Disenchantment?

I've become very disenchanted with the whole healthy-eating thing.  I do it, but I don't really enjoy the things I'm putting in my mouth.  I am sure it's partly because I'm a little pickier than some people, but I try to change things up, add some variety... but I just find myself craving pizza or pasta or a burger more and more as time goes on.  A carrot stick can only carry me so far as flavor goes... lol.

Anyone have any suggestions to *spice up* my new diet?  I need it to be something I can pack up and bring on-the-go in the morning, because I'm gone for work from 7-7.

I just found some new things.

Try the greek style pita flatbread,  make your own homemade pizza. They are SO good. Use tomato paste, cheese and turkey pepperoni.

I also use the new Ronzoni smart pasta. I HATE whole wheat pasta. It tastes yucky to me. This stuff tastes like regular pasta but with added fiber and calcium. Also make your own pasta sauces rather than buying the jarred stuff.

You could make these ahead of time and pre-package them so they are ready to go.

To spice up your diet, USE spices.

I've been looking on the net for healthy recipes, and I made this: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/BalsCh ickenPear.htm

last night, and OMG was it delicious.

Balsamic vinegar, shallot, corn starch? Those are things I would have never thought of using, but I did, and the dish came out FANTASTIC.

The calories are fairly low as well.

Just think about adding things to your food you normally wouldn't. Plain bagel? Use garlic! Plain vanilla yogurt? Nuh-uh. Cinnamon.
There's tons you can do to spice up your meals and snacks!

I've found that if I eat foods that aren't mentally satisfying to me, eventually I end up binging on all the bad stuff.  What works for me is eating what I want but counting the calories.  So when you hit your daily limit - stop.  The idea of eating carrots, is that you can eat a ton of them with little calories.  One slice of pizza for lunch will not blow your diet.   If you start making small healthy choices everyday, eventually you will develop a liking to a more healthy diet.   Hope this helps.

You mention craving pizza, pasta or burgers, but you don't have to cut all those things out to eat healthy.  If you make the pizza yourself the night before, you can make it with lower calorie toppings, personally I like cold or reheated pizza best but that is a personal thing. For pasta I've found a number of whole wheat pastas I really like, they tend to be similar or a little lower in calories then regular pastas but the thing I like best about them is they're higher in fiber which has two benefits: It takes less of the pasta for me to feel full, and it makes it easier to get a higher fiber intake for the day.  It's a statistical fact that most Americans get about half the fiber that's recommended for them each day.

 It takes a little time the night before, but lunches are definitely better/tastier when you prepare something yourself at least from time to time then having to stick with things like yogurt and an apple or carrot sticks every day.

Spices all the way. Virtually negligible in calories and full of taste and flavor.

On another note, you can get healthy varieties of your favorite foods. I eat pizza and pasta regularly. My pizza is whole wheat with veggie or poultry toppings. My pasta is whole grain with home made meat sauce. I have a really good recipe for meat sauce. http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/55020.ht ml It is really good and you can add a bit of sausage for more flavor.

Give yourself a little of what you crave, that is the way not to go on a huge binge.

Good Luck

On another note. I'm at work from 6:30-3:30 and I pack everything ahead of time. Here is my average meal during a work day.

Breakfast:

-Medium to large banana

-One single serving pack of cottage cheese

Mid morning snack:

- several servings of oranges or grapes or an apple

Lunch:

-Healthy Choice microwave meal (without dessert)

-one stick of low-fat string cheese

-one cup of jello low fat pudding

After lunch snack:

-a serving of walnuts or a piece of fruit

 

Once I get home I eat a sensible dinner and perhaps a bedtime snack.

As you can see, healthy, prepackaged foods are a staple in my diet. I couldn't function without them. It makes life so much easier. Another option for me is to bring leftovers from the night before for lunch the next day.

Hope this helps

edit: spell check

Healthy prepackaged are the way to go- I really like Amy's. I've also been using hummus in EVERYTHING lately. My favorite? Plain baked potato with roasted red pepper hummus. Mmmm..

salsa is the ultimate low cal condiment that will spice up everything. right now i am completely in love with celery and hot salsa. YUM!

