176 replies to this topic

[Darienne]

Not eating for most of the day was difficult at first, but it became fairly easy after about two weeks, and it's the only form of dieting I can pull off (I find life rough enough without treating food as units and penalties). I'll sometimes pop a dextrose tablet, or grab a slice of Wasa.

I'm a bit leary about the daily weighing thing. Bizarrely, my own weight hasn't budged in months, although there's no question that the spare tire I had in the spring is now gone, and my abs are all visible, and very 'displayable' again.

Simply can't do one meal a day. But I don't think of food in units particularly. As for snacks...one little piece of 70% bittersweet chocolate has 50 calories and that works for me.

As for the daily weighing thing...I resisted doing it for about 50 years now. Ed weighs himself every day. And then adjusts his food slightly by the results. He never talks about it. I am not aware of his actions really. It is his 'way' and for him it works. This is basically my last hurrah and if it will help this time, well, I'll do it.

Congrats on your displayable abs. It's too late for me I fear. Enjoy it!

[Viktoria]

So now the holidays are over (in the US) and it's back to healthy eating for me. Unfortunately family and holidays derailed things more than I had hoped. The transition back to healthier eating wasn't hard though, for the most part, because I felt terrible when I wasn't eating well. But I noticed a few things. Much like people upthread said, if it's in the house I'll eat it and I need to stop kidding myself about that. And if I make it for dinner, and other people are eating it I will want to eat it too. I do not have the ability, yet, to eat small portions of the less healthy components of a meal, and feel satisfied. It's something I have to work on.

One of the things I'm focusing on right now is greatly increasing our veggie intake. We love veggies in our house. I could eat vegetables all the time and be happy. If someone else were doing the prep. It's not that I don't like cooking. I love it. But time is an issue, and with two little kids (5 and nearly 2) it's hard to prep enough for what I want to have particularly during the week. I'm prone to perfectionism, and I like complicated, multicomponent cooking, which makes weekday and night meals a challenge. I tend to be an all or nothing person (it's a flaw I'm working on) and so if I don't have everything ready to go, we often default to take out (hence the need to lose weight).

All of this is a longwinded way of saying I need a new strategy. So this weekend I cooked a large volume of mostly-green veggies on Sunday to be able to scoop and incorporate into whatever meals we're having during the week. This time it was just cooked with olive oil and some salt. Actually lovely on its own, but flexible for anything else. I've put it in breakfast and dinner so far, to great effect. My kids adore broccoli and zucchini, and will happily eat this.

So here's the question: Does anyone else do this? How do you keep from getting bored? Do the veggies get nasty by the end of the week? How do you plan your meals for the week?

[Darienne]

So here's the question: Does anyone else do this? How do you keep from getting bored? Do the veggies get nasty by the end of the week? How do you plan your meals for the week?

No I don't cook vegetables ahead of time. However we don't have young children in our lives and we do eat salad for supper every second night. That's salad FOR our supper. And soup every other night. Then once a week we have "Dessert as Dinner".

I do roast a lot of vegetables, both deliberately for meals and also when I realize that something needs to be roasted and frozen instead of being thrown out. Later it can used for enchilada fillings or soups or whatevers.

When my DH did most of the cooking we did have menus for the week. Now that I do all the cooking, we don't anymore. But wait...supper is preset and so is my breakfast, although not Ed's. Hmmmm...what can I tell you? So often set plans have to be or just are jettisoned that I'm not sure my answer is of any use.

Still it helps me to try to sort things out.

You are not alone. My sensible holiday plans were not well followed. If it's there and it tastes good, I'll eat it. End of story.

[heidih]

Viktoria - I am usually just cooking for myself but my strategies may work for you.

I am unable to resist gorgeous vegetables, and I hate waste. Rather than letting them languish in the fridge I do pre-cook some at their peak and then use them in various ways for the next several days. For example I picked up some baby broccoli yesterday and will cook the large bunch in a bit of salted water. Some will go in an egg and sausage scramble for lunch, some will be re-heated in the saute pan with garlic and lemon shrimp for dinner today or tomorrow, and the rest I am not sure. I make flexible plans and enjoy variety.

It is also nice to have prepared salads in the fridge and they last maybe 3 to 5 days. Have you tried the ever popular raw kale salad like this one? I also regularly check out Heidi Swanson's site for interesting vegetable and vegetarian ideas.

[threestars]

This seems like a good thread. I've been looking around for good food that won't give me too much weight. I need to start losing weight and I think I should consider the food that I take first as well as exercise. This seems like a good start for that. :)

[Darienne]

Here's another good website for sensible eating. I have used quite a number of these recipes. What Would Cathy Eat?

