Secrets of Success

Track every food that you will eat the night before.

I have been planning my meals and snacks the night before and doing food prep so that I know if I have any wiggle room if an opportunity for treat arises. This has helped me stay with in line my nutrition goals this summer and I hope to be in the routine by the time school starts again in the fall.

Nutrition Information

With the downsizing of things, I've noticed that the SP nutrition isn't the same as the item currently. Frequently the serving size is smaller or the "recipe" for the food has changed dramatically. Double check online with the product to make sure of your counts.

my 2012 transformation!

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Track EVERYTHING!

Even if it's just a bite or a taste, track everything that goes into your mouth. Better decisions come from accurate information. If you know what you're actually eating, you can evaluate it realistically and make necessary changes.

Drink Orange Juice with that Oatmeal!

I was surprised to learn when eating fortified oatmeal , our bodies don't absorb all the IRON it has. So, in order to help our bodies retain the iron in oatmeal, we need to consume ORANGE JUICE along with the oatmeal . This information was found in the Martha Stewart Living ",May 2012 issue,p.140. Other "healthful pairings " of food ~peanut butter +banana{potassium/ less sodium},tomato+olive oil{lycopene/fat},whole grain cereal +milk {calcium/magnesium},chicken +carrots{zinc/VitaminA}.More

Sodium Tracking

I track sodium on the Sparky nutrition tracker. Avoiding or at least limiting salty foods helps the Sparky water wash the pounds away with greater consistency.

Eat for your health

You will never know how many doctor's visits or surgeries, or cancer treatments you avoided, the copays you'll save, the money you'll earn because you can work and bring home a paycheck and maybe even do a little something for your retirement when you will be older, but you will not feel like you are.

photo food labels to track nutrition

tracking nutrition is essential for losing weight, but i can't always find the foods i eat. to be precise, i enter the information from the package labels, but the kitchen is not near the computer - so use an iphone/smartphone to take a photo of the label and then enter it in the nutrition tracker later. also works for when you are not at home!

Drink your fruits and vegetables

I was on a five week plateau and tried everything to shake it off. It wasn't until I focused on nutrition, that the scale started to move. I met with a nutritionist and learned that the most efficient way to boost the nutrients is through drinking a smoothie every morning. After two weeks, I lost an additional 4.5 pounds!

ShapeWay Meal Replacement Shake

After been drinking protein and meal replacement shakes for some years I have never tasted or find anyone that works and taste like the ShapeWay Meal Replacement Shakes. The taste is so good and to top it off no chemicals: Low Glycemic - No added sugars - No Aspartame - No Sucralose - No Fructose - No artificial flavoring - Gluten Free - No Soy - Chemical Free - 100%+ of the RDA vitamins - 3 Patented Ingredients with Clinical Studies - Affordable - NO Stimulants - Lose the Weight, Not the Muscle

Food Logging

If you can't find a match for something you ate and you can't find the nutrition info elsewhere, log it in your daily nutriton notes (below the meal planner on the My Nutrition page).

POWER IN NUMBERS!!

I recently went on my FB and sent out a message looking for people to exercise with for five days a week after my work-out buddy and i developed conflicting schedules. To my surprise so many people were looking for the same thing. I find myself wanting to do even more so now I am exercising at home on my bike watching an hour long t.v. show first thing in the morning before I leave with a friend to where ever. Its great I'm able to be more motivated and its creating a lil club of our own!!

Fiber

Add fiber to your SP tracker. If you are not getting very much right now, add slowly and build up to at least 25 grams a day for most adults. Of course, check with your doctor first.

Do not try to meet your daily minimum using prepackaged foods with added fiber. They cause terrible gas and bloating!!

Going Day By Day

I've found that by setting a small daily and weekly goal I am more able to obtain those and feel better about myself and come closer everyday to reaching my overall goal.

My daily goals are drink 8 glasses of 8oz of water and say something positive about myself everyday!
My weekly goals very but this week it's to exercise at least 20 minutes 2 - 3 times this week.
Next week will be to lose one pound!

Good luck everyone!

Listen to fitness nutrition podcasts while in the car.

It'll keep you from going through the drive through or picking up a candy bar!

Use the Spark People Trackers!

Use the Spark People Trackers: Weight, Exercise, and Nutrition! You'll be surprised at how much you exercise and maybe even how much you're eating!
You will learn self-control quickly with these trackers. Let them guide you through the SP program!

Chinese food

When I order Chinese food I only eat one portion of the container and immediately put the rest in the fridge so that I avoid over eating.

Nutritional Information with Product Pictures, Wegmans.com

Even if you don't have the Wegmans grocery chain in your city, their web site can be a valuable resource. When I'm searching for nutritional information on calorie.about.com or fatsecret or even here, it can be difficult for me to know if this is exactly the item I'm eating. At Wegmans.com, they have a picture of the product, with a description and full nutritional information, for every product I've searched so far. It's an awesome tool!

Getting your water intake daily!!!

I always fill a 24 oz cup of water 3 time a day. This way you get in your 8 glasses of water plus one. Try it 4-5 times and the results are amazing.

Food journaling made easy

Setting up shop with the food journal takes time, but once you've made lists of "favorites" and "food groupings", it can usually be done in less than 10 minutes a day. Once selected, the groupings can easily altered by adding or subtracting a food to that particular meal.

Add These Metabolism Boosting Nutrients to Your Diet

Several years ago I stared taking Lecithin, Essential Fatty Acids and Chromium. I noticed a consistent loss of weight over several months. I changed nothing I ate or increased exercise. After looking into it, I found out that these nutrients do help metabolic processes that lead to quick and steady weight loss. Always get good quality supplements. VitaCost is a great source with up to 70% off on reputable name & well known brands. CLICK TO SEE 'MORE INFO' WITH LINKS TO STUDIES.

Calculating Calories to lose weight

To calculate how many calories to eat daily in order to lose 2-3 pounds a week use the following equation: Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 12 and subtract 1,000. (Note: If you calculate a number that’s less than 1,200 calories, follow the 1,200-calorie plan. Eating less than that, it’s hard to meet your daily nutrition requirements.) Recalculate as you lose.

Add Kale to soups and stews

Try adding Kale to any soups or stews you make. It adds some color, nutrition and flavor to your food. I added it to my Chicken Noodle Soup and it was wonderful!

Eat fruit instead of drinking juice

Most of us don't get enough fiber. Eat your fruit instead of drinking juice and you will benefit from the whole nutrition package. Choose fruit instead of a sugary dessert. And watch out for hidden fructose in juices!

Replacing oil and milk in desserts

Replace any oil in cake mixes, cookies, etc with unsweetened applesauce and milk with non-fat dry milk are great ways to save A LOT of calories without losing flavor. I replaced both in banana muffins and took them from 210 calories each to 150 calories without losing any of the flavor