Healthy Meals While Still Losing 1-2 Pounds a Week

I was looking to lose weight as well and came across a great website! Sparkpeople.com not only does it have healthy recipes that are easy to make but it also has a calorie counter and helps you lose weight! Plus there are millions of members and tons of support! I have lost 23 pounds since January 2nd and am looking to lose 25 more! Good luck and let us know what happens!
Cin

My husband and I have lost almost 50 lbs each in the last year. The thing I've learned is that the less you do to the food the better it is. My favorite breakfast: oatmeal and egg whites. Cook 1/2 cup oatmeal in 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water. When it's almost done, add two egg whites. Cook until egg whites are completely done (watch it, it boils over). Serve with real maple syrup. Lunch: baby spinach with mandarin oranges and baked chicken (lemons and rosemary) and crasins with balsamic vinigarette dressing (Newman's own). Dinner: Sautee any veggies you like in a little chicken broth. Add marinare sauce and a sprinkle of mozerella cheese. I like to add chicken for a little more protein. Good luck, and keep going!!!

S.,

I do not have any specific healthy meal suggestions but, I do know of a website that helps with weight loss and it is free I lost 100 pounds last year. However I cant remember the rules for posting other websites here so I will just post my page and you can check it out. There is a recipie section under the "Healthy Lifesyle" tab.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp

Oh I see now that your very first comment sent you to the same website I am suggesting. =) Still figuring out how to work this thing............good luck

I hope that is helpful and good luck!
K.

Hi S.,
I wanted to offer what has helped me. I am absolutely in LOVE with my Herbalife Products. I have lost and amazing 75lbs and 111.5 inches in the last year. If you dont know what herbalife is it a healthy Nutrition plan not a diet. I had tried everything under the sun and nothing worked but changing my nutritional habit have. I am now a coach for them so I can pay it forward for others. I am a beautiful work in progress and am working on getting off the rest of my weight so if anyone wants to come along I would be happy to support each of you one on one. I love how much energy I have and how incredible I feel each day!! If you want to take a look at the products try www.myherbalife.com If anyone would like a FREE wellness evaluation I would be happy to set one up. It gives you free nutritional education, and a lifestyle and body composition analysis. I can also personalize programs to fit specific health needs. Please feel free to contact me on here or on email ____@____.com luck S. on your journey and finding what fits for your life!!
Take care and let me know if you need some support!
S. W.

Well, I almost joined the "Thinnest Winner" that they are doing in Loveland for the next 3 months, and I'm so happy to see all the info below! I've just joined SparkPeople (and Erin, if I have your username correct, I think you may get points?) and I can't wait to get started. Thanks, S., for your question and for everyone's responses. I'm making a smoothie with spinach for snack tomorrow...

Appreciate the posts!
J.

Just joined as jansthinkinthin - Yeah for SparkPeople!

I'm right there with ya! Step up your excercise a notch at the same time you find places to do lower calorie versions of any of your family's favorite meals. Use vegetables in different ways. Try tofu as a meat substitute. It really is better for you than most meats, and has helpful features for women, especially. Use extra virgin olive oil to cook as much as possible, because it is healthy fat. Eat avocados for the same reason. Use whole grain carbs, like brown or black rice instead of white, keep the skins on the potatoes, check the fat content on anything before buying it, and keep junk food out of the house entirely. Come up with your own healthy snacks instead, and only eat when you are hungry, and eat slowly so you can feel the fulness which will make you stop eating sooner. It's all about portion control, really. If you can remember just 2 tips, it would be lots of exercise and eat less of whatever you are eating now. And don't give up when you plateau for a long time. Your body takes a while to adjust to a new metabolic level, but it will eventually settle in, and you will be healthier along the way, too. Oh yeah---don't wait any longer to lose the weight, because it just gets harder, the older you get!! -sjp

The key to weight loss is LIFESTYLE change. Try eating every 2-3 hours- smaller portions and eat healthy. Here are some things that I have tried that work for me Lean cuisine with extra veggies, Chicken, brown rice with salsa, and green beans. Or green salad with chicken and low calorie dressing- light on the dressing and put in lots of veggies. Cucumbers soaked in vinegar really help too- I like the red wine vinegar. Stay active - Lifting weights along with cardio really helps too. Building muscle helps to burn the fat more quickly. My husband & I own a health & fitness consulting co. We actually put meals together for people around what they like to eat. We do free initial consults if you want to check us out. Our website is THFonline.com- our office is the SLC office and we can do phone consultations also. Our # is ###-###-####. Your target of 1-2 pounds per week is ideal as well. Keep up the healthy lifestyle it is well worth it.
M.

