Meal Prep - My Way......Don't Judge

The other day I was looking up recipes for the next week’s meal plan and noticed a common thread. It seems that there are a lot of articles about meal prepping. Some of those articles have made it pretty complex. It occurred to me that there might be people who either don’t enjoy meal planning or don’t know how to. In either case, it would explain why some people would cheat on their diet or health program. It only seems to make sense that when the enjoyment is lacking in something that boredom follows. When that happens, eventual failure is likely. This could lead to eating unhealthy food and/or binge eating.

When it comes to meal prepping, a plan needs to be made. All this means is that you need to know what your specific health goals are. It could be weight loss, muscle building or simply toning. People tend to complicate things and it really doesn't need to be. Honestly, it’s only a little challenging at first because a new habit is being formed. But once it becomes part of a lifestyle, it's pretty easy. There is a lot of information regarding nutrition and just as many recipes out there in the form of articles, books and videos. I’m just going to tell you what’s working for me.

When I decided to become healthy, I already knew that proper nutrition had to be my first priority. I can’t stress this enough. You can’t exercise and eat shitty food then expect to meet your goals. Oh sure you could see some results and even feel a little better. But why not do your best? Meal prepping is an excellent way to ensure proper eating.

My health goals include weight loss which means cutting calories. First I weighed myself then looked up how many calories were needed to maintain that weight. Because it takes a reduction of 3500 calories to lose a pound I subtracted 7000. I wanted to lose two pounds a week (3500x2=7000). I took that number and divided by seven (days in a week) then subtracted one day’s worth of calories (for the glorious cheat day). That left me with my daily allowed calories. I don’t know if that’s how the “experts” say to do it, but that’s how I did and it’s been just fine for me.

I looked up tasty sounding recipes in the caloric range for my needs, made a shopping list with the required ingredients and went shopping. Now, I’m a snacker and have a weakness for chips. There have been many internal and external dialogues with myself (I do that a lot) while shopping and the fat me would say “One bag of chips won’t hurt.” and “What about healthy vegee chips?” At times, items not on the list would make it into my cart only to end up on a random shelf. I know myself well enough to know that chips are my personal heroin and if I gave in to temptation in the beginning,  I would never succeed in meeting my health goals. When I first started shopping for meal prepping, just leaving the store with only what was on the list was a victory. Now, it really isn’t as much of a struggle.

Preparing a week’s worth of food is pretty simple. All the food that needs cooking, is cooked in a big batch, then divided up and put it into six containers. I like pretty food so I make them all look pretty, layering them and arranging each meal to be attractive. Don’t judge. Then all the plastic/covers go on and all of the containers go into the frig. The only foods that are not included in the containers are avocado and fruit. They get pretty gross after a couple of days so I just cut one in half then save the other half for the next day.

Another trick I learned was to buy some perishables in different stages of ripeness. Take avocados, for example. I’ll buy one that’s ripe, a couple that are not quite ripe and one that won’t be ripe for four or five days. The same goes for fruit.

Something else I learned was how to shave off unnecessary calories in a recipe so I can put them into other food that can be eaten. For me, this came in the form of learning to drink coffee without milk or cream. My regular ground coffee was upgraded to the flavored grounds. Lemon and a little salt have replaced salad dressing. Raw or steamed vegetables have replaced sauteed. By making these changes, my portions of real food can be a little larger and that makes a big difference when it comes to avoiding hunger. That can be an extra piece of chicken, another piece of fruit or a handful of almonds.

Containers to store meals are a factor as well. If you’re just beginning your meal prep journey, there really isn’t any need to run out and purchase anything specific. When I first started, I just used whatever was in the kitchen. For the first few weeks, I used bowls with plastic wrap and butter containers. They worked fine. There are containers that have separate areas to keep each part of the meal fresh. Some people use freezer bags because, well.. ..they freeze their meals, others use mason jars. For me, I’m not a fan of plastic but did use the butter containers because it was all that was around. Mason jars don’t fit in my tiny frig very well so I’ve recently placed an order for some glass food storage containers and will be posting a review later on.

