So many diet desserts taste flat or like cardboard.  This low fat sugar free recipe tastes like the real deal.  I think if you did the blind fold test between these low calorie muffins (142 Calories) and the high fat, high calories (usually 500-600 Calories) muffins you buy at your local bakery, you won’t  be able to tell the difference.  This is a flexible recipe and you can substitute all kinds of fruit.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup      Quick-cook oatmeal                      
• 1/2 tsp   Allspice
• 1 Cup      Fat-free skim milk
• 1 Cup     Splenda
• 1/2 Cup   White flour
• 4            Egg whites 
• 1/2 Cup   Whole wheat flour
• 1 Cup     Mashed bananas
• 1/2 Cup   Ground flax OR whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp      Vanilla extract  
• 1 tsp        Baking soda
• 1/2 Cup  Fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp        Baking powder                               
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp    Ground cinnamon                          
• 1 Cup     Blueberries (drained)
• 1/2 tsp    Ground cloves                                
• 1 Lge      Apple 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tins (12 muffins)
2. Soak oatmeal in skim milk for 20 minutes
3. After the 20 minutes, add splenda, egg whites, bananas, applesauce, vanilla and sour cream.  Mix well.
4. In a different bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well. (flours, flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, spices)
5. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Mix well.
6. Fold in berries or apple (You can subistitute any other friut)
7. Fill the 12 muffins cups equally.  It doesn’t expand so will not overflow out of the cup.  Bake until a toothpick can be stuck in the middle of a muffin and it comes out  clean.  (About 15-20 min)

Although I’m the only one losing weight in this household, everyone likes these muffins.  I’m sure they will be a hit in your home too.  Finally a great diet muffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This eight week weight loss program offers free nutrition classes. I attended my first class this past Tuesday. The room was packed. The program is called Lifesteps.

The first class was basicly an overview of what we will be covering for the next 8 weeks presented by a registered dietian. Our final weigh-in will be April 10th. We will be learning how to read food labels properly, portion control, and proper food choices. She also stressed the importance of exercise whether one is just starting to workout or an avid runner/walker.

We went over The Big Picture of Lifesteps Weight Management. She presented a balanced scale.

CALORIES IN……………………..CALORIES OUT
1. What you eat……………………….1. Metabolism
2. How much you eat……………….2. Physical Activity
3. How often you eat
4. How you eat
5. Why you eat

She explained all the elements of the Big Picture affect our weight. Lifesteps will help us identify areas of the Big Picture which most affect our weight. Lifesteps will also help us develop a plan to bring our own weight equation into balance.

These are the questions she had us all answer privately:
1. Are you here because you want to lose weight?
2. Are you ready to make a life-long commitment to healthy, moderate eating
habits and regular physical activity?
3. Are you willing to take the weight off slowly?
4. Are you trying to become a slimmer version of yourself?
5. Are you willing to evaluate your attitudes about food, exercise, and weight?
6. Do you have a network of family and friends who will support your efforts to
make lifestyle changes?
7. Will your current circumstances allow you to make behavior change a high
priority in your life?
8. Are you willing to keep a record of your food intake and physical activity?
9. Are you eady to target a goal weight that is realistic and healthy for you?

If you answered YES to all the questions, you are ready to make a commitment to losing weight. And the Lifesteps program may be just what you are looking for to succeed.

The official scale weight scale is in the room this class was given. I decided to way myself after class. I was down 3 pounds from my official starting weight. I left the room feeling pretty pumped up.

This time I’m going to KEEP the weight off once I get down to my ideal weight.

There are so many diets to choose from when we are deciding to lose weight. A few of the diets:

* low-calorie diet
* low-fat diet
* vegetarian diet
* low-sugar
* low-carb diet

I’ve tried several different diets over the years. Each one of them having lists of foods to eat and foods to avoid. It can be confusing to say the least.

I was reading a section at Ivillage what has the best foods for your diet. They have several diets listed and the foods that are acceptable for each one.

Seeing so many different diets at one place makes it easier to choose one that will best fit your needs and lifestyle. This website has a wide array of helpful information.

For me, losing weight is one of the hardest things to accomplish. I know….I’ve lost over 100 pounds three times in my life. I’ve asked myself over and over, how could you let yourself gain all that weight back AGAIN. I’ve rationalized all kinds of reasons, and made all kinds of excuses for myself. The bottom line, I made poor choices and consumed more calories than I burned.

In recent years, I’ve been what I call a yoyo dieter. I lose some weight and then gain some back. Having lost my girlfriend last month at the age of 59, I’ve decided I need to get back into a serious weight loss mode. I remember how her kids use to call her for advice or encouragement. I want to be around for my kids.

