The Diet
My name is Lindsay Ferrier and I am on a diet.
I haven’t mentioned it before because frankly, it’s not a very fun or interesting thing to write about. Where I once could lose five pounds in one week and go on my merry way, this time around, the weight has been clinging to me like a needy toddler. Depressing? Yes.
But after what has seemed like an eternity of salads and Lean Cuisines and calorie counting and hunger pangs and about ten hundred million rotations on the elliptical, I have finally, finally lost ten pounds. I feel like I’ve done enough work to have lost fifty. But whatever. It’s a start. I’d like to lose another ten pounds and then, I’m sure, everything will be perfect. Parades will be held in my honor! Size two clothing will magically fit me like a glove! Lindsay! The Musical will be performed to rave reviews on Broadway! Suburban Turmoil will be optioned for a sitcom, which will eventually rival Seinfeld in popularity! Anyone who writes mean comments on my blog will mysteriously get gangrene! I’ll get a book deal! A multi-book deal! Mirriam-Webster will put my picture under its definition of MILF! You know, the usual things that happen when you reach your target weight. It’s not that farfetched, right? Right?!
Heh. In all seriousness, I do have to tell you this: Working out regularly again has changed my life. These days, I try to get to the gym four times a week. I go 45 minutes on the elliptical. Hard. After a few weeks of this, I started feeling so much better. I feel better about myself, better about my life, I have more energy and more strength and even beyond the personal payoff, I know this is making me a better mom. Both my kids love going to the Y nursery, thankfully (Bratty McPusherson hasn’t shown up in a while, muahahahaha [oh, and as an aside, Hubs actually showed these two posts to a woman at work who is friends with the infamous Gym Mom (WTH?!) and do you know what her only comment was? “She doesn’t dye her hair, though.”]), and I’m so excited about raising children who grow up thinking that workouts are a natural part of the daily routine.
Also? I read a study recently that showed that people suffering from depression benefitted from exercise as much as they benefitted from medication. And I have to say now that I believe it. My general mood is about ten times better than it was before I started exercising. So if you’ve been thinking about working out, please do it! Find something that works for you and I can almost guarantee you’ll start feeling better. Wayyyy better.
That said, I need your help. My diet is simply old-fashioned calorie counting. It works for me and always has. I’ve found several low-calorie snacks I love, but I’m totally on the lookout for more. If you have a snack or even a link to some low-cal recipes that are awesome, please, for the love of god, share them in the comments. And for those of you trying to lose a few pounds yourselves, here are a few of mine:
1) I pop my own popcorn. A half cup of kernels, which makes a huge bowl that I can never manage to finish alone is only 120 calories and almost all of that is from the cooking oil. I add a little salt and butter cooking spray and it tastes just like the microwave version. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll even pop some before we go to the movies and sneak it in.
2) Edamame. Don’t laugh, but I love edamame only because it reminds me of that Southern delicacy known as boiled peanuts. Kroger now carries big, cheap bags of it in the frozen vegetable section and I make a big batch every day. Soybeans are incredibly filling and the act of shelling them to eat them keeps me from wolfing them down too quickly.
3) Weight Watchers Cookies and Cream bars are so good, I’d eat them even if I weren’t on a diet. Oh yes I would.
Obviously, I need more ideas. I’ve got another few months to go Help!
>If you haven’t tried it yet, RUN to the grocery store to get Laughing Cow’s Light cheese. The package is shaped like a wheel of Brie, and contains 8 1-ounce wedges of a spreadable, swiss-tasting cheese. I’m not sure on the exact calorie count, but it cannot be more than 50 or so for a wedge, as it is only 1 point on WW.This cheese is incredible on low-fat wheat thins. I’ve actually used it as the cheese on a sandwich – yum. Celery smeared with it takes on the taste of heaven.Um – can you tell I like cheese? The Light version is available in French Onion and Garlic and Herb varieties as well. It’s insanely expensive – but well worth it!
