It's truly the people you surround yourself with. Now THIS is where I have been supremely blessed! I have so many incredible, encouraging, supportive, loving, generous people around me that I hardly know how to express my thanks.
Let me try...
Family - It is so true that your family must be supportive of your goals. They must be behind all the changes you are making... the time it takes to exercise, the new ways of cooking (and grocery shopping), the fact that you will talk about it all incessantly. :) They simply must be on board for this to work. Thankfully, I have never worried for a millisecond about that. My entire family is absolutely amazing and their support has been unwavering. Even my 3 fellas, who don't need to lose weight, have accepted the fact that I don't make desserts as often as I used to. They are still working on full acceptance of the loss of bread and potatoes at most meals, but they are getting there. :D They all understand that I need to get out the door to get my walk in at certain times and more than once Marvin has said, "Just go. I'll take care of this for you..." What a lovely man. My parents shower me with compliments and Mama has even taken me clothes shopping (after she felt sorry for me walking around in baggy, droopy clothes!). :)
Walking Partners - I have enjoyed the company of so many along this journey. It truly does make the time and miles go quicker when you have a walking partner. Every single member of my extended family has walked with me! I can honestly say that those are moments I cherish. Local friends including Deb, Alicia and Debbie have walked with me. But, it has been my friend, Tracey, who has gone above and beyond.
They say a true friend is willing to walk a mile in your shoes. But, I would counter that a true friend will walk alongside you through many, many miles. (I literally teared up just writing that...) Tracey and I started walking together every Tuesday and Wednesday way back last fall. When we started we hoped we could keep it up through October. I don't think either one of us could have guessed that we would have a mild enough winter (or enough fortitude!!) to continue walking all winter long! We have missed very few days (I think less than 5 total, actually) and have walked in all kinds of weather. Perhaps most memorable was the night we walked in freezing rain, or more recently, the day we did 'resistance' walking against 40 mph windgusts! Many times we were the ONLY ones out on that trail!! But, we were there! We made a commitment to ourselves and to each other and we hung on. Some days walking was the last thing I wanted to do, but I showed up because I knew she would be there. She could say the exact same thing, I am sure. We have each been the others encourager, cheerleader, counselor and especially, friend.
Tracey and her lovely family are moving away in just a few months. I am steadfastly in denial. Throughout the excitement of job interviews and house selling & buying I have pushed the looming date of her departure from my mind. I am going to miss her so much, but know that good things are ahead for her and her family. I do wonder, though, if there will be anyone else to come alongside me like Tracey did... I think, perhaps, it will be my turn to come alongside someone else.
Tracey, I can never thank you enough for the way that you have encouraged me, laughed and cried with me and most importantly, walked beside me. We have a lot of miles under our belts. I think we deserve some new shoes. :)
Showing posts with label Weight Loss 'Tips'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss 'Tips'. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
5) It's How You Cook...
I LOVE the recipe calculator at sparkpeople.com. It lets me input my recipes (new and old) and determine calorie & nutrient count for them. I have always liked trying new recipes and worried that perhaps I would get stuck in a rut of always having to eat the same old low calorie recipes. Happily, that has not been the case at all.
I have, however, made some changes in the way that I cook. I am much more careful with measurements than ever before in my life. For instance, when making homemade pizza I used to just put cheese on 'until it looked good'. Now, I measure out a portioned amount and that is it. Guess what? Everything still tastes good! I am not missing out on anything, but calories!
I also read labels more closely. There can be a wide range in calories for very similar products from different companies. Canned fruit comes immediately to mind. (this goes beyond the obvious choices about choosing light or no sugar added over heavy syrup.) Be sure to check the labels to make sure you are getting the most quantity for your calorie count.
Quick Tips
Measure everything - be precise - know how many calories are in your food.
Use low sugar or even low fat products when possible. (Note on low fat - be sure you are not increasing your sugar too much in some low fat options. Not all fat is bad, but sugar can cause blood sugar spikes or drops and hunger pangs.)
Switch out all your regular pasta for whole wheat or whole grain pasta. Even my picky fellas (all 3 of them!) have not complained about Ronzoni Healthy Harvest products. :)
Get rid of butter. Use olive oil to saute foods at first, then switch to straight olive or canola sprays. You won't miss it! (Updated to state that I learned about the water sauté method. It works well. You can read about it here. http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/05/23/cooking-without-oil/
Season your food! I like to use garlic or salt free blends, but there are so many lovely herbs out there that you can experiment with. You will get flavor without fat, calories or salt. Please don't try to survive on bland food. :)
Splurge on a brand new cookbook or cooking magazine that emphasizes healthy cooking. (no Paula Deen!!) My current favorites are The Comfort Food Diet cookbook and Healthy Cooking magazine. Although I get a TON of my recipes from the sparkpeople website or by simply making over old family favorites.
We remember this from when our kids were little, but it still applies - perhaps even moreso! Sneak those veggies in where you can! Shredded zucchini or yellow squash can be put in most italian sauces. Same with mushrooms, onions and peppers. Take family favorite casserole recipes that are primarily meat based and resolve to add at least one vegetable to it. You'll increase your nutrient content and lower your calorie count when you replace some of the meat with veggies in any given recipe. Soups provide a great way to add beans, vegetables and tomatoes.
Have fruit for dessert. Fresh cut pineapple, strawberries and kiwi look lovely together and the natural juices are good without sugar or 'dressing'. Make baked apples or peaches. Have a cup of homemade cocoa mix to calm your sweet tooth without too much damage.
Here are some of my favorite low calorie dishes.
I mentioned Susan's Salads in the "It's What You Eat" post but I'll link it here again.
Red and Green Salad (another one of Susan's masterpieces!)
Zucchini, Squash and Mushroom Skillet
Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts - this is the basic method that I suggested in the "It's What You Eat" post using olive oil with any frozen vegetable. Now I do this with just canola spray and it lowers the calorie count even further.
Baked Cube Steak with Onions
Mongolian Beef
Italian Pasta Casserole - sneak those veggies in!
Baked Chicken in a Sweet BBQ Sauce - (watch the amount of cumin you use...)
Chicken with Vegetables
Garlic Herb Chicken - this is how I usually cook the chicken listed above to go with the vegetables.
Chicken Parmesan - yummy!
Shredded Salsa Chicken - I like this over a baked potato or even just plain.
