Best Snacks for Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, you know that snacking can be an important tool. Having a little something-something every few hours keeps your metabolism humming and your blood sugar on an even keel.

Smart snacking can work wonders on your waistline, but it can be a challenge to find options that keep thesugar low and the protein and fiber high (who wants to read nutrition labels when you’re hungry?). This list of the healthiest snacks in the supermarket. Each will provide a slow, steady supply of calories to keep you full all day—and lean for life.

Best Fiber Bar: Fiber One Chewy Bars Oats & Peanut Butter


Per bar: 150 calories, 4.5 g fat, 9 g sugars, 3 g protein, 9 g fiber
With about a third of your day’s recommended fiber intake, this is the ideal snack for those days when your produce and whole grain intake are below par, and you want to keep things, well, moving.

 

 

Best Whole Wheat Cracker: Triscuit Original


Per 6 crackers: 120 calories, 4 g fat, 20 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber
Snackable and stackable, these crackers are a great standby at home or in the office.

 

 

 

Best Flavored Cracker: Wheat Thins Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable


Per 15 crackers: 120 calories, 4 g fat, 22 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein
These crackers, made from whole grain wheat flour, gives this tasty snack a massive hit of belly-filling fiber. Add them to your diet for a quick fix (and speaking of thin, cleanse out your toxins and lose weight with our Ultimate One-Day Detox.)

Best Potato Chips: Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips

Per 12 chips: 140 calories, 7 g fat, 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein
Part chip, part cracker, and all good. These nibbles provide 20 percent of your daily dose of vitamin A, and they’re gluten-free.

Best Vegetable Chips: Terra Exotic Harvest Vegetable Chips


Per oz (about 16 chips): 130 calories, 6 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber
This fun mix of carrots, blue potatoes, and kabocha squash boasts 40 percent less fat than potato chips and enough fiber to take the edge off your hunger. (Plus they look pretty on the chip ’n’ dip platter.)

Best Pretzels: Newman’s Own Organics Spelt Pretzels

Per 20 pretzels: 120 calories, 1 g fat, 23 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 4 g fiber
Spelt is a grain related to wheat but with more fiber and protein, and the fact that it’s organic is just a bonus. Pair these with a hunk of cheddar to rope even more protein into your snack break. (Just don’t eat too much salt. Avoid these Bloaty Foods That Make You Look Fat.)

Best Popcorn: Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! Pop Up Bowl Butter


Per 6.5 cup serving: 120 calories, 2 g fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein
The mini bags serve a dual function: They keep you from overeating and they do away with the need for a popcorn bowl. Keep a few bags tucked into your desk at work, and a fiber-rich snack will never be far from reach. If you want an even lighter alternative, we have another popcorn you should check out in our collection of the 4 Essential Snacks for Weight Loss.

Best Vegetable Dippers: Cal-Organic Carrot Dippers Snack Packs with Ranch Dip


Per package: 110 calories, 9 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 1 g fiber
These baby carrots come with just enough ranch to kick up the flavor without burdening you with a nutritionally nullifying load of fat, and each serving has 60 percent of your day’s recommended vitamin A.

Best Plain Yogurt: Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt


Per 7-ounce container: 150 calories, 4 g fat, 20 g protein
Greek yogurt has more than double the protein of standard American-style yogurt. Make it a simple parfait by adding fruit, nuts, seeds, or granola. Not all Greek yogurts are created equal. We found the Best & Worst Yogurts by type, so you could find the best one for your tastes.

Best Cottage Cheese: Fiber One Lowfat Cottage Cheese with Fiber


Per ½ cup: 80 calories, 2 g fat, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber
Cottage cheese is famous for its abundant supply of complete protein, but the 5 grams of fiber come from the addition of a natural plant compound called inulin. Top your curds with canned or fresh fruit for an ultra-sweet snack (or dessert!).

 

Best Snack Bread: Pepperidge Farm Swirl 100% Whole-Wheat Cinnamon with Raisins


Per slice: 80 calories, 1 g fat, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber
Cinnamon toast is usually little more than sugar and starch, a decadent duo with love-handle repercussions. Go with the whole wheat variety and you can snack without the guilt, even if you opt for a second slice.

Best Spreadable Cheese: The Laughing Cow Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil


Per wedge: 35 calories, 1.5 g fat, 2 g protein
Keep one of these cheese wheels in the office fridge to fight on-the-job hunger. Spread a couple wedges over whole wheat crackers and you hit both major benchmarks of satiety: protein and fiber.

Best Chocolate Milk: Organic Valley Lowfat Chocolate Milk


Per 8 fl oz: 150 calories, 2.5 g fat, 9 g protein
Chocolate milk is the perfect drinkable snack before you head in for a workout. The sugar fuels your muscles for maximum power, and the protein helps rebuild them afterward. If this is your go-to snack, you have to click here for our Chocolate Milk Diet (it really works)!

Best Flavored Yogurt: Chobani Nonfat Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Dannon LIGHT & FIT® GREEK

Per 1 container: 80 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g protein, 7 g sugar
Scoop into the plump, juicy blueberries beneath our creamy Greek nonfat yogurt and give it a swirl for a treat that tastes so satisfying, you won’t sacrifice a thing.

