We just wanted to update you on the progress of Second Harvest’s Biggest Loser Team! We are a little more than halfway there. Below is our updated chart:

Woo-hoo!! We have one individual that has lost almost 10% of their original body weight!

How is your Team doing? How are you doing with the challenge? Was your goal to lose 5% of your original body weight? Maybe it was 10%? Whatever the case, keep on moving along. DO NOT GIVE UP!! There are No Quitters at the food bank!

Here’s our Tip for this Week: Get Moving!
Written by Kristina LaRue, Nutrition Intern at Second Harvest Food Bank

Get Moving!

You may have decided to skip that slice of chocolate cake, but are you having a hard time fitting the exercise piece into your weight loss regime? … The competition is getting stiff! It’s time to kick it up a notch and feel the burn!

Exercise influences weight loss in a major way. Everyone has to eat, but everyone doesn’t choose to exercise. Exercise can give your body the extra push that’s needed to shed those lingering pounds. Best of all, it doesn’t always mean sweating bullets on the stair stepper.

Here are some fun “non-exercise” activities:

• Fix up the house — clean, paint, rearrange the furniture or plant a garden.
• Instead of watching TV, go outside. Take a stroll around the block or play Frisbee with the kids.
• Take your bike to the grocery store or to work. (You might just save some gas money, too!)
• On the weekend, go hiking, swimming, rollerblading, or take your dog to the park and play fetch.
• Raining? Find a good workout video. Look on the computer, flip through the TV channels, or get one at the store.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park farther away from your destination and walk.
• Volunteer in the community. Keep yourself active.
• Do it yourself. Instead of asking others to get something for you, get up and get it!

Do you want to know how to burn more calories while sleeping? Include strength training into your weight loss plan. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn.

Happy weight loss!
Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

For every pound you pledge to lose through May 31, 2011, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 11¢ to Feeding America® — enough to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of local food banks. It’s not too late to sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge: http://www.pfpchallenge.com/fl

Hello Biggest Losers!

Everyone is doing fantastic, but I have heard some of you say you want to step it up. If you want to lose 1 pound a week, you need to cut 500 calories a day, but you must do this without skipping meals. Below are some tips to slash down the calories. Maybe you have already adopted these habits? …If you haven’t, give them a try!

*Remember, the BEST combination to cut calories is to eat better AND exercise.*

50 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories
By Emily Vale, SparkPeople Contributor

Beverages

1. Split a 20 oz. bottle of regular soda with a friend. Save 120 calories!

2. Drink 1 cup of diet soda instead of 1 cup of regular soda. Save 97 calories!

 3. Swap a 12-oz. glass of whole milk for skim milk. Save 96 calories!

4. Drink two 12-oz. light beers this weekend instead of two regular beers. Save 100 calories!

5. Instead of 1 cup of prepared lemonade, try 1 cup of a sugar free variety. Save 103 calories!

6. Eat a medium orange instead of drinking 12 oz. of fresh orange juice. Save 106 calories!

7. Prepare your coffee with 4 oz. of fat-free half and half instead of regular half and half. Save 88 calories!

8. Enjoy 5 oz. of chocolate milk instead of 5 oz. of a chocolate milkshake Save 110 calories!

Breakfast

9. Spread your whole grain waffles with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of 1 tablespoon of margarine or butter. Save 110 calories!

