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I decided to do the cliche New Years “thing” by joining the gym just prior to Christmas, and have become discouraged with the lack of results I have seen in the 2+ weeks I have religiously gone every day! Perhaps I am replacing fat with muscle as a few of my friends have suggested, but this is cold comfort for someone who is so used to checking in with the scale as a guideline for weight loss.
So, I decided to do a bit of research tonight, into ways to jump-start my 2009 weight-loss program. What does this have to do with recipes, you ask? Well, as part of my healthier diet and exercise regime, I am committed to providing more healthy recipes here at Cat Can Cook. That’s not to say that I will *only* post healthy recipes. On the contrary, I believe that everything in moderation is a good thing, especially when it comes to cheesecake! However, I would like to incorporate a few more healthier recipes to my site.
I am a Lifetime Weight Watchers Member, and truly believe we can all lead healthy lives simply by balancing our food and exercise. Here are a few pointers from healthylivingformoms.com for jump-starting your weight loss!
1. Eliminate all bread, pasta,sugar and fat from your diet
This is a drastic step, I know. It may even seem contradictory to other information found on Healthy Living for Moms and that’s why I stress that this is a drastic step. But please understand that bread and pasta made from wheat flour are the worst things you can eat if you are trying to lose fat. It doesn’t matter if it’s whole grain, high fiber or low carb pasta, grains in any form will make you fat.
Think about what bread and pasta is made from and you will understand why this must go. To make bread and pasta, grains, lots and lots of grains, are processed to make just a few ounces of pasta or a couple slices of bread. It’s like concentrated calories in just a few ounces once you eat it and then your body has to work extra hard to get rid of it. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, lose the bread.
If you continue to eat fat while you are fat, the fat on your body will never burn off. Healthy foods can be made to taste great simply by adding lemon juice, garlic, other spices and herbs to your cooking.
Sugar turns to fat if it’s not used as energy immediately. Everything you eat eventually turns to sugar so it is not like you are depriving your body of an essential ingredient. Plus, too much sugar causes too much insulin to be released into your body and raises your risk of insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, lose the sugar.
If you really need to have some kind of bread or pasta, look for products made of rice flour. If you have an asian section in your supermarket or health food store, you will find rice noodles (make sure it doesn’t have partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in it) or rice thins that are a tasty substitute.
2.Eat a small meal every 2 to 3 hours
Your small meal should consist of 2 – 4 ounces of protein and 1/2-1 cup complex carbs or fruit, such as salad, green vegetables, or a dense fruit like apples. You can eat a 1/2-1 cup serving of any kind of rice (white or brown),oatmeal(quick-cooking not instant) or potato to make your metabolism burn fat better. The principle is to combine the right foods to make your metablism work efficiently.
Eating the meal every 2 -3 hours will keep your body burning fuel constantly and steadily increase your metabolism.
3. Eat before you exercise
I was always under the impression that you should exercise on an empty stomach but this is wrong. Your body needs fuel to exercise and it helps to eat a small meal before you exercise to keep your metabolism chugging along. The meal you eat should be about 200 calories and contain a carb like oatmeal or rice (instead of fruit or a vegetable) before you exercise so your body will have plenty to burn.
4. Drink 100 ounces of water a day
Conventional wisdom says eight 8-ounce glasses of water but 100 ounces (that’s 12 eight-ounce glasses plus 4 ounces more) is sure to flush out all the fat you are trying to lose. Minimize salt in your diet, too, since it can cause your body to retain water. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, drink your water!
5.Give it a week and see if it works for you
You may decide that it’s too much of a sacrifice to lose 5 pounds fast. But if you think it might work for you, make a commitment to this plan for one week and you will see that it really works…you will lose 5 pounds fast. You might even lose more! If it’s too drastic for you to continue, just implement one of these principles at a time and see how it will make a difference!
I’m currently cutting out sugar for two weeks in prep for a detox. I’ve only noticed how difficult it is when it comes to drinks… I can’t even have real fruit juice! I think I might die if I had to cut out pasta though.
Nice Article Catherine :o) I followed it from Twitter..
Things that help:
Rice pasta, which you can now get at the bulk barn. Gluten free, yeast free, and all that jazz..
Rice Milk or Soy Milks. Rice has no protein, soy it does.
I’ve found one type of cheese that is free of both yeast and sugar, its soy based, and I used it for this recipe:
http://www.amandaleescott.com/blog/2007/11/09/organic-yeast-free-%E2%80%98mack-n-cheese%E2%80%99/
;o)
All the best!
Getting your diet right is absolutely crucial to getting good weight loss – exercise is just one part of the equation. After all – weight loss is a result of eating less than you burn – so even if you burn more, you still have to make sure your body is getting good nutrition without all those calories!
I am pleased to report, that as of this morning, I am officially down my first 5 pounds. Just 10 to go! 🙂
I say bring on the beach! Sigh, in about 5 months!
I’ve really enjoyed reading your site, and right I’m trying to lose some weight too. I’m 50 years old and trying to lose 50 pounds by playing Just Dance for Wii. Its only the second day, but progress has definitely been made!
My son got a Wii for Christmas, and I’ve been thinking about getting the Wii Fit – what do you think of it?
Hi Catherine! Happy New Year to you and your family!
How funny that Liam got a Wii for Christmas – I did too!! Royce totally surprised me with it! 54 year old – who wouda thunk it? Love it so far. I have heard that Wii Fit is fantastic but I am not sure it would work for me. I am in need of a right knee replacement. It would help with upper body though….
Does your Mom have one? What is Just Dance?
I am currently searching your site for your crab dip recipe (can’t find my book!!) Thought I would drop you a line.
Hugs,
Brenda
We’re thinking about the Wii Fit too…I’m not sure. I have friends that LOVE it, but I am not into video-games…maybe it’s different enough though?
Crab dip…hmm…I can’t remember if it’s here or not either!
Hope you’re enjoying the book (when you can find it that is)
Hugs and Happy New Year!