I was wondering if I could ask for all your help...I've put on a fair bit of weight in the last 6 months and it's REALLY starting to scare me because I'm trying on clothes in sizes I haven't been into for a very long time

I need some food ideas/recipes/snacks that are healthy, cheap and easy to whip up using a microwave or a frypan. I don't use the oven or grill at all...

does anyone have ideas/recipes they can suggest to help me out? I'd be so grateful for any help. If I can start eating healthy (and I mean REALLY eating healthy not a halfassed attempt like I've been fooling myself with) then I'll be more motivated to get out there and exercise, too, which is essential for long term health and lots of weight loss

go low carb for a while... it works

Sweeny79 said:

thanks...yes I do need to get ideas for low carb foods

Natisse said:

get the atkins book

exercise regularly (you don't necessarily have to join a gym). and don't go crazy on the whole low-carb thing either. It's simply having a BALANCED diet w/ unrefined starches and sugars, rather than refined stuff (i.e. white bread, white rice)...pick whole grains and wheat bread, soy products, etc....

Sweeny79 said:

I'm not sure I want to follow any "diet" as such...just eat healthy is all, I guess

I've heard very very mixed things about what he says and I'm a little hesitant, to be completely honest sorry hon

dancinggyrl said:

that's what I'm talking about, yeah, but do you have any food ideas or good recipes you know of? I really need ideas, that's all..I'm not imaginitive at all when it comes to food

Natisse said:

it's really hard to do but you loose like 15 pounds in 2 weeks... least I did.
Both my parents have done it for the past year. In 3 months by Mom went from a size13 to a size 7... it works.

Sweeny79 said:

OMG really? that's awesome!!! to all of you...have you all kept it off? (hope that didn't come out wrong just curious that's all)

Natisse said:

My father was on the South Beach diet for a while and actually lost 60 pounds. We're Italian, so we ate a lot of carbs before, pasta and breads and everything, and he stuck to South Beach and actually lost all of his cravings for carbs. Now that he's lost the weight he wanted to, he eats some carbs, but sticks to wheat pasta and bread. He's been off it for a couple of months now and has still maintained his weight by eating a regular diet with everything in moderation.

theVelvetRoper said:

that's awesome!!!

Natisse said:

cottage cheese w/ dill weed added w/ sliced cucumbers (keep the cukes seperate...the water from them tends to make the whole thing runny if mixed together), tuna salad w/ REGULAR mayo (it will help you feel full), low-fat cheese (mozzarella), any of those soy burgers in vegetarian section @ the grocery store. I think there's gotta be some websites, too with actual recipe ideas. cooking up some chicken in olive oil and throwing it together w/ broccoli, tomatos, garlic, parmesan (this is making me hungry)- without pasta or with whole wheat pasta. The US is notorious for HUGE portions, too. If you do eat, eat less.

dancinggyrl said:

THANK YOU!!!! that's what I'm talking about...I'm making notes

any other ideas from anyone? any help at all with food ideas would be SO more than welcome!

one of my favorites is very easy to make:

-cook up some brown rice

while that is cooking sautee some or all of the following (in a titch of olive oil):
-diced tomatoes (you can get these prediced and canned in the mexican food aisle!)
-onions
-black beans/pinto beans/chili beans
-any color bell peppers
-carrots
-corn
-garlic
-some spices (thyme, basil, pepper, and so on)
-etc.....

once the brown rice is done, throw it all together and you have a snack-a-licious meal!

when I'm feeling productive, this is a GREAT easy, healthy meal that can be prepped in quantity to heat up for lunches through out the week!

ps- I'm a veg, so I wouldn't do this, but I spose you could add chicken to this if you wish

pps-the tomatoes are an IMPORTANT part of this, you need their juices to make the dish naturally saucy. just make sure to add them to the sautee at the VERY end so they don't get overdone

Sweeny79 said:

Natisse said:

I gained some back, I have no self control when it comes to food or anything else , but my parents have done pretty good.

one more tip for helping to ease into cooking yummy food:

In most produce departments you can get jarred herb/spices such as oregano, basil and garlic. These are as 'fresh' as you can get without constantly buying herbs. They are MUCH more flavorable than dried spices and SO easy to use. I always have them in my fridge, it's amazing what a difference they can make to something as simple as scrambled eggs!


i'm getting hungry now too! this thread is counterproductive!

What do you usually eat?

