My thoughts on snacking...

You always keep me on my toes Trish!

More snack ideas...you know BTW at the top left of my blog is a search box you can enter words like, snack...

I've "talked" about lots of things in the last several months I started blogging,

(LeAnn now knows I'm a "talker")

The one thing I try to do is to eat healthy and that means I may forgo "diet" foods. Sometimes they can leave you deprived....that's why people fall off and start EATING again. They want TASTE. You can eat anything! Just watch the portions.....you may say, "I take a bite and keep eating". In the beginning of this process you need to limit those foods that trip you up....like those candy cane mint chocolates for me. Find alternatives, different choices. Dick and I in the beginning had to have strawberries (splenda) with angel food cake and whipped topping, every night....one serving satisfied us, we lost weight and were happy. Those websites like www.sparkpeople.com have pages and pages of good snacks...with reader reviews!! So do www.myrecipes.com. I like www.hungry-girl.com , but some of their recipes contain so many items with fat free and diet in them...

I'm NOT on a diet..this is my life.

We want good taste.....

you don't have to give up good taste!!!!!

Like hot chocolate....why not just sit down with a luscious cup of Nestle's hot chocolate with whipped topping. Dick and I split 3 packages....less than 150 calories a serving each. Your satisfied and you stop with one cup. (I promise if you really take time and appreciate what you are eating things will change)

If you count calories you know your limits...try and get as many wonderful good things like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, yogurts, lean meats you can into your day...but leave some calories for fun! Plan your day....you THINK about food all the time anyway....just plan how you are going to break up your calories a head of time.

I try and eat three smaller meals a day and three snacks in between. My first snack is usually an apple or banana....could be a cup of coffee with fat free half and half ( the concession I make for "fat free" because it is luscious!) and maybe a Quaker granola bar. Around 3:30 or 4pm...I need something salty....might have whole grain Pepperidge Farm crackers and light laughing cow cheese. My third snack will usually be dessert....1/2 cup Edy's ice cream or hot chocolate, hot tea or coffee with gingerbread cookies.....something around 150 calories or so.

Anybody that has read my blog for awhile will tell you Dick and I LOVE McDonald's ice cream cones....150 calories and $1!!!

Spark People and The Daily Plate (www.livestrong.com) all have groups you can join....at TDP, I joined "Biggest Losers, 50's, Little Changes" plus I went into the forums and found two women that posted good ideas there that had both successfully lost 80 pounds each...I asked them to be my friend... I could see what they were eating and I copied many of their ideas....like cucumbers, a whole cup..like 10 calories....strawberries a cup is 50 calories...the BEST foods are low calorie!!

THERE"S A WORLD OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT GET IT NOW!!!

Getting healthy is free and really easy ...

walking is free...

talking to each other....

encouraging each other is free...

I can afford that!!

Love you guys!!