Monthly Archives: December 2013

Happy New Year and Drink Your Carbs Wisely

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drunk2

Most alcoholic beverages have carbs.  If you are on a diet, you don’t want to add the extra carbs and calories, but also alcohol slows down your body’s fat eating metabolism because the liver is so busy metabolizing the alcohol–there is nothing left to deal with the fat.  But it is New Years and you want a drink?

drunk

WebMd has a great slide show of skinny cocktails.  You are better off with hard liquor watered down drinks than you are with wine and beer (sugar!) when you are on a diet.  So, have A drink, but make sure it is a skinny drink.  You should remember that alcohol is still a fuel. Alcohol still adds empty calories to your diet which is not good! If you drink more than 1-2 drinks a day, it will have a serious impact on your health, your ability to lose weight, and your ability to gain muscle. Hard liquor is your best choise for low carb diet alcohol drinking with wine and light beer coming in close behind.

 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-skinny-cocktails?ecd=wnl_wlw_122813&ctr=wnl-wlw-122813_ld-stry&mb=XIrxC%40bWr0GXHmtrgs5c0eHnVev1imbCQlyzenL1KWg%3d

Here is some carb info on alcoholic drinks:

 

And don’t forget, that the size of the glass matters.  3.5 ounces of wine is not a lot of wine.  So, if you have more than that, you need to double the carbs.

Mixed drinks with fruit and sugary stuff is the worst for a diet.
drinksbad

 

Info on better choices if you don’t drink hard liquor:

 

Here is the info on the hard liquor:

Armagnac – 0g

Bourbon – 0g

Brandy – 0g

Cognac – 0g

Gin – 0g

Rum – 0g

Scotch – 0g

Tequila – 0g

Vodka – 0g

Whiskey – 0g

Then there is a line of JUST skinny beverages.

 

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Choose wisely and don’t drive!  Happy New Year!

Cereal Diet Killer

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I used to eat cereal.  It tastes good, it is fast and easy.  It can sit in your closet forever.  The labels say that they are good for you.  I never lost weight eating it, in fact, I gained.  So, is Cereal good for a diet?

Cereal_Killers_by_Shi_Gu

No.  They are a killer. You are eating plenty of carbs and then, don’t forget that milk is also added and that adds even more calories and carbs.

Look at this label for Cheerios, one of the least offensive carb and calorie wise of the cereals. (NOT Honey Nut Cheerios, which is much higher because there is much more sugar added!)

P.S.–Cheerios are genetically modified in the United States and they are not natural and not good for you!  Many of these cereals are GM.  Look for organic or go to a store with more organic choices.

Nutrition-facts-for-CheeriosThe ingredients are mostly oat, CORN starch, sugar and salt.  Notice very little is good!  There are 22g of carbs PER cup.  Have you ever looked at the size of a measuring cup?  Most people would pour way more than a CUP of cereal into their bowl.  So, if they have two cups, that is 44g of carbs (Honey Nut would be about 60g).  It is made from stripped wheat (which has very little nutritional benefit), sugar and salt and then they spray some chemicals and some vitamins on it.  It has a little bit of fiber and a little bit of protein.  For the same amount of protein, you could have an egg or two and there is less than one carb per egg.  You are better off with just about any protein than cereal.

You are adding milk too.  And if you don’t use skimmed milk, you are getting a lot of sugar once again and carbs.  A cup, or 8 oz., of skim milk is packed with 8.7 g of protein, 12.3 g of carbohydrates and 349 mg of calcium. Skim milk also has 419 mg of potassium, only 5 mg of cholesterol, 130 mg of sodium, 80 calories, and 0 g of fat.

So, if you just have to have cereal, then have only one cup of cereal (doubt you can just eat one cup) and then you add milk, you are looking at about 30-40g of carbs just for your breakfast.  If you switch to Almond Milk, Unsweetened, that is only 2g of carbs per cup.  So, if you MUST have cereal, then make sure you use a measuring cup and try almond milk.  My husband loves Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. And then count your carbs the rest of the day and be mindful of keeping them in the range of 50 to 100g of carbs in order to stay thin and lose weight.

P.S. Oatmeal can be very carby too and has the same effect with added milk, so be mindful of having it rarely in the week and be mindful of serving size.  Also, if you are going to have cereal or oatmeal in the day, make sure it is ORGANIC and HEALTHY, and have it only in the AM, so that it fills you up enough not to be too hungry at lunch and overeat and so you have time to burn it off.  Eating it at night is NOT a good idea for a diet.  No time to burn it off and your feeling of fullness is not as necessary as at lunch and dinner time.

