Tag Archives: diet

Food Companies are Sneaky and Making Us Fat and We Didn’t Even See It Coming!

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A big problem for many people who have to lose weight or want to gain control over their diet, is that they are addicted to sugar and many don’t even know it!  Sugar is hidden in many foods.  It is in your cereal, fruit drinks, almond milk, protein bars and drinks, yogurt and other items that you thought were “healthy.”  Unless you read labels and look at the grams of sugar in EVERY serving in every item, you may have no idea about what you are eating in sugar!  You just eat and you get sucked into the sugar roller coaster.

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There are also a lot of different names for sugar, so you might think you aren’t eating it, but you are!

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You need to start looking at labels.

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If you eat something and it says that there are two servings in it, but you ate the WHOLE thing, then the nutrient content on the label is DOUBLED because you ate the two servings, but it looked like one serving when you ate it.  Labels can be designed to mislead you into buying the product–as you THINK it is healthy, but it actually wasn’t.

sugar cravings

How can you get over sugar cravings so you won’t keep wanting to eat it?  Your brain is going to tell you to eat it because it liked the effect that the first use had on it.  Sugar is very addictive.  So, go out and get things to munch on that have no to low sugar, and munch on them when you get the cravings:

  • almonds and other nuts or seeds
  • whole fruits (small serving)
  • gluten-free crackers and cheese  (watch the number of crackers–high in carbs)
  • low-sugar protein bars (Try a brand like Quest which contains minimal natural sweeteners)
  • Carb-Smart ice cream bar
  • low-sugar yogurt (Greek is good!)
  • low-sugar chocolate (even Trader Joe’s has some at the check out line)
  • nice hot cup of coffee or tea
  • low sugar hot chocolate
  • go exercise or call a friend

Happy Cinco Low-Carb Enchilada De Mayo

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Today, I made myself a great protein snack.  Since it is Cinco de Mayo, I decided to go “Mexican”–but low-carb.  It was My low-carb enchilada.  It is easy to make and I have enough for 3-4 at a time, so I make a few and refrigerate.  This way I don’t have to cook nightly, but if you have the ingredients and you have done this more than once, it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to do this.  You just need a stove and a flat pan.

Here is the link to the recipe.

https://skinny-rules.com/tag/enchilada/

Here was what I made today.  One for today, two for other days.  I used low-carb tortilla, non-fat sour cream, low-sodium turkey meat (diced), lite Mexican blend cheese.  A couple of minutes each side cooked–whallah!

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YUM!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

10 FOODS AND DRINKS TO AVOID IF YOU ARE ON A DIET, DESPITE THEIR SO-CALLED HEALTHINESS

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Today’s blog subject is dedicated to one of my friends in Pilates class.  She brought up a subject that is important to discuss in my blog because it comes up all of the time when people ask me how I keep the weight off.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean eating large amounts of sugar and carbs!  I do eat very well.  Salads twice a day.  Four servings of veggies a day (small ones), 2 small fruits a day, 6 protein-based foods per day, water, etc.  But, keep in mind that I want to keep my carbs between 50g to 100g per day.  Also keep in mind that it takes about 4g of sugar/carbs per 1 sugar cube.

We get conned into eating and drinking things based on their nutritional qualities, but in fact, they are LOADED in “unhealthy” amounts of sugar and carbs.  Trust me, I know.  I gained over 40 pounds at one time just eating “healthy foods”, without knowing the secrets behind their fat-causing carbs!

If you want to lose weight, you want to eat six protein-based “small” meals per day.  Here are 10 items to stay away from, but I mention how to do it with low-carb or replacements for them.  I am letting you in on my found-out secrets!

