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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

• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• 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)

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!

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
• Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus (0)
• Beware of Snacks at the Bar (1)
• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)

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

• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• 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)

Week 4 has come to an end and Esther has lost another 2 pounds! Her weight is now 142. She even made it through her family’s Greek BBQ with flying colors. She was carefully watched by her family who is aware of her weight loss attempts.

Interview with Esther:
Martha: Did you encounter any barriers this week when it came to your weight loss plan?
Esther: Several things. I had PMS -which makes me really tired and crave sweets. Getting to the gym was a struggle on some days (but I still did it!). In addition, you’ll see on my food log that I gave in to my sweets craving several times. I had a couple nights where I ate out. Eating out is always difficult for me.  I felt like I handled them quite well.

Martha: So how did you handle the BBQ? Did my tips help you at all?
Esther: Your tips definitely helped. I enlisted the support of  my family. My cousin Esther is also watching her weight so we watched each other. (Martha - the two “dieting Esthers”!) I started to waiver when the fresh apple pie came out with three different kinds of ice cream. It got to the point that I was staring at my cousin Robert’s 2 mini marshmallows left on his plate from his Rocky Road ice cream. He did me the favor an ate them before I could!!  My brother then got firm and told me to stop obessing ( I was staring at the pie considering trying to take the uneven piece staring at me). My cousin Steve came to the rescue and took me for a walk down the block !!!  (Pic is of Esther at the BBQ)

Martha: Do you see any potentional problem situations for the upcoming week?
Esther: I’m going to the Hamptons with a friend, Nadine,  from Wed night until Friday night.
We are going to bring healthy food and are only going to dinner one night so that will be the one cheat. I am also having lunch with my family at a Greek Restaurant on Sunday so will have to stay away from some of my favorites or only get tastes and eat a healthy course.

Did Esther meet her goals from last week?:

Four days from Esther’s food records:

Friday June 13 (out with friends)
Breakfast
coffee
raisin bread w/ tsp peanut butter tsp fresh jam
Lunch:
Special K cereal 140 cal
bare naked cereal 180 cal
fresh berries
skim milk
Dinner:
2 glasses white wine
fresh carrots, radishes
olives (plain sm green)
1/2 pita bread w/ cheese
salad with very little dressing
1 1/2 stuffed grape leaves 
1 lamb skewer grilled 
2 oreo cookies 
2 snackwell cookies 

Sunday, June 14 (at BBQ)
Breakfast:
iced coffee
half a bialy with nova and a tbspoon of cream cheese
one small cheese w/ egg greek thing ( no breading )
some fruit salad !
BBQ
perrier with lime ( NO ALCOHOL)
3 pieces of cheese
4 Israeli pickles
mixed salad w/ oil & vinegar
2 lamb shish kebob skewers
one spoon pasta salad ( sm spoon)
one spoon orzo salad ( sm spoon)
one piece greek meats ( inards ) grilled
plate of fruit salad

Monday June 9
Breakfast
coffee   
2% cottage cheese 4 oz   
1/2 banana   
Lunch:
cucumber, tomato olive oil & vinegar   
3 pieces turkey
Dinner:   
homemade coleslaw, light mayo, white vinegar   
1/4 roasted chicken   
watermelon   

Wednesday June 11  
Breakfast
iced coffee    
2% cottage cheese 4 oz  
Lunch  
homemade coleslaw lite mayo, white vinegar    
1 piece chicken thigh + drumstick    
water   
Dinner: 
1/2 portion seaweed salad    
4 pieces sashimi    
1 piece eel sushi    
1 piece spicy scallop sushi, 1 piece sp tuna sashimi    
6 pieces sashimi roll w/cucumber
1 oreo cookie    PMS
1 snackwells cookie PMS
3 prunes
130 calories of part skim milk

My comments on Esther’s food records:
1. It was difficult to estimate some of your calories as I am not sure of the portion sizes nor am I aware of the ingredients. But I would estimate that you averaged 1500-1600 calories.
2. I noticed that you had several really low calorie days (~ 700 calories). While I generally don’t recommend really low calorie days, it is a way to help offset those days where you eat a little too much. However you don’t want to get in the habit of feasting and then starving. But I think what you did this week was fine. Check out my previous post on recovery days.
3. I see that you had PMS cravings as you had more sweets this week. But to your credit, you kept your portion sizes of sweets really small. Good job! Check out my previous post on PMS cravings.
4. I didn’t see too many healthy afternoon snacks…
5. That diet coleslaw you made is a great idea - low cal and filling!

