Secrets of Success

No more processed foods!

I shop the outer isles of the grocery store and stay away from pre-packaged foods. If it has more than a few ingredients, I stay away. This includes bread too! I don't even want it in my house. The healthier foods are the whole foods and nothing that comes pre-packaged as a meal. This includes those "diet frozen dinners", too! You know the ones. Those processed foods have so much sodium! So who the heck wants to retain water? Grill your own veggies and protein and enjoy non-processed food!

Read even the Healthy Food ingredient lists, SNEAKY Food industry!

Be sure to read all packaged food labels. The food industry is sneaky with the chemicals and word replacements. Soy and sugar replacements seem to be in everything!

Even the healthiest “packaged” foods can shock you. READ every label. The food industry can be SNEAKY!!

http://www.s
parkpeople.com/mypage_pu
blic_journal_individual.
asp?blog_id=5336039
<
br>See what i mean in my blog!! Green Tea Antioxidant Natural but it has "STEVIA" in it! Unacceptable.

Read even the Healthy Food ingredient lists, SNEAKY Food industry!

Be sure to read all packaged food labels. The food industry is sneaky with the chemicals and word replacements. Soy and sugar replacements seem to be in everything!

Even the healthiest “packaged” foods can shock you. READ every label. The food industry can be SNEAKY!!

http://www.s
parkpeople.com/mypage_pu
blic_journal_individual.
asp?blog_id=5336039
<
br>See what i mean in my blog!! Green Tea Antioxidant Natural but it has "STEVIA" in it! Unacceptable.

Eat your spanakopita (Greek spinach pie)

You can eat vegetables in lots of ways. You can eat them raw,boiled,roasted or fried. But what happens if you're not a veggie person or your kids don't eat their veggies? Try making a spinach pie recipe. It's healthy,tasty and you and your family will love it. It's a good source of Vitamin A & C.

Ready Lunches

Use reusable, 3 compartment lunch containers to pre-make a weeks worth of lunches. First develop your lunch menus and shop for ingredients. Then, weigh, measure and calculate for the entire meal, filling compartments as you go. When finished, put the name and calorie count on a blank address label on the top. Write down the contents so you can repeat these meals and save in a binder. I try to keep my calorie count between 350 and 400 for this meal, focusing on high protein and lots of fiber.

Vision Board & GOALS

I "vision collaged" my back of the door mirror, this way I "SEE" it all the time!!! Everyday, sometimes several times a day! Foods, Exercises, Physically fit bodies, places I want to go and things I want to do!! Anything that is something to strive for or look forward to I put it on the edge of that mirror. SO when I do that one last check in the mirror before I sweep out the door I know what I want in LIFE!!! EVerything I want to live for is there: Prayer, Familiy, Friends.Healthy Lifestyle!

Vision Board & GOALS

I "vision collaged" my back of the door mirror, this way I "SEE" it all the time!!! Everyday, sometimes several times a day! Foods, Exercises, Physically fit bodies, places I want to go and things I want to do!! Anything that is something to strive for or look forward to I put it on the edge of that mirror. SO when I do that one last check in the mirror before I sweep out the door I know what I want in LIFE!!! EVerything I want to live for is there: Prayer, Familiy, Friends.Healthy Lifestyle!

Base 2 Meals on Fruits and Veggies

Eat tons of fruits and veggies every day. Base 2 meals a day around veggies. Just fill your plate! (Add protein and fat to complete the meal). They are nutrient dense and have lots of fiber which will help you prevent additional cravings and getting hungry as much.
If you're dieting, you are taking in less calories... make them count.

Off the couch, on the floor..

Determined to stay off the couch in the evening after a long day and exercise, I found if I sit on the floor I end up doing all my Calisthenics, yoga poses and stretching, while hanging with hubby and enjoying our tv show.

Stress Management: 4 A's - REMINDER! 4 A's

I am keeping the follwing four A's in mind: Avoid, Alter, Accept and Adapt. Whenever I feel my head is ready to pop from stress i'm going to look at the root cause and determine which one of the 4 A's can be applied.

Desert Dish

I knew I had to lose weight, so one day I decided to use a desert bowl for my cereals, fruits, and measuring most of my foods. I've been eating only one item every 2 to 3 hrs and so far I have lost 18 lbs. in 2 months.

Portioned lunches

Every week I use 1 cup and 2 cup glass bowls with lids to set up lunches and snacks for the week. When I cook dinner I do not put the leftovers in a big bowl to be forgotten, I measure an appropriate lunch time amount and put in a glass bowl with a strong sealed lid.

