No More Diets - Just 1%

28th July 2006

Contents

FOR A LIMITED TIME

* Special subscriber offer

Feature Article:

* Just 1%

Recipe of the Week:

* Leek and Potato bake

Lots of new posts on my Think Slim Blog this week including...

* Fast food or Fat food
* Does a smaller plate work?
* 5 foods for a flatter tummy

Hi!

The heat wave continues. This is Scotland for goodness sake! We never needed air conditioning before and we don't have it now except in large buildings, shops and offices. As I sit at my desk writing this it's 30 degrees C indoors (about 84F)

Suddenly I understand how you can go off exercise in the summer unless you have somewhere cool to do it and swimming (which is not normally my exercise of choice) has a whole new attraction.

Anyway I hope you are still doing your 1% - see this week's article if you want to know why.

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 48 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

FOR A LIMITED TIME

The Weight Loss Handbook - my ground-breaking manual and 8 week online coaching program - is here! You can pick it up at any time for $35 from http://www.weightlosshandbook.com

For a short time though, you can take advantage of a special launch offer for readers of this ezine. The Weight Loss Handbook and Coaching Program is available for only $23 at this special link

http://www.weightlosshandbook.com/launchoffer.html

The offer link will be online for a week or so.

Feature Article : Just 1%

If you could make a huge difference to your weight and fitness in less than 1% of your time would you do it? Is your health a high enough priority to you that you're prepared to allocate a little time to it?

Most of us would say "Yes" but then not actually do anything about it! We don't give our health and shape even that much time and attention. Instead we give our bodies food they don't want and deny them the movement they crave.

Just one to one and a half hours out of the 168 we ALL have each week - that's all you need to achieve and maintain a level of fitness which will do wonders for your quality of life. And it often makes the difference between constantly gaining weight and losing a little too.

Can you honestly say that every hour you spend is as valuable to you? to your life? to your health? to your happiness? How much time is taken up in trivia and unnecessary chores that don't do half as much for you? The TV will never make you feel so good, neither will the PC, nor taking on more and more obligations for your family and kids that you really don't have time for.

You owe it to yourself and everyone who loves you to stay fit and healthy. So block out 1% of your time for taking care of yourself in this way. It may seem like another obligation or chore at first but the amazing thing is that after a while you will start to feel good and you will never want to give up that feeling. Even if you let your 1% slide once or twice you will know the feeling that you are aiming for and will get back on track because you want to feel that way again.

And it doesn't even have to be formal exercise you take - just walk instead of driving on short errands, play with your kids in the park, go for a refreshing dip at the pool or dance around your lounge (nobody is watching!) Have fun with your 1% but just do it!

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Recipe of the week : Leek and Potato Bake

Serve with a mixed salad

Serves 4

480 calories a serving

900g (2lbs) potatoes
50g (2oz) butter
3 leeks, trimmed and cut into thin slices
200g (7oz) cheddar cheese, grated (shredded)
1 egg, beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade (425F / Gas Mark 7). Melt half the butter in a pan and gently cook the leeks to soften. Meanwhile boil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash with the remainder of the butter, 150g of the cheese and the egg plus a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the leeks and add the mixture into an oven-proof gratin dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until brown and bubbling on the top (about 10 minutes)

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Banana Pancakes (for breakfast)
* Moroccan Carrot Salad
* Fish and Pea Thai Curry

In the Forum (Anything Else to Share section)

* Download this cookbook with a difference

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute foe medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.

No More Diets - Watch Out! There's Salad About

21st July 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* Watch Out! There's Salad About

Recipe of the Week:

* Broccoli Salad

New on my Think Slim Blog this week...

* Cut Down on Hidden Sugar
* 10 Reasons for Weight Gain
* Daily or Weekly Weigh-in?

Hi!

What a heat wave we have been having this week (at least by Scottish standards) - I thought a few pounds of me would have melted away in the last few days but somehow the scales are not reflecting that yet!

It has been far too hot to cook anything elaborate so we have had simple foods all week - great for the waistline but it did remind me that the typical dieter's "friend" - salad - is not always such a great choice even though it seems so virtuous ... and that thought became this week's article.

