Friday, June 1, 2012

Eat It!

Ok, I did it again. I had to lower my calorie intake because I just am having trouble getting into the habit of eating EEK! The thought of breakfast just makes me frown. I will drink coffee though, but that doesn't have near enough calories.

Journaling has told me that I eat when I can't stand it anymore, binging.

So Here Is My Day Yesterday: (I was on the road)

Breakfast: Coffee with Sugar Free Creamer

Lunch: Rootbeer & Pulled Pork Sammy on Kaiser

Snack: Handful of BBQ Chips

Supper: Breaded Pork Chops and Velveeta Shells & Cheese

Today So Far:

Breakfast: Coffee with Sugar Free Vanilla Creamer

Lunch: Ham & Colby Cheese Sammy on Honey Wheat Bread & Pepsi

Weight Loss: 1 pound

Did you know that when you eat 3 meals a day, with snacks in between it helps control your blood sugar. When you control your blood sugar, you don't get those starvation pains where your body is telling you that it needs food, therefore controlling your binge eating.

Signs of Low Blood Sugar: Sweating, headache, lightheadedness, dizzy, hungry, shaky/tremors, nausea

Also, by eating 3 meals a day with snacks in between, you keep your metabolism active, therefore increasing your weight loss.

How are you doing?

Saturday, May 26, 2012

I've Got An App For That!


My Fitness Pal App for Smartphones|Ipads|Kindle Fire

Did you know they had an app for that? Counting calories is going to be key in my weight loss goals. Even though I did a post "Stop Counting Calories Now", I like to do it to help me eat more. My Fitness Pal not only counts calories, but it's the easiest thing in the world to use. Guess what? You can even look back on it to help you in your journaling! You know? In case you forgot it at home, left it on the bus, burned it in the bathroom (I get disgusted sometimes too). 

The best part, first of all - IT'S FREE

Second, you can just type in what you ate and it gives you a list of foods, brand names and all, to add to your list of foods that you ate for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and even drinks. Heck, it even has Vanilla Iced Coffee with cream & sugar from Dunk'n Donuts! HA! 

It counts your calories and you can see when you reach your calorie count. My problem, I never reach it cause I have a bad habit of not eating enough. My calorie count is supposed to be 2400, but I dropped it to 2000 because I'm having a hard time meeting that goal. Something to work on, I know. 

Have you tried it, or are you going to? I'd love to hear your thoughts - comment me.

You can also join me on Facebook, I'd love to see you there.

Friday, May 25, 2012

First Things First! On the Road to Losing Weight


Weight Loss For Real


If you're serious about losing weight, and I mean really serious, then here are some great tips to get you started.


First Things First

The first step to weight loss is to journal. Go out and buy yourself a pretty little journal from Walmart or Barnes and Noble, make sure it's one that you just love. You want to enjoy how it looks so you're more comfortable writing in it.

Utensils


Really it's just a pen. But again, make it one that you love. How does it write? Is it fat enough, skinny enough, does it feel great in your hand? Is the point tiny and thin, or thick and smooth? Personally, I love me a big fat pen that writes thick and smooth. Dark is always good for me too.

Food Journal

This is when the fun begins. If you truly want to lose weight, you want to figure out what your daily routine is first. We all go through a day and have no idea what we eat, when we eat, how we eat, or why we eat. Every time you put something in your mouth, whether it's food, a drink, candy, gum, or chewing tobacco - write it down. Don't just write down what you're eating though, write down the time of day, what you are feeling at the time you are eating, drinking or chewing, and be honest with your emotions. Carry your journal with you everywhere you go, you just never know when you will need it. Most importantly, don't forget to write it down each and every time.

Do this for an entire week, for a full 7 days. At the end of each day, go over it and see what happened throughout the day. At the end of the week, take a long hard look at what your habits are. Make a mental note of when you stress eat, binge eat, emotionally eat, and prepare yourself to watch for these triggers in the future.

By journaling, you will give yourself an idea of where your problematic areas are and what triggers cause you to eat most.  This will be perfect for future weight loss goals.

Buddy System

It's always better when you start a weight loss program to have a support system. Grab a friend and team up to lose the weight together. I want in. If you would like to start together, comment me and we can be buddy's. I'm getting married and want to fit into my dress and would love a partner!

Here's to a happier, thinner Us!


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

It's Not The Calories, but The Content Of What You Eat

The way to cure Obesity is not always by lowering your Daily Calories, and here's why...



Haven't you ever wondered why some people are naturally overweight while other people can remain skinny while eating twice as much?

The truth is that your total "daily calories" is not the deciding factor in whether you're overweight or skinny.

