Hi everyone ,
Im new to diet talk :) Ive been dieting for the past 3 weeks now and its really hard. Im good Monday-Thursday and than on Fridays-Sundays i pig out.I need to stop.So far i have lost about 11 pounds and i went to the supermarket last night and i bought 10 lean cusines to have for dinner each night.Is this good or bad? Any suggestions would be appreciated .Also i find that i crave food and tend to over eat at around 4:30ish...

First of all :welcome:!! Hope you like it here and find it helpful. :)

Personally, I love lean cuisines, they are perfect when you're on the go. I've heard they're high in sodium though, so I'm not sure if one everyone night is a good idea. I eat them like twice a month.

Try eating a larger breakfast and lunch and eat lots of healthy foods early in the day, this should help with the 4:30 cravings. If you still get hungry then, try eating fruit or veggies, this always helps me. :)

I struggle with the weekends as well, but have been getting a little better. I just stay focused, tell myself it's just another day, and remind myself about my weight loss goals. This helps a little, it's still hard though, I'm still working on it.

:) see you around!

While some Lean Cuisines may have be higher sodium than foods you would prepare at home, unless you have health issues that limit your intake of sodium, they aren't a problem. This comes from my dietician. I usually eat them at least 3-4 times a week for lunch.

ya...for the most part they are fine. Would fresh be better? Probably but that doesnt make them bad. Whenever they go on sale I stock up on them. I love the Lasagna!

Lean cusines are a much healthier choice than many other things out there. Nothing beats fresh, but unfortunatley we don't always have the time.

WTG on the 11 pounds Aniyamommy :)

I agree. You've lost 11 pounds doing what you're doing. So if it works, why change???

As for the 4:30 cravings, I went through the same thing when I first started.
How did I cure it? It was a two step process.

#1 I asked myself why I was hungry at that time. I realized it was just habit and I wasn't REALLY hungry.

#2, I planned my afternoon snack to be a little later in the day so that when 4:30 rolled around I was not hungry. Nibbling on an apple or a banana, or even a baggie of dry cereal (Chex, Kix) would get me through it.

It may take a few weeks to get over this old habit, but it will happen.

I wish you the best! Welcome to Diet Talk! You can do this!!!

BB

I also buy lean cuisines, I usually have them 3-4 times a week for lunch at work, my favorite is the fiesta rice and beans and the potatos and broccoli with cheese sauce! The sesame chicken is also quite tastey! When I'm buying them I only get the ones that are under 300 calories, and the more protein the better (because that fills me up for longer).

Lol Tally you made me hungry...those are my favorites, too.

I like Michelina's lean gourmet too -- they're a lot cheaper than Lean Cuisine, and (in my opinion) just as good. What's more, they now have a few whole grain ones! Yay! The Penne Primavera (with whole wheat pasta) and the rice pilaf (with brown rice and other grains) are both super yummy, and only 240 calories each. I added a little spaghetti sauce and some canned turkey to the rice one and it was still under 300 calories, but really good.

Another thing I do (saves $$ and sodium :)) is to make a big batch of soup on weekends, then freeze individual portions to eat over the week. I also cook a big pot of brown rice so it's ready quickly. I find that this is a lot cheaper than buying prepared foods. I also tend to think it's a little healthier, since I know exactly what goes into it and I don't put additives or preservatives in :)

I have made individual frozen meals to save on cost and sodium, too. As far as Lean Cuisines go, if eating something that's a bit high in sodium is saving you from binging on calories, go for it. Your diet has to work for you.

Agree with BB on the afternoon snack. I think it's kind of a low blood sugar thing, so if you eat your snack a little later you should be good until dinner. Crunchy foods are good for me when I have a craving.

I eat lean cuisines a lot, and so far they haven't had any negative effects on my weight loss! They are a little high in sodium, as most prepackaged foods tend to be, but if you up your water intake a bit then it wont be a big deal.

I think they are the same as most things. They are ok in moderation. I eat them at work for lunch. I do not get a lunch break and am basically tied to my desk for 10 hours a day. If I don't have left overs, I grab one of these.

Beth

I use frozen meals quite a bit and I don't find they're a problem. And I think the best feature of them (besides being fast!) is that they're portion controlled. You know exactly what you're getting and when it's gone, you're done eating. :)

Congrats on the 11 lbs. - that's great!

I make several meals at once and then divy them on plates and freeze the rest. One is always ready for me if I'm in a hurry, or if the rest of the family wants pizza.

I tend to make up meals and freeze them, that way you know what all of the ingredients are and have better control over what you are eating.

I do think that we are very fortunate in having such a great variety of "diet" foods available though. Sometimes dieting can be confusing and frustrating trying to find what works for each of us (because we are all so different). So, if your plan isn't to eliminate (or seriously cut back on) certain things, ie. sodium, msg, carbs, etc. then these can be very helpful. Like having your own dietitian cooking for you! I worked at a grocery store and when those items would come on sale there were some very lean women who would buy a whole bunch saying that they would eat those and prepare regular meals for their families (about 2 or 3 regular women).

If it works, which it seemed to for them, then that is great! We are each different and our journeys to losing weight will not all be the same but at least we can support each other in striving towards our individual goals.

If it wasn't for Lean Cuisines I probably would have quit this diet. It is so tough and I am not a creative cook! I think that was a GREAT step. The variety of choices and yummy tast keeps it easier to crave them rather then the meal everyone around you may be eating. Good job! BUT many have already said it: "Drink lots of water" because there is alot of salt in them and you may have water weight gain which can discourage you at a weigh in. Good Luck!

I use frozen meals quite a bit and I don't find they're a problem. And I think the best feature of them (besides being fast!) is that they're portion controlled. You know exactly what you're getting and when it's gone, you're done eating. :)

Yeah, that's why I like frozen meals too. So I eat Lean Cuisine meals once in a while. I prefer Amy's frozen meals though. They are organic and the choice is pretty good. Not all of them meals are "diet suitable", but a bunch of them are. Today I had their brown rice, tofu and vegetable bowl for lunch. Pretty good for 250 calories!