|
I am sooooo proud of you Teri!! Quote:
Look at how you have CHANGED, girlfriend!! You have decided that you are now going to eat healthy for LIFE, and you are sticking to it!! I am SOOOOOO PROUD of you!!!! :D |
Congratulations!!! I am sooooo impressed!!! For all of you keeping statistics, you already know that the members of the YT Healthy Eating Club have lost a grand total of EIGHTY EIGHT POUNDS in January!!!! :D :happyboun :bravo: :happyboun WOW!!! I am so very impressed! Congratulations!! Keep up the good work, everyone!! :thumbup: And for the folks who may be having a little trouble still, try and partner up with someone who may be able to help you right here on the thread. :hug: PM anyone who is a club member, and ask for advice. Feel free to ask for help and support!! That is why we are here!! HUGS to ALL!! :D :yorkietal |
WOW that is impressive!!!! I am not getting the statistics update though...could you please add me to that mailing list :) |
Healthy Snack Ideas Keep Healthy Snacks Handy Research actually shows that snacking in between meals, or even eating 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day, is better for you than the traditional two or three larger meal routine. That is, of course, if you are eating nutritious snacks instead of the all-too-popular vending machine potato chips and soda, which many of us are drawn to. So really, it’s a matter of making good snack choices when it’s time for a food break. Power foods are always a good bet, because they usually combine high nutrients and lower calories. These could be anything from grains to dairy to fruits and vegetables. Healthy snack choices start at the grocery store. That’s where the decision is made to eat healthy snacks – not at the office or on the coach, but at the grocery. You still want to watch how much of these healthy snacks you eat. This is a snack, remember, not a meal. So buy, cut up or make single servings of any snack food you can. Here are some healthy snack ideas to consider next time you head to the grocery. Healthy Snack Ideas Yogurt Fruit cup Apple Banana Pear Peach Grapes Plum Orange Berries Watermelon Raisins Carrots Celery Broccoli Mixed nuts Tomato Chicken noodle soup Cauliflower Green or red peppers Peanut butter crackers Nuts Whole wheat cereal with skim milk Trail mix Oatmeal Whole wheat bagel or toast Pure bran muffins Fruit smoothie Spinach Sweet potato Broth-based vegetable soup Skim and low-fat milk Bean soup |
Focus on Power Foods Focus on Power Foods Power foods are a combination of low calories and high nutrients, or foods that keep you feeling satisfied. Quite simply, you can make your calories work for you. The more efficiently you eat, the more you can eat before reaching your calorie limit. The great part about power foods is that you are likely eating some of them already! And if not, parts of your diet can be easily replaced by other power foods. Adding just a few more power foods can make a big difference in your calorie intake and appetite. At the top of the Power Food list are foods that contain proteins, fibers and complex carbohydrates. These foods have tons of nutrients that give you long-lasting energy without a lot of calories, all while making you feel fuller faster. However, there are power foods in every food group and plenty of options to choose from. Good Power Foods Grains whole wheat cereal oatmeal whole wheat bread, pita, bagel, pasta brown rice deli rye pure bran muffins cream of wheat raisin bread Fruits/Veggies oranges berries (especially blueberries) cantaloupe watermelon apples avocado chili peppers spinach sweet potatoes tomatoes Dairy/Protein low fat or skim milk low fat yogurt salmon tuna chicken almonds peanuts walnuts and hazelnuts beans eggs |
Make Smart Substitutions Why do so many people regularly eat potato chips and guzzle soda? Taste is partly to blame, but a big reason might be that people don’t have any good replacements. Smart substitutions are small (seriously) changes to your diet that can really add up. Did you know that by using one teaspoon of mustard instead of mayonnaise, you save 54 calories? Or that one cup of airpopped popcorn has 100 fewer calories than one cup of buttered popcorn? Suppose for dinner you want a pasta dish. You could either have fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti with tomato sauce. Both sound good, don’t they? Well guess what – the fettuccine packs 426 more calories! By simply subbing in the spaghetti, you save a bunch of calories and still eat a great tasting meal. This is the basis for smart substitutions. None of the changes are earth-shattering, but they make your calorie goal a lot easier to reach. Some of them you might even prefer (such as mustard over mayonnaise). You don’t have to sub out every single fatty or high calorie food you eat, but a change here and there can be dynamite. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make. Even if you don’t do it all the time, if you make smart food substitutions a habit, you can speed up weight loss without putting yourself in dieter’s prison. Here are some more suggestions for smart substitutions. Feel free to find your own and incorporate them to your daily diet. Instead of Try Regular potato chips Baked potato chips Pudding Applesauce Ice cream Non-fat frozen yogurt Cream Evaporated milk Whole milk Skim milk Nachos w/ the works Tortilla chips & salsa Chocolate Cocoa Bagel w/ cream cheese Apple slices w/ peanut butter Boiling w/ butter Boiling w/ chicken broth Ground beef Ground turkey |