There are a few things that help me. Two wonderful websites that send daily e-mails: 1) www.hungry-girl.com - has products, recipes, ideas, low-calorie swaps, etc. and it's pretty humorous; 2) www.allrecipes.com - they have categories you can search or ingredient searches or things you don't want in the recipes.

Also, I found an amazing personal trainer from this site. I don't know where you're located, but Andie V is in the Denver Metro area.

Here's her information.
http://www.mamasource.com/profile/5623471045437554689

Good luck!

wraps whole wheat, with crunchy vegies and lean chicken breast, and a smidgin of dressing or basamic vinegar

I was at the grocery store and picked up a booklet call weightloss planner "prevention guide" They had some great recipes in there. YOu can also try: http://pccuisine.wordpress.com/ or sometimes you can find healthy recipes on food network..
Hope that helps!

I think your best bet for now is going to your local library....internet may help, also. Try Cooking Light on internet. If money isn't too tight, pick up a magazine at the grocery store. Good luck!

My husband just lost over 40 pounds, and I have lost only 7 (I am not trying to lose wt though) We have switched using ground beef to ground turkey...add spices and it tastes great. Also eating smaller portions more frequently has helped alot (yogurt, fruit) My husband has switched to egg beaters instead of using whole eggs and is also eating the hunger control oatmeal. Good Luck!

I am a veggie nut--not a vegetarian, because I eat meat. But I simply crave veggies. In fact, I'm having a hard time lately b/c I'm 4 1/2 months and basically don't have an appetite and when I do it's all veggies and fruit. I think it's the water in 'em that I crave. I also think that the more vegetables you eat, the more you crave them. And frankly, then you also don't have room in your stomach for other bulky things. And it must be healthy, because I am a runner and eat like the meals I describe below, and stay steady in the average weight range--neither light nor heavy. I don't eat breads--don't like 'em and neither does my stomach. Altho, I eat cheese and butter, which I guess compensates for calories. And best thing yet, most of this in on the cheap side (yes, that's me, I'm "cheap").

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites. It sounds like you might be okay with meals that take 10-15 minutes to prepare? Good luck! you can do it!

-Cottage cheese with tomatoes, salt and pepper; chopped spinach makes it even yummier; top with canned tuna or salmon for a little more protein
-Scrambled eggs with diced vegetables, and fruit
-Rice, topped with canned tuna and steamed/frozen vegetables. Lemon and soy sauce, Italian dressing, or capers, to season.
-Sweet and sour cole slaw topped with tuna (cole slaw is EASY to make, once you've done it once or twice)
-Homemade hummus (again, easy to match a huge batch, only five ingredients, do it once or twice and you don't need recipe), for dipping vegetables
-PB and apple slices on whole grain bread (cream cheese instead of PB)
-Homemade soup of any kind--no recipe needed, just throw in whatever you want, with broth (the concentrated kind of bouillion makes the best broth), and it's a meal. I just put smoked turkey and potato soup in the crockpot (with onions, celery and mushrooms; add evaporated milk at the end to "cream"). I also love soba (buckwheat noodle) soups--just simmer the noodles for 15 minutes with chicken broth, diced tomatoes, fish of any kind, onions, whatever veggies you want, garlic and lemon juice (spicy red pepper, or ginger, if you like). It's so fresh you can't imagine, and a one-pot wonder.

I joined weight watchers last summer when I just wasn't able to lose any more on my own - some of my favorite snacks helped me keep my meals in check. For instance, I make smoothies a lot - but without lots of the "crap" that's in a smoothie you buy. I buy frozen strawberries and put a cup of strawberries in; 1/2 banana; 1/2 to 1 cup of skim milk; and a Weight watchers yogurt or Yoplait yogurt. It is filling and a GREAT afternoon snack to help me curb my dinner hunger.

I have a one tear old daughter and after giving birth i still had the pregnancy weight to lose. I started eating more fish, not deep fried just grilled, and veggies. I'd eat a yogurt for breakfast most mornings. Fish is very healthy, low-fat and easy to prepare in many ways. I know alot of people don't like sushi but, I eat it often as a meal because it's very healthy, when prepared right, and has alot of fats that are considered healthy as well. I also try to take the dog and kids on walks regularly and i do work out 20 mins. a day on an elliptical.