>Water water water! Also-I just saw this on Operah-eat 100% whole GRAIN bread with extra virgin olive oil before dinner. It fills you up (with good stuff) so you don’t overeat at dinner. Good for you for working out!! Don’t forget fresh air-it helps. Take Bruiser for long walks while he is small enough for a stroller. Once he walks on his own it is just an exercise in patience for you! Good luck!
>I’m doing the same thing! Counting calories and riding the bike at night (until it’s warm enough here so I can RUN again!).My low fat snacks are: Fiber One granola bars, whole wheat pita and hummuus, cheese sticks, and lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Way to go on the 10 pounds!
>i love love love:zuchini chopped into slices sprinkled with a tiny bit of seasoned salt (i used tastefully simples).
>I just have to second the Laughing Cow cheese. So. Very. Good.
>Ooh, these are great! I’m going to the grocery today, so keep em coming. I’m getting hungry already. 😀
>I lost 20 lbs on a diet my Dr. Put me on for another chronic condition, but whatever, I felt awesome. If a caveman wouldn’t have eaten it, I couldn’t eat it. No pasta, no rice, no bread, no chocolate, etc. Just fish, meat, eggs, (tons and tons of olive oil) and fruits and veggies. Nuts, too. Dried fruit was ok…potatoes are ok. Just nothing you couldn’t have eaten if you were living off the land. It was hard at first, but now, I hate processed food, and I’ve kept the weight off!Think apples and penut butter, fish with lemon, olive oil and veggies, steak, eggs and bacon, Coffee is ok…its not all bad. 🙂
>Raw carrots, raw green beans (go to a good produce market and just start trying out new beans), some pepper and some celery salt. I ate that for lunch for 4 months when I was dropping 40 pounds last year. It has flavour and just about no calories to speak of.Also, I would be a vegetarian before dinner. Even when eating out at restaurants. I would fence at night, so I’d protein up at dinner before the workout, but during the day I was meat free.Um. That’s not what she said.
>I love, love, love the new Special K Bliss bars. 90 calories of yummy-ness.
>You are pretty much my twin with this post! I’ve been doing the same–working out (though I run) and counting calories. I reached the 10 lb mark recently too and am looking for a little new inspiration to loose the next 10-15. I’m taking in all these ideas, and here are a few of my own:1) cheese sticks (60-80 calories) and 1-3 crackers (depending on the size and calorie count)2) light yogurt, with rice krispies if I need a little something to add to it (they are so low in cals and it doesn’t take much to make the yogurt a bit more filling).3) DOVE DARK CHOCOLATES! At a little less than 40 calories a piece and all that yummy rich chocolately goodness they keep me sane. I suck on them to make them last longer.4) Skinny Cow or other light ice cream treats. I’m someone who feels unsatisfied unless I’ve had some kind of “treat” after dinner and there are lots of good options at 100 calories or a little more.5)english muffins with peanut butter (or without) at 50-75 calories per muffin half, if you add a tablespoon or less of PB you’ve got a <200 calorie snack that's satisfying and good for you (especially if you get whole grain english muffins)6) instant oatmeal packets – they’re usually 130 calories or so and are a filling, healthy and warm snack. Even better, skip the un-natural ingredients and make your own instant oats with add brown sugar and cinnamon. Brown sugar is only 15 calories per packed teaspoon.7) calorie-free beverages. Sometimes it’s enough for me to have a diet soda or flavored water.8) for lunch I’ve gotten in the habit of making a salad and having half a can of low calorie soup. I’m been surprised at how much less food my body craves now that I’m getting used to it.Good luck to you! Keep us posted.
>Lindsay! I did it, too, and dropped 20. And, I blogged about it! Click my link below or go directly to http://tinyurl.com/6rm3br.My favorite snack was that guacamole you buy in the pouches in the deli section – measure out a Tbsp of guac onto a whole-wheat melba toast. Avocados – and almonds – have “good” fats that you need.Otherwise I was the queen of substitutions – Egg Beaters, Turkey bacon, fat-free dressing, spray butter and Pam. Drank lots and lots of water. And: Beck’s ultra lite beer has 64 calories per bottle! You can have 3 of those babies for every 2 Amstel Lights!I’m just sayin’.Good luck!
