Eating healthy... but it's a hassle

[anonymous12345]

I'm satisfied with my fitness regime, but my diet is my concern -- primarily that I eat too little calories it seems. The last years I've been spoiled with a healthy cantina, but now I am back to again having to cook myself. I don't enjoy cooking (but maybe I can change) and don't want to spend time on it. I enjoy food like everyone else, though have no problem with controlling what I eat (control it probably too much).

How do you solve this "I need to eat healthy and well, but it's essentially just a hassle"?

 

[EyeBRollin]

Eat healthy calorie dense foods. My staple is breakfast containing oatmeal, honey, and peanut butter. Lots of calories.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Are you bulking up or cutting down right now, out of curiosity?

 

[anonymous12345]

Are you bulking up or cutting down right now, out of curiosity?

Neither, I eat when I'm hungry and until I'm full. I had very good luck with StrongLifts, I gained muscle and lost fat, while pretty much eating vegetables and meat from the cantina. Though now I have trouble with aching muscles.

Open for suggestions. Is alternating bulking & cutting a must for advancing? Would prioritise my current lean profile over more muscles.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Neither, I eat when I'm hungry and until I'm full. I had very good luck with StrongLifts, I gained muscle and lost fat, while pretty much eating vegetables and meat from the cantina. Though now I have trouble with aching muscles.

Open for suggestions. Is alternating bulking & cutting a must for advancing? Would prioritise my current lean profile over more muscles.

Just depends on your goals and where you’re at tbh… in some cases recomping is an option.

But yeah whether to bulk or cut is up to you

 

[anonymous12345]

Then eating shouldn't be as big of an issue for you. When you gain more muscle mass, you need to eat more to maintain that size.

Can perhaps confirm. It's depressing, during 1 month I lost 1.5 kg weight, and seems to have been lean body mass (muscles). According to Walker's book Why we sleep it could very well be bad sleep (I've slept very, very poorly), but perhaps also combined with less calories. But sad, a lot of hard work lost. I guess those muscles are easily gained again though. Interesting volatility here.

 

[Machine10033]

I eat simple during the week. I can prep all my food in about an hour and a half... I just make a bunch of lean ground beef and Turkey... throw a bunch of chicken breasts in the oven... throw rice in the rice cooker... and buy microwave veggies... when I’m dialed in I literally eat the same meals over... and over... and over...

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Pain in the ass compared to what?

Its just as easy to cook something healthy than cooking something that isn't.

 

[Deranged]

Try making it really simple for yourself.

Go buy a chest freezer, then a side of beef from your local butcher. Daily, you transfer a frozen cut(or 2) from the freezer to the fridge and you'll have a perpetual flow of fresh, high quality meat. Quick bbq for the steaks and prepped/formed ground beef (meat balls, hamburger patties, kebabs, w/e). Roasts in slowcooker in morning before work. Ground beef also used for pasta sauce or taco's or w/e. Very easy, very fast, very satiating. These meals will take anywhere from 10 mins to max 20 to cook. Barely any prep required, little cleanup too. All you need to buy now is butter, sacks of potatoes, bags of rice and boxes of pasta.

This route is expensive up front but cost efficient. And should be sustainable for about 6 months.

And to touch the sleep issue a bit. Personally, I've discovered If I eat less than ~80 grams of carbs a day, my sleep is trash. Less to do with eating at a deficit (which I initially thought) than carb consumption.

 

[kevinadams12]

When you are busy, it is easy to grab a quick sandwich from the deli or a big mac from the drive-thru. However, the food that was prepared in bulk and served quickly is usually not the healthiest option. The first tip is to stay away from fast foods. Instead, make your own lunch or dinner, and it will most likely be healthier and less expensive. The second tip is to eat in the morning and evening meals. For lunch, try having a salad. Eat organic processed foods like organic cheese, and yoghurt, which can be found at regular grocery stores. If you don't have time to cook, this is a great convenience.

 

[Modern Man Advice]

It's always a hassle in the beginning, like anything else. Then it becomes routine. Then it becomes second nature. Then it's who you are.

What you want from a diet will depend on your goals, lifestyle, and specific body needs. The bottom line is that what you need is to be intentional with your nutrition.

Modern Man Advice

 

[Deranged]

It's always a hassle in the beginning, like anything else. Then it becomes routine. Then it becomes second nature. Then it's who you are.

What you want from a diet will depend on your goals, lifestyle, and specific body needs. The bottom line is that what you need is to be intentional with your nutrition.

Modern Man Advice

Absolutely beautiful.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Try making it really simple for yourself.