I know for me, if I feel like I'm deprived - I will rebel.  It's this attitude that has gotten me here in the first place.  So, as I start this weight-management adventure, I told myself that I can have 1 meal a week that is anything I want.  Before starting this I ate out 5 nights a week.  But knowing I can eat out, order Pizza, or make pasta for 1 dinner a week helps me stay on track during the week, and seriously, how much damage can be done in 1 meal.  At first you might go a little crazy, bit as time goes on and you know that that meal is there for you, you won't feel the need to go crazy.  At least I hope this works for you, it works for me....

I always have a small lunchables pizza in my fridge ready for my pizza craving, it REALLY helps, and it's only 310 calories.

What I don't understand is.. why can't you have pasta and burgers everyday?

I measure out a 400 calorie portion (with sauce) and make it for lunch pretty often..

I also make boca burgers (130 cals) on the pan and use small whole grain buns, they're like 120 calories each.  Plus some condiments.. light mayo, mustard, carmalised onions.... maybe even a little avocado?  Seems reasonable.... I don't see why you have to force yourself to never eat those things again.  (Esspecially if you plan on eating that stuff like crazy once you "go off of your diet", which never works.)

It isn't so much that you can't eat such things, you just need to cut back on your portions and how often.  I have been keeping to a better diet most of the week, but allow myself one dinner a week that is 'bad'.  I just cut the portion down to keep myself under my calorie intake for the day. 

 When you try to cut certain things you enjoy out of you diet entirely, you can guarantee you will fail.  If you just try to eat healthier, remain under the total calorie intake allowed for the day, and compensate for 'bad' foods by eating a bit healthier other times and/or by doing some extra exercise, it will help you keep to your 'diet' instead of wanting to rebel against it all the time. 

Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone!

My boyfriend and I are doing the weight loss thing together, so I have his support... It helps, but I admit that it sometimes causes me to lash out at him when he tries to steer me away from unhealthy foods :-/

We both decided that it would be the best approach for us to be strict and super healthy during the week, and leave the weekend for us to cheat our diets a little.  A typical day of the week for us usually consists of 2 Slimfasts (1 for breakfast, 1 for lunch), and a bag of munchies that we take to work with us (this week its grapes, carrots/celery, peanuts/raisins, and then a 100 calorie pack of our own choosing).  At night we eat a lean cuisine and a mini-treat, like frozen yogurt or a small pack of popcorn (the 94% less butter kind).  But we're both having trouble at night because the lean cuisine doesn't seem to hold us over for the 4-5 hours until bed.

Try Healthy Choice instead of Lean Cuisine, it only has about 100 more calories and the portions are much better sized. They also have more veggies involved...

I dont know how you have Slimfasts for meals- I couldnt survive like that- but Kudos to you!

 And definitely dont completely deprive yourself, even a little piece of dark chocolate can kick a craving and its way less calories. Sometimes, you just need a Big Mac...lol

lol well the bag of munchies is really the trick... I eat the grapes with the one for breakfast, I eat the carrots/celery with the one for lunch, I munch on the peanuts and raisins and 100 calorie pack throughout my afternoon/evening... Plus I drink lots of water to fill me up in between.

Hmmm...How many calories are you having in a day? This may be why you are SOOO hungry in the evening before bed.

Yesterday, about 1650-1700.

Today I'm a little over 1200 so far.

I'm eating 3 meals, and lots of munchies, lol.  Far from starving myself.

What has worked for me is to make sure I eat a some fat, protein, and fiber in every one of my snacks/meals. Carrots alone are boring, but pair them with a little peanut butter or cheese and they're great.

Also, here is a salad idea that is healthy, filling, and (to me) delicious:

1 1/2 c greens

1/4 c cherry tomatoes

2 T cucumber

2 t green onions

5 baby carrots

1 small orange

2 T pineapple

1 T feta

1 T walnuts

calories: 180

good luck!