We all have them -  the friends that trigger excessive eating or drinking (or both!)  I call them my “eating and drinking friends”. When the call or text comes in from one of these friends, I know I’m in for a night of potential excess.  However since I’m a nutritionist and am “supposed” to know how to handle these situations, I tell myself I’ll just have one glass of wine and a tuna tartare and call it a night.  

However, “eating and drinking friends” have a way of dissolving your best intentions. Here is an example of one of my eating and drinking friends:  A  is really fun, entertaining, has lots of good stories and to top it off  - she is an event planner for a major NYC restaurant. Have you ever hung out with an event planner who knows just about every chef, maitre d’ and bartender in the city?  Here’s what happens: larger and more frequent pours of wine, often times complimentary drinks, food and desserts….. Say no more! (pic is of A eating something that was obviously finger-licking good)

Here is was the sceniero from last week: Met the event planner (A) as well as 2 other friends at BLT Steak for a cocktail. One cocktail turned to several and we then ordered appetizers. We started off with good intentions by ordering tuna tatare and yellow tail ceviche (both delicious BTW). Then the platter of popovers appeared in front of us on the bar. (pic is of Julia trying a popover for the first time. She appeared to enjoy it.) 

It continues  - more drinks and then the desserts - chocolate expresso cookies and some kind of mousse (very good!) Say no more….

So what can you do about “eating and drinking friends”?
So does this mean you should avoid hanging out with your “eating and drinking friends”? Of course not. However there are some tactics you can use to minimize the damage. “Eating and drinking friends” often can subtly exert some pressure to get you to join in on the festivities as it is more fun when everyone drinks and eats. They often don’t like the excuse “I’m on a diet” or “I don’t want to feel hungover tomorrow”. If that is the case, you will need to come up with some creative tactics as how to avoid overindulging. Or perhaps it’s not their influence at all. Maybe you are just having so much fun that you forget about what you are eating and drinking. In any case, you will need to come up with some tactics to minimize the damage.  (pic is of cityboy who was dining by himself at the bar. After an entree, he ordered 2 desserts. Obviously he doesn’t need eating and drinking friends to stimulate his appetite!)

Here are some tips, tricks and fibs to help you minimize the damage from hanging out with your “eating and drinking” friends:

1. You have to get up really early the next day. Tell your friends that you have an early 7 am meeting the next day so you can only stay for one drink as you need to get to bed early so that you can be at your best the next morning.  Or say that you can only stay for one drink because you have to go home and work on a presentation that is due the next morning.  (Pic is of a hand picking at popover. See my previous post on popovers at BLT Steak)

2. You are having blood work done the next morning and really can’t have alcohol or fatty food in your blood as that will affect the results. Of course, you can’t use this excuse all the time or people will start to get concerned for your health. However, in general, people (even eating and drinking friends) tend to be more understanding if you present a health or business reason for not joining in 100% with the festivities.

3. You had a really late lunch so aren’t that hungry. But now you must stay strong and not eat that much, otherwise you can’t use this excuse any more as you lost your credibility.

4. Arrive a litte late. That way they have already had a drink or two. Less time in the bar = less alcohol consumed.   (Pic is of me tasting dessert. You can see the hands that were forcing the plate my way!)

5. You are dehydrated. Say you just came from the gym and really dehydrated (as evidenced by feeling slightly dizzy). You need to first have several big glasses of water prior to starting in on the adult beverages. Let them have another glass of wine while you drink your water.

6. Order a drink that you know you will drink more slowly. For example, I drink red wine more slowly than white wine.

7. Do not stand near the snacks at the bar. Let your friends sit at the bar near the tempting bar snacks or food and you stand. You will be less likely to keep reaching over them to eat the food.