You see, there are 3 main types of calories that you can eat each day. 

First, there is protein... 

Next, there are carbohydrates (carbs)... 

And finally there are fat calories...

The truth is that your body doesn't pay attention to how many daily calories are eaten, but rather your body pays attention to how much of EACH TYPE of calorie that you consume.

For example, if you eat too many sugar based calories (sugar is common in fat free foods) then your body won't be able to use all of those sugar calories, and the excess calories will be stored as fat tissue.

This can happen even if you didn't eat very many daily calories, because if you eat too many "wrong" calories then you'll get fat.  This is why many obese people remain overweight their whole lives even though they eat less than some of their skinny friends and family members.

...And it doesn't have to be this way, because even though it's true that some people have slower metabolisms (and suffer from obesity) they can still get just as skinny as their friends if they just learn to EAT THE RIGHT TYPES OF CALORIES EACH DAY.

You see, your body needs protein, carbs and fat calories too.  Your body needs all 3 types of calories, but it does not need them all in the same proportions at every meal.

Certain types of fat calories can speed up weight loss believe it or not, while other types of "fat free foods" will actually make you overweight if you eat them too often.

Why else do you think that losing weight is so difficult?  Why else do you think that our society is suffering from a serious obesity problem which is getting worse?

It's because the ANSWER to weight loss is the OPPOSITE of what most people think.  Most average people have been brought up to believe that eating "fat" is bad and that eating "fat free foods" is healthy.

That may "seem" logical at first, but in reality the opposite is often true.  Eating "fat" does not automatically turn to fat tissue on your body, and eating "fat free" does not automatically cause weight loss to happen either.

To begin losing weight you must realize this fact and open your mind to a new way of dieting.

If you want to lose weight fast then you must learn to eat foods which have fat burning properties, and these are foods which keep your blood sugar level more stable throughout the day.  

You see, if you eat foods which cause your blood sugar level to spike upwards too sharply then you'll feel "energetic" for a short while -- but then afterwards your blood sugar level will drop way too low and you'll feel tired and lethargic for the rest of the day.

The higher your blood sugar rises after a meal, then the lower it will drop afterward.  ...And when it drops you'll feel tired and hungry all over again.  This is why obese people often suffer from "highs and lows" in their energy level.  

But if you begin eating fat burning foods (which keep your blood sugar level stable throughout the day) then your energy will be steady all day long, you'll have plenty of energy and you won't ever feel tired of lethargic.

Also, when your blood sugar level is kept stable then your body's natural fat burning engine will begin burning more fat tissue.  That's why these are called "fat burning foods".

To learn which fat burning foods you need to eat to begin losing weight, we recommend using our new online diet right here.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?



Everybody has heard of “low carb" diets -- since they are emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? ...And if so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

We don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards). 

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of "net carbs" per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of "net carbs".

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak” and “miserable” all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy). 

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be. 

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight. 

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs. 

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we're saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that “average dieters” will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently (protein, carbs, and fat). 

The truth is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbs and fat calories too. 

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody knows what the right proportions of calories should be.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Fat Burning Diet shown below -- since there are no specific "portion limits" at any meal (and dieters can eat as much as they need to at each meal).   Also, unlimited amounts of certain condiments can be eaten with every meal. 

This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Stop Counting Calories Now!

Why Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work for Weight Loss...


Most people believe that calories are the "enemy", since eating excess calories leads to excess fat, right?   That’s why most people believe that the fastest way to lose weight is to cut way back on calories each day.

After all, if a dieter is eating 2,500 calories per day and they decide to cut back to 1,500 calories per day – then obviously those extra 1,000 calories have to result in weight loss, right?

Well, actually this is not exactly true.

In fact, if you try to cut your calories too much (via starving yourself and skipping meals) then you'll quickly reach a dieting "plateau" (a point where the scale refuses to drop any lower no matter how little your are eating).

Firstly, let’s talk about how the average person begins a new diet...

The scenario usually sounds something like this...

One day you look in the mirror and see that your clothes are fitting tighter than normal, and you look more overweight than normal. ...And on this day you get “angry” with yourself, you’re angry with what you see in the mirror – and you decide that you’re going to lose weight no matter what it takes.

You are filled with lots of motivation and anger on this day, and you feel determined to do whatever it takes to get slimmer.

So what's the first thing you do?

...You begin skipping meals and cutting way back on calories in an attempt to starve yourself thinner, since you're convinced that calories are the enemy.

Anyway, the above scenario is how you begin your “starvation diet.”

On the first day of dieting you feel so “motivated” to lose weight that you decide to skip breakfast.

