It’s hard

janiceanderson2012

I am trying to find a decent meal I am new to this please help

sollyn23l2

What do you usually eat? At the end of the day, all you really need to do to lose weight is eat smaller portions of what you already eat.... so, that aspect shouldn't be too hard. If you're on one of the fad diets like keto, Atkins, zone, or the like, you should probably rethink that. If you can't find things you like to eat, you absolutely 100% will fail.

springlering62

I get that it can be overwhelming when you start. Years of crazy magazine covers, and more lately, social media, imply that the “only” weight to lose weight is via some NEW!! IMPROVED!!! FAT BURNING!!!! MAGIC!!!! diet plan.

That’s totally untrue. Weight loss is simple.

You can eat anything you want to eat. But you should weigh it and record it in your food diary, and make sure your numbers are within the calorie goal you’ve set for yourself.

I take favorite recipes and make lower calorie substitutions.

For example, we love lasagna. I get ground chicken, mix it well with Italian spices and let it sit in the fridge a few days. I brown it and it tastes just like Italian sausage.

I use a lot of tomato sauce (low cal!) and substitute fat free or skim ricotta and cheese. I might add sliced vegetables to pad it out.

Math-challenged me accidentally used half the lasagna noodles the recipe called for. I didn’t even realize it til I entered the recipe. You know what? Half the noodles didn’t affect the taste at all, but saved about 1200 calories for the large pan I baked. So now I never use all the noodles called for.

If I bake, I experiment with cutting the butter (margarine is half the calories and tastes just fine btw) and cutting sugar. I usually substitute a zero cal syrup instead and for most uses it tastes just fine.

Dinner tonight is our own version of Philly steak sandwiches. I hand chopped some top round beef (140 calories/4 ounces versus higher cal ground or shaved beef), will brown it in a dry pan with some toasted onion seasoning, and serve it with melted skim Swiss cheese on a split crusty roll. That’s a fraction of what the calorie cost would be from a chain or made with “real” ingredients.

Get creative. What can you substitute so you can continue to enjoy what you like to eat and not feel like you’re being punished?

srich92802

One of my favorite blogs is skinnytaste.com. I have tried many of her dishes and can't think of one I don't like. I have 17 year twin boys and they request her chicken enchiladas with grilled corn salad. Enchiladas are time consuming but worth it. If you have any questions about a recipe let me know

robinmarshall6275

I'm a second on skinnytaste.com! She has great cookbooks and does full meal plans if you struggle with that as well.

ninerbuff

Eat off smaller plates. Portion size helps tremendously with calories reduction.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

gceinca

Try hungry-girl.com. I love Hungrey Girl! Amazing low cal meals (many one person recipes that are very filling and delicious) as well as family meals.

There are also hardcover Hungry Girl cookbooks. Check your local library.

MacLowCarbing

What kind of plan do you want to be on? Vegetarian? Well balanced gov't-recommended type diet? Controlled carb? Low carb?

It's a good place to start figuring out so you will know which types of foods to focus on and how to balance your plate.

In the mean time, you can't go wrong with something like a nice piece of grilled chicken breast and a garden salad, or some sugar-free oatmeal and a serving of fruit. Simple stuff like that.

gains4lif3

I went to grocery store and bought a tub of spring mix, two packs of chicken drumsticks, chicken breast, russet potatoes, frozen salmon, frozen green veggies (asparagus, broccoli), brown rice, and berries (blue, black, raspberry). Find out your base metabolic rate, what your weight goal is, and what your calorie deficit should be to lose the weight. Then in myfitnesspal, keep track of how much calories you are eating in a day.

Some recipes I've done:

• 2 chicken drumsticks (300 cal)
• 1 cup of spring mix
• Ole spinach wrap (the keto one) (50 cal)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil (60 cal) (you could sub this for another oil depending on how low in fat you want to be)
• Cayenne pepper
• paprika
• adobo (or dan-o's seasoning, whatever you like)
• cherry tomatoes

I season the chicken with oil, massage in the spices, and then let it sit for at least 30 mins to marinate. Then I put in air fryer for 30 mins with 15 mins each side. If you don't have an air fryer, I recommend it but you could use an oven.

I then use the spinach wrap and put the greens, chicken, and cherry tomatoes. Super yummy, healthy, and low calorie. Have fun with it, make sure you get a complex carb, good protein, healthy fats, and fibrous veggies and you should be good to go in your meals. Make sure it all ties back to what your weight goal is, and try to stay around that calorie goal for the day.

LittleSimMama

Best advice:

Play the long game. Don't skimp on nutrition - protein, fiber, carbs from healthy sources. Watch your portions. Strength exercises and get good amounts of sleep. It all works in tandem. There may be some days you are more hungry - so what? Eat! The next day you might not be as hungry. It balances out over time. Just keep going.

Not sure what you were looking for since the post was vague. What appeals to you may not appeal to the next person. If you cook, the recipe builder is helpful. Just experiment. Fiber and protein will help you to feel fuller.