Gathina

Wow, that's really great! Actually, think about the whole bowl of fruit..if you could really eat that bowl of fruit (if it were real) then you are most likely hungry.

That's really cool that you found a trick that works. But last week you had mentioned the Hershey's pie and that one serving was the same amount of calories you'd just slogged out on the bike so you'd chosen the 200 calorie snack instead.

I think what you'll find is over time, taste buds change..scientifically they do..there are some foods I used to like and now I've gotten used to not having them I can't stand the thought of it. I used to love half and half in coffee but can't stand it now, used to like Chinese food a lot and now it makes me sick. (except the steamed chicken /rice I mentioned earlier)

Gathina suggested it.

 

Lets say I'm sitting here and think about chocolate cake and then I want chocolate cake.

 

But am I really hungry or am I just craving something/bored/emotional?

 

She suggested that you think about a piece of fruit and if you say, "Sure, fruit sounds good." Then you are probably actually hungry and then you should have the fruit.

 

But if you say no, I don't want fruit, then you probably are just having a craving and not hungry.

 

I added a third level to this b/c I came up with Yes, I could eat some fruit.......but really........I was absolutely full.

 

So, I did a third check with my stomach and decided that I was full......fruit or not.

Fries: Here's another mind trick...if you do go for the McDonald's fry, put them on a napkin and "blot" them...you actually take out a lot of the grease..and I'd read somewhere you can save 20-30 calories and fat just by doing that..and when you see the grease that it sops up you might think "yuck, that could have been in my body".

On times that I've had no other option but a fast food place, (which makes me sick even if I do eat it and I like the taste of fast food even) I've actually gotten a kids meal and given the toys to my young friends. Sometimes you can even get 2% milk to drink in some of them, and the apple slices, a small hamburger (you could eat half the bun) and a kid size fry. Last week I wanted a milkshake from Sonic but online it was over 500 calories for a small..the kid size one was like 225 so I went for that.

small changes, big pay offs!

I wish my stomach would level out. I'm trying to remember to take a probiotic everyday. Its just bubbly and a bit upset at times. I don't think it ever fully recovered from that stupid stomach bug.

 

BK: Protein Shake (The Biggest Loser powder was on sale)

 

L: Chicken noodle soup and natural fruit cup.

 

S: Cheese and crackers

 

W: 60 min. on the bike.......waiting on the gym

 

D: bunless 73% hamburger patties and some baked fries (now this is what I'm counting on, but it is Thursday........and that is usually nephew dinner night at McDs) I've had it so much lately (being once a week for three weeks now) that I'm not craving anything, so a grilled chicken sandwich should cover it.

 

I promise I still haven't weighed though it has been tempting and I did stay in my points last night. Thank God that my week starts over tomr. I found my WW workout DVD yesterday and I know it has a 20 min. hand weight workout on it, I might try.

 

Now, if I can just get my real estate agent (cousin) to take a break from is out of town g/f then I might get the ball rolling on my house................

 

good choices.

Brooke, glad the mind trick worked..even a little..it's a practice thing..and if it only kept you from eating 5 more cookies or whatever, then it worked..progress not perfection..

Chicken...a new "find" recently...I was at a Chinese restaurant and they steamed a small chicken breast with some veggies and ginger and I got the brown rice..wow..I couldn't believe the flavor and the moistness of th chicken! It was nice with pea pods, some thin carrots and chinese cabbage. The ginger just made it "pop" in my mouth.

For a pint of it at $4 I thought it was a nutrition bargain..granted you need to eye ball the amount of rice but it was a healthy , cheap bargain lunch.

Could be another alternative..the chicken was so moist and better than grilled or baked.

I found a recipe "close" to what this was so will share it here..I plan to make it this weekend and it's only 250 calories a serving..chicken and veggies included.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/steamed-chicken-vegetables-with-soy-dipping-sauce-10000001924692/

3 months with no scale..that could be way scary..maybe just limit to once a week? Someone said they do that at WW..I think the once a week thing is a good idea because it takes the pressure off and then you dont have to beat yourself up every day if it doesn't budge.

I will mention something I noticed on your food logs..if you have an Atkins shake for breakfast I saw that sometimes you have another food with it..I thought Atkins shakes were supposed to be the meal and nothing else according to their program?? You might be adding more food because your hungry, but remember..for a few days you are going to be hungry until your stomach gets used to getting by with less. That's why they say to really take your time to eat, and sit at the table to eat because your more likely to eat what's there and nothing else.

Awww..well, your being mindful..that's still about 95% of the battle.

