This has changed my family

Gregthree

I had no idea that this app would be so great. On Dec 10th 2012, I had had enough. I was tired of looking at myself in the mirror after a shower. My ultimate motivation to start was my 4 kids. Watching them walk around the house with rolls over there briefs was embarrassing to me, IT was not right for me to stop them and keep drinking the pop and eating the chips myself. I have always been a practice what you preach kind of dad. I found this app in the play store for android and have not looked back. I am down 18 and my wife is down 22, We used to drink a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper a night and then some. Chips were a mainstay. My second oldest son was a fruit lover, when chocolate and chips started becoming his favorites, I needed to do something. We now take family walks together instead of TV time. My oldest has gotten the most out of this. He is 12 yro and understands the most of whats happening. What fun is that all the kids now ask how many calories are in something. We try to tell them that they need the GOOD food to develop and that counting calories for them is not a necessity.

I have seen some great stories on this site and I hope they are all true. I have one really bad need. I need some samples of some junk food that I can have. I try to leave room at night for a taste of my favorites but does anyone know of some great snack foods that are very low in calories, I do not mean celery and carrots. I want bbq chips and dip:)

Nurse_Christy

This is great. Your family sounds very similar to mine. We too do not usually eat very healthy and are trying to make a change. Keep it up!

1_Slick_Chick

First, Congrats on making a change for the whole family. Your kids will thank you in the long run.

As for snacks, have you tried...?
Kellogs Cracker Chips (lots of flavors),
Sun Chips ( I like the red bag),
Organic Multi Grain Chips w/greek yogurt dip(surprisingly..soooo yummy. Got these at my Costco)
Wasa Crackers with laughing cow wedge (lots of flavors here too)

Good Luck!

bluskies01

That's so great! My son is a big motivation for me too! He's not overweight, but I saw what a bad influence I was being on him. I didn't allow him soda, but it was there in the house so he would sneak and drink it. Now that it's not here the temptation isn't here either! Instead of picking up fast food some afternoons, we've been eating at home every day. I don't have to feel guilty or hide my food from him, we are eating together.

Baked Cheddar Sour Cream Ruffles are pretty tasty.
I agree with pp Sun chips.
Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop popcorn.
For dip, maybe a cucumber/greek yogurt dip? Maybe wouldn't taste so great with chips but it would jazz up veggies and maybe help with your dip craving.

Crochetluvr

Congrats on the changes to you and your family's lifestyle. I used to love potato chips, but they don't make them the same....to me they have no taste. So I don't want them any more (thankfully I don't like bbq chips).

What I switched to was a good quality corn chip (not Fritos) and salsa. I measure out an ounce of chips (you get a good amount in an ounce) and abot 4 T. of salsa. Its a nice occasional snack.

I also have 2 cups of Indiana Movie Theatre (pre popped) Popcorn. Its reasonable on calories. I cant stand microwave popcorn.

Bumbeen

Glorious

NaomiJFoster

Congrats on the full-family experience. You'll all be there to support each other and your children will grow up having healthy habits. Keep up the great work.

As for snacks...I've never actually been much of a junk food person (I like my huge meals, that's my weakness!). But...
Pretzels are very low in fat (it's still carbs though, so just be alert).
Garbanzo beans, either straight out of the can with some salt or roasted with lemon and seasonings, are a great hand-to-mouth snack.
Flavored almonds are my favorite snack. There are so many varieties, so you can satisfy either a sweet, savory, spicy, or sour urge.
Ovaltine in a glass of milk is how I get my chocolate fix, and it's fortified with vitamins too!
Fruit with some Nutella is a very decadent treat to me (I'm a Nutella freak), but be careful with the amount of Nutella. Peanut Butter works too, especially with apples.
Cinnamon toast or toast with honey is a good sweet treat.

KenosFeoh

For dip, I like 2 tablespoons of light sour cream with 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing mixed in.

roxy2903

Well done for making the initial changes and Good luck with keeping it up

MarshaMole

bump

savingsunday

Amazing job on doing well for not just yourself, but your family as well! It is always a help when you have that kind of support system. The fact that your kids are learning good habits now too is awesome! Congrats on it all!

As far as snacky things I like to check out the organic section.

Sometimes the chips are not a whole lot better in calories but they're at least a bit healthier.
I recently found chia chips they're put out by a company called Lesser Evil. I agree with popcorn being a great choice for snacking. The sun chips recommendation is a great one too!

The great thing about calorie counting is that you don't have to give up things you love, you just learn to make better choices and eat those treats every once in awhile rather than all the time.

I occasionally get cravings for items that are not fantastic but if I am really craving something I try to buy it in a smaller size. That way it won't be sitting in the house tempting me. For example, the other night I really wanted oreos. Instead of buying a whole pack I bought the mini snack size container. It was enough to take care of the craving and I don't have a package of oreos sitting around tempting me.

You'll find what works for you. Good luck on the rest of your journey!!

GG113

Inspiring story! May each of you reach all of your goals!

Very nice replies, as well. I want to save some of these "snack ideas"!!! Mine were starting to get monotonous, and I see lots of nice suggestions here. Thanks!

karibj2010

It's great that you and your family are doing this together. My husband and I are working out together, but we are still working on getting our 2 kids (15 & 16) to be more active.

For good snacks:

Pretzels
Baked chips
Trail Mix

Don't deprive yourself...that is setting yourself up to fail, just watch the quantity that you eat.
Good luck!!!

TodayYesterday

Some stores sell 100 calorie packs of chips. That might help with portion control.

