Losing Weight & meal suggestions?

[RobSheffield]

You are joking? There's no way a home made chinese will taste nicer than a takeaway - if you believe that, you need to go to a new takeaway!!

 

Shhhhh i was trying to help Darryl

[tbourner]

I'm not, I want him to fall off his oh so mighty wagon, then I won't feel so bad when I get excited by that BOGOF McDonalds vouchers that gets posted!

[movistar]

You may not like the sound of this but i think you need to get off your ass during the day and put in some exercise let work wait it will still be their when you get back, and join a gym do some classes get some motivation from other people make it fun not a chore.

 

I personally think this is the key with a sensible diet, speak to a trainer or some one who deals with this on a day to day basis. we are all different and what works for one is not necessarily going to work for the other, remember if you loose weight quickly you can put it back on as quick.

good luck and have faith in your self YOU CAN REACH YOUR GOAL!!

[MarkR]

Well done Homer... try replacing the apple or fruit in the morning with a handful of unsalted almonds. They contain some fat, but it's unsaturated which helps lower cholesterol. I keep a bag in my top drawer and when I feel a small hunger urge, I have a few. They're very good at keeping the hunger at bay, and good for you at the same time. The fruit is high in sugar, so eat fruit but don't over do it.

[colsoop]

When i lost my weight (6.5 stone) I started by looking at what i normally ate and calculating the calories and fat etc.

I then looked for ways to reduce that calorie intake while not starving myself. That is the trick, if you starve your body of what it is used to then you will return to your old ways when you have reached your goals.

 

For example i had about ten cups of tea a day each with 3 sugars, there is 15 calories in each teaspoon so thats 450 calories right there

I also loved bacon butties but 10 grammes of fat per rasher, i swapped this to turkey rashers at 0.9 grammes per rasher

Simple things like that and of course going to the gym regularly helped me to get there in the end, although with hindsight i lost the weight too quickly (12 months)

Personally i see nothing wrong with the odd takeaway now and then ! swap the portion sizes, i don't know what you like but i used to love the egg fried rice and pork balls with the sweet and sour sauce

I swapped that to the boiled rice and no sweet and sour sauce (all sugar)

You say you are doing cardio at the gym introduce some freeweights and resistance work as well as muscle helps to burn calories. If you don't want to end up like me you need to do weight work early on to offset the loosening of your skin or ytou will be left with excess skin on your body and look like the incredible melting man

 

Have a look here for the calories in the foods you enjoy:

 

http://www.caloriecounting.co.uk/resources/intro.htm

[Jspec Germany]

Fruit is ok in the morning and in small doses. An apple as the after lunch snack is even ok. It will give you that little boost (excellent choice of word eh?) to get you out of the post lunch tired period. Don't cut out everything you love, or the diet will lose its appeal and you will fall back into fatness. Oatmeal is an excellent start in the morning, I think someone mentioned porrage above. Are you taking a multivitamin by chance? Try this: Everytime you leave or return to the house, do a set of 20 push ups. As this gets easier week by week, you can increase the number. You'll be shocked at the results. You could apply this to work as well if you're not a professional of some sort.

[miko_supra]

i just do low carbs and minimum drinking to loose a bit of weight

[R Black]

great topic & great input, im trying 2 lose my tum, i walk loads in my job, eat well, i have cut beer bread & cheese down alot, i gave up the gym as it bored me, now play squash twice a week find it less of a chore, as its more competitive, thing is my waist is gradually reducing as is my tum but v very slowly, dont eat takeaways just the odd curry

[Supragal]

I could lend you my thyroid for a few days?

 

I'll take you up on that offer!!!

[Supragal]

There are a million diets/ways to lose weight, what most people find difficult is when they find themselves in a situation where they "can't" eat anything.

 

I always find that eating (most) fruit and veg in unlimited quantities works really well, so when you've had your meals if you feel snacky you can eat more- just the right stuff.

 

Actual meal ideas though, yours are really good for a base, but try wholewhat rice or bulgar wheat instead of pasta some days and also with the sauces get in there with herbs and spices and garlic/onions etc it will make it a million times nicer. Pack the sauce full of other veg too.

 

Cook the fish in the oven wrapped in tin foil with chopped onion and crushed garlic for added flavour.

 

Chicken breasts stuffed with tomato puree and garlic and herbs, basil in particular.