Include Good Fats & Proteins In Search of... Good Fats Fat and protein. Our two sources of energy besides carbohydrates. So how much of each should we have? It’s simple: since all fats are bad and all proteins are good, never eat fats, always eat proteins. Right? Wrong. There are "good" and "bad" fats, and some proteins are better than others. While both fats and proteins should make up a small percentage of your daily calorie intake (fat – 30%, protein – 15%), it’s important to eat the right kind of each to make sure they count. Saturated fats are the bad ones. They increase cholesterol levels in the blood and should be limited and closely monitored in anyone's diet. Saturated fats come from butter, cheese, shortening, some margarine, tropical oils and the fats in meat and poultry skin. Unsaturated fats are generally regarded as the healthier type of fat, and they are good when they replace saturated fats in the diet. There are two different types of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Both help with healthy skin and the development of body cells, along with other benefits. Both also contain Omega-3, the fatty acid which helps fight heart disease and other heart problems. Monounsaturated fats have been shown to increase levels of HDL cholesterol in the blood, the "good" cholesterol that helps to prevent heart attacks. In moderation, monounsaturated fats can be a healthy part of your diet. Peanut butter, olive oil and canola oil are particularly high in monoun-saturated fat. On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats are more likely to form free radicals and damage tissue. Polyunsaturated fat is found in high-fat fish such as tuna and salmon. Polyunsaturated fats are good for you, they just need to be monitored a little closer than monounsaturated. Protein is made up of 22 amino acids, which are the building blocks of our body. Nine of these, called essential amino acids, cannot be manufactured by our bodies and must be obtained from food. Protein is a must for your diet. There are no neat categories to break proteins into; some are just healthier than others. We encourage an emphasis on nuts, eggs, and fish. Nuts are a great source of protein, and the fat content is unsaturated. Eggs are thought to cause high cholesterol, but according to The Journal of the American Medical Association, it’s unlikely that eating one egg a day will cause heart disease. When it comes to meat, here is the order from best to worst – fish, chicken, red meat. Fish protein is the best because it contains the least amount of fat, but chicken is also very good. Try to avoid red meat as much as possible; it’s recommended to eat red meat at the most once a week. Also remember to watch those portion sizes. |
Start Small with a Nutrition Fast Break Get the Weight Loss Ball Rolling with One Push The media associates a fast break with Magic Johnson and basketball. But a nutritional fast break is much different; except that both can lead to a slam dunk. It is a quick, easy goal that you focus on and track for two weeks, before any other heavy work is done. Why is this so important? Unlike almost every diet out there, it encourages you to start very small. Starting small helps you to avoid burnout, something many diets can cause. To prove it, here’s a statistic for you – 95% of those who go on a diet gain any weight they lost back within a year. Many even gain more weight than before they started. Your fast break can help you gain a healthy habit and reach your calorie and exercise goals at the same time. For example, consider two typical fast breaks. Eating a fruit and veggie each day will take you that much closer to reaching your tracked nutrient goals. Exercising just 10 minutes per day can add up to a strong foundation for a developing exercise program. These are just two examples of how a fast break can get the momentum rolling. By starting with just one or a few goals, you can easily ingrain a new habit into your life. Take brushing your teeth for example. Here’s an activity that takes 5-10 minutes (depending on how many times you brush) every single day for years on end. Ever get burned out? Doubtful. Why? Because it was a small thing that caught on with repetition. This is designed to avoid burnout and instead create lifelong habits to keep weight off permanently. So by starting small with a fast break, you get off on the right foot and achieve a small win on your way to many more. And keep in mind; fast breaks do not have to be complicated or overzealous. Here are some examples of possible fast breaks: Drinking 8 cups of water Eating a fruit and/or vegetable every day Not eating 2 hours before bed No soda or coffee Eat breakfast every morning No candy or potato chips |
Control the Crazy Portions Staring into the Bottomless Plate Question: Is it possible to eat meals consisting entirely of healthy foods, such as carrots, fish, apples and whole wheat bread, and continue to gain weight? Answer: Yes, because you can still eat too much, even if everything is good for you. Portions have grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades. Not surprisingly, our weight has followed right along with it. A huge part of the problem is that people tend to eat what’s in front of them, whether they’re hungry or not. To fight this problem, it’s important to find reasons to cut down on what you put on your plate in the first place. Portion size is a major contributor to weight problems, whether you eat out or at home. Restaurants serve huge plates of food, consisting of several servings per person, making it easy to go way past the recommended amount per meal. It does not stop when you eat at home. It’s been estimated that portion sizes in the past 20 years have increased in restaurants