I responded to a group member at planforabalancedlife@yahoogroups.com.  She asked:

    This is Sasha. I`m 17. I started diet 2 years ago but it seemed that I suffer lack of iron and vitamin A. If any body can help me with this problem please go ahead.
    Thanks in advance
    Sasha

My response:

Try to balance the nutrients in what you eat. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and while you probably have cut down on red meat, this list from Medline gives you other alternatives that are high in iron:

    * Dried beans
    * Dried fruits
    * Eggs (especially egg yolks)
    * Iron-fortified cereals
    * Liver
    * Lean red meat (especially beef)
    * Oysters
    * Poultry, dark red meat
    * Salmon
    * Tuna
    * Whole grains

Also, a multi-vitimin will help with this problem.

Liz Nichols

Technorati Tags: Nutrition and weight loss, Teens and weight loss

Almost everyone who needs to lose weight goes through this. As some point most folks give up. They don’t see results soon enough– especially when you get older and don’t burn calories as easily. They fool themselves into thinking that it’s ok to just have that bowl of ice cream or candy bar. But just once in awhile becomes every night. Soon the dieter is looking back at the scales in horror that they are heavier than ever.

If truth be told, I’ve been off the diet for most of the past year, and I have not been able to at least maintain the loss that occurred the last time I used an organized diet plan.

Maybe I set myself up to fail. I joined a friend’s campaign to do a 50 mile walk in 3 days to fight MS, but my training did not go well. I got tired each time I got to a 3 or 4 mile mark, and instead of just being happy that I could do that in a day and keep doing that, I gave up because 3 or 4 miles would never prepare me in time to do 15-20 miles per day for 3 days in a row. So I gave up and just hid out instead of admitting the real reason why I did not make the event.

I didn’t really realize or accept how out of shape I’d gotten until last week when we were taking a moderately strenuous cave tour in the Black Hills and I was the only one sweating and out of breath over climbing up about 300 stairs in a few minutes. Thought I was going to pass out!

Well, I realize that if I am going to have the kind of quality of life I want for the last 1/3 of my life and if I want to make sure those years aren’t cut short, I have to get back on that consistent diet plan and get back to walking. Even two or three miles a day will help tremendously to get that stamina back that I’ve lost. Just cutting portions and cutting out most sweets and carbs will do the job. Frankly, you don’t need any special Diet supplements to lose, just be consistent with a calorie-cutting plan and exercise.

I know what to do to get back on track. My guess is you do too!

Liz Nichols

Technorati Tags: diet motivation, Exercise and weight loss, Nutrition and weight loss

I thought that by going late to that holiday party I would not be tempted to stand around the goodies table and munch all afternoon. Wrong.  There were so many tempting offerings left over even at the end that I started stuffing in the shrimp and cocktail sauce, the little bacon wrapped water chestnuts, and the glasses of wine.  Then there were the little cheese cake petit fores for dessert…

The office party was the worst.  Again, we tried to get there late so we would not be tempted by lots of hors’doevres.  At least that part worked.  But the buffet was to die for! And I ate until I felt like I was going to have to be rolled on out.

Now I seem to have been desensitized so instead of tossing the sugar cookie I got as a treat at Rotary this morning, I ate it for my lunch.

Hopefully I can save this diet before it is too late.  Some of the suggestions I’ve received from others in my weight loss email group:

–Eat a full dinner before going to the holiday party.  If you’re already full you are less likely to pig out at the party.

–Bring your own snacks.  Bring carrots, celery and munchies that are not going to set your diet back.

–Load up on the salad and other vegetable munchies.  By the time the main course is served you’ll be full.

Here’s another possibility.  Instead of wearing something that is loose fitting, wear something that is just slightly tight and revealing.  As people take note of how much weight you’ve already lost and compliment you, you’ll be motivated to stay on track so the outfit still fits– and fits even better– next year.

Use healthy recipes on holiday goodies that you make.  I got a healthy version of a sugar cookie recipe at the local Go Red for Women luncheon of the American Heart Association.  I will share that in my next post.  I also have a recipe for apple cranberry bread that is out of this world.  It is better by far than fruit cake and better for you (not that it is without calories– at least they are fairly healthy calories.) Look for more heart healthy holiday treats as you shop and bake.

Liz Nichols

Technorati Tags: Nutrition and weight loss

Generally speaking, the local burgie is the last place one should eat when trying to lose weight.

But fast food restaurants, beseiged with negative publicity and even cities that are banning the fat, are starting to slim down their menus.

Here’s a list identified today in a SparkPeople blog post of healthier offerings at some of the top fast food joints.  The research was done by Liza Barnes, a Health Educator in the article “The 22 Healthiest Fast Foods: What to Order at America’s Top 10 Fast Food Joints”:

McDonald’s

• Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich:
  370 calories, 4.5g fat, 1g sat. fat, 65mg cholesterol, 1,110mg sodium, 50g carbs, 3g fiber, 32g protein
• Premium Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken:
  300 calories, 10g fat, 1g sat. fat, 65mg cholesterol, 890mg sodium, 23g carbs, 5g fiber, 32g protein
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: (This is my personal pick at McDonald’s)
  160 calories, 2g fat, 1g sat. fat, 5mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 31g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g protein

Wendy’s

• Mandarin Chicken Salad:
  540 calories, 25g fat, 3g sat. fat, 65mg cholesterol, 1,260mg sodium, 50g carbs, 5g fiber, 31g protein
• Ultimate Chicken Grill:
  320 calories, 7g fat, 1.5g sat. fat, 70mg cholesterol, 950mg sodium, 36g carbs, 2g fiber, 28g protein

Burger King

• Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad: 300 calories, 16g fat, 2.5g sat. fat, 70mg cholesterol, 1,050mg sodium, 13g carbs, 5g fiber, 33g protein
• BK Veggie Burger:
  340 calories, 8g fat, 1g sat. fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1,030mg sodium, 46g carbs, 7g fiber, 23g protein

Taco Bell

• Fresco Style Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco:
  170 calories, 4g fat, 1.5g sat. fat, 25mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 21g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g protein
• Fresco Crunchy Taco:
  150 calories, 8g fat, 2.5g sat. fat, 20mg cholesterol, 370mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g protein.

