Diet

Unhealthy So-called “Diet” Foods

March 13, 2012 By Robin 8 Comments

Anytime someone starts a diet or a healthy lifestyle change they are bombarded with suggestions. All the information from brand commercials and advice from friends can actually be wrong. There are foods you are eating that you may think are healthy but in reality, are not.

Unhealthy “Diet” Foods

Granola bars- You see all the active athletes and mountain climbers on TV eating granola bars but they are not very healthy at all. Most are made with artificial ingredients, sugar or have tons of chocolate chips. Even the ones low in sugar do not have many vitamins and minerals in them. Instead, make your own with some whole grains, raisins and a drop of honey.

Rice cakes- These may seem light but they really have no nutritional value. A rice cake is basically a calorie filled sodium cake. The flavored rice cakes are the worst with a lot of added fat. Steer clear of these!

Frozen yogurt- Unless the frozen yogurt is fat-free and contains live, active cultures, it’s no good. Some even contain as much fat and calories as ice cream. Be careful or avoid frozen yogurt altogether. Try fat free, sugar free organic ice cream instead.

Diet soda- Take the sugar out of regular soda and add a carcinogenic artificial sweetener, it’s the exact same. Still has artificial flavors, carbonated water and acidic preservatives. If you want to be healthier and/or lose weight, avoid all sodas. Stick with water and add lemon for flavor.

Reduced-fat peanut butter- Almost all peanut butters are made with high amounts of sugar. When the fat is reduced, more sugar is used to mask the taste. Almond or organic peanut butter is much better for you.

Fruit juice- For one, fruit juice has sugar added. There is also no fiber in fruit juice at all. Most have preservatives added which are also very unhealthy. Enjoy a piece of fresh fruit instead.

There are many tricky consumer foods that mask themselves as healthy when they really are very unhealthy. As a part of your diet, always choose fresh fruit and vegetables with your meal and as snacks.

Megan is the owner and blogger at Losingthisweight.com. She is currently on her weight loss journey and loves to help others reach their goals.

Filed Under: Diet, Health

Indulge without Guilt! #SkinnyCowCandy Giveaway

July 27, 2011 By Robin

While I have embraced a healthier living lifestyle, I am also a firm believer in not depriving oneself in the pleasures of life. Chocolate most certainly is one of life’s little pleasures. It has also been my downfall on many occasions, so I often shy away from it these days. Lucky for me and the rest of you chocoholics out there, Skinny Cow has saved the day, by stepping out of the ice cream case and into the candy isle, with a new line of… yes, you guessed it…. chocolates!

These delectable treats are just 110-120 calories per serving, so there is no need to skip the chocolate anymore. You can indulge on new Skinny Cow candies, without blowing your diet, or having to workout ant extra hour to get your cocoa fix. These treats are conveniently and generously portioned, for your guiltless snacking pleasure.

As you can see above the candies are available as both bars and clusters. For bars, the options are Heavenly Crisp Milk Chocolate or Heavenly Crisp Peanut Butter, just 110 calories each. If bite-sized chewy clusters of creamy caramel and crispy pieces are more to your liking, they are available coated in your choice of either milk or dark chocolate, for a meager 120 calories. Doesn’t that sound divine

Wondering where you can grab some of this low calorie chocolately goodness? Check here to find a location near you >> Where to Buy Skinny Cow Candy

Starting July 6 and last as long as supplies last, there will be a special introductory offer available. Buy one singled-sized Heavenly Crisp or Dreamy Clusters – and get one FREE! … just click on the banner right above this post to grab your coupon.

Skinny Cow Giveaway

One lucky Blommi reader will win a 6-pack box of Dreamy Clusters.

Entry Options (do as many or as few as you like, but make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry)

Tell me which of the new Skinny Cow candies you most want to try.
Follow this blog via email or RSS (One entry each).
Follow me through Google Friend Connect (bottom of page)
Follow both @TwiMommi and @TheSkinnyCow on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway can be done 3x per day at least 1 hour apart (account must be public and have at least 50 followers).
“Like” Blommi on Facebook
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Share or “like” this giveaway on Facebook
For 2 entries! Grab my ad button (available here), or add Blommi.com to your blogroll -> blog must be public with minimum 25 followers. Leave a link where it can be found, in your comment. (remember to leave 2 separate comments)
For 3 Entries! Blog about this giveaway with a live link back to this post -> blog must be public with minimum 25 followers. (be sure to leave 3 separate comments)

One winner will be randomly selected from all valid entries, and will have 48 hours to respond to their prize winner email notification. If winner fails to respond, within that time period, a new winner will be drawn. Giveaways hosted on Blommi are sponsored by third parties. Site owner will of course endeavor to see all prizes are fulfilled, but is not responsible for fulfillment, nor for missing or damaged prizes. Contest ends August 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm CT. Open to US residents , age 18+.

