SUGAR COATED LEMONS, the sweeter side of life

2014-10-25T20:42:00.002-04:00

I have started a page on Facebook called Sugar Coated Lemons
You can find it here
https://www.facebook.com/sugarcoatedlemons

Smoothies

2014-07-05T19:38:00.002-04:00

Add a scoop or 2 of protein powder (I prefer whey protein) to any recipe for a protein shake:

Green Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 large mangoes
2 cups fresh parsley or spinach
honey (to taste)
Blend well and drink your healthy green smoothie
Carrot-Apple Smoothie (serves 2)
1 large apple
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
2 whole carrots
1/2 cup water
Blend well all the ingredients and drink.
Cucumber-Pear Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 cucumber
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 pears (seeded)
½ cup water
Blend in your blender until smooth and enjoy!
Mango-Peach Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 peach, sliced
1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup orange juice, or as needed
Place the peach, mango, low fat milk, and orange juice into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.
Mango Banana Smoothie (4 servings)
1 mangos – peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 bananas
1 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cups milk
Blend mangos, banana, vanilla yogurt, and milk in a blender until smooth.
Banana- Ginger Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 banana, sliced
3/4 cup (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
In a blender, combine the banana, yogurt, honey, and ginger. Blend until smooth.
Yogurt- Berry Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 cup frozen berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (any flavor)
1/2 cup orange juice or other juice
Place the berries, yogurt, and orange juice in a blender and pulse for 30 seconds. Blend for 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Low Fat Milk Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 frozen banana, sliced
In a blender, combine the milk, blueberries, cereal, and banana for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie (Serves 2)
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup orange juice
6 frozen strawberries
In a blender, combine the yogurt, banana, juice, and strawberries for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Orange-Berry Smoothie (Serves 2)
2 navel oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.

Still can't lose weight?

2014-06-18T12:28:00.000-04:00

Are you still unable to lose weight?
Have you considered food allergies? Do some foods make you sick, your stomache hurt, feel all bloated or swollen?

Start by food journaling. Keep track of what you eat for a month. If you have any negative symptoms after eating, write it down. Do you find that you are gassy every time you have lunch at the deli by work? What did you eat? Did mom make your favorite dinner again and you went home to argue with your best friend while in tummy pain- just like last time?

These are all clues. Your body is talking to you. We just forget to stop and listen.

Remember that some foods are made up of several foods combined. For example, lasagna. Pasta, tomato sauce, cheeses,....all layered together for yummy goodness. Maybe there is an ingredient flavoring the meat or the sauce that is a problem for you.

Your food journal is your clue book to knowing your body.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

#cleaneating #healthychoices #diet #lifestyle #strong #healthy #health #eatclean #healthyliving #fitnessjourney #gettingfit #fitmom #weightlossjourney #healthydrink #healthyeating #smoothie #weightloss #dinner #yogurt #determination #lifestyle #newme #weightlossjourney2014 #healthyfood #healthylife #gethealthy #icaniwill #dedication #fatloss #thin #fat #slimming
#fatty #howfaricame #lookatme

Diet Freedom

2014-06-15T18:26:00.003-04:00

It is so easy to diet when you make your own diet. I have my protein shake every morning. During the morning I drink my coffee with something low calorie and high protein like a protein bar. Next I reach for another protein shake.
Every 2 hours. Protein with low calories.
Next is a "meal" such as cottage cheese and fruit.
Two more hours. A "snack" of Greek yogurt. Or 50 calorie Flax pitabread and peanut butter.
Two more hours and another "meal".

My point here is that I eat whatever I want-- no, I do not live on ice cream and brownies (mmmm, what an idea! One day I need to bake those brownies with the black beans in the recipe). When I shop, I look for the right foods. In my house, there are lots of foods that work for me. I have 25 -45 calorie ice pops and Yasso frozen Greek yogurt bars in my freezer. I have breads- Flax pita bread and others.

I have always believed that if you are hungry for something, then have a bite or two. Just eat something high protein beforehand so that you are not hungry. Control is impossible when you are really hungry!

#weightloss, #highprotein # wls #proteinshakes #lowcalorie #diet #yasso #greekyogurt #frozengreekyogurt #proteinbar #preteindiet

Belly Fat

2014-06-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

Ugh. Belly Fat. I think every pound I put on in the past 5 years is sitting in my belly. I had 2 severely stressful years and they didn't help.

Here are 5 important ways to resist belly fat as we age.
Drink more water
Eat whole grains
Watch the stress
Vitamins
Sleep

Water:
I have mentioned before that we need to drink plenty of water. I make sure that I drink three to four 16 ounce bottles every day.
A study by the National Institute of Health of middle-aged and older participants, showed that those who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal lost 44% more weight while on a low-calorie diet than those on a low-calorie diet alone.

