babeegirl

This isn't a recipe per se....I just wanted to share some basic changes I made to my diet and I'm soooooooo happy with the results!

Cut out:
Sodas/any drinks with more than 2 carbs per serving
Breads/pizza crust, biscuits
Processed foods with carbs/ boxed potatoes things like that
Pretty much anything with over 5 carbs per serving

Replace with:
Water or low carb drinks
Whole wheat bread, I limit myself to 6 slices or 3 sandwiches per week
Non-fried meats/I stick with the Carl Buddig packages of ham, turkey for sandwiches
Bananas and fruits for snacking
Low carb yogurt instead of ice cream
Salads with low fat/carb dressing
Fat free cottage cheese intead of potato dishes

Basically I started reading labels. I was astounded at the amount of carbs per serving in a lot of foods and how small the servings really were. I started adding up daily what I'd eat in carbs alone and I couldn't believe it. I cut down from 500+ grams of carbs per day to 20 to 40 per day and put myself on a carbohydrate budget. if I spend more than my 40 in one day I have to make it up the next day. I also started walking 2 miles every other night. I've lost 15lbs in about 45 days! yay! I can't bring myself to give up chocolate though!

For example: Doritos Tortilla chips (which I love btw)

One serving is only 11 chips, 11! and for that 11 chips you get 17 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of fat. That's half of my daily carb budget in those 11 chips that don't do a thing to take away the hungries. For that same 17 grams of carbs, I can have a huge salad with lowfat/carb dressing and half a package of the Carl Buddig ham chopped up on top. Watch those salad bars though! Things like bacon bits, nuts, croutons, etc. will add sneaky carbs in.

Up North

Congratulations on the weight loss! Good ideas too.

sondray

thanks for the info, I'm trying to lose 40 pounds myself. So far I have lost 10.

live2teach

Congratulations. I know it isn't easy, especially once you get started but after a while, it does get easier. After my wedding in November 2006, I started watching my caloric intake and what I ate and drank and I lost 28 lbs. I cut out soda, sweets, bread, pasta, sugars. I ate 3 meals a day but had a small healthy snack every 3 hours to keep my metabolism up. I mainly ate salads and fruits and veggies...I occasionally ate other foods, such as meat, and some pasta and bread and every now and then pizza but after a few weeks, I craved the salads and fruits and veggies more than normal and didn't want the other stuff. It takes 21 days to reprogram your system....after 21 days it seemed to get a lot easier. Good luck to those of you losing weight.

robbijmorris

Congrats on losing the weight. At the new year, my husband and I went on the South Beach diet. I lost 18 lbs. I am not following it strictly, I'll fall off the wagon about 1 or 2 times a week, but I have not gained any of the weight back. I have not been the size I am now since my 10 year old daughter was 1. Going with out white flour, potatoes, or sugar is a lot easier than you would think it would be. It takes some getting used to, but the results are so worth it. One hint, if you do want something that has some carbs in it, make sure you have at least 5 grams of fiber or more, and you are just fine.

Congrats again,
Robbi