Know Your Best Diet Plan For Weight Loss the Right Way

For those trying to loose weight, choosing from the numerous weight loss programs can be quite a daunting task. The best solution for this problem is to decide not upon a diet but a nutritional change of life. Dieting regarding a month or a year will not help if an individual return to old eating habits. Alternatively try and choose a diet that can be a consistent way of eating for many years to come.
Know about some diet plans at a lower place and choose the best for an individual:
Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet focuses on a high protein low carbohydrate diet. Simply because carbohydrates are used for energy, getting rid of their intake forces the body to make use of fat stores. If breads, rice, along with potatoes favorites then this might not the right lifestyle choice.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach diet also restricts carbohydrates. The South Beach diet does not allow consumption of bad fats. Additionally this diet does not strictly rely carbohydrates and allows carbs with a low glycemic index.
The Zone Diet
The Zone Diet plan is determined by eating the correct combination of ingredients, 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates. For those who can enjoy the bad foods in extreme moderation this way of eating might work well.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet focuses more in keeping the heart healthy than shedding weight. It focuses on eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and a few nuts and wine and using great oils for cooking. Fish is bucked up(p) while red meat is discouraged. Remember weight loss will be slow.
Macrobiotic Diet
This diet is low fat, in high spirits fiber and is mostly vegetarian. In this particular meal plan whole grains make improving about 50% of each meal. Vegetables make improving about 30% and beans make up about 10% of the diet. Fish is helped in very small amounts and various meats, poultry and eggs are not authorized. This is a very restrictive diet and might t be a good lifestyle choice.
Gluten Free Diet
A Gluten Free diet is mostly for all allergic to wheat. It avoids most foods containing gluten or from gluten cereals like wheat, rye or even barley. In addition this does certainly not promote weight loss.
Detox Diets

Most detox diets are liquid diet plans whose purpose is to rid the entire body of harmful chemicals and toxins. There are many special formulated liquids to aid therein type of diet and some men and women just drink hot water with of lemon for a few days and consume nothing else. Obviously there is weight loss but this is not a long term nutritional plan.

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Teaser pics in level 8

Folks, I decided to wait with the final pics of my results in Meta till I actually finish it: it is only 1 level left, only 9 more workouts, so if I publish anything now, it would be a little disappointing in 10 days: I dont expect HUUUGE changes in the last 10 days of Meta. Dont get me wrong, there will be changes, but not so visible I guess. (Besides, I am feeling a little bloated recently, so should wait a little)

So, you have to wait for the final comparison pics for another 2 weeks or so. But right now, as I did promise something, I am giving a little bit of a teaser :) 

Some of you might recognise the picture below which was taken 7 years ago (or for those who are new to my blog, see my post "A little bit of history and pictures")... This picture (on the left) was taken when I was much younger, I didnt do any sports, but rather kept up the skinny self by not eating too much. Those were still the days, when metabolism was fast and I didnt have a worry in the world :) In all senses: I was a carefree student, not worried about jobs and money, not because I had money, but just because that is how you are when you are a student. I had some random jobs here and there. I studied, I succeeded and failed, and didnt really bother to exercise. But I was younger!

And so now I noticed some similarity of this old photo with the pic taken from the holiday we had in Italy this past June. And I thought to compare. And I myself was surprised. Truly. This was in a way a pic I was aspiring to: slender and kinda fit. But the comparison surprised even me. First, I do look as slim. If not slimmer. But, hey - second, I also look better and much more fit! Just look at those muscles on my upper-back, and look at that bum??!! I never had such a round cute bum!!!  Well, Im not going to stop now. No, no, no! In four months I managed to get the body I wanted and even more than I ever thought possible, to be honest. I wish you all the same, guys! :) Impress yourselves and often!

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My UNhealthy addictions

I know I am trying to encourage healthy eating, and working out, and generally leading healthy life style. Well.... I am not judging when you dont lead a healthy life style... So I expect not to be judged by anyone as well. I am only human, and of course I am far from perfect. The fact that I WANT and ASPIRE to lead a healthy life does NOT mean that I always DO lead it. 

So, today I wanted to make a little confession. I wanted to talk about my little addictions which I have... Everyone has weak sides, I know it. And I have to be honest: I am not precisely trying to fight them too hard. I am simply trying to slowly reduce them, but I do NOT even WANT to live without them. So here we go...

