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JoseWasham

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
8
Location
Clarksville,TN
Good morning everyone. My name is Jose. I've just started to get back in shape but finding it hard to find heathy foods for me. I'm a construction worker so quick and easy is my m.o.s. Lol!! I'm 38 yrs old ice been welding pipe for over 20yrs now and all the lifting,pulling,grunting when I was young and dumb is starting to catch up with me. I've decided to give up junk food and get heathy and build muscle. I look forward to hearing you ideas and thoughts. O and by the way I don't like veggies some but not all. :(
 
Welcome Jose. This is a great place to start that healthy eating and living you want to do. Just let us know what veggies you do not like.

To start, keep a handful of raw celery and carrot sticks in the front of your fridge in mildly salted water. That way while you are perusing the fridge for something "good" to snack on, you will be most likely to grab some of them. Also enlist the help of your mate. The person who does the most shopping for the kitchen is the one who controls the diet of the household. If you find yourself buying those bags of chips, Doritos, etc., then stay out of the supermarket.

One of my favorite veggies is steamed broccoli with melted butter poured over it. I have been known to eat a whole bag of frozen florettes in one sitting. :yum:

Do you like cole slaw? Great the second day. Any raw veggie is a good veggie. The nutrients haven't been cooked out of them. Cukes, carrots, celery, onions, you get the idea.

Take smaller servings of meat and larger ones of the veggies you do like. They will make you feel fuller a lot more so than the meat. Not two pork chops, just one and a larger helping of the two veggies you should be having with each meal.

For that lunch box, bring some of those celery and carrot sticks for that coffee break construction workers take. ;) Any of the guys says something mean, just say, "doctors orders." That usually stops it right there. Those sticks will hold you over until lunch time. An apple for dessert is a big help also. Any fresh fruit that you enjoy, make it part of your daily lunch. It wouldn't hurt to keep some in the house to nibble on while watching TV. You ate them as a kid, why not now. Keep them handy so that you reach for them instead of that big bag of chips.

Someone will come along with more idea. But this is a starter. :angel:
 
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Hi, Jose. Welcome to DC :) Definitely giving up junk food is a great start. As Addie says, you'll want to replace them with healthier options or you'll find yourself getting hungry and just grabbing something easy. The fiber in fresh fruits and vegetables will make you feel fuller for longer than the junk food will, so keep that in mind. If it helps, keep some Ranch dressing on hand for dipping the veggies.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any questions.
 
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Welcome!

While we try to find suggestions for you to make more vegetables taste better for you (while being easy and fast to cook) maybe you'd like to drink V8 Juice to get some veggie nutrition in you.

V8 won't contain the pulp of the veggies but it's a good start. You can take a can to work in your lunch box (if you use one) or to drink on a break instead of a can of soda.

It's great that you'll be taking control of your body. No need to be obsessed about eating healthy, just a gradual change in your choices.

Here's a site that will give you some ideas for fast (and cheap) recipes.

"100 Delicious, Dirt-Cheap Recipes for the Starving Student"

100 Delicious, Dirt-Cheap Recipes for the Starving Student - OnlineCollege.org

And pizza? If weight isn't a problem for you a pizza doesn't always mean junk food. It's bread (can be a whole wheat crust), some olive oil, cheese (not too much), tomato sauce (there's a veggie! :yum:). What's wrong with that----- as long as you don't eat the entire pizza at one go.

Bean burritos. Easy to make. Can be frozen to heat up in microwave. Add some salsa (more veggie!) Here's a recipe from the Starving Student site:

"For a quick grab-and-go breakfast, make up your own breakfast burritos and freeze them. We like ours with just fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheese, but you could easily add cooked bacon or sausage.

12 flour tortillas
6 eggs, scrambled
6 potatoes, diced and fried
grated cheese
cooked and diced bacon or sausage (optional)
salsa (optional)
Scramble the eggs the way you normally would and cook up the potatoes. Bake the bacon or fry up the sausage. (Entirely optional)

Soften the tortillas so they'll be more pliable.[...]

Lay out the tortillas and add the filling ingredients. Roll up, tucking the ends in first. Wrap in plastic wrap, then place all the burritos in a gallon freezer bag so you can find them easily.

To eat, heat in the microwave a few minutes until warmed through."
 
Wow!! I'm amazed by the response I've gotten from everyone. Thank you. It means a lot. I started a high protein diet that includes nuts, boil eggs, carrots, apples, meats, and a whey protein shake. Question: do you think cocktail peanuts are ok to eat? And I heard that deli meats such as ham, roast beef etc... are bad for ya? What would be a good supplement? I want to turn this into thisImageUploadedByDiscuss Cooking1397185258.691564.jpg
Hope to hear from y'all soon.
 
Peanuts are packed with protein, but also high in fat, at least it is a good fat. Drinking whey shakes are not any better than drinking a glass of milk. They also pack a hefty calorie count.

