Living the Lifestyle: Monday, 06/29/2020
misterhub
Posts: 6,709 Member
We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.
Monday- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday-MASSRUNNER (Frank)
Thursday- beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Friday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Today's topic: Meal composition
The traditional American meal is comprised of: 1) a protein (usually meat); 2) a starch; 3) a vegetable. Dessert for some. Breakfast is served at breakfast. Lunch is a bit loosey-goosey. Dinner is on a plate and at a table.
Is this how your meals look? Is this due to habit and upbringing? Is this a conscience choice? How have you modified your meals over the years? What changes would you like to make to your approach to meals, if any?
This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!
Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.
Monday- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday-MASSRUNNER (Frank)
Thursday- beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Friday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Today's topic: Meal composition
The traditional American meal is comprised of: 1) a protein (usually meat); 2) a starch; 3) a vegetable. Dessert for some. Breakfast is served at breakfast. Lunch is a bit loosey-goosey. Dinner is on a plate and at a table.
Is this how your meals look? Is this due to habit and upbringing? Is this a conscience choice? How have you modified your meals over the years? What changes would you like to make to your approach to meals, if any?
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Two things I've been learning about myself since I've started counting calories with MFP: 1) I don't have to eat full-blown meals just because it's mealtime. If just a little bite of something will suffice and I'm really not hungry for more, that's okay, it's not like "it's now or never", and 2) (big discovery) If I eat something that is heavier or higher in fat, I stay satisfied and don't tend to need much more until quite a while later. This has led to big breakfasts but very light lunches (for example) or just having a little something at times when I used to expect to sit down to a meal. The bottom line: It's okay to change the way we've always done things---even when it comes to the weight loss journey. If the scale is moving downwards (or, if maintaining, not trending upwards), then we're doing it right.3
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Is this how your meals look?
Nothing traditional about my meals. The only norm Bfast foods I usually eat are eggs (hard boiled or scrambles with meat, veggies, and sometimes rice or potatoes, and seasoned, think Murples Hash) or oatmeal w/banana, pb2 and raspberries. Otherwise it's more likely leftover meat, veggies w/ a starch or thick soups.
One meal a day is typically a meat, a potato and roasted veggies seasoned according to the meat. Dessert doesn't happen. Since DH is working from home, this meal may happen for lunch or dinner. The other meal is leftovers.
All meals are on a plate and at a table.
Is this due to habit and upbringing?
It's due to habits formed from what I learned at WW and from being mindful and realizing my preferences (ie. I get zero satisfaction from cereal, so I don't eat it).
How have you modified your meals over the years?
They are way healthier since I started WW 5 years ago, more veggies, less pastas, cheese and sauced foods. Also, I make more effort to cook for DH, now that he's paying attention to his diet and health. Just fyi, DH does not eat Italian, Chinese, Mexican, sauces, mixed foods, or most fruit and veggies, so I often make enough for leftovers so he has food when I make my favs.
What changes would you like to make to your approach to meals, if any?
Just more consistency with meal planning. If healthy food is in the house and easy to grab, I'll eat it. Same goes for unhealthy.1 -
TOL and I usually eat the same things for breakfast and lunch. Oatmeal with strawberries, blue berries, and a banana. I add some Torani sugar free flavoring (usually brown sugar and cinnamon).
Lunch is a low sodium turkey breast sandwich, on whole wheat bread, and fruit (an apple for me).
Both usually eaten at our computers.
Dinner is dinner. Plated on the table, for us together. We have a variety of options we rotate, with a pattern.
Friday night is kind of date night. Perhaps an appetizer (fave right now is sautéed sea scallops with a touch of maple syrup, on a bed of greens)or cheese and crackers. We tend to higher points that night, so steak, pork chops, or salmon are tops on the hit parade.
If we have a dessert, it's usually after an evening of talking and some wine or beer.
Saturday is often a hot dogs (chicken or turkey) and baked beans with pink beans mixed to stretch the amount, while lowering the SPs.
Sunday kind of follows the Friday meal outline.
Monday is usually a meatless chili with some pasta and parmesan cheese sprinkle.
Tuesday and Thursday are chicken. Wednesday is 93% hamburgers.
All have a starch, usually potatoes, perhaps rice or pasta, and about 2 pounds of frozen vegetables (split).
I have started really working to lose, and it is starting to work. TOL is about 4-5 pounds below goal, but wants to hit "her number".
We've been actively using WW for about the last 8-9 years, this time around. We are both double tracking WW and MFP, I really try to be honest all the time, TOL, not so much, but it works for her.
