April 2013

Here are my numbers for the month of April. Now, this is only from the 15th of the month to the 30th. Why? Well, because on the 15th is when I started ~again~ to take care of myself. 

April 2013

		Day 15		Day 30
Weight		174 lbs		166 lbs
LOST		-8 lbs

Measurements

		Day 15		Day 30
Neck		14 in		13 in		-1 in
Breast		38 in		38 in
Waist		38 in		34 in		-4 in
Hips		43.5 in		42.5 in		-1 in
R. Arm		12 in		12 in
L. Arm		12 in		12 in
R. Thigh		26 in		25.5 in		-.5 in
L. Thigh		26 in		25 in		-1 in
LOST		-7.5 inches

Not bad!!
#FromFat2Fab

Week #2: April 22-28, 2013

One more week and I am happy for what I have accomplished, especially in 2 weeks. Tomorrow is the end of the month and my numbers are spectacularrrr!!!! Here is my report for the month of April 2013.
Going back to my week: well...it was a little bit challenging, week 1 was easier. I wanted to do good but I wasn't all there. Of course, seeing the results of 2 weeks gave me a boost. So I am ~again~ 100% committed. This is for me, I am doing this for me because I want to feel good with myself!
#FromFat2Fab

7 Healthy Ways to Satisfy Your Chocolate Cravings

Source: Fit Day

Many people have a weakness for chocolate and suffer from the dreaded chocolatecravings. Allowing yourself to cave in to these cravings can be detrimental to a healthy diet or weight loss goal. Having a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream or big piece of chocolate cake several times a week is not going to allow you to meet your goals. But, the good thing is that there are some healthier ways to satisfy those cravings and keep you on track.

1. Wait Period

Give yourself 10 to 20 minutes before caving in to a chocolate craving. If, after that time has elapsed, you are still having the craving then have a small piece of chocolate or try one of the alternatives listed below. Usually, however, if you allow yourself this period before giving into a a craving, you will find that after the waiting period your chocolate craving has diminished significantly or even disappeared.

2. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate, in moderation, is actually good for you. It is full of antioxidants, which help protect the body from aging, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Try to avoid dark chocolate that contains nuts, caramel, or other fillings, however.

3. Fruit

When you are craving something sweet, fruit is a good alternative to other sweet treats that are full of fat and calories. In addition, fruit is good for your body. Some good choices are oranges, grapes, grapefruit, watermelon, cantalope, honeydew melon, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. Fruit juices are also a sweet alternative to chocolate.

4. Carob

Carob, while naturally sweeter than chocolate, is much better for you than chocolate. It does not have the caffeine, cholesterol, oxalic acid, and theobromine that chocolate contains. Carob is low in fat and sodium and high in fiber and calcium. Carob is smooth and rich, but for some, it is an acquired taste. Many prefer chocolate to carob initially but, with time grow to enjoy the flavor and benefits that carob provides.

5. Water

Okay, water is definitely not as tasty as chocolate and probably will not satisfy your sweet tooth. However, if you drink plenty of water throughout the day, it is more likely that you will not feel as hungry and will have fewer cravings overall.

6. Cocoa Powder

Try adding a little bit of cocoa powder to different drinks and snacks. It is a good addition to yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies, shakes, tea and skim milk.

7. Have a Little

Moderation is key. Allowing yourself to have a little chocolate every now and then is really not going to cause a lot of damage. In the larger scheme of things, having a small piece of chocolate once or twice a week is not going to break a diet or cause weight gain. However, do not allow yourself to cave and eat an entire chocolate bar or big piece of cake. You have to be able to have some control if you do choose to include chocolate in your diet. Also, eat the piece slowly, enjoying each bite. This will stop you from not feeling satisfied when done.

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If You Are Craving....

