<p>Yeah Lindz126!
Thanks for some of the ideas. She is a reluctant cook and not a food person at all. A problem with prepared food and frozen food is the sodium. She is super sensitive to sodium and her hands and feet swell if she even eats a moderate amount of sodium. We don’t have Perdue on the west coast. A quick look at Tyson and it is much higher in sodium then Perdue. Allergic to shrimp.
I have suggested Alumother’s idea of cooking chicken breasts on her day off for the week.
Abasket- I will suggest Live Strong or My Fitness Pal (think that is the other one people on CC like)
I know she walks home from work and walks her dog twice a day for at least 30 minutes each time. Before this job she was running miles a day and completed Insanity. She has the body and stamina to be in awesome shape.
I think at this time she is having coffee in the am, eats a big lunch (employer provides free lunch with numerous choices, probably should be making better choices). Gets home late, walks the dog and probably not eating till after 8 pm and going to bed by 10. Is there any truth in eating late at night not being good for weight loss?
I am also thinking of making her up a little cookbook with easy quick meals using Trader Joe’s ingredients and other easy to use ingredients. I want to be helpful but not irritate her and have her thing I am critical. Anyone tried the precooked lentils from TJ? ideas for how to turn them into a meal?
I was also thinking about suggesting she plan her meals and schedule fitness into her week. I know for me the worst eating takes place when I am hungry and don’t have a clue as to what I want to make.</p>
<p>You can also roast vegetables with the breasts, sprinkle it all with thyme, salt, and pepper. Yum. Here’s a recipe.</p>
<p>[The</a> Best Minimal-Prep, Little-Clean Dish For 3 Days Of Eating Alone | Privilege](<a href=“http://amidprivilege.com/2010/02/the-best-minimal-prep-little-clean-dish-for-3-days-of-eating-alone-2/]The”>The Best Minimal-Prep, Little-Clean Dish For 3 Days Of Eating Alone - Privilege)</p>
<p>alumother- great recipe. She is bone adverse but I think she might be willing to give it a try.</p>
<p>Would she use a crockpot???</p>
<p>Yes and she owns a small one</p>
<p>Can she eat fish other than shell fish? I do a lot of what is listed above. My H grills up a bunch of chicken breasts and we eat them for days. We have also given up all starches with dinner. Except the occasional ear of corn. </p>
<p>When I cook fish I cook a lot of it and I don’t limit my portion at dinner. I also will bring some for lunch if it’s leftover (to the dismay of some of my colleagues).</p>
<p>mom60, I am 24 and in your D’s situation in terms of scheduling. I actually have about 20lbs to lose, trying to cut the 40 or so I gained while I was at school (that is what sleep deprivation does to me.)</p>
<p>I have to do cardio at least 5-6 days a week and strength 3-4 days a week to get anywhere, otherwise I am just spinning my wheels. I get home too late to do both those things after work, so I wake up at 5am and do one and then do the other when I get home. I admit, it is killing me. I wake up, work out, go to work, come home and work out, shower, eat dinner, and have to go to bed by 9 in order to get up at 5 the next day and do it again. I have no free time during the week. But it’s that or be fat, those are my choices.</p>
<p>Diet makes a huge difference and it sounds like that’s really where she needs to improve. We bake chicken breasts on Sunday, and we cut up veggies for salad on Sunday and throw them in a crisper, so we have premade fresh salad. I can have a chicken salad all week with that food. I can make wraps, I can make soups, I can make sandwiches. We like the precooked grilled chicken breasts in a pinch. Salads and soups are lifesavers for work and late dinners. We love wraps for breakfast and lunch, with chicken or egg or turkey.</p>
<p>She can make this happen, but she has to really be committed and decide that she is done carrying those extra pounds. She is a busy girl and it is going to be a pain in the ass at first, there is no way to make cooking a healthy dinner as easy as eating a poptart. But she can get used to it and it will get easier if she commits to it. She should be aware when you only have 10lbs to lose it can take a lot longer for it to come off than somebody who has a lot more than that to lose.</p>
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<p>Exactly. And on a short person (I am 5’ 1") ten pounds looks like twenty. :(</p>
<p>There are some crockpot chicken recipes that you can prepare ahead of time, freeze and then just empty the gallon ziplock bag contents into the crockpot and be done.</p>
<p>Bumping us up.
Reporting that I have lost 3 lbs in the last 2 weeks. Still have 10 to go to get back to where I would like to be. My warning you need to watch what you are eating pants are fitting again.
Thanks for all the tips for my D.She has a long way to go but for this week she has made the decision to have a supply of food on hand for the week and she texted me last night that she had made several days worth of quinoa. I have been working on a small cookbook primer that has some recipes and helpful hints. My youngest has just moved into her first place without having Mom cooking or a dining commons. I have fielded several recipe and marketing questions from her as well. At least my youngest has an interest in cooking.
Ema- I am in awe of your dedication.
How is everyone else doing?</p>
<p>I appreciate that. 
