Want to Lose Weight? Eat a Salad Twice a day, but don’t put these 10 things in it!

A salad with two cups of lettuce and a half cup of two vegetables each in your salad, with 4 ounces of a protein in it is great for losing weight. Eat this twice a day.  But, you will not lose weight if you sabotage it with high-carb items, which can :

1.  Croutons

2. Tortilla strips

3.  A starchy vegetable like corn or peas

4.  Pasta

5:  Sun-dried tomatoes (eat fresh ones)

6.  Candied nuts

7.  High-carb salad dressing

8.  Barbeque sauce (high in sugar)

9. Don’t eat it with bread

10.  Rice or beans (a few beans are ok, but high in carbs, so watch it).

 

A good salad can also be delicious and filling.  Eat healthy and you will enjoy it!

grilled-chicken-salad

Protein bars to go Nuts Over

Bethenny Frankel has done it again.  She has made a new SkinnyGirl product that is worthy of notice!  I found two types of protein bars of hers in Target.  I bought both boxes.  $6 got 5 bars per box.  A fair price for protein bars.  Both types are 23g of carbs and about 5g of fiber (net carbs is 18g) and has about 5 or 6g of protein.

I have not had the Banana Oatmeal Chocolate bar yet, but today, I sampled the Peanut butter, chocolate and salt bar and it had a bit more sugar in it, but OMG.  It was SO good! And I just had the banana one. So good too. These are keepers. Even my husband likes them!

The salt really plays tricks with your tongue and makes it so YUMMY!  It was more like a desert, than a protein bar.  It is also Kosher and gluten free!  I hope Target keeps carrying it!  Beautiful design, nice packaging, tastesskinnycount great and is priced right.

skinnyinside

skinnyfront

 

Skinny Break

I took a break to deal with Skinny-Rules to deal with a close relative.  She called me scared because she is pre-diabetic and almost diabetic, after many warnings.

The issue is that she lives to eat and she has hardly moved her body since I have known her.  She eats whatever she wants and gives to thought to looking at labels and doesn’t really even know what to look for.  She eats what she likes and it hasn’t helped her health.

I had weight problems as a kid with this as a learned eating style in my family.  And if anyone with bad eating habits doesn’t change their ways, they will affect others too-like their children.

As a kid, my mother tried to give us vegetables, but they were all starches–peas, carrots, corn and potatoes.  Her meat was really fatty or processed, lots of white pasta, sauces, bread, sandwiches, Hawaiian rolls, fried chicken, pizza dripping in oil, Hostess items, Ritz crackers, movie popcorn, iceberg lettuce and thousand island dressing, pies, bundt cake, etc.  She knew little about nutrition and didn’t really care.

The weight issue was always with me, minus when I was in college and ate salads a lot…but as soon as I was around home more, I gained it back.

I learned the rules and weight fell off, but my relative’s bad eating habits  continued.  And yes, your choices affect your health, as well as your body.  My thyroid kicked out and I got Fibromyalgia and gained weight.  My relative has ended up with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood glucose.  I could have ended up like her and worse–and she is still in danger of a stroke at 60 pounds too heavy.

So, I have supplied her with the tools.

The rest is now up to her.  She is stubborn and she might die soon because of it…or suffer horrible complications from diabetes.  This is happening because she is addicted to sugar.  I wish she had more fortitude to fight it.  I understand it because I was addicted too.

You have to go out of your way to find low sugar replacements and cut out sugar for weeks before it gets better.  I hardly ever have a craving anymore for any sugar.  This does happen when you get your brain off of this killer substance.  I am healthier, stronger and I look better than ever.  It can be done. Thank GOD I did it and I continue to share my knowledge with others, in hopes that I will help more than one person!

So, please don’t wait until you are 80-years-old or sick to do it!  Love yourself!  Eat food to live and don’t live to eat.  Exercise.

love-yourself

My Weight Loss Rules That Made Me Skinny and Kept me Skinny, and I EAT!

 rulesfat
So, if you want to lose weight, you have to choose to eat better.  You have to make a difference, makes some sacrifices and make a lifestyle change because you have allowed food addiction to rule you and take over your body.
If you choose to lose, here are my rules.  I am still a size 2 (down from a 10 or 12), two and a half years after I changed my ways, and you can be a lower size too.  You are allowed 50-100 carbs a day.  So, you have to count and you will get used to it.

