5 Ways to Cut Back on Saturated Fat

Here are some great tips from eatbetteramerica.com


The American Heart Association recommends that we limit saturated fat—to about 7% of calories. Here’s how to reduce sat fat in your diet:

1. Healthy Heart - Eating less saturated fat (from meats and high fat dairy foods) is a key step you can take to help lower blood cholesterol for heart health.

2. Sat Fat Sense - To reduce the saturated fat in your diet, think "liquid": use oils instead of solid fats like butter or shortening.

3. Focus on Fats - Canola, soybean and olive oils are good fats to use for stir-frying, cooking and some baking because they have less sat fat than many other options.

4. Up with Unsat Fat - Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats from olives, nuts and avocados may help lower blood cholesterol. But fats are high in calories so keep portions small.

5. Down-Size - Cut meat amounts in chilis and casseroles in half to cut down on saturated fat which can raise blood cholesterol. Add beans for extra protein and fiber instead. Or, go meatless a few times each week.

I am the coupon queen!

Yesterday we went grocery shopping at Dominicks, the regular grocery store instead of shopping at Sam's Club or Food4Less where we generally shop for food. I wanted to drop by Dominicks to make a deposit at the bank and just to pick up some items on sale. I decided to do my homework first.

I looked at their website to see if there was anything I should pick up on sale while I was there. They had 93% ground beef on sale for $1.89 and a few other things I wanted to pick up on sale. I saw that I could make a grocery shopping list from their online weekly ad and so I did that. They had a coupon section where I could load coupons into my club card and not have to use paper coupons, they also had printable coupons, and a link to Proctor & Gamble brand savers, which I joined. I also visited upromise and coupons.com and sites of products which were on the shopping list that I didn't find a coupon for already such as Progresso soup and found coupons around the web. We also picked up a Sunday paper. Clipped and loaded, I was ready to go shopping.

With all the coupons in hand, it did take a bit longer to shop. We filled the cart with mostly sale items and proceeded to the checkout hoping for the best. I've done this type of thing to a lesser degree before and have saved $20-$30 at the store. I was expecting at least $60 off the bill. When the total came to nearly $330, I was a little anxious, thinking we bought too much stuff. I handed the checker my handful of coupons taken off the web and a couple of coupons that were on packages. Those totaled $8.10 (a bit disappointing). Then he swiped my loyalty card. The total started falling... and falling ... and falling. I said come on ... please get it under $200 and lo and behold, the total went down to $199.49. Whew! Oh, and I also earned United miles, gas credits and money towards my daughter's college fund.

I saved $121.78 on groceries (nearly 40%).

Try this sometime. Doing the prep work really pays off.

Kat
the coupon queen

Checking in

I'm finally over my horrendous cold that just about killed me for two weeks and now my guy has it. He did teach me how to make homemade lime juice today though. He had picked up a gizmo somewhere along the line that looked sort of like a thick ice cream scoop. I had played with the thing but it made no sense because it seemed like the holes were on the wrong side and I squirted lime juice all over. The way to do it is to put the round end of the lime against the round part of the juicer and squeeze the tool to flatten that lime. It is pretty cool and kind of like squeezing a garlic press. Apparently this type of juicer is popular in Mexico and Latin America. We juiced two limes per glass of water. Yummers!

It's hard to eat when your throat is sore

It is now less than a week until my friends wedding where I will slip into the little satin halter dress to be the maid of honor. Unfortunately, I feel like hell. I woke up several times in pain last night and felt like I had been choking down razor blades. Not fun. So today my diet pretty much consists of hot tea (Moroccan mint organic green tea) and chicken soup. I'm feeling somewhat better now because I've been gargling vinegar and warm salt water every couple of hours. This works like magic and is used by opera singers, or so I've heard. It tastes horrible, but it works like nothing I've seen. If you try this remedy, be sure to rinse your mouth with clean water afterwards as the vinegar is hard on tooth enamel.

