Fitness Newsletter                               September 1, 2005

In this issue:

• Lose weight, increase your fitness level, and get healthy... (PART 1)
• Tips for eating out...
• Health Briefs
  

Lose weight, increase your fitness level, and get healthy. . .

Improving the quality of your life doesn't require drastic changes. It's as easy as making a few of the suggestions below part of your daily routine.

PART 1: To lose weight. . .

1. Check your appetite. Are you truly hungry? Or is depression or boredom causing you to eat? Make sure you're experiencing physical hunger before you eat. Does your stomach feel empty? Do you feel weak, shaky, or light headed? Is your stomach growling or rumbling? These are all signs of physical hunger.
   
   
2. Skip the junk food aisle. "Out of sight, out of mind!" If you don't have junk food in front of you, you're less likely to think about it. Instead of buying chips. buy pretzels or rice cakes, and instead of candy, buy seasonal fruit. Stock your house with better food choices.
   
   
3. Pass on sports drinks. Unless you're an elite athlete, you don't need sports drinks during or after exercise. If you're training longer than an hour, a sports drink that replaces electrolytes along with water will help replenish the sodium and potassium you lose when you sweat.
   
   
4. Limit alcoholic beverages. Alcohol calories add up quickly - there are about 150 calories in a 6-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce beer, or a shot of alcohol. Limit your alcohol intake. When you do drink, re-hydrate yourself by drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.
   
   
5. Nix the designer coffee. A regular java may be calorie free, but lattes, mochas and iced coffees pack up to 500 calories per cup. If you do crave a specialty drink, tell your server to skip the whipped cream and only use skim milk.
   
   
6. Keep hydrated. Fatigue is one of the first symptoms of dehydration. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. On days that you exercise, you need more. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people drink 14 ounces of fluid two or three hours before exercise; 6 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise; and 16 ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight you lost during exercise.
   
   
7. Make it a cold one. Consuming ice-cold water before a meal suppresses your appetite. It also raises your metabolic rate because your body must warm the water after you drink it. It takes about 12 calories to raise the temperature of 1 pint of 50-degree water to body temperature.
   
   
8. Space out your meals. Mid-afternoon energy slumps are often caused by not eating enough earlier in the day. Don't save up calories for your evening meal. By spreading your calories throughout the day, you'll have energy to work and work out, and you'll feel good.
   
   
9. Create new habits. Do you walk in the door at night and head straight for a high-carb, instant-energy snack? Get in the habit of grabbing veggies to tide you over until dinner. After a few weeks of your new routine you'll actually find veggies, which are low in calories and high in nutrients, more satisfying than a cookie or a piece of bread and peanut butter.
   
   
10. Get powered by protein. Adding protein to your lunch will energize you throughout the day. The recommended daily amount (RDA) of protein for the average woman is one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. Active women need a little more: 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
    
    
11. Watch your carb count. Eat a carb-heavy meal and watch your energy level take a nosedive an hour or two later. Starchy carbs are converted to serotonin by the body, making you feel sleepy.
    
    
12. Keep your iron in check. Fatigue can often be the result of anemia or low iron in the body - both are common problems among women of childbearing age. However, taking too much iron isn't good either, so don't self-diagnose yourself. Visit your doctor to see if an iron supplement may bring energy back to your life.
    
    
13. Keep a diary. Write down everything you eat. Keeping a food journal makes you more aware of the amount and type of foods you're consuming. As a result, you'll be less likely to mindlessly munch on high-calorie snacks.

In our next newsletter - PART 2: Increase your fitness level. . .

Tips for eating out. . .

1. Make smart choices. Almost every menu has grilled chicken or fish hidden in it somewhere. That's what you're looking for. Look for words like "grilled," "broiled," or "steamed." Avoid "sautéed" and "fried."
   
   
2. Skip the appetizer. "Appetizer," by definition, means a little food meant to get your appetite going. Obviously, most Americans don't need their appetites increased.
   
   
3. Choose the big salad. Greens are also a great option, but remember that all salads are not created equal. A restaurant tuna salad, for example, is probably going to be a mayonnaise nightmare. Watch out for bacon and croutons. Finally, ask for your dressing, which should be vinaigrette, on the side and just add a tablespoon or two.
   
   
4. Avoid side dishes. You don't need fries, a baked potato, or coleslaw. If that's all that's available, just go without. Even if not on the menu, most restaurants will usually bring you a side of steamed veggies or fruit if you ask.
   
   
5. No bread. There's just no nutritional value here. It's all empty carbs. If buttered, it's carbs and artery-clogging saturated fat. If you take anything away from this article, please make it this: Don't eat the bread. You just don't need it.
   
   
6. Eat half. America, for the most part, finds value in volume, so restaurants do their best to cater to that. They feel the more they give you, the happier you'll be. You don't have to eat all the food on your plate. In fact, 99.9% of the time, you'll be fine with half. So when you order, ask for a "to-go" box and, when your order comes, cut it in half and place it in the box. Then close the box and forget about it. If you ordered wisely, it'll be a fine lunch for the next day.
   
   
7. No soda! If, for some reason, the idea of water with a meal is abhorrent, go for iced tea. Because tea is caffeinated, and therefore a diuretic, it shouldn't replace regular water, but it is calorie free (provided it's unsweetened), so drink up!
   
   
8. Dessert? You're joking, right? If it can't be avoided, suggest that everyone at the table split a desert. That way, everyone gets a taste of something sweet, but nobody pigs out.