Tag Archives: skinny

Vegetarians Can Do Low-Carb Diets TOO

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A Skinny-Rules reader asked a good question about what to do as a vegetarian!  Thank you for this question!

The Skinny-Rules follows mostly a Paleo diet, but it is basically a high-protein, low carb diet.  So, this can be done as a vegetarian.

protein

Being a vegetarian is a sticky issue with weight loss.   You have to eat veggies that are lower on the carb scale. Here is a site that shows vegetables from lowest to high in the carbs.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatveg.htm

Also, remember that starches that grow underground have a lot of sugar/starch. And stick with vegetables highest in protein, like broccoli and spinach.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vegetables-high-in-protein.php.

Watch soy. It is genetically modified. ALL of it. You can have beans, but watch the carb content.

GREAT SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR VEGETARIANS:

  • A good protein for vegetarian is eggs.  6g of protein per egg and less than 1g of carbs per egg.
  • Another good source is Greek Yogurt at about 18g of protein per 6 oz, lower in carbs.  Also, UNSWEETENED almond milk is low in carbs (less than 1g of carbs per cup, but only 1g of protein…but still lower in carbs than milk.
  • Cheese is a good source of protein (low-fat).  A skinny cheese stick is about 6 grams of protein, and only 1g of carb.
  • Nuts are high in carbs, but also high in protein.  Just count out what you are eating.  For example, a cup of almonds is 20g of carbs, but it is also 20g of protein.  You have to read labels.
  •  Look at almond butter, etc– as well.  2 tablespoons is 6g of carbs and 7g of protein.
  • Low-carb protein shakes and bars, as I have blogged about many times.   Trader Joes and other health food stores carry protein powder to put into shakes.
  • Trader Joes has a low carb, high protein shake that I recommend.  Vanilla or Chocolate with a whopping 35g of protein and only 4g of carbs.  This is a GREAT way to get in your needed protein.

pure-protein-shake

Everyone is different in their protein needs.  For someone my size, I need about 43-97g of protein per day.  You can calculate your own needs with an online calculator.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blproteincalculators.htm

So, learn about what foods are high in proteins and make sure you get them daily.  I would think that if you had Egg Beaters or egg whites mixed in with regular eggs (Egg Beaters 3 tbsp is 5g of protein, less than 1g of carbs)….you could make a nice spinach and low-fat cheese omelette and get a lot of protein in that.  In a small omelette, you can get about 13 grams of protein and only a few carbs.

Remember:  The meat-eater has to eat 6 times a day, every 3-4 hours to keep the metabolism going.  The vegetarian might have to do it even more often to keep up with the need of protein to keep the metabolism going.

Eating Too Much or Too Little Food Can Mess Up Your Waistline and Brain

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If you are not eating a balanced diet, it can affect your brain, as well as your waistline.

brainfood
1. No Breakfast

People who do not eat breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.  This not only messes up your metabolism, but this leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating

It fat deposits, and it causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

 

3. High Sugar Consumption

Too much sugar will put on fat and interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

Time to Eat Some Chocolate Cake and NOT Gain Weight!

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I am reposting a great, quick and easy LOW carb chocolate cake  that I had put up before.  I made these again tonight (makes for 4 small chocolate cakes in mugs).

Dr. Oz had a guest, who spoke about the importance of low sugar in a diet.  Jorge Cruise has great recipes on his site, Jorgecruise.com.  But, he has a recipe for no-sugar, low-calorie chocolate cake.  It is small, it is quick and you cook it in the microwave for 60 seconds.  So, I tried it and even my husband liked it.  I recommend it for those with a sweet or chocolate tooth!

finished-cake

1 minute chocolate cake recipe:

1/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend

1.2 cup almond flour

3 tablespoons unsweetend cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 egg

2 tablespoons half and half

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, mix, pour 1/4 of mixture into a mug (can make 4 mugs, filled up about 1/5 of each cup because it expands).  Cook mug  in microwave for 60 seconds.

trim a little around the edge of the mug and then pour out onto a plate.  Then put whip cream on top.

Here are pictures of the process.  I would say there is about 2-3g of carbs in this little delicacy for the day!

The pics are posted on my blog:  https://skinny-rules.com/2013/05/28/you-can-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too/

Misleading Labels and Food Trends Can Make You Fat

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The claim of ‘Fat-Free’ is actually the truth in products such as Mike and Ike and Good & Plenty candies, where you’ll find the claim: “fat-free.” They’re not lying—these empty-calorie junk foods are almost 100 percent sugar and processed carbs. But the makers of such junk, calorific “food” don’t tell you that their product is loaded with sugar and are digested rapidly, sending your blood sugar soaring; as soon as it drops again, you’ll crave more “fat-free” empty calories. In fact, skimmed milk has additives that aren’t even healthy and it has carbs, which will add weight on you, if you don’t count your carbs daily and keep them at a minimum.

skimmed milk story

There are many products that claim to be fat-free, but that means little in the weight loss realm.

