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For those of you who have been following Esther’s Weight Loss Journey on CGB,  you may be wondering how she has been handling the holiday season. I was just thinking of calling her to check in when I got a phone call from her saying “Help!”  It seems Esther, like many of us, has been losing motivation to stick to her eating and exercise plan.

For those of you who are not aware of Esther’s story, here is a quick recap: we have been following her progress for the past 9 months or so. She was seeking guidance in losing weight and decided to take her case public on CGB. She thought being in the public arena would help her stay motivated. Well it did because she lose a total of 19 pounds!  (pic is of a svelte Esther)

My conversation with Esther:
Esther: I need help in getting back on track. I fell off the wagon with exercise. I’m feeling sluggish, tired and unmotivated.

Martha: What happened? And how is your weight?

Esther: it all started to go downhill after I returned from Italy the 2nd week in December. And BTW - I didn’t gain any weight in Italy! I definitely had my share of food and wine - but walked hours a day. So I was happy about that. However, since I got back, my exercise has been minimal. Work has been really busy and I’ve ended up putting in longer hours which has caused me to miss my classes. I’m feeling very flabby. I have also gotten off track with my eating. But the good news is that I haven’t gained any weight during the holidays!

Martha: That is fantastic! How did you manage to control your weight without exercise… and with all the tempting holiday goodies?

Esther: I have balanced my “bad” eating days with lighter eating days. I also didn’t have as many holiday parties this year.

Martha: That is really the whole key to maintaining your weight - balance. Have lighter eating days to help compensate for those higher calorie days. However you will need to be careful not to get into a binge-purge syndrome. OK - so you haven’t been exercising. How is your eating going?

Esther: I’ve slacked off on the food records. Also, I haven’t been eating as healthy as I was before - and I don’t feel as well. And while I am happy with my new weight, I wouldn’t mind losing a few more pounds.

Martha: We need to get you back on track. You’ve done a great job in losing these 19 pounds. But the hardest part is keeping the weight off - so we will be following you closely! Not only do you want to keep the weight off, but you should focus on keeping your diet healthy and sticking to your exercise program. Eating healthy and regular exercise will also help to increase your energy levels. I know you wouldn’t mind losing a few more pounds (although at a height of 5′2 and weight of 129, Esther has a healthy BMI of 23) - so we will help you with that as well!

Esther: Ok, I’m ready to get back on track.

My tips to help Esther get back on track:
1. Get back to food records. Esther had slacked off from doing these. She admitted they were key in helping her get the 19 pounds off.

2. Stock up on healthy foods. She hadn’t been shopping in a while. It’s very important to have healthy foods available at home so you don’t dial for fattening dinners ….
Here were the contents of Esther’s refrigerator when she was on track:
Egg beaters, mini cottage cheese, string cheese, Shirataki noodles, water, olives, fruit, veggies, smoked salmon, yogurt, Laughing cow cheese,  (pic is of her refrigerator on one of my surprise visits to her apartment)   

3. Get back to exercise program. 
     a. sign up for spinning classes at gym. Esther says signing up for classes on line helps to keep her more motivated to go because her gym (Equinox) has a cancellation policy. If you sign up and do not cancel within 30 minutes of the class for 3 times, you can no longer sign up on line. This cancellation policy helps Esther stay committed to going to spin class.
     b. put the exercise sessions and classes into her daily planner.
     c. schedule training sessions with her personal trainer.
     d. get new music on ipod. Esther and I exchanged playlists. More on this to come later!  New music always help to keep you motivated.
     e. goal is to exercise 4-5 times a week

Esther - good luck and we’ll be watching!

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #4 (0)
• Esther Has Lost 17 Pounds - Cheer Her On To Keep The Weight Loss Going! (0)
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For those of you who have been following Esther’s Weight Loss Journey, you may remember that she met her 6 month goal of getting under 130 pounds. See my previous blog post. I had told her that we were going to keep a close watch on her over the holiday season. I checked in with her yesterday to see how she handled Thanksgiving.

