The Weight loss Network--Honest Diet Reviews, Weight Loss Tips and Food Journal

I Can Make You Thin

Johnna — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:42:55 +0000

Weight Loss Network Review of: I Can Make You Thin: The Revolutionary System Used by More Than 3 Million People (Book and CD)
Paul McKenna’s book, I Can Make You Thin initially appealed to me for two reasons. Number one was that it was a thin book and wouldn’t take long to read. (Hey, I’ve always admitted to being lazy!) Secondly, it had appeal because it also included a CD for guided meditation.

Quite some time ago, I had a weight-loss CD that helped me lose weight which stayed off for years! Unfortunately, during those years that I didn’t need it, I lost the CD and now can’t remember the name of it. As a result, I have tested out many weight loss meditation CD’s that didn’t work very well. I skipped ahead and tried McKenna’s CD at bedtime that day even before reading the book.

At first, I was put off by McKenna’s voice and accent. Actually, for some reason it struck me as funny. His voice has a bit of a growl at times so I lay in bed smiling for a little while….but pretty soon I was relaxing. I woke up the next morning and I can’t tell you what was said after a certain point! I listened for about five nights with pretty much the same result…snore! However, I DID start noticing some differences in myself. The desire to snack out of boredom seemed to have lessened. I actually got on the treadmill a couple of times. Hmm… I kept it up, still being too lazy to pick up the book. After a week, I stepped on the scale and I’d lost two pounds without really doing anything. Another hmm…

Now that I’ve finally read the book, I found that McKenna advises not to get on the scale for a certain period of time. Oops! Too late. The horse is already out of the barn on that one for me. However, the purpose of this site is so that others can learn from my errors and won’t make the same mistakes!

There are four “golden rules” to McKenna’s diet plan:

When you are hungry, EAT.
Eat what you want, not what you think you should.
Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful.
When you think you are full, stop eating.

McKenna explains his premise on each of these and how to go about them properly. It’s not rocket science, he’s teaching moderation. But somehow, his system seems to make it easier to be moderate. Additionally, he adds a “hunger scale” to the plan to help dieters understand their limits, when it is important to eat and how much they should eat. The hunger scale ranges from number one being so hungry that you are physically faint to number ten having eaten so much that you are nauseous.

All in all, I would recommend trying this system. It’s inexpensive ($14.99 on Amazon.com) to buy the book/CD set, you don’t have to resist eating foods you enjoy and replace them with foods that you dislike, as well as setting you up with good future habits. If you wish, you can buy the book here…

New Years Resolutions

Johnna — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:57:35 +0000

My New Year’s Resolution this year was NOT to make any resolutions! Like many other people, the ubiquitous “Lose Weight” is always at the top of my resolution list. Every year I swear that I’m going to work out and I’m going to watch what I eat and I’m going to accomplish all kinds of miracles.

Within about two weeks, all my resolutions are broken and my feelings about myself have suffered a blow that was not necessary or needed. This year, no resolutions, no pressure, no timelines. When my mindset is right for dieting, I will. Right now, it isn’t. So, instead, I’m just going to try to be moderate for a while and try not to gain any weight. Heck, just being moderate after the holiday indulgences turns out to be a big cut-back. So, not to be cliché but I’m just taking baby steps.

As for exercise, one of my friends has started the Couch to 5K program. She has an app for her Iphone and highly recommends it. The idea is to start running 90 seconds, then walking for a while, then running 90 seconds, etc until you build up the strength to run continually. It sounds like a great idea! But, even 90 seconds sounds like a long time for me at this point.. Maybe I’ll try it. I probably won’t. I already know that I hate to run.

I have, however, bought a hula hoop. I feel like a little kid which is actually a really fun feeling! I put on some lively music and just hoop to my heart’s content. It’s terrific ab exercise and I enjoy it. Like New Year’s resolutions, I’ve decided that the key to all of this is to figure out what I enjoy and will actually do.

What about you? What do you enjoy? What will you do?

P.S. I bought my hula hoop from Lindsay Follett who is known as “The Siren of the Circle.” Her Facebook page is www.facebook.com/SirenOfTheCircle. You can watch her video below. Next I’m going to take a class to learn how to do some of those tricks! Right now I’m just happy to keep it up on my waist!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Johnna — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:16:55 +0000

I adapted this recipe from one featured on Just a Pinch Recipe Club’s site. My adaptions include substituting light butter for margarine to eliminate trans fats and adding in some white flour to keep the cookies from being too heavy. You may prefer to check out the original recipe instead.