If you want to lose weight or maintain weight, you have to carefully read labels and consider sugar and carb content. If you have a product that has little to no fat, but is high in carbs, your weight loss will be taking a huge hit. You do want to aim at low-fat products, like low-fat cheese, but you MUST look at carb content and also look at how what is showing on the label and notice the portion size of your food product.

Misleading Labels

For example, let’s say that you are looking at a jar of peanut butter, and the label says “8g of carbs.” Sounds good, but 8g of carbs per what? Usually that covers 2 tablespoons. To says so at the top of the label.

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Here is an example label, let’s say it is for cereal in a small box. Oh, the box is only “22g of carbs?” No!! Look again. It says per “cup” and there are TWO servings in the box. So, if you eat the whole thing, then it is 44g of carbs.

I see misleading labels like this all of the time. I see it on sugary drinks- even energy drinks. The bottle might say, “12g of carbs,” but two servings might be in one bottle…so double those carbs if you drink the whole thing. I am pretty wise to this trick, but every now and then a small item, which shows two portions and then the numbers gets me because the product was so small, I forgot to notice the portion size. They tricked me I to thinking the product was low on sugar and carbs.

Remember, I have between 50 and 100g of carbs per day to maintain my weight and the closer to 50g, the more I will lose. Some people can easily go over 100g, but you have to weigh daily and when you see the numbers going up, adjust accordingly on your carb intake and/or increase exercise output.

Read carefully or you won’t lose weight and you will wonder why!

Picnics Can Be Delicious and You Can Still Lose Weight

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Does going to a picnic mean we are stuck with potato salad, coleslaw and chips?  My husband, sister-in-law and friend are joining me tonight in an outdoor concert, where we will “picnic’ in our seats before the concert.  In the past, we would order food, which was delectable, but devilish in calories.  But, that was 40 pounds ago.  And my family and friend are all on board with eating and living a better lifestyle (very important to surround yourself with people like that) and if not, then you have to prepare your own food your way).  However, in this case, we all decided to order food that was good for us, as well as good-tasting.

We could make them ourselves, but we are ordering salads with veggies and chopped grilled chicken and my vegetarian friend will be having the salad with sautéed tofu.  We will also have sparkling and regular water, coffee and I am bringing a long Low-Carb chocolate cookies for dessert.

Here is what the salad looks like, but without the grilled 4 ounces of chicken. And also here is a picture of my Kot chocolate crackers.  (13g or net carbs, from Lindora.com)  Looking forward to my meal and my coffee!!

salad

 

 

kot_biscuits_500x500

Low-Carb Almond and Flax Seed Chicken Tenders

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I love chicken tenders, but I don’t want a lot of carbs and I don’t want it breaded.  I am avoiding wheat because it makes my belly stick out and it is full of carbs.

Here is a South Beach version of chicken tenders.  I made them and they are really good and SUPER easy to make.  Less than 30 minutes.

Don’t forget to get some dipping sauce (low-carb of course).  Mustard-based is a good choice.

There is probably less than 3g of net carbs in this entire batch of chicken that I made!  Almond and flax are good for you too!  Here are my pictures of the finished product.  Recipe follows.

nuggetscloseup nugggetsevencloser

LOW-CARB CHICKEN TENDERS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T olive oil (enough to generously coat the baking sheet)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp. paprika (not smoked or hot)
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Turn on the oven to 400F/205C. Brush a baking sheet liberally with olive oil and put the pan in the oven to heat as the oven preheats.

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into 5 nugget pieces (or more if you have a very large breast.) Use a meal mallet or something heavy to pound the thicker nugget pieces so they’re all the same thickness.

Combine the almond meal, paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mixing together well. Dip each nugget piece into the almond meal mixture, pressing on with your fingers so it coats the chicken. Coat all the nuggets before you remove the baking sheet from the oven.

When all nuggets are coated, lay them on the hot baking sheet and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven, turn nuggets, and bake 10-12 minutes more on the second side, until nuggets are lightly browned and cooked through. (Don’t overcook.) Serve hot, with mustard or ranch dipping sauce if desired.

Middle Age Midsection Spread! Why and How to Fix It!