My interview with Esther post-Thanksgiving:

Martha: How did you handle Thanksgiving?
Esther: I didn’t do horrible,  BUT I didn’t do great. I tried to play with “Stinkie” my cousins dog to distract me from eating more - but didn’t work too well. Martha - I might have thought a dog with the name Stinkie might have curbed the appetite a bit. (Pic is of Esther and Stinkie) Were you conscious of what you were eating?
Esther: Yes, I definitely ate less that I have in years past. This year, I only ate one big plateful of food (and a little extra side dish of stuffing), whereas in the past, I would have had another big plate of food.

Here is what Esther ate:  
Cocktails
1 mixed drink ( oj, cran juice, apricot brandy, vodka)
2 glasses red wine
1 stuffed mushroom
sm mixed salad w/ oil & vinegar
Turkey - dark meat,  1 leg & pieces (generous portion)
side of stuffing (generous portion)
2 pieces potato
5 grilled asparagus
1 large spoon, mixed cranberries, cherries, brandy
1 large spoon sweet potato casserole w/ toated pecans
2 sm pieces candied yams
Dessert
1 sm espresso/chocolate martini
1 sm greek honey cookie
1 sliver of pecan pie, 1 sliver sweet potato pie, 1 spoon apple pie
THAT’S IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Martha: I hoped you enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal! I have to give you credit for recording what you ate on this day. I am not even going to bother to count the calories in this meal. It only comes around once a year. I always say no strict dieting on this day … but time to get back on track now. Stay tuned for my tips on getting rid of turkey day bloat.

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• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
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Who is that “Slim Spider” you may be wondering? It is Esther on Halloween. Her spider outfit from last year had to be taken in to accomodate for her 19 pound weight loss! For all of you who have been following Esther’s weight loss journey, you’ll be happy to know that she has met her 6 month goal of getting under 130 pounds! It has been MANY years since has gotten her weight this low. She currently weighs 129 - down from 148 pounds 6 months ago.

It has been a rough and rocky road for Esther. For those of you who have been following her progress on CGB, you know that Esther has an active life - lot’s of social occasions, family and work events. Most of these occasions involve quite a bit food and/or adult beverages. Esther’s family get togethers (i.e. Greek Bar-B-Q) are especially tempting as Esther loves Greek food. But despite all this temptation, Esther has managed to lose the weight and keep it off. 

Pic is of Esther holding on to 5 pounds of fat! She has lost at least double this. Keep in mind, when you lose weight, some is from fat, some from water and a small amount may be from muscle - though not much in Esther’s case as she is working out so much.

How does she do it?
I often get asked by my clients “How does Esther do it? What kind of diet is she on?” No, I did not give Esther a “special diet” because she is on CGB. Esther just works hard! No gimmicks or radical diet plans. She calorie counts (or rather I do!) and exercises 5-6 days a week. Here are some her other “tricks”:

1. Keeps a daily food log. She has kept records for the past 6 months. You have to give her credit for that! See my previous post on how keeping a food record will increase your weight loss by 50%.

2. She doesn’t deprive herself of her favorite foods. She just tries to eat them in moderation and cuts back on calories on other days. Total deprivation leads to diet disaster!

3. Exercises 5-6 days a week on most weeks. This includes at least 3 cardio sessions (usually more), 2 personal training sessions (pic is of Esther’s trainer Anastasia who kicks Esther’s butt! Calm down city guys - Anastasia doesn’t wear this when she trains Esther! It was her Halloween costume), and takes a pilates class each week (pic below is of her pilates trainer)

4. While she does over indulge on alcohol on some occasions, she is still having quite a bit less than she has had in the past. Esther is not alone. Many city girls and guys to consume alcohol when socializing - having wine with dinner, meeting friends for drinks, having a drink(s) on a date, etc. The calories from alcohol can really add up. In addition, it can decrease your willpower to watch what you eat. Bottom line, Esther has significantly decreased her alcohol intake.   (Pic is of Esther wearing her old pants which no longer fit!)

