The Diet Talk Continues…..
Thank you ALL for your amazing suggestions! It was a blast for me to read your thoughts and really fun when you started giving each other help. That’s what it’s all about baby. Working together.
You’ll be glad to know that when I went to the grocery store today for our weekly shopping I resisted the urge to by myself some chocolate. From the moment I walked in I could feel the pull and I knew it would be a struggle.
Hi, my name is Lisa, and I’m a chocoholic. {Hi Lisa}
Even at the last second I was thinking about tossing some King Sized m&ms onto the conveyor belt.
But I didn’t. Feel free to stand and clap. Even if you don’t I’m going to bow anyway.
I wanted to keep the conversation going and comment on some of your ideas.
Erica mentioned in her comment about a site that tells how to make mason jar meals. I found it and LOVED the idea. I thought you all might like to have the link, it’s on a blog called The Big Red Kitchen (I love it just from the name). I am planning to start that this weekend. Thanks Erica!
Amy gave a list of suggestions, “Taco salad with blue corn tortilla chips. Taco soup with lots of beans and hominy to fill you up. Real old fashioned oatmeal in the mornings. Boiled eggs. Sautéed apples in a touch of butter and dab of brown sugar. Garlic Green Beans with grape tomatoes are one weight watchers point for the whole pan and we love them. Chicken salad bulked with apples egg celery pecans and less mayo. Beans and brown rice. Stir fry. Almonds. Almond butter. Apple sandwiches with granola and almond or pb an. Apple nachos. Fruit salads. Fruit Parfaits of yogurt, fruit, granola. Cucumber and tomatoes drizzled with sea salt and a splash of vinegar. Baked sweet potatoes are a favorite around here. Bobo’s oat bars. Water, almond milk, hot teas. You can do it!!”
Amy, what are apple nachos? You did clarify that you “Drizzle peanut or almond butter, honey, granola, chopped bananas, chocolate chips, coconut, cinnamon, possibilities are endless!” but I am still unclear. You use apple slices or dried apples? Inquiring minds want to know.
And by the way, what are Bobo’s Oat Bars?
Some of the other great suggestions: lettuce wraps, Delightful bread, pork rinds, ham & cheese roll up, bunless burger, hummus, tabbouleh salad (yes, Amber, please send the recipe), TLynn left a recipe for lamb meatballs that looks yummy (I’ve never lad lamb), wraps, soups, cheese, lots of you mentioned nuts and fruit and protein shakes, carrot sticks, pretzel sticks, adding mint and cucumber to water, Lara bars, Kristiana gave a great snack idea, making pizza crust with cauliflower (sounds gross, but I’ll take your word for it), THINK THIN bar, shrimp and feta, Atkins dark choc & coconut bar, kidney beans with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, keeping grilled chicken ready in the fridge….
And that’s just a few!
Weight Watchers was mentioned a lot. I did WW for a long time and am hoping for now to just make changes instead of really counting points or feeling tied to a particular diet. It may be a bad plan (as many of my plans are) but that’s where I’m starting. Many of you encouraged me to plan ahead and that would help with quick meals (which the mason jar idea will help with). You are so right!
And lots of you mentioned prayer as the best help when dieting.
Amen sistas!
There are a bunch of other beautiful suggestions in the comments if you are looking for diet encouragement of your own.
And a LOT of you said you are in the same boat. So let’s help each other, what do you say?
I’m starting by giving myself a pat on the back for not buying any chocolate at the store. What are you doing today for your health that you are proud of?
I am celebrating because I only ate half of the chocolate bar I put in MY cart. Sigh.
But, I’m proud of you!
Apple nachos??? Who knew?
I’ve been nibbling on the homemade granola which we made with a smidge of olive oil, coconut oil, and butter as the “fat”, sorghum for the sweetener, plenty of cinnamon, LOTS of whole oats, sesame seeds, ground flax, a touch of coconut, plus toasted hazelnuts and almonds. Yep I gave up chips! And do you know what the same size little bowl fills me up to the point I don’t finish it! Plus we went on a walk tonight!!
Well, I guess my comment would be it’s easy to watch what you eat IF you have NOTHING in the pantry or the fridge when you are craving something. I just went in there to dig for some tasty treat and found that they were both completely empty of anything AND not by design!!!
