What do yall think about being on a diet of frozen foods to

girlwillloselbs

Is this healthy or unhealthy?
Historically, it has been hard for me to count calories if meals I have cooked.
So i am thinking of purchasing Lean Cuisines and Hot Pockets and Marie Callendars and etc.
So that I am better able to track and count calories?

Good Idea or TEEEEEEEEERIBLE IDEA?


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imagymrat

I think it can be done, but what's going to happen when you go out, or start cooking your own food? you also have the chance to learn how to incorporate fresh food into your diet, it's also going to get quite pricey, minus all the sodium and preservatives that frozen foods incorporate. I don't know how much you're actually learning about healthy eating. but yes I think it can be done

Punktorian

Try to keep the sodium low but it can be done.

alphaip

A calorie is a calorie has not been true for me - it's been important to get the right type of calories. Many fo the hot pockets are 40 to 50% fat calories.

I have decided that counting calories is not realistic for me. I do watch the % of caloreis from fat - and try to keep that under 20% - this is not to be confused with the RDA of fat.

If you look at Larry North's slimdown for life - a book that you can read the first few chapters at Amazon.com - I''ve loved the program. No counting calories, but learning to prepare the foods you love in a healthy way. There is a day or so of prep - so I know what I'm eating tomorrow.Also, I don't want a smaller version of your same shape - but to reshape. Fueling muscle and losing fat (as ooposed to just losing weight) - has been great for me.

The book is a bit outdated on some of what we know now about essential fats, but overall it's been the greatest

funkyspunky871

It'll work. When I first began, I ate a lot of frozen tv dinners like lean cuisine. Trust me, you'll get sick and tired of them. Now, I have a few stocked in the freezer for days I don't feel like cooking, but I don't live off them like I used to. Yes, it'll definitely work. However, don't limit yourself to only frozen meals.

kia_b2008

As they mentioned above, you'd wanna keep an eye out on the sodium. I eat lean cuisines or smart ones for lunch everyday at work. Frozen meals can range from 20% to 60% of your daily sodium intake per meal. You'd also wanna watch out for the saturated fat.

For dinner I normally eat grilled tilapia, salad, roasted potatoes, brown rice, salmon, grilled/baked chicken, stir fry veggies, fruit ,etc. Of course not all at once lol...but those are the types of foods I normally eat for dinner. They're easier to keep track of as far as calories.

weaklink109

I lost my first 50 lbs. by incorporating carefully chosen frozen meals into my eating plan. Since then, I have reduced my consumption to probably once a week, and am using fresh fruit, veggies, fresh or frozen, and lean proteins. I use the frozen option when I am in the mood for a particular taste or type of cuisine that I am not going to take the time to prepare.

My advice is READ THE LABELS. There are a lot of things that sound real good until you get to the sodium category. I set a limit that I won't buy an entree that has more than 650 mg of sodium, no matter how good the fat and calorie numbers might be. This still gives you a wide variety to choose from. Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine both have lines that don't have preservatives..emphasize whole grains..etc. Marie Callender has few choices that are not a train wreck, nutritionally speaking. Smart Ones (Weight Watchers) seem to be, in many cases, a little heavy on the sodium.

If you use the frozen options as a means to an end, and incorporate your own preparation of other foods to compliment them, you can achieve your goals. Good luck!!:drinker: :drinker:

WeightingForSara

I have lost all my weight eating a frozen dinner for lunch every single day, and a packet of oatmeal or grits for breakfast. It's a great way to keep track of your calories better! But the other girls are right, you will get tired of them but try to stick it out

joyciebear

The first question I have to ask is, why is it harder to track the calories you consume when you cook?
It can be a challenge if you don't have the proper tools to measure your food.
Is it harder to control your intake when you have a whole stove full of a meal to keep going back to seconds?

If you have a food scale, measuring cups, and measuring spoons just measure out your food. It's a little more work but you can always get some tupperware and pre-measure meals, and pop them in the freezer. it's cheaper and healthier. Everyone is right about the sodium. They put a lot of preservatives in frozen meals and the vegetables they include are usually not adequate. A big part of changing your lifestyle and learning to eat right has to do with being prepared. You could take one night a week and make it your cooking night. You can cook, measure, and freeze your food for the following week. We've mostly banned frozen foods in my house (except for the nights i get too lazy to cook) and it feels great to know what is in my food. When I do eat lean cuisines I keep the little trays the food comes in and re-use them on nights I cook. It helps keep the portion control in check.

00trayn

I have been eating frozen package meals a few days a week since I started losing weight. I love the Safeway Eating Right brand, really low on sodium and there are one or two that I get regularly. I also like the frozen section of Trader Joes. I'm not much of a cook at all so I usually end up microwaving dinner. It's never been a problem for me, and my lunch is usually fresh food. I'm sticking with it as long as I keep losing. I've never been one for a clean diet, but I do make sure to get fruits and veggies in.

jrich1

I eat them for lunch but with the high sodium, it would be hard to eat them all the time.

whittrusty

What's going to happen when you're sick of them? Try cooking your own food at least half the time. Get a food scale and a set of measuring cups. I know, it sounds time consuming, but it's really not, trust me!! That way you can keep track of your calories so much easier and a lot more accurately.

Frozen dinners are ok, but so much sodium. Having too much sodium long term can increase your risk of osteoporosis A LOT. When you're making life changes, I would take baby steps. Start off with what you're comfortable with, then work to cooking your own meals most of the time. It's so much better for you!!

BlueLikeJazz

I lost about 20 lbs eating Michelina Light frozen meals (they're the cheapest ones) plus added frozen veggies for lunch and supper. No, I don't believe they're the most nutritional way to go, but they're great to get your body used to smaller portion sizes and if you hate to cook, or just plain don't have time or feel like it. We all have things we prioritize and not all of us feel like prioritizing cooking, I get it. Healthy cooking can be fun, though, because it feels adventurous to come up with low-cal versions of your old favorites. I was pretty much forced to start eating healthier whole foods and cooking more now that I've cut out animal products, but I feel better and can eat more (lots of fresh veggies!) so it doesn't bother me.

Also, a note on the whole sodium thing: If you are buying the LIGHT meals, like from Lean Cuisine or WW, most of them stay around or under 30% of your RDA for sodium. Considering most of us eat about 3 meals a day, 30% of your sodium at one meal is right on target. Yes, many prepackaged meals are very high sodium, but as long as you're buying the light ones, they strive to cut the sodium on those usually.

melodyg

My vote is maybe sometimes for convenience... but as a rule, no.

I used to eat SmartOnes or Lean Cuisine every day too. First of all, TONS of sodium. Second, I discovered that I can have a much healthier meal which keeps me full longer for the same calories. Grab some non-iceberg lettuce, throw on some more veggies and some chicken or tuna, throw some sunflower seeds or nuts on top, use a spritz of dressing if you must. Add in some fruit and you have a healthy, HUGE lunch. Snack on nuts (measure out in bags when you buy them) or more fruit and veggies, or yogurt.

Find a few meals you love that you can cook for supper and take for leftovers. I do agree that figuring out nutrition information on home cooked food can be a pain at first... but once you've figured up the nutrition information and serving size once, all you have to do is follow the recipe from then on out.