[kissyjoy]

Hey everyone-

I'm just wondering if anyone has any other lunch ideas. I'm getting burnt out on green salad and bean salad (I mix 3 kinds of beans with olive oil and a little reduced fat feta + seasoning). I don't care for lettuce wraps too much. Any other ideas? I'm back on P1 again after having some big problems in the last few months. I haven't updated my sig this week and don't want to because I now weigh more than I did when I started ! Unfortunately this weekend will be another weekend where it will be hard to stay OP but after that, I've decided that I'm going to get my butt in gear! I am really depressed about this and can't even stand to look at myself in the mirror. People have recently been making comments as well like "You're not athletic enough" and "You can't help being heavy" which is actually providing some motivation that I need BADLY but I didn't think I had a huge weight problem (I'm 5''8").

Anyway, enough about my emotional problems.....there are so many others on this board who are dealing with things bigger than I am (Ellis, Bunna, Weezle, etc) but if you could suggest any other lunch ideas, that would be great!



p.s. I go home for lunch for 45 min so I am able to cook some things!

[Barb0522]

I normally eat leftovers for lunch. I make sure I cook up extra and then freeze leftovers (and make sure I freeze plenty of vegetables with it). Taco Bake served over lettuce makes a good Phase 1 lunch. Chili makes another and is wonderful leftover. All kinds of homemade soups taste great and most are phase 1.

[AdiaFaith]

CJ,

Chill girl, you're in your healthy BMI at 160, if that's where you are. You should NOT be upset about being 160. At 164, your highest BMI, the Air Force will still take you. Considering their rules on weight, I'd be happy with that. As far as I'm concerned, you're not heavy! However, I can understand wanting to get down to a safer level.

Lunches for me are usually out, but when I worked in my old office Soup and Salad were my saviors on Phase One. Taco Bake is great, like Barb said. Chicken Capri is good too. Do you have a microwave? Do you have a fridge? George Foreman? It all depends on your options.

[jenne1017]

I personally love salads since it's so simple to make. I take a pepper, cucumber, some red onion, celery, beans and RF cheese. I chop the veggies and make enough for either 2 salads or for 1 salad and a veggie snack (for my cheese) later in the day. I alternate between adding tuna, perdue short cuts chicken, or any FF/RF deli meats on it. I also like chili (turkey chili is dang good) but that entails making it the night before.

I know you said you were burnt on green salad, but what about adding more veggies and switching up the lettuces (Spinach, European, Spring Mix)?

Hope that helps...

[beachgal]

Yup, leftovers! I love the chicken and eggplant casserole (Yum!) for lunch.

What about making a chicken salad (as in chicken, mayo, toasted almonds, celery, green onions, mixed together) and having it on iceberg lettuce with fresh tomato wedges? Or tuna salad the same way? I actually have tuna two times a week! I only eat one starch a day, so my lunches are almost always Phase 1. I have a club salad one day (chopped up meat on a green salad), tuna with tomatoes another, a tuna melt on the one lunch with starch, and then leftovers for the others.

Ooh, another great lunch is Morningstar's "Tomato Basil Burgers" with a slice of cheese, and red bell peppers dipped in hummus.

Or how about yogurt with flax seed and cinnamon and maybe some syrup along with a bean salad? Or a taco salad--beans and meet with veggies on lettuce? For some reason, taco salads don't seem like salads to me.

Hope that helps!

And I'm sorry others are making you feel bad about your weight. Truly, I'm sure you are beautiful, and no fat will ever change that. And at 160, you definitely don't have much fat. Just work on being healthy...someone you can be proud of.

[VTprop]

Am I the only person who has a stomach the size of Canada? For lunch today I had baked chicken (1/3 of a small roaster) vegetables, corn muffin and sweet potato puree. 30 minutes later the office fudge fairy came for a visit.

Living in the city wears on my waist. When I was at the beach all weekend I had a healthly omlette every morning with v8 and tea, went for a swim/tried not to get carried out in the rip tides/or biked ate a late salad with deli meat, had some sugar free treat (jello, ice cream sundae, confection) and a healthy dinner. Now that I'm back home I did the egg white and cheese omlette and 2 slices of candian bacon for breakfast and 30 minuted later I was hungry. Drinking h20 but I don't know why the cravings haven't weakened.
:-( VT

[a broad abroad]

For a variation on the green salad have a red, white and green salad, as in tomato, basil and mozzarella. That's what I'm taking for lunch tomorrow. (cherry toms cut in half, real mozz cut in cubes and basil snipped from my window) Sprinkle with a little olive oil and black pepper and its easy, tasty and filling.

[kissyjoy]

Thank you all so much for your great ideas!

Barb - I think I will start making a little extra at dinnertime each night. I haven't tried the Taco Bake yet but a lot of you seem to love it!

Sarah - I've chilled a little since this morning. I think everyone gets frustrated losing weight and it was my time this morning. I want to be healthier but want to lose weight as well. I've gained about 20 pounds now since my wedding 2 years ago. DH is supportive (and could stand to lose the 15 or so that he's gained). I just got back into exercising again and want to continue (I love Tae Bo)! I have a micro, fridge & Forman grill at lunch because I usually go home.

Jenn - Your salad suggestions are great! I've made chili before but haven't tried it with turkey. That might be a great way to change things up a bit!

Laurie - You've given me a lot of great ideas! I'm interested to try the tomato basil burger (although I don't care too much for tomatoes). I do like them cooked into different things though. Thanks for the words of encouragment as well!

VT - Whenever I feel really hungry, I eat something with a lot of protein (cottage cheese, etc) and then I am usually fine.

a broad abroad - Your suggestion gave me a great idea. I don't care for raw tomatoes but could substitute it with something else!


Thank you all again!

[weezle]

Kissy,

My first time around on Ph1, I made the Taco Soup stuff, and it's really good. A pot should last you M-F for lunch. I do get tired of the same thing every day, but maybe you could freeze the soup and alternate, or have soup and salad one day, and leftovers from the night before the next.

I know my problem is that I don't think about making lunch the night before, so when I'm flying around in my typical morning whirlwind, I don't have time to throw a whole lot together. Ph2 is SO much easier. Alas, I'm on Ph1 again, as I have been horrible.

If you're a meat-eater, maybe some Buddig beef wraps? I know cream cheese is one of those iffy Ph1 foods, but I eat it, as long as it's reduced-fat. Take some buddig beef and spread chive and onion cream cheese on it and roll it up....tastes like cheeseball. I'm trying to be creative. I'm not a meat-eater.

Do you like hummus? I eat mushrooms and hummus as a "side dish" sometimes. Just some suggestions. Hope they help a little.

[weezle]

PS The tomato basil burger is AWESOME, as well as the Philly Cheese Steak, also by Morningstar. I'm a veg-head

[SKYFIREFLY]

Hello there ! Try some turkey and ham w/ salad greens a hard boiled egg sliced up and a cuke and tomatoe and grate some jalapeno pepper cheese in . Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and some olive oil. I also enjoy making tuna w/ mayo and some celery and onion chopped up and stuff it into a red pepper. Today I had a little pasta with homemade pesto made with basil, parsley, garlic, parm. ch., salt, pepper and olive oil and a few walnuts. Oh so good. The pesto was a left over from marinating my shrimp the other evening. I grilled them oh so GOOD!
Good luck and use a lot of variety. When you make chicken do an extra piece for lunch. My favorite is fresh lemon, garlic, salt and pepper pour over chicken breast marinate all day while at work. Grill them either outside or on George Forman.
Have fun trying things all the ideas above sound good and I will ck them out as well.
Skyfirefly