Dinner sucks
fwilson1031
Posts: 88
So, here is my problem... I have done so well during the day, breakfast, lunch and snacks are awesome! They are healthy and filling! The issue I am having is at dinner, I feel like by the time I get home and get everything situated (my child!) I am ready to give in. Today for example I did great! My cals are at 1800, I had 1000 left before dinner, so we ate fast food... It was my fault, I made the decision to do it, but I feel like the rest of my hard work throughout the day was all for nothing. Anyone have any tips or advice to keep stay on track throughout the day?
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Replies
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Can you have dinner ready when you get home, like a crockpot meal or a slow cooker? Maybe make a few meals in advance so its heat and eat?0
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I usually have a snack as I am leaving work in order to avoid the fast food temptations.0
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Crockpot meals or take some time on the weekend to prep things for the coming week. Having freezer meals ready to pop into the oven or prep all your vegetables and freeze meat in a marinade. Then you just defrost the meat, toss with your prepped veggies and throw it in the oven for a bit. Have some healthy snacks prepped too so you can grab a quick little something to eat while you wait. Whenever I make casserole type things I always make at least two, one for dinner that night and another to throw in the freezer for later. Doesn't take any more time but helps me down the road.0
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I try to buy a few different meats each week and have them ready for cooking. Yesterday I marinated some chicken wings in a mustard sauce, then left it in the fridge.
I have a cooker called a TURBO BROILER I purchased in Chinatown - it's a popular Asian way of cooking that uses hot air. Rather than frying the wings, I use the turbo. Calories in a fried chicken wing are about 100 each but I cooked 6 chicken wings and the calorie total is just 232 (compared to 600 for frying).
I guess it's the same as convection cooking - the fat/oil/grease drips to the bottom and there is no oil necessary for the cooking process....everything is crispy and delicious.
I also made "oil free" poutine this way.
Tip # 2
I have a heavy duty blender and stock my kitchen with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I can make my own veggie soup and fruit smoothies very quickly and easily. My blender is Blendtec but I think Vitamix Blenders are also tops.
Last week I was out of town and when I came home....the broccoli is gone. I asked my son where it went and he said he used it to make soup (in the blender). This really shocked me (since he's 19 and I haven't seen him cook much more than scrambled eggs) but I guess he missed the homemade soups.0 -
that happens to me quite often when if realize i have so many calories left for dinner...i feel i can "afford" it.
so i try to balance my meals out more during the day so that the temptation isnt quite as strong.
eating out isnt horrible, and you can still lose weight while doing so..but nothing beats a nice home cooked meal. slow cookers are awesome too0 -
If I were you, I'd eat a dinner higher in fiber, lean protein, and dairy. It will be more filling for less calories that what you may be having now.0
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That was always my problem, too. I would do great for the day, and then fall apart at dinner. The 3 things that helped me are planning, measuring and what I call priming.
I finally started losing weight and getting healthier when I started planning my dinners and calories the night before. If I knew it was going to be a convenience or high calorie night (pizza Tuesday or adult beverages on gameday at our house), I would plug that into MFP the night before so that I could adjust the my portions, eating and exercise throughout the day.
As for the measuring, I always keep measuring cups and spoons and a food scale handy so that I can control my portions. 3 oz of meat is generally just right.
What I call priming is what I consume before the main part of my meal. If we are eating out, I always start with a lower-calorie soup or salad. A big salad with reasonable toppings and dressing has many fewer calories than a giant plate of spaghetti. Priming yourself with a low-cal, healthy, filling option makes you much more content with a smaller (but still tasty) portion of you main course.
