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• This is going to go from one list to another so you might want to copy and paste it in sections or just copy the whole thing to one document.  You can always bookmark this page too.  Hope it helps.  cheri   FREE FOODS LIST There are Free Foods that can be used on the NutriSystem plan. They are low calorie foods (20 calories or less) that can be added to the meal plan in small amounts. This minimal amount of calories will not affect weight loss, but we do recommend that they be limited to 2 or 3 servings per day if the foods have any calories at all. Add sugar free popsicles Fat free cool whip sugar free jello Coffee/Tea Unlimited Diet Soda Unlimited Sodium Free Seltzer Water Unlimited Sugar Free Tonic Water Unlimited Club Soda (not tonic or quinine water) Unlimited Artificial Sweeteners Unlimited Spices (salt-free) Unlimited Herbs Unlimited Vinegar Unlimited Lemon Juice Unlimited Sugar Free Gelatin 6oz per serving = 15 cal Sugar Free Gum 1 stick = 5 cal Nonstick Cooking spray Unlimited A-1 Sauce or Steak Sauce 1 Tbsp Butter Buds 1 oz Bouillon or Broth (Dry)- Low Sodium 1 packet, 1 tsp, 1 cube Bouillon or Broth (Canned)- Low Sodium ¾ cup Catsup 1 Tbsp Cocoa, dry unsweetened 1 Tbsp Coffee Whiteners (Powdered) 1 Tsp Chili Sauce 1 Tbsp Chocolate Topping (Reduced Calories) 1 Tbsp Cool Whip (fat free) 2 Tbsp Sugar Free Candies 20 cal or less per serving / 0 fat Low cal or reduced cal syrup Amount not to Exceed 20 cals/ 0 fat Dill Pickle 1 Dream Whip 1 Tbsp Sugar-free Jam/Jelly Amount not to exceed 20 cal Low sugar Jam/Jelly 2 Tsp Horseradish 1 Tsp Mustard 1 Tsp Picante Sauce 1 Tbsp Popcorn (light and natural) 1 Cup Relish 1 Tsp Salad Dressing (Fat Free) 2 Tbsp Salsa 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce (Low sodium) 1 Tsp Taco Sauce 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tsp. Cheri Hope all these help. Have a good one! EXPANDED FRUIT LIST Apple 1 Applesauce (unsweetened) 1/2 cup Apricots (medium, raw) 4 apricots Apricots (canned) 1/2 c. or 4 halves Bananas (9 inches long) 1/2 Blackberries (raw) 3/4 cup Blueberries (raw) 3/4 cup Cantaloupe (5 inches across) 1/3melon Cantaloupe (cubes) 1 c. Cherries (Large, raw) 12cherries Figs (raw, 2inches across) 2 figs Fruit Cocktail (canned) 1/2 c. Grapefruit (medium) 1/2 Grapefruit (small) 3/4 c. Grapes (small) 15 grapes Honeydew melon (Medium) 1/8 melon Honeydew melon (cubes) 1 c. Kiwi fruit (Large) 1 kiwi Mandarin oranges 3/4 c. Mangoes (small) 1/2 c. Nectarine (1 1/2 inches across) 1 nectarine Orange (2 1/2 inches across) 1 orange Papayas 1 c. Peach (2 3/4 inches across) 1 peach or 3/4 c. Peaches (canned) 1/2 c. or 2 halves Pear 1/2 large or 1 small Pear (canned) 1/2 c. or 2 halves Persimmons (medium, native) 2 persimmons Pineapple (raw) 3/4 cup Pineapple (Canned) 1/3 cup Plums (raw, 2 inches across) 2 plums Pomegranate 1/2 Pomegranate Raspberries 1 cup Strawberries 1 1/4 cup Tangerines (2 1/2 inches across) 2 tangerines Watermelon (Cubes) 1 1/4 cup   EXPANDED VEGETABLE LIST Artichoke, whole 1/2 large Artichoke Heart 2 pieces canned (not marinated) Artichoke (Jerusalem or Sun choke) 1/4 cup Asparagus 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Bamboo Shoots (Canned, diced) 1 cup Beans (Green, Wax, Italian) 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Bean Sprouts 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Beets 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Bell Peppers (All Varieties) 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Bitter Melon 1/2 cup Bok Choy, Chinese Chard, White Mustard 1 cup cooked Broccoli 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Brussels Sprouts 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Cabbage 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Cactus Leaves (Nopales) 1/2 cup Carrots 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Carrot Juice ¼ cup (2 fl. oz) Cauliflower 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Chayote, (Cooked) ½ cup or ½ medium squash Cherry Tomatoes 6 Chinese Cabbage 2 cups shredded raw, 1 cup shredded cooked Chinese Eggplant 1/2 cup Collard Greens 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Daikon (Chinese Radish) 1 cup fresh Dandelion Greens (Boiled) ½ cup Eggplant 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Fuzzy Melon 1/2 cup Green Beans 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Greens (Collard, Kale, Mustard) 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Hearts of Palm 2 sticks Jalapeno 4 peppers Jicama, raw ½ cup Kale 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Kohlrabi 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Leeks 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Lotus Root 1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables (without Corn, Peas, Turnips) 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Mushrooms 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Mustard Greens 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Okra 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Onions 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Pea Pods 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Pimento 2 medium or ½ cup Pumpkin, mashed ½ cup Radishes 1 cup Raw Rhubarb 1 cup Rutabaga 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Sauer***, canned ½ cup (High in Sodium) Seaweed, laver, soaked 1/2 cup Snow Pea Pods 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Spinach 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Sprouts (Alfalfa, Bean, Soybean) 1 cup raw, ¾ cup cooked Spaghetti Squash 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked Summer Squash 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Taro Root 1/4 cup Tomatillos 2 Tomato 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 medium raw Tomato Canned 1/2 cup Tomato Paste 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree 1/4 cup Tomato Juice (low sodium) 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce 1/3 cup Turnips 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Vegetable Juice (low Sodium) 1/2 cup Yellow Snap Peas (Frozen) ¼ cup Water Chestnuts (canned) 6 whole Zucchini 1/2 cup Cooked or 1 cup Raw Dairy/Protein anything with at least 7g of protein 3g of fat or less and about 90-120 calories or less. Technically, this means if you can find bread or pasta or any other food item meeting this description, it can be used, but be careful of extra carbs. · 1/3 cup edamame beans (shelled) · Boca burger · Ground turkey · Morningstar Farms products · Tofu · Veggie Slices (soy-based cheese), Swiss · 14-17 slices turkey pepperoni (beware of the sodium, however) · Lean ham/turkey luncheon meat · 2 FF (Ball Park) or 97% FF hot dogs (Hebrew National) · 97% FF ham chunks · Chicken *** grilled or canned packed in water · Tuna grilled or canned packed in water · Ground Turkey · Jennie-O Lean Turkey Burgers · Crab · Imitation crabmeat · Salmon · Shrimp · Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Albacore Steak Entrées · String cheese · Boiled egg · Egg Beaters (Better'n Eggs, etc.) · FF cream cheese · FF sour cream · Cottage cheese (1/4 cup regular or 1/2 cup ff) · FF cheddar or mozzarella · FF / LF Feta cheese · Kerrygold reduced fat Irish Cheddar · Laughing Cow Lite cheese · FF yogurt · Milk · Soy milk · Milk shakes (protein shakes, or those made from yogurt, fruit, ice)

