Live your healthiest, happiest, most purposeful life
Category: Weight Loss Tips
Mindfulness and Other Weight Loss Tips:
A Dietitian’s guide to weight loss with an emphasis on Mindfulness and Faith. The blog contains over 400 weight loss tips.
A Dietitian Developed Weight Loss Assessment:
Use a dietitian developed weight loss assessment to create your own customized weight loss plan. Choose from over 400 weight loss strategies, to create your personalized plan. This dietitian develped assessment helps you determine your own weight loss barriers and struggles. You can, then, pick specific tips to fit your needs and lifestyle.
Mindfulness and Weight Loss
Since mindfulness helps with so many weight loss barriers, this site provides you with mindful eating techniques as well as other weight loss strategies.
When God Knocks on the Door of My Heart…During Book Club
This article has been updated and is an adapation of a segment in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit.
God Knocks, God Whispers
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelations 3:20
“Heeeey,” I heard someone call as they walked into the kitchen. Another one of my dear friends had arrived for our monthly health and mindfulness book club social.
We were all gathered in the kitchen and just catching up on all of our summer happenings. I was telling everyone about my son’s latest ninja warriors camp adventures, when the door bell rang.
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Who Could That Be?
‘Hmm, must be someone new to book club because this crowd usually doesn’t bother with door bells… or knocking for that matter,’ I thought to myself as I walked to the door.
Standing on the front porch was a nice looking young man. He had a bag full all different types of books slung over his shoulder and two books in his hand.
“Hey,” I said in a curious tone. After his friendly reply, he went into his reason for the visit.
His explanation went something like this, “I am selling these books to raise money for my college tuition. We are asking for a $20 donation or more…or less…or whatever you want to give for the books.”
As he spoke, he moved his arms forward to show the two books in his hands.
I looked down at the books as he presented them. There in his hands were a healthy foods book written by a RD (Registered Dietitian) and a Christian mindful peace book.
I looked down at the books and looked back up at him, “I think God wants me to buy these books.” I bluntly blurted out.
I went on to explain…(Pay very close attention here, because this is the important part)
“You see, this isn’t just any book club social going on right now, this is a mindfulness and health book club social. And I am a RD (Registered Dietitian) who writes a blog about health, faith, and mindfulness…AND the two books in your hand are a book about health foods written by a registered dietitian and a faith-based mindful peace book!”
We talked a little more about where he goes to school and about the other books in his bag. I was intrigued by another completely different book and asked him about it. Although I wanted that book as well, I decided to stick with the first two. I paid him, and he left.
“I’m probably going to write a blog about this,” I told him as he was leaving.
When I came back into the house, I told my friends about the awesome encounter. I showed them my books and told them about the one book I had wanted but didn’t buy. We were all excited about the events that had just unfolded; so filled with joy, we began the book club social.
***
Two Hours Later…
“Bye, thanks for coming,” I called out to all of my friends as they left my house.
“I can’t wait for the next one,” someone called out as they were shutting the front door.
‘Aww, that was so much fun,’ I thought as I picked up the plates and leftover appetizers.
I was putting the plates in the sink when one of my friends comes back into the house.
“Lacy, you know that other book you had wanted?”
“Yes?” I replied.
“The guy selling the books left it on your front porch!” she exclaimed.
“What?!?! How a amazing is that!” I felt like he had left that book as a way of saying that he had felt the significance of what had just transpired as well. I was truly amazed!
Thank God for Those Unexplainable Moments
This young man’s kindness touched my heart. I went to bed so thankful for God and for those unexplainable little God moments in our lives. The next morning I awoke overcome with emotion. I thanked God for the events of last night. On my knees, I cried and prayed. I prayed for the young man, his school, and my book club friends.
I hope I never forget the conversation the three of us had on that front porch. This young man and I talked, but God’s quiet whisper was the loudest and most beautiful voice of all.
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12
Update
Soon after purchasing these books, I began reading the one written by the dietitian first. I was even more convinced that I was meant to read this book. You see, I am a registered dietitian, and I felt lead to combine my nutrition knowledge with my faith on this blog, Mindfulness in Faith and Food. At the time of purchasing this book, I was in the process of writing a faith-based nutrition book, and I was nervous about how it would go. Was I doing the right thing? Opening my door and seeing this young man holding a book written by a dietitian was the encouragement I needed. And when I started reading the book, I was even more encouraged. On the first page (her acknowledgement page) she wrote about following her passion as God leads and about looking to God for guidance in every situation. Later in the book she discussed the positve impact faith has on our health. When I bought this book, I knew I was buying a book by a registered dietitian, but I didn’t know that she talked about her faith in the book as well! Doesn’t that make this story even more amazing!
Please Share Your Thoughts
If you found this “God Whispers” story helpful, I would love to hear about it! I also love hearing other’s God moment stories. Do you have any stories about when God whispers in your life? Please share your ‘God Whispers’ stories with me. You may comment below or send me an email.
Related Post
If you enjoyed this “God Whispers” story, you may also enjoy my other “God Moment” stories.
Kitchenware You Need Before You Start Your Monthly Freezer Meals
If you have read my post, ” How to Make 15 Freezer Meals in Under 3 Hours,” or been to my house, then you know making freezer meals ahead of time is a technique my family uses to stay organized, eat healthy, save money, and relieve dinnertime stress. Cooking freezer meals ahead of time can also help with weight loss and weight maintenance. Making sure your kitchen is stocked with essential freezer meal products and cookware is the first step.
These make ahead freezer meals have been life changing for me, and I love sharing how I do these freezer meals with you. I also wanted to share some of the freezer meal cookware and products I love to use. Some of them are freezer meal must-have products and some of them just make cooking freezer meals more efficient or fun. I included some of my favorite products that make dinner time easier and fun as well. * Note that I marked essential by the cookware/products that I feel are truly must-haves. The other products will make cooking freezer meals easier or more fun, but are not essential to start.
