Trying to create healthy summer meals isn’t always easy when you are dealing with sweltering days. And while some homes are equipped with central air, living in the northeast many of us get by with just window units. These units aren’t always good for houses like mine that is kind of open floor plan so my kitchen and dining room gets hot in the summer, making me not want to cook or worse-resort to unhealthy take out!
Breakfasts and lunches are easy enough, a bowl of cereal with skim milk or a piece of peanut butter toast is quick and easy while diet smoothies make great lunches that are cool and refreshing. Still, dinner can be tricky so here are a few healthy summer meals that I have come up with that keeps me from going on an unhealthy fast food or pizza run.
Subs and Wraps
Sure a sandwich can be boring but creating your own sub or wrap using lean cuts ham or turkey from the deli, thin slices of low fat cheese mustard and low fat mayo along with lots of fresh lettuce and tomato will fill you up on less calories than visiting a sub shop. Just watch that the rolls you use aren’t too high in calories.
Pasta Salad
Pasta salads make delicious and healthy summer meals and can be prepared using less pasta and more vegetables along with low fat cheese and chunks of lean ham for a meal in one. Just prepare early in the morning before it gets too hot.
You may have to watch the dressing so use a low fat version or simply make your own low fat dressing and use heart healthy canola oil. Olive oil can be used but keep in mind that once you regrigerate the salad the olive oil will begin to solidify. If you do want to use olive oil just make your pasta salad early in the day and prepare the dressing right before serving. I like to use Good Seasons Italian, which has instructions for preparing with less oil right on the label.
Garden Salad
Garden salads don’t have to be boring. Besides adding lots of lettuce, tomato and other fresh vegetables you can add leftover grilled chicken, and different cheeses such as low fat feta. Fruit also tastes great on a salad. In fact, one of my favorites is a salad that consists of romaine, red onion, diced apples, a few slivered almonds and a low fat dressing such as Paul Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette (his dressings are so good, and although they may cost a little more all profits go to charity so why not splurge).
The trick to keeping salads low in fat and calories is to use just a small amount of nuts and cheese while adding a moderate amount of lean protein and lots of veggies. I prefer oil based dressings over creamy dressings because a little goes a long way.
These are just a few ideas for delicious healthy summer meals that wont heat up the kitchen.
I love diet smoothies, hence the name of this blog but I usually have a can of Slim Fast powder on hand as well. The Slim Fast Diet Program offers convenience with their shakes, meal replacement bars and snack bars, in fact, the snack bars are pretty good substitute for a candy bar. However, sometimes having just a shake or a meal replacement bar just isn’t enough and you end up feeling really hungry soon after. One way to make slim fast shakes thicker and more filling is by adding half a frozen banana or other frozen fruit such as frozen strawberries. If you are counting calories or points just adjust them accordingly. Luckily fruit is fairly low in calories (and great for curbing a sweet tooth).
This is just one idea for making those slim fast shakes as well as other shakes a bit more filling. Another idea is to eat a small handful of almonds about 20 minutes before drinking your shake since the almonds will help fill you up. Of course nuts are high in calories but they are also good for you so they are worth the calories. Just be sure to practice portion control (I like to measure out 1/4 cup every morning and nibble on a few before each meal).
Cutting calories isn’t always easy so the trick is to find healthy ways to fill up on less calories. After all, when we are counting calories we need to make sure that the calories that we are eating are not empty calories. Fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low fat and fat free dairy and complex carbs all provide important vitamins and minerals. Many fruits and vegetables are also good sources of fiber that can actually help full us up so choose wisely for effective weight loss that is nutritionally sound.
Many of us living in the northeast aren’t equipped with central air, so when the heat reaches the high 90′s many of us just can’t function. I will never understand those who say “the hotter the better”. I can’t stand the heat and find that I am very unproductive when it hits. Read more…
I have to admit that I haven’t been trying to lose weight in weeks. I had been planning to start the Flat Belly Diet the day after Memorial Day but had no time to sit and read the book ( I have since been reading some every day and have started stocking up on foods to start on Monday). Still, even without committing to any diet, I was shocked to see that I am down two pounds; which means maybe losing weight without trying is not so difficult.
