A New Experience

jjjay said:
I think having stuff bagged up and measured calorie-wise is a big trick up your sleeve. That way when you reach for somethign to eat, you don't think of portion size with your "hungry-head" on !!!! Because you already sorted that bit out when you weren't hungry!!

I have like one fast food thing I allow myself to have every now and then (chicken selects from McDonalds) as I know that that plus the fries is like 710 cals so if I haven't got round to eating all day at work, I might have that. Apart from that though, fast food is off the menu! I think it is kind of addictive to be honest. You know like when you walk past a fast food joint and CRAVE teh food...then you wean yourself off of it and just lose the taste for it completely and it doesn't appeal. Must be some additive in it I think.
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Good idea....somebody had posted in my old journal they also had a list on their fridge of snacks in a certain calorie range. I think I'll do what you said, have stuff pre-measured and a list for some choice.

And I definitely think there's stuff added into the fast foods to make it addictive....how else could some of their food have 3x the calories as us making it at home? Honestly though....I've eaten it for so long I can't say I crave it really. It comes down to just plain convenience on a crazy schedule where I wait until I'm REALLY hungry to think about food. By then I'm starving and want it now and I'm usually on the way too or from work.
 
I emailed the author of the diet freezer cookbook to see if she had calorie counts. Got an email back right away

I didn't figure up the calories in each recipe, because I was trying to make this an easy system. I think that counting up calories at each meal is not "easy," but putting more or less food in a container is... But maybe that's just because I'm math challenged.
I'm sorry I can't send you the numbers. I hope it isn't too inconvenient for you.
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So I was talking to a few friends I know about it online and they started saying how people are moving away from counting calories etc. etc. One friend is from Canada and showed me something similar to the food guide pyramid we have hear in the U.S. One of them thought I was obsessing too much and being anal by counting calories. She shut up when I told her my height and weight and that I can't afford to play around.

I get their point for somebody who maybe has anywhere under 40 pounds to lose and just watches portions but for somebody my size? Well everything in me just rebelled. Not count calories? I need that number to know I'm on track or not. Even if I screw up, I feel in control because I know how much the damage was. Plus on the food guides servers are like 5-10, 2-3, 3-4, that's just too much room for error.

Anyway, the food guide pyramid isn't a new idea anyway, lol. Guess I shouldn't let people get to me when I feel like I finally have a grasp on this.

P.S. As far as the author of that book goes, she advertises it as a starter plan everyone can build on to. She could have made that statement in the book and then put an appendix in anyway. But meh....I'll just do it myself.
 
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So one recipe down, a zillion more to go. I plugged in all the ingredients into fit day and came up with 3,160 calories, 81.0g fat, 368g of carbs, and 239.0g of protein. Divide that by 6 on the calories and each meal is 527. Not bad but there better be more food in there than a lean cuisine that has less, lol. I'm sure there is. Here's the recipe. Notice in the first paragraph she mentions calories :X



Sweet and Sour Chicken
With rice and green peas

Recipe makes 6 frozen meals. This recipe can be used with either white or brown rice. The brown rice will add more nutrients, with fewer calories. Check the rice package for cooking directions.

1 8 oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks in their own juice
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/4 cup chicken broth, or 1 ½ cups home-made broth
1 green pepper
1 red or orange pepper
1 onion
2 1-lb package frozen peas or pea pods
3 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 cup Brown rice

In a small saucepan mix the following:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
3 Tablespoons vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon corn starch

Cook sauce until it thickens slightly, and becomes clear. Set aside.
Cut 1 ¼ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast into 3/4 inch cubes. Cut ½ onion into ½ inch chunks.

Spray a wok or large skillet with non-stick spray or add 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil. Brown the chicken pieces.

Add the sauce and onion pieces to the chicken, and simmer, covered, for about ½ hour or until chicken chunks are tender.

While the chicken is cooking, place 1 cup brown rice in rice cooker or medium sauce pan. Add 1 ½ to 2 cups of water (depending on package directions) and pinch of salt if desired. Add lid and cook until rice is done, about 45 minutes.

When chicken is tender, uncover and allow to cool. When mixture has cooled add:
¾ cup drained pineapple chunks
1 green pepper and
1 red or orange pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut into ½ inch chunks.

Do not cook after vegetables and pineapple have been added. They will cook when the lunch is heated in the microwave.

Spoon rice, evenly divided, into 6 entrée sized containers. (Keep your rice in one corner of the container) Open 2 packages of green peas or pea pods and pour into containers. Add chicken-pineapple mixture on top of rice. Add lids, making sure seal is tight. Place containers in freezer.
 
