writergeek313 Member

Can you eat nuts? That would be my choice. Maybe something like coconut milk yogurt or ice cream? I haven't tried those, but I know coconut is fairly high in calories, so those could be good dairy-free choices (another one of my go-to choices when I need calories is full-fat Greek yogurt, but I know you couldn't have that).

As others have said, only a few weeks isn't enough time to see progress, especially since your body is adjusting to an intense new workout routine. You'll retain more water for awhile to help your muscles repair themselves from exercise. Think about using a calculator like this one to figure out how many calories you…

I would think about seeing your doctor. There might be something else going on not related to how much you're eating.

Two weeks isn't enough to see results. The 8 pounds the first week was likely a lot of water weight lost, and the 4 pounds the second week was likely water your body is retaining to help your muscles repair themselves. This is typical when you first start working out. Consistency is key. Also make sure you're tracking…

I was going to suggest weekly meal prep, but it doesn't sound like you have the time. What could work, though, is spreading the meal prep out over a few weeknights so that it's more manageable to get started and to clean up. For instance, maybe one day you leave a pot of beans soaking while you're at work, then cook them…

You may be scraping less salt off those pretzels than you think. I struggle with eating too much sodium sometimes, and when I do, my weight often balloons three or four pounds for a few days. I try to drink a lot of water to help, but cutting back on sodium is a big goal for me right now. There are clear indications in…

I agree that 1750 seems low. Put his stats in here and see what his recommended calories are for his activity level: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

This looks yummy! I bet it might be good with some spinach and a little fat free ricotta added to each serving, since I usually make lasagna with a ricotta and spinach filling.

I get the burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, cheese, mild and corn salsas, guacamole, and lettuce. If I've had a big workout or have missed a meal that day (which happens a lot when I sleep in on the weekends) I can have the whole thing. Otherwise I save half for lunch the next day. My bowl has 875…

Since you said you eat chicken a lot: http://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/meat/chicken/ I've really enjoyed the majority of recipes that I've made from this site. I recommend checking out the section on baking, too, since she's got recipes for things that you might think are luxuries when you're eating on a budget…

A lot of grocery store salad bars have whole hard boiled eggs and a few kinds of fruit. Or instead of precut fruit you could buy just one banana or one apple. Depending on how many carbs you want to eat in the morning, you could also get a bagel or a roll of some sort. Greek yogurt is another good option for protein.

Your body doesn't need any cleanse on top of what it already does naturally. Drink plenty of water and make sure you're getting enough fiber to stay regular and you'll be doing all the cleansing you need to. I'm also not sure if it would really jump start your metabolism. Protein shakes with the add-ins that you mention…

I'm really sorry for your loss. I know how stressful it is when my cat gets sick, so I understand how immensely stressful losing your dog must have been. Good job trying to avoid emotional eating in such a tough time! In terms of foods that travel well, veggies, fruit, and bars (Kind and Larabar are my favorites). I'm not…

You have to give yourself the best chance to succeed, and that means having the right attitude and being willing to keep trying new healthy foods until you find things you do like. If you keep the mindset that you're doing something you hate, eventually you're probably going to give up. When I was starting out, I stopped…

Please don't start duplicate threads in different forums.

1200 calories probably isn't enough to fuel you through your day. It's the lowest number of calories that MFP will suggest someone eats, but for most people, it's not enough. Use a calculator to find out what your BMR is (that's the number of calories your body needs to complete its basic function, i.e. the number of…

The parts I bolded both spell trouble. Starving yourself is no way to lose weight. If you're not eating enough, you won't have the fuel to get through those workouts and could potentially do damage to your health. Use a calorie calculator such as the one at Scooby's Workshop to calculate how many calories you need to be…

The closest TJ's to me is 70 miles, so I go every few months and stock up. My favorite thing I get there is their strawberry vanilla Greek yogurt. It's full fat, so it's definitely not low calorie, but it's a delicious indulgence. I also love their garlic hummus. Quinoa is cheaper there than any of the stores close to me,…

You're getting ripped off, plain and simple. 30 pounds in a month should have sounded too good to be true, and it most definitely is. Also, it's extremely difficult to build muscle when you're eating at a calorie deficit, especially as big of a deficit as you're eating at. Muscles become more defined as we lose the fat…

Please consider seeking the help of a registered dietitian. He or she can educate you about proper nutrition and can help you set calorie and macronutrient goals that will help you to lose weight while ensuring you're getting enough fuel to stay healthy. The way you're eating now is extremely dangerous to your health and…

Greek yogurt has a lot of protein per serving. Cottage cheese is another good choice. I've also been snacking on beef or turkey jerky a lot lately, since it's 80 calories per ounce and has 13 or 14g of protein. As others have mentioned, lentils and beans are great ways to boost your protein, as is quinoa. I made red…

My favorites lately are beef or turkey jerky (80 calories per ounce and 13 or 14g of protein...just watch the sodium), hard boiled eggs or hard boiled egg whites, and Fage yogurt.

My code is 43PGQ3DWP. It has unlimited uses in the U.S.

I highly recommend Grace Young's book Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge. The book has a lot of really good recipes, but I also really liked all the tips it had about buying and preparing ingredients, cooking in a wok, and how to clean and care for a wok. I've taken what I've learned from it and started to create my own…

This might be the funniest thing I've read on here! OP, think about doing some food prep in advance but not assembling everything and hiding a key ingredient or two. You could also package your food in a way that will be extremely difficult for someone to mess with or even see what it is (multiple bags, rubber bands, duct…

I usually eat half an avocado at a time. I cut it in half, take the pit out if that's the half I'm going to have, and weigh it. Then I scoop the flesh out and weigh the empty peel and subtract that weight from the total.

For awhile I was making rolled oats in the microwave with water and cinnamon, then adding either unsweetened applesauce or canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) and a teaspoon or so of brown sugar. I got bored with that, but a few weeks ago I picked up a variety pack of 32 pouches of Nature's Path organic instant…

Just to be clear, this is pre-chopped coleslaw mix and not coleslaw with the dressing already on it, right? I can't imagine hot pre-made coleslaw, but that's what the ingredients make it sound like.

It sounds like you're trying to make healthy and realistic lifestyle changes. Don't let anybody stop you from that! When your boyfriend is in a decent mood, try to talk to him to find out why he cares so much what you're eating and when you decide to stop drinking. Shouldn't it matter more that you're out and spending time…