Here is a real story that happened that night at BLT: one friend (nameless) was doing the right thing by standing away from the bar, therefore she was eating a lot less than the friends who were sitting at the bar. A complimentary dessert had just been placed in front of us. The two friends at the bar ate most of the dessert. The standing friend finally decided she wanted to try it. She leaned forward and got a BIG forkful of the mousse (which was quite jiggly). As it was traveling to her mouth, it feel off the fork into my other friends open handbag (Prada!!) on the floor. Gloppy mouse in expensive handbag is not good! Lesson learned - don’t reach long distances to get food.  (pic is of dessert that feel into Prada bag!)

8. Assuming you are just meeting for drinks or light appetizers, try to pick a place that has healthy options or doesn’t have tempting snacks at the bar.

9. Exert your willpower. Just say no. Let the eating and drinking friend feel bloated the next day on their own!

10. Worst case sceniero, use caller id and don’t pick up if your eating and drinking friend calls!

11.  Check out these other 2 posts for more tips:
Beware of bar snacks
Dinner out with the girls

Related posts

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• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)
• Recovering from Your Superbowl Splurge (1)
• Question on How to Handle Holiday Eating (1)
• Is Your Glass of Wine Really “One Serving” of Wine? (3)

How many of you find your hand wandering towards the bowl of nuts, popcorn, chips, etc. while sitting at your local bar/restaurant? These snacks are usually loaded with calories and fat.  And of course salt to make you thirsty which will encourage you to drink more. These tempting snacks are strategically placed on the bar and can be quite problematic for those people watching their weight.

Like most city girls and guys, my friends and I often socialize over drinks and/or dinner. For some reason lately, I’ve been sitting at the bar (as opposed to standing) when I meet friends for drinks.  Sitting at bars is not a regular occurance for me… but it does happen! This get together tends to happen after work, before I’ve had dinner - and I’m hungry. So I order a glass of wine, get started with “girl talk” and then eventually find my hand reaching for the nearest bowl of snacks. Since I know these tend not to be the healthiest snacks, I rationalize by saying I’ll just have one or two. And I’ll do just that - eat one or two or three … very slowly. Then the effects of the wine kicks in and the rationalizing gets even worse as I tell myself I probably won’t have dinner, so what does it matter if I have a handful of nuts (now it’s a handful…not just one or two).  Before you know it, the bartender is taking away the empty bowl and replacing it with a new full bowl of snacks. And yes, this did happen recently to my friends and I at Rothmans ( with homemade chips) and BLT Steak (with really good flavored almonds).  (pic is of Esther observed with hand reaching towards chips on the bar)

The low down on freebie bar snacks:

- wasabi peas: 1/4 cup = 120 cal/4 gm fat
- almonds: 24 = 160 cal/15 gm fat 
- mixed nuts: 1/4 cup = 219/20 gm fat
- hot n’ spicy party mix: 1/2 cup = 180 cal/14 gm fat
- potato chips (often those good homemade kinds!): one ounce (12-15 chips) = 120-150 cal/10-15 gm fat
- popcorn (often the really greasy flavored kind):1 cup = 65 cal/4 gm fat
- hard boiled eggs: one egg = 80 cal/5 gm fat
- olives: one olive = 10 calories

Tips to avoid the bar snacks

1. Don’t sit or stand at the bar. While I realize these seats are prime real estate, it isn’t worth it to consume 300 calories or more.
2. If you are sitting at the bar, push the bowl of snacks far away from you. This way you will be less tempted to snack.
3. If you are hungry, order a light healthy appetizer at the bar. Many bars (at least the upscale ones) have low cal apps like ceviche and tartare’s.
4. If you know you will be going out for drinks and not dinner, have a light snack before you go out so you won’t be starving. Also, the effects of alcohol will be less likely to hit you so fast.
5. If all else fails, think about the last person who had their hand in the bowl of snacks. Not everyone has clean hands… say no more! I actually find this thought quite helpful in keeping my hands out of the snack bowl.

Related posts

• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)
• Is Your Glass of Wine Really “One Serving” of Wine? (3)
• Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? (5)
• Confession …I had a food frenzy after a few late night drinks (4)

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?
 

