6 “Healthy” Foods That You Should Never Eat
See, it does take a village! Of chihuahuas!
It’s Project Runway, health food cycle: One day you’re in, the next day you’re out! (Bonus points if you can say that like Heidi Klum.) Food fads are a sad but true fact in the health and fitness industry. Science, and more importantly marketers, are always pimping the next Super Food. And sometimes that introduces us to some really awesome weird foods that we might not have otherwise tried. Chia seeds, quinoa and acai berries anyone? Many times these fads are duds. And then there are the few times where purportedly “healthy” foods are actually harming you. Check out my slideshow on Shape.com to see the full list of 6 Healthy Foods That Should Never Pass Your Lips but the one most surprising to me was – dun, dun, dun – agave nectar!
Long touted as an “all natural” and healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, it turns out the agave nectar sold in stores, including “blue,” “natural,” and “organic” varieties, has more fructose than even high-fructose corn syrup and is far more processed than plain table sugar. If you’ve watched “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” then you’ll know that fructose taken out of fruit (where it occurs naturally) becomes a toxin when processed. While it’s true that agave nectar is lower on the glycemic index than other sweeteners, it’s no dietary friend but rather poison disguised as a health food. All of which really surprised me given the aura of “health” that surrounds it.
Any of you surprised to discover a food you thought was healthy, wasn’t? Have you ever tried a food fad??
Other things I wrote this week:
Fitness Trainers Reveal: The #1 Piece of Equipment I Swear By (which we already discussed on here but all my trainers are so darn adorable I had to give them a little more love!)
Are your birth control pills safe? (And the controversy rumbles on…)
Do you make your kids write thank you notes? (Or do you write them for them? Cough, cough, not that I’d know anything about that)
The #1 Thing Parents Wish People Understood About Their Child (Weirdly this got reposted on Yahoo and the comments are even crazier this time around. If that’s possible.)
Mom’s 10 Weirdest Tips for Saving Money
Is it harder having 1 child or 9? (One mom’s poignant answer may surprise you)
How parenting changes us: Jay-Z to stop using “bitch” (The day after I wrote this, news outlets said that it couldn’t be confirmed that he actually said this. Which I think kind of depresses me. You’d hope after a man has a daughter he’d stop calling women hos and bitches. Of course if being married to Beyonce didn’t turn him around I’m not sure how much hope there is for him.)
It was Friday the 13th! Do you have a mommy superstition?
Parenting Challenge: How do you get through the vending machine gauntlet? (I really love one company’s answer to this: H.U.M.A.N. vending only stocks healthy options in their machines plus they offer in-community health counseling as well as video tips that play on their machines. Advertising – it can be used for good too!)
I Have Become Like My Mom
It’s the extremes that make up my childhood memories—the special things and the bad things, but not a lot of the in between stuff. There are many special memories of my mom, like the special birthday cakes and flannel night gowns she made. Among the bad things are foods like lima beans and peas. And then there were the foods that Mom tried to make healthier.
She would add buckwheat flour to pancakes, which for some reason I thought was horrible. I don’t think so now, and my kids don’t either. Maybe she added something else with it. She added wheat germ, nuts, and raisins to baked goods, which totally ruined them for me.
I can remember thinking that I wish she wouldn’t ruin perfectly good foods by trying to make them healthier. When I became a mother, I vowed that I wouldn’t do that to my kids.
But guess what? Recently one of my kids asked me to make chocolate chip cookies. He said he wanted them the normal way without anything different done to them. That’s when I realized I had become like my mom.
I try using sugar substitutes for at least part of the sugar. I try using better oils, such as coconut oil, which, until I recently bought Tropical Traditions brand, made foods that shouldn’t taste like coconut taste like coconut. I try using healthier flours, and I add things like chia seeds.
I guess that’s what moms do, and I can’t say that I’m going to stop doing it. However, I did make my son a batch of perfectly normal chocolate chip cookies, and I loved his response.
He ate a cookie and said, “Mmmmmm. Thank you.”
I’m going to keep trying to use healthier ingredients, but I also want to make food they enjoy. Desserts aren’t really expected to be healthy, and an indulgent treat once in a while is okay. I hope I can keep a balance, and along the way, teach my kids to enjoy healthier options.
Are you that kind of mom?
