so we’ve been doing “the biggest loser” for almost 4 full weeks now and it has been a very good andchallenging experience for me. discipline is definitely a weakness of mine, but i do have a competitive nature, so that has helped me stay on track with working out and eating better. i’ve learned a lot of things (which may be common knowledge to others) that have proven to be super beneficial. things like:
- there IS such thing as not eating enough and if you don’t eat enough your body doesn’t lose weight as fast. i think it has something to do with your body not having enough energy to burn the maximum amount of calories when you work out.
- for someone who doesn’t eat red meat, consuming lean protein is a challenge. but it IS possible.
- your weight can fluctuate +/- 5 pounds when nothing in your diet/exercise has changed and that’s normal (but extremely frustrating).
- finding foods that you feel like you can “cheat” with really help during moments of weakness.
- eating out doesn’t have to be torture or even dreadful that you’ll fall off the wagon. looking up your options ahead of time to see the nutritional value will help keep you on track.
along with my challenge i have found a whole new appreciation / love for these foods:
- tea! i have never considered myself a tea drinker unless i have a sore throat. but tea has little to no calories in it and with a small teaspoon of sugar (at about 35 calories) you can enjoy a snack or even a dessert alternative. my new favorite is the teavana matevana herbal tea – it rocks my world! this is another fabulous one!
- strawberries. they are my saving grace for desserts. strawberries are extremely low in calories, so sliced up on a small scoop of dreyer’s slow churned french vanilla ice cream is delicious! or even haggen daz lemon sorbet. even if you dipped 3 of them in chocolate it’s still only about 80 calories for all 3.
- gardenburger patty with feta cheese and avocados. enough said!! i could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. i’ll eat almost anything with feta cheese and avocados. moderation is key with these.
- oatmeal. i’ve always had the maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal out of those packets. but i was introduced to REAL oatmeal and it’s a fairly low calorie snack that keeps me full for longer. i add a handful of blueberries and a teaspoon of honey.
- string cheese! it’s just yummy, fun to eat, a good source of protein (7 grams) and only 60 calories.
so there you have it! i was in 5th place as of last friday – i would love to make it 2nd or 3rd, so keep your fingers crossed and thanks to those who are rooting for me – i appreciate it! i’llleave you with this…