Disclosure: Compensated post.

Filed Under: Diet, Food & Beverage Tagged With: giveaway, weight loss

Under 150 Calories! Shrimp and “Noodles”

July 7, 2011 By Robin 4 Comments

This low calorie shrimp and bean sprout (“noodles”) stir fry, is under 150 calories. Lately, I’ve been eating several mini-meals through out the day, rather than a more typical meal plan, and it has helped me successfully drop a few pounds. I try and keep most of these mini- meals under 200 – 300 calories, and avoid adding many beverage calories.

In this Shrimp and “Noodles” dish, bean sprouts take the place of real noodles, so this would work well for those on a low carb diet, as well. I was surprised the first time I made a bean sprout stir fry, how much they reminded me of noodles, when cooked relatively dry. Other than a splash of soy sauce, and a minimal amount of sesame oil, a dry seasoning blend is used.

Shrimp and “Noodles” (Bean Sprout) Stir fry

(amounts are per serving)

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of bean sprouts

3 oz. shrimp (bite size pieces)

2-4 leaves of basil (Thai or lime basil would be ideal, but regular sweet basil is fine)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

splash of soy sauce (I use low-sodium version)

generously season with salt free seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash Caribbean blend)

Place non-stick wok or skillet on med-high heat.
Put in sesame oil, bean sprouts and salt-free seasoning blend. Stir frequntly.
Once bean sprouts are nearly cooked add the shrimp and soy sauce. Tear the basil up and drop into the pan.
Stir fry until shrimp are cooked through.
Serve with soy sauce, a splash of citrus juice or a little sriracha hot sauce.

*note: you will notice that just 3 oz. of shrimp is used in this recipe, while a standard portion of this protein is 4 oz. This was done because it is a mini-meal, but if you wish to go with the full 4 oz. the calorie difference will only be +25, so go for it.

Filed Under: Diet, Recipes Tagged With: cooking, healthy recipes, recipes, weight loss

Breaking Through the Weight Loss Plateau

July 1, 2011 By Robin 4 Comments

I have been watching what I eat for a few months, and started working out about a month and a half ago. Things were progressing well, and weight seemed to be coming off readily, then I hit the dreaded weight loss plateau. I sat at the same weight for nearly two weeks. While I was glad I was not regaining any weight, and my clothes did seem to loosen up a little during this time period, it was not showing up on the scale.

Break Weight Loss Plateau

I decided to get serious and break the weight loss plateau. I had already been finding myself eating more vegetables, but concentrated my diet even more towards vegetarian meals. I am still eating egg whites, and lean meats and seafood, but veggies have become the bulk of my diet. I’ve also been eating carbs more sparsely, and most of those are whole grains.

The thing that has made the biggest difference for me in overcoming the weight loss plateau is joining a gym. I never thought I was the sort of person who would ever join a gym, but I have and actually like it. I find that I work out longer and burn more calories than I do at home. I think it is a combination of the equipment being more interactive, being able to switch to a variety of machines to cut down on boredom, and the fact that since I drove there I want to make the trip worthwhile. The gym also offers babysitting services in a kids room. My daughter loves it, and not having her interrupt my while I am trying to work out because she is bored has really helped.

Everyone will have a little different way of breaking their own weight loss plateau, but this has helped me overcome mine. The added benefit is that when and if I hit another plateau, I will be able to consult with the staff at the gym to come up with an effective strategy to beat it.

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: battle blogger bulge, health, weight loss

Sportline Qlip Any-Wear Pedometer Review (Great Father’s Day Gift)

June 1, 2011 By Robin 1 Comment

I have been doing a lot of walking, as well as, glider workouts lately. The Sportline Qlip Any-Wear Pedometer I was sent for review has really come in handy. It has been great for walks in the park with my daughter, and has shown consistent distances for the same paths. I also use it on my Gazelle (air walker/glider), and on there it seems to give 1/2 the distance traveled, most likely due to the altered stride on this exercise machine, but the results are still consistent for similar time and pace, so the Qlip has still been helpful in measuring these workouts too.

In addition to measuring distance this pedometer also measures: time, steps, miles or kilometers, calories burned (set your weight for accuracy) & speed. All from a compact attractive clip anywhere design.

I am down 25 pounds and this pedometer has been a big help in achieving this weight loss!

Sportline Qlip Any-Wear Pedometer ($34.99): Studies say those who walk fewer than 5,000 steps a day are more likely to be overweight?people walking 9,000+ steps daily are more likely to be of normal weight. Pedometers like the Sportline Qlip are a great way to get and stay motivated in your walking routine. It?s an advanced digital pedometer that can be worn (clipped) anywhere on the body and provides real-time feedback for individuals pursuing fitness and walking goals, including accurately tracking steps, distance, and calories burned. Available at most sporting goods stores and www.sportline.com.

