Friday, March 5, 2010.....
I'm always on the hunt for the perfect bite. I'm constantly cooking new recipes, trying new spices or tasting new dishes at restaurants. I admit, I'm a foodie.
I'm a foodie that needs to lose weight and the past few months I've been trying various low-fat/low-calorie recipes from my cookbooks. Some good and some I swear if I closed my eyes I'd think I was eating cardboard. Bland, ick and yucky are terms I often use with some of the low calorie recipes I've tried.
For the next few months, I'm getting serious about finding low calorie foods that will not only satisfy me, but put that smile on my face. I've decided to cook ALL the non breakfast recipes from Cooking Light and Weight Watchers.
In addition to taste, I'm looking for recipes that won't break the bank or contain ingredients impossible to find in supermarkets (one recipe contains duck fat and I'm not sure where I'll be getting that item). As an unemployed person looking to lose weight, I'm very concerned with not breaking the bank.
This month, I'm starting with the recipes from Cooking Light's Jan/Feb 2010 edition.
Forty-seven recipes, up teem servings (I calculated the WW points based upon nutritional info they supply), and a calendar mapping out the first week's menu, I'm ready to go.
I started yesterday, but hubby already put a monkey wrench in the calendar and I ate bean burritos for lunch and dinner yesterday and will be again today.
They were easy to make and I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty they were. I had the preconceived notion of them falling short and not satisfying me, but I was wrong.
However, one small burrito equals 7 points and I was a bit hungry an hour later. By dinner, I smartened up and added a kick ass salad. Sure, I felt a little like a rabbit, but I was happy and full. Verdict: I'd make them again.
The insanity part of this quest is syncing up the # of servings with the # of meals I will actually get from the recipe (yes, we eat leftovers here) combined with staying within my WW points and I have to food journal.
Plain and simple, food journaling works, but sucks! You record EVERY DANG BITE THAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH. It eliminates the mystery of why you may wonder when you look in the mirror and see 5 or 10 extra pounds. It is your friend, enemy and slap in your face tool.
Actual Scale told me I could swipe her "bite it write it badge" for the month of March which she has officially entitled as "March is officially if you bite it write month".
I'll let you know what I think at the end of the entire experiment in terms of taste, cost, ease for cooking and ease for finding ingredients.
As Julia Child would say Bon Appetit...but minus the unnecessary calories!
28 comments:
I can't wait to read your posts on this. From a fellow foodie who is always too looking for some good goodies to eat, I'm anxious to find out what you discover. Good luck! I like this bite it, write it. I should really start writing down what i eat, so i can see the bigger picture! thanks for the motivation!! I'll be tuning in to see what you find! =)
this is something i'be always struggled with. for me it's hard to eat right because I'm poor at planning my meals out AND like you I must be left feeling satisfied.
I had great success journaling food. I should try again.. thanks
Sounds like you have a great plan. A lot of people struggle with calories and food that taste good. I look forward to reading about what you find.
Journaling is a GREAT way to track your food. I haven't done it in a while but thanks to you, I might start again. I look forward to hearing about your journey!
xo
Moosewood has a cookbook of low-fat recipes that I think are pretty tasty.
The only time I EVER lost weight (and a lot of it) was when I wrote down everything I ate, so I certainly recommend that.
Good luck with your challenge and I look forward to reading more on it. :)
I'm a bit of a foodie, too, so I feel your pain.
I live with a group of people who think good eats is spaghetti. Not that there is anything (at all) wrong with spaghetti but trying to get them to eat anything slightly unusual is challenging. Which is why I drool over the recipes in Cooking Light but rarely make them (I'm currently eyeing the catfish w/spicy cilantro slaw from the current issue though...it looks sooooo good!).
I am going to attempt a 'cook the book' project with the book called 'Enlighted Soups' because I told my husband he could choke down one new type of soup a week & not die from it. lol
Sorry, I'm rambling...
Can't wait to see how your meals turn out!
Lynn
I think you can't trust men when it comes to eating right. They eat like slobs, especially when they are drinking!
The want us to join them too.
Secretia
If I wrote down what I ate someone would have me hospitalized. I basically subsist on coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches alone. :/
Perfect timing as Julie and Julia was playing at the nail salon tonight!
You should keep a list of the recipes you like from both - just the titles - since I probably should try to try more recipes. But ease of prep would be a big factor for me, since I am kind of the anti foodie.
