Meal Plan- COSTCO style

I dont know about you, but I love shopping at Costco! Costco has high quality foods, and great prices!

Here is days menu using many of my favorite items from Costco.  

Breakfast- Protein shake

            Chocolate Whey Protein

            1 c. skim milk

            1 Tbsp peanut butter

            Ice if desired

Blend all ingredients in a blender and enjoy

 Snack- 1 Chobani Greek yogurt

Lunch-Chicken tortilla wrap with an apple & TLC granola bar 

            1 all natural tortilla

            3-4 oz canned chicken

            Organic mixed greens

            Mustard and mayo to taste

            Organic apple

            Kashi TLC granola bar 

Snack- Steamed edamame topped with garlic salt to taste

Dinner- Mahi Mahi  with a side salad and quinoa

            Mahi Mahi fillet (baked, grilled, or sautéed) with lemon pepper to taste

            Mixed greens salad with snap peas, dressing of choice

            Quinoa with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste     

Snack- Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips & hummus

What are some of your favorite healthful foods to get at Costco? Or, is there a better place to find them?

 It's time to make my shopping list!

Hindrances to Weight Loss- Women

Below is a list of WOMEN specific hinderances to weight loss

Eating on the run

Hectic lives don’t leave much room for sit down meals. Often women find themselves running from point A to point B and don’t even stop to enjoy what they have shoved in their mouths. Another common problem is not eating! This will cause your hunger hormones to get out of control so that when you do it you often over consume!

• Be prepared - Pack snacks


• Take a moment to sit down and enjoy what you are eating


• Ask for nutrition information from your favorite fast food spots. Make an informative decision about what you are eating.

Nighttime eating

The house is quite and you are ready to relax! It is time to grab those crunchy chips or smooth ice cream and crawl up on the couch.

• Stop and ask yourself if you are really hungry


• Distract yourself with something else like relaxing with a good book or a card game


• Turn towards a nice low cal drink like herbal tea or flavored water

 Preparing multiples meals

It is hard to please everyone and by the time the meal is done you are already full because you have to taste everything as you cook it! Now you don’t even feel like eating a balanced meal.

• Make a game plan: decide what you want to eat for your meal before preparing


• Compromise with your family and try to come up with meal everyone will eat so that you do not have to make multiple items.


• Chew gum or cut up veggies while preparing food so that you do not use up all your calories before it is even meal time.

 Eating like a man

Going out to eat seems to be a common event between couples. Often we will unconsciously eat the same as the person they are dinning with.

•  Get a box when your meal comes out so you can put half in before you eat


•   Scope out the menu for healthful food choices


•   If you know you are going to splurge – BE ACTIVE

Emotional eating

Food is always around us. Women tend to hold in their feelings. We need comfort from somewhere. Why not food? Food won’t think less of us or talk back. Food seems to be the easy choice for comfort in a difficult time.

• Distract yourself with other activities that can help you deal with your emotions
  
  
  
  • A brisk walk    
  
  
  • A bubble bath
  
  
  
  


• Try to find low-fat or reduced calorie choices to your favorite comfort foods


• Decipher what feeling will cause you to over indulge so you are aware of them

 Just remember, if we are better able to take care of ourselves we will be able to better serve others! Make youself number ONE!

Food Cravings- How to deal with them!

Are you physically hungry or is this just a craving?

A good way to distinguish between physical hunger and a craving is by the last time that you ate. If you just got done with a meal (within the last 1-2 hours) you are probably not physically hungry!

 Food cravings are just suggestions to eat they are not commands to gorge yourself. It is all in how you decide to deal with your craving. Next time you have cravings try to wait a while and see if the craving passes. While you are passing time direct your mind to something else, step back from your temptation, think if it is really worth it, and then decide what you are going to do. If you choose to eat it decide how much and make sure that you really enjoy it!

 Here are some tips to help you manage your food cravings

 Eat regular well-balanced meals and snacks

•  Do not skip meals, this will only make you more hungry throughout the day. BE PREPARED!Always make sure to have healthful snacks on hand.  

 Assess your craving; does it correlate to your current mood or situation?

• You may not be able to control your craving but you can control your reaction. Remember food may only temporarily cure how you feel.

 Make healthy food choices

• You are not going to be able to control everything in your life, but you can control what you put in your mouth. Take responsibility choosing healthful foods, and stopping when you are satisfied.

 Moderation vs. deprivation

• Food is a wonderful part of life and typically our favorite foods are linked to memorable pastimes. Enjoy them, but only every once in a while.

 Good food vs. bad food

• There are no “bad foods” the problem comes with the quantities that we choose to consume. Dish up a small portion for you to enjoy and make it a special occasion not a daily ritual.

 Find a substitution

• Cravings can pass. Cravings are often not hunger and will go away if you allow yourself to be distracted by other thoughts and activities.

Exercise

• Distract yourself from eating and go exercise! If you do overindulged, exercise is the only thing that can help burn off those extra calories. Stay active!

Snack Attack - Preventing Overeating

Choosing the Appropriate Snack

Overeating can occur if you have gone to long during the day (over 3- 4 hours) without eating!

Finding an appropriate snack during the day can be a challenge!

The goal of a snack is to help keep you satisfied until your next meal and also to help control hunger levels thus preventing overeating at meals. A 100 calorie snack of Oreos is a lot different from a 100 calorie snack of string cheese with 1/2 an apple. When picking your snacks make sure that they include protein and fiber  to help keep you satisfied until your next meal.

First look at the serving size

Then take a look at the calories ( A snack should typically be between 150-250 calories depending on your calorie allowance for the day)

Next look for protein (Reach for at least 8-15 grams of protein at snack time)

Next look for fiber (Aim for snacks with at least 3g of fiber per serving. Each day you should get 25-35 grams of fiber)

NOTE: The closer you can get your carbohydrate (CHO) to protein (PRO) grams ratio at 2:1 the better. If protein grams are higher than carb grams that is fine, but if carbs are more than 2x than protein beware. When a food is high in carbs and there is not any protein or fiber to offset the high carbs your blood sugars will increase rapidly giving  you energy for a little while but then hunger will set in. Protein and fiber help level out your blood sugars and keep you full longer!

Here are some other snack ideas

• 6oz Greek yogurt
• Balance Bar
• 1 string cheese and 1/2 apple
• 1/2 apple with 5 walnuts
• 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese with 1/2 cup melon
• 1 oz nuts (small handful)
• slices of carrot,celery, or red and yellow pepper with 4 Tbsp. hummus
• 3oz tuna served with tomato and drizzled with lemon juice
• 1/2 cup boiled edamame
• 6 tortilla chips topped with 1/4 cup vegetarian refried beans and salsa
• Beef jerky (add a pc. of fruit or veggies for fiber)
• Hard boiled egg and veggies