Disclosure: Product sample provided for purpose of review. All opinions presented here are my own.

Filed Under: Diet, Men, Reviews /Giveaways, Women Tagged With: health, review, reviews

Chocolate Addiction | Am I a Chocolate Addict?

March 28, 2011 By Robin 1 Comment

Chocolate addiction is there really such a thing. Can you have an addiction to chocolate, if so is there a cure for chocolate addiction?

My name is Robin, and I am a chocoholic.

I was doing so well counting the calories in every grain of food I was eating, for a few weeks. Then, I did a couple chocolate reviews. Once I let this demon into my home, I was mesmerized, and quickly became it’s minion once again. Cut-backs in other areas kept me from regaining the weight I had lost, but things sat at a stand still.

The drawer in my kitchen that holds bags of dried beans, canning supplies, and such, began housing this scrumptious contraband. Knowing my husband never goes in that drawer, it was a safe zone for my illicit treasure. It started innocently enough, as a spot to put the baking chocolate, but soon the spot was occupied by more nefarious characters, named Cadbury, Hershey & Raisinette. A regular cocoa speak-easy was rapidly developing.

Do I have a chocolate addiction? The answer seemed to be, yes. I thought on it more.

Yes, I have a chocolate stash.

Yes, I’ve occasionally sneaked chocolate.

No, it is not all the time. My cocoa craving does seem to center around a certain time of the month.

I decided I was not a full blown chocolate addict, more like a cocoa troubled person ;D

So what am I going to do about this not quite full blown chocolate addiction?

Limit the amount of chocolate on hand
Mix it with other foods when I have just got to have it
Get my daughter the hollow bunny in her Easter basket
Add an extra scoop of cocoa to my suger-free hot chocolate, and see if that satisfies the craving.

No chocolate bunnies were injured in the making of this blog post... that will come later.

Are you a chocolate addict?

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: health

Glenny’s Snacks Are Healthy Indulgences: Review and Gift Pack Giveaway

February 4, 2011 By Robin

I count myself lucky, that I had the opportunity to review an array of Glenny’s snacks recently. Glenny’s makes snacks that you don’t have to feel guilty eating or giving to your children. At Glenny’s they don’t load up their products with chemicals and other unnecessary unhealthy ingredients. They have shown that snacks can taste delicious, make you feel like you really indulged and still be both healthy and low in calories. Perfect for both adults trying to lose weight, or between meal snacks for the kiddos. Oh, and they are Kosher too.

My box was packed with goodies, so rather than continuing with the general overview, let’s get down to specific products, so you can see what you would like.

Here are some mini-reviews for you:

Glennys Brownies & Blondies Review

We received their traditional chocolate brownie, peanut butter brownie & chocolate chip blondie to try. They were all delicious, and amazingly decadent for a meager 100 calories, but the basic chocolate brownie was our hands down favorite. I love that most of them have 7 grams of fiber per serving, it is an often overlooked part of American diets. The brownies, like all Glennys products contain no HFCS, trans fats or hydrogenated oils. My 3 year old quickly became obsessed with these.

Glennys Spud Delights & Soy Crisps Review

Our other favorite snack out of the box were the Spud Delights. These were better tasting than regular potato chips, yet these low fat baked chips were only 100 calories for a generous serving. My daughter and I both adored these. My fave flavor was the Sour Cream & Onion, they also make Sea Salt and Texas BBQ flavors. With Glenny’s Spud Delights, the dieter does not have to skip chips, with their sandwich

I have never been a fan of soy snacks in the past, but these were pretty tasty. While flavor-wise I would still pick the Glennys potato snacks over these, the 5 grams of heart-healthy soy protein per serving the Soy Crisps pack make them a great snack. My daughter craves crunchy foods, and I have a hard time getting her to eat enough protein. These help with that. They are only 70 calories per serving too!

Glennys Fruit & Nut Bars Review

These were perhaps the freshest tasting bars I have had since my childhood, when my mother used to make homemade nut bars with local honey. These scrumptious bars come in 3 varieties: Fruit & Nut Classic, Cranberry & Almond and Cashew & Almond. If you prefer to skip the fruit and just have nuts, Glennys does have a Mixed Nuts bar too. These 140-150 calorie snack bars are an ideal pick me up mid-day snack or grab and go with your coffee in the morning.

Glennys Marshmallow Treats Review

Let me start by saying I don’t care for Rice Krispie Treats, at all. So I didn’t really care for these either, although the chocolate wasn’t too bad. If you like krispie treats, you will like these also. They are simply a healthier version. Made with brown rice, they are USDA organic, vegan, gluten free, low in fat & sodium and just 100 calories per serving.

