Food Choices

I was thinking this morning - for me, the hardest part of maintenance is having to make food choices. Early on, you don't have much choice because you are so limited in what you can eat. Five years out, there are too many (bad) choices.

When you are a kid, you eat what is on the table at dinnertime. If you go to college, you have to choose what's available in the cafeteria, but you still don't have to spend much time deciding. Then, you get married or on your own, and suddenly, you are responsible for all the food choices. You have to plan meals, shop, prepare, and eat them.

I know, in some families the man does the meals, but by and large, it mostly falls to the women. We spend a lot of time thinking about food.

One of my biggest struggles, living alone, is planning meals. It's too easy to buy frozen dinners or eat something fast rather than cooking for one. (Yes, I know you can freeze and reheat leftovers - however, I only have a small apartment sized freezer and can't eat a lot of leftover meats.)

I actually like healthy food. I enjoy fresh veggies and fruits, and grilled lean meat. I just don't take the time to prepare it for myself. Even buying fresh things is a chore because for some reason, they just don't seem to last more than a couple of days.  I remember my mom buying onions and potatoes by the sack and they were always fine. Now, I buy an onion and a week later I have to throw it out. And green onions? Forget it - if you don't use it within 2 days, it gets slimy and nasty.

Okay, I'm done whining. For now.

I totally agree! It's almost as bad just cooking for 2, especially when we seem to have totally different tastes for food some days. Here lately he fixes his and I fix mine out of what in the fridge! I have made the habit of cooking a couple big batches of things to last the whole week and/or to put in the freezer. That helps but like you, I'm finding that leftover and reheated meat isn't my friend, it's always too dry even if it was fine the day before. BUT if I don't have something that's easy to grab and fix I'll either skip meals altogether or just grab what's handy whether it's good for me or not.

My biggest problem right now is cleaning out all those little bits and bites of food in small containers in the fridge. You know that 2 bites of tuna salad you saved? 1 shrimp. A couple spoons of beans, etc. We've started a twice a week 'clean out' meal...we have to clean out all those bits of leftovers! Luckily I have a husband who's more than willing to play along, will eat anything and doesn't mind cooking!  I think I'll keep him!

 Lynne....I don't live alone but I still struggle with food choices also.   I agree with you 110%.   I am 4 1/2 yrs post op and I can pretty much eat anything.   I do still dump though but not always on the same things.   I have made way too many bad choices lately and I need to stop it now !!!!   Everything that you have said is so very true.   I use to eat TV dinners.   Some of the low calorie dinners are really good.   I need to get back on track and get back down to my "comfortable weight" !!




Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Lynne, I agree and it's time consuming.  I also love fresh veggies and do buy them but I waste so much.  I have been eating lots of salads with chicken, eggs, cheese, strawberries and whatever else I feel like throwing in there.  The lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers just seem to get bad so quickly.  I even bought those green bags, it makes them last a little longer but I still have to throw lots away.

I have a family of 4, it doesn't matter they don't want to eat what I want/need to eat.  Sometimes I would like to be alone, I waste now and I'd still waste then BUT (the kicker) I wouldn't have the sweets in my house, THAT is my nemesis.

I think the Europeans have a good idea.
They stop by the store everyday.
Maybe I'll buy myself a little freezer to keep leftovers in.
Right now I don't know the meaning of leftovers. I just keep eating and eating. Sound familiar?

Oh, does it ever sound familiar!  I wasn't a big snacker or grazer - more of a volume eater and I could pack it away.

Now we have leftovers overflowing our home refrigerator, work refrigerator and freezers.  No matter how small of portions my husband makes (he does most of the cooking) we always end up with leftovers and more than I can eat the next day at work for lunch.

Lynne, you might want to consider a vacuum sealer like a Food Saver.  If you vacuum seal stuff it lasts a lot longer.  I even seal up coleslaw mix and bagged lettuce- it crushes it but when you unseal it, it's fine.  As far as meat goes-Costco and Sam's have some really good things.  Sam's has individually frozen mesquite grilled chicken breasts that go from frozen to eating after ONE minute in the microwave and taste great.  Costco sells a whole oven roasted turkey breast-already cooked that tastes just like REAL turkey (cuz it is).  I cut it in 1/2 and freeze the other 1/2 (in my vacuum sealer).