10 Tips for a Healthy and Fun 4^th of July week!

 

Weight Loss Freedom!

1. Workout video to do while on vacation that you don’t need a gym for.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grpSDe8MW3g

2. If you are in charge of planning the 4^th of July menu, choose dishes with lots of fruits and vegetables with light or healthy sauces containing healthy fats.

Try not to choose dishes loaded with cheese, mayo, sour cream, etc. Choose whole grains, legumes, brown rice, nuts, and fresh greens. There are all sorts of good proteins you can throw on the grill such as pork tenderloin, lean ground beef, chicken, chicken sausage, lean steak, turkey burgers, kabobs, and  grilled veggies. Click here for our free cook book for more recipes and meal ideas.

3. If you are not in charge of planning the menu, use your best judgment and pick some of the healthy options (as stated above) and watch portion sizes.

4. The 4^th of July is a celebration loaded with cake, bars, ice cream and other fatty desserts.

If you must, choose a small portion of a dessert with fresh berries, so you at least get some nutritional value. One small treat never hurts anyone.

5. Try not to sit down with or in front of the “snack” table.

The typical snacks offered gatherings contain lots of saturated fat, sodium and empty calories. Instead, grab a small handful and sit down furthest away from the snack table.

6. Eat small snacks throughout the day.

Every three hours, to keep from binging on junk food at suppertime. Remember, if you eat to get stuffed, you can count on your body storing the extra calories as fat.

7. Make sure to stay hydrated.

For fluids, bring water, MIO flavored drops, Crystal Light PURE, and not the aspartame loaded Crystal Lights.

8. Just because it’s the holidays, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out an exercise.

Here are some ways to fit in some physical activity this 4^th of July.

            - Get teams together and play kickball or softball with friends and family.

            - Swim if possible

            - Play water volleyball or badminton

            - Go canoeing or kayaking

            - Look for 4^th of July concerts and get out and dance.

            - Look for local events going on and get out and be active.

            - Do yard work before you host 4^th of July.

- Use our VIP online trainer click here

 

9. Beware of food borne illness.

Many outbreaks can be traced back to family gatherings in hot weather because bacteria and other pathogens multiply rapidly in the warm weather.

- Keep fresh foods and cooked foods separate to prevent cross-contamination.

- Eat hot food or grilled foods within 45 min

. Always keep cold foods cold

- Remove food from coolers and warmers only right before eating

- Minimize touching picnic foods such as buns, cut watermelon, and sandwich fillings.

 

10. If you’re going to party it up a little, keep a careful watch on your intake.

Instead of all the extra calories from mixers try one or two low calorie beers. If you want something cool use a Magic Bullet with fresh frozen fruit and one ounce of vodka or gin instead of sugar loaded margaritas. If you want to be hard core I recommend a couple straight shots of Patron and call it good. Any alcohol on the rocks will help you to sip slower and will reduce hangovers, and extra calories. The less mixers and added calories the better!

 

Be realistic that a vacation week or the holidays may not be the best time to lose weight, but there is no reason you can’t have a few treats and maintain your weight. If you are in full blown weight loss mode you can still lose weight if you are prepared properly.

 

You can stop here if you want, but sometimes I can’t stop writing.

Here are some tips for the 4^th and every day if you struggle with eating too much. Here are some probable causes.

 

Do you ever wonder why you can’t stop yourself from eating so much?

Why you sometimes STILL feel hungry, EVEN THOUGH you just ate..
 
Well, it’s not necessarily your fault. I did some research, and here are the 6 most common reasons why this may be happening to you.

1. You Drink Too Much Soda:

Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are our biggest source of high-fructose corn syrup. And fructose can trick our brains into craving more food, even when we’re full.

2. Your Dinner Came Out of a Can:

Many canned foods are high in this chemical called ‘bisphenol-A’, or BPA, which the Food and Drug Administration recently stated wasa chemical “of some concern.” Exposure to BPA can cause abnormal surges in leptin that leads to food cravings and obesity.

3. Your Breakfast Wasn't Big Enough:

So this is what happened to me for the past couple days. Interestingly enough, I discovered a study that followed 7,000 healthy people for almost 4 years. During those 4 years, 3,500 of these people ate just 300 calories for breakfast. And the other 3,500 ate 500 calories for breakfast.
What happened was that the people who ate 300 calories gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more for breakfast. The reason is that eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning fewer sudden
food cravings.

4. You Skipped the Salad:

Most Americans don’t eat enough leafy greens, which are rich in the essential B-vitamin folate and help protect against depression, fatigue, and weight gain. Leafy greens are also high in vitamin K, a nutrient that helps quash cravings. Best sources: Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard
greens, radicchio.

5. You're Not Staying Fluid:

When you’re dehydrated you often ‘feel’ like you’re hungry. If you’ve just eaten, drink a glass of water before eating more, and see if your hunger goes down or not.

6. You're Bored:

It’s a little weird but true.. when you’re bored you eat more. To see if this is true for you, envision a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal. So keep this in mind next time you feel hungry after eating. A Personal Trainer is a great way to keep you from getting bored.

Have a great weekend!

Committed to your health,

J.R. Burgess