Sharing the Wealth

As I shared in my last blog, I am "dieting" again. (If you can really CALL it a "diet" -- more like a return to the life-style changes that were necessary in my previous success in weight loss). I've had a couple of requests to share a few of my secrets, tips, tricks and learned knowledge. I will share with you up front though -- these are tips I have learned from The Biggest Loser, Dr. Oz's "YOU on a Diet", a few things that I have learned from my healthy cookbooks and picked up along the way. Every body is different too. So these things that worked for me may not necessarily give you the same results. But they are certainly great starting points in making your OWN lifestyle changes.

1. Use Olive Oil Cooking Spray: This one is particularly helpful. Rather than drowning my food in butter or loads of oil (even if it IS olive oil) I spray my pans and cook with cooking spray. It keeps my food from getting overly greasy and it also cuts out a ton of fat and unnecessary calories. Better yet, when applicable, bake or grill instead of fry.

2. Fruits and Vegetables are your Friends: This is not a shocker. Any good doctor will certainly advise you to increase fruits and veggies. A good reason to do it? A fiber-filled treat (like apples, spinach, bananas, etc.) can help to boost your energy and keep you feeling full longer. Don't like veggies? Try grilling or roasting them with a little lemon pepper, citrus zest or garlic and a bit of olive oil spray. If cooked to a still crisp but not raw consistency, you may discover that they are better than expected. Point being that the cooking method may be what needed to change. (Let's face it .... steamed veggies are usually kind of bland)

3. Plan Your Menus: No diet will be successful if you do nothing but eat salad. Why? You get bored and burned out. Instead, pick a VARIETY of different meals that you can make. Yes, you may have a fresh spinach salad on Monday, but perhaps on Tuesday, you have a fresh Turkey Wrap. Wednesday you have soup ... etc. If you have lots of things to choose from, you are less likely to notice that you're "dieting" and will stick to your new lifestyle changes. This one is HUGE for the success that I have had in my own journey ... here's 2 reasons why:

• Saving Money: Say what? By planning my menus for the week, I can comprise a grocery list that requires ONLY the items that I need. I stick to that list. By doing to, I do not impulse buy those junk food snacks. By not adding unneeded items to my cart, i save money.
• Being Organized: The organization is worth the time spent planning a menu. I can rearrange it based on my schedule if I need to. I already know in advance what dinner will be, which makes it less stressful when it comes to making dinner. Also, if I am working late, it allows my husband to know exactly what to start with -- whether it's making the whole meal or just prepping the ingredients.
• Added Bonus: Our household is just the 2 of us. Since most recipes make 4 servings, there is always some left over. Solution? Take it for lunch. This way, your lunch is pre-made, you didn't have to create another meal, and you know that it will be good for you.

4. Keep it simple: There's a reason I stick to healthy cookbooks that have meals that take 30 minutes or less. It makes it really easy for me to make a home cooked meal in a short amount of time so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening. This also becomes suitable for any level of "home chef". If my husband (who prior to being married had no cooking experience at all) can make it without any snags, you can too! And if cooking is easy, it becomes FUN.

5. Embrace the Fat Free Products, but with caution: Fat Free cheese, Fat Free yogurt, Fat Free Milk, Extra Lean meats (like chicken or turkey at 97%+ fat free) are all marvelous choices. And to be honest, I never really noticed a difference in the switch. HOWEVER, some of the products can also be higher in sodium. So if you're a person who needs to watch the salt intake for health reasons, a balance of fat free and low fat might be something to keep in mind.

6. Dips and Dressings: Fat Free Plain Yogurt or Fat Free Sour Cream are awesome. Why? It's like a blank canvas. You can ad a teaspoon worth of Ranch Mix to yogurt or sour cream, and you have instant fat free dressing. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to some plain or vanilla yogurt and you have an awesome dip for apples or strawberries. Plain yogurt mixed with cucumbers and fresh mint become a tzatziki sauce for gyros, salmon or pita dipping. And the list goes on.

