Convenient Diet??

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Ok, it is official. I have gotten fat.

I am starting to exercise more, but think I am going to have to kick it in the pants with the diet too, to shed pounds quicker.

I need an EXTREMELY convenient diet plan, one that requires almost no cooking or I WON'T DO IT. I take stuff out of the freezer to cook and it rots in the fridge cuz neither hubby or I want to cook it!

I am thinking maybe high fiber cereal for breakfast and TV dinner for dinner, a healthier one, and a salad on the side to make sure I get my veggies. I know this isn't the healthiest way to diet, but I fear I won't be successful if it isn't this easy.

Anyone have any tips?? Especially on good low fat salad dressing choices?? I wish I could get used to eating salads plain, without croutons and feta and bacon bits.....and all that jazz, but without it all it tastes so BLAH. Give me some ideas!!! I am desperate here!!:):D
 
Paul Newman's makes light dressing that don't taste light and are pretty delicious. There is a light Italian, Honey Mustard, Rasp./Walnut, and Ginger Sesame. They vary in cal./fat but the Sesame Ginger is the lowest with only 35 cal. per 2 tbsp. serving. And it is delicious! You can open a can of baby corn spears, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, throw on some mung bean sprouts and lean protein like beans, boca burger type patties, or meat if you eat it, and you have Asian salad.
There's also something called the Pita Pocket diet (http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=94913), which is gimicky, but is also pretty brainless. Stuff a whole grain pita pocket with as many veggies as you can, also put a serving of lean protein inside, drizzle on a little low cal. dressing and those are your main meals.You could even do a fruit and cottage cheese pita for breakfast. Automatic portion control, but I don't think I could possible fit all my food into a pita LOL! It would have to be a full body size pita!
I'm sure you'll
 
Really the only salad dressing I ever use is olive oil plus my vinegar of choice. I use two parts vinegar to one part oil. Trader Joe's has a few different vinegars like regular balsamic, strawberry baslsamic, seasoned rice, orange muscat champagne vinegar, etc. To me ready made salad dressings are "processed food" and don't taste very good to me.

For dinners I like to BBQ or bake enough chicken or fish or any other type of meat for a few meals then make a big salad to go with the meat. The meatis the side dish and the salad is the main dish meaning I eat tons of the salad and a small portion of the meat.
 
What about Weight watchers. They've got all those frozen dinners. They're expensive, but they tell you how many points they have and they're quick. I think it's somewhat time consuming at first to figure out how it works. But, after a while like anything it becomes routine. Many people love it. Oh, and on salads I don't use any dressing, just salt and pepper. Sometimes I'll have avocado in it, or some crushed tamari almonds.
Heather
 
How about high fiber cereal, yogurt, oatmeal and salads? That's what I eat day in and day out. The salad is the only thing that needs prep, and you can scale that down by getting the pre-cut veggies. So, there's no cooking involved, and you WILL lose weight. I'm down 14 lbs. since the end of last year and maintaining it very easily.
Just Do It! :)
 
Hi Janice,

I'm in the same boat! Dh and I just don't have time to cook and would rather stay out of the kitchen. :) I just finished reading an awesome book called "Fire Up Your Metabolism : 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever" by Lyssie Lakatos, Tammy Lakatos Shames that you might enjoy.

I think the principles they discuss will fit your lifestyle and what you are looking for. It's more about food combinations rather than counting calories, etc... I bought it used at amazon.com for like $4 and it sounds like something I can live with AND enjoy. So, I'm going to give it a try.

