Dieting Is Soooo Much WORK!!!!

Demanding career, family life, renovation projects and travel got me into the mess I have today.  So my life was definitely fast food and grab and go from the gas station delis.  But, I still have all those things going on and I've added "diet" to it.  But its supposed to be a lifestyle change. 

Is anyone as exhausted as I am with all the peeling, chopping and homemade creations?  I'm really trying hard to make a new style of eating; but, it sure means a lot of work on me.  My husband doesn't cook, nor will he even consider learning.  He's so stubborn on the subject that when he asks what I'd like for my birthday, xmas, anniversary, etc; I say "go to the local cooking school" and he refuses.

I use some of the already prepared foods in the produce section of the grocery, but it gets way too pricey so buying from the farmer's market seems to be the best value.  I have a seal a meal and prepare a lot of items, freezing them, etc; and eventually all the work will pay off.

I hear from everyone how "hard it is" but aside from dealing with the cravings ... does everyone also mean the work that comes with meal preparations?

Hi Granny,

sure do know where you are coming from.  I am retired for now (hubby's health).  Cooking is hard work.  I try to enjoy it.  I like to cook in the morning and try to do it when i am more focused.

hubby does cook but it is southern fried stuff down home that he learned at his mama's knee.  Fat back in the veggies,  Fried "taters".   The most divine cornbread which is probably 300 cals a piece.  I heard him tell the 5 year old grandson tonight "Gran, won't let me buy bologna anymore. "

Thanks for you honesty and hang tough.  I know that eating to live instead of living to eat will pay of in time.  The effort will be worth it.  Or i keep telling myself that

Here is a gripe of mine.  Do you find your hubby sabotaging you?  I think I sound paranoid but my husband can be supportive for a few weeks then shows up with a boat load of crap. or should I say temptations.  Of course there is the line of thought that he can eat whatever he wants it is his kitchen too.  oh well have i got ya all confused for real.  made this replay all about me LOL.

love & light

Marjorie

I am too busy to cook most of the time.  I have learned how to eat prepared and fast foods and stay within my calorie limit.  Every fast food place has at least one good item.  At McD's I eat the southwest salad with grilled chicken (420 WITH the dressing).  Their lowfat ice cream cone at 150 is a good treat.  Carls Jr has the BBQ chicken sandwich at 360.  Taco Bell has the fresco items.  Denny's now has a complete nutrition guide on the table with calories for all their items.  Arby's has some healthy options.  Subway has some great lowcal stuff.  I love their Western breakfast flatbread and they have a breakfast melt made with egg white for under 200.  Their orchard chicken salad sandwich is very tasty and only 340 calories.  Just take the time to download the nutrition guides for these places and you won't have to cook much.  From the grocery store I buy the pre-cooked whole chicken and add cut up chicken to a big green salad.  I like the Morningstar veggie cakes for 110 calories (take less than 2 minutes in the micro).  Or put chicken and plain yogurt on top of a baked potato - that doesn't take long.  You learn to have one item for your meal, not three or four, and that saves time.  It is very possible to lower your calories and eat healthy without a lot of cooking or prep time.

Hubby can be a big sabotager, but guess what - the bad food that comes home gets "eaten" by the trash can when hubby is not looking!!   "Yes, dear, I finished up the (whatever)"  There is no reason to put up with that.  If he wants to eat hi cal food, he can eat out.

Give your hubby back his bologna!  At 25 cal. a slice the 98% fat free tastes pretty dang close to the real thing which I wasn't expecting when I tried it.

I don't expect my husband to diet with me. In fact I prefer he doesn't because he always loses twice the weight in the same amount of time and it really hacks me off.  I can still prepare foods he enjoys and adjust them to fit my daily limit.  That is why calorie counting is so much easier for me.  He's generally not around at breakfast and lunch so I make those my low cal meals and try to save 1/2 my calories for dinner and we can enjoy it together. He's a good ole southern boy and doesn't mind cooking at all. It does help that he's willing to help out a little, especially since he is semi-retired and I still work full-time.

