Anyone that started in the "obese" range would like to share some of their favorite meals?

fitchlets
fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm new! I'm 8 days into eating clean, whole foods. I'm down 7 pounds and am LOVING the gym. I don't want to get bored with food and was hoping you guys have some "must try" recipes/snacks ideas. I have around 100 pounds to lose and I have promised myself this lifestyle change, so would love tips and support. Thank you so much!
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Replies

  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    The key to not getting bored is to cook your own food. Search for new recipes. Get a pinterest board and pin things you'd like to try. Find ways to make things you like healthier.
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    ahhhh, didn't even think of pinterest. Thanks :) And yes, we cook all of our meals at home.
  • Fitch, what do you mean by clean whole foods? I have a ton of cool easy recipes that I love, but if they don't match your eating habits they won't do you much good lol

    I eat a lot of higher fats, proteins and low carb. I love bacon, everything is better with bacon =)
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,845 Member
    I started with Class III obesity, at 5'9" and 375.3lbs, with a BMI of 55.4. I am currently down into Class II obesity, at 255lbs, with a BMI of 37.7. I am very much looking forward to 236lbs because that marks the line at which I become simple "obese" with no qualifiers.

    I cook/eat at home alot, but do still eat out, and I don't eat "clean", and I eat alot of the same things quite repetitively.

    The key to weight loss is simple: intake fewer calories than your body can burn off. You can create the deficit solely through diet or through a combination of diet and exercise, but anyway you slice it, it all comes down to the almighty deficit.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I started in the morbidly obese range. Does that count? My favourite recipe is pinterest. My tastes and interests are always changing. Right now I am loving refrigerator oatmeal. Here are the family tested favourites:
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    Thank you all. Loving all of the input.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    edited January 2015
    I enjoy making homemade marinara sauce with garlic, onion, carrot then add tomatoes and spices like crushed red pepper, dried italian seasoning. I used this for eggplant parm (roasted eggplant slices topped with marinara and cheese). I also enjoy it with zucchini noodles. You can make these simply by making thin noodles using a cheese slicer.

    Also, salsa. Diced tomatoes, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and lime juice. This is great with grilled chicken, fish, etc. I don't know how clean you're eating but baked corn tortillas. I make egg white omelets with peppers, onion, tomatoes and mushrooms then top with the salsa for a low calories filling breakfast.

    Favorite way to cook veggies are cut up, tossed with olive oil and seasoning then roasted in oven around 400 degrees until tender and slightly browned.

    One of my best investments was a cast iron grill pan. I bought one from dollar store and one from Amazon. You can grill veggies and meat. Awesome!

    Frozen tilapia is a favorite. I can bake in oven on cookie sheet or add lemon with seasoning then wrap in foil to produce a tender foil pack fish. The juice that cooks from it can be used as a sauce over brown rice.

    Another is to season chicken breast with whatever seasoning you like such as Mrs Dash, seasoned salt, etc then I brown in skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Remove and add favorite veggies (mine are pepper and onions). Lightly brown the veggies. Place chicken back on top then place in oven to finish cooking. The veggies keeps the chicken tender.

    My family is a huge fan of tenderloin. It's lean and a blank pallet for any type of seasoning. It's great with steamed cabbage or some type of apple.

    I found trick is to experiment and have fun.

    Good luck!

  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    OneOddOne wrote: »
    Fitch, what do you mean by clean whole foods? I have a ton of cool easy recipes that I love, but if they don't match your eating habits they won't do you much good lol

    I eat a lot of higher fats, proteins and low carb. I love bacon, everything is better with bacon =)

    My clean whole foods, I mean nothing processed. So fish, chicken, fruits, veggies, pumpkin seeds, plain greek yogurt, small amounts of cheese. :)
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,845 Member
    Wanted to add, some of my favorite meals are scrambles/omelettes. Eggs are cheap and easy and can be infinitely customized, plus they contain good nutrients and fat and protein.
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    But, I fear I'll run out of ideas, so new recipes would be super helpful. Oh and EGGS. I eat eggs almost every morning fried in coconut oil. And sweet potatoes as well.
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    Steph38878 wrote: »
    I enjoy making homemade marinara sauce with garlic, onion, carrot then add tomatoes and spices like crushed red pepper, dried italian seasoning. I used this for eggplant parm (roasted eggplant slices topped with marinara and cheese). I also enjoy it with zucchini noodles. You can make these simply by making thin noodles using a cheese slicer.

