[wanderingfatgirl]

Hi all,

I have been dieting since Jan 1, and I'd like to let you on a little secret that's helped me tremendously.

Fresh fish.

In the past, I had a real problem with evening bingeing. It was those binges that caused me to tip the scales at 270 lbs. When I decided enough was enough, I began experimenting with different nutritious foods that would help maximise my weight loss. And I started eating a lot of fresh fish at suppertime. Ding ding ding, we have a winner folks.

I don't mean tinned tuna or crab meat, I mean fresh fish that hasn't been messed with. I mostly stick to cod, haddock, plaice, sometimes salmon. Not only very nutritious but very filling. A med size fillet of cod will fill me up quickly. Evening binges are now a thing of the past (hopefully forever). I usually have two accompanying portions of vegetables, I especially like leeks with fish. Squeeze a little lemon over it, some Herbamare salt and mmm mmm... you have a tasty healthy meal.

I've lost on average 3 lbs a week so far. I know that number is going to decrease as I get closer to goal. But the progress I've made so far has given me the impetus to keep striving towards my goal.

I hope this is helpful!

[Apple Cheeks]

Fresh fish is great, but be aware that some varieties do have elevated mercury levels, and should be consumed on a limited basis. I don't have the types of fish or recommended dietary allowance, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly with that info.



This is sort of on the same subject, but I effing love sushi!

I tried it for the first time about a year ago, and I am addicted! I would much rather go out for sushi than have a cheeseburger, pizza, or any other junk food! I think it's kind of cured me of my former love of junk food. I can now pass by a McDonald's, or a get whiff of those fries, without so much as a wistful glance.

That being said, I know some of the rolls, especially the tempura fried ones, aren't that healthy so I try not to have it a lot. Also, the sodium isn't so good for me either, but it's better than downing a fat-soaked burger!

[wanderingfatgirl]

Yes I had read about the levels of mercury in some fish.

But... look at the levels of growth hormones and antibiotics in chicken. Ditto for feed-lot fattened beef, available in supermarkets. So what's a person to do?

I'm fortunate that I live in a beautiful rural area where I can get good organic free range meats. We let a local farmer graze some of his sheep on our fields, and in return, every year he gives us a box of year-old lamb that grazed on our pasture and orchards. That meat is as organic as anyone will get. I buy local pasture-grazed beef from a butcher. I do what I can to eat as healthy as possible. I don't know if there's such a thing as organic fish. But my guess is, it's no worse for you than any other intensively-reared meats that we can all buy in a supermarket.

It is scary when you read about what can be found in meats, but on balance - probably still healthier than all the processed crap I used to eat! But still, mercury is no laughing matter - if anyone has any more info I would be intersted to read more.

[zenor77]

I believe the rule is, the larger the fish the higher possible mercury. This is especially true of predators like shark and swordfish. Tuna can have high mercury as well. When I buy canned tuna I buy Tongol, because it's a smaller variety and tests have shown little mercury.

There are a few kinds of fish that seem to be safer (in regards to mercury.) Wild salmon, tilapia, fresh water trout, catfish, and shrimp.

Mercury poisoning is no joke, but on the other hand, the same government that warns us about fish allows a small amount of mercury in vaccinations that we give to children/adults. The inconsistencies in the governments warnings drive me crazy. How are we to know what is and is not safe?

[nelie]

I would say if you are going to eat any meat, fish is probably one of the better choices. I've also read that you should limit yourself though to only a few servings per week. Although we all make our own trade offs.

I never liked fish much except occasionally and I liked certain versions much better than others. When I gave up meat entirely though I was happy to stop 'fighting' with fish in that I felt an obligation to eat it over other meats because I thought it was healthier.

If you are going to eat fish though, I'd highly recommend looking at Seafood Watch to help make informed choices.

http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

[zenor77]

That's a great website! I always forget to look at it. Thanks for the reminder Nelie!