Small changes that make a diffrence......imput needed. =)

inktink

bump

lily1972

I was told that as women, we stock bread (especially wheat), pasta and potatoes almost directly into our mid-sections... so I've been avoiding them at least during the week and this time around, I did not get the soft "love handles" that always came with losing weight (I have had 5 pregnancies)! Instead, I eat basmati rice, and rice cakes + a protein (25% less fat peanut butter or light cheese spread). I also discovered spaghetti squash (microwave 10 mins to be able to cut into rings, remove centre, fill with cooked ground meat mixed with salsa, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for about 40 mins - absolutely delicious!!). I have also discovered edamame soy beans!! (Boil three minutes, drain, sprinkle with coarse salt if desired, and extract the beans from the pods). Those beans are an excellent source of protein, fibre and good fats: all essential for attaining our goals! :bigsmile:

I had a lot of trouble adjusting to my calorie intake at first, but as I became more aware of the caloric value of foods, I gradually made adjustments to eat more satisfying meals... and at least two snacks!

Don't forget cardio! (you need to sweat, there's no getting around it!). Taking power walks with my stroller has really kicked my metabolism into high gear!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

kristy_estes21

Watch out for "Reduced Fat" items though because usually they have more sugar and more sodium. Since peanut butter is a "good fat" (in moderation of course), it is better to stick with the regular so you have less sodium and sugar. I like Natural Jif, Simply Jif, and Natural Skippy Crunchy.

gtm124

THANK YOU! Enriched = crap, might as well be white bread, etc.

I know!! I burst peoples bubbles ALL the time about it. People get flustered when they say "oh, well this is whole grain" and I flip the box/ bag/ what have you and point out the "enriched" part. A lot of people blow me off but I am so glad I know better.

I think it's some crap that companies are allowed to falsly label their products that way.
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It pays to be an informed food shopper.

inktink

Also for a sweets fix I (used to) buy bags of mini milky ways or twix and keep them in the freezer. I could usually eat one mini. It took longer to eat from being frozen, so I was satisfied just as much as if I'd eaten a full size bar.

I don't do it anymore because I know I need to limit my sugar intake even more (family history of diabetes) but it really helped me wean myself off of my 1+ candy bar a day addiction.

CARNAT22

* Swap "normal" sized wholemeal bread for smaller loaves. 90cals per normal size / 57cals per smaller slice of bread.
* Drink lots of water
* Swap sugar for sweetner
* swap full fat milk for Semi- Skimmed
* Weigh your carbs with evening meal
* Swap white rice and pasta for wholemeal variety
* Swap fries / jacket potatoes / roast potatoes for new potatoes. New pot's are 140 cals per 200g
* Swap red meat for chicken and turkey
* Use oil sparingly - I still cook with olive oil as it is good for you but use a LOT less
* Cut down on alcohol and swap beer & wine for a spirit and low cal mixer (IE vodka & diet coke)
* Have portion of veg or salad with lunch and dinner - you get so much for so little calories. Use dressing sparingly or make your own (a tiny olive oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar
* Eat lots of fruit - but do check the calories - some fruits are very high. I am loving strawberries at the moment and pineapple!
* Eat little and often. I have 3 meals a day but snacks at 11am and 4pm too
* Use your food diary to PLAN as opposed to just log food. Logging after you have eaten means you cannot make healthir choices
* Cook from scratch as often as possible
* Do not deny yourself the odd treat. But go for snack size - in the UK you get little pots of Key Lime Pie that are 140 cals per pot! Or mini size chocolate bars
* Do not skip meals
* When eating out go for children's meals if they are on offer. Or else stick to the healthiest options possible - but have a few of someone else's fries so you are not totally missing out :-)
* Make plans for the weekend / when you have free time as boredom can lead to snacking. Even if it is just doing some laundry
* Plan rewards when you reach certain goals
* Take regular exercise but do not feel guilty if you cannot hit the gym 6 days a week
* Eat back your exercise calories
* Listen to your body - if you are hungry then eat (remember to put in what you want to eat before eating it though - if you fancy a burger and then enter it into your planner first - you may feel differently!!)
* Be patient - losing weight and keeping it off takes time
* If you have a bad day do not let it turn into a bad week. If at first you don't succeed then try again and again!


Finally - and most importantly - always remember to lose weight for yourself and nobody else!

Best of luck!

tiffanymariebrock

i loved veggies and mayo but stopped using it once i decided to lose weight. i just put a little spike on my veggies and it's just lovely! no harsh flavor of mayo just my veggies in their natural form with a little kick! love spike!

and laughing cow cheese is so good! tried it for the frist time about a week ago and have been hooked! so good!

Calidaho

Chives make anything taste delicious (especially with fage fat free greek yogurt on a baked potato--a yukon gold potato is so creamy it doesn't need butter).

I keep a stock of light string cheese on hand.

Measure out salad dressing or other condiments--Trader Joe's Fat Free Balsamic has 25 calories for 2 Tbsp and it is delicious. Sometimes fat free dressing is gross, this stuff is not.

I eat chocolate almost every day--either a couple of dark chocolate wedges (70 cals from Trader Joe's) or a sugar free pudding (60 cals from Jello or Kosishack-which is more natural than the Jello brand). If I have the calories and some milk in the house (we almost never use milk now) I will make some hot cocoa. Good, high cocoa content kind, not the fake sugary kind.

Sandwich thins! I can still put my full serving of turkey on there and have the experience of two slices of bread. We also use them when we make turkey/chicken burgers. A favorite dinner when we are craving burgers--sandwich thin, Trader Joe's frozen chicken burger, veggies, mustard and ketchup and Trader Joe's sweet potato spears. The raw ones--toss them with less than a Tbsp of olive oil and some salt and bake them. So good!

