400 Calorie Fix Review

the skinny: food log: june 17 + rant

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 02:12:39 -0400

breakfast: honey bunches of oats + organic low fat milk (200 calories)

snack: trader joe’s assorted pretzels + chips + nuts (160 calories)

lunch: 2 trader joe’s whole wheat bread + light spread of peanut butter (190 calories)

snack: none :|

dinner: trader joe’s chipotle marinated chicken…

Any chance you were feeling lethargic and dizzy because you didn’t eat enough?

This blogger who writes a blog called “Happiness Awaits” had her resting metabolic rate tested and it turned out that she had been eating so few calories that her body had entered that dreaded starvation mode we always hear about, where it hangs onto weight because it thinks we are starving.

She’d been worried about gaining weight, so she exercised religiously and watched what she ate, but then the doctor informed her she was eating too little and it was making her feel sick all the time, and probably keeping a few extra pounds on her frame.

She increased her calories to the amount needed to maintain her weight (or maybe lose a couple pounds) and she LOST WEIGHT immediately. I could not get over this.

The point is, maybe you weren’t feeling well because the body doesn’t function well on less than 1000 calories a day? Just a possibility…

Yoga Vida NYC

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:53:03 -0400

I took a class tonight at Yoga Vida in Manhattan. (99 University Place @ 12th St., 6th Fl.)

I’d been meaning to go there for a while, ever since I discovered they offer one week of unlimited yoga to new students for $10. I love those deals.

Their 6pm flow class tonight was good. A solid, hour-long class complete with a little bit of everything, including ab work and a nice long shivasana.

Not to mention, the facilities were really nice - clean, spacious, inviting and serene.

If you live in New York and you’re into yoga, I recommend trying it out.

Grade: A

So far so great!

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:36:00 -0400

I’ve been doing this 400 Calorie Fix diet for a week now. I haven’t been blogging my meals because I keep forgetting!

But the results so far?

I lost 5 pounds!

I’m not a huge proponent of starving myself, over-exercising, or reducing calories severely. I think that stuff ultimately leads to regaining the weight.

So eating four meals a day in 400 calorie increments is working fantastically for me right now. I can feel it revving up my metabolism. And these 5 pounds that I’ve absolutely struggled to lose for three months have just fallen off my body. Plus I haven’t really been hungry. PLUS I’VE HAD FRENCH FRIES TWICE.

Not too bad, 400 Calorie Fix. Not too bad….

Article: Low-Calorie Recipes + Healthy Food Blogs

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:48:32 -0400

Dying to try this Indian-Spiced Chicken Pita recipe! Looks so yummy.

Featured in this article: Weight Loss Tips - Low-Calorie Recipes + Healthy Food Blogs

yumm

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:41:05 -0400

hishagirly:

so i love hummus, and i just got this awesome hummus from wegs that has olive oil and pine nuts and stuff in it, and im eating it with carrots and celery its sooooo yummy, however it makes me wish that i had turkey so that i could make this an actual meal… i need a way to round this out before i go run errands and work out. any ideas?

Sometimes I’ll just do hummus on toast or on a wrap by itself! It’s also great with crackers or a little cheese. YUM! Enjoy. :)

Day Three: Breakfast

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:20:36 -0400

Peanut Butter Toast with Blueberries

2 slices Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Tuscan Bread (love this bread!!)
1.5 TB peanut butter
1/4 cup blueberries
coffee

CALORIES: 400

VERDICT: Filling and yummy.

I woke up feeling great today. The scale is down 3 pounds after two full days eating this way. I am starting to believe there’s something to the idea of revving my metabolism up in 400 calorie bursts.

There are times when I’m hungry but I actually don’t WANT to eat an entire 400 calorie meal or snack, but then I do anyway and I always feel great afterward. Never too full, just content. Its interesting…Definitely a new way of thinking about food for me.

Day Two: Dinner

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:13:05 -0400

Forgot to post dinner last night!

Three Black Bean Tacos

1/2 cup black beans
3 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1/8 cup of shredded cheese
1 TB sour cream
1/8 avocado

CALORIES: 420

VERDICT: Very filling. A little bland (I missed the meat component, but we didn’t have any…), but all together did the trick.