Must Have Products You Need for Making Freezer Meals
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
So Here is My Favorite Freezer Meal Must-Have Products
When you are cooking multiple meals at once, then you may not want to slice ALL those vegetables by hand. This Spiralizer does it for you. I also love to sometimes serve my freezer melas with noodles made out of vegetables. The Spiralizer makes the vegetable pasta for you as well!
If you love to cook then you may want to invest in a really nice knife or two. I like having one really nice knife for cutting meat and one really nice knife for cutting vegetables. Cutco has some of the best knives around.
I also love Kitchen Aids Ceramic Knives set because with these you get no rusting, or odor and taste transfers from food to food. These are also dishwasher safe.
When you cook your freezer meals in bulk, you need a large pot. I use my pot to cook my ground turkey or lean ground beef all at once. This makes cooking a month’s worth of freezer meals all at once super fast.
When you cook freezer meals for the month all in one day, make sure you have all the freezer bags and aluminum casserole dishes you need to all your dishes. I like the freezer bags with sliders so that you know they are sealed.
My freezer meals make A Lot so I usually have leftovers. Pre-portioned containers helps me portion control my leftovers for a healthy lunch the next day.
If you are planning on making and freezing meatballs for some of your freezer meals, then a meatballer will help you save so much time. I use healthy turkey meatballs in many of my freezer recipes.
12. Muffin Tins *Must Have if you are planning on Freezing muffins, omelet muffins, or mini pizzas*
I often make mini healthy pizza or omelet muffins and freeze them for later. I like to freeze several at once so I use a large 24-cup muffin tin. You can also use a 12-cup muffin tin or even have fun with novelty muffin tins. My kids love it when I make food using our heart-shaped muffin tin.
My kids eat these famiy freezer meals as well. They loved them AFTER they decided to try them. My kids don’t like trying anything new, but these Kids’ Dinner Trays turns eating into a fun game!
Once you have all the cookware and supplies that you need you are ready to cook! Learn how to cook ALL of your Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day with the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook.
The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook not only includes a detailed healthy freezer meal plan and weight loss guide, but this ebook also inlcudes mindful eating strategies and techniques.
The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
The Mindful Eating Guide
The importance of Faith
A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.
The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:
More daily free time,
A decreased grocery bill,
Healthier meals for the whole family,
Less daily stress, and
Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance
Learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook here.
“I have lost 17 pounds since I started eating these freezer meals. They are healthy AND taste great!!! We are now eating at home more, which has made a huge difference!” Chad, South Carolina
“As I read this book, I kept thinking, ‘this is so much more than a freezer meal cookbook! Lacy needs to be a life coach! She has such a positive outlook on life!’ “The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook is so uplifing and encouraging!” Wendy, South Carolina
“I can actually see a decrease in my grocery bill since I started eating these freezer meals, and my kids love them! We are eating healthier now. Plus, we are eating more meals together as a family!” Nicole, South Carolina
Click here to learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook
Want a Little More?
Click Here to Get a Free 7-Day Mindful Planner Printable and Join the Mindfulness in Faith and Food Family!
In a perfect world, we would have all the time in the world to make ALL our own meals and snacks, but sometimes we need to grab a quick already ready healthy packaged snacks. Picking the best snacks can feel overwhelming so I decided to list of some of my favorite healthy packaged snacks.
Healthy Packaged Snack Ideas
I selected these snacks based on the below criteria:
Minimal Refined Grains
Minimal Added Sugar
Simple Ingredients List
Whole Grains listed as the first ingredients in a carbohydrate snack
How Do You Determine if Something is Truly a Whole Grain
Remember to look for whole grain or whole wheat not just multi-grain on the package when you are looking for a healthy packaged snack. Multi-grain does not mean the same thing as whole grain. (All though sometimes it is.) The take home message is make sure whole grain is one of the first ingredients listed on the back label.
Sometimes the food item may advertise that they contain whole grains on the front of the package, but when you read the label you find enriched grains listed as the first ingredient. Enriched grains are better than refined grains because enriched means that healthy nutrients that were removed during processing were added back into the product. Still whole grains are better than enriched. Take Whole Wheat Goldfish as an example… When you read the back label, you find enriched grains listed as the first ingredient. These Whole Wheat goldfish are still healthier than the regular Goldfish, but they are not as healthy as a whole grain snack like popcorn for example.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
My Favorite Healthy Convienent or Packaged Snacks
*You can order many of these on Amazon by clicking on the link.
Fresh Fruit or Raw Vegetables: Nothing is more convenient that grabbing a piece of fruit or a handful of Veggies!
Skinny Dipped Almonds are dipped in delicious dark chocolate. Flavors include Dark Chocolate Cocoa, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, and Dark Chocolate Espresso. These are a delicous source of nutrition like fiber and protein.
21. No Bake Energy Bites
Okay this isn’t a packaged food per say but you can use packaged ingredients to make these super easy and convenient snacks. The base ingredients are peanut butter and plain old oats. Just mix them together and add any other of your favorite ingredients like nuts, raisons, dark chocolate chips or blueberries. You can also add some super healthy ingredients like flaxseeds or chia seeds, and you can switch out the peanut butter for other spreads like almond butter. Finally simply form them into a bite-size ball, and you are finished!
Boil them at the beginning of the week, and you will have a quick snack you can easily grab throughout the week.
