Starts in the kitchen
By Jennifer
First things first, my weight at the beginning of my weight-loss journey (two weeks ago): 178. My weight this morning: 178. Well. That’s … interesting. And by interesting I mean OMG INFURIATING. I will not get discouraged, I will not get discouraged, I will not get discouraged. I know it can take a little patience and a little preserverance to get the weight-loss started, but I’d most likely be the first voted off the ranch if I were a Biggest Loser contestant, am I right? Sigh.
Anyway, my post for today isn’t about plateauing before losing (OMG STAB STAB STAB) but that could very well be my post topic for next week if things don’t improve, you’ve been forewarned. What I do want to talk about are easily incorporated, simple meal ideas for those trying to lose weight. I have a two-month-old baby boy (he’s really quite adorable, have I mentioned?), I work full-time, I commute to that full-time job. I also try to keep a somewhat active social life. Here’s where I’d usually cue the complaining about not having enough time to cook healthy or eat healthy or be healthy, but I’m not going to do that this time (progress!) because let’s cut the crap: if I have enough time to regularly watch “The Hills” then I have enough time to prepare a quick and healthy dinner.
But this will take a little effort and a lot of broken habits on my part, I know. I’m willing to put in the time, but I could use a little help, as well. See, I’m used to grabbing something quick and tasty (eupehmisms for fast and greasy). I’m used to mindlessly grazing my way through the day. I’m used to vending machine snacks and sugar-laden treats. I’m used to treating my body like a trash receptacle, honestly. And, hey, the scale reflects that. Man, you’d think two plus two equalled four or something.
But facts are facts, weight is primarily related to what we eat. Exercise is important for a myriad of reasons, all of which I hope to touch on in the future, but unhealthy food is the main issue with my weight gain. So, what are some easy recipes, healthy cooking resources (online or otherwise), grocery shopping tips, quick snack suggestions, meal-planning ideas or must-have cookbooks that I need to know about? Share your wisdom with me, please!
See, I know how to lose weight. Hell, I’ve even done it before. But I’ve always, always, always viewed weight loss as a phase, a specific period of time until I’ve reached my goal. And then what? Oh, yes, reverting back to my old, unhealthy, McDonalds-visiting ways. Because I lost the weight! Must treat myself to a Quarter Pounder! And the weight gets put back on, pound by pound, inch by inch. The cute clothes start tightening and before I know it, it’s time to lose again. You can see how that’s no way to life, right? It’s time to focus on changing who I am in order to change the number on the scale. Not changing until the weight is gone but changing for good, forever.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
One thing that really helps me is to eat my fruits and veggies first. If I eat all of my broccoli and salad before I eat my chicken for dinner, I eat less because I’ve filled up on good for you veggies.
Also, don’t deprive yourself. Just pick one thing that’s most important to you (like french fries, or whatever) and eat a small amount of it, once a week. Get a small fry, instead of a large one, and ENJOY IT!
Don’t get discouraged, soon the pounds will be melting off!
April 21st, 2009 at 2:50 pm
This is what I eat all the time: whole wheat pasta with red peppers, green peppers, orange/yellow peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, baby tomatoes, and spinach. Chop all the vegetables, boil the water, put in the pasta, and then when it’s about halfway done throw in the vegetables. Ta-da! It’s pasta but you feel better when you eat it because it’s filled with veggies. Yum.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
My favorite source for quick, healthy, realistic-to-prepare meals is Everyday Food Magazine, an offshoot of Martha Stewart. It’s well done without being Martha-ish, if you know what I mean, and there are plenty of meals each month (it’s a monthly mag) you can prepare in 30 minutes or less. Gives nutritional info, shopping lists, seasonal suggestions, etc. Plus, almost all the recipes are archived online, so you technically wouldn’t have to subscribe to see them. But I think it’s worth the twelve bucks a year, or whatever.
Also look for my next Four Forks post, which is going to be about healthy snacking for the whole family. Hang in there!
