I was reading an old thread that people posted their favorite tricks and tips and I was hoping to get some new ideas.

What are your favorite things?


I just drank some Swiss Mocha for 30 calories, that is pretty good.
I like spray butter - Zero Calories
Sugar free pop cycles are 15 calories!!! YEAH!!!

I like anything that is low calorie!!!! Accept celery. Gross.

;-)

Keep in mind that spray butter is 0 cal for something like a 1/3 of a second spray. Legally they can call it 0 cal that way. But if you spray for longer than that, you are consuming calories. And the more you spray, the more you get. Since it's really 100% oil, it can be a lot of calories.

Some of my favorite low cal snacks or things that help defuse hunger:

1 - cup of hot tea with lemon
2 - all fruit frozen popsicles (a few more cals, but all natural)
3 - baby carrots and hummus (about 200 cals for a snack)
4 - popcorn - a big bowl of popped corn is about 150 cals and very filling
5 - veggie soup. I make the equivalent of a WW 0 points soup and it makes a great filling snack
6 - a really tart crisp apple and a slice of cheese (about 200 cals)
7 - big glass of water - sometimes I think I'm hungry when I'm really thirsty
8 - a can of V8 juice - 70 cals and yummy and filling. Add some tabasco and some worcestershire and some lemon/lime juice and pretend you're having a bloody mary (w/out the vodka)

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Tips and tricks, fun!

• I keep lean proteins on hand for great, quick snacks that satiate, hard boiled eggs, roasted turkey breast, pouches of tuna. I find when I snack on proteins I'm able to avoid the munchies.
• I do veggies and hummus as well, but mine is under 100 calories. Probably PC makes her own?
• Buying the vegetables pre-washed, pre-chopped and sometimes pre-portioned is more expensive, but works well for me because I always have something on hand and ready. I'm lazy, lack the time - it's worth the money to me.
• Keeping my husband's junk food and temptations in a separate cabinet helps a ton because it's not interspersed with the good stuff. I have no business there!
• I eat from a pretty limited menu (same stuff often, just different methods of prep) really helps with planning and meal preparation. It's a no-brainer. Lucky for me, I don't get bored.
• Exercising at night works great for me because I find I sleep better and avoid the late night urge to snack.
• Buying a sweet new workout outfit helps me when my gym motivation slags off.
• I like to buy a pair of clearance or sale jeans in the next size down for motivation as well. I try them on often and get encouraged by my body's progress when the scale doesn't seem to move.
• Espresso with the DaVinci sugar free syrups are awesome when I want a sweet treat.
• Shiratake noodles in wonton broth with fresh veggies (or add an egg) is an awesome extremely low cal soup (under 100 cals) for a snack. Seriously salty though, don't do it if you have a blood pressure problem!
• Switching from Fitday PC to The Daily Plate for calorie counting has made counting so much easier and less time consuming. Thank you Daily Plate!

Yeah, but it's just garbanzo, garlic, and a teeny bit of olive oil. 1/4 cup hummus is about 140 cals, then 1 serving of carrots is 35 cals and then a serving of celery is sorta negligible - maybe 20 cals? So around 200 total.

.

Oh yum! I'm missing out with my store bought junk - 2 measly TBS per serving which I carefully divvy between my veggies. No tahini in yours PC?

Sometimes tahini, but I think in general it doesn't add enough flavor to make up for the extra cals. Then again I put quite a bit of garlic in mine, so it would overpower the tahini anyway!

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I love hummus and carrots as a quick snack, also I always keep veggies washed/ chopped/ and ready in the fridge.
I keep some of those 50 calorie Sargento string cheese sticks on hand in case I'm craving a bit of salt/ cheese.
I will have a little packet of instant oatmeal as a filler if I know I won't be able to eat for a while. Simple harvest/ Quaker Vanilla almond is super yummy. Not as filling as a full serving of the "weight smart" packets (which are perfect for breakfast) so it's just right for a snack.

These are great tips!
I am going ot the market today. So far my list has

skinny cow
sugar free creamer
swish mocha sugar free
more veggies (I already have humus)
String Cheese
Some lunch meat packets

Thanks for the tips on the spray butter. I use gobs! That's not helping. Do you have any tips for putting on the popcorn? Is butter buds good? REmember those?

Oohh ... instant oatmeal. Yeah, I keep packets of that at my desk. 100 cals for a cup ... and it's filling and warm (especially important when the building owner decides to conserve money on the heat!).

I personally don't like butter on my popcorn, so it's not something I have thought much about. Maybe someone else has some suggestions?

.

Photo Chick,

I don't like butter on my popcorn either. I never have even when I wasn't trying to eat as healthy. Everyone in my family thinks they need butter with popcorn, but not me. I'm glad someone else feels the same way.

Wilma

Diet soda is my lover.
Also popcorn and kix cereal if I feel like something high volume, low-cal.

Okay, who ever here gave me the idea for Graham crackers with FF whip cream in the middle and frozen is my hero!!!

So good!!!!

So far I am in my calorie range, but I have eaten lot of junk today trying out the goodies!

;-)

Salad tonight with spray dressing!

I like protein too..

hard boiled egg
string cheese
cottage cheese & fruit
rykrisp crackers with peanut butter

I take fat free pita pockets, spray both sides with cooking spray, sprinkle on some garlic salt, then bake 'em til they are crisp. Then I break them up and dip in hummus or salsa. I have to snack all day, so this is something that I can grab all day long and not feel guilty about it. Although I have to watch the hummus, otherwise i'll eat the whole tub in a day.

Do you mean Molly Mcbutter? Avoid that stuff. It is full of hydrogenated fats.
I use to use it quite liberally in the mid 90s when I was Deal-A-Mealing and I have no doubt they contributed to my 2004 heart attack.