I have a unique opportunity this week for a trip to
Bogota, Colombia. I am very excited about it. This will be my first trip to
South America - another continent I can cross of the list thanks to my Subway travels!
Check back soon and I can fill you in on the details of the trip.
Hi! My name
is Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. and I am a pediatrician and child obesity specialist. I first met Jared a few months ago because of
his relationship with Subway. In
general, I try to get my patients to stay away from fast food. Subway, however, is an exception. It is one of the few places where a child can
get a healthy meal quickly and cheaply!
At our first visit, Jared shared his weight loss
journey and I was inspired by his story.
He fell into the same food trap that so many children still fall into
today. His home was filled with junk
food, he didn't exercise, and many of his dinners consisted of fast food or
processed foods with few nutrients and lots of calories and fat! Jared was able to make over his body and his
life by making a few key changes - and so can you! Read on to learn some easy tips to make
eating out easy, quick, and healthy!
Easy Tips to Making Healthy Choices When Eating Out
It's time for school once again! For many parents school time brings busy
schedules including sports, dance lessons, religious studies and of course
homework. Many schedules do not leave
much time to prepare healthy delicious meals so many choose fast food
restaurants as their go-to option.
Unfortunately eating out often can lead to extra weight gain and
learning unhealthy eating habits for you and your family. Here are some ways to make eating out healthy
and part of your back-to-school routine without sacrificing good nutrition.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Many fast food and restaurant chains post
nutritional information on their websites. If you frequent a favorite chain and
often choose certain menu items, be sure you look up the nutritional data
online. You may be amazed by the calories, saturated fat and sodium in
your favorite dish. Fortunately, some
fast food restaurants, like Subway, offer many healthy options. Start by visiting Subway's website to view
their nutritional information http://www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/.
Going to a restaurant that doesn't post their nutrition information online? You can still learn a lot from a simple web search. Go to www.calorie-count.com or www.calorieking.com and type in the name of the dish you usually order. These websites have average nutritional information for thousands of foods. Chances are you will find what you are looking for.
2. READ THE MENU CAREFULLY
Make sure you know what you are ordering. Pay attention to the descriptions on the menu. Dishes labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy are usually high in calories. Choose restaurants (like Subway) that allow you to pick exactly what you do (and don't!) want to eat.
3. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPECIAL ORDER
Many menu items would be healthy if they were prepared differently. Small substitutions often lead to major calorie savings. Be sure to tell your waiter that you are trying to eat healthy. Most restaurants are happy to prepare your food the way you would like it.
Ask for your vegetables and main dishes to be served with the sauce on the side. If your food is fried or cooked in oil or butter, ask to have it broiled or steamed. Some restaurants even have non-fat cooking spray in the kitchen! When I go to a restaurant, I always ask for "no butter, no oil, no mayo". These ingredients are often stuck into dishes where you least expect them.
4. CAUTION WITH THE KIDS MENU
Unless you are at Subway, the kid's menu is usually the least healthy section of the menu. I like to avoid it altogether. Many restaurants will allow you to choose 'half-orders' of dishes on the adult menu. If the restaurant doesn't do half-orders, consider splitting a dish with your child. Which brings us to our next tip...
5. WATCH YOUR PORTIONS SIZES!
Watch portion size; share or bring leftovers home. At a typical restaurant, a single serving provides enough for at least two meals. Even children's menu portions are overblown! To overcome this obstacle, take half of your meal home or divide the portion with a dining partner.
It is best to decide how much your child should eat as soon as the dish is served. How many times have you told yourself you would only eat half your dish and then sat at the table picking at the plate until it was finished? Kids do the same thing. When your child's meal is served and is overflowing, ask the waiter for an extra plate. Place an appropriate portion on your child's plate and hand the rest to the waiter to wrap up. When you eat at Subway, take advantage of their smaller, more appropriately-sized options, such as the 4-inch or 6-inch sub choices that are low in calories and fat!
6. AVOID BUFFETS
Avoid buffets, even seemingly healthy ones like salad bars. You'll likely overeat to get your money's worth. If you do choose buffet dining, opt for fresh fruits, salads with low-fat or fat-free dressings, broiled entrees and steamed vegetables. Resist the temptation to go for seconds or wait at least 20 minutes after eating to make sure you're still hungry before going back up to the buffet.
7. CHOOSE CALORIE-FREE BEVERAGES
Remember that soda and juice are both huge sources of hidden calories. Try switching to water with lemon or unsweetened iced tea. My kids love the sugar-free lemonade at Subway!
8. EAT MINDFULLY
Encourage your kids to eat mindfully. Mindful eating means paying attention to what you eat and savoring each bite. Being mindful also means noticing when you are almost full and laying down your fork. Mindful eating relaxes you so you digest better and makes you feel more satisfied. Teach your children to really taste their food and pay attention to what they are eating.
9. SLOW DOWN!
If your children are shoveling their food into their mouths, they won't be able to tell that they are full. It takes twenty minutes for your body to realize it is satisfied. Have them put their forks down between bites or take a sip of water between mouthfuls. If your kids finish their meals in less time and still feel hungry, ask them to wait. Once the full twenty minutes has passed, they will probably no longer feel hungry.
10. REMEMBER THE BIG PICTURE
Think of eating out in the context of your whole diet. If it is a special occasion or you know you want to order your favorite meal at a nice restaurant, cut back on your other meals that day. Moderation is always key, but planning ahead can help you relax and enjoy your dining out experience without sacrificing good nutrition or diet control.