So when it comes to meal prepping, there really isn’t a “wrong” way of doing it and I’m sure there will be some who will shake a finger at my saying that. Sure, there are tweaks that will be made here and there and you'll get your own system down. But really, it’s your body, your lifestyle and your budget. As long as you’re taking steps towards better health no one has the right to give you shit about it. Any effort you make towards being a better you earns my respect. - Angelica Mordant

Why I Love Juicing

Ahhh juicing. When people think about juicing, a lot of times images of health fanatics and hippies come to mind. Wait.... did I just describe myself? Haha! No, seriously, it’s understandable why some people are so resistant to juicing. I sure as hell was. But what I learned is that juicing not only is delicious, but I feel GREAT afterwards.

Over the years, I would come across someone who mentioned that they juiced and would encourage me to try it. Of course I declined, not finding thick, green liquid very appetizing. But it wasn’t until I witnessed someone juicing and saw what was going into the machine that I willingly took a sip. It was delicious! Before long, sips here and there escalated to small glasses of my own. Within a month I took the plunge and bought my own. Being the cheap ass that I am, I bought a little, white Black & Decker juicer for around $35. It is now my “baby” and meets my needs perfectly.

The great thing about juicing is that you get the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables without actually having to eat them. I can juice and take it with me on the go. Also, because the stomach isn’t actually breaking down food, the nutrients are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. The energy and mood boost is better than coffee and it’s healthy! It’s also a great way to keep hunger at bay when in between meals.

Now there are some who just don’t like vegetables. I get it. I used to hate vegetables too. With juicing, you can add a piece of fruit or two to sweeten it up. Just like any other recipe, you can alter it to suit your own tastes. Take carrots for example. I love the flavor of carrots and want all the nutritional benefits that they have to offer. Cooking them is okay, but a lot of nutritional value is lost with cooking. At the same time, I really don’t like the texture of fresh carrots. By juicing them, I get to enjoy the flavor as well as the health benefits of them without having to eat them!

About the pulp. Some people throw it away. I don’t. Usually what I do is keep it in the fridge (not more than a couple of days) then when ready, add an egg or two and make scrambled eggs or use the eggs as a binder and make vegee patties. This way nothing goes to waste and I’m still getting the fiber and some nutrition.

For some people who are not accustomed to juicing, they may experience a headache after drinking juiced fruits and vegetables. I did in the beginning. Really all it is, is because there is so much sugar (with fruits) being delivered to the body so quickly it’s a bit overwhelming at first. If this happens to you, simply add a little water to the juice and drink it a little slower. I don’t get headaches any more and love the energy rush.

I love experimenting with new recipes. Some are better than others. Due to the amount of sugar in fruit, I try to limit them and use them as flavor enhancers rather than alone. Those fruit calories can sneak up on you!

My personal favorite juices are any combination of the following, but I usually get whatever is on sale.

Carrot

Tomato

Cucumber

Spinach

Kale

Apple

Strawberry

Kiwi

Pear

Any melon

Here’s a link to a site I use to get juicing recipe ideas. They tend to use a bit too much fruit for my needs so I ease back on the fruit. But if you’re just getting started, this is a great site. Oh yeah, I’m not endorsed by this site at all. I just like it. They also have a lot of articles and other info pertaining to juicing.

https://juicerecipes.com/

If you haven’t tried juicing, I strongly suggest you do. It doesn’t have to be an every day thing. But any way to eat healthier is a step towards a healthier you! - DeAnna

Why Your Weight Loss Plan Is Failing

My journey on the weight loss path has been a learning experience to say the least. And like a lot of people, I've attempted numerous solutions to becoming healthier. Listing all of them would only appear to remind me of my failures. Or would it? Lately, I've started to realize that my previous weight loss failures really are not failures at all. They are only lessons that have been learned regarding my body and how it operates. And it isn't until we really know our bodies, that we can know the best way to get it at its healthiest.

Over the years, numerous theories regarding weight loss have come and gone, but it seems that there is only one absolute when it comes to individual bodies and the ability to shed unwanted weight. It is the simple equation of calories taken into the body verses calories expended. One must burn more calories than what he or she is taking in to lose weight. How this is achieved, is where the variables come in. And there are a lot of variables. So many so, that it would be impossible to list them all. This is where taking your previous "failures" if you will, comes in.

