I've learned so many good tips from reading online message boards, I thought I'd share some of the best things, and maybe people will chime in with some other things I haven't heard yet!

One of my new discoveries this year was PB2 and (especially) chocolate PB2! It's a peanut powder that you mix with water and make into peanut butter, but it has 80% of the fat removed, and without preservatives or chemicals! So it's like peanut butter, but it counts as a lean protein instead of a fat! I eat it almost every other day for a snack with an apple or pear cut up. I get it at my local grocery store, or through Netrition.com (best price if you buy a lot), or through their own website.

Another thing I love is Walden Farms dressings -- there are fewer than 5 calories in a couple of tablespoons, so it counts as zero. Not all of them are delicious, but the Italian is very good, and it can be bought in individual packets. I keep them in my purse, in case I'm out at a restaurant. The coleslaw dressing is fabulous -- I always have coleslaw made up in the fridge.

Arctic Zero is a frozen dessert that my grocery store recently started carrying. There are 150 calories in an entire pint! So for those evenings when I just want to eat a pint of ice cream right out of the carton (you know the feeling!) this is perfect. It's kind of expensive, so I don't do it very often ($5 a pint) but it has saved me many times.

There are evenings when I am in danger of eating too much (especially chocolate), and I often find that a big spoonful of fat-free Cool Whip satisfies the urge. I never would have thought it would, but I tried it, and it works for me!

Mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes! Or mixed with a small amount of potatoes. Today I mashed up a whole head of cauliflower, mixed it with two containers of Nutrisystem Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (high in protein), and two green onions. I put half of it away for tomorrow, but ate the other half (a huge bowl) for lunch. It really faked me out -- I thought I was eating a giant bowl of mashed potatoes, but I was actually eating a reasonable amount of potatoes and half a head of cauliflower. It was delicious!

I use certain foods as a reward at the end of the day when I've stayed within my goal -- a dark chocolate Hershey's Kiss or two, or 7 Bold Flavored Almonds. It's a treat I don't allow myself to indulge in unless I've been strict the rest of the day.

I keep chocolate in the freezer, because when I do eat it, it takes much longer to eat (I let it melt in my mouth) -- and I'm not in danger of eating a whole bunch of it.

What are some of your secrets?

Frozen grapes. One cup is 100 calories and it takes a long time to eat it. It's yummy!!!

Kaplods mentioned mixing Fage 0% fat Greek yogurt. She mixes it with some sugar free cheesecake flavor Jello pudding. I use about 1 or 2 teaspoons and it comes out very thick and yummy for only about 25 extra calories. You could experiment with other flavors. She suggested chocolate fudge, but I have yet to try it.

I like Arctic Zero ice cream but only the coffee or strawberry flavors. I just found out last night that the calorie count is actually off and that it's more like 250 calories for the pint. Here is what one person said: 3.0 out of 5 stars 32 calories per serving? I don't think so., June 7, 2010
By J. Bone (McKinney, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Arctic Zero Chocolate Peanut Butter 150 Calories Per Pint Frozen Dessert (Pack of 6) (Grocery)
Manufacturers are so clueless. 11g Carbs and 4g protein per serving = 32 calories? What kind of idiots to they take us for? 1 Carb=4 calories. 1g protein=4 calories. So 11g of carbs (44 calories already) + 4g protein (another 16 calories)=60 calories/serving. Making the entire pint 240 calories, DOUBLE what they boast on their label. Don't be fooled by this people. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

*Added: however, it does taste good. The Chocolate is better than Chocolate Peanut Butter, though.

*Added again: Oh now it's 150 calories/pint? They must have seen my review. At least now they're not lying as bad....right?

My husband researched this info on Wikipedia and apparently a lot of companies fudge the calorie counts on their products, so I'm not really sure how to count this....I think if it's an occasional treat, 100 calories shouldn't make that much of a difference anyway.

I also like the Walden Farms products. I heard their marshmellow fluff is really good but I have yet to try it.

Thanks for the peanut butter and cool whip suggestions! I can't keep chocolate in the freezer because I'm an addict.