Unfortunately, this motivation doesn't last for long, because after a few hours your hunger begins making you feel weak -- because your body is not accustomed to "skipping meals" like this, and your body is not accustomed to being without calories for so long.

Anyway, by the time lunchtime arrives you’re so hungry (and weak) that you feel absolutely miserable --- but yet you bravely tell yourself that you can handle this diet (because after all, you certainly don’t want to feel like a quitter).

So you perhaps have a piece of fruit for lunch (or perhaps another small food item instead), since you're still convinced that you can starve yourself thinner.

Finally, hours later when dinnertime arrives you’re so miserable and hungry that you have a major headache – and this is the moment when you finally begin to realize that starving yourself might not be such a good idea after all.

After this first day of starving yourself you feel horrible, but you’re determined to stick to your diet since you don't want to be a quitter so soon -- so you’ll likely hold out for another few days on this diet.

Or, if you are particularly brave then you may even hold out for a week or two.

However, regardless of how long you actually hold out -- you won't get any slimmer and the final result will still be the same.

You see, even after two weeks of starving yourself you won’t have achieved any serious weight loss at all.  In fact, your body will still look the same when you look in the mirror.

Why is this true?

This is true because most of the weight lost during a “starvation diet” is just water weight, and not real fat loss.

You must remember that any “water weight” lost during a starvation diet will be gained back immediately when you stop dieting and start eating normally again.

Also, whenever you starve yourself you cause a “hidden” factor to come into play...

You see, whenever you starve yourself your body will begin burning fewer calories each day.

For instance, let’s say that you normally eat about 3,,000 calories per day.

....But then you suddenly cut way back on calories -- so that you're now eating only 1,000 calories per day.

Guess what happens?

Even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day your body will begin burning 2,000 fewer calories per day – so in reality your weight will remain the same even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day.

When this happens the scale will stop going down regardless of how little you are eating each day, and this is known as a weight loss “plateau.”

This is why most starvation dieters cannot make the scale go down anymore after just two weeks of dieting. They all hit a “plateau” where the scale just refuses to go down any further, no matter how little they are eating each day.

Now you know why you’ve always failed when trying to starve yourself in the past, since it’s just not possible to lose weight by starving yourself.

The truth is that “serious” weight loss can never be achieved by starvation dieting.

Serious weight loss can only be achieved by giving your body the right types of calories at the correct times each day, which is something that we talk about below...

Your body is actually like a big “engine” -- and the truth is that your body needs all 3 types of calories (protein, carbs, and fat) to some degree.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Fat Burning Diet from Fat Loss 4 Idiots -- because it does not require any calorie counting (it's one of the only diets in the world which forces fast weight loss without the need to count calories). 

You can begin this new diet right here.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Artichoke-Scrambled Eggs Benedict




INGREDIENTS

8 canned artichoke bottoms, (1 1/2 cans), rinsed (see Shopping Tip)

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, divided, plus 4 sprigs for garnish

1/3 cup chopped pancetta

2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon water

6 large eggs

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Toss artichoke bottoms with 2 teaspoons oil and 2 teaspoons oregano. Place them top-side down on half of a large baking sheet. Spread pancetta in an even layer on the other half. Roast until the artichokes are just beginning to brown and the pancetta is crispy, 12 to 14 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and water in a small bowl until smooth. Beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, folding and stirring frequently with a heatproof rubber spatula until almost set, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in cream cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and salt.
  5. To serve, divide the artichoke bottoms among 4 plates. Top each artichoke with equal portions scrambled egg, crispy pancetta and creamy lemon sauce. Garnish with oregano sprigs, if desired.

Fat Loss for Idiots - Can it be that simple? Really?

Low Fat & Fat Free Foods Will Get You NOWHERE...


If you walk down the aisle of any grocery store you’ll see dozens “low fat” and “fat free” food items nearly everywhere you look.

The whole world has gone “low fat” crazy -- and most people think that if they just begin eating low fat foods then their bodies will have less fat too.

Sounds logical right?

Wrong.

You see, the problem with this type of thinking is that there is no “direct” relationship between fat calories eaten and fat tissue on a person’s body.

The truth is that your body can convert ANY type of calorie to fat tissue, not just fat calories.

For example, if you eat 2 lbs. of sugar every day then you’ll probably gain some fat tissue after a while – but yet sugar has ZERO FAT CALORIES in it. So eating 2 lbs. of sugar every day is a “fat free” diet, but yet you’d still gain fat.

Likewise, if you eat a huge bowl of white rice at every single meal then you’d soon gain fat tissue on your body – but yet this is a fat free food too.

So what does that tell you about eating fat free foods?

