I have started WW again for the (umpteenth time). I know it is an excellent program. The first time I tried it I had lost 37 lbs in 4 1/2 months, then my mom died and I fell off the program. I have tried many times to get back on the wagon, but never for very long. Anyways, this appears to be my main problem. Time Management. I am a working and volunteering wife and mother. When I get home from work, I have my "second job" waiting for me. Checking homework, laundry, excercise (if I didn't get up at 5:30 a.m. that morning to get it out of the way, a few nights a week I have sporting events or church to attend, etc. I am sure there are 1000's of women out there just like me. I am having an incredibly hard time finding the time to cook a decent and filling dinner for myself. I hate frozen meals. Why is it so much easier to order pizza? I can only buy so much already prepped food because it is so expensive. My husband has offered to help, but he just doesn't understand how the point system works and how to prepare the food, etc. I have even tried cooking on the weekends, but my schedule is full there too. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can manage my time better? Thanks
But an indoor grill such as a Geo Foremen for meats, buy canned or frozen veggies, add a starchy side such as rice or potatoes (Minute Rice boxes of bags you microwave or Idahoan has instant potatoes in many flavors). There you go takes a total of 6-9 minutes to cook a meal that is healthy and filling.
You can plan meals during your 'waiting times' such as standing in line at a bank. While you are sitting in the stands for inbetween innings or time outs have a small pad and plan things that go togther.
You don't have to elaborate meals with tons of ingredients. You can also get a cookbook that has 5 ingredients or less and/or 15 minutes or less for some varying meals.
And there is no reason your husband can't cook the way I just said. You just need to buy lean meats (pork, beef, poultry, seafood) that are boneless and cook them on the indoor grill or broil or bake. Even broiling or baking only takes 5-30 minutes. If you bake things then you can check homework while it is baking.
I usually bring a few cookbooks to work and go through them. When I see something that looks good, and I mean anything, I will dog ear the page. Once I am finished with the whole thing I make a list. This has really helped with time and what to make at night. It is also good b/c we are able to try differnt things so I don't get bored with the food. I try to get the books that are made by WW so they already have the points on them. If a cookbook doesn't have the nutrition info I usually stay away. I don't have time to figure all of that up.
Do you have freezer space too? When I find a meal we like the next time I double it and freze it. The night b4 I pull it out and there you go, no thinking involved.
We go to places like Sam's or Costco and buy the big pieces of salmon. I cut it up into individual portions and freeze them in quantities that we eat (right now just me and DH). In the morning I take out what meat we are going to eat for dinner that night and let it defrost in the fridge all day.
The first thing we do when we get home is I see if the meat (or chicken/fish) is defrosted. If it's not, I zap it in the microwave while I get out the rest of the stuff for dinner.
We do a lot of bagged salad (takes 1 minute to assemble)
We buy fresh asparagus or zucchini and 'saute' it with garlic on the stove (takes about 8-9 minutes)
I saute green peppers and onions in Pam for a slightly sweet veggie side dish
While the veggies cook I start on the meat - either in the GF grill, on the stove top, or in our Ultravection oven (salmon only).
the microwave is reserved for potatoes for hubby (i try to stay from potatoes) and canned veggies (usually green beans or corn). If we do corn, we have another 'green' veggie along with it (corn to me is like potatoes as far as it's place with dinner).
From the time we walk through the door, in no more than 20 minutes, we're ready to eat dinner.
Thanks guys, those are good suggestions. I had been thinking about a George Foreman Grill, but if you saw how many "contraptions" I have in my cupboard, I didn't know if it was a good buy . I also hadn't really thought of going to Sam's, but they do have great marinated chicken and seafood. And I love leftovers, so freezing individuals portions is a great idea too. I appreciate your input!
You didn't say what age your kids are, but I have my kids help me on the weekends after shopping. I have one child who struggles with her weight and we package everything up. I add it to my kids chore list. I put out the WW scale and they bag everything up and write the points on it, chips, cereals, etc. There is nothing that comes in a large bag in my house that isn't measured out to the correct portion size (even the higher version stuff, because I want my kids to really know what a normal portion size is suppose to be). Sometimes I just set them up in front of the TV with a TV tray and all the stuff to bag up and mark. I also put all the cereal in clear containers and write the name of the cereal, the points and the serving size right on the clear container. I keep the right size measuring cup right inside the cereal container.
My game plan is to assemble some standard menu plans
That way, when I am crunched for time (like always), I can look at my lists and see what there is to eat and how many points, etc. As another poster noted, it's helpful to put the serving size and how many points right on the box. I tend to then buy the same products over again; for instance, Melba rounds, so I can grab five, put them in a bag and go when preparing my foods to take to work for snack and lunch.
Bagged salad and bagged precut veggies are a great time saver. There are also some stir fry kits available in the frozen food section that come in handy.
Jello pudding cups, fruit cups and pre-bagged single servings of cheese or baby carrots are convenient too.
I usually cook and prepare lunches for the week on Sundays when I have more time. We usually make a roast chicken or beef and have leftovers on Monday night.
I make a big bowl of torn lettuce and spring mix and keep it in the fridge then add chopped meat, cheese and other veg for salads for lunch. The greens also make a quick side if you have steak one evening for supper. Any leftover steak or chicken can be tossed into the salads for the next days lunch or made into sandwiches.
I also make light jello pudding with low fat milk or light jello and pour it into small tupperware containers to make individual grab and go servings. Sometimes I mix in a little fruit cocktail (no syrup) or canned mandarin oranges in for variety.
I cut up celery into individual baggies and put a triangle of laughing cow cheese in each bag.
I buy snack size serving packs of Goldfish crackers and Beef Jerky at Costo for my husband. Low fat granola bars are a good grab and go item too.
Time Management
