The lazy dieter

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Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I love my cast iron frying pan. I use a different pan for sauce-based cooking. I don't use soap, and I clean up right after. The seasoned pan is now better than teflon, so cleans easily.

    I say, do whatever works. I have been at this for over a year so now I crave variety, so I cook a few home-made dinners every week. Typically leftovers the next day are a serving of dinner from the night before.

    For 100 calorie snack size bags, I bought snack size ziplocs. You only have to measure the first time for a favorite snack and then you know how much to take.

    I try and have protein with every meal, every snack. Which can be challenging. I buy a low-fat old cheddar block and cut it in to single serving sizes. I lay out the single servings on plastic wrap, about four to a row, and wrap them all up. Put them all in the freezer. Presto bango, single serving cheddar every day.

    Slow cookers make things easier too.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    You still haven't answered the question about how you intend to maintain after you lose weight.
  • hhmb8k
    hhmb8k Posts: 49
    AliceDark wrote: »
    You still haven't answered the question about how you intend to maintain after you lose weight.

    Well, because I don't think my situation applies well to what you imagine it to be or to the point of this particular thread. Perhaps in a different thread and at a time when I have the interest in typing an autobiography.

    Suffice it to say, I believe that the mental image in your head of me as a morbidly obese couch potato isn't COMPLETELY accurate. Or that the reason I find myself wanting to loose weight now is because of years of an unhealthy lifestyle. Or that my main concern is how I look in a bathing suit.

    It may satisfy somebody's curiosity to find out why I don't think that is a relevant problem, but it is pretty much just a derail of this thread.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    edited October 2014
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    Give me enough seasoning, fat, butter, oil, wine, etc and I can make a steaming pile of cow dung taste delicious, but take away the fat, the butter, the salt, the seasonings and all the rest, and it is damn difficult to make something taste better than what I can get out of a box in the frozen food isle of my local supermarket. Maybe not impossible, but DAMN difficult.

    Strange argument, I see no problem with adding seasoning, butter, oil, etc. Yes, fat and salt in appropriate amounts. Herbs and such in whatever amounts are appealing. Why would you want or need to make something completely bland? It strikes me as ironic that you are complaining we are all buying into received wisdom about processed foods being evil, when you seem to be buying into outdated science about fat being evil.

    Again, you may not be able to create healthy options with home cooking, but I certainly am able to cook things that are both healthier and tastier than anything I've found in the freezer aisle.
  • hhmb8k
    hhmb8k Posts: 49
    Strange argument, I see no problem with adding seasoning, butter, oil, etc. Yes, fat and salt in appropriate amounts. Herbs and such in whatever amounts are appealing. Why would you want or need to make something completely bland? It strikes me as ironic that you are complaining we are all buying into received wisdom about processed foods being evil, when you seem to be buying into outdated science about fat being evil.

    Again, you may not be able to create healthy options with home cooking, but I certainly am able to cook things that are both healthier and tastier than anything I've found in the freezer isle.

    I'll just touch on this quickly because it ties in a bit with my previous post, but I'm going to have to get some other work done today, and I kinda feel like I'm just hanging out on here as an excuse to procrastinate from getting other things done.

    The fat issue: it is evil. It is evil for me. It is evil for many, many people. I envy you if it is not an evil for you. Nothing outdated about it. Hard science and facts only without a bit of emotion.

    Also, don't feel as if I think you are bullying me by disagreeing. I'm not that way. I prefer spirited debate to mindless agreement (or mindless disagreement either for that matter!). Not fighting. Not arguing. Just an exchange of opinions in a healthy manner. I've never been bullied into anything in my life, but I have had my mind changed from long held beliefs by logical coherent arguments--but only after I have challenged them ad nauseum and not a moment before. I don't take things at face value and my opinions don't change with the weather.

    But stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe, express your views and feel free to respond to my posts, just understand that, "Because I said so" has never won an argument with me since I stopped wearing diapers. I'm going to challenge your positions if I disagree with them and it isn't personal and it isn't emotional.

    And sometimes behind all my contrariness is a person who wants to better understand your point of view, not change your mind or pick a fight.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    What are your thoughts. What really got TAPF angry enough to respond? What is it about responding with thoughtful, if not a bit facetious, responses to your posts instead of mindlessly agreeing with TAPF made you the most angry??


    Your smugness.

    Example one:
    hhmb8k wrote: »

    You really have never heard of searing meat in a hot pan? Oh well, for those of you who don't know what searing meat is, here's an article to check it out:


    (sidenote: I successfully sear meat regularly with a tablespoon of butter or oil. Call Hogwart's, for I am performing magic.)

