When I started dieting, I quickly ran into a problem with food. Even though I was trying to lose weight, my family wasn't. I didn't really want to have to fix two separate meals-one for me and one for the family-every time we sat down to eat as a family. With a little thinking, I came up with these tips to deal with the issue.
Tip 1-Simple substitution
An easy way to make your family's favorite recipes diet-friendly is to substitute healthier ingredients. Replace whole milk with skim milk or water. Use whole grains in place of white rice or pasta. Switch to using olive oil when sauteing foods. Replace ground beef with ground turkey or tofu crumbles.
Tip 2-Switch your meal around
Serve a salad or veggies as your entree. Then take what would normally be your entree and half the portion, serving it as a side. By reducing portion size, you're cutting calories. Plus, by serving veggies as the main part of the meal, you're adding in fiber, which will help fill you up.
Tip 3-Add in some health
Stir in some veggies. Because they are full of fiber, they'll help you fill up faster so you eat less. Roasted pepper and spinach are good additions to pasta. Puree veggies to use as a base for soup instead of water.
Tip 4-Look for new recipes
If your family isn't thrilled by the changes in their favorite recipes, look for some new recipes. Since the healthy recipe is new to them, they won't have a basis for comparison. There are numerous diet-friendly recipes available online and in cookbooks. Check the recipe tag on the sidebar of this blog for some of my favorites.
Spice Things Up
Photo by GokceAdding spicy foods to your diet may help with your weight loss efforts. Research has shown that spicy foods boost your metabolism. A revved up metabolism in turn makes you burn more calories and increases your energy. For those that can't tolerate a lot of heat in your food, don't despair. You don't have to chow down on jabaneros to get the metabolism-boosting benefits. Just adding a little spice, either through peppers or other spices, to your everyday foods can make a difference. Keep in mind that spicy foods aren't for everyone. People with ulcers, acid reflux or other digestive disorders need to be careful so they don't worsen their condition. While losing weight is a good thing, ending up sick in an effort to drop a few extra pounds isn't worth it.
Spicy Additions
- Peppers
- Garlic
- Mustard
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Use salsa to top potatoes and tacos or use it as a dip
- Stir chopped peppers into your food
- Add a little hot sauce to your food
- Try some Indian or Thai food
6 Reasons You Should Drink Water
If you're starting a diet, one of the first recommendations you'll hear is to drink water. But why is water a dieter's friend?
Reason 1-Knock out some calories
When you substitute water for your usual beverage, you're reducing the amount of empty calories you're taking in. Before I started my weight loss efforts, I would drink a gallon of sweet tea every single day. I was taking in about 800 calories just in my beverage choice. I switched to water and the pounds slid right off.
Reason 2-Our bodies need it
Our bodies are made up of approximately 66% water. Water is needed for temperature regulation, nutrient transport, joint lubrication, waste removal and digestion.
Reason 3-Drinking water increases metabolic rate
Just one reason water is a dieter's friend. Because water promotes a thermogenic state, it will increase your metabolic rate. If your metabolism is higher, you burn more fat.
Reason 4-Water reduces water weight
It sounds counterintuitive, but water will reduce water weight. When you don't provide your body with enough water, it retains some water to protect itself from dehydration. However, if you're taking in enough on a regular basis, your body will let go of retained water because it feels safe.
Reason 5-Water helps fill you up
One thing many dieters run into is not feeling full on the food they're eating. Water will help keep you full.
Reason 6-That hunger you're feeling might be thirst
Thirst often masquerades as hunger. By providing your body a steady supply of water, you don't have to worry about mistaking thirst for hunger and eating extra calories you don't really need.
If you don't like the taste of plain water, you do have some options available to you. You can purchase flavored water. Just be sure to read the nutritional information on the label. Some flavored waters are full of sugar and calories. If you prefer to make your own, often a squirt of lemon or lime juice is enough to help. Decaffeinated tea, either unsweet or sweetened with a sugar substitute, is another option. Last, you can try one of the water flavoring packs such as Crystal Light.
Reason 1-Knock out some calories
When you substitute water for your usual beverage, you're reducing the amount of empty calories you're taking in. Before I started my weight loss efforts, I would drink a gallon of sweet tea every single day. I was taking in about 800 calories just in my beverage choice. I switched to water and the pounds slid right off.
Reason 2-Our bodies need it
Our bodies are made up of approximately 66% water. Water is needed for temperature regulation, nutrient transport, joint lubrication, waste removal and digestion.
Reason 3-Drinking water increases metabolic rate
Just one reason water is a dieter's friend. Because water promotes a thermogenic state, it will increase your metabolic rate. If your metabolism is higher, you burn more fat.
Reason 4-Water reduces water weight
It sounds counterintuitive, but water will reduce water weight. When you don't provide your body with enough water, it retains some water to protect itself from dehydration. However, if you're taking in enough on a regular basis, your body will let go of retained water because it feels safe.
Reason 5-Water helps fill you up
One thing many dieters run into is not feeling full on the food they're eating. Water will help keep you full.
Reason 6-That hunger you're feeling might be thirst
Thirst often masquerades as hunger. By providing your body a steady supply of water, you don't have to worry about mistaking thirst for hunger and eating extra calories you don't really need.
