Processed foods

tcm2003
tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
Hi guys so my question is do any of yall eat frozen meals and what exactly do u feel about it? I ask cause I read they cause alot of weight gain but idk how to just give it up when I've been eating such things for years.for example the frozen pizza,etc
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Replies

  • Cheryllynnhagen
    Cheryllynnhagen Posts: 51 Member
    I only eat frozen Jimmy Dean Sausage & Egg White w/ Cheese on an English muffin. Only 250 calories
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    I cook everyday but mostly for dinner and bfast it's those lunch days that I'm like let me pop a pizza in the oven or when the kids are home I'll due frozen nuggets or something and I'm just really trying to get away from all of it..very frustrating
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    The biggest things to be aware of with frozen meals, imo, are sodium and fillingess.

    They tend to be very high in sodium compared to homemade food, since anything that's preserved against spoiling comes with some extra sodium. This can cause you to retain some water, which can affect scale weight, but won't cause you to pack on the pounds or anything. If you have a medical need to avoid sodium, then frozen processed foods may not be best for you. Otherwise, use your own judgement.

    Fillingness is, obviously, a made up word. It's also going to vary wildly from person to person. I find frozen meals less filling than homemade foods most of the time. I still eat them from time to time, I just have to be aware of it and work to find other ways to keep myself full (more filling meal options, options with higher protein or fat (since those affect how full I feel), side salads, things like that).

    If they work for you, fit into your calorie and nutrition needs, and you don't have any negative affects from eating them, then I don't see a problem with them. But learning to cook some of your favorites can help out in the long run.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Consuming more calories than you burn is what causes weight gain. Eating food that has been frozen is fine.

    I feel like freezing is a great method of food preservation and many frozen foods are a great time saver.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
    Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain.

    I eat Amy's frozen meals about once a week for lunch. And they're delicious! And I stay within my calorie goals so I lose/maintain.
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    Thank you all for the advice it has helped eating these meals maybe ok sometimes just not all the time especially with ne being overweight and making sure my kids don't follow in my footsteps
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    Most of my food comes out of the freezer. I'm a student, after all. I'm losing weight just fine :)
  • rhyolite_
    rhyolite_ Posts: 188 Member
    I know how to cook, I just don't like cooking. At all. I grab "convenience" frozen foods all the time. My weight loss and health have suffered exactly zero.

    You may want to estimate higher on the calories for those prepackaged foods though, if you cannot weigh them on a scale. There's more food in there than what the package says.
  • rhyolite_
    rhyolite_ Posts: 188 Member
    rhyolite_ wrote: »
    I know how to cook, I just don't like cooking. At all. I grab "convenience" frozen foods all the time. My weight loss and health have suffered exactly zero.

    You may want to estimate higher on the calories for those prepackaged foods though, if you cannot weigh them on a scale. There's more food in there than what the package says.

    ETA - As already mentioned, these foods are usually high in sodium. That isn't something I've had to worry about, and my sodium intake is still fairly low-normal.
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    edited October 2015
    Frozen meals are fine, but they are full of sodium and can be much more calorie dense then if you make it yourself. I would say using them when you're in a hurry is fine, but if you have time, you're better off making your own meals. You can make enough for leftovers, which will give you a couple extra meals, you can tailor it to your tastes, and they tend to be healthier for you. If you need to learn how to cook, check out a book called Help! My Apartment Has A Kitchen!. My husband has it, and it's rather amusing. It essentially gives you the basics of cooking and includes a lot of beginner recipes to get you started. Or, you can check out different recipe sites online, there are some that include help and tips for cooking.

