DIS ‘WISH’ Diet Tips

[Auntmeme]

Thank you I also will post on my bathroom mirror, where all my motivational stuff goes.

For those on Atkins - always have a low carb bar stashed in different places, at work, in car, at friends house. I find this very helpful when I'm hungry and want a snack.

 

[LoriZH]

Great tips I totally agree especially the water!

Here are a couple more:

If a food commercial comes on, SWITCH the channel IMMEDIATELY! (this seems to work for me)

Don't read magazines with food in them, pick up a good book and get involved especially during your "weak" hour of the day.

Put more fiber into your diet, if you take a fiber pill a half hour before dinner with a full glass of water, it will trick your stomach into thinking it's fuller than it actually is.

Avoid white foods at all cost! (i.e. White Bread, White Rice, Potatoes, etc.)

Watch your sugar grams, try and use foods with less sugar in them, sauces, creams, etc.

If you go off your diet, DON'T GIVE UP! Just go right back on it, don't dwell on the guilt or think you're a failure, just get right back on the horse like it NEVER happened! Please it's really important not to beat yourself up over a slip, remember you are human and most importantly you can move on immediately and become successful.

Okay, that's all I have for now, hope they help.

Cinmell without even looking where you were from I knew IMMEDIATELY you were from Boston area (tonic, that is exactly what we called it growing up, lol).

 

[DznyDreams]

I'm a Weight Watcher, not a low-carb dieter. So, my tip is more for the non-low-carb folks.

When dining out, order your salad with the dressing on the side. THEN, instead of pouring the dressing on the salad, dip the tip of your fork in the dressing before each bite. It gives you the flavor your looking for, without overindulging in the high-fat dressing....it also slows you down a bit so that you can actually tell when you've had enough.

 

[squitty]

Thanks for the wonderful tips, I am just going to print these off and put them on my fridge too

 

[My W*I*S*H*]

I just started, so I don't know if it's ok to add a tip, but I've found the one thing that keeps my chocolate binges to almost nothing is CHOCOLATE SOY MILK! I know so many are hesitant to try it, but after the first half gallon, I was hooked...now it's my soy, my calcium, and my chocolate fix all in one. I love it!

Robin

 

[LittleMissMickey]

Just a little tip that helped me in my freshman year when there ALWAYS seemed to be food about (where I'm STILL trying to get the weight off from....freshman years and boyfriends are horrible for diet plans).

Carry a toothbrush with you. Whenever you finish eating, brush your teeth. If you feel a big craving, brush them again. Having a clean sensation in your mouth will often curb your appetite. Be careful, though, too much brushing, or brushing too hard, can be bad for your gums!

Keep up the awesome work, all!

Ashley

 

[christinadei]

I use gum for the same purpose. Just get a strong, minty sugar free gum and chew it after I eat and throughout the day. It also helps me not drink soda, since it doesn't taste good.

My tip is to eat a salad with LF or FF dressing or some kind of low fat soup or raw veggies or fruit or something before dinner. It will fill you up with good stuff before you eat.

I'm also a Weight Watcher, and a tip from them is to fill your plate 1/2 full with veggies, then 1/4 protein and 1/4 starch.

 

[angey77]

I've read many times before if you are trying to lose weight, cut 300 calories from what is needed to maintain a weight. You can calculate the calories needed to maintain a weight by multiplying your weight by 10-12 (I picked 10). Say for example you are 125 pounds. Multiply that by 10 and get 1250, then subtract 300 and get 950 calories per day to consume.

One pound equals 3500 calories also, so if you cut your daily diet by those measly 300 calories, and hit the elyptical for 20 minutes per day, you should lose one pound per week!

I've been sticking to a diabetic diet with my calories as counted above, even though I'm not diabetic. Its been great. I eat three meals a day and two snacks a day, and work out one hour (weights and elyptical) four days per week. I've lost five pounds in three weeks and I always have energy.

 

[bytheblood]

I struggle with my weight because I have something called PCOS. I have found several things that make me feel like I am having a lot of sweets, but really I am not. Because I have PCOS, I am at a high risk for diabetes, so I have to go easy on the chocolate cake and brownies. I do pretty well because I am not overweight to a point where it is dangerous, I would just like to look better in whatever I want to wear. I have found the follwing things to help me.........

1. Sweeten Kool-Aid and Tea with Splenda. Especially Kool-Aid.

2. Jello has no carbs and no fat. You can sweeten it with Cool Whip if you do not feel like your sweet craving is being met.

