Jenn's Losing It

On December 17, I began my Body Revolution journey. It took me 5 weeks to complete Phase 1 because I decided to repeat a week that I slacked off on. I'd say I'm pleased so far. I've lost 14 inches overall and I'm down .4 pounds. I'm thrilled over the inches, but wish the pounds were more. I know my eating was completely off. I fooled myself into thinking I was eating right, not tracking my foods. When I began Phase 2 on Thursday I committed myself into tracking every bite, lick and taste no matter what they add up to. In the past of be good for eating a snickers, not counting it for some random reasoning like I was on the road with the kids or because I was stressed. Travel and stress points count too. I'll never be satisfied on the scale if I'm not true to myself.  I'm excited to start Phase 2 (even though my body is screaming no you're not after the first workout yesterday).  Here's my measurement chart so far, I've decided to do my measure...

I'd like to begin a weekly series called Healthy Eats, where I post all the recipes I've tried during the week and my review of them.  I've been doing something new at my house for the past three weeks, where I plan out dinners for the whole week, then go grocery shopping for the ingredients that I need.  This helps me in a few ways.  The most important is that I am making a healthier choice for dinner each night-which not only benefits me, but my family and it also stops me from wasting groceries.  I had a knack for buying a whole bunch of foods with the best intentions, then I was too lazy to make them and we always seemed to deviate from "the plan".  This hasn't happened yet.  We've swapped around some of the days to make them fit our schedule-but that's about it! Below you'll find the picture, link to recipe and review of what we had at "The Longs" this week (with a few keepers from previous weeks): Scalloped Portobello & Caul...

Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post; tableware from Crate and Barrel SMOKE SIGNALS   SEP 25, 2013 Few foods conjure the fall season like acorn squash. It's a gourd, for one thing, and we associate gourds with autumn; and its orange-y flesh suggests the season's signature color. The sweet flavor of the squash is brought to the fore by the simplicity of the preparation. SERVINGS: 4 - 6 INGREDIENTS 2 small (48 ounces) acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1-to-2-inch wedges 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt DIRECTIONS Prepare the grill for indirect heat: If using charcoal, when the coals are ashen, dump them onto one side of the grill. If using a gas grill, preheat the grill with all burners on high. When it reaches a temperature of 500 degrees, adjust for indirect grilling. With a two-burner grill, turn off one of the burners; with three or more burners, turn off the center unit. You want medium heat. For charcoal, you should be able to hold your hand about five inches ...

iStock/Thinkstock You may have read in the past that eating mini meals throughout the day is a smart way to  lose weight . The thinking there is that by grazing every couple hours, you never get to that point where you're starving—meaning you're less likely to wolf down way too many calories in one sitting. But a new multi-university study, published in journal  Appetite  this month, claims that  all of the research thus far on eating small meals throughout the day is inconclusive —and as a result, mini meals should not be touted as a smart weight-loss strategy at this point. So how'd the researchers come to this conclusion? They analyzed all of the previous studies done about meal frequency and found that the majority of them used self-reported data—which, in the dieting world, is considered pretty unreliable. So we asked Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet , for her take on the results. "Most people don't understand what a small meal is—so the people...

iStock/Thinkstock A new Gallup survey found that a full 51 percent of adults are hoping to drop pounds—yet only about half of them say they are truly doing something to downsize. We get it: Embarking on a weight-loss plan feels so daunting. But it doesn't have to be; all it takes to get started is a few tiny lifestyle tweaks that get you on your way to reaching your goal. Here, five beyond-simple weight-loss strategies to get you started: Start your day with oatmeal: Research shows  it can help keep hunger at bay better than other cereals   Ditch the guilt:  Recent research shows  beating yourself up about eating something indulgent can sabotage your weight-loss efforts . Instead, look at treating yourself as a celebratory—not shame-inducing—event.  Ignore the scale:  Numbers go up and down and stall in a plateau all the time, which can do a number on your motivation. A better idea: Focus on healthy habits rather than weigh-ins—it's likely to result in more...