Grains:
Eating whole grains can stabilize blood sugar levels, stave of hunger pains and lower cholesterol. The more whole grains you can add to your diet, the better. Oats are a good, easy choice. They are not only high in fat-fighting fiber but also a good source of magnesium, chromium and protein.

Stress:
The stress hormone is cortisol. Cortisol is released by our bodies when we're sick, frightened or even feel a lack of control over events in our lives.
High cortisol levels have been connected with an impaired immune system, heart disease, high blood pressure and even memory loss. When we are under stress the body releases more cortisol and we gain weight.
Find something that relaxes you to help lower cortisol levels. Yoga or music will help keep the weight off the belly!

Vitamins:
As we age, it is harder to get all the nutrients it needs from food. It becomes even more important to take supplements. Healthy weight maintenance includes Vitamin D, chromium, magnesium, Vitamin E, Beta-carotine, Vitamin C and many others.

Sleep:
Studies show a connection between weight gain and sleep. Be sure to get a good night's sleep to help resist belly fat. Eight hours is a good night's sleep for many people.

#weightloss, #weightgain, #cortisol,

Who I am (sort of)

2014-06-09T20:33:00.004-04:00

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus and Sjogrens and Raynauds. They are Autoimmune diseases. I will probably be told that I have others. They tend to multiply.

My outlook on these diseases is different than many people. I don't complain about the pain or crawl into bed and hide from life.

For me, my diagnosis is a blessing, a gift.

My legs and my hips hurt me from before I was a teenager. I would wake up at 2am crying in pain. Mom kept the special pills for my leg pain separate from everything else. I didn't have to bother her- just go take one and wait for it to work. I walked up and down the long hallway in our ranch home waiting and crying. As a mother, I now know she walked every step with me even though she never got out of bed. It was best. I learned to deal with it.

I remember Mom taking me grocery shopping with her. I knew all the place where I could move stuff aside to sit on those bottom shelves. By the time we reached the checkout line I was in tears and sitting on the little shelf where the paper grocery bags would sit to be filled.

I was about 13 when Mom went to the podiatrist for B-12 shots in her feet for pain (huh? for Mom?). The doctor was so nice and explained it all to me. I asked why I couldn't have them. He checked me out that day. The doctor made inserts for my shoes that gave me years of relief and he explained part of why my legs always hurt.

Some of my pain was 'growing pains' but some was from muscles working extra hard to compensate for bent bones.

The interesting thing was I heard that doctor quietly say to my mother, "it might be the beginning of rheumatoid arthritis".

I got those B-12 shots by the way. Imagine taking a pillow and wrapping it around your feet -- actually imagine shoes made of pillows. That is how it made me feel. I saw a podiatrist a few years ago that was wonderful. We discussed my mother's shots. He said 40 years ago those B-12 shots also had cortisone in them.

I have never worn very high heels or pretty shoes. I should have known this when I started out with saddle shoes as a child for many years. As a baby those shoes were attached with a steel bar to help my legs straighten. I am a sneaker person. Not cheap ones either! I wore New Balance for years. Every 5 weeks I had to buy a new pair. Now I wear Nike Cross Trainers because they actually last 3 or 4 months. They cost twice the price also!

My children are adults now but childbirth remains a vivid memory. Pain. Lots of it. In my hips!!! Yes, I labored in my hips. Every 30 minutes the doctor would call back. My water had broken, there should be stomach pain. After 8 hours of steady pain, screaming as my poor dog walked me up and down those halls again, the doctor called again. He asked me if I was in any stomach pain. My mother whispered in my ear, "LIE!" so i did. I described my 3 minute apart hip pain but claimed that it was in my stomach. I was told to hurry up and get to the hospital.....my baby was born very quickly once we got there.

My second child labored the same way but I was experienced already. I knew how to lie. The dog knew what was expected also.

I am now 53 years old. I have learned to live with my strange pains and the 6 hour viruses seem to get. Now the doctors tell me I have all these serious diseases.

Get blood drawn. Try penicillin. Go to the lab for blood work. Try the infectious diseases doctor. Successfully lose weight. More blood work. Now try a Rheumatologist. First one sees me crying and says I am depressed like many people in January. Take this pill for depression. Same thing with the next Rheumatologist. More antidepressants. I don't take them. I am crying because I am tired of living in pain all my life.

Finally, I get a referral to a different Rheumatologist. I am hopeful. She is younger than I am and a woman. No more little old men doctors for me.
I start with Plaquenil. Six months later, we add one pill a week of Methotrexate. One pill? A week? What will that do? I have never heard of this.

I was still taking my advil. I grew up taking a lot of aspirin. Advil became my wonder drug because it meant pills were taken every 6 hours instead of every 3. I still do not take any narcotics or Prednisone.

Hurricane Sandy hit NY. I was living alone. I sat on my bed in the dark texting my daughter safely in Florida throughout the storm. No power meant no Facebook friends.

