Enjoying food while losing weight

[Kouign Aman]

Is it that you will be trying to cut for competition as a bodybuilder?

Otherwise, why build up past your target and then cut down?

[Cass]

Is it that you will be trying to cut for competition as a bodybuilder?

Otherwise, why build up past your target and then cut down?

I was wondering this as well.

[JAZ]

I'd love to develop a full Mexican food repertoire of point friendly cooking.

I've found a surprising number of Mexican or Mexican-inspired dishes that are point-friendly without too much tweaking. I'm not sure how authentic they are, but so far I've made red chicken enchiladas that are pretty low, snapper Vera Cruz, a Mexican style shrimp cocktail and arroz verde. I'm eager to hear what you come up with.

[SobaAddict70]

Is it that you will be trying to cut for competition as a bodybuilder?

Otherwise, why build up past your target and then cut down?

I was wondering this as well.

Because having a waist size of 36" is seriously depressing. But that's to be expected, because you can't realistically gain 30+ lbs. without putting on some fat as well. If only we could gain only muscle when bulking; however, science does not work like that.

On the other hand, having more lean muscle is good, especially for someone with my condition. See my 3rd eG Foodblog for details. PSMF and UD2 are ways to accomplish fat loss quickly without having to diet endlessly while attempting to preserve as much muscle as possible. I hate dieting ... would rather eat and be happy.

I could cut now if I wanted to but there's nothing to show. I'm betting that I'll be in a better place to make that assessment once I hit the low 200s.

Edited May 18, 2011 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Anyway, the last time I did PSMF, I didn't do very much cooking. I'll be watching this thread with great interest because I'm determined that THIS time, I won't despair from boring my taste buds to death.

[rancho_gordo]

Last night I took some chili sauce I had made and thinned it out with broth. I added two small potatoes, 1/2 cup of frozen corn and a 4.5 oz turkey breast, cubed. It was great except for the corn was too sweet.

If I'm adding up points right, I think that makes it just 6 points (not including the quinoa). A cup of cooked quinoa is 5 and that seems like plenty of points for a dinner.

It's not a known Mexican dish but I think it would pass if I had field corn.

Edited May 18, 2011 by rancho_gordo (log)

[rancho_gordo]

Oh. I added some canned tomatoes, chopped up, as well.

[heidih]

Looks good RG - I am of the opinion that non starchy vegetables need not be accounted for. That makes things simple and also encourages the addition of more vegetables in dishes

What was the general method of your chili sauce?

[rancho_gordo]

Chile sauce was about 6 guajillos and 2 anchos, toasted, re-hydrated in warm water, then blended with onion and garlic and enough water to move the blender blades. Then i fried this paste in 1 tablespoon of lard until it was almost like catsup. Then I thinned it out with chicken stock, added salt and Mexican orgeano, and then it cook in a cazuela for about 20 minutes. I figured it was 6-8 servings and it came to about a point a serving, even with the lard.

[rancho_gordo]

I could easily have added some zucchini and it would have been even better.

[EatNopales]

Last night I took some chili sauce I had made and thinned it out with broth. I added two small potatoes, 1/2 cup of frozen corn and a 4.5 oz turkey breast, cubed. It was great except for the corn was too sweet.

If I'm adding up points right, I think that makes it just 6 points (not including the quinoa). A cup of cooked quinoa is 5 and that seems like plenty of points for a dinner.

It's not a known Mexican dish but I think it would pass if I had field corn.

I think you have a perfectly legit Mole de Olla, using ingredients you have on hand.. very similar to the soup my mom regularly makes.. she normally includes frozen broccoli & cauliflower as well... and favors chicken over turkey.. other than that very similar.

[heidih]

Thanks for the sauce details RG - amazing that the good food we already eat is probably points friendly when portioned reasonably.

