Every Calorie Counts

Ways To Save Some Extra Calories From Tumbler

• Fidget! fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories per day, just by being restless.  try it for yourself; move around while talking on the phone, tap your feet to music, etc.
• Avoid eating too many nuts.  Although they have heart healthy fats, they are also high in calories (3 handfuls have 525 calories) if you really crave them, eat pistachios.  2 handfuls are just 159 calories, and shelling them will slow down your eating
• Don’t eat in front of the TV, or you’ll end up overeating around 288 calories.  Instead eat around the table, and trade 1 hour of TV for a walk. 
• Limit salad toppings! Cheese crumbles, caramelized nuts, bacon, avocado, dried fruit, croutons, and vinaigrettes can add lots of calories. Instead just have 1 topping, and use half the dressing
• Eat on smaller plates, and you’ll end up eating 20-25% less while still feeling full because your plate will be full!
• Skip on the whipped cream when eating dessert-coffee drinks (macchiatos, lattes, etc.) the drinks themselves contain about 600 calories for a large
• Count your chips instead of eating from a bag.  Often you’ll end up eating twice the serving size on the nutrition label unknowingly
• Avoid buffet-style meals at home; instead of letting people fill their own plates (and often going back for seconds), fill it for them before bringing it to the table
• Eat less pasta! Especially at restaurants, which will often serve you 480% the recommended amount (about 1025 calories worth)
• Eat with fewer people; studies have shown eating with 7 or more people can make you eat up to 96% more, that’s like doubling your dinner!
• Don’t clean your plate; leave 25% left at every meal and save the rest as leftovers
• Get mini versions of desserts if available (you can get them at Carabbas, Olive Garden, and P.F. Changs) so you can still get a sweet treat without all the calories
• Avoid smoothies, they can often have up to 800 calories per 32 oz! Instead try oatmeal or fruit to start your day
• Beware of the “healthy food trap”.  people often think because food is healthy at restaurants that they can indulge in twice as much, so they end up eating the same amount of calories than if they had gone to a not so healthy restaurant
• Beware of hidden oils; ask to have your food cooked with stock instead of oil, or order food steamed/poached to avoid the oil it takes to pan fry it
• Get enough sleep! a lack of sleep makes people snack more according to studies, aim for 6-7+ hours
• Be a hardworking dinner host! Grocery shop for 1 hour, cook a fabulous meal in 2 hours, and then toast yourself for your awesome 640 calorie burn
• Stop drinking soda, each 12 oz drink has 150-180 calories, not to mention all the extra sugars
• For breakfast eat 2 boiled or poached eggs (you’ll feel fuller throughout the day), and before lunch eat 1 cup of low cal soup (you’ll eat about 134 calories less at lunch)
• Ditch the buttered popcorn at the movies, a large has around 1000 calories! Instead consider your own air popped or butter-free microwave popcorn
• Pay attention when you eat, listen to your body’s cues and put down your fork when you’re satisfied
• Drink sugar-free: a 20 oz tea with fruit juices can have as much as 400 calories! Choose sugar-free and save more than 400 calories
• Check the serving size when reading nutrition labels.  The entrée you’re cooking may say it has 350 per servings, but there are probably 4 servings in the entire thing!
• Get a small when buying ice cream.  Even if you get your favorite full-fat flavor, you’ll still save as many as 550 calories if you just get 1 scoop rather than 3

Can A Low Carb Diet Be High Fiber, Too?

     

     Previously we have discussed that a lower carb diet has been recommended to me by a couple of doctors. They suggest this for better health and weight loss. I have greatly reduced my intake of white sugar and white flour and though I don’t abide by a specific low carb approach I do try to limit myself to “healthy carbs” and in limited quantities. With the recent emphasis I have seen on higher fiber diets for weight loss and better health I began to ask myself the question, “Can I up my fiber intake as recommended by Bob Harper and others and still eat a diet that is relatively low in carbs?” I did a little research and found that, yes I can.

     Livestrong has an article that addresses this issue and points out that the veggies recommended for low carb living tend to be those naturally high in fiber. Other great sources of fiber like chia, and flax-seed are already part of my diet plan and are low carb friendly. Nuts are also great sources of fiber with few carbs. Bran can bring fiber to the table with little carb content, there is even an All Bran cereal with extra fiber that would make a great addition to my menu plans. If you are on a more structured low carb approach you might have to get a little creative with low carb veggie quantities and choices but it’s still possible, with a little planning,  to meet you daily fiber goals.  For suggestions of low carb high fiber foods to add to your menu visit the list at about.com .http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/fibercounts.htm.