Ingredients

1/2 cup light butter softened
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts…optional.

Directions

Preheat oven 325

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, apple sauce, brown sugar & white sugar until smooth.

Beat eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.

Combine the flours, baking soda, & salt. Then stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.

Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, & chocolate chips. Remember, some people may have nut allergies so the walnuts are optional.

Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Enjoy!!

HCG and the FDA

Johnna — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:44:34 +0000

I mentioned in earlier posts that the FDA hates the HcG diet. On December 6, the FDA and FTC sent warning letters to the main manufacturers of HCG. They claim that it is the “first step” in halting the sale of HcG products. T he letters warn the companies that they are violating federal law by selling drugs that have not been approved, and by making unsupported claims for the substances. There are no FDA-approved HCG drug products for weight loss.

I take issue with the FDA on this. First of all, they may not have approved it, but I can tell you that the claims for HcG are NOT unsupported as they say. It works! I am not one who can go without food. I have a huge appetite. However, when taking the HcG drops, I was not hungry. The diet had its ups and downs but I feel that the FDA has been unfairly targeting the US homeopathic producers of HcG. Now, they’ll just take their labs to another country and sell them on the web from there. The FDA has stated that the claims that HcG helps with weight loss are fraudulent. I’m here to tell you that they aren’t! Perhaps they should be cracking down on other manufacturers like Th-121 or those dreadful cookies! They make the same claims and aren’t effective.

So, what am I going to do now? I’m going to go get a prescription for HcG and do the diet anyway! A Boston area pharmacist has created a prescription strength HcG nasal spray along with a supplement plan. I plan on testing it out and I’ll write more next month.

Healthy Snacking

Johnna — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:36:33 +0000

Snacking can be a killer for a diet! We’ve all heard the admonitions of “eat celery” or “have a handful of almonds” but let’s be honest here. Sometimes the thought of those just seems downright yukky! We want to eat something that feels normal. We get tired of dieting! So, when I tried the Bistro MD plan, I was delighted to discover a couple of very tasty snacks to keep in my repertoire.

The one I love the most was baked lentil chips from the Mediterranean Snack Company. Inspired by the balanced lifestyle of the Mediterranean diet (as is the Sonoma Diet), this all natural, gluten-free snack is made from high protein, nutritious lentils, garbanzo, and adzuki beans. Bistro MD sent them with a small serving of hummus, which is a dip that I’ve always enjoyed. Since that time, I’ve eaten them with bean dip, Greek yogurt dill dip, Tatziki, and just straight out of the bag. They’re salty and crunchy with a great taste and fulfill my cravings for things like potato chips as well as cheese and crackers. You really can’t lose with a snack that is all natural, gluten-free, GMO free, a good source of fiber, celiac and vegetarian friendly and has 70% less fat than regular potato chips!

The other snack I discovered was a beef jerky type treat called Simply Snackin. The flavor they sent me was Beef Sirloin with Apples and Cherries. At only 50 calories, it was a meaty, salty, chewy snack that tasted better than any beef jerky I’ve ever had. With the addition of fruits, it changes the flavors subtly and adds additional nutritional value. They are lean and tender at only 1-2g of fat, these high protein snacks feature 8-10g of protein each! No MSG, no trans fats (not even a milligram!), all natural fruits and meats. The Simply Snackin line features savory gourmet dried meat snacks that begin with fresh, all natural (no artificial ingredients or added color) 100% beef sirloin or 100% chicken breast meat. Next, tantalizing combinations of fruit, spices, and cheeses are added to produce satiating flavors. Finally, a leisurely roasting process, featuring a light smoking, finish them off. The end result is really great taste.

I don’t often find foods like this that I’d give the thumbs up to, but both of these snacks really helped with the cravings and actually created enjoyable moments of dieting. It doesn’t get much better than that for a dieter!

