Guest Blogger: Vincci Tsui, RD
In the last part of the series, we've determined that cleanses/detoxes, low-carb and gluten-free all aren't healthful and sustainable ways to lose weight. I should probably add that most other diet books and programs would fall under that category, and there is no evidence that specific foods or supplements can significantly boost your metabolism. The only thing losing weight there would be your bank account.
So, what does work when it comes to weight loss? Last week, I mentioned that at the end of the day, it is about calories. And it's about reducing calories in a way that doesn't suck. Because if you're hungry all the time, cutting out all your favourite foods or constantly in pain from all the extra exercise you're doing, then you're probably not going to keep doing it and you'll go back to your usual, higher calorie habits.
Here are some tips that have worked for my clients in the past, meaning that they can work for anyone at anytime - not just before a wedding.
Be patient! Remember that healthy weight loss is a maximum of 1-2 pounds per week, and it is normal for weight to plateau or even go up a bit as you embark on your weight loss/healthy eating journey.
Start small and SMART.
It's very easy when getting ready for lifestyle change to want to do everything (!) RIGHT NOW (!!!) That can easily get overwhelming, stressful and discouraging. When you're done reading this list, pick one or two things that you'd like to try, or pick something that's worked for you in the past as a place to start, then set a SMART goal.
You might have encountered SMART goals in the past. Everyone seems to know a different variation on the acronym - this is mine:
Specific: When clients first see me, many state it's because they want to "eat less" or "eat better". Less of what? What does eating "better" look like? A SMART goal should be able to answer the 5W's and serve as a mini-action plan.
Measurable: A better way to phrase this is, "How will you know when you've achieved the goal?" Perhaps eating better for you means eating more vegetables. To make this measurable, you may want to increase the volume that you eat in a meal, or increase the number of times you have vegetables in a day or a week.
Action: The reason for setting goals is so that you will go out and do it, which is why I shy away from setting weight goals. While "lose" is a verb, we can't just will ourselves to lose a specific amount of weight... otherwise I'd be out of business! Set a goal about what you can do that can lead to weight loss. Again, this list of tips may help.
Realistic: Start small. You might feel like you're not setting the bar high enough, but the point of setting small, achievable goals is that we all like positive reinforcement. Don't stop after you achieve the first goal, but celebrate the small success and allow it to snowball into more and more change.
Timeframe: Setting a timeframe for your goal gives a sense of urgency and priority. Notice how you're always procrastinating about cleaning your house until you know that company's coming? When there's a deadline, you're more likely to get started.
Eat every 3-5 hours.
While many are embracing the tip to eat small meals more often, there are still some people out there who think skipping breakfast or working through lunch is the key to losing weight. If we're trying to take in fewer calories, we should eat less often, right?
Though there is the belief that eating more regularly helps to "stoke the fire" and keep our metabolism going, what it actually does is to help manage our hunger.
Think about the last time that you were *STARVING*... you probably weren't craving a salad, right? When we're hungry, we tend to eat more convenience foods, serve ourselves bigger portions and eat faster, which makes it hard for our stomach to communicate to the brain that it's full. Eating regularly means that we go into our meals and snacks ready to eat, but not *STARVING*, making it easier to make healthy choices in terms of what, how much and how fast we eat.
Don't drink your calories.
Liquids go through our bodies faster than solids, and they don't make us feel any fuller. Imagine eating a meal with a glass of wine versus a glass of water - you'd probably eat the same amount, but having the wine would add an extra 100-150 calories!
When it comes to where our liquid calories come from, there are two main culprits: alcohol and the coffee shop. A standard serving of alcohol (a 12 oz bottle or can of beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, 1.5 oz liquor) will set you back about 100-200 calories. Add mixer to them and they'll clock in at more - some pina coladas have up to 400 calories, which is more than a medium order of fries at McDonald's!
I always joke that the longer the name of your Starbucks drink, the more calories it probably has. And yes, I wept a little too when I found out that a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte has 380 calories
(those fries are sounding more and more delicious.) Don't worry, I'm not telling you to cut up that Gold Card! Swap that Grande for a Tall, or even a Short (8 oz), skip the whipped cream and ask for skim milk, and ta-da! You've instantly shaved off almost 200 calories.
