“I don’t have time to exercise!”

Posted on July 12, 2013 by therapysoup

How many times have I heard that excuse? I used to use it myself. But, at some point, i decided that i had to take care of my body. wherever i went, my body had to take me there. not finding the strength to fight fatigue and pain only made my health conditions worse, which led to a decay of my physical body, my spirit, my home and my relationships. putting out the energy helps your body to make more, better energy.

Also, if you wind up with the consequences of being heavy, that will make your life even more difficult, so exercise is a preventative measure. How do you think you would do with diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastric heartburn, clogged arteries, a stroke, death? Fix yourself before you can’t? If only James Gandolfini (Sopranos) took his weight and being out of shape more seriously. RIP.

Starting is the hard part, so you need to start slow and easy. Don’t overdo it and then hate it. Just 15 minutes a day is a great start. it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I started with light stretching and yoga once a week, then twice a week, then added in a little walking the dogs daily, then added in Pilates too and after a few years, I was walking on an elliptical and doing Pilates and yoga. Now, I try to walk an hour on the elliptical at least 4 days a week and I am writing my blog on the elliptical right now.

I had to schedule exercise in just like a J-O-B and make it a part of my daily tasks…because if you don’t, the reverberation effect of that is that you will start to feel like is crap (and l started to look like crap too).

I have seen men (visual creatures) not attracted to their wives anymore when they get too big (and vice versa on the genders), despite the fact that the woman usually got bigger taking eating junk shortcuts throughout the day, quick snacks and not exercising….and doing too much around the house and for the kids– FOR the man.

It doesn’t matter, no matter how you cut it, exercise is a natural need for humans and it is better for your psyche, mental health, physical health and your self-esteem to exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Diet is important, as I write about how to do it almost every blog.

But today, we will go over ways to find 10 ways to find time to exercise:

1. Log off of Facebook. Get in and out. Don’t spend all day in there and don’t play those addictive games. You need to move! Just 15 minutes of weight-bearing exercises, walking around the house or in the yard, or doing an exercise DVD–just 15 minutes a day adds up to 7 hours a month. Set a timer because the Internet can suck hours out of your day before you know it.

(I use my IPad on my elliptical and therefore, I get an hour of walking in and that is when I do all of my email and Facebook stuff!–even Words with Friends. I stop at that game though, no time. I choose real Pilates over Candy Crush.)

2. Learn to JUST SAY NO! Seriously, stop doing so much. Someone wants you to drive them somewhere or needs to bend your bear over their relationship that they have discussed with you over and over and over again–STOP wasting precious ME time on that. Schedule your exercise if you have to and tell everyone, don’t bug me between 7 and 7:15 or more because I am tied up at that time. Put yourself first, because no one else will do it! Some of the NICEST people I know are the biggest and most out of shape because they are TOO nice and hardly ever put themselves first!

3. Number 2 leads to –PLAN OUT your day. Make your plans of what you will do for the day and make exercise part of the daily time schedule. Maybe doing it early helps, or maybe late after the kids have gotten home and your spouse is there to help. If you like to socialize. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch, meet them for a walk. Whatever works for you. I have all exercise planned on my Google calendar. Put it down on a calendar and therefore, you will feel more compelled to do it.

4. Record TV shows and watch with the commercials zoomed out and save time. Also, condense…..if you are watching more TV than you have time for and you find you can’t exercise, you are not taking care of yourself. You are being sucked into the tube. Sometimes, I exercise in front of my shows–then I feel like I kill two birds with one stone.

5. Don’t waste time on hobbies and unimportant projects to distract you until your home chores, time with family and your exercise are done. Exercise first and if there is time left over, then organize your wrapping paper or whatever it is you think you have to do. Chances are that if you exercise first, you will have more energy later to organize things. Many people think that they will be too wiped out after a workout. That lasts a short time, but the endorphins actually rev you up. I get more done after I have worked out than without working out.

