Well today was the big dance competition day.  We were away from home for over 15 hours, we relied on the foods I brought from home and maintained extra willpower to stay away from those giant cookies and maui wowi smoothies they were selling at the concession stand!  There were a couple of changes in the lunch and dinner plans today, but we made it work and stuck as close as we could to the plan.  Although it was a crazy busy day, we got through it and Im proud of me and my husband.  Its been a long time since we havent binged on a Saturday evening.

Morning Weigh In:
Kiana: 156.0 lbs
Anthony: 252.2 lbs

Menu:
Breakfast @ 6am:
Oatmeal with blueberries, scrambled egg with red, green and yellow peppers

Snack @ 9:15am:
Cauliflower with hummus

Lunch @ 12:00pm:
Chipotle Chicken Salad (romaine lettuce, chicken, tomatoes and medium salsa)

Snack @ 3:30pm:
Cauliflower with hummus

Dinner @ 7:15pm:
Sirloin steak, 3 broiled shrimp, garden salad with Italian vinaigrette and vegetable medley

Workout:
Several walks and up/down stairs throughout the day

Notes on Food:
Eggs and peppers = yum!  I used the Target Archer Farms brand frozen red, green and yellow peppers, sauteed them in olive oil for a few minutes then added in the scrambled egg and sprinkled with sea salt - delicious!  Im not looking forward to going back to only egg whites on Wednesday - loving the whole egg right now!

Yes, we went to Chipotle!  I had a salad with no cheese - it was flavorful, because its Chipotle, but I did miss the cheese a little bit.  We can have healthy fats today, so I debated on getting guac, but figured the chicken was probably prepared with some sort of fat, so I was getting enough of it in the chicken and opted for just that instead.

Dinner - we went to Jensens Cafe (near the event center) to eat and kill time before awards.  They had a an egg white omelet that sounded good, but I went for the steak and shrimp (my husband ate part of my steak).  I had salad with Italian vinaigrette, however it seemed like it was cream-based, instead of oil based, so I only ate a tad - maybe just a teaspoon.  The meal also came with a veggie medley and a dinner roll - the roll went to my carb loving daughter!  I will say, that I need to do a better job of asking the waitress questions about the food and how they prepare it - I should have asked about the dressing prior to selecting it, instead of assuming.

Also, I should have ate a snack since I was up until 11, but did not - oops!

Preparation:
I prepped the veggies and nuts a couple of days ago, so those were easy to grab and through into the cooler.  I put together some containers of hummus and blueberries in the morning along with several bottles and a pitcher full of water.  Between my husband and I, we need to drink at least 200 oz of water and figured why have to go up to the concession stand to buy water?  Avoid temptation and bring as much as I could with.

Read More..

I had my week 6 weigh-in this morning & Ive finally cleared that 25 lb mark. Im down another 2.2 lbs this week for a total loss of 26.3 lbs! And now Im celebrating with a manicure and pedicure. What could be better on a Saturday morning? I may even try my hand at some clothes shopping later... See if I can fit in a size 22 yet. I would love to be in an 18 before summer is over. Well typing from an iPod is harder than I thought so Ill write more again soon!

Read More..

Diet, after exercise, is the next major trick to lose belly fat. It is important to review what you eat, how much you eat and how you eat it. The reason is because the right nutrition fulfills the bodys energy requirements without adding any new fatty deposits. Here are 6 major tips to lose belly fat by cleaning out your diet and reforming your diet patterns.

 1. Maintain a Food Journal:
A food journal helps you adopt a disciplined approach to eating. It gives you what you eat and drink at a glance thereby allowing you to review it periodically. This food journal need not be very detailed. It should however list everything you eat and drink during the course of the day. It will also help you count calories effectively.

2. Read Ingredient Labels:
I always recommend eating fresh and home-cooked meals. However, there are a few food items that you might need to purchase readymade. In such cases, it is best to read the nutrient and ingredient labels printed on the packet or container. It will give you the exact amount of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, fats, sugar and sodium included in the food items and thus helps you make healthy food choices. When trying to lose belly fat, you should aim for the highest amount of proteins.

