Turkey is NOT just for Thanksgiving!!

2 pounds of Smoked Turkey

One question I get from women who are trying to lose weight is "How do I get more protein in my diet?" 

An easy way to get more protein in your diet is to snack on turkey!

Turkey is a meat that has a lot of protein which is great for keeping your blood sugar stable (which helps you lose weight) and keeps you fuller for longer.

Turkey is generally lower in fat than red meat, and smoked turkey is very juicy and soft, which means that it digests a lot easier than other meats and won't weigh you down.

I always feel good and energized after eating turkey. I have never felt sleepy like the story goes. And, I would know because I have to really watch my blood sugar levels because if they spike high, or drop low, then I get very sleepy.

I think that was always the rolls, casseroles, and pies that made me sleepy during the Holidays.  

What I like to do is go to the local BBQ or Smokehouse and buy 1-2 pounds of Smoked Turkey. 

I like to buy it from there because: 

1. It is very juicy
2. It has less salt/sodium
3. It is never dried out or tough like some oven turkeys
4. I don't have to spend 2 days thawing and cooking a turkey

Or, if you can't find a place that has smoked turkey, then buy turkey deli meat at your local grocery store. It still works great as a snack, just watch the sodium levels, and ask the deli worker for samples so you can find the brand that you like the most.

Ways to Eat Turkey:

• Eat it as a snack with BBQ sauce.
• Eat it as a sandwich on whole wheat or whole grain bread.
• Eat it in the morning with eggs, instead of sausage. 
• Eat it with dinner and pair it with fresh vegetables.   

There are so many ways to eat smoked turkey and it is SOOO GOOD!

How do you eat turkey? Share your comments below. 

Top #1 Mistake Women Make

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women 

"Top #1 Mistake"

What is the best way to lose weight for women?

One of the questions I get from women who come to me for help with losing 20 pounds is this....

"What EXTREME Exercises do I have to do to lose weight?"....as they breathe a HEAVY SIGH

And with a big smile on my face, my response is always this:

You don't have to do Extreme Exercises to lose weight! Weight loss studies have shown that weight loss results are from
90% nutrition, 5% exercise, and 5% genetics.

What this means is that 90% of your effort should be spent monitoring what you eat, what you don't eat, how often you eat, and the problems and stress that you encounter that make you eat emotionally.

***** 90% Nutrition ******

So the previous problem is believing that you can eat whatever you want as long as you workout. When actually the real solution is the exact opposite. Eat the right types of foods, in the right combinations, at the right times and 20 pounds will melt away from your body fast.

You can workout until your face turns blue, but if you are not focused on the foods and drinks you take in every day, and the foods and drinks you shouldn't be taking in every day, then you will not see the results you are looking for and you will burnout and give up.

The first step is to BUST THE MYTH that you have to do EXTREME EXERCISES to lose 20 pounds. It's just not true!!!

So, begin focusing your mind on diet as your best way to lose weight.

BEGIN BY FOLLOWING THE 10 STEPS BELOW!

STEP 1: REMINDERS

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

1. Keep reminders around (like sticky notes on your refrigerator and computer) that diet is the best way to lose weight.

Most likely, if you are anything like me, you are a very busy woman with a hectic lifestyle. I forget what my options are, and sometimes I just grab and go.

It takes a while to train your mind to think a certain way. Place reminders around so that you can look at them every day, all throughout the day.

After a while, your mind will have those reminders memorized and subconsciously you will automatically know and remember that the best way to lose weight is through diet and nutrition.

One thing that I do is I post my meal plans and food reminders on the refrigerator. This reminder keeps me on track and tells me my food options are every day. Put snacks and meal options on there so that you are constantly reminded what your diet options are, and you will stay on track with your diet.

STEP 2: LEARN

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

2. Learn about foods that are good for you and food that are not so great for losing weight.

I was taught very little about food, and the reason is because nobody around me knew about food.

We just grabbed fast food, or cooked fried foods like our grandparents. Fried meat, fried bread, fried vegetables, fried everything! Fried Fried Fried

When I began learning about food, I had no idea where to start. So what I did was talked to new people who seemed to be eating foods and drinking drinks that I had never seen. These people were actually very interested in teaching me.

There are so many ways to gain new information, so that is a great 2nd step....go learn something new about food, buy new foods at the grocery store, and try something new so that you can truly learn for yourself if you like certain foods or not.

