Quick Low Carb-High Protein Meal #3: Almond Berri Grilled Chicken Salad

Are you on that low-carb, high protein diet and can't figure out what to eat during the day?  Here is a quick throw together that you can take for lunch and is especially healthy for you.  It helps to pre-grill some chicken tenders ahead of time and keep them in your freezer so you can throw quick chicken meals together through the week.

I usually do not measure these things out, but you can the first time just to make this just to be sure you are getting the correct amounts with the containers you are using.

Ingredients:

                                                                                         Calories
2 large or 3 small chicken tenders grilled (3 oz)                     100
Appx. 2 cups of bagged salad lettuce mix (two handfuls)         50
1/4 cup almonds                                                                     160
1/3 cup dried cranberries (Ocean Spray Craisins)                 130        
2 teaspoons lite non-fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing            25
  OR 
   for a sweeter taste non-fat raspberry pecan dressing 
      (add 25 calories to total)
                Total Calories:                                                       465

All the ingredients necessary for a quick on-the-go almond berri grilled chicken salad

I use a container that lunch meats are usually packaged in these days.  I fill it 3/4 of the way with salad mix.  Then I sprinkle the almonds into the container.  Take 2 or 3 chicken tenders and break them up into small pieces and distribute over the top of the salad.  Then, add the dried cranberries.  If you wish to lower the overall amount of carbohydrates, skip the cranberries.

Take another very small plastic container with a sealable lid and pour appx. 2 teaspoons of low fat raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing and close the lid.  If you wish to make the salad a litter sweeter at the expense of more calories, substitute dressing with raspberry pecan vinaigrette.  Done.

Step 1: Fill the container 3/4 of the way with lettuce

Step 2: sprinkle with almonds Step: 3 break up chicken into small pieces and distribute evenly Step: 4 Sprinkle with cranberries

Step 5: Pour appx. 2 tbsp of fat-free raspberry vinaigrette into a small seal-able container

Now when you get to work or wherever you are going, be sure you have a place to keep the salad cold.  When it comes time to eat, just open the dressing container, distribute evenly over the salad, and stir.  Ready to eat, very tasty, it fills you up, and its healthy! 

Enjoy!

For more quick and nutritious recipe ideas visit the Index of Meal Ideas

Food Types and Their Purpose. How to Utilize Them for Proper Health.

Various types of foods have their specific purpose.  They each serve a certain function in the body and in many cases team together to serve certain functions.  There can be consequences when too much or too little of these food types are consumed.  These quantities vary depending on age, sex, and daily activity.  The different types of foods are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and I have thrown into the mix, vitamins and minerals which are largely overlooked on the daily diet.

The "ideal" food pyramid with regular exercise

Carboydrates

Carbs are not really essential for your body to function, however it is your body's preferred source of fuel since it metabolizes as sugar.  Your body looks to gain energy from carbohydrates first because they digest much easier and faster than other foods.  This why most people eat carbs  before they do a work out.  When your body is in need of energy, it breaks down the carbohydrates in your intestines and metabolizes them as sugar which it immediately uses as energy. When there are no more carbs in your intestines, the body turns to its fat stores for energy.   If your body does not need energy and there are a lot of carbohydrates in your intestines, they immediately get stored as fat.


A couple of servings of carbs such as breads a day is an ideal ration plus two to three servings of fruit given that you are doing plenty of activity to consume those carbohydrates. Very active adults who exercise morning and night can get away with eating a serving of carbohydrates with every meal.  Some argue that it is necessary to do this.  However, logic would tell you if you eat a higher portion of carbs and do not burn many calories during the day, especially eating at night when your body burns very few calories, you will store those carbs as fat.  If you want to go into a fat burning phase, eat one portion of carbs a day plus a fruit, but it is not a good idea to do this for an extended period.



Alcoholic beverages may not seem like they should be considered  a carbohydrate, however, alcohol when consumed is metabolized as sugar.  Therefore, it will be treated as a carbohydrate.  Since most people consume alcohol in the evening, those sugars are then stored as fat since there is little or no exercise taking place afterwards to burn up those sugars.  So alcoholic beverages should be consumed in moderation if you want to maintain a healthy weight.

