Quote:
Originally Posted by BeckyD@RodgersChevrolet
Today's totals
1239 calories
104 protein - 124 goal
118 carbs - 124 goal
43 fat - 28 goal
Still off but getting better at watching the #'s on my
fitness tracker. So when I went out for dinner, after
Eating out for breakfast and lunch  I was
high in carbs (oatmeal) so I had an egg and mushroom
omelette, no cheese, with some salsa on the side and
1 piece of dry whole wheat toast. I was pretty proud
of myself  . Then I wanted something sweet so I made
CFD's pudding -doubled the recipe then divided into
3 containers. Ate one and froze the other 2 . Also
Got rid of the last of the chocolate protein powder
that I really don't care for
It's starting to make sense. Once you give me a road
map for the week ahead, we'll take a big step forward |
Everyday it looks a little better. The totals are never going to be exact unless you get fanatical about it. Oatmeal is high in carbs but don't fret, they are a great source of complex carbs and are slow digesting, this helps you stay full and will not spyke your insulin levels like some carbs do, that is why it is a staple in a fat loss diet.
Here is how I prepare my meals to be prepared for when I'm on the go. Right off I start with chicken(you can use any lean protein source but chicken is fast and easy and can be eaten cold) Grab the chicken breasts( 4-5 oz), season them to your liking, I normally use a salt free all spice or salt free lemon and pepper seasoning. Put them in the oven, bake or broil untill cooked.
Now you have a ready to eat protein source, you can add a complex starchy or fiberous carb, slice or dice and put it on a salad or slap it in a sandwich.
If you stocked up on some veggies and found the steamer bags, while the chicken is cooking steam some veggies, you can use the bag over for this cooking session. They only take 2-3 minutes each so you will have plenty by the time the chicken is done. Take 1-2 cups of the veggies and put them in a entre sized container, when the chicken breast is done put one in each container. You can add things to make it more flavourfull, any spices, you can put a bit of salsa on the veggies or on the side. This makes a protein and fiberous carb meal. (late day)
If you take 1 or 2 chicken breasts and slice or dice them and put in a single serving container or baggie you can freeze them, any time you want to make something fairly quick, such as a stir fry or salad your protein source is ready, grab it , nuke it and it's ready to go.
If you bought brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta etc. You can cook some up. When done, take an appropriate serving and add to one of the chicken and veggie containers. This is now a protein,starchy carb and fiberous carb meal. (mid day)
If you don't have time to cook all at once, although by the time the chicken is done everything else should be as well, it's ok. Next time you cook, make extra,then add it to a piece of chicken.
The idea is to get used to always having a protein source ready as this takes the most prep time and where people fall short., You can eat your veggies raw but usually not your protein.
These types of meals fill my freezer, any time I'm in a hurry I can grab a container without thinking about it, nuke it and I'm done. I usually cook my dinner fresh, make more of the ingredients and add to a previously cooked piece of chicken, this keeps kitchen time minimal.
You can do so many things with it. You can slice your veggies and stir fry them for dinner, but make a bunch of it, add it to one of the chicken breasts you diced or sliced and put it over a small portion of rice and freeze it, now your adding variety.
Now everytime you make something for dinner, make 2-3 servings instead of one and put one in the freezer. The only extra time in cooking extra is the chopping of veggies etc so you will always be replacing your pre cooked meals with more.
When you have time, prepare the high protein pancackes recipie I posted. This takes a few minutes but is well worth it. Double the recipie, use about 1 full cup of batter for each one, it should make three. When done, wrap 1 in aluminum foil. Each one is a filling meal and can be taken anywhere. You can eat these anytime, they are a complex starchy carb but oatmeal is slow digesting and the cinimon stabilizes the blood sugar even more, so if it is later in the day and you don't have time for something these are perfect. This is something a bit odd but it works great, when I take a break for coffee around ten or so, if I haven't eaten I put one of these on the floor of my car and cranck up the heat a little, by the time I get my coffee I have a nice warm high protein pancacke to eat.
I don't expect you to live off of these meals, although you could, but they are intended to be no thought meals that will keep you on target when you don't have time to prepare something. There are tons of meals you can make from the posted recipies or your own but making these to start with will give you a good idea of portion sizes making future choices when in a resteraunt or out to eat a snap because even if you are somewhere where the choices aren't great, portion size is more critical.
Now lets say you're off to work and in a hurry, grab a pancake and a chicken dinner and take it with you, now if you are in a pinch at work you can nuke them for a couple of minutes and be done with it, you don't have to worry about your cal counts etc. they have been taken care of already.
If you have some Fiber One left, or any whole grain cereal that fits the bill, you can add a scoop of protein powder to it in a sealed container and take it with you, just add skim milk and with the added protein here is another meal you don't have to think about. Keep an eye on portion size, most complex starchy carbs like oatmeal, whole grain cereals, rice, pasta etc. are high in carbs and a serving size is usually around 1/2 cup or so, dumping a bunch of cereal in a bowl, like most do, is most likely 4-5 servings so Always look at the label for correct portion sizes.
If you have eggs left hardoil a bunch of them. Now again without thinking you can grab a few of them, throw them on a salad, eat them on there own or put them in a piece of bread, again a quick meal you don't have to think about. On your way out the door grab a few and if you find yourself hungry and on the fly you're covered again.
You will start to get in the habbit of cooking simple basic meals like this,learning portion control and balancing meals all in one step. You can make meals more fancy or keep them simple, it doesn't matter the idea is to get to know what a balanced meal is, remember a meal is a fuel source, it doesn't have to be fancy and eating doesn't have to be gracefull lol it does have to be nutritious.
I talk about putting chicken or eggs in bread. The bread can be the deal breaker that is why I often usw the Joseph's bread I posted, it is very low calorie and very low carb and a good fiber source as well as omega fat's. It is more of a tool for holding your food but helps fill you up and adds some healthy ingredients to your diet. Ezekeil is another good choice but if you use other breads limit them according to their nutrient label, especially the carbs and calories, they will put you over your limit rather easily. Always read the ingredient list of breads they often use high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils to bind them, avoid these completely in any foods.
Remember always eat your protein, yogurt, cereals, shakes can easily be made to hit your protein goals with a scoop of protein powder,all meals should contain 20-30 g protein, start with this and then add the carbs, ALWAYS EAT YOUR PROTEIN.
I usually recomend keeping an eye on fruit intake asit is a sugar but you can eat a couple of pieces a day to fill the gaps, don't be afraid to grab an apple or banana for when you need something in a hurry. Grapefruit is one I always eat, low calorie and low glycemic and fiber. Strawberries and bleberries are excellent sources of antioxidans and can be included with cereal, yogurt,shakes etc. again just keep an eye on portion sizes.