August 2014 Tips and Recipes

Divide and Conquer

Weight loss can sometimes feel like a battle and many times it feels as if you are losing the war. Don’t give up hope. Now is the time for a new strategy to win the battle of the bulge.

This month’s ezine is all about using the divide and conquer strategy with your weight loss plan.

Website updates

Before moving onto the ezine, I wanted to let you know about some upcoming changes to the website using the divide and conquer strategy. The website has grown in the past several years. In fact it has grown enough to divide it into different sites, focusing on different key areas.

In the next several months I will be working on dividing the website into two different sites. The Exercise4WeightLoss will remain as one of the sites. All pages that are focused on weight loss and exercise will remain on this site.

The second site will be focused on Weight Watchers information. All recipes, restaurant pages and the WW calculators and tools will be moved to this new site.

By dividing the information into 2 different sites, this will hopefully give each visitor a focus on the specific information. The process will take some time and I want to ensure there is no interruption in this move. Therefore, you will not see this change until all pages are updated, moved and tested.

I will keep you posted on the progress. For now, let’s move onto the ezine.

Dividing the Goodies

When dieting, it is sometimes hard to stay away from the goodies. Treating yourself once in a while is actually a good way to keep on track. When you ignore cravings for too long, this can sometimes lead to over splurging when you finally break down and have a treat.

So don’t ignore the cravings. Instead, when you feel the urge for something sweet, divide that snack in half. Then eat just one half and tuck the other half away for when your sweet tooth triggers another craving.

Dividing Portions

Another way to help conquer the weight loss war is to control portion sizes. When eating at home it is easier to fill your plate with the proper portions. However, when eating out, this becomes a battle.

So next time you eat out, ask for a to go box right away. Then when they deliver your meal, take a third or half the portion and place it in the box. This way your plate has a much smaller portion while the remaining amount is out of site.

If you are still hungry after finishing what’s on your plate, then add just a bit more from the box. If however, you are feeling satisfied, then simply take the left overs home for another meal.

Dividing Your Plate

Another way to divide and conquer has to do with your plate. When filling your plate, divide the food into four sections.

On one half of the plate, fill it with fruits and vegetables with more veggies than fruit. On the other half of the plate, fill it with grains and proteins with slightly more grains than the protein.

By visualizing your plate as being divided into 4 sections, you can help fill the plate with proper portion sizes of four of the different food groups. The dairy group would be satisfied in this visual with a glass of milk.

Exercise

Finding time to exercise can be a challenge, especially during the busy summer months. So instead of trying to fit in a full hour workout, divide it into smaller workout sessions.

You could do a 30 minute cardio in the morning before starting your day and then end the day with a short aerobic routine followed by some strength training.

Perhaps some quick 20 minute workouts 3 times during the day would fit better into your schedule. Do a quick 20 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill or even a quick exercise DVD.

Then during the day, add a 20 minute walk with the family or dogs or even some fun activities like playing catch, putt-putt golf or even swimming.

Then end the day with a short 15 – 20 minute strength training with your resistance bands or dumbbell weights.

By dividing your workouts into smaller sessions you are still getting in your daily calorie burn during the day that fits your busy schedule.

This is a quick and easy, yet juicy and sweet strawberry summer salad recipe. This goes great with any meal or as a quick snack or light meal.

Strawberry Summer Salad

• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1/2 shallot, diced
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups mixed greens
• 2 baby cucumbers, sliced
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Stir red wine vinegar and shallots together in a bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add olive oil into mixture while whisking together.
4. Toss mixed greens and cucumbers in a large bowl.
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
6. Add strawberries and toss lightly.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutrition Information Per Serving

106 calories, 7.2g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 2.9g fiber, 1.8g protein, 10.3g carbohydrates, 193mg sodium, sugar 4.9g.

Org Pts 2
Pts Plus 3

All ingredients are included in the points calculation.

Exercise 4 Weight Loss 2 Achieve Fitness and Health

From your Diet Buddy