Healthy Granola Bar Recipe: Low Calorie Too!

 Healthy Granola Bar Recipe: Low Calorie Too! thumbnail

I have a healthy granola bar recipe for you that could make a great “grab and go” breakfast or a filling midday snack. It’s easy to prepare and reasonably tasty. Honestly, if you choose granola or other food bars on the basis of taste alone, chances are good you’ve chosen something that is more akin to a dessert than a healthy meal bar or snack. Look at the nutrition label and you may find it’s loaded with calories from fat, sugar, or both! Not so with this recipe. It’s a low calorie choice that’s packed with healthy nutrients. I developed the granola bar recipe by modifying one I discovered for a healthy breakfast cookie on the Calorie Count site of About.com. I chose to include craisins rather than raisins because I like them! Craisins also have the potential to contribute to urinary tract health. I chose to use a cereal with whole grain flakes such as Wheatabix rather than bran flakes as called for in the original recipe. Have you tried Wheatabix? It’s a nutritious low calorie whole grain choice but I didn’t care for it as a breakfast cereal. I found it turned to mush all too quickly after I added milk. So I used the cereal instead to make muffins, cookies, and granola bars. Another option for the cereal might be Organic Flax Plus by Nature’s Path. Organic Heritage Cereal by Nature’s Path would also make a good choice if you can find it. It’s a flake cereal made with a wide range of whole grains including wheat, oats, barley, and quinoa. I remember it tasting good when I had a chance to sample it but it doesn’t seem to be available where I live. Another change I made to the original recipe was to include ground flax seed rather than the suggested wheat germ. By using a whole grain cereal such as whole wheat instead of bran flakes you’ll get the benefits of the germ without having to add more. I like ground flax seed because it has a pleasant nutty flavor and it’s good for you. It may help reduce inflammation in the body and keep your arteries clear of plaque buildup. Both benefits will reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. Low Calorie Healthy Granola Bar makes about 8 bars Ingredients 2 cups of cereal made with whole grain flakes 2 cups oatmeal 2 tbsp. ground flax seed 1 ½ tbsp. cinnamon ½ cup plain yogurt 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tsp. vanilla 1/3 cup honey 1 egg, beaten ¼ cup skim milk powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder ½ cup craisins (soak about 15 minutes in warm water first then drain well) Instructions Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the whole grain flakes and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the oatmeal, ground flax seed, and cinnamon. Set aside. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, applesauce, vanilla, honey, beaten egg, and skim milk powder. Add baking soda and baking powder to this mixture. Mix well. Gradually stir the crushed whole grain flakes and oatmeal into the yogurt mixture. Add the craisins and mix well. Make the granola bars by scooping three heaping tablespoons for each bar onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Shape into bars about 4 inches long. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Makes 8 bars. Remove the granola bars from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Wrap each bar in saran wrap or foil, refrigerate and eat within a week or so. Or freeze the wrapped bars in a zip lock freezer bag. The granola bars should keep well for several months. Freezing the granola bars works best for me. I’ve found I can take a bar with me to eat in the car if I’m in a hurry. To make a complete meal I have ½ cup of juice for some vitamin C before I leave and I make or buy some coffee with nonfat milk (for example a tall Starbucks cafe au lait with nonfat milk) to round out the meal and keep the calorie count low. Low Calorie Breakfast 1 homemade granola bar (222 calories) 4 oz. orange juice (Florida Natural, 55 calories) Starbucks Coffee with Nonfat Milk (1 tall, 60 calories) Total calories: 337 Protein: 13.6 grams (16%) Fat: 3.2 grams (8%) Carbohydrates: 66.4 grams (75%) Vitamin C: 37.6 mg Calcium: 336 grams Iron: 4.4 mg Dietary Fiber: 5.7 grams This is a high carbohydrate meal with lots of filling fiber! However, I would recommend getting some more fat in a mid-morning snack with a nutritious choice such as a low calorie cheese or some slices of avocado with whole grain crackers. Or you might choose 2% milk instead of nonfat milk for your coffee (80 calories rather than 60 for a tall cafe au lait at Starbucks.) For those of you who would rather not make your own granola bars, I will be taking a look at what seems to me be an overwhelming number of choices for commercially made food bars. Originally all you had were granola bars. Now there are breakfast bars, meals bars, snack bars, and energy bars as well as granola bars. Are these actually good for you? And if so, which ones make a better choice? I’ll cover what you need to know to pick a healthy low calorie food bar if you need a nutritious low calorie meal substitute or a snack. Till then, I hope you enjoy the healthy granola bar recipe. Do you have any low calorie nutritious recipes for meal or snack bars to share? If so, let me know in the comments section! Thanks. More low calorie healthy breakfast ideas Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories Health calories, Healthgranola bar healthy granola bar recipe low calorie whole grain oatmeal breakfast cereal

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Increase Your Metabolism: Metabolism Part Three

