I’m always looking for resources on the Internet that will help me to maintain my current weight which took so much work to get to. One website that I stumbled upon is www.calorieconnect.com which is a free online wellness center.    It would have been nice to find something like this about a year ago when I was counting calories like crazy, but that’s okay :)  They have a few different free services, but my favorite is their calorie counter.

With the calorie counter, all you have to do is start typing the name of a food that you have eaten, and it will instantly start pulling up results for you to choose from.  For example,  I was searching for wheat bread. After I was done typing in my search, it pulled up a list of different wheat bread items.  Then I could click the one that fit my search, and all of the dietary information is displayed from calories and fat to carbs and calcium.  The picture below shows what their calorie counter looks like.

Another option is to create a profile where you can keep track of nutrition and exercise targets.  I created a profile in just a couple of minutes.  You enter your age, sex, height, and weight, and then it calculates your BMI or your body mass index.  This is a very general indication of your weight status. For example, my normal BMI is between 108 and 146 pounds. 

After you’ve created a profile, you can create nutrition and exercise targets. This includes what your daily goals are for calories, fat, protein, calories burned, minutes exercised ,etc.  Each day you can enter in your values for each of them, and then you can track your progress and targets, and view 7 day and 30 day averages.

Part of the calorie counter includes recording the foods that you have eaten so that you can easily keep track.  Another nice feature is that you can add a custom food to the database, one that they don’t have but that you have the information for. Really, this entire site is about keeping track of the elements that will help you stay healthy, and lose weight.  I’ve found CalorieConnect very helpful, and hopefully you will too.

I’m one of those that tends to get into ruts with what I’m eating, which can get boring. For example, my most recent rut involved oatmeal for breakfast, and a banana, every single day for about 16 weeks. To get out of my rut, I’ve looked for other healthy alternatives. I don’t eat eggs of any kind, so that is never an option. Instead, I turned to smoothies. Here are a couple of the recipes I have come across:

— Mixed Berry Smoothie–

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/6 cup washed, stemmed raspberries
1/6 cup washed, stemmed strawberries
1/6 cup washed, stemmed blueberries
4 ice cubes
Honey to taste

All you have to do is place all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until it’s all smooth and delicious! Add honey if you’d like some sweetness.

–Oprah’s Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast–

1 container key lime pie Yoplait yogurt
1 mango, chopped
Blueberries
Chopped walnuts
4 ice cubes

Mix the yogurt, mango, blueberries and walnuts all together, and enjoy!

I am one of those that tends to be an emotional eater. This emotional eating comes from any variety of emotions; happy, sad, anxious, bored, lonely, etc. And usually, the foods that I eat are considered comfort foods that aren’t so healthy. There’s definitely a connection between mood and food. For example, when you’re down and depressed, food can be a way to distract yourself from thinking about your problems. Another connection comes from certain foods like chocolate, which release small amounts of mood and satisfaction elevating opiates.

The Mayo Clinic has put together a very helpful list of ways that you can regain control of your eating habits so that you’re able to stop your emotional eating. They’re all easier said than done, but with work and effort, would be possible.

1. Learn to recognize true hunger: Is your stomach rumblin’ and grumblin’? If not, you’re probably really not hungry.
2. Know your triggers: The important thing here is to recognize you eating patterns so that you can avoid negative ones.
3. Look elsewhere for comfort: Instead of eating those comfort foods, take a walk, listen to music, exercise, call a friend.
4. Don’t keep unhealthy food around: Simply put… keep the junk at the store! This is much easier said than done. But, it’s true. If unhealthy foods are around, you’ll likely go for them when you’re stressed.
5. Snack healthy: Find healthy snack options that also satisfy you so that you won’t be craving potato chips and ice cream. One of my favorite snacks is veggies and dip with a fat-free dip, or apples with a little bit of low-fat peanut-putter for some protein.
6. Eat a balanced diet: This is important. If you’re eating a balanced diet and getting enough calories, chances are that you’ll feel fuller for a longer period of time.
7. Exercise regularly and get adequate rest: I think getting adequate rest is something that a lot of us have a hard time with. We have to be doing 50 different things in 50 different places which makes it difficult to adequate time for rest.

Like I said, all of those things are so much easier said than done. It might be best to focus on just one or two of those components instead of trying to do them all at once. One of the things that I have learned to do best is to recognize true hunger. When I stopped to think about what I was eating and when, there were many times throughout my week that I ate simply because I was bored. Emotional eating can really take you off track when you’re trying to lose weight, but using the suggestions above will help you to meet your weight loss goals, and change your lifestyle.

Source: Mayo Clinic [Via Yahoo Health!]

This caught my eye when I came across it. What kind of butt do you have? Is it a bubble butt, flat butt, round butt, low butt, or a square butt? Wait, a square butt? What? This was mentioned in an article by Raphael Calzadilla, a personal trainer over at ediets. He talks about ways to get a perfect butt. Please, tell me, I’d love to know! He says:

a butt that is void of excess fat and has some degree of muscle is the most visually appealing. Having a bit of height, roundness and tightness tends to be an eye-catcher.

