Well you can still have these types of food and drink even if you are trying to lose weight. All you need to do is be armed with the right information about the types of goodies that are not too high in calories.

You do not have to cut out all these foods, you just need to cut down.

• Eat Well Balanced Meals
  When you eat a well balanced meal, there should be less need to snack. A good meal should leave you feeling full and satisfied. Snacking can sometimes occur if you have not eaten enough during your mealtime. So the first thing you want to ensure is that you are eating enough during the day. Make sure all your meals have a protein element. This is a lean protein — chicken, fish, beef, shellfish, eggs, greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
• Choose Alternative Snacks
  I’d be lying to you if I said go it, and have all the cookies, candy and chips you want. While I don’ t believe in an all or nothing mentality. There are plenty of alternatives that you can eat so that you still get the same satisfaction but not the weight gain. One of my favorite things to do is go through Pinterest to find new recipes to keep it interesting. Make sure you set your timer, this could be a time suck.
• Choose The Mini-Size Options
  Sometimes when you are craving a snack, like a candy bar or a bag of popcorn, you might not actually need that much in order to feel satisfied. This would be a great time to actually look at buying the mini-size options of your favorite snacks.

Any one of these three options will give you a way to enjoy snacks without packing on the pounds. If you have any other suggestions, please leave me a comment below.

The post How To Enjoy Snacks Without Piling on The Pounds appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Are you sabotaging your own weight loss’ Find out. #diet
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One of the biggest myths about dieting and weight loss is that it’s a temporary solution. Every one thinks you work hard for a short period of time and magically the weight will stay off. When you set out to lose weight by changing your diet, that should be something that you adopt permanently or, over time.  If you don’t do this the weight will slowly creep back on.

However, just making those changes might not be enough to keep the weight off because, as creatures of habit (and being prone to take the easy route) there are easy ways to slip and sabotage all of your hard work. Here’s some quick things you should be looking out for that could bring your weight loss progress to a screeching halt.

1. Falling back into old habits. Let’s start off by coming right out and saying that nobody’s perfect. We make mistakes, it’s all part of being a human being and that goes double for weight loss. Whether it’s a quick unhealthy snack or going head first into comfort food when you are stressed or going through some other drama. These kind of eating  behaviors can be damaging to your weight loss goals. Again, it’s not about perfection. Yes, you can allow yourself a few “treats”.  Willpower sucks and by allowing yourself to have these occasional treat meals will keep you from losing your sh*t. I advise all my clients to follow the 80/20. Where 80% of all your meals are clean and healthy and 20% are fun. I have them use this grid to help them better understand how they are eating. Here is where it get tough — when you get a case of the nibbles.  These treats go from occasional to habitual and, eventually, becoming normal. If you feel like you’re slipping a little more often than you’d like then try keeping a food diary and at the end of the week look at everything you’ve eaten. This diary doesn’t have to be fancy. You can put it on paper, what I want you to note is time, mood and portions. If you’d like me to take a look and give you feedback, write down 3 days and send me an email.
2. “Healthy” substitutions. A huge mistake that a lot of people make, especially if they’re new to dieting and weight loss, is trying to go for a healthy food choice over an unhealthy one that can be just as bad for you as what you’re switching out. One thing in particular is switching out fruit juice for sugary drinks like soda. We’ve been told all our lives that fruit is healthy, but if you’re not selective in your choices you could just be pumping yourself full of unhealthy sugars. Opt instead for something hydrating and equally delicious like herbal teas or (responsibly) flavored water. Here is a link to a list of foods that we think are healthy but they really not so much.
3. Twelve of one, dozen of the other. A big part of maintaining healthy weight loss is making sure you portion your foods properly. The problem with that is that the reigning mentality when it comes to food is, generally, that more is better.  It’s great to choose some light, air popped popcorn over salty, greasy chips but you should aim to be careful with your portioning so that you don’t end up eating just as much of your healthier snacks and foods just because they’re better for you than the alternative.

Will you join me for my next master class’ If you are done starting a new diet on Monday and then quitting it by Wednesday join me for my next master class — Effortless Eliminate Self Sabotage While Living A Real Life 

The post Eating Habits that Sabotage Your Weight Loss appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

what’s better’ Adding some tasty flavor to air popped popcorn!

Try this on for size… lemon pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 3 cups air popped popcorn
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Whisk the lemon pepper and olive oil together and drizzle it over the still hot popcorn.
2. Toss the popcorn and sprinkle cheese on top.
3. Serve while still hot.

If you don’t have air popper — you can cook it the old fashion way.  Click here for a great recipe.

I make my popcorn the old fashion way and I use a combo of veggie and coconut oil.

The post Lemon Parmesan Popcorn appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Join the 30 Day FitOber Fest Challenge to create healthy habits.