t

hanks for all the nice notes everyone yesterday, I am on a vacation computer so will answer when I get home.  So here is an old blog of mine that I use to get a lot of feedback on.  Hope it helps.

Hey everyone,

I hope the holidays were fabulous and the new you starting today is well on its way to happening.  I lost 137 pounds maybe three years ago total now.  I dropped about thirty more after I started my maintainence.  I am free and traveling a lot now of days between chemotherapies.  So when traveling the biggest problem someone can have is maintaining their weight.  Whether you are on NS or off, the baseline priniciples you are learning here still are important to keeping your weight stable.  I have a big rule I follow.  I will never gain or lose five pounds again.  With that rule and the principles I apply from my weight loss here, I have been successful in maintaining.  So what do you do that is so important that will be important to you forever.

1.  I can't stress this enough JOURNAL your food.  When you start integrating your diet to go to maintainence, you may use an outside website to do this but always forever do it.  I keep a loose leaf small notepad in my purse and if I eat it I write it down.  It keeps me honest. 

2.  I know my calorie limit and I don't care if it is a holiday or my birthday or whatever I stay in it.  You will be surprised what you can eat and maintain.  I can eat over 2,000 calories a day now and not gain an ounce.  But I never go over the max amount.

3.  Eat low glycemic, high fiber, low fat foods.  Make sure foods are whole and chose your food wisely for the nutrients that you need for energy.  Eat to live and not live to eat. 

4.  Six meals a day are better than one.  Always be ready to keep a steady blood sugar level at all times.

5.  If I eat any sugar based food like fruit, it is always usually accompanied by some kind of protein, yogurt or cheese etc....  No sugar spikes.

6.  Down the water forever.  I choose 74 oz.  everyone is different.

7.  Exercise one hour a day six days a week.

8.  Make sure to sleep eight hours.

9.  One glass of alchohol is enough in any evening.

10.  Enjoy the company you eat with, eat slowly and weigh yourself at least weekly.  Don't panic if you see the scale up a few pounds if you followed your rules.  It will go back down.