Looks like a good recipe! sounds like you are getting on track with a vengeance. It's good to see you Lisa.
 
I find that if I make my own meals and freeze them they always keep me full for longer than if I have a WW or lean cuisine meal even if they look about the same size and it must be healthier as well. I think that what you are doing is great and you deserve to succeed with all the effort that you are putting into it. Don't let people confuse you and put you off of what you are doing as it sounds like a very healthy and sensible way to lose weight.
 
ecky said:
I find that if I make my own meals and freeze them they always keep me full for longer than if I have a WW or lean cuisine meal even if they look about the same size and it must be healthier as well. I think that what you are doing is great and you deserve to succeed with all the effort that you are putting into it. Don't let people confuse you and put you off of what you are doing as it sounds like a very healthy and sensible way to lose weight.
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Thanks ecky :) I got all the recipes plugged into my program so now I just have to decide which ones to make first, probably the chicken ones since I have a ton of chicken already. Goin shoppin tomorrow. This is taking a bit to plan but least once its done, it'll be done. Bit stuck on breakfasts for variety.....I have some freezer frenchtoast recipes, and some for eggs. So I have a few things I can grab for work but could use more ideas if anyone has any.
 
I'm a bit boring with breakfast. I almost always have a bowl of All Bran. I get constipation problems when I eat healthy which doesn't seem to make sense with all the extra fruit and veg but somebody said that it is probably because I'm hardly eating any fats and oils when I used to eat a lot. So the All bran keeps me regular. :)
 
ecky said:
I'm a bit boring with breakfast. I almost always have a bowl of All Bran. I get constipation problems when I eat healthy which doesn't seem to make sense with all the extra fruit and veg but somebody said that it is probably because I'm hardly eating any fats and oils when I used to eat a lot. So the All bran keeps me regular. :)
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thats a good idea but i'm not really a cereal person in the morning....would make a good snack though...grape nuts or kashi is usually what I buy :)


jjjay said:
urgh....reading that recipe made me REALLY hungry!! I want some now!!
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wait till you see the rest the list, lol
 
So I know I've been taking my good sweet time with this but it was VERY overwhelming. First I had to type all these recipes into my Advantage Cooking Software....well I guess I didn't HAVE to but I'm a tad OC. Plus in the long run this will save me alot of time because it prints out my grocery list.

Then figuring out all those calorie counts....geez. I almost quit after a few thinking it was all around 450-550 per meal but I kept going and found out different. The concept is good but this woman leaves way too much room for error but not including calories, in my opinion. Here's my list that I'll use to make a menu for lunches and dinners. I'll be adding fruit and salads which will be easy. I just have to tackle breakfast now but I have it started. Freezer breakfast sandwiches, frenchtoast, some egg quiche type things you make in muffin tins...and bunch of other stuff.

Here's the recipe list with calories from that book :) I think it'll give me a very good base start to build around. All these calorie accounts include a side of vegetables

CHICKEN RECIPES

Sweet and Sour Chicken 527
Herbed Chicken 491
Chicken “Alfredo” with Vegetables
560Chicken Adobo 454
Easy-Does-It Turkey Ragout 351
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)368
Chicken Pot-au-Feu 320
Sticky Chicken 500
Tarragon Chicken 566
Chicken in Wine Sauce (Coq-au-Vin) 620

BEEF RECIPES

Salisbury Steak 575
Enchilada Casserole 429
New England-Style Pot Roast 475
Skillet beef stroganoff 450
Spicy BBQ Meatballs 475
Crock-pot Chinese Beef and Pea Pods 345

PORK RECIPES

Honey Glazed Pork 385
Barley and White Bean Stew 543
Roast Pork with Gravy (crockery slow-cooker) 591
Creamy Onion Pork Chops 537

VEGETARIAN RECIPES

Painted Rooster (Beans and Rice) 341
White Bean Soup from Tuscany 168
Pasta and Bean Soup 486
Pasta with Beans and Pesto 530
Red Beans and Rice 525
 
Oh I found some AWESOME breakfast freezer recipes :) I'm sure all can be modified with turkey ham and such or as is. These recipes are genius, you gotta check it out guys :) Baggy omelets!!! I could do that!! Egg cupcakes!!! Take a look :D
 
So the idea behind all this is to build a stock of food ready to go, and grab a portion and there you have it? Excellent! I have never been organized enough to pull that off, but the idea is a great way to keep yourself honest.

I like what you're doing hun.
 
thecabbie said:
So the idea behind all this is to build a stock of food ready to go, and grab a portion and there you have it? Excellent! I have never been organized enough to pull that off, but the idea is a great way to keep yourself honest.

