I finally believe I have "cracked the code" for weight loss and finally found a solution that works for me. I am bout 60 pounds overweight in total. Usually, I eat heavily processed food, lots of frozen pizza, chocolate etc.
So here are the reasons why I failed before, and now seem to be succeeding:
1. Eat food you like! Before I was eating the most boring healthy food. But this just makes you think more about what you are missing. Make tasty healthy food, lots of veggies, chicken, spices, etc. It tastes just as good, if not better than unhealthy food! You just need to find what YOU enjoy.
I can not stress this point enough, because it has made weight loss a joy. I make healthy wraps with chicken and lots of veggies and spices, and it works for me! There are no particular food groups I do not allow, just eating enjoyable things with a lot of variation that are filling.
2. Walk every day. Not primarily because it makes you lose calories, that is just a bonus. But because it makes you feel so much better, makes you less hungry, reduces stress. 10k steps are what I aim for, and it is truly awesome how good you feel after!
3. Don't be very hungry! Being really hungry is not a good feeling, and will make you lose motivation. Don't be afraid of eating when hungry! Even though it might go a bit over calories allowed.
I do not count calories, I only eat when I feel hungry. Some days that means more meals than other days. And I do not eat when not hungry, or "pre-hungry". I eat when I actually get the sensation of feeling hungry.
4. This is a lifestyle change! Not a diet! If you think of this as a diet, you are doing it wrong. You should replace processed bad food with healthy good food, and stick to that for the rest of your life. If you go back to eating bad food again you will lose. Therefore the importance of finding low-calorie tasty food you enjoy!
Bonus point: For me drinking lots of diet soda and energy drinks with ice has removed all sugar cravings. There has been some discussion if it is healthy or not, but for me, it works. I will probably cut this down over time.
Bonus point 2 How can I have missed that nature's snacks, berries, have so few cals?? They taste amazing.
I started the Monday before last (3/29) starting at 257.4. The end of week 1 (well technically day 5 I guess) weighed in at 251.8 which was on April 2. Now this is about the end of week 2, day 12. weighed 252.6 this morning so up .8 from last week. (I'm aware the initial drop in the first few days was mostly water..)
Could it be water weight here too? I did start lifting with a trainer. Not heavy by any means. This is week 2 of lifting, and most of my body is sore. Coupled with that my sodium has been pretty consistently high. Perhaps a combination of the two? My macros aren't great at all and should be improved, but being at 1000-1200 cals when my TDEE is ~2700 I should still be losing pretty consistently no? Even if my tracking isn't perfect, I don't see how it's possible I've even come close to maintenance, let alone gone over it.
So, daily, first thing I do upon waking is chug 10-15 "glugs" of water, and aim to have the gallon done by day's end. I do drink a good amount of diet coke too. Breakfast is usually 2 eggs, 1 cup of whites, and either some turkey bacon, or turkey sausage patties (should prob cut those because the fat content). Coffee with a bit of unsweetened almond milk, sweet & low and stevia. lunch is usually chicken breast (8-12oz) a handful of fresh spinach, or 1 cup or so of broccoli, w/ G Hughes sugar free bbq (10 cals per 2 tbsp) dinner I'll have either deli meat, an oikos triple zero or two, whey isolate shake with unsweetened almond milk (60 cal). Or canned chicken breast or tuna. Supplementing with multivitamin, magnesium citrate, magnesium, potassium, need to pick up more fish oil.
I did go off a bit last weekend, but still remained under my maintenance.
I really would love to get 25lbs off or so, and at that point I'm fine either maintaining or losing as slowly as I need to. Guess I should quit all the packaged crap (I rent a room from someone who is a hoarder and my kitchen access is limited for the time being)
With sheet pan recipes, your commitment to healthy eating can fit in easily with family meals and a busy schedule. They are easy to assemble and clean-up, plus the ingredients all cook together while you take care of other responsibilities or just relax. With so many choices, you’re sure to find a few that the whole household will be excited to eat. To help you get started, we’ve gathered 30 of our favorite sheet pan dinner recipes (plus some dinner side dishes!) that will turn meal time into a feast in your home.
