Tag Archives: lose weight

Do I Do My Chores or Do I Exercise?

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I was faced with a tough decision yesterday.  I had a ton of chores to do and I am under stress to do them.  Do I give up my nightly exercise to do it?  What is one night?

Well, I decided to exercise because I had spent years neglecting myself, which is how I gained weight in the first place.  There will always be something to do, so why neglect myself any more?  I want to stay skinny and you can’t if you let yourself fall back on old bad habits.

You have to prioritize yourself.  You can have a nice car and a nice house.  You can have a nice Chanel bag….but what difference does it make if you look like crap?  Your body and the shape it is in says a lot about a person.  It says a lot about your sense of self-control, a sense of self-love and self-respect.  It is the FIRST thing that people notice about you.  They might never see your car or your house, but they will see YOU.  And how good does a nice expensive outfit look on a flabby person?  Not so good.  I can wear nice selections from Target in my skinny-toned body and they look better than some expensive outfit on a bigger, sloppy, untoned body.

There is weight prejudice out there.  People look at you and make assumptions based on your body.  I used to get asked if I was pregnant all of the time because the wheat products gave me girth and belly fat.  (I gave wheat up!)

If you spend a few extra minutes a day working on your body, it will pay off in dividends.  You will look better, feel better (mentally and physically), be healthier, your shopping for clothes will be easier and more fun, your partner might be happier with your look, you won’t get teased about your weight,  it is easier to get hired (there are studies about this), and you might get more appreciative (and sometimes jealous) looks from others.

And for you selfless types out there….remember this….on the planes, when the oxygen masks are released, what do they tell parents to do?  They say to put on the mask and breathe FIRST and THEN let your child breathe because if you pass out first, your kid has no one to help them.  If you get sick from being out of shape and large, who will be there for your family, friends or children if you fail?  You have to take care of yourself FIRST to be there for the family.  We have a friend who just died because he was so busy caring for his family and work and forgot to take care of himself.  He died at the age of 56 from a heart attack and left behind a widow and a 13-year-old girl.  I don’t want that to happen to me or anyone else.

So, I chose the exercise.  I felt better afterwards and my stress level lowered.  Exercise is great for stress.  It is a vicious cycle, you have stress and don’t feel like exercising, but if you exercised, you would feel less stress.  So, just do it and get that ball rolling.  And after you exercise, if you have time leftover, then do some chores.  You will do them feeling less guilty that you neglected yourself and you will have more energy too, believe it or not.

http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety
Exercise relieves stress

Learn The Right Way to Approach Losing Weight

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Crash, restricted diets don’t work.  Don’t even try them!  Here’s why:

When people let their calorie levels drop too low, their body’s survival mechanism kicks in, lowering their metabolic set point (or basal metabolic rate). When they go off that crash diet and begin to eat normally again, they gain back any weight lost and then the yo-yo dieting begins.

However, the cycle can be reversed with time, consistency, and patience. You have to slowly and patiently shock your metabolism by eating a consistent diet and letting your body time adapt to a new metabolic set point over time.

Losing Weight Rules of Thumb:

1.  Food intake number:  First, set your daily caloric intake at 12 calories per pound of body weight. (For example, my weight is 116; 117 x 12 = 1,392 calories a day.) Then you have to stick to that calorie allowance for at least one to two months, depending on your metabolism. This will allow your body time to readjust your metabolic set point accordingly.

2.  Exercise:  The absolute best way to pump up your metabolism is to EXERCISE. You’ll be burning calories not only during your workout but also up to 48 hours after — all the while increasing lean muscle tissue, which speeds the metabolism over time. Aim for 3-5 hours a week.

When I started with my high protein, low carb diet, I followed the calorific intake and low carb intake and did pilates 2 times a week (eventually 4) , yoga once a week and I tried to get in elliptical work 2-4 times a week.  That is a lot, but it helped burn it off faster.