10. Top your whole grain bagel with 1.5 oz of fat-free cream cheese in lieu of regular. Save 108 calories!

11. Try 1 oz. of maple turkey bacon instead of maple (pork) bacon. Save 118 calories!

12. Ditch the glazed donut and eat a bagel instead. Save 93 calories!

13. Eat 3/4 cup oatmeal instead of a 1-1/2 cups of oatmeal. Save 97 calories!

14. Substitute 3 oz. of turkey sausage for a serving of pork sausage. Save 120 calories!

15. Grab a small bagel instead of a medium bagel. Save 99 calories!

Snacks and Sides

16. Dip 1 cup celery into your favorite salsa or hummus instead of 1 oz. of tortilla chips. Save 125 calories!

17. Eat an entire medium apple instead of a small (5 oz.) candy apple. Save 118 calories!

18. Snack on 1 oz. of baked potato chips instead of regular chips. Save 90 calories!

19. Better yet, eat 2 oz. pretzels instead of the same size portion of potato chips. Save 94 calories!

20. Bake 2 oz of oven fries in lieu of 2 oz. of fast food fries. Save 88 calories!

21. Forgo a 6-oz portion of potato chips and nosh on 6 oz. of tortilla chips instead. Save 96 calories!

22. Say no to 1 oz of deep-fried onion rings and instead enjoy 1 oz. of grilled onions with your meal. Save 92 calories!

23. Try 1.5 oz. of fresh grapes instead of 1.5 oz. of raisins. Save 98 calories!

24. Enjoy a healthy 8-oz. baked potato instead of 8 oz. of French fries. Save 104 calories!

25. Choose 3 oz. of mozzarella cheese for your sandwich instead of Swiss cheese. Save 108 calories!

26. Swap 1 cup of canned pineapple in heavy syrup for crushed pineapple in water. Save 119 calories!

Lunch and Dinner

27. Cut a 6 oz. steak in half and take the other portion home for another meal. Save 111 calories!

28. Order a skinless chicken breast instead of chicken with skin. Save 102 calories!

29. Substitute a fat-free beef hot dog for a regular beef hot dog. Save 104 calories!

30. Build a sandwich with1.5 oz. of deli turkey breast instead of an equivalent of hard salami. Save 119 calories!

31. Instead of 6 oz. of crispy fried chicken with skin, eat 6 oz. baked chicken with skin. Save 102 calories!

32. Choose a slice of thin crust pizza over thick crust pizza. Save 106 calories!

33. Add vegetable toppings to your pizza order and say no to pepperoni. Save 100 calories!

34. Forget broccoli cheddar soup. A 7-oz portion of vegetable soup is better. Save 119 calories!

35. Enjoy 12 oz of steamed rice (choose brown rice when possible) as an alternative to fried rice. Save 96 calories!

36. Unwrap your 13-inch tortilla wrap and make a sandwich on a 3-oz. whole grain bagel instead. Save 96 calories!

37. Eat only half of your hamburger or sandwich bun. Save 100 calories!

Condiments and Sauces

38. Dip your salad in a side of ranch dressing (2 tsp.) instead of pouring 2 Tbsp of dressing on the salad. Save 97 calories!

39. Skip the 5 oz. of Alfredo sauce and eat a whopping 7 oz. of marinara sauce. Save 129 calories!

40. Add flavor to vegetables with 3 oz. of hot sauce—not 1 oz of bleu cheese dressing. Save 117 calories!

41. Top your salad with 1.5 oz. reduced-fat Italian dressing instead of regular. Save 96 calories!

42. Try either cheese or croutons on your salad—not both Save 72-116 calories!

43. Instead of 3 oz. of regular sour cream, use a fat-free variety. Save 120 calories!

44. Use 2 Tbsp reduced-fat light mayonnaise instead of regular mayonnaise. Save 102 calories!

Sweets and Desserts

45. Serve ice cream in a dish instead of a waffle cone. Save 121 calories!

46. Try a healthier peanut granola bar instead of a peanut candy bar. Save 94 calories!

47. Finish dinner with 1 cup of low-fat frozen yogurt instead of regular ice cream. Save 121 calories!

48. Substitute 5 oz. of apple pie, with 5 oz. of baked apple crisp. Save 85 calories!

49. Instead of 4 oz. of regular chocolate pudding, enjoy a sugar-free portion. Save 92 calories!

50. Leave that 1/2 cup of strawberry ice cream in the freezer. Enjoy 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries topped with 2 Tbsp of fat-free whipped cream as an alternative. Save 102 calories!

