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LaBella803
LaBella803 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I recently made my food journal public and I'd like feedback. Tips, tricks, anything you can offer so that I can get the most from my meals. Also, any great tasting recipes you can offer or suggest would be much appreciated. I'm looking to do this right, but I need your help!!

Replies

  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
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    Hello, I don't see any vegetables or fruits in your journal. Also, LOTS of processed foods. If you could cut down on the processed foods and eat veggies, I believe you would see a big difference in your weight and energy level. Good luck
  • xtinalovexo
    xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
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    Hello, I don't see any vegetables or fruits in your journal. Also, LOTS of processed foods. If you could cut down on the processed foods and eat veggies, I believe you would see a big difference in your weight and energy level. Good luck

    i agree with hamiltonba, you should add more helthful snacks and i would cut back on so much carbs. it looks like ALOT of bread products.
  • bossmodehan
    bossmodehan Posts: 210 Member
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    hi! you are doing a great job staying under your calories and spreading them evenly throughout the day - this will help sustain your metabolism.

    however,to raise it even more you could spread your calories out even more by having 4-6 smaller meals a day. you can make smaller meals more filling by upping your veg intake (low calorie and lots of water and fibre), including a protein source and a healthy fat source. Look at my journal if you want to have a look at how i spread out my meals, but of course this is tailored to my personal taste and my lifestyle and my goals.

    will be good to see others' suggestions!

    best of luck with your goals and feel free to add me (i am happy to keep looking at your journal and help you stay accountable)
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
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    Agree with above posters and all I can say is I am SO jealous that you have a Chipoltle near you!:bigsmile: I love that place but only get to go when I visit my brother in the city!
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
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    I agree with everyone else congratulations on staying within your goal, but you could replace some of the bread products with fruits and veggies, and make sure your drinking plenty of water you may be drinking it and just not logging it but it's very important. And you may wanna double check the nutritional info because some of the entries on MFP are wrong for instance 1 pancake is about 140 calories and I see you have 3 to 4 listed as 106 calories.
  • LaBella803
    LaBella803 Posts: 12 Member
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    Okay, see here's the thing. I work full time and I go to school full time, and to top it all of, I'm not that great of a cook, lol. It's really hard to find the time to make one meal let alone have 4-6 mini meals during the day so i'm doing the best I can with what i've got. I have no idea where to start with making the changes, but I know some need to be made. I want to be able to eat healthy without having to sacrifice enjoying what I eat. As far as the veggies go, I know that I could definitely use more in my life but they taste so blah!! How do I spice them up so that I'll enjoy them instead of dread them?
  • xtinalovexo
    xtinalovexo Posts: 1,376 Member
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    Okay, see here's the thing. I work full time and I go to school full time, and to top it all of, I'm not that great of a cook, lol. It's really hard to find the time to make one meal let alone have 4-6 mini meals during the day so i'm doing the best I can with what i've got. I have no idea where to start with making the changes, but I know some need to be made. I want to be able to eat healthy without having to sacrifice enjoying what I eat. As far as the veggies go, I know that I could definitely use more in my life but they taste so blah!! How do I spice them up so that I'll enjoy them instead of dread them?

    umm... lite ranch with your carrots?? :flowerforyou:
  • Sasha_Bear
    Sasha_Bear Posts: 625 Member
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    Fresh Valley has steam in the bag veggies, some even come in a delicious sauce, you may enjoy those. I also use a Mexican chile powder to sprinkle on fruits and veggies to give them a kick.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    Hello and first let me congratulate you on the first step of your journey which is deciding to eat right and watch your calories. That is everyone's most important first step. True desire. So now that you are eating less, you need to work on more healthful food - veggies and fruit, and whole grains. I had started to limit my sodium years ago and yes, at first it was very "blah". It will get easier for you, too!

    One of the most important suggestions that I implemented for myself was to invest in a cheap metric/ounce digital scale. I think you can get the Biggest Loser one (that I got) on Amazon for maybe $16.00. It will help keep you honest. Such as when you measure your oatmeal, you will find it to be LESS than the measuring cup amount than when you weigh it out. Plus, who knows what a "small" banana is? I know what I'd like it to be! = D

    I would like to suggest to you since you haven't much time to cook that perhaps you haven't taken the time to explore what is actually available to you in the fresh departments of the grocery store. See if you can take the time to find yourself a really nice grocery store. Some where I live are better than others, and Trader Joe's is great but sometimes a little pricey. You can find LOTS of pre cut veggies in most stores. And salad in a bag, too. Just don't use their dressing. Even some stores have actual salad bars and you could pick and choose veggies from that section with an eye for preparing meals at home more quickly, too.

    Some of my favorite "fast foods" are grilled salmon. A nonstick pan with a bit of canola or olive oil , sprinkle Mrs. Dash on it, put a few chopped onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and capers, flip it over when the first side is good and brown and add a splash of white wine to the pan if you have it or not and you can even put it on brown rice or a nice salad that isn't dressed. I just scrape the pan out over the salad or rice.

