10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter Week 8 - Be a Part-time Vegan

Let’s review the 7 weeks of healthy-living goals:

• Write down everything you eat and drink and give it to a friend each week.
• Drink 60oz water daily.
• Eat half-sized meals every 2-3 hours.
• Do 4 aerobic workouts this week (30+ minutes based on your abilities).
• Stop eating or drinking (anything caloric) at least 2 hours before going to bed.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.
• Eat plenty of high fiber foods such as whole wheat cereal, vegetables, fruits, lentils and beans.
• Avoid liquid calories.
  

Those who follow a vegan diet (avoiding meat, cheese, milk, butter & eggs) have less cancer, lower blood pressure and better cholesterol levels than their fellow meat eaters. Vegans also tend to be a lot thinner. The good news is that we all can benefit from eating vegan part-time. Replacing some of the meat, eggs, cheese/cream, and butter in your diet with plant-based alternatives can help even meat lovers to prevent cancer and lose weight.

Pick 2 or 3 days this week to eat vegan. You will likely eat fewer calories, less saturated fat and more fiber. You will be amazed how well this helps you feel better and lose weight.

Here is a sample menu to get you started:

Breakfast – oatmeal with cinnamon, walnuts and raisins
Snack – orange, pear or apple
Lunch – black bean burrito with vegetables and guacamole (try a tortilla-less burrito at Chipotle or Qdoba)
Snack – low-fat microwave popcorn or a bowl of instant lentil soup
Dinner – vegetables stir-fry with brown rice and a big green salad.
Anytime – 16oz skim or soy latte

Check out www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue1/vj2003issue1quick.htm for an almost-no-cooking 3-day nutrition plan and www.pcrm.org for many great recipes.

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www.pcrm.org

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20060403/vegetarian-diet-may-help-weight-loss

10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter Week 7 - No Liquid Calories

Here are the goals to healthy living and slow weight loss we’ve set thus far:

• Write down everything you eat and drink and give it to a friend each week.
• Drink 60oz water daily.
• Eat half-sized meals every 2-3 hours.
• Do 4 aerobic workouts this week (30+ minutes based on your abilities)
• Stop eating or drinking (anything caloric) at least 2 hours before going to bed.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.
• Eat plenty of high fiber foods such as whole wheat cereal, vegetables, fruits, lentils and beans.
  

Americans consume a tremendous number of calories in the form of liquids. Juice, fancy coffee drinks, smoothies, soda pop, wine & beer contribute to our waistlines. Furthermore, we gain little benefit in terms of vitamins, minerals or fiber from drinking them. For weight loss, try eliminating liquid calories from your diet this week.

Watch out for these waist-expander beverages:

8oz fruit juice – 110 calories
20oz soda pop – 255 calories
Starbucks grande vanilla bean frappuccino – 470 calories
Coffee cream(er) – 30-50 calories each tablespoon
12oz beer – 167 calories
8oz wine – 170 calories
7oz martini - 504 calories

As with most nutrition topics, there is an exception to this rule. Milk and/or soymilk provide essential calcium and vitamin D that we do not get in other foods. Most people should consume 2-3 cups (soy)milk/day to meet their calcium requirements.

Have a great week. Happy losing!

10 Weeks to 10lbs Lighter Week 5 - Plan for Success

Over the past 4 weeks we have set the following goals for a successful nutrition strategy. Please continue working on all of this:

• Write down everything you eat and drink and give it to a friend each week.
• Drink 60oz water daily.
• Eat half-sized meals every 2-3 hours.
• Do 4 aerobic workouts this week (25+ minutes based on your abilities).
• Stop eating or drinking (anything caloric) at least 2 hours before going to bed.
  

This week’s goal is about pre-planning your snacks and meals. Many times we overeat because we find ourselves hungry and without food. Suddenly we are standing in front of the vending machine or the car is turning itself into McDonald’s drive thru. Either story ends badly.

This week is about planning your food from grocery store to mouth.


Grocery Plan
Make a grocery list based on your goals. For example, if you want to lose weight or prevent cancer, plan to buy enough produce to eat 2-4 cups vegetables and 1-2 pieces of fruit daily. Stock up on healthy foods such as lean cuts of meat, (soy)milk, cereals, whole-grain bread, sandwich fixings, broth-based soups, & perhaps a few low-fat frozen dinners for emergencies.

Avoid products with 10+ grams of sugar or 3+ grams saturated fat.


Cooking or Dining Out
Whether you plan on cooking or going to a restaurant, spend 5 minutes at the beginning of your day planning your food. What am I going to have for snacks, lunch and dinner? If you are going to eat out, decide where you’ll go and think about what you will order. You will be surprised how much this helps you succeed.


Daily Plan
If you leave home each day, bring food. Making your own sandwich and opening your own soup will save you money and calories. Simply packing vegetables and fruit in your bag nearly guarantees you will eat more of them.