>First comment I’ve ever left on your blog but I read it faithfully! Check out weightwatchen.com -great blog, TONS of food ideas, shopping lists, etc. – I look at it all the time.
>First of all, I am an avid reader of your blog. I absolutely love your writing! I never comment but generally I find that whatever I have to say has already been said.That said, I’d like to direct you to weightwatchen.com (another blog I read but don’t comment on) because Roni has some GREAT ideas for light snacks and healthy meals! Hooray! Tasty too, I’ve tried some :)Good luck on your next ten… I’ll be (silently) rooting for you!
>Oh yeah, those flavor packets that you pour into a bottle of water have SAVED me. Special K makes great protein ones that curb your appetite, Crystal Light makes them with caffeine, and even Kroger has started making a cheaper version. I am totally addicted to them.
>I love Calbee Snapea Crisps!!we’re talkin’ 150 calories/per serving BUT 5 grams of protein.I pretty much have to fight my kids for them :)I originally got them at Whole Foods BUT you can order them at amazon (!)http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-alias=grocery&field-brandtextbin=Calbee
>look 4 hood brand milk it is only 3 carbs in 8 oz reg has 12slim fast makes some great snack bars u need to get the 1s that says snank not meal replacement
>I too love those Laughing Cow light cheeses. My favorite is the Garlic Herb. I like to spread them on the Thomas’ light whole wheat english muffins (100 calories, lots of fiber) for a quick breakfast or snack. Sometimes I add turkey for extra protein. I also love to put it on whole wheat pita topped with sauteed spinach, garlic and mushrooms (light on the oil) for a super nutritious lunch. A great healthy crockpot meal that my husband and I both love is Naang Chicken. 1 package chicken breast (3 pieces) 1 package spinach 1 can artichoke hearts, drained 1 jar spagetti sauce (check out the Classico brand, they tend to have the least amount of sugar…. I get it cheap at Target, sometimes it is on sale at Kroger)Dump everything into the slow cooker/crock pot frozen or thawed. I usually add some garlic. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high 5-6 hours. I serve it over whole wheat pasta. You can’t even taste the spinach so I think it would be a good way to sneak in veggies for the kids. (Hope Jessica Seinfeld and that other lady don’t sue me). And because on a rainy Nashville day like today, you might need a little something to boost your spirits (ha, spirits – no pun intended!).100 Calorie Margaritas 6 oz. Sprite Zero 1 shot (1.5 oz.) tequila 1 packet Crystal Light Lemonade On-the-Go (or 1 tsp. of dry mix) 2 tbs. lime juice Mix all together and serve over ice. The last thing I’ll mention is that it is amazing what weight lifting can do to change your body. I love doing The Firm (the Transfirmer is my favorite), but you could also do your lifting at the gym. It might not initially make the scale move but you will see inches drop like you wouldn’t believe. And then life will be really perfect!! Good luck and thanks for the motivation. I need it!
>skinny cow fat free fudge bars!! these things rock!! honestly they are better than regular fudge bars. also skinny cow lot-fat ice cream sandwiches are awesome too! its a great evening snack.
>Hi Lindsay! I’m on a new calorie-counting, exercising regimen too and I completely agree about the energy increase. Isn’t it awesome? Some of my new favorite treats are Yoplait fat-free yogurt (the Key Lime Pie and Apple Turnover flavors are super and desserty), grilled zucchini sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and baby carrots or cucumbers dipped in spicy hummus. One of my favorite dinners lately is 10-minute brown rice with a can of spicy diced tomatoes, grilled zucchini, and a serving of goat cheese: it’s only around 400 cals and it’s really filling and tasty!