Ya think? So, how do we get that bit of height, roundness, and tightness? For starters, he says that you need to strive for a lean and healthy body first. As you’re doing that, the perfect butt will come along. Your butt can’t get tighter until your overall body fat is reduced. It makes sense, but of course it’s easier said than done.

There are workouts specific for getting a great butt, so here they are:

Dumbbell Lunges. I borrowed the image from e-diets that shows what a dumbbell lunge looks like. I’m sure you’ve either done these before, or you’ve at least seen someone else do them.

1. Stand straight with your feet together.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides.

Movement:

1. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor.
2. Contracting the quadriceps muscles, push off your right foot slowly returning to the starting position
3. Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set.

While you’re doing these lunges, you’ll want to make sure that you

• Inhale while stepping forward, and exhale while returning to the starting position.
• The step should be big enough that your left leg is nearly straight. Do not let your knee touch the floor.
• Make sure your head is up and your back is straight.
• Your chest should be lifted and your front leg should form a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement.
• Your right knee should not pass your right foot. You should be able to see your toes at all times.
• If you have one leg that is more dominant that the other, start out with the less dominant leg first.
• Discontinue this exercise if you feel any discomfort in your knees.

Lying Gluteus Lift: I’ve done a few too many of these! And boy, do you feel the burn (that must mean it’s working, right?).

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
2. Place your arms at your sides for support

Movement:

1. Contracting the glutes, project your hips up toward the ceiling as you lift your glutes off the floor.
2. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your buttocks touching the floor.

While doing the gluteus lift, make sure that you exhale while lifting your glutes, and inhale while returning to the starting position.

There are additional workouts listed here if you’d like more ideas.

I’m always looking for different ways to cook chicken. It’s healthy, affordable, and versatile. The versatile part is what gets me though, I know there’s so much I can do with it, I just don’t know what. I came across a figure friendly recipe for Chicken Piccata which sounded good, and has pretty common ingredients that are easy to find.

Chicken Piccata

–Ingredients–

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour for dredging
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

–Cooking Instructions–

1. Lay the chicken between two pieces of waxed paper and flatten each cutlet with the flat end of a mallet until thin.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet until hot. While the oil is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in flour.
3. Sauté the chicken over high heat, about 3 minute on each side. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.
4. Quickly add the chicken broth to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that may be stuck to the pan. Cook until the broth has reduced by half. Add the lemon juice and capers. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

–Nutritional Information–

Source: FoodFit.com

I lost weight by cutting calories, it was the only way I knew how. Dropping my caloric intake by 200-300 calories per day seamed doable to me, so that’s what I did. It worked. I counted calories religiously and made sure that I hovered around 1200 per day. I LOVED the foods that were healthy for me, but also were low-cal. Technically, there aren’t too many foods that are zero calorie when you intake them. But, the key is that they can still be zero calorie foods if they burn up more calories in the digestive process than what they originally started with. So, here’s the list of foods that are zero calorie foods, at least after digestion.

• Hot tea with Splenda (rumor has it that drinking tea can also help prevent other health related issues)
• Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries…. mmmmm.
• Crunchy Veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts
• Egg whites prepared with non stick spray (great source of protein)
• Water: this is a no-brainer!
• Other: Garlic, spinach, papaya, onion, lettuce, cucumber, endive

What I love about these types of foods is the fact that you can eat a big helping and still feel good about yourself! There are lots of creative ways to prepare some of these foods to keep them figure friendly, good, and great for your health.

Did you know that different foods and beverages can actually trigger migraines? If you’ve had a migraine headache before, you know that they are far from a walk in the park. I get them every now and then, and it can really turn my day upside down. Usually, my best remedy is sleep. Lots of it, and in a dark, quiet room. While it could be a variety of different things triggering those headaches, food could possibly be a suspect. So, here are some foods that could possibly be doing it:

• Aged cheeses: blue cheese, mozzarella, feta, cheddar, parmesan
• Alcohol: red wine, beer, whiskey, champagne
• Caffeine: coffee, chocolate, tea, colas, sodas
• Bread and other baked goods
• Pepperoni, hot dogs, luncheon meats
• Dried fruits
• Smoked or dried fish
• Potato chips
• Pizza, peanuts, chicken livers, and other specific foods.

A few of those jump out at me, like caffeine. Now this could work two ways; either the caffeine is causing the headaches, or the lack of caffeine (didn’t get your morning dose?) could also be doing it. Other foods like bread, and pizza, lunch meats and cheeses are all typical foods for many people; if you get migraines, have you thought about what you’re eating?

Did you also know that exercise could also be doing it? According to WebMD, while exercise is great for us, it could possibly be a suspect.

Aside from food, here are other common triggers: Emotional stress, menstrual periods, changes in normal sleep pattern, extreme fatigue, skipping meals, changing weather conditions, smoking, odors, and bright and flickering lights.

Here are a few interesting facts about migraine headaches:

1. Migraine attacks typically affect women between age 15 and 55. Each individual attack usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours.
2. About one in six women have migraine headaches; women experience migraines three time more often than men.
3. As many as 90 percent of migraine sufferers have a close relative who also suffers from the headaches.

