Weight-Loss Tweaking the Diet. Need ideas.

[CthulhuSaves]

Hiya,


I'm a very big guy, but have been successfully (for the most part) dieting and losing weight. Down to 379 from 540 (yeah, I know). Another 150 to go to get back to my normal weight (large frame --230 is my lean weight).

Anywho, I've put together a simple diet that works for me, which I've dubbed the "Einstein Diet" because it basically amounts to eating the same thing every day without having to think about it. However, recently I made a change that was slightly more cost effective and trimmed a couple of hundred calories from my daily routine. This is a good thing, but two issues have cropped up, and this is where I could use some ideas.

I switched from ground turkey to ham for my evening meal. I had been mixing a little spaghetti sauce in with the turkey, so tried just using that with the ham (I cut it into cubes). That's actually not bad, but it's a bit boring, and also added a significant amount of carbs that I'd rather shave back off (gaining all that weight gave me type 2 diabetes). So, I'm trying to come up with alternatives for adding to the meat that are low calorie, minimal carb and fairly inexpensive.

The spaghetti sauce has an average of 200 calories and 26 carbs (about a third of the jar), and usually costs between 1.00-1.50 per jar. I sometimes use generic 2% cheese (the "brick" type), which I cut into 8 sections and use one per meal (240 calories/16 carbs). Those typically cost about 4.50 per brick.

Does anyone here have a routine that includes things that might work as a decent alternative, that are comparable (or lower) calorie and low-carb? I've thought about trying some sort of Alfredo sauce, which would be slightly higher in cost and calories but bring the carbs way down. Beyond that I'm just drawing a blank on other possibilities. Maybe my brain needs feeding.

Comments appreciated.

 

[PLB]

I'm not really an advocate of eating the same thing everyday... I know it's easier and if it works, then I'm not going to tell you not to do it. It's just the potential issues with missing nutrients.

That being said, have you tried pesto sauces at all? You typically need to use a lot less of the sauce than with a tomato or alfredo sauce. You can use it alone or you can mix it with tomato or alfredo sauces.

I can understand that you have to watch your carbs, being type 2 diabetic, but you still do need carbs. The important thing is the quality of the carbs that you eat and the amount that you eat in a serving. Do you eat any veggies or fruit at all?

 

[CthulhuSaves]

Hmmm, pesto. Never tried that. Thanks for the idea.

Yep on the veg. I eat a can of mixed vegetables every day. Actually, with the higher carb count on the main meal, I had to move the veggies over and use them as lunch (mixed with a little melted cheese --in truth I kinda hate veggies, but the doc said I need 'em) to avoid a spike. Still, that works out, since I'm eating less for dinner and not stretching out the stomach as much. Not as satisfying, but a good habit.

I'm not an anti-carb nut or anything. Low, yes, but avoid entirely? Crazy. The dietitian told me to eat no more than 45 carbs per meal, five hours in between, minimum. However, although I still try to stick to that rule, being male I have a leeway of 60-75 carbs. My current dinner scheme has risen to 64 carbs as-is, so technically I can handle it, but would prefer to get it back down under 50. (Would've been closer to 100 if I'd continued eating the veggies with dinner!)

Regarding the repetitious diet, I'd very dearly love to have variety, but variety just doesn't work, and will invariably cause weight gain. The diet I've worked out now is healthy and balanced, so I'm not worried, just bored. *Chuckle*

About the only thing I don't get anymore is fruit. The carbs in fruit are insanely high, at least from anything I've looked at. Not that I was big on fruit in the first place (I'm a good, old fashioned carnivore), but for my health's sake would like to incorporate some in the diet. Clearly a simple can of mixed fruit won't cut it like the veggies do, but hopefully I'll be able to find something to incorporate eventually. My diet is always open to tweaking.

 

[PLB]

Ok well that's good that you're eating some vegetables. And following the advice of your dietician. I know that buying everything pre-prepared is easy and convenient... are you careful to read the labels, especially for the amounts of sodium in each product? I'm sure your dietician has already warned you of this, but that's something to make sure to watch.

Also, considering that you are eating the same things each day, it might be a great opportunity to learn how to make some of these sauces yourself and either have enough for the week , or freeze portions of it so that you can have it ready for later. Not to say that you have to go out and learn a whole bunch of recipes all at once, but even taking the time to learn how to make three different sauces (tomato, alfredo, pesto) can be beneficial and you have control over what's going into it. Harder to account for the amounts of carbs, etc. though. Just some thoughts!