Printable Recipe Book: 8 Turkey-Worthy Side Dishes for a Healthy Thanksgiving

We all know Thanksgiving is often associated with the various side dishes that accompany turkey on our plates. These side dishes can sometimes sabotage our diet with the overabundance of salt, sugar, grease and a long list of not-so-healthy ingredients that are frequently used in the creation of these sides.

We’ve got some good news… you can still enjoy those famous side dishes and stay on track with your weight loss goals. We have created a perfectly printable recipe book that includes eight turkey-worthy side dishes that will allow you to have a happy AND healthy Thanksgiving meal. From the ever-so-classic Green Bean Casserole all the way to Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole, these eight recipes are certain to satisfy while keeping those healthy lifestyles in check.

Don’t sacrifice your Thanksgiving favorites in fear of falling off track. Follow a few simple steps with a few simple ingredients and enjoy those famous (and delicious) sides with a healthy twist. Believe us, your taste buds will be in absolute side dish bliss from the sweet Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots and the savory Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mashed Faux-tatoes. Make all eight sides to share with your family on Thanksgiving Day, and you’re sure to be the hit for the holiday.

Click here to get your FREE printable recipe book that features eight turkey-worthy side dishes! >

The post Printable Recipe Book: 8 Turkey-Worthy Side Dishes for a Healthy Thanksgiving appeared first on The Leaf.

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Getting enough sleep REALLY matters: a tale of four pounds

Somehow, in the last two weeks, I “gained” 4 pounds despite ‘doing everything right.’ This is a classic set up for a lot of people- it’s what causes them to get exasperated with weight loss, and quit out of frustration. It’s possible to not be one of those people, and it’s possible to figure out what’s going on. In short, it’s sleep. In long, well, just read on!

Basically every piece of advice about weight loss talks about the importance of getting enough sleep. It’s not new information. But, it IS the kind of advice that’s easy to “yeah, yeah”-away. And what I mean by that is you hear the advice, say “yeah, yeah,” and go back to only caring about whether you hit your 10k steps that day, or if you met your protein goals, or calorie target, or whatever. It’s just one of those things that gets lumped in with general health advice, and seems less important than everything else.

Well, dear reader, it’s important. If your goal is better overal health, getting enough sleep is absolutely crucial. If your goal (for right now) is just shedding excess weight (this is r/loseit, after all ;), well, it turns out, it’s just as important.

The above image is made from two screen shots. One from my daily weight log, and one from the sleep tracking section of the Apple Watch. Over the past two weeks, my schedule has completely changed, and I am getting MUCH less sleep than I’m used to. I have felt out of sorts, more emotional, and just, in general, much less even-keeled than I normally am.

In addition to the emotional changes, keeping to my daily 1600 calorie budget has been a REAL struggle (don’t mind today which says I’ve only eaten 600 calories- it’s only noon here, and I haven’t logged the rest of what I’m going to eat today!). Being tired makes me hungry, and it has been a real challenge, in a way I haven’t felt in almost two years (when I started counting my calories), and first reduced my calories. It has been hard!

My weight went up, despite sticking to my goals- I have the proof from my fitness pal; I log accurately, and I eat an appropriate amount. I’m averaging around 8,000 steps a day. At my height, that should be a 2-300 deficit from my TDEE, giving me a slow and steady rate of weight loss (maybe half a pound-pound a month, which is fine for me). I woke up this morning nearly four pounds lighter than I had been over the past few weeks, after finally getting an AMAZING 12 hours of sleep last night. There is no question in my mind that poor sleep was the culprit for the weird data on the scale.

I’m making this post because if this had happened to me two years ago, at the beginning of my weightloss journey, I would have been so frustrated. I have been doing this long enough to know that if my eating is good, then my weight is OK (no matter what nonsense the scale says). It can be hard to keep going, despite the water retention (which also can come from multiple sources: from poor sleep, restaurant food, a particularly heavy day of exercise, a menstrual cycle, and on and on). But, it is important to keep going. Things eventually even out, and by listening to the body (or, if you’re like me, listening to the data on my body that I can track), we will eventually end up back on the path we were headed down.

Getting enough sleep matters, emotionally AND physically. Don’t neglect it!