10 FOODS AND DRINKS TO AVOID IF YOU ARE ON A DIET, DESPITE THEIR SO-CALLED HEALTHINESS

1.  SMOOTHIES or JUICE:

If you have a smoothie, it has to be more vegetables than fruits (fruits have a lot of sugar and carbs) and the size you drink has to be small.  Depending on what you put in your smoothie, perhaps about 4-6 ounces is enough.  Are your smoothies bigger than that and has a combination of high carb/sugar fruits in them?  A few berries, citrus–that is ok….but loaded in apple, banana–you are looking at a lot of carbs.  Some of the smoothies at a regular juice place, like Jamba Juice, have 67g of carbs (This is over 20 sugar cubes–would you eat 20 sugar cubes?)  in a basic 16 ounce smoothie.  If you are only supposed to have between 50-100g of carbs per day to stay thin, that is a lot for one drink.  There goes the rest of the carbs for the day!  Instead, I personally recommend eating real veggies and two small fruits a day.  Smoothies are really for people who can’t stand eating veggies and it is the only way to get it into your diet.  Don’t drink orange juice–eat an orange.

2.  ACAI BOWLS/ MUFFINS/CEREAL:

Loaded up with granola (NOT A HEALTH FOOD–way too much sugar.  Use plain nuts instead).  I never eat granola.  A lot of people see it as a health food.  NOT!  It has 38g of carbs in just half of a cup!   An Acai Bowl has about 125g of carbs between the granola and the banana, etc.  These are not diet foods.  WATCH OUT FOR NUTS:  20g or so in carbs per cup.  Limit them or measure and bag them in advance when used for a snack.  My snacks usually consist of a few nuts and cheese (little to no carbs in cheese).  Western Bagel has a low carb bagel called the Perfect Ten, that is usually a special breakfast item for me out of my usual eggs.

Stay away from cereal.  Mostly carbs, sugar and chemicals.  Try oatmeal instead, but keep it to a small serving because it is high in carbs.  Read the labels.

Also, muffins have grains.  Grains are higher in carbs.  I don’t care if it is a bran muffin or a blueberry muffin–it is still a muffin. It wiIll add to a muffin top, if you know what I mean.

3.  DRIED FRUIT:

Has a lot of sugar and carbs.  Instead, eat fruit.  2 small amounts of fruit per day.  If you eat a banana, one serving is HALF of a large banana.

4.  RICE:  

High carb, little nutritional quality–even the brown stuff.  Quinoa is better, but it is also high carb, so limit it to a few spoons worth in a serving.  A cup of Quinoa is over 100g of carbs.  As high as rice.  Also, rice has arsenic in it.  Yuck!  ALSO RICE CAKES ARE HIGH IN CARBS TOO!

5.  WRAPS:  

Bread products of all kinds are high in carbs.  I don’t eat sandwiches either.  A slice of bread can be around 30g of carbs. Some of the lower carb breads like Ezekiel, is about 10g EACH slice.  But, a medium sized wrap is about 22g of carbs.  I eat salads with meat and other proteins on them or a sandwich or burger that is wrapped in lettuce and not a bun or wrap.  Watch out for tortillas too, unless they are the specific low-carb ones, which you can see at any store, even Trader Joes.  A regular tortilla can be over 30g of carbs, but a low carb one can be about 5g net carbs, once you factor in the fiber.

Watch out for JUICE.  It is just liquid sugar.

6.  PROTEIN DRINKS/SPORTS DRINKS?PROTEIN BARS

All laden with high carbs.  Only get ones that are low carb.  Less than 20g of carbs is best.  Or you can factor in fiber.  Look at the total carbs and subtract the fiber and you have net carbs.

7.  VEGGIE BURGERS/FROZEN FOODS:

Very high in carbs if you pick the wrong one.  Buyer beware.  Some of them are only 10g of carbs.  So choose wisely and look at the nutritional labels.

Most of the low-cal frozen foods are high carb and will put weight on you.  Just look at the labels.  They are also loaded in sodium (as is canned soup) and are not good for your heart.

8.  YOGURT/FROZEN YOGURT:  

Some of them are so high in sugar and carbs, it should be illegal.  You could be looking at 20-30g of carbs per cup.  Greek yogurt has better options and if you choose the ones that are unflavored, there are hardly any carbs. There are a few products like Danon Lite and Fit Greek Yogurt flavored,  with only about 10g or less of carbs per cup.

Frozen yogurt is laden in sugar, carbs and a lot of really nasty chemicals.  There is nothing “yogurty” about it.  You are better off having a no-sugar added scoop of Dreyers or Breyers ice cream.  Breyers Carbsmart ice cream bars are delish and low in carbs.  I get them at Ralphs, Smart and Final, and Wal-Mart.