RetiredAndLovingIt

bump

karibj2010

Some stores sell 100 calorie packs of chips. That might help with portion control.

And sweet snacks also

srr6783

Kay Natural Protein chips are delicious and healthy they have a variety of flavors my fav is the chilli nacho cheese they are more like doritos and the Pretzel sticks are great as well.

gypsyrose64

Ruffles Potato Chips - Reduced Fat, 1 ounce-13 chips = 140 calories (taste like regular chips)
Fiber One - 90 Calorie Chocolate Fudge Brownie, 1 brownie = 90 calories (as good as the real thing)
Sabra - Roasted Garlic Hummos, 2 TBS = 70 calories (I dip wheat pita and veggies in this)
Blue Bunny - Frozen Yogurt, White Chocolate Raspberry, 1/2 cup = 120 calories (OMG this *kitten* is da' bomb!)
Act Ii - 100 Calorie Mini Bags Microwave Kettlecorn, 1 mini bag =100 calories
Russell Stover - Sugar Free French Mint Miniature, 1 piece = 32 calories

I'm losing weight eating this sort of stuff, and even having an occasional beer or wine at night. Sometimes I use treats as a reward for working out. Bottom line, don't deprive yourself. Find alternatives that work into your calorie budget and then use self control.

SeahorseDolphin

Oh my gosh my mom bought me some blue diamond habanero bbq almonds and they are delicious! 1 serving is 170 calories. I was totally addicted to bbq chips and these really satisfy my craving. It's hard to stick to just one serving!

nikkilynne59

First thing is Congrats its amazing how you are making your family healthier but also adding more family time something that is hard to do now a days. As for the snacks you can try the thinsations. I love them you can get chocolate chip cookies, caramel popcorn, smart food, bits and bites and each pack is 100 calories. Also you can try the special K line they have a lot of good things too.
Keep up the good work

Gregthree

Thanks for all the love and great idea on the snacks. I will definitely give all a try. I question, how do you get that weight loss logo on the bottom of your reply. I cannot find it in the settings.

Brianna72994

Special K Cracker Chips are the best. They're my favorite! And they're pretty low in calories compared to other chips.

Or try Lay's Baked potato chips. A little more expensive than regular chips but also very good!!

As you can tell, I love chips.

blink1021

My fav snack time ideas are making onion dip from light sour cream onion soup mix and you can still use the veggies to dip into it or baked chips. I also love breyers carb smart ice cream it only comes in three flavors but its great. I also like reduced fat cheese and wheat thins that really fills me up. I am going to try oikos greek yogurt never tried it before but a woman my hubby works with says it tastes like ice cream.

jst1986

Special K Cracker Chips are the best. They're my favorite! And they're pretty low in calories compared to other chips.

We've only just got these over in the UK, they are amazing!

eileenchristine

I don't eat chips because they are a waste of calories, but I do have popcorn once in a while. For dip I would use plain greek yogurt to replace sour cream and mix it with ranch mix (or whatever). I use plain yogurt substitute for alot of things to replace sour cream on soups, etc. And it works great as a substitute for cream in baking!

For snacking I eat almonds (I count out an oz!), pickled beets, homemade sweet potato fries (bake em not fry em). I eat alot of sweet potatoes! I also eat steel cut oatmeal made with almond milk for snacking too. I like some food when i watch tv at night. The oatmeal is very filling and good for me!

Once in a rare while I have low fat triscuits with cheese. I count out the # of crackers and weigh the cheese.

I do buy junk food for my kids. My son is underweight so I hand him a bag of chips and tell him to enjoy it for me. But chips aren't much of an attraction to me. I just get junk food for them that I know won't bother me being in the house.

baja572

low fat chips, some kettle cooked are lower in fats and cal...as for dips make your own fat free sour cream..and/or greek yogurt with chopped veggies/ herb.. the chips are in bQ as well as plain...read labels .

savingsunday

My fav snack time ideas are making onion dip from light sour cream onion soup mix and you can still use the veggies to dip into it or baked chips. I also love breyers carb smart ice cream it only comes in three flavors but its great. I also like reduced fat cheese and wheat thins that really fills me up. I am going to try oikos greek yogurt never tried it before but a woman my hubby works with says it tastes like ice cream.

I'd believe it! I haven't had the oikos but there is a brand called Liberte and it's so creamy and delicious! It is around 200+ calories so I usually only buy one and use it for a treat.

NaomiJFoster

Thanks for all the love and great idea on the snacks. I will definitely give all a try. I question, how do you get that weight loss logo on the bottom of your reply. I cannot find it in the settings.

LOL I can't remember where it is. I remember that I searched and searched all over the site forever and found it unexpectedly. Maybe under check-in or goal?

Gregthree

Thanks for all the love and great idea on the snacks. I will definitely give all a try. I question, how do you get that weight loss logo on the bottom of your reply. I cannot find it in the settings.

LOL I can't remember where it is. I remember that I searched and searched all over the site forever and found it unexpectedly. Maybe under check-in or goal?

Naomi, I read your bio, I hope that was ok since it was available, but if you mean skygazing like looking at the stars at night. I love the persieds in August. Also, I found google sky map for my phone. It is awesome. Just point the phone at the star you are looking at and it tells you whats there at that point in time. We have been watching Jupiter the last few nights. Had no idea we could see that planet. It is one of the brightest star (objects) in the sky right now.

mdcjmom

This site has also made a healthier life for me and mine. 3 of my 4 kids got on the treadmill today!

irenematilda

Under the 'Apps' tab on the right-hand side when you scroll down is a link. This one

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker/home