Discouraging

Gena575

Christine_72 wrote: »

To those advising meal prep and freezing, what do you make?
I can understand premaking stuff like stews, spaghetti bolognese etc But what about meals like steak, crumbed chicken shnitzel, bacon and eggs, salad and veggies? There are so many things i eat for dinner that just can't be precooked and stored/frozen.

Bacon can easily be pre-cooked slightly less crisp than your preference and stored for a week in the fridge. You can also make egg cups which freeze fairly well.

Salad bases can be prepped 3-5 days out (juicy veg like tomatoes and cakes chopped and kept in a separate dish). Place a double layer of paper towel on top of the prepped greens and invert the bowl. Replace the paper towels once they get past damp.

Steak...yeah, save that for fresh prep lol. But leftover steak is great in a stir fry where you slice it thin and just toss it in last second to reheat.

I prep things like shredded chicken and freeze in 2 or 3 ounce portions. It's great for adding to salads, making chicken salad, bbq sandwiches etc for my lunches. I'm lucky and can come home for lunch but only have an hour. So cooking a meal isn't happening. But I can take out a portion of chicken before work and have something ready in 5 minutes or less on lunch.

I'm very interested in crumbled chicken schnitzel though! I'd love the recipe!

Susieq_1994

Christine_72 wrote: »

To those advising meal prep and freezing, what do you make?
I can understand premaking stuff like stews, spaghetti bolognese etc But what about meals like steak, crumbed chicken shnitzel, bacon and eggs, salad and veggies? There are so many things i eat for dinner that just can't be precooked and stored/frozen.

For me, if I feel that a meal is worth it (and can't be premade) I'll put in the extra time and effort to make it from scratch all at once. I will sometimes try to pre-make portions of it, if any part of it can be made in advance, like pre-cutting the veggies earlier in the day or the day before, just to shave a few minutes off of the preparation. I often save my "freezer meals" for days when I'm just not in the mood to cook something elaborate or days that I'm just tired.

lorrpb

No need to go to 1000 cals, that's an unhealthily low amount of cals. How about going to 1500-1800 instead? Most people can lose at that amount, especially if you've been on a weight gain trajectory.

Christine_72

Gena575 wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

To those advising meal prep and freezing, what do you make?
I can understand premaking stuff like stews, spaghetti bolognese etc But what about meals like steak, crumbed chicken shnitzel, bacon and eggs, salad and veggies? There are so many things i eat for dinner that just can't be precooked and stored/frozen.

Bacon can easily be pre-cooked slightly less crisp than your preference and stored for a week in the fridge. You can also make egg cups which freeze fairly well.

Salad bases can be prepped 3-5 days out (juicy veg like tomatoes and cakes chopped and kept in a separate dish). Place a double layer of paper towel on top of the prepped greens and invert the bowl. Replace the paper towels once they get past damp.

Steak...yeah, save that for fresh prep lol. But leftover steak is great in a stir fry where you slice it thin and just toss it in last second to reheat.

I prep things like shredded chicken and freeze in 2 or 3 ounce portions. It's great for adding to salads, making chicken salad, bbq sandwiches etc for my lunches. I'm lucky and can come home for lunch but only have an hour. So cooking a meal isn't happening. But I can take out a portion of chicken before work and have something ready in 5 minutes or less on lunch.

I'm very interested in crumbled chicken schnitzel though! I'd love the recipe!

@Gena575 It's just a crumbed chicken breast schnitzel i buy from my butcher, i think Americans say 'breaded'. They use their version of Kfc spices to coat them, they are amazing!

Gena575

Christine_72 wrote: »

Gena575 wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

To those advising meal prep and freezing, what do you make?
I can understand premaking stuff like stews, spaghetti bolognese etc But what about meals like steak, crumbed chicken shnitzel, bacon and eggs, salad and veggies? There are so many things i eat for dinner that just can't be precooked and stored/frozen.

Bacon can easily be pre-cooked slightly less crisp than your preference and stored for a week in the fridge. You can also make egg cups which freeze fairly well.

Salad bases can be prepped 3-5 days out (juicy veg like tomatoes and cakes chopped and kept in a separate dish). Place a double layer of paper towel on top of the prepped greens and invert the bowl. Replace the paper towels once they get past damp.

Steak...yeah, save that for fresh prep lol. But leftover steak is great in a stir fry where you slice it thin and just toss it in last second to reheat.

I prep things like shredded chicken and freeze in 2 or 3 ounce portions. It's great for adding to salads, making chicken salad, bbq sandwiches etc for my lunches. I'm lucky and can come home for lunch but only have an hour. So cooking a meal isn't happening. But I can take out a portion of chicken before work and have something ready in 5 minutes or less on lunch.

I'm very interested in crumbled chicken schnitzel though! I'd love the recipe!

@Gena575 It's just a crumbed chicken breast schnitzel i buy from my butcher, i think Americans say 'breaded'. They use their version of Kfc spices to coat them, they are amazing!

Aaaah ok. They sound delicious! And years ago I lived near an amazing German restaurant...I still dream of their schnitzel and gravy! And German potato salad!

JeromeBarry1

Either quit Chipotle and the 1000 calorie burrito bowl or have the 1000 calorie burrito bowl with your lunch tuna and keep on exercising.

roamingtiger

Eat more, and more often..Think of your meals as snacks and not full blown meals.

DebSozo

You could ask for a "to go" box right away and put 1/2 of the Chipotle dish in it to take home and eat 1/2 for the 500 calories. Then you get 2 meals for the price of one.

ogtmama

terrymac54 wrote: »

6 years ago I weighed 234 pounds. I decided to lose weight and joined a gym. I lost 100 pounds in a year. Unfortunately, I gained 62 pounds back within the last two years by eating out too much and drinking too much diet soda and snacking during work hours. I currently weigh 172.2 pounds (with my clothes on - no shoes) - no change from last week (172.3 pounds). I've been eating my lunch at home during work hours (2 pouches of Tuna (140 calories), mixed with a tablespoon of light mayo and a raw red sweet pepper cut up.) I successfully stopped snacking during work - 2 weeks now. And I drink nothing but water all day. I'm at the gym 6 days a week - cardio/spinning and weights. I feel like my clothes fit better, but the scale shows differently. I think my trouble is that when I come from the gym at night, which is usually around 8:00 pm, I'm too tired to cook for myself, so I go to a Chipotle next to the gym. I just have bottle water, and a burrito bowl filled with rice, beans, chicken and mild salsa. Maybe I need to quit Chipotle for awhile. I'm thinking of keeping my calories to just 1000 and keep exercising. The only snacking I do is I have a Triple Zero Oikos Vanilla Yogurt with some fresh blue berries and granola. I'm really discouraged now.

The mild salsa at chopotle is made of pure salt and you've upped your exercise=water retention.

RhapsodyWinters

If you haven't done so yet, start measuring yourself and log it in mfp under reports. You can add custom fields. I'm measuring waist, hips, neck (those are default. I also added:), thighs, arms, bust (because boobies), and band (also boobs). Sometimes your weight 'stalls' because you're gaining muscle while burning fat, and it'll show through those measurements.