Examples of foods high in carbohydrates are breads, beans, fruit, candy, crackers, cookies, alcoholic drinks, etc.  

Samples of foods high in carbohydrates

Fats

Fats stored in the body are like maintenance men, they are used to maintain the body's cells.  When your blood sugar gets low because there are no more carbohydrates in the intestines to digest, it turns to the body's fat stores.  Therefore, if you eat a low amount of carbs, you will be forcing your body to burn fat.  Care must be taken careful however, because you cannot cut fat out of your body all together.  Just eat very small portions of the right kinds of fat in particular foods that contain unsaturated fats such as omega-3.  Another good type of fat in the proper quantities is omega-6.  When you eat more omega-6 fats than omega-3s however, this can cause problems such as blood clotting.  Omega-3 helps negate these effects.  Experts believe that a 4 to 1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats are healthy.  Another benefit of eating these fats are to help with joint pain.  It also plays a vital role in holding the cell walls together.  One serving of healthy fat with very little saturated fat per day is the ideal amount to consume.

Examples of foods containing healthy fats are different types of cold water fish: salmon, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, and herring.  Other sources include walnuts and flax seed.  However, fish is the doctor recommended source of fat which would include two servings per week.  Another benefit of eating fish is that it is very high in protein.

Samples of foods high in fats

Proteins

The body utilizes protein to build and repair cells. It is basically made of of amino acids which are essential. The body uses an enzyme in protein called ATP synthase to produce ATP in the body which is essential for life.  It would cease to function without it.  The immune system, liver, and other bodily functions begin to break down.  People on a low protein diet or vegetarians, can be more susceptible to illness, allergies, etc.

People engaging in working out during strength training typically consume protein either shortly before a strength training workout or within an hour afterwards.  This is so that the body is provided with large quantities of protein to repair and rebuild new muscle cells that are destroyed in the strain of exercise.  When you "feel the burn" of your muscles and the soreness the following days, it is because you have destroyed the muscle tissue through strenuous exercise.  The body then takes protein and rebuilds the muscle cells adding onto them making the muscle bigger and stronger than before.  This is the basic science behind building muscle.  Two to three servings of protein per day is the ideal amount to consume.

Protein is also used by the body as a energy source when both carbohydrates and fats are depleted.  This only occurs in severe circumstances such as starvation.

Foods that are high in protein include but are not limited to: fish, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, soy, broccoli, whey, beans, protein powders, milk and other dairy products.

Samples of foods high in protein

Vitamins and Minerals

These are not normally considered a food type or group because they are contained in most types of foods, however many vitamins and minerals are essential for vital body function.  Without them or having a low amount of them, the body can suffer from all kinds of maladies such as poor digestion, lack of sleep, cramping of the muscles, immune deficiencies, etc.

Most of the time it is not possible to get all of the required vitamins and minerals for proper bodily function from a normal daily diet. This is especially true if you work out or engage in strenuous exercise every day. In order to do so, you would have to over eat.  This is why it is a good idea to take a multi-vitamin of some sort every day.  If you are working out doing extreme exercises daily, that may not be enough.  The body is really stressed to the limit in strenuous exercise and the vitamin and mineral requirements to help repair the body are higher.  Taking a pack of vitamins designed for the type of exercise one is engaged in is a good idea. Most of these vitamin packs also contain a large amount of B12 which helps convert your food into energy.  These vitamin packs can be expensive.  At the very least one should take a multi-vitamin that you can purchase at the local store.  In addition to a multi-vitamin, some type of B complex may help your body recover more quickly.

When taking vitamins be careful however, that too much of one vitamin is not consumed.  For example, if you do not work out for two or three days, don't take extra vitamins or packs designed for exercise or stress.  Bad things can happen if you overdose.  Taking a multi-vitamin plus a B complex may be a safer route than taking vitamin packs which usually contain larger doses of various vitamins like B12.  When in doubt, ask your doctor!


