Tag Archives: food

Holiday Travel or Any Travel Diet Survivial Guide

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When people go away on vacations or day trips, they usually just hop in the car after last-minute packing and they are not prepared nutritionally for their needs.

When you eat properly, you need protein every 3-4 hours.  You need two small vegetables at lunch and two more at dinner.  You need salad twice a day.  Fruit twice a day.

But, without preparation, you ran out, probably without eating anything and then you are hungry and stop off for junk food.

THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO SABOTAGE YOUR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE or DIET.


survivalSo, here are some easy strategies to prevent diet sabotage:

  • Plan and Prepare.  Leave yourself plenty of time and remember that all that rushing around can beat down your immune system and make you sick.
  • Take your Supplements.  Especially nutrients such as zinc, vitamins C and D, probiotics and omega-3’s.  These help buffer your immune system and keep you strong when exposed to germs on planes, etc.
  • Pack an Emergency Food Kit.   I never leave home without a healthy snack or mini meal to keep my blood sugar balanced.

FOOD LIST: You Can Pack and Take with You:

1.  Small preprepared and measured out packs of raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews and/or pistachios
2.  Small bag of cut carrots or celery with snack-sized containers of hummus
3.  Can of wild salmon or sardines (I can’t do this because I hate this!)
4.  Hard-boiled eggs
5.  Healthy whole food protein bar (eat half in morning, half in afternoon)
6.  Bottle of water
7.  A prepared set of bags of berries, some bananas or apples (sliced apples is ok too)

And when you can stop somewhere, work on getting in more salad, veggies, fruits with some protein, other than fast food junk.  French fries are not a vegetable!

 

And have fun!  Your bowels will thank you later.

8 Ways to Help Yourself From Pigging Out on Thanksgiving

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How to avoid the temptation of sugary or carby holiday foods:

Rather than try to overly obsess about our food decisions, it’s better to change the environment so that it works for us rather than against us, making it easier to make decisions to eat less

1.  Let people know in advance that you are eating differently and ask them to have (or you bring) things that you can eat like meat, veggies (not smothered in sauces and soups), fruits, cheese and salad.  (If they don’t care about your diet, then you bring what you have to in order to show some self-love!)

2.  Stay away from crackers, breads, candied fruit items, pies (unless you bring your own low carb pie or ice cream dessert or they provide one for you.

3.  Drink, drink, drink– water and diet drinks a lot.  Stay away from cider and sugary things to drink.

4.  Eat some protein before you go to dinner so that you are not so hungry that you will pig out on whatever is there. (turkey, chicken, cheese, a protein bar, nuts, etc)

5.  Grab the smallest plate and fill that, rather than filling a large plate with food.  No refills, except for salad.

6.  Eat meat and veggies, limit fruits.

7.  Don’t sit close to the food buffet–avoid temptation.

8.  Don’t eat the appetizers and wait for the meal.  Most appetizers are calorie/carb laden.

BE STRONG and know that you are doing something that will make you happier the next day.

The last two years, for Thanksgiving, I had a salad, fresh turkey breast, gravy, veggies and a low carb ice cream and I was not only full and happy, but I didn’t gain weight the next day and it was delish.  Can you say the same thing?  This year to spice it up, I am going to try to make twice baked cauliflower and cheese and maybe a low carb pie, not sure yet.  But one thing is for sure, I will be happy on the scale the next day and I didn’t put off my weight loss or maintenance for some lame holiday pig out excuse.  You try it too!

Holiday Food Time and Delicious Low-Carb Substitutions

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So many people I know tell me that they are going to eat what they want for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and pretty much for the entire month of December because (their excuse to go food nuts) IT IS THE HOLIDAYS!  When did the holidays become about pigging out and not celebrating the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the birth of Baby Jesus, the oil staying lit and the fact that there are Christmas lights up all month and we have to listen to Holiday music for over a month?  Why are we doing this?  I still think it is because people associate it with “comfort” of family and “comfort” food.  It reminds them of home, but it is also a great excuse to be bad without having to say you are eating fattening food because you just feel like it.

So, a lot of people put on weight starting with Halloween and starting January 1–they join health clubs and weight loss centers.  It reminds me of bears that eat up before the hibernation, except that we are not bears.  Why do this to yourself every year?  It makes no sense.  It is hard on the body and the wallet.

