Sunday, December 9, 2007

Diet and Debt Reduction

My daughter showed me a website today called zenhabits.net which is about simplifying your life and getting more out of living. Here is a good article comparing losing weight with losing debt and it is something that I have been thinking about a lot recently.This last year I have spent focusing on my weight loss goals and I lost about 30 pounds to reach my goal.

I am now focusing my efforts on freeing myself of debt and getting my finances in order, including pumping up my 401(k) and making weekly payments on credit cards and paying my mortgage biweekly. I'm reading Suze Orman, David Bach and Loral Langemeier and really getting focused on my goal of financial freedom.

Lose weight, lose debt, have a better life. It's all good!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

BLTs - bites, licks and tastes

BLTs, also known as "bites, licks and tastes" can add up fast, especially during the holiday party season. If you are counting points or journaling, remember to count these. Let's say cheesecake is 10 points and someone gives you a bite (letting you know, of course, that it is just a little taste) tally up those 2 Weight Watcher points. There are approximately 8 tablespoons in a half cup so calculate accordingly.

Also watch the sizes of what you eat compared to what the package says is a serving. If you eat a normal sized chocolate chip toll-house cookie, it is 4 points. It may be helpful to plug your recipes into weight watchers e-tools if you are a subscriber.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

I finally made my goal!!!

Wooooo Hoooooo!!!! I finally hit my Weight Watchers goal. After going a couple of weeks with no meeting because we didn't have enough paying members sign up at work, I went back to Weight Watchers. The first week I was short about a pound and then the second week I hit goal.

I now have to maintain within two pounds of my target weight for six weeks to become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. That is now my goal. Lifetime members attend meetings for free. I really hate spending money on stuff like being able to attend meetings and could certainly find better uses for that sixty bucks a month, but I know how important attending the weekly meetings is for me. It helps me stay on track. I don't think that I would have made it this far without going to the group. Sure, I could have lost 10 or maybe 15 pounds on my own, but my goal was closer to 30 and those last two pounds literally took months to take off.

I have to maintain my weight loss through Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is really going to be challenging. I did eat a full Thanksgiving dinner, but since I cooked it , I did things to reduce the fat such as making a boneless turkey breast instead of the whole bird and foregoing a pie altogether. I made delicious sweet potatoes (without marshmallows) by peeling and cutting into chunks, tossing in some honey, a bit of cinnamon and some chopped pecans, spraying with Parkay spray and microwaving them for about 7 minutes. I also made the green bean casserole using skim milk and real onions instead of the fattening french fried ones. It was a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for far less than the typical 30 point holiday meal. There is no reason on earth to "Gobble 'till you wobble" when the holidays roll around!

I am very proud to have taken off the weight. I feel and look so much better now.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

My WW@W may be ending.

This week our Weight Watchers at Work was cancelled. The problem is that we have been too successful. We need 15 paying members to begin a new session and we only have 12 right now, including me. Nearly 10 of our members are lifetime and do not pay for Weight Watchers anymore. They have achieved their weight loss goals and many have lost over 50 pounds on the program. I was about a half pound away at our last meeting and well on my way to lifetime, but without the at work program I don't think I can continue. I am a creature of convenience.

I will still work the program on my own maybe sign up for e-tools or the Anne Collins program. I will continue to do my daily workout on my Tony Little Gazelle Sprintmaster and watch what I eat. It just won't be the same without our meetings at work.

Kat

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Tomorrow's another day

Well, I gained about half a pound this week. No big surprise as I was traveling and eating out for a few days. Free food always makes me fat. Today I am supposed to go out for lunch to a nice Mexican restaurant to celebrate my anniversary with my company. This is going to be another challenge. I'm sooooo close to goal.... gotta stay strong, make healthy choices and move more.

Kat

Monday, October 8, 2007

Did I blow it on my trip?

Well, I just returned back from an extended weekend away at a conference in Washington, DC. It is so challenging to stick to a diet while traveling and this is my third trip since the summer. As you know, conferences are generally full of free food and this one also included a banquet. We also took a side trip to a restaurant in the area that a friend had opened recently. It was the best Italian food I've ever had and our friend also let us sample many of the desserts...mmmmmm. I'm not that certain that I will be hitting goal this week, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Kat

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Soooooo close to my goal

Well, I have been doing Weight Watchers for over six months now and I'm about a pound away from reaching my goal. I am still only losing less than a pound a week so it is slow going. I'm sure I probably could have lost the weight faster if I had really jummped on the fitness bandwagon, but I just steadily do my 15-30 minutes per day on my Gazelle Sprintmaster glider.

