Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

Lunch rolls around and you grab something quickly without thinking. By afternoon you’re feeling tired and groggy, so you go hit the snack box or vending machine and gulp down a Red Bull…

Welcome to the busy working lifestyle – where the combination of poor nutrition and high stress make for a sick and tired person – and most probably overweight as well.

So what are some easy ways to improve your work diet?

1. Don’t Skip Breakfast
   Sure you’ve heard it all before – but this time you have to make it work for you. If you are not hungry when you wake or simply cannot make the time – why not set up some breakfast food at work? I’ve known many a colleague who will fix themselves some breakfast in the staff/tea room. Most offices will have at least a fridge and a microwave oven. No excuses there.
2. Throw Some Fruit in Your Bag
   This was role-modeled for me many years ago. A dedicated and fit workmate always had 3 pieces of fruit sitting on his desk. The fruit was always consumed by the end of the day. It rubbed off on me so I began bringing in fruit. I’ve never looked back. You don’t have to keep reaching for the vending machine.
3. Get Out of The Office
   I’ve always been amazed at the folks who stay in the office for the entire day. Plan to get out at lunch time – go for a walk – clear your head – and make time to eat. If you plan ahead of time then you won’t be pulled into any sudden jobs or meetings.
4. Stock Up Your Desk
   Most people tend to eat whatever is in front of them. Once you get the munchies – any food will become fair game. If you’ve got some better options nearby – the chances are you will eat better. Here are some food ideas:
   • Small packets of nuts.
   • Small tins of tuna or salmon
   • Small cans of beans
   • Rice Crackers
   • Whole-wheat pitas
   • In the fridge you could have some hummus or cottage cheese, or even sliced meats.
   • You have enough there to make up a lunch or snack.
5. Coffee Overdose
   What can be said about coffee? Our entire civilisation would collapse without this drug. However some of us consume so much of it during our work day – that we end up strung out and fatigued – not realizing that it could be the coffee to blame. Keep tabs on this. I frequently go through seasons of substituting green tea or herbal tea when my coffee consumption starts going up. Colleagues might look at you funny when you pour yourself some green tea with lemon – but that’s their problem.
6. The Dinner Trap
   Let’s say you have lunch at 1pm, and dinner at 7pm. That’s a fairly long stretch. Instead of starving and then demolishing an enormous meal of pasta – it’s better to have a good snack in between. Don’t be afraid to leave food on your plate at dinner time. Most of us are used to big carb-heavy evening meals. Make a habit of leaving food on your plate – you never know – you might just have made tomorrows lunch.

Please add your ideas for at-work snacking.

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

Is it the end of the world? Of course not – however it is an obvious sign that (depending on your goals) you are taking on too much energy.

So how does it happen? You eat healthy, you exercise regularly, you thought it was all under control.

1. “It’s just a normal-size dinner”
   Many western eating habits include a very large (and carb-heavy) evening meal. It’s very easy to slip back into this mode of eating. No matter where science stands with regard to this issue, I still feel that, anecdotally, it doesn’t make sense to load your fuel tank last thing at night.
2. “I’m eating little and often”
   Many popular diets (Abs diet, 3 hour diet, BFFM, and other bodybuilder-based programs) tell us to eat 5-6 times a day. It’s a great method to manage hunger, and perhaps obtain some benefit from the thermic affect of eating. The only problem is some of those 5-6 ‘mini-meals’ become normal-sized meals. Before you know it, the size of those extra ’snacks’ are simply too much.I’ve seen some people eating this way gain fat. The culprit was all the extra protein shakes!
3. “I’m eating intuitively”
   It’s great to be able to follow your body’s natural cues. Who wants to follow plans or count calories forever?Our body is a quick learner, feed it at a certain time, and it will start expecting food at that time. Our stomach acids tend to follow the pattern that we’ve set for them. Recently I started eating a mid-morning “snack” at about 9.30am. After only a few days my body then expected food at that time, and before I knew it, the snack was getting larger in order to appease those gnawing pangs.
4. “But I exercise”
   Exercise is a fantastic and essential part of life. However it’s easy to fool ourselves with the amount we are doing. 25 minutes on the rowing machine burns up the same amount of energy as a donut.
5. “I watch my carb intake”
   Yes – however most of our bakeries and cafe’s are filled with white / refined carbs. If you’ve been following a diet where you’ve increased protein and reduced (or even chosen better) carbohydrates – it’s very easy to let white or refined carbs drop back into the mix. Vigilance is needed here – white carbs and added sugars are everywhere!