    Daily Activity                                            Potential Vitamin Level Requirement
    --------------                                              ------------------------------------
    Normal  or no exercise                               Multi-vitamin
    Moderate exercise (walking, fast walking)    Multi-vitamin
    High level exercise (jogging, aerobics)          Multi-vitamin + B-complex 
                                                                      OR vitamin packs (for lean muscle)
    Heavy exercise    (weight lifting, running)     Multi-vitamin + B-complex 
                                                                      OR vitamin packs (for muscle mass)
                           

Foods that contain vitamins and minerals are all kinds including: vegetables, fruits, meats, multi-vitamins, etc.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional.  The information in this article was learned from other reputable resources.  If you are in doubt, investigate on your own or consult a medical professional!

Resources:  WebMD, Beachbody.com, eHow Health

Quick Low Carb-High Protein Meal #2: Easy Tuna salad

Are you on that low-carb, high protein diet and can't figure out what to eat during the day?  Here is a quick throw together that you can take for lunch and is especially healthy for you.  

Ingredients:

                                                                                         Calories
1 can of tuna or albacore packed in water                               120
Appx. 2 cups of bagged salad lettuce mix (two handfuls)          50
Appx. 6 olives                                                                            35
1 teaspoon of relish                                                                    5
1 tablepoons Miracle Whip Lite salad dressing                        20
                Total Calories:                                                        230

All the ingredients necessary for a quick on-the-go tuna salad with olives

I use a container that lunch meats are usually packaged in these days.  I fill it 3/4 of the way with salad mix.  Then I sprinkle the olives into the container.  If you don't enjoy olives, then skip them.  However, they give he salad a little extra kick that makes it taste great.  I then close the main salad container.   Take another small plastic container with a sealable lid and mix the tuna, relish, and salad dressing together.  Then close the lid.  Done.
  

Sprinkle the olives over the salad greens

Dump the tuna into small bowl and add the relish

Add the salad dressing to the tuna mixture then stir together

Now when you get to work or wherever you are going, be sure you have a place to keep the salad cold.  When it comes time to eat, just open the container with the tuna mixture, distribute evenly over the salad, and stir.  Ready to eat, very tasty, it fills you up, and its healthy!

Quick and easy tuna salad, ready to go

Enjoy!

For more quick and nutritious recipe ideas visit the Index of Meal Ideas

Maximize your P90X Kenpo X Work Out with Extra Knee Kick Modifications!

If you are finished with the P90X cycle and are in good shape by now, you can maximize your Kenpo X workout by adding some extra knee kicks. If you have never heard of P90X visit this link to read more about it.  If you don't have the time to try my previous P90X Kenpo X modification, Maximize your P90X Kenpo X work out with Double Kenpo X!, then this one may be for you.  An extra calorie burn can be accomplished in the same amount of time.  However, again, this is ADVANCED.  I would not attempt this unless you are a P90X graduate or are already in excellent shape.  After doing the P90X program, you may not feel like you are getting much out of the Kenpo X workout.  I know when I am in top shape, my heart rate is not even up in my fat burning zone hardly at all.  These tips are intended to get your heart pumping back into the fat burning zone and burn a few extra calories.


The main and simple modification that you can make is to add a knee kick after every "Drag-Bunch" or "Drag-Block" exercises.  Namely, these are:


Drag-Punch-punch


When you are performing this move, step forward, throw the first two punches and as you are dragging your foot forward, follow through and bring your knee up for a knee kick targeting the same place you punched the first time.  Imagine stepping forward, punching an opponent in the face, in the stomach, and then kneeing them in the face as they double over.

Hang in there though, you have to get the knee in fairly quickly before you have to reset for the next punch.  It gets really interesting when you pick up the pace and give the spirit yell.  Make it a goal to be doing the knee kick as you are giving your spirit yell.  You have to move REALLY fast!





Drag-Claw-Punch


Same principle as in Drag-Punch-Punch-Knee however, you are clawing or grabbing first instead of punching.  When you are performing this move, step forward, reach and grab, pull, then punch and as you are dragging your foot forward, follow through and bring your knee up for a knee kick targeting the same place you punched.  Imagine stepping forward, blocking a blow, then punching an opponent in the face, and then kneeing them in the face as they are bent over.