I am going to try the laughing cow/cracker thing with my sandwiches. I am getting so tired of baby carrots.

Huffdogg

Hot sauce, peppers, cucumbers/pickles are great flavorful foods that are very low/no calories.

chelios7

Spray butter

Elizabeth_C34

I switched from ice cream to low fat frozen yogurt that's in pre-measured portions. Instead of chips with sandwiches, I now eat baby carrots or celery. I'm also a big fan of the laughing cow light cheese wedges and crackers

Swapped morning bagel with whole wheat bagel thins (100 calories vs 200+ calories). Swapped normal bread with sandwich thins. Those sandwich thins also make really good individual pizzas

Gave up sodas for icy cold water. Replaced table salt with Morton's lite salt mixture. Replaced most of my cookie recipes with non fat yogurt instead of milk. Makes the cookies much more gooey.

squishycow7

I've used hummus or avacadi instead of mayo too.

Some other subs for SALAD DRESSING, since those can be high cal - hot pepper relish, just some feta or bleu cheese crumbles (adds richness without oil or egg-based stuff)...

for SOUPS if I'm starving and want to keep the calories low I literally water it down. If it's a canned soup there's so much sodium in it anyways I really can't tell, so long as it's hot! So my portion feels larger but it's really not. I've also added V8 juice to tomato-based soups before too.

for munchy-style snacks instead of reaching for chips or something I'll eat dry cereal, bigger-sized ones like miniwheats.

StaciO

Oh man, I just bought a different whole grain pasta than I usuallly get and I am going to have to remember to check it when I get home.

I use laughing cow, avocado or just skip the mayo on sandwiches now.

sassylilmama

bumping

pinksherbert

ooooh I love this thread - and there are some great tips here, so thanks! Here are my thoughts:

- low fat yoghurts - really fill you up and work well with breakfast or as a pudding for lunch
- Bircher muesli - I measure out the measly portion that the packet reccommends, add my soy milk and grate half an apple (for sweetness) - all the night before and leave in the fridge to soak - the muesli doubles in size and therefore looks more satisfying. Add a splash more milk in the morning and eat!
- Soup - have a small bowl before going out to dinner so that I am not starving and go crazy for everything (or even just the bread bowl) when I get to the restaurant
- Keep slim-a-soups in my drawer at work in case I am starving
- skimmed milk lattes as a snack or afternoon filler
- I have found that I dont feel satisfied unless I have 3 things for lunch - any less and I feel like I am depriving myself. Luckliy my stupid brain is satisfied even if the 3rd item is a bottle of sparkling water or a diet coke! somtimes its an apple or a biscuit tho
- zero % fat greek yoghurt with a portion of low fat hot chocolate powder mixed in - mmm, rich gooey chocolately dessert! (or a teaspoon of cocoa powder and a bit of sweetener does the job just as well)
- teaspoon of cocoa powder in my morning porridge/oatmeal with a bit of sweetener - makes it feel a bit naughty!
- potato salad made with extra light Philadelphia with garlic & herbs (also good for my friend who is allergic to eggs)
- a spray bottle for oilve oil - the oil/fat happy boyf can't go too wrong with that!
- eat (something) before I go into town at lunchtime - then I don't start drooling at any food I see and start telling myself I can restrain myself if I buy a box of cereal bars for my desk drawer (when if I did, I would blatantly eat the whole box in one sitting!)

HTH x

MinnieInMaine

One thing I just learned yesterday - don't just check the calorie content for restaurant food, also check the protein. I went to Applebee's and had their grilled shrimp and island rice dish. It was very good and only 370 cal for the whole meal but I was hungry two hours later. Obviously not nearly enough protein for this girl...

Other tips:
Ronzini Smart Taste pasta. For egg noodles, either that brand or yolk free kind
100 calorie popcorn is my savior on the weekends
Turkey pepperoni, smoked sausage and hot dogs. I don't like ground turkey but get 90% lean hamburg and drain it after browning.
Double veggies in casseroles. For meat and potatoe plating, fill 1/3 to 1/2 of plate with veggie side. And no adding butter or salt!
For sandwiches, I use those Arnold multi-grain sandwich thins and don't add any miracle whip anymore, just yellow mustard. I depend on pepper jack cheese for that extra zing instead.

NeuroticVirgo

I cook! :laugh:

I grew up with a single mom, so we didn't have very many home cooked meals, and that kind of continued with me. I always ate out, or pre-packaged microwavable foods...Now I'm cooking meals almost everyday.

inktink

Hot sauce, peppers, cucumbers/pickles are great flavorful foods that are very low/no calories.

I love love love cucumbers! I get a pint of fat free sour cream, mix in some hidden value ranch mix and dip, it's so good and pretty low cal. The crunchiness of the cucumbers reminds me of chips and the dip is just salty enough to satisfy the cravings.

mandycox1301

Oh oh oh!! I just thought of another. I use to LIVE on Taco bell bean burritos....extra cheese please. UNTIL I calulated the amount of calories.......437 JUST for 1!!!!And I use to have 2!!!!! Not included the extra cheese. So I made up my own recipie


Refried beans
lite sour cream
tortilla (cant think of the name but if anyone wants it just message me, It only has like 70 cal (maybe) and .7 fat)
taco sauce
lite colby and jack cheese



And I can have 2 for 201 calories!!! I havent had one from taco bell in 5 months!!!

innerfashionista

bumping - love this!