>Hi. You writing about your life is never boring, and you sharing your change in eating habits are a welcome sight to folks like me. I linked back to your post from my own weight loss blog.Thanks again,Phil
>Weight Watchers has ice cream cups too (cookie dough, brownie, mint chocolate chip). I’m a big fan of ice cream and have no will power especially when it comes to Ben & Jerrys so I just love that the WW ice cream is perfectly portioned. When I’m really feening for chocolate the hostess 100 cal cupcakes are great. If you’re a fan of veggies another thing I like to do is sautee veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, squash) in fat free spray. I put them on a fat free tortilla topped with salsa. Very low cal, filling and yummy!When I’m cooking for the fam I’ve been using the American Heart Association lean ground beef which has about 4% fat. It’s a bit more expensive but worth it. Glad you posted…I’ll keep checking comments to hear others tips too. This is actually very useful.Thx
>You GO GIRL!!!!!!!!! Being a fellow recent (15 m.o) Mama, I have post-baby body sympathy for you! I too have struggled with my weight loss, but don’t you feel awesome when the scale numbers start going down!? My only tip is to take your body measurements, b/c the measuring tape often shows inches lost when the scale won’t budge!
>Cheerios. Sounds nuts, but Honey Nut Cheerios fulfills that sweet craving and they’re pretty darn good for you. Easy to cart around too.
>I’m trying to get the baby weight off too. A co-worker and I are trying to walk at least 3 days a week during lunch. We have a 2 mile path around town.Try the 2008 Self Challenge. http://www.self.com/challenge/welcome They have a list of about 20 sweet snacks and 10 savory snacks. The website has eating and workout plans, plus you can log it all in online. I’ve made several of the recipes and there were surprising good. You just don’t expect that from something that is supposed to be healthy. It’s so hard to come up with new stuff for dinner. This is a real time saver.
>Apples and other fresh produce works for me. For a sweet craving I do sauteed spinach with a pinch of brown sugar. When I lived in Buckhead I ate that at Ghenki’s all the time. I found out that my Thyroid was underactive. I didn’t want to take the thyroid hormone b/c it can have costly side-effects. I started iodine supplements and I’m back to normal. I also lose weight faster. You know, like after I’ve eaten my weight in girl scout cookies. Not that I have EVER done that.
>Naked Juice…1 pound of fruit makes a small bottle of a smoothie/juice. It’s delicious. Great snack. Frozen grapes… thaw them out 5-10 minutes befroe eating a sweet treat.
>Have you been doing any strength training? I hear it works. One day I’ll try it out and letcha know. In the meantime, Laughing Cow cheese is the bomb, yo.
>Just wanted to give you this link from Junkfood Science, re: restricting calorie intake.I’m really glad that you are exercising and feeling great!
>I got one of these a little over a year ago and I haven’t made microwave popcorn since. It tastes *so* much better, and you’re right, it’s nice to know that all that’s going in there is popcorn, oil and salt. None of that weird fake butter that supposedly gives people lung cancer or something.Plus I think you burn off a few calories cranking the damn thing!
>From the middle-age dude side of this equation…in 2001, I hit 250 lbs. ‘Tweren’t pretty.I did two things: (1) renewed my exercise commitment and (2) cut out sugar, save for the natural stuff in fruit.Ten painful months later, I hit 205.That’s the good news. The bad news…I’ve gained most of it back in the last two years :(Sounds to me like what you’re doing is working, Lindsay. Hang in and keep it going.
>Okay, I just bought some Laughing Cheese and Triscuits, I can’t WAIT to try the 100 calorie margarita, I’m excited about all the recipe/snack links, and I’m laughing imagining Prescott turning the crank on his popcorn maker. 😀
>First – congratulations on your first triumph! The book that helped me is “How the rich get thin” by Jana Klauer, M.D. Park Avenue’s top diet doctor reveals the secrets to losing weight and feeling great. Yeah it sounds really pretentious but it’s the first diet book I’ve read that doesn’t promise miracle weight loss really fast; it has a focused diet that teaches you how to slim down and stay slim for life. It is a calcium rich diet that promotes high quality protein, complex carbs, eliminate all processed foods and mandatory exercise (I hate books that say you can get thin by just changing eating habits)My favorite diet food – 1 cup of Stonyfield Farm fat free plain yogurt with 1 splenda and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Calorie content 110, protein 11g, calcium 40%.Good luck!!!