The aim of this challenge is to inspire you to build healthy habits that can fit into YOURS and YOUR families lifestyle. It’s free to join and at the end of the 30 days my goal is that you have a healthy living plan you that will help you to lose weight, feel great and look fabulous.  Drawing on healthy topics and insights from various fitness sources you’ll have access to fitness tips, recipes, workouts and knowledge to apply to your new healthy lifestyle.

Want to join in the fun this year” Just click the link.  Starting on Wednesday, October 1st you’ll receive a daily email

FitOber Fest 2014

1. No purchase necessary.

2. You do need to link to this page, tweet or Facebook each daily challenge. How else will I know you are participating.

3. Plus — fitness is a team sport. By posting you will get support not only from me, but others who are taking the challenge.

4. You will have a private Facebook group to share your insights, questions and ahas.

5. FitOber Fest runs from October 1st – October 31st

The post Fitober Fest 2014 appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

That’s really a tough question because most bars are nutritionally unbalanced. They may have a huge amount of one nutrient and a little of others to really qualify as a “meal replacement”. They also tend to have artificial sweeteners, flavors and coloring.

So yes, choosing a meal replacement bar can be overwhelming.

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Here’s how to shift through the BS and find the best protein bar!
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1. Low-glycemic –  gives you a steady source of  energy and keep you feeling fuller longer.
2. Whey protein – whey keeps you feeling fuller longer and has shown to help increase lean muscle.
3. Maximum nutrition, minimum calories –a healthy meal replacement bar should contain around 200 to 300 calories. Make sure your bar is balanced as you will see some bars are high in one nutrient and low in others, you want them to all to be relatively equal to be considered a meal replacement. Some bars are too high in calories while others are too low.
4. Satiety – Help you fill full longer. They are also very portable, I leave a few in my glovebox and your purse so I always have something in case I’m out running errands.
5. Quality – Not all health bars deliver what they claim to have in them. It’s possible for their nutritional content to be off—by as much as 15 percent! That could mean extra calories you don’t realize you’re getting, usually from fat and sugar.

One of my favorite bars is the Isalean. I’m addicted to Lemon (tastes like a lemon square), Oatmeal Raisin and I hate raisins LOL and Casehw Carmel — yummy!!

Do you have a bar, you’d like an opinion on’ Leave a comment below and I’ll take a look and give you feedback.

The post What Are The 5 Things To Look For In A Protein Bar’ appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

1. Stay Positive with The Support Of Others — if you know that you find it hard to go to the gym on a regular basis or if you find it difficult to fight the temptation of a cookie, then being able to talk to others could help you to stay focused on your health and diet. If you know that there is a group of people who are there cheering you on, you do not want to disappoint them. They can help you see how well you have been doing and how unnecessary it is to go back to your old habits.  A support group will be there for you to celebrate the highs when you hit your weight loss milestones. They will also be there to build up your spirits if you happen to falter at some point.

A weight loss support group will be there to celebrate highs and pump you up through the lows.

1. Other People Know Exactly What You Are Going Through — sure you have friends and significant others who mean well, but some times they don’t really understand what you are going through. They might not understand how hard it is to change your eating habits or to stick to a regular exercise plan.  By joining a weight loss group you will find members who have similar hopes and dreams to you. They know exactly how difficult it is to make changes to the way you live your life.
   

   Members of a weight loss group will know exactly what you are going through and will be able to empathize with you. 

   They will be able to share their own stories and their own coping strategies, which could help you when you are finding things hard to deal with.

2. Make New Friends — Joining a weight loss group is a great way to meet like minded people.  You will all have one thing in common at the beginning. This will be the desire to get healthy and lose weight.  The more time you spend with these people, the more opportunity you will have to find out other things you have in common.  This could ultimately lead to really strong and meaningful relationships.

Starting a weight loss journey can be made a whole lot easier if you surround yourself with people who can help you to stick to your goals. I just started a new group Lean and Sexy. The program starts on Monday, September 1st.  For more information about this group weight loss program, click here. Lean and Sexy may just be the group you need.

The post 3 Reasons To Join a Weight Loss Group appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

1. Know before you. Most restaurants have their menus online. Go there and check it out. Most restaurants can accommodate specials requests. I highly recommend you ask nicely — you get more with honey than with vinegar. I always start with “Is it possible….” If it’s not have a plan B.
2. Don’t arrive hungry. Have a small snack before you go.
3. Navigating the menu.
   1. Pass on the bread basket
   2. Look for simple, clean ingredients
   3. Skip the appetizers and have a salad (dressing on the side) or clear soup
   4. If your meal comes with a not so healthy choice — as if you could replace it with a veggie or even extra veggies. Here’s my philosophy as much as it kills my husband when I do it. If I see another veggie paired with a dish I’m not eating I will ask “Is it possible to have .. the asparagus with my dish’
   5. Don’t afraid to ask for details.
   6. Ask if your meal can be cooked without oil and butter
   7. Ask if you could have it grilled , baked or steamed
   8. Have an appetizer as an entree
   9. Sauces on the size

*If this is a treat meal, then you can have a fun appetizer, meal, dessert OR alcohol.