    OP might be amazed to know you can even do a nice hard sear WITHOUT any lipids.

    Amazing, but true.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    The fat issue: it is evil. It is evil for me. It is evil for many, many people. I envy you if it is not an evil for you. Nothing outdated about it. Hard science and facts only without a bit of emotion.
    Citation.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    You still haven't answered the question about how you intend to maintain after you lose weight.
    OP has no plan, intends to use LC to yoyoyoyoyoyoyolo

    Which is why I requested that the OP commit to a regular update plan. However, they won't.
  • hhmb8k
    hhmb8k Posts: 49
    edited October 2014
    dbmata wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    You still haven't answered the question about how you intend to maintain after you lose weight.
    OP has no plan, intends to use LC to yoyoyoyoyoyoyolo

    Which is why I requested that the OP commit to a regular update plan. However, they won't.

    Hey, bro, are we good now?

    You are my third favorite poster on this thread, but it is mainly because whenever I read one of your posts, all I can see in my mind is this guy:

    http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/*kitten*_b45621_2851629.gif


    :smiley:
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Fat is an essential macronutrient. It is important for bodily functions and satiety in the diet. As the american diet focused on reducing fat, obesity rates rose significantly: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24911982. One of the healthiest eating styles is mediterranean which is rich in olive oil. This is an important study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25316904 which showed improvement in metabolic functioning both in people who were given olive oil or nuts to add to their diets. High fat dairy may actually be protective against weight gain: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22893781

    I'm not a proponent of any dietary extremes. I think we all need a balance of carb-fat-protein. Where the balance falls can vary, but there is certainly some room for oil in cooking :)
  • hhmb8k
    hhmb8k Posts: 49
    Fat is an essential macronutrient. It is important for bodily functions and satiety in the diet. As the american diet focused on reducing fat, obesity rates rose significantly: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24911982. One of the healthiest eating styles is mediterranean which is rich in olive oil. This is an important study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25316904 which showed improvement in metabolic functioning both in people who were given olive oil or nuts to add to their diets. High fat dairy may actually be protective against weight gain: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22893781

    I'm not a proponent of any dietary extremes. I think we all need a balance of carb-fat-protein. Where the balance falls can vary, but there is certainly some room for oil in cooking :)

    Of course my description of how I cook already demonstrates that I use oil, so I kinda feel like this is a bit of a straw man argument.

    If I told you 100% oxygen causes damage to your lungs, would you try to explain to me that oxygen is an essential component of life and link me to articles?

    Saying too much of something is bad is not the same thing as saying too little of it is good. The issue for many people is to expand outside of their own minds and lives and realize that what may be just enough of something for you could be too much for somebody else. I think that applies to more than just diet.

    It isn't even a matter of where to set the limit of "just enough" for some dietary components when they are ubiquitous and all but unavoidable. Rather, it becomes a matter of where to set the limit for "too much". It is this point where we differ.

    Differ physiologically, not philosophically.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    edited October 2014
    Well, my post was in response to your post stating that fat is evil. It was also made in the context of decades of low-fat recommendations that if you examine the literature actually do not have as firm a basis as previously thought. Thus, I would argue that for most people (barring a specific medical issue), the line of where fat is "too much" is higher than we have been taught.

    Certainly, there is no need to add fat if you are already consuming foods that are naturally rich in it or eating out frequently...
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    I read this last night and I've been thinking about it. I think the best answer I can give is: Do what works for you.

    I could certainly be called a lazy dieter. I hate cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping, all of it. This has been my downfall from every diet I've ever tried. Weighing and logging is actually easier for me because I'm kind of a data geek.

    But there are facts that I can't deny. One is that processed foods always have too much of something. From my perspective it's usually too many carbs or too much sodium. The other is that the "diet" meals are always lacking in something: not very filling, not very satisfying, or not very tasty.

    Despite that, I still turn to Lean Cuisines or Atkins meals when my options are limited. I'll still get a salad at McDonald's if I don't have time to go home and make one. I don't consider any of these to be good choices, but sometimes they are the better alternatives and I just work them into the bigger picture.

    I've been seriously yoyo dieting for about 6 years. With each attempt I go further than before. With each attempt I successfully develop some habit that makes the next attempt that much easier. I believe that eventually all the right habits will come together like pieces of a puzzle. But first I have to figure out which habits those are, and establish them one at a time. That's what works for me.