I gave up coca cola today…hopefully forever – I don’t need the empty calories, the horrible affects the high fructose corn sugar has on my body. I understand when you said you almost bought chocolate. I almost bought a coke – but didn’t. Small steps….big results down the line.
I love chocolate too, but I find the longer I stay away from it the easier it gets, however if I do slip I start to crave other things I shouldn’t eat as well and I also find I get very tired- probably from the sugar. Once you say no a few times the easier it gets and once you get over the first few days or weeks hurdles the easier it gets to make good choices.
I didn’t get to read your previous post, so I’m not exactly sure if you’re looking for a whole diet change or just a few small steps, but I wanted to recommend a program to you that I just finished. (I don’t know if this food addiction label applies to you, but it sure did to me!) I took an online course through a website called Setting Captives Free which has several courses for different addictions. The Lord’s Table deals with food addiction biblically, providing daily Bible studies for sixty days and a mentor. It’s incredible! If you’re interested let me know. It’s changed my eating habits, prayerfully forever.
There is now lots of research showing intermittent fasting can help you lose weight but at the same time stop your metabolism going into starvation mode – in reality this can be achieved by having 2 to 3 days a week of eating just 500 calories and then eating sensibly but freely all other days. You’ll find you can manage it for 1 day because you know the next day you can eat what you want ( including some chocolate ) and whats really interesting is that as you are free to eat on the other 4 days ironically this freedom seems to stop any overeating. It has really worked for me after 20 years of struggle. I have lost 40lbs and maintained it for over two years by doing just this.I restrict Monday,Weds and Friday but can always be flexible in changing days round for special occasions. I also was a chocoholic but now I don’t have to abstain, I can really enjoy chocolate and find it easy to stop after a few squares. The alternate day diet book by Dr Johnson ( on amazon) contains all the science but you don’t need to buy it to follow the plan – its is simply what I have said. What I can tell you is that it has revolutionised my life – I used to feel in food prison and now I feel free. For me this certainly feels like the miracle I had been praying to God for all those years.
Hi Lisa
I really want to give you a big HUG for the posts and your honesty. It is so refreshing.
I did my 30 minutes of exercise this morning . I’m no hero. I don’t like doing it. I have to force myself. I’ve bought a few exercise dvds ( easy ones) that I rotate. I’m also working on developing the habit ( I think that’s the trick) of getting hubby to walk the dogs with me in the evening.
My motivation is health. I’m not getting any younger and I want to stay as active as possible and be able to do the things I want to do.
I don’t diet. I try to improve, change, and modify my eating to heathier habits. It has to be something I can sustain long term. If I backslide, I try not to beat myself up over it or use it as an excuse to give up all together.
I want to thank everyone for all the great ideas.
Have a wonderful day!
Wow I got a lot of traffic from this post. THank you for posting my link.
The tabbouleh recipe: 2 cups of cooked quinwoa
Juice from 1 lemon (to taste really)
favorite seasoning (mine is cavenders greek)
half a cup of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
3 cups of chopped fresh veggies. You can use what ever you like. My favorites are cucumber, red orange and yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, avocados,
Just put everything in a bowl and stir. Add more or less seasonings what ever tastes good. Add olive oil if you like. I have added fat free greek yogurt and thats good too. Its really an easy recipe and you can do what ever you want with it. You can use Italian dressing or ranch. Sometime we add chicken.
Amber
Ate ‘protein pancakes” instead of the flour and butter ones I made my kids…and worked in the yard. I got my vitamin D from the sunshine and my yard looks 100% better.
I just ate a box of junior mints…probably not much help, but KUDOS to you!
Yesterday I walked for 25 minutes while watching Murder She Wrote. I had to go to the doc today and then we had the children’s music lessons so I didn’t walk today. But I’ll be back at it tomorrow. I had forgotten about Murder She wrote until you mentioned. I figure if Jessica can ride that bike everywhere I can walk in place while watching TV 🙂
Lisa,
I use fresh thinly sliced apples for the nachos. Bobo’s oat bars are are little cake-like bars that come in original, peanut butter, or coconut flavor. They’re all natural and organic. They are kind of expensive, but they’re worth it to me for a healthy satisfying treat. I think they’re around 2.50 a bar…less than a Starbucks though:). The Whole Foods website has a lot of good snack and on the go ideas too. I fell off the wagon and had a Dr Pepper today:/. I’ll try again tomorrow!