6. Don’t be a perfectionist. You don’t have to have your house perfect or your workout perfect to out in -15 minutes a day. Even 15 minutes of light vacuuming can burn 50 to 100 calories, so for heaven’s sake…move your body. Challenge yourself and get a pedometer for a few bucks, put it on you and try to get in around 12,000 steps a day. If you only get 8,000–that is fine, just get started.

Exercise is a journey, it is the experience of doing it, not the destination that you should focus on!

The first thing people ever see is you (YOUR PHYSICAL BODY). Most people will not even see the inside of your house, so what is the urgency to make IT look perfect and not have time for doing the same to your body!?

7. You have too much housekeeping to do because you are a working mom? I hear that all of the time, but if you have money to go out to eat or drink, or have new cars or toys, then you need to budget it out to have a cleaning service come to your house at least twice a month and remove that burden of deep cleaning. You will gain 2 weeks worth of 15 minutes of exercise a day for not having to clean your tubs, toilets or sinks!

If you are super broke, then you need to ask for help. Tell your husband or wife that you need to work out and you need their help. Give your kids chores. I see way too many kids not doing anything, which will then lead to their laziness and weight gain too. Tell everyone, let’s all clean 15 minutes a day together. More will get done fast and you can all burn calories and fat. Four people at 15 minutes of clean up after dinner a day, five days a week equals 5 hours of cleaning the house each week.

8. Be more organized and find a place for everything so you don’t waste precious exercise time constantly looking for things that are misplaced. This also feels better mentally too.

9. Get up 15 minutes earlier to exercise.

10. Set out your workout clothes the night before to be ready and give you motivation to workout.

And say what you will, but nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels…but also, if you show love to yourself, it shows on the outside and your partner also sees it in more than a physical level. It shows up mentally and spiritually too. There is nothing sexy about a clean house, dinner on the table and a wife who has let herself go for those things to look good. So do average on the home and take that time for yourself physically. Because no one cares what level you are at on Candy Crush or WWF(are you addicted?) But, you won’t like clothes shopping or bikini season, when the time comes.

A Trick To Remember Protein Portion Size

Posted on July 10, 2013 by therapysoup

Today, a simple way to remember protein portion size. (6 protein based meals in per day)

When you eat meat, you should be aware of the size of the portion that you should have in one meal. That size is 4 ounces. If you don’t have a scale, then think of it as fitting the size of your palm or the size of a deck of cards.

You Might Be Fat Because of Label and Size Trickery

Posted on July 8, 2013 by therapysoup

I have written before about portion control. It is important to know that since the 1950s, people have been doubling in size, but that is because portions have doubled in size.

And the food industry does a great job of hiding facts and they have been tricking you into eating TOO MUCH FOOD!

I had a client come to my office with a 15 ounce large bottle of Green Machine Naked Juice (GMO fruits, company owned by Pepsi) and he attempted to drink the entire thing himself. The bottle had at least 5 or 6 small servings for a family at breakfast and because it was in a bottle, he thought he should drink it himself. You have to be careful reading labels. This is what the label says:

1 cup is almost 30g of sugar (almost 8 sugar cubes) and almost 35g of carbs. No wonder diabetes is on the rise.

Stick to cup-sized portions. Get out a measuring cup and get accustomed to the size of it.

HERE IS THE TRICKERY!

So, do you know how much is in a cup? Most people don’t. A cup is 8 ounces. How many ounces are in the bottle? 15 ounces!!!!!!!!!!!! (some of the other Naked Juice drinks are even worse!)

So, if you DOUBLE the amount of nutritional information if you DRINK THE WHOLE THING, then you will realize that you are actually drinking almost 60g of sugar (about 16 sugar cubes) and almost 70g of carbs–about as much as you want for the whole day if you don’t want to maintain or lose weight.

I have seen many people drink these whole bottles as one meal. You need to look at your labels! You could have had a whole plate of spaghetti and meatballs instead and liked it better!

