Bonnie's Diet Tips

Counting calories offers lasting benefits

When someone begins an exercise program, there comes a point where people begin to realize they may need to go on some kind of diet. Since most people have no idea how many calories to take in or what foods are the best choices, people often turn to brand name diets.

You see, people don’t want to think. They want simple answers. This is why the weight loss industry is raking in billions of dollars. People are attracted to the magic pill or the “3-step plan” but quick fixes are not the answer.

If every major diet on the market is based on 1200-1500 calories, then maybe we should take notice. Nearly every major weight loss company has nutritionists and dieticians on staff dedicated to designing diet plans that work. Interestingly enough, no matter the combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, they all have similar caloric restrictions.

If calorie counting is the common link, then all you need is a calorie book and a calculator. Once you take the plunge, your eyes will be opened to a whole new world. Counting calories is a lesson that will last you a lifetime.

First, counting calories makes you realize how many calories are in some of your favorite foods. When you begin searching for answers, you quickly realize why you are struggling with your weight. You begin to recognize your weaknesses and strengths when it comes to eating.

Secondly, you discover proper portions. When you are measuring foods and counting calories you quickly learn how too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing in a hurry. Suddenly, you learn to avoid foods you can’t control yourself around.

The next thing you’ll notice is all the extra unnecessary ingredients. Low-calorie meals become high-calorie disasters with each added ingredient you decide to use. As you tally up each ingredient you are faced with the decision to part with the unnecessary extras. Fewer ingredients means fewer calories – plain and simple.

Another discovery you’ll make is how certain foods make you feel. As you journal daily, you recognize certain patterns. This discovery helps drive you to make better decisions because you start relating bad foods to feeling bad and vice versa.

Lastly, calorie counting helps you make better decisions. When you are allotted only a certain amount of calories a day, you begin to be a little choosier on how you “spend” your calories. The same way you budget money, you begin to learn how to save calories for the foods you love while still working towards your weight loss goals. You also will learn some foods are just not worth the extra calories.

Of course you don’t have to count calories for the rest of your life, but the lesson learned through the journey can last a lifetime.

Breaking it down...

1. Journal your food. The first advice I would give anyone starting a weight loss program is to begin tracking your calories. You can't base a diet on guessing, you have to know exactly what you are taking in. Almost everyone we talk to who has struggled with losing weight is taking in more calories than they think. Journaling not only holds you accountable, but educates you and helps you find hidden calories. Journaling is not something you have to do forever, through the daily process you will learn correct healthy portions and food options. Most named diets are based on 1200-1500 calories a day. It is advised to consult a physician before beginning a diet.

2. Eat 5-6 meals/snacks a day. A successful diet is eating less but eating more often. Eating smaller meals and snacks helps boost the metabolism and increase energy. People who think they have to starve in order to lose weight struggle with the thought of eating more often but it works. Once you get in the habit of eating less, but often, your energy increases which is one common complaint when dieting the wrong way.

3. You are what you eat. I would love to say you could lose weight by just coming in to Longevity every day, but I would be lying. It take 3500 calories to lose one pound. Most people only burn between 300-500 calories in a good workout. It's not uncommon for someone to consume 1,000 calories in one bad meal. In other words, you can blow several great workouts in one high-calorie meal. You can workout every day, but if you are taking in as many calories as you are burning (or more, you won't lose weight. You MUST watch what you eat in addition to exercise to get results.

4. No cheating. This may seem unfair or unrealistic, but the truth is you can workout and diet six days a week and blow it all in one day. This happens to people all the time. You must remain in a caloric deficit in order to continue losing weight. You can lose 2 pounds in 6 days and not see it on the scale because over the weekend you made up for all the calories lost in poor choices. It is essential you remain on your diet everyday until you reach certain set goals. Healthy living is a lifestyle, not a trend or season - it's for life. Once you are in maintenance you won't have to be quite as strict, but until then dieting and activity must be applied everyday.

5. Consistency is key. Yo-yo diets don't work and never will. Yo-yo fitness doesn't work either. The key to success is consistency. It is easier to workout and eat healthy on a consistent basis than it is to do hard-core diets and exercise programs. Our bodies respond well to consistency and so does our mind. Healthy living is first a habit and then a lifestyle. It may take a while to get into the groove, but once you are in the groove, it's a lot easier to maintain the lifestyle.

Getting healthy requires discipline...

Discipline is mandatory. You can not wait on motivation to get you started or keep you going - success is built on discipline. Healthy living is not much different than going to work, it is something you HAVE to do. So in essence, we need to quit letting how we feel affect what we do. The good news is we can cling to the fact that weight loss is pure science and it works. What you put in is what you get out. Even if you are down, depressed or feeling blah. If you follow through, you'll still get the same great results whether you were motivated or not.

