OK it's diet time, hit me with your best (lo cal) shot

[NMDemDist2]

bring em on, all of em

main courses, desserts, anything and everything you love that you can eat without guilt

thanks foodie pals

:hi:

[murphymom]

1. Tiny plates

Seriously, this actually worked for my husband when he went on a diet a couple of years ago. He had me serve dinner to him on a salad plate, instead of a regular dinner plate (controlling portion size). Plus, he had me start off dinner for him with a huge salad which he could fill up on before the rest of the meal was ready. There was a period where I was going through the big Costco six-packs of romaine like there was no tomorrow, and there's just 2 of us. I'm finding now that it's really hard to keep carrots in the house, because that's what he goes to when he's hungry and I haven't gotten dinner ready early enough for him. He munches through all my carrots and celery.

[NMDemDist2]

2. sounds like a plan especially since my lettuce and radishes will be

growing like mad in a few more weeks

I'll find some smaller plates and now that hubby will take leftovers for lunch I can cook the same amount but get more mileage out of it

thanks!

[Warpy]

6. That's my dodge

I got rid of all my dinner plates save 4 for visitors. I eat off salad plates.

Prednisone keeps me fat. If I tried to eat like a normal person, I'd be the size of a house.

[NMDemDist2]

10. I found a couple bigger than salad but smaller than dinner (luncheon??) plates

today and picked them up

AND got a all but brand new pair of Tevas too, all for $2 :woohoo:

(these Teva's are $40 sugg. retail)

[trof]

36. Yep, works for me.

I went on a 1500 cal. a day diet 2 years ago.
It's no longer a 'diet', it's just how I eat now.
I can eat anything I want, only 1500 calories of whatever it is per day.

Smaller plate=full plate=clean plate without the guilt of not cleaning your plate.

I've lost about 45 lbs so far.
No more acid reflux at night and snoring is tolerable now.
I snored like a chainsaw when I was at 275.

[Horse with no Name]

3. I'm doing Weight Watchers

Not sure what you are doing, but here is one of my favorite recipes and it has ZERO points...so....it works for my diet


2 cans of niblet corn
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cans chili beans
2 cans red kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 zucchini chopped up
a little bit of garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
About a tsp of chili powder

Just add it all together--don't drain anything. Let it simmer on low until it is cooked through.
I have added turkey smoked sausage to it in the past...but generally just eat it as a vegetarian
dish.
Plus...it is cheap.


Another thing that I like to do....sautee some onions, zucchini, tomatoes and yellow squash in a skillet.
Throw your favorite spaghetti sauce on it and serve over pasta.
Very tasty. Enjoy!

[NMDemDist2]

4. hubby wants to try NutriSystems

I dunno about that, I may have to go over to the weigh loss group and see what their experience has been

thanks for the recipes, sounds easy, fast and good!

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. Several years ago

I did Nutrisystem with a friend. We both had a similar experience and I would not recommend the program. Not sure what is in their food by my friend who has a chemical sensitivity found there were some foods that caused a rash. I had headaches. Those boxed and shelved foods are convenient but they are not particularly tasty. If you are a foodie you are ging to gag on some of them. Most importantly, using their food almost guarantees weight gain when you leave the program because you haven't learned to consistently do your own meal selections and preparation. You haven't learned how to eat for a thinner you. Yeah, we both lost weight. And we both regained it within a year.

[Warpy]

7. 90% of people regain all the weight plus some within 5 years

of reaching their ideal weight. That's the sad fact of weight loss programs, including surgery.

We don't have a permanent weight loss solution.

Until we do, I recommend diet modification programs like Weight Watchers and the high protein but safe diets like South Beach and Sugar Busters.

You might not get back your girlish figure, but at least you'll be eating a healthful diet.

[Coyote_Bandit]

12. The best program I have seen is the Anne Collins program

http://www.annecollins.com/

It is very affordable at only about $20 per year. It offers online support and discussion forums if you choose to participate. Someone is available to answer questions. It doesn't rely on peer pressure or publicly humiliating weigh-ins or the use of diet or packaged foods. It is designed around real food. There are a variety of plans available - including vegetarian plans. After you have worked with the plans for just a little bit you can mix and match to create your own meal plan. No gimmicks. You have to do the work and change your habits. Best guarantee of long term success.

