More On Professor Haub......

Here is more in addition to the previous post about Professor Mark Haub. Click on the video library link below to watch a video segment of Professor Haub on the Doctors TV show.


Video Library

Close to Home....

For those of you who don't know Professor Haub he teaches at K-State. I was one of his on campus students while he was doing this study. Check it out by following the link. He makes very interesting points about calories in VS calorie out.

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/did-kansas-state-nutrition-professor-dr-mark-haub-really-go-on-a-little-debbie-snack-cake-diet/9226

Coca Cola products making calorie counting CLEAR.........

Here is a great site to get more information about how coca cola and many others are joining forces to help better educate the public on calorie content. This is something that has been a long time coming and will continue to happen in restaurants and to other food products that we purchase on a regular basis.

http://www.top-colleges.com/blog/2011/02/23/clear-on-calories/

Just for fun.....

New Iphone app that allows you to snap a picture of whatever you are eating and it will estimate how many calories you are consuming.

When I was watching the news this morning they actuaclly put this thing to the test. It didn't do half bad, but of course is not 100% accurate.

The link below will give you more details. The important thing here is that we as consumers are becoming more aware of what we are eating and WE DO actually care how many calories are in our food!

http://mealsnap.com/

Key Lime Spritz Cookies

Click on the link below to see one of my favorite low calorie sweet treats! Key Lime Spritz Cookies

Movie theater diet destroyers......

Not only can the movie theater snack counter be hard on your wallet but it can also be detrimental to your diet!

• Popcorn: At the low end, a medium box with no butter has a modest 951 calories, no fat, and no cholesterol. At the other end, a large bucket (around 20 cups!) with butter delivers 1,238 calories.
• Nachos: 40 chips with four ounces of what they call cheese conveys 1,101 calories — roughly equal to two large McDonald’s fries orders or two Quarter Pounders with cheese.
• Pretzel: The large, soft kind with cheese topping delivers 643 calories.
• Coke: If it’s a 32-ounce medium-236 calories, but the lake-like 44 ounce Cherry Coke has 572 calories. With just a medium popcorn and Coke, you’re at nearly 1,200 calories, and we haven’t even gotten to the candy counter yet, where you will find…
• M&Ms: The 5.3-ounce plain bag contains 750 calories, the same size peanut version just nudges the calories up to 786. Other choices include the 6.7-ounce bag of Skittles (765 calories), the 4.4-ounce box of Starburst (440), the king size Twix bar (475), the four-ounce box of Milk Duds (495), and the 4.75-ounce box of Junior Mints (432).

To learn more check out CBS's link below:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/19/health/main5704044.shtml

Good to know.....

I found this information from a very interesting site called

http://www.fitclick.com/

                    

 

    Walking

    How many calories do you burn walking?

    238 calories per hour*

    Running

    How many calories do you burn running?

    544 calories per hour*

Jogging

How many calories do you burn jogging?

408 calories per hour*

Biking

How many calories do you burn biking?

 544 calories per hour*

Swimming

How many calories do you burn swimming?

476 calories per hour*

Elliptical Machine

How many calories do you burn elliptical machine?

 476 calories per hour*

*Results for a 150 lbs person

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Check This Out!

Here is another great website that has helped thousands of people to reach their healthy lifestyle goals. This site allows you to personalize your program to meet your specific goals and needs. My favorite part about this site is the ability to keep a journal for all the foods that you eat. It also has a journal for activity. Keeping a journal can make all the difference when trying to lower calorie consumption. Give it a try and you will see what I mean. Click on the link below to check it out.

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

Breakfast Really Is Important!