3. Opt for home-cooked meals:
Majority of the food on your platter should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of visiting the section with the frozen and packaged foods, make a trip to the section that has the fresh produce on exhibit. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain nutrients and vitamins in their unprocessed forms.
Try to rearrange your schedule so that you get time to prepare your meals. This way you know what goes into your foods and you have a better control on your calorie intake. If you must buy canned foods, opt for the frozen foods.

4. Measure your food portions:
Eating the right portion sizes help trim belly fat by making sure you do not overeat. The first way to do so is by using a smaller plate for your meal. Besides this, you can use measuring cups, spoons and countertop food scales to measure solid and fluid food items.

5. Oils, condiments and seasoning:
Often people eat salads to trim their waistline. However, it doesnt help much. The reason is because even though the fruits and vegetables tossed into the salad are nutritious and low-calorie, the condiments, seasonings and dressings are what add additional calories. For your sandwiches and burgers, you can mustard or low-fat mayonnaise. Try to reduce the amount of sauce you eat as the sauce varieties available in the market and high in sodium and sugar. Olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil are healthy varieties as far as their fat content is concerned.

6. Drink plenty of water:
Dehydration is a major cause of belly fat. This is because lack of water decelerates the metabolic rate. It also causes unnecessary bloating creating a bulgy appearance. You should always carry a bottle of water with you. It might be hard to down 8-10 glasses of water in a day if you are not particularly fond of it. You can start with less and add an additional glass every day.

Read More..

Today is the beginning of week 2 - OMG we made it a week!  In my last post about the Week 1 recap - I lost 8.4 lbs and the hubby lost 10.8 lbs in one week!  AMAZING RESULTS!  Im so proud of us!  We stuck together and didnt let the temptations get to us.  We had our moments but we leaned on each other to get us through and now we feel good.  I feel great - Im back into my size 8 pants, my ring is starting to fall off again and overall I feel a sense of achievement.  My energy is about the same, perhaps a little better but its Monday and Im probably still recovering from an exhausting weekend. 

Im looking forward to trying a couple of new recipes this week, of which one of them I did tonight and it was delicious!  I feel more relaxed going into this week since I know what to do from a planning perspective.  Im also interested in what the scale will bring but I know that I cant possibly lose another 8 lbs in a week, so Im hoping for at least 3 to 4lbs.  We shall see! 

Morning Weigh In:
Kiana: 154.8 lbs
Anthony: 250.2 lbs

Menu:
Breakfast @ 6:45am:
Oatmeal with blueberries

Snack @ 9:45am:
Apple

Lunch @ 12:45pm:
Broccoli and Chicken Rice bowl

Snack @ 3:45pm:
Apple

Dinner @ 6:30pm:
Chicken Sausage Fusilli

Workout:
Insanity Max Interval Circuit

Notes on Food:
Broccoli and Chicken rice bowl is a favorite of ours from last week.  Its actually pretty simple, it just takes about 30 min to cook - just enough time to do some dishes and laundry!  There is some prep work in chopping veggies but its worth it.
Chicken Sausage Fusilli - this was awesome!  Ive never had chicken sausage and was skeptical of the recipe when I first read it, but we tried it and it turned out great.  Im so glad we have enough for leftovers for tomorrow.  Big plus - we got to have PASTA (we were both very surprised).  It was a brown rice pasta that I found at Kowalskis (No Wheat on this diet!).  The pasta was actually pretty light in texture and taste really good.  YUMMM!  This is definitely a recipe I will make forever!  It can easily be doubled to make for a gathering or to have more leftovers.  New favorite recipe!

Preparation:
I made lunch ahead for today and tomorrow - which is new for me.  Ive never made a meal for future days, that I hadnt ate for dinner that night.  So cooking at 9pm last night for todays lunch was so different, yet felt good to get it done on a Sunday night.  I may think about prepping more meals for the week on Sundays, but I get nervous that it wont taste right or that itll dry out from the fridge.  Anyway, something to consider for next week. 