Italian Pork Chops - I need to update this recipe on the new blog. For making the stewed potatoes, don't use the butter listed in the recipe. Season them with garlic instead. :)
Skillet Pork Chops
Black Beans and Rice
Banana Cream Supreme - this is actually a perfect dessert to 'lighten up'. It is simple to use Light Sour Cream, Sugar Free Cool Whip, Sugar Free Instant Pudding, and Splenda instead of sugar. This will make 8 good sized servings coming in at 300 calories per serving. Not bad for a dessert. It would be even less for 12 servings, which you could easily do.
Apple Salad - one of my favorite desserts, side dishes, salads... whatever you want to call it. Quick, easy and oh so tasty!
Finally, here is a tip I really should have included in the 1st post "It's What You Eat". It was something that the nurse said at the (failed) Lap Band seminar I attended back in early September. "Don't drink your calories." I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it is a good point. Chart everything that goes in your mouth, including coffee, creamer, wine, soda, lattes, etc. Don't let those 'forgotten' calories go uncounted. But, she took it a step further saying to be careful with protein shakes, smoothies, etc. I had been a proponent of protein shakes and felt they were a good start to my day. In some ways they were (and certainly can be!) but when I began to chart them I soon realized that I could get the same amount of protein with fewer calories by eating 'real food'. Even the vitamin enhanced protein shakes, which were my favorite, were costing me more in calories (not to mention, money!) than if I got those same nutrients from actual food plus a good quality vitamin. I decided that I would rather eat my calories than drink them and made some adjustments. It is not that there is a right or wrong choice here, it was just something that I hadn't really thought about before and it had an impact on me.
I have, however, made some changes in the way that I cook. I am much more careful with measurements than ever before in my life. For instance, when making homemade pizza I used to just put cheese on 'until it looked good'. Now, I measure out a portioned amount and that is it. Guess what? Everything still tastes good! I am not missing out on anything, but calories!
I also read labels more closely. There can be a wide range in calories for very similar products from different companies. Canned fruit comes immediately to mind. (this goes beyond the obvious choices about choosing light or no sugar added over heavy syrup.) Be sure to check the labels to make sure you are getting the most quantity for your calorie count.
Quick Tips
Measure everything - be precise - know how many calories are in your food.
Use low sugar or even low fat products when possible. (Note on low fat - be sure you are not increasing your sugar too much in some low fat options. Not all fat is bad, but sugar can cause blood sugar spikes or drops and hunger pangs.)
Switch out all your regular pasta for whole wheat or whole grain pasta. Even my picky fellas (all 3 of them!) have not complained about Ronzoni Healthy Harvest products. :)
Get rid of butter. Use olive oil to saute foods at first, then switch to straight olive or canola sprays. You won't miss it! (Updated to state that I learned about the water sauté method. It works well. You can read about it here. http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/05/23/cooking-without-oil/
Season your food! I like to use garlic or salt free blends, but there are so many lovely herbs out there that you can experiment with. You will get flavor without fat, calories or salt. Please don't try to survive on bland food. :)
Splurge on a brand new cookbook or cooking magazine that emphasizes healthy cooking. (no Paula Deen!!) My current favorites are The Comfort Food Diet cookbook and Healthy Cooking magazine. Although I get a TON of my recipes from the sparkpeople website or by simply making over old family favorites.
We remember this from when our kids were little, but it still applies - perhaps even moreso! Sneak those veggies in where you can! Shredded zucchini or yellow squash can be put in most italian sauces. Same with mushrooms, onions and peppers. Take family favorite casserole recipes that are primarily meat based and resolve to add at least one vegetable to it. You'll increase your nutrient content and lower your calorie count when you replace some of the meat with veggies in any given recipe. Soups provide a great way to add beans, vegetables and tomatoes.
Have fruit for dessert. Fresh cut pineapple, strawberries and kiwi look lovely together and the natural juices are good without sugar or 'dressing'. Make baked apples or peaches. Have a cup of homemade cocoa mix to calm your sweet tooth without too much damage.
Here are some of my favorite low calorie dishes.
I mentioned Susan's Salads in the "It's What You Eat" post but I'll link it here again.
Red and Green Salad (another one of Susan's masterpieces!)
Zucchini, Squash and Mushroom Skillet
Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts - this is the basic method that I suggested in the "It's What You Eat" post using olive oil with any frozen vegetable. Now I do this with just canola spray and it lowers the calorie count even further.
Baked Cube Steak with Onions
Mongolian Beef
Italian Pasta Casserole - sneak those veggies in!
Baked Chicken in a Sweet BBQ Sauce - (watch the amount of cumin you use...)
Chicken with Vegetables
Garlic Herb Chicken - this is how I usually cook the chicken listed above to go with the vegetables.
Chicken Parmesan - yummy!
Shredded Salsa Chicken - I like this over a baked potato or even just plain.
Italian Pork Chops - I need to update this recipe on the new blog. For making the stewed potatoes, don't use the butter listed in the recipe. Season them with garlic instead. :)
Skillet Pork Chops
Black Beans and Rice
Banana Cream Supreme - this is actually a perfect dessert to 'lighten up'. It is simple to use Light Sour Cream, Sugar Free Cool Whip, Sugar Free Instant Pudding, and Splenda instead of sugar. This will make 8 good sized servings coming in at 300 calories per serving. Not bad for a dessert. It would be even less for 12 servings, which you could easily do.
Apple Salad - one of my favorite desserts, side dishes, salads... whatever you want to call it. Quick, easy and oh so tasty!
Finally, here is a tip I really should have included in the 1st post "It's What You Eat". It was something that the nurse said at the (failed) Lap Band seminar I attended back in early September. "Don't drink your calories." I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it is a good point. Chart everything that goes in your mouth, including coffee, creamer, wine, soda, lattes, etc. Don't let those 'forgotten' calories go uncounted. But, she took it a step further saying to be careful with protein shakes, smoothies, etc. I had been a proponent of protein shakes and felt they were a good start to my day. In some ways they were (and certainly can be!) but when I began to chart them I soon realized that I could get the same amount of protein with fewer calories by eating 'real food'. Even the vitamin enhanced protein shakes, which were my favorite, were costing me more in calories (not to mention, money!) than if I got those same nutrients from actual food plus a good quality vitamin. I decided that I would rather eat my calories than drink them and made some adjustments. It is not that there is a right or wrong choice here, it was just something that I hadn't really thought about before and it had an impact on me.
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
4) It's How You Think...
Mind over matter....
How you think about this process, yourself, your successes and even your failures, matters greatly. Here are some thoughts that I have on how what you think can affect your outcome.
You must be forgiving of yourself. You WILL have bad days. You WILL have days when you don't exercise like you planned. You WILL have days when you eat more than you should. The main thing to remember at these times is that tomorrow is a new day. You MUST forgive yourself and simply move on.