What you eat for breakfast has a tremendous effect on how your body starts up in the morning and sets the tone for the remainder of the day. Eating a big (healthy) breakfast will actually help you lose weight. HOW you ask.... Well not only does eating Breakfast provide your body with energy in the morning, but it also improves your efficiency at work, increases your ability to focus, increases concentration and alert levels. It will also enhance your mood level, making you less irritable. Which is great for me because I'm NOT a morning person.
If you skip your morning meal, you will feel hungry later on during the day, and will be more likely to binge or make poorer choices on food, as you are feeling hungry and tired. A proper breakfast will keep you feeling fuller, making you eat less later on. Increased energy levels mean you have more energy for physical activity. Another reason why breakfast will help you lose weight is that when you wake up, your metabolic rate and blood sugar levels are low. A slow metabolic rate means that your body is burning calories slower. Providing your body the energy to kickstart your body will also kickstart your metabolism, speeding up the process of breaking down fat.

SO STOP SKIPPING BREAKFAST!

Since this is something I've struggled with I'll share with you some of my breakfast choices.
REMEMBER- It only takes about 14 days of doing something for it to become a habit.  :)

Eggs have around 75-90 calories per egg depending on the size, but they are an excellent breakfast food and very versatile. Eggs are nutrient-rich with vitamins like B and K as well as folic acid, which is especially important to women's health. Some years ago, people thought eggs contributed to health risks, but it has since been proven that they do not significantly contribute to high cholesterol or increase the chance of heart disease.

Okay so the hard crunchy little grape nuts cereal is not my favorite, but this flake version is very tasty! I would recommend you try them. It's also an excellent source of dietary fiber.

TIP: Making the switch from whole milk to a reduced fat milk will make a huge difference on your calorie intake. Try replacing the milk in your cereal with skim or lowfat milk and start working towards your goal today!

One last suggestion if you aren't into cold cereal: Quaker Instant Oatmeal Lower Sugar (variety of flavors)- when prepared with water it's only 120 calories per packet.

Happy Snacking :)

The next time you are making out that grocery list why not add a few low calorie snacks. If you are like me you often find yourself looking for something to snack on throughout the day. Here are a few of my favorite low calorie delicious snacks:

*Strawberry Sugar free Jello- 10 cal per snack cup

*Orville Redenbacher's Microwave Popcorn (kettle corn also available)- 100 cal per bag

*Yoplait Yogurt (Red Velvet Cake, Orange Creme, Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, Key Lime Pie)- 100 cal per container

*Banana/Apple/Clementine/Other Fruit

*Celery sticks with Laughing Cow Cheese

*Baked Tortilla Chips with Guacamole

*String Cheese

*Boiled egg-75 Calories per egg

No time for cooking?

It's another busy night at the Samuels residence so it's pizza for dinner. *GASP* Oh don't worry I have a plan! Papa Murphy's DeLite Pizzas are my choice. I am a Hawaiian pizza lover so there's no mystery here what my favorite pic is. Only 160 calories a slice!

Don't Let Empty Calories Break Your Budget!

The average American drinks 20 ounces of soda in a day, making it the number 1 source of calories in our diet. WOW!  That's crazy! On average 22% of the calories we consume are the ones we drink. So don't fall victim to drinking your calories.

DID YOU KNOW?   There are 150-200 calories in the average bottle of regular soda. So if you must have your soda fix try to drink in moderation or try switching to a diet version.

My personal FAV is---> Cherry Coca-Cola Zero

The "How To" of reading labels-

We've all been there before.....standing in the grocery store aisle staring at the labels because Dr. Jones said we needed to start reading the labels and eating better. Seriously? What am I looking for? What does all this mumbo jumbo mean?

Here's a good place to start for learning the basics of reading food labels.

Consumer Information How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label

*Remember* Just because something says only 100 calories per serving doesn't mean it's going to be 100 calories for the amount you plate up! So make sure and check your calories per serving and serving size on the label.

Dining out double take........

Did you know that Americans spend more than 40 percent of their total food budget on foods prepared outside of the home? Dining out can be the death of a low calorie budget.

