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Old 12-13-2007, 09:19 AM   #1  
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Default Tricks of the Trade? :)

First of all - you might be the nicest people I have even encountered on a board and I am really happy I found this site. I was really feeling low last night and thanks to a few kind strangers, I am feeling much better and very motivated today.

In the past, the most success I have had has been with a very low carb diet. I am having trouble getting back on and sticking to it.

I am a terrible cook and am often eating on the run. I am not great at remembering to prep food.

I need any and all suggestions for what works out there for menu plans, snack ideas, easy prep foods, good stuff to have in the pantry.

Thanks so much for your help.
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Old 12-13-2007, 09:41 AM   #2  
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Glad to help!! As you can tell, we like to talk about this stuff!

A lot of this depends on what you like, and what fits in your lifestyle, so pick and choose. I'm sure others will chime in.

First and foremost, I would say that you need to find ways to get yourself to do whatever basic prep you need. For example, I bring snacks and lunch to work everyday. It keeps me away from the vending machine (where I used to find many a Frito-filled lunch) and gives me healthier food so I'm a little less hungry. But the system only works if I a) pack the food and b) bring the food! I often spend some time Sunday nights packing up bags of veggies and nuts and all that, so I can just grab in the mornings. And I keep a "stash" of stuff in my desk at work most of the time...

Anyway, I'll start with a lot of my "on the go" snacks... many of these are low carb:

- bags of fresh raw veggies (carrots, cucumber, sugar snap peas, radishes, bell pepper strips)
- hummus sometimes (for the veggies!)
- hard boiled egg
- string cheese or baby bel cheese
- yogurt
- a single serving of NUTS (a scale is your friend here...my servings are around 20 grams). Pistachios, almonds, pecans...
- a single piece of bread and peanut butter (not so low carb though)
- fruit!! (though some are less "low carb" friendly)
- cottage cheese

Good stuff for the pantry (in addition to the above)
- tuna fish
- various low fat cheese
- oatmeal (if you're going to have a carb, it's a good one!)
- salad fixings
- olive oil (a healthy fat, for cooking and homemade salad dressing)
- eggs


I have to run, but hopefully you'll get some more ideas!!!

Last edited by Heather; 12-13-2007 at 09:43 AM.
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Old 12-13-2007, 10:17 AM   #3  
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There was a good thread awhile back when someone asked about shopping lists. You can find it here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122691

Sometimes going too strict too soon can backfire. You can ease into things a bit and start limiting certain things and/or exerting more portion control over what you are currently eating. Even with low carb it all really comes down to calories. I don't do low carb exactly, but I do limit them and I try to eat low gi (glycemic index) foods because my body seems to handle them better.

Even though it is a pain, some amount of prep is necessary to make sure you have foods to eat available at all times. However, I am not much of a cook either. These days I usually cook up a batch of chicken on Sunday to bring for my lunches, and then I have that with a small salad, a cup of veggie soup, some spinach and a piece of fruit. Dinner is usually some type of meat, a veggie, and sometimes a starch. For example, last night's dinner was a lean pork chop, one cup of brown rice and some green beans. I buy most of my veggies frozen because I hate the pressure of having to use the fresh ones by a certain date. My before workout snack is usually either a cottage cheese cup or a string cheese and a small apple or pear.

I have found that my eating habits have evolved over time. A lot of it is from experimenting and finding what works for you.
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:18 AM   #4  
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I will start by saying that the kitchen and I do not get along so well. I don't like to cook, and I'd much rather just go out to eat. Unfortunately, neither my waistline nor my wallet can afford that all the time

To further complicate things for myself, I hate pretty much all veggies. I can handle some lettuce in salads, baby spinach raw, the occasional cucumber, and broccoli cooked with flavoring (cheese or a sauce or something--can't eat it plain). That's it--that's the extent of the veggies I can eat without literally gagging