You will be surprised at how many foods are actually delicious and healthy. My biggest surprise was avocados. I never had avocados when I was younger, and now I buy them every week. Give them a try, learn something new, you will be surprised at how exciting this adventure can be!

STEP 3: BUY BOOKS

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

3. Buy books online with meal plans and recipes.

The fastest and easiest way to learn about diet and the best way to lose weight is to buy books.

You can buy books online through Amazon.com or Ebay.com, and other online book stores. You can also go to the local bookstore in your area and buy books about food, recipes, healthy eating, and meal plans.

Most books include a lot of information, brilliant pictures of foods with descriptions of what those foods are and how to eat them.

Make sure you find a book that is simple, easy to understand, and has meal plans that won't overwhelm you.

Keep it simple is they key to your success when buying books.

STEP 4: READ BLOGS

4. Read blogs that share tips and weight loss success stories.

Blogs are one of the easiest, fastest, and FREE ways to get information and recipes about diet. Most blogs also share the blogger's personal story which can really help you relate to that person and the struggles they also are going through.

Don't be afraid to comment and message them with questions.

Bloggers are people too, and they want to connect with you and help you just as much as you want answers to your questions.

If they don't comment back, then just move on to another blog. There are a ton of blogs out there and friendly bloggers who truly want to help others with their diet and weight loss.

I suggest finding 5-10 blogs to follow, that are written by women who have been on the same kind of weight loss journey that you are on.

STEP 5: KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

5. Keep a food journal. Write down every thing you eat and drink for a week and add up the calories. This will blow your mind, I promise!

When I first started keeping track of what I ate, I had no idea how much or what I was putting in my mouth.

What i did was kept track of all the calories I ate and drink each day, for about 2 weeks.

I added up all of the calories and looks at the types of foods I was eating, and it really gave me a new perspective on what I was eating. I found out that I was drinking a TON of sugary drinks all throughout the day, and eating a TON of fried and processed foods.

I also gained a 7th sense of how much I was eating every day and how that made me FEEL.

Then I switched out some fired foods for baked foods, and sugary drinks for water and diet drinks.

I started to feel better and balanced out my calories to around 2,000 calories a day, which was great for me.

So start a food journal today!

STEP 6: VISIT A NUTRITIONIST

Do these things to begin focusing your mind:

6. Hire a nutritionist, even in just 1 visit you could learn a ton of information about what to eat to lose weight.

I know this is not practical for you if you have a very busy and hectic lifestyle. However, just one visit could change everything.

They are trained and knowledgeable about how food interacts with the body and the best foods to eat, and they will make suggestions and recommendations especially for you.

So I would suggest seeing a nutritionist, at least once if you can.

STEP 7: GET MAGAZINES

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

7. Subscribe to a healthy eating diet magazine.

This is one of the first things that I did when I was beginning to lose weight.

Right now you can go to any grocery or convenience store and buy a magazine with diet and weight loss information, and you get immediate motivation.

The next thing you can do is subscribe to the magazine that motivates you the most. That way, every month, you have a new magazine in the mail, with new and fresh motivation to lose weight.

STEP 8: SUPPORT

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

8. Tell your friends and family your weight loss goals with food, and ask them for helpful tips and support.

First and foremost, only tell the family and friends that are supportive of your goals. And if they are not supportive, have a talk with them about your goals and how you feel, and perhaps this will help them understand and become supportive.

Once you have found supportive friends and family, tell them your goals and ask them for help with achieving your goals.

Perhaps they can give your supportive comments, not haggle you when you eat different from them during get together and parties, and perhaps they would like to join you and set goals for themselves and share the journey with you.

This is very important, because you need support during these trying times! I am here for you and support you in your weight loss goals, and you deserve to have that kind of support.

STEP 9: FORUMS

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

9. Join a weight loss forum. Share your journey with other women who are also losing weight with diet.

Forums are a great way to get support and information online.

Join a forum, such as www.3fatchicks.com and begin chatting and connecting with other women who are also dieting and losing weight. Keep track of your weight loss with posts and pictures, and even join in weight loss challenges.

This is a great way to keep track of what you are doing, get support from other women, get motivation, and also be help accountable (in a gentle online forum kind of way.)

STEP 10: ASK FOR HELP

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women

10. Message or comment me! I love hearing from you and helping you, just like I have helped 100's of other women with learning about the best way to lose 20 pounds through diet, without ever having to exercise.

