Anyone ever made a lifestyle change re: food?

My dh is on a restricted diet (low-fat/no salt) - again - these are diets that we should all be following - after two heart attacks and a quadruple bypass he now eats mainly fish (baked/broiled), chicken and turkey. Very lean meats about once every two weeks - no more pork meat or cheese for him. Lots of fresh vegetables (or frozen) and fruits of course. Whole wheat bread, pasta and nothing fried and no salt (or I should say low-salt).

Now I really need to start following and eating what he is eating since I have high cholesterol -
 
Oh I forgot- I have a George Forman and I talk tons of veggies, slice them up, put a little Italian dressing and grill them up. I make a ton at a time so it is easy to grab some. Then I make panini sandwiches out of them. Even the kids like them!
 
I totally agree! It's gonna be a hard transition but I hope after a while it will seem like no big deal. The good thing is that we have a one-year old who is now going to see healthy eating habits (I guess my days of feeding her squash while I'm scarfing a pizza down are over :rotfl: )

mtemm, thanks for the tip! I'll go there now.


Seriously, good luck to you! :thumbsup2 I'm sure that you are right and that you will adjust completely after the rough transition. :thumbsup2 I'm sure that I would have done it too if I was experiencing the symptoms that you are experiencing. Luckily I didn't because I know that I would have such a hard time eating that way. :blush: I'm sure that I would get used to it eventually, but I love good food and would have such a void in my life without it! :blush:
 
I'm curious I had my gallbladder removed my dr didn't put me on a diet for it:confused3

Ditto - I had mine out 10 years ago this May and have not had to adjust my diet at all.
 

I totally agree! It's gonna be a hard transition but I hope after a while it will seem like no big deal. The good thing is that we have a one-year old who is now going to see healthy eating habits (I guess my days of feeding her squash while I'm scarfing a pizza down are over :rotfl: )

mtemm, thanks for the tip! I'll go there now.

That's great!

Since it appears you are having adverse reactions to fat - I'd really suggest looking at a few cookbooks to try and find better recipes for you. There's so many low fat cookbooks available that also address low sodium. Go to Barnes and Noble and spend some time just browsing till you find a few books you think would work for you.
 
I have a bunch of different spices and rubs from Penzey's (look them up online if you haven't heard of them) and that helps me have a different taste even if I had chicken every single night.

I totally agree. We made the decision to cut back on our salt intake several months ago. We started getting spices and herbs from Penzey's and we haven't looked back! Penzey's is now the only place I'll purchase spices and herbs from. Now, I rarely add salt to anything I cook. I've found that a combination of their garlic powder and onion powder are great for adding flavor without sodium.

We have chicken a lot, but it's all different! We'll do Mexican chicken (adobo, lower sodium taco seasoning, chili powder, ancho chili powder) on salads; whole chicken cooked in the crock pot (w/ lemon juice, thyme, savory, sage, parsley, rosemary, onion powder, and garlic powder); "Scarborough Fair" chicken or turkey (w/ parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme :teeth: ); you get the idea. :)

Possibilities and combinations are limitless, and you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it when you find the right stuff.

Good luck!! :thumbsup2
 
OP, first of all, change your mindset, and try to NOT see it as a diet, but as a healthy way of life. That way, it sounds less like a death sentence :)

I would also suggest maybe doing a little research into the things that Weight Watchers suggests. NOT because you need to lose weight, but because their program is very healthy, very low fat and has alot of flavor.

I have no idea how the WW program/ recipes are in the US. Over here, the recipes are really really good, and you won't loose weight because you eat some pie that was made following a WW recipe. You'll only use weight if you control your portions of everything you eat during the day.

I have a WW cookbook at home that is called "365" and it has 365 recipes in it + 365 day menus. Most of the recipes are the lowfat versions of regular popular dishes, and taste just as well.


About eating veggies: I am trying to loose weight, and therefor eat "salad bar" every day for lunch. In the beginning, I took a mix of everything. I ended up eating the same thing every day. Now, I take broccoli on Monday, carrots on Tuesday, cauliflower on Wednesda, etc etc etc. Just one plate piled high with that 1 vegetable. Every day is different this way :)

Use spices when cooking. They'll add lots of flavours without adding salt or fat.

Good luck with your new way of life!!
 
I recently made the decision to start eating about 1500 calories a day and to cut out fast food and other high fat food from my diet. It's been hard, but I do feel A LOT better since I started. I like to eat peppers, carrots, green beans and broccoli a lot. I also love Tilapia. It has a very mild taste, so it's not overwhelmingly fishy.

