Enjoying food while losing weight

[Porthos]

I didn't go low-carb but I did start avoiding as best as is reasonable highly-refined carbs. I still serve "real" pasta (just don't like the taste or texture of the whole wheat stuff) but not ever day and in very controlled portions. I have embraced healthy oils. I found that I like baked brown rice much better than white rice. It brings more flavor to the party. I discovered barley as something more than an ingredient in barley-beef soup. Upped my veggie intake. My biggest revelation this year is roasted Brussels Sprouts. I found that cauliflower can be made edible. Since I like several raw veggies I started prepping them for snackage. I used cooked, jarred salsa like La Victoria or Pace as a dip. Fortunately I really enjoy salads. I still allow myself to eat outside of this plan when I really want something. Tonight we will be going to Carl's Jr for the Western Bacon Burger. I eat maybe 3 of these in a year.

My weight loss suffered a set-back during a particularly bad bout of depression but I am back to losing. Most importantly for me is that my basic blood chemistry is where it should be and my A1C is down to 6.0.

One of the things I really like about mostly using the South Beach Diet is the freedom it affords in dining out.

[Ttogull]

We're definitely all different.

I'm carbohydrate intolerant, carbohydrate in any form beyond about 40-50 grams per day causes all sorts of problems for me....anxiety, depression, high-triglycerides, fluid retention, hyperglycemia, metabolic syndrome, etc.

I agree about us all being different! It's a shame that all the diet gurus scream without listening to each other. Very often they spend their time knocking down straw men versions of the diets rather than identifying who their diets will help.

I tried nearly vegan for several months. Very low fat. All my numbers went the wrong way. I've always been skeptical of low carb, even after seeing a friend lose more than 100 lbs without effort and go from diabetic to non. Somehow though I started reading about it and realized I had many of the characteristics of insulin resistance.

The vegan attempt was very helpful. Vegan cooking ideas have a lot to offer. I had perhaps the best nachos ever (I grew up in TX) at Candle 79 and learned a lot. It's all good.

[Shelby]

Must

Quit

Weighing

Myself

Every

Morning

I feel like I did pretty dang good over the turkey day eating festival. I took tiny tiny portions and only of the things I just couldn't resist like mashed taters and gravy and stuffing. Oh and before we went to the family dinner I ate a huge salad. That helped a LOT. I didn't graze on the many appetizers they had.

Been eating (slurping) a lot of homemade broth. Seems like the warmth plus liquid make me feel full and satisfied.

[Martin Fisher]

We're definitely all different.

I'm carbohydrate intolerant, carbohydrate in any form beyond about 40-50 grams per day causes all sorts of problems for me....anxiety, depression, high-triglycerides, fluid retention, hyperglycemia, metabolic syndrome, etc.

I should have said "effective" carbohydrate in any form..... the 40-50 grams of carbohydrate doesn't include fiber which isn't effective because it isn't digested.

[Martin Fisher]

Must

Quit

Weighing

Myself

Every

Morning

When I was losing weight I did much better weighing-in just once a month....I found it too easy to get discouraged weighing every day.

Have someone hide the scale.

[Smithy]

Must

Quit

Weighing

Myself

Every

Morning

When I was losing weight I did much better weighing-in just once a month....I found it too easy to get discouraged weighing every day.

Have someone hide the scale.

Weighing weekly - same time, same condition - did it for me. I felt like weighing every day was crazy-making, like watching the stock market and trying to make sense of it. ;=)

[Meredith380]

I don't. I try to be mindful and eat well balanced meals. However I have a female friend who swears by fit pal that allows her 2660 calories daily. To be that is obscene! How do you guys what what you eat? I never considered calories but try to eat well rounded meals. And I am totally guilty of skipping breakfast!

[Darienne]

Just catching up:

I am red meat intolerant. A childhood of nightly overcooked steaks...and I do mean nightly...did it. Both parents were vegetarians but the paediatrician refused to take care of me unless my Mother fed me meat. I get nightmares if I eat too much red meat.

Porthos: would you share your recipe for baked brown rice please? Or does someone else have such a recipe which they like.

Meredith380: skipping breakfast is supposed to be the worst thing you can do to your digestive and other systems. But then...you already knew that anyway, Mommy. I have just started this morning another topic on Power bars for breakfast from a new cookbook which has 30 recipes for same, ranging from knock-off versions to fairly esoteric recipes. I'm going to make the entire book and comment on each recipe. And hope that someone else joins me. I am determined to find suitable breakfast foods for myself.