I look forward to other suggestions.

i have discovered that as time goes on and i eat less and less of that old garbage i used to that my body now out right rejects them. my body actually craves vegetables and lean meats now and healthy pastas with tomatoes and it wants fruits and water. it makes staying within my calorie range very easy and the food satisfies me for so much longer and it does my body and skin better.

Love Greek yogurt and I thought Chobani was my favorite, but Fage is better to me lately--thicker, creamier (same taste tho). I like to add fresh strawberries and frozen blueberries, Kashi 7 grain puffs & Kashi Golean Crunch (1/4 cup each) and a sprinkling of cinnamon (sometimes honey) and its delicious for breakfast or a snack. Also use it instead of sour cream -- I never buy sour cream anymore.

Land O Lakes 2% American cheese. Love it toasted on grain bread in the toaster oven.

Greek salad - this was a staple for me for several months (work lunch). I'd make it the same all the time and if I didn't have all the ingredients, I wouldn't make it. Iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, vidalia onion (scallion is good too), radish, cucumber, red or green pepper, greek olives (2 to 4), Feta (low fat is fine/no fat has no flavor), sprinkling of oregano, salt, pepper and Botticelli extra virgin olive oil and redwine or white vinegar. SO YUMMY. I actually started making extra for a co-worker of mine b/c she was coveting my salad!

I know this is counter-diet food, but Kraft H O M E S T Y L E cheddar mac & cheese in the blue pouch - and I add 2 cups of cooked cauliflower, eliminate the butter altogether, use skim milk with the "flavor packet" (which is really just flour/thickener--no flavor at all), sprinkle a little garlic salt on top and bake it in the oven. My whole family loves it. Its very filling and with the cauliflower is healthier.

Cool Whip FREE. Love this stuff. I've been making the no-bake cheesecake from skinnytaste.com, which is why I bought it in the first place. I've even lightened up the skinny recipe by eliminating the sugar (unneeded), eliminating the crust and instead spooning into cups and dusting with graham cracker crumbs and all bran buds, and sliced strawberries. So good.

WATER. I don't drink seltzer anymore and the only other liquids I drink are coffee and skim milk. I've become a water freak!

Extracts like vanilla and coconut--in smoothies. Love my smoothies.

Peanut butter and banana is a great quick breakfast.

I'm a routine person and a low-prep cook.
My favorites are:
Fresh Cold-Brew Iced Tea (from a bag, maybe a couple equals, LOVE IT)
Chunky Chili (460 for the whole can but it fills you up)
JD Light Breakfast Sandwiches (quick, easy protein for the morning)
Baked Potatoes (was shocked when I weighed them to find out only 100 calories in each?!?!?!)

Everyone keeps raving about PB2. I think I'm going to finally order some because I LOVE Peanut Butter, but the calorie count scares me off! I would also love to use it to bake some lower-calorie cookies or other treats

My food that has helped me with my weight loss is chicken cutlets, grilled and marinated in light italian dressing. THEY ARE SO GOOD. I have chicken all the time now and barely have cold cuts any more for lunch (cutting down on the salt!). I think eating more chicken has helped me build muscle as well

I also eat eggs for breakfast instead of cereal. I think taking out those carbs and substituting them for protein really helped boost my weight loss and now I'm using them to build muscle

gosh everyone is doing so well. I can't even tell u how many times I have started and restarted to get no where. the tips are great. Happy New year everyone

Once a week or so, I cook several chicken breasts in the crock pot for 5-6 hours and keep it in the fridge (shredded) for lunches. It falls apart so easily after the long cooking time, and it makes a great lunch mixed with 1T of mayo and a little seasoning. Super easy, convenient, and no fuss.

I looove having pickled beetroots as a snack. The sharp tangy sweet and sour taste helps curb my cravings. 1 cup is about 148 calories and is a good source of dietary fiber (6 grams).

Skinny Cow is a huge life saver since I adore ice cream; one of their cones is just 150 calories and 3 grams of dietary fiber.

