Big People Need Filling Food..

OK I have a question for everyone. I don't get filled up unless I have a side dish of potatoes, rice, pasta with my dinner.  That is what I am used to.  Meat, Vegetable, and one of the above.

When someone says tuna - I think tuna melt, tuna on crackers.

I like breads too.  I think of these things as foods that fill you up.

I know now that too much is bad.  I can't eat 1/2 cup of rice yet.  Just isn't going to happen.

So where do I begin?  How do I start making changes towards not eating those things for dinner every night?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Baked Potatos is good, Baked Potatos with.. a little oil or a little parsely or Salsa is great. Also, tried Baked Sweet Potato.

Rice is good, preferably brown rice. Rice with spices or vegetables.

So.. go ahead and do these things.

What about, also, a nice side salad with fat-free dressing?

I have been thinking about starting each dinner with a salad.  Maybe that would fill me up more.

I am trying the brown rice thingy but I have to say - right now - it isn't working for me.

Oh my, but you can eat those things and still lose weight.  One thing you said is "what I'm used to" ... but you do want to change, so modify that thinking.  A tuna melt is fine, if you modify how you make it - lowfat cheese, light mayo, whole grain bread - all goes to lowering the cal count.

 Other examples: I'll stir fry a bunch of veggies with some Italian seasoning and then mix it with 1 cup of pasta - that's a huge plate of food.  And you can do the same thing with rice.  I don't eat 1/2 cup... try 1 cup of brown rice - it's more filling and better for you. 

What about trying meat, a smaller portion of starch and two vegetables? 

The only food item in the USDA Food Pyramid that you cannot eat too much of is vegetables, so if they're cooked sensibly, you can reasonably eat more veggies to get full.

Or just eat them raw:  for lunch I like to take a baggie of fresh carrots, celery and bell pepper (and some crackers) with hummus as a dip.

A salad is another good alternative.  I'm not so hot on fat-free dressing -- just a little bit of olive oil, lemon juice and (sometimes) salt does it for me.  Or putting a little fruit on the salad gives it just enough juiciness, and I probably need the fruit anyway. :)

I think a lot of extremely overweight people have 2 problems.

1: they have enlarged stomachs which require more food. and 2: the chemical responses that let the brain know they are full, are too slow.

The first thing I did was shrink my stomach. I would have half a plate of food and wait 20-30 minutes. If I still felt hungry, I would eat the rest. Eventually I taught my body to recognize that it was full with half-sized portions, by waiting longer and putting less on my plate to begin with.

You gals/guys are good.  I knew you would come up with some great suggestions.

Thank you and keep them coming.  :)

Take everything that is white and turn it brown - whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice and then eat it!! :)  Potatoes are a good source of potassium so have it once a week.  Portion control it - then eat veggies when you take seconds - be it salads or whatever - or make yourself a nice fruit salad for a dessert - take your time and eat slowly.  I think most of the time it's the taste of what we are eating we want more of and less of a hunger thing.  I have heard it takes 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message that you have eaten...so give it 20 minutes before you decide your still hungry.  Also it could be a visual thing - if your portions aren't filling your plate to what you are accustomed to - use smaller plates and see if you can trick yourself!  Good luck!! 

I have to ask....is the only reason to go from white to brown on pasta, rice, etc. because it is healthier?  Because the calories are pretty close.

Maybe I could do 1/2 of each for a while...

Because Brown Rice is a whole grain full of nutritious goodness, whereas white rice is stripped of that.

Honestly, I find that plain Brown Rice is kind of boring, but I can offer some good toppings. :)  Brown Rice and Fresh Salsa is AWESOME! :) Or.. brown rice made with chicken or beef broth (low sodium) and some mixed veggies is good :)

Empty calories huh.  I will try adding somethings to the rice to make it more filling for less quantity of rice.  Vegetables sounds good too.  I love salsa but I usually don't put it on hot food because it cools it down too much.  Do you heat the salsa up?

I think the brown rice/whole wheat pasta thing is both a healthier option (in terms of nutrients, fiber, etc.) and a lower glycemic load thing--white carbs can give you a sugar high and then a crash more so than the whole grains.

I do frozen brown rice (1/2 cup or 3/4 cup, depending on what else I am having) and actually like it better than white rice. Its a little nuttier tasting, nice texture too.

Ya I forgot about the sugar spike thing too.

Frozen brown rice? Is it already done and you just warm it up?

We make a huge batch and freeze 1/2 - 1 cup in little freezer bags and pull out as we need :)

or, if you are lazy like me, you can buy bags of frozen brown rice at whole foods or trader joes.

ok...really getting back to work now;)

"I am trying the brown rice thingy but I have to say - right now - it isn't working for me."

I like to cook the rice in low sodium chicken broth instead of water...which gives it a ton more flavor....and add some mixed frozen veggies in with the rice.  You get a serving of veggies and eat less rice, but still feel full :)

Yeah, my Fiancee likes to do what Rachel does :) And she's right, it DOES give it more flavor :)

OK cook rice with broth, maybe some seasonings, and add lots of my favorite vegetables.  I will try again.

How about spaghetti?  When I eat spaghetti I usually have two big plate fulls of pasta.  Which would probably be like 4 cups.  Ouch. 

I just got off the phone with my doctor and she suggested the following: BOIL THE RICE. 5:1 ratio. It lessens the amount of starch but maybe the starch there is will be enough for you. write back and let us know if it works. I don't know how long to boil the rice for, maybe 20 minutes? when the rice smushes completely I guess it's done. also, try brown rice instead; it's healthier and will still fill you up.

Have you tried Wheat Bulgar as a rice alternative. I use it to make Tabouli .. after the bulgar wheat soaks I also spray a pan with olive oil and put in the bulgar with spices and any veggies I have handy!! very yummy and very healthy and filling.  Here is a link to  the calories for the wheat bulgar... I'n not sure but I believe this is for the dry calories (if any one knows please enlighten me). when you soak the bulgar for 30 minutes it expands alot.

http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/82 898.html

Are you eating three big meals or are you spreading it out? If you eat big meals instead of a bunch of smaller ones you end up hungary for longer.

Make yourself a big salad.