Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Mini Meals

noosa Mini Meals

I ended up eating a lot of mini-meals yesterday instead of my usual three meals. The day started with fresh orange juice mixed with pomegranate juice and theraflu because I feel a cold (second cold since December!) coming on. I’m determined to beat it.

I made a big batch of Ashley’s Garlic and Greens soup and went and deleted the photo on accident. This soup was so nice in the morning, I ended up eating it for breakfast and again a couple of hours later. I had a friend over who thought the soup was amazing too. I also liked that it was so filling, yet so low in calories.  We got about five large bowls out of the recipe. Thanks Ashley, I’m making another batch today!

Here’s her recipe with my small changes:

Garlic and Greens Soup

-1 head of garlic, minced (I used about eight cloves)
-1 yellow onion, finely diced
-1 tbs evoo
-1 bunch kale, bok choy, or chard, chopped into bite sized pieces (I used a bag of frozen spinach)
-3 yellow potatoes, diced, not peeled (I used three carrots)
-8 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
-1 tbs seasoned rice vinegar
-sp to taste

* I added 1/2 C whole wheat couscous to the soup towards the end.

in a large soup pot, saute the garlic and onions in oil until transluscent. add greens, potatoes, and veg stock and bring to a boil. simmer everything about 25 minutes until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork.

Just before turning off the heat, add the rice vinegar, and sp to taste.

croissantplate Mini Meals

A couple hours after the soup I had a serving of Noosa yoghurt with blueberries and honey. And a couple hours after that I had a croissant with strawberry jam, fresh strawberries, chicken+apple sausage, and a peanut-date ball.

A couple hours after that I had a 1 cup serving of raisin bran with whole milk. And another chicken sausage later in the evening. Lots of food!

I also did a session of the Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga. It did wonders for my knee and my mood.

BLyoga Mini Meals

 

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Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Diet Tips

10 Easy Diet Tips That Will Work For You!

Losing weight is often one of the best things a person can do for optimal health and wellness. Being overweight can damage to the heart, contribute to high blood pressure and be hard on the joints, to name just a few of the problems that may be caused by carrying around excess weight day after day. Dropping even a few pounds can pay off handsomely in increased health and energy.

While losing weight is extremely important for the overweight or obese, dieting can be intimidating and is difficult for many people. Successful, permanent weight loss requires diligence and a workable plan. When contemplating weight loss, choose a nutritionally sound diet plan. Regardless of which diet is being pursued, try these helpful tips to make the whole dieting experience easier.

Diet Tip #1 – Eat Less, Move More
Excess weight is simply excess calories stored on the body. To get rid of excess weight, eat fewer calories than are consumed and get some exercise. While this may seem elementary, too many dieters do not adhere to this basic principle. The added advantage of eating less and moving more is that exercise will increase fitness while simultaneously burning calories, which in turn will increase the metabolism and cause the body to use more calories even while at rest.

Diet Tip #2 – Try Diet Friendly Substitutes
Consider where calorie-saving food substitutions can be made. Read labels or do some research online to determine where significant savings can be achieved. For instance, replace whole milk with low fat milk, or better yet, fat-free milk. In recipes, substitute plain yogurt for sour cream. For a snack, choose raw vegetables over chips or crackers. To get the salt to stick on popcorn, use a light coating of cooking spray rather than melted butter. Breakfast Cereal.

Diet Tip #3 – Beware of Low Fat or Fat Free Foods
Carefully read the label on any item claiming to be low fat or fat free. High calorie substitutes, such as high fructose corn syrup, are often used to enhance flavor and texture in low fat or fat free foods. In addition, to increase palatability, many of these items rely on chemical substitutions that may be undesirable.

Diet Tip #4 – Become Familiar with Portion Sizes
Use a measuring cup and diet scale to determine exact portions. Correct portion size is often difficult to estimate, leading to over consumption of the food in question. After portion estimation proficiency is achieved, periodically recheck portion weights or measures to ensure continued accuracy.

Diet Tip #5 – Use Small Plates and Cups
Make portion control easier by using smaller plates and cups. Having food arranged so that the plate appears full eases feelings of deprivation. Use a measuring cup to determine the exact volume of various cups or glasses. Use a permanent marker to indicate specific measurements on frequently used items. Purchase a toddler or child-size divided plate to help control food portions at meals or when snacking.

Diet Tip #6 – Forego Second Helpings
Limit meals to one helping of each food. Eat slowly, putting the fork down between each bite. Drink plenty of water and extend mealtime as long as necessary to ensure that satiety is reached without indulging in a second helping. Include raw vegetables with each meal to provide a healthy, low calorie option if the temptation for seconds cannot be resisted.

Diet Tip #7 – Control the Environment
Make dieting as easy as possible. Stock the pantry and refrigerator with diet friendly foods. To avoid relapse in times of weakness, get rid of all high calorie foods or any item that may lead to uncontrolled consumption. Have appropriate snacks on hand at work or in the car. Make wise food choices easy by preparing meals at home and taking a lunch each day rather than eating out and relying on willpower.

Diet Tip #8 – Eat on Purpose
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with hunger. Discover what true hunger really feels like. Treat this as research and document all findings. Observe what happens to the body as hunger approaches and how long it takes the physical feeling of hunger to subside even when no food is consumed. Also, pay attention to any emotional reactions that may arise. Strive to develop a sense of actual hunger so that eating becomes a purposeful activity designed to sustain the body only rather than fill other needs.

Diet Tip #9 – Treat Yourself Well
Dieting can be hard work. Pamper yourself during this time by getting enough sleep and enjoying non-food-related treats. If a slip occurs, it is not the end of the world and should not be the end of the diet. A slip is nothing more than a momentary failure. Simply forgive yourself and move on without recrimination.

Diet Tip #10 – Drink Water Before Meals
Drinking a glass of water 15 minutes before you eat makes it easier to feel full sooner, and makes it harder to eat as much.

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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

7 tips for losing weight


I found this on the MSN site. A link from a Weight Watcher.com article

Skimming Off the Top
Here’s 7 simple get-that-excess-weight-off ideas:

  • A spoonful of sugar can add up over the course of a year. Add one less teaspoon sugar (15 calories) to your cup of morning and afternoon coffee each day and you’ll save about 10,000 calories the equivalent of about 3 pounds per year.
  • Slim down that bowl of cereal: Switch from 1 cup regular whole milk to 1% milk (about 50 calories less per cup) every day. Once your taste buds adjust, you’ll be thrilled! That’s a tad more than 5 pounds lost by this same time next year.
  • Take the scenic route. Park your car as far as possible from the entrance to your office, the shopping mall or a restaurant and get those legs pumping. Ten minutes of daily moderate paced walking (five minutes each way burns about 20 calories) can take off four-plus pounds a year*.
  • Get your vitamin C boost with a whole orange (60 calories) instead of a cup of juice (110 calories) each day. Ka-ching, ka-ching! Your 12-month savings: 5 1/4 pounds.
  • 7 tips for losing weight

  • Go calorie-free by switching from regular to diet pop (150 versus 0 calories per can). If you drink one can per day, that’s nearly 16 pounds lost in a year.
  • Flavour-up your sandwiches with very low-cal condiments like mustard or vinegar instead of calorie-packed butter. Leave off 1 tablespoon (100 calories) every day and you’re looking at close to 10 1/2 pounds a year.
  • Down-size, don’t super-size, fast food meals. Opt for a small McDonald’s French fries (210 calories) instead of a large order (450 calories) at your weekly fast-food meal. You’ll enjoy the same great taste all year long but with an added bonus: 3 1/2 pounds lost.

7 tips for losing weight

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