Ruby Weight Loss

July 31, 2011

Can I Ask for Diet Tips?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: , — Ruby @ 7:02 am

Keep the diet tips questions coming! I liked this one:

Question: I’m obsessed to be skinny so, any tips? i’m tired for being called fat pig by my aunt :(
like what should i eat or how much the portion is.
Answer: Reduce you daily calorie intake, eat healthy (at least 1200 calories a day) and exercise. Eat veggies, fruits, whole wheat, drink a lot of water (when craving as well to make you feel full and at least 8 cups a day), fiber, drink tea, no soda, no junk food, 5 small meals or a big but healthy breakfast, a medium lunch, and a small dinner. Don’t eat after 8pm. Exercise 30-60 minutes 4/5 times a week. Just remember don’t give up, it takes time but you will get there. Good luck!

July 27, 2011

Any Good Diet Plan Tips and Advice?

What’s this week’s diet tips question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: I’m 5′ and weigh around 115, but i want to lose 15-20 pounds. Would the following menu be good to follow?
Breakfast: 2 eggs, or egg whites (would whole wheat toast be a smart add-on or a poor decision? sometimes if i dont get carbs in the morning, i don’t feel as satisfied)
Lunch: Salad or protein shake (can anyone reccommend some yummy ones?)
Dinner: Salad, with either grilled chicken, or avocado, or beans, or similar stuff.
I go to the gym around 5 days out of the week, so would this be good to power me up for my workouts, but still allow me to lose weight? Would having fruit smoothies (just fruit in a blender with ice) for breakfast sometimes be too much sugar?
Any additional tips?? sorry this was long, i just wanna find out what will work best :) Just so everyone knows, i wanna lose this weight to get the blubber off my thighs and stomach area, not to go crazy with my weight and be super skinny :)
Answer: Breakfast- eat 1 egg with yolk at least once a week. Egg whites, heck i eat them 2x a day sometimes. It’s okay to have toast in the morning. I do. Add fruit and some water and you’ll be good to go.

Lunch- Protien shakes? ehh I sometimes use half a bannana, ice, honey, and peanut butter. I recommend a salad and add protiens like turkey or grilled chicken with lots of veggies and no dressing.

Dinner- thats fine, add some veggies maybe?
Add snacks too! eat granola bars, or rice cakes and salsa for a filling treat. Rice cakes are 35 calories a cake and top it with salsa and eat away!

July 26, 2011

A Recent Vegan Looking for Diet Tips?

I just love answering these diet tips questions. Here’s another:

Question: I’ve just started out as a vegan for health and animal-rights reasons. I have a couple of main questions.

1. I’ve never been a good eater so needless to say, the food pyramid is lost on me. I’m not sure of what nutrients and how much of each nutrient I should be getting each day and I don’t know which foods to get them from. Now, I know that’s an awful lot to list out, so if you could link me to a food pyramid that is specifically for vegans and has a lot of information on each section in the food group (like what foods that section includes), that would be amazing!

2. What are some of the best (no added hormones or drugs) vegan products that are AFFORDABLE? Since I am starting out as a freshman at college this year, my parents and I don’t have money to waste. I know health food stores such as Sunflower, Wholefoods Market etc. have great products, but they tend to be very pricey. Safeway is our usual supermarket. Again, if you know a website that conveniently lists this out, that would be great!

3. Again, I’m going to ask for a website! I’m looking for a website that has tasty vegan recipes! Also, since I will be a college student, during the day I’m going to need meals that won’t perish and that are easy to carry around. I normally eat about a fistful of food every 2-3 hours and I’m going to try my hardest to keep up that routine during school so it would be great to have a website that gives recipes for small, on-the-go meals!

4. Lastly, I haven’t made the transition from milk to soy or almond milk yet (I love milk!) and just out of curiosity, I was wondering which of them you preferred and if the transition from milk to soy/almost was hard for you? :)

I’m generally looking for any tricks and tips from other vegans, so anything is appreciated! Thank you!