 

I tend to avoid bread, but I do have a slice of toast every now and then if I've forgotten my lunch etc.

 

Sounds like you're doing really well, good job!!

[SupraGirlie]

duno if this has been mentioned but that cook yourself thin programme on ch4 has really nice normal food just using low fat etc ingredients

[RedM]

Homer,

 

Try the Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals book.

 

We use it at home. Loads of really good recipes and healthy too.

[Supragal]

You are joking? There's no way a home made chinese will taste nicer than a takeaway - if you believe that, you need to go to a new takeaway!!

 

.

 

I thought that until Jon cooked me a chinese. Perfect. So much nicer than any take away, tastes so much fresher somehow but the flavours are spot on. The key ingredients that make the difference are difficult to find and expensive, that's the problem.

[matt k]

I've been on a bit of a weight loss plan for a few weeks now, but am struggling to find interesting (and tasty) low fat meals that keep me away from craving KFC, Indian and Chinese take aways

 

A few of the meals I've tried and like are:

 

- Tuna sandwich: 1/2can tuna, two slices of whole-wheat bread, small amount of chopped onions with tiny amount of ultra low fat mayo

 

- Pasta: 3/4 tin of tinned tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, 1 onion & 200g pasta

 

- Chicken & veg: 150g chicken breast, 70g broccoli, 70g cauliflower, 70g carrot - all steamed

 

- Fish, as above^

 

I really like cooking at home but am struggling to find decent low calorie/low fat food that settle the urge for take away food... any suggestions please?

 

BTW, though the above diet has lost me 22 pounds in the last 5 weeks (combined with cardio exercise) the urge to eat something fried is getting greater by the day! I really don't want to break out of this sort of living so hope to find something to replace the take-away urge!

 

Edited - I was 244lbs originally. For a 6ft bloke thats 34% bodyfat

 

Grilled meat Darryl, Especially BBQ it has flavour and burns off a lot of fat, I'd go down the grilled meat and veg path and avoid carbs as well as saturated fats, combine that with a daily work out plan (30-45 mins per day) and you'll be fine, also put aside a day (prob Sat) as a treat day where you have something bad (pudding, pizza, curry) and make sure you only have it once a week.

[Supragal]

Hmm, sorry I didn't see your post about not eating rice/pasta. I think you'll find most low fat recipies include these as they are low fat and filling.

 

If you are tying to keep it as fresh as possible then just try to vary the variety of veg that you eat each day, that keeps it interesting.

 

Problem with this kind of diet (i.e. fairly drastic) is that you will find it hard to stick to long term as you exclude so many groups of foods that you will always get bored.

 

Don't forget you can have a roast! Use minimal oil or that fry light stuff (weird weird stuff) mmmm yummy.

[RedM]

Anyone who says home-cooking can't rival take-aways hasn't been watching 'Take On The Take-aways'.

 

Three shows in and three wins for the home cooking.

[Supragal]

also put aside a day (prob Sat) as a treat day where you have something bad (pudding, pizza, curry) and make sure you only have it once a week.

 

Good idea but I'd say once a month, or fortnight at a push. One reason being it's easy to let the badness 'roll' into the next day.

 

You'll probably find that when you have an 'off' day that you feel so dreadful afterwards (guilt but also stomach pain, headaches etc) that you won't want to eat it often!

[Whitesupraboy2]

you could shave your hair to lose some weight

 

But i stick to the fruit thing, if im hungry mid afternoon I each some fruit and drink a glass of water that fills you up.

 

Drinking water by itself is no good as it goes in and comes out quite fast. If there is food in there to plug the hole as such it keeps you feeling fuller longer as the water doesnt pass as quickly through.

 

I learnt that on TV documentary on my day off

[Bob]

. . . dont eat takeaways just the odd curry

 

Indian take-away food in the UK is one of the worst foods (health-wise) that you can possibly eat - most curries are made with a large amount of ghee, or purified butter. A large 3-course meal at an Indian restaurant can work out at nearly twice the recommended daily allowance of sat. fat and calories!