Drag-Block-Punch


Same principle as in Drag-Punch-Punch-Knee and Drag-Claw-Punch-Knee however, you are blocking first instead of punching.  When you are performing this move, step forward, throw the the block, then the punch and as you are dragging your foot forward, follow through and bring your knee up for a knee kick targeting the same place you punched.  Imagine stepping forward, blocking a blow, then punching an opponent in the face, and then kneeing them in the stomach.

Breaks


On your breaks when jogging in place, bring your knees WAY up.  Use your hands for targets, holding your forearms parallel to the floor with your hands out.  Then make contact with your hands using your knees each time you bring them up.

Elbow Series

The elbow series can be made more interesting with knee kicks as well.  As you start on the right arm bringing it up-down-left-right, bring your right leg up into a knee kick before you start the up-down-left-right motion on the other arm.  Or if you are feeling more like side kicks, instead of throwing a knee kick try a side kick instead.  You may need to mix it up a bit because at this point, your legs are probably going to feeling pretty beat.


Vertical Punches


Last but not least, you can add a little more resistance to the vertical punches by holding light weights in your hand.  A couple of small solid 2, 3, or 5 lb dumbbells will do.  It will be easy at first, but as the speed picks up, you will find that it is very difficult to keep up, but you will feel it in your arms!


So give these tips a try if you want to burn a few more calories during Kenpo X.  I guarantee that you will be feeling it in the end!

Quick Low Carb-High Protein Meal #1: Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Peanut Salad

Are you on that low-carb, high protein diet and can't figure out what to eat during the day?  Here is a quick throw together that you can take for lunch and is especially healthy for you.  It helps to pre-grill some chicken tenders ahead of time and keep them in your freezer so you can throw quick chicken meals together through the week.

I usually do not measure these things out, but you can the first time just to make this just to be sure you are getting the correct amounts with the containers you are using.

Ingredients:

                                                                                         Calories
2 large or 3 small chicken tenders grilled (3 oz)                     100
Appx. 2 cups of bagged salad lettuce mix (two handfuls)         50
1/4 cup peanuts                                                                      160
2 teaspoons lite non-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing              25
                Total Calories:                                                       335

All the ingredients necessary for a quick on-the-go balsamic chicken and peanut salad

I use a container that lunch meats are usually packaged in these days.  I fill it 3/4 of the way with salad mix.  Then I sprinkle the peanuts into the container.  Take 2 or 3 chicken tenders and break them up into small piece and distribute over the top of the salad. If you forgot to make your chicken ahead of time, a chopped up chicken pattie can be a good substitute, although not quite as healthy. Take another very small plastic container with a sealable lid and pour appx. 2 teaspoons of low fat balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and close the lid.  Done.

Step 1: Fill the container 3/4 of the way with lettuce

Step 2: sprinkle with peanuts Step: 3 break up chicken into small pieces and distribute evenly

Step 4: Pour appx. 2 tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette into a small seal-able container

Now when you get to work or wherever you are going, be sure you have a place to keep the salad cold.  When it comes time to eat, just open the dressing container, distribute evenly over the salad, and stir.  Ready to eat, very tasty, it fills you up, and its healthy!

Balsamic chicken and peanut salad ready to go

Enjoy!

For more quick and nutritious recipe ideas visit the Index of Meal Ideas

Maximize your P90X Kenpo X work out with Double Kenpo X!

And I mean MAXimize.  Get a good calorie burn with out going out for a run.  P90X Kempo X is my personal favorite among all P90X workouts.  It is by far the most fun and the hour seems to fly by.  If you have never heard of Kenpo, it is a form of Karate using moves in a rapid fire succession to overwhelm an opponent.  It is a blend of the Japanese martial art and Chinese Kung Fu and has origins in Hawaii.  American Kenpo was invented by William Kwai Sun Chow, master of the late Ed Parker who was a re-noun martial arts expert.  Parker brought the sport to the United States.

A typical Kempo Karate Logo

If you are finished with the P90X cycle and are in good shape by now, you can maximize your Kenpo X workout by what I call Double Kenpo X.  When you are at the end of the work out, you are feeling good, and you have time to spare, try this:

At the end of the main work out after the vertical punch series, hit the back button on your DVD and cycle back to the first work out afer the stretch and start over!  This will add a good 40 minutes to your work out but when you are finished through the stretch routine, you'll feel like you just ran 5 miles.  Talk about burning calories!  Whoa!

