Tag Archive | Slim & Trim Weight Loss

7 Key Steps to Losing Weight

Oct25

7 Key Steps to Losing Weight

  • Article By: Megan Gresso
 
7stepslosingweight

You have to believe in yourself to hit your weight-loss goals. Get 7 key strategies to help you stay focused while you’re losing weight.

 When trying to lose weight, believing in your goals and having a positive attitude can be as important as improving your diet and being active. If you have a plan to keep yourself motivated while you’re losing weight, you stand a better chance of succeeding.

“People struggling to lose weight often talk about their lack of willpower, as if willpower is something that you are either born with, or not,” says Palma Posillico, former VP of training and development for Weight Watchers International. “Losing weight is all about ‘wantpower’ — about recognizing that you already have all the resources you need to get what you want.”

These resources include knowing what you want, knowing how to get it and knowing how to keep yourself motivated along the way. Here are some strategies to help you discover all three and reach your weight-loss goals.

1. Plot out your goals
It helps to have an action plan to keep you on track. “Storyboarding” is a technique used by movie directors to sketch out a plotline, frame by frame, before they start filming. In a similar way, you can make a blueprint for success by breaking your goal down into parts. Say you’ve given yourself three months to lose 10 pounds. Make a chart of the timeline and build it up, week by week, with details of shopping strategies, exercise tips and so forth—anything that helps make your goal concrete and achievable.

2. Envision your success
Athletes mentally rehearse every step of their winning routine to make it feel attainable. In the same way, you can make your own goals as real as possible by visualizing yourself succeeding in particular scenarios, like making the right choices when dining out. Revisit these scenarios often, and think about how good you’ll feel about achieving your goals.

3. Don’t sabotage yourself
Many of us unconsciously sabotage ourselves with self-destructive thoughts such as “I’ll never lose weight.” Whenever you catch yourself thinking this way, try to substitute more constructive statements; for example, “I haven’t lost as much weight as I would like, but I can change that. I’m going to start by setting aside time to exercise three times each week.”

4. Be your own cheerleader
Some people believe it’s modest to put themselves down. But you wouldn’t call a friend “fat” or “ugly,” would you? You deserve the same respect, so try becoming your own best friend. Celebrate your progress, and try not to obsess about setbacks.

One way to do this is to make a list of your accomplishments in every area of your life (personal, professional and physical). List the talents and skills that enabled you to achieve them, and look at this list often. Adds Posillico, “Begin a daily journal of everything you did ‘right’ today.” You’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up!

5. Avoid being a perfectionist
Try not to think in all-or-nothing terms — that you’ve blown your diet, for example, simply because you’ve overdone it at one meal. “We need to be kinder to ourselves, and learn to regard setbacks as learning opportunities,” says Posillico.

6. Follow through with your goals
Believing you can achieve your weight-loss goals is important, but you have to act too, by changing your eating habits, increasing your physical activity and so on. You can’t just think yourself slim, but you can think yourself into the right frame of mind to optimize your prospects.

7. Affirm your self-belief
Feel your confidence wavering? One way to reinforce your self-belief is with positive affirmations: simple, self-validating statements repeated as often as possible, preferably daily. Try coming up with one or two of your own, and remember to keep them positive. You can — and you will — succeed, as long as you believe you can do it!

10 Foods to Always Have on Hand

Oct25
10 Foods to Always Have on Hand

  • Article By: Lisa Taddeo
 

Knowing you have a stocked kitchen at home can be one more reason for you not to hit up the local drive-through. These staples will help you get a meal on the table in minutes.

 “There’s nothing to eat.”

That has to be one of the most disheartening assessments you can make after examining the contents of your refrigerator. Of course, it opens the door to takeout or a restaurant meal and, very often, a far bigger portion of a much unhealthier food than you would have eaten at home.

The solution? Keep an intelligently stocked kitchen so you’re never more than 10 minutes of cooking time away from a healthy meal.

Thanks to Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD, a dietician and exercise physiologist in Louisville, Kentucky, we’ve compiled a list of 10 foods that will help you create simple meals at a moment’s notice. Plus, “they’ll give you a variety of nutrients without an abundance of calories,” Mohr says.

1. Boneless, skinless chicken breast
“Chicken can be prepared with almost anything you have in the house,” says Mohr. Grill it for a sandwich, spice it up with curry and cumin for Thai-style satays, or just throw it in a salad. There are thousands of choices.

