Advisor

What are TIPS for Emotional Eating???

LLee — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:13:53 GMT

Hi There! When I'm stressed or bored I have a strong tendancy to eat & eat! What do y'all recommend for that? I'm trying to eat hard candy, chew gum, eat fruits or cereal instead.....walk outside or get my mind on something "other" than food. The gum helps "some", bc I guess I got in a "habit" of eating & chewing during stressful times! LOL! ANY tips would be greatly appreciated! I've got to somehow "re-train" my brain to do other things besides eat when I'm feeling stressed! Thanks! Leigh

Holiday Tip #5

hmd217 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:55:29 GMT

Turn your holiday shopping trip into a workout! Wear your comfortable sneakers and take a BRISK walk around the mall. You can burn an average of 5 calories per minute depending on your age, weight, and metabolism. Parking at the far end of the parking lot will save you the aggravation of not finding a parking space and give you a chance to get another mini brisk walk!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Holiday Tip #4

hmd217 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:19:07 GMT

Beat holiday stress with regular exercise! The holidays can get very stressful with so much to do in such little time. Getting stressed does not help your eating habits or your waist line and can often trigger eating even when you are not hungry. But exercise actually helps relieve stress by helping increase your circulation to help you relax. So, if you have an exercise routine, such as walking everyday, stick to it and schedule your holiday errands around your regular workout. Not the other way around! You may find you get more done with less worry and less over eating!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Holiday Tip #3

hmd217 — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:02:21 GMT

Don't go shopping with a grumbling stomach! Malls and discount stores are full of tempting high calorie fast food and holiday shopping can easily build up an appetite. So, to help avoid the food court, try to go shopping right after your meal or snack. You may even want to bring a small bottle of water and a Slim-Fast snack bar with you in case you get the munchies.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heather

Weight Loss Advisor

How's everyone doing?

hmd217 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:17:29 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Since the meal planner and fitness planner are back up now, I just thought I'd check to see how everyone is doing. I'd love to hear about how your doing with reaching your goals and what have been the easiest/hardest things to do so far.

I can't wait to hear back from you all! I'll be checking the board throughout the week.

All the best,

Heather

Weight Loss Advisor

Holiday Tip #2

hmd217 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:27:25 GMT

Eat smart at your holiday party! Try these tips:

Fill up on liquids before and during eating. Sparkling water with a lime twist or diet sodas are great choices.
Fresh fruits and raw vegetables are good starters. The fiber in them will fill you up fast.
Sliced turkey, lean ham, or roast beef, and shrimp are high in lean protein and will satisfy your hunger longer.
Go for the desserts LAST. This way you can fill up on lower calories foods first.

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Holiday Tip #1

hmd217 — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:14:22 GMT

Hi All,

With the holidays just around the corner, I'm going to start posting a new holiday tip every week so we can all be prepared. Keep checking back every week to get a new tip! Here's your tip for this week:

Tempted by all the holiday candy available everywhere? Plan ahead. Put 3 chocolate kisses or hard candies in your bag each day and when you feel the community candy calling, grab one of the small treats. This way you will satisfy the craving, avoid the other candy and still stay on track with only an additional 80 calories if you eat 3 chocolates. Less with the hard candy! Or, keep a Slim-Fast snack bar handy to curb those chocolate cravings. They are about 120 calories and high in calcium.

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Fitness Question For Anybody

LLee — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Which is better for overall improved health and weight loss? To walk 2 days a week at 2 miles each time....OR to walk 4-5 days per week for only 30 min??? (Going the same distance, but more frequently) I'm having trouble going so often, but can always carve out 2 days for exercise. However, if going 30 min or so 4-5 days is better, then I'll try to change things up. THANKS!!! Lee :)

Makeover Your Kitchen

hmd217 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:22:48 GMT

Hi All,

One thing you can do to help make sure you stick to your plan is to give your kitchen a makeover. Check out the list below for some ideas of healthier food options to keep in your kitchen.