From everything I've read, consistency is really the key ..consistent exercise..food..maybe your being too hard and trying too hard and somehow self sabotaging yourself.

It's great your aiming to do an hour a day on the ellipitical or bike or whatever, but maybe it's better to do an hour at a slower pace instead of kill yourself and then not be able to do anything the next day. Maybe review your food logs and see where the "gaps" are..like if you don't have a plan on some days for dinner then you notice the scale always goes up on those days following when you didn't plan dinner, then make a note of where that could be a gap.

Try my bowl of fruit analagoy..that stupid trick really does work..If I think I am hungry and need to eat this burger, would I eat a bowl of fruit if it were here? If yes, I am hungry. If not, need to do something else!

Also on the low carb thing..in college I did one of those and I lost a lot of weight..but it was limited to 60 carbs a day. And the carbs they recommended were leafy green vegetables and other types that didn't allow you much wiggle room...none of the carbs were to come from bread, starchy vegetables, oatmeal or those kind of "healthy" carbs. etc. Those kinda got thrown back in gradually after the weight was lost.

Sat. 314.8

Sun. 314.8

Mon. 315.8

Tues. 315.6

Wed. 316

Thurs. 316.6

 

No comment

 

BK: Oatmeal

 

S: cereal

 

L: low carb wrap, turkey pepperoni, shredded cheese.....thingy. Forgot fruit or veggies......might run out and grab something.

 

S: Almonds

 

D: I'm not sure yet. Mom's bday is today, so I don't know what is going to happen.

 

W: I will hit the ellpt for 60 today though.

 

I didn't go for the ellpt. last night b/c i was just hurting too many places, plus I wanted to leave early and stop by to see my grandad. He ended up being out mowing (not really supposed to be doing that....). So I went home and turned on the AC in my room and let it cool for a min. then jumped on the bike for 60 (well I took like a five min. break in the middle b/c everything gets so numb).

 

I ended up eating a scrambled egg sandwich with low carb bread with my baked potato last night instead of the meatloaf. I don't know what mom did differently to it, but I really almost got sick when I tasted a bit of it. Either it made me feel sick or......I'm having digestive issues, which may be the case b/c more and more.........eating makes me feel a little quesy. Not all the time, but just at weird times. I don't get it. I started taking some otc probiotics to see if that would help.

 

So. Tomr. is my WW "start over" day. For those not WW savy.....this means that the extra weekly points I get, start back over again. Plus its my "official" weigh day.

 

I feel like I will just have to buckle down as much as I can. Gathina is right. I need to start fresh and pay attention to everything that goes into my mouth and make sure I'm counting it. I think when trying to eat healthy, we get too comfortable with what we are doing and the next thing you know.........things creep in. So, while it may not be smart to try and do this over Memorial Day weekend..........I'm def. going to. Maybe this is what I need to get over the hump.

 

Good Choices.

Veggies..don't underestimate the power of Salsa..it's easy and cheap to make and there are many different variations..I even make a fruit salsa that you could spread on a piece of wheat toast for a snack.

I would seriously look at whatever medications you are on and research their side effects. I know that steroids and some anti depressent/anti anxiety drugs are very common for causing weight gain and inflammation. Wellbutrin, on the other hand is an anti depressent that actually causes appetite loss.

Well, is it entirely possible that the Atkins approach just doesn't work for everyone? My brother in law is a naturopath doctor in Hondouras and he preaches against eating a lot of meat because meat can cause inflammation. He would probably recommend a more plant based diet with whole grain carbs that have more nutrients (sweet potato versus a white potato, brown rice versus white), and beans/legumes for protein and plant protein instead of getting it from animal sources. He woud argue that a cup of beans has more protein and fiber (but better carbs) then what you would get from meat.

But, you've mentioned before your not keen on the texture of vegetables and fruits or something..that could be a problem.

Maybe there is such a thing as eating too much protein..and even lean meats have a bit of fat in them.

The other thought I had was (and maybe you do this already?) is to write down every last morsel you put in your mouth for a few days..even if it's a "taste" of something? And then you'd really get a glance at seeing if you are following the weight watchers plan totally. Just a thought? I've never done it, but have many friends who did and when they did follow it exactly to a T they lost weight consistently with a few plateaus but not many

I'm thinking that maybe you are not eating enough and your body has gone into a starvation type of mode and that also can feed intro cravings because your missing some nutrients, etc. Also, are you on any medications that is maybe causing water retention or inflammation? You mentioned you have some muscular issues, etc..if your muscles are inflammed that can cause weight gain temporarily from the inflammation.

My thoughts.