Green Monster Morning Shake (with Spinach! shhh!)

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:37:00 -0400

Have you heard of the Green Monster Movement? Check out the site for lots of healthy natural shake ideas. YUM.

Classic Green Monster Breakfast Shake

1 TB ground flax
2 cups spinach
1 medium banana
1 cup vanilla soy milk
ice

Put everything but the ice into the blender in the order listed above. Blend for 1 minute. Add ice, blend. ENJOY!

CALORIES: 200

MAKE IT A MEAL: Enjoy with 1 egg over-easy and 1 piece of toast.

VERDICT: My favorite go-to healthy breakfast.

(Check out Roxyfit’s recent post about Healthy Morning Shakes.)

xstarscollapse: Chicken Summer Rolls with Honey-Lime Dipping...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:15:06 -0400

xstarscollapse:

Chicken Summer Rolls with Honey-Lime Dipping Sauce

http://www.shape.com/healthy_eating/recipes/summer_rolls

A key ingredient, rice paper, is found in the Asian section of the supermarket.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:

(2 rolls with 1 1/2 tbsp. sauce): 249 calories, 2 g fat (14% of calories), 0 g saturated fat, 19 g carbs, 31 g protein, 2 g fiber, 54 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 273 mg sodium

Ingredients

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

FOR THE SUMMER ROLLS
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 8-inch round sheets rice paper
8 romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into large strips
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken, lower heat to a simmer, and poach about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Chicken should be tender but have no traces of pink when you cut into it.) Place chicken on a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands. To assemble rolls, follow the directions in the box at left. Serve immediately or refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) for up to 4 hours and serve cold. Place sauce in a bowl alongside rolls, or drizzle it on top.

This looks AMAZING!! I must try.

adamnorwood: From Jamie Oliver’s TED talk urging us to teach...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:11:17 -0400

adamnorwood:

From Jamie Oliver’s TED talk urging us to teach our children about food, for the sake of ending our chronically poor (and ultimately fatal) eating habits:

For the last 7 years I’ve worked fairly tireless to save lives in my own way. I’m not a doctor. I’m a chef. I don’t have expensive equipment, or medicine. I use information and education.

Love Jamie Oliver…

"Melissa Joan Hart says she still allows herself special treats from time to time, “like chips..."

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:58:00 -0400

“Melissa Joan Hart says she still allows herself special treats from time to time, “like chips and guacamole, or frozen yogurt,” so she doesn’t feel deprived. And she’s also trying to be more realistic about her expectations. “I have a wonderful career, an amazing husband and two beautiful sons. I can’t really complain about my thighs!””

- Article: Celebrity Weight Loss Success Stories - What Can We Learn From Them?

Day Two: Dessert :) Healthy Chocolate Bananas Foster (adapted...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:21:00 -0400

Day Two: Dessert :)

Healthy Chocolate Bananas Foster (adapted from 400 Calorie Fix)

1 medium banana
2 tsps brown sugar
1 tsp butter
2 tsps chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate soy dream ice cream

Microwave sliced up banana, brown sugar, butter and pecans for 1 minute. Serve with chocolate soy ice cream.

This was absolutely to die for. It was rich, sweet and filling - I LOVED it!

CALORIES: 400

VERDICT: To die for.

(via fuckyeahhealth) I love this blog. Everyone should follow...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:29:48 -0400

(via fuckyeahhealth)

I love this blog. Everyone should follow it.

Day Two

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:23:00 -0400

It’s the end of Day Two on this eating plan. So far, I’m really enjoying it. I’m still eating the same things I always eat (Author Liz Vaccariello says we all tend to eat the same 10 meals week after week!) but I’m eating them in slightly smaller portions.

I’m measuring stuff. That’s something I don’t want to do forever, but Vaccariello says to just remind yourself what 1 cup of something really looks like. Her research says even most certified nutrionists, experts in their field, are often unable to accurately estimate the correct calories per portion size. Interesting!