I am with you too. I signed up for Jazzercise, have an appointment to get a short hair cut, and I am cutting the candy habit. So far so good…but we are only 11 days in. We should all take before and after shots…and post them in 6 months to show progress…or take measurements and post inches lost. I know competition works as a motivator for me…whatever it takes!!
Yay for you on resisting the chocolate. Chocolate is hard to resist. I really liked the book “Made to Crave”. I read it from the library and would like to have my own copy to leaf through when I’m really needing inspired.
It is hard for me to have self-discipline when it comes to eating. It’s too easy to eat to enjoy not because I am really hungry.
I’m right there with you. I’m not doing a “plan” per say, I’ve got too much weight to do a set plan, because my mind keeps saying ..”when I get off, I’m going to eat________”. So I’m cutting everything back and trying to eat as healthy as possible. A little meal that has gone a long way is chicken breasts in a stone baking dish with sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes (just a few), broccoli, onions, all the colors of bell peppers and garlic cloves. Bake with a little olive oil drizzles on top. Eat for dinner. Next day warm it and chop it all up into a bowl and add salad greens and a balsamic dressing. You feel like you have eaten something filling and it fills that what am I going to have for lunch question. I have also been reading Made To Crave 60 day devotional in the afternoons. Not morning. In the morning my heart is good and pure!!! In the afternoon if I don’t watch it, the devil wants to visit me with visions of chocolate so that’s when I read the book! Very helpful and encouraging. Deals with the heart! Blessings for being so brave to try again in front of us all! May the Lord lift you up into His high places and grace and mercy be your companions!
Sheri
Hi Lisa,
I’ve been following you for a long time but this is the first time I’ve posted.
Good for you in your quest for better health! I followed weight watchers a few years ago and had great results. Sadly, I have let it slowly creep back on over the last 5 years. I loved how I felt at that weight and the healty choices I was actually craving after a few weeks of cutting out the high-fat and processed foods.
The best snacks I had to satisfy me was fat-free chocolate jello pudding made with skim milk. Prepare it in fancy little dessert cups with a dollop of low fat whipping cream and keep them in the fridge. Now when your kids have dessert, you have a treat you can enjoy too! The other snack I looked forward to was a rootbeer or orange float. I used diet soda with fat-free frozen yogurt. Again, put it in a fancy float glass with a straw and and long spoon. If you prepare it in a way that makes it seem like a treat, it can be sooooo satisfying!!
I found if you let yourself enjoy these “spluges” you are less likely to cheat! And you don’t feel so cheated yourself!!
🙂 God Bless You,
Suelynn
Oh how I feel your pain! A few years ago I cut “white food” out of my diet. Some people thought I was crazy and thought it was too restrictive, but I was able to eat a lot! I ate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, eggs and meat. I was able to lose a lot of weight too and I NEVER exercised. My husband’s work is doing a weight loss program and paying them for every percentage point of weight they lose. I’m really encouraging him to go on the “no white food” diet with me. He’s a little skeptical, but I’m pretty sure once he starts he’s going to see the benefits and won’t mind saying no. He too is a chocoholic. He won’t like giving that up. The last time I did this diet, I did a “detox” for the first two weeks and didn’t cheat at all. After that, I gave myself one day a week that I could cheat. There were some weeks that I did fine and others that I lived for my cheat day. My go to snacks and meals were apple slices and natural peanut butter, triscut nachos (aka cheese melted on triscuts) and natural peanut butter and honey on toast, and eggs of any kind. Sometimes I would make scrambled eggs with cheese the night before and then in the morning heat them up and put them in a pita that I could eat on the go. Keep up the good work. You’ll feel so much better once you get past the cravings and it will just become a way of life. It helps so much to know other people are right there with you. My sister did this diet with me last time. It helped to know someone else was as miserable as me in the beginning and that someone was holding me accountable.