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 47 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

Feature Article : Watch Out! There's Salad About


Every diet seems to feature salad somewhere or other so we always associate salad with healthy eating. But take care, the salad that you think of as healthy can be more calories than a burger and fries -it's still far better for you from a healthy eating point of you (you'll be getting a number of your 5 portions of fruit and vegetables you need to eat each day) but not necessarily great for your waistline.

So how can you go wrong with salad?

It all depends on what you put in your salad, how you dress it and most importantly of all how filling it is.

You can eat most traditional salad ingredients - at least of the vegetable variety - without turning a hair. In fact, you can eat them to your heart's content and will find it difficult to eat enough to put on an ounce. So feel free to pile your plate with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, grated carrot, beetroot, sweet peppers and so on - as much as you like.

Where the problems come in is in the added extras that actually give the salad some much needed zing - the dressing, the croutons, the bacon bits, pinenuts, olives and so on. That's where you have to start using some caution and common sense. With the high calorie ingredients measure the amount you are adding and add just enough to make the salad interesting.

A salad without dressing is pretty sad but most dressings are rich in fat. If you can find a good salad dressing that is not loaded with calories or chemicals then go ahead but I much prefer to use the real thing but with care.

If you toss your salad with a tablespoon or so of dressing (per person) you get the taste of the dressing dispersed throughout the leaves and you'll find you need much less than if you add it to your plate afterwards. So always toss even if it's just for one. (In a restaurant ask for the dressing on the side so that you can see how much you are adding and beware of those salad buffets where you pile your plate with everything that takes your fancy - most of that won't be lettuce!)

And that brings me to those mayonnaise type salads that are in every variety on the supermarket shelves and make up many of the attractive offerings at a restaurant salad buffet. They can kill the virtue of a salad in one fell swoop. Tossing your salad with a spoonful of dressing and adding a few croutons, olives or nuts is almost always better than loading it with the mayonnaise-type mixed salads. Even the so called "healthy choice" options are loaded with calories and often artificial sweeteners and fillers.

Also, make sure that your salad doesn't leave you hungry by including some slow-release carbohydrate. You can add a little whole wheat pasta, brown rice, a few boiled baby potatoes (cooked in their skins) or eat a small whole meal roll with your salad.

Include some low-fat protein too because that will also keep you feeling satisfied for longer and make sure your meal is well balanced. For example you can add some chopped cooked chicken, hard-boiled egg, a little grated low-fat cheese, some ham, fish or seafood.

If you just eat salad without the carbohydrate or protein your salad will have you running to the fridge for more food within a couple of hours.

With the range of fresh ingredients available all year round, salad CAN make a delicious quick and satisfying meal when you want to lose weight - just watch out for the hidden dangers when you put your salad together.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Recipe of the week : Broccoli Salad

Just remember to add some low-fat protein and slow release carbohydrate to make a balanced meal!

Serves 4

257 calories a serving

1 large head fresh broccoli
10 sliced black olives (without stones)
4 radishes, sliced
2 green salad onions, chopped
8 baby tomatoes, halved
50g (2oz) unsalted peanuts

Dressing:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
pinch dry mustard or half teaspoon ready-made mustard

Blanch the head of broccoli in boiling water until tender but still crisp. Rinse immediately in cold water to prevent it cooking further. Cut into small florets and place in a large bowl. Add the olives, radishes and onions. Mix the dressing ingredients together and stir through the vegetables. Then add the tomatoes and peanuts, mix and serve immediately.

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Teriyaki Chicken
* Pork Diane
* Mushrooms with Bacon, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Cheese

In the Forum (anything Else to Add section)

* Weight Loss Plateaus and Pitfalls

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute foe medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.

No More Diets - After a break

14th July 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* After a break

Recipe of the Week:

* Barbecue Chicken

New on my Think Slim Blog this week...

* Another way to lose weight
* Weight Loss Coach on a Diet?

Hi!

Apologies for the missing "No More Diets" last week - I meant to write it before I set off on vacation (we went to Germany for 9 days) but ran out of time. Anyway thanks to all of you who wrote to say that you missed it.

If you're about to set off on vacation yourself, have you decided how you will deal with your weight loss while you're away? My philosophy is to take a break from caring about weight too much but without eating a silly amount of food.

The main thing is to get back on track straight after your break. This week's article should help you do that whether you've been on vacation or just wandered from the straight and narrow a bit.

