My Progress with Sensa

After a week or two of seeing no change on the scale I woke up to find I'd lost 3 pounds...yay!  To date I have lost 15 pounds so far.  I am really impressed with Sensa.  If you are looking for an easy diet, it gets no easier.  I have been eating healthy and bike riding every once in a while but I do not count calories.  I eat the right foods and let Sensa do the portion control for me.  So far I have been successful with it.  I also take a 1/2 ounce of Acai Berry.  Though it has not increased my weight loss, it has given me tons of energy.  You don't have to pay a lot for acai berry.  You can order it from online health supplement stores.  I found a month's worth of it for 5.95.  What you want is something that is free of other ingrediants that why you can add into your diet only what you want to add.  For example, I could buy the supplement for a vitamin store without all the extras for 5.95 and buy the other stuff like green tea and add it in it's natural form.  I have bought a juice but it is 85% pure acai juice with pulp, the other ingrediants are just other juices (only 15% is other juices).  It is very concentrated so I only take a 1/2 ounce at a time from a 32 ounce bottle.  This will last me two months and only cost me 14.95 a bottle.  You do not have to pay a lot for this supplement.  This juice has been wonderful, but I owe my weight loss results to Sensa.  I think it works because it's so easy.  If you a short on time, it's the way to go. 

Menu ideas for Halloween

As halloween nears, I can't help but get wrapped up in the festivities.  With glowing pumkins, hay rides, the rainbowed colored falling leaves, scarey costumes, and ghost stories there's lots to pull you in.  So this year I plan on serving dinner early for my family as we have lil' trick or treaters to get ready for the nights events.  So, if you are looking for a quick comfort food that will take minimal time to make and fill your families tummy's (you know, before we all binge on candy), I have a recipe for you!

How about Chili haystacks and pumpkin shaped grilled cheese sandwhiches?  Here's what you need:

A couple cans of Chili (meatless, beanless or fully loaded, it's your choice)

Shredded cheddar cheese

A bag of corn chips

A pumpkin cookie cutter

Thickly sliced bread (large enough to overlap the cookie cutter)

Any type of cheese slices you like for grilled cheese (ex: velveta slices)

Butter

Directions: 

Haystacks-Heat the chili on the stove over med high heat until just bubbly.  Cover bottom of bowls with a layer of cornchips, then layer that with enough chili to fill most of the bowl and sprinkle generously with shredded cheddar cheese.

Pumpkin shaped grilled cheese- (for each sandwhich) Butter 2 slices of bread and put a slice of cheese inbetween the unbuttered sides of bread and place on waxed paper.  Use the cookie cutter to cut out your pumpkin shape.  Use a spatula to remove the sandwhich from the waxed paper and place in a preheated pan (med-low).  Cook until just browned and the cheese is nice and soft.

For a healthier version:

For Grilled Cheese: Use low-fat cheese on whole wheat bread.  Use cooking spray instead of butter (however, make sure to lightly butter the cookie cutter). 

For the chili: omit the corn chips and use meatless chili.  Sprinkle with low fat cheese (optional).

Have a Happy Halloween!

The scale is not your friend

I've heard it a million times before, put away the scale when you are dieting.  I now realize how deceiving it can be.  I knew I wasn't going to do as well this week because of my tiramisu and chocolate flub up, but it was still a bit discouraging to see no weight loss when I had been on a roll with two pounds a week.  But then I decided to try one of my old work shirts which was still a bit snug last week but ya know what?  It fit perfectly.  So just because your scale is saying "no progress" doesn't mean you aren't making any.  The thing is, if you are exercising you are likely also building muscle mass which weighs more than fat (but takes up less room).  So if you are doing all the right things and have either gained a bit back or just maintained, pull out the tape measure and start recording inches lost as well.  Chances are you are still making progress, you just need a different way of tracking it.  For me, I'd rather fit in my "skinny jeans" than be a certain number on the scale.  How about you? 

Good News For Chocolate Lovers

Did you know that chocolate is actually good for you?  It's true!  Chocolate has all kinds of health benefits!  It is packed with antioxidants for one...it actaully contains more than both red wine and green tea!  Antioxidants are great for it's anti-cancer and anti-aging properties...just to name a few.  They also make you feel really good! 

