Since I am debating the low carb diet I thought I would work on using the high carb foods to help clear the cabinets a little. I have two weeks until grocery day and one week until I find out if I will have enough money to buy LC. I found I still had 3 bags of baby carrots in the veggie bin and one was starting to turn. I diced them up, put them in some water and added a couple of bowls of some instant black bean soup a friend gave me.
After simmering on high for 30 mins the carrots were still hard!! I added a carton of the cream of tomato soup we got at this last food give away. It was hideous bright orange and tasted like cream of carrots but it morphed into a tolerable taste later. I also added one can of diced tomatoes.
My 50# bag of potatoes included a bunch of teeny ones this time. I peeled a bowl full of these, quartered them and tossed them into the pot. I set it on low and let it cook for another hour.
I had intended to add cans of peas and mixed veg but it had a very chili taste from the spicy black bean soup so I decided I would turn it into a chili pot and add dark red kidney beans and black beans. Only one problem, the stew pot was full. It even ran over while on slow simmer. (The dogs were kind enough to get up every drop that had hit the floor LOL but I had to clean the hot plate and countertop.)
I ended up having a cup of the "chili" each time I got hungry so it was my breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday. I had tossed in 3 chicken tender strips near the end but they were overcooked and disgusting so I gave them to the dogs. The food was tolerable but not great.
There is still half a pot left. Today I am going to add a half pound of hamburger so I can at least have the illusion of getting some meat plus a few cans of those beans. I might actually stretch this out for another couple of days. It's not the best food for my tastes but I can get it down without gagging and it is very low cal, low sodium and low fat. I have to do some figuring but I am hoping I can actually afford to make some garlic toast using that LF butter I bought.
Happy Dieting
Linda B in TN:)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
GAG
The truth is I hate this diet. I have always hated low fat. I love meat and vegetables seasoned with butter, mayo, soy sauce and garlic. I just find it hard to stay on that diet when I am paying out over $200 a month on electric bills. With only $150 a month for groceries and potatoes at $10 for a 50# bag it is easier to do LF.
There are other problems besides taste. I hate eating all this processed food. I am overloading everything with salt to give it flavor. A low fat/low cal diet can only find seasoning in herbs (I am allergic to most), hot seasonings (violently allergic), which leaves salt and sugar both of which gag me. I don't care for most fruit - too sweet. I love chips but I have never eaten more than one bag a month. I might toss in a can of salted nuts or trail mix but this was the extent of my snacking. Now I am loading up on fruit cups and baked chips everyday. Salt and chemicals - yummy. Also I cover all the potatoes and rice with canned sauces because homemade ones are too full of fat and calories so goody, more chemicals and salt.
Also all this bread. I have always believed that too much wheat is bad for you. All that fermenting going on in your stomach. Just bubbling and boiling away. I used to go through one loaf of bread every couple of months now I am shoving 3 or 4 loaves or more down me each month. Double yuck.
And I mean I am forcing this food down because I am definitely NOT enjoying it. I load it with salt to kill the taste. Eating has become a duty that I avoid half the time then I overload in the evening because I am too hungry.
Also the low fat diet always leaves me tired and sluggish. Since the second week I have been sleeping more and more. I was getting up at 9 each morning. Then it was noon. Now I get up at 9 but am so tired I lay back down and sleep until 1 or 2pm. Now it is until 4 or 5pm. I get up for a few hours in the evening, cook dinner, watch TV, read a few emails and go back to bed. I have no strength but I also think some days I avoid getting up because I would have to face this crappy food.
Today was weigh in day. I am still at 350. I am not losing or gaining just struggling to swallow this lousy food. This happens every time I try to do LF. I pump myself up and convince myself to like it the first month or two. By the end of about 6 weeks I am sick of it. I fix dinner and sit starring at it. Sometimes I just break down in tears because I absolute hate it so much. I always feel sluggish and bloated on the LF diet.
I have two more weeks before grocery day. I am going to continue to fight with the low fat diet. However, now that the electric bill will be down I may try to buy extra meat and veggies next month and go back to low carb. I will have to see how it goes.
Happy Dieting *sigh*
Linda B in TN holding by a fingernail @ 350
There are other problems besides taste. I hate eating all this processed food. I am overloading everything with salt to give it flavor. A low fat/low cal diet can only find seasoning in herbs (I am allergic to most), hot seasonings (violently allergic), which leaves salt and sugar both of which gag me. I don't care for most fruit - too sweet. I love chips but I have never eaten more than one bag a month. I might toss in a can of salted nuts or trail mix but this was the extent of my snacking. Now I am loading up on fruit cups and baked chips everyday. Salt and chemicals - yummy. Also I cover all the potatoes and rice with canned sauces because homemade ones are too full of fat and calories so goody, more chemicals and salt.
