alice’s best tips: alcohol and weightloss
it’s bound to come up at some point in your life right? in high school, in college, whenever. now i don’t think drinking is bad as long as you have control over yourself. couple beers while watching a football game, a glass of wine or champagne to celebrate, i mean it’s all about moderation.
but i don’t drink. first of all, i don’t like the taste of it. i think they all taste bitter. second of all, i just think alcohol is unnecessary. and no i don’t give into peer pressure. i can perfectly enjoy myself without drinking and when some people offer me drinks, i politely decline. most of my friends already know that i don’t drink, and they actually told me that they respect me for that.
anyways, some of you might not know that alcohol is bad for your weightloss and more of you might now know why. so i just wanted to inform you guys!
WHY IS ALCOHOL SO BAD?
1. alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages so it can hinder the process of normal carbohydrate + protein + lipid digestion. when the body is focused on processing alcohol, it won’t properly break down other foods so these calories are converted into body fat and will be stored in your body.
2. since alcohol is a diuretic, it can cause dehydration. but you don’t just lose water. you also lose important minerals like potassium, calcium and zinc.
3. most alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and offers absolutely NO nutritional value. so you’re basically drinking empty calories. why not spend your calories on something healthier and on foods that’ll make you full?
4. drinking can interfere with sleep, which means you’re going to be tired. and from my experience, no sleep —> tiredness —> binge.
5. instead of making you full, alcohol can actually stimulate your appetite. i mean, haven’t you had nights when after you drink, you just want something really greasy like pizza or just any food in general?
6. when you drink, you have a weak willpower and so you’re more likely to overeat. and no not vegetables but overeat calorific foods. let’s see what that does to your waistline!
but i know for some people, giving up drinking is hard, especially because of social reasons.
THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO?
1. have a plan. if you know you’re going to a bar or a party later, limit yourself before you go. tell yourself i’m going to only drink 1 cup of beer, or 2 shots, or something like that. then for the rest of the night, sip on water or club soda!
2. eat before you go. don’t save your calories because you’re going to eat later. eat a balanced meal and then go out and have drinks (but like i said, limit yourself!).
3. since foods that you eat when you drink like peanuts and chips are salty, make sure to drink a glass of water between alcoholic beverages. this will also make you fuller so you might eat / drink less.
just remember: enjoy but limit yourself!
microwave granola
most store-bought granolas are often full of FAT. and SUGAR. so you want to make your own? but don’t have an oven? well this granola recipe only requires a microwave!
ingredients:
-1/3 cup sliced almonds
-1/3 cup chopped nuts (e.g. pecans)
-2 cups old fashioned oats
-1/3 cup wheat germ
-1/4 cup brown sugar or stevia (feel free to use less)
-1/4 cup honey
-1/3 cup mix-ins (e.g. no sugar added dried fruits, coconut flakes, etc.)
directions:
**best if using a glass baking dish
1. microwave nuts on high for about 2 minutes to lightly toast them
2. add oats, wheat germ and brown sugar and mix well
3. stir in honey (make sure you mix well so everything is coated!!!)
4. microwave on high for about 3 minutes
5. stir well
6. microwave for another minute or two
7. cool slightly and stir in mix-ins
8. enjoy a handful, then store the rest :)
avocado & salsa verde toast
need a quick and healthy lunch?
ingredients:
-2 slices 100% whole grain bread (toasted)
-1 ripe avocado (mashed), seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper
-salsa verde (jarred or homemade)
directions:
1. mash an avocado and season to taste with salt and pepper
2. toast 2 slices of 100% whole grain bread
3. put dollops of mashed avocado and spread on toasts
4. top with salsa verde
if you have a fridge in your dorm, try this recipe! toasting is better but if you don’t have a toaster, you don’t need to toast the breads to enjoy this recipe!