Tip: Frozen chicken will last up to six months in your freezer (well sealed) and will quickly add low-fat protein to any meal.

Serving size: 3 oz of cooked boneless, skinless breast meat
PointsPlus™ value: 3

2. Unsalted dry-roasted nuts
Choose the roasted, unsalted version you can find in most supermarket produce sections, not the oily snack mix kind. “They’re loaded with healthy fats, plus you can use good mixed nuts as toppings for stir-fry and salads,” says Mohr.

Tip: Instead of breadcrumbs, crush the nuts and use them to coat chicken-breast strips for a tasty, protein-packed “breaded” cutlet.

Serving size: 1/4 cup
PointsPlus value: 6

3. Frozen vegetables
No one’s freezer should be without them. Stock your favorites, from broccoli to spinach (which can improve everything from soup to pasta). Frozen vegetables can last up to one year, so it’s no sweat to keep all the ingredients necessary for an instant, colorful stir-fry. Or, add them to a quick vegetable soup, like minestrone.

Serving size: 1/2 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

4. Fat-free broth
No cook would ever be caught without broth (vegetable, chicken or beef). You can use it to flavor meat, thin sauces, make gravy — and a million other options.

Tip: Throw raw vegetables into broth and they’ll last up to three days longer, says Mohr. “They’ll not only stay more crisp, but they’ll be more flavorful because they’ll absorb the flavor of the stock,” he adds. Set the pot over a flame and you have an instant healthy soup. Toss in a chicken breast for a tasty meal.

Serving size: 1 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

5. Lean ground beef
“Ground beef is loaded with iron, zinc and protein; it’s always good to have some on hand to add nutrients to meals,” says Mohr. You could grill it into a burger or crumble it into any conceivable dish.

Serving size: 3-ounce cooked patty
PointsPlus value: 3

6. Basil leaves
When you need a touch of class — and perhaps to create the illusion that you put more effort into cooking the meal than you really did — add a few whole, fresh basil leaves. It’s a flavorful spice and garnish that’s visually appealing. You can use it in numerous ways: to make pesto, to flavor fish and meats, or to liven up fresh tomatoes and mozzarella.

Serving size: Almost any
PointsPlus value: 0

7. Extra virgin olive oil
Sure, it’s high in PointsPlus values, but it’s one of the most versatile sources of good fat — and a little goes a long way. It’s important to purchase “extra virgin” olive oil for a flavor boost. When a recipe demands an oil or fat, it’s the best choice.

Serving size: 1 teaspoon
PointsPlus value: 1

8. Canned, crushed or whole tomatoes
Chili, pasta sauce, soup — sooner or later, a recipe will call for tomatoes, so keep a can in the pantry. They’re a great source of potential cancer-fighting lycopene and vitamin C.

Serving size: 1 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

9. Chicken sausage
“It comes frozen or fresh and is lower in fat than regular pork sausage,” says Mohr. It’ll add spicy flavor to otherwise drab meals. Create a sausage version of Bolognese by adding it to marinara sauce, or eat it on a roll hot dog-style. Grill and split two links for a Cuban sandwich. Give yourself an extra five minutes in the morning, and you might even eat it for breakfast.

Serving size: 1 1/2 ounces cooked
PointsPlus value: 1

10. Dried whole-wheat pasta
A fail-safe anytime you crave a quick, filling dinner. Whole-wheat pasta has more fiber than white flour pasta, so a smaller serving fills you up more. You can add penne to soups, or eat angel hair with a low-calorie marinara sauce or a dash of olive oil, garlic cloves (which you should also keep on hand) and red pepper flakes.

Whole-wheat pasta:
Serving size: 1 cup cooked
PointsPlus value: 4

Store-bought marinara sauce:
Serving size: 1/2 cup
PointsPlus value: 2

 

Knowing you have a stocked kitchen at home can be one more reason for you not to hit up the local drive-through. These staples will help you get a meal on the table in minutes.

 

“There’s nothing to eat.”

That has to be one of the most disheartening assessments you can make after examining the contents of your refrigerator. Of course, it opens the door to takeout or a restaurant meal and, very often, a far bigger portion of a much unhealthier food than you would have eaten at home.

The solution? Keep an intelligently stocked kitchen so you’re never more than 10 minutes of cooking time away from a healthy meal.