7. Order it on the side: When you go out for dinner and order salad (whether it be a side salad, entree salad, etc.) order your dressing on the side. This allows YOU the control over how much dressing goes on your salad. THEN, here's an awesome tip that a colleague taught me .... instead of pouring the dressing on your salad, dip your fork in the dressing, then stab up a few veggies. You will use only about 1 T or LESS of dressing. And you will find that you still have plenty of flavor of the dressing to satiate the palate.

8. Dealing with a craving: This is one of the most challenging things that can challenge any healthy lifestyle. When stress runs high, I crave burgers, tacos, pizza, chocolate -- you name it, I would eat it. But rather than running to In N Out, Del Taco, BJs Pizza and raiding the chocolate aisle at Albertsons, I deal with my cravings in a different way. I usually will make a healthy version of any of the food items that I am craving. I've made "animal style protien burgers" using lettuce, Boca Burgers, fat free american cheese, tomatoes and red onion. While it still wasn't quite In N Out, it satisfied my craving for a burger. In other cases, it may not be the food itself, but a particular "flavor" (sweet, or salty, or example) that I crave. If I want something salty, perhaps a veggie with some cottage cheese will do the trick. For Sweet? Sometimes a nice apple, flavored yogurt ... and those Jello Temptations are 60–150 calories a piece. Those things are AWESOME. And when it comes to that craving, it usually does the trick. When all else fails, perhaps allow yourself a treat ... BUT ... watch the portions and the calories. Take advantage of the calorie postings mentioned in one of my previous blogs. Instead of ordering a 3 item combo at your favorite mexican restaurant, order a single item and request roasted/grilled veggies instead of rice and beans. You'll still be satisfied in the end, and you will save yourself 700+ calories.

9. Go for the fresh stuff: Fruits and vegetables in cans are full of salt and preservatives. Sure, they're usually cheaper in the can. But the nutrients are in the fresh stuff. Frozen is a good option too -- particularly for a few time savers. Just buy the quantity you'll need. Use the stuff that doesn't last long (like fresh cilantro or cucumbers) first. But your veggies should still last all week if kept in the fridge.

10. Check out some good cookbooks: All of the food items shared here in my blog have been DELICIOUS recipes found in the healthy cookbook collection that I have in my kitchen. (Yes, I mean COLLECTION). I have Hungry Girl cookbooks, The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, Betty Crocker's 300 Meals 300 Calories, Ellie Kreiger's "The Food You Crave", Weight Watchers cookbooks galore ... all delicious, healthy, EASY meals. Hey, I even say in my bio that I am not a chef. But I am happy to share what I create from these books. Why? Because I get excited that I was able to make something that tasted good and can feel good about knowing that it didn't put me back 1400 calories for a single meal. Yes, I make pizza, burgers, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers, soups, stews, salads, sandwiches and wraps ..... Stuff I actually WANT to eat. If all there was to eat was salad, I would die of starvation because I would get sick and tired of eating it and would lose any enjoyment that I receive from it. So go to the Library, bookstore, amazon, allrecipes.com .... find books that work for you. (Me? I have to have lots of pictures -- if it looks appetizing or has some cool, catchy name, I will eat it.)

So for those who like to complain that "dieting" doesn't work, that healthy food tastes bad, then I'm going to guess that you haven't really tried all of your options. Ditch the fad diets and kooky diet pills and potions. A healthy, appropriately portioned diet, lots of water and moderate exercise will do just fine. No, don't spend 3 hours a day at the gym. Even a half-hour power walk does wonders. And for crying out loud be patient! To expect to lose 30 pounds in a week (or even 8 pounds) like they do on The Biggest Loser is NOT HEALTHY and totally unrealistic. But 2 pounds is definitely possible. And don't put a time limit on it. Just keep at it, and the results will happen. By saying "I'll lose 15 pounds by swimsuit season" only puts unneeded pressure on you -- and you'll likely only gain weight instead. But by embracing a total lifestyle change, you will see much more and lasting results.