turning 47 soon with a hubby at 36 and... - Weight Loss Support

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turning 47 soon with a hubby at 36 and my body feeling 60!

Polly-Doodle profile image
13 Replies

Hi, I gave birth to my first and only child at 41yrs old, I married my best friend 3 years ago and am slowly feeling the pounds pile on even tho my hubby who is 11yrs younger than me hasnt put an ounce on in all the 15yrs we have been together! (grrrr)

I feel I have to do something soon for my own self esteem and confidence and desperately need to lose a good stone and a half!! Ive been a vegetarian for 35 years and am addicted to cheese which I know is my downfall. I have limited taste buds, dont like curries, spices, etc and Im finding it hard to create dishes that dont include cheese!

Help needed pleeeease xx

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Polly-Doodle profile image
Polly-Doodle
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13 Replies
maiziepops profile image
maiziepops

Oh dear....i don't eat cheese so I'm not much help, just wanted to say though, I hope you find some inspiration soon xxxx

2fatbyfar profile image
2fatbyfar

my saving food is apples - nice juicy ones like pink lady or jazz apples.   how about using more apples with your cheese - they go well with cheese (raw at least).  what about more white sauce without cheese and just cheese sprinkled on top?

good luck, and lets work together onthis

Have you tried using a cheese that has a stronger flavour to that which you normally eat?

For example, if you normally have a mature cheddar, try an extra mature, this way you still get your cheese, but because it's stronger you can get away with less but still have the same flavour/taste.

MW50 profile image
MW50

Are you eating the same size portion as hubby?  I am vegetarian and love cheese as well, but now serve my partner 2 spoon fulls to my one.  By eating slowly I find I am still satisfied with my smaller portion.

Madmum06 profile image
Madmum06

Hello, I also love cheese but have recently started slimming world and have seriously had to cut back.  I was that person who would open the fridge door after the kids had gone to bed and would break lumps of cheddar off the block and eat it!

I now ONLY buy the reduced fat mature cheddar and cut it into weighed portions so I know how much I'm eating.

I am also using the Laughing cow light cheese triangles. They now do a Cheddar one which has a much stronger taste and I love the blue cheese ones on a jacket potato.

The Babybel light cheeses are also good.

I have also started to make more tomato based sauces rather than cheese based for pasta dishes.

I used to buy pre-grated cheese and loads of it. I just don't bother now and no-one (five in the house) has asked for it. I've found if you have to grate your own cheese you use less.

Not sure if this has helped but good luck.

DartmoorDumpling profile image
DartmoorDumplingRestart Feb 2024

If you are counting calories, you can still include cheese in your diet.  There are a lot of low-calorie recipes using things like philadelphia soft cheese to google.  I use a lot of their products to make healthy sauces.  You can make feta cheese salads, you can have baked potatoes with a little grated cheese, you can make omelettes.  The internet is full of ideas for inspiration!

Venusflytrap profile image
Venusflytrap

Hi Polly-Doodle

Oh that cheese calling every time we open the fridge.  Portion it and hide it.  It can be hidden well wrapped in the freezer.  Get Skinny to do it, if you can't.

There are 3 choices with these temptation foods of ours.  Eat it and be damned, which might be your current method.  The second is to manage down the kcals in your portion by controlling the size or the type of cheese used.  The third is to go for substitutions.  I guess my suggestions are a combination of 2 & 3.  But there are times when only 1 will do!  Then I look to cut back on the biscuits or bread rather than the cheese.  

Feta, Brie, Camembert, some smoked and goat's cheeses can all be lower than cheddar.  Having less of a stronger cheese does seem to work.  As does cutting it into smaller pieces.  So I have extra strong cheddar slices and grated in my fridge or freezer as I won't be cutting the corners off them to nibble.  I often boost or replace a less flavoursome cheese with Parmesan finely grated or shaved (done with the veg peeler).  Adding mustard to cheese sauces and mixtures boosts the cheesiness and allows you to cut back on the actual cheese.  Just a teaspoonful of any type of made or powdered mustard.  Topping any layered dishes like lasagne or mousakka with a final mix of toasted breadcrumbs and 10g of grated Parmesan per person makes them much more cheesey.  When I do a cheesey egg custard topping like for mousakka I will sometimes use low fat cheese and dairy options like a mixture of any of the following: plain yogurt, 0% Greek yogurt, fromage frais, quark, low fat creme fraiche.  Or if the ingredients allow you, ASDA does some very low spready cheeses with 50% or 75% less fat which can work.  

I'm sure you will come up with some tricks that suit you and share them with us.  I have got to say that I now try to include some cheese dishes in my week's menus so that I am less likely to binge when someone puts a cheese board in front of me.  Off to have some fried mushrooms (half tsp olive oil) topped with chopped spring onion, 5g of pine nuts and 30g of finely chopped feta.  Also good with goat's cheese!  

Venus

dish70 profile image
dish70

MMMM !!! I love chees e too and being veggie see it as a protein altho it is fat too.I manage by having a 2 oz piece match box size ,almost every day with fruit and as part of my lunch usually. I also go to my deli which is next to work and just buy a small piece enough for two days of different ones. It seems to be fine for me . I don't eat bread tho so you have to try alternatives. Use parmesan in cheesey dishes as you only need a wee bit especially omelettes.

Have you tried Violife cheese, its a vegan cheese but not like the hideous rubbery stuff you normally get and its 30g for 85kcals.

I know how you feel if that helps. My hubby is also 36 and he is slim as anything and eats like a horse. (Im 53).  Anyway, I reckon just calculate the cheese into your daily calories. I find stronger cheese you use less also.I've heard reduced 'anything' if filled with sugar? so not sure if that would help. Perhaps ban cheese for a month in the home. Why should we suffer alone loll. xx

forthe100thtime profile image
forthe100thtime

I've been veggi for 25 years and I feel your love of cheese.  From a dieting point of view try not to have it more than twice a week and as a middle of the day cheese rather than letting it sit in your gut until the following day.  I wouldn't (personally) go for reduced fat cheese, if I am only having it twice a week I want the real McCoy! As with most things, portion control.

The only reduced fat cheese I do have (in addition to the twice a week proper cheese) is Philadelphia light and I mix in a dessert spoon of mixed seeds.  It really bulks the cheese up, tastes lovely, excellent protein injection and spread over some oat cakes or dark rye ryvita with a ton of cucumber on top its a real lunch time filler. (30g of Phili light + 2 Ryvita with salad about 120 calories all in) 

Good luck with it all. 

k.  

Bliss- profile image
Bliss- in reply toforthe100thtime

The Philadelphia mixed with seeds sounds really tasty. Do you buy mixed seeds or prepare your own mix? What seeds do you use? X

focused1 profile image
focused1Maintainer13kg

Try cottage cheese . This is my lazy food as lunchtime at work and can eat out of tub . High protein and can be even mixed with scrambled egg as a really good filler . Congrats on your home life . My Mum/ Dad had a 15 year age difference and had the most wonderful marriage so don't even think of age difference. Do it for you and your health/ self esteem. I didn't address my weight until I had achy limbs and faced surgery for a gastric problem. Oh what I should/ could have done . Now at 58 I feel like a teenager. You will see a difference. My journey is transforming my life .

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