Today, I am renewing my effort at this weight loss journey. I’ve started my day with a bottle of water and a cup of coffee. I’m not hungry right now but plan on having a bowl of oatmeal when I do decide to eat.

Last year I bought a really nice treadmill. I haven’t figured out all the programs on it. I really only want to know how far I’ve gone, the speed, amount of calories I’ve burned, and the amount of time I’ve been on it. I also like the fact I can adjust the incline.

Each time I’ve lost weight, I’ve done it through good food choices and exercise. I know I can reach my weight loss goal again.

I’m off to take a walk on my treadmill. My short term goal is: lose 2 pounds this week.

When we fix meals it’s often hard to figure out the calories, carbs, or proteins in a serving. This can play havoc on any weight loss program you are following.

Like most women, I have more cookbooks than I care to count. Most of them never leave the bookcase. I have found it is much easier to look up a recipe online. So whether I’m looking for a low calorie, low carb or high protein recipe…it’s easy to find.

I enjoy the Betty Crocker recipe site. It is a computer friendly site making it easy to find recipes for a specific item or requirement such as low fat or low calorie. The recipes directions are easy to follow and use basic ingredients. You can rate each recipe as well as read and give a review. Each has a picture of what the finished product should look like.

How about a Chinese Pork and Pasta recipe? The recipe is for a serving of 6 with a calorie content of 255 per serving.

Another appetizing recipe is Skillet Beef & Vegetable Stew. It is a recipe for 6 servings and only takes 25 minutes to make. It has a surprisingly low calorie content of 175 per serving.

These are just a few of the low calorie recipes at the Betty Crocker site. No matter what kind of weight loss program or diet you are on, you will find something at this site that can fit your needs.

It’s always great to get tips and strategies that are successful in a weight loss program. I like to read about studies that have been done and the results. Although I think some studies are too narrow and some too biased, it gives me a base to which I can do my own evaluation.

Self Magazine had some it’s readers try the most popular statagies. Here are the results from a three week study.

1.Skip All Soda
Pounds Lost…… 1 to 8 (average 4)
Soda contains zero nutrients. Water is the best alternative as it aids in
digestion.

2. Eat Breakfast, even if you’re not hungry
Pounds Lost…… 3 to 8 (average 5)
You’ll teach your body to adjust to A.M. calories, so you’ll need fewer
later in the day. *250-500 calorie per morning

3. Banish Trigger Foods From Your Home
Pounds Lost…… 1 to 10 (average 6)
If you keep treats in the house, opt for the single-serve portions many
are only 100 calories.

4. Swap in Lowfat, Fat-free Or Sugar-free Versions Of Foods You Crave
Pounds Lost…… 0 to 1 (average 1)
Using this strategy, you can eat what you love without excess calories.
Read your labels…low fat doesn’t mean low calorie.

5. Use Smaller Plates And Glasses
Pounds Lost…… 0 to 3 (average 1)
We eat on the average, 92% of food we put on our plate. This is a way
of tricking yourself into eating less.

6. Dine Out Less Often
Pounds Lost…… 2 to 11 (average 6)
Resturant meals usually have about 50% more calories, fat and sodium
than home cooked meals.

7. Rate Your Hunger Before Deciding To Eat
Pounds Lost…… 0 to 4 (average 1)
Regularly checking your need for food will help you comtrol how much you
end up eating.

8. Start Your Meal With Soup, Salad or Fruit
Pounds Lost…… 1 to 2 (average 1.5)
Keep your first course high in volume and around 100 calories and you’ll
shrink your total daily intake.

9. Eat Your Meals With No Distractions
Pounds Lost…… 0 to 5 (average 3)
When you get distracted, you mindlessly consume extra calories.
Eat slowly, concentrate on your food’s taste and texture.
By changing the way you eat, you may change how much you eat.

You can read the comments of the people who tested these tips here.

I was watching the 10 pm news last night. Of course I don’t remember word for word what was said but the bottom line of the article was, women lost more weight on the Atkins Diet. This study was done by the Journal of American Medicine Association. It was compared to the Ornish Diet, Zone Diet, and the Learn Diet.(I couldn’t find the Learn Diet) Women lost more weight in a year on the Atkins Diet.

I tried the Atkins Diet for a short time once. I couldn’t stand all that meat. My mouth always tasted like a slim jim. Even when I brushed my teeth, that taste was still there. Needless to say, I quit it. I must admit though, I did lose weight. The only thing bad, as soon as you start back on the carbs, the weight comes back too.

It’s going to be interesting to see how popular this diet becomes again and for how long it lasts.