Drinking - my alcohol tips

Tonight a couple of friends are coming out from Denver to go to the bars. I just recently turned 21 almost 2 months ago and I find it difficult, with no restrictions, to stick to my diet when I go out drinking. Being a college student, there is always alcohol around, friends telling you to go out with them, and always temptations. From being on Jenny Craig I have learned a few tricks of the trade. When I know that I am going out, I change my whole day of eating around.

My day usually looks something like this:
Breakfast- I have my Jenny Craig breakfasts and my fruit (these meals are low in calories and high in protein and fiber)
Lunch- I either make a salad or go to my favorite salad place, Mad Greens. When making a salad I load up on free vegetables and stick to a dietetic, fat-free dressing. Today I had a spinach salad with tomatoes, red bell peppers, artichoke hearts, onions, light feta, 3 oz of grilled chicken, and fat-free balsamic dressing.
I skip my additional fruit.
Dinner-I have a Jenny Craig lunch instead of dinner and load up on the veggies. Remember, vegetables are free so it's always good to have them accessible.
I skip my snack of the day (my snacks are provided from Jenny Craig, but if you usually sneak in a granola bar, cut that out for the day).

MY HINTS:
When drinking, try and stick to drinks that are low in sugar. I personally like gin and tonics or vodka tonics and I ask for diet tonic if it is available. Stay away from energy drinks like a vodka red bull or anything with juice in it. If you want a rum and coke, make it diet! When mixing drinks with soda always choose the diet option. Overall, it is best to stick to wine and beer. 
If you're not looking to go out and party and just want a drink with your meal, you can cut back on the fat. In other words, instead of having ranch on your salad that day, use lemon, vinegar, or balsamic. Instead of having the extra butter on your toast, take away the butter and use the glass of wine or can of beer as a substitute. So for every drink, just tweak your meals a little more. That will make a more equal distribution of your day. 

And most importantly have fun :) Losing weight isn't easy and you never want to deprive yourself. It's just making little tweaks that can make a huge difference. 

Here are The Nine Healthiest Alcoholic Drinks. . . I had no idea that some of these drinks are the healthier choices! This article is very interesting and gives great ideas on what you can have when you're going out!
http://us.gizmodo.com/5925820/the-nine-healthiest-alcoholic-drinks

Veggies - the healthy choice

When I went to make dinner tonight, I realized that my refrigerator was empty! I had no fruits, no vegetables, nothing for me to add to my Jenny Craig chicken fajitas! I grabbed my roommate and we made a quick grocery store run. I like to buy an array of fruits and vegetables. If you were to look into my fridge now, you would find: zucchini, squash, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, grapes, apples, kiwis, and persimmons (My roommate just introduced this bright orange fruit to me. It looks kind of like an orange tomato and has a tough skin and sweet inside. It probably would taste good in a salad and would add a little crunch.) I like to keep these constantly around the house. I find it helpful not to have anything in my apartment to satisfy my guilty pleasure such as chips. I could eat a whole bag, but I know if I have them around, I will never stop.

Anyway, I mentioned in my first blog how vegetables are a staple in my diet. Tonight I sprayed a little Pam (it's healthier than oil) and added chopped up red bell pepper, squash, and asparagus. I used just a pinch of salt and pepper and a tablespoon of lemon garlic marinade from Sprouts to add some flavor. I love this marinade, but you do just need very little to cut back on the sodium. It took me awhile to experiment with vegetables. I used to grill up zucchini when I first started to lose weight, but now I try to get more colors and flavors so I don't get bored. And I make a lot, a whole bowl full! I can have as many "free" vegetables I want and I don't get hungry.

HINTS W/ VEGGIES: 

Make a salad with your lunch if you're still hungry. Instead of using ranch or high calorie dressings, use balsamic vinegar. My personal favorite is from William Sonoma, 25-yr old aged Balsamic Vinegar. This is a little pricey though....it's about $30 for a wine bottle size. It's on the sweet side, but I could lick my plate. Also try just a little vinaigrette or squeeze some lemon. You can put as many "free" veggies on there, in other words, corn or avocado is good in moderation, but don't overload. Also try cutting back on the starchy vegetables such as peas and potatoes and incorporate spinach and kale for a good substitute. I personally like grilling up some onions, putting a little jicama, mushrooms, 3 oz of chicken for protein (a deck of cards size), and some balsamic. It's quick and easy. 