Thinkstock How do you choose your foods? If you're a healthy eater, you probably flip over the box and peruse the nutrition panel. That's a good start—but you may need to scan smarter.  Women tend to ignore sugar content in protein- and fiber-rich foods , a new University of Iowa study shows. MORE :  "My Week Without Sugar" The researchers asked 263 women to rate the healthiness of 104 foods, such as baked tilapia, fried cheese sticks, gummy worms, and cinnamon rolls, on a scale of 1 to 100, with higher numbers indicating better-for-you foods. On average, the females placed most foods squarely in the middle of the scale. However, certain nutritional qualities seemed to strongly sway their view of the foods. For example, the women tended to rely heavily on sugar content as an indicator of healthfulness (smart ladies!)—but they made a few critical, and worrisome, exceptions to this rule. MORE:   Curb Your Sweet Tooth When foods were low in protein, the study participant...

ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK.COM Sure, eating three helpings of pie won’t do your waistline any favors—but neither will eating three helpings of broccoli. Here’s why: Certain foods are known bloat offenders, which means they’ll increase puffiness and make you appear heavier than you are, says Stephanie Middleberg, R.D., of Stephanie Middleberg Nutrition in New York City. These are the four food items to watch out for the most: Cruciferous Vegetables Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale—this season’s trendiest greens are also the biggest stomach puffers, thanks to their high fiber content. Enjoy a small serving since they’re so healthy and filling—but stop after that, particularly if you’re trying to fit into a tiny holiday party dress later. Salty Processed Products A handful of chips, a serving of canned soup, cold cuts…if you got it from a bag or a box, it’s probably loaded with salt, which causes you to retain water and resemble a blowfish. Steer clear of these offenders as much as po...

Tried losing weight a million times but never had much success? You might be going at it the wrong way:  Learning how to maintain your current weight helps women stick to healthier lifestyles  and  lose weight , according to a new study published in the  Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine . In the study, overweight African American women were put in a program that gave them weight-maintenance (not weight-loss) pointers, such as to skip fast food, watch less TV, and cut their daily caloric intake by just 200 calories a day. They were also taught skills such as how to read nutrition labels and how to find low-calorie dishes on restaurant menus. After 12 months, 62 percent of the women were either at or below their original weight. On average, the women had dropped about two pounds each. So why did this “maintain, don’t gain” method work? One reason could be that it’s simply easier to stick with healthy habits that control your current weight ...

When a certain texture calls your name more than your waistband would like, use these swaps to help you stop food cravings without adding inches. When you crave:  Crunchy (chips, caramel popcorn, biscotti) Chew this:  Baby carrots, fruit slices, or rice cakes. Almonds can also work, but be careful: Half a cup has over 400 calories. When you crave:  Creamy (peanut butter, risotto, mac 'n' cheese) Chew this:  Sugar-free Jell-O, hummus, or for dinner, a bowl of velvety soup When you crave:  Greasy (fries, pizza, burgers) Chew this:  Baked sweet-potato fries or  thin-crust pizza  with veggies. Choose 90% or higher lean beef--your mouth won't know the difference. When you crave:  Fluid (juice, soda, slushies) Sip this:  Flavored sparkling water or lightly sweetened iced tea. (Studies suggest that limiting caloric beverages leads to weight loss.) Or try a smoothie. Research shows that the thicker and more whipped the drink, the more satisfying...

There’s a reason fried food tastes amazing: It’s chock-full of fat. But new research suggests there’s a way to boost flavor without fat—and save a whole lot of calories in the process. Low-fat meals flavored with spices taste just as good as their full-fat counterparts , according to a study presented at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo earlier this month. For the study, researchers from the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Health and Wellness Center served 150 people three different versions of the same meatloaf meal. The first time, it was full-fat, the second it was reduced-fat, and the third it was reduced-fat but seasoned with onion powder, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. Although the third meal contained about 35 percent fewer calories than the first, the participants said they liked it just as much as the full-fat version. While we’ve evolved to prefer the taste of high-fat foods (in prehistoric times when food was scarce, we needed all...