and at home by as much as 50%. Today, the average person eats 200 more calories each day than in the 1970s. Many store bought cookies are now more than 7 times bigger than the recommended serving size. Did you know that a typical dinner plate holds three servings of spaghetti, not just one? When you fill up your entire plate with food, you’re likely eating more than you bargained for. On the bright side, portion size is something you can change, without getting rid of your favorite foods. All it takes is a few simple habits to control how much you eat during a sitting. Here are a few tips you can use when Dining in or out: Order an appetizer as an entree (main dish). Remember to stay away from fried foods though. Split an entree with another person. Order from the lunch menu at dinnertime. Leftovers are okay. Feel free to wrap up half your meal to go Order smaller sizes such as a half-order of pasta or a "petite" cut of meat. Even so, portions may still be hefty. It's not unusual for a "smaller" portion of meat to be an 8-ounce serving. In fast-food restaurants avoid "extra value" or "super size" meals, unless you split it with a friend. A regular small hamburger is usually equivalent to one serving of meat and two servings of grain. AT HOME Set the table with smaller plates. Since you can’t fit as many servings on your plate, filling the whole plate is no big deal. Smaller dishes also make the food look bigger, which has a proven effect on your level of hunger. Skip seconds and get out the Tupperware. Divide up single serving portions ahead of time, in sealable bags or containers. Read the packaging! Follow the recommended serving size and eat only one. Eat foods that curb hunger: oranges, apples, oatmeal, fish, brown pasta. |
Eat Plenty of Complex Carbohydrates Myths and Truths About the Power of Carbs We get the question a lot: "Why do you recommend so many carbs?" In this age of low-carb diets, there’s a lot of confusion and misleading info about the benefits and drawbacks of carbohydrates. Let’s clear it up once and for all. The FDA suggests that 55% of our daily calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. For all of those math majors out there, that means more than half. But here’s the confusion that many low-carb diets don’t spell out. What the FDA does not quantify is how much of that 55% should come from complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbohydrates. There is a very real difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. Let’s look at them. Simple carbohydrates, found in rice, pasta, white potatoes and some dairy products, contain sugars that are broken down quickly by your body. This will provide your body with a quick burst of energy, but if the carbohydrates are not used quickly, the sugar will turn to fat. So in the long run, simple carbs make it harder to lose weight. Simple carbs and the sugar overload may also lead to type 2 diabetes. That’s why low-carb diets cut them out. But those diets often lump all carbs together. Complex carbohydrates also contain sugars, but ones that contain longer, more complex chains. Because of these longer, more complex chains, the human body takes longer to break them down. This allows the body more time to use the carbohydrates, and as a result fewer of the carbs turn to fat. Vegetables, whole grain pastas and breads and beans all contain complex carbohydrates. This means you can get the fueling benefits of carbohydrates and still lose weight – as long as they’re the right kinds of carbs. Another key advantage of complex carbohydrates is fiber. Fibrous foods have more bulk than low fiber foods, warding off hunger and keeping you satisfied. That means less eating and fewer calories! A fiber rich diet is also beneficial in alleviating and preventing conditions including constipation, diverticulosis, colon and rectal cancer, heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity. And the best foods to get fiber from are complex carbohydrates. It's recommended that you get 6-11 daily servings of carbs. Of course, we recommend that most if not all of them are complex carb servings like whole grains. Try to get 4-6 servings to start with and build from there. It might not be as hard as you think; a whole wheat bagel, for example, is actually two servings. Finding room in your diet for complex carbohydrates can be very easy, because many of us already are eating plenty of carbohydrates. Now it’s just a matter of replacing your simple carbohydrates with complex ones. Here are a few complex carbohydrates that can fit snugly into your diet without missing a beat: Bran or shredded wheat cereals 100% whole grain bread Brown rice Sweet potatoes Whole wheat pasta Spinach Bran muffins We all know it can be hard to give up white bread or your Lucky Charms cereal, but just a few substitutions in your diet can make a huge difference and get you rolling toward improved health. |