I also use this website, http://caloriecount.about.com/community, to track calories and the forum to get suggestions for food.
 
Can you handle olive oil? DH and I take a bag of frozen veggies drizzle in olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put it under the broiler for a few minutes until they start to caramelize then stir and repeat on the other side. YUMMY and it breaks up the monotony of just plain veggies.

Some of my favorites to do this with are yellow squash and zucchini.
 
I love the new Ziploc steamer bags.....they are so easy and make all veggies taste great. Just put the veggies in with a little seasoning and nuke! Love them!

I changed my diet two years ago to low carb. I, too, lost my gallbladder but have no problems since then.

Beth
 
You make low-fat & low sodium sound like a death sentence! That is how everyone should be eating all the time - well, okay, most of the time.

It certainly a shock when you are used to eating whatever you want. And that is exactly what got us into this predicament. ;)

Thanks everyone for the extra ideas. I like the pita as a pizza idea a lot.

I saw a nutritionist and she is the one that put me on the 1,400 calorie "diet". She wasn't much help in recipes, but did give me some good resources.

I haven't had much cheese yet. I had a half slice of pepper jack the other day on a sandwich and it seemed to treat me good. But it was so small it couldn't have had more than a gram or two of fat. The only low-fat cheese I've come across is the cheddar 2% kind. Haven't tried it yet.

See, I live in a small town. A small southern town! We have 6restaurants and all but two are fast food. Those other two are high-fat/sodium places (real southern cooking) so they are out. For groceries, if we want a good selection of whole grain/organic/low-fat processed, we have to travel 40 minutes to a Kroger. So it's been an adjustment in that respect.

I appreciate all the helpful tips and ideas. :)
 
If you don't mind my asking, why in the world are you on such a low-calorie diet?? That's about how many calories I was eating when I was on Weight Watchers (about 23 WW points). It's fine if you are trying to lose some weight, but for a lifelong thing, that's very restricted. I would go crazy if I had to eat that little for too long. (Of course, I don't know how tall you are. :) If you're 5 feet tall or less, that's probably the right amount of calories. I'm 5' 4 1/2" and I'm starving on less than 1800 calories a day!).
 
One way to get more variety in your proteins might be to look to vegetarian dishes. You could check out different vegetarian meat substitutes which generally are pretty low fat. I like Boca Burgers for hamburgers, Morningstar Sausage Patties, Korn Chicken Patties (but if you already eat real chicken, I'm sure that's better than Korn), and Smart Bacon.

Tofu is another good protein that's low-fat. And then there are beans--we've been trying to incorporate more beans into our diet. We've made tacos with kidney beans instead of meat, we make vegetarian chili pretty often (you can get the mix that includes spice and textured vegetable protein in a box and we just add beans, tomatoes, and peppers), and we've been making a vegetarian version of tortilla soup pretty often (veggie broth, black beans, tomatoes, chilis, and tortilla chips).
 
My advice is to seek out a new nutritionist....That seems awful low in calories (especially judging from your picture.) Just remember, the least processed foods are going to treat your tummy the best. Also, Bocca burgers and the like are great, but should be used sparingly, if you are also concerned with sodium. Alot of frozen foods contain high amounts of sodium. Just be sure you are checking your labels. Check out the local Adult Ed programs, alot of them are starting to offer cooking classes that are geared towards special diets. They may give you some good recipes, and some good methods for reducing fat.:thumbsup2

PS....The chicklett is already a yr??? Wow, where does the time go! I have been a lurker for a long time, and I remember reading your posts just before and when you had her. Congrats, baby!!
 
See, I live in a small town. A small southern town! We have 6restaurants and all but two are fast food. Those other two are high-fat/sodium places (real southern cooking) so they are out. For groceries, if we want a good selection of whole grain/organic/low-fat processed, we have to travel 40 minutes to a Kroger. So it's been an adjustment in that respect.