9.  BEANS:

Yes, they are good for you–in small amounts.  A tablespoon is about 8g of carbs.  A cup of them is about 120g of carbs.  So, your burrito with the high carb shell, high carb beans and high carb rice will easily top you over 100g of carbs for your one very healthy organic Chipotle burrito.  I always do a salad version, limit the beans, no rice.

10.  AGAVE!

Syrup

One of the more popular “natural” sweeteners is Agave nectar, also called agave syrup.You will find this sweetener in all sorts of “health foods,” often with attractive claims on the packaging.

The problem with Agave is that it is no better than sugar. In fact, it is much, much worse…

One of the main problems with sugar is that it has excessive amounts of fructose, which can cause severe metabolic problems when consumed in excess.

Whereas sugar is about 50% fructose and High Fructose Corn Syrup about 55%, Agave contains even more… up to 70-90%.

Try Stevia or just use natural sugar, in moderation, because sugar is not good for losing weight.  And if you are putting fruit in your smoothie (and I don’t recommend smoothies and I don’t do them anymore), then you have enough fructose sugar from the fruit, so why add more?  Stop being a sugar junkie!

Eat, Sleep, Move: Lack of Sleep can make you fat: New Study

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Food and exercise are not the only things that will affect your weight!  Loss of sleep will affect your weight too!

A report came out on a study about sleep and weight. According to the research, patients with more weekday sleep debt were 72 percent more likely to be obese when compared to participants who had no weekday sleep debt. And after six months, weekday sleep debt was significantly associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Worse yet, after 12 months, “for every 30 minutes of weekday sleep debt at baseline, the risk of obesity and insulin resistance was significantly increased by 17 percent and 39 percent, respectively.”

Diabetes and obesity are two metabolic diseases characterized by insulin resistance. These diseases can be a result of metabolic syndrome, which refers to the cluster of three or more cardio-metabolic risk factors, including insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Given this, the findings reinforce the existing idea that “sleep loss is additive,” and that it can negatively impact metabolism.

metabolic syndrome

http://www.medicaldaily.com/got-sleep-problems-losing-30-minutes-sleep-each-day-could-mess-metabolic-function-324852

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Don’t let your schedule run you down so that you can’t sleep.  Yes, exercise is important, but if you can’t get in the sleep, then cut a bit on the exercise to get the sleep–unless you can find other things to cut back on!

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It isn’t Eat, Pray Love:  It is:

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If you have sleep issues, have them diagnosed by a doctor.  If you have sleep apnea, get help for it and if you have the breathing machine–use it.  I know so many who have it and don’t use it!  Besides dying in your sleep–it can cause you to be exhausted and overweight.

sleepapnea

If you have other issues with sleep, see your doctor about meds.  Start exercising, which helps sleep.  Take a hot bath before bed.  Make sure you have vitamin and minerals each day.  Go to bed earlier.  Turn off the TV, Phone, IPAD, Computer, VIdeo Games, etc.  Work on it, don’t just be sleepy.  If it is stress, try L-Theanine 200 mg., see a therapist and/or a doctor for meds.

EXERCISE!  It will help you sleep.

Sleep will help you be skinny!  And if you sleep more, you will also have more energy to exercise and eat right–other tools for weight loss!

Skinny Rice?

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When I make a meal, I have used riced cauliflower in place of rice. I haven’t had rice in a long time because the carbs in rice is astronomical.  In one cup of basic white or brown rice, there are about 45g of carbs.  It is even more in other types of rie.  Well, if you can only have between 50 to 100 g of carbs per day to lose weight, then that is most of your consumption in just one cup of rice!

So, a study came out about rice!  It seems that if you cook rice differently, you can halve the calories and I would think the carbs as well.

rice

The new cooking method:

1.  Add a half cup of uncooked rice to boiling water with a teaspoon of coconut oil.

2.  Let the rice simmer for 40 minutes, but confirmed that boiling for 20 to 25 minutes would also work.

3.  The last step of the process involved refrigerating the rice for 12 hours.  Then you can reheat it.

Well, I suppose it is worth a shot once in a while.  To me, 22g of carbs is still a lot for a cup, but if you eat half a cup at 11g of carbs to have with your Tikka chicken, it might be worth it once in awhile, instead of my usual riced cauliflower.