The Skinny on 3 Point Entrees

Well today was one of those Mondays where I was so busy at work that I had to skip my Weight Watchers meeting and just eat a TV dinner at my desk. This is the third week in a row where I could not stay for the meeting. Bummer... I did go downstairs and weigh in though. I'm maintaining.

Anyhoo, my lunch hit me with some surprising good news. My TV dinner was only 3 Weight Watchers points. I couldn't believe it. These are usually 5 or 6 points and sometimes a 4 pointer if I want to starve myself. I had the herb chicken and it was really good. Actually, one of the best frozen entrees I have tried. By skipping the pasta and doubling up on the veggies they finally figured it out. I've noticed that some of their entrees are also featuring whole grain pasta. This will boost the fiber and knock down the points. Seems that Lean Cuisine has beaten Weight Watchers at its own game and has come up with several three-point entrees.


Chicken Marsala
Roasted, seasoned chicken breast in a rich Marsala wine sauce with tender mushrooms and a side dish of carrots and green beans.

Herb Roasted Chicken
An herb roasted marinated chicken breast topped with a creamy basil, garlic and mushroom sauce. Accompanied by roasted redskin potatoes, broccoli and red bell peppers, in a savory sauce.

Garlic Beef and Broccoli
Beef steak with broccoli, water chestnuts and yellow carrots in an asian- style garlic sauce.

Roasted Turkey & Vegetables
Tender roasted turkey and mushrooms in a traditional home-style gravy accompanied by a vegetable medley of hand-picked green beans with accents of red peppers.

So next time when you are hitting those 2 point snacks, remember it may just be lunchtime and try the herbed chicken. You'll love it.

Fill her up

Just a random tip I picked up from hungry-girl.com... A reader asked why she was always hungry on Weight Watchers and only lost a few pounds. The advice to her was to look at how she was reaching her point allowance and suggested foods with more water content (grapes instead of raisins, for example) and eat less bag foods like those 100 calorie snacks, which should be reserved for killing your cravings. Veggies, proteins and high fiber foods will fill you up on less points than carbs. Good advice.

Random Weight Loss Tips

- Drink a half gallon of water or so a day (one ounce for every pound you weigh)

- "Dip the Tip" instead of dunking your food in fatty sauces or dressings, dip the tip of your fork in the goop first, before putting the fork into your food. You'll get the flavor without all the fat.

- "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." Stay conscious of what you are consuming before it consumes you.

- Eat some fruit first thing in the morning, before anything else. It digests faster and by having it first you take the edge off the hunger and so it doesn't just sit on a pile of goop in your stomach fermenting for hours. Learn to combine (or separate) foods for maximum benefit and acid/alkaline balance.

- Eat less processed foods. If you are on Weight Watchers, give the core plan a try.

- Don't drink your calories. Drink mostly water and green tea. Switch to skim milk and be a designated driver.

- Lay off the pop and sweetened drinks. Diet soda is full of artificial sweeteners which they are finding may have the same addictive qualities as sugar and make you crave sweets. Instead of substituting, train your tastebuds to like things less sweet so you are not craving so much.

- Watch for more random weight loss tips here.

kat

Intriguing diet website to check out (but not right after a big fat Easter dinner)

There's a 'New Gal' in town and her name is Dr Suzanne! And she's done something no one has ever done before:

She's found the "REAL" way to lose FAT, be HEALTHY, and yet still eat whatever you want!

Here's how her new "T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret" works:

Dr Suzanne discovered something that a small group of other doctors are just now catching on to -- Namely that ALL sicknesses and diseases (including Obesity) start in the intestines (your colon).

This happens because of "toxic build-up" due to your body being unable to get rid of a small amount of what you eat in every single meal or snack you take in. And over time, this little "left over bit" starts to add up - and BIGTIME!

It works basically like this:

You eat say 100 "units" of toxins in every meal or snack.

You "poop-out" most of it -- say 99 units.

Subtracting means you have 100 - 99 = 1 left over "toxic" unit.