Best Peanut Butter: Smucker’s Natural Chunky Peanut Butter


Per 2 Tbsp: 210 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g protein, 2 g fiber
You’ll find no added oils, sweeteners, or fillers in this jar—just peanuts and salt. Stay within the snack-size calorie range by eating one tablespoon with crackers or two tablespoons with baby carrots or celery.

Best Alternative Nut Butter: MaraNatha Organic Raw Almond Butter, No Salt, Creamy


Per 2 Tbsp: 190 calories, 17 g fat, 7 g protein, 4 g fiber
Almond butter has more heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids than peanut butter, and it’s just as convenient. Try smearing some over apple slices for a tasty blend of sweet and savory. Almond butter is just one of our 10 Best Brainpower-Boosting Secret Foods

Best Hummus: Sabra Sun Dried Tomato Hummus


Per 2 Tbsp: 70 calories, 4.5 g fat, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber
If you don’t already keep hummus stocked in your fridge, add it to your shopping list right now. The creamy puree of chickpeas and sesame seeds carries a balanced mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, and it pairs well with just about anything you can dip.

Veggie Pirate’s Booty

Calories: 130, Serving Size: 101 puffs, 0g Trans Fat per Serving

Crafted from puffed rice, corn, and a medley of fresh vegetables including spinach, kale, carrots and parsley, all baked to perfection.

Trader Joe’s Mini Ice Cream Cones


Calories: 70, Serving Size: 1 cone,  Sugars: 5g

 An ice cream cone with only 70 calories?  Oh, yes.  It’s small, you say?  Well, yes, indeed it is small in stature. But flavor? Big.  Oh, yes. Trader Joe’s Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones are big on flavor. Each easy-to-hold wafer cone (nifty how we incorporated this practical information into the name, don’t you think?) is filled with rich, creamy, ice cream – ice cream, we hasten to add, that’s significantly richer and creamier than what you’ll find in other cones – dipped in a rich, chocolaty coating.  They’re simple, for sure; and oh-so wonderfully satisfying.

Article Source: http://www.shape.com/

How Are Overweight and Obesity Treated?

Successful weight-loss treatments include setting goals and making lifestyle changes, such as eating fewer calories and being physically active. Medicines and weight-loss surgery also are options for some people if lifestyle changes aren’t enough.

Set Realistic Goals

Setting realistic weight-loss goals is an important first step to losing weight.

For Adults

  • Try to lose 5 to 10 percent of your current weight over 6 months. This will lower your risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and other conditions.
  • The best way to lose weight is slowly. A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is do-able, safe, and will help you keep off the weight. It also will give you the time to make new, healthy lifestyle changes.
  • If you’ve lost 10 percent of your body weight, have kept it off for 6 months, and are still overweight or obese, you may want to consider further weight loss.

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Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

Staying fit and healthy and losing weight were the top New Year’s resolutions in 2015, according to a January 2015 Nielson survey of U.S. consumers.

At some time in your life you’ve made a New Year’s resolution — and then broken it. This year, stop the cycle of resolving to make change and then not following through. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and get healthy, you will have a much better year if your resolution sticks.

 
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CLEAN EATING VS FAD DIET

A fad diet is a weight loss plan or aid that promises dramatic results. These diets typically don’t result in long-term weight loss and they are usually not very healthy. In fact, some of these diets have proven to be dangerous to your health. The Eat-Clean Diet encourages a lifestyle approach of exercise and a diet plan of unprocessed, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and void of artificial ingredients, preservatives, “chemically charged foods,” sugars, saturated fat, and trans fat.

Not only will you lose about 3 pounds a week, you will see also see dramatic changes in the way you look and feel, Reno says. (Tosca Reno, author of The Eat-Clean Diet series.)

How clean eating helps you shift weight

The writers claim dieting isn’t as simple as ‘calories in, calories out’. “The answer is not to limit calories but to eat more high quality foods,” say the Hemsley girls. For this reason the sisters encourage dieters to steer clear of low-fat and sugar-free processed foods that often contain ingredients you don’t recognise.

“Think of these as fake foods that cause stress to the body,” they argue. The sisters’ recipe for a balanced diet is simple: “Cook and eat meals that are so delicious you’ll forget you’re eating ‘healthy’ food.”

This theory is backed up by the latest food science, according to nutritionist Linda Foster. She says: “Fresh, natural foods tend to be more satisfying and rich in nutrients such as protein and fibre than processed ones. These slow the breakdown of sugar into the bloodstream, keeping you fuller for longer and stopping those hunger pangs that leave you needing to snack.”

There’s also evidence to suggest that we need to consume a certain quantity of food each day to feel satisfied – regardless of the food type or calories it contains.

For example, to eat 100 calories we could munch through two apples (200g of food) or gobble one third of a Mars bar (around 20g in weight). Almost certainly, the apples would leave you feeling fuller, as you’ve eaten a much greater quantity of food.

Choosing the Mars bar would leave most of us eating the rest of it, with the inevitable result that we take in more calories overall.

In other words, the magic trick to consuming fewer calories is simply to choose more filling foods.

Eating clean does mean cooking more of our own meals, as we did 50 to 60 years ago, rather than relying on processed convenience foods.

