Dear Diet Diary,
I am so thankful that I finally found a plan that is balanced, easy to stick to, takes into account my lifestyle, and is even fun. I am also finding that I can use my weigh-ins as an opportunity to pick my nutrition counselor’s brain, and ask her all my pressing dieting questions. Here are a couple of the questions I asked in session this week, along with the answers Alice gave.
Q. I don’t really like vegetables. Do I need to eat vegetables in order to lose weight?
A. Good question! Everyone knows that vegetables have essential vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy and strong, so the question being asked is: Are they essential for weight loss? While we do have some clients who simply refuse to eat any vegetables, we have found that the only way to really feel full on a balanced eating plan is by incorporating vegetables into your diet. It doesn’t need to be elaborate – just something that will help fill you.
Some easy, bring-along, no-prep ideas:
- Baby carrots
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cut peppers
- Baby corn
- Vegetable soup
- Mini-Kirby cucumbers (no need to peel, just wash!)
Even sour pickles or sugar-free cucumber salad can count as a vegetable, as the goal is to bulk up your meal so you are left feeling satisfied. Aside from keeping you full, vegetables can help keep your metabolism up between meals, so you ultimately burn more calories throughout the day.
Q. Do I really need to exercise in order to lose weight?
A. Once again, I’ll address this as a question about weight loss as opposed to overall health, because, of course, exercise is important for our health, well-being, mood, and even one’s brain function and memory! However, in terms of weight loss, exercise can be tricky.
Although the calorie burn can help speed up the weight loss process, people often overestimate how many calories they are actually burning. Exercising often mistakenly gives people license to eat poorly, because they figure they are going to burn off the extra calories anyway during their workout. This is far from reality! Actually, if you aren’t careful, exercise can have the opposite of its intended effect, meaning it can leave you so hungry (and so sure that you burned loads of calories) that you end up eating more than you would have, had you not exercised.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t exercise; it’s just important not to depend on it for your weight-loss goals, and to be extra careful when exercising not to allow yourself extra, unplanned food because of it.
I asked a bunch more questions, but we will get to those next week! That’s all for now,
Chani
Tip of the week: Keep a bag of baby carrots on hand at all times! They won’t need refrigeration throughout the day, will keep your mouth busy, and will keep your metabolism up and running between meals!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me any time and I’ll be happy to help, or to direct you to someone who can.
Alice Harrosh, Alice Harrosh is a Nutrition Counselor and Manager at Nutrition by Tanya, with 12 locations, including one on Main street in Queens! Alice knows that making healthy choices is not always easy, as she has been through the struggle herself. As an optimistic person, Alice’s favorite quote is: “It’s never too late to start eating better. If you have a bad morning, make it a better afternoon.” For more information on Nutrition by Tanya or the TAP (Tanya-approved products) food line, please visit www.nutritionbytanya.com or call 844-Tanya-Diet (844-826-9234). For daily tips and inspiration, you may follow @nutritionbytanya on Instagram.