25. Homemade Veggie Chips.
Okay so this is not actually a packaged convience food, but veggie chips ARE a great alternative to packaged chips. To make, thinly slice veggies of your choice. Carrots, zucchini and even kale make great veggie chips. I like to use the Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer Fresh Prep Slicer/Shredder Attachment to make thinly sliced veggies. I love how the Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer has so many attachments. Attachments include things like spiralizers, slicers, vegetable sheet cutter (think Lasagna) and so much more.
After you thinly slice your vegetables, preheat your oven. Wash and dry your veggie slices. Place your slices between two paper towels to let them dry out. Spread the slices onto parchment paper baking sheets. Lightly spray with cooking spray or lightly brush them with olive oil.
For Zucchini and carrots, bake at 450 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
For Kale, bake at 300 degrees for only 18 to 20 minutes.
(Check on them regularly when they are close to done. It is better to undercook them than over cook them)
WithNatureBox, you can order a box as you want one. You can filter your box search so that you can select the snacks with the nutrition requirements that you prefer. For example, I can filter the snack search by selecting “Good source of fiber and “no sugar added.” Snacks that meet those requirements will come up in the list of choices.
Final Notes
So whether you are looking for something sweet or savory, I hope you found some healthier snacks from this lists that you can grab in a rush. Which healthy packaged snacks have your tried and which healthy packaged snacks are your favorites?
Buy These Products with Ibotta to Save Money
Okay one more final note. I like to buy most of these snacks on Amazon using the free Ibotta app. If you want to learn more about how I used ibotta and other techniques to cut my grocery bill from $300 to $80, click here.
Grab-and-Go Snacks AND Grab-and-Throw Meals
These grab-and-go snack ideas are perfect for families who desperately want to eat healthy nutritious foods, but simply have no time to prepare healthy foods. If this is your family (it’s totally mine), you may not only want grab-and-go snacks, but also “grab-and-throw ” meals. The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook shows you how to make a month of healthy freezer meals in ONE day. Simply grab-and-throw an already-made frozen breakfast or lunch in the micorwave and your meal is ready. Or grab-and-throw a frozen meal in the crockpot in the morning, and by dinner time, your family meal is done!
In past posts, I have talked about how mindful eating can help with weight loss, but today’s post is a little different. Today I wanted to talk about Mindful Living. Mindful living even when you are NOT currently eating, can benefit multiple areas of your life including emotional eating?
In other words, mindful living can help with weight loss even when food is not directly involved. Let me explain…
You are probably not surprised when I say weight struggles are usually more about our emotional struggles that anything else. Life is HARD. Sometimes we have more stress than we can bare. We need a way to cope, and overeating can feel like a quick fix. Bottom line, stress and other emotions are a major player in weight gain. But what does this have to do with mindful living?
What Does Mindful Living Have to Do with Emotional Eating?
Mindfulness is about being in the present moment. The past is gone and the future has not happened, but the present is HERE and NOW. Think about it. What do we spend most of our time stressing and worrying about?…The past and the future. Think about how much less stress we would have if we learned to focus on the present moment. Mindful eating is about focusing on eating and enjoying every bite. Mindful living is about focusing and enjoying whatever you are doing in that moment. Mindfulness is also about having a grateful approach to life. When we are mindflully living, we focus on the positive and what we are thankful for in the present moment. For me, mindfulness is about focusing on God’s presence in our lives at every moment and focusing on the beauty in God’s world. Sounds simple right? Yeah, I know. It is a lot easier said than done. Sometimes we will still worry about the past and future, but fortunately mindfuless exercises can help us live in the present a little more often.
Does the Bible Have Anything to Say About Mindfulness?
The characteristics of mindfulness are making space for quiet time and rest, living in the moment, having a gratitude attitude, and (for me) pausing to focusing on God’s presence in our every day lives. Turns out the Bible has a lot to say about these characteristics. I listed a few of my favorite Bible verses about Mindfulness in the infograph below.
The characteristics of mindfulness are focusing on the present (and for me, the presence of God in each moment), being thankful, makng space for quiet time, and pausing during the day. That pause helps with self control and relieves stress. My favorite verse is “Be still and know that I am God.” When I hear this verse, I hear, “be still, stop frantically running around, relax, and stay calm, because don’t you realize that I AM GOD…I got this!”
So How Does Mindful Living Help with Emotional Eating?
Our emotions usually come from either worrying about the past or future. Mindfulness helps us cope with the stresses of life. By living mindfully, we can focus on the present instead of worrying about the past and future. So if you find that you often emotionally eat ( and many of us do including me), perhaps adapting some, if not all, of these six daily mindfulness techniques will be just what your soul has been longing. Perhaps these techniques can take the place of emotional eating as a way to cope with the stresses of life.
Daily Mindfulness Exercises: What does a Mindful Day Look Like?
Hopefully we have established the characteristics of mindfulness, but how do we incorporate mindfulness into our daily lives?
For me, a mindful day would look like this:
1. Pause, Breath, and Pray Before Entering a New Place
Pause…take a moment to breath and mindfully pray before entering a new environment. When I pray, I ask God to help me remember to show love and kindness in this current environment. I then thank God for being with me, and I pray that I hear and mindfully listen for God’s guidance while I am in this place. So pausing and praying before entering a new environment means, I pray on the way to my kids school, before entering the grocery store, or my friends house. I pray before a family reunion or a meeting at work. By doing this, I remember God is with me everywhere. By pausing, breathing, and praying, I better focus on the moment and on God everywhere. This act keeps me calm and comforted and helps me react in a more loving way in different situations. I actually have a cool story about this here.
2. Use Your Senses to Focus on the People and the Place
Once you have entered each new environment, place, or building, focus on the people and the place you are in. In other words, use your senses to be present in the moment instead of thinking about all the things you have to do later. This is particularly important to me when I am with my children. Worrying about all that I have to do, doesn’t help me, and I miss out on beautiful moments with my kids when I worry about things I can’ do anything about in that moment.
