Pack on the Protein

Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Many foods contain protein, but the best sources are beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes like black beans and lentils.

Your goal for this week: eat 55-70 grams of protein each day (at least 5 days) !!! 

Here is a link to a protein food counter to help you choose your foods : Protein Counter


This seems harder than it is, so give it a try!!

Portion Control

So, in our meeting we discussed quickly portion size... Here is a visual I want you all to use this week when serving up your food.

Also, go to the link below to see other portion tips.... It is a great way to remember what a serving size actually is.....

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

Adding Fiber...

Fiber is a substance in plants. Dietary fiber is the kind you eat. It is in fruits, vegetables and grains. It is the part of the plant that your body can't digest. Yet it is an important part of a healthy diet.

You can get fiber from whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

There are two major kinds of dietary fiber - insoluble (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) and soluble (gums, mucilages, pectins). Insoluble fiber is most frequently found in whole-grain products such as whole-wheat bread. Foods containing soluble fibers are fruits, vegetables, dry beans and peas, and some cereals such as oats.

Insoluble fiber promotes normal elimination by providing bulk for stool formation and thus hastening the passage of the stool through the colon. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Insoluble fiber also helps to satisfy appetite by creating a full feeling, helping you control your weight. Some studies indicate that soluble fibers may play a role in reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood. In addition, fiber is related to reducing the risk of certain types of diseases such as Heart diseases and some types of cancer.

Some tips for increasing fiber intake:

• Start slowly... add a little more at a time...


• Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices.


• Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products.


• Choose whole grain cereals for breakfast.


• Snack on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers, or chocolate bars.


• Substitute legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups.


• Experiment with international dishes (such as Indian or Middle Eastern) that use whole grains and legumes as part of the main meal (as in Indian dahls) or in salads (for example, tabbouleh).

Go to this website for more information and a great fiber food chart (to see the chart, scroll down past the ads): http://commonsensehealth.com/Diet-and-Nutrition/High_Fiber_Food_Chart.shtml

Food and Exercise Journal

Keeping track of your food intake and your exercise is a critical component to forming healthy eating and living habits. By tracking your food/exercise, you will be able to identify good and bad habits, then work on forming better habits. It will also allow you to count your calories to ensure you are eating the correct number of calories and servings of food groups.
Many of you will use a handwritten journal. You can purchase a Food Journal at 3rd street books, it works great. Or, if you prefer a more free form, just use any type of notebook that works for you. Keep it out and handy, so that you can easily access it. It will not do you any good if it is hidden away in your office, car or bottom of your bag.

For those of you who prefer to use the computer, you can create your own tracking form in any word document or excel database. Also, there are a variety of online free journals and calorie counting tools. Most of these you need to register with and create an account, and their ease of use vary depending on the site. However, we encourage you to look at them and if it seems best for you, try one out. There are also a number of applications for blackberry's, Iphones, and other phones with internet/wi fi access. Check out your phone to see what options you have!!

BLC nor Cindy's is affiliated with any of these programs, nor supports one over the other. We searched and found a couple that seem easy to use and provided links and information below for your information. However, you can do your own search and see what else is out there!!

So, get journaling!!!

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ONLINE Food Journals/Calorie Counters

My Fitness Pal- Sign up for it at myfitnesspal.com (can be used on smart phones)


Lose It - Sign up for it at http://loseit.com/ (Can be used on smart phones)

Successful Weight Loss Tips

This article hits on a lot of key points we discussed or will be discussing..... ;)

Successful Weight Loss Tips

The first week can be the most challenging and rewarding!! You can do this!!!

Keep Going!!!

Welcome

Welcome to this session of Biggest Loser!  Tonight was the first weigh in, and after 12 weeks we will have our final weigh in!!

If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask!

Reminder:  your goal is to journal every day this week!!!