Weight Loss Success Foods That Boost Your Spirits

In your effort to have weight loss success have you gone on a diet, only to feel like one of the Dwarves…maybe Dopey, but definitely a little Grumpy?

You are not alone!

Between feeling deprived and actually BEING deprived of certain nutrients, it is common that we get grumpy, or sad, or a myriad of other emotions.

Can anything be done about it?

Of course! Refusing to diet is part of the solution—because going on a diet we will feel deprived. Maybe not the first couple days or maybe even weeks, but at some point we just are feeling like we are getting the foods we want.

But declaring “I refuse to diet” does not mean that we don’t want to lose weight successfully. It just means that we make smart choices about our food intake and moving our bodies. These choices include honoring our feelings and getting the nutritional support needed to help keep our emotions balanced.

Foods to Choose to Improve your Mood:

Healthy Fats: especially the Omega 3 fatty-acids which include things like flaxseed; fish: salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna; nuts, especially walnuts. These fats also help our body lose weight and help us to feel more satisfied, so be sure to include some healthy fat in your menu plan.

Vitamin B6 and C: These two are both critical for our bodies to produce serotonin, the “feel good” hormone. B6 is found in a variety of foods like red bell peppers (a personal favorite), spinach and nuts. Vitamin C of course is found in citrus but also in cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli and those red bell peppers I love!

Vitamin B12: B12 is believed to combat both fatigue and depression. B12 is only found in animal products. You can get ample B12 by eating low fat dairy products but if you are vegan you will definitely need to take a supplement.

Vitamin D: depression is often a symptom of not enough Vitamin D. Most of us can get enough by getting out in the sun about 20 minutes (more or less depending on your coloring) a day without sunscreen.

Carbohydrates: carbs have gotten a bad rap in the weight loss world, many people think we need to cut them out completely, but if we do that we lose out on a lot of really good nutrition. And carbs really are the fastest way to fuel your brain and create serotonin. The problem is we generally grab SIMPLE carbs which just cause a rapid spike in our blood sugar which is followed by a big crash. We just can’t successfully lose weight if we are on that simple carb blood sugar roller coaster. Instead choose complex carbohydrates like whole grains.

Weight Loss Tip: to get the benefit of the carb and keep it working for you longer, always eat a small amount of protein with your carbs. My friend Dr. Linda has told me even a few almonds will do the trick!

Back Home and In the Nutty Groove

I'm back home after visiting my mom for a few days.

I did really well while there, continued with my lemon in the morning, my 15 minute exercise routine and basically healthy eating.

One of the challenges I had was that my mom has gotten SO skinny she really needs to eat more...and it felt funny to push someone to eat! What is interesting is that I didn't have to modify WHAT I prepared or even HOW I prepared it much. The basic concept is good nutrition. Since she is diabetic--controlled by diet--she really needs to eat frequently and lots of complex carbs and good protein. She also has high cholesterol so it isn't like you can just load on lots of saturated fats. So we ate the same foods, I encouraged her to eat more nuts during the day as snacks, and to increase her portion size just a little bit.

I added a few more carbs than I would normally eat...good healthy whole grains...and a bit more EVOO...and she likes to have a dish of ice cream every night. Ahhh...that was the challenge for me! She chooses the light version because of her cholesterol...the nutritionist told her to have a few raw nuts before hand to get the protein in to help balance her blood sugar and that would be okay...frankly, I just didn't find the light version very satisfying! Anyway, we had "dessert" every night which I'm not used to.

I found ways to sneak more calories, good fats and protein into her meals by upping the amount of feta and nuts in her salads, adding walnuts to her oatmeal, things like that. These are tricks that help those of us who aren't super skinny, too. By getting good fats in our diet on a regular basis we will have fewer cravings, our skin will be softer & smoother and our bodies will be more lubricated overall and function better.

You don't need to add a lot...and try a variety of omega 3 fatty acids--get some flax seed, hemp oil, walnuts...by changing it up and having a variety you avoid boredom while you give your body things it really needs! You'll feel better and have more energy, too!

So I'm back home and getting back into my own groove, (not to be confused with a rut!) Have to run to the store and buy some more veggies to go with my nuts!

Eat Your Vegetables

We've all heard this from our parents, from nutritionists, "Eat Your Vegetables"...

It is true, but let's also look at what are vegetables.

Vegetables include potatoes and sweet potatoes...high in starch. If you have already cut back on the empty calories in sodas, sweets, etc and are still wanting to lose some pounds, you may need to watch how many of your vegetables come from this end of the spectrum.

On the other end of the spectrum there are the lettuces...very low starch, low calorie, etc. It can take a lot of these foods to get you to feeling full. The good news is you can eat as much of them as you want. The bad news is you might get bored and some lettuces have little more nutrition than water.

Then there's a bunch in the middle--like broccoli, beans, etc. I find these to be the best bet for me in the "bang for the buck" as far as nutrition goes.

So there's a huge variety of vegetables and all of them are good to a certain point.

I love a big salad...but it is definitely not all lettuce. I make it chock-full of veggies so that I get a variety of textures, tastes (and vitamins!) in every bite. I pick colorful and flavorful veggies so that I get a pretty meal as well as one that is satisfying to my taste buds.

So don't just shake out the bag of romaine! Get mixed greens, add some peppers, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, whatever you like. Make a salad that a restaurant would be proud to serve and you won't feel deprived! Add your favorite protein--lean beef, chicken, tuna, maybe some walnuts or almonds.

Be brave and experiment. I have found pine nuts to be a great addition to my salads.

During the winter I add more ingredients and less lettuce. During the hot days of summer I enjoy a lot of lettuce for the lightness.

Then top off the salad with something light--my favorite is fresh lemon. Sometimes I add olive oil.

Try some of the other oils that are high in omega 3s...try flax oil, hemp oil, try sesame oil for variety...No matter the oil, keep the quantity of it down. It should augment the flavors in the salad not overpower.

Try a little soy sauce and sesame oil combo. Or red wine vinegar with olive/flax or hemp oil.

The Best Omega 3 Supplements

I realized that I did not follow up on the Omega 3 supplements entry I made a few days ago.

I found it very interesting that the day after I posted that blog entry I got in the mail an advertisement for a health food store, and it had an article about Omega 3 also and how it can help people lose weight--they referenced the same study that I had found elsewhere.

So, eating the right kinds of fat actually help us to lose our own body fat. I love it! What are the best supplements? My friend, Dr. Linda Larson (you can visit her blog and get some additional tips for your health, says that a supplement needs to be tested for potency, effectiveness and safety. Apparently most supplements aren't really tested. The manufacturer might buy the components that make up the supplement without testing the shipment. Why is that a problem? Because mistakes can happen, for one, and for another, pollution and toxins also happen.

So when buying supplements, be sure they are actually tested with every shipment that goes to the manufacturer. That will give you the greatest assurance of purity, lack of contaminants and strength.

So whose products meet those standards? There is a company out of Utah that tests every shipment of every item before they make it into their supplements. If the component doesn't pass their strict tests, the shipment is rejected, and (presumably) sold to someone who isn't as stringent in their standards.

This company actually has two Omega 3 products. One has a higher percentage of krill than the other. Both go through the same rigorous testing process. The company is called Pharmanex and is a division of NuSkin Enterprises. You won't find these supplements in any store--they are only available through independent distributors.