Glennys Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

If you are going gluten free there is no need to miss out on yummy cookies. Both varieties of these were delightful. They come in Oatmeal Raisin or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. The cookies are both wheat and dairy free, so there is little for concern, for the allergy prone among us. Each 2 cookie serving is 110 calories and has 11 grams of whole grains. If you are not on a Gluten or dairy free diet, try these anyway…they’re yummy.

Where To Buy Glenny’s Products

Glenny’s products can be found at many of your favorite retailers and drugstores, including: Walgreen’s, CVS, Eckerd’s, Costco, BJ’s Wholesale, ShopRite, Duane Reade Drugstores, Publix, Waldbaum’s, StopNShop, A&P, Acme, Wawa Convenience Stores, Huck’s Foodstores, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Mrs. Green’s, King Kullen, Key Food, Gelson, Linda’s Diet Delights, Food Emporium, Da’gostinos, Gristedes, Fairway, Giant Food, Redner’s, as well as in your local health food stores. They can also be purchase directly through Glenny’s Online.

Disclosure: Product sample was provided for the purpose of this review. All opinions presented here are my own.

Giveaway

One lucky Blommi reader will win a Glenny’s Starter Pack of snacks (valued at $49.95), courtesy of Glenny’s.

Mandatory Entry (must be done for all others to count): Tell me what Glenny’s Snack you most want to try?

Extra entries (make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow this blog via email.
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Follow both @Glennys and @TwiMommi on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway up to 3x per day, at least an hour apart (account must be public and have at least 50 followers). Feel free to use this tweet if you like: Glenny’s Snacks: Review and Gift Pack Giveaway from @Glennys and @TwiMommi http://is.gd/uKzqoc
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For 2 entries! Grab my ad button (available here) and post it on your blog or add Blommi to your blogroll -> blog must be public with minimum 25 followers. Leave a link where it can be found, in your comment. (remember to leave 2 separate comments)
For 4 Entries! Blog about this giveaway with a live link back to this post -> blog must be public with minimum 25 followers. (be sure to leave 4 separate comments)

One winner will be randomly selected from all valid entries, and will have 48 hours to respond to their prize winner email notification. If winner fails to respond, within that time period, a new winner will be drawn. Giveaways hosted on Blommi are sponsored by third parties. Site owner will of course endeavor to see all prizes are fulfilled, but is not responsible for fulfillment, nor for missing or damaged prizes. Contest ends February 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm CT. Open to residents of the continental US, age 18+.

Confirmed winner Ferriz

Filed Under: Diet, Food & Beverage Tagged With: battle blogger bulge, giveaway, health, review, reviews

Bagel Thins: A Great Way to Keep Calories Down

January 18, 2011 By Robin 7 Comments

If you are trying to trim your waistline, but love bagels Thomas’ Bagel Thins are just the solution. They have a wide circumference, so are great for sandwiches, but as the name says, they are thin. Each Bagel Thin only has 110 calories, about the same amount as one slice of whole wheat bread. They are available in 100% Whole Wheat, Cinnamon Raisin, Plain and my favorite the Everything bagel. All varieties are good sources of fiber (4-5 grams depending on variety), and are widely available in grocery stores and big box retailers.

I like to have one with my eggs, for a little carb boost to start my day. The breakfast above: 2 egg whites w/ spinach, mushroom & feta cheese, served with a dry Bagel Thin is only around 200 calories.

Disclosure: I received a sample for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Diet, Food & Beverage Tagged With: battle blogger bulge, healthy recipes, review, reviews, weight loss

Weight Loss Update Week 2 : Operation Battle Blogger Bulge (Linky)

January 16, 2011 By Robin 5 Comments

Yesterday, I hit the two week milestone for my New Year’s resolution to lose weight. So far so good. I didn’t get a big loss like last week, but didn’t expect one either. I lost the scheduled 2 pounds I was supposed to though. This brings my total loss to 10 pounds now.

I wasn’t feeling so great this week due to a nasty cold I caught off my preschooler, so I barely did any exercise. I did make myself get on the Gazelle (yeah, that exercise contraption Tony Little pushed) twice for a short stint, just to keep myself accustomed to it. I plan to focus on burning more calories through exercise starting this week. The exercise will not only make up for my shrinking calorie budget (as you get smaller so does it, in a consistent weight loss calculation), but give me more energy. This is pretty much the same plan I used five years ago with success.

Yes, I said success. You see, after many years of infertility, we were finally blessed with our beautiful daughter. I credit a good part of her conception on my weight loss and the nutrient rich foods I was eating at the time. I just never managed to really refocus on losing weight after having her, until now.

So how have all of you been doing on your weight loss resolutions?

Be sure to check out my break the Weight Loss Plateau Post too!