Okay Ladies, I need some help PLEASE

k8tls

I have been using this site for about five months now. I have a LOT of weight to lose, over 100 pounds. It is really hard and frustrating for me. I try to eat healthy, lots of veggies, juicing, fruits, chicken... but I live a very busy lifestyle and dont always have time to pack a lunch or cook dinner so i end up eating at dunkin donuts and crappy places that feed me but never the right things. I try to keep yogurts and fruit in the office but get sick of it after a while SO,

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

When and how do you prepare them?

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?

What advice or encouragement can you give me???

Thanks ahead of time for all of your kind words and advice!

katejkelley

A lot of grocery stores now have delis where you can buy healthier sandwiches or salads. Our Safeway has a nice selection of to-go salads. When I don't have time to make one before work, I duck in there and pick one up. It doesn't take any longer than stopping at a fast-food place, and it's much healthier.

Vailara

If I have time I make a frittata with eggs and any other ingredients I have to hand (cheese, bacon, nuts, seeds, herbs, frozen veg, etc.). I take a slice to work for lunch. It's quick to make, and I cool it and wrap it up ready so just need to remember to pick it up from the fridge in the morning. I also keep some Ryvita and cup-a-soups at work for emergencies. A banana and peanut butter is another quick, filling snack.

Venturin

I'm not a lady, but I like ladies so I will chime in too!

I often make up a batch of tuna fish and parse it out in little Tupperware containers for my busy week days. I also buy celery, clean and chop it into small pieces and eat the tuna with that. (celery makes a good spoon for the tuna)

I try to have tomatoes on hand, and I just eat them like an apple.

I also often make a BIG bowl of salad on Sundays and eat that during the week. I have little Tupperware containers with garbanzo beans to throw in for protein. You can even buy some precooked chicken to make it a meal.

I'm big on taking an apple along with me, and a banana, any fruit in season. (peaches, yum!)

-V-

lsorensen130

I bought a big purse and keep lots of healthy snacks in there I pack turkey jerky, almonds, etc. so I can dive in when I need to.

jaxandmaksmom

i used body by vi shakes for that reason alone.. i had to stop the crap resturant foods...

thedreamhazer

I keep food for lunch for a week at work. Leafy greens and a bottle of salad dressing in the fridge, cans of tuna, whole grain wraps. It's there until it runs out so you don't have to worry about bringing it everyday.

Dinner is easy to get every night with a little forethought and a crockpot.

EDIT -- Also, make the lower calorie/higher protein choices when eating out if it's a concern. Dunkin' Donuts has some decent breakfast sandwiches if you find yourself pulled in there

yabba45

I measure and pack my food at night so in the morning its ready to go. I love all fruits and veggies with ranch veggie dip. love the fiber one bars and discovered greek yogurt is pretty tasty. I always eat a normal dinner but my portions sure are smaller since I have joined this site and see how many calories are in everything.

serena569

I worked at McDonalds for many years and could make a filling meal under 400 calories for less than $3.
Cheeseburger
Side salad w/Italian Dressing
Apple Dippers
Ice water

DrKittyCat

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

Meals? I like to have a healthy dose of proteins and veggie carbs. I'll always have some chicken or egg salad on hand, and a lettuce-based salad. I make the salad in advance and keep it in the fridge. I make my own egg salad so I can control the calories. I add the egg salad to the lettuce so I don't need any type of dressing. It's very yummy and filling and it can all be made way in advance. Just plop some into a tupperware and you can be on your way.

I also use the weekend to grill meats and vegetables in advance. Grilling is clean, healthy, and tasty. I'll grill a bunch of chicken, beef, lamb, and mixed vegetables. I then use these foods for various meals throughout the week. This is the PERFECT summer cooking solution. I don't have to waste time thinking about a healthy food to eat. I can just reach in my fridge and heat up some grilled foods.

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?

I've gotten myself to a point where, by limiting my caloric intake and upping my proteins, I'm just not hungry. I have no desire to indulge in chocolates, cakes, or other high-cal foods. Keeping with my diet is now just a fact of my life, it's the way of life, it's not a thing I have to think about. It's really frustrating to not see huge results quickly, but I think about how GOOD it'll feel when the pounds do come off.

What advice or encouragement can you give me???

Set goals for yourself, cook in advance, have someone in your family or a friend support you... you can do it!

lilchino4af

Crockpot recipes that I can throw together on a weekend, then divy up into individual containers for the week. I freeze half as the recipes generally make 12 servings, and when I can I make two different recipes each weekend to keep me from getting bored.

hdsqrl

Even places like Dunkin Donuts have menu items you can choose and eat fairly well (the wake-up wraps, for example, and regular coffee with skim milk.) Spend some time looking at nutrition facts online for your go-to places and make a list of "you-approved" items you can order at each place on those days when you just didn't have time to plan ahead. It can be done!

MindyG150

Make dinner and make extras! That's the easiest lunch to pack. I have even eaten my left-over dinner for breakfast when time was not on my side.

If you have to eat out, go to Taco Bell and get 2 fresco tacos...and only 2!

