Weight loss mission.....finding some new dishes (not necessarily egged).......

northGAcock

I have been on Weight Watchers for about 7-8 weeks now, lost almost 30 lbs. One of the food items I have found (among many) that I enjoy is a vegetable cheese-less omelet for breakfast. I have been doing them in a Teflon pan, and have really upped my game with the almost daily practice. This one has onions, red and yellow peppers.....and I added fire roasted green Chile's. I often add fresh spinach when i have it. Of course I top it off with some salsa. 

Looking for some ideas from others who may be working the weight off? Please share.

lkapigian

Very Nice, and Congratulations!! 

johnkitchens

Very nice! Are you do the WW online or are you going to the meetings?

northGAcock

johnkitchens said:

Very nice! Are you do the WW online or are you going to the meetings?

I have been doing both. My original plan was to do the meetings for the first month and then drop back to the digital plan. After the first month, i decided to stick it out a second month. Prolly gonna do a third....but eventually plan to stop. I have a long journey....so there is plenty of time. 

lousubcap

Congrats on the program and achievement to date.  My approach to the same challenge was to figure out to eat less and take 1-2 beers/day off the consumption.  Working well so far but the high heat and humidity of summer really taps the beer pounding trigger. 

Sorry, no help with any good recipe alternatives although dialing up the chiles should help with the purge process

fishlessman

brown rice with roasted veggies and tomato and that japanese crack. been doing bulgogi tacos keeping the meat light(shaved steak) and sauteing kimchee and garlic, adding purple cabbage, red onion, chives, sometimes avacado, and a sriracha, yogurt, lime sauce. i just eat the one but pile everything but the meat high. lots of lebanese salads from the bakery and they have a red sauce with green beans and a small amount of meat along with cabbage rolls and stuffed grape leaves.  i do hit the grocery just for veggies and fruit alot more often.  taking the Mediterranean approach to more foods, thin lightly topped pizza, pasta is ok just not much. im at 34 pounds in 10 weeks.  something that seems to be working is veggies for mid morning breakfast, not first thing, something to do with burning more fat in the early hours, fruit and veggies for lunch, maybe a canned olive oil packed tuna added. keeping dinner small or just drinking a bottle of pinot nior wine, i truly dont like wine but its a better choice than the beers i like. was eating more fish but the salmon fishing this year is horrible.  this time im trying to just stay the coarse of eating Mediterranean food and not thinking too hard about it. look for the yogurt salad dressings, the blue cheese one ive been buying is 70 calories per 1/4 cup

johnmitchell

Well done Robin .. Didn't @Killit_and_Grillit do some kinda diet posts a while ago? 

HoustonEgger

I'm down 80lbs since last October. Lost 20lbs by just changing over my breakfasts to overnight oats and/or whole oats (motivated by wanting to get of the BP and cholesterol meds). After that, I started meal prepping & going to the gym. Also did dry January, which when added to the exercise & healthy eating has led to a pretty dry year overall. Weight loss has slowed quite a bit as I'm approaching my goal weight (Was losing 9-12lbs a month, now at 5lbs) but I'm good with that as well. 

Biggest things for me:

1. Meal prep Saturday & Sunday for the week ahead - Breakfasts, lunches & dinners. Saturday & Sunday I don't have "Cheat" meals but I'll enjoy a lunch or dinner out and just choose something healthier.
2. Gym time - every morning without fail. I started only being able to run 1/4 a mile without passing out and now I just ran 10 miles on Saturday. Even if you hate the gym, do something everyday 
3. Apple Watch - This keeps me moving like a FitBit. I use it to track my calories burned and activity. I also have a Google doc I can share that I've used to track my weight and workouts overtime. Tracking definitely helps you focus and make changes accordingly.
4. Cut back on drinking - I'll enjoy a beer if I want one now days - but I've had maybe 12 all year. And 1 or 2 hard drinks. And I used to drink that in a weekend easily. After doing dry January and getting into working out again, I really felt the effects of alcohol while drinking and after
5. Goals: I kept them simple. First was to get to 220, then 200 and then 185. That's where I'm at right now and that feels good for my body. Now my focus is changing my BMI but not necessarily the scale. 

