Mmmm POP!

Yummy, sugary, and having no nutritional benefit whatsoever: pop!! At anywhere from 130-180 calories per can, it can find it's way to your waistline pretty quick.

The best solution is to simply not buy it, which, if I lived alone, would be my answer. However my husband is a Pepsi-aholic, and we're the house that hosts the family parties, which usually include a flat of mixed pop for the kids (mine are normally only allowed 1/4 can two or three times a week as a treat).

I could:

a) Torture myself and not drink any, and end up eating or drinking something else just as bad,

or

b) Give in and just chug the stuff,

or

(drum roll)

c) Crack open a can, have a few sips, and leave the can in the fridge. I periodically come back and have a sip or two, but usually I'll forget it's there. The next day it's flat (and disgusting), and it gets dumped down the drain.

Wasteful? Sure. (Keep in mind that I don't live alone and therefor share in the decisions about what comes into the house.) Waist expanding? No.

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Weight Loss With One Change At A Time

Yet again I'm trying to ditch the ice cream at midnight habit! So far so good. I'm on day 3 now.

Last night I caved a bit and had a couple of cheese strings (2 x 60 cals) and a chocolate covered chewy granola bar (150) for a total of 270 calories. This is still better than the ice cream, though, which I estimate to be near 1,000 (did I mention I dump chocolate chips, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup all over it? yeeesh. SO yummy though).

Wish me luck tonight! At the moment I'm strong, but anytime after 10:00 pm or so, I stop caring about the calories and I just want the ice cream!! Ahhhh... lol

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Calorie Shifting

Hmmm... it appears as though my inability to stick to below 2,000 calories for any length of time has a name: calorie shifting!! lol

I've heard of the merits of this before: basically it refers to changing your daily intake levels to trick your metabolism. If you eat low cal for too long, your metabolic rate eventually slows to match the level of incoming calories.

I honestly think my calorie levels are a bit to high for this though. The bottom line is that calories consumed have to be processed by your body, and at my current rate (see top left side bar of blog for my daily counts) I'm averaging about 2,227 (I took the last 7 days, added them up with a value of 3,000 for the jujube and Easter days, and then divided by 7). In the past my weight maintenance level has been between 2,500 - 2,700, so I can still lose weight if I continue this way, but it will be extremely slow.

That being said, I firmly believe that calorie shifting, if done properly, can really work. Here are some links for further reading:

http://www.dietdigest.net/thinking-slim-shifting-your-calorie-intake

http://cerealdieter.com/2008/02/05/trick-your-metabolism-with-calorie-shifting/

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/3242_how-to-trick-your-bodys-metabolism-for-weight-loss-success

http://www.onecrumb.com/kickstart-your-metabolism-with-this-lazy-mans-trick/

http://www.peertrainer.com/LoungeCommunityThread.aspx?ForumID=1&ThreadID=140172

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Wii Fitastic :)

I haven't really lost that much weight since getting Wii Fit (maybe a pound) but I feel like I'm getting fit. Watching my 6 year old do yoga has been fun too :)

This is how my Wii Fit work out typically goes:

1) I start with a run (today it was a 20 minute "free run", in which I broke the 4 mile mark, wahoo!! :) Ironically I only got 3 stars for that, while in previous runs I've gotten four. I think it's because my speed was inconsistent because I was too caught up in the "miles" thing.

2) I then work my way through all the strength exercises, only once each, maximum reps that I have open.

3) Then I do all the Yoga poses, again once each, maximum reps that I have open.

4) Today I ended with Lotus Focus, mainly because it involved sitting reeeeally still, which is perfect when I'm tired!!

It's interesting how some things are easier than others. The push-up side plank exercise is sheer torture for me, and I quite often skip it. The plank, on the other hand, is not that bad. I guess they're not as similar as they seem to be. My Yoga "Warrior" pose always gets me 4 stars, but the "Triangle" pose is brutally hard. I can never seem to match the on screen trainer, so I fake that one to get a good score ;)

I find the strength ones are easier once you're warmed up from a run, and the Yoga is a wonderful way to stretch and cool down. The balance exercises are fun, but I don't think I get much out of them (other than fun) so I invest less of my precious time doing them. (My four year old, on the other hand, is obsessed by Table Tilt... I swear I hear its music in my sleep.)