The standard serving for soft drinks is one cup – 8 fluid ounces. But most cans sold in vending machines are 12 ounces. Bottles drinks often come in 20 ounce portions, all for consumption by a single person. That is just way too much in one go. We are eating too much, drinking too much.

At Starbucks, the portion sizes are not only skewed to large, the names are confusing as well: Tall (12 ounces), Grande (16), and Venti (24).

It gets even harder to order the smaller options when you do the financial calculation – the larger portion almost always is cheaper per ounce than the smaller one.

What to do when you’re eating out?

only eat 4 ounces of meat (a palm-sized amount), a cup of vegetables, small salad size.
Ask for a take-out container and put your food in there even before you start to eat so you won’t be tempted to keep eating.
ask your server / waiter what the portion size is for the dish you are ordering
order the smaller option (including kid sized portions, which are the right size for an adult in the first place)
share your dish with your dining partner
drink water – no serving size limit!
I don’t do pasta, but if you do, remember what a cup looks like! (and it is about 43g of carbs! That is a lot and it is just a cup!

PREPARE Your Daily Protein: For Weight Loss and Reduce Cravings

Posted on July 6, 2013 by therapysoup

During the day at home or at the office, you might find yourself getting hungry. You are supposed to eat breakfast, (about 3-4 hours apart from your meals)lunch and dinner, but you are supposed to have three healthy snacks in-between and after dinner (about 3-4 hours apart from your meals). SIX PROTEIN MEALS IN ALL PER DAY!

Healthy protein snacks/meals can help normalize your blood-sugar levels at crucial points in the day. If you reduce swings in blood sugar, it helps to curb cravings and keep you on a successful weight-loss track.

I try to keep between 50-100g of carbs a day to lose/maintain weight. Most meats and cheeses have barely one carb in them. Nuts, Greek Yogurt and protein bars too have carbs. Look at labels….

10 Suggestions for protein snacks

Raw veggies, such as celery, green or red bell pepper strips, cauliflower, and broccoli florets. Use hummus or 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter for dipping (2 tablespoons).
Lean, reduced-sodium deli meats (turkey or chicken breast, roast beef, boiled ham), about 4 ounces.
Part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks (no more than 2 sticks or low-fat mini Baby Bells).
Nuts (15 almonds, 20 peanuts, or 30 pistachios, or about 1/4 cup of any nut, is a serving), but be sure to stick to one serving and count it toward your daily protein. OR Sunflower seeds (3-tablespoon serving; count these toward your daily protein.
Low-Carb Protein bars or drinks. Look at the labels. Try not to go higher than 20g of carbs.
Cottage cheese (1%, 2%, or fat-free varieties) with salsa, or one of your two small servings of your fruit for the day,or chopped cucumber added
Dry-roasted or boiled, ready-to-eat edamame (green soybeans) or a hard-boiled egg
Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat) (again you can add one of your two small servings of fruit
Low-sodium tomato juice or vegetable-juice blend, single-serving can for the day)
Water-packed light tuna or salmon (individual cans or pouches)

Do not eat on the run. Go shopping on the weekend if you are too busy and buy stuff for the week and put what you need for each day aside the night before and have it ready to go for the morning. You can have stuff to eat in the car if you have to do it that way, but PREPARE and don’t buy crap at drive-thru places, where you are likely to succumb to cravings or smells. Learn to do this daily and it will become habit, a way of life and you are more likely to get and stay skinny!

Enjoy A Delish Low-Carb Fourth of July

Posted on July 4, 2013 by therapysoup

So, you want holiday fun for the Fourth of July, but you are afraid you will gain weight? You can enjoy your food and it will be great, just make some alterations!

Here are 3 great ideas for Independence Day Skinny Food!

1. Barbeque any low-fat meat, even beef. Go ahead, have a hot dog. However, if you want to not gain weight, keep it to a minimum. Only one meat item, or half of two. You can put a little BBQ sauce on it, a little ketchup, but those items have sugar/carbs, so watch the amount. Mustard is better. Do not wrap it in a bun, wrap it protein style in a lettuce wrap or just eat it plain, with a knife and fork. You will not be hungry, because you are a smart eater and will fill up with veggies and salad. You can even put a burger on a salad…I have done that. It is delish!