So, the holidays are here.  Here are some tips to not overeat fattening foods and still have holiday feasts.  You can even use substitutes to create many traditional meals.  You can even start NEW TRADITIONS with new meals.  I have turkey, vegetables, salad and I make them as interesting as possible.

Many people seem to think that “Thanksgiving is all about the carbs.” But it really doesn’t have to be that way. You can decide to have a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal with any carb level you want. I have found some really good tips online.  These Thanksgiving tips work well for any large holiday meal.

lowcarbholiday

1) Choose traditionals that are lower in carbs.

Turkey is obviously the low-carb star of the meal. There might be vegetables, which are family favorites,  that don’t have a lot of starch or added sugars. Think back through holidays past and resurrect the least carby side dishes.  Stay away from yams with cream, mashed potatoes, etc.

2) Consider scaling back some of the traditional side dishes.

Did you know that plain roasted yams with salt, pepper and butter are really delicious even without a pile of marshmallows on top? Instead of a rich vegetable casserole, how about a simpler vegetable side dish, such as green beans with almonds? Have a simple sautéed mushroom and peppers dish, get some good low-fat cheeses and cut cucumbers, or a salad with a  cranberry vinaigrette dressing.

3) Serve low-carb, high-flavor nibbles first.

If you decide to eat more carbohydrates than usual, consider holding off until you get to the table. Use vegetables with dip, cucumber rounds instead of crackers for spreads, and peanuts or other nuts, instead of chips.

4.  For meals and desserts that are low-carb, go to this site for recipes for low carb meals, ideas and desserts–including low-carb pumpkin pie and other pies.  There are low-carb alternatives to everything so you don’t have to be that bad!

http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/blog/2010/100-delicious-holiday-recipes-for-the-low-carb-crowd/

 

STUFFING SUBSTITUTION!

stuffing

Thanksgiving: Time to be with friends and family, not time to pig out!

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It is Thanksgiving time.  I will devote the next few blog reports on how to deal with Thanksgiving and your diet!

You are going to be surrounded by holiday candy, pumpkin bread, pies, etc.  I meet a lot of people who give up on their diet at the holidays or don’t even start with the excuse that they will start after the holidays are over.

Don’t do it!

You need to take control of your life.  You cannot have this excuse again.  You have had it for years and it is the reason you are heavy or gain the weight back.  Something has to change.  How you view food has to change.

So, it is the holidays.   You think that the Thanksgiving pilgrims thought that you should gorge yourself with carbs at the holidays for them?  NO.  The message behind these holidays is about being grateful and celebrating a special day.  It has nothing to do with sugary carbs.  Thanksgiving was about sitting down and “breaking bread”, so to speak,  with the American Indians, in the spirit of cooperation.

WHAT THE PILGRIMS ATE:

The first Thanksgiving feast would have looked very strange to our modern eyes, consisting mainly of corn and meat. The spirit of the celebration would be easy for us to understand, because then, as now, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the bounty of the Earth and the importance of hard work and cooperation.

Cheese:

You might be surprised to know how different the first Thanksgiving dinner was from what we enjoy today.  They might have had cheese made from goat’s milk.

A Variety of Meats

The pilgrims and the Indians had some type of fowl and venison. The pilgrims often hunted fowl for a special feast follwing the harvest. Wild turkeys are native to New England, as are pheasants. Both were enjoyed by the pilgrims and Native-Americans alike and were included in the feast. The Native-Americans brought venison; some of the braves went hunting and brought back five deer to share. Other meats that may have been on the table include lobster, seal and swans.

The food was placed on the table, and people helped themselves to it.

Fruits, veggies without sugar, meats, and corn

Thanksgiving today includes many vegetables available, but in the 17th century, vegetables were not always plentiful. Special meals, even the Thanksgiving meal, centered around many different kinds of meat.

Common fruits and vegetables included pumpkin, peas, beans, radishes, carrots, onions, lettuce, plums and grapes. Walnuts, chestnuts and acorns were also plentiful. Though there was no pumpkin pie, the Pilgrims did make stewed pumpkin. They had cranberries, but no sugar, so they did not make cranberry sauce. Sweet potatoes were not common, so those were probably not on the Thanksgiving table.

No  pies or other sweets.

They did not have an oven to bake pies, and even though they brought sugar over on the Mayflower, it had all been used by the time of the first celebration.

The Pilgrims had little in the way of grain, they only had wheat flour.

