TweetAh food, glorious food! You’ve heard of the jingle, and you’ve also heard of the book by now, “Eat This Not That” by David Zinczenko. He’s a great guy and it’s a good read but I want to give you a quick serving of what you may know, should know or simply choose to ignore. Yes, I’m pretty fed up with how unhealthy food is still king, drive-throughs are killing us,  and that we simply choose not to choose the right food. Okay, I’m breathing and I’ll calm down here, but please for your own health or someone else you know, pass this along. I want you healthy, I want your family healthy and I even the dog and cat. Like the Jerry McGuire movie and Cuba Gooding Jr., “help me help you.”

You can enjoy food but food is for feeding your organs, skin muscles and everything else to function at high levels. Eating for pleasure is okay, but tone it down a bit and think of my 90/10 rule.  Eat 90% for staying alive and 10% for pleasure. I may sound a bit sarcastic in this portion of information I’m sharing , but I’m very serious and very concerned about our nation’s health. Frankly, I’m embarrassed. I train people from all over the world and I constantly hear about how we ( Americans ) eat too much and eat terribly.  I wish I was from Australia, or New Zealand or even Iceland,  then I’d be too cold to eat, or to busy chasing kangaroos.

Soft Drinks

OMG or Oh my gosh. Help us all! I’m surprised anyone still has any teeth left and everyone is not one big, walking pimple. Sorry to be so graphic, but hello, is this America or what? Adult acne is a real problem caused by sugar. I’m happy to see more reaching for other drinks, but still be careful, soda is one of the leading sources of empty calories in America. Instead, have plain or flavored water, herbal iced tea or skim milk. If you crave a sweet drink, limit yourself to one glass of fruit juice a day—better yet, cut it with seltzer water. If you feel diet sodas help you lose weight, drink them—but try to get down to one a day or you’ll never lose your taste for super-sweet foods.  Heck the chemicals alone in diet soda should scare you to death and the sodium content alone causes bloating and water retention. People drink more because of the “0″ calorie factor, but keep in mind the sodium from the carbonated water will cause fluid retention and bloating which is very attractive. Chemicals alone don’t cause the harm, it’s the behaviors behind those who drink the “diet” sodas.

Alcohol

If I could show you all my abs right now I would. You want to see your abs again, put a cork in it. Want to lean out now? I suggest  change your party friends, change your scene and lifestyle and if you must, maybe once in a while, but drink less. I challenge my clients to stop cold turkey for 2-3 weeks and watch what happens. They come running in and lift up their shirts and say, “Suzie, you were right!”  Maybe it’s only a 4 pack for now but the 12 pack is coming! What a difference.

More people are drinking to soothe and comfort some of our most challenging days in this new world. Besides adding to depression, and being a depressant to slow down your metabolism, alcohol and weight loss don’t mix. It’s hard to make good eating habits  when the fog or buzz starts making decisions for you.

There’s lots of sugar in a chardonnay say vs a red cabernet. And that delicious margarita, look out and say adios. My point is obviously, alcohol can add a lot of extra calories to your diet, and it’s more caloric than other foods. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram (carbohydrates and fat contain only 4 calories per gram; fat contains 9 calories per gram). But there are reasons besides the calories to skip sipping.

Hop on the wagon and hold your wheels tight. Do your best and recognize how great you’ll feel.

Continue reading Suzie’s Foods To Avoid and She’s Serious

  The Maui Weekly printed today:

Break out of the workout trap, and don’t be like others stuck in the same routine—and the same body.

Ever notice at the gym: You see the same person on the same treadmill or weight machine doing the same routine? But, do they look any different? Here are a few tips to avoid falling into the same workout trap.

More is not always better

Lifting too much weight can compromise the alignment of your spine and may cause muscle and ligament injuries. Heavier is not necessarily better. Watch your form and avoid swinging weigths or overloading the cables. For example, the lat pulldown machine can be very dangerous with too much weight. Maintain a controlled movement and pace. Avoid the rocking back and forth movement that tends to come with too much momentum or weight.

There’s more to train than just a bicep!

Most people love to train the bicep muscles, because they tend to respond to training rather quickly. Have you noticed that when you’re at the gym, everyone’s doing a bicep curl? Yeah, it looks great, but it’s the smallest upper body muscle. Don’t forget your legs, back, shoulders and abs! Balance your workout for total body conditioning.

Where’s my six-pack?

Continue reading The Workout Trap This weeks Maui Weekly Article October 8th 2009

Changing and Reshaping Your Eating Behaviors by Suzie Cooney Suzie Trains Maui

 Follow these tips to help uncover and correct those “bad” eating habits and why we eat:

Don’t eat while engaged in other activities; for example watching TV, reading. Eat only at the table, not at the fridge or while standing,

Slow down. Don’t eat so quickly. Chewing slowly allows time to register a feeling of fullness. Don’t’ use fingers, only utensils. Cut food into smaller pieces. Don’t load your fork until the previous mouthful is finished.  I usually plan 20 minutes to eat my meal.

Get all of the bad food, high calorie items out of the house NOW!!  Don’t shop while you are hungry or with friends or family who are not looking out for you. Eat before you shop and stick to your list.

Take the time to plan your meals in advance. Buy a few pieces of Tupperware, or those nifty food containers.  Watch your portions!

Plan a strategy to avoid uncontrolled eating and drinking at social events, or when your emotions urge you to binge.

Promise yourself that when you feel the urge to snack, you will engage in some activity that will distract you away from food ( go to the beach, do 10 push ups, call a friend)

Tell yourself exactly what you will do in such situations. Remind yourself several times each day that you are in charge of your actions and that you can be strong-willed.

If you notice you eat when you are bored, please, find some a sport to take up or interesting hobby.  I’m never bored because there are so many sports to do on Maui! If you want to learn a new sport, I’ll teach you!

Don’t’ blame your genes or your family! It’s your behavior!

Lastly, a food journal is the most powerful, PROVEN aid that helps my clients keep off the weight long term.  It’s amazing what you discover about yourself and the foods you choose if you do this. Remember to record the time of day, portions, and what you ate and why!  Those who consistently monitor their food consumption lose weight more steadily and keep it off more successfully than those who don’t. Countless people tell me how “good” they have been on their program until I see their diary.  Don’t cheat yourself!  The moment I see the data, I can instantly ascertain why they have not lost the weight. Numbers don’t lie.

“Keep up the good work, hold your course for life.”

Suzie