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 1 Extra and 1 Vegetable
Simple can be elegant. Like this six-ingredient dinner that features moist, tender salmon with a flavorful topping of pesto. The side dishes—baby potatoes and green beans—cook right alongside it, so it’s all done perfectly and at the same time. If your family doesn’t love salmon, you can substitute tilapia or chicken breast. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel and 1 Extra
Your family will clamor for this New Orleans style feast. They’ll rave about the succulent shrimp, baby potatoes, sweet corn and crunchy bell peppers, all seasoned with herbed butter drizzle. You’ll love that each serving has less than 200 calories and the whole meal comes together in about 30 minutes. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 1 Extra and 1 Vegetable
Gnocchi (pronounced “noh-kee”) are tender little potato dumplings that pair perfectly with chicken sausage. We add mushrooms and onions for flavor, green beans for crunchy texture and top it all with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. This filling meal will satisfy even the biggest appetites. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel and 1 Extra
Nacho-style dishes are a fun way to eat healthy ingredients of all kinds. This version features Greek flavors, starting with a base of crispy whole-wheat pita chips. Pile on shredded chicken breast, creamy feta cheese, tangy tomatoes, chopped onions and olives, heat up and dig in. Click here for the full recipe! >
10 Best Non-Starchy Vegetables That Make Weight Loss Easier
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel, 1 SmartCarb, 1 Extra and ½ Vegetable
Dinner gets festive when you serve fajitas made with hearty flank steak, seasoned to your taste with Southwestern style spices. It cooks to juicy perfection in the oven, along with tenderized sweet peppers and onions. All of the ingredients get wrapped up in firm, whole-wheat tortillas, topped with avocado slices, non-fat sour cream and plenty of salsa (an unlimited Free food). Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 2 Extras and 2 Vegetables
No one will think you’re serving “diet food” when you bring this hearty meal to the table. The pork tenderloin is perfectly seasoned with fragrant spices and it’s accompanied by crunchy red cabbage and oven-browned sweet potato wedges. You get all of that for just 314 calories per serving. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 Vegetable and 2 Extras
Carrots are a non-starchy vegetable nearly everyone likes. In this dish, they’re roasted to bring out their natural sweetness, which is bumped up with honey, orange juice and a hint of ginger for zing. And all it takes is three simple steps from raw ingredients to eating. Click here for the full recipe! >
5 Ways a Meal Delivery Service Can Improve Your Life
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels and 3 Extras
Beef for dinner is a winner in so many households and you can enjoy it without slowing progress to your weight-loss goal. Start with a lean cut, like flank steak, and marinate it for a couple hours with a savory blend of seasonings to max out the flavor. Pop it in the oven and bake until it’s just the way you like it—rare, medium, or well-done—slice and serve. Click here for the full recipe! >
With their browned edges and soft, fluffy insides, roast potatoes are a pleasing side dish to many happy meals. Take them to another level by partnering them with warmed, sweet pears and red onions for zesty contrast. Our recipe makes eight servings, so it can feed a big hungry family on special occasions or just about any day. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels, 1 Vegetable, 1 Extra
Salmon is high in protein, mild in flavor and simple to prepare to perfect fork-tenderness. We love it with crisp roasted Brussels sprouts and cubes of sweet butternut squash. You can get this complete meal together in under 30 minutes. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel, 2 Extras and 1 Vegetable
Here’s a whole new take on nachos that will satisfy a craving and keep you on track to your weight-loss goal. First, slices of cauliflower get coated in taco spices and cooked until crisp. On top goes a layer of seasoned ground turkey and plenty of cheese, avocado and a chunky kind of salsa called “pico de gallo.” Plus, you can try the homemade spice blend on lots of other dishes. Click here for the full recipe! >
Tofu isn’t just for vegetarians—it’s protein-rich, belly filling and it takes on any taste that you choose. In this dish, a sweet and savory sauce and crunchy sesame seeds bring the flavor to the tofu, which is paired with broccoli and carrots. You can add another vegetable by serving it over cauliflower rice or enjoy it with a SmartCarb like brown rice or quinoa. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuel, 1 Vegetable and 2 Extras
Garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes dial up the flavor of this classic Asian style dish. The extra-firm tofu is easy to cut into meaty cubes and it fills you up with lots of protein and fiber. Add crunchy sugar snap peas and scallions and you have a meal that’s as satisfying as your favorite takeout order. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel, 1 Extra and 1 Vegetable
Mild-tasting cod fillets are an ideal lean protein—loaded with nutrients yet low in fats and calories. For this dish, we season it with a light spice blend that includes cayenne pepper, paprika and black pepper, then bake the fish until it’s fork tender and perfectly moist. Add Brussels sprouts and tangy cherry tomatoes and your feast is complete. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels and 1 Extra
This simple meal is loaded with flavor but is made with just six ingredients. It features tender chicken breast, real cheeses and mildly spicy jalapenos. You can enjoy it with a fork and knife or slice it up and wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla. Bonus: Capsaicin, the compound that gives the peppers their heat, cranks up your metabolism for a few hours after you finish eating. Click here for the full recipe! >
Oven-roasting tenderizes and brings out the flavor in broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most nutrient-dense, non-starchy vegetables. Minced garlic, black pepper and lemon juice enhance their taste without adding extra calories. And because this dish is made with zero-calorie cooking spray instead of oil, you can enjoy as much of it as you want—it’s unlimited with your Nutrisystem program. Click here for the full recipe! >
7 Tips for Ordering Healthy Food Delivery or Takeout
Looking for fresh ways to serve super-nutritious, non-starchy vegetables? Sheet pan recipes are the perfect way to cook up your favorite non-starchy options! Try flavoring them Mediterranean-style with harissa, a saucy paste made with roasted red peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic, caraway seeds and cumin. We spread it on roasted eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and red onions, but you can try it with tomatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or just about any vegetable you and your gang enjoy. Click here for the full recipe! >
Sheet pan recipes have never been so easy and delicious. This rustic recipe is easy enough for your busy weeknights yet fancy enough to serve up at your holiday feast. Create the perfect side dish with sliced sweet potatoes, fresh rosemary, light butter and garlic. Throw it in the oven until it reaches crispy perfection. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels and 3 Extras
We love all of the great ideas that Nutrisystem members share with us through our Recipe Submission page. This simple but tasty dish came from Lisa, a busy nurse, who used just four ingredients to make a dinner her family loves. All you need are chicken breasts, fresh tomatoes, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, a jar of pesto and about 30 minutes to whip it up for your gang. Click here for the full recipe! >
17 Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes for Your Weekly Menu
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels, 1 Vegetable, 2 Extras
Chicken Parmesan is a favorite for many families but it often takes lots of work and time to make and clean up. With this sheet pan recipe, you get everything you love—moist chicken breast coated in crunchy breadcrumbs, melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and plenty of tangy marina sauce—but it’s easy to prepare even on busy nights. Add the green beans and the dinner is done. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels, 1 Vegetable and 1 Extra
Sheet pan fajita recipes are a fun meal that you can adapt to include the ingredients you like. This version is made with extra-firm tofu marinated and seasoned with spices like chili powder, green chili peppers, cumin and garlic to give the flavor a bit of pop. Combine the tofu with bell peppers and onions, then place them all together in a whole-wheat tortilla and your choice of toppings, including avocado slices, salsa and fresh lime juice. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel and 1 Vegetable
Shrimp fajitas are made quick and easy in a simple sheet pan dinner recipe that’s easy to prepare. This dinner tastes like your dining out at your favorite restaurant. No one will guess that you put it together in just 10 minutes! Featuring shrimp, colorful bell pepper strips, sliced onions and a flavorful blend of seasonings baked to perfection and stuffed inside warm whole wheat tortillas, your family will be begging you to make this dish every week! Click here for the full recipe! >
Power in Protein: The Major Health Benefits of Shrimp
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 Extras and 1 Vegetable
