How to Lose Weight: Part One

Very rarely will you find someone who wants to gain weight – they are out there, but they are very few and far between.  I have met a couple of these people.  I try to understand, but as a person who has never struggled with being too thin, I have a hard time empathizing.  Truthfully, I kinda want to tell them to shut up, but I’m sure they probably feel the same about who can easily gain weight (maybe…?) like the majority of us.

So, if you fall into this majority, I can definitely empathize with YOU!  Not only that, but I just might have some tips that can help you on your journey.

First of all… what is your WHY?  Why do you want to lose weight?  Are you overweight or obese?  Does your doctor threaten you at every appointment about what will happen if you don’t eat healthier and get some exercise?  Do you have Type II Diabetes or are you teetering on the edge?  Maybe you don’t have a health problem due to your weight… Are you uncomfortable in your skin?  Do you have some extra weight hanging around that makes your pants hurt?  Or are you at an ok weight, but find that it is slowly starting to creep up on you?

Your WHY might be because you are unhealthy.  It might be because you are embarrassed.  It might be because you just plain don’t feel comfortable.  Maybe it’s because you want to set a good example for your kids and a healthy body image is a part of that.  Whatever you’re WHY, we can find the how.

Over the next several weeks, we are going to introduce habits, suggestions, solutions… we are going to take some of the pain out of weight loss and dumb it down.  I have no desire to keep a detailed food journal and figure out how many calories are too many and how many aren’t enough in order to find that perfect number that will allow me to drop some pounds.  I don’t want to obsess about it.  I just want it to happen!  It may not be as hard or as miserable as you think!

So today, identify your WHY.  Because while it may not be that hard, there are definitely some changes that are going to have to be made and when you are teetering on the edge, your WHY will remind you which path to follow!

So, what is your WHY?

Chipotle Beef Wrap

Healthy Eating… One Meal at a Time!

Chipotle Beef Wrap

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  1 6- to 8-ounce lean steak
  1 tablespoon canned chipotle in adobe, chopped
  4 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  2 large whole wheat tortillas
  2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  Lettuce and Tomato

DIRECTIONS:

Rub olive oil in a heavy skillet.
Saute steak over high heat until medium rare to medium, turning once (7 to 10 minutes).
Set aside until cool; slice thinly.
Stir together chipotle in adobe and mayonnaise; spread on tortillas.
Add 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro to each; top with beef and lettuce and tomato.
Roll up.

NUTRITION FACTS:

• Amount Per Serving
• Calories379
• Protein (gm)29
• Carbohydrate(gm)43
• Fat, total (gm)15
• Saturated fat (gm)3
• Dietary Fiber, total (gm)4

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 11 points
WeighWatchers Previous: 8 points

Multi-Grain Waffles

Healthy Eating… One Meal at a Time!

Multi-Grain Waffles

Makes 8 servings, 2 waffles each.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups  buttermilk
  1/2 cup  old-fashioned rolled oats
  2/3 cup  whole-wheat flour
  2/3 cup  all-purpose flour
  1/4 cup  toasted wheat germ, or cornmeal
  1 1/2 teaspoons  baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon  salt
  1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  2   large eggs, lightly beaten
  1/4 cup  packed brown sugar
  1 tablespoon canola oil
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.

4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Tip:
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Wrap any leftovers individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven.

NUTRITION FACTS:

• Calories 188
• Total Fat 4 g
• Saturated Fat 1 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
• Cholesterol 55 mg
• Sodium 328 mg
• Carbohydrate 30 g
• Fiber 3 g
• Protein 8 g
• Potassium 227 mg.
• Daily Values:
• Calcium 14%
• Exchanges: Starch 1.5
• Reduced-Fat Milk 0.25
• Lean Meat 0.5
• Fat 0.5.
  Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 5 points
WeighWatchers Previous: 8 points

Warm Steak and Potato Salad

Healthy Eating… One Meal at a Time!

Warm Steak and Potato Salad

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4cup apple juice
• 3tablespoons lemon juice
• 2tablespoons chopped mint
• 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon black pepper
• 11 pound lean sirloin steak, well trimmed
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2pound new potatoes
• 2cups arugula
• 1cup torn radicchio
• 1cup thinly sliced fennel
• 1cup cherry tomatoes, halved

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together lemon zest, apple juice, lemon juice, mint, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place steak in a shallow bowl and coat with 3 tablespoons dressing. Flip, cover and set aside. Add oil to remaining dressing.

2. Preheat the broiler. Place potatoes in a small saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, cool and cut into 1/2 -inch-thick slices.

3. Meanwhile, broil steak 4 inches from heat for 8 minutes for medium rare, 10 minutes for medium and 12 minutes for well-done, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4 -inch-thick slices.

4. Divide arugula, radicchio, fennel and tomatoes among four plates. Top with potatoes and steak; drizzle with steak juices dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS:

• Amount Per Serving
• Calories354
• Protein(gm)25
• Carbohydrate(gm)16
• Fat, total(gm)21
• Saturated fat(gm)6
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 7 points
WeighWatchers Previous: 8 points

Banana-Bran Muffins

Healthy Eating… One Meal at a Time!

Banana-Bran Muffins

Makes 1 dozen muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 large  eggs

2/3 cup  packed light brown sugar

1 cup  mashed ripe bananas, (2 medium)

1 cup buttermilk, (see tips)

1 cup  unprocessed wheat bran, see tips)

1/4 cup  canola oil

1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

1 cup  whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup  all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons  baking powder

1/2 teaspoon  baking soda

1/2 teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon  salt

1/2 cup  chocolate chips, (optional)

1/3 cup  chopped walnuts, (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in bananas, buttermilk, wheat bran, oil and vanilla.

3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, if using. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they’ll be quite full). Sprinkle with walnuts, if using.

4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Tips:
Ingredient Notes: You can use buttermilk powder in place of fresh buttermilk. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Unprocessed wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel, removed during milling. Also known as miller’s bran, it can be found in the baking section. Do not substitute bran cereal in this recipe.\

NUTRITION FACTS:

Calories 196
Total Fat 6 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 36 mg
Sodium 182 mg
Carbohydrate 32 g
Fiber 4 g
Protein 5 g
Potassium 167 mg.
Exchanges: Starch 2, Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 5 points
WeighWatchers Previous: 4 points