Outsmart Your Appetite!

by Madeline Haller

Pass on that second McMuffin. A small breakfast helps you stick to a regular-sized lunch, finds a new study presented at the 20th European Congress on Obesity.

Researchers found that when obese people ate a small morning meal (about 420 calories), it was sufficient enough to stave off hunger pangs and stop the eaters from overcompensating at lunch. (Participants ate the same amount of calories in the afternoon as they would have following bigger breakfasts.)

Unite Fitness Retreat is dedicated to helping people change their lives. Not only do clients learn fitness routines, they also learn about nutrition, healthy eating habits, and how to structure their diet. For more information on Unite, call 1-866-589-5615.

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But why didn’t a (relatively) tiny breakfast lead to a larger appetite? It may be because you can outsmart your stomach, says lead study author Susan Jebb, Ph.D., of the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, UK. In Jebb’s study, eaters also had two larger portion sizes on previous occasions, but all meals were the same: cereal, scrambled eggs, ham, whole-grain toast and butter, and fruit juice. So the research suggests that small reductions in portion size can help control weight, Jebb says.

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The trick is to fill up your plate with foods that keep you full, like the eggs (a good source of protein) and cereal (good fiber) in the study. Downsize your breakfast with the “Eggs Beneficial Breakfast Sandwich,” from Men’s Health‘s Healthy Recipe Finder.

What you’ll need:

1 large whole egg
3 large egg whites
1 tsp ground flaxseed
2 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
1 slice Canadian bacon
1 tomato, sliced, or 1 green bell pepper, sliced
Start out by scrambling the whole egg and egg whites in a bowl, adding the flaxseed to the mixture as you go. Toss it in a nonstick skillet treated with vegetable-oil spray, and fry until cooked. Then, dump your creation onto the toast and add the bacon, tomato, and pepper.

The whole breakfast tops off at around 350 calories, and you’ll rack up serious protein (32 grams) and fiber (7 grams) to help you stay satisfied until your next meal.

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Ready for a Change?   You make the commitment to improve your health and fitness- We'll take care of everything else.   Unite Fitness Retreat has been voted "The Best Value On-line" for a reason, but that doesn't mean we skimp on our program, quite the opposite- INCLUDED IN MY STAY.

My Typical Day at Unite

This is what a day in the life at Unite Fitness Retreat looks like…I must say, I like losing over two pounds a day!!!

5:45am	Rise and shine, enjoyed a cup of coffee and fruit.
6:30am	Boot camp with Leah, I burned about 300 calories already!
7:30am	Egg white omelette with feta and tomatoes, set daily goals with Bre. Ready to meet my goals and increase my stamina today.
8:30am	Fat Burn Blast- this class literally melts the fat off my body... Insane workout!
9:45am	Personal training session, today was leg (and butt) day... Can you say squats?
10:45am	Break and protein shake, yum... I need to rest my body in the meditation room for a few.
11:00am	Water aerobics, amazing... I just burned another 350 calories and I actually feel refreshed.
12:30pm	Veggie Burger and Salad, the best veggie burger I've ever had. Nutritional Lesson with Leah, today we learned about portion control and plate size.
1:45pm	Today I met with Shanna (my counselor) we talked a lot about emotional eating and negative thinking... Tomorrow I get my weekly massage, I can't wait!!!
3:00pm	Snowshoeing in Park City... Seriously fun and the best workout so far!
6:00pm	Grilled sun dried tomato chicken with zucchini and polenta and a huge salad, delicious!
7:00pm	Foam roller stretch, this feels amazing, my body needed to stretch.
8:00pm	Hot tub and relaxation, early to bed for me!

10 Ways to Beat the Holiday Bulge

1. Eat a healthy snack prior to attending social events so you’re not ravenous when you see temptations everywhere, never go to a party hungry.
2. Look at the holiday as a day, not a week or a month. Allow yourself to splurge on one day-not for two months.
3. Exercise. You will most likely eat more calories around the holidays due to the parties, large family meals, and gifts of chocolate and cookies! Therefore continuing to exercise throughout the holidays speeds up your metabolism to burn the extra calories faster.
4. Drink 3 liters or 96-ounces of water daily, it aids in digestion and will keep you feeling full longer.
5. Get outside, even if it’s chilly, bundle up.  Take a walk the fresh air will do you some good.
6. Make time to relax; this is a stressful time of year for most of us.  Make sure you pencil in some YOU time, read a book, get a massage, take a bath, whatever gives you a much needed break.
7. Avoid the mentality that, “It’s the holidays so I can eat whatever want and splurge just because.  Stick to the 80-20 philosophy (80% of our food should be nutrient rich, while 20% can be less nutrient rich).  Oh, and limit your alcohol, just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you need those empty calories.
8. Get out there and shop!  Park further away at the department stores, walk the mall with a friend and get gift ideas.  Move your body!
9. Remember what the holidays are all about. Focus less on the food and drinks and more on celebrating the special season and the company of the people you love — your family and friends.
10. Give yourself the gift of health this holiday season.  It’s never to early to start your “New Years Resolutions”.  Make this the year to really get your health back on track.  Maybe you’d like to lose the last 10 pounds, or maybe you need to get a handle on your weight and health once and for all.  Wherever you may be, recognize that this is your chance to turn it all around.  If you are ready for a change, give Unite Fitness Retreat a call today and let us show you how our personalized fitness and weight loss program can transform your life forever. 866-589-5615

Happy Holidays from your friends at Unite Fitness Retreat!

Obtaining a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It

#1 Plan for Success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change.

Simplify

Think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices.

Start slow and make changes to you eating habits overt time.

Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking.

Every change you make to improve your diet matters.

Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts

Drink More Water

It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Exercise everyday

Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day.

The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

#2 Moderation is Key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you’ve hit your ideal weight. So try to think of moderation in terms of balance. We all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now.  More specifically, it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (unrefined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and more of the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables).

Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.”

When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences. Think smaller portions.

When dining out, split a dish with a friend, and never supersize anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don’t feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit.

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet here at Unite Fitness Camp. Give us a Call today!

Leah Britt
Certified Personal Trainer/Nutritionist