Read More..

#52weeksofRoarke

Read More..

How You Can Use The GM Diet To Lose Weight And Gain Wellness

******************************
The GM Diet: (Commonly Known as General Motors Diet for Weight Loss)
A diet and health program was developed for employees and dependents of General Motors, Inc., in conjunction with a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, intended for their exclusive use.
It was field tested at the Johns Hopkins Research Centre and approved for distribution by the Board of Directors, General Motors Corp. at a general meeting on August 15, 1985. It is generally believed that General Motors Corp. endorses this program and makes it available to all employees and families.
This program is available at all General Motors Food Service Facilities to facilitate a wellness and fitness program for everyone.
This program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17 lbs(4.5 Kg – 7 Kg) per week. Most followers of different weight loss regimes claim that it improves emotional clarity and attitude because of its systematic cleaning effects.
The effectiveness of this seven day plan is that the food eaten burn more calories than they give to the body in caloric value. The plan can be used without any fear of complications. It is designed to flush the system and give the dieter a feeling of well being. After seven days dieters will begin to feel lighter which will give the feeling of lightness, energy and an improved disposition.
The GM Diet
During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol and drink 10 glasses of water each day.

Day OneAll fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Day TwoAll vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day ThreeA mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day FourBananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk.

Day FiveToday is feast day. You will eat beef/(lean meat) and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day SixBeef/(lean meat) and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.

Day SevenToday your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

**********************************

Normally, the recommendations also include a recipe for GM’s so-called Wonder Soup:

G.M.’S Wonder SoupThe following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.
28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavoring as desired.
This soup is a supplement while on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. However, since not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, celery etc. the recipe is flexible.
People may substitute vegetables according to taste. Asparagus, Peas, Corn, Turnips, Green beans, Cauliflower, etc. can be added though the suggestion is to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.) because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for nutrition.
Beverages that can be consumed while on the program : Water (flavored with lemon/lime if desired). Club Soda is OK. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.

Indian Version of Diet – Vegetarian Substitute to beef could be Cottage Cheese or Red Kidney Beans or Low Fat Paneer or Spinach or Sprouts bean or Soy bean or tofu ~ bean curd or pulses or 1 Cup Rice – Not sure which one will work as a good Substitute. It’s up to you to choose one.

 == How and Why It Works? ==
Here’s How it Works
Day One: Prepare the system for the upcoming program. The only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything needed to sustain life with total balance and variety.
Day Two: Start with a fix of complex carbohydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fiber.
Day Three: Eliminate the potato because your carbohydrates now come from the fruits. The system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. Dieters will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.
Day Four: Start with bananas, milk and soup to make up for the potassium you have lost and the sodium that dieters have missed the past three days. There is a definite loss of desire for sweets.
Day Five: The beef is for iron and proteins(Substitute to beef Cottage Cheese or Red Kidney Beans or Low Fat Paneer or Spinach or Sprouts bean or Soy bean or tofu), the tomatoes are for digestion and fiber. Lots and lots of water purifies the system. The RDA allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. There is no need to eat all this beef but must eat the six tomatoes.
Day Six: Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fiber from vegetables. By now the system is in a total weight loss inclination.
Day Seven: System under control and at least 7 – 8 pounds lighter from all the rinsing and flushing….
By keeping fit and gaining wellness, you can further excel beyond excellence!

Read More..

This plan is getting tougher by the day.

This morning Im just feeling exhausted.  And hungry!  I had 1 whole egg scrambled with 3 Tbsp of egg whites and 2 slices of Canadian bacon for breakfast and I feel like Im starving.  This is the first day where Ive felt truly deprived.... of food, of energy, of sleep, of my sanity. 

I broke down & cried this morning because I didnt have any missed calls on my cell phone last night.  Thats nothing unusual for me.  My phone doesnt get a lot of use but for some reason this morning it made me feel lonely.  My emotions are clearly at their breaking point. 

