How to lose 70 pounds forever

After gaining weight slowly over the years, I tried doing what I did when I was younger to lose weight. I did a lot of cardio - which achieved nothing now that I was in my late 30s. After a few years of trying this unsuccessfully, I had put on even more weight which caused recurring bouts of bronchitis so severe I was incapacitated. Not to mention the abject distain I felt when looking in the mirror. At 5'4" and almost 190 pounds, I was almost wider than I was tall...

My degree is in clinical dietetics and I held multiple certifications in the field. How could I be in this situation? Was I stupid? Lazy? Neither was true so I used my knowledge of clinical dietetics as a starting point and began my quest to find out exactly what needs to happen to achieve weight loss permanently.

Turns out almost all the information and lifestyle we are surrounded by is WRONG! Here's some examples...

3 squares a day - great way to gain weight
Cut down on snacks - pack on the pounds
Give up your favorite food - recipe for disaster
Eating low calorie - great way to make sure we stay fat forever

Many weight loss plans reduce calories by 500 to 1000 calories a day to lose weight. But doing that is a guarantee we lose muscle instead of fat which will lead to the weight coming back on.

Going on a diet means someday going off the diet. Once we start eating the same way we used to, the weight comes back and is even harder to lose. Any diet plan that actually puts you on a diet is lying to you. They want you to fail so they keep you coming back.

Running healthcare kitchens for over a decade has taught me to systemize anything to achieve maximum performance with minimum input. Using the information I learned combined with my systemization technique produced amazing results...

70 pounds of fat lost in a year and a half! 
And it's still gone!

I lost weight without going on a diet, buying expensive tasteless foods or taking weird supplements. (Who knows what's really in those diet pills?) Eating more frequently and understanding how much water, activity and nutrition my body personally needs got me where I wanted to be.

Many plans preach insane amounts of water but my body only need 7 cups a day. The weight came off (and stays off) eating 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat. I still like to bake and continue to take my coffee with half and half so I don't give up out of self depravation.

Activity is not hours of cardio but is a balance of cardio and some weight training. And making sure I don't sit on my keister for too long at work without moving. Same at home - can't spend too much time blogging without some movement.

It's about understanding the needs of our individual bodies and eating to meet those needs. Losing weight really is all about the food.

-DK

Superhero Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Rich in anti oxidants, omega 3s and fiber, this delicious crisp might just save your life!



Filling:

Rhubarb raw 2 1/3 cups sliced
Strawberries 2 1/3 cups sliced
Splenda blend 1/2 cup
Corn starch 3 T
Lemon zest 1 t
Splash water
Pinch salt

Using spatula mix filling ingredients thoroughly

Topping:

Whole oat flour 3/4 cup
Butter salted 3 T
Flax meal 1/4 cup
Chopped walnuts 1/3 cup
Salt 1/8 t

Nuke butter till soft but not melted
Use mixer or hands mix or rub all ingredients together until thoroughly combined


Assembly:

Butter baking dish
Put filling evenly in dish, scraping all goodness from bowl into baking dish
Sprinkle topping evenly on top, squeezing some together to make "crumbs" and dropping them on top as well

Bake at 350 for 45min to 1 hour or until filling bubbles thickly all around edges and top is lightly browned
Let cool to lukewarm before eating
Serves 6

Nutrition info:

Calories 303
Carb 45g
Pro 4g
Fat 12g
Sat 4g
Polyunsaturated 4g
Monounsaturated 1g
Trans fat 0g
Chol 15g
Sodium 89mg
Potassium 244mg
Vit A 5%
Vit C 71%
Calcium 14%
Iron 7%

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

....and performance is all about....you guessed it....FOOD!
Fueling up 5-6 times a day is the best way to keep the ol metabolism cranked and burning excess calories even when we're sitting still. But it can be overwhelming to try and eat healthy that many times a day without some forethought. Plus, life is crazy busy - who has time to cut up veggies, make salads and grill chicken on a week night between picking up the kids and softball practice.
Get stuff ready when there's time, put in the fridge and freezer and it's goodnesspalooza every day. On a weekend or, in my case a random weekday off, take a little time and:
-chop & clean greens
-clean and cut celery & carrots into sticks
-rinse some sugar snap peas and cut off those pointy ends
-wash all the fruit from food shopping
-cut up fridge fruits like pineapple & kiwi
-clean and cut up peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and onions
-break down a head of broccoli...cut and wash florets; run stems through a grater blade of a food processor (great for broccoli slaw)
-grill off a family pack of chicken
-boil off noodles, rinse in cold water and toss lightly with olive oil
Time spend achoppin' and acookin' burns calories - hey, it's activity so it counts!
Tossing together a salad for lunch at work is a breeze. Fresh fruit for school lunch boxes is ready to go. Fresh veggies for a dinner side is a splash of water and a short nuke from ready. Stir fries almost put themselves together what with the ready to go noodles and veggies. Smoothies for breakfast: done! The possibilities are as endless as they are easy.
Scheduling food prep increases veggie and fruit consumption and reduces the chance a stressed you will stop for fast food between obligations. It's like being your own private chef.
-DK