Also all this bread. I have always believed that too much wheat is bad for you. All that fermenting going on in your stomach. Just bubbling and boiling away. I used to go through one loaf of bread every couple of months now I am shoving 3 or 4 loaves or more down me each month. Double yuck.
And I mean I am forcing this food down because I am definitely NOT enjoying it. I load it with salt to kill the taste. Eating has become a duty that I avoid half the time then I overload in the evening because I am too hungry.
Also the low fat diet always leaves me tired and sluggish. Since the second week I have been sleeping more and more. I was getting up at 9 each morning. Then it was noon. Now I get up at 9 but am so tired I lay back down and sleep until 1 or 2pm. Now it is until 4 or 5pm. I get up for a few hours in the evening, cook dinner, watch TV, read a few emails and go back to bed. I have no strength but I also think some days I avoid getting up because I would have to face this crappy food.
Today was weigh in day. I am still at 350. I am not losing or gaining just struggling to swallow this lousy food. This happens every time I try to do LF. I pump myself up and convince myself to like it the first month or two. By the end of about 6 weeks I am sick of it. I fix dinner and sit starring at it. Sometimes I just break down in tears because I absolute hate it so much. I always feel sluggish and bloated on the LF diet.
I have two more weeks before grocery day. I am going to continue to fight with the low fat diet. However, now that the electric bill will be down I may try to buy extra meat and veggies next month and go back to low carb. I will have to see how it goes.
Happy Dieting *sigh*
Linda B in TN holding by a fingernail @ 350
Friday, May 21, 2010
Grocery Day
Suddenly I look around and another week is gone. I always mean to write every few days but there seem to be too many other things to take care of.
First, no gain or loss this week. I am still at 350. Part of it is my fault. I bought groceries last Tues and grocery day does something to me. Since I am only able to go to the store once a month I get cravings that have to wait for weeks. All that crap about wait a few hours and the yearning will go away, BULL FEATHERS. When I want something I will crave it for weeks and weeks, months even. In between nothing I eat will satisfy me. I have been trying to adjust my groceries so I can cover all possible cravings (in a healthy way) but I still have a little ways to go.
This past trip cubed steak and country ribs were on super low specials. I also decided to buy some ground beef for spaghetti and some chuck steak. If I can cut it into small servings I can have these items now and then if I stick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts for most meals.
I frequently don't do that on grocery week. It takes me several days to work my way through the meat packages and get them divided and into the freezer. As a result I have a different meat and yummy favorite meal each day.
Tues I was exhausted so I sauteed a few chicken tenders and several potatoes in olive oil. Wed was the cube steak - lightly breaded and cooked in olive oil. I added boiled potatoes with Alfredo sauce.
Thur was BBQ ribs and potato salad. I have learned that trying to convert to low fat mayo is disgusting and not going to happen. I end up tossing out the food and then raiding the cabinets in the middle of the night. I can mix regular mayo with LF ranch dressing to bring the content down and did that with the potato salad this time. Next trip to the store I am going to check out the olive oil mayo by Kraft. I don't know what it tastes like but it is supposed to be better for you.
Fri I finished up the decadence with a pot of spaghetti. I used whole wheat purchased noodles and made a full pot using one pound of beef.
Since then I have been on a chicken bender except for a small steak this evening. Today I made up a pot of homemade veggie soup. About 6 cups of water and I boiled a pound of diced carrots and some leftover celery and dehydrated onions. I added about 4 teas of Knorr beef bouillion powder (found in the Spanish foods section). After about 20 minutes I added 6 large potatoes, peeled and diced and cooked on medium another 20 minutes. Then I added one can each of - peas, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and black beans. After about 20 minutes more the potatoes were tender and it was ready. I had a bowl with my steak and another bowl with a piece of whole wheat toast for dinner. The dogs got a hearty helping and there is still almost 2/3 of a large pot. I will be able to eat off of this for a few days.
Well, time to get some zzzz's.
Happy Dieting,
Linda B in TN holding @ 350 *sigh*
First, no gain or loss this week. I am still at 350. Part of it is my fault. I bought groceries last Tues and grocery day does something to me. Since I am only able to go to the store once a month I get cravings that have to wait for weeks. All that crap about wait a few hours and the yearning will go away, BULL FEATHERS. When I want something I will crave it for weeks and weeks, months even. In between nothing I eat will satisfy me. I have been trying to adjust my groceries so I can cover all possible cravings (in a healthy way) but I still have a little ways to go.