Life is Short: Don’t Wait, Lose Weight!

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Have you ever noticed how easy it is to make excuses for your not losing weight or keeping it off?  Days come, days go and you are still waiting for the magic right moment.  Or you gained a few and you are waiting to work those few off.

I certainly have had my own excuses.  Here is the deal.  If you want to lose weight, you have to get your butt in gear and stop the excuses.  Ask yourself what you are doing to stop yourself from losing and find a way around it.

Examples:

1.   “I just can’t do it.”  (But, yes you can!)

2.  “My body is holding onto fat and won’t lose weight.”  (Go see your doctor and find out if there is a problem, not just assume it!”

3.  “I don’t have time right now.”  (Cut something out that you don’t have to do to find the time.)

4.   “I am too stressed.”  (Exercise will help your stress, and you will lose weight, so that is just an excuse because there will always be a reason to wait!)

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10 Things You Can and Should Do to Lose Weight:

(Rules that skinny people follow)

1.  Figure out what protein snacks you need to bring with you during the day so that you are eating small protein foods every 3-4 hours.  If you let your body go without food for too long, then it goes into starvation mode and holds onto the weight longer.  I bring small individual bags of nuts or low-carb protein bars.

2.  Eat a breakfast every morning.  In a hurry, I grab a hard-boiled egg that I buy pre-done from Costco or Trader Joes.  Not in a hurry, I make some eggs with cheese in the AM.  Doesn’t take long and it is filling.

3.  Bring non sugary fluids with you and fill up on fluids all day long.

4.  Prepare earlier the night before or on weekends to have breakfast, lunch and dinner foods and bring them with you for lunch or to work or after if you don’t have the money to eat out somewhere where you CHOOSE healthy proteins, salads and vegetables for a meal–and it has to be the right proportion of food (4 ounces of meat), handful of veggies.  You can also have two small servings of fruit per day, but keep in mind that some fruits are higher in carbs (bananas) and some are lower in carbs (berries/citrus’).

5.  Eat 6 small proteins per day.  Eat two small servings of fruits per day and 4 small servings of vegetables per day.

6.  Avoid sugar and high carbs and keep carbs down (between 50 to 100g of carbs per day).

7.  Read labels of things before you eat them.

8.  Exercise!  Get in at least 30 minutes, 3 times per week and more if you can do it.

9.  If stressed, don’t eat food, go for a walk, have a drink with no sugar/carbs.  Or talk to someone.

10.  Put yourself first for half an hour per day.  Learn to cut down on something each day to get in the exercise.  I have put off folding laundry to get in some time on the elliptical.  The laundry can wait, but not your weight!

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No more excuses:  MOTIVATE and start now.  Anytime is a great time to start!

CHANGE! Giving up means Gaining–but not in Weight!

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“One reason that people resist change is that they focus on what they have to give up, rather than what they have to gain.” –Rick Godwin

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How many of you don’t like the idea of dieting because you feel like you are giving up your favorite foods or that your diet will be boring and no fun?

Giving up the wrong foods and the wrong way of eating lets you gain so much in self-esteem and being healthy.

Let’s face it, you have been doing it “wrong” for years or you wouldn’t be here right now.  I know that is true, I have lived it.  And yes, you might have a health issue (like me) or aging (like me) and it is harder to lose weight and you can’t eat nearly all of the same things you used to love to eat.

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Look at it this way.  How lucky for you to eat all of those so-bad-for-you foods for so long, but now it is time to grow up and learn how to control yourself.  You are not a child anymore and you don’t have to eat all of your favorite things every day.

I eat at a salad and sandwich shop a lot and every time I am there, I am shocked to see how many patrons who are overweight, buy a bag of potato chips with their healthy salad or sandwich.  If you want to be thin, you must have portion control and you have to count carbs.

