I have recently lost about 70 pounds since last September the old fashion way with diet and exercise. I'm not anti anything or follow any fad diets, but I do prioritize high protein and lower calorie meals so curious what recipes you might have to share if you fall under this camp?
Any high protein/lower calorie people here? Looking for recipe swaps and ideas.
- Thread starter NEPA507
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Considering that carbohydrates and proteins have four calories per gram and fat has more than twice as many calories at nine per gram, then definitely there's some food for thought (pardon the pun).
Now that the greens in our gardens are harvestable, we're doing a lot of things with greens, rice, chicken, tempeh, and other grains, fruits and veggies. Among the Public Health classes I took at university back in the last century were several on nutrition at various stages of life. What I learned was exactly what you're saying -- eat a diversity and be educated about what you're eating. Fat is not inherently bad, in fact it's necessary, but it's easy to get too much.
One of my tactics is "build taste." That is to say, we make various kinds of ferments; sourdough breads, pickles, krauts, "tasty pastes," tempeh, yogurt, skyr, koji and other preparations that not only build in more flavour but also make things easier to digest and open up the body's access to nutrients. Michael Pollan's classic advice is "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." The more flavour you can add without adding a whack of calories, the quicker you'll be satisfied with what you're eating and not just eat 'til you burst. (I imagine your stomach already feels fuller faster since you've been training it.)
I'll share one dish. Might not be eating this one today but it's definitely going to be on the table in the next few. Steam some jasmine rice. Take a pound of tempeh and cut it into small dice. Separate the leaves and stems from a head of bok choi. Roll up and julienne the leaves, slice a quarter to a half of the stems like you would celery. (I compost most of the stems.) Chop up an onion, crush some garlic. Peel and chop some ginger root. Julienne some fresh basil leaves. Chop one or two Thai "bird" peppers. (They're bloody hot. One is enough for me, usually.) Open a can of coconut milk.
In your wok or a large skillet, add a bit of fat or oil. First brown the tempeh over medium heat, then remove to a plate. Add a touch more oil to the pan if needed. Probably will be; tempeh soaks up a lot if you let it. Stir fry the chopped onion, then as it gets translucent add in the garlic, ginger and hot pepper. Add in the sliced stems and cook until tender-crisp. Add the julienned bok choi leaves, stirring and turning as they wilt and cook down. (A second spatula helps.) Once they've settled, toss in the basil leaves and pour on the coconut milk. Stir and heat until the coconut milk is simmering. Taste for spicing. Some would add turmeric, which is a good thing except Mrs. Hippie is allergic to it. Serve over the rice.
Salt: there are options that will add flavour with salt. Soy sauce, tamari, miso, shio koji and other options can add more of that umami that you want.
The last nine years for me have been a lot like your life since September. I addressed some other issues I was having and lost 60 pounds in the process. I now have this thing where I'll get the hiccups once I've had a certain amount of food, which coincidentally is just what I need and not more. Annoys hell out of some people who eat with me
but I treat it as a "level indicator."
O.H.
Now that the greens in our gardens are harvestable, we're doing a lot of things with greens, rice, chicken, tempeh, and other grains, fruits and veggies. Among the Public Health classes I took at university back in the last century were several on nutrition at various stages of life. What I learned was exactly what you're saying -- eat a diversity and be educated about what you're eating. Fat is not inherently bad, in fact it's necessary, but it's easy to get too much.
One of my tactics is "build taste." That is to say, we make various kinds of ferments; sourdough breads, pickles, krauts, "tasty pastes," tempeh, yogurt, skyr, koji and other preparations that not only build in more flavour but also make things easier to digest and open up the body's access to nutrients. Michael Pollan's classic advice is "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." The more flavour you can add without adding a whack of calories, the quicker you'll be satisfied with what you're eating and not just eat 'til you burst. (I imagine your stomach already feels fuller faster since you've been training it.)