[rancho_gordo]

I was googling for recipes and I came across Chicken Enchiladas. I was almost excited but I should have known better!

ingredients are:

16 oz. boiled boned chicken, in pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

8 tsp. reduced calorie butter

1 can weight watchers cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. mild Mexican Cheez Whiz

1 c. weight watchers sour cream

1 can chopped green chili peppers

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn in pieces

2 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

Just saying Cheez Whiz makes me happy.

[heidih]

I was googling for recipes and I came across Chicken Enchiladas. I was almost excited but I should have known better!

ingredients are:

16 oz. boiled boned chicken, in pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

8 tsp. reduced calorie butter

1 can weight watchers cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. mild Mexican Cheez Whiz

1 c. weight watchers sour cream

1 can chopped green chili peppers

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn in pieces

2 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

Just saying Cheez Whiz makes me happy.

As you saw from the recipe you posted earlier- real food is going to be just fine on your plan - sometimes there may need to be an adjustment, but please please avoid those recipe sites. I must say that somewhere in storage I have an older WW cookbook that had "ethnic" recipes with no odd ingredients- they were dishes just as I would prepare them from a variety of cuisines. If I find the book I will post some examples. That is why I suggested taking your standards and seeing what the count actually is. In many cases it is just an awareness issue as in - oops that one has a lot of fat or wow I had no idea.

[rancho_gordo]

As you saw from the recipe you posted earlier- real food is going to be just fine on your plan - sometimes there may need to be an adjustment, but please please avoid those recipe sites. I must say that somewhere in storage I have an older WW cookbook that had "ethnic" recipes with no odd ingredients- they were dishes just as I would prepare them from a variety of cuisines. If I find the book I will post some examples. That is why I suggested taking your standards and seeing what the count actually is. In many cases it is just an awareness issue as in - oops that one has a lot of fat or wow I had no idea.

But this was good for a laugh!

As a one week veteran, I can see the biggest benefit will be no more binging. My problem is 10p and I want a cookie and suddenly I have a dilemma- does one cookie mean a cookie or a row of cookies? So far with points I've been able to completely avoid this.

Last night we made fish mixiotes. Fish, some tiny cut potatoes, chile sauce and a tomato slice all go into a dried maguey leaf, bound up and then steamed in a tamal steamer. The leaves are now hard to get (maybe even illegal?) but you can use foil, or better yet, parchment paper. It's fun with kids as everyone can create their own and of course you can do it with all healthy ingredients. We also did a big one full of broccoli.

[JAZ]

I think with the Weight Watchers recipes (the official ones, that is), they do a good enough job with recipes that are naturally low in calories and fat, but really fail when they try to make low fat versions of "classics." For instance, they recently featured a recipe for a chickpea salad with feta cheese and olives that sounded good, if not terribly creative. But a while back I saw a recipe for "lightened up" eggs Benedict that substituted low-fat mayonnaise, hot water and lemon juice for the hollandaise. That's just wrong.

[heidih]

Last night we made fish mixiotes. Fish, some tiny cut potatoes, chile sauce and a tomato slice all go into a dried maguey leaf, bound up and then steamed in a tamal steamer. The leaves are now hard to get (maybe even illegal?) but you can use foil, or better yet, parchment paper. It's fun with kids as everyone can create their own and of course you can do it with all healthy ingredients. We also did a big one full of broccoli.

That sounds like a great meal. Plus even WW will tell you that fats are needed. So maybe they discourage lard, but if a bit of lard makes a great sauce that makes vegetables and leanish protein taste great - it is win win in my book

[rancho_gordo]

Continuing with my "mole de olla" theme, this time I did it with the turkey, a ton of dandelion greens, potatoes, tomatoes and corn.

This was incredible. i love the bitterness and the meatiness of the greens, kind of replacing more traditional quelites. This made four servings, perfect with tortillas. And of course I love cooking in clay.