Eat mostly foods prepared at home.
Eating out more than two times per week can increase your calorie intake for the week by over 34%, which is no surprise, given that the average restaurant entree clocks in 1,000 calories. (To put it into perspective, for weight loss, most people should be aiming for 1,500-1,800 calories.) A restaurants' focus is on the food's taste and on getting you back through the door, even if you are making the same dishes at home, you probably won't be using as much fat, sugar and/or salt as you're favourite eatery. When you're in control of the ingredients, preparation method and portion size, it'll help you get slimmer while your wallet gets fatter.
Fill half your plate with vegetables.
When it comes to weight loss, many people focus on eating less and sometimes come out starving. This tip is great because it focuses on the type of food you're eating. Still serve yourself a full plate, but instead of having most of the plate being taken over by your 8 oz steak or even a giant chicken breast (or pasta or rice if you're a carb lover like me), fill half your plate with vegetables first. It's OK to have two types of vegetables, or serve a salad and a cooked vegetable if the idea of a mountain of broccoli seems daunting. Divide the rest of your plate between your lean proteins and whole grains or other high-fibre starchy foods.
This method works because you still get a full plate of food, but by replacing some of your higher calorie foods with low calorie, high nutrient vegetables, you can cut down your calorie intake while still feeling satisfied.
Add movement to your day.
I generally spend more time talking about calories in versus calories out partly because I am a dietitian, but also because exercise doesn't really burn a lot of calories. Still, moving in a way that you enjoy can have lots of other health benefits, like better sleep and mood, and lower blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. Staying active may also keep you more motivated to make healthier choices.
If you're not a fan of slogging it out at the gym, choose something you like, whether it's dancing the night away, getting a quick breath of fresh air with a brisk walk, or learning a new sport.
Write it down.
While food journals can feel tedious, they can be worth it. In 2008, a study out of the Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute found that people who kept a daily food journal lost twice as much weight as people who didn't. A food journal can be a way to help you stay accountable to yourself, as well as a tool to make it easier to see "problem" areas, such as food choices that tend to be higher in calories or meal spacing during the day. The food journal is not meant to be used to "judge" or "evaluate" your eating - think of your weight loss journey as a big experiment and your journal as an observation or log book.
The basic things to keep track of in a food journal should be the times you eat, what and how much you're eating. There are lots of food journals available for purchase at bookstores, there are many downloadable templates online, or even make your own Excel spreadsheet. (Hello, accountants and engineers!) There are also lots of food journalling apps and websites that allow you to track and calculate your calorie intake wherever you go. Whichever method you choose, remember that the most important part is that you're doing it, so pick one that works well for you!
I hope you will try a few of these tips and let us know how they work for you - good luck and happy wedding!
Vincci is a Calgary-based dietitian who loves nutritious food that nourishes. She has featured on a variety of local and national media, including Breakfast Television Calgary, Global Calgary, Fairchild Radio, Canadian Living and Best Health magazine. For more information on Vincci and her services, please visit www.vinccitsui.com.
Wishahmon
Showing posts with label Weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight loss. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
So You Want to Lose Weight, Part I
Guest Blogger: Vincci Tsui, RD
So, you read my last guest entry about how you shouldn't lose weight for your wedding, but you're not convinced. You really, really, really want to lose weight. You need to lose weight. Or at least eat better or exercise or something.
Fine.
First, you should ask yourself, Why do I want to lose weight?
Be honest. Is it because you want to look good (or worse yet, fit) into your dress? Is it because everyone else you knew went on a wedding diet? If so, go back to my last post and read it again. Maybe more than once.
But maybe you're thinking that this wedding represents a new chapter in your life and the perfect time to make some lifestyle changes that you'd like to carry on for the rest of your life. OK, now we're talking. But where do we start?
Realistic Expectations
While we've all seen the ads of the miracle diet or supplement that guarantees losing 10 pounds in two weeks, a realistic amount of weight loss is 1-2 pounds maximum per week. Yes, weight loss can happen faster than that, but usually the faster the weight is lost, the easier it is to gain it back.