Cutting 100 calories here and there is an easy way to form healthier eating habits without feeling deprived or hungry. With just a few of these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be on your way to reaching your goals in no time!

Source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1183

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

Have you tried to lose weight by cutting down the amount of food you eat? Do you still feel hungry and not satisfied after eating? Or have you avoided trying to lose weight because you’re afraid of feeling hungry all the time? If so, you are not alone. Many people throw in the towel on weight loss because they feel deprived and hungry when they eat less. There is another way! The key is to eat foods that will fill you up without eating a large amount of calories.
 
Research shows that people get full by the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in. You can cut calories in your favorite foods by lowering the amount of fat and or increasing the amount of fiber-rich ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit.

Let’s take macaroni and cheese as an example. The original recipe uses whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese. This recipe has about 540 calories in one serving (1 cup).
 
Here’s how to remake this recipe with fewer calories and less fat:
• Use 2 cups non-fat milk instead of 2 cups whole milk.
• Use 8 ounces light cream cheese instead of 21⁄4 cups full-fat cheddar cheese.
• Use 1 tablespoon butter instead of 2 or use 2 tablespoons of soft trans-fat free margarine.
• Add about 2 cups of fresh spinach and 1 cup diced tomatoes (or any other veggie you like).

Your redesigned mac and cheese now has 315 calories in one serving (1 cup). You can eat the same amount of mac and cheese with 225 fewer calories.

What foods will fill me up?
To be able to cut calories without eating less and feeling hungry, you need to replace some higher calorie foods with foods that are lower in calories and fat and will fill you up. In general, this means foods with lots of water and fiber in them. The lists below will help you make smart food choices that are part of a healthy eating plan.

These foods will fill you up with less calories. Choose them more often…
Fruits and Vegetables (prepared without added fat)
Spinach, broccoli, tomato, carrots, watermelon, berries, apples
Low-fat and fat-free milk products
Low- or fat-free milk, low or fat-free yogurt,
low- or fat-free cottage cheese
Broth-based soup
Vegetable-based soups, soups with chicken or beef broth, tomato soups (without cream)
Whole grains
Brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat
pastas, popcorn
Lean meat, poultry and fish
Grilled salmon, chicken breast without skin,
ground beef (lean or extra lean)
Legumes (beans and peas)
Black, red kidney and pinto beans (without added fat), green peas, black-eyed peas

These foods can pack more calories into each bite. Choose them less often…
Fried foods
Eggs fried in butter, fried vegetables, French fries
Full-fat milk products
Full-fat cheese, full-fat ice cream,
whole and 2% milk
Dry snack foods
Crackers or pretzels, cookies, chips, dried fruits
Higher-fat and higher-sugar foods
Croissants, margarine, shortening and butter,
doughnuts, candy bars, cakes and pastries
Fatty cuts of meat
Bacon, brisket, ground beef (regular)

Source:  http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/energy_density.html

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

We sure hope so! Because the Pound for Pound Challenge is BACK for a 3rd year!

Are you new to the Pound for Pound Challenge? NBC’s The Biggest Loser will partner with General Mills and Subway to encourage Americans to lose weight through the Pound For Pound Challenge. Built around the incredible success of The Biggest Loser, the program allows anyone to shed pounds along with the show’s contestants by pledging their weight-loss goals at www.pfpchallenge.com. For every pound pledged, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 11 cents to a food bank in your community!

So, let’s make Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida the #1 food bank in America! Already we are first in Florida. So go ahead and think about your goal, pledge the pounds, and let your friends and family know!

Remember- for us to get the credit, one must type in a Central Florida zip code. We have until May 2011 to meet our goals. Did you already meet your goals last challenge?? You can still help! New this year, you can pledge to maintain your current healthy weight. That pledge will count as a 5 lb pledge to your local food bank.

Like many of you, employees of Second Harvest Food Bank are resolving to get healthier in 2011. To kick start that goal, we have started our very own Biggest Loser challenge among our staff. We know that living healthy, feeling energized, and increasing our knowledge of wellness, helps us to serve our community more effectively. For some, losing weight is a step towards that direction.