Not to oversell WW (as a veteran of one and a half weeks), but if this works, I think it means you can have your cake and eat it too. The thing most of us would hate about a traditional diet is it means you lose the joy of cooking. I think that's the real difference. I can use my beloved lard, my precious clay pots and enjoy the pleasure of the stove. So far it's a win-win.

[heidih]

Great meal RG - I think that if one boiled WW down to its core - ignoring the yearly or so renovations to keep it "new" - it is about portion control and using vegetables as a "free" food - at least in my book. Plus the concept of the need for fat. I look forward to more of your dishes. And corn tortillas especially are a calorie winner. I toast them in the oven on the rack when I want a crunchy note - but even fried - in moderation they are great.

That was interesting about the not binging/snacking earlier - I find that when the food is satisfying that the other behavior can more easily slide under the table and eventually disappear.

[Darienne]

Not following WW or any other plan, but reading this topic with great interest, especially on the topic of Hispanic dishes...

One of my best and favorites is Ratatouille but roasted in the oven instead of cooked on the stove. DH has his on rice and I just eat more vegetables.

I'm also following down low-carb-cal salads with some interest...salads that taste good. My best currently is a mixed broccoli, cauliflower, colored pepper, sweet onion combo with a vinegar, dry mustard and poppy seed dressing. (Yes, I've left out a number of ingredients.) Lazy and tired.

[rancho_gordo]

A friend came in with some great mushrooms so I made this filling for tacos:

I sauteed onion and garlic in 1 tsp of olive oil. When soft, I removed them and turned up the heat and cooked the mushrooms. When they were done, I turned down the heat, added back the onions and then added 1 big spoonful of my previously made chile sauce and 1 cup of chicken stock. A little epazote and then done.

I added some queso fresco but it wasn't essential.

For points, it was nothing for the mushrooms or stock. The oil was a point and each tortilla was one point. The chile sauce was also a point but I didn't even use one portion so it was likely even less. Queso Fresco is 2 points for one ounce.

Anyway, it was great and easy.

[Twyst]

I tried low-carb diets, low fat diets, weight watchers and countless others to no avail. A little over a year ago I joined a CSA, started cooking lots of vegetables, cut out almost all processed food, and started exercising. I dropped 85 pounds in 8 months and am now just maintaining my weight. None of the fad diets worked for me, I had to get back to basics with calories in/calories out to show any real permanent results.

Good luck to everyone on whatever route they choose!

[heidih]

RG - Great looking tacos. Did you make the tortillas? I think your post is a great example of how a bit of innovation and a well stocked pantry significantly improve and simplify lower calorie cooking; the chicken stock, the chili sauce, and of course a friend who brings you glorious mushrooms

[scubadoo97]

I tried low-carb diets, low fat diets, weight watchers and countless others to no avail. A little over a year ago I joined a CSA, started cooking lots of vegetables, cut out almost all processed food, and started exercising. I dropped 85 pounds in 8 months and am now just maintaining my weight. None of the fad diets worked for me, I had to get back to basics with calories in/calories out to show any real permanent results.

I wouldn't classify Weight Watchers as a fad diet. It is nothing more than a low calorie diet that uses points instead of calories to monitor what you take in. You can eat anything you want as long as you don't exceed your point or calorie allowance. By eating lots of fruits and vegetables you lowered your calorie intake and by exercising you burned more calories so it was a given that you would drop weight.

[Twyst]

I wouldn't classify Weight Watchers as a fad diet. It is nothing more than a low calorie diet that uses points instead of calories to monitor what you take in. You can eat anything you want as long as you don't exceed your point or calorie allowance. By eating lots of fruits and vegetables you lowered your calorie intake and by exercising you burned more calories so it was a given that you would drop weight.

You're right, I didnt really mean to lump weight watchers in with the fad diets. I was just mentioning it saying I tried it and it didn't work for me and worded my statement poorly by not distinguishing it from the others. I found weight watchers too restrictive and structured for myself, although I know several people who dropped a lot of weight successfully with it.