Basically what I do:  6 meals a day, every two to three hours.  You eat every 3-4 hours because you will get hungry and when you eat, then your metabolism will not slow down and burn off slowly.  Believe it or not, eating this way makes your body BURN!   You might even feel hot. 
1.  I basically have a meat and veg salad two times a day, lunch and dinner
2.  I have two small fruit servings a day
3.  I have  an egg, and try to have it different most days and I might make an omelette and throw a piece of low fat cheese in it.
4.  Spinach helps lower food cravings.
5.  If you are hungry, drink something or have a small protein to tide you over, like low-fat baby bell cheese or some kind of low fat cheese or meat.
6.  I eat three protein snacks a day and I vary it between something from Lindora.com, or a protein bar or shake.
7.  Also, you can have nuts and seeds as a protein.  You are better off with unsalted and you need to measure it out.  For example, a measured cup of mixed nuts can be 30g of carbs.  If you want to lose weight, that is like a third of your day’s carbs. So, have half a cup and a piece of cheese, but you are better off not eating an entire cup.  Sunflower and sunflower seeds has a similar carb count at 28g for a full cup.  (sugar is low, so you that is good)
1.  Breakfast:
PROTEIN NUMBER ONE.  I do an egg.  If it makes you happy, have an egg with some bacon or turkey sausage by Jenny-O.
Have a piece of Fruit.  You are better off with berries or citrus.  So have half a grapefruit or some strawberries.  Go ahead, spray whipped cream on it–no carbs or sugar.
Look at the portion size of fruit in the paperwork.  I do half a banana, but I stick to the lowest in carbs–berries and citrus.  Some fruits like Apples and Bananas are high in carbs/sugar.
2.  Snack:  
 
PROTEIN NUMBER TWO: A protein of your choice.  
PROTEIN CHOICES:  Eggs, cheese, turkey, chicken, sausage, hot dog, etc. You can do a yogurt, but you should try Greek Yogurt, tastes SO much better than regular yogurt and healthier too.  Dannon lite and fit makes a GREEK YOGURT that is really good and low in carbs and sugar.  Get the cherry or raspberry one.  They use beatles for color in their strawberry and blueberry one and that makes me want to puke.  There is low-fat Cottage Cheese too.
Another kind of protein you can do is a protein bar….pick one from the choices and the right size.  Power Crunch bar, the chocolate one and the peanut butter one are two very good flavors. These taste like delicious wafer bars.  There are more at Smart and Final, but these two are the best and Trader Joes prices are slightly better.  The Trader Joe’s protein shakes in a can are really low in carbs (taste better cold).  These are not the thickest shakes, so if you mix in some almond milk, that would be better.
You should try UNSWEETENED vanilla almond milk.  LOW in sugar and carbs and really not bad at all.  Healthier for you and better for a diet.  It is in the refrigerated section near the milk in Trader Joes.
 
3.  Lunch
PROTEIN NUMBER THREE: 
I have a protein, but I throw the protein in a salad and make it a big salad.  You have to have salad twice a day.
There is a choice of two veggies (check portion size) to put in the salad if you want.
2 cups lettuce in that salad.  I just do a good salad and I throw in
You can have a fruit serving.  Check size.
4.  Snack:
PROTEIN NUMBER FOUR:
A protein again.  (see above)
5.  Dinner:
PROTEIN NUMBER FIVE:
just like lunch.  (see lunch)
6.  Snack:  A protein again.
PROTEIN NUMBER SIX:
I do a small Carbolite (now only at a few places like the yogurt store next to Ralphs on Ventura and Topanga and a few out-of-the-way places) or low sugar ice cream like Breyer’s has or Dreyers (usually says no sugar added).  Just a cup of it.  Measure and look at the serving size and carbs on the label.  But, you have to look at how many carbs have added up to pick.  Most proteins have no carbs.  You can have another power crunch bar too.
 
Miscellaneous:
You can drink Splenda type soda, but get in 80 ounces of fluid a day!
Coffee:  Non fat dairy creamer can be used and Splenda type sweetener
Non Fat salad dressing on salad, I use Trader Joe’s Ginger Soy Non fat and it is so good.  Look at labels.  Balsamic vinaigrette is good and low fat Ranch is usually good.
Take Potassium Glutonate and a multi vitamin daily.
 
Consider a multi B vitamin to keep your energy up!  I get two B shots a week and weight often.  You should weigh daily and see how it is going!
You can do a grain or bread instead of a protein, but only 3 times a week and look at the size.  Instead of a protein, for example, you can do a slice of wheat toast.  Oatmeal is only half a cup.  Get bread that is low carb and high fiber.  Dave’s Killer Bread at Pavillions and other places…you can look online.  It is good and high in protein and a lot of fiber.  Ezekiel bread at Trader Joes is one of the best.  But, only two slices a week!!  There are low-carb tortillas available at Trader Joes and Costco.  There is a huge difference between a regular carb tortilla and low-carb tortilla.  One is almost 40 carbs and one is under 10.  Also, Western Bagel has low carb (10g) Perfect 10 bagels.  They are tasty and such a great carb count!  And they have protein too.
Restricted diet!!!    But, it works and if you are eating about every 2-3 hours, you won’t die!