I like what you're doing hun.
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Yep :) I'm not that organized either, which is the problem. I have no endurance to stick with stuff and its not cuz I feel deprived. It's just too easy to get busy and not feel like cooking or have time. Next thing ya know I'm eatin fast food. This way I only have to feel like it once a month, when I cook the food :)

I've done this before and once I got started cooking it was easier to keep going. I felt like cooking more when I didn't have to and I'd add to my supplies with more variety. The problem is what I was cooking wasn't already portioned nor was it all calorie friendly so to speak.

Another thing I like about freezer cooking is making the mess once, all at once. Kitchen stays alot cleaner when you're not in there every day. And when I have a week or two where I'm exhausted and unmotivated to plan or count calories, guess what? I don't have to!! Already done :)
 
How many portions have you got done now? I think it's a great idea but I only have a small freezer that is always full. If I ever get another freezer then I will definitely give it a go. :)
 
ecky said:
How many portions have you got done now? I think it's a great idea but I only have a small freezer that is always full. If I ever get another freezer then I will definitely give it a go. :)
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I do have an extra freezer but the freezer cookbook I just got for the recipes I listed said you could do it with just your normal over fridge freezer. Basically that first list of recipes are supposed to turn out same size as if you bought a bunch of frozen diet dinners in the store like lean cuisines, but taste much better. Each recipe makes 6 dishes. Not sure but you could probably cut each recipe in half and make 3 of each so you'd get more variety and just cook two weeks at a time. Then the rest of the stuff was just salad veggies in the fridge and fruit.

The way I'm doing it though I don't think I could fit it all because I'm using her recipes as a basic start and I'm also doing breakfast freezer style too. Then I'm going to keep adding more recipes from my OTHER freezer recipes as I go, cuz she doesn't even really have a lasagna one! Plus I'm going to have to make stuff for my DH so he doesn't starve :) I can make some of this stuff for him but I know some he just won't eat.
 
Got sidetracked with the holiday and weird work schedule. My husband just got over bein super sick with nasty flu so I sure hope I don't get it. Today I'm working on wrapping it up for the breakfast part of the menu. Once this is all done I can actually go shopping, list in hand and get this cooked up and in the freezer. The first recipe I'm working on right now is for lower calorie biscuits and gravy :) Found it online and it was like this

Lower cal biscuits and gravy

* Biscuits
* 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat biscuit mix
* 1/2 cup fat-free milk
* GRAVY
* 1/2 pound turkey breakfast sausage, casings removed
* 3 cups fat-free milk
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1.To make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450�F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix and milk, mixing until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a floured work surface and roll into a circle about 1/2" thick using a lightly floured rolling pin. With a floured 2 1/2" biscuit cutter, cut out 8 rounds. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer biscuits to a cooling rack.

2.To make the gravy: In a large nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, salt, and pepper just until the flour is dissolved. Add the mixture to the same skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Add the reserved sausage and heat through. Serve the gravy over split biscuits.
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I'm doubling that recipe because it makes 5 biscuits...which leaves an odd oen left over. So I'll have 10 biscuits/2 for 5 breakfasts. Also I cut down on calories with the gravy by not doubling the turkey sausage and upping the milk to 5 cups and I'm going to use "ThickenThin, not starch" instead of flour. I still have the ThickenThin from when I was low carbing and I did make sausage gravy at the time and it worked out great. So total calories for each breakfast of Biscuits and gravy is 425 each :)
 
I love the freezer stash idea!! I usually only make my meals one week ahead, but having it stocked up for a month or more would be failproof! Good idea!
 
venusrockstar said:
I love the freezer stash idea!! I usually only make my meals one week ahead, but having it stocked up for a month or more would be failproof! Good idea!
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Yea my family always did freezer cooking but finding healthier recipes was a bit of a challenge :) Thanks for stoppin by my journal!
 
Ok here's my breakfast list basically with calories. Gonna mix and match some of the lower stuff. Like 1 egg cupcake with 3 sausage biscuits sounds yummy to me! I'll add stuff in as I go I'm sure.


BREAKFASTS

Lower cal biscuits and gravy 426
Sausage Biscuits (3 biscuits) 255
Pancakes (3pancakes) w/ 2tbs maple syrup 310
Pancakes (3) w/ heated berry sauce 325
Stuffed French toast w/ 2tbs maple syrup 425
Cherry Cheesecake french toast, 2 slices 250
Egg cupcakes (each) 210
Breakfast Burrito 314
Baggie Omelet 371
Potato Bacon Frittata 141
Breakfast egg, meat and cheese biscuits 314
Blueberry Muffin (other varieties for recipe) 88
 
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