Is this sabotaging your weight loss?

sometimes yes, sometimes no

I’ve spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours uttering phrases like, “stop beating yourself up” or “don’t be so hard on yourself.” And, chances are, I'll happily spend thousands more. Not only is self-criticism unpleasant, it also hurts you in the weight loss department. Let’s face it “you suck” and all its variants isn’t going to motivate you to do anything well. I think one of the most important things we do for clients, at Foodtrainers, is cheerlead a bit (the only form of cheerleading I’m on board with). Let's fixate on the positive...to a certain extent.

You want to know what’s just as bad as being too hard on yourself? It may surprise you because being too easy on yourself isn’t strategic either. Every week I ‘Foodstalk” a group of clients. These clients send me a report every night and I respond in the morning. This past weekend, a client we’ll call “A”, as in anonymous, send me a food log. It wasn’t a pretty one. I am always glass half full for others but there were no fruits, no veg, mostly fried and white foods. Usually, if a client goes off there “off-ness it is outweighed by their on-ness. So, if there’s a slip, there are many other things that show effort. Anyway, A commented “could’ve been worse.” If this wasn’t a pattern for A, I would’ve said nothing. However, “could’ve been worse” is not going to help A reach her goals.

So, I took a deep breath and said “I have to disagree.” Sure, it could’ve been worse but if your child gets a C- but could’ve received an F, you’re not going to look at the bright side. I don’t believe in perfection but you have to raise the bar to a level that is realistic yet leaves you progressing and pleased. Because I’m sexist when it comes to food behaviors, I’ll have you know that men subscribe to this “could’ve been worse” mentality more often. I explained to A the places I felt she could've improved things and the advance planning that would've helped

As often happens, A emailed me “you’re so right” when I take a step back there are a lot of things I could’ve done better. The point is not that I'm right but that, when pointed out, A realized a little effort would've helped a lot

In case you think I was mean. I’ll let you know that “better” would’ve been 1 or even 2 glasses of wine instead of 3 and skipping fries with the lobster roll. Fair? Anyway, it's National Tequila day don't be too hard or too easy on yourself, whatever that means for you. 

Six Years

Six years ago today, I was sitting in this same office chair and heard the news.
I then sat on the floor of a satellite room at the funeral site because the main room was filled to capacity. I miss you.

Reposting this, I wrote it 6 years ago and it all has stuck. I always need these reminders and wish you were here to  remind me.

This summer's "it" food

Get these from our Foodtrainers' shop while they last (or before we eat them all).

Whether you’re paleo or gluten free (or neither), many of us are conscious of decreasing our grain intake. We’ve noticed a wave of products and restaurants filling the grain gap with cassava and tapioca. Cassava, a root vegetable, is native to Latin America, Asia and Africa, it is also known as yucca. Today, our Chip List newsletter (be sure you’re signed up to receive our Monthly Morsels) mentioned Siete Chips. These are made from cassava and there's pretty damn delicious.

Then, there’s tapioca. Tapioca is the starch extracted from the cassava root.  I know this is a little confusing, bear with me. For now, just know that cassava and tapioca come from the same place but are different nutritionally.

Cassava is nutritionally like a sweet potato. Cassava has more protein, a ton more vitamin C (cassava a great source), slightly more potassium and about the same amount of fiber. Cassava is higher in calories, if that matters to you (not to me). Cassava is used to make flour and breads (Otto’s cassava flour is a great brand). The concern with cassava processed improperly is that it contains compounds that convert to cyanide, sounds scarier than it is. The truth is many foods contain these compounds, flax is one of them. These compounds are in the leaves and peel of cassava and not the flesh/root. The bulk of the issues with cassava have been with people processing the tuber versus consuming it. Companies, such as Otto's, test their products for these compounds.

And tapioca, I have to admit as a gluten free-er, I love the taste of the tapioca “sandwiches”. The tapioca makes a crepe-like wrap for any type of filling. A couple of places in NYC such as Tapnyc and Oca serve these. We tasted Wrapioca's creations at the fancy food show and, also in NYC, is yubakery, their yubuns are not to be missed. In the sandwiches, tapioca has a slightly crunchy texture, yum. However, the more I researched tapioca, I realized it isn’t a nutritional superstar. The saving grace for tapioca is that it’s a source of resistant starch. These starches feed probiotic bacteria. So, tapioca versus white flour? Tapioca wins. Tapioca versus cassava, that one goes to cassava. 

If you are in NYC, I would check out Tap. The whole place is gluten free, the “sandwiches” are delicious. We liked the vegan and also the one with prosciutto. They are very ingredient conscious, in terms of quality. Plus, they have matcha (odd for a Brazilian place but I'm happy about it). 

Have you tried cassava, yucca or tapioca? Let me know your thoughts.

This is how I lose weight

I mentioned to a friend that I felt ick following a recent vacation. “Do you let yourself go when away?” The sad part is, I don’t. I tend to eat, more or less, the same way when I’m away. But..all meals are out at restaurants and there’s more booze, for sure. 
To compound things, when we got home, we didn’t have access to our kitchen (we refinished our floors which everyone says is a nightmare. I was convinced it would 't be that bad, I was wrong). My husband was thrilled to eat all meals out, that's his preference (even though he complains he needs to start to "watch" too). I missed home cooking. My body missed home cooking too. I decided to control what I could and really reign it in. At restaurants, I watched portions and skipped extras (cheese in salads etc). Guess what? I still felt gross. 

It wasn’t until this week that I could cook. I made simple, light dinners, didn’t have alcohol and it’s only been a few days and I feel back to me.

I can’t be out every night, even if I’m eating oysters and salads, and have a drink and feel good. My kids go to camp each summer and this is a lesson I've already learned, apparently not.

My mood dips if I drink too many days in a row and my clothes just don’t fit the way I like them to.

If you’re finding you don’t feel as lean as you’d like, take a few days and ensure all meals are homecooked. Skip all alcohol and I bet you’ll come to the not-so-new realization I did.