    For brown rice - I used to gag on it!- I cook it according to the directions omitting the oil or butter and then keep it as a "filler" for quick meals from the fridge. I love sauteed or roasted in the oven veggies of all types cut up and mixed with the warmed rice and just a tablespoon of parmesan cheese to my serving and mix it all together it adds so much flavor to it!

    People may not agree with me on this, but I always roast my veggies or saute them in a small amount of oil. If you are afraid of veggies you MUST try roasting them in the oven! I cut them into 1 inch dice or bite sized and toss them in a big bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and spread them out on a foil covered sheet pan in the oven and roast them at 350 until they are looking brown. You can take them out and turn them and poke them to see if they are soft. I make the most unbelieveable brussels sprouts, beets, asparagus, butternut squash, and even sweet potato "fries" like this. I haven't found a veggie that doesn't work! THere are also spray oils that you can spray directly on your veggies to limit the amount of oil, or spray to your pan.

    Also people may or may not agree with me on this one but I refuse to eat a "naked" salad! I make my own dressing, it takes just seconds to take a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar or redwine vinegar or actually any kind works, add maybe 1/4 tsp. of any kind of mustard, add some dried spices such as italian seasoning, garlic fresh or powdered, just a sprinkle of salt if you must or some Mrs. Dash, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil. I add all kinds of great veggies to my salads, and fruit, too. Make sure you toss your salad with the dressing in a very big bowl with a spatula to coat each piece.

    Summer is coming so don't forget the fresh fruits coming out. If you can find a farmer's market in your neighborhood that is the way to go. Especially for tomatoes!

    I hope I have helped you with some ideas! Good luck!
  • dennypup
    dennypup Posts: 105 Member
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    There are a lot if good ideas here! I can relate to the not cooking, on the go lifestyle, and you are Super busy!!! I recommend you throw some easy fresh snacks in your bag when heading out to school. Grapes, strawberries etc. plus the low fat cheese sticks. That'll give you small meals between for some fruit and protein. Also Gina at skinnytaste.com has lots of super easy, super healthy recipes for the kitchen challenged like me! If you found you could make some of your own fresh meals, then reheat them you'd save on the excess sodium and get some veggies too, (also save some cash! Chipotle ain't cheap). You're smart to look for new ideas, try some that seem doable for you and see if it helps. I almost forgot, you don't seem to be logging much water, water is a biggy. Crazy as it sounds the more water I drink the faster I lose! Someone here can explain the science I'm sure, I just know it works!
  • LaBella803
    LaBella803 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    Hello and first let me congratulate you on the first step of your journey which is deciding to eat right and watch your calories. That is everyone's most important first step. True desire. So now that you are eating less, you need to work on more healthful food - veggies and fruit, and whole grains. I had started to limit my sodium years ago and yes, at first it was very "blah". It will get easier for you, too!

    One of the most important suggestions that I implemented for myself was to invest in a cheap metric/ounce digital scale. I think you can get the Biggest Loser one (that I got) on Amazon for maybe $16.00. It will help keep you honest. Such as when you measure your oatmeal, you will find it to be LESS than the measuring cup amount than when you weigh it out. Plus, who knows what a "small" banana is? I know what I'd like it to be! = D

    I would like to suggest to you since you haven't much time to cook that perhaps you haven't taken the time to explore what is actually available to you in the fresh departments of the grocery store. See if you can take the time to find yourself a really nice grocery store. Some where I live are better than others, and Trader Joe's is great but sometimes a little pricey. You can find LOTS of pre cut veggies in most stores. And salad in a bag, too. Just don't use their dressing. Even some stores have actual salad bars and you could pick and choose veggies from that section with an eye for preparing meals at home more quickly, too.

    Some of my favorite "fast foods" are grilled salmon. A nonstick pan with a bit of canola or olive oil , sprinkle Mrs. Dash on it, put a few chopped onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and capers, flip it over when the first side is good and brown and add a splash of white wine to the pan if you have it or not and you can even put it on brown rice or a nice salad that isn't dressed. I just scrape the pan out over the salad or rice.

    For brown rice - I used to gag on it!- I cook it according to the directions omitting the oil or butter and then keep it as a "filler" for quick meals from the fridge. I love sauteed or roasted in the oven veggies of all types cut up and mixed with the warmed rice and just a tablespoon of parmesan cheese to my serving and mix it all together it adds so much flavor to it!

    People may not agree with me on this, but I always roast my veggies or saute them in a small amount of oil. If you are afraid of veggies you MUST try roasting them in the oven! I cut them into 1 inch dice or bite sized and toss them in a big bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and spread them out on a foil covered sheet pan in the oven and roast them at 350 until they are looking brown. You can take them out and turn them and poke them to see if they are soft. I make the most unbelieveable brussels sprouts, beets, asparagus, butternut squash, and even sweet potato "fries" like this. I haven't found a veggie that doesn't work! THere are also spray oils that you can spray directly on your veggies to limit the amount of oil, or spray to your pan.