I appreciate all the helpful tips and ideas. :)


I used to live in the South. I know what you mean about southern restaurants! Do you typically eat out a lot? That is what would be so hard for me. I'm fortunate to live in a place with tons of good restaurants and we eat out several times a week (restaurants, not fast food). That is where I would have a lot of trouble. It is so hard to order a grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies when everyone else is eating yummy stuff. :sad1:

Do you enjoy cooking and eating at home? If so, it seems that there are a ton of great cookbooks out now. Of course your lack of grocery options is a problem too. That is another problem for me. We don't cook often (once a week or so). I actually bought ingredients last Tuesday for 3 meals. I made one of them so far and I need to throw away the pork that I never got around to using. :rolleyes: What I need is a personal chef who delivers yummy, low fat meals everyday. :lmao: Then, I bet I could stick to it. ;)

I agree that those calories sound low unless you are dieting. I'd probably ask someone else about that.

You've gotten some great ideas from people on this thread! I hope that some of them work for you and I hope that you are able to be less restrictive in the future. :)
 
If you don't mind my asking, why in the world are you on such a low-calorie diet?? That's about how many calories I was eating when I was on Weight Watchers (about 23 WW points). It's fine if you are trying to lose some weight, but for a lifelong thing, that's very restricted. I would go crazy if I had to eat that little for too long. (Of course, I don't know how tall you are. :) If you're 5 feet tall or less, that's probably the right amount of calories. I'm 5' 4 1/2" and I'm starving on less than 1800 calories a day!).

1,400 is where I need to be to maintain weight. After starting on this "diet" I have yet to eat everything that has been allotted. It's actually a lot of food when you are eating healthfully. I have not felt starved or hungry at all.

momto2girls, we pretty much eat in all the time. Those 6 places (actually 4 because I don't eat McDs and Popeyes) get old quick when it's your only option. So I appreciate all the recipes!
 
I would definately check out this website www.savingdinner.com

This website will give you some sample menus to try for your healthy way of eating now. The menus come with a grocery shopping list and different menus for each day. I highly recommend this website!! It is a great tool!!
 
I grew up in a whole grain, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables every day, limited meat and dessert family that couldn't eat dairy, with a mother who is allergic to chicken and turkey and it's definitely not so bad when you're used to it. And once you get used to it, eating the other stuff makes you feel pretty gross. There are plenty of ways to eat healthily that don't mean chicken and plain veggies every night. I second everyone who suggested looking into bean and lentil recipes. They're so good for you: high in protein, full of good carbs, fiber, all sorts of stuff. If you're a bit adventurous, there are a ton of good Indian recipes for lentils that are really easy and as low in fat/sodium as you want to make them. PM me if you're interested and I can send you a few of my favorites.

For dark green, leafy veggies (spinach, kale, bok choy, etc), you can saute them with a little oil, a little soy sauce (lower in sodium than salt!), maple syrup, and lots of garlic and ginger. If you can find a salad dressing that works with your diet, green salads become more enjoyable -- and of course, romaine, baby green mix, spinach, instead of iceberg. Switching to whole grains (I think brown rice pasta is better than whole wheat) is another easy change to make, and you stay full longer when you eat them.

One easy, healthy dinner is to buy a whole chicken, rub it with a little pepper and some herbs, and bake it in the oven. You can put sweet potatoes in at the same time -- wash them well and you can eat the skin, which has a ton of vitamins in it, and then serve a green salad. After you're done, the leftover chicken can be used in salads or sandwiches, and you can make your own chicken broth (which lets you control the sodium and skim off the fat) from the bones. Homemade chicken soup is easy, yummy, and way better for you than the canned variety. There's also a ton of great tofu recipes out there. I know it's gotten kind of a bad rap, but it's really good! One of my favorite things to do is marinate and then bake it in the oven. You can mix up the marinade to change the flavor too. As others have said, spices really make a huge difference -- chicken with rosemary tastes completely different than with lemon than with cumin.

Oh, and my latest easy, healthy dish that you can find the ingredients for at almost any store: an authentic Greek salad: chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers into large chunks. Add thinly sliced red onions and season with pepper, oregano, and a little olive oil. Add a small amount feta cheese if you like it/can eat it.

Having fresh fruit on hand also makes you more likely to eat it as a snack. Nuts are a great snacking option as well -- tons of omega three and essential fatty acids, for beautiful hair and nails. Good luck!
 
One way to get more variety in your proteins might be to look to vegetarian dishes. You could check out different vegetarian meat substitutes which generally are pretty low fat. I like Boca Burgers for hamburgers, Morningstar Sausage Patties, Korn Chicken Patties (but if you already eat real chicken, I'm sure that's better than Korn), and Smart Bacon.

Well, meat substitutes often have a lot of sodium, so that's probably out.
 





New Posts









Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE














DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Back
Top