Posts Tagged ‘diet plan’

1200 Calorie Diets-What Can You Eat?

Anyone who is trying to lose weight has probably heard that it is best not to go under 1200 calories. Any lower and it would be hard to get all the nutrition that your body needs. In fact for many, such as those who lead an active lifestyle, 1200 calorie diets are probably not a good idea. However, if you are struggling to lose weight and your Dr gives you the okay to reduce your calories to 1200 here are some tips on what to eat to feel satisfied.

1. Eat a balanced diet. Filling up on lots of empty calories is not only unhealthy but will leave you feeling hungry and grumpy. You may also find that you lack energy. Make your calories count by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low fat dairy and whole grains.

2. Don’t drink your calories. When you drink sugar laden beverages such as soft drinks you are not only drinking empty calories but you will probably find that these empty calories are not filling you up. And if you think that 100% fruit juice is fine think again. Some juice can have just as many calories as soft drinks. And while fruit is healthy, why not have a piece of fruit instead; which has the fiber in tact and will go much further in filling you up.

When thirsty quench your thirst with water. If you do crave a fruity drink why not make a diet smoothie with frozen fruit, calcium rich skim milk and maybe a scoop of whey protein powder and enjoy as a healthy meal replacement.

3. Eat more fiber. Fiber is great because it helps fill you up.  The average woman under the age of 50 should get about 25 grams a day but most adults don’t even get half. Good sources of fiber include fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains. If you find it difficult to get in at least 25 grams of fiber a day ask your Dr about taking an an all natural fiber supplement such as Metamucil that can be mixed with water (tip, drink a glass about 30 minutes before dinner and you may find that you will wont be so hungry).

1200 calorie diets can be difficult to stick with but it can be accomplished. Just keep in mind that if you can probably lose weight consistently eating more. Either way, be sure to talk to your Dr before starting any diet and exercise plan and he or she will be able to guide you in the right diet plan for you.

Can You Lose Weight With a Smoothie?

Everyone loves a good smoothie in the morning, and there are lots of people who drink it as part of their weight loss diet plan. Do these people who drink smoothies actually get to lose any weight or is this a simple myth? Well, the truth is you can actually lose weight thanks to your smoothies, but the secret behind your success is to also exercise and eat a balanced diet. If you don’t do all these and only drink smoothies instead, waiting for your bathroom scale to show you what you want, let me tell you things are not going to go your own way. You won’t lose any weight, and this is simply because inserting smoothies in your daily diet cannot do much for you, unless you mix them with a healthy diet with less calories and at least 30 minutes of workout on a daily basis.

There are many reasons why you should drink smoothies. One of them is their impressive amount of vitamins and minerals, which your body needs in order to function properly. Their lack leads to a lot of health issues, so it’s always better to prevent these by giving your body what it needs. Plus, smoothies containing lots of fruits are normally really sweet, so you won’t have to add any more sugar to them. Thus, these smoothies are one hundred percent natural and they can sometimes replace an entire meal. You can skip a dinner or two every week and drink a smoothie instead of your regular evening dishes.

Smoothies are also very filling, so you will stay fuller for a longer period of time. Plus, just think of all the energy your smoothies are going to provide. There are tons of recipes for delicious smoothies, but you need to remember one golden rule: if you’re opting for a smoothie that can also help you lose weight and you’re opting for acidic fruits such as oranges or grapefruits, you should serve it as a juice instead, because the mix of acidity and milk or yogurt can cause the combination to curdle.

Cheat Your Way Thin Plan

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.

What’s the Best Diet Plan? A Diet You Can Stick With (Part 1)

What’s the best diet plan? I have been asking myself that question since I started this blog nine months ago at 204.5 pounds. On April 19 I weighed in at 206 so obviously what I have been doing is not working. I really thought that having a blog to document my progress was the key to success  but sadly, it didn’t turn out that way. However, this time I think I have finally got it. And today, four days  later and down to 203 pounds I really think that things have turned around.

If you go back to my oldest post you know that my health issues include my high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (I was diagnosed with insulin resistance a few years ago and had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant). I also have an insane amount of belly fat-not from getting older but because of genetics.  I also have high triglycerides and although my overall cholesterol under 200, my good cholesterol (HDL) is too low. Oh and did I mention my high blood pressure?

