Category: Food

Every once in a while everyone just needs a good pig out. Here are some good options when you’re feeling like an endless pit of hunger. (Especially for the ladies…..you know what I’m talking about) These snacks sometimes have 2 or 3 servings in the whole bag. Eating to excess is not regularly a good thing, but sometimes we all need it. When you do, try one of these products. Again, I do not get endorsed by any product, I just think these are especially yummy!

Salty Snacks

Boom Chicka Pop – This popcorn comes in several flavors, my favorite being White Cheddar.  They range from 35 to 70 calories PER CUP!  So grab a bag of this for your next movie night instead of movie theater butter.

 

 

Smartfood Delight – Again, a delicious popcorn for very few calories!  At 35 calories a cup, there’s no shame in having a third of the bag! Bring this to your next football get together to give yourself something to eat regardless of what the host puts out.

 

 

Snapea Crisps – My hubby loves these and will regularly eat a whole bag in one sitting.  They come in several flavors: light salted, caesar (our fave!), black pepper, and wasabi ranch. They also come in lentil version with flavors like tomato basil and onion thyme. I know they might not sound yummy but if my hubby will eat them, they definitely are! 110 calories per serving and just over two servings per bag.

 

 

Special K Cracker Chips – These also come in tons of flavors like sea salt, cheddar, sour cream and onion, honey barbecue, chili lime and southwest ranch. 110 calories for 27 chips!  These really feed my need for potato chips with very little consequence.

 

 

Sweet Snacks

100 Calorie Packs – These come in every variety under the sun by several different companies.  Some popular stores even have their own version.  I love these because they are preportioned for control.  That way you CAN have cookies but not obsess about a package of oreos in the cabinet. My favorite: Mini fudge stripes

 

 

Skinny Cow Candy and Ice Cream – These are not extremely low in calorie and you shouldn’t eat the whole box.  However, this is a much better option than full sugar candy or ice cream.  They are just as delicious with about half the calories of the real thing.  Again, there are tons of different varieties all available at your local supermarket.

 

 

Sugar Free Popsicles or Fudgesicles – These are delicious in the summer time!  They are 40 calories a piece and you can have more than one.  Check you’re local store for flavors and store brands that are even less expensive than name brand.

 

One of the most popular questions I get is, “What do you eat?” I know people are always expecting me to say low carb, vegetarian or some other fad diet plan.  When I set out to lose the weight, I wanted to do it in the real world eating real food and not sticking to some plan with rules I couldn’t follow.

I do eat both low calorie and low sugar.  I did this on purpose at first to flush my system of high calorie crap and endless sugary drinks and sweets.  After the first month or so, this is just what I was more naturally drawn to.  I’m sure that some of those fad diets work for some people but they did not work for me.  I needed to learn to eat pizza without eating 6 slices because I wanted to be able to eat pizza.  I didn’t want to lose the weight and then risk putting it back on when I ‘transitioned’ back to normal food.  So I figured out how to eat the foods I love, sometimes with substitutions, without overeating. Below is the schedule I try to stick to and then an example of what I would regularly eat in a day.

Routine

Your body will learn to get hungry at the right times if you are eating the right amounts at the right times.  Sounds hard, but it’s pretty easy.  Don’t eat again until you’re hungry.  You should be feeling hungry every 3 hours or so.  If you go 6 hours without being hungry, you ate too much at the last meal.

7:30 Breakfast (try to have high protein here if working out)

10:00 Snack (again, high protein if working out will help sore muscles)

12:30 Lunch

3:00 Snack

7:00 Dinner (low carb if possible)

8:30 Snack

*Tips* 1. Taper off carbs throughout the day.  You will burn off a bagel in the morning but a bagel for dinner means those calories aren’t going to get burned while you sleep.

2.  I try not to eat after 8:30 pm if possible on my regular schedule.  Again, you’re body won’t burn those calories.

3.  Wake up hungry!  If you aren’t hungry within the first hour of waking, you’re eating too much before bed.

4. WATER!  I’ve read lots of studies on this.  Turns out they say it does aid in weight loss for flushing out the body.  My favorite trainer on TV, Chris Powell, recommends half of your body weight in ounces everyday. (Example: If you weigh 200 pounds, 100 oz. or water per day.) Water can be hard if you are not a natural water drinker.  I wasn’t at first but I am now.  If you take medication, try to down a whole glass with your meds.  It will make it easier to get to your daily goal.  I do this and then don’t have to force myself to drink tons during the day unless I want to.