Breakfast
coffee
kashi go lean bar 180 calories
45 minute spinning class
Lunch
1 slice plain pizza
Dinner
3 glasses white wine
2 vodka and pellegrino 

3 days of Esther’s food records:

Saturday July 26, 2008

Tuesday July 22, 2008    
Breakfast    
2 hard boiled eggs    
hummus    
Lunch    
chop’t sald w/romaine, chick peas, beets, feta,    
black olives, turkey, ham & fat free balsamic    
ate 1/2    
1 nectarine    
Dinner    
mixed salad, romaine, red onion, feta,    
chick peas, w/ 1/3 roasted chicken, oil & vinegar    
15 almonds    
watermelon   

Thursday July 24, 2008 
Breakfast 
Kashi go lean bar 180 calories 
coffee 
Lunch: 
kashi go lean chicken florentine 
Dinner: 
steamed jumbo shrimp, chicken, 
zucchini, asparagus, carrots, broccoli 
w/ginger sauce (5 tbspn) and 1 cup 
brown rice 
 

My Comments on Esther’s food/exercise records for the past 2 weeks:

1. Esther kept only 6 days of food records in the past 2 weeks, therefore it is not possible to get an average of her caloric intake. The days she kept look good and were averaging ~ 1300 calories. 2. What has happened to Esther is not unusual. She had been strict for the most part for the past 9 weeks and had really good results with losing weight. Most people hit a plateau around this time for several reasons:
- they become a little less disciplined with their eating and exercise regimen
- their bodies get used to the new lower weight and stop losing pounds for a period of time.  The good news is that plateaus can be broken if you are patient and stick to the eating/exercise plan.

3. It is really important that Esther get back to keeping a food record. In my experience, food records equal success  in losing weight. Studies back this up!

4. Esther needs to cut back on the alcohol. She was getting her best results when she was sticking to 2 alcoholic beverages a week.

Esther - remember this is short term eating plan. Once you meet your weight goal, we can be a little more lenient with your calories and you can enjoy a few more cocktails or food when eating out. But you will really need to tighten up if you want to continue losing weight! I will post some tips on how to break a plateau in the next day or so.

Esther’s goals for this week: 1. End the party and get back on track! Get back to keeping the detailed food records you were doing before.
2. Aim for 1300-1400 calories a day
3. Continue with 2 personal training sessions, one pilates session and 3-4 intense cardio sessions. Continue to increase your walking
4. Two alcoholic beverages a week - be serious with this one!!
5. Weigh your protein and measure your olive oil on occasion so I can get a more accurate calorie count.

Related posts

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• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)
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The BBQ season is here - which can spell diet disaster! Lately, I have been seeing BBQ overindulgences on my clients food records. This Sunday is Father’s day and I would bet that many of you will be attending a family cookout. Esther (who’s weight loss journey we have been following on CGB) has asked us for some support on how to handle her family’s Big Greek BBQ this Sunday on Father’s day. (Pic on the right is NOT of Esther’s family). Esther’s family likes to eat and it is pretty much a sure bet that the food will be overflowing.  

Question from Esther:
Martha, I need some guidance.  Tomorrow is Friday night and I am supposed to meet some friends for drinks.  I normally would use up my two drinks for the week BUT on Sunday I am going to my cousins house for a family BBQ Greek style which means three times the amount of food of a regular BBQ.  Any tips so I could stay on track?

Answer from Martha: You have a couple potential troublesome issues ahead - however I want to focus on the BBQ. BBQ’s can spell trouble for anyone watching their weight. It sounds like your Greek BBQ could be especially problematic! However, with some careful planning and willpower, you’ll be able to get through it without overindulging.  

