Chic-Shuk Secrets

Trust me- I know what it`s like. I`v been there, done that- yes, my many diet mistakes, especially while working eight or more hours a day in a public office. Agree with me on that one- It can be very difficult to eat healthfully and stick to your diet routine and the secret is simple: plan your desktop snacking- ahead of time!
Research shows that eating every four hours helps in keeping your metabolism charged and your energy level high, however before you turn into the vending machine, which normally contains fatty snacks that can easily ruin your healthy diet, plan ahead and stash low-calorie, high in fiber, nutritious snacks in your cabinet, drawer, or even in your briefcase. Each of these snacks will normally be less than 200 calories and/or 5 grams of fat and will keep you full and satisfied throughout the work day, before and after lunch time, right when the craving hits!

My favorite recommended office snacks are:

When I crave for REAL Chocolate, I pick one Kudos Milk Chocolate Granola Bar that has only 100 Calories and 3.5 grams of fat per one snack! I buy the large variety pack that contains 50 bars with different original flavors which last a few months and make sure its handy!!!

When I feel like something salty I grab a bunch of Special K Crackers! You need up to 17 of them in order to reach 90 calories!  They are multi-grains with fiber and dont taste like diet ones!!!  

If I more into crunchy or salty snacks then popcorn is the perfect low calories option (when you choose the right kind!)
Orville Redenbacher- Gourmet Microwavable Popcorn, the  Butter Light kind, is my favorite one since it is low calorie and low fat yet tastes very real and buttery! love it! I simply through it in the microwave for 2 minutes and I get a bag full with diet snack!!!!

If you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, or happened to be on a diet, and you are about to dine out at your favorite restaurant, don’t automatically turn to the salad menu! Turns out, restaurant salads can often be as bad as—or worse than—any other fatty dish on the menu! Sure, salads may contain some fresh & healthy produce base, but those leafy greens are normally weighed down with cheese, deep fried croutons, and high-calorie dressings. In fact, one salad from a popular chain restaurant may contains over 1,500 calories and too much fut!
 

These are some manue secrets you need to know:

• Anytime you see the words “Parmesans-Crusted,” or “Orange Glazed” assume the dish has been slathered in sugar or cheese, had given a frying treatment and probably contain nearly a full day’s worth of sodium and half a day’s worth of calories!
  

• In Mexican restaurants, salads are mostly the absolute worst choice from the menu. For example, with burritos and tacos, the amount of high-fat, high-calorie fillers is limited to what will fit in the shells! pay attention!
  

• The top word you should be careful about is the mighty Caesar. Regular restaraunt`s Caesar dressing is normally loaded with many grams of fat and is very high in calories, combine it with cheese and croutons and you turn your light, healthy salad to a complete diet disaster! always ask for a low fat or fat-free dressing!

Good Luck!

Some people would never dream of switching from regular peanut butter to a healthy, low fat version since lets face it- you get “low taste” as well!!!  I was sure to be one of those people, however, at my last trip to the local Trader Joe`s market, I`v noticed the “Better`n Peanut Butter” and apparently it is loaded with calcium, vitamins E & C, antioxidants and contains only natural flavors and colors! Well, I couldn’t resist buying it, and I have to admit this stuff is pretty tasty… It is creamy and soft, has a rich flavor, low sodium and contains only 2 grams of fat and 100 calories per 2 tbls!!! Very. very recommended product!! plus plus!

Now, since you can`t find it on the shelf of most of your local grocers, I would check thier website first, for a store locator : http://www.thirdperspective.com/bpb/storeLocator.html 

Enjoy!

Many of us travel and fly during a holiday season therefore finding yourself at the airport at that time of the year is very common. You must agree this might make it a bit hard watching your weight and eating your regular, everyday weight watcher diet food especially when there are fewer choices on board! However, on-the-go eating doesn’t have to result in extra ponds! I have checked around for the best meal options available to choose from while spending long layovers at the airport, and these were my favorite ones as far as taste, saving on calories and not ruin your diet!!! How said I can’t make a smart choice whenever I want too?!?

For Breakfast:

STARBUCKS Perfect OATMEAL- plenty of energy and only 140 Calories and 3 grams of fat!!!

For Lunch:

McDonald’s Hamburger. (Yes, I know… Hamburger!!!)- With 250 Calories and 9 grams of fat you can add a side of salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette which adds 60 calories and 3 grams of fat to your meal however makes it DELICIOUS!

For Dinner:

PIZZA HUT EXPRESS: !/2 Personal Pan Cheese Pizza will provide you with 295 Calories and 12 grams of fat. Again, it is not a lot of food, and not the healthiest or most nutritious one, however, since we`r trying to keep it low on-the-g0, that is not so bad of choice!

Unfortunately there is no magic when it comes to weight watching and keeping a healthy lifestyle. What makes a healthy diet works for the long term is mostly a healthy eating. When I needed to figure it out if my eating habits are good or bad I asked myself several questions:

1. What do I drink when I`m thirsty?

2. Do I normally eat in front of the TV or computer?

3. How often do I eat out?

4. How fast do I eat?

5. Do I always finish my entire meal?

6. How many times do I eat during the day?

The answers to these questions could be very, however each one of us should be as closer as possible to these answers:

We should drink lots of water, whether thirsty or not, or at least drink what is based on water, like green tea or lightly flavored vitemins water. When it comes to where we eat, around the table is your best choice since otherwise we tend to be distracted and eat more then we should. When we eat out, it makes it harder to watch our weight and healthy eating since most restaurant food has extra portion, calories and fat. Try to cook at home more often, eat slowly and listen to your body. You would know when you full and should stop eating. Even if there is still food on your plate! yes my friend, you can save it for later and continue eating once hungry again! This is how you keep your stomach and therefore your metabolism working by eating small meals several times a day.

Good Luck!!!