Actual Meal Plan

Here’s an example of what I might actually eat in a day. My target calories are between 1600 and 1700 for a day.  I do not eat my exercise calories back yet because I’m still trying to lose those last 5 pounds. Please note: I’m not endorsed by any of these products.  I just think they are super yummy!

7:30  Breakfast – half a bagel with cream cheese – 250 calories (Shout out to Moe’s Bagels here in Denver who give out day old bagels for free after noon everyday! Best bagels ever!) Other examples: greek yogurt and fruit

10:00 Snack – Protein Shake – 150 calories – I like Complete Nutrition shakes.  They aren’t horribly expensive and I like the way they taste.  Go to a bunch of different places and ask for samples if you are looking for one.  There are several brands so try a bunch before buying a huge canister of something gross. Also, high protein is necessary for those working out.  If you are in a walking stage of fitness, you don’t need to worry too much about protein yet.  Other examples: banana, string cheese, granola bar

12:30 Lunch – Leftovers, salad – 400 calories – I usually eat whatever is in the fridge or I can take in my lunch.  My favorite places to eat out for lunch are Subway and Modmarket.  You almost can’t go wrong here if you pay attention. My Subway order is Italian BMT on wheat.  You can count on Subway being pretty healthy and fresh.

3:00  Snack – Bar – 150 calories – I like bars here because they are quick and easy.  There are lots of good bars out there packed with protein and vitamins.  Some of my favorites are Luna and That’s it but there are tons out there in every grocery store.  You can usually buy them in singles for about a dollar so go crazy! Buy a bunch and decide what you like.  They vary in consistency and flavor. Other examples: veggies and hummus, string cheese

7:00  Dinner – 450 calories – Grilled Pork and Corn – My hubby loves to use our grill so I can usually pass the cooking off to him for dinner.  Pork is low in fat and cheap!  Simple thin pork chops with some seasoning and corn on the cob is one of my favorite meals these days.  You can even have butter with your corn and stay under 500 calories! 4 oz. of pork chops is only 250 calories.  You get A LOT of food for very little consequences.

8:30  Snack – 100 calories – Sugar free popsicle or fudgsicle. These are delicious and very calorie conscious.  It makes you feel like your cheating when you’re not!

If you went back and added this up it’s 1400 calories.  That leaves space for coffee and any extra nibbles I may want during the day.  I carry food with me everywhere and stash it in the car.  If you’re out running errands and your only option for a quick snack is McDonalds, it’s going to be hard to wait.  If you store quick snacks with you, you’ll be less tempted by unhealthy options.

Check back tomorrow for a Chicken Tacos recipe and some low calorie Pig Out options!

Today’s subject needs a little explanation.  One of my favorite shows (which is now off the air……..still heartbroken) is How I Met Your Mother.

One of the best episodes is The Murtaugh List in which the main character Ted challenges the infamous Barney to complete all of the items on his personal Murtaugh List.  The Murtaugh List originates from the Leathal Weapon movies where Danny Glover’s character, Roger Murtaugh, consistently says “I’m too old for this s*$#” throughout the movies.

Ted creates his own Murtaugh List of things he believes he is too old for.  Ted’s list consists of items like: helping a friend move in exchange for pizza, sleeping on a futon, getting his ear pierced, going to a rave and putting off going to the doctor.  I’ll leave the end of the episode for your viewing pleasure!

Through my journey, I have created my own Healthy Murtaugh List. As I flushed my body of a lot of bad habits I found it didn’t crave the same things.  Some of the foods I avoided in the beginning simply for their calorie consequences, I found I don’t even want to eat anymore, or they put my body through so much torture that it isn’t even worth it anymore.  Here are some items from my  Murtaugh List:

Pop: My hubby insists that I still have to say pop even though now we live in a ‘soda’ region.  I avoided pop like the plague at the beginning of my diet.  I knew it was empty calories and I was really trying to cut out as much sugar as possible. After about 6 months soda free, I found I didn’t even like it anymore.  I will occasionally enjoy a diet soda when we eat out but find myself uninterested in finishing it about half way through.  My hubby will still get a soda every once in a while.  When I steal a sip it doesn’t even taste right!  It tastes like pure syrup!  When you’re body ‘recalibrates’ without things like soda, you’ll find your tastes changing and drawing you to more healthier options naturally.