    Also, salsa. Diced tomatoes, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and lime juice. This is great with grilled chicken, fish, etc. I don't know how clean you're eating but baked corn tortillas. I make egg white omelets with peppers, onion, tomatoes and mushrooms then top with the salsa for a low calories filling breakfast.

    Favorite way to cook veggies are cut up, tossed with olive oil and seasoning then roasted in oven around 400 degrees until tender and slightly browned.

    One of my best investments was a cast iron grill pan. I bought one from dollar store and one from Amazon. You can grill veggies and meat. Awesome!

    Frozen tilapia is a favorite. I can bake in oven on cookie sheet or add lemon with seasoning then wrap in foil to produce a tender foil pack fish. The juice that cooks from it can be used as a sauce over brown rice.

    Another is to season chicken breast with whatever seasoning you like such as Mrs Dash, seasoned salt, etc then I brown in skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Remove and add favorite veggies (mine are pepper and onions). Lightly brown the veggies. Place chicken back on top then place in oven to finish cooking. The veggies keeps the chicken tender.

    My family is a huge fan of tenderloin. It's lean and a blank pallet for any type of seasoning. It's great with steamed cabbage or some type of apple.

    I found trick is to experiment and have fun.

    Good luck!

    Yum, these are all my kinds of foods. Thank you!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,845 Member
    fitchlets wrote: »
    But, I fear I'll run out of ideas, so new recipes would be super helpful. Oh and EGGS. I eat eggs almost every morning fried in coconut oil. And sweet potatoes as well.

    I eat eggs five or six days per week, easily. They are so versatile. This week I've had scrambled, bacon/cheddar omelette, fried with melted cheese on top and boiled (just short of hard, eaten hot) with butter.

    Ummm eggs.

  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    Wanted to add, some of my favorite meals are scrambles/omelettes. Eggs are cheap and easy and can be infinitely customized, plus they contain good nutrients and fat and protein.

    Yes, I'm loving eggs in the morning. I fry 2 in coconut oil, roast a small sweet potato and lay the eggs on top and top with a little salsa. That by far is a meal I won't get sick of. I keep trying to convince my vegan husband that he needs to start eating eggs again. He is missing out for sure.
  • Nebrie
    Nebrie Posts: 56 Member
    One of my favorite go to recipes is crock pot mexican chicken. (serves 6)

    6 4oz chicken breasts, 1 onion, 8 oz mushrooms, 1 large jar chunky salsa, garlic, 1 can rinsed black beans, 1 can rinsed corn.

    Put that in crock pot on low for 6 hours. If you're careful you can serve chicken breasts whole but I like it shredded better. I serve on top of brown rice (1/2 cup per serving) but my husband likes to put his serving in wraps. Sour cream or greek yogurt for added yummy.



  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
  • carnivalnights
    carnivalnights Posts: 114 Member
    edited January 2015
    My absolute favourite healthy food blog is skinnytaste.com like the above user stated. And I am always inspired by using Pinterest to find new recipes. On Pinterest you can follow tons of healthy food boards and never run out of ideas. :) For breakfast, there are tons of ways to mix up overnights oats so I'd highly recommend that as a staple. It's full of protein. In mine I use rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and either fruit or nuts, and sometimes things like vanilla extract or shredded unsweetened coconut.
  • trilawyer
    trilawyer Posts: 5 Member
    For an easy weeknight dinner, I love making salmon in the oven in foil with herbs. I love combos such as lemon and rosemary, garlic and thyme, etc. It's easy and healthy. I make a foil packet and put the fish in a 350 degree oven for about 15 min. It's tender and moist when done, and doesn't need anything except a delicious veggie side such as broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

    I also love roasting cauliflower by tossing the florets in a little olive oil with garlic, black pepper, and other seasonings (ranging from harissa to lemon and thyme, etc. depending on my mood) and then roasting at 375 for 30 min. It takes 5 min or less to prep, then makes a wonderful crunchy addition to weekday lunches. Use parchment paper to line the baking pan for super easy cleanup too!
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    I was "morbidly obese" to begin with, now I'm just boring "overweight". Yawn. That's MUCH less exciting.