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midsection

I had the midsection spread.  I had women asking me when my baby was due and I was NOT pregnant!  That is so devastating.  I changed my diet right after that!  I will discuss how this happens and how to fix it.

What caused the midection spread:

Muscle loss, lower metabolism,  and an increase in white fat all play a part in causing waist lines to grow as we age.  Also people exercise less and add stress-eating to their routines, and it becomes much easier to gain weight compared to when we were young and could drink and eat more crap.

But, once we turn 40, our metabolic rate  (ability to burn calories) drops.  We lose muscle tone. We get stressed out and eat more calories than we need, despite needing to eat less calories and work out.

I have also written about how the new ways that wheat is grown and processed is bad for people’s midsections, hence the book written by a medical doctor, called “The Wheat Belly.”  I do think that once I cut wheat MOSTLY out of my diet and tried to stay away from products primarily made with it or from it, then my midsection decreased substantially.  And if I eat wheat products, my stomach distends hugely.

How to fix the spread:

We just cannot eat the way she did in her our 20s and 30s and we need to make a change in our lifestyle and steer away from foods rich in carbs and calories, and also stay away from the stress-eating time period between 3 p.m. and 12 a.m., when energy levels drop (and women in particular tend to overeat).

But is it ever possible to remain the same weight you once were in your 20s? Yes, but exercise is key.  I weigh what I weighed in my 20s right now since I changed my eating style and added more exercise.  Consume less calories, less sugar, less carbs.  More protein, more vegetables, more salad, more portion control, eat less, more often (6 times a day).

RULES:

Palm of the hand-sized protein choices 6 times a day, 2 small servings of fruits per day (a cup), 4 small servings of vegetables a day (avoid starches), salads twice a day, drink water all day.  No (low) sugar products.  Keep carbs within 50g to 100g per day.  I personally avoid wheat products and rice now.  A piece of toast is allowed once or twice a week.  Exercise at least 15- 20 min. per day or a few hours a week.  Always eat breakfast and every 3-4 hours–another protein!  And seriously, watch those  carbilicious wheat products, and if you must some–go for Gluten-free.

 

21 Day Challenge!

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All over Facebook is a 21 Day Challenge.  I have done this 21 Day Challenge for the most part now since Sept 8, 2011.  Here is the challenge:

21 Day Challenge!!!
NO CHIPS
NO SODA
NO DIET SODA
NO CHOCOLATE
NO CANDY
NO WHITE BREAD
NO COOKIES OR BISCUITS
NO FAST FOOD
NO CAKES/PASTRIES/MUFFINS

no_chocolate_mouse_mat-p144740554158989208eng3t_400

How I have done this challenge, but my way!

–I have done fast food, but I make choices that involve salad and not-so-fast-foodish.

— I only have chocolate in protein bars or low-carb items.  Best low-carb chocolate bars in my opinion, Power Crunch (Trader Joes, Smart and Final and Vitacost.com) and Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bars (Target and Costco).  And this one is delish!  http://www.vitacost.com/bionutritional-research-group-choklat-crunch-protein-crisp-bars

–I never have had regular soda, but I admit to diet soda and even though it is bad for ending cravings, I still have a couple a day.  You still have to drink water.

— I never do candy or anything made with wheat products, unless they are special low-carb ones that I have purchased through Lindora.com or some low carb outlet, and even then, that is rare.  I usually have low-carb frozen yogurt or fruit with whipped cream or low-fat Greek Yogurt.

–I never have potatoes, rice or beans.  Just too full of carbs and starches and puts me on a sugar rollercoaster.

SugarRollerCoaster

The good part of this challenge is to get you to get over craving sugar or things that turn to sugar. It is basically, a sugar detox.  But, if you eat sugars and cheat, then you are NOT detoxing.

The bad part of this challenge is that it offers no assistance in dealing with those torturous cravings.  Even on a medically supervised weight loss program, like the one I did (Lindora), they offered me appetite suppressants.  But, after one day of that and feeling jittery, I researched and found my own way to get over it.  There are plenty of books that explain it, like Dr. Mark Hyman, whose book and information is on the blog before this (August 23. 2013).  However, how to get over cravings in a nutshell:

1.) Balance blood sugar.

When blood sugar is low, you’ll eat anything. To better balance blood sugar, eat a small meal or snack that includes healthy protein, like seeds or nuts (measured out because they are high in carbs) , low-fat Greek Yogurt, two tablespoons of almond or peanut butter, or eat any meat, a protein bar or drink (check on the ones that are lowest in carbs) and cheese, every 3 to 4 hours.

2.) Eliminate liquid calories and artificial sweeteners.

