I so agree with the concept of making alternatives.. I think sometimes it's even crucial..
I second the idea of soy sauce in stir frying.. it gives it a great taste.. honestly it give it a BETTER taste. Even dh likes it better that way (dh = mr. picky).. but be careful with the additional
I'm with you on those points, Mary! I had a whole response typed up yesterday and something got screwed up and I lost it :(.
I completely agree with you on the cheese! Not only does cheese offer the benefits of calcium and other nutrients only found in dairy products (whihc have been shown to help us lose belly fat), it offers a good does of protein and fat, both of which help keep us satisfied. Plus, I've read research that shows that if you don't have any/enough fat with your vegetables, you absorb very little of their nutrients, especially a lot of veggeis found in salad. They are now saying you need at least 6 grams of fat to properly absorb the nutrients, so a small portion of satisfying cheese would fit the bill. Of course, if you don't love the cheese, then get your fat from the dressing or another additives like avocado or sunflower or regular nuts.
Also, fat free or sugar free isn't always better. Most fat free or sugar free products still have calories, often as many as the regular stuff! Did you know that 1 tootsie roll midgie (those little-bitty chewy candies that are maybe 1/2" long) has more calories than any of these: 1 Hershey's kiss (any kind), 1 Andes Mint, 1 Werther's original hard candy, 1 peppermint, butterscotch or cinnamon disk, and 10 pieces of sugar free gum? Yep! I didn't even know that either. Most people would choose the mini tootsie roll as a "healthier" treat because it's fat free and most candies are associated with badness, but it's actually the worst choice! The point here, of course, is that if you really love tootsie rolls, you should have them in moderation, but if you don't have what you love and know that it's okay!
Yes, sacrifices are required, because you can't have cheesecake every day (Mary :)), but you have to learn to make it work or the weight will never stay off. Sure, you can make it work int eh short term, especially when you see rapid results, but eventually you just lose it and the weight tends to pile back on when that happens. I know, I've done super strict before as a "short term" diet and when I stopped dieting it all came back and then some because I overindulged making up for all the things I deprived myself of.
I understand not wanting to "waste" the calories on cheese when you are trying to lose weight, but please keep these facts in mind:
A low calorie diet with sufficient calcium from DAIRY sources has been shown to be more effective for losing belly fat and weight than just a low calorie diet alone (up to 80% more fat lost compared to a diet with the SAME number of calories!) For some reason, it only works when the calcium is from dairy sources, and you don't get the same benefits from supplements or even from other calcium rich foods. It's thought that these results arise from calcium working in conjunction with nutrients only found in dairy products.
Fat is a MUST for absorbing the vitamins and nutrients found in all foods, especially plant foods and even supplements. It has been proven time and time again that a supplement cannot REPLACE a nutrient in your diet, it is only there to SUPPLEMENT what you already get. You do not absorb nearly as many nutrients from supplements as you can from true food sources, and you have to have fat to absorb lots of those nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C and E, so taking a supplement or eating your veggies with NO fat is about the same as not taking or eating those things at, nutrient wise. This is why alot of people who have weight loss surgery and are unable to eat fat often take super mega-dose prescription vitamins, because their bodies absorb so little of what they take in, and they become malnourished otherwise, sometimes they become severely malnourished despite taking these additional supplements. I'm also assuming this is a lot of the reason you get bloodwork done regularly while on your diet.
I hope I haven't offended you or anything, I just wanted to share a lot of what I've learned throughout the years. I think it's awesome having such great success on your current diet, and I hope that when the time comes to transition that enough of your changes have stuck! It's so hard being on super strict diets, and transitioning to a "lifestyle" can often be the most difficult part.
I so agree with the concept of making alternatives.. I think sometimes it's even crucial..
I second the idea of soy sauce in stir frying.. it gives it a great taste.. honestly it give it a BETTER taste. Even dh likes it better that way (dh = mr. picky).. but be careful with the additional
Thank you for pointing out that I said NO nutritional value.
I'm with you on those points, Mary! I had a whole response typed up yesterday and something got screwed up and I lost it :(.
I completely agree with you on the cheese! Not only does cheese offer the benefits of calcium and other nutrients only found in dairy products (whihc have been shown to help us lose belly fat), it offers a good does of protein and fat, both of which help keep us satisfied. Plus, I've read research that shows that if you don't have any/enough fat with your vegetables, you absorb very little of their nutrients, especially a lot of veggeis found in salad. They are now saying you need at least 6 grams of fat to properly absorb the nutrients, so a small portion of satisfying cheese would fit the bill. Of course, if you don't love the cheese, then get your fat from the dressing or another additives like avocado or sunflower or regular nuts.
Also, fat free or sugar free isn't always better. Most fat free or sugar free products still have calories, often as many as the regular stuff! Did you know that 1 tootsie roll midgie (those little-bitty chewy candies that are maybe 1/2" long) has more calories than any of these: 1 Hershey's kiss (any kind), 1 Andes Mint, 1 Werther's original hard candy, 1 peppermint, butterscotch or cinnamon disk, and 10 pieces of sugar free gum? Yep! I didn't even know that either. Most people would choose the mini tootsie roll as a "healthier" treat because it's fat free and most candies are associated with badness, but it's actually the worst choice! The point here, of course, is that if you really love tootsie rolls, you should have them in moderation, but if you don't have what you love and know that it's okay!
Yes, sacrifices are required, because you can't have cheesecake every day (Mary :)), but you have to learn to make it work or the weight will never stay off. Sure, you can make it work int eh short term, especially when you see rapid results, but eventually you just lose it and the weight tends to pile back on when that happens. I know, I've done super strict before as a "short term" diet and when I stopped dieting it all came back and then some because I overindulged making up for all the things I deprived myself of.
Staci
I understand not wanting to "waste" the calories on cheese when you are trying to lose weight, but please keep these facts in mind:
A low calorie diet with sufficient calcium from DAIRY sources has been shown to be more effective for losing belly fat and weight than just a low calorie diet alone (up to 80% more fat lost compared to a diet with the SAME number of calories!) For some reason, it only works when the calcium is from dairy sources, and you don't get the same benefits from supplements or even from other calcium rich foods. It's thought that these results arise from calcium working in conjunction with nutrients only found in dairy products.
Fat is a MUST for absorbing the vitamins and nutrients found in all foods, especially plant foods and even supplements. It has been proven time and time again that a supplement cannot REPLACE a nutrient in your diet, it is only there to SUPPLEMENT what you already get. You do not absorb nearly as many nutrients from supplements as you can from true food sources, and you have to have fat to absorb lots of those nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C and E, so taking a supplement or eating your veggies with NO fat is about the same as not taking or eating those things at, nutrient wise. This is why alot of people who have weight loss surgery and are unable to eat fat often take super mega-dose prescription vitamins, because their bodies absorb so little of what they take in, and they become malnourished otherwise, sometimes they become severely malnourished despite taking these additional supplements. I'm also assuming this is a lot of the reason you get bloodwork done regularly while on your diet.
I hope I haven't offended you or anything, I just wanted to share a lot of what I've learned throughout the years. I think it's awesome having such great success on your current diet, and I hope that when the time comes to transition that enough of your changes have stuck! It's so hard being on super strict diets, and transitioning to a "lifestyle" can often be the most difficult part.
Staci