Sometimes it’s hard to find snacks that are high in protein but not high in fat. I definitely need to add to my list, but here is what I have so far:
What’s your favorite high protein/low fat snacks?
No CommentsHow important is it to count calories to lose weight? I’ve had countless discussions about this with some of my female friends and I’ve noticed that they’re divided; half of them say that counting calories is crucial, the other half says, not so much. So which is it?
In my opinion, if you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey, then, yes, counting calories is a great idea. It seems like a lot of work, doesn’t it? Well, not really. There are many online calculators that will calculate your calories and a whole lot more for you! Two that I really like are Fitday and Sparkpeople for keeping track of your calories and the best part is they’re both free. So that will take some of the work out of it for you. All you will have to do is log your food and the rest is done for you.
I think once you get a good idea of how many calories certain foods have, what’s healthy, what’s not so healthy, then calorie counting becomes less important because you’ll have an idea of what you need to be eating to lose weight or maintain your weight once you reach your goal. Calorie counting is not something I would do every day for the rest of my life, so how could I recommend that other people do it for the rest of their lives? I’m not saying NOT to pay attention to what you eat because what you eat is very important to weight loss, but just count calories long enough that you’re aware of what you’re putting in your body.
1 CommentEating healthy is an important part of losing weight, but how do we eat healthy when we’re on a tight budget? Eating healthy while on a budget may be easier than you think. A common misconception is that buying healthy food is much more expensive than buying unhealthy food. Here are some tips on how to eat healthy when you’re on a budget.
Make food from scratch
Yes, when you buy pre-packaged foods, you get convenience, but you’re trading convenience for nutrition. Most pre-packaged foods are high in sodium, calories, fat, and sugar, and actually cost more than foods made at home. Making food from scratch might take a little more time, but can be worth it in terms of saving money and getting more vitamins and nutrients from your food.
Pre-plan your shopping trip
- Don’t ever shop on an empty stomach! You’ll end up buying things that you don’t really need or wouldn’t normally buy.
- Make a list, stick to it, and look for sales on the items on your list.
- Compare prices between grocery stores and try to get most if not all of your items from the store offering the lowest prices.
- Be careful when using coupons. Coupons are great to use if the coupon is for something you normally buy and use, but coupons are often for foods that are more expensive.
Eat at home more often
You should eat at home more often or as often as possible. Eating out can get expensive and restaurant food is usually high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium.
There’s been a study published by researchers at Stanford University that states that out of 4 low-carb diet plans, Atkins was the best for weight loss and long-term maintenance.
For many years, low carb has been frowned upon, especially the Atkins diet, because our bodies need carbs - we have to have them for many reasons, the most important being for brain function. Restricting carbs too low is dangerous and has made people very ill.
So is low carb the way to go? Maybe. There are certain folks who are sensitive to carbs (myself being one), but what I am noticing is it’s the “bad” carbs that I am sensitive too, that make me feel hung over in the morning if I eat them the day before and also make me feel fuzzy headed and unable to concentrate. When I choose “good” carbs, I feel fantastic! I do not suggest restricting carbs to 20 grams per day, which the Atkins diet does for the first 2 weeks, but do cut some carbs or switch to good carbs from bad and I think you will see that losing weight is a lot easier.
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