For Robin...and anyone else who wants to read!

I just thougt I would jot down some of the wisdom I have learned on my journey (160 days tomorrow). I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, but thought you might like to know.

Some of my favorite "high fiber" foods (each of these have AT LEAST 5 grams/serving)

1. Ole' Mexican Foods Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Tortillas (71 calories per tortilla) - 12g
2. High Fiber Instant Oatmeal (Walmart has their brand, also Quaker) - 10g
3. Healthy Life 35 Calorie Wheat Bread (also comes in white) - 5g in 2 slices
4. Beans (black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, etc) - 5+ grams
5. Healthy Choice Frozen Complete Dinners (Salisbury Steak is my fave w/ 2 slices of 35 cal bread) - usually 8+ grams
6. Kashi Go Lean or Good Friends (not real sweet but tasty) - 10+ grams
7. Cheerios Cinnamon Burst (other Cheerios flavors don't have much fiber only 2g) - 5g
8. Active Lifestyle Fiber Water packets (Kroger/Fry's brand) - 5g




Best advice I can give is...READ YOUR LABELS and look at nutrition guides at fast food restaurants (many restaurants have their nutrition guides available online)! Jack in the Box, Wendy's, Taco Bell all have low-fat/low-cal food choices (you just have to watch out for sodium). Salads are an excellent choice but beware of dressing. They can turn your healthy salad into a high calorie, high fat, sodium pit. Try using flavored vinegar and spices instead.

Sodium is in everything! Many processed foods are packed with sodium. Sodium will make you retain water, which in turn will make you weigh more than you do. Besides, its not good for your heart.

Chocolate? Well, sugar free fudgesicles are an excellent choice for curbing that craving. Also, Weight Watcher's makes some nice sweet snacks that you'll find in the bread aisle. Most of them are low cal, high fiber choices.

A digital food scale is a MUST for anyone changing their eating habits. Get into the habit of weighing and measuring everything. I prefer weighing in grams as opposed to ounces, its more accurate that way. Before you know it, you'll know what 4 oz (112g) of chicken breast or 1 cup of cereal looks like .

They say (don't ask me who they are) that you should have no more than 3g fat per 100 calories.

My doctor said that it wasn't necessary for me to eat my exercise calories, unless I'm just burning like mad (even then, use common sense). But also, don't starve yourself. Eating less than 1100 calories isn't really good for you on a regular basis. It will slow down you metabolism to conserve your energy. I've heard some people do the zig-zag dieting method. Where you eat like 1400 calories one day then the next day only 1000 calories. I have not personally tried this method, but it could make sense (tricking your body).

I'm totally open to any addtions to this from other MFP members. I need to get my best friend of nearly 30 years healthy again. She had open heart surgery before she was even 25. I love her dearly and would like to keep her around to be friends for another 30 years.

*** I'm not a doctor, dietician or even a nurse. This is only what I have discovered on my journey. Check with your doctor to see what's right for you. ***