September's Schlankheitskur aka the 7 pound club

hethmar

Well lost, Im trying to think about it logically.

I CANNOT have eaten enough yesterday to put on 2lbs of weight - I didnt even eat enough calories to stay the same weight so its a mystery and hopefully it is just water retention which will disperse tomorrow. I do hope so, as seeing the scale drop really gives me a boost in the morning.

Alex, I doubt it - I used to make my own and I certainly used a ton more garlic butter than bought ones give you When I think Id get through half a bagette with a dinner :eek: - what would that have been? about 400 calories just in the bread

Alexnikov

Doesn't bear thinking about does it?!

It's made me really want some garlic bread though

hethmar

Not arf, you can feel the butter dripping down your chin, cant you - lol BUT, a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips ........................

AdrianHi

KatP wrote: »

Any suggestions for virtuous meals for my meal plan????

OK you might not want this on the same day as Chilli Con Carne.

My spagetti bolognaise recipe which has been evolving over the last 18 years. Latest addition is the lemon juice (thanks to lloyd Grossman).
Carrot replacing some of the meat for lower calories is a recent change and it doesn't seem to suffer for it.
Serves 2:
250g lean beef mince (438 cals); extra lean beef mince (328 cals)
OR
125g extra lean beef mince (164 cals) and two medium carrots grated (50 cals) total (214 cals)

Medium sized onion chopped as you like it (44 cals)
Large clove of garlic or 2 smaller cloves (5 cals)
2 beef stock cubes (30 cals)
Tin of chopped plum tomatoes (78 cals) (Sainbury's basics seem to work just as well as more expensive brands)
6 medium sized mushroom (24 cals) (don't like mushrooms? alternatives - medium carrot grated or chopped green peppers about same calories )
1 medium/large or 2 small bay leaves (0 cals)
1 level teaspoon of dried oregano (6 cals)
1 level teaspoon of dried basil (4 cals)
2 dessert spoons of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce (30 cals)
1 heaped teaspoon of tomatoe puree concentrate (21 cals)
2 dessert spoons of lemon juice (fresh or bottled) (8 cals for 1 fl oz)
Olive oil (1 table spoon) (124 cals)
6oz (3oz per person) dry weight of spagetti (269 cals) (Sainbury's basics as good as any other so long as it gets a stir during cooking)
If calories allowance permits a glass of red wine - Cabernet Sauvignon (150 calories)

Preparation:
Get a half pint tea mug and crumble in 1 beef stock cube and add to it the following, bay leaves, oregano, basil, Lea and Perrins Worcs sauce, tomatoe puree and then top up the mug with boiling water; give it a stir to disolve stock cube and mix it all in. Set aside for later.

Chop onion and garlic (or crush it) and get it gently frying in olive oil - I use a saute pan that has a lid.

Crumble other stock cube onto the beef mince in a bowl, if you've got the red wine put a splash of it onto the meat. Give it a good mix.
When onion is translucent put the meat in the pan on a fairly low heat so the meat is simmered and browned slowly (about 5 minutes) with the pan covered.

While meat is browning (give it a stir to break up the mince) chop mushrooms (or grate carrots / chop peppers).
Open tin of chopped tomatoes, put the two desert spoons of lemon juice into the tin with the tomatoes.

Once meat is browned put in the mushrooms and give it a minute to cook. Add the tea mug of stock and herbs etc. Bring to simmer. Slowly add the tinned tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring it to boil, turn heat down and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Get the spagetti water on to boil.
Take the lid off the pan of bolognaise sauce, it needs to reduce and simmer off some of the liquid while the spagetti is cooked for 10 minutes (as all pasta fans know, 11+ minutes is too long, it won't be "al dente" anymore ).
Watch and stir the sauce so it does not get too dry and boils off enough of the liquid so it still has plenty of moisture.

Serve it up removing bay leaves. You might like a little grated parmessan but I'd suggest not using a substitue like mature cheddar as I think it takes over the flavour of the bolognaise sauce if you do.

Serves 2, total calories per person: 540 (all lean meat), 485 (all extra lean meat), 428 (half extra lean meat plus carrots)
Excluding any wine

Not the lowest calorie meal in the world but it's no more than most supermarket sandwich packs and it's good for satisfying appetite without massive calories and I don't feel the need for a desert. We have it about twice a month.
That glass of red wine really sets it off if you can afford the extra 150 cals.
If your cooking for one make the full quatity above and freeze half of it for another time.
The no mushrooms and carrot instead version goes down very well with fussy four year olds (clean plates!).
Let me know what you think if you try it.
If anyone has any ideas for making it better do share.

AdrianHi

Also I like Sainsbury's be good to yourself soups. Tasty, low calorie, I have the whole can with 2 slices of bread for lunches and it keeps be going all afternoon with no snacks. This lunch is in the 300-400 calorie range which is less than most packed sandwiches.

Alexnikov

Mmm, that sounds delicious Adrian!

I've found Knorr stockpot things rather useful - great for making soups with (I LOVE homemade veggie soup) and the chicken one makes a really nice and v.v low cal (I think it's 5 cals) sauce. I quite often have it with a small amount of rice with diced chicken breast, onions, peppers and loads of courgettes. Yum yum yum.

lightisfading

Alexnikov wrote: »

Mmm, that sounds delicious Adrian!

I've found Knorr stockpot things rather useful - great for making soups with (I LOVE homemade veggie soup) and the chicken one makes a really nice and v.v low cal (I think it's 5 cals) sauce. I quite often have it with a small amount of rice with diced chicken breast, onions, peppers and loads of courgettes. Yum yum yum.

They have these for something like 39p a pack at Home Bargains at the moment

hethmar

I didnt realise Knorr stock cubes were so low in calories, always feel a bit guilty when I add a couple of them to stews and caseroles - I shant now

Mazzarati2000

Hi all,

Can I join pls?

I set myself a target of 2lbs a week average a while ago, but didn't want to write it down (ashamed of st weight & didn't want my partner to find it, ( he's 6'2" & struggles to reach 9st no matter how much carp he eats during the day, so doesn't understand my stuggles not to gain weight)). Silly I know, he says he loves me as I am. But I'm not happy, so time to do sthng about it!

Not keeping a record has made it difficult to track & easy to disappoint myself, so I've decided to try & change. Just seen this thread & was hoping it might help me to get a hold on things... At my recent (all time I think too, but not certain as used to steer clear of scales) heaviest I was 13st 8 7/8. Am currently at 13st 4, & would be really pleased if I could hit 13st in the next 2 wks..... :-s.

lostinrates

AdrianHi wrote: »

Also I like Sainsbury's be good to yourself soups. Tasty, low calorie, I have the whole can with 2 slices of bread for lunches and it keeps be going all afternoon with no snacks. This lunch is in the 300-400 calorie range which is less than most packed sandwiches.

I am a good cook and religiously cook most things from scratch,but I have found soups to be a huge bonus: not because of the ease, though they are easy, but because they are calorie counted and nice.

I hate tins of soup (apart from tomato) but the fresh supermarket ones are quite good. We just had Morrisons summer vegetable, DH supplemented his half with a pork pie and some salad, the soup is enough for me. (I wouldn't say no to an apple though). If I have to go to Tesco (I dislike Tesco seriously) then their Scotch Broth fresh is nice and very low cal.

My own soup is yummier, but its just easier for calorie counting to buy.