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Instead of… Choose…

Regular Soda water, diet soda, club soda, calorie free flavored seltzer

Chips/ Fried Snacks Baked Chips, pretzels, whole wheat crackers, rice cakes, soy crisps, light microwave popcorn

Whole Milk Dairy non-fat or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese or ice cream

High-Fat cuts of meats Chicken or turkey ***, lean beef, pork loin or boneless ham, various fish and shellfish

Salad Dressing Fat-Free dressing.

Butter Light butter spray, Sat and Trans Fat Free Margarine

French Fries Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

How To Read a Nutrition Label

hmd217 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:48:22 GMT

Hi All,

I just wanted to give you some information about reading nutrition labels to help make grocery shopping a little easier!

The Nutrition Facts Label makes it easier for you to find out what is in the food you eat. You can use the labels to compare different foods so that you can choose foods that have less of the things you don't want and more of the things you do. The nutrition lable also tells you how the food fits into an overall daily diet. It takes some practice, but once you get used to reading nutrition labels you can easily compare foods to make better choices. Here's how:

CHECK THE INGREDIENTS - Every nutrition label contains a list of ingredients beginning with the largest amount and ending with the smallest.
START WITH SERVING SIZE - The nutrition label tells you how many nutrients are in a certain amount of food called the serving size. For example, if the serving size is 1 cup and you at 2 cups, that would be 2 servings. The label will also tell you how many servings are in the entire package.
CHECK CALORIES - This number will tell you the amount of energy in one serving. This is important because if you eat more energy than you use, you might gain weight.
LIMIT THESE NUTRIENTS - Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may be bad for your health.
BALANCE SUGARS AND FIBER - On the Total Carbohydrate line, you can find out how many carbohydreate grams are in one serving. Carbohydrates may be divided into two categories -- fiber and sugars. Look for foods that have 3 grams of fiber or more per serving. Make sure you check the ingrediet list for added sugars.
PROTEIN - This number tells you how many grams of protein are in each serving.
GET ENOUGH OF THESE NUTRIENTS - Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron are important vitamins and minerals that many people do not get enough of. (One Slim-Fast Meal On-The-Go provides 1/3 of most of the essential nutrients you need per day!)
% DAILY VALUES - These numbers are based on adult serving sizes. Use the % values only as a guide to know whether a food is high or low in something. 5% or less = low; 20% or more = high

I hope this information helps you out next time you're in the grocery store. Let me know if you have any questions!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Exercise

hmd217 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:16:26 GMT

Hi All,

With the Olympics on now, I thought it would be interesting find out what everyone does in terms of their exercise routine. Remember, we recommend that you get 30-60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. So let us know what it is that you do and what keeps you motivated!

I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Eating Away From Home

hmd217 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:46:01 GMT

Hi Everyone,

As we approach the end of September and people start settling into their new routines, I thought it might be helpful to post some tips about eating away from home while your following the Slim-Fast plan. So here are some tips for eating out at restaurants, fast food places, and at work.

Dining Out

Don’t skip meals or starve yourself during the day because you think it is best to save your calories for your ‘dining out’ meal. You’ll just be hungry and more likely to overindulge at dinner.
Read the menu carefully. Look for simply-prepared foods, such as grilled or roasted entrees and steamed vegetables as side dishes. Feel free to ask your server any questions about how the foods are prepared. Also, don’t be shy about making special requests such as putting sauce on the side or replacing steamed veggies for pasta or rice. Nowadays, most restaurants gladly honor your wishes. Many restuarants have nutrition information posted on their websites so you may even want to look at that information and decide what you will eat before you even get to the restaurant.
Order an appetizer as an entrée. In today’s super-sized world, entrée portions tend to be large enough to feed more than one person (sometimes even a small family!). Consider sharing a main dish with someone or ordering one or two appetizers instead of an entrée. And don’t be afraid to ask for a doggie bag.
Select a low-calorie starter. You don’t have to sit and drool while everyone else is devouring their appetizers. You’ll be more likely to stay strong if you keep your mouth busy with a clear or broth-based vegetable soup, a salad with dressing on the side, or a large glass of seltzer water with a twist of lemon.
Avoid the bread (or chip) basket. Have it removed from the table (or ask your server not to bring it at all) if the temptation is too great.
Go easy on the alcohol. Alcohol tends to stimulate the appetite, and the calories can add up quickly. Stick to a maximum of one alcoholic beverage, and sip water, seltzer or diet soda throughout your meal instead of ordering a second cocktail.
Slow down. Put down your fork after every few mouthfuls and assess your hunger level. You may find that you’ve had enough to eat sooner than you think. Remember that the experience of dining out isn’t just about the food – it’s about the company and conversation, too!
Feel free to have fruit. For dessert, savor a sweet fruit, paired with a cup of relaxing chamomile or other decaffeinated tea.

