Summer diet dessert recipe: Food swaps to cut calories, burn fat, curb cravings

The number of obese people is growing, that's probably no surprise. Scarily, morbid obesity is getting more common. Not only are more people fat than ever before, they are fatter than ever. Kids especially are having weight problems younger. I've lost 100 pounds and I feel the pain of gaining weight and the struggle to take it off. I know that deprivation dieters feel, especially at parties. Summer picnics are difficult too.

So here are decadently diet desserts to lose weight, burn fat and curb cravings. That's not an oxymoron. You really can have your cake and eat it too. You can diet and still enjoy Memorial Day, graduation open houses, weddings, showers, Father's Day, baptisms, weddings, 4th of July. Use these food swaps to cut calories, burn fat and curb sweets cravings.  Summer diet dessert recipe: Food swaps to cut calories, burn fat, curb cravings

Lower LDL Cholesterol Naturally Drug-free with Greek Yogurt

Need to lower your LDL cholesterol? Want to do it without drugs? I got mine down to normal with diet. One change I made was eating more Greek yogurt. Yogurt and kefir (fermented yogurt drink) have long been used in the Mediterranean world for health.

One 8 ounce serving of plain skim milk Greek yogurt contains zero fat, is low in cholesterol, high in acidophilus and provides 20+ grams of protein. Nutrition Data (click here) shows that one cup of plain skim milk yogurt contains 45%  RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of calcium., a mineral women and elderly don't often get in sufficient quantities.

Acidophilus or bifidus (l. bifidum), is good bacteria which restores healthy flora to the digestive tract. It's especially important to eat it after taking antibiotics which kill all bacteria, good and bad. Yogurt is an excellent source of acidophilus, l. bulgaricus and l. thermophilus, other healthy live bacteria cultures.

The popular Mediterranean Diet, based on the dietary foods pyramid Mediterranean region dwellers, relies on yogurt and kefir as diet staples. For those working to reduce triglycerides and LDL (low density level lipoproteins) or 'bad' cholesterol, yogurt is an excellent dairy substitute. Being fermented, it helps clean clogged arteries. To get the most health benefit, choose Greek yogurt or kefir skim or lowfat.

Plain yogurt substitutes for cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, cheese spreads, shredded cheese and milk in cooking and baking. Bake with plain yogurt in breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, cream pies, muffins and donuts, in place of milk. Blend into dressings and sauces. For snacks, blend with honey or raw sugar. Add salt and vanilla for to substitute for frosting, topping or icing.

  One of my children's favorite treats was dip made by blending peanut butter and plain yogurt half and half. Now I used PB2 peanut powder. Dip fruits, vegetables, crackers, pretzels and other salty snacks. If you prefer a sweeter dip, add honey, raw sugar, pure maple syrup or blue agave syrup. Cinnamon, ginger or cardamom make tasty add-ins for yogurt-peanut butter dip.

  For more great food and health tips, visit my blog www.greatfood4u.blogspot.com.

I Lost 100 Pounds and So Can You with These Not-So-Obvious Diet Tips

Are you sick to death of hearing about counting calories and exercise to lose weight? You want to scream "Pardon me, Sherlock, but no schlitz! Tell me something I DON'T know!" Okay I will. I lost 100 pounds (<---photo 2010, ---->2014). And though diet and exercise are important, it's about a LOT. If you need to lose weight, try these diet tips that go beyond the obvious, to the root of successful weight loss.  Lost 100 Pounds and You Can Too With These Less Obvious Diet Tip

10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds Fast, with Safe Diet Tips

Want to shed winter belly fat? Spring's a good time. I've lost nearly 100 pounds using drug-free, non-surgical methods. Left photo is 2011 and right is 2014. Here are 10 ways to shed 10 pounds. So you need to lose more? Keep reading and you'll learn how.10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds Fast, Safe Diet Tips 

Health Problems I Lost When I Dropped 98 Pounds

I've lost 98 pounds and dropped from size 18/20 to 3/4. Left photo (me far right) is from 2011. Left photo is Jan. 2014. I never had weight problems till I lost two stillborn babies, started early menopause at 41 and took the antidepressant Paxil (Health says Paxil can cause weight gain). Once I started getting fat, it snowballed. With 100 extra pounds, came added health problems. Since I've trimmed down and shed weight, I shed health issues, too. High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, pre-diabetes (insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome), liver swelling, high blood pressure, coordination, heart--here's how.  Health Problems I Lost When I Dropped 98 Pounds

Stay Away from Steroidal DHEA Weight Loss Supplement

 I’ve been dieting and lost 96 pounds. I use herbal and fruit supplements recommended by Dr. Oz, or another trusted source. I’d heard of DHEA and found it in the Meijer and Sundown Naturals vitamins. So it was FDA approved. It was labeled as helping metabolize sugar.