Answer: 1. Previous posts already gave you the vegan pyramid. This is a very informative and easily readable website on vegan nutrition that I highly recommend - Vegan Nutritionista (I am pasting the address to a page that outlines the nutritional contributions to each fruit/veggie for you but, the website also has similar articles on other vegan foods too):

http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/list-of-fruits-and-vegetables.html

2. I personally recommend Trader Joe’s for good prices on organic and gourmet vegan foods. Whole Foods has their personal brand "365" that they sell many products under for cheap prices (and the same for trader Joe’s), it includes tofu, soy/rice/grain milks, veggie mock meats, nondairy ice creams, etc. If you are lucky enough to get a place where you can grow things like tomatoes, herbs or other foods in the window or on the terrace you can save money and avoid additives and chemicals (start out with organic seeds and soil).

Also most college towns have Food Cooperatives (Food Co-ops). They are run by the community on a voluntary basis (students usually put in about two hours per week and get a good discount). They focus on local, organic and environmentally friendly products. Like many health Food Stores they tend to sell in bulk (or out of bulk bins), this is a great way to save money as it is far more affordable than prepackaged foods. (remember to take your own shopping bag). I have been striving to eat a healthy vegan diet for the last 17 years and I have found that simple foods like whole grains, beans, nuts/seeds, fruits and veggies are the most nutritious, affordable and filling. (Also, When you eat a variety of these foods on a regular basis you can easily avoid deficiencies and not have to buy expensive supplements, the best supplement of all is the actual food itself.)

One great and overlooked place to shop is Asian markets!!! Super cheap with lots of vegan goods like tofu, soy milk, coconut milk, tempeh, miso, seaweed, mushrooms, teas, fruits and veggies like lychees and napa cabbage - need I go on? These places are a struggling vegan’s best friend!

3. I am listing my personal go-to websites for tried and true yummy vegan recipes (they do have sections for easy to prepare meals). I would suggest that you stock up on things like nuts and seeds and portable fruits/veggies. A tub of homemade hummus and some carrot sticks or pretzels were my best friends when I ate that way. Also many raw smoothies in a carry along tumbler or thermos suffice as great quick and filling meals (I use 2 chard leafs, 1 banana,1 small cut-up apple and a few pieces of frozen cut-up mango, enough water to make smooth, blend in any half decent blender and drink on the way out the door). I like these websites for yummy and uncomplicated recipes:

http://www.everydaydish.tv/

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12/ridiculously-easy.html

http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipecategories

4. (The transition from cow’s to soy milk was very difficult for me being that I grew up in the 70’s/80’s…) Nowadays, nondairy milks on the market taste just like cow’s milk (Silk is the most popular brand). I prefer to make my own milk by blending a handful of unsalted, un-roasted cashews with about three times the water for 10 minutes in a blender - cheap, tasty and easy! My favorite commercial soy milk is Vitasoy but, I usually buy Trader Joe’s when I buy soy milk because it’s good and cheap. Though it doesn’t taste like cow milk, I really like Tempt brand hemp milk too! Coconut milk has a lot of uses as well. If you like yogurt and want it vegan try Wildwood brand. There are so many dairy alternatives out there, you should not have much of a problem. Vegan cheese is a big mystery for most (I usually make my own with nuts); however, Daiya brand vegan cheese is the favorite for melty cheese (e.g. pizza, lasagna) but, Vegan Gourmet Follow Your Heart is good too. Just be careful and read your ingredients because some larger companies add preservatives and/or unhealthy additives to their products (these companies are usually the most commonly sold brands of vegan alternatives owned by huge corporations like Hain and Whitewave).

Good luck:)

July 21, 2011

What is Your Best Diet Tip?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: — Ruby @ 7:01 am

What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: What is Your Best Diet Tip?
Answer: cut back on starchy carbs like potatoes,cereal, bread,rice, pasta and anything with sugar in it including drinks. less than 100g of carbs a day. easiest way there is to lose weight. works for me.

July 17, 2011

Will Someone Give Me Tips on How to Stick to My Diet and What I Can Do?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: , , , , , — Ruby @ 7:02 am

What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: Im 13 and im on a healthy eating diet. Im going on holiday in 2 weeks to spain and i have a little pop out belly:( Please don’t tell me not to diet because there isn’t nothing wrong with healthy eating! :) Haha.

