Easy To Follow Weight Loss Tips

Achieving weight loss is not that easy. It needs a good strategy, planning and motivation to lose weight. Some of the weight loss tips, which can be followed at ease, are listed here to stay healthy as well as to stay fit with a perfect body figure.

Eating the right way helps achieving weight loss goals. Taking meals in smaller amounts, frequently helps in being energetic all the day and prevents from eating more.

Eating out is often associated with obesity as when dining outside, most of the people don’t check what they eat. Hence, to achieve weight loss, it is better to avoid dining outside.

Break fast should not be skipped as it has been found out that, people who do not skip their break fast are very successful in losing weight. If break fast is skipped the bodily metabolism slows down and when food is taken during lunch, it results in increased insulin levels and in turn weight gain.

It is good to stay away from beverages rich in fat and sugar as they will increase the insulin levels in the blood, while caffeine content can lead to dehydration.

Diet strategy can be planned in such a way that, without having to cut the favorite foods, they can be consumed in smaller portions along with healthy fresh vegetables or fruits to get a filled up feeling. By this way, the nutritional value of the food consumed is increased and fat rich foods are minimized.

Increased consumption of protein helps in burning the calories and avoids the storage of fat in the body. Protein supplements also help in building and preserving lean muscles.

Water plays an important role in weight loss as water hydrates the organs and the body. It suppresses hunger pangs, and can be taken in more amounts to get a filled up feeling.

Plan how you want your diet plan to be, adhere to it strictly and it is advised to keep a log for noting down what you eat and the amounts you eat with the weight measurement every week to analyze if you are progressing or not. Stay motivated while going through weight loss measures to attain success.

If weight is lost the healthy way, it benefits the person with a lower blood pressure, being able to be energetic in spite of controlled intake, healthy heart and organs, better body figure, less stress made on the bones, joints and muscles, and the most important of all stress free.

Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/93494/easy-to-follow-weight-loss-tips/

Accidentally delicious.

I don't have photos - boo.  BUT!

Last night, I stopped by my favorite grocery store, D&W on Parkview and Oakland in Kalamazoo, MI.  My, oh my, do they ever have a wonderful meat counter.  Their fish selection is fantastic.  I got 1.13lbs of tilapia for $4 on manager's special, ran to my parents' house to meet a friend and work out, then realized - I need to eat.  What to do with this fish?!

Here's what I did.  I made a marinade.  An awesome, delicious, super awesome, yummy marinade.

It included...

2tsp honey dijon mustard
1tbs-ish of fresh orange zest
2tbs of orange juice (squeezed from same orange as the zest)
1 clove minced garlic
bit of basil
bit of dried minced onion
a whole lot of awesome

I mixed that all up, threw it in a baggie and let it marinate for 40 mins while I went for a walk/jog.  Which reminds me, I was pleased as punch to have completed 3.1 miles in 40 minutes!  How many miles per hour is that?  I don't know...  Rate = distance / time or something?  3.1 miles divided by 40 minutes, times 60 equallllsssss...  4.65 miles per hour.  Not bad!

After said brisk walk/jog, I returned, threw that fish and some zucchini (which I sprayed with a bit of Pam and tossed with Italian herbs & garlic) and cooked up in about 10 minutes.  The marinade was awesome.  My Mom laughed at me when I exclaimed, "This is so good...  I can't believe I made it."

Bonus?  The whole meal was 275 calories.  Next time, I'm going to do this up and let things marinate over night, and it will be even more stellar.

I keep asking this, and I'm serious - any of you have some yummy, healthy meals you've stumbled upon?  I wanna know!  I'll try it!  And I'll even take pictures, I promise.

Light Eggplant Parmesan

Pin It Tweet
I was in the mood for eggplant parmesan from one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo, Mangia Mangia.  SO, I took it upon myself to scour this here interweb for a light version to try out.  There were quite a few people ranting and raving about Moosewood's Eggplant Parmesan and tomato wine sauce, so I tried it out with a few minor alterations.

Um...  Awesome.