You don’t typically find bok choy on the average list of sheet pan recipes. Our Roasted Bok Choy is the perfect way to get in your greens. Featuring a tangy sauce and crunchy almond topping, this 100-calorie roasted vegetable recipe is a weight loss win. Click here for the full recipe! >
Making your own crunchy salad topper is super easy with this healthier recipe! Baking them on a sheet pan ensures that each crouton reaches crispy perfection. The ranch dressing mix gives them extra flavor so you don’t have to add as much salad dressing. Genius! Make sure to also try out our sheet pan crouton recipes for Healthier Italian Croutons and Chili Garlic Croutons. They both come together on a sheet pan and are perfect for your throwing into your dinner side salad. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 ½ Vegetables, 2 Extras
Create a colorful veggie side dish that’s perfect for the fall season. Beets, carrots and onions are tossed in olive oil and rosemary and roasted on a sheet pan until tender yet crispy. We love this meal with roasted turkey for a nutritious and delicious Flex meal. Click here for the full recipe! >
Tuna may seem intimidating to prepare but this sheet pan dinner recipe makes it easy! Ahi or yellowfin tuna is the ideal choice as it is typically less expensive than other varieties but still tasty with a mild flavor. We cover it in a teriyaki glaze and bake for about 10 minutes. It’s simple yet delicious! Click here for the full recipe! >
Here’s another roasted veggie recipe that’s simple to make on a sheet pan! We transform boring green beans into a flavor-packed sheet pan side dish recipe. The homemade honey balsamic drizzle completes this easy dish and provides a sweet and savory flavor. Pro Tip: It would also make the perfect salad dressing! Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: ½ PowerFuel, 1 Vegetable and 3 Extras
Pizza is made quick and easy with this simple sheet pan dinner recipe. We all know the hardest part about making pizza is the dough. However, it becomes the easy step in this Ricotta Pesto Eggplant Pizza recipe! Eggplant slices are topped with pesto, ricotta cheese and figs and baked until melty and delicious. A drizzle of balsamic reduction gives the recipe a gourmet twist. Click here for the full recipe! >
Make sure to also try out our other eggplant sheet pan pizza recipes below:
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 Extra and ½ Vegetable
From radiant roots like potatoes and carrots to non-starchy friends like onions and cauliflower, these Curry Roasted Vegetables are the perfect accompaniment to any dinner. They are the perfect sheet pan veggie recipe to spice up your weight loss menu. Click here for the full recipe! >
On Nutrisystem, Count As: ½ PowerFuel, 1 Extra and 1 Vegetable
This is “nacho” average nacho recipe! Spicy, cheesy and packed with nutrition, these Bell Pepper Nachos are the ultimate low carb side dish or appetizer. Plus, they come together in a few minutes on a sheet pan, so they’re easy to make AND enjoy. They are definitely one of our favorite sheet pan recipes. Click here for the full recipe! >
I can’t wrap my head around this weight loss Excel sheet that I have.. I’ve figured out averages, I’m eating at a deficit, and all this. I’m losing weight but I’m not losing it at the rates that it says I should be.
According to excel I average a deficit of 1/4 lb per day so over a 7 day week I should be losing 1.75lbs a week but because my weight fluctuates so much I’m not seeing it. If I average that much of a loss then over these 7 weeks I’ve been trying then I’ll have lost 12.25lbs but I’ve actually lost 7 lbs as of today.
I’m weighing myself every day so I get to see the increase/decrease so I can establish the most accurate and UTD data. My Fitbit and TDEE say that I burn ~2800 calories. I shoot for 1600 calories of food a day. I weigh my food and track it with MyFitnessPal. I know 1lb of loss per week is healthy so I’m really trying to figure out my caloric consumption because if I’m not losing the weight that it says I should be on paper should I drop the calories more or should I maintain it and scrap this Excel spreadsheet?
TLDR: I’m losing weight but not at the rate that the data says
After staying at the same weight range 166-168 for over 3 months, I had to really look at my habits and see why I'm maintaining vs. losing. Upon reflection, I think two things were contributing to this. 1) I was not working out with the same intensity as during windows of weight loss 2) I was consuming more calories during snacking than I realized (not by ridiculous amounts, but by enough)
Interestingly, I find eating healthy, portion measured meals relatively easy. I can make good choices that keep me in my target range, not over indulge and feel satisfied for my meals. Now snacks....that's harder for me. My danger zone is around the 4 in afternoon range and that's when I want to snack. I'm drawn to less healthy food choices and I'm really drawn to eating large servings. This is when I think I can easily "mindlessly" eat.
