Contents

• Fitzgerald FitzPANTS!
• 20 Hot Tips for a Lite and Happy Holiday
  
• Fast and Easy Hors d'oevres
  
  
  

Jim: "I've stopped eating like a teenager – now I'm eating like an adult."

Client of the Month

Fitzgerald FitzPANTS!  

Jim Fitzgerald has amazed himself. October 2005, he decided it was time to get serious and lose some weight. Both his wife and doctor had been urging him to shed some pounds. “Initially, I just wanted to get my wife off my back!” he jokes. 

The appeal of stopping his blood pressure medication was another deciding factor. “My doctor thought that if I just lost some weight, I would no longer need the meds,” he explains.

Not only did Jim successfully drop 30 pounds in 3 months with the help of the counseling team at Lite For Life of Palo Alto, now, over a year later, he has dropped another 5 pounds, is off blood pressure medication, and is dedicating his efforts to staying slim for life.  And he is still can’t believe how easy it all was!

The secrets to Jim’s success have been a positive attitude, surrender to the requirements of the program and consistent follow through with Maintenance.  Jim initially came to Lite for Life through a friend of his wife’s.  Her friend’s husband had been followed the program, lost weight, and loved it.  “I thought if he could do it, so could I,” Jim says.

After the first consultation though, he remembers thinking it would be really hard.  “I wasn’t sure if I could do it!” he laughs. “No alcohol, no sugar! It seemed strict.”  But Jim decided to take a “just do it” approach to the program.  “I just sucked it up and told myself I would follow everything to the letter.” 

“Jim did a great job,” says Jeanine Davenport, one of Jim’s counselors.  “He came in three times a week.  His wife cooks for the family, and he didn’t want to change what everyone else ate, but he did a good job controlling what he could control—breakfast, lunch, snacks—and at watching his portions in situations he couldn’t control.” 

To his surprise, it was a lot easier than he thought.  He found that the foods in the grocery store helped a lot, and that there were plenty of things to satisfy his sweet tooth. “The frozen cheesecakes really helped when I wanted something sweet,” he says.

Jim also invented a few treats of his own. One of his favorite breakfasts is fat free plain yogurt with a scoop of Jay Robb Vanilla protein powder mixed into it, which he eats with a piece of fruit for a well rounded breakfast.  “The protein powder adds the sweetness and the vanilla flavor I love in yogurt,” he says.

“Jim told me the other day,” says counselor Davenport, “that basically what he’s done is stopped eating like a teenager—pizza, pasta, cookies--whatever his kids were eating.  He told me ‘Now I’m eating like an adult.’”

After his weight loss success, Jim knew it was really important to follow through with Maintenance. “It seemed like it could be easy to gain the weight back and after all of that hard work, I didn’t want to risk it,” he says.  The continued structure and accountability provided by the Maintenance Program have been crucial to helping Jim keep the weight off.

Despite being a busy executive, he has been faithful with his weekly Maintenance visits to Lite for Life.  When he gets really busy, he may skip a week, but then he gets right back on track.  “The most important thing is having someone to answer to,” he says. “Going in for weigh-ins always makes me a little bit nervous, like I’m taking a test or something,” he laughs.  “But that’s a good thing.  I need that structure!”

Feeling healthy and energetic helps keeps Jim feeling motivated and focused on doing the exercise needed to help maintain his weight loss.  “It’s so much easier for me to exercise now that I’m lighter,” he says.  These days he gets up earlier to work out harder, and actually enjoys it!

Perhaps most importantly, Jim is constantly monitoring his weight. “Step on the scale every day,” he says. “That’s my advice to anyone wanting to lose or maintain weight loss.”  (This advice is echoed by the National Weight Control Registry, a group that studies people who have successfully maintained their weight loss.)

“Whatever you do,” he continues, “don’t avoid the scale because you weren’t eating right.  You need to monitor yourself and make the adjustments necessary. Do it now, not later!”

But just do it!

Our Counselors' 20 Hot Tips to Keep the Holidays Lite

The holiday season, with all its parties and special foods, poses a challenge whether trying to lose weight or just keep from gaining.  Happy AND healthy holidays need not be mutually exclusive; in fact the healthier your holidays are the happier you’re likely to be in the long run.  Here are some concrete strategies you can use to be healthy during the holidays, whether you are the guest or host.

1. DO make a commitment to yourself and your goals.    Don’t let anyone or anything of lesser importance derail you.  Accept all invitations with a firm commitment to enjoy the event and meet your goals.
2. DO plan ahead and in detail how you’ll deal with the event.  “I’ll just watch what I eat” won’t cut it.  Make a firm commitment to a plan of action like the following:  “position myself away from the hors d’ouevres, guzzle water, skip dessert and hit the dance floor and dance up a storm.”  Even if you don’t execute your plan perfectly, you will always do better with a plan than without.
3. DON’T starve all day so you can overindulge in the evening.  Research has shown that eating most of your calories in one big meal is the worst way to diet.  By keeping your blood sugar stable before the festivities begin, it will be much easier to enjoy the event in moderation and still be satisfied and in control.
4. DO slow down and savor your food.  Set your fork down frequently.  Chew thoroughly.  Relax and enjoy your meal.
5. DO set a 20 minute rule before having more food.  It takes your brain 20 minutes to register fullness.  There’s no harm in waiting a bit to see if you really need more to eat.
6. DO offer to bring a favorite dish.  Your hostess will appreciate the gesture and you will be assured of having a food that’s “legal”.
7. DO stick with coffee or tea if only rich desserts are offered.  If you feel self conscious, accept a small portion and leave it on the plate.
8. DO bear in mind that alcohol can stop a steady weight loss.  Because the body has no place to store alcohol, it must be metabolized for energy immediately, pushing food into the storage queue.
9. DO separate food from love and friendship.  Focus on the company of friends and loved ones.  Instead of eating a large slice of mom’s pie, tell her you’d rather treat yourself to a big hug instead.
10. DON’T overindulge and tell yourself “I’ll burn it off tomorrow”.  It’s the energy balance for the day that determines weight loss/maintenance.
11. DO schedule in exercise.  Regular exercise will go a long way toward helping you control holiday stress and your weight. 
12. DON’T use exercise as an excuse to overeat.  Most people tend to overestimate how many calories they burn exercising and undo the effects by allowing themselves calorie laden foods that cancel out the exercise and more.
13. DON’T avoid the scale.  Plan in advance to weigh yourself the morning after the event...and if you are the host/hostess:
14. DO offer foods that will appeal to dieters and non-dieters alike.  Fresh green salads, veggie and fruit trays are foods everyone enjoys.
15. DON’T call attention to the fact that either you or your guests are dieting.  If it’s not brought up, most people won’t notice.
16. DON’T allow the planning and preparation of your party to create undue stress.  Few of us are Martha Stewart.  Be realistic about what you can do.  Create a list and timeline and break it down into small daily tasks you can do ahead of the big day.
17. DO consider a light buffet.  This option makes it easy for you and others to stick to their eating plan without the obvious elimination of a particular dish.
18. DO consider hosting a cocktail party.  Cocktail parties require less preparation and allow you to spend more time with you guests.  Isn’t that the point anyway?
19. DO get rid of leftovers.  All that extra food in the fridge only tempts you for a midnight raid.  Send them home with your guests.
20. DO set up a reward system for yourself.  Treat yourself to a massage, bubble bath, manicure, movie or a new outfit.  You’re worth it!