Fast Food

You can always find something at a fast food restaurant to meet the Sensible Meal guidelines while following your Slim-Fast Optima Diet. Most fast food restaurants have a nutrition fact sheets. Check it out and create a sensible meal with about 500 calories. A hamburger with a salad and low-fat dressing and a diet soda is great example.

At Work

Bring your favorite Slim-Fast Meals to work. Keep a few Meal Bars in your drawer, a Shake or two in the refrigerator and a Smoothie on your desk. You can also stock up on healthy snacks such as pretzels, nuts and fresh fruit to get you through the day.
To create your lunch meal combinations, bring your favorite foods to work from home to accompany your Slim-Fast Meal. By planning ahead, you can keep your meals portion and calorie controlled to help you stick with your plan. It won’t always be possible to prepare everything ahead of time – but you can always have alternatives in mind. Does your cafeteria have low-fat menu options? Do they provide the nutrition information you need to determine if it is a healthy option? If so, choose a nutritious option such as side salad with a few slices of chicken and low-fat dressing or a half of sandwich with turkey and 1 slice of low fat cheese. They might also have a low-fat soup option on the menu.

I hope this information is helpful!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

It would be nice to have my buddies back

gogirl — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:40:12 GMT

It sure was nice to have friends to talk to at night on how everything was going, the weather, if you were stresses, if you had any tips or downfalls, etc. I miss it alot and I was looking forward to continuing, even as slow as I was going, but then I had words of encouragemnet and shoulders to lean on, when if ever will we get the site (buddies back), and you can't even call slimfast like you use to if you have a common job with hours that the biggest percent of us work. I may be whinning, but I did so much better with my buddies keeping me on track.

Welcome!

hmd217 — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:36:38 GMT

Hi everyone!

My name is Heather and I'm a Weight Loss Advisor for Slim-Fast. I'll be checking in here every Wednesday to answer any questions you have for me. I'll also keep you updated with what is going on in the world of Slim-Fast. If you have a question, and would prefer not to post it to everyone, you can also call our Weight Loss Center at 1-800-SLIMFAST (754-6327) or click "Contact Us" at the top right of the page.

I look forward to hearing for you soon and I'll be back tomorrow to check in!

**Heather

PAnn, I saw your before/after pics!

hmd217 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:32:53 GMT

and you look great! What a transformation!! You put in a lot of hard work to reach your goal and you did a wonderful job. You look great and should be very proud of yourself!!

Congrats!

Heather

Slim-Fast Weight Loss Advisor

Maintenance

PAnn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:02:46 GMT

Hi all. I wanted to start a new thread for anyone on, starting or getting close to maintenance. We all need ongoing support even after we have reached our goals. I'm having a hard time allowing myself to add in the 500 calories a day as suggested by the dieticians here at SF. It's probably because I have to change how I have eaten for the past 7 months, to stop losing weight. it's scarey now. (Michelle, if you found this thread, I hope you'll join in). I welcome any and all ideas and suggestions. Heather I hope you jump in, too. You've given me good ideas, but I have this fear that if I add more food I'll gain, even tho I know what you and dietician Amy H. have said about the 500 calorie additions. So far I've done ok staying at the 134#, but have found it hard to eliminate one SF a day. I enjoy them too much! I hope other members will join in this thread....PAnn

How to deal with a saboteur

JaiMac — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:22:35 GMT

I'm trying to lose weight with diet and exercise and, so far, so good. However, I have one problem that could stand in my way -- my boyfriend. I love him to death, and he loves me, but he doesn't seem excited about me losing weight. It's almost as if he thinks I'll get skinny and leave him for someone else. He also loves fast food and isn't big on physical activities. What can I do to 1. assure him that no matter what I weigh he's the one I want to be with and 2. protect myself from his unconscious sabatoge (like wanting to go to Taco Bell for dinner)?