“You Sure Are Strong… For a Girl.”
Tonight after a marvelously brutal interval class that involved jumping lunges, crouching push-ups and so many skaters that my I’d get an Apollo Ohno tattoo on my butt if it didn’t already hurt so much, a male friend gave me a grin and commented, “You sure are strong. For a girl.” Well, what do you say to that?
Five years ago: ”I’m strong, period.” I would have felt insulted and then challenged the guy to a weight-lifting duel. Indeed, one of my very first posts on this blog to ever cause some (minor) controversy was when I bragged I could match a male lifter in my weight class. Allison, the only Gym Buddy I had at the time, and I lifted some very heavy weights with very bad form and declared ourselves the winners. While I still give myself some points for chutzpah, today I cringe remembering that. And not just because at the time I didn’t understand why using a Smith machine was cheating. It’s because I wasn’t proud to be a girl. I didn’t want to be a man either, let’s be clear, but I saw my femininity as a weakness and I hated it when people pointed it out to me.
Three years ago: “Am I?” I would have felt accused and uncertain. I was pregnant, anxious, depressed and unable to keep up with a fraction of my old workouts. In addition, I have never felt more vulnerable in my whole life than during my pregnancies. Pregnancy for me is a scary thing. Not only do I have to protect myself with half my strength but I’m also 100% responsible for the little person growing inside me. And all the others hanging onto my skirt. Pregnancy, one of the experiences that can most define you as a girl, felt like weakness to me in so many ways.
One year ago: “Haha, I’m working on it.” I would have felt embarrassed. Jelly Bean was safely on the outside and thriving, I’d just weaned her and so finally had full custody of my body again, and was settled back into a consistent workout schedule. Unlike previous post-partum periods, this time I knew enough to know how much I didn’t know. I’d been down the lose-the-baby-weight-at-all-costs road before. I’d over exercised. I’d been orthorexic. I wasn’t sure exactly what the right way was to do things but I sure knew what the wrong way was. Plus, being just over 30 with five children made me feel like I’d lost the girl in me forever. Losing oneself may be the ultimate weakness.
So what did I say tonight?
The intervening years have, hopefully, given me a better vantage from which to view myself and reevaluate what exactly are my strengths and my weakness. I can tell you for sure that I no longer see being a girl as a weakness. I may not ever be able to lift as much weight as a man and that’s fine. Their bodies are built for strength but mine is built for efficiency – there is a reason that women typically outlive men. Nor do I still see my pregnancies as weak spots in my life. Indeed, when I remember the can’t-be-overstated excruciating pain of natural childbirth, I see true strength. I can even now see my uncertainty and embarrassment and past mistakes more charitably. I can’t learn if I don’t screw up, right?
But I do have real weaknesses yet. Some are physical: I’ve been around the fitness industry long enough to know that while I may be strong compared to a lady who doesn’t work out, in the realm of fit females I’m not particularly strong. Just like there will always be someone more beautiful, I’ve come to learn that there will always be someone stronger, faster, more flexible. Many more weaknesses are mental: I still fight my competitive nature. Depression and anxiety are held at bay through a fragile combination of medication, exercise, healthy food, supplements and sleep. I’m still bad at balance and moderation.
This is what I have learned: Merely possessing strengths does not make me strong nor does having weaknesses inherently make me weak. I’m as strong or as weak as I practice to be.
And so tonight I answered my friend, “I am. And proud of it.” Whether he meant it as a joke (which I’m 90% sure he did) or as an insult, it doesn’t change my answer. I am strong. I am a girl. And neither has much to do with my muscles.
How do you take “strong… for a girl”? How would you answer this? Has your perception of your gender changed as you’ve gotten older?
Yes! Feeling Better and Better!
Isn’t that the truth? Seriously. I do find that what tends to work with me and my life and my goals RIGHT NOW for simply getting back into my habit where a daily workout was not negotiable, it was part of my day just like brushing my teeth every morning and night– a big part of what works for me in this endeavor is just mentally reminding myself of what I want.
I want to get back to the point where I can walk in my closet and wear anything that’s in there.
Sometimes, yea, it’s about superficial things. Big deal.