Make the weekned a shopping and packing time...shop for the right foods and pack them in the right quantities/weights/servings. Learn about portions as you go.

Stay away from eating out! Most portions are enough calories for a WHOLE DAY, and that's no joke!

Drink lots of water! Plain old, clear clean water.

sarahcuddle

If you have to buy lunch, just check the packaging for calories. Many places now have healthier options in salads or sandwiches. Sushi is quite good or soup if you can heat it up at work. If bringing from home make homemade soup or salads in tupperware containers. You have to be more organised but its worth it.

hbart500

You can mix anything with brown rice

Recently a friend said get some brown rice (minute rice works great)
corn
shredded cheese
bbq sauce
and if you want to add chicken that works too

frozen bagged veggies and rice

frozen veggies

I used to grill a package of chicken and cut up a couple for salads on sundays and throw the other few in baggies and eat that throughout the week. Just make sure they are packaged right so they stay fresh. Then you have part of a quick meal ready for ya whenever you need it.

PB&J's

Snacks...
hardboiled eggs cook a dozen and they are ready to go for you when you want to grab and go.
carrots and hummus
apples and PB
fruit

tasiamere

A lot of restaurants have lighter fare meals now too. Some are still pretty high but if I I have to I'll omit the bun from a Wendy's chicken sandwich fast! Drink a lot of water like 30 mins before I eat and keep english muffin always within reach. I pretty much can make anything out of an english muffin now. LOL

Sweet Fix - English muffin a little butter and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mix or hershy's coco powder I keep in my desk
Fast Food Feel - English muffin with 2TBSP tomato sauce one slice of provolone

and they always make good sandwiches breakfast, lunch or dinner. On the go, within reach, and still reasonable.

Good luck!

lovetobethin86

Well...first of all just say no to Dunkin donuts, it wont fill you up anyways...it will make u hungrier faster:( I love Lara bars....literally just fruit, nuts and dates in a bar. Maybe bring an apple or banana. Pre pack the night before?

Justacoffeenut

Bake a bunch of chicken on the weekends. Then eat it with salad through the week, or just a bit of bbq sauce, or some brown rice and green beans. You can package it up in containers on the weekend and just grab one as you rush out the door.

LLee1104

no sugar added chocolate breakfast essential by carnation added to glass of skim milk (I prefer smart balance 0%)

bp716

I have a similar scheduling/time problem.

-I have an insulated lunch bag with a freeze pack to be able to take a variety of food to work

-smoothies- 1 c greek nonfat plain yogurt, 1 scoop protein powder, fiber powder and 1 T instant coffee. I prepack the dry ingredients, then pack the yogurt and just mix and shake with water at work in a shaker cup.

-double cook meals on the weekends for leftovers for lunches- grill an extra piece of chicken, fish etc. for a salad.

-1 oz packs of walnuts with 1/2 c of berries make a great and healthy snack.

-hard boil a dozen eggs for packable snack or salad on a bagel/in a wrap

Hope this helps

nichalsont

I'll bet you have more time than you think. I can scramble an egg and add homemade salsa in less time than it takes to stand in line for an Egg McMuffin. I have no patience for lines.

I try to carve out a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon/evening to chop and slice all the produce for the week. Also, prepare a couple of entrees like a pot of northern beans with some carrots and potato for low cal, low fat dining. Plus it takes no time to dip some in a plastic container for lunch too.

soygurl

I agree with all the above tips, but for those times when fast food really IS the only option, try to make healthier choices. All chains should have nutritional info on their websites (as well pamphlets available in the store). Check out the specs for places you usually go, so you're able to make some better choices next time you go in. Even if you can't look at the nutrition info ahead of time, you can still save a lot of calories by choosing smaller sizes, asking for no mayo, no cheese, sauces/dressing on the side, etc. Try a veggie burger if available, or have a grilled chicken sandwich instead of crispy chicken or beef. Also, you can eat only the bottom half of a burger bun, or ask for a to-go container and before starting to eat, package up half the meal to take home for dinner. There's even a book about this subject. It's called "Eat This, Not That" I think. I don't have it, but I've heard it's good if you find yourself unable to avoid fast food.

lindsy721

When I'm doing well and stuff, I'm usually packing snacks like apple slices and hard boiled eggs. I didn't always have access to a fridge at work, but it was still ok to just keep my little container of cut up apples and eggs at room temp. Trust me, apple slices and a hard boiled egg or two are FILLING!!

k8tls

Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions everyone!

I hope that others will benefit from your insight as well!

notlauren

quick on the go food ideas I can share is the pre-made salads (chicken cesar yummy- be careful to not use much of the full flavor dressing) at Papa Murphy's Pizza- tons of romaine lettuce in the chicken ceasar and only 5 bucks in my town anyway.

I eat almonds and pistachios and cashews (count out 1/2 a serving) to stop hunger between meals.

