New Year, New Me, New Blog

I have completely started over from scratch, I have moved to:  http://walkinggirl.extrapounds.com/

We are going to do awesome this year!!!

hugs,

April

Back to Counting Calories

I think WW is awesome I really do but for some reason I love counting calories more.. :-)  Maybe because I live out in the country and can't get to meetings, but I always go back to calories no matter what I try..lol  And one thing that never changes is my walking.  Calories in vs calories out and that is what will get me to my goal.  Walking helps me so much, since I am far from perfect and yes love food.  I have days I go over that isn't my free day for one reason or another, TOM, stress, life, etc... and on those days I make sure I get extra walking in on my pedometer, it has really helped me.

I guess I will get off of here and go get a Leslie tape in and then later step in place and watch Biggest Loser.. :-)

Everyone have a great day!!! 

Weigh In

WooHoo!!!  I lost another 3.5 pounds!!!  I am so excited!!  I am loving WW and walking!!  I got in 14957 steps yesterday and it earned me 6 APs but being the night before weigh in, didn't use them.  :-)   I did get 10000 steps every day last week and stayed within my points except a few I went over which I always earned AP for.  I didn't get any Leslie tapes in this week but will be adding some this week, slowly only 1 mile ones for now with my 10000 steps.  Today is my free day, so I won't count my points but will put down that I used all my flex points... :-)

Everyone have a wonderful OP week!!! 

Doctor

Well I went to the doctor Tuesday for my well woman checkup.  I was so happy to find out I didn't have to have a pap smear...woohoo!!!!  They said I only had to have one now once every three years since the discovered the new HPV virus.  I wish they would have found that out years ago..rofl  I did make an appt for my mammogram the day before Thanksgiving.  They called me yesterday with my test results, well it wasn't the greatest!  I am already on blood pressure meds and now I have to add cholestrol meds to it, with all these awful side effects.  My Tryglicerides were 259 and are supposed to be no higher than 149.  Also my blood sugar was fine but inching up to borderline high so no meds but they said I needed to watch my fat, lose weight and exercise more.  Sooo since I just started WW Monday, and they are good about having you eat less fat plus earning more AP points through exercise, I think this will help me alot!!!  I have been doing good so far.. :-)  This week I have been counting points and getting at least 10000 steps in which earns me 3 AP's.  Next week I will add Leslie tapes.  I might even try her challenge again.. :-)

I hope everyone has a great OP day!!!

The Big Day!!!

Well, first off I don't know what happend to my last post about WW, weird!?

I binged all last week, it was TOM kinda, definately the cramps, migraines from hell, etc...  I am soooo excited about starting WW today!!!  I promised my self and my family that I will give it my all and stick it out even when I have over point days.  And no matter what get my steps in!!!  :-)  I will keep you updated.

I go to the doctor for my Well Woman exam, yuck and schedule my mammogram.  Be glad to get those things over with..lol  I will go ahead and get my flu shot while there too.

I am going to make my Turkey wraps and then will be back to check on all of you!

Have a great OP day!!!!

Fiber

Fiber in Your Diet

How many of you get enough fiber in your daily diet? Fiber can be found in many foods. Why do you think fiber is an important part of your diet? What foods can we find fiber in? How many grams of fiber are required daily?

What is fiber? Fiber is the part of the food that cannot be digested or broken down into a form of energy for the body; thus no calories. Fiber is considered a type of complex carbohydrate although it cannot be absorbed to produce energy.

Let's first look at some of the benefits from fiber:

• Fiber will help you lose weight.
• Fiber reduces your risk of cancer.
• Fiber will reduce your risk of heart attack.
• Fiber will help to improve your immunity.
• Fiber will help you maintain your goal weight for life.
• Fiber helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
• Fiber helps bowel regularity.
• Fiber reduces your risk of developing diabetes and helps maintain a normal blood sugar.
• Fiber is a natural appetite suppressant.
• Fiber fights disease.

We all know that reducing calories is the only way to lose weight. Fiber helps to curb your appetite and that means you take in less calories, thus losing weight. Fiber also helps reduce absorption of calories from the food you eat. You can eat a whole lot of fiber filled foods without eating a lot of calories because fiber filled foods are low-energy-density foods (fewer calories per bite). Now, that's something I personally love since I tend to be a volume eater. Another important benefit from fiber is that is slows down your body's conversion of carbohydrate to sugar, which helps keep your blood glucose stable which helps you lose weight.