About
Dr. Dolgoff
Dr. Dolgoff runs child and adolescent weight loss
programs online (http://www.DrWeigh.com),
on Long Island, and in Manhattan. Her
program has a 96% weight loss success rate and is followed by children in 41
states! She often blogs on child weight
loss topics (http://www.DrWeigh.com/blog)
and is active on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/JoannaDolgoffMD)
and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/DrDolgoffsWeigh).
My newest commercial involves me "singing", and I do use the term singing very lightly lol, alongside Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck of the New York Giants. It was a very fun day for a couple of reasons. First, none of us can actually sing which I guess was what made the spot funny in the first place! Second, the chemistry between the three of us was great and we spent a good part of the shoot joking around which hopefully came across in the final commercial.
I have shot a couple spots with Strahan, so I knew I would get along great with him, but this was my first time hanging out with Justin Tuck. He was great! Very low key and down to earth. Hopefully I'll get a chance to team up with the two of them again soon. Maybe we can all take singing lessons together hahah....
]]>I found out I was recently nominated for the Advertising Walk of Fame. What a cool honor! I don't know if I'll actually be inducted into it, but just being nominated is an honor. It's still surreal to me that I have been doing the ads for Subway Restaurants for over 10 years now. It's been great to see that the ads have really positively impacted a lot of people across America to become healthier.
Please take a second to go vote! Thanks :)
]]>
Recently
I got a chance to visit Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC.
Walter Reed is one of our biggest military hospitals where our troops are taken
if they are injured while defending our country. This was the second time
I have had the privilege of visiting and thanking our wounded warriors and
wanted to share my visit there with all of my blog readers.
Having been to Walter Reed once before, I thought I would be much more mentally
prepared for this visit than the last time I went. I thought it wouldn't
hit me as emotionally to see our bravest troops laying in there beds in pain as
they gave such a sacrifice to our country. But, I was wrong. It hit
me just as hard and made for a very emotional day. I had the chance to
visit with quite a few of the troops and their families. My friends at
Subway had given me some really cool signed autographs by Michael Phelps and
Yankee legend Bucky Dent to pass out. It was such a great feeling to see
these guys smile, even for a bit. They asked me about my story and how
the commercials are going, and I asked them about their service to our
country. Many of them were in obvious pain from their injuries but all of
them seemed so brave as we talked about a lot of different things.
I want to thank Walter Reed Hospital for allowing me to come in and spend a few
hours visiting with everyone. It gave me yet again such a feeling of
thankfullness for all these young men do for our country. I look forward
to my next visit there in the near future to say thank you for our troops
giving so much for all of us.
Hey all! Here is the winning entry from the
FreshFit Sweepstakes. Justin Burt from Chicago, IL was chosen randomly
and won the year long gym membership! Here is his entry.
Hi Jared,
Your story is a huge success. I can in no way compare with the struggles and triumphs you have gone through, but here's my own story:
By 21 years of age, I had been overweight for most my life. I was 5'8", 185+ pounds, and not very comfortable with my appearance. A trip to the gym would usually include me getting winded after 2 miles on the treadmill followed by an ice cream reward immediately after.
During my senior year of college, I decided to get more serious about living a healthy lifestyle. I began eating lunch and dinners at Subway, about 2-4 times a week. I gradually started running more, going from 2 miles per run to 3, 4, 5, 6, and eventually 7. Additionally, I learned to skip desert or opt for lower calories choices. Through these efforts, I was able to shed almost 35 pounds in 6 months.
I've never felt fitter, happier, or more confident in my life! I now realize that we are in charge of our own health and that a nutritious diet and dedicated exercise are really the best methods for losing weight.
I have managed to keep the weight off since graduating college. However, I worry that this will get harder as the years go by. With paying back student loans, I have no way to afford a gym membership. I believe that a membership would help me continue the success I've experienced and hopefully motivate others.
I am very proud of you Justin for reaching your goal
of becoming healthier!! It always makes me feel great when I hear of others success stories. Congrats on
winning the contest and it looks like you will put the gym membership to good use!
It looks like you are at a big crossroads where you want to maintain the weight
you are at now. This can be a challenging period but I wanted to offer a
few hints to keep you going:
First, I would take the approach that the weight loss is phase 1 of many other
phases to come. Phase 2 is maintaining for right now and additional
phases will come with each new year as your body and circumstances
change. It is a fluid situation and one that you might have some ups and
downs. Just remember to keep eating moderately and get enough
exercise...hopefully that gym membership will come in handy!
Second, don't forget all the hard work it took to lose the weight in the first
place. It can be easy to fall back into the old unhealthy habits, so just
try to stay on top of that.
And third, enjoy the the confidence and self esteem you have now! You
deserve it. I wish you all the best!!
Here are some pics Justin sent me as well!
Michael Phelps is in my
hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana participating in the U.S. National swim
meet. To root him on my friends at Subway held a special event at a local
Subway Restaurant in downtown Indy. Michael and I actually made our very
own Subway Sandwiches. He had never done it before so I tried to give him
a few tips..lol He was great at it and made his favorite Meatball
Marinara. And he is serious about those jalepeno and bannana peppers!!
He put a ton of them on his sandwich. He had literally just come from
practicing in the pool when we held this event so I think he finished his
entire footlong sandwich before I even finished my 6 inch Subway Club. It
was funny stuff. We then layed out a bunch of sandwiches on a 6 Foot long
board and Michael held it up to show how truly long his arm span really
is. It was an amazing site.
He and I got to talk during lunch and I just couldn't get over how calm he was
going into this meet. He has trained hard the past few months for this
and I hope he wins all of his events! He says he has been getting a lot
of texts and phone calls from friends and family saying how much they like the
new Subway commercial that features he and I. I wish him all the best
this week and at the World competitions in Rome later this month.
Here are some pics from the event!