Results:

1. Down 80lbs
2. Size 44 to 32
3. Cholesterol 440 to 63 (off meds)
4. BP from Hypertension to Normal (off meds)

Diet:

1. I still egg almost everything - just healthier things these days. Usually chicken, pork tenderloin and veggies. 
2. Todays Lunch: Roasted sweet potatoes, Broccolli and chicken (1/2 a breast). Plus a hard boiled egg and raw carrots. 
3. This is one of our favorite recipes - recommend smoking the chicken and roasting the veg on the egg, then putting the dish together. Freezes very well so I usually make 2 or 3 so we have throw downs: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/pesto-chicken-bake-with-cauliflower-low-carb-gluten-free/

We tried Keto and ended up more Ketoish then anything. I could never get to Ketosis and felt like crap without some carbs - so adding in natural carbs like sweet potatoes and fruits really helped me. So we won't eat white breads, rice, pasta or white potatoes, but will have sweet potatoes and bananas (after a good run). 

If you have any recipe questions or diet workout questions feel free to PM me - always happy to help a fellow egger out. 

TTC

Beautiful plate.

Glad to hear you are having luck. I started Keto/Lo Carb 3 months ago and am down 25lbs, more importantly my gut feels so much better - no more acid reflux every day.

I am much less hungry now that I am several months in, so I usually skip breakfast and like you have an omlette at lunch. I make a big 4 egg beast with whatever leftover's I have - grilled thighs, bacon, smoked gouda is one of my go to combos.

I've tried to challenge myself to learn to cook differently, and there are a ton of great resources/recipes out there for the low carb/low sugar lifestyle.

I've got a physical next week and I am really hoping to see some improvements in my blood chemistry (which is usually horrible)

Good luck to you

JohnInCarolina

Have you heard about exogenous ketones?

Battleborn

For me, it is mostly about portion control and eating fresh.  We also don't eat out much anymore.  When we do it is mostly sushi or Greek.  I now eat 7-8 small meal a day that range from a sandwich to nuts and fruit.  I do eat one "big" meal, dinner with the family.

lkapigian

I don't eat out, I exercise 5-8 times a week @ above moderate intensity ---my problem is tequila, I'm getting my losses, but not in these numbers 

northGAcock

HoustonEgger said:

I'm down 80lbs since last October. Lost 20lbs by just changing over my breakfasts to overnight oats and/or whole oats (motivated by wanting to get of the BP and cholesterol meds). After that, I started meal prepping & going to the gym. Also did dry January, which when added to the exercise & healthy eating has led to a pretty dry year overall. Weight loss has slowed quite a bit as I'm approaching my goal weight (Was losing 9-12lbs a month, now at 5lbs) but I'm good with that as well. 

Biggest things for me:

1. Meal prep Saturday & Sunday for the week ahead - Breakfasts, lunches & dinners. Saturday & Sunday I don't have "Cheat" meals but I'll enjoy a lunch or dinner out and just choose something healthier.
2. Gym time - every morning without fail. I started only being able to run 1/4 a mile without passing out and now I just ran 10 miles on Saturday. Even if you hate the gym, do something everyday 
3. Apple Watch - This keeps me moving like a FitBit. I use it to track my calories burned and activity. I also have a Google doc I can share that I've used to track my weight and workouts overtime. Tracking definitely helps you focus and make changes accordingly.
4. Cut back on drinking - I'll enjoy a beer if I want one now days - but I've had maybe 12 all year. And 1 or 2 hard drinks. And I used to drink that in a weekend easily. After doing dry January and getting into working out again, I really felt the effects of alcohol while drinking and after
5. Goals: I kept them simple. First was to get to 220, then 200 and then 185. That's where I'm at right now and that feels good for my body. Now my focus is changing my BMI but not necessarily the scale. 