If you crave this…	What you really need is…	And here are healthy foods that have it:
Chocolate	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Sweets	Chromium	Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
	Carbon	Fresh fruits
	Phosphorus	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
	Sulfur	Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
Bread, toast	Nitrogen	High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
Oily snacks, fatty foods	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Coffee or tea	Phosphorous	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
	Sulfur	Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
	NaCl (salt)	Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
	Iron	Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Alcohol, recreational drugs	Protein	Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
	Avenin	Granola, oatmeal
	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
	Glutamine	Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
	Potassium	Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens
Chewing ice	Iron	Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Burned food	Carbon	Fresh fruits
Soda and other carbonated drinks	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Salty foods	Chloride	Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt
Acid foods	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Preference for liquids rather than solids	Water	Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Preference for solids rather than liquids	Water	You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Cool drinks	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Pre-menstrual cravings	Zinc	Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables
General overeating	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables
Lack of appetite	Vitamin B1	Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
	Vitamin B3	Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
	Chloride	Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt
Tobacco	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables

#FromFat2Fab

What Should You Eat After Cardio for the Best Fat Loss

Source: Coach Calorie

What you eat after cardio and after a weight training workouts are not always one in the same. Weight training is geared towards muscle gain, while cardio is mostly used for fat loss. Why then should what you eat after cardio be the same as your other workouts?

What You Eat After Cardio Depends on Your Goals

When we weight train, we start depleting our muscles of glycogen, and we break down muscle tissue. Our goal is to make it grow back bigger and stronger. We eat carbohydrates and protein post workout so that we can replenish muscle glycogen stores (energy) and start rebuilding muscle.

On the other hand, when we do cardio, our goal is usually to lose fat. This means what we eat after cardio will be different than after a typical weight lifting session. You could certainly eat the same thing either way. However, if you’re looking for maximum fat loss, you’ll want different nutrition after a cardio session.

What Should You Eat After Cardio?

During a typical cardio session, your body’s biochemistry undergoes some changes. Your body suppresses insulin production and starts releasing other hormones like growth hormone (GH) and testosterone. Not only that, but your body releases several neurotransmitters like adrenaline, epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. The first two assist with fat mobilization, while the second two are feel good chemicals (think runner’s high).

What we want to do after cardio is:

• Keep insulin production suppressed. Insulin is a fat storage hormone which is not conducive to fat loss.

• Keep growth hormone (GH) levels elevated. GH is catabolic to fat cells. It is one of, if not the most powerful hormone for losing fat.

• Keep those fat loss neurotransmitters flowing so that fat loss continues.

How do we accomplish these goals? It’s quite simple actually. You control your carbohydrate intake. Eating too many of or the wrong type of carbohydrates will immediately throw you out of fat burning mode. After your workout, your insulin sensitivity is at its highest. This is great. It means you’ll be able to be a bit more loose with your carbohydrate intake. What you don’t want to do however, is spike your insulin levels. Doing so will halt all fat burning, and will drop your growth hormone levels, along with any other fat loss benefit you just created from your cardio.

If you are in pure fat loss mode, it would be beneficial to have a carb-less meal after cardio. Something along the lines of a protein shake with some essential fatty acids (EFAs), such as whey protein isolate mixed withCarlson’s omega-3 oil, will keep the fat burning machine churning, while at the same time provide protein and essential fats to start rebuilding muscle. Will you be replenishing muscle glycogen with this meal? No, not really. Some of the protein may be converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis, but even if this did happen, it would have a minimal effect on insulin levels – meaning you will continue to burn fat. You can also have any number of protein/fat/veggie meals after cardio. Here are over 300 healthy recipes I’ve collected from around the web for you to try.

To sum up, if you want to keep fat burning going for as long as possible, you’ll want to manage your carbohydrate intake after cardio. While you don’t have to go no-carb (although this will be the best), you can get by having a small serving of low glycemic carbohydrates. The important thing, as always, is to make sure you’re actually doing your cardio. Once you’re consistent with your workouts, then you can start focusing on the finer details.

