GET THE BODY YOU WERE BORN TO HAVE

“We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be?”

Nelson Mandela, 1994

“Are we there yet?”

That familiar phrase that many-a-back-seat rider annoyingly yelled out on a childhood roadtrip sometimes comes back to haunt us. If you’re like many of my clients, you started your summer journey to get a “beach-ready” body. You lost some weight; you bought new clothes, you felt sexier; only to now find yourself back on the scale right where you started, wondering what it’s going to take to get there. Welcome to the club.

We all struggle to stay the course during the ultimate season of rest and relaxation. While the social influences of summer compel us to get in shape, it’s one of the toughest times to stay in shape as working out and eating healthy don’t always fit with our idea of the “vacation we deserve.”

But, that’s no excuse! As I write in my book Sound Mind, Sound Body, living healthfully can be enjoyable. And when you enjoy it, exercise and eating right come so naturally that it no longer feels forced. So, with 6 weeks until Autumn there’s plenty of time to get back on the road to getting the bodies we were born to have.

On last week’s post, I provided fit tips from Glamour magazine, September, 2008, and a downloadable 30-minute circuit inspired by my work with Heidi, Anne, and Kim. This week, I’d like to share my tips for dining out with greater confidence.

Eating out? Keep it Kirsched!

Imagine enjoying beautiful meals without experiencing the side effects of overindulgence? It can be done! Some of my clients including top supermodels have paid me to go out to eat with them, asking me to show them the path to Sound nutrition heaven – the gates beyond which only the purest of proteins and carbohydrates are allowed admission. We’ve conquered the most “dangerous” restaurants, enjoying some of our favorite foods while staying the course. Below are my personal tips on dining out healthfully. Remember: Smart dining habits can help you lose weight and add years to your life.

DAVID KIRSCH’s DOs and DON’Ts of Dining Out
If you eat out, be mindful of how and why you are eating, and you will be able to eat out intelligently and safely.

DO

Eat before you eat out. Enjoy a Protein Plus Shake or hard-boiled eggs to take the edge off.

Drink water with lemon or lime.

Send the free food back to the kitchen.

Save alcohol for your main course (if you need it!) Follow every drink with at least two drinks of water.

Skip the appetizer or stick to a small salad with dressing on the side.

Order lean protein plus veggies or greens as your main course. Eat a sensible portion size – typically no bigger than the size of your hand, of grilled, broiled, or poached fish, chicken, turkey or lean sirloin.

Tune into your inner sense of hunger. Eat slowly. Savor every bite. If you focus on the sensory experience of eating, you’ll feel sated sooner and, as a result, eat less. Stop when you are full.

Don’t look at the dessert menu.

Finish your dining adventure with a long walk after dinner!

DON’T

Avoid any menu item that is “sautéed,” “fried,” “pan roasted” or has “cream sauce.” If the dish has sauce, ask for it to be served on the side or without sauce.

Eliminate what I call the “A, B, C’s …” of a high-calorie diet:

Alcohol – Wine typically contains 110 calories. A mixed drink has more calories than a slice of chocolate cake!

Breads

Starchy Carbs including these seemingly healthy Carbs: Carrots, potatoes, rice, pasta and corn all contain high amounts of carbs and rank high on the glycemic index.

Coffee

Extra Sweets and Sodas

Fruits (they are high in fructose, a type of sugar), and Most Fats (saturated and trans fats so no red meat, pork, bacon or other fatty meats)

For more tips on eating well

Download: “What to Eat and When” for a sample 24-schedule of what to eat during maintenance mode. Pick up a copy of Sound Mind, Sound Body, for “Tips for Different Eateries,” the ”Indispensable Kitchen List,” and a library of healthy recipes. Download more Kirsch-approved recipes at WNBC4’s Today In New York’s Fitness Challenge …

The path toward wellness is long and, at times arduous. It is filled with potholes in the guise of fast-food restaurants, stressful jobs, and demanding relationships. In addition, we all have demons that, if we allow them, will sabotage our plans and take us off course. If you’ve fallen off the wellness wagon, ask yourself: What are the three things standing in the way of getting to the body I was born to have? Jot them down. Then, I challenge you to look in the mirror and tell yourself: “I can overcome these; I will feel a difference.” Recognizing, embracing, and thwarting these personal temptations will take you to new heights.

Got a question for David? What’s standing in the way of getting the body you were born to have? Each issue, David will help a community member solve a fitness challenge. Write to David, describing your situation.