Friday, October 06, 2006

I'm hungry!

I'm on a diet. A serious one this time. 1500 calories, per my dietician. So far (it's been two days), so good. Veggies really do make you feel good! And I'm starting to like cottage cheese. She says I need more protein in my diet. Other than that, I'm eating well, I just have to cut some proportion. Good news: I have lost a little weight since July, unexpectedly. I thought I had gained. Tip for others who are trying to lose: the 100 Calorie packs of popcorn are a lifesaver! You have the satisfaction of shovelling food into your mouth, yet only 100 calories so it's guilt-free and easy to fit in to your daily allowance.
Does anyone have any good suggestions of how to eat zuchini? I really only like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and greens. I need to branch out (no pun intended).

8 comments:

Emily said...

I love cottage cheese - you can get it fat-free and it's packed with protein!
I like to use Zuchini in my old family recipe "kousa". It consists of equal parts chopped zuchini, onion, and tomato. Put them in a pot with a spoonful of "smartbalance"(instead of butter) and a sprinkle of the spice "mace". salt & pepper to taste. Just let it all simmer in a pot for a long time and serve on rice - yummy! (be very careful with mace, too much can make it bitter.)

Anonymous said...

Here's a good way to use squash: dice up zuch's, yellow squash, & red bell pepper and toss in a large bowl with extra virgin olive oil (it's a good fat! omega-3's and all that), salt 'n pepper and herb of your choice (thyme, basil, mint, whatever) and spread it all out on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until soft and browning on the edges. Eat as a side dish or mix up with cous-cous or pasta. Yum!

Stargirl said...

Oh man, this is getting me hungry! I'm excited to try these out. And thanks for mentioning squash, Pat. I haven't had much experience with it, but I love autumn so much I figure I should learn to make some good squash dishes. Yum!

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Audrey! Acorn squash is good baked, too. Just cut it in half, first! You can microwave most squash with good results. Hang in there with the willpower, and thanks for the popcorn suggestion. I'm cutting down on the food intake, myself. Gotta lose that Jersey weight. Mia's on a diet as well.

Amberlynn said...

Ah! Diets are so difficult! I wish you the best of luck - scratch that - the best of self control.

Here's a zucchini recipe that I love. It may be altered to fit whatever health concerns you are shooting for:

http://www.snacksby.com/recipes/918/Zuccini_Chimichangas

Anonymous said...

Good for you!!! I feel your pain. When you were a baby, I put myself on a 1200 calorie diet. It stinks. It took me a year but I lost 100 pounds. I also used the popcorn approach but it was in the days of hot air poppers. No microwave ovens, barely electricity. I also used popsicles as a treat since there is not much to them either. You will love yourself in the end when you reach your goal.

Emily said...

I know someone who lost 80 pounds by only snacking on plain air popped corn.
I thought of another yummy veg, in fact I had it tonight with my lentil soup; Its just plain ol fresh green beans but instead of putting butter on it I squish up avacado all over it with som mrs. dash (no salt). Oh was it good!

Stargirl said...

Thank you all for such great support. Your suggestions are all very welcomed, and we're excited to try them out! Hubby and I were talking last night about how excited we are to branch out a little bit. We've always wanted to, but we needed an extra little push. So far, so good... I ate under 1400 cals yesterday, and it was no sweat. I'm definitely getting used to it. This morning's breakfast: whole wheat English muffin with two eggs, two pcs fake bacon, 1 tbls light mayo, one pc. fat-free cheese, and 1 cup honeydew melon. Calorie count: 400 cals. Kept me going for hours and hours, and it felt like I was eating like a regular person!