Tag Archives: lifestyle

10 Ways To Be A Winner At Losing (Weight) the Easy Way!

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WebMD has a great quiz that you can take to see if you know what to eat or do lose weight.  I suggest that you take it.  Then, read what my thoughts about the answers here.  The following are the easiest tips to lose weight!  Make it a part of your lifestyle.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/rm-quiz-weight-loss-dos-and-donts?ecd=wnl_din_011114&ctr=wnl-din-011114_ld-stry_3&mb=XIrxC%40bWr0GXHmtrgs5c0eHnVev1imbCQlyzenL1KWg%3d

easy

1.  Sleep.  There are studies that show that if you don’t get enough sleep, then your body feels sluggish and wants more calories and food to keep going.  You need to get a full night’s sleep, as much as possible, to keep your weight down. And if you think about it, this is the easiest part of a diet.

2.  Water. This is the second easiest part of a diet. Carry a water bottle around with you.  If you just hate the taste of plain water, you can either get sparkling water, really good bottled water (some taste better than others) you can keep it cold because sometimes cold water is better than room temperature, or you can buy one of many different low-calorie flavor pouches or drops,  to drop into the water to make it taste like cherry, lemonade, etc.  And you must drink before every meal so that you feel full before you scarf down your lunch. Water also helps with improved metabolism.

3.  Eat meals slowly. This is the third easiest thing you can do to lose weight.  It takes about 15-20 minutes to get your brain to recognize that your stomach is happy.  So, if you eat slowly, then you will more likely eat less food on your plate.

4. Use smaller plates for smaller portions.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Use smaller plates and put smaller portions of food on your plate so that you will eat less.  If you drink your water first and eat slowly, this will not be an issue for you at all.  You need portion control on a diet (and to remember that you are eating 6 small protein meals a day–four small servings of veggies per day and two small servings of fruits per day).

5.  Weigh yourself minimally once a week.  Come on, that is so easy! You need to do this so that you can psychologically be aware of what you are doing right or wrong and make adjustments accordingly.

6.  Eat unsaturated fats!  Yes, you heard that right. Fats are good for the body, but is the type that matters.  Fat can help you feel full after eating, which may curb your desire for seconds or dessert. Your body needs some dietary fat to function. Less than 10% of your calories should come from saturated fats, say government dietary guidelines. Replace butter and processed foods with more healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, cold water fish, tofu, avocado, and small amounts of nuts.  But watch the portion control on that! Consider the fish, tofu and nuts as one of your protein replacements, use oil sparingly and eat a small portion of avocado as one of your fruits for the day.

7.  Don’t skip meals.  Don’t tell me that it is hard to eat!  If you eat too much at lunch, but then skip dinner to make up for it, that is counter productive because your metabolism slows by not having consistent nutrition.  So, if you over do a meal, then drink a lot of water and eat a small low-carb protein meal for dinner.

8.  Plan meals in advance.  Not too hard.  Use a diet book like Lean For Life to get some examples of planned meals and start planning in advance so you don’t accidentally eat more than you should in a day or the wrong things.  You should also keep a food diary you can see what you are doing and if you gain weight, you can go back and figure out where you are going wrong.

9.  Eat good carbs!  Hard? Nah, you have to learn what carbs are ok to eat.  Your body needs this important fuel to work.  It’s healthiest to ditch carbs from non-diet sodas and junk food and animal fats, while still eating some carbs from whole grains, fruits, and veggies.  I personally stick to the carbs in fruits and veggies and limit my whole grain intake.  But eating white flour products=bad carbs.

10.  Don’t completely ban bad foods!  Studies shows that limiting food choices doesn’t help people lose weight. What does work is a diet that includes your own food choices. Just eat high-calorie faves less often, in small amounts, or in lower-calorie versions.  Carbessentials and Netrition are online and have diet versions of many tasty things from maple syrup and pancake mix to chocolate items.  I also eat Carbolite at my neighborhood frozen yogurt shop because it is a low-calorie and low-carb version of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Also Dreyers and Breyers have no sugar added ice cream that is really good and low carb.  Just have one small cup of it and use it as a protein replacement out of your 6 proteins per day (spaced out ever 3-4 hours).