I’m heading out to a dinner meeting so I don’t have a lot of time but wanted to update y’all that yes I am finally starting to feel better. I did my first workout yesterday- first workout in more than ten days of sickness hell. I didn’t overdo it, I did Taebo Amped and some core work and burned 625 calories. Today I did most of my Ilaria Bodystrikes DVD and I have my TRX in my hotel room (I’m downtown Chicago for a conference) for some upper body after dinner. Yea, I’m gonna do it.
Last night was the first night in 10+ days that I went to sleep with NO COUGH DROPS. What a beautiful thing. Here is my vlog from that morning, where I still sound a bit like a man, sorry. My voice is much better today. 
I also started using the GNC Genetix HD this week which I dig. I’ll shoot a vlog later this week or maybe later tonight showing the 3 different products. I love the taste of the pre-workout drink even though in the jar it smells nasty.
Hope you guys are having a great week….more later!! WOOT!
Gluten-Free Wednesdays 1-25-12
Hello everybody. I can’t wait to see what you all have cooked up for this carnival.
Last week we had over 50 submissions so go back and take a look if you missed it.
If you get this post by email or RSS subscription, remember to click over to the site later in the day or sometime tomorrow to see what great ideas have been gathered here.
Ziplist: If you haven’t yet heard about Ziplist’s recipe box and shopping list, I explained it earlier this week.
Monthly Theme: Potatoes are January’s theme (which is only a suggestion) and this is the last week I’ll be looking for potato recipes to highlight. February’s theme will be soups and stews.
Last Week’s Highlights:
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tamales – Gluten-Free Cat
Leek and Sweet Potato Frittata – Low Amine Recipes
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes – MJ’s Kitchen
Savory Hashbrowns – Premeditated Leftovers
Broiled Potato Chips –Raia’s Recipes
My Submission: This week I have a delicious and easy meal to share.
The Carnival: Please read!
- Keep the links to gluten-free eating ideas (recipes, reviews, menus)
- If you’re new, please read the guidelines.
- Leave a link back (I will not highlight any recipes that do not link back.)
- Thanks for participating!
My Short-Short Health & Fitness Book Report!
Thanks to Turbo Jennie (who got it from Leah? Or Sara?) for the vid! Totally safe for work. In fact, this video should become the theme for your next office party. Awesome. Click through to see the video if you get this via e-mail or RSS.
Relaxation is such a personal thing. Some people get pedicures, others watch a show, still others crawl into the butt-end of a Dope Zebra and get all Party Rocker up in their backyard. Me? I read stuff. Not even fun stuff but non-fiction science-y stuff. I love it. But not everyone has the time or interest to read it all so here’s my book report. And in the interest of efficiency – I have a tendency to write reallly looong pooosts – I’m doing each report in three sentences. Enjoy! Or just enjoy the dope zebra. Whatever boot scoots your boogie.
* **Gist: Processed food is bad for you – you may have heard? – but these evolutionary scientists have figured out that it’s because of the over abundance of Omega-6 fatty acids from corn, soybean, safflower and other processed oils. In addition they make a very compelling case for why women a) need to be fatter than men and b) need to be fatter than our current standard of beauty.
Best advice: Ditch the Omega-6′s in your diet by breaking up with processed foods and increase your intake of Omega-3 fats by adding fish, fish oil, walnuts and canola oil to your diet. Oh, and stop hating your thighs that touch – they’re why your kids are so smart.
Who should read it: Everyone! It’s awesome and the fact that the last 60 pages are nothing but dense citations make me trust it even more. Check out my post Women Are Supposed to be Fat for a more nuanced review.
Just 10 LBS: Easy Steps to Weighing What You Want (Finally)
Gist: I got to interview Brad Lamm for a Shape piece on Adderall abuse but his real expertise lies in helping people overcoming addictions of all kinds, especially to food. He presents a very thoughtful and loving way to lose weight.
Best advice: Don’t making loving yourself conditional upon losing weight. Love yourself first.
Who should read it: Anyone who is trying to lose weight in a healthy positive way and develop the life skills to keep it off. Also, be prepared to go slowly with this one – crash diet it’s not (and that’s a good thing!)
The Playful Brain: The Surprising Science of How Puzzles Improve Your Mind
Gist: Solving all kinds of puzzles helps your brain stay younger and healthier.