If you don't like the taste of plain water, you do have some options available to you. You can purchase flavored water. Just be sure to read the nutritional information on the label. Some flavored waters are full of sugar and calories. If you prefer to make your own, often a squirt of lemon or lime juice is enough to help. Decaffeinated tea, either unsweet or sweetened with a sugar substitute, is another option. Last, you can try one of the water flavoring packs such as Crystal Light.
Get Your Calcium
Photo by Steve WoodsWe all know that calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth. However, you may be surprised to learn that calcium can also help with weight loss. One study found that dieters with the highest calcium intake lost more weight and fat, regardless of whether they did any exercise. Another study found that calcium may boost metabolism and inhibit fat storage.
Sources of calcium include
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Cale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Nuts
- Beans
- Use yogurt as a dip for veggies and fruit
- Substitute milk for water when cooking
- Grate cheese over soups
- Add beans to soups and casseroles
- Top your yogurt, cereal or salad with nuts
- Try a smoothie
Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken Wrap
This Mediterranean Chicken Wrap is a favorite lunch of mine. It has 12 grams of fiber so it keeps me full for a long time. It's a great way to get some veggies in if you struggle to eat enough.
Spread 1 tbsp hummus down center of tortilla. Layer spinach, artichoke peppers, tomato and chicken. Top with remaining hummus and season to taste.
- 1 whole wheat low-carb tortilla
- 1/2 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
- 1.5 oz grilled chicken breast strips
- 2 small artichoke hearts, layers separated
- 0.5 oz roasted sweet peppers (such as Dunbar's)
- 8 spinach leaves
- 2 Tbsp garlic hummus
Spread 1 tbsp hummus down center of tortilla. Layer spinach, artichoke peppers, tomato and chicken. Top with remaining hummus and season to taste.
More Fiber = Less Pounds
Photo by GoocisStudies have linked fiber intake to weight loss. Dieters with higher fiber intake lose more weight. Depending on your age and sex, you should be getting anywhere from 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day. Most people don't even come close to the recommended intake.
One thing many dieters fear is feeling hungry while dieting. Fiber can help with that. Aside from the many health benefits, fiber helps fill you up and keep you full longer.
Good sources of fiber include
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Increase slowly. If you increase your fiber intake rapidly, you may experience some digestive discomfort.
- Keep your fluid intake up. Because fiber bulks things up, you need fluids to keep things moving. Inadequate fluid intake could leave to an uncomfortable situation.
- Don't go crazy with fiber. It's easy to think if a little is good, then a lot will be great. However, this can backfire. While there is no recommended upper limit on fiber, digestive upsets have been reported with intake above the recommended amount.
- Snack on fruits and veggies
- Switch to whole grain breads and pastas
- Stir veggies into meals
- Make one or two meals a week vegetarian
- Sprinkle nuts or seeds on salads, cereal and yogurt
- Puree veggies to use a base for soups
- Switch to hummus in place of mayo and dips
- Add peanut butter to toast and smoothies
Snack Attack
Snacks are often a dieter's downfall. You may be accustomed to snacking at your desk while working, in front of the TV, or when you're bored. However, mindless snacking can add unwanted pounds.
Common advice on snacking while dieting is to just don't buy unhealthy snacks. While in theory this sounds like good advice, in real life it isn't always possible. Even though you are trying to lose weight, your family may not want to give up their snacks.
In some cases, simple substitution will work. If you have a craving for chocolate, try some fat-free, sugar-free chocolate pudding. You may be able to quench an ice cream craving with some frozen yogurt. Look for reduced-calorie versions of the snacks you enjoy. If one isn't readily available at the grocery, check online for recipes. Many times you can find a modified recipe of your favorite snack.
Keep healthy snacks on hand for you. You're less likely to reach for an unhealthy snack if you have a kitchen stocked with healthier options. Pre-cut veggies, whether bought or cut yourself, are a good option.
If you absolutely must have an unhealthy snack and nothing else will do, do it in moderation and work it into your calories. If you deny yourself your favorite foods, you're going to be cranky and feel deprived. Eat lower-calorie, but filling foods the rest of the day to make room for your treat. Sharing is another option.
Common advice on snacking while dieting is to just don't buy unhealthy snacks. While in theory this sounds like good advice, in real life it isn't always possible. Even though you are trying to lose weight, your family may not want to give up their snacks.
In some cases, simple substitution will work. If you have a craving for chocolate, try some fat-free, sugar-free chocolate pudding. You may be able to quench an ice cream craving with some frozen yogurt. Look for reduced-calorie versions of the snacks you enjoy. If one isn't readily available at the grocery, check online for recipes. Many times you can find a modified recipe of your favorite snack.
Keep healthy snacks on hand for you. You're less likely to reach for an unhealthy snack if you have a kitchen stocked with healthier options. Pre-cut veggies, whether bought or cut yourself, are a good option.
If you absolutely must have an unhealthy snack and nothing else will do, do it in moderation and work it into your calories. If you deny yourself your favorite foods, you're going to be cranky and feel deprived. Eat lower-calorie, but filling foods the rest of the day to make room for your treat. Sharing is another option.
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