Get a Handle on Emotional Eating Get a Handle on Emotional Eating The Secret Sabotage of Your Weight Loss Program Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating. It’s something than can happen to anyone, and one of the most common dieting obstacles out there. Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don’t worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone. People often eat to relieve stress or to get something off their minds. The kicker is that stress, and the insulin jump that goes with it, may actually cause you to crave high sugar, high carbohydrate foods – foods that go straight to your waistline and cause you even more stress. Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide. Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions: Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress. Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises Keep a reminder of your goal handy Talk to a friend Visit and post on the support message boards Surround yourself with positive re-enforcers, like pictures and people Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food. If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives, foods that have good nutritious value, are smaller in size, and will not pack on too many calories. Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach: Apple or orange slices Carrot sticks Banana Broccoli Whole wheat toast Bran muffin Fruit smoothie Applesauce |
Eating Healthy on a Budget Save Money Without Sacrificing Quality When you’re on a tight budget, the thought of preparing tasty, healthy meals on a regular basis can seem daunting. Not only is it easy to get sucked in by grocery merchandising tricks, but it’s also normal for most of us to fall into a mealtime rut, eating the same foods over and over. But you’re in control of your kitchen—and if you cook smart, you can enjoy the first-class meals you deserve. You can save money and still have quality. If you’ve been using cost as an excuse to eat junk, you can kiss that excuse goodbye! With a little organi-zation and creativity, you can have the proverbial champagne when cooking on a beer budget. To start, here’s a quick review of basic tips of healthy eating: Limit your intake of junk food and alcohol Drink lots of water (at least 8 cups a day) Limit salty and sugary foods Avoid eating many foods that are high in saturated fats Make “variety” the watchword of your eating Next, set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, and shopping—tasks that are most often shortchanged in food prep. Include healthy snack ideas, as well as main menu items. Think about the time of day, day of week, and even week in the month that you shop. Generally, the grocery is the least busy early in the morning, in the middle of the week, and on any day but the first day or two of the month (when many people receive pension or paychecks). Don’t be afraid to surf the internet for recipes that use specific ingredients (plug the ingredient in as a keyword of your search), since you can often get good buys on breads, meats, and other items marked for quick sale before they go bad. Stock your fridge and cupboards with items that are quick and easy to cook (yet kind to your wallet): Beans and lentils, whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups, and can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice. Brown Rice is a great addition to leftover meat and veggies. Although brown rice is slightly more expensive than white, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. Another inexpensive, easy-to-fix grain, millet, is best when bought fresh. Simply rinse and toast before using it in recipes. Pasta, likewise, is quick and easy to prepare, and can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, and herbs.) Choose whole-wheat pasta whenever available. Soups can’t be beat for nutrition and convenience, especially since you can use canned or packet soups as your base, then add your own veggies and leftover meat. Again, try to experiment, adding your own herbs and spices. Fresh vegetables and fruit should be bought at least once or twice each week, preferably in season, to ensure optimal taste and nutrition. You can also rely on canned/frozen varieties as handy additions to last-minute meals. Veggies make great stir-fries and vegetable patties, while fruit is good for a quick nutritious snack. Meat and fish can be kept on hand also for last-minute meals— try the newer tuna and salmon pouches, and shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews and casseroles. Condiments add flavor and interest to your dishes. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, marinades, vinegars, tomato and soy sauces, along with stock cubes, in your cupboard. Experiment with the new, such as Japanese miso, an aged salty condiment made from soybeans and various other ingredients (found in the natural foods section, usually refrigerated). Finally, a few more hints that can help you save a little green: When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or quick suppers. Double recipes, then freeze half. Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock. Not only do you save money, but vegetable stock also makes a nutritious base for casseroles, soups, and Crockpot cooking. Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper; you can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, and even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It’s always a good idea to buy non-perishable items in bulk (canned foods, dried beans and grains, etc.). Use less expensive cuts of meat for casseroles that you slow cook; add extra vegetables and beans to make the meal go further. Capitalize on one-pot dishes, which generally save prep time, money, and dishwashing, and often make great leftovers. Look high and low (literally) to find the less expensive generic or store brands on grocery shelves, often very similar to higher-priced brand names though packaged under different labels. Stores deliberately place the highest-priced brand-name items at eye level, but if you compare the cost per unit, you’ll be able to figure out the most cost-effective purchase. You can even try your own taste tests— blind, of course— to see where you can save money without sacrificing flavor. Take advantage of specials on staples—broth, soups, pasta, rice, canned veggies, even bread and meat. Many of these items have a long shelf life or can be frozen for short periods of time. Limit your dining out, especially when it comes to fast food, since you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily on items that are high in fat, salt, and calories, which short-change you in the nutrition department. There’s no magic formula to cooking on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. But if you think of the rewards—better health and more money—you’ll find it’s worth the effort. No doubt you’ll still have days when you fall back on that quick-fix packaged food or the local burger drive-thru. But if you look at cooking as an adventure, you’ll also have days when you find yourself pleased at what you’ve accomplished—as you serve dinner to rave reviews from family and friends! |
