How can I eat more & lose weight??????

Options
Hi, New to this stuff.... doing OK but its the killer sweets and buns/cakes that are sending me over the calorie count!!!!!
Are there any good sweets/cakes that are less than 400 cal??

PS... Pasta is a nightmare!!

Help!!!!

Replies

  • beesus
    beesus Posts: 30
    Options
    Totally! There are loads of sweet treats that can satisfy your cravings without sending your lifestyle change off the deepe end. I am particularly fond of the skinny cow products like their ice cream sandwiches, etc - all for between 100 - and 150 cals.

    If you're trying to stay away from processed foods - there's nothing like a small serving of dark, organic chocolate. There's no harm in indulging - just indulge in a square, not the whole she-bang.
  • mfjutras
    mfjutras Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    Probably the best thing right now would be to try and cut down on cakes and high sugar foods. I remember when I started at the beginning on Sept - my problem was snack foods. I would always grab easy processed snacks which didnt help in the calorie department. Try cutting out cakes and sugars for a week or so and then just treat yourself now and then. You would be suprised how after a week or two of cutting down on bad foods give you an aversion to it.
  • sharonuk10
    Options
    I have whole wheat spaghetti. 245 calories per serving. As for cakes/sweets. I keep fun size/small candy bars on hand and only have one, under 100 calories if you get the right ones. I really think it is about portion size more than anything else. There isn't any reason why you can't have sweets/cakes just do it in moderation. That is the key. Best thing though is make them at home. Less additives etc.
  • TheFlem
    Options
    Thanks for the Advice!!!!

    I am trying to cut down......

    At the minute I am cycling about 90 mins a day to make up for the indulgence!!!

    Bring on portion control!!!!
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
    Options
    Wheat pasta is great, still a carb! As far as sweets,really need to get away from sweets and concentrate on eating a healthy lifestyle. This doesn't me cutting out all sweets just in moderation. You will notice after eating right for about 21 days your taste buds will change and won't need or crave as many sweets. Might even not want them...takes time, willpower,dedication,& sacrifice!
    Good luck! If you want something bad enough,it can be achieved!

    HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??????:noway: :wink:
  • nbingham
    nbingham Posts: 102 Member
    Options
    Since I don't know if you're in the US or not, I don't know if these are available to you, but I like the Nabisco 100 calorie packs of cookies. I also like the Great Value (Walmart) 100 calorie ice cream sandwich mini's. I'm not a fan of "diet" food, so when I get those cravings I prefer to eat smaller portions of the same good stuff that I love.
    Weight Watchers also has a great line of ice creams. I like their toffee bars. It tastes just like the normal ice cream toffee bars so I think it's just a smaller portion.
    Honestly, this is a lifestyle change. You shouldn't be "depriving" yourself of anything or you'll wind up breaking down and binging on bad stuff. It's better to give in a little once in a while and just watch your portion sizes. Plus, if there's something you "really" want and can't afford calorie wise, work out some and EARN it! :-D
    You can do this! We're all behind you. :)
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Options
    You should check out the recipe section of this site. It has a lot of things you might not have thought of.

    One recipe I like, it feel fallish and yummy:

    1/2 cup plain yogurt (1%), 1/3 cup pumpkin, sprinkle of each spice, and 1 Tbsp of vanilla pudding mix. You can easily make this into a parfait with crushed up cinnamon snaps or ginger snap cookies and fat free s/f cool whip or top with chopped walnuts.

    As for pasta- make to to have it as a part of something. I don't care what people say, carbs are important to a balanced diet. Just make it in the serving size (or less some times). I like it in soups in particular - it really helps me feel full when eating a lot of veggies that alone would make me feel unsatisfied.

    So yea. Good luck.
  • TheFlem
    Options
    Well done to all on dropping the pounds!!!



    2255410.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • nosagida
    Options
    I'm with you! I am not a fan of "diet foods" but will happily eat a small portion of the "real thing!" I think it helps you to not feel deprived of "normal" food... :)
  • changling82
    changling82 Posts: 137 Member
    Options
    Probably the best thing right now would be to try and cut down on cakes and high sugar foods. I remember when I started at the beginning on Sept - my problem was snack foods. I would always grab easy processed snacks which didnt help in the calorie department. Try cutting out cakes and sugars for a week or so and then just treat yourself now and then. You would be suprised how after a week or two of cutting down on bad foods give you an aversion to it.


    This is so true. Most of my diet consist of fresh fruits and veggies. I find that anything that I thought was sweet (like cake, cookies, etc) before taste way too sweet now or just don't taste that great and not worth the calories. Now if I want something sweet I eat "little cuties" tangerines or a honeycrisp apple.

    I also stock up on sugar free jello, pudding, and cool whip. 1/2 cup of sugar free jello is only 10 calories. Add 2 tbsp of cool whip to it, and it's 30....taste almost like icecream and sends my sweet tooth packing!
  • sharonuk10
    Options
    Wheat pasta is great, still a carb!

