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| ISBN-13: | 9781524651404 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 12/08/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 54 |
| File size: | 3 MB |
Read an Excerpt
No Sweet Required
!!50 Free Revisions!!
By Michelle Fay
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2016 Michelle FayAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5246-5141-1
CHAPTER 1
Calorie Intake
Calorie intake is very important, but at the same time, it's quite simple to manage with a little knowledge. It's really simple math. After speaking with my doctor, I learned that the human body burns an average of two thousand calories a day, no matter what we do. So even if we choose to sit and do absolutely nothing, our body burns at least those two thousand calories.
So, if you only took five hundred calories from your diet per day, you would have lost four pounds in one month. "Why?" you ask. Simple: because your body is still burning two thousand calories a day. But you have not reduced yours to 1,500 calories a day. Congratulations! You've burned five hundred calories, and you aren't even sweating yet!
Now that we have learned that part of the math problem, you can learn how to count calories the easy and fun way. One simple way to do this is to read the labels, use your food scale, measure the portions, and then write down what you have eaten. This is what I did!
A lot of products contain more than one serving of food, but because we are hungry consumers, we fail to think about how much we have just eaten. Because of that, we gain weight. In this chapter, I present a few examples of food labels so that you can better understand this process.
Look at the serving size first and then measure out the correct size portion and finally write down the calorie information. Measure your food for at least two weeks. This will help you learn your serving sizes and calorie information for the foods you eat on a regular basis. On average, the consumer eats the same foods over and over every two weeks. We just mix up the days that we eat our meals. Once you start writing down what you eat, you, too, will see this pattern. It's kind of neat to look back and see the patterns.
We now must learn to write down what we have eaten for the day. The simplest way to do this is to grab a pen and notebook and start writing. I myself used a wonderful book that I purchased online just for this reason. It was the best tool of all, besides the pen, of course! I do believe I used three books. After the first week, it was just another part of my day. I did this for about six months. It is actually quite fascinating to look back on what I had eaten compared to what I eat now, because now I feel and look wonderful! In the back of this book, you'll find a thirty-day food journal to help you get started.
Now, we have the label-reading down. You're probably wondering, "Hey, what if I go out to eat?" Personally, I eat out a lot just like most people in the United States today. Calorie information was not something I could find quickly at my local drive-through, but I quickly learned that almost every major restaurant has calorie information online. Thank God for the person who started that idea! Now I just had to find the time to look up where and what I ate. But with four kids, a husband, a house to maintain, laundry, and don't forget cooking (sometimes), who has the time? However, we all have ten seconds to spare to go online and check the calories at a restaurant. You can do what I did and check out those calories and serving sizes from your favorite places to eat. You'll be amazed at what you have eaten. I know that I was! But don't feel guilty. Just try again tomorrow. Believe me, you will remember those numbers. And with each day, you will remember even more numbers. Just don't get scared. Remember that these are only numbers. Just keep writing them down! Also, for the fun of it, you can throw in your feelings for the day or what's going on in your busy life. Just keep writing the information down! In the back of this book, you'll also find ten major restaurants with their calorie information. This will help you get started with the dining-out problem.
Bottom Line Numbers that Equal Success
For women, that number is 1,500 calories a day. For men, that number is 1,800 calories a day.
Remember: for every 500 calories you don't eat each day, that equals a grand total of 3,500 calories after a whole week. Yes, I'm saying that you can lose weight with fewer calories. One week equals one to a half of a pound lighter. Yippee! You did it! Sweating yet? Keep writing. In one month, you can lose four to six pounds. In two months, you could have lost up to twelve pounds.
Keep writing; it gets better with each entry into your food journal.
Tips for Reading Food Labels
Read labels to compare key ingredients, and make smart choices to improve your nutritional habits. Use the following sample food label and diagram to sharpen your label-reading skills:
Ingredients: These are listed by weight, the most to the least.
• Limit products where fats and sugars appear early in the list.
• Limit products containing "shortening" or "partially hydrogenated" fats.
• Limit products containing coconut, palm oil, cocoa butter, butter, or lard.
Serving size: All the nutritional numbers listed in this section are based on the "severing size" amount. Compare the serving size to the amount you eat. For example, if you ate two cups of this food, you'd double the numbers shown, because a serving for this food is one cup.
Servings per container: Even small packages sometimes contain more than one serving.
Total fat: Low-fat foods contain three grams or less of fat per serving.
Saturated fat: This raises blood cholesterol levels. Food low in saturated fat contains less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Trans fat: Trans fats result from adding hydrogen to vegetable oils. Look for "hydrogenated" oils in the ingredient list to know if a food contains trans fat.
• Cookies, crackers, French fries, donuts, and other commercial fried and baked foods are major sources of trans fat in the diet.
• Trans fat raises the LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers the HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Limit your intake of saturated fat and trans fat to less than 10 percent of total calories.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers list trans fat on food labels.
Cholesterol: This is found only in animal foods. It is recommended that you eat less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol per day.