And so, when I am successfully losing weight (don't look at my ticker right now! I've not been doing so hot, but have in the past), my foods are all simple to make and don't have many ingredients. Also, I do not avoid carbs, but I do use whole-grain alternatives to the "enriched" stuff. Some things I like to eat when I'm focused:
  • sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich--I cook a whole package of turkey sausage patties at once to have for the week, cook my eggs in a bowl in the mirowave, toss some whole grain bread or a whole grain English muffin in the toaster, and top with a slice of cheese
  • "lower sugar" instant oatmeal (I tried the healthier steel-cut oats, but I couldn't stand the texture)
  • pbj sandwiches--2 slices light whole-grain bread (mine has 50 cals per slice), 1 T natural peanut butter, and 1 T all natural fruit spread can make a yummy sandwich for only about 230 calories
  • soup--I LOVE Pacific Natural Foods' organic roasted red pepper and tomato soup--YUM! I've also recently discovered Progresso's light Southwestern Vegetable soup--only 60 cals per serving, 120 for the whole can
  • Lean Cuisines--their "spa cuisine" line uses all whole-wheat pastas and brown rices instead of the white stuff
  • smoothies--I have a Magic Bullet, so I can make a single serving smoothie at a time in a cup. I like to do frozen strawberries, a banana, and skim milk, or a frozen banana, a little natural peanut butter, and skim milk (when I was exercising a lot, I also added some vanilla protein powder).
  • non-breaded chicken parm--I just bake boneless skinless chicken breasts, top with sauce and cheese, bake until the cheese is melted, and serve with broccoli or brown rice or whatever EASY side tickles my fancy that night.
  • non-breaded chicken cordon bleu--I marinate the boneless skinless chicken breasts in a dijon mustard marinade (I just toss the chicken in a big Ziploc bag, add the marinade, mix it up, and leave it in the fridge all day while I'm at work), bake, then top with thin-sliced ham and Swiss cheese
  • turkey burgers--I cook my frozen turkey burger patties on my Foreman Grill, top with a slice of Swiss cheese, plop it on a whole-wheat bun, and add some sensible condiments and sometimes baby spinach or romaine lettuce. If I'm feeling really adventurous, I'll also cook up some center-cut bacon to add.
  • sandwiches--I'm a sucker for a good ol' ham and cheese sandwich. Sometimes I go crazy and use a wrap instead of bread If I'm not feeling the carbs that day, I also enjoy just rolling up some sandwich meat and cheese and dipping in some reduced-fat mayo or honey mustard (regular mustard would be the best choice--I just don't happen to like it)
  • Sometimes, I just NEED pasta (I'm sure we've all been there). When this happens, I just have the pasta as a SIDE instead of the main dish. I'll have it with some chicken and broccoli or something. I also use a whole-wheat pasta or the Barilla Plus.
I don't snack on "snacks," per se. In between my three main meals, I just fill in with mini-meals of things like a cup of soup, a sandwich, oatmeal, a 100-calorie bagel with a little cream cheese, etc. I do also enjoy fruit for snacks, but it's not very filling for me, so I only usually turn to fruit if I just need something to "hold me over" for a short amount of time.

If I'm really on the run and need to eat out, I like Subway (their chicken teriyaki sub is my favorite) or even chili and a baked potato or side salad from Wendy's. I refuse to go to a sit-down restaurant and only order grilled chicken and veggies. To me, that's not a pleasant meal to have out because it's just not enjoyable. Instead, I'll order the entree I really want and only eat half (sometimes a third if the portions are huge) and try to substitute healthier sides instead of things like french fries (like a baked potato topped with salsa).

I feel like I'm rambling now--I apologize for the long post. I hope there's something helpful in here somewhere for you
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:51 AM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NotTheCheat View Post
I have found that my eating habits have evolved over time. A lot of it is from experimenting and finding what works for you.
Oh yes, both of those are important points!!
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Old 12-13-2007, 01:42 PM   #6  
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You guys have some great ideas!
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Old 12-13-2007, 02:05 PM   #7  
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I don't usually post on this section of the forum, but I saw this thread and wanted to read through it because I'm always looking for new tips and tricks to help myself. Thanks for some good ideas, and in return I'll offer some things that I've found work for me. I agree that planning is critical. The most dangerous time for me is when I'm hungry and out running around or just walk into the kitchen looking for something to put in my mouth. If I've got things all prepared and ready to grab, I'll eat the good stuff. If not, I'll grab something I shouldn't have. So I invest some time on the weekend washing, chopping, cooking, so I'm ready for the week. My old reliables are:

String cheese
hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs
sugar free hot chocolate mix
latte made with skim milk, instant coffee, cinnamon sticks, extracts or syrups, and splenda
Nuts (if I can control the quantities. Sometimes I have to stay away from these)
Turkey bacon (I cook the whole pkg up and keep it in the fridge)
grape tomatoes (like jellybeans)
lettuce wraps - I love turkey bacon, tomato, avocado, and a smear of mayo rolled up in a lettuce leaf - or refried beans, salsa cheese, millions of possibilities!
The aforementioned beans, salsa and cheese zapped in the microwave
an apple with natural peanut butter
carrots dipped in peanut butter - weird but yummy!
I often make a big pot of veggie stew on the weekend and zap a cup when I want something - parmesan cheese on top
3 bean salad keeps all week and is quick and easy to make, just mix the canned veg together and add onion, olive oil, vinegar and sweetener
Yogurt
celery with peanut butter or laughing cow lite cheese

Pretty much the only thing I eat when I'm out is a small Wendy's chili, if I have no other options - or a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts sugar free latte for a treat. You really just have to train yourself to remember to take stuff along whenever you go out!

Hope you find lots of good ideas - variety is the spice of weight loss!
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