Sodas are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Processed fruit juices are awash in sugar. Try sticking with water and green tea. Green tea contains plant chemicals that are good for your health. And, last but not least, don’t succumb to the diet-drink trap. The artificial sweeteners in diet drinks fool the body into thinking it is ingesting sugar, which creates the same insulin spike as regular sugar.  I have to admit, I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and soda and I still lost weight, but this can spike cravings….just sayin’.  Reason why I also take fiber to feel full.

3.) Eat a high-quality protein at breakfast.

Ideally, you’re eating quality protein at every meal, but, if you need to prioritize one meal, choose breakfast. Studies show that waking up to a healthy protein, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, nut butters or a protein shake help people lose weight, reduce cravings and burn calories.

4.  Increase fiber.  Helps you feel full and keeps you from overeating.

5.  NO wine or beer.  If you MUST have a drink, stick with a vodka mixed drink and keep it to a minimum.  Wine and beer have sugar and alcohol takes so much energy in your body to be processed, then your body doesn’t have the energy to also burn fat, so you won’t lose much weight if you drink.  Remember that.

wagon1

And as in any addiction, if you fall off the wagon, then get back on!  Never give up.

The Best of Fast Food: Chipotle

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So, I finally went to Chipotle.  I have to admit that I was scared to go because I heard about the size of their burritos and my husband always gets his food in a bowl smothered in rice and beans.  So, I heard it was made with your choice of food items, so I went.  So glad I did.

I had a salad and I got to choose the ingredients.  I had no rice or beans because the carb count on those items is astronomical.   Please, look at the size of a measuring cup.  It isn’t that big.  So, if you get minimally, a cup of rice in your bowl, brown or white–the carb count is 44g.  REMEMBER, DIETS should have between 50 and 100 grams of carbs per day.  44g in one meal is too much!  And now for the beans.   One cup of beans (net grams due to so much fiber in it, assisting the body) is 23 g for black beans and 26g for pinto beans.  If you do both rice and beans–70g of carbs is a lot!  So, taking that out of the meal can be a real diet enhancer.

WIth the salad, meat, cheese, dollop of sour cream, dressing and salsa, my delicious salad should have been less then 10g of carbs in total.  That is AWESOME for a meal.  Granted, I am supposed to have two servings of veggies, but the tomato in the salsa was qualifying for that.  You could get guacamole, a cup of it in net carbs is about 5 grams.

Here is the picture of my salad at Chipotle.  I will be going back.  Everything is organic, without hormones in the meat and fresh.  You order what you want and it was all for less than $7.  They also have Coke Zero!

chipotle

Mexican Food, Si or No?

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I rarely step into a Mexican restaurant since I started my life change (diet).  What is there to eat there?  Dozens and dozens worth of carbs in almost every meal.  Everything is tortilla, taco shell or chip based.  I am trying to avoid wheat products and corn products.  They make me sick (and Corn is mostly genetically modified now) and they are full of carbs.

Let’s look at a few popular places (some healthier than others) and the carbs in each chicken burrito.

El Torito:  123g of carbs.

El Pollo Loco:  63g of carbs.

ONE flour tortilla is anywhere from 14g of carbs to 35g of carbs…all by itself.  The beans and rice only add cobs more.  If you want to gain weight, this is the way to go.  Whole wheat is healthier, but unless it is “low-carb”, it is still a lot of carbs.

MY SOLUTION:

So, I went to a local hangout, Mission Burrito and to a fast food place, Taco Bell.  I ordered a tostada or taco salad (depending on the place) and asked for no beans, rice or tortilla.  I got beef, lettuce, cheese, tomato, (guacamole or sour cream) and some taco dressing.  The carb count was about 8 grams and it was still delish.  It is kind of like a tostada PROTEIN style.  And this is GLUTEN FREE!

If you do it at home, and you get a low-carb tortilla (like they have at Trader Joes and Costco), you are looking at about 4g net carbs for the whole shell vs. 14-35 for a regular one and it tastes just as good.

TACO SALAD without the shell:  8g of carbs–Shut the front door!  Beef or chicken!  DELISH!

tacosalad

TACO SHELLS

And taco shells?  About 20g of carbs per three.  You can have one or two, or if you have three, you need to watch your carbs the rest of the day. AND for SOFT taco shells?  It is about 20g of carbs for only ONE!  So, watch it.

So, you can eat at a Mexican food place if you go this route.  Those shells will kill your diet.  Remember:  You need to stick between 50 and 100g of carbs per day to lose weight, with 6 protein meals a day, 2 small salads a day, 2 small fruits a day, 4 small servings of veggies per day….and if you go over 100g per day, no weight loss for sure!