5. Esther is great about compensating for her overindulgences. When she has a higher caloric day, the next day she tends to have a much lower calorie day.  Check out my previous posts on Recovery Dinners from Your Indulgences. 
 

Esther is becoming a celeb…
Esther is becoming a bit of a NYC celeb. She is going to be on Channel 2 News! She was interviewed by one of my nutritionist colleagues at New York Presbyterian Hospital for a segment on Holiday Eating.  I’ll keep everyone posted as to when it will be on.

Esther wants to thank CGB for “keeping her honest”, her family for watching her like a hawk during get togethers, her trainer Anastasia and Jill, her pilates instructor (pic on the right).

Esther, we’ll be watching you during the holiday season!

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For those of you who have been following Esther’s weight loss journey, she continues to do very well.  19 weeks into her weight loss journey, Esther is down a total of 17 pounds! Her current weight is 131 pounds, down from 148 pounds. And even more importantly, she has lost a lot of inches, especially in the lower abdominal area. Esther said she has had to buy all new pants.  (Pic below is of Esther and Stephanie, a co-worker who attended Esther’s gym on a guest pass)

Esther’s starting              Esther’s current
measurements:                measurements:

May 2008                        Oct 2, 2008
Arm: 12″                                  12 3/4″
Natural waist: 30 1/2 “            29″
Lower abs : 36   ”                     31″
Hips:  42 1/2 “                         39″
Thighs: 25 3/4 ”                      22 1/2″

Conversation with Esther: 
She told me that her major goal is to get under 130 pounds by the end of October. This will mark the end of 6 months of her weight loss journey. We talked about how her weight loss has been slowing down in the past month.  A slow down in weight loss is not unusual as someone gets closer to their goal weight. This happens for 2 reasons: 1. The body is “fighting you” as you try to get to the lower weight because that is not your usual weight   2.  We tend to get a little less strict on our eating plan as more time goes by.  

Esther and I had a “heart to heart” phone session to brainstorm ways to help her meet her goal. We identified two major problem areas that are slowing her progress:

Problem #1:. Socializing with too much food and alcohol continues to be a major problem for her. I’m sure many of us can relate to this.  Business lunches/dinners, events, meeting up with friends … all these occasions revolve around food and / or alcohol.

Proposed solution: Do more planning. Esther and I talked about her upcoming events for the week and planned on which nights she would have alcohol and how much. We also talked about how to handle the food situations at these events. Planning is key! I also do this with my private clients when they come to my office.

Problem #2:  I also noticed on her food records that she has been snacking more after dinner on the nights she is home. Esther reports feeling hungrier now and thinking about food more after dinner as compared to when she first started the eating plan.

Proposed Solution: Make sure she fills up on a lot of veggies at dinner. Keep fewer snacks at home. While Esther is great about buying healthy portion controlled snacks to keep at home, sometimes she has too much of a variety available. Studies have shown the the more choices you have available, the more you will eat. (This is why we overindulge at buffets). Esther sometimes has a little buffet of snacks available at home!  We also talked about her spending more time at night at the new Equinox, which is practically across the street from where she lives (if it ever opens …. the opening has already been delayed!)
(Pic on the right is of a buffet… no - not in Esther’s apartment)

Four days of Esther’s food records:

Thursday September 18, 2008     
Breakfast     
coffee     
4 oz of 4% cottage cheese     
Lunch:     
Amy’s vegetarian lasagna - 300 calories     
Harvest in the Square - EVERYTHING WAS BITE SIZE     OK - I have a mean streak and have to post this day!
crab cake 1/2     
slice of roast duck on sm potato pancake     
1/2 crab cake     
Indian chicken curry w/ rice 1/2
grilled slice of steak w.o bread
1 grilled shrimp w/ gongozola
pumpkin & chiorzo soup
octopus & potato salad   
inside of steak slider   
1/2 pulled pork w/o bun   
2 sm ribs, taste of mac n cheese   
2 pieces kelbasa w/cherry tomato   
1 tiny piece mozarella w/ cherry tomato   
sm piece fluke on lettuce   
tastes of wine total prob 2 glasses   
marshmallow shake 1 1/2   
bite of chocolate cake   
panna cotta w/ berries   

