“Really Easy, Really Fast” Yogi got that one right from the picnic baskets …lol !
He does have a very valid point though. I can spend 4 hours and have my entire weeks worth of food prepared.
It did take a while to get it dialed in, but anything worth doing, is worth doing well.
[quote]Yogi wrote:
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
I feel like I need to snack because I don;t have a whole lot of time to cook and et meals throughout the day[/quote]
yes you do. You don’t think you do, but you do. Cook in bulk, buy tupperware. Once you get into the habit of meal prep it gets really easy really fast.
It’ll take a bit of doing, but people who are way busier than you can make it work so you can too.
Believe![/quote]
Most definitely this. The routine of cooking in bulk twice a week makes sticking to a meal plan extremely easy. It really doesn’t take much longer than just cooking dinner for the night.
If you like them, soups and stews lend themselves well to cooking in bulk, and they often taste better when reheated.
Chili, Gumbo, and [Hungarian, not American] Goulash work well.
Chris Shugart posts a lot of recipes in the V-Diet sub-forum. There are quite a few slow cooker recipes that should last for a while.
For example,
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I honestly don’t snack much at all. Snacking in general is a bad habit that you should just try to break completely. Being able to push hunger out of your mind is a useful skill to develop over time.
That being said, I drink a protein shake throughout the day that I keep at my desk. It’s a simple whey isolate shake. No carbs no fat. I mix it with water. I recommend fruit flavored shakes if you’re going to mix with water.
Even I’m reallllllly feeling like I need to have something solid in my stomach, I’ll eat a protein bar. That’s usually sufficient for satiety.
If you avoid feeding your cravings every time you have them, the cravings will cease. It takes patience and discipline, but at the end of the day it’s freeing. [/quote]
So if you’re not snacking do you just eat 3 really large meals? I feel like I need to snack because I don;t have a whole lot of time to cook and et meals throughout the day. Depending on the week. Some weeks I have a lot of free time during the day and some weeks, like this one, I barely have time to sleep, eat, or shower. My schedule is very inconsistent lol. It’s a pain in the butt, but it’s necessary for the career I’m trying to build.[/quote]
I’m not saying this works for everyone, BUT… here’s a usual day for me:
I skip breakfast most days, but I usually have a couple glasses of milk before work. I SHOULD eat breakfast, but the fact is I don’t.
I mix a whey iso shake with 4 scoops (110g of protein) when I get to work. I sip this throughout the day, usually finish it around 3:00.
At lunch I generally have leftovers from the night before. If I don’t have leftovers, I often have bbq from a place by my office.
I workout right after work. I mix 1-2 scoops of plazma for my pre/during workout. I also eat a finibar before workouts if it’s a really tough day.
After my workout, I have 2-3 glasses of milk, and sometimes a pop tart or 2. I don’t recommend the poptarts unless you’re doing very intense weight training and you feel very depleted.
Shortly after that, I have dinner, usually accompanied by another 2 glasses of milk. My wife usually cooks, or I’ll get takeout from somewhere. I’m assuming you have to cook for yourself. Not such a bad deal though. If I were by myself, that would simply mean I’d have to eat about an hour later than I currently do. So basically, dinner is the only meal you would need to cook if you ate the way I do.
There are ways to prep a bunch of meals ahead of time. My favorites involve grilling, because it’s tasty, easy, and you can cook a bunch of meals this way. On Sunday, or sometime when you have an hour at your disposal, throw on some combinate of steaks, chicken, burgers, whatever, onto a grill, and cook up a week’s worth of protein. I would do this every week if I was single.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Snacks are a struggle. And I’m finding that the bigger meals are keeping me full so I don’t need to snack as much. But my schedule is pretty chaotic so sometimes a snack is all I have time for. Especially at work when I only get a 10 minute break. I’ve been scarfing down my dinners…not even enjoying them…just eating because I need to. So not sure what to do lol. But thank you for the input I’ll see what I can do![/quote]
When you’re trying to gain weight, snacks are a way to get in extra calories. Then, PB, nuts, and coconut chips are terrific healthy options.
When you’re trying to lose weight, the purpose of a snack is to fend off hunger pangs until the next meal.
Vegetables should be your goto food. Celery sticks, carrots, cherry tomatoes, brocolli florets, cukes, and cauliflower should be your snacks. When I crave salt, I cut a whole cuke into spears and salt it with sea salt. The crunch, the water content, and the salt are all very satisfying.
If you need to add a bit of fat or flavor, you can use hummus and whipped cream cheese. With celery, use your knife to get the cream cheese flush with the top like you’re spackling a crack.You can do the same thing with PB in moderation. Don’t eat any food out of the jar; everything goes on a plate. Be mindful about what you’re putting in your mouth.
Sometimes there can be some confusion between healthy foods (almonds) and foods that align with your goals (not almonds).
Whew! This was a crazy week and I tried to do the best that I could. I had some meal prep done on Monday that really helped. But come Thursday I just had no time to get another set of meals made. Barely had time to shower. So good to know, on really really busy weeks, food prep for the ENTIRE WEEK!!!
