Fast Food: Convenient and Healthy

When you are on the go, you need to get things done and get them done now. Unfortunately, for some people, this means everything is done “on the go.” However, just because you live your life in the fast lane doesn’t mean that your eating habits have to stay there, too.

Today more than ever, fast food restaurants are trying to jump on the bandwagon of society’s push to live a healthier lifestyles by advertising low-fat and healthier options on their menus. Take advantage of this! Obviously, the best and most effective ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle are by exercising and maintaining a nutritious diet, but everybody knows there are those times when you are forced to grab your grub from the drive-thru. So the question is, how can you eat fast and healthy?

The first of two ways you can cut down on your fat and calorie intake is by ordering salads or grilled, not fried, sandwiches. Fast food chains McDonalds and Wendy’s both offer a variety of healthy and tasty salads on their menus, all under $4. If you are not in the mood for crisp veggies, then try McDonalds’ grilled chicken sandwich with only 10 grams of fat and 230 calories or the Jr. Hamburger from Wendy’s with only 9 grams of fat and 270 calories, both under $2.

There is always the fresh and fast option of Subway, which has 6 sub sandwiches under 6 grams of fat, all under $5. Even though we are all familiar with Jared and his love for Subway, his ability to have the discipline to limit the type of fast food he put into his body helped his weight loss more than anything. So come on! It’s simple and you can do it! Eat to fill your nutritional needs, not just to curb your hunger. You can eat healthy while still getting the treat of eating out if you practice these simple ideas:


• Ask or look for the nutritional information available for restaurants. Be mindful of what you are eating.
• Go easy on the condiments and extras, i.e. cheese, sauces, super-sizing.
• Eat in moderation.
• Eating fast food here and there won’t hurt, but don’t make it habitual.
• Substitute grilled for fried.
• Drink ice water or milk instead of soda.
• Beware of fat filled salad dressing.
• Chicken is often less fatty than beef.
• If you splurge on fast food for lunch, make extra sure that your dinner is healthy and nutritious.

Results Time! Week 4

TOP 10 through week 4
Holt, Derick -10.88%
Hooker, James -10.31%
Almarez, Martin -10.30%
Holt, Rick -9.08%
Parreira, Merry -8.61%
Baucom, Debbie -7.08%
Davis, Tami -6.94%
Parreira, Joe -6.88%
Gonzales, Elizabeth -6.77%
Briggs, Jonathan -6.40%


LAST WEEK'S WINNERS.... The mini challenge last week was to show up for one of our FREE workout sessions. We threw your name in a hat each time you showed up from last Tuesday through Monday morning, then we pulled 3 names to receive a free Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred with Weights DVD.
And the winners are: AMBER LANTZ, SOPHIA JIMENEZ, RAMONA LOPEZ!

THIS WEEK'S MINI CHALLENGE... This next challenge is for our BLOG! Healthy snacks are all around us, except when we seem to be STARVING! E-mail me with your favorite "Healthy Snack", include the number of calories and serving size, and I will start compiling them immediately on our BLOG where all of you can view them. When you get hungry and don't know what to grab, check out the blog and see what your fellow challengers are eating! Oh, and of course, if you email me a snack idea for this challenge you will become eligible to win the NYT Bestseller: The Biggest Loser...The Weight-Loss Program to Transform Your Body, Health, and Life!

Nearly 25 people have now lost more than 5% of their overall body weight in these 1st 4 weeks, and as you can see, our leaders are now passing the 10% lost mark. This is significant and reason to celebrate!


Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight reduces your risk of serious diseases.

Many people want to be healthy more than they want to be skinny. One of the most important reasons to lose weight and maintain that weight loss has to do with your health. Excess weight is associated with many health problems, some of them life-threatening.

Heart Disease
It’s the leading cause of death in both men and women in the U.S. Being overweight can have as much of an impact on your heart’s health as smoking and high cholesterol, according to medical studies. It increases the risk of high blood pressure, which is associated with a risk of strokes, and promotes abnormal levels of blood cholesterol. If you sport a spare tire or a beer belly, do what you can to get rid of it: Abdominal weight is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, you’re at risk of developing this blood sugar metabolism disorder if you are overweight, have a sedentary lifestyle, and are over the age of 45. Uncontrolled, type 2 diabetes leads to serious medical problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness.

Cancer
Several years ago, an important large-scale study on the relationship between cancer and obesity was conducted by the American Cancer Society. It involved 750,000 Americans from 26 states and analyzed information on the participants’ body weights, smoking habits, and cancer deaths over a 13-year period, from 1959 to 1972.

