Today's Menu

Here is what I had today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (1 serving) and 1% milk
1 cup yogurt

Lunch (mini-meal): Salmon

Snack (mini-meal): Salad w/ creamy Italian dressing
Whole Wheat toast

Dinner: 2 pieces chicken thighs (baked, skinless, in a chicken marinade)
Multi grain pasta (1 serving) w/ garlic, I can't believe its not butter spray, and salt
Mixed vegetables

Dessert: 5 chocolate chips (dark chocolate)

Snack: Cup of warm 1% milk

Drinks: Lots of cold water
6 cups green tea

Today I was a bit hungrier than yesterday, but I ate each time I felt hungry. I also craved something sweet, so I broke down and had some dark chocolate. Overall though, I am still eating way less than I used to. Hopefully it will stay this way. About the Salmon, I buy it at Sam's Club because Walmart wants to much for it (in comparison to Sam's Club I mean). The downside, there is a lot of it. So when you see it like 50 times on here it's because of that (I am picking out something else for next week). What I should have done was to cook half the fillet and freeze the other half...or even break it up it into thirds so I can break it up a bit. O'well, next time. The oatmeal...well I just like oatmeal and it keeps me full for a long time. There are so many other choices though! It's just what I have been using and it seems to be working so far.

Mary's Rules

Ok, I made some rules for myself a little while back and wanted to post them so you can get a better idea of what I am doing. Here goes:

1. At least 3 bottles of water a day

2. Eat only seafood and poultry for meat options

3. Desserts: low fat yogurt w/ sweet sprinkles, sugar free Jello, and fruit

4. Replace beer and other high calorie alcoholic drinks with a single glass of red wine or a cup of tea and a splash of rum.

5. Try to eat 4-6 mini meals instead of the larger potions "3 meals a day" (That's been going ok, but really, I just make sure to snack every once and a while so that I am not too hungry at regular meals).

6. Fast Food if unavoidable: Grilled Chicken Sandwich , no mayo and water.

7. Add acids to carbs when possible (citrus, vinegar)

8. Eat more apples, rolled oats, beans, legumes

9. 20-30% of calories from fat

10. Plate should be filled in the following way:
1/4 lean protein
1/4 good carb(s)
1/2 vegetables/fruits

11. Low-fat or fat free Dairy should be included throughout the day to equal up to 100% Daily value as listed on packaging (ex: Fat Free or 1% milk, Non-fat or low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, fat free sour cream, fat free cottage cheese, ect.)

12. Eat Big Breakfast

13. Eat lots of low fat sources of protein (I try to include protein at every meal as it helps fill you up faster, as does "good carbs".

14. Try to eat fruits and vegetables to avoid eating too much of higher calorie foods.

15. Work in "good fats" such as avocados, nuts, fish ect. (I eat some kind of nuts or peanut butter in small potions to snack on when I am hungry. It fills me up and I am still losing weight.)

16. No cream soups

17. Sprinkle sensa on everything

18. When cravings become too much and I need something sweet I have reasoned to eat dark chocolate because of its many health benefits (but I haven't had any cravings so far).

19. Low fat or fat free dressings with vinegar in the main ingredients, used sparingly.

Now my rules about cheating:

1. Cheat once a week or once every other week in some little way (to keep me from feeling deprived. I have eaten cake and had fuzzy navels and still lost weight because 99% of the time I am eating what I should be eating. I do not recommend this if you can not do so in moderation.)

In general:

I eat a lot of vegatables and protein and limit carbs. I have been eating carbs, but only good carbs. I try only to eat a few servings a day.

What I ate today

Today is not much different from yesterday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (one serving) w/ 1%milk

Lunch: Salmon and Salad w/ fat free dressing

Snacks: Whole grain crackers and 2 pieces 50% reduced fat vermont cheddar cheese
1 medium Peach

Dinner: Shrimp (equal ratio of shrimp to pasta) and pasta (one serving)
Salad w/ fat free dressing

Snack: Warm cup of 1% milk
Non-fat plain yogurt (1 serving)

Drinks: Cup of tea with a splash of rum
7 cups green tea
lots of fresh cold water

Sensa sprinkled on everything.

Green Tea Benefits

I have heard the claims and seen the diets that are selling these days based on green tea. However, it is my belief that you can get the same or similar benefits simply by drinking green tea. I personally do not want the extras that are put into those products. Not to mention that studies that have been done claim that if you only drink green tea and change nothing else in your diet and exercise routine, you only lose up to 8 pounds a year. So although it is no magic bullet, it will aid in weight loss, that much it true. Studies show that you burn about 70 calories extra a day from drinking several cups of green tea a day.