IT IS ALL ABOUT EFFORT!

effort

Also, once you reach goal, it takes a year of CONSISTENCY of staying on a maintenance schedule of calories and low carb intake to get your body to be fully adjusted to the goal number–with a variance of 5 pounds.  I monitor constantly, and if I am creeping up to the upper 5 limit, I start lowering my intake a bit and exercise more to maintain the right number.  It is consistency and fortitude to stay on a diet.  Crash diets will only screw your metabolism and your weight up.

Barriers to Weight Loss

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Complications can occur when you first try to lose weight and not much is happening. There are barriers to weight loss that cause complications.  But, if you know what they are and prepare for them, you can make it!

barrier

Barrier 1:  Not knowing what diet works for you.

People  need to learn a way of losing that works for them.  I have a client who swears that Weight Watchers works for her, but wasn’t working for her daughter.   reasons that was so was because:

1.  Her daughter was compulsively eating in times of emotional stress.

2.  Her daughter has an extreme sensitivity to sugar and wheat products and needed a Paleo diet.

Instead of being told this by Weight Watchers, the daughter continued to try their diet and felt like a failure.  I stepped in and pushed for the Paleo Diet and sure enough, it helps.  But, now the daughter is having to deal with the emotional issues behind the emotional eating through therapy and Overeaters Anonymous.  So her diet issues were two-fold.  Physical and emotional–mixed in with change of lifestyle choices.

I tried all diets, nothing worked until I went to Lindora and went on a carb-restricted diet.  But, by adding in my own restriction of wheat products, I managed to lose it all and keep it off for a year now.

You have to keep trying and not give up.  I will tell you though that if you followed the diet that I write about all of the time, you will lose, pretty much no matter who you are, unless you have the emotional barriers in the way.  I will write on that soon.

Keep motivated and re-read my blogs on the rules.  Here is a quick tip link.  https://skinny-rules.com/2013/02/02/eat-lunch-lose-weight-2/

Barrier 2:  You Need Some Basic and Easy Food to Prepare:

It is important to find recipes that work for you.  You need to not be lazy and prepare meals.  I always go shopping once a week minimally and have the ingredients to make easy quick meals.  If you don’t shop ahead of time, you are more likely to eat out, pick up junk food or eat something bad at home.  The lack of preparation is the number one killer of a diet.  I cook some things on Sunday night to prepare.

Barrier 3:  You Need a Weekly Basic Shopping List:

SHOPPING LIST:

shopping_list-07

1.  Salad mix and delish salad dressing that is low in carbs.

2.  Chicken–bagged and one whole organic bird to cook in the oven.  So easy.  Throw into a pan of water quarter of the way up, salt the outside with kosher salt, stick a sprig of rosemary inside and cook for 1. 20 hours at 450,  How hard is that?  It is delicious and smells so good.

3.  Cheese–shredded, Baby Bell, string and slices

4.  Cauliflower for my cauliflower-based pizza (basil for flavor) and veggies

5.  Turkey burgers (I pan fry with seasoning–buy some.  Emeril makes a good one.  Garlic salt is good too.

6.  Turkey slices.  Get the better thick good stuff and not the cheap nasty sandwich meat.

7. Ground turkey meat to make meatloaf

8.  Shiritaki noodles and spaghettis sauce http://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Shirataki-Noodles-Angel-Shape/dp/B003H26J5I/ref=sr_1_6?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1359834639&sr=1-6&keywords=noodle+shirataki

9.  Pizza sauce

10.  Eggs (to cook and to have hard-boiled)

11.  Low carb bread or the Perfect 10 bagel from Western Bagel (for something different now and then)

12.   Low carb tortillas and enchilada sauce–plus taco seasoning.   Cheese and turkey is already on the list.  Pan fry it all inside of the tortilla.  Great food for under 10g of carbs.

13.   Low Carb Greek Yogurt like Dannon Light and Fit and some fruit like strawberries to make yourself a yummy dessert.

14.  Low Carb Ice Cream for an immediate dessert satisfaction need.

Barrier 4:  Being a Lazy Butt and Not Preparing Your Food Choices the Night or Days Before:

You don’t prep, you might eat crap.  If you really want to lose the weight, then you have to do this, otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Don’t procrastinate.  I buy my stuff at Trader Joes and I am not there for longer than 20 minutes.