[tikidoc]

At work, we have a good sized fridge in the break room. I keep a large container of plain nonfat yogurt in the fridge, and a bag of mixed berries in the freezer. I picked up a "personal sized" blender for about $15 at Target, which I keep in my office. So if I forget lunch or run off without time for breakfast or I just need an afternoon snack, I can whip up a smoothie at work. We get lots of drug reps bringing in lunch, usually with desserts, so this way I can have something sweet with everyone else but still stay on track.

[thecuriousone]

Hello all-

I am a home cook that has made the commitment to move the food i cook for those i love in a healthier direction this year. I need some help adapting a recipe. I make the Short-rib recipe in Smoke and spice p. 120 for people i care for. They love it, i love cooking it for them. how can I make it healthier but still robust? here are my questions:

1. What cut of beef can I use instead of short ribs to reduce the fact content but keep the flavor? Brisket? Well trimmed beef shank? beef shoulder? skirt steak? If you could rank these in terms of calorie content i would appreciate it.

2. Am i deceiving myself when I put food in the refrigerator and skim the fat off the next day? I know that it works for stock, but that is pretty straightforward. Does it really work for a slow cooked dish or am i less than honest when i say that you can scrape the fat off and be left with good flavor and few calories?

3. is there a layperson nutritional site where I can go and play with calorie counts/ For example, i have an idea for substituting mayo with highly seasoned yogurt that I have added a tsp of oil. How much fat am I cutting out?

4. I'm trying to sneak calories out first because if Im honest, the portion control issue is going to be a fight. Can anyone give me an opinion who whether the "big flavor, small portions' concept really works or just sounds. good?

thanks for any insight.

[weinoo]

Every tablespoon of fat you can skim off saves about 120 calories.

Try fitday.com.

[Doodad]

I love brisket for braising. As much if not more than short ribs.

[emannths]

This looks like a reasonable site for getting nutrition data for various cuts of meat. They claim their data comes from the USDA.

I don't think skimming the fat off of a braise or soup hurts the flavor too much, and it does help the mouthfeel (keeps it from being greasy). If you measure how much you take off, you can get an idea of how effective this is in reducing the fat/calorie content (1 cup of rendered fat is about 210g). I'm guessing it's not huge on a per-serving basis, but I haven't measured.

It should be pretty easy to find calorie counts for commercial products on the manufacturers' websites. You'll have do the math though.

Two things I think help in terms of limiting your portions (they help me at least). One: just don't cook as much, or wrap up "leftovers" before serving. If I stick those two extra chicken thighs right in the fridge before I sit down to dinner, I'm much less liable to take seconds. Also, if you're making something like a short rib braise, make more vegetables that can go well with the braise sauce. When you devour the short rib and want more, sauce your veggies. But I'm not the type of person who gets wide-eyed at big chunks of red meat though (usually I like the salty, savory sauce just as much as the meat in a braise), so maybe this isn't something that works for many people.

Good luck--you're fighting an honorable uphill battle.

[Darienne]

Just reread the last few pages of this topic. Re-inspired me and more importantly, REMINDED me of what I was doing right and wrong. I had forgotten about Hot & Sour Soup, one of our mainstays. So delicious and so low calorie. Perfect for supper. Must make a batch.

Heidi's ideas of salads which keep in the fridge for a few days brought back thoughts of summer. It's so cold in East Central Ontario in the winter, and the days are so short, and I get chilled by suppertime now that salads won't work for me. They do in the summer. I also like the thought of cooking vegetables ahead of time at their peak and then doing whatever with them. Haven't done that. Tend to roast them when they are past their prime. However, she says, congratulating herself, at least I've not thrown out a vegetable in two years at least now.

We've just returned from a couple of months away, and the drive there is four to five days each way - 2400 miles. This time was the first time that an eating strategy has worked out well. Breakfast and lunch were shakes using the 'meal replacement plan' noted in an earlier post. Not yummy, but doable. Put the lunch portion in a plastic snak bag and made it in the car using what I think is the simplest, most incredible invention I've seen in a long time: Blender Bottle . We each have one now and they work so well. Snacks were small dark chocolate tablets (50 cals each) mixed with pecans. And we made it to Moab with NO WEIGHT GAIN!!! Supper was from grocery produce with added cheese. Salad dressing came from home.

The trip home did not work as well. The weather was terrible and the driving exhausting. I had a recurrent bout of Spinal Stenosis. We ate out far more. But we made it home alive, unharmed, and only a couple of pounds up.

So basically I've kept off 15 pounds since November. A new high, if you would, for me.