I don’t eat sandwiches for lunch anymore because there are anywhere from 11 to 36g of carbs PER slice of bread.  And the bag of chips has about 14g of carbs.  So, if you eat a sandwich with a bag of chips, you could be eating anywhere from 36 to 86g of carbs per lunch (without counting meat, cheese, etc) and sugary carby soda.  If you want to lose weight, you have to eat between 50g and 100g of carbs per day and you just had almost all of it in one sitting.  This is why people find it hard to eat right or diet.  They have had NO idea how to count carbs and eat in a way that is conducive to a maintaining a normal weight.  Now, you can eat all of this if you are going to go for a run later…but how many of you do that?

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But, even my own family member who refused to change her food habits has finally changed after she was told she is VERY pre-diabetic.  Do you have to wait until you are that sick to finally do the right thing for yourself?  Go to Overeater’s Anonymous or a Medically supervised plan (like Lindora), join a workout club or group exercise (like my Pilates and Yoga–start with the beginner classes), but get help and do it right for the New Year–this year should have prosperity and well-being.  Do it for yourself.

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Happy New Year and Resolutions

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Many of you are thinking about making a change for the new year. Lifestyle changes are hard, but they have to be seen as something to do and learn ways to like them and stay with them. Diets don’t work. You have to change your relationship with food before you change your food

I now see food as nourishing, not for comfort, as I used to see it. I eat six small proteins a day, two small fruit portions a day and four small vegetable servings a day. I also have two small salads per day. I eat about every three to four hours. I always carry low-carb protein bars in my purse, in case it is time to eat and the only food that I am around Is fattening and unhealthy. The worst thing for your weight control is to allow yourself to get too hungry, go too long without eating (and slow down your metabolism), and not drink enough fluids throughout the day,

Supplements are important too. I found that most people who seem to have weight issues, either are eating too many carbs, earring too much and large portions, not drinking enough water, eating too much wheat or gluten, low on thyroid hormone, and low in Vitamin D or Iron. It is important for you to ask your doctor for a check up blood test for vitamin deficiencies and make sure that your weight issues are not hormone or not vitamin or mineral related.

Sorry, but exercise is key too. I am writing this blog right now while on my IPad, atop of my elliptical. Multitasking makes it easier for me to exercise. Everyone is different. Some father go to the gym or walk with a group. I go to group Pilates and yoga, but it prefer the elliptical at home, while I multitask. Find a way to move that you enjoy doing, and you will be way more successful at exercising consistently.

I was very busy with a new job and then I hurt my back. So, I kept up with some Pilates, but I am now back on the elliptical and my plan is to work in a schedule during each week….and I am getting in my elliptical right now too! The idea is that you have to keep trying. Exercise is about the journey, you will arrive at your destination whether you go slowly or quickly. Just keep at it.

Welcome to the year of the Green Wooden Sheep. It is a year of prosperity and Well Being. Go forth and lose weight, get in shape and look and feel great! Start moving and read my blog from the beginning about the rules to lose weight and keep it off. It has been 3 years for me now since I lost the weight. It can be done!

Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts!

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Sorry, I have been remiss in my blog writing.  Life has a way of getting in the way of things you love to do.  I have had another “diagnosis” of another medical issue (not related to weight) and I have been a bit bummed out.  And what happens when you are stressed or sad?  Cravings.  Luckily, they haven’t been too bad and I have stuck to the usual nuts and cheese snacks…but still now and then you need something tasty.

So, I found some GREAT low-carb ice cream bars.  They have anywhere from 11g to 13g of carbs per bar and they are delicious.

Carb Smart has a line of ice cream and ice cream bars of all different types.

Here is my favorite Carb Smart bar and I found them at my local grocery store, Fresh and Easy and Smart and Final. They are also at Wal-Mart (and they do melt if they not in the refrigerator).

carbsmart

I also discovered that another brand makes low-carb ice cream bars and sandwiches:  Bluebunny.com.  They have a WHOLE line of low-carb products!

They have a locator:  http://www.bluebunny.com/About/Locator.aspx

blue_bunny_sweet_freedom_krunch_lites_ice_cream_bar

So, you can have ice cream, it is “measured out” through being in a bar and you can’t overdo it.  And it has chocolate bits on it–and some have nuts!  And it is low-carb!  You can’t beat it!