We live in an environment surrounded by food in abundance. For many people – maintaining weight will be a life-long commitment to certain principles.

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

It’s amazing how many people embark on a diet without sparing a single thought as to the practicality aspects. In response to a diet review on Diet-Blog, Crystal made this remark:

Yeah, I tried this diet and lasted about 7 hours. Just like every other diet [...] maybe next diet.

While I am not a huge fan of the concept of “trying a diet” – every time you plan to make changes to your lifestyle (such as nutrition and exercise) – you need to count the cost.

1. Are you prepared to eat differently than your friends at a social situation?
   Eating often accompanies many social gatherings. How do your friends eat? Do they consume foods that you know will not be compatible with your lifestyle? How will you address this?
2. Will you acknowledge the truth about yourself objectively?
   Many people reach their ideal weight, and then let old habits creep back in. However there are a few warning systems in place – one is the waistband in your pants. Will you choose to conveniently ignore it if it gets tighter? Or will you be objective?
3. How do you eat?
   Is it at your desk at work? Maybe in the car or on the bus? What do you eat during these times? How will it be compatible with your new food choices?
4. What sort of lifestyle do your friends and family lead?
   If your whole world is filled with people who are couch potatoes – how do you plan to work against this culture? Will they influence you to be more active or more sedentary.
5. Are you being totally honest with yourself?
   You read about a new diet in a magazine, and it requires eating a lot more vegetables. On the surface you are busting to lose “10 pounds in 2 weeks”, but deep down you know you cannot stand vegetables. Which part of you will win out in the end? Probably the voice that says you hate vegetables. This must be addressed. Why do you hate vegies? Are you prepared to cook more, or learn different ways of cooking vegies? Is it the taste? The texture? The time taken to prepare them?
6. Are you prepared to accept the things you cannot change?
   You cannot change the way other people act and the way they speak – “oh, so you’re on another health kick again are you?”… But you can choose how you will respond inwardly and outwardly – ahead of time.
7. Are you prepared to changed you home environment?
   So you decided to eat like a “French woman” – mindfully and leisurely. The trouble is, your home environment is utterly chaotic, noisy, and messy – with barely a place to sit down – let alone have a large pleasant space to indulge in your new gourmet meals. What will you do to change this?
8. How do the local restaurants fit in?
   Do you eat at restaurants a lot? Which restaurants do you go to? Will they fit with your new style of eating? Are you prepared to leave food on your plate if their portions are too big?
9. Will your current habits fit?
   Most nights are spent watching re-runs of “Friends” while chowing down on a super-sized packet of cheetos. However you are embarking on a diet that completely rules out junk food. What will you do? Change your habits? Find a different comfort food? Divide up your packets of cheetos? Think about it.
10. Is my kitchen okay?
    Seems like an odd question – but take a look around your kitchen. You’ve decided to try the Sonoma Diet and you need to actually cook and prepare food. Trouble is, all you have are 3 forks and a corkscrew… Or maybe you’re going to start making a smoothie every day. Now where do you fit a blender? After all, will you actually use it if it’s stored in a cupboard 10 feet up? Or maybe you plan to portion up your meals. Do you actually have enough fridge/freezer space? Enough containers? Enough time?

If you want to make a lifestyle change rather than “just another diet”, then you need to think about your life objectively and realistically.

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

What foods made up this 935 calorie increase and what effect might those foods have had on overall health?

Are we eating a lot more animal-based protein? Red meat? Or is it the increase of saturated fats that have made us sicker?

The answers to these questions present a stunning contrast to traditional dietary dogma.

Here’s the base statistics.

Consumption of animal proteins went from 8.7% of daily calories to 7.6% – here are some details:

More poultry but less red meat, butter, and eggs. Pork consumption is about the same. So where did all the extra calories come from?

Added sugars, vegetable oils, and cereal grains.

We’ve been told to; eat less eggs, eat more margarine – avoid butter, eat less saturated fat, eat less red meat, eat more grains, use more vegetable oils.

The above statistics would indicate – that to some degree – this advice has been taken to heart.

Strange how more of us are obese than ever before and how diabetes and heart disease rates continue to climb.

Surely after 40 years we should be seeing some positive evidence?

