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10-02-2007, 04:16 PM
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#41 (permalink) | |
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Crazy
Location: Berlin
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 My mom's a nutritionist, guess it passed on down to me. Anyway, I'll give you my general shopping list. It's two of us, we usually do maybe $50 every 2.5 weeks (although Berlin is fairly cheap compared to US cities). If you have a Trader Joe's near you, you can get some great shizz there for little $. www.traderjoes.com and my favorite cooking site (also focused on a healthy diet): Naked Chef... http://www.jamieoliver.com/ he's on Food Network as well so you can search the site for his recipes www.foodtv.com Some tips for picking fresh produce http://www.expertvillage.com/intervi...ck-produce.htm GUIDELINES... 1. Buy produce fresh. If you aren't going to use it for a week or so, you can get it a little raw (not ripe yet)... you know, like green bananas. 2. Fresh, then frozen, then canned. With cans, check labels for stuff like sugar syrup (e.g. canned pineapples) or oil (tuna) - you want the stuff in water. 3. You can freeze bread, freeze meat and freeze meals. If you're living single, invest in some ziplock bags of various sizes. I used to prep a week's worth of bagged salads to take to work on Sunday night. It's great cuz you can slice up a loaf of french bread, freeze it, and toast it later in the oven with some damn tasty bruschetta! 4. Get the good stuff. Treat your body right! I can be a real snob about food but it's worth it. It doesn't have to be more expensive but please get some good honey ham for sandwiches, not bologna! And NEEEEVVEEER buy iceberg lettuce (get a bagged spring mix or baby spinach for salad and sandwiches)! While I advocate no white bread, I love a good French bread... the pleasure sensation is the trade-off. No need to deprive yourself! 5. Pay attention to nutritional trade-offs as you switch over your diet. Red wine has antioxidants, white wine has none and has more calories. Dark chocolate has antioxidants, milk chocolate has little nutritional value. 6. Shop seasonally. You may as well enjoy nature's bounty! The stuff that's in season is the stuff that looks really good. It'll also allow you to switch up your diet so you don't get terribly bored (more on this later). 7. When you get your new kitchen, invest in spices and seasonings. Here's what I have in my cabinet. - Olive Oil (tastier and healthier than canola or vegetable oil) - also good for making your own dressing - Balsamic vinegar (for salads and bread dip and some cooking) - Sea Salt (better tasting than table salt) - Whole peppercorns (better tasting freshly ground) - Paprika (good with fish), cumin (good for Mexican), Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, etc.), fennel, lemon pepper, cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, a shitload of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper (although there is better out there), etc... but take a look at the spice aisle and see what you like. Rule of thumb, whole spices and fresh herbs give more flavor... but dried can do the trick as well. I keep a basil plant in the house cuz we use it so much and the dried tastes like fish food. - Asian gear - this is only cuz we cook a lot of Asian stuff.. but here it is if you're interested in doing stir fry or pad thai or pho or whatever... Fish sauce, soy sauce, cooking sherry, sesame oil. If you want to cook Japanese, you can get some good Mirin. This stuff is nearly always cheaper at an Asian mart in the Asia-town section of your city. You also get much better ones. Spring for Tamari low-sodium soy sauce over Kikkoman if you can get it. Low-sodium, definitely. Don't get Kikkoman! 8. Invest in appliances. This is what I have. - Blender: for smoothies, hummus and pureed soups - Mortar & pestle: for grinding spices - Toaster oven: because toast is awesome. Also good for reheating frozen bread. - Microwave - Rice cooker (preferable to cooking in a pot if you are, like me, forgetful) - worth it if you eat a lot of rice - otherwise you can cook rice in a pot or microwave - Sweet-ass wok: get a good one from an Asian place. It is great for everything. You want one with a roundish bottom and edge so you can slide the stuff around easily. - Salt and pepper grinder. Seriously, you will never go back to the pre-ground stuff. 