Any idead on anything low-cal and tasty to eat.

[High_Jumbllama]

Been losing weight for a while. I need and want to be half the man I was for many reasons: health, lower food costs, health, finally disliking the way I look, health, looking well enough so women do not automatically feel like they can confide in me because they are not interested, health, cheaper clothes and health. I really have trouble making myself do anything I do not want to do so I need to find things I can make myself like. For instance I use to hate salad. Any ideas on food and/or recipes to have so I can eat more besides fish, salad, steamed chicken, wraps, Diet Sprite, iced tea, sugar free lemonade, and water of course. I find making one's own salad in a grocery store can be quite tasty and filling while still healthy esepcially with the small ones one usually finds in restaurants.

[Topha]

I'm not sure about availability in the US, but good, fresh bread (not toast, real bread) with anything on it can be quite tasty.

Also all sorts of pasta, you just have to take care what you eat it with. Not sure about availabilty with this one either, but you can get very nice Pesto (Barilla is a very good brand).

And eat meat once a week.

A good breakfast is important because you will feel less hungry the rest of the day. When you feel hungry between meals drink some water, or juice. Don't go for that low/no fat crap, its all chemicals and stuff.

Take a walk once in a while, keeps your body in shape and can really help to clear up your mind.

Eat fruit, like apples and bananas and stuff. If its a warm day, 2 or 3 apples can be enough for lunch.

And don't try to starve yourself, because your body will only lower its energie usage untill you eat again, and you will achieve the opposite of what you intended.

Vegetables are important as well, there are some really basic, nice, easy meals you can do with not much more than potatoes. Or tomatoes.

...


Just noticed this looks like a health guide, so I'll stop

[Wombat]

Bread and pasta are both pretty high on calories.

Stuff I eat to help: more fruit. Especially try new fruits.
Popcorn cakes - they're usually like 35-50 calories each, and eating one or two will fill you if you give them a little time.

Pickes - Good pickles can be a tasty snack, and have 5 calories or less.

Yogurt. Especially with fruit slices.

Along the steamed chicken lines: Try baking it instead, or grilling on a pan then finishing in the oven. Marinades can add plenty of variety to the same cut of meat.


And it sounds like you need more exercise. Diet alone will hardly change anything. I didn't get in any better shape until I started dancing and biking and lifting.

[Topha]

Originally posted by Wombat
Bread and pasta are both pretty high on calories.

Yes, but the body needs something to keep it going, and a certain amount of carbon hydrate is quite important. 2 slices of breat in the morning wont hurt, neither will a pasta dish once in a while.


Edit: And dont try to change your diet and lifestyle to radically, do it step by step (but not too small steps )

[KvHagedorn]

Probably the best thing to keep the body going, when you must eat carbs.. potatoes. I have a container of potato salad in the fridge and eat just a spoonful when I get hungry.

Also, it's important to distinguish between different kinds of bread. White bleached flour is among the worst things you can eat (things like wonder bread or white rice), yet unrefined grains like one would get in whole grain bread or brown rice are among the best. Brown sugar is also generally better for you than refined sugar. I have found a really good breakfast/snack to be a bowl of shredded wheat cereal, sometimes with some brown sugar sprinkled on it. Keep your carbs to the unrefined kind and keep your fats to the vegetable/fish kind and you should do better.

Portion control is a huge battle, too. Keep them small.. no matter what, do not let your stomach stretch out, or you will always feel hungry. It might help to eat 5 or 6 times a day, but half as much.

[KvHagedorn]

Oh, and make sure your body gets the other things it needs.. sleep and plenty of water, plus take a vitamin and mineral supplement each day. I take a Centrum and 2 tabs of coral calcium every day. This stuff makes you feel stronger so you can lift that extra set or walk that extra mile without feeling miserable.

http://www.nutritionreallyworks.com/Best-Coral-Calcium.html

[High_Jumbllama]

I do have a gym membership that I use about once a week and I do plan to go more when the one at Marley station mall opens up when it will be air conditioned. It's kind of hard to work out when you're sweating the instant you walk in the door and the air is almost too stuffy to breath. All this other location has is fans that are too far away to do much good. I am about 75% stronger than I was when I started. Pulled muscles I did not know I had. 30 to 40 minutes at 3mph on the treadmill.