Monday September 15, 2008    
Breakfast    
coffee    
green tea (upset stomach)    
Lunch    
green tea (upset stomach)    
Kashi frozen entrée, chicken w/veg & grains 290 calories    
Dinner    
sm piece grilled salmon    
steamed broccolini w/ 1 tbs olive oil & lemon    
1 tablespoon of dill sauce    
1 cup of steamed brown rice    
15 mini M&M’s    

Thursday September 25,2008   
Breakfast
coffee   
Kashi go lean bfast bar
Lunch   
1 roasted chicken breast   
1/2 pita bread   
mixed salad oil & vinegar   
1/4 cup grilled cauliflower   
Dinner 
Celantano Eggplant Rollatino 350 calories   
sharataki noodles sauteed in 2 tbs olive oil & garlic   
2 pieces string cheese   
1 plum   
1 sm bag pirate booty 130 calories   
100 cal jello pudding   
100 cal oreo   
15 almonds   

Saturday September 27, 2008
Breakfast
banana 
coffee 
lunch 
turkey, w/3 slices turkey bacon 
on lite bread w/ lite mayo 
Dinner out w/ friends
2 glasses Prosecco 
2 glasses red wine 
small plates shared: 
mini meatballs 
pasta w/squid ink (a big forkful)
pasta w/fresh clams (a big forkful)
lasagna (1/3 cup)
zucchini flower stuffed 
octopus w/potato salad 
1/2 roll w/ olive oil & salt dip  
1 crostini w/codfish, olives, mushrooms  

Did Esther meet her goals for the last 2 weeks?

Esther’s game plan:

1. As I mentioned above, I suggested Esther keep fewer snacks in her apartment.
2. Work more on planning alcohol/ food intake at social occasions for the week ahead.
3. 1300-1400 calories
4. Exercise: private training 2x, pilates 1-2x, cardio 3-4x
5. Weigh portions of protein at night. It is difficult for me to estimate your calories if I don’t know the exact portions.
6. 4 alcoholic drinks a week. Be strict!!

(pic to the right is of Esther’s new spinning shoes. She bought them a gift to herself to help keep her motivated to take spinning classes. I think it is a great idea to buy yourself new workout clothing, gadgets or equipment on occasion to help motivate yourself!)

Keep up the great work! We are cheering for you to meet your goal of getting under 130 by the end of October.

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
• Esther’s Plea for Help in Getting Back on Track (2)
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Esther has dropped another pound and is getting near her short term goal of 130. Her weight is now 132 - done another pound from my last progress report and down a total of 16 pounds! She managed to make it through a birthaday party in Boston (with girls who like their wine and food!) and the Entourage Premiere Party with flying colors.  (Pics are of a svelte Esther doing pilates)

My interview with Esther:

Martha:  I hear you are were at a birthday party in Boston.  I know these girls like to eat and drink. How did you handle it?
Esther: I did better than in the past at the party. And on Sunday when all the leftovers were put out,  I had one serving and then sat on the couch to avoid overindulging.  Also, some of the girls hadn’t seen me since I started this journey and their positive reactions kept me wanting to stay on track.

Martha:  Overall, do you feel like some of the changes you are making are a real lifestyle change?
Esther: The more progress I make the more motivated I get.

