Ready…Set…Grill!

It’s that time of year again! Sun’s out, spatula’s out, and fire up that grill! For those trying to lose weight or just focusing on a healthier lifestyle, a backyard BBQ might seem like a diet disaster. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, soda,- it’s true that these food items can wreak havoc on the waistline, but who invited them to the party anyway?? With some healthy swaps and nutritious additions to the menu, your next barbeque will leave you and your guests feeling (and looking) good!

Appetizers:
One thing barbeques are known for is the array of delicious munchies usually provided before the grill is even fired up. With high calorie, high fat appetizers like chips and dip, you may find yourself finishing a meal’s worth of calories before dinner even reaches your plate.
Make it healthier: Keep the appetizers simple. Serve a tray of pre-cut veggies with low fat dressing or hummus for dip. Toss together a big green salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar. Thread veggies, fruit, and one or two pieces of cheese on a skewer to make healthy kebobs. Can’t give up the chips and dip? Choose whole grain chips or pretzels and serve with fresh salsa, which is much lower in calories and fat than a creamy dip.

The Main Course:
Good news! Grilling is one of the healthiest cooking methods there is! Hamburgers and hotdogs have long been staples of the backyard barbeque- but it might be time to make room on the grill for some smarter choices.
Make it healthier: Fish and poultry are excellent sources of lean protein that taste wonderful on the grill. (Bonus: most seafood contains heart healthy omega-3s!) Salmon, tuna, shrimp, and white meat chicken are all great options.
Still pining after a burger? Try a veggie burger! Veggie burgers are gaining popularity for being low in calorie but bursting with flavor. If you choose to have meat, choose ground beef or turkey that is at least 90% lean; pork tenderloin is another lean option as well.

The Sides:
Creamy dressings, extra butter, and oversized portions are often the high calorie culprits when it comes to side dishes.
Make it healthier: Go for lighter options, such as a quinoa salad or grilled veggies. Lightly brush corn on the cob with olive oil and grill for five minutes to get delicious flavor without the need for butter. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges, brush with olive oil, season, and grill for yummy sweet potato fries. For a healthier pasta salad, try whole wheat pasta, add lots of veggies, and use light Italian dressing. Get creative with the side dishes; it is usually possible to make a much lighter version of your favorite dish with just a couple substitutions!

The Dessert
Treats are fine in moderation, but if you know you’re going to be hosting or attending a bunch of gatherings, sugary desserts can add up fast and slow your progress.
Make it healthier: You might already know where I am going with this one… fruit salad! Summer means many delicious fruits are in season, and there is nothing prettier or more refreshing than a bowl of colorful, fresh fruit! For a little extra indulgence, dip a few pieces in dark chocolate or provide light cool whip for topping. This isn’t to say you can never have a cookie or brownie, just remember to indulge in moderation and choose a healthier option more often.

Get active!
Barbeques are a great time to gather friends and family and get active together! Toss around a football, put on some music for dancing, or take a walk together after dinner. Encourage kids to play outside, whether it is a game of tag, swimming in the pool, or going on a bike ride. Make screen time off limits during the festivities.

Barbeques are a great way to gather with friends and family and enjoy the warm weather. And with so many great options for the menu, there is no need to compromise your healthy lifestyle! If you are attending a barbeque and have less control over what’s served, contribute a dish to the event so you know there will be something healthy for you to have. Remember, a healthy lifestyle is all about balance and smart choices. Happy grilling!

*Here are some great grilling recipes to get you started. Be sure to follow me on pinterest for links to more recipes!

What’s your favorite dish at a barbeque? Do you have any go-to recipes?

Visit me at www.erinpalinski.com to sign up for my FREE nutrition newsletter. Follow me on twitter @DietExpertNJ for all of my latest nutrition and fitness tips and like me on Facebook!

Slim Down For Swimsuit Season

Are you looking to slim down for swimsuit season? Do you have diabetes and want to learn easier ways to control your glucose levels while still eating what you love? If so, you need to watch our fun and interactive Diabetes Influencers Goggle Hangout Event on Slimming Down For Summer While Still Eating What You Love. This link brings you to the recording of the live event with myself as well as Trim & Terrific cookbook author Holly Clegg (author of Kitchen 101) and our happy healthcare host Mr. Divabetic, host of the Diva TalkRadio. Watch to learn the best foods to blast away belly fat from my book Belly Fat Diet For Dummies, along with how to convert any recipe into a healthier option that still tastes as terrific as the original, and how to pack your beach bag to manage your blood sugar no matter where you go this summer.

Click here to watch!

Difficulty Losing Weight? Your Personality May be to Blame!

When it comes to weight loss, a lifestyle change that is customized to you and your dietary habits is the key to success. Just as we all have different personalities, we also each have a unique weight loss personality. This is why a ‘one size fits all’ approach to weight loss just doesn’t work. Tailoring a plan to your lifestyle is necessary for both weight loss, and most importantly- weight maintenance following weight loss. Let’s discuss different weight loss personalities and identify strategies for each one to promote long term weight loss success.