US food expert Michael Pollan blames our ever-expanding waistlines on us no longer cooking real food – pointing out that the decline in home cooking “closely parallels the rise in obesity”.

Multiple studies have also shown diets rich in whole foods like wholegrain carbs, nuts, fruit and veg – and low in the likes of ready meals, biscuits and fast food – can reduce your risk of life-threatening conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even certain cancers.

There is also evidence that a real food diet can even benefit your looks – by leaving skin clear and glowing, and hair strong and shiny.

Your five clean food rules

Only eat ‘real’ foods: Put simply, this means buying recognisable ingredients to prepare at home and avoiding processed and packaged foods.

For instance, you would use whole oats and blueberries to make porridge topped with berries but you must skip the shop-bought blueberry muffin.

When you do eat packaged foods, only buy brands that contain real food ingredients with names you recognise and would use if you were making a similar recipe from scratch in your own kitchen.

Keep meals simple: Delicious, healthy food doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen. Keep your ingredients to a minimum. Just be sure to include a source of whole grains, lean protein and healthy fat at each meal.

For example, chicken and red pepper stir-fried with a little soy sauce and served with brown rice takes the same, or less, time to cook than a Chinese ready meal takes to heat up. And certainly less time than a takeaway takes to arrive!

Slow your eating speed: Studies show that the faster we eat, the more calories we consume. So chew slowly, rest your cutlery on the plate between bites to reduce your pace and really savour the flavour of your food.

Eat regular meals: Don’t let more than four hours go by between meals or snacks. This will help regulate blood sugar, which will keep you energised and help curb your appetite.

Listen to your body: Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full – meaning satisfied, not over-stuffed.

Unlike nearly all diets, the recipes here don’t include precise amounts – that’s because clean eating is all about getting used to relying on your natural hunger and fullness cues to tell you when to eat and when to stop.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Your meal planner

Pick one dish from each of the following three meals a day, using sensible portion sizes, plus two items from the snacks list. You could lose up to a stone in six weeks.

Breakfast

  • Porridge, made with oats, semi-skimmed milk and handful of berries
  • Spinach and pepper two-egg omelette
  • Pot of full-fat Greek yoghurt with sliced banana and handful of almonds
  • Pancakes made with wholemeal flour, milk and one egg, drizzled with maple syrup and raspberries
  • Banana and almond smoothie made with banana, semi-skimmed milk, teaspoon almond butter (or peanut butter), teaspoon of cinnamon

Lunch

  • Spinach and rocket leaves salad with one can of rinsed cannellini beans, handful of cherry tomatoes, half an avocado, sliced, and balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing
  • Tuna and salad wholemeal wrap with half a chopped red pepper
  • Lentil and vegetable soup with a granary roll
  • Salad of hard-boiled egg slices, asparagus, steamed new potatoes and two teaspoons of melted butter
  • Baked sweet potato with homemade veggie or beef chilli topping

Dinner

  • Chicken and mixed veg stir-fry with organic soy sauce and wholegrain noodles
  • Prawns cooked with mango slices, coconut milk, grated ginger and three chopped spring onions, served with brown basmati rice
  • Shepherd’s pie made with minced lamb, veg and topped with sweet potato mash
  • Grilled steak with grilled mushroom and tomatoes, plus side salad
  • Spaghetti bolognese, served with wholemeal pasta or courgette ribbons.

Snack

  • Small handful of any unsalted nuts
  • Piece of any fruit
  • Full-fat fruit yoghurt with no additives
  • Hummus with carrot sticks
  • Apple slices with peanut butter

Enjoy ‘clean’ unprocessed foods including:

  • All fresh fruits and vegetables (including frozen)
  • Beans and pulses, such as lentils
  • Meat – the more free range or organic the better
  • Fish
  • Nuts
  • Eggs
  • Unrefined grains, like wholemeal bread and pasta, popcorn, oats and brown rice
  • Dairy – cheese, milk, butter, all organic if possible
  • Olive oil

Avoid ‘dirty’ processed foods including:

  • Ready meals
  • Shop-bought cakes and biscuits
  • Jars and packets of sauce
  • Margarines
  • Sausages, ham and bacon
  • Sausage rolls and pastries
  • Crisps
  • Fizzy drinks

Make your own healthy crisps

Vegetable crisps are healthy ‘clean’ alternatives to normal crisps. They can be expensive to buy ready-made, but are actually pretty easy to make yourself.

Simply slice veg – such as parsnips, sweet potatoes and beetroots – as thinly as possible, brush with a little olive or coconut oil, spread on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 200°C/gas mark 6, turning once halfway through.

Season with a little salt – and try spices such as chilli or cumin.

An even easier way to make veggie crisps is to invest in one of the latest must-have kitchen gadgets – a dehydrator.

They slowly dry food at a very low temperature so none of the nutrients are destroyed, meaning even healthier crisps with no added fat.

A good one to try is the Stockli Dehydrator (from £89, from ukjuicers.com).

You can also use them to make large portions of delicious apple, pineapple and banana ‘crisps’ so you always have healthy snacks on hand for you and the kids.

Banana ice cream.. without the cream!

Even kids will love this yummy recipe with no added sugar.

Simply freeze two or three very ripe, sliced bananas overnight. Then, using a blender or food processor on pulse, mix to a creamy consistency.