April 21st, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I’m so proud of you! Seriously! After seeing parts of my body expand in this pregnancy, all I can think of is how badly I hope to lose it all and then some. I’ve reached 200+ pounds and can’t help but feel a little more mortified at each prenatal appointment weigh-in. I totally admire what you’re doing here…you are inspiring me to make myself healthy for me, my relationship and my baby.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I use http://www.cookinglight.com religiously. If there is every anything I am craving or a recipe that I really like, I look it up there and they will have the healthier version available.
My go-to healthy meal these days is whole wheat pasta with home-made pesto with peas and cherry tomatoes- it makes a TON and you can eat it for lunch the next couple of days. Feel free to add chicken- you can find pesto recipes anywhere online- but here is an example of a recipe that I make frequently: http://jenacide.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-i-get-my-kid-to-eat-arugula.html
Also- homemade hummus. It’s super cheap, it’s just chickpeas, tahini, olive oil and a little garlic. Put everything in the food processor and VIOLA! You can add any herbs or flavors that you like (roasted red pepper, extra garlic) and you can eat it with whole wheat pitas, crackers, veggies, on a sandwich instead of mayo… possibilities are endless! I also make it with white northern beans instead of chick peas as a fancier-looking dip when we have company. I mix it with rosemary and lemon juice.
Wow I could talk about this subject forever it seems!
April 21st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Oh, I cannot recommend the Everyday Food magazines HIGHLY enough. They are so awesome. Love, love, love.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I know they are a bit pricey, but Williams-Sonoma has a line of cookbooks called FOODMADEFAST. They are great and my favorites are Weeknight and Simple Suppers. There is Asian, Pasta, etc. They have 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and ideas for how to use the leftovers of the recipes. Most are healthy. Just add a veggie and you are ready to go. I can’t recommend them enough. I assume they can be found cheaper by searching online.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I love allrecipes.com because (1) they post the nutrition info for almost every recipe, so you don’t have to guess and (2) they have an entire section devoted to healthy meals. You can even choose to browse meals by calorie content (like 200 and under, 300 and under). OH, and all the recipes come with reviews, too! LOVE.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:51 pm
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April 21st, 2009 at 7:02 pm
http://hungry-girl.com
My friend just turned me on to this website and it has tons of quick and simple recipes. Also, a bonus, if you’re doing WW (I’m not but she is!), it gives the point values for each dish!
April 21st, 2009 at 7:29 pm
[...] Basketball.org» Basketball.org added an interesting post today on Starts in the kitchenHere’s a small readingThe cute clothes start tightening and before I know it, it’s time to lose again. You can see how that’s no way to life, right? [...]
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:15 am
Habits – I’ve had great luck in cutting out bad stuff one step at a time. About a year and a half ago, I plunged in with a shiny new “NO MORE SODA” rule – soda has no redeeming health value. It was something I drank out of convenience alone, plus when eating out it’s expensive! SO, no more. I haven’t had anything brown and fizzy since then, and I don’t miss it at all.
Now, you might be a Diet Coke devotee, or hate coffee and need that morning caffeine fix, or whatever – I’m not saying it’s workable for everyone, but the *idea* is sound. Maybe your “thing” is ice cream, or try for NO VENDING MACHINE SNACKS, or something.
The No Soda rule has also lead more recently to a No Fast Food rule. I would swing through to get something quick and tasty (hee!) again, like soda, out of convenience. Me hungry NOW, no want to wait till home to eat!!
But after cutting out soda, I realized that my fast food fixes were just me being lazy. Gosh, if I can’t get a greasy burger, I might end up eating – gulp! – leftovers! Or chips and salsa as a MEAL! Or I might have to PLAN ahead of time! OMG DYING!!1!
It’s been about 4 months since I quit fast food officially (sort of a New Year thing, but I’d pretty much stopped long before that) and it’s been great – and through the candy-laden beginning of the year, I haven’t gained any weight. This is a noteable difference from years past.
