Chiff & Fipple Diet Club

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:54 pm

I don't subscribe to any particular style diet except "everything in moderation including moderation." We're members of a community farm, so in the summer we get all sorts of things I don't normally eat, and I have to get a little creative, since I don't do squash or greens by themselves. Here's a recipe one of the other farm members gave us, for the lowfat crowd rather than the carb counters:

2-3 squash and/or zucchini, cut in 1/2" cubes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or mashed
1 cup basil leaves, chopped

a few Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb spaghetti

salt, pepper and parmesan to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, saute the garlic very briefly, then add the squash. Cook till it's done as you like it (a couple of minutes if you like it crunchy, maybe 10 if you like it a little better done). Add the basil and toss it around for another minute or so. Serve over spaghetti with your favorite condiments.

Some variations I've tried include adding some hot paprika/cayenne or balsamic vinegar.

I love this stuff, and I don't even like squash.

I'm down to 165 -- 5 more pounds to go.

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 5:58 pm

Great ideas, everyone. Which made me think of something. If you absolutely have to eat out and there's an Olive Garden restaurant in your area, they have several low-fat vegetarian pastas that are flat out marvellous. True guilt-free dining, while your non-dieting friends or relatives can get whatever suits their fancy.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:16 am

Chuck_Clark wrote:low-fat vegetarian pastas that are flat out marvellous.

And poisonous to those on low-carb diets. Luckily, it's not hard to find steak and vegetables at a restaurant.

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:09 pm

JessieK wrote:
Chuck_Clark wrote:low-fat vegetarian pastas that are flat out marvellous.
And poisonous to those on low-carb diets. Luckily, it's not hard to find steak and vegetables at a restaurant.

"Poisonous" seems a bit strong, but I'll agree that trad pasta can erode your progress. It's possible you could get whole-wheat or veggie-based pasta--both come in at Phase II in South Beach--or leave the pasta out entirely.

There are a lot of restaurants advertising "Atkins-friendly" menu items, but as a South-Beacher, I'm trying to stay on the low-fat end. Steaks and butter-soaked veggies are only a rare treat. (Yeah, I know the veggies aren't ALWAYS soaked in butter, but I don't think the chefs can stop themselves. It DOES taste good.) But I do confess to enjoying the chain Ruby Tuesday's hamburger in a whole-wheat tortilla with a side salad.

M

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:31 pm

Weekly Weigh In: 232, (-8.00)

Things I'm doing to reduce calories:
I work in an office, where I sit on my butt, and when I get bored, I tend to snack. Previously, I have been getting Zingers and Twinkies and other snack cakes (at 450 cals a pop!) twice a day, once before lunch, and once after lunch. That was an extra 900 calories a day! (Considering the average person neads around 2000, that's a lot).

I cut that down to a candy bar each time, but it was still an extra 560 calories a day.

This week: I've been taking celery, and generic brand peanut butter (which means not that much sugar added). Each stalk of celery with 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter is about 20 calories. At 5 90 mins before lunch, and 5 90 mins after lunch, I've cut down my snack-fooding down to 200 calories a day. To make up for the snacks further, I've started cutting cheese and sauce off of my subway sandwiches (spicy mustard is 5 calories, other sauces are anywhere from 50-150). The plain bread is lower calories than their other breads, too. That cuts out about 150 calories off of my sandwiches that I was eating.

Once a week, I am treating myself to a 2000-calorie day. That way I don't get burned out because I feel deprived every single day. It worked for me last time

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:53 pm

Kind of a disappointing last two weeks here, only dropped another half pound. Still, I'm pretty sure I know why - it was just one of those weeks where Mr. Murphy's famous law was in control and I wasn't as careful about monitoring intake as I should have been.

I'm looking at shoulder surgery in the next 2-3 weeks and a fairly long period of incapacitation. Its going to make dieting a bit of a problem. To make matters worse, I probably won't be able to log on here much if at all. Still trying to decide how to handle it.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 9:24 am

We'll miss you, Chuck!

Greg, I think it's great that you've substituted high-cal snacks for low-cal ones. Nobody likes to go through a diet where there isn't any enjoyment (even filet mignon gets old), so I allow myself a gourmet focha (fake mocha). In a mug, I combine a spoonful of half-decaf and half-regular instant coffee, about 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder, about 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder, a packet of Splenda, hot water, a tiny bit of vanilla extract, and about an ounce of fat-free half and half. It's really quite nice, and it tastes like dessert.

Last night I had a dream that I weighed about 80 pounds more than I do. I was walking around feeling what very overweight people feel when people look at them and treat them differently than they treat thinner people. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I felt hopeless, as if I could never tackle all that weight. My face was far too round and I was sluggish. It was a pleasant thing to WAKE UP from!

At 158 (as of yesterday), I am STILL heavier than I was on my heaviest prepregnancy day, but I feel considerably thinner than I did a month ago. My belly is flabby, my arms are too soft, my thighs are improving, but still not as they should be, but I FINALLY like my face again, and that feels great. I can look in the mirror at my face and see...well...me.

Quiet John · Post by **Quiet John** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:10 pm

I think I recall, when the very first diet thread appeared a few months ago, I decided that I wanted to get in shape and put on weight. (I have always been abnormally skinny and unathletic.)

Since that time, there have been many distractions keeping me off the computer, but with some focusing, I'm at +10, and I can run a mile in just under 8 minutes.

Keep up the good work, folks.

scottielvr · Post by **scottielvr** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:24 pm

JessieK wrote:... a gourmet focha

Now there's a word one should pronounce very carefully.

The drink sounds yumptious, though... a good addition to the arsenal. Thanks.

Interesting what you say about the face...extra weight does show up there swiftly, and loss of it is visible there too, usually more rapidly than loss of body fat (ditto the extremities). Glad you're feeling better about yours... Those perceptions are very motivating..

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:41 pm

I cannot take credit for "focha." The tern was coined by someone else on the forum - in this thread, I think.

rkottke · Post by **rkottke** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:28 pm

Just a fast update. I am on day 13 of phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. I have lost 10 pounds. Looking forward to phase 2 on Sunday when I can add a little fruit and/or whole wheat bread slowly to my diet. I am so glad that my Physician suggest/ordered me on this diet.

scottielvr · Post by **scottielvr** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:35 am

That's terrific, rkottke..<applauds> ....keep fighting the good fight, and let us know how phase 2 goes...

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 2:41 pm

Today is my birthday and I allowed myself to eat a small Cadbury's orange crisp chocolate bar that I brought home from Ireland a year ago. It was SO worth it.

Jon C. · Post by **Jon C.** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:13 pm

Happy birthday Jessie!

Jon

Jens_Hoppe · Post by **Jens_Hoppe** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 1:16 am

Doesn't chocolate get a bit, er, dull after a year?