Thursday, August 03, 2006

Just a quick update on the dieting progress. Lost another 5 lbs this month, I think I'm gaining muscle because the weight loss has slowed down but my dress size has definitely gone down and I am seeing a much better shape.

Struggled a bit last week as I went to the States and found it harder to stay on track as I was staying in a hotel and had to eat out. I overcame the obstacles by choosing just appetisers as they are huge anyway and also steering clear of fried food and white stuff.

I did succumb one night to my favourite mexican food and had a large margharita but it doesn't seem to have had an effect. I guess the metabolism is working harder than it was, there was a time when I only had to look at a tortilla and I would gain weight.
Finally got round to getting the recipes together for this program. You may find that you enjoy the selection that is included in the book and that 's ok but if you're a little bit picky like me and want more choice then below are some of my favorite low cal recipes all under 300 calories. A good tip I've found to cut down on prep time is to make these up in the larger quantities and freeze the extra portions. This way you can easily have lots of prepared meals in the freezer ready to pop in your bag to take to work.

Spaghetti Turkey Casserole Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:8 ounces spaghetti, thin - cooked1/2 teaspoon olive oil2 cups turkey white meat, skinless, cooked and cubed
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup red and green bell peppers, chopped
One envelope turkey gravy mix (see note)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup white bread crumbs

Directions:Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add turkey, celery, onions, and bell peppers. Cook until turkey is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Stir in gravy mix, chicken broth, milk, salt, and black pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine spaghetti and turkey mixture. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
Note: Cook turkey gravy mix according to package directions.
Recipe makes six servings.

Nutrition information per serving:Calories: 282Fat: 3gProtein: 21gCarbohydrate: 41gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 832Calories from fat: 9-percent

Meat Loaf Pizza Style Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:1 cup white bread crumbs
1 cup skim milk
2 pounds ground chicken breast, skinless
Two egg whites, whipped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pizza seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pizza sauce
1cup fat-free mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Directions:Soak top and bottom of a clay pot in water for at least 15 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, milk, chicken, egg whites, onions, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, salt, oregano, pizza seasoning, and black pepper. Press in pot.
Cover and place in cold oven. Set temperature to 400-degrees.
Bake for one hour.
Spread sauce on top. Then, top with cheese and mushrooms.
Cover, return to oven and bake ten minutes more.
Recipe makes eight servings.

Nutrition information per serving:Calories: 293Fat: 3gProtein: 37gCarbohydrate: 24gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 855Calories from fat: 10-percent

Lettuce Tortilla Wraps Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:1 leaf green lettuce (approximately 6 x 4-inches)
2 slices of oven roasted turkey breast
2 slices tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon diced red onions
1/4 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon mayonnaiseSalt and pepper

Directions:Lay the lettuce leaf flat.
Place turkey slices on first.
Add red onions.
Evenly distrbute mayo and mustard.
Lay tomatoes on top.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Tightly roll up the lettuce leaf.

Recipe makes 1 wrap.

Nutrition information per wrap:Calories: 152Fat: 2.8gProtein: 4gFiber: 1gCholesterol: 2mg

Baked Herbed Fish Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:2 pounds white fish fillets (halibut, sea bass)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lite garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon marjoram leaves
1/3 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Two bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup of white wine or skim milk
Lime/lemon wedges to garnish

Directions:Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Wash fish, pat dry and place in dish.
Combine oil with lite garlic salt and herbs. Dribble over fish. Top with bay leaves and onions. Sprinkle with paprika.
Pour wine or skim milk over all.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve with lime or lemon wedges.

Recipe makes four servings.

Gourmet Goulash Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:8 ounces no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
One clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, skinless -- cooked
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
3 cups No Yolks noodles, cooked

Directions:In a mixing bowl, combine tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, sugar, paprika, salt, and black pepper. In a skillet, heat oil over medium flame. Add chicken, onions, and bell peppers. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomato sauce mixture. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook egg noodle substitute according to package directions. Add cooked egg noodle substitute to chicken mixture.

