This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Tracey’s weight loss story: My Journey to Health, Discovering My Own Power & Finding Shades of Grey

Occasionally, I get fan email at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet. Sure, it makes my day to receive a compliment, but even better it gives me a chance to get to know some of my readers better.

When today’s guest poster, Tracey, told me she had maintained a 60 pound weight loss over the past seven years, I had to learn more about how she did it. So I asked her to share her weight loss journey with us all.

First, just a little bit about Tracey’s background.  She’s 28 and has been living with her boyfriend for over four years. She works as an inside sales rep for an indoor tropical plant company on Long Island NY and has an associate’s degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Bachelors in Management Technology.

Her current stats are Height: 5’7 Weight: 130 lbs 19% body fat.

Tracey’s story: My Journey to Health, Discovering My Own Power & Finding Shades of Grey

My earliest food memory was back when I was about eight years old. My parents were getting divorced and I remember food being my comfort. I can remember my grandpa bringing over ice-cream sundaes when my mom (a single mother raising three girls) needed a break. It seemed food was always a stress relief or something to look forward to. Since my mother was busy working three jobs, I was left home alone quite often with access to a lot of "junk" food. I used to come home from school and watch TV for several hours until my mother got home.

Entering high school I can remember weighing 176 lbs. It was especially hard for me to deal with because I was pretty athletic despite my weight. I felt trapped by it. I loved to kickboxing and bike ride, so although these things helped keep me fit,I had no clue about nutrition and remained overweight and depressed.

This all changed when I met my then-to-be stepmother Pat. She had taken my sisters and I for summers and taught us how to read food labels, etc. I can remember grocery shopping with Pat and her saying as long as we can read the ingredients we were allowed to put it in the cart. Needless to say my sister and I would try and sneak cookies and ice cream in the grocery cart. But Pat really opened my eyes to what good food tasted like. She was of Italian descent; so many meals were made from scratch, which was not something I was accustomed to growing up. Another influence was Pat's sister Stephanie who was the first vegetarian I met. Stephanie was slender and very attractive so of course I wanted to become a vegetarian. It was my introduction to reading researching nutrition.

Guest post: The Satisfying Power of Protein and Fiber Rich Foods

The kids are on Spring Break, so I’ve invited Zane, the owner of Best Diet Pills, a website that focuses on providing consumers with no nonsense diet and diet pill reviews, to do a guest post to help out during this busy week.

The Satisfying Power of Protein and Fiber Rich Foods

Dietary experts assert that the key to maintaining energy, fullness, and a satiated appetite is to consume healthy foods that are rich in fiber and protein. 

Fiber and protein help control hunger while boosting weight loss results for an array of reasons.  Foremost, protein’s nutritional makeup is simply more complex for the body to digest.  As a result, the protein rich foods are more slowly processed by the body, allowing individuals to feel fuller for longer durations of time. 

Similarly, the body also has a more challenging task when trying to break down fiber; therefore, fiber also moves slowly through the digestive tract.  Adding to this benefit, fiber also expands when it encounters water, allowing the stomach to literally become fuller with fiber rich foods. 

By consuming these high protein and fiber foods, consumers can enjoy greater appetite control, maintain energy levels for longer periods of time, and experience greater weight loss and health benefits!

Recipes for dieters from The Mayo Clinic: The Essential Diabetes Book

I don’t have to tell you that the rise in obesity means that more people are becoming diabetic earlier in life. But did you know that diabetic books, cookbooks and websites are a great source of healthy recipes for anyone trying to lose weight? Diabetic recipes always contain nutritional information and are usually low in calories and fat, and high in nutrition.

Just released this week, Mayo Clinic Essential Diabetes Book from the world's first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group medical practice offers clear direction on managing diabetes. It also contains diabetes-friendly recipes that don’t compromise taste or quality. Here’s a few that are also very low in Weight Watchers POINTS.