5 days of Esther’s food records:

Saturday
Breakfast
iced coffee
1 banana
Lunch
diet soda
WENDY’S cheeseburger
4 french fries
4 Swedish Fish
Dinner  PARTY IN BOSTON    (pic is of Paula and Esther at birthday party in Boston)
1 martini
4 glasses red wine
2 stuffed mushrooms, 2 crabcakes, 1 beef skewer
1/4 cup sesame noodles, 1 pot sticker
sm portion antipasto
handful pistacio nuts
1 brownie, 2 pieces chocolate    (pic is of John and Lissy at Boston party.  I used to teach aerobics with Lis over 15 years ago! Yikes)

Sunday
coffee
1/2 cup antipasto salad
1/4 cup chicken salad
1/2 cup stuffed mushrooms (w/sausage)
1 cracker
sm piece brie
grapes
Dinner
shirataki noodles w/ sardines, black olives
1 oreo cookie, 100 calorie pudding

Monday September 8th
Breakfast
4 oz 4% cottage cheese
iced coffee
Lunch
mixed salad w/ olive oil & vinegar
grilled chicken kebab
2oz feta cheese
Dinner
mixed salad w/ olive oil & vinegar
grilled lamb kebab
1 grilled chicken leg
1 cup orzo

Tuesday September 2  
Breakfast    
iced coffee    
1/2 cup tuna salad (Eli’s)    
Lunch    
1 tomato w/ sea salt & vinegar    
kashi entrée’ shrimp w/ veg & grains    
iced tea ( unsweetened)    
Dinner    
The Pump - POPEYE    
grilled chicken, tahini, spinach & brown rice    
pellegrino    

Friday September 5
iced coffee
Lunch
4 pieces sushi, 1 california roll
sm salad w/ japanese dressing
Dinner
grilled chicken breast
4 oz greek haloumi cheese
sharataki noodles
20 almonds
15 grapes

My comments on Esther’s food records and goals for the next 2 weeks:

1. Congrats on handling several potentially difficult situations well! Your average caloric intake was on track.

2. You also did quite well with the exercise. Sticking to your exercise goals for 17 weeks is impressive!

3. As suggested in previous posts, I need to see how many ounces of meat or protein you are consuming (on occasion). Keep in mind that an extra ounce of meat (50 calories) a day can make you gain 5 pounds a year! So pick up a food scale near where you live. BTW - they sell them at Gracious Homes near your apartment.

4. While the Pump restaurant has really healthy good food, your choice (Popeye) tends to be higher in calories and fat due to the tahinini sauce. I know that the calories aren’t posted on their menu yet, however it is my educated guess that this entree it is a little too high in calories for you. Make another choice that doesn’t contain tahini sauce - or a least get it on the side and use only 1Tablespoon. FYI- tahini sauce has 90 calories and 8 gm of fat per Tablespoon!

5. Be careful with the haloumi cheese. It contains 90 calories and 11 gm of fat per ounce!

6. You did well with adding in salads, but continue to work on addding in more cooked veggies at night. Aim for at least one fruit a day.

7. Continue with 1300-1400 calories and 2 private training sessions, 1 pilates session, 3 cardio sessions or more and as much walking as possible.

8. Enjoy the Harvest in the Sqaure… but don’t go crazy!

Related posts

• Martha’s Birthday Party (2)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
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• Esther Has Lost 17 Pounds - Cheer Her On To Keep The Weight Loss Going! (0)

For all of you city girls and guys who are trying to watch your weight AND have a social life, you know how difficult it can be! Socializing often involves meeting for drinks or having dinner with drinks. The calories can add up quickly. For all of you CGB readers, you may have noticed this problem with Esther.  Check out Esther’s weight loss journey posts. (This is pic is of Esther enjoying a martini).

I don’t mean to single out Esther when I talk about drinking. I provide nutritional counseling all day long to my clients in NYC and find the calories in alcohol to be a major obstacle for some people trying to lose weight. Check out this link for calories in alcohol. Here is an example of one my NYC clients who is trying to lose weight:

Client A: He was a 65 year old man who was looking to lose 30 pounds. He reported his diet was quite healthy but that he ate dinner out every evening. He thought he made really healthy choices in restaurants. He avoided bread, desserts and sauces. When I obtained his diet history, I agreed with him for the most part. But then saw a major problem. He was having a martini with his wife before dinner than sharing a bottle of wine with her EVERY night. This was about 600 calories a day from alcohol. In addition, it turned out that his restaurant meals were higher in calories than he thought.