TIP: Try to look ahead at the restaurant's nutritional information online prior to going out. Make a plan to eat something low calorie and stick too it. Avoid the bread and appetizers that are served before the meal. Order a salad with dressing on the side and use just what you need. You'd be surprised how many calories are in that dressing.


Applebees is currently advertising meals under 550 calories. I can personally say some of them are very tasty! Here is one of my favorites. 

TERIYAKI SHRIMP PASTA

Secret to success......

Unfortunately there are no secrets or magic potions to help us meet our health and lifestyle goals. What is important though is to know your BMR, know your activity level and know your caloric needs, and monitor them closely. You will reach your goals! Remember it's calories in versus calories out.
Setting a reasonable goal is important. For some it will be easier to start small and then set bigger goals as you go along. One thing I would suggest to doing today is to go through your cabinets and cupboards eliminating all sources of "EVIL" foods that may tempt you. Remember this is a lifestyle change and you have to be on board for success. Here's another link to enlighten those of you who may be in the dark.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Calories

Oroweat Sandwich Thins®

Another one of my absolute favorites.

I have used these to make open faced sandwiches, pizzas, and even breakfast creations. Each 2 piece sandwich thin is only 100 calories and they are made with whole grains BONUS! Follow the link below to start finding your favorites.

Oroweat Sandwich Thins®

 

EXCELLENT RESOURCE

Here is a highly recommended resource to help you learn more about what you are eating.
http://www.calorieking.com/

My kids always wanted dessert first..............

DELICIOUS!

Why not start with dessert first? :) I love chocolate and this is one of the best low calorie brownies I have ever tasted. It's very simple to make and only has 111 calories per serving. You can find the recipe along with several others at the link below.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/desserts/low-calorie/low-calorie-dessert-recipes/

TIP: I made these in a mini muffin tin so I could enjoy more than one of these little dreams and I was still staying low calorie. Because really...who can eat just one? Remember portion control is very important so the idea that you are eating more than one, and not overspending the budget on your total calorie intake is helpful in accomplishing that lifestyle change.

Here are a couple links that will catch you up on the information that is essential to learning what your individualized calorie budget should be.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm


Understanding BMI is important, but not the only factor in figuring what is healthy for you. Follow this link to determine your BMI and your calculated EER.

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

What is EER you ask? EER stands for Estimated Energy Requirments and in simple terms this means the calories you need to attain your goal weight. Once you are familiar with how many calories you should be eating per day it will be easier for you to create your own calorie budget.

How it all started.....

Towards the end of the year (2010) a close friend of mine had asked me for some advice. She has been overweight most of her life and has struggled with yo-yo, fad and trendy diets never succeeding and keeping the weight off. She came to me with hopes that my nutritional background and allied health experience would make me knowledgeable about losing weight the healthy way and keeping it off. Initially I gave her the same advice anyone would and told her to just exercise and watch what you eat. It really can't be that hard....right? But for her it was. She wasn't familiar with the things that I had learned and experienced. She didn't know how to read a food label let alone how to interpret it. She had never stopped to think about the difference between ordering salad dressing on the side versus on the salad. She was intimidated by the gym and thought there was no way she could exercise if she couldn't get over this. But most importantly she didn't know what a calorie was? Now it took me some time to realize her frustrations and troubles, but when I did I decided to sit down with her and offer up the best advice a friend can give. I decided to be a model for her while helping her develop the tools she needed to succeed  in eating healthy, losing weight, getting in shape, and making a permanent lifestyle change.  I started this journey in January and have since lowered my BMI from 24 to 21. Yes, I know I was in the normal category to start, but this change has not only lowered my BMI it has also improved my overall physical and mental health. I am also fitting in clothes that I wore years ago! My husband has also joined the bandwagon and he too has had success. The purpose of this blog will be to share my new found recipes and ideas along with fun facts to help those who struggle with weight loss, or unhealthy eating habits. So now I'm asking you to follow me in my journey to a healthier lifestyle and just maybe you will learn something new along the way.