Part of the reason behind that is because, believe it or not, our bodies are not simply sacks of fat. There are lots of different things that make up that number on the scale, including bones, muscle, blood, fluid, partially digested food, etc. If you're losing weight quicker than 1-2 pounds per week, in most cases, it's not related to fat loss. That's partially why I don't recommend weighing more than once a week either, so you're not fretting with all those ups and downs.
Should I go on a cleanse?
Cleanses and detoxes have grown in popularity over the past few years. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow boast about cleansing twice a year to "give the body a boost" and help "reset" the system. Many people like the idea of kicking off a diet with a cleanse because they feel that it'll help their bodies burn calories more efficiently.
There is really no scientific evidence behind cleanses and detoxes. If you type in "cleanse diet" in http://pubmed.org, one of the biggest databases of scientific/medical journal articles, the four results that appear talk mainly about bowel prep diets for colonoscopies, and if you type in "detox", most of the articles are about drug detox. Most cleanses and detoxes are vague about what the toxins actually are and don't provide tangible outcomes of when you're clear of these "toxins". Think about it - how is it possible that only being able to choose from five foods for three weeks has the same effect as drinking lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days?
Yes, many people do lose weight on cleanses and detoxes, but that is only because you're probably eating a lot less food than you usually do, not because you're spilling out poisons from your body that have been trapped for a lifetime.
Should I cut out carbs? Go gluten-free?
While we're no longer at the height of the Atkins craze, many people out there still have a fear of pasta and potatoes. While it's true that we can all benefit from removing refined carbohydrates like added sugar, white bread, white rice and regular pasta from our diet, not all carbs are equal/evil.
One of my theories of why gluten-free has caught on so quickly is because it feeds on that carb fear that a lot of people still have. "Gluten! Now there's a specific reason why carbs are bad, right?"
The reason why low-carb or gluten-free diets work for some people is partly because grains and starchy foods are a staple. Many of us grew up eating huge portions of bread, potatoes, pasta or rice with our meals. When we cut out a substantial part of our meal and don't really replace it with anything, we're cutting out a lot of calories! In the case of gluten-free, it's not just starches. Gluten can be found in lots of processed foods, so some people going on a gluten-free diet end up cooking more from scratch and eating more foods that are naturally gluten-free, like vegetables, fruit and lean proteins, again reducing a lot of calories and leading to weight loss.
You've said "No" to everything! So how do I go about losing weight?
As you can probably guess if you've managed to read everything up to this point, calories count when it comes to losing weight. Unfortunately, there are no exact numbers - because there is so much that affects our weight and because the way we calculate calories in foods can be inaccurate, we can't say that eating X calories will lead to Y amount of weight loss. What we do know is, at the end of the day, any diet that leads to weight loss decreases your calorie intake in some way. Picking a specific diet that works for you means picking changes that you can make that will last for a lifetime. In the last part of this series, I'll share some tips for reducing calories that can be done any time - not just when your wedding's coming up!
So, you read my last guest entry about how you shouldn't lose weight for your wedding, but you're not convinced. You really, really, really want to lose weight. You need to lose weight. Or at least eat better or exercise or something.
Fine.
First, you should ask yourself, Why do I want to lose weight?
Be honest. Is it because you want to look good (or worse yet, fit) into your dress? Is it because everyone else you knew went on a wedding diet? If so, go back to my last post and read it again. Maybe more than once.
But maybe you're thinking that this wedding represents a new chapter in your life and the perfect time to make some lifestyle changes that you'd like to carry on for the rest of your life. OK, now we're talking. But where do we start?
Realistic Expectations
While we've all seen the ads of the miracle diet or supplement that guarantees losing 10 pounds in two weeks, a realistic amount of weight loss is 1-2 pounds maximum per week. Yes, weight loss can happen faster than that, but usually the faster the weight is lost, the easier it is to gain it back.