I'm generally comfortable with the amount I eat now. I use to eat much more; it's just the what. Whole wheat (not just plain wheat) bread when I eat bread. I forgot about pickles. Apples sounds like a good idea.

I do drink one to two 52oz containers of water a day. Keeps a lot of the hunger and all the thirst at bay.

Is there any kinf of wheat pasta? Then if I indulge, at least it'll be better than regular.

[az]

There are whole wheat spaghetti here, though I don't know if you can get them in ordinary shops.

Unsweetened tea is also a good drink and provides lots and lots of variety. Some teas are also very refreshing when cold (peppermint, for instance).

I think Bananas contain a lot of calories.

AZ

[KvHagedorn]

I really like a cold glass of Boston iced tea. It's regular iced tea with cranberry juice in it. Damned good, and no sugar needed. Very refreshing.

[Helevitia]

I bought fat free, sugar free vanilla ice-cream with diet rootbeer and had a rootbeer float the other day. It was excellent and only 140 calories. Sure, it's not as good as good as the real stuff, but if you are craving, then it works, trust me.

You can make a cake and substitute the oil with applesauce and the eggs with fake eggs and it really is just as good. If sugar is an issue than substitute the sugar.

Dave

[Greebe]

Boston Ice tea very good would also suggest Green Tea (Lipton's amoung other brands is less) has lots of good antioxidants for ya

Better vitamin, Walgreens brand UltraChoice contain lots of very important trace nutrients and minerals compare and you'll see (90 count bottle for $10 is a deal... better when on sale or in a two pack

Eat more salad... not iceberg lettice, dark green (Romain, Bibb, etc) far more nutrition to them... mix in bell peppers radishes and carrot slices... just be easy on the dressing, most are high calorie high fat.

Watch the (Dil)pickles (HAHA ... have little carbs but normally have high sodium content

Forget the Diet Sprite... contain aspertame which is not good for you and is linked to alsheimers... drink Diet Right instead (Cola isn't bad.. their rasberry or white grape tastes quite good from time to time. Buy some Sweet'n Low... not Nurtisweet (aspertame as above) and make Koolaid from time to time... I like to mix in a small amount of sugar with mine (usually 1/4 as much and sweeten up with SnL)

Lots of Brita filtered water

Sweet potatoes and new potatoes instead of Idaho russet type potatoes for their lower carb count and higher nutritional value

More broccoli, zuccini, cucumbers and carrots eaten fresh (washed of course) or steamed... Baby carrots for snacks also work in a pinch. Celery too, have less net carbs than they actually contain because it takes more to digest than they provide... just take it easy on the peanut butter

edit... cauliflower too

and most importantly step down little by little eating less at any given time when you do and excersize more as Wombat said.

[KvHagedorn]

heck, eat anything you want. Whole turkeys with gravy, Lemon Bars, Porterhouse Steaks, Prime Rib, Pizza, etc..

..just cross-country ski across Antarctica every year.

[spadnos]

There are pastas based on soy. My wife likes them, but I find the texture a little too weird. With those, you end up having protein and vegetables (and possibly meat) when you have a spaghetti dinner - almost no carbs at all.

For the most part, as long as you get enough exercise, you don't eat standard american crap (McD, white bread, iceberg lettuce, super-size portions, etc) and you don't overeat, you should lose weight.

- Steve

[DukeP]

Just eat enough fruits and vegetables.

I know it might be rather expensive, but it really, really works.

I usually eat 3 apples, a banana, some raisins, and one or two pieces of "exotic" fruit a day.

Further, I keep a box of scraped carrots in the fridge (in water). Something to gnaw on, when the urge for McDeath strikes.

Good luck!

~~DukeP~~

[Greebe]

Originally posted by DukeP
Something to gnaw on, when the urge for McDeath strikes.

Good luck!

~~DukeP~~

...and the side order of McNasties come calling