Last night didnt help.  I made an absolutely delicious salmon fillet for Valentines day dinner but I could only eat 2 oz of it.  Do you know what 2 oz of salmon looks like?  Apparently, neither did I.  The first slice I cut for myself was double that.  2 oz of salmon looks like that chunk of bread you leave till the end of your meal to sop up all the good sauce/juices that are left on the plate.  It doesnt look or feel like a meal, I can tell you that much.

On a less cranky note... Im really glad to see that a couple of you commented on my first post.  It feels good to know that there are people out there rooting for me, even when I havent got the energy or stamina to cheer myself on.  So, thank you for that!  I really needed to see those words of encouragement this morning.

Hopefully my 11am fat free vanilla Greek yogurt will perk me up. 

Oh!  And in 2 days I should be receiving in the mail my new copy of Wii Zumba 2.  Its a fitness game.  Ive never done Zumba so Im kind of excited to try it out after I get the go ahead on Saturday to start adding some activity into my routine.  Maybe the exercise and addition of veggies will help my energy levels. 

Tonights dinner?  A veggie burger.  And then some edamame as a snack after.  Those are almost like eating something other than rolled up slices of deli chicken! 

Now if I could just manage to stop getting up to pee 2-3 times in the middle of the night and dreaming about ghosts because of wearing a nicotine patch to bed, I might actually get some decent sleep & feel better about all of this.

Read More..

Week 1 on the Fast Metabolism Diet was obviously challenging.  We went through many cravings and temptations yet kept our minds focused on the plan.  I think the hardest part of doing something different is starting.  But we started it and we are seeing results, so we are definitely continuing and going to make it to the 28 day finish line.  It takes 28 days to repair the metabolism - we have 7 days down, only 21 days to go!

My suggestion for those of you who want to start this plan is to avoid temptation as much as possible in the first week until you get into a rhythm with the diet.  Move those dinner plans that you have with friends - it just makes it easier to stay focused.  If you do go out, check out the restaurants menu online beforehand, create a plan for what you are going to eat and stick with it.  Youll feel better that you were able to stay on plan and youll gain an abundance of self-confidence and self-control because you can do this.  It just takes focus and determination!

I also found that its easier to buy foods that my family likes or that we were willing to try. I bought some of the fruits and veggies in frozen form, because that works for our busy schedule.  Do what works best for you - if you dont have time to wash and cut up fresh veggies, buy the frozen version.

Our favorite recipes from the book so far are the Broccoli and Chicken rice bowl and the Vegetable and Chicken soup.  Im hoping to try a new recipe every few days so that I dont get bored.  I plan to check out Whole Foods this upcoming week for some food items they didnt carry at Kowalskis or Trader Joes, such as sprouted grain tortillas and safflower mayo.  Otherwise, Ill be searching online for these items!

Week 1 Weight Loss:
Kiana: 8.4 lbs
Anthony: 10.8 lbs

Im really surprised by the weight loss considering all of the food we ate. Its like a Biggest Loser weight loss, without the extreme workouts!  This type of weight loss is not typical for me at all - it would normally take at least 2 months to lose this much weight and I did it only a week.  It just shows how clean eating is the way to go, along with the rotation of foods in the specific order. Dont get me wrong, Im not saying that I wont ever eat at my favorite restaurants once in awhile, but thats just it - once in awhile, not all weekend long!  And with my metabolism back up to par, Ill be able to have that nice dinner out or dessert without stressing about weight gain.

Read More..

Okay, so today is the morning of the start of the "official" day 6 due to those 2 days I wasnt really able to diet.  So 48 hours to go until the official weigh in on Friday morning to complete 7 complete days of this mainly protein shake diet...man!..I really want some carbs that day! ha!...anyways, the I cant believe todays numbers....maybe something is wrong with my scale!? lol....but here they are:

Weight:  185.8
Fat LBS: 41.4
Fat %:     22.3%

Read More..

About- 6 Meals a day Diet plan (Indian Meal Plan):It works. I can say with confidence because me and my husband followed it and got results.

Especially my husband he lost 44lbs (20kgs). He had to reduce weight immediately as he was detected with very high Cholesterol. Doctor gave him 6months to lose weight. And he did following 6 Meals Diet Plan.

