Growing up, being the “Teachers Pet” or “Star Pupil” often made you labeled as a “Nerd” or “Geek”. Being one who was tried desperately to fit in, or at least not feel like a complete outcast, I spent many years cringing as a kid/teen when I was told I was a “Teachers Pet” or “Star Pupil”. Well those days are happily gone!
Today I had my first appointment with the physician as part of the weight loss program. My health coach was also there. She’s working double duty as they look for a replacement nurse. Nurse Debby gave her notice and left L Melissa took my measurements & blood pressure and we compared them to where they were back on day one. They all improved, but apparently, they’ve all improved better than anyone else in the program, or anyone who has been doing just the individual health coaching without this weight loss program! They told me that not only was I their Star Pupil, but they were almost in tears being so happy for me!
I got rid of another 2.6 pounds this week, for a grand total of 14.4 pounds gone completely!!!!!! My waist was the most stubborn to change. But having an unproportionately smaller waist, I’m ok with that. Less then 0.10 of an inch smaller. And my hips got rid of almost 4 inches!!!! And my BMI dropped almost 10 pts!!! Needless to say, my little angel, little devil and I are all doing major happy dances today!!!
Before I forget, I wanted to pass along some healthy tips and recipes. Keep in mind; these are all the tips that have been working for me. If there is nothing else you get out of reading all my blogs, please take this one thought away from it all. Everyone is different! If we were all alike, there would be one miracle health plan that would work for everyone. But based on the number of weight loss programs out there, it’s obvious that everyone is different. You have to know your own body and how it processes different foods. Plus, you should always always always consult your own doctor or medical professional before starting any new health program!
Tip #1 – If you have a craving for something you don’t think is good for you or basically empty calories (aka cookies, ice cream, chips, etc) – stop and think about what it is that you’re really craving. Is it really the particular food item or is it the texture? For me, it depended on the situation. If I saw the food on TV, walking/driving past a restaurant, even walking past it in the grocery isle, a picture of it popped up on Facebook, my little devil wanted it instantly, and my little angel would have to stand up and say No! But if I was sitting at my desk or just thinking about wanting it sight unseen, my little devil would think about getting it, but my smarter little angel realized it was the texture of the food I wanted, not really the specific food. Fortunately for me, I’m getting stronger with just saying No to the ones I want, just because I see them. My little angel is also helping me replace texture craves with healthier and better for me options. For example, instead of eating ice cream, I can now have a ½ cup cold blueberries with 1 tbsp of lite cool whip mixed in. Cravings gone, and taste buds and tongue completely satisfied!!! Another win for my little angel!
Tip #2 – If you’re not already, pre-plan your meals. Ever little bit helps. Don’t switch everything at once. Make a little change each week. I have already started grilling certain foods and freezing them for the week before I started this program. But my little devil was being lazy in not remembering to bring my lunches, or basically skipping breakfast. Now, my little angel & I have tons of foods in pre-packaged zip lock bags ready to go. Not only is it more convenient and cheaper, but I now control what goes in my stomach more. Even on the lazier days, I would grab a pre-packaged Lean Cuisine or Health Choice meal thinking I was being good. However, those are often loaded with sodium or sugars. Obviously ones with sugar are completely out for me now. But I now know that the average adult should only have between 1500mg (diabetic or heart problems) – 2300mg (no health issues/concerns). So I will now be reading labels for healthy sodium amounts. By the way…just one teaspoon, not tablespoon, of salt has 2325mg of sodium!!!
Tip #3 – Make healthier versions of the same foods. Unless your doctor/nurse or health coach tells you otherwise, you can probably just eat the same foods, just less of them.
- Any of you who have been to a weight loss program before, one of the bit tips is to put half of your food away in the fridge or to go box before you start to eat. Cutting down on the portion size is one way to make it a healthier version. If I really want something, I take it a step further and put the other ½ right into the freezer. I’m less likely to take it out of the freezer to reheat, then if I just put it in the refrigerator.
- If you can’t cut down on the portion size, cut down on the condiments. If you love soaking your burgers in ketchup or barbeque sauce, don’t freak out like my little devil initially did. I’m talking about cutting down on the amount of condiments you use. So yes, much to my little devil’s dismay, there are no more swimming pools of ketchup on my plate any more. My little angel allows me no more than one tablespoon of any condiment at a meal. Course, if I’m lucky to find a light version with no added sugar, I occasionally have 2 tbsp. Doing this little trick not only saves me on countless of empty calories, but my little devil was surprised to find out I’m not giving up on flavor! In fact, I’ve noticed that by using less, food taste better! Instead of taking over the flavor of other foods, it’s just enhancing the flavor. I use this tip with salad dressings too. If I’m as home, my tip is to put all your salad ingredients into a plastic baggy, add my 1 tbsp of dressing, close the bag and shake. This allows all the ingredients to get mixed more evenly and the dressing is evenly covering everything. My little angel & devil both enjoy eating salads more because the flavors all compliment each other now. I recently had a small Caesar salad during a lunch outing with my sister Deb. Although they mixed it up for me, I could tell they put more than 1 tbsp of dressing on it. And guess what? The salad tasted horrible to both my little angel and devil! The dressing over powered the rest of the salad so much, that I couldn’t finish it. So embrace using fewer condiments and enjoy the natural flavor of your foods!