The part that makes it work for ME is that I can still have burgers and/or fries – hello, I am American. Instead of a greasy pie-hole stuffer, though, if I want a burger I go to a place that makes them well, and actually enjoy my food. OR, you know, make one myself. (The making-it-myself thing happens more now that F-ing CHILI’S keeps taking away the best burgers – RIP Peppercorn, and Chipotle Blue Cheese!)
It really helped to pin-point something that wasn’t a war-stopper as a starting point. If I’d said “No more caffeine, burgers, or fried foods” I would have failed immediately. The problem wasn’t fries, it was that I was stopping along the way for them instead of waiting 10 more minutes. Fixing the actual problem has meant a real solution, instead of a temporary lifestyle.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:08 am
I keep coming back to these- quick and easy and very satisfying:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723375
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/stretch-a-buck-turkey-and-bean-burrito-burgers-recipe/index.html
Also I have found that sugar snap peas make a sweet snack and they are VEGETABLES so YAY.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
This isn’t a recipe but an ingredient — one thing I discovered that helped me throw a fast, healthy meal together is canned chicken. If you shop at Costco, Kirkland sells it in a 6 pack and it’s great. All those recipes that call for cooked, chopped or cubed chicken are suddenly much faster to prepare!
I think the fastest healthy meal my family would eat (I introduced this one when my kids were about 6 and 10 years old) just involves a couple cans of the chicken, a bag of frozen broccoli/carrots/cauliflower, a can of corn, can of fat free cream of chicken soup and a cup of milk. Cook til it’s heated through, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over whole wheat noodles.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:24 am
I know this isn’t an option for everyone given the increased cost factor and availability, but places like Central Market (I think you’re in Texas) and Whole Foods have a lot of sorta-prepared options that really work for me.
I love to cook, but I’m extremely lazy about doing it after working all day and dangerously likely to sit down with a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese and work my way through them both – in their entirety. Central Market in particular has a bunch of fresh chicken and shrimp options that are pre-cut and come with instructions and marinade. You literally cut a couple vegetables, through everything in to marinate, toss it on the grill (or in the oven) and tada! Healthy, protein-filled meal with very little effort.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 am
Also meant to add that my weight-loss, when it has been the healthy, not eating-disorder-related kind, has always seemed to have a weird 1 to 2 week built-in delay. I’m not sure why this is, but recognizing that this is just the way my body works helps keep me motivated when things aren’t immediately going my way.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 am
I totally feel you. This is soooo hard for me — and I don’t even have a kid to look after!
One thing I do, and it really seems to help, is to errect physical barriers between myself & temptation. I just don’t have any of my trigger foods within reach, ever. (“Trigger food” = “food I eat too much of, for comfort, when I’m not hungry” these include anything including sugar, white flour, or potatoes.)
My husband likes bread, and pasta, but I can’t be trusted around them, so he keeps them in his study, downstairs. Since this is a room I never visit, I have been virtually 100% successful in avoiding these foods (at least at home) for the last year. I know where he keeps these foods, but somehow their being in “his” part of the house makes them off limits for me.
Also: I throw food away if it’s a temptation. Last weekend, we went to a wedding. The bride & groom had outfitted our room with a “goodie bag” filled with sugary treats. I took the bag into the bathroom, opened all the packages, crumbled their contents into the wastebasket, then poured the hotel-provided moisturizer over the remains of the junk food. There is just NO WAY I could safely spend a weekend in a hotel room with that disgusting, health-destroying-yet-irresistible garbage within arm’s reach.
Of course, if I really wanted to, I could still get my hands on food products made of sugar, white flour, or potatoes, but I find I am almost completely successul in avoiding them if I make it hard to get my hands on them.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
I so, so, so feel your pain! I’ve been gaining and losing the same 20 pounds since I turned 18. I’ve finally started to make tracking calories at thedailyplate.com a habit. Right now I’m in a “losing” phase, so my daily calorie goal is lower, but this time, when I’m actually at my goal, I’m going to keep calorie tracking at a “maintenance” level. My hope is that this will force me to get in the habit of eating at a level that will allow me to maintain, and not gain weight.
