About.com Weight Loss

Slim Down Turkey Day Faves...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:52:59 +0000

The big day is almost here. Even if you've already set your menu, making just a few changes can save lots of calories. Consider these changes for mashed potatoes:

Substitute fat-free sour cream for whole milk and butter during preparation. If you reduce or eliminate butter during prep, top with Butter Buds or spray butter instead of adding a pat of butter to each serving. To add flavor, pour in a small amount of buttermilk while mashing or mix in some roasted garlic.

You can also make mashed potatoes with cauliflower. Simply break up a head and boil it untl softened (or use a bag of frozen florets). Drain and mash or whip and voila, "mock mashed potatoes"!

Nix these extras to save nearly 200 calories:

Butter - 102 calories (1 Tbsp.)

Cranberry sauce - 86 calories (�-inch slice)

I'll bring you more ways to slim down other foods each day this week. In the meantime, post your top tips for saving holiday meal calories in the comments section!

Slim Down Turkey Day Faves... originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 15:52:59.

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Weight Watchers Momentum Trial: Day 3

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:59:28 +0000

I am about half-way through day three of my trial of the Weight Watchers Momentum program. The biggest change so far is that I am readjusting to paying extra-close attention to my food and beverage intake. I had gotten rather lax over the last few months and only kept a written food diary as the mood would strike ...

But tracking your "points" on Weight Watchers is virtually impossible unless you make a note of what and how much you eat and drink through the day. Since I am following the plan online, I am provided the points tracker online, but I am often away from the computer, so I simply have reverted back to my trusted notebook and pencil and when I sit back down at my PC I add the foods to my online tracker.

The only drawback to this is sometimes I don't realize how much "damage" I am doing until after I have eaten the food and then a while later ... I enter the food online and only then do I realize how many points it used (and how many I have left). It's tricky when I realize I only have a few left and it's only mid-afternoon.

Have you followed Weight Watchers? Share your advice: How do you track you points and plan for their use through the day? Post your tips in the comments section!

Weight Watchers Momentum Trial: Day 3 originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 02:59:28.

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Weight Watchers Momentum Review: Day 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:25:48 +0000

It's the end of day two of my Weight Watchers Momentum trial. I have to say that day one did not go as well as I'd hoped.

I was downright hungry ... no, famished before my day was done and I didn't have any "points" left in my day's allowance ("points" are assigned to each food or beverage ... you only get a set number per day); I did have "spare" points for the the week ("flexible points" you can use throughout the curse of the week), but I am saving those for party. So, I had to take a look over my food diary to find out what went wrong ...

And it's pretty clear where my error lies: I'm not eating anything that will keep those hunger pangs at bay! One of the cool things about the new program is that you are provided with a list of certain foods that are filling. Those foods are often very low in points, but high in feel-full factor, meaning when you eat them, then you won't be reaching for a snack within moments because they stick to your ribs.

I added some of those specified foods to my online diary and voila -- a special symbol appeared next to them to indicate that they were a filling food. As I looked over my first day's diary, I soon discovered that not one food that I had selected for myself that day was a filling food!

I am embarking on day three with a mission to work in as many filling foods into my day as possible and I'm going to see if that makes a difference. Here's hoping. I'm starting to envision that little organge monster from the Weight Watchers commercials is right behind me with a bowl of ice cream.

Weight Watchers Momentum Review: Day 2 originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 23:25:48.

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Weight Watchers Momentum Review: Day One

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:55:02 +0000

In the past, I have reviewed several diets and kept a diary of my experiences ... it's time to give another plan a whirl.

Aside from attending a meeting or two to tell readers what they are like, I have not followed the Weight Watchers plan for many years (Not since the days when a certain "red-headed royal" was spokesperson!). I always liked the concept before and so I am very excited to be giving the current version of the program, called Weight Watchers Momentum, a try.

When I initially looked into joining, three months of the online Weight Watchers Momentum plan was discounted at a rate of $65, so I went ahead and took the plunge and signed up! That makes the program a little over $20 a month. (The offers and discounts vary, so if you're interested in joining, it pays to visit often and check out the going rates.) I have received full access to the plan online, including a huge database of many foods' "points" values and online tracking tools, but the online plan does not include the cost of attending any on-site Weight Watchers meetings. (For that, I would need the "Monthly Pass" plan instead and that runs about $40 a month.)

