Rules To Follow If You Want To Lose Weight

In the small town where I live we have a favorite restaurant that serves a daily lunch buffet. Even though all the items are delcious not all of them are heart healthy. In our culture it seems that the mindset is that you should get all you can eat since you're going to pay the same price regardless. Because of this, I notice most folks really pile it on and even go back for seconds. I can't say I have never been guilty of this sort of behavior myself. Not everything in a buffet line should end up on your plate and obviously, there is a true correlation with the amount of food on your plate and the size of your wasteline. With that being said, there are a few rules I have heard that we should follow if we want to lose weight:

• Be carb conscious - Carbs are usually the most overeaten of all food groups. So instead of reaching for the mashed potatoes or pasta, reach for the brown rice or quinoa instead. Whole grain pasta is always a good choice as well.
• Fill your plate with veggies -Remember to make solid veggie choices. Avoid the starchy ones. This will help you avoid a "still-hungry" feeling when you leave the table!
• Eat fruit, but not with a meal - since it's an insulin booster reserve fruit for an in-between meal snack not as part of the main course. The only exception to the rule are berries, which you can eat a handful of with a meal as a "dessert" now and then.
• Learn what good portion sizes are - We have all been raised to eat huge portions, therefore you will need to pay close attention when you sit down to eat to be more aware and conscious of your portions until you can automatically know what a healthy serving size looks like.
• Focus on getting your protein - Make sure you get about four to six ounces of protein (that's about the size of 2 decks of cards), more than that and you risk eating too much fat. So forget that huge t-bone or porterhouse!
• Eat less! Remember the attitude of "less is more"  - Keep it small and light, such as a little salad with four ounces of protein, a small portion of rice or sweet potato, some yummy veggies. Enjoy a couple of squares of chocolate for dessert instead of the whole chocolate bar. If you eat out you might consider having your meal halved at the start and immediately have your waiter box up the other half.

Have a happy day everyone! And remember, Healthy Living Over 50 is not that difficult!

Don't Skip Breakfast to Cut Calories!

Hi everyone! Ever since I started being much more vigilant about my nutrition I have started noticing calories and how fast they add up! Everything I read gives pointers on how to cut back on needless calorie intake. One thing I have learned though, is that you should never cut out eating breakfast just to cut calories. In fact doing this could be counter-productive. Research consistently shows that people who are the most successful at losing weight are the ones who start their day with a well balanced, nutritious breakfast. In addition, people who eat breakfast routinely have better vitamin and mineral stats and those same people tend to eat fewer calories from fat. It seems that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  Many studies, in both kids and adults alike, have shown that breakfast eaters seem to weigh less than breakfast skippers.  The theory is that eating a healthy balanced breakfast can reduce your hunger thoughout the day which in turn reduces your chances of making bad meal choices. Typically, hunger gets the best of breakfast skippers, and they end up eating more thoughout the day. The key is that your breakfast must be nutritious, not just delicious! In other words, your meal must contain a balance of protein and/or whole grains and not be loaded with fat and calories, like a doughnut for example. Eating breakfast also gives you energy to do more physical activity and generally be more productive all around which is so vital to weight control. Eggs are a great breakfast choice because they are loaded with protein. They tend to be more satisfying than cereal and white bread because of this. In the past, eggs have had a bad reputation due to their cholesterol content. All that has changed now, due to chickens being given healthier feeds which make cholesterol counts lower. But if cholesterol is still a concern, feel free to use just egg whites which are free of cholesterol, yet still high in protein. Eggs are also very high in essential nutrients such as vitamin B-12, selenium, phosphorus and riboflavin.  If you aren't too excited about eggs, try low fat greek yogurt, whole-grain breads or cereals and fresh fruit. There are many choices to select from. The main goal is to select wisely. Ultimately, calories are what pack the pounds on, so you want to get the most nutritious bang for your buck. Happy eating!

Yummy Raspberry Smoothie!

Good morning everyone! Wanted to share a great, delicious smoothie recipe I created yesterday. I found it to be satisfying and really refreshing! When I got back from the gym it was the perfect thing to rehydrate me. It is full of protein and very low calorie! Try it, I think you will like it as much as I did!

