Nutrition is complicated because of all the permutations of what you’re supposed to do to lose weight, stay healthy, and retain energy. It’s a vicious circle when it’s supposed to be a virtuous circle. I’m flummoxed.
Lori Thomas took her family sailing near Williamsburg, and their three-hour afternoon trip afforded time to pose questions. “I’m a personal trainer and have learned to become a nutritionist for some of my clients,” she said while her daughter Maddy ran the helm in light winds. “I go to their home, which is more convenient for them and gives them fewer excuses not to exercise.”
She said some people are working to contrary ends. “I like to say that you can’t out-run a bad diet. You need consistency and you need to stick to it.” She laughed, “And here we are eating potato chips with the kids, but we’re on vacation.
“But I will tell you these kids have never been to McDonald’s. They know better than to eat there, and we’re good about that. One time Jillian’s class wound up at a McDonald’s and he had no choice, so he ate McNuggets.”
There is no one-size-fits-all diet. “You need to find your metabolism, the rhythm of eating and exercise that works for you. I did some gluten-free programs, but not for weight. I did it to clear my brain from being fuzzy, and now I think sharp all the time.
“Everyone needs to avoid more sugar in their diet. Raisin Bran seems like a good cereal, but check out how much sugar is added to the raisins. I prefer shredded wheat, or even oats or oatmeal. Check the labels for sugar content, and you’ll be surprised how much there is in so many foods.
“Sometimes people do some screwy things. I had a client who liked protein shakes but found them not very stimulating. So he added vodka, which made it very smooooooth.”
Dining Out Better
Steve Thomas is a computer programmer for nowait.com. “I’ve only been there five months. It’s designed to let people get to the head of the line at a restaurant. They use an app.” I asked if that wasn’t redundant to opentable.com. “Ours works for those who are more spontaneous and want to go now. We’re also working on an app for payment. People are ready to leave the restaurant but they can’t find the waiter. This way they can pay quickly. Restaurants like it because it’s secure.”
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