You can mash with a fork instead, but this will take longer and you’ll need to wait until the banana has melted a little.

Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence for extra flavour, or a teaspoon of cocoa powder for a chocolate banana flavour.

 

Article Reference: WebMD.com, Mirror.co.uk

Ways to Lose Weight After the Holiday Overeating

For months, you have tracked your food and exercised regularly to improve your health and alter the shape of your body. More than a “diet” or a fitness fad, you have created real behavioral modifications, lifestyle changes and built the confidence that you can stick with it for the long haul. So why is the winter holiday season so intimidating—even scary—for so many?

The answer is complex. Sure, there’s the food. Unlike other food-centric holidays like Valentine’s Day or Halloween, the winter holiday season lasts for weeks. There are more parties, more potlucks, more food gifts, more cookies and well, just more everything! And these temptations won’t be going away any time soon. Then there’s the stress. Buying gifts, volunteering, decorating, cooking and party hopping often take the place of cooking healthy meals at home or hitting the gym. Like an infant sitting on Santa’s lap for the first time, it’s no wonder we’re scared of the holidays and the infamous weight gain they encourage. How can we keep up with a healthy diet and fitness program—let alone lose weight—with all of this going on around us, day after day?

Most Americans gain at least 1 pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Though this may not seem like much, over time the extra pounds accumulate. According to the National Institutes of Health, holiday weight gain can contribute to obesity and chronic diseases later in life.

Healthy Breakfast

Drop those holiday pounds by adding a healthy breakfast to your morning routine. A 2002 study in “Obesity Research” found a common factor among participants who’d lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than one year: Seventy-eight percent ate breakfast every day. The study also found that breakfast eaters engaged in more physical activity than nonbreakfast eaters, another key to weight loss. Harvard Medical School recommends eating a breakfast containing at least 6 grams of fiber to lose weight and prevent chronic diseases.

Increased Movement

When you burn more calories than you consume by adding physical activities and exercise into your daily routine, you’ll lose those extra holiday pounds. While even 30 minutes of exercise per day offers health benefits, weight loss generally requires about 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise or 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Fiber-Rich Foods

Bulk up your diet with healthy, fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Not only do these foods make you feel fuller — a sensation you probably got accustomed to during the holiday season — most offer vitamins, minerals and nutrients without a heavy caloric impact. For weight loss, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, upping your whole grain intake to at least half of your total grain intake and increasing your consumption of beans, peas and lentils.

Set Realistic Goals

Of course you want to drop pounds quickly, but setting unrealistic goals can actually thwart your progress. A 2009 study in the “American Journal of Medicine” found that setting personalized, realistic goals led to less frustration and greater long-term weight loss. Aim for a loss of about 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Think Long-Term

If you want to lose those holiday pounds and keep them off permanently, think of weight loss as a long-term lifestyle choice. According to the Mayo Clinic, achieving weight loss — and better overall fitness — involves mental, emotional and physical commitment along with the realization that the process doesn’t happen overnight. Keep yourself motivated by tracking your progress in a weight-loss journal and by engaging a supportive group of friends and family in your efforts.

Article Source: Healthy living AZ Central

Slacker’s Guide to Losing Weight Without Trying

1. Start Each Meal With a full Glass of Water

You’ll stay hydrated and feel fuller instantly, which can help you from overeating.

2. Make Simple Swaps

Going for a vinaigrette dressing instead of a Green Goddess dressing at lunch can save you 80 calories, while opting for fresh fruit instead of dried can save you dozens as well. Get a list of simple swaps to save calories here.

3. Have a Piece of Dark Chocolate for Dessert

Instead of opting for the cookies in the break room, quiet your sugar cravings with a piece of dark chocolate. It may not feel quite as satisfying the first few times, but as you wean yourself off your sugar addiction, you’ll be glad you’re saving calories while having a healthy yet decadent treat.

4. Be Diligent About Portion Control

If you want to lose weight, sticking to the right portions at every meal is important. Measure out snacks beforehand instead of eating from the bag, use smaller plates (9 inches plate) to visually signal that your meal will satisfy, and put away leftovers so you’re not tempted to go back for seconds.

5. Move More

Even if you’re not dedicating an entire chunk of time to a workout, you can burn a few extra calories by making an effort to move a little more during the day. Taking breaks to walk around the office, opting for the stairs instead of the escalator, and parking a little farther from the office entrance are all simple ways to up your calorie burn.

6. Don’t Drink Your Calories

It’s a common reason why you’re not seeing results—those empty calories from a daily soda, morning juice, or large glass of wine at dinner can really add up. Stick to water flavored with a fresh ingredients like cucumber, lemon, or mint in order to save on important calories.

7. Don’t Go Hungry Too Long

A little hunger can be good for you, but starving yourself all day in order to “splurge” on dessert at night is both unhealthy and diet sabotage. Eat well-timed meals and snacks in order to avoid low blood sugar levels that cause you to crash.

8. Snack on High-Protein, High-Fiber Foods

When it’s time to snack, make your food work for you. Steer clear of the empty, high-calorie options like chips and crackers, and go for protein- and fiber-rich foods that taste good and fill you up too. You’ll be able to eat fewer calories while still feeling satisfied. One of these 150-calorie snacks will surely hit the spot.