Get-Fit Guy Shares How To Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss

     One of the more troubling and worrisome problems I am experiencing as I am approaching my weight loss goal is the unsightly evidence  of the pounds lost. In some areas such as the lower belly, thighs, and under arms I have sagging skin which serves as a constant reminder of the weight I use to carry. One of my motivations for beginning weight training was to help fill some of these areas back out in a more attractive way. I have also purposely lost weight at a reasonable rate rather than super quickly in order to help minimize this problem. In searching the web to see if there were other tips or tricks to consider for tightening the loose skin I found a neat article from “Get-Fit Guy”. If you are experiencing similar issues you might want to check out his recommendations – click on the “Get-Fit Guy” figure below to view his “How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss” tips.

Reminders About Metabolism

How To Recover From An Unplanned Binge

     Today I’m off from work sick, feeling really icky and nauseous. I went to the gym this morning as planned and worked really hard but by the time I made it to the ab exercises at the end I couldn tell I wasn’t quite myself. I don’t feel up to writing but I though following my confessions of a less than healthy weekend it would be appropriate to share this little bit of wisdom from Tumbler.

DON’T Let Them Eat Cake

    

     Three times in the year 2012 I have eaten birthday cake. All three times the following day I couldn’t get enough food and had immense carb cravings. Last week was so successful in so many ways. I was very good about eating low cal healthy meals all through the week and I exercised well over my personal goals, then the weekend hit and I faced some real challenges. Friday and Saturday I was off schedule and ate less organized meals. Saturday evening I attended both a wedding and a birthday party and of course there was cake. Inspite of my real awareness that eating sugar causes me to crave sugar, I didn’t have the will to say no, though there were healthier alternatives available. The piece I chose was small, but I paired it with a couple of cookies.

     Sunday was horrible. I woke up hungry wanting a greasy breakfast biscuit. I ate a protein bar on the run instead. I ate a healthy low cal but hearty lunch but continued to have cravings. I wanted onion rings but ate just one from my hubby’s plate. The cravings got worse. I wanted ice cream, and ate it. An hour or two later I was still hungry and craving. I tried some healthy veggies and protein but it didn’t suffice. I ate mini candy bars that I knew I shouldn’t but they brought me some minor relief. Eventually I gave in to my primary craving and ordered a Pizza, of which I ate about half. This was the closest thing to a binge I’ve experienced all year. At the next party, I think I need to forgo the cake.

     All in all I think I just have to say lesson learned and hit the rest of the week with great resolve to be extra healthy and active.

Stepping Stones Week 26 – Week 25 In Review

     It’s been a good week. I jogged 14.8 miles with rest days in  between running days. I did two challenging and rewarding weight training sessions with my trainer Zach. I only got in 1 of my two Pilates sessions because of poor planning and I hula hooped for 80 minutes. I have rewritten some things in the stepping-stones for next week based on what I have learned this week. I am focusing on limiting calorie intake to around 1400 and upping daily calories burned through exercise to around 500. Take a look at the listing below to see what else is new and different. I have had a really busy day and my handsome hubby is waiting for me so I will leave you with wishes for success. Happy week 26.

Stepping Stones for Success – Week 26

 

Goal:  “To weigh 135 lbs by 12/31/2012. (That is a loss of approximately 40 lb in 1 year).

Action Steps: I will limit my calorie intake to 1400 calories a day, continuing to focus on good nutrition in my choices. I will perform at least 2 1/2 hours of cardio exercise.  I will also do two circuit training sessions with weights for toning and 2 flexibility/stretching sessions, each at least 20 minutes in length.  I will officially weigh in once this week, marking my progress on the Weight Tracker tool.”

To-Do List:

1. Plan Weekly Menu (See Plan To Eat Fabulous Foods.)

2. Grocery Shop (See Stocking The “New Me” Pantry.)

3. Refill Snack Basket (See The Real Food Fight .)

4. Weigh In (See Weigh In Wednesday.)

5. Organize Outfits and Gear (See Get Your Rear In Gear.)

6. Jog 10 Miles or More

7.  2 or more  Toning/Circuit Training Sessions  (10 Ways to Increase Your Metabolism)

8. 2 or more Flexibility/Stretching Sessions.