You know, I recently caught myself worrying instead of being present. I was late for a meeting, and I was waiting on my daughter’s teacher to arrive so that I could leave for the meeting. While I was impatiently waiting, my 4 year old daughter was twirling and giggling. I suddenly realized that I was missing out on what was right in front of me. I couldn’t do anything about being late so why should I worry? At that moment, I stopped worrying and started twirling and giggling with my daughter. This moment of waiting ended up being a beautiful, special moment, all because I chose to live in the moment.
3. Practice Gratitude (There are Actual Exercises that Help!)
When we approach life with a grateful attitude and look for the good in life, the benefits are endless. According to “Time Special Edition Mindfulness: The New Science of Health and Happiness,” gratitude practices have been associated with improved kidney function, reduction in blood pressure, decreased stress hormones, increased energy levels, and increased reports of happiness. When we focus on the positive aspects of life, we tend to have more compassion and kindness for others; thus, the the circle of positivity continues. Now the person you showed kindness to may leave feeling more grateful and positive. Now they will be more likly to pass it on.
Gratitude Techniques:
Keep a gratitude journal is a helpful gratitude technique. Every night, write down what you were thankful for that day. If that is too much, simply writing down one thing you are grateful for every day. Again, according to “Time Special Edition Mindfulness: The New Science of Health and Happiness,” even this small exercise is also helpful.
Don’t want to even write? Try this… You remember that moment you pause and pray before entering a new place? While you are praying, remember to thank God for something as well.
4. Making Time for Quiet Time
We all need to rest. We need time to clear our thoughts and feel the weight of responsibility lifted for a little while. When I take time to just relax in God’s presence, it feels like a chance to completely be myself with the only One who loves me unconditionally. The problems of the world are gone for a moment. I am safe, free, and at peace. My favorite ways to experience quiet time with God is through prayer, reading: either the Bible or uplifting faith books, and through journaling, which brings me to mindfulness technique number five…
5. Mindful Living: Journaling
You can do three of these five techniques in one with journaling. You can practice gratitude, focus on God’s presence, and have quiet time all through mindful journaling. Keeping a journal has been a part of my life for years, but I truly saw the dfference in my outlook on life when I focused on God and gratitude as I wrote.
In my mindful journal I now include:
All the positve things about the day (what I am grateful for)
Written prayers or letters to God
Any lessons I learned through either my experiences, reading, or Bible studies
Any questions I have about life
God moment stories: These are stories about when I notice God working in my life. One cool thing about taking the time to mindfully notice God’s presence every day is that…you notice God’s presence regularly.Since I started mindfully taking the time to notice God in the present moment, I have had so many “goose-bump” God moments. These are those moments that I think, ‘oh I will rememner this,’ but as time passes, I find I can’t remember the details. Before including these God moment stories in my journal, I would remember something pretty cool happened, but I couldn’t bring the vague memory to the surface in my mind. By including these God moment stories in my journal, I solidify these events to my memory, and if I do forget, I can look at my journal and experience the awe and wonder all over again.
6. Mindful Eating
Okay, I know I have been talking about non-eating mindfulness techniques that help with emotional eating and weight loss, but mindful eating techniques are a part of living a mindful day, and mindful eating can definitely help with emotional eating and weight loss. Mindful eating does more than help with weight loss though. Mindful eating is also a time to pause from the day and focus on God, feel grateful, and enjoy a peaceful experience. When I mindfully focus on God’s presence while eating, I do much less overeating. In fact, I like to say a little prayer before I eat. As I pray, I think about 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
My prayer before I eat goes something like this, “God, thank you so much for this food. Thank you for this time that I have to sit and enjoy the food you have given me. I want to eat for the glory of You, God.” After saying this prayer, I enjoy my food, and I enjoy my time eating in God’s presence. You can find more details about how to mindfully eat in my post, “How to Lose Weight Through Mindful Eating: A Step-by-Step Guide.”
And there you have it; six mindfulness exercises you can incorporate into your day. Adding these techniques to your daily life may just be what you were needed to reduce your emotional eating.
If you Liked these Mindfulness techniques then you may also like…
18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with dietitian, Lacy Ngo. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, Ngo went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in her own body. Ironically, during the process, Ngo ended up, not only losing weight but also strengthening her walk with God. Now she feels healthier than ever AND she truly enjoys eating! She is able to feed her mind, body, and soul nourishing foods and feel good in her own body without weight obsessing. Get ready to get goose-bumps as you read this amazing true story.
*A Bonus Mindful Wellness Journal is Included!!!
what does mindful eating AND mindful LIVNG have to do with emotional eating, health, weight loss, and wellness
The Nourishing Meal Builder
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her own symptoms, Lacy Ngo became passionate about providing an easy strategy that busy families could use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.
After incorporating these strategies into her own life, Ngo was even more convinced that nutrition can change lives:
-Her mood improved
-Her seasonal allergies stopped showing up in the fall and spring
-Her energy improved
-Her acne went away
-Her family got sick less often
-Her son’s behavior and anxiety improved
What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?
-Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards
The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook not only includes more mindful eating strategies and techniques, but this ebook also includes a detailed freezer meal plan and weight loss guide!
The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
Mindful Eating Guide
The Importance of Faith
A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.
The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:
More daily free time,
A decreased grocery bill,
Healthier meals for the whole family,
Less daily stress, and
Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance
Learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook here.
*If you would like to evaluate your own diet and determine which tips work best for you, please take the free DIY Diet self assessment and evaluation developed by a registered dieititian.