9. Eat a Light, Early Dinner

Try to keep your dinner to about 25 percent of your daily calories, and have it at least two to three hours before going to bed. Eating too much too late can cause digestion and sleep issues that make it hard to stick to a healthy routine.

10. Get More Sleep

Lack of sleep can cause you to eat more throughout the day and not have enough energy for your workouts, so aim for at least seven hours of sleep every night. It’s an easy and effective way to keep your weight-loss goals on the right track

Article Source: shape.com

Snacks and Weight Loss

Not all diet snacks are boring. You can start burning fat today just by swapping out your regular snacks for these approved OWC snacks.

Americans love to snack almost as much as we want to lose weight. But according to recent research by the USDA, our snacking habits are adding too many calories and too few nutrients to our diets. It doesn’t have to be this way, says Susan Bowerman, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. “When done right, (snacking) keeps your energy levels up and gives you more opportunities to get in all your nutritional needs.”

by Amanda MacMillan

What snacks burn fat?

Eating snacks with the right ratio of nutrients, with the right calories, will help keep you body energized and help you lose weight. Protein (plus exercise) fuels the growth of lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolic rate and increases calorie burn. Fiber, meanwhile, helps improve digestion and keeps you from binging on fats and sugars. So while there’s no food that will literally “burn fat” while you eat it, smart choices with these ingredients will help your body operate at maximum efficiency. Bowerman suggests snacks under 200 calories, with 10 grams of protein and close to 5 grams of fiber. Here are 20 of our favorite fat-burning snacks.

An apple and skim milk


  “Almost any fruit is going to make a great snack, but you usually want to pair it with a bit of protein to make it more satisfying,” says Bowerman; “unlike carbohydrates, which get used up relatively quickly, protein will help sustain your energy and hunger levels for a couple of hours.”

Our pick for a protein-fruit pairing: one large apple and one cup of skim milk. This duo will give you 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber for just over 200 calories.

Cottage cheese-filled avocado

Cottage cheese-filled avocado


 Here’s another fruit and diary combo, this one for when you’re craving something rich, creamy, and a bit savory. Remove the pit from one half of an avocado and fill the space with 2 ounces of 1% cottage cheese. For 200 calories, you’ll get 9 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber—and no dirty dishes!

Canned tuna on whole-wheat crackers

Canned tuna on whole-wheat crackers


 If you don’t want to incorporate dairy into every snack, a can of tuna (packaged in water) is another great source of lean protein plus healthy Omega-3s. For about 200 calories, you can enjoy 3 ounces of light tuna and 6 whole-wheat crackers—complete with 3 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein.

Sunflower lentil spread with pita bread


 Lentils are a good source of iron, a metabolism-boosting nutrient that 20% of us don’t get enough of. This savory recipe makes four 180-calorie servings, with 10 grams each of protein and fiber.

Shrimp stack


 You may not think of shellfish as a grab-and-go snack food, but you can put this tasty treat together in a flash if you keep pre-cooked shrimp on hand. With Greek yogurt and avocado, it’s a protein powerhouse with 9 grams per serving (and 4 g fiber), for only 129 calories.

Power berry smoothie


 This recipe, which calls for soy protein powder and low-fat plain yogurt, contains 9 grams of protein; swap in Greek yogurt to add even more. Frozen berries add fiber (4 grams total), and honey provides sweetness. All this for only 139 calories!

Warm pear with cinnamon ricotta

Warm pear with cinnamon ricotta


 Ricotta cheese is rich in protein, and pears are a good source of fiber. Together with a teaspoon of cinnamon, they make a delicious snack for any time of day. Each serving contains 8 g protein, 5 g fiber, and 170 calories.

 

Miso-glazed tofu


 This recipe is touted as a main course, but it’s so light on calories (only 164) that it can stand in as a mid-day snack, as well. It also packs plenty of protein (12 g) thanks to the tofu, as well as 3 grams of fiber.

Edamame


 One cup of edamame, or boiled soybeans, contains 17 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 189 calories. A perfect snack all by itself! Serve hot or cold, season with garlic/salt, and enjoy.

Chicken pita sandwich (half)


 There’s no reason you can’t have smaller portions of “real” food as snacks, says Bowerman. “Oftentimes, the healthiest and most balanced snacks are the ones that start as full meals—like a half a sandwich, or a plate of leftovers put together from dinner the night before,” she adds.

Whip up this chicken and veggie pita in the morning, and split it in half for two snacks throughout the day. Each half contains 200 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and more than 20 grams of protein.

Cauliflower with white bean dip

 

Make a batch of white bean and roasted garlic dip at the beginning of the week to spread on crackers and eat with veggies when hunger strikes. Pair a quarter-cup serving with 2 cups of raw, chopped cauliflower, for example, for a total of 11 grams protein, 8 grams fiber, and 199 calories.

