Some of my favorite low calorie snack foods:
-Diet root beer floats-1/2 c. low fat ice cream and a can of diet A&W poured over in a glass-only 100-130 calories, depending on brand of ice cream.
-sugar free Fudgesicles in the yellow box-only 45 calories each.
-a banana-probably the most filling fruit-100-110 calories depending on the size.
-Healthy Choice microwave popcorn-the entire bag is only 200 calories-I usually split it up-half to eat now, half in a plastic baggie for later or the next evening.
-strawberries and light whipped topping-I hull the strawberries and place them into a bowl, and measure out the whipped topping serving on top, taking my time to eat it, making sure every berry has a bit of Cool Whip on it.
-Sugar Free Jello-a premade cup is 10 calories-the strawberry is the best! Yummy! (This is what I have for my evening snack if my calories are close to my daily limit.)
-Hot tea and sweetener-the warm liquid fills me up without any calories at all, and I prefer it over coffee in the morning.
I'd love to hear anyone else's ideas!
Aphil

WOO HOOOOOOOO !!!!!

I am doing the happy dance for myself......down a whopping 4 pounds this week......

Amy~~ love those Slim fast bars.. I do say that the Choc/Peanut Butter ones tastes like Butterfinger candy bars.
I also like the seedless grapes(prefer the red over the green) and they are only 1 point per cup.
The OR Smart pop popcorn is real good, only 3 or 4 points for the entire bag!
Love FF yogurt, we cant get the kind that I love here though. I used to eat the Yoplait Boston Cream Pie FF ...it is so good!!!!!!!
Quaker Brand Apple Crumble bars are very good.. only about 100 calories or 2 points if you are doing WW. With a cup of hot tea...hmmm so good!!


later all...

Nancy

198.8/194.8/???

Yay Snowey!!!! 4 pounds lost!! WOOHOO!!!

Snowey, you're awesome! Congrats!

Well this thread sure has been busy! That is great . That means the vibe must be great in here.

Snowey~~~that is wonderful! I can't believe it! I have to be something totally wrong. I have been stuck at 195.5 for a while now. Actually when you started WW I was about 199 or so. I just hope I can continue to lose rather than gain.

Aphil~~~Congrats to you as well! A great loss! Whatever it is you are doing you have to continue.

Alison~~~I enjoy the new Slim Fast snack bars, raisins, grapes (actually ANY fruit), and sometimes a very BAD sweet cake...that is when comes out and over powers my better choice senses. BAD very BAD. I enjoyed your website about your exercise guru. I enjoy Denise Austin although like Aphil said she does converse alot. Sometimes I argue with her because she has a bad habit of saying something "You can do it just 2 more!" Then she looses count or something because those 2 become something like 4.

Christine~~~Take care of that little one don't overdo exercise. Talk to the DR first. I understand it can be frustrating to have been losing and doing so well and then BAM you get the news. Weight gain in moderation is always okay for pregnancy. So don't get too discouraged about the amount of weight you will gain. Your weight gain should be inviting it serves a purpose in your babies developement. I don't know what that is. But bottom line you can always lose the weight once you have delivered a healthy baby. Best wishes.

Nola~~~Wow 50 bucks on cabfare! YIKES that is steep! Have a great day at work. Take care.

I have been very bad with my food intake. I have to get in control before I spiral out of control. But the thing is some say it is because I have been exercising so much that my body requires more energy. Honestly I don't need an excuse. That is the worst. Anyhow I continue to use my elliptical machine daily. Doing anywhere from 6 miles to 10 a day. I love that machine. I see so much definition in my legs. I need to put in 50 miles this week. I hope that I will be able to get that done.

Well I have to send some emails and get to my homework. Talk with all of you later.

Kina

Hi everyone!

Nancy, I WAS thinking of you when I was across the border...thinking "this is the country that Nancy lives in". But so far away! I still have some "loonies" and "twonies" that we didn't spend - I'll have to save them for the next time.

GOOD LUCK with your WW weigh-in tomorrow!!! All fingers crossed for you!

Alison, hi! My filling snacky low-cal food would be baby carrots, dipped in an allotted portion of low-fat dressing. Air-popped corn is pretty darn good, also - but I don't know what happened to our air-popper - it's MIA.