Potential problems at BBQ’s

1. You are often there for many hours. The longer you are there, the more food will likely be consumed.
2. A lot of food may be served. Since the grilling can go on for hours, you may feel tempted to have a little “taste” of everything. A burger here, a hot dog 15 minutes later, then some ribs. A hour or so later, the steak goes on the grill, so why not have a little piece? And this is not even counting the side dishes. I actually see this on my clients food logs (for those who are brave - or honest - enough to record it!)
3. With the hot weather, the beers or vodka and lemonades can go down very quickly. The calories add up quickly too!
4. With increased alcohol, your discipline can fall by the wayside.
5. Often times, fatty meats such as ribs will be served, along with high calorie side dishes such as pasta or potato salad.

Tips to stay on track at your next BBQ
1. First, don’t go to the BBQ hungry. Low blood sugar will only lead to overeating. Make sure you have a light meal several hours before the event or a snack right before.
2. Drink A LOT of water during the BBQ. For 3 reasons - it will help you to stay hydrated in the hot weather, it will give you something to drink instead of alcohol and it can help make you feel fuller so you can eat less food.
3. If possible, find out what will be served ahead of time. This can help you prepare mentally what you will eat in advance. If most of the food choices seem on the heavier side, offer to bring a green salad or sliced vegetables ready to be grilled.
4. Once you get to the BBQ, take notice of what the food options are. Plan in your mind what you will eat instead of starting in on the food frenzy. You don’t have to have one of everything that is served. Wait for what you really want - even if it something fattening like ribs. It would be better to have a smaller portion of ribs than to load up on burgers, hot dogs and steak - without feeling satisfied.
5. I would definitely suggest you limit yourself to 2 small portions of a protein food - but take one without the bun. For example, maybe take a small burger on a bun and then a plain hot dog without a bun. Now if there are side dishes that you want such as pasta salad, I would recommend you avoid the bun.
6. BBQ’s can be quite healthy. You can grill fish, skinless poultry, veggies and fruit with a side green salad.
7. You can always take your relatives to a computer in the house to show them your journey on CGB! Knowing that others are watching you may curtail your urge to splurge!
8. Try to include a physical activity at the BBQ to do something besides eat. Maybe a game of frisbee!

Esther, from what I understand about your family, I would imagine there will be quite a lot of food served. Your best bet is to fill your plate with salad and take smaller portions of the foods you really want. Eat very slow and drink a lot of water.  Try not to have several plates of food - stick to one. You mentioned that your brother is aware of your weight loss attempts and will be watching you. That is great! The more support, the better. Remember, you will be writing everything down and reporting to us. Some pictures would be nice too!

With regards to your 2 allowed alcoholic beverages, I would recommend that you choose when you really want them the most. Maybe tonight with your friends - that way the alcohol won’t decrease your willpower for staying on track at the cookout.

Good luck at the BBQ!

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So Esther made it through week 2 with flying colors! She met 100% of her goals. She kept her eating out and alcohol intake to a minium. She handled the Sex in the City party admirably. Esther lost another pound this week. Starting weight: 146  Weight May 30: 144

Here were Esther’s goals for week two:

Friday May 30th 
Breakfast  
coffee  
1 hard boilled egg 
4 oz 2 1/2 % cottage cheese
Lunch  
sushi 1 1/2 rolls 
( spicy tuna, tuna, california)
iced tea  
Dinner  
tuna tartare 
vodka w/ club soda 
martini w/3 olives 
1 pretzel stick  

Wednesday:   
Breakfast   
2 hard boiled eggs   
4 oz 2% cottage cheese   
Lunch   
1 chicken cutlet   
1 cup brown rice   
sm can of zucchini in tomato sauce   
1 orange   
Dinner   
1 hamburger
roasted cauliflower & broccoli
shirataki noodles
water
1 orange

Tuesday May 27th    
Breakfast    
banana    
1 cup coffee    
water    
1/4 orange    
Lunch    
green salad w/ fresh turkey    
little cheese, olive oil vinegarette    
Dinner    
2 chicken cutlets w/ panko bread crumbs sauteed in grape seed oil    
1 cup of brown rice w/ lemon    

My observations on Esthers food records:
1. Your caloric intake averaged ~ 1300 calories. Excellent!
2. Try to have an afternoon snack daily. If possible, make it something nutritious like fruit or yogurt.
3. Increase your intake of vegetables at night when you eat at home.
4. Glad to see that you are eating Shirataki noodles as they are a great low cal replacement for pasta.
5. Continue have salads frequently for lunch, but make sure you limit your oil to one Tablespoon.