Anyone have any advice on good storage containers that keep food fresh? I feel like the cheap ziplock ones that I have just do a poor job at maintaing flavor. Everything sort of just tastes like container after 3 or so days.
Flipcollar, your meals sound amazing! I wish I could drink that much milk. My brother drinks about a gallon a day! But, I’m not supposed to have dairy. And also milk is expensive. And the poor cows! Poptarts would be nice too haha.
Bought some healthier peanut butter today. Ingredients: peanuts, salt. Also doubled up on the beef jerky.
Good news is, I weigh about 165 right now which is a significant decrease since last summer when I weighed 175-180. Feeling stronger, feeling lighter, and feeling like I have more energy! However, most of all just feeling optimistic about these weightless goals. Just going to keep pushing and you guys are really helping me out. Every time I read the comments, I find myself arguing back. Like, “well no, I don’t have time!” But the truth is, that’s an excuse, I need to try harder, and you guys are trying to help, not be argumentative. So just wanted to say thank you and I appreciate all of the comments. I take everything into consideration for making the next week better. Maybe not the best, but better!
Went to a party last night and watched as everyone gorged themselves with chips, overly-processed hot dogs, sweets, and liquor. I did have two beers but felt no cravings whatsoever to any of the food. I just knew it was no good for what I’m trying to do right now. Also, my week was pretty rough with the foods choices. Will post that tomorrow. Some of you may say that I splurged way too much. It’s all a consequence of being unprepared for a very busy week. It was a learning experience that’s for sure.
Have a great day everyone!
Hey Ducky, fwiw. I dont think anyone here is going to really give you a lot of shit, seeing as how you are just starting out. Be forewarned though:
If you are doing the same shit (exercise, nutrition, sleep et al) six months from now. You Will be roasted like the proverbial pig on the spit !
We do not mind taking the time out of our busy days to help someone that wants to and is “doing”, not trying to be better than they are.
It is up to You to write out your goals. Two great motivaters are these: Grab a Current photo of yourself and blow it up to 18x24. Hang it on your mirror. Mirrors dont lie, scales do. Write in grease pencil next to it on the mirror what you are Going to accomplish for the week. When the week is up, put up new goals for the following week.
The photo will Blatantly remind you of where you where. The writing on the wall will hold you accountable.
Contiued success my friend…killerDIRK
Thanks! I will try that! Also, going to order some protein right. Going with Surge Recovery I think!
[quote]killerDIRK wrote:
Hey Ducky, fwiw. I dont think anyone here is going to really give you a lot of shit, seeing as how you are just starting out. Be forewarned though:
If you are doing the same shit (exercise, nutrition, sleep et al) six months from now. You Will be roasted like the proverbial pig on the spit !
We do not mind taking the time out of our busy days to help someone that wants to and is “doing”, not trying to be better than they are.
It is up to You to write out your goals. Two great motivaters are these: Grab a Current photo of yourself and blow it up to 18x24. Hang it on your mirror. Mirrors dont lie, scales do. Write in grease pencil next to it on the mirror what you are Going to accomplish for the week. When the week is up, put up new goals for the following week.
The photo will Blatantly remind you of where you where. The writing on the wall will hold you accountable.
Contiued success my friend…killerDIRK[/quote]
I agree with all of this 100%. Any advice I can give to help someone like yourself who goes out and tries to improve their life instead of bitching and moaning about it is time well spent to me, and the motivation goes both ways.
In terms of motivation: consider looking into Dan Johns Alpo dog food diet. Google it, or even better, buy one of his books and read about it.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
Thanks! I will try that! Also, going to order some protein right. Going with Surge Recovery I think![/quote]
Not wanting to nitpick, but you mentioned 2 (ish) posts ago that you couldn’t afford milk, and several pages ago that you couldn’t afford kettlebells. Not wanting to knock Surge, but on limited budgets, you need to get priorities right.
^ this 100 % ! To Duckey and everyone else, we all know that the real foods that you have to tear apart and chew are the ones that will be the best for you. Whether it is Meat, Nuts, Eggs, Cheeses(hard) and Seeds and then unlimited Veggies, it would be hard to grow fat with this.
Look at it as an investment: You want the biggest possible return for the money and/or the time invested.
Why do you think most here base their training around the Big 3 ? Squat Bench and Deadlift are going
to get you Strong Hard and Lean faster than standing on Bosu doing bicep curls (pet peeve!)
Same goes for diet: Check out Dani Shugarts work, Check out the work of John Meadows.
One thing i have noticed about the elite athletes i have worked with, they are Consistent, find what works,
and Eat Real Food !
In Flagstaff in '96 we had unlimited access to the Sizzler. 12 Olympic Scullers destroyed that place on a nightly basis.
But they based their diet around Meat, fats and carbs.
Do the best you can Duckey, as the I Ching (from China) states, Difficulty in the beginning- Perserverance Furthers !
