It's all about me

Lentils are patiently waiting until there is room in the fridge...I sorta made a lot of bulgar...(like enough to feed a small army 'cause I didn't realize quite think through the "absorb the water" part) :doh: which by the way is quite delicous cold with almonds and ripe cherries.
 
So Cym, I'm going to pester a little bit again. I half-assed my goal of planning meals. Meaning I planned one meal and now I'm at a loss as to what to prepare again. When you have your chicken, how do you prepare it? Bulgar sounds interesting actually. Anyways thanks for being such a great source of motivation. I am going to have broccoli tomorrow because I feel guilty when I don't eat anything green now thanks to you ;) I hope you're having a lovely day!!
 
Cripe I'm lazy, sorry Mal, thanks for reposting all the recipes you've been kind enough to share. You rock!
 
Hey Sara, did you ever see Forest Gump? there's this scene when his pal Bubba starts talking about what he does with shrimp....well, I might be a novice at bulgar, but girl I am the Bubba of chicken: : chicken stir fry, chicken & broccoli salad, chicken & pinapple pizza (I use flat out wraps for the crust), chicken & spinach calzones (I make the dough with ww flour), chicken with or without cheese stuffed into wonton or egg roll wraps (just like the recipe I gave you for the cream cheese ones only use shredded chicken breast instead of cream cheese), chicken & tomatos over soba (buckwheat noodles), chicken "lasagna" with eggplant instead of pasta and cottage cheese and spinach as the layers (super yummy), chicken salad with bok choy, walnuts, grapes & cottage cheese, chicken tortillas (just buy some mesa & a 10 dollar tortilla press), an omlet with chicken & tomatos, crustless chicken & spinach quiche (egg whites, 2% milk), chicken fingers (dipped in milk, roled in ww flour baked in oven and served with sugar free ranch dipping sauce...or just plain 'ol grilled chicken...that's what I had tonight actually, a grilled chicken breast with turnip greens, corn muffin, brown beans, corn and a sweet potato.....and you can also do any of the above with ground turkey, turkey cutlets. or lean beef or even shrimp as well.

hope that helps. now I'm off to see what yummy recipes Mal's got linked.:jump:

edited to add: whoops, I forgot the one thing that makes this dead easy...you gotta broil a bunch of chicken breasts at one time, cool, remove the skin (no point paying more for skinless) weight out in the appropriate serving size (for me it's 4 oz cooked) and baggie it. That way you can just grab one (or more if you're cooking for others as well) baggies of pre-cooked chicken and have your way with it with min. prep/cook time through the week.
 
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cym said:
edited to add: whoops, I forgot the one thing that makes this dead easy...you gotta broil a bunch of chicken breasts at one time, cool, remove the skin (no point paying more for skinless) weight out in the appropriate serving size (for me it's 4 oz cooked) and baggie it. That way you can just grab one (or more if you're cooking for others as well) baggies of pre-cooked chicken and have your way with it with min. prep/cook time through the week.
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Yes exactly, I really don't know why organizing and cooking isn't plain as day for me. This great tip (and you're right as well about not paying more for skinless) is common sense, but totally brilliant in my eyes! Thanks! I have lots of frozen chicken breasts, and now I will be able to cook em up, portion them, and start eating actual meals instead of boiled egg whites with a side of berries :rotflmao: lol thanks! Yeah I went out tonight and bought a marinade so that I can try out Mal's recipes, and I'm going to experiment with all of the menu choices you listed as well. THANKS GUYS!
 
Thursday food:

fruits: 4-5 daily servings chosen from
apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 5-6 daily servings chosen from
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes
***cabbage type: napa
***substituted turnip greens for spinach
***additional: corn

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings chosen from
almonds, black beans, black eye peas, buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, flax, oats, pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat flour
*** whole wheat flour type: flat out wrapper
*** substituted brown beans for black beans
*** additional: corn meal muffin

dairy 3 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, whole, skim/2% milk, cheese (any type)
***cheese types: cottage cheese & 4 cheese blend
***substituted soy milk for 2% milk
no yogurt today

meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish
fish type: no fish today

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green tea
echitacea tea

optional:
honey
sugarfree pudding
 
chicken "lasagna" with eggplant instead of pasta and cottage cheese and spinach as the layers (super yummy),
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where the heck are you people from where you think cottage cheese is an acceptable substitute for ricotta cheese i a lasagna :) Ricotta cheese only... please... dead italian grandmas are rolling in their graves at the thought of cottage cheese being used :)

And if you slice the lasagna, skin on, lengthwise, and bake it for about 30 minutes or so - it's super low in calories and makes a great rolls for stuffing...
 
