April 1, 2009 by admin.

I know it’s funny to even think of a caveman or cavewoman worrying about his or her figure.  Back then it was survival - eat what you can find.  Contrast that with today where most of us don’t have to struggle to find food.  It’s as near as your 7-11 or gas station.  And that’s the rub.  Accessibility has taken us far from our roots.  Of course, social standards of size hasn’t helped us either.

Back then cavemen didn’t have to practice the skill of resistance.  We do.  Studies are showing that practicing a little resistance can end up with big rewards.  In one study the authors found that in situations when self-control is repeatedly tested, a defense strategy that works for a first temptation can be used to tackle the next.  Let’s say that when you go to McDonald’s you’re tempted to have fries with your hamburger.  You decide that you will resist the temptation and just have the hamburger.  You finish your lunch and head back to work.  You’re proud of yourself for having resisted the fries.  According to the study results, the next time you head to McDonald’s you’ll more easily be able to resist the fries because you were successful the last time.

This philosophy holds true, as well, for trying to decrease your intake of fat.  Every time you eat something with a little less fat, it becomes that much easier to eat something else that has less fat.  In fact, in time your taste buds and tongue won’t even enjoy greasy foods.  You will have lost some of the “need” for fat.  The same holds true for sugar.  Put a little less sugar in your coffee each day and you’ll see that one day you may even be drinking your coffee without sugar.

Believe it or not, even though the saying goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, it isn’t so.  You can change as long as you want to change.

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March 1, 2007 by admin.

Visit My Website at:  www.advantagediets.com

See how Drawing the Line on Calories, Carbs, and Fat AND Is Your Personality Type Making You Fat? can help you lose weight, control for heart disease and diabetes, and just eat healthier:  www.advantagediets.com/index.html

My name is Roberta Schwartz Wennik, M.S., R.D.  I’m a registered dietitian, writer, speaker, and personal coach.  I would say that I bring something unique to the dietetic profession — I have a U.S. patent for the innovative food, exercise and activity tracker diary called “Drawing The Line On Calories, Carbs, and Fat.”  Go to www.advantagediets.com to see more about it.

Not only that, I’m a practitioner of the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).  Only a handful of registered dietitians are qualified practitioners of this personality approach to counseling.  I draw on this expertise often when serving as a personal coach to my clients.  I’ve written the book, Is Your Personality Type Making You Fat? to introduce you to type, let you discover what your type is, and then how you can live a healthier life by living it according to your type.  Eliminate using willpower by employing your type the way it wants to be used.

I received my Master in Nutrition from the University of Washington, followed by certification and R.D. credentials from the American Dietetic Association.  My first career, interestingly enough, was as an interior designer, having received a B.A. degree in Interior Design from the University of California at Berkeley.  I actually have quite a keepsake from my first degree.  My diploma is signed by President Ronald Reagan, who was governor of California at the time. 

While raising my family, I started reading diet books to get back into shape.  I was appalled at how many diet books were just pure quackery.  It was then that I knew what I wanted to do for my next career move.  I wanted to write and so returned to school for my masters in Nutrition.  What I have found is that having the design background combined with the nutrition degree allows me to present information in more graphic and visual ways, the approach, by the way, that is favored by most people.

Since receiving my degree, I have had many opportunities to write, having written for many popular magazines, as well as having had many books published including: Boomer’s Guide to Getting the Weight Off…For Good (2004, Alpha), Your Personality Prescription (1999, Kensington), and Beyond Food Labels (1996, Perigee).

Another fun thing I’ve done is being a segment host on a radio talk show and having appeared on television.  I’m also a spokesperson for Coca-Cola/Glaceau, the maker of smartwater, vitaminwater, vitaminenergy, and fruitwater.

Everything I do involves educating the consumer in one way or another.  At the root of all I do is the intense desire to help people and teach them.  I’m hoping that you will visit my blog often where I will share the latest news about nutrition and health.

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