Here's the simplest explanation for weight loss that you all know: You burn more calories than you consume.
Here's a little bit more complicated explanation: If you cut calories alone and don't exercise or strength train, the weight that you lose will be a good portion fat but also a good portion muscle. Exercising combined with a reduced calorie diet will help you preserve muscle.
Here's a little more indepth look at the calories you're eating: Eating highly processed foods doesn't take your body much energy to digest (an article from two weeks ago that we shared on here equated highly processed fast food to partially-digested food---ick!) and eating more "raw" or "natural" type foods like veggies, fruits, nuts, etc. take your body a lot of energy to digest and burn, thus burning more calories! So over time, as you're getting used to a reduced calorie diet, you'll find via trial and error, that some foods just stick with you longer and some make you feel more satisfied, while others feel empty.
And here's what I'm really interested in studying out as of late: Will certain foods (i.e. high protein foods) further yet increase the fat lost vs muscle lost ratio? We already know that high protein foods help us feel fuller longer, help our muscles repair and grow stronger, and give us lots of energy. And we know that six 300 calorie meals/snacks are healthier for our metabolism and mental satisfaction than three 600 calorie meals.
Ok, ok, enough technical mumbo jumbo, but please do share if any of you guys know something or feel like researching the subject :)
I eat a big breakfast, have a mid-morning snack, small lunch, afternoon snack, after workout snack, and dinner (6 mini-meals). It works for me. It makes it so I'm never hungry and my energy level is pretty consistent instead of spiking & dipping. For breakfasts the last 2 weeks, I've had egg scrambles. I put a little cooking spray in a pan, sautee mushrooms or spinach, or whatever veggies I'm in the mood for, then add 6 egg whites, black pepper, & cheese (reduced fat cheddar, part-skim mozzarella, or harvati). It's a little different every day. I like it w/ Frank's hot sauce (zero calorie). So that's a huge warm breakfast that is less than 300 calories. For mid-morning snacks I like a yoplait white chocolate strawberry yogurt cup and sometimes 1/4 cup cashews or pistashios. For lunch I like a salad I make at home the night before, either steak salad, tuna salad, or chicken salad. The steak salad is one cooked No Name Petite Cut Steak in bite-size pieces over 2-4 cups spinach w/ cherry tomatoes & 2T light balsamic vinaigrette. The tuna salad is a can of solid white albacore tuna in water, drained, with 2 T Kraft fat-free mayo, a pinch of green onions, and a splash of lemon juice over 2 cups spinach & tomatoes. The chicken salad is 6 oz of cooked chicken breast meat in bite-size pieces, 2 T Kraft fat-free mayo, pinch of green onions, and 3/4 T dijon, over 2 cups spinach & tomatoes. Afternoon snack is usually a protein bar or a Rhodes Multi-grain roll (I make a dozen at the beginning of the week and put them in ziploc baggies in my desk drawer at work). Then I work out in the afternoons around 4, and after working out I have a protein shake. Lately that's been 2 scoops Isopure protein powder, 1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 1 cup frozen berries. And for dinner a small helping of smthg, like last night it was beef broccoli stirfry, or last week we had pork tenderloin over salad, or feta chicken w/ pureed cauliflower. Later on this week we're trying a new shrimp recipe. The beef broccoli is really good, so I'll share :) Sorry this post is getting longer than I had originally anticipated!
ReplyDeleteBeef Broccoli Stirfry
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 red onion sliced (I used onion powder instead)
1 T fresh minced garlic
1 1/2 lb sliced sirloin steak (I used 3 No Name Petite Cut Steaks)
1 T sesame oil
2 T rice vinegar
1 T ginger
4 cups broccoli (we doubled this)
Start steaming broccoli. Heat soy sauce in pan, add onions & garlic, saute until opaque. Add beef pieces, turning often, about 7-10 minutes. Stir together oil, vinegar, & ginger, then add that mixture to the saute mixture in the pan. Add steamed broccoli to the meat mixture. Serve (we ate it like this, but you can serve it over 8 oz soba noodles or brown rice). Serves 2 plain, or probably 4 with the noodles or rice.
I love your ideas for what to eat, Sarah! I'm trying some of these!