9. This is my food list.. it varies season to season but these are the basics - since you won't be eating this much (my boyfriend eats enough for two), use your own discretion: - Eggs - Milk (this is the boyfriend, I'm lactose intolerant) - Cheese - one hard parmesan, one to shave up for pizza, and occasionally sliced cheese for sandwiches - Sandwich bread (the heartier, the better and tastier) - Sandwich meat (buy what you'll use cuz it can spoil easily) - Canned fish (canned salmon and tuna - salmon esp. is good for Omega-3s and the cans have edible bones which are a GREAT calcium source) - for tuna salad and what have you - Canned tomatoes (for pasta) - Pasta (whole grain is better) - Rice (brown is better but I'm partial to jasmine) - Basic Produce: Tomatoes, onions, salad greens (can be bagged) - for salad and sandwiches (baby spinach or spring/herb mix), garlic, ginger & green onions (if you're cooking Asian) - Frozen berries (for smoothies - high in antioxidants) - Yogurt (can be frozen but try to get low or non-fat) - for smoothies and eating - Vegetables - colorful veg and dark greens are good: spinach/mustard greens (I'll stir them up in pasta or put them on pizza), green/red/yellow bell peppers (can use in EVERYTHING!), carrots (for snacking and cooking) - they have better nutritional content than celery, and I'm happy cuz butternut squash and pumpkin is in season (you can get butternut squash frozen, I believe) - Fruits - whatever you like but try the seasonal stuff and weird stuff, too!: bananas (good sliced on muesli for breakfast or sliced in yogurt with a swirl of honey - damn, that's real girl food, it's tasty though!), lemons, limes (for cooking and spiking water), apples - go by what looks good. - Meat - I get lean chicken breast mostly but also some lean ground pork or beef - it depends on what you want to eat. Fish is good, too, but I find chicken to be the most versatile - you can get big honking bags of it frozen. Since we're in Germany, we always have a salami in the fridge - good for pizza, flavoring pastas and sandwiches. - Butter, not margarine. Mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup. - Pre-made sauces... pesto, curry (get it canned), pizza - Frozen veg - I use a broc, cauli, carrot mix - great for stir fry or just steaming up. I never seem to go through fresh fast enough!! - Whole wheat crackers and pita bread for snacking A rough guide to what we make ... - Pizza. I think we try to do pizza once a week. You can make the dough from scratch (roughly 1.25 hrs of rise time) but it's also nice to get a bunch of flatbread (about 10" round) and do it on that - the flatbread's lower cal (less carbs). Spread some sauce on it (or drizzle some olive oil), whack on some veg (mushrooms, olives, cooked spinach, fresh basil torn up, etc.) and shave some cheese over. - Pasta. Tinned tomatoes are fine but fresh is better. Sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes, add some chopped up bell peppers, add ground meat. Stir it up with the pasta and some spinach / mustard greens (gotta incorporate those where you can). - Stir fry. Sautee onions, garlic, ginger, add veg (broc/cauli/carrots/bell peppers), add meat, add sauce (check recipes but most will call for soy and sherry). Do it up with some steamed rice. If you have a lot of leftover rice, you can do fried rice the next day (whack some chopped or ground meat, chopped onions, eggs, and a frozen peas/corn/carrot mix into the wok, then throw the rice in - add water if it's a little dry, season with salt/pepper/soy to taste). Stir-fry noodles are good too (but you need more oil). - Curry. We eat a lot of curry. I dunno, it's good. You can buy cans of coconut milk and curry and just add meat and veg. Do it up with rice. - Steamed fish and veg ... there's a lot you can do with this. I'll do my salmon with a coconut milk / wasabi sauce. But I'm a snob. Side of grains like a good hearty bread.. .mmm. - Soup / stew - it's the Big Pot philosophy. Put everything in a big pot and cook it. Some soups (e.g. butternut) you can puree in your blender so it tastes rich but is pretty low-cal and really healthy. http://www.soupsong.com/ - Salad - make your own dressing and make a salad that appeals to you. It doesn't have to be rabbit food. (My current fave: torn up red leaf and arugula with fresh mozz, figs and schwarzwalder ham drizzled with olive oil and balsamic, salt, pepper. See? Snob snob snob. But it's good!). - Smoothies - you can blend anything. Put in chopped (and peeled) fruit, add liquid (milk or water), blend and adjust (honey's good). Add yogurt if you want but a banana or half an avocado will give it a great creamy texture, too. You can make a batch and save some in your fridge. - Salsa (chopped tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, chopped avocado) and hummus (pureed tahini, chickpeas, olive oil and a little garlic) for snacking - Omelette - sautee your fillings first (onion, green pepper, tomato, diced ham), set aside, and do up your egg mix (whisked with a little milk) - add fillings when it's looking almost done, shave some cheese over, fold. The more you cook the better (and more experimental) you'll get. Hope this laundry list helps a little. It is tricky if you're eating single so just start out buying what you can use in a week (if