Source: WebMD

You’ve heard that saying, right? Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. I’m focusing on the “healthy” part today. I had heard that saying a million times but never really thought about the “healthy” part.

You know, they say that eating breakfast can actually help you lose weight. It’s true. Here’s my problem with breakfast, and the problem I’ve had for years up until recently…. I could never get myself up early enough to get myself ready, and eat breakfast before rushing out the door so that I could get to wherever I needed to be on time. Sleep is a precious commodity, even if it’s just an extra 10 minutes.

According to this article, when you eat breakfast in the morning, it helps to keep you from overeating throughout the day. It makes sense! I’m sure we’ve all done it at one point or another. You skip breakfast, and lunch rolls around and there’s not enough food in sight to satisfy your hunger. You scarf it all down so quickly before you stomach has time to tell your brain that “hey, I’m full”… in fact, you were full 500 calories ago.

Another problem that I have with breakfast is what do I eat? The same article gives some suggestions for healthy breakfasts that will give you energy for the day. First up… no surprise here….

• Cereal: Hot or cold, doesn’t really matter. But, the key thing is that the first ingredient should be “whole grain.”
• Smoothies: This is one I haven’t really experimented with… but I should! Blend one cup of nonfat milk plus 1/2-1 cup of nonfat plain or sugar-free nonfat flavored yogurt, plus a cup of crushed ice and a cup of fresh or frozen fruit. Sounds tasty, doesn’t it?
• Waffles: If prepared right! A brand called Kashi has a GoLean frozen waffle. 2 Waffles have 170 calories, 6 grams of fiber (helps you to feel full among other things) and 4 grams of sugar.

Several months ago I made a serious effort to wake up with enough time to eat a healthy breakfast (oatmeal is usually my choice) and have time to pack a nutritious lunch for the day. Every once in a while, leftover dessert like brownies or cake will get the best of me for breakfast, but all in all, it’s usually a healthy breakfast that gets me started. Those two elements (packing a healthy lunch, and eating breakfast), though it requires me to get up a bit earlier, have helped me in my weight loss process.

Oh, and by the way, ‘early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise’ was a saying of Benjamin Franklin. You learn something new every day…

Source: eDiets

Well it’s me, Ashley Wagner. I’m 24 and play the role of a wife (4 years now), daughter, sister (older brother, younger sister, and in-laws), aunt (1 niece, 2 nephews), and friend… all of the typical roles. I’m also a recent graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.

So, why the Figure Friendly Club? Well for starters, I’ve struggled with weight on an off for years. During high school, I worked to drop a few pounds but never really knew how. Shortly after high school, all of the weight started piling back on. I was in the mode to eat for all occasions. What do I do when I am depressed? Eat. When I’m Sad? Eat. Happy or bored? Eat. You get the point.

Some of my most treasured memories involve food, just as much as my distressing memories do. Whenever we’d get together for family dinners, they were HUGE dinners where I piled up the food and went back for seconds not realizing the types of habits I was forming. Whenever there has been an occasion to be celebrated, it has always involved big dinners – which was great, but I never took into consideration portion sizes.

Back in the Winter of 2005, I decided that enough was enough. It was time for the weight to come off. I didn’t feel healthy and I knew if I didn’t stop it now, it would just get worse. I spent about a month or two just mentally preparing myself for what I actually wanted to do. Previously, I would say that I was going to lose weight, and when it didn’t come off instantly, I gave up. This time I was prepared for the long haul because I wanted results. Part of preparing myself included scouring the Internet for everything I could find on healthy dieting and dropping pounds successfully.

Somewhere around the end of January and the beginning of February 2006 I started my journey, and it was truly a journey. I painfully got on the scale and wrote down my weight. There it was in writing, and now it was time to change it. With a free membership to the gym right across the street from my apartment, and armed with my healthy dieting plan, I had no excuse to fail. I learned that the motivation followed after the pounds started to drop. I was losing a healthy 2-3 pounds per week and keeping it off, and I met my goal in September of 2006.

Throughout my journey I became obsessed with healthy eating, dieting and nutrition. When the pounds started coming off, and people asked the typical “how did you do that?” I’d respond with an honest, “diet and exercise.” A healthy diet I might add. I can’t tell you how many people asked if I was being serious. Yes, diet and exercise. No pills, no liposuction, no Atkins.

I’ve learned so much throughout my journey, from new ways to exercise, to healthy recipes. Most importantly, I’ve learned to change my lifestyle. Through the Figure Friendly Club, I am hoping to share what I’ve learned, but more importantly, learn from people like you. I’d love to form a community where everybody can share their own thoughts, experiences, and struggles so that we can all learn from each other.

For me, and I’m sure many others, keeping the weight off will always be a constant struggle. When you know better, you do better, and I firmly believe that. I now know how to live a better lifestyle, and through the Figure Friendly Club, I’m hoping to share that knowledge with others so that we can all do better.

Feel free to leave comments and start a conversation, or join in on a conversation. If you have any suggestions, let me know!