What in the blazes are you guys eating

I'm a snacker too-- and I really think that done correctly, snacking can HELP with healthy eating rather than hinder it. Snacking helps keep your metabolism ticking away, and can keep your blood sugar level more steady throughout the day. It keeps your energy level up, so you're more likely to keep active rather than getting sleepy halfway through the afternoon. At least, that's my theory.

My standby quick snacks:

Fresh fruit (I have a big bowl of clementine oranges and another that usually has apples, bananas and pears in it, right on the counter close to the fridge-- strategically positioned so that it is in fact easier to grab a piece of fruit instead of opening the fridge!)

Dried fruit (I love prunes, dried cranberries, and dried mango)

A piece of whole grain toast or Wasa crispbread with laughing cow cheese, yogurt spread or some cottage cheese.

Raw veggies and hummus.

A dill pickle! This is my go-to when I'm craving something salty. Pickles aren't exactly *healthy*, since they pack a lot of sodium, but they are a heck of a lot better than potato chips or most other salty snacks-- only 15 calories per spear for the ones I get. (I can't eat popcorn-- it tends to upset my stomach-- but I'd think that would also be a feasible salty snack alternative.)

When I want something sweet outside of fruit, I'll have a glass of almond milk with a little bit of chocolate syrup, or I'll mix some cottage cheese with a small amount of fruit preserves and spread it on toast or crispbread.

I'm a grazer too but that's not a bad thing, as others have mentioned. If my calories are tight, I find that there are a few snacks that give me a lot of "bang for the buck" so to speak. A little greek yogurt with a tablespoon of granola is really filling and satisfies cravings for me for a good long while. I just ate a baked sweet potato today that was delicious... a little one will set you back only a bit above 100 calories plus any sugar that you may add - I added a Tbsp of brown sugar but I don't think I really needed it in retrospect.

For meals, substitutes for bread rock - the flatouts as mentioned are great, so are the 100 calorie deli flats or light whole grain muffins.

I don't follow any particular diet other than trying to eat as many whole foods as possible while trying to eliminate as many refined flours and sugars and processed junk as I can, while logging calories and exercise with MFP. Good luck!

Hi pals!

I am going to figure out what works best for me if its the last thing I do. So far I've done Atkins, lil bit of something like South Beach, my own variation on low carbs (you know: no breads, potatoes, rice etc), the 17 day plan and eating most if not all my exercise calories. I've done organic, whole wheats, no sugars, gluten free, I've done it all. Here's the thing, I am a snacker. I eat my three meals but I have got to graze throughout the day.

I was just curious as to what my successful weightloss pals are eating everyday: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks

thanks
tameka

Pretty much whatever I want as long as I keep within my calorie budget. The only things I watch other than calories are fiber (try to get at least 40 grams a day) and sodium (try to keep it under 1800 a day) Beyond that, I will have whatever I want to eat, but if it is calorie dense, then I will end up not being able to eat something else that may be more satisfying, and may even be hungry when I go to bed. That, for me, is an encouragement not to eat those things too often.

Hi pals!

I am going to figure out what works best for me if its the last thing I do. So far I've done Atkins, lil bit of something like South Beach, my own variation on low carbs (you know: no breads, potatoes, rice etc), the 17 day plan and eating most if not all my exercise calories. I've done organic, whole wheats, no sugars, gluten free, I've done it all. Here's the thing, I am a snacker. I eat my three meals but I have got to graze throughout the day.

I was just curious as to what my successful weightloss pals are eating everyday: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks

thanks
tameka

Pretty much whatever I want as long as I keep within my calorie budget. The only things I watch other than calories are fiber (try to get at least 40 grams a day) and sodium (try to keep it under 1800 a day) Beyond that, I will have whatever I want to eat, but if it is calorie dense, then I will end up not being able to eat something else that may be more satisfying, and may even be hungry when I go to bed. That, for me, is an encouragement not to eat those things too often.

Well it look like it works for you! wow! congrats on your weightloss

Thanks. Yes, it does work for me, but I am very, very careful in measuring my portions to try to get the calories as close as possible. I also know it would not work for others as eating say, one donut, would lead to eating a dozen or more with a sugary drink on top of it. Thankfully, that doesn't usually happen to me. There are days I decide to indulge and go over my calories, usually when there is a family function or something like that, but then I weigh in my mind if it is worth having to work extra hard for the next couple of days to make up for it. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. The advantage of this approach, for me, is that I don't generally feel deprived by it which helps to keep it up. It also is fairly simple, even easier with MFP for recording what I eat.