Last week, after I blogged about another interesting diet called the Cheat Your Way Thin diet (a plan that has cheating built into the plan) I started to think about the time that I lost a large amount of weight back in my early 20′s. Sure, I was younger and had a pretty active job but I remember people asking me how I did it. one thing that I do remember was cheating alot but also getting right back on my diet.
In a way, that is what I have been doing these last few weeks. Sure I am older now and a lot less active but just making one change has made a difference-not eating out of boredom every night. Instead, I have been busy with some projects both online and offline and right around the time I start to think about having a midnight snack is around the time that I start to doze off on the couch.
The truth is, many nights when I am eating a large bowl of ice cream that easily surpasses 500 calories I wasn’t really hungry in the first place. instead, I ate out of boredom, however, keeping myself busy at night has cured that. Am I eating perfectly? Far from it. I have to be committed to not only weight loss but a healthy lifestyle change. However, I guess it does go to show that maybe you can lose weight without trying if you keep yourself occupied with other things.
What’s the Cheat Your Way Thin Plan?
Are you tired of following those strict diets that tell you to eliminate entire food groups to lose weight? Sure these temporary restrictions will begin with quick weight loss but at what cost? Eventually you will get frustrated and go back to your old eating habits.
Restrictive diets may work in theory, but getting people to stick with them is another story. After all, we are only human, and lets face it, food not only nourishes us but eating is one of life’s great pleasures.
If losing weight was so easy we wouldn’t be struggling in the first place. You know how it is when you start a new diet. Day one you are all excited, in fact, you may do great for the first day, week or even the first couple of weeks. But eventually you will get tired of feeling hungry all of the time and you will really start craving some of your favorite foods. Before you know it you slip, then what starts as a slip turns into a full blown binge.
Luckily there are diets out there that aren’t so strict. In fact, “cheating” is not only okay but part of the plan. Imagine not having to give up your favorite foods to lose weight. Imagine cheating your way thin!
The Cheat Your Way Thin Diet Plan
So what is the Cheat Your Way Thin diet? Basically it is a diet that encourages you to consume those favorite foods that other diets tell you to avoid or eat only occasionally. And the great part is you will be cheating your way to weight loss!
Created by Joel Marion, a certified sports nutritionist, his work has been featured in many publications such as Women’s Day and Men’s Fitness. Joel has also been featured on Fox News and NBC in addition to other places.
Joel Marion is a trusted, well known expert in his field. Being in the fitness industry for many years, his diet plan is based not only what he has learned but the mistakes he has made along the way.
So exactly what can you expect from a diet called Cheat Your Way Thin? The diet comes with an audio that explains the science behind the diet as well as how it was created. Along with the audio is an e-book with a complete rundown of the diet plan.
Two Part Diet Plan
There are two parts to the Cheat Your way Thin diet plan, the diet part and the exercise part. The diet part consists of a rotation style way of eating, which means you will have high GI (glycemic index) days, low GI days and days that are low in carbs. The exercise part of the diet consists of three different sessions throughout the week.
Not only does the e-book contain a complete overview of the diet and exercise plan, it comes from someone who knows his stuff.
This diet program does appear to deliver what it promises. However, some may not be happy with the expense of having to purchase certain products such as protein shakes. Still, some like the benefit of no calorie counting, and any diet that gives the go ahead to cheat is a diet that will be much easier to follow in the long run.
Visit the Cheat Your Way Thin Website for more information.
Considering the rate of obesity within our country, it really should come as no surprise that everyone seems to be on some sort of diet. And considering the sheer volume of different diets on the market, it becomes very difficult to find that perfect weight loss plan, especially as plans provide different results for each person.
As no two people are identical, so too are our diet results and nutritional needs. Weight loss plans can vary in structure from rigidity to some, such as Weight Watchers®
that can be customized by age, gender, starting and ending weight For example, a new mother that is still breastfeeding would have far different nutritional needs than a woman who is not, and their respective diet programs should reflect that difference.