Toast with walnut & pear breakfast spread


 Split this breakfast recipe in half to make a healthy mid-day snack with 200 calories, 11 grams protein, and 3.5 grams fiber. Not only will it help prep your body for fat burn, but it may also boost your energy levels (so you’re more likely to get to the gym, perhaps?): Walnuts are rich in serotonin, a hormone that produces feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Lentil salad with tomatoes and watercress


 Salads aren’t just for mealtime—when they’re about 200 calories, they make a great afternoon snack, as well. This one has 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, thanks to superfood lentils and plenty of veggies. (The recipe makes six servings, so hold off on adding the vinaigrette if you’re not eating the whole thing at once.)

Luna protein bar


 When choosing an energy bar as a snack, the rules are the same: Look for bars with 200 calories or less, 10 grams of protein and close to 5 grams of fiber. The Luna Protein bar certainly comes close (190 calories, 12 g protein, 3 g fiber), and tastes “almost like candy,” Health.comtesters said.

Veggie tostata


 In the mood for Mexican? You can’t go wrong with black beans and veggies: These tostatas cook up quickly and easily for a fast and healthy mini-meal between lunch and dinner. At just over 200 calories, you get 13 grams of protein and 10.5 grams of fiber. Top with tomato salsa for added flavor without fat.

Roast garlic and edamame dip

 

Edamame is a great snack by itself, but it also makes a great ingredient in this creamy dip for raw veggies or whole-wheat pita bread. You can enjoy up to three servings in one snack session, for a total of 162 calories, 9 grams protein and 6 grams fiber.

Asparagus and hard-boiled egg


 It’s no wonder this classic combo goes so well together: Fiber-rich asparagus balances out eggs’ natural protein. (Plus, asparagus is known as an aphrodisiac, thanks to its folate and vitamins B6 and E levels. Talk about fun ways to burn fat!)

Pair 15 asparagus spears (cooked or raw) with one hard-boiled egg for a 126-calorie snack, complete with 11 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Minty iced green tea


 A calorie-free beverage doesn’t qualify as a real snack, but if you find yourself scouting the kitchen just because you’re bored, rather than hungry, this tasty drink may just hit the spot. Plus, green tea has been shown to help dieters lose more weight, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, thanks to its metabolism-boosting antioxidant compound called EGCG.

Bowerman says that most research on green tea for weight loss has been inconclusive, but that either way it’s a healthy, tasty way to stay hydrated throughout the day. “Drinking water and tea is a good way to keep all of your body’s processes, including your metabolism, running smoothly and efficiently,” she adds.

Spiced green tea smoothie


 Here’s another way to sip healthy green tea: as a smoothie! Pair this sweet and spicy drink with a few ounces of lean protein—some sliced turkey, for example—for a complete afternoon snack.

One serving will get you 3 grams of fiber (thanks to its secret ingredient, pear!). Plus, it contains cayenne pepper, which may help curb appetite and give your metabolism a boost.

Calories: 82 calories per half-cup serving

Prep time: 5 minutes

Source: www.health.com

Love Yourself And Lose Weight In The Process

How do you learn to accept, respect, and love your current body 100%, right now, extra weight and all? To learn how to do just that, I’d like you to try a very special two-step exercise that will quickly show you how to better accept, respect, and love your body and thus make weight loss a walk in the park!

 

Step 1: Get Aware

Stop believing the old lies you have been consciously or subconsciously telling yourself about how your body is not special enough, amazing enough, or precious enough to warrant your utmost attention and care right now. For example, if you are telling yourself, “Perhaps someday when it looks better (or younger or thinner), I will take better care of my body,” you’re telling yourself a lie.

 

I’d like you to uncover all of the damaging lies that you may be telling yourself, lies that will prevent you from fully accepting and respecting your body. To help you do that, I’ve listed 21 of the most common lies, ones that my clients have found limited their ability to succeed at any weight loss plan:

 

  1. “Losing weight is expensive.” In reality, weight loss costs nothing. You don’t need to buy expensive equipment or premade meals for weight loss. And think about this: The costs of not getting fit—heart disease, diabetes, arthritis—are much higher than the costs of starting a weight loss program.

 

  1. “I don’t have enough time to exercise.” You don’t need a lot of time to get fit. You need only 8 minutes. That’s right, just 8 minutes. Set your alarm 8 minutes earlier than usual and get up and just do it.

 

  1. “I can overeat now and make up for these excess calories by eating less tomorrow.” This is a form of procrastination, and it always results in disaster. Few people make up for the excess “tomorrow.” And those who do eat less end up starving themselves and slowing their metabolisms. When you truly respect your body, you’ll stick to healthful food portions all the time and never punish your body with starvation.

 

  1. “I need to take care of others first. Once I meet their needs, then I can focus on myself.” This is perhaps one of the most prevalent and most vicious lies out there. In reality, you can’t take care of others until you have first taken care of yourself. When you neglect your mind and body, you eventually have nothing left to give. And if you suffer a heart attack from neglecting your body, eventually others will have to take care of you.

 

  1. “Weight loss is not worth the effort. I’m just going to gain it all back anyway.” I understand why you may feel this way, particularly if you have already lost and regained weight numerous times before. You must understand, however, that you’re not to blame for those past failed attempts—the programs are at fault. For permanent weight loss, you must address the source of your problem. You must accept your body and heal your hungry heart. Once you do that, you will effortlessly lose the weight.

 

  1. “My work is more important than my body.” To quote a fairly well-known phrase: “ No man ever said on his deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.’ Yet, I would bet that plenty of people on their deathbeds had wished they had taken better care of their bodies.