Hi Aphil! Hey, congrats on being a moderator! What exactly do you have to do for that?

Wow, you sure are talented to be able to have so many different things to do with your hands to keep busy - but that is so true. I see that my hands could be busy clearing off this messy desk of mine - that would keep me occupied for a LONG while.

Hello Christine! That would be frustrating, to not be notified when there are posts...glad to hear from you, though! I can understand your desire to be at a point where you are allowed to work hard to be fit - the time will come soon enough! And we'll be here to help

Yeah, those emoticons are yummy-looking!

Hey Kanola girl! Cool that you can use the company card to pay for your taxi home!

Hi Kina! We must have posted at about the same time; didn't want to xclude you! Cheers to you for sticking to the elliptical - that is SO great that you can see definition in your legs. That is something that I don't have - and would love to see. I am working on it, though!

I wore the leather pants for the ride to work today - what a difference in keeping warmer from wind protection - and knowing that they will protect better than jeans in a get-off. Also the gauntlet gloves are great for keeping the wind from rushing up my sleeves - woohoo!

Have a great night, everyone!

Your friend, Holly

hello everybody, I know you havent heard from me in awhile.. I am trying to make a clean start, been through some things, Yet, Im back!! I have been adjusting to being back, and I have added a few pounds to what I already had left to lose, so Im tired of this, and gonna stop this before it really gets out of hand. How has everyone been? I hope well , and motivated, I am gettin pumped up again slowly but surely. well take care all.

Welcome back Latisia,,,,,,

Glad you are here again. Hang with us and soon you will be on your way.

Nancy

Hey everyone!! Woohoo for the busy thread!!

My fav low cal/fat filling treat is..... WW ice cream!! There is a caramel one that I love love love.... even before I got into WW!!

Holly - - I laughed about the loonies & toonies! I still have a bunch from when I moved here... and a couple of the bills too, gotta love the Canadian money! Acutally Aussie dollars are plasticy and brighter colours than the Maple Leaf stuff.... I should scan some (is that illegal) and show you guys!

(ps.... We finally bought the second bike... well... we put a deposit down on one we have not seen yet, but it is from the same dealership that I bought the Hornet at..... so here is hoping that I am bringing home a new set of 2 wheels on Sat.... taking the helmet and gear with me!!)

Welcome back Latisia!! Great to hear from you again. I just rejoined the group a few weeks ago and it feels like I have just gotten together with a bunch of old friends!!

Nancy - FANTASTIC JOB with the first week at WW. I love it too and have my second weigh in on our Saturday (your Friday). I will let you guys know how I do!!

Kina - tell me about the cab fare!! hehehehe 'cept that is Aussie dollars... would equal about... what?? $5 US?? hhehehehe
Not that bad but close!! (NZ is worse than us at the moment!!)

Well... it was not so late at work tonight, I got home around 8pm and now it is time to get some serious zzzzz's.

I got up this morning a half hour early and had 30 mins walking and then walked to the train and back today. Wanted to go out at lunch but it was too windy.... as in the kind that would knock you over and gives you funny hair for the afternoon.....



Gotta blaze..... will check back tomorrow night!
bye!!

Nola.

Hi everyone!
Wow, lots of posts!!!
VermontMom-as a moderator, I kind of peek around the boards, making sure noone is advertising their business for profit-like Herbalife or something, and help welcome people, answer questions about diet and fitness, and try to "diffuse" tense situations. I can also delete posts that may be offensive, or move threads to a higher position if I think they are important and would benefit everyone to read them-stuff like that basically.
Christine-don't feel bad about gaining weight. There is that commercial out now that says "Why does carrying a 5 lb. baby mean that I am now 30 pounds heavier?" Simple answer. When I was pregnant I read about everything there was on the subject and learned that there is a lot more happening to your body besides the baby. Your other organs are moved either up or to the side-your heart does both, at an angle, and your body increases its blood volume by about an extra pint! That is 1 pound right there! Depending on your situation, your breasts will gain anywhere from 1/2 to 2 pounds-and you uterus will become 2 pounds heavier due to its increasing size. Add 1 pound of amniotic fluid, and 1 pound of placenta-and there is 7 extra pounds right there in addition to the baby of absolutely necessary weight gain-so having an average size child (7-8 pounds) there is a minimum of 15 pounds of gain even if you are in a famine! Your body also has the natural instinct to gain a few extra pounds, from the days when there was no formula and all women had to breastfeed. When food wasn't as plentiful, our bodies were made to pack on a few extra fat stores that our bodies could turn into milk for our infant-so they would be sure to be fed even if we were not. There were no Twinkies or McDonalds when the human race began, so it was a perfect system. We ate for nutrition, and not just for the heck of it, so we gained the right amount of weight and it came off when we nursed our children.
If you nurse, you will burn off a few pounds quicker, as well as help your uterus contract and return to normal size more quickly. It you choose not to, then you will have to make up for that after you recuperate from childbirth!