Spinach Curbs Appetite

No wonder the plateau diet wants you to have spinach once a day.  Spinach is an appetite suppressant, who knew?

The article that just came out on it is a medical article.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/reasons-why-you-should-eat-spinach-thylakoids-make-you-feel-more-full-regulate-blood-glucose-271079

According to a Swedish study, researchers have discovered that spinach contains thylakoid, a compound common in other green leaves that slows down food digestion.  When prepared properly, spinach has the potential to be an appetite suppressant, with the effect of making people feel fuller and curbing over-eating.  In addition to lower blood glucose levels, the thylakoids were able to suppress people’s appetites for longer, which could be useful for those who are trying to lose weight while battling constant hunger pangs.

So have it in an omelette, a smoothie or in a salad….but despite kale being a great source of iron, it is spinach that will curb your appetite and allow you to be more successful in a weight loss program.

spinach-smoothies-5911

Here is a recipe for a LOW CARB spinach smoothie.  Most smoothie recipes call for a banana.  Bananas spike blood sugar and are high in sugar and carbs (18g per medium banana).  So, here is an alternative.
1 c. water
1 c. unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or unsweetened almond milk (Trader Joe’s has a great one in the refrigerator section)
1/2 mixed frozen berries (this is what helps give it the smoothie-like consistency and temperature, although I suppose you could leave it out to dip under 10 g. of carbs)
4 cups spinach leaves (or kale, chard, dandelion, mustard greens, etc.) I’ve read its best to switch out your greens each day, so I buy 2-3 at a time. Spinach has the mildest flavor, so you might want to ease into green smoothies with this first.
3 tsp. flax seeds
1 Tb. almond butter

Blend and serve! Should be more than enough to drink and share.  Can replace a meal(out of six), salads and your fruit for the day.  Should be about 17g of carbs if you drink the whole thing!  It is less carbs if it is in a salad.  There is about 1 carb per cup of spinach.

To Bread or Not to Bread

I follow Food Babe’s blog about what healthy foods we should be eating and what are actually just making us sick.

Bread is a big issue for me.  It is loaded with carbs and I don’t do well with gluten or wheat.  However, once or twice a week, I like to have something like a decent piece of bread.  I really like Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 Bagels because one whole bagel is just 10g of net carbs.

But, as far as regular bread.  It turns out a lot of bread has some pretty disgusting ingredients in it, like the stuff that they put in yoga mats.

yogamatbread

http://foodbabe.com/2014/02/24/healthiest-bread-on-the-market/

So, I am turning to Food Babe’s suggestions.  She really like Ezekiel bread.  Good and good for you!  It is available at many places, including Trader Joes.

My husband tried Dave’s Killer Bread, because it is also filled with good organic ingredients.  There are two kinds at his market, Vons Pavillions–the cracked wheat one 21g of carbs, 5g of fiber (making the next carb 16g) and 5g of protein. The sprouted wheat one is at 17g of carbs, 4g of fiber (making the net carb 13g) and 6g of protein.

Look at all of the good things about it!  It is Organic, GMO free, Vegan, 100% whole grain, has a lot of fiber, protein and Omega 3.

http://www.daveskillerbread.com/breads/

Remember, if you want to lose weight, the number of carbs per day should stick to between 50 and 100g a day.  So, if you do have a slice of bread once or twice a week, make sure it is tasty and heatlhy, with low carbs and high protein.  Have it in place of a fruit out of your two fruits for the day.  Use real butter like KerryGold and try to steer clear of GMO and non-organic food, which will only bloat you and confuse your metabolism with toxins.

Kickstart Your Diet! Stop the Sweets and Detox with this Sweet Anti-Inflammatory Drink

Food Babe’s Ginger Berry Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
drink
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
Servs: 1
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons Nutiva hemp protein powder  (you want an organic protein powder and not all are)
  • 2 inch piece of ginger (peeled if not organic)
  • 2 cups of leafy greens (kale, collards, romaine, spinach, chard, etc.)
  • 1 cup of celery
  • 1 cup of mixed frozen berries of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, etc)
  • ½ cup filtered water
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 min or until smooth
  2. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for up to 1 day
Notes
***Please choose all organic ingredients if possible***

Chipotle Diet Plan

My husband told me he is on a mission to lose some weight and buff up!  All right, he has come to the right person!

So, we went to Chipotle and I told him to order differently.  He usually gets a bowl, because he thinks it is healthier than the burrito (the tortilla is about 41g of carbs).  However,even the rice/bean bowl is fattening too–based on what you put in it.

