Afraid to Eat Out because it will blow your diet? Try these tips:

* Eat early, eat often. Remember this old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast, can jump start your metabolism. Likewise, “grazing” on healthful snacks like fruits, veggies and protein-packed almonds, and eating 6 small, healthful meals throughout the day, rather than the standard 3 large ones, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

* Be extra careful when eating out. No matter how healthy your diet, you need to eat less to lose weight. This means practicing portion control. At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest home. It’s fine to ask for the to-go box when your meal arrives, and divide it in the beginning so you won’t be tempted to over do it. Also watch out for condiments, dressings, soft drinks, and sweet tea which are common culprits for hidden calories.

* Good Choices when eating out. Look for "heart healthy" symbols on the menu. Ask for calorie and fat information on menu items. If you ask, chefs will often make low-fat entrees using low-cholesterol eggs or lean cuts of meat. You can ask for: skinless chicken, no butter on a particular dish, broiled instead of fried, and your sauces to be served on the side. There are some restaurants that let you order smaller portions at lower prices. When my mother and I eat at Red Lobster (for example) we order off the fresh catch or chef special menu. They usually have grilled salmon or grilled trout with broccoli, salad, and a side. We order the lunch portion…

* Look for key words when thinking Healthy eating: Baked, broiled, poached, grilled, raw, and fresh, steamed, tossed, whole-grain, plain, stewed, roasted, and lean.

* Eat Slowly. Savor what you eat…really think about the flavors. Before you even order think about what tastes you are in the mood for, so you can be better satisfied at the end of the meal. If you are craving something…get it, and eat it in moderation.

* Share your food. I really like to eat with Mom;if we are at a place that serves a really large portion we split the meal and ask for two plates. If you’re not eating with a partner or s/he doesn’t like to share food try another idea. Have the waiter bring a doggie bag with the meal and split it up immediately so you don’t start “talking” and forget what your eating…causing “pig-out.”

Soda, Pop, Cola: The Secret Diet Devil

According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest, soft drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, providing about 7 percent of calories. One can of soda pop contains between 10-12 teaspoons of refined sugar and around 150-180 calories per serving, so a few soft drinks can quickly add up to a good portion of your daily calorie intake. Some people drink more calories than they eat in a day’s time.

Cutting out soft drinks may be an easy way to help you lose some extra weight. Try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or an occasional spritzer made with a touch of juice (juice contains a lot of calories, so use just a taste) and carbonated water.
What about the diet soda dilemma? I believe people are fooling their self into thinking they are doing good in drinking diet soda. Sure, they are cutting calories by drinking diet soda, but could be damaging their bodies even more in other ways by have diet items in their diet plan. I will hit on this more next time.

More things we are doing for a Healthier Lifestyle

Eating and drinking tips

1. Focus on fruits and veggies. The high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables make them great candidates for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Try adding veggies to your favorite main courses (made from lean meats and whole grains) to make your dish “go” further. In addition, the vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality. You may have seen these choppers advertised on T.V. That is great ideas for adding fruits and veggies to foods like casseroles, pizzas, etc that normally don’t have veggies as part of the meal.
2. Give up added sugars, and refined sugars like sweets, deserts, candies, and soda. I have given up sweets for 90 days to allow my body to adjust to the habit of going without sweets again. I believe it is better to eat raw sugar than to eat artificial sweeteners (and I’ll get into that later).
3. Give up fried foods, this was easy for me as I rarely eat fried foods anyway; but I do realize this could be a big obstacle for some. Healthy oil is good for our bodies and we need healthy fats in our system. A chemical change happens to oil when you heat it to the smoking point, and the oil will lose its healthy properties. Most experts suggest to wet-sauté` foods instead of frying them. Simply layers the bottom of the pan with water, put the food in the pan cook to the desired texture, and add some oil and sauté. Some good oils for cooking are: real butter, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, sesame oils, and olive oil. We always keep olive oil on hand.
4. Eat more protein. Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrates. It also takes more energy to metabolize protein than carbohydrates, so you burn more calories after eating it. I am not an advocate for these diets that have you give up carbohydrates. I do believe humans need all the basic food groups for a healthy balance. However, those high protein diets can be good to jumpstart a new program for you.
5. Fill up on fiber. Fiber makes you feel fuller faster, so it’s a great idea to choose foods that are packing a good fiber punch. Fiber will also help digestion, allowing you to process what you eat in a healthier way.
6. Choose “low density” foods. Foods that allow you to eat larger portion sizes with lower calories are considered low density. These foods (including many fruits and vegetables) tend to contain more water and fiber. Try starting your meal with a low-density salad or soup (just watch the dressings and sodium) to help fill you up, so you will eat less of your entrée.
7. Drink lots of water. Not drinking enough water makes your body hold on to the water it has – resulting in extra “water weight.” Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories. I think the cheapest/healthiest way to get water is to buy a water filter for your kitchen faucet. If you are someone who can’t stand plain water, try putting a squeeze of lime in the water, or drink a sparkling mineral water. If the fizz is too much add some regular filtered water to the carbonated water.

Healthy Life Style and possible weight loss… Watch and learn how.

My friend and I are starting a new healthy lifestyle. Not that we were unhealthy before; we had slipped a little in the past few years. I know what to do, but became a little lazy with the abnormal stress I had been under. I plan on keeping you posted here as to our progress while letting you know what we are doing to better our lives by getting back in balance.

To me "balance" incorporates different aspects of our life that are required to create a whole complete person: mental (peace of mind), physical (body), emotional (How we handle actions and reactions of what is going on around us), and I believe all of this is a direct result of us as a spiritual being. I am going to start with "physical" because as people see results physically they become encouraged and motivated to try more.

I am in my forties; and most of my friends are in their fifties. So we are faced with different life challenges that may accompany our age groups. Therefore, we are not implementing everything at once; every week or two we are adding one or two of the ideas to our life. Here are some goals we are working on together:

• Get plenty of exercise. We have decided to "walk." Walking is great and we can talk to each other as we walk to better our relationship. We also chose walking as opposed to other types of exercise due to some joint/health issues. Exercise is a dieter's best friend! It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Do what you can; even 10 minute intervals are better than no exercise. We bought a little pedometer to clip on our belt that shows number of steps, and translates that into miles. Our goal is to walk an average of three miles each day (including daily work, and any exercise we can get in)
• Get proper sleep. People not getting enough sleep have a much higher risk of obesity. Exhaustion can make you feel hungrier, and impair your judgment. Eight hours of good sleep a night is a good goal to shoot for.
• Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping. Your brain will become sluggish from watching television if you are not engaged. If you just can't give it up… do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, use resistance bands, hand weights, treadmill, or ride the stationary bike. We don't have the equipment or the space for equipment, so we are turning the T.V. off.
• Go shopping when you are not hungry. Create a shopping list, stick to it, and don't buy the junk food. Store tempting foods for others in the family in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Eat in moderation, healthy meals, and eat when are truly hungry.
• Lose weight slowly. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you're actually losing mostly water and muscle rather than fat. Fast weight loss can take a toll on your nerves, and reduce your energy enough to feel sick and reduce your immune system. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs a week to ensure healthy weight loss.

Check back soon for the rest of the story as I will be keeping you updated on a regular basis.

Funny Puppy