Best advice: Go beyond crosswords and Sudoku to challenge and strengthen different parts of your brain. I found myself skipping all the spatial puzzles (like those stupid matchstick puzzles they stick on every IQ test) and then I realized that’s because I’m super bad at them… which means I really need to do them to strengthen the spatial processing center in my brain. Gah.
Who should read it: Not for casual puzzle buffs just looking for a fun bathroom book but more for people really interested in the why and how – it really delves into the science.
The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness
Gist: Focusing on the Eastern philosophy of mindfulness, this book takes you step by step through how to change your thoughts, actions and lifestyle to rewire your brain and make it more resilient when it comes to depression and other mood disorders.
Best advice: We are not at the mercy of our moods, we can change the way we think and consequently the way we feel. As a girl who has struggled most of my life with depression and anxiety, I found the message of this book to be both helpful and hopeful and it also made a lot of sense to me – although I’m still working on implementing it.
Who should read it: For anyone who struggles with “chronic unhappiness” this book is a game changer.
Gist: Intermittent fasting guru Brad Pilon takes you through all the research supporting using fasting both as a diet and a healthy lifestyle tool. He advocates fasting (abstaining from all food and caloric beverages) for 1 – 2 days a week for 18-30 hour periods.
Best advice: Fasting gets a bad rap as being extreme but done properly (i.e. not in an eating disordered way) it is an immensely powerful tool for health. It’s also not as hard or scary as people think it will be.
Who should read it: Anyone who wants to know all the science behind IF and/or be convinced to try it. You don’t need the e-book to learn the technique, it’s simple: don’t eat or drink anything with calories for 24 hours.
Gist: The subtitle of this e-book is “weight loss without the rules” and it’s kind of like Intuitive Eating but a little more in depth.
Best advice: I’ll admit I was surprised as I assumed it would be just another diet book saying what to eat and what not to eat but it’s really a sane system of tapping into what your body wants and needs. It’s not a quick-fix diet.
Who should read it: People who have started Intuitive Eating but maybe need a little more structure.
The Physique 57(R) Solution: The Groundbreaking 2-Week Plan for a Lean, Beautiful Body
Gist: This book is the basis of this month’s Experiment but it basically details and expands upon the Lotte Berk method of using ballet techniques as a workout program.
Best advice: Ballerinas are tough, don’t discount a workout that pretty much only uses body weight as resistance until you’ve tried it. It’s a long workout but we sure are sore afterward!
Who should read it: Anyone who was a ballerina growing up or ever wanted to be a ballerina although expect mainly barre work. There are no dance moves, sadly.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Bonus: This isn’t a health or fitness book but ohmygoodness is it amazing! It’s a true story and proves the saying that truth is stranger than fiction. I absolutely could not put it down. You’ll be surprised, impressed and inspired.
What good books have you read lately? Anyone have a favorite Internet meme to make me giggle??
*The link is an Amazon affiliate link. I figure since I went to the trouble of reviewing them, I’d love it if you used my link if you decide to purchase it! And for my local friends – you’re always welcome to borrow my copy!!
**I received a copy for free for review purposes
Put Items Away–Kitchen Tip
This week’s kitchen tip is from Shannon of Enjoying Gluten-Free Life. Shannon says,
“I learned in 7th grade home ec to always use an item then put it away. (This was a long time ago when all girls were required to take home ec). I take out baking soda, measure, put back in the cupboard. Cooking is more pleasant when I don’t have a bunch of containers to put away at the end and dirty dishes to wash.”
I agree with Shannon. I do this as much as possible, but never really thought about it.
Do you put things away as you use them?
What is the One Piece of Fitness Equipment You Can’t Live Without? [Reader Question]
I was kind of rolling my eyes until I got to #9. That question will haunt me until my dying day.
“So I have a post idea for you,” a friend at the gym recently said to me. (Incidentally this friend is the only person I have ever seen do the Wicked Wiper in person and he can do like 15 of them. It’s crazy. The first time we saw him do it we all burst into spontaneous applause on the weight floor which was even more awkward considering we hadn’t introduced ourselves yet and so pretty much looked like total creepers.) Anyhow, I love love love it when people start with this sentence. Mostly because it can be finished in so many awesome ways. “…what’s the deal with coconut water?” (Good q! Still need to write this one!) “…who invented push-ups?” (Don’t know but if I ever meet them I’m going to sit on their back for added resistance.) and “…why don’t you write Jillian Michaels fan fiction?” (Didn’t know that was an actual thing but I find it weird to write fiction about real living people.)
