Usually I would have posted this yesterday, but I was a bit busy and did not get a chance to logo back on. Anyway, I found this article that will help many people that are just starting there weight loss journey is hopes to have success. I believe success is key if you have the right tools to educate yourself as you lose the weight and this article hit home. How can someone begin to lose weight if they have no clue of how much food that are consuming on a daily basis? Do you agree with me on that one? I believe a start is the track what you are eating to get an idea if you are eating too much for weight loss or too little. One tool that has helped me through my weight loss journey and even to this day is Calorieking.com. They have a abundant of food in there data base, even foods from your favorite restaurants to look at. So, check out this article and I hope this helps anyone beginning a journey to a new and healthier you.

Keep Track Of What You Eat!
By Don Carlin

It is very well known that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. So how many calories do you consume each day? How do you know how many? Do you simply guesstimate? If so, then that is simply not adequate. When you take the first step to lose weight, you must get a handle on your eating, period. It is impossible for most people to keep track of all this in their head. Therefore you must have a journal of what you eat. One of the earliest things I did was create an Excel spreadsheet that I used to track what I ate on a daily basis. Why would I do this? First, I needed to get an idea of how much I was eating currently. Without knowing, I had no basis to cut calories. But once I started, I learned quickly how much I ate. I had always thought I was doing an okay job, but seeing the daily caloric values, I was shocked how much calories I consumed each day. On the flipside, I was able to see where I could cut back without adversely affecting my health.

Now that you decided to keep a log, how do you go about doing it? I know of people who use a notebook, and they write down what they ate and kept track that way. Others bought software that has huge databases of all foods – including meals from popular restaurants. You simply select what you ate, and the program calculates not only your calories, some programs even provide you nutritional information as well. There are web-based tools that do the same. I simply decided to use a spreadsheet.

Using the food labels, I would enter what I ate, how much calories it contained, and since I wanted to track protein, I entered the grams of protein contained. Using Excel’s auto sum feature, I would total the amount of calories and protein. Whenever I ate at a restaurant, I used http://www.dietfacts.com/ It contains entrees for many, many restaurants. In the, rare, cases I could not find the restaurant, I used this rule of thumb to estimate my calories.

Carbohydrates and proteins have 4 calories per gram; fats have nine calories per gram. I simply made rough estimates and since this situation did not happen enough, I was not overly concerned. Once I started tracking, I discovered this was an excellent accountability tool. Because I was very strict about putting everything I ate, I always had the log in the back of my mind. I would hesitate to sneak, because I had to place it in my log and see the daily caloric intake rise.

I did allow myself once a week to enjoy my favorite foods – I called it my “free day”, a day I did not track what I ate. You know, in spite of eating very liberally on my free day, and I mean extremely liberally, I still ended up losing six pounds a week. Because I ramped my water consumption to about 96 to 120 ounces a day, it clearly was not water weight I was losing. As time progressed, I used this log to also track my weight, and eventually I would track my waist size, body fat composition, my basal metabolic rate, and my estimated calories I burned from my physical training.

Tracking what I eat was instrumental in my weight loss, and my spreadsheet remains a valuable tool to this day. Take control over your weight – begin by taking control of your eating. You will be surprised and pleased by the outcome!

A runaway weight loss success story. Lost over 80 pounds in four months (36 of those pounds in just six weeks)- went from 240 to 160, kept all of it off for nearly a year, so far. I am sharing with others my research that led to my success so they too may control their weight.

Because I monitored so carefully how much I ate, I lost 80 pounds in four months, and 36 of those pounds in just six weeks. Find out more about my successful story at: http://www.squidoo.com/fromobesetoathletic/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Carlin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Keep-Track-Of-What-You-Eat!&id=794006

Tags: Nutrition, weight loss, calorie counting, health, diet

Hey Everyone! I found an great article for those who are struggling with their diets and think that skipping breakfast will do them justice in losing weight. I have always disagreed with skipping breakfast because your body needs that fuel to keep your engine running through out the morning. Take a read and tell me what you think?
Importance of Breakfast in Your Diet
By Deborah Carraro

    Many people make the mistake of skipping or skimping on breakfast in their daily diet. This may be due to any number of reasons…rushing off to work, jumping into household chores, getting caught up with child care or just plain poor eating habits. Breakfast is an important element in one’s daily diet, whatever type of diet you may prefer.

I used to skip breakfast all the time. I would often fill up on water and head out the door for the daily 1.5 hour commute to work. Of course, the first stop after getting off the train would be a coffee – simply to keep me going, not for the caffeine fix! When I worked in the Corporate World, I counted myself among the many who would skip their morning meal. Breakfast was a luxury time didn’t permit.

Some who are very weight loss conscious, or just wish to control weight through diet, erroneously think that skipping breakfast is a good way to eliminate calories. This is a mistake in terms of overall health, calorie control and good diet habits. Because the food we eat in our diet, the times when we eat and the particular type of food intake (protein, starch, sugar) all affect blood sugar levels and appetite. We need to control food intake in our diet in order to keep energy and blood sugar at appropriate levels.

I started back at the gym two months ago after a five year hiatus. One of the first things I did, even before setting foot in the door of the gym, was incorporate a breakfast and a morning snack into my daily routine. It’s made the world of difference. In fact, the days that I don’t eat a full meal or skip my snack, I feel it in my energy levels when I hit the gym.

