Big problem

froglegjack
froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey this started out being a blog. any and all replies are welcome thanks in advance
My eating habits suck. I mean really suck. Here is the problem. I am single and my children are grown. So that means cooking a well balanced meal for one. It has not happened in quite a few years. Also The biggest bad habit I have is only eating one thing at a meal. For instance I had brussel sprouts which I love for dinner I also had a 4 0z chicken breast. Normally one or the other is all I would eat. Not both. And certainly nothing else in with it. See? Right now I am sitting here with around 600-800 calories left to eat...

Vegetables are great but they are too Low in calories. I don't eat mac n cheese. I really dislike it and can never eat enough to justify making it. This is how I got myself into this condition dammit. I am stuffed. I have not cooked "whole" meals in so long it is impossible for me to do it...I have got to change. I see a trip to walmart in the near future for storage containers. Tomorrow I am making eggplant parmesean....six servings....wtf!!!!

So for some people I can understand how eating healthy can be expensive for me it is cheap now that I recognise what portions are and actually measure them out. But....Here is the big one....I have now got under the 1200 net clories so many times that I am "stuffed" right now . How am I going to train my stomach and mind that more is good desirable and acceptable? Please tell me there are more single people out there with the same problem? actually I think I will post this in the forums and find out.

Replies

  • nschaf115
    nschaf115 Posts: 1
    I cook for myself, my husband, and my three children (2 yo twins and a 4 yo). I definitely don't worry about the size of the recipes I'm making, but maybe you should cook a well-rounded meal regardless of size of the recipe. I would suggest one-dish meals so you don't have a ton of tupperware containers. Like with your eggplant parm., you could portion it into different single-serving containers, freeze them, and then you could stick your meal in the microwave when you get home from work, etc. By doing that, you save yourself from eating out all the time. i know I don't like to cook after a long day so my freezer saves me time, money, and calories by not picking up fast food or whatever. Good Luck!
  • chovest81
    chovest81 Posts: 99
    I recommend meal replacement bars and shakes. Give you calories adn supplements nutrition. I use Take Shape for Life/Medifast supplements....they taste good and are portion controlled.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    I cook for myself, my husband, and my three children (2 yo twins and a 4 yo). I definitely don't worry about the size of the recipes I'm making, but maybe you should cook a well-rounded meal regardless of size of the recipe. I would suggest one-dish meals so you don't have a ton of tupperware containers. Like with your eggplant parm., you could portion it into different single-serving containers, freeze them, and then you could stick your meal in the microwave when you get home from work, etc. By doing that, you save yourself from eating out all the time. i know I don't like to cook after a long day so my freezer saves me time, money, and calories by not picking up fast food or whatever. Good Luck!

    I agree, after cooking for a family for years it is hard to cook just for hubby and me. I freeze small portions for lunch and other sizes for us to share later. Works pretty good for me.
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    I am going to look for one dish recipes...and look into meal replacements too I knew I could count on you guys to help Thanks!!!!
  • olyrose
    olyrose Posts: 569 Member
    I cook for me and my son, but he really doesn't like a lot of the things I want to make, so I end up cooking him separate versions, and then end up with lots for myself.

    I like to cook extra, though, because then I know the calories for the other meals. Like I'll make a spaghetti squash casserole and eat it for dinner for a few nights. Then I don't have to think about what I'll eat. I know a lot of people get bored with this though.

    Maybe try snacking throughout the day to get your extra calories. A 100 calorie snack every two hours or so will add up, and not give you the stuffed feeling. I eat a small snack about every two hours whether I am hungry or not, because it makes it easier for me to make good choices for dinner because I'm not starving.
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    Ok that is the other thing, I started out eating snacks and stopped because I was not hungry...so I need to add them back in
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    thank god for google
    http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2009/01/65-cheap-healthy-one-dish-meals-with.html
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    I'm single and hate to spend time cooking, so I do a lot of quick but healthy dinners - I'll steam some fish and heat up one of those green giant vegetables for 1 things, or their steam in the bag veggie packs. Alternatives for protein are chicken (try the rotisserie chickens if you don't want to cook at all), turkey burgers, veggie burgers, etc... Try the prepared food section of your grocery for meats that are already cooked. This way I don't have leftovers. Another quick fix is to pick up a salad without dressing at a fast food place or restaurant (add the protein if they have something steamed/baked/grilled) and add your own dressing at home. There are lots of good cooikbooks out there now for 1-2 portions, or if it's something you like, make a larger batch and freeze it (I do this with spaghetti sauce, chili, etc...).
  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    I pre make beans and rice for the week and store in the fridge. I then make fish and shrimp pan fried in light olive oil. While that is cooking I heat up the right portions of the rice and beans in the microwave. Within 7-10 minutes I have a full meal. :)

    I eat this way just about daily... Works for me. :)
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    Maybe the rice and beans are what I need to up the calories....good idea thanks
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I lived on my own for lots of years and my best suggestions are:
    - Cook things that you like and freeze them for when you don't want to cook.
    - Cook one thing that that you can use in lots of ways. Like a roast chicken (or a few chicken breasts or thighs) so you can eat it hot with vegges (frozen), in a salad (buy ready to use salad mix in a bag), make soup with the leftover bones etc.
    - Get some extras ready to eat - cherry tomatoes are easy to add to any meal, cut up some carrot, celery, capsicum so you can add a few strips to a meal or with hommus for a snack.
    Oh, and put some hot water in the sink and wash dishes as you cook, then you don't have to look at all those dishes when you are done and there is no one else to do them!

    Good luck!
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    I guess I need to invest in a cookbook too. I think I must have had a lot of brain fog when I started thinking about this ...thanks :)
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    you know me! I hate washing dishes
  • Improvised
    Improvised Posts: 925 Member
    If you go to allrecipes.com you can input how many servings would like, and it will alter the recipe to however many servings you want to make.
  • joanie775
    joanie775 Posts: 24 Member
    Protein Shake's the calorie's in 1 is 200 - and im sure you know protein will help build muscle and muscle burn's fat, I love the chocolate flaver and mix it with skim milk:drinker:
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    thank you I did not know that it did that.
    Anyway thanks everyone you gave me alot of good ideas :)
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