Once You Achieve Weight Loss Success, You Can Have A Cheat!

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I have been so good.  I have not had any cake, cupcakes, etc. for two years.  Everything I have had that is chocolate related or sugar related, has been low-carb and controlled.

The renown Sprinkles cupcakes have come to my area and on my bucket list was to try their well-known cupcakes.  So, today, as a treat for weight stabilization, I went there with my husband and we bought one “black and white” (chocolate cake with white frosting).  It was ridiculously good, but I am so glad I split it with him.  It is 62g of carbs for an entire cupcake.  I ate about 30g of carbs.  I felt stoned.  My eyes glazed over and I was all shaky and hyper feeling.  I knew I would crash and it has been about 3 hours and I am really tired.  The sugar roller coaster sucks, which is why I have gone white flour and sugar-free for so long.  No wonder America is in such a mess eating this stuff every day.

Here is what it looked like:

spinkles

So, I got it out of my system and now I have to work out to help burn those carbs out and I am eating few carbs today to make up for the higher carb desert.

My point is that I haven’t done this in a long time and I don’t recommend it until you have hit a point in your eating style that it will not throw you off of the wagon.  I have eaten well so long now, I have no trouble getting back to my fruits, veggies, proteins and salads.  The danger of doing this early on in your diet, is you might feel guilty and it could send you in a downward spiral of cheating.  I know that I can do it, I did it!  SO, I had my cheat and now–back to my normally scheduled program.

My recommendations for you!

You should set a goal.  That you will lose a certain amount of weight and then you can get your treat.  Maybe you need the motivation!

In the meantime, I am perfectly happy with my low-carb cookies from Lindora, Netrition.com and Carbessentials.net.  I also like Breyers Carb Smart ice cream and Dreyers no sugar added ice cream.  Those don’t leave me with feeling overly sugared and then exhausted from the sugar low later.

 

 

10 Strategies to Stay Thin Throughout the Holidays!

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10 Strategies to Stay Thin Throughout the Holidays!

drinkwater

  1. Get enough sleep. Our bodies store more calories as fat when we’re sleep deprived. When we are tired, we turn to food as comfort, consuming more calories than when we’re well rested.
  2. Don’t skip meals.  It not only slows down your metabolism, If you skip meals, you’ll be hungrier and more likely to overindulge later in the day. Eat healthy, balanced meals and protein-based snacks and you’ll find it easier to stay in control.
  3. Plan ahead. When going to a dinner party, call ahead to find out what foods will be served so you can plan your strategy. Offer to bring a healthy, delicious side dish you know you can enjoy without guilt. Skip the carby sauces, glazes and gravies.   At buffets, only put a healthy portion on your plate with good choices and stay away from the buffet.  No more trips.  Keep a calorie-free beverage near you the whole time.
  4. If you start to feel out of control, breathe and even step away and relax.  Remind yourself that you are in control of your choices. Think about the benefits of making healthier choices, and pay attention to why you’re eating. Are you really hungry, or are you tired, angry, or bored?
  5. Be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. We often think we’re hungry when we’re actually thirsty. Water cleanses your system, curbs appetite, and reduces fluid retention. Drinking water can also increase your energy level.  The dehydration that occurs when you don’t consume enough fluid can cause you to feel less energetic and become more easily fatigued.
  6. Avoid or limit alcoholic beverages. Besides being high in calories, alcohol tends to trigger carbohydrate cravings and hunger, and can diminish your resolve to stick to your eating plan. Alcohol also interferes with your body’s ability to burn stored fat for fuel. Stick with calorie-free soda or mineral water with a slice of lemon and you’ll save yourself hundreds of empty calories. If you do indulge, mix alcohol with something calorie-free such as water, diet soda or tonic, or sparkling water.
  7. Avoid  the temptation to have “just one bite.” For many of us, it’s easier to avoid certain foods entirely than to try to eat them in moderation. We all know what our “trigger foods” are, so watch out.
  8. Stay away from buffets and party platters. Out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean out of mind, but it’s a lot easier to resist those high-calories hors d’oeuvres and holiday sweets when they’re across the room.
  9. Move your body! Plan to take a brisk 10-15 minute walk three times a day—you’ll burn calories, reduce stress, and feel great. Wear a pedometer and see how many steps you can log in a day.  Maybe joining a walking club will motivate you.
  10. Give yourself permission to stress less and do less.  One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves  this time of year is the permission to slow down and focus on those things  that really give us the greatest joy. Decide which traditions have the  greatest meaning to you and your family and ask whether the way you spend  time and money aligns with those values. Take a deep breath and let the deeper meaning of the holidays  into your heart.