A Sinus Rinse with a Neti Pot Can Do Wonders for Seasonal Allergies

When seasonal allergies get you down, relief may be in sight.  Give sinus rinsing a try.  I have been plagued by seasonal allergies for years.  Each Spring and Fall there is a period where I feel absolutely miserable and get many sinus headaches and ear aches as a direct result of being exposed to allergens in the air.  However, a couple of years ago, it was suggested to me by a doctor that I try using a Neti pot.  It was probably one of the single most useful tips that I have ever gotten from anybody.

What is it? 

A Neti Pot is basically a miniature flower pot that you fill with a mixture of warm water and a pre-mixed solution which is mostly saline.  You then take the pot and place it tip of it in your nostril and allow the water to flow into and through your sinuses and out the other nostril.  You then repeat this on the other nostril.  It may sound gross and it does feel very strange, but doing this once in the morning and once  in the evening during allergy season will greatly reduce the effects that airborne allergens will have on you.  Personally in the time that I have used a Neti pot consistently, I have not gotten any nasal infections whatsoever, even when I had cold viruses. 

A Neti pot and accompanying saline sinus rinse packets can help fight off seasonal allergies

Cautions

You need to be careful not to use a sinus rinse too much however, because you can dry out your sinuses. There are some that believe that long term use will actually cause sinus infections. When it is not allergy season, I personally only use it occasionally after I know that I may have been exposed to an allergen or when I feel an ear ache or sinus head ache coming on.  However, when I know allergy season is drawing near, I use it on a daily basis as a preventative.

The Neti pot was invented by an Indian doctor and has gained world wide acceptance for cleansing the nasal passages.  If the idea of using something that resembles a flower pot turns you off, there is also a variant that is a plastic bottle with a hole in the tip of it that works in the same manner.  What ever type you choose, give it a try.  You never know, allergy relief could be a sinus rinse away!

How to Maximize Your Pull Up Power Using Strength or Fitness Bands

When doing workouts involving your back and chest, that may include pull ups.  These have always been my weak point.  In my school years during the Presidential Physical Fitness tests, I was lucky to pull off one pull up.  It was always an embarrassment!


Until last year, when I started Tony Horton's P90X program, I was still a pull up weakling. The chest and back portion of this work out is heavily based on pull ups.  I could only do a few at the time.  After ramping up for P90X, I managed to do the bare minimum of five to pass the P90X fitness test so I could continue with the work out.  When I started the workout I did my few pull ups on the bar and then that would be it.  Wanting to maximize the work out, I hung a set of high level strength bands next to the pull up bar.  These would be the blue set if you would be using Beachbody's fitness bands.  In the early stages of the program I got a little help from by resting my feet on a chair at first to try and do as many as possible on the bar.  However, then I drop off of the bar and immediately grab the strength bands, drop to the floor on my knees and do as many reps as possible.  Simulating pull ups. 

An example of pull up bar and strength band combination attached to a basement rafter

This technique helped me more than quadruple my pull up ability.  The key is to not let the band pull your arms up at the bottom of the pull.  Slowly raise your arms to give plenty of resistance on the way up as well.  

About half way through the program I was able to put the chair aside for assistance and pull off about 10 pull ups on the bar, then do about 18 to twenty on the bands.  Three months after starting the work out, I was able to without chair or bands, rip off about twenty pull ups!

 Strength bands can be installed for pull up use in a variety of ways.  You can install J hooks to hang them from or purchase a special attachment that hooks onto the top of a door.  Another option is to just wrap it around your existing pull up bar.  This method may take quite a few wrappings however, or you will get no tension in your bands.

Close up of using J hooks to attach strength bands to a basement rafter

So if you are a pull up weakling, don't give up.  Get yourself a set of strength bands and get to work!  You'll be ripping off tons pull ups in no time!

Inexpensive Acne Treatment That Actually Works

Having acne problems and have tried everything including going to the doctors and not much seems to help?  There could be a solution for you. 

Most acne control either does not do much at all, makes things worse, or works but dries your skin out, or just plain costs too much. 