Thanks to Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD, a dietician and exercise physiologist in Louisville, Kentucky, we’ve compiled a list of 10 foods that will help you create simple meals at a moment’s notice. Plus, “they’ll give you a variety of nutrients without an abundance of calories,” Mohr says.

1. Boneless, skinless chicken breast
“Chicken can be prepared with almost anything you have in the house,” says Mohr. Grill it for a sandwich, spice it up with curry and cumin for Thai-style satays, or just throw it in a salad. There are thousands of choices.

Tip: Frozen chicken will last up to six months in your freezer (well sealed) and will quickly add low-fat protein to any meal.

Serving size: 3 oz of cooked boneless, skinless breast meat
PointsPlus™ value: 3

2. Unsalted dry-roasted nuts
Choose the roasted, unsalted version you can find in most supermarket produce sections, not the oily snack mix kind. “They’re loaded with healthy fats, plus you can use good mixed nuts as toppings for stir-fry and salads,” says Mohr.

Tip: Instead of breadcrumbs, crush the nuts and use them to coat chicken-breast strips for a tasty, protein-packed “breaded” cutlet.

Serving size: 1/4 cup
PointsPlus value: 6

3. Frozen vegetables
No one’s freezer should be without them. Stock your favorites, from broccoli to spinach (which can improve everything from soup to pasta). Frozen vegetables can last up to one year, so it’s no sweat to keep all the ingredients necessary for an instant, colorful stir-fry. Or, add them to a quick vegetable soup, like minestrone.

Serving size: 1/2 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

4. Fat-free broth
No cook would ever be caught without broth (vegetable, chicken or beef). You can use it to flavor meat, thin sauces, make gravy — and a million other options.

Tip: Throw raw vegetables into broth and they’ll last up to three days longer, says Mohr. “They’ll not only stay more crisp, but they’ll be more flavorful because they’ll absorb the flavor of the stock,” he adds. Set the pot over a flame and you have an instant healthy soup. Toss in a chicken breast for a tasty meal.

Serving size: 1 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

5. Lean ground beef
“Ground beef is loaded with iron, zinc and protein; it’s always good to have some on hand to add nutrients to meals,” says Mohr. You could grill it into a burger or crumble it into any conceivable dish.

Serving size: 3-ounce cooked patty
PointsPlus value: 3

6. Basil leaves
When you need a touch of class — and perhaps to create the illusion that you put more effort into cooking the meal than you really did — add a few whole, fresh basil leaves. It’s a flavorful spice and garnish that’s visually appealing. You can use it in numerous ways: to make pesto, to flavor fish and meats, or to liven up fresh tomatoes and mozzarella.

Serving size: Almost any
PointsPlus value: 0

7. Extra virgin olive oil
Sure, it’s high in PointsPlus values, but it’s one of the most versatile sources of good fat — and a little goes a long way. It’s important to purchase “extra virgin” olive oil for a flavor boost. When a recipe demands an oil or fat, it’s the best choice.

Serving size: 1 teaspoon
PointsPlus value: 1

8. Canned, crushed or whole tomatoes
Chili, pasta sauce, soup — sooner or later, a recipe will call for tomatoes, so keep a can in the pantry. They’re a great source of potential cancer-fighting lycopene and vitamin C.

Serving size: 1 cup
PointsPlus value: 0

9. Chicken sausage
“It comes frozen or fresh and is lower in fat than regular pork sausage,” says Mohr. It’ll add spicy flavor to otherwise drab meals. Create a sausage version of Bolognese by adding it to marinara sauce, or eat it on a roll hot dog-style. Grill and split two links for a Cuban sandwich. Give yourself an extra five minutes in the morning, and you might even eat it for breakfast.

Serving size: 1 1/2 ounces cooked
PointsPlus value: 1

10. Dried whole-wheat pasta
A fail-safe anytime you crave a quick, filling dinner. Whole-wheat pasta has more fiber than white flour pasta, so a smaller serving fills you up more. You can add penne to soups, or eat angel hair with a low-calorie marinara sauce or a dash of olive oil, garlic cloves (which you should also keep on hand) and red pepper flakes.

Whole-wheat pasta:
Serving size: 1 cup cooked
PointsPlus value: 4

Store-bought marinara sauce:
Serving size: 1/2 cup
PointsPlus value: 2