Recipe makes eight servings.
Nutrition information per serving:Calories 232Fat 2gProtein 28g Carbohydrates 18gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 66mgSodium 473mgCalories from fat: 9-percent

Hearty Turkey Bake Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:3 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, grated
1-1/2 cup turkey light meat, skinless -- cooked and chopped
1-1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables -- thawed and drained
10-3/4 ounce low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

Prepare a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes and 1/2-cup cheese.
Spoon potato mixture in prepared dish. Using back of spoon, spread pototoes across bottom and up sides of dish to form a shell.
In another mixing bowl, combine turkey, vegetables, soup, milk, mustard, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pour over potato shell.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Top with remaining cheese and bake three minutes more or until cheese has melted.

Recipe makes four servings.
Nutrition information per serving:Calories 187Fat: 2gProtein: 16g Carbohydrates: 26gCholesterol: 26mgFat: 2gSodium: 414mgCalories from fat: 11-percent
Italian Chicken and Peppers Low Calorie Recipe

For a delicious and attractive Italian meal, serve Italian Chicken and Peppers over pasta.
Ingredients:1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 half breasts)
3/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil,
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
Directions:Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle on both sides with Italian seasoning and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center. Remove to serving dish and keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in skillet. Add red and green bell peppers and garlic powder. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, or until bell peppers are tender. Spoon over chicken.
Add vinegar and honey to skillet. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon over chicken and bell peppers.

Recipe makes four servings.
Nutrition information per serving:Calories: 206Fat: 6gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 28g

Oriental Chicken A La Microwave Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:4 tablespoons white wine, divided
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
One large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
One packet granulated sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
Few grains ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Chopped green onion and fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:In shallow 1-1/2-quart micro-proof dish, combine 1-tablespoon wine, soy sauce, garlic, honey, lemon peel, sweetener, ginger and paprika. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
To promote even cooking, tuck under any thin ends of chicken. Spoon marinade over chicken. Sprinkle with pepper and sesame seeds. Cover tightly with wax paper. Cook on medium-high power six to eight minutes or just until cooked through, turning dish if chicken appears to be cooking unevenly. Remove chicken to serving dish and keep warm.
In glass measuring cup, stir together cornstarch and remaining 3-tablespoons white wine; stir into drippings in dish. Cook, uncovered, on high power one to two minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with green onion and parsley.

Recipe makes four servings.
Per serving: 170 calories.

July 25th 2006

Ten Secrets to Weight Loss

Attitude In order to succeed with your weight lossgoals it is important to go into this program withoutthinking you are on a diet. What you need to do is changeyour behaviour and habits. This does not mean that youneed to ever feel hungry or turn yourself into an Olympicathlete in order to achieve your weight loss goal. If youfall off the wagon get back on, you haven’t lost the war.

Exercise If you are more than 20 pounds overweightthen you should start off with moderate daily exercisee.g. walking or swimming to assist with your weight loss.Always consult your doctor before embarking on anyexercise regime.

If you are moderately overweight then a minimum of 40 minutes per day is preferable to achieve weight loss. If aged over 40 then it helps to try and do 2 sessions per daye.g. aerobic workout in the morning and walking or cycling for 30 minutes or more in the evening. I found that my metabolism slowed down considerably when I reached 40 so fitting in two sessions a day really helped my weight loss efforts.

Getting Organized This lifestyle change will takea certain amount of effort and forward planning on yourpart. Think about what you do throughout the day that youcould change i.e. do you sit at your desk at lunchtime reading the newspaper? Do you watch television for several hours in the evening? Could you set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier in the morning? This extra time can be used for exercise and the time needed to prepare your meals in advance if you need to take them to work .

Make lists for shopping, don’t just hit the supermarket with a vague idea of what you will need for your weight loss goal. Cook in bulk and freeze the rest in small portions.

Things to Avoid As a general rule stick to the outer aisles in the supermarket where the fresh produce is displayed. Avoid the aisles with packaged and processed foods. It goes without saying to avoid sugar and sugar related products (try fruit instead).

If in doubt just cut out the white stuff, sugar, white bread, white rice, potatoes etc. Dairy products can be very high in fat so try the reduced fat variety. I personally find this tastes better than the no fat variety and is more satisfying so you aren’t looking for more in half an hours time.

Alcohol is also best avoided as this is normally quite high in calories and can lead to dehydration.

Quantities Try and keep the quantities down to between 200-300 calories per meal, slightly more for men or if you are very active.