Not only that, but there are plenty of low fat cakes, cookies and desserts sold at every grocery store. Yet, do you honestly think that these foods are “healthy” merely because they are low in fat?

Of course not, and you’ll gain extra fat if you eat too much of them.

In fact, our entire society has been eating low fat foods in greater quantity over the last decade – but yet our society is still getting fatter and fatter. So that should tell you something about low fat diets.

You should stop thinking “non fat” and “low fat”– since those are just buzz words designed to make you feel as though such foods are healthy.

The truth is that you don’t need to worry about “fat” calories so much, and you also don’t need to worry about total “carbs” so much either...

What you need to worry about is the exact types of foods that you combine together at each meal, so that you get the proper portion of fat calories and carbs at each meal – which will maximize weight loss.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Fat Burning Diet from Fat Loss 4 Idiots -- because it's not based on "low fat" foods.

In fact, it's not based on "low calories" either, and it's also not based on "low carbs" (since low carb diets don't work very well)...    This is a brand new type of diet never seen before, so give it a try and watch the pounds come off fast.

You can begin this new diet right here.






Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Real Moms Love To Eat by Beth Aldrich

Beth Aldrich, author of, Real Moms Love to Eat wants you to conduct a love affair with food and still look fabulous by simply working through her easy-to-follow 10-part plan of making over your entire outlook and relationship with food. You have to eat at least three times a day, so why not love what you're eating and feed yourself food that will love you back? Discover new and interesting ways to prepare and "get involved" with food; complete with 21-days of satisfying and delicious meal suggestions, this funny book will find a permanent spot on your bedside table or kitchen counter. Real Moms really DO love to eat! 


www.realmomslovetoeat.com


Excerpt:

 “Oh, food—how we love you, and how we fear you. How we desire you, and how we push you away. Food, you shameless flirt, you player, you tease. You could almost seduce us into an illicit affair. . . . Maybe because moms are so concerned with setting a good example or guiding their kids down the right path, we sometimes make ourselves feel guilty. We deny ourselves pleasure. But when it comes to food, this is a big, Oh, no, you don’t! Denial leads to obsession—the nasty kind where you can’t get that bad boy out of your head and then you binge. Instead, when you give yourself the license to love a variety of foods, experiment with an array of flavors, and lighten up on your self-righteous have-to-eat-100-percent-healthy-and-be-perfect-all-the-time side, then you can give yourself permission to love—food and anything or anyone else. You find a new balance. You find your own personal way of healthy eating. Fear leads only to ruin. Denial leads to deprivation. Controlled indulgence, on the other hand, leads to freedom.”
Just a few of the many busy-mom-friendly tips readers of REAL MOMS LOVE TO EAT will learn include:

  • Make it All About YOU: Remembering the pleasure inherent in early food experiences can make food seem like a friend, not an enemy. Beth teaches readers how to have a loving relationship with food and recapture the pleasure, showing them how to change their perspective on food-for good. Out with the guilt and in with the happy-tasty-delicious! This book will provide the tools needed for moms to feel more energetic and still look great in those skinny jeans!
  • Get Naked with Raw Foods: Every bite of fresh, scrumptious, whole foods can increase vitality, energy and contribute to the health of the planet. Raw foods are easy to prepare and make your mouth sing. You’ll be asking the sales clerk, “May I get a smaller size, please?” in no time, when you get on the whole-food wagon.
  • Tame your Cravings Dragon: If you’re yearning for sweets and processed baked goods, odds are your cravings dragon needs to be tamed. By consuming nutrient-dense whole grains, such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal, that dragon of yours will turn into a pussycat in no time.
  • Hungry for More Lovin’?: In addition to the easy-to-follow steps outlined in Beth’s 10-part plan, there’s 21 days of lick-the-back-of-the-spoon, sample menu suggestions, complete with lifestyle recommendations and recipes including, Balsamic Broccoli Salad, Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup, Lime-Crusted Spiced Salmon, Cocoon Chicken and Apple Cobbler Du Barbi—and yes, you can have a piece of chocolate every day—Beth insists upon it! Find out why.

