Note to self

[mdlbear]

I have to keep reminding myself that if I'm not hungry, I'm probably not losing weight, either.

Comments

[harmonyheifer.livejournal.com]

One of the things that I have discovered in the past couple of years is that I am actually eating more food and experiencing very little hunger as I continue to lose weight. The trick I learned goes against the conventional wisdom of dieting, which is to eat five to seven times a day and keep eating until you are satisfied each time but it works. Of course the only way to lose weight while doing that is to fill up on fresh fruits and fresh veggies, eaten raw or steamed, roasted, grilled or mixed into a delightful soup and to exercise pretty religiously. Most people don't eat nearly the amounts of fruits and veggies they should be eating. If your hungry I am guessing you are one of them.

I have also discovered a secret weapon to fight hunger pangs, adding a half cup of beans into my diet every day. I usually toss them in a salad or incorporate them into a soup. They fill me up, give me a lean protein boost and add plant fiber to my diet, which is good for digestion. If my stomach growls, it is usually because I have skipped a salad or forgotten to eat my daily half cup of beans, or both. Spicy lentil soup is a wonderful snack and it gives you all the pleasure of a bowl of macaroni and cheese without the carbohydrate hangover and the guilt.

I have to say, if I lived in California the way you do, I would be taking huge advantage of all the lovely fresh produce that you Californians hoard for yourselves. No way would I be eating dried fruit if I could get my hands on the fresh. And nuts rock, but portion control is essential with them because even though they are heart healthy, they can sneak up on you calorie-wise.

You don't have to be hungry as you are losing weight. But it takes an awful lot of work to have the right stuff in the right place at the right time so you can snack, graze and nosh in a good way. Molly Katzen's book Vegetable Heaven is my newest and current favorite cookbook. The food in there is just amazing and because it is vegetarian it is lower in calories but also very tasty. No bland overcooked vegetable mush for Ms Katzen. Colleen would find the food prep and cooking involved simple and very rewarding. I find her recipes to be perfect to break into easy to manage prep and cooking sessions, which is priceless on those days when I am feeling under the weather, and I am guessing that Colleen would find them just as easy to prepare on her low energy days as well.

Just my unsolicited two cents :D

[mdlbear]

I'm one of those people who has a long time-lag between when I've eaten enough to fill my stomach, and when I notice it.

One thing that does work for us is a big salad before dinner, but Colleen's not always up for making it, and I tend to get home too late to do it.

Will definitely have to remember that about beans, and look for the Katzen book.