Vacations are meant to be fun, but they also can feel hard. You want to indulge, but you also want cease the day without feeling too full to move . Fortunately, I have some tips for you that can help you enjoy your food and your vacation.
Healthy Eating Hacks for Vacations and Frequent Travelers
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
When traveling, bring healthy snacks instead of stopping at fast food places.
Do the eating out tricks found in the “Eating Out post during your vacation.
Find a balance. If you are eating at a restaurant you have been looking forward to all year, then go for it; get what you want even if it is a little less nourishing. At other times, choose foods that will help your body thrive while on vacation. Check out The Nourishing Meal Builder for a list of foods that help with mood, bloating, energy, and brain focus.
Eat nourishing foods for breakfast and lunch and splurge a little at dinner.
Take a walk around the terminal while you are waiting for your flight.
Do crunches, push-ups, and stretches everyday in your hotel room.
Plan fun physical activities for your vacation like hiking, swimming, canoeing, skiing, and walking while sightseeing.
As a dietitian, I am always looking for products that will help my clients, family, and friends…and ME! I recommend a product called MealEnders to all of the above and anyone who is wanting to eat less or lose weight. I have raved about this product to everyone from my pastor, to my best friend; from medical staff, to my mom, and I keep them with me as well. MealEnders use sensory and neurological science to improve portion control.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
MealEnders Helps with Portion Control in Three Ways
3 Ways MealEnders Help with Portion Control
MealEnders gives your Brain time to Realize You Have Eaten
Have you ever heard the saying ‘it takes your brain about 20 minutes to realize you have eaten’? Well there is some science behind that saying. After you have eaten, your food travels from your stomach to your colon. Peptide yy is released when your food moves into your colon. Once your food hits the colon and the peptide yy is released, your brain finally gets the signal you have eaten. This whole process takes about 20 minutes!
But how do MealEnders help with this? When you suck on a MealEnder after you have eaten, you give your brain about 20 mintues to catch up and realize you have eaten. So when you suck on a MealEnder, take the time to mindfully enjoy the flavors. MealEnders really are tasty treats.
2. The Brain says, “But You Haven’t Had Dessert!”
Many of us associate dessert with the end of the meal. So when we don’t get that sweet taste, we feel like somthing is missing. MealEnders have a sweet outer layer that will help us feel satisfied. In other words, we will associate that sweet MealEnder with the end of the meal.
3. Cleanses your Palette, Stopping the Craving to Eat
Finally, the center has a strong and refreshing mint flavor. Just like the tip, “brush your teeth after a meal, to stop the desire to eat” the MealEnder’s strong mint taste cleanses your palette and stops those cravings to continue eating. Have you ever noticed that you don’t usually feel like eating after you brushed your teeth? Yeah, it’s just like that!
Final Thoughts on MealEnders
I have personally used MealEnders to help with portion control at the end of a meal or snack, and I have also found these little yummy treats helpful before I begin snacking. MealEnders comes in chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, and mocca. Every flavor I have tried has been delicious. I truly think this is an amazing product. In fact, I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t love them the minute they tried them!
I don’t like for things to get too complicated. My family wanted to save money especially on our grocery bill, but I didn’t want to get overwhelmed. So I implemented ONLY 3 simple changes to my grocery shopping, and I was truly floored with the amount of money I saved. Before these changes the same groceries costed me around $300; now, those same groceries cost me around $80!!!
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Bulk Shop at Amazon Pantry Using the Ibotta and Ebates App.
I don’t spend a bunch of time clipping coupons. I pretty much stick to these two free apps! First, I downloaded these two free (yes, FREE) apps (Ibotta and Ebates) to my phone. Then I clicked on both apps to see which had the best rebates Amazon Pantry. For example, last time I grocery shopped on Amazon, Ibotta and Ebates both gave you 3% cash back for ALL the groceries you bought from Amazon through the Ebates or Ibotta app. So I could use either one that day, and get paid 3% cash back!
Simply click on the Ebates or Ibotta app, then click on the Amazon Icon, and start shopping. That is it! When you reach $20 in rebates, Ibotta will pay you through Paypal, Venmo, or Gift card. Seriously, you download a free app and get paid to shop!!! Honestly this is so good that it stresses me out to think about my friends not using it! I want everyone I love to be saving/earning this kind of money.
For Ebates, you go through the same process. Click on Ebates, then click on the Amazon icon and start shopping! Ebates pays you every 3 months as long as you have a $5 minimum in you account. If you don’t reach it, the money will just accumulate until the next pay day so you don’t lose the money. But $5 is so easy to reach. In fact, I have $20 on my Ebates app right now! My next pay check should come in May.
I use these two apps to buy my groceries in bulk. I actually like to make and freeze all my meals for the month in advance so, of course, I am able ot buy all my groceries for the month in one day. Since I buy all of them in bulk in one day, I am able to save money! If you are interested in learning how to make a month of healthy freezer meals in one day clickhere.
2. Check the Price per Ounce when I Am Making a Purchase
In tip number one, I mentioned that I buy in bulk. When you buy in bulk, comparing prices can be tricky. I don’t look at the actual price, I look at the price per ounce to see which product is actually cheaper. This has been a huge money saver.
Cut your grocery meal in more than half
3. Use Ibotta When I grocery Shop at a Local Grocery Store
Ibotta is not just for online purchases; you can also use Ibotta in your local stores. My usual grocery store is Food Lion so I linked up my Food Lion loyalty card to the Ibotta app. I did this one time when I first downloaded Ibotta, and now the card is always on my Ibotta app. (You can link other loyalty cards as well).
