Reducing Belly Fat with Whole Grains

There's an interesting article on CBS News today about eating whole grains to reduce your belly fat. A study found that of two groups who were put on reduced calories, those who ate whole grains versus refined grains lost more fat and significantly more fat around their belly area.

Now what are whole grains? I know that white rice and white bread are not whole grains.

But if you asked me if breads labeled with the words "multi-grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" were whole grain foods, I would have said yes before I read this article!

Whole grains include brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat. (But many more too, see their list).

The article recommends you look at the ingredients for the fiber content. If the bread shows a high daily value percentage of fiber content (%DV) then it's much more likely the bread contains whole grains. Color by itself is not an indicator of whole grains. Breads are dyed brown with molasses or other added ingredients.

See more about belly fat and the benefits of whole grains here.

Today's food etc

Not been a great day to be honest...
I was a little weak willed.

Todays cals topped just over the thousand at 1023.

This morning I had a banana. Then a carrot. Then an apple. Then an Ice cream. Then I went to work and I had some wine gums en-route. Dumb decision as I had to pop into the shop to buy a treat for one of my pupils - there was a 2 for a £1 deal. I was too weak to fight. What a dumb ass. Then I came home and had chicken, butternut squash and about an ounce of pastry followed by 1 ball of ice cream.

I had 2 pb's today. The first was after I ate a wine gum. Nah. It wasn't going to have it, so it had to come up... at a pupils house.
The second was after eating my dinner (but before the ice cream #2!). My band has serious issues with chicken. I must must must remember this.

I felt in need of sugar today. Maybe its the muscles trying to fix themselves from the complete repainting of the kitchen at 1am. My arms have been screaming all day!

Jicama Slaw

Recently in the Neighborhood Community Kitchen our new Food Editor, Celadon, taught us about tuber vegetables. I was curious about the Jicima and excited to find one at a vegetable market last week. Here is more information about the Jicama:Jicama is a relative of the potato family. It is a popular dietary staple in Latin America and widely grown in Mexico and Central America. There are many

New Features for WLS Cooks

Greetings.Our new LivingAfterWLS Food Editor, Celadon (aka Barbara Gibbons) has been busy improving the functionality and content of our Community Kitchen Forum. Keeping with the LivingAfterWLS core value of education and understanding Celadon has established several informative conversations:Celadon's Product ReviewsAsk Celadon: Expert Advice for your Cooking QuandriesVegetable of the

My Husband Makes Me Fat

My eating habits are quite different than they would be if I was single. My husband is a meat and potatoes man. He also loves bread, deli meats and fatty spaghetti. He definitely does not like grated carrot salad or tofu or yogurt. He is slim by the way, and always has been. (He burns off a lot of calories as his work is physical).

If I served brown rice and fish or lentil soup for dinner more than once a month there would be some kind of revolt in this household. I'm just kidding that he makes me fat. But I am quite sure I'd lose 15 pounds quite quickly if I lived on my own.

That's why it was refreshing to read Siditty's take on meals and marriage. She refuses to eat like her husband. If he doesn't want what she's making, he can help himself to his preferred food in the fridge. She tried eating like him for a while, but gained a lot of weight. Now they eat completely different meals.

It's refreshing to read this, but I don't think I could pull it off around here...

She also writes;

My husband grew up in a household of overweight people. His mother, stepfather, and his brothers were all overweight. His mother and stepfather both had gastric bypass. My husband and his brother lost weight on Atkins. The husband at one time was overweight and lost over 80 pounds and now he is uber hot and stuff, but he has been gaining weight as of recent due to reverting back to his old diet. His diet consists of nothing but carbs and fat. Pizza or pizza rolls every night for dinner. Cereal for breakfast, wendy's or some other restaurant for lunch, and miscellaneous junk food throughout the day.

See her interesting story here.

Best £100 ever spent

FROM THIS...

...TO THIS IN 4 Days

An amazing transformation £25 on ceramic door knobs and £75 on really good paint and varnish and primer etc. DH finally put on the kick boards and even filled in the missing bits of cupboard after just 7 years! I now have my new kitchen.

Weigh in day... yay!

Another 1 and a half pounds bite the dust!
Weight this week is 16 stone 11 pounds - a fabulous 17 pounds down.

I never really talk about my exercise, mainly because I don't really do any specific classes, or workouts or set things. But I have worked my butt off the last two weeks.

I am not one of these people who sit about or walk slowly. In the last 2 weeks I have re decorated our 4th bedroom, tiled and decorated the utility room and now re painted the kitchen and helped TB paint the cupboards. these things work up a serious sweat and make my poor body ache like crazy, so guess I am doing enough exercise.

This year alone I have completely renovated our downstairs and also built a swimming pool in the garden. I think that's quite a lot for a lass. But daily, I guess you could say I get a sweat on each day doing something... cleaning, walking, dashing from house to house for lessons, shouting at DH/Ds for something :o) or whatever.

I know a lot of people say this, but I really don't have time for the gym or a yoga class or whatever. I work at the wrong times for that. Its why I never get to see any TV shows and have to record anything I want to watch. Working from 3 until 10pm everyday kind of puts paid to going to an evening class or workout.

As you know, during the day, I have DS and we are schooling and doing stuff. I cant do it then either. So bike rides, roller skating and walking are what we like best.

Seeing as i never mention an 'exercise' I thought I better let ya'll know why.

will update later