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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How to Manage and Reduce Stress with Better Self Care

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Today I have an interesting article by guest author Alice Henneman, MS, RD! She shares practical tips on how to manage and reduce stress with better self care. You can put these tips into practice starting today for the remainder of the holiday season and beyond! What’s unique about this article is that Alice compares the care and well-being of your body to a computer. Does your computer work better if you take care of it properly? Well, there you have it. How about taking as good or better care of yourself to avoid or at least reduce some of the stress of the holiday season (which all too often prompts overeating)! I particularly like the tip she shares to alternate cooking days with workout days. Great idea! There never seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. So with limited time do you cook for yourself because you have control when it comes to choosing healthy low calorie ingredients for meals and snacks? Or do you make time for workouts and grab something to eat while on the run and hope you burned enough calories to cover the caloric cost? Try the suggestion to cook extra on a few days each week and exercise on the off days. Ahh…time for everything! There are many more good tips. Enjoy! Treating Your Body Like a Computer: Trouble-shooting Tips by Alice Henneman, MS, RD (Published with permission from the author 12/9/09) If your body was a computer, would it be receiving lots of “error” messages? Is it beginning to run slower and take longer to “start?” Here’s a checklist to help optimize your performance and prevent crashing. Are you trying to run too many programs at the same time? If you’re operating less efficiently because there are too many activities making demands on your system, shut down some programs. Some examples include: * If time is tight, rather than make a special company dinner from “scratch,” invite people for a potluck meal. * No time to work out AND fix your hair afterwards … get a new hairstyle or cover your hair with some type of interesting headgear. Who knows … you might start a whole new product line! You may actually accomplish more if you don’t try to accomplish several things at the same time. Researchers, such as Dr. Earl Miller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Picower professor of neuroscience, are finding that multi-tasking can be less efficient than doing one task at a time, especially if the tasks are more complex. “Switching from task to task, you think you’re actually paying attention to everything around you at the same time. But you’re actually not,” says Miller. Consider scheduling tasks for separate times, for example: * Alternate cooking days with workout days. Cook ahead on cooking days, freeing up time on your workout days. * Plan a casserole or stew that can cook while you do yoga or take a walk. If you do multi-task, combine a task that doesn’t demand as much input from your system as the other task. Here are two possible examples: * Work out on a treadmill while watching TV. * Listen to music while cooking. computer bug Is your anti-virus software up-to-date and running? If you’re susceptible to every bug that comes around, it’s time to check if you’re eating right, getting enough sleep, being physically active and reducing stress. The cost and time for “repairs” may be greater than the amount needed for prevention. Is your battery dangerously low? Recharge your battery before it loses power completely. Habit #7 in Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “Sharpen the Saw.” Covey tells the story of a woodcutter whose productivity decreased after sawing for several days straight. Each day his saw became duller and duller. Covey advocates a balanced program for self-renewal in these four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual. Recharge by eating healthy, getting some physical activity, making meaningful connections with others, stimulating your mind and devoting time to your spiritual renewal through such means as time spent in nature, music, prayer or service. Are you bogged down by unneeded files and programs? Remove anything from your life that isn’t needed and slows your overall performance. For example: * Do you still belong to a club or organization that no longer meets your needs or interests? The time you’re giving this activity is taking time from something else. Move on! * Are you ironing (what’s an iron, some of you may say!) the whole shirt when only the collar will show under your sweater? Do you need to hit “escape,” “undo” or “delete?” Your computer offers several options if you change your mind about a decision. Offer yourself that same choice with your life. You may have a reputation for always saying “yes” to a request for help, regardless of how busy you are. The next time, say something such as one of the following examples. It’s not necessary to elaborate and give an explanation. * “I’m sorry but I’m not available that night” or “I have another commitment for that time.” * “I can’t help you right now, but I could (in a half hour, next week, next month …).” * “I can only help you for an hour, and then I have to leave.”Leave after an hour … even if it’s just to go to the bathroom if you’re at your office! * “I can’t do that right now, but I could … (name a less time-consuming task).” Time to reboot Now, that you’ve finished trouble-shooting your personal system, consider making some changes. Then, reboot your body and enjoy the benefits! ————————————– O.K. there you have it. Lots of solid tips on how to manage and reduce stress for the remainder of the holiday season. Good tips for the New Year also! Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food. [Just remember to ease up a little and enjoy the holidays! Speaking of enjoying the holidays AND taking care of yourself, don’t forget that when it comes to gift giving you matter too: Holiday Season Help with Diet Struggles: Tips, Products, and More Kitchen Tools and Gadgets for Weight Loss and Better Health Best Diet Books 2010] Health weight management Health, weight managementholidays weight management stress reduce stress self-care holiday season stress-free healthy eating exercise workouts weight loss tips