Canadian researchers conducted a clinical study in 1995 where they examined the fiber intake of three different weight groups: normal, moderately obese and severely obese - each group had fifty people. The results were amazing! The normal group consumed an average of 18.8 grams of fiber daily; the moderately obese group consumed an average of 13.3 grams of fiber daily and the severely obese group consumed an average of 13.7 grams of fiber daily. The test results showed the importance of a high-fiber diet and weight loss/maintenance.

Our small intestine produces a hormone that creates a feeling of fullness. Does anyone know what that hormone is called? I sure didn't. The hormone is called cholecystokinin, abbreviated CCK. CCK is the messenger that tells you that you are full. Guess what? Fiber promotes and prolongs the elevation of CCK in the blood, which makes you feel full longer. CCK is a gastrointestinal hormone that is responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. Isn't it great having a hormone that suppresses hunger? I know I need all the help I can get.

When you eat fiber filled foods you will have an increased volume in your stomach which makes you feel full. You will also have higher levels of CCK which makes you feel full. On top of that fiber also reduces calories you have already eaten by excreting more calories in your stool. Studies have shown that for every gram of fiber you eat, about 7 calories get eliminated. You might be wondering how in the world this process works. Fiber is blocking the absorption of calories consumed. In all the studies done there has been no proof that fiber prevents your body from retaining the nutrients it needs but the opposite has been shown; that fiber can enhance your body's absorption of nutrients. You get the weight loss benefits of fiber along with all the other benefits.

35 grams of fiber daily will help you eliminate calories, feel fuller, keep you healthy and lose weight. Can you believe how much fiber helps us? Fiber-rich foods are energy-rich, antioxidant-rich, disease-preventing foods. So, now that we know for a fact that fiber is a very important part of our diet what foods have fiber in them?

You will not find fiber in any animal products. Fiber comes from a plant's cell walls. Dietary fiber is the fiber component of food. Fiber does not have any nutrients but the food that contains the dietary fiber is filled with healthy nutrients. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves and breaks down in water, forming a thick gel. Soluble fiber is technically called pectin, gum and mucilage. Soluble fiber prolongs the stomach from emptying so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly. It binds with fatty acids, which are the building blocks of fat. There are some pretty wonderful benefits of soluble fiber which includes regulating your blood sugar and lowering your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol; reducing your risk of heart disease. What foods contain soluble fiber? A few are apples, barley, beets, carrots, cranberries, lentils, oat bran, oranges, peaches and peas.

Insoluble fiber, also known as roughage, does not dissolve in water or break down in your digestive system. Insoluble fiber passes through the gastrointestinal tract almost intact. Insoluble fiber is technically called cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Insoluble fiber moves bulk through the intestines and controls and balances the pH (degree of acidity or alkalinity) in the intestines.

Let's look at some of the benefits of insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber promotes regularity, preventing constipation. It also removes toxic waste from the colon and helps prevent colon cancer by keeping an optimal pH in the intestines. Some good food sources of insoluble fiber are cauliflower, dried beans, flaxseed, fruit skins, popcorn, potato skins, root vegetable skins, wheat bran, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, whole grain pasta and whole grain oatmeal.

Do we need both types of fiber, insoluble and soluble? Yes! Both types of fiber provide unique nutritional benefits. The recommended amount of fiber needed daily is 20 to 35 grams a day. When you increase your fiber intake don't forget to drink enough water, which is needed to help pass the bulk through your intestines. One of the recommendations is to divide your weight in pounds by two and drink that many ounces of water per day. [Or divide your weight in Kg by 30 and that will give you the number of liters to drink.] Slowly increase your fiber intake. You can use a fiber supplement but try to remember that it is always best to get your fiber from fiber filled foods.