I eat lots of A & E yo-lite yogurt- artificially sweetened if you can live with that. I also eat lots of 1% cottage cheese-keep a container at work fridge for a quick lunch- maybe I would have a chicken boca burger for my a meat substitute, high in protein, microwaves in 1 minute and tastes yummy too. Add some fresh green vege like peppers, cucumber, strawberries for desert... you can grab this kind of stuff at the grocery store instead of trying to find something healthy at convenience store. Keep a lunch sack with cuttlery and napkins in your vehicle for such an occasion...

hope this helps...hang in there. Know that exercise (strength training a few times a week will make a BIG difference in your metabolism and your body sculpting) combined with controlling intake is the formula for success.

take care

anthemforagirl

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

If all else fails... choose a salad. Forego the croutons and go with a fat free or vinaigrette dressing.
Lean Cuisine makes a bucket load of low calorie microwavable meals that are truly delicious.
Annie's vegetarian burritos are also easy to prepare, filling, and delicious.

When and how do you prepare them?
I cook very little, most meals are microwavable.

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?
The weight didn't go on overnight and it isn't going to come off overnight.
There will be plateaus, but trainers say to increase calorie intake for a couple days and it will kick back in - then lower the calorie intake once it does.

What advice or encouragement can you give me???
My highest weight was 328lbs.
I have lost 46lbs thus far with over 100lbs more to go.
It CAN be done.
It took 26 years to put the weight on... working hard and changing my life over the course of... say two years... that is win-win situation.

lk27

I pack my lunch at night. It only takes a few minutes. When I go grocery shopping for the week I get stuff for salads, carrots, celery & cucumber (to slice) for snacks, apples. I usually try to make a batch of vegetable soup for quick weeknight dinners. I chop and prepare everything so that the night before I can just throw a salad together (dressing on the side), throw some veggies in a bag and put it all in the fridge so I can rush out the door in the morning. For healthy breakfasts I try to make egg muffins on Sunday as well. Throw them in the microwave for a minute and eat while I'm walking to my car. I only take what I have planned in my diary. I try really hard not to stop somewhere and grab a bite of anything. With me, one bad decision always leads to more. If I just stay on track it's easier to keep on track...

zrmac804

What kind of kitchen options do you have at work? Is there a fridge, microwave, kettle, or nothing? It might be worth investing in a microwavable cup or dish to keep at the office. If you have a fridge at work, bring in a grocery bag of healthy snacks (fruit, cut up veggies, yogurt cups, cheese portions, whole wheat bread, and anything else that you like.)

If you have a microwave, you can heat up your own homemade food or a healthy frozen dinner. I eat a lot of frozen dinners at work because I dislike cold sandwiches. I like looking forward to a good-tasting lunch after a long morning :-)

If you don't have either of these things it gets a little more challenging, but there are still healthy, shelf-stable snacks available. I like canned hummous, fruit in shelf-stable cups, peanut butter, canned vegetable juice and canned tuna salad. Whole fresh fruit is another great snack that will keep in your desk for several days. There's also oatmeal and soups, stews and chili available in individual cups that simply require hot water.

Frozen dinners and shelf-stable items tend to be high in sodium, so you'll want to keep an eye on that. There are lots of great suggestions on this thread, and hopefully you'll find some meals that appeal to you!

mamaomefo

For something really quick and nutritious I buy Chocolate Muscle Milk in small 100 calorie cartons. When kept cold in the fridge you can grab it and go. You'll be getting 30% protein as well as many more nutrients in a little carton of milk.

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

ALWAYS make time for your health. No excuses.

That being said, you can spend more time on weekends doing things like grilling a massive amount of white chicken and veggies. Don't bother with pastas, bagels, or wraps. They are high calorie and don't keep you full for long. I used to be a carb QUEEN. Now I barely ever make carb-heavy foods because I'm hungry only a couple hours later!! Plus it's one more food group to cook each time..

Do prep ahead of time so you can portion it out each morning.

Don't waste your time on smoothies - you would have to make it daily.

Go basic like low fat cottage cheese and strawberries for breakfast, chicken and veggies for lunch (change up the seasoning/cooking sauce), and same for dinner (lean protein/veggie). We cook things like grilled chicken, roasted peppers, turkey meatloaf, brussels sprouts, broccoli, then maybe take some of the cooked chicken and turn it into taco meat for tacos one night, then slice it for chicken sandwiches... Another day you can chop the roasted peppers and chicken, add balsamic vinegar (or light vinaigrette) and make a salad. Done! See how easy it can be?

mlewon

LOVE having almonds with me-and a lot of simple grab-and-go foods like celery sticks and PB, grape tomatoes, mini cucumbers.

If you need to eat out and don't have time for packing meals- grocery stores make pre-packaged salads and wraps most of the time (just make sure you check the calorie count!) and it'll take you just as long to get something at DD as it will to grab a salad from the store.

It's all about being able to manage! Another great motivator is dedicating a section of wall space in an area that you will see when you wake up/as you're getting ready to go (I use the back of my door!) and I have a post-it note denoting every pound I have to lose stuck on the door (you can use multiples for now if you wish, since you say you have a large amount to loose!) and then once a week when you weigh yourself, you can look forward to being able to take those post-its off. It keeps me on track because taking one down is a huge motivator (I started losing weight before MFP, that's why it says I haven't lost anything yet) and I have to see it every day.