Let’s consider a snack first. A mere half ounce of, my favorite, potato chips is 80 calories. That’s about what you get in one of those little bags. But if you’re getting all the calories you need each day. (We did the calculator yesterday.) 80 calories a day adds up to eight extra pounds in a year.
French fries are another vice. If you regularly eat a large order of McDonald’s fries you consume 500 calories. If you reduce 250 calories, you cut 25 pounds in a year.
Do you like pasta? Many portions of spaghetti are about two cups. That’s 420 calories. You save 210 calories by having only one cup. Saving 210 calories a day would be 21 pounds in a year! I think you’re getting it now.
TODAY: CALCULATE HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU CAN KEEP OFF IN A YEAR BY CONSUMING HALF PORTIONS OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS.
A hot snack that will fit into any diet is a can away. Just get some chicken broth. Swanson’s is really tasty, has only 10 calories, no fat and 1 gram of carbs. When it’s cold out or when you just need a quick snack it can’t be beat. Keep some cans on hand at work and at home. If you want to add some more substance to it its easy to chop up some veggies. Celery and onion are great, sliced mushrooms different, mix up the choices to add to the low calorie soup. Anything works. Crack an egg and you’ve got some more protein for a hearty snack that will keep you going.
TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES AND TRY A COUPLE OF PUSH-UPS.
It’s the weekend and you’re in a different routine. I know we just started the year and a fresh look at our eating habits but don’t deny yourself a little snack from time to time. It may not only keep your hunger in-check between meals, but can reduce your desire to overeat at mealtime. Some research shows that snacking instead of just regular meals may lead to greater weight loss and keeps your metabolism from going into a survival mode that stores food (fat) the next time you eat. Of course don’t use that to justify chips, cookies and other low value foods. Try cheese, nuts or hard boiled eggs which are high in protein or raw veggies. Both will make you feel fuller than snacking on foods that are high in carbs and sugar calories.
TODAY: MAKE AN EXERCISE PLAN FOR THE COMING WEEK.
Eat your vegetables! I’ve never had to be told more than once. I’ve always like veggies, but I couldn’t be a vegetarian. (Have you ever seen an overweight vegetarian?) Three servings used to be the norm. Now the USDA says eat five. That’s a good thing. Though you may think it’s a lot, it’s easy to do. I’ll give you some suggestions over the next few days.
Let’s start with breakfast.
- Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles or pancakes.
- Punch up you eggs with fresh sliced veggies or some frozen spinach.
- Top whole grain toast with raisins and cinnamon.
- Create your own yogurt flavors with plain yogurt and different of fresh fruit.
- Wrap a banana in a whole wheat flour tortilla with some peanut butter for a quick grab and go meal.
- Don’t forget the juice!
Lunch tomorrow.
TODAY: START ADDING MORE FRUIT AND VEGGIES TO YOU DIET.
You always hear the advice to eat more fiber. I’ve touted Fiber One cereal as a great snack. Fiber is added to things like bread, cereal and other whole grain foods, which actually have fiber naturally. (Hence the WHOLE grain name.) You can also get more fiber by leaving the skin on fruit, eating the potato peel and by taking diet supplements. But what does it do? Well, to be frank, it cleans you out. When you digest food, some of it gets stuck or lingers in your colon. As a result you have some nasty things going on in there. Fiber acts like a magnet or a broom and takes away the… crap… that doesn’t want to move out. The fiber also absorbs water that can moisten things up and break up hard stuff. (okay… crap) So eat more fiber. It will both fill you up and empty you out.
TODAY: ADD SOME FIBER TO YOUR DAILY DIET.
Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites just because you’re dieting. You can eat anything you want. Just do it every now and then rather than all the time. Keep the portions reasonable too. No huge bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce every night! A scoop or so every now and then is okay. If you deny yourself all the time you’ll end up resenting your healthier lifestyle. Just continue to eat les and exercise more and it will all work out. So go ahead, have a treat this weekend, and even during the week sometimes. Make sure you enjoy it. You may find it better than you remember when you were having it all the time.
TODAY: DO JUST A LITTLE MORE WALKING THAN YESTERDAY.
There are a lot of snack bars and other expensive options for diet snacks. Don’t overlook the simple things in your pantry. One of my favorite standbys is Fiber One cereal. Not any of the new offerings from them. Just the basic, original sticks. I discovered Fiber One the first time I ever tried the Atkins diet. It was before Atkins came out with their own food line and to stay on the diet you had to read labels on food religiously. It was a real learning experience. After having a craving for cereal I spent quite a bit of time in the cereal aisle one night and finally got to Fiber One. It is perhaps the perfect low carb, low calorie cereal. If you are really on the Atkins diet have it with real cream as a moist cereal. It’s decadent, and still on your diet! But for the healthy lifestyle diet (where we promote eating less and exercising more) use the dry cereal as a snack. It’s naturally sweet with a satisfying crunch. Toss in a few nuts and raisins every now and then for variety. Top it off with a big glass of water and you’re doing yourself and your colon good. To steal another cereal slogan… It’s Grrrreat!
TODAY: NO JOKE. HAVE SOME FIBER ONE TO BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE.
Daily Nag, Tips & Tricks | Diet Nag | 
January 13, 2016 6:07 am | 
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