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 46 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

Feature Article : After a Break

A break is a dangerous thing for a weight loss program. It's so easy for a day or two off your plan to slip into a week or two and then a month even though all the while you're promising yourself you'll start again tomorrow, on Monday or on the first of the month.

If you've ruined your plans for the day, the week or the month you may feel that you might as well throw in the towel and start again with a bright shiny new start. But you'll find that life gets in the way whenever you start your weight loss program.

There'll always be celebrations, business trips, meals out with friends, vacations, heat waves when you can't be bothered with cooking what you planned and bad days when you need comfort. They are part and parcel of life and no doubt there'll be times when those occasions mean that you'll eat too much.

Just don't expect perfection of yourself and do your best to get right back on track at your very next meal.

It helps if you do what you can to limit the damage while you are out of your routine. Don't use a holiday, a business trip or an event as an excuse for a total blow-out, because you'll regret it later. Enjoy the event. Select the food you love, maybe eat a little more than usual but don't stuff yourself silly.

But if you have eaten a little more than planned and fear you've blown your weight loss program, put it in perspective. One bad meal or bout of holiday eating is not going to stop you losing weight forever. No one is perfect and everyone deserves a break now and again.

Don't prolong the agony by beating yourself up about what you ate or make things worse with a "might as well give up for this week then.." attitude. A few thousand calories too many will mean you have to work extra hard to lose what you gained but the higher the tally, the harder you will have to work to get back to where you were. Adding an extra few thousand calories you will have to lose by putting off getting back on track is just making your job harder.

Somehow we seem to get it into our heads that the calories we eat before we restart our diet won't have to be worked off, that they don't count. And some of us (who are forever starting on Monday) have week after week of indulging before restarting the diet and end up with more weight to lose than ever.

It's always easier to plan the perfect weight loss program than to actually follow it. We visualize ourselves eating salad and nibbling on vegetable sticks for 6 months but it's just not going to happen like that. We are human. We like to eat. We have high days and holidays, bad days and chaotic days so be realistic and choose a plan that lets you deal with real life sensibly and if you ever waver it should be easier to slip right back into it after a break.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Recipe of the week : Barbecue Chicken

Serve with a side salad mixed with a little whole grain rice or pasta

Serves 4

105 calories a serving

4 chicken breast fillets without skin
2 tablespoons soft brown (Demerara) sugar
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons tomato puree
2 teaspoons French mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon chilli powder

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and use to marinade the chicken either overnight or for several hours in the fridge in a covered container. Grill (broil) or barbecue the chicken until cooked through.

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Southern Pork Chops
* Creamy Pasta
* Italian Fish Stew

In the Tools section

* How to Deal with Eating Triggers

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute foe medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.

No More Diets - Quick Fix Plan

30th June 2006

Contents

Feature Article:

* Quick Fix Plan

Recipe of the Week:

* Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

New on my Think Slim Blog this week...

* A genuine weight loss pill
* Do You Keep a Food Diary?
* Media Weight Loss Advice

Hi!

I don't usually talk about quick weight loss plans very much - in the long run you're better off changing your habits gradually so the weight stays off for good.

But what happens if you have an event in a couple of weeks or a month and you want to look your very best quickly? The article this week gives my recommendations if this applies to you.

Have a great weekend

Love

Janice Elizabeth
Personal Weight Loss coach

http://www.SimplySlimming.com

"The friendliest place to lose weight on the web"

P.S. If you've missed any issues of this ezine, you can find all 45 of them on the No More Diets back issues blog at http://nomoredietsezine.blogspot.com

Feature Article : Quick Fix Plan

So you've got a wedding or a school reunion coming up in a few weeks and you want to look your very best by losing some weight fast. What do you do?

You could embark on a strict diet and exercise plan - the shop bookshelves (and maybe even yours) are full of advice. But a lot of the rigid weight loss programs are impractical to follow for even a short time.

Instead, here's a plan that isn't too complicated and doesn't involve starving yourself or spending hours at the gym. It will keep you looking and feeling good and full of energy too while you lose some weight.

