Alternachick tips
 

We have had a couple of these threads before so I decided to start a sticky for it!

Please post any tips, tricks or new products you have tried that you would like to share with the rest of us :)

Sugar free, low fat "Mini Fudgsicles" by Nestle. :D
I highly recommend them. I don't recommend eating 6 of them before you go to bed, though. :rolleyes:

Mmmm, those sound good. :T

Quakes rice cakes are proetty good, and come in chip-like flavors - BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion...

Also Yoplait low-fat Apple Turnover yogurt is really good too.

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. A little bit more ice-y then cream-y but still pretty good. Especially since it's been so hot!

Before each weigh in day I add 1/4 cup pure cranberry juice to my bottled of water. It cleans you out naturally. I weigh in at 4:30, so I stop drinking at 3 and limit my salt and carbs all that day. It works for me to face the scale...:dizzy:

Read an article a while back that said that if you are dehydrated it is best to drink water at a room temp. or just cool, but if you are working out to drink ice water because your body has to work to cool it down, and you will burn some more calories.

since your body has to work to warm the water up before it can be absorbed, if you are dehydrated you shouldn't drink ice water because it takes longer to go to work.

Lizzi... that's interesting! As kids, we were always told not to drink ice water while exercising. I think we were told we would die. :lol:

Idealperson, about 6 months ago I started taking cranberry tablets. I really needed them, and they really work well. :yes:

Did your know.....

It only takes about a 6-to-10 pound loss to move the number of your BMI down one, depending on your measurements.

I did not now this....who knew? :shrug: ...leaving to get some cauffee now...tawk amongst yourselves.....

Not a tip, more of a recommendation...


This month's issue of Chatelaine magazine- great articles on nutrition, body image, spirituality, healthy recipes, fashion that you can actually find in stores and is wearable, etc.

This is one of my fave magazines and this month's issue is a good read.


Also check out www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca
a web site by the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association which provides fact sheets on food labels and ingredients to avoid.

When it's time to reward yourself with a non-food related reward, may I suggest: http://www.goodvibes.com/

New Food Discoveries
 

Now that the Hub and I are in this weightloss thing together, we went to a few health food stores and found some really good foods for healthy snack choices. Note though, that our diet is a 40/30/30 type of diet, meaning we try to balance the protein, carbs and fat accordingly...based off the Zone..with some modifications.

GeniSoy
Soy Crisps - flavors BBQ, Apple Cinnamon and Sour Cream and Onion
These are almost addicting. MUCH better than any rice based crisp. The BBQ is our fav. Calories 120 (25 crisps) Like a thrid of the Bag!!! Protien 7g, Carbs 17g, Fat 0g.

GeniSoy
Nutritional bars - flavors Mint cookie and Peanut butter. These are pretty good, but do leave a little bit of a coating in your mouth. Good enough to eat for a rushed thing. Calories 240. Protein 14g, Carb 32, Fat 2.5g.

PowerCrunch :D
Meal bar - Flavor Peanut butter creme. Now ladies I am NOT joking when I say this is like JUST eating a Little Debbie Nutty Bar. Other people have confirmed it too. Calories 190. Protein 13g, carbs 13g, fat 4g. These things ae seriously addicting!!!!! With a full glass of water, they make a meal!!

Ok i wanted to share these with you all! if you try them, let us know how you liked them as well as any other snackie foods you find good. Sometime I don't have time for a meal, so these things can be a literal life and diet saver.

Bon appetite!!

I love Genisoy chips. They have saved me on so many occasions. I think it's the serving size. 25 glorious chips. 25!!! BBQ is my favorite. I've spread a little hummus on them in a pinch for lunch. Soooo yummy.

Oooh Hummus.. I never thought of that but sure will try it. I also found out they make a creamy Ranch version too and that is supper yummy. I took my Onion and Garlic ones and crumbled them up in a salad as a substitute for crouton. Was actually better!!!

Hey all. I'm real bad to get cravings. I find if I brush my teeth when they hit then I sometimes forget about it. I chew alot of minty gum too.

Hello all!
 

I have found a cool way to combat two of my big problems....

.First with our schedules, hubby and I over the years have gotten into a pattern of eating dinner between 8 and 10pm. This is so NOT good. So since eating earlier most days is very difficult, on those nights that I have to eat late, I make a big smoothie....