Here is a link to Do's and Don'ts for Salad: 

http://nutrition.about.com/od/recipesmenus/tp/badsalad.htm

According to The Journal of Nutrition, "Americans are consuming more fruits and vegetables, but they are not regularly consuming the particular fruits and vegetables that are likely to impart robust health effects. Both epidemiological studies and experimental research indicate that regular consumption of dark greens and cruciferous vegetables and citrus fruits reduces risk for chronic disease"(3066).

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/12/3063.full.pdf+html

My vegetables for the night (sorry I am not a professional photographer)!

Healthy Egg McMuffin and Milk - what's the difference?

I was happy to get on the scale this morning when I realized I had lost another pound.....41 pounds done! I reached my halfway point on Jenny Craig a few weeks ago, so I can now make a few meals a week on my own. This morning I woke up and decided I wanted to make one of my personal favorites, my take on a healthy Egg McMuffin. It always makes me happy when I can make my own food instead of eating pre-made, frozen food.

All you need is:

1 wheat bagel thin
1 egg
1 tbsp reduced fat or fat free shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)
spinach
mushrooms

Being a college student, I need to be able to make a breakfast that is quick and easy before I go to class. I have this awesome pottery that makes a poached egg. I got it as a gift and I'm not sure where you can get it, but if you happen to stumble across one all you need to do is add very little water (really just a dribble) crack the egg in it, cover it, and microwave it. Every microwave is different, so I put mine in for 40 seconds. Really quick and easy! I toasted my bagel thin, put the cheese in the pottery when my egg was done which made it melt, grilled up some mushrooms and spinach then built my healthy Egg McMuffin. I added a kiwi and made a well balance meal: carbs, veggies, fruit, and protein.

Many people will drink milk with their breakfast. When I came back from class, my vegan roommate and I were trying to find the difference in health benefits between Almond Milk and Coconut Milk. Does anyone know? I have discovered my new addiction for Almond Milk even though I'm not vegan or lactose intolerant. I find it really creamy and nonfat milk does not give me that satisfaction.

I did some research on the differences in milk and this is what I found:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/substitutions-for-milk.html#b

Basically, Almond milk is lower in fat than soy milk and is creamier than nonfat milk....exactly what I thought! Coconut milk is higher in fat and calories according to this article, so it is not recommended for dieters. I found this weird because I have both of those in my fridge and from looking at the nutrition facts from the Silk PureAlmond and Silk PureCoconut, I found no extreme difference in fat and calories. It probably depends on the brand.

Post Thanksgiving - diabetes friendly pie

I was thrilled to weigh myself this morning because I found out that I had lost another pound even after Thanksgiving!
It is all thanks to my super delicious diabetes friendly pumpkin pie! It's low in sugar and I make it every year. I started making this not because I'm diabetic, but every year we have a gathering of about 20 people at my house and a couple people have diabetes. My family and I wanted them to be able to enjoy a slice of pie, so we came up with this recipe. It only takes be about 10 min and I never feel deprived. It satisfies my sweet tooth and it totally makes my taste buds dance. YUM!

Recipe:
1 c. Libby's Pumpkin
2 c. nonfat milk
2 packages sugar free/fat free butterscotch jello pudding
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 c. Cool Whip LITE (low fat/low sugar)

Mix pumpkin, milk, pudding, and spice. Fold in Cool-Whip and pour in pre-made graham cracker crust and refrigerate for at least an hour or until it sets.