My plan for Client A:  I explained to him that we needed to cut out 500 calories a day from his diet (and increase his exercise) in order to promote a one pound weight loss a week. Since his calories from food were not sky high, cutting back on alcohol seemed the likely choice. He agreed that 600 calories a day from alcohol was quite a bit (and was actually quite suprised that his good sized martini contained 300 calories) so he  decided to aim for either omitting the martini and having 2 glasses of wine or omitting the wine and having 2 glasses of wine). I also made some recommendations for lower calorie appetizers (more on restaurant appetizers at a later post) and suggested he walk a mile each day to work.

The results: I saw client A 3 weeks later and he had lost 6 pounds! He also reported that he was able to sleep better and had more energy the next day.  FYI - alcohol has a negative impact on your sleep.

Bottom line, if you consume alcohol on a regular basis as part of your socializing AND are having trouble losing weight, I would recommend that you reevaluate the amount of calories you are consuming from alcohol. And of course we all know that alcohol can weaken our discipline to watch what we eat, can interrupt a good nights sleep and increase cravings for junk food the next day. It is important that we find ways to socialize that do not include large amounts of alcohol!

Addendum: I received an email from Esther asking if she could have more than 2 drinks a week. I had initially recommended she stick to 2 alcoholic beverages a week to help her lose weight. Esther is finding it very difficult to stick to this goal as she goes out quite a bit in NYC. “I don’t want to be a hermit for the rest of my life”.  I believe it is important to make your weight loss plan realistic, so I upped her alcohol goal to 4 drinks a week. While I certainly don’t want to turn my clients into “hermits”, I also want to encourage them to find ways to enjoy spending time with friends without consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.  (Pic is of hermit)

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So did Esther “end the party” and get off her plateau? Yes she did. Esther reported a 2 pound weight loss this week. She broke her month long plateau of 135 lbs and is down to 133! Total weight loss is 15 pounds.  She decided to buckle down and get serious again towards meeting her goal of 125 pounds. Yeah - congrats Esther! (pic is of Esther drinking WATER when out with friends)

My interview with Esther:

Martha: So do you feel like the “party is over” and you are back on track?
Esther: Yes, I have gotten back on track. My trainer was away for a while and even she got on my case when she saw how I did 2 weeks ago (with the 17 drinks in one week)!

Martha: Are you as motivated as before with regards to sticking to your eating and exercise plan?
Esther: The longer I do this for,  the more it has become my lifestyle

Martha: Did you check out any of my plateau tips? 
Esther: Yes -  I know for me if I add more cardio (i.e. spinning) to my week it will help break the plateau.  My trainer, Anastasia, is also changing up my exercise routine adding by adding in boxing to the mix and Jill, my pilates teacher, has added more challenging routines to our pilates sessions. I feel for me mixing up the cardio (not “mixing up the drinks!”) is key in helping me continue to lose weight.

Martha: Did you have any problematic situations last week? And what about the upcoming week?
Esther:  I had dinner with friends on Tuesday but I don’t think I did too bad. This weekend I have a family BBQ on Sunday but my Mom & Brother will be on watch. Next week I should be on track - I’m  going to Miami with my brother & niece and they are great coaches as well as strict hawks !!! Martha: Nothing like being in a bathing suit to keep you on track with your eating plan. I I know that your family has been supportive of you in the past with other BBQ’s and parties.

4 days of food records:

Tuesday August 5, 2008   
Breakfast   
1 cup brown rice   
1 piece string cheese   
iced coffee   
Lunch   
1/2 mixed salad w/ italian dressing   
shredded mozarella on top   
Dinner   
1 hot dog w/ bun mustard & ketchup   
1 serving french fries, small w/ ketchup   
diet soda 
  
Wednesday August 6, 2008  
Breakfast  
iced coffee  
natures valley cereal bar  
Lunch  
sm mixed salad, oil & vinegar  
1 piece string cheese  
Amy’s organic Vegetarian Lasagna  
Dinner  
2 roasted chicken thighs  
2 roasted chicken legs  
sm portion cole slaw (1/4 cup)  
  