Results:

1. Down 80lbs
2. Size 44 to 32
3. Cholesterol 440 to 63 (off meds)
4. BP from Hypertension to Normal (off meds)

Diet:

1. I still egg almost everything - just healthier things these days. Usually chicken, pork tenderloin and veggies. 
2. Todays Lunch: Roasted sweet potatoes, Broccolli and chicken (1/2 a breast). Plus a hard boiled egg and raw carrots. 
3. This is one of our favorite recipes - recommend smoking the chicken and roasting the veg on the egg, then putting the dish together. Freezes very well so I usually make 2 or 3 so we have throw downs: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/pesto-chicken-bake-with-cauliflower-low-carb-gluten-free/

We tried Keto and ended up more Ketoish then anything. I could never get to Ketosis and felt like crap without some carbs - so adding in natural carbs like sweet potatoes and fruits really helped me. So we won't eat white breads, rice, pasta or white potatoes, but will have sweet potatoes and bananas (after a good run). 

If you have any recipe questions or diet workout questions feel free to PM me - always happy to help a fellow egger out. 

Thanks. Very helpful. I am on a similar journey....goal is to loose 80. Will be in touch.

Gulfcoastguy

Over the last year I am down 44 pounds with about 25 to go . That equates to down over 5 inches in pants sizes. Due to some complex medical issues, keto is out of the question. One thing that I found helped was to eat an apple a day . It helps to move things through and to soak up grease. The other thing is to ditch artificial sweeteners.

buzd504

I do a lot of vegetable stir frys.  Anything that would normally require rice/grits/polenta, I sub sweet potatoes or just skip it.

Also, beans and lentils in the instantpot make easy healthy meals.

We currently have our vegan nephew staying with us, so that has made me start being a little creative in my cooks - I'll sous vide some chicken breasts and just add to my dish if I'm looking for some protein (or flavor).

lkapigian

Gulfcoastguy said:

Over the last year I am down 44 pounds with about 25 to go . That equates to down over 5 inches in pants sizes. Due to some complex medical issues, keto is out of the question. One thing that I found helped was to eat an apple a day . It helps to move things through and to soak up grease. The other thing is to ditch artificial sweeteners.

this is a good average per week

mlc2013

Pros:
I tried the low carb diet and lost 85lbs in 1 year 300lbs to 215lbs and kept it off for about 5 years. I ate like a pig, but all protein and ate 6-8 times a day with 1 big meal normally diner. I kept my carb intake down to about 30 net carbs a day. I added in mountain and road biking as my exercise but only after the first year, and I normally road 150 miles a week or so and loved being outside.

I started the Low carb diet because my BP was through the roof and my cholesterol was very high, my Dr said if i don't change anything she was going to put me on medication and it was a life long medication. She also said no more sausage and that I had to cut back on my red meat (that was the straw that broke the camels back), being 35 at the time I didn't want to start a medication for the rest of my life and could not give up sausage (it is one of my favorite foods) so I tried this diet as a last ditch effort after I tried WW and Nutri system and new you etc. I could not stay on any of them, but this low carb high protein diet was right up my alley

Long story short my numbers came way down to the point where my dr said she would have bet me $1million dollars a year ago that i would not be this healthy in such a short time. I went from a really tight 44 for a loose 38 and I felt my ribs (I never knew they existed).

If you can handle the no carbs it really works great. You can Message me and Ill tell you more give you ideas of what meals I prepared etc.

Cons:
I had some medical problems early last year (nothing to do with the diet) that kept me off the bike for 18 months now and I started eating carbs again (who knew ice cream came in so many crazy and delicious flavors, and don't get me started on bread). So the big con is that when you haven't had bread or real sugary sweets in years and then start again its like a drug addict well at least for me. Ive been trying for months to stop and get back on the wagon but no luck yet

 I have also gained 35lbs in the last year so I to am trying to get back on track and trying to do the low carb thing again but for some reason I just can't seem to do it for more then 2-3 days in a row without blowing it. Many people who have done the diet tell me the same thing that it is a great diet but once you break it your going to have a very hard time getting back on it.

Breakfast was the hardest meal for me eventually you get tired of having a hungry man hero (sans bread) over easy on a plate.

Snacks also was very hard for me as I only snacked on nuts and cheese no sweet treats.

