3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

This is taken from the week six booklet "The Right Mix"

Take this survey to help you find your right mix.

The total mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that you eat in a day can make a difference in your feelings of hunger as well as how satisfied you are with the meals you've eaten. Answer the following questions to begin to explore the right mix for you.
Yes/No
A dinner of meat and vegetables leaves me unsatisfied.

In general, I'm what you would call a "volume eater".
My hunger decreases and my satisfaction increases based on the amount of food I eat in a meal. For example, a snack of 4 graham cracker squares would satisfy my hunger better and longer than 20 peanuts.

When it comes to portion control, I can control my portions of carbohydrate-rich foods about as well as I can manage other types of foods.

I'm more satisfied eating a smaller portion of many "full fat" foods (like salad dressing and margarine) than bigger portions of their reduced- or fat-free counterparts.

A breakfast of a plain bagel and fruit juice gives me the same or a greater feeling of fullness as a breakfast of 2 eggs and a piece of toast.

If you answered "yes" to 2 or 3 of the questions, the mix of macronutrients that you're eating now seems to be right for you. For many, that's a "balanced" approach to mixing carbohydrates, protein, and fat. To maintain your nutritional health:

Spend about the same amount of POINTS on grain-based foods and protein-rich foods See the "eating for your right mix chart" (Balanced column.)

If you answered "yes" to 4-5 of the questions, eating more carbohydrates may be your best bet for feeling satisfied.

To put this eating strategy into place use more POINTS on grain-based foods that are rich in carbohydrates, focusing on those choices that give you a lot of food per point. Examples include air-popped popcorn, reduce-calorie breads, puffed cereals and beans.

Choose protein-rich foods carefully. Lean cuts of meat, the white meat of chicken and poultry (with the skin removed) extra-lean ground beef, shellfish, and meat alternatives like soy burgers are great choices for you. Foods that have a lot of fat as well as protein, like ribs, regular luncheon meats, and nuts, don't provide as much protein per point and are better used only occasionally.

Experiment with lower-fat and fat-free products. When substituted for high-fat foods, that you normally use and when used in the same portion, these foods can make your Daily POINT Range go further. Examples include salad dressing, sour cream, cream cheese, all kinds of cheeses, frozen desserts, and snack foods.

Find lower point alternatives whenever possible, including non-stick cooking sprays, nonstick cookware, and marinades without added oil. When you do use oil, try to choose one rich in monousaturates, like olive oil or canola oil.

You can get an idea of your preferred POINTS pattern by using the 'Higher Carbohydrate" column on the "Eating for your right mix charts".

If you answered "no" to 4-5 of the questions, eating more protein may decrease your feelings of hunger and increase the level of satisfaction you get from eating. To put this eating strategy into place using the point food System:

Spend more POINTS from your Daily POINTS Range on protein-rich foods. Keep in mind however, that many protein-rich foods are also prime sources of saturated fat, so try to choose lean cut of meat. In a addition, those protein-rich foods that also contain monousaturated fat, like nuts and cold water fish (anchovies, herring mackerel, salmon, and sardines), are great choices for you.

Use few POINTS from you Daily POINTS Range for grain-based foods like breads, pasta, and cereals. It's important, however, that you don't eliminate these foods - simply choose them a little less often.

Continue to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When choosing these foods, however, concentrate on the vegetables. A piece of fruit contains about the same amount of carbohydrate as a slice of bread, while vegetables have considerably less. By focusing on vegetables, you'll be getting lots of essential nutrients and using very few POINTS.

Continue to limit your intake of sugars, fats, and alcohol, as recommended. Whenever possible, however, use those POINTS on fat instead of sugar. When choosing fat-rich foods, your best choices are those that are a good sours of monounsaturates, like canola oil or olive oil. Olive oil and vinegar make a terrific salad dressing, and are tasty on cooked vegetables, too. Canola oil is very versatile, so use it for baking, panfrying, and sauteing.

See the "Eating for your right mix chart" and use the "Higher Protein" column..