    Here's some favourites of mine:

    Chicken, Leek, and Butternut Squash bake: http://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/chicken-leek-and-butternut-squash-bake#.VLBIHiusVMg

    Skinny Taste Bolognase: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/12/pasta-with-bolognese-sauce.html

    Veggie alfredo lasagna: http://pinchofyum.com/veggie-alfredo-lasagna

    Skinny Taste chicken enchiladas: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/chicken-enchiladas.html
  • I love to use pinterest for recipe ideas. I have found that I love brussel sprouts! My staples are: eggs, avocado, cucumber, broccoli, spinach, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower and meats like chicken breast and turkey. I do have ham and beef but not as frequently. The combinations and possibilities are endless.
  • fitchlets
    fitchlets Posts: 58 Member
    Thank you, everyone! I'm going to get out a spreadsheet now and get these ideas down and check out skinytaste.com!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2015
    I was obese when I started (my original goal was 100 lbs, I started logging here when I had 80 to go, now I have 9.5 left, at least to the original goal), and my diary is open. I was doing about 1250 (plus exercise calories) when I started (March through early summer, probably) and then 1400 (plus exercise) and now I do 1600 (I did 1700 for a bit in the fall when I was working out somewhat more).

    I tend to mostly cook from whole foods (well, I go through periods where I buy lunch a lot), and I find it usually easier to log the components of my meals rather than my recipes, so if you wanted to look you could see what I used to cook with, but would have to figure out how they went together. I also usually don't bother with herbs and spices. It might give ideas, though. I'm something of a speed cooker in that after work I usually just pull something together from the foods I have on hand (including whatever meat I decided in advance to take out of the freezer).

    Anyway, if that isn't helpful, I also recommend (in addition to the good ideas you've gotten) a site called 101 cookbooks. Lots of healthy recipes, lovely photos, and very vegetarian focused, with vegan recipes too. I flip through just to get ideas sometimes.

    Oh, and I also do eggs most mornings--typically a 2 egg vegetable omelet, but I vary my vegetables and sides. When I get bored I either do something with oatmeal or have leftovers or some other more dinner like food. For a while I was doing a salad for breakfast about once a week, since I like salad and don't really like messing with taking one to work.
  • k2mexox
    k2mexox Posts: 72 Member
    My absolute favourite healthy food blog is skinnytaste.com like the above user stated. And I am always inspired by using Pinterest to find new recipes. On Pinterest you can follow tons of healthy food boards and never run out of ideas. :) For breakfast, there are tons of ways to mix up overnights oats so I'd highly recommend that as a staple. It's full of protein. In mine I use rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and either fruit or nuts, and sometimes things like vanilla extract or shredded unsweetened coconut.


    I've tried overnight notes a year ago and it made me sick but I'm interested in trying again? How do you portion and know nutritional content such as calories?
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    k2mexox wrote: »
    My absolute favourite healthy food blog is skinnytaste.com like the above user stated. And I am always inspired by using Pinterest to find new recipes. On Pinterest you can follow tons of healthy food boards and never run out of ideas. :) For breakfast, there are tons of ways to mix up overnights oats so I'd highly recommend that as a staple. It's full of protein. In mine I use rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and either fruit or nuts, and sometimes things like vanilla extract or shredded unsweetened coconut.


    I've tried overnight notes a year ago and it made me sick but I'm interested in trying again? How do you portion and know nutritional content such as calories?

    Hats off to everyone in this thread for their fantastic losses! Wow!

    As for this question, if you have a food scale, you weigh the container/use the recipe builder to input your ingredients/weigh again/subtract the container/input the number of servings/weigh your share.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    +1 to Velum! I want to try some of those.

    k2m, I made a recipe using MFP in a mason jar marked it as two servings. I take half a jar at a time. I suggest if it makes you sick again don't bother. Refrigerator oats may not be for you.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    k2mexox wrote: »
    My absolute favourite healthy food blog is skinnytaste.com like the above user stated. And I am always inspired by using Pinterest to find new recipes. On Pinterest you can follow tons of healthy food boards and never run out of ideas. :) For breakfast, there are tons of ways to mix up overnights oats so I'd highly recommend that as a staple. It's full of protein. In mine I use rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and either fruit or nuts, and sometimes things like vanilla extract or shredded unsweetened coconut.