What about you - if you have Wii Fit, how do you typically use it?

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0 Cal Sweetener? New SoBe World Product Promotion

I posted this on my Cha-Ching blog as well ('cause it's in reference to a free product ;), but thought it was relevant here as well.

Today SoBe World is giving away free bottles of their 0 Cal Lifewater (U.S. only). Here's the link to find out more:

http://www.sobeworld.com/

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My 5,237,846 Calorie Snack

This is why you should ALWAYS measure, and never ever ever ever free-pour Flaxseed:



















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My Version Of Low Cal Hot Chocolate

If you're like me and leery of artificial sweeteners, low calorie treat alternatives that don't use them are always welcome.

I started thinking about the sugar in hot chocolate one day, and decided to try it without. After all, many people drink coffee and tea without adding sugar, why not hot chocolate?

It turns out that it's not bad at all! Here's the recipe that I use:

1/2 cup skim milk
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
almond and vanilla extract
boiling water

I premix the cocoa powder, vanilla and almond extracts, and milk while the water is boiling - the cocoa is a bit powdery and takes some extra stirring. Once they are blended, I then add the hot water. It's not sweet (obviously), but it definitely takes care of my chocolate cravings!

Like this evening, for instance - I was about to serve myself a bowl of ice cream (several hundred calories) and had this hot chocolate instead (about 60), and I'm totally satisfied.

(Now I just have to go to bed before I start thinking about the ice cream again!! LOL)
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How Many Calories Are In Pumpkin Pie?

...and what exactly was the damage from my holiday indulging?

I found this web page, which quotes a big whopping 56 calories. Not bad until you look at the serving size, which is 1oz.

(oops ;-)

Trick Yourself Into A Smaller Serving...

...with a smaller plate. I kept hearing about this one and finally tried it myself, and it worked.

I recently watched a televised weight loss series with Paul McKenna, and one of the topics he covered was how food appearance affects hunger. He conducted an experiment where he told people to eat until they felt full. He repeated the exercise with subjects who were blindfolded, and found that these folks felt full a lot sooner, and ate a lot less, when they couldn't see the food.

The "empty the plate" mentality is a big culprit for overeating. If you use a smaller plate with less food on it, and the serving dishes are in the kitchen instead of at the table in front of you, chances are you may skip a second helping and eat less than if you had put more food on a larger plate.

One Change At A Time

I've heard it takes two weeks to make or break a habit. This might explain why weight loss that takes longer is more likely to stick.

If your diet plan consists of small changes, one at a time, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed. If you can maintain each change for at least two weeks before introducing a new one, you're more likely to form new beneficial habits, rather than constantly struggling and giving up.

My example: putting sugar in my coffee.

One day it occurred to me the amount of refined sugar I was drinking in coffee, so I decided to look for an alternative. I went out of my way to research coffee brewing techniques and flavouring ideas, such as cinnamon, vanilla, and so on.

I was so caught up in experimenting with flavours that the "two weeks" flew by, and sure enough, now I drink sugarless coffee all the time. Adding sugar has become weird to me.

Now if I had tried removing sugar from my daily java while making a bunch of other changes at once, it might not have been as easy. One change at a time appears to be the key to my success.

Me, Today...

I know how to lose these ten pounds; I know exactly what will work. It's worked for me in the past and it will work again as soon as I am ready to get down to business.

It's simple: keep a food diary, log everything that goes into my mouth, and stick to 1,500 calories per day.

(Like I told my Mom, losing weight is not hard, it's just not enjoyable ;-)

Meanwhile, my current "at least I'm doing something until I'm ready to get serious" strategy is this: I'm not eating anything past 7:00 pm.

