I find eating a lot of fruits and veggies, whole grains, cut back on the meat, 8 ozs total (include eggs, peanut butter, etc.. in this amount) is usually enough each day (unless you are very, very active) and fats in general has helped me to maintain my weight over the years.
A little protein with each meal helps fill me up, instead of having the biggest portion, usually at dinner time.
Have your biggest meal of the day at noon, not in the evening.
Breakfast is important, and eating every 3-4 hours does help keep your metabolism going. Just watch how many calories you consume at each sitting.
Brown basmatti rice is a great substitute for white rice, home made noodles last a week in a brown paper bag if you thoroughly dry them first.
I do use 98% fat free chicken and beef broth for sauces/gravies. Smash boiled potatoes or bake potatoes and leave out the milk/butter and use the fat free gravy made out of canned broth instead.
George Foreman type grills are wonderful kitchen accessories :D
Fried is NOT my friend...
A cup of chicken or beef broth with veggies will help fill you up before you start eating a meal. This can have as little as 30-40 calories total, just add a couple Tbls of finely chopped veggies to add flavor and variety. A great way to use up those little bits of leftovers.
Make it a bowl full for a meal. Frozen mixed veggies work well, add an ounce or two of lean, chopped meat. I freeze leftover meat/veggies in these small amounts, chopped and ready to go.
Add a sliced whole wheat roll to dip in the soup broth :D
Rinse, peel and bag up raw veggies so that you can reach in the bag and they are ready to eat. If I have to stop and do this serving by serving, I end up not eating them as often. YES I am lazy :lol:
Small changes do add up, and when you get used to them, add a few more.
If you are able, add just a little more physical activity. Rocking in a rocking chair burns more calories than sitting in a recliner. Tap your feet, swing your legs, move your arms around during commercial breaks to their music, or try a few sit down exercises. You would be surprised at how much these will help :D
If it tastes really, really, really good? Check the fat and/or sugar content :roll: :lol: :lol:
Try to eat only 1/3 as much as normal and then fill up on raw veggies.
Save your milk servings for a snack along with a little something healthy or with a smaller meal to help fill you up.
Some peoples bodies will process sugar substitutes the same as regular sugar. I have been reading more and more about this lately. So if you are using them, counting calories and still not losing weight, this could be you.
Never have foods I crave? :shock: about twice a month I eat a meal without any care to the calorie/fat counts. I only cook enough for that meal, no leftovers.
I do try and keep the rest of my foods that day reasonble to help compensate.
Once or twice a month I do buy sweets, but only enough for a couple of servings. If they are in the house, I WILL eat them LOL
The 5 minute mug cakes are a good way to make a single serving and not have leftovers to tempt yourself.
Teaching myself that food is fuel.. not a reward, or thinking it has to be cooked a certain way to be tasty or I won't eat it.
I love the saying, "Eat to live, not live to eat." Sometimes it is a struggle to follow this saying, but I try hard to live it.
What did not work over the last 40+ years?
Starvation/skipping meals... it tricks the body into converting everything you eat during this time into fat, and it will continue to do so for a while after you start eating regularly again.
For most people, anything under 2000 calories is a starvation diet.
Fad diets do not work in the long run, nor are most of them a healthy diet. Most of these Fads make nutritionists shudder.... They can also lead to unnecessary health issues in the future.
Fad diet pills/supplements... some may not be harmful and others? Check with your doctor/pharmacist about what these ingredients really are. Natural isn't always not harmful, toxic chemicals can/are made out of natural plants.
My DB's Mom died of liver problems due to fad diet pills...
Unfortunately the only ones who gain anything from these Fads are the authors or manufacturers :(
Ignoring serving portions can pack the pounds on quickly. Keep smaller glasses, plates and bowls handy.
I quickly found out the milk I was drinking that should have been around 90 calories a serving had jumped to 180 in the glass I normally used. That extra 90 X 3 meals is almost a meal in itself :shock: Still thirsty? drink water :wink:
Low calorie snacks? Check the portion size, usually that amount wouldn't hardly satisfy a 2 yr old LOL I would eat several of them, if not the whole box :roll:
Fast Food places? Wow!! I went through a drive through last week... Hamburger, fries (small) and a regular strawberry milk shake, almost 1900 calories :shock: It was a nice, tasty treat, but I really didn't enjoy the carrot sticks and plain, dry rice cakes the rest of the day ROFLMBO Wait... if only ROFLMBO would really do just that!! Then I would only have to diet to get rid of the rest :D:D:D
Super sizing? That is the fastest way to super size the butt, waist, hips..... LOL
Remember when:
The largest soft drink offered was the same size as the smallest one now?
When cup holders were made to fit these and the little 8-10 oz coffee cups?
Single serving bottles of soft drinks were 8ozs or less?
No one HAD to have drinks/snacks all of the time in the car with them?
Snacks were far and few between.
Life before meals in a box or pouch?
Fast Food was a rare treat?
People in general were more active?
AND there were not as many over weight people? :wink:
I don't mean to sound like I am preaching, just giving some food for thought, and what does and didn't work for me :D:D:D