Doughnuts: Again, once my body flushed out most of the poor choices I’d been making, doughnuts had to join the list after an ‘incident’.   About 3 months in, I hadn’t had a doughnut in a long time.  My hubby was running to the gas station one morning and we were out of our usual breakfast food.  I had been doing really well and had already met my weekly weight goal so I asked him to pick me up a doughnut. I ate ONE regular glazed doughnut and (TMI WARNING) quickly threw the whole thing up within minutes.  My body was saying “What is this crap that you’re giving me? Rejected!” I have had one half of a doughnut since then when the infamous Voodoo Doughnuts opened near my house. After the ‘incident’ I don’t even want to eat a doughnut anymore but leave it on the list in case I have a momentary lapse in judgement.

Fried Foods: To be clear, I still eat fried foods but it’s place on the list represents portion control.  My body would much rather have a whole sandwich and 10 fries than half a sandwich and all my fries.  How do I know? It tells me loud and clear.  Too much fried foods have me running to the bathroom before we pay the bill.

Moral of the Murtaugh List:

I want to give my body what it needs not what my head wants at that moment.  None of the experiences I’ve had having these things in my diet have made it worth it to keep them.  When I ate them all the time, I was obese.  If I have a tiny portion now and then, it’s not so bad.  If I gorge on them, I’ll pay for it.  When you’re body has more healthier needs it will punish you for bad choices which makes it a lot easier to make good choices.

In the beginning cravings are normal and expected.  I promise, as you continue you’re body won’t ask for those things anymore.  Cravings will change just as your body does.  I still get cravings but for more healthy things now.

 

As I began my diet, one thing I did not want to give up was meals out with friends or the hubby.  I knew this was something I had to figure out and quick.  One of the first things I did was look up what I used to eat and compare it to a healthier option on the menu.  Even if your local eatery doesn’t provide nutritional facts, you can usually find them online or find a close comparison.  Let’s start with a restaurant we all know and love: McDonalds. I know I know I know.  McDonald’s is a soul sucking corporation that blah blah blah.  We all eat there when we have to right? Here’s a comparison on what I used to get to what I get now:

Large Coke, Big Mac, Large Fry        1340 Calories and 53 Grams of Fat

Cheeseburger Kids Meal                     410 Calories and 17 Grams of Fat

While still not nutritious, this was an easy switch.  I still got a burger.  I still got fries, just less.  Oh and they still give you a toy even when you are an adult!

 

Simple Switches

Here are some restaurant rules to ease anxiety when eating out.  I guarantee any restaurant will have healthier choices, you just might not have looked before!

1. Dressing on the side – We’ve all heard it!  It works.  You don’t know how much they have put in if you don’t measure it yourself.  Some salads have as much as a quarter cup of dressing on them, which makes them a worse decision thaa a sandwich with fries.  It might feel healthier but is probably higher in calories.  At one of my favorite Denver restaurants, Sam’s No. 3, they have a wedge salad with bacon, blue cheese and AN ONION RING ON TOP!  The first time I got it it was drenched in dressing.  The next time I asked for it on the side and they brought be a CEREAL BOWL of dressing.  Yikes. Still a salad with an onion ring on top? Yes please.

2.  Baked Not Fried – I love me some chicken! However, I try to find a grilled chicken sandwich instead of fried.  This can be especially hard if you are a wings lover.  Most places fry their wings but you will occasionally find them baked if you ask.  Did you know Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings are 100 calories a pop? Don’t worry. I cried too. Baked chicken is much less in calories and fat than fried.  Also, then you don’t have to feel bad about having cheese on it or other condiments.  If you’re only option is fried, eat half!  My hubby and I order a sandwich split between the two of us at a local bar.  They bring it out in two baskets and we usually end up with extra fries!

 

 

3.  Buns – Eat half.  Bread is not important to me although I know there are bread lovers out there.  I’d rather eat the whole sandwich with half or no bun then eat half with.  This might be hard for some of you.  However, cutting out half of a huge restaurant style bun will save around 200 calories every time.  Again, I’d rather eat other things!

 

 

 

4.  Fried Awesomeness – You will never be able to hide from french fries, onion rings, tater tots and chips forever.  AND they usually come as an automatic side to most dishes.  If you don’t trust yourself not to eat them, ask for a side salad, fruit or veggies.  Most restaurants will do the switch free of charge.  However, like I said you can’t avoid them forever.  It is FINE to have some but the usual portion is more than enough.  Have just a few and then take them off your plate.  Try to see how many you can have left after you feel full.

 

Especially at the beginning of losing weight, these switches will help you drop the pounds faster as well as feel hungry again sooner.  You know the feeling of “Can Someone Please Roll Me Out To My Car?” after endless pasta and breadsticks? You’re not supposed to feel that way after eating a meal!  Once in a blue moon for a special occasion is fine, but Thursday night? Not so much.  Use these tips and stop when you’re full and you’ll feel much better!