SandyBVTN Member

Water is the only thing I'm not strictly measuring these days. I drink out of litre jars for the most part, and have two to five of them a day. At the end of the day (or sometimes in the middle), I guess at how many times I filled the jar and record it. I'm probably off by a few cups on either side, but not concerned.

OMG - too funny!

I don't consider it cheating at all, but for special and social events, twice a month or so, I have been relaxing my calorie goals and feeling completely okay with going over. I think of it like this - I'm eating like my thin friends. They are careful on a day to day basis, make good choices as far as calories and…

I pre-log, usually the night before after I press the complete button on that day. Things change as I go along, of course, and I approach it with flexibility. I think of it like a budget, and knowing the whole picture helps me make decisions based on what I really want to spend my "money" on. When I look at the day as a…

An awesome salad! A huge bowl of mixed baby greens and spinach Nicely aged balsamic vinegar Parmigiano Reggiano Roasted chicken breast Cheese and Garlic croutons (Fresh Gourmet - super tasty and fairly low cal)

Totally! What I end up doing in that case is pulling out my big liquid measuring cup and figuring out how many cups of soup/chilli whatever, then usually assuming that a cup is one portion. It's a pain, but it's already done for the next time once its in the recipe calculator.

Honestly it's so easy! I pre-log all of my foods so I know how many teaspoons of olive oil or oz of cheese to budget for my salad. That takes about two minutes per meal, if that. When cooking, I just have my measuring spoons and cups, and food scale handy. It takes about ten extra seconds to weigh or measure out an…

If you are driving and have access to a microwave, a few breakfast burritos packed with beans, cheese and rice might be good and satisfying too.

I like a high fiber/lower cal bread, toasted with peanut butter and sliced banana. Or cottage cheese. Otherwise, I am pretty serious about my salmon for breakfast so I can't help you there:) Turkey sausages are good too though! You could make a sort of English muffin sausage/cheese sandwich with some light mayo and a drop…

Have you tried a trip to the supermarket instead of fast food? Maybe a pack of salad greens, some whole grain bread and lower fat protein from the deli? I guess it depends on how long you are staying in one place for as well. Are you flying or driving? If driving, perhaps a plug in cooler in your car to cart around salad…

I have a pretty iron stomach, so take what I am saying with a grain of salt. If it smells good and looks fine, no slime or fuzz, I would eat it as long as it was heated thoroughly. And then I would get rid of the rest, since five days is around my max for reheating cooked foods. And I would probably not give any to my kid.…

That is amazing!! Those are some of my favorite victories, when it feels easy to make awesome choices. Good for you!!

Calories are most important for me! I find on my most satisfied and energetic days, I hit my protein, go over on my fat, and am under on my carbs and sugar.

Looks awesome - thank you!

Oh this one too!! I'm excited to try both - wonderful recipes!

THANK YOU!!! This sounds wonderful!

I recommend Zevia sodas. They are pretty yummy (most of them at least) and have no artificial sweeteners or sugar. It's a nice alternative for those who are uncomfortable with the idea of aspartame but enjoy having a pop.

I log ketchup, bbq sauce, mayo, salad dressings, chutney, peanut sauce and anything with more than a few calories. When I create recipes, I log everything but spices. When I'm just adding some relish or a splash of soy sauce to something, I don't bother logging it. Part of the reason for me is that my calories are set…

I find if I put a paper towel in the lettuce container, it soaks up any remaining moisture and helps keep the lettuce crisp. My easiest go-to filling meal is a refried bean and cheddar quesadilla. Even a half ounce of cheddar feels like a lot when it's next to the creamy beans. It's a super easy and pretty filling little…

I don't drink juice these days, my calories are way too precious and if I'm going to drink them I'll save them for wine. :) However, when I feel like indulging, I love a small glass of orange juice with a savoury breakfast, such as a hash or egg sandwich. Heaven!

Lots of great insight already here. I also find I am hungry a lot, and a lot of that has to do with getting used to eating a waaaaaay smaller amount of calories than my body is used to. Counting now, I am realizing I regularly ate/drank 3000+ calories a day. Taking in between 1200 and 1500 a day now is a huge change. Some…

I think I understand what you are saying. It's so tricky, right? I mean, as confident and self-loving people who don't judge others on their bodies or size, we feel we should accept and love ourselves the same way. Especially when we can do all of these awesome physical feats and genuinely feel strong and healthy. And…

I'm in the same boat! Potassium seems to be my biggest challenge as far as the nutritional numbers go. This looks like a pretty good list though: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

I hope that never happens to me! I have had drinks (multiple, mostly wine but sometimes low cal mixed drinks, beer or coolers) seven or so occasions in the past 35 days of calorie counting, and actually lost more weight in the weeks that I did imbibe. Though I often had lots of delicious food calories with my alcohol, I…

I know a lot of people don't like the BMI scale for various reasons, but for me a BMI in the "normal" range is my biggest and most important goal. I might be a bit different than you though. I don't like how my body feels and looks at the moment and I genuinely believe that I will be happier and more confident when I am a…

Yup, yo-yo over here too. Never again though. Someone mentioned about the definition of insanity? That's exactly what I am doing differently this time. A month ago, when I joined MPF, I thought long and hard about where I went wrong before and made a really solid plan for myself to keep this weight off for good. Long term…

Sounds good! I am a bantering type too: ) I'll happily friend you here!

Hi, I am so sorry about your loss. I am also shocked that anyone would say such a thing to you, at a funeral no less, and when you are only 173 lbs. Terrible in any case though. I am happy to friend you here if you would like. I am super motivated and have lost ten in the past month. We are around the same weight now -…

Hi Debs! I am going to add you now. Nice to meet you! How are you going about controlling your blood sugars? I am not diabetic myself, but my dad is and I know he's had loads of success with lowering carbs, added sugars, and increasing activity. I am not doing any kind of sugar or carb control but they are generally on the…

Heya! There are some awesome people and lots of good support here. Feel free to add me!