Pumpkin Flan

Johnna — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:37:30 +0000

This is another of Ellie Krieger’s genius holiday recipes. This has all the flavor but pares down the calories of pumpkin pie….as long as you keep it at one serving! For more from Ellie Krieger and The Food Network, click here.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin

Directions

Arrange 8 (4-ounce) ramekins inside a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Spray ramekins lightly with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/3 cup sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and forms a medium-brown caramel, about 7 minutes. Working quickly, transfer 2 teaspoons of the caramel to each of the ramekins, swirling as soon as you spoon in the caramel (it will harden quickly). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine milk and evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Reduce heat to a low simmer and keep milk warm. Meanwhile, bring about 4 cups water to a boil and keep hot. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Fold pumpkin into egg mixture. Then fold into evaporated milk. Divide filling among ramekins, then place baking sheet in oven. Pour hot water into baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until flan is just set. Let cool. Place a dessert plate on top of each ramekin and invert; flan should slide out, and syrup should flow onto sides of the dish.

Turkey Roulade with Apple Cider Gravy

Johnna — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:29:42 +0000

Ellie Krieger of the Food Network always has some fantastic healthy recipes! Last year, I made her recipe for turkey roulade, served with roasted brussels sprouts, parsnips and sweet potatoes. I’m not a very good photographer, but the photo below is the result of my healthy Thanksgiving effort. This recipe has all the flavors of the holidays without the calories and fat. Click here to find this recipe on Food Network.

Turkey roulade with roasted vegetables

Ingredients

1 (2 1/2-pound) skinless turkey breast, butterflied
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups), plus 1 cup sliced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
5 slices day-old whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh crumbled sage or 3 teaspoons dried, divided
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

Directions

Special equipment: kitchen twine

Place the turkey breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 3/4-inch. Set aside while stuffing is prepared.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the cranberries in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat, drain and reserve. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring, until onions are golden but not charred, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add bread, cranberries, pecans, 2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried sage and 1/2 to 3/4-cup chicken stock, depending upon consistency of stuffing; (you want the mixture to be moistened, but not too wet, since the turkey will release moisture when cooked). Cook over low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, remove from heat.

Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the turkey breast. Spread the stuffing on the turkey, leaving about 1 1/2 to 2-inches uncovered on all sides. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine, trying to keep all stuffing intact.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large Dutch oven or medium-sized roasting pan until hot. Sear stuffed turkey breast on all sides until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add sliced onion and 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, cover tightly and roast in the oven until turkey reaches 160 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into inner layer of meat, about 60 to 65 minutes. Remove the turkey breast from oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest.

Make the gravy: Add apple cider, 1/2 cup chicken stock, vinegar and remaining sage to the onions, chicken stock and juices in the roasting pan, bring to a boil and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes more. The gravy should not be thick, just slightly thicker than a jus. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Makes 1 1/2 cups gravy.

Remove twine from turkey breast and slice into 1 1/2-inch thick pieces. Serve with gravy.

Calories In, Calories Out. It’s Easier Said Than Done!

Johnna — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:59:39 +0000

It isn’t rocket science. We all know how to lose weight. Watch what you eat and exercise enough to burn more calories than you need for daily energy. But, it’s so easy to say but so very difficult to do.

I can have wine with the Sonoma Diet!

I’ve been off the diet cycle for a while now and the pounds are starting to creep back on. I’ve been putting it off, but it’s time to get back to exercising better judgement. No more ice cream. No more gooey baked goods. Start eating whole grains. Load up on veggies. Lean meat. Blah blah blah…

But it’s not so bad. I have all the tools. I’ve been reviewing all these diet plans so I’m equipped with knowledge. NutriSystem food tasted awful so it’s out. No cookie diet! No Th121! On the bright side, the Sonoma Diet has some terrific, flavorful recipes and it’s an easy way to measure portions. BodyMedia Fit Armband will measure my daily activity against my calorie intake. I can carry my TRX system with me when I go on the road for my job. Now, I just have to hustle up my motivation and I’ll be on my way.

Anybody know where I can buy a bottle of motivation?

Bistro MD

Johnna — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:52:25 +0000

As promised, I purchased a week’s worth of food from the weight-loss food delivery service, Bistro MD so that I could review it. The first thing that you do is fill out a questionnaire about your food preferences. I was able to tell them that I hate fish and to rest assured that I would not have any unpleasant surprises when the food arrived. You have options of seven days of meals, seven days of meals plus snacks, or just a five
day plan so that you can take the weekends to enjoy your own meals. I opted for five days plus snacks. The cost of this plan was about $30 per day. It isn’t cheap, but it is very reasonably priced for what you get for the money.