>100 CALORIE MARGARITAS??? GOOD LORD! PARTY AT MY HO– USE TOMORROW NIGHT! My snacks: 1. Toasted low cal English muffins (WW makes them, but so do other brands for cheaper) with pan “fried” (just use cooking spray) egg whites with diced onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. I think that’s right around 100 calories and it’s a meal. 2. Ants on a log. I know it’s toddler food, but I love me some of that peanut butter on celery with raisins. 3. Special K anything–cereal, bars, drinks, snacks. Mmmm. They are all under 100 cal. 4. Edy’s light ice cream. Amen. 5. Diced strawberries, no sugar added (if you like them juicy, add a dash of boiling water to them and let them sit awhile) over angel food cake finished off with a spoonful of light whipped cream. 6. Lion’s Choice little $.25 chocolate dipped ice creams. 3 pts for WW.7. I know it costs extra, but I love the 100 calorie packs. I can eat them, and then stop. Some candies (like M&Ms) aren’t too bad per little package if you can find a bag of the “fun size”. (I never got that, to me “fun sized” should be something larger than King sized. Now that would be fun.) Granted, you aren’t getting much, but if it’s smack dab in the middle of the day and you aren’t hungry, but just want a little something, you won’t break the diet plan. I know I have a million more ideas, but I can’t think of them right now. If they come to me, I’ll be back.
>Hey Lindsey,Im a personal trainer in Wisconsin.Instead of just doing the eliptical, try using the weight machines too. This will help you lose fat but tone muscle. (you don’t want all the excess skin flappin around in your arms someday do ya?) As far as snacks go, I got nothing…just that you should be eating the most amount of calories in the morning, and try not to eat too many carbs and calories at night, because lets face it, unless your husband is a stallion and wants to go all night, your not losing that much weight sleeping.If you need any workouts or anything, I would be willing to e mail you workouts or something to change it up a bit (I understand it can get boring doing the same thing over and over)
>I like to pop my popcorn with olive oil. Some people don’t like it but my husband and I do. And we also like to get the parmesan cheese in the grater (it’s in the cheese section) and put a little on there. It is SO good, and there really aren’t that many calories in it. I’m very sensitive to salt so it works better for me than salting the popcorn.I’ve also started eating quinoa, which isn’t insanely low-calorie, but it’s similar to grits (which I love) but you get more for your calories. It has protein and other good stuff in it and is easy to cook.And have you tried Naked Juice? Ohhhhh it’s so good! Not really low-cal but a healthy snack when you’re hungry and don’t want to avoid pigging out. Some of my dieting friends buy it.
>Oh I forgot. I am addicted to chocolate, but I’ve adapted by getting Lindt 85% dark. It’s about the darkest you can find and has less calories than a Hershey bar BUT the main thing is I can only eat a couple of squares before I don’t want anymore! (I could probably eat several Hershey bars at once–they are all fat and sugar.)
>My husband and I are currently doing the Body for Life 12 Week program. They have some great recipe ideas for meals and snacks at their website. Im a big fan of the cottage cheese that process in the bleder with a bit of splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla. You can dip apple slices in it – other fruit too, but the crispness of the apples is great with the dip.www.bodyforlife.com
>I am a huge fan of the Orville Redenbacher mini smart cakes. If you happen to follow the WW diet, 8-11 of the smart cakes only = 1 point.I’m a huge fan of the cheddar cheese AND the sour cream/onion cakes. Very filling.I also second the frozen grapes.