Saturday August 9, 2008
Breakfast
iced coffee  
kashi go lean bar  
Lunch  
1 slice pizza  
Dinner  
4 glasses of prosecco  
2 cups pasta w/ butter & cheese  

 Sunday  August 10, 2008
Brunch  
4 oz turkey w/mustard  
& coleslaw  
Dinner  
Green Tea  
sashimi  
sushi
1/2 wasabi roll

My comments on Esther’s food records:1. She averaged 1250 calories - right on target!
2. Still too much alcohol (5 drinks), but improved from the previous week of 17 drinks -sorry to keep repeating this Esther … but it needs to be addressed
3. You did very well eating out. You ate a lot of “clean” food (i.e. sashimi, grilled fish) without sauce or oil
4. You allowed yourself a few treats such as a hot dog, fries and pizza, but still managed to lose weight because you were careful on other days. Just don’t make a habit of indulging in too many treats!
5. Your diet was a little low in fruits and veggies last week.

Esthers goals for this week:1. Same calorie goal of 1200-1300 calories
2. Let’s say 3 alcoholic drinks a week this week. 2 might not be realistic!
3. Work on adding in more veggies at night and at least one fruit a day
4. Need to increase your exercise. Same goal of cardio 3 times a week, trainer twice and pilates once. And as much walking as you can.
5. Continue with the “clean” foods when you go out.
6. Be careful when you are in Florida
7. Once again, try to measure the oil on your salads. An extra tablespoon a day can mean a 10 pound weight gain a year

Keep up the excellent work!

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I bet Esther isn’t the only city girl who has hit a weight loss plateau. Plateaus are very common in the world of dieting. I am going to repost a post I made last year on breaking through weight loss plateaus to help motivate those of you are “have hit a wall”.

How many of you started a diet within the past month or so and have stopped seeing the scale move downward? You are being diligent with your diet and exercise plan and the weight loss has stopped. You are nowhere near your goal weight. One week, two weeks, three weeks (sometimes more) the scale does not budge. This is called a plateau and is experienced at some point by almost everyone trying to lose weight. Plateaus can be a very frustrating experience and can make you question your motivation for staying on the straight and narrow with your eating and exercise plan.

I get asked all the time “So why do plateaus occur? I have not increased my food intake or decreased my exercise”. Here are several possible explanations for plateaus.

A. Plateaus can occur after the first few weeks of a following a low carb diet. This is because your body initially lost a lot of water and now the body needs to “fix” its fluid balance. Keep in mind that it is difficult to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week of fat. If you lost 6 pounds the first two weeks of dieting, at least half of it was from water. Your body will hold back onto some water in the next few weeks. Therefore it is likely that you will not lose any more weight for 1-3 weeks. This is more like a mini plateau.

B. Secondly, the body does not always lose weight at an even pace. I have many clients who lose 2 pounds one week, no loss for 2 weeks and then lose two pounds again the following week. While this is not really a plateau, it can be very frustrating. I have no real explanation for this scenario (except that it happens!) Possibly a fluid balance issue again. You will just need to be patient and the weight will eventually come off.

C. Third, it is possible that you have become less diligent with your diet and exercise routine. It is common to lose a little focus after the initial  part of your weight loss plan. You may find yourself drinking an extra glass of wine or increasing your portions without realizing it. Perhaps you are not exercising quite as much as you did in the beginning. These small changes can slow or halt your weight loss.

D. Another reason for a plateau is that your body is adjusting to the new weight. My advice would be to stay focused with your diet and exercise regimen. It is common for dieters to get frustrated at this point and give up. What does it matter if I have this extra portion, I not losing weight anyway! If they had stayed patient for a little longer, the scale would have started to drop again.

Here are some tips for breaking through a weight-loss plateau

1. If you have stopped keeping food records (or never started!), it is time to start again. Weigh and measure foods. It is possible that your portion sizes are getting larger or you are unconsciously eating during the day.