So, try to eat more like a Pilgrim than a Piggy for the holidays!  Tomorrow’s blog will show the carb chart on so-called “Thanksgiving” food.  You must choose wisely.

Healthy/Tasty Lite Steak Quesadilla Recipe for Your Diet

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A Taco Bell steak quesadilla is 96g of carbs for the whole thing.  That is outrageous.  This is mostly in part because regular tortilla shells are HIGH in carbs. You have to specifically buy low-carb tortillas.  I have blogged on this before and had recipes.  There are low-carb tortillas that are lower than the ones in today’s recipe.  See the following link to see what I have blogged about before, because you can eat a tortilla for less than 10g of carbs.

(remember: To lose weight, you want between 50g and 100g of carbs per day)

https://skinny-rules.com/2013/09/25/low-carb-taco-bell-esq-crunchastic-supreme/

Steak Quesadilla recipe.

Just a note.  Portion size, you could eat this particular tortilla and it would be lighter for you if split this with someone, making it about 16g of carbs per person.

A friend of my husband’s made this particular recipe and loved it.  She added guacamole to it.  She said it took 30 minutes and was delish!  Here is her picture:

quesadilla

 

Actual recipe:

guilt-free recipes, courtesy of Hungrygirl.com

HG's Double-Stuffed Steak Quesadilla
HG’s Double-Stuffed Steak Quesadilla

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
5 jarred jalapeño slices, finely chopped
1 portabella mushroom cap (stem removed), sliced
2 oz. thinly sliced raw lean beefsteak filet
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
Dash black pepper
1 medium-large high-fiber flour tortilla with 110 calories or less (like La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious SoftWraps)
Optional toppings: salsa, fat-free sour cream

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine shredded cheese, cheese wedge, and jalapeños. Stir until uniform.

Halve portabella slices widthwise. Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add portabella pieces, and cook and stir until softened and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add sliced steak, sprinkle with seasonings, and cook and stir for about 2 minutes, until just cooked through.

Lay tortilla flat and spread with cheese mixture. Evenly top one half with cooked steak and mushroom slices.

If needed, clean skillet. Re-spray and bring to medium heat. Place the loaded tortilla flat in the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.

Using a spatula, fold the cheese-only half of the tortilla over the filling, and press lightly to seal. Carefully flip and cook until crispy, about 2 minutes. Slice into wedges, and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving: entire recipe (1 quesadilla)
Calories: 318
Fat: 11g
Sodium: 815mg
Carbs: 33g
Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 29g

PointsPlus® value 8*

 

New Rules: Your Doctor is Going to Tell You to Lose Weight Next Year

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obesity (1)

http://news.yahoo.com/doctors-told-serious-obesity-200937050.html

Expect to hear more about your weight issues from your doctor in the near future. The medical profession is asking their doctors to get their clients on board with weight control.  The new medical insurance out there will provide counseling and programs for people to lose weight.

Obesity is a huge medical problem  There are so many diseases that it can cause.  Losing just 10 pounds and having regular exercise can lower the risks for almost all of the issues.

Here are 10 things that could hurt or kill you, unless you take weight control SERIOUSLY!

medical complications of obesity

1. High Blood Pressure — is the primary cause of death among Americans older than 25. About 75 million people suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.

2. Diabetes Obesity is considered one of the most significant factors in the development of insulin resistance, and insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.

3. Heart Disease — Obesity is a major risk factor for developing coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. People who are overweight are at a greater risk of suffering a heart attack before the age of 45. Obese adolescents have a greater chance of having a heart attack before the age of 35 than non-obese adolescents.

4. High Cholesterol levels — High cholesterol is one of the leading causes of heart attacks. Cholesterol is transported through your blood in two ways: the low –density lipoprotein (LDL), which transports cholesterol to the cells that need it, and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is the healthy cholesterol that reduces your risk for heart attack.

obesity_heart_disease

5. Cancer — Being overweight increases your chances for developing cancer by 50 percent. Women have a higher risk of developing cancer if they are more than 20 pounds overweight.

6. Infertility — Being obese can cause changes in the hormonal levels of women, which can result in ovarian failure. Women who are 15-25 pounds overweight are at a higher risk of suffering from infertility and ovarian cancer. Our bodies need to be at an appropriate weight to produce the right amount of hormones and regulate ovulation and menstruation. Don’t think men are immune to infertility. Overweight men have a greater chance of developing motility and a lower sperm count.

