My yogurt sauce is just liquid yogurt, salt, and some crushed garlic. Usually. Sometimes I stick to salt and pepper—other times I'll pivot to a garlic and parsley vibe. If I'm pairing it with cooked fish, I’ll drizzle a bit of olive oil over it too.
4 chicken breasts olive oil lemon bay leaf salt, pepper your choice of hot chili
Prep:
Wash the chicken, pat it dry, and let it sit in a marinade for about 20 minutes—just whisk together 6 tablespoons of olive oil, juice from half a lemon, salt, and pepper. If you actually like heat, throw some crushed hot chili into the mix. Once it’s marinated, pull the meat out, tuck two lemon slices and a bay leaf into each piece, then tie them up with kitchen twine. Throw the breasts on a grill pan or an outdoor grill for 6 minutes per side, flipping them and brushing them with more marinade as you go. Serve it up with some cream sauce, fresh tomatoes, or maybe some lightly steamed veggies.
The New York Post dropped this fancy recipe today, and I am 100% trying it next week. 🙏 I’m making a few tweaks myself.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Grab a pound of large mushrooms—pop off the caps from about 3/4 of them, leaving the stems behind. Sauté those chopped stems along with the rest of the whole mushrooms and some finely diced bacon (about half a pound, though 😲 I’d go with crispy prosciutto instead) in 10 oz of butter—though personally, I’d swap that for just a splash of olive oil. Throw in some chopped chives and 10 oz of cottage cheese. Mix it all up, let it cool, then stuff the caps. Pop them on a baking sheet and bake until they hit that golden color.
Regarding the cottage cheese—I actually dug this up on a bodybuilding forum; you can't find much info elsewhere. 😕
What really draws people to cottage cheese is probably that nutritional profile. It’s proven to be incredibly healthy. We're talking pure protein here, packed with immunoglobulins and albumin. It’s got almost zero milk fat—only about 0.8 percent—and zero carbs, so it won't mess with your weight. Because of its protein structure, cottage cheese actually boosts your immune system. It’s great for liver regeneration, and since the fat content is so low, it’s a solid diet food. Plus, even a small amount keeps you full, so you aren't constantly hunting for snacks.
Ashley Perez50 said:I was digging through the link where they posted those oat bran muffins (by the way, has anyone actually tried them??) and found this brown rice with seeds haven't tried it yet, but sounds decent
and I'm wondering what lentils, millet, or chickpeas are like? Do they taste like anything specific? Can you use them instead of rice—like, maybe a mushroom sauce over them instead of using rice or pasta? Is that even a thing?
Never had millet, but I live for lentils and chickpeas. In terms of texture and starchiness, they’re kind of like a mix between beans and peas, though each one has its own vibe.
I've been eating chickpeas constantly lately—mostly just as a side for some protein (eggs, meat, or tuna). My favorite way is salted with pumpkin seed oil (honestly, I'm obsessed with that oil 😁). Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, it would totally work as a rice substitute. You could, say, sauté some mushrooms, toss them with cooked chickpeas, throw in some red bell pepper and green onion... man, that sounds delicious. Now I'm actually starving 🙂
Alright, where'd she end up? Did the adoption go through? Just trying to figure out if I should leave this thread alone or just merge it with another one. :d
briskjackal5, look, you can't really compare yourself to someone who's basically a slave to their cravings, you know? You've been hitting the gym for years—what you're saying isn't even bad advice—but it’s not going to work for her right now. Not at this stage. Someone in that position can't just swap out one ingredient for another and call it a day; her hormones are a wreck, her blood sugar is all over the place, she's emotionally drained, and everything else is just a mess. Add PMS to the mix😁 and she needs to start by just changing the quality of what she eats, then slowly move toward tracking. At the same time, she needs some kind of movement. Even with those small shifts, her brain is going to fight her every step of the way—but it'll be easier than nothing.
It’s a real grind when you can easily crush 3,000 or 4,000 calories—just sitting there—and still actually *want* to eat more 😁 . Once you start eating actual, high-quality fuel, that hunger just dies down naturally. You eventually settle right around that 2,000 calorie mark.
Look, nobody needs to whine about losing weight, but let's be real—some parts of this process suck. Most people think you can just "cut this out, add that in, swap these meals for those" and fix everything overnight. It doesn't work like that. You have to be smart, take it step-by-step, and have an insane amount of patience.
Karen Wilson20 said:Why bother counting calories? It’s basically just another way of dieting—same old story, same end result. She'd be better off just cutting her portions in half. Tracking every single calorie would just leave her starving and obsessed with food 24/7.
Honestly, tracking isn't a bad idea at first. When someone's eating habits are totally out of whack, they usually have zero clue what a normal portion actually looks like—sounds weird, but it's true. Down the road, the body kind of figures itself out and starts signaling what it actually needs.