microwave “baked” apple
“fall is coming, fall is coming~” ** doing the happy dance around the room
ingredients:
-1 apple
-2 tsp maple syrup / honey
-cinnamon
-mix ins such as raising, pecans, walnuts, and etc. (optional)
directions:
1. wash an apple and remove 3/4 of the core (leave a little bit at the bottom so your apple doesn’t have a hole)
2. place the apple into a deep microwave-safe bowl
3. sprinkle the inside with a little cinnamon and fill the apple with your mix ins
4. drizzle maple syrup / honey over your mix ins and top with more cinnamon if you want
5. microwave (uncovered) on high for about 3~5 minutes or until apple is tender
6. cool a little bit before eating or be prepared to burn your mouth!
hummus tuna sandwich
i absolutely love hummus. if i don’t have hummus everyday, i just might go into a hummus withdrawal. yeah. it’s that serious.
ingredients:
-1 can white tuna (packed in water)
-1 tbsp hummus
-2 tsp bbq sauce (read the ingredients!)
-2 slices of 100% whole grain breads
-greens (lettuce, mixed greens, baby spinach leaves)
-sliced avocado / sliced red onions (optional)
directions:
1. mix tuna, hummus, bbq sauce in a bowl
2. lay 2 slices of bread and put greens on both
3. put sliced / mashed avocado and sliced red onions on one bread (optional)
4. put as much tuna salad as you want on the other bread
5. put them together and enjoy!
i swear. it’s great.
microwave shrimp recipe for one
a lot of people don’t like seafood but i LOVE seafood! so here’s a great recipe for those of you who want shrimp but don’t have a lot of time :)
ingredients:
-24 large frozen shrimp - peeled and ready of course
-1/2 C chopped spinach leaves
-flavors! no salt garlic seasoning, a dash of hot sauce, 1 tsp olive oil, paprika, etc. be creative!
directions:
1. put everything in a bowl
2. mix well!
3. microwave 1 minute
4. take it out and stir
5. microwave again until hot (about 2 minutes)
6. enjoy!
my favorite way to enjoy this recipe: top with tomato sauce and serve with 100% whole grain toast!
pumpkin yogurt parfait
did i mention i LOVE pumpkin? well, i do.
ingredients:
-1 container (6oz) plain nonfat yogurt
-1/2 cup canned pumpkin
-1/4 tsp cinnamon / nutmeg / pumpkin pie spice
-1 crumbled healthy granola bar or 1/4 cup low-sugar granola
-stevia to sweeten
directions:
1. in a bowl, combine yogurt, pumpkin, spices and stevia. mix together.
2. put half of the yogurt mixture in a tall glass.
3. put half of the crumbled granola bar or granola on top of yogurt.
4. top with the rest of yogurt mixture.
5. top with the rest of granola bar / granola!
6. go gaga over all of the delicious layers! :)
not-mcmuffins
mcmuffins are out. not-mcmuffins are in.
ingredients:
-100% whole grain english muffins
-1 egg
-low fat cheese (optional)
-condiments / toppings you want (e.g. salsa, hummus, mustard, no-sugar added ketchup, etc.)
directions:
1. toast your english muffins. don’t have one like me? just warm them up for about 10~15 seconds in the microwave.
2. crack your egg into a microwavable bowl. stab the yolk with a fork but don’t scramble.
3. microwave your egg for about 30~45 seconds, or until they’re done.
4. if you want cheese, put cheese on one side of your english muffin and microwave that until the cheese is melted.
5. assemble your not-mcmuffins. take your cheesy (or not) bread, then top with egg, then top with your favorite toppings / condiments, and close with your other piece of bread!
want a little sweet-savory combo? add a little bit of sugarfree syup!
take that mcmuffins! take those unhealthy calories and scary looking ingredient lists and go somewhere else!
no-bake peanut butter oatmeal bites (vegan)
honestly, living in college is tough. and by tough, i mean i can’t cook or bake like i used to… anyways, since pouting is not going to get an oven or a stove, the next best thing i can do is improvise!
ingredients:
-1/4 cup rolled oats
-4 tsp of your favorite mix-ins (i normally do 2 tsp of unsweetened shredded coconut and 2 tsp of carob chips but you can do chopped peanuts, dried fruits, and etc.)
-1 tbsp all natural peanut butter (or any nut butter)
-a tsp of maple syrup (honey works too)
directions:
1. put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. divide it into 4 sections.
