Inspiration

This past weekend, Rebecca, Bobbi, and I had the pleasure of attending Soul Collage with some of our friends from Rebecca Bitzer and Associates. The workshop coordinator told us at the beginning of the event that this was about us and not to worry about remembering other people’s names or asking them questions, rather we should be communicating with ourselves. We started the event by finding a picture from a magazine that best represents who we are. We went around the circle saying “I am one who….”, finishing the sentence with something related to ourselves and the picture. This transitioned us into the main focus of soul collage, again using these magazine pictures to create “soul cards” that related to our lives.

My first one was about what I enjoy most in life, summer and taking vacations, exercising and being outside, and being home near the Jersey shore.

My second soul card represented my excitement and uncertainty for the future, a picture of someone looking ahead.

For those of you who attended what did you think?

Feed your soul   Nourish your body   Tantalize your taste buds   Blow your mind   Let your imagination go

This exquisite photograph took up the greater part of the first page in yesterday’s dining section of the New York Times.  I am memorized by the composition and eye popping color.  I would rather frame it than eat it.  The photo is accompanied by a great list, 101 foods to grill, written by Mark Bittman.  Mr. Bittman is renowned for his minimalist and healthful approach to life.

I have a husband who doesn’t grill.  How that happened I don’t know.  I grill on a gas grill on my cook-top in the kitchen.  I am so inspired by these endless grilling possibilities I am going to master the outdoor grill.  On occasion it feels great to wear the pants in the family!

The article and list can be found here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/dining/30mini.html?ref=todayspaper

Annie Thorp, RD found this  great article with information that  is a great motivator for exercise! We thought this would be good incentive for clients! Let us know what you think.

Calories Count

In February, a two-year study of more than 800 overweight adults showed that people can lose weight if they reduce calories, regardless of the percentages of fat, protein and carbohydrates in their diets. The study, by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the National Institutes of Health, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Some foods are more “addictive” than others because they have a bigger effect on the brain chemicals that control the “reward” circuits in our brains. From a neurobiological point of view, sweets, fats and salty foods make us want to eat more of the same, as Dr. David S. Kessler, the former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, makes clear in his book “The End of Overeating.” Obviously, eating more leads to weight gain.

And what about the question of whether exercise increases or decreases appetite?

Exercise can suppress appetite, says Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School, because it triggers not only the chemical dopamine, which governs the brain’s reward system, but also endorphins, those feel-good brain chemicals. These substances act on the hunger and satiety areas of the brains for as long as four hours afterward. “You don’t need cigarettes or drugs or food, all those things in the pleasure areas of the brain, because exercise has already activated them,” says Blackburn.

A review article in 2007 from researchers at Tufts University also concluded that there is a “spontaneous reduction in hunger associated with participation in exercise.”

Psychologically, as opposed to biochemically, some experts theorize that exercise might lead people to believe they can reward themselves with treats afterward or that they may be tempted to be less active for the rest of the day. And some studies, says Evans, do suggest that if you exercise, say, for 40 minutes a day, you will “then compensate by decreasing how active you are at other times of the day, leaving total energy expenditure unchanged” or that you might reward yourself with food. But other studies say both of those theories are wrong.

Take your time

What we should be focusing on is eating slowly, which does control intake. “It takes about 20 minutes for food to get digested and formulated into hormones for your brain to know what you did, to get that signal to the brain,” says Blackburn. If you wolf your food, you’ll finish your second helping before your brain has registered your first.

An important caveat is that even rigorous diet and exercise may not work for everyone. If you’re seriously overweight or obese, the hormones that stimulate appetite can work against you when you diet severely. Bariatric surgery — such as the “stomach stapling” operations — may be considered.

Chicago Tribune

Check out this interview with one of our successful clients, Paul Evans! His weight loss journey led him to complete the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure! Congratulations Paul!

Starting Weight/ Current Weight: 392/ 361

What have been the keys to your success?  (Do you keep a food log?  Do you count carbs or calories or portions?)

The key to my success is knowing I can not do this alone and getting support through my nutrionist, TSFL support group, and actually trying to stick to it and follow the advice of my nutrionist it seems that weight comes off when I stick to the program. Also I found out I seem to do better when I have to work toward a goal. (Example: walking a 5k, or traveling on an airplane, or aiming for smaller clothes)

Is there any specific information that you were taught from your dietitian that “hit home” or aided you in your weight loss process?

The biggest thing that I have learned through the TSFL/ Medifast program is that “If normal eating got me overweight, I can never go back to normal again, and now I have to create a new normal to get and stay at optimal health.

What is your exercise routine?