Over 1,000 such snacks or meals you end up having 1,000 "toxic" units in 'build-up.'

Although each small meal or snack may seem meaningless to you, these built-up "stores" of toxins cause your body to equally build up FAT.

Why?

To "protect" you from the poisonous "toxins."

That's right! The extra pounds are your body's way of putting a big "rubber tire" of insulation between YOU and the "bad junk."

And once you have BOTH extra "fat stores" and "toxins" you're in BIG, BIG TROUBLE!

What then happens is you fall vulnerable to every kind of 'sickness' and 'disease.'

And this pattern is what's been happening now for the better part of 50 years (more so in the United States than perhaps anywhere else on earth!)

Before 1954 in fact, people ate much fattier foods, full of greasy cholesterol and oils, yet the number of people who suffered diabetes, cancers, strokes and just about everything else, pales compared to today!

So the "guilty party" had little to nothing to do with all the so-called "bad foods" -- and pretty much went completely unnoticed.

"Unnoticed" until Dr Suzanne began studying the problem.

You see, Dr Suzanne comes from a family of "chunky" people -- yet despite this she is very lean and even "sexy!"

People who meet her think she's some kind of "aerobics trainer" or someone who starves themselves half to death -- but that's NOT the case at all!

Dr Suzanne doesn't really exercise that much, and she even "eats like a pig!" (according to one close friend and "insider").

So how is this possible?

Luck? ... Hardly!

Dr. Suzanne discovered that if you simply get rid of the same amount of toxins and JUNK going in, you never end up getting the "toxic build-up" in the first place.

And NO toxic build-up means absolutely NO disease, and NO extra "pudge" around the middle, butt, or love handles, nor the armpits or the backs of the legs.

Going back to our little equation above, we get:

1,000 "toxic" units - 1,000 "toxic" units = 0 "toxic" units

And when you have 0 "toxic" units, you have 0 "toxic" build-up.

And of course, when you have 0 "toxic" build-up, you have 0 "disease," and 0 "extra fat!"

But what is more surprising than this discovery is the fact that even though she (and a growing number of other newly enlightened doctors) has mountains of evidence supporting this, the "mainstream" medical establishment is out to get her just like
prosecutors in the notorious "Salem Witch Trials!"

Short of trying to burn her at the stake, other doctors would rather keep selling you "toxic" drugs -- that although eliminating one symptom cause who only knows how many "other" very damaging and even dangerous conditions?

Also, not surprisingly, weight-loss food companies would equally like some "evil" to befall the lovely Dr Suzanne.

"I guess it's just a matter of economics," suggests Dr Suzanne, "after all, if people follow my advice they will never get sick in the first place, they will never get fat, and therefore they will have little need or dependency on either other doctors or special diet foods."

And this means a major loss in income to doctors and food manufacturers -- and in terms of BILLIONS of dollars lost to them!

So serious this has become that Dr Suzanne recently suffered death threats -- believed by at least one federal law enforcement agency to have originated from high up in the world of big business from the drug empires (and I don't mean the illegal drug dealers, but the "legal" drug dealers!) Think about it:

99% of everyone you know that says they are doing a "new diet" only end up failing anyway.

The woman we all know who said five years ago that she was on some new diet to "L0SE 25 pounds" now weighs 50 pounds more (Ha! Horrible, yet a tad funny!)

Or how about the guy who joins the gym to "get back into shape" who a year later looks even worse?

These are the people YOU and I both know.

They're all around us, and are clear "PROOF" that diets and exercise DON'T really work - and not because those things aren't good for you and me, but because something else is standing in their way!

And that's none other than "toxins!" Get rid of "them," and get rid of "everything else!"

It's just that simple.

But you MUST know what you're doing, or else you may make a mistake by thinking you have, when in fact you haven't!

And that's precisely what's inside Dr Suzanne's T0P Secret Fat Loss Secret!"

Now, at this point I would like you to strongly consider everything
I've said here, and I hope you will even get her "Top Secret Fat
Loss Secret" for yourself.