I've also been meaning to try some kale chips. I hear they're easy to make and are amazingly delicious! Plus healthy and low calorie to boot.

I also rediscovered my love of lollipops. They take a long while to eat (if you don't chew it) and are relatively low in calorie, especially the sugar free ones - they just don't provide much in nutritional value.

Last but not least, miso soup! I never realized how delicious miso soup is until I had it grudgingly due to its low calories. SO GOOD. A cup is usually less than 100 calories and more than 3-5 grams of protein and dietary fiber.

WOW! These tips are great! Keep 'em coming! I'm going to sit down later and write some of these down and start trying them!

Another thing I do is trying to be inefficient. I'm so used to thinking the other way -- like when I'm going into another room, to make sure I carry everything with me that I need -- Now, I do the opposite. Take two trips to the laundry room instead of carrying everything at once. Don't organize my shopping list, so that I walk all over the grocery store several times to find what I need. All the steps do add up (I wear a fitbit, so I can see how inefficiency pays off!)

I'm trying to cut back on caffeine, since it makes me hungry, and trying to drink more water (going on the conventional wisdom that this helps weight loss), so I've made a rule that every time I drink a cup of coffee or Diet Dr. Pepper, I have to drink a 24-oz glass of water before I can have another caffeinated beverage.


ETA: OH! I thought of another one! Pizza Fit n Free! They're kind of spendy, and you have to buy them in quantity, but it's one way to get a very low fat pizza. You add your own toppings, but that's kind of a good thing. On the other hand, you can get a pretty lowfat pizza by using English Muffins and your own sauce and cheese. And that's much cheaper. But I think I'll buy these Pizza Fit n Free things a couple of times a year, anyway.

What kind of miso soup do you eat? I like it at the Japanese restaurant. Thanks

Admittedly any type offered at restaurants but definitely prefer the kind with tofu. Just be careful of the high sodium as it can sneak up on you! It helps to fill me up (along with edamame, yum) so that I don't over indulge when the sushi/maki/nigiri arrive, especially considering I love the crunchy ones.

If you want recipes I've been eyeing this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/miso-soup/

Problem is that dashi is incredibly hard to find in my area so I haven't got a chance to make it yet.

Foods that I love:

-Roasted Veggies (amazing!)
-Big salads with romaine, spinach, and other types of lettuce
-apples, persimmons, smoothies
-tofu

I eat everything, but those are my staples. There isn't a big "diet" or low-cal section in the supermarket where I live, so I pretty much have to stick with the basics. No PB2, no SkinnyCow, no Arctic Zero, no low-cal cheese!!

Although next time I return to visit my parents I'm going to buy all those things!

The roasted vegetables reminded me of another great thing that has helped me -- having the right appliances in the kitchen.

The #1 item is the George Foreman grill with removable plates for easy cleaning. I grill vegetables and chicken breast several times a week, and these are some of my favorite foods.

#2 the Misto olive oil sprayer, so I can use healthy oils, but sparingly

#3 a toaster oven (because microwave pizzas can be awful! but I don't want to heat up the whole oven)

#4 a blender that makes shakes right in the drink bottle

#5 a food processor so that I can make cauliflower mash

Sarah: Since you seem to like cauliflower, I would suggest you try this version: Roasted Cauliflower & use the recommendations I provided from foodgawker.

Other faves of mine:
Friendship No Sodium Cottage Cheese 3/4 mixed w/ Breakstone's Reduced Sodium Cottage Cheese 1/4 Add fresh pineapple or SF strawberry preserves. (I keep 2 or 3 of these made ahead in my fridge for the week)

1 T PB2 + 112g Plain Greek Yogurt + 1 tsp Agave Nectar + 1/8 c Love Grown Cranberry Pecan Granola

Love Grown is my new fave product.

MetroMint ChocolateMint Water: Sounds gross, even to a non-chocoholic, but I really love this water! $1.50/bottle

Miracle Noodles (Amazon): great for Shiratake

Another Cauliflower idea is this one: Cauliflower Crusted Pizza