Best choices are different restaurants

Italian Food
Protein — grilled, baked or broiled Any protein works best — meatballs are okay (ask how they are prepped)
Salads — dressing on the side
Pizza is a treat –you  make it a little healthier with whole wheat crust or  by adding a protein topping
Pasta is a treat
Skip the cheeses, Alfredo sauces and the cured meats

Mexican Food
Protein — grilled, baked or broiled
Salsa
Guacamole — watch your portions
Skip the chips, beans and rice  — sorry

Japanese
Sashimi is great or ask that your rolls be made without rice
Skip the fried AKA tempura

Thai
Protein — grilled, baked or broiled
Satay
Non fried rolls
Tom Yum soup

Chinese
Stick with steamed proteins and brown rice
Most Chinese food is cooked with a lot of oil and sodium

Will you be traveling” Clean Food Ideas For Travel

Today’s assignment. 

1. What’s your favorite place to eat out’ Take look at the menu and how can you make one of their dishes healthier.
2. If you are traveling how could you make travel a little easier.

Don’t forget Leave a comment below. Write a facebook post on the Fabulous Fit Squad. If you have a personal blog, write a blog post. Make sure you link back to the site so we can cheer you on and hold you accountable.

Just joining now” Don’t worry you can catch up.
Day 1 — Intro the challenge
Day 2 — Getting your mind straight 
Day 3 — Goal setting 
Day 4 — What’s on your plate
Day 5 — Lift
Day 6 — Cardio
Day 7 — Living on your own terms
Day 8 — Rest day
Day  9 — Forming a habit
Day 10 — Just Breathe
Day 11 — Fat loss secrets revealed
Day 12 — Can you pinch an inch
Day 13 — Dedicated and Focused 
Day 14 — Doubt
Day 15 — Rewards and Consequences
Day 16 — Damn Hormones
Day 17 — Pre and Post Workout Meals Day 18 — Successful Weight Loss

The post { Day 19} Know Before You Go! appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

For the report, ConsumerLab.com bought, tested, and analyzed the quality of 17 protein-based products that are used for everything from bodybuilding to weight management. What they found was surprising: some protein powders exceeded limits for lead, contained more carbohydrates or cholesterol than advertised, or less protein than advertised.

A total of five products out of the 17 tested and ConsumerLab.com gave them a “Not Approved” grade—as in “Buyer Beware”. The products were tested to check the accuracy of label claims (total calories, total protein, etc.) as well as possible lead contamination. The products that raised red flags were then sent to another independent lab to confirm the findings.

Of the five products that failed to meet testing requirements, quality problems they had included:

• Less protein than what’s listed: One product actually had 16 fewer grams of protein than listed on the label—that’s almost 70 percent less! Also, the same product had 16 more grams of carbs than listed, including 3 extra grams of sugar.
• Contaminated with lead: One protein-based meal replacement shake had 12.7 micrograms of lead per scoop, which can exceed daily limits (as outlined by U.S. and Health Canada regulatory guidelines) if two or more are consumed daily.
• More cholesterol and calories than what’s listed: One product that claimed to have “0 mg” of cholesterol actually had 10.2 mg. Another product had 25.7 additional calories per serving.

For consumers who are looking to meet health or athletic goals with products like these, it’s easy to see how inaccuracies could be problematic. That’s why it pays to have a company like Isagenix with a “No Compromise” quality policy.

Isagenix products are rigorously tested to be sure they meet label claims. This means that when the label says “24 grams protein,” it’s what you’re getting. Our Isagenix Quality Assurance department performs routine testing of label claim accuracy for the duration of each product’s shelf life, too.

The strict quality policy at Isagenix also involves testing of raw ingredients and finished products for microbial activity, pesticides, and heavy metals including lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Isagenix uses independent laboratories for testing to guarantee quality and safety.

The process that Isagenix uses for continual inspection of raw materials and analysis of finished products is an expensive enterprise. Because of the high cost of testing, other companies will often cut corners and avoid such extensive testing. At Isagenix we believe that meeting and exceeding safety guidelines is absolutely necessary as integrity and the health of our customers, friends, and family is paramount.

Once again, as evidenced by this latest report from ConsumerLab.com, you just can’t trust every protein powder or drink product you come across.

Reference:  Product review: protein powders and drinks (for body building, sports and dieting). ConsumerLab.com 2013.