Good luck!0 -
Plan the dinner ahead of time. Then eat a small healthy snack and drink water right before dinner so that you won't be STARVING and say, screw it I wanna binge now!0
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i was having the same problem then I added a snack about 4pm and it helps0
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Pre planning meals may help0
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that's a good idea I like the priming idea and the planned higher calorie days. To many times i have higher calorie days that I did not plan0
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Two things I always keep on hand are salmon fillets and brown rice. If we're tired, running behind, or don't have anything planned, I can thaw out a couple salmon fillets under the faucet in about 5 minutes, 10 minutes to cook the rice, about 7 minutes for the salmon to cook, plus a salad or frozen veggie and we have a quick, healthy meal in about 20 minutes.0
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Try as hard as you can to decide what you are going to eat for the day. Fast food is fine once and a while as long as you can make it work with your calorie goals for the day. I completely understand the temptation, If you have in mind what you will have for dinner, log it in your MFP food section for that day even before you get to dinner. I have found that, for me, logging in food that I intend to eat early on in the day helps me stick to it better when I just do not want to. Hope this helps a little.0
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I used to waste all my hard work on gettin what I wanted at fast food joints. I seemed to stay under my calories but never taught my body not to crave the burgers and fries. This time I have been fueling up with more fruits and veggies and even if we go out I order grilled chicken or fish. Even at McDonald's you can get a grilled chicken (light on mayo or no mayo at all) and apples/grapes as side. It sucks in the beginning but now I find it a good type of challenge to find the healthier options on the menu.0
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I find keeping cooked skinless chicken tenderloins on hand helps. They do well for a protein snack and can be heated up with minor sides to prep a fast dinner.0
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I find keeping cooked skinless chicken tenderloins on hand helps. They do well for a protein snack and can be heated up with minor sides to prep a fast dinner.
Totally agree - made chicken curry and also breaded chicken fingers with tenderloins in the past week.0 -
Oh, and on my odd work days, I have him pick up a rotisserie chicken on his way home. Fast food that doesn't make you feel sick!0
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Meal planning is a huge help. Check out skinnytaste.com too. excellent healthy recipes with simple ingredients and easy prep.0
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Oh my goodness, this is my problem exactly.
From all the friends that have advised me about changing my ways, here's the best advice I can give you:
Stay away from fast food! Haha, that's alright - now you know.
Drink tons of water before/after every meal and even in between bites.
Brush your teeth right after dinner to refrain from eating more desserts or whatever else you have lying around.
Decide on a portion and leave the rest in the kitchen. Don't bring the entire dish to the table because that's too easy to get another helping.
Eat very slowly. Very slowly. 20-30 chews per bite. Eat with your nondominant hand. Use chopsticks.
Eat more vegetables - those keep you full without the added calories.0 -
I meal plan every week and always leave room for nights where inevitably, we're going to eat out. We had chick-fil-a tonight because of how crazy our day was, and I don't feel terrible about it because I know tomorrow will be healthy lentil tacos and the day after, chicken curry. Don't beat yourself up, OP, because sometimes part of life is just needing to eat out when it gets crazy. If we'd had to wait for me or DH to make dinner, our 17 month old would be going to sleep right now - that's just not ok.
I guess my point is, 80% healthy, 20% whatever else... because life ain't perfect. But meal planning sure has done our family a lot of favors during the days we truly DON'T need to eat out, too.0 -
Hey! I always have my meals mapped out the day before. That really helps me with making sure I'm eating a healthy (or somewhat healthy) meal. Dinner is tough for me too... I tend to finish up my calories...and then an hour or two later, I want to munch on things! But tonight, I realized that I usually can't finish all of my dinner. It's too much all at once. So if I eat half of it at 6pm, I can save the other half for later if I do get hungry. And it worked! It's almost bed time for me and I'm still very full. Good luck! Hope this helps!0
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If you're not familiar with it, something like Once A Month Cooking (which is a cookbook), or plan-ahead freezer meals in general might be really good for you as well. I do this since my commute + work day = LONG, so when I get home I'm absolutely burned out. It takes me a whole day of cooking to get everything set up, and we always go out to eat on a cooking day (because by the end I can't stand the thought of cooking anything else). But I can make 15-20 meals to put in the freezer easily, and then just take 2-3 out at a time at the beginning of the week. Then they're thawed out and ready to go in the oven (or the crock pot, or whatever). Any leftovers get taken to work for lunches, or saved up for "Leftovers Night" (usually Thursday).
For me a lot of the energy suck of cooking dinner is deciding what to make and prepping it - this takes all of that and puts it in one big lump, but then you get to eat yummy, healthy dinners easily for weeks! Supplement with quick fixes like salads and it really does last awhile.
