tips + lean cuisine/ww versus home food

juliancl

The old adage is that nothing is healthier than a good home cooked meal. While this may be factual from the nutrient perspective, I have made an interesting observation, when it comes to weight-loss.

Over the course of the last 9 months I have lost 30 lbs, using myfitnesspal (MFP). I am happy with the results and am continuing to maintain good general health.

Along the way I adjusted many things about what I consume: a lot less of the tasty stuff (both frequency and quantity) & choosing meals thoughtfully. My system treats calories like money. For example, I have mostly been on a 1,200 calorie/day allowance, which is like $1,200 to spend all day. That gives me about three $300 meals and $300 worth of snacks/drinks. When favorites like chicken wings "cost" $500 for three wings, I realize that not being full and outspending myself does me no good.



That is what put me on to the Lean Cuisine/Weight Watchers boxed meals. Including those as one or two of my 3 meals really helped me "save" because most of them are 300 or less calories. As a result, I was dropping pounds at a steady and healthy rate. Although, I became "dependent" on the meals because home food seemed way too caloric. Over the last couple months I have tried to assimilate back to normal food. This is where it got interesting.

Not only has it been hard to make satisfying meals at a $300 allowance, but even with the MFP calorie guidelines, my weight has been static. I still have about 5 more lbs to go for a healthy BMI. I am not the only person that has noticed that one tends to lose weight while on LC/WW microwave-food & then slowly or not at all with home cooked food. Among my friends, I have also noticed this result is more pronounced in males; many of my female friends have not benefited from MFP overall as well as my male friends.

This is just an interesting observation I wanted to share. What do you think?

#leancuisinehack

tiedye

I think those foods have high levels of sodium, which could affect weight loss.

MamaDee2

I love the convenience of "boxed" meals but the sodium is over the top!

Jacquelyn913

I would not eat those more than maybe once or twice a week, if that. The sodium content in those things is disturbingly high. Which can over all make you hold onto water weight. Im glad you are losing but, it is much healthier if you try and make the meals yourself. You can find a ton of healthy and delicious low calorie, filling home made meals. There are a lot of options. Good luck!

BigDaddyBRC

Its interesting, but you can make 300 calorie meals at home too. You just have to either look for, or make your own recipies

trixylewis

the sodium isnt worth the convenience for me

cherryObebe

I can make some of the most amazing home cooked meals that will put the pounds on AND I can make amazing home cooked meals that will take them off. Finding the right recipes, eating the appropriate portion sizes and knowing how to calculate the nutrition data efficiently is crucial though.

MotivateMeg

I have a few Lean Cuisine meals tucked away in the freezer that I use maybe twice a week. The sodium is killer, but I do use them when I am too busy, tired, sick to cook.

Lmaxwell

I don't think it's the meals themselves, but rather the portion control.
When we prepare our own foods we tend to overestimate serving sizes.

A couple of years ago while hospitalized, Ilost weight despite laying in bed all day. The only reason it could have been was portion control.

Elleinnz

I used Jenny Craig food from September last year to April this year. After a light "dust up" with the JC folks I decided it was time to get back to cooking my own food.....

I was absolutely petrified as I had been so dissiplined - and it was so easy - the portions were controlled for me - and the "danger" of overeating was very low - other than my fresh stuff I just did not have anything else in my fridge or cupboards....

Up to then I have lost an average of 2.2lbs (1kg) a week - but there was up and down "spikes" 2.3kgs one week, 0.7kgs the next....

I found MFP when I needed to "count calories" now that I did not have the convenience of pre-portioned food....

My weightloss has been more consistent from week to week - the "spikes" got smaller, and I maintained the same average loss of 2.2lbs (1kg) a week .

The big thing is I am actually eating REAL - GREAT TASTING food now!!

OMG I can not even think of having to eat JC or WW little plastic containers of food anymore!!

I still think it is a great way to kick start your journey - understand portions, and how to put together a "balanced meal", but I am sooo glad that I learnt how to actually incorporate that back into eating gorgeous home cooked food!!

The comment about sodium - I totally agree they are sodium bombs - but as I found when I was just eating JC - the high sodium - high carbohydrate meals did not stop me from losing the weight....

Elleinnz

I don't think it's the meals themselves, but rather the portion control.
When we prepare our own foods we tend to overestimate serving sizes.

A couple of years ago while hospitalized, Ilost weight despite laying in bed all day. The only reason it could have been was portion control.

Totally agree - I weigh and measure absolutely EVERYTHING I eat, and plan every meal at the beginning of the day - so I know exactly how many calories I eat (just like I did on Jenny Craig)

I also do not cook any extra food - so I have no temptation to "go for seconds"

12by311

I would seriously have to eat about 10 of those meals a day to feel satisfied.

I could eat 4 oz of grilled chicken, seasoned to taste topped with sauteed green peppers, onions, and mushrooms and 6 stalks of grilled asparagus with low fat Parmesan cheese for a YUMMY low cal meal. Plus the prep time is not a whole lot either.

charityateet

I can make some of the most amazing home cooked meals that will put the pounds on AND I can make amazing home cooked meals that will take them off. Finding the right recipes, eating the appropriate portion sizes and knowing how to calculate the nutrition data efficiently is crucial though.

^^^this^^^

juliancl

IDK the sodium has not been so bad

It IS bad in deli meats. Anytime I have deli meats or hot-dog/hamburgers, my sodium is through the roof with that one meal.