One week later, I was back online. I had been checking in when I could but just my close friends, my timeline. Now I started reading the group pages.

I realized I had been without pain throughout the storm. All that pressure and no pain.

My plaquenil had started working. When my doctor was able to return to her office, she saw me. We agreed that my body was showing signs of relief. My mind was too!!

This was October 2012. I saw the first Rheumatologist in January of 2012.
I am now on a lot of vitamins and herbs in addition to my Plaquenil and 3 tablets of Methotrexate. I take Advil on bad days or when I injure something. I have had a cortisone shot in my knee Ocotober 31, 2013. I had a Hyaluronic acid shot 3 months later on January 31, 2014. It is now June and my knee is still doing good. My shoulders hurt. My knees are bad. My hips are no longer alone. I have a bad toe. I have a bad finger or two. My hands swell. My legs swell. I have been dieting and getting that awful weight down.

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjogrens, Raynauds, and who knows what will be found next. I don't mind. These are all good things. With these strange words come solutions. I can plan my future. I know what to watch for. I wear a wrist support to sleep to prevent the progression of the diseases in my right wrist and hand. I am no longer fixing what is damaged but instead working to slow new damage.

For me, my diagnosis are a blessing. The medications I take help me to feel better than I have for most of my life.

#Rheumatoid Arthritis, #Lupus, #Sjogrens, #Raynauds, #autoimmune

diet

2014-06-09T20:24:00.000-04:00

When a blog is written, it is like a diary in that each day we add more. The problem is that in our little girl diaries, we wrote with a pen in a book. You could start at any point and continue to read the story.
This is my blog and you are reading what I wrote today. If you want to read what I wrote yesterday you need to look backward. To read what I wrote last month through today, you will need to start with that date and then work forward. In my opinion, this is all very complicated!

I began my dieting the first time around in 2011. To follow that diet section please read in date order starting from Jan 01, 2012. I restarted my diet the beginning of this year. In between are other health posts containing information that I wanted to hold onto.

PROTEIN JELLO!!

2014-06-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

You can use whatever flavor of jello you prefer. This recipe is so easy and more importantly with all the flavor it packs, it will be your go to recipe for dessert.
Follow directions on the box, and right at the end mix the protein powder in.

1 scoop flavored protein powder of your choice
1 package sugar free Jell-O (any flavor)

Make Jello

using the directions on the box.

Just before you’ve finished, add the protein powder to the mixture.

Let stand as per box's directions.

Serves 4

per serving:

Calories 40

Calories from Fat 3.4

Protein 6.75g

#weightlossrecipes, #diet, #proteindiet, #dietrecipes

Protein Hamburgers!

2014-06-07T10:34:00.004-04:00

Need your burgers, but they don't work in your diet?
How about increasing their protein numbers?
Try these:

4 oz. ground beef
¼ scoop flavorless (or vanilla) protein powder
Mix ground beef and protein powder in a medium-sized bowl.
Form into patties,
then cook for 4-5 minutes on each side atop a non-stick skillet on medium heat.

Calories 249

Calories from Fat 75.3
Protein 39.08g

Very easy- you can add more protein powder if you like.

Protein Rice Crispies Treats!!

2014-06-07T10:13:00.001-04:00

Rice Crispies Treats

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal,

1 ½ tbsp. honey,

2 tbsp. reduced fat butter,

½ cup oatmeal,

½ tsp. vanilla extract,

2 scoops vanilla protein powder.

You can use whatever flavor of protein powder you like for this recipe.

Fiber powder can be used instead of the protein or half and half.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Lightly coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and honey and vanilla over the stove until smooth.

Turn off the heat- add rice crispy and oatmeal and stir in the pan

Scoop onto the baking pan.

Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture is crisp.

Cool to slice and serve.

If you find mixture too dry to work with, add a little water by the tablespoon to thin it down. Careful - not too much.

Variation: While still warm, drizzle Hershey's Sugar free syrup over the top - adds just 15 calories per 2 tablespoons!!

#proteindiet, #highprotein, #lowcalorierecipe, #recipes, #lowcalrecipe, #diet

High Protein Recipes

2014-06-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

I just found some recipes using protein powder- great for boosting protein without drinking a shake!!

FRUIT SURPRISE
1 cup fruit such as peaches or apples,
¼ cup fat free cream cheese,
¼ tsp. cinnamon,
½ scoop protein powder.
DIRECTIONS: Mix cream cheese, cinnamon and protein powder together in a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 500 F, letting the fruit cook for 8-10 minutes.
Add the fruit to the top of the protein mixture and enjoy.

OATMEAL

1 cup oats,

½ - 1 cup 2% milk,

1 cup fruit,

1 scoop vanilla protein powder.

DIRECTIONS:

Microwave oats and milk for 2 ½ – 3 minutes.

Mix protein powder into the oats.

Add fruit on top and enjoy.

