The low-down on THINK THIN bars, SKINNY POP, and other diet foods.

Hi Ariane,

I wanted to share my food log for the first few days of the October session of Slim & Strong. I hope I'm off to the right start. It's hard since I work a lot. I try to bring my breakfast/lunch/snacks to work to keep me on track. Let me know any thoughts / comments you have. Thanks - really appreciate your help!

Mon 10/7

breakfast 9am- two hard boiled eggs, small coffee/skim milk

snack 11am - 6 raw almonds

lunch 12:15 - salad (lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes), 4oz grilled chicken, sprinkle of fat free feta and sunflower seeds. drizzle of olive oil

snack 2:30 - popcorn (skinny pop, one personal size bag)

snack 5:15 - 1/2 think thin bar

dinner - 9pm - same as lunch, handful of raw peanuts

Tues 10/8

breakfast - 845 - two hard boiled eggs, coffee with skim milk

945 - bunch of grape tomatoes

12:30 - side salad, no dressing

2pm - steamed mixed veggies w/ grilled chicken

5pm - half think thin bar

dinner - 730 - taco salad (lettuce, pico de gallo, ground beef) (did NOT eat shell, sour cream, beans), 15-20 chips

Wed 10/9

breakfast - 9ish - 2 hard boiled eggs, small coffee w/ skim

lunch 1230 - salad - lettuce, sundried tomatoes, chickpea, grilled chicken (approx 4oz), very little fat free balsamic dressing (oil based, not creamy)

snack - 3 - 0% fage greek yogurt w/ 10 raw almonds, tea

dinner - 7pm - arugula w/ walnuts, apple slices and approx 4/5 oz of bison. drizzled w/ olive oil

Hi Lindsey, 

• while your diet is 'clean' (low in sugar and starches) you can definitley do better on a few things. You can fill up better by getting real food into your diet rather than so many snacks. Here are my tips based on an ideal case scenario. Do the best you can, but really focus on changing the ONE meal that has the greatest impact overall. One change can produce further changes. 

• "Skinny pop" popcorn isn't going to make you skinny because popcorn is among the most processed foods. It's pure carbs and will raise your blood sugar instantly. That signals your body to release insulin and that makes you fat. People always think that popcorn is a fat loss food because it doesn't have fat, but keep in mind that it's sugar and starches that make you release insulin, not fat. Skinny pop actually contains 10grams of fat, which is a bit much for just a little "snack". 

• Watch your nut intake. 20 nuts a day is enough. While they're nutritious and balanced in carbs, protein and fat, too many can stall fat loss. 

• "Think Thin" bars don't have sugar, but they do contain sugar alcohols, which can cause digestive issues. Plus, they contain soy, which is almost always genetically modified and can cause digestive issues. The sodium caseinate in the bars has been linked to allergies, neurological issues and is basically another name for MSG - monosodium glutamate, the infamous flavor enhancer with bad effects . While the bars are great on protein, for the amount of calories you get from that bar and the potential side effects, you might as well eat a big chicken breast and feel full 3x longer. 

• Watch your fat intake. While a salad seems like a great option, the cheese, sunflower seeds and olive oil can add up, so be mindful of what goes into your salad so it doesn't turn into a calorie bomb. 

• Eat a bigger breakfast. Two eggs only contain 12 grams of protein and no carbs, so you're not going to be full for long. Add some carbs in to balance your blood sugar - either add a slice of whole grain bread (Mestemacher Bread is fantastic), or get a veggie omelet or fritatta. You can also add an extra egg to get enough protein. Remember, you need about 20 grams of protein about 5x a day. 

• Skip starches at dinner. Relying on lean protein and veggies for dinner is the fastest way to drop body fat. if you eat lots of starches or sugar (more than 30-40g of carbs) at dinner, you're not going to have the chance to burn off the carbs you ate. Instead, they will be converted into body fat and also drop your blood sugar overnight, so you wake up tired and perhaps cranky and unmotivated. 

• Lastly, aim to have 5 small meals a day to balance your blood sugar. Eat every 3-4 hours. Even if you just have a protein shake - it's still better than nothing for 6 hours and then caving in because you're ravenous from super-low blood sugar. 

So far, so good. Implement small changes over time to create a new lifestyle and the changes will last a lifetime. 

See you tomorrow!

Ariane