Why Penny Lancaster-Stewart Does Not Want to Lose Those Extra Pounds?

Many pregnant women would desparately want to use those extra pounds after they give birth. But, not Penny Lancaster-Steward. Here is her story:

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Penny Lancaster-Stewart looks “aged” if she loses too much weight.

The model welcomed her second child with singer Rod Stewart, last year.

Although she gained weight while she was pregnant, the 40-year-old decided not to lose all of it after she had given birth.

“I didn’t want to lose any more because I’d been way too skinny for my height and build before I got pregnant,” she explained in an interview with the British edition of Hello! magazine. “As you get older, if you’re too skinny, it can be ageing.”

Penny believes it is important to keep trim and healthy.

However, she thinks it is unrealistic to strive to be a small size especially when you are a working mom.

“I do think I have a certain responsibility to take pride in myself and encourage fitness, not skinniness, for all the mothers out there,” she declared. “Rod was happy with my fuller figure although he also likes me to be slender. He knows I like to be fit and healthy and he was very supportive when I resumed me exercise programme. He keeps telling me how great I look.”

The star also revealed that she relies on her wardrobe to help her look slimmer. She prefers to wear loose clothing to show off her stunning 6ft 1in figure.

“When I was carrying more weight I made a point of not trying to squeeze into something that was a bit tight for me because it would only draw attention to the extra pounds,” she confessed. “So I’d wear something loose or buy something in a larger size. I’ve never been someone who fixates on a size 10. If you do, the danger is you can look like a porky pig.”

However, Penny admitted Rod isn’t as particular about her clothing. He just loves to look at her extraordinarily long legs.

“What does Rod like me to wear? Anything… as long it’s short,” she laughed.

When you think of beverages during the holidays, typically those beverages are ‘spirited’ with alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol is considered taboo on most low carb diets, typically because alcohol turns to sugar, even if the label says zero carbs. But there are ways to reduce the total carbs in some of our favorite festive drinks. Let’s take a look at a few ways to enjoy your holiday spirits with a few less carbs.

Giving Egg Nog A Chance

This is one holiday favorite that often gets the thumbs-down on a low carb diet. But, what is the main ingredient you’re trying to avoid? Of course, the rum comes to mind, but surprisingly, rum is not high in carbs or even sugars. The alcohol is known to turn into sugar when ingested, but this is not a beverage that is considered high in carbs or one that you would drink a lot of.

So, where does the fear of egg nog’s high carb status come from? It’s the creaminess, of course. This is an easy fix. Use low carb milk products like almond milk or even whole cream. Find a recipe you like and tweak it to fit your own personal taste. In my experience, most recipes use too much rum, so start with less, which is another way to cut back on the alcohol-sugar that many low carb diets warn against.

This is another case of thinking before using a recipe. There are often ways to reduce sugars and carbs in a recipe when you just take a minute to look at the labels. Many people would assume that using skim milk would improve the recipe to be healthier. However, if you are eating, or in this case drinking, a low carb diet, you’ll learn that low fat often means high carb. Remember, read the labels and tweak your recipes accordingly. That way you can enjoy many of your favorite holiday beverages without guilt.

After Dinner Irish Whiskey Coffee

Enjoying a cup of coffee after dinner is a nice treat and a familiar tradition after a big holiday feast. But, for special occasions we often like to dress our coffee up a bit with a little cream and a splash of spirits. Never fear. Your treat can be low carb if you watch your ingredients.

Whiskey is carb-free, of course, but remember, the alcohol itself does turn into sugar in the body, so limit yourself. Use a nice, rich coffee, decaffeinated or not, and fill a large mug, then add the whiskey. You will probably add less than the recipe calls for if you taste the coffee before adding more. Now, again, the trick is in choosing the cream. Go ahead and put a big dollop of whipped cream on top. The carbs are just about nonexistent and the sugar is relatively low, but the calories are something to be aware of. However, you aren’t going to have more than a dollop, so enjoy.

Cocktail Time Tricks

If you like a traditional cocktail, like a Tom Collins or a Cosmopolitan, for instance, you’ll have to rethink using the sweet ingredients. The easiest way to make these kinds of beverages low carb is to replace any sugar with artificial sweeteners. There is really no way around it.

Using unsweetened lemonade, cranberry juice, or other mixes will give you the ability to add just the right amount of artificial sweeteners. Sweeten your cocktail with artificially sweetened powdered drink mixes like Crystal Light instead of sugar to make the carbs and calories easier to calculate. Remember to taste before sweetening, as I have time-and-time again noticed that most recipes call for too much sweetener, no matter if it’s artificial or regular sugar.

