One good thing about COVID....

[anotherbanana]

is that I am losing a ton of weight. About 7kg down so far and still going, target 20 kg!

The secret is porridge, pure and simple, made with half fat milk and no additives. One good bowl at first meal time lasts most of the day. One can make up a big batch at a time, it is cheap, an easy snack and the doctor thoroughly approves.

But, do not add anything except maybe a small amount of fruit, preferably apple.

[Ken]

Presumably you are, were, somewhat overweight!!! A target of 20Kg loss is quite substantial to say the least. Presumably because of health concerns. Down 7kg , that's just over a stone in old money!!!

I know the benefits of porridge: When I traversed the Pyrenees I lived on the stuff. All pre-packed into meals. Mine though did have sugar and dried milk added. Thrown into a bowl of water and the meal was ready in five minutes, delicious!

Good luck with what you are doing. The hard bit will be when you achieve your goal and have to adjust what you eat to keep the gains you have made.

[anotherbanana]

Thank you, Ken, quite right. Sugar is right out for me anyway.

My plan is to go low so that I have what I call my restaurant buffer which will enable me to eat well, richly and fully from time to time.

I actually calculate by the ‘holes on the belt’ method and the smaller pairs of trousers one!?

[Alan Zoff]

Homemade vegetable soup is great, too, and dead easy - and cheap - to make. Every few days we bung whatever vege is left over into a pan, 10 minutes turning in hot oil, then simmer in a litre or so of water until vege softened, then wiz in the blender. Shove in the fridge and microwave bowlfuls when needed. Healthy and tasty meals for 2 or 3 days.

Was great for me when I needed to lose weight and now a staple of our “diet”.

[mint]

I agree about lockdown being great for weight loss.  No restos, no eating with friends, limited range of foods for us anyway because we scoot in and out of food shops in order not to unduly expose ourselves to large doses of virus.

When I went to see my peunomologue last autumn after the 2 confinements, I had lost at that time 8 kilos.  She said I was the only patient who said they'd lost weight during confinement.

Have now lost a further 1.5 kilos so I do hope we come out of confinement soon as I will be all skin and bones if all this continues much longer[:)]

OTOH, it's frustrating being able to wear all my nice and trendiest fringues again and no one to show off to[:P]

[Alan Zoff]

Mint. You could always try posting a few photos

[anotherbanana]

Nimt, weren’t you pretty thin anyway. Dont go out in a strong breeze or we shall have to send out search parties!

[Lori]

Congratulations Wooly.  OH swears by oatmeal.  He would have it nearly every morning during the time we were trying to lose weight.  He ended up losing 25 kilos.  It took about a 15 months, which I thought was very fast.  He is still a big oatmeal fan.  He prefers the 5 cereales ones that are a bit thicker than the regular ones.

I am not a breakfast eater.  Just can't eat until noon or later, so never really got into the oatmeal idea.  However, I did get into the fresh veggie soup idea also mentioned here.  Yes, so easy and so healthy.  Took me a year and a half to lose 20 kilos.  And yes, I made sure to take about 2 kilos more than I planned off so I could eat more comfortably.  It has worked for me so far.

Combine an oatmeal breakfast with a fresh vegetable soup dinner and you'll be at 20 kilos before you know.

[Lori]

Mint - can you not have grocery supplies delivered to your home?  I don't like shopping online, but it has been a life saver (maybe quite literally) during the Pandemic. 

Sounds like you deserve a treat to eat.  Since restaurants are a no go, can you order supplies in and include ingredients for something special to put together?  Whatever your favorite indulgence might be?

[Weegie]

Be careful about how much weight you lose.  Fine if you have the "scope" but can be detrimental to your health if you lose too much or too quickly.

Extreme I know, but three years ago I was very ill, twice in reanimation, I lost 20 kilos and went from 92 to 72.  Lost so much strength and muscle that initially couldn't even sit up in bed without assistance. 

Thankfully back to as normal as I am ever likely to get.

Just a thought.

[mint]

[quote user="Lori"]

Mint - can you not have grocery supplies delivered to your home?  I don't like shopping online, but it has been a life saver (maybe quite literally) during the Pandemic. 

Sounds like you deserve a treat to eat.  Since restaurants are a no go, can you order supplies in and include ingredients for something special to put together?  Whatever your favorite indulgence might be?

[/quote]

No, Lori, can't have stuff delivered.  Only Drive is available and, if I have to order and then drive to pick up the stuff, I might as well go into the shop and pick up things myself.

Plus the goods will just have to be picked up by someone else from the shelves and then transferred to bags for me to pick up?

[mint]

Weegie, I understand what you have said about losing too much weight.  And, whilst I am here, may I just say how delighted I am that your health has now improved because I do remember how ill you were in the past.

Whilst I have indeed lost a fair bit, I am still within the "normal", "healthy" range.  Also I am being checked by 3 different specialists with consultations about every 3 to 4 months.  So, for the moment, they are happy about my weight loss.  For example, I have 3 operations lined up for the next few weeks and I do make a point of telling the anaesthetist about my weight loss in case they don't look up my latest notes. 

Last thing I want is for them to give me too big a dose of anaesthesia from which I don't wake up again![:)]

[Judith-aka-Judith]

[quote user="Alan Zoff"]Homemade vegetable soup is great, too, and dead easy - and cheap - to make. Every few days we bung whatever vege is left over into a pan, 10 minutes turning in hot oil, then simmer in a litre or so of water until vege softened, then wiz in the blender. Shove in the fridge and microwave bowlfuls when needed. Healthy and tasty meals for 2 or 3 days.[/quote]

Sounds delish.  Only problem for me is I rarely have any left over veg, I eat all mine!

[idun]

I never have left over vegetables either. Wondering why I would, but I suppose one might have  deliberately done extra for this purpose, but I usually prefer things from scratch.

I make lots of soups and stews and buy veg and pulses etc to go into the huge fait-tout I have.

And for a rich flavour, I do not think that you can beat sauteeing the veggies in butter, not oil for soup. I do use oil, usually olive for some things, but soups and bisques, has to be butter.

Now it is interesting this food delivery thing, because for all I have done it sometimes in the past for a variety of reasons. I haven't done it once during the last year and yet I have lots of friends who do and get deliveries every week. They continued even when things became a bit more relaxed last summer.

My problem with not doing my own shopping is that I am such a fussy shopper, and I like to see what there is etc especially with meat and fish and also vegetables too. Even buying cooked ham etc and I have to see what is on offer before buying.

I do understand why people are so cautious, so always bear in mind that it is an option, if I ever feel the need.