All posts in Eating Right

How to Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain

By Scarlet Mom | December 12, 2010 | Eating Right, Self Improvement | Comments Off

First off let me say thank you for your patience. I know it has been a while since my last post. Life has been extremely hectic. Between my job (don’t get me started) and my darling son (who I love dearly but is giving me a run for my money) I haven’t had the time or the energy for anything else. Thanks for sticking with me!

Geez…is it the holidays already? The decorations are up (many have been up since before Thanksgiving) and the parties are in full swing. You can’t walk into any establishment without Christmas carols blasting away. If you’re not into the Christmas cheer…too bad. Commercialism will shove it down your throat. And if you’re trying to watch your waistline it is so much harder during this time of year. Walk into any Starbuck’s and the first thing they ask you is if you want to try their latest calorie-laden drink of the holiday season. Nevermind the fact that some specialty coffees have more fat than a cheeseburger from McDonald’s. (Yes, they really do.)

Holiday parties are the worst. By the time you get there you are starving and maybe stressed and ready for a drink…or three. If you’re anything like me, when you drink you tend to eat more. (Do I care less about what I eat or actually get hungrier? I haven’t figured that one out.) Below are some tips to help you through this holiday season without gaining 10-15 pounds.

Before descending upon that holiday party, eat a healthy, high protein snack. A grilled or boiled chicken breast is perfect. It helps fill you up, is low calorie, and part of a nutritious, high-protein diet. You will be less likely to binge when you arrive at your party.

Drinking. Choose low calorie drinks versus egg nog or holiday concoctions. Vodka and water with a lemon twist is the lowest calorie drink you can choose, or choose a glass of wine if vodka is not available. Avoid creams like egg nogs or juices. There are 120 calories in one serving of juice; four drinks and you have almost 500 calories. It adds up fast.

When going through the buffet line load up on items that you know are healthier and serve yourself just one or two bites of items that you know are calorie or fat-laden. That way, you fill up on vegetables and high-protein items but still get to savor the yummy items.

Also on the buffet line, use the big plate for your salad (low fat dressing on the side) and the smaller plate for your main course. Study after study has shown that we eat less from smaller dishes because our brain equates that to a full plate.

At your favorite coffee shop, avoid holiday specialty items. These items are full of fat and calories. Be especially weary of items that are blended and are topped with whipped cream. Choose the “lite” versions or “skim milk” varieties. You will be cutting at least half of your calories and probably 3/4 of the fat.

When shopping carry snacks with you like nuts, pretzels, and even gum. It’s a fact that if you have gum in your mouth you are less likely to grab a sample, even if you’re hungry. (Besides, do you know how many people have touched, coughed and sneezed on those samples?? Keep moving!!)

At family or office dinner/lunch parties, offer to bring a healthy dish. Even if you don’t have to bring a dish, the host or hostess will probably be most grateful and you will then have a safe “go to” dish.

As you head out into this festive holiday season, leave those extra pounds out in the snow (or just outside, for those of us in the south). You will be so grateful on January 1 when one of your resolutions does not have to be to lose those added pounds. Happy Holidays!!

Still Rockin’ It.
Scarlet Mom

The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss

By Scarlet Mom | October 5, 2010 | Eating Right, Exercise, Self Improvement | 1 Comment

Tim Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body, is now available for pre-order.

I have blogged about Tim Ferris and how he talks about by doing simple things like eating the same diet consistently and working out only four hours a week, and how you can drop twenty pounds in a month or add muscle mass. My brother did his program for a month…well he did the diet about 75% and worked out a total of four hours for the entire month. He added muscle and definition and gained quite a bit of strength. Not bad for half-assing it.

Scarlet Mom likes this book because it covers the entire body, not just the stomach and working out.

Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women.

From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works.

YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each):

- How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails.
- How to prevent fat gain while bingeing (X-mas, holidays, weekends)
- How to increase fat-loss 300% using temperature manipulation
- How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time
- How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested
- How to produce 15-minute female orgasms
- How to triple testosterone and double sperm count
- How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks
- How to reverse permanent injuries
- How to add 150+ pounds to your lifts in 6 months
- How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects.