I’ve used cinnamon for blood sugar problems and thought DHEA might help. Well, it boosted metabolism right into mania. My heart pounded, my hands shook. I had delusions and panic attacks. I couldn’t stop crying and yelling. I’ve never reacted like this even to caffeine. I found out its a steroid with testosterone and estrogen called Dehydroepiandrosterone.  Stay Away from Steroidal DHEA Weight Loss Supplement

How I Lost 96 Pounds, Dropped 10 BMI Points, 8 Sizes

I was a "chubby" child, but slim in high school and young adult life. Through four children, I stayed at 130 pounds. Then I lost two stillborn babies, started the antidepressant Paxil and put on over 100 pounds. In 2012, I started dieting with little success. Finally I hit on a working plan, lost 96 pounds and dropped eight sizes (20 to 4). I've shed most excess body fat and got my BMI to 24.7 from 34. Left is me 2010 and right  is March 2014. Here's how.  How I Lost 96 Pounds, 10 BMI Points and 8 Sizes

Weight Loss Tip, Plan When to Eat, Not Just What

Dieting is very one-day-at-a-time. I've been doing it for about 20 months. Some days, I'm so sick of counting calories I want to scream. I'm always looking for ways to make dieting less tedious. I realized that it's as much about when I eat as what.

I've lost 95 pounds (left November 2013, right 2011) by allotting myself 1,350 calories a day. I eat six small meals and snacks. I eat breakfast within 30 minutes of rising (Dr. Oz recommendation). I've found that to have less trouble with hunger, I have to balance calories between meals and snacks. 300 for breakfast, lunch and dinner; 150 for snacks.   Diet Tip Plan When You Eat, Not Just What

Warning, Binges and Blowouts Make Dieting and Fasting Harder

I'm a Catholic: well not cradle Catholic-- I'm a convert. One thing I love about being Catholic is that we sure know how to celebrate life. Take Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras): it's a huge Catholic lollapalooza before the solemnity of Ash Wednesday and Lent.

All good Catholics, it seems gear up for the penitential season by overdoing it in the party season. I have my doubts about the wisdom of this. And this isn't just for Catholics. It's for everyone trying to lose weight. I have lost 95 pounds and take it from me. Fat Tuesday Feasting Makes Ash Wednesday Fasting Harder That's me now left and int 2010 right. Blowouts and binges make dieting exponentially harder. Just sayin.

Caffeine Free Water Pills for Weight Loss

I have noticed my weight loss slowed and stopped, even though I'm still dieting. A friend mentioned that I might be retaining water. As I'm out of menopause and no longer have monthly cycles, I didn't think that would be an issue. So I went looking for safe natural caffeine free diuretics. I found one by Sundown Naturals and cost only $3. With a $2 off coupon from Meijer, only a buck. It's primarily potassium with other good herbs like Uva Ursi, alfalfa, parsley, juniper, bucchu. Read on   Caffeine Free Water Pills for Weight Loss

Weight Loss Challenges--Maintenance Diet After Weight Loss

I write a lot about weight loss. Over the last 10 years, I put on 100 pounds. I went into menopause and everything went FUBAR. So I've been working to lose shed that fat. I've only got about 7 pounds left to go. I'm trying to do it healthy, making little tweaks. I made up my mind I wasn't going to crash diet, nor make huge, invasive changes, like surgery. I'm looking to build healthy habits I can sustain once all the weight is gone.  Diet Difficulties--Weaning Into a Maintenance Diet After Weight Loss

Diet Psychology: Anorexic Thinking, Food Phobia

I am working on losing 100 pounds. I'm down almost 80. Now that I'm in the home stretch, I'm really feeling great and want to push through and lose it fast. I don't get nearly as hungry as I got when my stomach was still much larger. So it's sometimes easy to skip eating. More often than not, I will only eat about 700-1,000 calories a day. I know that many people don't eat more than that. But I think for me, it's not enough. That's only three-quarters of what I'm aiming for: 1,350. Diet Tips: Dealing with Anorexic Thinking, Food Phobia