Part of the reason behind that is because, believe it or not, our bodies are not simply sacks of fat. There are lots of different things that make up that number on the scale, including bones, muscle, blood, fluid, partially digested food, etc. If you're losing weight quicker than 1-2 pounds per week, in most cases, it's not related to fat loss. That's partially why I don't recommend weighing more than once a week either, so you're not fretting with all those ups and downs.
Should I go on a cleanse?
Cleanses and detoxes have grown in popularity over the past few years. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow boast about cleansing twice a year to "give the body a boost" and help "reset" the system. Many people like the idea of kicking off a diet with a cleanse because they feel that it'll help their bodies burn calories more efficiently.
There is really no scientific evidence behind cleanses and detoxes. If you type in "cleanse diet" in http://pubmed.org, one of the biggest databases of scientific/medical journal articles, the four results that appear talk mainly about bowel prep diets for colonoscopies, and if you type in "detox", most of the articles are about drug detox. Most cleanses and detoxes are vague about what the toxins actually are and don't provide tangible outcomes of when you're clear of these "toxins". Think about it - how is it possible that only being able to choose from five foods for three weeks has the same effect as drinking lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days?
Yes, many people do lose weight on cleanses and detoxes, but that is only because you're probably eating a lot less food than you usually do, not because you're spilling out poisons from your body that have been trapped for a lifetime.
Should I cut out carbs? Go gluten-free?
While we're no longer at the height of the Atkins craze, many people out there still have a fear of pasta and potatoes. While it's true that we can all benefit from removing refined carbohydrates like added sugar, white bread, white rice and regular pasta from our diet, not all carbs are equal/evil.
One of my theories of why gluten-free has caught on so quickly is because it feeds on that carb fear that a lot of people still have. "Gluten! Now there's a specific reason why carbs are bad, right?"
The reason why low-carb or gluten-free diets work for some people is partly because grains and starchy foods are a staple. Many of us grew up eating huge portions of bread, potatoes, pasta or rice with our meals. When we cut out a substantial part of our meal and don't really replace it with anything, we're cutting out a lot of calories! In the case of gluten-free, it's not just starches. Gluten can be found in lots of processed foods, so some people going on a gluten-free diet end up cooking more from scratch and eating more foods that are naturally gluten-free, like vegetables, fruit and lean proteins, again reducing a lot of calories and leading to weight loss.
You've said "No" to everything! So how do I go about losing weight?
As you can probably guess if you've managed to read everything up to this point, calories count when it comes to losing weight. Unfortunately, there are no exact numbers - because there is so much that affects our weight and because the way we calculate calories in foods can be inaccurate, we can't say that eating X calories will lead to Y amount of weight loss. What we do know is, at the end of the day, any diet that leads to weight loss decreases your calorie intake in some way. Picking a specific diet that works for you means picking changes that you can make that will last for a lifetime. In the last part of this series, I'll share some tips for reducing calories that can be done any time - not just when your wedding's coming up!
Vincci is a Calgary-based dietitian who loves nutritious food that nourishes. She has featured on a variety of local and national media, including Breakfast Television Calgary, Global Calgary, Fairchild Radio, Canadian Living and Best Health magazine. For more information on Vincci and her services, please visit www.vinccitsui.com.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
4 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Lose Weight for Your Big Day
Guest Blogger: Vincci Tsui, RD
Flipping through bridal magazines today, there are more and more wedding diet tips creeping in between the latest wedding dresses and accessories. Many personal trainers are offering Bridal Boot Camps for the weeks leading up to "I Do". As a dietitian, I'm often fielding requests for meal plans to help people drop those "last five pounds" to fit in their wedding dress, or to look good in their bathing suit for a destination wedding. But I'm here to argue that you shouldn't lose weight for your big day - here's why:
Diets don't work.
Diets might "work" in the sense that you might lose weight, but in almost all cases, as soon as you stop the diet, you gain the weight back… and then some. Diets don't do anything to promote health because often the focus is on the number on the scale and as soon as people go off the diet, they go back on to their old eating habits.
With that in mind, I generally don't make meal plans for my clients because they don't work - even if I was able to factor in your food likes/dislikes, lifestyle, cooking skill and nutritional needs, as life happens, things come up so that we might not stick to the plan one way or another. And then you feel bad because you couldn't stick to the plan and it just turns into a vicious circle. So don't diet, whether it's for your big day, to squeeze into a bikini or even if you "just want to try" a cleanse.
