Mushroom Sandwich Anyone? A Low Calorie Burger Alternative

I am still on my weight loss plan and have found a few more things to add to my meal options. One of them is a "mushroom burger" without the meat.  Many restaurants serve hamburgers topped with mushrooms and cheese, which are very high in fat and calories.  The version that I created has mushrooms as the main "attraction", flavored with teriyaki sauce and pineapples.  I marinate some sliced portobella mushrooms in teriyaki for 30 minutes or more, then grill them in a saucepan with some crushed pineapple until the mushrooms are tender.  Next drain the excess liquid and load the mushroom mixture onto a toasted whole wheat bun along with low calorie mayo, sliced tomatoes and lettuce.  It's very yummy!

As an update on the weight loss progress, I gained about a pound during my vacation week in Myrtle Beach--not too bad!  I returned on October 23rd, and since then I have lost that pound again and an additional 2 pounds.  I have now lost a total of 17 pounds in about 3 months and I am just 3 pounds away from my original goal. I would like to lose those 3 pounds by November 20th. 

I have been sticking with very light breakfasts of fruit or whole grain toast, and soups and/or salads for either lunch or dinner, plus lots of low starch veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, etc.  For added flavor I sometimes add in some corn with the veggies.  I also eat an occasional small potato which I cook until tender and mash up with a bit of vegetable margarine (trans fat free) and some kind of seasoning.  I use a variety of spices and seasonings on the veggies, such as cajun spices, dried garlic with red chili, taco seasoning or caribbean jerk seasoning. 

Protein sources are the veggies, beans that I add to salads or include in soups, and various tofu dishes and whole grains.  I have an occasional serving of seafood such as sardines, shellfish (shrimp, clams or scallops), tuna or salmon.  Other than seafood I have been avoiding all animal products including dairy.  My energy level is staying very high and my appetite has decreased substantially so that I don't feel an urge to overeat as much as I have in the past.

Veggie Weight Loss Plan

Yesterday I decided to start a weight loss program based on a combination of several different plans I have read about.  My goal is to lose about 20 pounds in the next 7 weeks.  One of the plans is a vegetarian option focusing on low starch vegetables and high fiber fruits and whole grains.  This is the Eat to Live Diet which was discussed in one of my previous posts. (Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss)  The second plan is also vegetarian (although it also includes options for nonvegetarians) and includes more selections of high protein grains and legumes such as quinoa, soy, and nut butters--one small serving with each meal or snack.  This plan also emphasizes 15 minutes of high intensity weight training at least 3 times per week.  I will try to manage the intensity level as best I can even though I am not very big on high stress workouts.  I will probably include more types of interval workouts which alternate cardio and weights.  Here is a link to the Fat Burning Furnace diet plan if you want to check it out: Click Here!  The third plan focuses on belly fat by suggesting foods that help to target that part of the body.  These foods are packed with monunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) which help to burn fat and reduce inflammation, including olive oil, avocados and certain nuts and seeds.  The best book I have found which centers on this concept is this one: Flat Belly Diet!    All of these plans have options that I really like, so I am going to pick the foods and the suggestions that appeal the most to me and see how it goes, making adjustments as I go along.  I will report here on my progress periodically.

These are the basic foods I will be eating:  green veggies (lettuce, kale, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, zucchini, artichoke), other low starch veggies (cauliflower, eggplant, onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots), plant proteins (soybeans, tofu, black/navy/pinto beans, chick peas (garbanzos), lentils, green peas, raw nuts and nut butters, seeds), high fiber fruits (apples, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, papaya, bananas, berries, grapes, peaches, pineapples, mangos), whole grains (oats, whole wheat pasta or bread, rye, quinoa, millet, barley, sprouted grain bread or tortillas), and other nutrient rich whole foods such as sweet potato, melons and fresh corn (limited quantities).  Fats include olive oil, avocados, nut oils, sesame oil and coconut oil, plus flax seeds.

For beverages I will try to stick to herbal teas and water or mineral water flavored with small amounts of fruit juice such as freshly squeezed lemon, lime or grapefruit, or blended smoothies made with fresh fruit and soy or almond milk.

For two meals a day I will include 2 servings of fruit or veggies (about a cup each), 1 serving of protein (palm of the hand for legumes or tofu), and one serving of carbohydrates (1/2 to one cup depending on how dense the food is).  The third meal will be primarily low starch veggies and a small serving of protein.  Fats should be limited to small portions, just enough to stir fry the veggies or add texture to salad dressings (sticking to low fat dressings on salads).

For snacks I plan to include cut veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumber, zucchini seasoned with herbs and some fat free marinade.  Also apples or applesauce, edamame, or some raw nuts and seeds.  Green salads with low starch veggies and fat-free sugar-free dressing can also be used as snacks, and can be included with meals without adding much to total calories.  For a treat, the Flat Belly Diet also allows some indulgence in dark chocolate, which has natural substances that boost good HDL cholesterol, relax blood vessels and help regulate insulin and seratonin, the "feel good" brain chemical.  The darker the chocolate the higher the cacao content and the least amount of sweetener will be added in processing.  It is possible to find good organic chocolate that is lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice; I look for chocolate that is at least 70% cacao and has less than 7 grams of sugar per 100 calorie serving.

For the next 7 weeks I am going to stay away from added sugar (with the exception of the small amounts in dark chocolate) or excess sodium, and highly processed foods.  Even some of the meatless veggie products such as veggie burgers can contain ingredients that are not natural so I am going to read the ingredients before I buy them.  In sticking with natural whole foods, I believe that my body will get all the nutrients it needs and be relieved of some of the burdens of filtering out toxic chemicals that are found in many of the processed foods we find in grocery stores.

OK, that's the plan.  I will report my progress and any pitfalls I run into as I go along....