Here are some of the health benefits you get from drinking green tea aside from those listed above:

1. Reduces (LDL) bad cholesterol levels, and also total cholesterol. It may increase good (HDL)cholesterol levels

2. Inhibits the growth of some cancers. (Green tea is not a cancer cure or treatment)

3. Helps keeps our blood sugars steady.

4. Decreases our risks for cardiovascular disease.

5. Full of healthful antioxidants (polyphenols) which has been shown to limit the effects of a fatty diet among many other health benefits.

6. May improve immune function.

7. Helps manage symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

8. Is a natural diuretic

9. Help muscles recover faster after exercise

10. Improves endurance during physical activities

11. Keeps us more alert

12. Inhibits fat absorption

13. May reduce appetite

14. Speeds up your metabolism

For more information, here are a list of resources:

http://www.colonhealth.net/weight_loss/Green_Tea_Increases_Metabolic_Weight_Loss.html

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/tea

Today's Menu

Ok so I am going to list what I had today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (one serving) w/ 1 % milk

Lunch: Flaked Salmon Salad (I baked the Salmon w/ Garlic, Old Bay, Salt, and Pepper). The salad had tomatoes, baby spinach, Fat Free Caesar Italian and of course the Salmon (one serving).

Snack: Two pieces Vermont 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese (made with 1 1/2% milk) and whole grain crackers.

Dinner: Multi grain rotini pasta (1 serving of pasta) with Shrimp (cooked in lots of garlic, Pam, Old Bay and Pepper) and a bowl of Salad (baby spinach, fat free dressing and tomatoes).

*Note: The shrimp and pasta turned out really good, there was some juice in the pan infused with garlic. I put no sauce, but because of the little bit of garlicky liquid I did not need it. It actually tasted like that was the sauce, though it happened by accident. The juice came from cooking the shrimp (though only enough to reheat them as they were already cooked)

Snacks for tonight: 1 medium peach and most likely a mug of warmed 1% milk.

Drinks:

Lots of water
5 cups green tea

Everything except the drinks and oatmeal was sprinkled with Sensa

I am actually surprised this fills me up, because when I look at this list it sounds so small and boring. But honestly, I am not hungry (and those are the portions I should be eating but normally do not). I am completely satisfied with the food as well. To me it tastes really good. But see here is the thing, everyone has their likes and dislikes. All you have to do is look at the list of "good foods" that are out there and pick ones that you like...and try new things. I hated (and still hate) cooked spinach. But eventually I tried the uncooked version and really liked it. Try healthier choices and cook them in flavorful spices and such. My husband and I are big foodies and we love to cook and try new things. But just because you are eating healthy does not mean you have to give up taste. When I was cooking the Salmon today, the kitchen was so aromatic with the garlic and other spices that both my husband and son thought I was making some really good steaks. To me, it tasted so good, I was not at all disappointed that it wasn't steak. Also, I have found that things that I already like taste even better with Sensa for some reason. I am only saying this because I did not expect this (and the fact that I do not crave sweets). I bought Sensa merely for portion control, but it gave me a little more than that. I am still trying to see what happens in the long run. After all, it has only been two weeks.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Progress

Well this week I have lost 2 more pounds and am in a size 12 jeans. Same jeans size as last week, but they do fit a bit better. I went through my closet and found all the clothes I couldn't wear and can either now wear or need just a tad more weight loss for. Feels good. I have not had any problems. We had friends come over last night and I again had a few social drinks and for dinner had guacamole and chips. Avocado is a good fat, so not harm there. The chips had no trans fat and 1g of saturated fat. Not bad. All I can say it that I feel better and can see the weight loss in the mirror. That's enough to keep me moving forward. To me, it's not really a diet. I am still eating a lot of what I already like and I am eating till I feel full. I just kinda replaced the bad stuff with the good stuff and then sprinkled sensa on everything. I still have no cravings for sweets...don't get me wrong...I could eat them. It is just that I don't feel like I "need" them. For someone who always finished off her dinners with something sweet like cake or a handful of chocolate chips, that's huge. One thing that my sister mentioned to me over the phone was that she wanted me to write down examples of what I was eating so I thought that I would post what I ate for the day every now and then. So, today:

5 cups green tea
lots of cold drinking water
Breakfast: oatmeal with milk (ran out of bananas)
Lunch: tuna sandwich, whole grain bread and fat free mayo
Snack: two pieces of 50% reduced fat Vermont cheddar cheese and whole wheat (no trans fat) crackers, and an apple
For dinner tonight: whole grain pasta and ragu with a big bowl of salad a low fat vinaigrette dressing
Snack: either peanut butter and whole wheat crackers or warm mug of 1% milk

I know it doesn't sound like a lot...and well maybe a little "too healthy", but I swear since I have been using Sensa I have been completely satisfied. In fact, I enjoy what I am eating. Also, if you don't like green tea, what about white tea? It actually has more antioxidants than green tea, it much more mild and has a bit more caffeine. I am going to do a post about green tea soon, maybe tomorrow. I actually learned quite a bit about it in my research so I will post some of its benefits soon. Enjoy the rest of this weekend!