You will decrease your chances of becoming Bridezilla.
I'm not married, nor am I planning to in the near future, so reading the Wishahmon blog sometimes makes my head spin - the 18-part series of all the planning that went into Carisa and Richard's wedding? Deciding how much alcohol to buy?? I definitely admire all the hard work that couples put into their wedding to ensure that their day is memorable and that their guests have a good time!
I work with many clients who are trying to manage their weight and many describe it as a "part-time job", what with the menu planning, grocery shopping, food preparation, food journalling, physical activity and other lifestyle changes that they have to make. I can't imagine trying to do all that and choose a wedding party, say yes to the dress, pick the perfect venue, convince my fiancé to take on some of the planning duties, hire a photographer, florist, DJ, etc. etc.
Food is not just about fuelling our bodies - it's also about fuelling your brain. Restricting your intake might make it harder to cope with the stress that comes with planning a wedding, and I'm sure we've all met people on restrictive diets who always seem a little hangry (hungry + angry). Just sayin'.
You don't have to mess with the dress.
There are many soon-to-be brides who buy or alter their wedding dresses just a *little* too small so that they could lose weight into them and use it as motivation. That's a terrible idea.
Even with the clients I work with, I don't get them to set a "goal weight" because there are so many different factors that affect the number on the scale, beyond just the calories we eat. We weigh different at different times of day, at different times of the month, depending on when/what we've eaten, etc. Also, because we can't spot-reduce, losing a certain amount of weight doesn't guarantee that it'll be in the places where your dress is too tight.
It's expensive and stressful to try to get your dress altered three days before your wedding just because you didn't "make your goal weight". Just get a dress that fits the first time, because chances are, it'll look better that way anyway.
Everyone will still love you and have a good time.
When men propose to their future fiancées, they don't do it with the mindset of "OK, now she's going to go on a wedding diet and finally lose those 10 pounds!" They do it because they love you and want to spend the rest of their lives with you.
Weddings are there to bring together family and friends to celebrate two people in love - they're not there for people to guess how much weight the bride has lost/didn't lose, or who looks better in what. If that does happen at your wedding, then you're either a) inviting the wrong people or b) Kim Kardashian.
Whether you lose weight or not, your future husband will still love you, your family will still love you and your friends will still love you. Whether people are going to have a good time is not affected your weight unless you spend the entire night blabbing about it. So just let go of that extra stressor and worry about it some other time. Have a happy wedding!
Still not convinced?
Stay tuned for the second and third parts of the series, where I will tackle some common weight loss/dieting myths as well as give practical tips for those of you who really want to lose weight.
Vincci is a Calgary-based dietitian who loves nutritious food that nourishes. She has featured on a variety of local and national media, including Breakfast Television Calgary, Global Calgary, Fairchild Radio, Canadian Living and Best Health magazine. For more information on Vincci and her services, please visit www.vinccitsui.com.
Flipping through bridal magazines today, there are more and more wedding diet tips creeping in between the latest wedding dresses and accessories. Many personal trainers are offering Bridal Boot Camps for the weeks leading up to "I Do". As a dietitian, I'm often fielding requests for meal plans to help people drop those "last five pounds" to fit in their wedding dress, or to look good in their bathing suit for a destination wedding. But I'm here to argue that you shouldn't lose weight for your big day - here's why:
Diets don't work.
Diets might "work" in the sense that you might lose weight, but in almost all cases, as soon as you stop the diet, you gain the weight back… and then some. Diets don't do anything to promote health because often the focus is on the number on the scale and as soon as people go off the diet, they go back on to their old eating habits.
With that in mind, I generally don't make meal plans for my clients because they don't work - even if I was able to factor in your food likes/dislikes, lifestyle, cooking skill and nutritional needs, as life happens, things come up so that we might not stick to the plan one way or another. And then you feel bad because you couldn't stick to the plan and it just turns into a vicious circle. So don't diet, whether it's for your big day, to squeeze into a bikini or even if you "just want to try" a cleanse.