    Also, learning to cook can help teach your kids to cook as well, which will help them in the future.
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    new answer since you know how to cook:
    buy salad and keep it in the fridge.
    eat one for lunch before you start going for the "kid foods".
    the secret to the this place is that you plan your foods - plan your foods !
    if you do not have a food scale get one
    lunch sounds like a great time to eat what you want and make

    I've actually never heard of a food scale that sounds like a good idea and I really live a good salad my thing is when u buy the mix out of the grocery store it will go bad within days
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    I eat frozen vegetables and some frozen fruits. I do, however, read the labels to make sure the food is just the food, and not added salt, sugar or oil. Frozen veggies and fruit are just a notch below the real thing, nutritionally speaking. I rarely eat frozen meals as they are loaded with excess sodium, sugars and oil. I really want to know what's in my food before I eat it. I did learn to cook better, as catscats222 suggested, and I really use my crockpot almost daily now. You can cook an amazing amount of good food in a basic crockpot, without a lot of cooking skills (potatoes, beans, whole meals, even!). Personally, I can really taste the difference between processed foods, canned foods, packaged foods versus whole real foods now. Beans, for instance, are so much tastier cooked from scratch in a crockpot than canned or frozen beans. Also a rice steamer is another handy item. For those of us who aren't overly skilled in the kitchen, a rice steamer is great for more than just rice. I cook raw veggies in mine all the time: asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, etc! I highly recommend "Fix It and Forget It" cookbooks by Phyllis Pellman-Good for crockpot cooking.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?

    If your calories are in check then you're not going to gain weight from them. You may seen an uptick on the scale the day after eating them from water retention but it will not be fat gain and will go away quickly.
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    Consuming more calories than you burn is what causes weight gain. Eating food that has been frozen is fine.

    I feel like freezing is a great method of food preservation and many frozen foods are a great time saver.



    And that's my problem as well I use to work out 5 times a week and since I've been working nights at the hospital for the past year I've Gained 50 pounds and don't work out nearly at all like I use to so I don't burn the calories that I put in :(
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?

    I lost 55 pounds. I ate frozen meals off and on throughout my weight loss. I just ate a frozen breakfast burrito for lunch. They absolutely have not caused me to gain weight as long as they fit in my calorie goals for the day.
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?

    I lost 55 pounds. I ate frozen meals off and on throughout my weight loss. I just ate a frozen breakfast burrito for lunch. They absolutely have not caused me to gain weight as long as they fit in my calorie goals for the day.



    Wow congrats I would love to loose 55 pounds or even 10 pounds to start off can u please give me any advice as to what to do and what type of exercise you do? I work nights and it's so hard to get to the gym like I used to do in the past
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?

    I lost 55 pounds. I ate frozen meals off and on throughout my weight loss. I just ate a frozen breakfast burrito for lunch. They absolutely have not caused me to gain weight as long as they fit in my calorie goals for the day.



    Wow congrats I would love to loose 55 pounds or even 10 pounds to start off can u please give me any advice as to what to do and what type of exercise you do? I work nights and it's so hard to get to the gym like I used to do in the past

    I walked. I did exercise DVDs (Walk Away the Pounds, 30 Day Shred, Sweatin' to the Oldies), and I stayed within my calorie goals. I set a goal to get 20 minutes of exercise a day. After a while I started to watch my macros as well (especially hitting my protein goals).

    Don't overcomplicate things. Fit exercise in where you can. Make small changes to your diet as you go. You'll get there!
  • tcm2003
    tcm2003 Posts: 30 Member
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    tcm2003 wrote: »
    So basically frozen meals haven't a use you to gain weight right?

    I lost 55 pounds. I ate frozen meals off and on throughout my weight loss. I just ate a frozen breakfast burrito for lunch. They absolutely have not caused me to gain weight as long as they fit in my calorie goals for the day.



    Wow congrats I would love to loose 55 pounds or even 10 pounds to start off can u please give me any advice as to what to do and what type of exercise you do? I work nights and it's so hard to get to the gym like I used to do in the past

    I walked. I did exercise DVDs (Walk Away the Pounds, 30 Day Shred, Sweatin' to the Oldies), and I stayed within my calorie goals. I set a goal to get 20 minutes of exercise a day. After a while I started to watch my macros as well (especially hitting my protein goals).

    Don't overcomplicate things. Fit exercise in where you can. Make small changes to your diet as you go. You'll get there!




    Thank you so much I think I struggle to cause some of the work out videos especially on YouTube is a little hard for me to do with all this weight carrying I guess it's about at least doing it even if right away I can't keep up with others