Diet Recipe of the Day: Low Calorie, Super Protein Cottage Cheese

I've lost 75 pounds dieting and still have 25 or so to go to get to goal weight. Every day, I'm submitting a diet recipe using the +Dietrecipeoftheday tag. I've been craving savory foods. But salty snacks are mostly carbohydrates with no protein. And I'm trying to cut gluten and bread. Here's a snack that hits all three and is filling and tasty  Diet Recipe of the Day: Low Calorie, Super Protein Cottage Cheese

Diet Plan, Food Choices that Helped Me Lose 70 Pounds

I can't believe it. I've only got 30 pounds left to lose to hit my 100-pound weight loss goal. Sometimes it seemed the weight would never come off. I started dieting about two years ago, but got serious 10 months ago. I tried every eating strategy, except crash diets. I want to develop new healthy eating habits. As I've learned, I've tweaked my diet plan. That's paid off. I'm losing more each week. Here's the menu I followed to lose the first 70 pounds. I eat six small meals daily, totaling 1,350 calories.   Diet Plan, Food Choices that Helped Me Lose 70 Pounds

Drug-free Coping Tips for Menopause Hot Flashes, Night Sweats

Surviving menopause isn't for sissies. Next to menstruation and childbirth, it's the most life-altering event women experience. Hot flashes, night sweats, confusion, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression--I'm juggling them all. From one sister-warrior to another, here are drugfree coping strategies for hot flashes and night sweats. Girls--not there yet? Gear up for when menopause hits. Sometimes it starts earlier than you think. I started at about 44 after my last baby died in utero. I think it's going to start even earlier with hormone treatments so commonly used. Men, share these tips with wives and girlfriends! Help your gal deal with these frustrating conditions.
Read more

Protein, Meat Food Swaps to Cut Calories, Lose Weight

I started dieting 18 months ago. I wanted to lose weight and develop healthier eating. Initially I ate a vegan-vegetarian diet. Since then, I've tweaked my protein intake to include healthier meats and protein sources. Using these food switches, I 've cut out roughly 1,000 calories a day.

* Eat modified vegan. Normally, I don't cut food entirely. I find I crave whatever I eliminate. I've stopped eating eggs and beef, however. Both cause digestive problems. I've greatly reduced dairy and substitute plain yogurt (as protein) for sour cream, butter, margarine, milk, cream cheese, ice cream and cottage cheese. I eat fish regularly, white meat chicken occasionally and pork rarely.  Protein, Meat Food Swaps to Cut Calories

Giving Up Meat or Junk Food for Lent Makes Good Health Sense

Still haven't decided what to give up this Lent? What's lent, you ask? It's a 40-day fast period Catholic Christians observe in preparation for Easter. We abstain from unhealthy practices and foods to focus on Our Lord. If done right, it can be beneficial health-wise, too. I once shed 20 pounds during my lenten fast. So what should you give up? A group of Anglican bishops in the UK suggest abstaining from meat for the 40-day Lenten period, says the Huffington Post. I agree that meat is the best thing to give up, but I'd also add sweets, junk food and fast food. Saying "farewell to the flesh (candy, cookies, pies, cake) makes good health sense. Here's why.  Go vegetarian, sweets-free for lent

Dairy Food Swaps to Lower Cholesterol, Cut Calories

I started dieting 18 months ago. Along with losing weight, I needed to lower my LDL-low-density lipoprotein, "bad" cholesterol. Wanting to avoid medications, I tried reducing cholesterol with diet. A big step was lowering dairy consumption. Here are food switches that reduced LDL cholesterol and helped me lose weight. These food swaps cut 500-1,000 calories a day.  Dairy Food Switches to Cut LDL Cholesterol, Lose Weight

Diet Dangers--Things to Avoid to Lose Weight

 Dieting is one of the most challenging behavior modification acts to perform. Unlike quitting smoking, where the smoker can give up cigarettes altogether, the dieter has to eat to live. I can't give up food but I can avoid certain pitfalls. Here's my diet danger watchlist. Diet Problems

Curb Christmas Cookie Monster Cravings with Low Sugar Switches

Tis' the season to be snacking! The holidays are about sweets. But I will be fa-la-la-fatter, if I'm not careful. I can't abstain from Christmas goodies all season long, but I will make simple food swaps to curb my inner Christmas Cookie (Candy, Cake, Pie) Monster. Here are easy, healthy, low-sugar holiday switcheroos.  Read more