You will decrease your chances of becoming Bridezilla.
I'm not married, nor am I planning to in the near future, so reading the Wishahmon blog sometimes makes my head spin - the 18-part series of all the planning that went into Carisa and Richard's wedding? Deciding how much alcohol to buy?? I definitely admire all the hard work that couples put into their wedding to ensure that their day is memorable and that their guests have a good time!
I work with many clients who are trying to manage their weight and many describe it as a "part-time job", what with the menu planning, grocery shopping, food preparation, food journalling, physical activity and other lifestyle changes that they have to make. I can't imagine trying to do all that and choose a wedding party, say yes to the dress, pick the perfect venue, convince my fiancé to take on some of the planning duties, hire a photographer, florist, DJ, etc. etc.
Food is not just about fuelling our bodies - it's also about fuelling your brain. Restricting your intake might make it harder to cope with the stress that comes with planning a wedding, and I'm sure we've all met people on restrictive diets who always seem a little hangry (hungry + angry). Just sayin'.
You don't have to mess with the dress.
There are many soon-to-be brides who buy or alter their wedding dresses just a *little* too small so that they could lose weight into them and use it as motivation. That's a terrible idea.
Even with the clients I work with, I don't get them to set a "goal weight" because there are so many different factors that affect the number on the scale, beyond just the calories we eat. We weigh different at different times of day, at different times of the month, depending on when/what we've eaten, etc. Also, because we can't spot-reduce, losing a certain amount of weight doesn't guarantee that it'll be in the places where your dress is too tight.
It's expensive and stressful to try to get your dress altered three days before your wedding just because you didn't "make your goal weight". Just get a dress that fits the first time, because chances are, it'll look better that way anyway.
Everyone will still love you and have a good time.
When men propose to their future fiancées, they don't do it with the mindset of "OK, now she's going to go on a wedding diet and finally lose those 10 pounds!" They do it because they love you and want to spend the rest of their lives with you.
Weddings are there to bring together family and friends to celebrate two people in love - they're not there for people to guess how much weight the bride has lost/didn't lose, or who looks better in what. If that does happen at your wedding, then you're either a) inviting the wrong people or b) Kim Kardashian.
Whether you lose weight or not, your future husband will still love you, your family will still love you and your friends will still love you. Whether people are going to have a good time is not affected your weight unless you spend the entire night blabbing about it. So just let go of that extra stressor and worry about it some other time. Have a happy wedding!
Still not convinced?
Stay tuned for the second and third parts of the series, where I will tackle some common weight loss/dieting myths as well as give practical tips for those of you who really want to lose weight.
Vincci is a Calgary-based dietitian who loves nutritious food that nourishes. She has featured on a variety of local and national media, including Breakfast Television Calgary, Global Calgary, Fairchild Radio, Canadian Living and Best Health magazine. For more information on Vincci and her services, please visit www.vinccitsui.com.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Losing Weight for Your Wedding
It wasn't until I started Wishahmon - Glorious Gowns that I heard (a lot) brides saying: I am going to lose 10 pounds before my wedding; I am just carrying my winter weight and I will lose it before my wedding; or I haven't had the time to work out but will diet before the wedding. I always tell them they are beautiful the way they are RIGHT NOW. With the stress of wedding planning, there is really no need to add more stress "tonnage."
As luck would have it, I was communicating with through "twitter" with @VincciT and learned she is a registered dietitian. I reached out to her and asked her to share her wisdom with brides wanting to get healthier (not to lose "x" number of pounds). Guess what?! She responded three hours later and agreed to a three part series for brides wanting to get healthy/lose weight/whatever you call it. Starting next week, Vincci will be our guest blogger three Wednesdays in a row. Below is a little bit about Vincci:
Vincci Tsui is a Calgary-based registered dietitian who loves delicious food that nourishes. She takes a compassionate approach to nutrition that focuses on cultivating a positive self-image and developing a healthy relationship with all foods. She loves helping people learn to nurture this relationship with themselves and with food while nourishing their bodies in ways that are healthy yet delicious.