The food arrived the next day frozen and packed in dry ice. When I opened it, I couldn’t believe how much food there was!! Unfortunately, I forgot to tell them that I have a soy allergy so a lot of the snacks had soy. I called Bistro MD about it and the customer service was absolutely terrific–helpful and took

Spinach ricotta crepes with sweet potato home fries and veggie "sausage"

care of the issue for the future. The snacks that weren’t composed of soy were pretty good and took care of some of my cravings.

The frozen meals were interesting and filling. There is a lot more food in them than in other frozen meals like Weight Watchers’ Smart Ones. I did not feel at all deprived. I took a photo of my first meal. It was a breakfast of spinach ricotta crepes with sweet potato” home fries” and a veggie patty that tasted just like sausage. Other meals included a Southwestern wrap lunch and dinner of jerk chicken with mango salsa. Some of the meals were more appealing to me than others, but on the whole the food is good and it’s filling.

After my five days on this diet, I had lost 1 1/2 pounds which is healthy weight loss! I really feel that this plan is a very good choice for people who are on the go and who want to have healthy pre-prepared meals!

Losing

Johnna — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:00:39 +0000

Johnna’s note: My friend, Angela, posted this on Facebook. I thought it was terrific so I asked her if I could share it here… enjoy!

by Angela D.

I want to share something here with you about losing weight and the fact that people do struggle and it’s ok, you just have to dust yourself off and get right back up and keep on truckin’…

A few years ago I realized that I coudn’t keep blaming the fact that I was overweight from my pregnancies. My story was that it was “baby weight”…hahaha…seriously though, Haley was 9 months old when I became pregnant with Jack and I had such awful times with the both of them being on bed rest for most of both pregnancies that I just got used to saying the story over and over again. I was a size 5 when I got pregnant with Haley, lost some of the weight from her getting down to a size 10 and then BAM pregnant with Jack and blew up like a house! It was awful…but enough with the excuses already right?

Anyway, I used that story up until they were 8 and 9 (they’re 12 & soon to be 11 now) and then in the middle of the story I stopped short and said “Oh my gawd…I seriously can’t use them as an excuse as to why I’m overweight anymore! I need to get off my ars!” Of course I may have thrown in a few choice words here and there, but you get the jist of it right? Which brings me to the next part…

Everytime I tried to lose weight in the past something came up or I didn’t stick to it, mostly I’d get discouraged because I wasn’t getting to my “goal” weight fast enough. Plus I had the “age” excuse on my side now…especially after I turned *clears throat* 40! In other words…it’s been a struggle! I’d lose 5 pounds, then I’d gain it back and I really did yo-yo A LOT! When I finally couldn’t squeeze into my jeans anymore and I had to go up 1 more size which was discouraging to say the least, I started dieting again and got back down to being comfortable in my “fat jeans” yeah, who wants to say that?

I finally decided that hey, this is me and I’m fine the way I am and I love food so I’m just going to enjoy life, eat, drink and be merry. That was until all the Facebook pictures started popping up of me and all my chins! UHG!!! There’s NOTHING worse than pictures of you looking your worst being posted for all the world to see. Not flattering at all and what kind of friend posts your most awful pics out there for all of cyber world to see? If I wouldn’t post the pic myself, please don’t post it for me, I think I’m pretty good at keeping that motto myself : )

Back on track…I never make resolutions for New Years…they never stick but what the hell was happening to my ass? I could enter a room and it would follow me in at some point and time…maybe that’s why people always thought I was late…maybe my ass hadn’t finished entering the room? I don’t know, “butt” (ha…ha…) I didn’t like it and I felt like crap! So this year, I made a resolution, I was losing weight! The first part of this year has been one thing after another, I’ve been running around like crazy, no time to eat right never mind diet or exercise! Yep, there’s those pesky excuses again.

I tried running, walking, dieting so on and so forth and finally I just said that’s it, I’m going to lose the weight and I don’t care how long it takes me! In other words I lied to myself, of course I care how long it takes me!!! But I had to start somewhere.