3. roll them into 4 balls and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (i hope you guys all have a fridge in your dorm rooms!).
4. take it out of the fridge anytime to enjoy a cold, peanut-buttery treat!
each ball will be about 50~70 calories depending on what you put in it. 1 or 2 balls for a snack will satisfy you!
feel free to double or triple the recipe…because you know. it’s that good :D
protein oatmeal pancake
it’s not as fluffy as normal buttermilk pancakes but still delicious!
ingredients:
-1/3 cup old fashioned oats
-1/3 cup fat free cottage cheese
-1/3 cup egg whites (2 egg whites)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/3 serving of protein powder
-stevia
-cinnamon
directions:
1. blend everything in a blender.
2. cook like you would cook normal pancakes!
3. top with whatever you like. perhaps my nutty chocolate sauce?
the whole recipe is about 250 calories with about 30g protein!!!
coconutty blueberry smoothie
i LOVE the combination of blueberries and coconut. is that normal? don’t answer that.
ingredients:
-1 cup frozen blueberries
-1/2 cup almond milk
-1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt or plain soy yogurt (for vegans)
-3~4 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes / shreds
-stevia
-ice
-protein powder (optional)
directions:
1. blend everything together.
2. serve in a tall glass cup.
3. add in some coconut flakes or shreds for a little texture.
4. mmmm your way through!
pumpkin pie smoothie
fall is coming! and pumpkin season is coming! who’s excited? i am! i am!
ingredients:
-1/2 cup pumpkin
-1/2 cup almond milk
-1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt or plain soy yogurt (for vegans)
-1 tsp pumpkin spice / cinnamon / nutmeg
-stevia
-ice
-protein powder (optional)
directions:
1. put all of the ingredients in a blender.
2. blend.
3. serve! and enjoy fall :)
3 ingredient peanut butter cookies
i think this is a recipe that most people know about because it’s so easy. but for those of you who don’t know, here you go!
ingredients:
-1 cup all natural nut butter
-1 cup stevia (recipe calls for sugar but there’s no way i’m gonna use sugar)
-1 egg
directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. combine ingredients and drop with a spoon on cookie sheet.
3. make that criss cross pattern with a fork. but it’s totally optional.
4. bake for 8 minutes.
5. let cool.
6. enjoy with a icy cold glass of almond milk!
even though it’s healthy, it’s not low in calories, so enjoy in moderation!
pizza toast (can be vegan)
pizza toast was and still is one of my favorite foods. when i was little, my mom used to make it for me all the time. of course, it wasn’t exactly the healthiest. you know, with mayo, ham, cheese, and all that stuff. but seriously, you don’t need all of that to enjoy pizza toast!
ingredients:
-100% whole grain bread
-tomato sauce (no sugar added, low sodium)
-fresh cut veggies
-a light sprinkle of low fat cheese or vegan cheese
directions:
1. toast your bread. i like my toasts crunchy and if you don’t toast your bread….then….it just doesn’t taste good. ok?
2. when it’s done toasting, let it cool for a little bit, about a minute (so it doesn’t get soggy).
3. spread tomato sauce and make sure you get EVERY BIT of your toast covered! not just the middle. yeah that’s right. i’m one of those people.
4. lay your cut veggies on top, then sprinkle with cheese.
5. put it under the broiler until cheese is melted! don’t have a broiler? microwave is fine too!
my favorite combination is with garlicky tomato sauce with green bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and GOAT CHEESE!
make 1 for a snack, 2 for a meal! do you feel like a kid again yet? ;)
bbq chicken salad
oh how i love chicken. but i can never buy pre-made chicken salads because almost all of them are DRENCHED in mayo. ew. so make your own instead!
ingredients:
-1 chicken breast
-3 tbsp bbq sauce OR 2 tbsp bbq sauce + 1 tbsp plain non-fat greek yogurt
-chopped veggies (green pepper, onions, corn, etc!)
directions:
1. boil your chicken breast, let it cool, then shred.
2. put the shredded chicken breast in a bowl and add sauce and chopped veggies.
3. mix and eat!
it tastes GREAT on toast!