1. M&Ms. I know it is silly. I know. But when I have a pack of those yummy chocolated peanuts with probably artificial colouring, I just go peanuts! I ask my bf to buy them ONLY in small packs, because I end up finishing the whole pack anyway - regardless of the size. 

This is a pretty big pack.... And I still ate it in like 2 days...

So as you can guess, lots of my calories almost every day come from the M&Ms. Sigh. But I am planning to go a little bit down on them.

2. Raffaellos. Yes, I love the coconut filling and cream... And I know, it is again lots of sweet calories, but I cant resist when I have an open pack of them in front of me. Though it is easier than M&Ms.

Finally and the worst...

3. Wine. I LOVE red wine. I didnt use to, but I love it now. We sometimes have wine with dinner almost every day. And I know it is not healthy at all, it is not a bit too much chocolate, but when the good bottle of wine is open and on the table, boy I need one more glass of it. It tastes sooo good. So we decided not to drink anything alcoholic during the working week, and go out on the weekends, it works most of the time. And starting in August I am quitting drinking and going dry for 30 days. Need to clean my body. :) So thats a good step forward, I think!

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Easy Diet Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

Here are some easy diet suggestions so that you can easily start out a healthy diet plan and lose weight. The below tips should really enable you to if you truly care about balanced weight loss.

Easy Diet Tip #1
First of all, drink lot of water while dieting. This is because in several crash diets, you will lose a lot of water instead of fat. Now this isnt the ideal weight loss solution.
You should lose body fat rather than water. So drinking lots of water during the day would help you find out whether what youre losing is water weight or fat.
There are other benefits of ingesting water. Water is said to help increase 1s metabolism. Metabolism is the pace at which the body burns unhealthy calories. So if you drink water it can help your metabolism price which can thus help in weight reduction.
Moreover drinking water can also help with digestion as well as breaking the food down. If digestion is proper, there are also less chances of you getting extra fat.
Some obese people might actually have more water retention. Drinking lot of water will actually make your body memory less water.
If you do not drink enough water your body may panic and start out storing water as it fears will not have sufficient supply of water in future. So drinking more measure will prevent it from storing water.

Easy Diet Tip #2
Another good diet secret is to mix moderate levels of exercise with your diet plan. See, it is very difficult to shed weight with just diets alone. You also need to ensure that you have sufficient physical exercise throughout the day so that you are able to remain fit and lean in the long run.
Walking, gardening, jogging, swimming etc. are a couple of the pleasurable exercises which are not too exhausting and can provide you with all the required amount of physical activity.
Do these or any other physical activity in moderate amounts and not overmuch, specially at the start. Later if you feel like it and cope with it, you can increase it further prefer.
Being physically active and exercising can also be good for your memory, self-respect and also helps you in dealing with stress.

Easy Diet Tip#3:
The third good diet tip My spouse and i would like to give you is to consume lots of raw fruits and greens. They are very good for your well being and they are not fattening. When youre dieting, it is very likely that you be depriving your body of essential nutrients. By eating fruits and produce you can overcome this problem in order to a certain extent.
Having a serving of fresh fruits and greens just before every meal can populate your stomach quickly so that consumed less. The fiber content in fruits and vegetables is good for digestion.

So munch on them and store them handy at all times. For case in point you can have some carrots or even apple etc. in your fridge and if you feel like having a snack, you can munch on these types of instead of eating fatty foods as well as snacks.

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Whole Wheat Vegan Naan

& Day 2, Week 2

I am officially down 8 lbs from my starting weight!  I know I shouldnt go off of my weight day-by-day, so I will wait till next Monday to check it again.  It is just so encouraging to see such progress!  This week so far I have eaten at least one salad as a main meal a day, and I plan on continuing this for the rest of the week.

My mom and sister-in-law get back tomorrow from their cruise, and I offered to take care of making dinner for the family so that my mom didnt have to worry about grocery shopping or cooking right away.  When she called the other day while in a port, and I let her know I would take care of dinner she asked, "Can you just cook for us forever?!"  Haha, that would be fun for the first few weeks, then become quite a job!  I think Ill stick to cooking as my hobby, mom :). 

