Ways I cut back on my calories...

Ways I cut back on my calories...
I will admit, I love food, the bad kind of food. And me being a stay at home mom, I use to eat a lot of junk. With my 2yr old, I'd snack, and than when she's sleeping I'd get bored and eat some more. And that would be y I look like I do. So to cut back I made some real simple changes along with throwing out all the junk food. I thought I'd jot them down and maybe someone else can benefit from them, or perhaps someone will have more ideas/tricks I could try as well

Portion control. I was the type of person who made dinner and filled up the plates and it never seemed like it was a bad thing. I went out and bought salad size plates from the dollar store, and now when I make dinner I fill up one of the plates which is 1 serving (and not 4 like a dinner plate.) and I get the illusion that it's a full plate, and I do actually feel full when I'm done.

Along with lunch, I usually have a salad or a sandwhich. I switched to the heatlhy and light sandwich bread that is only 35 calories a slice. So my sandwich is around 100 calories together, and than i cut it in half and than in half again so there is 4 pieces, and I usually have been eating only 3 outa 4 pieces. Where as before I'd eat a sandwich and than a handful of chips with it.

Foods I love, and that I can't give up I altered so that I could have them, and not feel guilty about it. I love cheese burgers, I can never give them up. So once a month I make burgers using half ground turkey, and half xtra lean hamberger (to get the burger taste). I use a wrap, or use lettuce as a bun. Or last time I didn't have either so I used 1 piece of the 35 cal bread. my burger usually ends up being round the 250 calorie area. I use the ground turkey, and xtra lean hamberger mix for other things too, like meatloaf, taco meat, meatballs.

Making tacos...My 2nd fav food, I use the turkey/hamberger mix, or I use ground chicken, or fish. All 3 versions are xtremely delicious on whole grain taco shells, or fat free wraps.

My 3rd fav food is pizza! So I make homemade pizza. On fat free flatbread. italian or garlic and herb style. Put turkey, turkey bacon, cheese, olives, sauce, and tomatoes, and cheese and it's around 250 for the whole pizza. Or when you have to have the peporoni, and sauasage kinda pizza its between 300-400 calories.

Garlic bread was always something I'd put on my plate, now I make my own garlic bread with melba toast, garlic salt, and mozz cheese. Put in toaster oven for 2-3 minutes and it's 75 cals for 5 pieces.

I also use melba toast for salsa, peanut butter, cheese, etc. With 5pieces only being 50 cals you can't not eat it. Melba toast with laughing cow cheese is a great snack at only 85 calories.

And everyone loves ice cream...Skinny cow ice cream is delicious, and only 110-120 calories for an ice cream cone!!! Nothing beats a dessert like that!