I try to include a variety of different types of exercises. My favorite is water aerobics, Yobics (a combination of yoga and aerobics), and Jason’s Fit Kitchen (which is a website or you tube 10 minute workout), and just walking and other workout video’s

Have you seen health benefits from your progress?

I have more energy during the day. My clothes are getting bigger because I’m shrinking. Hopefully, by the end of summer when I go for my next Doctors visit I’m hoping if I lost more weight to be off my Diabetic medication Metformen.

What has changed in your life since you have lost weight (i.e. clothes sizes, energy levels, activity abilities, aches/ pains, etc?)

When I plateau the clothe-o-meter is a good reminder that my clothes are getting to big. I’m discovering a new like for healthy eating. My co-workers have noticed my energy level go up at work and I’m getting people noticing me more and making healthy comments about size now.

What keeps you coming to your appointments?

I know I can not do this by myself and I need the support of others.

What is the biggest change you have made in the last year?

The biggest change since losing the weight is that I was able to do a 5k (which is 3.2 miles) and I was able to walk it in 1 hour and 40 minutes. I did the 5k for Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.  June 5, 2010

What advice do you have for those seeking weight loss?

Realize that your weight is not your fault. The food industry has manipulated the taste of food so you will eat more than you need. Also, you can not get to your goal with out support.  Than if normal eating got you over weight, you have to find a new normal.

Additional comments (Please tell us about your race! We think this is amazing!):

When I started out the TSFL food program one of the things I noticed I had to do was to set goals in small stages. When I noticed the weight coming off and more than I have ever lost plus losing clothe sizes I decided one of my goals was to walk a 5k when I got close to losing my first 50lbs. I shared this goal with my family and they have been my biggest support system.  Than with perfect timing in setting my goal RBA came up with 5 day a week 30 minute a day exercise challenge which got me even more motivated for the 5k.  My initial fundraising goal was $125 which I got in about 2 days so I raised my goal to $500 and I was able to meet and exceed that goal by raising $616 for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  The night before the race I was so excited like the day before going to school for the first time or knowing it was almost Christmas morning I could not sleep the night before the big day. As I approached the first mile maker I noticed that there were short cuts to the finish line and I also though I’m only at the first mile I thought I was half way done with race.  It took me 40 minutes to get that first mile but I told myself I had to press onward to goal I said I was going to achieve. My brother and brother-in-law who ran the race came back to meet for the last mile to encourage me to finish the race. I could not have done it with out my family supporting me that day and meeting my mom at the finish line was a major accomplishment. I was in pain but it was well worth it to realize I can only take one step at time to finish the race and the pound will come off one pound at time when I’m focused on the finish line of being at my optimal health.

Indulging in what is often thought of as comfort food feels like the antithesis of what I have learned over the past two years on my path recovering from disordered eating.  The thought of comforting myself with food just does not fit anymore, but then it never did fit because I didn’t know that was what I was doing!  If someone had told me, you are eating for emotional reasons, I would have said, no, I’m not.  I eat because I am hungry, I have a big appetite, I love all kinds of food, I love to cook and it tastes good.  I did not know I was eating because something inside of me hurt so bad I grabbed food and it became my band-aid.

So what do I do now?  The band-aid is gone, but sometimes life hurts.  I have learned to comfort myself in many lovely and constructive ways.  Creating something or getting outside to let the world in are my current favorites.

Growing up in a household where eating to live was the motto has many disadvantages.  It also has a big advantage:   I have absolutely no cravings for, desire to recreate or fond memories of the food my mother cooked for us.  I have no desire to broil chicken until it is black and crisp, serve liver and onions ever, pork chops are iffy and I have a love-hate relationship with grapefruit and Lima beans.  There was no mac and cheese, rice pudding, mashed potatoes and gravy, chocolate milk, fluffernutters or chicken soup.  You would think there would be something, but there is not.  I am grateful for this, I do not crave any of the food some define as comfort foods.   My mother set a lovely table every night, we ate together as a family and talked about our day.  What sounds idyllic was not.  For me, mealtime missed the feeling of comfort.  I was uncomfortable eating what my mother prepared because all eyes were on me.  I was the chubby one and it was made clear to me the food on my plate was to nourish my body, not feed my soul.  She never changed her ways, never realized the “weight problem” I developed was in part created at her table.

We all have days when there isn’t enough comfort to be had and on top of everything else, it’s dinner time.  I might choose to go out for dinner.  Out of the house, with lively energy and people around me unwinding from their day, helps.  Other times I wold rather not be around a lot of people, I find comfort in the familiar, the small rituals of setting the table, chopping and sauteing; creating.