Good Fats, Bad Fats

To speak in general terms only, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the "good fats" and saturated and trans fats are the "bad fats". However we should be eating at least 20-30 percent our calories from fat in our daily diet. Our bodies need fat, we just need to pay attention to how much and what types of fat we are consuming.

Saturated fats when eaten in excess can cause a rise in our LDL Cholesterol (the bad Cholesterol) and of course weight gain, as will trans fat. However, saturated fat is better than trans fat. Saturated fat comes from mostly from animal products but it is widely accepted that meals that have below 10% of calories coming from saturated fat is OK. Saturated fat is found in meat, dairy, eggs and seafood; all good sources of protein! So you don't have to cut it completely out of your diet, you just have to watch how much of it you consume.

Trans fat on the other hand should be avoided at all costs! It comes from hydrogenated oils. They were developed to give food products a longer shelf life and hold up better during production. Trans fats can often be found in packaged foods (especially baked goods), fast food restaurants, regular restaurants, vegetable shortening, and many other sources. Check nutrition labels and also look at the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils when checking for trans fat.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) actually lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. It will also increase HDL cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol. Sources include: nuts, avocado, canola oil, grape seed oil, peanut oil, flax seed oil, cereal, oatmeal, whole grain wheat, popcorn, olive oil, ect. MUFAs have been shown to aid in weight loss, especially in body fat. However, bear in mind that all fats contain about twice the calories of both protein and carbs. It is important not to eat over 30 percent of your calories from fat if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight.

Polyunsaturated fats also have been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group. You can find these types of fats in fish, and most other seafood, sunflower oil, corn, soy, and nuts.

In summary, we need fats! But eating the right kinds in the right amounts is key. As you can see, some fats can actually aid in weight loss.

Ok, enough research for now...

Ok, I will be posting more research later in the week, such as "good fats, bad fats" however, I want to write more about my progress with Sensa. My expeirment with the non-fat yogurt, bananas and sensa sort of failed I am afraid to say. I didn't like the taste at all. No fault of sensa, I just hate plain yogurt and sensa didn't help that. However, some foods I have found to be better tasting with sensa...it doesn't alter the taste...just enhances it. For example, I ate cheese and crackers today for a snack and sprinkled the salty side on. It tasted wonderful and I was satisfied with just two pieces. That to me is worth it. I really do feel that is helping me with portion control. Another thing that I have mentioned before, but am still excited about is the fact that I don't crave sweets. This is huge for me because I have a sweet tooth. Again, I realize that I am not evaulating Sensa by itself, but I can't get my head around spending all that money and not atleast trying to eat healthy. I am doing this to lose weight after all and not just that...to be a healthier me. I can honestly say I do feel better. I really do hope this works (and it looks like it is), as only one other diet has worked for me since I had my daughter(now 6) and it left me feeling deprived. Until next time!

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

Our bodies need carbohydrates! It supplies us with much needed energy, especially for those who are athletic. But eat the wrong kinds and amounts of carbs and you can end up breaking your scale! I love carbs! Who doesn't? Most comfort foods are high in carbohydrates. But we need to eat the right kinds and not overload our bodies with carbs (unless you plan on running a marathon). The Glycemic Index, which I recently posted on is interconnected with good carbs and bad carbs. Generally speaking, carbs that are low on the glycemic index are "good carbs" and those that are high and nutritionally deficient are "bad carbs". "Bad carbs" are what experts think is the leading cause of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high-cholesterol and among other health issues. Eating the wrong kinds of carbs and too much of them can have a contradicting effect, leaving you sluggish and low on energy. Eating carbs that are closer to nature, such as unprocessed grains are a much healthier choice and have tons of benefits! Fruits and vegetables are the best kind of carbs. Closely following are beans, legumes, nuts (on a side note, nuts are also on the "good fats" list) and seeds. Whole grain foods such as oatmeal, bran flakes, whole grain bread, whole grain pastas, brown rice, and so on are also considered "good carbs". Most good carbs are high in fiber, low on the GI, high in nutrients, stimulate and supports metabolism and provide energy. "Bad carbs" are things like cakes, cookies, pies (basically baked goods made with white flour and/or sugar), candies, non-diet sodas, white flour products, most potatoes, white pasta, ect. Cutting out bad carbs and incorporating good carbs will likely make you feel better, give you more energy, and help you lose excess body fat.