[Dejah]

Xmas was a killer - gained back 4 of the 8 lbs I lost before the holidays. So last Monday, it was back to the 17-Day Diet. I've been using Simply Eggwhites (comes in a carton) done as an omelet with curry powder, diced onions, mushrooms, and sweet peppers. If I have fresh herbs, especially dill and cilantro, I'd chop some of that up and cook in a non-stick pan. As fat-free mozzerella cheese is allowed, I sometimes add a slice then fold the omelet over. Salsa goes well with this as a lunch.



Fish plays a big part in this diet. I love basa with cajun spices, pan seared with a little olive oil then finished in the oven. A squeeze of fresh lime adds the sparkle.



I use grated cauliflower a lot to replace rice. Sometimes, it's just plain if I have a dish that is distinct on its own. The other day, I had odds and ends of veg to use up, and a package of ground turkey. I browned the turkey in a little olive oil followed by a short simmer with fat-free sodium-free chicken stock to keep the meat moist, and separately, the vegetables, and some egg white in flat form then diced. In a clean pan, I stir-fried the "rice" for that "wok hei", then added everything back in. Mixed it all up with a dash of tamari soy, and voila! Mock fried rice. It was very good, especially qwith a spoonful of Saigon Chili Oil.



The leftover fried rice, I had it for lunch the next day. I added a few smashed fermented soy beans, a quick stir-up in the pan, and ate it as lettuce wrap. No picture on that, but you get the idea...

[Dejah]

This was another concoction with ground turkey:

1 can of Alymer's Diced Tomato with Red Chili Pepper simmered with Italian herbs. I dded a small can of tomato sauce as well to make a pasta sauce. Ground turkey was browned with diced onion and herbs. I sliced an eggplant, salted it to remove some of the liquid and to soften it. These were fried in the non-stick pan with a spray of Pam, and used as pasta replacement. The whole lot was layered into lasagne with a sprinkle of grated parmasan cheese, topped with slices of fat-free mozz. I liked it, but hubby misses real pasta.

[gingerpeachy]

After years of struggling with my weight, I hit my nadir last summer. Turned 45 and 234 lbs and felt like I was falling apart physically, and that my lack of energy and growing health issues were undermining my relationship with my children (13 and 6).

I was finally in the frame of mind to change my attitude, take the long view - as well as the responsibility for sorting this out.

I have been on the Dukan diet since September - low fat, high protein and very low carb. What I like about it, is that it isn't about just dieting until you reach your goal weight, it's a structured three-phase plan that gradually reintroduces certain foods in a very controlled way. it's easy to be skeptical about diets when you've been on as many as I have over the years, but this feels right at the moment, and I am in a good place mentally.

To date, I've lost 49 lbs. I joined the gym at the beginning of this month and am doing aquafit twice a week, plus Pilates.

If nothing else, this plan is helping me eat mindfully, rather than every meal needing to be a gastronomical delight. We'll see: so far, so good.

[Darienne]

[Hi gingerpeachy,

Took a quick look at the Dukan diet. If it works for you, then great. We each seem to settle on different configurations to get where we need to go.

Congratulations on your excellent loss to date and you go, girl.

Eating mindfully. That's a good thought.

[heidih]

I've been using Simply Eggwhites (comes in a carton) done as an omelet with curry powder, diced onions, mushrooms, and sweet peppers. If I have fresh herbs, especially dill and cilantro, I'd chop some of that up and cook in a non-stick pan. As fat-free mozzerella cheese is allowed, I sometimes add a slice then fold the omelet over. Salsa goes well with this as a lunch.

I use grated cauliflower a lot to replace rice.

Dejah - good looking egg white scramble. I find that they carry a flavors well and are quite filling. I am currently enamored of egg whites with onions, spinach, mushrooms, sausage and a bit of feta. Can you elaborate on how you prep the "mock rice cauliflower"? Thanks.

[Dejah]

Heidi: Cauliflower rice is very easy. Other's say use only florets, but I just take a big chunk of cauliflower, hold it by the stem and grate on the largest-holes side of a grater until it gets too close to my finger tips for comfort. You can also do this with a food processor, but I find the grater easier for clean-up.

I grate into a shallow Corning ware casserol. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes on high on my microwave. I stir at half way and may sprinkle in a bit of salt. It has the texture of steamed rice - "fluffy".

