eating healthy and good tasting food

Hiya, I was a truck driver until about 18 months ago. I gained almost 70 pounds while driving and have been fighting to get it off.  One of the biggest problems I have been facing is that food.. I can't stand whole grain, and I am a carnivore.

I have come up with some simple ways to make my diet healthier, and have lost almost 30 pounds doing this, without a minute of exericse. Now, I am ready to start moving and getting serious so I am exercising now, but I thought I would drop a few of my tips out for those of you needing a way to eat healthier without giving up your yummy foods. Let's be honest, the hardest part of losing weight is giving up our favorites, so here is what I have done to help this.

I love my red meat, but it is full of fat, even the leaner cuts, so I have cut down on the red meat. Intead of eating it 5 times a week, I am now eating 1 time a week and 2 times a week, alternating the weeks. I did this by cutting out one red meat dinner a week until I was down to this.

I do not much like fish...can't stand fresh water fish, so I have had to find ways to prepare it (without frying!) that I actually enjoy it. I spent months preparing fish with different kinds of herbs, spices and marinades. I keep the marinades low or no fat, and have found some great ways to eat Tilapia, cod, and flounder. I eat fish about twice a week.

I love chicken, fried, and this isn't helping my waistline. I have given myself 1 fried chicken meal a month (which I haven't had since my husband deployed 6 months ago) just because it is good. The rest of the time I bake or broil my chicken. If it is a whole chicken I place it on a rack so the fat dripps away. I take the skin (after cooking) and throw it in a bag and add the left over chicken so I can boil this and make chicken broth. Once the broth is complete I cool over night and skim all fat from top and remove skin before using in next recipe. I eat chicken twice a week.

On the other two nights I eat tofu and pork. If there is fat on the pork, I do the same with it as I do the chicken.

I am from a huge family and I can remember my mom making HUGE hams for dinner. I have tried the low fat ham and it just doesn't cut it, so I make my own. I bake the ham, like my chicken, to get good flavor in it, then I cut the ham into large chunks and pull the rind and fat deposits off and boil them. I cool and skim fat. Once the large chunk is defatted, I can again bake and prepare for supper. The ham tastes almost the same as when mom made it, but with about 80% less fat.

As for treats and yummy stuff...This is a will power issue, imo. I will take a cake and instead of baking the cake, I make cup cakes. Once I have them made and frosted (no skimping on anything) I leave myself 1 and my girls theirs and I present cupcake treats to my neighbors to prevent me from eating the rest. I do this with cookies as well. Once I make them and saved out portions for the family, I give them to neighbors.

As for soda. I used to drink vast (2 or 3 2 litre bottles a day!) amounts of soda. Several years ago I decided to stop drinking pop to see what would happen. I lost 30 pounds (gained it back on the truck) doing nothing else. I am not much of a soda drinker now, but this gives you an idea of how  much sugar is in that stuff.

I purchased a steamer to cook fresh veggies in and spend all kinds of time thinking of new herbs and spices to put on the veggies as I steam them. Some of it wasn't even edible but most of the time they come out great. I have also stopped buying canned veggies, only fresh or frozen now.

We got to the farmers market once a week and buy farm fresh stuff during the summer. Here (Germany atm) the market is more expensive with the exchange rate so I don't buy alot there, but enough to warrent the three mile round trip walk.

Anyway this is some if my ideas, and I don't know if you folks will agree or not, but there ya have it.