Tips -- give me all your tips (please)

What's your favourite meal workaround?  Do you replace all the oil in everything?  When was the last time you ate something fried?  How to stop the chocolate monster (any time, not just that time)?

Share your tips with the rest of us, help us learn

Stop the chocolate monster!? More like incorporate it healthfuly like in a meal replacement shake or post-workout protein shake! Just use chocolate whey powder with some yogurt,fat free milk, frozen fruit, and ice and you can satisfy that craving without the guilt.

i personaly dont replace all oil...just all vegetable oil,hydrogenated vegitable oils, trans fatty acids, and margarine.. stay away from that!. but olive oil(along with peanut oils and canola oil) is healthy in moderation just like peanut butter! it is high in monosaturated fats, and those are the ones you want. It does an amazing job at controling cravings by keeping you feelin fuller longer. but obviously do not gorge on the stuff.

Last time i ate something really ate something fried would have to be the beginning of last summer...so some time back at the end of may..but ill admit i was hanging with a friend and they ordered denny's seasoned fries and i did have 1.

I am very picky about what I eat. I try not to use oil at all. I use a cooking spray when I have to. I also avoid butter and things of that sort. I have a bad chocolate habit, so I look up different low fat and sugar free shake and smoothie recipes online. When I don't feel like doing that, I grab a cup of fat free milk with sugar free chocolate syrup. Recently I found out that the diet foods don't taste bad at all! I do a lot of sugar free and fat free foods. I think a lot of the sugar free foods taste pretty much the same as the regular ones. Lots of vegetables too.

I actually can't remember the last time I had anything fried. "Fried" is just not in my vocabulary anymore, LOL.

Another good one is I eat at least 6 times a day. I get my calories and get to taste test everything in my kitchen.

I try to think of healthy things....fried just isnt in my vocabulary any more.  I visualize what the 'fat' is doing to my arteries and it literally turns me off.  I dont 'diet' (that's a four letter word), I practice a healthy lifestyle.  I dont deny myself anything, but I do find that I prefer the taste of veggies and fruits to anything with sugar and flour.

Healthy lifestyle for life...that's the way to go

5'2 - Starting weight 136 June 08

Current weight 115.2 (have plateaued...)

I have adopted some "techniques" to keep my calorie count low. I had talked about it for years and knew a lot about dieting success, but never followed my own advice, or found it extremely difficult with all the temptations available. This time getting a tooth pulled and surviving a couple of serious bouts of infatuation have led to weight loss success. (Infatuation = hopeless romantic = appetitie suppressant). I am a low carb dieter and loosely follow South Beach. No sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes etc. I will list a couple sample menus at the end of this post.

First, I drink at least 8oz of water (w/lemon) or no calorie (NO Soda) drink before each meal. While eating the meal, I savor every bite and chew thoroughly and make a concious effort to slow down. If you know you're going to have a "cheat" meal, drink a glass of fiber (psyllium husk), or eat high fiber foods (apples, broccoli etc) prior to the meal. If this is at a restaurant, always get the to go tray with the meal to pack half of it away for later. I always keep foods on hand that are healthy and low calorie. Some of my favorite snack foods are baby carrots, japanese cucumber, just about any kind of fruit particularly strawberries, peaches apples and blueberries. This pretty much guarantees a feeling of satiation and a low calorie count at the end of the day. I don't keep processed "snacky" foods around the house, because I could probably blow through a whole bag/can/whatever in one sitting if I got started so I just don't keep the temptations within arms reach. I have also been adamant about removing high fructose corn syrup and anything hydrogenated from my kitchen. I use cooking sprays and promise buttery spread for butter (in moderation of course), and am currently weening from I can't believe its not butter spray, and will eventually switch from Splenda to Stevia. (When my $20. Costco box of packets is gone...) however, this probably won't matter much since much of the food I buy is already sweetened with Splenda.

As far as chocolate... I buy dark chocolate (70% or better) and occasionally have a couple of squares with 1 Tbsp of no additive peanut butter. Just like a Reeses (only, to me, better and about 195 calories). Otherwise, sugar free everything... fudgsicles, puddings etc. I also found a chocolate dip from Walden farms that isn't horrible... (it isn't great either but tastes pretty good with strawberries) that is zero calorie. They also carry a line a dressings and sauces that are worth looking into. All claim zero calorie and some even taste great like the honey dijon dressing. (on spinach salad w/shrimp, yummy!) Look in the diabetic section of your local grocery store.

I think maybe the single most important thing is controlling your thoughts about food. I read somewhere, that your body has a weight set point and your body will try to revert to the weight it is used to being. I have been ~140 since puberty, so I keep that in mind when I am hungry, my mind/body might be trying to play tricks on me. Sometimes when I think I am hungry, I am actually bored so I try to find something to occupy my time. If I am still hungry, I have a healthy snack, however, I try not to get ravenous then I definitely overindulge (albeit on healthy foods, but still overindulge-calories are calories....). And never under any circumstances go grocery shopping when hungry, very dangerous! I start buying "treat" items, thinking i'll share them with my daughter (who usually pulls my bluff and doesn't want any of it) then end up eating whatever it was in its entirety. ... Dieting (ugh, hate that word)... never perfect however, if you spend more days on than off you will come out ahead. DO try to break a sweat and burn at least 300cals every day. Remember a pound a week is still 52lbs a year and that is an accomplishment to be proud of. Its about a lifetime change, not a quick fix. Something I have to keep reminding myself as well....

Sample menu - amazingly I have been under 1300 per day and still feel like I am over doing it....

I am going to buy a food scale to check accuracy of log input

Today.... cal counts are estimated

HUGE (44oz) Water with lemon 6

1 Zen Fiber cake (Trader Joes) 80

1c Kefir Nonfat plain yogurt with frozen strawberries, 1pkt Splenda and vanilla extract 140

Coffee w/ff creamer and splenda 45

5 baby carrots 20

Chai coconut tea 0

Pork with mustard/italian sauce and Cauliflower mash ("mock mash potatoes") ~300

Talking Rain Orange Mange zero calorie drink (diluted with water) 0

Peach 35

Pistachios 119

Low carb Pizza

--Low Carb Tortilla, no additive tomato sauce, skim mozzarella, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives basil 250

Spinach salad with no cal honey dijon dressing and sugar plum tomatoes 50

unsweetened soy milk 80

NSA Fudgesicle 40

Total 1165