SCRAMBLED EGGS
6 eggs,
¼ cup 2% milk,
½ scoop flavorless protein powder
DIRECTIONS:
Mix eggs and milk together in a bowl.
Add protein powder, mixing until it is no longer clumpy.
Scramble as normal on LOW heat.
Salt & pepper to taste.

#highprotein, #diet, #highproteindiet, #weghtloss, #diet

Losing weight is never easy!

2014-06-07T09:54:00.001-04:00

I am still working at it. Just life sometimes interferes with writing about life!
Right now I have my coffee on my left and my protein shake on my right.
I start every day with 100-150 calories of protein shake which gets me going with a boost of 18 plus grams of protein.
How much protein is my daily goal?
According to the CDC, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for adult women is 46 grams of protein and adult men is 56 grams of protein each day.
WebMD suggests 10% of your daily calories need to be protein.....Standard nutrition labels base everything on a 2000calorie a day diet ( look at your vitamin labels or your favorite foods). 10% of 2000? that equals 200 calories of protein.
About.com uses this calculator

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.
Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

I believe we need double the protein that the CDC requires us to consume. Remember, they are concerned with us eating the minimum we need. Extra is not a concern. I personally try to have over 100 grams of protein every day. The important part is that those grams of protein - or protein calories are the majority of my calories.
I focus on low calorie foods with high protein calculations such as my protein shakes, protein bars, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tuna, eggs, broccoli,....
Here is a list from WebMd:

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese: 14

3 ounces tofu, firm: 13

1/2 cup lentils: 9

2 tablespoons peanut butter: 8

1 ounce meat, fish, poultry: 7

1 ounce cheese: 7

1/2 cup cooked kidney beans: 7

1 ounce nuts: 7

1 large egg: 6

4 ounces low-fat yogurt: 6

4 ounces soy milk: 5

4 ounces milk: 4

More from various other sources:

Eggs have 1g protein per 12 calories while 1 Egg White (33g) provides 4g protein, 1g protein to 4.4 calories.
If you'd like to cut the cholesterol out of your omelets, one cup of egg whites has only 117 calories, provides more than 26mg of protein and has no cholesterol. Shellfish may have more cholesterol than you want in your diet. For example, a 3 oz. serving of crayfish, which has roughly 13g of protein, has 91mg of cholesterol, almost 1/3 of your daily DMV for cholesterol.

Chicken Breast (58g) provides 17g protein.

Chicken Leg (69g) provides 18g protein.

Chicken Thigh (37g) provides 9g protein

fish high in protein per fillet(3oz or 85g):

Tuna (22g), Salmon (22g), Halibut (22g), Snapper (22g), Perch(21g), Flounder and Sole (21g), Cod (20g), Tilapia (17g).

cheese high in protein per ounce(28g):

Low-fat Cottage Cheese (5g), Low-fat Swiss Cheese (8g), Low-fat Cheddar (6g), Parmesan (10g), Romano (9g).

*Low or Non Fat Mozzarella and Cottage Cheese provide the most protein per calorie, full fat cheeses typically only provide 1g protein per 20 calories, and are less optimal sources of protein.
Low or nonfat mozzarella has 1g protein per 4.7 calories

Do you like tofu? It gives you 1g protein per 7.4 calories

There are many healthy, low calorie, high protein foods. Google will help you find amounts and recipes.

#highprotein, #lowcalorie, 3highproteindiet, #diet, #weightloss, #wls,

Some days are diamonds, others are not!

2014-05-31T16:58:00.001-04:00

Not every day is easy. Today I would love to sit here with a bag of crunchy______ or a box of sweet ________ to dip in hot coffee.

I am not.

I am eating extra high protein and low calorie foods. My body needs something and sugar and carbs are not it.

How to get started?

2014-05-30T15:04:00.003-04:00

You want to start losing weight but can't figure out where to start.

My suggestions:
Every morning prepare 3 whey protein shakes. Drink one. Take one or two of the others with you when you leave the house.

You need to eat a LOW calorie protein every 2 hours.

Keep track of your calories. They need to remain low - for me that means under 1500 daily calories. My maintenance calories is 2000 a day due to my naturally low metabolism and sedentary lifestyle.

Journal your foods, and also moods and pains. I prefer the Diet Tracker at Fitclick.com found here http://www.fitclick.com/calorie_counter?dt=5/30/2014#.U4jSYyhwVRg. This works for me - they have a phone app also. There are many available. The important thing is to use it!

I enjoy my decaf coffee every morning. With it I have a protein bar - I watch the calorie content on these. I prefer the Zone bars or the new ones from Quest. Find your favorite any brand-- just be sure to keep the calories under 250 but as low as possible. The protein has to be at least 15 grams but higher is better.

Remember Carbs make hungries and protein kills hungries.