I ran across a very helpful book for dieting and getting healthier. It is written by an endochronologist by the name of Diana Schwarzbein. It is an excellent book for understanding how our bodies work and how to lose weight the healthy way! She has three books out. 1)The Schwarzbein Principle, 2) The Transition, 3) A Cookbook and meal planner. Also, you will find a lot of helpful information on her website www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com
I am 57, married 33 years,raised 4 children, have seven grandchildren. About a year ago I found myself in a very unhealthy place! When I ran across this book it changed my life. I have been following her eating and exercising plan for the last eight months. I have lost 25 lbs and have begun to feel soooo much better!! Her plan is not a quick weight loss plan. Her premise is that, you do not lose weight to get healthy, you get healthy and then your body will let go of the weight, as you eat the right way and exercise the right way. What I have truly liked about her suggested way of eating and exercising is that the sweets and junk food are not a temptation anymore and I finally understand my body and how it works better than I ever have!!!
Her book and information was a God-send for me!
Anyway...hope this helps.
D.

My suggestion would be to go buy yourself a diabetic cookbook and menu planner. When I was pregnant, I had gestational diabetes for the last 6 weeks and had to follow a strict diet. Although I wasn't trying to lose weight, you could follow the exact same diet and cut the calories to 1500 or 1700 a day and lose weight. A baked potato is the absolute worst thing you can put in your mouth! It converts straight to sugar in your bloodstream and makes you twice as hungry in an hour or two. Literally, you would be better off eating a Hershey bar. (Substitute a sweet potato or yam for baked potato and only eat half).

Your goal is to maintain your blood sugar level so you don't get hungry. Eat 6 small meals a day. Only have 15 grams of carbs at each meal. (1 slice whole wheat bread or 1 serving of veggies). Eat more protein than you are probably used to . I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Also, the diabetic cookbooks have great recipes and the rest of the family won't even know they are eating "diabetic." Good luck!

Weight Watchers has some great recipes. I, too, have been trying to lose weight (80 pounds) and have found these to be very delicious. I also have a diabetic cooking cookbook that has some really easy recipes in it as well. I asked my husband what his favorite recipes were that I've made and he always likes the chili with cornbread, the ratatouille was delicious, and the fajitas are an easy favorite. If you'd like the recipes I can email them to you. Just send an email to ____@____.com.

I don't really have advice for healthy meals but, I can offer a website that might offer some answers to questions you might have. Also you can sign up for a free 8 week workout and keep signing up for as long as you want. They have a lot of message boards and such that you could ask that same question on. The website is called freetrainers.com. Hope this helps and good luck with you weight loss.

I eat a lot of cottage cheese. It is very fiiling and healthy, and you can easily dress it up with slices or chunks of fruit.
Portion sizes make a huge difference, too--eat until you are no longer hungry, then stop--you don't need to be stuffed to be satisfied!

Hi,
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Get yourself a South Beach Diet cookbook, or go to their website and join. They have a wide variety of wonderful meals. My husband was told by his doctor that he needed to lose 30 pounds. We looked into a few different diets, and the South Beach one seemed the most "normal" and easy to do. He has lost over 30 pounds in the last 4 months, and is looking and feeling great. Not only has he lost weight, but his overall health has improved -- blood pressure, cholesterol, energy level, etc. You pretty much have to cut out white flour, white potatoes, and white rice, and substitute with whole grains. There are a wide variety of recipes, with snacks and desserts built into the diet.

I also am a huge fan of smoothies...I always use the lowest fat yogurt as the base and whatever fruit combination I desire, which makes it fun. Any sort of berry smoothie is the best because berries are high in fiber and will help you lose weight in a healthy manner, but a bit faster! I ALWAYS add raw spinach leaves to the smoothie...a cup or more. After spinach is blended into the smoothie, you can't taste it at all. It's awesome for me and for my children...they love it because they know they are getting the health without the taste! Also, I never, ever add anything beyond fruit, yogurt, spinach and ice cubes to make it colder...ever. No sugar or juices and I only use fresh or unsweetened frozen fruits. Keep in mind the fruits used...mango and bananas, for example, although have nutritional benefits, have the least amount of benefits among fruits and are high in natural sugar. Any pale fruit is not nearly as beneficial as darker in color fruits, inside and out.