For me, the big picture is helpful. If I zero in on one specific day I am more likely to feel more emboldened than I should (if that one day is the day that I walked 5 miles, ate salads and veggies and only had 1200 calories) or feel like a failure (if I meant to get that walk in but it never happened, or I went over my calorie limit). I like to look at a whole week instead of just one day. Isn't that how it all pans out anyway? We don't gain or lose weight based on one single day. It is our overall lifestyle that creates change (positive OR negative).
Here are some tips to help with our minds....
Eat on smaller plates and in smaller bowls. It will look like a full plate of food and will feel more satisfying.
Don't eat on red dishes if you can help it... studies actually show red can stimulate the appetite. (Isn't that crazy??) Blue is the best color apparently. Go figure...
Have a plan for those 'binges'. They will happen - be prepared. Know what foods you can turn to when you are feeling unstable... foods that will hurt you the least. One evening (I remember it well!) I could just tell I had a binge coming on. The good news was that I was prepared and binged on cottage cheese, grapes, canned beets and even a few potato chips. (I actually counted the potato chips to ensure that they truly were only one serving!) As binges go, it could have been much, much worse. BUT, at the same time, when I charted it all on sparkpeople I found that I had consumed about 350 calories in about 15 minutes. That really got my attention. The plan 'worked', but even WITH the plan, that was a lot of calories to toss away without even enjoying them that much.
Which brings me to my next tip - one of the MOST important! Do NOT let yourself get too hungry. Seriously. When we are ravenous, we are NOT in control. I didn't totally get that at first, but now I understand. I can't let myself get too hungry. Now, there is a point where you need to feel what real hunger is like... for so long I ate constantly and never knew what it was like for my body to be truly hungry. I was numb to that feeling. But, you must respond to that hunger appropriately and in a timely fashion. Again, I have some 'go to' foods that I can whip up at any time to get me over a hump if I am not close to mealtime. Frozen vegetables sauteed in a skillet are my favorite choice because they are super low calorie and they do fill me up. I also like having yogurt on hand, particularly Greek yogurt which is higher in protein. (protein makes you feel more full and the feeling lasts longer, too) Fresh fruit is always good - I love clementines, bananas and apples. If you are able to plan ahead, have cut up pineapple, cantaloupe and strawberries ready in the fridge. Same with carrots, celery and cabbage. I just hurt for people who are 'dieting' and stay hungry all the time. That isn't something you can do for a lifetime. That will only have a bad ending. The whole point of this is a lifestyle change and it MUST be to a life that we WANT to have! Hunger can't be a part of a long term solution.
Plan your meals. And plan to eat 3 meals a day with at least 1-2 good snacks. This goes along with the point above. Your body needs consistent fuel to function properly. Be sure to provide that fuel, particularly if you are exercising. Starvation will only mess up your metabolism and deprive your body of the nutrients it needs. I have read that your body will crave what it isn't getting. If you are eating a variety of nutrients (including good fats!) you will likely see bad cravings dissipate. And your taste buds WILL change as you choose more healthy foods. I had to laugh when we went to a Chinese buffet and I got some of the Coconut Shrimp (one of my old favorites!), took a bite, then realized I really didn't want any more. My tastes have changed. It gets easier to make good choices... I promise!
Train yourself to eat your food/meals 'officially'... at the dinner table. Don't eat in the kitchen while cooking, or standing over the sink. Make eating a singular activity. Truly focus your mind on it. Savor each bite. Actually enjoy (and remember!) each calorie! :) You will eat far less and be more satisfied. It is amazing how many calories we can put away without even noticing. I, for one, want to fully experience every single calorie I am allotted! :)
Focus your whole mind on the new you that is coming. Picture yourself in 6 months with pounds gone. Imagine feeling like you can participate in activities again! Use the incredible power of your mind to visualize where you are going. Then harness that power to educate yourself, read labels and pay attention.
Learn your triggers, especially early on. I found out that my biggest weakness was having take-out Chinese in the house. (as you can tell... Chinese food is a running theme in my life!) :) I could go and eat at a buffet and be okay. But, knowing that yummy goodness was in my refrigerator just waiting for me was almost more than I could bear! I had to tell the fellas that they either had to get it all eaten or throw it away. I couldn't stand that temptation. Here is more good news, though... now that doesn't bother me. I have trained my mind and stomach and taste buds to eat in moderation and I don't feel that addictive draw to food (not even Chinese!) anymore. So again... it DOES get easier! I promise!
Recognize that you cannot, nor should you, deprive yourself of Grandma's Chocolate Buttermilk Sheetcake for the rest of your life! (or fill in with your own guilty pleasure...) :) The key is to make this a way of living - a lifestyle change. You can't live forever in deprivation. But, you CAN determine to only have one piece. And to know and track the amount of calories eaten so that you can exercise more or eat less of other things to offset it. You can manage and enjoy celebrations and social gatherings. You just adjust your behavior to compensate and you don't make a habit of it.
Your mind can be a great enemy or your strongest ally. Harness your mind to guide you to your goals and do not allow yourself to carry guilt around. Remember, each day is a new day! Just keep going...
How you think about this process, yourself, your successes and even your failures, matters greatly. Here are some thoughts that I have on how what you think can affect your outcome.
You must be forgiving of yourself. You WILL have bad days. You WILL have days when you don't exercise like you planned. You WILL have days when you eat more than you should. The main thing to remember at these times is that tomorrow is a new day. You MUST forgive yourself and simply move on.
For me, the big picture is helpful. If I zero in on one specific day I am more likely to feel more emboldened than I should (if that one day is the day that I walked 5 miles, ate salads and veggies and only had 1200 calories) or feel like a failure (if I meant to get that walk in but it never happened, or I went over my calorie limit). I like to look at a whole week instead of just one day. Isn't that how it all pans out anyway? We don't gain or lose weight based on one single day. It is our overall lifestyle that creates change (positive OR negative).
Here are some tips to help with our minds....
Eat on smaller plates and in smaller bowls. It will look like a full plate of food and will feel more satisfying.
Don't eat on red dishes if you can help it... studies actually show red can stimulate the appetite. (Isn't that crazy??) Blue is the best color apparently. Go figure...
Have a plan for those 'binges'. They will happen - be prepared. Know what foods you can turn to when you are feeling unstable... foods that will hurt you the least. One evening (I remember it well!) I could just tell I had a binge coming on. The good news was that I was prepared and binged on cottage cheese, grapes, canned beets and even a few potato chips. (I actually counted the potato chips to ensure that they truly were only one serving!) As binges go, it could have been much, much worse. BUT, at the same time, when I charted it all on sparkpeople I found that I had consumed about 350 calories in about 15 minutes. That really got my attention. The plan 'worked', but even WITH the plan, that was a lot of calories to toss away without even enjoying them that much.