Even two servings of it is still a reasonable dinner!  It was great the first time, and even better the second time.  So here it is.  I seriously encourage you to try it.  Whether you're trying to watch your calories or not, it is absolutely delicious.

Serves 8.




Tomato Wine Sauce
2tsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp ground fennel (couldn't find any, so I substituted a cup of chopped, fresh fennel)
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 cup red wine (I used a burgundy per the advice of a darling elderly lady in my local super market)
1 can Hunt's whole canned tomatoes (3.5 cups)
pepper to taste


Warm olive oil, onion, and garlic and saute on low heat for 5-7 minutes.  Add fennel, oregano and basil for 1 minute.  Pour in wine & bring to boil.  Blend tomatoes to desired consistency (I like it chunky) and add, simmering for about 20 minutes.



Eggplant Parmesan
1lb eggplant cut crosswise into 1/3" slices
4 egg whites
2 servings (60 chips) Special K Sea Salt Cracker Chips (instead of bread crumbs)
3tbs grated Parmesan cheese
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp dried basil
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
8oz reduced fat part skim mozzarella cheese
tomato wine sauce

Preheat oven to 375.


Slice eggplant and set aside.  Find a bowl in which the eggplant rounds can lie flat and lightly beat hte egg whites.  Crush Special K chips into bread crumb consistency.  In a large bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and basil.

Dip the eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Should you have any leftover bread crumb mixture, set it aside.  Bake eggplant for about 15-20 minutes on each side until tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Spread about half the sauce in the bottom of an 8x12" glass baking dish.  Layer about half the eggplant slices on top of the sauce.  Spread all the ricotta cheese evenly on the eggplant and top with about 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.  Use the rest of the eggplant slices for a second layer.  Cover the with remaing sauce and any extra bread crumb mixture.  Sprinkle the top with the final 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

And, don't forget to drink the rest of the red.

Nutritional Info:
Calories:  230
Carbs:  19
Fat:  8
Protein:  18
Sodium:  542
Fiber:  6

Weight Watchers Points Plus Values:  5pts (free fruits and/or vegetables not included)

Pin It Tweet

Toasted Sesame Spaghetti Squash

Pin It

I was quite pleased with myself that, after being thrilled to hear that I'd hit a momentous benchmark, I made a very healthy dinner for my roommate and I!  We often take turns experimenting with healthy new recipes, and she recently bought Trader Joe's toasted sesame oil.  So, I felt it necessary to try it!  I looked up some Asian recipes online that included toasted sesame oil, and below is my pleasantly delicious concoction.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1tbs Trader Joes Toasted Sesame Oil
1tbs sunflower seeds
1/2tsp ginger
1/2tsp garlic powder
1tbs white wine vinegar
1tsp franks hot sauce
2tbs chopped green onions
3tbs low sodium soy sauce
1/2cup edamame
10 spears asparagus
4oz mushrooms (chopped, sliced, however you like)
2 medium 6-7" carrots
1/3cup peanuts
1 3lb spaghetti squash
1/4 cup bean sprouts

Combine toasted sesame oil, sunflower seeds, 1/4tsp ginger, 1/4tsp garlic powder, white wine vinegar, hot sauce, green onions, 2tbs soy sauce, and edamame in bowl.  Stir, and let sit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176C). Chop spaghetti squash in half.  Remove seeds and place open side down on baking sheet.  Cook for one 1hr 15mins or until fully cooked through.  In my experience, it's better a little overdone so that it's not too moist and runny.

Saute asparagus, mushrooms, peanuts and carrots with 1tbs soy sauce, 1/4tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp garlic powder until asparagus is tender.  I left the carrots a bit crunchy because I wanted the texture.

In large bowl or pan, mix together the sesame oil mixture, spaghetti squash, and vegetables.  Divide into 3 servings, add about 1/4cup bean sprouts on top.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 292
Carbs:  19
Fat:  17
Protein:  13
Sodium:  515
Fiber:  10
Weight Watchers Points Plus (minus free vegetables):  5

Bangers & Mash

When I lived in England, one of my favorite comfort foods was bangers & mash, proper old-school-pub-style.  A giant mound of mashed potatoes and a big ol' sausage with gravy on top...  Yeah.  That pretty much screams winter, cozy, comfort food. It also screams 3.9 bajillion calories.