Right before I shop at Food Lion, I open up Ibotta on my phone; then I click on the Food Lion Icon. I usually do this after I have made a grocery list. I just look on Ibotta for any items on my grocery list, and select them before I go shopping. By the way, sticking to a grocery list helps me spend less on groceries as well so I guess you can say tip number 3 is 2 tips in one.
Here is the cool part…
When I use my loyalty card at checkout, I automatically get the rebates for my purchases! Seriously, I the cashier just scans my loyalty card as usual!
And that is it! The three major ways I have decreased my grocery bill by well over half!
*Bonus* There are More Ways to Get Paid Through Ibotta and Ebates
You can actually use Ebates and Ibotta to save money in other ways. I talk about this here, but for this post I wanted to focus on the major ways I personally use these apps.
Okay One More Thing
You will get paid $10 when you join Ibotta using my referral code. Click here to sign up for Ibotta using my referral code. That is worth it right there! You make money already just by signing up! You can also get $10 when you sigen up for Ebates using by referral code. Click here to sign up for Ebates using by code.
Cut Your Grocery Bill in More than Half
Cutting your Grocery Bill in Half with these Three Tips
You have probably seen those Beachbody Exercise Programs on T.V. commercials. You know, this is the company that makes those famous workout programs like P90X, Insanity, 80 Day Obsession, Piyo, Core De Force, 21 Day Fix and so much more. In fact, Beachbody has 600+ workouts! Now you can get all of the Beachbody programs at once with the Beachbody on Demand app, but do these popular programs live up to all the hype…My answer is, ‘Yes, they do, and here are 10 reasons why…’
Do Those Beachbody Programs Actually Work?
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1. Positive Results
I can honeslty say I am in my best shape whenever I am doing one of these programs. I like to change up my workouts so I have tried all kinds of Beachbody and non-Beachbody programs, but I have gotten the best results from Beachbody, hands down.
2. Great For Busy People
Several of the Beachbody programs are only 25 minutes. These fantastic express programs include Shaun T’s Focus T25, 22 Minute Hard Corps, Insanity Max:30, P90X3, and more.
Plus if you don’t even have 25 minutes, you can stop and start these programs throughout the day on your phone. I have a 4 year old who sometimes interrupts my workouts. One minute I’m doing a mountain climber exercise, the next minutes I am fixing my daughter a heart-shaped cheese sandwich per her loud request. I simply pause the app, fix the snack, and then resume the workout in the kitchen. You know, because she insists that I stay in the kitchen while she eats.
3. Portability
Sooo portable! Since this is an app, I can take the workout anywhere. I have done a workout in the middle of a hotel room! You can play these workouts on your phone, tablet, computer, laptop, and AppleTV.
4. Variety
Variety is the spice of life AND workouts! I sometimes do a whole program or pick and choose workouts from different programs each day depending on my mood. I can do Hip Hop Abs with Shaun T one day, and then lift weights with Tony Horton the next. If I am not near any weights on a particular day then I can find a program that only uses your body weight for resistance. Did I mention there are 600+ workouts to choose from!
5. Your Entire Family Can Use the Program
If you have ever read any of my other posts, you know that I try to encourage the whole family to live an active lifestyle. It’s just so fun! Beachbody on Demand even includes workout programs for kids. How cool is that?!?!
6. You Can Easily Fit These Workouts Into Any Routine
I love a good workout class in the gym, but I often find that the time of the class doesn’t fit into my schedule. Sometimes my favorite class will fall right when my son has soccer practise every night or when I have a monthly meeting. Occasionally, I have gone to class to find that the instructor had to cancel due to illness or a family emergency. Hey, life happens, but with Beachbody, you can still get in your workout even when life gets crazy. You can fit your workout in anytime and anywhere! Like I mentioned earlier, you can even stop and start it in dfferent rooms if you need to.
Does Beachbody Live up to the Hype
7. You Get Interactive Support if you Want
When you purchase Beachbody on Demand, a Beachbody coach is included. These coaches give you online support and encouragement. You can go to them for support or do it on your own if you prefer. Do what works for you. Many of these coaches set up fun challenge groups, and when you join these groups you will find a whole group of people to motivate and cheer for you. I love how we encourage and uplift each other in these groups. By the way, my coach is Healther Wilson, and she is wonderful!
8. You Can Workout in your Own Home
No need to drive to a gym or even get dressed up. I workout in my sweat pants, and I don’t even brush my hair or wear makeup when I do these workouts, and its wonderful!
9. Saves Time
Sooo since you don’t have to drive to a gym or get dressed, you will save so much time for all the other things on your to-do list! And remember, Beachbody offers many workouts that are less than 30 minutes!
10. Healthy Cooking Shows included on Beachbody on Demand
My goal when I started this blog was to help people customize and find tips that will work specifically for them. We are all so individual, and there are many ways to get healthier. So although Beachbody is a great workout option for many reasons, maybe you want to try something different. I have several post that can help you pick which workout routines will work for you. Check out these workout posts below:
And that is it, my top 10 reasons why Beachbody on Demand is worth the Hype. I would love to hear from you in the comments. Do you use Beachbody on Demand? Which programs have you tried? Or have you found another way to workout that you love?
Check out these 46 tips and tricks for healthy snacking, and remember, you can see huge changes by incorporating just one or two of these baby steps into your life. Be sure to pick the tips that will specifically work best for YOU, and remember to always focus on mindful eating whenever you snack.
40 Clever Snacking Hacks for Healthy Living
Portion Control Snacking Tricks
Use your fist to determine your snack size. Put a fist full of snacks on a plate and mindfully enjoy your snack. Click here for mindful eating techniques.
Drink a glass of water before you reach for a bite. Do this every time to get more water into your day.
Pre-portion all your healthy snacks ahead of time.
