A Better Me

Good Eats

I was amazed to see the transformation of Alton Brown on Good Eats, a popular show on the Food Network. Alton lost 50 pounds in about 8 months and below is his approach to weight loss optimizing nutrient dense foods and shunning high glycemic index carbs.

Note Alton's Before Picture to the right. (Photos courtesy of Lisa Hechesky)

 

 

 

 

 

And note what Alton looks like today.

He explains it in one of his show's episodes that he created 4 lists:

Consume Daily
- Fruits
- Whole Grains
- Leafy Greens
- Nuts
- Carrots
- Green Tea

Consume 3 times a week
- Oily Fish
- Yogurt
- Broccoli
- Sweet Potato
- Avocado

Consume Once a week
- Red meat
- Pasta
- Dessert
- Alcohol

NEVER CONSUME!
- Fast Food
- Soda
- Processed meals/frozen dinners
- Canned soup
- “Diet” anything

PLUS: Eat breakfast every day, no exceptions.

This isn’t too shabby, although limiting your red meat to just once a week is unnecessary and there’s certainly no need to consume whole grains everyday. And the fruit he consumes should be qualified as the low-sugar ones like berries and melons rather than bananas and oranges which are great big sugar bombs. But I love what he’s set up for himself here. It’s a plan that HE can work with, implement, and do for the rest of his life. You gotta admire anybody who can write it all out and then do it.

Congratulations Alton Brown! You are looking marvelous these days and I wish you well in your continued low-carb approach to life. KEEP IT UP!

50 ways to cut 500 calories per day

One of our "Better Me" participants has a great article on her blog on how to shed 500 calories per day. Check out Really Rainey for the full article.

Here's a sneak peak at some of the finer points...

The most basic way to lose weight is to cut calories. That’s Diet 101. But how many do you really have to cut or burn to see results? It’s simple: You can drop a pound a week by trimming 500 calories each day. (Calories burned are based on a 150-pound woman.)

In fact, do a couple of swaps a day and you can drop 10 pounds in five weeks! So try these 50 easy tweaks—and get the slim body you want in no time.

1. Shake your groove thing. DANCE for just two hours and torch 500 calories. (A little air guitar will burn a few extra calories, too.)

2. Get enough sleep. SLEEPINESS can make you snack, new research from the University of Chicago shows. People who got only 5 1/2 hours of sleep noshed more during the day.

3. Don’t eat in front of the TV. You’ll eat up to 288 calories more, according to research from the University of Massachusetts. Instead, eat at the table, and trade one hour of TV for a casual walk. Together, that’s 527 calories burned.

4. Get in tune with your tummy. Pay attention to how full you feel, and put down your fork when you’re satisfied. Listen to your body’s cues—instead of looking at whether the plate is clean—and save up to 500 calories a day.

5. Limit dinner guests. Eating with seven or more other guests can make you eat 96 percent more food, says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating. That’s like doubling your dinner! Dine with fewer guests to save 500 or more calories.

6. Limit salad toppings. A big salad might seem healthy, but all those goodies on top add exponentially to the calorie count.

7. Don’t clean your plate. Leave 25 percent of your food on the plate at every meal, says weight-loss expert James O. Hill, Ph.D., author of The Step Diet. If you normally eat 2,000 calories or more each day, you’ll cut 500 calories.

8. Use smaller plates. Swap your dinner plate for a 10-inch one. You’ll eat 20 to 25 percent less—and save up to 500 calories. You won’t feel any less full, either, researchers say.

9. Serve and sit. Family-style meals, with platters and bowls of food on the table, invite people to go back for seconds and thirds. Cut hundreds of calories by filling plates before bringing them to the table; leave serving dishes in the kitchen, too.

10. Make a swap. Use 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt instead of 1 cup heavy cream in a favorite baking recipe. Save 684 calories.

Visit Really Rainey 

for these and more great weight loss tips!!!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Sharing linky love today with...

Workout Mommy

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) whole chicken 4 carrots, halved 4 stalks celery, halved 1 large onion, halved

water to cover salt and pepper, to taste chicken bouillon (optional)

Directions:

1.

Put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often).

2.

Take everything out of the pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste, if desired. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot, stir together, and serve. This recipe makes 10 servings at approximately 150 calories per serving. That would be 3 Weight Watcher points, and practically no carbs. Excellent recipe to make and freeze in single serving containers for lunch packs or a great snack.

Benefits of Yoga

How do you eat an elephant?

One spoonful at a time.

How are you successful at the "A Better Me" Challenge?

By making small, steady improvements and decisions one at a time.

I know I need to move more. But where to begin? Walk the dogs? Join a gym? Well, the first thing I'm going to do is prepare for a yoga class that is taught once per week at the office. It's convenient. It's fun. And I will have the support of coworkers to continue. My class begins January 20. Have you ever considered yoga?

Physiological Benefits of Yoga 

Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium

Pulse rate decreases

Respiratory rate decreases

Blood Pressure decreases

EMG activity decreases

Cardiovascular efficiency increases

Respiratory efficiency increases

Gastrointestinal function normalizes

Endocrine function normalizes

Excretory functions improve

Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increases

Breath-holding time increases

Joint range of motion increase

Grip strength increases

Eye-hand coordination improves

Dexterity skills improve

Reaction time improves

Posture improves

Strength and resiliency increase

Endurance increases

Energy level increases

Weight normalizes

Sleep improves

Immunity increases

Pain decreases

Steadiness improves

Depth perception improves

Balance improves

Integrated functioning of body parts improves

　

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase

Mood improves and subjective well-being increases

Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase

Social adjustment increases

Anxiety and Depression decreases

Hostility decreases

Concentration improves

Memory improves

Attention improves

Learning efficiency improves

Mood improves

Self-actualization increase

Social skills increases

Well-being increases

Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase

Self-acceptance increase

Attention improves

Concentration improves

Memory improves

Learning efficiency improves

Symbol coding improves

Depth perception improves

Flicker fusion frequency improves

　

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

Glucose decreases

Sodium decreases

Total cholesterol decreases

Triglycerides decrease

HDL cholesterol increases

LDL cholesterol decreases

VLDL cholesterol decreases

Cholinesterase increases

Hemoglobin increases

Lymphocyte count increases

Total white blood cell count decreases

Thyroxin increases

Vitamin C increases

Total serum protein increases

It may not be all the exercise I need, but it is a start.