Healthy Weight Loss Tips

It’s not uncommon for new clients of mine to feel nauseous or light headed during their first workout. (I hate when it happens.) Sometimes it’s because they were trying to push themselves too hard, but often it’s because they didn’t prepare properly.

There are three essential things that help get anyone successfully through a workout, especially a newbie: [More]

Tonight I had a little scare. One of my clients started feeling badly toward the end of her workout. She felt weak and light headed. She sat down and dropped her head. She began to sweat and turned pale.

I started asking her questions to rule out a cardiac event. She told me she hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime, which was six hours past. And then she’d only eaten a salad with chicken.

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We had our first family Christmas dinner tonight. All the food was amazingly delicious (thanks Bea!). I did eat a little yogurt before I went so I wasn’t starving and I ate a large salad with dinner to keep from eating large portions. Even so, holiday food has a ton of calories – especially the chocolate cheesecake dessert! (I sure hope all that snow shoveling I did this morning helped pre-burn some of those calories.)

After dinner we sang Christmas carols around the piano. One of my nieces made me a lovely wreath of fresh greens and silver ornaments. i can hardly wait to hang it on my door.

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Sometimes I just want something that tastes really good. Something sweet and delicious. Something cool and creamy. Something rich and chocolaty. Something that tastes bad for me…but isn’t.

Fortunately, I’ve found some healthy alternatives to peanut butter cups and ice cream. When my sweet tooth kicks in, I tame it with these treats (or at least try to!):

Yogurt – mix 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt with Splenda, vanilla, and berries.

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We took a family walk today and enjoyed the cool, crisp air of autumn, the golden sun, and the colored leaves. There was something about being outdoors that made me hungry for baked apples. When we returned, I immediately began peeling and slicing apples for a healthy version of apple crisp.

Fall is such a great time to enjoy the many varieties of apples. I love to try all different kinds to experience the flavors and crispness (not to mention their delicious aromas). I enjoy using them in many different recipes and usually eat one every day.

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Grabbing something fast doesn’t mean settling for something unhealthy. You can stay on track with your eating even when you’re short on time.

It may be tempting to pick up a candy bar – and you may rationalize that you don’t have time for anything else – but that’s just an excuse. There are many healthy choices that are just as fast as a candy bar.

Here are 10 fast and healthy snacks to fuel your body in a hurry. [More]

For many people, keeping a food journal all day long is tedious, if not almost impossible. If you work in the health care field, at a factory, etc., you may be unable to keep a journal with you or have the time to keep a running total. Even if you do have the time, you may hate writing everything down and adding up calories.

There’s a simple way around this – and you can still eat healthy foods in your calorie range. So go ahead and ditch the journal!

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The last thing I wanted to do this afternoon was run 8.5 miles. I knew the hilly route ahead of me, which wouldn’t have been so bad early in the morning while the temperature was cooler. But at 6:00 a.m. we were having thunder, lightening, and downpours. Not a good situation for an outdoor run.

I was on schedule to play piano at church, so I knew I’d have to run when I got home – if the storms had ended. They did, and the sun came out to make the air steamy, hot, and humid.

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I enjoy eating healthy foods and rarely miss any of the “bad” foods I used to eat. It’s probably because I’ve found so many tasty foods to replace those old foods.

People often ask me what I eat, so I hope this list will help you find healthy foods that will become your favorites too.

Soy milk: 8th Continent Light original or vanilla (50/60 calories per cup). It’s great for making a protein shake and keeping the calories down. Blend 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder.

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I always tell people how important it is to keep their kitchen stocked with plenty of healthy foods. Well, I broke my own rule.

Yesterday I ran out of lettuce – so no salads, only green beans from the freezer. Today I tried to come up with a snack, but was out of too many things. No soy milk for a protein shake, no yogurt (I’m going through Chobani withdrawal), no eggs for an egg white omelet, no berries…I mean the fridge was bare! I ended up microwaving a Weight Watchers meal and eating part of it before I left for the grocery store. Not my usual afternoon snack.

I was very happy to fill up my cart with fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, almonds, etc. When you don’t have the right kinds of foods for healthy, weight-control eating, it’s tough. You end up eating whatever you can find, which isn’t usually the best. Fortunately I found the frozen dinner in my deep freezer (one I had gotten for my hubby – he’ll never know). It saved me from eating the oatmeal cookies my mom brought over for the kids – they have M&Ms in them 

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First of all, let’s get one thing straight – never, ever, EVER skip breakfast! (I hope you heard that ‘cause I was shouting.)

If you skip breakfast, your metabolism and your blood sugar drop. Bad news. Not only will you feel groggy and tired, but you’re body pulls back on how many calories it burns. Then by the time you do eat, you’re ravenous and grabbing anything in sight. Like the birthday brownies someone brought into work.

When you eat breakfast, your body is nourished, your metabolism wakes up, and your blood sugar stabilizes. This is good. Getting off to a good start in the morning means you will have better control over your eating all day long. Plus, studies show breakfast eaters tend to eat less overall calories and stay slimmer!

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Warm weather invites you outdoors to play at the park, go for bike rides, hike on mountain trails, or take a day trip to the zoo.  But while you’re packing your sunscreen, don’t forget to pack up some healthy snacks and drinks for you and the kids.

Taking food along is convenient because you can grab it whenever everybody’s hungry and you don’t have to find a store or a restaurant. It saves money because you’re using your regular groceries instead of buying overpriced items. And it’s certainly healthier than most snacks you’ll find on the road!

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I’ve been a long-time supporter of yogurt manufacturers, especially Dannon and Stoneyfield Farms. In other words, I’ve bought and eaten my share of yogurt.

My main fare is plain nonfat yogurt. I add a drop of vanilla and stevia, and stir in fresh fruit. Sometimes I’ll eat Dannon Light & Fit.

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Protein helps you shed pounds, stay fuller longer, and keep cravings away. You should aim to eat protein at every meal and a little for snacks, too.

Eating quality, lean protein is essential. High calorie, high fat protein sources cancel the benefits you get from good proteins.

Here are some of the best sources of lean protein for weight loss.

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Are you too rushed in the morning to stop and eat breakfast? Would you take the time to eat breakfast if it set you up for better weight loss?

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Snacking healthy on the go takes a little planning and preparation, but it can be done. Taking the time to prepare certainly beats getting stuck at work or on the road with nothing healthy to eat. You know how hard it is to find low calorie, nutritious foods in vending machines or convenience stores.

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