7. Back Pain — Obesity is one the contributing factors of back and joint pain. Excessive weight can cause injury to the most vulnerable parts of the spine, which carries the body’s weight. When it has to carry excess weight, the odds of suffering from a spinal injury or structural damage increase. Being overweight also raises the risk of developing osteoporosis, lower back pain, arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Losing 10-15 pounds can help you decrease the risk of developing these problems.

8. Skin Infections — Obese and overweight individuals may have skin that folds over on itself. These creased areas can become irritated from the rubbing and sweating, which can lead to skin infections.

9. Ulcers — Obesity can be a contributing factor to the development of gastric ulcers.Overweight men are at a greater risk of developing gastric ulcers than women.

10. Gallstones — Being severely overweight increases the risk of developing gallstones, especially in women. Gallstones are caused when the liver releases excessive amounts of bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. Gallstones are more common in older women and those with a family history of gallstones.

obesitycircl

 

Please consider starting to exercise and lose weight by following the RULES:

https://skinny-rules.com/2013/01/30/10-rules-so-you-can-lose-about-10-pounds-a-month/

Portion Control Is Key For Losing Weight and Keeping it OFF!

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You can’t just diet and lose weight. The larger the portion, the more calories for your body to burn off. Here are some suggestions that can help you better portion your food.

1: Use visual aids for common food serving sizes (example)

  • Meat, fish, or poultry = 3 ounces = deck of cards / iPhone (lowest in carbs)
  • Pasta, rice, potatoes = one cup = baseball (keep in mind that these are HIGH in carbs)
  • potato, yam = one unit = computer mouse (again, HIGH in carbs)
  • Nuts = 1/4 cup = golf ball (watch the carbs!)
  • Salad dressing or olive oil = 2 Tbsp = shot glass
  • Peanut butter = 2 Tbsp = shot glass (about 8g of carbs)
  • Ice cream = half cup = half baseball (high in sugar)
  • Cheese = 2 ounces = 2 fingers (stick with low carb)
  • handproteincardsproteinpasta_serving2serving

2: Read the serving size information on the Nutrition Facts on the package

Processed foods have a nutrition facts label and the first thing it shows is the serving size.  All the calorie and nutrient information that follows is calculated per serving. But sometimes the serving size is tiny compared to what people really eat.

For example, cereals usually list the serving as half a cup (one ounce). Even KIDS eat more than that. Read this carefully!

20130901-234733.jpg

3: Understand how many servings are in a package
As a follow on to the previous tip, it’s important to know how many servings are in a package.

A small bag of Doritos has about 2.5 servings! (That means two and a half times the calories you were expecting)

A bottle Naked Juice or POM actually has TWO servings of liquid. A serving of juice (or soda, or water) is 1 cup (8 fluid ounces), but these bottles usually provide you with double that amount, 16 ounces. (Share with a friend, or better yet, drink water!)

4: When eating out, ask for the small or kids sized portions

Restaurant and fast food meals have massively increased in the last 30 years.

A 280 calorie Caesar salad in 1985 is now over 700 calories! (The kid’s meals are actually the size of what was an adult meal 30 years ago!)

bagelsize

5: Never eat out of the bag or box

If you bought a family size bag of pretzels, or a gallon tub of ice cream, the worst possible thing to do is eat straight out of the package and especially in front of the TV or computer–or at your desk. It will cause mindless eating!

6: Put ONE SERVING ONLY on your plate in the kitchen and eat in the dining room and USE SMALLER PLATES!

The easiest way to overeat is having the serving dishes on the dining table within arm’s reach. Plate your food in the kitchen then serve it at the table. Don’t eat all over the house, as well.

The plates have increased in size over the years.  If you use a smaller plate for your food, it will feel like you are eating more when you fill it.  Use smaller plates.

platesize

7: Fresh fruits and veggies, eat more of them than the protein and carbs

Put fruit and mostly veggies on half of your plate. The fiber in produce will help you feel full and less hungry.

portion-plate

I Figured Out Why I Have Been 7 Pounds Away From Goal!

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Portions!!

Look, I had blood tests and they came out good.  Because of eating according to the rules, I have low sugar levels (no diabetes risk), by cholesterol levels are fantastic.  I get more than enough iron and since I take a mineral supplement daily, all is well!

I eat really well.  I eat six protein based meals, every 3-4 hours.  I have four small portions of veggies a day, two small portions of fruits per day (and I stick to lower carb fruits like berries and citrus) and two measured out salad portions a day (about a cup of lettuce).  I am very good about this.