Watch what you eat. Plan ahead. Take it with you; don't get caught in the car and hungry while you are driving past one of those drive-thru fast food places.

Meals for your first day:
1.shake
2. coffee/protein bar
3. shake
4. 3 hard boiled eggs, low cal mayo or salad dressing, lettuce, tomato, high protein flat bread (Damascus, Joe's, etc) that has under 110 calories and 10 grams protein.
5. shake
6. dinner can be shrimp or salmon or other fish, or broiled chicken, or high protein pasta, etc - you figure out what works for you. Use your calorie calculator and plan a meal.
Leave out rice, white potatoes, processed foods. Quinoa is a good suggestion.

Do you need snacks at night? There are 25-40 calorie ice pops or yogurt pops for 80 calories. Find something in the hundred calorie group but not a carb filled problem. 2 carb filled cookies can be 100 calories but the chemistry is bad in your body.

Each of these meals is eaten about 2 hours after the last one.

#Damascusflatbread, #Questbars, #zonebars, #wheyproteinshakes, #wheyprotein, #losingweight, #LOWcalorieprotein, #LOWcalorie, #highprotein, #wls, #weightloss, #diet, #highproteindiet, #highprotein, #fitclick

And on another note.....

2014-05-26T11:33:00.001-04:00

I have been involved with Overeaters Anonymous for over 20 years. It is not something to discuss and print t-shirts to wear. It is there inside me as a part of my life.
I wrote the following for a group I am involved with. I think it belongs here also.

When I was a little girl, my grandparents would take the entire family to restaurants in Chinatown (NYC). Everyone would get menus to pick the food that they wanted but it wasn't really up to us.
My grandfather did the real ordering. The menu was made up of two columns, A & B. Based on the number of people at the table, you chose the number of dishes from each column. I imagine 8 people meant 3 from one column and 5 from the other column.
When all those plates of steaming food arrived, you were given some of everything and the plates were shared all around. I can't remember having been there once I hit my preteens but it is a solid memory. Those dinners were a lot of fun, even when it was just my grandparents and I. I was the first born grandchild, the only girl and their favorite.
After dinner, we walked around Chinatown looking at all the different things. We finished with ice cream in a place they always went to.

(Why is it that all my memories involve food?)

One of my favorite parts of OA and the 12 Step Programs, is the quotes and sayings. My favorite one is " Take what you like and leave the rest."

Everyone is different and OA allows us to choose what we like from column A and what we need from column B. There are basic parts of the programs that are for everyone, such as your Higher Power. However, even that is open for you to decide.

Your Higher Power can be anyone or anything- even your cat! If you were involved with Lamaze classes at anytime, you were taught to choose a focal point such as an baseball or a photo of your first born child. You practiced with this focal point so that you were used to using it when the pains of child birth came along. It was a habit to let it go and breathe with your focal point.

We do the same. We practice 'speaking' to our focal point. We read about letting it go and handing it over to our baseball. This is all practice for the night you are at your mother in law's holiday dinner and she serves your favorite food and gives you a lecture on your least favorite subject. You listen with a pasted on smile and inwardly focus on your higher power while she speaks and you put your fork down. When she is done, you may not wonder why you ask your father in law who won last night's baseball game. Your Higher Power has joined you at the table, and only a reasonable meal is eaten.

We are growing and one day a time, we are healing. We are stronger every day because we choose not to do this ourselves.
We give it over to our Higher Power and we share with new friends walking the same roads we travel.
We take what we like and leave the rest.

#OA, #wls, #weightloss, #diet, #higherpower, #takewhatyoulike, #onedayatatime, #proteindiet, #12stepprogram

Another Diet? Dieting Again?

2014-05-24T17:26:00.001-04:00

Are you on another diet?
How many have you been on?
What diets have you tried?
Have they worked? Did you lose weight?
You did? Great!!!
So,...tell me, why are you here?
You need a good diet? But you said the other one worked!
Oh, ok, I understand. You need another diet. You need to lose weight again. You lost 25, 45, 75 pounds with that other diet.
Now you need to do it again.
You need to lose 25, 45, 75 pounds now. Again.
Isn't this the whole problem with diets? You do great. You lose the weight. You finish the diet. Next thing you know, you have to do it again.

I am here to end the cycle of diets.
I refuse to go on another diet and I don't want you to either.

I am making a life change. No more diets.

This does not mean I am going to remain fat and even fatter. No way! There is an outfit all picked out for me to wear New Year's Eve. They don't sell it in my current size.

I am no longer dieting and I am no longer eating to gain weight. I want to eat to live, not live to eat.

First, you need to know what to eat. I start by determining how many calories I need. If you read the nutrition labels on most foods and vitamins, you will see the words "based on a 2000 calorie diet". I grew up with that as my ratio also. I also have read in many places that women need a minimum of 1200 calories per day while men need 1600 calories minimum.