I'll share one dish. Might not be eating this one today but it's definitely going to be on the table in the next few. Steam some jasmine rice. Take a pound of tempeh and cut it into small dice. Separate the leaves and stems from a head of bok choi. Roll up and julienne the leaves, slice a quarter to a half of the stems like you would celery. (I compost most of the stems.) Chop up an onion, crush some garlic. Peel and chop some ginger root. Julienne some fresh basil leaves. Chop one or two Thai "bird" peppers. (They're bloody hot. One is enough for me, usually.) Open a can of coconut milk.
In your wok or a large skillet, add a bit of fat or oil. First brown the tempeh over medium heat, then remove to a plate. Add a touch more oil to the pan if needed. Probably will be; tempeh soaks up a lot if you let it. Stir fry the chopped onion, then as it gets translucent add in the garlic, ginger and hot pepper. Add in the sliced stems and cook until tender-crisp. Add the julienned bok choi leaves, stirring and turning as they wilt and cook down. (A second spatula helps.) Once they've settled, toss in the basil leaves and pour on the coconut milk. Stir and heat until the coconut milk is simmering. Taste for spicing. Some would add turmeric, which is a good thing except Mrs. Hippie is allergic to it. Serve over the rice.
Salt: there are options that will add flavour with salt. Soy sauce, tamari, miso, shio koji and other options can add more of that umami that you want.
The last nine years for me have been a lot like your life since September. I addressed some other issues I was having and lost 60 pounds in the process. I now have this thing where I'll get the hiccups once I've had a certain amount of food, which coincidentally is just what I need and not more. Annoys hell out of some people who eat with me
but I treat it as a "level indicator."O.H.
Congrats on becoming a healthier version of you. Most excellent. I dabble in the kitchen, have for decades (grateful, though still odd to me when I say that.)
I essentially have a very simple diet and do my level best to keep to one pan or one pot when I cook. That said, give us an idea of what protein you're thinking of using and the other ingredients you have in mind. I generally don't follow recipes and create off the cuff.
I am currently on a weight loss journey as well. I started out at 305 lbs last year, this morning I was 266.6. When the VA told me I had high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic, it was game on.
But I'm not just trying to lose weight. I am adding muscle and definition as well. Weight lifting is a way to burn calories without just the monotony of walking, cycling, and the elliptical machine. And bigger, denser muscles are more "calorie hungry".
The weight-lifting "rule of thumb" appears to be 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So for me, currently, 144 grams of protein intake daily in order to gain muscle mass. At a minimum. It takes a surprising amount of effort to consume that much protein in a day! Recipes? Not really. More like modified food habits.
I drink a thermos of coffee everyday. Sweetener, not sugar. And I use a scoop of vanilla organic vegetable-based protein powder instead of creamer. That's 20 grams of protein, shaken up in the coffee.
I've been eating Greek Yogurt. Oikos brand, strawberry. That's 15 grams. Into that cup I stir in a small scoop of creatine, and two tablespoons of either natural peanut butter (the old fashioned stuff you have to stir) or sunflower seed butter, for an additional 8 grams of protein.
A typical lunch will be two of the boiled eggs I can buy, ready-made. A can of Kroger sardines, and two sticks of Cracker Barrel sharp white cheddar. That's just shy of 50 grams.
Dinner is just whatever. As long as there is meat enough to get me over the 144 gram or better finish line for the day.
As far as calorie burn, I try to end each week with a 1500 calorie or better daily average burn. This past week, ending today, I averaged 1593 calories a day.
And the absolute necessity for my progress is my fitness tracker watch. Mine is the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, and it's Zepp app paired up on my phone.
If you are trying to loose weight without one, it is like having one arm tied behind your back.
I discuss my watch's features and utility in detail, here...
www.badgerandblade.com
But I'm not just trying to lose weight. I am adding muscle and definition as well. Weight lifting is a way to burn calories without just the monotony of walking, cycling, and the elliptical machine. And bigger, denser muscles are more "calorie hungry".