A simple solution that may work for you is to take an over the counter acne cream that contains benzoyl peroxide and an oil-free moisturizer and mix them together.  The benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria and it does not take much.  The oil-free moisturizer helps prevent your skin from drying out.  An example of these products are Clean & Clear Persa Gel-10®, Proactiv® Repairing Lotion, or ZAPZYT Maximum Strength® as an acne cream and Neutrogena Oil-free Moisturizer® or St. Ives Oil Free Moisturizer® both of which can be purchased in a drug store or grocery store.

Take a dab of the acne cream, the amount would depend on the strength of the benzoyl peroxide, for Persa Gel-10® I use a dab about the size of a petite pea.  I then take a dab of the moisturizer, about 3 times the amount of the acne cream, and mix them in my palm with my finger.  Then, apply the mixture to the face rubbing it into the skin.  Do this after you wash in the morning, then again twelve hours later.  If you miss an application and it is ten hours or less until the next scheduled application, skip it or it may make your face too red or dried out.  Do not apply the mixture anywhere but your face.  The peroxide in the acne cream will rub off onto your clothing and stain it orange.

Calories Burned During Exercise

 How many calories do you burn during exercise?  Remember, the less you weigh, the less calories you burn.  The following chart may help get you started:


 

Activity (1 hour)	130lbs	155lbs	190lbs
Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile) Running, 5 mph (12 min mile) Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 min mile) Running, 6 mph (10 min mile) Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile) Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile) Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile) Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) Running, cross country Running, general Running, in place Running, on a track, team practice Running, stairs, up Running, training, pushing wheelchair Running, wheeling, general Sailing, boat/board, windsurfing, general Sailing, in competition Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees Shoveling snow, by hand Shuffleboard, lawn bowling Sitting-playing with child(ren)-light Skateboarding Skating, ice, 9 mph or less Skating, ice, general Skating, ice, rapidly, > 9 mph Skating, ice, speed, competitive Skating, roller Ski jumping (climb up carrying skis) Ski machine, general Skiing, cross-country, >8.0 mph, racing Skiing, cross-country, moderate effort Skiing, cross-country, slow or light effort Skiing, cross-country, uphill, maximum effort Skiing, cross-country, vigorous effort Skiing, downhill, light effort Skiing, downhill, moderate effort Skiing, downhill, vigorous effort, racing Skiing, snow, general Skiing, water Ski-mobiling, water Skin diving, scuba diving, general Sledding, tobogganing, bobsledding, luge Snorkeling Snow shoeing Snowmobiling Soccer, casual, general Soccer, competitive Softball or baseball, fast or slow pitch Softball, officiating Squash Stair-treadmill ergometer, general Standing-packing/unpacking boxes Stretching, hatha yoga Surfing, body or board Sweeping garage, sidewalk Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort Swimming, backstroke, general Swimming, breaststroke, general Swimming, butterfly, general Swimming, leisurely, general Swimming, sidestroke, general Swimming, sychronized Swimming, treading water, fast/vigorous Swimming, treading water, moderate effort Table tennis, ping pong Tai chi Teaching aerobics class Tennis, doubles Tennis, general Tennis, singles Unicycling Volleyball, beach Volleyball, competitive, in gymnasium Volleyball, noncompetitive; 6-9 member team Walk/run-playing with child(ren)-moderate Walk/run-playing with child(ren)-vigorous Walking, 2.0 mph, slow pace Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace, walking dog Walking, 3.5 mph, uphill Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace Walking, carrying infant or 15-lb load Walking, grass track Walking, upstairs Walking, using crutches Wallyball, general Water aerobics, water calisthenics Water polo Water volleyball Weight lifting or body building, vigorous effort Weight lifting, light or moderate effort Whitewater rafting, kayaking, or canoeing	944 1062 472 531 590 649 679 738 797 826 885 531 472 472 590 885 472 177 177 295 325 354 177 148 295 325 413 531 885 413 413 561 826 472 413 974 531 295 354 472 413 354 413 413 413 295 472 207 413 590 295 354 708 354 207 236 177 236 590 472 472 590 649 354 472 472 590 236 236 236 354 354 413 472 295 472 236 177 236 295 148 207 354 236 207 295 472 236 413 236 590 177 354 177 295	1126 1267 563 633 704 774 809 880 950 985 1056 633 563 563 704 1056 563 211 211 352 387 422 211 176 352 387 493 633 1056 493 493 669 985 563 493 1161 633 352 422 563 493 422 493 493 493 352 563 246 493 704 352 422 844 422 246 281 211 281 704 563 563 704 774 422 563 563 704 281 281 281 422 422 493 563 352 563 281 211 281 352 176 246 422 281 246 352 563 281 493 281 704 211 422 211 352	1380 1553 690 776 863 949 992 1078 1165 1208 1294 776 690 690 863 1294 690 259 259 431 474 518 259 216 431 474 604 776 1294 604 604 819 1208 690 604 1423 776 431 518 690 604 518 604 604 604 431 690 302 604 863 431 518 1035 518 302 345 259 345 863 690 690 863 949 518 690 690 863 345 345 345 518 518 604 690 431 690 345 259 345 431 216 302 518 345 302 431 690 345 604 345 863 259 518 259 431

