Have a low(er) fat summer

Hello,

With summer having started around the 21st of June (yes, that’s when summer starts, or so says the BBC) with any luck you, me and the GetFit team will see the sun a little more and enjoy lighter and warmer evenings.

However, the summer months bring with them their own unique healthy eating challenges. We may find ourselves heading out for alfresco dining at pubs, cafes and restaurants, either here or whilst on holiday or be invited to, or hold our own, BBQ’s and summer parties.


Because even though summer is typically seen as the perfect time for salads, light meals and outdoor dining, I find it can often be ambushed by heavy sauces, fatty meats and creamy dips…


And I have to confess to being a heavy dipper!


So what can be done to stop this summer from becoming a ‘Summer of Fat’?


I asked around the GetFit office and asked the guys to confess to their summer time weakness and I can now bring you the GetFit's Top 5 ‘Summer of Fat’ alerts…


Number 5 - Ordering lower fat dishes when dining out (especially on holiday)


Eating out is an enjoyable experience that need not stop just because you are following a healthy eating or weight loss plan. But dining out can be fraught with danger, especially when ordering abroad! However with a little pre-planning it can be made healthier.


Wherever and whenever you dine out you can decide before you set out that you are going to have just one or two courses and try eating a light snack e.g. a couple of crackers to take the edge off your appetite.


Also, look for dishes described as ‘grilled’, ‘chargrilled’, ‘poached’, ‘stir-fired’, ‘steamed’, ‘cooked in own juice’ or with pomodoro or wine sauce (and if you’re abroad and your language skills are rusty, or non-existent like mine, translate these words before heading down to the local tapas bar).


Number 4 - BBQ meat madness… Using lower fat meats or ‘vegetarian’ options


With several Aussies in the office, this comes as no surprise.


There are so many meat alternatives available it would be impossible to list them all her, but sausages, burgers and even ‘fake’ bacon can all be found in almost all supermarket aisles.


However, check the fat content per 100g to help you choose lower fat meat-free alternatives. A guideline figure is 9% fat (9g fat per 100g) maximum, but you will find many lower fat meat-alternative foods containing 5% or less fat.


If the idea of a no meat BBQ is just unimaginable, look for the leanest meats you can find, and shock horror, remove the skin of the chicken pieces, as this part contains the majority of the fat.


Serve your meat-alternative products with a large portion of colourful salad or vegetables.


And if you’re watching your carb intake for any reason, leave the bun!


Next week I'll reveal the GetFit teams Top 3 summer fat alerts...

Willpower eh? now what is that exactly..

Two weeks ago I talked about the opposite of willpower, which I called "other power"

Essentially I was looking for those things "outside ourselves" that could help in tackling problem habits which most of us don't want to continue in our day to day lives.

What is it we all mean when we talking about having "willpower"?

It's one of those funny things, we all have an idea of what willpower means to ourselves personally, but I was struggling to come up with a decent definition.

This being the internet I goggled willpower and let the democracy of internet search give me the definition (thanks Wikipedia - interestingly there isn't a page on willpower just links to other pages)

·  Self-discipline, training and control of oneself and one's conduct, usually for personal improvement

·  Self-control, the ability of a person to exert his/her will over the inhibitions of their body or self

So something about training the mind and the ability to exert control over your own body / self. This is really interesting because I often hear people talking about how they "have no willpower". We often don't think that willpower is something we can train - like a muscle - but surely it must change throughout our lives - so there must be a way for us to change it for the better - to be more focused on what we want.

The second part interesting part of willpower that is the idea of control. Surely the only thing that we have control over in our lives are our choices. But I find myself deciding to do one thing one day, but the following morning deciding that the exact opposite of what I want...

It's like there are many different "me's” all deciding different things at different times. Usually it's whatever is easiest or what will give me a little bit of comfort at that particular point.

Thinking about willpower in this way - is a bit more fun than thinking "I'm weak" or "I just can't do it" - but as a little argument within me, where different “me's” want different things.

The GetFit.com willpower training method

Based on this, the psychology team at getfit.com have developed a fun little training technique based on "self-talk". Self-talk is the way we talk to ourselves about what we are doing. But with this training method you are going to name the different "you's" that are talking when there is a situation that you feel Willpower is required.

We've all seen the cartoons with Donald Duck with an angel duck on one shoulder, and the devil duck on the other. I don't think that this is a helpful way of viewing the different "you’s" that you might appear when making a decision, but it gives you an idea of what I mean... Remember that both "you's" will be looking to make your life better, just going about it in different ways.

1. When a challenging situation arises - recognise it
- After all if you just react on instinct you won't be thinking at all

2. Stop and take some time to be aware of your thoughts and feelings
- This is where you can recognise the different "you's" who want different things

3. Give a little description to the different "you's" that are present
- This one is tired and wants a treat, this one is thinking about fitting into jeans.....

4. Act as a judge as to what type of "you" each would result in
- This first one will only look after my short term needs, this second one is thinking for the long term

5. Make a decision based on what you want to be in the future
- I'd rather be able to fit into jeans than have a treat just now

6. Just do it - no more thinking - you've made the decision, move on.
- Don't get caught up in guilt or brow-beating, you've made a decision - accept it and whatever goes along with it.

Remember that there is always some trial and error with learning anything new. Willpower is just you being clear with yourself about what you want and that there are some costs associated with getting what you want.

Of course willpower is not the entire picture, for the next few weeks we'll be tackling how to establish healthy habits - so willpower can take a back seat!.