No I can afford milk and Surge lol. I just give myself a weekly budget and I try to stay under that as well as I can. So it’s not necessarily that I can’t afford it. It just has to fit I to that weeks budget. And I said I could afford kettle bells, so not sure if there was just miscommunication there.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
No I can afford milk and Surge lol. I just give myself a weekly budget and I try to stay under that as well as I can. So it’s not necessarily that I can’t afford it. It just has to fit I to that weeks budget. And I said I could afford kettle bells, so not sure if there was just miscommunication there.[/quote]
I get you, apologies for any misunderstandings.
Nothing wrong with a budget.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
And I said I could afford kettle bells, so not sure if there was just miscommunication there.[/quote]
As for this point…have you considered buying anything heavier than those 5-pound weights? A 25-pound kettlebell, or two 15-pound dumbbells, would be a good start.
Yes need to get to that! It’s on my list!
Here’s last weeks food/exercise. I am doing Jamie Eason’s 12 week program btw but kind of modified, really just staying in phase one, going up in weights. And then adding in my own HIIT.
Monday 3/16:
Coffee
Meal 1: Egg whites; two over medium eggs; 3 slices turkey bacon; oatmeal w/ peanut butter; �¼ grape fruit; soy milk (unsweetened)
Meal 2: Cashews and beef jerky
Meal Prep
Meal 3: Chicken salad w/ veggies, EVOO, and balsamic; brown rice
Meal 4: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas, cauliflower and hummus; yogurt
Supplements: Juice Plus
Tuesday 3/17:
Coffee
Meal 1: Oatmeal w/ peanut butter
Meal 2: Cashews
Meal 3: Cheat meal: Sesame chicken w/ steamed rice; hot and sour soup. <<biggest regret of 2015. Tasted horrible. Made me sick. What a waste of a cheat meal and I only did it because filming ran over too late and we all went out for lunch and I was ill prepared.
Complexes
Meal 4: Protein shake and yogurt
Meal 5: St. Pattyâ??s Day Irish Dinner w/ root beer!
Wednesday 3/18:
Coffee
Meal 1: Quest bar
Meal 2: Noodles and Company: Bangkok curry; side Caesar salad. (Again, filming ran too late and was ill prepared.)
Meal 3: 12oz Acai Blue from Keva Juice (So basically I was out of the house for 16 hours with no food)
Meal 4: Chicken salad w/ veggies, EVOO, and balsamic; brown rice
Gym- Chest/triceps/10 min HIIT
Meal 5: Cashews; 3 slices turkey bacon; 2 over-medium eggs
Thursday 3/19:
Coffee
Meal 1: Oatmeal w/ peanut butter
Meal 2: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas, cauliflower and hummus
Meal 3: Cashews; yogurt; 2 over-medium eggs
Meal 4: Coconut chips
Meal 5: Chicken salad w/ veggies, EVOO, and balsamic; brown rice
Dove dark chocolate
Supplements: Juice plus
Friday 3/20:
Coffee
Meal 1: Peanut butter toast; yogurt
Meal 2: Cashews
Meal 3: Chicken salad w/ veggies, EVOO, and balsamic; brown rice
Meal 4: Protein shake
Meal 5: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas, cauliflower and hummus
Chai latte w/ whip cream << ordered the wrong thing 
Saturday 3/21:
Meal 1: Quest bar; coffee
Gym- Back/biceps/10 mins HIIT
Meal 2: Protein shake
Meal 3: Cashews
Meal 4: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas
Meal 5: Chicken salad w/ brown rice, black beans, corn, pico, and vinaigrette
Two beers
Sunday 3/22:
Meal 1: Coffee; quest bar
Grocery shop
Meal 2: Cashews and beef jerky
Meal prep
Meal 3: Smoothie (soy milk, strawberries, mixed berries, pineapple, spinach leaves hemp seeds, maca powder and honey); peanut butter
Meal 4: Turkey sandwich w/ honey mustard and spinach leaves; snap peas, string cheese
Meal 5: Curry chicken w/ veggies and brown rice
This week sucked. It was crazy busy and my diet and exercise suffered because of it. That being said, diet and exercise were significantly better than 1 month ago. So that’s something. Only going to aim to improve this week, move on, and learn from my mistakes.
[quote]rubberducky7o3 wrote:
This week sucked. It was crazy busy and my diet and exercise suffered because of it. That being said, diet and exercise were significantly better than 1 month ago. So that’s something. Only going to aim to improve this week, move on, and learn from my mistakes.
[/quote]
I think you’ve summed that up perfectly. Although slightly harshly.
Glass containers are the best for food storage. They’re not great for carrying around all day, but you can store large quantities in glass and dish out your individual servings for the day into your plastic containers.
Keep on improving!
[quote]LiftingStrumpet wrote:
Glass containers are the best for food storage. They’re not great for carrying around all day, but you can store large quantities in glass and dish out your individual servings for the day into your plastic containers.
Keep on improving![/quote]
Genius lol! I would like to ditch the sandwiches at some point (soon) and get a better meal in and this may really help! Eating tasty foods is the key to my success because if I’m not satisfied I’m more likely to eat chips. So far… chip free for about a week lol! It’s tough work. Yesterday was national chip and dip day. And I went to a party the other night with like a chip buffet. It’s like someone is taunting me but it’s also making my self discipline that much stronger. Haha.