@Kimberly Wright/">@@Kimberly Wright, if you want to put it that way, 👍 Look, I get the urge to just strip it all off and move on. You start realizing how much baggage you're actually carrying—it’s a lot—and your brain just wants to dump the whole mess right this second. But honestly? Facing the cold, hard facts and actually dealing with things like a normal human being—slowly—is a hell of a lot harder.
Kimberly Wright said:Look at the logic there... "I need $100 just to hit the gym twice a week, which feels stupid, so I'd rather not go at all if I can't go every day." Most gym memberships I know cost around $83 for a three-day-a-week plan. Honestly, hitting organized workouts three times a week is plenty. Once the weather warms up, you can always sneak in some walking. You jumped straight into running during this winter freeze while being totally starved. You're just asking for the diet and the exercise to clash and burn. .
Exactly—people get sucked into these cinematic ideas of fitness and set impossible goals right when they have that initial burst of energy. They're impossible because they demand massive mental shifts and lifestyle overhauls overnight. You can't just crush everything at once.
The best way? Most people who actually stick to a routine aren't doing structured workouts every single day—it's usually about 3 or 4 times a week, supplemented by just getting outside or doing something solo the rest of the time.
Don't be such a drill sergeant to yourself.
I don't know what the OP is like, but personally, I'm the type to cram my entire schedule into my head ahead of time. Then, if I miss even one thing, I spiral into a total depression. It does things to my brain that I won't even get into right now. 😢
It's better to take it slow—one task at a time. You actually get stuff done, you feel good about it, and your brain doesn't short-circuit.
Slice up some potatoes into thin rounds. While you're doing that, boil a few spoons of rice—just get it about 60% cooked. Lay the potato slices at the bottom of a baking sheet along with that parboiled rice. Drizzle it all with olive oil and season however you want (Lawry's, salt, pepper, whatever green herbs you're feeling that pair well with fish). Pour warm water over it until it hits the top of the potatoes, cover it tight with Aluminum foil, and shove it into a 300°F oven.
After about 15 minutes, peel back the foil and layer on whatever large cleaned fish you can find—or even just one kind. 😁 Think whole or fillets of sea bass, snapper, or seabream—whatever’s on sale. Don't bother with small stuff like sardines; they aren't worth the effort here. Cover it back up with the foil and put it back in for another 10-15 minutes. Finally, ditch the foil, crank up the heat, and let it bake for 10 minutes to get a bit of a crust. It's done when the water from the potatoes has evaporated and nothing's sticking to the bottom. 😁
For the sauce, just mix a few spoons of homemade olive tapenade with a mountain of chopped parsley and garlic.
Honestly, this is the only way I can actually stomach potatoes and enjoy them—unless we're talking old-school country style. 🙏 No need to talk about the fish. 😵 Besides, it's a killer meal if you have guests over and want to act like you've actually tried. 🤣 Super simple and cheap, too. 😁
shadowcobra32 said:Great, so I can just go nuts 😉 and now my stomach is basically fused to my spine—time to go grab some food 😢 but I have zero clue what... what am I supposed to do when the food inspiration just hits a wall?
Are you seriously looking for someone to hold your hand through this? 😁 Not happening. There's plenty of advice floating around here already—you should be able to figure it out yourself.😉
briskjackal5 said:That goes for pretty much any meal when you're in this spot. The part about not overstuffing herself—yeah, totally. That last meal of the day isn't some special ritual; it's just another meal. No need to make it a big deal.
-Stipe
True, but look—she’s just starting out. I’m assuming she’s gonna hit those usual roadblocks that pop up in the beginning. You can't expect her to find some perfect balance overnight; that's just delusional. I thought you were the one preaching the "just wing it" philosophy, 😁 shadowcobra32? Someone eating like she does is probably capable of fasting until 4 PM, then absolutely demolishing a steak by dinner—I caught that from her meal plan. I'm talking to her based on those realities. Yeah, she's gonna be starving like a wolf, especially at night, but fine in the morning. So, she needs to eat more in the AM than she thinks she should, and scale way back at night, even if her stomach feels like it's shrinking.
shadowcobra32, dancing counts, sure. Just try not to break anything, 😁
shadowcobra32 said:hmm... honestly, going to bed on an empty stomach doesn't bother me—I usually just stay busy enough to forget about food at night. But during the day? I'm hitting two or three tiny meals, nothing substantial. My real fear is eating more because it feels like if I even take a sip of water, everything's just gonna come back up. Everything I eat hits a wall. My digestion is moving at a snail's pace, not to mention my bathroom situation is basically non-existent ;P Sorry for the TMI, but it's a real issue—it feels like all the toxins are just sitting there instead of actually leaving my system, right?