Anyway, I just need a few tips on how to stay committed and anything i need to do like excercises?

Tell me a few exercises maybe? and how to do them?

Thank you so much in advance. I will give 10 points to best answer! :) Xxxxxxxxxx

Answer: im 13 too, tryna shed a few pounds for football, im 5′7 and now 125,
stock up on fruits and veggies, look up the negative calorie diet, do exercise WHENEVER possible, when sour watching t.v. and it oes to commercial, get up and do sit ups and jumping jacks, stick to locarb and high fiber diet
you can do it!
contact me if you have questions, also, exercise 60 mins before or after you eat otherwise the cals get stored as fat

July 15, 2011

Diet Tips for Workouts?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: , , , , , , — Ruby @ 7:01 am

A diet tips question that should definitely interest you all this week

Question: I’ve been working out for years, but I realized if I want to get the size and cut I want I have to improve my diet. I lift weights and run 2 miles 4 days a week. I already have muscles, but I want to get a little bigger and more defined. And I have semi-abs.

How much protein should I have on a workout, and non workout day?

Is it a good idea to have a big protein intake after workout, and very low carbs/fat fot the rest of the day?

Answer: If you’re having problem adding muscle is it extremely unlikely it has anything to do with your diet. And, if you’re having trouble getting cut, you do need to burn fat. Protein is not the answer to either. Your bulking problem is most likely poor training, over training, under training or you’re at your max. Pre and post exercise supplements are all scams. You don’t need them.

Protein is the most misunderstood nutrient in bodybuilding. I don’t have the space to tell you all you need to know so I’ll just hit the high spots and if you need more info, you can message my Yahoo account.

Don’t listen to muscleheads, gym rats, bodybuilders, personal trainers, and even coaches about protein. Most of them believe what decades and $$$$millions in supplement advertising have been telling them…that they need a lot of protein to build muscle. Not true. Here’s how much you need according to the best minds in the world at the US CDC, the people our doctors (in the US) listen to. –> http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html#How%20much%20protein You can easily get that amount of protein with a glass of milk and a chicken breast or piece of meat per day.

Bodybuilders don’t work as hard as they would like to believe. Construction workers, migrant field hands, movers, UPS drivers, etc. all work much harder every week. And none of those people worry about protein or take supplements for their jobs. They just eat a good diet and their bodies adapt with no problem. A bodybuilder can only work out 10 hours a week at the most because of the recovery time required by the muscles. Marathon runners, boxers, Olympic athletes, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, etc. all train much harder and they do it without supplements.

Most protein supplements are scams. According to the US National Institute of Health, you should use supplements only when recommended by a doctor. —> http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/ODS_Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx#Need That’s good advice because the government does not require testing and the information on the label does not even have to be in the bottle. Supplements have minimal FDA controls so you don’t know what you’re getting when you buy a supplement.

Check out this list of over 60 dangerous supplement products sold with bogus advertising claims which scam-site bodybuilding.com was forced to recall and take off the market –> http://www.usrecallnews.com/2009/11/bodybuilding-com-supplements-recalled-may-contain-steroids.html .

Go here –> http://www.usrecallnews.com/page/2?s=protein and page through the products to see how many protein supplements have been recalled for Samonella poisoning and other reasons.

All you need to make the gains you can is food. There is an abundance of information to prove this point. So, I will give you examples and cite references in the space I have left. Just be sure to ask yourself if you ever saw any good scientific evidence suggesting you need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight or more. The answer will be no. That’s a huge myth. And, all the naysayers who disagree with me will not have any good science for you. All they’ll have are ads, phony reviews, bogus testimonials, false scientific sounding white papers, bad blogs, scam sites, etc. all paid for by scammers like this one. —> http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5196740n&tag=related;photovideo

Here’s a white paper which debunks the myth of the protein supplement. Note the following excerpt…“At present there is no evidence to suggest that supplements are required for optimal muscle growth or strength gain.”
Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15212752