[yellowdogintexas]

40. Weight Watchers weigh ins are NOT publicly humiliating. PERIOD>

True you weigh in at the meeting but no one but your weigher can see your actual weight. They do not broadcast your actual weight to the rest of the room. They do not even tell you if you gained or lost, just hand you back the little booklet.

If you have made a "5 pound"goal, or passed a milestone you are bragged on, celebrated and supported. If you want to ask for support and help you can. The meetings become like family and you get real close to your fellow attenders.

The meeting has a discussion, about a way to manage your eating to attain your goal and stay there, everybody gets to participate. Being with a group like that gets you out of the mindset that you have to lose it all really fast, and into the healty eating mindset.

I lost 60 pounds in two years. I did not use diet sodas, frozen dinners, sugar substitutes or even very much in those "100 calorie packs". I did not give up real half and half in my coffee, in fact that was the first thing I looked up in the point book.

I do pay very strict attention to what I eat, to keep the food intake balanced. Occasionally I have a rich dessert ( or a few bites thereof), or fried chicken or some other thing one normally does not associate with weight loss. It's OK, I just get back on track the next meal.

[BuddhaGirl]

25. Nutrisystem food is highly processed which means

it's not healthy. My husband tried it once; the food was nasty! :-(

Much better to eat fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains and lean protein.

[Warpy]

8. A TEASPOON of chile powder?

We use the stuff by the quarter cup here in NM.

[NMDemDist2]

9. ROFL

:rofl:

[yellowdogintexas]

41. when I make that dish I put in 3 tsp of chile powder, add a can ot hot RoTel and throw

in some cumin and cayenne. Depends on my mood. Fresh serranos are always a nice kick.

[sandnsea]

11. Remove starch, add raw fruit & veggies

reduce the size of the main course. I add Splenda and low-fat items too, but that's more due to diabetes than diet.

[housewolf]

13. Ditto the comments about small plates

It's amazing what a difference it makes. You can still have the emotional satisfaction of eating a plate full of food, but the amount that you eat is MUCH less.

Especially effective for member of the "Clean Plate Club" who have this sort of "need" to finish the food on their plates and not throw food away (for any of a variety of reasons).

Serve small quantities, especially of desserts and starches (yeah, right, I forgot... you just bought a PASTA machine!!! :) ). You can always go back for more if you're still hungry.

I had a doctor one time tell me that eating a lot of soup is good when you're trying to lose weight, something about soup that helps with weight loss.

I lost a lot of weight about 15 years ago, when I went from about 200 lbs down to about 120 or so. I've kept it off by eating small quantities of whatever I want to eat. (And no matter what anybody says about Paula Deen, she's not the Butter Queen of the World.... I AM! :evilgrin:)

Other tips - don't eat out very often. Avoid fast food places. Eliminate or severly limit consumption of carbonated beverages, even sugar-free ones. I don't know what it is about them but most of the people I know who are overweight drink a lot of soda.

Good luck and most importantly, HAVE FUN!


:toast:

[NMDemDist2]

14. you're sure a skinny minnie for once being so heavy

so I'm gonna take your advice as gospel :rofl:

I got smaller plates and am packing tea in his lunch instead of pepsi or gatorade

little steps will add up to big results I think

(and it wouldn't hurt me to shed a few too)

[housewolf]

18. Yeah, finally losing all that weight

is one of the joys of my life! My body's paid a price for carrying it all, though - I could stand to get EVERYTHING nipped & tucked!

Another tip - read labels. If you pay attention to the calories, fat & protein, the potential exists for making better choices about what you eat. At least you can make an informed choice instead of blind ignorance.

You're so right on taking it in little steps instead of embarking on a big revolutionary project. It's easier to turn small steps into lasting habits.

Good luck!

[NMDemDist2]

20. i read labels like crazy

it's interesting I've noticed lately what I used to see high fructose corn syrup on the labels, I'm now seeing sugar. I think the biofuel push has made corn too expensive and producers are going back to sugar

and I think it's a good thing, that HFCS is nasty stuff and has led to the spike in diabetes and obesity IMO

:tinfoilhat:

[Mind_your_head]

27. I noticed the same thing myself a while ago - the disappearance of HFCS product labels

and more labeling of "sugar" - not "cane sugar", mind you - and became suspicious. So I did a little bit of searching and basically HFCS is being used more than ever. They're just calling it 'natural' now. Hiding its presence in a product under 'natural flavorings' :-(

