Friday, May 7, 2021

17 Healthy Mother’s Day Brunch and Breakfast Ideas

Mother’s Day is all about showing the mothers in your life how much you love and appreciate them. But if we’re being honest, it’s also about the brunch. We’ve put together a list of 17 of our best Mother’s Day brunch and breakfast ideas that are delicious, healthy and will show your mom how much you care. From classic brunch baked goods (think berrylicious scones and soft-baked cinnamon rolls) to savory and satisfying egg dishes and seasonal salads, you’re sure to find a few healthy brunch recipes that your mother will love.

1. Classic Cinnamon Rolls >

Skip that calorie bomb of a bun you can get at the mall—your mom deserves better, and this lightened-up, homemade version delivers. It’s got all the flavors she’ll expect: lots of cinnamon swirled in a warm pastry dough and drizzled with a sweet cream cheese glaze. Pure indulgence in every bite for only 203 calories per diet-friendly roll. Serve alongside a freshly brewed cup of coffee or tea to start mom’s day right. Click here for the full recipe! >

10 Ideas for a Happy and Healthy Mother’s Day

2. Simple Smoked Salmon and Spinach Frittata >

Spinach tops the list of healthful foods and your mother was smart to make you eat it as a kid. Now, show her how her persistence paid off by pairing these vitamin-packed greens with smoky salmon for one fancy-lookin’ frittata. Your secret? It’s super simple to make. Just combine sautéed spinach, scallions and garlic with eggs, cottage cheese, pepper and dill; bake until set and slice. Each savory, low-carb serving contains 93 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

3. Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes >

Surprise your mom by turning her favorite breakfast muffin into a pancake! Made with just six ingredients, these bright and tasty flapjacks are sure to put a smile on her face (while keeping her waistline trim). Top her stack with a thin slice of lemon and some mint for garnish (but be sure to save a few leftovers for yourself). One serving counts as one SmartCarb, two PowerFuels and one Extra on the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

4. Mixed Triple Berry Scone >

No need to stop at the sweets shop when you can bake these goodies yourself. Made healthier than typical scones, they contain whole wheat flour and only a little light butter. Plus, they’re loaded with a bunch of beautiful berries and topped with a sprinkle of coconut sugar for the perfect blend of satisfying and sweet. Each light and crumbly scone weighs in at 152 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

8 Seasonal Spring Foods to Stock Up On

5. French Onion Breakfast Naan Flatbread >

This Mother’s Day brunch idea might take the win for best presentation: beautiful slices of caramelized onion, bright broccolini, gooey melted swiss cheese and a perfectly cooked sunny-side up egg, all nestled atop a warm and crusty naan flatbread. Finish off this soup-inspired flatbread with a sprinkle of fresh thyme for a brunch dish that will please your mom’s eyes as much as her palate. Click here for the full recipe! >

6. Tomato Peach Salad >

Serve up this fresh and fanciful salad that’s filled with seasonal (and super healthy) ingredients. Start with a bed of zesty, vitamin-rich arugula. Top the greens with yellow and red tomatoes, fiber-rich peaches for a little sweetness and handful of chickpeas for a bite of satisfying protein and complex carbs. Crumbles of feta add creaminess and balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey blend to create the perfect sweet and savory dressing for this beautiful Mother’s Day brunch dish. One serving contains 289 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

7. Lemon Raspberry Yogurt Parfait >

Cool and creamy Greek yogurt is layered with a fresh raspberries and lemon curd for a refreshingly simple, sweet and sour parfait. Top with granola for some crunch; then watch your mom dive in—spoon first. And feel free to join her: one serving contains 263 calories and counts as one SmartCarb, half of a PowerFuel and two Extras on the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

11 Egg Recipes for an Egg-Cellent Start to Your Day

8. Savory Mediterranean Muffins >

Not into the super sweet or fruity muffins? No worries. Try your hand at making these savory babies instead. Fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, red onions and feta bring the Mediterranean flavors; Italian seasoning and fresh basil provide the spice; and the combo is 100% delicious. The fluffy muffins are nutrient-packed and belly-filling—you can have two of them for only 127 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

9. Rise and Dine Chocolate Crepes >

Nothing says “I love you mom” more than chocolate, making these light and airy crepes the perfect “something sweet” for her special Mother’s Day brunch. Fill them with a combo of cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and banana slices. Top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder for a picture-perfect finishing touch. Two crepes contain 217 calories and count as one SmartCarb, one PowerFuel and one Extra on Nutrisystem. Click here for the full recipe! >