2. Veggies and salad. Grill the veggies for flavor. Wrap them In tinfoil, spray with olive oil and put them on the grill for a few minutes. They get toasted and tasty. Eat maximum a couple of cups of lettuce and some veggies in it. No croutons, no bread.

3. Dessert! Don’t eat cake or cookies. Have berries in whipped cream and low-carb Greek yogurt. Delish. Or if you must, low carb ice cream like Smart Carb.

Motivation

Please remember that you want to be thin and if you decide to cheat, then it will set back your goal. There are ways to enjoy your food that is skinny-good-for-you food and you can still enjoy yourself. This isn’t a diet, it is a lifestyle. Learn to compromise and toss away your past poor preconceived notions and patterns about food and holiday food, which only led to you getting fat in the first place.

If you want a cocktail, stick to one only, with vodka and tonic. Those drinks are the lowest in carbs, but remember that alcohol takes a lot out of your body. Your body is so busy metabolizing the liquor, it does not burn your fat. So, essentially, if you drink and eat the wrong things, not only will you not lose weight or maintain weight, but you are more likely to gain weight. And why? For Independence Day? It isn’t supposed to be about food. It is supposed to be about getting together with friends and family and celebrating your freedom. Are you really enjoying freedom trapped in a body that you are unhappy being in? I can tell you that the best feeling of freedom was when I hit my weight goal. It was awesome. You can do it too.

Addicted to Chips, Fries and White Bread? (Processed Foods)

Posted on July 1, 2013 by therapysoup

Highly processed carb-heavy foods are not good for us, but they taste good. Potato chips or french fries. How do you eat just one? There is a reason that happens. Our brains get tricked into craving MORE.

A small study published this week shows that hours after we eat a highly processed meal with lots of carbohydrates – like white bread, or potato chips – we start to crave more of these junk foods.

“Highly processed carbohydrates might program us to crave food in general,” says David Ludwig, lead author of the paper published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “And fast-acting carbohydrates in particular might be setting up these cycles of high blood sugar followed by low blood sugar, food cravings — and then overeating.”

Researchers gave 12 obese young men two test meals – milkshakes that were not only identical in calories and carbohydrates, but also contained indistinguishable sweetness, appearance, smell and overall deliciousness. The only difference was the nature of the carbohydrates – one shake contained high-glycemic index carbs, and the other had carbs of low-glycemic index. (Foods with a high glycemic index, or GI, raise blood sugar or blood glucose levels higher and faster than foods with lower GIs.)

But as far as the young men who participated in the study knew – the shakes were the same. The two shakes were given to the young men in a lab environment on two different days, and researchers tracked their blood sugar and hunger levels periodically for four hours after the meal. At the four-hour mark, the men were given brain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI – basically, a way of measuring brain activity.

They found that the areas of the brain related to reward, craving, and addictive behavior lit up for the men in the high GI group as their brains reacted to the fast-acting carbs. That’s important, Ludwig explains, because four hours after a meal is the key time when decisions are made about how much to eat at the next meal.

We’ve seen the connection between junk food and cravings before, as past studies have shown a link. But previous research used foods like cheesecake versus virtuous fare like boiled vegetables – in other words, foods you know and would have a strong psychological reaction to. This new research is an attempt to divide the biology from learned behavior, Ludwig explains.

Madelyn Fernstrom, NBC News diet and health editor, advises that this study comes with a few limitations. For one, it’s a very small study, looking at the brain scans of just 12 obese men – plus, the fact that all the subjects were obese, something that Ludwig says was done because the overweight among us are, in general, the ones having the most trouble maintaining a healthy weight.

Still, at this point, it’s too early to say that these cravings lead to obesity, says Fernstrom, who adds that an important follow-up study would be to do the same experiment using lean people.