The 7 Habits of Fit People

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What do fit, strong people do as part of their lifestyle habits?

1.  They don’t “diet!”  They make their eating style their lifestyle.  I eat the same way daily and I mix up what I do eat. I eat every 3-4 hours.  I have some form of eggs for breakfast (scrambled, hard-boiled, omelette) and sometimes ham or bacon with it.  I have a healthy snack.  Then, lunch is some form of a healthy salad with a delish protein either in it or on the side.  I have fruit twice a day, veggies twice a day (sometimes with my lunch and dinner or I vary it).  I have another snack before dinner (can even be a low carb chocolate snake or protein bar), and dinner is similar to lunch, but I make it slightly different and tasty.  And my last snack could be anything, including low-carb ice cream or frozen yogurt.  I enjoy my food.  I pick tasty things, but I steer away from heavy carbs.  This is my life and I am skinny for two years now.

2.  Eat Breakfast.  See number one.  You set off your metabolism and your mood for the whole day with breakfast.  Start the day right.

3.  Enjoy your exercise.  I love going to my Pilates and yoga classes.  I enjoy the elliptical time I do because I use my IPAD and catch up on things.  Some people love meeting a friend and going for a hike or a bike ride.  Some people swim, play racquetball, Zumba, Salsa, belly dance, etc..  Find something you like to do and do it.

4.  Make  Fitness a Priority.  I make my plans every week in my planner on what times my classes are and what times I will go on the elliptical.  If you have a hectic schedule, you must find places in it for exercise.  If you don’t come first and you break down, then all of the things that you do won’t be done anymore because you are too sick to do it.  Trust me, I know what that is like and you don’t want it to happen to you.  Don’t take your health for granted.  You can break it down by NOT maintaining your machine (body).

5.  Don’t compare yourself or your body to others.  Everyone is different.  Look at the Williams’ sisters in tennis.  Their bodies are different from many other tennis players.  They are very strong and they are winners, but they are considered larger–but they are fit.  Everyone is different.  Just be the best  YOU that you can be.
best

6.  Find Support.  If your friends, peers, workmates or family try to sabotage your efforts, then find SOMEONE who can support your healthy eating habits and exercise.  Find a running buddy, a healthy lunch buddy, go to Overeaters Anonymous meetings, go to counseling–just don’t stick around people who are jealous of your efforts or just don’t get it!

offering cookies

7.  Learn to say NO!  It is ok to say no.  Someone knows you are on a diet or not, and offers you cookies that they made SPECIAL FOR YOU!  You say, “Thank you, so kind of you, but I am not eating cookies right now.  Please let me give them to someone.”  Your accepting cookies, which will call your name and make you want to eat them is not a good thing and you can’t be afraid to upset someone if it means you going off of your planned meal changes.  You should tell people up front that you can’t have sugar.  Sometimes it is easier to just blame your doctor.  You don’t have to tell people you are changing your diet.  You can just say, “Oh thank you.  My doctor told me that I can’t have sugar right now and it is doctor’s orders.”  It is hard to argue with your doctor.  If you say YOU want to diet, you have to be strong enough for people to argue and say, “One cookie won’t kill you,” “It is ok, you look fine, you can eat a cookie.”  ETC!  SO, sometimes it is easier to say your doctor said so and that is that.  Whatever you have to do, but do it.  Even my own mother used to try to shame me into splitting a desert with her and I would say, “NO!”  And she sulked, but who is being the child?  And interesting enough, she is the one who is pre-diabetic.  So, I have to be in control of my own destiny.  When I go out to restaurants and they want to bring bread to the table, I tell them up front NOT to bring the bread.  I have learned that it is no one’s business what I eat or why.  If someone wants to challenge me, I say, “This is my diet and that is the way it is and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”  Seriously, it is NO one’s business!