In essence when we awake in the morning our body has been through a period of “fasting”, with no food intake for a number of hours. This results in relatively low blood sugar. If one skips breakfast in one’s diet, the blood sugar level continues to dip and a sudden craving can develop for food, especially for sugar in the diet, which again causes a quick rise in blood sugar. When the diet includes sudden intake of sugar, the sugar level jumps, which develops a roller coaster effect and leads to a poor diet which includes “quick fixes”. Typically a quick response to low blood sugar is a sweet, a soft drink or alcohol…none of which are a good diet supplement.

A diet which maintains appropriate levels of blood sugar and energy will include a healthy breakfast. Blood sugar levels will be maintained with a diet that includes a balanced breakfast combining whole grain, some source of protein and fruit. Protein in particular in the diet, including breakfast, will maintain blood sugar levels, avoiding the dips which lead to snacking.

If you’re pressed for time, consider a smoothie. You can chop your fruits and vegetables the night before and load them into your blender glass. Refrigerate overnight (or not if you prefer room temperature smoothies) and whirl away in the blender in the morning along with your favorite liquid. Five minutes is all you’ll need to whip up a nutritious and substantial breakfast. You can even pour it into a travel mug or neoprene jug and tote it with you on your commute.

A healthy breakfast is an essential part of a healthy diet. Beginning your day with a good, nourishing meal is the first step toward maintaining a balanced diet and a sensible approach to good eating habits. Don’t skip breakfast in your daily diet.

Your body will thank you.

Deborah Carraro is an avid nutrition, health & fitness enthusiast. If you’re tired of feeling tired and drained all day and often fall victim to the 3 PM lows, then you’re in for some surprises once you learn to make delicious and nutritious smoothies. Visit http://www.smoothiesforhealth.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deborah_Carraro
http://EzineArticles.com/?Importance-of-Breakfast-in-Your-Diet&id=784645

Tags: nutrition, weight loss, weight loss tips, health

I was looking for something new to try for dinner that was easy to cook, low fat and yummy. I came across this yummy treat on foodnetwork.com. I think I will be adding this to my dinner menu when I go to the grocery store this Friday for me and family. I will update this post to let you know how it taste. I am praying that it taste wonderful.

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil – Slimmed

From Food Network Kitchens

Thai Shrimp Stir-fry with Tomatoes and Basil – Slimmed You won’t have to sacrifice taste or satisfaction to save calories with our Thai Shrimp Stir-fry. With 400 fewer calories than a similar sized serving of Shrimp Scampi, this is a dish worth trying.

1. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2. 1 tablespoon water
3. 2 teaspoons Southeast Asian fish sauce
4. 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
5. 3 tablespoons peanut oil 3 cloves garlic,
6. chopped 1 tablespoon grated, peeled, fresh ginger
7. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chile flakes 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8. 1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1-inch dice
9. 1 medium yellow pepper, seeded, cut in 1-inch dice
10. 1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced into rounds
11. 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
12. 3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
13. 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
14. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
15. Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice ( I am going to use brown rice as a substitute)

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, fish sauce, and sugar; set aside. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink but still translucent in the middle, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, pepper, and chile to the skillet, and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan along with the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir-fry until the sauce glazes the shrimp, about 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and stir until coated with sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil, mint, and lime juice. Transfer to a serving dish, serve immediately.

Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Nutrition Information

Calories 286 Fat 13g Saturated Fat 2g Carbohydrates 17g

Tags: Nutrition, weight loss, diet, low fat recipes

If you are in a diet slump this article is for you.

Four Things That May Keep You From Losing Weight
By Lori Jones

Here are 4 things that can be keeping you from losing weight.

1. All calories are created equal. What we need to do is make sure we eat the right amount of calories”. As long as you eat foods that are low-glycemic, you can eat a lot more than you thought you could and still lose weight. Just make sure the foods you eat are low on the glycemic index scale!

2. Carbs will make me fat. This isn’t true. Carbs are very necessary for your body. You can’t lose weight without them; just make sure you skip the refined sugars and flour. You can eat pancakes, french toast and even dessert, as long as you make them with low-glycemic ingredients.

3. Low-carb foods are the only way to lose weight. Your body needs carbs in order to keep your blood sugar stable. The key is to eat the good carbs like fruits, veggies and whole grains

4. Weight-loss is all about willpower. If you don’t eat, you won’t gain weight” Not really. You don’t need to deny yourself the foods you love! You actually should eat 5-6 times a day so that you can keep your blood sugar stable and you don’t have any spikes in your insulin. When you actually eat low-glycemic foods you won’t feel hunger pangs and you will lose weight!

To lose weight, you need to speed up your metabolism. Do this by eating lots of low-glycemic foods all through the day.

Here are some tips:

*Make sure you eat a big breakfast that is filled with good carbs. I offer a fitness tip of the week, join my newsletter. Find more information at http://ljgethealthy.com

Lori Jones fitness instructor, personal trainer at a top destination spa. Offering a fitness tip of the week newsletter. Join now ljhealth@gmail.com
http://www.ljgethealthy.com
http://www.ljsolutionsnow.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lori_Jones
http://EzineArticles.com/?Four-Things-That-May-Keep-You-From-Losing-Weight&id=761247

Tags: weight Loss tips, nutrition, diet