My mission is to help other women with their weight loss goals, even if it is something very simple, a question, or you just need me to point you in a certain direction. I don't bite, I promise!

Comment here on this blog or follow me on facebook, twitter, pinterest, google+1, or squidoo

You can message me, comment, or email me!

I am here to help you and support you with your goals.

 

Lose 20 Pounds

Best Way to Lose Weight for Women!

Remember ***** It's 90% Nutrition *****

 

Link List

The following links are some of my highest recommended links:

These are links that I have used and I recommend to you to get started with you weight loss and diet plan.

Remember ***** 90% Nutrition *****

Deidra's Blog "Best Ways to Lose Weight"

A blog you can follow for recipes, diet tips, information, success stories, mistakes, solutions, and feedback.

Clean Eating Magazine

This is one of my all time favorite magazines for eating clean!

3 Fat Chicks, Weight Loss Forum

Weight Loss Forum

The Woodlands Institute

Find a nutritionist and check on your overall body health and wellness.

Calorie King

A place to search any foods to find and add up calories and keep a food journal.

Rainbow of Fruit Goodness!!!

 

Source: theantiperfectionist.com via Deidra on Pinterest

Check out this colorful rainbow of fruit goodness! This is a great idea taken from a post on Pinterest by Emily Clawson!

The reason I really like this is because it is colorful which makes the snack seem really FUN!

This is a great way to make fruit FUN and interesting for the kiddos.
 
Take fruit of all kinds and cut up into bite sized pieces, and then slide them onto kabob sticks.

Try these fruits:

• Strawberries
• Cantaloupe
• Pineapple
• Green Grapes
• Blueberries
• Red/Purple Grapes

Comment and share your favorite ways to eat your favorite fruits!
 

Valentine's = Strawberries!

 


When I think of the month February, one of the first things that comes to my mind in Strawberries!

They are almost as high on the chart as red hearts and love...and to me they kind of remind me of a red heart <3!

Strawberries are such a great snack, and I especially get excited about strawberries in February because they are in season and start hitting the supermarket shelves all red, plump, and juicy.

There are many ways that you can use strawberries. Here are some of my favorite ways to eat strawberries with my diet.

1. Wash them and just eat them! This is the easiest way to eat strawberries and since they are pretty sweet already, then they are great as a dessert.
2. Cut them up and place them in your oatmeal. Click here to get a strawberry slicer ---> 

 

1. Slice them and top with whipped cream!
2. Layer them in yogurt with other fruit.
3. Add them to fat free cottage cheese.
4. Add them to cereal.
5. Place them on top of your pancakes and add sugar free syrup.
6. Make a snack tray with strawberries, grapes, cubed cheese, and peanut butter crackers.
7. Blend strawberries in a berry shake with blueberries and rice milk.
8. Dip them in baker's chocolate and let cool....drool for Chocolate Covered Strawberries! Click Here on this picture to get your very own!
 

 

Crock Pot Stew

I love coming home and finding that dinner is ready!

This morning I got up and placed two chuck eye steaks, some cut up red/new potatoes, and mini carrots into the crock pot, and filled with water and added 1 and 1/2 packets of stew seasoning.

I put the stew on the low setting in the Crock Pot.

It sat there all day on low and cooked, and when I came home....Dinner is Served!

So stinking easy, and this is one of the best diet meals to feed your entire family and lose weight all at the same time. 

The meat is packed with protein, and the veggies are great sources of carbohydrates.

If you want to cut down on your carbs, then just leave out so many potatoes, and you could even add more meat if you wanted to increase your protein.

Recipe:

1 package of chuck eye steaks

2 cups mini carrots

2 cups red/new potatoes (cut into chunks)

1 and 1/2 packages stew seasoning  

Water

 

 Leave comments about your favorite recipes, or ask your questions here...

I look forward to hearing from you! - Deidra

     

Fat Free, Sugar Free, Protein Pudding

This is one of my favorite go-to diet snacks

If I have a chocolate dessert craving, then this is what I eat.

"Fat Free Sugar Free Protein Pudding"

Mix the pudding as directed and add 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder.

(I use unflavored)

Stir and pour into little storage cups.

Place in refrigerator until cold.

Grab one for a snack.

Grab one and throw it into your cooler to take to work, school, or on the road when you travel.

This little snack is a great snack for losing weight!

Bonus: The protein keeps you fuller longer.