After adjusting for the effects of age and cigarette smoking, the study found that people whose body weight was 40 percent higher than average had an overall increased risk of cancer death -- a 33 percent increase in men and a 55 percent increase in women.

Overweight men had higher rates of colorectal and prostate cancers, and overweight women had higher rates of gallbladder, breast, cervix, endometrium, uterus, and ovarian cancers.

Osteoarthritis
This condition involves a wearing away of the tissue that protects your joints and can be both painful and debilitating. According to the Arthritis Foundation, being overweight contributes to, and aggravates, osteoarthritis.

Sleep Apnea
With this sleep disorder, the upper respiratory airways collapse, resulting in people snoring loudly, waking up suddenly, and then returning to sleep. It causes poor sleep and severe daytime fatigue.

Summing UpIf you are overweight, losing even a little weight can help you be healthier. Medical experts generally agree that losing just five to 10 percent of your body weight reduces your risk of serious diseases.

Do You Know If You Are REALLY Hungry?

No, it’s not a trick question. The thing is, most of us overweight folk are so used to putting something into our mouths whether we’re hungry or not hungry; upset or not upset; happy or not happy—that we totally lose touch with what real hunger is.

“It goes back to listening to your body,” Bob said in a phone conversation just today. “When my contestants get to the ranch and start eating healthy meals and snacks on a regular schedule with lots of exercise, then after about two weeks, they really know what hunger is.”

“At first they’re like, ‘I’m not gonna eat.’ Then, after working out so hard they don’t feel like eating. But finally it kicks in,” he said.

If a contestant feels really, really hungry, despite having eaten as planned, Bob encourages them to have a small snack, but a healthy one and more protein than carbs. Then just keep on going and eventually your hunger meter is going to settle into normality.

One important mental game not to play with yourself, he says, is to think that because you’re working out, you’re entitled to eat more. Yes, you’re going to be hungrier, but pay attention to what your body is telling you and if you must snack, do it in the new healthy way you’re adopting. You can re-program your thinking!

13 Keys to Success

From Biggest Loser Club Experts

6 Exercise Keys to Success
1) Doing 200 – 300 minutes of cardio per week (or building up to it).
2) Making sure your cardio exercise is challenging. Beginners do a steady, challenging pace. Experienced exercisers alternate a hard day with an easier recovery day to help recover from hard efforts.
3) Making steady and measurable improvements in your cardio fitness.
4) Doing strength training for each major body part (chest, back, legs, shoulders, core) 2 – 3 days per week.
5) Making sure the resistance you use for your strength exercises is very challenging.
6) Making steady and measurable improvements in your strength.

7 Nutrition Keys to Success
1) Eat every 3-4 of your waking hours (which will give you 5-6 small meals/snacks per day).
2) Eat protein and/or fat with carbs.
3) Choose high fiber carbs and not white flour carbs.
4) Make sure that you have a good source of protein at lunch and dinner.
5) Choose healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, fish, avocado, and olive oil, and eat a couple of servings daily. Don't cut your fat intake too low.
6) Make sure you're eating 2-3 fruit servings each day.
7) Make sure you're eating at least 3 servings of vegetables each day.

Chicken & Spinach Soup w/ fresh pesto

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients—boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto.

Makes 5 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup plain or herbed multigrain croutons for garnish (optional)

Directions

1.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2.With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
3.Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.
4.Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.
Nutrition Information

Per serving: 204 calories, 8g fat, 18g protein, 6g fiber, 691mg sodium

RESULTS FOR WEEK 3

TOP 10 through week 3
1. Holt, Derick -9.21%
2. Almarez, Martin -9.14%
3. Hooker, James -8.66%
4. Holt, Rick -8.38%
5. Parreira, Merry -6.84%
6. Parreira, Joe -6.65%
7. Rodrigues, Darren -5.74%
8. Jimenez, Jose -5.53%
9. Gonzales, Elizabeth -5.50%
10. Jimenez, Sophia -5.42%


As a group, we have now lost a total of 758lb in 3 weeks!