[kayb]

I've fought the weight loss battle most of my adult life -- gained and lost the same 20 pounds probably 20 different times. I've found there are some things I can do that help, although as I get older, I find diet change isn't enough to do it alone, and I have to accompany it with some physical exercise, which I ought to be doing anyway. That's probably a function of hormonal changes as well as the fact my lifestyle is more sedentary than it was, say, when I was chasing toddlers about 25 years or so ago.

But the things I do when I need to get it under control, which usually work:

1. Get away from junk food. Not too hard to do, as I detest most fast food anyway (I will eat McDonald's hash browns, and love Sonic french toast sticks). But I have a weakness for candy and potato chips and the like, particularly on the road. I try to replace those with fruit and nuts; a handful of almonds is still high-calorie, but at least they're loaded with protein.

2. EAT BREAKFAST! It's usually cereal or yogurt with fruit and granola, but it sets a good tone for me throughout the day, and I won't be hungry as much during the day if I start out with breakfast.

3. Lots of veggies. It's much easier for me to lose weight in the summer, because there's an abundance of fresh vegetables and I love them.

4. Lay off or cut down on the booze. I tend to drink more than I ought; three glasses of wine can add significantly to your daily calorie count, and I should school myself to stop at two. Or one. Or not having one at all.

I have celiac disease, so gluten is out for me, meaning a lot of carbs (pasta, bread) are out as well. And I don't care for many of the GF substitutes for bread and pasta. But I love a potato, and grits, so those become my subs for those starches; I just have to be careful and eat them in moderation.

[Okanagancook]

I tend to focus on low glycemic foods to help control hunger. There are loads of websites that can give you a list of these foods. For example yesterday for lunch I had some salad, 125 grams of lean chicken breast, 1/2 cup of brown rice and the same amount of pinto beans cooked with some spicy tomato sauce. I did not have to eat dinner because I was still full. I don not eat unless I am hungry.

Eating some form of lean protein at each meal really helps with satiety and protein utilization.

Just my two cents worth.

[Okanagancook]

Sorry, forgot to comment on alcohol... At 7 calories per gram it adds up in a hurry...a 4 oz. glass is 100 calories.

[phatj]

The low-carb/Paleo/Primal/whatever thing really works. Many may have a hard time with it in the beginning because they're essentially carb/sugar addicts, but once you get over that hump (which only takes a week or so) it's pretty easy to stick with. It works because protein and especially fat make you feel full much more than carbohydrates; meanwhile, carbs (and to a lesser extent protein) trigger an insulin response that makes your body try to store excess calories as fat. It's certainly possible to lose weight with a high-carb, low fat diet, but it's difficult because it relies a lot on willpower to maintain portion control, whereas a low-carb, high-fat diet tends to be self-limiting. You'll eat only the calories you need.

I lost almost 20 lbs in about two months, though I wasn't even overweight - I was just on the high end of the normal BMI range.

Because this diet is high in fat, it's important that you educate yourself about different kinds of fats, and how heat affects them. Avoid most vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, safflower, etc.). Use olive oil for salads or low-heat cooking; avocado or coconut oil (or rendered animal fats) for high-heat cooking. Wherever availability and budget permit, opt for naturally-raised meats, e.g. grass-fed beef, free range chickens, etc. These will tend to have a superior Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio and will be higher in other nutrients as well.

Edited January 26, 2014 by phatj (log)

[Okanagancook]

I've lost around 35 lbs with my 1400 calorie low fat, low glycemic index and moderate protein diet.

[Ttogull]

@phatj +1

I lost the weight I needed before Thanksgiving. Since that time, my weight has mostly trended down despite big eating holidays, a couple of colds, interruptions and restarts of exercise, eating out, etc. No calorie counting. On active days I eat more; on sedentary days I eat less. My body tells me how much to eat, and I have no urges to override it. After decades of contrary experience, this is wonderful.

The thing is, though, that since starting low-carb, high-fat, I've started routinely adding carbs with no ill effects. This is handy when everyone wants to go to a pasta or pizza place. What has made this possible is resistant starch, particularly raw potato starch (gotta eat it raw). I'll let you do the search. I agree with most of what you said, except that carbs are the culprit. Getting rid of them might fix the problem, but the long term prevention seems to be something different.

[Dejah]

I have been making carrot fries in the oven in place of potato, rice, and breads. These are really good. Cauliflower "steaks" are also good substitutes for potatoes, and easier than cauliflower fries.