Based on these number, my caloric intake to lose weight is 1200-1500 calories per day. There are days that I eat 1900 calories and there are days that I struggle to have over 1000 calories. The goal is to generally have the correct number of calories. There is nothing wrong with going to a special dinner and they are serving the most wonderful " _________ " you fill in the blank since everyone is different. The key here is that it is one special dinner, not every dinner. I always think about whether it is worth it or not. Funny thing is that it never tastes as good as I imagine it will!!

"Calorie" is just the term used to describe the amount of energy a food or drink provides when you eat it. Carbohydrates, fat, protein, and alcohol all provide energy – and this energy is measured in calories. Think of calories as a measurement unit – like inches, pounds, or gallons. You need energy from foods and drinks to fuel your body – for everything from breathing to physical activity. But if your foods provide more energy than you use, your body stores the rest as fat.

I often say that when I eat something I get 10 grams of protein but I had to pay 130 calories for it. I measure my foods in protein to calorie ratios. I try to eat only food that give me at least 10 grams of protein for every 100 calories.

I try to eat over 100 grams of protein every day. I start my day with protein shakes. Read through the other posts to learn how I make an easy protein shake and other foods I eat and when.

Today I was on the road most of the day and far from home. I brought my foods with me. I had a 1 scoop 8 ounce chocolate shake at 8:30am. Then I drank my coffee and had a protein bar at 10am. At 11:30am I had the other 8 ounce shake. At some point we stopped and I was told to buy my husband 2 donuts. I looked at those fresh donuts and thought about it for a second. I totally enjoyed my 2 munchkins. Nobody had ever ordered just 2 so they decided not to even charge me for them!! To me, that was a sign of encouragement that I was doing the right thing.

I am trying to explain that this is all about making changes -- not suffering on some crazy diet for 2 weeks while cheating for another week then quitting.
We are making life style changes.

#proteinbar, #proteinshake, #lifechange, #lifestylechange, #weightloss, #weightlosssurgery, #wls, #calorie, #lowcalorie, #highprotein, #1200caloriediet, #diet, #nomorediets

:) :) :)

2014-05-19T14:15:00.003-04:00

Just stopped at doc's office to use a real scale.
down 36 pounds in the 7 weeks I am working at this

#weightloss, #weight, #diet, #poundslost, #proteindiet

I forgot to eat today!

2014-05-17T18:37:00.000-04:00

I slept a little extra this morning and was busy when I woke up. I lost track of time. When I left to go fruit shopping and some other chores I realized I forgot to eat enough. I grabbed a Muscle Milk right away.

My day is almost over so I recorded everything I ate today and plan to eat tonight. I have my dinner all loaded onto a plate and I might have ice pops later so even they are on my food tracker.

My total calories for today come to 1375 with 126 grams of protein.

Carbs

Protein

Fat

Calories

Designer Whey - Vanilla

1 scoop

100

Tap Water

16 fl. oz.

Hershey's Sugar Free Syrup

3 tablespoons

Josephs pita bread-flax, oat & ww…

1 piece

Salted Butter

2 teaspoons

Decaf Brewed Coffee-Prepared with…

18 fl. oz.

Whole Milk

4 fl. oz.

Muscle Milk Light Chocolate Milk

1 container

160

Designer Whey - Vanilla

1 scoop

100

Tap Water

16 fl. oz.

Hershey's Sugar Free Syrup

3 tablespoons

Chicken Thigh, bonless, skinlesses…

260

Green Peas

1/2 cup

Quinoa-Cooked

1/2 cup

111

small baked potat

110

Fresh Avocado

1/2

161

Outshine Fruit Bars

#protein, #proteindiet, #proteinshake, #fruitbar, #wls, #weightloss
#quinoa,

Good Morning!

2014-05-17T11:15:00.002-04:00

I just had half my protein shake bottle. Started me with about 20 grams of protein. Now, leisurely, I am drinking my decaf and when I get hungry the rest of the coffee will have a protein bar. After the coffee I finish my protein bottle.
This gets me through the first half of the day with high protein and low calories.

#protein, #proteindiet, #proteinshake, #proteinbar, #wls, #weightloss

I have improved my protein shakes!!

2014-05-16T20:40:00.002-04:00

My protein shakes have gotten better!
I still use Vanilla Designer Whey protein powder. I add 2 scoops to an empty 16 oz. water bottle.
Now I add a half a scoop of their new product, Designer Whey Sustained Energy Vanilla.
Add 2 inches of very warm water. Close and shake.
Now add 2 Tablespoons of Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup.
Add Cold water to an inch from the top of the bottle. Close and shake hard. Drink!!
These changes taste like liquid chocolate and keep the hungries away longer!!

From their website:

Designer Whey® Sustained Energy™ is specifically formulated with our proprietary Endurance Blend™. Designed to give you balanced, stimulant-free, sustained energy through fast absorbing whey protein and slower absorbing soy and casein proteins, giving you a steady supply of essential amino acids while helping you control hunger with fiber. Packed with 16 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 19 Essential Vitamins & Minerals and naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100-good-for-you calories!

