Weight-Loss Substitute for Pretzels or other diet suggestions?

Weight-Loss
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ISeeNoChanges

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Does anyone have a good substitute for a pretzel craving?

A little about me and my diet...

Started at around the 340 lb range and over the last 8 months have seen amazing results from the simple combination of exercise and diet.

Typically i eat the following:
Wake up - Half glass or swing of OJ
Breakfast at work (about an hr after wake up), protein shake with skim milk, orange or other fruit, coffee
10:00 am - 1 cup dry fiber one cereal with cinnamin (about 60 cals, daily amount of fiber)
Lunch - Soup or some combo of small soup/salid/fruit (10am fiber really has lowered my lunch hunger)
3:00 pm (orange or other fruit)
4:30 Non-fat, 80-90 cal yogurt (before gym)
7:30 If im cooking, i will make something lean with protein and a veggy, otherwise i have a protein shake, yogurt & fruit

I drink tons of water throughout the day. Probably in the 120-160 ounce range. I also take a maximum greens suppliment when i know im not cooking to make up for the lack of veggies in my routine.

My biggest weekness? Pretzels and (formerly) soda. Now i crave pretzels and Diet. Especially with guys over or watching sports at night.

Its the salty, crunchy, yet bread like insides that get me... LOL.

When i do give in to the snack temptation, can anyone offer something to replace the pretzels with? I do buy the 2/3rds "less fat pretzels"... but still know they arnt good for me or my goals...

Regardless, if there is one thing this past 8 month has taught me its that small changes can produce drastic results over long amounts of time.

If anyone would like to offer some snack suggestions or other diet suggestions please feel free... As i said above, i have seen wonderful results and now would like to "fine tune" things when possible.

I have tried the rice-cakes and other low fat snack ideas, but none have been able to break the craving... I think it has alot to do with eating very healthy and my body mentally wanting something bad for it...

Thoughts?
Thanks!
 
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They don't taste as good, but I get dry roasted edamame (soy beans). They are salty, crunchy and far lower calories + way more fiber & protein than the pretzels.

You could also just snack on the dry fiber one. Apples w/peanut butter may not be a bad one - and tastier than peanut butter + celery ;)
 
Alton Brown Hard Pretzel Recipe
Makes 36 pretzels (The long rod type)
Prep
1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep
1 hr 20 min
Cook
1 hr 5 min
Total:
3 hr 25 min

* 1 3/4 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 package active dry yeast
* 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
* 1 large whole egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
* Vegetable oil, for pan
* Water
* Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Place enough water into a large roasting pan to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 1-ounce portions, approximately 36 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 14 to15-inch long stick and place on the sheet pans, 1/4-inch apart. Cover the dough not being used with a slightly damp towel to help prevent drying out.

Gently place 6 to 8 pretzels at a time into the water for 30 seconds. Remove the pretzels back to the sheet pan, brush with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until golden brown in color and hard, approximately 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Make them yourself. It's a plus all around. You control what goes in them, you can use whole wheat flour, control the salt levels, and if you have to make them yourself, it's a lot harder to splurge on them. And homemade food is always better.
 
Bread and carby stuff is my weakness, too. Honestly I find that I have to eliminate them completely when I'm trying to lose fat. I just have no self control around those things ... if I let myself get started, then it's all over for me.
 
KaraCooks said:
Bread and carby stuff is my weakness, too. Honestly I find that I have to eliminate them completely when I'm trying to lose fat. I just have no self control around those things ... if I let myself get started, then it's all over for me.
Click to expand...

Me too, I think I could live off bread type carbs. But not being able to eat them while losing weight would kill me. I don't think I could stick to it. I wish I had that willpower.

But at the same time, I don't because I love carbs... lol
 
That's a great recipe that Kayshiz posted, and it's true that cooking it yourself will help you control your intake of certain ingredients, plus you probably won't consume so much since you have to make them yourself and they are not readily available in large amounts in a bag. I'm going to try the recipe.
 
Jeanette401 said:
They don't taste as good, but I get dry roasted edamame (soy beans). They are salty, crunchy and far lower calories + way more fiber & protein than the pretzels.

You could also just snack on the dry fiber one. Apples w/peanut butter may not be a bad one - and tastier than peanut butter + celery ;)
Click to expand...

Great suggestion Jeanette! I have not seen these. Where do you buy them? I LOVE edamame from sushi restaurants... Roasted edamame sounds like something i would really like.

Are you getting these at a Grocery store or more of a special or ethnic store? (I do have access to a "High-Class-Trendy" grocery store in my area... Wegmans for those who may have heard of it)

I dont mind the dry fiber one at 10am, but it really falls into more into the "dont mind" catagory than it does into the "looking forward to it..."

Another issues (that im sure many here have faced) is trying to stay social while loosing weight. My friends do know my goals and are not enablers but pulling out a bowl of dry fiber one during a hockey or hoops game may be tough for me to pull off!

Thanks!
 
I'm sure they have them at Whole Foods & Trader Joes, but the Smiths in my neighborhood that carries them. I've even seen them as 'soy nuts' at Wal-Mart from time to time :D

I get the Sea-Point farms brand - and if you can't find it at your local stores, you can actually order it from amazon.

Portable snacks are definitely trickier. Although I don't think you'd get too many funny looks bringing along an apple & some string cheese to a game. One thing I do is if I know I'm going to be social I'll be really really strict earlier in the day - so pretty much all I'd eat is lean protein and some fibrous veggies. That way when I go out I have a lot more leeway and it won't kill my average for the day if I indulge in some chips or something.
 
I can get roasted edamame at my Kroger grocery store in the bulk organic section.
 
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