The post-workout snack is important not only to help pick your energy level back up, but it also has a role in how your body recovers from a workout. Everyone is different in what they crave and can tolerate after a workout but, in general, each working body needs a mix of both carbohydrates and proteins to refuel properly. Carbohydrates are essential to boost energy levels and help the protein to be taken up into the body, which assists in muscle recovery. Aim to have your snack as soon as possible after you’re done with your activity. The first 15 minutes after exercise is when your muscles are most receptive to taking in nutrients to replenish energy stores and help muscles recover. These post-workout snacks are healthy and portable, and offer both protein and carbohydrates. Medium Banana + 1 Tablespoon Nut Butter Bananas are a dense source of carbohydrates, which helps you refuel necessary energy in a smaller portion. Plus, they're rich in potassium, which may help alleviate mu...

You know you should exercise and eat healthfully to keep your weight in check. The thing is,  research suggests that when people devote time to one healthy habit, they spend less time on the other . So which is more important if you’re worried about your waistline: your workout or your diet? Turns out,  people who think that diet is the most important factor in weight control tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who believe that exercise is the key , according to six new studies published in the journal Psychological Science. In the studies, researchers asked a total of more than 1,200 people in the U.S., Canada, China, France, and South Korea about the main factor that makes people overweight. They also took participants’ height and weight measurements to calculate their BMIs. Interestingly, those who said it’s most important to stay active to prevent obesity had higher BMIs than the people who said eating right is the key to weight control. As you might expe...

You know that eating breakfast is key for keeping your appetite under control throughout the day. But  what  you eat in the a.m. may be just as important as whether you eat at all:  Adding peanuts or peanut butter to your breakfast can help control cravings for up to 12 hours afterward , according to a study published recently in the  British Journal of Nutrition . For the study, researchers from Purdue University and the Federal University of Vicosa in Brazil put 15 obese women through three experiments: In the first, they ate 1.5 ounces of peanuts with orange juice and Cream of Wheat cereal. In the second, the same women swapped the peanuts out for 3 tablespoons of peanut butter. Finally, in the last experiment, they had only the juice and cereal (researchers adjusted the portion sizes so that calorie counts remained the same throughout all three phases). After each experiment, researchers took participants’ blood samples and asked them to rate their appetite level...

It might be hard to cut your nightly Dexter  marathon short, but watch out—staying up late may do more than make you sluggish the next day. Cutting back on sleep increases the likelihood of indulging in fatty, high-cal fare at night, which leads to weight gain , finds new research. For the study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine followed a control group of 27 participants who went to bed at 10 p.m. and another group of 198 who went to bed at 4 a.m. They found that the sleep-restricted subjects consumed about 550 calories—a good portion of which came from fat—after their well-rested counterparts had gone to sleep. After five consecutive nights of limited rest, participants in the second group had gained an average of more than two pounds. Night-time munching happens for a few reasons, says lead study author Andrea M. Spaeth, MA, a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. For starters, the longer you stay awake, the ...

Eating well-balanced meals and snacks are both important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But whether it’s because you find yourself mindlessly snacking or because your meals aren’t keeping you as full as you’d like, sometimes you need something to keep you from rummaging through the pantry. Here are 15 appetite-suppressing foods that keep you feeling full! 1. Nuts Nuts don’t just contain healthy fats to help keep your cholesterol low—they are also good sources of appetite-killing fiber, which digests slowly so it stays in your stomach much longer than other carbohydrates. A 1/4 cup of almonds, for example, contains  four grams of fiber . 2. Oatmeal Stay fuller longer with a bowl of oatmeal; half a cup of rolled oats contains five grams of fiber. Besides that, oatmeal can help increase your body’s levels of the appetite-regulating hormone cholecystokinin,  which may help control hunger  in some people. 3. Apples An apple makes an ideal morning or afternoon snack; the ...