"Onwards and Downwards"1 -
I have a morning meal albeit later than most defined breakfasts. Veggie omelet with protein, veggies and dry toast. Lunch is protein of sliced lean chicken breast on dry toast typically. Dinner is something like chicken, salad, and a carb. Maybe fruit thrown in. Add in an afternoon snack of popcorn. And usually one beer.
Fairly traditional healthy meals,1 -
I am a very boring eater. In the eyes of some. In my own eyes, if I enjoy something I can easily eat it for thirty days straight until I get the urge to switch things up. Guess I define creature of habit.
Covid has definitely adjusted my meals.
For example, since I now work for home, my normal lunch is a big salad. Sometimes with turkey meatballs if I have made them early in the week. If I haven’t, a big salad is sufficient. Prior to Covid it was often a chicken breast sandwich on lite bread and a couple of Hershey’s kisses for a mid afternoon treat.
My normal breakfast is either ff Greek yogurt mixed with sf preserves and a 1/4 cup of granola, followed about an hour later by a banana, OR 1-1/2 cup of Cheerios with a cup of rf milk and also a banana about an hour later. Prior to Covid it was often 2 hard boiled eggs since they were easily portable to work from the office.
Dinner, or as we call it suppah ( in New England) is a mixed bag since I split my time caregiving either after WFH or WFW several nights a week at my Sister’s home or at my own. When at my Sister’s home I am subject to her dinner menu which will often be a protein a starch or two and a vegetable, followed by dessert. I easily handle it with portion control but often hear how I am either not eating enough or eating like a bird. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My weight speaks volume so I am not phased.
When eating dinner at home I often share some frozen vegetarian look alike meal with Stephen or I will have a dinner selection made earlier in the week like chicken breast or turkey meatballs, or tacos.
Generally I avoid mashed potatoes, pasta, fries, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken wings, and probably other selections because I could sit down and eat them until I get sick. Love them all.
So....rarely have any of these and when I do, they are strictly monitored for appropriate portion size.1 -
I am a very boring eater. In the eyes of some. In my own eyes, if I enjoy something I can easily eat it for thirty days straight until I get the urge to switch things up. Guess I define creature of habit.
Covid, or perhaps more so working from home, has definitely adjusted my meals.
For example, now my normal lunch is a big salad. Sometimes with turkey meatballs if I have made them early in the week. If I haven’t, a big salad is sufficient. Prior to Covid it was often a chicken breast sandwich on lite bread and a couple of Hershey’s kisses for a mid afternoon treat.
My normal breakfast is either ff Greek yogurt mixed with sf preserves and a 1/4 cup of granola, followed about an hour later by a banana, OR 1-1/2 cup of Cheerios with a cup of rf milk and also a banana about an hour later. Prior to Covid it was often 2 hard boiled eggs since they were easily portable to work from the office.
Dinner, or as we call it suppah ( in New England) is a mixed bag since I split my time caregiving either after WFH or WFW several nights a week at my Sister’s home or at my own. When at my Sister’s home I am subject to her dinner menu which will often be a protein a starch or two and a vegetable, followed by dessert. I easily handle it with portion control but often hear how I am either not eating enough or eating like a bird. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My weight speaks volume so I am not phased.
When eating dinner at home I often share some frozen vegetarian look alike meal with Stephen or I will have a dinner selection made earlier in the week like chicken breast or turkey meatballs, or tacos.
Generally I avoid mashed potatoes, pasta, fries, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken wings, and probably other selections because I could sit down and eat them until I get sick. Love them all.
So....rarely have any of these and when I do, they are strictly monitored for appropriate portion size.
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Stupid edit feature tonight.1
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For the last couple plus years I've been working with a nutritionist and strived to work on eating a balanced meal according to the simple plate .gov. Working with a nutritionist every month and trying to eat a balanced meal is a challenge to say the least. Recently since my March heart surgery we took a bit of a sabatical first 3 months due to health surgeries. However we've been working extra hard on balanced meals but also on accountability with her as well by now sending my completed MFP tracking sheets weekly. It's not easy and in May it almost was a disaster but since June 1st I've been holding the line. In addition doing my best to keep Carbs @155 gm , Protein 100 gm, fat 50 gm.
Tracking days June 29 Yes 29/No 0😀
SW/CW/GW 06/30/20 kcal 1387
400.8/302.6/185 [-2.2 lbs]🙂🤔 WI Daily
Total Loss 98.2 lbs
May 8th start (310.8/Lose 10 lb Challenge current <stat> - 8.2 lbs loss2
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