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Best Diet Books 2010

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A new year and a new opportunity for a slimmer, healthier you is just around the corner. Is 2010 the year you get it figured out? Will you find and follow the best diet book or weight loss program suited to your preferences and lifestyle? Will the diet book you pick provide the best sequence of steps for you to achieve the weight loss and better health you desire? If there were such a thing as a simple straightforward diet plan that worked for everyone we would certainly know about it! The truth is that one size does NOT fit all. So what diet book or plan would be best for you? There are only a few new diet books published by respected health professionals or organizations that I am aware of at this time. The basic diet plan for each of these is centered on tried and true strategies that may not be new to you. If so, don’t overlook these strategies as being old hat because they work! You need a balanced and nutritious diet plan. That means ALL food groups are included (protein foods; dairy or dairy alternatives for calcium, protein, and B vitamins; breads and cereals; and fruits and vegetables) Also included should be some kind of plan for getting a better understanding of your current habits. This is essential for making the kinds of changes necessary to maintain weight loss over the long term. [I firmly believe in the value of keeping a food diary for at least a few days or more. You can learn to fine tune your food choices for better nutrition, get a handle on portion size, and learn what triggers you to eat more than you need.] Although exercise is not essential for weight loss you will want to engage in some form of increased physical activity for maintenance once the weight comes off. The latest research on exercise and sustained loss suggests that exercise may not be negotiable for most people! That is, if you want to be slim and trim for life, exercise must be part of the overall equation. So with all of that said, what are the newest and best diet books with healthy diet plans? The Mayo Clinic Diet The Mayo Clinic Diet may be one of the best “new” diet books (to be released in January of 2010). Healthy eating strategies and portion control are fundamental. In addition, the diet plan in this book evidently places a strong emphasis on modifying lifestyle by zeroing in on habits. The ultimate goal is for you to have a sustainable lifestyle for healthy weight maintenance when you achieve your weight loss goal. Mayo Clinic health professionals see thousands of patients every single week. As a result of seeing so many patients over the years they have been able to identify the habits of individuals who are successful in maintaining a healthy weight compared with those who are not successful. They suggest these habits can be distilled down to the 10 most significant: 5 habits that work and 5 that do not work and must be “broken.” The book is composed of three sections. In part 1 you are given a guide for a two-week quick start to lose as much as 6 to 10 pounds in a safe and healthy way. Part 2 shows you how to continue your weight loss in a healthy manner with a loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week till you reach your goal weight. At this point you are provided with tips to maintain a healthy weight for life. Part 3 includes all the “bits and pieces” you will need to make the diet work for you including meal planners, recipes, tips on overcoming challenges and more. In addition to the diet book, The Mayo Clinic Diet has a 224-page guide or journal to help you plan, track, and review your progress over a ten- week period of time. I’m looking forward to taking a closer look at this book when it is released. I believe it would be well worth your time to do the same! The EatingWell Diet (EatingWell Magazine) The EatingWell Diet like The Mayo Clinic Diet emphasizes the theme of achieving a healthy lifestyle. In addition to providing you with 7 basic steps to achieve healthy long-term weight loss, the highlight of the book may be the 28 days of meal plans with more than 150 delicious, easy to prepare recipes. Evidently the recipes included in this book were developed in EatingWell Magazine’s test kitchen with a focus on FAST yet healthy meal and snack preparation. Included are grab and go breakfasts and lunches, satisfying and filling dinners, low calorie desserts, and satisfying snacks. Yes, you do get self-help tools and charts to set goals, a system to track your progress, a food diary, and more. But what may be most important is making the transition to a healthier way of eating that includes portion control. After all, the bottom line is learning how to eat only the number of calories you need to maintain your goal weight. If you love what you eat and you can fill up quickly and easily with fewer calories you will succeed! [I have found many of the recipes in the EatingWell Magazine to be outstanding! Check your nearest news stand or bookstore to find a copy and see what you think. The food photography alone is worth the price of one issue.] The South Beach Diet Super Charged By Dr. Arthur Agatston In 2009 Dr. Arthur Agatston’s latest version of the very popular and helpful diet book, The South Beach Diet, was released. The original version promised a weight loss of 8-13 lbs. in the first 2 weeks. In this release the basic diet plan includes an exercise component to achieve weight loss better and faster. Like the original, the diet plan has three phases with an emphasis on high protein and low carbohydrate foods. The additional exercise recommended is gentle walking and strength training. Most popular diet books include a promise of fast weight loss. This has a strong appeal because of the initial reinforcement it provides to maintain commitment to the plan. However, I’m not convinced the very low carbohydrate intake of phase 1 is necessary. Eating a very low carbohydrate diet will cause your body to go into a state of ketosis to burn fat. That may sound good, however, much of the initial weight loss will actually be water loss. The limited carbohydrate stores in your muscles and liver are quickly burned off. As you burn these carbohydrates (glycogen) your body will release a great deal of water, because stored carbohydrate is coupled with water. Ultimately you will put this water weight back on as you add more carbohydrates into your diet. If you like the basic diet of high protein and low carbohydrate you might consider skipping phase 1. Beginning in phase 2 the diet provides enough carbohydrate for a better overall balance. From this point on the weight will come off slowly but as you acquire healthier eating habits and incorporate exercise into your lifestyle, you increase the chances of achieving sustainable weight loss. Other excellent diet books from the past couple of years or so that you may want to take a look at include: The Instinct Diet (read: The Instinct Diet: A Review) The Body Fat Solution (read my review: Tom Venuto’s New Body Fat Book) The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan and others (read: Best Healthy Diet Plans 2008) Good luck finding the best diet book of 2010 for you! And check back here for lots of diet tips and advice if you need low calorie diet plans (1200 to 1500 calories), meal plans, and more (see my Articles page for answers to all of your questions about healthy low calorie diets). Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food! Diets/Diet Plans Diets/Diet Plansdiet books best diet books 2010 diet plans healthy diet healthy weight loss balanced diet weight loss tips

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