Here’s one more study to read. Note the excerpt…"Consumption of a recovery drink (whey protein, amino acids, creatine, and carbohydrate) after strength training workouts did not promote greater gains in FFM (Fat free muscle) compared with consumption of a carbohydrate-only drink.”
Ref: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15105028

Here’s another from Live Science. Note the excerpt…“Medical researchers have advised against protein supplements for years for the average person. But many sports trainers continue to push them on amateur athletes simply because they don’t know any better.”
Ref: http://www.livescience.com/health/protein-supplements-100202.html#

Here’s what Consumer Reports had to say —> Ref: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/overview/index.htm

If you have any doubts about the citations and references above, talk to the person who understands best how your body works….your doctor.

Now, watch this video –> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4_UY_kIPFU

Good luck and good health!!

♠

July 14, 2011

Any Tips for a 15 Year Old on a Diet?

What’s this week’s question? Let’s dive straight in…

Question: I weigh around 165 pounds and Im 5 feet and 9 inches tall. Also, Im a 15 year old girl. School starts like always, around September 7,8, or 9. I can’t remember. That gives me about 7 to 8 weeks starting today, July 13. I want to lose around 25 pounds at least, just to show myself I can do it. I know it’s not just about pounds and it’s also about weight. I’m probably a size 13 to 15 in jeans and want to shrink back down to at least a size 8 because that normal for people my height. My abdomen is ok I guess but it also needs some work, it’s really just the arm flab and small rolls on my belly. I talked to my doctor already and she just told me to eat healthier and exercise. I plan on doing so.

I’ve researched it and there are a lot of people who say that if I try hard enough, that I can even lose more. The most a person can lose a week without becoming ill is about 5 pounds. This is coming from my sister, who is a RN, and my doctor. So that’s pretty much perfect for me. I just need a little help.

I know what Im going to be doing exercise wise:
I will be running 30 minutes every day. While running, I will alternate my speed. 10 minutes normal speed, 5 minutes as fast as I can, 10 minutes normal, and the last 5 minutes as fast as I can go again and Im done for running that day.
I will also PROBABLY just take 2 bottles of water and weight lift with them because I can’t get actual weights. If I do end up doing this, after a week or so I will move onto soda bottles, the big ones, not the per person bottles. And I might start doing push ups the third week.
The last part of exercise will be 25 crunches every day, right after the running. When doing the fitness tests in gym, the pre recorded track we follow only goes up to 160 and I could go even more, but since Im doing 30 minutes of running, Im cooling down with some crunches from running.

Here’s where I need help:
I know Im going to eat 6 small meals every day with some fruit, veggie, or granola bar as a snack. Also, before I start drinking just water, Im going to put some pink lemonade powder in a water bottle and train myself because water is gross to me. Then after a while I will just stop using the powder and drink plain old water. But that’s all I know for food.

Can you give me the names of a few recipes that’ll help? Something I can eat maybe even everyday. Like I said, Im a 15 year old teen so I cant do a lot of hard cooking. The hardest thing I’ve made on my own before was spaghetti and meat sauce, but that’s not very healthy to eat everyday. I can’t have a lot of carbs or fattening foods. I like eggs but never raw and I definitely d not eat a lot of meat. I can eat a few chicken wings before I think about a little chickie. That happens with all meats.
ALSO, I DO NOT EAT PORK! IT IS AGAINST MY RELIGION! SO ANYTHING WITH BACON, PORK CHOPS, ETC IS A NO!

You dont have to do much, just write the names of the recipe and I’ll look it up. Again, small portions 6 times a day, so it cant be something big and DEFINITELY cant be something unhealthy.

ALSO, do you have just any plain old tips for me? Or advice? Im not one to stick to my goals so maybe something that will motivate me?

Please and if you help, thank you!