In real life, we don’t exactly have the option of choosing between a healthy and less healthy milkshake – unless you’re planning on switching to an all-Soylent diet. Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian in New York City, advises dieters to think about all the delicious and nutritious foods you can eat – rather than trying to immediately eliminate all processed foods at once.

“Of course limiting processed foods–especially the kinds that are loaded with trans or saturated fat, sugar, and sodium–is a good idea,” says Zied. “But taking a positive, inclusionary approach to food and eating may very well be a more effective way to alter your diet than being more extreme.”

So if junk food lit up the areas of the brain involved with addiction – then is junk food addictive?

It’s not that simple. The idea of a “food addict” is a bit ridiculous, in the first place, says Fernstrom, Ph. D., CNS. We have to eat to survive; we don’t have to consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes, for example, so these terms are not interchangeable.

“The notion of food addiction is controversial, and the study doesn’t answer that question,” Ludwig says. “But it provides, I think, evidence for the possibility that highly processed food — apart from its calories, apart from its tastiness — could be tricking our brain into craving more food than we actually need.

“So the bottom line is: Limiting these fast-acting carbs that have invaded our diet in the last 30 years may help overweight people avoid overeating,” Ludwig says.

taken from: http://www.today.com/health/eating-carbs-may-make-you-crave-even-more-carbs-6C10484514

Something to keep in mind: These foods are NOT necessary for your diet, do nothing to help you nutritionally and only put on weight. There is no nutritious reason to choose these items to go with your food. So, if you are ordering fries because it is a potato or a vegetable…you are wrong. They are a fried starchy vegetable. You are better off with real vegetables or if you must, half of a baked potato–or better than that starchy vegetable is a yam or sweet potato–not fried! Have you ever tried to grill asparagus or broccoli in tin foil with olive oil sprayed on it? DELISH! Try it instead of a starchy vegetable, something fried or processed food. Make new habits and get out of the addiction rut.

Here is a list of the top 10 worst processed foods!

The Rules Work! 10 Rules to Follow and you Can Still Enjoy Life

Posted on June 27, 2013 by therapysoup

I joined a couple of chat rooms about being skinny and/or dieting. It is so upsetting to see so many people struggling with their weight and looking for a miracle or advice that will work. Some are ordering fiber that fills them up, or other magic pills. You know, I tried a few myself. I tried the Raspberry Ketones and it didn’t work. I tried some carb blockers–saw nothing. Even if something helps a little, it will not keep it off. You have to do the work. There is no cheating.

I think that the biggest issue is that you feel like you will feel deprived. I have had people tell me that they don’t want to start a diet until after their birthday, or a vacation, or a wedding, or whatever. They want to eat cake, etc. That is silly. Regardless of what event comes up, there will ALWAYS be events that come up. If you are going to indulge, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still follow dieting or lifestyle change rules and just work it into your week. Even Weight Watchers has let you save up points for special treats.

So, here are 10 Rules to follow and still enjoy life.

1. You need to be ok with the idea of cutting bread, cereal, rice and potatoes either out of your life like me, or cut down to only one or two portions a week of one of these items. Just remember, these items are high on the carbs and even the glycemic index. They are not necessary in your diet and the value of what they give you nutritionally pales in comparison to proteins, fruits and vegetables. Need fiber? Take some in a drink or eat your crunchy vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, etc).

2. Learn how to find substitutes for the things that you like. I like pancakes once in a while, so I get low-carb baking mix. Last couple of blogs I explained this. There are substitutes for pizza crust like cauliflower or with wheat in it–Flat Out bread–lower carbs.

