How I lost 73 pounds

Hello again!
In this post I wanted to share some hints/tips I learned during my time spent with L.A. Weight Loss. Even though I'm no longer in the weight-loss phase (although I still want to lose 15 pounds!), these are tips I'm confident I will utilize for the rest of my life. They really keep me on track!

*Eat 6 small meals per day.
--Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner, mid-evening snack. L.A. recommends you eat 2 protein bars/day (one for mid-morning snack, one for mid-afternoon snack). These bars should have 7-10 grams of protein and no more than 210 calories. Some brands I recommend are South Beach and Special K. They recommend protein bars as a snack because protein makes you feel full. Sometimes I get sick of the bars so I eat an apple with a tsp. of reduced-fat peanut butter (it tastes the same as regular pb, I SWEAR!) because of the protein. Also, fiber bars do the same trick as protein bars--both leave you feeling full, and taste GREAT!

*Drink 64 oz. of water/day.
--This was hard for me to do at first because I wasn't a water drinker. But I learned to love it, and now I can't live without it. Keeping hydrated with H2O prevents me from over eating because I never have an empty stomach. My counselor advised me not to go too far over 64 oz. because I would then just be flushing out essential vitamins I'm receiving from all the fruits and veggies I'm eating. If you're not a water drinker, those single-serving Crystal Light flavor packets do the trick. Most have just 5 calories per serving.

*Don't follow the food pyramid (*during weight loss)
--When I was in the weight loss phase, I was allowed to eat:
2 servings of fruit
2 servings of vegetables
1.5 servings of starches (carbs)
1.5 servings of dairy
2 servings of protein
1 fat (olive oil, margarine)
2 protein bars
64 oz. of water
L.A. provides you with a book that lists all the food groups and what is considered a serving for each. For example, a serving of lean protein, such as chicken, fish, or turkey is 4 oz. A serving of dairy, such as milk, is 8 oz. A serving of vegetables, such as spinach, is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Following these menu guidelines is essential to losing weight.

*All vegetables are not created equal.
--L.A. really opened my eyes when it comes to myths and realities of healthy eating. For instance, I always thought that all vegetables were fair game, which is not always true. Carrots and corn are pretty much a starch, so much so that eating them counted towards my starch intake, not vegetables. How vegetables are cooked is important as well. L.A. always pushed all-green RAW veggies as the best as far as vitamins and nutrients. Heating drastically destroys the nutrients of the vegetables, but if you steam them (I couldn't go a day without my steamer!) all of the vitamins stay in tact. Oh, and speaking of vitamins---my counselor told me how important it is to use "Light" salad dressing instead of "Fat-Free" salad dressing. In order for your body to absorb all of the vitamins from the salad it has to have fat lipids to absorb it. If you're eating fat-free dressing, the vitamins have no way of absorbing into your body. You may be getting away with a slightly leaner meal, but you're missing out of the nutrients.

*Fill up before you fill up.
--When I go out to eat I usually try to start my meal with a salad or broth-based soup before my main course. My counselor taught me that if I fill up on either one of those choices, I'm likely to reduce my caloric intake during the meal.

*Water isn't just for drinking.
--Yeah, you heard me right. L.A. taught me to choose foods with higher water content to help me feel full. For example, I choose grapes over raisins, cucumbers over pickles.

*Watch your portions!
--My problem was and always will be portion control. I never finished eating when I was satisfied, I finished eating when I was full. It should always be the opposite! During the weight-loss phase and now I'll eat a Lean Cuisine (or something comparable) paired with a vegetable and a serving of dairy to make it a full meal. My counselor always told me to observe the serving sizes of the frozen dinners--that's what the servings are supposed to look like! When I would go to restaurants or make dinner at home, I would (apparently) intake 5+ servings of food! And take your time when you eat. A little trick I use is to eat with my less-dominant hand (in my case, my left) because it's a little more complicated. My right hand allows me to shovel in my food!

*Sodium, sodium, sodium.
--I read EVERY nutrition label on all food items I buy now. L.A. taught me to check sodium levels first and foremost because no matter how healthy you think you're eating, if the sodium levels are high the number on the scale will not get smaller. For instance, a can of light Progressive soup may only have 100 calories per serving, but a can of light Progressive soup with 50% less sodium is a much better choice. L.A.'s menu book also has a section of foods in every category that should be eaten infrequently throughout your week because they tend to have higher levels of sodium (pork, tomato juice, jarred or dried fruits, ketchup, etc.) Also I use low-sodium salt now, which tastes like regular salt. I also enhance the flavor of my foods with salt-free blends, like Mrs. Dash.

*Kick the alcohol.
--This one was very easy for me, but I know some people may need help with it. I just simply remembered: If I were to have a 12 oz light beer, it would take away 1 of my 2 starches I'm allowed during that day. Would I rather eat a light english muffin or drink a beer? Easy decision.

*Shop smart.
--I always try to eat a meal or snack before I grocery shop to avoid impulse buying and the free samples. I also try to plan my menus/meal plan before I go so I don't purchase items I don't need (this is rather difficult with my schedule, however.) I stay on the outside aisles of the stores, because this is where the fresh produce, meats and dairy are usually located. The inner aisles contain the snacks and processed foods. When purchasing light bread, I make sure I choose any bread with 40-50 calories/slice (Sara Lee makes a great 45-calorie per slice bread, and it comes in 3 different varieties.) I also try to shop 2x a week to avoid running out of fresh produce.

*Weigh yourself. And often.
--There are critics of this technique that say doing so will drive you crazy and make you fanatic of the number. I view it as a tool that keeps me in line. I weigh myself probably 3 times a day, the first being right when I wake up. This shows me how I'm going to eat throughout the day. If I'm a half-pound heavier from the day before, I know that I need to focus a little harder on my food that day. If I'm a half-pound down from the day before, I know I can sneak a piece of chocolate or a handful of chips.

*Take a day (or two) off.
--During the weight-loss phase I was in weight-loss mode 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Now that I'm in the maintenance mode I (try my hardest!) to eat on the plan Mon-Fri and then I relax a little bit on the weekends. If I didn't, I'm sure I would go CRAZY!

I hope all of these tips help you like they've continued to help me. There are weeks where I have a challenge every day, but L.A. has educated me enough that I feel I can overcome any weight issue. It will be a life-long process; the hard work doesn't end after the weight loss phase (in fact, for me it really began then!). Good luck to you all.

*sara
p.s. A few web sites I visit daily:
www.hungrygirl.com
www.healthyeatsweekly.com