The term “low calorie dessert” seems almost unreal but it does exist.

You really can satisfy your sweet tooth without sabotaging your health or diet plan.

It will take some adjusting… There are temptations surrounding us all of the time, from chocolate bars to ice cream to cake… It can all be found easily at your local grocery store, convenience store or fast food shop.

For many of us dessert is the hardest thing to change when it comes to dieting. Unfortunately desserts contain so much fat and sugar and carbohydrates that they can quickly add up to more calories than an actual meal.

With these tips for low calorie desserts you will be able to enjoy dessert without guilt.

1. Learn To Substitute

There are many high sugar, high fat or high calorie foods that can be substituted for healthier ones. For example:

• Instead of Heavy Cream use Low Fat Yogurt, Cottage Cheese or Evaporated Skim Milk.
• Instead of Sweet Rolls or Pastries use Whole Wheat English Muffins.
• Instead of Cream or Milk use Skim Milk.
• Instead of Sour Cream use Plain Low Fat Yogurt.
• Instead of Oils or Shortening use Sugar Free Apple Sauce.
• Instead of Pie Crust use Graham Cracker Crust.

2. Choose Fruit

Fruit is the world’s natural dessert. It is sweet and delicious and you can switch it up each season. Mix fat free flavored yogurt with your favorite berry or drizzle honey on a sliced apple or pear or watermelon.

3. Read Nutrition Labels

Even the healthiest looking treat can be packed full with sugar, carbs and fat. Even some “fat free” desserts contain extra sugar to replace the fat, so make sure if you choose to purchase a treat that you read the nutrition labels and know exactly what is in the treat.

4. Make Your Own Desserts

The best way to know what exactly is in your dessert is to make it yourself. That way you can make healthy substitutions and make sure of measurements so you can enjoy your treat guilt free.

5. Avoid Milk & Cream Desserts

Often milky or creamy desserts are loaded up with sugar and fat so steer clear unless they are made with low fat cream or skim milk. Better dessert choices are the ones that are dairy-free.

6. The Best Low Calorie Desserts

Here are a few low calorie desserts you can put in your rotation:

Decadent Chocolate Pudding – Ingredients:

• Large Egg.
• 2 1/4 Cups Non-fat Milk.
• 2/3 Cup Sugar.
• 1/8  Teaspoon Salt.
• 2/3 Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch.
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.

To Prepare:

• Lightly beat egg in a bowl.
• Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat while stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile whisk the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in medium bowl.
• Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cups milk until blended.
• Whisk the simmering milk mix into the cocoa mixture.
• Pour the mixture back into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat whisking constantly until it is thing and glossy (for about 3 minutes).
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk 1 cup of hot cocoa mixture into beaten egg.
• Return egg mixture into the pan and cook over medium low heat until mixture is thickened (about 2 minutes).
• Whisk in vanilla.
• Serve warm.

Poached Strawberries with Meringue – Ingredients:

• Pound fresh or frozen rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 1/2 cup sugar.
• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries halved.
• 3 large egg whites.
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
• 1/3 cup sugar.

To Prepare:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place rhubarb in medium bowl and mix with sugar.
• Divide the mixture evenly among six 8 ounce ramekins and place ramekins on a baking sheet and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake until rhubarb is softened for 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and remove the foil.
• Place strawberries between the chunks of rhubarb.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl and gradually add sugar.
• Continue mixing until the egg whites are glossy and hold peaks.
• Spoon beaten egg whites over each portion or fruit.
• Return ramekins into the oven until meringue is lightly browned (about 10 minutes).
• Let cool for 10 minutes, serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Pops – Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar.
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
• Pinch of salt.
• 2 cups low-fat milk.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 2 cups diced bananas.

To Prepare:

• Whisk sugar cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan.
• Add milk and whisk until combined.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat whisking occasionally.
• Boil whisking constantly for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Blend half the mixture and add bananas.
• Process until smooth.
• Stir mixture back into rest of pudding.
• Divide the mixture into freezer pop molds, then freeze until completely firm (about 6 hours).
• Dip the molds briefly in hot water before un-molding.

Some other great quick low calorie treats are sorbet, frozen yogurt, fruit with low fat yogurt, fruit drizzled with honey, fruit with low fat cheese, sugar free apple sauce and popcorn with cinnamon.

When we want to lose weight quickly we usually starve ourselves and cut out all of the foods we love.

This is actually the worst thing you can do to lose weight. Yes you will drop the pounds quickly if you don’t eat. Unfortunately your body will think it is starving and go into starvation mode, holding onto each and every calorie you eat and when you go back to eating regular foods you will gain all of your lost weight back and more.

