Krissy, there have been a lot of news articles lately where I live, which warn against cutting out whole food groups. I know a lot of people are happy on the keto, Atkins, paleo type diets, but diets like that put a lot of stress on your body. As well, they are not a long-term solution for most people - especially those of us who enjoy their carbs!
Years ago, I had to lose a lot of weight. I had a lap-band operation, and was supposed to follow a post-op diet. I followed that diet and lost 100 lbs. I have no idea where the whole diet is - there are lists of foods to choose from - but I do know the maintenance part of the diet, which I was on for a long time - till I got married and started cooking for husband and son. Here are the principles of my maintenance diet:
- Eat every three hours, take very tiny bites, and eat very slowly
- Eat nutrient-packed food (lots of nutrients for only a few calories, like eggs)
- Consume only 150-175 calories at each meal (if you eat nutrient-rich foods, this will be the equivalent of approximately your fist)
- Eat one protein at every meal (helps you stay full longer); nuts, dairy, seeds, meats, etc
- Do not eat: yeast, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, or white flour. You can eat grains, but eat whole grains.
It will take about 2 weeks to stop craving sugar. When you crave sugar, eat a high-sugar fruit, like a walnut-laced banana (that's a meal).
Examples of my meals:
- ten whole-grain crackers with cheese and grape tomatoes
- baked potato with melted cheese and broccoli
- fruit with nuts or yogurt
- apples spread with peanut butter, or cooked apple with cinnamon and pecans
- 4 oz chicken (I often used lemon zest and thyme or sage to flavor) with vegetable
- taco-flavored beef with lettuce and grape tomato
- stir-fry with a small amount of teriyaki
- dill-rubbed ham with nutmeg carrots
You get the idea. Make everything home-made and learn to use spices to bring out flavor (this is more satisfying, so you don't want food so soon). As well, if you make it, you know what's going into it, and you need to work for what you eat.
If you go out, ask your husband to share a little of his meal with you, and still only eat a fistful of food. Or you can make healthier choices. For breakfast, you can have a poached egg with sliced tomatoes, for example, or choose broth-based soups.
Don't totally deprive yourself. If you want munchies, have fried cheese chips, microwaved potato crisps (there's a dish to make these in), or have some pudding (there's a non-sugar pudding in the cold section of your grocery). I like my morning iced java. I've been drinking it for many years, and when I had my lap band, I asked my doctor if I could continue to have it, even though it has a little sugar in it. He said it's okay. That is the only treat I allowed myself for years... but because it was the only treat, I savored it and looked forward to mornings. As well, if you try this, make sure to reward yourself with things that are not food. For example, use the money you save from groceries, and get your hair or nails done.
I've gained a significant amount of weight back because my family was not on board with my eating habits. I need to go back on this diet. I felt sooo healthy, and was physically able to do so much more than I can when I'm heavy.