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OT - Tone-up Tuesday

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Happy Tuesday, STalkers! How goes it with you? Are you able to get out and be active or does cold weather keep you indoors? Here are some small changes to your eating habits that can help you keep off the weight – or lose some!

DRINK UP! When you don’t drink enough water, your body can confuse hunger with thirst. Upping your water intake can have big impact on how much you eat during the day. Carry a water bottle so you have a physical reminder to drink.

PREPARE BREAKFAST ahead of time. Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and helps you focus, but people tend to skip it because they’re pressed for time. Make a breakfast casserole over the weekend and divide into portions (or make muffins!) or throw together overnight oats. Even a protein shake is better than nothing. Grab your breakfast and go!

SUBSTITUTE zucchini, squash, or beet noodles for pasta. Swap out rice with cauliflower rice. Less carbs and less calories AND you’re adding a healthy vegetable to your meal.

TAP YOUR TOES! Researchers found that simply fidgeting can reduce the arterial damage that happens from spending too much time on your derriere. In the study, healthy men and women were asked to intermittently tap one foot, while keeping the other one still. After three hours, they compared the blood flow in each leg and found that the fidgeting one showed improved vascular function, while the stationary leg was worse off.

PUT YOUR SNACKS on a plate instead of eating from the package. This helps you control how much you eat.

SUBSTITUE GREEK YOGURT for sour cream or mayonnaise. Yogurt with an added dose of probiotics can actually help you lose more body fat.

SWAP THAT POP with sparkling water. Make sure it’s sparkling water with no artificial sweeteners or chemicals. Instead of a rum and coke, have a rum with sparkling mango water!

EAT A SALAD every day. Do NOT load up on fatty dressing. Try dipping the tines of your fork in dressing before you stab a forkful of salad.

GRAB THOSE NUTS! Eat a handful of nuts to tide you over. A small portion of any raw nut helps keep your blood sugar stable. The perfect portion size is about: 22 almonds, 15 cashews, or 8 walnut halves.

EAT SPICY MUSTARD instead of regular mustard or mayo. Hot spicy mustard amps up the metabolism be creating a heat effect in the body. Mustard seeds are also a good source of antioxidants and omega-3.

DON'T ELIMINATE TREATS! Banishing treat can lead to failure. A drastically limited diet is NOT sustainable and can leave you feeling deprived. Savoring a small treat daily won’t sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Keep your treats small – aim for 150 calories or less. Try 2 squares of dark chocolate, 1/2 cup of ice cream, or 5 oz of wine.

CHEW GUM when you cook so you won’t be tempted to snack on the ingredients. Not a gum chewer? Brush your teeth!

 

What's YOUR healthy-eating tip?

Comments

lieutenant_dad's picture

I have no healthy eating tips at the moment. I'm still nursing my sprained (perhaps dislocated) ankle, which aggravated my knee, which has aggravated my back. I havent been able to go to the gym in 3 weeks, and I'm DYING.

But, my healthy eating tip: skip the bread when you can. Many times you won't realize you missed it, and those of us who are American get PLENTY of carbs without it.

So, if you're going to eat bread, make it worth it. A bleached white flour hamburger bun isn't going to satiate squat, and it WILL drive your blood sugar through the roof, as well as pack on an additional 150+ empty calories.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Lt Dad, I'm sorry about your ankle/knee/back!

I agree with you about bleached white flour bread. One of my fave breads is a Finnish recipe passed down through my family that uses coarsely ground barley flour and either rye or wheat flour. Nom nom nom...

Cover1W's picture

I don't drink enough water at work, so this summer I started taking in a lime/lemon each Monday and using it during the week in my water glass.  Viola!  I now drink several large glasses of water in the afternoon and feel more awake at the end of a crazy work day.

Lol

 

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

I love Powerade Zero Smile Though sometimes I water it down a bit... I can't handle very much sweet in my drinks... lol

I had to stop chewing gum... Apparently when you chew it for stress it can cause the ligaments in your jaw to loosen up... I've been stressed since before stephe!!... Stephe!! was just a nice little dollop on top that added an avalanche... lol

I love all your tips... Especially days like today where I was tired and dreamed about waking up and changing and exercising... Waking up and realizing it was all a lie was a dissapointment... Second day in a row... UGH

Aniki-Moderator's picture

I've never had Powerade. Gatorade is so-so. The only flavor I actually like is a cherry one that is white. I freeze it into popsicles. 

That damn stress!

ProbablyAlreadyInsane's picture

I can only do powerade Zero... The normal ones are too sweet for me and I can't handle them. lol

MidwestMrs's picture

I mix Greek yogurt with parmesan cheese and use for salad drssing. Salad always has nuts for protein.

Aniki-Moderator's picture

I've never tried Greek yogurt. *pardon*

Sometimes I add a quarter cup of cottage cheese as "dressing".