Health Reform Law and your favorite lunch spot....

If you think the health care reform bill had nothing to do with your lunch, think again. A little noticed national calorie labeling rule tucked into the legislation assures that within a couple of years, everyone who walks into a chain restaurant will see calories counts displayed alongside the price of a meal.

The public health concept is twofold. Making restaurants post calorie counts might drive them to compete with healthier menu items instead of just on price and taste. And if customers learn that a Whopper is 670 calories and a caramel Frappucino is 380, they might make different choices.

New Yorkers have been living with highly visible calorie counts on chain restaurant menus for a couple of years. The results have been mixed at best.

Although the federal law is based largely on the one designed by the New York City Health Department, there are difference.
The rules about where the calories counts have to be at drive-through menus have been tightened. And the law only applies to chains with 20 restaurants or more. The New York law applies to chains with at least 15 restaurants. The change was requested by the National Restaurant Association, which wanted uniform standards nationwide.

Sixteen other states and localities have passed similar laws, and more are pending. The national law will supersede the local laws. So the Centers for Science in the Public Interest, which began a campaign for nutrition labeling at restaurants seven years ago, is suggesting people who worked for the fast food calorie labeling law turn their attention to getting calorie counts listed at cafeterias in hospitals and government buildings.

Reprinted from The New York Times, Kim Severson 3/23/10

Not all "Weight Problems" are the same

Not everyone is looking to lose weight, some need to gain or maintain body mass. I know what some of you are thinking, "poor bastards." But, it can be a real problem for some.

If you are active and underweight it becomes even more important for you to maintain a nutritionally consistent diet. For individuals that are training hard and not seeing results, look at your protein intake. Your body may already be in a metabolic overdrive, throw in some exercise, and you may see a dangerous drop in body weight, recovery and energy levels. Focus on meals that are higher in calorie but try to keep simple sugars and bad fats down. This will help you maintain and gain quality mass and prevent belly fat.

Some options:

Fruits and Nuts are high in calorie, natural sugars and fats.

Meat (lean) and Potatoes make a good combo.

Spread out your calories and include a few extra snacks.

Protein Bars and supplements might be a good easy option for you.

Genetics and be a difficult obstacle for everyone, but you can put up a good fight and achieve your goals. You do have a GOAL, right?

Lunch

I'll just grab something fast!

How about an Arby's Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich. Sounds good, the "Market Fresh" is a nice touch. Let's see, how does *880 calories, *46 grams of fat (10 saturated) and *1740 mg of sodium sound for lunch?

How about Subway's Footlong Marina Meatball Sandwich? It shouldn't be a shock that it's bad, but how bad can it be? Hmmm, how does *1160 calories, *46 grams of fat (18 g saturated, 2 trans) and over *3000 mg of sodium sound? Yummy, even if you cut this one into a 6" your in trouble!

I have been good this week, I'll have a burger at Chili's. I'll take the Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Cheese Burger. I mean I know it's bad, but, I'll get back to the "diet" stuff tomorrow. So that's *1900 calories, *138 grams of fat (47 gr saturated) and 4200 mg of sodium.

Any one of these "lunches" and thousands of others just like them, just once a week, could wreck your efforts to lose weight and be healthy. Learn what you are eating, fix your own meals and stay away from the "cheat meals".

How Much Protien

Fact: Protein contains the same number of calories as carbs = 4

So eating protein results in eating calories, no way around it. If you are trying to take in more protein to help repair muscles after a hard workout then you must understand that you will likely be taking in more calories which will result in a BF increase.

New research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is suggesting that the body can only use 30 grams of protein (a 4-ounce serving) per meal for muscle protein synthesis (production). Therefore, 4 ounces (approximately the size of a bar of soap, a checkbook, or a deck of cards) of chicken, fish, dairy, or lean beef may be all your body can use at one time. I am glad to see this information coming out. Some of the protein supplements containing 40-50+ grams per serving pack a lot of calories and may be going to waste.

Working out hard and following a basic meal schedule of 5-6 small meals per day seems to give you the most bang for your buck. Making sure you get 20-30 grams of protein in each one of those meals is important for your recovery. Keeping your meals around 300-400 calories is my basic recommendation, it's best to keep it simple.

New "Research" on exercise

The Myth about Exercise

is a

Misleading headline

If you get a chance to read this article in Time Magazine please do. I have a real problem with how this information has been presented on the news.

Basically the article states that when people exercise they become hungry and eat more. Furthermore, some people seem more likely to engage in bad eating habits because they exercise. "Well I ran this morning so I can eat these chips", would be a good example. So, it is not that exercise is a myth, but will power can become more of an issue for those who workout. So again it comes down to what you eat more than anything else.

I do agree, as stated in the article, that will power is like a muscle and it becomes tired the more we use it. So it may be better to cheat once in a while just be sure to make it in moderation and make wise choices when you do.

Long Day, pack a lunch

Skip the fast food and pack a lunch.

It takes a bit of effort, but it could make all the difference in the world. One meal a week picked up through the fast food window may not kill you, but it could sabotage your diet and fitness efforts.

Pack a lunch and a health snack to get you through that long shift and extra job.

• low fat turkey sandwich
• tuna lunch kit
• left over chicken breast with brown rice
• fruit
• almonds
• snack bar -look for something less that 200 calories
• water

How bad was lunch?

SUBWAY:

6" meatball marinara on wheat with cheese has -560 calories and 24 grams of fat, 11grams saturated fat. That means if you have a foot long you will take in 1120 calories and 22 grams of saturated fat and 3180 mg of sodium. The worst sandwich on the menu is the chicken and bacon ranch, but just barely. The Tuna sandwich is the 3rd highest with 530 calories and 31 grams of fat for the 6".
click here for Subway's menu info

Chili's:

Hard to know where to begin here. Chili's has a horrible menu and if you eat there even once a month you should checkout there website for nutritional information.Take the chicken crispers for example-over 1800 calories and 124 grams of fat, 17 saturated, and 4790 mg of sodium. That is not the worst item on the menu. click here to see how bad it really is

click here for Sonic

Click here for McDonald's

The information is out there you should spend a few minutes and find out what you are really eating.

Fat Intake

Look for 30% or less total calories from fat!

That means, taking the label above, divide the number of calories from fat {110} by the total number of calories {250} to get the % of fat calories.

110/250=.44 or 44%

Sandwich is an easy FIX

A sandwich can be an easy fix, if you are looking for a "good for me" meal.

Just follow some common sense rules and you will be fine.

• Make it yourself so you know what is in it
• whole wheat bread
• no secret sauces or mayo-use mustard it's low in calorie and fat free
• Add spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, pickles and fancy lettuce for added vitamins
• Avoid the cheese or try fat free or at least lower fat, just realize that you could be adding 150 calories to your sandwich with a single slice
• Use lean meats like turkey, chicken or ham and watch for processed sandwich meats, look for natural striations in the meat if you don't see them it's likely that it is highly processed. The "turkey breast" may be pressed together from bits and pieces from who knows what. Terms like "all natural" and "low fat" have no true definition and are not regulated by the FDA.
• Skip the chips or at least look for "baked", and again, you are adding 200-250 calories to your meal with no nutritional value.