I successfully lost 30 pounds in 3 months back in 2012 with calorie counting. I started a new job then and totally lost control. So, here I am...234.5 pounds and looking to lose 104 pounds. Anyways.....
I read that sometimes calorie counters repeat a series of meals to make things easier. Do you do that? If so, what are your go to meals?
I often have two pieces of toast with 1T peanut butter and one sliced banana on top. Yum. This morning I had one string cheese with that for a total of 420 calories. Simple and filling.
I cook entire dishes on weekends: all different varieties of soup, chili, curry, stuffed peppers, stew, casseroles, meatballs, nuggets, burritos, meatloaves, etc and freeze them in individual portions. On each container, I label the date and calorie count. I've done it for almost 8 years, so in the morning I can grab and go and my family always has a healthy option to warm up in minutes.
So, yes, I do repeat meals, but I have plenty of variety since I have months to eat them.
I also like to prep my breakfast on weekends. On a Sunday night I may make some kind of frittata to eat a wedge everyday over the week, I may make hard boiled eggs, or I may roast some vegetables or make a shakshouka (don't poach the egg yet), so that I can just warm that up and cook my egg each morning.
We also meal plan dinners together as a family, so many of the same dishes come up every few weeks/months. I do log, and find that it's easiest to pull the same recipe and just alter the weighed ingredients than to start all over again!
I eat a big salad and some veggie soup most days for lunch at work. I make the salad with a very similar set of veggies, so I have it saved as a meal. Healthy, delicious, low calorie, and easy to log.
repeating same foods is very effective but you might soon hate eating the same food over and over again. There are Great recipes on this site, you should take time and try to experiment with some new recipes. im pretty sure you will find something that you will love to eat !
I have been eating repeat meals, but lately it has been very difficult to follow. I think I'll try making a variety of meals ahead of time and see if that helps.
I pretty much do repeat meals when I go to work. I work 12 hour shifts twice a week and keep my calories around 500 at work. One day a week I work an 8 hour shift and try to keep my calories around 400 at work. I usually bring the same thing for lunchs - usually soup, fruit and yogurt. My breakfasts and dinners could use some changing up to keep it interesting.
An egg, half a bagel, a banana, and a clementine has been my breakfast for five days now. It is a fantastic start to the day. Lunch has been cottage cheese, cucumbers, celery, and a bit of chocolate pudding. Dinner can vary but I'm extremely satisfied.
I live by myself, so repeat meals are a must. Even if I buy the smallest quantities of vegetables, they can last me 3-5 days. I have to keep eating the same thing so that it doesn't spoil.
Last edited by thinwhiteduchess; 01-22-2016 at 10:57 PM.
Recently, I've taken to making a big slow cooker (I think they are called crockpots in the US) of stew and taking a batch of that into work each day to microwave. The weather is windy, cold and rainy lately - so it's really comforting. I use the lower-calorie veg so it's not too sinful at all.
That is a great idea. I should break out my slow cooker next month--I think that would be a great source of some delicious protein that I could portion out over several days.
There are worse things in life than a week of boeuf bourguignon...
One of my slow cooker staples is chicken. I'll cook and shred a couple lbs at a time. Generally I just cook it with a little low sodium broth and salt/pepper. I portion it out into meal-sized servings, wrap them individually and throw in the freezer.
When we're stumped for dinner ideas, we can grab a packet of shredded chicken and figure out something fast and easy from there.
Repeat Meals
