Avoid Nighttime Hunger with These 7 Tricks

Do you automatically reach for a snack when watching your favorite weeknight shows? Do you often give in to cravings after you've closed down the kitchen for the night? Many people fall victim to the nighttime munchies, especially when they’re stressed or bored. The problem is, this kind of eating can easily derail your diet — even if you've eaten well the rest of the day — and lead to major weight gain. I advise people who are trying to lose weight to shut down the kitchen after dinner each night. I know that it’s often easier said than done, so here are some strategies to help you avoid nighttime hunger and keep you on track!

Clear out your cabinets and refrigerator. If you don’t have tempting foods sitting in your pantry, you can’t indulge. Even healthy foods can result in weight gain if you haven’t included them in your calorie count each day. So although a snack seems “good for you,” you may want to keep it out of the panty for a few weeks until you train yourself to nix the snacking. It will get easier, I promise!

Ask a family member or friend to keep you honest. If you get hungry after dinner, buddy up and ask someone to hold you accountable and help you stick to your diet. They can talk with you on the phone or accompany you on a walk to help distract you from cravings.

Don’t skip meals. When you don’t eat enough during the day, you will find yourself ravenous at dinnertime as your body tries to compensate for the missing calories. So be sure to eat a healthy morning and afternoon meal, plus a nutritious light snack.

Slow down when you eat. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you’re full. Put your fork down every few bites to help slow you down, and be sure to chew your food well.

Drink water with your meals. Stopping to sip water or another calorie-free beverage during meals will help slow you down, keep you hydrated, and fill you up! I recommend eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily for good health, so sipping water with dinner will help you meet that quota.

Start meals with a soup or salad. The water content and fiber in vegetables helps fill you up, so you’ll eat less of your main course. I like to keep bagged salads from the grocery store in my fridge so that I always have fresh salad on hand to use at mealtime.

Sip flavorful herbal tea. There are many varieties of delicious decaffeinated herbal teas that can help curb your hunger pangs. Buy a mixed pack and try a few different flavors — you can drink it hot or iced and add a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange to give it more zest. Think of it as a no-calorie dessert you can have anytime!

A Cheesy Lasagna That Fights Fat

I’ve lightened up this comfort food favorite dramatically by cutting out the fatty ground beef and using low-fat cheeses instead of whole milk varieties. Thanks to a clever trick that I learned from my mom, you don’t have to pre-cook the noodles!

Spinach Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 2 spinach, frozen chopped, (10-ounce) boxes 
• 2 cup(s) cheese, ricotta, part-skim 
• 1 egg(s) 
• 1 egg white(s) 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, black 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder, (or 2-3 cloves minced garlic) 
• 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried 
• 2 cup(s) cheese, mozzarella, part-skim, shredded 
• 1 can(s) tomato sauce, (24 ounce) 
• 9 pasta, lasagna noodles, whole grain, uncooked 
• 1/2 cup(s) water 

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13” x 9” baking dish with oil spray.
2. Cook and drain the spinach well, then set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, egg white, pepper, garlic, basil, and oregano. Add the spinach and mix again thoroughly.
3. Cover the bottom of the pan with tomato sauce (about ¼ of the jar) and place down 3 of the uncooked lasagna noodles. Top with half of the spinach-ricotta mixture and then a layer of 3 more noodles. Top with the remaining spinach-ricotta mixture and then the last 3 lasagna noodles. Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top.
4. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Pour the water around the edge of the pan (this will cook the noodles), and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let stand to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to allow the lasagna to set up and the extra water to be absorbed.

Nutrition Facts. Amount per Serving: Calories: 215 Total Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 40 mg Sodium: 385 mg Total Carbohydrate: 23 g Dietary Fiber: 3 g Protein: 13 g

Burn More Fat By Building Muscle!

People are often looking for a secret, magic weight-loss trick. They want to know how they can burn the most fat in the least amount of time. What do I tell them? I always give the same response, and that's that there isn't any magical weight-loss answer. Burning fat efficiently boils down to one thing — building more muscle!

That's right: A major key to revving up your metabolism is muscle mass. The reason? Muscles demand more energy from your body than fat does; the more muscle you add to your body, therefore, the more calories you'll be burning throughout the day. In fact, studies show that for every pound of muscle you add, you automatically burn an extra 35 to 50 calories per day — and that's while going about your normal activities. Even at rest, muscle burns almost twice as many calories as fat.

Women are often hesitant about doing the strength training with weights that's necessary to develop muscle — they're afraid they'll look too bulked up or masculine. It's time to change that thinking! Building muscles is a must when it comes to losing weight, and the exercises in your Fitness Planner won't cause you to bulk up. Rather, these strength moves tighten and tone and eventually redistribute your weight in a healthy way. Your arms and legs will feel firmer, your body will feel stronger, and you'll be burning more calories daily — even when you're sleeping! Wait — that sounds like a magic weight-loss trick to me!

Weight-Loss Tricks to Save Calories

Time to reminisce about being a kid! I want you to think about dinnertime in your home when you were growing up. Did your mom or dad make you force down all of your dinner before they let you have dessert or leave the table? If so, you're probably a member of the "clean plate club"! That is, your childhood mealtime experiences trained you to be most satisfied after dinner — and other meals too — when you clean your plate and don't leave anything over. Does that sound about right to you?