I suggest taking these "failed" diets as learning lessons. Take the time to really reflect on which methods worked and which didn't. More importantly, ask yourself why they didn't. Were you constantly hungry? Was it too costly? Perhaps it was inconvenient. Were the meals unappealing or tasteless? How did you feel while on the program? Did you lose energy? Perhaps you felt dizzy. You see, while our intentions may be admirable and even realistic, our methods for reaching that goal may be unrealistic.

For instance, if you are on a tight budget and sign up for a program that costs $500 dollars a month just because they had a $50 special, that's not being realistic. If you order the Insanity Workout and can't walk up a flight of stairs, that's not realistic. If preparing your meals means spending hours in the kitchen and you barely have time to take a shower every day, that's not realistic.

Being realistic means researching what would work best for you and commit to it. Set a realistic weight goal and date. Wanting to lose 100 lbs in 2 months is hardly realistic for the average person. Just because a couple people have done it does not mean you can or should. Since the point of losing weight is to BE healthy, crash diets should be used in moderation and only for short periods of time.

So ask yourself:
Can I afford this? Maybe finding a less expensive alternative is for you.
Do I have the time to prepare the meals? Prepackaged programs are in nearly every grocery store.
Do you have a large appetite? Fasts may not work for you.
Exercise? Start slow and with small lifestyle changes if you are uncomfortable joining a class. Parking your car further, walking DOWN the stairs, and replacing your office chair with a balance ball are just a few.

Once you have selected a program for your lifestyle, find a support group or buddy. If no person is close, there are a lot of groups online with thousands of people in similar situations who are either currently going through it or have succeeded in it.

Give yourself an incentive. Something just for YOU and NOT food related....no cake or dinner at a swanky restaurant. Maybe a day at the spa, complete with massage, mud bath and beauty treatments. Or something you've always wanted to do, but were too unhealthy or self conscious to do. Skydiving? Rock climbing? Zip lining the rainforest? Post pictures of your goal on the frig. Get updates on your phone and start a savings account for that reward. Try to calculate your weight loss goal date and how much you need to put in the savings every day/week so when you reach your goal, you'll have the money needed.

Stick to it, hang in there and remember that you can do whatever you set your mind and heart to do. It may not always be easy, but it WILL be well worth it. Why? Because you are well worth it. - Angelica Mordant

How I'm Losing Weight

Previously, I wrote an article about the importance of keeping a weight loss journal. In it, one is supposed to keep all pertinent information so it would be easier to see that indeed progress towards ones goal weight is being made despite the lack of visual progress. I mean really, who can tell if they've lost .2 lbs? Or how anyone really tell if their BMI has gone down by .1?

As fortune and overeating would have it, I too have seen the ugly results of not watching my diet. In the midst of lemon sorbet with champagne to celebrate summer, waaaaay too much fried chicken when my boyfriend and I broke up, and the impulsive demon which possessed me to buy (and eat) Zingers.....sigh. Yes, it seems that even those of us who know better can succumb to the evils of a bad diet. My punishment? 38 lbs of bra fat, tummy rolls, muffin top and that ever disgusting underarm wave. While I saw the numbers on the scale steadily creep upwards, I simply told myself that all I had to do was to starve myself for a couple weeks (a horrible tactic I was accustomed to in my early 30's) and all would be well in the world. Ok at least MY world.

Yet regardless of my lack of caloric intake, the scale kept saying the same thing. And I became increasingly convinced that someone had played a cruel joke and painted that fat number on my scale.

Being in my mid 40's, I came to the quick realization that this weight, (the equivalent to a 40lbs bag of dog food) would require a more disciplined and structured plan to allow for my now slower metabolism. Gasp! I really AM middle aged! And it was then that my realization turned to panic and I knew that I HAD to do something before any more time slipped by.

The consequences of my lack of discipline caused my health to deteriorate at an alarming speed. I noticed that my heels hurt very badly and after seeing a doctor, he said that I could stretch to help with the pain and that steroid shots were also a possibility, but that they only offered temporary relief and was not to be considered a cure. He said that he too suffered from this chronic illness. He was also obese. Since I am a proponent of not allowing insurance to pay for illnesses that are preventable, I got to thinking. Had my weight gain caused my plantar fascitis? In addition to extreme heel pain, I would become breathless when I climbed my stairs. I busted my ass to be able to get a large home with two stories and now it was becoming a bother? Awww hell no! My skin was dull and the wrinkles in my face seemed to deepen. Something had to be done. I also developed and increasingly difficult ability to focus, I became very forgetful and I simply felt unattractive.