Which brings me to my next tip - one of the MOST important! Do NOT let yourself get too hungry. Seriously. When we are ravenous, we are NOT in control. I didn't totally get that at first, but now I understand. I can't let myself get too hungry. Now, there is a point where you need to feel what real hunger is like... for so long I ate constantly and never knew what it was like for my body to be truly hungry. I was numb to that feeling. But, you must respond to that hunger appropriately and in a timely fashion. Again, I have some 'go to' foods that I can whip up at any time to get me over a hump if I am not close to mealtime. Frozen vegetables sauteed in a skillet are my favorite choice because they are super low calorie and they do fill me up. I also like having yogurt on hand, particularly Greek yogurt which is higher in protein. (protein makes you feel more full and the feeling lasts longer, too) Fresh fruit is always good - I love clementines, bananas and apples. If you are able to plan ahead, have cut up pineapple, cantaloupe and strawberries ready in the fridge. Same with carrots, celery and cabbage. I just hurt for people who are 'dieting' and stay hungry all the time. That isn't something you can do for a lifetime. That will only have a bad ending. The whole point of this is a lifestyle change and it MUST be to a life that we WANT to have! Hunger can't be a part of a long term solution.
Plan your meals. And plan to eat 3 meals a day with at least 1-2 good snacks. This goes along with the point above. Your body needs consistent fuel to function properly. Be sure to provide that fuel, particularly if you are exercising. Starvation will only mess up your metabolism and deprive your body of the nutrients it needs. I have read that your body will crave what it isn't getting. If you are eating a variety of nutrients (including good fats!) you will likely see bad cravings dissipate. And your taste buds WILL change as you choose more healthy foods. I had to laugh when we went to a Chinese buffet and I got some of the Coconut Shrimp (one of my old favorites!), took a bite, then realized I really didn't want any more. My tastes have changed. It gets easier to make good choices... I promise!
Train yourself to eat your food/meals 'officially'... at the dinner table. Don't eat in the kitchen while cooking, or standing over the sink. Make eating a singular activity. Truly focus your mind on it. Savor each bite. Actually enjoy (and remember!) each calorie! :) You will eat far less and be more satisfied. It is amazing how many calories we can put away without even noticing. I, for one, want to fully experience every single calorie I am allotted! :)
Focus your whole mind on the new you that is coming. Picture yourself in 6 months with pounds gone. Imagine feeling like you can participate in activities again! Use the incredible power of your mind to visualize where you are going. Then harness that power to educate yourself, read labels and pay attention.
Learn your triggers, especially early on. I found out that my biggest weakness was having take-out Chinese in the house. (as you can tell... Chinese food is a running theme in my life!) :) I could go and eat at a buffet and be okay. But, knowing that yummy goodness was in my refrigerator just waiting for me was almost more than I could bear! I had to tell the fellas that they either had to get it all eaten or throw it away. I couldn't stand that temptation. Here is more good news, though... now that doesn't bother me. I have trained my mind and stomach and taste buds to eat in moderation and I don't feel that addictive draw to food (not even Chinese!) anymore. So again... it DOES get easier! I promise!
Recognize that you cannot, nor should you, deprive yourself of Grandma's Chocolate Buttermilk Sheetcake for the rest of your life! (or fill in with your own guilty pleasure...) :) The key is to make this a way of living - a lifestyle change. You can't live forever in deprivation. But, you CAN determine to only have one piece. And to know and track the amount of calories eaten so that you can exercise more or eat less of other things to offset it. You can manage and enjoy celebrations and social gatherings. You just adjust your behavior to compensate and you don't make a habit of it.
Your mind can be a great enemy or your strongest ally. Harness your mind to guide you to your goals and do not allow yourself to carry guilt around. Remember, each day is a new day! Just keep going...
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
3) It's What You Do...
I began by walking just 15 minutes a day. That was it! Now I walk at least 3 1/2 miles at a time, often 4 - 5 miles. The main point to take away from this is that you just need to start. Just begin somewhere. That 15 minutes a day got this whole thing going! What if I had said that 15 minutes wasn't worth it or that it wasn't enough? 15 minutes WAS enough at the beginning. The point is that as you begin and move and exercise, you will get better at it, you will reap rewards from it (which will spur you on!) and you will actually start to crave it. All I can say is, trust me. It is true.
Last fall I figured out that if I put my tennis shoes on first thing in the morning that I was more likely to take advantage of those 'found' moments in the day to just head out the door and walk around our property. Sometimes I only had 5 or 10 minutes, but I would use them. Gradually, I got better at finding those moments AND my stamina increased. I can remember the first time I walked the trail around the schools. I had been walking about 3/4 mile here at home and thought that trail in town was just SO long! It was 1.8 miles! I was pretty proud of myself. (and I should have been!) Now I usually walk the loop twice or even three times. My speed has increased quite a bit over the last 6 months, as well. Initially it took me about 63 minutes to walk the trail twice; now I regularly do it in 57.
And it all started with just 15 minutes a day! I cannot emphasize that enough!
Just move. Find something that you like to do and do it. For me, it is walking. You may prefer to swim or jog or ride a bike. Just choose an activity and begin. Track your time and celebrate improvements. Feel GOOD about what you are doing! Have a backup plan in case you can't get to your chosen activity on any given day. I do have some workout videos that I can do at home and have used them a few times this winter. I always prefer to be outside, but they are good in a pinch. I particularly like Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home programs. My favorites are the Super Express Challenge and the 3 Mile Weight Loss. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is another one that I pull out occasionally... but only occasionally!!! :)
We do have the ubiquitous treadmill in our basement and I have been found on it more than once. Again, I prefer to walk outside but think perhaps I get a harder workout on the treadmill. At least I feel more exhausted when I am done! Marvin and the boys have a Bowflex and I am trying to get accustomed to that, too. It goes fairly well except for the fact that I have to have one of them with me to show me how to set it up every single time! :)
We have all heard this many times before, but park away from the store and walk in. Your car is less likely to get dinged that way, too. :) When you travel, look for ways to incorporate more movement... walk briskly through a shopping mall; use the workout room in your hotel or simply go swimming in the pool; when you stop at a rest area walk around the parking lot 3 or 4 times. One of my favorite destinations is Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. It is a lovely 1880's themed park nestled in the hills of south Missouri and there are MANY opportunities for exercise there. :) Keep that pedometer in your pocket and enjoy the exercise you are getting when you aren't even paying attention. It helps you see the possibilities. It will spur you on to move even more throughout your day.
