Shed Unwanted Pounds

No gimmicks, no pills, no starving… just WILLPOWER! Eat all you want and lose weight. Scroll down to find out more and get started.

In my Facebook post yesterday I told you I was going to help you shed a few pounds this month and I meant it.  I myself have seen results and so I wanted to share my experience with you as we head into our second month of 2013.

How have I been able to lose weight? More importantly, how can what I’ve learned help you? One simple answer: Sugar. Sugar addiction has been a real problem in last few decades but in the past couple of years we can read news headlines discussing the issue with High fructose Corn Syrup in almost all boxed items at the grocery store as well as sodas and juice drinks. Dr. Oz and Oprah  have weighed in their concerns with the amount of sugar we are consuming. In addition to weight gain and diabetes, did you know that consuming too much sugar can also negatively impact your brain as well? What Eating too Much Sugar Does to Your Brain.

I said there were no gimmicks, no pills and that all it will take is WILLPOWER! This month, if you are with me, we are taking a NO SUGAR stance. I wanted to get this post out to you today so that you can get your fridge and pantry ready for Monday. Here are the staples that I have in my house that have gotten me to be sugar free:

Fridge: white bean hummus, spinach, peppers, arugula, beets, olives, tomatoes, cilantro, romaine lettuce, celery, eggs, unsweetened almond milk, rice milk, lemons, grapefruit, organic meats and poultry (I’m a pescatarian, so you won’t find these in my fridge, but they are acceptable as long as you choose nice cuts of meat that you saute or bake, not fried please).

Pantry: beans (any kind), brown rice, millet, avocado, sweet potato, tomato pasta sauce (sugar free), sunflower butter, almond butter, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds

Why is sugar bad? It’s not that sugar is BAD, it’s just that we’ve been bad at how we consume it. If you think about it, how many Starbucks coffees have you had this week? Eat a scone with it too? I know I used to all the time. Foods that contain sugar and foods that turn into sugar once metabolized can affect your body in many different ways. Read  What You Need to Know About Complex Carbohydrates. 

A word about bread. Yes, you guessed it. I don’t eat bread. I’m hoping you read the article above to find out why. The good news is that I’ve found a great bread alternative recipe online. We make this at home as our bread substitute. It goes with everything and is so yummy when it’s fresh out of the oven. We’ve even put slices of fruit on it with sprinkles of cinnamon, before baking, for a yummy breakfast or an after meal treat). Click here for the recipe.

Fruits and especially veggies should be eaten often. Here’s a are link from the FDA to see the sugar content of your fruits and veggies.  You can review the list and see what fits best in your life. If you want more rapid weight loss I would stay away from the fruits and veggies that have a  higher sugar content. If I feel like a fruit I’ll opt for either a grapefruit, a small handful of berries or a granny smith apple. With the veggies I typically stay away from potatoes, but I do allow myself to eat some sweet potatoes at least once a week (see recipe below).

If you have the WILLPOWER to cut out sugar I’m sure you will see results. The first few days may be tough as your body is getting used to not having sugar anymore so headaches may be common. Make sure you drink plenty of water during the course of this month but especially the first few days. Stay away from juices and sodas and just drink water! We will be using the blog post as a forum for questions, so please keep us updated and we will encourage you along the way.

Recipes

One of the best things to ensure success is to plan ahead of time. Here are a couple of recipes to give you some ideas.

1. Roasted winter veggies

– Preheat oven to 450F

– Dice 2 beets, 1 red onion, 1 sweet potato, 2 to 3 green zucchinis, 2 celery sticks

– Toss in olive oil, sea salt, parsley

– Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Mix occasionally.

2. Salad (you can add any types of nuts or seeds here)

– One handful of arugula and a handful of romain hearts

– One Fresh or roasted pepper

– One big tbsp of Hummus

– Sunflower seeds

–  Dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil, half a squeezed lemon, sea salt and any other seasoning you prefer that doesn’t have sugar

If you’re interested in taking part in our Sugar free February then please post below. Official start time is Monday February 4th, 2013. Make sure you weigh yourself that morning upon waking up, in the buff, and every morning until the end of February. The challenge this month is to stop combing through the grocery store aisles looking for sugar free processed foods, instead, try the alternative, no labels. Buy foods that have no labels on them and you’ll find yourself spending more time in the fresh produce section. Looking forward to reading your questions/comments and supporting you all this month!