Dana's Freedom Menus

This week I am doing days 1-4 out of Dana Thornock's Cookbook...well sort of. My family doesn't like fish so I've substituted meals that we will eat. I like these menus because she gives you all three meals in the day, plus three snacks for the day, And the grocery list to go with it. Her goal is a well balanced diet to help you get all the vitamins and minerals you need from the food you eat, while keeping the fat grams to within 15%-20% of the total calories. And, most of them are really quick to make.

I'm not a calorie, fat gram, or point counter. I've tried and it ruins my joy of the food. So, I kind of mix Dana's diet with the South Beach with whatever good recipes I find that are supposed to be "healthier" in the hopes of eating better in general.

The real key is to just cut down on the size of the portions that you eat. You will lose weight and feel better faster if you can learn to listen to your body. If you feel hungry, drink some water first. Did you know that most of the time you are really thirsty and not hungry? If after some water you still feel hungry, eat something. Whole grains, veggies and fruits are better choices than a Snickers bar. Then, STOP as soon as you no longer feel hungry. Stop before you feel full. It takes some time for your brain to register that you are full. That's why when you eat until full, you quickly feel too full, because you actually ate more than you needed.

As you get the portions under control, get out and move. Any kind of exercise will work. You just need to get moving so that your body can use what you are eating. If you use it, your body can't store it. See, it is simple. Eat good food when hungry, Stop when satisfied, and Move. That's just three things. We can all do three things in the day.

The Menu
1. Pizza Wheels and Instant Peach Ice Cream
2. Hawaiian Haystacks
3. Beef Stroganoff and green Salad
4. Parmesan Chicken , broccoli and Scalloped Potatoes
5. Lasagna, Salad, Rolls or Wheat bread

The Grocery list:
Coming as soon as I get my scanner to work!