<snip>
Labeling as "natural"
In May 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) threatened to file a lawsuit against Cadbury Schweppes for labeling 7 Up as "All Natural"<37> or "100% Natural",<38> despite containing high-fructose corn syrup. While the U.S. FDA has no definition of "natural", CSPI claims that HFCS is not a “natural” ingredient due to the high level of processing and the use of at least one genetically modifed (GMO) enzyme required to produce it.<39> On January 12, 2007, Cadbury Schweppes agreed to stop calling 7 Up "All Natural."<40> They now call it "100% Natural Flavors."<41>

Snapple (another Cadbury-Schweppes brand) is well-known for being labeled "all-natural", but most varieties contain HFCS. Newman's Own Lemonade and Limeade are labeled as "all-natural" but also contain HFCS. Bread produced by Nature's Own Bread is labeled as having "no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors", though some varieties contain HFCS <4>. Still, as the U.S. FDA has no general definition of "natural", a company may refer to its product as "all natural", regardless of the ingredients, in most cases. However, FDA does prohibit beverages purporting to contain juice with less than 100% juice from using phrases like 100% natural and 100% pure. 21 CFR 101.35(l) This might apply to 7UP based on vignettes of lemon, lime, or other fruit which could be construed as purporting to contain juice.
<snip>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup#Labeling_as_.22natural.22

A couple of other interesting reads about "Natural" HFCS:

http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/12/21/we_get_letters_v_18_hfcs_references

http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html

--------------

I don't want to hijack your diet thread with HFCS, but don't think for a minute that they cut back on HFCS usage in products. It's just been renamed, the rules bent and changed, and it's now being hidden from our view - typical these days, ya know. :argh:

Good luck with your, and the hubby's, new weight loss goals. My only suggestion in that regard is to keep a really lovely fruit or veggie/antipasto platter in the frig at all times. Put it on a nice platter and cover with Saran wrap (so that it can be SEEN and be enticing when someone is looking in the frig jonesing for a snack. If it's all ready and looking beautiful, you/they are more likely to choose that as your snack than something more caloric (and less healthy).

You can vary the ingredients as different items go on/off sale. You can put little sticks of mozzerella/scamorza cheese on there as well as A LITTLE BIT of salami, pepperoni, parma ham, small shrimps, tuna, anchovy or chicken on there to satisfy the cravings for meat and or fat/cheese.

Items to consider for your veggie tray:

celery
carrots
green onions
radishes
pepperoncini
marinated (or canned) artichoke hearts
Green or red pepper slices
roasted eggplant
marinated mushrooms
zucchini
asparagus spears (that have been blanched)
olives
grape or cherry tomatoes
broccoli
cauliflower
etc.

Here are some antipasto pics for inspiration:
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-02,GGLG:en&q=antipasto+platter&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Items for a fruit tray:

Whatever is on sale for the week
Watermelon (high water content makes one feel full with barely any calories)
cantaloupe
strawberries
blueberries
Watermelon
Pineapple
Orange segments (or canned mandarin orange when they go on sale)
etc.....whatever is on sale.

Google up antipasto, bagna cauda, and/or crudites for recipe ideas
Again, good luck! :-)

[housewolf]

28. HFCS

Thanks for that info. I was wondering if something like that was going on. Unbelievable, huh?

[NMDemDist2]

29. thanks for the info on HFCS

and re: the other, luckily we're not big snackers usually unless I don't cook a real dinner

I need to change my dinner menus...

[murphymom]

15. Another thing, go for volume

I've had to follow a diet for 30+ years (diabetes) and it helps to try and pick foods that give you as much stuff on your plate for the fewest calories. Before the weather starts to heat up for you, try going for main-dish soups, especially the lighter, brothy ones. Besides filling you up, they give your brain a chance to register that you're full before you chow down half the kitchen, because soup takes longer to eat.

Just for grins, when I was fixing lunch today I looked at the nutritional label on a loaf of whole wheat bread (100 calories per slice), a box of stoned wheat crackers (60 calories for 2 crackers) and a package of Wasa crispbread (35 calories per slice). Now for me, 2 slices of bread (plus a filling) = a sandwich = lunch. On the other hand, 6-7 crackers plus a slice of cheese feels like just a snack and wouldn't satisfy me as lunch even though the total calorie intake was about the same. That's what I mean about volume.

[NMDemDist2]

16. gotcha. hubby loves salads and I'll have the garden going in a few weeks

now if I could just get him off the fattening dressings....

