What worked for you?Please share Tips and suggestions for weight loss

jessica22222

bre11217715 wrote: »

I'm getting tired of my plane salads.I would love to hear some suggestions and tips .what do you put on your salad ?what kind of salad dressing do you use to maintain weight loss?
for protein I like to add chicken breast to my salad but that I'm even getting tired of the same flavoring. How do you season your chicken?

I had this for lunch

Honey lime Siracha chicken salad

Make a garden salad up
I added 3 oz chicken

Sauce
Juice of one lime
1 tsp Siracha
1 tbsp honey

I like to add cilantro and avocado to this

Yum yum

jessica22222

I don't think my last one posted... Here's try #2

Honey lime Siracha chicken salad

Garden salad
I add 3oz chicken, cilantro and avacado

Sauce
Juice of one lime
1tsp Siracha
1tbsp honey
You can add 1tsp olive oil or omit

bre11217715

jessica22222 wrote: »

I don't think my last one posted... Here's try #2

Honey lime Siracha chicken salad

Garden salad
I add 3oz chicken, cilantro and avacado

Sauce
Juice of one lime
1tsp Siracha
1tbsp honey
You can add 1tsp olive oil or omit

This sounds yummy, thanks for sending this today. I am planning to go to the grocery store later today I will pick up these ingredients thank you

VintageFeline

On the days I eat "clean" (hate that term!) I am never hungry. Getting the calories in can actually be a problem! Rubs are a great way to get flavour into meat without the calories of a marinade, you can load up on steamed green veggies and I love a baked sweet potato with dinner or chop them up and make oven fries with them, a little sprinkle of paprika for extra flavour.

For snacking I have whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana, or the same toast with mashed avocado for breakfast. I keep frozen fruit in the freezer for smoothies with almond milk or coconut water and a good quality protein powder for when I am really getting my butt kicked by Insanity and need the extra boost afterwards.

For a sweet treat, banana protein pancakes with a little honey are delicious and quick and easy. I also do the 5 or 6 meals a day thing, with my main meal being dinner as that's the most satisfying structure for me but I work out early in the day mostly.

As others have said, nothing is off limits but I feel the difference massively when I eat off plan as it were so I find I do it less and less. I had a bit of a "cheat" today and while I'm within my calorie goal easily I am hungrier than usual because it's just not as satisfying as getting all that fruit and veg in.

forgtmenot

bre11217715 wrote: »

Thank you for the tip. I have been eating vegetables, protein, whole grains and foods with fiber but I'm still left with an empty feeling in my stomach. I've been scared to increase my calorie intake because I've been stuck with the same weight recently. But I will try to increase it ,that may be the problem:)

If you are at a plateau it's because you're either overestimating your burns during exercise or you're underestimating your calorie intake. You probably were able to lose initially because your margin of error with those two things was larger when you were heavier, now that you have lost you have likely negated that margin of error. Do you weigh all your food?

bre11217715

forgtmenot wrote: »

bre11217715 wrote: »

Thank you for the tip. I have been eating vegetables, protein, whole grains and foods with fiber but I'm still left with an empty feeling in my stomach. I've been scared to increase my calorie intake because I've been stuck with the same weight recently. But I will try to increase it ,that may be the problem:)

If you are at a plateau it's because you're either overestimating your burns during exercise or you're underestimating your calorie intake. You probably were able to lose initially because your margin of error with those two things was larger when you were heavier, now that you have lost you have likely negated that margin of error. Do you weigh all your food?

I don't weigh all my food but I have a scale. now that I m further along than I was before I think it's time for me to start to get more accurate calorie count and I haven't really had a chance to see if by increasing some of my calorie intake (of course staying within my goal food) if that actually helps .I could have been jeopardizing myself by eating less and exercising more.

whmscll

bre11217715 wrote: »

I'm getting tired of my plane salads.I would love to hear some suggestions and tips .what do you put on your salad ?what kind of salad dressing do you use to maintain weight loss?
for protein I like to add chicken breast to my salad but that I'm even getting tired of the same flavoring. How do you season your chicken?

My salads are based on 2 cups of raw baby spinach and then include broccoli, red bell pepper, sometimes black olives, grape tomatoes and avocado. Sometimes slivered almonds. I like chicken for protein as well. Lots of great seasonings, including southwest, cajun, bbq, rosemary/thyme/oregano, dill, sometimes coriander or curry. Instead of chicken I will sometimes put in a Dr. Praeger veggie burger (heated) or even cooked ground turkey if there is some left over from dinner. The dressing I prefer is Trader Joe's light champagne vinaigrette. Relatively low calorie, low sugar and low fat, and it tastes wonderful. It also really coats the salad well if you toss thoroughly...nothing I hate worse than a "dry" salad.

bre11217715

VintageFeline wrote: »

On the days I eat "clean" (hate that term!) I am never hungry. Getting the calories in can actually be a problem! Rubs are a great way to get flavour into meat without the calories of a marinade, you can load up on steamed green veggies and I love a baked sweet potato with dinner or chop them up and make oven fries with them, a little sprinkle of paprika for extra flavour.