Congratulations to everyone for their weight loss for the month of January. That was wonderful. Remember, don't expect miracles for big numbers. You want to lose slow and easy so it'll stay off. Make sure you're doing some form of exercise even if it's just walking. Keep up the good work everyone. I'm proud of how hard you're trying and your success so far. |
Super Foods for a Super You Include these Foods for Maximum Body Benefits These foods benefit the body in so many ways. They power your brain, and correctly and efficiently fuel your body. Super foods fight infection, enhance your immune system, and protect against diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Include them often when planning your meals and snacks. Vegetables Red, yellow, and orange peppers Mushrooms Romaine Lettuce Carrots, baby and regular Kale and other greens Garlic Onions Broccoli Cauliflower Sweet potatoes Spinach Green onions Winter squash Cabbage Beets Tomatoes Fruits Apples Red grapefruit Melons, any kind Dried apricots Red grapes Prunes Oranges Berries, any kind Dairy Skim or 1% milk Low fat yogurt with active cultures Low fat cottage cheese Meats and Seafood Fresh fish, unbreaded Salmon, canned or fresh Tuna, canned or fresh Lean, fresh beef, poultry or pork Eggs Soup beans, caned or dried Veggie burgers Nuts and seeds Grains 100% whole wheat bread, bagels, pitas Whole wheat pasta Cornmeal Millet Bulgur Brown rice Whole wheat pancake mix Oatmeal Shredded Wheat Dry cereal with >3 grams fiber Low fat Triscuit crackers Wasa fiber rye crackers Miscellaneous Extra virgin olive oil Black olives Dark (not milk) chocolate Green tea Salsa Calcium-fortified juice |
Easy Ways to Get 5 Fruits & Veggies Each Day Easy Ways to Get 5 Fruits & Veggies Each Day Tricks for Healthy Treats "Eat your fruits and vegetables." We've heard it all of our lives. If only it were so simple. Our bodies crave fruits and vegetables more than just about any other food because we tend to get far fewer of them than we need. We often think we'd survive just fine on 2-3 servings a day – or less. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA both recommend at least 5 servings per day! What you’re missing could be the difference between just surviving and all out thriving. With just a little thought and a tiny bit of effort in snack preparation, you can make these nutritious foods more convenient and accessible. Tips and Tricks Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles or pancakes at breakfast. Create your own yogurt flavors with plain yogurt and different combinations of fresh fruit. Snack on raw vegetables or fruits instead of chips or pretzels. Keep sugar snap peas, raisins or carrot sticks in your car, your office or your backpack. Use chunky salsa instead of thick, creamy snack dips. Drink 100% juice instead of addictive coffee, tea, or soda. Going out to lunch? Take a trip to the grocery salad bar. Use lots of dark green leaves and other vegetables instead of piling on all of the extras like eggs, bacon and cheese. Add frozen veggies to any pasta dish. It's an easy way to get in another serving of the good stuff. Keep fruits and vegetables in line of sight. Grapes, oranges, bananas, and apples make a colorful bowl arrangement on the table. If you see them, you will eat them. Dried fruit is just as portable as potato chips -- and less messy. It tastes especially good when added to basic trail mix. When cooking vegetables, makes 2-3 times more than you need and immdiately store the extra away for tomorrow. It'll save you time later on. Add your own beans and vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, peppers, cabbage) to canned and quick-serve soups. If you must have pizza, load on extra veggies and pineapple instead of fatty meats and extra cheese. Try berries, melons or dates for a naturally sweet dessert rather than the usual candy bar, cookie, or ice cream sandwich. Frozen fruit and veggies are nearly as healthy as the fresh stuff, and only take minutes to prepare. Combine fruit with your main meal courses. Raisins, apples and tangerine slices add sweet, crunchy variety to a salad. Apples complement pork, pineapple is great with fish, and orange slices are perfect with chicken. Besides being packed full of nutrients, fruits and vegetables can also be quite filling. They may even ward off any empty calorie snacking that might follow! Don’t be discouraged by the recommended 5 servings a day. The guide below shows that one serving is less than what you might think. One serving equals: 1 medium piece of fruit ½ cup fruit or vegetables (raw, cooked, canned, or frozen) 1 cup of leafy salad greens ¼ cup of dried fruit ¾ cup or 6 oz. of 100% juice |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:25 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use