ReplyDeleteI eat similar to Sarah, but I could do better with salads. As for higher protein meals, I do that for a reason many of you already know: protein helps counteract the effects of insulin, which is your body's "fat storage" hormone. I am not giving up carbs, but when I eat them I include the protein so my body stays more in fat burning mode rather than fat storage mode.
Incidentally, I just found this quote by Dr. Sears in Reader's Digest, which summarizes how I like to eat (natural instead of processed foods). "Eat foods that grow in fields, swim in the sea, run on the land, and spend very little time in the factories."
On that note, I have recipes! I'm craving the spinach pizza wrap right now - lunch is coming soon! :) And, FYI - my husband LOVES this chicken curry recipe from the Biggest Loser Cookbook! We serve it over brown rice.
Pizza Roll-Ups
1 8-inch whole wheat tortilla
2 T. pizza sauce
12 baby spinach leaves
3 T. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Place tortilla on a plate and spread pizza sauce over it. Top with an even layer of spinach and sprinkle cheese on top. Microwave on High until cheese is just melted, about 1 minute. Carefully roll the tortilla up. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing into pieces. (the pieces look like little cinnamon rolls). Delish!
Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
1 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped white onion
¼ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground nutmeg
4 ¾ c. cubed peeled sweet potatoes
3 ½ c. water
3 c. fat free chicken broth
3 c. chopped carrots
¼ c. milk
½ t. salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
Steam sweet potato and carrots until tender (I do it in the microwave). Set aside. In a soup pot, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in spices. Place half of this mixture in a blender, along with half of the broth, water, potatoes, & carrots. Return blended soup to pot. Repeat with other half of ingredients. Cook until hot (but not boiling or the milk will curdle). Add milk, salt and pepper just before serving. *I use an immersion blender right in the soup pot – this reduces mess greatly and is so convenient!
Biggest Loser Chicken Curry
1 ½ lbs chicken breasts cut in 1” cubes
1 T. olive oil
½ c. chopped white onion
½ c. chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. whole grain flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. diced tomatoes in juice
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 t. curry powder, to taste
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro
Add half of oil to pan, cook chicken 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. Set aside. Add remaining oil to pan and sauté onion, celery & garlic until tender. Stir in flour until combined. Add broth and cook 4-5 minutes until thickened. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and reserved chicken. Simmer 3 minutes for flavors to blend. Add more curry (to your taste) if desired. Stir in cilantro. Serve over brown rice.
for those that don't know cluphf family is me, allison. :) anyways.... i still trying to figure out all of the food stuff. i'm a very picky eater and am trying to find things healthy for me to eat. what i have done is just cutdown on my consumption of the sweets. i've been doing it gradually but still need just one to keep my sweet tooth satisfied. i think i might try some of the recipes shared so far. hopefully, i will find some my own to share.
ReplyDeleteI've become a huge convert on the natural food front over the last year. I have finally come to realize and accept that if I eat processed food (frozen dinners, box dinners etc) whether they are low cal or not, I do not lose weight! I can't even count the number of times I have gone back to WW converted my entire pantry to low fat "weight loss" foods and lost maybe 5 pounds.
ReplyDeleteThose of you that have been on the blog before have heard this before. I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm 2 years ago. I go and work on the farm 4 hours a week and take home a share of veggies. Most CSAs are just money in exchange for veggies, mine does both. The first summer was kind of trial and error, there were lots of things that ended up in the composter. This last summer I committed myself to cooking with the veggies. I can't believe the difference in how I feel after eating compared to the past.
If you are interested in more info on CSAs just google community supported agriculture + your city and I'm sure you will find farms in your area. The Madison area has A LOT of CSAs. Now is the time to start thinking about this, I know the sign up for my farm opens in Feb.
CSA isn't cheap (a big part of the reason I work a the farm) but it is a real commitment to your health, your families health and the environment.
This week I did use some canned sloppy joe sauce to make this recipe
Cheesy Sloppy Joe
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (10oz) package frozen mixed veggies
1 can sloppy joe sauce
whole wheat hamburger buns
sliced cheddar cheese
make the sloppy joes and add frozen veggies.