 Increase Your Metabolism: Metabolism Part Three thumbnail

If only there were a safe AND easy way to quickly increase your metabolism. Trust me, there isn’t. The number of calories you burn at rest to keep the cells, tissues, and organs of your body working properly is fairly consistent and cannot be easily changed. What Does Affect Metabolism? Your metabolism is determined by many factors over which you have no control over. (See: It Must Be My Metabolism: Part One). Your thyroid gland, on the other hand, can have a significant impact on your metabolism if it is not functioning properly. A healthy thyroid gland will produce the necessary amounts of hormones to keep your body’s metabolism working at a rate that is neither too fast nor too slow. An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. This can speed up your heart rate and calorie burn but it is not good for your health. Far more common is an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). An underactive thyroid can slow your metabolism and make you gain weight. More than 12 million Americans have thyroid disease and many of these individuals don’t even realize it. (Harvard Health Publications, 2009). If you believe you might have a problem with the functioning of your thyroid gland do check with your medical doctor. A simple blood test may or may not pinpoint a problem with the thyroid. If you have been told that your thyroid is fine but you are not convinced then by all means ask for further testing or go get a second opinion. Yo yo dieting or very low calorie diets may reduce metabolic rate by as much as 5-10%. This problem typically has an easy fix. Metabolism usually returns to normal quite quickly when a woman resumes eating enough calories to maintain a healthy body weight. Metabolism Slows With Age Metabolic rate can slow about 2 to 5% each decade after age 40. This slow down is the result of a couple of factors. Certain organelles within your cells called mitochondria slow down with age. Often called the “powerhouses of the cell”, mitochondria are responsible for making high energy compounds to fuel metabolic processes. Muscle cells have a high-energy need and therefore each muscle cell has more mitochondria than other cells. (MSN Health and Fitness 2009) In addition, there tends to be a gradual loss in overall muscle tissue with aging. Muscle tissue is metabolically more active than other cells especially fat cells because the muscle cells have more mitochondria. The loss in muscle tissue over time can be lessened by staying active and by doing strength training exercises. Weight Loss Supplements and Metabolism The marketers of certain weight loss supplements would like you to believe that it is easy to boost your metabolism and burn extra calories each day with little or no effort on your part. Unfortunately these supplements often contain compounds that speed up your metabolism by making your heart work harder and beat faster. This can cause insomnia, heart palpitations, anxiety, and elevated blood pressure. I believe weight loss supplements to be a poor choice even if you were to succeed in losing a few pounds without hurting your health. Unless you change your habits you will more likely than not put the weight back on quite quickly. If you would like to read more about the potential risks of weight loss supplements you may want to read a previous article of mine: Are Weight Loss Supplements Worth the Risk? Safe Ways to Increase Your Metabolism Exercise Regular exercise such as swimming, walking, biking, and dancing at a slow to moderate pace will raise your metabolism and calorie burn while you are active. This level of exertion may also boost your metabolism for a short period afterward. However, the increase in resting metabolic rate is greatest and lasts the longest for those who engage in exercise of a high intensity. (Mayo Clinic Health Letter 2010) The only sure way you can safely increase your metabolism all the time (24/7) whether you are engaged in physical activity or not is to increase your muscle mass. You can build muscle tissue with weight lifting or with resistance training. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat even when you are resting. Each pound of muscle in your body will burn approximately 15-16 calories a day or a little more than 100 a week. A pound of fat only burns 2 calories a day, about 14 calories in a week. That’s a big difference and the reason why men have an advantage over women when it comes to weight management. Men typically have more muscle tissue than women. Eat Often. Small, frequent meals give your metabolism a slight boost. Eating any food increases metabolism because of the energy needed to digest and absorb the food. This is called the thermic effect of food. Protein provides a greater thermic effect than fat or carbohydrates. However, the overall affect or metabolic boost of food is minimal, only 10% or so of your total calorie needs each day. Begin your day with breakfast and continue with low calorie meals and snacks spaced out throughout the day. If you go without eating for a prolonged period of time your metabolism may begin to slow down to conserve energy. Eat Balanced Nutritious Meals and Snacks Nutritionally balanced diets make a difference. Your body needs food from different sources to provide the energy, nutrients, and other chemical compounds it needs to keep your metabolism running smoothly. Your metabolism cannot run smoothly if it is missing an entire food group. Each food group provides a good source of a different set of nutrients than the other food groups. By eliminating or greatly reducing any one of the food groups such as carbohydrates, you will unnecessarily put yourself at risk for a deficiency of certain nutrients. Choose a balanced intake instead. Your body will thank you for that. (See: 1200 Calorie Diet Plan and 1500 Calorie Diet Plan to learn more about what you need from each food group.) Need ideas on how to eat balanced and nutritious low calorie meals and snacks more often? See: Best Healthy Breakfasts for Weight Loss: Part One 300 Calorie Mini Meals: Eat Less But Often 28 Healthy Low Calorie Snack Foods to Go Increasing metabolism with Specific Food Certain food or food ingredients such as spices, black pepper, ginger, and green tea may speed up your metabolism. However, the effect is very small. I would encourage you to enjoy seasonings and tea for the other benefits they offer. Spices, black pepper, and ginger add flavor to the food you prepare with only a negligible amount of calories. They can also reduce your dependence on salt. Both spices and green tea provide many healthful antioxidants. I hope you’ve found this article on how to increase your metabolism to be helpful. Having a healthy metabolism can be influenced by the food you eat and the lifestyle you choose. Eating nutritionally balanced meals and snacks and making a conscious decision to be more active makes a difference! For parts one and two of this series on metabolism: It Must Be My Metabolism: Metabolism Part One How Many Calories Per Day Do I Need: Metabolism Part Two Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight lossmetabolism increase your metabolism increase metabolism boost metabolism physical activity exercise strength training