Sugar Makes You Fat and Does Other Bad Things To Your Body Too

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Excessive sugar in the diet is not the best idea when it comes to healthy living.  Many people are consuming sugar in higher than moderate amounts.  Worldwide, people we are consuming about 500 excess calories a day, just from sugar–which in turn, can cause you to gain a pound a week.

sugar-silent-killer

Sugar Also Can Do Damage in Other Ways:

1. Sugar can damage your heart
A 2013 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association displayed strong evidence that sugar can actually affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase the risk for heart failure. The findings specifically pinpointed a molecule from sugar (as well as from starch) called glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) that was responsible for the changes in the muscle protein of the heart. These changes could eventually lead to heart failure. Approximately half of the people that are diagnosed with heart failure die within five years.

2. Sugar specifically promotes belly fat
Adolescent obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years and childhood obesity rates have doubled. . One factor that seems to inflict obese children is fat accumulation in the trunk area of the body. Why? One cause may be the increase in fructose-laden beverages– — setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk for heart disease and diabetes.

sugar-deserves-a-societal-intervention

3. Sugar is the true silent killer
Move over salt and hypertension, you’ve got competition. Sugar, as it turns out, is just as much of a silent killer.  A 2008 study found that excess fructose consumption was linked to an increase in a condition called leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that tells you when you’ve had enough food. The problem is, we often ignore the signal our brain sends to us. For some people though, leptin simply does not want to work, leaving the person with no signal whatsoever that the body has enough food to function. This in turn can lead to over consumption of food and consequently, obesity. And this is a silent killer because it all happens without symptoms or warning bells. If you’ve gained weight in the past year and can’t quite figure out why, perhaps you should look at how much fructose you’re feeding your body.

4. Sugar may be linked to cancer production and may effect cancer survival 
In the world of nutrition, it’s hard to talk about sugar without talking about insulin. That’s because insulin is sugar’s little chaperone to the cells, and when too much of it is consumed, or our insulin does not work (probably because we’re eating too much sugar) and the body revolts. One connection that has been well documented in the literature is the link betweeninsulin resistance and cancer . A 2013 study found that sugars in the intestine triggered the formation of a hormone called GIP (controlled by a protein called β-catenin that is completely dependant on sugar levels), that in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that β-catenin may in fact affect the cells susceptibility to cancer formation.

5. Your sugar “addiction” may be genetic
If you’ve ever said, “I’m completely addicted to sugar,” you may actually be correct. A recent study of 579 individuals showed that those who had genetic changes in a hormone called ghrelin consumed more sugar (and alcohol) than those that had no gene variation. Ghrelin is a hormone that tells the brain you’re hungry. Researchers think that the genetic components that effect your ghrelin release may have a lot to do with whether or not you seek to enhance a neurological reward system through your sweet tooth. Findings with this study were similar to study conducted in 2012 as well.

6. Sugar and alcohol have similar toxic liver effects on the body
A 2012 paper in the journal Nature, brought forth the idea that limitations and warnings should be placed on sugar similar to warnings we see on alcohol. The authors showed evidence that fructose and glucose in excess can have a toxic effect on the liver as the metabolism of ethanol — the alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages had similarities to the metabolic pathways that fructose took. Further, sugar increased the risk for several of the same chronic conditions that alcohol was responsible for. Finally, if you think that your slim stature keeps you immune from fructose causing liver damage, think again. A 2013study found that liver damage could occur even without excess calories or weight gain.

7. Sugar may sap your brain power
Sugar may have accelerated the aging process. A 2009 study found a positive relationship between glucose consumption and the aging of our cells.  Aging of the cells consequently can be the cause of something as simple as wrinkles to something as dire as chronic disease. But there is other alarming evidence that sugar may affect the aging of your brain as well.  A 2012 study found that excess sugar consumption was linked to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive health.

8. Sugar hides in many everyday “non-sugar” foods
While many of my patients strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits (candy, cookies, cake, etc.), they often are duped when they discover some of their favorite foods also contain lots of sugar. Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinates, crackers and even bread.

9. An overload of sugar (specifically in beverages) may shorten your life
A 2013 study estimated that 180,000 deaths worldwide may be attributed to sweetened beverage consumption. The United States alone accounted for 25,000 deaths in 2010. The authors summarize that deaths occurred due to the association with sugar-sweetened beverages and chronic disease risk such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

10. Sugar is making us fat
The lack of other nutrients in sugar actually makes it much easier to eat gobs of it with no physical effects to warn us of the danger that lurks. Sugar will give you the calories, but not the feeling that you’ve had enough. That’s why you can have an entire king-size bag of licorice (with its sky high glycemic index) at the movies and come out afterwards ready to go for dinner.