10. Simple Spring Green Pasta Salad >

Fresh veggies + bright lemon dressing = a light and oh-so-pretty pasta salad. And it takes no time to make. Just cook your mom’s favorite whole wheat pasta, add in green peas and asparagus, then toss with watercress, lemon zest, oil and pepper. Add a garnish of shaved parmesan cheese for a touch of saltiness and voila—a seasonal pasta salad packed with flavor and fiber. One serving has 165 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

Dining Out and Weight Loss: Breakfast Edition

11. Almond Banana Bread >

This is one loaf of homemade banana bread that your mom will go, well… bananas for. And here’s why: it features almonds three different ways—almond milk, almond extract and sliced almonds. Applesauce helps it bake soft and moist, ripe bananas and honey packs in natural sweetness, and each hearty slice contains only 216 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

12. Coconut Mango Pancake >

Transport your mother to the tropics with these creative (and vegan!) flapjacks. Fresh mango and whole wheat flour create the base of the plant-based pancakes, while unsweetened shredded coconut and coconut milk enhance the tropical flavor. A little vanilla extract and brown sugar pump up the sweetness. One serving weighs in at a light 116 calories and counts as one SmartCarb and one Extra on the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

13. Spring Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette >

The salad is uber-healthy with its protein-packed quinoa. The toppings add a creaminess (via the feta cheese crumble) and crunch (thanks to the walnuts). But the star of this Mother’s Day brunch dish is its flavorful homemade vinaigrette made with basil, shallots, garlic, honey and lemon, plus oil and vinegar. Serve the quinoa salad as is or toss in some of your mom’s favorite seasonal veggies, like artichokes or green beans, for an even more satisfying dish. Click here for the full recipe! >

When Life Give You Lemons: 20 Easy Lemon Recipes for Weight Loss

14. Chocolate Walnut Chickpea Muffins >

Nope, it’s not a typo. These chocolatey muffins contain walnuts and yes—chickpeas. The beans are used instead of flour and serve to make the sweet treats super moist and gluten-free. One muffin contains 140 calories and counts as half of a PowerFuel and two Extras on the Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >

15. Vegetable Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust >

You’ve spiralized sweet potatoes into noodles. Maybe you’ve even blended them into “nice” cream. Now try your hand at morphing this root veggie into a crispy crust for your mom’s quiche. It’s way easier (and much healthier) than making your own pie dough: just cut the sweet potato into thin slices, arrange in a pie dish and bake. Then pour in a blend of chopped veggies and eggs and top with shredded cheese. Pop the pan back in the oven until the eggs are set. One hearty, fiber-rich serving contains 241 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

16. Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins >

Your favorite childhood lunch sandwich made into a muffin for your mom—now that’s full circle. The best part of these nostalgic treats? One bite into the moist peanut buttery muffin reveals a fruity jam center for a sweet and tasty surprise. You get to enjoy two muffins per serving for 269 calories. Click here for the full recipe! >

5 Ways to Lose Weight This Summer with Nutrisystem

17. Spring Beet Orzo Risotto >

This dish is hard to beet! It starts with orzo (instead of traditional risotto rice) that’s simmered with onions, broth and balsamic until tender. Then roasted and pureed beets bring in a rich flavor and color that’s complemented beautifully by crumbled goat cheese and toasted almonds. Trust that this will taste as good as it looks. Click here for the full recipe! >

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7 Warm Weather Weight Loss Blunders to Avoid

Summer tends to be the most fun and active time of year. All kinds of delicious and nutritious foods are fresh and abundant when the weather gets warmer. Those are great reasons why spring and summer are prime time to work on your weight loss goals.

But the hot weather, along with picnics, cookouts and other parties that pop up on the calendar, present a variety of temptations that can derail progress to your weight loss goal. You can avoid these pitfalls if you remember that you have better options that can be satisfying without being disruptive.

Here are seven warm weather weight loss mistakes, and better choices to keep in mind while you’re enjoying sunshine and good times this spring and summer:

1. Bathing Suit Dieting

Whether you’re at the beach or lying by the pool, you want to look your absolute best in your swimwear. That can entice you to try to shed a few extra pounds with a crash diet or to just skip meals. Crash diets are not only unhealthy, they tend to slow your metabolism, making it difficult for you to drop more than just a few pounds. Even more frustrating, you are unlikely to lose weight in the areas of your body where you’d like to see a difference. And any weight you lose in the short-term will be regained as soon as you resume your normal eating habits.