hee hee, sorry Mal, but when I want lasagna I want a nice big 'ol slab, not a little whimpy slice which is all I'd get using riccotta vs. dry small curd cottage cheese, plus by using cottage cheese instead of riccotta, you can make the top layer with a good mozz cheese without blowing out cals or sat fat..... and not only does the eggplant, properly seasoned, actually taste as good as the pasta, at 28 cals a cup and naturally (not "enriched") rich in fiber as well as potassium, manganese,copper, magnesium, folate, niacin and vittes b1 & b6 - no contest. I promise, one bitty bite of my lasagna and you'd go "oh, okay!":)
 
I decided to record my food tonight instead of in the morning to see if I can figure out why in the heck I'm so dead dog tired. Normally on a Friday night I can come home from work, hit the shower, dress in a lightning blitz and be out the door to play for a couple hours. At the moment, and for most of the day, however, I am and have been just friggin exhausted.....many, many degrees past tired.

Looking at my food, and doing a rough calorie calculation in my head, I think I haven't eaten enough this week ....and it's just catching up to me. Even with a bit of purposeful overestimating, I'm only getting about 1800 calories, and since today was pretty average, I'm guessing that's about where it's been since Monday which is the low end of my range....added to that my changed work-out routine this week which has had 4 days of weights vs. the previous 3, and being this tired is starting to make sense.

Friday food:

fruits: 4-5 daily servings chosen from
apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 5-6 daily servings chosen from
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes
***substituted turnip greens for spinach

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings chosen from
almonds, black beans, black eye peas, buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, flax, oats, pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat
*** whole wheat type: whole wheat flour
*** substituted pinto beans for black beans
***substituted sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds


dairy 3 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, whole, skim/2% milk, cheese (any type)
***cheese types: cottage cheese
***substituted soy milk for 2% milk


meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish
fish type: talapia & shrimp

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green tea
echitacea tea
additional: vit C h20

optional:
honey
sugarfree cookies
 
I think it's great that you're so attuned to your body. Also I think it's great that of all the problems that could result from not counting calories, you're undereating. Which is easier to remedy in my opinion than eating too much. Your body is just asking you nicely to eat ;)
 
cym said:
Lentils are patiently waiting until there is room in the fridge...I sorta made a lot of bulgar...(like enough to feed a small army 'cause I didn't realize quite think through the "absorb the water" part) :doh: which by the way is quite delicous cold with almonds and ripe cherries.
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bulgar is basically the whole wheat "berry"...probably as close to the non-refined form of wheat you can get without chomping on a stalk in the field. I don't even entertain the thought of being a vegetarian - even the fish and dairy eating kind - I happily gave up sugar (okay, there was some kicking and screaming involved)...but can't imagine life without chicken or beef.
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Okay, thanks for explaining that Cym. I'm a ways from that yet, I think. Impressive though. I love ricotta too Mal!

Weight loss and maintenance are about learning to cook. And basically, we should be taught all this stuff in high school, boys too. Because we come into adulthood and most of us are self taught only after gaining weight. I'm going to look at those chicken recipes, Bubba!
 
Okay, tweaking the template. After a month I have a pretty clear idea of what's working, and what could work better. This should bump up the average daily calories, fuel my changed work-out routine better and provide a more consistent intake of certain vitties (i.e. C) that are sometimes MIA.

fruits: 4-6 daily servings. 1 berry, 1 apple, 1 citrus, the rest chosen from:
apples, apricots, bananas, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 6-7 daily servings, 2 dark green leafy, the rest from:
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings, 1 nut, 1 flax, 1 legume, the rest chosen from:
buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, oats (rolled or bran), pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat germ, whole wheat

dairy :1 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, soy milk, cheese (any type)

meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green or echitacea tea

optional:
honey or molasass
one sugarfree piece of crap
 
You're so disciplined about eating your fruits and veggies. How do you do it?? I love salad with all kinds of veggies in it, but I'm not nearly as crazy about the fruits.

-Sunny
 
Hey Sunny! At least you like salads...personally I hate 'em (at least the kinds with lettuce)...don't know why. As far as getting in my fruits and veggies, it's really not a challenge at this point....I'm down to fighting with my disinclination to eat the non-wheat grains.:boxing:

What started out as discipline eventually just became the way I prefer to eat...happily, given enough time, food preferences and tastes actually do change. I used to never, ever eat apples unless they were mixed with sugar, tucked into deep fried dough, crammed in a little retangular red and white cardboard box and handed to me through the drive-through window along with my Big Mac, fries and diet coke. I'm not even kidding. Now, I not only eat a great big crispy apple every single day - if I haven't had one by bedtime I'll actually start craving it enough to get up and scarf one down. Scary.
 
