About this calorie counting stuff

[Shaka]

Other than last night things are going well with the calorie counting. after lunch today I'm sitting right 800 for the day. I even avoided the doughnuts at a meeting.

I do think the apps on the Touch are going to be a great help. Has anyone tried one of those Bodybug gizmos?

[falafel]

This isn't helping your marriage prospects

Which part, taking them to Cafe Rio or pointing out their calorie consumption?

[Jarid in Cedar]

This isn't helping your marriage prospects

I don't know what is hurting you more, the commentary or that you are taking a date to Cafe Rio

Which part, taking them to Cafe Rio or pointing out their calorie consumption?

[falafel]

Not , !

[Portland Ute]

Along the lines of this thread, what are some low-calorie, high filling foods?

I know green beans, brocolli, cauliflower are good.

I've switched nearly completely from pastas and rice to quinoa. I'm not sure that it's low-calorie, but it's higher in other good stuff. Or so I think.

I am hitting the whole grains.

I just bought some steel cut oat in bulk and am going to start doing those overnight in our rice cooker.

I've found a Kashi cereal that's about 140 calories for 1 cup. I figure if I do that, a half cup of 1% (really, I'd cut it to skim, but the family is on 1%) and a sprinkle of Splenda, I'm at 200 cals.

For lunch I am hitting a Smartones or Lean cuisine that's around 250 calories. I have no idea if it's healthy or not, but I can easily manage calories that way, quickly and without looking at it.

For dinner, I'm trying to do some combo of quinoa, chicken or fish and vegetables. I'm cooking the veggies in about a teaspoon of olive oil, pepper, garlic power (or garlic) and with a slice of chopped onion.

So far, I'm not hating life. But, I imagine that I am going to get pretty bored with this routine.

I'm trying not to think necessarily of what I am missing.

I found that Andes mints are about 15 calories per. So, I am taking in a couple of those at lunch to satisfy my sweet tooth and still keep me under 300 for lunch.

At night, I'm doing some fruit or protein shake with fruit as a last meal/dessert.

Anyway, any ideas on low-calorie, highly filling foods? That's my biggest issue is still being hungry.

Maybe I just need to retrain my brain on what it feels like to be full and not stuffed.

[Mrs. Funk]

Anyway, any ideas on low-calorie, highly filling foods? That's my biggest issue is still being hungry.

Much of this post has amounted to a recipe dump. There's some good stuff in here, though, that makes eating vegetables less daunting.

A huge spinach salad with some light dressing does a long way to a full belly. You can eat a ton of it as long as you don't go crazy with the dressing.

Broth-based vegetable soups are low in calories and filling. It's a way to get vegetables in that doesn't involve so much chewing. When my mom did Weight Watchers when I was a kid, we ate an awfully lot of their Weight Watcher vegetable soup. It's actually pretty tasty, though. The internet is full of scads of veggie soup recipes, too.

Sweet potatoes and yams are packed with fiber (though are higher in sugar for people watching their glycemic index). I like them with a bit of Brummel & Brown (a yogurt-based butter spread) and sea salt. For awhile, I brought them to work with some holes pierced all around, wrapped them in a paper towel, and cooked them in the microwave for about five minutes. Some people think sweet potatoes are gross, but I find them delicious.

Legumes/beans are high in fiber and low in fat. I make bean dip by puréeing a few drained cans of different types of beans, some salt and pepper, chili powder, and a little lemon juice—adding a bit of the drained liquid until I get the consistency I like. I'll use it as a dip with carrots and celery or dip in some whole wheat pita chips. I also posted a recipe for Moroccan-inspired dish called chickpea tagine. It's terrifically filling and I love the combination of squash and various root vegetables.

I posted a recipe on CUF for bison lentil chili. It packs a mean protein and fiber punch, but it's fairly low-fat. Ground bison is much lower in fat than ground beef, and becoming available at more and more grocery stores. I've also made vegetarian lentil chili with firm tofu to amp up the protein.