I decided to see if I could satisfy the craving without the guilt for under 350 calories.  As far as I'm concerned, it was a TOTAL SUCCESS.  It's still a little heavy on carbs and sodium, but it's a pretty great alternative!

The trick?  Smoked turkey sausage, parsnips, and cauliflower.


Serves 4.


1 Hillshire Farms Turkey Smoked Sausage
1lb parsnips
1/2 a large head of cauliflower
1 packet brown gravy mix (I used Spartan)
4oz of mushroom
1 medium whole yellow onion
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tbs light salted butter
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp powdered garlic
1tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce



Prepare your gravy mix as directed on package.  Peel & chop parsnips, and chop cauliflower with a fair bit of the stalk cut off.  Chop sausage into 4 even sections. Slice mushrooms and onion.

Pour your prepared gravy mix into a sauce pan, then add garlic powder, rosemary, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, and onions.  Let cook on medium low heat while everything else is cooking.

Put your parsnips in a large pan to boil for about 10-15 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked, then add the cauliflower and boil for about 10 more minutes or until tender, but not mushy.

Put sausage in the oven after you add the cauliflower, and broil on each side for about 5-7 minutes, or until each side is a bit crispy and it is cooked through.

Drain your parsnips & cauliflower.  Combine butter, salt, cauliflower and parsnips in a mixing bowl and mash to desired consistency.

Now, for the fun part...  Place approximately 1 cup of parsnip/cauliflower "potatoes" on each plate, dole out a portion of sausage, pour your mushroom onion gravy on top, and voila.  Enjoy.

Nutritional info (per serving):
Calories - 330
Carbs - 41
Fat - 12
Protein - 18
Sodium - 1650
Fiber - 10


Weight Watchers Points Plus:  7pts (calculated without "free" vegetables)


Please forgive me if my timing isn't 100% accurate.  I have to admit, I pretty much wing it, but I will start keeping track of how long I cook things!  If you're watching your sodium intake, this may not be for you.  If you try it, let me know how it worked for you or if you have any ideas or alternatives the rest of us might enjoy!

Turkey Day Preparation...

I am excited!  I love Thanksgiving.  I've been given the duty of picking out some pretty flowers for my family's centerpiece, which is wonderful because I love getting my Mom flowers.  I've also got a self-imposed last-minute duty of attempting a light, yummy, Thanksgivingy dish.  I am a prolific procrastinator, so I will be braving the aisles of some alarmingly busy grocery store this evening to buy ingredients to prepare...  Something.  The Mom suggested a salad, so I'm thinking about a fall salad with mixed greens, flaked smoked salmon, apples, dried cranberries, some good cheese and maybe some nuts.  We'll see.

I thought about getting a spice cake mix and mixing it with soda and pumpkin pie mix, but I have no idea how it'd turn out.  It just sounds good...  Maybe I'll go all experimental on everybody.  We'll see.  I think I'm going to save all of my dessert experimentation for Christmas!

In preparation for my day of mild food extravagance, though, I've decided to work out first thing in the morning.  This is partly because I need to in general, and partly because I want to burn off a bit of what I'll be eating later!  I can't eat as much as I used to, so I've come up with a bit of a game plan.

I'm going to grab about a soup-spoonful of all the things I'd like to eat.  I figure, if I get a wee bit of it all, I'll be stuffed, not having gone over the top, but also getting to taste it all!  That way I won't feel like tiny, orange men are about roll me away, but will be mighty content.

Byyy the way...

If you're a record fiend like I am, be SURE to visit your local record shops this Friday for Black Friday!  So many albums are being released - both new, and reissued classics, and I'm sure there will be some great sales around here on used stuff.  I can't wait.  AND!  Make sure to support local business on Small Business Saturday!  I'll partake in the madness at all the big stores, too, I'm sure.

I hope you all have a tremendous Thanksgiving!