Recently , because of the Klingon uniform situation, I have been trying to lose weight and get a bit healthier in general. Also I have a friend who is pregnant that is also trying to eat healthier....except she is supposed to be eating more than she usually does. She also is trying to eat snacks that are healthier.


Anyone have suggestions for snacks that are Healthy! but also not the same old stuff that we've heard mentioned for decades?

- Ed C.

Hey Ed , just curious but what's your regular diet like?

Regards,
David R

Quote from: David R;260967Hey Ed , just curious but what's your regular diet like?

Regards,
David R

"Regular Diet" went out the window about 4 weeks ago. Thats when I decided I had to lose a few inches.

 Basically I have either a sandwhich from the mall food court halfway during my work shift if its a longer 6 hours. Sometimes I'd have a bag lunch from home. Most of what I ate was typical 'meat & potatoes' meals that people have in Mid west /Ohio suburban areas. Maybe a tad too much fast food. My exercise level was cut down a bit when I started using a cane in 2005.

Also, have eliminated all soda pop since mid-September.

My friend and I have talked before about doing a diet or eating healthier at the same time. Sounds like her husband is also thinking about doing a diet/healthier food as well.


- Ed C.

Well raw vegetables are always good, as is yogurt, and I saw at the grocery store the other day they're making snack crackers (Like Chips Ahoy Cookies, and Nutter Butters) in 100 calorie packs. But no matter what we all suggest I've always heard that the secret to a good diet is eating stuff that you'll keep eating, making changes that will permanent.

I know that eliminating soda is a good move, most people I know pack on a lot of weight through sodas. (Which makes me glad I've never really been a soda drinker.)

Good luck!

Yeah, Serious has the right of it IMO. The best way is to go strictly fruit & veg (preferbaly raw) for a couple months. Lot's of walking or swimming. Packed lunches from home is a must. At the end of the day, it's about discipline. When and if you go back to eating meat, make sure it's in moderation and don't ever neglect the vegetables.

Regards,
David R

I usually go for an apple if I'm feeling peckish, or an orange if there's a nice one around. I avoid boredom snacking at all costs.

In a series of events too complex to relate, the deputy chairman of a company I worked for left a diet book in my office one time. I flicked through it out of curiosity (I'm not a big guy) and found a nugget of pretty good advice. Think about hunger as a scale from one to ten - one is "stuffed", ten is "starving to the point of feeling sick". The book said, anytime you reach for a snack think: where are you on that scale? If you are below seven, you don't need the snack.

Ned

One of the main things about dieting, is to not think of it as dieting, but as a life change.  The best foods to work with besides fruits and veggies, are whole grains as well.  Whole grains will fill you faster, and help with digestion.  If you want a quick snack, take a look at popcorn 94% fat free, as well yogurts, and granola bars.  Also, preparing meals actually helps control the hunger.  If you take time to prepare the food, sometimes its much more satisfying then grabbing and going.

Also depending on how much weight you want to lose, including your pregnant friend, you might want to try Weight Watchers.  I lost 75lbs on their program after I had kids, and they not only help you with your existing diet, but make it so you can eat what you want with portion control.  That is the main key...portion control.  I know it may sound like a crutch, but they are very helpful in directing people to a healthier lifestyle.  As far as your pregnant friend, they will help her sustain a good variety that will help the baby as well as her, so that her body is not depleted of it nutrients.

There's a good start on this thread so far.  Your instincts were good in putting soda at the top of your to-kill list.  HFC -- high fructose corn syrup -- is the waist-killer.  Without getting too conspiratorial, corn is a major US subsidy crop, so US food manufacturers try their darndest to work corn derivatives into anything they can.  To meet the acclimated culture desire for sweetness, HFC appears everywhere (like bread, for crying out loud), and it's the main ingredient in every top-brand soda (after water, of course).  There's a high correlation between HFC consumption and the ubiquitous "spare tire" in an increasing percentage of pre-adolescent youths.  Furthermore, on a very basic level, soda is nothing but empty calories that you can do without. Check the ingredients list on anything you're about to buy to eat -- if you're surprised to see HFC on the list, put it back on the shelf.

Next up, avoid the mall food.  Generally speaking, fast food (and even some not-so-fast food) are heavy in oil and salt, and, yes, sometimes sugar.  Bets are on that, in comparison to the nutrition you're deriving from the food, you're getting a disproportionate amount of saturated fat and sodium, neither of which are going to do your physique any favors.