Review and Tweak the Plan~

Whenever i'm getting off track or even when i'm feeling a little bored I look over my old blogs. Almost all of them give me a more positive perspective or solutions to what I want to tweak or change. Should I not feel more empowered or motivated to a new direction then I hit some of my SP friends blogs.

Iceberg Lettuce, How I Love Thee...

Iceberg lettuce has a bad reputation. Which is a shame! So, here are some reasons why you should invite iceberg back into your healthy eating plan.
1. its inexpensive
2. mostly water (= hydration)
3. mostly fiber (= more fiber!! -wink, wink!)
4. adds bulk to regular salads (i.e. more food!! yay!)
5. neutral taste (you went to the trouble to make your own salad dressing you should at least taste it!) AND
6. memories (lunch box sandwiches! yum!)

Go Fish!

At one point i was down 80 pounds from eating fish for supper, i would cook it with peppers,onions,tomatoes and garlic with some Balsamic vinegar or dressing, i find that the fat free dressings help out a lot to crush huger battles. If i am CRAVING chinese food i will cook the fish in Asian toasted sesame fat free dressing, if i want italian i will cook it in fat free caesar italian with some stewed tomatoes. It is just as good with chicken too :D

Pack a lunch

I pack my lunch to take to work every day. I have my mini frozen meals in the freezer. They are really just leftovers from the nutritious meals I have cooked at home. This week I ate fiesta soup, black beans & rice and lasagna casserole. I pack some veggies, a piece of fruit, and a treat to go with my entree. The treat could be a few animal crackers or a cup of low cal pudding, etc. Usually about 350-450 calories for lunch for me.

Control: Chocolate or Me

I am not a breakfast eater, at least I was'nt, until now. I found a way to control my chocolate cravings and have breakfast without feeling yucky. I went and bought some special K meal bars. Double Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter. This gives me my chocolate and vitamins the body needs, especially fiber. They taste great!!

You're going to mess up!

Write down your barriers to success. Think really hard about what is going to get in your way. Then think of ways to avoid those barriers.

1/2 that portion...

Half that portion! I half the portion of whatever i'm about to eat. If it can't be halved without wasting part then I don't eat it Example: Sandwich you can half & save for later...cookie you would have to share if a person is available or throw the half away if you have no one to share it with. IF I would have to waste it then I don't eat it. Planning!
Don’t be a gingerbread woman, be a ROCKSTAR!
www.spark
people.com/mypage_public
_journal_individual.asp?
blog_id=4821690

1/2 that portion...

Half that portion! I half the portion of whatever i'm about to eat. If it can't be halved without wasting part then I don't eat it Example: Sandwich you can half & save for later...cookie you would have to share if a person is available or throw the half away if you have no one to share it with. IF I would have to waste it then I don't eat it. Planning!
Don’t be a gingerbread woman, be a ROCKSTAR!
www.spark
people.com/mypage_public
_journal_individual.asp?
blog_id=4821690

Substitue half of the sandwich for salad

I found that eating half a sandwich with a salad at lunch is just as filling as eating a whole sandwich. Now I am saving extra calories by doing so and having a healthier lunch!

Pre-made Lunch

Make your lunch healthy and fun. Use a tupperware container for portion control and divide it in half. In one side put a protein like rolled meat and cheese slices, tuna salad, meat balls (etc). and on the other side put a variety of good for you veggies such as pepper strips, snap peas, carrots, celery and button mushrooms. Add dipping sauce or salsa for your meat and salad dressing for your veggies just before eating. Eat slowly to help realize fullness.

Pack your lunch at night

I pack my lunch each night, usually when I'm cleaning up from dinner. That way, when I'm rushed in the morning, I can't forget to make a healthy lunch.

Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew!

To eat less I slow down my eating pace by really chewing my food. I mean chewing it till it's practically nothing in my mouth. I find by doing this, I enjoy my meal, I eat less of what's on the plate and I enjoy the meal time.

Increase your food volume, be more satisfied & lose weight

Choose foods that have a high water content (fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, cooked grains, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans) to increase satisfaction.

My favorite example is to compare two sandwiches, one with 4-5 oz sliced turkey and 1 oz cheese; one with 2-3 oz sliced turkey, a sliced tomato, 1 cup of fresh spinach, and 1 cup of sprouts. The sandwich with less protein and filled with veggies has less calories, more volume and will be more satisfying. Enjoy!