[tooquicktostop]

You dont have to steam everything which gives a quite bland result, rubbing food with olive oil instead of adding to the pan or grill is a must

Using a clever blend of herbs or spices will add interest and flavour with no calorie content, read spice mixes carfully though as many carry sugar in large amounts

Green vegetables are the best and the microwave is a fantastic way of cooking them, covering in clingfilm in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and some crushed garlic

The pallete needs some oil or fat content to allow easy transfer of flavours to the mouth

Grilled fish and white meat with all fat removed which has been marinated overnight in a little garlic, black pepper, thyme, rosemary and a teaspoon of olive oil per person

Hemp oil is a great alternative to olive oil as it is an anti-oxidant and rich in omega

I have loads of dishes which are superb tasting and very very low fat, maybe I should write a book

[Burna]

Where's Homer I'm worried he might have starved to death

 

Or more than likely he's off on a massive take away binge all day

[Trig]

im in the same boat as you Daryl! ive lost a stone in the last month and have been building up/ training for a bike ride (palace to palace) But im running out of things to eat too! Some excellent advice here

[Homer]

Wow, I never expected so many responses and such good advice. Thanks to all for the replies!

 

There are some great idea's posted and there's plenty of ideas to try some more interesting food over the next week or two

 

Fish, Chicken, veggies, and brown rice is the way to go. No portion larger than your fist, try to eat Complex carbohydrates earlier in the day, but I'm sure you already know that. Avoid sugar, sodas, alcohol, and anything white other than cauliflower, daichon radish, and seafood. Wanna kick any meal up a notch? Grind up 2 tomatos, add one clove of ground up Garlic or one teaspoon of curry/chili powder and a pinch of black pepper, stir,.... consume. Hard Boiled Egg whites, a pinch of parmesan, some black pepper, chopped red/yellow peppers, and grilled onions in non-fat cooking spray. Serve open face on a piece of toasted whole-wheat bread.

 

Jspec, many thanks mate, that’s some superb advice there I'll try our your suggestions over the next couple of days, they sound very tasty

 

Check out some Thai recipes, mostly very healthy and very tasty. You'll soon be craving chilli instead of salt and fat.

 

I love chilli and hot spicy food so will have a look for some recipies. However I was under the impression it was quite high is fat/calorie content due to all the cream and coconut oil that’s used in the sauces?

 

Homer, I know this may sound daft but get hold of one of the Weightwatchers recipe books - loads of healthy meal alternatives and they all taste good too.

 

Fair suggestion Bob! I'll take a look

 

Only tip I would give is the same as bmx1lew said which is cut the size of your meals right down, I've been doing this for the last 2 months and feel great. I used to eat big meals every night of the week, I would constantly feel uncomfortably full after and would eat rennie by the truck load

 

Well done on your progress Burna, great results! I must say you were looking a lot trimmer at JAE this year, compared to last.

 

I've cut the meal sizes down since day one and as you say, it really does help reduce stomach size and the amount you can eat. Today I was completely full on a meal half the size I was eating 2 months ago. Progress indeed. Agree what you say about Rennies, I used to get through 2-3 a day, but it’s only now you’ve made me realise I haven’t used any in weeks!

 

You may not like the sound of this but i think you need to get off your ass during the day and put in some exercise let work wait it will still be their when you get back, and join a gym do some classes get some motivation from other people make it fun not a chore.

 

You're right, I don't like the sound of it - but know you're absolutely correct

 

Unfortunately my job involves being sat in front of a computer and am on the telephone for at least 6 hours a day, often on more than one call at a time. I work from home, which is nice, but it's near impossible to leave my desk during work hours. I really struggle to get time to eat (my biggest problem before was I'd eat breakfast then not eat again until late evening).

 

Well done Homer... try replacing the apple or fruit in the morning with a handful of unsalted almonds. They contain some fat, but it's unsaturated which helps lower cholesterol. I keep a bag in my top drawer and when I feel a small hunger urge, I have a few. They're very good at keeping the hunger at bay, and good for you at the same time. The fruit is high in sugar, so eat fruit but don't over do it.

 

Good suggestion! Will put these on the shopping list and see if they help. Are peanuts also an option? I know the fitness people recommend, mainly the body builders recommend these, and also peanut butter. They supposedly contains 'good fats'.

 

When i lost my weight (6.5 stone) I started by looking at what i normally ate and calculating the calories and fat etc.

I then looked for ways to reduce that calorie intake while not starving myself. That is the trick, if you starve your body of what it is used to then you will return to your old ways when you have reached your goals.

 

You say you are doing cardio at the gym introduce some freeweights and resistance work as well as muscle helps to burn calories. If you don't want to end up like me you need to do weight work early on to offset the loosening of your skin or ytou will be left with excess skin on your body and look like the incredible melting man

 

Col, thats some seriously impressive weight loss, well done!