So, rather than write a single sentence more, why don't I just give
you the link so you can get it right now before it's too late:

-> Dr. Suzanne's Top Secret Fat Loss Secrets

Please, do what you think right now is BEST... Do it for YOU.

the Internal Cleansing Kit $275

Stewed Apples and Oatmeal

Over the weekend we made some stewed apples. It is like homemade chunky applesauce and is absolutely wonderful. It is also really easy to make. You take a bunch of apples, slice and core them. (I have a little gizmo that does this.) Do not peel the apples. Toss them into the food process and zap 'em till they are small pieces. Throw them into the pot, add cinnamon, cloves and honey to taste and cook down for about an hour. Your house will smell soooo good, like baking an apple pie. Stewed apples are good hot or cold. Try them.

Sunday morning I decided I wanted to try them in oatmeal. I sometimes eat the instant cinnamon oatmeal such as the Quaker weight loss oatmeal. This time I made the old fashioned oatmeal from the drum, added some of the homemade apple sauce, a little more cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and a bit of wheatgerm and honey. I also added some coffee mate fat free French vanilla to the skim milk I pour over it. This was the best damn oatmeal I've ever tasted!

I do have a major sweet tooth and have gradually switched over to Splenda and honey as sweeteners. I put honey on grapefruit and it is yummy. I have heard a bit about Stevia and will probably start using that as well but I don't get to the stores that sell it much and from what I've read, it tastes a bit like licorice at first and is quite expensive. For now I am trying to adjust to things less sweet, such as coffee. One Spenda packet in a big cup of joe does it for me now. It used to take about 3 teaspoons of sugar or two Splendas. I'm making progress on cutting sugar and moving towards whole foods....

The Glycemic Index Diet Plan And Its Benefits For Weight Loss

If you have concerns about diabetes or you need to lose weight the Glycemic Index Diet Plan might be just the solution you’re looking for. This diet is based on a diet plan that was developed in the 1980’s as a way for diabetics to better control their blood glucose levels and subsequently manager their diabetes.

It was discovered that the diet plan had a wonderful side effect; efficient weight loss. Since that time the Low GI Diet, as it is often referred to, has become quite popular with non-diabetics as well. Individuals who use the diet claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle. Many people report the diet helps them to shave off weight in critical areas as well, including the stomach.

Under the Glycemic Index Diet Plan, foods are divided into three categories based on how they rank on the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks foods according to how quickly the body is able to digest them. Foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index. Foods that take longer to be digested by the body rank lower on the scale.

The idea is to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range by eating foods that rank high on the Index sparingly. Some of the low foods which are allowable on the Glycemic Index Diet Plan include broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and other fruits as well as whole grains. Legumes are also allowable. Some foods rank in the middle range, including bananas and apricots.

When dieters first start the eating plan they are in what is known as Phase One. Under this phase, dieters are encouraged to eat only foods which are low on the glycemic index in order to lose weight. These foods are low in calories and high in fiber which makes it easier to lose weight. Dieters should plan to be on the first phase of the diet for about three to six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period, the individual may then advance to the second phase, which is the weight loss maintenance phase. In this phase, you may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index. It is important to understand that exercise is an important component in both phases of the diet plan in order for it to work effectively.

The Glycemic Index Diet plan by itself is not a complete solution for weight loss. You must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. It should also be understood that this is not a diet in the true sense of the word but rather a change in lifestyle. If you abort the diet plan after losing weight and return to eating large amounts of highly processed and refined foods it is quite likely that you will regain weight, particularly if you are not exercising on a regular basis.

One of the major advantages of this diet plan is that it is not as restrictive as many other diet plans. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan.

Vegetarians frequently find that many low carb diets do not work well for them because they place a strong emphasis on meat. With the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan there is no such problem because proteins from vegetables can replace meat.

With time and dedication the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

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

Wesley Atkins is the owner of The Low GI Diet Breakthrough - In his nutrition program you too can discover how to lose 19 pounds of fat every 21 days with the Low GI Diet.