SOME OF BONNIE'S PERSONAL DIET GUIDELINES:

1. Don't buy any snack or food you can't trust yourself around. (Chips, crackers, sweets, pastas & rice are our weaknesses)

2. Only go to restaurants who have healthy choices. Decide what you are ordering before you even get there and stick to it.

3. Drink a glass of water every time you find yourself staring into the fridge or pantry.

4. Stay busy. Limit time in front of the TV - everyone likes to snack while watching television. Less TV, less snacking.

5. Make yourself get out of the house even on those lazy, rainy days.

6. Sodas are a treat, not a beverage. Save diet-sodas for a dinner out on the weekend or a movie. Water is a staple.

7. Divide all meals out in half and eat the rest a couple of hours later.

8. Experiment. Don't be afraid to try new food products that meet your caloric intake. Some things you may never buy again (because they are yucky or boring) but many times you'll discover something new and great!

9. Shop on the outside perimeter of the store (fresh meats & produce).

10. Know what you are eating. If in doubt, don't eat it. The only way you KNOW if you are doing well on your diet is if you KNOW what you are eating. You should always read labels and be accountable for what you eat. (We like our snacks to be around 100-150 calories or less and meals between 300-400)

Understanding Calories...

There are only 2 WAYS to lose weight.

1. You must take in fewer calories than you burn or

2. You must burn more calories than you take in

TIP: To lose a pound of fat, you must create a caloric deficit of approximately 3,500 calories - therefore, if you create a deficit of 500 calories per day, you will lose approximately 1 pound of fat per week. 1,000 calories a day = 2lbs a week. (The average American eats 3,600 calories a day)

Low-Carb, Low-Fat or Low-Calorie? THAT'S THE QUESTION!

It all boils down to burning calories. Low fat items are normally lower in calories because one gram of fat has 9 calories verses only 4 calories that come from a gram of protein and carbohydrates. Items that are low in carbohydrates are normally lower in calories also. It doesn't matter if you eat low-carb, low-fat food if you are still consuming more calories than you burn.

Learning to Eat on a Budget:

We must treat our diet just like any other part of our life, practicing limitations. Some people can afford to spend a lot of money, some can't. Some people can afford to eat a lot and some can't. We need to learn how to eat on a budget. If we want to spend more money, we normally have to make more money. If we want to eat more food, we have to burn more calories. We simply can't eat more calories than we burn without "going over budget" and gaining weight.

In addition, just because we pay our debt down doesn't mean all the sudden we can start buying everything we want. It is the same with our diet. Even if we lose all our weight, like finances, we can splurge with moderations but we must stay on your dietary budget to maintain your weight.

There are only 2 STAGES you should EVER be in

You should be DIETING or IN MAINTENANCE - BUT NEVER OFF COMPLETELY

1. On a diet: Taking in fewer calories than you burn in order to lose weight

2. In Maintenance: Taking in as many calories as you burn to prevent gaining weight.

CALORIE GUIDE

How many calories do YOU burn?

How do you know how many calories you should take in? Let’s start with how many calories you burn. The formula below is a simple guide to help you get an idea of the approximate calories you burn. This is not the most accurate formula, but one of the easiest to use. Let’s get started!

A. Define Your Activity Level

Choose Your Activity:

1.3 – sedentary, sitting most of the day, light housework/work

1.4 – light activity, work, housework, exercise 2-3 X a week, stand or walk at work

1.5-1.6 – moderately active, all the above activities, exercise 1 hour 3-4 X a week

1.7 – very active, all the above daily activities, exercise 1-2 hours every day

Choose Your Metabolism:

10 – Slow (Sleepy after a meal)

11 – Normal (normal or feel the same after a meal)

12 – Fast (Fidgety or hyper after a meal)

B. Apply Above Numbers in this Simple Formula:

Your Weight:_______ X Activity:_____ = _________ X Metabolism:______= ___________

The answer is the approximate amount of calories it would take to maintain your weight as you are now in the above condition. MEN increase caloric intake by 5%-10%. Since men normally have more lean muscle tissue, men need more calories.

TIP: Keep a Diet Diary. Most people don't really realize how many calories they are eating until they write everything down. Keeping a Diet Diary will help you find calories in your diet that might be slipping through the cracks.

DINING ON A DIET:

Check out Fast Food Calories and Calorie Counter

Click on the link, then scroll down to pick your favorite restaurant.

1. Bring your lunch. If you lack self-control, avoid the temptation of fast food altogether.

2. Don’t go hungry. Make sure you snack between meals so you’re not starved once you get to the restaurant. The hungrier you are, the more likely you will be to over-order.

3. Divide your meals in ½. Instead of eating a 6” sub, eat 3” at lunch & the other 3” later. Put half your meal in a to-go box before you eat your first bite.

4. Drink before you eat. Drink a full glass of water before you eat to help fill your tummy.

5. Scratch the sodas. You can save up to 410 calories (Super-Size Soda) if you lose the high calorie drinks. Chose bottled water, Crystal Light, un-sweet tea or diet drinks instead.