Sodium: This is the part of salt that can raise blood pressure and cause fluid retention. Good choices contain 400 milligrams or less per serving.
Total carbohydrate: This is a total that includes starches, sugars, and fiber.
Portion Size Comparison
A small milk carton equals about 1 cup (8 oz) of milk or yogurt
A tennis ball is a serving of fruit or vegetables
A bar of soap or a full deck of cards is about 3 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish
or
2 cassette tapes equal 2 slices of bread
2 quarters equal about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 penny equals about 1 teaspoon of oil, mayonnaise, margarine or butter
A computer mouse is about the same size as one medium potato
4 dice equal a one-ounce serving of cheese
CHAPTER 2B-12 Intake
Vitamin B-12 plays an important role in body function. It helps with many things. For me, B-12 gave me the energy to do a little more each day This was wonderful because I didn't feel tired or stressed out! When I first learned about the benefits of B-12 in helping with weight loss, I was completely shocked, because I had thought, Hey, don't I get enough of that already? Well, I came to find out that most of us could use a little extra B-12. The main source of B-12 comes from red meat, which I don't really eat a lot of. So once again, I went on the Internet and found out that I could buy a one-month supply of B-12 shots for three hundred dollars, liquid gold, and I willingly paid! Weight loss — I wanted it badly, and the companies knew this. Just think of all the fad diets, pills, and whatever else is out there. A very scary thought!
However, this three-hundred-dollar liquid gold did in fact help me! I felt wonderful. Having energy was great! Therefore, I kept busy. I felt relaxed and even slept better. The only catch was that I didn't have three hundred dollars for B-12 shots every month. So what could I do? I called my doctor and made an appointment just to talk about this problem.
He was great. He explained the B-12 shots to me. He also agreed that the B-12 shots that I had ordered had in fact helped me. So he gave me a prescription for B-12 shots that I could give myself at home, which meant no more three hundred dollars a month for B-12! I could now give myself the shot at home twice a week for around twenty-four dollars a month. B-12 shots are normally given to older people who have very little energy, but my doctor understood just how much these shots really were helping me. I was so scared during the first one my husband gave me. I think I scared him! After that, the B-12 shots just became another part of my weekly routine. Life wasn't so crazy now. At least it seemed that way, and it was true! I felt amazing! I started going for walks with my family, having fun, and burning a few calories at the same time! It was great to feel good again!
I did the B-12 shots for about three months. After that time period, I was good to go and still going. I just needed the B-12 shots to establish a good routine. Sometimes I still give myself a B-12 shot, but it's rare now that I've lost fifty pounds! I don't feel as if I need them as much anymore. No more sticking myself, although the tiny pain was well worth the results.
I chose the shot because after lots of research and my doctor's final approval, I just felt that the shot was the best for me. The first month, I did the shots twice a week. Then during the second month, I only did the shot once a week. By the third month, I only did the shot every other week. Talk to your doctor today! Why wait any longer for your weight-loss dream to come true?
CHAPTER 3Wafer Intake
The amount of water that I try very hard to drink is about two liters per day. It sounds like a lot of water to consume in one day, but it's really not. For me, the best way to do this was to buy one-liter containers with sports caps and carry them with me. Another thing that I chose to do was buy bottled water and have one with me wherever I go, even in the bathroom! It worked, and it has become yet another part of my daily routine. I still haven't sweated yet. The process is really quite simple. Just drink water, and drink of lot of it. You will be amazed at how wonderful water can make you feel, not only on the inside but the outside as well.
The Beauty of Nature Comes from Water!
I know that I've made everything sound really simple, but truth be told, it's hard. We are told every day to drink water with sugar. For me, giving up sugar meant (no energy). That was not cool. I needed all the energy I could get (just not that kind of energy)! That's where the B-12 shots came in. Now I no longer needed the sugar! I thought giving up my sweet tea was going to kill me, but now I have my unsweetened tea with lots of lemons to save the day! Or there are the days when half sweetened and half unsweetened might just have to save the day! I still eat and drink the things I love. I just try to mentally keep track of the calories I've consumed. I do enjoy life's sweetness, but I try not to go overboard.
I do indulge myself! Dark chocolate is my pitfall, especially if it has almonds! Both are very good for you in limited amounts.
Life's too short! Just don't forget to drink your water!
CHAPTER 4Fiber Intake and Detoxny the Body
Who knew getting one's fiber could be so easy? Forget that tired, old bowl of oatmeal. There's new oatmeal bars in all kinds of flavors that are loaded with fiber! Some bars have up to twelve grams of fiber in just one bar.
Here are just a few brands that I chose to eat:
1. Kashi products (local grocery store).
2. Fiber One products (local grocery store).
3. VitaTop muffins: Mint chocolate is my favorite, and they also have only a hundred calories and six grams of fiber per muffin (local grocery and online).