The 400 Calorie Fix’s philosophy is that our portion sizes have crept up over time - that we’re eating more now than we were 30 years ago. And monitoring my own portion sizes has been revealing. I’ve been overeating!

I’m enjoying the structure of this program so far, because there’s so much freedom within the structure. You just eat what you want within 400 calories! I love not having to think about it beyond that.

So far so good…

John Goodman's Weight Loss! He looks great...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:56:53 -0400

John Goodman's Weight Loss! He looks great...

Congrats on taking the challenge. I'm glad you've a healthy way to lose weight. I love the idea of the 400 calorie meal. I try to stay between 300-400 cals unless I just have some food with ridiculously low cals, like egg white(18) or salad. Good luck with your goals and thanks for following. Feel free to chat me me (superslimme)

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:54:19 -0400

Thanks for following! :)

Seriously, watching your calories works? Ok then, so what do you suggest as for meals? You say eat 3-4 400 calorie meals a day but it's kind of hard since all the bad stuff tastes so good haha.

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:53:52 -0400

That’s why I’m writing this blog. I’m reviewing this diet the 400 Calorie Fix. I’m not being paid to review it, I’m just really curious. Their whole philosophy is that you can lose weight by eating 3-4 400 calorie meals every day, and there’s SO much stuff that tastes amazing for only 400 calories. Yesterday, one of my meals was from McDonalds. Today, I had pizza. I’m also eating healthy things - having fruits, veggies and whole grains. But the book suggests that a splurge is okay from time to time, and I happen to agree! I lost 115 pounds in my early twenties by counting calories and exercising. Now I want to lose the last 20 pounds. But I’m certainly not giving up the foods I love to do it. Thanks for your question!

Beef & Bean Chile Verde Recipe (via EatingWell.com) This...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:48:00 -0400

Beef & Bean Chile Verde Recipe

(via EatingWell.com)

This recipe looks fantastic. Chile is such a great low-calorie meal and it’s naturally good for you.

CALORIES: 307

OTHER FACTS: 6 grams fiber, 27 grams protein!!

SERVING SIZE: 1.5 cups

MAKE IT A MEAL: Enjoy this scrumptious chile with a small sprinkle of cheese and a hunk of crusty bread. ~ 400 Calories

My Weight Loss History + Qualifications

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:27:00 -0400

Full disclosure: I am not being paid by anyone to write this review blog. And I will be totally honest about my experience with the 400 Calorie Fix.

In my early twenties I lost 115 pounds. I used portion control and exercise. It wasn’t easy to change my terrible lifestyle habits, but I did it.

Being fat was one of the hardest experiences of my life and I am thankful literally every single day that I don’t have to live in that miserable place anymore. When I was heavy my body hurt, I felt terrible about myself and I was clinically depressed.

Since I lost the weight, I’ve maintained my weight loss within 15 pounds. It hasn’t been a perfect track record, but life isn’t perfect. And sometimes cake happens. Still, I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve been able to do for my weight and my life.

I read about the 400 Calorie Fix on the web last month and I was intrigued. So I ordered a free trial copy online. I have to admit, I was skeptical - I wasn’t even sure the free copy would show up to my house, but it did. So I decided to give it a whirl.

I tend not to believe in diets. I don’t believe in skipping meals or avoiding certain foods. But something about this program caught my eye. At first glance, it seemed refreshingly realistic. The author promotes healthy eating, but she also promotes LIVING. Sometimes you go to the movies, to a baseball game. Sometimes you want pizza. And this program shows you how to be able to eat anything you want while still losing or maintaining your weight.

I’m excited to see how my lifestyle and healthy eating routines can change for the better with 400 Calorie Fix. I want to lose 20 pounds. I’ve noticed that my portion sizes have crept up over the years, and my calorie intake has definitely been higher than it needs to be - I think this plan might help me refocus.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

What’s your weight loss history?

notjusthealthy: Weekend breakfast on the patio with my...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:11:20 -0400

notjusthealthy:

Weekend breakfast on the patio with my brother:

Farm fresh eggs with ground pepper and cheese, berries, and fresh squeezed OJ.

Favorite meal of the day- by far.

Yum!! This looks so good.