The darker the chocolate, the better it is for you.  The reason for this is because all the positive properties of chocolate comes from the Cacoa itself.  The higher the percentage, the higher the benefits....and less of the sugar and milk! 

Chocolate also has heart healthy monounsaturated fats in it as well which can help lower cholesterol!  And did you ever wonder why you felt so wonderful after eating chocolate?  Here are three good reasons listed by Momscape (besides the large dose of antioxidants):

1. The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

2. The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation. 

3. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

No wonder so many of us crave this silky smooth treat!  But with every good thing that packs in the calories, consume it in small quantities.  By the way, chocolate does not cause pimples!  That is a well known myth.  So go ahead and indulge, your secret is safe with me! 

  

Acai Berry and Increased Energy

As far as extra weight loss with Acai Berry, I have not noticed much of a difference from what I have been doing (Sensa and Green Tea).  But I have noticed a huge surge in energy!  I am not a morning person at all!  I drag out of bed and rush around getting my daughter ready before the bus gets arrives.  After the bus arrives, I walk back home and climb back in bed for one more hour of sleep before getting ready for the day myself.  But since taking Acai Berry I have so much energy I am up before my husband (who is usually the one who has to wake me up!).  I take my Acai Berry and I am ready for the day.  I get home from the bus stop and instead of going back to bed, I get out my bike and exercise for a little over a half an hour, take another shower and clean the house.  It's better than coffee!  From what I understand other foods high in antioxidants can have the same effect, like pomegranates and goji berries.  So if you need a little extra energy, try eating foods or drinking juices high in antioxidants and see if that does the trick! 

How to eat healthy while your family is not

One of the challenges I face at home is eating right while my family is not.  They do not want to eat only skinless poultry, fish and other seafood...they also want pork chops, pasta dishes and dessert.  So how do I keep from eating it?  I cook on Sundays.  I bake, broil, poach or smoke fish and skinless chicken as well as make up pastas made with whole wheat and low fat sauces.  This way at dinner time all I have to do is cook their pork chops or whatever else they might want and reheat something I already cooked for me and then eat the same vegatables and such as they are eating.  I love cooking on Sundays because I am not in a rush to get dinner on the table and actually enjoy more this way.  We often also cook a meal on Sunday for the rest of the family that will last a couple days.  This helps during the rush of the week and keeps us from ordering out.  Another thing I do is keep an arsenal of sweets that are good for me such as lowfat yogurt, my favorite fruits and occasionally even dark chocolate so that when my famliy wants dessert, I can indulge myself without ruining my diet.  Ok...yes the chocolate is not technically a "diet food", but it has so many health benefits that occasionally splurging on a few chocolate chips isn't going to kill me...atleast thats what I keep telling myself:).   

Two more pounds down

I have been doing Sensa, along with drinking green tea and just recently, taking acai berry.  To date I have lost 13-14 pounds.  I began exactly 5 weeks ago from today.  I am really happy with how it is going so far.  All you do is sprinkle your food with flavorings that are designed to help you feel satisfied so you ultimately eat less.  It completely took away my cravings for sweet stuff.  I am satisfied with less food and am slowly getting the weight off.  Only thing is, it makes you really thirsty.  But I just use it as motivation to drink more water, which I often don't do enough of.  They say that the average weight loss over a six month period is around 30-31 pounds with Sensa.  I am actually hoping to boost that number by also eating healthy and occasionally exercising.  We'll see if that tactic pays off in the end (I hope so).  I just wanted to give an update to my first post in this blog.  Hope everyone is having a good weekend!!!  