Sugar Does Not Reduce Stress: There are Better Ways to De-Stress

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I have a friend in my Sunday Pilates class.  She is pretty awesome.  She works hard, works out like crazy and has lost a ton of weight.  She is in excellent shape, but she desperately wants to lose a bit more weight.  Yet, she is under a lot of anxiety and stress and tends to run to sugar for her comfort.  I am writing this article in her honor!

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Things that are BAD for anxiety:

Going to sugar and carbs is a way for many people to deal with their anxiety.  However, it actually is counter-productive.  It is actually the worst choice for anxiety.  Sweets (including sugar, honey and corn syrup) makes us temporarily feel better.,Here’s why: Sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. The absorption causes an initial high or surge of energy. But that surge wears off as the body increases its insulin production to remove the sugar from your bloodstream. The result: You’re left feeling tired and low.  It also makes you continue in a vicious cycle of SUGAR and STRESS!

Vicious_Cycle

Going to coffee isn’t going to help.  Instead, drink water because if you drink coffee, you are actually dehydrating.  Some people drink coffee and other beverages that contain caffeine (tea, cola, and hot chocolate) to help boost their energy levels. The problem is that caffeine has been shown to inhibit levels of serotonin in the brain, and, when serotonin levels are suppressed, you can become depressed and feel irritable.  Even mild dehydration can cause depression. Caffeine also can keep you awake, leading to stress and anxiety. Remember that you need to sleep well to be in a positive mood.

Going to alcohol is not good either.  Some people drink alcohol because it seems like a good way to ease anxiety and stress.  Unfortunately, the good mood is only temporary. In the long run, alcohol is a depressant. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic, and it’s important to stay hydrated for a number of reasons, including mood. If you do drink, drink in moderation.

Processed foods, such as hot dogs, sausage, pie, cookies, and cakes cause anxiety or other mental health issues?There have been studies, people who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products, and sweetened deserts had a 58 percent higher risk of depression than those who ate “whole” foods such as fish and vegetables. So skip the processed foods and have fresh foods!

Here are foods that are GOOD for anxiety:

1.  Foods with L-tryptophan.  Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin (a neurotransmitter, which helps you feel calm).  Foods with it include:

 turkey, chicken, bananas, milk, oats, cheese, soy, nuts, peanut butter, and sesame seeds. You can also take it by pill form in 5 HTTP, available in health food stores.

2.  Foods with Vitamin B.  Vitamin B (including thiamin or Vitamin B1, helps with mood.  A deficiency in B Vitamins (such as folic acid and B12) can trigger depression in some people.  You can also take it in pill form in a good B Complex formula.  Foods with Vitamin B include:

beef, pork, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts and eggs.

3.  Foods with carbohydrates will increase the production of serotonin in the brain.  However, you want to watch how many you get in order to not gain weight (50g to 100g a day to lose weight is recommended).  The rights carbs to choose:

Whole grains (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc) and not processed choices like sugar, candy, white bread or white rice.  

Whole grains take longer for the body to break down, and release sugar into the bloodstream slowly. Processed carbs may give you an initial surge of energy, but that can be followed by an insulin rush, which rapidly drops blood sugar levels, ultimately leaving you feeling lethargic.

4.  Foods with omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA),  help improve mood and reduce risk of heart disease.  Foods with Omega 3s are found in:

salmon, tuna, lake trout, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines.

Walnuts, chia seeds, flax-seed and basil.

5.  Greek Yogurt and Other High-Protein Foods:  Proteins helps stimulate the production of the brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine, which, like serotonin, are neurotransmitters and carry impulses between nerve cells. Higher levels of norepinephrine and dopamine have been shown to improve mood, alertness, mental energy, and reaction time.  Good sources of protein include:

Greek yogurt, fish, meats, cheese, eggs, nuts, beans, soy, and lentils. 

And don’t forget that eating fresh fruits and vegetables, taking some “me” time, getting enough sleep, exercising and getting in foods with natural spices to reduce cravings (like cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom.) will all help reduce anxiety.

Another trick is taking 200 mg of L-Theanine to reduce anxiety.  It really works!  http://altmedicine.about.com/od/greentea/a/Theanine.htm  It is available at any health food store and it is amazing.

Follow these tips and you will feel better and lose weight too.