• 1 cup fresh green tea
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tsp almond slivers
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 tsp diced fresh ginger
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 scoop of ice cubes

Blend well until all ingredients and ice are completly crushed.  Makes several servings! Enjoy!

Super Light and Delicious Dinner!

Hey everyone! Recently I was not real hungry, but I knew that logically I should eat something for dinner. It's well documented that if you don't get enough nourishment your body naturally starts storing up fat. I also heard that it's important to make your dinner protein dense. With that in mind, I reached into the pantry and opened a can of white beans. I rinsed them out to get the sodium off them and poured half the can into the skillet. This is less than 100 calories and they are so good, especially when you saute them in a little bit of olive oil with onions, fresh garlic (lots), grape tomatoes and chopped poblano pepper. Poblano peppers give your food a real kick, but not too spicy. If you don't have poblano, you can compensate with bell peppers. Then for a side dish, just slice some fresh cucumber and add a dab of red pepper hummus. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese to each slice. Dinner is light and easy! Super delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Carbs, Calories and Protein - How They Impact You!

Recently I was commiserating with a good friend of mine who is doing her best to also be healthy- minded and we started talking about carbs, calories and protein. We spoke about how many mixed messages we get every day from so many different sources telling us the importance of keeping track of each one. We discussed how after a while the information can get so convaluted, that the average person feels overwhelmed. The bottom line is that each one of those items can greatly impact you and, frankly, can make or break your best diet plan. This is why today I will focus on each one and explain what they are and how they affect you. 
First off, let's talk about carbs. Carbs supply about half the energy our body uses to function. The problem comes in because we tend to eat too much of them and we eat too many of the bad ones. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle and get the best that carbs have to offer, stick to the nutrient-rich carb-filled foods like whole grain pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, fruits, vegetables, beans and low-fat milk. Although the body can use protein and fat for energy, carbs are the preferred fuel, especially for the brain and nervous system, which is why it's important for us to choose the ones we consume wisely. Carbs exist as sugars, starches and fibers. Among these types, sugar is the one you should avoid the most. Having a diet high in sugary foods means you are probably missing out on other nutrients, along with getting too many calories!
So next let's discuss those calories.  No matter what your diet strategy is, weight management still boils down to the number of calories you consume versus the ones you burn off. Many diets may offer you gimmicks such as if you avoid carbs or eat a bunch of grapefruit you will lose a drastic amount of weight, but in reality, it comes down to the number of calories you are taking in. Calories are the energy in food. Your body is in high demand for a constant energy source, and calories provide that source. Carbs, fats and proteins are the nutrients that contain calories and function as the main source for energy in your body. Proteins and carbohydrates have about 4 calories a gram, and fats have about 9 calories a gram. Be careful with alcohol because it's also a big source of calories, providing about 7 calories a gram. No matter the source, the calories you eat are either converted to physical energy or stored within your body as fat. The stored calories will stay in your body as fat unless you use them up, either by reducing calorie intake so that your body draws on reserves for energy, or by increasing physical activity so that you burn more calories!  It's a simple formula, burning more calories than you take in equals weight loss.
3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
Cutting calories doesn't have to be hard to do. In fact, it can be pretty easy.  You can start by:

• Skipping one extra high-calorie indulgence a day
• Swapping high-calorie foods for lower calorie options
• Reducing portion sizes

Obviously, your portion size greatly affects the calories you consume. Twice the amount of food means twice the number of calories. It's very easy to underestimate how much you're eating, especially if you're eating out often so be especially carefull when you visit restaurants!
Lastly, let's talk about protein! Really understanding the key role protein plays in your weight loss goals can help you achieve them. Consuming enough protein promotes lean muscle growth and helps to maintain it afterward.  When you consume protein along with other nutrients you can get to your goals faster while maintaining a healthy body.  Since lean muscles require calories for maintenance, eating enough amounts of protein help to preserve muscle mass and assists with your metabolism. Foods that are high in protein generally move slower through the stomach on their way to the intestines. This, therefore, creates a sensation of fullness for a longer period of time. Protein also has an effect on blood sugar by stopping the quick spikes that sometimes occur. So when you eat foods that contain protein along with good carbs you achieve the potential of muscle and fuel growth toward your weight reduction.
The bottom line is, that yes you do need to keep an eye on all 3 in order to achieve your weight loss goals, but ultimately calories are what pack on the pounds and the consumption of protein and carbs are like a the starry eyed couple on the dancefloor. They must interact perfectly in order to win the prize!
Stay healthy everyone!