Last fall I figured out that if I put my tennis shoes on first thing in the morning that I was more likely to take advantage of those 'found' moments in the day to just head out the door and walk around our property. Sometimes I only had 5 or 10 minutes, but I would use them. Gradually, I got better at finding those moments AND my stamina increased. I can remember the first time I walked the trail around the schools. I had been walking about 3/4 mile here at home and thought that trail in town was just SO long! It was 1.8 miles! I was pretty proud of myself. (and I should have been!) Now I usually walk the loop twice or even three times. My speed has increased quite a bit over the last 6 months, as well. Initially it took me about 63 minutes to walk the trail twice; now I regularly do it in 57.
And it all started with just 15 minutes a day! I cannot emphasize that enough!
Just move. Find something that you like to do and do it. For me, it is walking. You may prefer to swim or jog or ride a bike. Just choose an activity and begin. Track your time and celebrate improvements. Feel GOOD about what you are doing! Have a backup plan in case you can't get to your chosen activity on any given day. I do have some workout videos that I can do at home and have used them a few times this winter. I always prefer to be outside, but they are good in a pinch. I particularly like Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home programs. My favorites are the Super Express Challenge and the 3 Mile Weight Loss. Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is another one that I pull out occasionally... but only occasionally!!! :)
We do have the ubiquitous treadmill in our basement and I have been found on it more than once. Again, I prefer to walk outside but think perhaps I get a harder workout on the treadmill. At least I feel more exhausted when I am done! Marvin and the boys have a Bowflex and I am trying to get accustomed to that, too. It goes fairly well except for the fact that I have to have one of them with me to show me how to set it up every single time! :)
We have all heard this many times before, but park away from the store and walk in. Your car is less likely to get dinged that way, too. :) When you travel, look for ways to incorporate more movement... walk briskly through a shopping mall; use the workout room in your hotel or simply go swimming in the pool; when you stop at a rest area walk around the parking lot 3 or 4 times. One of my favorite destinations is Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. It is a lovely 1880's themed park nestled in the hills of south Missouri and there are MANY opportunities for exercise there. :) Keep that pedometer in your pocket and enjoy the exercise you are getting when you aren't even paying attention. It helps you see the possibilities. It will spur you on to move even more throughout your day.
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
2) It's The Tools You Use...
The weight loss industry is huge and we are always in danger of being sucked in by products or gimmicks that promise to help us lose weight quickly. Save your money for tools that will truly help you and for good quality foods & ingredients. Weight loss shouldn't be expensive. Being overweight is so, SO painful and I think we can have a tendency to believe that we simply can't do anything about it without great expense or sacrifice. The irony, to me, is that I have ended up doing this on a VERY low budget. It can be done.
So what have been the most important tools for me? First, as I have mentioned before (and will again, I am sure!) is sparkpeople.com. It provides daily feedback regarding my caloric intake/food tracking, my fitness/calorie burning, reports to show progress made over time, a recipe calculator, exercise programs (even including demonstration videos), lots of low calorie recipes, informative articles, and much, much more! My first recommendation would be to join this free site and start exploring. You won't believe the variety of helpful resources available to you there.
I also purchased a pedometer early on. At first I was just tracking steps but now I use it to track miles. The pedometer I chose was a sort of middle of the road model and has worked well for me. It is small enough to slip in your pocket and wear all day, or you can wear it just for your specific time of exercise/walking. It does track calories burned, but I go by the amount that sparkpeople says I have burned, since it is lower. Just to be on the safe side. :)
Measuring food is SO important to success, so having a good set of measuring spoons and measuring cups is vital. I use the 1 Tablespoon and the 1/2 cup and 1 cup measurers the most, so it is helpful to have multiple of those sizes. I also purchased a kitchen scale so that I could measure ingredients and larger items accurately.
Along the same line, I purchased a new bathroom scale. The one I had was pretty old and I had such a hate/hate relationship with it that I figured it was time to just start fresh anyway. :) I do like my new scale. It doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but it is sturdy, has large digital numbers, and registers weight loss in partial pounds (it is super encouraging to lose even 1/2 pound!).
When I am not walking with friends or family, I enjoy listening to audiobooks or Pandora radio. Depending on the mood I am in I either find a Pandora station that keeps my legs pumping or catch up on the next chapters in an interesting book. More than once I have walked 'just a little further' because I wasn't at a good stopping point on the audiobook. :)
When I am not walking with friends or family, I enjoy listening to audiobooks or Pandora radio. Depending on the mood I am in I either find a Pandora station that keeps my legs pumping or catch up on the next chapters in an interesting book. More than once I have walked 'just a little further' because I wasn't at a good stopping point on the audiobook. :)
Walking is my exercise of choice and I much prefer to walk outside when possible. I realize this doesn't pertain to the upcoming seasons, but.... Last fall I determined to research and purchase clothing that would allow me to walk throughout the winter. I learned that you need, at most, three specific layers to walk in just about any kind of winter weather. Here is a link to an article with more details about the different layers. I chose Lands End products for all my layers and have to say that I have been VERY happy with their quality and effectiveness. The great thing is that I have lost so much weight that they all sort of hang off of me now. :) Looking forward to donating the cold weather stuff soon and investigating warm weather gear. I purchased an inner layer, a middle layer, an outer layer, athletic pants, fleece gloves, scarf and earwrap.
Finally, I knew that if I were going to be able to walk the way that I needed to in order to lose weight, I would have to have a good pair of shoes that provided adequate support. I ordered several pairs from endless.com and tried them all on, finding the pair that fit my foot the best. I ended up keeping two pairs and I rotate them. (I chose Ryka and Asics shoes.) I have read that shoes are good for about 400 - 600 miles so I know I am about ready for a new pair. :) Here is an article about choosing good walking shoes.
Putting some money into good quality shoes and the Lands End layers hurt a little bit last fall when I bought it all at the same time. But, those purchases kept me walking comfortably all winter long and were WELL worth it. Put your money where it will have the greatest effect... money spent to keep you moving is money well spent.
Putting some money into good quality shoes and the Lands End layers hurt a little bit last fall when I bought it all at the same time. But, those purchases kept me walking comfortably all winter long and were WELL worth it. Put your money where it will have the greatest effect... money spent to keep you moving is money well spent.
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
1) It's What You Eat...