Anyway,  Hope some of this helps someone.  cheri

Well I am seeing a lot of I've fallen and I need to get back up.  Well there is still two more holidays left to this new year and I'm offering that crutch right now  " Get up and no more."

You are the controller of your destiny and the holidays are the worst time of challenge especially Thanksgiving through New Years.  It offers a never ending array of favorites that challenges anyone.  Some things that can help during a time like this is to change the way you think and come out in the New Year smelling like a rose. 

1.  Get rid of the word I can't have that in your mind.  Can't is a sure way to create deprivation or want.  So I can't have that cookie or that cake or whatever it is... will just lead to wanting something else more.  Take that object of desire and have one bite or two bites.  Then count it in your calories for the day.  Make sure you journal the day as you are going when you can excuse yourself privately.  This will help keep you on track.

2.  You are on a calorie allowance with NS which deals with it in portions but realize that you can eat that many calories and not gain a pound .  Preplan where you are going and what are acceptable add ons for the day and never go over that amount no matter how tempted.

I lost 137 pounds and my weight fluctuates two or three pounds because I always write things down and I always even on holidays stay in my calorie count. I can eat 2,000 or 2,200 calories a day now and not gain.  So I stick in that range and never have to worry.  I have vowed to myself I will never gain or lose five pounds again.  Doing things this way makes it so I keep my vow to myself.

3.  If you do gain some weight due to enjoying yourself a bit much, realize that much of that is probably water weight first because you have to take in over three thousand calories to actually gain a pound.  When you realize that, you know your system is responding to a change in your diet pattern and while some of it could be weight gain part of it is water.

Also do not condemn yourself for gaining.  Forgiving yourself is the best way not to feel worse about the situation which leads to emotional eating.  So if weight gain happens, you just deal with it. 

Next do not panic or throw in the towel.  This usually just leads to more binge eating.  Let yourself realize you are in control.  Plan your next moves and take your control back.

Think about the next two holidays and I hope some of this can help.  Writing it down helps me remember to always do it.  You can do it.  Happy New Year.

Cheri

My picture finally showed up! Yay.  I had removed everything several months ago but thought it would be nice to post once and awhile again.  So to all my old blog friends, nice to see you.  To all my new blog friends, nice to meet you.  I am Cheri and older than dirt here.  I lost 137 pounds on NS and have kept it off for years now. 

I have had a great holiday.  It has been filled with lots of friends, family and of course the message of the coming of the Lord.  I love this time of year.  But I also think it is the hardest time to diet or maintain.  I am pretty strict and always stay within my calorie limit so I can enjoy the day without worrying about the end result, but temptation always lurks.  I hoped you have fared well in your holiday and the NY is looking bright.

My chemotherapy is going well now.  I have had the periods lenghthed between them again as I have responded well.  I went to Hawaii and Arizona prior to the last one.  I am leaving for Arizona again the end of this week.  That warm weather is always a good way to make sure you stay in shape too.  I hate to put a bikini on if I don't.

Anyway, happy holidays!

Cheri

A bit under the weather so have not posted for a few days.  My body is changing as I am getting use to this therapy again.  I am tired.  So I have kept a few days of rest and no chocolate chip cookies!  yay me.

I hope everyone is well and kicking some butt with their weight loss~ cheri

Today I have read a great deal on the blog about dissatisfaction with how people are doing on their program.  Well the first thing you can do with that dissatisfaction is toss it out the window and replace it with a choice of always being satisfied with yourself.  You see one of the things we need to lose in order to keep on the program or on any program is the thought that food controls our very day and to quit beating ourselves up for being human.  It is all about choices.  Self love, loss of magical thinking, making correct choices and not sabottaging yourself are all essential elements of a future stable weight.  These are also essential elements of making it through any program successfully. 

Oh seems easy for me to say this.  I have been at my goal weight for three years.  I have little if ever deviate from that number of goal.  Things have changed for me and the way I look at food and my life.  Even at my worst, I am at peace with food.  It will not be my choice to hurt myself with food, or allow myself to beat myself up about what I have done and it is only there to nourish me and give me energy.  You see there is always tomorrow.  A brand new glorious day where I can make the right choices and feel empowered.  Each and everyone of you can make the right choices and always feel empowered.  Love yourself even if you ate something that made you really gain two pounds.  Guess what?  You have the ability to change that.  You can make the choice to do that!  That is power.  Do not let thoughts of " I can have just one and I won't gain anything, I didn't before." or I have not lost for two weeks I might as well just go off the program rule you or break your determination.  Because you have a choice.  You have the power to make it happen.  Be patient.  Let the time frame that it is going to occur happen and learn these things.  Your choices are your future.  I know you can do it and I expect to see you standing here after goal three years later too. 

Cheri