>More great tips- Thanks!Kiki, thanks for the advice- I actually have been doing weights on and off for years, so the muscle definition in my arms is established, fortunately. I’m not doing machines right now because my son weighs 27 POUNDS and I have to carry him everywhere. My arms are looking GREAT right now! 😀 Once he starts walking well and I’m not doing so much heavy lifting, I’ll get back on the machines again.
>I’m not kidding, a great workout is when you take your son, the 27lber, and hold him straight out in front of you, and do squats!
>I love yogurt and I just make some granola to put on top. Check HillbillyHousewife.com for some good recipes to make the granola. I found some great recipes on Recipezaar too. It is filling with the granola, but I don’t find the yogurt too filling on its out.We eat a lot of fruit and veggies. I cut a big batch of veggies up for the week and we eat those all week long. You could make pita chips too- depending on what you are in the mood for. cut the pitas into triangles, spray with Pam and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar for something sweet or put a little salt on them for the salty snack. Bake for ten to twelve minutes at 400. YUMMY!I also love popcorn and sometimes I will grate a little parmesan on the popcorn to give it a different flavor (I am the only one who likes this though- weird family members)Let me know if you want more and I will send more- don’t want to hijack the comments 😉
>PS- I am proud of you for exercising 🙂 You offer great advice and motivation. I promise to try to make more of an effort to get my rear off of the couch. It is hard in the winter and it is finally warming up here so I finally have some motivation.
>If you air pop the popcorn you save a TON of calories, and can top it with garlic and parmesean. I also love to do the fruit and walnut salad from a major fast food chain at home. Apples, grapes, le creme vanilla yogurt and diamond glazed walnuts. It is a great lunch and good for you. I also had to switch to “not milk” because of an allergy and found Hemp Milk. It is high in amino acids, Essential Fatty acids, low calorie and tastes good. It is even good in my cappuccino!!Also try to stay away from the sugar substitutes like nutra sweet and stuff. There are several articles that say it makes you more prone to overeat sweets when dieting. Cutting those out of my diet have helped a ton. And lastly I LOVE LOVE LOVE PILATES!! It works your body big time without a million whirls on the elliptical. You don’t feel like you are working out until the next day, but notice the results right away!!Good luck. Keep up the great work, and we love you!!
>My favorite dessert to eat when dieting (and even when not!) is to take an angel food cake mix and make it with a can of crushed pineapple instead of the water. Bake as directed. Yummo!!
>I adore your site and hope I can help. Make sure the water you drink is cold. You burn more calories by your body “heating” it up. You also want protein with every meal. If your ideal body weight is 140 lbs. you should consume 140 grams of protein a day. Also, watch your sugar intake. You want a consistent blood sugar level throughout the day. Most low fat treats are loaded with sugar. Wishing you success!
>I noticed the same things when I started exercising after baby number 2. It was like night and day, and all I could fit in was about 15 minutes running up and down our back stairs while the kids watched veggie tales inside. BUt I felt so much better.Anyway, I know you want snack ideas. BUt you also said you feel hungry and you are bored so here a few things you may not have tried yet that will help.1. Look up Low Glycemic Index diets. Basically all the carbs you eat are complex carbs, you pair your sweets with meals and protein to keep it from metabolizing fast and causing cravings, you eat lots of fresh food and very little processed. I got on it to deal with my hypoglycemia, but I also lost a ton of weight when I was eating that way after my first baby. I dropped two sizes.2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book French Women don’t get Fat. The approach is refreshing, practical, and much more enjoyable as way to lose weight and keep it off than dieting, at least I thought so.Best of luck with the last 10. And the size two, and the book deal…:)
>I love edemame too, only I’ve been getting the kind at Kroger that is already shelled. Pop em in the microwave for 5 minutes, and we are golden!
