5 Tricks To Keep Portions Under Control

Trick or Treat time is right around the corner.
Michelle Obama wanted me to tell you not to
let your kids get crazy with the candy this year.
And she's right.

I remember my Mom gave us a day and a half to eat
the candy we wanted. Then it went to the trash. At
the time I screamed child abuse. But, obvioulsy, I
thank her now.

These tricks are not portion guidelines. But moreso
tricks to sticking to the right portions. So, here
are 5 tricks, that you're not doing now,
to keep your portions under control.


1. Eat With Smaller Plates
Yes, it's really that simple. Eat your main meal
with a salad plate. Think about it... a lot of
restaurants, other than Golden Corral (it's always
humored me that they can get away with a name like
that) will have small portions on a normal plate.
They don't overload the plate and you can actually
see the white space.

Same goes with glasses. A serving size of juice is
4oz. That's very little than what most people are
use to. It's 4 or 5 sips. That beer mug you drink
OJ out of in the morning is enough for your entire
family.

2. Eat At The Table
Eating in front of the TV, while you're doing the
dishes, or any other activity can easily lead to
overeating. Eat at a table, sitting in a chair.

Case in point: A recent study in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that playing
solitaire while eating dampened participants'
memories of their lunch (and made them feel less
full), which, in turn, may have caused them to eat
125 calories more when they snacked later on.


3. Chew Your Food
We all eat on the go at some point during the day.
No one, and I mean no one, has ever told me they
sit down for every meal. Sadly the 50's are gone.
It doesn't exist in our society anymore. Since
we're in hurry, that also means we inhale our food
versus chewing it. Try to chew each bite 20 times.
Seriously, try it. It's a challenge.

Digestion starts in the mouth with the salivary
glands. They start digesting carbohydrates
immediately. Have you ever chewed on full sugar
bubble gum? It loses it's flavor and texture after
a few minutes doesn't it? That's because your
salivary glands are digesting the sugar.

Chewing also slows down your meal. It takes about
20 minutes for your brain to realize you're full.
If you inhale food fast enough you can continue
eat and eat and eat. If you slow down and chew
your chicken you'll give your hormones time to
alert the brain that you're full.

4. Turn Up The Lights
When you go out for a romantic dinner the lights
are low and the mood is intimate. Restaurants do
this for a reason. The same reason casinos don't
have clocks and easy exits. They want you to stay
longer and eat more. Studies have shown the
lighting in a room can affect one's appetite. Make
sure the lights are turned up and you keep dinner
to one hour.

5. Eat At UN-Healthy Restaurants
Yes, you read that right. According to research
done by Brian Wasinak, author of Mindless Eating,
"We found that when people go to restaurants
claiming to be healthy, such as Subway, they
choose additional side items containing up to 131%
more calories than when they go to restaurants
like McDonald’s that don't make this claim."

Wansink calls this the "halo effect". When you eat
at a healthy restaurant you don't feel as
indulgent were you to eat at say, McDonald's. This
caused customers to underestimate calories by 21%.
So don't feel so proud by eating at Subway.
Regardless of where you eat be mindful of what and
how much you're eating.


Implement these 5 tips today and you will lose
weight. I say that with confidence because these
aren't just 'drink diet soda' kind of tips. I bet
you're not doing the majority of these. And as I'm
sure you know, big doors swing on little hinges.

Best,

Tim

P.S. Last nights game was by far the best sporting
event I've ever been to! And I have a feeling the
Cards will steamroll the Rangers tonight. Let's go Cards!!!

3 Ways To Fall Into Fitness

You can argue that Missouri weather is some of the
most erratic in the country. One day it's 90
degrees and humid. The next it's in the 50's and overcast. So it's temperamental. But I still appreciate the seasons. And now that Fall is upon us the weather is great and the scenery even better.


1. Get outdoors

This time of year is great to get outside for
fitness. Certainly there is something you can do
outside and get fit while doing it.

Walking - There are a myriad of walking trails and
paths in St. Louis. A quick Google search for
Parks or Walking paths will pull up hundreds of
options. And Forest Park is rated as one of the
top city parks in the country!

Hiking - Although we don't have mountains or ocean
cliffs to hike, we do have beautiful landscape.
There is hiking on the outskirts of St. Louis or
even a short 45 minute drive will take you into
the Ozarks.

Biking - If you're not into walking, running, or
hiking, then maybe cycling fancies you. Ever heard
of the Katy Trail? Miles and miles of bike trails
are all around the city. Grab your helmet and go!

2. Try something new and different

There is nothing like adding some spice to your
fitness routine. Trying something new can really
stimulate your exercise routine and keep you
engaged. It's very easy to fall into the same
treadmill workout, at the same time, at the same
speed, watching the same dumb TV show.

Try yoga, spinning, work with a personal trainer
or try another type of fitness class (our small
group personal training, called Pack Training,
just launched last month!). Adding in a new change
will stimulate not just your muscles, but also
your mind.

3. Try seasonal foods

Ok, so it's not a fitness tip per se. But fitness
and nutrition go hand in hand. Fall brings upon a
ton of delicious healthy foods. Try any of the
following for a delicious seasonal meal.

Apples - eat as is or include them in a recipe.
They're peak harvest is August through November

Squash - With a slightly sweet flavor it can be
paired with Fall flavorings like cinnamon, nutmeg
and ginger.

Pumpkin - The obvious Fall food. And don't think
it's only good for pie and seeds. Try soup,
fillings, or pudding!

Sweet Potatoes - With only 25 grams of carbs these
are much more nutritionally dense than their white
counterparts.


Regardless of what you do, make great use of the
Fall season. Use the weather and food to your
fitness advantage and put momentum in your favor
as we enter the holiday season.

To your health,

Tim Chudy

P.S. I mentioned our brand new Small Group
Personal Training program called PACK Training as
an option for you. Clients are raving about it!