Two cups of skim milk and a little over two cups of whatever frozen fruit I have, some equal, a little more ice then enough water to thin it enough to blend, and TA DA! The whole blender is full and Not even 450 cals, no fat and yummy!

Thats the second problem it works on, Some days I just want to eat lots of bad things!!! Ice cream, cookies, junk.....Well I find if I make a smoothie, Keep it a bit thicker, eat it with a spoon, well, I feel like I just did bad, Only I didn't!:D

And Mauvaisroux, thanks for the invite! It looks pretty nice around here!:cool:

My saving graces...

I am a chocoholic-and I have to have chocolate EVERY day in some small form-so my goal is to find chocolate for the lowest calories and the highest satisfaction. :)
My new favorite is the Kudos granola bars variety pack-they are small chewy granola bars-smaller than a regular chewy granola bar, and they are either totally dipped in chocolate, or the bottom half is. They are all between 100-130 calories each, and they come in chocolate chip, Snickers, and M&M flavors. They are addicting, so make sure to only eat one and savor it...it is great for a chocolate fix that is low calories.

Promax bar-this is my favorite meal replacement bar-it has 20 grams of protein and 38 grams of carbs for my favorite flavor-Cookies and Cream. It is 290 calories and 6 grams of fat. (This may vary slightly for other flavors.) It is chewy, not chalky/dry/crumbly like other higher protein bars, and it is one of the only higher protein bars that I have found that are not low carb...I need carbs in my diet. It is a larger bar, so it is great with water for a quick meal if need be.

I am also addicted to smoothies...and make mine out of all fresh fruit and 100% fruit juices. I can get a great smoothie with 3 fruit servings in it for usually around 200 calories. I just mix some fruit, ice, and measured fruit juice together...my fave combination so far:
1 banana/frozen whole strawberries/apple juice-do not use ice for this one, due to the frozen berries. YUM.

I am also totally addicted to chines food...and found that Lean Cuisine's new Sesame Chicken entree fills that craving. I usually try to eat more home prepared foods, but when the craving is calling and I can satisfy it for 300 calories...I say it is a good thing.

I also visit the local farmer's market and take advantage of the fresh fruits each week...this week is is nectarines. YUM.

Aphil

I read in a book about using pretzel rods and Tootsie roll pops as a good snack, since they both take a long time to eat - and they are really good at night when I seem to want to eat constantly. A Tootsie pop is 60 cals and the average pretzel stick is about 35, and it is hard to eat more than 2 or 3 pretzel sticks without getting full (they taste OK but do not inspire one to eat a whole bag like, um, say potato chips!)

Lidian

Carbolite Chocolate Bars
 

Aphil,
Not sure if these are low in calories or just low in carbs, but Carolbite makes a really tasty chocolate bar that is sweetened with Splenda. I love it, but my system cannot tolerate too much splenda, it upsets my stomach.

Also, I do like Sweet N Low makes a no sugar chocolate sauce that I like as well.

Gotta love that soy!!
We saw this product, over near the Tofu, called Soyrizo. It claimed to be like chorizo (spanish type of sausage). We decided to give it a try since our latest Soy adventures have turned out pretty good.

Well i took that Soyrizo, cooked it in a pan, put some diced tomatoes, garlic and onions, cooked all that real good...then put a can of black beans and blackeyed peas in it. Cooked it down, then sprinkled some low-fat montery jack cheese on it.

Oh Oh Oh dawlings the gawds were smiling when we ate that!!! It was fabulous!!!!! That Soyrizo is really really good. I plan on mixing it with some Southestern flavored egg beaters,and put it on a tortilla for breakfast!!!

I recommend giving it a try ladies!!!!

Nutritional info is as follows:
Protein 7g, Carbs 5, Sat. Fat .5g Calories only 120!!!! and you get a good amount of it!! By adding the beans and cheeze in, we really boosted the protein and carbs, we opted for more protein with a grilled chicken boob since we knew we were going to be working out tonight.

Please let me know if you try it!!!

I have found a nice little treat that cures the chocolate craving - Chocolate Mint Velamints. They are sugar free & fat free. The little tins are only about 35 calories for the whole thing (14 mints). I eat them through out the day, and they are yummy. :)

Soy nuts!

They are good, but they aren't as good as say, peanuts, or almonds, or cashews. So you STOP EATING THEM.

And then you have the satisfaction of something nutty-crunchy-salty, without going overboard!


Peace and soy,
~VOW