That is why doctors say a healthy gain is between 20-40 pounds when the baby is only 7 or 8. (or in my case, 9 or 10! )
I will recommend a good video for you to get, though-it is Denise Austin's Bounce back after baby. It is a mild aerobics one, with a light toning section at the end just for your lower abs and rear end-where we tend to get it most after a child! It is not a real intense one, but enough to get you back into fitness after having a baby. Go to www.half.com to get the best deal on it!
Kina-with all the exercise you are doing, do you mind if I ask what calorie level you are at each day? If you are eating 1200-1500, you may actually do better at 1700-1800 if you are doing all those miles walking and on the eliptical. You will be more satisfied, and less likely to binge eat, and still be losing.
t-girl-so glad you are back with us! The hardest part is coming to grips with yourself after a slide, and getting the momentum to start doing better for yourself again.
Did anyone see Dr. Phil yesterday? It was a show about obese kids-and there was something hew said that really rings true.
"You can have all the trainers and equipment in the world-but you have to want your long term goal more than the pleasure at the present. You have to fight through that good feeling of the moment (meaning a food binge or not exercising) and look ahead to your goal."
It is the hardest thing I have to face, because sometimes I just want that food-and when you binge, you feel great at that moment. The damage doesn't really hit you until you are trying on something in your closet that doesn't fit anymore, or you get made fun of by someone, or some other hurtful situation. This may be a week or a month later that you get feel the effect of that binge.
Just something to think about. This is why I stated a couple weks ago about my "getting through that moment" strategy. I think of all the hurtful things I have ever experienced where my weight was a factor-feeling uncomfortable in a bridesmaid dress, getting picked last in gym, a name you were called-whatever your situation may be. It really puts in perspective why we are doing all of this!
(So here I was crying my eyes out at this show, wanting to hold and hug those children and help them and show them the way-remembering my hurtful moments and wanting to shield them from that-aye yay yaye!)
I thought at least I could reinforce my message, and help my friends here...
Have a wonderful day everyone! WE CAN DO THIS!!!
Aphil
(lightin' the fire under everyone's booties!)

Hi!

Man, last night, I went totally crazy. I think that thinking about food often is now making me a little more binge-prone than I used to be; knowing that I shouldn't eat the gallon of ice cream makes me realllly want it. I was eating stuff without even thinking about it -- putting a piece of See's in my mouth while thinking that I am not hungry and that I don't need to eat anymore! Grr! But, I shall not punish myself too much. Do you guys find that you're more binge-prone now that you think about what you're eating?

Argh.

Anyway, hi! It's almost the weekend... yay!