Over the next 12 weeks, participating employees will be encouraged and coached along towards their weight loss efforts.  Ultimately, we know that everyone that takes on the challenge is a winner, but the title of “Biggest Loser” will be given to the person who loses the largest percentage of bodyweight. Is this something you are interested in doing in your company? Let us know!

Meet the Second Harvest Food Bank Pound for Pound Challenge Team!

Check back for weekly updates and tips for success. Please share your favorite recipes, work out tips, and success stories. It is always better to have the support of friends, families, co-workers, and neighbors!

Don’t forget to pledge your pounds!

What a great way to not only help ourselves, but also our neighbors in need. Together we are creating healthier lifestyles and fighting for a hunger free Central Florida!!

If you have any questions about the Pound for Pound Challenge, please contact Sheyanne Cohron at scohron@foodbankcentralflorida.org or 407-843-5009 x28.

Good luck everyone!

Sasha Hausman
Development Manager

I had the great pleasure of attending the Great American Pie Festival April 24th and 25th in Celebration. Which basically meant good bye Pound for Pound Challenge, hello delicious pie!

Apple, pecan, key lime, cherry, French silk, you name it … I tasted it! So you might be asking, “So what does this have to do with Second Harvest?” Well the folks at the Pie Council and Village Inn care so much about Second Harvest Food Bank’s Kids Café program, that they dedicate some fun activities to raise funds for our afterschool program.

There were buckets spread out throughout the festival for pie lovers to drop donations into. There was a great booth set up where kids can give a dollar to participate in a “Pie Walk” similar to a cake walk, where they could win a free Village Inn Pie!

Finally, the Pièce de résistance…the 4 ft in diameter pie! Have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your life???

It was a chocolate cookie crust with a chocolate ganache and cream cheese filling…with fantastic local grown strawberries, raspberries, and wild blueberries in a glaze with fresh whipped cream on top!

Each piece of this pie was sold for a donation to Second Harvest. It was a hit! All of these great fundraisers brought in over $500!

In food bank math, we are able to provide up to $4,500 in buying power to feed our neighbors in need. We are so happy and thankful to have such a great partnership with the Pie Council and Village Inn!

Check out this great video to see the other yummy things that went on during the weekend!

Are you interested in coming out to the Pie Festival next year? Keep checking our events page every so often so you don’t miss out on the fun!

In the mean time, take a look at our other events coming up…we’d love to see you there!

Until next time!

Sasha Hausman
Events Specialist

We have all learned that is hard to stay motivated when trying to get healthy. There are so many temptations out there ready to lure us in at any given moment (Cake for a co-workers birthday, favorite movie on TV so you skip the gym, etc.).

So we try to think of something to help us stay on the right track…It could be a pair of jeans that you have outgrown 5 years ago. But for Robin Le Roy-Kyle it is something bigger. It’s about helping feed our neighbors in need.

Please meet Robin aka “The Orlando Turtle Runner” and our Pound for Pound Challenge Champion.

In 2006 Robin was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and decided to make a change. Since then, running has been her exercise of choice. Her running blog www.RunningCirclesAroundTheTurtles.com, has taken off quite nicely with rapidly growing readership. This led her to her next venture.

Robin began hosting a running club called Pay it Forward 500 Mile Club: Running with a Purpose in 2010. Participants commit to running a certain number of miles (minimum 500), select a charity/organization of choice, and get sponsors to donate 10 cents per mile for every mile they run in 2010. Runners can sponsor themselves and/or get others to sponsor.

Robin’s organization of choice: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Her mileage goal for 2010? 750 miles!

“I’m sponsoring myself and recruiting family members, my dear sweet husband, and friends/coworkers to sponsor me, pitch in, etc… so I will be very excited to make my donation to Second Harvest in late December! Hope my efforts and commitment to feeding our neighbors helps in some small way!”