    Yes and carbs you need to fuel your body. I still have potatoes too. I do not believe in cutting out any type of food or this will not last. My opinion!!
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    Options
    There are a few options, as mentioned by others, but there are no magic buttons. If you want the results, then get the crap out of your diet. Follow the numbers. If you've got room for a little something, then have it and enjoy it. But if you don't have the room left in your numbers, don't eat it. There are consequences, both positive and negative, for your decisions. Fatty, sweet crap is PACKED with calories. If you were to take the same volumetric measure of fat and protein, the fat would have 4 times as many calories as the protein. That means the amount it takes to "fill you up" will end up giving you 4 times the calories. Healthy options, however, tend to be more filling with less calories. There's a reason that salad is the go-to for weight loss. The leafy greens are filling and nutritious with very few calories. Eggs are also protein packed stomach fillers that really don't have a lot of calories.

    After everything I've gone through, losing so much weight and basically keeping it off but never really getting to where I want to be, I hardly ever eat crappy food now. I don't enjoy it, because my mind connects crappy food with feeling crappy. And I don't mean feeling guilty. I mean actually feeling crappy, because when I eat healthy I feel great; energized and allert. When I eat crappy, sugary, junky food I feel lethargic, like I'm walking around in a fog.

    By the way, there is a quote that gets used a lot on the bodybuilding forums; "You can't outwork a crappy diet."
  • edinat
    edinat Posts: 159 Member
    Options
    I agree carbs are important, and if you try to cut them out it will be impossible and you will give up at the end. Watch the portion thats the key, dont eat an entire box of ice cream....i know i could ..lol but thats the main thing, dont overdue it, and change your habits one at a time, make baby steps in the long run it will be worth it. Dont cut out immediatly on everything from your life, like i said make baby steps. There is a lot of WW sweets that are only 1 pt. and very low in calories.

    I was a big sugar lover, sweets, junk food, i used to drink a cup of coffee with at least 3 teap. of sugar, believe it or not, now i drink sugar free coffee with milk alone, i never imagined i could do that. But it took time and it didn't happen overnight, first i switched to splenda, then to Stevie and now without nothing. What i am trying to say cut things out little by little, i used to get mad and start my "new lifestyles" and throw everything out of the refrigerator go tot he store and spend money buying 'healthy things' but it wouldn't last long,after 2-3 days i was back to normal. Never in my entire life did i believe that i will be one of those ppl that would eat a celery stick for a snack :) thats how bad i was!!!!

    Same with pasta, for me it was very hard witching to "whole wheat pasta" it had a different texture , taste etc i could not do it, but first i went to Rozoni Smart Taste, and then i went a step up and converted to Whole wheat....and yeah i still use Smart taste, those are good too as far as pasta goes, but dont overdue it, remember PORTION control is the KEY !!! Measure everything, once you start seeing with ur own eyes, that a litle of pasta, equals a lot of calories, u will start making smarter choices, for example i think of it how many minutes i have to exercise to burn that off lol......but yeah dont change all at once, and make smart moves, if you want to change your lifestyle.

    and one more thing when you have a bad eating day, exercise, and dont give up just b/c it was bad, i used to be like that, i give up and then i eat everything i see b/c i had a bad day and "i messed up" .

    PS : one more thing, stock up on sugar-free pudding, that is sooooooo good, and you can make different kind of combination's with it i love sugar free banana pudding, with a little graham crackers(you can buy the crumbs at krogers) and fat-free no sugar, cool whip, is ur friend...add that on top, and you got yourself a PERFECT dessert, also you can buy different kinds of 60 calorie sugar free puddings at the store they are great! They even have the chocolate ones, and you wont believe how good they are. I really hate food that doesn't taste good ! but if you try this you wont regret it and ti will taste great, and you wont feel guilty ! !

    Sorry hope the tips help u !
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    Options
    Wheat pasta is great, still a carb!

    Yes and carbs you need to fuel your body. I still have potatoes too. I do not believe in cutting out any type of food or this will not last. My opinion!!

    I'm with you! I've tried cutting carbs. I didn't lose any more weight and didn't feel good. I do believe, however, that MFP gives you way to many carbs. I have my settings at 40% protein (around 220-250/day), 30% carbs (120-180), 30% fat (40-85).

    With carbs and fats, the overall numbers aren't nearly as important as what TYPE they are. Wheat carbs are complex and slow-digesting, giving you smooth, lasting energy. White carbs are simple, so they get digested quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar which actually makes you HUNGRIER very soon.

    Macros do make a difference, but the determining factor really is calories in/calories out. Eat less then you use, you're almost certain to lose!
  • jimmydeanbakker
    Options
    Yeah, pasta is a killer for a lot of folks. I went to the Olive Garden for my birthday, and ended up with the shock of my life. The waitresses were so big that they had problems navigating between the tables. The young lady that seated my wife and I sounded like Darth Vader as she wobbled in front of us. It's because all the workers are eating pasta all the time, every day. Pasta isn't bad for you, but too much pasta is. Pick a day, any day of your choosing, and make that the day when you weave a little bit of pasta into your diet plan.

    Me, I'm a huge chocolate fanatic, but I know I cannot eat it every day. In order to get my no stress chocolate fix, I eat a Fiber One chocolate bar. It gives me my chocolate fix and a healthy dose of fiber in one tasty bar.
  • TheFlem
    Options
    Well said!!!!:happy:

    Portion control is the way to go... oh yeah and some excercise!!!

    Good Luck!