My overall eating philosophy - NOT A "DIET"

     I love to cook and I also love to eat! My husband can attest to the fact that I am a pretty good cook. Since changing our way of eating (notice I did NOT say "diet"), my hubby, Todd, has asked that I use my powers for good instead of evil. So.... no more fried pork chops, fried chicken, and fatty lasagna. I am seeking out lower calorie/fat recipes that still taste yummy.

     To begin, a word about our meal plan. I track our calories and exercise at www.myfitnesspal.com I love the site! I have many wonderful supportive friends from MFP. We encourage each other on a daily basis. There are other websites set up to do the same thing. This just happens to be the one I have chosen to use. It is important to eat at least 1200 calories per day. Eating below this may send your body into "starvation mode", which will actually make you GAIN weight instead of lose it. Basically, your body thinks you are starving and decides to hold onto every calorie instead of burning them.

     When I prepare meals, I always try to include a lean protein along with some carbohydrates (carbs). I do have a hard time getting breakfast sometimes. I've just never been big on breakfast. I am learning though. Lunch and Dinner are usually very similar. They both start with a salad. I make up a batch of salad every couple of days and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Every salad is a little different because I try to use a different mix of raw vegetables each time. I try to use different types of lettuce, combined with any raw vegetable that I like. Sugar snap peas are one of my favorites! While salad is very healthy and low in calories, the dressings that we put on top are often very fatty and high in calories. Reading the labels is the best way to find lower calorie dressings. I prefer the light or reduced calorie dressings over the fat free dressings due to taste preferences.

     After the salad, our dinner plate consists of a lean meat that is baked or grilled. If I do skillet "fry" anything, I use a spray oil or 1 or 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. I do NOT deep fry anything! In addition to the lean meat (3-4 oz), I have a carb, usually winter squash, potatoes, noodles, or maybe stuffing. I try to limit the carbs to 1/2 cup. The final item on the plate is another vegetable. I try to always include 1 cup of cooked vegetables as a traditional serving is 1/2 cup cooked. Between the salad and cooked veggie (either fresh or frozen, both of which are lower in sodium than canned), you have 4 out of the recommended 5 servings at dinner alone. For lunch, I usually have the salad, a smaller portion of meat and carbs, and possibly leave out the cooked vegetable. So, think of a sandwich and salad, or soup and salad. A word of caution about soups though, they are LOADED with sodium!

     In between meals, I usually have a morning, mid afternoon, and sometimes a bedtime snack (if my calorie limit has not been reached). Great snacks are fresh fruits and vegetables. Again, I try to stay away from canned because of the high sodium content. I also really like sugar free Jello and the new Sugar Free Jello Mousse snack cups. 

     Okay, on to some recipes!

     Two wonderful websites that I use almost daily are Budget 101 and  Lowfat Recipes - Cooking for Health .  Budget 101 has a ton of recipes for mixes and many pre-packaged foods that you would normally buy from the store. The wonderful thing about making them yourself is that you can often save money, as well as calories AND sodium. Sodium plays a big part in weight loss because consuming large quantities of sodium can lead to water retention, and thus water weight gain. It is also important, in order to flush out excess sodium, it is extremely important to drink plenty of water. The common recommendation is at least 8-8oz glasses per day.

    So, many of my recipes are adaptations of ones found on these websites, as well as others I've found on other websites and the many cookbooks I have in my collection. 

     In future posts, I will try to include at least one new recipe. So, stay tuned!

KimmieBear

78 Days and almost 25 lbs!

Wow! How time flies. I can't believe it's been 78 days since I changed my way of eating. Since then I have lost 24.6 lbs as of yesterday's weigh in. I still have quite a way to go, but I will get there ounce by ounce... pound by pound and day by day.

We've had quite a winter, which has made exercising and counting calories a little difficult. It is no easy task to be stuck in a house with 3 kids (and sometimes hubby) for days at a time.  I have been trying to not just cook, cook, and cook. There is half of a coconut cream cake in the bottom of my refrigerator. I think it's going to go to the chickens soon so I'm not tempted to eat any more of it. It isn't exactly low in calories!

Since starting this journey, I have come across or modified several recipes to be lower in calories. One food I have discovered is Greek Yogurt. I use Oiko's 0% fat Greek Yogurt. It is absolutely yummy! It has a thicker consistency than regular yogurt, more like sour cream, and has more active cultures than others. It is super low in calories too, with 1 cup having only 130 calories, compared to 240 calories in fat free sour cream.

My latest recipe using Greek Yogurt is a substitute for mayo or whipped salad dressing.

***Greek "Mayo" ***
1/4 cup Oikos - Organic Greek Yogurt - Plain 0% Fat
2 tbsp whipped salad dressing (I use the generic Miracle Whip) or mayo

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate.

Yield: 6 tbsp
22 calories per tbsp

Another recent recipe is for a Salsa Ranch salad dressing.

***Salsa Ranch ***
1 cup Oikos - Organic Greek Yogurt - Plain 0% Fat
1 cup thick and chunky salsa (like Pace)

Mix ingredients together and run through a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

Yield: 32 tbsp
7 calories per tbsp!

Speaking of salsa, how many of us love guacamole, but hate how many calories it contains? The next recipe is for Yogurt Guacamole. It is a lot creamier than regular guacamole and saves quite a few calories.

*** Yogurt Guacamole ***

1 cup Oikos - Organic Greek Yogurt - Plain 0% Fat
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Jalapeno, raw - finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, raw - minced
2 tsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp dried cilantro
2 medium Avocados, Raw

Toast cumin in a dry skillet until fragrant. Scoop out avocados and place in food processor along with jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin. Process until smooth. Combine avocado with yogurt and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Yield: 32 tbsp

20 calories per tbsp.