Weighin' in

I gained a pound this week. It would be easy to let that upset me, but I ate like crap. My apartment was well over 100 degrees every day this week and take out was the option. Considering that, one pound is not a catastrophe (not to mention the fluid monster has returned). Next weigh in will be much better...trust me. I'm hoping for a total of 25-30 pounds by the 30th.

I mentioned before that I noticed I lose weight the weeks that I eat more fish. I did a little research on my "staples" and found out how good my choices have been. I'm passing them along to you for some options to add to your diet, if you wish to do so.

Beans--protein, fiber, and iron. Keeps the blood sugar steady.

Cinnamon: I'm not big on cinnamon. I don't really eat anything during the day that I can add it to, but a 1/4 tsp supposedly helps blood sugar and increases insulin. I will have to find something over the summer. I'll have some elbow room to experiment.

My fish answer! Eating fish quite often lowers a hormone that lowers metabolism and that leads to obesity. (Not to mention the Omega-3's are outstanding!)

Pectin from fruit (I eat at least 4-5 servings per day) might just limit the amount of fat that makes its way into your cells. Apples and berries are the best sources. I eat an apple, a banana, some grapes, and some cherries or another fruit every day. (Yes, after I've had my salad with beans. NO...."that" doesn't create any problems.)

Garlic! I LOVE garlic! It is supposed to boost metabolism and help out insulin levels...thus burning fat becomes its job! I eat three garlic stuffed olives a day! YUMMY...yes, on that salad with beans. HA!

Olive Oil: About 15 years ago, I switched to almost only using olive oil. Well, it is supposed to burn fat and keep cholesterol down. I think I'll start making a salad dressing with it and chuck the Ken's 1000 Island...but it sooooo yummy.

FLUIDS! Guess what slows down your metabolism? Dehydration. I learned a few months back that sometimes when you feel hungry, you are actually dehydrated.


Whole Grains: I can't really eat processed carbs, but I do eat rice (really got to start eating the brown variety, though) and I eat quinoa. Barilla makes a pasta I think I'll be able to eat at least once per week. It is multi-grain, consisting of bean flours and such. (There is a whole grain type, too.) I really do try to limit the carbs. I didn't this week and gained a pound, but at least it was only a pound.

One other thing I found this week (yet to try) is Hellmann's canola mayonnaise that has no saturated fat and 1/2 the fat of regular mayo. So if you are watching your cholesterol, you might want to try this product. It has zero cholesterol.

Have a good week!