Okay Ladies, I need some help PLEASE

A lot of grocery stores now have delis where you can buy healthier sandwiches or salads. Our Safeway has a nice selection of to-go salads. When I don't have time to make one before work, I duck in there and pick one up. It doesn't take any longer than stopping at a fast-food place, and it's much healthier.

I'm not a lady, but I like ladies so I will chime in too!

I often make up a batch of tuna fish and parse it out in little Tupperware containers for my busy week days. I also buy celery, clean and chop it into small pieces and eat the tuna with that. (celery makes a good spoon for the tuna)

I try to have tomatoes on hand, and I just eat them like an apple.

I also often make a BIG bowl of salad on Sundays and eat that during the week. I have little Tupperware containers with garbanzo beans to throw in for protein. You can even buy some precooked chicken to make it a meal.

I'm big on taking an apple along with me, and a banana, any fruit in season. (peaches, yum!)

-V-

i used body by vi shakes for that reason alone.. i had to stop the crap resturant foods...

I measure and pack my food at night so in the morning its ready to go. I love all fruits and veggies with ranch veggie dip. love the fiber one bars and discovered greek yogurt is pretty tasty. I always eat a normal dinner but my portions sure are smaller since I have joined this site and see how many calories are in everything.

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

Meals? I like to have a healthy dose of proteins and veggie carbs. I'll always have some chicken or egg salad on hand, and a lettuce-based salad. I make the salad in advance and keep it in the fridge. I make my own egg salad so I can control the calories. I add the egg salad to the lettuce so I don't need any type of dressing. It's very yummy and filling and it can all be made way in advance. Just plop some into a tupperware and you can be on your way.

I also use the weekend to grill meats and vegetables in advance. Grilling is clean, healthy, and tasty. I'll grill a bunch of chicken, beef, lamb, and mixed vegetables. I then use these foods for various meals throughout the week. This is the PERFECT summer cooking solution. I don't have to waste time thinking about a healthy food to eat. I can just reach in my fridge and heat up some grilled foods.

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?

I've gotten myself to a point where, by limiting my caloric intake and upping my proteins, I'm just not hungry. I have no desire to indulge in chocolates, cakes, or other high-cal foods. Keeping with my diet is now just a fact of my life, it's the way of life, it's not a thing I have to think about. It's really frustrating to not see huge results quickly, but I think about how GOOD it'll feel when the pounds do come off.

What advice or encouragement can you give me???

Set goals for yourself, cook in advance, have someone in your family or a friend support you... you can do it!

Even places like Dunkin Donuts have menu items you can choose and eat fairly well (the wake-up wraps, for example, and regular coffee with skim milk.) Spend some time looking at nutrition facts online for your go-to places and make a list of "you-approved" items you can order at each place on those days when you just didn't have time to plan ahead. It can be done!

If you have to buy lunch, just check the packaging for calories. Many places now have healthier options in salads or sandwiches. Sushi is quite good or soup if you can heat it up at work. If bringing from home make homemade soup or salads in tupperware containers. You have to be more organised but its worth it.

A lot of restaurants have lighter fare meals now too. Some are still pretty high but if I I have to I'll omit the bun from a Wendy's chicken sandwich fast! Drink a lot of water like 30 mins before I eat and keep english muffin always within reach. I pretty much can make anything out of an english muffin now. LOL

Sweet Fix - English muffin a little butter and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mix or hershy's coco powder I keep in my desk
Fast Food Feel - English muffin with 2TBSP tomato sauce one slice of provolone

and they always make good sandwiches breakfast, lunch or dinner. On the go, within reach, and still reasonable.

Good luck!

Bake a bunch of chicken on the weekends. Then eat it with salad through the week, or just a bit of bbq sauce, or some brown rice and green beans. You can package it up in containers on the weekend and just grab one as you rush out the door.

I have a similar scheduling/time problem.

-I have an insulated lunch bag with a freeze pack to be able to take a variety of food to work

-smoothies- 1 c greek nonfat plain yogurt, 1 scoop protein powder, fiber powder and 1 T instant coffee. I prepack the dry ingredients, then pack the yogurt and just mix and shake with water at work in a shaker cup.

