Guinea Pig

Over the last month, I have decided to use myself (and sometimes Kevin) as a guinea pig to test out several different foods and eating habits. Some of these things I've been doing for the entire month of January, while others, I have tried more recently. My inspiration to blog about this topic derives from one of my favorite people, who writes a blog called Happy Fat Girl, and her latest post. So, here it goes. Drinking at least 6 glasses of water before other beverages (except coffee): I am definitely snacking less. This is VERY difficult to maintain because of the nature of my job (teaching does not allow for freedom in potty breaks). Many weekdays, I don't make it to 6 glasses, so I don't get to drink anything but water, which is not a bad thing. On the weekends, it's a bit easier, and my evening plans sometimes force me to drink lots of water so I can enjoy a glass of wine at night. Tofu Shiritake Noodles: Kevin does not enjoy these at all. I am undecided right now. I've made two pasta dishes using them, and the second was better than the first. The noodles, while only 40 calories per package, have an odd texture, so they must be cleaned thoroughly. Here are a few recipes, thanks to Hungry Girl. (I made the first recipe, and highly recommend using the cleaning tips mentioned.) I have not totally given up on these noodles...more on these in the future. Eating snacks between meals (and eating smaller meals): Let me preface this by saying that I have only been doing this a few days. So far, this has been working well. I eat a snack between meals (cheese, fruit/fruit leather, turkey jerky, almonds, veggies/dip, etc.), which makes me feel full most of the time. During the week, I eat breakfast at 6:30 and lunch at 12:15. With that much time in between, I'm famished by lunch, and don't feel completely full even after eating my meal. Therefore, I end up snacking a TON after school gets out. By eating a snack in between my meals (and one a few hours before bed), I feel a lot more satisfied. It's like I'm playing a trick on my brain! * A note on this one...I try to write out a plan for what I will eat each day in the morning. As a teacher, I'm all about lists, so this helps me stay on track. Preparing snacks on Sunday afternoon: It sounds like a pain, but I tried this last Sunday. It is not that bad. I spent about 30 minutes cutting up vegetables and making a tasty dip. I also took some of this time to divide snacks into single-size servings (cheese, almonds, green bean chips which I'll talk about next, etc.). Result? Kevin and I are able to control our snack portions much more easily, and reaching for a healthy snack (i.e. veggies and dip) over a bag of chips just got a lot more realistic. Green Bean Chips Holy moly, these little suckers are good! There is a link to them in my side bar under "A Few of My Favorite Things". They sound icky, but if you are a green bean lover, you'll flip for them. You can find them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Fresh Market. (A 1/2 cup is only 1 WW point!) Fuji Apples and Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedges: I'm a HUGE fan of apples and peanut butter, but it's high in fat and calories. Hungry Girl to the rescue again. Enter Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedges. Sounds interesting but tastes GREAT!!! (Click on the Hungry Girl link in this paragraph to learn more ideas on how to use this fab cheese.) I think I'll continue to rate new items that I try out on myself (and my patient and willing husband), and blog about them at them at the beginning of the next month. Up next: Primal Strips Meatless Jerky and VitaTops.