Hey Everyone!
Thanks for coming back. Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. As, promised, I will provide you with an example of what I eat on a typical day. Keep in mind that it is very important to eat every 2-3 hours to speed up your metabolism.
9:00am - Fruit smoothie(200 calories)
GNC Whey Isolate protein (130 calories per scoop)
11:30am- 1 medium sized banana(105 calories)
1:30pm- 100 cal snack bar + 8oz.(or more) water
4:00pm- (1/2 cup) Tuna salad(157 calories)
(2 slices) multi grain bread(180 calories)
1 cup of grn grapes (120 calories)
12oz. of diet sprite (0 calories)
2 slices of tomato (10 calories)
2 leaves of lettuce (7 calories)
6:00pm- 100 cal snack + 8 oz. water
8:30-9pm- Mango and cucumber salad
1/2 sliced cucumber (16 calories)
1 whole(chopped) mango (135 calories)
2 cups lettuce(15 calories)
4 tbspn lime juice(0 calories)
or 4 tbspn lite italian dressing (60 calories)
Skinny cow Ice cream sandwich (140 calories)
Ok, so it is not quite 1500 calories but you get the point. This was actually a greedy day for me! It is very hard for me to eat up to 1500 calories. Eating every 2-3 hours keeps you full so that when it is time to eat an actual meal , you are not as hungry... It may seem like a lot, but as I stated in a previous post; it take calories to burn calories. I hope this post helps you guys. Please feel free to leave comments I love to hear from you. I am open to questions and suggestions for future blogs.. Next, I will post a list of my favorite 100 cal snacks and low cal foods..
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Part 3: Calorie Intake(What's your number?)
Calorie counting may seem tedious or time consuming but if you want to see results, restricting the amount of calories you take in will help you tremendously. The number of calories you take in will differ from person to person. The first step is setting a goal. How much weight do you want to lose? If you are a person who is looking to lose 50 or more pounds, I recommend starting with small goal (about 20lbs). After reaching the smaller goals you will will have become accustomed to the new lifestyle and you will be confident enough to move on to larger weight goals. There a a few things to be considered when choosing exactly how much weight to lose? Height and age are two important factors, also the size of your fame should be taken in consideration. Some people are not meant to be thin. Their bone structure wont allow it. I'm sure many of you have heard the saying "she's not fat, she's just big boned." Well there is some truth in that phrase. It is possible to be a healthy size without being skinny. A good website that can help you determine what your frame size is http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm#frame . Also, some cultures prefer to be a little more curvy than others, this too should be taken into consideration.
Understand that it takes approximately 15 calories per pound to maintain your current weight (with normal activity). If you multiply your current body weight by 15, the resulting number is the amount of calories it takes to maintain that particular weight. If you subtract 700 (your deficit of food calories) from your maintenance calorie number, the resulting number is the amount of calories you should take in in order to lose weight. This is your number. Example:
If you weigh 180 lbs you would multiply......180x 15= 2700
2700 is your maintenance intake... If you subtract 2700- 700 = 2000
2000 is the amount of calories you should take in in order to lose weight.
For faster results you may lower your number by a few hundred, doing so will make things a little harder but it WILL work.
Another important factor in changing your eating habits is how many vitamin nutrients your diet is providing. I spoke before about foods containing empty calories, this rule is important. If most of the foods your are eating have more sugars and fat than nutrients, they will use more calories but provide you with the least amount of important vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
Up next.. an example of a 1500 calorie meal plan.
Understand that it takes approximately 15 calories per pound to maintain your current weight (with normal activity). If you multiply your current body weight by 15, the resulting number is the amount of calories it takes to maintain that particular weight. If you subtract 700 (your deficit of food calories) from your maintenance calorie number, the resulting number is the amount of calories you should take in in order to lose weight. This is your number. Example:
If you weigh 180 lbs you would multiply......180x 15= 2700
2700 is your maintenance intake... If you subtract 2700- 700 = 2000
2000 is the amount of calories you should take in in order to lose weight.
For faster results you may lower your number by a few hundred, doing so will make things a little harder but it WILL work.
Another important factor in changing your eating habits is how many vitamin nutrients your diet is providing. I spoke before about foods containing empty calories, this rule is important. If most of the foods your are eating have more sugars and fat than nutrients, they will use more calories but provide you with the least amount of important vitamins and nutrients your body needs.
Up next.. an example of a 1500 calorie meal plan.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Part 2: DEPROGRAMMING
As children, we all have fond memories of a loving mother or grandmother filling the house with the aroma of baking cookies, cakes and pies. Just the thought of watching her sweat in that kitchen as she sang along with the dusties gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Many of us are comforted by the thought of grandma/mommas cooking. Soul food is known as such because it supposedly comforts the very soul of the person eating it; While this may be true, but what is it doing to the body? These foods are packed with unhealthy amouts of saturated fats, sodium, and cholesterol.
Now, out of habit, we feed these same foods to our families. Passing down grandma's peach cobbler recipe or auntie's "Oh so candied" yams is the only connection that some of us (African Americans) have to our past. Wars have been planned around it, victory's have been celebrated with it, and families are brought together because of it; Food is a very powerful resource. We cannot survive without it and we are dying because of it. Some of us have turned to food as a therapeutic resource. We must DEPROGRAM our minds so that we may live long and healthy lives.