[elleng]

44. BRAIN registers 'whoa, stop!'

if you give it a chance, so EAT SLOWLY!!!

Chew slowly, etc., etc.

[The empressof all]

17. Eat Soup with lunch and dinner

Soup is very filling especially if you make it healthy. I always have V-8 (Spicy) based veggie soup available for snacking and for a quick meal. Basically it's a very forgiving recipe and you can add what you want. I don't add potatoes, peas or corn as I try to keep the starch down.


You start with a large can or two of v-8. I add chili peppers, cabbage, onion, celery, jicama, celery root and zucchini. You can add what ever veggies you like. I also add a bit of better than bouillon (whatever flavor you like- but it's not necessary) Just stick it on the back burner or do like I do and crock pot it all day. I serve it over spaghetti squash or you can have it with some good whole grain bread for a great lunch or light supper. I make mine on the spicy side.

I eat it every day!

[NMDemDist2]

19. neither of us are big soup eaters

but we're gonna do a lot more salads and that V8 recipe may be the ticket for his lunches

:hi:

[Coyote_Bandit]

35. Thanks for reminding me of the V-8 soup

Had some for lunch today. 1 cup V-8 (regular), about a cup or so of ranch blend frozen veggies (onion, green pepper and mix of kidney, pinto and red beans), some beef flavor bouillion, a little garlic, some chilli powder. Also added just a little bit of hot spicy sausage that needed to be used. Easy. Tasty. A quick look at the labels and a little math shows my lunch probably came in at around 400 calories. If I'd left the sausage out it would have been less than 200 calories, non fat and still pretty filling. I love soups and used to make V-8 based soup fairly often. Haven't done it in awhile.

[japple]

21. You could follow the Nixon diet.

He ate cottage cheese with ketchup, and kept his youthful figure. :puke: Yerrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkk
I don't know what Pat ate, but she was always very trim.

[NMDemDist2]

22. I think Pat just drank her dinner

I think she was more 'pickled' than thin


:hide:

[japple]

26. Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Pat and that "good repulican cloth

coat" she had to wear all the time. No wonder she drank.

Sorry I don't have any good recipes to share with you except for the balsamic vinegar/honey salad dressing that I mentioned in another thread. Probably no calories in that. I had a recipe for zucchini stuffed with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a bit of shrimp, crabmeat, or tofu. Topped with breadcrumb & parmesan cheese. It called for simmering the zucchini in water for a few minutes, then cutting in half (lengthwise) and scooping out the middle, leaving a little boat for the stuffing. Then saute the other ingredients in olive oil, adding in the zucchini flesh and stuff the whole shebang into the boat, topping with parmesan & breadcrumb. Bake until heated through and the topping is golden. You will probably have an overload of zucchini in a few months.

[Richard Steele]

23. One of my sweetie's favorite dishes is remarkably lo-cal.

Broiled zucchini with chunky red sauce.
I had to estimate the calories once, when she took a batch
to a "healthy eating" conference, and it came out at under
200 calories per serving.

I take smallish zucchini (6-8"), remove the ends, and slice them
longways twice to make 4 wedge-shaped slices.

Skin side down on a cookie sheet, I spray them with olive oil
and give them a good dusting of lemon pepper; broil for 6-8 minutes.

My standard chunky red sauce- dice and sauté a clove of elephant garlic
and half a red onion; when they're soft, reduce heat and add a can
of good diced tomatos (fresh local tomatos when they're in season)

Then I add basil, thyme, oregano and just a pinch of hot paprika.

A "serving" was 8 slices with a cup of sauce, and a big pinch of shredded
mozzarella cheese on top, about 2 Tbs worth. It melts into the sauce and looks real pretty.

[NMDemDist2]

24. that sounds great and will be a winner when the garden is going full blast this summer

thanks!

:hi:

[MelissaB]

30. Weight Watcher Taco Soup

TacoSoup

8 oz. lean ground beef
1 onion- chopped
3- 16 oz chili beans or pinto beans
1 can whole keernel corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can chopped chili peppers (or 1 can Rotel) (I use Rotel)
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

Brown beef and onion, drain.
Add undrained vegetables, Taco Seasoning, dressing mix.
Simmer 30 min.


Note: I replace the beef with Boca Burger scramblers. Just make sure you brown it first. Yummy. Fast. Simple. Makes a lot for leftovers.


Best of luck!