Grilled Salmon with Sliced Cucumber and Radish
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. salmon fillet
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Black pepper (optional)
• 2 c. cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
• ¾ c. thinly sliced radishes
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• ¼ tsp. dill weed

Directions:

1. Rub salmon with lemon juice, then oil. Sprinkle with black pepper. Cut into 8 pieces.
2. Place salmon, skin side down, onto aluminum foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. 
3. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate.
4. Grill or broil at medium to high heat until salmon is flaky but still moist.(For best results use a food thermometer – the internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F.) 
5. Top each serving of fish with the cucumber and radish mixture.

Nutritional info per serving: Calories 168, Protein 23 g, Carbohydrate 1 g, Total fat 8 g, Monounsaturated fat 3 g, Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 54 mg, Fiber trace

Exchange list servings:

• Free food 1
• Meat and meat substitutes 3

Weight Watchers POINTS: 4

More March Madness tips from Weight Watchers

To help avoid an overload on calories, Weight Watchers recommends the following March Madness Maneuvers:

1. Pre-Game Meal:  Eat something small before heading out, such as a salad or a bowl of soup. With a fuller stomach, there will be less temptation to overeat during the game.

2. Benefit from Bad Parking and Nose Bleed Seats: Parking a couple of blocks from the arena may not seem ideal, but it’s a great opportunity to get in some exercise. Add in some steep stairs to those upper level seats and incorporate an aerobic work out that’s good for the heart and the waist line.

Weight Watchers helps you make sense of the March Madness Munchies

Whether scoring a seat at the big game or cheering your favorite team at home, chances are March Madness celebrations will be teamed with the March Munchies. (Mostly I just hide upstairs away from the snacking hordes at my house. Luckily, I’m not much of a basketball fan and would rather read a book in bed.)

Don’t panic, with these Weight Watchers tips, watching the game at home or at the sports arenas will be a slam dunk.

Hot Dog vs. Hamburger – which one is better?

In a one-on-one game, the hamburger takes the game. But when it comes to this duo, it’s size that matters. A quarter-pound hamburger (hold the cheese and mayo, of course) comes in at around 420 calories (or about 10 POINTS value) while a foot-long dog (hold the chili) weighs in at nearly 500 calories (or 12 POINTS value). Eek!

A regular sized burger reduces it to a little over 250 calories (6 POINTS value) and a plain old hot dog comes in at about 300 calories (8 POINTS value). The average hot dog on a bun is about 400 calories (8 POINTS value), but up the order to a foot-long and the calorie count nearly doubles at 700 (14 POINTS value). 

Throw an Award-Winning Oscar Party with Weight Watchers

Planning an Oscar Party this weekend? Here are some timely tips from the folks at Weight Watchers.

Pre-Party

Party like you’re a celebrity by dividing your get-together into two parts. You can have the pre-show in one area of your home where you can “dish” on your favorite actors and your favorite fare. Once the show begins, move the scene to another part of your house with the TV … away from the food. This will help prevent mindless eating and keep the focus on the Oscars – not the finger foods.

Beverage Bar

Make sure to fill your bar with lots of no-calorie drink options, such as diet sodas, bloody mary mix (minus the alcohol), flavored waters, teas and coffees. Of course alcohol has a place at the party, but be aware that it can reduce your resolve. Try to extend your drink by turning your wine into a spritzer, mix vodka with local lemonade or stay away from alcohol altogether with a beautiful pitcher of sparkling water with sliced lemons, limes and oranges.   

Dress Red Carpet Ready

Make sure to dress the part. Although you may just be lounging with some friends, it’s important to feel great in what you choose to wear.  Wear something that makes you aware of your body and what you are eating. Wearing fitted, tailored styles will help remind you when you have had plenty to eat. 

Looking for a great recipe to serve? Check this one out.

Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults

Not only does Phyllis Pellman Good’s new cookbook, Fix-It And Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-top and Oven Recipes, feature recipes, it also has some sage advice. Here’s an excerpt:

Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults

Are you stuck in a food rut and having a hard time changing to healthier eating habits? If you want to make lasting changes to the way you eat, you need a plan. Follow these steps for changing an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one: 

1. List your behaviors that you think are unhealthy. For example, maybe you eat too fast, or snack throughout the day instead of eating regular meals, or eat whenever you're under stress. 

2. Choose one behavior that you would like to change. (Trying to change everything on your list at once can feel overwhelming.) 

3. As you think about strategies for changing, try to figure out how you developed the behavior. For example, do you tend to snack all day because you're under constant stress? 

4. Brainstorm about ways to change your behavior. Think of five to seven possible solutions. Then pick one strategy that you think is practical and doable. For example, choose a healthy habit that you can substitute for an unhealthy one. 

How to lose your job and some weight at the same time

I was intrigued by the new Weight Watchers Momentum Plan especially after I had LaaLoosh guest post about it. Then I received a coupon in the mail inviting me to start going to meetings again as a Lifetime Weight Watchers member. Hmmmm, I thought, maybe I should go to a meeting and check it out.

But when was I going to find the time? Most of the meetings were in the mornings when I was scheduled to be online as a community manager for a social networking site. Then thanks to the economy, I got laid off and had time to go to meetings again. Lose a job and lose some weight, I guess.

Not to worry, I did pick up extra freelance work to make up for the two community manager gigs I lost that week, but it got me thinking about so many others who have been laid off. Yes, I know looking for work is a fulltime job. However, many career advice gurus recommend that if you cannot find a job, you should do volunteer work to keep busy so you don’t get depressed. What’s another  healthy way to keep busy? Exercising and eating right!

The Pasta Queen on eating healthy on a budget

Today I’m honored to have Jennette Fulda of the Pasta Queen doing a guest post today. Jennette was my roommate at BlogHer 2008 - she’s a terrific person to room with since she goes to bed early like me. (We may look like fabulously hip bloggers, but inside we’re rather tired, achy ladies. Sigh.)

We were both at the Quaker Oats Blogger Event, and Jennette won their oatmeal recipe challenge with her Oatmeal Expresso recipe. (She never did make it to the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival though, LOL.)

Along with reading her blog, you need to check out her book Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir or her Half-Assed website. Did I mention she lost half her body weight?

Eating Healthy on a Budget
by Jennette Fulda

When I started the process to lose over half my weight, I was still recovering from a mountain of credit card debt spent on college expenses, 12 cavities, and a new transmission. Yet, I didn't let my tight budget stop me from pursuing a healthier lifestyle, though I did dedicate a few more dollars towards dental floss.

Now that our economy has entered a recession, some experts hypothesize that we may pack on recession pounds as people turn to cheaper, processed foods high in empty carbohydrates. There is no doubt people are looking for ways to make their money go farther, but that doesn't mean they can only eat off the dollar menu. Here are some tips on how to live healthy without living in a cardboard box.

Seven tips for using visualization to plan your holiday eating

Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., author of Healthiest Meals on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What Meals to Eat and Why, has a marvelous idea to combat overindulging during the holidays – visualization.

Here are his seven tips on how to use visualization to help you with holiday eating:

1. Close your eyes and really picture the situation clearly.
2. Ask yourself whether what's being offered is going to be something that supports you in what you're doing or takes you off course.
3. Decide what you wish to allow yourself to indulge in -- if anything -- and when you decide to do it, indulge in it with gusto.
4. Make the choice and take the action.
5. Don't arrive hungry. A cup of soup or vegetable juice before arriving at a big event will help keep you in charge of your own actions.
6. Remember that stress leads to stress eating. Stress management is a critical part of managing weight gain during the holiday season.
7. If you do indulge, for goodness' sake enjoy it!

I like his philosophy behind indulging. If you do decide to indulge, do it consciously, guilt free, and make it worth your while. (Have a taste of a wonderful cheese or fine chocolate, not a Big Mac.)

Dr. Bowden goes into more detail about how to plan for holiday eating through visualization below.