Well, that's a great win! :)

Almost every nutritionist or physician I've had to work with will push the idea of the "thinking" part. A lot of the battle is in the mind. They say this is the best thing to really adapting a healthy lifestyle is how you approach food and learning how to "see" it as eating to live, not living to eat.

If those are the tricks that work for you, then I say rock on! For me that bowl of fruit visioinary is the thing as silly as it is. I love fruit but if I'm not willing to eat a bowl of it instead of a cake or cookie, then I am not really hungry. I had read that if you are REALLY are hungry you would eat the bowl of fruit, other than that it's just eating for the wrong reason. Works for me.

Your right..I would have forgone both..LOL..but only because I am not a chocolate eater. If I am going to eat a dessert, I will literally drive to the Bakery and buy just one really, really, fine treat and enjoy it or there HAVE been times when I would literally bake an entire cake from scratch, eat one piece and give the rest to a neighbor (they love it when I'm in that kind of mood!)

I figure if I'm going to have a treat, I want it to be worth my time and calories...Little Debbie of Hershey Pie I can get any day the rest of my life.

Menina

I'm not quite in you camp of thinking yet, but you have been working on me for a while :). However, I did halfway use your train of thought in context with my own, so I guess I'm halfway there, lol.

 

Last night I was able to endure the ellpt. for 60 mins and burned (according to the machine) 700 calories. When I went home I had dinner and then I wanted something sweet and had the points to do it, so I looked around for something.

 

Ice cream-eh wasn't feeling it

Yogurt-Wasn't what I wanted

Little debbie cake chocolate thing-hmmm?

The Hershey chocolate pie that dad got mom to buy-Hmmm?

 

So, the best thing to do was to check the nutrition.

 

Little debbie cake-170 calories

1/6 Hershey pie slice-650!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I stopped and thought, "I just burned 700 calories on that ellpt. and it was a lot of work (which my back is still aching this morning) and with one fleeting moment, for something that will make me happy for the mmm 10 mins it will take to eat it, I want to undo that workout that was so hard for me to do and I was so proud I did?

 

170 calorie little debbie it was.

 

Now, I know you probably would have forwent both, but I used your thought process and then my "Good Choices" mantra to make the decision.

 

So, I consider it a win:D.

Ouch. But at least you got back on track.

I kinda disagree with saying "that's ok, I don't do it that often". Well, in the big picture it really isn't okay..saying it's ok justifies you doing it. (my behavior medicine side kicking in again, sorry!). I think the next time before you do it you have to tell yourself "this isn't ok, these are the things that got me heavy, I got sick last time, I got angry etc.).

I do these stupid mind tricks all the time and they really do help. I wanted to "binge" on pizza..it looked so good..I ate one piece which is all I really needed and was full after one..but what to do with the rest of it? I kept telling myself I had already worked out for a good solid hour but then I thought I didn't want to "undo" my exercise calories I'd burned because then the exercise was a waste of time. Then my newest trick: "If this were a bowl of fruit, would I eat it because I am THAT hungry?". Well, honestly the answer was no, if it were a bowl of fruit I wouldn't eat it though I love fruit. So I portioned out the rest of the slices and wrapped them up to freeze them individually for other "treat" times.

For me, I try to remember how awful I felt after I binged the next time before I binge. And that corny trick about the fruit bowl really does work!

Onward we all go!:)

Hello All!

 

Hope everyone is having a successful week. I am SOOOO glad tomorrow is Friday! I need a few days off! LOL

 

Things have been going really well for me and I have been seeing some good weightloss numbers on the scale, but last night I was derailed. UGH.

 

We had a busy evening with the kids after work - figure skating practice, baseball practice and a hockey game. After the game, the family wanted to go have an ice cream at Dairy Queen. I was fine with that as I usually don't have a problem sitting and watching them eat theirs! LOL Plus, I had alotted enough calories to swing by and grab a vanilla cone from McDonald's. So that is what I did.....I ran and got a vanilla cone and then headed home. Well ~ I ate the cone, THEN ate the leftover half of my "pizza quesidilla" creation from dinner, THEN ate a serving of baked tostitos scoops and THEN topped it off with FOUR chunky chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. I felt SOOO sick afterwards.

 

Why do I do that to myself??! All the while I am "binging", I tell myself that its okay because it doesn't happen very often and I have been so good and I deserve it and yadda yadda ya. And then the moment I swallow the last bite -- I am LIVID at myself! Plays out the exact same way every time and has my whole life. I am still a bit mad at myself today. It's not that I am mad at myself for the food (it really only put me about 500 calories over my range for the day and I know its not the end of the world). I get mad at myself for the behavior and lack of self control.