 

  1. “Weight doesn’t matter. I am ugly at any size.” Your body is an extraordinary machine that does extraordinary tasks every day. Once you learn to recognize that simple fact, you will realize that ugliness is a matter of perspective. If you focus on the amazing nature of your body–on your heart’s ability to beat, on your muscles’ ability to move, on your skin’s ability to heal—then you will understand the inherent beauty of your body.

 

  1. “Nobody loves me or cares about me, so why should I care about myself?” Perhaps one of the most perverse laws of human nature is that you must first love yourself before you can earn and receive love from others. Quite often, lack of self-love is what drives others from you. Think about it. Would you rather be around a depressed, sad, negative person or a confident, cheerful person? Once you become more confident, you’ll find friends suddenly appearing in your life.

 

  1. “I have already blown it today, so I might as well give up.” You’ve never blown it until you’ve given up altogether. Just one overeating episode will not ruin your chance for success. For the same reason fat is so hard to lose, it is also hard to gain. It takes 3,500 excess calories in order to gain one pound of fat. That’s a lot of food. Believe me, you’ve never eaten that much in one sitting!

 

  1. “I work hard. I deserve to eat as much as I want.” If you work hard, you deserve to pamper yourself, that’s true. But overeating is a form of body punishment, not a form of pampering. I suggest you treat yourself to a massage, a warm bath, or a long talk with an old friend instead of treating yourself to food. (Check out these other ways to treat youself.)

 

  1. “I am fine on the inside. That’s all that matters.” Both the inside and the outside of your body matter. Excess weight—on the outside—weakens and sickens the inside of your body. Take care of the outside of your body with weight loss, and the inside-your heart, lungs, and blood vessels—will become healthier and stronger.

 

  1. “One day of not caring is not going to matter.” The problem with this thinking is that 1 day turns into 2 days which turns into 3 days, then 4, and so on. Start caring about your body today.

 

  1. “My partner loves me no matter what my size.” I’m sure your spouse loves you, but this isn’t about your spouse. This is about you. You should lose weight to make your life better, to improve your body, to feel more energetic and healthy, and to make your life easier. Of course, those around you will benefit, but you are the one that counts the most.

 

  1. “Food is the only friend that can lift my spirits or remove the ache of loneliness.” Plenty of things—besides food—can help you heal your hungry heart.

 

  1. “I don’t want to offend my friends by not indulging with them.” My mother used to say, “If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Overeating hurts you just as much as using recreational drugs. If your friends are offended that you want to take better care of your body, they are not really your friends.

 

  1. “I’m old. All old people are fat.” It’s true that many people gain weight as they age as a result of a slower metabolism. If you strength train, however, you can keep your metabolism from slowing down in the first place.

 

  1. “I’m still young. I can lose the weight later.” The statistics are stacked against you on this one. Most people tend to gain weight as they get older, not lose it. The best time for weight loss is right now!

 

  1. “I can eat as much as my 6-foot-2-inch husband.” You probably know that this isn’t true—as much as you want it to be so. Many women tell me that they gained weight when they were first married and began eating the same food portions as their husbands. Your husband has more muscle mass and is probably taller, and he therefore burns more calories each day than you do. You must stick to smaller food portions in order to lose weight.

 

  1. “My metabolism is terrible.” This may be true. After many years of dieting, your metabolism may be much slower than it used to be. You can rev it up, however, with strength training. (Check out how to get a metabolism that soars.)

 

  1. “I’m genetically meant to be overweight.” This is only a half-truth. Some people do carry what scientists call a “thrifty gene,” which makes their bodies resist burning fat. It only means, however, that you’ll have to work a little harder than someone without this gene in order to lose weight and keep it off.

 

  1. “I’m too fat to exercise.” This lie is what led me to develop this book. Certain types of exercise may not be best suited for your body. But I know that you’ll be able to comfortably perform the exercises in my program. I tested them on full-figured women. They work.

 

Working With Negative Beliefs

Did any of those lies resonate with you? Have you found yourself using them to make excuses for not exercising or eating healthful food portions? Do you have even more lies buried deep inside? Take a moment right now to think about what you’ve told yourself in the past that led to overeating or not exercising. Were you lying to yourself?

 

To get fully aware of your damaging, negative, and false beliefs, I want you write down your top three limiting beliefs that you have consciously or subconsciously told yourself, lies that resulted in your not believing that your body was special enough, amazing enough, or precious enough to warrant your highest attention and care. Feel free to borrow a few from those I mentioned earlier.

 

After you write down your top three limiting beliefs, write down the consequence of believing these old dis-empowering beliefs. And know that dissatisfaction can be a powerful spark that gets you to take action and change your behaviors forever.

 

Once you’ve completed the limiting-beliefs exercise, you’re ready to take another step on your journey to body respect. To fully acknowledge that your three negative beliefs are no longer a part of you, I want you to do something symbolic. Take a thick, black marker and ink out those three old beliefs with your pen. Yes, draw on top of them. Cover them up. Put a big XXX over them. This may seem like a simple, and maybe even silly, exercise, but believe me, it will symbolically help you to delete those same lies from your brain’s hard drive.

