I eat basically the same thing everyday. I grab an oatmeal cookie for breakfast, for lunch its either tuna + whole wheat crackers or cheese + whole wheat crackers, each followed by a yogurt. Its all I can do to woof down that in the time I have for lunch. Its after work that it all goes haywire. I can finally sit down, and I'm so tired that I eat terribly. I have to limit my liquid intake during the day because I have limited access to a bathroom, and I think that might be taking a toll on me, too.

I like your idea, though, and I'm willing to give it a try. One question I do have: how do you alter recipes found here (or anywhere, really) for just one person? I cook for only me, and I'm not really good with cooking in the first place, and I'm always afraid of messing recipes up when I try to reduce them.

:hug:I have an idea....why not just eat very similar things every week? I would suggest something like steel cut oats with blueberries for breakfast. Snack on some almonds and celery or baby carrots (but only about 10 or 20 almonds). For lunch, a whole wheat turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Snack on something like popcorn and a cheese stick. Dinner, I usually have a huge salad with chicken breast, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then, just stick to that for a while. When you get bored of something, change it up to something that is of similar calories. Then, when life settles, you can get into this in a more detailed fashion. I really understand where you're coming from and I hope you'll stick around. I also think you'll sleep better and handle stress at work better (and in the rest of your life) if you can eat healthy foods and avoid refined sugar, white flour, preservatives and very processed foods. Also, the more you move, the more you'll get your stress down. So, maybe while watching t.v. you can do lunges, push ups and jumping jacks....say every time there's a commercial break. If you get hungry, drink tea, chew gum, have some healthy veggie soup that you maybe can make on the weekend. Finally, I think that if you'll start making these changes, it will show and your employer will be even more likely to keep you around. I wish you all the best.:hug: Oh and the fact that you came here and asked for help while going through so much is so admirable. I've had times when I had so much stress in my life that I wouldn't have even dreamed of trying to lose weight, so well done!

Truthfully, I don't know. I've heard rumors at this place that worry me. I know I'm not staying at this job long term, but my biggest fear is what they will tell potential employers who would want to hire me.

And no, the other teachers are not in the same position. Most of the rest have aids. I'm the newest to be hired. It feels like some sort of obscene initiation process. A part of me knows that if I let them take advantage of me, things will never change. But another part says "Do whatever you can to get a positive recommendation so you can get the **** outta here".

Snack, snack, snack!! Even a couple of tangerines in the car on your way home will help prevent a huge binge when it comes to dinner.


As for meals for one - you can make crock pot soups that you can eat through out the week. You can always stir fry protein and veggies. Experiment with lots of salad types. It's less about cooking just one portion, and more to do with cooking normal portions that you're okay chowing on through out the week, or storing in the freezer for later :)

Thank you for your encouraging words. I really appreciate them. They make me feel a lot better :)

Does it get boring eating the same thing every day for a week?

Well, it's my opinion that yes you do have to count calories to lose weight. Numbers don't lie, they tell you who you are and where you are going.

We all have busy schedules, but I count calories, every calorie. It takes only a few minutes. I sit down the night before and plan out my menu for the next day.

i too have a messy house because i choose to make sure i go to the gym instead of having a clean house. i also hauled food around from home when i had to work out of town every week.

as for other counting options, counting calories is probably the simplest. unless you paid for some restrictive program like LA Weightloss that tells you specific foods to eat and not eat. Or Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem which is alot of processed foods. WW will take more time than counting calories because you have to know more pieces of information about each food not just the calories. Low carb might be easier because some people only count carbs.

What were you doing when counting calories that was so hard? Once you set up the main foods you eat mostly, they are set up in the computer. Take time on the weekend to pack food for the week. Make the family take care of some of the house duties so you can plan your food, and THEIRS in a more healthy way. You are going to eat something, even if it's scarfed down, so it might as well be healthy food. get a plastic plate with a top and put the same portions in there every day. On the weekends, you can have more flexibility, but this will make your busy weeks easier to eat better food.

boring? Yes, however, once you've been doing it for a while, you will stock pile all sorts of "left overs" in your freezer. I made a crock pot of split pea soup, ate off it for a few days, then froze the left overs in individual servings, and now I can reach in and pick from my huge assortment of stuff. Today I found some red pepper soup that I made a few weeks ago in the freezer, so I pulled one out, put it in the fridge for lunch this week. Lots of stuff freezes well! Makes quick work of cooking too! :D

I dunno if I was doing the counting calories thing right. It took forever and I just really didn't like it. Maybe cause I felt like all the joy of food was just taken away.

And its just me in my house. Well, there are my three dogs. But if anything is done here, its up to me :D Being single and living alone means I have less responsibility (less people to worry about) but it can be lonely sometimes and sometimes I really wish there was someone else around to walk the dogs when its raining! :)

Boring? Sometimes. But so is being too big!!!! I have one or two main entrees for the week, with different side dishes and fruit mixed in. If you have to have so much variety every day, well, yeah, it will take alot of extra work from somewhere to maintain it. Doesn't sound like you have time for that extra work right now, so I wouldn't expect it. You can find some main things to eat and switch the side dishes around, alternate days you eat it, and then next week something totally different. Take different spices for different days.

168 hours in a week - take an hour once/week and figure out your meals for that week. Do it on the weekend, shop for what you need and you're set.

Not much in calorie counting is a surprise, really. Fruits/veggies/whole greains = healthy. Processed foods = not so much.
Don't set up roadblocks.

It doesn't for me really. I like left overs :) And I cook for two, so there's usually just enough for a couple days, for each of us. If you're not a big fan of lefts overs make stuff that you can change up a little, then :)

You could try browning lots of ground turkey with some onion as your big cooking "base", then go from tacos one night, to a taco salad the next night, to whole wheat pasta with meat sauce, to stuffed bell pepper, to a stuffed baked potato! :dizzy:

If I don't like counting calories, would Weight Watchers be easier? I am a limited budget, but I mean, if it would work, it might be worth it. Anyone like WW over counting calories?

I'd never thought of that! That's not a bad idea at all. Actually I really like that idea. I like it a lot actually :) Thank you so much!