Instead of snacking from the box, carton, or bag, put a serving on a plate and eat off of that plate. You will enjoy your food more if you take the time to sit down and eat from a plate, and you will be less likely to overeat if you separate snacks into appropriate fist-sized servings.
Snack when you feel hungry. Before snacking, ask yourself, ‘Am I hungry or am I wanting to eat because of emotions like stress, boredom, tiredness, sadness, etc?’
When you snack, make sure you are mindfully enjoying your food instead of mindlessly snacking. Chew each bite and swallow before picking up your next bite. Pay attention to the flavors, notice and enjoy each bite. Take a sip of your drink before picking up your next bite. It takes your brain 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full so take your time. (see How to Mindfully Eating for Weight Loss)
Pause before you start eating. Pausing before eating is a major key to mindful eating. I do more than pause though; I take the time to pray a specific prayer. After this one prayer, I rarely feel the need to overeat. Now when I eat, I think about 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Inspired by this Bible verse, I have started praying before I eat, saying, “God, thank you so much for this food. Thank you for this time that I have to sit and enjoy the food you have given me. I want to eat for the glory of You, God.” I enjoy my food so much more when I am focused on eating for the glory of God.
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Snack Less Often Tricks
Limit nibbling or tasting while cooking or cleaning up the meal. Nibbling while cooking is mindless eating. When we mindlessly eat, are we really enjoying our food?
Go to bed at a decent time. . If you start feeling like you want to eat late at night, but you are not actually hungry, you might actually just be tired. Go to bed. You will wake up refreshed and ready breakfast.
Take up a hobby so that you can enjoy another activity in your leisure time besides eating. Whenever I felt like eating when I’m not hungry, I often think ‘would I rather exercise, read, or dance instead of eating?’ and the answer usually ‘yes’.
Pre-plan something fun to you will do instead of snacking. Every time you want to snack when you are not hungry, do one of your pre-planned activities first. Examples of preplanned activities are call a friend, walk, read, or take a bath.
Get into a snacking routine and plan your snack times. Your body will get use to snacking at this time, and you will be less likely to randomly graze and snack at other times of the day.
Make sure your meals are satisfying. Mindfully eat and enjoy your meals.
Store snack foods out of site.
Keep more nourishing foods and snacks in the house instead of the less nourishing empty-calorie foods.
Limit snacking to only one place in the house so that you won’t associate lots of areas in your house with food. If you eat all over the house, you will crave food everywhere.
Make TV a snack free activity. If you eat while watching T.V., your body will associate TV with eating. With practice, eventually you will not crave food while watching TV.
Sometimes we snack because we are tired. If you are feeling tired, and not actually feeling hungry, take a nap or do a mindful breathing exercise instead of snacking. So listen to your body and give your body what it is actually asking for.
If you like eating while watching TV, do something else with your hands instead like a hobby, fold clothes, or relaxing stretches.
Close down the kitchen after you have finished a meal. Clean up immediately after a meal and then turn off the kitchen lights, leave the kitchen, and do something in another part of the house.
Don’t skip breakfast. For some, eating breakfast reduces overeating throughout the day, increases energy, and fuels your mind so that you can feel ready to conquer the day. Make sure your breakfast is nourishing and filling. Eating something like a cup of oatmeal in the morning may prevent you from binging in the afternoon.
Avoid snacking while doing other things like reading, surfing the internet, eating in front of a television or in a movie theater
Drink lots of water! Our body’s need plenty or water!
Make sure your meals are satisfying. Eat high fiber, nutrient-dense meals to promote fullness.
Eating sugar causes us to want to eat more; therefore, limit sugary foods to decrease your desire to overeat. In other words, the sweeter the food, the more we want sweeter food. The less sweet the food, the less we desire sweets. For example, if you go a long time without sweets, then a piece of fruit will taste nice and sweet to you and a piece of chocolate cake may taste too sweet to you. But if you continue to eat sweet foods, a piece of fruit will not taste sweet enough and a piece of chocolate cake will be needed to feed your sweet tooth.
If you love to eat, but are feeling full, think of the end of your meal as just a break from eating instead of the end. Tell yourself you will continue eating at your next meal.
Here is one that may work for some. This is an exercise in changing the way your mind thinks about different foods. Through visualization, learn to think of nutritious foods in a more positive light. When you see vegetables, visualize them fighting your hunger, cancer, and heart disease or picture relaxing by a cozy fire while eating warm vegetable soup. Or picture yourself sitting by the beach, eating juicy cold fruit. Visualize the gift of the nourishing food as you are eating. Below is an example of my thought process as I mindfully ate a meal. This will work for snacks as well.
“I could see the steam coming from my freshly cooked brown rice bowl as I set down at the table. I was hungry, and the aroma from the spices made me feel excited about what I was about to eat. But I didn’t start yet. First, I paused and took a moment to notice this gift from God. As I paused, I looked down at my food. The green of the broccoli, brown of the brown rice and beans, and orange of the sweet potatoes reminded me of the colors of God’s earth on a beautiful bright spring day. I am overwhelmed by the miracle of food, and I thank God. Our bodies and minds need certain “things” to thrive and miraculously, thanks to God, these “things” grow straight out of the ground!
Now I am ready to take that first glorious bite. As I bite down, my mouth explodes with the flavors of fresh garlic and spices. I can feel the gritty earthiness of the brown rice, which is yet another reminder that I am eating food from God’s beautiful earth. It tastes like sweet nourishment as if my body is flourishing with each bite. I can feel the creaminess of the black beans as my mouth breaks up the outer skin. I continue to pray with each bite, thanking God for the “things” God gave us to help us thrive- the fiber, the vitamins and minerals, the antioxidants, and protein.