Weve many diet plans on net but very few are for Indian meal. And we know Indian meals are very yummy but at the same times its loaded with calories, fats, sugar, carbs and saturated fats.

So here is a meal plan which works. Go ahead and try it.

Rule: Drink 8 oz water before every meal.  Exercise/ Walk 5 times a week for 40min. 

Morning Breakfast (7am-8:00am)  :

Whole wheat Bread slice 2 toasted  and tea/milk.  OR 

Oat meal bowl ½ cup oatmeal boil with 1cup skimmed milk. Add some cut fruits e.g. apple or banana or grapes or strawberries.  OR

 2-3 Idlies with sambhar and very little chutney. It’s good to avoid coconut chutney. Instead try cilantro or mint or onion or tomato or cabbage chutney. OR

1 Boiled egg with Toasted Bread and tea.

Snack Time (9:30am - 10:30am):  

1 Orange OR

1 Cup yogurt/dahi with little cut fruits OR

Sliced carrots 1 Cup OR

Cucumber slices 1 Cup OR

1 Apple OR

2 Cups Water Mellon OR

Hand full Almonds (6-8 in count) OR

Walnut (6-8 Half in counts). OR

Combination of Almonds and Walnut

Lunch Time (12:00- 1:30pm):

2Phulka/Roti (without oil & ghee) , ½ Cup Vegetables curry, 1 Cup Dal, 1 Bowl Salad. OR

1 Cup Cooked Rice (without starch(Maad in Hindi) i.e drain starch from rice when its cooked half way) with  ½ Cup Vegetables curry, 1 Cup Dal, 1 Bowl Salad.

OR Chicken (try to make curries with 2teaspoon oil) Curry in 1Cup with 2 Phulka/Roti (without oil & ghee)  , 1 bowl salad.

Snack Time (3:30am - 4:30am):

1 Orange  OR

1 Cup yogurt with little cut fruits OR

Sliced carrots 1 Cup OR

Cucumber slices 1 Cup OR

1 Apple OR

2 Cups Water Mellon OR

Hand full Almonds (6-8 in count) OR

Walnut(6-8 Half in counts)

Combination of Almonds and Walnut

Dinner (7:00pm – 8:00pm): 1 Phulka/Roti (without oil & ghee), ½ Cup Vegetables curry, 1 Cup Dal, 1 Bowl Salad. OR

Rice (without starch) 1 Cup with, 1 Cup Dal, 1 Bowl Salad. OR

1Cup Chicken Curry (try to make curries with 2teaspoon oil only) with 1 Phulka/Roti (without oil & ghee),  1 bowl salad, ½ cup boiled rice(without starch).

Snack (10:30pm):

1 Glass butter milk OR

lime juice with salt and warm water OR

Water Mellon OR

Any seasonal fruit.

Important Tips:

·  Always try to keep Diet food Indian so you don’t have to compromise in flavor.

• Cook rice in vessel and not pressure cooker so it’s easy to throw rice starch.
• Add soy powder or palak or maythi or ½ cup moong dal in wheat flour while making dough so as to reduce carb intake.
• Add cut vegetables in  Rice to reduce carb intake.
• Plan your meal and snack previous night to avoid hassle or slippage next day.
• Keep oil in small bowl/kattori and put 1/2teaspoon measure oil spoon from measuring set or use tiny flat steel spoon.
• Use water to cook curries instead of oil. Mix garam masala in water add to curries and pressure cook. It’ll come out good.
• Use cooker to speed up cooking process and  use non-stick pan to use less oil.

Quick Tips to Loss 5lbs (2.3kgs) in two weeks:

·   Check weight every week to keep track of weight loss.

• Avoid emotional/pampered eating.  Avoid processed food e.g. Cookies, crackers, Diet Bars, Juices, Diet Cookies, Cakes, Bread.
• Try to eat food in original form. E.g eat fruit instead fruit juice.
• Avoid oily and sweet food.
• Be happy it helps.

Article By: Reena Sharma

Read More..