About the authors:
Beth Aldrich is a healthy lifestyle and nutrition columnist for Diet.com, SocialMoms.com, HotMomsClub.com, 30SecondMom.com and RealMomsLovetoEat.com and she also delivers healthy living and nutrition presentations and classes across the country. Aldrich is the founder of For Her Information Media, LLC (FHI) established in 2003, with productions such as the PBS TV series “For Her Information” (aired in 60 cities nationwide including syndication in Turkey and Israel), radio shows “A Balanced Life with Beth Aldrich,” and “Real Moms Love to Eat with Beth Aldrich,” and the online magazine and newsletter, FHI Online.
Aldrich is also the founder of Restoring Essence Nutrition, LLC and a Certified Holistic Health and Nutritional Counselor through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). Aldrich received her education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She is also a contributor to Power Moms from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series (Simon & Schuster 2009). Aldrich lives in Chicago with her husband and three sons.
Eve Adamson has co-authored and written over fifty books, including The New York Times bestsellers Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish, and A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel. Adamson blogs about food, yoga and travel. She lives in Iowa.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

How to Really Make Your Diet Work For You

How to Really Make Your Diet Work For You

By: Stanislav Karpunin

First of all, you need to understand, that your body needs a proper Balanced Nutrition Diet, with a proper daily amount of: vitamins, proteins, minerals and carbohydrates.
Get into a habit of eating exactly 3 Meals a day.

1. Eat breakfast within one hour of rising.
Breakfast provides at least 30 percent of the total energy and nutrition needed to sustain the human body during the whole day. And therefore it is very important to have a proper breakfast and not to skip it.

2. Have a healthy low-fat lunch snack.
Have a healthy snack in your lunch time, low fat yogurt for example, to keep your energy running.

3. Have your dinner three hours before your bedtime.
Have a Proper dinner three hours before your bedtime; never go to bed on a full stomach.
Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. 2 liters of water a day would help your body to burn calories more effectively and to get rid of toxins.

Exercising is a KEY.
By exercising, your body gets an advantage of many physiological benefits such as:
  • Weight Control by elevating your metabolism so that you burn more calories daily.
  • The Boost in your energy level
  • Strengthening of your heart and lungs
  • Improvement in your self-image and self-confidence.
So, don't forget to exercise at least 10 minutes a day.
Try to avoid using fats. Try to keep the fat level in your cooking as low as possible.
Make Calcium your friend. Include as much calcium as you can in your daily diet by eating:
  • Oranges
  • Broccoli
  • Soybeans
  • Tofu
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Papaya
And other sources of calcium. Calcium is a crucial element for bone metabolism. Calcium deficiency is very common. The "Average" American diet does not even come close to meeting the normal calcium requirements:
425 mg. a day for Men
450 mg. a day for Women

So, to sum it up:

1. Have exactly 3 meals a day
2. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day
3. Exercise at least 10 minutes a day
4. Avoid fats
5. Make calcium your friend
By following these 5 simple rules, you will be losing weight in no time.

Author Bio
WellnessWorx.net markets quality, weight-management, nutrition and personal health care products created by WellnessPro leading industry experts. Weight-loss can be a pleasure! http://wellnessworx.net WellnessWorx.net

Friday, February 24, 2012

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 + Calories

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

"Losing weight can be as simple as cutting out a meatball here and an egg roll there." ~~Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.

Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.

1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.

3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.

4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.

5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.

6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.

7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.

8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.

10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.

11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.

12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.

13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.

14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.

15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.

16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.

17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.

18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.

19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.

20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.

21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.

22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.

23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.

24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.

25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.

26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.

27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.

28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.

29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.

30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.

31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.

32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.

33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.

34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.

35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.

36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.

37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.

38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.

39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.

40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.

41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.

42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.

43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.

44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.

45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.

46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.

47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.

48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.

49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.

50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.

51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.

52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.

53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.

54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.

55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.

56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.

57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.

59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.

60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.

61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.

62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.

63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.

65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.

66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.

67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.

68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.

69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.

70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.

71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.

72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.

73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.

74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.

75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.

76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.

77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.

78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.

79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.

80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.

81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.

82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.

83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.

84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.

85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.

86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.

87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.

88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.

89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.

90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.

91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.

92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.

93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.

94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.

95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.

96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.

97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.

98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.

99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.

100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).


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Banana Boats - Fun for the Kids


My boys and I made these the other night and had so much fun. This is a recipe to get your kids in the kitchen, spend a little time together, and it's even great over an open fire.

Banana Boats

Ingredients


Bananas
Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
Marshmallows
Tin Foil

Directions:

Slice the bananas down the middle and about 1/4 of the way into the banana, from one end to the other. Open them up as seen in the pictures. Add your chocolate chips, butterscotch or caramel chips, and top with marshmallows. Wrap in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven 10 - 15 minutes, or until marshmallows are melted. Remove from oven and cool, eat with fork or spoon. Yummo!

Over open fire - place on a rack or skewer and when marshmallows melt, you're done.


You can also mix and match your ingredients, use chocolate and coconut, or chocolate and peanut butter. Whatever you want to use, be creative.

Enjoy!