Knowing my body the way I do I knew that a strict keto diet or carbohydrate controlled diet was in order. And so began my weight loss journey.

First let me say that a keto diet may not be the best solution for you. You have to be smart dear reader! PLEASE be smart and understand what works for one person may not work for another. This is what I did and if you decide to follow suit, don't be sending me any hate emails about how sick you got. There are a lot of weight loss programs out there so do your research and maybe check with your doctor to find the best one for you.

Okay with that said, I was and as of this writing am still on a keto diet. That's health lingo for a “ketosis” diet. Simply put, it's a diet that restricts carbohydrates to the point of forcing your body to use it's fat supply to live. It's a state called ketosis. There are strips you can buy at the pharmacy to test your level of ketosis, but I'm such a cheap ass, I just have a scale that measures my weight to the .20lbs. If I continue to lose even .2lb, I know I'm still in ketosis. If I don't lose or even gain, then I know something's off. Oh yeah, I also bought one of those scales that measure body fat, water content, bone density and BMI. K it was 45 bucks but it was one of the best investments in my health.

So I began by cutting out nearly ALL carbs. That's right. Extreme Atkins, South Beach or whatever trendy carb diet you can think of. I eat only meats, cheeses, eggs and fish. THAT'S IT. Is it tough? Hell yeah at first, I thought I should just settle into being flubbery forever. But after the first 2 days I lost 3 lbs....yeah yeah it was water but who cares? Then by the 5^th day, my body was settling into ketosis and I saw steady loss. I weighed myself (and still do) at the same time every morning. On an empty stomach, before anything by mouth and after visiting the restroom.

Ok so are there any tricks to this extreme keto diet? YES YES YES.

1)Sugars of any kind are forbidden. They're the devil. And if you decide to do this diet, make sure you pay attention to the ingredients for hidden sugars. The labels may say “0 carbs, 0 sugars, but in the ingredients, you may notice sugar waaaaay down on the ingredient list. Also check for and avoid dextrose, sucrose and even sucralose....basically anything that ends in “ose”.

2)When it comes to meats, sweet Italian sausage, honey ham (or any other honey meat) are forbidden. I buy those cheap packages of loose lunch meat...specifically plain ham. Boring? Yes. Effective? Yes! I try to avoid red meat but it is allowed. I just have trouble digesting it so I stick to tuna in water, boiled or broiled chicken and the occasional pork or lamb steak. You can also have just about any cut of meat. Fats are allowed although keep in mind that if you're looking get lean, then lean meats are preferred. Read the labels especially when seasoning your food!! I can't stress it enough. Lowry's seasoning salt is one of those sneaky products that has sugar in it. I've learned to just eat the meat plain, or with mustard (plain yellow mustard, not honey flavored!) and good ole mayo. Those packages of pepperoni that you put on pizza are good for nibbling. Again, read the label. I found that Hormel has an acceptable pepperoni.

3)Eggs are fine and you can have as many as you want. I like them with sugar free bacon or sausage (a little tough to find but well worth the hunt!) I also like making deviled eggs for a snack. Yum! Hard boiled are good too with a teeny bit of salt.

4)Cheeses are okay too which I'm glad. Again, I can't stress the importance of reading the label. There are a few cheeses that have some kind of sugar and it will depend entirely on the brand. Some jack will have sugar, some won't. I've found the brands in my store that work for me and I suggest taking the time to find yours. I like little cubes of cheese with the pepperoni.

5)What to drink? Water! Lots of it! The more the better, up to a gallon a day. Your skin will thank you for it. It also really does help keep that hungry feeling away. What else? Any unsweetened tea. I've noticed that ANY drink with aspartame just throws me out of ketosis and backfires so no diet sodas that have Nutrasweet/aspartame. Splenda is not very good for you either and there are reports of people having allergic reactions to it. Stevia also seems to halt progress although I don't know why. So I have flavored brewed teas (Celestial Seasonings has a good line) and I do have on occasional Lipton diet green tea. Maybe once a week but it does tend to slow down the rate of my loss so I don't want to know what would happen if I drank it every day.