Esthers goals for this week:
1. Once again, aim for 1300 - 1400 calories
2. 2 personal training sessions, one pilates, 3 cardio and as much walking as possible
3. 2 alcoholic beverages this week
4. Continue to be very careful with eating out
5. Plan healthy afternoon snacks
6. You have identified 2 potentional problem situations for the upcoming week. Continue to enlist your family’s support for the Sunday brunch. It sounds like you and your friend Nadine already have a good plan for the Hamptons.

Keep up the great work!

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #3 (3)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey Progress Report #5 (0)
• Make it Through Your BBQ without Bloating Out! (0)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #2 (1)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)

Esther is down 2 more pounds for a total of 4 pounds weight loss! Her current weight is 144 pounds. Congrats Esther! She has told CGB that taking her weight loss journey public has really helped her as she feels more “accountable”. After all, who would want to report that they ate 1/2 pound of cheese with 4 glass of wine in a night! This past week was especially diifficult as Esther ate dinner out 4 times. And eating out usually means more drinks… however Esther met her goal of only 2 alcoholic beverages. 

Did Esther meet her goals for last week?

Here are 3 days of her food records:

Friday June 6   
Breakfast   
iced coffee   
2 eggs with humus   
Lunch   
cosi sandwich (1/2 bread, grilled chicken)   
Dinner   
Japanese Hibachi dinner: clear soup, salad   
grilled, steak, shrimp & vegatables.   
pellegrino water   
vita muffin   

Tuesday June 3   
Breakfast   
1/2 banana   
hard boiled egg   
iced coffee   
Lunch   
Kashi entree   
chicken florentine   
iced coffee   
Dinner   
6 sm veg dumplings   
9 steamed shrimp   
1 tps of lite tarama   
1 tps of olive hummus   
mixed nuts: sunflower, pumpik, almonds   

Thursday June 5
Breakfast
1/2 banana
2 oz peak protein bear naked
iced coffee
Lunch
1 popeye’s chicken wing
3 slices of turkey, 2pc string cheese mustard
water
Dinner
mixed greens w/ olive oil & lemon
steak ( on George Forman grill)
dried apricots ( 4)

My comments on her week:
1. She averaged 1300 calories. Keep in mind that my calories are estimations as I don’t know exactly what her portion sizes were in restaurants nor do I know how the food was prepared.
2. Esther handled her restaurant dining extremely well! She had more “plainer” types of food such as grilled fish, steamed shrimp, etc. versus food prepared with more fat (i.e. pita and dips). Eating out 4 times this week and still losing 2 pounds is quite an accomplishment.
3. My guess is that her decreased alcohol intake is contributing to her better restaurant choices. Most people tend to have less willpower around food after they have had a few cocktails!

Esthers goals for this week:
1. Beware of the PMS cravings and low energy levels. Esther reports she is already having to really push herself to get to the gym due to fatigue/PMS. I guess this 95 degree weather doesn’t help much!
2. Be careful at Father’s day cookout. We will discuss this later in the week.
3. 2 alcoholic beverages this week
4. Continue to be careful with choices in restaurants
5. I am curious as to what Esther’s portion sizes are with her protein at home. Please weigh your protein 1-2 times.
6. Calories in your nut mix can really add up. Can you weigh the total mix of nuts (sunflower, pumpkin, almonds) once and tell me what it is ? You also might want to look around for the 100 calorie packs of almonds.   
7. Continue with personal training twice a week, one pilates, and 3 cardio sessions (maybe 2 spin classes and 30 minutes on treadmill or eliptical).

Keep up the good work!

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• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #2 (1)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #9 & 10 (0)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #4 (0)

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!

Related posts

• 9 Myths About Your Hangover (0)
• Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? (5)
• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• Recovering from Your Superbowl Splurge (1)
• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey: Progress Report #2 (1)

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

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• “Adult Beverage” Calories Add Up Fast (4)
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• 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!

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• Does Alcohol Cause Weight Gain? (5)
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• Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus (1)
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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   