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Weekly Diet Menu: Day 2

 Weekly Diet Menu: Day 2 thumbnail

Today’s meal plan, the second in the latest weekly diet menu includes a couple of easy to prepare meals along with a frozen entree for dinner. I’ve included oatmeal for breakfast as I have for other menus in the past. However, with this menu I’m sharing a recipe for you to make your own “instant” oatmeal that is tastier, more filling, and more nutritious than the store bought versions. It won’t take you long to make up a mix ahead of time and have enough for 6 meals or more. Lunch calls for making a delicious sandwich with tuna fish and slices of ripe avocado. Sounds odd? Try it! I honestly think you’ll like it. I do. Today’s supper calls for a Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Bowl of Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni with 1/2 cup of steamed broccoli on the side. All of today’s meals can be ready to eat in minutes! A tip to keep in mind when preparing dishes with only 1/4 to 1/2 a piece of fruit is to keep the peeling on the remaining fruit. By leaving the peeling on it will reduce the browning that would otherwise occur. Just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the cut edges and then refrigerate the leftover to use with meals later in the week. If you are doubling these recipes to serve more than one person this may not be as much of an issue. To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below. 1200 Calorie Menu (Day 2) Breakfast 1 serving Homemade Instant Oatmeal (236 calories) 1/2 pear 1?2 cup Orange Juice Snack 1 container French Vanilla Yogurt (Dannon - Light ‘n Fit, 100 calories) Lunch 1 Tuna Fish Sandwich with Avocado 1 medium apple water, unsweetened tea, or coffee To prepare tuna fish sandwich with avocado: Make tuna fish salad with 1 small can of white tuna canned in water (about 1/2 cup). Mix with 1 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp curry powder. Makes enough for two sandwiches. Spread 1/2 tuna fish salad on one slice whole wheat sandwich thin by Arnold. (Reserve the remaining tuna salad in the refrigerator for another day.) Add 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mexican cheese blend. Microwave the open sandwich on low to medium for about 30-40 seconds (enough to melt the cheese). Remove from microwave and top with slices of avocado (1/4 medium avocado) and then the second slice of bread. Snack Starbucks Cafe au Lait w/Nonfat milk (Tall, 60 calories) 4 Triscuits Reduced Fat Crackers Supper Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni - Lean Cuisine, Cafe Classics Bowls (240 calories) 1/2 cup steamed broccoli Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1206 Total Fiber = 27.7 g Fat = 16% Carbs = 62% Protein = 22% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1074 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 7.5 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) This meal plan comes up somewhat short for total fat. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines suggests 20-25% for fat. However, this is an average. What’s more important is how it balances out over a few days or more. We need fat to get enough of certain essential fatty acids that are important for good health. Although the weekly diet menu does come up slightly on the low side for fat, this shouldn’t be a problem. Most women need more than 1200 calories to keep metabolism running smoothly. Consuming more than 1200 calories makes it easier to get all the nutrients you need. I strongly encourage you to make sure you are getting enough calories in the first place. There are many reasons why 1200 calories is likely to be too little. A couple of my previous articles will help you learn how to determine your minimum SAFE calorie intake. 1. How Many Calories Per Day Do I Need? 2. 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, it is a little short on fat for all women as I just mentioned. Because you will be adding calories to the basic plan you will likely increase your fat intake for the better. Iron comes up short for women who are premenopausal. Today would be a good day for a supplement. The meal plan is also little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with an additional serving of milk, cheese, or ice cream. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. I will be publishing the next installments in this weekly diet menu over the coming weeks so be sure to check back! Day 1 Diet Menu Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight lossweekly diet menu weekly menu diet menu 1200 1300 1400 1500 calorie diet diet weight loss meals

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How Many Calories Per Day Do I Need? Metabolism Part 2

 How Many Calories Per Day Do I Need? Metabolism Part 2 thumbnail

If only it were simple. Knowing how many calories you need to succeed with weight loss and ultimately maintenance matters! However, the most accurate determination of your caloric needs would require sophisticated equipment and complicated calculations. That’s why scientists developed simplified equations to provide you with an easier way to get a quick estimate. Having an estimate of your calorie needs is good enough for most people. What you will want to do is determine two important values. The first one is your minimum safe caloric intake and the second is the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. These figures give you an idea of your weight loss range. Consuming enough calories to keep your metabolism running smoothly but fewer calories than your total needs for weight maintenance is what it takes to encourage your body to burn fat. Minimum Caloric Needs: BMR and RMR Even when you are resting, your body needs energy to keep your organs working and blood circulating. You also have energy needs for the growth and repair of body cells and tissues. The number of calories you need to provide this energy is influenced by body composition, gender, age, heredity, height, weight, thyroid, and activity level. This is what I covered in part one of this series on metabolism. (See: It Must Be My Metabolism: Metabolism Part One) The speed with which you burn calories for energy is referred to as basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting metabolic rate (RMR). BMR and RMR are not exactly the same. In a laboratory setting the conditions under which BMR is measured provides the most precise and accurate determination of metabolic rate and calorie needs. The measurement of RMR does not require such strict conditions. Therefore the values for BMR and RMR will be close in value but not the same. For everyday purposes the two terms are often used interchangeably. The easiest way to determine an estimate for your resting caloric needs is to use an online calculator. There are two online calculators that I use and recommend BMR calculator and Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator. If you’d like to calculate these figures on your own you can with the Harris Benedict or Mifflin equations: The Harris Benedict equation estimates BMR: For women: (9.56 x w) + (1.85 x h) – (4.68 x a) + 655 For men: (13.75 x w) + (5 x h) – (6.76 x a) + 66 The Mifflin equation estimates RMR: For women: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) – 161 For men: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) – (5 x a) + 5 To use these equations you need to plug in the appropriate values for “w” (current weight in kg), “h” (height in cm), and “a” (age). w = weight in kg h = height in cm a = age ——– NOTE: Your weight in pounds divided by 2.2 will give you your weight in kg. Multiply your height in inches by 2.54 to get your height in cm. Keep in mind that the estimates for both BMR and RMR will be skewed (not as accurate) for anyone who has significantly more muscle mass than the average or significantly more fat than the average. ——– Knowing your resting metabolic calorie needs gives you a value for your minimum safe caloric intake. To keep your metabolism from slowing down make sure you provide your body with at least this many calories from the food you eat each day. As you lose weight remember to recalculate this number because it will change. Physical Activity The second important value you will want to determine is the total estimated calories you need to maintain your current weight. You start with the value you derived for BMR or RMR. Then you factor in the average level of physical activity with which you engage each day. Multiply BMR or RMR by the factor that best describes your AVERAGE level of physical activity. 1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise and a desk job) 1.375 = Light Activity (Light exercise or sports 1-3 days each week) 1.55 = Moderately Active (Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week 1.725 = Very Active (hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week) 1.9 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports or a physically demanding job) Now you have an estimate for your minimum safe caloric intake and an estimate for your total caloric needs to maintain your current weight. With these two values you can now determine your weight loss range. Calorie needs to maintain current weight – minimum calorie needs = your weight loss range Example: Person A: 1800 calories (for maintaining current weight) – 1300 calories (minimum safe caloric intake) = 500 calories. For person A reducing calorie intake by 500 calories or LESS each day would result in weight loss. Person B: 2000 calories (for maintaining current weight) – 1200 calories (minimum safe caloric intake) = 800 calories. For person B reducing calorie intake by 800 calories or LESS will result in weight loss. I hope this article answers your question about how many calories per day you need to lose weight or maintain your current weight. Can you speed up your metabolism to burn more calories? And how can physical activity positively impact your metabolism for faster weight loss? That’s what we’ll talk about in the next part of this series on Metabolism. Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories Maintenance weight loss calories, Maintenance, weight lossbasal metabolism resting metabolism RMR BMR weight loss calories how many calories per day basal metabolic rate