We eat food so that we may have energy to complete our daily tasks. Each meal has a job. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day because after the nighttime fast (while sleeping), this is the first meal. Because it is the source of energy that gets your day started, breakfast should be packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. What we Americans eat for a typical breakfast has more sugar and cholesterol than what is needed. When we find ourselves spending more time in the snack isle of the grocery store, we must stop and say to ourselves " I am eating to live, not living to eat!". We will have to constantly remind ourselves of this very statement until it is embedded into our subconscious thinking. Be mindful of foods containing empty calories (foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value). These foods(and some drinks) are strictly for comfort. Foods like: Potato chips, doughnuts, candy, soda (pop),etc. The foods in this category offer very little (if any) nutritional value. Although these types of foods are very flavorful, we must program our bodies to crave healthier foods. I know this may sound like nonsense but it works. After about 2 months of of looking at (otherwise delicious) pastries and other snacks as if they were disgusting, I eventually started choosing carrot sticks over candy bars. I created an image in my head of the body that I had and the body that I wanted (and still working toward). I begin seeing doughnuts and cookies like little pieces of fat to be placed where every my body felt it wanted to place it. We must look at certain foods like a drug, when given in mass doses can be addictive and eventually deadly. The goal is not to cut these foods out of your diet completely, as this will lead to binging. The goal is to occasionally enjoy small servings of food with empty calories. This way your body will not react every time it is in the presence of said foods. When we deny ourselves of things (be it food or anything else for that matter) we begin to crave them even more than before. This is why diets do not work. Most diets give you a list of things that you can not have, which in turn, you crave more of and results in you cheating. You may wonder how and when should you allow yourselves these foods? The answer will depend upon how much is allowed in YOUR calorie intake after you have subtracted the amounts of calories allotted for your meals.
Which leads us to Part 3: Calorie Intake (What's your number?)
Now, out of habit, we feed these same foods to our families. Passing down grandma's peach cobbler recipe or auntie's "Oh so candied" yams is the only connection that some of us (African Americans) have to our past. Wars have been planned around it, victory's have been celebrated with it, and families are brought together because of it; Food is a very powerful resource. We cannot survive without it and we are dying because of it. Some of us have turned to food as a therapeutic resource. We must DEPROGRAM our minds so that we may live long and healthy lives.
We eat food so that we may have energy to complete our daily tasks. Each meal has a job. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day because after the nighttime fast (while sleeping), this is the first meal. Because it is the source of energy that gets your day started, breakfast should be packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. What we Americans eat for a typical breakfast has more sugar and cholesterol than what is needed. When we find ourselves spending more time in the snack isle of the grocery store, we must stop and say to ourselves " I am eating to live, not living to eat!". We will have to constantly remind ourselves of this very statement until it is embedded into our subconscious thinking. Be mindful of foods containing empty calories (foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value). These foods(and some drinks) are strictly for comfort. Foods like: Potato chips, doughnuts, candy, soda (pop),etc. The foods in this category offer very little (if any) nutritional value. Although these types of foods are very flavorful, we must program our bodies to crave healthier foods. I know this may sound like nonsense but it works. After about 2 months of of looking at (otherwise delicious) pastries and other snacks as if they were disgusting, I eventually started choosing carrot sticks over candy bars. I created an image in my head of the body that I had and the body that I wanted (and still working toward). I begin seeing doughnuts and cookies like little pieces of fat to be placed where every my body felt it wanted to place it. We must look at certain foods like a drug, when given in mass doses can be addictive and eventually deadly. The goal is not to cut these foods out of your diet completely, as this will lead to binging. The goal is to occasionally enjoy small servings of food with empty calories. This way your body will not react every time it is in the presence of said foods. When we deny ourselves of things (be it food or anything else for that matter) we begin to crave them even more than before. This is why diets do not work. Most diets give you a list of things that you can not have, which in turn, you crave more of and results in you cheating. You may wonder how and when should you allow yourselves these foods? The answer will depend upon how much is allowed in YOUR calorie intake after you have subtracted the amounts of calories allotted for your meals.
Which leads us to Part 3: Calorie Intake (What's your number?)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Part 1: Awareness
Hello, I am glad you came back! The fact that you are reading this blog means that you are AWARE that some changes need to be made. Many of us complain about our weight but do absolutely nothing to change it. People are overweight for a myriad of reasons.
Metabolism
Inactivity/does not exercise
Medical problems/medications
depression(emotional eating)
Overeating
Eating wrong foods
Under eating,etc..