>I don’t know if this is mentioned before in the comments because I haven’t read all of them, but have you tried getting an air popper for your popcorn? No cooking oil required! I love mine. I’m lost 30 lbs in the last 10 weeks through calorie counting, and I usually eat 5-6 small meals a day, I’m never hungry. Another great thing is the Weight Watchers cookbook. It has excellent recipes and lists the average calories of each meal below each recipe. Tonight I made chicken fried rice that was better than I’ve gotten in any restaurant. All the flavor without the grease and guilt!
>I’m digging apple slices with hummus for dipping these days. Also the 100 calorie packs of things from Nabisco aren’t so bad. I usually eat the oreo crisps.
>You should really try http://www.hungry-girl.com. It has tons of awesome low cal ideas! You kinda have to dig a little on the website, but it’s totally worth it!
>All of the food ideas are great! I’ve been looking for low-cal snacks that actually satisfy.Anyway, the reason for my post is because I want to share a mind-body connection book with you that my wonder trainer shared with me: Spark: the revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain by John J. Ratey with Eric Hagerman.I’m not a scientist, and I’m lost with most anything science related, but this book explains how exercise affects your brain in a way that most anyone can understand, and I’ve found it fascinating. Just the 1st chapter alone says so much! I struggle with depression, and SPARK has allowed me to understand how it affects so much more than I realize, and how exercising is helping me to cope with it. Since I’ve started working out, I’ve been able to lower the dose of my depression meds. Not only does my body feel better, but I feel better about myself cause I can see & feel the changes, but I also feel so accomplished simply because I was able to cut down on the dosage of my medication.Anyway, I always tend to ramble, so I’m stopping right here, but seriously, you need to read this book! iwantperch@aol.com
>I blog about mindful eating at eatwasafeelgood.com/blog and post recipes and snacks there a lot. I love fruit. Also love making my own trail mixes with raw nuts and seeds and stuff.
>Fiber One granola bars have about 140 calories, but pack 9 grams of fiber and a whole heap of protein! I eat one for breakfast almost every day. I also make my own trail mix – granola from the health foods store, pine nuts, almond slivers, honey roasted peanuts, some raisins, coconut, and Hershey’s special dark chips. Super yum and while a little high calorie, a little bit goes a long way. Try it!~Amalia~
>Get a turkey breast (on the bone) and roast it. Pick off big chunks of meat (no whimpy slices please) and keep it in the fridge. When you’re hungry, grab a chunk and wrap it in a piece of low fat cheese. Delish. And a great way to get a bit of extra protein throughout the day.Also, cut whole wheat pita into triangles, brush with olive oil and bake in the oven until crisp. Use them as chips for white bean and garlic dip. It’s just a can of white beans (cannelini), a few cloves of roasted garlic, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of olive oil. Puree until smooth. Don’t use too much liquid or it will be too runny. Fresh veggies are also wonderful dipped into this!!
>More votes for Fiber One bars and frozen grapes.
>Great ideas, everyone!! I’m going to be looking over these comments for weeks to come. Iwantperch, that book sounds really interesting. I know I feel better emotionally right now than I have in ages, even though with all the stuff I have going on right now, I shouldn’t! Any time I’m anxious or angry or worried and I work out, I feel sooooo much better. It gets all the bad stuff out.
>I done TOL’ you it is prejudicial to talk about someone’s “dyed blond hair.”Mm, mm, MM.
>Healthy Choice Fudgesicles ($10 for 18 of them at Costco) are amazing and satisfying.I have a bowl that lets me pop popcorn in the microwave without butter. It’s so good I have to fight my husband for it. They sell the bowls at Target.Make your own fruit juice popsicles. The kids love them too. I don’t let my 4 year old drink juice during the day so he thinks these popsicles are as sweet as Easter candy.Plain or lowfat vanilla yogurt with frozen berries.
>Just found these–Trader Joe’s very chocolate mini meringues. LOTS of chocolately flavor, 13 minicookies make a serving that is only 110 calories, and no fat. They are so satisfying, I only have to eat 5 to get my sugar/chocolate fix.
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