3. If you are just dying for some chocolate, most grocery stores carry chocolate whipped topping in a can. Again, almost no fat or carbs. Man, some days I could eat a half can of that stuff.

4. Pudding made with Skim milk is another one when you are wanting a rich chocolate or vanilla flavor.

Also -

5. If you can lay off cokes altogether, including diet ones and sprite, you can drop about 10 – 15 lbs a year. If you do not like the blandness of water, drink water with lemon, lime or orange.

6. Eat wheat bread instead of white. It still has carbs, but it does not go white to your buns. Oops – that was supposed to be right to your buns.

7. Stay away from whites…..bread, flours, potatoes, rice…all of the white stuff.

 

[bytheblood]

Originally posted by DznyDreams
I'm a Weight Watcher, not a low-carb dieter. So, my tip is more for the non-low-carb folks.

When dining out, order your salad with the dressing on the side. THEN, instead of pouring the dressing on the salad, dip the tip of your fork in the dressing before each bite. It gives you the flavor your looking for, without overindulging in the high-fat dressing....it also slows you down a bit so that you can actually tell when you've had enough.

I do this, too. It works great. I can eat a good salad with minimal dressing and for me, this is the best way. I don't lose the flavor, I still eat all of my salad and I have over half of the dressing left when finished.

I also eat my salad first. This will already be filling my stomach before the chicken and veggies ever hit the table.

 

[bytheblood]

Originally posted by LoriZH
Great tips I totally agree especially the water!


Don't read magazines with food in them, pick up a good book and get involved especially during your "weak" hour of the day.

Does this mean I should cancel my subscription to Bon Appetit? I love to cook.

 

[kkmauch]

I am perhaps the world's biggest fan of White food. I love white rice, mashed potatos, white bread, flour tortillas, etc...help me!
I know I should switch to something else, but I honestly want to keep them in my diet, I think I would go insane without them! Suggestions?

 

[angey77]

Originally posted by kkmauch
I am perhaps the world's biggest fan of White food. I love white rice, mashed potatos, white bread, flour tortillas, etc...help me!
I know I should switch to something else, but I honestly want to keep them in my diet, I think I would go insane without them! Suggestions?

For white bread, I like the Nature's Own Healthline Light white bread. Two slices is 80 calories total and unlike most light white breads, it does not taste like cardboard. I have one sandwich per day at work.
Don't totally deprive yourself of foods you love or making your diet a life-long commitment will be impossible in the long run. Just eat everything in moderation. MODERATION is the key word.
A great place to see what foods have what calories is this website, Calorie Lab. Just adjust your diet to balance those little splurges every now and then.

 

[minmate]

Often, I pack a soft sided cooler w/healthy food/snacks for dh to take to work... I'd put in a piece or two of fruit, items such as celery w/pb, hard boiled eggs, cooked , cut up chicken, etc... and he can just pick and choose what he wants throughout the day. Then, when he gets home, all he eats is dinner, and he's had healthy food during the day w/o having to really think about it.

It's worked so well, that when I've had busy days, I do the same for myself and then even if I'm still at home, I just leave the cooler on the kitchen counter and know that I can only eat what's in there for the day (except for dinner, which I usually don't have premade yet). It makes it simple and if I don't feel like having what I had "planned" to at that moment (since I like to plan out my meals), I can just find another healthy snack in the cooler w/o rummaging through the cabinets full of temptations.

 

[keenercam]

Thanks for the GREAT tips! I think I can add two:

1. Buy desirable nutritious foods! I find I have to surround myself with healthy eating options that appeal to me. For example, instead of just having celery in the fridge, I make sure that I have a lite dressing or lite cream cheese or lite peanut butter to dip it in.

2. Whenever you are cooking something that takes time, cook it in quantity and put extra servings of it in the fridge and freezer in pre-measured containers. For example, diet coke chicken -- I did a HUGE saucepan of it with 10 small breast portions in it -- I put a couple of the breasts in my fridge and the rest in the freezer -- the extra portions are a Godsend when I don't feel like cooking. I just did the same thing with 8 turkey burgers cooked w/mushrooms, onions, and a little A-1 sauce. And I especially like to cook large quantities of turkey or vegetarian chili.

Good luck everyone!

 

[disgal1]

I lost 20 lbs for my wedding 24 years ago and have kept it off.

This is what worked for me then, and I continue to eat this way....