The post “Buyer Beware” Not All Protein Powders Aren’t Created Equal appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Perhaps you have a local organic market that makes deliveries.  Or if you prefer, you can go online, order your groceries and relax until they are delivered.  For senior citizens, this can be a welcome gift.

No more having to make several trips up and down stairs lugging bags of groceries.  Whether it’s a local market or online service, everything is delivered to your door or apartment.  Another benefit of having organic food delivered is that you do not have to tote the familiar wagon to and from the supermarket which, during the holidays, is most likely stuffed to the gills.  No more worrying about hitting a rise in the pavement sending the wagon on its side, or worse – falling over it.

Researching the many organic food stores on line, you will find comprehensive lists of items they offer and also delivery schedules.  All perishable items are packages to ensure the temperature remains the same.

In addition, most organic websites give you their telephone numbers and fax numbers in case you ever need to call.  Orders are usually shipped within 48 hours, so you can ensure you are home when the delivery arrives.

Further, there are several websites where no membership is required.   Thus, they are open to anyone who is interested in purchasing organic products that are of the highest quality.  Another website cites that they have over 300,000 products which afford you the opportunity to choose among the finest organic brands that are environmentally friendly as well.

Today, with households where both parents work, there doesn’t seem enough time to do everything that is demanded of you.  With taking care of the home and the kids, it’s nice to know that you can shop for organic food in the comfort of your home and have it delivered to your door.

Even non-organic grocery delivery is on the rise as well.  It’s a great time-saver, allows for more quality time spent with loved ones and, quite frankly, you don’t have to push a wagon up and down aisles that are full of boxes and people.

Check out the many home delivery sites online that cater for organic products.  This is especially beneficial for those of you who do not live near any local markets.  It’s the best of both worlds.

The post Delivery Of Organic Food On The Rise appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

The Scientific Benefits of Breakfast

People who eat breakfast on a daily basis tend to lose weight easier. The National Weight Control Registry performed a study that showed people who eat breakfast have a better chance of maintaining a 30 pound, or more, weight loss for at least a year. Studies in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed similar results.

Another research group analyzed government data on over 4,000 adults and found those who ate a regular breakfast tended to take in fewer calories during the day and had a lower fat intake. They also noted that regular breakfast eaters were more likely to engage in routine exercise.

Eating breakfast also jump-starts your metabolism, says Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, nutrition manager for the Duke Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School.  She states; “When you don’t eat breakfast, you’re actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you’re not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight.” In fact, sumo wrestlers don’t eat until late in the day for the sole purpose of gaining weight.  If you don’t eat breakfast, you are actually following the sumo wrestler diet.  Now, that is a scary thought.

Keep Your Metabolism Going All Day

With the right mechanisms in place, your body will naturally burn fat.  But, what are the right mechanisms’  That’s your job;  to find your body’s balance between energy consumed and energy burned.  Metabolism is the name of the game.  When you eat healthy small meals, starting early in the morning, your metabolism is set in full swing, mobilizing and converting fat stores into energy.

When you eat breakfast along with regular snacks and small meals throughout the day, your body gets the nutrition it needs and goes to work, breaking down your food into energy.  If you wait until you’re starving before you eat anything, that gnawing feeling in your stomach is telling you something. Your body will start by robbing your muscle tissue of anything it needs first, like protein, then it will store fat because it thinks it’s in famine mode. By eating early and often, not only are you protecting the muscle that supports your frame and allows you to walk, sit, and stand, but you are also keeping your metabolism going so it works all day to give you energy.

Simple Weight Loss Tips to Get You Started:

• Eat slowly. It takes twenty minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full.  Don’t eat and run.  You’ll be looking for your next meal way before you need it.

• Pick out foods you need to chew. Try apples, whole grain hearty breads, celery, and other raw vegetables. These foods will slow down your eating and satisfy your chewing instinct. Raw nuts are another option. Just be sure to monitor the serving sizes as you snack.

• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of cold water per day. This helps to feel full and as your body works to raise the temperature of the water, you are burning calories.  Keep bottles of water filled in the refrigerator and sip, sip, sip.

• Eating whole fruits are much more satisfying than just drinking the juice. Keep this thought when choosing other fruits and vegetables.  Whole is usually better.

• Have a healthy snack before you start cooking dinner. This will help with overeating while preparing the meal, and after.  Munching on celery is the perfect way to keep you satisfied while cooking. I like to munch on romaine lettuce leaves or carrot sticks.

The less you eat, the more your body protects itself and begins to go into starvation mode, holding on to more food, storing it as fat and robbing your muscles of nutrients. Make sure you eat a good breakfast to start your day right. Then, keep your metabolism working throughout the day with small meals and healthy snacks.

Stop starving yourself so your body can relax and start to lose that weight.  Adding foods instead of subtracting foods’  It’s so crazy it might just work.

The post Debunking The Myth Of Eating Less To Lose Weight appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.