Secondly. I am 2 weeks in to my most recent healthy eating plan. I've done really well so far by sticking to three healthy meals a day and snacking on fruit or veg if im hungry. I've had the odd slip up and even indulged in pudding a few times when out for dinners. however I am feeling all the more in control!
So down to the problem, I start an intense cookery course on Monday and it is for a month. Everyday we have to sample our creations constantly to ensure that they're to a certain standard.
Basically im worried I will be eating about 1000-2000 calories through sampling and then having my normally daily meals too. This would obviously set me back on my weight loss goals. However I also don't want to go back on my mental progress.
I'm just not sure what to do and how to control my calories daily. Does anyone have any advice?
Google suggests that chefs don't eat meals and live off their sampling throughout the day. I was thinking to try this technique and see how it goes and then use the weekends to continue my 3 healthy meals idea.
Whoo thats a god one! Have a look at the chefs you know. Especially the lovely Tom Kerridge (theguardian.com/lifeandstyl... Some of the do struggle and then make changes.
Apply what you know to calorie counting to your daily intake. Continue to be a calorie fascist! Avoid the carbs & especially the booze seems to be the answer. There are plenty of healthy looking chefs - Jamie & Gordon for example - Gordon runs. Tom Kerridge swims. They've had to learn the hard way - you don't have to.
What do the tutors do? Start a discussion about it with the course members. Greg Wallace ended up in a pickle with his weight and had to take action - it seems to be better acknowledged in the profession unless you watch bake off!
You'll have a great time - I'd love to do something like that. Just keep on your program!
Wow that's a challenge. I thin as you say the only thing to do is count your continual grazing as your allowance. Eat only fruit in addition ?
Yes and do your 3 meals a day at weekends.
Don't forget to up your exercise too.
Good luck
Sounds like a lovely predicament to be in - all that great cooking you'll be doing I would just add to perhaps make sure that you do just take a small sample, and not kid yourself you need more ! Have fun anyway !
Hi Charlotte, just wanted to say, that you sound like a very likeable person. Not to worry about things, and you're doing better than I! I'm a comfort eater. And I haven't made any changes to my attitude to food. You sound in control and really competent! - enjoy your Cookery course! Lots of love Hannah xx
It seems like you kind of have the right idea. You may have already found this but its the "10 Skinny Secrets Of Top Chefs" and talks about how they remain trim round all that food.
Gee I don't envy you at all. I LOVE to cook but I also love to eat so thankfully I now cook exclusively healthy.
I know its seems strange to ask but do you HAVE to do this course??
If its optional isn't your health and life more important than a cooking course? Can you delay it - even if you have to forfeit some money - just so you have a chance to get your healthy lifestyle in order and embedded in your life?
This seems like an extremely dangerous path for someone who is a binge eater.
Either way - best of luck with it!
I think as you're at the beginning of your weight loss journey and still learning about the calorie content of food, that you need to still try and calorie count what you try at the cookery course, even if you're estimating quantities etc in retrospect, so that you have some kind of idea of what you've consumed. You may find the samples don't add up to as much as you think, or you may learn that they are in fact like mini meals and you need to adapt your attitude so that as you tuck into each one you really feel the nutritional benefit of it in the same way as if it was a normal meal.
Can you plan really light salad dinners for the evenings when you get home, so that at least you have the feeling of having had a sit down meal every day?
Also, how do you feel about introducing exercise? Perhaps find out what 500-1000 calories of exercise looks like and see if you can start working towards being able to do that on a regular basis?
But another point - it may all cancel itself out in the kitchen anyway. I used to work for a catering firm which hired loads of chefs, and very few of them were actually fat. It seemed like the physical work of doing long hours in hot kitchens burns a lot of calories. Although your course may not be quite that intense from the start (hopefully!)
Thanks for all the comments, there are some really good tips!
I definitely think I will talk to the tutors and see what they recommend. It is a professional course and costs quite a lot so I don't want to drop out. - I won't drop out. But I totally understand where you are coming from!
I think I'll see how the first few days go, and focus on eating veg and salads for dinner (should I add in protein or just stick to greens?) and as long as a I feel ok then that's the most important. Hopefully the weight loss will come too!
I am currently training for my first marathon so already do a fair amount of exercise. With this course I will be pushed for time but will continue to do at least 4 runs a week. I may find that doing two shorter sessions, one weights and one cardio on some days work better than doing one long one? I think it will be lots of trial and error but fingers crossed I do ok!
On a side note- I made a 4 tier chocolate explosion cake today for my friends birthday and although I tested as I went, the chocolate was too tempting! I did say no to having a piece when it came down to cutting it! Which I think is a good compromise.
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I would just add to perhaps make sure that you do just take a small sample, and not kid yourself you need more ! Have fun anyway !
Serious about controlling food i eat. 
Help
So fed up