I do what I can stick with consistently so I don't burn out and give up. While in England, I went to the hotel fitness center once and it just wasn't me. I barely stayed in there 20 minutes. Too much like work... Walking or doing the Gazelle is a slower way to weight loss, but as long as I am burning the excess calories, its fine with me and far more enjoyable. Besides, I've always hated gym class and gyms.

Kat

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Photos from our trip to England

Photobucket Album


Find out more about our brilliant Magical Mystery Tour of London and Liverpool at www.beatle-fans.com/pilgrimage Cheers!

Well, my daughter and I have been traveling and what a wonderful trip it was. We are both huge Beatle-fans and went to London and Liverpool during Beatleweek!

Monday, July 30, 2007

Kat's Beef Stew

I just got myself an amazing Cuisinart slow cooker and tried it out today. Here is a recipe posted on my other site that you may enjoy.

http://www.healthyweightlossrevealed.com/beefstew.html

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Garbage in, Garbage out (Waist Management)

Did you know that there are roughly 3500 calories to a pound? If you take in 3500 more calories more than you work off, you will gain one pound. Any dieter knows it is a lot easier to put it in than take it off.

When you are trying to lose weight, keep in mind the fat content and fiber content as they also have an effect on waist management. The program I am in, Weight Watchers, uses these three things when figuring out how many points something has.

One point = (calories/50) + (fat grams/12) - (min{r, 4}/5)

Don't even try to figure that out on your own, go to a meeting and get a calculator and learn to read labels. Keep the calories and fat low and keep the fiber high. Fat grams should be in the single digits per serving. Fiber up to four grams per serving is used in calculating points. Many foods have more, but beyond four it doesn't affect the score, but don't let that stop you from eating more fiber; it is good to eat a lot of fiber and it makes you feel fuller longer. Believe me, your body will tell you when you've had enough fiber!

Bottom line: Know the true cost of what you are putting into your body. Ask yourself, "Is it worth it?" Eat good wholesome foods and lots of fresh veggies, watch the portion size and limit your fat and calories and you will lose weight. I lost .8 lbs this week. Not the big 4.4 like last week, but I kept it off and am making strides.

Only 6 pounds to goal!!!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Shopping at Wild Oats - Superfoods

Yesterday, we walked a couple miles over to a store called Wild Oats to get some vitamins. They are the only store in the area that carries the All One vitamin powder that my guy wanted. I'd never been to Wild Oats before although I have bought their products through Peapod many times. The store is absolutely wonderful. It is an organic supermarket and their deli area is like a little restaurant, they have the coolest gadgets, books, DVDs, toys, supplements, herbs, homeopathics, skin care and all things geared to the health and environmentally conscious shopper. They staff the nutritionals area with friendly people who know their stuff.

While shopping, I noticed some products were marked with a little tag on the shelf saying "superfoods". I had seen the term tossed around before, but this aroused my curiosity. Why would a can of diced tomatoes be called a "superfood" hmmmm.... My answer came when we went by the books and there was a book there called Superfoods Rx. These are foods that promote health and contain high concentrations of vital nutrients. Here is the list of superfoods from superfoodsrx.com:

Apples, Avocado, Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate, Dried SuperFruits, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Honey, Kiwi, Low Fat Yogurt, Oats, Onions, Oranges, Pomegranates, Pumpkin, Soy, Spinach, Tea, Tomatoes, Turkey, Walnuts, and Wild Salmon.

What -- no Big Macs!!?? LOL

I will keep this list in mind as I continue my journey to weight loss and better health. I've been on a bit of a blueberry kick lately so I was happy to find them on the good list. According to Superfoods, blueberries reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and have incredibly high levels of antioxidant phytonutrients. They recommend a cup a day for the best results. (that would be 1 WW point per cup and it is also a core food).

As an aside, I also read somewhere that darker or brighter colored foods (naturally, of course) are generally healthier foods. For instance, spinach is healthier than iceberg lettuce. Blueberries were mentioned also. I've been having blueberries on my oatmeal or cereal. Anywhere strawberries can go, blueberries will go just as well or better.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

I lost nearly four and a half pounds this week!!!

When I weighed in at my weekly Weight Watchers meeting yesterday, I found that I had lost 4.4 pounds. Woooooohoooooo!!! That was a huge amount for me to lose in one week. I felt I was down for the week, but didn't think it added up to that much. After all, I had eaten at Chili's Saturday. (BTW - I just found out their chicken cobb salad has 28 points!! That's twice as much as my naughty little margarita chicken. Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.)

Generally, I have been taking of less than a pound a week and they say tht most people lose one to two pounds per week. It just seems that it is coming off slower for me.

I am now within ten pounds of reaching my goal weight and if I maintain that for six weeks, I will become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. Lifetime members get to go to meetings for free. That would be so great.