If it does, this could be what is standing in the way of successful weight loss for you. You're using a visual cue — an empty plate — to decide when you should stop eating, rather than relying on the internal cue of your tummy and how full it is. But don't feel bad! Many of us do this. And now researchers have figured out a way around it. Here's the science: Serve yourself less! Researchers have figured out that you can eat up to 20 percent less and feel just as satisfied. So when you're serving yourself dinner — or any meal — put about 20 percent less on your plate than you think you'll eat. Put away the rest of the food and only then sit down to eat. Most likely, when you clean up that plate, you won't be hungry for any more food.

Here's another trick: When you take a smaller portion of the main course, load the rest of your plate with lots of vegetables. Your eyes still see a full plate, even though there will be fewer calories on it, so you will still feel satisfied. Also, try switching to a smaller dinner plate. This easy change will save you calories and fat grams every day — which add up to pounds lost!

Let's put this trick-your-eyes plan into effect in the coming week. Think you can do it for at least five dinners? I know you can. Give it a shot and see how you feel!

Delicious Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients 

• 6 potatoes 
• 6 cans cream of potato soup
• 2 qt. whipping cream
• 1 bag bacon bits
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• Cheddar cheese, shredded 

Directions

Bake potatoes until done (about 45-60 minutes in a 400-degree oven.) Let cool. Cut into cubes (you can leave the peel on). Pour whipping cream into crockpot, add 6 cans of cream of potato soup, add potatoes, onion (if desired), and bacon bits. Cook in crockpot on high for 1 hour, then turn to low for 3-4 hours or more. If desired, top with cheddar cheese when served.

Courtesy of Recipe4Living

How to Fit Workouts into the Workday

Do you work full-time? This may be one reason you've been unable to commit to workouts. In fact, a study by the American Heart Association showed that those of us who are at the office 40 hours a week or more are far more likely to spend our free time relaxing on the couch than getting in a good workout. Interestingly, the workers in the study reported that it was emotional exhaustion, not hard physical labor, that had them reaching for the remote control.

But take heart — having a job doesn't have to mean giving up on your quest to get fit. You can get a workout in without quitting your day job, the experts say! One smart suggestion? Break down your daily workouts into 10-minute mini sessions so they're easier to squeeze into your lunch hour or other breaks. For example, try a few stretches and aerobic moves when you wake up, a brisk walk before lunch at the office, and an early-evening yoga session.

Another wise move is to simply turn off the TV, computer, or video game so you can use your downtime more productively. You can do it! And think about it: If you sat in an office chair for hours, the last thing you should do is sit right back down in front of the TV. Get moving — you'll feel better physically and emotionally. Give it a try!

6 Ideas to Spice Up Your Fitness Routine

Are you bored with your exercise routine? Do you dread taking the same walking path around the neighborhood or hitting the treadmill at the gym for the zillionth time? Always doing the same thing can zap your motivation. That's not good! Exercise should be fun, invigorating, and energizing! If it's not, it's probably time for a fitness makeover! A fitness makeover is simple and fun. All you have to do is find different ways to get your heart pumping and your muscles working. Here are some ideas you can try:

Get a partner. Everything is more fun when you do it with someone else! Plus, having a partner increases your accountability — you're less likely to break an exercise date if you know someone is counting on you. Enlist your spouse, a neighbor, or a friend and work out together. Go for a walk, pick each other up for the gym, or just lift weights together in your basement — it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you are moving!
Sign up for a class. If you're used to working out alone, a workout class will make exercise exciting for you! The music is upbeat, the other people in the class motivate you to push yourself, and the instructor is there to direct you and correct your form. Check out the class offerings at your local community center, park, or gym.
Take a walk to the library or video store and browse the workout section. So many types of workout videos are available — from kickboxing, dance, and Pilates to step aerobics, Tae Bo, and bootcamps — the possibilities are endless! And best of all, you can try these new routines in the comfort of your home, return them, and borrow new ones so you can constantly vary your workouts.

Put on your explorer's hat and go on an adventure! Call up the parks department in your city or town — or look online — to locate beautiful walking or biking trails. Then hit a new locale each week. Walking tours are also a great way to get to know a place.
Dress the part. It may sound silly, but a new workout outfit can freshen up your fitness routine! The right shoes make all the difference, so treat yourself to a new pair. If you don't want to splurge right now, pick up fun and affordable workout clothes at local discount stores.
Kick up your heels on the dance floor! Go out with your significant other or friends and dance the night — and the unwanted fat — away. You can burn around 300 calories an hour by dancing fast or line dancing. Or just turn on some music in your living room and dance to get your heart rate up. Why not sign up for that dance class you've been interested in? It'll help you stay fit and have fun!

Starting next week, challenge yourself to take your workout to the next level by trying something new. Remember to choose activities you enjoy — or you'll just be working against yourself! Members who aren't feeling challenged on my site are probably ready to jump up to the intermediate or advanced fitness level. Give it a shot; you can always adjust Your Profile again if it's too hard. You can do it!