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Diet Menu Plan

 Diet Menu Plan thumbnail

It’s here! I have a new Diet Menu Plan for you. This week-long healthy menu is built around the ease of heating up a frozen entree for dinner each evening. A little while ago I shared recommendations for frozen meals when you either need or want to eat quickly. (Best Low Calorie Frozen Entrees) For this menu I have a different set of frozen and reasonably healthy meals for you to try. The menus will work whether you are on a 1200, 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet. I’m not an advocate of eating commercially frozen meals often. You can do a lot better by cooking for yourself. However, if you are pressed for time or just not into cooking, I have a weeks worth of meals that could be just what you’ve been looking for. Another plus for choosing pre-packaged frozen meals is the ease of calculating your total calorie intake. Just keep in mind that the calorie count on the package may not quite as accurate as you might like. Instead of including a different brand of frozen entree each day, I decided to make all of the selections Lean Cuisine. I’m hoping this might make it easier. These packaged meals seem to be more readily available than other brands no matter where you might live in the United States (my apologies to everyone living elsewhere). The diet menu plan is designed for 1200 calories. To modify today’s sample menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments that follow. 1200 Calorie Diet Menu Plan (Day 1) Breakfast Honey Oat Waffles (160 calories, Kashi) 1?2 cup Orange Juice (55 calories) Yogurt Peanut Butter Spread (For the spread: Simply mix 2 oz. of fat free plain yogurt and 1/2 tbsp. of peanut butter. This is an easy and delicious way to add a little more calcium and protein to your diet. And it eliminates the less healthy butter/margarine and/or syrup. Might save you some calories also!) Snack 1 String Cheese Snack (80 calories, Sargento) Lunch Whole Wheat Sandwich with Turkey and Pear (Make a sandwich with Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins. Add 6 oz. of shaved turkey, 1/2 ripe pear sliced, and 2 tsp. of spicy brown mustard. Add cheese for a little extra flavor and calcium.) 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.) Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese (38 calories, Sargento) 1 Lowfat Yogurt (130 calories, your choice of flavor Stonyfield Farm) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee Snack 1 medium apple Supper 1 Chicken Mediterranean meal (240 calories, Lean Cuisine - Spa Cuisine Classics) 1/2 cup frozen peas, boiled and drained w/o salt 1/2 cup lite ice cream (100 calories, Blue Bunny) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1227 Total Fiber = 26.8 g Fat = 19% Carbs = 60% Protein = 22% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1004 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years of age need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 7.4 mg (Women 19 to 50 years who are pre-menopausal need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Meal Plan This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, it comes up short on iron for premenopausal women and a little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If you need more iron, you could choose to add a cup of enriched soy milk (with iron) for an additional 7-8 mg of iron and 100-120 calories or take a supplement. If, on the other hand, you need more calcium you may want to supplement this menu with another serving of a low fat milk product or take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. (I encourage you to read my article on how to determine the minimum SAFE caloric intake for you: 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started!) I’m pleased with the ease of preparation for this reasonably healthy Diet Menu Plan. Check back often for the remaining 6 days of the menu. Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! P.S. While you’re here you might want to check out my articles page for lots of tips on how to succeed in losing weight with a healthy low calorie diet! Or you might want to see my 1200 calorie diet plan or 1500 calorie diet plan. weight loss weight lossdiet menu plan weekly menu day 1 weight loss diet healthy menu menu diet plan 1200 calories 1300 calories 1400 calories 1500 calories

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It Must Be My Metabolism: Metabolism Part One

