Fruits, Veggies, and Water, OH MY!

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If you read my Nutrisystem update for this week then you know the first week in my weight loss journey was a success! I am down 4 lbs and I feel great!

I shared in the post some of the things I’m doing to lose weight, but wanted to go into a little more detail here.

Water  – It’s KEY in helping to lose weight. It flushes your system, fights hunger, gives you energy, and is great for your skin! I used to find myself waking up in the morning and grabbing a coke. Now I get up and grab an ice cold glass of water. Drinking plain water can get boring. To spice it squeeze a lemon wedge in your water. It gives your water some flavor and is calorie free, plus lemon is good for your body!

You can even keep a pitcher of water in your fridge with sliced Lemons, Limes, and Oranges. Just slice them all up, put in pitcher, fill with water, and let them mingle in the fridge for a few hours. (I don’t recommend letting the lemons, limes, and oranges sitting in the water for more then a day. I had mine in the water for 2 days and my water got a bitter taste to it.)

Fruits/Veggies – Fruits/Veggies are very low in calories, great for your body, and give you nutrients you need. I have started adding them to ALL of my meals. For breakfast I have a piece of fruit, lunch I have a salad, and dinner I have veggies and sometimes a salad. They aren’t always the best tasting, but if you add them into your food and add some spices you can barely taste them.

I make a big batch of veggies about twice a week. This morning I made a crown of broccoli, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, and 4 carrots. This should last several days. Since Nutrisystem food is heat and go I like to have the veggies pre-made. I can heat them up with my food and eat within a matter of minutes.

If your making a dish with red pasta sauce toss in some bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots. You’ll never know they are in there. If your making a dish with cheese, toss in some cauliflower and broccoli.

Some snacks I keep on handy that are healthy and low calorie are:

• String Cheese
• Hard Boiled eggs – these are great alone, in a salad, or mix with light mayo and put on a whole grain english muffin.
• Fruit
• Whole Grain Crackers and Laughing cow cheese
• 100 Calorie snack packs if I am craving something salty
• Skinny Cow candy if I am craving candy (These are amazing!)

I hate to admit this but eating Nutrisystem EVERYDAY gets old. I like some variety to my food. So a few times a week I make my own meals. Here are some low calorie meals I’ve done:

• 1 hard boiled egg, 1 teaspoon light mayo, squirt of mustard, salt n pepper to taste, and a whole grain english muffin. I did this for breakfast once this week and it was GREAT.
• Whole grain english muffin, turkey, lettuce, tomato, light mayo, mustard, and cheese sandwich.
• Vegetable soup – Low sodium chicken broth, veggies of your choice, some tomato sauce, spices of your choice and you could add chicken/turkey.
• 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, salsa, and low calorie cheese. Makes a yummy scramble or omelet.

I started adding salsa to some of my foods. It gives great flavor and is VERY low calorie.

Switch your cheese, mayo, sour cream, and salad dressings to low calorie. The taste difference is very minimal and you will be saving on calories.

If you are going to eat out, then go for it! Choose healthier options. Add a side salad, skip the cheese if possible, get grilled chicken instead of fried. Don’t get the large size either.

Cut back on soda. Soda is good, on occasion, but not on an everyday basis. I was drinking 3-4 cokes a day. Now I am down to 1 and there were a few days this week where I skipped it all together. Water has played a big part in cutting the craving.

Your going to slip up or your going to have a day where you indulge in all the bad foods. It’s OK! It’s one meal, one day. Continue the good habits at the next meal or the next day, just don’t make it an everyday habit. We are all human and no one is perfect, besides your allowed to indulge every once in awhile.

The one thing Nutrisystem has showed me is portion control. The portions are so small compared to how I ate before. Another key to losing weight is portion control. Small portions. Use the palm of your hand to measure your portions. They should never be bigger… Load up on protein and veggies. Cut back on carbs. You can still eat carbs, just in smaller portions.

Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat and stop eating once you are full. Don’t eat just because it’s there, it only leads to extra calories.

If you are feeling hungry, drink a glass of water to see if it’s hunger or thirst. Our bodies mistake thirst with hunger. If your still hungry 10-15 minutes after drinking a glass of water then have a low calorie snack.

Switch all of your pasta, breads, and crackers to WHOLE GRAIN, not whole wheat. YES, there is a difference. Whole grain is good for your digestive system and the taste is minimal.

Any tips you would like to share?