    It's good to find out what others do. But at the end of the day, all that matters is what works for you.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    You still haven't answered the question about how you intend to maintain after you lose weight.
    OP has no plan, intends to use LC to yoyoyoyoyoyoyolo

    Which is why I requested that the OP commit to a regular update plan. However, they won't.

    Hey, bro, are we good now?

    You are my third favorite poster on this thread, but it is mainly because whenever I read one of your posts, all I can see in my mind is this guy:

    http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/*kitten*_b45621_2851629.gif


    :smiley:

    That's a chimp, and I love chimps.

    My one strength goal is to be strong enough to pull a hipster's arm from their socket and beat them with it until the act becomes ironic.

    So you going to commit to an update plan?

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    Well, my post was in response to your post stating that fat is evil. It was also made in the context of decades of low-fat recommendations that if you examine the literature actually do not have as firm a basis as previously thought. Thus, I would argue that for most people (barring a specific medical issue), the line of where fat is "too much" is higher than we have been taught.

    Which is why I asked for citations.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    edited October 2014
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    So, let's shift gears a bit and turn up the heat. I see I've got most of Team Anti-Processed Food (aka TAPF) warmed up, so let's take it to the next level.

    Why, EXACTLY, is it about "processed food" (that is specifically tailored for people who are diet conscious) bad? I'm not talking about frozen pizza and ice cream. I'm talking about... oh, you all already know exactly what I'm talking about.

    So why is it bad?

    Does their meat come from different animals?

    Are their vegetables grown in different soil?

    What is it specifically?

    Or is it just dogma? Just something people have repeated over and over and you swallowed it all hook line and sinker without questioning? Was it something that used to be true years ago, but has changed over time? Is it something that only applies to some processed food, like Twinkies, but not others?

    What are your thoughts. What really got TAPF angry enough to respond? What is it about responding with thoughtful, if not a bit facetious, responses to your posts instead of mindlessly agreeing with TAPF made you the most angry??

    This is what I thought about your post when I first read it. You're just trying to rile people up----and show us how clever you are. Your Lean Cusine meals are great for you. I'm glad you found what works. Let us know when you hit goal. I wish you all the best with your tasty meals, but am not at all jealous, as I eat my own home cooked one. o:)
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Or better yet, let us know when you've not only hit goal, because losing weight is the easy part, but let us know how it goes when you've been in maintenance for a few months or more... Sustainability is the key, here.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
    This is why I batch cook and freeze single portions of several different main dishes. Then I can go through spells of being lazy and still be eating good food made with real food ingredients.

    This! I have a ton of homemade frozen meals in my freezer ready to go. No bar code to scan, just click on my recipe when I log. (I know that that last statement will open a whole new can of worms seeing that the NEW and Improved recipe builder is ONLY new, NOT improved.)
  • TheLadyBane
    TheLadyBane Posts: 299 Member
    hhmb8k wrote: »
    I am starting to get the sneaking suspicion that all those guys and gals that only eat fresh, non-processed home cooked food, really don't bother with keeping track of calories or nutritional content at all (or at best they are completely guessing most of the time).

    I kinda get the sense that they are really just ballparking it. Like guessing that their caloric intake for the day was roughly somewhere between 1,500 and 1,800 calories (uhm, give or take about 1,000 calories in error one way or the other).

    I can't prove that is the case, just a sneaking suspicion. :smiley:

    I predominantly eat meals I've prepared myself and incorporate a lot of fruits and veggies. I absolutely admit to ballparking it. I don't weigh anything (don't even own a food scale) and the closest I come to measuring is with my a measuring cup and spoons, and I don't even use those very often.

    For me weighing/measuring would just be an extra step that I don't enjoy though I would do it if I had to. I've successfully lost and kept off a significant amount of weight without weighting so I don't think it would be a very useful tool for me.

    I readily admit to being a bit lazy. Ballparking works for me. Processed foods probably wouldn't work for me because I'd get too hungry (I can eat a greater volume of food I make myself vs. processed food for the same caloric bang).

    I say do whatever works for you, gets you results, and doesn't have a negative impact on your health (throwing that last one in there because my former coworker only ate lean cuisines for lunch and dinner and the amount of sodium in them made her blood pressure go up like crazy and she had problems with swelling/fluid retention).

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,393 Member
    I figure, why would I eat frozen dinners when the food I cook tastes way better?

    Also, we are a family of 6 and I am the main cook. I have lost nearly 89lbs so far with "home cookin'."