#FromFat2Fab

Week #1: April 15-21, 2013

Well, week #1 is over and I am pleased with what I accomplished. I did everything I planned it: I ate better, I did exercise and I am tracking EVERYTHING for future reference.
This week wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, I kept thinking  "if you have not quit, you wouldn't have to start all over again" and I think that is the key. It is easy to keep in track especially when you have a plan.
On thursday I got sick with the cold-ears, nose, head & throat-- but, I didn't want that to be a set back so I did everything I was suppose to do, I am not a whinny, you know- it is what it is!!!
Anyways, here are my stats for week 1.
#FromFat2Fab

Week 1

April, 15-21 2013	Data
Neck	13 in
Chest	37 in
Waist	34 in
Hips	43 in
R. Arm	12 in
L. Arm	12 in
R. Thigh	26 in
L. Thigh	26 in
Weight	168.2 lbs

Low Carb Snacks

Photo Credit almonds image by Nicola Gavin from Fotolia.com

A low-carb diet keeps your carbohydrate intake to just 50 to 150 g per day, and sometimes even lower. Carbs are found in many foods, but are concentrated in breads, pasta, cereal, fruits and sugar. When following a low-carb diet, many traditional snacks such as chips, crackers, cereal bars, cookies and even most fruit are off the menu. With a little creativity and tricking of your taste buds, you can find snacks to satisfy your cravings.

Crunchy

Pork rinds are a carb-free, crunchy snack that replace chips or crackers. They come in dozens of flavors and can be embellished with dip. Try dipping barbecue-flavored in sour cream or blue cheese dressing. You can create chips with slices of pepperoni. Place the slices in a single layer on a paper towel and microwave for 45 to 60 seconds. Eat alone or dip in cool ranch dressing. If you miss chips and salsa or guacamole, use celery sticks or jicama as a substitute. The salsa and guacamole are already relatively low in carbs and these vegetables contain just 1 to 2 g of carbs per stalk or slice.

Foods to NEVER EatBeware of these foods that are making you gain weight.EatHealthySecrets.com

Sweet

If you crave something sweet, turn to whipped cream or ricotta cheese. Mix in no-calorie sweetener and flavorings, such as cocoa powder, vanilla or almond extract or a bit of dry sugar-free jello powder. Add a few chopped almonds or walnuts for texture, if you like. Whipped cream is the option with the least carbohydrates. You can also make a mock cheesecake by mixing 8 oz. of softened cream cheese, ½ cup no-calorie sweetener -- do not use aspartame because it will not withstand cooking -- and one egg. Pour into greased mini-muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes. On a hot day, you could also freeze sugar-free gelatin in molds for a low-carb, sweet ice pop.

Salty

Cottage cheese can be made into a low-carb, salty snack. Mix in salsa or green onions, caraway and pepper for a savory treat. An elegant salty snack is Parmesan cheese crackers. Take heaping tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese and mound on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp. Remove immediately and enjoy. Smoked or tamari-flavored almonds are another salty snack that fit into a low-carb lifestyle.

Convenient

Keep a few convenient snacks on hand for the times you do not have time to create one from scratch. String cheese and deli meat are simple choices -- try rolling them together for an easy snack. Commercial low-carb bars and shakes are also available for those times you need something quick. Keep a few hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for days you need a grab-and-go snack. Beef jerky and stuffed olives are other low-carb options that may satisfy salty cravings.

Source: LiveStrong.com

http://www.livestrong.com/article/440324-tips-tricks-on-low-carb-snacks/#ixzz2Bm3SbsHR

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Peanut Butter Apples

Easy healthy snack: Peanut butter & apples

Ingredients:

1 apple
2 tbsp peanut butter

Procedure:

Wash apple
cut apple into wedges
spread peanut butter and enjoy

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 270
Carbs: 29g
Fat: 16g
Protein: 7g
Sodium: 130g
Sugar: 20 g

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Baked Apple in a Bag

Oh yeah!!! Baked Apple in a ziplock bag and baked in the MICROWAVE!!!!! Thank you Pinterest for the awesome idea. What you need?