Also, a lot of plan-ahead meals can be made in the crock pot - you freeze all the stuff in a gallon size bag, thaw it overnight in the fridge, dump it in the slow cooker, and voila! magic dinner!0 -
that happens to me quite often when if realize i have so many calories left for dinner...i feel i can "afford" it.
so i try to balance my meals out more during the day so that the temptation isnt quite as strong.
eating out isnt horrible, and you can still lose weight while doing so..but nothing beats a nice home cooked meal. slow cookers are awesome too
This is exactly what happens! I feel like I can "afford" it! Maybe I should try eating a little more during the day so I'm not giving in at dinner!0 -
Try to preplan your meals for the day..it really helps me.0
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I freeze lots of stuff in portions, take it out the night before to defrost, that way when I get home it's ready in 20 to 30 minutes. Rabbit casserole and roasted veg for dinner tonight, all put on mfp this morning so I know where my day can head.
Ps everything in freezer is created as a recipe as I cook it, portioned and calorie labelled. So simple.0 -
We set a menu for the week, when I get home I have seven options to choose from. It also helps with the grocery shopping.0
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I work at home, so it's easy to lose track of time and not stick to the dinner I've already planned. I set a timer and when it goes off, I stop working, have a large glass of water, then look at what I have planned for dinner. This probably won't work for those who work outside the home, but it sure helps me!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
Dinner is my biggest issue too. I not only have to cook for myself, but for my daughter and boyfriend too. I also have class 2 nights a week so it's so tempting to just go grab some fast food on those nights.
I try to buy keep individual chicken breasts in the freezer. That way I can defrost one, cook it and make a quick wrap or a salad. And most of the time I will have left over chicken for the next day. Putting something in the crock pot in the morning before work is a great idea. That way it's ready when you get home. And making soup and freezing it is also a good idea!0 -
I vote with those who say 'pre-plan'. I've started a new schedule for myself. Sunday night, I plan meals for the following week. I include any nights we're going to eat out (and it will be at least once). I schedule an easy dinner on nights I know I'll be home late due to an appointment or something. So, tonight, we're having (homemade, was frozen) sloppy joes because DD won't get home until 6:30. We're having meatloaf on Sunday because I'll have time to cook it. (It's already made and frozen).
My goal (still working on getting it right) is to plan all three meals for the entire week on Sunday--not just entrees but side dishes, too. As I've been reminded lately, Failure to plan is planning for failure.
I grocery shop in the way home from work on Monday, whether I want to or not. I decided this week that Monday is just going to be rotisserie chicken night so that I don't have to cook a full meal when I get home from shopping. I'll use the leftover chicken for lunches during the week.
For me, deciding what to have is always harder than just making it, so having a plan really helps.
I second/third/agree with all the people who said to cook for the freezer. I'm using the Once a Month cooking book less because many of the recipes are too high in calories, but I still cook for the freezer. When I make marinara sauce, I make a lot of it. When I make taco meat, I freeze several of them in 1 lb sizes. I haven't done it yet, but I intend to start freezing pork cutlets and chicken in marinade so I can pull them out the night before and then grill them for dinner.
Good luck!0 -
Is is important for you to make a meal that you can all eat together as a family or would you be okay making something just for yourself?
With my husband's work schedule, it is often just my daughter (9) and I at home for supper.
So I don't make a big meal for just the two of us.
For example, I'll make her something like chicken nuggets or fish sticks with mac and cheese and a veggie.
I will then make myself battered fish fillets (2 are 200 calories) or a turkey burger along with rice and then the same veggies as my daughter and skim milk.
Both the fish sticks and fillets can be baked together and obviously she won't eat a whole box of mac & cheese or veggies in one sitting, so I have easy to reheat left-overs for the next time.
I also work part time 2nd shift as an RN and on those days I have a lean pocket and raw carrots for supper and that works very well to stay within my goals.
Sometimes we do "cave" and have fast food but I have become very aware of calorie content in fast food and try to make wise choices.
For example at McDonalds I have a salad or a smoothie with a grilled chicken wrap.
At Subway I have a turkey sub with provolone, veggies and a little lite mayo.
It takes a little extra thinking and awareness, but if you are aware of how many calories you have left, you can figure out what to eat for supper and stay within your goal.
Hope this helps0
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