Can't wait to hear how this goes.
i might feel bad if i write down the things i eat...
I count calories (write down everything I put in my mouth) and once you get used to it, it's not that difficult...and it DOES make you more aware of what you're eating.
Good luck!
I've been counting Weight Watcher points for years. For awhile it was like a game. Now it's more annoying. I need to get motivated again to do better. I need to find low-calorie recipes that keep me satisfied for a long while as my hunger's been a monster lately.
Dieting for a foodie is a tough thing. Trust me, I know!
I'll be looking forward to you letting us know which recipes are tasty! I've enjoyed some of the healthy recipes from the Cooking Light magazine. I sneak them in so my family doesn't know. =]
♥Spot
I wish I could control what goes into my cake hole. The intention is always there, but once I hit the kitchen I turn into a grazing buffalo and eat anything in my path.
Good on yer...and yes I could do with copying you but no way I'd keep it up or remember to write things down or yadda yadda yadda...but I admire you, truly, and its why in a month you'll look far more svelte, and I'll look much more...uh...michelin mannish?
Thank you for visiting me this week, I really appreciate your comments!
Your post title sums up my life these days.
Wishing you all the best as always!
Hugs!!
Love that - if you bite it you write it! A food journal keeps you honest and worked for me. It taught me so much about where I was going right or wrong and made me that much more accountable and informed. Good on ya!
i have always heard that journaling works. now i´m even more tempted to try it. wishing you success my dear.:)
i'm curious about your bean burrito. I have beans on my brain lately. We cooked up a double batch of beans and the fam will be eating beans for a few days. My husband loves the soup though. And beans are cheap.
Hey, we did, indeed, do the plunge. Now onto staying warm.
I am hungry right now..... Hey I am guess I am lame because I just saw that you WON out of tune tuesday. that is pretty dang cool!! Best of luck on your diet.....
Melanie’s Randomness – I’ve already discovered that although I enjoyed the Chipotle Bean Burrito, one shouldn’t have it for lunch and dinner for 2 days in a row!
Megan - The planning part is hard, but then again, so is the cooking part on some days.
Vodka Logic – It does work, but when I had some fritos the other night, I felt ridiculous counting out 30 fritos to get the WW points.
MamaOtwins+1 – It is a tough thing to overcome. I hope I find something truly yummy.
Joanna Jenkins – You’ll have to let me know how it works out for you.
Jack Shit – Really…Hmmm…that is good to know and I’m surprised I don’t own it already.
P – Good to know because I SERIOUSLY need to lose weight.
Actual Scale – I look forward to reading your recommendations.
Secretia – My husband actually comments how we need to eat more veggies.
Erika – LOL. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about how many fritos you just had (trust me, it’s frustrating to count out snack chips)
DB – I will keep a list and the Cooking Light website keeps all the recipes online.
Brian Miller – I already do.
JJ – I’ve already learned I’m too lazy to figure out the points and journal it so I do notice I think before I eat.
Ashley Ladd – I understand your pain and hate when people tell me, have a large salad. Satisfy= yummy, salads = rabbit grazing.
Otin – It is and it sucks!
Spot – LOL…I’ll let people know.
Captain Dumbass – I understand and if wearing duct tape wouldn’t make people’s head spin, I’d probably be wearing it across my mouth daily.
Heckety – It’s not as hard if you stick to a menu plan, but menu planning is a PIA.
I hope all is going well with the family and everyone is now safe.
Green-Eyed Momster – LOL.
The Bumbles - Isn’t that a cute button.
Jane – It definitely does because it becomes a pain to count out chips or anything that you stick to the basics or your meals and leave the junk food behind.
Sunshine Mama – I sent you the link on your bean blog and do think you’re a little crazy for taking the plunge.
La La - I did win and I may be a guest judge during this round…..
Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures with food. MD & I once tried to make a low-calorie vegan cake - it had no egges, no butter, minimal sugar, and about 2 tonnes of tofu and it tasted DIS-GUS-TING!
I'm looking forward to this! I'm actually going to be 'reporting' on my own although my approach will be slightly different. We need to compare in a week or so! xx
Yummy meals that are low-cal AND don't break the bank? That'll be tough, but I'm sure you can do it! Can't wait to see how you do :)
http://www.firednfabulous.blogspot.com/
that is QUITE a feat...good luck.
definitely post your favorite recipes here to inspire the rest of us!
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