it's produce) and go from there. Also, if there's food you dig, try making it at home one night (e.g. fajitas - sliced beef marinated in lime juice, chilies, cilantro, tequila, salt, pepper fried up with onions and sliced bell peppers served with warmed tortillas (which also freeze well, microwave to warm up)). Cooking with friends can be a lot of fun, too. PS - we got all of our appliances on Craigslist for super cheap - sometimes ppl unload their cabinet goodies there too. EDIT - sorry if this reads as dictator-y. It's just some advice and my experience. EDIT 2: HOLY CRAP you're in SPOKANE!!!??? I used to live in Seattle. Ok man, no excuses! Washington has an AMAZING selection of produce (I grew up near Chicago - it can't compare) and awesome seafood. It's a great place to get healthy food. EDIT 3: We also keep a big bottle of homemade iced green tea or lemon water in the fridge. If you make powerfully (sourfully?) lemony water, rinse afterwards with regular water cuz it can wear down the enamel on your teeth.
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Uh huh her. Last edited by xxxafterglow; 10-02-2007 at 04:27 PM.. |
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10-03-2007, 02:14 AM
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#43 (permalink) | |
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Crazy
Location: Berlin
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Quote:
It's a great place to live - one of my favorite cities ever!!
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Uh huh her. |
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10-03-2007, 09:37 AM
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#44 (permalink) |
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Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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Once you get to Seattle, yes, go to TJ's, go to Safeway, and go to Freddy's--they also have a good organic selection. QFC also has a lot of organic and nutritional foods. Fred Meyers/QFC carry a store brand called Private Selection (Kroger's store brand) that offers premium deli meats. If you're in need of sandwich meats, I would suggest whatever Private Selection is on sale--it's high quality and the majority of their meats are low in fat. Fred Meyers also frequently has Clif Bars and organic bananas (my ultimate stand-by foods) on sale.
If you're close to downtown Seattle once you move, Pike Place Market has a great selection of fresh food of all kinds, and the crowds lessen in winter (it's kind of a tourist spot, obviously). There is also a great place to eat called the Soundview Cafe there, so take a Saturday, go down to the market, grab a bite to eat, and shop for some fruits and veggies. Plus, De Laurenti Specialty Foods is at the market--I really recommend them for perusing cheese, olives, and olive oils, as well as other Italian cooking goodies. They also have awesome pizza and paninis, if that's your thing. afterglow's list of suggestions is excellent. Once you move, get a rice cooker. Brown rice is healthiest. I also really like Japanese rice (white shortgrain Calrose rice); it's not as healthy, but it is very filling, and goes well with stir-fry. Brown rice is great, though, because it can go with so many things--stir-fry, curries, black beans. We have a variety of rices for our rice cooker--Calrose, jasmine, brown. Yum yum. And once you get to Seattle...Seattle is organized up into neighborhoods, which often center around one main commercial street. Take advantage of this. Walk, walk, walk. Get a bike--check Craiglist--put fenders on it, and ride that sucker. Incidental activity is great. Use it to your advantage!
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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10-03-2007, 11:37 AM
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#45 (permalink) |
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Insane
Location: Memphis Area
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Personally, I've tried to cut back on food consumption in general. I also drink water, whether I want it or not, and for snacks I've resorted to fruit or yogurt cups. Another thing that seems to be helping is eating SOMETHING for breakfast everyday, regardless of how small...
-Will
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Life is nothing, everything.....and something in between... |
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10-03-2007, 12:19 PM
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#46 (permalink) |
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Crazy
Location: Canada
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I've also been trying to lose a few pounds. It sounds like you're in a difficult spot, having some poor habits and no kitchen. Here's my advice, for now and for after you arrive in Seattle.
