Dr. Susan Michell - Nutrition Expert Dr. Susan Mitchell Nutrition Expert
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September 1, 2011

Put on Some Pounds? Will Your Partner Dump You?

Have you gained any weight lately? How does it make you feel about yourself in terms of your overall self-esteem and sexuality? One of my girlfriends refers to this recently acquired weight on her back as ‘fack’ or back fat! If you’re involved with someone, does your partner support you and help you work to reach your desired weight and health goals?

Did you hear about the survey recently discussed on the Today show by psychotherapist and Today show contributor Dr. Robi Ludwig? The poll was a joint collaboration between Cosmopolitan magazine and AskMen.com and asked all types of relationship questions.

Of course the one I want to focus in on has to do with weight gain. Don’t miss this… according to this poll of 70,000 people, nearly 50% of the men said they would dump a partner who gained weight. This is in comparison to only 20% of the women who responded the same.

According to Dr. Ludwig, she has not found this response to be typical in her private practice. She says that women are much harder on themselves and their looks and weight than their partners. Do you agree?

Do you think this survey response has to do with women being more objectified than men where their bodies are constantly evaluated and sexualized…and at younger and younger ages? Think about celebrities. Gain weight and your tabloid fodder. By the way, seems to me, this is true more for women but not so much for men. Hmmm

According to the Journal of Obesity, weight discrimination is an issue for woman.

Why do you think weight gain in women is such an issue for men? Going back to the Today show segment, is it because a man’s partner is seen as an extension of him and reflects how he wants to be viewed by the world? Do you think an overweight partner sends the message that the guy is not successful or has poor self-esteem?

Ladies, when you gain weight, is your self-esteem or sexy feeling diminished? Do men pick up on this? I’m not sure there’s one answer but rather a tightly interwoven net of thoughts and feelings. Whatever happened to mutual support, understanding and working together?

I want to know what you think so post your comment on my blog at susanmitchell.org or Facebook page…both which you will find at susanmitchell.org

On a completely separate note, if you plan to grill out this weekend, try these grilling recipes from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! 

*** For sharing their recipes with you, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!Ò has provided BBQ Roll-Up Tool Sets as giveaways so register to win one of these grill sets today! ***

 SHRIMP SCAMPI SKEWERS

4 servings            Prep Time: 10 minutes     Marinate Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: 5 minutes

1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on

4 green onions, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, halved and sliced

20 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original

Combine shrimp, onions, lemon juice and garlic in medium bowl. Cover and marinate 10 minutes.

Alternately thread shrimp, onions and lemon slices on skewers*. Grill or broil, turning once and spraying with 10 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original, 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

Just before serving, spray with remaining 10 Sprays.

*If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least 30 minutes prior to use.

Nutrition Information per serving:

Calories 130, Calories From Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 170mg, Sodium 190mg, Total Carbohydrate 6g, Sugars 1g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 24g, Vitamin A 8%, Vitamin C 50%, Calcium 8%, Iron 20%

Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens

 

SUMMERTIME GRILLED VEGETABLES

4 servings            Prep Time: 5 minutes     Cook Time: 10 minutes

3 lbs. your favorite vegetables (red onions, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers), sliced or cut into chunks

30 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original

Alternately thread vegetables on skewers*. Grill or broil vegetables until tender. Arrange vegetables on serving platter. Spray with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original.

*If using wooden skewers soak at least 30 minutes prior to use.

Cost per recipe**: $4.92

Cost per serving**: $1.23

**Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.

Nutrition Information per serving:

Calories 90, Calories From Fat 10, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 40mg, Total Carbohydrate 17g, Sugars 9g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A 60%, Vitamin C 170%, Calcium 6%, Iron 20%

Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast


November 4, 2009

Holiday Parties: Tricks to Indulge Guilt-Free

nice displayIt’s almost that time….the ‘holiday eat fest’ is about to begin. You know what I mean…food, parties, buffets, and more food from Thanksgiving thru the ringing in of the New Year. And with the Super Bowl, you could extend the eat fest right on thru January. My goal every year is to enjoy the celebrations but come out on the other end without additional pounds on my thighs or around my middle. Are you with me? So how do you navigate the social scene and still enjoy yourself without all the guilt? Let’s talk tricks that work…food tricks that turn the tables so you call the shots.

  1. Pre-party prep: eat a lean protein, high fiber snack such as ½ a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard or a small handful of nuts and piece of fruit before you go. Why? The snack will curb cravings and hunger so you are more in control of what and how much you eat.
  2. Check out the eye candy: I call all the tempting food ‘eye candy’ since you eat with your eyes first. Instead of eating your way through all the offerings, take a look at the food spread and decide which items you really want to try.
  3. Alternate drinks: if you consume alcohol, alternate with sparkling water. Not only do you cut calories significantly but the more alcohol you drink, typically the more you eat of everything.

The November 29th issue of Family Circle magazine has specific suggestions to indulge guilt-free. My regular guest, Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle joins me on my podcast this week.

Margit shared a number of easy tricks including:

Instead of: Three pigs in blanket
Reach for: Four steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce
Calories Saved: 240

Instead of: Martini
Try: Champagne or White Wine Spritzer (1/2 wine, half seltzer)
A large martini can pack as much as three shots of alcohol and as many as 300 calories.
Calories Saved: 200

Instead of: One frosted and decorated sugar cookie
Try: One lightly decorated gingerbread man cookie, calories saved: 90

Speaking of gingerbread men have you started your holiday baking? Check out the recipe from Family Circle for gingerbread men posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center. Most every year I make gingerbread men and am anxious to give this recipe a try.


March 4, 2009

Three Tips to Help Prevent Packing on the Pounds

burn-weightI just read in the April 1st issue of Family Circle magazine that if you give up one regular 20-ounce soda a day, you’ll save about 91,000 calories a year. Do the math at 3500 calories per pound and that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds you could lose.  That’s huge! Sweetened beverages including juices can pack on the pounds but here are some usable tips to help prevent that gain.

Go for a 50-50 mix. Since juice can be a concentrated source of calories, dilute it with water, sparkling water or club soda. As you adjust to this mixture, try a little less juice and a little more water. Remember that sweetened beverages do not provide you with a feeling of satiety or fullness so you can consume a lot of calories and still be ravenous.

Heads up, many sports drinks and sodas actually contain more than once serving if you check the Nutrition Facts label. When you consume the entire bottle, you need to double or triple the calories depending on the servings in the container. Be a label sleuth.

Are you hungry after you workout? I am. If I’m not careful, I can easily consume more calories rehydrating than I just burned off. Be sure and check the calories of your favorite flavored waters and sports drinks. Some contain upwards of 300 calories.


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