Hey!! It's 5:31 at the moment... gotta go ;-)

3 Low Cal Sweet Substitutions

I have more of a sweet tooth than a salty one... ice cream doesn't last long in our house! If I'm able to be strong and not indulge, it's usually because I've had one of the following instead:

1) Mini-freezies - they're only 10 calories each, and are mostly water.

2) Jolly Rancher candy - or ANY candy that's rock hard. Not sure how many calories each one has - anywhere between 10 and 40 - but because they're so hard you have to suck on them so they last. By the time you've had only one, the sugar craving may have passed.

3) Gum or sugar free mints - gum is particularly good because the urge to chew is also satisfied, along with the craving for flavour.

3 Savory Low Cal Substitutions

I'm switching my focus with this post from nutritional content (i.e. smoothies) to sheer caloric value.

Indulging your salty tooth doesn't have to be high calorie. Here are some low cal options I've enjoyed:

1) Rice cakes and salsa. The rice cakes will get soggy faster than the chips would, but it's still pretty good. OR... if you don't mind being totally unconventional, you can skip the rice cakes and eat the salsa with a spoon (hey, if people can eat high calorie peanut butter with a spoon, why not low cal, mild flavoured salsa??) YUM.

2) Pretzels. They're not as low cal as the salsa, but they're much better than potato chips.

3) Canned soup. I wouldn't eat this more than 2-3 times per week because of the sodium content, but it definitely can satisfy that savoury craving with a lot fewer calories than a burger and fries...

Nuts

Alrighty, so I said to my husband "I need sugar-free snacks - can you buy me nuts or something?" (Oh yes, I think I mentioned this in my last post). I am now completely addicted to Kirkland's Trail Mix. It does have some sugar in it as it contains M&Ms and raisins, but it is mostly nuts.

Now I'm thinking that I'M the one who's nuts, because I've been consuming at least 1,000 calories per day of this stuff.

Enough said...

Yogurt and Weight Loss

This is interesting... the theory that probiotics can help you lose weight. Supposedly the bacteria in your intestines can affect how many calories you actually take in, so if you eat yogurt to add the right kind of bacteria, you'll be more successful in your weight loss efforts. (I knew I liked yogurt for a reason!)

What's even more interesting is that according to this article, yogurt seems to target abdominal fat (although in this case they cite the calcium as being the factor as opposed to the probiotics).

Supposedly eating yogurt three times a day is more beneficial than once, and the type of yogurt matters - as in, you want to read the label and consider the amount of sugar that is present. Greek style yogurt is recommended because it has more protein and fewer additives.

Sounds good to me. I like yogurt, and adding more of something healthy to my diet can't hurt. Too bad all of this wasn't true about ice cream as well ;-)

Eight Things I Did To Lose 18 Pounds

This worked for me a year ago. I've gained about nine of it back, which is why I started this blog. I thought I'd look back and review what has worked for me in the past.


1) Counting calories. It may be a pain, but it truly works.


2) Writing down everything I eat (and drink, and chew... did you know that Double Bubble gum is 10 calories per stick??)


3) Measuring stuff. Like, the cream in my coffee (30 calories per tbsp), the cereal in my bowl, etc.


4) Categorizing food. When I simply count calories I end up eating too many calories. However if I require that a certain amount of calories be protein, veggies, fruit, carbs, etc., I end up eating fewer. The reason for this is that protein fills you up longer than carbs, and I don't tend to reach for the protein unless I'm consciously thinking about it (I'm a carbaholic!!).


5) Not eating the leftover food on my kids' plates. Tough habit to break, but it all accumulates....


6) Walking, instead of driving. Walk walk walk (oh yeah, and then walk some more).


7) Eating small amounts frequently, and avoiding large meals.


8) Avoiding "fillers". For example I could still treat myself to bacon and eggs, but have only 2 or 3 strips of bacon, and skip the toast.



Anyway, you get the idea. It's all about food and exercise consciousness - there is no easy shortcut. When you're ready to get serious, it works!