Vincci is frequently called upon to provide expert advice on nutrition and food in print media and television. She also shares recipes and restaurant reviews on her blog Ceci n’est pas un food blog, and is the food editor of Calgary is Awesome.
Vincci doesn’t just talk the talk – she is an instructor for Start From Scratch, a non-profit cooking program for post-secondary students. She has also done numerous cooking demos and classes for various organizations.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Calgary, Vincci received her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from McGill University in Montreal and completed the university’s Integrated Dietetic Internship. She is a proud member of the College of Dietitians of Alberta and Dietitians of Canada.
Small disclaimer about Vincci's posts on the Wishahmon blog: At the end of each of her posts, I attached a bridal bouquet made with some veggies or fruits. I thought they were so cute and fitting with her posts on nutrition. If you disagree, it is totally my bad and not hers.
~Monica
If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!
As luck would have it, I was communicating with through "twitter" with @VincciT and learned she is a registered dietitian. I reached out to her and asked her to share her wisdom with brides wanting to get healthier (not to lose "x" number of pounds). Guess what?! She responded three hours later and agreed to a three part series for brides wanting to get healthy/lose weight/whatever you call it. Starting next week, Vincci will be our guest blogger three Wednesdays in a row. Below is a little bit about Vincci:
Vincci Tsui is a Calgary-based registered dietitian who loves delicious food that nourishes. She takes a compassionate approach to nutrition that focuses on cultivating a positive self-image and developing a healthy relationship with all foods. She loves helping people learn to nurture this relationship with themselves and with food while nourishing their bodies in ways that are healthy yet delicious.Vincci is frequently called upon to provide expert advice on nutrition and food in print media and television. She also shares recipes and restaurant reviews on her blog Ceci n’est pas un food blog, and is the food editor of Calgary is Awesome.
Vincci doesn’t just talk the talk – she is an instructor for Start From Scratch, a non-profit cooking program for post-secondary students. She has also done numerous cooking demos and classes for various organizations.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Calgary, Vincci received her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from McGill University in Montreal and completed the university’s Integrated Dietetic Internship. She is a proud member of the College of Dietitians of Alberta and Dietitians of Canada.
Small disclaimer about Vincci's posts on the Wishahmon blog: At the end of each of her posts, I attached a bridal bouquet made with some veggies or fruits. I thought they were so cute and fitting with her posts on nutrition. If you disagree, it is totally my bad and not hers.
~Monica
If you like our weekly ramblings, LIKE us on our Wishahmon page too! More goes on there!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Health and Fitness Tips for Brides
Alright, let's get this topic out of the way early. I am 99.8% certain that everyone overate during the holidays. (I am probably still lugging around some turkey and mashed potatoes in my belly three weeks into January) Almost every bride that I have met have said to me they want to lose weight before their wedding date. I always answer they need to feel great on their wedding regardless of what weight that maybe. If she feels she will have a better time at her own wedding if she loses a couple of pounds, then I support her.
If you are one of the brides that will feel better losing a couple of pounds, I strongly recommend that you do it safely. London based personal trainer Tim Mugabi of Into That Dress, a company dedicated to helping Brides-to-be look and feel their best on their wedding day, shares his top ten tips:
Top Ten Tips for Getting Into That Dress
Avoid Fad Diets. As tempting as they sound with their promises of big results in little time, they will leave you worse than they found you. You will lose some weight, but it will mostly be water and muscle! And when you stop the diet, it will go right back on again.
Drink Plenty of Water. There are times when your can confuse your body’s cry for water as a need for food. Avoid the confusion by staying hydrated. Keep a bottle of water handy at all times.
Eat Breakfast. I understand that you might be in a rush in the morning, but there’s no better way to start your day than making time for breakfast. Skipping breakfast causes your metabolism to be slower and you’ll hang onto fat instead of burning it.
Schedule Healthy Snacks. Eat a healthy snack composed of fruit, veg and nuts between breakfast and lunch, and again between lunch and dinner. Not only will you get a ton of fibre, vitamins and minerals, but you’ll also be less hungry between meals. You’ll find you have less need for high sugar and high fat snacks like biscuits and cakes.