.... Must deflate spare tire.... :-)

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Apricot Chicken Recipe (4 WW points)

by Kim Beardsmore

Just because you are watching your weight, doesn't mean the whole family can't enjoy your health enhancing meals! The kids will love "Apricot Chicken" and you will love it because it is so low in calories and fat!

Long term weight loss isn't about hunger, misery and crash dieting. It's a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. "Apricot Chicken" is one of a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to assist you keep your weight under control. This irresistible, no-hassle meal will help you reach your weight-loss goals - while making mealtime a real treat.

Variety is an essential element of any successful health program. If you get bored with foods, you're much more likely to abandon your program altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.

[...get recipe]

Eating out on Weight Watchers

One of the best things about being on the Weight Watchers plan is that I can still eat out. No, I can't go out for a Chicago style stuffed pizza as much as I'd like to, but I can eat whatever I want within reason as long as I control the portions and don't exceed my points. I try to stay within my 20 point allotment on most days and use my 35 weekly flex points for eating out or having a day free from feeling like I am dieting. To be perfectly honest, I really am not crazy about tracking and on most days I usually go over a couple points.

My goal is to one day go over to the core plan, which really is a much healthier way to eat, but I need to learn more and acquire a taste for whole foods and what is on the core foods list, be able stop eating when I have truly had enough food, and learn more about energy density of foods. Right now that just seems to complicated. I should probably read a book on Volumetrics, which is based on the same basic principles as Weight Watchers core plan.

Anyhoo, getting back to dining out, what you will be served when you eat out will use up more points that what you would have been eating at home. Even ordering a salad out will cost over 10 points in many places. Check WW Dining out companion or Girl's Bite Out or any number of websites to find out the point values of many popular dining out options. Also check out the lists at Health Discovery or Retaurant Points.

Good planning is essential when eating out while you are on a diet. Last night I went to Chili's after going to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (good movie BTW) and I had a side salad, margarita chicken and an iced tea with lime. I had fat free dressing on the side and substituted veggies for rice with the entree. I know I probably should have ordered from the guilt-free grill options, but margarita chicken is also grilled chicken and is very tasty. I had to work around the croutons and cheese in the side salad (now I know to order salad w/o them). Garlicly croutons are very tempting to me and why people put cheese on salad I will never understand. Overall it was very yummy, but when I got home and looked up the points for my margarita chicken it was 14! That is a lot, especially considering that I ate some popcorn during the movie. Oh well, tomorrow is weigh in and since I was pretty good and actually tracking well during the week, I think I my weight will be down this week.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Ooooops - I gained weight

Dayaamm! I took a little vacation over the 4th of July holiday and gained 1.4 pounds over the last two weeks. I went to Hollywood and ate at the world famous Mel's Diner and some other places that were not so good for my diet. Where is an Applebee's or somewhere with a Weight Watchers menu when you need one? Traveling is such a challenge because you are eating out every meal. I slipped this time but I just have to get back with the program.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

13 Tips And Tricks For Weight Loss You Really Should Know!

You may have read or heard about all of these diets; Atkins, Slim Fast, South Beach, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers. You probably have seen the commercials, and you have read the advertisements. Maybe you have decided that following a diet plan like that is not for you. Maybe you cannot give up carbs so you gave up on Atkins. Perhaps weekly weigh ins are out of the question there goes Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers.

No, you do not like replacing your meals with liquid- adios Slim Fast. Maybe you do not want to think before you eat hasta luego South Beach. Perhaps you just want to eat what you want, when you want but you still want to lose weight.

But where are the weight loss tips for people who just want to live their lives without constantly focusing on their diet? Today is your lucky day. Here are some general weight loss tips that will help you feel healthy and happy and they do not require the use of any expensive shakes, meal plans or books.

Weight Loss Tips:
1. Get Support. It is important to seek support from family or friends. If that is not possible then join an online weight loss support forum.

2. If you cannot exercise for 30 minutes at a time, then break it up into three, 10 minute sessions. When you are watching TV, get up and jog during the commercials, go for a 10 minute walk during your lunch break, add 10 minutes of vigorous house cleaning to your schedule.

3. Eat what you want, but eat in moderation. You have to be aware of how many calories you are eating per day. As long as you burn more than you take in then you will lose weight.

4. Eat your largest meal during the day when your activity level is high.

5. Do not deprive yourself. Deprivation will only lead you to binging.

6. Eat when you are hungry! Do not try to starve yourself. When your body goes into starvation mode your body begins to conserve every single calorie that you eat.

7. Do not weigh yourself more than once a week. Constant weighing will only discourage you because your weightfluctuates throughout the day. In fact, ditch the scale completely! Invest in a tape measure; that will give you much more accurate results on how you are really doing.