Better choice: Stick with your Nutrisystem plan for sustained weight loss and a healthy approach to eating every day. You’re sure to see real weight loss results each week that will last through the spring, summer and beyond. (Not on Nutrisystem? What are you waiting for? Get started here! >)

8 Science-Backed Reasons You Need to Try Nutrisystem

2. Perspiring to Lose

When you exercise in the heat, you think you can feel the pounds melting off with each bead of sweat. And if you weigh yourself right before and after you work out, you may see a difference. That can tempt you to overdo it, leaving you too sore to move much for a few days afterward. As soon as you quench your thirst and replace the fluids you’ve sweated out, you will see on the scale that you’ve lost little (if any) weight.

Better choice: Maintain a steady activity level every day so you get in the 150 minutes of movement a week recommended by the experts at Nutrisystem. The regular activity keeps your metabolism burning continually, even if you’re just walking inside an air-conditioned mall.

3. More Smoothies and Frapps

On cold days, we warm up with coffee and tea. When the weather turns hot, most of us would rather have a cool smoothie or other blended drink to start the day or as an afternoon pick-me up. Coffee and tea are no-calorie “free” foods. Blended drinks from coffee shops and convenience stores tend to be high in sugar, and many are also loaded with fat. A 16-ounce serving may have more than 400 calories, 25 percent of them from fat.

Better choice: Order unsweetened iced coffee or tea instead. Or build the perfect smoothie at home using fresh, nutritious ingredients. Click here to find out how! >

5 Ways You’re Ruining Your Healthy Smoothies

4. Casual Alcohol

Sunny days and balmy evenings are ideal for hanging out with friends, enjoying beer, wine and other adult beverages. They are so refreshing in warm weather you can drink a few without feeling full. But even a light beer or white wine comes with more than a 100 calories per drink, and the sweet drinks like hard cider and wine coolers that are popular today have as many 180 calories each.

Better choice: If you want to enjoy a drink or two, at least alternate each one with fizzy seltzer over ice with a lime wedge. You still get to chill with your friends, but limit how many extra calories you get.

5. BBQ Favorites

Eating outdoors is one of spring and summer’s pleasures. Backyard barbecues bring out so many favorite foods, including classics like potato salad and coleslaw. While those dishes start with healthful vegetables, they get weighed down with excessive saturated fats from mayonnaise and sour cream. Even just a spoonful of each adds up to more calories and fats than you want. What’s more, the loads of sugar in popular barbecue sauces can heap calories on a lean chicken breast.

Better choice: Pick grain or bean salads instead of the creamy ones. Even better, get your barbecue fix with these delicious options on the Nutrisystem menu! >

23 Dishes to Bring to the BBQ

6. Loaded Salads

With so many fresh vegetables in season and abundant in spring and summer, salads are never more appealing. And there’s no reason not to enjoy as much of the non-starchy veggies as you’d like. Just beware of bottled dressings that are laden with fat or non-fat dressings flavored with extra sugar. They lay on the empty calories, turning your healthy salad into a nutritional mistake.

Better choice: Use light vinaigrette or even better, just drizzle on a little vinegar infused with herbs such as tarragon. Or try one of these five simple but tasty homemade dressings! >

7. Not-So-Cool Treats

You may not be a kid anymore, but when you hear the jingle of the bell as the ice cream truck comes down your block you may still want to go running. Or maybe you’re just craving a cool treat on a sweltering day. Before you go to the ice cream shop, consider that a small cone of soft-serve adds more than 120 calories to your diet. Surprisingly, frozen yogurt can have even more—150 calories or more per serving at the big chains.

Better choice: Your Nutrisystem weight loss plan offers you satisfyingly cool treats, like ice cream sandwiches and fudge bars. Each is made according to the strict standards of dietitians, so you stay on track to your weight loss goal. Click here to check out some of the awesome frozen treats! >

The post 7 Warm Weather Weight Loss Blunders to Avoid appeared first on The Leaf.

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Anyone else hate it when people always assume weight loss is for looks?

Let me preface by saying that it's not bad if you're losing weight for looks, but it is bad that some people make the assumption and argue even after being told the reason why you want to lose weight.

Example: me. I am healthy. I eat healthy. I'm in the healthy bmi category. I exercise at least 5 times a week and have a very active job that I'm studying to become. I honestly think I look fine and I don't need to lose weight for any of the reasons mentioned above. But I'm still trying to lose weight.

