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APPLE CRUMBLE DIET and Easy Weight Loss Tips

You will not believe how incredibly easy this Diet is! Yaaahooo! A simple and easy way to lose those annoying extra pounds (and I don't even mean your spouse, neither! yuff, yuff!).

I started this about 6 months ago, and have now lost 25 pounds. Can't tell you how pleased I am about that! This is easy to make, then it just sits in the Fridge waiting for you to have a wee snack!

I actually have this Apple Crumble for One for Breakfast, a mid-morning Snack, Lunch and sometimes before Dinner, if I feel overly hungry (that way your intake at dinner is naturally very moderate). It's fast and easy, and always delicious!

I've been on the look out for Unsweetened Applesauce, and I found it at Walmart. Motts Applesauce comes in Unsweetened and Sweetened -- the difference is about 15g of sugar/serving, so that's substantial.Tastes great, too!

Well, this doesn't look much like a recipe for Weight Loss, but it is! It's delicious, fast and easy!

This recipe is for a great big Batch you can put in the Fridge and it'll last for a few weeks, depending on how many people are sharing it!

Apple Crumble for One!

3/4 to 1 Cup Butter, melted or soft (1 minute in the Microwave will do the trick...)

2 tbsp. Cinnamon (I use more Cinnamon now that I've found out that Cinnamon is good for Diabetics...)

2 tsp. Vanilla

4 Cups of Oatmeal (Quick-cooking Rolled Oats)

1 Cup Flour (Regular or Whole Wheat...) (I always make this with Barley Flour, now -- very good!)

1 Cup Bran (this is optional, but the more 'bulk' for your body to work with, the better, right??)

3/4 to 1 Cup Brown Sugar (You can use less sugar if you like...I use a little over 1/2 a cup of Brown Sugar, now.)

Blend the Dry Ingredients, first, then add the Butter & Vanilla... just easier that way!

I mix a big batch of this up (use a Pastry Cutter or a fork to mix it), put it in a Large Freezer Bag and pop it in the Fridge. I put a 1/2 Cup measure into the bag for easy measurement when you're ready to use it.

Apple Sauce OR Peel and Cut One Apple

Directions:

Pour about 1/2 a Cup of Applesauce into a shallow bowl or small plate.

Peel and Cut 1 Apple into little pieces and put on a plate.

Sprinkle 1/2 a Cup of the Oatmeal Topping over the Fruit and pop it in the Microwave for 1 Minute on High.

The Cut Fresh Fruit will probably require between 2-5 minutes, depending on how soft the apple is.

Voila! You're done and now you have Apple Crumble for One! Good luck with that, though, since it often seems that someone comes into the kitchen just as this comes out of the Microwave who 'just wants a little bite', then they take at least half of it! ha,ha,ha! But at least they're all eating something tasty and healthy! Now, that's a real treat!

I hope this looks tasty to you! I love the smell of Apple Crumble, too -- makes your whole house smell yummy!

You can add any fruit -- fresh, frozen or canned (and drained...). You can mix 'n match so you always have 'new' treats! I ran out of Applesauce on the weekend, but had a tin of Peaches in the Pantry, so I drained them, cut them into wee bits (right in the bowl), and added the topping. Delicious!

Today I'm going to try Frozen Blueberries -- sounds yummy, doesn't it?? (I just tried this, and it IS tasty! Takes 2 Minutes in the microwave to 'cook' the frozen berries.)

The other day when I was making this for a little mid-day snack, I happened to read the Applesauce Label to check for the amount of Carbohydrates in it, and was quite surprised to see that they add sugar to the Applesauce -- the carb. number was 26g per 1/2 cup serving. That's about the same as what you would have in your Breakfast Cereal. Now I'm on the look-out for Unsweetened Applesauce -- it's got to be out there! Found the Unsweetened Applesauce, and now it's all I use. Half the amount of sugar, so that's great! I buy my Applesauce at Walmart -- best price around!

Note to my avid little readers (who are all getting smaller by the minute! ha,ha!): I did find the Unsweetened Applesauce! It has between 13 - 16g per 1/2 cup serving, so that's waaay better, no?? You can find it at your local grocery store or still at Walmart!

I'm thinking that if this recipe catches on, Applesauce Sales will go through the roof -- think we should all invest in Apple Shares?! ha,ha,ha!

I really, really love this. It's the one thing that I was able to use to replace chocolate, which I think I had become slightly addicted to! I had a little habit of getting a cup of Tea and a Chocolate Bar (Crispy Crunch for a VERY long time!) in time to watch the Opening Discussion on The View. (The 'Hot Topic' section is my favorite part -- just like having your really smart and witty friends over, only you don't have to share any of your chocolate! WooHoo!)

Not only is this a really tasty treat, it's very nutritious, too. The Apples or Applesauce combined with the Oatmeal Topping make it really filling and it gives you a great energy boost and maintains the energy for a long time.

Don't let the Butter throw you off -- a wee bit of fat is okay for you -- it helps to keep your Blood Sugar stable. You can probably use Margarine as a substitute, but I prefer to cook with Butter. I think I'll try a batch with Canola Oil, Raw Cane Sugar and Whole Wheat Flour -- I'll let you know if this is edible and still tasty!

(Okay, so I tried a batch with Multi-grain Flour and 1/2 a cup of Wheat Bran -- edible and very 'chewy', but I definitely like the original recipe better, even if this is the healthier version! I'll eat extra Cauliflower to make up the difference! ha,ha!)

(Now I'm making it with the Barley Flour or the Whole Wheat Flour -- both are good. I think the Barley Flour is cool, though! I'm on the look-out for Flax Seed anything, so I can add that, too!)

This little recipe and being conscious of not eating 2-3 hours before bed (now I've extended that to no treats after dinner...), along with some exercise (I'd like to say that I work out like I used to, but that would be a big fat lie (!), so I will say that I try to get on the 'Stepper' for two to four sections of The View (see how my planning revolves around that show??), and occasionally use my new 'Total Gym', which I love, but don't have much time to experiment with it, yet. I also use Free Weights for certain 'Target Exercises', although I'm not doing those consistently, either...

Special Note: Now I AM doing the Stepper every day. I decided it was more important to have it in a convenient location (in front of the TV!) than to make Dwight (my husband) happy by hiding it away. I think you're way more likely to use your equipment if you see it every day. I always use the 5 pound free weights at the same time. Even if you're just holding them, it's a better work out for your upper body. Try to gently swing your arms, though, and do some Bi-cep curls... must get some pictures so you can see what I mean! Oh, yeah, and I added an Air Glider, that is waaaay cool and every kid loves these -- fun and they provide some movement for you & the kids!

October, 2005. Well, I'm at the Gym, again, and I'm loving it! Very relaxing, I get to see at least one other Adult a day, and lifting Weights (Free Weights & the Nautilus Machines) is the fastest and most ffective way to shape your body. I hate wasting time, and like to get as much as I can done in the least amount of time (like many, many folks!), so the Gym makes that easy for me! Click Here for Gym Tips.

Better to do a little something than to do nothing at all!

Anyway, I've dropped about 20 pounds! YaaaaHooo! It's tricky to lose the weight after having a Baby in your 'late-ish' Thirties! I also have a much more comfortable life now with Aidan (he's 3 1/2 years old) than I did with my daughter, Cara (she's 15). I was actually very badly underweight after I had Cara from the extreme stress of being in a horrible marriage, but that's another story -- long and very sad, so let's stick to the good stuff!

Little note: I just checked the scales, and I've lost another 5 pounds, so now I'm at a total of 25 lbs gone (but not forgotten!)! WooHoo! And all because I love Apple Crumble! Who knew that would be my saving grace?? ha,ha!

You really shouldn't 'diet' (I can't stand that word -- I like to think of it as better food and life management!) while you're Nursing a baby, so I cut back a little (and I really mean 'little'!) towards the end of the Nursing period, then began cutting out one treat a week. I know, that might sound like it wasn't significant, but it was huuuge at the time. I felt that I'd been working really hard and I certainly deserved a wee treat every now and then... and I didn't smoke(ever) or drink (much!!), so what was the harm in a wee treat??

Well, this past February I got the most fabulous pair of Black Sandals with Crystal Circles (I'll take a picture of them and post it for you!) at Winners, and couldn't wait to wear them. The first night I had them on, one of my toes on my left foot felt a little 'numb', for lack of a better term. At first I just put it down to the Circle part of the shoes, but the feeling didn't go away.

When I was pregnant with Aidan, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, which I never believed I had since my 'numbers' were always fine, but I did learn a lot about keeping my Blood Sugar Level stable, so I started to do the same things again, now, to see if this 'toe thing' was in any way Diabetes related.

It gave me a terrible fright to think that something could happen to my toes, and if it took a gorgeous pair of Sandals to give me the incentive I needed to cut back on the treats, then that was a good thing. I have since found two more absolutely stunning pairs of Sandals which I plan to be able to wear for the rest of my life, so the chocolate had to go... Think of it as the 'Sandals for Chocolate Diet'!

I was also about a month away from my 40th Birthday (March 7th, 2003!), and I knew how important it is to get straight in your Forties so you can continue to live a great and healthy life... there's something about this Decade that can make you go one way or the other, although I am a firm believer that you can make positive changes at any given point in your life...

There were three shows that I saw that gave me the tidbits of information that I needed to get back on track...

From Oprah: Bob Greene's idea to not eat 2 - 3 hours before bed time. This might seem little, but I promise you will see a big difference in a month. The only exception I have is if I feel a cold coming on, I will have the Lemon, Honey 'n Onion Drink -- scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll find it!. It's more important to be healthy than slimmer! (For that day, anyway!)

From Dr. Phil: This was a show about Obsessive Compulsives, I think, and involved Behaviour Modifiaction, which I actively used with my Special Needs Students for years, but I hadn't thought of applying it to my own life... I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like you had to Make a Change to See a Change, and that you could make those changes in tiny little increments. Hence, the cutting out one chocolate bar a week, at first!

This was huuuge for me, though,since I started to pinpoint when I was snacking, and what sorts of things I was really eating, when and why. I used to Chart behaviours that needed to be changed systematically as a teacher, so I just applied those same skills to my weight-loss goal.

I had always been conscious of the amount of Fat intake per day (I liked to keep it around 35 grams of Fat per day, but I'm not sure how I had justified the vast amount of Chocolate, which definitely didn't fall into the 35 gram/day realm... I think that because I didn't want to live in Calgary for so long, and felt that I was not 'allowed' by the 'system' -- the crazy court system -- to live my own life, that I had to stay in Canada and not pursue the life and career I wanted to pursue in California, that the Chocolate became a thing I used to make me feel happier.

The irony of 'having' to stay here is that I actually developed a much better life with Dwight, and was forced to learn how to stop running away from things to make my life better. I would never have learned how to Build Houses, would probably not have left the regular Teaching world (although now I perceive myself as a teacher to a much wider group of people, teaching information you generally don't get in school at any level but that is necessary to live well and to really get ahead...), certainly wouldn't have Aidan, and never would have had the time and information that allowed me to develop this website. And if I hadn't had such a bad marriage the first time around, I never would have ventured to California on my own with a 2 year old and made all the great friends that I met down there. So you can see how problems can turn your life around and point you in directions you might not have seen for yourself, but in the end will make you stronger and better if you stay positive and always remain true to yourself.

From The View: The Eight Minute Diet, where the amount of exercise time was only eight minutes... I had been waiting until I could find an Hour and a Half -- my old amount of time I used to spend in the gym, 7 days a week (I was a major Fitness girl -- Mostly Weights and Stretching...). Well, I would never have found that kind of time -- what with this website, which I work on about 6 to 8 hours a day, Aidan, and working on the House (I'm painting all the Trimwork for the house -- well over 6,000 lineal feet -- that's a lot of painting!), as well as the Landscaping, Tiling and Grouting and a ton of other stuff...

Eight Minutes -- I thought, "Surely I can find Eight Minutes!", so went out and got some Free Weights from Walmart, and a 'Stretchy Rope' -- those things are great. Very good for gentle exercise.

Cara's 15th Birthday was in May (man, just looked at this, and Cara's 17, now!), so I got her a Stepper that is 'free Standing' -- it has no arms to lean on. I had heard that the act of balancing yourself on the Stepper greatly improved the Workout, so that's what I got for her -- from Walmart, of course. You can get these on-line, so I'll get that on this page for you. It's surprising how many years can slip past before you remember to go get fitness equipment that you'll actually use! Ordering on-line when you're thinking about it means it'll be at your house by the time you've already forgotten about it (about 3 days! ha,ha,ha!), and it'll feel like a gift!

Cara's Birthday happens to be Mother's Day (yes, she was a Mother's Day Baby -- couldn't have gotten a better gift!), so I put in a request to Dwight (my husband, if you're new to the site!) to get me the Total Gym that I had seen when I was at Walmart getting Cara's Stepper. He went in and got it that night, and I love it -- it's very compact and fun to use. It works on a Pulley System, so it's great for any level of Fitness. Aidan sits on the bench in front of me, so he can 'go for a ride', so it's fun for the whole family! ha,ha!

Those pieces of Equipment are all fun to use and don't require a whole lot of Set-up time (None! Just the amount of time I have!)-- and they're happy to see you if only every now and then!

We just got back from vacation down in California, and I have decided to put Exercise before the Computer every morning...hey, I want to look young(ish!) forever, or as long as I possibly can, so exercise it is! I'm using Free Weights (3 - 5 pounds, depending on the day...) and my Stepper, which I love! I use that equipment for the first few segments of The View, then switch over to the Air Walker (don't know if it really works, but it sure is a lot of fun, and it does raise my heart rate!). I've discovered that if you bend your knees a little when you're on the Air Walker, you'll get a better work-out of your Quads (top front of your legs), and when you straighten your legs out, that seems to benefit your Hamstrings (back of your legs).

My all time favorite exercise to tone your hips, behind and legs is a little tricky to explain, so I'll need to get my daughter, Cara, to take some pictures of me doing the exercise, so you can try it, too. I'd love to see everyone get a healthier body this year!

Click Here for my 'Get Rid of Cellulite' Exercise.

The jist of the exercise is to lay face down on a Bench (or your bed...and have a snooze...no, wait...that's later...)and position a Free Weight (start with 3 pounds and work your way up slowly -- back in my 'gym days', I used to lift 35 pounds without thinking about it, but I had a 'spotter' and, quite frankly, more muscles(!). Now I lift a 10 lb. Weight. So far, so good...) between your feet.

I know, that sounds weird! Wear some comfy shoes to make holding the weight a lot easier...the weight will be held in the Arch area of your feet. (See why we desperately need some pictures??)

Slowly raise your feet up to your behind (Aidan calls it your 'behinie'!), hold it for a count of 3, then very slowly take the weight back down. Do 3 sets of 20.

The great thing about this particular exercise is that it really isolates those hard to get at areas. And LADIES, (yes, think Jerry Lewis!), it directly targets and removes cellulite! No kidding! WooHoo -- stooopid cellulite! You'll be amazed at the results.

The other really cool thing that this exercise does when you get to the higher weights is it can straighten out your legs. Now I'm not saying that you ALL have bowed legs (now there's a nice visual!), but it is a bother for a tremendous amount of people, and this really seems to work. Definitely worth a shot! The general idea is that this exercise strengthens your muscles to such an extent that it straightens out your legs.

Here's a link to the Walmart Site, if you want to check out the Exercise Equipment.

I just went into this Walmart Site to Check Out the Gym Equipment -- they have a fantastic selection, and I have to say that their prices are incredibly low... they have my favorite Stepper for only $49.95 -- it's the one that is quite small and does not have the Arm Rest, so you'll get a much better work-out, especially if you add Light Hand Weights. Check it out -- you'll be very pleasantly surprised at the cool stuff you can get!

<Exercise & Fitness at Wal-Mart>

<DVDs Under $10 at Wal-Mart>

You know what? Dwight got me the Total Gym from Walmart -- it is one of the best Exercise Machines I have ever used, and takes up relatively little space. It's gentle exercise, in that it uses a Pulley System, so it won't hurt your Back, and it can easily accomodate any fitness level. Good for Men and Women!

Can't say I like the 'perfect' part of this ad, but I do like the idea of wearing a Patch to help curb your appetite... interesting concept...

Hey, see her arms?? I can't tell you how great it is to see those nice little 'divets' on my arms -- it's been a long time since I've seen them!!

Here's some info about the Patches --

Safe: 100% all natural & made with fucus vesiculosus, an extract of sea kelp (a homeopathic remedy used for over 100 years to speed up the metabolic rate and break down fatty tissues).

· Convenient: One patch works 48 hours for continuous, safe, and effective Weight Loss.

· Reduce: Drastically reduces your craving for food.

· Burn: Increase your metabolism to burn maximum body fat.

· Increase: Your energy will increase as your body burns the fat stored as fuel.

Miraculous Cold Remedy!

Lemon, Honey 'N Onion Drink

2 to 3 Onions, peeled and cut in Fourths

One Big Pot of Water

Boil the Onions for 1 to 3 hours to create the 'Onion Juice'.

Strain and put in a Jug in the Fridge. (I always cover it with Saran Wrap so it won't 'smell'...)

Per Cup: Pour 3/4 of your cup (any cup...) full of the Onion Juice

Pop in the Microwave for 2 Minutes on High.

Add 2 tsp of Honey. Stir well.

Add Lemon Juice to Taste (like you would add milk to coffee...)

Cara likes it (or will drink it if she's really sick!) when it has Orange Tablets in it, so I dissolve 2 or 3 Vitamin C Tablets into her cup. This is more palatable for children of all ages -- Dwight included!

I first came across the Base of this recipe...guess where...that's right, on The View! Barabara Walters had a scratchy throat (not good in T.V. Journalism!) and shared her recipe from a friend who happens to be an Opera Star (!) for the Onion and Honey Drink. I was pregnant at the time, had a cold and didn't want to take any medicine, so I tried it and it was horrible! I just couldn't drink it, so I added more Honey and some Lemon Juice, and Voila, it's not only palatable, it tastes good!

I always drink it with a 'Water Chaser' -- a great big glass of cold water so the Lemon Juice doesn't dry out your throat.

Oh, I thought I would be 'pro-active' with this remedy, so I chopped all sorts of Onions up and put them in a big bag in the Freezer. Well, I won't do that, again, because they smelled awful, and the smell spread to other things in the freezer. Now I just leave the onions in a paper bag in the cupboard. No smell, much better!

Food to Watch Out For: Do you have a bunch of 'treats' that you love and think they're all okay for you? I know I do! Licorice, in particular. The delicious red long ones! Well, it crossed my mind to have a wee look at how many carbs were in one piece, and wouldn't you know it, there's 26g of sugars in one piece! Yikes! I used to think these were the perfect little treat, but they ain't! Now I just have one when I really 'need' it!

The important thing is to always check the new labels -- thank goodness manufacturers are putting these labels on most products -- they should be everywhere, so consumers can make wise decisions.

Watch out for the Fat Content, Carbohydrate Content and the Sodium Amount. You'll be more informed, and then you can choose a smaller portion of that product, or switch to a new one.

I have to say that I was shocked to read the side of a Pringles Can -- we're addicted to the Spicy Cajun Pringles -- yummy! But they have 9.1g of Fat for every 12 chips...I would hazard a guess that most people would take out a 'pile' of Pringles to munch on of about 3" high (because they're so neatly stacked!). That's a lot of fat! That's about 20 grams of fat, or almost a third of your daily fat intake in one quick (albeit delicious and crunchy!) snack. If, God Forbid, you were to eat the entire can of chips in one sitting, you'd get 61.789g of fat (yes, I did do the math!). Yikes!

Knowledge is the key, though. I don't believe in cutting out the food you love, just get the info you need and cut back a little. If you choose to have a bundle of chips, cut back somewhere else that day...just try to keep the total amount of fat per day to around 35g and you'll be well on your way to a healthier body!

Good stuff to eat often: All Fruits and Veggies (I know, I know... d'uh! The trick is to make them taste good -- try sauteeing them in Olive Oil, or butter if that's the only way you'll eat them...better to get the veggies in there!)

Some of my favorite snacks are thinly sliced radishs, because they're like crispy, hot chips, and cool slices of cucumber. Also, raw Cauliflower and Broccoli with a little Ranch Dip. Veggies can be really tasty!

I've had the most bizarre change in my reaction to Fruit in the last couple of years -- I've developed an allergic reaction to almost all raw fruit, but if I cook it (even in the microwave), I'm okay. That's one of the main reason I was playing around with recipes that I could manage with fruit, since I didn't want to cut that out of my diet.

Apple Crumble for One (of course!)

Drink Water and Tea (preferably no sugar) whenever you can. Start switching one pop a day for a glass of water, and bring a water bottle from home whenever you go out. This might help to curtail the urge to stop at so many Fast Food Places with the delicious Fries, Onion Rings and my new favorite, although very, very bad treat, The DQ Pecan Fudge Explosion, for which I offer no apologies! ha,ha!

Meat is okay -- if you really, really love Bacon, try the Canadian Back Bacon -- it's great and is basically just the meat part with waaaay less fat. Have some deli meat on hand, like Black Forest Ham, Chicken or Turkey. Have it shaved -- it's more like a snack!

Watch out for BBQ Sauce. It's loaded with sugar, so be careful. Or do what I do and cut back somewhere else, since I loves me my BBQ Ribs! ha,ha!

In general, just be aware of what you're eating and why. Try to resolve emotional problems with real solutions rather than with pie (!)... Choose Exercise Equipment that looks fun -- that's right, I said it -- FUN! Fu'getaboutit if the very thought of a particular exercise makes you roll your eyes! That would merely become another handy place to hang your laundry!

It's hard to find someone to walk with -- and not as much fun walking by yourself as you might think, and dangerous in many areas, so find something you can do indoors that has an ounce of appeal for you. (The reason I say about finding an indoor activity is because the reality of most people's lives is that we pack our days with a ton of stuff, and there's no time left to go for a walk outside. Also, it's very easy to put off the whole walking thing while we wait for someone to go with us, or if you live in a cold climate, you wait until your skin won't freeze after the first 30 seconds you step out the door in minus 35 Degree weather...) If you can work in a walk, all the better! Give me a shout and I'll go with you!

That's about it -- drop me a line and let me know how this is working for you, and we'll post all our success stories on this page! Won't that be fun?!

See ya, Baby! Love & Luck, Ailsa

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