The deli meats are high in salt, you are getting to an age when you need to start considering your blood pressure, salt and sodium content can push you over that ine into high blood pressure, especially if there is a family history of it.

Oh BTW, welcome to DC!
 
Of course you got a great response. There are a LOT of folks here who care about others. And yes, nuts are an excellent source of protein. I have digestion problems brought on by an abdominal surgery many years ago. When I am flagging downward, the first thing I reach for is nuts to bring my energy level up.

Deli meats are loaded with salt which will cause you to retain water and are loaded with chemicals to give them a longer shelf life. You are better off making a roast of a chicken or piece of beef and slicing it thin enough to make sandwiches. Deli meats will help you to bulk up, but only with fat. :angel:
 
Awesome you my new found friends ROCK!!! O and I forgot to tell you that I love cole slaw. Especially from KFC!! It's my favorite yummy;)!! I didn't realize how hard it is to control how you eat when you've been eating everything and anything. One thing I need to ask I make one of the best well in my opinion spaghetti in the world. I cook it with 85/15 hamburger meat cause it needs a little fat for flavor. Can I still eat this maybe with wheat noodles or no?
 
Absolutely, spaghetti sauce is a great food for dieting. Add in those veggies that you do like with the spaghetti, I'm to the point where I rarely eat pasta anymore, I put my sauce on steamed zucchini, squash or broccoli, three veggies I would not eat 5 years ago if you beat me with a stick.

The best breakfast is two eggs, scrambled with tomatoes and spinach, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
 
Hello. Welcome to DC.

Water. I didn't see anyone mention drink more water. Put a slice of lemon or lime wedge and chill. Keep a pitcher in the fridge. So you think you are serving up a glass of something special.

I too just discovered winter has not been kind to me. I hardly left the house all winter. Now guess what. My belt buckle needs to be let out a notch. For me, that means more walking and bike riding now that the weather has turned around. Plus I too, need to be more conscious of both what I eat and the amount.

I think there is a whole "who's trying to lose weight" thread on DC. Guess you and I need to read it together. Good luck pardner.
 
Amen that bro. Yes winter is always a struggle for me. I feel like a bear going into hibernation. Lol. I need to teach myself how to fight through the winter and stay fit. It's hard though. It's like when I became a Christian. It's so easy to fall back into the flash where you feel safe, but when I started following Jesus I realized that I wasn't safe at all. Then my life changed and more struggle began cause me and my family was under attack by satan. He was pretty pissed!! That was in 07' and it's still a struggle. But as the good word says,"Fight The Good Fight!"

I do drink a lot of water when I'm at work, that's really all I drink until I get home then it's a big glass of SWEET TEA! HUMMY!! Lol. But that is a good idea to make a pitcher of lemon water.

I'm not a big breakfast eater. What's a good supplement? And I hate broccoli squash!! What about wheat pasta for spaghetti?
 
Whole wheat pasta is good, but I still suggest adding extra veg that you like in with the pasta and then slowly reduce the pasta and increasing the veg. It's just like every other new thing in life, baby steps. It took more than one day to get out of shape, it's going to take more than one day to get back.

You still have not given us a good idea of what veg you do like, so it's hard to read your mind from here to find out your likes and dislikes so we can make suggestions that you are willing to try.
 
Oops. I'm sorry. I like green beans, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers. I'll eat an avocado but only in fajitas cause I can't taste the texture of it. I can't eat it by itself. I know that sounds crazy. But my wife makes this veggie smoothie with all the veggies you have been mentioning with fruit. My three year old loves it and he is a very, very, picky eater. Could I supplement that for dinner or something?
 
Check the calorie count of the smoothie. Here is a good Calorie Counting site with appropriate serving sizes: CalorieKing - Calorie Counter - Nutritional Information

Smoothies can be calorie bombs, most adults are better off with a glass of low-fat milk with Ovaltine stirred in.

As for breakfast, you have to MAKE yourself eat breakfast. Start out small with just a slice of toast with butter and jam. It took me considerable time to be able to eat first thing in the morning and when I did start, the weight came off.

I've even used coleslaw cut cabbage and carrots as a base for spaghetti sauce, steam it in a little water in a tightly covered pan for 7 minutes, top with the sauce.

Fresh green beans, steamed and tossed with garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil is to die for!
 
Cool thanks so much for the info. I'll be asking other questions as I go on this journey I'm sure of it lol. Thanks again!!
 
Well so far so good on my eating right new life style. I've cheated a few time and after the last few weeks and can tell a deference in foods I eat. When I eat junk food or fast food it makes me feel ?like I just eat a ton of bricks. It's weird I'd never thought you could feel what's bad for you. It also amazes me that your body, if you listen to it, will tell you," hey what the hell are you eating that for I don't like it!" Lol!!
O and I've lost 6lbs. ????
 

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