I live off a diet of and

Here's the easiest way to do it. Keep track of what you're eating every day for about a week. Look up how many calories each item is. Do that for every day. Then add the 7 days up, divide by 7 and you have your average amount per day.

If you're gaining weight right now it means you're consuming too many calories. Take 500 calories off and see how that works for a week. If your weight stays the same, then that's your maintenance amount. If you want to lose weight you need to create go under your maintenance level, so take off another 400-500 calories and you should start losing weight.

In the meantime try making changes to your diet, but take it slow. Drastically changing your diet is not going to work out. Replace products with simple carbs by ones with complex carbs, unsaturated fats by polysaturated, use low fat protein sources (lean meat or 0/1% dairy products, lean meat), try to have some fatty fish instead of pork etc etc. I can also recommend using flax seed oil or fish oil, whichever you prefer. I prefer flax seed myself. two table spoons per day will boost your metabolism and it has lots of other benefits.

http://www.google.com/sea...tnG=Search

Calcium supplementation also helps.

Good luck!
[This message was edited Wed Aug 11 21:06:45 2004 by J0eyC0c0]

thanks guys I'm taking it all in and making notes

all in moderation

~Plus keep physically active (not just with a keyboard and sitting in a chair).

100% protein is what U need plus lots of self control and motivation. Fruit, vegetables, lentils & beans are great 4 U. Try Sushi as well, very low cals & hardly no fat intake. Personally I wouldn't go on the atkins diet, it will cause organ damage later in life as specified by many. The healthiest way 2 do it is with lots of water, exercise, balanced daily food intake and absolutely no short cuts or treats. If U attempt to lose the weight too quickly U will put it back on just as quick. U need to work with ur blood chemistry 2 change it 4 the better in order to quicken ur metabolism, and not abuse it. We'll talk more about it over weekend.....

PanthaGirl said:

thanks gorgeous...yep we'll talk about it later

in the meantime I'm going to have a search around the net and see what recipes and things I can come up with...that's really what I'm stuck on is some interesting ideas that are easy and cheap to create

Natisse said:

True that. I have so many healthy snack/meal ideas etc which I'll hand over when I see U. Golden rule on any diet, never cook with oil, no frying no nothing like that. Try and grill or steam when U can because it allows for the fat to be drained without adding 2 it. Talk soon babes. MWA....

PanthaGirl said:

I'm also into healthy food a lot and I haven't even heard about the atkins diet, was wondering what it is about...

MarySharon said:

I don't know much about it either...there are lots of people who swear by it but just as many who don't agree with it because it can be quite extreme and as Chrissie said with long term effects

I lost a third of my body weight before (a very long time ago) by eating healthy and exercising but it's been a long time since I've cracked down on myself like this so I've lost a lot of knowledge of foods

MarySharon said:

Many of the rich n' famous in Hollywood swear by Atkins diet and is most popular amongst them. It advocates low carbohydrate and high fat intake.

The problem is the side effects are more severe then ppl like to think or admit. Some of those are as follows:

The human body gets its energy from calories, and carbohydrate calories in particular are the main source of energy for the human body, and if you attempt to lose weight by eating a low carb diet then you'll quickly find that your body will become weak and lacking in energy -- these are just some of the side effects of a low carb dieting program. Atkins is a low carb diet (low carbohydrates are eaten) and because of this fact your body will experience many negative side effects.

Ur body will be so starved for carbs (energy) that you will be physically WEAK all day long and your "blood sugar level" will be so low that your brain will have trouble operating correctly -- your reaction to things will be slower because of your "low blood sugar level" and your low energy level, which in return makes U feel miserable and weak. Physical illness is associated to using this diet program to lose weight , because your body will attempt to give you a signal that it needs carbohydrates -- and your body does this by making you physically sick and/or by giving you a severe headache (this is your body telling you to eat carbohydrates so that your blood sugar level can get back to normal and you can have energy again). This is why using a dieting plan like this won't allow you to lose weight or achieve your weight loss goals, it's just not a sound dieting program and it won't allow you to burn fat. The worst side effect I've heard about is from my friend that was on it because Hollywood swore by it, and she has abdominal & bowel troubles now, 2 years or so down the track.....

I'd rather stick to exercise, lotsa water & my balanced nutritional lifestyle choices. It's kept me slender for years. I hope the motivation and control keeps up Tisse, it ain't easy and it's a big step but I know U have it in U...

I'm on a coffe and chocolate diet.