You don’t need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue.

That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers.

Fifteen minute female orgasms? Sign me up.

Still Rockin’ It.
Scarlet Mom.

Here is Tim’s full post.

A Slimmer, Calmer, Sexier You with Yoga

By Scarlet Mom | September 15, 2010 | Eating Right, Exercise | 3 Comments

Yoga is great for flexibility and for that small group of people who meditate, but does yoga really help with weight loss, give you a better sex life, give you glowing skin, and help you sleep better? You bet it does!! To start, yoga will make you break a sweat, burn calories, and tone and shape your entire body especially if you practice one of the more vigorous types. But calorie burning is not where the bulk of yoga’s weight-loss power comes from. The greatest benefit of yoga is that it helps you get a handle on what your body needs to be healthy.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found a strong link between yoga practice and weight maintenance, and the researchers attributed it to “mindful” eating. Yogis, they say, learn how to stay calm in the face of discomfort, and this tendency spills over into other parts of their lives. For example, making it easier to turn down sugary or fried foods, no matter how tempting. The study found no such link between mindful eating and other types of physical exercise.

Mindfulness is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to weight. Scientists at the University of Rhode Island had 30 volunteers eat two identical meals in a lab. During one, they were basically told to shovel the food down with a soupspoon. At the other, they were instructed to eat with a teaspoon, pause between bites, and chew each mouthful 20 to 30 times. The volunteers practically inhaled the first meal in a whopping nine minutes. But when they lingered over their food, the meal stretched to nearly 30 minutes. And the added bonus: They ate 10 percent less. Researchers believe that when you eat more slowly, your body has more time to register fullness and satisfaction, so you stop feeling hungry before you dive into a second – or third – helping.
Researchers believe that when you eat more slowly, your body has more time to register fullness and satisfaction, so you stop feeling hungry before you dive into a second – or third – helping. Another crucial factor in yoga’s pound-melting ability is that it is proven to relax you. This actually has a positive effect on your waistline. Ever stress eat?? Stress causes cortisol levels to increase which in turn messes with signals that control appetite and feelings of fullness and may make you crave that something sweet after a big meal. But yoga can help reduce your stress and cortisol levels. Researchers measured levels of that hormone in female volunteers before and after they participated in yoga classes for a study published in the Medical Science Monitor. Their findings showed that the women’s cortisol levels decreased after taking yoga. Another study actually found that people who practiced yoga regularly for four years or more actually gained less weight over time than those who didn’t do yoga.

Need more convincing? In Women’s Health this month, where I found this information, they published these hot tidbits:

A hotter sex life! For a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, women’s sexual function was measured after participation in a 12-week yoga program. The aspect that improved most for women under 45 was the quality of their orgasms.

Glowing Skin! Stress can make many skin problems worse, from acne to warts. And a Cornell University study showed that when a person is under stress, her skin takes longer than usual to repair itself. As a proven stress reliever, yoga can help skin heal faster and stay clear.

Better sleep! After patients with sleep problems did yoga and meditation during the day, the quality of their sleep improved that night, according to a study reported in Medical Science Monitor.

If all these reasons have convinced you to start a yoga routine, here is the DVD that started it all for me.

This DVD shows three different levels and is a great start for someone who has never stepped foot on a yoga mat. Namaste.

Still Rockin’ It.
Scarlet Mom

What MILF Doesn’t Want to Lose 20lbs in 30 Days…Without Exercise???

By Scarlet Mom | September 2, 2010 | Eating Right, Self Improvement | 3 Comments

One blogger that my brother introduced me to, to learn the “art” of blogging is Tim Ferriss. He has written The Four Hour Work Week and blogs about a variety of subjects, including physical performance. He’s a super smart guy and offers some great advice.