 It Must Be My Metabolism: Metabolism Part One thumbnail

Just exactly what is metabolism? And how does it influence your ability to manage your weight? If you’re not sure, you are not alone. The word metabolism is often misunderstood and misused. On the other hand, if you’ve ever thought “it must be my metabolism” keeping me from losing weight. You may be right and then again you may not. Metabolism is complex. It involves more than simply burning calories. You might think of it as the way in which your body gets the energy it needs to function from the food you eat. You need energy to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and nerves firing even when you are at rest. However, it also involves the processes by which your body fuels all of the chemical reactions needed to build, maintain, breakdown, and repair body tissues. The speed with which your body performs these functions is often referred to as metabolic rate. What Makes Your Metabolism Unique? Your metabolism is influenced by such things as your body composition and weight, gender, age, height, thyroid, and activity level. What you eat can also influence your metabolism. But the effect of food and other supplements is very small. Body Composition and Weight The rate or speed with which you burn calories when you are AT REST is primarily influenced by your body composition. The more fat-free mass you have relative to your total body weight the higher your metabolic rate. Fat free mass is commonly referred to as lean body mass or LBM. It includes tissue such as lean muscle, bones, and organs. The activity of lean body mass is much greater than that of fat tissue. Men typically have significantly more muscle mass than women. This is why the average man has a higher metabolic rate than the average woman by as much as 10 to 20 percent. Although lean body mass may be the primary determinant of metabolic rate for individuals with a healthy body weight, it is a different and more complicated story for those who are significantly overweight. The greater a person’s weight the harder the body must work to support tissue of all kinds, both fat and fat-free. A plus-sized woman could have a metabolic rate as much as 50 percent higher than a thin woman! Height As with weight, height influences body size. The taller you are the greater the distance that must be covered to provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs. This increases metabolic rate. Gender As mentioned previously in the discussion on body composition, men usually have more muscle mass than women. This gives men a faster or higher metabolic rate. Temperature The colder or hotter the environment, the harder your body must work to regulate body temperature. This will raise metabolic rate. However, given that many people today live in temperature controlled environments, the effect of temperature on metabolism is minimal. Age The older a person’s age, the slower the metabolism. There are many reasons for this. There tends to be a loss in muscle tissue in part from the aging process itself and in part from a decrease in level of activity. Exercise can slow down but not stop this natural process. Thyroid The thyroid is a small gland that lies just below the skin under the Adam’s apple in the neck. The thyroid secretes hormones that influence metabolic rate (speed of metabolism). Certain medical conditions and medications can influence the functioning of the thyroid gland. If the thyroid is over stimulated it will speed up metabolism. If it is under stimulated, metabolism is slowed down. Heredity Some people are born with a metabolic rate that is faster than the average. For these individuals, eating enough food to avoid being too thin may be challenging. Other people with an inborn tendency for a slower metabolism struggle to avoid weight gain. Most people fall within the range of average. Activity Level You have no control over your height, gender, age, or heredity. The functioning of your thyroid gland, on the other hand, needs to be checked and, if necessary, managed with the assistance of your medical doctor. The one thing YOU CAN DO to positively impact your metabolism for weight loss is to engage in increased physical activity or exercise. If you’ve thought, it must be my metabolism, how do you feel now? Still convinced? I’ll cover how metabolic rate is determined and the ways in which increased physical activity or exercise can positively impact metabolism in parts two and three of this series. Till next time, watch your calorie intake, eat healthy food, and be active! Health weight loss Health, weight lossmetabolism weight loss height weight gender temperature thryoid activity level calories energy fuel

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Best Low Calorie Frozen Entrees