Read Bonnie's article on this subject.

Eating with Steve and Bonnie

If you were to visit the Pfiesters, this is most likely what you'd be eating...

1.) BREAKFAST: 1 packet of Quaker Oatmeal Fruit & Cream (and our morning coffee)

2.) SNACK: Protein Shake: tsp peanut butter, fat free milk, honey, ice, Zero Carb IsoPure whey protein (Vanilla) an sometimes a 1/2 a banana OR Lite Orange juice, vanilla protein, lemon juice and ice. (Click here for some of our favorite protein shake recipes)

3.) LUNCH: 6oz chicken breast & half a sweet potato (OR a Nutrisystem meal or South Beach Diet Pizza if I'm in a hurry - 32gms of protein!)

4.) SNACK: A few almonds, light yogurt, rolled up meat, Bear Naked granola or fruit). Look at our list of favorite snacks below.

5.) DINNER: Almost always a salad - mixed greens, grilled meat, slivered pear or apple, almonds, walnuts or sliced avocado (for good fat) and fresh oil & vinegar dressing or salad spritzer. (Look at some of my favorite salad recipes) ...OR we we'll have grilled meat and one veggie - almost always green beans, asparagus or broccoli

6.) SHAKE: Lite Protein shake - 1/2 water - 1/2 fat free milk, ice, protein powder, vanilla extract and a teeny bit of peanut butter. Coffee lovers can add a dash of instant coffee for a coffee cooler taste.

....and lots and lots of water. I don't drink any other fluids but water. (except my coffee)

FAVORITE SNACKS:

100 Calorie popcorn (butter spray is a low-cal way to help salt stick!)

Sugar-free Jello pudding

Sugar-free pudding popsicle

Pretzel sticks

Caramel Rice Cake with a thin layer of peanut butter

Wassabi Almonds

Cottage Cheese

Cantaloupe

Dill Pickle

Rolled up lunch meat with honey mustard

Left over veggies

Fruit & Cream Oatmeal

Powdered Cheese Grits

Lipton Cream of Chicken Instant Soup (for salty cravings)

Fruit

Low Fat String Cheese

Sugar-free Livesaver Popsicles (YUMMY! ...and perfect for a hot day!)

Small box of Raisins

Cheddar cheese mini rice cakes

Sugar-free Jello

Decaf Coffee & sugar-free flavored creamer

Hot Tea

Sliced cucumber, salt & vinegar

Teddy grahams (cause you can have something like 50 of them for under 150 calories!)

Bonnie's Favorite Simple Sides:

Pole Beans: Stir-fry fresh green beans, a few drops of olive oil, fresh garlic & soy sauce.

Bonnie's cabbage: Using a wok, cook fresh cabbage, salt pepper, salt & splenda to taste.

Mashed Cauliflower: Cooked cauliflower, olive oil butter, salt, pepper, garlic & fresh parmesan cheese.

Brocolli: Steamed brocolli, salt, butter spray & fresh grated parmesan cheese. Use chicken broth instead of water for added taste.

Avocado Salad: Diced cucumber, tomato, avocado, onion and low-fat feta on a piece of lettuce with home-made dressing (1/3 water, 1/3 olive oil, and the rest a equal mix of lemon juice & red wine vinegar mixed with Italian packet of dressing - I confess...I totally do this by taste....it might be more lemon juice than vinegar)

Sweet potato dieter's delight: Cut cooked potatoes in halves. Mash a little olive oil butter into the potato and top with splenda's brown-sugar, salt & pecan pieces. Brown in oven if desired. 1/2 a potato is 1 serving! :)

Loaded baked potato: 1/2 a medium potato (cooked), topped with low-fat cottage cheese, salt & pepper, Mrs. Dash & grilled meat. You can change this one all up adding in your favs....Just remember, the fewer ingredients, the fewer calories.

Bonnie shares her favorite salad

Click HERE to get the recipe.

More Recipes:

Share your favorite recipes on Bonnie's Blog Spot

Protein shake recipes blog spot

Get More tips online at www.longevityclubs.com

Steve and Bonnie's Favorite Diet System:

When nutrisystem sponsored the food for Bridal Bootcamp, Steve and I had the opportunity to eat the food on a regular basis. We have been so impressed with nutrisystem's food. Not only is it packed with nutrients offering a well-balanced meal that sticks with you, but it tastes better than any frozen pre-packed food we've ever had!

Our friends get a discount PLUS 2 weeks free!

Call 1-800-727-8062 and give them Promo Code # Corp 106 to receive your special treatment!

DISCLAIMER: Consult a physician prior to beginning any diet or exercise program. Tips are based on caloric guidelines used by most brand named diet plans. Bonnie is not a dietitian or nutritionist and does not write diets. What she shares on this site is what works for her and her clients.

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