The 12-Step Program

to eating healthier
(from zenhabits.net)

Actually, what follows is just an example. You can use as many steps as you want, making whatever changes you want. This is just a sample of what can be done, to give you some ideas.

The rules:

1. Apply these changes, one at a time, until you get used to them. This will probably be 3-4 weeks per step. But in a year’s time, you’ll be eating as healthy as possible.

2. Focus as much energy as possible on each change for at least a couple weeks. Don’t deviate if you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.

3. If it seems too difficult, make a smaller step instead. For example, instead of cutting out sweets, just cut out cakes and donuts. Smaller steps make things much easier.

4. Always replace bad food with healthy food that you enjoy. What I’ve given are just examples — everyone has different tastes.

OK, so here’s an example of how this step-by-step process could work:

1. Eat fruits for snacks. If you snack on junk food during the day, have some fruits by your side at all times. When you’re feeling hungry for a snack, eat a fruit. One of those bags of small apples is a handy thing — you can’t go wrong with apples.

2. Drink water instead of soda. The only thing I drink (besides an occasional beer) is water. I’m not saying you need to do that, but try to cut out sugary drinks a bit at a time, replacing them with water.

3. Eat whole grain bread. If you eat white bread or bagels or whatever, replace them with whole-grain versions. Be sure to look at the ingredients — it shouldn’t say enriched wheat flour, but whole grain. Also try to avoid breads with high-fructose corn syrup (actually, avoid that ingredient in anything).

4. Add fresh veggies to dinner. If you don’t already, have some steamed greens with dinner. Cut out a less healthy side dish if you usually eat something else.

5. Cut out red meat. You can still eat poultry and seafood for now. You can later cut those out too if you want.

6. Make pizza instead of ordering. Homemade pizza is the best, and if you haven’t made it yet, you should. The simple way is to get a ready-made whole-wheat crust, although making your own tastes even better. Start with the simple version, though, as you don’t want to make things too difficult. For the simple version, just add some gourmet spaghetti sauce (not Ragu), cut up some veggies (I like tomatoes and mushrooms and spinach and olives, but you can use anything, even potatoes). Brush the veggies with some olive oil. You can add grated cheese or soy cheese if you want, though it’s not necessary. Bake till it looks cooked. Mmmm.

7. Nuts instead of chips. If you normally snack on chips, try unsalted peanuts or raw almonds.

8. Soymilk instead of whole milk. Whole milk is fatty (not to mention the suffering done by the cows in modern dairy factories). Soymilk is much healthier. You get used to it after awhile, like all the changes on this list, but if soymilk is a problem at least drink 1% milk.

9. Whole grain cereal. If you eat sugary cereal, try a whole-grain cereal instead.

10. Berries instead of candy. This is a recent change of mine, and it’s actually been much easier than I thought. I used to snack on chocolate candy all the time, but now I try to eat berries to satisfy my sweet cravings and it works!

11. Scrambled tofu instead of fried eggs. Scrambled tofu is a secret vegan wonder. Try this recipe.

12. Try some great veggie dinners. There are so many good ones out there if you haven’t tried them. Try my soup or chili.

If you implement 12 changes, you’ll probably be eating healthier than you ever have before. A great thing is that once you’ve done this, you’ll probably keep going, to 20 steps and beyond.

Putting Government on a Diet

I'm supporting Ron Paul for President
I know this is not food and diet related, but I still wanted to share this with my readers.... I've finally decided to support Ron Paul for president. Although there is no candidate that reflects my views 100%, Ron Paul comes pretty darned close. I am basically an Objectivist, which means things like capitalism, small government, individual rights, free markets and low taxes are important to me. A friend recently told me I am a "small L" libertarian... maybe that is true. I certainly don't espouse some of the more radical views of the anarchist wing of the libertarian party, just as I disagree with the views of the religious right republicans and the big nanny government democrats. I guess you would say I am one of the politically homeless. Anyhoo, here is a press release from the Ron Paul campaign.




