Building a healthy plan

KMiYong
KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
Hello :)
I came back here after a while and I am trying to take a different approach to weightloss.
I started a job a week ago, and I signed a contract for 9 months, so for the next 9 months my meal schedule is set in stone.
I would like it if you guys could help me with building a healthy meal plan, because I kinda lost my creativity, and tend to bring whatever is easy to cook for lunch, so either potatoes, rice and chicken, couscous, and other easy to make and not too healthy foods.
While at it, I would also like a few tips on how to stop sweets cravings and such, or at least take control of them.. I am going to try really hard this time, because if I can't do it on my own, I will make my final steps towards a bariatric surgery, since I might just be a person who doesn't have what it takes to lose weight on their own.

Thanks in advance to whoever replies,
Hope you have a wonderful day!

Replies

  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    I have a lot of go-to's that I can throw together easily. Weekdays are easy because of work and being tied to only eating what I take with me!

    Breakfast includes a mixture of: green smoothie (spinach, flax seed, protein powder, banana), protein shake (almond milk and protein powder), banana, homemade mini muffins (make a big batch and freeze them), eggs, etc.

    Lunch: sweet potato, salad, apple, leftovers from dinner (see below)

    Snacks: PB2, yogurt w/ honey or fruit, trail mix, grapes and cheese

    Dinner: rice, chicken, veggies, fish, beans, etc.

    You can gain weight eating all "healthy" food if you wanted to. I am definitely an advocate for eating healthy food, but you do have to control your portions, and count your calories too! For me, once I start eating sweets (processed sugars) I have a hard time stopping. I look for "raw" or vegan style sweets. They just don't seem as addictive to me and my taste buds.

    You are only 19......you can lose weight without bariatric surgery! Do you have access to anyone that can be a support or give you accountability? Weight loss is hard, but doing it yourself is extremely rewarding. Best of luck!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I am in my fifties and finally this year I went for bariatric surgery. I started at a similar weight as you and I am eighty pounds lighter (36 kg) today.

    Potatoes, rice, couscous and chicken are all good choices. Maybe you want to start adding fruits, vegetables and dairy.

    To spark my creativity, I pick fruits and vegetables in season and learn how to cook them. One new recipe a week. If it doesn't work out, I try something else. This time of year in Canada the citrus fruits are coming in to season, and I switch to frozen vegetables.
  • KMiYong
    KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
    Thank you, girls :) I'll take your tips in mind and make myself a shopping list at morning on the way to work.
    Do you have any slow cooker recipes that would be good? I recently aquired a slow cooker and I wanna use it really badly - I think it can be a good way to cook a warm breakfast and take the leftovers to work - kill two birds with one stone.

    Also, any recipes for vegan\raw snacks or asian snacks? I am afraid to look because I like to just cook what looks yummy and cannot really differentiate between better and worse choices as of this moment.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    simple-nourished-living.com/2014/04/slow-cooker-chicken-thighs-beer/
    Recipe for Chicken Thighs and Light Beer in the Slow Cooker.
    If you do not have the herbs the recipe calls for buys some bay leafs in the spice aisle.
  • KMiYong
    KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
    Rose, I do not like beer, but the website is great! So many good recipes! Thank you very much.
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 845 Member
    I usually make a turkey/chicken beanless chili in the slow cooker. Few cans of low sodium crushed tomatoes, either protein of your choice, quinoa perhaps and some of your favorite veggies. Its hearty and helps keep you full
  • mforrestall
    mforrestall Posts: 37 Member
    I use skinnytaste.com. I like that you can search by type of ingredient. I usually cook a big meal Sunday evening a bring leftovers the rest of the week. If I don't do that my go to lunch is rice, beans, salsa and avocado. I prep the rice and beans on Sunday and portion it out so it's pretty grab and go each morning.
  • MargaretSobers
    MargaretSobers Posts: 167 Member
    There are various sites from where you can get the best suggestions on building a meal plan for weight loss. I would suggest you few foods which are good for your diet and also allows the factor for increasing the physical activity level. You eat the plates loaded with food rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and fatty acid but all this should be low in calories but high in nutrients.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,268 Member
    Your going to have to want it a little more than using surgery as a scape goat.....good luck regardless of what you do.
  • joneallen
    joneallen Posts: 217 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Your going to have to want it a little more than using surgery as a scape goat.....good luck regardless of what you do.