That’s rough. Eat something solid in the morning—fuel the engine—and maybe you won't be fighting for your life in the bathroom. 😁 And get moving. Physical activity kicks the metabolism into gear; once that whole machine starts humming, your digestion will follow suit.
I knew someone was going to twist my words 😁 😁 If you've spent your whole life overeating, you're always gonna feel empty once you start cutting back. That hollow feeling is just part of the deal until your body catches up.
Speaking from experience—things go a lot smoother and faster if you don't go overboard at dinner, even if it's something light. Stuffing yourself late at night isn't the move. Keeping it small is.
shadowcobra32 said:hmm... I get where you're coming from... but honestly, I don't know how to up my calories. I'm terrified of eating more because my brain immediately goes to "if I'm not starving, it isn't working," you know? Yeah... I know, I'm being stupid...😢((
Well, you aren't far off from the truth here. 😁 You need to feel a little hungry—but not so much that you're collapsing on the sidewalk and can't even run. Don't wreck yourself, lady. 😁
Look, having a lighter stomach in the evening isn't a bad thing—eat just enough so you don't feel sick, but basically, you should be flying on empty. But during the day? Don't be starving. You actually need energy for college and everything else. Stop being your own worst enemy. 🙂
As for increasing your intake? Grab a bowl of granola or maybe some muesli with dried fruit in the morning. Get some low-fat cottage cheese and go ahead—eat ten spoonfuls if you want. One hot dog? wtf? Aside from the fact that they're total junk, that amount is pathetic. I'd tell you to eat two or three, but I won't. Just eat some tuna or boil a few eggs if you can't grab meat. Whatever you're eating for dinner, eat that in the morning instead—just a bigger portion—and stick to cheese at night.
If you're hitting the dining hall, just pick what I suggested above. It's really not that big of a deal. You can load up on meat and veggies until you're full.
You’re clearly under-eating—and let's be real, it's mostly junk—so it's no wonder you feel weak. There’s gotta be some middle ground between starving yourself and hitting the buffet every night, right?
If you aren't interested in taking advice from gym rats, then you're definitely looking in the wrong place. 😁 Everyone hangs out here because they're all lifting or chasing gains in one way or another.
That feeling of "muscle growth" you mentioned? It's an illusion. You probably just thought you looked bigger because of the extra body fat you're carrying around. 😁
You don't need a fancy Equinox membership—just grab a bike, some skates, or go for a run.
Look, if it helps, those chocolate cravings pretty much vanish once you actually start eating clean. 😉 So, just grit your teeth and get moving. I used to be about your size—okay, maybe 2 inches taller and maybe 10 pounds heavier—but yeah, basically. I’m not some supermodel now, but I’ve made progress. It took time, but no regrets. Aside from finally getting some actual curves, my health actually improved.
Don't go out running on ice right now—besides, it’s freezing out there. Don't let yourself end up hating cardio before you've even started. 😁 Just walk. Or stay inside and do some basic bodyweight stuff to build some muscle. Try walking more; look, it'll warm up a few degrees soon enough. If you can grab a bike, do it—it's an amazing way to move and will give you that cardio base you need in this early stage. Food-wise? My advice: fix your habits first, then worry about portion control. Don't starve yourself overnight. Grab some oats, whole grain toast, or eggs in the morning. Pack sandwiches with rye bread and turkey, maybe some salad, or tuna in olive oil or water, or some low-fat cottage cheese. Bring fruit—bananas, pears, apples. Campus dining isn't that bad either; just grab meat or fish with a side of veggies or salad (skip the potatoes and bread), stick to water, and grab fruit for dessert. Cut out all the white stuff—white bread, rice, pasta—and skip the baked potatoes, pita, pizza, pastries (look, if you absolutely *must* have one, buy it first thing in the morning when the risk is lowest), and sweets. When a craving hits, keep dried fruit or almonds/nuts at home.
The key is eating high-quality, complete meals. You want to fuel your body so you stop obsessing over junk. Focus on nutrient-dense food, and eat smaller, more frequent meals. There's no shame in snacking if it's the right stuff. 😁 Better than bingeing at home late at night.
If I'm reading you right, you live alone. That is a massive win. For me, the hardest part was fighting with family over food—having to eat whatever they cooked while they poked fun at my diet because they didn't think I'd stick to it anyway. You have your own schedule and endless options. Nobody's breathing down your neck. Use that to your advantage.
By the way, you probably won't drop half your weight in a week, but you'll feel incredible once you find your rhythm. Honestly, carrying the extra weight won't even bother you as much because you'll know you're actively tackling it. 🙂
That weakness you're feeling? It's normal. Getting your body used to a change isn't easy. But please, don't starve yourself. It doesn't lead anywhere good.
Bed is only if her guy is pressuring her to gain weight, lose weight, or change anything else about herself. In that case, the only thing she should be changing is him.