutes, and then, re-evaluate to see if you are still hungry. Sometimes we think we may be hungry, but after drinking some water or waiting a few minutes, you may think otherwise. You can also try setting a timer for twenty minutes at the start of a meal. Try to make your meal last the entire twenty minutes and do not rush through it.Take a bite of each of the different foods on your plate by "food hopping". By eating different bites of different foods, this will help you to slow down and enjoy the different flavors slowly.Create a pause and set down your fork between each bite.Do you have any other techniques you use to eat mindfully?

Resource: Discover Mindful Eating by Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE and Frederick Burggraf, MEd.

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Savor Diet: Meditation for Weight Loss

Last week, I wrote about mindful eating which reminds me of another diet book called, "Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life" by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh and Doctor and Dietitian Lilian Cheung.

The book combines Buddhist spirituality with nutrition facts. Religion and science in one book? Let's see how well they gel.

Nhat Hanh reviews mediation techniques in the book to help us become more mindful, slow down, and think more about what we are putting into our bodies. The meditations center around the core of Buddhism which is all about becoming completely aware of oneself and your surroundings.

The book gives detailed instructions on how to figure out what is blocking you from being completely mindful when you eat and how to overcome those obstacles. Nhat Hanh discusses stress and emotional eating as well as becoming mindful in everyday life.

The nutritionist, Lilian Cheung, advises specific diet and exercise guidelines to go together with the meditations. She gives readers an idea of how to shop at the grocery store and some simple recipe ideas. The nutrition approach is vegetarian based, and scientifically backed. However, this part of the book is a little basic and you can get this information almost anywhere.

The authors also get the reader to think about where food comes from when you are eating it. Perhaps if we take more time to think about and choose where our food comes from, we become more mindful and appreciative of our eating in the process.

The Savor Diet may not be for everyone. Those who strictly follow another religion or those not willing to explore a more spiritual side of dieting, may not like this method. But, for many of us, I see this book as a great tool to explore a completely different dieting method that may prove to be highly effective.

The book can be found at Amazon here.

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John's Inspiring 250 Pound Weight Loss

I was always big. As the years went on, I just got bigger by eating anything and everything.

Unfortunately, my health got worse as the years went by as well. I had my first child at the age of 23 and as the pregnancy went on I kept getting bigger and bigger. After my 3rd child came along, I was closing in on 350lbs.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was put on numerous medications. After my 4th child, I topped out at a whopping 400lbs! My health was so bad that I couldn't even take 3 steps without losing my breath and feeling like I was going to die.

My life changed one day when I got a call when I was at work. My wife at the time said that my dad had a massive heart attack and had passed away. I went to see my doctor a week later because I was having chest pains. She said one thing that completely changed my mindset. She said, "John if you want to live to see your kids have their own kids, then you have to lose weight, if not there was a space next to your dad."

I started by changing my diet. I went from the white rice, white bread, all the oily and greasy foods to salads, wheat bread, and brown rice. After 6 months, I started to walk. I went down from 400lbs to 375lbs. I started feeling good about the weight loss and told myself that I could do this. After a year, I dropped to 325lbs and went from a 62 waist to a 48. I felt better and decided to go for 25 more pounds. After 20 months, I was down to 270lbs and I was walking over a mile a day. I started to get addicted to dieting and exercising.

I went through a divorce and started to get depressed. I started to eat unhealthy again and I soon found myself lonely and depressed. Food was my only source of happiness. Then one day I went to the mall and I ran into my first true love from school. We talked and went out to dinner. She was going through the same thing as me. Her son's dad had left her and she was raising her son alone. We started dating and spending alot of time together. I started to diet hard again.

I went walking about 3 times a day and started my salad and browns again. I got myself down to 225lbs and thought that was enough, but I was wrong, I was now hooked on dieting and exercising. I soon had my 5th child and was down to 175lbs and running a full 6-7 miles twice a day. I looked in the mirror and said, "damn I got this, I can lose another 25lbs"! I was on a strict 1100 calorie diet, which involved no sodas or sugar. Strictly water or if I wanted a little taste, I had some crystal light.

After 3 years and many trials, I hit my all time low weight, 132lbs. My doctor said the funniest thing I ever heard. She said, "John, you have to gain a little weight"! After all the years of being called all the fat words in the book and being the brunt of everyone's fat jokes, I had someone tell me that I had to gain weight. My doctor told me she was amazed when she did my diabetes test, as it was like I never had diabetes.

Now I'm holding a weight of 147-150lbs and 11% body fat. My life has changed, my health is great, and I have a new lease on life. I'm never tired like I was before and my cardio levels have become unreal. It's like God gave me a new me.

My words of wisdom: Anything can be accomplished if you put your mind and soul into it. If I can do it, anyone can! Always remember that life is precious and that life starts with you!!!!

The 3 most important things that I would like to say to everyone who is struggling with their weight and health.

Set a goal, start with a small goal, then work from there.Get support from loved ones, if it wasn't for my wife and kids, I would have never got to this point. Make them understand that you are doing it for yourself, so you can be around for them.Love yourself... because I found out that if you don't love yourself, then you won't care enough to to help yourself.

By John Toledo III

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