8. Try to increase your protein. Protein helps build muscle and muscle helps burn fat.

9. Eat more fiber! It helps you feel full sooner and it has less calories.

10. Set small, attainable goals. It is unrealistic to expect to lose 40 lbs in one month. However it is very realistic to expect to lose 5 lbs in one month. Or maybe you will set a goal to stop eating sugar for a week, or maybe you will set a goal to exercise at least 4 times per week. Whatever you choose, make sure it is realistic and attainable.

11. Keep a journal of your progress. Write down your goals for the week. Write down what you are eating, how you are exercising and what is and is not working for you.

12. If you do not enjoy the exercise you are doing, pick another one. You are not going to stick to something that you dread.

13. Remember the key to weight loss is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise.

Always keep in mind that losing weight is not easy. But just think of what is more important to you eating that delicious 1000 calorie dessert and taking a nap; or making a little sacrifice to reach your weight loss goals.

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Article Tags: Weight Loss Tips, Weight Loss, Atkins, Jenny Craig

Source: Free Online Articles from ArticlesBase.com Posted: 04-08-2006 by Bill Urell. Are you interested in the truth about healthy lifestyles? Bill Urell MA.CAAP-II reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles - Special Diet

Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish

Here is a delicious recipe for parsnips, a new veggie I recently discovered that is absolutely wonderful. I am altering the original to make it easier and a bit more diet friendly.

Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish

4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 1/2 inch sticks
4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 can low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp softened margarine
4 teaspoons drained, bottled horseradish
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 Tbsp minced chives (or green onion)
1 garlic clove, minced

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, toss the parsnips with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (Use a roasting pan with sides no more than 2 inches high.) Add the broth, cover with aluminum foil and roast, stirring once or twice, until the parsnips are tender and the stock has evaporated or been absorbed, 30-45 minutes.

The parsnips (with the oil, salt, pepper, and broth) can be pre-cooked in a covered container in the microwave for 5 minutes. Transfer to oven to finish cooking in a much shorter time. Check often to avoid their getting mushy - especially if they are to be reheated later.

Sauce: Combine the softened butter or margarine with the horseradish, parsley, chives and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss the warm roasted parsnips with the horseradish-herb butter and serve.


Serves 4

Ice Cream and Dairy Products

When we try to lose weight, we have to look at what we are eating and evaluate whether it is worth it or not. In many instances there is a low point, low fat or low cal alternative that will satisfy us nearly as well. For example I like ice cream. I remember the shock of finding that one scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery was over 20 points. That was my entire daily allowance of points and I am sure not going to waste it on ice cream. Just not worth it.

One of the changes I made early on was to watch the dairy products. They can have gobs and gobs of fat. I can still eat ice cream, but I choose to have Edy's Double Churned or frozen Frappucino bars. Both of these frozen treats are two points per serving. I also made the switch to skim milk, non-fat sour cream and low-fat shredded cheddar cheese that I use sparingly. I also bought myself a cool little cheese grater for parmesean cheese. It is sort of like those grater's that the waitresses at the Olive Garden use at your table. It is kind of fun and a little bit of work to get the cheese. This little extra work helps with portion control.

Welcome to Do Your Diet

Hi, My name is Kat and this is my diet blog. I am a forty-something mother of two and a first time dieter. When I was younger, weight was never an issue. It seemed to creep up on me gradually. I have lost about 20 pounds since I maxed out last summer at about 170. I joined a Weight Watchers at Work program earlier this year and it has been a great help. It is very convenient and a great program for long-term weight loss success. Our group has several lifetime members and they are a huge inspiration.

I am shedding the pounds gradually by eating wisely, moving more and making lifestyle changes that will help me reach my goals. On this blog, I hope to inspire myself and others to do what is right for their own individual situation. I will share tips, recipes and links that may be of interest. Although I am on Weight Watchers, you may find something else that works for you. There are many options to choose from. The important thing is that you do it for you and don't let anything get in the way of your success. If you slip, don't dwell on it, just get back on track. Good luck.

Ratatouille

A cool new kids movie and a delicious low fat vegetarian stew

Makes 4 servings
WW POINTS per serving: 2

Ingredients
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 cup chopped onions
1 large eggplant
3 medium zucchini
2 large green peppers
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
fresh ground pepper

Prep
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan, cook garlic and onions until tender.
2. Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces.
3. Add the eggplant, zucchini, pepper,oregano, parsley and stir well.
4. Saute for about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, cover and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes.
6. Serve hot or cover mixture and refrigerate to serve chilled.

WW POINTS per serving: 2
Nutritional information per serving:
113 calories, 0.9g fat, 9.5g fiber