1. Drink tea. Twinings Earl Grey is my favorite but green is also an excellent choice. You don't need a kitchen for this. Just get an electric kettle and you're set. I take mine straight but you could add some honey. IT WILL NEVER TASTE AS GOOD AS POP, you're going to have to accept that. Make a habit of brewing a cup/pot of tea every time you feel like going to the shop for a pop, Sobe, energy drink, etc. 2. Walk more. Try to take a walk every day, through a park or through an area of your city you'd like to know better. You're more likely to get into jogging if you know the area well and know a few paths you enjoy. 3. Avoid Taco Bell. I know that every bite is a delicious orgy of salt and fat, but you MUST learn to say "no" to TB and other such places, even if you're feeling kind of hungry. If you're serious about losing weight, you should almost always opt for Subway and delis with healthy options. Once you get a kitchen (and this really should be a priority), you'll have a lot more options. We'll take another stab at this then. Until then, try to develop healthy habits and don't expect immediate and stunning results. If you screw up a couple times, that's alright, just make sure you bounce back. One final thing. My biggest obstacle has been not holding myself accountable in the here and now. When you see the beckoning visage of that unholy chihuahua, DON'T tell yourself "well, I'll have some TB now and make up for it later." Instead, be honest with yourself about what you need to do to get what you want. Don't try to justify your bad decisions. Acknowledge them for what they are, take a deep breath, and fix your problems. |
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10-03-2007, 05:46 PM
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#47 (permalink) | |
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Crazy
Location: Berlin
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Quote:
I second QFC - the one on Cap Hill is 24 hrs! And I'd occasionally buy fancy gear (there's a great wine/truffle place) at Pike Place to supplement the cheapy goods from Chinatown (Uwajimaya is the upscale Asian market there if you're interested - grossly overpriced!). If you take up running (and you SHOULD in Seattle)/walking/blading/skating, here are some great places to go (for a walk even) - btw, because Seattle is so hilly, you get a lot of variation in your training - I never had hip pain when I was running up/down but I get it when I do flat surfaces: Along the waterfront (downtown) - this was my usual route from Jackson down to the newish Sculpture park - it's pretty flat but really scenic. I also used to do a run down 1st or 2nd Ave from Jackson and loop at Pike St - it gives you a hillier track and the streets are pretty deserted car-wise after 10pm. Sometimes the Pioneer Square crackheads holler at you but they are harmless. Greenlake - really lovely place - flattish run Discovery Park - the best park in the world with the most beautiful view of the sunset over the Sound - a good uphill and then flattish area and then a run back downhill. At least hike this place. It's well worth it. If you walk everywhere you will get an ass of steel because damn, those hills be steep! Skiing in the winter, YEAH!!! Oh btw, don't join All-Star Gym on Cherry? 4th?... err, near the library downtown. It sucks and it's hard to find the door to get in!!! Tiny pool - not worth it at all. Faaaack, I loved living in the Northwest. People there are really open-minded, kind and health-conscious to boot! Such a good place. Where in Seattle are you moving to? PS. Love Oregon as well. PPS. Regarding tea - if you dig it, there are some awesome tea shops in Pike Place (at least one I know of is on the north end). There's a lot of variety in tea from smoky lapsang souchong (tastes like liquid smoke but in a good way) to a fruity herbal hibiscus/rose hip to well.. everything. Anyway, worth checking out cuz you can lose your sweet tooth in time and I really feel your tastes buds start to pick up more nuances as a result. Tea and wine get to be really interesting.... soda, overpoweringly and disgustingly saccharine. PPPS. If you do yogurt, bone up and get the plain kind. TJ's actually carries this really delicious French Cream yogurt (can't remember what it's called) but the cream rises to the top and it's a tasty indulgence once in awhile. You can mix it with a bit of honey, fruit or jam for taste. You really cut out a lot of calories when you add your own sugar. Plus you can use the plain as a side with spicy Indian food or in place of sour cream in tacos. Shit, I miss that yogurt.
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Uh huh her. Last edited by xxxafterglow; 10-03-2007 at 05:59 PM.. |
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10-03-2007, 05:57 PM
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#48 (permalink) | |
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Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
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Quote:
Shauk, the fall apple crop is starting to hit stores. Take advantage of low apple prices to find an apple you like best--there are many to choose from.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
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10-03-2007, 06:10 PM
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#49 (permalink) | |
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Crazy
Location: Berlin
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You can indulge once in awhile but your body (on a healthy diet with exercise) will treat it as (thankfully) a temporary splurge rather than a McLifestyle. The key is limiting processed foods, refined sugars and trans fats. Once you've adjusted to eating well, you won't miss it at all.
