May 2012 Medical Weight Loss Newsletter Archive
Happy Mother’s Day!
Ladies, we hope you have a warm, sunny Mother’s Day full of love and appreciation for all that you do! None of us would be here without a mom, so it’s nice that we have a day dedicated for a much deserved “thank you”. (Don’t worry, fellas, your day is right around the corner!)
We learn a lot from our mothers: including food preparation and habits. One common habit, for example, is cleaning your plate even though you’re full. Because, after all, there’s “starving children in (fill in impoverished nation here).” This habit can surely aid in weight gain, especially when you consider that portion sizes have increased dramatically over the past 50 years.
Did you know?
Have you heard people talking about CSA’s? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and is a local service that provides customers with fresh, locally grown produce. One local company is Bountiful Baskets out of Belgrade. A few primary reasons for participating in this service are: to support your local farmers with fair pricing, the foods are at their peak freshness as opposed to industrial grown produce which is picked before maturity: resulting in more flavorful produce, and for convenience. Check out the website for more information.
As far as food preparation, if your mother primarily fried fish or chicken (or using “shake and bake”- my mom) versus grilling or baking with seasonings you may not have learned any other way to prepare meals. Or, maybe your family ate fast food frequently.
Luckily, that’s why you’re here at Go Figure; to learn new, healthy ways to eat and establish new habits to lose weight and keep it off.
Now, don’t call your mom and give her a hard time for being a cause of weight gain: instead, take this opportunity for your mom to learn from you! Share your knowledge about nutrition to help her and your family, get healthier, establish good habits, and lose weight! (Check out the recipe on page 3, for an example.)
Something else to consider is the types of foods (and portions) that you allow your kids to eat. As we discussed in February, often times we make sure others are taken care of more than ourselves. For example, we ensure our kids eat healthy snacks, eat their vegetables and limit sweets and junk food: but do not show ourselves the same courtesy.
This month, think about how your kid’s snacks and diet differ from yours and in what ways. Think about how you treated your body while you were pregnant with your kids: You were probably pretty picky about what you ate and drank, making healthier choices for your unborn child. You should treat yourself with the same care and love that you did at that time. You deserve the healthiest life you can live!