Surprisingly the fastest way to lose weight is the healthiest way too.

Here are the “rules” to the fastest way to lose weight:

1. Drink More Water

Your body needs water to:

• Flush Out Waste.
• Stay Hydrated.
• Digest Food Properly.
• Metabolize Fat More Effectively.

Get yourself a water bottle that you can easily throw in your bag or in your car to make sure you always have some H2O on hand. If you don’t like the taste of water alone you can add the peel or the juice of a lemon or lime or any other fruit to jazz it up.

2. Eat Every 2-4 Hours

Fueling up on healthy snacks and meals every 2-4 hours will save you from binging out later. Not eating enough throughout the day will leave you feeling weak and ready to eat anything you can get your hands on… A juicy burger or a large milkshake or a bag of crisps… However, this is the worst thing you can do for losing weight. Keep yourself satisfied by snacking on nuts, low-fat yogurt, hard boiled eggs, carrots and hummus, apples with almond butter, pumpkin seeds or fat-free cottage cheese with celery, etc.

3. Lift Weights

Doing weight bearing exercise will replace fat with muscle making you leaner and stronger. It will also help you burn calories and increase your metabolism. Lean muscle is also “metabolically active” meaning that it burns calories for a few hours after you have stopped weight lifting so the more muscles you have the higher your resting heart rate will be.

4. Rev Up Your Heart Rate

Getting your heart rate up is a great way to burn calories. Doing physical exercise like running, biking, swimming, playing sports, dancing, kayaking, taking an aerobics class or boxing, etc.

Make sure to do 20 minutes or more 3-5 times a week to make an impact in your weight loss. Fat burning starts 20 minutes into your cardio exercise, so make sure to push yourself to really lose weight quickly.

5. Portion Control

Watching your portion size can have a huge impact on losing weight quickly. You don’t have to cut out entire food groups, but watching how much you eat is the fastest way to lose weight. Fill up on lean protein, complex carbohydrates, low-fat dairy, fruit and vegetables.

If you are going to have a treat make sure you have eaten a proper meal first and if your still craving a snack, don’t eat the entire bag of crisps, dole yourself out about 100 calories worth sit back and really enjoy it. Avoid snacking in front of the television or computer so that you are aware of how much you’re eating.

Now you have the tips on the fastest and healthiest way to lose weight.

Diet plans usually have one thing in common – Not Enough Food.

This is where Strip That Fat is very different from most diets… We want you to eat lots of food and never feel hungry. The key to Strip That Fat is filling up on the right types of foods.

Many plans tell you to cut out a certain food group, like Atkins tabooing carbohydrates.

A healthy eating plan includes carbohydrates, fats and proteins because they each have a “job” in our bodies.

Complex Carbohydrates:

• Supply glucose to brain and central nervous system.
• Break down slowly to keep us feeling full.
• Help control blood sugar and insulin levels.

Good Carbohydrate choices are Oats, Cereals, whole wheat pasta, whole what bread, Brown Rice and Vegetables.

Fats provide energy, balance hormones, helps form our cell membranes, brains and nervous system and provides the fatty acids our bodies need but can’t produce.

Some great healthy fat choices are Avocados, Nuts, Sesame & Peanut Oil, Whole Grain Wheat and Oatmeal.

Protein balances hormones, is esponsible for enzymes, helps your immune system and balances your amino acid level.

Some great protein choices are Fish, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Quinoa, Beans, Eggs, Soy Milk and Almond Milk.

Following a healthy eating plan by having a balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and feel great.

In addition to having complex carbs, healthy fats and lean protein make sure to lower you intake of processed foods, deep-fried foods and sugar.

Want to get rid of those not so lovely love handles?

The excess fat that builds up on your obliques has got the adorable term “love handles” but they are not as cute as they sound.

Having excess weight around your middle can actually put you at a health risk. It can cause issues like heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, raised cholesterol, sleep apnea and slow metabolism, etc.

To really get rid of love handles you have to blast the fat with cardiovascular workouts and eating healthy meals.

Get your heart rate up by:

Joining a running group.
Going to an aerobics class.
Going for a run.
Going on the elliptical trainer.
Walking, rambling or hiking.
Swimming lengths of the pool.
Playing tennis.
Walking or running with your dog (or volunteer at your local SPCA).
Biking.
Dancing.
Playing a ball game.

The key is to keep your heart rate up for 20 minutes or longer, because it takes that long to start burning fat.

Weight training is also an important part of getting rid of love handles, because having lean muscles helps you burn more calories each time you work out and can elevate your metabolic rate.

Cross training and circuit training are great ways to do your cardio and weight training at the same time.