 Best Low Calorie Frozen Entrees thumbnail

My latest 7-Day Menu Plan for 1200 to 1500 calories is almost finished! This plan is based around the ease of heating up a frozen entree for supper each evening. With all the possible frozen entrees available in today’s supermarkets how do you know what makes a healthy choice? Today I’ll share some guidelines for you along with a few suggestions for specific products. When planning low calorie nutritious meals to help you look good, feel good, and be healthy as the pounds come off, you need lean protein, whole grains, and colorful veggies. The frozen entrees that I’m familiar with are not sufficiently well balanced to provide you with all you need. However, the right selections can give you a starting point to which you can add complementary and low calorie nutritious food. If you are on a low calorie diet of 1200 to 1300 calories choose frozen meals with no more than 350 calories. For 1400 to 1500 calorie diets your best bet are frozen meals with no more than 400 calories. Beyond calories, limit the fat grams to less than 15 with no more than 4 grams of saturated fat and no trans fats. Excess sodium from salt and other sources is a big problem with processed foods! Aim for fewer than 700 mg. Pick meals with 10 grams or more of protein. Lean protein plays an important role in keeping you healthy and satisfied on a low calorie diet! Also look for at least 4 grams of dietary fiber. Like protein, dietary fiber will go a long way to keep you filled up and satisfied from one meal or snack to the next. Last but not least check out how much vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron is available. The more the better unless you are postmenopausal, in which case the iron content will not be as important. All too often these nutrients are not well represented and that means you will need to supplement your meal with other food to balance it out. O.K. so what are some of the better choices for frozen entrees in grocery stores today? I’ve chosen 6 that meet or come close to meeting the guidelines I provided above for nutrition. In addition, I spent some time determining whether or not you might like the taste. How did I do that? I looked at the ratings provided on two food review sites. Zeer.com and HeatEatReview.com are two websites you might want to bookmark for future reference! [For quick and easy access to food review sites, 1200 calorie diet plans, menu plans,calorie and nutrient databases, and so much more whether you are following a 1200, 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet you might want to download my no cost toolbar to your web browser. Just go to my 1200 calorie diet page.] The frozen meals included here are not ranked or listed in any particular order by nutrition or taste: Amy’s Kitchen Stuffed Pasta Shells You gotta love Amy’s Kitchen products. This particular dish is made with organic pasta and vegetables. There are no GMO’s or bio-engineered ingredients. All the dairy ingredients are made with pasteurized hormone-free milk and do not contain animal enzymes or rennet. Nutrition: 310 calories, 19 g protein, 5 grams dietary fiber, 13 grams fat, plus 40% of vitamins A & D, and 40% calcium. It doesn’t meet my guidelines for sodium at 740 mg (Just keep your salt intake under control for the rest of the day). Reviews: No reviews on Zeer and 5 out of 5 stars on HeatEatReview. Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken This meal includes sliced roasted chicken, green beans, yellow pepper, red pepper, crimini mushrooms, onions, and edamame beans. It has only high quality all natural ingredients with no preservatives or artificial anything! Nutrition: 320 calories, 18 grams protein, 6 grams dietary fiber, 3.5 grams fat, and 380 mg sodium. Reviews: 4 stars out of 5 on Zeer and 5 out of 5 on HeatEatReview. Amy’s Garden Vegetable Lasagna (Note: Trader Joe’s Garden Vegetable Lasagna rates equally well.) This seemingly tasty dish is made with organic rice, pasta, and vegetables. It has 0 trans fat and no preservatives or bio-engineered ingredients. Nutrition: 290 calories, 13 grams protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 9 grams of fat, and 720 mg of sodium. As with the Stuffed Pasta Shells this Amy’s kitchen product has quite a bit of sodium, just over my recommendation but otherwise it rates well. Reviews: No reviews on Zeer. 4.5 out of 5 stars on HeatEatReview. Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake This dish is actually a vegan meal but don’t let that scare you away. It serves up a combination of plantains (a type of banana), black beans, sweet potato, and kale. I’ve tried it and have found it to be very tasty and nutritious although a little low in protein. Nutrition: 340 calories, 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of dietary fiber, 9 grams of fat, and 380 mg of sodium. Reviews: Unfortunately there are no reviews on either Zeer or HeatEatReview. So go ahead and give it a try and then leave a review to let other people know how good it really is! Amy’s Whole Wheat Cheese and Pesto Pizza This meal has all natural organic ingredients. It’s made with whole-wheat flour, pesto, tomatoes, and cheese. It’s so simple, from what I understand it appeals to even the pickiest of eaters – children. Nutrition: A serving of 1/3 of the pizza is 320 calories with 18 grams of protein, 6 grams dietary fiber, 3.5 grams fat, and 380 mg sodium. Reviews: No reviews on Zeer. 5 out of 5 stars on HeatEatReview. Lean Cuisine Three Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni Lean Cuisine says the dish is made with “zucchini, carrots, and red peppers in a fire roasted tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese.” I’d say that this product is a rare example in which the nutritional value comes close to matching the perceived value but don’t let that fool you. It is very low in calories so you will still need to supplement your meal with additional food to satisfy your caloric and nutritional needs. Nutrition: 230 calories, 13 grams protein, 4 grams dietary fiber, 6 grams fat, and 370 mg sodium. In addition, it has 60% of the dietary value for Vitamin A, 15% for Vitamin C, and 20% for calcium. Reviews: No reviews on Zeer. 5 stars out of 5 on HeatEatReview. If you’d like more suggestions, check back to see the 7 selections I share with my latest 7-Day Menu coming soon! Also, you might want to take a look at the top frozen meals rated by Consumer Reports Magazine as shared on HeatEatReview. Hope my suggestions for selecting the best frozen entrees make it a little easier for you when you need a nutritious meal in a hurry. Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories Health calories, Healthfrozen entrees low calorie low calorie frozen entrees frozen meal healthy nutritious tasty

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Top 5 Challenges for Weight Management this Year and Beyond

