How to continue losing weight AFTER work

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BeginningNoStop
BeginningNoStop Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I do well until I get home. I'm so hungry after work that I don't want to cook and want something really quick so I end up stopping getting fast food or having a microwave dinner. I have to change this any suggestions? By the way I cannot cook and I want budget friendly meal ideas that my 2 year old will actually eat.
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Replies

  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Use a slow cooker: http://crockpot365.blogspot.co.uk. Pre-cook something on Sunday and store it in the freezer in small portions and then microwave them when you get home (or put them in the fridge in the morning to defrost).
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    1. Eat more during the day so you're not that hungry
    2. Prep on Sunday - make some tuna salad, cook up some taco meat, buy a roasted chicken and shred it up. I'm mostly having Big Salads for dinner so I get the protein ready on the weekend and then just make salads all week.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
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    I was going to say slow cooker or batch cooking and freezing. For me, it helps if I plan what I will make during my lunch break so that I have a plan when I get home and can have dinner ready in 30 mins. The plan is key for me.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
    edited January 2015
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    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I was going to say slow cooker or batch cooking and freezing. For me, it helps if I plan what I will make during my lunch break so that I have a plan when I get home and can have dinner ready in 30 mins. The plan is key for me.

    Also - you can use the slow cooker overnight (plan for 10 extra minutes to put food in the fridge in the morning). This worked for me too since I didn't want to get up 30-40 mins early to put stuff in the slow cooker (plus I find most recipes need 8 hrs on low, not 10, so it didn't work with my work schedule).

    Oops, meant to edit, not quote. Oh well.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Following recipes isn't hard. I can't cook anything without a recipe, but I can follow the heck out of a good recipe.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Figure out what fast food/microwave meal fits in your diet and pick that. You can do that starting immediately.

    A little longer term, frozen pre-cooked or -prepped meals are always good. Or, do the same with whichever ingredient is the time sink. I'll often bake a bunch of chicken breasts early in the week, and then use them in salads, pastas, on light personal sized pizzas, etc. Canned/boxed soups are good in a pinch.
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
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    I like a home salad bar....every couple of days chop up items that you would add to a good dinner salad (chicken, chickpeas, olives, tomato, egg....you get the idea) and keep those in Tupperware or baggies. Throwing a salad together is easy, and they can be quite filling!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Get food that fits your calorie goals.

    /thread

    I don't get why people keep trying to make this so complicated?
  • kbkeats
    kbkeats Posts: 103 Member
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    There's lots of frozen foods that are low calorie and delicious! Living in Canada, I have M & M meat shops that has tons of low cal chicken, soups, veggies, etc.
    Otherwise I'd agree with everyone's advice regarding a slow cooker and preparation! Other easy go-tos for me are quesadillas, omelettes, and soups.
  • BeginningNoStop
    BeginningNoStop Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2015
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    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I was going to say slow cooker or batch cooking and freezing. For me, it helps if I plan what I will make during my lunch break so that I have a plan when I get home and can have dinner ready in 30 mins. The plan is key for me.

    I tried this and but It still ended up being around 7 when dinner was done. I think it was because I cooked the chicken breasts in the oven.

    Thanks everyone for the responses. They were really great and I plan on making a plan to avoid going over calories.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I always have a 200 cal snack when I get in from work like toast with cottage cheese, avocado and tomato or yogurt and berries (or both sometimes)

    As for cooking for a child get The Dinner Lady by Jeanette Orey amazon.co.uk/Dinner-Lady-Change-Children-Forever/dp/0593054296/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420570425&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dinner+lady+cookbook it's a good, easy starting point

    Learn to cook, this is the perfect time
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    tigersword wrote: »
    Get food that fits your calorie goals.

    /thread

    I don't get why people keep trying to make this so complicated?

    I don't get why people have such a hard time keeping their negativity to themselves? Why not just NOT reply and go read another thread?

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Batch cook at the weekends when you have more time and then just heat things up

    Meal plans can help take the fear out of it too
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    BeginningNoStop wrote: »
    I do well until I get home. I'm so hungry after work that I don't want to cook and want something really quick so I end up stopping getting fast food or having a microwave dinner. I have to change this any suggestions? By the way I cannot cook and I want budget friendly meal ideas that my 2 year old will actually eat.

    Ok, so you go out and get fast food or have a microwave dinner...so what...does it fit in your calories for the day? If so then no biggie. Wouldn't exactly be my choice being the food snob that I am, but so long as you're hitting your calorie goals, it really doesn't matter.

    Also, if you can read, you can cook...
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,712 Member
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    BeginningNoStop wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I was going to say slow cooker or batch cooking and freezing. For me, it helps if I plan what I will make during my lunch break so that I have a plan when I get home and can have dinner ready in 30 mins. The plan is key for me.

    I tried this and but It still ended up being around 7 when dinner was done. I think it was because I cooked the chicken breasts in the oven.

    Thanks everyone for the responses. They were really great and I plan on making a plan to avoid going over calories.

    Definitely make meal plans. Buy seasonally and on sale. And, sorry, but PLEASE learn how to cook! You have a 2 yr. old. NOW is the time to teach them good eating habits and expose them to a variety of foods. This will benefit you both!
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    BZAH10 wrote: »
    BeginningNoStop wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I was going to say slow cooker or batch cooking and freezing. For me, it helps if I plan what I will make during my lunch break so that I have a plan when I get home and can have dinner ready in 30 mins. The plan is key for me.

    I tried this and but It still ended up being around 7 when dinner was done. I think it was because I cooked the chicken breasts in the oven.

    Thanks everyone for the responses. They were really great and I plan on making a plan to avoid going over calories.

    Definitely make meal plans. Buy seasonally and on sale. And, sorry, but PLEASE learn how to cook! You have a 2 yr. old. NOW is the time to teach them good eating habits and expose them to a variety of foods. This will benefit you both!

    I learned to cook watching Rachael Ray. I could never made heads or tails out of recipes until I was able to watch someone cook in real time. I think her show is still the only one that's in real time.

  • Spanander
    Spanander Posts: 16
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    Prepping is key! Make a large portion of something healthy that you like, veggie lasagna, brown rice and veggies, chicken and greens, anything, and then freeze it in portion sizes. Bam, healthy and fast microwave meal for you when you get home!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    I learned to cook watching Rachael Ray.

    I'm sorry. (teasing, never liked her, her entire personality just grates on me endlessly.)

    I actually picked up most of my cooking knowledge from watching Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, and Alton Brown. I still say Good Eats is one of the best cooking shows of all time.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    tigersword wrote: »
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    I learned to cook watching Rachael Ray.

    I'm sorry. (teasing, never liked her, her entire personality just grates on me endlessly.)

    I actually picked up most of my cooking knowledge from watching Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, and Alton Brown. I still say Good Eats is one of the best cooking shows of all time.

    Honestly I've never gotten any other reaction than yours when I say that :) But some of us just seem to have a mental block to understanding how raw ingredients turn into a meal unless you show us every.single.step. In order, plus how long it takes and what it looks like when it goes in the pan, while it's cooking and when it's ready to eat.


  • skinnyD2308
    skinnyD2308 Posts: 92 Member
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    Great suggestins above, but I will add one thing - have an afternoon snack that has around 10 grams of protein before heading home. If I approach my evening on an empty stomach, I have a hard time making good supper time choices and watching it on portion control. I never make good decisions when I'm hungry, so I strive not to be :)

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