Do it for yourself and do it to teach your loved ones how to eat right and how to stay motivated and follow up on something important like your HEALTH!  You are more likely to eat the foods if that is all you are buying and you make them because they are all very tasty.

Every weekend, go to the market with your list.

Barrier 5:  Not moving and not exercising.

MOVE YOUR BODY.  Take the stairs, walk a block if you have to, but MOVE.  Excuses that you are tired are excuses.  I have Fibromyalgia, work out and eat carefully and sometimes I am pooped and I still go to Pilates class.  If you can’t during the week, then do SOMETHING before you join the family for the day and move!  Go for a hike, walk, do some exercise from a TV show.  Move 3 times a week, if you can.

Barrier 6:  TV with food and not liquid–mindlessly eating while watching TV instead of eating with purpose.

tveating

Eating in front of the TV, you might mindlessly eat.  Try eating with your family and talk.  Eat to eat, not to numb out.  Pay attention to what you are mindlessly eating and why you are doing it. Have fluids and keep drinking them instead of keep eating.

Buy some jars of things you like or put the right measured amount of something in a cup and only eat that.  I know people who eat peanut butter or other things like sauces from the jar–spoon after spoon, mindlessly, without counting the spoons.  If you are to have two tablespoons of peanut butter, then you need to COUNT.  Or you can buy the foods in small packs like what kids get in their lunch bags.  People who buy the big bag of chips (I never recommend chips), and not the small controllable bags are asking for a weight problem.  I have even seen little kids eat an entire large bag of Doritos because it was there to eat!

I buy a large thing of nuts from Costco and it would be so easy to mindlessly eat those all day long, but I pay attention the number of pieces I take and I only allow myself a certain amount in a day.  So, you have to pay attention.

Try all of these ideas for success!

BLOGGERS NOTE:  I am a hugely busy person.  I take care of a large house by myself, even the outside.  I have three needy dogs and one has diabetes, a busy therapy practice and I even clean my own office–and if I can find time to exercise 5 days a week, shop and prep my diet and still write this blog–and still get enough sleep…then what is your excuse if you can’t do any of this??

Eat Lunch, Lose Weight

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out_to_lunch

Of course the nutritional and calorie content of meals clearly affects weight loss, but a new study shows that the timing of meals may also play an important role in weight loss.  In a study of a Mediterranean population, those eating lunch later in the day were more likely to be successful in losing weight.

 

Eating a good breakfast and not skipping it and eating a lunch before 3pm was key to losing more weight and maintaining a balanced metabolism.  Timing on lunch was the only meal that really made a difference on weight loss.

 

So, eat your lunch at lunchtime.  NO skipping lunch!

 

Here is the article about why lunch is key to weight loss!

 

http://www.elements4health.com/what-and-when-you-eat-affects-weight-loss.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+elements4health%2FmTrh+%28Elements4Health+%29

 

10 Rules So You Can Lose About 10 pounds a Month.

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If you look at my blogs, especially the ones that I wrote in Sept, 2012 , you will read a lot about the rules in what to do in order to lose weight. I lost 40 pounds in 4 months with these basic rules.  But, some people are new and need to know the rules and some people might have forgotten or need a refresher.  So…..

rulessign

To recap what some of the rules are:

1. You have to eat 6 small protein based meals a day, about 4 hours apart.  Basically, 3 meals a day, 3 snacks a day, but all protein-based.  Meats are about 4-6 ounces per serving.

2. It is easy to find low carbs proteins in eggs, all types of meat, protein bars, protein shakes, nuts, seeds, cheese, low carb dairy treats, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.

3. You should only have between 50g and 100g carbohydrates a day.  So, as far as measurements go, look at labels.  If something is more than 15g of carbs per serving, then that might be too much.  You need to average out about 10g of carbs per serving and if you are eating something that is more than that, then you need to take it away from something else during the day. Do not do less than 50g of carbs a day.

4.  Buy a carbohydrate guide or use the internet and look online to see what amount of carbohydrates are in certain things. After while you will just remember things like that there is only 1 g of carbs in an egg.