For tomorrow night I am making one of my favorite FAVORITE dishes: Indian Chickpeas and Greens.  Im making a double batch for dinner, and with it we always have rice (probably pink Madagascar rice), and naan bread.  The chickpeas and rice are nice and easy to make, but the naan takes a bit of time and care.  I decided to make my double batch of naan tonight and share the recipe with you.  It is not salt, oil, or sugar free, but for how much it makes, it isnt very much per serving.  And my recipe is vegan and 100% whole wheat.  But first, my daily log...

Food log:

• Breakfast: 2 bananas, 1 apple
• Lunch: bit of leftover Kale Mac N Sweet Potato Cheese, small cup of leftover chili, 1 apple
• Dinner: 2 smaller naan breads, and a salad with baby romaine lettuce, chickpeas, red onion, celery, raisins, apples, and cilantro curry almond dressing (inspired by this recipe)
• Extras: Dr. Fuhrman Brownie in the afternoon, 1/2 mini watermelon, Dr. Fuhrman Brownie after dinner

Exercise log:  Ok, this is almost embarrassing that I am so bad at getting my butt to the gym.  I always originally plan on going when I get home from work, but then I see a bunch of chores that need to be done, and before I know it, it is in the evening and time for dinner.  Can we count housework and cleaning as exercise?

How I feel:  I had my first real tempting moment of the 6-weeks so far.  My coworker goes to Costco about once a month to get supplies for both of the offices I work at.  She generally gets coffee creamers (Ive quit!), M&Ms for the front desks (which I have learned to tune out), and a big box of cookies (this was the difficult part).  For the Spokane office she set the cookies right at my front desk to make sure those who wanted one would see it.  At first, the sight of it didnt bother me, but the second someone cracked them open and that very slight smell came my way, I had to start pep talking myself into not even thinking about it.  In the end, I walked away without a cookie, but came straight home to have a Dr. Fuhrman brownie.  I wasnt necessarily hungry when I had it, but it is loads better than if I were to cave and have a SAD cookie.  In the end, I can say Im proud of myself and have one less food demon to face in the future.  Once I say no once and make a better choice, I know I can do it again!

Now on to the naan...

Whole Wheat Vegan Naan

Ingredients:
Single Batch (suggested):

• 3/4 cup warm water (at least 100 degrees F)
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp sugar (raw, natural, and organic if possible)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cups whole what flour, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Double Batch (pictured):

• 1 1/2 cup warm water (at least 100 degrees F)
• 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar (raw, natural, and organic if possible)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4-6 cups whole what flour, divided
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1.  In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and sugar.  Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.  If, after 10 minutes, the yeast mixture hasnt become foamy, your yeast may be too old of your water too cold.  Start over and try again if this is the case. 

foamed yeast mixture

2.  Whisk together the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside.
3.  Next, whisk into the yeast mixture the coriander (or cumin), salt, and 1/2 of the oil.
4.  Stir in 1 cup (2 for double) of whole wheat flour and the baking powder.
5.  Next, add the milk and vinegar mixture to the mixer.  Mix until well combined.
6.  Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes together, but is still sticky.

7.  Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, adding more flour to reach the correct constancy of firm and not sticky but still moist.

8.  Prepare a boil coated with the remaining oil and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat.  Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for at least one hour, until it has doubled in size.

9.  Once the dough has risen, punch it down (Kevins favorite part) and lightly knead it again.  Heat a skillet or cast iron over low medium heat and keep at a low temperature throughout cooking.

















10.  Cut the dough with a pizza cutter into balls just smaller than your fist.  Roll them out with a rolling pin to be around 1/4 inch thick.  Try not to use extra flour to do this, as it will make the final naan a bit floury and gritty to eat.

11.  Place flat down in a preheated skillet and cook on each side for 45-60 seconds, until each side has lightly browned, with bubbles browning a bit more than the rest.

12.  Cook each in the same way and stack them on a plate together to stay warm and moist.
13.  Serve with your favorite Indian recipe or use like pitas with dip. They can nicely be reheated in the microwave, oven, or stovetop. Keep leftovers in a ziplock bag for up to a week.

Amys Notes:

I made a double batch for the bigger dinner Im prepping for tomorrow, and so I could have extra leftovers, but I would suggest doing a single batch till you get the hang of it.  I have a KitchenAid stand mixer and for this recipe I use the whisk attachment at first, then the dough hook once the first flour has been added.  It is NOT necessary at all to have a mixer, this could easily be done my hand (my mom does this).  Regardless of whether you have a stand mixer or do it all by hand, make sure to knead it by hand when adding the final amounts of flour.  Actually touching it by hand will help you better gauge how much extra flour is "kneaded" (hehe), and doing it the old fashion way just works best.  My double batch ended up making 24 naan, so a single batch should make around 10 or 12.  I tend to make mine very thin (yeah, so I can eat more), so you may end up with more or less. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried naan?  What is your favorite thing to eat naan with?