And this is how I got started…I wasn’t going to look at the “total” amount of weight that I wanted to lose, I decided to set small goals like 2 lbs., 5 lbs, 10 lbs., I really stayed between the 2 & 5 pound mark, it was easier than saying I’d lose 10. I started putting my meals on smaller plates, I have always been a good eater so using a regular sized plate and going back for seconds even though I was full was a bad habit! It took me a while to get used to the fact that I was using a smaller plate, the food tends to slide off the sides, I found that’s a sign of too much food on the plate and I walked almost everyday.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it has taken me a while to do this and I haven’t been extremely strict in my dieting or walking especially lately, it being summer and me running around entertaining kids, having a cooler packed with goodies and snacks galore because I just have to make sure they’re happy! Translation…I have to have my snacks too! I do love chocolate as well, so I found some things that have “splenda” in them and I also buy “reduced fat” products to munch on but I try to stay with “all natural” things…which brings me to some issues…

Issue #1: “Aspartame”~ I can not eat or drink anything with “aspartame” in it…neither should you! Look it up, it doesn’t help you lose weight, it actually hinders the process and is extremely harmful to your body. Anyway, it gives me headaches, bad ones and I have a whole long story to share one day with you all about what happened to me after I stopped eating and drinking stuff with that in it…short version…I ended up in the hospital and I do believe “aspartame” was the reason why because they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. Hey, they even did and MRI and a CATSCAN and yes, I do have a brain! WHEW!!!

Issue #2: Did you know that margarine is 1 molecule away from being plastic? I decided after I heard that, I’d switch back to real butter oh and real cream cheese too! I don’t eat a lot of it so I figured if I’m going to eat it, I should get to indulge! However, since my gallbladder operation, I can’t eat “real” mayo, I have to eat the reduced fat kind and that’s ok with me. I also can’t eat a lot of things that are high in fat, so I’m sure that has helped me along the way.

So finally,finally, finally, I started losing the weight…it is definitely coming off slowly and that’s good because slow and steady wins the race. Most importantly I went to the Dr’s and I so didn’t want him to do my blood work because the last time he did it was awful, he was considering putting me on medication for my high cholesterol! YIKES! I hate taking meds so I said “Nooooooo, I’ll try doing it without meds first” he kind of chuckled and said “ok but if it’s not better soon, I’m putting you on the medication”. Keep reading and you’ll find out my Dr’s results ; )

Also, I think that it’s important to remember that you didn’t put the weight on in 4 weeks, you shouldn’t expect to take the weight off in 4 weeks…a little at a time for a much more succesful goal…a healthier you! And remember that diets only work if you think long term…the slower the weight comes off the longer you will keep it off.

So here it is, I have been “aspartame” free for 4 years, I have been using real butter and cream cheese for years, I just had my gallbladder out last November so if I can’t eat it, I don’t…anyone who has had theirs out knows what I’m talking about and I eat very little fast food and when I do, I get something that’s not too big. Sometimes I even get a kids meal because honestly, once you start eating on a smaller plate, you’ll see that your body is full and you’ll know what makes you full. With the kids back in school now, I am going to start with my walking once again and who knows, maybe I’ll work back up to jogging. It’s good for me and I like it. I used to love the gym, but I’m just not that in love with being in a windowless room with a bunch of other poeple who are either sweating profusely or are all dolled up hanging out by the water bubbler ; )

My final results from the Dr. TAHDAH…my cholesterol is PERFECT and as of today, I have lost a total of 23 pounds. I still have weight to lose but I’m going to do it slowly and the right way because I want to be healthy and feel good. Please remember, don’t get discouraged…if you make one mistake during the day don’t worry about it, just don’t keep making the mistake for the rest of the day or give yourself a break and make the mistakes for the day but don’t do it for the rest of the week. I always have a “cheat” day and if I want some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream I have some but I don’t eat the whole pint anymore I don’t even eat 1/2 the pint! LOL Well, ok, sometimes I eat 1/2 but I won’t do it again in the same week which was always a problem for me because it’s sooooooo yummy!

Anyway, I hope all of you who are struggling to lose weight know that it can be done, just don’t be so hard on yourself and don’t deprive yourself of the foods you like, just don’t eat them as often and don’t indulge so much that you feel like you’re going to explode after eating. Pay attention because once you think you’re full guess what? You’re full ; )

Good Luck and keep on truckin’…