 

By doing this, you will be signaling to your brain and subconscious that you are no longer willing to be ruled by these lies. As the words disappear, so will those damaging beliefs! You will feel empowered and invigorated. You will be free. Don’t continue to read this until you have done this exercise. This physical act of destroying those old beliefs will impact your future success for the better. You will almost feel reborn.

 

Step 2: Replace the Junk with a Gem

Now that you have cleared out your emotional closet of the junk, it is now time to replace that junk with a true gem: empowering beliefs that will change your life and how you treat your body forever. Ready? Simply replace those three old limiting beliefs with the following power pledge: “My current body is the most precious gift I have ever been given.”

 

To fully commit that pledge to memory, write down the positive consequences of believing this. For example, you might write:

 

“I will treat my body as a top priority.”

“I will make sure to exercise my body on a regular basis.”

“I will feed my body properly.”

“I will finally lose the extra weight.”

To strengthen your pledge, I want you to support it with 10 ultimate references. These are 10 ideas that make the power pledge completely real for you. To create your ultimate references, ask yourself this simple question: “Why is this true?” In other words, “Why is my current body truly the most precious gift I have ever been given?” Write your answers down.

 

Now that you’ve listed your 10 ultimate references, make three copies and place them in three spots in your house. I highly recommend posting it on your nightstand and in the bathroom, so you can see it when you first get up, and in the kitchen, so you can see it whenever you feel tempted to overeat or skip your workout.

 

Your poster will serve as a powerful reminder to put your body first. Remember that it is essential for you to realize that the first secret to real weight loss is to unconditionally accept and thus respect your body 100%, right now, no matter what your current size. If you don’t fully respect your current body, I can assure you that you will never truly treat it as the most precious gift that has ever been given to you.

 

Source: Article by Jorge Cruise (www.prevention.com)

Diet Management: High-Protein Diet for Weight Loss

 

Going on a high-protein diet may help you tame your hunger, which could help you lose weight.

You can try it by adding some extra protein to your meals. Give yourself a week, boosting protein gradually.

Remember, calories still count. You’ll want to make good choices when you pick your protein.

If you plan to add a lot of protein to your diet, or if you have liver or kidney disease, check with your doctor first.

 

The Best Protein Sources

Choose protein sources that are nutrient-rich and lower in saturated fat and calories, such as:

  • Lean meats
  • Seafood
  • Beans
  • Soy
  • Low-fat dairy
  • Eggs
  • Nuts and seeds

It’s a good idea to change up your protein foods. For instance, you could have salmon or other fish that’s rich in omega-3s, beans or lentils that give you fiber as well as protein, walnuts on your salad, or almonds on your oatmeal.

 

How much protein are you getting? Here’s how many grams of protein are in these foods:

  • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese: 14
  • 3 ounces tofu, firm: 13
  • 1/2 cup cooked lentils: 9
  • 2 tablespoons natural-style peanut butter or almond butter: 8
  • 1 ounce cooked lean meat, fish, skinless poultry: 7
  • 1 ounce cheese: 7
  • 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans: 7
  • 1 ounce nuts: 4-7
  • 1 large egg: 6
  • 4 ounces low-fat plain yogurt: 6
  • 4 ounces soy milk: 5
  • 4 ounces low-fat milk: 4

 

Carbs and Fats

While you’re adding protein to your diet, you should also stock up on “smart carbs” such as:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Beans and legumes (both also have protein)
  • Low-fat milk and yogurt (both have protein)

Also try healthy fats such as:

  • Nuts and natural-style nut butters
  • Seeds
  • Olives
  • Extra virgin olive oil and canola oil
  • Fish
  • Avocados

 

To help manage your appetite, it also helps to split your daily calories into four or five smaller meals or snacks.

Your body will see more benefit if you spread those grams out over the course of the day rather than loading up at one or two meals. People who balance their protein throughout the day, eating some at each meal, saw more weight loss or maintenance than those who skimped on the nutrient at certain meals, reports a new study analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

 

Article Source:

http://www.webmd.com/

 

 

 

 

 

How Does Fiber Help With Weight Loss?

 

Fiber has no magical fat-burning properties. It simply helps you feel full without adding a lot of extra calories to your diet. When you have a baked potato (with skin) instead of a bag of potato chips, for example, you’re not only eating fewer calories — you’re less likely to feel hungry again an hour later.

“It’s choosing the most intelligent calories,” says Rebecca Blake, director of clinical nutrition at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City.

How exactly does fiber guard against hunger pangs? Simple: It fills your stomach, stimulating receptors that tell your brain that it’s time to stop eating.

You’ll also need to drink plenty of H20, about eight glasses a day, to move fiber through your digestive system, and that helps against hunger too. “All that water contributes to feelings of fullness and controls thirst, which can often be confused with hunger,” says Stephanie Polizzi, a registered dietitian nutritionist.

The “soluble” type of fiber, which absorbs water, forms a kind of gel inside your gut, slowing the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream. Lower blood sugar levels mean lower insulin levels — and that means your body is less likely to store fat.

It’s best to get your fill of fiber from food rather than from supplements. But supplements might help if you can’t get enough fiber from your diet, and especially if you’re feeling constipated. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.

 

Source: www.webmd.com