Wonderful Wine

A nice glass of wine with dinner is a classic holiday treat. Unfortunately, this is one alcohol beverage that contains carbs, both from sugars and the alcohol. No matter what kind of wine you drink, white, red, or rose, you will be getting a couple grams of carbs in a small glass of wine; small being about a 3 to 4 ounce glass. Considering that most wine glasses hold a lot more than that, you have to be careful and measure.

Even though many wine lovers argue that red has more carbs than white, or that white has more carbs than red, the truth is it’s all about the same. With the exception of sweet or ‘dessert’ wines, which have a great deal more carbs than either red or white table wines. If you want to reduce the total carbs in your wine beverage, there is the option of adding a low carb ‘wash’ such as a sparkling water and turn your wine into a spritzer served over ice. Toss in a few berries or fruit to make the spritzer more beautiful.

Sure, you can enjoy a spirited beverage during your holiday feast, as long as you measure, tweak the recipes, and pay attention to the ingredients. Don’t expect your beverage of choice to be entirely low carb and diet friendly, but with a little common sense, you can enjoy the spirit, and the spirits, of the season.

What do you think of when you imagine serving your guests holiday appetizers? Usually lots and lots of creamy dips and other goodies? If you are trying to restrict your carb intake, you may be thinking you will have to skip out on all those yummy starters. However, there are ways to cut out the extra carbs without sacrificing all the wonderful flavors you want to enjoy during this festive season. Here are a few suggestions to cut back on the carbs right from the start.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

For some reason, everything seems to be getting super-sized, even appetizers. These little snacks have expanded to almost side-dish portions in recent years. One of the simplest ways to create a healthier appetizer buffet is to create bite-size portions instead of big platters of dips and spreads. You can scale them back down and still make a big splash. Tiny bites, or “tapas” are becoming all the rage, taking the restaurant business by storm. Maybe your own tapas are just what you need to scale down your holiday appetizers to a healthier size.

Instead of the large cheese logs you have made in the past, try making individual bite-size cheese balls. The same can be done with the spinach dips you currently serve in a big bread bowl. Instead, make tiny bites using similar ingredients. By offering smaller, bite sized portions, your guests will not tend to keep dipping and inadvertently fill up on appetizers before they even get a chance to sit down at the table.

Classics With a Twist

Take a look at some of your favorite appetizers and rethink the ingredients. Swedish meatballs is a great hot appetizer that’s filling and tasty. You can make them small enough to keep them healthier, yes, but you can also replace high-carb breadcrumbs with low-carb alternatives, such as almond flour and meal. Of course you can buy low-carb baking items like flour and biscuit mixes to help with the types of appetizers that require breadcrumbs or a crust.

One of my favorite appetizers is stuffed mushrooms. But, a breading-based stuffing is not on a low-carb diet. Again, rethink the classic recipe and you’ll design a stuffed mushroom that easily fits your dietary needs. Sauté a little onion, garlic, and celery with flavorful sausage, then stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stuff your mushrooms and you have a low-carb appetizer that is sure to please anyone. If you want a stuffed mushroom more like the ones you enjoy at restaurants (they use more breading because it stretches the stuffing) then stir in a bit of almond meal or even finely ground peanuts. You won’t be able to tell the difference, but your figure will.

Those delicious creamy spreads and dips with the thick pieces of crusty bread alongside may be appetizing, but that bread is loaded with carbs. If your diet has you shying away from bread and crackers, can you still enjoy the spreads? Sure you can. Spinach dip, crab dip, cheese balls, and other favorite appetizers are often light on the carbs as long as you find a new ‘vehicle’ to serve them on, or in. Stuff a grape tomato with crab dip and enjoy! Spread spinach dip on a cucumber slice. Cut celery up into one or two bite pieces, fill them with your favorite cheese ball ingredients, and you have an instant low-carb alternative to cheese and crackers.

Stick With a Few Favorites

There are appetizers that are naturally low-carb. Think of your favorite protein-based appetizers and you’ll have a few ideas right away. Wrap just about any seafood in bacon, put it under the broiler, and you have a festive appetizer that is perfect for any holiday buffet. Remember ham and Swiss cheese wrapped asparagus bundles? These are the appetizers that have stood the test of time, and are low-carb diet friendly.

Also, don’t ignore the obvious; the antipasto tray. Olives, sausage, cheese, pickles, and artichoke hearts artfully arranged, can be all the appetizers you need. This is a classic that never gets boring. Be sure to include a variety of each element to keep the interest.

When the Holidays come around, we all look forward to the appetizer buffet. But, when you’re on a low-carb diet, the choices can feel limiting. The surprising and wonderful thing is… they’re not! You have a lot of choices, some very familiar, that will keep you happy as well as low-carb.