Answer:  You have to cut down on the sugary snacks, beverages and foods (Honey Nut Cheerios) and you need to start eating more foods that focus on  better nutrients.  Foods rich in fiber, fat and protein  all have been associated with increased fullness.

Eat meat, fish, cheese, low-fat Greek Yogurt, vegetables, salad, and in moderation–beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and fruits.

7 Ways to Help Food Cravings On a Diet

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I had a lady tell me recently that she wanted to lose weight, but was not willing to make the kind of changes necessary to her diet because it is “too hard” to give up foods that she craves.

I have written about how certain foods have been created by companies, after their own scientists have experimented on combinations of sugar, salt and fat, to the point of what causes pleasure to the brain–therefore causing the brain to crave those food items later when the pleasure is needed. People want to increase those pleasurable points especially in times of stress or boredom. But, how different is this kind of need to any other common addiction?
And if you don’t care about yourself, think about your kids. If continue eating this way, and teaching your children to eat this way, you are preparing them for a possible life of disease and early death.

Yes, it is hard to get through the first week or two (stage one) of a lifestyle food change (diet) because you are fighting off physiological and psychological cravings. So, besides taking an appetite suppressant temporarily until your boys is used to the correctly sized portions and the correct healthy foods.

–-7 ways to help deal with cravings.

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1. Hunger can make you crave food, so eat every 3 to 4 hours

If you go longer than five hours without food, your blood sugar will drop and your cravings will begin, You need to eat every 3 to 4 hours. If it’s time for an allowed snack, choose food low in calories and fat.

2. Eat protein in every meal to fend off cravings.

You should include some source of lean protein, such as skinless chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, or low-fat cheese. Protein helps to control blood sugar patterns and can help prevent food cravings, Foods containing protein also help you feel fuller by stimulating production of cholecystokinin (CKK), a naturally occurring appetite suppressant.

**AND most IMPORTANTLY–always eat breakfast protein. Research shows that starting your day off with breakfast helps in burning fat and in cutting down cravings.

3. Drink your liquids.

Dehydration can cause some people to crave salty foods. The solution is simple: Drink more water. An 8-ounce glass of refreshing water can help you feel full and get your mind off your food cravings of the moment. In fact, what you think are food cravings may actually be thirst. Drink water and the food cravings should go away. Keep a water bottle handy throughout the day to make it easy to satisfy your fluid needs.

4. Keep busy.

When the craving is psychological, it is meeting a need different from hunger. Hunger caused by boredom, anxiety, or other emotions is by finding an activity that will take your mind off your craving without adding calories. Call a friend. Exercise. Tune into a ballgame. Listen to music. Read a mystery. Watch a movie. Find something to do.

5. Finding something you enjoy doing

Another way to beat food cravings when they are psychological is to replace eating with an activity you find pleasurable and emotionally satisfying, Do something you really enjoy that doesn’t involve an intake of calories: Take a bubble bath, read a fun magazine, do your nails, go have coffee with a friend.. Or look for options that burn calories, like taking a long walk with a special someone. It’s a way of being kind to yourself without sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.

6. Eat less refined foods and corn syrup and DO eat MORE FIBER

Research suggests that some people can become addicted to refined foods, such as white bread, white pasta, and white sugar. The more you eat, the more you want. Break the cycle. Eliminate refined foods from your diet and you could curb your food cravings. Go the extra step and refine your diet by replacing the refined foods with whole grains and fiber— eat more nuts, beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole-wheat foods. Remember that fiber makes you fuller and is great for your digestion.

**Fiber fill you up, makes you feel less hungry!

And when you’re scaling back on refined sugars, be sure to target high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is used as a sweetener in many foods, from bread to frozen dinners, because it’s inexpensive and increases shelf life. New research shows that high fructose corn syrup can be a trigger food in animals — having even a tiny amount will make them want more. Scientists are studying whether HFCS may have the same effect in humans.

