Tuesday, May 29, 2012

LOSING WEIGHT THE RIGHT WAY?


Are You Losing Weight The Smart Way?

First a little quiz:

Eating Breakfast helps you lose weight? True False

Correct, the answer is "true." People who have lost a lot of weight and kept it off tend to be breakfast eaters, and breakfast eating is associated with lower body mass index (BMI), according to research. Why? It's likely because eating a good breakfast fuels you for the day. Skip it and you're sure to be ravenous by midmorning. And what's easiest to grab then? Donuts, bagels, mini peanut butter cups -- high carb, blood sugar spiking foods that are there for the quick and easy taking. If you truly can't find the time in the morning for a hard-boiled egg, some Greek yogurt, or another protein food, stock up on some low carb protein bars you can eat on the run. If you're one of those people who isn't hungry in the morning, check your nighttime eating habits. Unless you've overconsumed calories before going to bed, the fast between evening and morning should result in a good appetite. Finally, a healthy breakfast can put you on track for better food choices the rest of the day.

To lose weight cut out all in between meal snacks? True False

Correct, the answer is "false." Although high-carb, processed snack foods can sabotage weight loss, healthy snacks between meals can control hunger and keep blood sugar and energy on an even keel. And when mealtime comes, those snacks mean you won't be as hungry, so you'll eat less and make better food choices. A small apple, berries, and raw veggies all make great snacks; they'e high in nutrients, and packed with fiber that makes you feel full. For optimal blood sugar control and weight loss, combine a carbohydrate snack with some protein, such as a handful of nuts, cheese, sliced meat, or a piece of leftover chicken. Plan your snacks and pack them if necessary so you don't end up starving and grabbing the first convenience food you can find.

Eating Low Glycemic foods will aid in weight loss? True False

Correct, the answer is "true." Because low-GI foods such as fruits, vegetables, and most whole grains are high in fiber, they help make you feel full. That helps you stick to your diet without hunger pangs. That fiber also moderates the rise in blood sugar from carbohydrate-containing foods, so you don't end up with spikes and the blood sugar-insulin rollercoaster that can result in excessive fat storage. But don't think that low-GI is a free pass. There are plenty of unhealthy foods that rank low; for example, M&Ms, potato chips, and pound cake are all ranked as low-GI! So stick to low-GI foods that are also low in carbs and high in nutrition.

Avoid nuts, they are high in fat? True False

Correct, the answer is "true." Because low-GI foods such as fruits, vegetables, and most whole grains are high in fiber, they help make you feel full. That helps you stick to your diet without hunger pangs. That fiber also moderates the rise in blood sugar from carbohydrate-containing foods, so you don't end up with spikes and the blood sugar-insulin rollercoaster that can result in excessive fat storage. But don't think that low-GI is a free pass. There are plenty of unhealthy foods that rank low; for example, M&Ms, potato chips, and pound cake are all ranked as low-GI! So stick to low-GI foods that are also low in carbs and high in nutrition.


Last one

Fat free or Sugar Free mean food is low calorie? True False

Correct, the answer is "false." It's easy to fall for the claims on packages and buy lowfat and sugar free treats. If it's lowfat or sugar free, people figure, it must be low in carbs and calories, too. Sadly, in almost every case, that's just not so -- even in foods most consider healthy. One cup of full-fat yogurt has 138 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 11 grams of carbs. A cup of the nonfat version has 127 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, and 17 grams of carbs. You save hardly any calories with the nonfat version, but you do get a big bump in the carb count. Check the nutrition labels of other "healthier" versions of your favorite foods and you'll probably see the same thing. If the calories really are lower, chances are the carbohydrate grams are still the same or even higher. The reality is that modified versions of most foods are no better or are worse than their originals.

Become a label reader. It is the only full proof plan to know what you are getting. For insistence I bought a bottle of vitamin water the other day. Good for you right? Well I did not look close at the label. There is vitamin water and vitamin water 0. the difference is about 38 grams of sugar. My body had some difficulty digesting all that sugar for a couple of days. So do not be in a hurry, read those labels.

If you got the majority of these question right then you already have a good base knowledge of what you need to do. All you have to do is implement what you know. That is not always easy but is your health important enough to do the right thing. If so you are ready for this journey. If you say no or I do not know, then you need to do some more studying and thinking.

To all of you a very best of days are on there way. Keep up the good work. Remember one fall is not failure, not getting up is. :)

Tom

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Are Your Workout Mistakes Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

So here comes the heat! What can you do that may sabotage your weight loss game when working out.

1 Working out in the mid day heat: If you are an outside person and do your workouts in the fresh air of nature, then try to avoid doing so in the midday heat. Dehydration can be reached very quickly in high heat. I remember in Ft Benning when I was stationed there, that several soldiers collapsed do to heat exhaustion and a couple even died. So try to exercise in the cool of the morning or the evening. Of coarse if you use a gym this is not such an issue but keeping hydrated is still very important.


2. Skimping on H2O: again I can not stress the importance of keeping yourself hydrated during any workouts. This includes when your out in the yard doing work. It is very easy to think I just need to get this done and then I will get a drink. Keep a bottle of water with you always. Keep yourself hydrated always. 