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Uh huh her. |
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10-22-2007, 08:53 AM
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#54 (permalink) |
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Upright
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I've been following this workout regime for a while:
Workout: http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magaz...ingworkout.htm Dieting: http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magaz...urningdiet.htm I love the workout and it's really structured, varied, and well thought. I must admit I don't follow the dieting much except that I cut back on unhealthy breakfasts/snacks and try to eat as much canned tuna as I can bear. I think the important thing here is a lifestyle shift, which for many people means going slow, and adjusting what you can potentially do for a long time. Compulsive dieting hurts the body a lot. From my perspective, diet changes that only last a couple of weeks hurt the body than staying on the same diet. So keep that in mind. Edit: I have to say that I cut back on leg exercises in favor of another day in cardio (so now its 50% weights/ 50% eliptical), as I wasn't trying to gain mass but rather focus on losing fat and getting a six pack by next summer (it's slow, but i'm starting to see some definition donw there) Last edited by behindalens; 10-22-2007 at 08:55 AM.. |
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10-22-2007, 01:38 PM
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#58 (permalink) | |
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Upright
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Quote:
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10-22-2007, 02:44 PM
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#59 (permalink) |
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Confused Adult
Location: Spokane, WA
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ok i'm wrong, I just remembered those weights I was spouting off before were my "naked" weight. the weight I took yesterday was with clothing.
i tried again after the shower today and it says 278. my clothes put on 4 pounds apparently ;P |
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11-02-2007, 06:16 PM
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#63 (permalink) |
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Crazy
Location: Berlin
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Hey have you started a workout routine? My boyfriend's been rocking this one lately... it's pretty short and you can do it at home with a workout band and some weights. Good for sculpting though (supposedly it's the workout they used for the cast of 300):
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Uh huh her. |
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11-03-2007, 04:53 AM
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#64 (permalink) |
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“Wrong is right.”
Location: toronto
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xxxafterglow, ballistic exercises (like the jumpsquats in the vid) are a very bad idea for someone who is new to working out. Shauk, I think starting with something like this would be a very fast way to hate working out or to injure yourself, especially given what you mentioned about your knees.
Also, it's taken me a year to work up to just barely doing 4 sets of 30 push-ups, so... I don't know how good you are at those, but this workout clearly isn't for people early on the journey.
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!check out my new blog! http://arkanamusic.wordpress.com Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries." |
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11-05-2007, 08:30 PM
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#65 (permalink) | |
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Psycho
Location: Texas
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EDIT: Another advantage of crossfit is that it is scalable which means that the intensity of the workouts can be brought down to a level where beginners and the severely out of shape (such as myself when I started) can complete the workouts and not injure/kill themselves in the process. You can start the program based on what is available on crossfit.com. However, if you can afford it, I'd recommend starting out an local crossfit affiliate (you can look one up on crossfit.com). A lot of the exercises (such as the squat, power clean, etc.) can injure you if you do not know how to do the proper form for them. Last edited by papermachesatan; 11-05-2007 at 08:36 PM.. |
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11-23-2007, 08:53 PM
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#69 (permalink) |
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Tilted
Location: Mesa, AZ
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Yerba mate helped me in addition to exercise and lifestyle change. I quit drinking and smoking marijuana a little over a year ago. I'm 50lbs lighter than I was 18 months ago. 5'5" and 225lbs is way too heavy. I try to keep my "carbon footprint" down too, I bicycle, walk, and bus every where.
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Mith |
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11-23-2007, 09:49 PM
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#71 (permalink) | |
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Confused Adult
Location: Spokane, WA
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Quote:
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03-14-2008, 06:32 PM
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#79 (permalink) |
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The Worst Influence
Location: Arizona
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I would suggest going to mypyramidtracker.gov and creating an account. With that website you can put in all of the food you eat and all of your activity and it will give you feedback. The foods are generalized so they're not always accurate but it does keep things simple.
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My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes. |
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| dieting or workout, overdue, routine |
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