My interview with Esther:
 1. Martha: Overall, how do you feel you did this week? Still as motivated?
Esther: I thought I did extremely well this week.  I am more motivated as I go on and getting a lot of support from friends and family helps.

2. Martha: Any tricky social situations?
Esther: This week I only went out once so it wasn’t difficult.  I have two occassions I will be out next week not including the week-end.  The limit of two drinks per week is hard when going out but not difficult when I am home.

3. Martha: Any barriers to meeting your exercise goals?
Esther: I am trying to schedule the workouts into my daily routine.

4. Martha: Any other thoughts?
Esther: Probably just that I had expected to lose more then just one pound this past week as I stuck to the plan 100%  Martha:  Losing one pound a week is right on track.  Losing slower means that you are losing more body fat. Losing more than 2 pounds a week means that you are losing more water and some muscle. Remember, “slow and steady” wins the race!

Esther’s goals for next week:
1. Continue food records
2. Plan healthy afternoon snacks
3. Exercise program the same as last week (2 training sessions, 3-4 cardio and 1 pilates)
4. 2 alcoholic drinks a week
5. Be very careful with choices eating out
6. An average of 1300-1400 calories a day.

Keep up the great work!

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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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Happy Valentines Day! I thought today was the perfect day to talk about if certain foods can help put us “in the mood”. We often hear that certain foods, such as oysters and chocolate have aphrodiasiac qualities.  I’ve also polled some city girls and guys to ask what gets them “in the mood”.

Tips to get in the mood

1. While a romantic dinner can be a great way to start the night, try not to overeat. This might not be the best night to try out the five course meal your local restuarant.  There is nothing worse than a bloated belly to kill the mood!

2. Avoid gassy foods such as legumes, cruciferous vegetables. I don’t need to say anything else in this topic…

3. Alcohol in moderation may lower inhibitions and help to set the mood.  However, when consumed in excess,  it definitely impairs sexual performance. Would the guy on the right get you in the mood?

4. You may have heard that oysters fuel sexual desire/performance. Oysters, along with other seafood, meats, seafood and liver are rich sources of zinc. Zinc is essential for production of testosterone . Healthy zinc levels are also vital to maintain sperm counts. However,  there is no evidence that proves oysters - or any other zinc rich food - will live up to its claims of enhancing libido.

5. Chocolate has been called an aphrodisiac throughout history.  Check out this link from WebMD for the full chocolate story. The following excerpt was taken from this story:  ”Chocolate contains small amounts of a chemical called phenylethylamine (PEA), a.k.a. the “love drug,” and it’s been linked to the regulation of physical energy, mood, and attention. A tiny amount of PEA is released at moments of emotional euphoria, elevating blood pressure and heart rate. There is no evidence that PEA found in foods increases PEA in the brain – although many chocolate lovers may beg to differ!”

While I am a huge chocolate fan, I must say that when I was devoring that chocolate cake, I don’t think I had thoughts of “love” on my mind … except for love of the chocolate cake!

I polled city girls and guys to see what would get them in the mood. Here are some of their answers:

- Champagne and strawberries

- Candles

- Lingerie (this was obviously from a guy!)

- “It doesn’ t take much!”

- A massage

- Working out together (ever try taking a bikram yoga class?)

- The smell of fresh paint (hmm… keep in mind we are in NYC -you can’t expect total normalcy!)

Bottom line -  maintain a healthy lifestyle with regards to your diet and exercise. Keeping fit and healthy is the best way to boost your libido!

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So you only had 2 glasses of wine last night?  Ok, so what does “a glass” of wine mean? One serving of wine is technically 5 ounces. When was the last time you were served 5 oz of wine in a restaurant or bar? Probably not recently. Most places tend to serve portions that are significantly larger than 5 ounces  (unless you are in a really expensive restaurant where they actually do pour a 5 oz glass of wine for $15!).