[Dejah]

Been doing ground turkey burgers lately - with chopped onion, a bit of egg white, and crumbles of low-fat feta cheese mixed in. The pattie with Cajun rub was fairly thick, pan seared in 1.5 tsp. olice oil, then baked in 400F oven until cooked temp. It stayed juicy and flavourful. Tonight I had Shanghai bok choy stir-fried in a little olive oil and fat-free, no-salt-added chicken stock, ginger and garlic, brocoslaw with reduced calorie dressing, and steamed cauliflower topped with melted fat-free mozz slice and crushed chili flakes. Very satisfying meal. Dessert was 4 oz. of fat-free plaiun Greek yogurt with half packet of caramel flavoured Krisda. I love this new flavour!



I split a turkey fillet, rubbed with Cajun seasoning, seared and baked for hubby. He had it on a slab of pumpernickle bread.



On the 13th day of the 17-Day Diet and down 8 lbs.

[Darienne]

Dessert was 4 oz. of fat-free plaiun Greek yogurt with half packet of caramel flavoured Krisda. I love this new flavour!

On the 13th day of the 17-Day Diet and down 8 lbs.

First of all congratulations are in order. Well done.

Secondly...Krisda? I've never heard of it before. Must phone the local bulk food store and ask. You obviously buy this in Canada. Any more comments on this product???

Yep, they carry Krisda, but not the flavored ones. Oh well.

Edited by Darienne, 07 February 2012 - 07:24 AM.

[Dejah]

Darienne, I am at where I was before in terms of weight loss - recupping from Xmas. At least it's coming off again.

I got the Caramel Krisda at Wal-Mart, so you may want to check there. Our Safeway is the only other source for regular Krisda, and their prices are higher. I like this stevia product better than any other one - a little more expensive, but worth it! Of course it's great in coffee too! I am glad to be off the aspertime...



I also bought myself a double-wall beverage cup. It holds 12 oz. and keeps my hot water hot. Otherwise, it cools off before I can down the 8 oz! This is the thermos I have, and it holds my 8 glasses of water plus enough for my hot water and lemon juice in the morning. I make sure it's empty before I go to bed.

[Darienne]

Christmas has got to be the most difficult time of the year to hold one's weight.

Thanks for all the information. I'll try Wal Mart's next time we are near one.

[Dejah]

Picked up a beautilfu salmon fillet this afternoon. This is the way I used to cook salmon. Not sure why I switched to steaks, which I find fishy no matter how I cooked it. I used to BBQ this wrapped in banana leaf in the summer. In the winter, I do it in foil in the oven. The fillet is sandwiched between layers of onion, cilantro, lemongrass, ginger, lime slices, chili peppers, salt, pepper, and olive oil. This was silky and moist, no fishy taste at all. Hubby got rice with his. I had tofu shiritaki noodles done in a non-stick pan with a dribble of tamari soy.

[heidih]

Looks good Dejah -

I also enjoy baking fish in a closed vessel or foil packet with lots of aromatics.

Over time I have come to seriously enjoy the shiritaki noodles; both the plain and the ones with tofu. I think as I expand my food horizons I am enjoying the play of different textures and these products add a unique chew/slither.

I picked up a super firm, fresh, snow white cauliflower the other day for $1 that was just under the size of a soccer ball. After roasting some with garlic and olive oil I did a riff on your "cauliflower rice". I chunked it up, sprinkled with chicken powder, and cooked in a pan with a tight fitting lid and just a bit of water until soft. I hate to boil veggies and toss the water- feels like I am tossing nutrients. Then I applied the potato masher leaving some small chunks. This has been lovely as a filling and tasty sidedish. I am also currently having a love affair with the young radish green kimchi at my local Korean market. The cauliflower paired well with the kimchi and some shrimp sauted with garlic and lemon.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Dejah, I have always felt/found that cooking salmon over hot, dry heat (BBQ, grill, frying pan) brings out the oil and consequently a strong fish(y) taste. Put less subtly, I hate grilled salmon whether fillet or steak. However, when poached or cooked in foil in the oven, an identical piece of salmon will be sweet and gentle and completely without the fishiness. Just my opinion...

[Dejah]

Thanks for that information, Margaret. Now I know!

I'll have to try your riff on the cauli-rice, Heidi. I've been eating SO much cauliflower - in salads and cooked, I am having shiritaki noodles for a change. I haven't had any for a couple of months as I have to go to Winnipeg to buy them. Then today, I saw several packages at our local Safeway - in the gluten-free section! A couple were in fettucini shape, so tomorrow, it'll be ground turkey chili with marinara sauce over shiritaki noodles.

[cathyeats]

I can't say I'm eating salad for supper, but I do find that the more I increase my vegetable intake the less bad stuff I can eat! So I generally fill up half my plate with kale, broccoli rabe or swiss chard, etc. It does help. But I still need to do better, and cut down on the sugar. Thanks for the inspiration, everyone. And Darienne, glad you're still finding recipes you like on my blog!