I am the type of person who can do things independently so I feel certain I'll be able to stick to it without the added motivation of attending in-person meetings. I will weigh myself in on a dependable scale once a week and the Web site will prompt me to enter my weight on the same day each week so I will be able to gauge the consistency of my results. The plan provides some nice ways for me to track my progress such as charts showing my weight changes and a measurements graph.

I will be checking in every so often to let you know about my experiences and progress. I will also publish a full review at the end of my trial to let you know more details about the new Weight Watchers Momentum plan (how it varies from previous versions), any pros and cons of the plan and my overall success. Stay tuned!

More: What to Expect from Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers Momentum Review: Day One originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 08:55:02.

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"I Tried It!": Breyers Fat-Free Double Churn Ice Cream

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:13:49 +0000

There is only one thing I like more than chocolate and that's ice cream. So, combine the two in a diet-friendly treat and I'm a happy girl.

I have been keeping Breyers Double Churn Light Ice Cream on-hand for years now. It contains 3.5 grams of fat, 100 calories, and a gram of fiber per serving. I had always avoided the fat-free version, up until now however, thanks to more than a few bad fat-free ice cream experiences in the 90's.

Well, fast forward to today and I am pleased to report that the fat-free version of this brand is quite different than those! It is creamy, flavorful and the texture is nice. (My friend April also taste-tested it with me and she said it seemed just a little "gummy" to her, but I did not notice this.)

Unlike regular ice cream, which provides 4.5 grams of saturated fat per serving, this type has no saturated fat. It also provides four grams of fiber, something regular ice cream doesn't contain. (Certain ingredients used to replace the fat add the fiber.) There are 90 calories per serving.

So, don't let the fat-free label fool you -- this stuff's perfect for a chocolate fix!

How do you get your ice cream cravings under control? Post your favorite varieties in the comments section!

"I Tried It!": Breyers Fat-Free Double Churn Ice Cream originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 04:13:49.

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Keep those Pounds at Bay!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:13:26 +0000

Keep the holidays from packing on the pounds with these 5 Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain.

Keep those Pounds at Bay! originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 22:13:26.

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Keep it Positive

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:48:08 +0000

Looking to stay motivated? Try not to focus on the "shoulds" or "should nots" of losing weight, such as "I shouldn't eat this," or "I should have gotten a salad instead." and phrases like "I have to eat this because it's low calorie." and "I never eat...(fill in the blank)!".

Words like "avoid" or "off-limits" lead you to a sense of failure when you break the rules. And honestly, when we make those rules, we will eventually break them. That's part of what makes losing weight so tough, and you don't want to make it any harder than it is, right?

More: Banish All or Nothing Thinking

Keep it Positive originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 23:48:08.

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Sunday "Smart Swap!": Breakfast Bargain

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:20:57 +0000

Love bagels for breakfast? Consider making a simple switch to reduce some calories from your day's intake:

Swap a cinnamon raisin bagel for two mini cinnamon bagels to save 181 calories. (Not only does this swap cut calories, the increased volume of food will make you feel like you're actually eating more.)

More: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Smart Swaps

Sunday "Smart Swap!": Breakfast Bargain originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 23:20:57.

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Veg Out!

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:36:59 +0000

Looking for one more reason to add more veggies to your diet? People who consume a large amount of vegetables lose 25% more weight than people who simply cut fat from their daily diets, according to research.

Related Reading: Add Healthy Foods to Your Diet

Image: Clipart.com

Veg Out! originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 02:36:59.

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"TV Dinners" Help Us Trim-Down

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:24 +0000

A study found that women who regularly eat frozen meals lose 30 to 50% more weight than those who do not consume them. This is probably because the meals provide automatic portion control. To choose a smarter frozen meal, look for one with around 300 calories, provides somer fiber, and lower the sodium, the better.

Related Reading: Ways to Prevent Overeating

"TV Dinners" Help Us Trim-Down originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 17:28:24.

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