I dont know about you, but Im sick of this food!

[yeahright*1977]

I am currently taking a week off from finishing stage three before I start stage four. I dont know how anyone else feels about the diet provided in this book, but I cant eat this stuff anymore. It was very easy in the beginning, I had my meals figured out, and I was doing pretty good. Now, after three months, I have reached a point where I cringe at the near mention of chicken salads, yogurt or brown rice!

I need new recipes! Does anyone have any suggestions or other recipes I can use to help me stay on track?

[LisaS]

The recipes/meal plan were supposed to be examples I think. As in here is what a lunch would look like at this range of calories and that set of macros. And here is what a dinner would look like for this calorie/macro example.
I don't know of anyone who ate only the meals of the examples.

Make up a meal of things you'd actually like to eat, put it in fitday or some other counter and see how you come out. If it fits your goals, eat it tomorrow. Repeat for each meal and each day until you have sets of food that you like that meet your goals.

[realcdn]

I'm with LisaS. Although I'm not doing NROL4W I'm still in weight loss mode, and I have food that I love. Whether working on building muscle or losing fat you still need to eat in a way that doesn't make you cringe. Well... unless your dream meal is a greasy burger and fries from the drive-thru every night.

[CaraBeth]

Here are some things I typically eat. I generally eat around 1600 calories, and about about 35-45% protein, 30-35% fat, and the remaining carbs. I add a protein shake on lifting days that's about 200-250 cals. Hope this gives you some ideas!

Breakfast, 7:30am:
- Pumpkin Protein shake: 1 scoop vanilla protein, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, sweetener*, 3oz cottage cheese, ice cubes & water
- Chocolate PB protein shake: 1 scoop chocolate protein, 1 tbsp pb, 2oz cottage cheese, ice cubes & water
- 5 oz cottage cheese mixed with sweetener and cinnamon, topped with 1/2 cup fiber one cereal and berries
- 1 link chix sausage (the ones I usually have for bfast are 110 cals) sliced and scrambled with 1/2 cup eggbeaters, sometimes 1/2 oz cheddar too
-1/3 cup plain oats with protein powder and pb

Snack, 11:00am:
-5oz nonflat plain Greek yogurt, 2 strawberries or 1/4 cup blueberries, sweetener, 1/3 cup kashi go lean crunch

Lunch, 1:30-2:00pm:
-low carb lavash wwith 3oz grilled chix breast, greens, tomato, onion, honey mustard, 1/4 avocado
-same as above but with tuna (whole can of tuna, no mayo)
-can of tuna mixed with 3oz cottage cheese, cilantro, red onion, southwest seasoning, 1/4 avocado
-low-carb lavash with can of tuna mixed with 50gm diced apple, 1/2 oz walnuts, a little dijon mustard and red wine vinegar, greens, sometimes 1/4 avocado

Pre-Workout Snack, 4:30pm:
-zone bar
-string cheese + almonds

Dinner, 8:00pm
Totally varies. You can get ideas from my blog - http://carascravings.blogspot.com/

Dessert
depends on how many calories are left, and what macronutrients I need. Could be anything from a couple squares of dark chocolate, to one of my cottage cheese mousse concoctions (see blog), sometimes popcorn or oatmeal or low fat ice cream if I need carbs


*sweetener for me = zero calorie, all natural like Truvia or erythritol, but you could use whatever like.

[Lyrica]

pg. 72 & 73

"Our goal with these meals isn't to get you to restrict yourself to these choices and only these choices. We hope you experiment with these meals at first, to see how different combinations of foods can add up the the same daily totals, and then branch out and put together your own plans, with your own recipes and combinations."

Use an online food tracker like fitday.com or nutridiary.com to plan your menus.

[yeahright*1977]

What a relief! Thanks ladies for your tips and recipes. I thought I had to eat the same 'ol stuff throughout the whole prorgam. I already started an account on fitday.com which will do all the calcuations for me.

I cant believe that I missed that part on pages 72 & 73. I feel like an idiot. (But, I did lose weight, eating those food only).

My goal is to lose 15 lbs. in order to sustain a 25% body fat percentage.

[realcdn]

We're all guilty of skimming from time to time (well, I am).

[Lyrica]

Kudos to you for sticking to a plan-you should do well.

[Firebird44]

I think the principle is what we're supposed to get from it: adequate protein, complex carbs, no junk. I don't think it's mandatory to eat those particular foods.

[butterbeean]

Good thing you asked!!!!!

[yeahright*1977]

Originally Posted by butterbeean

Good thing you asked!!!!!

you have now Idea! I was totally losin' it! Junk food is my Kryptonite

[Lyrica]

Originally Posted by yeahright*1977

you have now Idea! I was totally losin' it! Junk food is my Kryptonite

Check out Clean Eating magazine. They makeover recipes even desserts to make a healthier and lower calorie version. I am going to try a recipe for some Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes they had on their cover awhile back.