My criteria for comfort food is simple:  Fresh, healthy, easily prepared and quick to cook.  Appealing to look at, yummy smelling, baked in the oven, and most of all, leaving me feeling comfortable at the end of the meal.

A Frittata was just the thing last night.  Two small pans went on the burners with a little butter and olive oil in each.  I whisked 4 eggs and 2 egg whites with 1/2 cup of milk and a few snips of chives.  Half of the egg mixture got poured into the pans with the heat on low.  After the egg began to set I added the layers.  This is the fun part because you can really put in anything you want and mine were all leftovers!  I had thin slices of browned red potato, a sprinkling of raw onion, raw grated zucchini, crumbled goat cheese, sauteed mushrooms, a few pieces of crisp crumbled bacon and tomato slices.  After the Frittata had been on the burner for about 6 minutes I poured the remaining egg mixture over the top and popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  One Frittata was ample for my husband and I to share, served with rye toast and fresh strawberries.  An added bonus is the one left, lurking in my refrigerator, an instant meal over the weekend.

Is it taboo to call any food comfort food?  Would thinking of food in any way as comforting be the first step on a slippery slope backwards?  What is your solution when out of sorts and done in when dinner time arrives?

The following is a post from  recent high school graduate who had the opportunity to spend some time with the Registered Dietitians at Rebecca Bitzer and Associates. We want to thank Alyssa for writing this review and we are glad she enjoyed her experience. Best of luck at BU!

Hi there—my name is Alyssa Langer and I’m currently a senior at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, MD, and I plan to attend Boston University in the fall. In order to graduate at McDonogh, each senior is required to successfully complete a ‘senior project.’ Seniors finish classes three weeks earlier than the rest of the grades, and for those three weeks we are able to do various approved activities. Many students enjoy volunteering and community service, some shadow working adults in fields in which they may be interested, many people like to try a new, productive hobby, and some people travel to foreign places because they finally have the time to do so.

My senior project fell into two of the aforementioned categories. For week one, my father and I went on a cruise to Alaska, a mysterious, foreign place we had only imagined or seen in movies or on the Discovery Channel. After a mad rush to finish the school year, it was nice to simply turn off the cell phone and computer for a week and be alone, literally, in the middle of nowhere, with just nature.

However, one cannot stay on vacation forever (and I did admittedly miss civilization), and I decided that for my remaining two weeks, I wanted to do something a bit more productive. I’ve been interested in nutrition for awhile and hope to pursue a nutrition/dietetics major, as well as a journalism major, at BU. But I had never been to a nutritionist or witnessed one at work, so I thought it would be wise for me to observe a local nutritionist in action, to see what it’s really all about, before spending four years taking difficult college science classes.

I started searching for a willing nutritionist on the Internet, which is harder than I had imagined. But until I actually had to conduct this search, I was not aware of how many places nutritionists are employed. In my mind, every nutritionist worked in private practice—which I quickly discovered is not at all the case. But nutritionists are everywhere—big corporate food companies, government positions, hospitals, test kitchens, sports teams, gyms, publications, spas/resorts, private practice—the list goes on.

I feel so lucky to have found Rebecca Bitzer and Associates and am so appreciative to the entire staff, especially Bobbi Boteler with whom I’ve been communicating with for months, for allowing me to observe their meetings with clients and their functioning as a practice. At both their Greenbelt and Columbia locations, I had the opportunity to witness several members of the group at work in addition to Bobbi—Cameron Currie, Shelley Alspaugh, and Kathy Kendall. I enjoyed watching how the dietitians had to constantly change their approach depending on the patient in front of them. Each nutritionist is unique from the others in her tone and manner of communication, so it was intriguing to observe each of their strategies, routines, and questions. I was able to observe many new patients, as well as many regular patients. I really liked how the dietitians often remembered their returning clients’ situations; the personal aspect seemed quite touching in a world that is becoming increasingly impersonal. And it was impressive how, in just one hour with a new face and story, the dietitian was able to gage the client’s emotional and physical state, get an accurate grasp of his or her background and current lifestyle, and begin to make some healthy changes specifically tailored to his or her lifestyle.

And I had no idea how much dietitians resemble therapists. But it makes sense: A) a lot of clients come to the office with a doctor referral after receiving adverse health news, and the dietitian must be sensitive to his or her confusion, fear, and frustration and 2) if you do not address the underlying emotional issues that originally led to overeating or under-eating, you can lose or gain the appropriate weight—temporarily—but no long-term fix has been made and thus the ‘diet’ was ineffective(though I did learn that ‘diets’ never work—it’s all about changing your lifestyle). These dedicated, passionate nutritionists are here to help their clients realize what they are doing wrong, and why they are doing it, and once that has been discovered, confronted, and acknowledged, the client will be able to positively move on to a healthier lifestyle.