The more active you are, the more your body needs protein to recover. Our reformulated Designer Whey Protein Powders are packed with 18g of premium natural 100% whey protein (the right amount per serving for your active lifestyle, yet easy on your digestive system) and offer an excellent source of calcium, vitamin-D, and B-vitamins while being naturally flavored and sweetened – all for only 100 calories!

HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup:

Experience the same high quality and famous taste of HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup - but without the sugar. HERSHEY'S Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup is perfect for any occasion.

#proteinpowder, #proteinshake, #Hershey's, #diet, #easydiet, #proteindiet, #wls, #weightloss

Unusual weightloss hints

2014-05-11T08:32:00.002-04:00

Here are 15 helpful and unusual weightloss hints:

1. We eat out of habit, particularly when we are distracted.
Do something to break that habit, such as eating with the "wrong" hand (the left hand for right-handers and vice versa). (or so say researchers from the University of Southern California)
The study of moviegoers, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, found that people ate only half as much popcorn if they were asked to eat it with their other hand.

2. Chillies can be hot stuff for losing weight, since they rev up your body's metabolism, making it burn more fat. Try a teaspoon of pepper before meals!
A month-long study of 78 people in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that supplements containing a key substance in chilli, dihydrocapsiate (DHC), can raise the metabolic rate.
Angelo Tremblay, of Laval University in Canada, believes that capsaicin, a compound in jalapeño and cayenne peppers, may increase the release of stress hormones, which can speed up metabolism.
His research shows that the heat may reduce the appetite - and he found that a teaspoonful of pepper (capsicum) before meals reduced the amount people ate.

3. There seems to be a similar benefit with olive oil.
Fatty acids inolive oil can make your body burn food faster! (from a study at McGill University in Quebec)
The beneficial effect was still working six hours after volunteers had a breakfast drizzled with olive oil!

4. Restaurants, with all their clanging noises, make us want to eat sweeter and saltier foods. (Journal Food Quality and Preference)
Our nervous systems are wired to respond to loud noise with a faster heartbeat and higher blood pressure, so that we are ready to flee from danger.
In noisy restaurants we respond by eating faster and drinking more alcohol. ( University of Leicester )

5. When you have a food temptation, try clenching your fists for half a minute. ( Journal of Consumer Research in 2011)
We subliminally associate flexed muscles with endurance and can use this link to bolster our willpower.

6. Apple peel contains ursolic acid.
Ursolic acid increases muscle and levels of brown fat which is found in the neck and between the shoulder blades. Both of these boost the rate at which our bodies burn calories.

7. Eating a breakfast that includes a sweet dessert may help you to lose weight. (Tel Aviv University)
Dieters who followed this regimen lost more weight over eight months than those on the same calories but who had a smaller, low-carb breakfast.
So indulge in the morning, when your metabolism is at its most active and you can work off the extra calories.

8. Appetite is partly governed by sensory specific satiety. Basically, we feel fuller if we're eating only one food.
If you eat a plate of meat and think you'd burst with one more forkful, then pudding arrives-you can eat it.
Different colors on your plate makes you eat more and the greater the contrast in taste between the foods on your plate, the more you will eat.

9. Use tall, thin glasses for drinks such as alcohol and fruit juice; squat glassware for healthy, calorie-free water.
We tend to pour at least 10 percent more wine into a wide glass than a standard one. (Iowa State University.)
"People tend to drink less from a narrow glass, because they think they're drinking more." Red wine can make a difference because we notice it more. Participants in a study poured 9 percent more white wine into a clear glass than when pouring red.

10. Thinking ahead can help you to avoid eating junk food.
Hungry brains release hormones that make us crave high-fat, high-sugar foods. (Montreal Neurological Institute)
"If you go to the supermarket hungry you are drawn to high-calorie food."

11. Chew each mouthful.
A Japanese study of 4 700 people found fast eaters weigh on average 10kg more than slow chewers. Eating too fast may also raise the risk of diabetes.
Thirty women were given a large plate of pasta and when told to eat quickly they consumed 646 calories in nine minutes. When encouraged to pause between bites and chew each mouthful 15 to 20 times, they ate just 579 calories in 29 minutes. The slow eaters said they enjoyed their food more. (Journal of Epidemiology)

12. Bigger forks can mean slimmer tummies.
Taking larger bites can lead to us eating less. A large fork helps diners to notice how much of a dent they are making in their food.(Journal of Consumer Research)

13. Our idea of "normal" weight depends on the size of those around us.
If someone has a friend of the same sex who becomes fat, their risk of being overweight doubles.
Being influenced by those around us in this way is called "social contagion". It explains overweight families. (the journal, Obesity)
Denise Taylor, a Malvern-based psychologist who lost 20kg, says she adopted a "virtual" friend - the lithe singer Shakira. 'Whenever I wanted to eat cake, I'd ask myself: "What would Shakira do?" '

14. Use olive oil instead of butter on bread and you will eat 16 percent fewer calories and drop your bread consumption by a quarter. (International Journal of Obesity.)
It is thought that olive oil stimulates taste receptors more powerfully than butter, making people feel fuller quicker.

