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/

Healthy Valentine’s Day Tips

Tips for a Healthy Valentine’s Day

Seems like you can’t turn your head without gazing upon a box or chocolates or other sweet treat this week. And let’s not talk about that Valentine’s Day tradition: the rich, heavy restaurant meal, complete with decadent dessert! Don’t panic — you can feel the love without feeling the weight gain. With a few tips and some planning, you can get through the big night without adding inches to your waistline.

Step away from the bread basket

If you’d like a roll, grab one then move it outside of your reaching distance. The same goes for chips, should you be at a Mexican restaurant. Grab a small handful and then stay away from them the rest of the night.

Continue reading →

  HCG DIET PLAN

 

In 1972, Dr. A.T.W. Simeons published his seminal work, “Pounds and Inches,” which laid the scientific foundation for today’s cutting edge HGC Diet plan. Dr. Simeons discovered that combining a small dose of HGC (human chorionic gonadotrophin), which is naturally produced during pregnancy with a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) could produce very desirable results. Testimonials have shown that people who closely follow the HCG Diet Plan in conjunction with appropriate doses of HCG lose one to two pounds per day.

 

The HCG Diet Plan is designed to support the natural ability of hCG to help your body cleanse itself of excess abnormal fat. There are three kinds of body fat; the first two kinds, structural and reserve, promote healthy body processes. The third kind, abnormal, creates unsightly deposits that the body cannot utilize. Introducing small amounts of natural hCG, available as HCG Diet Shots or as sublingual drops HCG, allows your body to release and absorb this unhealthy build up. HCG Diet Shots can be administered in a clinic or given in the privacy of your own home.

Choosing the right HCG Diet Foods is a very important step on your path to weight loss. Your HCG Diet should aim to be composed of 25 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent healthy fats, and 40 percent proteins. With a focus on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fibers, the carefully devised HCG Diet Plan will help you avoid hunger and feel more energized while on Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD).

 

 

Note: The FDA states that there is no substantial evidence the HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets

 

Hormonal Imbalances in Women and Weight Gain

In women who have a hard time losing weight no matter how much exercise they do, there can often be an issue with “estrogen dominance.” Estrogen is a hormone produced in the ovaries, and it promotes cell division, cell growth, and in excessive amounts, formation of fat tissue. Another hormone found naturally in women is progesterone, and progesterone protects against the “pro-growth” effect of estrogen.

Normally, estrogen and progesterone work together to achieve hormonal balance. But as women age, and especially between the ages of 35 and 50, the decline in progesterone occurs much faster than the decline in estrogen, and this gradual drop in estrogen combined with a steep drop in progesterone is what initiates a problem with estrogen dominance and growth of excessive fat tissue.

While this “estrogen dominance” is a normal, expected part of aging, the weight gain that it causes can be significantly increased by lifestyle or dietary factors that increase the amount of estrogen in the body.

Here are some of those “extra” sources of estrogen that can contribute to estrogen dominance and weight gain in women, along with what you can do about it:

  • Pesticides and herbicides. Check out the Dirty Dozen fruits and veggies that are best to buy organic so you ingest as few pesticides as possible. 
  • Poultry or beef raised on hormones. As much as possible, eat free-range or grass-fed animals that are hormone-free and when you’re eating out at restaurants, consider opting for the fish unless you know the beef and chicken is hormone-free.
  • Chemicals found in consumer products. Creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes, hair sprays, and deodorizers all contain chemicals. The Silent Springs institute has created a research report on which consumer products are safe and which are not. 
  • Industrial solvents. Glues, paints, varnishes, fingernail polish, and fingernail polish remover are the biggest culprits of industrial solvents. These can be tough to avoid completely, but you can reduce your exposure by using any chemicals like nail polish or nail polish remover in fresh air and open spaces.
  • Stress and poor sleep. Both of these can decrease progesterone output. Simple ways to reduce stress include yoga, deep breathing, nature walks, and planning so that you have as much hectic-free time as possible to accomplish your daily tasks. Before bed, limit computer, phone and TV use, and sleep in a quiet and dark room.
  • Excessive calories. Consuming too many calories can cause body fat that converts steroids to estrogens. People often “sneak” excess calories into their diets with mindless eating in the workplace in front of the computer or grabbing morsels from their kids’ snacks. Instead, pay attention to what and when you are eating and choose foods that are high in proteins, healthy fats, and fiber that can keep your appetite satiated. Check out this podcast for some of the best appetite-satiating foods.
  • Poor liver function. The metabolism of estrogens takes place primarily in the liver, so you need to care for that valuable organ! High alcohol intake or use of pharmaceuticals can put a strain on the liver, so limit yourself to no more than 1 drink of alcohol per day, avoid pharmaceutical drugs unless entirely necessary, and if you have been drinking or using drugs heavily, consider including liver supporting supplements into your diet, such as cucumber juice, milk thistle extract, calcium d-glucarate, folic acid, and taurine.
  • Magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is necessary for metabolizing estrogen in the liver, and a magnesium deficiency can be created from low veggie and fruit consumption combined with high consumption of processed foods. Consider using a magnesium powder before you go to bed at night, and spray topical magnesium on any sore muscles after you exercise.

Source: Ben Greenfield, Get-Fit Guy.

 

Getting Past a Weight Loss Plateau

 

Did you hit a weight plateau? and feeling discouraged  that for weeks your weight loss program was taking the pounds off. Then, suddenly, the scales won’t budge another pounce.

Before you delve into some solutions, establish whether what you are experience is an actual plateau. Here are other possible explanations for why your scale is not budging:

Your body composition is changing. In other words, you may be losing fat but not overall weight. Although you may long to see the numbers go down, the scale is not the best way to track weight loss.

Instead, you should be tracking your body composition, especially if you are exercising. If you feel you look leaner in the mirror but the weight is the same, you are likely building muscle while losing fat. Tracking your weight loss using a body composition analyzer on a monthly basis is a great approach. Even how your jeans fit can give you a better assessment of how you are doing than your scale.

Consider trying one of these tips:

Assess your food and activity records (keep your daily food journal). It is common to loosen the rules with time, letting yourself get away with larger meal portions or less activity. The solution is to record every food morsel you eat and activity you undertake. At the end of the week, review your journal and maintain or look for a more healthier alternatives.

Focus on three- to four-week trends in weight loss instead of daily fluctuations. You may find that, although progress is not evident immediately, you’re losing weight.

Consistency is key. It might be tempting to stop working out if you aren’t continuing to see results, but focus of continuing to exercise and eat healthfully. Resist the urge to give up.

If you’ve hit a plateau, reassess your program. Is it possible that you’ve accomplished about as much as you can with the goals you’ve set. If so, you may need to adjust or modify your program if you want to achieve more.

Whatever you do, do not give up. If you get discouraged or have a bad weekend of eating or you missed your spin class two days in a row, get right back on track. Remember that plateaus are always surrounded by progress and your progress is on it’s way.

Remember, even with a good weight loss program and the best of intentions, you’ll run into roadblocks now and then. How you respond to these obstacles can be the difference between success and failure. – Diet, The Mayo Clinic