This past trip cubed steak and country ribs were on super low specials. I also decided to buy some ground beef for spaghetti and some chuck steak. If I can cut it into small servings I can have these items now and then if I stick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts for most meals.
I frequently don't do that on grocery week. It takes me several days to work my way through the meat packages and get them divided and into the freezer. As a result I have a different meat and yummy favorite meal each day.
Tues I was exhausted so I sauteed a few chicken tenders and several potatoes in olive oil. Wed was the cube steak - lightly breaded and cooked in olive oil. I added boiled potatoes with Alfredo sauce.
Thur was BBQ ribs and potato salad. I have learned that trying to convert to low fat mayo is disgusting and not going to happen. I end up tossing out the food and then raiding the cabinets in the middle of the night. I can mix regular mayo with LF ranch dressing to bring the content down and did that with the potato salad this time. Next trip to the store I am going to check out the olive oil mayo by Kraft. I don't know what it tastes like but it is supposed to be better for you.
Fri I finished up the decadence with a pot of spaghetti. I used whole wheat purchased noodles and made a full pot using one pound of beef.
Since then I have been on a chicken bender except for a small steak this evening. Today I made up a pot of homemade veggie soup. About 6 cups of water and I boiled a pound of diced carrots and some leftover celery and dehydrated onions. I added about 4 teas of Knorr beef bouillion powder (found in the Spanish foods section). After about 20 minutes I added 6 large potatoes, peeled and diced and cooked on medium another 20 minutes. Then I added one can each of - peas, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, and black beans. After about 20 minutes more the potatoes were tender and it was ready. I had a bowl with my steak and another bowl with a piece of whole wheat toast for dinner. The dogs got a hearty helping and there is still almost 2/3 of a large pot. I will be able to eat off of this for a few days.
Well, time to get some zzzz's.
Happy Dieting,
Linda B in TN holding @ 350 *sigh*
Friday, May 14, 2010
Pretend it is Monday May 10th:)
I haven't given up or run off just because of the weight gain last week. Just got busy with real life and haven't been on the computer much the past two weeks.
The good news - my Monday weigh in showed I had dropped the 8 pounds plus 2!!!! I am down to 350 WOOHOO. So I was probably right it was just bloat from too much sodium or just one of those anomalies that happen when you are dieting. There are good weeks and bad weeks.
I remember when I attended TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) I almost always showed a loss but I wasn't a good dieter. We had our weigh ins on Tues nights. I didn't really learn to control my eating habits back then which is why I am in bigger trouble now. I ate what I wanted most of the time just cutting back on a few things. Monday and Tuesday I practically starved myself. My son was between 8 and 10 at the time and I took him with me. There were lots of other kids and we met at a church where we turned the kids into a fenced playground.
After the weigh in it was treat time. Either Granny's Fried Chicken (my favorite) or Pizza Inn (his fav). We alternated each week but at both it was the buffet and we ate like hogs at a trough. Granny's had banana pudding and dumplings. Pizza Hut had every kind of pizza plus lasagna, spaghetti and more pastas, pastas, pastas. We would come rolling out stuffed and I would avoid the scales until Sat or Sun when I would go into panic mode and start starving myself again.
Not these days. I am working hard to evaluate and understand what I eat each and every day. What are my favorite foods and how can I make them lower in fat, salt and calories and still like the taste of them? This is a difficult mission but if I don't assess these things and make the changes I will never get rid of this weight or I will continue to yoyo until the day I die. Which I predict will be a lot sooner if I don't get this under control.
Tues was my shopping day. I spent a lot of time reassessing last month's meals and tweaking the diet. I will talk more about that next time - hopefully tomorrow:)
Happy dieting,
Linda B in TN @ 350:)
The good news - my Monday weigh in showed I had dropped the 8 pounds plus 2!!!! I am down to 350 WOOHOO. So I was probably right it was just bloat from too much sodium or just one of those anomalies that happen when you are dieting. There are good weeks and bad weeks.
I remember when I attended TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) I almost always showed a loss but I wasn't a good dieter. We had our weigh ins on Tues nights. I didn't really learn to control my eating habits back then which is why I am in bigger trouble now. I ate what I wanted most of the time just cutting back on a few things. Monday and Tuesday I practically starved myself. My son was between 8 and 10 at the time and I took him with me. There were lots of other kids and we met at a church where we turned the kids into a fenced playground.
After the weigh in it was treat time. Either Granny's Fried Chicken (my favorite) or Pizza Inn (his fav). We alternated each week but at both it was the buffet and we ate like hogs at a trough. Granny's had banana pudding and dumplings. Pizza Hut had every kind of pizza plus lasagna, spaghetti and more pastas, pastas, pastas. We would come rolling out stuffed and I would avoid the scales until Sat or Sun when I would go into panic mode and start starving myself again.