Circuit training is mixing weight exercises with cardio exercise, for example, 2 minutes biking, 5 reps of bicep curls, 2 minutes jumping rope, 15 reps of tricep dips, 2 minutes biking, 15 reps chest fly, 2 minutes jumping rope, etc.

With cross training it is about keeping your body guessing when it comes to exercises. Don’t repeat the same moves each day, switch it up. Do running one day, biking the next, swimming the next and so on. You will be challenging your body and keeping it working to keep up with you.

The next part to getting rid of love handles is eating for tummy health. That means cutting down on processed foods, foods high in sugar and foods high in sodium, along with cutting out foods high in trans-fat and deep-fried foods.

Fill up on healthy foods like complex carbohydrates (oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, barley), fruit and vegetables, lean meats and foods high in fiber (legumes, bran, barley, beans, chickpeas) and low-fat dairy (skim milk, skim cheese, low fat cottage cheese, soy beverages).

By exercising 3-5 times a week and following a healthy diet plan you will finally be able to get rid of your love handles.

You can do it… Just think about how you will feel strutting on the beach in your bathing suit and get moving.

Let’s face it… There are some days we all feel too lazy to get moving.

If it has just been a couple of days or has been a couple of years since you’ve been active, it can be really hard to get active again.

So here are some tips on how to get motivated.

Make Goals… It’s important to make both long term and short term goals. Long term goals are those that you want to reach in the future and could include:

• Losing 15 pounds, for example.
• Dropping a dress size.
• Getting healthier.
• Lowering risk of disease (heart, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc).

Then there are short term goals that you can achieve daily, weekly or monthly including:

• Losing 1 pound a week.
• Going to the gym 3 days a wekk.
• Going running 5 times a week.
• Joining a soccer team.
• Eating home made unprocessed healthy meals 6 days a week.
• Cutting out fast food/deep fried food.

Motivational Pictures… You can choose a picture of yourself at a heavier weight to keep yourself inspired to keep moving, or you can use a picture of someone you admire and motivates you. Whatever type of picture you choose make it easy to see and use it to remind yourself of your long-term goals.

Join A Group… Sometimes all it takes is knowing you have to meet someone or a group of people to get you up and off the couch.

You can join a group or a class for Aerobics, Spin, Dancing, Running, Boxing, Swimming Aerobics, etc.

If you don’t like working out with a group, you can also work out with a friend or a family member, or sign up for one-on-one workout sessions with a trainer at your local gym.

Write It Down… Keeping a journal is a great way to:

• Keep track of what you’re eating everyday.
• Keep track of what gets you motivated.
• Remind yourself how good you feel after eating well and working out.
• How you feel when you lose a pound or achieve any of your short term or long term goals.
• Keep a record of your weight loss using photographs.

Make Your Own Rules… The most important thing to remember when you are starting a weight loss and diet plan is that it needs to work for you.

Make a food schedule and an exercise plan and then stick to it. If you are just starting to make life changes, start slowly so that you don’t get overwhelmed and quit. Choose foods that you enjoy and exercises you find fun.

Living a healthy lifestyle is not a punishment, so make it enjoyable for yourself.

Getting motivated will be easier when you remember how good you feel when you work out, or when you look forward to going to your next boxercise class, etc.

Be Positive… Remember to be positive. If you missed your workout today don’t stress out about it because you can work out tomorrow.

If you are feeling lazy or down on yourself, think about how far you’ve come to just start on your weight loss and health journey.

You’ve already made it through the hardest part, the beginning.

So pat yourself on the back and keep pushing… You can do it.

If you have any questions, are not feeling motivated or are looking for some new workout or recipe ideas you can always contact us too.

We’re always here to help.

Yes, Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez looked great after having their children… Heidi strutting her stuff in bikini’s and Jennifer dancing at award shows… However, if you are thinking you will look like a celebrity mother after having your baby you may be in for a surprise.

Stars like Heidi and Jennifer have the “celeb tools” we don’t have… The personal trainers and the personal chefs… The live-in nannies and the free time to spend on themselves. Without these tools it’s almost impossible to go from giving birth to instantly wearing your skinny jeans again… However, that does not mean that you have to throw out your skinny jeans all together.

I have 6 strategies you can follow to lose weight after pregnancy and to get you back into your favorite pre-pregnancy outfit:

1. Be Realistic

You gained weight because you accomplished something amazing, having a baby. It took you 9 months to put on the weight, so you can’t expect it to be gone overnight. Realistically, if you eat well and exercise, you will lose the weight eventually. Don’t give into the unhealthy weight loss methods like starving yourself or eating only Cayenne pepper for 3 weeks. You will just put the weight back on. Instead, you should:

• Make a long term weight loss goal (that you want to lose 15 pounds overall, for example).
• Make short term weekly goals (I will lose 1 pound a week).
• Focus on eating healthy foods and exercising regularly (make sure to check with your doctor before beginning exercise).

2. Breast Feed

If you can breast feed, please do. It’s healthy for your baby and for you.

You burn about 500 calories a day from breastfeeding which works out to 3500 calories a week. 3500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat so by simply breastfeeding you can lose 1 pound per week.

3. Eat Well

Eating a balanced diet is important for everyone but particularly for new mothers, especially if you are breastfeeding. Eat a diet rich in unprocessed Fruit, Vegetables, Whole Grains (brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, rye) and lean protein (chicken, pork, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products, beans). Make sure to eat often to keep your energy level up and to prevent you from getting ravenous and wanting every burger or milk shake in sight. Remember, being pregnant or having a newborn does not mean you can have any and as much food you want. You still have to be conscious of what you are putting in your body if you want to lose weight and stay healthy.

4. Exercise

Getting exercise will help you lose your pregnancy weight and keep it off. Remember to ask your doctor before beginning any exercise program to ensure you are ready to become active.

Eating well without exercise will only get you so far. To lose weight you should exercise for at least 60 minutes 3-5 times a week.

You can start slowly in the first few weeks after birth by doing activities like walking, swimming, biking and when you get more energy you can increase the effort of your workouts and start running, going to spin or aerobics classes, going to the gym (doing weight bearing exercises), going on the elliptical.

There are also many post-pregnancy Yoga and Pilates classes offered at gyms and fitness centers, some that you can even bring your baby to. Check out the fitness centers near you to find a class.

5. Relax

Stress causes an increase of the hormone cortisol in your body that can cause weight gain. It is important to take time to relax in order to stay balanced and not gain weight from being tiered and stressed.

To stay relaxed, make sure to take time and walk outside (with or without baby), take a bath, get friends or family to babysit while you go to the gym, go to the spa, sleep etc.

Being relaxed will give you more energy to spend with your child and will keep you feeling and looking great.

6. Stay Organized

Sometimes days melt into each other and suddenly it’s the weekend again.

Time can fly when you bring home a new born, so staying organized is important in order to stay on track and stay healthy.

Before you bring the baby home, set up your home to encourage healthy eating and exercise:

• Make your workout clothes accessible and easy to grab.
• Organize your fridge and cupboards to have healthy snacks like almonds, fruit, low fat yogurt and veggies in easy to spot places.
• Join a gym or fitness group.
• Set up babysitting with family or friends to ensure you’ll get time for yourself.

After baby is home:

• Plan your meals for the week ahead.
• Cut up all of your fruit and veggies and organize food so it is easy to prepare when you get home from the grocery store.
• Pre-prepare meals so you just have to re-heat them.
• Make time for snacks, you can even write them on your day planner if you think you may forget.
• Plan a healthy activity everyday (go for a walk, skip rope while baby is sleeping, go for a bike ride, etc).

By following these 6 strategies you will lose your pregnancy weight in a healthy way and keep it off.

Have you recently had a baby and have tips to share? Let us know.

I know when it is about 1pm because my tummy starts growling… There is still a lot of work day left but around that time I am feeling hungry and tired.

I used to go for a quick sugar fix… I would walk up to the vending machine and get a pack of Skittles or a chocolate treat of some sort… However, the high would only be momentary and then I would find myself feeling not only tired and hungry but also sick from eating all of that sugar.

Then, I found the perfect mid-day snack food… Eggs.  I would hard boil two eggs either the night before or while I was getting ready in the morning (to boil eggs: place eggs in pot then cover with water then cover with lid and set on high… When water boils, turn off heat and leave for 5-10 minutes depending on how hard you like your eggs).

Then, I would load them into a Ziplock and pack them with me to work, because eggs are packed full of protein and they give me the energy I need for the rest of my day. As a bonus, eggs also:

• Build muscle.
• Enhance weight loss.
• Battle obesity.

Here  are some great ways to eat eggs:

• Hard boil eggs, and sprinkle pepper on top or dip in hot sauce for flavor.
• Chop hard boiled eggs and add them to a salad.
• Poach eggs and place them on whole wheat toast or an whole wheat English muffin.
• Scramble eggs and eat with hot sauce, with whole wheat toast, in a whole wheat wrap, mixed in with quinoa, or alone.

Some other power foods to add into your diet are Almonds, Seeds, Beans, Oatmeal, Natural Peanut Butter, Spinach and lean meats (turkey, chicken, pork, lean beef, fish).

Try to eat at least 2 of these power foods each day.

