Chicken question

col98

Guys I could use some help. I'm 270 lbs and I need to lose some weight for health issues. Back in May I lost 20 lbs in 45 days. I felt great, but I got burned out because I was mostly eating chicken, rice, and asparagus. I was really enjoying the food but then one day I said if I look at another piece of chicken I'll throw up. Since then I went right back to where I was. Eating like that is not sustainable and I need to find more food I like and make this a lifestyle change and not a diet.
With all that being said, I'm 270 and I sit most of my work day, so the calculator has me at 1850 calories for 2lbs per week. Right now to get me going I'm starting with the chicken, asparagus, and rice again. I usually eat 2 x 280g servings of chicken a day. Is that too much chicken a day? It falls within my numbers. I was reading somewhere that too much chicken can be bad. Thanks.

Chef_Barbell

Why not just eat reasonable portions of things you like? You don't have to eat chicken and rice every day to lose weight.

Panini911

are there other proteins you enjoy? beef, turkey, fish, tofu, lentils? what would you eat before? i eat the same thing regularly but cannot imagine eating those three things daily :P

col98

Thanks for the reply. It's crazy that I let myself go like this, but I use to be in really good shape as an athlete. My goal is not just to lose weight but also do weight training (not power lifter, just to look in shape). I am eating the chicken to get the protein numbers needed. Without the chicken I have no idea how I would reach the per day protein numbers.

Chef_Barbell

col98 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. It's crazy that I let myself go like this, but I use to be in really good shape as an athlete. My goal is not just to lose weight but also do weight training (not power lifter, just to look in shape). I am eating the chicken to get the protein numbers needed. Without the chicken I have no idea how I would reach the per day protein numbers.

There are plenty of protein sources that aren't chicken. Chicken isnt even on the top of the list.

col98

Panini911 wrote: »

are there other proteins you enjoy? beef, turkey, fish, tofu, lentils? what would you eat before? i eat the same thing regularly but cannot imagine eating those three things daily :P

I wish I could like fish but I can't. Love beef but trying to keep the red meat to a minimum 1/week. I am going to do it differently this time. I am just doing some planning as I need to get smarter about nutrition. Tofu and Lentils, I will look into that. Thanks.

smolmaus

Why would you acknowledge that you failed the first time because you couldn't stand such a bland diet, then go on to say you're doing the exact same thing this time?

Eat what you normally eat, in portions that fit your calorie goals.

Or if you want to stick with chicken as your protein do different things with it. Put it in a stir fry, make a curry (tomato-based curries are v calorie-friendly), have it as a chicken sandwich with bread as your carb instead of rice and some salad. You can do a risotto with rice (a different type but still rice) and chicken, it's one of my standard meals every week. Apart from a can of tuna on a Monday chicken is the only protein I eat 90% of the time too but there's no chance of me getting bored with it.

Asparagus is a strange and expensive veg to pick as well, how much is asparagus for every meal costing you?

Panini911

eggs? greek yogurt? i enjoy beef jerky. there are so many options.

other vegatables: broccoli, leafy greats, carrots, cuccumber, green beans, cauliflower (you can do all kinds of things with cauliflower). spiralized zucchini (which i buy pre cut cuz i am lazy). so many options.

garystrickland357

You and I sound very similar. 15 or so years ago I lost about 75 pounds. I got (back) into running and cycling and became as fit as I've ever been in my life. Then I burned out - from too much intensity in my workout and too much restriction in my diet.

I gained it all back. I weighed 275 pounds.

351 days ago I started over. THIS time I decided I wouldn't do anything I couldn't sustain for the rest of my life. I put my numbers into MFP and got a very similar calorie allowance to yours. Then I just started seeing it as a budget. I ate what I liked and managed my caloric budget. Use a food scale. I eat a lot of chicken too. But on days I didn't and when my protein numbers are a bit low I drink a whey protein supplement. I make overnight oats with whey powder added. Have steak (just an appropriate amount). I slowly learned to manage my intake.