Then again, plans for a baby are on the horizon…and I have a feeling my scale may be heading to the other side of 150 pretty soon
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I love using myrecipes.com. They own Cooking Light and you can sort the recipes in various ways which is awesome. I also like allrecipes.com which I know has been mentioned, but you can put in a couple of ingredients you like and search that way.
I have been trying to stick to lots of my favorite vegetables. If you boil carrots in water for about ten minutes, they are fantastic. Sprinkle with a little sugar mmm. Snap peas are great. I also like to make couscous, they make whole wheat, and toss in whatever vegetables go with the meal. Then season with some Mrs. Dash. It tastes very pasta-ish and if you throw in some of those laughing cow cheese wedges, mmm.
Try stuffing a chicken breast with a mixture of garlic, laughing cow wedge, mushrooms and cooked spinach. It is awesome. Bake or grill it, plus if you make a few extra and go ahead and cook them, you have an easy freezer meal.
To be honest, I don’t like the Hungrygirl recipes that were suggested. I feel like they recommend so dang many ingredients that are challenging to find or that are man made (like splenda and such). I would rather use a little sugar or honey and know that it is okay for me to be eating. If you already eat immitation sweetners, then, have at it!
April 22nd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thanks, everyone! Keep the suggestions coming. I’m taking each and every one to heart (and to paper!).
April 24th, 2009 at 6:39 am
Soups. Seriously, you can quickly make a million kinds of soup that are super low-cal, and the pot will last for many quick to grab and microwave meals. Try a pile of veggies, some lentils or beans (protein makes it feel more filling), a can of crushed tomatoes, water and spices and you’re good to go. Steaming up a bag of the pre-cut mixed veggies and stirring in a spoonful or two of hoisin sauce or black bean sauce is wonderful, too. Filling and delicious…they really don’t need all that oil you’d get if they were stir-fried.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
OK, cooking is great, but with a itsy bitsy baby, who really has the time? I always try to do something simple for work but with lots of snacks….a frozen meal, an apple, banana, yogurt, string cheese. Those new healthy choice meals? Freaking delicious & they were only $1.50 @ Target this week! Bargain!
For dinner, I’m going with vlynn who said to go for the crock pot. It’s so easy just to throw everything in before work & have a healthy, hot meal when you get home. Another easy & healthy meal that’s great in the summer are what we call campfire dinners….Take a big peice of foil & throw on a chicken breast, some seasoning, maybe a little olive oil & then pile a bunch of veggies on top (carrots, bell pepper, onions, zuchini, whatever you like). Then wrap the food up in the foil & either put it on the grill for 15 minutes or stick it in the oven for 25+ minutes @ 350ish. You really can’t mess it up & it’s so easy. Good luck!
April 27th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Here’s what I do:
I thumb through my cookbooks, online recipes or random bookmarked recipe and make a menu plan for the week. I think about those days and what’s going on. If I know I’ll have a long day working and then going to workout I know I need to plan something easy and fast for that night. If I know I’m going to go straight home after work and have a bit more time than I know I can make something a little more involved. With my days in mind I choose recipes for each day. Then I make a master grocery list for each ingredient that I will need. After I go to the store I know I have everything I need to make healthy, homemade foods and I don’t have to stress over not having this ingredient or that can of something beecause I planned well. And I also know what I will be eating that night so I can plan the rest of my meals for that particular day accordingly. If I know I’m making a higher fat dinner than I know to back off on the fats for breakfast and lunch and vice versa.
Good luck hun!
April 27th, 2009 at 10:02 am
The Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook was a great jump starter for me to start eating better. Here’s a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Light-Ingredient-Minute-Cookbook/dp/0848718526/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240851040&sr=8-10
I always hated having to gather up oodles of ingredients, so this cookbook was a lifesaver. It also has a decent crockpot chili receipe that I highly recommend.
