Our BetterMost Community > Chez Tremblay
I Wish I Knew How to LOSE You--The Weight Loss Thread (check first post)
Brokeback_Dev:
I wanna look like Jillian from the biggest loser!
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on January 05, 2010, 11:40:34 pm ---That sounds healthy! Three points is quite low for a meal.
--- End quote ---
That's interesting to know. I wonder, though, what I would have to add to cover the salad and the bread?
--- Quote ---FYI, Lean Cuisine frozen dinners also list the WW points they contain, but in smaller print on the side of the box. I tend to get LC better, but I usually just pick whichever one's on sale.
--- End quote ---
I never noticed that about Lean Cuisine! Generally I tend to go with the entrees that I like, and I have learned to my annoyance that grocery stores don't necessarily carry all the varieties of entree made. The supermarket where I generally shop doesn't carry LC's chicken chow mein or chicken with basil cream sauce, two of my favorites, so from time to time I go to a different store and buy a couple of them. It does, however, carry LC's lemon chicken--I really like the rice that comes as part of that meal--and WW's pot roast, but not WW's Dijon chicken! Aaargh! :laugh:
--- Quote ---Neither line would meet Lee's standards for healthy eating, I know. But when you don't feel like cooking, they sure are convenient, and some are even edible.
--- End quote ---
Sure enough, but I wasn't going to say anything about that. ::) But time often plays a role in my dinner choices. If I run errands after work, or go to the gym, and then, when I get home, deal with the snail mail and e-mail, frequently before I know it, it's 7:00 and I'm starved. I need to eat and I need to eat pronto, not spend another hour preparing something. Also, a way back on this thread, Meryl made a point about portion control with which I wholeheartedly agree. Using LC and WW's entrees is my way of providing a quick meal with the portion strictly controlled. Sometimes I'll add fruit or "one serving" of cookies like ginger snaps for dessert, and I'm good to go.
I would never argue that frozen entrees are better than home cooking, but I so rarely have the time, inclination, and energy to cook these days. I actually did more cooking over my vacation between Christmas and New Year's than I've done in months!
Of course, then there is the issue of going out to restaurants. I like going out to restaurants, and we have many good restaurants within easy walking distance of my home here in Center City Phialdelphia, but restaurant portions are always larger than what I would eat at home, even when I've done my own cooking, so I never eat out as much as I'd like. :(
Front-Ranger:
I don't have ennithing against frozen dinners, I'm sure they've come a long way since the Swanson's dinners I bought when my daughter was a baby and I was nursing 10 hours a day. My husband wasn't much of a cook then. He would turn out two dinners onto plates to nuke them and then, since they didn't look substantial enuff, he would put two other frozen dinners on top, two unrelated frozen dinners! Now he has become a very good cook, as well as my daughter and most nites I can't even get into the kitchen to cook ennithing!! But since I don't know about frozen dinners, I can't write anything about them.
I am familiar with all kinds of dehydrated meals that hikers, soldiers, and such take in their backpacks if anybody wants to know about that!
Thanks for the reminder to weigh in for a baseline, Paul. I keep forgetting to do that! Also, does everyone have a little notebook to keep track of progress? I'm going to put mine on a ribbon that goes around my neck with my gym key!
CellarDweller:
I try not to eat the frozen diet meals. I remember they had (don't know if this has changed) higer sodium contents, and that causes high blood pressure and bloating/water retention.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 06, 2010, 09:48:17 am ---That's interesting to know. I wonder, though, what I would have to add to cover the salad and the bread?
--- End quote ---
An average slice of whole-wheat bread is usually 1 point. Salad dressing varies widely, but a tablespoon of vinaigrette, say, is about 1.5 to 2 points. Lettuce and most other vegetables are free. If you add cheese or croutons or sumpn, that's extra. Otherwise, your whole meal would be 6 points or less.
That's still pretty low, and if your other meals were similar and you didn't snack much I'm sure you'd be well within your WW limits. I'm allowed 20 points a day -- again, based on weight, age, gender and normal level of activity -- plus that optional extra 35 a week. You and I are the same age, and do probably similarly sedentary work. I'm not sure how our weights compare, but you'd probably get more points just for being a man.
A WW anecdote: Most classes have one or two men in them, no more. I was in a class once where new members were asked to say how they did in their first week. One man goes, "Well, I just joined on Saturday, so I've only lost 10 pounds so far." The women in the class exchanged looks of "Let's kill him!" :laugh:
--- Quote ---I never noticed that about Lean Cuisine! Generally I tend to go with the entrees that I like, and I have learned to my annoyance that grocery stores don't necessarily carry all the varieties of entree made. The supermarket where I generally shop doesn't carry LC's chicken chow mein or chicken with basil cream sauce, two of my favorites, so from time to time I go to a different store and buy a couple of them. It does, however, carry LC's lemon chicken--I really like the rice that comes as part of that meal--and WW's pot roast, but not WW's Dijon chicken! Aaargh! :laugh:
--- End quote ---
I like the chicken with basil cream sauce, too! I also like most of the LC Asian entrees, as well as the tortilla-crusted fish. I especially look for the newer LC entrees that feature whole-wheat pasta and/or extra vegetables.
--- Quote --- restaurant portions are always larger than what I would eat at home, even when I've done my own cooking, so I never eat out as much as I'd like. :(
--- End quote ---
Well, WW would tell you to have the server box up half the meal immediately, before you even start eating. Another option is to go with a health-conscious friend: split an entree, then each of you get a side salad. But restaurants are tricky, because even when you try to order something light you don't know exactly how much butter or oil is in the sauce or soup.
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 06, 2010, 11:01:08 am ---I don't have ennithing against frozen dinners, I'm sure they've come a long way since the Swanson's dinners I bought when my daughter was a baby and I was nursing 10 hours a day.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: CellarDweller on January 06, 2010, 11:27:12 am ---I try not to eat the frozen diet meals. I remember they had (don't know if this has changed) higer sodium contents, and that causes high blood pressure and bloating/water retention.
--- End quote ---
Yes, I have heard they are high in sodium. And as a general rule, I agree with Lee that processed food is less than ideal, health-wise.
On the other hand, you have to do what works for your lifestyle and interests. For many people, it's hard to come home from work or whatever every night and peel and chop vegetables and so on, and if it's too much trouble you won't do it forever. I opt for cooking from scratch when I can, but have a freezer-full of frozen meals as a fallback when I can't. As a Plan C, I even know some of the healthier options at fast-food restaurants.
I've been going through my old Cooking Light and other food magazines and compiling a list of meals I could make that a) sound good b) aren't too much trouble and c) my kids would conceivably eat.
BTW, if you think it's hard to cook healthy meals for yourself, try doing it for both yourself and for two slim, active teenage boys who aren't big on vegetables.
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