 

Oh well, back on track today. Still working towards my 60 pound goal that I was hoping to hit by 5/24/12 (my one year "new life" anniversary). I was up .7 pounds on the scale this morning (thank you binge!) so I am 6.5 pounds from my goal. 6.5 pounds is a lot to lose in two weeks, but I am trying! Once I hit the big 6-0 I will set a new goal! Happy Thursday everyone!

 

:D

I live in SE Florida and it's so brutally hot by 8am sometimes..and even at night when the sun goes down..but you do what you got to do.

I hate getting up early to exercise..I truly do..I get up at 5 usually..I work in a demanding field and work long hours...but you know, after I got used to it I had more energy at the end of the day when everyone else is dragging...but the good thing is I feel like I accomplished something by getting it done first. And the 2 hours of prep work on a weekend to plan food is worth it but it does take a bit of elbow grease.

I hate healthy eating..I grew up eating the way you are supposed to..I had my years with junk..but now I can't eat it without puking it up ..none of the stuff I used to like tastes good to me in terms of the junk.

For me (and only speaking for myself) I decided that I just couldnt make the excuses as they would always be there and had to face the cold hard painful truth that I was just going to have to quit the whining and do it. It was nobody elses fault but my own that I ended up being the way I was. I couldnt blame others, the fast food industry, and I had to learn to be ok with people close to me being "offended" if I didn't eat what they tried to push on me. I figured people who really cared would be supportive and I had to stop pleasing people as it was my health and not theres. I'm glad I did make the choices I did..although ahrd....I only had about 30 lbs to lose but to me that might as well have been 100.

I like your idea of walking first thing in the morning!! I have lost 50 lbs. on Akins without exercise, but know I need it. I have way more cellulite than people who weigh less than me and I think it's probably due to lack of exercise! I live in central FL, so walking first thing in the morning would certainly be the most comfortable and least humid time of day. I'm also a "morning" person, but because I start work at 7:30 am, I am typically up at 5:45 am and just haven't had the inclination to wake up earlier to walk, because I feel then I'd need a shower and hair straightening, etc. Right now, I shower at night and just do the chi straightening in the morning (frizzy hair due to FL humidity, don't you know!), along with the regular morning routine (get two kids off to school, scoop the kitty litter, feed cats, etc). I know, choices, decisions, etc...less sleep and healthier life or the precious few minutes of more sleep!

Going to butt in here...

On one of my exercise tapes the guru said "most people don't exercise long enough. They have something in their mind that says they can't do it and stop way too early". He was pointing out that the main thing is doing it consistently and to not get bored.

I personally can't stand the gym anymore..too boring. It took me a few years to get consistent, but now I find it's easier to stay fit if I do a variety of things every week. Now I run, do a boot camp, bike etc..no set routine. I am taking a boot camp class now and love it, though it's hard. A lot of times I said I couldn't do it but each class told myself "I'll do 5 more pushups, 20 more jumping jacks" etc. Last night we did over 500 squats and 300 arm curls. I can hardly move today and my former heel fracture does hurt some, but I'm going to push beyond it.

A friend of mine who weighed close to 300 lbs lost 20 lbs on her own first..then 35 lbs on WW in 5 months and all she did was walk every day. She could only walk about 15 minutes at first, but she slowly added a minute every couple days or so and last year she walked a half marathon Now she walks, does yoga, weights, etc. She wanted it bad enough and forced herself to move out of her comfort zone. I'm not saying you don't want it bad enough, just sharing a story of success from someone I watched who struggled

It's HARD to train your mind to do it, but if you can, try to exercise first thing in the morning..even if you just get up earlier and take a short walk outdoors..or during lunch, etc. That way at least you get something in even if you dont make it to the gym.

Sat. 316.2

Sun. 315.4

Mon. 315

Tues. 316.2

 

BK: 1/2 glucerna and 1/2 atkins shake. Its starting to get to the point where its warm in my house (no central ac) and I will start not wanting to cook hot things for this reason.

 

L: The turkey/tomato no bread sandwich sounds good, with a fruit cup. I don't know if the spinach is still good.......I'll check.

 

D: BBQ (no bread) and some corn (I need to get veggies from the store)

 

W: I'm gonna hit the gym sense I'm back at work. 40 mins......maybe a full 60 if I can handle it.

 

Are carbs sneaking back in to my diet, Yes. Am I totally upset about it? No. Like I said, I KNOW WW works, if I just follow the plan and I've said before that WW is actually promoting a low carb diet. But maybe being more conscious of my intake will keep me even lower on the scale of carb intake. I actually think exercise is the key to my next level at this point. As much as you guys praise me for making it to the gym (and thanks for that!) I haven't been doing enough.