So thank you, dietitians from Rebecca Bitzer and Associates, for being so welcoming and accommodating. My short two weeks of shadowing have inspired me and confirmed my interest and passion to learn about nutrition/dietetics and then put my knowledge to good use by helping those in need of nutrition counseling. Look out for my R.D. job application in 2015!

Danielle came to our office about 3 months ago seeking help to control her Type II Diabetes. She had just started seeing a personal trainer to get help with her exercise and wanted to see a nutritionist to further help her with her meals to help manage her diabetes.

With the help of our Registered Dietitian, Annie Thorp, Danielle managed to loose 10 pounds in the first two months and keep her blood sugar under control. Her success was attributed to keeping a food log, counting carbohydrates, and paying more attention to things she ate. She really enjoyed working with Annie because she didn’t discourage her from eating out or eliminating all the food she likes. Annie said if you completely cut out everything you may end up binging so they worked together to come up with a plan that worked for her. Now instead of eating a whole box of chocolate, Danielle has learned to enjoy one piece when she has a craving. Danielle really enjoyed how Annie understood it was her body and she wasn’t going to force her to do things she didn’t want to do. Danielle said she would recommend anyone in her position to see a Registered Dietitian, since it helps to have someone to talk to and seek another person’s educated opinion.

Since Danielle has been seeing a nutritionist she said she feels better and healthier in her everyday life. She now has the confidence to try new things, such as the zumba class she just signed up for. She has also been receiving more compliments which has motivated her to keep up with this plan. Danielle said she is satisfied and comfortable with her body as long as she is healthy and can enjoy her life.

I got up early Sunday morning to drive from Annapolis to Philadelphia to spend Mother’s Day with my daughter and her fiance. I was excited to have a new outfit to wear and a necklace I had created out of a strand of “pearls” and some old Laurel Racetrack Jockey charms I had found in a junk shop.  It was a pleasure to get dressed.  I slipped on some new bought for self Mother’s Day lingerie, a new short straight khaki skirt and a white blouse.  I threaded a bright scarf though the belt loops of the skirt, skipped anything remotely resembling pantyhose or a slip.  Next came the jingly necklace, and finally, what got dubbed later in the day as, my Prom shoes.    And off I went knowing there would be a lot of love and a beautiful brunch waiting for me.

The daughter, who I so want to be a healthy role model for was elated to see me.  She loved my outfit and at one point I saw her gently jabbing her intended with her elbow and pointing to me feet.  My daughter has not seen me in high heels for 20 years except briefly at her brother’s wedding last spring.  She has never seen me in such a short straight skirt nor carrying myself with such confident pride.

Overweight people do not slip into anything.  They pull, they tug, they re-adjust, and then they hope no one will notice anyway.  I lived that life, and I will never live it again.  Over many years  I gained, I lost, I gained, I lost.  In the end, the greatest loss was myself.  My pride, my femininity, my joy, my confidence, my wit, and almost my passion.  For sure, I believed even my passion was gone, but Rebecca recognized it the first time we met.  Over the past two years she has patiently unearthed me, and guided me in the tiniest baby steps to know that each and every facet of my being is worthy of love and recognition.  We are not quite done, I can not repair so many years of damage in just two years, so I know there is even more goodness to come, not the least of which will be shoe shopping!  Having been at one of my highest weights during high school I never went to a prom.  You can not imagine the giddy feeling I got, while clipping along in my blue shoes being called “Prom Queen”.

Sharp pencils make me feel good.  They might even make me feel smarter while using them.  For sure, knowing I have a potful makes me feel smug.  So finally, today, I took every worn down pencil from my desk to the basement where the old manual pencil sharpener lives.  It was way more pencils than I have the time or patience to sharpen at once.  So I cut myself a deal, each and every time I passed the sharpener, I would sharpen five pencils.  Somethings are more palatable in increments.  As I moved clothes from the washer to the dryer I sharpened.  As I went looking for the right cake pan for the job, I sharpened.  Eventually all the pencils had pristine sharp points and I had a sweet sense of satisfaction.  Every time I look at them I am pleased, and every time I go to use one, well, color me happy!

In other self care news, my walk this morning was positively fruitful.  I woke at 6 a.m., rather hungry, thank you very much.  I threw on some suitable walking clothes and headed out after a cup of coffee and toast with almond butter.  The morning was miraculous.  So much is blooming, the river near my house was as still as if it were frozen.  I had a lot on my mind but kept reminding myself to remain in the present so as not to “miss” my walk.