3. Prepare more. So many people are in my opinion, not in the habit of doing it or are just really lazy and don’t prepare the night before–what they will eat. I always have protein bars, drinks, mixes from Lindora.com, hard-boiled eggs done from Costco, low-fat string cheese, and low-carb Dannon Greek Lite and Fit yogurt. If I have to run out the door, I will grab as many things as I think I will need based on the amount of hours I will be gone. I bring an egg for my breakfast and something for 3 to 4 hours later. If I think I will be gone longer, then I bring cheese, yogurt, or a low-carb protein bar with me–sometimes two, if I am unsure about time. They don’t go bad out of the refrigerator.

4. I know people who are not well, they sleep in and then run out the door and do not have food with them and didn’t think to grab any prepared item, so they need to know where to go to get a fast protein meal (you need 6 small protein meals a day). Fast food places will sell you sides–eggs, bacon, etc. Get those and they are cheap. A side of eggs and bacon at Jack in the Box is actually tasty and under $2. You can also pick up a quick salad at those places or even a market. Just make sure it is low-carb and no chinese noodles or croutons–all of the carbs are there!

5. You will not feel hungry and like you will die if you keep eating protein every 3-4 hours. You might feel sugar cravings at first (I did for a few weeks and then it gets better, I promise), but if you eat 4 ounces of a meat or have a couple of lite string cheeses, then you feel better again. You don’t have to have major carbs to feel good, you just think you do. I also drink coffee with non-dairy creamer in it and I feel better and more full afterwards.

6. Every time you indulge and eat something very sugary, you will start those high and low cravings all over again because your body will use up the sugar and want more. It is sugar addiction and it has you hooked. So, if you really think you need a “hit”, then that is a good time to have one of your small cup sized servings of a fruit (two a day). Citrus and berries are lowest carbs and others have more–especially bananas.

7. Exercise. It helps burn calories and helps with the cravings. You would be surprised at how well it works.

8. Take vitamins and minerals daily because sometimes cravings are actually your body’s way of screaming for nutrients.

9. Drink 60 ounces of water (or flavor it with something non-sugary) a day because dehydration makes you hungry too.

10. If you go to a special event and want to eat cake, you will have to cut down on the carbs on every meal you are having the whole rest of the day. If a piece of cake is say, 40g of carbs (look it up online on a nutrition calculator), then you need to have somewhere between 10g and 60g of carbs with the rest of your foods for the day. YOU SHOULD HAVE 50g to 100g of carbs a day and no more to lose weight)

Be happy, you are going to lose weight!

Sometimes You Will Miss Wheat, So Alternatives!

Posted on June 22, 2013 by therapysoup

I am off wheat products because of how badly the product is grown now and how it makes me gain weight and get a big belly (read the Wheatbelly by Dr. William Davis http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609611543.

But, I feel that I can have it once in awhile, but it has to be a low-carb version.

Here is a list of 10 food ideas that you can have once in awhile and know that you won’t be hurting your low-carb diet.

1. PANCAKES! You can go to Lindora.com and buy their mix, which is about 13g of carbs for a small stack and they taste great. Make sure you get lite syrup that has few carbs per tablespoon. Remember that Pancake Syrup is about 53 g of carbs per 4 tablespoons. I can get a quarter of a cup for 10g of carbs in my syrup. (See picture)

Also, there are mixes at Netrition.com:

http://www6.netrition.com/lc_foods_pancake_mix.html and http://www6.netrition.com/tova_carbquik_page.html (which can be used for waffles and pizza too)

I haven’t bought it yet, but if it is as good as their syrup, I am going to like it.

2. FlatOut Bread, with less than 10g net carbs per piece. Make wraps or pizza.

3. Western Bagel Perfect 10 Bagel (10g net carbs per bagel vs. over 35g for most bagels):

4. Netrition and other online sites have breads and pita breads that are low carb. Look at Netrition.com for choices. Also, there are some low-carb and diabetic sugar free places in different cities and states. Look them up online.

5. Almond Flour substitution in cakes like the one I blogged about. YUMMY.

6. Soy pasta noodles by Shirtaki. I have had them and they smell when you open, but after you microwave, DELISH!

But, Netrition.com and Lindora.com also sell low-carb pasta noodles for sphaghetti, lasagna, etc.