2. Try to change your diet around a little. If you are eating three meals a day, try to eat 6 mini meals. If you are on a low fat diet, try a lower carb diet for a few weeks. If you are eating late at night, try to stop eating at 7-8 pm. If you are enjoying a glass of wine or two a day, try to cut out all alcohol for a few weeks. If you eat a light breakfast and a large dinner, try to reverse this.

3. Make some changes in your exercise program. Try one or more of the following tips:

- Add in another day of exercise each week

- Make your cardio sessions 15-20 minutes longer than usual

- Increase the intensity of your cardio sessions

- Try a new form of cardio (i.e. spinning, kickboxing, etc.)

- Work out with an energetic friend or personal trainer for a month

- Set a new exercise goal such as running your first 5 K race

- Add in weight training if you are not already doing so (aim for 3 sessions a week)

- Try interval training: increase the intensity of your cardiovascular or aerobic exercise by adding short bursts of higher-intensity movement, such as sprinting. These intervals should last 30 to 60 seconds and be followed by less intense exercise for two or three times the length of the burst. Start by adding one or two of these intervals to your routine, then increase the number as you improve your conditioning

- In addition to working out at the gym start walking more. Walking a mile burns approximately 100 calories

4. Focus on how much healthier you feel after losing weight rather than focusing on numbers on the scale. See how your clothes are fitting differently. I actually think that it is best for some people not to get on the scale at all as they tend to become obsessed with numbers.

5. Lastly, be patient. Plateaus will almost always break. The trick is staying motivated long enough for it to break!

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All of you city girls know how difficult it can be to follow a weight loss diet AND have a social life. Well, Esther has been having a bit too much of a social life. It is difficult to lose weight if you have 17 alcoholic drinks in one week. After an amazing 12 pound weight loss, her weight has plateaued for the past month at ~ 135 - 136 lbs. Esther - it is time to end the party and get back on track.!  (Pic is of Esther’s last party for a while - Tina, Linda, Joanna, Margie, Susan & Esther. This adult birthday party took place in North Carolina)

My interview with Esther:

Martha: So Esther, 17 drinks last week alone…what is going on?
Esther:  I had been so strict for the past 10 weeks, I decided to give myself a break. Now, I kind of got it out my system and feel very motivated to get back on track this week.

Martha: Specifically, what were some of the problem situations that you encountered in these past 2 weeks?
Esther: It was a busy week. I had a Bruce Springsteen concert one night and a opening party at Pure Yoga, which is affiliated with Equinox. Martha: I read about that party. Supposedly it was attended by Bethany of the Real Housewives, Matthew Settle (Rufus Humphrey on Gossip Girl) and Robert Buckley (the guy who always has his shirt off in Lipstick Jungle) among other models and celebs.  Here was more info from a google search: “July 29th: I checked out the launch party for Pure Yoga NYC, which benefited Bent On Learning. Described as the East meets the Upper East Side (the other locations of Pure Yoga are in Asia). The event was packed, which made the tight space very muggy and hot (nothing that a couple of drinks couldn’t solve), so I dodged and weaved my way to the bar for a lychee martini. Other drinks included vodka lemonade with ginger and the White Martini (very citrusy with a hint of ginger). The menu was healthy/vegetarian inspired (theme-appropriate). Guests ate vegetable spring rolls, garden green cannolis (the event favorite), tofu cakes, and some sort of caviar concotion”.

Martha: Ok - enough about the party. What other problem situations did you encounter?
Esther: I visited my friends in North Carolina. When we get together, there tends to be quite a bit of eating and drinking going on. While I drank a bit too much, I tried to watch my food intake, but it was still too much.  (Pic is of Esther doing “upright rows” with Max the dog)

Martha: Any potential problem situations coming up?
Esther: A concert at Jones Beach on Tuesday night, and dinner out on Thursday night plus meeting friends our on the upcoming weekend.  I think I should be okay and will definitely watch what I eat plus make up for anything I did last week at the gym.  My trainer is on vacation and I promised her I would keep working hard while she is away !

Did Esther meet her goals from last week?