THIS WEEKS NEW MINI CHALLENGE: By including exercise in your weight loss program, you’ll discover that not only will the weight come off, but your metabolism will improve, your fat will be replaced by lean, muscle tissue (rather than loose, jiggly flab), you’ll feel more energetic and mentally alert, and you’ll be better able to keep the fat off. Our goal for you this week is to come and try out one of the early morning or evening Biggest Loser exercise classes that we offer our challenge participants free of charge. For each Biggest Loser exercise class you attend, your name will be put in a drawing for 1 of 3 Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred with Weights DVD's. If you attend one class this week, your name goes in the drawing once...If you attend 3 of the classes this week, you get your name in the drawing 3 times! I'm attaching our workout schedule to this email, or you can visit our blog for the schedule of times as well by clicking http://BLTurlock.blogspot.com


Last weeks Mini Challenge winners: Last week we challenged you to lose 2lbs in one week. 33 of you lost 2 lbs or more! Great job. Our 5 winners are (names randomly chosen)
Mike Curry
Jaylen Schindler
Ronna Uliana
Paulette Cooper
Darren Rodrigues
Congratulations! You each won a Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Count Book! The book will be in your file next monday at weigh-in!

This week not only saw 33 people LOSE 2 lbs or more, but we also had a large contingent of folks who really struggled. As a matter of fact, we had over 40 people who GAINED weight this week. Am I surprised? No. 3 weeks into a diet plan, that's when it starts getting tough. The novelty is wearing off. The reality is setting in. This is just plain hard work! The truth is, after the 3rd week has usually been when i quit and give up.

You may have been dieting for a few weeks, started off well, but over the last couple of weeks your weight loss may have slowed down. In fact, you may even have gained a couple of pounds and right now you may be wondering if you can be bothered to continue. You may even be thinking to yourself: "Just one more bad week and I can stop dieting and slip away quietly."

If this sounds like you, let me ask you a question.


Q. Have you experienced this type of situation before? For example, did your previous diet plan end in similar circumstances? Did slower weight loss cause you to feel disillusioned about your progress and then to quit the diet altogether? If so, what happened when you stopped dieting? Did you feel better? Were you happier? What has happened to your weight since that time?


Bearing in mind your answers to these questions, let me try and explain the reality of losing weight. Not the hype, not the false promises, but the reality.

Most of us become overweight as a result of bad eating habits. To reduce weight, we need to change these habits. But this change can only happen over time. Starting a diet won't erase all your regular cravings for fattening foods overnight. You need at least a couple of months to feel comfortable with your new eating habits.

Unfortunately, most dieters expect miracles! They think that as soon as they start dieting, all their bad eating habits will fly out the window. And when this doesn't happen, they become unhappy and frustrated and - usually after about three weeks - give up their diet altogether.

As we say to all our participants, the truth is that losing weight requires patience and, above all, realistic expectations. Most people who expect rapid continuous weight-loss are doomed to rapid disappointment. You need to persevere, and be prepared to "bounce back" from the inevitable bad days and bad weeks.

But it's definitely worth it.

I mean, how does quitting your diet help? Sure, it might take some pressure off you temporarily, but pretty soon you're going to look in the mirror and think "Ouch!" And all your old negative feelings about yourself are going to come flooding back. Which will probably lead to more comfort-eating and more weight gain.

So quitting a diet is no solution to anything.

The people who succeed at losing weight are not "perfect dieters". They do not lose weight every week. They do not have a secret store of super-human willpower that stops them from wanting to binge on ice cream, chocolate or pizza. They have bad days and bad weeks, just like any other dieter. The thing that distinguishes them and the thing that helps them succeed, is that THEY DO NOT GIVE UP WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH. They don't fold if disaster strikes.

Recipe: Curtis Stone's Turkey and Vegetable Chili

Here's a healthy alternative to a hearty favorite, chili!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the chili:
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, medium diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small red chili, seeded and small diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large carrot, peeled and small diced
1 large celery stalk, medium diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and medium dice
12 ounces 1% lean ground turkey
4 medium size ripe tomatoes, medium diced
8 oz cooked white or black beans
4 cups baby spinach
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain fat free Greek style yogurt
Micro cilantro to garnish, (can substitute with chopped chives or chopped cilantro)


METHOD

•Place a large saute pan over medium high heat, then drizzle with the oil.
•Add the onion, garlic, and red chili and sauté for 2 minutes, or until tender.
•Sprinkle the cumin over the onion mix and stir well, then add the carrot, celery, and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables begin to get tender.
•In a separate saute pan, brown the turkey in the remaining oil over medium high heat, then transfer to the vegetable mix.
•Add the tomatoes and the beans and cook for a further 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated.
•Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.
•Season the chili to taste with freshly ground black pepper
•Spoon the chili into serving dishes
•Spoon a tablespoon of the yogurt onto each garnish with the micro cilantro and serve.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 280
Total Fat 7g
Sat Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 35mg
Sodium 120mg
Total Carb 28g
Dietary Fiber 9g
Sugar 7g
Protein 29g