7. LOW carb protein bars. This one and Power Crunch are my favorites, although my sister in law likes the lower carb Kind bars.

8. There are lower carb small flat breads in the market for sandwiches, but watch the carb count on those. Remember, you want between 50 and 100g of carbs a day and no more, to lose weight. The closer to 50, the faster the weight falls off. However, the low-carb tortillas that I have bought at Costco and Trader Joes make a nice enchillada with turkey, cheese, tomatoes and sauce.

9. Cauliflower-based pizza crust pizza. So good, you won’t miss the wheat crust. SO low carb. I can eat the whole 9 inch pizza for about 10-15g of carbs vs. 30g per slice of a normal pizza.

10. My zucchini instead of pasta noodles lasagna. Delicious. However, if you really want to get LOW CARB pasta, you can get it online at places like Netrition.com or a low carb shop. If you eat the regular noodles, it is fattening! Too many carbs!

Healthy Weight Loss and Lifestyle Challenge

Posted on June 19, 2013 by therapysoup

Saw a healthy 3 week challenge online today and thought I would share it. It actually incorporates all that I do talk about on Skinny-Rules. It is low carb. Remember though, to eat your veggies, salads, proteins, fruits, nuts. Wheat bread, only once or twice a week at one slice each time.

The purpose of this challenge is supposed to help you learn a healthier lifestyle and get a jumpstart to weight loss. The creator of this challenge also suggests cutting out potatoes. (I do! Even sweet potatoes)

There are TWO exceptions to this challenge–
1. NO CHOCOLATE— you can make your OWN chocolates with cacao powder and stevia (or Truvia baking blend)– I am mainly wanting to break the cycle with store-bought, processed chocolate. If you make your OWN desserts from scratch, it is healthier. Dark cacao powder is actually proven to have some extra health benefits as well.

(I still have my chocolate or peanut butter Crunch Bars and I still like my Nature Valley Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Protein bars (dark chocolate is good for you, right?)

2. NO CHIPS— This means NO POTATO CHIPS. (That is a no duh! No potatoes)

(And I still am going to have my diet soda here and there. Sorry, gotta have something!)

3. Also, NO ALCOHOL– if you are trying to lose weight. The body will not break down fat when it is busy breaking down alcohol.

Here is the challenge:

So, you think you are up for it?

Sugar Cravings

Posted on June 16, 2013 by therapysoup

Getting off of grains, most fruits and sugar products is very hard. As you do it, your body and MIND have been trained to look for the “hit” at the pleasure point in your brain. In a way, you conditioned or brainwashed your brain to want and need the sugar, but over time, you can get over it. You allowed the foods that you were conditioned to eat do this to you and you have no idea that this was happening. You were conned into buying and eating those foods, without realizing how they would have control over you like an addict has no control over their need for their drug of choice. So, fight back.

How to get through the cravings.

Drink lots of sugar-free fluids.
Get enough lean protein and fiber. There have been studies. The people who eat more protein report feeling less hungry. When I am hungry, I get a protein bar, protein drink, some meat or a piece of cheese and it satisfies the cravings. The second thing that fills me up is fiber. That is in vegetables, but also in protein bars and protein drinks. A lot of people will eat cereal to fill them up and that has fiber, but it also is mostly carbs and not only will you gain weight or not lose any weight, but you will be hungry again very soon after and go through a sugar rollercoaster.
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. The more fruit and vegetables that are in the diet, the greater the weight loss and you are less likely to say that you feel hungry on any given day. Have you ever tried to eat a lot of vegetables? You get full fast, right? It is the fiber!

Studies have show that changing your habits to focus on protein, water and fiber-rich foods helps maintain weight loss for many years. I try to stay away from sugar. If it is natural and in my fruit, etc.–that is fine, but if you have a sugar product, your brain will want more. It is a lot of work fighting the pleasure center of your brain. Consider alternative products without a lot of sugar, corn-syrup, etc.

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