What Do You Eat When Trying To Lose Weight? (vegetables, smoothie, weight loss)

[terraaus]

I need more variety in the foods I eat when dieting. What do you eat and how do you kickstart it? I usually kickstart my diet after taking a prescribed med that has a side effect of weight loss, or after having an illness like the flu that causes me not to eat for a few days. When I see the first few pounds melt away, this encourages me to continue by eating diet type foods and smaller portions. I'm looking for actual food ideas such as fruit, celery sticks and peanut butter, eggs, soup, one ingredient ice cream, two ingredient oatmeal banana cookies, smoothies, cottage cheese etc. Thanks.

[EugeneOnegin]

The best things are fibrous vegetables. They contain a lot of bulk/fiber and nutrients and keep you full for a long time, while not providing a lot of calories. Cruciferous vegetables are good, and there are a ton of them (cabbage, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, collard greens, mustard greens, bok choy, brussel sprouts, turnips, arugula, radish, daikon, etc.). Chayote, asparagus, artichoke, eggplant, chard, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, squash, tomatillos, nopales, celery, mushrooms, spinach, and onions are good too.

For fruits, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, loganberries, mulberries. Figs are a little high in sugar but they have a lot of fiber and are high in protein for a fruit. Annona fruits (cherimoya, paw paw, soursop, custard apple, etc.) aren't very sweet and have a lot of protein. Coconut is good.

Lean meat, fish, seafood, eggs, plain yogurt, nuts, fresh herbs, etc.

Moderate amounts of beans, legumes, cheese (some better than others, queso fresco is good), and whole grains won't hurt you. Wild rice is particularly bulky and fills you up very quickly, good luck trying to overeat with it. Same for steel cut oats. A lot of "wheat" or "whole grain" breads are only 50% wheat or whole grains and aren't really good for you though. If it has a texture more akin to white bread, it's probably only half whole grain. Whole wheat products should be grainy.

Drinks: water, plain tea, plain coffee. Don't drink any calories.

Watch your condiments, a lot of them have a ton of sugar. Chili pepper sauces and pastes, vinegar-based condiments, fish sauce, mustards, salsa verde, herb pastes (chimichurri sauce, pesto, etc.) are all good for condiments and sauces.

Brothy soups are good. Lots of flavor, not a lot of calories. Egg drop soup, chicken soup, tom yum (my favorite), vegetable soup, etc.

Instead of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I like to make peanut butter and fresh or dried fruit sandwiches. Whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and fresh blueberries, blackberries, or bananas. Or I'll use dried figs (make sure there's no added sugar). A lot tastier and better for you than PBJ. A lot of carbohydrates though, so this is generally eaten before or after a workout.

I don't diet, but if I wanted to lose weight that's what I would do. Basically, a diet with lots of protein and fiber made up of whole foods.

[terraaus]

Thanks for these ideas. I really like the peanut butter and fresh or dried fruit idea.

[Cattknap]

Dried fruit should be eaten in moderation....too many pieces of dried fruit means too many calories enc too much sugar. You are much better off eating whole fresh fruit.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by terraaus

Thanks for these ideas. I really like the peanut butter and fresh or dried fruit idea.

I stay away from nuts when trying to lose weight.... before I started logging my calories I would throw walnuts and almonds into a snack size baggie, not even half full...... 600 calories!!!!!

[SandyCo]

I eat whatever I want, just in much smaller amounts. This is especially true for cake (a sliver, not a whole piece!), donuts (a half, not a whole one), and so on. I also don't eat sweet food every day, and that includes fruit. Natural sugar is still sugar, unfortunately.

[skel1977]

Eugene hit the nail on the head.

When I was cutting weight I made salads with hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, broccoli, cucumbers, and crab. Sometimes I added a little bit of ham but not much. Tahts pretty much all i ate for a while.

[sacredgrooves]

I have lost 57 lbs since Jan 10th on a Primal/Paleo type diet and this is a typical day for me:

Breakfast:
Smoothie made from coconut cream and a simple whey protein w/stevia sweetener
(1) Banana or a handful of berries and coffee w/stevia and coconut creamer

Lunch: Salad in a big bowl with lots of chopped veggies added in

Dinner: 8-10oz cooked, grass-fed ground Bison with lots of veggies or (4) pastured eggs w/uncured bacon cooked in coconut oil a couple times a week

Desert: a couple squares of dark chocolate (85%)

I stay satiated, eat un/minimally processed foods, and not afraid of saturated fats provided they come from "clean, non-CAFO" sources. There are plenty of alternatives and detractors to this diet outlined on the forum, but it worked for me and at no time have I felt deprived. Now that I hit my goal weight, I will likely add some periodic legumes back in among other things and have added sweet/baked potatoes in already on an occasional basis with no ill-effects. The only downside for eating healthy is the expense. Quality foods are not cheap lol.
If you avoid processed foods, vegetables oils, corn syrups and sugar in general you will be well ahead of the curve in weight loss.

[Dayton Sux]

Good point about nuts. Theres a suprising amount of calories in nuts.

Maybe ok to work into a mainenance meal plan, but for a cutting diet (as in cutting calories) mabe not.

For, its more about omitting some things...

[LittleDolphin]

--eggs, but not fried, served with side of fresh fruit salad
--vegetable soup with chopped kale and kidney beans, lots of celery, carrots, can of diced tomatoes with green chilis
--salads, mixed greens, carrots, cukes, with a bit of grilled chicken, sliced turkey, sunflower seeds, home-made dressing.
Another salad is chopped apples, grated carrots, a few raisins, celery, a few walnuts in an apple cider dressing
--apples o celery smeared with a bit of almond or peanut butter
--home-made bran/oatmeal muffins made with low oil/sugar (Google around for recipe)
--sardines with a side of sliced tomato
--canned salmon salad made with mustard, not mayo
--Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for dessert or a peeled and frozen banana (wrap in foil to freeze...tastes like ice cream)
--lots of de-caf herbal teas
--lots of fresh water
--sandwich on whole grain bread with sliced cuke, tomatoes, red onion, a little mustard, low-fat cheese slice
--vegetarian quesedilla
--stuffed broiled zuke (chopped Roma tomatoes, a smidge of cheese, minced onion, garlic)
--stir-fried veggies, a few walnuts or almonds, a dab of oil mixed with water, light soy sauce, sliced fresh ginger, with brown rice