1. Drink Water

Replace every beverage you normally drink with one which is calorie free and full of health-giving benefits - water. It will flush out your system, make your skin glow and help you shed excess fat. Dump the system clogging soda (even diet soda), coffee and tea and calorie laden alcohol, juice and milky drinks and go for pure water or herbal tea. (Peppermint is great)

If you tend to get caffeine withdrawal symptoms gradually replace the caffeine based drinks one by one over the time you have available.

Surprisingly this step which is the simplest is often the hardest for people to stick to - you would think I was advising poison sometimes. But persevere - once you feel the benefits of proper hydration you'll never look back.

2. Eat Small Meals Often

Never let yourself get too hungry or too full by eating several small meals and snacks a day. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack and then a small bedtime snack if you need it.

Make sure every meal or snack has some lean protein as this will help to stabilize your blood sugar and keep you satisfied for longer. For meals keep the proportions on your plate roughly a quarter protein, a quarter whole grain carbohydrate and a half vegetables or salad. No meal should be larger than the size of two of your clenched fists although you can eat additional vegetables or salad if you are still hungry.

Include a variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, healthy fats and low fat dairy products so that you get the full range of nutrients which are essential for keeping up energy levels and making you look and feel at your best. Eat real food and dump the junk. This involves making sure you have planned ahead to keep the healthy food you like available.

If you have to eat out, choose a starter portion for your main course and avoid the bread, fried food, sauces and dessert.

Sample meal ideas :-

breakfast : poached egg on whole meal toast OR porridge oats made with milk with a sliced banana (for sweetness) and a few toasted almonds OR a couple of slices of ham on rye crisp bread with sliced tomato

lunch : home made chicken and vegetable soup with a whole meal roll OR tuna and whole grain rice salad OR a tomato omelette with whole meal toast and green salad OR a whole meal roll with a little grated cheese and raw vegetable sticks with a little dip

dinner : grilled meat or fish with a salad OR stir fried vegetables and bean sprouts with cashew nuts or shrimp with soy sauce and a little whole grain rice or noodles OR a baked potato with grated cheese and salad

snacks : a hard-boiled egg and an apple OR a slice of ham with a fresh peach OR a plain low fat yogurt mixed with nuts and seeds OR raw vegetable sticks and a small cube of cheese

3. Walk

Take a walk every day - as much as you are able even if it's only 10 minutes. But an hour would be great if you can manage it. Also keep as active as you can throughout the day - don't sit still when you can move! Put lots of energy into everything you do.

4. Firm Up

Do a few muscle strengthening exercises every day for 10 minutes or so. Hold in your tummy at the traffic lights. Strengthen your arms while you watch TV. Do lunges while the kettle boils. Do leg extensions under your desk while you work.

And actually, if you manage to follow all 4 points for a few weeks it is not so very far from the habits that you want to get into to be slim for life and you could easily continue your good habits without too much fuss and be slim for life after all ...

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Recipe of the week : Chicken with Lemon and Garlic

Serve with a side salad and a little whole grain rice

Serves 4

275 calories a serving

4 small chicken breast fillets without skin
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Finely grated rind of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade (375F/Gas Mark 5). Mix the butter with the garlic, parsley and lemon rind. Season with black pepper. Make a slit in the side of each chicken breast to make a pocket and stuff with the butter mixture. Wrap each chicken breast in foil and place on a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through. Unwrap before serving.

New on the members' site this week

In the Recipes section:

* Lemon Tuna Pasta
* Meat Loaf
* Mushroom Chilli

On the Forum (Anything Else to Share section)

* Sanity Savers

Have a great week

Love

Janice Elizabeth

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know.

P.S. Know anyone else who would like a copy of this ezine? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can get your own copy at http://www.SimplySlimming.com Look for the link to "Free report".

Legal and admin

Copyright 2006, J. Small All Rights Reserved.

This newsletter provides information for general purposes only and is not intended as a substitute foe medical or health advice from professionals. The accuracy, completeness and suitability of the material for your needs has not been assessed or verified and cannot be guaranteed. This disclaimer also applies to any recommendations or links within the newsletter. You bear responsibility for your own health research and decisions. Please consult with a professional health care advisor before embarking on a weight loss or exercise program or making any personal health decisions. No liability can be accepted for the use made of any information contained within the newsletter or obtained by following any links or recommendations within it. If you do not wish to accept the above conditions you may not use our materials.