I don’t know about you, but when it’s summer I love to eat ice cream or splurge on some other dessert. We’re more active in the summer so why not allow yourself to enjoy some of these sweet treats. We all need to indulge now and then to avoid deprivation and binging later. Frozen foods can be a great way to treat ourselves—not only for taste and convenience, but for portion control.
For a cool 100 calories, you can unwrap Klondike’s Slim-a-Bear sandwich, or scoop a handful of vanilla Edy’s Dibs. Other diet-smart sweets:
· Luigi’s Italian Ice in lemon or cherry (120 calories)
· Skinny Cow ice cream pops (160 calories)
· Sugar-free Fudgsicles and Popsicles (15-35 calories)
· Weight Watchers Key Lime Cheesecake (150 calories)
· Smart Ones Chocolate Eclairs (140 calories)
Next time you’re looking for a cool treat, try one of these and you won’t have all the added guilt that comes with other desserts.
The challenging thing about vacation for me is the loss of routine. Since I am a weekend binger I need some structure to make better choices. Obviously all that goes out the window when you go on vacation. When it comes to vacation and Losing Weight there are a few things I know.
First of all it is ok to eat things you feel are not ok to eat on a diet or part of a healthy lifestyle. It is really more about moderation than anything. So when I go on vacation I do allow myself to have a few things I normally do not eat. The top of my list is ice cream and cookies. I only had them a couple of times so all and all that is not a big deal. I also had french fries a couple of times which I almost never eat. The rest of the time I made reasonable choices. Your mind and body need this time off from your normal daily life. Life is too short to feel like you are restricted to eat certain foods.
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We all have moments of weaknesses when it comes to food. Some of us have a more than others. Then are some like me that have secret obsessions with food. The stress of trying to lose weight or maintain can cause us to do some crazy things. When I feel the binge desire starting it will be anything I can get my hands on. My latest obsession is Reddi Whip. My Mom had jello with Cool Whip at Easter for the kids dessert and I have been crazy for Reddi Whip ever since. At first I purchased it to put on strawberry pie then it quickly changed to just consuming the can all by itself. I’m now buying four to five cans a week. As for as binging goes there are a couple of positives about the whip cream. First of all I buy the fat free version which is very yummy so when I eat the whole can I’m only consuming about 200 calories which for a binger is nothing. Also Reddi Whip has so much air in it that it has a filling effect. It gives the sensation of fullness I need fast to stop me from eating anything else. I realize this is not a healthy habit. The fact of the matter is other than binging from now and again I really eat very healthy. I really am trying to cut back.
In the spirit of my secret obsession I thought I would include a few healthy reminders to help cut your cravings so you can lose weight.
* Eat protein every morning and with every meal
* Eat only whole, real, fresh food
* Eat food with plenty of fiber like beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables and fruit
* Eat smaller, more frequent meals (three meals and two snacks) to prevent your blood sugar from ever getting too high or too low
Thousands of new foods and beverages are introduced into your local grocery store in a year. Some of the most popular items claim to be natural, organic, fresh, low or no fat, to contain no preservatives or to have more vitamins. But some healthy-sounding foods are impostors, implying they offer more than they really do.
Most of us are aware that just because a bread’s label says it is seven-grain or whole wheat, that doesn’t mean it’s so. But there are many more deceptive tricks to avoid. Learn how to distinguish healthy foods from some of the thousands of foods that fool:
Flax, walnuts, and soy
Most people know that the omega-3 fats are the “good for you” fats. There actually are three omega-3s. Flax, walnuts and soy contain an omega-3 fat called ALA that is great for lowering heart disease risk. But that’s about all. You get a much bigger bang for your buck with the other two omega-3s found in fatty fish, especially the omega-3 fat DHA. This fat lowers heart disease risk, and it potentially lowers the risk for depression, asthma, postpartum depression, dementia, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. You need at least two servings a week of salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines.
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