Answer: here’s the best recipe you’ll ever find: wash and cut up raw vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, celery, bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and put them in the fridge. then when you’re hungry, take them out and eat them. if you really really need something to dip them into, try hummus, fat free cream cheese or salsa. salad dressing has tons of calories.

don’t eat fast food at all
don’t eat any chips, crackers or pretzels of any kind
don’t eat a lot of bread, rice or potatoes

eat and drink plenty of fat free dairy products, like cottage cheese, milk and yogurt. greek yogurt has a lot more protein. be careful with cheese, it’s a fat bomb.

forget trying to stuff meat down yourself if you don’t even like it, just eat nuts and beans instead. be careful with portion sizes. about 12 nuts is a serving and about 1/2 cup of beans is a serving.

when it comes to fruit, eat the fruit, don’t drink the juices, that’s just a glass of sugar.

another protein source is egg whites. just boil and peel the eggs and throw the yolks away.

oatmeal is filling and good for you. be careful what you add to it, though. a few raisins and a spoon of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon is good.

sweet potatoes are delicious and very filling, be careful what you add to it, a teaspoon of margarine and or honey and cinnamon.

July 12, 2011

What's Your Favorite Diet Plan? Or Tip? ?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: — Ruby @ 7:01 am

I just love answering these diet tips questions. Here’s another:

Question: Trying to lose a few pounds… Anything would help… Thanks :)
Answer: I got just what you need. If you want to lose a pound a week its as simple as what im going to tell you. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. Divide that by 7(days in a week) and you get 500. So you want to have 500 calories less than your bmr. Your bmr is what your body burns everyday by doing nothing. Just type into google "bmr calculator" and you can get it. Now you have to get rid of 500 of those calories by exercise or consuming less or both. Try to eat raw and healthy foods. You can have a cheat meal once a week but what i do is every other day i have a sweet but fit it into my calories so i dont have to worry about it. You can research the rest hope this helps!!

July 11, 2011

Tips on How to Stick to a Diet?

Filed under: diet tips — Tags: , — Ruby @ 7:01 am

Well here’s a question I just had to answering straight away:

Question: I want to do a no carb diet for a week. I’ve done it before and lost 6 lbs but I had motivation then. Now I have none. I’ve heard if you picture yourself skinnier then you are more likely to stick to a diet. Can you give me some tips?
Answer: For me, I never ever buy junk food. I always buy vegetables (some are even homegrown) and I don’t buy soda, and whole milk. I will buy junk only once in a while, like a pizza or cookies, but I try reaaallly hard not to. That’s the best way for me.

July 7, 2011

Quick Diet Challenge Tips?

Well here’s a question I just had to answering straight away:

Question: Im trying to lose 25 pounds quickly, in the most semi-safe way. I’m going to eat 1,000 calories of healthy food a day, and 6 days a week I use my exercise bike for a half hour, and walk for a half hour on the treadmill at a fast pace. Sense I’m not eating a whole lot of calories, I dont want to exhaust myself working out.

I dont need to hear that i’m not eating enough calories; or that I’ll gain it all back. I’v heard and understood that. my only question is, how long will it take me to lose 25 pounds?

(f) 4′11, 125 pounds. and if you’re not my height, you need to understand that I’m not reaching or have any goals that are too extreme. When you’re as little as me, 125 looks like a wholleeee lot. and i do have a tummy that has just got to go. So please, no negative comments. I plan on gaining a lot of muscle once I shape up a little, and go on a rather different diet. But like i said, can you tell me off this diet, how much time will it take me to lose 25 pounds?

Thank you & god bless

Answer: Awww! We’re like sisters! I’m the same height and around the same weight! My weight has always fluctuated though depending on how obsessive I am about it.

But, from years of obsessing about weight and diet and whatnot, I will shut up about all the things I think you’re doing wrong, BUT I do have some positive diet TIPS for you that will help!

Drink 2 glasses of ice water AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP! That’s a supermodel trick apparently! I tried it and, within a week, my clothing was looser, my complexion improved dramatically, and people even complimented me on how "refreshing" I looked! Also, drink a glass of water before every meal! Ice water is best because it has 0 calories and your body burns calories simply trying to warm up the water inside your body! Make sure to eat a lot of WHOLE/COMPLEX foods because, again, the body burns more calories just trying to break down those foods!

I used to know the formula for figuring out how long it would take to lose 25 lbs, but, girl, it really does depend on the intensity of your workout.

Good luck! :)

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