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With warmer weather and spring break here most are thinking about their weight. Do yourself and your bodies a favor and do not starve yourself for the spring weather or wardrobe.

The purpose of many diets is to lose weight. Unfortunately, focusing on just the weight component versus overall body composition and health. The results are immediate but in the long-term lower your metabolism.

Diets that restrict calorie intake offer quick results, but trigger a “starvation response” in which the body slows down its metabolic rate to conserve energy. Once the goal weight is reached and you return to your non diet intake, the body gains weight even faster because it requires fewer calories (the calories you were consuming while dieting) to maintain your bodies functions.

Rapid weight loss results in the loss of large amounts of water, minerals, glycogen, and muscle/organ protein. These undesirable losses of lean body mass are coupled with only minimal losses in fat.

Healthy weight requires consistency and time. Treat your body well and it will treat you well!

Yes, It’s almost March. Not only does that mean Spring Break is almost here and that there are only 14 weeks until pool season but it’s National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme, “Get Your Plate in Shape” Major take aways:Make half your plate vegetables and fruits. Eat on a 8″ salad plate and make sure half of your plate is fruits and vegetables, 1/4 is lean protein and 1/4 whole grain.Choose 100% whole grains. Look at the ingredients, not nutrition facts label, the ingredient list for whole grain. Consume less often enriched or refined. And, the best is a true whole intact grain like barley, brown rice, quinoa. Make the switch to fat-free or low fat milk. You receive the same nutrients but less fat and cholesterol. Caution on fat-free yogurts. Check the ingredients for added fillers to replace the flavor.Vary your protein choices. Give yourself the challenge of one time per week have a non meat protein choice for a meal beans or soy products.Reduce empty calories from solid fats and added sugars. We are what we eat. Empty calories means that we are receiving energy from calories but for those calories there is not a good nutrition value of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins or minerals. Cut back on sodium. Ideally consuming 2400mg or less daily. Check your nutrition facts labels for the amount of sodium in a canned soup or frozen entree. You will be shocked.Enjoy your food but eat less. Do not create myths about foods or give them power to make you feel guilty. Enjoy all foods in moderation. Where do we start with these healthy choices? In our own pantry, refrigerator(and the restaurants we eat at most often). So, open your pantry and ask yourself, “Is my food fit?”For more healthy tips visit www.eatright.org. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

You control what foods go into the family kitchen. At the grocery store and in the kitchen, build meals around the whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and hearth healthy fats.

If you do not purchase it, then it is not there. Keep the sweet treats and salty snacks to single serve portions or when the family has a craving for ice cream take a family outing. It’s good quality time and then not there every day.

There are 21 meals per week. Set up your grocery list surrounded around what proteins, whole grains and fruits or vegetables you what to make for breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

If you are aiming for eating consistently with small meals and snacks, then you may add that you need 14 snacks. For snacks try to have a lean protein or low fat dairy or heart healthy fat with fruit or vegetable or whole grain. This would be for your morning and afternoon snack.

Start with a list that is written in the order you walk through the store and it’s also helpful to have a typed list of all your staples and fill in with weekly changes.

Not fueling workouts properly can actually lead to weight gain, poor performance, poor recovery time, increased risk of injury and illness…..6 Danger Zone Dysfunctional Food Rules:1. Eating bars/shakes as meals2. Avoiding whole food groups, etc. Fat, Carbs, Meat, only organic.3. Eating on a schedule and not varying it.4. Logging calories and not allowing to go over.5. Not attending social functions that involve food.6. Only eating a certain “safe” food variety.If you or someone you know is suffering from disordered eating or eating disorders please seek support!

It seems counterintuitive to suggest that people should be snacking more but a study published in the November 14, 2011, edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association concluded that increased snacking could positively impact overall diet quality.

Claire A. Zizza, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at Auburn University in Alabama, and co-author Beibei Xu, PhD, found that people who snack between meals tend to have healthier diets than those who stick to eating only at regular mealtimes. Study subjects who snacked more frequently consumed less sodium and ate more fruit, whole grains and milk than their counterparts. In addition, the more subjects snacked, the more likely they were to eat both healthy snacks and healthy meals. Still, frequent snackers fell short of eating enough vegetables, and the overall healthiness of the study participants’ diets left room for improvement.

Remember to decrease your portions at meals. Otherwise you are just consuming more food, not more frequently.