 

I suppose I'm scared of hurting myself. Or maybe I'm just lazy. Its not like I have a extremely busy life where I can't simply fit in some gym time. I think like most people I'd rather not be in motion and sweating........or maybe that is just me, lol. Although I do like the feeling after I exercise, most of the time the during is just plain..........boring. Zumba always made things a little bit more fun, but Zumba is over until the students come back in the fall. I'm hoping the pool will be open again this summer so I can switch up my exercise. Although, I don't look forward to fighting with the summer campus when they start coming again. Oh well.

 

Good Choices.

How I do it is with a steamer basket held in water for a few minutes. I cut the tips and also chop up the stems, except for about 1 inch of them.

Asparagus is a great supefood because it has a high water content so it's great for healthy eating.

I did read somewhere once if you have a problem with "snacking" in the evening it may be that you are not eating enough during the day, if indeed you are truly hungry.

A great "tip" I read in a magazine this weekend to determine if you are "hungry" or not..ask yourself "If this were a gigantic bowl of fruit would I eat it?" If you answer honestly "no", then you are not really hungry and maybe bored or something else. I thought that was a great idea!

This is probably a stupid question, but how do you steam asparagus? Is it in the microwave? I usually boil it or roast in the oven, but would like to try steaming.

 

It's hard to stop the after dinner snacking. Maybe try keeping sugar free jello around for a "healthy" snack! Ricotta cheese with a little bit of splenda and cinnamon warmed in the microwave is also a good one!

 

Keep up the good work!

You are so right..like I said earlier it's how you "view" food..

I wonder if it's better for Brooke to find 2 "carbs" that she really likes and just plan to have those 2 things every day, to feel less deprived. You cant look at it like your never going to have them again because that's just not true.

For example: If fries are your weakness, then you count out a "correct portion size" for the day and that counts as one. If it's oreos, then you count out the correct portion of 3. Then you have your carb treats for the day, then the rest of your foods you eat as you should. Then you act grateful that you could enjoy them and tell yourself that you can eat seinsibly, enjoy a treat, and still lose weight. It's all in how you view food. Thin people think of food as way of eating to live, rather than a "live to eat" approach. Not saying she is doing this, just offering another persepctive.

Just a thought. I'm thinking that maybe she feels "punished" by not having any carbs, creating anxiety by thinking "OMG I have to have carbs or I'll die if I don't" and then subconciously sabotages by going overboard. Its like looking at the carb situation and saying "I can have a couple of carbs that I like,enjoy them,not go overboard and still lose weight"

Thats my behavior medicine approach LOL

You cannot be too hard on yourself. If you slip up, it's important to just get right back on track and not dwell on the slip up. I find it's kind of like the alcoholic's mantra..."one day at a time" or even "one minute at a time". If I can resist that carb temptation now, that's all I need to think of...not tomorrow or the next day or the next month. Just one minute at a time. Tomorrow is a new day and you can start fresh!! The reward is that when you really decrease the carbs, the carb cravings go away!

Sadly, he is right, it does count! LOL I read somewhere once that people really underestimate what they eat and eat more than what they think. I was watchign the infomercial with Marie Osmond for Nutrisystem and she said she did the points plan and it was useless for her because she used all her points on sweets, ice cream,etc.

I think the bottom line is that sometimes you have to just suck it up and do things you dont like to get the end result, no matter what it is in life...whether its eating more vegetables, forcing yourself to exercise when you don't want to, getting up early to do it if needed, etc. You would also be surprised how disgusting formerly "loved" foods taste after you go without them after awhile as taste buds do change. Even a small change is better than no change, but nobody said losing weight was easy.

:) I love photos thanks for sharing, looks like you were enjoying your cruises. I agree with everyone else you are a beautiful young women, I am gald you are taking charge of your life and heading in a possitive direction. I have this crazy idea if no one sees me it eat it, it doesn't count. My DH gets a big kick out of my theory I have recently come to the conclusion that its not true, it does count.:( I did last week cut way back on my carbs maybe thats why I finally saw a 4 pound drop, I am keeping a close eye on them this week. I only weigh in once a week so I will see what hapens friday. Keep up the good work.:)

These are really nice pictures and you have gorgeous skin and hair color..lucky! You are very photogenic and purple is a great color for you. Great fashion sense too!

I forgot. I wanted to post a few pictures of past cruises I've been on and what I looked like then and now. I see a difference, don't know if you guys will.

 

This one is what really made me get serious about weightloss. I was really sad about how I looked here: April 2009

 

June 2010-about 20lbs or so down I think, you can only really tell in my face.