I do try to get plenty of fiber in my daily diet with my oatmeal, salads, and beans. For the next couple of weeks I'll be looking into other foods that contain fiber to give me a variety. Let's all go out in the next couple of weeks and try to find some new fiber-rich foods we can enjoy.

~~~The Fiber 35 Diet by Brenda Watson, C.N.C. with Leonard Smith, M.D

 

Weigh in and Crazy week

Sorry I didn't post all week.  It was crazy, Brandy was home for fall break and Tom was off several days so we had Pizza Hut and Halloween Candy one night, went out to eat at Olive Garden one night plus Starbucks.  So I made sure I would get extra steps this week to try and block some of the calories..lol  Well I really wanted to at least stay the same after all that and to my wonderful shock, I lost 2 more pounds!!!!  I am in heaven!!!!  I will make sure I keep my steps up no matter what.. :-)

Saturday we took my daughter to her open house at the University of Oklahoma.  It was awesome!!!  She is so excited to start thier next year.  She is still scared but felt so much better getting to walk around the campus and meeting some wonderful people.  It was game day so we all had a blast on top of it.  I did get a little out of breath on and off but the worst thing was my feet.  They hurt sooo bad, I had to keep stopping.  The shoes I wore were from curves, I don't think they had alot of support.  I do have some from Ryka coming which I hope makes a huge difference.

I am a member of Leslie Sansone's Walking Club online and they started new challenges this week so I joined one.  I will probably be the lowest one in miles but I don't care it will sure help motivate me to get my tapes in.. :-)

My goals for the week:

• 2000 calories or less
• Sat free day
• 12000 steps per day
• WATP tape 5 days

Everyone have a great OP week!!!  :-)

Weigh in

WooHoo!!!!  I am back down 2.5 pounds from being sick and on vacation!!!  I'm rockin and rollin!!!..lol  I had a great week overall!  Not perfect!  I did go over my calories a couple days but I made sure each time I made up for it by getting extra steps in.  It was also nice to be getting back with Leslie tapes again.  I did 1 1 mile M, W, and F.  I hope next week to add some of her weighted balls.  :-)  

Today is my free day so might go thrift shopping and out to eat.  My hubby and daughter will be gone at the OU homecoming parade and then game tonight.  Go OU!!!  I will be watching it tonight on TV, maybe I will see them.. :-)

My goals for next week are:

• 2000 calories
• Leslie tape M,W,F adding weighted balls
• 10,000 plus steps
• 1 free day

I have been reading Leslie's sisters book the drive thru diet.  Her sister is a nutritionist and teaches about counting calories and not having any guilt anymore over food.  She says everything is allowed in  moderation.  Just throw in some fruit, veggies, good fats, protein, carbs, and not to worry about anything else you eat as long as you don't go over your calories.  She says it is very important to exercise for the rest of your life to help burn even more calories and all the health benefits that goes with it!  Live one day at a time, enjoy life with no guilt over food!  Don't ever eat to few calories!!!  :-)

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

 

Recipes

Here are some I enjoy often:

My Turkey Wraps:

• 2 Aztec flour tortillas
• 1/2 TBL T.Mazartti Light Ranch, or light cream cheese and dill, or laughing cow light
• Hot Sauce
• 1 slice of 2% Swiss Cheese
• 6 thin slices of lean deli turkey
• options:  tomatoes, avacodoes, lettuce

About 410 calories for all

Egg Wraps:

• 2 Aztec Flour Tortialla
• Laughing Cow light
• Hot sauce
• 5 egg whites, 1 whole egg
• optional:  onions, squash, etc..  Cook the onions and squash and it gives it a sweet taste

About 440 calories for all

Chocolate - Peanut Butter Chip Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 Box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Devils food cake mix
• 15 ounces Pumpkin, canned
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips

Mix ingredients together until smooth.  Pour into muffin tins.  Bake at 350F until done.

12 Muffins:  4.4 points or 220 calories

18 Muffins:  2.8 points or 146 calories

24 Muffins:  2.2 points or 110 calories

(These are very yummy, moist and filling)

Have a great OP day!!!!   :-)

 

Still hanging in there!

Well I got through Monday great!!!  I got in my Leslie tape and 10,000 steps and stayed within my calorie range.  But Tuesday night I ended up eating light cheese dip but the chips killed me, should have eaten baked or something.  Well to make up for it, I watched Biggest Loser and stepped my heart out.  Got in over 13,000 steps!!  WooHoo!!! 

Here is some Tips from Kathy Smith below: