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How to Lose Weight

Holiday Survival Guide: 10 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

November 26, 2013 by Dawna Stone

Holiday CupcakesThe holidays are often a time of stepping away from our normal routine. From office parties to family gatherings, the holidays can wreak havoc on your weight loss goals. Add in the stress of holiday shopping, relatives in town and school being out, and you have a recipe for overindulging. Don't get too discouraged! The Holiday Survival Guide can help you avoid holiday weight gain and still enjoy the festivities.

We all know the holidays should be a festive time to enjoy family and friends, not a time to feel guilty or be consumed with thoughts of gaining weight. Following all 10, or even just a few, of our holiday survival tips can make your holidays guilt-free.

Don't let holiday weight gain sneak up on you this year – let this new found knowledge help you enjoy the holidays leaner and happier!

Here are 3 of the Holiday Survival Tips 10 tips to get you started. Fill out the form below to receive all 10 tips!

1. Control Your Portions. If you're looking to maintain your weight over the holidays, you need to pay close attention to not just what you eat but how much you eat. When given the choice of a small or large plate, I always choose the small one as studies show people eat less when they use a smaller plate. And don't feel compelled to clean your dish – leaving a few bites at each meal can add up to a lot of saved calories.

2. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand. The holidays are often a time when a barrage of candy and other sweet treats show up in the office and at friends' houses. I always try and keep healthy snacks on hand. Not letting yourself get too hungry can make it easier to say “No, thank you” when offered a holiday treat.

3. Offer to bring a dish. Whether you're going to a party or a holiday dinner, offer to bring a healthy side dish, appetizer or dessert. Contributing a healthy dish like shrimp cocktail, vegetables and dip or fruit salad will provide you with a least one healthy option to keep you on track. When I attend a part, I almost always bring a vegetable platter with hummus. The host is usually thrilled that I made the effort to bring something and I'm thrilled I have a healthy alternative among mostly unhealthy and high calorie choices.

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Raisin and Walnut Quinoa

November 25, 2013 by Dawna Stone

This warm raisin and walnut quinoa recipe is fresh, flavorful and versatile. Eat it as a side dish, with your favorite fish or over mixed greens.

If you find other great pairings with this recipe, please share with me below!

Raisin and Walnut Quinoa
Servings
4
Servings
4
Raisin and Walnut Quinoa
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1cup quinoauncooked
  • 1/4cup raisins
  • 1/4cup walnutschopped
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4cup cilantro(optional)
  • 1tablespoon lemon juicefreshly squeezed
  • 1/4teaspoon salt
  • 1/4teaspoon cracked black pepper
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
  3. Add raisins, walnuts and cilantro to hot quinoa.
  4. Pour in olive oil mixture and stir lightly.
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Perfect Penne and Pesto

November 23, 2013 by Dawna Stone

Simple, yet classic – what more could you need? Made with brown rice pasta, this flavorful penne and pesto is a perfectly healthy meal.

Perfect Penne and Pesto
Servings
4
Servings
4
Perfect Penne and Pesto
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 8oz brown rice penne pasta
  • 2cups basil
  • 1/4cup pine nuts
  • 1clove garlic
  • 1/4cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4teaspoon salt
  • 1/4teaspoon Ground black pepper
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. In a food processor, pulse pine nuts until finely ground.
  3. Add basil, garlic, salt and pepper, and pulse until finely chopped.
  4. Slowly pour in olive oil as your pulse.
  5. Transfer pesto to a bowl and toss with penne.
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Mushroom Risotto

November 8, 2013 by Dawna Stone

This mushroom risotto calls for a little time and care, but is well worth the TLC!

Mushroom Risotto
Servings Prep Time
4 45minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 45minutes
Mushroom Risotto
Servings Prep Time
4 45minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 45minutes
Ingredients
  • 1cup Arborio rice or other risotto rice
  • 1cup mushrooms of your choice(crimini, shitaki, etc.)
  • 4cups chicken or vegetable broth(organic and reduced sodium preferred)
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
  • 2cloves garlic
  • 3/4cup shallotschopped
  • 1/4teaspoon salt
Servings:
Instructions
  1. In saucepan, warm broth on low heat.
  2. Heat olive oil in medium-large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic, and cook until shallots are translucent (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add rice and salt to the mushroom mixture, and stir to coat.
  3. Stir 1/2 cup hot broth into rice mixture, and cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
  4. When broth is almost completely absorbed, add another 1/2 cup hot broth, and continue to stir.
  5. Repeat until all broth has been absorbed in 1/2 cup increments.
  6. Expect 30 to 45 minutes of total cooking time.
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How Do You Proceed After Weight Loss Success?

September 17, 2017 by Dawna Stone

Happy celebrating winning success woman sunsetI want to personally congratulate everyone who participated in the 14-Day Healthy You Challenge! Based on the feedback, participants lost 6-12 pounds during the two weeks and many are saying they feel better than ever!

One of the main questions I’m receiving now is how to progress once the initial two weeks on the program is complete. I hope this post will help you with continued success once you’ve completed the 14-Day Healthy You! program. For those that didn’t participate in the challenge, this post should still give you some insight on how to move forward after following any successful weight loss program.

Although the Healthy You Challenge focused on eliminating certain foods and progressing to a 100% clean diet, I understand that this may not always be realistic. Also, I realize that people don’t want to be on a “diet” forever. This is precisely why I developed the program in such a way that allows people to incorporate their favorite foods after the initial 14 days. To avoid feeling deprived, just be sure to indulge in moderation and follow a few simple tips:

Consume Previously Eliminated Food Moderately
I’m sure there are people who eat a perfectly clean diet all of the time. I am not one of them. The good news? You don’t have to adhere to a 100% clean diet 365 days a year. You can still lead a healthy lifestyle, maintain an ideal weight and even lose pounds if you sometimes indulge in your favorite foods. But be mindful and continue consuming previously eliminated food moderately. Additionally, incorporate meals from the Healthy You Challenge alongside your own recipes.

Pay Attention, Listen to Your Body, and Adjust Accordingly
Pay attention to how your body reacts to the reintroduction of some of the eliminated foods. For example, you may find that you feel fine after adding wheat back into your diet, but that dairy upsets your stomach. Or perhaps you notice you feel better without wheat in your diet. By slowly clearing your system of sugar, wheat, dairy, processed foods and other questionable items, you will better understand the likelihood of specific foods negatively affecting your body. Although I love bread, pizza and pastries, I’ve learned that my body doesn’t deal well with an overabundance of wheat (moderation is fine, but too much causes stomach discomfort). I found that as long as I only eat wheat at one meal a day (rather than all three), I feel fine.

Put Thought into Culinary Choices
Really think about what you are choosing to eat and if there are healthier substitutions for those items. When adding wheat back into your diet, choose whole grains. Choose whole wheat bread instead of white. Choose brown rice over white. For meat, choose organic whenever possible and select lean cuts. If you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, choose wine over a higher-calorie mixed drink.

For Additional Weight Loss, Stay on the Clean Phase
You may discover that you feel so good after completing the Clean Phase of the Healthy You! program that you want to continue this way of eating, allowing you to healthfully drop additional weight. If you still have 20 or more pounds to lose, I suggest staying on the Clean Phase for at least one more week.

Remember: After week two, you choose how to move forward. Some people start to feel so good and drop weight so quickly by the end of week two, they want to continue to eat clean. Others, no matter the positive progress, can’t fathom another day without one of the eliminated foods (I understand how they feel!). Again, this is the beauty of the Healthy You Challenge; the two weeks provide a jump start on your weight loss while simultaneously giving you the tools to change your eating habits for life. Just two weeks of healthier eating often prove enough to forever change the way you look at what you put into your body.

It’s often difficult for people to know how to proceed after finishing the Healthy You! program or any other weight loss program. Many are fearful of returning to old eating patterns. The best way to avoid this is to continue to incorporate some of the meals and or snacks that you enjoyed during the program. Should you find yourself slipping back into old, unhealthy eating habits after completing the 14-day Healthy You Challenge simply recommence the 14-day plan. Another week on the Elimination Phase plus another on the Clean Phase will get you back on track.

Use what you learned to help you make smart choices going forward. Personally, I consume wheat, dairy, sugar and alcohol in moderation and only on occasion. I try to drastically reduce or completely eliminate my intake of red meat, artificial sweeteners and highly processed foods. Based on my personal experience, the cleaner your diet, the more weight you’ll continue to lose and the healthier you’ll feel.

No matter what you decide, I am here to help and will continue to offer healthy eating tips, recipes, videos and encouragement along the way.  Don’t stress about the foods you eat – just be mindful. And remember, we will be doing another Healthy You Challenge in the future. I hope you will join me!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

October 15, 2013 by Dawna Stone

This Healthy You Diet recipe combines vegetables and protein in a single dish (woo-hoo!) and offers a variety of flavors and textures. I enjoy raw vegetables, but I really love incorporating them in a healthy, cooked meal. Additionally, this stir-fry recipe makes for the perfect weeknight meal as it is fast, easy and can serve as few or as many as you'd like!

Other great vegetables to add to the recipe include mushrooms and/or yellow, orange & red peppers. Don't be afraid to mix and match your veggies – you can never have too many!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Servings
4
Servings
4
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1cup uncooked brown rice
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/4cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
  • 1teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halvessliced into 1/4
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 2cups broccoli florets
  • 1cup snap or snow peas
  • 1/2cup chopped carrots
  • 2cups baby spinach
  • 1cup bean sprouts
  • 3 scallionschopped
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the broth and soy sauce or tamari. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and swirl the pan to coat. Cook the chicken, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it browns and is partially cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds. Add the broccoli, peas, and carrots and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Add the spinach, sprouts, scallions, and reserved broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the spinach wilts and the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
  4. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide among 4 plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over the rice and serve.
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