I don't think there's any magic solution other than what I'm doing now which is:
Making sure there's some protein in my snacks
Portioning, weighing and logging in all snacks.
Making sure that snacks are naturally only one serving (like a piece of fruit), prepackaged serving size, or a measured serving before I start eating (no open boxes within arm's reach)
Looking at my total calorie range for the day and preplanning, budgeting my snacks
Anyone have tips/tricks that do to help them with their snacking habits? Also, do you just think the nature of snacking (i.e. snack foods, relaxing in front of your tv) that makes it easy to eat too much?
So, I gained a lot of weight when lockdown started. And I gained that weight very quickly. Since I came back home from Uni for the summer (and then for the whole years) I decided I really had to do something about it, fair to say its worked fairly well.
Its been nearly a year now since I started keeping track of my weight, and I've decided to post this here with my methodology, and some thoughts I've had regarding it, so here goes. Details are in spoilers so the main points are easy to see and not lost in the wall of text.
The Method
Eat homemade food and don't eat dessert. At University its fair to say that I didn't do much cooking... at all. I ate ready meals, pastries, and basically whatever junk I thought would taste good. And perhaps because I wasn't in a good head-space I ate a lot more than I should have. Everything was extremely tasty, and everything was extremely convenient. Once I got home I went on a more limited diet. Not saying you need to eat exactly the same as me, but homemade food means you'll be a lot more conscientious of what goes in, and how much goes out. I like 'big' batches of food so I don't need to spend much time preparing. Once a week something will be cooked, and then portioned out for every meal until next week. I cycle between Chillie, Soup, and variations within. Ok, so it's basically all the same meal just different forms. Lots of tomatoes, beans/lentils/chickpeas, and meatballs/mince. That's my holy trinity because I love the taste and it's not super unhealthy. Obviously, add spices or herbs and other veggies to make a meal of it, but those 3 ingredients are my pillars and part of essentially everything I've eaten over the last year. As for dessert, as you eat homemade food try not to buy desserts at the supermarket or wherever you go to buy stuff. I'd suggest just buying ingredients and then bugging out, don't even look at them if you can help it. Luckily I don't know how to even make sweet stuff, do I didn't really think much about it, and after a while, I didn't even really care about desserts.
Walk 10k steps every day. I'm lucky enough to live in a village at home, so we've got some nice countryside around, but I also lived in Glasgow during term-time and while I didn't walk as much as I should have I KNOW its possible to have good walking routes in the city, so I'll be continuing this habit back at Uni when I go back (spoiler alert, I think I'm gonna fail my exams and drop out so maybe not...). Essentially it's as it says on the tin, walking 10k steps every day. If you have an active lifestyle this might just happen on its own, for me, I go for an hour or two worth of dedicated walks every day. 10k steps are the minimum, but I've got a nice place to walk, and recently I've been doing around 10k-15k, as you get used to it it gets easier. Yeah, walking isn't the gym, and it's not a run, but it's also a lot easier and it's worked for me. Its pleasant, relaxing, and personally I also read fiction on my phone while I walk, but don't do this if you can't walk and read at the same time. Its not very strenuous on your body, and won't make you very sweaty outside of summer, but it does burn calories, stretches your legs, and makes your heart work.
And that's pretty much it as far as my method goes. It's not much, but it's what I did. And as you can see by the attached records, I didn't go straight to 10k steps a day, and I didn't always manage it afterwards. Likewise I didn't ALWAYS eat homemade food, and I didn't always manage to avoid dessert. I don't live alone, and I'm not a robot, so these things are unavoidable, but I kept aware of it, and didn't give up, and that was enough to pull through and see results, even if they took a while.
Also, you can see the 'Christmas slump' pretty clearly on the weight graph. Managed to bring it back, then now 'progress' also slows as I approach my 'target weight'. To be honest, after the first few months I didn't weigh myself as much. Seeing the numbers go down at first was very gratifying, but once I started feeling healthier, I just took measurements once a week or less to keep records. I might make it to 75kg, I might not. As long as I keep my healthy habits I don't really care tbh. Even at 80 flat I'm a lot better than I was, and as long as I don't get into a habit of pigging out I should tend towards whatever weight matches my lifestyle, however healthy it really is.