What is your favorite power food? Let us know. We always love getting feedback.

“I’m going to start a new routine of eating breakfast, getting 6 small meals a day, and going to the gym 4 days a week… Tomorrow…”

Sound familiar?

It is great to have goals and good intentions… To make plans to live a healthier lifestyle. However, taking those first steps can be the hardest part of starting a new routine.

Well, now is your change to take control, and get your life on a healthier path.

It can seem overwhelming to start a new diet plan and a new exercise regime at the same time… So don’t do it all at once.

You can begin by adding one exercise to your weekly routine.

If you can walk 3 times a week or go to a spin class at your gym once a week you can start there.

The next week you can start by taking out one of your food weaknesses and replacing it with a healthy option. Love ice cream during your favorite TV show, for example? Replace it with frozen yogurt or low fat yogurt with berries.

Start slowly and put tasks ahead of you that you can achieve. Saying that you need to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks so you will cut out all of your favorite foods and workout for 5 hours a day is just unrealistic.

Make a weekly plan and once you achieve it make a new plan for the next week.

Moving through weight loss step-by-step will help you stay motivated (because you will be reaching your weekly goals) and soon you will see that you are losing weight by exercising more and eating better without even thinking about it. It will just be the way you live your life.

I also understand that you have a busy life… It can seem like there is never a moment you can take for yourself to get the exercise or rest you need. Making this time for you is essential for successful weight loss and healthy living.

If you work in the morning, try waking up half an hour early to go for a morning walk or jog… Or, use your lunch break to hit the gym.

If you have some time in the evening, you can even work out while you watch TV… Getting an at home treadmill or elliptical is a great way to make sure you get activity in.

If that is not in your budget there are a lot of exercises you can do without any equipment or with just a few things.

Jumping jacks, mountain climber, squats, lunges, knee-ups, push-ups, leg extensions… These are all exercises that require no equipment. You can make a great home routine with just a medicine ball and exercise ball.

If you have a family and don’t want to take away the time you spend together, then include them. Same goes for friends. Suggest a walk, a hike or a swim and get everyone involved.

Don’t let yourself have any more excuses. Take control and see the benefits.

Take baby steps, and you will soon be living the healthy lifestyle you once thought was never achievable because it was all too much. By breaking down the steps, you will lose weight and you will feel amazing.

Start your new routine and get your life on the right path… Today and let us know how you do.

Stress  can cause all sorts of health issues, ranging from anxiety to depression to high blood pressure to heart disease, not to mention weight gain.

Being de-stressed can also help you get a better sleep, and getting at least 7 hours a night is vital to living a healthy life.

Here are some ideas of how you can de-stress your life so that you can focus and enjoy your life.

Exercise… Going for a walk, running by the lake, going for a bike ride or hiking with your dog are all great ways of de-stressing. Choose an activity you enjoy, be it swimming, fishing or dancing, and you will find that your mood will improve, and you will also be tired at the end of the day which will  help you get a full night’s sleep.

Write… Sometimes our lives can be full of seemingly never-ending things to do, or our jobs have intense deadlines, which can often leave us stressed and unable to sleep. To help, write down your ideas, or things you need to do, down before heading to bed, and you will have a more restful sleep knowing you are organized for the next day.

Walk… If you are feeling stressed out, it can help to go for a walk, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Breathe in the fresh air, look at your surroundings and let go of your stressful thoughts, just for that time. You can then return to your daily life being refreshed and ready to go.

Read or Make Time For Yourself… It is good to be distracted just for a short period of time but I do not recommend Television. A few alternate and much healthier ways to make time for yourself are:

• A good book and a cozy couch.
• A beach towel and some sunshine, can be the perfect remedy.
• If you do not enjoy reading you can just meditate, nap, do a crossword or work on a puzzle. It is important to take some time for yourself.
• Tea Have a cup of tea. The antioxidants in tea, and the act of drinking a warm cup of tea are both great for helping you de-stress.
• Spend Time With Friends and Family… Sometimes, all you need is some time with friends or family where you can be at ease and have a laugh.

Choose Healthy Meals… Getting on a healthy diet plan will help you feel better so that you can get up and exercise and sleep better, which combined, will help you lose weight and stay healthy.

Learn To Say “No”… There seems to never be enough hours in the day, right? It is easy to get wrapped up in the action, and feel like you can never say no to friends or family. However, sometimes, it is important to take time just for you, and sometimes, that means saying no. Friends and family will understand when you need  some time for you to re-charge.

Taking time for you, writing down the things you need to do and following a few of these tips will help you feel and look better in the long run.

Here’s to de-stressing for your health, cheers.