Help! I don't know what to cook anymore..

[AAMihai180693]

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a great day!

Let me start by telling you that I am not following a particular, very strict diet as I've tried so many times before and I've always given up. Now, I am trying to eat healthy and stick with my 1200-1300 calories/day limit.

I was wondering how do you manage to keep your weekly menu 'diverse' but appropriate for losing weight? Where do you inspire from? The reason I am asking is because I always tend to prepare the same meals that I am already tired of. Any ideas of quick and healthy meals??

Thank you!

[Caz28]

Hi, if you look in he topics section there's a link to recipes and also if you google ' change4life smart recipes' there's an app you can download with loads of recipes.

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to Caz28]

Thank you so much!

[Hidden]

My horizons opened up a bit when I started looking at lettuce wrap recipes. Lots of great asian stir fry ideas plus lots more. Also keep trying new veg you haven't had before/for ages, diff types of fish, different spices, herbs etc

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Ruth, I'll definitely give it a try, asian stir fry sounds yum! And you are right, I should start experiencing new veg apart from those I always tend to buy.

[Hidden in reply to AAMihai180693]

Enjoy

[DartmoorDumpling]

Buy a squash or aubergine and part boil if before baking it in the oven; bake it stuffed with interesting bits and pieces (mix some packet stuffing with mushroom, tomato, fried onion), cover with a spoonful of breadcrumbs mixed with a little grated cheese...yummy. Other less usual vegetables can be googled for different recipes - this is the joy of having the internet at our fingertips. BBC recipes are usually pretty reliable.

I had some nectarines about to go over-ripe - made a rather naughty dessert by cutting them into slices and soaking them overnight in cooking Rum! They were lovely with a meringue and tiny squirt of aerosol cream, and a drizzle of fruit coulis on the top. Don't be afraid to let your imagination run riot! Just avoid too much use of fats, sugars and keep track of any carbs.

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

Yummm DartmoorDumpling, my mouth is watering haha. Thank you!

[IndigoBlue61]

Glad to see you have some great suggestions there 😊

You say you are not following a very strict 'diet' but your calories seem very low 😕 have you checked your metabolic rate (BMR) and found your target calories? You may be able to eat a little more and still lose weight 😊 Good luck

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Hi Anna, I checked and it is around 1600 Kcal. I was afraid that if I eat that much I won't lose too much weight. I am trying to have a balanced diet though and get as many nutrients as possible. So for example yesterday I had a few grapes, yogurt and coffee for breakfast; a green salad for lunch and 1 nectarine; steamed veggies & chicken for dinner and lots of water.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to AAMihai180693]

There is a lot of evidence that eating too low doesn't work long term . . . I'm sure there are threads on here but I don't know how to share links 😕 But at first glance there are no starchy foods, do you feel tired?

I'm not a dietician, but The plan I follow is dietician led. We count portions rather than calories but we are supposed to eat 2xdairy portions (milk, yogurt, cheese) 6xcarbohydrates (about 150g bread/rice potatoes) protein twice a day (2 eggs, 100g chicken) plus three pieces of fruit, some healthy fats, and fresh salad or veg at every meal. This is considerably more than you are eating. It is between 1200-1500 calories (100 cal treats are allowed daily)

I have lost 1lb a week initially, slowing as I get nearer to target.

I hope this is of help 😊

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you, Anna and well done for your success! I do not feel tired so far but this is only the 1st week trying the 1200 Kcal limit. I will weight myself Monday morning and if I haven't lost any weight it means my body is not happy so I will increase the calories intake & look back at your comment to include some of your suggestions.

Thank you,

Alex

[Hidden in reply to AAMihai180693]

I'm much the same as you in that I try to stick to 1200-1300 cals a day to lose weight. If I go above that it just doesn't shift, and I then get fed up and start eating more and putting it back on.

I am 5ft 3ins tall, 57 years old, and I've only got about 9lbs to lose now. I think that this is the reason why I have to be strict with myself, as I am down to real final lap of my diet. That fat has been clinging on there for a long time and it's not coming off without a fight!

I can't say I feel deprived on that allowance. I eat pretty well, and if I have a night out or a special occasion I just come off the regime for that meal, so that keeps me going.

I think there is currently a re-think on the old "don't cut calories too much" argument. Dr Michael Mosley is now saying that fast weight loss from a very low cal diet is better for people, as it is better to solve the problem as quickly as you can. I wouldn't want to go below 1200 myself, but he reckons a few days on 500 cals every week is good for you. He reckons people get discouraged by having to spend weeks and months on 1600 cals a day or more.

Ultimately, I suppose what's best is what you can stick to and what works for you, though.

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to Hidden]

You are right MEBXYZ, at the end of the day we need to know what works best for our bodies. Personally, my biggest mistake and the reason I gained weight was because i was skipping breakfast and lunch but eating A LOT for dinner (a lot of junk & take away) as I was too tired to cook after work. Right now i am trying to find out what works best for me in terms of eating and most importantly not to skip meals & exercise.

[Hidden]

Hello,

I have a sort-of "skeleton menu", with a set type of meal each, but then I vary the actual contents for variety. For example:

Monday: Cold meat or quorn fillet with potatoes and assorted veg

Tuesday: Pasta or a risotto

Wednesday: an omelete with baked beans or veg, or a big salad with meat/fish/cheese/eggs

Thursday: Something low calorie out of one of my cookery books - eg curry or casserole

Friday: A fish dish, eg baked fish, fish fingers, cod in sauce, tin of tuna with potatoes and veg

Saturday: Slice pizza/cheese on toast. beans on toast/ or something else quick as it's a busy day

Sunday: Roast dinner

Within that framework I can vary it for different sorts of meat and fish, different ingredients in the risotto, different things on top of the pizza etc etc. This works for me as get variety, but I don;t have a complete free for all which I would just find too overwhelming.

Hope that is of some help.

[AAMihai180693 10 kg in reply to Hidden]

Thank you MEBXYZ, that certainly helps as I can adapt it according to my preferences!