Q:  What are your thoughts on artificial sweeteners?  Are they okay to consume when trying to lose weight?

A:  The jury is still out on artificial sweeteners.  The fact of the matter is they do save calories when trying to lose weight.  Switching from regular soda to diet will save calories.  Same thing goes for using artificial sweeteners like Splenda or Equal in place of regular sugar.  Here’s the catch… some studies are showing that products containing artificial sweeteners actually increase the cravings for sweets.  In my experience, when my clients cut back on the diet soft drinks they consume, they lose more weight.  My recommendation is to keep it to no more than one serving of artificial sweetener per day.  A serving would be one 12oz can of diet soda, or one packet of sweetener.  Eventually, it would be great to limit it to just a couple servings per week.

Q:  What do you think of the book “Intuitive Eating”?  Have you read Bethenny Frankel’s book “Naturally Skinny”?  What’s your opinion on it?

A:  I love the book “Intuitive Eating”.  I learned a lot from it and from the authors.  I love the concept of intuitive eating, but feel that it has to be catered to each person.  Identifying your hunger and developing a healthy relationship with food is the main priority.  Once that base is established, it’s much easier to look at calories and nutrition from a “healthy lifestyle” perspective.  The goal is to eat healthy, but feel good about it, and not feel like you’re depriving yourself.  I have looked at the book “Naturally Thin”.  I like Bethenny’s writing style.  What she is doing is telling her story and how she came out of the “diet mentality”.  She is a natural food’s chef… and that’s the extent of her training.  A good way to view this book is to look at the tools she used to develop a healthy relationship with food, and how she manages that on a day-to-day basis.  The reader can see if those tools work for them.  The food diary she listed is based on her body and her needs.  It’s important to keep that in mind.  Take the info in the book and tailor it for you.

Q:  I read in one of your blog posts that you’re pregnant!  Congratulations!  How did you deal with body image, weight gain part of it?  I’m so worried about that for when I get pregnant.

A:  I think every woman worries about this to an extent.  I had worked a lot on body image issues in the past, so I felt pretty good about where I was at prior to becoming pregnant.  I did have a hard time seeing my body change, but I learned to get over it.  This time in my life is not about me… it’s about my body building a healthy baby.  I had to tell myself that my body was going to do what it wants to do… I know longer had control of it.  I know it will all be worth it in the end.

Q:  What tips do you have for college students?  I’m about 15 pounds overweight and often snack during late night study sessions.

A:  It’s all about managing your schedule in college.  You’re body will typically ask for food every 4-5 hours, depending on what you previously ate.  Keep an eye on the portion sizes.   As far as snacking goes, mindless snacking will put on excess weight, especially if it’s done consistently and becomes a habit.  Keep healthy snacks close by, so when hunger strikes, there’s less temptation by the vending machine.  Take a look at your class and study schedule and try to structure your meals a little.  Getting your body into some type of routine can help.  Lastly, stay active.  Try to squeeze some exercise you enjoy on a daily basis.  This not only keeps our weight healthy, but relieves daily stress as well!

Got a question for Weekly Bite?  Submit your question on this blog post and I’ll put in the next Q&A.

Tags: artificial sweeteners, college eating, intuitive eating, pregnancy weight gain, Q&A

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