Recommendations:

1. Eat a serving of beans or legumes at least 1-2 time per day

2. Keep on hand a variety of your favorite fruits and veggies to snack on. Do not limit yourself to these. More often than not, we are not eating enough of them. Try to load up half your plate with them at meals, especially salads with low-fat vinaigrette.

3. Nuts are a great take along snack as long as they aren't a trail mix loaded with salt and candies.

4. Limit refined flour goods such as white bread, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, cupcakes, brownies (all the good stuff).

5. Choose "whole grain" products

Basically, choosing products and produce that are closer to nature and avoiding processed foods whenever possible is your best bet.

The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale of 0-100. A score of 55 and under is considered low on the GI, a score of 56-69 is medium and 70 and above high on the GI. High GI carbs cause insulin spikes and effects our blood glucose levels. That's bad because lots of insulin tells are body that we have lots of energy and need to store the rest away as fat. Whats worse is when it your levels come crashing down and you start reaching for more carbs, sugar and/or fat. Low glycemic carbs keep your blood levels more balanced and promotes slower digestion which will keep you feeling full a lot longer. Here is some of the benefits of a low GI diet:

1. Helps you lose weight and maintain it

2. Reduces the risk of heart disease

3. Reduces blood cholesterol levels

4. Maintains blood glucose levels

5. Reduces hunger and makes you feel full for much longer

6. Increases intervals of physical endurance

Switching to a low GI diet is pretty easy. I did it just this week and haven't had any complaints so far. Switching over to cereals with little or no sugar and primarily based on oats (like oatmeal), barley or bran. Personally, I find Oatmeal the most filling so that is what I am using now. Instead of using sugar I use mashed up bananas and milk. Also you can switch out your breads for whole grains, sourdough or anything mad with stone ground flour. Eating more fruits and vegetables will also help, as will eating brown or converted rice instead of white. Pasta can be bought that is made with whole grain. I switched to that and my husband, son and daughter could not tell the difference. I could but probably because I'm the one who bought it. Quinoa is a wonderful whole grain, Chef Emeril Lagasse used it in one of his segments on green planet found here: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/emerils-quinoa.html. I am hoping to find a place that sells it here at a reasonable price and using his recipe. The picture listed there is completely different looking from what they showed on the show. It looked more like brown rice. Also, eating sweet potatoes or new potatoes instead of regular potatoes is another good way to switch over. But do things gradually or it will give you gas and other problems. You can look up foods on the GI here: http://www.nutricoach.net/low_gi_foods.html.

Improving on last weeks food choices

Ok, so this week I included whole grain pastas, rice, and bread on my shopping list since they qualified as "good carbs" (more on that later). I also included oatmeal (another good carb). I will be eating either Oatmeal with mashed up bananas and skim milk or eggs, whole wheat toast and fruit for breakfast. For snacks I bought nuts and non-fat plain yogurt (I'll add in my own fruit) instead of the low-fat but sugar loaded version. Again, my thought process is that the sweet sprinkles will help me to accept this healthier version as I am not at all fond of non-fat plain yogurt. I'd rather buy key lime pie or mixed berry whips :). Everything else that I included for last weeks snacks will remain the same. I bought more Salmon. At home I have plenty of chicken and also shrimp, beans and so on for protien. I am eating some form of low-fat protien for every meal since it is supposed to fill you up. I also bought a bunch of green tea. I am planning to drink between 5-7 cups each day. I will post on how that is going throughout the week as well as more information on all the research I have been doing.