I whine and complain about it every day, but I’ve reached a point where I just can’t stand the thought of being overweight even one day longer than I have to… so I will do whatever it takes. </p>
<p>It’s been about two months since I’ve lost any weight and I am really discouraged. I actually gained a couple pounds for the first time since I started. Whenever anybody hears that you’ve gone two months without any loss they come up with things you must be doing wrong… must be cheating on the diet, must not be working out hard enough, etc and so forth… but I really am doing everything I am supposed to. The weight was ungodly slow to come off to begin with, with only 1 or 2 lbs being lost per month. Now it’s just stopped. My thyroid is enlarged but they haven’t found anything chemically wrong with it. I am out of ideas. I have another appointment with the endocrinologist tomorrow and I am hoping they have more theories and aren’t just going to run the same blood tests over again and send me on my way…</p>
<p>Good luck with the doctor, Emaheevul07 – it sounds like maybe there is something going on with the thyroid, otherwise why is it enlarged? I’m sure it is frustrating to be doing everything you know you should and still not see results on the scale. But I bet you are feeling better, and are in better health, and have tightened up even if you are not seeing a loss lately. Hang in there.</p>
<p>As for me, trying to motivate myself to go to the gym or walk in a few. May go to the gym. Not enjoying the midwestern humidity outside . . .</p>
<p>Mom60…
-maybe you could suggest your D eat breakfast (not just coffee) for energy. She may not be starving/eat as much at lunch then…
-in addition to making a mini-cookbook for her, make a sample meal plan for a week, along with a Shopping List. I did one for my S (Chicken Week), cooking 4 chicken breasts on a weekend, using one for dinner that night, then some for chicken cesaer wrap, stuffed baked potatoes, burrito, chicken pasta, etc. He now sees how ingredients can be used in multiple dishes…a time (and money) saver…and can be healthier, too. Also did one for Burger week.
- Ziplocs can be your D’s best friend. Cut and portion out veggies, fruits, snacks on the weekend for easy grab and eat or use in cooking.
- TJ’s lentils are good. Microwave a sweet potato and top with lentils…fast, easy.</p>
<p>The doctor said my enlarged thyroid is most likely due to hashimoto’s despite my “high normal” test results, but since the results were technically normal his suggestion was to go to a weight loss clinic where they would supervise me on a 500 calorie a day diet until I lose weight. So it would appear my options are to find a second opinion that is within the realm of reason, or stay overweight forever. I wish I could send my test results to ten different doctors and ask “how might you treat this?” so I don’t have to keep taking time off work for worthless appointments.</p>
<p>Wow Emahee – that is not helpful at all! 500 cals a day is not sustainable. What kind of advice is that? Sorry it is so hard to find a doctor that can help.</p>
<p>We are going to look into some different endocrinologists and see if anybody else might be willing to treat this, and do more research. I have all the symptoms of hypothyroid, am miserable, and my thyroid is twice the normal size-- but my numbers are “high normal.” I’ve read some people are comfortable at different levels of “normal” and will experience symptoms unless at a different level, and some of those people are getting some kind of treatment, so maybe I need to find a doctor more open to that concept. I don’t know enough about this yet but I will. I’m also going to call the weight loss clinic and find out if its really 500 cals a day or if this doctor didnt really know what he was talking about… I have 20lbs to lose, for heavens sakes, and he was talking about surgery. </p>
<p>What do you all plan to do for your exercise today? I plan to hit the elliptical when I get home from work and lift some weights.</p>
<p>If it’s not too hot I’ll go for a walk at the end of the day. I’ll probably do a couple of sets of kettleball swings and squats as well. I am losing weight again very very slowly. I was beginning to think I was stuck at my current weight, but I think I may yet lose a bit more. I’m not willing to eat less, though I always think I should exercise more.</p>
<p>Ema- find a new Dr. Even if you lost weight on 500 calorie a day diet you would begin to put the weight back on as soon as you began to eat real food. My sister did a medical weight loss program about 10 yrs ago. She drank shakes that she made from packets. The packets could also be made into pudding. Eventually they transitioned her to packaged meals and eventually real food. She kept the weight off for about 5 yrs but eventually gained it all back and more. She just recently had gastric bypass surgery. Not the way I would go but each person has to decide for themselves.
Gosmom- the menu meal plan is a great idea. I think the key is going to be setting a menu for the work week. Pick a meat,combo of vegetables and a herb and see how many different meals you can make. I have the Trader Joe’s lentils on my list for her. The Trader Joe’s is not that close to her apartment so that is a shopping trip that takes time and planning. I don’t know if she is having breakfast besides her coffee. I am trying to be helpful but not be critical.
Went out for a good walk. I didn’t want to but I am glad I got it over with. I am not one of those people who like to work out.
Mathmom- Does the kettleball bother your elbow? I would like to try it but am concerned because I have had serious tennis elbow in the past and would hate to have it flare up again.</p>
<p>mom60, get a very light kettlebell. I have one that’s just 5 pounds.</p>
<p>Ema, speaking from my own thyroid issues (Hashimoto’s, hypothyroid) … You doc sounds old school, so a second opinion seems very appropriate.</p>
<p>If you have access to another doc, bring him or her your thyroid results and share your symptoms and family history as well. You may have just had the simple TSH test, but if you didn’t have a full thyroid panel done, you doc can’t absolutely sure you are not heading towards real hypothyroidism. I have been treated for 19 years, but my doc saw my early symptoms and quickly realized what was going on with me (extra tired compared to my normal energy; cold even when others aren’t; dry, itchy skin not just in Winter, pre-maturely gray hair, weight that wouldn’t come off with good habits and high TSH). My sister only had some of those symptoms, and when she was 50 finally went to a naturalopath who helped get some add’l tests, including gluten sensitivity. Bottom line, she is hypo as well, and now is being treated successfully. If you are high normal and experiencing some of these symptoms, I would push for a second opinion.</p>
<p>Back to my own weight, I am experiencing extremely high stress at work, so am postponing my intense efforts at health and optimum weight while I work through basic survival. I am trying to eat as many fruits and veggies as I can, drinking water as my main beverage, limiting my alcohol (wine) but my exercise is MIA due to long hours. My weight is miraculously holding steady, so those 5 lbs will have to wait.</p>
<p>On a more cheerful note, my kids are great, my dog is always friendly, and I don’t even care that it is pouring rain all summer so far. Oh, and I’m having a good hair week.</p>