Update on Acai Berry

Ok, I have received and used up my sample of Pure Acai Berry and I did not notice any difference, in fact I really didn't like it.  I felt a kind of "let down" from it, I was kind of grumpy and irritable after it wore off.  However the Acai Berry Supreme I love!  I was able to cancel my order right after receiving it (I had to be persistant in the calls until I got a hold of someone).  I had to cancel because when I learned how much the regular price was I about fell out.  I am not paying almost 100 dollars for a supplement of any kind!  But, true to its word it gave me a ridiculous amount of energy!!!  I am not a morning person but it got me up and moving, fast!  So I will be using this for the rest of the two week trial to see if it has any other added benefits so I can give a fair review of it.  However, I have Dr.Tim's Acai juice found here: http://brazilbotanicals.com/brazilianacaijuice.aspx?gclid=CKvSiPmsmpYCFRKAxgodrG-CoA from Brazil Botanicals.  I have not tried that yet, but I listed the link here because not only does it have a higher Acai concentration than Acai Berry Supreme, it also costs just 14.99 for the same one month supply.  If it works the same as Acai Berry Supreme (hopefully better), it is a no brainer for me.  They are probably cheaper because you are buying direct so there is no mark up.  Basically there are no affiliates selling it, it is just sold by the company and no one else.  Hopefully it is good quality.  Stay tuned and I will review both the Acai Berry Supreme and the Acai juice from Brazil Botanicals.     

Food Bank Crisis

I know this is a bit off topic, but the food banks around the national are in a bad way.  We are all going through the stress and negative consequences of a downturn in the economy, but for some it really is a matter of survival.  As I was watching the news last night, a local food Bank's supply looked even measily for one family.  They are running out of food fast!  One of the family's interviewed said she had two hot dogs in her refrigerator and nothing in her cupboards.  She also was having trouble paying the bills and her mortgage.  We'd all like to think it was just a few suffering, however that is just not the reality of it.  Many middle class families are now asking for help, most of them for the very first time in their lives.  We all deserve to have our basic needs met, however so many just aren't making it.  I think in these desperate times we all need to pull together.  I myself do not have much to give as the economy has taken it's toll on our family as well, but I do have a little.    A little could go a long way if enough of us pull together.  It could mean the difference of having food or not having food for those in need.  For me, I just can't bear the thought of anyone going hungry, especially young children.  So, if you can, put it on your list to do this week.  Even a little helps.

One Surefire Way to Trim Down Your Waistline

One thing that I researched heavily when I started my diet with Sensa, was the Glycemic Index and it's effect on dieting.  For those of you who have not heard of the Glycemic Index (GI), it is basically a ranking system of carbohydrates.  In general, the higher the rating, the more you want to stay away from it.  However, carbs low on the Glycemic Index are the carbs you want to eat; the kind of carbs that are good for you.

Why are eating carbs ranked high on the Glycemic Index bad for you? Well first, these types of foods can be bad business for diabetics, but they can also be bad for dieters.  Here's why: First, when you eat a food that is high on the Glycemic Index, your blood sugar will likely spike.  The higher the GI rating, the higher it will spike.  This in turn causes an increase in the amount of insulin that is present.  The increase in insulin sends out a message in our bodies that we have lots of extra energy to store...as fat!  So unless you are planning on getting on the stair master for a heavy work out right away, your body is going to store that food energy as fat.  Second, eating foods that are high on the glycemic index can leave you wanting to eat more once your blood sugar drops down after that huge spike.  However, eating a low-GI diet will help you feel full faster and for longer periods of time because the digestion process is much slower.  Think about it, when you eat a big bowl of oatmeal, how long do you stay full?

Study results that the Universtiy of Sydney released back in 2006 revealed this about low-GI diets " The most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycemic index (GI) foods". 

"'We found that moderate reductions in glycemic load appear to increase the rate of body fat loss, particularly in women. Diets based on low-glycemic index, whole grain products, tend to be better for the heart, maximising cardiovascular risk reduction - particularly if protein intake is high,' said Joanna McMillan-Price (one of the researched who conducted this study)." 

After reading about this research, I have been eating a diet high in protien and low-GI carborhydrates.  This has been working really well with the Sensa diet.  I have been losing a steady 2-3 pounds a week, knock on wood.  I have also read that the fat you lose from a high protein - low-GI diet usually tends to be around the waistline.  This is where I am noticing most of my weight loss as well. 

Here is a list of foods on the Glycemic Index.  Be sure to scroll down as the page doesn't look like a list of anything until you move further down the page: http://www.nutricoach.net/low_gi_foods.html

If you have any questions, please ask away!  For my next post I will going over good carbs vs. bad carbs as it is directly related to this posting.  Be sure to check back later!