I’ve spent some time over the last few weeks visiting weight loss and exercise forums in search of people who’ve successfully lost weight in the last year. I posed one simple question: How did you succeed? I received a dizzying amount of answers, and not just from those who dropped the extra weight, but also from those who hadn’t shed the pounds, but knew why. Much to my surprise, those who’d lost weight and those who hadn’t had the same advice. It seems that we all know what we’re supposed to be doing, but get caught up in how to make it happen.
The following advice comes from men and women from all around the world.
Food
Jennifer James, a Michigan resident who lost 50 pounds in the last year, said that it is impossible to lose even a single pound if you eat poorly. “I tried and failed miserably to lose weight for years,” said James. “I would exercise my butt off, but eat like crap, so I never lost a pound.”
What was the key to food for successful dieters?
Have healthy snacks around you. Pre-cut fruits and vegetables and keep them with you at all times.
Purge your cupboards. Get rid of high fat, high calorie snacks and foods. If there are Ho-Hos in your pantry, you know you’re going to eat them!
Never deprive yourself. Alter your portion sizes, but never skip a craving.
Write your food down.
Never eat a restaurant sized portion of anything–even in a restaurant.
Learn to say no.
Exercise
“Exercise, for me, was the hardest part,” said Kent Kamish. “I have few free hours in my week, but I knew I had to make it happen.”
Schedule it! Know when and where you’re going to exercise so that you don’t have to work it into your schedule.
Make it a priority.
Exercise before you shower. Multiple women wrote to tell me that if they could exercise in the morning before they showered, they had no trouble getting up early to do it. It was the thought of having to take more time to shower a second time later in the day that prevented them from hitting the gym at all.
Have a backup plan. Know what you’ll do if your tennis game gets rained out.
Stop making excuses.
Just move.
Be more active.
The best advice I was given came from a 72 year old woman from Utah named Betty Jean Margolis. Betty Jean sent a short letter my direction that said, “Make it convenient. If food and exercise are not convenient and easy to use, you’ll never get to day two.” Thanks Betty Jean, I agree.
It’s time once again for another vegetarian food review. If you’re visiting here for the first time, each week 125pounds.com takes a look at a new, prepackaged vegetarian or vegan food product through the eyes of a vegetarian (me) and a meat eater (Deb). This week we picked up a package of Morningstar Farms Italian Herb Chik Patties.
Morningstar Farms Italian Herb Chik Patties
Morningstar Farms has been around since the 1970s and they’re most well known for putting out quick, easy to prepare vegetarian and vegan entrees.
Chik patties can be heated in the microwave or cooked in the oven for 16-18 minutes.
Price
$3.29 or .82/serving
The review
Chik patty, roasted potatoes, cucumber salad.
Per the package instructions, I cooked the chik patties from Morningstar Farms in a 375-degree oven. During the cooking process you could clearly smell what seemed to be basil, oregano and similar Italian seasonings. Really smelled great! The chik patties took 18 minutes to heat and then it was off to the table for me and Deb.
How do they taste? Thumbs up from me! I loved the crispy coating on the outside of the patties and the tender, almost juicy inside. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve eaten actual chicken, but they tasted pretty meat-like to me.
What does our meat eater think?
Texture: Perfect. Reminds me of a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s.
Taste: Nice blend of seasonings. Tastes like chicken.
Aroma: Smells like Italian spices. Very pleasing.
Appearance: Looks exactly like a processed chicken patty.
I’d buy these. They’re tasty, filling and indistinguishable from the real thing.
Bottom Line
Both of us loved the chik patties from Morningstar Farms. The patties are low in saturated fat and sugar and high in niacin, thiamin and B12. Like most other processed foods, these patties were also pretty high in salt. Due to the high salt content and ingredient list, I wouldn’t make these a regular staple food, but I would eat them again occassionally. They were quick and easy to heat up and very tasty. I think these would lend well to anything from chicken salad to chicken Parmesan. Well done, Morningstar Farms!
Mondays on 125pounds.com are normally spent reviewing a new vegetarian or vegan food product for our weekly Vegetarian Tested, Meat Eater Approved series. Deb and I will be here tomorrow to look at a new, super convenient, very tasty chicken-free chik’n sandwich from Morningstar Farms. Today, in honor of Meatless Monday, we wanted to try something new and pass along a few insightful Meatless Monday links.
You know that water is not only good for you, but needed by your body to survive. Can drinking water actually help you lose weight too?
A new study released in the journal Obesity has shown that participants who drank two cups of water prior to meals were able to cut 75-90 calories from each meal and drop a few extra pounds without exercise. During this first of its kind study, lead author Brenda Davy, an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech, established two control groups: one group that drank two cups of water before meals and one that did not. Both groups followed a low calorie diet for a period of 12 weeks. The group drinking water before meals not only lost more weight, but they also kept it off. Participants in the water group had not gained any weight more than a year after the study concluded, while the non water group members were not as successful.
While certainly not conclusive, the study is encouraging. Jan Benson, lead nutritionist with Charlton Health Group in Virgina, says that it’s not known why water may promote weight loss, but it does seem to aid dieters. “Water may work to fill up the stomach, helping people to avoid overeating,” said Benson.
The results of this limited study don’t prove that water will help you to lose weight, but since water is needed by your body anyway, it certainly can’t hurt to give it a few extra cups before meals. With the average American drinking almost 400 calories each day, substituting water for other beverages can go a long way in boosting your weight loss performance.
It’s time for some breakfast food! If you’re new here, each week we take one vegetarian or vegan food product and run it by the taste buds of a vegetarian (me) and a meat eater (Deb). This week we cooked up Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties. You’ll find these patties in your local supermarket in the frozen foods section.
Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties
As we’ve talked about previously, Morningstar Farms has been around since the 1970s and works to put vegetarian and vegan friendly foods on your table. Morningstar Farms is a division of Kellogg Company and makes super convenient veggie friendly foods like burgers, chili and prepackaged meals.
Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties can be cooked in the oven, pan fried or microwaved.
Price
$3.29 or .82/serving.
Veggie sausage patty, bun, one egg.
The Review
I wanted to make a vegetarian breakfast sandwich using the veggie patties from Morningstar Farms, and I hit the kitchen running. While the eggs were cooking on the stove, I popped two veggie patties in a 350-degree oven. As the label indicated, the veggie patties took about ten minutes to heat thoroughly. During the cooking process both Deb and I were surprised at just how much the veggie patties smelled just like sausage.
The taste? Love, love, love! The spices, texture and appearance of the veggie patties perfectly mimicked an actual sausage patty and there was no funky aftertaste that can often be found with faux meat products. The patties were small, but very thick and at only 80 calories per serving, they were filling but didn’t leave me feeling that I’d pigged out.
What does our meat eater think?
Taste: Right on! These taste so much like sausage, I wouldn’t know the difference.
Texture: Perfect! I feel like I’m eating meat.
Overall: The best veggie product I’ve tried so far…and I really love real sausage. Very flavorful. I would actually buy these.
Bottom Line
Both the vegetarian and the meat eater loved Morningstar Farms veggie patties. These meat replacements are high in Thiamin, Niacin, and B6 and B12 vitamins–all nutrients that some vegetarians struggle with getting enough of. At only 82 cents a serving, the little nutritional powerhouses also make for an inexpensive meal.
Way to go Morningstar Farms! We gave you thumbs up all the way around.
Happy Monday!
