Admiral..so glad you posted about the protein shakes. I never would have thought to add nuts to mine, but next time I will try that! Thanks!!

Beaumont, I think it's great that you are trying to count your calories! I have no idea where you live, or what your finances are like, but I sure know that produce and organic food can get costly!!! I am concerned, though, that you eat a couple of whopper jrs several times a week. Counting calories is great, but the fat and sodium content in those is really high, and I worry about your health. Please please, I don't want you to feel attacked, but I also know that you are trying hard, so don't want your health to be at risk because of what you are eating. When you go to BK, can you maybe get a side salad and a baked potato, or even a cup of chili?I wish you so much luck in your journey!!!

As for me, I tried to do the diet thing on my own. I did well for awhile, and lost 43 pounds. Then the holidays rolled around and I got way off course, and had a hard time getting back on track. I decided to join Weight Watches, when they had their free online signup. I find it very user friendly, because everything is assigned a point value. When you have consumed your allotted points for the day, you're done. Fruits and veggies are free (no points) which is good if I am really hungry. I've only been on it for a week now, but have lost 2 pounds.

Best of luck to everyone! :)

frozen r canned vegs/fruits. I find that frozen fruit to be costly but not as much as buying 3 r 4 fruits to make a bowl of mix fruits.
I think that frozen is cheaper.
now regarding frozen n canned veg's. off brands are pretty much the same. where I live frozen vegs are less costly. how ever I do use canned mixed greens n cann of mixed vegs. I combind the greens n mix vegs n add sawans broth. I like soups. w left over vegs from wk, I make home made soup. I toss everything in it. Yep even if had pasta/rice I will toss in left over into soup. Oh God knows I love beans. My fav being brown soup beans n corn bread. Sometimes I make a meal out of lefy over corn breead. I like cold milk w chunks of corn bread in a bowl/glass, yummy.
If I was give a choise between steak, n beans. I would choise beans.
No fat back/bacon grease.
I also love drained beans w seasoning on bed of rice, yummy n quite filling
Now regarding pasta. grilled vegs w dab of lite creamy salad dressing. sometimes I use canned/frozen vegs.in pasta salad. I like cold pasta salad. cook pasta/rice drain rinse w hot water n use.
I also love pot of chili. I also like chili on a baked potatoe, r on bed of rice.
Sweet pea. beans is protein. rice/pasta is carb. carb doesn't give me entergy but makes it so that I can finish a task w/o need of takeing nap before task is done.
white flour/processed foods are not our friends.
so limit intake portions, n drink extry water.
Oh ya. I like lemomm slices w sweet nlow in ice water I make pit of water. after nd dy of use of lemon. I will put part of lemon slices into garbage disposal, n a few slices in my bth rm sink. I use lemons to wash my bth rm sink n kitchen drain. it works n makes them smell good.
I've been trying to gett bk to bed all morning so company left so I'm going to take a high dive into bed.
Don't let anyone fool you. everybody loves beans.
some people might turn thier nose up in public but at home they will pig out on beans.
Good night/day
may today be grease free dy,n low salt/starch/carb day.

opp'y it's me again. here's lease costly food Eggs.
there r hundrens things that can be made of n with eggs.
just a few simple basic's. may opt to use: vegs cheeses sauses such as soy/a-1 sause, texas pete hot/mild sause...

boil/baked eggs/ sunny side up/ grilled w/o use of grease/scrambled.
The increditable eatible egg.
left over eggs: egg sandw egg salad egg on grilled r baked burger, grilled vegs w scrabbled eggs. eggs go w everything n on anything.

Eggs is protein

Pot of chili. yes it costly to make, because of cost of meat. I don't eat meat.
anywho pot of chili goes along:
Bowl of chil. in bowl place corn chips spinkle w chesse then top w chili, keep layering. on top sprinkle w chesse n bake ( just enought to melt cheese n to lightly toast chesse on top)
Aw potatoe;: bake potatoe a potatoe is 2 serveings.
cut in half, remove meaty part mash place bk int shall/skin spinkle w chesses put chili on top n top that w finely chopped onion cheese. don't forget to eat the shell/skin of potatoe.
aw now regarding potatoes :I
I like baked seasonned wedge potatoes. I also make seasonned french fries - > never fry, always bake
I like mashpotatoes. I do not use milk (n I like cold soy milk )reg salt.
I use "NuSalt" n hot water n if I used 4 or more potatoes, I might use 2 tablespoons of real butter.
I acyually love potatoe soup. I do not use cream but I do use powdered /creamy/salad dressing as base. I like small cut up pcs of onion n shreeded carrots in mine.
Oh ya creamy sallad dressing n pasta.
make dressing refg. Pasta: boil drain rinse w hot water put pasta in bowl add what ever you want if anything. mix in dressing let chill. that is less costly cold pasta salad. Sometimes I will use can of tuna or canned chicken breast n small onion shreeded carrots.
Can tuna/chicken breast drain n rinse w luke warm water drain.
can use in pasta salad, r as salad, r add boil/scrabbled egg n make a salad. I like tuna on bed of cottage cheese n ontop of tuna I put a dab of cottage chesse n top that w a few pcs of fruit.
Oh ya use only tuna thats in water not oil.
If you opt to use canned fruit avoid fruit thats in syp. if that's all there is, make sure to rinse in luke warm water for a while drain will n use.
I like cottage cheese on bed of luttace n/r shreeded carrots n topped w fruit.
I think that most exsence would be canned chicken beast bag of potates cheese n items for chili.
Regarding chili. I make a big pot. I freeze most of it in single serveings. I have a few bags that will feed up to 4 n 6. the llrg bags is for when I have company.
I guess what I'me trying to say, ya as we stock our kitchen it can be somewhat costly but oh my goodness look at all the meals/dishes recipes that I shared w you.
Now here's the very basic of liveing healthy.
protein Can of pwder whey protein at pharmacy in wal mart is aprox $19.
fiber Orginal fiber One cereal $4. at wal mart
water Start w 6/8oz build up to 20 oz n upward. I drink a gal
move My form of exercise is walking.
sleep 8 hrs

reg/dyly BM's

To have: measureing tape scale journal
set mini goals

Only weigh in the 1st thing in morning.

No grease white flour
Limit starch salt carbs
I suggest no so called reg sugar as in like white sugar. I use sweet n low.
Fruits are sugar n cal's

Use only olive oil.

CAL's IN CAL's OUT ratio.

opps 1 more thing sweet potatoe are healthier for us than white potatoes. potatoes are starch so only 1/2 never a whole.

will dear, I half to go rest my brain n butt.

Just 1 more thing, then I will leave you alone.
My freind n I are hunters/ fishers.
If I wasn't n had a family to feed, I would be inclined to locate butcher that opens during dear season, n have my name added to list.
there are normally 3 list. 1 being donations to eldery. poor followed by singla parents.
This is part of meats that hunters don't want n they give to lodge//butcher to donate. for those who have 1 or $5. give it to butcher as gift or for non shared cup of coffee. I know of 5 states that we can't sale meat. I can gift it,

Bye

Today I ate:

2 rounds of Nutella on toast
3 rice cakes
A Sunday roast with chicken
An easter egg.

I usually eat healthier, but my diet seems to vary over the weekend. Oops!
Total calories was 1510. I try to keep my calories at 1450, so today was a little over.

Strawberry smoothie

Mexican chicken with rice and pinto bean soup

Baked fish with bell peppers and cauliflower

Snacks: trail mix and 100 cal snack of Oreo crisps