Melissa

[NMDemDist2]

31. is that a WW recipe? one of my customers gave me that a year ago

it may be a good addition to hubby's lunch list

not exactly the same, but pretty close and it freezes excellently

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x32145

[MelissaB]

32. Yep. I copied it from the board when I went.

Your recipe is very close. :hi:


I really need to get back to WW. :(

[wildeyed]

33. Keep working on your garden, then eat what you grow :-)

I don't really diet, but when I feel the need to cut back, I decrease bread and desserts, increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

[NMDemDist2]

34. that's what I've been doing, sending salads in his lunch instead of chips

and loading up more veggies on his dinner plate and cutting back the starches

he's enjoying it and I (the Queen of cheap) actually bought a couple of these for his lunch.

of course they were on half price close out..... :hide:

[trof]

37. Here's my 1500 cal. per day 'diet'.

http://walking.about.com/cs/walkoflife/a/dietportions.htm

Nothing on the diet is especially 'low cal'.
Just smaller portions of the things you like to eat.
It's like having a 'bank account' of 1500 calories each day.
You decide on what you want to spend them on.
I've lost 45 lbs. in about 2 years.
Slow and steady, but it went on slowly and it comes off the same way.

I no longer feel like I'm on a diet.
It's just the way I eat now and forever.
And if I should eat the same size meal I did 2 years ago I feel ill.

[NMDemDist2]

38. thanks trof!!

we are going about this as a lifestyle change, not a 'diet'

I've already switched the volumes of starch for veggies and added salads to start the main meals

next i need to cut down the amount of protein portions and ease up on fats

but we're getting there.

the other good thing is after sitting around all winter, we're both getting more active

:bounce:

[trof]

39. The website makes figuring portions easy.

I printed that page and stuck it on a kitchen cabinet for a guideline.
Now it's second nature.

You learn a lot of tricks and strategies.
Like peanuts.
Want some peanuts? Fine.
But don't sit down with the whole can while you're watching TV and mindlessly munch them (like I used to do).
Put a quarter to a half cup (it's more than it sounds like) in a small bowl and go enjoy them. It satisfies the urge without overdoing it.

[livetohike]

42. Measure everything and drink a big glass of ice water before you eat

I've lost 15 lbs in the past two months :-). I'm halfway to my goal. I'm counting calories and really watching the portion size.

[davidwparker]

43. South Beach Diet is the way to go. Be sure to be off caffeine first. The

program is pleasant; the caffeine withdraw sucked.

[yy4me]

45. Use my philosophy, " If you don't buy it, you won't eat it".

When I hit the grocery store, I keep my list handy, my stomach full and my eyes off everything in the potato chip aisle. Don't look at the bakery section, pass the cheese and dairy in a hurry.
It is hard because the things I like to munch while watching Countdown are all on the potato chip aisle so I just steer that buggy along. Exciting things go on in the toilet paper aisle. Great discourse about 1 or 2 ply, brand name vs store brand. The math will keep you on your toes, regular price w/coupon vs sale w/no coupon. Oh, the challenges. Keeps my mind from thoughts of Utz's or Cape Cod.

[MelissaB]

46. Just had this WW recipe for dinner, and it was YUM!

Layered Mexican Chicken


POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This Mexican lasagna will last up to five days in the refrigerator. It's a terrific make-ahead meal from our Cook Once, Eat All Week Series.

Ingredients
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cup fat-free sour cream
2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese, divided
8 oz chopped green chilies, two 4-oz cans
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortilla(s), cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup salsa, mild, medium or hot
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a lasagna pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, and pepper; mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve with salsa on the side.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/prt/recipe.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=93071

[Onlooker]

47. Soup

Zucchini soup -- this tastes like a delicious cream soup. This soup tastes a lot better than the recipe makes it sound.

8-10 sliced zucchini
1 chopped onion
1 sliced head of celery (or less)
1 qt. organic chicken broth
good quality mild curry

Saute the veggies until soft, add the chicken broth, heat for around 15 minutes or so, add a teaspoon or more of good curry. Add salt and pepper. Blend (using an immersion blender if you have one) until creamy.

[Theres-a]

48. Roasted red peppers

IMO, a dieter's best friend.
On the cooking side,I used to "saute" in broth instead of oil.More like steaming,but,whatever works.
I also used to whip up "ice cream" by blending frozen fruit with yogurt.You let it sit a few minutes,and VOILA! It is yummy,and you don't have a half gallon of lowfat yogurt calling you from the freezer,because you can mix up one bowl at a time.