Thin Success Motivation

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think-positive-henry-ford

Do you want to lose weight?  Then, you have to do what it takes to be successful.  You have to learn to make changes, sacrifices and to say NO to certain food and others trying to sabotage your efforts.

Do you have people in your life offering you food, candies, cookies, etc–esp. in holiday season, and you either feel obligated to eat them or your cravings for sweets cause you to cave in?

If you think you can’t do it, then you won’t!  Make it happen.

What I Recommend to be Diet Successful.  4 tips:

1.  I never go anywhere hungry (I eat some protein before I get there).

2.  I pick only healthy items of protein, veggies, salad and fruit.  If there are delicious items there that are sugar and carb laden, and you are dying to try them–take a piece of your favorite, and eat only a piece.  Do not put the whole item in your plate or take it with you, or you will be more likely to eat the whole thing.

3.  If someone offers you something and you are feeling too socially awkward to say, “No, thank you,” then say, “I can’t–doctor’s orders.” Or, “Thanks, but I am not feeling great and I can’t eat that right now.”  Or take it and walk away and then dump it somewhere when no one is looking.

4.  Bring your own version of food item (protein bar, etc) or desert to satisfy yourself, so you don’t go hungry if there are things there that you can’t eat.

 

To Get Thin and Stay Thin, You Have To Think Thin

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7 Tricks to getting and staying thin:

Thin from Within pic

1.  Do you want to be thin?

You have to want to be thin.  Most unsuccessful dieters rely on diets to make them thin. They want the diet to make them thin rather than become slim through the diet.  Many people think that they don’t have the willpower to lose weight.  It is in your power, you have to want it. Don’t tell yourself that it is too hard, because the power of suggestioin will win out.

2.  Do you make food the center of your life?

Stop using food as a way to deal with feelings.  Many people eat out of boredom, anger, frustration, lonliness, feeling scared, depressed and basically unloved.    Think of five activities that you could do intead of eating.  Make a list.  Don’t combine all activities with eating.  When, I feel like eating, I go for a walk, use my elliptical, go to my workout classes, go on the computer, call a friend…….find things to do that distract you from food.  When I feel like I want to eat, and it isn’t time yet, I eat a piece of cheese, but I have coffee or tea.  That helps soothe out the need to eat and gives your lips something to do.  Meet people to do something athletic (hike or bike), or at a coffee shop and only have coffee or tea–or bring your Greek yogurt with you.

3.  Can you tolerate hunger:

Feeling hungry is not a disaster.  You need to overcome the feeling that you might die if it is not time to eat yet.  Have a drink of water or other low-cal beverage.  Learn to stop eating WHILE you experience the hunger.  It will go if you give it time.  Don’t give into it.

4.  Do you have bad body image?

You have to believe you will be thin to make it happen.  Then, if you follow the rules and have a positive mindset, it will happen.

5.  Did you set  an achievable goal?

Don’t set an unreasonable goal or you will feel like a failure and give up.  You can always reset goals, once you achieved a reasonable one.  Don’t go crazy.  I wanted to lose 30 pounds and once that I saw I did it, then I upped it to 10 more.

6.  Did you up your physical activity?

A sedentary person cannot at the same amount of food that a phyically active person eats.  If you ant to lose weight, and not eat very few calories, you have to pick up the pace.  Do even just 15-20 minutes of something a day.  Walk the dog!

7.  Can you imagine something gross or distateful when you look at something decadent like a cookie?

It helps to use aversion to lower your desire for food.

Holiday Food and Sabotage

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Here is my blog for Holiday Food with Your Family Friends and Low-Carb Substitutions that can be made.

https://skinny-rules.com/2013/11/24/holiday-food-time-and-delicious-low-carb-substitutions/

However, today’s blog is about holiday parties–family, friends or work.  This time of year, I hear a lot about people being surrounded by parties with bad food choices, bad drink choices, alcohol and desserts galore.  I went to my chiropractor and there were many chocolate items there.

healthsabotage

5 Things You Can Do To Not Gain Weight at Holiday Parties!

1.  Take a piece of food or dessert, if you must, take a bite and then toss it in the trash when no one is looking.  A bite won’t kill your diet, but if you can’t say no to the rest, then this strategy is not for you.

