Yogurt! A missing ingredient in your weight loss program

[truman]

I am originally from Iran and plain yogurt in an essential part of our meals whether for lunch or dinner. It is a very important source of calcium and there are some reports emphasizing on its positive effect on weight loss. Many people blame the Atkins diet since it doesn't allow dieters to consume milk and it causes serious problems whether short term or long term. I agree that a serious problem with Atkins especially in the first two weeks of induction is lack of a good source of calcium.
To make the long story short, I just want to invite you all to use at least one cup of plain yogurt every day. It has only 4 net carbs and its consumption is very beneficial. To make it more delicious, in Iran we add some herbs like dried mint, small pieces of diced cucumber and onion, or spinach to it. Another way is to dilute it with water and make a good drink of it. It is called "Doogh" in Persian and you might have had it if you have ever had Persian kebab! Add some dried mint to it and it is healthier than any other drink in the world!
As far as I am concerned, yogurt is just the missing piece of Atkins puzzle. It's gonna help you digest the food easier, it makes you sleep better, it has a positive effect on metabolism and thus weight loss and it is very delicious.
I use it some times as a sauce with my salad, as a dip, as a yummy drink and as a very lovely part of my meal. you can even add some fruity fiber supplement to it if you don't like its taste.
Anyway, I hope this tip would help anyone out there who is struggling to lose weight still stay healthy and take care of the body.

Cheers

[lea]

i totally agree with you, truman! i love to use plain yogurt in salad dressings and as dips. mixed with cucumber, sping onion, garlic and lemon juice it's an unbeatable dip for lamb meatballs. YUM YUM YUM!!!! thanks for reminding me to use it more often, of course the full cream version

[dani]

So so true!! I basically follow Atkins with the exception of the dairy rule (although I have cut back on milk itself) I eat about a cup of natural yoghurt a day! There are only 2 of us and a baby in my family and we go through about 3L of yogurt a week! I have it in protein shakes or just as a condiment for just lamb chops or curry. I often add cucumber and sea salt, but I will try your suggestion of mint especially for the lamb. It is great for digestive health and was the 1st food my baby ate and he still loves it just plain or I mix in some avocado and lemon.

I sucessfully maintained a healthy weight on low carb diet including yoghurt for 10 years prior to pregnancy (the reason I regained the weight and have just started back on lc) so I can vouch for your claims! Are you on a low carb diet diet yourself. Do you have any recommendations for a good yogurt? We use the Jalna or Farmers Union Greek style but I am thinking of making my own.

[truman]

Thanks Guys for replying!

I agree that full cream yogurt is very yummy, but it isn't healthier than normal 3.5% yogurt and the taste is not much different. So I recommend natural yogurt instead of the Greek style one as we need to watch our calories intake seriously. I personally buy yogurt from a meat shop in Dandenong. The price is much more reasonable than any other providers. To compare, I used to buy natural yogurt for about 5$ a kilo from Aldi and Coles. I buy them now for $2 a kilo and every time I go there I buy a 5Kg one. There are many brands of almost the same price and I'm sure you can find them in other spots of Australia too. You are more likely to find them in shops selling Halal meat specially the Turkish shops.
Well, to answer your question Dani, I'm also on a low carb diet. It's been 32 days now and I am OK with the new life style. I have lost 4.1 kilos so far and yogurt has been a great aid for me. Hope it help you too!

Cheers

[lea]

i usually buy jalna too, natural not greek style, it tasts really great i find. but i also find the full cream version much much better than the low fat and low fat is more watery. the only reason i don't have it more often is that it's really expensive, $2 per kilo sounds like a great deal! i'd love to try your place, but i reckon it's too far for me

[jojoamethyst]

yoghurt would make life so much easier - i agree
i love it too but do restrict it

i think you got me convinced

[truman]

Lea, if you can find any Halal meat shop around your place it is very probable that you find what I'm talking about.

[dani]

Thanks Truman, gee I didn't realise the Greek yougurt was so high in carbs and fat! I am going to do some real investigation into a better alternative now!!!

I really only buy Greek style because it is the only one that comes in the larger sizes (economy driven I'm afraid). I sooooo love Melbourne and if I was living down there I would seek out a good meat shop that had yoghurt. We are pretty much limited to the supermarkets up here (we are in the middle of dairy country but due to the low population they stock very little of anything). I might pack an esky next time I'm down. There is a little store in Shepparton up here that has Halal meats though (I go there for spices mostly), I must check if they stock it or can get some. Either that or start making it, there is a good recipe in here in the recipe section of the forum. Well done on your loss so far. I am going to switch yougurt and see if I can't catch up, thanks again!

[lea]

thanks truman! i will keep my eyes open . i've only just moved to Australia and still getting adapted. it's very unusual for yogurt to be sold in meat places in Europe and i don't think i ever saw it in the US..

[lea]

Originally Posted by dani

there is a good recipe in here in the recipe section of the forum. Well done on your loss so far.

hi dani!

i've been searching, but couldn't find it could you point me in the right direction?

cheers,
lea

[truman]

Lea, I know it sounds weird since that's not the case in my hometown either. But it's true. However, the meat shops I talk about sell many things apart from meat! Well, actually some Muslims prefer to eat Halal dairy products as well as Halal meat and I reckon that's why most Halal meat shops sell dairy products too.

[lea]

just did a google search and there's actually one only 5 km away! only need to wait till my car is fixed . do they have good deals on meat as well?

thanks heaps,
lea

[truman]

Sorry for late reply Lea
The ones I usually buy meat from are in Dandenong and the meat they sell is usually less expensive than what you can get from Coles and other supermarkets. Hope you can find good bargains

[lea]

hey truman!

sounds really good! if only hubby would get that car fixed

so far i have been buying meats on the queen victoria markets and with some looking around you can get decent deals there too. or i get the reduced stuff from the supermarkets as sherrie suggested, that often works well too, only that planning ahead is more difficult since you get what they reduce.

have a good evening!
lea

[2kellen2]

Hi,

I so agree with the importance of yoghurt as a daily food in our diet. This was one of the first questions I asked about Bt but I don't care what I follow because I will not go without my yoghurt.

I will find a way for it to fit in & still lose weight.

kel