3. Toughing out high temps: I usually walk a mile but today is so hot, I still can do that mile. Then about 1/2 way through you go down like a sack of bricks. Heat can be very detrimental on the body. I believe anything over 100 degrees should be avoided when doing any physical insertion. I know some of you work hard in high heat to make a living but even then there are precautions you take. You say I can't afford a gym, well there are options. Mall walking, Almost everywhere has a super Wal Mart now days or walking during the cooler parts of the day.


4. Forgetting to apply Sun block: GUILTY! I am always forgetting to put on the sunblock. It is an important tool to use to keep such things as skin cancers and burns to a minimum; If you are going to be in the sun a lot use a SPF 30 or more for the best protection.(wearing long sleeves and a hat does not hurt either)


5. Repletion spent energy: Remember after workout to get plenty of H2O, and some sort of carb or calorie intake. You are counting calories and you want to burn more than you take in, but if you burn more than you should the body will go into starvation mode and will start hanging onto everything and storing as fat so where have you gotten. This will allow a fast recovery for the next days workout, Now I am not saying hit Pizza hut or McD's after your workout.  A good fortified protein drink or bar would be a great recovery, and then about 20 min latter hit the liquids. The reason behind this is if you intake a solid and then wash it down with a drink you are actually washing it out. The liquid will help flush it through before your system can absorb the nutrients so again what have you gained. As far as that I would recommend ant time you eat wait 20 to 30 min before drinking any kind of liquid.


So there you have it. Exercise Smart, and keep getting healthy. I know it pays off first hand. I have lost 185 pounds in the last 17 months, I no longer need Diabetes meds, Sleep aid, my cholesterol is lower and all my blood work is normal. Does it pay off, in more ways than I can begin to say.


I had my three month check in yesterday and everything is going great. I needed to bump up my protein intake but the rest is going well. I am back on regular food now. So hang in there. Remember this is a life long journey and I have the belief that you will succeed!


Until next time


Tom






Saturday, May 5, 2012

Fast Food = Fast weight GAIN!

So I came across this articular in my newest issue of "Your Weight" which is a publication of OAC (Obesity Action Coalition. If you have not checked this out yet I highly recommend it. Their url is www.obesityaction.org 


So I am going to give you some calorie counts on Fast Food. Remember that in most cases 1200 - 2000 calories is what you are to take in depending on your size and level of activity per DAY. I was told by many Dietician that you should limit your fat intake to 5 g per item. So here we go:


McDonald's Big Mac                  540 Calories   29 grams of fat
Burger King Whopper               670 calories   40 grams of fat
Wendy's Bacon Deluxe Double  880 calories   52 grams of fat
Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande    770 calories   24 grams of fat


That is the sandwich now for the sides:


McDonald's Fries Medium order   380 calories   19 grams of fat
Dairy Queen Onion Rings              360 calories    16 grams of fat
Popeye's (chicken) Coleslaw          260 calories     23 grams of fat


Gotta have a drink right?


Wendy's large Frosty                        540 calories   8 grams of fat
McDonald's Sweet Tea  Large         280 calories   0 grams of fat
Dunkin Donuts Iced Carmel Latte 450 Calories  12 grams of fat

Here is a little thing they forgot to teach us, sugar = fat. 0 grams of fat but a boat load of sugar. My ex use to eat cinnamon bears because they were fat free. well that is what she would tell me anyway. sugar no good. 


So if you ate at McD's and had a big mac, med fries, and sweet Ice tea large you would consume about 1200 calories in one meal. remember the daily total? I know from personal experience that my favorite meal before was a super Sonic Cheeseburger, Sonic sized fries, and a route 44 Coke. any guesses? around 1800 calories. 


Wonder why there is an obesity epidemic? Do Not get me wrong I am not pointing fingers and blaming any of these fast food places. We make the decision, Ronald is not holding a gun on us making us eat there. We as a whole must take control of ourselves and teach our children better too. 


Another statistic I heard is that this generation of young people are the first in a long time to have an average life span shorter than the previous generation, cause, OBESITY!


Well I hope this helps someone make a better decision next time they drive by their favorite Fat Farm. :)


Tom

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

April's Best Recipe

So here is April's recipe of the Month:

 

Rating:

(8 votes) 3 8
A great recipe that is easy to prepare. This asparagus casserole is always a big hit at potluck get-togethers.

Ingredients

  • 2 pkgs. frozen asparagus pieces
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C. saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1 sm. jar diced pimientos
  • 1 8oz. pkg. Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 1 C. butter

Directions

In bowl, mix salt, pepper and eggs. Add defrosted asparagus pieces, pimientos and Velveeta cheese. Place in greased casserole (2 qt. size) and cover with crushed cracker crumbs. Top with pieces of butter and place in 350-degree oven for 1 hour (uncovered). Casserole will resemble a quiche and the cracker crumbs and butter will be toasted.
Use a casserole with deeper sides than a square pan as the filling does tend to bubble up.


So I am gathering some information on "Fatty Liver". I will share when I get it put together. Weather has been beutiful so been getting out more and doing some yard work. But I am realizing I still have a way to go as far as my back. But steady I will get better. Just want to say Thanks to all my readers, and today a special shout out to all of you in Russia. Than you for your continued support. :)

Tom