Weight Training 101 + Hi-Protein Lunch = Healthy!

I hit the gym today after being out of town for 4 days and to tell you the truth, I found it a bit difficult to regain my momentum! One thing I have learned during the last month is that to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights! I am not saying diet and cardio are not just as important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you've hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can strengthen your bones, rev up your metabolism and make you stronger while increasing the endurance of your muscles. Weight training also plays a key role in avoiding injuries, increasing coordination and improving your confidence and self-esteeem! These all should be reasons enough to motivate you to immediately get up off the couch and find your running shoes!
Today, after 30 minutes of cardio I was able to do:
3 sets of 8 ------rowing (45lbs), pull down (60lbs), tricep press(20lbs)
3 sets of 8-------leg press (100lbs), leg extension (40lbs), leg curl (45lbs)
3 sets of 12-----back extension (40lbs), abdominal (30lbs)
3 sets of 8-------chest press (15lbs), shoulder press (15-20lbs)
3 sets of 10-------multi-hip(40lbs-for the outer leg), (20lbs-inner leg)

But most importantly!------I was able to complete 30 ab crunches! When I started I could not even do 3! This machine is very difficult because you have to use your own body strength to lift both sides.
This is an example of why slow and steady wins the race. Eventually your body builds up strength and endurance. I think I might finally be building up some strength in the ab area which I thought I had totally lost after having 4 children, 2 of which were twins!

***Great smoothie for lunch***
2 cups of Almond Milk (40 calories per cup)
1 scoop protein whey powder (100 calories)
4 frozen strawberries (20 calories)
1 small banana (80 calories)
4 chunks of frozen pineapple (20 calories)
sprinkle of cinnamon
Total 300 calories and loaded with protein!

The key is to keep going and not to give up. Go out and fun!
Have a great and healthy day everyone!

Cardio Routine/Lunchtime!

Gym time today focused on cardio! A decent workout combination is: 15 minutes on the treadmill with a speed of at least 3-3.5 per hour, 15 minutes on the eliptical, 15 minutes on the bike going at least at a speed of 14. I recommend also doing arm exercises with small hand weights (no more than 5lbs) while you're riding. After all the floor time I hit the raquetball court which was highly invigorating. Needless to say I am tired, but hopefully will see some major improvement on the waistline soon! You must stay hydrated. Drink at least 16 oz. water throughout your workout to avoid cramps.

Great lunch time smoothie: VERY LO-CAL AND DELICIOUS!
1 c. Green Tea (homemade, buy organic if you can)
1 c. Almond Milk ( I like Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla and it only has 40 calories per cup!)
1 large Swiss Chard leaf ( wash it thoroughly since chard can carry dirt on the leaves)
1/4 c. Greek Yogurt ( I really like the plain Fage Brand)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 small banana
4 walnut halves
1 handfull of frozen blueberries

If you would like to add whey powder for extra protein you may do so. I would recommend 1/2 scoop to avoid unnecessary calories. I have tried the Jillian Michaels Vanilla Cream flavor and it only has 100 calories per scoop.

High protein breakfast is a must!

One of my favorite breakfasts has become something very simple, yet so nutritious! Try this next time:

Step 1:  Saute a handful of spinach, some onion, red and green bell pepper (throw in a few pickled jalepeno slices for a kick if you crave spicy) in 1 tsp olive oil

Step 2:  After sauteing your veggies scramble an egg in the same pan next to the veggies
Step 3: Cook 1 or 2 slices of Turkey Bacon for 2 minutes in the microwave (I have found Jennie-O brand is best)
Step 4: Toast 1 slice of Ezekial bread (sprouted grain bread found in the freezer section). You might sprinkle a bit of feta cheese for a little extra protein.

For a calorie-free beverage I enjoy a tall glass of iced green tea (made at home, not the store bought kind) with a few frozen blueberries thown in for natural sweetness.

This breakfast is less than 300 calories and super protein packed which experts say you need in order to lose weight and give you the energy to start your day right!

Enjoy!! Off to the gym I go....