As I eat, I enjoy God’s company. I tell God that I want to glorify Him in all that I do, including eating, and thank God for providing the energy and nutrients I need to go into the world and spread God’s love.
I continue to mindfully eat, making a conscious decision to be present with God and my food. With each bite, the stress of the day just melts away. This is a chance to rest my body and decompress. I can feel myself relaxing in God’s presence.”
How to Eat Healthier Snacks
Snack on healthy snacks while your children eat snacks so that you will not mindlessly pick food from their plate.
Or if you would rather eat cooked vegetables for a snack then sauté a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables in cooking spray or olive oil and garlic. Add some red pepper for additional flavor and separate into portion-sized containers for the fridge. The key is always have healthy snacks on hand and limit the availability of unhealthy snacks.
Snack on nourishing foods like vegetables, nuts, dark chocolate, or fruit. These food are super filling, and will benefit your body.
Have nonfat yogurt, pudding, and/or fruit instead of other sweets like cake, cookies, donuts, etc.
If you like picking at food while watching TV, nibble on something nourishing like raw vegetables..
Nibble on raw fruits and vegetables while you are cooking.
If you are living with others who are eating less nutrient dense foods, make one cabinet and one part of the refrigerator their foods and make one section in the refrigerator and pantry your foods.
You do great at home, but when you go out to eat you seem to always overeat. Or maybe you eat out more than you eat at home so you need a plan that will work for your eating out lifestyle. If either of these scenarios sounds like you, then you may want to incorporate some of these tips. Pick and choose the tips that you think will work best for you.
26 Clever Hacks for Eating Healthy While Eating Out
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When you order your food, ask for the waiter to bring a box WITH your meal. Before you begin to eat, put food into your box until your plate looks like a sensible amount of food.
When at a restaurant, ask the server to hold the bread, snack mix, or chips and salsa that might come before the meal.
After you eat out, have you ever said to yourself, “Whew, I’m stuffed. I’m not going to eat another bite,” but then you keep nibbling on your food because the waiter hasn’t taken the plate away? If this is sometimes you (it is totally sometimes me), then try popping in a MealEnders ender as soon as you feel full. MealEnders Signaling Lozenges–Conquer Cravings, Curb Snacking, Beat Overeating, and Master Portion Control–Helps You Stick to Any Diet Weight Loss Program, 25-count Pouch (Chocolate Mint)works in three ways. When you eat a Mealender, you first taste something sweet. Sweetness signals the end of a meal for many, so your mind will think that the meal is…well…ending. Second, sucking on a MealEnder takes longer than chewing so you will give your brain time to get the signal that you have eaten. Finally, the center of the MealEnder has a strong and refreshing mint flavor. The MealEnder’s strong refreshing mint taste cleanses your palette and stops those desires eat. Have you ever noticed that you don’t usually feel like eating after you brushed your teeth? Yeah, it’s just like that except tastier!
If you have a few favorite restaurants, research the menu BEFORE you go out to eat. Pick the best choices before you enter the restaurant.
Choose grilled or baked foods on the menu instead of fried.
Ask for the plate to be removed as soon as possible.
Choose turkey, chicken, or a plant-based protein as your source of protein.
Do you go out to eat because you don’t have time to cook? You could try another non-cooking approach. Perhaps try this. Stop spending money going out to eat or eating fast food and take out. Instead put the money towards nourishing pre-packaged healthy meals or frozen foods. You still don’t have to cook! Find the healthiest frozen dinners here.
Or perhaps you would like to cook at home, if you could learn how to create quick meals on the spot with the food you have in your house (no meal planning or prepping required). The Nourishing Meal Builder is perfect for you, if this is something you would love to learn how to do.
Share an entrée with a friend or family member.
Stop eating when you are full and focus on other pleasures like the setting, your family, and your friends.
Okay this is actually my #1 favorite tip (my #2 favorite is the “ask for the box with your meal” tip). Favorite tip: Mindful eating! Mindful eating techniques work well in almost any situation and with almost any weight loss barriers. You can use mindful eating techniques while snacking, eating out, at parties, and to help with portion control and emotional eating. To learn more about mindful eating check out the Mindful Eating Step-by-Step guide.
Ask for water. Refills on drinks can be a HUGE amount of sugar.
Choose the vegetable option as your side. I mean, antioxidants and fiber!!! Talk about foods that help your body thrive!
When eating fast food, choose options like smaller burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, cups or bags of fresh fruit, and bottled water.
Try a main dish salad for lunch. Go light on the salad dressing or use light dressing. Do this when you eat out often.
Try a green salad or vegetable sides instead of fries.
Limit eating out to only once or twice a week.
At fast food restaurants, ask for the nutrition facts and look for the healthiest choice.
Ask the server to recommend the tastiest nourishing meals. You could do this without even looking at the menu.
Ask the waiter for appetizer or lunch portions (even at night) with extra side of veggies.
Ask the waiter to wrap half the meal before bringing it to the table or ask the waiter to bring a box when he brings the meal, and you wrap up half the meal before you start eating. (Okay, I kind of said this twice, but it’s so helpful!)
When eating out, ask your server to point out the low calorie options. Only look at those foods on the menu.
Ask for the kids menu or a child’s size portion. An example would be a child’s drink or child’s popcorn at the movie theater, or a child’s chicken plate.
Don’t feel like you have to clean your plate; Take the time to enjoy your meal. Slowly eat and notice when you are full. If you don’t finish your food, you get to eat yummy leftovers for the next day!
Make sure you have vegetables on your plate even when you eat out.
Lastly, when you eat out, get tomato-based foods instead of cream based foods.
? Let me know which flavor is your favorite. Has MealEnders helped you lose weight or portion control? What other strategies have helped you lose weight?
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