-double cook meals on the weekends for leftovers for lunches- grill an extra piece of chicken, fish etc. for a salad.

-1 oz packs of walnuts with 1/2 c of berries make a great and healthy snack.

-hard boil a dozen eggs for packable snack or salad on a bagel/in a wrap

Hope this helps

I agree with all the above tips, but for those times when fast food really IS the only option, try to make healthier choices. All chains should have nutritional info on their websites (as well pamphlets available in the store). Check out the specs for places you usually go, so you're able to make some better choices next time you go in. Even if you can't look at the nutrition info ahead of time, you can still save a lot of calories by choosing smaller sizes, asking for no mayo, no cheese, sauces/dressing on the side, etc. Try a veggie burger if available, or have a grilled chicken sandwich instead of crispy chicken or beef. Also, you can eat only the bottom half of a burger bun, or ask for a to-go container and before starting to eat, package up half the meal to take home for dinner. There's even a book about this subject. It's called "Eat This, Not That" I think. I don't have it, but I've heard it's good if you find yourself unable to avoid fast food.

What are some of your favorite & healthy on the go meals?

If all else fails... choose a salad. Forego the croutons and go with a fat free or vinaigrette dressing.
Lean Cuisine makes a bucket load of low calorie microwavable meals that are truly delicious.
Annie's vegetarian burritos are also easy to prepare, filling, and delicious.

When and how do you prepare them?
I cook very little, most meals are microwavable.

What encourages you to keep with things when you are frustrated after trying so hard and seeing so little results?
The weight didn't go on overnight and it isn't going to come off overnight.
There will be plateaus, but trainers say to increase calorie intake for a couple days and it will kick back in - then lower the calorie intake once it does.

What advice or encouragement can you give me???
My highest weight was 328lbs.
I have lost 46lbs thus far with over 100lbs more to go.
It CAN be done.
It took 26 years to put the weight on... working hard and changing my life over the course of... say two years... that is win-win situation.

What kind of kitchen options do you have at work? Is there a fridge, microwave, kettle, or nothing? It might be worth investing in a microwavable cup or dish to keep at the office. If you have a fridge at work, bring in a grocery bag of healthy snacks (fruit, cut up veggies, yogurt cups, cheese portions, whole wheat bread, and anything else that you like.)

If you have a microwave, you can heat up your own homemade food or a healthy frozen dinner. I eat a lot of frozen dinners at work because I dislike cold sandwiches. I like looking forward to a good-tasting lunch after a long morning :-)

If you don't have either of these things it gets a little more challenging, but there are still healthy, shelf-stable snacks available. I like canned hummous, fruit in shelf-stable cups, peanut butter, canned vegetable juice and canned tuna salad. Whole fresh fruit is another great snack that will keep in your desk for several days. There's also oatmeal and soups, stews and chili available in individual cups that simply require hot water.

Frozen dinners and shelf-stable items tend to be high in sodium, so you'll want to keep an eye on that. There are lots of great suggestions on this thread, and hopefully you'll find some meals that appeal to you!

ALWAYS make time for your health. No excuses.

That being said, you can spend more time on weekends doing things like grilling a massive amount of white chicken and veggies. Don't bother with pastas, bagels, or wraps. They are high calorie and don't keep you full for long. I used to be a carb QUEEN. Now I barely ever make carb-heavy foods because I'm hungry only a couple hours later!! Plus it's one more food group to cook each time..

Do prep ahead of time so you can portion it out each morning.

Don't waste your time on smoothies - you would have to make it daily.

Go basic like low fat cottage cheese and strawberries for breakfast, chicken and veggies for lunch (change up the seasoning/cooking sauce), and same for dinner (lean protein/veggie). We cook things like grilled chicken, roasted peppers, turkey meatloaf, brussels sprouts, broccoli, then maybe take some of the cooked chicken and turn it into taco meat for tacos one night, then slice it for chicken sandwiches... Another day you can chop the roasted peppers and chicken, add balsamic vinegar (or light vinaigrette) and make a salad. Done! See how easy it can be?