Besides trying all of the receipes in this cookbook, I try to do little things…Like I still make tacos or taco salad at least every other week…but instead of ground beef I get ground turkey. And I get the reduced sodium taco seasoning instead of the regular. I go with light sour cream. I get whole wheat tortillas. You get the idea. Same thing with pasta. My go to there has been a whole wheat pasta (whatever shape I’m feeling that day) a jar of yummy sauce (taking care to avoid the creamy or cheesy sauces) and turkey Italian sausage. I take the sausage out of the casing to brown it and then add it to the jar of sauce and voila! Tasty meal.
There have been some great ideas on other comments too that I’m definitely going to try out! Great topic! Good luck…you can do it!!
April 27th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I’ve never made any of Roni’s recipes, but I’m constantly bookmarking things I’d like to try:
http://greenlitebites.com/
Also, when I feel like tracking calories I’ve used http://www.fitday.com — I like that I could add my exercise as well, and can see what I’m burning vs what I’m eating.
You really do think twice before eating something when you know you have to write it down!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I started writing my comment here but then it got out-of-control long and turned itself into a future blog post, so…for now, my best tip is to cut up a bunch of vegetables that you can use in salads for the next several days. I love having salads for dinner, but because I hate all the rinsing and peeling and chopping it takes, I don’t make them as often as I should. Having all the veggies precut and in baggies means a salad is only 5 minutes away (and something I can assemble with one hand while holding a baby with the other!).
May 4th, 2009 at 8:07 am
About a month ago I switched from “white” to whole wheat – breads, pasta, etc.., and went down a pant size just from that switch alone. This week I’m incorporating walking into the mix, but I couldn’t believe how much just that one change in my “diet” has made!
May 4th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
hi there~
i love reading your blogs and i am not even sure how i found them?!
anyway, i skyrocketed over 200 lbs when i was pregnant. i managed to lose the weight and then some … i think through the stress of motherhood alone.
here are some tips that help me b/c your story sounds very similar to mine (except my issue is chocolate chip cookies and blue bell ice cream
-we seriously dont have any snacks in the house … i buy individual bags of sunchips from costco and that is it.
-for sweets, i use this weight watcher recipe:
mix 2 boxes of instant choc pudding with 2 cups skim milk. pour 1/2 of that mixture into a premade graham cracker crust pie. mix the other half with half a tub of whipped cream (fat free or lite). put 1/2 of that mixture on top. then top off those 2 layers with the rest of the whipped cream. delicious!
-i keep lots of fruits and veggies in the house … i eat lots of veggies with hummus.
-i also eat yogurt with granola
-1 diet coke a day, 1 coffee a day, and lots of tea and water
-no whites … brown rice, brown bread, brown pasta
-i recently started eating protein for breakfast … eggs in a pita for instance and that seems to help control my snacking issues!
basically, i have no self control, so i cant keep anything in the house. now that my daughter is 19 months, i really had to step up my eating so she ate healthy. as a matter of fact, i never ate half of the stuff i eat now until she started eating human foods (sweet potatoes, broccoli, pretty much any fruit).
i also read dr. oz’s “you: the owners manual” and learned a lot about what to eat to help your body. “super foods” is another good one. both of those really helped my mind change my eating habits.
i recently joined a gym, and when i’m not there, i try to walk everyday for 30 minutes.
i will forever be on a weight loss journey, i fear. but for now, this is what works for me.
good luck to you!
July 1st, 2009 at 7:53 am
I’ve been trying to change the way I eat instead of dieting. I’m not a good dieter. The biggest change I’ve made is at work. I was a chips from the snack machine and Mt. Dew everyday kind of girl. Instead I bring my snacks. I’ve been eating grapes, cucumbers, peppers, celery, peaches, and tomatoes. Cut them up and bring them in a bowl and I literally snack all morning long. Then instead of fast food for lunch, I’ve been eating a weight watchers Smart Ones. In the afternoon I will eat either string cheese or a 100 Calorie Pack. I haven’t changed my supper eating at all. I eat whatever I fix my boys. With this and exercise I’ve lost 16 pounds in a little of two months. Water is another key. I’ve switched to diet sunkist and 8 glasses of water a day. I bring a water bottle to work and force myself to drink that before I get a soda. I think it’s just breaking bad habits we all have. Good Luck. I know you can do it!