7. Find healthy great-tasting alternatives

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I have put up Jorge Cruz’ recipe for a small microwaved-made chocolate cake, which is low carb and delish. I have discussed cauliflower-based pizza, low carb tortillas and recipes using them. I have listed sites like Netrition.com, Carbessentials.net and Lindora.com, for example, which have food items for low carb cooking and baking. There are great tasting low carb alternatives for bagels (Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 bagel), low carb baking mixes, pancake mixes, pasta. I have put up different recipes and even mentioned low carb websites and cook/baking books.

I have discussed portion control and how you have to eat often and especially breakfast. I have discussed the importance of measuring g food and learning shortcuts for measurement (a portion of meat is the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards). I have also mentioned 4 small servings of veggies a day, two of fruit, which fruits are lower carb than others, etc.

If you insist on eating easy-to-buy and pre-made food items or fast food, (which are NOT diet friendly), despite your desire to lose weight or constant complaints about how you look or how tight your clothes look on you (and you think a little exercise is the only thing that will help–but for years now–it has not), then you are not going to lose weight.

You have to be willing to learn about new foods, look up carb counts, get out of your chair and stop being lazy. There are good alternatives out there, so get cracking at looking things up on Google and finally be skinny. Either use the tools or forever hold your peace. Find the time–you are worth it.

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I Was On Vacation, But I Experimented With Wheat and Made a Discovery…

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Sorry for my absence, Skinny-Rules readers.  I took a week off for my first vacation in years.  In fact, it was my first vacation since I lost weight and my bathing suits (which are customized to my old body) looked ridiculous on me.  I wore them and went to Arizona, hoping that the lady who made them would be there (Customized Swimsuits in Scottsdale), and sure enough–she was on vacation the SAME week as me.  So, I still never got measured for a new suit.  I am bummed.  Off the shelf ones just don’t do it for me because I like a suit to fit a certain way and the suits now just don’t do it for me.  I may have to go back soon to get this done!

However, it was nice to look decent in a suit for a change!

So, how did I manage my DIET LIFESTYLE on vacation for 6 days in a place that has the best Italian restaurant!?  I gave up wheat as a choice to limit carbohydrates and because I felt that wheat was causing me stomach bloat and big fat wheat belly.  So, I decided to experiment in Scottsdale a little bit.

1.  I exercised every day!  (One hour of elliptical and about 20 minutes of weights and Pilates)

2.  We utilized the room’s fridge, and I went to the local Trader Joes and stocked up on:

Lite String Cheese

small bags of almonds

Peanut Butter Power Crunch bars

strawberries

Lite Greek Yogurt

almond butter

turkey slices

diet soft drinks and water

3.  We ate breakfast at the Hotel Spa (breakfast package) and twice at local breakfast places.  I completely recommend eating at the Breakfast Club in Scottsdale.  So fun, nice and the food is amazing.

At breakfast:  I had veggies, eggs, bacon, sometimes a little bit of fruit with GOBS of coffee, where I discovered the French Press (will blog about that soon).

4.  Drank water all day long out in the sun, and brought snacks up to the pool and kept some in my locker.  At snack times, we ate things like the almonds, the protein bars, or I brought with us strawberries and yogurt.

5.  For lunch, we went out for a salad in the fridge from the night before, and put some turkey slices and/or cheese in the salad.  Again, had one of our snacks later too and then went out to dinner.

6. For dinner, we went to my favorite Italian place, Oreganos.  I couldn’t resist.  I had not had regular pasta (except the low carb kind) in almost two years.  I love this restaurant and their salads are great too.  So, we shared a large salad and we either split a small pizza with veggies on it or a Garlic Chicken Lasagna.  I did not eat the delicious looking garlic toast that came with it.  I would not be surprised to find out that the half of a small pizza or half of the lasagna was minimally about 50g of carbs for me.  I was careful the rest of the day and I did exercise my face off earlier, but I just knew that I was flirting with either putting on a pound or two on this trip or leaving about the same…but I took the chance and did it three days in a row.  I even had a Carbolite-type desert as a sixth protein some days and on my last night, our meal was a salad with chicken and then we had the Pizzookie, which is a large melted chocolate chip cookie in a deep dish pizza pan, with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips on top.  It is decadent and I had not had one in 7 years.

