Like weight loss before and after photos but of your new diet !

I'm especially interested in before and after meal photos (take a pic at the point you feel restriction) but it can be of recipe substitutions, your refrigerator/pantry/shopping cart/etc

VSG2017 HW 249 SW 238 CW 167

47 minutes ago, LaTiaV said:

I admire you ! You are so organized ! Can a power like that be learned?

My biggest tips-

Make a plan and start small- Having a general idea of the meals you want to make for the week and going from there makes things easier. If planning a whole week seems impossible (for me it is) then break it down by 2-3 days or even daily.

Know yourself- I know that I personally am not a fan of leftovers but I don’t mind makeovers- roasted vegetables one night might not be appealing the next day, but soup? Boy, howdy I’m all aboard that train! If you don’t mind eating the same thing for several meals then plan that way. If you ride the leftover-hating struggle bus then simple preparation one day might yield a more complex dish the next by reinventing those same foods.

Meal prep takes time- A lot of it can be hands off- pickling vegetables, roasting things, marinating meats, soaking beans, etc. Just make sure you allot for that time when planning your meals. That being said, yes it’s cheaper and more convenient to buy canned beans or granola but by making/prepping it yourself you get to control the nutritional value.

You are worth the effort/time it takes to make healthy, nutritious meals for yourself. Above all- be patient and kind with yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. New habits/skills take time to learn and master.

20 minutes ago, Starwarsandcupcakes said:

If you ride the leftover-hating struggle bus

I ride this bus daily ?

1 hour ago, Starwarsandcupcakes said:

My biggest tips-

Make a plan and start small- Having a general idea of the meals you want to make for the week and going from there makes things easier. If planning a whole week seems impossible (for me it is) then break it down by 2-3 days or even daily.

Know yourself- I know that I personally am not a fan of leftovers but I don’t mind makeovers- roasted vegetables one night might not be appealing the next day, but Soup? Boy, howdy I’m all aboard that train! If you don’t mind eating the same thing for several meals then plan that way. If you ride the leftover-hating struggle bus then simple preparation one day might yield a more complex dish the next by reinventing those same foods.

Meal prep takes time- A lot of it can be hands off- pickling vegetables, roasting things, marinating meats, soaking Beans, etc. Just make sure you allot for that time when planning your meals. That being said, yes it’s cheaper and more convenient to buy canned beans or granola but by making/prepping it yourself you get to control the nutritional value.

You are worth the effort/time it takes to make healthy, nutritious meals for yourself. Above all- be patient and kind with yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. New habits/skills take time to learn and master.

Very good tips, and great approach, no matter how much I say I am good at leftovers I am not.

Thank you for taking the time to share what you have learned.

On 6/5/2022 at 9:31 PM, GreenTealael said:

Cinnamon swirl and raisin spice bread! Apparently I make bread so infrequently now that I didn’t know that my bread machine was on the fritz. I had to use the oven. Not doing this again for a while.

Works of art, indeed!

Southern style dinners for the ladies! Plenty of delish leftovers...

I love left overs. I eat them for a couple of days in a row. All I have to do is reheat & maybe add vegetables. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner & sometimes lunch. I’m also a regular freezer of left overs: soups, meats, cooked vegetables, … defrost, reheat, dinner done.

Mmmm lamb. One of my favourites @Sophie7713. Is that chicken you’re eating @GreenTealael with that yummy asparagus?

GUYS! I did a thing! I used egg white wraps in place of noodles to make lasagna! it was delicious! 8in pie pan cut into 5 piece, 361 cals, 9 carbs, 33g protein!!!

Day 4- This one includes ice cream that I didn’t buy with my purchases but it has been so hot that I ate some after dinner.

Breakfast- full fat plain yogurt, homemade granola, a smidge of honey, and pineapple chunks.
Lunch- sautéed spinach and onions with crispy baked tofu and roasted garbanzo beans.
Snack- Curry green pea soup with sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots.
Dinner- pineapple chicken stir fry with brown rice.
Dessert- a serving of the rule break ice cream.

29 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

GUYS! I did a thing! I used egg white wraps in place of noodles to make lasagna! it was delicious! 8in pie pan cut into 5 piece, 361 cals, 9 carbs, 33g protein!!!

Omg! I need details ❤️

12 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I love left overs. I eat them for a couple of days in a row. All I have to do is reheat & maybe add vegetables. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner & sometimes lunch. I’m also a regular freezer of left overs: Soups, meats, cooked vegetables, … defrost, reheat, dinner done.

Mmmm lamb. One of my favourites @Sophie7713. Is that chicken you’re eating @GreenTealael with that yummy asparagus?

Yes it was very crispy chicken. It was cooked perfectly.

28 minutes ago, Starwarsandcupcakes said:

Day 4- This one includes ice cream that I didn’t buy with my purchases but it has been so hot that I ate some after dinner.

Breakfast- full fat plain yogurt, homemade granola, a smidge of honey, and pineapple chunks.
Lunch- sautéed spinach and onions with crispy baked tofu and roasted garbanzo Beans.
Snack- Curry green pea Soup with sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots.
Dinner- pineapple chicken stir fry with brown rice.
Dessert- a serving of the rule break ice cream.

Can I have the soup recipes please ❤️

1 hour ago, GreenTealael said:

Omg! I need details ❤️

Just use your favorite lasagna recipe and use the wrap for the noodle layer. I used the round pie pan because the wrap fit better. My recipe actually made 2 pie pans but we froze one.

3 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

Can I have the Soup recipes please ❤️

Half an onion- diced, 2 cloves garlic-minced sautéed over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until translucent in 1tbsp rendered chicken fat. A tbsp curry powder, a tsp cumin, a tsp 5 spice stirred in and cooked for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in 2 cups soaked green split peas, 2 small roasted sweet potatoes peeled and diced, 2 roasted carrots. Cook one minute. Stir in 4-6 cups veggie/chicken broth and simmer for about an hour until split peas are soft.

17 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I love left overs. I eat them for a couple of days in a row. All I have to do is reheat & maybe add vegetables. I don’t have to think about what’s for dinner & sometimes lunch. I’m also a regular freezer of left overs: Soups, meats, cooked vegetables, … defrost, reheat, dinner done.

Leftovers are the best! I live alone, so I regularly make multi-serving meals and freeze in individual portions (Souper Cubes = game changer). Soup, chili, and stew freeze wonderfully. I have a freezer full of meals that I can prepare in a couple of minutes by dumping some cauliflower rice and a meal cube in a bowl and heating in the microwave. I also keep a lot of cooked chicken in the freezer that I can throw in a salad in the morning so it's thawed by lunch.

Day 5 and I’m pretty sure I’ll have leftover foods beginning week 2 as I still have a serving of the zucchini bake, 1 of the pineapple chicken, 3 of the soup, 3 of brown rice, 1 of congee, and over a dozen eggs and 3/4 a cabbage that isn’t slaw.

Breakfast- brown rice congee with crispy chicken skin, 2 confit garlic cloves, spinach and an over easy egg.
Lunch- coleslaw made with pineapple juice instead of vinegar and full fat plain yogurt instead of Mayo. Also, 2 pieces roasted pineapple, a mini bell pepper, and leftover crispy baked tofu.
Snack- serving of granola.
Dinner- a serving oatmeal pancakes, 1/2 cup baked sweet potato, 1/2 cup roasted garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup cucumber pickles and 1 1/2tbsp pickled carrots. Both the carrots and cucumbers were pickled in the same jar with sliced garlic and dill. SO garlicky!