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Will I (28F) EVER see it for myself? [242lbs -> 194lbs, 5'10"]

2 and a half years ago I was 242lbs (110kg). After my left knee popped out sideways while standing up from bed, I saw my doctor about the injury and had an MRI done. The report came back "fat pad impingement" and that's all I needed to know. I asked him for help losing weight.

Now I'm 194lbs (88kg) - about 8 kilos to my first goal. Because of my knee, I was too scared to hit the gym. All the weight loss thus far has been due to overhauling my diet, cutting out 95% of the junk (I still treat myself, but one "cheat" meal every fortnight or so), culling my portion sizes and replacing lunch with a shake. My knee now no longer hurts when I walk, but due to some cartilage damage it'll sound like a cement mixer. Not much I can do about that one.

I've downsized my work uniform two sizes, my colleagues gush about how much weight I've lost. And yet... when I look in the mirror, I see no difference. I still see my flabby inner thighs, my fat fold in my lower belly will never seem to go away without surgical intervention - something I'm not entirely opposed to pursuing. I still see the love handles on my hips and my flabby wings on my upper arms. I'm still hating that I don't have a flat stomach, or anything remotely close to it. I'm dismayed at the amount of loose skin I will likely have.

I'm still dressing in very baggy oversized clothes because I'm ashamed of my appearance and in my eyes I'm still 240+lbs. I was afraid to hit the gym because of injury, but now I'm afraid to hit the gym because I'll feel (and look) out of place. I'm contemplating buying my own rowing machine/stationary bike purely to avoid the gym.

I would have thought I'd notice it for myself, but I haven't at all. And I'm feeling so... disheartened by it. Did it take you guys a while to see it for yourselves?

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Sunday, 22 November 2020? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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From 318 in August to 271 as of today. I feel super duper happy and inspired!

I might as well just come out and be brave about it. Back in August, I weighed 318lbs at the doctors office. Not only that, but my blood sugar was higher than ever, meaning I was dangerously close to becoming diabetic. Then there was my cholesterol and potential liver disease from it. I also have PCOS (duh) so I don’t get my periods. So yeah, it’s been hard but I started doing fasting even though it went every little excuse I made for myself. It got even more rough when I sprained my ankle, got ghosted by my ex asshole - yet again - and 2020 has been a fucking hell of a year in regards to family but anyways....

Uhh I started walking again. I even bought some 5 pound weights. I do incorporate some running with my walking to make HIIT. My ankle still hasn’t healed 100% (so I’m going to try to take it easy for now after this week) but I get out there anyway. I can now comfortably fit into my old jeans and it even feels a little bit loose. I’ve learned not to take slip up’s as shameful or me becoming defeated and then slipping back into old habits.

I will admit I had cake for my birthday. I had a lot of pizza. I had some honey BBQ wings, white pasta and Mac and cheese. BUT on the other hand I’ve had fish, asparagus, zucchini, some squash and broccoli. I ate a sandwich with no bun. I’ve had coffee with only half & half or plain (I did give myself pumpkin spice once tho), I did as much fasting as I could during the week even if only 13-16 hours. I drank LOTS of water, I went for walks and I’ve managed to maintain and lose thanks to fasting. Incorporating exercise, however, and drinking water with electrolytes has been a godsend. I’m almost to the 50lb loss mark and I’m super excited. So far: - It’s no longer tiring or exhausting for me to walk like it was when I was 318 pounds. - My resting heart rate when from high 70s-upper 90s to mid 50s - upper 70s - I feel more confident and okay with myself - The sandals I bought in July now aren’t a hassle to zip up. - Obviously my clothes feel loose. - I can easily shop for bras now. Some of the ones I bought months ago that felt too tight are still a little bit tight but I surely feel waaaay more comfortable in them than before - My blood sugar isn’t going crazy. - I’ve been avoiding take out. - I’ve been able to have my moments of eating cookies, pizza and whatnot in moderation. Now I know I can have these things and it’s okay to do so sometimes — not all the time, but just a few moments. - I’m close to being the lowest I’ve been in years, and I hope to keep continuing down that path.

