SlimChick's Journal, 17 October 2010

Well I'm losing weight again! Yahoo!

Here are my health tips of the day:

1.) Eat eggs. Recent studies show that contrary to popular belief, they don't raise cholesterol in most people, and only raise heart protective cholesterols in the remaining percent. They contain MUFAs which are anti-inflammatory and good for blasting belly fat. My favorite way to eat eggs: 2 slices of hearty whole wheat toast (say Earthgrains or sprouted grain Ezekiel bread) smeared with a tablespoon of avacado on each. Apply one scrambled egg per slice with pepper and salt to taste. (Fry eggs in EVO olive oil or cook in the microwave.)

2.) Read about healthy stuff. My favorite magazine is Women's World. It's silly and lighthearted but there is a LOT of good nutrition info in there -- the cover weight loss "fad" stories are generally in reality good tips to integrate into an overall diet plan. All the little margin stories about nutrients and vitamin studies are useful and I sometimes think the quality is higher than Prevention (which devotes more time to prescription ads than I can stomach).

3.) Figure out YOUR calorie needs. We all have individual burn rates. Yes, I know the average 25 year old can burn almost 1600 calories a day. Sorry but I am not average. I burn about 1250 a day max or I start packing pounds. To lose weight I have to eat within the 1000 to 1200 range. (Note that if you have to eat *less* than 1000 calories a day to lose weight, you really have to consult with a nutritionist to make sure you're eating right.)

And #4: a note to self. Calorie temptations still have to be minimized, but I think--after many unsucessful attempts to eradicate the "quick fix" from my diet (*stamps foot* I'm SORRY, health gurus, I just don't feel good sometimes until I have something like a Snickers)--that solving this problem may be more about finding healthy replacements. So my body wants quick fixes sometimes--I'm mildly hypoglycemic. That's understandable. I need to find alternative candy bars that don't have as high calories/sugar/unhealthy fat as say, Snickers. Maybe I can make some kind of dark chocolate/carob/nut bar with honey or dates or stevia or something for sweetener.)

150.4 lb Lost so far: 3.6 lb.    Still to go: 23.4 lb.    Diet followed reasonably well.

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1048 kcal

Fat: 43.60g | Prot: 40.64g | Carb: 126.60g.   Breakfast: avocado, whole wheat hearty toast, fried egg. Lunch: catfish, peas, hashbrowns. Dinner: braunschweiger, earthgrains. Snacks/Other: almond bar, vitamin water zero ("Squeezed" Lemonade), simply lemonade. more...

1934 kcal

Activities & Exercise: Walking (moderate) - 3/mph - 8 minutes, Resting - 8 hours and 52 minutes, Sleeping - 8 hours, Desk Work - 7 hours. more...