    My thoughts exactly. It all comes down to how bad you want the weight loss. You're young, you can easily do it w/o surgery.
  • andrewyonce
    andrewyonce Posts: 9
    You might want to read Joel Furhman's book called end of dieting before you go anywhere near bariatric surgery.
  • ThatDamnDonut
    ThatDamnDonut Posts: 1
    MargaretSobers wrote: »
    There are various sites from where you can get the best suggestions on building a meal plan for weight loss. I would suggest you few foods which are good for your diet and also allows the factor for increasing the physical activity level. You eat the plates loaded with food rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and fatty acid but all this should be low in calories but high in nutrients.

    Any sites you can specifically recommend?

    My problem is this -- I go looking for a meal plan and get yet another site with a 30 day meal calendar where every lunch and dinner is "Simple Hand Plucked Quail with A Mint Truffle Radish Triple Mashed Plum Braise" with stuff you can only get from Whole Foods. The nearest Whole Foods is 30 miles from me, and I'm a full-time worker, single mom, and student. Ain't nobody got time to drive to Whole Foods so I can get their newest kind of fad flour, and I surely don't have the energy to make gourmet style food every meal. I seriously get so overwhelmed just looking at most of the "meal plans" I find online that I give up.

    I need to basically have simple, clean, whole meals and snacks that I can pack/make all at once that carries me through the week. EX: Breakfast all week = 1/2 cup oatmeal and apple, Lunch all week = half a whole wheat tomato and turkey sammich, Dinner = 1 bowl pre-made turkey chili.

    You guys get the idea. I'm having a REALLY hard time finding any online direction of really simple, easy plan ahead balanced nutrition plans.

  • joneallen
    joneallen Posts: 217 Member
    edited December 2014
    ThatDamnDonut wrote: »
    MargaretSobers wrote: »
    There are various sites from where you can get the best suggestions on building a meal plan for weight loss. I would suggest you few foods which are good for your diet and also allows the factor for increasing the physical activity level. You eat the plates loaded with food rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and fatty acid but all this should be low in calories but high in nutrients.

    Any sites you can specifically recommend?

    My problem is this -- I go looking for a meal plan and get yet another site with a 30 day meal calendar where every lunch and dinner is "Simple Hand Plucked Quail with A Mint Truffle Radish Triple Mashed Plum Braise" with stuff you can only get from Whole Foods. The nearest Whole Foods is 30 miles from me, and I'm a full-time worker, single mom, and student. Ain't nobody got time to drive to Whole Foods so I can get their newest kind of fad flour, and I surely don't have the energy to make gourmet style food every meal. I seriously get so overwhelmed just looking at most of the "meal plans" I find online that I give up.

    I need to basically have simple, clean, whole meals and snacks that I can pack/make all at once that carries me through the week. EX: Breakfast all week = 1/2 cup oatmeal and apple, Lunch all week = half a whole wheat tomato and turkey sammich, Dinner = 1 bowl pre-made turkey chili.

    You guys get the idea. I'm having a REALLY hard time finding any online direction of really simple, easy plan ahead balanced nutrition plans.
    Check out bodybuilding.com. They have TONS of meal plans for ones specific goals. And all their meal plans are pretty straightforward and nothing too fancy.
  • threefancy35
    threefancy35 Posts: 21 Member
    I bring a lot of salads to work. I don't cook much, and they are easy to throw together. I just model them after restaurant salads but leaving out some of the more high calorie ingredients. Plus, salads are nice for eating at your desk. No strong aromas.

    For the sweet craving, I keep hard candies in my desk drawer. It keeps my mouth busy for a minimal amount of calories.

    RE: Meal Plans - I like The Fresh 20. It comes with recipes, shopping list, cost per meal and calorie count. Most of them are fairly simple.
  • KMiYong
    KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
    It's really easy to say that I can do it w\o surgery, but in reality it's not that easy..

    Thanks for all the suggestions, I am gonna cook some really good stuff tomorrow :)
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