5.  Take Potassium Gluconate 19g mg twice a day or  99mg, two orally twice a day.

6.  Fruit, twice a day.  About half a cup on most fruits, 1/2 a banana (high in carbs), a medium orange, etc.

7.  Vegetables, twice a day.  About a cup on most vegetables, except for items like carrots (starches).  Avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes.

8.  A cup of lettuce each time, twice a day.  And low-carb salad dressing.

9.  80 ounces of water or sugar-free drinks a day.

10.  Get in some form of exercise at least 3 times per week.

Can Vegans and Vegetarians Stay Skinny?

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It is easy to do a low-carb diet if you eat meat, but not so much if you are a vegetarian, and especially a vegan (no milk or eggs)–especially if you want to stay skinny.

So, if you want to be a non-meat eater, there are things you can eat that are high in protein and you NEED protein to maintain energy and keep your metabolism balanced–and still stay skinny.

You can eat certain berries, vegetables leafs that contain protein.  It  is your job to research online about how much protein you are getting.  I meet so many non-meat eaters who just eat whatever and never consider what they are eating and if it is enough to satisfy their body’s requirements.  You have to do some extra work if you decide to eat no dairy, eggs or meat.

proteinplants

Keep in mind that you can eat beans and nuts too, but they are higher in carbs, so be careful and keep a check on how many carbs you are getting in a day.  You can’t just eat Beans and Nuts and lose weight.  You will have to eat a lot of grasses, lettuce, kale, etc.  And avocado is great, but high in carbs, so monitor yourself.

Spinach, for example, varies on the variety and if it is fresh or canned.  Some can be 1g of protein per cup and some can be 7g of protein.  Being a vegetarian requires homework!

Pasta has little protein, so don’t think you can be a vegan and eat pasta all day and stay thin.  It ain’t gonna happen!  You have to eat a lot of low carb vegetables and you can have fruit, but not a lot!  And watch Jamba Juice type smoothies.  LOADED in carbs.  Fruit, sherbet, milk–carbs!  You want fruit, eat one!  It is better for you, lighter in carbs and takes longer and lets you get satiated so you don’t eat a lot.  Have you ever eaten an apple and thought, “I want another!”  No!  But, you could drink 6 apples in a smoothie, no problem!!

So, be careful non-meat eaters!

EAT PIZZA, LOSE WEIGHT

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Pizza!

Yes, it is delish and you don’t want to miss out on eating it on a diet.  There are ways to eat pizza and stay skinny.  You have two choices:

1.  Exercise like crazy before and after you eat it.

2.  Be careful about your choices, where you buy it and how much you eat.

I exercise, but I will not exercise like a madwoman over pizza…so I am careful.

First thing you have to know, is WHAT ARE YOU EATING?

A slice of Costco Pizza is one of the worst.  70g of carbs.  Domino’s Thin Crust Cheese Only Pizza from a medium pizza is one of the best at 15g of carbs.

So, where you get your pizza from is important.  If you go to a ma and pa neighborhood pizza joint and eat pizza, you might not know what the contents are in that slice.

Remember, wheat is involved, so you have to be careful.  This should be a treat, not a regular food choice.

Second thing is that you find places you want to go to and ask for info on their nutritional content if you can’t find it or get it easily. I found a place nearby called Pizza Rev.  They have gluten-free pizza (which is getting more popular). I contacted the company because they don’t have their nutritional content available yet.  The company said that their gluten-free standard personal cheese pizza is 40g of carbs.  So, if I eat half of that and some salad, I am doing great.  So, I have been there now 4 times and I haven’t gained weight, in fact, I worked it in with my 50 to 100g of carbs a day and I actually went down a few ounces.  I only add certain veggies and meats, which are low in carbs.

Here is a site where they give a lot of the carb and calorie content:  http://www.calorieking.com/calories-in-pizza.html  So do your HW before you eat.  Losing weight and staying skinny is about not being lazy about food choices.

Here is an example of something that could fool someone.  California Pizza Kitchen.  The thin-crust Margherita pizza.  You would expect it to be low (not gluten-free).  The entire little pizza is 1038 calories, 98g of carbs.  Even if you only ate half–that is 519 calories and 48g of carbs all in one go.  You will not lose weight, you might even gain that day depending on what you eat the rest of the day.