I did enjoy my slight intentional derailment, although I tried to manage it with exercise and eating right the rest of the entire day and drinking tons of water and coffee.  But, I do think that I was right about how bad sugar and wheat is for my body (and everyone’s).  I went into this trip with a flat belly.  I do Pilates 4 days a week, I do yoga two times a week and I am on the elliptical around 4-5 hours a week.  My BMI is 20, so this is what my belly looked like by night 3 (and I only gained one pound on this trip and lost it as soon as I cleansed the day after I got home)…..

this is what my belly swelled to and took 24 hours or more to go down, until it got wheat again….

wheatbelly-001

 

this was what I looked like before I digested wheat products!

irishforday

I am happy to say that I look more like picture number two now, but mostly because it was a temporary eating thing….but this is exactly why I am now staying away from wheat products until maybe I go to Arizona, once in a blue moon.  If it makes my bowels distend like that, what else is it doing to my body?  (Number two became very irregular, and that also was painful).

So, I am back to my new normal of 6 proteins a day, two salads a day, two servings of fruits a day, four servings of veggies a day.  My body is thanking me and I have more energy too and the weight is stabilizing.

 

My Advice to Someone Stuck in Non Weight Loss

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 Someone I know called me wanting to know how to lose the weight, that the Lindora plan (low carb plan was not working for her).  Here is what I wrote to her:

 

You have to be disciplined. I never eat wheat products anymore, except for exceptions that I will name in a few paragraphs.

This is not a diet, it is a lifestyle of being healthy and eating the right way.  The wrong way got us fat.  We have to retrain our brains.  Sugar is highly addictive and we are addicts.  We have to get through it by recognizing i.

not on a diet

I NEVER do rice or cereal or oatmeal. Never any potatoes. Not worth it. No yams or sweet potatoes either, I gain from it.  Too many carbs, not worth it. And definitely no pasta. If I eat Italian– meat. veggies and salad only. There are delish recipes for cauliflower based pizzas and zucchini slices instead of pasta noodle lasagna on the Internet. I have experimented and love both. The pizza is delish. You could go out for pizza that is regular once in a while, but you can only eat half of a small and it has to be gluten-free with lite cheese–but only here and there.

No booze. Bad for a diet. When you lost weight, a mixed cocktail once in a while, but it is what you do for skinniness. The body does not burn fat when you have alcohol in you.  I do not drink.

I have turned down onion rings, fries, fresh brownies, canolis and you can have a bite once in a while, but I don’t recommend cheating because it is a slippery slope. No chips either. Every tortilla chip, only ONE chip is a gram of carbs. Not worth it. I would rather have a protein bar than eat only 9 chips and eat the same amount of carbs, but way less protein. If it isn’t high in protein, I don’t bother.

Coffee, kills the need to eat.  Water, etc. multi vit’s and potassium.

Example of what I do:

Eat about every 3-4 hours!
Breakfast.
I have either a hard-boiled egg or over-well egg with feta for breakfast. I sometimes add a chicken sausage. No carbs. If you go out, you have an egg or two, no toast. I ask for grilled tomatoes and grapefruit or a small cup of fruit. Once or twice a week, I will eat the Lindora oatmeal or pancakes because they are low-carb. You have to use lite syrup and start looking at labels on everything!  Regular syrup is 50 g of carbs for two tablespoons, yet sugar-free  Maple Grove Farms and Cary’s ..from Ralph’s. and other stores (you would have to look at labels) has about 10 to 12g per quarter cup. See the huge difference?

Before lunch.

Protein snack. Protein bar. Best one around is at Target and  Costco. Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bar or at Power Crunch bars at Smart and Final and Trader Joes and even online at vitacost.com   These are only about 9g net carb per bar and about 10g protein. More protein, less carb. Vitacost has Power Crunch bars that are made with Belgium chocolate too. Very low carb and decadent tasting.  Kind makes some decent bars, but I prefer the others I mentioned.