Ron Paul Unveils a Real Economic Stimulus Plan

Press Release - January 24, 2008 12:43 pm EST

Four-pronged approach will strengthen the economy by reforming taxes, cutting spending, improving monetary policy and eliminating burdensome regulations

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA –Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has unveiled a comprehensive economic revitalization package. The four-pronged plan is designed to stem the current economic slide and address the unsound governmental policies that are harming Americans’ pocketbooks.

“Real economic reform must address the underlying reasons for the current economic malaise,” said Ron Paul. “This plan is more than just a band-aid for our economy; it fundamentally reforms four areas where government policies are damaging our national economy. When enacted, my plan will provide both short-term stimulus, and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity.”

The comprehensive economic revitalization plan is available online at: www.RonPaul2008.com/Prosperity

The four areas that the plan covers are:

* Tax Reform - Reduce the tax burden and eliminate taxes that punish investment and savings, including job-killing corporate taxes.
* Spending Reform - Eliminate wasteful spending. Reduce overseas commitments. Freeze all non-defense, non-entitlement spending at current levels.
* Monetary Policy Reform - Expand openness with the Federal Reserve and require the Fed to televise its meetings. Return value to our money.
* Regulatory Reform - Repeal Sarbanes/Oxley regulations that push companies to seek capital outside of US markets. Stop restricting community banks from fostering local economic growth.

Congressman Paul has written or co-sponsored numerous bills to enact the policies in his plan. In Congress, he has been a champion of lower taxes and limited government.

Congressman Paul is the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology. In Congress, Dr. Paul has never voted for a tax increase or for an unbalanced budget.

###

Smashing good substitutes for Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite everyday comfort foods. Unfortunately, they are not a dieter's dream, especially with all the butter, milk and gravy that accompanies the innocent vegetable. Here are some lower fat and healthier alternatives to the traditional mashed potatoes with gravy.

Add other vegetables: Turnips, parsnips and cauliflower all make great mashed potato mix-ins. To add even more flavor, add some horseradish or garlic.

Skip the potatoes all together: I often make sweet potatoes or turnips instead of potatoes. Just the other day, quite by accident, we made a delicious vegetable soup by adding red peppers to the turnips we were boiling on the stove. You never know when you will come up with a yummy combo like that.

Use non-fat dairy: Substitute down the fat content of dairy products by using things such as non-fat half and half or skim milk and a buttery spread with no trans-fat such as Smart Balance. The same goes for baked potatoes, instead of loading them up with butter and sour cream add broccoli and spray with Parkay. You can also add fat free sour cream. The main thing is to get the fat out of your dairy products. It makes a big difference.

Here are a couple of recipe links to get you started:

Horseradish Smashers from The Healing Gourmet
and
Hungry Girl's Miracle Mashies a one-point garlic mashed potatoes with cauliflower recipe.

Yum!

Buzz Kill - Calories in your drinks

Not to be a buzz-kill but....

I'm telling you after the holidays so as not to spoil your holiday cheer. Here is a rough estimate of how many calories are in booze.

What’s in a Drink?
As a drink’s alcohol percentage increases, so do the calories.

Eighty proof bourbon, brandy, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka, and whiskey each have 65 calories per one-ounce serving. If you’re on a diet that restricts carbohydrates use club soda, diet soft drinks or water instead of a sweetened mixer. And choose clear liquors, which have fewer carbohydrates, over wine, beer and dark liquors. In general, liqueurs cram in 70 to 120 calories per ounce.


White wine spritzer - 80 calories
Red wine - 170 calories
Champagne - 86
Light beer - 75
Bloody Mary - 130
Dry martini - 163
Dessert wine - 174
Hot buttered rum - 254
White Russian - 404

Source: The Skinny on Alcohol

Here is a neat little calorie counting gizmo

Gadget by LabPixies.com

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!

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.

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!!!

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

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.