The first step toward losing weight is to understand why YOU are overweight. Most of us are overweight for a combination of the previous reasons. My reasons were the fact that I did not exercise and metabolism/under eating . Exercise was not stressed in my childhood, I'm sure mostly because I am asthmatic. So, just starting a workout routine was a very important factor in my weight loss. For those of you who go from very little or no exercise to as little as 15 minutes a day will notice a difference right away. Another major part of my success was speeding up my metabolism(increasing the speed at which enzymes catalyze chemical reactions in the body). My mistakes were (like many people) the fact that I usually skipped breakfast, ate a huge lunch and most of the time did not eat dinner. I also ate a fair share of junk food. I now know that skipping breakfast is a huge NO NO. Breakfast is the fuel that gives you the energy to start your day. Skipping breakfast sends your body into panic mode and it will then begin searching for a source of energy. [Energy is measured units called calories.] To prevent this from happening, after breakfast, you should be eating every 2-3 hours. Calories are consumed to supply the body with energy to operate. In essence, it takes calories to burn calories. The key is to burn at least half of what you consume. When the supply of calories is greater than the demand, the excess calories can be stored in the body as FAT.
Sorry if I bored you guys with the science but I could not talk about caloric intake without giving the science behind it.
Time to Deprogram and reprogram our minds
STAY TUNED FOR PART 2
Metabolism
Inactivity/does not exercise
Medical problems/medications
depression(emotional eating)
Overeating
Eating wrong foods
Under eating,etc..
The first step toward losing weight is to understand why YOU are overweight. Most of us are overweight for a combination of the previous reasons. My reasons were the fact that I did not exercise and metabolism/under eating . Exercise was not stressed in my childhood, I'm sure mostly because I am asthmatic. So, just starting a workout routine was a very important factor in my weight loss. For those of you who go from very little or no exercise to as little as 15 minutes a day will notice a difference right away. Another major part of my success was speeding up my metabolism(increasing the speed at which enzymes catalyze chemical reactions in the body). My mistakes were (like many people) the fact that I usually skipped breakfast, ate a huge lunch and most of the time did not eat dinner. I also ate a fair share of junk food. I now know that skipping breakfast is a huge NO NO. Breakfast is the fuel that gives you the energy to start your day. Skipping breakfast sends your body into panic mode and it will then begin searching for a source of energy. [Energy is measured units called calories.] To prevent this from happening, after breakfast, you should be eating every 2-3 hours. Calories are consumed to supply the body with energy to operate. In essence, it takes calories to burn calories. The key is to burn at least half of what you consume. When the supply of calories is greater than the demand, the excess calories can be stored in the body as FAT.
Sorry if I bored you guys with the science but I could not talk about caloric intake without giving the science behind it.
Time to Deprogram and reprogram our minds
STAY TUNED FOR PART 2
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Welcome/ Introduction
Hello Everyone!
Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to do something for You. You found your way to this page because either 1. Your'e interested in losing weight , 2. You wound up on this page by accident, or 3. You think that maybe it will direct you to a new dieting fad that you haven't tried yet. If you chose number 1 Congratulations! You are making the first steps to a healthier YOU. For those of you who chose number 2, understand that nothing happens by accident and there is no such thing as coincidences. Apparently, the Creator has guided you here because you or a loved one is in need of a little guidance toward the direction of a healthier lifestyle. Congratulations to you too! If you are here for reason number 3, unfortunately you will not find what you want here, but you may find what you NEED.(see reasons # 2)
I was inspired to start this blog because of the many reactions and responses that I receive from people in regards to my weight loss. They all want to know what my "secret" is and how I did it so quickly. They obviously believe that if I did it so can they. They are right. I am no celebrity. I am, in no way, wealthy enough to pay for a personal trainer nor do I have money to pay to have meals made for me. I do not have a gym membership. I dont even own any exercise machines. I am your average single mom, who works and goes to school in addition to raising a child. My days start early and end late so I have very little "free" time on my hands.
My goal is to provide you with step by step instructions on what I did to lose 50 lbs in 3 1/2 months. I do not in any way claim to be a medical professional. I am simply sharing my story in hopes that it may help YOU achieve your weight loss goals.
Stay tuned for Part 1. Awareness/Deprogramming
Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to do something for You. You found your way to this page because either 1. Your'e interested in losing weight , 2. You wound up on this page by accident, or 3. You think that maybe it will direct you to a new dieting fad that you haven't tried yet. If you chose number 1 Congratulations! You are making the first steps to a healthier YOU. For those of you who chose number 2, understand that nothing happens by accident and there is no such thing as coincidences. Apparently, the Creator has guided you here because you or a loved one is in need of a little guidance toward the direction of a healthier lifestyle. Congratulations to you too! If you are here for reason number 3, unfortunately you will not find what you want here, but you may find what you NEED.(see reasons # 2)
I was inspired to start this blog because of the many reactions and responses that I receive from people in regards to my weight loss. They all want to know what my "secret" is and how I did it so quickly. They obviously believe that if I did it so can they. They are right. I am no celebrity. I am, in no way, wealthy enough to pay for a personal trainer nor do I have money to pay to have meals made for me. I do not have a gym membership. I dont even own any exercise machines. I am your average single mom, who works and goes to school in addition to raising a child. My days start early and end late so I have very little "free" time on my hands.
My goal is to provide you with step by step instructions on what I did to lose 50 lbs in 3 1/2 months. I do not in any way claim to be a medical professional. I am simply sharing my story in hopes that it may help YOU achieve your weight loss goals.
Stay tuned for Part 1. Awareness/Deprogramming
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