Lean Cuisines/Smart Ones...etc...Are they that bad for you?

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AmysNewBeginning
AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello to you all!

Ok, I am a stress eater, that is my addiction...food. In the past 8 months I have put on about 15-20 lbs due
to lots of different situations that have gone on in my life, so I ate to deal with the hurt of it all.

I know what it takes to lose the weight, I've done it before...but this time its the hardest and I don't know why.

My question is this. I SUCK at portion control and willpower right now.

My husband and I love to eat out, and when I eat out I'm not gonna get the salad, seriously! lol!

We are a busy family, like most families.

Are the Lean Cuisines, Weight Watcher Smart ones that bad for you because they are pre-packaged?

Some people totally bash them on here. Stay away from pre-packaged foods...Well, for me it already
portioned for me, I can add a vegetable if need be, my family likes them, (my hubby needs to lose weight too)
its fast and easy if we need to get to ball practice, etc....

People keep suggesting to open my diary and I'm afraid to cuz I don't want to get slammed for eating pre-packaged foods.

I want ME back. I have given for so many others, I have let myself go.

Thanks for your tips, suggestions, I just want to do this and I need help this time.

CHEERS TO US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:drinker:

Replies

  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
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    I like them for lunch,. While the sodium is high, i think they are ok as long as the rest of your meals are balanced out
  • ohwhataday
    ohwhataday Posts: 1,398 Member
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    I think the biggest issue I have with any kind of frozen meal like that is that they're never the amount of anything that is on the box. But I guess that goes for most things. It's just an estimate of how many calories etc. that are in it. Kind of amazes me that they can get away with it. But all in all, I still like some of them if nothing else.
  • sarad777
    sarad777 Posts: 210 Member
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    For the past 9 months, my husband has eaten stouffers or lean cuisine every day for lunch. He has lost 60 pounds during this time. I do agree they must have high sodium and maybe not the greatest nutrients but he is in good health and lost lots of weight.
  • MelissaGraham7
    MelissaGraham7 Posts: 403 Member
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    Remember this.... you can have excuses or you can have results. You can't have both.
  • Nikstergirl
    Nikstergirl Posts: 1,549 Member
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    I eat them occasionally and it's all about convienience for me. Sure, I could cook a big meal just for me, but after working a 10 hour shift, cleaning the kitchen and maybe even working out, the last thing I want to do is cook! Plus, I hate to cook. So, a couple days a week I resort to the Lean Cuisine. I drink tons of water, so I feel like the extra sodium isn't such a big problem, even though I'm probably wrong. Anyway, I've lost 42 pounds... so it's working, and I can do this for the long haul, not just as a diet!
  • AmysNewBeginning
    AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
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    I eat them occasionally and it's all about convienience for me. Sure, I could cook a big meal just for me, but after working a 10 hour shift, cleaning the kitchen and maybe even working out, the last thing I want to do is cook! Plus, I hate to cook. So, a couple days a week I resort to the Lean Cuisine. I drink tons of water, so I feel like the extra sodium isn't such a big problem, even though I'm probably wrong. Anyway, I've lost 42 pounds... so it's working, and I can do this for the long haul, not just as a diet!


    THANK YOU!!!!!!! CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS, THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
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    The sodium is high but sometimes I end up getting them too I work and go to school plus trying to find time to workout sometimes these are the easiest option for dinner for me, I think basically there are things that are alot worse that we could be eating which got us in the predicament were in in the first place and of course there are better things too If you can fit them in your calorie/sodium amounts for the day then you have to do what works for you.
  • AmysNewBeginning
    AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
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    Remember this.... you can have excuses or you can have results. You can't have both.

    I'M GOING TO COPY AND PASTE THIS SAYING....SO TRUE AND I NEEDED THIS, THANK YOU!
  • AmysNewBeginning
    AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
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    The sodium is high but sometimes I end up getting them too I work and go to school plus trying to find time to workout sometimes these are the easiest option for dinner for me, I think basically there are things that are alot worse that we could be eating which got us in the predicament were in in the first place and of course there are better things too If you can fit them in your calorie/sodium amounts for the day then you have to do what works for you.