Enjoy :)

Also, you can check out this blog for another easy to make dietetic pumpkin pie option!
http://fromadietitiansperspective.blogspot.com/2010/11/cooks-corner-pumpkin-pie-recipes-with.html

Good Choices at Starbucks - my addiction

So I am a die hard Starbucks addict. Today when I was walking to class it was probably 30 degrees outside, but everyday I make the extra 5 minute trip to go to Starbucks no matter the weather. I notice on my way I was thinking about what a good, healthy choice would be. I know it can be tempting getting the Strawberries and Cream, Vanilla Bean Frap, Caramel Macchiato, or now that it is winter, a Gingerbread Latte. But did you know all these things are high in sugar and calories? They all have at least 30 grams of sugar and 300 calories. I find it really helpful to get the Starbucks app. You can customize your drink to what you like including nonfat milk, sugar free syrups etc. Then it will tell you the exact nutrition facts. Personally, as tempting as it is to get something sugary sweet, I try to stick to something low in calories and sugar.

MY HINTS:

I use my Starbucks to get a source of calcium and Vitamin D from the milk. I used to love getting Grande nonfat Mocha or Grande Skinny Caramel Macchiato. These are okay choices but again high in sugar. If you want something cold its only about 100 calories to get Grande Mocha Frappacino Light. If you're a tea person, I love getting a Venti Iced black tea with 2 splendas and nonfat milk. This drink is only 90 calories. My personal holiday favorite which I've been getting everyday in this cold weather is just a Grande Soy Latte. I love this drink with cinnamon. Cinnamon is an antioxidant you know! If you are into sweet, which I totally am, I will sugar my sugar, this drink is awesome. It's not too sweet but sweet enough to warm my soul. 

Here are a couple links about Starbucks!

This one has great examples of better choices vs unhealthy choices. I find this post really helpful from personal experience. I always make sure to get nonfat milk and sugar free and it's still delicious :)

http://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2012/04/starbucks-the-good-the-bad-the-bombs/

This is just a quick break down of why Starbucks drinks aren't always the healthiest by the Healthy Food News Letter. I definitely need to learn how to moderate seeing as I go to Starbucks at least twice a day!

http://www.healthyfoodnewsletter.com/is-starbucks-bad-for-you/

Then and Now - the beginning in a nutshell

This past Spring, I studied abroad in Madrid. It was the greatest time of my life and embraced the culture, food and all. I ate everything from the chorizo, to the jamon, tapas, and drank mucha mucha cerveza. I recommend studying abroad or traveling to anyone, but I definitely know how hard it is to eat healthy when traveling. I did not care what I ate because everything tasted good. I did not even realize the over consumption of food and my clothes slowly getting tighter, almost shrinking. Or maybe I did notice and I just did not care. I felt my friends and family will love me no matter what. I totally neglected the fact that I have high cholesterol because I thought since I am young, it would just fix itself. I went out drinking multiple times a week and ate free tapas such as patatas fritas (potato chips) or paella mixta (seafood and chicken paella). The paella was a perfect mix between the bright, orange colored saffron, juicy chicken, and shrimp (heads attached!!). The thick aroma and the pleasingly golden brown tint, made me gobble down every bite.

It wasn't until 4 months later when I got home in May that I noticed I had this drastic weight gain. At this time my cousin turned me on to Jenny Craig. For me this was a great program, but I would also like to add, I know this is not everyone's first choice. Jenny Craig or not, you can still lose weight. I had been on Jenny Craig before when I was 13, but I decided to give it a go. I have now been on Jenny Craig for a little over 5 months and have lost 40 pounds. I started at 200 and now I am weighing in at 158. Looking back on pictures, I did not even realize how much bigger I was before, I just did not see myself in that way. It took a little push and shove from my family to really get me started, but ultimately my motivation is what has really gotten me this far. 

MY HINTS (W/ OR W/O JENNY CRAIG): 

I love to make lots of vegetables! I will post some pictures later of what I make on a daily basis that is quick in easy. I love to snack on carrots throughout the day, but when it comes to making dinner I love to take just a little Pam, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper, asparagus, mushrooms, onions etc and just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I seriously eat all day long. It's all about the portion size, but I make sure I get my daily vitamins. I eat a fruit with breakfast and a fruit between lunch and dinner (2 fruits a day such as grapes, apples, kiwi, 1/2 banana etc), and vegetables with lunch and dinner.

My before and now pictures: 

I really enjoy reading this blog! If you're interested in another weight loss blog I would also check this one out:

It Sux to be Fat