 Here is an example. I went out with several of my girlfriends to a bar/restaurant called Peter’s on the upper west side. I ordered a cabernet. I actually like drinking red wine from a larger glass. But this glass was the size of a fish bowl and it was almost filled with wine. It had to have been almost 12 ounces. Of course, it’s nice to get good value for your money.

On the other hand, there are a few “cons” to this jumbo glass of wine.

- More calories than you think. This is not a 80 calorie glass of wine, but close to 160 to 200 (if it was 10-12 ounces)
- You may feel compelled psychologically to have another glass … because after all, so far you’ve only had one glass of wine. But if we are talking in standard serving sizes, that one jumbo glass of wine was really 2 or more glasses.  
- The guys around you suddenly start looking cuter than they really are…

More alcohol is consumed from larger wider glasses
Studies have shown that we consistently drink more when served from larger wider wine glasses, such as those used for red wine as compared to a smaller slender glass used for white wine.  Dr. Brian Wansink, in his book Mindless Eating, has done numerous experiments on people showing how we eat and drink more than we think.  Check out this link for details on these studies. These particular studies were done with with college students and professional bartenders showing that we pour more and drink more from wider larger glasses. 

Bottom line:
1. All glasses of wine are not created equal (and I’m not just talking about taste!)  A “glass”  is not necessarily the standard serving size of 5 ounces.

2. When drinking at home, use smaller more narrow glasses rather than shorter wider glasses. You will drink less whether it be alcohol, milk, juice, etc.

3. Or if you have your heart set on drinking from your jumbo red wine glasses, just be aware of how much wine you are pouring!

Check out these previous posts:

Calories in alcohol
Does alcohol cause weight gain?
Tips to deal with the dreaded hangover

Related posts

• Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? (5)
• “Adult Beverage” Calories Add Up Fast (4)
• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)
• Recovering from Your Superbowl Splurge (1)

If your night was anything like mine, it was not the healthiest of nights when it came to food and beverages.  Buffalo wings, fried calamari, chili, pasta, french fries and multiple beers all over the course of 4 hours. The selection of food in most sports bars is not “gourmet”. But it was worth it to see the Giants win!

I am sure I am not the only one who overindulged Sunday pm. I am writing this because I often see my clients let one bad day of eating snowball into several days. One bad day will not have a significant effect on weight gain. Let’s say you consumed an extra 1200 calories from what you would normally consume (this is probably the amount I ate last night). It takes 3500 extra calories to make you gain a pound of fat. So technically I might have gained 1/3 of a pound from my splurge last night. Not a big deal. Now of course if I was to weigh myself today, the scale would probably show a 2 pound gain. This is from fluid retention from the extra salt and carbs. It will be gone in a day or two …as long as I get back to my normal diet (which doesn’t include wings and fried calamari!). The problem would be if I let last nights feast throw me off and fuel a continued food fest.

Some tips for the Superbowl splurgers:

-Get back to your usual diet today.
-You might even want to be a little more stringent for the next few days help offset last nights splurge - but don’t be overly strict as this can lead to binging.
-Drink a lot of water to help flush the sodium out.
-Spend a little more time doing cardio this week.

For all the participants of the New Hampshire Biggest Loser Competition, my guess is you might have been drowning your sorrows in beer and nachos while watching the Patriots lose. Get back on track today!

Related posts

• Dating…Drinking…Dieting (1)
• Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? (5)
• Do You Have the Drinking (Alcohol) / Eating Syndrome? (3)
• Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus (1)
• 9 Myths About Your Hangover (0)

We think of Colorado as fresh air, skiing, mountain biking… really anything health related. Apparently they also enjoy a few pops. Men’s Health Magazine rated 100 cities with regards to their tendencies/habits/attitudes regarding alcohol. Colorado came in at 100 (100 = the worst!) and received an F.  NYC girls and guys came in at number 7 and got a B+.  That’s pretty good! Cabs come in handy. No drinking and driving (which you should obviously never do) for us.  You guys in the New Hampshire Biggest Loser Competition live in/near a city, Manchester, that gets a C- (you’re ranked 59 our of 100). 