Freeze 1/2 sloppy joes for another meal
place one slice cheese on 1/2 bun and broil. Serve sloppy joe on top.
The recipe says that 1/2# beef makes 6 servings. I made 4 servings.
For snacks I like 1 mini baybel cheese with a few triskets or wheat thins
I also like a version of Sarah's Pumpkin protein shake that she posted previously.
Ice
Water
Vanilla protein shake (I use Arbonne of course)
Pumpkin (about 1/4 cup)
pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to taste
My favorite website for interesting recipes is www.101cookbooks.com (they are all vegetarian) I also like www.myrecipes.com
Amy
Jumping on the "natural foods" train here . . . Along that vein, I like to make a lot of stuff from scratch to maintain all the nutrients. I have a wheat grinder and grind my own wheat into fresh flour when I need it for recipes. And I cook primarily with whole grains.
ReplyDeleteRight now - I've got some 100% whole wheat bread in the making on my counter (first rise). I also plan to make up a batch of whole grain granola bars later.
Even though I'm posting 2 recipes for whole grains, I actually try to focus on mostly protein and fruits/veggies and don't eat a lot of carbs in the way of grains. But when I *do*, I want to make them count.
Okay - just tried to post my recipes and they won't paste into here (the paste function is disabled?). I sent Sarah an email to see if she has the ability to post them for me.
Allison, I also consider myself a picky eater. I can't stand lettuce (iceberg or romaine) so I use spinach in all my salads. I can't stand carrots, but I could sit down to a whole plateful of asparagus or broccoli, so I do :) There's no point in trying to choke down typical "diet" foods if you can't stand them. It will taste bad, won't satisfy you, AND the coolest thing of all, your metabolism will be LOWER if you're eating foods you hate. Maybe you could make a list of veggies & fruits you love, and then start your meal brainstorming around those, i.e. where that's the main ingredient. Swap what you like into recipes. I know you'll find something you love :) And keep switching it up regularly, experimenting with new things. I forgot to say earlier when I posted, that a huge tool I use to curb sweets is sugar-free gum! I chew so much of it while at work :) I love it! My favs are Trident Splash Strawberry w/ Lime, Orbitz White Bubblemint, Trident Layers Strawberry Orange, and Trident Layers Apple Pineapple :)
ReplyDeleteFrom Cherise:
ReplyDeleteHere is the recipe that I use for bread. I use the same recipe for my rolls and bread alike. And I always use hard *white* wheat (not red), because I have found that it is much lighter and fluffier.
100% Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 packages active dry yeast (I get my yeast in bulk, so this is roughly 2 Tbsp. yeast)
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to "warm"
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
5 1/2 - 6 cups whole wheat flour (I use hard white wheat, as it tends to be lighter and fluffier than the hard red wheat)
Directions
In the bowl of your electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, honey, oil, salt and eggs. Mix until blended.
Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and beat for 3 to 4 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a warm towel and allow sponge to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
Mix in remaining flour reserving 1/2 C for kneading. This may seem a little stickier than you may be used to but as long as your fingers don't stick in the dough you have the right amount of flour.
Turn out onto floured board or counter top or use the dough hook from your mixer. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until elastic and smooth.
Put in a large buttered bowl and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down. On lightly floured board or counter top divide into 3 equal portions. Shape into loaves and place in buttered loaf pans approximately 8" X 4".
Cover and let rise for the third time until doubled in bulk.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. The bread tests done when the crust make a hollow sound when tapped.
Remove from pans and brush with melted butter. Cover with a hot damp towel to soften crust if desired.
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Chewy Whole Grain Granola Bars
4 1/2 cups rolled quick oats (not instant and not old-fashioned)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup honey
Up to 2 cups extra mix-ins (optional - can be raisins, dried fruit, chocolate chips, seeds, nuts, etc.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, coming the oats, flour, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, honey, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add any extra mix-ins.
Press mixture into a 9x13 pan. Pack firmly. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.