 

 

January 2011 probably around 30lbs lighter, maybe might have been after this I gained 10lbs back.

 

 

 

October 2011 I had just lost the 10lbs I gained, so I'm about the same as Jan.

 

 

Lets hope my next cruise pictures look even better!

I think I read somewhere your mom does the cooking in your house?

For meats, have you ever considered just buying a small mini crockpot for yourself and cooking whatever meat you need in that? That can be a real time saver. If you did that on a Sunday, then Sunday night you could buy baggies and portion out your servings for each meal over the next couple of days. That would be a pretty good timesaver...then you can just grab and go.

I haven't been using peanuts in my diet, maybe I can add a few of those. I think I just need to use Uncle Google to get some ideas. I like quick and easy stuff, but I find when you are dealing with proteins (meat especially) that isn't always possible.

Some fruits have high water content..always try to go for those kinds of fruits (so says my brother in law the nautropath doc)..watermelon, cantelope, plums. Apples are good for fiber and filling. Grapes have a lot of carbs as do bananas. Sometmies I cut up chunks of watermelon and freeze them and use them for slushy smoothies, or just eat it like sorbet.

Veggies with high water content.almost all the green ones, especially Asparagus, Celery, and Cucumber Starchy ones you want to eat modestly-like potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. They are good for you, but ones you want to eat only a few times a week. A lot of times I make a veggie soup, with low sodium broth. It's easy to make baked sweet potato fries..you can spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle a little seasoning and then bake them. Kale is another good one..you can make kale chips the same way and somehow the baking brings out a sweet taste to them. YUM.

The main thing I think is small changes make a big difference over the long haul. Even taking a walk during a break or lunch time is still more than what a lot of people do, or drinking an extra glass of water a day, eating out only 2x per week instead of 4, etc.

Just checking in since it's been awhile. I am noticing a trend towards lower carb diets as well as more vegetarian dishes. I have decided to give the low card thing a try. I feel like I have been just buried under bread, pasta, starchy vegetables, rice, crackers, etc. Those foods are huge triggers for me - I just can't have a little. So, I am avoiding those foods and adding more fresh vegetables and fruits (although I am learning fruits can also be high carbs, but I would think that a banana is a much better choice than a bagel), yogurts, etc. So far, I feel lighter and more energy. I have not gotten back on the scale because I really get hung up on that number and obsess about it. I will know when I have lost from my clothing. I was down 60...that number is closer to 45 now. :( :mad: :eek: I am so unhappy with myself, but no more excuses.

The website I got them from is www.myrecipes.com

Its all the recipes of Cooking Light, Health, Real Simples and Southern Living magazines. What I also like is that you can put in search words for "vegtarian", "meatless", "low calorie" "5 ingredients or less" and it will spit back all the recipes imaginable.

:) Love the portabella burgers, the meatloaf sounds good I will have to looks for a recipe for it.I agree little things do make a big difference sometimes.:) Brooklynfc hope things are going good with you. I listened to a good book that gave me some good ideas its called The Wallstreet Diet you might want to check it out. I don't live by diet books but I listen to them on my commute to and from work and try to pick out pointers that will help me be successful with trying to lose weight.:)

I love Portobellos..I had a recipe from cooking light on how to make a "burger" with a portobello.with a wheat bun , lettuce, tomato and a light mayonaisse I was stuffed and satsified for under 200 calories and it even looked like a burger.

Another thing I liked that was semi-meatless (did use ground white turkey) was a Lebanese meatloaf..but a lot of it was quinona (another grain with a lot of fiber). A slice of that was around 150 calories and a lot of fiber..taste was excellent from the garlic, parsely, etc.

A good trick I also learned was to eat my bigger meal of the day at noon..so I wasn't famished at night. Even if we don't eat together we still pack our lunches and at night we eat simple..soup,fruit,salad.

Little tricks can make a big difference sometime!

It really wasn't hard at all. I really like grilled vegetables, salads, portabello's, some types of beans and I do eat fish and/or shell fish about twice a week; I also eat pasta and make sauce every other week. I like to experiment with different kinds of spices. For me it is about the taste and you can make any non-meat item taste very good with experimenting. For breakfast, generally I will have oatmeal and fruit or yogurt and fruit and granola and eggs once a week; a fiber one bar and fruit for snacks. Plus, I feel so much better and I seldom go to bead feeling full or wake up boated. It was a really good change for me, I'll never go back. Once a year, right around the 4th of July, I will treat myself to a baby back rib or two but never a burger or steak and I don't miss it.