As I shared in my last post I have dropped 45 pounds and am over 2/3 of the way to my goal of losing 60 (actually it is 61) pounds by June 1. I decided to share some of the tips that have been helping me along this journey. This is the first of 6 posts in that series.
Calories in...
That really is the key point. Our basic bodily functions burn a certain number of calories each day - so the key point is to take in less calories than we burn. Of course, exercise can increase this number for us, but that will be covered in another post. I can tell you that calorie counting has been the primary tool for losing weight, for me.
I measure my food diligently. I pay attention to serving sizes and portion my food appropriately. I track every single thing I eat. Way back when I began this journey I was trying to find a way to accurately chart my caloric intake and discovered sparkpeople.com. This website (which is FREE!) has been my most useful tool. All I had to do was start my account, plug in my current information (weight, height) and then state my goal (desired weight and goal date) and the site calculated how many calories I should consume each day to reach my goal on time. I also set it to track various nutritional intake information such as Fats, Protein, Iron, etc.
I have always eaten a fairly decent diet, or at least that is what I told myself. My main problem was that I personally ate enough for a family of 6! :) My portions were ridiculously huge and I always cleaned my plate. I was shocked to discover what a 1/2 cup of just about ANYTHING actually looked like. :) And I was astonished when I discovered that I could truly get FULL eating much smaller amounts. I just needed to learn to let my stomach catch up to my mind and eyes. Eating good food slowly and with specifically portioned amounts allows you to eat less, feel satisfied, and lose weight.
I do try to focus on eating primarily vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits and whole grains (and in that order) but I have eliminated NO foods. I simply make choices. For instance, I can eat at my favorite Chinese buffet but I only take 1 crab rangoon, as little of the rice as possible, load up on anything with vegetables and avoid the fried stuff. It CAN be done. Then on the days before or after I am especially careful about where my calories come from - trying to lower my fats and carbs to offset the buffet day.
I don't believe in 'free' foods. I track every single thing I eat, even brussels sprouts! :) Literally, I track 1 romaine leaf and 1/4 cup of grapes if need be. I want to be certain that I am truly seeing every calorie I take in. It isn't so much that I believe I can get fat from eating too much cabbage or celery. It is more that I would have a false sense of security if I thought those foods were 'free' and would then eat more of other foods since the free foods didn't count against me.
I avoid processed foods if possible. I can control the calories much better when I make food from scratch. I also prefer the taste that way. I have always tended to be this way, but now I am sort of militant. :) And, I typically don't purchase pre-packaged 'snacks' that are marketed to dieters. I don't want to waste 100 calories on a packet of chips or cookies when I can have a whole Schwans chicken breast for 110 calories! I treat my daily calorie allotment like a budget. Thinking about how I want to 'spend' my calories each day truly helps me say 'no' to those kinds of things. More than once I have thought I made a choice that was good or that was 'worth' it and when I saw the calorie count, it made me realize I would rather get those calories another way. I prefer feeling full and can allocate my calories better if I stick to 'real food'.
Now, having said that, there are some products that I do LOVE. Here is a quick listing of some of my favorites.
Fiber One 80 calorie cereal - 3/4 cup = 80 calories and 40% of your daily fiber. Believe it or not, it can really fill that empty stomach in the morning. I typically 'go crazy' and have a whole cup of it for 106 calories! :)
Weiler's skim milk - only available to local folks (at Hy-Vee). I highly encourage you to try their skim milk. Low calorie and it tastes better than 2% of anything else. It is the only milk we use! (warning... in the early spring it can sometimes taste a teensy bit 'fieldy'. You can tell the cows are eating the newly growing grass... so if you try it now and don't like it as well, give it another shot around May!) :D
Noosa Greek Yoghurt - I am in a bit of a panic right now, actually, because I fear that our local grocery store may have stopped carrying this brand. It is my absolute favorite of all the Greek Yogurt I have tried (and I have tried many!). If you can get it where you live, I highly recommend it. Be aware, however, that a container is either 2 or 4 servings. You can easily measure out your portion (1/2 cup serving) and it is SO worth it. :)
Frozen Yogurt - my favorite is Blue Bunny White Chocolate Raspberry Frozen Yogurt. Only 120 calories per half cup. I measure it out into a very small bowl (so visually it looks like a FULL bowl) and savor every bite. It turns out that 1/2 cup CAN be enough! :) I also like Kemps frozen yogurt. Note - beware of those 'personal' size frozen yogurts. Not only are they more expensive, they are larger serving sizes than usual. You could easily consume 180 to 200 calories with one of those.
My homemade cocoa mix - this stuff is my winter nightly treat! Not too sweet, but smooth and chocolaty. 1/3 cup mixed with 1 cup hot water is only about 45 calories.
Progresso soup - can I tell you how much I LOVE Progresso soups? These are perfect for winter lunches. My favorites are French Onion (50 cal/cup), Chicken and Dumpling (80 cal/cup), Albondigas (Mexican meatballs and rice) (130 cal/cup), and Light New England Clam Chowder (100 cal/cup).
Frozen veggies - any kind! I purchase tons of frozen veggies to keep in my deep freeze. These are my 'go to' hungry time snack. I stock up on a wide variety of single vegetables and specialty blends so that I don't get bored. With pretty much any frozen vegetable I spray a skillet with canola spray (0 calories) and saute the vegetables, seasoning them with garlic or a garlic/herb blend. Sometimes I add onion flakes. To help you transition to this, saute the vegetables in olive oil at the beginning. Although that adds calories, it also adds good fats and will help your taste buds decide that this truly is a SUPER yummy snack alternative. Trust me!! Currently I am on a real kick for Hy-Vee sugar snap peas, Schwans Mediterranean Blend, and Hy Vee Normandy blend.
Spray Butter - I do rely on this processed 'non-food'. I used to use real butter thinking that the real thing was somehow better for me than margarine. Honestly, I think I still believe that in some ways... BUT, I certainly can't afford the calories in butter. And even margarine has more calories than I want to spend, most of the time. Jackson had picked up the habit of spray butter on those Guys Weekends so it has always been available. When I saw that it has zero calories, I decided to give it a try. I use a few sprays on toast, baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes. Hard to believe I have weaned myself off of butter, but I have.