Alibee-I think that this may be the case for someone more in your situation-who just recently gained a few and are trying to get it off. I may think of it more now, but I do still binge and eat more when I am not on plan. I'd be scared to add up what I ate on an off plan emotional day-and probably disgusted.
In most of us who have battled a weight problem most of our lives, I find that I eat tons more if I don't pay any attention-just mindlessly shoving it in-but, like you, I think of food more now because I am making myself be aware of what I am eating and making the mental note of the portion, etc.
I don't think it is so much that you are thinking of food so much more now, but that before you WEREN'T thinking about it while you were eating it-which is worse. It is better to KNOW you are eating badly, than to just ignore it and shovel it in. It is a step in the right direction of thinking like a thin person-to know mentaly when you have had enough,whether you stop eating or not.
I find I do better with a craving if I don't try to make myself go without a certain food. If I want a a McDonald's cheeseburger, it is better for me to go get one and add it in my daily food limit, than to try to wait it out, and think about it all day-then end up going and getting it-along with a large fry and shake and having a full out binge because I had been drooling about it!
My advice about the See's-let yourself have one a day if you must have it, rather than try to stay away from it and then eating 6, and when it is gone-don't buy anymore! If your boyfriend loves them, make him keep them at work! Also-if I crave a Twinkie, I go to the gas station and buy one pack of two instead of box of 10 at the grocery store. That may not be as economical, but I don't have 8 more lying around calling to me in the middle of the night! "EAT ME...CREAM FILLING...I'M IN THE KITCHEN!"
The key is not to deprive myself, but to limit the portion strictly when I do indulge.
You have successfully conquered the first step-realizing mentally when you pop in a candy-before you would have probably not even realized you were eating it. They say most overweight people don't realize how much they actually consume-which is why food diaries are a great learnign tool-it accustoms you to taking a mental note of every thing you put in your mouth, which people with weight issues a lot of time do NOT do naturally and thin people do.
Think of your recent discovery as a step in the right direction!!!!
Aphil

Yeah, I think that you're right, Aphil. As for the See's, I did only have one piece, but when you add that to the other stuff I ate... bleh. Oh well, no sense in beating myself up about it, I just have to make better choices today.

As for Twinkies: I love them. They are almost as addicting as cheese curds

Hi everyone, and I do agree with Aphil too, that is the hardest part for me.. I do feel the affects now, everything I could wear in July, if it fit right then, is now too tight, and uncomfortable, I have learned my lesson, and am making moderate steps towards cutting back. This morning I h ad Kashi, cinnamon with yogurt, than, I had one pot pie, which wasnt the greatest for me, but a big cut back, and lots of water!! My son is such a busy body as well, so that keeps me going. WEll, thanks everyone, and ill be back!!

Hi,
Latisia-don't feel bad about the pot pie-you had a very healthy breakfast (I love Kashi cereals-have you tried the newer cinnamon raisin one yet?)
Pot pies for me are sort of a childhood comfort food, along with peanut butter, mashed potatoes, and kiddie cereals. I tend to crave foods like that when I am stressed out. You only had one-which isn't bad as far as calories-so you are okay. The only thing with those is they have a lot of sodium, so as long as it is only like once a week-don't sweat it. Moderation. Just like my Thursday night Wal-Mart/ fast food supper tradition with my family-which is TONIGHT!! I do it once a week, and make as healthy choices as I can when I go (no fries, no mayo,etc.) and don't worry about it.
Today was my cardio day-I felt like something fun instead of walking or the exercise bike, and didn't really feel like my bellydancing-I was pretty sore from a few new exercises I did yesterday during my weight training.(OUCH) I decided to take out an oldie but goodie from my video collection-Richard Simmon's Disco Sweat-the tape is about an hour long-I only did 30 minutes of it, but worked up a good sweat, and had a good time. Something about the old disco song "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real" that just puts me in a good mood! I could have done more, but Jas got up at way early at 6:30 and was demanding breakfast then and there, and I can only be interrupted during cardio so many times before I throw in the towel. It is hard to explain to a 4 year old WHY you are out of breath and WHY you cannot converse with them during a workout, and keep on doing it! I will try to get in a 15 minute walk tonight to get my daily 45 minutes of exercise in.
I wanted to tell all of you ladies how proud I am of all of you, and how wonderful it is to see you all reaching your goals-Alibee-for taking control with your 15 lb. gain before it turned into 50, for VermontMom for reaching goal size and keeping on exercising!, For Kanola and t-girl for having the strength to come back and getting with it again! You can do it!, Kina-for all of those miles-I am in awe!, Nancy-for sticking with your plan so well, and to those 4 pounds gone just last week! Yeah!, Christine-for still keeping your fitness goals in mind and visiting with us while you are with child, and not forgetting about yourself and your plan for after he/she is born! To anyone I forgot, or any newbies-these are some happening ladies who are going to be looking pretty foxy here soon, or in VermontMom's case-ALREADY IS!!!
(see pic back a couple pages on the thread, then add brand new leather biker pants just purchased this week=hottie)
Have a great one!
Aphil