Grab Some Light Weights. Don’t worry, they won’t make you a bulky bride, but will help you to appear more toned and sleek. This increased tone will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat.
A Bride-to-be Needs Her Beauty Sleep. Ghrelin is the hormone that makes you hungry and when you don’t get enough sleep, its levels increase. This is your body’s way of getting more energy from food that it didn’t get from a refreshing sleep. Get your 6-8 hours a night and prevent this from happening.
Set a Goal and Write it Down. As opposed to being vague and stating ‘I want to lose weight’ – be specific. How much do you want to lose? How many dress sizes do you want to drop? This will help to focus your mind and make you more effective. Writing the goal down allows you to refer to it and refocus your efforts when required.
Eat a Smaller Dinner. If you eat a large meal in the evening, your body has little to do with the energy it provides and this can result it being stored, as fat! By eating breakfast and healthy snacks between meals, you’ll be less famished when you get home and will be satisfied with a smaller dinner.
Keep a Picture of Your Wedding Dress Handy. It will provide a motivational boost when required and remind you of what you’re working towards. But don’t keep it too handy; make sure it’s not somewhere your fiancé can see it!
Get a Personal Trainer! Take the stress out of getting into that dress, by benefiting from a personal trainer’s expertise and experience.
Remember brides, even if you don't meet your weight goal, everyone you invited to your wedding loves you and believes you are stunning no matter what!
~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon
Photo Credit: Health Journal
If you are one of the brides that will feel better losing a couple of pounds, I strongly recommend that you do it safely. London based personal trainer Tim Mugabi of Into That Dress, a company dedicated to helping Brides-to-be look and feel their best on their wedding day, shares his top ten tips:
Top Ten Tips for Getting Into That Dress
Avoid Fad Diets. As tempting as they sound with their promises of big results in little time, they will leave you worse than they found you. You will lose some weight, but it will mostly be water and muscle! And when you stop the diet, it will go right back on again.
Drink Plenty of Water. There are times when your can confuse your body’s cry for water as a need for food. Avoid the confusion by staying hydrated. Keep a bottle of water handy at all times.
Eat Breakfast. I understand that you might be in a rush in the morning, but there’s no better way to start your day than making time for breakfast. Skipping breakfast causes your metabolism to be slower and you’ll hang onto fat instead of burning it.
Schedule Healthy Snacks. Eat a healthy snack composed of fruit, veg and nuts between breakfast and lunch, and again between lunch and dinner. Not only will you get a ton of fibre, vitamins and minerals, but you’ll also be less hungry between meals. You’ll find you have less need for high sugar and high fat snacks like biscuits and cakes.
Grab Some Light Weights. Don’t worry, they won’t make you a bulky bride, but will help you to appear more toned and sleek. This increased tone will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat.
A Bride-to-be Needs Her Beauty Sleep. Ghrelin is the hormone that makes you hungry and when you don’t get enough sleep, its levels increase. This is your body’s way of getting more energy from food that it didn’t get from a refreshing sleep. Get your 6-8 hours a night and prevent this from happening.
Set a Goal and Write it Down. As opposed to being vague and stating ‘I want to lose weight’ – be specific. How much do you want to lose? How many dress sizes do you want to drop? This will help to focus your mind and make you more effective. Writing the goal down allows you to refer to it and refocus your efforts when required.
Eat a Smaller Dinner. If you eat a large meal in the evening, your body has little to do with the energy it provides and this can result it being stored, as fat! By eating breakfast and healthy snacks between meals, you’ll be less famished when you get home and will be satisfied with a smaller dinner.
Keep a Picture of Your Wedding Dress Handy. It will provide a motivational boost when required and remind you of what you’re working towards. But don’t keep it too handy; make sure it’s not somewhere your fiancé can see it!
Get a Personal Trainer! Take the stress out of getting into that dress, by benefiting from a personal trainer’s expertise and experience.
Remember brides, even if you don't meet your weight goal, everyone you invited to your wedding loves you and believes you are stunning no matter what!
~Monica
Owner and Lead Designer @Wishahmon
Photo Credit: Health Journal
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