This post was entered into Healthy Vegan Friday hosted by the following lovely bloggers:
Carrie @ Carrie on Vegan:  http://www.carrieonvegan.com/2013/05/17/healthy-vegan-friday-recipes-upcoming-vegan-event/
Katherine @ Green Thickies: http://www.greenthickies.com/healthy-vegan-friday-43/
Gabby @ The Veggie Nook: http://veggienook.com/2013/05/17/healthy-vegan-friday-43/

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Useful Weight Loss Tips For Women

If you are thinking that you could have gained weight during pregnancy and you dont know how to get eliminate this weight then dont be disappointed. In this write-up I will tell women simple tips to lose extra weight.
Normally women gain weight because they dont exercise and also they consider more calories than the body desires. For a remedy they dont need to disturb their good diet. It is seen in women that they start dieting when they will found themselves overweight. Majority of women, try to lose weight to compare them with their partners or other women around and try out different methods they think of useful. Women have complex body structure than of men so weight losses for women are totally different than of men.
Many women go on diet plan to receive smarter and the result is insalubrious body and lots of diseases. No matter if being student, mother, business professional as well as fashion designer, you may find it hard to get enough time to weight loss.
I am going to tell you actually a few simple tips which can become managed in less time.
Balanced Diet
Women use more calories and fats than men and very easily become obese. The easiest tip to lose weight is to take proper diet along with as much calories intake as ones body needs. Eating fruits and vegetables can be a good choice. White meat in definite proportion should also be included in your daily diet program.
Light exercises

It is fantastic is you help to make a schedule of exercise and do that regularly. Exercise is the best method to burn your body fat. Women dont need to go for health and fitness center because this is very hard exercise and not all women can do that. However, they can go for running, swimming and jumping etc. The option is yours whether you like to run or go for swimming. Women can do light exercises at home and give their a fantastic look. They only need the right machines. They machines are not very costly and can very easily purchased through the market.Read More Click Here

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Indian Mixed Dal

I first tried Indian cuisine a few years ago while my brother and sister-in-law were in town for Christmas.  They insisted that my nutritarian parents and I give it a try since many recipes are vegetarian and often rely heavily on beans and legumes.  Wow!  Fantastic!  We couldnt get enough.  Soon most dinners out with my parents were to our new favorite Indian restaurant.

Now, I know Indian restaurants arent necessarily Nutritarian friendly since they are generally higher in salt and often use ghee (clarified butter), but thats why Im bringing you a recipe today that can be made at home with no salt, oil, or ghee!  For other Indian recipes Ive done before including whole wheat naan bread, click here.

Indian Mixed Dal
Time: 5 minute prep, 8 minutes in a pressure cook or 30 minutes on the stovetop
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
    Saute:  
        1/2 large onion, chopped
        2 cups sliced mushrooms
        1/2 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
        1 Tbsp minced garlic
        1 tsp minced ginger
        1 tsp cumin seeds

    Dal:      
        1/3 cup red lentils
        1/3 cup yellow split peas
        1/3 cup green split peas
        3 cups water

    Spices:
        1 Tbsp gram marsala
        2 tsp ground coriander
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp ground cumin
        1/2 tsp cinnamon
        1/2 tsp turmeric
        1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes            /

Instructions:
1.)  Saute the first 6 ingredients over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking.
2.)  Add in the dal, water, and spices, and stir well to combine.
3.)  If using a pressure cooker, set the cooker to 8 minutes at high pressure.  When 8 minutes is up, release the remaining pressure and stir thoroughly to mash up the dal.
      If cooking on the stovetop, bring the pot to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally and adding additional water if it becomes too dry.
4.)    Serve hot over a whole grain or with steamed veggies.

Amys Notes:

Since doing the ETL 6-Week Challenge, Im trying to limit myself on whole grains, so instead of serving my dal with brown rice, I decided to cut up zucchini really small (like rice) and steam it.

Health and Happiness,

Amy

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