 

From my previous workout (before I got ill), I have a good weights bench and lots of free weights (500+kg). However I'm holding off on lifting for now since I really want to get rid of the fat first. Once it's down (perhaps another 20-30 pounds to go), I'll start lifting again.

 

Thanks again for the link. Apparently I need 2600 kcals a day to maintain my current weight, I'm now burning 500 kcals a day with exercise and taking in around 1700kcals, so confirms the diet is generally on track.

 

Fruit is ok in the morning and in small doses. An apple as the after lunch snack is even ok. It will give you that little boost (excellent choice of word eh?) to get you out of the post lunch tired period. Don't cut out everything you love, or the diet will lose its appeal and you will fall back into fatness. Oatmeal is an excellent start in the morning, I think someone mentioned porrage above. Are you taking a multivitamin by chance? Try this: Everytime you leave or return to the house, do a set of 20 push ups. As this gets easier week by week, you can increase the number. You'll be shocked at the results. You could apply this to work as well if you're not a professional of some sort.

 

Another good idea! Though I think I'd struggle to do 5 press-ups at the moment, my upper body strength has disappeared over the last few years No harm in trying some basic routines like this though!

 

Actual meal ideas though, yours are really good for a base, but try wholewhat rice or bulgar wheat instead of pasta some days and also with the sauces get in there with herbs and spices and garlic/onions etc it will make it a million times nicer. Pack the sauce full of other veg too.

 

Cook the fish in the oven wrapped in tin foil with chopped onion and crushed garlic for added flavour.

 

Chicken breasts stuffed with tomato puree and garlic and herbs, basil in particular.

 

Thanks Rosie Again some superb ideas there, I really like the sound of those!

 

Homer,

 

Try the Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals book.

 

We use it at home. Loads of really good recipes and healthy too.

 

Nice one Martin, that looks good, I'll get one ordered now. How are you managing with the more healthy living these days?

 

Grilled meat Darryl, Especially BBQ it has flavour and burns off a lot of fat, I'd go down the grilled meat and veg path and avoid carbs as well as saturated fats, combine that with a daily work out plan (30-45 mins per day) and you'll be fine, also put aside a day (prob Sat) as a treat day where you have something bad (pudding, pizza, curry) and make sure you only have it once a week.

 

Thanks Matt, I'd ruled out red meat before, but I like the idea of some BBQ'd steaks

 

I think I'd better stay away from any treads for a while, with my will power it'd be too easy for one day to turn into two, to turn into three, etc....

 

You dont have to steam everything which gives a quite bland result, rubbing food with olive oil instead of adding to the pan or grill is a must

Using a clever blend of herbs or spices will add interest and flavour with no calorie content, read spice mixes carfully though as many carry sugar in large amounts

Green vegetables are the best and the microwave is a fantastic way of cooking them, covering in clingfilm in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and some crushed garlic

The pallete needs some oil or fat content to allow easy transfer of flavours to the mouth

Grilled fish and white meat with all fat removed which has been marinated overnight in a little garlic, black pepper, thyme, rosemary and a teaspoon of olive oil per person

Hemp oil is a great alternative to olive oil as it is an anti-oxidant and rich in omega

 

Nice one mate, I'd never heard of the oil trick before! Will certainly give that a try over the next couple of weeks. Must admit I do miss the extra flabour a little oil adds to food, I'm sure a small amount used on some dishes will be worth it in terms of keeping the food interesting.

 

Also, love the sound of the grilled fish, will give that a try too.

 

Cheers all!

 

(Sorry had to snip some of the quotes due to character limit on posts)

[ivan]

I've got one tip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you smoke, don't give up.

 

I've grown over an inch in the waistline.

[grahamc]

Get your self a decent frying pan and dry fry everything, no oil or butter, etc. My tefal is great at this.

 

Add things like peppers and onions for a bit of extra flavour. Garlic is really good. Turkey steaks are also pretty cool, as a slight difference to chicken.

 

Lean beef mince, plus fresh parsley, finely chopped onion, garlic, all in a bowl, mix, then make beef burgers...

 

Interesting snack -> plain low fat yoghurt and chunky low fat cottage cheese (high in protein) mix together and eat.

 

using weights can help... more muscle means more energy is required/burnt.