Week 2 of Healthy Weight Journey

Eat healthy portions

 

Growing up, my portions were based on filling up the entire plate, bowl, or container I was using. I was raised to eat everything that was on my plate! Because of that, I always thought that I should feel super stuffed after each meal! During my later years in college, I learned to match the portion size of my meals with what is the recommended serving size. I do this by using a little trick that I absolutely love. I use my hand measuring cups! It's an easy way for me to get an idea if the portion size of my meal is jumbo or not. Over time and practice, you will be able to eye ball what is too much and what is just right!

Hand Measuring Cups

Meals in perspective of Hand Guide!

Meal 1: 1 whole wheat toast, 1 Thumb of peanut butter, 1/2 banana

Meal 2: Handful of grapes

Meal 3: 2 Fists of lettuce, 1 Palm of chicken, 2 thump tips of balsamic vinaigrette.

Meal 4: 1 Apple with a thumb of Low fat Cheddar Cheese

Meal 5: 1 Palm of Halibut, 1/2 Fist of cooked Veggies, 1/2 fist of brown

rice

*this is an idea of how you should eat when you are dieting.

Try to eat foods from each of the food groups everyday!

Your body will thank you!

Type of Food	How many servings a day?	Example of 1 Serving
Fruits	2-3 Servings	1 apple, banana, or orange 3/4 cup of fruit juice 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
Vegetables	4 Servings	1/2 cup of cooked or chopped raw vegetables 3/4 cup of vegetable juice 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
Protein	2 Servings	2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
Dairy	2-3 Servings	1 cup of milk 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese 1 cup of yogurt
Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Whole Grains	6-9 Servings	1 slice of bread 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal

* The range of servings represents recommended servings for less active women to very active women.

Tips to Keeping portions under control

1.) Use smaller plates or bowls. Instead of a dinner plate use a salad plate. The idea of having a full plate makes you more satisfied than having a plate that is partly filled.

2.) Eat slowly and enjoy your food. I like to try to guess all the ingredients  in dishes I eat. It is amazing how much more you can taste all the different flavors in a dish when you take the time to taste your food!

3.) Don't focus on what you cannot eat but focus on what you should eat! Make sure each meal has vegetables and/or fruits. Since vegetables and fruit have less calories per volume than most foods, your belly will feel full before you can get tempted to overload on junk food!

4.) If you are still hungry after eating your meal, wait 15-20 minutes to let your brain and stomach register if you are full or not. After you wait a little, you will be surprised that you are not hungry anymore!

5.) When eating out, order an appetizer or split a dish with a friend. Restaurant dishes are usually way to large. If there is a main dish you really want but do not have anyone to share with, just pack half of it away in a to go box before you start eating your meal! That way you will not be tempted to eat the whole entire plate!

Not So Guilty Christmas Jar

Why not give the Not so Guilty Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies as a gift?! Honestly, this is the best way for anyone to receive a fresh batch of cookies. All they have to do is just pour the cookie mix in a bowl, add 1 egg, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, spoon 12 globs on a baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 mins at 350 F! Easy Peezie Cookie Yum!  Each Jar makes a batch of 12 cookies, which is a perfect batch size to share with friends!

Directions

1.) Layer ingredients in same order ingredients listed below.

2/3 cup 100% whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup oatmeal oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2.) Add your own personal touch! I wrapped a snowman cloth over the lid and tied it off with a white ribbon.

3.) Add a note with a personal message and baking directions.

4.) Give gift to a friend or loved one! If you are lucky, you might get one of the cookies they baked!

At first, getting the hang of eating the right portions can be difficult especially when eating out. But don't worry!  Over time as you keep measuring out your food, you will become familiar with what is a healthy portion size. You will start seeing that a lot of restaurant and fast food meals are super jumbo! Keep up the good work Healthy Babes! You are one step closer to healthier you! Yahoo!

Love, 

Cindy Kimmi

Week 1 on The Healthy Weight Journey

During my first years in college, I would eat 1 to 2 huge meals a day!
 Eventually, I learned that eating several small meals was a better way
 for me to manage a healthy weight.

Eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day helps when trying to lose weight because it:

• Provides a constant energy supply. Small but frequent meals will improve your energy level. With more energy, you can have a more productive day and a better workout!
• Decreases chances of overeating.The small meals will help control your appetite throughout the day. This will prevent you from getting super hungry and overeating. 
• Increases metabolism. Since your body is continuously getting food, your body's metabolism increases  and you burn more calories. 