I don't think they consciously try to sabotage us, they just don't realize how hard it is to chose carrot sticks over a snickers bar. Men generally don't buy into the misery loves company theory. At least mine doesn't. :)

Losing Weight Is Hard,Keeping It Off Is Harder,Looking At Myself In The Mirror Is Getting Easier And Easier.

Cooking healthy for me and my husband is no longer a chore. I love finding new and interesting recipes.

I bought a dark chocolate candy bar...I made 4 servings. It is my reward 1 serving per week. That's fine with me now.

Everyone keep up the good work. Stay strong.

Anne

I totally agree with you, it is hard work, dieting, BUT, I have found a way that works better for me, maybe it will help you. 

I eat as many vegetables as possible.  I love cucumbers, so, I take cucumbers, tomatoes, and little 2% milk cheese snack bars to work with me.  All I have to do is peel the cucumber, cut up the tomatoe and I have my lunch for the day.  Also, vegetables, even if you cook them, take no time at all, and you can eat twice the veggies, calorie wise, that you can of the other stuff.   I have lost a little over 30 lbs since June, and hope to lose a little more before November.

I work at a convenience/gas/fast food store, so I am surrounded by fried snacky foods all day including yummy pizza, and fried chicken.  It is very tempting but I have found that taking my cucumbers, and buying the ranch dip we make at work, keeps me from munching on those fried snacks that I do not need. 

Another thing I have discovered is that even though I have never been a coffee fan, at work, when I feel so hungry that I am about to grab that pizza, I drink a cup of coffee (with some sugar free french vanilla flavoring in it) and it seems to help curb my urge to eat until I have time to go get my veggies.

We get no breaks where I work, so you have to eat while you run the register, wait on customers, and at times, run out to help someone pump gas, so, I have to eat when there is a slow minute.  Taking my veggies is a whole lot easier than trying to cook something at work or choose something that is healthy in the not so great healthy choices in my store.  I understand this may not work for everyone, but it has been great for me, especially this summer while I can go to the Farmer's Market and buy home-grown veggies, and cantalopes.

Now, I almost crave my cucumbers like I used to crave chocolate or other sweets, all my clothes are hanging on me, and I am getting slow, but great results.   Hope this helps you.  You just have to find something that works for you.  Don't give up, you will find the winning combination that works for you.

Good luck,

Forevermejb, Jan

FG,

Let's break it down to something really simple, Diet in Greek is way of life. So you are already on a diet, the thing is does the way of life you are living support your goals of becoming healthier? Okay now that you have been honest, let's face it. Cooking is not that hard if you watch Rachel Ray she whips up stuff in 30 minutes, not so sure her food is all that healthy, but seriously it does take planning and portion control.

Example, when you buy a chicken buy the whole thing, not just skinless boneless breast at 5.99 a lb. You can get a whole chicken for under $5.00. Be your own butcher, you cut it up, and roast it, with a little dry rub in an iron skillet or a baking dish. that night you have the wings and the thighs, for lunch you have a drumstick, and left over green beans from the night before. The next night you make a big salad with lettuce, tomatoes, celery a little green onion, avocado, some shredded mozzarella and the chicken breast(which all you have to do is pull it of the bone with your fingers, no fuss no muss quick and easy). Drizzle on a little Newman's Own Light Italian dressing, and to treat your self for "just Having a salad" for dessert have a baked apple with raisins, nuts and make it with splenda. You make the apples first and then while they are cooking you make the salad. Make it a rough chop, not a fine dice, that saves time.

it is not so hard, and to get Huibby involved, tell him to come in to the kitchen you need his help, have the vegtables cleaned and ready with a sharp knife, cutting board and a big bowl. show hin on each how you want each item cut. Big hunk of celerey split down the middle about 3/4 of an inch or to have the stock not split but the cuts only 1/4 of an inch. Let him have the choice of helping or not eating.  It really doesnot tak much.

