Along those lines, how long does it take for a non-diet meal to show up on the scale? For example, let's say I eat a bag of potato chips. Those aren't actually heavy per se, but they will convert to fat and then eventually show up the scale. How long does that process take?
Scenestealer: I don't think there's a simple answer to that question. Our bodies evolved to adapt to quite a bit of short-term fluctuation in calories (either up or down), so much so that there's no deterministic formula for calculating how any one food or meal is going to affect weight, let alone when. Even the 3500 cals/pound estimate is just that, an estimate. Add in the water retention factor and even less deterministic.
The body's ability to adapt, at least in the short term, can be frustrating to the dieter. (Luckily, we're all in it for the long term!) But, it's also pretty amazing & cool, when you think about it.
Thinnythighs: I made meatloaf the other night with 95% lean beef, a medium egg to bind it, a handful (1/4 cup?) of oat bran for body, onions, and spices. I drained off the fat after baking instead of letting it sit in the "juices." It was moist (although perhaps not as moist as if I'd made it with 80% beef) and tasty, and didn't come with a side of guilt.
The mashed potatoes are harder, I think. Mom's mashed taters have butter, milk, and mayo, along with nutmeg or garlic, salt, and pepper. Every substitution or healthier recipe I've tried tastes bland and lifeless by comparison. I'd rather skip 'em altogether. (I've always been ambivalent about white potatoes, anyway.)
I put a bit of beef broth and HP sauce into whatever non-meat ingredient (usually ww bread) I'm using in meat loaf and it comes out nice and juicy . Good idea with the draining after baking - will have to try that.
I generally make oven roasted potatoes instead of mashed - toss them with a bit of olive oil and rosemary and bake them along with the loaf.
Now I'm hungry again - just had a low cal dinner. Time to go and fold grocery bags for dog poop - such a glamorous job that I have!
My meatloaf (you guys are making me HUNGRY!) is made with the leanest possible ground beef (about 1.5-2 pounds) and 1 pound of ground pork. I add an egg (sometimes just egg white) and breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. If it appears dry, I stir in a little ketchup (but not usually).
the other day, I did a southwest meatloaf that was full of onions, peppers and seasonings. I didn't cut the vegetables enough and it kind of fell apart, but my kids loved the flavor and voted for me to make that one again (it's a cooking light recipe).
As for mashed potatoes, I usually cop out and use dry (that way there are only 4 servings!), but if I make it myself it is full of milk, butter and sour cream (I make those for Thanksgiving or Christmas ONLY). I really like small red potatoes cooked in the microwave. You can take one or a few and do what ever you want (mash, cut and season, drown in butter, etc.--to each his own).
There is a fantastic recipe for relatively healthy meatloaf in "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry"...everybody has always loved it when I've made it!
I'm doing alright over here...TOM is visiting, but surprisingly, I haven't been having as many cravings (last week or this week) as usual! I don't know what is different, but I like it! That said, I also haven't registered a whole lot of loss this week yet, probably because of water retention etc...thats okay though, mostly I'm focusing on eating well. I'm hoping to be down to a solid 138 at the end of the week! I've decided that my mini goal is going to be 135, at which point I will try to maintain for a few weeks. I find reaching a mini goal, and maintaining for a while helps me shock my body into losing more weight when I start cutting calories again.
This is going to be a stressful week for me...I have a midterm on Friday that's going to be really tough. Last year, the average on that particular midterm was 45% Friday is also the last day of experiments for my thesis, so I need to finish everything up, and hopefully get some good results!
I'm sick. Which means I'm eating horrible, (but oh-so delicious) comfort foods. Hot chocolate, tomato soup with mac'n'cheese, a grilled cheese.... hmmm.
But it was so sweet, yesterday I was telling my good friend J how sick I was feeling and how all I wanted was some junky-sugary Tim Horton's hot chocolate, and like 20min later he shows up on our doorstep with hot chocolate for me and my roommate A (who is also getting sick). Ahhh, isn't he the sweetest?
In other news I turned 20 yesterday. Two decades old, man oh man how time is flying. And I hear time just goes faster.
Steibena - good luck with your exams. Don't let the stress get to you too much.
dagmar - those potatoes sounds delicious. yum.
Alright I must be off to study for my two upcoming midterms. AHH! But on friday I get to party. Yes.
All this talk of meatloaf reminded me: an inning or two ago, the announcer showed a picture of the Challenge Burger from Eagle's Deli near Boston College: 5 lbs. of hamburger, 20 slices of cheese, 20 slices of bacon, bun, condiments, and 5 pounds of fries.
Just out of curiosity, I calculated the calories of this beast. Assuming the condiments on a burger that size includes about 1/4 c. of mayo, you're looking at 17,100 calories and 1136 g. of fat. Skip the fries and it's only 9,500 calories and 730 g. of fat.
Luckily, you get a "free" drink (i.e., included in the $60 price tag), so you can wash it all down with a diet coke.
I wonder how many people per year actually eat that thing by themselves. Per the earlier discussion, I wonder if their weight goes up measurably because of it (and not because of the salt on the fries).