 

It's not hard when we go out either, we're going to the Mohegan Sun Casino today with my sister and her husband; they have a great Mexican restaurant there with non-meat choices and the best guacamole ever.

 

My husband was a meat eater but since I changed he doesn't eat nearly as much meant because I don't cook it and he has dropped a few pounds, although I don't push him but he does eat more chicken and fish then before; I will make him meat 2-3 times a week. Even though it is more work is is better for both of us.

Was it hard for you to "not" do it?

It wasn't too hard for me because I was raised for the most part on whole foods, etc. but for me the hard part was thinking I "had" to eat meat..what a pardigm shift.

Now if I do splurge for a piece of meat, I will buy only organic chicken or grass fed beef..what a difference when you cook it! My office mate has chickens and gave me some orangic eggs..one organic egg was like the size of two "non oganic" eggs..it was huge when I cooked it up!

Protein has it's benefits, but if you plan it right you can get the right amounts of proteins in for the day with plant based foods and leguemes, beans. What I like about beans is that you only need like a half a cup to get around 7-8 grams of protein and around 4 grams of fiber..for about 130 calories, thats a lot of nutrients!

I couldn't agree more; I haven't eaten meat in almost 3 years and I am 6 pounds from my goal; according to the charts I am at goal.

I shared this on another thread but I'll share it here seeing you introduced it. My new brother in law is a doctor of nautropath from Central America and of course my husband has been trained some in it to, though he is an engineer.

I am almost totally off meat and use only plant proteins now.beans, some grains, veggies/fruit...I learned that the animal protein and fat was causing a whole lot of inflammation..which equals a gain in the scale and my weight. Once I stopped the meat, my stomach basically shrunk and I am only 10 pounds away from my goal weight I've been working toward the last year. What a difference. The key is knowing how to use the plant proteins and it is NOT a license to go out an eat all kinds of carbs,etc.

People think they "have" to have meat to survive. They don't. A lot of poorer countries don't have the luxury of meat so they eat a lot of beans and legumes for protein.

Google Dr. Weil for information on how to eat in this manner. Other things you can eat that are good for you: black bean or burgers made with lentils, quinona (a half a cup has a ton of fiber and 5 g of protein), etc.

You mentioned kale..did you ever make Kale chips? WOW! You basiclly put them on a cookie sheet, spray a little olive oil spray and sprinkle with seasoning of choice..somehow the baking of the "chip" brings out the sweetness in the kale..they are amazing and so easy to make!

The other thing I learned from my new family is the importance of eating "real" things..not margerine, but a smaller amount of butter..not artificial sweetner, but a teaspoon of real sugar in my coffee. Anything that says "hydrogenated" in it is dangerous in terms of fat.

I dont miss the meat at all..I like it but havent had it in months..maybe 1-2x since November..we do eat fish maybe once a week and occasional eggs, but thats it.

We also found it was a whole lot cheaper to eat "fresh" if you planned it right. I know it's hard to give up fast food and I dont think on any diet if you like it you should forgoe it. Most information on the web discourages giving it up totally, they say eat it maybe 1x per week and not more than that.

Hey, lots of activity on this thread, I love it!

 

I've been doing pretty good lately. I have been working out more regularly, even if I just go downstairs and sit on a bike for a 1/2 hour while I read, I'm trying to do something everyday. On days that I don't get downstairs, I've been doing weights/crunches/etc. I'm loving my Nook for reading while I workout, since you don't have to hold the pages open like a book. :p

 

Food-wise, I think I had a revelation on Sunday. I just realized how much better I feel (energy, tummy-wise, etc.) when I eat lots of veggies and fruit instead of something like chips as a side. So I went crazy at the store and got grapes, pears, and bananas for fruit (DH and I share a banana every morning w/cereal). I also got asparagus, baby spinach, broccoli, beets, snap peas, bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots from the store. The asparagus and beets were cooked and are ready to go in the fridge. Been having everything either tossed into a salad or with a dip (I like edamame hummus, ranch, or kale and greek yogurt dip - it's like spinach dip). The hummus and the kale dip are from Trader Joe's - love that store!!! I'm just making sure I'm having like at LEAST 2-3 servings of fruit or veg at lunch and dinner. So I'm just going to focus on eating good food, instead of fretting over bad food. And if I do eat something that is not as healthy (like a slice of pizza), I will still have veg to the side - it also helps me stay fuller longer. Since I have a variety of salad dressings and dips, I am not getting bored.

 

For example, yesterday for a side dish I took some of the cooked asparagus and had it cold with a drizzle of olive oil, some cracked pepper, and some parmesean on it. It was so good!!