Lunch

Always a salad with added chicken, turkey or any lean protein, even at a burger joint near me,  the Counter,I have their smallest 1/3 lb burger in a salad bowl. No carbs in the burger and you watch what you put in the bowl. No fries. Ever. I go to a salad cafe a lot and I told them I wanted a cup of lettuce and two small veggies. So usually half a cup of tomatoes and 1/4 cup carrots. Carrots are the only root vegetable I touch (carbs) and rule of thumb, half of the amount of regular veggies.

Snack a few hours later after lunch

Any of the proteins, Protein bar, Dannon Greek Lite and Fit at 8g of carbs per cup and I put a cup of cut up strawberries in it. Eggs, low-fat cheese slices or baby bells or string cheese, a small bag of measured out nuts, a protein shake or hot chocolate  by Lindora. Maybe the oatmeal, chicken sausage or low-fat hot dog. Maybe turkey burger. maybe low-fat chocolate pudding. Maybe an In and Out burger wrapped in lettuce, protein style (Carl’s does this too on their $6 burger). I always have protein snacks at work. Keep extra bag of sunflower seeds in my purse for emergencies. Can’t go for 6 hours without a protein hit. Bad for the metabolism.  Lite string cheese or a couple of Lite Baby Bells are good too.

Dinner:

Same at lunch. I can even have split baby back and tri tip combo with john , with a small side salad. Tasty.  Also, Lindora has a low-carb pasta they sell and it is delish. You can get their stuff at Lindora.com and don’t even have to be a member. I use only a little sauce, just like the cauliflower-based pizza.  I make a good turkey meatloaf too and I have that on my blog.

I have rules and recipes on my blog, skinny-rules.com and If you scrolled back to September of last year and look at all of my posts, every rule and all recipes are on there over time.

A few hours after dinner

A protein that is like a dessert. Again any Lindora chocolate product, protein bar, and then I get every day if I can, a carbolite that is only 2g of carbs per ounce. Regular frozen yogurt is between 6g of carbs and  more per ounce.  I eat Carbolite, which has protein, low carb….lost weight with it.  But, some markets like Ralph’s have Smart Carb ice cream, and that is low too.

I research every day. I write my blog a few times a week. I research, read labels, google ingredients on nutrition counter sites and work to learn the carb count and try to keep carbs at about 59 to 70g a day. I research and write about it on the blog.  I cook and put it on the blog.

Wheat products I will do: Western Bagel’s perfect 10 bagel is only 10g net carbs. I never gain on that bagel. I eat it with lite cream cheese or an egg on it.  Also, I make a great turkey or chicken burritos and I put the recipe on my blog.  I use a low-carb tortilla from Costco or Trader Joes at less than 7g of carbs per burrito, BUT a regular burrito shell is about 40g.  The less than 7g  of carb shell tastes good, so why have a regular shell? Also, all of this is brown wheat as fiber. Fiber fills you up. A regular white dough bagel will not fill you up. This is how Gwyneth Paltrow feeds her kids. Low carb only. They are thin.

I go out to eat and i get fish or meat, I get veggies and salad, no rice or potatoes.

Netrition.com and carbessentials.net have things you can buy.  There are some stores in some neighborhoods that are sugar-free or low carb stores.  Look them up on the internet.

If you are not losing weight, then it sounds like you are not following the rules, reading labels, and picking the right food eat. You are likely not prepping for your meals and snacks throughout the day. Even fast food places like Chick Fil A and Jack in the Box and Trader Joes and other markets have salads with just chicken in them. I eat those at times. Even at restaurants, I have ordered a side of eggs with grilled tomatoes and fruit or brisket sandwich, took the bread off, ate half of the meat with mustard and had salad with it. Tasty, but you have to consider portion control.

Please read my blog from front to back and if you still have questions, then let me know. But, I could meet you, tell you all of this and you still won’t lose if you aren’t diligent like I have been. I went to Lindora, followed the rules and I look up info every week and I won’t eat it if I don’t know the carb count.

Don’t let friends or family sabotage you. Anyone trying to get me to eat out of my plan is no friend and I chew them out and refuse to eat with them if they don’t stop.

I like being thin way more than i like food,  and once you give up potatoes and all of those things that convert to sugar, and you get over withdrawal, you won’t want it anymore. I only crave my chocolate and Carbolite. I also crave protein now, not carbs. This takes a few weeks. Drink coffee. Oh, Americanos are ok, no lattes or frappes . Too much sugar and carbs. I carried non-dairy creamer with me wherever I went. No milk in it. I use half and half, from time to time, but only a little.

