Weight loss? What's that?

carieblack619

I have been on here a few months now and I cannot lose weight. As a matter of fact, I have gained 8 lbs. I am starting the 17 day diet today along with my daily exercise. I hope this helps. I am 5'3 with a medium body frame. My weight now is 169.5 and my goal is 135-140. My biggest downfall is that my husband and children don't eat very healthy and its too expensive to make 2 different meals everyday. So any help or suggestions ? Any recipes that you use for your entire family that they don't complain about?

imthelobster

How many calories per day are you eating?

What kinds of foods do your husband and children eat? If you buy the groceries in the house, you can always sub in healthier choices for cooking with, while still keeping the 'unhealthy' foods. Check out skinnytaste.com, and there are a bunch of other recipe sites that taste like the real things!

Also, it's a good idea to instill a healthier eating habit into your kids, so they don't end up getting into the same problem when they get older!

KenziesMomma11

I agree about the expense. It is expensive to eat healthy if you are single! Food that is cheap is usually bad for you, but if you are on a tight budget and feeding a family....there isnt too much choice =/

My suggestions, try and keep salad fixins in the house, cut back on anything that comes in a box (opt for that salad instead), frozen veggies go on sale all the time at Walmart..you can use those with chicken, pork, or beef for a quick stir-fry, and if you do eat things that arent fantastic for your body, try to eat a smaller portion.

Good luck girl, and add me if you like.

leslisa

Do you coupon? There was another thread on that yesterday. Maybe check to see if your grocer has online sign up for $5 off $30 or something. Check if you have food co-ops local because a lot of time their food is way less expensive.

About hubby, feel your pain, mine is definitely not on the healthy train. About the kids, maybe you could try to start switching them?

About different menus. First, I buy boneless skinless breast of chicken when it's on sale, bake a couple of trays and freeze the 1/2 breast so I can pull out when I need them. Helps me tons.

How about a week's worth for you to make it easier to see?

Mon:
Them: Pasta with red sauce and ground round. Parm cheese. Salad
Me: Spaghetti squash with red sauce and 1/2 chicken breast for me. Parm cheese. Salad

Tue:
Them: Chicken fajitas (or tacos) for them.
Me: Chicken fajita salad for me (Maybe a 1/2 taco shell or 1/2 white corn wrapper shredded on top)
Alternately you can use 93/7 lean ground round for everyone

Wed:
Hamburgers, baked potatoes, and corn for them
Baked potato with chicken or tuna and 1 tbsp low fat cheese (from freezer - I freeze a lot of what I eat), maybe low fat sour cream from Tue on top for me (potatoes baked in microwave)

Thurs:
Them: Pork Chops and broccoli with cheese. Side of boxed, flavored rice if they are hungry
Me: Small Pork Chop and broccoli (I buy it in the big, huge freezer bag and use as needed). Maybe a piece of wheat bread on the side (can be frozen and thawed as needed so it lasts a long time if you don't have to have fresh)

Fri:
Them: Thick Crust All Meat Pizza for them (frozen = $5)
Me: Thin Crust Chicken or Veggie Pizza for me (frozen = $8) and if their pizza doesn't fill them up, they snag some of mine. They seem to like the Chicken Pizza but not veggie so I usually get chicken. This can come in as low as 180 cals for 1/3 pizza (read the boxes), 540 total for the entire pie.
Or you can make your own, save money and know exactly what you are putting on there.

Sat:
Break: Eggs & cereal for them, egg whites and coffee for me. Fresh fruit cut up for whoever wants it
Lunch: Turkey or ham sandwiches for everyone (theirs on white, mine on wheat - see note about freezing bread), leftover fruit for me, whatever side you usually serve for them.
Dinner: Grilled baby.
Them: Beef hot dogs for them (180 cals each) on cheap white buns.
Me: White turkey hot dogs (45 cals each) (again, frozen, I pull out what I need), on whole wheat bread. I don't have to have a bun.

Sun:
My cheat day where I get 1600 cals. I eat what they eat, just smaller portions if necessary, although we always have a huge breakfast and so I use egg whites while they get regular scrambled. I eat turkey sausage while they have bacon. I have wheat toast (or milk toast or whatever) and they have french toast on white. If not, I'd have my entire intake at breakfast.

Hope this helps!

carieblack619

Well its mostly that my kids are very picky about which veggies they like and it's hard to find different recipes for the same veggies all the time. We don't eat any red meat in our house. We prefer chicken, fish, and pork. So the meat is good for us but its the side dishes that have me stumped. And in the summer we always grill out so nothing is ever fried.


Thanks for the menu suggestions. That will help me a lot. Does anyone have suggestions for a healthy dessert?

I have never really been overweight until last October when my husband and I quit smoking. I gained 30 lbs, which is ironically the amount of weight I want to lose. I know the weight comes off a lot slower than it went on, but I get frustrated sometimes.

Also, I am netting 1200 calories a day.

gumigal82

Well its mostly that my kids are very picky about which veggies they like and it's hard to find different recipes for the same veggies all the time. We don't eat any red meat in our house. We prefer chicken, fish, and pork. So the meat is good for us but its the side dishes that have me stumped. And in the summer we always grill out so nothing is ever fried.


Thanks for the menu suggestions. That will help me a lot. Does anyone have suggestions for a healthy dessert?

I have never really been overweight until last October when my husband and I quit smoking. I gained 30 lbs, which is ironically the amount of weight I want to lose. I know the weight comes off a lot slower than it went on, but I get frustrated sometimes.

Also, I am netting 1200 calories a day.

My take on side dishes is sneak veggies into wild rice, brown rice...heck sneak a veggie in those mashed potatoes (try a red or purple potato for your mashed, try leaving the skin on) Eat a lot of sweet potatoes. Try to make normal meals skinny or healthy--for example, when you have spaghetti, use whole wheat pasta (or the type that has the veggie in it), In a mac and cheese use lighter cheese, add a veggie in the dish, and again...use the whole wheat pasta.
You don't have to take the rich foods away from your family, but try to incorporate some healthy elements into it.

carieblack619

Thanks. Those are great tips. Tonight the family is having Chicken Alfredo which I incorporated broccoli into. I on the other hand am having a piece of grilled chicken and broccoli, maybe throw in some rice. Would you suggest white or brown rice?

leslisa

Brown rice kicks white rice's rear in the weight loss department cause white rice is simple sugar and brown is complex carb.

As for a low cal dessert, I like sugar free jello (2/$1 here) with Redi-whip (15 cals serving), sugar-free pudding pie with Redi-whip (you can freeze this), 2 grahams with Redi-Whip between and frozen. I use Redi-whip alot because I can make me size portions in about 2 seconds while my husband and son (kids really shouldn't have sugar free per my ped), have something else. If you add a square of dark chocolate to the graham/whip thing it comes in at 120 cals and is friggin' amazing...

For the family you can use regular jello, regular pudding, instant smores (marshmellow cream and chocolate)