1 apple (peeled or not) cut into wedges

1 T brown sugar

1 T water

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp corn starch

Put everything in the ziplock bag, shake well and.....

microwave for 2 minutes

I had them on top of ice-cream but today I just ate them plain like that and ummmmm

Baked Apple - Baked Apple

1. Servings:  1 portion

Calories	107	Sodium	0 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	23 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	3 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	4 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Vitamin A	0%	Calcium	0%
Vitamin C	0%	Iron	0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

#FromFat2Fab

Flour-Less Brownies!!!

Ok, so for when you have a sweet craving but, don't want to mess up too bad, here is the BEST FLOUR-LESS BROWNIES and only 155 calories!!! You are going to love them.

Yield: 20 Servings

Ingredients :

2-15.5oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
6 T butter, softened
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 t salt
2 t vanilla extract
2 C granulated sugar
1 C milk chocolate chips
1/4 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish
3. In a large blender or food processor, blend together the rinsed and drained black beans and eggs until smooth.
4. Add reminder ingredients but, walnuts.
5. Blend until smooth.
6. Pour into greased baking dish.
7. Sprinkle with walnuts and stir lightly.
8. Bake for 35 minutes or when you center a toothpick and it comes out with moist but not gooey.

I used Great Value brand, here are the Nutrition Facts per serving:

Calories: 155

Carbs: 15g

Fat: 10g

Protein: 4g

Sodium: 71g

Sugar: 10g

#FromFat2Fab

Week 5-2011

Ok, I'm losing my money here, I gain another .4 lbs, boooo!!!!!

Week 2-2011

Late but here. For week 2, I maintained so I think that it is good, considering that I didn't exercising or eat properly.

Week 3-2011

Yeah, I saw it coming, I gained .8 while on vacation. Now thinking about it it wasn't worth it. Anyways, went to my WW meeting yesterday night and got kind of motivate it.

hahhahahaha just when I'm about to publish the post, Jennifer Hudson came on TV singing "is a new day" coincidence?

Week 4-2011

Lost 1 pound, I was hoping for 2 but 1 is better than nothing

Things That Drives Me

I know this might, or might not, sound weird but, I have learned that while I am in the process of losing weight and/or exercise, you know when I make the decision to take control of my health, it is easier to do the things that I planned to do reading a book that is related  to the matter. I love Zonya Foco's novel Water with Lemon and Chris Powell's Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution. 
While I'm waiting at the checkout line I like to read magazines (not really, I like to imagined my body transformed into the pictures that are in the magazine).
Anyways, I do better with my commitment reading about the subject. Somehow what I'm reading keeps me in tract and motives me.

While I train in the treadmill I like watching TV shows like The Biggest Loser & Home Makeover: Extreme Weight Loss Edition or infomercials like Insanity, P90X, etc, and watching sports events, they all give me that extra push that I need to run longer and faster.
#FromFat2Fab

The Plan: About Weigh-In & Measurements

where do I buy that mirror or can I have her  self-esteem?

I can go on without weighing myself EVERY SINGLE DAY, I guess I like to be torture.

The Plan:
1.  Do a weekly weigh-in on Mondays, I used to do it on Saturdays but, due to past mistakes I am changing it to Mondays.
     Saturday Mistake: After seeing beautiful numbers on Saturdays, I went over board on Sundays (day off). I over indulge myself and ruined a great week of hard work in one day. My hypothesis is that if I weigh-in on Mondays I will be more careful on Sundays, it makes sense right?

2. Take monthly measures of:

• Neck
• Chest
• Waist
• Hips
• Right Thigh
• Left Thigh
• Right Calf
• Left Calf
• Right Arm
• Left Arm

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The Plan: About Food Intake

According to My Fitness Pal

my fitness goals

I need to consume 1,200 calories a day and burn 182 calories a day (thats about 7 minutes on the treadmill) to lose 1.8 lbs a week. Sounds easy right?!  So how is it that I done get it done carajo*??!!! 