For snacking I have whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana, or the same toast with mashed avocado for breakfast. I keep frozen fruit in the freezer for smoothies with almond milk or coconut water and a good quality protein powder for when I am really getting my butt kicked by Insanity and need the extra boost afterwards.

For a sweet treat, banana protein pancakes with a little honey are delicious and quick and easy. I also do the 5 or 6 meals a day thing, with my main meal being dinner as that's the most satisfying structure for me but I work out early in the day mostly.

As others have said, nothing is off limits but I feel the difference massively when I eat off plan as it were so I find I do it less and less. I had a bit of a "cheat" today and while I'm within my calorie goal easily I am hungrier than usual because it's just not as satisfying as getting all that fruit and veg in.

That's Awesome!it sounds like you have found what Works for you. I started my weight loss journey a little bit over 2 months.I'm still seeing what works for me. Having to lose 80 pounds requires me to be very careful what choices I make. To be at the weight I'm suppose to be I need to lose 76 pounds more pounds. I'm going to stick to eating very clean and keep track of my calorie intake. I am planning to have a cheat day once I reach 215 as a reward. I started weighing 248,I'm at 226 . I have never tried coconut water..thank you for sharing what works for you

bre11217715

If you had success with your weight loss,please share what challenges you faced and how you overcame them. I guarantee you that members that are starting out are probably facing the same challenges or will .....your experience and how you were able to still be successful and turn it around will be comforting and very helpful .

bre11217715

My challenge yesterday: my husband and children brought Pizza home like they usually do on Friday evenings. The way I was able to overcome the extreme desire to eat the whole pizza(lol) was to eat half of a slice. And took off to the gym quickly like I do every evening. If you had success with your weight loss,please share what challenges you faced and how you overcame them. I guarantee you that members that are starting out are probably facing the same challenges or will .....your experience and how you were able to still be successful and turn it around will be comforting and very helpful .

whmscll

My husband and I own a vacation home that is about a 7-hour drive from our regular house. We go there about once a month. I get bored, bored, bored in the car sometimes and indulge in chips and candy when we stop for gas and potty breaks. Sometimes at every break. That's a lot of junk for one day. Also, there's not much to eat for meals on our route except fast food (or Subway, but my husband hates Subway). I overcome this by packing food for both of us for meals and we will eat at the picnic tables at rest areas. And I pack healthy snacks like fruit and nuts. To fight boredom I'll get an audiobook from the library, which works really well to pass the hours on the boring interstate.

bre11217715

@whmscll we haven't gone out of town recently since I started my journey to a healthier lifestyle. Thanks for posting how you overcame your challenge.I'll be faced with the same challenge and I'll remember to prepare in advance. Not only for me but for my family, kiddos usually see rode trips as an opportunity to indulge on all kinds of junk food. Love the idea of a picnic table when we need to rest.Good way to make it fun for them and it makes it easier for me to reach my goal without jeopardizing all my hard work.Since I have four children I'll need to make sure I give myself enough time to prepare.The first time I'm sure will be more challenging trying to figure out what to pack, what I'll do is make a list of everything I need to pack and keep the list with me on the rode to add anything that I forgot or felt could've help me with cravings or hunger.

bwogilvie

bre11217715 wrote: »

Can someone please tell me if it is possible to eat red meat and still lose weight, of course eating In moderation and staying within the proper calorie intake needed to lose weight?

Of course! While I was losing weight, I ate red meat, pasta, potatoes, chocolate, cheese, nuts, and other calorie-rich foods. I just didn't eat as much of them as I did when I was gaining weight. I also had a beer or a glass of wine or two most days.

Here's what worked for me:

• Using a food scale, especially for calorie-dense foods.
• Finding a breakfast that kept me satiated until lunch (a slice of buttered whole-grain toast, at 150 calories, satisfies me longer than 300 calories worth of cereal and milk).
• Eating only at mealtimes: breakfast, lunch, after-work snack, and dinner (8 pm, which is why there's a snack). Between-meal hunger usually goes away for me after 10 or 15 minutes; if it didn't, I would have a pickle or a stalk of celery.
• Eating slowly at meals.
• Eating a variety of foods, especially for dinner.
• Exercising 45-60 minutes most days.

bre11217715

@bwogilvie I don't Use my food scale, but I will start
For breakfast I would love a slice of buttered whole-grain toast, at 150 calories I guess I was trying to cut out carbs the most I could except fruits