Eating Tips to Help Lose Weight

Eat less, more often

Yes, that's right!  Eat smaller meals more often.  This will help increase your metabolism and after a while your stomach will feel fuller sooner because it is used to less food.  Eat a large breakfast then plan a small, healthy snack mid morning.  Eat a medium sized meal for lunch such as a salad and a piece of fruit.  Followed by a healthy mid afternoon snack.  Then, your evening dinner should be your smallest of the three main meals with little or no carbs.   Watch you don't consume too many or too less calories though.  A typical person requires 1800 to 2000 calories per day depending on age, gender, and daily activities.

Drink a glass of water between meals and snacks to help boost your metabolism.  If you are hungry in the evening, make it a very small snack and it should not be less than a few hours before bedtime.  Take a multi-vitamin daily to help supplement your nutrients.  If you are working out heavily, taking a super B complex in addition to your multi-vitamins can help turn the food you eat into energy.

Don't eat before bedtime

Eating snacks less than 3 hours before bedtime can cause you to gain weight.  Any food consumed during this time results in calories being stored as fat vs being consumed by the body.  After you have your last snack, try washing your mouth out with water to remove any salts or flavors that remain.  These can give you urges to eat more.  Instead of a late night snack, try drinking a glass of water or a cup of green tea.

Low Carbohydrates and fats, more protein

Cut down on the amount of carbohydrates and fats you consume and increase the amount of protein.  This is tough because carbs are in basically everything, especially breads.  You can try eating that burger or lite hot dog without a bun.  Eat a salad instead of a sandwich.  Lettuce basically has very few calories and fills you up.  Be careful however, you don't want to eliminate carbs totally, you need them to get energy especially if you are working out daily.  Just cut them back, not out of your diet!


Drink plenty of water

Water is the body's best friend. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily to increase your metabolism.  An increase in metabolism helps burn fat faster. There are also other benefits to drinking water in addition to filling your stomach and increasing your metabolism.  If you get tired of drinking water, try substituting with a cup of green tea on occasion.  Green tea in addition to being an anti-oxidant, has properties that help increase metabolism and burn fat.  If you are not crazy about the caffeine, there are plenty of decaffeinated varieties of green tea available.

Drink less alcohol

Have you ever noticed that you have gained weight during a time you were drinking alcohol more than usual?  Not a coincidence.  Alcohol is metabolized by the body as acetic acid and a portion of that is stored as fat if your body does not burn it off immediately.  So if you are drinking lots of wine, liquor, or beer, especially non-lite beer and are not working out heavily, you most likely will discover a weight gain.  Alcohol also helps your body retain water, which will contribute to weight gain. 

Work Out

Having trouble eating healthy? Starting a work out program will actually help you stick to a healthy diet.  Overall, you feel healthier when you work out and subconsciously you do not want to "waste" your work out, so you tend to eat healthier.  It is much easier to pass up those goodies when you stop and think of how hard you work out and you don't want to be doing it for nothing. The bottom line is burning more calories than you consume will burn that weight away.