But this time my friend finished it with “I’m so sick of my earphones falling out every three seconds when I’m working out! I’ve tried every type out there and I’ve never found a pair that will stay put. And I cannot workout without my tunes!” As a sweaty Betty myself, he had my instant sympathy. I didn’t even realize that I sweated out my ears until one long run outside where my ear buds fell out so many times I looked like I had an ear-cleaning tic shoving them back every few steps forcing me to finally remove my headband and put it over the top of my ears to hold them in. (This was not nearly as awkward as when I realized why wearing gray cotton yoga pants to TurboKick is a huge mistake. It was like a Rorschach ink blot test… on my lady bits.) Anyhow, while I do like cleaning out my ears – heaven help me if I find a rogue Q-tip somewhere, it’s total eargasm time – I really don’t want to do it while I’m running.
The fitness industry has come up with myriad ways to solve this problem. First were the original headphones – you know, the kind that attached to your Sony Walkman strapped to your fanny pack? But the cheap plastic and foam never stayed put and covering your whole ear made the sweat even worse. Next were the “sport headphones” that had the plastic ear piece that wraps around the outside of your ear but, as my friend pointed out, they don’t work with his glasses. And I must have weirdly shaped ears because they never stayed put on mine either. Then came the tiny little ear buds that you stick in your ear – the better to permanently maim your hearing with! – and all the ways they can fall out, get tangled up and lose the leeeetle foam covering deep in your ear canal. I finally broke down and bought some hot pink Skullcandy ones with the interchangeable rubber tips. They were cuter but they still fell out of my ears when I got good and sweaty.
My Fave Piece of Fitness Equipment
I didn’t have a good answer for him at the time but I wanted one because, like the Gym Buddies will attest, I cannot run Tabata sprints without music. If I can hear myself sucking wind I slow down so my mp3 player is my must-have accessory. The universe heard my cries however and rained down earphones like manna. Actually: DB Logic mailed me a pair of their SPL2 earphones to try out for free. I adore them. ADORE. (And no they are not paying me for this post.) For two reasons:
1. The unique design has you place the earbuds “upside down” in your ears so that the thin cords run up over your ears. There is a little slider where they meet behind your head so you can tighten it up keeping the earphones tightly in place – seriously no slippage through a 3 mile run AND Tabatas – and keeping the wires out of your way.
2. The SLP2 technology automatically limits the sound pressure to 85 decibels in your ears thereby preserving your hearing and preventing you from being that girl 5 treadmills down who you know freaking loves Eminem because you can hear every syllable from her earphones 20 feet away. Not saying I don’t appreciate that girl when I’ve forgotten my own music – except for the day she played non-stop Katy Perry – but I just don’t want to be that girl. Picking the music for the entire gym to listen to is a big responsibility is all I’m saying.
Plus, at $34.95 they’re not much more expensive than my Skullcandy ones and they also come in lots of fun colors and with interchangeable rubber tips to get the right fit.
Fit Pros’ Fave Piece of Fitness Equipment
While I may be manic about my music during a workout, everyone seems to have their one favorite fitness tool they can’t live without and who better to ask than people who make their living in the biz? Check out my slideshow on Shape.com to see what personal trainers and fitness instructors picked as their must-have tool. You need to read it just to see what Kirez Reynolds – CrossFit trainer extraordinaire – picked. When he first posted it on Facebook I thought he was just being a smart aleck but it turns out he was serious and has the photographic evidence to prove it. Seriously, he’s amazing.
What is YOUR Fave Piece of Exercise Equipment?
Do you have to turn around and go home if you forget the chest strap to your heart rate monitor? Do you love your interval timer so much that you refuse to wear it in your cleavage Zuzana-style so that your sweat won’t ruin it? Do you pack your TRX in your travel bag first even though the TSA will flag it just to ask you if you’re into bondage? Also, what’s your solution to the earphones-falling-out issue??
How Do I Calculate the Percentage of Carbohydrates in my Diet?
Hello,
I’ve been trying to do a nutritional breakdown of my diet to establish the percentage Protein, Carbohydrate (complex and sugar),and Fat (especially Saturated Fat) I consume. I’ve been keeping a detailed food diary and nutritional details of each food I eat including the weight.