Oh I envy you how you come in low on days you actually even intended on eating more. I simply never ever have that problem. Wishing I did...
 
Okay so you have cravings but you crave good stuff. I have cravings for both at this point. I think it might be worse than just craving junk. Because even if I eat a bunch of good stuff it doesn't help the deficit. GRR! I'm really hating this right now! I can't wait until I'm where you are Cym.... HOW ARE YOU SO PATIENT AND DISCIPLINED??????????????? I know you just answered that question in the previous post as well, so I know that it's the progression of adopting new habits over time. Forgive my bitching please. I just felt like screaming.
 
Hey Sara! Bitch and scream away. LOL. You are just gonna have to take my word for it that I know exactly 100% how it feels at the point you are at right now. I'm gonna tell you a couple things, hopefully at least one of them will help...and I warn you, this is long as hell 'cause I just started typing and my fingers wouldn't stop.......

I looked at your Saturday foods...and if that's a typical example of how you are eating most days...well I'd be ready to scream too because there's no variety, not a single meal that says "yum, can't wait to dive into this"...I bet a hot cheesy pizza looks good as hell right now in fact.

If I had a number one "rule" for eating while dieting it would be "don't eat in the way you won't be able/want to continue eating for the rest of your life"...Ask yourself "how many more times in your life do you want to wrestle with losing weight?" I'm guessing "never again" right? So, now's the time, the best time, to free yourself from "dieting" mentality. IMO if you can look at a single day's food intake and not honestly think: "Yea, I could eat exactly like that 90% of the time for the rest of my life" then it's "diet" not "lifestyle". See where I'm going?

Just one example: your egg whites. You know if you got some big portabello mushroom caps, brushed them in olive oil, mixed some egg whites, skim or soy milk, spinach, finely diced peppers, onions, garlic & spices to taste, poured the mix into the caps and baked, then sprinkled some low fat provolone or skim mozzerlla on top - it would turn a "I hate this shit" meal into a well balanced, naturally low calorie healthy meal or snack that you'd be just as happy to eat whether you were in weight loss mode or just maintaining your weight. And we're talking no more than 20 mins. from fridge to plate.

Stuff to think about when you do your weekly food prep: go ahead and dice a bunch of stuff to make cooking easy and quick and tasty through the week....like dice a bunch of onions, peppers, garlic etc. and put it in little containers in the fridge. Pre-wash and slice a bunch of veggies. Little plastic storage containers are a girl's best friend.
Two: If the people in your life are anything like the people in my life, this is just about the point where they will start to tell you "oh just one won't hurt...you've been so good". IMO, that's total and complete bs....because what that "just one" does is set you up to keep having cravings for junk...and make it just that much harder to resist the next time. Think of your body like a willful, spoiled child who will ask and ask and ask for something outrageous until you give in or go nuts...but guess what? You don't really go nuts and If you keep saying "no" long enough, the kid gets bored asking and goes on to something else. And down the line, when the kid asks for something, and you say "no", it understands that you mean business and the pestering is only half-hearted and eventually pretty much stops. But everytime you give in, the opposite happens, cause you're reinforcing the idea of "just keep bugging me about it and I'll eventually say "okay".

Three: except for this chocolate fudge/brownie that my favorite coffee shop hangout sells (that I'm currently circling like a shark), there is not one single item of "junk food" from cheese cake to potato chips that I have not been able to create a healthy, whole foods version of. When you see something, or just randomly think of something you really want, just sorta break down what it is about that food that you are wanting so bad (is it crunchy? salty? sweet? creamy?) and assemble the indgredients in your head using "real food"...and if sometimes, even though it's all good food, the result is more calorie dense than you'd like... that's one thing you can use your "refeed" days for.

Four: take advantage of the sanity saving aspect of your refeed days. It does help a lot. My refeed days were always on Sunday, so if I found myself just really wanting something, say on Tuesday, I'd think "well, if I still want it Sunday, I'll have it then"...usually just knowing that I'd get it in on a specific, not to far away day was enough to quite the litle "gimme now" voice...and funny enough by the time Sunday rolled around I had forgetten about it.

Five: Feel good about your ability to "just say no" right now. Seriously, you are setting the pattern for the rest of your life...making choices that are difficult but have long term benefits vs. choices that are easy and provide instant gratification with long term consequences. I'm so proud of you for doing this while you are so young...by the time you are old and decrepit like me you will look back and be nothing but grateful that you took this difficult, but necessary, step in your life.
 
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