SmokeyLopey

Congratulations on your weight loss and best wishes for continued success!

northGAcock

Gulfcoastguy said:

Over the last year I am down 44 pounds with about 25 to go . That equates to down over 5 inches in pants sizes. Due to some complex medical issues, keto is out of the question. One thing that I found helped was to eat an apple a day . It helps to move things through and to soak up grease. The other thing is to ditch artificial sweeteners.

Good advice. Not doing any sugars. Congrats on your losses. 

northGAcock

buzd504 said:

I do a lot of vegetable stir frys.  Anything that would normally require rice/grits/polenta, I sub sweet potatoes or just skip it.

Also, beans and lentils in the instantpot make easy healthy meals.

We currently have our vegan nephew staying with us, so that has made me start being a little creative in my cooks - I'll sous vide some chicken breasts and just add to my dish if I'm looking for some protein (or flavor).

I miss rice greatly. Sweet taters....i can do. Appreciate the tips. Battleborn said:

For me, it is mostly about portion control and eating fresh.  We also don't eat out much anymore.  When we do it is mostly sushi or Greek.  I now eat 7-8 small meal a day that range from a sandwich to nuts and fruit.  I do eat one "big" meal, dinner with the family.

My eating out largely fits the salad profile. I dislike making salads at lunch. Working from home is both helpful, and yet difficult. I need to get out some...so a salad run has largely been the extent of my eating out. 

northGAcock

JohnInCarolina said:

Have you heard about exogenous ketones?

 No

northGAcock

johnmitchell said:

Well done Robin .. Didn't @Killit_and_Grillit do some kinda diet posts a while ago? 

The Keto is not for me. I have been happy with the WW’s program. There app is outstanding. Adams post were largely Keto related. I did look at the weight loss forum page....and with a few exceptions, not much there.  I don’t plan to change that, but after a couple months.....need some new food to try. 

DoubleEgger

Congrats.  WW is a great program. That’s why it’s still around after 50+ years. 

northGAcock

DoubleEgger said:

Congrats.  WW is a great program. That’s why it’s still around after 50+ years. 

So far....so good. It’s changed a lot so I hear. Haven't gone hungry. Found a lot of things I like....but gave up some things I love. 

northGAcock

I didn’t starve tonight. 

Gulfcoastguy

northGAcock said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Over the last year I am down 44 pounds with about 25 to go . That equates to down over 5 inches in pants sizes. Due to some complex medical issues, keto is out of the question. One thing that I found helped was to eat an apple a day . It helps to move things through and to soak up grease. The other thing is to ditch artificial sweeteners.

Good advice. Not doing any sugars. Congrats on your losses. 

To be more specific, no Nutrasweet or Splenda. They are actually worse than real sugar. Now I also avoided corn syrup, French fries, anything breaded and fried.

Battleborn

northGAcock said:

I didn’t starve tonight. 

That looks like an amazing meal! As our resident Captain would say, a banquet for sure. 

SciAggie

@northGAcock Good for you in making a decision to get control of your weight. As you can see from the comments you are not alone. I am down 80 pounds myself and have been in maintenance of my weight for over 10 months now. I am now at a normal BMI and feeling great.

I am an active user of My Fitness Pal and have been using their app as an aid in my journey. I'm active on their forums and have learned a number of things over the last year and a half.

First, there are many paths to success. I'm happy WW is working well for you. I became successful by counting calories to meet my needs. That drives some people nuts but it works for me. At the end of the day in order so lose weight your caloric needs have to be greater than your intake. You can exercise, count points, limit portions, use intermittent fasting, eat 7 meals a day, or eat three, or count calories - they all have the same results.

I'm not sure how to help with recipes. I have essentially continued to eat most of the same things I ate when I was obese - just less of them. Now I eat fried and other calorie dense foods less often. I have just learned to make choices. I still have a chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes except it's only a couple of times a year. I also eat smaller portions. I still have ice cream - but I measure a 3 oz serving that's only 160 calories and allow for it in my day.

I exercise more but honestly that's for stress relief and fitness - not so I can lose weight or eat more. That said the weight loss process and exercise just naturally has directed me to healthier food choices. We eat more veggies and grilled or baked protein instead of fried.