Salad dressings - This was one area where I was worried. I usually cannot stand low fat dressings. I MUST have taste! I decided to focus primarily on calorie count when searching for dressings and have, in the process, discovered that I don't have to use as much dressing as I thought I needed IF I choose dressings with flavor! Plus, the dressings I choose now are lower in fat than my old ranch, anyway, so that must be an improvement, right? :) Here are some of my favorites... Paul Newman Light Balsamic Vinaigrette, Paul Newman Olive Oil and Vinegar, Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette, Hendrickson's Sweet Oil and Vinegar, Dorothy Lynch Low Fat, and Pear Tree Madam French (get this at Hy Vee in the refrigerated salad section). A serving size for salad dressing is 2 Tbsp. and I rarely need to use that much. Tip - mix the 2 Paul Newman choices with the Brianna's for a lovely dressing on a salad... tastes homemade! 2nd Tip - I pay more attention to the amount of sugar in a salad dressing than the amount of fat. I find that, by and large, the lower fat versions have much more sugar. 3rd Tip - see salad ideas by clicking here. (Updated to add a link to this blog post about Bolthouse Dressings.)
Schwans chicken breast filets - I LOVE these! Yes, they are pricey, but they are all the same 4 oz. size, individually wrapped, and only 110 calories. Each bite is as good as the last and there is no fat along the sides like you sometimes get with other brands. I use these filets anytime we are eating a chicken breast as a stand alone - meaning NOT cut up (like for a salad or fajitas) or in a casserole. To me, it is worth it.
Fiber One 90 calorie bar - I bought some of these to take with me on the train to Chicago and didn't end up eating any on that trip. But, I have them in my car now and they have come in handy as a quick snack while 'on the go'. Plus, they provide 20% of your daily fiber.
Finally, here is an example of a chart available to you at sparkpeople.com. This is what my daily calorie counter looks like. You can see that there are individual items (like creamer, romaine and beets) listed as well as my own recipes (that I input using their recipe calculator). I will talk more about the recipe calculator in another post, but it is a very helpful tool. It has allowed me to continue cooking recipes that we like and that I feel comfortable with, but provides me with accurate calorie count per serving. A side effect has been that it has motivated me to 'makeover' some of our favorite recipes to be lower in calories!
Quick Tips...
Measure your food.
Know accurate serving sizes.
Track your food/calorie intake.
Practice portion control - eat slower and less food WILL fill you up.
Drink lots of water! Often thirst can appear as hunger. Really. :)
Eat on smaller plates/bowls - the visual WILL help.
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
Calories in...
That really is the key point. Our basic bodily functions burn a certain number of calories each day - so the key point is to take in less calories than we burn. Of course, exercise can increase this number for us, but that will be covered in another post. I can tell you that calorie counting has been the primary tool for losing weight, for me.
I measure my food diligently. I pay attention to serving sizes and portion my food appropriately. I track every single thing I eat. Way back when I began this journey I was trying to find a way to accurately chart my caloric intake and discovered sparkpeople.com. This website (which is FREE!) has been my most useful tool. All I had to do was start my account, plug in my current information (weight, height) and then state my goal (desired weight and goal date) and the site calculated how many calories I should consume each day to reach my goal on time. I also set it to track various nutritional intake information such as Fats, Protein, Iron, etc.
I have always eaten a fairly decent diet, or at least that is what I told myself. My main problem was that I personally ate enough for a family of 6! :) My portions were ridiculously huge and I always cleaned my plate. I was shocked to discover what a 1/2 cup of just about ANYTHING actually looked like. :) And I was astonished when I discovered that I could truly get FULL eating much smaller amounts. I just needed to learn to let my stomach catch up to my mind and eyes. Eating good food slowly and with specifically portioned amounts allows you to eat less, feel satisfied, and lose weight.
I do try to focus on eating primarily vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits and whole grains (and in that order) but I have eliminated NO foods. I simply make choices. For instance, I can eat at my favorite Chinese buffet but I only take 1 crab rangoon, as little of the rice as possible, load up on anything with vegetables and avoid the fried stuff. It CAN be done. Then on the days before or after I am especially careful about where my calories come from - trying to lower my fats and carbs to offset the buffet day.
I don't believe in 'free' foods. I track every single thing I eat, even brussels sprouts! :) Literally, I track 1 romaine leaf and 1/4 cup of grapes if need be. I want to be certain that I am truly seeing every calorie I take in. It isn't so much that I believe I can get fat from eating too much cabbage or celery. It is more that I would have a false sense of security if I thought those foods were 'free' and would then eat more of other foods since the free foods didn't count against me.
I avoid processed foods if possible. I can control the calories much better when I make food from scratch. I also prefer the taste that way. I have always tended to be this way, but now I am sort of militant. :) And, I typically don't purchase pre-packaged 'snacks' that are marketed to dieters. I don't want to waste 100 calories on a packet of chips or cookies when I can have a whole Schwans chicken breast for 110 calories! I treat my daily calorie allotment like a budget. Thinking about how I want to 'spend' my calories each day truly helps me say 'no' to those kinds of things. More than once I have thought I made a choice that was good or that was 'worth' it and when I saw the calorie count, it made me realize I would rather get those calories another way. I prefer feeling full and can allocate my calories better if I stick to 'real food'.
Now, having said that, there are some products that I do LOVE. Here is a quick listing of some of my favorites.
Fiber One 80 calorie cereal - 3/4 cup = 80 calories and 40% of your daily fiber. Believe it or not, it can really fill that empty stomach in the morning. I typically 'go crazy' and have a whole cup of it for 106 calories! :)
Weiler's skim milk - only available to local folks (at Hy-Vee). I highly encourage you to try their skim milk. Low calorie and it tastes better than 2% of anything else. It is the only milk we use! (warning... in the early spring it can sometimes taste a teensy bit 'fieldy'. You can tell the cows are eating the newly growing grass... so if you try it now and don't like it as well, give it another shot around May!) :D
Noosa Greek Yoghurt - I am in a bit of a panic right now, actually, because I fear that our local grocery store may have stopped carrying this brand. It is my absolute favorite of all the Greek Yogurt I have tried (and I have tried many!). If you can get it where you live, I highly recommend it. Be aware, however, that a container is either 2 or 4 servings. You can easily measure out your portion (1/2 cup serving) and it is SO worth it. :)
Frozen Yogurt - my favorite is Blue Bunny White Chocolate Raspberry Frozen Yogurt. Only 120 calories per half cup. I measure it out into a very small bowl (so visually it looks like a FULL bowl) and savor every bite. It turns out that 1/2 cup CAN be enough! :) I also like Kemps frozen yogurt. Note - beware of those 'personal' size frozen yogurts. Not only are they more expensive, they are larger serving sizes than usual. You could easily consume 180 to 200 calories with one of those.
My homemade cocoa mix - this stuff is my winter nightly treat! Not too sweet, but smooth and chocolaty. 1/3 cup mixed with 1 cup hot water is only about 45 calories.