So this brings me back to the question, what’s the best diet? For me, it’s one that I can live with for the rest of my life. Over the years I have tried them all, Atkins (lasted a few days), The South Beach Diet, a diabetic diet plan designed for me after seeing a nutritionist, The Insulin Resistance Diet and of course, Weight Watchers.  With the exception of the Atkins Diet (no offense to those who follow this plan, this is just my own opinion) each of these diet plans is  pretty healthy and  has something valuable to offer yet I can’t seem to make any of them work for me.

About a month ago I bought The Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise. The book looked promising for me and I could see where it could really help those of us who have health issues due to excess belly fat. Still, I found it to be a little too strict for me. For example, with my risk of type 2 diabetes I know that watching carbs is important but Jorge counts both sugar and carbs. Having no more than two carb servings per meal was pretty doable but I also had to stay under five grams of sugar per meal and less than 15 grams of sugar a day. And because all sugars are counted, even those in fruits and vegetables, I found it hard to stay under 5 grams at one sitting. Still, I picked up a lot of great tips.

I am currently reading You: On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management by Dr Mehmet Oz and Dr Michael Roizen, that I was lucky enough to get at my library. Actually I started to read this book a few years back but never finished it so this time I made the commitment.  I will admit, I am not doing everything that they suggest either but I have picked up a lot of good tips (such as eating a few almonds 20  minutes or so before dinner so that you will eat less).   Among other things, the authors  go into great detail about inflammation (internal) and how it can really do damage to your body. Eating the right foods can go far in preventing inflammation.

This post is really getting long winded so I will go ahead and post tomorrow about some of the changes I have made that is making a difference already. And even though losing three pounds isn’t a success story yet, the fact that I am able to stick with my diet  plan without feeling deprived and have already noticed an increase in energy  makes me feel as though I just may be on to something!

Shopping for Weight Watchers Friendly Food

Back when I used to go to Weight Watchers meetings (almost 10 years ago) we were constantly reminded of two things to make the Weight Watchers plan work:  Always have a variety of low point foods to choose from and always write everything you eat down!  These really are important to succeed whether you are following Weight Watchers or any other diet plan.

Last night I made a trip to the grocery store by myself.  I like grocery shopping myself because I can take the time to really browse and read labels (hard to do with young kids in tow).   I did spend a little more than planned but I also stocked up on some sale items so next week’s shopping trip shouldn’t be too bad.

Here are a few items that I bought:

Diet V8 Splash.  I love this stuff!  I am not a big fan of using articial sweeteners in my food but will in my drinks because besides milk, we really shouldn’t drink our calories (huge waste of points).   The diet V8 Splash is made with splenda which, to me is much more palatable than other artificial sweeteners.  I also purchased some diet Oceanspray Crangrape drink made with Splenda.  This was on sale so I purchased two.

Boneless skinless chicken breast was on sale for $1.99 a pound so I bought a few big packs to separate into family size portions and freeze.  Usually when I make chicken for dinner I will cook a few  extra and add it to a  big salad for the next days lunch or dinner for the family.

I also bought frozen fruit and whey protein.  Whey protein powder  runs about $17 a can where I shop but it lasts me a long time if I average 2 or 3 diet smoothies a week.

I also bought some fresh fruit as well as some frozen vegetables.  They say that frozen vegetables can be as healthy as fresh; sometimes even more because frozen vegetables are usually frozen right after picking when they have still maintained most of their vitamins.

I  love tomato based soups and bought two more to try;  Select Harvest tomato with basil and zesty tomato bisque (each 2 points per serving and a good dose of fiber).   These were on sale so bought 4 cans.  If I really like them I will stock up even more the next time they go on sale.

I rounded out the trip with some low fat string cheese, skim milk and some light cool whip to try a new low point recipe (will post later).   I already have brown rice, ground turkey and whole grain bread from my last trip to Sam’s Club so I am now pretty well stocked up.   As for dinner tonight, I think I will make some low point chicken picante

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