The Personality: ‘Perfectionist’
Do you find yourself always trying to do everything right, all of the time? Are you hard on yourself when things do not go exactly as planned? If so, you likely have a ‘perfectionist’ personality. When it comes to eating, it is nearly impossible be perfect 100% of the time. Life is going to throw curveballs that require a bit of leniency in your diet; and while you may not be able to make the perfect food choice every single time, you can still lose weight and maintain a perfectly healthy lifestyle! Often with this personality we see over restriction and emphasis on ‘forbidden’ foods. Even one diet ‘slip up’ can cause feelings of failure or hopelessness and lead to a cycle of overeating followed by over restriction.

The Strategy: Stop the cycle! Work on learning to forgive yourself when you do have a diet ‘slip up’, and try incorporating a small weekly indulgence to your diet. Adding flexibility to your diet will not hinder your health or your weight loss efforts, and you will likely feel more relaxed and at peace with your new lifestyle changes.

The Personality: Impulsive
Do you get halfway through the bag of Doritos before you even realize you grabbed them from the kitchen? Do you take seconds at dinner just because the leftovers were sitting there? These are habits seen often with ‘impulsive’ personalities. Changing your lifestyle usually requires a bit of planning and thoughtfulness, especially in the beginning while getting used to new foods and eating habits. Those with impulsive personalities are more likely make a poor dietary choice in the moment and less likely to consider the feelings of guilt that usually follow. Impulsive eating often leads to poor dietary decisions, disregard of hunger cues, and overeating.

The Strategy: Get rid of temptation! Think about the food temptations you give into throughout the day and find a way to eliminate these temptations altogether. Stock your fridge and cabinets with healthy snacks and avoid buying sugary and salty treats. Contribute a healthy dish at the next BBQ so you know there will be something nutritious there for you to eat. Keep dinner leftovers on the kitchen counter or somewhere they will be out of reach. Making your food choices more planned and deliberate throughout the day will help you stay on track!

The Personality: Night Owl
Do you find yourself staying awake late into the night even when you don’t need to? The ‘night owl’ personality is a common one, and it can have a substantial impact on your weight loss efforts. Studies have shown that people who stay up later often engage in night time snacking and consume significantly more calories than those who hit the sack earlier. Additionally, sleep deprivation can lead to clouded judgment when choosing foods the following day, and can also mess with your hunger and satiety hormones.

The Strategy: Commit to a bedtime! Choose a bedtime that is realistic for your lifestyle, preferably early enough to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and commit to it. To promote a more restful sleep, turn off electronics 30 minutes to an hour before getting into bed. Try practicing nighttime yoga or meditation to relax your mind and body. It will take consistency and patience while your body adjusts to the new sleep schedule, but I bet you will find the new rested you makes healthier choices throughout the day!

The Personality: All or Nothing
Have you started a nutrition or exercise program, strayed a bit off course, and then abandoned the program all together? This ‘all or nothing’ personality can sabotage weight loss efforts; any deviation from the plan will lead to feelings of failure and subsequent giving up. This personality often relies on a very structured plan for weight loss success. While structure can be helpful while losing weight, flexibility is essential for long term weight loss and weight maintenance.

The Strategy: Add flexibility! When you begin your weight loss journey, follow a structured plan while you are getting used to the changes. After a couple weeks, allow yourself to stray a bit from the plan. This may mean experimenting with one or two different meals a week, adding in a night at your favorite restaurant or enjoying a small treat at the Sunday barbeque. Adding flexibility to your plan will allow for continued weight loss while preventing diet burn out that can occur from too much structure.

The Personality: Short Attention Span
Have you ever given up on trying to lose weight after feeling bored with eating the same foods over and over again? Structure is important for weight loss, but that doesn’t mean the foods you eat have to lack variety! Someone with the ‘short attention span’ personality may find they get into a rut of eating the same foods every day that is not only boring, but is also unsustainable. Eating should be an enjoyable experience, and the greater variety of healthy foods you have in your diet, the more likely you are to feel satisfied and find success on your journey to weight loss.

The Strategy: Mix it up! There is no way to get around the fact that structure and planning are necessary components for weight loss. To add variety but keep structure, plan out a week of meals, Sunday-Saturday. Make sure these meals differ from day to day. Now, you have seven days of different meals that will help you stay on track without becoming bored. You can repeat these meals each week, or find new healthy recipes online or in a cookbook to swap with. Getting creative in the kitchen is a great way to stave off boredom while discovering new nutritious snacks and meals.

No matter what your weight loss personality is, the important thing to remember is that the changes you are making are lifestyle changes; they have to be sustainable if you hope to reach long term success. Once you identify your weight loss personality, work with the strategies that are tailored to you and your lifestyle (a registered dietitian can help you do this!).

Which personality do you identify with? Do you have a different weight loss personality that was not mentioned?

Visit me at www.erinpalinski.com to sign up for my FREE nutrition newsletter. Follow me on twitter @DietExpertNJ for all of my latest nutrition and fitness tips and like me on Facebook!