I personally can't wait to try granola bar recipe; I love adding my own extras. One of my favorite healthy desserts is frozen fruit smoothies. They are very simple and quick to makes. Instead of eating ice cream this is a nice replacement and it helps my craving for sweets. I usually use 1-2 cups of frozen fruit (mixed berries are my favorite), about ½ to 1 cup of milk or yogurt depending on how thick I wanted it, 1-2 TBS of sugar or Splenda. Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteA recipe that I recently tried and loved is Greek frittata with spinach, oregano and feta cheese. A frittata like an omelet or quiche, for those of you who didn’t know (I had no idea when I heard first heard of it.)
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups spinach,washed, tough stems removed
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
6 large egg whites
1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped oregano
1/2 cup chopped onions
6 small potatoes, cooked and halved
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Toss quickly until leaves are barely wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper together until thoroughly combined.
3. In an 8" or 10" ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn the heat to low, and add the spinach and halved potatoes (cut side down).
5. Add the egg mixture (do not stir) and cook over low heat until the eggs are set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
6. Place the skillet under the broiler for 30 to 45 seconds to finish cooking the top of the frittata.
This makes 6 servings and below are the nutritional facts.
Calories-180
Carbohydrate-18 g
Fat-6 g
Fiber-2 g
Protein-15 g
Saturated Fat-1 g
Sodium-508 mg
Thank you Ladies for all the great recipes!! I can't wait to make my menu up for next week. I have found a couple of really good recipes from the cooking light website. We had broccoli and chicken noodle soup with only 317 calories per serving. Then tonight we are having marmalade french toast casserole with 293 calories per serving. I am going to pair this with turkey bacon. For snack I just picked up more honey crisp apples!!! I love them. I just found an article that mentioned adding pure pureed pumpkin into vanilla yogurt is higher in fiber and would be a great snack. I am going to try it out probably tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHere's your breakfast ideas:
ReplyDeleteI normally alternate between special k berries & yogurt, 2 eggs and whole grain toast, oats and honey, toast with peanut butter, yogurt, fruit. I find that it I am good on protein for breakfast, it keeps me fuller until I can eat a mid morning snack or make it to lunch with out feeling like I have just starved myself.
Thanks for the great ideas-- I'm really excited to make some granola bars.
ReplyDeleteLately, I've really enjoyed grapefruit. I think they're in season (not here, of course). They're so sweet and yummy-- I don't even need to add sugar. MFP says that a whole ruby red grapefruit is 74 calories. They taste great and I eat could like 3 a day. This week I bought a bag at Cub Foods and last week I bought a bag at Copp's-- and they've both been very good. Lucky, I guess.
Everything is looking delicious! I'm hopping on a plane in a few hours so I'm bringing along granola bars, cheese, and raw almonds. I'm out of town until Sunday morning, so I'm hoping food choices will go well. Looking forward to hotel treadmills and only one child to arrange childcare for! :)
ReplyDeleteI feel bad that I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. I was down all day with a migraine, you know the kind that makes you feel physically sick to your stomach. Thankfully I am feeling much better today!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for all the breakfast and lunch ideas, this is so helpful and I can't wait to try some of the recipes you shared. They all sound so yummy!
I wanted to share a website with you that I totally forgot about until yesterday. It is called sparkpeople.com Here you can do pretty much the same thing that you can do on myfitnesspal.com but what I like about this site that I totally forgot about is that it provides meal plans. When you pull up the site, you'll want to sign in and input all your information and then you can click on MY TOOLS at the top and then choose MY NUTRITION. Here you can come up with your own meal plan by clicking on ADD A FOOD and it will show you how many calories, carbs, fat and protein that food contains or, and this is the part I LOVE, you can click on SHOW MEAL PLANS and it will provide a menu for you. Also off to the side of the menu there is an option to change or substitute foods that fit your goals. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!! Play around with it and see what you think.
Sorry this is turning into a long post but I wanted to share with you something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time and now I am finally going to do it! One of my problems is that I don't like to cook or I am so busy and don't have time which I think we all can relate to so to help me with this problem and other moms who might be in the same boat, I am going to invite 6 ladies to my house and they will each bring a healthy recipe with all the ingredients to make 7 different dishes and we will assemble them together and take home seven meals!
I think they have actual businesses like this. The one that comes to my mind is, "My Girlfriend's Kitchen" but I am going to call mine "My Girlfriend's HEALTHY Kitchen."
SOOOO excited to try this and if it is a success I would like to do this once a month!