So there's my personal secret to losing my weight. Will it work for you? I have no idea. I only know what works for me. Please be smart if you decide to try it. If you do, let me know how you did! I'll address exercise in the near future. You didn't really think you could escape it did you?

I've added a few pics of what I eat and added a bit of humor too.

Namaste & God Bless,

Skinny Eating.....My Answer To Surgery

Losing weight is an effort. There's no doubt about that. And it's no secret that eating less = weight loss (in addition to keeping active and eating properly). I mean when you think about it, most of the weight loss products out there are aimed at helping you eat less. There are diet pills that suppress appetites, surgeries that lessen the stomach's capacity, and other pills that puff up inside the stomach to give the illusion of being full. But are these really necessary? All we really need is determination and self discipline. Is it easy? Not always, but that doesn't mean it's overly difficult or cannot be done. Here's a nifty little trick I learned to shrinking the stomach's capacity. And it's free.

Have you ever noticed how the majority of Europeans are thinner than Americans? How can that be considering their diet is rich in carbs, cremes and sweets? Perhaps it's because in Europe the average dinner plate is 1-2 inches smaller than in the U.S. That means every day Americans are filling their plates with more food than their thinner European friends. I personally know several people who are very overweight and eat healthy. Yes, skinless chicken breast is good for you, but when you're eating 4 at a meal, it's no longer healthy. That's just plain gorging. Again, it's about the portions and self control. So if you want to lose weight, try switching your dinner plate to a salad plate. And don't pile it super high either. No more than 1 ½ inches. When our brain sees a full plate, then sees an empty plate, it registers that we have completed our meal. Many of us were taught as children to eat everything on our plates. I know I was. And there's something that just seems wrong about leaving food on the plate. Maybe it stems from our grandparents going through the depression and eating everything because they didn't know when they would eat again. I don't know, it's just my theory.

Now here's the key to not being hungry when you first switch to smaller plates. Eat slowly! It takes the brain 20 minutes to receive the message from the stomach that it has had enough to sustain the body or that it's full. This means it should take you at least 20 minutes to eat. Longer if you really want to be good to your body. It also takes about 10 minutes for tastebuds to fully open up. So when you sit down for a meal, start by drinking at least ½ glass of water. Then when you take your first few bites, let the morsel rest on your tongue for just a minute and allow your mouth to salivate. Notice which area of the tongue is responding, enjoy the flavor! Set your silverware down while you chew. Chew thoroughly. Then when you've swallowed your bite of food, pick up your fork/spoon and repeat. After your 3rd bite of food, drink ½ glass of water. When you've done this three times, stop eating. Converse if there are others at the table. If you're in a restaurant alone, read a page of a book or a short article. Wait 5 minutes. Then before picking up the silverware again, really evaluate whether or not you are genuinely hungry. Many times, people with the overweight mentality believe that if they aren't full then they are hungry. That simply is NOT true. You do not need to eat until you're full. You need to eat to sustain your body and your body will do just fine when the nutritional needs are met. So STOP. Evaluate, and IF you are still genuinely hungry, continue eating in the same manner only proceed with the awareness and understanding that you will stop right at the point of not being hungry any more. Don't tell yourself “another 3 bites then I'll evaluate”. Take a bite or two then drink a little water. Don't worry about what's left on your plate. If you still cannot bring yourself to throw it away, save it for later. I can't tell you how many times I saved one or two bites when I first started to re-learning how to eat. The first few days, I would save a little. Then after about a week or so, I was saving 3 or 4 bites, then I stopped filling up the salad plate. I “loosely” filled it, and the borders of the plate got wider and wider. Within 6 weeks, I had lost 15 lbs! Once you get used to it, eating slowly and eating smaller portions will become second nature. It takes about 3 weeks to settle into your “skinny eating” style but hopefully you'll feel proud of yourself like I did when I realized that all it took was being aware and controlling myself! You can do it too!

Namaste and God Bless

Caution: It is very easy to have a false sense of security when you start seeing the weight come off. You may think that it's okay to get “full” just this once, but what you will be doing is stretching your stomach again and setting yourself up to larger and larger portions. Don't get caught in that trap.