Picky Eater

UAtatey — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:55:38 GMT

Okay, so I am quite the picky eater, and I have got around 65lbs to lose, to be back at a healthy weight, like I was a few years okay. However, I love my pastas, and breads, etc. My question is, is it okay to eat the same lunch everyday? The open-faced turkey sandwhich is the only thing I like, and the shakes I love. And also, for dinner, Im quite picky, is it okay to not have a huge variety in the vegetables and fruits I eat?!

Any response would be appreciated!

Are daily/weekly weigh-ins important?

rstephan1984 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:50:00 GMT

About two years ago, I vowed to stop weighing myself because I began focusing too much on the number than being healthy. To make sure I'd reach the number, I found myself going to extremes (like fasting for a couple days a week). Or if I couldn't reach a number, I'd get extremely depressed. I also became obsessed with weighing myself.

Now I'm reading in all the health magazines that it's good to weigh in every day to stay slim. What are your thoughts?

did not lose my 1st week

Iwillbefittoday — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:49:24 GMT

What would be a reason for the scale to remain the same number! I'm soooo

frustrated I want to cry. I've been very good, and exercising hard, but the scale is what is was last Weds. I purposly did not weigh for a week as not to

get discouraged but I am anyways.! Iwillbefittoday

did not lose my 1st week

Iwillbefittoday — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:50:25 GMT

What would be a reason for the scale to remain the same number! I'm soooo

frustrated I want to cry. I've been very good, and exercising hard, but the scale is what is was last Weds. I purposly did not weigh for a week as not to

get discouraged but I am anyways.! Iwillbefittoday.

How do you use Slim-Fast products?

hmd217 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:18:41 GMT

Hi All,

I've noticed that some people incorporate Slim-Fast products into their own healthy eating plans and thought it would be interesting to discuss how each of you use the shakes and bars. Slim-Fast products are a great way to control your portion sizes and calorie intake!

So, how are you using Slim-Fast products to lose weight?

Heather

Weight Loss Advisor

Coffee Drinkers???

gramof5plus — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:37:38 GMT

Anyone a coffee drinker??? How bad is coffee??? I love coffee, it seems to help curb my appetite & help keep me from binging so bad, but I'm just wondering, how bad is it??? I usually drink roughly 4 cups a day, how much is too much?? I always thought the coffee itself didn't count as anything, just the creamers & sugar, of course. Do I count it in with my water intake??? Someone, please help!!! Thanks!

Slim-Fat Site Functionality

PAnn — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:38:24 GMT

Last week I called SF to ask when the site will be fully functional. I was told it would be today. I can finally get to the forums as of now, but that's about it. I can't get to any of my stuff, and I did change my user name and password as directed to do by the letter from SF. Does anyone have any idea when we will be able to et into the meal plans and weight chart??

Fortunately, I have learned many good skills from SF, to be able to continue with the plan since the site went down. Since Jan. 13th I have lost exactly 50#!! I went from a size 16/18 to a size 8 ! I feel great! Fortunately, my buddy and I have kept up our supprt to each other via email. I don't know what I would've done without her..

Even tho I have continued to do well, I do miss the site and being able to see my menus and daily totals to know if I'm getting the right nutrients. I also miss looking at the SF recipes. I found SparkPeople's weight loss website via a friend, but I don't think it's nearly as user friendly as SF's site.

Mayonaise cravings

Tcpix02 — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:35:29 GMT

Hi. I've been on slim fast a couple months now. Doing pretty well. Lost 18 lbs. so far. I'm finding that my usual cravings are under control most of the time. These include cheese, pop and chocolate. Except for my cravings for mayonaise. I'm doing okay but it's a struggle. Wondering if you can give any insight into this. It doesn't really seem to fall into the sweets or salt categories so I'm not sure what drives this craving. Would love any info you have or suggestions of healthy things that can satisfy this urge. Thank you for your time.

Tcpix02