Then I got back into exercise. Now I'm back running and cycling. I have a 1/2 marathon in about three weeks. I have a 200K bike ride planned for August. I'm also determined to just have fun - and avoid burnout.

You can do this. Pinterest has a gazillion recipes. Cook food you like. Best of luck to you.

thisPGHlife

Cottage cheese is a good source of protein and a super easy way to make a meal. Throw a little fruit in it like blueberries or pineapple. Or have some tomato and French dressing. Is it just fish or all seafood that you don't like? I have some shrimp in the freezer that for 113 g is only 80 calories and is 18 grams of protein. I can get almost half of my protein goal for the day for 200 calories.

lin_be

Ground turkey and sliced deli turkey is always a great protein source for me. Also protein powder if you’re struggling to get it in your diet. Beans too!

Chef_Barbell

This thread is good for protein sources:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

osche731

col98 wrote: »

Panini911 wrote: »

are there other proteins you enjoy? beef, turkey, fish, tofu, lentils? what would you eat before? i eat the same thing regularly but cannot imagine eating those three things daily :P

I wish I could like fish but I can't. Love beef but trying to keep the red meat to a minimum 1/week. I am going to do it differently this time. I am just doing some planning as I need to get smarter about nutrition. Tofu and Lentils, I will look into that. Thanks.

What about using ground turkey or a pork product? Both of those are also white meat. Peanut butter, flax seed, and chia seed are also great sources of protein.

mgookin

Why stick to the same meal all the time?

Stir fry some veggies with chicken thighs.

Make Turkey burgers with or without bun depending on calories.

Brawts cooked with cabbage taste great.

The other night I had pork loin with roasted potatoes and mushrooms with a side salad for 450 calories.

Look up recipes on pinterest, there are hundreds of ideas or go to local library and get a few different cookbooks.

kshama2001

col98 wrote: »

Panini911 wrote: »

are there other proteins you enjoy? beef, turkey, fish, tofu, lentils? what would you eat before? i eat the same thing regularly but cannot imagine eating those three things daily :P

I wish I could like fish but I can't. Love beef but trying to keep the red meat to a minimum 1/week. I am going to do it differently this time. I am just doing some planning as I need to get smarter about nutrition. Tofu and Lentils, I will look into that. Thanks.

I used to eat chicken and beef in about that proportion and never got sick of the chicken as I varied the starches and veggies and there are soooooooooooo many different ways to prepare chicken.

JeromeBarry1

I happen to have had chicken and asparagus for lunch today, but I will not have that every day.

Tomorrow, I think I'll have a hamburger.

That's the thing about living. You live.

kshama2001

mgookin wrote: »

Why stick to the same meal all the time?

Stir fry some veggies with chicken thighs.

Make Turkey burgers with or without bun depending on calories.

Brawts cooked with cabbage taste great.

The other night I had pork loin with roasted potatoes and mushrooms with a side salad for 450 calories.

Look up recipes on pinterest, there are hundreds of ideas or go to local library and get a few different cookbooks.

Yes, I am on the email list for recipes from America's Test Kitchen and allrecipes.com, and my mother sends me recipes from cooking.nytimes.com.

The library is a great source for cookbooks. Often before I buy new ones I test-drive them from the library.

@col98 if you don't have much of a collection of cookbooks, "The Joy of Cooking" is a must-have IMO.

spiriteagle99

There is no need to restrict yourself that much. As you know already, it leads to burn out and failure. Instead of doing what you know won't work in the long term, why not try something that will work? You can eat anything you want, just as long as it fits your daily calories. There are a lot of protein sources, a lot of tasty vegetables, and a lot of carbs that you can try. Don't make the same mistakes.

jennifer_417

Why are you going back to what didn't work? You run the risk of creating an emotional resistance to trying to lose weight at all.

Look, the best thing about calorie counting is that no foods are off limits. Just plug your information into MFP and eat the number of calories it tells you, made of whatever foods you enjoy.

Losing weight isn't easy. You're doing yourself a favor to not make it any harder than necessary.