or is it?

What's your most recent food story? Either a victory, a challenge, a defeat, a diet, or a recipe?

Lynn

OK - I'll start -

I've been eating in a progressively more-healthy way for the past year. Initially, I was losing at around 4 pounds/month. Over the past 5 months, I've slowed down to around 2 pounds/month.

I try to keep the calories around 1,200/day so that I won't slow down my metabolism. Also, I try to exercise around 60 min/day on 5-6 days/week.

I'm getting frustrated & really tempted to reduce my daily calories to around 900/day in order to shake off a few more pounds.

Wondering if anyone knows how many days I could reduce my calorie intake without slowing down my metabolism.

Lynn

A friend brought in a few choclate bunnies. I ate a few pieces of each then I threw them in the garbage I must of saved a few calories there.

I recently discovered I like Hummus and I was delighted to discover it is a fine and healthy food . . . guess it has to be since it is bean-based . . . wow I really seem to have gone on a bean kick this past week or so. Definitely one of the best foods there is for controlling blood sugar levels.

I bought potato chips for my mother and was so tempted to eat the whole bag (120g) but I resisted and had 3 Lays Wavy chips. I ate each one slowly and savored every bite.

Today I overate on the macaroni and cheese. It was so good (my favorite food in the entree type foods). On the bright side it was whole wheat macaroni. No one realized it was whole wheat until I told them. Astounded guests!!!

Lynn, don't you think 900 calories is getting close to starvation? I decided a while ago I would not eat under a certain amount of food because I hate feeling hungry and it's so hard to include all the vitamins and nutrients needed in a smaller caloric intake. I eat what everyone is eating but eat a controlled portion (except today) or even a smaller amount if it was highly caloric and non-essential to life. It might be better to change your exercise routine than cut down on calories. When I cut down on calories I'd obsess over food all the time. You know 2 pounds a month is still a great accomplishment.

Meowee, do you make your own hummus?

Ha, ha, I've done that with chocolates, too. Better in the waste basket than the waist line.

I bought this one after checking the nutrient information and ingredients list on every version in the store . . . . . . but think I'll give homemade a try. Haven't found tahini yet, but every other of the ingredients is pretty easy to come by.

I love macaroni and cheese . . . recently found a recipe that uses have the amount of macaroni and substitutes cauliflower (cut to about the same size) for the other half. Someday I'll try it, maybe.

Cauliflower in place of potatoes works just fine . . . I'm happy with just the whizzed up cauliflower, but you can definitely substitute if for half the amount of potatoes in any dish and nobody will know the difference.

You can usually find tahini in the health area of the Atlantic Superstore or most health food stores carry it. You can make hummus without the tahini and substitute another nut/seed butter but of course that changes the taste. Some people leave out the tahini all together and use a couple tablespoons olive oil. It's all a matter of taste how much tahini you use. I've seen recipes that call for as much as 2/3 cup and as little a 2 tablespoons. Obviously, the less tahini the lower the calories. I demonstrated Hummus at the vegetarian cooking classes I'm doing just a couple of weeks ago.

Lynn, try cycling your calories with a few lower calorie days. This has worked well for me. I try for a day or two a week around 1000 cals. and the rest as close to 1200 as I can get. But in reality, I range from about 950 to 1300. By making sure a couple days are higher, my body doesn't seem to go into starvation mode. In fact, the weeks that I don't dip down to 1000 cals end up being slower loss weeks for me.

I am trying to go sugar-free. I feel so much better when I'm off sugar. It is a real trial for me. I started my healthier eating plan this week.

Laurie,

You are doing SOOOO GREAT! I've had a couple of VERY high calorie days this month - but no low ones. I will try your system.

Lynn

LYNN -- think the calories cycling sounds like a good idea . . . I don't imagine 2 or 3 low days in a row would do too much harm, but I don't think you'd be wise to try much more than that. By cycling you can get your average down a little and still keep your body 'confused' into thinking it's getting more than it really is. Sometimes, it is nice to fool Mother Nature.

ISABELLA . . . funny you mentioned making hummus without tahini because I just came across 2 or 3 recipes that don't call for any -- but I will try Super Store's Health Foods section. It is President's Choice Garlic Hummus that I've got.

Hi there AUNTCHUCHU . . . eliminating sugar (and highly processed flour, too) is a good healthy move for everybody.

Hi all,
I'm new at 3FC and there seems to be an amazing number of threads of interest!

My lows this week ... the top of that list has to be the apple fritter I ate at work Friday! I blame it on the anonymous co-worker who brought in a box of doughnuts.

One good thing I discovered a while ago: popcorn that doesn't involve butter but tastes good. I adapted a recipe I found for spicy popcorn and nuts (intended to be a homemade Christmas gift): I air-pop popcorn and then gently heat some canola oil, adding spices to taste (I use things like cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, turmeric and so on). I wait for most of the solids to settle (although that's not necessary) and then pour the flavoured oil over the popcorn.

I've cut way down on my sugar, but am not sure I want to give it up entirely ... the same with meat. I'm looking for some good vegetarian recipes to make up the majority of my week's recipes ... but can't see myself giving up meat entirely.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Oh yes . . . air-popped popcorn is great . . . and it's even a low GI food so it's great for blood sugar control, too.

BTW, controlling the rollercoaster ups and downs of blood sugar is important to everyone -- not just diabetics or those suffering from Metabolic Sydrome and other related problems -- known fact that too much of a swing in blood sugar throughout the day, helps to pack on weight, especially around the mid-section.

Good for you! One of my favorite sayings is "Nothing tastes as good as fitting into a smaller size feels.

Lynn