Kim
PS. The same deli sells a quarter pounder with cheese: the Kiddie Burger.
Cat - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! heehee, I'm only 3 years older than you, but as far as I can tell, time does go faster the older you get Thanks for the wishes of luck, and good luck with yours too! And feel better!!!!
My favorite meat loaf recipe is Asian-Style Meat Loaves from Cooking Light. They are very moist with a great flavor and come in at under 300 calories per serving. I have other recipes that come in even lower in terms of calories, the lowest is Turkey Mini Meat Loaves from Cooking Light, which come in at about 150 calories per serving. They aren't as good as the Asian-Style Meat Loaves, but I still make them occasionally just because they are so low in calories (and they aren't bad, they just aren't anything special).
Good morning. Yes, I've been a skimpy poster lately. However, a trip here this morning has me being accountable. I changed that thing over there <<<<
In my hunt for Maintainership ... I'm experimenting with Mediterranean foods and philosophy and French food philosophy. I suppose it's only natural to suffer some growing pains (pun intended) when experimenting with new plans.
I'm fascinated by the notions of celebrating what you have -or- blooming where you're planted. I'm disheartened by how the rest of the world views western excess.
Am I disheartened enough to watch my portions, spending etc? Hmmm ... we'll see.
SusanB - have you read French Women Don't Get Fat yet? I disagree with some of the things Mireille says (like, her "magical leek soup diet" that you're supposed to do for a few days... clearly not nutritious). However, I like the idea of going to the market every day to shop for that day's ingredients, and I like the idea that you really only enjoy the first few bites of any food, so you might as well make more dishes with smaller portion sizes (though I'm having trouble sticking to that particular one). The idea of going to the market every day was something that I at first thought could never work with my busy lifestyle, but now I actually do that and enjoy it.
I do a larger shopping trip on weekends, but I don't attempt to buy everything I need for the week - just basics that I know I'll need no matter what I make (onions, tomatos, milk, English muffins, etc). Then each day once I figure out what I'm going to make for dinner, I stop on the way home from work and pick up the proteins and specialty ingredients I need. I suppose it isn't practical if you live in a rural area where groceries are far away, but it definitely makes food shopping a lot less of a chore if you're just stopping on your way home to pick up a few items. I just have to be careful because after work I'm definitely hungry, and it's generally a bad idea to go food shopping when you're hungry, so I usually bring an extra apple to eat right before I leave, which helps.
Anyone else shop like this, or do most people do the big once a week grocery runs?
All this talk of meatloaf reminded me: an inning or two ago, the announcer showed a picture of the Challenge Burger from Eagle's Deli near Boston College: 5 lbs. of hamburger, 20 slices of cheese, 20 slices of bacon, bun, condiments, and 5 pounds of fries.
Just out of curiosity, I calculated the calories of this beast. Assuming the condiments on a burger that size includes about 1/4 c. of mayo, you're looking at 17,100 calories and 1136 g. of fat. Skip the fries and it's only 9,500 calories and 730 g. of fat.
DH and I saw this last night and we both said, "that's disgusting."
That Challenge Burger is disgusting. I don't know how one person eats 5 lbs of hamburger in one sitting. That's huge--that's like four or five of the standard packages of ground beef that you get at the store. And it probably isnt the 95% lean stuff, either!
Scenestealer--I do all my grocery shopping on Saturdays, stopping by the store every day just doesn't work for me. I work from home, so it would be an extra trip out; I can't just stop on my way home from work. Also, my preferred grocery stores (Trader Joe's and Safeway) are a 15-min drive away, so that's a half an hour driving every day if I shop every day (I don't live in a rural area, but I do live in the suburbs and things just aren't as convenient here as they are in a big city). Most week days, the only place I go is the gym, which is less than 5 min from my house and nowhere near my grocery stores. Also, I try to buy all my produce and fish at the farmers' market because it is far superior to what is sold at either of my grocery stores, but the farmers' market is only open on Saturday mornings. So on Saturdays, I do a run to the farmers market, Trader Joe's, Safeway, sometimes also Cost Plus and/or Target (luckily, except for the farmers' market, they are all in the same shopping center).
Last edited by BlueToBlue; 10-25-2007 at 01:11 PM.
I walk to work w/out passing a grocery store and DH works at home, so shopping every day would mean an extra drive every day. No, thanks! We do, however, buy a lot of proteins in bulk, so going to the freezer in the AM is a bit like going to the store.
As for veggies, we usually have to make 2 trips to the store every week. We buy a mix of "eat immediately" and "will keep" vegetables each trip. I think next summer we'll try a CSA box, for taste and as part of a more general commitment to reduce our carbon and pesticide footprints. (Hope that's not too political!)
. Good idea with the draining after baking - will have to try that.
(is it a dancing potato?)
Friday is also the last day of experiments for my thesis, so I need to finish everything up, and hopefully get some good results!
I don't know how one person eats 5 lbs of hamburger in one sitting. That's huge--that's like four or five of the standard packages of ground beef that you get at the store. And it probably isnt the 95% lean stuff, either! 