I just want to wish you luck and keep it up, it is not as if you gained your weight overnight, nor will you lose it in a weekend. But the way of life you have now chosen, demands changes if you are true to yourself, an honestly is that what you really want is some changes that support your decision?

Have a great big day!

TB

BTW, this may be worth all the chopping peeling and effort. peel and core the apples, place in Microwavew safe bowl. Mix the nuts, rasins ( or your choice of dried fruit, figs, appricots or dried cranberries) cinamon and splenda in small bowl, stuff mix into apples. Cover with plastic wrap, microwave on high for 8 min, let cool for  minutes. Plate and add Fat Free Coolwhip or not, you add an additioanl 40 calories if you do. If you don't is is an A- desert.

Fatgranny,

How nice to meet you.  I hope you can change your name soon...

For my lunch at work I take Healthy Choice frozen dinners and a Dole cup of fruit.  I know it is a bit more expensive than cooking my own, but then, it is less expensive than buying meals at a drive-thru.

At work, I keep my zero calorie dressing and water in the fridge with my name on it.  I keep snacks for myself in there, too.  I don't want to eat from the vending machine.  No one bothers my v8 or apple or carrots.

At home it takes no longer to  make a healthy meal than an unhealthy one.

My hubby doesn't cook either.

Marjorie,

My hubbie brings home crap, but I do not touch it.  I don't event think about it.  I have a little cooler beside his chair and I have him keep his nasty snacks in there.

He has the right to eat what he wants.  My imposing my eating plan on him would be as wrong as him trying to sabotage me.   He encourages me.  When he thinks I may be straying he says our agreed phrase "Is that something you had planned to eat?"  That gives me the room to say, yes I planned this or no I think I'll put this back.

Moonduster,

How nice to meet you.

I agree.  I am learning the "good" items I can eat out.  Grilled shrimp is one.  If we go Italian I get Spaghetti marinara with shrimp.  If it isn't on  the menu I ask for it anyway.  Oh, be sure you tell them not fried shrimp, I got that by accident one time!  Breaded fried shrimp on top of Spaghetti marinara--who ever heard of that!!!  I'm surprised they didn't drown it in Melted cheese!!

I don't throw out the goodies, that just wouldn't be fair.  And if I said I ate them, He'd know I was lying.  I am serious about my life change.  And he would just go out and buy some more.

Snowlady,

That sounds just toooooo hard for me right now.  If I even thought about eating the chocolate bar.  However, I do eat low cal chocolate ice cream and chocolate flavored rice cakes.   I have to limit my portions on that, but an actual chocolate bar....I'm not there yet.

Forevermejb,

That is a great plan.  I do hope you get bathroom breaks!  That coffee might ruin your day otherwise!  

Very nice to meet you.

Good advice, TB

Hi y'all,

what a great thread.  lots of insight.  want to let you know after i wrote about hubby i realized whatever i think i need to change me not HIM.  duh!!!

today i am making chow chow (texmom52 probably knows what that is) using the last of the green tomatos.  also cooking a pot of spaghetti sauce from lots of leftover red tomatos and turkey as the meat.  have put cabbage soup in the freezer individual portions.  have organic crackers that i love.  also lo cal pudding , cucumbers etc.    Making a ONE DAY AT A TIME committment.  Best friend is checking on me each day.  and i am praying.

I know this is selfish and vain. but yesterday at grandson's birthday i got some looks that i interpet as WHAT HAPPENED TO HER.  Some of the people there hadn't seen me since last year.  forgive my humaness(is that a word bg).

fyi have a cousin just a yr older than i am that has some wacky disease with no cure. she is moving toward death.  reminded me today that life is sooooo short so if you can contact someone you haven't talked with in a long time. don't miss the chance

glad y'all are out there.  keep up the good work

love & light

marjg