I don't skip any meals,
eat off salad plate...no seconds.
eat 6 times a day 3 "meals" 3 "snacks"
don't eat past 7pm

when I go out to eat, I skip the bread, don't even let them bring it to the table, get a salad, soup ,and appetizer as my entree. I split a desert, but always get it to go, and eat it the next day in the afternoon, followed by a walk.
I don't deprive myself of any food. I say eat anything, but not everything!
Cut down, not out.

Moderation, walking, water , balance. That is something you can live with.
Drink a big glass of water while cooking or preparing your meal.
I don't eat anything "non fat" , lots of time they are loaded with sugar .

For me , if I know there isn't anything I can't have, I don't really crave anything, and there really is no cheating.
If I feel like I'm hungry after I've eaten, I drink a glass of water,, and wait 30 minutes. if I'm still hungry, I'll eat another salad. ( I love salad)

This way of eating has worked for me for 24 years, I hope some of these tips might help someone else. I also know this won't work for everyone ( my husband being one of them! )

 

[angey77]

Those are some awesome tips disgal!
I like variety in my meals, so the soup, salad and appetizer sound great.

 

[cinmell]

disgal1, great tips, I especially like the one about eating off of a salad plate and not even allowing the server to bring bread to the table when dining out. Thanks for your tips, I plan on trying them out!

 

[disgal1]

Glad you guys liked the tips,
I forgot to say by 3 meals, i meant SMALL meals, and snacks mean healthy snacks, (my favorite is a few wheat thins and thin sliced swiss cheese, or a small spoonful of peanut butter with a half a small banana.

The "diet" was in good housekeeping back in the early 80"s and was called the 6 meal a day diet. It really worked for me. I think the diet part was to divide the amount of calories you want in a day (calorie intake you need for your goal) into 6 portions. Putting the higher calorie foods in the early part of the day. You end up eating something about every 2- 3 hours. ( 7am to 7pm) After the first week, I really didn't seem to be hungry,


I forgot to add, if I'm really craving something....like chocolate cake, I'll have 1 or 2 mini snickers.( the really small ones) THAT's IT. It satisfies me, I don't feel guilty, and haven't done much damage. After having done this for years, I don't think I could eat a whole one! Costco has a lot of mini deserts. the little mini cheesecakes are about 2 bites, but that is all it takes! or a little mini pecan tart. Honestly, when you know you can have one of these little sweets once a week or so, you just don't get all hung up on having them...


Also, I love orange juice, and grape juice, but cut it with half water. I know, yuk, but I got used to it really fast. started out with only a little water, and built up to half. Still can't bring myself to drink skim milk , but have gotten down to 1%, but that's it.

I had tried every diet out there to loose weight , back then we had the no carb diet too, all of my fellow nurses were on that at the same time, and man were we a grouchy bunch! Plus none of us could stick to that. After working a 4 night stretch of 12 hour night shifts, nothing tasted better than a good half of a waffle!(syrup on the side for dipping the fork in every few bites ; )

the only other tip that has worked for me is I take the stairs if less than 5 flights. Even on Vacation and especially a nice Disney Cruise( I actually lost 3 pounds) I Never take the elevator! Luckily, I still have good knees!

 

[kdtwiss]

Here are a couple I have found helpful to me.
I don't /haven't ever done anything fancy such as Atkins or carb free or sugar free so they may not be helpful to those of you who are! I am just beginning to try to lose weight again after a rather long sabatical. I guess I just didn't care....but the thought of these flabby arms in a bathing suit at Disney makes me crazy!!
For me I KNOW I have an issue with my metabolism. Could be thyroid, mom has chronic thyroid issues - but I think more just a slow metabolism. Eating drains my energy. Every meal make me feel , well, like you know how you feel after Thanksgiving? Even sugar - some people get a buzz - not me - nearly puts me to sleep. Doesn't stop the craving tho....
Anyway - years back when I originally lost weight and another time also I foud that - brace yourselves this is gross- mixing apple cider vinegar (very small amount) in with a big glass of water somehow helps my body digest the food. I don't feel like I have to sleep every time I have a meal or snack (not that I EVER nap with 4 kids!) I use Bragg's raw unfiltered with my water and it really does help!
If I can not have that (if out or at someone else's house) only water with food. NO exceptions. Wine after dinner fine - with no. I don't know why again - but it does seem to help!
Be realistic - when starting the diet - give yourself one day a week where you can "cheat" w/o chiding yourself.
Then move onto one day a month. I find it easier to stay on a diet if I know I have something to look forward to.
More later but wanted to introduce myself (and give myself a pep talk!)