Frequency Eat these small meals 5 times a day,approximately every 3 hours. Do not skip a meal and try not to eat after 7pm in the evening. The frequency of meals will stop you from feeling hungry and ease you toward your weight loss goal.

Dehydration Drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 8 glasses . Don’t wait until you are thirsty as this means that you are dehydrated. This will help to keep your energy levels up and also eliminate toxins which can make you feel sluggish and tired.

Tricking your Metabolism Eat 5 small meals of around 200-300 calories for 3 days then on the fourth day increase your calorie intake slightly for each meal . This will stop your body going into starvation mode and lowering your metabolism to suit the reduced intake.

Buddy Why not get a friend or partner to join you on your new health and weight loss regime. This makes exercise more fun and helps you stay on target.

Attitude I repeat this step as it's key to the success of your program. Continue to work towards a goal taking small steps if necessary. Many people have done this,you can too.

By using these tips you should achieve gradual and healthy weight loss without feeling deprived or hungry.

About The Author Struggling with Weight Gain? Tried every diet out there? Here's where I finally found the program that inspires and works for life http://www.janetdunmore.com/

Ten Secrets to Weight Loss

Attitude In order to succeed with your weight lossgoals it is important to go into this program withoutthinking you are on a diet. What you need to do is changeyour behaviour and habits. This does not mean that youneed to ever feel hungry or turn yourself into an Olympicathlete in order to achieve your weight loss goal. If youfall off the wagon get back on, you haven’t lost the war.
Exercise If you are more than 20 pounds overweightthen you should start off with moderate daily exercisee.g. walking or swimming to assist with your weight loss.Always consult your doctor before embarking on anyexercise regime.

If you are moderately overweight then a minimum of 40 minutes per day is preferable to achieve weight loss. If aged over 40 then it helps to try and do 2 sessions per daye.g. aerobic workout in the morning and walking or cycling for 30 minutes or more in the evening. I found that my metabolism slowed down considerably when I reached 40 so fitting in two sessions a day really helped my weight loss efforts.

Getting Organized This lifestyle change will takea certain amount of effort and forward planning on yourpart. Think about what you do throughout the day that youcould change i.e. do you sit at your desk at lunchtime reading the newspaper? Do you watch television for several hours in the evening? Could you set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier in the morning? This extra time can be used for exercise and the time needed to prepare your meals in advance if you need to take them to work .

Make lists for shopping, don’t just hit the supermarket with a vague idea of what you will need for your weight loss goal. Cook in bulk and freeze the rest in small portions.

Things to Avoid As a general rule stick to the outer aisles in the supermarket where the fresh produce is displayed. Avoid the aisles with packaged and processed foods. It goes without saying to avoid sugar and sugar related products (try fruit instead).

If in doubt just cut out the white stuff, sugar, white bread, white rice, potatoes etc. Dairy products can be very high in fat so try the reduced fat variety. I personally find this tastes better than the no fat variety and is more satisfying so you aren’t looking for more in half an hours time.

Alcohol is also best avoided as this is normally quite high in calories and can lead to dehydration.

Quantities Try and keep the quantities down to between 200-300 calories per meal, slightly more for men or if you are very active.

Frequency Eat these small meals 5 times a day,approximately every 3 hours. Do not skip a meal and try not to eat after 7pm in the evening. The frequency of meals will stop you from feeling hungry and ease you toward your weight loss goal.

Dehydration Drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 8 glasses . Don’t wait until you are thirsty as this means that you are dehydrated. This will help to keep your energy levels up and also eliminate toxins which can make you feel sluggish and tired.

Tricking your Metabolism Eat 5 small meals of around 200-300 calories for 3 days then on the fourth day increase your calorie intake slightly for each meal . This will stop your body going into starvation mode and lowering your metabolism to suit the reduced intake.

Buddy Why not get a friend or partner to join you on your new health and weight loss regime. This makes exercise more fun and helps you stay on target.

Attitude I repeat this step as it's key to the success of your program. Continue to work towards a goal taking small steps if necessary. Many people have done this,you can too.

By using these tips you should achieve gradual and healthy weight loss without feeling deprived or hungry.

About The Author Struggling with Weight Gain? Tried every diet out there? Here's where I finally found the program that inspires and works for life http://www.janetdunmore.com/