I hope Robin’s story can inspire you to make a change in your life and meet those personal goals you have been putting off! Don’t forget to pledge your pounds on the Pound for Pound Challenge Website.

Interested in joining the Pay it Forward Running club? Let us know!

Do you have an inspiring story as well? Let us know!

Thank you Robin and to all our Challenge Champs! Keep up the good work!

See ya next time!

Sasha Hausman
Events Specialist

The Pound for Pound challenge kicked off this week at the food bank and we all got on our pallet scale to get our cumulative “before” weights. We have so many participants at each of our different warehouses that we all couldn’t fit on the scale at once. Hey, no snide remarks about that. Collectively we weighed in at 2,809 lbs.

One of the things we’re doing this week to get healthy is walking the perimeter of the warehouse during lunch. Four laps is the equivalent to one mile. So next time you visit us for one of our Food For Thought sessions, don’t worry that all of the staff are circling the building. We’re making a commitment to health while fighting hunger.

Remember that General Mills donates $.14 for each pound you pledge to lose through the Pound for Pound challenge. If you want to make your pledge or learn more please visit http://www.pfpchallenge.com/fl

We have also set up a group on facebook to update you with recipes, success stories and exercise tips. Don’t forget to join our group.

Brady Koch

Director of Agency Relations & Programs

Like my friend and colleague Brady Koch, I too am taking the Pound for Pound Challenge to become healthier by losing weight in 2010.  And to help raise a few bucks for Second Harvest Food Bank.

And like most people who set out to shed excess weight, I’ve developed some personal strategies and goals around the process. Naturally, most of these involve changes in the choices that I make about both food and exercise. As I think about the changes I’m making in these two areas, I am reminded just how fortunate I am to be in an economic position that allows me to choose and purchase foods that are healthier for me.  

So many of our neighbors in Central Florida face extremely limited food choices based simply on their ability to pay. They must stretch their resources to buy the less-expensive, less-nutritious foods that we know can contribute to obesity and a wide range of associated health problems.  

 The University of Washington’s Center for Public Health Nutrition has conducted a number of fascinating studies on social and economic disparities in health and the links between obesity and poverty. 

One of these studies (2007) examined the price, calories, and relative nutritional value of more than 400 typical grocery items. For the items at the low-end of the nutritional scale (high sugar, starch, empty calories— think “junk” food), it was found that the average cost per 1,000 calories was $1.73. At the other end of that nutritional spectrum, the highly nutritious foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, etc. averaged more than $17.00 per 1,000 calories. 

Since a typical family of four (two adults and two children) has a total weekly calorie need of somewhere around 50,000 calories, it’s not difficult to see how low-income families must make less healthy food choices just to meet the calorie need on the money they have. Instead of spending $4 on one red bell pepper, for example, they’ll use those same dollars to purchase 6 boxes of macaroni and cheese.  

Other studies have shown that people in low-income families often exercise up to 25% less than others in our population; a result of  living in neighborhoods that feel less than safe. Think “less time outdoors.” Instead of going out for a brisk walk, bike ride,or tennis, many people are inside their apartments with the doors locked.  

Why is it important to think about these things? Well, I believe it’s important because of the pervasiveness of the negative stereotypes that exist of obese people who live in poverty in our country. We sometimes hear sentiments along the lines of “How dare these people presume to ask me or anyone else for assistance with food, when they’re obviously eating too much already?”  

I understand the counterintuitive nature of this issue, but when the facts are examined, there is simply no question that millions of Americans don’t walk on the same playing field as others do when it comes to the nutritional quality of one of life’s most basic necessities. I hope that more people will take that into consideration before they pass a quick judgment.  

At Second Harvest Food Bank, we’re working hard to make certain that more low-income families than ever before have access to the high-nutrition type foods that they must routinely walk past in the supermarket. We have a long way to go in this regard, but like a familiar grocery retailer’s familiar slogan, we are definitely “getting better all the time.”     

Wish me luck on my weight transformation—I’m going to need it:).

Greg Higgerson
VP of Development