Prepping and carrying stuff with you or having it at work, home and restaurants is key.

I do elliptical for an hour about 4 times a week and use my iPad at the same time. Makes the time fly. I do yoga 2 times a week and Pilates mat 3 times a week and 1 day a week, reformer. It takes time to build up this kind of routine, but it is easy as you see the weight fall off. I make exercise part of my day schedule and I only miss for illness and special events.  If someone wants to go out for happy hour or dinner, they will have to go after my class or not at all. I will not cancel my one hour class for something so easily remedied.

Put yourself first. More important than shopping, clothes or coffee clotches. What is the point of expensive clothing, if you don’t like how you look in them. When thin, you can wear a burlap sack and look good. That is what keeps me motivated, that and feeling healthy.

AND TAKE YOUR VITAMINS and MINERALS.  Getting B shots from your doctor can help lots too!  Drink  your non-sugary fluids.  You are less likely to just eat mindlessly if you drink liquids and fill up with them.
Read the blog.  I put a lot of work into it to share my success with others.

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Emotional Eating Can Hurt Your Diet or Lifestyle Change

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emo-eating

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts

Sometimes the strongest cravings for food happen when you’re at your weakest point emotionally and you may turn to food for comfort. Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Emotional eating often leads to eating too much, and you most likely will eat too much of the wrong things.  I talked to a woman today who ate jelly beans when she knew she had to do a fasting blood test the next day. There are take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals.

emotional_eating_cycle

The connection between mood, food and weight loss

Emotional eating is eating as a way to push down or soothe out negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness. Things happening to you in life and the hassles of daily life can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating and disrupt your weight-loss efforts. These triggers may include:

  • Unemployment
  • Financial pressure
  • Health problems
  • Relationship conflicts
  • Work stress
  • Fatigue
  • Also, being on diet or change of lifestyle with food and feeling bad about yourself or frustrated at where you are at–physically.

Although some people actually eat less when stressed,  if you’re in emotional distress you may turn to impulsive or binge eating — you may rapidly eat whatever’s convenient, without even enjoying it. In fact, your emotions may become so tied to your eating habits that you automatically or impulsively reach for a treat or a sweat, whenever you’re angry or stressed without stopping to think about what you’re doing. Food also serves as a great distraction. If you’re worried about a test, or some life event, or brooding over a conflict, for instance, you may focus on eating comfort food instead of dealing with the painful situation. Whatever emotions drive you to overeat, the end result is often the same. The emotions return, and you may also now bear the additional burden of guilt about setting back your weight-loss  or health-related goal. This can also lead to an unhealthy cycle — your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up for getting off your weight-loss track, you feel bad, and you overeat again. desserts

Tips to get your weight-loss efforts back on track

You can take steps to control cravings and renew your effort at weight loss. To help stop emotional eating, try these tips:

  • Learn from setbacks. If you have an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience.  So, make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future, focus on the positive changes you’re making in your eating habits, and give yourself credit for making changes that’ll lead to better health.
  • Stress management: If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress management technique, such as yoga, meditation or relaxation.
  • Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago, you’re probably not really hungry. Give the craving a little time to pass.
  • Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between your mood and food.
  • Get support. You’re more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.  Overeaters Anonymous is a good group and it is free.
  • Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you’re not truly hungry, distract yourself. Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your dog or cat, listen to music, read, surf the Internet or call a friend.
  • Take away temptation. Don’t keep supplies of comfort foods in your home if they’re hard for you to resist. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you’re sure that you have your emotions in check.
  • Don’t deprive yourself. When you’re trying to achieve a weight-loss goal, you may limit your calories too much, eat the same foods frequently and banish the treats you enjoy.
  • Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie snack, such as fresh fruit, low-sugar Greek yogurt, vegetables with low-fat dip or unbuttered popcorn. Or try low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.

Realize there are two different cycles:  Healthy and Unhealthy Eating.  First picture here is unhealthy.  Second is healthy.

  • unhealthyeating

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