I avoid grains, sugar desserts, rice and even most beans.

I count carbs (between 50g and 100g per day).

I exercise about 10 hours per week.

I lost all of my weight and then after having to go on steroids for itching last January, I put a few pounds back on and I keep fluctuating between being 7-9 pounds more than I want to be (goal).  I look thin, but I want the cushion of not being at the far end of acceptable.

So, I was looking at ready-made portions at Lindora today.  I realized that my protein portions have creeped up over time.  I have been mostly eyeballing my protein and I haven’t been measuring every meal as much as I used to do it.

So, crash course for me and you on portion control: 

Meat is about 4 ounces.  3 ounces for beef.  Last night I ate a lean burger (without a bun, as usual).  But, it was TOO much burger.  It was 1/3 a pound.  That is about 5 1/2 ounces.  I should have eaten half of it and brought the other half home.  I am going to be more cognizant of this.  What happens when you do a diet long enough (a way of life), is that your eyes get big and you forget how small the portion has to be in order to stay thin.  This happens, especially if you eat out.  The portions are outrageous.  I could have had half of the beef and half of the egg in the salad and just eaten the other half today.

meat

I have to eat less, more often!  6 times a day, 4 ounces, broken up!

Meat1-300x240

You have to remember this!

portions_v4

Meat1-300x240  meat_serving

I am not fat like I was, but I don’t want to go back to fat either.  I am nipping this in the bud before it is too late.  I am sharing this with everyone because this is reality–this happens when you work on maintenance after a diet.

I have seen people who are hungry and overeat and don’t realize that they are eating the portion for two to three LARGER people.  Ordering a POUND burger AND fries–outrageous.  A 50-year-old man, not that active and not that tall–eating that much–it is just asking for medical problems.

Ordering a burger and a bag of fries, just for one person (especially an inactive female) –is fat waiting to happen. These people are all eating about 75g of carbs or more in one sitting.  But, I have to be aware that even if I eat meat, veggies and salad–if I overdo portion size, I might be having too many calories and messing up my own weight loss ability.

So, wish me luck on getting back to portion measuring and control.

I Found Delish Protein Bars

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Look, they are 21g of protein, and are delish.  21g of carbs, but 17g of fiber.  That means it is 4g net carbs!!  And no sugar alcohols–good news for anyone with metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

QUEST NUTRITION BARS!

So far, I have eaten the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough one and it does taste like cookie dough. I love (and miss raw cookie dough, but it is fattening and dangerous with the raw egg in it). But, this is the closest thing and it is a lot of fiber, making the net carbs low.

quest-bar-now-incookie

The Brownie version is very similar with 5g of net carbs.  Only 1g of sugar!  This is insane, but wonderful!

Quest Chocolate Brownie Protein Bar Close

The info on the Quest Chocolate Cookie Dough bar:

Calories from Fat   70.00
Saturated Fat   3.00 g   15%
Trans Fat    0.00 g
Cholesterol    5.00 mg   2%
Sodium    310.00 mg   13%
Dietary Fiber   17.00 g   68%
Protein    21.00 g   42%
Calories    190.00
Total Fat    8.00 g   12%
Sugars    1.00 g
Erythritol    1.00 g
Potassium    125.00 mg   4%
Total Carbohydrates    21.00 g

You might consider them a bit pricey.  Over $26 for a box of 12 at GNC (a little over $2 a bar), $25 at Smart and Final.  The prices are similar at Vitacost.com, but there are more flavors to choose from, including fruit flavors and Peanut Butter.

Your Diet Could Be Causing Your Depression

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Research was done that shows us that carbohydrates can cause inflammation (besides your waistline)–causing depression!!!

http://www.medicaldaily.com/pasta-and-depression-grains-and-other-carbs-could-be-affecting-your-mood-261266

Results indicated that women who ate red meat and refined grains such as bread, pasta, and chips were at a 29 to 41 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with or receiving treatment for depression.  Prolonged use can cause damage to parts of the body and the brain.

The good news is that there are certain foods which boost mood and control inflammation: Olive oil, coffee, wine, fish, and certain vegetables.

So, for those of you who have been fighting to get off of refined flour products and bad carbs, does this information help you want to do it?

If you choose to do it, follow the rules:

https://skinny-rules.com/?s=rules&submit=Search