Swappsies

There is no reason to deprive yourself of yumminess.  You can make yourself fabulous meals and snacks without busting the calorie bank.  My favorite comfort foods included creamy-buttery mashed potatoes, Doritos, lasagna, fudgy brownies, cheeseburgers, fries, Lays potato chips, Fritos and Tostitos Queso dip...and a whole lot more.  My downfall was that I was chasing the taste of fat instead of tasting the actual food itself.  This statement is worth thinking about for a moment.

 When you try something that is low-fat..often times the reaction is...well, not so good.  This is true for any change in routine whether it is waking up at a different time, adjusting to a new job or finding your way around a new grocery store.  New isn't bad, it's just new.  If you allow your body the chance to actually taste all of the different things that make up the meal it will always taste different because it is no longer being masked by all of that fat.

Fat, You Oxymoron
The truth is, you need to have a certain amount of fat in your diet for a few reasons:
- lets face it...it just makes things taste better
- vitamins use fat as a taxi to get from our blood to the tissues that need them most
- fat = energy (fat is not our only energy source...)
However, did you know that fat should only make up 10% of the calories you take in?
Keep in mind that animal fats (butter, cream, milk (other than skim), nicely marbled steak, pork etc) vs. plant fats (olive oil) are super high in saturated fats and should be avoided for weight loss and overall health in general. 

Don't stop making the things you love, instead:
-Change the way you make them.  Break down the ingredients and start cutting corners.  Look at the ingredients that contain the carbs, sugars and fat.  Replace those ingredients with low sugar, whole wheat/whole grain and low fat options.  It takes time in the beginning, but like anything else..it becomes second nature after a bit and it will become habitual.
-Add fiber where ever you can, whenever you have the opportunity 
-Bulk up on veggies.  Whatever you are making...find a way to incorporate a whole lot of veg.  Veggies have naturally occuring carbohydrates- the ones that the body actually wants and needs.  You would thrive quite healthily for the rest of your life you never took another bite of bread or pasta.  (My personal choice is to avoid carbs alltogether, but that is my personal choice.  Whole grains are listed in MyPyramid.  Always consult your PCP and/or nutritionist when developing a diet plan)  Having said that, everyone loves bread & pasta, so have it but only whole grain and small portions (check the recommended portions on the labels!) then bring on the extra veggies.  Another good thing about veggies is that they all contain their own important vitamins.  If you eat too much of one and not enough of the other, you won't get the balance you need.  In short- eat lots of veggies & mix it up!  Starving for more details?  http://health.ninemsn.com.au/family/womenshealth/694377/vitamin-balance

I just recently came upon a TV show that I absolutely fell in love with:  HUNGRY GIRL. The woman on this show is an absolute PRO at swaps!  She is my new idol.  I had been running out of ideas and feeling like I was getting into a food prep rut and then I stumbled upon her show.  She is amazing.  She breaks it all down for you AND she lets you know how many points everything is for all of you WeightWatcher's followers!  

Long live the palate!