Tip: Blend your foods – Blending your foods means making sure that if you are eating a food item that does contain carbohydrates, make sure that you incorporate a good low fat protein along with it. Eating a low carb tortilla wrap, that the first ingredient is whole wheat flour, unrefined and adding lean chicken breast as part of your filling in the wrap, maybe with some thinly shredded romaine lettuce and other veggies.

Exercise of the day: The Ball Lower-Back Strengthener will help develop your entire core area in your lower back region at the same time help support your small stabilizer muscles.

Effectively Managing Your Weight Loss

When eating at many restaurants in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, it’s hard to miss that portion sizes have gotten larger in the last few years. The trend has also spilled over into the grocery store and vending machines, where a bagel has become a BAGEL and an “individual” bag of chips can easily feed more than one. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. This can mean significant excess calorie intake, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you avoid some common portion-size pitfalls and effectively manage you weight loss.

Portion control when eating out.
Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal. Take control of the amount of food that ends up on your plate by splitting an entrée with a friend. Or, ask the wait person for a “to-go” box and wrap up half your meal as soon as it’s brought to the table.

Portion control when eating in.
To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings when eating at home, serve the food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table. Keeping the excess food out of reach may discourage overeating.

Portion control in front of the TV.
When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It’s easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else. Weight loss demands this!

Santa Monica, go ahead, spoil your dinner.
We learned as children not to snack before a meal for fear of “spoiling our dinner.” Well, it’s time to forget that old rule. If you feel hungry between meals, eat a healthy snack, like a piece of fruit or small salad, to avoid overeating during your next meal. Be aware of large packages. For some reason, the larger the package, the more people consume from it without realizing it. To minimize this effect:

•Divide up the contents of one large package into several smaller containers to help avoid over-consumption.
•Don’t eat straight from the package. Instead, serve the food in a small bowl or container.

Out of sight, out of mind.
People tend to consume more when they have easy access to food. Make your home a “portion friendly zone.” A golden rule of weight loss.

•Replace the candy dish with a fruit bowl.
•Store especially tempting foods, like cookies, chips, or ice cream, out of immediate eyesight, like on a high shelf or at the back of the freezer. Move the healthier food to the front at eye level.
•When buying in bulk, store the excess in a place that’s not convenient to get to, such as a high cabinet or at the back of the pantry.

Tip: Stay focused on eating green in every meal – Always incorporate a good high quality low glycemic index dark green vegetable with each meal. I suggest things like spinach or romaine lettuce in your lunch time salads. Eating broccoli, asparagus, or steamed spinach as your vegetable at dinner time. All of these dark green vegetables supply your body with great vitamins and nutrients as well as being great sources of fiber and are naturally low on the glycemic index scale and will keep your blood sugar levels from spiking after eating. So think Dark green at meal time and challenge yourself to keep it as part of each and every eating event.

Exercise of the day: The Band Lat Pull Down is a wider grip back exercise that is performed in a kneeling position, utilizing the contraction benefits of an exercise fitness band.

Eating Strategies that Get’s Results Fast!

You want to lose weight. You really do. 

There’s just this little problem… you love food. But diets require that you give up all the foods that you know and love in exchange for celery sticks and water. Boring! Who really wants to do that? Guess you’ll just have to deal with the extra weight, right? Wrong!

Losing weight doesn’t require that you give up your love of food—in fact, healthy weight loss encourages great eating.

And that is good news for you, beloved food lover. Great eating means never going hungry and never feeling deprived. Sound good? Read on for the simple guidelines to great eating that result in healthy and long term weight loss.

4 Weight Loss Tips to Live and Lose By:

1. Eat at least five times a day at regular intervals

2. Eat 4 oz of lean protein at least twice a day

3. Fill two-thirds of your plate with vegetables and fruit

4. Make every calorie count, this means every bite should pack protein, fiber and fat.

10 Essential Nutrition-Based Weight Loss Guidelines:

1. Focus on eating a variety of foods every day.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors. Green, yellow, orange, red you get the idea. (Santa Monica farmer’s Market is loaded with healthy fruits and veggies).

3. Eat small meals frequently, preferably 4-6 times. Also avoid overeating or binge eating out of hunger.

4. Say no to extra fat! Avoid putting butter or sour cream on your food.

5. Plan healthy meals ahead of time—this will save you many calories!

6. Trade your white bread in for whole-grain bread.

7. When you feel the first shot of hunger pain, wait it out. If you still feel hungry after 10-15 minutes then eat. If you aren’t hungry any more it was likely your emotions speaking and not your tummy!

8. Stop eating before you feel full. Your brain is slow in receiving the full signal from your tummy—so give it a chance to catch up!

9. Eat fruits and vegetables first, then meats and lastly bread or other starches. This forces you to fill up on nutrient dense, yet calorie-sparse, foods first.

10. Drink water instead of soda pop. Your body isn’t able to register all of the calories in liquid, so hundreds of calories add up without making you feel full. 

10 Ways to Dining Out in Los Angeles and Santa Monica without Pigging Out

1. Don’t indulge in bread before your meal arrives

2. Substitute your fries for a side salad, fruit or a baked potato

3. Forgo your soda pop for a tall glass of ice water or tea

4. Instead of burgers, hot dogs and sausages choose sandwiches, subs, salads and lean meats

5. Always order your dressing on the side in order to regulate the amount that you use.

6. Put half of your meal in a to go box before you start eating

7. Don’t order food that is made with creamy bases, such as white sauce

8. You don’t have to clean your plate! If you are full then stop eating

9. Eat your vegetables first…rather than last

10. If it’s fried then don’t order it