    I've tried overnight notes a year ago and it made me sick but I'm interested in trying again? How do you portion and know nutritional content such as calories?

    Hats off to everyone in this thread for their fantastic losses! Wow!

    As for this question, if you have a food scale, you weigh the container/use the recipe builder to input your ingredients/weigh again/subtract the container/input the number of servings/weigh your share.

    Is this true? Sounds like a lot of work. People were telling me how much easier this was then using a measuring cup/spoon.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Recipes and flexibility. Allrecipes.com is fantastic. Library has cookbooks. I love the library for cookbooks. :)

    Magazines are so freaking cheap these days. I got three recipe magazines and three free gifts for a year, for a total cost of $6.00, lol.

    Remember to think flexibly when you look at them. Can't have nuts? Use raisins. Don't like broccoli? Use some other green veggie. Be willing to try new things! Especially if you're just starting to eat healthy, there may be a world of fruits and veggies you haven't tried, much less tried different ways. Try new foods and try them different ways. There's a lot of good stuff waiting for you! :)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    SuggaD wrote: »
    k2mexox wrote: »
    My absolute favourite healthy food blog is skinnytaste.com like the above user stated. And I am always inspired by using Pinterest to find new recipes. On Pinterest you can follow tons of healthy food boards and never run out of ideas. :) For breakfast, there are tons of ways to mix up overnights oats so I'd highly recommend that as a staple. It's full of protein. In mine I use rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, Greek yogurt and either fruit or nuts, and sometimes things like vanilla extract or shredded unsweetened coconut.


    I've tried overnight notes a year ago and it made me sick but I'm interested in trying again? How do you portion and know nutritional content such as calories?

    Hats off to everyone in this thread for their fantastic losses! Wow!

    As for this question, if you have a food scale, you weigh the container/use the recipe builder to input your ingredients/weigh again/subtract the container/input the number of servings/weigh your share.

    Is this true? Sounds like a lot of work. People were telling me how much easier this was then using a measuring cup/spoon.
    Weighing every ingredient is a major pain in the asp, IMO. But if you want to weigh, it's a necessary evil.

  • MOOSE2X
    MOOSE2X Posts: 23 Member
    If you like tuna and snap peas, I have something for you.
    Tuna Snap pea salad - 4oz Select Albacore Tuna, mixed 2 tblsp of spicy guac and 2 tblsp of ranch dipping sauces, on 2 oz of Snap Peas, 6 oz's total. 295 cals / 32g protein
    You need low cals and high clean protein to lose weight, this helps
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    fitchlets wrote: »
    Wanted to add, some of my favorite meals are scrambles/omelettes. Eggs are cheap and easy and can be infinitely customized, plus they contain good nutrients and fat and protein.

    Yes, I'm loving eggs in the morning. I fry 2 in coconut oil, roast a small sweet potato and lay the eggs on top and top with a little salsa. That by far is a meal I won't get sick of. I keep trying to convince my vegan husband that he needs to start eating eggs again. He is missing out for sure.

    My dad broke 10+ years of veganism while vacationing in Spain - the seafood got him.

    Taco salad is a staple for me. It's SO easy to make it low-cal enough to eat tons and tons. I make it with extra lean ground beef and I mix regular taco seasoning mix with Penzey's salt-free "Arizona Dreaming" blend to keep the sodium reasonable. I use full-fat sour cream and make 'dressing' by mixing it with good salsa. And avocado, it must have avocado.
  • kellycasey5
    kellycasey5 Posts: 486 Member
    Wahoo you are off to a great start! The only tips I can offer: stick to it, and use the logging. Logging works! And friends....nothing motivates me like seeing a feed of people running, walking, biking, p90x-ing, snow shovelling, 15 minutes of zumba-ing, etc. I figure I might as well get on my bike a little and watch a netflix while I pedal. If you have had such success in 8 days, your body likes the whole foods and exercise and you know what to do because you are already doing it!
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