Go buy a chest freezer, then a side of beef from your local butcher. Daily, you transfer a frozen cut(or 2) from the freezer to the fridge and you'll have a perpetual flow of fresh, high quality meat. Quick bbq for the steaks and prepped/formed ground beef (meat balls, hamburger patties, kebabs, w/e). Roasts in slowcooker in morning before work. Ground beef also used for pasta sauce or taco's or w/e. Very easy, very fast, very satiating. These meals will take anywhere from 10 mins to max 20 to cook. Barely any prep required, little cleanup too. All you need to buy now is butter, sacks of potatoes, bags of rice and boxes of pasta.

This route is expensive up front but cost efficient. And should be sustainable for about 6 months.

And to touch the sleep issue a bit. Personally, I've discovered If I eat less than ~80 grams of carbs a day, my sleep is trash. Less to do with eating at a deficit (which I initially thought) than carb consumption.

Red meat is definitely NOT something you want to be eating more than twice a week max. Studies repeatedly find it's linked to cardiovascular risk when consumed too often.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Also I don't agree with the common belief there are universally healthy foods. There are not.
There are only foods that will either work for your body chemistry or foods that won't.

Foods that work for your body chemistry will help aid in losing weight, keeping low levels of inflammation and not holding in excess water.

Foods your body reacts negative towards will cause low grade chronic inflammation, hormonal issues(thyroid especially) if continually eaten over time and will cause weight gain and bloating due to excess water being held in.

If you have ever eaten "healthy", worked out and watched calorie counts and macros but been unable to lose weight or worse gain weight, this is why.

Worst of all, some of the foods people consider "healthy" are some of the most reactive to 70-90% of people. Greek Yogurt, Oatmeal, Salmon, Strawberries, Asparagus, Wheat, Whey, etc are all foods that will cause issues in the majority of people.

Universally healthy foods do not exist.

Surprisingly white bread is safe for most people and typically a better choice than whatever grain bread you are eating.

 

[Giovanni SouthSide]

Hit up costco if you got the membership and whole foods store.
gluten free oatmeal ,cartons of pastured raised eggs, kerry gold butter, bag of frozen wild caught alaskan sockeye salmon pre packed in cuts, almond butter, wild raw unfiltered honey, bag of frozen vegetables, white rice, organic potatoes, grass fed beef, almond milk, ezekiel bread , also got a tub of high quality whey isolate protein.
I try to buy all my **** organic. Tastes better.
Never ever cheap out on food.
One of the most crucial blessings of being a single man with no family is having the disposable resources to invest in your diet.

 

[Pierce Manhammer]

You can do something simple like bake a bunch of sweet potatoes for the week, several cups of rice, eat your veggies raw, roast chicken breasts ahead of time, same with red meat. Meat and veg and depending on your goals 50-100g’s of a clean carb.

Get glass storage containers but it all together in your fridge Sunday night.

Meat and veggies doesn’t need to be boring, but if you get organized cooking ahead or cooking simple things isn’t a hard thing to do.

or get one of those boutique meal
Delivery plans

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I'm satisfied with my fitness regime, but my diet is my concern -- primarily that I eat too little calories it seems. The last years I've been spoiled with a healthy cantina, but now I am back to again having to cook myself. I don't enjoy cooking (but maybe I can change) and don't want to spend time on it. I enjoy food like everyone else, though have no problem with controlling what I eat (control it probably too much).

How do you solve this "I need to eat healthy and well, but it's essentially just a hassle"?

Cook once a week and then portion up the meals for the entire week. Works well and limits the amount of cooking you have to do.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Red meat is definitely NOT something you want to be eating more than twice a week max. Studies repeatedly find it's linked to cardiovascular risk when consumed too often.

Which studies are these?
Consumed too often compared to what?
Which kind of red meat?

These same studies also said eggs raise serum cholesterol (they don’t) or that cholesterol itself causes heart disease (it doesn’t).

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi Anonymous,
Don't want to take the bubbles out of anyones Champagne but despite the great nutritional value of Red Meat best not burn it...Charred meat is implicated in high cancer risks....Your own FDA suggests marinating meat for six hours in Wine which you get rid of....Sure the flavour suffers but it is worth it.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Which studies are these?
Consumed too often compared to what?
Which kind of red meat?

These same studies also said eggs raise serum cholesterol (they don’t) or that cholesterol itself causes heart disease (it doesn’t).

They believe it is related to changes in gut bacteria and/or the byproducts they produce from digesting red meat. The more red meat eaten, the higher levels of these bacteria you are creating and the more byproducts/toxins they produce.

Increased heart disease risk from red meat may stem from gut microbe response to digestion

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Monday, August 1, 2022 Research Highlights: A new study found that chemicals produced in the digestive tract by gut microbes after eating red meat (such as beef, pork, bison, venison) explained a significant portion ...

newsroom.heart.org

.