Subway

• 6″ Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast:
  310 calories, 5g fat, 25mg cholesterol, 830mg sodium, 5g fiber
• 6″ Veggie Delite:
  230 calories, 3g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 500mg sodium, 5g fiber
• Soups: Barnes thinks that a number of these are great choices.

Arby’s

• Martha’s Vineyard Salad:
  466 calories, 23g fat, 6g sat. fat, 61mg cholesterol, 996mg sodium, 43g carbs, 4g fiber, 22g protein

KFC

• Honey BBQ Sandwich:
  280 calories, 3.5g fat, 1g sat. fat, 60mg cholesterol, 780mg sodium, 40g carbs, 3g fiber, 22g protein
• Tender Roast Sandwich:
  300 calories, 4.5g fat, 1.5g sat. fat, 70mg cholesterol, 1,060mg sodium, 28g carbs, 2g fiber, 37g protein
• Roasted Caesar Salad:
  250 calories, 8g fat, 4.5g sat. fat, 70mg cholesterol, 1,240 mg sodium, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 31g protein

Chick-fil-A

• Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich:
  270 calories, 3g fat, 1g sat. fat, 50mg cholesterol, 1,260mg sodium, 37g carbs, 4g fiber, 28g protein
• Chargrilled and Fruit Salad:
  290 calories, 8g fat, 3.5g sat. fat, 65mg cholesterol, 760mg sodium, 32g carbs, 5g fiber, 22g protein

Jack in the Box

• Asian Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips:
  160 calories, 1.5g fat, 0g sat. fat, 65mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium, 18g carbs, 5g fiber, 22g protein
• Chicken Fajita Pita:
  300 calories, 9g fat, 3.5g sat. fat,60mg cholesterol, 1,090mg sodium, 33g carbs, 4g fiber, 23g protein

Carl’s Jr.

• Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich:
  360 calories, 4.5g fat, 1g sat. fat, 60mg cholesterol, 1,150mg sodium, 48g carbs, 4g fiber, 34g protein
• Charbroiled Chicken Salad:
  295 calories, 8.5g fat, 3.5g sat. fat, 75mg cholesterol, 1,190mg sodium, 21g carbs, 5g fiber, 34g protein

In general, stay away from mayo and other dressings, except for low-fat salad dressings.

If you like the lighter fare, give the manager a thumbs up on the items that are better for you. Express your concern at the fat and calories in some of the standard items.  Vote with your patronage and the choices you make when you get to the local burgie.

Liz Nichols

Technorati Tags: Nutrition and weight loss

Some Useful Nutrition Info On Losing Fat

The very first thing you will learn with regard to nutrition info is that nutrition is of greater importance than training, and if you go by what the experts say, it hardly matters how many hours you spend working out or how good your workout happens to be, because the maximum results are only possible with the proper nutrition. Thus, you should consult a health expert or nutritionist to find about things such as fat loss, and whether to have shakes at all, or if it is better to have high carb sugar shakes.

Eating Right Before Going To Bed

You also should get the proper nutrition info regarding sugar and how it should be consumed, and even whether it is recommended to eat just before turning in for the night. Obviously, you will learn from nutrition info that eating proteins and fat before turning in for the night can actually help slow down your digestion of nutrients at a time when there also is break down of muscle tissue.

And, you may also need to get answers from whatever nutrition info is available with regard to proteins, which as a rule are good for gaining more muscles, though you should be aware of how much protein is to be consumed especially when in the process of trying to get rid of fat. According to the experts and from available nutrition info, it is sufficient to consume one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and if this level is maintained along with fat in moderation, you should be able to get the right amount of nutrients that will provide you with lean body mass while also aiding in losing fat as well.

What’s more, there is no getting around the fact that trying to lose weight will warrant cutting down of calories to some extent, or needing to expend calories in very high quantities which means that, according to available nutrition info, you would need to focus on consuming just lean proteins and also fats that are healthy with plenty of fibrous content while doing without carbs at the same time.

You may also find nutrition info shedding some light about the concept of ‘calorie cycling’ diets in which you can shed calories for a few days only to have them bump back on you soon after. You may be surprised that this kind of thing is more anecdotal than anything and it may work well in theory, though such a concept has not been tested and so the jury is really out on ‘calorie cycling’ diets.

Ian del Carmen is the president and CEO of Fireball Planet Corporation.

Check out his blog at http://IanDelCarmen.com. Or visit Fireball Planet at http://FireballPlanet.com
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Liz Nichols publishes Diet Supplement Blog, a newsletter on Diet supplements, effective Ways to lose weight and related topics.

Technorati Tags: Nutrition and weight loss