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Given my age and profession as a nutritionist you might think I have it all figured out with respect to staying healthy and managing weight. I know a lot but that doesn’t mean I always do what is best or that there isn’t something new to learn. Let me share my top 5 challenges with weight management that I will focus on improving this year. I hope it will inspire you to discover and acknowledge the top five challenges you face! All of my challenges relate to one simple truth. I need to do better with eating only when I am hungry and stopping when I am full. If only it were that easy! Getting a better handle on the situations that influence me to eat more than I need is a great place to start. How about you? [Note: There are many reasons why we don’t recognize when we are full but that’s an article for another day. I’m going to focus on the times when I’m aware of overeating but I do it anyway. (To learn more now about why we unconsciously eat more than we need, I would encourage you to read The Instinct Diet: A Review)] Here are my top challenges for this year: 1. The Clean Your Plate Club I would say my biggest challenge is to once and for all give up on my clean the plate philosophy! This is a big issue for me. I struggle with wasting food because I can’t let go of the image of the many people who are faced with hunger. How might I solve this? It all relates to the issue of stopping when I am full. Stuffing myself to clean my plate is certainly NOT helping anyone else and definitely not helping me. Next I need to do better with serving myself less food in the first place. If I have been served more food than I need by a family member or friend I have the right to stop when I’ve had enough. When at a restaurant I resolve to ask for a container for extra food at the same time the entree is served so I can immediately box up a third to a half. When I am in a place that I cannot bring leftovers home, I will need to simply let go of the fact that I cannot finish what is on my plate. This means I have to get better at accepting occasional waste. Sigh… Cleaning my plate is an issue for me but it may not be for you. Congratulations! Let me share other ways I slip up. 2. Justification for Eating More than Needed You can fill in the blank so that it might relevant to you. “I’m ____________ so I deserve to have a good time and eat whatever I want.” For me the blank might be filled in with “on vacation”, “enjoying time with family or friends that I don’t see very often”, “enjoying a special celebration”, etc. The problem for many Americans is that there is a reason to celebrate with food far too often! So I’m going to pick the holiday(s) or event(s) when I’m allowed to have a little more and resolve to watch my calorie count the rest of the time! How about you? 3. Hey, it’s free! My third challenge is to stop eating things just because it’s there and it’s free. Have you ever found yourself thinking you’ll help yourself to the cookies, candy, or other treats just because it’s being offered? I admit I sometimes rationalize that I don’t buy candy or donuts or whatever it might be, so if I have a little of what’s being offered it’s as if it won’t count. Yeah right! 4. Overestimating calories burned with exercise This is an issue for me because it isn’t easy to accurately assess the real calorie burn when I exercise. Like many people, when I’ve put in a significant effort I like to think I’ve burned far more calories than I actually have! Then I rationalize that I can eat more than I need. 5. Snacking Too Often Unlike some nutritionists, I am a firm believer in the value of snacks. However, research suggests that the more often a person eats the more total food they eat. At times I find myself eating too much because I can eat too many snacks! So how might someone avoid overeating with snacks? I suggest limiting snacks to two a day. One mid-morning and one mid-afternoon snack should be enough for women. In addition, limit the calories! One hundred to 150 calories or so should be plenty for a snack if you are eating an adequate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. [Note: See my 1200 calorie diet plan and 1500 calorie diet plan to get a sense of how you might divide up your calories each day between meals and snacks.] Guys need more calories as a general rule so having an evening snack and more calories with each snack is appropriate. O.K. that’s the list I am working on this year. Here are a few of the challenges I have dealt with in the past and am now handling better. I’m sharing this in the hope that you don’t take on too many challenges now. Tackling a few each year is enough! To begin with, my husband and I have pretty much stopped eating at the “All You Can Eat Buffets.” It’s just too hard to not overfill our plates. Another challenge I’ve dealt with is not succumbing to eating all of the goodies my dear husband and daughter like to bake. Keeping goodies out of sight goes a long way to stopping me from grazing every time I enter the kitchen. I’ve also taken to freezing these treats. It’s amazing how much slower a batch of cookies gets consumed when frozen. A third challenge I have had fun with is expanding my repertoire of healthy low calorie dishes I like to prepare. This has helped in a couple of ways. I am less inclined to eat out if I have recipes that are not only easy to prepare but also tasty and low calorie. I also find I am somewhat less inclined to overeat healthy food even when it’s very tasty! It must have something to do with having a greater awareness of when I am full. This is in great contrast to foods with lots of fat, sugar, or even worse, both. So I now make sure I eat healthy food first with each meal or snack. If I have had a successful day in burning LOTS of calories with exercise and I find myself still hungry, that’s when I get eat the treats! Works for me. I challenge you to take some time and list the challenges you face. In addition to facing these challenges, I’m currently working hard on my next weekly diet plan featuring HEALTHY frozen dinners from the grocery store. I may not eat frozen dinners very often but when I do I look for healthy. There are so many to pick from how can you know what is a good choice and what is not? I’ll give you some tips. And I am also preparing one or more articles on how you can boost your metabolism. For these tips and more check back soon! For my previous weekly diet menus see: Sample Menu Plan for 7 Days Week Long Low Calorie Menu Plan Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight lossweight loss challenges weight loss challenges weight loss tips strategies issues

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Week Long Low Calorie Menu Plan

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Finally! I have Day 7 of the week long menu for 1200, 1300, 1400, or 1500 calories. I designed this menu plan to save you time. The menu for each day includes an easy to prepare or grab and go breakfast with a HEALTHY fast food meal for lunch. Suppers are also simple and require only a little time to prepare. For today’s menu, breakfast is a couple of tasty and nutritious oat waffles by Kashi. Top the waffles with a little apple butter for a spread and serve with orange juice and soy milk to round out the nutrition. If you are not a fan of soy milk you can choose a different milk product, dairy or otherwise. By opting to go with spreads such as apple butter or applesauce instead of butter and syrup you can cut down on the calorie count and boost the nutritional value of your meal. [For more ideas on choosing healthy low calorie spreads when making toast, waffles, sandwiches, and more you may want to read Nutritious Low Calorie Spreads, Condiments, and Dips] Lunch is a grilled chicken salad from McDonald’s. The almonds are included for a total of 300 calories BUT I don’t believe this calorie count includes salad dressing! The salad dressings alone range from 40 to 190 calories or more for a 1.5 to 2 ounce serving. Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette is the low cal winner at only 40 calories for 1.5 ounces. Supper calls for making a Twice Baked Potato. It’s easy to prepare (recipe included). Scrub your potato well and you can eat the whole thing with skin for lots of dietary fiber and nutrients. [Look for links to the previous menus Days 1-6 at the end of this article. To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, you can find my comments below.] 1200 Calorie Menu (Day 5) Breakfast 2 Honey Oat Waffles (Kashi, 160 calories) 3 Tbsp. Apple Butter (60 calories) Vanilla Soy Milk (1/2 cup) 1?2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana - 25 calories)* Snack 1 Medium Apple Lunch 1 Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken (McDonald’s, 300 calories, includes the almonds) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee Snack 1 cup Soy Dream Soy Milk, enriched vanilla (1 cup = 120 calories) Supper Twice Baked Potato (Microwave 1/2 cup of washed and cut broccoli in a microwave oven. Set aside. While the broccoli is cooking, wash/scrub a medium to large size potato, then bake in microwave for 6-10 minutes on high. Remove potato from the microwave and carefully slice open the top to avoid burning yourself with the steam. Lightly mash inside with a fork and add 1 Tbsp. Light Butter. Top the potato with the cooked broccoli, 1/4 cup canned, rinsed Black Eyed Peas, and 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Return the potato to the microwave and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes.) 1 Medium to Large Baked Potato (160 calories) 1/2 Cup fresh broccoli cut into small pieces 1/4 Cup Black Eyed Peas cooked 1 Tbsp. Light Butter (Land O’Lakes Light Butter with Canola, 50 calories) 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (20 calories) 1/2 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream (Blue Bunny, 100 calories) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1202 Total Fiber = 26.3 g Fat = 21% Carbs = 59% Protein = 20% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1111 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 19.7 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu provides plenty of fiber, iron, and calcium for young women. If you are postmenopausal it comes up a little short on calcium. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with another serving of a low fat milk product. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. (I encourage you to read my article on how to determine the minimum SAFE caloric intake for you: 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started!) *Light N’ Healthy Calcium Orange Juice by Tropicana. I included this juice because it is a source of a little extra calcium and it helped the numbers to add up right for a total of approximately 1200 calories. However, I believe a regular orange juice product (with or without added calcium) would be a better choice for not too many more calories. Why would it be better? Adding water to plain orange juice is what makes light juice. That dilutes the available nutrients, which may or may not be added back. In my opinion, the original mix of nutrients as nature intended is always best. If you’ve read this far, good for you! Here are the links for days one through six of this latest weekly plan: Healthy Low Calorie Sample Menu 1200 Calorie Menu: Day 2 1200 Calorie Menu Day 3 Day 4 Sample Menu for 1200 Calories Day 5 - 1200 Kcal Diet Menu Day 6 Sample Menu Plan If I can figure out how to set it up properly, I would like to provide the week long menu plan in a chart form for you to easily download and print off. Also, be looking for some important articles on how to get your metabolism working to your advantage for faster weight loss. And I plan on creating a new week long low calorie menu around having a commercially prepared yet healthy frozen entree each evening for dinner. I prefer to prepare my own meals for better taste and nutrition, however, it is possible to purchase reasonably healthy and tasty frozen meals. Do you know which meals rate well? While you are waiting for a new menu plan, you may want to check out my previous 7 Day Menu Plan (Sample Menu for 7 Days) that includes a fair amount of cooking. Cooking may not be your idea of fun BUT if you are willing to prepare your own meals you will save a considerable amount of money over eating out each day or buying heat and serve frozen meals! Wishing you the best to achieve your goals in 2010! calories weight loss calories, weight losslow calorie menu plan sample menu calories weight loss diet