Chipotle is great in that it is organic, fresh and they have a nutritional menu builder, where you can pile on things and watch the calories or carbs grow.

HIS OLD WAY:

So, if he were to have a bowl with chicken, salsa, cheese and beans and rice, that is 53g of carbs, which in my book–is a lot of carbs!  The rice is about 20 plus grams of carbs, and the beans are about the same too.  If you add corn to that, it is another 15g of carbs–making this full bowl about 68g of carbs.  If you are only supposed to have between 50g to 100g of carbs per day to lose/maintain weight–then that is a lot of your count in ONE meal.

chipotle bowlMY WAY:

So, he tried the way I eat at Chipotle.  I had the chicken salad bowl.  Only has lettuce, meat (chicken), a little dressing, sour cream, cheese, salsa–all at 7g of carbs.  

chipotle-chicken-salad_0

He ate it and guess what?  HE LOVED IT!  He said, “Why didn’t you tell me that it was this good?”  He loves it because the lettuce is so fresh and everything tastes so good.  Also, their dressing is zingy!  So, now, that is all he will eat there.  (I did tell him, he just chose not to hear me)

Guacamole is extra, and it is an extra 8g of carbs, but with the fiber in it, net carbs is only about 2g and it is a healthy fat.  So, don’t worry about guacamole, but consider it your one of two fruits for the day.

So, try it this way and save yourself over 50g of carbs and still enjoy your meal!  And skip the chips at 70g of carbs per bag!

http://www.chipotlecaloriecalculator.com/

Treats on a DIET

I talked to a friend today who started her diet again.  I wish her all the best of luck.  

The problem with starting any diet is that it is harder to do if you are surrounded by other people in the house who are eating cookies and other good things.  It is really hard to stay focused because you see the cookie.

It is important to surround yourself with things that you can have daily that will satisfy you, so you won’t feel left out or deprived.

I keep Amberlynne.com chocolate in my house, plus good tasting protein bars like Power Crunch, etc.  I use them as one of my six proteins for the day and they taste good.

Also, find recipes for things that you can make.  My friend made Jorge Cruise’s chocolate cake in a mug.  I have had those, and they are easy and good.

Flour choices:

1.  Coconut Flour.  High in protein and fiber and low in digestible carbs.  Use it to make breaded foods.

2.  Almond Flour.  healthy fats, high in protein and monounsaturated fats.Use it for baking. It adds moistness and a rich nutty taste.

3.  Flaxseed Flour.   Rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.  Use it to make cookies, pancakes, muffins and cakes.

 

Recipe for Chocolate Cake in a Mug

chocolatecakemug


2-Minute Cake With Almond Flour

Ingredients
1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg
2 tbsp half & half

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until the mixture is even and smooth (no lumps).

Pour 1/4 of the mixture into a mug and microwave for 2 minutes.

Refrigerate remaining batter for later! I put whipped cream on mine.

 

So, if you want to be successful on your diet, find these low-carb treat cheats to be successful!

Eat Better Chocolate Choices for Valentine’s Day!

I haven’t blogged in a week. That is an eternity for me. The reason is because I have been readjusting my newer thyroid medication and I have been feeling nauseous and jittery.  I am starting to feel better today.  I am still the same weight and want to get down a few pounds.  I have cranked up the exercise and I am watching my food, but now that my thyroid is working properly again, it will begin to get easier.  I already feel it.

I had to write because tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  It is usually a day for flowers and chocolate.  Let’s talk about chocolate.

Some chocolate products are more high in carbs and sugar, than others.  You can have chocolate, but you have to be careful in your choices.

I prefer trying to stick to protein bars with chocolate, because protein is essential to keep your weight down by filling you up and keeping you from feeling hungry.

My choices of protein bars (and some have fiber, which helps reduce the carb count to net carbs):

Quest

Power Crunch (I get mine cheap at Vitacost.com, but they are at Smart and Final and Trader Joes)

Nature Valley PROTEIN Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Bar (but has GMOs: see them at Target))

Kind bars (some–check carbs, some are too high)

and one that is delish, but not high in protein, but very low net carbs and is available at some markets and online is the Amberlyn BELGIUM chocolate bars, which is no sugar (for diabetics), but so tasty, even my chocolate connoisseur friend, Anne–she LOVES it.  I found them in  roadshow at Costco and I am hooked.  Some low or no sugar chocolate tastes weird or chalky….not this one!

Give those you love some chocolate, but make sure it is not going to ruin their diet.  They can have their chocolate, and eat it too (but check portion sizes and carb counts).

sugar-free-chocolate-bars-banner

http://www.amberlynchocolates.com/