Not these days. I am working hard to evaluate and understand what I eat each and every day. What are my favorite foods and how can I make them lower in fat, salt and calories and still like the taste of them? This is a difficult mission but if I don't assess these things and make the changes I will never get rid of this weight or I will continue to yoyo until the day I die. Which I predict will be a lot sooner if I don't get this under control.
Tues was my shopping day. I spent a lot of time reassessing last month's meals and tweaking the diet. I will talk more about that next time - hopefully tomorrow:)
Happy dieting,
Linda B in TN @ 350:)
Monday, May 3, 2010
What happened?
Somehow I have managed to put 8 lbs back on. One leg is swollen but overall I don't feel bloated or like I am retaining water. I was very careful with the food my friend brought but I can only assume my calorie estimates were way off. The green beans had bits of bacon in them and I had them for lunch and dinner everyday. I kept the sauce to one half cup per meal but it did have butter and cream. Maybe I calculated too low. It is hard to figure what is in something if you don't cook it or have a label to go by. I am so glad I gave the dogs huge helpings of everything each day:)
There is one more possibility - the homemade pasta. I really don't think that is what did it though. However I will hold off with the pasta recipes and experiment with them again in a week or two when I am back down a little more.
Right now I intend to concentrate on being very bland and very low calorie this week. Except the possibility of one dinner out with family. I will be careful but I am not going to be a drudge either. I believe in enjoying life and will savor the food but I will try to make good choices. I still have some low fat frozen dinners in the fridge from last month so I will concentrate on eating those until grocery day.
Last night I fixed the cheese tortellini, diced in a 3 ou piece of turkey breast and added some plain green beans and spinach that I steamed. Loved it.
I am out of potatoes and only have one or 2 more servings of rice. I was trying to stretch to Tues May 11 before going to town. They are giving away food which will be a big help. They have cut back to just once every three months but the quality of the food is so much better. I thought the homemade pasta would be a good stretcher but I am just too afraid of trying it right now. Besides I would like to make some whole wheat pasta and I know the recipe will need to be tweaked for ww.
Here's a lesson I learned yesterday:
I am allergic to milk, gives me nasty headaches so I haven't touched it since the mid 70's. I don't keep milk in the house and hate powdered milk so I started using evaporated milk for cooking which didn't bother me like fresh milk. I used it for everything - mashed potatoes, potato soup (2 cans) and a full can in a bowl of snow cream. Over the winter months I can go through a dozen or more cans of evaporated milk just making snow cream. I love it and love the taste of evaporated milk. Well guess what - 20 grams of fat per 8 ou!! That is 40 grams per can and it is 80% fat!!!!! YIKES!!!!
Well we have another winner in the never eat THAT again category.
Happy Dieting,
Linda B in TN @ 360 :(
There is one more possibility - the homemade pasta. I really don't think that is what did it though. However I will hold off with the pasta recipes and experiment with them again in a week or two when I am back down a little more.
Right now I intend to concentrate on being very bland and very low calorie this week. Except the possibility of one dinner out with family. I will be careful but I am not going to be a drudge either. I believe in enjoying life and will savor the food but I will try to make good choices. I still have some low fat frozen dinners in the fridge from last month so I will concentrate on eating those until grocery day.
Last night I fixed the cheese tortellini, diced in a 3 ou piece of turkey breast and added some plain green beans and spinach that I steamed. Loved it.
I am out of potatoes and only have one or 2 more servings of rice. I was trying to stretch to Tues May 11 before going to town. They are giving away food which will be a big help. They have cut back to just once every three months but the quality of the food is so much better. I thought the homemade pasta would be a good stretcher but I am just too afraid of trying it right now. Besides I would like to make some whole wheat pasta and I know the recipe will need to be tweaked for ww.
Here's a lesson I learned yesterday:
I am allergic to milk, gives me nasty headaches so I haven't touched it since the mid 70's. I don't keep milk in the house and hate powdered milk so I started using evaporated milk for cooking which didn't bother me like fresh milk. I used it for everything - mashed potatoes, potato soup (2 cans) and a full can in a bowl of snow cream. Over the winter months I can go through a dozen or more cans of evaporated milk just making snow cream. I love it and love the taste of evaporated milk. Well guess what - 20 grams of fat per 8 ou!! That is 40 grams per can and it is 80% fat!!!!! YIKES!!!!
Well we have another winner in the never eat THAT again category.
Happy Dieting,
Linda B in TN @ 360 :(
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