I don't Eat slow at meals, thanks for the reminder .I do need to slow down and actually enjoy my food because I feel that I rush myself to eat to get going with things that I need to get to around the house. I'll eat something really quick before I leave the house so I don't get hungry when I'm out. Thanks for the reminder ☺ I find it crazy but awsome that you still lost weight eating pasta, potatoes, chocolate, and other calorie-rich foods(could it be because you're a guy? I see my father also cuts down on his portions and exercise,And pretty much does what you do w/o the ecercise(lol) and still manages to lose weight pretty fast . Honestly I feel if I eat these foods in moderation I wouldn't lose weight. As it is ...eating clean I'm barely taking off a pound a week and that's even if I'm lucky, but it's a bit confusing because I do seem to be shrinking. so I'm still dealing with the concept of whether I am losing weight even if the scale says I'm not but yet I seem smaller.also since I'm just starting out I guess in a way I'm trying to detox myself from all the sweet and pastas and bread because I'M pretty much addicted and I felt that I needed to learn how to eat without having to have bread or pasta every meal. so I guess once I get down to a pretty comfortable weight I will probably in corporate more of the yummy stuff....
Meat is definitely back on the menue

Mr_Knight

Vigorous exercise is what makes the difference for me. Helps suppress appetite, keeps me busy doing something other than eating, and adds extra calories to the margin for error.

UltraHealthSeeker

Hunger is a bummer, for sure, what I've always done when was hungry (but still on my eating plan) was to drink a big glass of water and wait for 15 minutes. Sometimes if we are "light" on our water for the day we are not giving our bodies enough water for the fat-burning process. It takes "expendable" water in order to break the bond of a triglyceride to form 3 free fatty-acids, and our muscles take up that fat for fuel. Our muscles don't bring in a whole triglyceride, though, it has to be in the form of a FFA. If we are light on our water, our bodies will slow down the process of fat burning for energy in order to preserve the vital functions of water, one of which is blood volume, etc. so our brains will trigger hunger cues in order for us to consume more carbs (fuel that doesn't have to be broken down to be drawn into the muscle cells for energy). If we drink a bunch of water, those hunger cues will dissipate if that was the cause. This is the mechanism behind the common phrase "mistaking hunger for thirst." Hope that helps!

bre11217715

TIPS I FOUND ON LINE THAT ARE WORKING FOR ME I read this every morning
Tips for Controlling Your AppetiteBy Jillian Michaels 

1.Don't Skip Meals
You should be eating three square meals a day, plus one snack. You should also be making sure to space your meals throughout the day so that you don't go longer than four hours without eating. This is incredibly important when it comes to avoiding that nasty stomach grumble because it will keep your blood sugar levels and hunger hormones stable. But my most important rule here? You MUST eat breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day (your mother was right about this one). Eating a hearty breakfast helps reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, keeping you satisfied throughout the morning.

2.Hydrate!
When you feel as if you're starving, pour yourself a huge glass of water or grab a bottle of seltzer — it will help quell the urge to snack. If you feel like you just can’t look another glass of ice water in the eye, try mixing things up by adding a slice of lemon (or lime) or getting creative with a sprig of fresh mint. Water is one of the best things you can put in your body. It keeps you hydrated and flushes out any toxins that may have taken up residence in your system. So, do you really need another reason to become BFF with H2O? Didn’t think so.

3.Catch Some Zzz's
I know, I know — you're all as crazy busy as I am! No matter what I have going on, I always make a point to get seven hours of shut- eye. Sleep is not just a luxury — it's a necessity! Two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, regulate our appetite, and both are directly affected by how much sleep we get. These hormones work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Getting seven hours of shut-eye each night helps the hormones work properly, which in turn will help curb your appetite.

4.Think Before You Snack
Hunger isn’t always the reason behind eating. For a lot of people, there are a number of emotional triggers, such as feeling bored or stressed, that are often disguised as hunger. So, the next time you feel hungry between meals, consider the last time you ate. If it was less than three to four hours earlier, your stomach isn't growling, and you're not weak or tired, you're probably emotionally unsatisfied in some way rather than genuinely physically hungry. Keep a journal handy to write down every time you find yourself reaching for some food when you know you’re not hungry so that you can recognize the feelings and intercept before they get worse.

5.Take it One Day at a Time
Just because you might be struggling with hunger does not mean all is lost. You can and will lose weight. Even if you're eating a little more than your calorie allowance, you can still lose — it just might take a little longer. Exercise is also a crucial component of a healthy weight-loss journey. Working out harder and more often will help burn the extra calories you might take in if you have a bad day.

6.Stick With It
Sometimes we slip up, and that's okay — healthy living is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Allowing yourself to make mistakes and understanding that you can get back on the wagon and keep moving forward is crucial. I know you can do this. Believe in yourself and try to incorporate my suggestions into your life, and let's see how you do.

Annr

@bre11217715 those are great points. I have taken frames with the glass still in them, and spray painted the glass with chalkboard paint. Then I write my own sayings to hang up in my kitchen. Part of it is, like you I read them every morning, I think it also is retraining my brain. Im all for the visuals, and this is one way I keep positive :-)

AmyRhubarb

In Place Of A Road Map is what worked for me. And 3+ years later, still is.

bre11217715

AmyRhubarb wrote: »

In Place Of A Road Map is what worked for me. And 3+ years later, still is.

This is great , I plan to re read it over and over , it is very informative. I hope everyone takes the time to read it.Thank you