Example of 1 day of eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks 

     8-9 am: small whole wheat bagel (not jumbo), 1 tbs peanut butter, 1 cup                       coffee w/ almond milk

     10-11 am: 1 fruit

     12-1 pm: chicken salad w/ non creamy dressing

     3-4 pm: 20 almonds

     5-7 pm: salmon, 1 cup cooked veggies, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

     9-10 pm (2hrs before bed): 1/2 cup greek yogurt w/ cinnamon

As you can see, when I say eat 5-6 times a day, I do not mean eat 5-6 full meals a day! I made that mistake when I changed to eating throughout the day. I ate  5-6 whole meals a day! Even though I was eating healthy, I gained weight because I was eating way more calories than my Basal Metabolic Rate, the amount of calories your body needs to function in one day. You can check your BMR too! Click Here!

Myth Buster

1.) Skipping meals will help you lose weight. 

Wrong!

Skipping meals will put your body in STARVATION MODE. Since your body thinks you are starving, your body will cling on to your fat as an attempt to store energy.  However, if you are consistent in eating throughout the day, your body learns to trust that you will always provide it food. As a result, your body will not worry about storing energy and start using the food, increasing your metabolism! Yah baby!

2.) Eating 5-6 meals a day is the only way to lose weight.

Nope!

Even though eating 5-6 meals a day has its benefits, it is not for everyone. Such as people who are emotional eaters, have busy schedules, or just have a hard time stop eating once they start.  Eating 5-6 times a day worked for me because I love to snack and eat different kinds of food. However, I can imagine how hard it would be to eat every 3 hours if you have a hard time controlling how much you eat. Ultimately, what matters the most is that you eat less calories than you burn in a day! 

I have a healthy surprise for you!

I am such a big fan of sweets and cannot imagine not eating them! This is why I made a healthier version of my favorite cookie in the world! Oatmeal Chocolate Chip! Simply by substituting butter with olive oil, sugar with stevia, and white flour with 100% whole wheat flour, I lowered the calories of one cookie from 255 calories to 155.5 calories and also increased the nutritional value! Yay! But wait! This does not mean you can eat more cookies! Remember... eat everything in moderation. Go ahead and give the recipe a try! Why not take it to your next holiday party. You will be doing everyone a favor by bringing a healthier but still super yummy dessert! = D

Not so Guilty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cup oatmeal oats

2/3 cup 100% whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp stevia

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg

155.5 per cookie

1.) Pre-heat oven to Bake 350.
2.) Mix egg, vanilla extract, and olive oil together.
2.) Add sugar, stevia, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chocolate chips and oatmeal oats.
3.) Scoop 1 tbs of cookie dough onto baking sheet. Should make 1 dozen cookies. 
4.) Leave cookies in oven for 8-10 mins. 
5.) Let it cool for 5 mins.
6.) Now its time to enjoy a delicious cookie with some almond milk! YUM!

I love to bake and eat sweets. Yes that is a dangerous combination but with moderation and healthier alternatives, I can still live a healthy lifestyle without giving up the things I love! Now lets start off the holidays with a healthy mind and body! You are in control of your life and you can make the changes to live the life you want. Remember, you are a Healthy Babe! 

Love,

Cindy Kimmi

How to Reach a Healthy Weight

March 2012

Aug 2012

After years of trying to drop the extra pounds I gained throughout college, I experimented with many different ways to lose weight.  I tried everything! After many trials and failures, I finally figured it out. My priority was totally off! Getting skinny to look skinny will not get you any where. Instead, you will be living a life constantly revolved thinking about your image. I realized living a healthy lifestyle of moderation and balance is the right way to go! Funny enough, as soon as I changed my priorities and started focusing on taking care of my body, I lost weight! I know how tough it is battling an unhealthy lifestyle so I want to help! Over the next 6 weeks focusing on the 3 key parts below, I will share with you how to live a healthier balanced life. At the end of The Healthy Babe Weight Journey, you will definitely be on your way to starting the New Year as a Healthy Babe!

The Healthy Babe Weight Journey 

Part 1: Fuel your body.

 - Eat 5-6 times a day, around every 3 hours

 - Eat a little bit of everything from each food group 

 - Pay attention to portion size instead of counting calories

 - Consume, at most, 2 sweets or sugary/alcoholic drinks a week 

 - Log what you eat and drink every day

 - Drink 8-10 cups of water a day

Part 2: Work your body. 

 - Do 30 min strength training 4 times a week.

 - Do 30 min cardio training 4-5 times a week. 

 - Do 1 hour of yoga at least once a week.

 Part 3: Love your body. 

 - Write down your goals. 

 - Write in a journal every morning reminding yourself why you are doing this. 

 - Write in your journal before you go to bed, taking note of your days accomplishments    

    and if any, slip ups of the day.



Now is the time to turn your life around and start living the healthy life you  have always wanted. I know you can do it! 

Love,

Cindy Kimmi