Wednesday, June 3, 2020

I absolutely agree with BB that we should not eat foods we don't like or what is the point? I have spent a fair amount of effort to find healthier, lower calorie ways to satisfy my taste needs, especially for sweets. Having the items below and Cecily's muffins save and reward me daily so I am not on a diet (in my head).

To make strawberry or blueberry compote, I just put a containers worth in a bowl (cut up the strawberries), add artificial sweetener, and microwave on high until cooked into a sauce. I use it on other desserts, mixed into Greek yogurt and sometimes on the banana/egg pancakes.

Banana/egg pancake: mash a ripe banana, add cinnamon and 1 packet of SF sweeter (you can skip or modify this step), add one large egg and whis****il mixed. Cook as if a real pancake. They are very fragile so flipping one big one can be a challenge. I use a ceramic pan so I don't need any oil, but in another type of pan you might need spray oil. I usually just use SF syrup on it. I am from New England so I love real maple syrup, but you get used to the SF stuff if you stay away from the real stuff. If I am really hungry I top them with compote and Greek yogurt.

Here is the lemon blueberry yogurt pie which I have kept in stock in the refrigerator since I got the recipe at a WW meeting 6 months ago. Sometimes I top it with some compote. One of the people from OH who I gave it to a while ago loves this version best but she also fools around with variations of it. She makes a cheesecake version with cheesecake SF pudding and some sort of flavoring other than lemon. I think she usually uses compote on it and sometimes a bit of cool whip.

Thank you!

One rule that I really adhere to now is that I don't eat things that I don't like. That sounds simultaneously obvious for weightloss and like a huge impediment. I also find it hard to do that when I've paid. Or gone to all that work. Or my biggest issue, and the one time I occasionally break that rule, is if not eating it might hurt someone's feelings.

Often this means healthy foods. I bought a frozen seasoned tilapia. I was trying to really keep a low calorie profile the other night. It was just AWFUL. I mean God-awful. Tasted like it smelled. Fishy. I had the fleeting thought of "this meal was less about the flavor and more about filling you up, Bonnie, so just eat it and be satisfied. But I could not.

I also have done this with what should be yummy foods. Today I was headed to court at 7am and hubby wanted Sonic so I went ahead and ordered a "Croissonic" sandwich. Probably 600 calories. Well I maybe did eat a couple bites too many since my usual goal is to only eat half of these things anyway. But it just tasted kinda funky. LIke bad butter or something. Nope!

I definitely like your thinking on looking at foods as "health promoting." I always foudn that so hard to do in the past. I focused exclusively on foods I couldn't have.

While fish is very healthy, it's not alone. I used to hate fish too. We're about as far from water as one can get. Starting to be able to get good fish was game changing for me, but I'm guessing that's never been your problem. I also really like cedar planking!

Lean pork can be a little tough but really good in terms of macros. Don't forget eggs! Change up spices. I really want to start an herb garden. change up method: Brine, marinate, instant pot/crockpot/braise, broil, saute.

I doubt I'll change your mind on tomatoes!

Depending on the type of dish, carrots or celery are good fillers. Spinach and other greens can work too. Or just fill up in another way.

I'm definitely not a No carb person. In fact, just the mere mention of this sets me down the path to feeling like gimme ALLLLLLLL of them. I know I've stated this before, so I won't go there. I think a "health forward" attitude can help you to choose those last, at least in losing stage. I have definitely tried to shift my thinking to "what protein am I eating". And next "what vegetable." And then usually a carb to round it out.

For me pastas and rice aren't too big a problem. Especially when served with a meal. It's sweets and snacks for me. And honestly it's the thing I still reealllly have to work on. Always looking for new tips. I can tell you I "try" to have healthy snacks. Or at least I buy the right things. I buy hummus and vegetables and babybel cheese and fruit and I've bought enough yogurt to. Well you get the idea. I'm starting to think that my snacktime hunger is just emotional so I'm trying to give into it in controlled ways. Often with a coffee because something about that makes it more of an occasion. I found these veggie chocolate muffins that are like 120 calories and are just "not good enough" (I know it seems to conflict with above, but hear me out) that one satisfies my craving without making me want to eat more! Same with fiber one brownies. Normally I would think they were crap brownies but for this one time I make an exception because, for 70 calories, craving solved. But I can also see how this could be a slippery slope.

Lots of good life stuff in this post! I so understand the recount of your dinner the other night. I can't eat like that either. I would rather not eat at all. one of the things I noticed after being sleeved is that food flavor, the eating experience, texture and quality of food became of very high value to me. I also hate eating food that is unsatisfying . The reduced capacity did something to my perspective on eating. Food seemed to have higher value than it had before. So quality and flavor really count now.

i have tried the 'just not quite good enough' approach. For me it is a slippery slope. I do better staying away from that type of substitution because I often am so unsatisfied by that experience it triggers a search for the real McCoy. Took me a long time to understand that, but now that I get it it is easier to manage. Whoever thought a QuestBar could trigger binge feelings! lol!

Quest bars do that for me too, so I never have them anymore. Because my danger times are late afternoon and evening, I plan snacks for those times (ones that I love). I often have two evening snacks - one piece of the pie then a muffin later. I always have one snack but plan for two just in case I need it. I have come to realize that though my cravings are generated by my head not my "true" hunger, if I plan good snacks during the times I know they are most likely to happen I can avoid binging on stuff I shouldn't because I am satisfied. And what the heck is "true" hunger anyway? I know that if I haven't eaten for many hours and my stomach growls that it is real. Conversely I know that if I have just eaten but then see some luscious cake and want it that it isn't real BUT it feels real. And when it is a situation between the two I can't tell if I just want it or I need it a lot of the time. Hence the planned snacks.

Bell peppers and squash are not my favorites and mixed with tomatoes and mushrooms is not appealing to me either!

And I don't as a general rule like chicken! Too many years of diet grilled chicken breasts. And I have issues with chicken skin, fat, gristle, undercooked or too dry. It's hard to get it right for me, so I mostly avoid it.

As for fish, white fish "steaks" (halibut, swordfish, shark, cooked ahi, mahi mahi, etc) I don't love. Salmon, trout, shellfish I enjoy. It's a dryness/texture thing for me.

What is your 'non from the sea or water' go to protein?

Shrimp and salmon are high on my protein list, so aside from those, eggs probably. High end turkey breast deli meat. Premier protein shakes. Pork tenderloin on occasion. I don't eat much beef, but if I did, ground is better for me than steak texture-wise. I like those chicken and apple sausages, Aidells I think is the brand? Sometimes chicken if I'm not in an I hate chicken phase.

It's good to know what we like. I love steak. I could eat steak and fresh green beans with a bit of butter several times a week. And shrimp.

Also, I can say that Liz's lemon blueberry pie made with Greek yogurt is good, and is best eaten after it has been in the fridge overnight.

I like it when just cooled for an hour or so OR overnight!