2.  Just say “NO!” Seriously, how much do you love yourself and your commitment to your diet?  Most of the sugar and GMO products are not good for your health anyway.  Do you care at all about how it will affect you?  Stop poisoning yourself with white sugar.

3.  EAT before you get there.  You are more likely to nibble on healthy things because you are not ravenous.  You can nibble on fruit and vegetables, and have water or if you must, one hard liquor cocktail.  The more you have wine, beer or champagne–and especially fruit cocktails, the more carbohydrates you are consuming unnecessarily.  I have had someone tell me that they go to these things and are hungry and then, the bad food looks extra good to them  and it is harder to say, “No!”  Why tempt yourself?  Why drive yourself crazy?  Eat an egg, cheese, nuts, a piece of fruit, yogurt–something low carb and healthy before you get there.  If you know for sure that there are good low-carb food items, then you need not worry.

4.  If you know the host, you could make a request for something like a vegetable platter or low-fat meat and low-fat cheese platter.

5.  Don’t succumb to peer pressure to eat badly.  Most people NOT on a diet, who know that they SHOULD be on one, can’t wait to watch someone doing well on a diet–fall off of their diet.  It makes them feel better about themselves being heavier or enjoying thinking they are the best looking person in the room.  So, don’t give them this satisfaction.

foodsabotage

I get pleasure in telling people, “NO! Stop pressuring me!”  Worse case scenario, just blame your doctor and say you are under a doctor’s care and these are his orders.  If they are NOSEY and ask you for what–“tell them that you don’t like talking about it.”  And if they ask again, repeat what I just wrote.  If they ask the third time, then you have a right to say, “I would appreciate it if you stop trying to delve into my medical history. I like to keep it private.”  I hate nosey people.

And the same thing goes for the alcohol.  Alcohol has to be very limited to NOTHING during the weight loss process.  If your body is busy using its energy to metabolize the alcohol in your liver, then there is no energy left during that period to break down fat.  

I want to stay thin, I rarely drink.  I gain easily.  It is not worth it to me.  I prefer being thin.  Much more fun than eating something that goes inside in less than a minute.  Thin lasts longer.

Society is Addicted to Crap Food and Lost Their Discipline

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Lack-of-Self-Discipline

Going to be tough today!

Every day I have a salad with some form of meat and/or cheese–with vegetables, for lunch.  I also have a salad at dinner, but the salad and veggies might be separate from my meat.

But, for the most part, that is what I eat.  I have discipline. I have snacks in between and after dinner–protein-based.

It saddens me to see people trying to lose weight and still get stuck on eating white bread sandwiches (which have gluten and no nutritional value at all–it is all about just FILLING UP THE BELLY)–and boy does it fill up the belly, outwardly.

But, SO many people now seem to feel that they need to wash that sandwich down with a bag of chips.

I eat at a lunch place where they serve salads, sandwiches and soups.  There is a rack of potato chips to choose from.  Everyone who orders a sandwich (except my husband), grabs a bag to have with their lunch.  Most people eating salads seem to know better and don’t eat the chips.

What is the deal with the chips?  Is everyone so addicted to the carb, glucose-high?

Do you want to lose weight?  You have to get through the addiction.  I did it.  I was addicted to pasta (wheat-based). It takes a few weeks and you must have a lot of low-fat cheese snacks and hard-boiled eggs to tide you over until the addiction clears…but it does.  I learned to like coffee even more.

Then, you will lose the weight and keep it off.

Until then, the chips and bread are winning, not you!  Nutritionally, they are useless.  A lot of sodium (Not good for the heart), few vitamins, only 2g of protein and 24g of carbs.  If you want to lose weight and only want 50 to 100g of carbs a day, you are going to waste it all on a bag of empty chips?  It is going to turn to sugar and only make you crave more sugar later (about 6 sugar cubes worth)….

The sandwich in itself is about 24g of carbs for the bread.  Great–in one sitting, little nutritional value and around 50g of carbs.  This is not going to help with losing weight.


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So, it is your choice.  Do it or not.  Stop complaining though if you don’t lose and you hate how you look!