Hope this helps you too!
Brenna
 
Hi Janice,
Since dh is gone I find it takes a little more effort to cook at times. If I eat frozen dinners I will buy the Low Carb lean cuisines or some of the South beach dinners paying attention to sodium. It has to be under 1000 or I wont buy it. I cook extra frozen veggies like broccoli, green beans or spinach and mix these into all of that sauce they put in those dinners. It makes me feel fuller and gives the veggies some flavor. Egg white omeletes don't take long if you buy things like onion & pepper stir fry and add some pre sliced mushrooms, even some of the packaged chicken breast. ALthough they do have a lot of salt. For salads I like to use lots of romaine and spinach and add a half apple diced sprinkled with vinegar and lemon juice, then a small amount of feta and sprinkle it with pepper. For salad dressings I like to mix some low sodium salsa with a light ranch to take out more of the fat. Sometimes I use less low fat dressing and sprinkle my salad w/a salt free seasoning. Also you can rinse tuna or those packets of salmon and add them to this. Just a couple of suggestions. Frozen veggies and packaged chicken breast pre cooked or rinsed salmon mixed with fresh garlic and herbs is good as well.
Diane Sue

http://wd.1ww.us
 
Janice-

DH and I are just like you and your DH.

I have old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast made with 1 cup of skim milk and black coffee.

Lunch is usually a small tub of low-fat cottage cheese and a Luna bar.

Dinner is take-out salads with chicken, tuna or salmon. The salads have broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, peppers, cauliflower, green beans, onions, or what have you. If you must have bacon bits, go for the ones made out of turkey. There are also fat-free croutons. Dressing is ALWAYS Newman's lite balsamic vinegrette, which is awesome. 4 tablespoons have only 90 calories and it tastes better than the full fat stuff. I kid you not.

Snack is Redenbacher's 94% fat free microwave popcorn and some fruit.

When we feel like it, we buy lots of veggies on Sundays and wash and cut them all up into separate plastic bags so we can easily throw salads together for dinner during the week. When we're short on time, though, the take-out salads are fine.

We've been together for 9 years and have never used our oven. We use it as storage. So I definitely sympathize! Lots of luck!

-Nancy
 
>>We've been together for 9 years and have never used our oven.
>We use it as storage. So I definitely sympathize! Lots of
>luck!
>
>-Nancy

I LOVE that Nancy!! I AM the same way!!..........well, we don't use it for storage, but I don't even know how to make Thanksgiving dinner. People keep telling me that I will really have to learn how to cook when I start to have kids so I have added that to one of the reasons I SHOULDN'T have kids!! LOL!!!! One day I am going to make enough $$ that either I can eat out all the time or pay someone to cook for me! (and do my yardwork.....and housecleaning.......LOL)

I like the salad ideas. I am going to get that Paul Newman dressing. I need to start watching my salt. I took my BP the other day and it was 145/99. Granted, it was during a nursing school check-off (LOL) but my BP is consistently higher than 130/80, which I know is not too good at 29, especially when mom and G-ma both have high BP. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE salt. Everything tastes like crap without it!!

DH and I were both pretty depressed yesterday and spent all day eating and watching TV. I told him, you know, we really need to find something else to do when we are depressed!! I find that the more weight you gain, the less you workout, the more depressed you feel and the more fat you feel. And then, it is like, "Why bother?? I am already fat and it is too much work to get skinny from here". I am sure you can all relate to that mindset...UGGGGHH.

Thanks for the tips. Don't know if I can use all your Diane Sue, they are really, really clean. I'll take baby steps! First step?? Get rid of the ice cream in the freezer!! :)
 
Janice I hear you on the ice cream. I bring it in and I will keep eating it till I have depleted a half carton or more and think I had better stop. I find I am better off to get rid of my urge by picking up a Macdonalds sundae or something so I dont have access to extra:)
Diane Sue
http://wd.1ww.us
 
>>>I find that the more weight you gain, the less you workout, the more depressed you feel and the more fat you feel. And then, it is like, "Why bother?? I am already fat and it is too much work to get skinny from here".

But the opposite is also true. The more you workout and eat well, the less depressed you feel, the more energy you have, and the better and healthier you are. Why bother? Because what you do RIGHT NOW determines your future health. It does take baby steps, and it IS a lot of work, otherwise there wouldn't be an obesity epidemic in the world. But aren't you and your DH worth it? Don't make it your goal to be "skinny". Make it your goal to be healthy.

Just a lil' pep talk!

Angie
 
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