Thanks Kat!! I think Ill stop by Target on my way home and get one and make some tonight for dinner! Yum! Im excited :)

Gale Do you just buy fresh veggies and season them?

Gale everyone is welcome to post here!

Yes I use that colander device too! I steam veggies with a few cloves of garlic. I then add Lemon Pepper Seasoning (McCormicks) and/or a squeeze of lemon and/or a few shavings of Parmesan. Yummmm.

Spinach is also easy to get a bunch of if you open a can of tuna over it, a dollop of yogurt (in replacement for sour cream) and crack some pepper over it. Mix well, and you've got a low fat high protein tuna salad with vegetables.

I also make a cauliflower carrot puree soup which is so tasty and basically just a bunch of pureed vegetables with vegetable broth. I don't even like soup or cauliflower but I try to make this soup every few weeks and eat it over the course of a few days- it definitely delivers 1-2 servings of vegetables (or more) per serving.

I think kat said earlier something about low-fat diets being pointless, but for me I definitely see a difference when I eat low versus high fat. I lose weight more slowly when I eat more fat.

Indiblue, that was just something I happened to read this week. I try to eat a balanced diet of whole, mostly vegetarian fare and pay attention to calories, which usually means my meals are fairly low-fat as well. When I finally move into maintenance mode, I think I'll pay more attention to macronutrients than I do now.

Kat, it could be totally true though! I have no idea. Atkins people seem to do well on it. I personally need to keep a lower fat intake, but that could just be me. I wouldn't doubt if research has shown that most people do fine with consuming a greater percentage of fat.

So I just randomly came across an article on freedieting.com that says the percentage breakdown of macronutrients depends on body shape and where the fat deposits are located. Apple-shaped women tend to lose weight on a low-carb diet, while pear-shaped women on a low-fat diet. I am pear-shaped so that helps explain why my body responds better to a low-fat diet. No idea how widely supported this theory is but since we were just talking about it thought I'd share!

That's very interesting! Thanks for sharing! As a fellow pear, I think I really probably should be paying more attention to my fat intake! :) Also, I know I would just be insane on an Atkins-style low-carb thing. :dizzy: Not that high-carb is a good idea, but unless I get a balanced diet, I'm beyond cranky!

I normally buy fresh veggies and cook them myself. But what I was talking about are the bags of veggies in the frozen aisle (Steamfresh is the brand name, there are others too). You just pop the bag into the microwave and you've got lovely cooked veggies in just a few minutes, no prep work required. I usually season those a little with some sea salt, lemon pepper, or garlic/garlic salt.

don't be afraid to have some butter or oil on your veggies, the fat helps you absorb the vitamins and minerals. and saturated fat has been proven time and time again to be not bad for you. it's usually the white flour and sugar that is accompanying the sat. fat that does people in. and like other people have said here, more studies are showing that low-fat diets arent a sure thing anymore. neither or low-carb diets per se. it's all about preference. but, dont be afraid of fats!

look into the paleo/primal diet or even good ol atkins for the research. i can't post links yet :(

Oh man that is SO TRUE. I had forgotten about this little bit of nutritional trivia regarding water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. Thanks for throwing me back to my 10th grade chemistry class :-D

My first response to the title was "no such thing!"
As I understand micronutrients, protein is mainly used to make new cells-it can be used for energy, but the body really doesn't like to do that. Fat and carbs have the same molecular makeup, but fats are more calorie dense, which is why people avoid them. The energy that I get from fats keeps my blood-sugar stable, crushes hunger, and I'm dropping weight at a satisfactory and healthy pace.
The main problem I see with lowfat yogurt and the like is that with the loss of fat come a loss of flavor-which is replaced with sugar.

I agree with you! However, I try to eat as clean as possible and stay away from sugars. I know a lot about protein and carbs, but when it comes to fat, I just dont understand what they consider too much! But you are right, fats give you good energy. I just dont want to overdo it! Thanks for your input.