Time Lapse of a Woman Losing 88 Pounds in a Year on the Ketogenic Diet

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My diet is based on a Paleo diet that focuses on being ketogenic.  What is that?

ketobag

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, measured out amount of adequate protein and low carbohydrates.

The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose (sugar), which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketones.The ketone pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, and that is when you start burning fat and lose weight.

I followed the ketogenic diet and I lost about 10 pounds a month, which then trickled down to a lesser amount until completion of the diet.  I started my diet in September, 2011 and lost 40 pounds by the the end of January, 2012 (about 5 months).

My diet consists of 6 protein based meals a day, every 4 hours.  Two small salads a day, four small servings of vegetables a day and two small servings of fruit per day (with my carb instake being only 50g to 100g per day).  I stopped eating most wheat products, rice and potatoes.  In the maintenance phase, you can incorporate those in, but you should measure out carbs and you should not go over 150g of carbs per day if you want to stay thin.

Below 50g of net carbs each day is sufficient for most people to stay in ketosis. Make sure to get your carbs from vegetables (10-15g), nuts and seeds (5-10g), and fruits (5-10g). Keep in mind that in Europe food labels generally show net carbs, while America shows total carbs. Calculate net carbs by subtracting fiber from total carbs.

Medicaldaily.com wrote about a woman following this diet and they showed a time-lapse video of her transformation of 88 pounds in a year.  Check it out.  I can attest to the magical effect of this diet, as far as I changed in the same way.  However, I did exercise during my transformation, which is why I lost 10 pounds a month and she seemed to lose about 6 or 7 pounds per month.

http://m.medicaldaily.com/time-lapsed-video-shows-womans-transformation-ketogenic-diet-88-lbs-lost-5-seconds-255799

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Eat Well, Look Good and Live Well

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I read stories daily about how eating well can actually heal your body.  How many of you want to lose weight, but also have health concerns?

It doesn’t just affect your blood sugar and diabetes, or your high blood pressure and hypertension……I read today that nutrition has a lot to do with plantar fascitis foot pain.  And there are many other issues due to poor nutrition.

.  http://www.everydayhealth.com/foot-health/nutrition-and-your-feet.aspx?pos=2&xid=nl_EverydayHealthManagingDiabetes_20131203

There are many cancers and health issues coming from just eating processed foods, artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup, GMO products, etc.

If you are addicted to junk food, there are a bevy of health issues that could lead to health concerns, mental health issues, as well as obesity.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/359768-why-is-junk-food-bad-for-your-health/

Junk food:

  • It’s low in fiber.
  • It’s high in palatability (that is, it tastes good).
  • It offers a high number of calories in a small volume.
  • It’s high in fat.
  • It’s high in sugar in liquid form

Processed food:

It is highly addictive and slowly killing you with its low nutrition, its use of genetically modified products, they cause gut inflammation and lead to further breakdown of the immune system, they are full of pesticides and they just ruin your insides.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9686/how-processed-foods-are-killing-you-one-bite-at-a-time.html

The best foods for you are on the outer skirts of the market.  The organic fresh fruits, veggies, lettuce products, fresh grass-fed meats and organic eggs, bovine growth hormone free milk products and nuts.  All of the stuff that is easier to get to–in the center–about 80 percent of it didn’t even exist 100 years ago.  That stuff in the boxes–those are processed foods.  And some are way worse than others.

If you choose to eat a Paleo diet, chances are that you will not only lose weight, but you will get well or stay well.

Since I stopped eating things that were not so prevalent many years ago, I am feeling better and look my best. I used to be very sick and I am doing much better than ever.  Even my skin glows now.  I stopped eating stripped wheat and I actually avoid wheat.  Once in a while, I have a Perfect 10 Wheat Bagel from Western Bagel.  I also stopped eating rice…if I had any at all, it would be brown rice or quinoa (and only a golf ball sized portion).  I stopped eating starches like potatoes and once in awhile, I put some carrot strips in my salad. No one has to eat potatoes.  If you want minerals or iron, there are so many healthy foods to choose from to get those things.  Kale, Spinach, brocoli and Cauliflower have many necessary minerals in them.

healthfix

And I hate to ruin your breakfast or lunch (hopefully it is not some nice GMO cereal or Mac and cheese, because here is an example of what the processed food companies would like you to not ever see.

Here is what happens to rats who eat nothing but GMO products: (I hope it makes you think!)

rats

REMEMBER THIS SHOULD BE YOUR MOTTO~

eatwell