I riff on a meal I discovered at Café Yumm in Eugene, Oregon with a homemade version of their Yumm Sauce. The sauce itself isn't terrible low-calorie (I think it's around 70 calories for 2 tablespoons), but a little goes a fairly long way. I eat it over brown rice with black beans, diced fresh tomatoes, grilled zucchini, black olives, a few avocado slices, a teaspoon of light sour cream, and a sprinkling of cheese. You can hold the fattier toppings and just have it with beans and steamed veggies.

Foods full of fiber (beans, whole grains, vegetables) will fill up your stomach and help you feel satisfied. Implementing steel cut oats for breakfast is awesome. Quinoa is one of my very favorite grains. Having some fats from good sources also makes you feel more satisfied—avocados and nuts,particularly almonds, and a teaspoon of a high-quality finishing-grade olive oil are some of my favorites.

I've heard the book Volumetrics recommended by a few people. It apparently focuses on choosing high-volume, low-calorie foods. It might have a few pointers for you.

Good luck! Definitely sign up for a Daily Plate account with Livestrong.com. It makes counting calories much easier. There's a pretty decent recipe builder built into the free account that makes determining the calories in recipes you make at home much easier.

[Mrs. Funk]

We also made this soup tonight after a friend recommended it. Between the black beans and the pumpkin, you'll not be wanting for fiber.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

2 cans (15 oz ea) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 med onions, finely chopped
1 t. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. cumin
3 c. vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. bourbon, optional

Optional Garnishes:
sour cream
sliced green onions
roasted salted pumpkin seeds
shredded cheese

Place beans and tomatoes in a food processor/blender and blend to desired consistency. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven/soup pot, saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic and cumin; saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, vinegar, pepper, and bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in bourbon if desired. Garnish each serving with whatever you think sounds tasty.

[Portland Ute]

Thanks Mrs Funk.

Great ideas.

I'd forgotten about Spinach.

I imagine you could make a pretty lo cal, tasty spinach salad by adding in a hard boiled egg, some red onions, some grated hard cheese, some salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a bit of EVOO and balsamic or jerez vinagar.

[Mrs. Funk]

Thanks Mrs Funk.

Great ideas.

I'd forgotten about Spinach.

I imagine you could make a pretty lo cal, tasty spinach salad by adding in a hard boiled egg, some red onions, some grated hard cheese, some salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a bit of EVOO and balsamic or jerez vinagar.

Sounds tasty.

Greek salad is also great. It's also really good to eat with tortilla chips (but that's definitely a less-healthy version).

Peeled and seeded cucumbers, diced tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped Kalamata olives, and feta. I will sometimes use Greek salad dressing, or just drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and some vinegar. I'll eat the mix alone, or with spinach.

[Pheidippides]

Sounds tasty.

Greek salad is also great. It's also really good to eat with tortilla chips (but that's definitely a less-healthy version).

Peeled and seeded cucumbers, diced tomatoes, chopped red onion, chopped Kalamata olives, and feta. I will sometimes use Greek salad dressing, or just drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and some vinegar. I'll eat the mix alone, or with spinach.

My dressing of choice is a 2 parts Balasmic vinegar, 1 part extra virgin (I refuse to call it EVOO as long as that fat food whore uses the term) enough dijon mustard to emulsify and a bit of honey. This can be used as-is, or as a base for other applications (substituting the balsamic for red wine as needed, for example, or using other emulsifiers). The only real source of calories is the olive oil. You still have to count what you take in, but olive oil is a good fat.

[ERCougar]

For anyone trying to do this in the android world, the myfitnesspal app is outstanding. Great data base, syncs with a web based account, has a barcode scanner, and keeps track of a long list of nutrients.

[RC Vikings]

In my efforts to drop ten pounds I've started to count calories and like Shaka it's been a real eye opener. I always figured I could burn whatever I ate but it's getting harder and harder all the time and I'm hoping this will help. I'm going to miss those twenty chocolate chip cookies before bed.