Lose to Win - Weight Loss and Wellness

Shopping to make Lean & Green Meals

If you are near an Aldi Supermarket, be ready to meet the IKEA of food. Not only is there a wide selection but plenty of items for Lean & Green meals. Look for their Fit & Active brand which is lower in calories and zero trans-fats.

New Favorite:  Fit & Active ® Dijon Mustard Turkey Breast Tenderloins.  This is white meat turkey in a roll form which is perfect for thin slices.   The product description is “gorgeously gourmet, which is an understatement. Prepare this for guests and after the compliments roll in, then tell them it’s Lean & Green.

Simple prep: Place the tenderloin flat in a crock pot (slow cooker).  Cover with white cooking wine or low sodium broth (Fit & Active chicken broth). Add minced onions.  Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 3 hours.  Before serving, take the tenderloin out and let rest for ten minutes, then slice.

Add a spring green salad and fresh squash or frozen pack of mixed veggies. If you are feeling fancy, lightly braise fresh mushrooms slices in extra virgin olive oil then serve over the tenderloin slices.

Other Aldi finds:  Fit & Active bottled drinks that are no cal, no caffeine, no sugar, no carbs but big on flavor; Strawberry Lemonade, Mango Tropical or Cranberry. The fruit flavors are so bold that you will think it’s the real thing.

Refrigerator stand-by: Fit & Active turkey meatballs. Here’s another easy, delicious crock pot main dish.

Salad Dressings – The Fit & Active dressings must yield to Walden Farms. Look in the chilled produce section at Publix and other supermarkets for Walden Farms dressings which are rich, thick and tasty with no calories, no carbs and no sugars. The Walden Farms Caesar or Ranch are also good “sauce” options for hot or cold veggies.

Eating Lean & Green at restaurants:  Reality check, some restaurants are better than others for L&G choices.  Fortunately, many restaurants, even local places, have web sites with menu information. Make the effort to check it out before you go.  When you arrive, ask questions about how an item is prepared. Request that your food be served without gravy or have it grilled instead of fried.

Ask for a second vegetable or small salad in place of potatoes or rice. You are not being difficult. If you were severely allergic to these foods, you would not hesitate to ask for these changes.  Consider that you are “allergic” to the damaging factors of excess weight so you can’t afford to take the menu item as is. You don’t have to go to Burger King to “have it your way”.  By the way, that’s not a L&G option, unless you plan to order water.

Back to IKEA. . . the long awaited IKEA store opened recently in Tampa. Indeed this is decorating overload with popular prices that requires a half marathon of walking just to see it all. The IKEA designers didn’t miss a trick with food either. At the end of the long upstairs showroom path is a huge cafeteria. Naturally the Swedish meatballs draw attention, however don’t miss the superb Salmon (cooked or raw in salad).  They cleverly put decadent desserts ahead of salads so diners blow the budget and are seduced by calories before seeing the luxurious salad choices.

That’s only the beginning. After another long walk on the lower floor, you arrive at the cash registers and slammed with the scent of cinnamon rolls. There’s one more chance to buy food on the way out.

IKEA is following a tired and true formula that many retailers use; the power of scent and sight. Have you noticed that grocery stores are adding regular food tasting demo stations like the Publix Aprons Stand?  The large photos of food plus the smells are like a lasso roping you into their choices for your dinner.  If ever there was a place that your trusty Crunch Bar could keep bail you out, this is it.

·         First, you have to be aware that these food cues are EXTERNAL. They are not about your hunger, they are designed to trigger hunger.

·         Second, if it’s your worst temptation, walk away. Don’t stand there sniffing and pouting.

·         Third, ask yourself the most important question: “Will this get me what I want?” If your desire is to lose weight and restore health, then the answer is obviously “No”.

New Year's parties - the final food sabotage

New Year’s parties can be glorious celebrations or the final food sabotage of the year. Here are some suggestions for enjoying the party without bringing home regrets:  

1. 1) Have a shake, fruit drink or hot cocoa half hour before leaving for the party. That does wonders for taking the edge off appetite and avoiding frantic eating at the buffet table.
2. When you arrive at the party, take time to survey the buffet before making food choices.
3. If you really want something that’s not Lean or Green, take a small spoonful on your plate, sit down and eat it, then when all your food is finished, decide if you want more. Often just a taste is enough to satisfy but it you put a pile of it on your plate, you are more likely to eat it all.
4. Another buffet strategy is to take the smallest plate (probably the dessert plate) and take half of what you want to eat, sit down to eat then return for a second small plate size serving.
5. At parties think, Location, Location, Location: don’t sit beside the chips bowl or stand near the appetizers. Proximity and distraction lead to mindless eating.
6. Focus on what you can have, not what foods are harmful to you.
7. Never say “diet”. With Take Shape for Life, we have a Prescription for Life that begins with weight loss and leads to living the BeSlim lifestyle. Diets don’t work. Take Shape for Life does! Hundreds of pounds lost by our group alone backs up that assertion.
8. Beware of the added calories and sugar in many alcoholic beverages. A champagne flute with sparkling water and lime or diet ginger ale with a splash of pomegrante juice is festive and won’t leave you with a hangover or empty calories.
9. Fill up on good conversation and meeting new people at the party instead of hugging the dessert table.
10. Mindful eating isn’t perfect, it’s focused on what foods you choose to reach your goal. When you compare this approach to prior binges, mindful eating is powerful and energizing.

In 2009, share the blessing of your weight loss success with family, friends and co-workers. Invite them to contact me by email or at my site. I would be delighted to coach them toward Optimal Health.

Merry Christmas. Amid the activity remember Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate.

10 Health Promoting Gifts to give or receive
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