By my calculations, which I checked and rechecked, on an average day I consumed approximately 2600 kcals and 1700 grams of food and calorie-containing drinks.
What is the most accurate way of extrapolating my weekly % consumption of each food group please?
My previous calculations have fallen short in that when totalled the percentages didn’t add up to 100%.
Thanks for your help–Mike S.
Dear Mike,
I can certainly help you with this!
The percentage you are trying to calculate is the fraction of calories contributed by each of the macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
The reason your numbers aren’t coming up right is you are using the weight of the food instead of the calories. So here’s how to calculate the percentage you are looking for:
Let’s take an example and say you ate 2100 calories yesterday, including 320 grams of carbohydrates and 80 grams of protein. First, you multiply the grams of carbohydrate by 4, since there are 4 calories in a gram of carbs. This gives you 1280 calories from carbs. Now divide 1280/2100 and multiply by 100 to get percentage: 61 percent is the answer, and a good contribution of carbs to your diet.
Now let’s move on to protein. First, multiply 80 x 4 because there are also 4 calories in a gram of protein. Then take 320/2100 x 100 to get the percentage of calories from protein: 15% of your calories are from protein.
We can assume the remainder is fat (unless the 4th source of calories–alcoholic beverages–contributed to your intake). Fat has 9 calories per gram (which is why it is fattening!) and alcohol has 7 calories per gram (and the calculations of that are more complex, as you have to figure the alcohol content by the ‘proof’ of the liquor).
I encourage people to practice this using the food labels you see on the box panel of cereals, milk, and other packages. Multiply the number of calories in each energy-yielding nutrient by the number of grams contained in the serving of food. Then add up the total and see if you get something real close to the calories-per-serving on the label. It’s a good way to check your work.
How Can I Lose Weight Making Small Changes?
Hi,
I’m a 42-year old woman and I’m at my wits end with my weight! I’ve tried so many diets I can’t count, but I’m still about 50 pounds overweight and very frustrated. I keep hearing diets don’t work and you have to change your lifestyle, but how can I change what’s keeping me overweight when I don’t know where to start? I hope you can help… Louise C.
Hi Louise,
Relax! Trying to make too many changes at once is frustrating, and it’s also nearly impossible. The key is to make just one change a week, or a similar pace that works for you. People who are overweight know they eat too much, know what foods are fattening, and know they should be more active. Choose something you know is contributing to your weight loss, and find an easy way to change it for you.
Some ideas are:
1) Keep a food diary so you can be totally aware of what you’re eating. After you’ve done this for a week or so, take a good look at what you’re eating and when. Do you sometimes eat when you aren’t hungry? Can you make an effort to stop eating food you don’t really like, but just nibble on because they’re in the office conference room? Can you make a “no eating zone” in an area where you stress eat, like your desk or your car? This helps eliminate some of the calories you’re eating and not even enjoying.
2) Consider portion sizes: Are you cooking too much at dinner time? Eating 2 portions when you could be getting another meal out of the leftovers? Are you going out to eat and cleaning your plate out of habit? Can you make a change here and start eating smaller amounts at meals?
3) How can you be more active when it’s not second nature to you? Can you go for an early morning walk, or perhaps one after dinner? Join a sport you’ve always wanted to play, or take those flights of stairs each day. Exercising does not have to mean going to the gym for 2 hours a day.
Once you’re comfortable with one new habit, continue working on it while you add just one more small change.
Now how do these small changes add up to make a difference? Well, for every 100 calories you can shave off your intake (or burn off by moving more) each day, you’ll lose nearly a pound at the end of a month. I know a pound a month isn’t much, but it’s likely you’ll be able to cut your intake by closer to 300 or 400 calories, and work off another 100 or 200 by walking a mile or two. Now you’re up to five or six pounds a month.
Still not convinced it’s worth it? Multiply this by 12 months and figure out what you could weigh a year from now, just by making small changes–no crash diets or starving!
If you need guidance, support, and accountability, consider hiring a diet coach (hop over to www.mycoachlaurie.com to read all about it), or joining one of the many free weight-loss support sites like TheDailyPlate.com or FitDay.com. LoseIt.com is another site that has an app to go along with it so you can use your iphone to keep your daily food and exercise log.