The weight-lifting "rule of thumb" appears to be 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So for me, currently, 144 grams of protein intake daily in order to gain muscle mass. At a minimum. It takes a surprising amount of effort to consume that much protein in a day! Recipes? Not really. More like modified food habits.
I drink a thermos of coffee everyday. Sweetener, not sugar. And I use a scoop of vanilla organic vegetable-based protein powder instead of creamer. That's 20 grams of protein, shaken up in the coffee.
I've been eating Greek Yogurt. Oikos brand, strawberry. That's 15 grams. Into that cup I stir in a small scoop of creatine, and two tablespoons of either natural peanut butter (the old fashioned stuff you have to stir) or sunflower seed butter, for an additional 8 grams of protein.
A typical lunch will be two of the boiled eggs I can buy, ready-made. A can of Kroger sardines, and two sticks of Cracker Barrel sharp white cheddar. That's just shy of 50 grams.
Dinner is just whatever. As long as there is meat enough to get me over the 144 gram or better finish line for the day.
As far as calorie burn, I try to end each week with a 1500 calorie or better daily average burn. This past week, ending today, I averaged 1593 calories a day.
And the absolute necessity for my progress is my fitness tracker watch. Mine is the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, and it's Zepp app paired up on my phone.
If you are trying to loose weight without one, it is like having one arm tied behind your back.
I discuss my watch's features and utility in detail, here...
You need a fitness tracking smartwatch
I resisted any sort of "smartwatch" for years. Then I decided to start exercising, lifting weights, cycling, etc. This was last September. A short time after this, a friend gave me a very basic fitness watch, an Amazfit Band 5. Frankly, it was everything I hated about your typical smartwatch...
www.badgerandblade.com
I’ve been at this for a long time. I need 160 grams of protein per day, so the recipe/taste thing for me doesn’t really work. I just eat 250 grams of chicken breast, beef or fish per day divided into two meals with a side dish of noodles, rice, potatoes, legumes, etc. The remaining grams are covered with a protein shake, a couple of eggs and milk, ham if necessary. I’ve been able to lose 30 pounds while gaining muscle with this “diet”. I always finish my day within the 2.000 calories range and I cover my protein requirements. Yeah, it’s boring, but it works (for me)
Last edited:
TheShaun
Bejeweled
I'm fairly low cal and high protein. Through trial and error, I've found that my digestion suffers if I eat more than 5 oz of meat at each sitting so I don't go over that. To hit my protein goals I supplement with 2 scoops of powder per day. If you eat eggs, mix in additional egg whites. Low cal, high protein. Sometimes I'll mix protein powder with Skyr yogurt to make a bit of treat. Skyr is low fat and cal, and high protein.
- Thread starter
- #7
I guess for some better context I'm pretty heavy into the science and evidence based fitness and nutrition scene at this point. I try to eat about 180g protein per day, 50-60g fats and the carbs fall wherever is needed for the rest. I do a mon-frid 2300kcal/day and weekends 2600kcal. This is about maintenance right now for me and at the end of the summer going into fall i plan on trying an intentional lean bulk through the holidays and see how it goes. I eat a lot of yogurt, egg whites, lean meats etc... but do okay with recipes. For example tonight we made a high protein Mac and cheese and the macros per serving was 362kcal, 4g fat, 38g carbs, and 43g protein.
First off, congrats on the 70-pound loss! That’s huge, and doing it the old-fashioned way with diet and exercise is no easy feat. Since you’re into high protein and low-calorie meals, try this: Turkey and Veggie Stir-Fry: Super easy, lean ground turkey with a mix of your favorite veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, and zucchini, stir-fried in a bit of low-sodium soy sauce and garlic. Serve over cauliflower rice for extra volume with minimal calories. I also use milk powder to get more vitamins