I found exercise really does seem to be key for me in expediting weight loss, probably cause my dad was quite athletic so maybe it’s a gene thing? Who knows... but now I’ve seen what works for me and I do keep my metabolism guessing so I guess it’s a good thing I do allow myself to eat junk so long as I control my portions and whatnot. I even had a banana this week! I was able to taste the sugar in it big time but it made for a good treat.

I’m still a long ways away from one-derland but I’m one pound closer with every pound I drop. Yes I love my scale and my Fitbit. I’m glad I was fearless enough to buy a home scale and weigh myself back in July. It pretty much started my entire journey.

I do have another three months before I’m set to go in to the doctors and get my blood sugar and blood levels checked out again. I also had high platelet count which freaks me out so hopefully that’s managed to correct itself too.

Female: 5’7” SW: 315 HW: 318 CW: 271 GW: 260!

I like to break up my weight loss goals into small little dragons... so far, I’ve conquered 300, 285 and now 270 (almost there!)

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from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/393AbKu

My mom is actively trying to impede my weight loss

Hi everyone. Recently my mother and I have started to try to lose weight. My primary goal was fitness and health and my mother’s was aesthetics(she wanted to have a better looking body).right from the beginning my father was super supportive of my mom but didn’t treat me the same because he said I was too young to lose weight. I’m 16, terribly unfit and overweight so I don’t think it’s too early or dangerous to want to lose weight for health.

Anyways my dad did things like cook different meals for my mom because she told him she wanted to. On the other hand my dad piled food on my plate because I was apparently stick thin and desperately needed to gain weight, a sentiment my mother completely agreed with and talked about a lot. I eventually gave up fighting against that and just cooked my own food which was healthy and portioned correctly. Using this and exercise I soon began to lose weight and get results.

My mom got results too by eating way less but it was slow. She seemed a bit annoyed when I told her about my progress. Following that she began to openly talk about our weight loss. For instance one night at dinner she looked at me and asked if I should be eating that pasta because it’s high in carbs. Then she began talking about how her weight went down 5 pounds and she had less flab on her thighs. I told her I could see a difference, and she replied with “sorry I can’t say the same for you.”

Because of this happening so often I was really tired of her and just ignored the topic whenever I could. Then she started to get very involved in my eating. She forbade me from making my own lunch, saying that I might burn or cut myself and forced me to eat what she wanted me to eat. For example she would make a small plate of veggies/healthy stuff for herself and tell my dad to go buy In n out for me for “convenience.” And sometimes what really irritated me was that she would say “I’m not losing the fat I want to, I so wish I could give you all of my fat” a lot. I did gain some weight back because of her making me eat more seemed to make her happy. She said she was trying to help me because “You’re still growing and you need all the calories.” Which makes no sense because I stopped growing a long time ago.

Also this is turning into a rant but oh well. She and I are the same height(5’1) and same build. It’s really easy to compare our bodies is what I’m saying. So when she got a flat stomach(her main goal) it was really obvious next to me. My mom took joy from this and bragged about it comparing it my pudgy stomach, which I literally lost and got back when she made me eat so much. Literally idk what to do ugh

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How to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time?

MALE / 5'9" / Started at 210 pounds, currently at 183 pounds.

Hey guys,

It's been a while since I visited this subreddit. Firstly, thanks to everyone here for creating such an atmosphere that helps and motivates people to follow their life-long desire of losing weight. I had always thought of losing weight but I couldn't really imagine myself actually having the dedication to do it.

I finally started tracking my calories and walking 30 minutes everyday in the beginning of September of this year. I started with 210 pounds in the beginning of September, I'm currently at 183 pounds as of this morning so about 27 pounds in two months and 3ish weeks. I'm losing weight pretty steadily and I'm satisfied with my weight loss so far.

As I've lost more weight and started to become leaner, I've been more interested in turning the remaining fat to muscle. I'm still overweight so for this last stretch, I would like to get a bit toner. I tried searching a lot but couldn't find any helpful answers on this. How would I go about doing this and is there any routine that I can follow. I am specifically looking to build more upper body muscle, chest and stomach area. I have some dumbbells and bench press equipment at home.

Any tips are much appreciated.

Thank you.

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