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

The challenge is to balance convenience with nutrition.

Here is a pictorial guide to a selection of healthy snacks – and remember – healthy eating is not just about the number of calories*.

Raw AlmondsServing shown: 20 almonds
Calories: 139

Raw Mixed NutsServing shown: 30g / ~1oz
Calories: 178

Dried FruitServing shown: 40g / 1.4oz
Calories: 97

Note: Dried fruits are more calorie dense (per weight) than fresh fruit – and are easier to overeat.

MandarinServing shown: 180g, 1 medium & 1 small.
Calories: 95

Note: Great packaging. Small portions. Seasonal

AppleServing shown: 185g / 6.5oz
Calories: 96

BananaServing shown: 1 medium banana – 118g
Calories: 105

Note: Nicely prepackaged.

GrapesServing shown: 215g / 7.6oz
Calories: 148

Note: Seasonal

TunaServing shown: 85g / 3oz
Calories: 99

Note: Be wary of tuna in oil – many of the oils are vegetable oils (high in omega-6 rather than omega-3 EFA’s).

Dried PeasServing shown: 25g / .9oz
Calories: 72

Note: Find in bulk bins – often with different seasonings.

PopcornServing shown: 2 cups
Calories: 62 (air-popped)
Calories:110 (oil-popped)
No condiments added.
Note: Avoid pre-packaged popcorn (often contains trans fat).

Baby CarrotsServing shown: 170g / 6oz
Calories: 60

Note: Convenient – can buy pre-washed and pre-bagged.

Celery & HummusServing shown: 40g / 1.4oz hummus
Calories: 108

Note: Buy celery pre-cut and pre-washed. Goes well with many other dips.

Cherry TomatoesServing shown: 150g / 1 Cup
Calories: 27

Note: Seasonal.

Whole-grain Crispbread with Cottage CheeseServing shown: 1 cracker + ~45g (1.5oz) cottage cheese (light)
Calories: 70

Note: Aim for crispbreads or crackers that are completely whole grain and have a minimal amount of oil.

Bean Salad80g / 2.8oz
Calories: 90

Functional Fruit
All fruits are great – however many have a very short season (berries, peaches, nectarines) and others can be a bit too messy if you are at work (grapefruit, oranges, melon).

*It’s Not Just About Calories
Some snacks may be low in calories, but lack in other essential nutrients. What’s more – some snacks do nothing to satisfy the appetite. What’s the point in saving 20 calories just to be gnawingly hungry 15 minutes later? No vending machine will be safe from you…

Not Everyone Needs to Snack
For some people – three square meals works fine. For others, snacking is a way of life – and without a little pre-planning – most of those snacks will not be the best choices.

Snacking is a great way to maintain even energy levels and manage hunger and prevent bingeing.

Building Positive Habits
Snacking is habit forming. Switch out bad food choices for good ones – and before you know it – your 3 hourly pilgrimage to the vending machine will be a thing of the past.

NOTE: All items were carefully weighed and measured. Calorie amounts came from the USDA nutrient database or from labels.

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

Breakfast – 290 Calories
1 whole wheat English muffin
2 pats low fat butter
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 cup of fruit
8 oz fruit juice
8 oz water

Cereal – 300 Calories
1 cup of cereal
8 oz 2% milk
1 banana
1 coffee or tea

Baked potato – 305 Calories
1 medium baked potato
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons salsa
1 cup sliced melon
12 oz water

Oatmeal – 325 Calories
1 cup oatmeal with raisins
1 cup of fruit
1 cup coffee or tea
1 banana

Soup – 350 Calories
1 bowl of soup
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water
4 saltine crackers

Chicken – 345 Calories
6 oz of chicken
1 cup of green beans
2 pats of low-fat butter
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Chicken Salad – 350 Calories
1 large tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
6 oz sliced chicken
1 cup of low fat wheat thin crackers
12 oz water

Scrambled eggs – 360 Calories
2 scrambled eggs
2 strips of turkey bacon
1 piece whole wheat toast
1 pat of low fat butter
1 coffee or tea
8 oz water

Fish – 365 Calories
6 oz broiled white fish
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 pat of butter
1/2 cup of peas
8 oz diet iced tea

Chicken and Rice – 395 Calories
6 oz cooked chicken
2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/

What are your diet hacks? Let us know in the comments.

Source: http://zenhabits.net/