I'm studying to become a carpenter, and for the first time ever I feel like I have a thing that I really want to do for the rest of my life. I love this field. But I'm on the edge of being overweight bmi wise. A lot of it is probably muscle, so it's not like I'm unhealthy because of it. The reason I want to lose weight is because my knees and feet hurt after a long day at school. And it is obvious that part of it is my weight. I want to work in this field for as long as possible, and I don't want my knees giving out in 20 years because of my extra weight (I'm 21 as of this day). And that reason to lose weight is valid. Most reasons are valid. It is stupid to make assumptions about people's wish to lose weight, especially when they might seem like they look 'fine' or that they are presumably healthy, but honestly even in general it is stupid regardless of how a person looks or seems. You don't know why people want to lose weight. I mean of course there a caveats like people who have eating disorders and are losing weight in an unhealthy manner and for unhealthy reasons. But most people have good, valid reasons to lose weight. I hate it when people make assumptions about people without ever talking to them. It isn't that hard to ask, and even if after asking you don't understand, it isn't your place to critisize just because you don't get it. Let people live their lives ffs. (And this logic applies to a lot of things in life.)

I guess I just wanted to rant. I've been on Instagram too much haha. What about you guys? What are your reasons for losing weight? Have you come across people judging you without even asking, or even after asking? I wanna know that I'm not alone in this.

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Are there different levels of sedentary-ness?

I lost some weight recently, but gained it back. Now I’ve switched back to the diet plan I had which helped me losing weight. However, even though I’m consuming the same amount of calories when I lost weight last time, I’m not losing weight this time around.

I’ve been lying on the bed a lot. Like for around 22 hours a day or something with no exercise in the other two hours. Could it be that my metabolism has slowed down?

Even during my previous weight loss cycle, I used to have a very sedentary lifestyle as well, but that involved mostly office and sitting around.

Is there a significant difference between these two sedentary lifestyles? Significant enough to slow my metabolism?

I’ve been feeling less hungry too this time, and my stomach stays full for longer.

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Trying not to get frustrated with plateau.

Hey all! This is a stark contrast to a previous post as things were actually going well. Started my weight loss in around the end of February. Started running (couch to 5k, which ive finished and doing regular 5ks, and at around 1200-1500 kals every day)

Long story short : 25F SW 12st 3, CW 10st 12 - this current weight has stuck around for a week and a half. Since I started losing weight I’ve lost quite steadily 1-3 pounds every week (allowing for water weight around my period etc).

Now yes, I have just finished my period, but I use happy scale and clearly by the graph this is my first actual plateau since I started this.

I myself sometimes get frustrated with these posts because usually the person must be over their caloric deficit in some way to be plateauing or gaining but trust me when I say I am at work from about 9:30am to 10pm and I now have dinner when I get home and don’t eat all day so there’s just no way I’m in a surplus.

Please, if anyone has advice about shifting water weight, any advice in general, my brain is going to explode if I don’t stop seeing 10st 12 on that damn scale.

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Am I losing too fast?

Male 43. At the moment I'm 298 lbs. 7 weeks ago I was at 326 which mean I've lost an average of about 4 lbs a week which is about double of what is recommended. I'm at pretty strict 2 meals a day regime (lunch and dinner) eating meats and vegetables with a little nuts and avocados sprinkled in between meals. I feel very good about this regime, and lately my weight has gone down a lot faster than before (I've become stricter with avoiding carbs). I'm in great shape and I've started to walk a lot more (walking at least 5 miles a day).

Yet there is this feeling that there will a backlash. I'm planning to lose a lot more, but I know that I cannot expect to lose this fast, so I'm a little afraid that once metabolism is slowing down, hunger is coming back, hormones will start to work against weight loss that I'll go back bigger than ever. I've been yo-yoing a lot before, and know what it's like to hit that bottom point where you start to gain weight again and you stop weighing yourself, and you just drift into this blurry state where one big grab of potato chips disappears in one second and a big burger feels like a tiny little sandwich and all of a sudden you gain 20 lbs in a couple of months without even noticing.

It feels different this time though. One motivation this time is that I'm heavily advised by my GP to lose weight due to hypertension and a decrease in kidney function due to hypertension, yet I know that the essence of yo-yoing is that every time feels different but end up being the same. When I read all the research on how basically everyone who lose a lot end up back where they were, it can be tough on motivation, but more in a long term way. I feel super motivated at the moment, and I kind of "know" that I'll be successful this time. One reason is that I've found consolation and motivation outside of food which I really believe can be a game changer. It's also important for me that I keep things simple and eat food that I like (I'm actually full after each meal :) ).

But back to my original question: am I losing too fast or is ok to lose more lbs per week when you're bigger. I mean 2 lbs isn't the same on someone who is 170 lbs as someone who is 330 lbs right? It comes off faster on bigger people? At least that's my theory.

Sorry if I started to drift too much away from my original question here. Just wanted to give a little introduction to my situation as well.. :)

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Thursday, May 6, 2021

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Friday, 07 May 2021? 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!

* Lose It Compendium - Frame it out!

* FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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