4. Fiber Gourmet products (online): They have pasta and snack crackers (fourteen grams of fiber).
5. Lori's Earth Friendly Products (online): The juice boxes have ten grams of fiber (apple, orange, and grape).
6. Barilla Products: These are great too (local grocery store).
All of these products taste wonderful and have a lot of health benefits aside from the fiber in them. My kids have even found their favorite ones. Imagine that! I've not only helped myself but my children as well. That's a wonderful feeling all by itself!
And hopefully this information will help you as well.
My personal goal for fiber intake is at least thirty-five grams a day. It was really easy with all the wonderful food that I chose. Your fiber intake usually goes by your age. For me, the chart said twenty-five to thirty grams, but I feel better with at least thirty-five grams a day. So you should judge how your body reacts to adding more fiber and see what your number is. I was thirty-three when I started adding more fiber, so go ahead and try to add more fiber to your diet, and then you can feel and see the wonderful benefits of fiber! It's almost an instant tummy tuck without the scar!
Detoxing the Body
The outside of our body is like a gigantic walking sponge. Everything we eat, drink, and breathe is absorbed into our organs. Over time, all of this stuff builds up in our bodies. We get rid of some of it by sweating, bathing, and of course, going to the bathroom. But we never really get rid of all of it. The inside of our body is like a car. I mean, you wouldn't keep driving your car without changing the oil, right? You know that it will eventually break down from the sludge buildup. Our bodies will do the same. That's why detoxing your body is so important! I tried so many products for detoxifying the body that it's not even funny.
But only one product worked. The name of this wonderful product is Dr. Natura's Whole Body Cleanse. If you have never done a whole-body cleanse, I highly recommend this product. For first-time people, the company recommends three months and then a yearly one-month cleanse after that. I personally did both the three-month and the yearly one-month cleanses. The results were amazing! The things that build up in our bodies look very scary, but I'm glad they're gone. The cleanse makes you feel like you have a new body, inside and out. Once again, the results are amazing! Just try it out for yourself.
Also, instead of joining the gym for their equipment, go for the sauna. Saunas are great at cleansing the build of everyday pollutants, such as heavy metals and the chemicals found in what we drink and eat. All of this builds up, and the sauna, especially the infrared saunas, goes down to the bone marrow and helps the body release all these toxicants. It'll help with skin, hair, and a lot of different health issues. Being in a sauna can help you burn around three hundred calories in a thirty- to forty-minute session, depending on the heat setting. Saunas can range in price from three hundred to ten thousand dollars. If you have the cash to spare, buy one for your home. After a hard day at work, relax in it and then sleep like a baby and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the world! Another great tool is a steam shower loaded with essential oils. Steam showers make you sweat while you are showering, but they add the health benefits of the essential oils. For centuries, people have used oils for their healing powers. A steam shower can cost anywhere from three hundred to a thousand dollars, depending on what you want. Steam showers don't go as deep into your body as saunas do, but they have their place in health, too. They're great for kids with colds or allergies. Add a little eucalyptus oil, and they're back to breathing normal again. It helps them relax after a hard day and sleep better at night. You are also teaching them to care about their health and adopt behaviors that will improve their health naturally.
This may all sound like a lot of money, but just think of how much you have already wasted on fad diets, diet pills, special foods, and equipment, not to mention all that gas and babysitting money and your time running to the gym. That may be what you like to do, but for me, it wasn't. I enjoy a nice, relaxing steam shower at home with a little lavender oil and then heading to bed, not getting the kids from the daycare and then driving home and putting the kids to bed. After that, I'm stressed out again! Now I just put my kids to bed and really enjoy that steam shower. It's my little bliss in life!
Between the sauna (which was a Mother's Day gift), a steam shower, and the gazelle (which was a Christmas present), the total spent over two years was $2,500.00. But all this is mine, not the local gym's. My equipment has already paid for itself. I've lost weight! I'm healthier, and I feel amazing! Plus, my kids get to enjoy all of this as well. At the gym, that's a no-no.
You've heard it before: "Eat your veggies and all of them!" I'm not going to give you a long, drawn-out chapter about why you should, because you already know why. But I am going to give you a friendly reminder. Just eat your veggies! Your mother would be proud, and you'll increase your fiber intake at the same time. Plus, veggies are low in calories. If you're like me though and you just feel like you don't have the time, buy the precut, prewashed, and prepackaged ones! Carry them in your car or take them to work. Veggies are excellent raw, and they give you more fiber too! At restaurants, order doubles of your favorite kinds! Please just eat your veggies! You'll be glad you did!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from No Sweet Required by Michelle Fay. Copyright © 2016 Michelle Fay. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Chapter 1 Calorie Intake, 1,Chapter 2 B-12 Intake, 15,
Chapter 3 Water Intake, 17,
Chapter 4 Fiber Intake and Detoxing the Body, 19,
Chapter 5 Exercise Output, 24,
Chapter 6 Stand Up Tall and Sit Up Straight, 28,
Chapter 7 Cutting Calories My Way, 33,
About The Author, 43,