    THANKS AND CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!!!
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
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    They are high in sodium. I eat them for lunch sometimes. Don't worry too much about what other people think, unless you have asked for them to evaluate your food choices.
  • AmysNewBeginning
    AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
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    For the past 9 months, my husband has eaten stouffers or lean cuisine every day for lunch. He has lost 60 pounds during this time. I do agree they must have high sodium and maybe not the greatest nutrients but he is in good health and lost lots of weight.

    KUDOS TO YOUR HUBBY ON HIS SUCCESS, THAT IS AWESOME! THANK YOU!
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
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    I look at it this way, if eating a Lean Cuisine keeps you from eating an entire pizza, yes it's a good choice.

    There are folks on this website that "clean eat" meaning they prepare their own food and focus on pristine nutrition and avoid made to order and pre-packaged foods. They're good people, but what works for them doesn't work for me. I travel constantly and I work with restaurants and fast food places, so on occasion, it's very rude if I pull out a lunchbox. Check out my blog for restaurant tips.

    This is also why my food diary is locked. People pass judgement on what I ate without considering what I didn't eat. lol

    As others have said and will say, the meals are very high in sodium, but it's likely whatever else you would've eaten instead would've had more sodium. I still eat one on occasion, but they don't do it for me. Once I got my body used to eating correct portions, I can survive in restaurants.

    There are also folks on this website who have lost considerable weight by switching their normal lunch to a lean cuisine/smart one. If it works for you, do it.
  • AmysNewBeginning
    AmysNewBeginning Posts: 244 Member
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    I look at it this way, if eating a Lean Cuisine keeps you from eating an entire pizza, yes it's a good choice.

    There are folks on this website that "clean eat" meaning they prepare their own food and focus on pristine nutrition and avoid made to order and pre-packaged foods. They're good people, but what works for them doesn't work for me. I travel constantly and I work with restaurants and fast food places, so on occasion, it's very rude if I pull out a lunchbox. Check out my blog for restaurant tips.

    This is also why my food diary is locked. People pass judgement on what I ate without considering what I didn't eat. lol

    As others have said and will say, the meals are very high in sodium, but it's likely whatever else you would've eaten instead would've had more sodium. I still eat one on occasion, but they don't do it for me. Once I got my body used to eating correct portions, I can survive in restaurants.

    There are also folks on this website who have lost considerable weight by switching their normal lunch to a lean cuisine/smart one. If it works for you, do it.

    THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! THAT IS HOW I FEEL. People can be very critical, and they are only trying to
    help, but that won't work for me, and I want something that is going to work for me for the long haul! Have a great day!
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    what you could do is start eating them, then little by little add your own stuff. like use 1 instead of 2 for you and your partner but add lots of extra veggies. then slowly wean yourself out and get used to the portion sizes. another good idea is weighing and measuring food. google it,
  • lrbarr
    lrbarr Posts: 60
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    Hi Amy,
    I lost my first 30lbs eatting Smart Ones for lunch and dinner (twice a week) nothing wrong with it... drink more water to help with the sodium level. I needed to do this for portion size! I also had, and still do, have a set of measuring cups in my pantry to measure of portion sizes listed on the boxes or recipes. I cannot eyeball portions unless I use the same plate or bowl every day. I also use snack bags to portion out big bags of pretzels, crackers, cereal, etc. when I bring them home from the store. If not I would grab the bag and go to town! Sometimes my family thinks I'm crazy, but I had to take control of myself... I feel better when I am in control...
    As for the food diary being open, I have encouraged you to open it- I put EVERYTHING on it- and no one has ever commented on it. You can open it only to your "friends" or to the "public".. I have even had 500 calories worth of pringles on there and just this week 2- yes 2 bakery cupcakes for 450 calories each!! I eat it, I must own it! It wasn't easy to open it, but it made me more accountable.
    Start today on your weight lose, and take baby steps- its not a race!!
    All the best!:flowerforyou:

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