Tim’s blog, “How to Lose 20lbs. of Fat in 30 Days…Without Doing Any Exercise” really caught my eye this morning. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I have been doing a lot of things right so far. He talks about eating basically the same diet every day while cutting out white carbs. And exercise? If you’re a mom I know you don’t have much, if any, time to exercise. On my fan page yesterday I posted about getting in some quick exercises while on a conference call. Let’s face it, sometimes that’s all we’ve got. When my little guy was a toddler, I would turn play time into yoga time and stretch with him or do bench presses and leg presses with him as my weights. Monday, prior to my afternoon delight, while waiting for my man to arrive, I did some leg lifts. You fit exercise in when you can. Unfortunately, it’s not much. That’s why I love Tim Ferriss’ approach.

It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of body fat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.

Check out his full post How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise.

Still Rockin’ It.
Scarlet Mom

DIET = Die Mther Fcker, Die

By Scarlet Mom | August 28, 2010 | Eating Right | Comments Off

I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I also grew up with an emotionally abusive father who told me I wasn’t good enough nor did I look good enough so finding myself on my own and becoming comfortable with me was truly important. It really isn’t important what size your clothes are or how you stack up next to your friends, what’s important is how YOU feel inside your own skin. And whatever you do, never, and I mean never, compare yourself to supermodels and actresses. If your whole life was about looking good and all your photographs were photo shopped, you would look like that, too. Don’t forget about their personal trainers, chefs, stylists, and entire staff dedicated to making them look good. It truly takes an army.

Diets don’t work. Diet is the word die with a “t” at the end. I have done it; your friends have done it; you have done it. You diet. You go back to your regular routine. You gain ALL your weight back. DIETS DON’T WORK. It’s about changing your whole mindset about the way you eat. And guess what else? No more eating off your kids’ menu! I don’t eat what I feed my little guy. Sure, once in a while I indulge…but moderation is the key. If you’re eating right then a splurge here and there won’t hurt you. It also will keep you from binging. Just remember: one or two pieces of pizza versus four or five; a few bites of your kids’ ice cream versus getting your own serving; use a small plate versus a big one so you get less food. You get the idea.

For your own food intake moderation, color, and six meals versus three will work wonders. Stay away from processed and fried foods. When shopping at the grocery store first cruise the outside perimeter for the fresh produce, chicken, fish, and lean beef. Steam your vegetables, don’t boil them; you will boil away the nutrients. And don’t peel them…most of the goodness is in the peel (do wash them thoroughly). Serving sizes should be small. A piece of chicken should fit easily in the palm of a woman’s hand. Add lots of color (the veggies) and very little carbs. What carbs you do add should be whole grain. Rice doesn’t have to be brown, Basmati actually is the best rice for you from what I have read. Plate it all on a small plate. Your brain sees your plate as full. Take your time and chew every bite thoroughly enjoying and savoring the flavor. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you’re full so take your time. And no fluids while you eat. The trigger that makes you feel full is at the top of your stomach. If you drink while you eat it pushes the food down requiring you to eat more to feel full. You should not drink 30 minutes prior or 30 minutes after eating.

For your three extra meals per day I like to do protein drinks, especially if you are trying to drop a few pounds. Either way, a diet with high protein, low carbs, very little fried and processed food will make you feel unbelievably good. The best protein drink I have found is from Bariatric Advantage (www.bariatricadvantage.com). The drinks contain 27grams of protein and very little fat, sugar, or carbs. They also pack them with vitamins. And…they taste great!! For weight loss, mix them with water; to maintain, mix them with skim milk or soy milk. They are designed for bariatric patients (weight loss surgery patients) but anyone can use them. A bag of the protein costs $49.99 which is only $1.40 per serving. That’s cheaper than anything you will find in the grocery store.

The most important thing about deciding to eat differently and make a change in your life is to do it for you. You can’t feel good about yourself unless you decide to make this change. Only you can unleash your inner goddess. Sex appeal, confidence, that inner MILF…it’s time to show the world what you’ve got!

Don’t think that you can never enjoy a sweet again. As a mom and girlfriend, last night I made a delicious NY style cheesecake for all of us. Yummers! If you are eating right on a daily basis, a little indulgence is fun. Moderation is the key. But, with my inner MILF whispering in my ear, I saved a piece for the boyfriend and I to enjoy on our own. Have you seen 9½ Weeks? You get the idea.

Still Rockin’ it.
Scarlet Mom