    Also people may or may not agree with me on this one but I refuse to eat a "naked" salad! I make my own dressing, it takes just seconds to take a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar or redwine vinegar or actually any kind works, add maybe 1/4 tsp. of any kind of mustard, add some dried spices such as italian seasoning, garlic fresh or powdered, just a sprinkle of salt if you must or some Mrs. Dash, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil. I add all kinds of great veggies to my salads, and fruit, too. Make sure you toss your salad with the dressing in a very big bowl with a spatula to coat each piece.

    Summer is coming so don't forget the fresh fruits coming out. If you can find a farmer's market in your neighborhood that is the way to go. Especially for tomatoes!

    I hope I have helped you with some ideas! Good luck!

    I am definitely printing this out! There are some major key points in there, and the "how to" on salad dressing, I love it! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to help me out. Seriously, I appreciate all of you, for the love, support, and kind words. It really helps combat all the "fat" jokes I am victim of :(
  • LaBella803
    LaBella803 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    There are a lot if good ideas here! I can relate to the not cooking, on the go lifestyle, and you are Super busy!!! I recommend you throw some easy fresh snacks in your bag when heading out to school. Grapes, strawberries etc. plus the low fat cheese sticks. That'll give you small meals between for some fruit and protein. Also Gina at skinnytaste.com has lots of super easy, super healthy recipes for the kitchen challenged like me! If you found you could make some of your own fresh meals, then reheat them you'd save on the excess sodium and get some veggies too, (also save some cash! Chipotle ain't cheap). You're smart to look for new ideas, try some that seem doable for you and see if it helps. I almost forgot, you don't seem to be logging much water, water is a biggy. Crazy as it sounds the more water I drink the faster I lose! Someone here can explain the science I'm sure, I just know it works!

    Honestly, I didn't realize there was a water counter until a few days ago and I don't drink that much period. I only drink when i'm thirsty and that's not too often. I'm working on it though! Also my nutritionist told me that I didn't have to log in veggies, but I will start if it will help me help you guys help me, lol (confusing I know). At any rate, I'm going 10 days strong and counting!!
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    I agree water is important, 8 cups a day is the minimum you should be drinking. I know some people don't log veggies but I think that anything that has calories needs to be logged. I know what it's like to be busy and I never really cooked before (I can I just never enjoyed it) But I have found that finding new recipes and making new things has actually become fun! You may want to check out skinnytaste.com for recipe ideas. I have also found that cooking some things once a week helps a lot. I cook a big package of chicken once a week and slice some to use on sandwiches instead of lunch meat and have it handy to put on salads or have for dinner with veggies. I also hard boil eggs like a dozen at a time and eat them as snacks or put them on salads. Planning ahead really helps me a lot.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    Options
    Also, one of my favorites not listed here is keeping a big (Costco) bag of frozen raw, deveined and peeled shrimp. You can also get a bag of cooked shrimp, but raw just seems fresher to me for a little extra trouble. It just means it still needs to be cooked but all of the "dirty work" has been done. It just has the tail left on which works as a handle and is easy to get rid of while eating. Those are so low in calories and they do shrink up quite a bit when you cook them so pay attention to how many you want by the ounces not just by looking at them or you'll REALLY be on a diet! = D But they are easily defrosted in a bowl or even a big glass of water and it just takes a few minutes. Give them a rinse and you can do all kinds of things with them. I sparingly use Chinese sauces such as hoisin, black bean garlic sauce mainly. (read the labels to make sure you know what is in there) but honestly just a teaspoon mixed with a tiny bit of white wine or water to thin it out is all you need to give great flavor. I cut up broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers - whatever and throw them in the big non stick skillet with a bit of oil and stir them around a little and when they are half cooked the rinsed and drained shrimp go in. THe shrimp start to curl when they cook and you can tell they are done when pink all over. So cook them until they curl on the first side and they are done when all pink. Toss in the hoisin sauce and give it a good stir around, also putting a lid on the pan helps to steam them and soften up everything. You'll need to make sure the wine is cooked down so it doesn't taste like "wine" THen throw onto your trusty warmed up brown rice! Prawns is one of my "Uh-oh, hubby is coming home soon and what do we eat dinners". Also a good quality pesto sauce made with real ingredients (basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan) also works. Just small dabs of it and a bit of water to thin it out so you get a lot of flavor but not a lot of calories. If you use already cooked shrimp make sure it is defrosted first and only add it at the last second to warm it up or it will be rubbery.

    I love cooking but hate the clean up! It does take some time. Also they have already cooked and sliced chicken breasts (not deli sliced, but actual chicken breasts that are cut up kind of fajita style so you can grab those for on the run. Glad you are getting your veggies in! Water is my struggle, too! Good luck!

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