Plan meals around a small "core" of something you like that's satisfying and nutritious, such as a grilled chicken breast and a small portion of macaroni and cheese. Then fill out your meal with lots of low cal veggies - raw, roasted, steamed, etc.
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You get lots of chewing time; lots of hand-to-mouth action; you eat your meal more slowly. All these things help you feel FULL when you're done, NOT deprived at all.
Roast cookie sheets of veggies, lightly spritzed w/ olive oil, 400 deg. 20-30 min. Save them in zip locks, add to every meal!
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Just a few bites of something, like mac and cheese, can satisfy those cravings.
AKINOM5233/26/2010 12:42:00 PM
Sounds like a great idea, will try that, thanks!
DGAIL513/25/2010 10:43:00 PM
Thanks Karen. I like vegetables anyway, so roasting extra to use later would work great for me. Donna
BELTONWALKER663/25/2010 10:11:00 PM
Any item that requires a lot of chewing is needed on my menu. A lot of the time I crave something just for the chewing action when I'm not really hungry. Thanks for the tip on roasting veggies. Hope to try it out this weekend.
ZEEDRA3/25/2010 8:09:00 PM
Great idea, Karen. It starts on a positive note with the core being something you really like, rather than feeling deprived.
FISHINGLADY663/25/2010 6:34:00 PM
Roasted vegetables are wonderful!. I do this every week after shopping for fresh vegetables.
KAYYVAUGHN3/25/2010 5:58:00 PM
I really like the Secrets of Success. Kay
GABY19483/25/2010 5:54:00 PM
Thank you so much for sharing this, Karen! You are right, I do enjoy this...one problem I have is that I am still afraid to have even a few bites of some things and this gives me so great ideas to try things...safe things at first (safER) and then work on from there. And I LOVE my veggies so that would be great! GREAT help, Karen! Gaye
BARBIECAT3/25/2010 4:45:00 PM
The roasted veggies sound fabulous :)
BERNIESSOAPS3/25/2010 4:01:00 PM
This is a great idea. It would be a healthy choice for everyone you are cooking for.
Related Secrets
Make better choices
Instead of depriving us of all the good things we enjoy to eat, why don't we try to make better choices, that way avoiding the feeling of deprivation. Instead of the cream filled chocolate cake, why not choose a plainer sweet cake that satisfies the need for something satisfying without overloading
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Try eating either bread or potatoes/pasta...not both on the same day. I have found this really useful. How do you feel about that.
I do not like to continually deny or deprive myself of forbidden foods. I fool myself by saying that I can have that treat AFTER I eat my meal, if I am still hungry. After eating a healthy meal, I am full and satisfied and do not crave the sweets. I know I am deceiving myself, but it works for me.
SparkPeople member AQUAGIRL08 struggled with chronic pain unitl she decided to take control of her health through diet and exercise. She offers her best advice anyone dealing with pain.
