When making say Bolonaise meat sauce as well as using low fat mince, add veges of at least the same quantity, say mushrooms, capsicums, onions. spinach corn etc. It is much more satisfying and filling............wholemeal pasta helps too.

I agree margmt - we love baking eggplant, garlic & capsicum - chopping it then blending with a few pitted olives & sundried tomatoes and adding it to the mince w the tomatoes or passata, mushrooms etc.  Love the flavour.  We also scramble silken tofu & add a little curry powder - even non-tofu fans seem to like it.  Another recent discovery is baking flat bread until it's crisp & using it instead of corn chips in nachos or with dip. Loads less fat & salt.  If I'm still hungry after a meal, a slowly sipped glass of V8 vege juice is only 50cals.  If we're craving something sweet drained fruit yoghurt hits the spot.

All the things in this article are true and important. I also like swaps when it comes to baking breaded foods instead of frying. It may not be exactly as good, but I never realized how good chicken, eggplant and other foods could be if you use egg white to dip them in and then bread them lightly and bake. The oil is the calorie killer and not good for you either. I like swaps when it comes to deserts too. So many good deserts can be changed to have fewer calories. Recipes are all over the internet. GOOD EATING EVERYONE.

Original Post by: klif044006607

Stop feeling sorry for yourself...get-up off the couch and be in charge of you!...all the advise in the world means nothing if you behave like a turtle and stick your head in your shell...no person is coming to rescue you...rescue yourself and be more than what you are today...look in the mirror and see potential unrealized and strength unused and a person that can do it ...rather than can't...say it...YES I CAN...now...have a good day!  

My goodness, I guess you didn't have your morning caffeine yet!

I am cutting out processed foods to the best of my ability, at the very least I will feel better in the long run. The realization that even miniscule amounts of additives can afffect some people drastically is a fact that we don't think about. It is worth the effort.

I have started to include three 1/2 cup servings of fruit (or more) to my daily diet and two or three servings of veggies per day, too. I limit my meat to about 4 ounces at dinner, and then use alternate forms of protein (like protein powder in a smoothie, or greek yogurt, for example) at other meals. I also always make room for a snack, including ice cream on certain days, or Weight Watchers chocolates (1 or 2 pieces), or popcorn (almost always without butter, but I do splurge occasionally and add a couple of teaspoons of hot butter to a few cups of popcorn once in a while). I also plan for splurges about once every 7 to 10 days so that I can go to a wedding, a graduation party, or out to eat with family or friends without worrying so much about what I can eat (but I'm still careful; I don't go hog-wild). This is working great for me. I've lost 16.5 lbs in about 16 weeks, and I had lost 15.5 lbs prior to that just by counting calories alone. So I've lost 32 lbs in all, and that puts me at my premenopause weight, which thrills me. My next goal is 12 additional lbs, which puts me in the "healthy" BMI range. My third goal is another 10 or 15 lbs, which is still in the "healthy" zone. It will depend upon how I feel and how sustainable it is for me to achieve and maintain at that point. I have made small changes over a period of time, but those changes are making a difference. And I probably wouldn't have lost much weight without adding exercise. I walk about an hour 4 days per week, and I'm up to 4.25 miles per hour now. I'll be adding resistance and strength training soon in order to build muscle and to help me achieve my weight loss and (more importantly) my goals to be my healthiest best without going to extremes.

I have heard that sweeteners such as splena is nit good for you. Is this true?

I think the most important part of a new healthy lifestyle for me was doing it gradually.

Since I never ate whole grain I stared with things like brown rice for white rice that I could eat and not really notice the difference(;)) then gradually adding whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour to replace white flour( started with just a small amount and kept increasing it.) to baked goods etc. Now I actually enjoy 100% whole wheat bread but that's because it was a gradually taste/texture change.

I also stopped diet pop and replaced it with decaf green tea( like iced tea anyway so just made it with green tea) so there is flavor but not calories or artificial stuff.

Veggies I started with roasted or grilled since they are yummy and imo sweeter tasting than other methods of cooking, 1/2- 3/4 dinner plate, a little lemon juice or herbs, only enough olive oil or spray to keep them from sticking( like a tsp per pan)/ they were all small barely noticeable changes that added up to a much better diet and subsequent weight loss.

Sweets were harder but I just bought stuff I don't love( IE slow churned lower cal ice cream) or stopped for a single serving of a treat ( ie a cupcake rather than a whole cake) and have revamped some recipes to make them better for me dessert wise. I also eat a fruit with lunch and breakfast and that helps with the"sweet" desire. Dinner I have dessert but not as high cal, either due to portion control or a revamped lower cal option.

I think gradual changes made it something I can live with. I really don't want to eat my old way anymore. I don't miss it cause I still have what I love, just way less of it.