Subway has a 6 inch pizza (who knew?).  It is 680 calories and 96g of carbs in that little pizza.    But, here, for the kids at Olive Garden, the Kid’s Pizza.  Should be light and not that bad, right?  No– it is 420 calories and 64g of whopping carbs for the kiddies.  No wonder why America is getting so large.  ONE slice at Chuck E Cheese is 169 calories and 24g of carbs.  That isn’t bad, but what kid only eats ONE slice?  How lean is a Lean Pocket pizza?  41g of carbs for the whole pizza sandwich.

So, you can eat out, but be careful where and what you eat.

And if you eat at home, you can make your own.  It isn’t hard and fairly easy. I have a recipe that I have used to make a pizza with Cauliflower crust.  It is really good.  http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/08/the-astonishing-cauliflower-pizza-crust-you-have-to-taste-it-to-believe-it.html

Here is one that is easier pizza crust and I want to try and will follow up on it soon.  http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/thinandcrispy_pizza.html

Below was my caulfilower-based home-made Margherita pizza and salad that I shared with my husband.  Less than 5g of carbs per half of that 9 inch pizza.  Totally delish and low carb.  The base was delish and didn’t miss the pizza crust.  But, if you have to have pizza crust–go online and type in low carb pizza crust and up pop a lot of sites that sell them online.  Even try Amazon.com–they sell everything.

pizzanight

Want to lose weight? DRINK WATER!

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Easy diet tip!  DRINK ENOUGH WATER everyday!

Water is an important part of all body functions and processes, including digestion and elimination. When you’re on a diet and in maintenance,  water also acts as a weight loss aid because it can help you eat less.   Drinking water also helps flush wastes from the body, which is especially important during times of fat metabolism and weight loss.”

Water can boost your diet.

A general recommendation is to drink eight 8-ounce cups of water per day, for a total of 64 ounces. But, actual fluid needs are affected by diet, physical activity, body composition, and climate.”Recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board are for women to get 91 ounces per day and men 125 ounces from all sources — water, other beverages, and foods with a high water content. This number goes up if you exercise, which is a key to successful weight loss — and even more so in hot weather.  You’ll want to drink water before, during, and after every workout.

Don’t wait to feel thirsty to start sipping — that’s a sign that dehydration has already started to occur. You want to drink water throughout the day, on a regular basis.  Also, sometimes when you are hungry, your body is actually thirsty.  So, people eat more food without realizing that they are in need of water–thereby eating more unnecessary calories.

Water: Four Tips for Getting Your Fill

Here are some easy tricks for getting enough water while dieting:

Track Your Water:  “A water tracker is merely a device which helps you keep track of how much water you drink.Such trackers are available online or can be easily replicated.  http://www.diyplanner.com/node/4497

Add water throughout your day.   Some carry a 64-ounce container of water and drink throughout the day, with the goal of drinking all the water before they go to bed. Those who spend time away from home may take a portable container with the amount of ounces known,  knowing that they need to fill and drink it four times throughout the day.  Some people make sure they drink with every activity they do, including walking the dogs.

Get water through food. “Fruits and vegetables can provide fluid to the diet  .Melons and citrus fruits also have a very high water content.  Like water, clear soups and broths help dieters feel full for very few calories, contributing to weight loss. However, beware of creamy soups.   Skim milk, and low-fat and no-added sugar yogurts and puddings also help hydration and nutrition without excessive calories, but keep in mind the calorie content and the carb content.

Flavor your water glass. Many people find that adding low- or non-caloric flavorings to water, such as a wedge of fruit or the flavored low sugar drops like Mio , helps satisfy their appetite cravings.  (I also like sparkling water)

waterx-large

If you want your diet to work, you need to drink plenty of water.  Water can fill you up, decrease your appetite, and help your body get rid of waste from that fat you’re burning.  It is free and it is good for you.  So, drink your water!  And for those who need caffeine, go ahead and have your diet-soda, your Splenda-flavored coffee or tea, but you still need to drink your water.