I tend to have a simple breakfast. Either overnight oats, cold cereal, or toast and a scrambled egg. I usually have a boring simple sandwich for lunch and no chips. That leaves me room in the evenings for a satisfying meal. I like a snack before bed so I "leave room" for one.

The hardest part for me honestly - was just learning what a normal portion of food looked like. I would measure a reasonable portion for a meal and my mind would be like "That ain't enough to keep a bird alive" but I would eat and discover after 15-20 minutes that I was not hungry and that it was indeed enough food. Breakfast cereal was a killer. Until I measured my portions with a food scale I didn't know that I was often eating 3-4 servings instead of one. That sort of thing...

Best of luck to you. I'll help in any way I can.

northGAcock

Gulfcoastguy said:

northGAcock said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Over the last year I am down 44 pounds with about 25 to go . That equates to down over 5 inches in pants sizes. Due to some complex medical issues, keto is out of the question. One thing that I found helped was to eat an apple a day . It helps to move things through and to soak up grease. The other thing is to ditch artificial sweeteners.

Good advice. Not doing any sugars. Congrats on your losses. 

To be more specific, no Nutrasweet or Splenda. They are actually worse than real sugar. Now I also avoided corn syrup, French fries, anything breaded and fried.

Roger that. I have gone almost exclusively to black tea, which I can drink unsweetened. I miss my sweet ice tea but.....have moved to water for lunch / dinner. Stevia has been used in a rare case where coffee / fat free Latte. Really, I would just as soon have the tea than a weak latte. 

Yeah....have not had fried item in quite some time. I can live ok with that.

Lowcountrygamecock

I have always loved playing sports but was never one to like exercise. A friend got me into F3 workouts and I love it. It’s a free peer led group workout. They’re in 26 states so odds are there is a location near you. Check out F3nation.com. I’ve met a ton of great people that hold me accountable when I get lazy and don’t feel like showing up.   If you need a little push to work out look them up. Good stuff and did I mention it’s free???

northGAcock

SciAggie said:

@northGAcock Good for you in making a decision to get control of your weight. As you can see from the comments you are not alone. I am down 80 pounds myself and have been in maintenance of my weight for over 10 months now. I am now at a normal BMI and feeling great.

I am an active user of My Fitness Pal and have been using their app as an aid in my journey. I'm active on their forums and have learned a number of things over the last year and a half.

First, there are many paths to success. I'm happy WW is working well for you. I became successful by counting calories to meet my needs. That drives some people nuts but it works for me. At the end of the day in order so lose weight your caloric needs have to be greater than your intake. You can exercise, count points, limit portions, use intermittent fasting, eat 7 meals a day, or eat three, or count calories - they all have the same results.

I'm not sure how to help with recipes. I have essentially continued to eat most of the same things I ate when I was obese - just less of them. Now I eat fried and other calorie dense foods less often. I have just learned to make choices. I still have a chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes except it's only a couple of times a year. I also eat smaller portions. I still have ice cream - but I measure a 3 oz serving that's only 160 calories and allow for it in my day.

I exercise more but honestly that's for stress relief and fitness - not so I can lose weight or eat more. That said the weight loss process and exercise just naturally has directed me to healthier food choices. We eat more veggies and grilled or baked protein instead of fried.

I tend to have a simple breakfast. Either overnight oats, cold cereal, or toast and a scrambled egg. I usually have a boring simple sandwich for lunch and no chips. That leaves me room in the evenings for a satisfying meal. I like a snack before bed so I "leave room" for one.

The hardest part for me honestly - was just learning what a normal portion of food looked like. I would measure a reasonable portion for a meal and my mind would be like "That ain't enough to keep a bird alive" but I would eat and discover after 15-20 minutes that I was not hungry and that it was indeed enough food. Breakfast cereal was a killer. Until I measured my portions with a food scale I didn't know that I was often eating 3-4 servings instead of one. That sort of thing...

Best of luck to you. I'll help in any way I can.

Appreciate your response and input. Learning many of these things as I go. Still plan to plate a feast with you in your Texas outdoor kitchen....maybe a self reward for hitting my goal. I am on a path after initial change.....loosing about 3 1/2 lbs a week. I am walking about 12k steps a day along the way. Thanks for input.