My Research

Ok, so before receiving Sensa I did a lot research on the web about good carbs, bad carbs; good fats, bad fats, ect. I also researched about the glycemic index and how it relates to weight loss and weight gain. I found out what my plate should look like in general (for example, half should be filled with fruits and vegetables), what foods help you lose weight and a wealth of dieting tips so I will be posting about those results and their respective benefits in subsequent posts. For now, I am going to tell you what I ate last week. As I was doing research I found that white bread, white rice, white flour and white pasta all cause significant insulin spikes which que your body into a fat storage mode. So, I did eat white rice but only in small portions and with either kidney beans or black beans and put some kind of low fat vinaigrette on it (acids such as lemon, vinegar and so on can lower the GI of food by up to 30%). I also ate huge portions of either fresh fruits (morning) or fresh vegetables (lunch and dinner). I had at least one serving of lean protein (fish, beans, chicken, ect) and lots of water. All of it was sprinkled with Sensa. For breakfast I either ate Special K with the sweet sprinkles and fruit or eggs cooked with Pam and a couple serving of fruit. For snacks I tried to include protein so that I kept full until regular meals. I ate things like whole wheat crackers and low fat cheese, low fat yogurt, peanut butter and whole wheat crackers, or a small portion of nuts with a serving of fruit. It worked like a charm. I shopped yesterday for foods that would improve on this even more for next week, I will post that later. I drank lots and lots of water, green tea and 1% milk and for those nights that I wanted a nightcap I had a cup of green tea with a little bit of rum. A glass of red wine might also be something I'd choose, due to the level of antioxidants and for the fact that research suggests that red wine limits the negative effects of a fatty diet (more on that later).

Great Weekend

Well, week one is down and I am very impressed with the results so far. I lost 7 pounds, I am 187. But let me be perfectly honest...I have been eating healthy while at the same time using Sensa. I did not entirely eat healthy however. This weekend our family went to friends houses. I had birthday cake at one friends house along with rice and Spanish style pork and then nibbled on a piece of coffee cake at my other friends house. I also drank fuzzy navel's and had a great time. What I noticed is that I did not have a desire for the cake and I ate smaller portions. Don't get me wrong, the cake was great...but I could have said no. And I noted absolutely no weight gain from my social eating so I do think the fact that I am eating smaller portions helps. I have replaced my coffee with green tea. That too is more healthy. Coffee spikes your insulin levels while green tea helps regulate it. Many studies have shown that green tea actually raises your metabolism and blocks the storage of fat to some extent. It also gives you energy, not to mention all those healthy benefits from the high levels of antioxidants. I thought it would be much harder than it was. I am an avid coffee drinker. We have a Delonghi espresso maker. I can not tell you how many cups I had in the morning and how wonderful they are! But the switch (while admitably was not as tasty) was a huge difference. My morning appetite came back (which eating a hearty breakfast each morning actually aids in weight loss) and my energy level was even higher than when I drank coffee. I can not tell you how good I feel after this week, not only because of the weight loss but because I feel better. Also to note, the pants I could not wear two weeks ago (and was I literally crying about on our vacation) not only did I fit into, but are loose. Much, much better. I'd like to also point out that I do not lose weight easily. To be seeing results so soon is extremely encouraging to me. So I will describe in my next post what I have been eating and the reasoning behind it. I will also be posting some nutritional facts and information that I have found useful in subsequent posts.

What it's like

Well I can say this for it already, it is satisfying. I am a food lover however, so flavors with naturally tend to satisfy me. But when I put the sweet sprinkles in my yogurt it tasted like a decadent dessert. On Chocolate? Chalky. I completely have no desire for desserts, which by the way I love. Fruit tastes like fruit, but better somehow. I could never eat fat free dressing and I do now. It's not that I don't like fully flavored ranch much better, it's just now I am satisfied with the fat free. So why not? I mix white rice (which I plan on changing to either converted rice or brown rice later on), kidney beans and salad together with the sprinkles and I am actually satisfied with it. Everyone is going to have there own tastes and likes, but I will tell you this, I am more satisfied with my food and eating healthy so far has been no problem. I try to incorporate protein in every meal. I am a big carnivore, but I have been eating less of it since using the sprinkles. Some users say that it takes a while before their portions change, others right away. Mine did. It does make you gassy though if you put too much on your food, but that easily counterbalanced with OTC products. I personally am happy so far with it. But we shall see as time goes on...

Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to log my success or failure with Sensa. However, since I believe that eating well and in a nutritionally sound way is the best way to live, I will also be adopting these habits with the help of Sensa. My theory is that since Sensa supposed to create pleasant smells and taste to aid in satifation, I should have no problem eating healthy food and being satisfied with it. Provided it works. Sensa is designed to help curb your appetite and cravings while you eat the foods you already enjoy. The website states that "Sprinkling Tastants (the flavored sprinkles mix) on your food makes you feel fuller faster by stimulating the part of your brain that tells your body it’s time to stop eating." It tested over 1436 study participants who changed nothing in there diet, just sprinkled this mix on their foods and lost an average of 30.5 pounds in six months. True, thats not fast weight loss. However, fast weight loss is not healthy and if this is a sustained weight loss over a six month period, that's just fine in my book. However, bear in mind that if you make other lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and regular exercise, your results will likely be much higher. That is what I plan to find out. My start weight on Saturday, September 13 2008 was 190 (I am already losing, but I will post weights at the end of each week.