15. Get enough sleep.
Insufficient sleep knocks our appetite hormones out of kilter.
12 young men's nightly sleep was cut down to four hours. Their levels of appetite hormone ghrelin rose by 28 percent after only two days.
Levels of leptin, which tells the brain the stomach is full, fell by 18 percent. They began to crave high-carb foods. (Chicago University)

#proteindiet, #diet, #diettracker, #weightloss, #dietmenu, #fitclick, #wls

2014-05-09T17:59:00.003-04:00

Today is another asthma day and I just don't feel right. I would really rather just eat buttered bagels all day.....yeah, right! I don't do that anymore. Actually, I gave up bagels several years ago. I cannot control them so they were removed.

My foods today? I made an effort:

(remember:

Amount

Carbs

Protein

Fat

Calories

Decaf Brewed Coffee-Prepared with…

18 fl. oz.

Whole Milk

4 fl. oz.

Designer Whey - Vanilla

1 scoop

100

South Beach Living Strawberry Banana…

Tap Water

16 fl. oz.

Designer Whey - Vanilla

1 scoop

100

South Beach Living Strawberry Banana…

Tap Water

16 fl. oz.

Plain Grilled Sirloin Steak (Recipe…

1 serving

183

Mashed Potatoes

1/2 cup

100

Green Peas

1/2 cup

Banana-Medium

105

Damascus Bakeries Flax Roll up (Flat…

110

Quinoa-Cooked

1 cup

222

Steamed Zuchini Slices

1 cup

Fresh Tomato-Medium

Chobani Greek Yogurt: Plain-Non-Fat…

6 ounces

100

Have I ever given you my totals before?:

Calories

under 2,500

1270

Carbohydrate

under 250 g

154 g 46%

Protein

over 188 g

113 g 34%

Fat

under 83 g

29 g 20%

Dietary Fiber

N/A

35 g

The little red x means that I didn't reach the goals I set for myself. I had only 113 grams of protein yet I feel I should have 188.

Maybe tomorrow I will feel better and eat more of the good foods.

#proteindiet, #diet, #diettracker, #weightloss, #dietmenu, #fitclick, #wls

Long day and still eating right!

2014-05-05T20:07:00.000-04:00

I left the house this morning with my easy protein shake. 200 calories and 36grams protein... I drink half at 8am.
At 10am I had my coffee and Zone bar.
At noon I had the other half of the protein shake.

2pm I finally arrived home for less than an hour. Quickly I grabbed half the container of dieter's cottage cheese and sliced a banana and half a quart of strawberries. Had to eat quickly and leave.

5:30 home again and time for a Yasso Strawberry Greek yogurt bar.
Not hungry still so I finished my fresh papaya at 7pm.

Still need to find something for dinner. Something for my tummy to be happy overnight.

Remember how to read this? carbs- protein - fat - calories

Designer Whey - Vanilla

1 scoop

100

South Beach Living Strawberry Banana…

Tap Water

16 fl. oz.

Decaf Brewed Coffee-Prepared with…

18 fl. oz.

Whole Milk

4 fl. oz.

ZonePerfect Classic Fudge Graham…

210

Axelrod Easy-Diester Nonfat Cottage…

1/2 lb.

152

Whole Strawberries

1 pint

Banana-Medium

105

yasso frozen greek yogurt pop straw…

Papaya Cubes

2 cups

109

942 calories today but only 73 grams of protein. Dinner needs to fill some gaps.

#protein #diet #proteindiet #yasso #Axelrod #wls #weightloss

Sunday Laziness

2014-05-04T20:10:00.001-04:00

I found a new product this week in a store.
Brand name Kontos. Greek Lifestyle Flatbread. The numbers are unreal!!
180 calories and 15 grams protein.
This will be in my meals this week.

I ate light today.
Coffee and Zone bar in the morning.

Double scoop Protein shake this afternoon.

Dinner was 3 hard boiled eggs, 2 tomatoes.

Later tonight I will have a Yasso Greek yogurt ice pop.

#proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss

2014-05-01T21:43:00.001-04:00

I guess it is working. I was at the doctor today ( I refuse to own a scale to prevent obsessive weighing!). I was told to get on the scale and I am up to a total weight loss of 28 pounds. :)

I ate 2 cups of papaya this evening. I hope my tummy doesn't hurt later!

#proteindiet #Greekyogurt #diet #lowcalorie #weightloss