Because I get lazy and sloppy and I might love to sabotage myself considering that I keep stoping and starting ALL THE TIME!

Anyways, I read somewhere on the net, and it wasn't My Fitness Pal,  that it doesn't matter what you eat, if you stay within your daily calorie intake you will still lose weight, why do I like this statement? Because I don't like feeling deprived from food. I love food and I love eating. I can't never do, neither I want to do a all-liquid diet or so famous cleansed. I need to feel food in my mouth, I need to chew food!!

The Plan:

1. I am going to stay within the 1,200 calories a day. I don't like counting or adding or tracking but, I know that people who keep a food journal are more successful on losing weight PLUS it helps me later on, especially when I have fallen off the wagon, I can easily go back and see what foods have helped me and I can get back on track

2. I am going to follow Chris Powell's 7 day carb-cycle because I know that it works

3. I will take the pleasure of creating flavorful and delicious recipes and post them here

4. I will drink, drink and drink lots of water, at least 1.25 gallon a day

5. I will eat every 3 hours-speeds up metabolism- and I will stop eating 3 hours before going to bed, it will make me hungry making my body to use more stored fat and by breakfast time I will be a BURNING MACHINE!!!

6. Buy lots of veggies and fruits and have them ALWAYS in stock (they are quick perfect snacks) 

*in this case: for heavens sake.
#FromFat2Fab

The Plan: About Exercise

Ok, so I know for fact that if I don't plan for what I want to accomplish I automatically fail. So I need to have a plan for the exercise part of my goal: Lose Weight and Get Fit.

I also know that I need to get my whatever workout in early in the morning for the following reasons:

1. I get it out of the way early and I don't have to be thinking ALL DAY LONG that I HAVE TO DO IT!

2. I like getting ready early-showered, hair & makeup done- for the rest of the day

3. When I postpone the workout for "later", 99.9% of the times I don't do it

4. I hate seeing woman wearing their sweat clothes, especially their sweat pants on public besides the gym and I don't go to the gym, so please take them off before going some other place than the gym!!!

5. Helps me to stay in track for the rest of the day meaning that I am more conscious on how and what I eat, puts me on the: Do I really want to waste those precious calories on this? I DON'T THINK SO mode.

6. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the high I get from exercising

7. I also LOVE concentrating on what I am feeling while exercising, you know, like when you do squads and you concentrate on your thighs and derriere and you imagine how you are sculpting them, AWESOME (said on Oprah's tone).

So here is the plan:

1. Workout early in the morning, preferably at 5:30am, from Mondays through Saturdays, I will take Sundays off form EVERYTHING!

2. Do 30 minutes of HIIT cardio Mondays through Saturdays (High Intensity Interval Training)

3. Do strength training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
I will do Chris Powell's push-ups/squads/sit-ups combinations and I might throw in some Jillian Michael's Shred in 30 and Ripped in 30
#FromFat2Fab

sweat it out baby!

The Importance of Body Hydration

 Drinking water is a PLUS in weight loss. Since we were kids we heard we needed to drink 8 cups of water a day.  Since then, things have changed and the number of drinking cups too. To keep your body hydrated it is as simple as diving your weight -in pounds- in half , the result is the amount of ounces we should drink.
Example: I weigh 168 pounds 168/2 = 84meaning that I need to drink 88 ounces (about 10 1/2 cups) to keep my body hydrated.
One nice tip:our internal body temperature is 98 degrees Fahrenheit, when we drink cold water, our metabolism has to work, in other words, our body has to use/burn calories, using approximately 8 calories, to heat up the cold water,  helping us to lose weight. 
When we exercise, we need to increase the consumption of liquids. It is recommended to drink 8 ounces of water/liquids per every 15 minutes of exercise.So go ahead and drink up!!

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