 

Brooke, just wanted to say that you are doing AWESOME! It must have felt great to see the scale on 312! Since you mentioned being sick of beef and chicken, thought I would pipe up. What about cooking a pork tenderloin (maybe in a crock pot) to have shredded? You can then toss it in salads, stirfrys, pasta, tacos, BBQ pork sandwiches, etc.

 

Also what about some non-meat sources of protein? I'm not sure where these fall on your carb scale, but I love lentils. They are big on protein. You can get a big bag for CHEAP, too (like a dollar for a bag in a big city like mine) and add cooked ones to salads, soups, taco meat, etc. I'm not sure if you like beans, but I use them a lot. White beans are good in pasta, edamame in stir-fries, black beans in burritos, tacos or quesadillas, and lentils like I described earlier. Anyway, if you hate beans, lentils have a bit of a different texture (chewier & meatier, I think), and you might like them.

 

Also, do you like hard-cooked eggs? Another good snack - you can have them ready in the fridge, or to throw into a salad for lunch. What about peanut butter and an apple or celery as a snack? I buy all-natural peanut butter, so the only ingredient is literally peanuts. It's probably better for your situation then other peanut butter with added sugars since you are shooting for low-carb. Also another good snack would be a handful of almonds or a cheese stick. Or if you like cottage cheese or greek yogurt, I like those too.

One thing to keep in mind..check fat contents on foods too..low carb doesnt always mean low fat and one piece of bacon alone has enough sodium for an entire day

Sat. 315.6

Sun . 316.2

Mon. 314.6

Tues. 313.8

Wed. 314.4

Thurs. 314.8

 

I think last weekends carb overload might be catching up.

 

BK: shake and some pre-cooked bacon

 

L: I almost didn't have anything, but I saw some egg salad in the fridge. Now it has 13 carbs for 1/2 cup b/c its store bought. If I like it, I will have to try and make my own instead. But I brought 2 tbsp of it to put on some Arnold's wheat fiber thin bread. V8 and tangerine.

 

D: Hmmmmm.

 

W: 30 mins in the gym.

 

So, maybe I let some stress build up yesterday. Been waiting on some info. and its making me just worry and stress and I let it build up all day yesterday. Even exercise didn't release it. I got home and just could feel my emotional need for food to comfort me. I did the best I could. I cooked three 93% hamburgers, protein and had some carb smart ice cream. I did eat about 2 oz of dorito like chips, but stopped myself. Eventually, I calmed down. I feel better about it all this morning, but still all little anxiety. I knew there would good and bad days. Thankfully my weigh in day is tomr and things start fresh..........that will help me re-focus.

 

Good Choices.

I still think it would be a whole lot easier if people actually read the fine print and understood what they were getting themselves into....too much common sense I guess..or just go through the toll booth and pay the extra .25 you might pay for not having a sunpass

That's the Sun Pass.

 

They don't care ....BUT....If you paid the rental car for a sun pass and they then send you a bill for more.............. that should be sent to the Florida Attorney General Pam Bundi.

 

http://myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/Contact

 

Everyone has to decide IF they are being taken by the rental car agency to garner more income.

 

That's why it's important that the renter take down the plate number, have a letter ready for the rental agency that states you PAID for a sun pass and the car plate is registered with sun pass.

You probalby didn't know this, but TOURISM is the biggest contributor to the economy here in Florida.

There is nothing so sneaky about it at all. Most people who live here are familar with how the toll system works. The toll system is designed for the convenience of the residents, not tourists.

It boils back down to reading the fine print and fully understanding what you are doing. Same thing as reading the fine print on your cruise documents to see that they advise booking a flight home after noon and not before 10am. Nobody reads the fine print anymore.

It seems as though FL has found a new source of revenue - hit the tourists hard with sneaky tolls and the rental car companies have benefited with extra charges. Thank you FL.

 

I drove to FLL last month on my now annual pilgrimage. Luckily I had found out about the "rip off" before leaving so I did buy a SunPass that I affixed to my car windshield. I can see the problem though with rental cars.

 

I rented one time from Dollar several years ago in another state because it appeared "cheaper" (it was not). I learned about all the extra charges and have never rented from them again. The few times I now have to rent, I look at the big three. Having traveled by air every week in my job the last 25 years before I retired, I have a lot of experience with car rental companies.

I'm sorry, but they don't care..they might send you a nice letter of acknowledgement but they do expect..yes, even the tourist..to know what they are renting and why, etc.

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

Then it's time to contact Floridas' Attorney General about the rental companies that scam tourists.

 

If each person fluffs it off---------- we can't stop it.

 

http://myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/Contact