9. Give myself 3 “Get Out Of Diet Guilt Free Cards” or one Splurge Meal.

10. Enjoy a Rest Day. (See Balance.)

11. Grade Last Weeks Efforts (See A for Effort.)

12. Assess Past Week’s Efforts (See Assess for Success.)

13. Create next Stepping Stones Sheet

14. Hoola- Hooping For Fun And Fitness (See Hoola-Hooping Workout)

Date: ________

Daily Log

Morning Weight: ______           Evening Weight: ______

   Chia? ___  Raspberry Ketone? ___   Multi-Vitamin? ___ Vitamin D? ___ Gram of Fiber? ____   Flax Seed? ____

Servings Of Dairy:   ——–      Servings of Water: ____

Affirmations? Yes / No            Aromatherapy? Yes / No

Bedtime:  ——————               Wake Up Time:  ———————

Did You Eat Frequently (Approximately Every Two Hours Until After Dinner)? __________

Exercise

Cardio?  Miles:  ____ Minutes: _____    Flexibility?  _________ 

Weight Training? _______

Foods Eaten

Breakfast:

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Snack

Dinner

Snack

Total Calories Consumed:_________     Total Calories Burned: __________

Going Higher

     I’m switching things up a bit with my daily diet. I have decided to eliminate the omega 3 supplement and instead add flax-seed. The flax-seed can easily be mixed into my daily yogurt and/or oatmeal and contains 2600 mg of omega 3 in a single serving. It also offers something my little fish oil pill doesn’t –  4 additional grams of fiber. Yesterday’s post included  a list of Bob Harper’s “The Skinny Rules” . Rule # 5 for weight loss stated “Eat 30 -50 grams of fiber a day”. According to The Journal of Nutrition Bob is on track with his recommendation.  Their research showed that without dieting women who increase their fiber intake  by  8 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed showed weight loss while women who decrease fiber in their diets gained weight.  Try it for yourself. If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 additional grams, if you consume 1500 calories try to increase by about 12 grams.  Berries, fruit, veggies, and whole grains are delicious ways to up your intake and can be very calorie friendly options. I love fiber rich lentil soup so that may become a more frequent lunch choice and fiber one cereal is a serious fiber source with 13 grams, it might just have to be added to the menu.  Have fun experimenting with new ways to add more fiber to your day.

Click here for the recipe for Brown Rice and Vegetable Stuffed Squash – 11 grams of fiber.

Splurge To Get Slim

    

Lolo Jones

      Twice this week I’ve read the same weight loss recommendation. “Have One splurge Meal A Week.” In the Health Magazine  article Learn From The Olympians world champion hurdler Lolo Jones says “One meal a week, I have whatever I want. During the last Olympics, it was wings. This year, it’s burritos. When you allow yourself a cheat, it helps you stay motivated to keep up a healthy lifestyle.” The splurge meal concept is rule #20 of  Biggest Loser Trainer Bob Harper’s “The Skinny Rules” as well. Consider adding a splurge meal to your routine but keep it in balance. Stick with proper portion sizes and don’t turn the meal into a binge.I think this will be a very valuable tool for me. Sometimes I just really feel the need for chicken fajita nachos or a mushroom swiss burger. This is a similar concept to the “Get Out Of Diet Guilt Free Cards” and could be used instead of or in conjunction with this concept. This week I think I’m feeling a plate of pasta in my future. What will your splurge be? Want to know Bob’s other rules? Get his book “The Skinny Rules” for lots of great information or see the simplified list below as found on Pinterest.   

Get your copy of Bob Harper’s “The Skinny Rules” in the Slimdown With Sandee Store.

Sandee Sweats To The Oldies

     I had some extra calories I needed to burn yesterday and it was a “rest” day from the running. I walked 2 miles following Pilates but I needed something more to meet my calorie burn goal so I decided to revisit a classic. I pulled out Richard Simmon’s “Sweatin’ To The Oldies“. It was so much fun. I did The Twist,  The Pony, and The Swim, and just laughed my way through one fun workout. It’s not the intensity of Insanity  or P90X of course but it did make me sweat and according to Livestrong I probably burned about 7 calories a minuite (my DVD is about 40 minuites in length as opposed to the 55 estimated on their site so that would be about 280 calories for the session). If you are looking for motivation the 20th anniversary DVD that I have also includes interviews with some of Richard’s students who share their successes and their graditude. They are very inspiring!

Get your copy of Sweatin’ To The Oldies in the Slimdown With Sandee Store