Most Dangerously Drunk
100       Denver, CO                    F
99         Anchorage, AK              F
98         Colorado Springs, CO     F
97         Omaha, NE                   F
96         Fargo, ND                     F
95         San Antonio, TX             F
94         Austin, TX                     F
93         Fresno, CA                    F
92         Lubbock, TX                  F
91         Milwaukee, WI               F
90         El Paso, TX                   F
89         Spokane, WA                F
88         Washington, DC            F
87         Columbia, SC                F
86         St. Louis, MO                D-
85         Bakersfield, CA              D-
84         San Diego, CA               D
83         Cheyenne, WY              D
82         Aurora, CO                    D
81         Houston, TX                   D
80         Portland, OR                 D
79         Seattle, WA                  D
78         Boise, ID                       D
77         Tucson, AZ                    D+
76         Dallas, TX                      D+
75         Jacksonville, FL             D+
74         Toledo, OH                    D+
73         Madison, WI                  D+
72         Oakland, CA                  D+
71         Modesto, CA                 D+
70         Billings, MT                   D+
69         Fremont, CA                  D+
68         Oklahoma City, OK        D+
67         San Francisco, CA         D+
66         Sacramento, CA            D+
65         Los Angeles, CA            D+
64         Phoenix, AZ                  D+
63         Albuquerque, NM           D+
62         Chicago, IL                    D+
61         Providence, RI               D+
60         Fort Wayne, IN              C-
59         Manchester, NH             C-
58         Charleston, WV             C-
57         Burlington, VT                C-
56         Lincoln, NE                   C-
55         Corpus Christi, TX          C-
54         Des Moines, IA              C-
53         Indianapolis, IN              C-
52         Pittsburgh, PA               C-
51         Honolulu, HI                   C-
50         St. Paul, MN                 C
49         Tampa, FL                     C
48         Greensboro, NC            C
47         Las Vegas, NV              C
46         Baltimore, MD               C
45         Riverside, CA                 C
44         Norfolk, VA                    C
43         Detroit, MI                     C+
42         Arlington, TX                  C+
41         Grand Rapids, MI           C+
40         San Jose, CA                C+
39         St. Petersburg, FL         C+
38         Nashville, TN                 C+
37         Charlotte, NC                 C+
36         Wilmington, DE             C+
35         Orlando, FL                   C+
34         Minneapolis, MN            C+
33         Kansas City, MO           C+
32         Fort Worth, TX               C+
31         Tulsa, OK                      C+
30         Anaheim, CA                 B-
29         Wichita, KS                   B-
28         Lexington, KY                B-
27         Philadelphia, PA            B-
26         Montgomery, AL            B-
25         Rochester, NY               B-
24         Raleigh, NC                   B
23         Cincinnati, OH               B
22         Louisville, KY                 B
21         Bangor, ME                   B
20         Memphis, TN                 B
19         Boston, MA                   B
18         Hartford, CT                   B+
17         Sioux Falls, SD             B+
16         Birmingham, AL             B+
15         Baton Rouge, LA           B+
14         Columbus, OH               B+
13         Cleveland, OH                B+
12         Atlanta, GA                   B+
11         Newark, NJ                    B+

Least Dangerously Drunk
10         Jersey City, NJ              B+
9          Richmond, VA               B+
8          New York, NY                B+
7          Little Rock, AR              A-
6          Salt Lake City, UT          A-
5          Yonkers, NY                  A-
4          Jackson, MS                 A
3          Buffalo, NY                    A
2          Miami, FL                      A
1          Durham, NC                  A+

 Check out this link for more details on the survery.

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• Binge Drinking and Breast Cancer (0)
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