Progresso soup - can I tell you how much I LOVE Progresso soups? These are perfect for winter lunches. My favorites are French Onion (50 cal/cup), Chicken and Dumpling (80 cal/cup), Albondigas (Mexican meatballs and rice) (130 cal/cup), and Light New England Clam Chowder (100 cal/cup).
Frozen veggies - any kind! I purchase tons of frozen veggies to keep in my deep freeze. These are my 'go to' hungry time snack. I stock up on a wide variety of single vegetables and specialty blends so that I don't get bored. With pretty much any frozen vegetable I spray a skillet with canola spray (0 calories) and saute the vegetables, seasoning them with garlic or a garlic/herb blend. Sometimes I add onion flakes. To help you transition to this, saute the vegetables in olive oil at the beginning. Although that adds calories, it also adds good fats and will help your taste buds decide that this truly is a SUPER yummy snack alternative. Trust me!! Currently I am on a real kick for Hy-Vee sugar snap peas, Schwans Mediterranean Blend, and Hy Vee Normandy blend.
Spray Butter - I do rely on this processed 'non-food'. I used to use real butter thinking that the real thing was somehow better for me than margarine. Honestly, I think I still believe that in some ways... BUT, I certainly can't afford the calories in butter. And even margarine has more calories than I want to spend, most of the time. Jackson had picked up the habit of spray butter on those Guys Weekends so it has always been available. When I saw that it has zero calories, I decided to give it a try. I use a few sprays on toast, baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes. Hard to believe I have weaned myself off of butter, but I have.
Salad dressings - This was one area where I was worried. I usually cannot stand low fat dressings. I MUST have taste! I decided to focus primarily on calorie count when searching for dressings and have, in the process, discovered that I don't have to use as much dressing as I thought I needed IF I choose dressings with flavor! Plus, the dressings I choose now are lower in fat than my old ranch, anyway, so that must be an improvement, right? :) Here are some of my favorites... Paul Newman Light Balsamic Vinaigrette, Paul Newman Olive Oil and Vinegar, Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette, Hendrickson's Sweet Oil and Vinegar, Dorothy Lynch Low Fat, and Pear Tree Madam French (get this at Hy Vee in the refrigerated salad section). A serving size for salad dressing is 2 Tbsp. and I rarely need to use that much. Tip - mix the 2 Paul Newman choices with the Brianna's for a lovely dressing on a salad... tastes homemade! 2nd Tip - I pay more attention to the amount of sugar in a salad dressing than the amount of fat. I find that, by and large, the lower fat versions have much more sugar. 3rd Tip - see salad ideas by clicking here. (Updated to add a link to this blog post about Bolthouse Dressings.)
Schwans chicken breast filets - I LOVE these! Yes, they are pricey, but they are all the same 4 oz. size, individually wrapped, and only 110 calories. Each bite is as good as the last and there is no fat along the sides like you sometimes get with other brands. I use these filets anytime we are eating a chicken breast as a stand alone - meaning NOT cut up (like for a salad or fajitas) or in a casserole. To me, it is worth it.
Fiber One 90 calorie bar - I bought some of these to take with me on the train to Chicago and didn't end up eating any on that trip. But, I have them in my car now and they have come in handy as a quick snack while 'on the go'. Plus, they provide 20% of your daily fiber.
Finally, here is an example of a chart available to you at sparkpeople.com. This is what my daily calorie counter looks like. You can see that there are individual items (like creamer, romaine and beets) listed as well as my own recipes (that I input using their recipe calculator). I will talk more about the recipe calculator in another post, but it is a very helpful tool. It has allowed me to continue cooking recipes that we like and that I feel comfortable with, but provides me with accurate calorie count per serving. A side effect has been that it has motivated me to 'makeover' some of our favorite recipes to be lower in calories!
| CALORIES | CARBS | FAT | PROTEIN | ADD MORE NUTRIENTS |
Breakfast |
|
| Coffee Mate Creamer, Hazelnut, Sugar Free, 4 tbsp | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  |
| Regular Coffee, 2 cup (8 fl oz) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Noosa (yogurt), 1 serving | 130 | 14 | 6 | 9 | |
| Cinnamon Raisin Bread, 1 serving (view recipe) | 76 | 16 | 1 | 2 | |
| BREAKFAST TOTALS: | 271 | 30 | 7 | 12 |
Lunch |
|
| Kraft Miracle Whip Light Dressing, 0.5 tbsp | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Chicken of the Sea Light Tuna in water, 2 oz | 50 | 0 | 1 | 11 | |
| Romaine Lettuce (salad), 1 inner leaf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oroweat 12 Grain Bread, 1 slice, 1 serving | 100 | 18 | 2 | 4 | |
| Sweet Pickles, 0.5 slice | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fiber One - 90 cal Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chewy Bar, 1 serving | 90 | 17 | 3 | 1 | |
| Beets, Canned & Sliced, 0.75 cup | 60 | 14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Grapes, 0.5 cup, seedless | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| LUNCH TOTALS: | 346 | 59 | 6 | 16 |
Dinner |
|
| Chobani Nonfat Raspberry Yogurt, 1 serving | 140 | 22 | 0 | 14 | |
| Chicken, Broccoli and Stuffing Casserole, 1 serving (view recipe) | 313 | 23 | 9 | 10 | |
| Schwans Mediterranean Vegetable Blend, 2 cup | 100 | 14 | 4 | 2 | |
| DINNER TOTALS: | 553 | 59 | 13 | 26 |
Snack |
|
| Coffee Mate Creamer, Hazelnut, Sugar Free, 4 tbsp | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Decaffeinated Coffee, 2 cup (8 fl oz) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Strawberries, fresh, 5 large (1-3/8" dia) | 27 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| Pineapple, fresh, 2 slice, thin (3-1/2" dia x 1/2" thick) | 55 | 14 | 1 | 0 | |
| SNACK TOTALS: | 142 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| CALORIES | CARBS | FAT | PROTEIN | ||
| Totals: | 1,312 | 168 | 28 | 56 | |
| Your Daily Goal: | 1,240 - 1,590 | 168 - 242 | 33 - 58 | 60 - 130 | |
| Remaining Today: | 0 - 278 | -0 - 74 | 5 - 30 | 4 - 74 |
Quick Tips...
Measure your food.
Know accurate serving sizes.
Track your food/calorie intake.
Practice portion control - eat slower and less food WILL fill you up.
Drink lots of water! Often thirst can appear as hunger. Really. :)
Eat on smaller plates/bowls - the visual WILL help.
I am certainly no expert. I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)