A little more on the faddish side of things, try to cut down on bread.  I have more than a couple of friends who've responded very positively to cutting their intake of wheat gluten to a minimum.  Opinions vary, but some nutritionists claim that our 6,000+ year affair with the wheat kernel has left western society with a sensitivity to the glutens that lead to obesity and allergic responses.  Airy-fairiness aside, it's another source of excess calories that you can easily control.

As for snacks, as suggested above, raw fruits and vegetables are very good for you.  First, they fill you up, and they can taste very good while doing so.  Second, your body actually has to spend a significant amount of caloric energy to digest them, which helps defray the caloric intake.  Third, they...uh...well, they help keep you regular.  Keeping the pipes flushed will help make you feel less bloated and will be a couple of pounds less that you'll be carrying around under your belt at any given moment.  No, seriously.

Nuts and seeds make for good snacks, too, but be sure to avoid oil-roasted and heavily salted varieties.  Try to develop a taste for raw[/u] nuts and seeds.  They can be naturally very sweet, and once you kick your tongue of the expectation of an extreme explosive taste sensation with every bite, your palate can begin to appreciate more subtle gradations in flavor.  That sounds more condescending than it really is -- basically, after a while, you can begin to appreciate a lesser intensity in flavor, but over a wider range.  Back to the nuts, though, I really like a nice sweet, raw almond and peptitas (pepitas are shelled pumpkin seeds, but be sure to avoid the oil-roasted varieties, which are just grease for your gut).

My final suggestion is simple.  Walk when possible.  About to take an elevator or escalator up just a floor or two?  Is there a staircase available?  Take the stairs.  No stairs?  Walk on the escalator.  Do you normally commute by car?  Try a combination of the bus and walking.  Just do little things to add a little bit of simple exertion to your daily routine, nothing that's going to hurt, but something that's going to help account for some of those calories you ingested earlier.  And, of course, it has the added benefit of making you just a little physically stronger and more capable with every little effort.

Over all, I think the general theme to my advice is to resist the tendency to let every little thing in your life be easy and convenient.  Our physiques didn't evolve for an easy and convenient lifestyle, and we seem to respond poorly to leisure and luxury.  Just pick some simple things to challenge your body to work the way it was intended.

!i!

Some good advice already given but I will add a word of caution. READ THE LABELS! A lot of "low calorie" or "low fat" will make up with a ridiculous abount of carbs. These are some of the buggers that will pack weight on while making you think you are "eating healthy". This is mostly a problem with processed prepackaged food. This is way when I am peckish I like to shoot for fruits and veggies. Think about it. Licorice is "fat free" but probably not a great snack.

Good luck,
Bill

Make your own onigiri.

Japanese rice balls. What I like to do is fill 'em with some shredded chicken, and lightly fry in sesame oil to help 'em hold their shape (long grain rice doesn't work well and I don't like the seaweed wrappers for 'em)

It's really nummy and very good for you. This is my Tangency post in the thread about it - got a link to a nice recipe.

QuoteSo I'm going to post what I've done/am doing and let you know.

This recipe is my base - http://www.grouprecipes.com/26787/se...d-onigiri.html

I've taken canned chicken for a filling. I've prepped it by adding sesame seeds, minced garlic, wok oil and sesame oil (sesame oil is too strong for me by itself) and Sara the TG's amazing soy sauce - PLUG- if you get a chance, get some from her! It's pure awesome and win and nummy omnomnomnom. And a bit of anise. That's marinading and waiting - when the steamer finishes washing, I'm going to put it on low heat to get a better flavor.

When the rice (a mix of jasmine and basmati as that's what I have) is balled, I'm going to lightly fly it so it'll keep a bit better. I'm not using the wrappers because I don't like 'em and don't have any.

That's the plan, anyway.

Quote from: Serious Paul;260970I know that eliminating soda is a good move, most people I know pack on a lot of weight through sodas. (Which makes me glad I've never really been a soda drinker.)

It is. Along with ditching fast food, it's one of the first moves Ed or anyone seeking to lose weight should make.

But no one's mentioned reducing portion size. I lost 53 pounds about two years ago by reducing my portion sizes and cutting out my nightly dessert. (Of course, I walk four to five miles a day, do a 100 sit ups, and do a bit of work with free weights - plus I have ADD - so I burn quite a few calories...)

Seanchai

Here's an example ...today, 30 minutes agO: In the mall food court I just had Chicken Noodle soup and pink lemonade from SBARROS pizza place.

Seemed the best choice, as in not 'heavy' and I know they had just made the soup.

- Ed C.

I always figured it's less what you eat-which of course is still important-and more your activity level. Put out more than you take in right?

Pork rinds ftw!

Dr Rudy says "Eat less."