Being overweight myself I have spent a great deal of time examining why I succeed and fail to lose weight at different times in my life. Two things immediately come to mind that help and they are having a strong motivator and having people who genuinely seem to have a vested interest in my success. The first one is easy but usually temporary, the second one is much much more difficult to achieve, mostly because of my own perception of the world and the other people I encounter in it.
Posts Tagged ‘diet’
Why you fail to lose weight
Friday, September 4th, 2009Seriously, no more excuses.
Monday, January 5th, 2009We (That is, people who struggle with their weight) know of a magical time of year where it seems almost pointless to watch what we eat, this time is known as the holidays. During the “holiday season” (November – January), it is estimated on average that Americans consume an extra 600 calories a day or more than they normally would. That extra 1LB per week can be a disaster to anyone who is trying to lose weight at a normal pace.
We all know how it starts, a few weeks before thanksgiving your resolve wanes. You console yourself with thoughts such as “Well, it’s the holidays, everyone does it” and before you know it you’re back to your old habit of eating P.F. Chang’s 3 times a week. (Okay, that is my old habit.) Then after Thanksgiving the “Well Christmas is right around the corner” attitude kicks in, and all the holiday cookies, drinks, and desserts settle firmly around your waist. Once Christmas is over comes the biggest party of the year, new years eve! Binge drinking and binge eating are the norm here so why not indulge! This cycle can be devastating to your healthy lifestyle (and body).
The good news is that unless you consider Super Bowl Sunday a holiday, the next “Holiday” in which food could be a factor is Valentine’s Day. It is alright to go out to dinner to celebrate with that special someone but try to avoid the gargantuan box of Lindt’s truffles that they just gave you (if possible..) After Valentine’s Day we have St. Patrick’s Day which is pretty much guaranteed to pack on some extra alcohol related calories, then comes Easter dinner, after that we are well into summer before memorial day bbq, the 4th of July bbq, and labor day (bbq) hit (thankfully cookouts usually provide some healthy alternatives, there is nothing wrong with some grilled chicken), then we are back to the ‘pre-holiday season’ again.
So, keep in mind that we as American’s have made up countless reasons to get together and stuff our faces over the years and that using the celebration excuse is just setting yourself up to fail. Besides in America eating is a social event unlike in other countries where people simply eat as a means to sustain their body.
-Drew
Something Healthy: 12 cool light summertime drinks compared
Thursday, February 28th, 2008If you’re like me, you like nothing better than a nice cool smoothie or milkshake on a hot summer day.
In this article we explore 12 popular drinks available from 5 different popular establishments.
We will choose a winner based on taste and nutritional value.
Note: All values shown are without whipped cream (booo!!)
| Company | Product | Serving Size | Calories | Total Fat |
| Starbucks | Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 230 | 1g |
| Starbucks | Caramel Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Starbucks | Java Chip Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 260 | 7g |
| Starbucks | Mocha Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Starbucks | Orange Crème Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 140 | 0g |
| Tim Hortons | Iced Capp – Original (with milk) | 12oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 500 | 9.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 532 | 9.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 553 | 10g |
| Caribou Coffee | Northern Lite Chocolate Cooler | 16oz | 210 | 5g |
|
Caribou Coffee |
Northern Lite Vanilla Cooler | 16oz | 220 | 6g |
| Panera Bread | Strawberry Smoothie | 22oz | 300 | 1.5g |
The clear winner in the nutritional category would have to be Starbucks with their three delicious 16oz drin
ks which come in at less than 200 calories each. For some reason, my favorite Starbucks drink the Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino light does not have nutritional information available however I assume that it is roughly the same as the Orange Creme Frappuccino Light.
Tim Horton’s a favorite of Canadians and some die hard fans in America delivers a delicious drink with its Iced Capp, keep in mind you must order it with milk or chocolate milk otherwise they craft it with cream and that sends the calories and fat content through the roof. (try it with chocolate milk for an extra delicious drink)
Steak’n'Shake brings an option to the table for a “once in a blue-moon” milkshake experience. These are definitely special occasion style drinks.
Caribou Coffee brings some delicious and fairly sane choices to our round-up with its Chocolate and Vanilla Northern Lite Coolers. At just over 200 calories these drinks should hit the spot all summer long.
Finally, Panera Bread has recently introduced a Strawberry Smoothie. (why anyone would need a 22oz smoothie is beyond me) but at 300 calories and 1.5 grams of fat you shouldn’t have to spend too much extra time on the treadmill if you indulge in this one.
Keep in mind that many of the drinks above also come in ‘regular’ forms which are much more dangerous to your healthy lifestyle. Be sure to order the light versions with no whipped cream.
Andrew