So, then how to you find that perfect weight loss plan that will help you achieve your goals? To begin with, consider consulting with your physician and discuss your goals, as well as a possible referral to a nutritionist. Between your physician and a nutritionist, you can develop a plan that is designed for your age, gender, weight, activities, and any possible health concerns, and that will help you achieve results.
Regardless if you choose to follow a structured weight loss program, develop one with a nutritionist, or attempt to lose weight on your own, you must remember that all bodies are different, so one weight loss plan that works for your friend may not be appropriate for you. However, you should completely avoid fad diets or any type of diet advocating restricting your body to few calories. Your diet should allow you to enjoy nearly any type of food, simply done so in moderation, unless prohibited by your physician or nutritionist.
Remember, that dieting is not easy under any circumstance. If it were simple, no one would be fighting with their weight. Nevertheless, selecting an appropriate weight loss program for your body type while making healthy lifestyle changes will help you not only achieve your goal, but keep the weight off. One such technique is to find healthy alternatives to higher calorie foods and recipes. Most of your favorite dishes can easily be adjusted to reduce the number of calories per serving.
Regardless of what you choose, understand that if you do cheat on your diet on occasion, you should not feel guilty. Most diet programs actually recommend having a moderate cheat day or meal. Even plans such as Weight Watchers®gives you the opportunity to indulge by offering weekly flex points to use as you see fit.
Dieting is not a short term fix. Instead, dieting is a lifestyle change you are making. As such, it is vital that you find solutions to helping make these choices permanent in your life, but also understanding that you need to allow yourself the occasional cheat or treat.
So, above all else, understand that cheating occasionally should not make you feel guilty. Especially as many diet programs allow for cheating in their schedules and recommend it. Dieting is a long term promise to yourself. It is a life style you are choosing to participate in. Success is created by finding ways to implement these changes into your everyday life without completely giving up what you enjoy.
In case you haven’t noticed I am a diet book junkie. If you were to peak on my shelf you would see a few dozen diet books that I have purchased over the last few years. This doesn’t count the ones that I find at the library (I always look there first to save money) or the ones that are either packed away or given away. So yesterday I found myself in the diet section of Barnes and Noble and ended up buying the Flat Belly Diet by Liz Vaccariello.
This is not the first time I have heard of the Flat Belly Diet. I did give it a half hearted try when I read about it in Prevention magazine a few years ago (2008 I think). The cover on the book promises that not one single crunch is required but that isn’t why I bought the book. I do remember that I liked the foods being offered, I like that you can have up to 1600 calories a day and the diet does focus on eating healthy. This is where I also heard the term Mufas (monounsaturated fatty acids) which are supposed to help target belly fat. Mufas can be found in foods such as olives and olive oil, avocados, nuts and my favorite, dark chocolate!
There are a few things that I recall not really liking about the program. One is, you eat 4 times a day which, for someone who likes to snack is kind of difficult. Another thing is each meal is 400 calories. Now that sounds very doable except I remember struggling to eat just 400 calories at dinner. Still, if I give it a chance maybe I will be use to eating and being satisfied on less for dinner. Also, I will probably break that rule on occasion by eating a little less during the day to allow myself a bigger dinner.
Now of course I probably shouldn’t start breaking rules before I even get started. However, with any diet I think it is sometimes necessary to modify it if that is what it takes to stay on it. Back when I first joined Weight Watchers I remember that I didn’t always follow the rules exactly but I did lose. After all, I would rather break a rule once in a while then just give up.
In case anyone wonders about my candy bar diet, I think it could have worked but I was feeling a bit guilty eating all that sugar. I know that for me, I need to watch my sugar and carbohydrate intake a little better than that, meaning a 300 calorie candy bar should be an occasional treat, not something that I indulge in every day.
I will be officially starting the Flat Belly Diet on Monday, which should give me plenty of time to read the book and stock my fridge. And I haven’t weighed in lately either so I am a bit nervous to see what the scale brings. In the meantime I will try to get a few more smoothie recipes posted over the next few days.
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belly fat, calories, diet, flat belly diet, flat belly diet book, Liz Vaccariello, monounsaturated fatty acids, mufas, Prevention magazine, the flat belly diet, weight watchers