- Next, make health substitutes. My little angel and little devil are both extremely satisfied with using the Honey Wheat Sandwich Thins for 110 calories. I use them for sandwiches and hamburger buns now! They make regular white and whole wheat ones too. I just don’t use those as they have sugar in them. Trust me; you won’t miss all that extra bread! In fact, like cutting down on the condiments, I enjoy all the flavors of my sandwich now and the bread compliments the meal, doesn’t over power it.
Tip #4 – Add veggies to everything, even if just an ounce to start. One way to start, add lettuce and tomatoes to EVERY sandwich you make! (My little angel agrees that you can leave it off the beloved PB & J’s though.) I started out that way, and now I imagine the entire Subway counter of veggie options, and load on other veggies like peppers and mushrooms. And try adding some spinach leaves in with your lettuce! The darker green the veggie is, the high PH balance or alkaline level will be in your system High Ph levels aid in breaking down fats because fats add acidity to your system. I also recommend adding one of Green Giants frozen vegetables to your dinner. Keep an eye on the sodium counts if you’re using the ones with added seasonings or sauces. My favorite is the broccoli with rice and low fat cheese sauce. Yes, cheese sauce! It’s a little indulgence I have…but my little angel even improved that by adding more broccoli to it.
So finally, here are some quick and easy recipes ideas.
Get one frozen package of Birdseye’s Artichoke Hearts.
Weber’s Gourmet Burger Seasoning or your favor garlic flavored seasoning.
Olive Oil cooking spray
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (light if you can find it)
Preheat over to 350.
In a pie tin, cover lightly with cooking spray. Then line the pan with the frozen artichoke hearts with the larger leaf side touching the bottom of the pan. Then spray again with olive oil just the lightly coat all the hearts. Next, sprinkle the seasoning over each heart. Not too much, but enough that you can see it’s on there. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of over and turn on broiler. Lightly sprinkle parmesans cheese to do a dusting over each heart. If they look dry, spray with a little more oil. Place under broil for 5 minutes. Take out and serve hot! Vegetable dishes that are heated up, always taste better if you eat while they’re still hot. My little devil is recounting all the times as a kid where I left my veggies to eat last, and couldn’t stand them. I spent many nights stuck in my chair after others left “until I finished my veggies”. Had I known this trick about eating them while they were still hot, I probably would have been the first one to leave the table. LOL!
2. Sandwich Thin Ideas
· 3 oz of sliced turkey
· 1 slice of American or swiss cheese
· 1 small thin slice of canned cranberry sauce or 1 Tbsp of raspberry preserves.
· Put each on a sandwich thin and then microwave for 30 secs. YUM!!! Conquers both my sweet & savory tooth at the same time.
· ½ shredded lettuce
· 2-3 spinach leaves
· ¼ cup of fresh or grilled mushrooms
· Tomato slice or 5 diced cherry tomatoes
· 1 slice of American or Swiss Cheese
· 1 TBSP of lite mayo or BBQ Sauce or Ketchup (I’ll something use a little mayo to mix in with BBQ or Ketchup too)
· Pile all or any variety of these ingredients on a sandwich thin and enjoy! This has cured my little devil of wanting a fast-food burger many times. Now becoming a favorite food for my little angel and devil!
· 3 oz or ½ chicken breast diced that was grilled or broiled with favorite garlic blend seasoning
· 2 tbsp of light mayo (yes…more than one…but needed)
· 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half
· 1 small celery stalk diced
· Small shake of Paprika or chicken roisterer seasoning
· Mix all above ingredients together. It will look like you need more mayo, but you don’t. Put in plastic bag and in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. When ready to eat, put on sandwich thin, add lettuce and eat! I made this for my sister Beth who loves chicken salad, and used to love it from this one place she used to work by. She liked mine a lot, so I took that as a good vote!
Well, that’s going to have to be it for now. Gotta get work done and lunch almost over. Just wanted to share the newest update and recipes ideas. Hope you’re all having a wonderful week!!!!
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