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Day 6 Sample Menu Plan

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I’m pleased with Day 6 of the latest 7 Day Menu Plan for 1200 calories or more! Both the carbohydrate and fat count are on the low side of a healthy range and the protein count is a solid mid-range. Lunch for today is from Long John Silver’s to continue the theme of eating out one meal per day. The cost is higher than making all your meals at home but going with fast food makes it more reasonable. Surprisingly, it is possible to find healthy meals at fast food restaurants if you do some advance research and planning! I discovered that Long John Silvers offers 2 fillets of grilled Pacific Salmon for only 150 calories! (Unfortunately, not all restaurants in a chain offer the same selections across the country.) Select this along with a plain Corn Cobette (no butter) for an additional 90 calories. Finish your meal after leaving the restaurant with a kiwi fruit you’ve brought from home and you have a nutritious and hopefully delicious low calorie meal for only 290 calories total. The rest of the day includes Multigrain Chex Cereal for breakfast. It’s the same cereal we’ve had earlier in the week to make a grab and go trail mix (see Day 2). Supper is an easy to fix Spinach Salad served with a small whole wheat pita and some hummus. These meals can be ready to eat in minutes. Given that today’s menu is well-balanced, it can be easily adapted for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below. You’ll also find links to the previous 5 days of this menu plan at the end of the article. 1200 Calorie Menu (Day 6) Breakfast 3/4 cup Multigrain Chex Cereal* (General Mills, 160 calories) 1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk (Soy Dream, 120 calories) 1?2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana - 25 calories)** Snack ½ cup fresh blueberries Lunch 1/2 Grilled Pacific Salmon (Long John Silver’s – about 150 calories for 2 fillets) 1 Corn Cobette w/o butter (Long John Silver’s - 90 calories) 1 kiwi fruit (bring with you to eat AFTER lunch) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee Snack 1 Mozzarella String Cheese (Horizon - 80 calories) Supper (Spinach Salad with a Whole Wheat Pita and Hummus) 2 cups Spinach Leaves 1/2 cup Red tomatoes chopped 1 Mozzarella String Cheese cut into small pieces 1/2 cup Black-eyed peas 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (Extra virgin, 60 calories) 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice 1 Whole Wheat Pita (159 calories) 3 Tbsp. Hummus (75 calories) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1224 Total Fiber = 32.1 g Fat = 27% Carbs = 50% Protein = 23% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1105 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 30.9 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, it is a little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with another serving of a low fat milk product. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. (I encourage you to read my article on how to determine the minimum SAFE caloric intake for you: 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started!) *Note: Multigrain Chex Cereal is fortified with iron. If you are post-menopausal you may want to choose a different whole grain cereal with less iron. **Light N’ Healthy Calcium Orange Juice by Tropicana. I included this juice because it is a source of a little extra calcium and it helped the numbers to add up right for a total of approximately 1200 calories. However, I believe a regular orange juice product (with or without added calcium) would be a better choice for not too many more calories. Why would it be better? Adding water to plain orange juice is what makes light juice. That dilutes the available nutrients, which may or may not be added back. In my opinion, the original mix of nutrients as nature intended is always best. If you’ve read this far, good for you! Here are the links for day one, two, three, four, and five of this latest weekly plan: Healthy Low Calorie Sample Menu 1200 Calorie Menu: Day 2 1200 Calorie Menu Day 3 Day 4 Sample Menu for 1200 Calories Day 5 - 1200 Kcal Diet Menu Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! P.S. Be sure to check back for more low calorie menu plans. You also might want to check out my articles page for lots of tips on how to succeed in losing weight with a healthy low calorie diet! calories weight loss calories, weight losslow calorie sample menu diet menu 1200 calorie diet day 6 1300 1400 1500 calorie diet weight loss weekly plan weekly menu

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