So over the last few days I have been having issues with portion control, simply because when I cook it I want to eat it. When I was on Weight Watchers I remembered I used to sort out everything. Each little bag had the serving size and the points and it helped me stay on track... sort of. Soda was my biggest downfall for all my diets because its bad. That isn't an issue anymore because I stopped drinking soda and actually I have pretty much stopped caffeine altogether. Every now and then I will get coffee with a friend but other then that it is just water or water with Mio or Kool-aid Liquid, but I try to leave that stuff out.
I am getting off topic so let me get back to the point I was making. So...
Right portion control!
When I go to the store I always try to make healthy choice, buying things according to the lists that I got from Jillian Michaels. I try and buy all natural meats, organic dairy, and fruits and veggies in accordance with those lists. Thing was, I was losing money. I would end up throwing stuff away because I wasn't eating it and I figured there had to be a way to save money so I started freezing things when I got home. That got to be a hassle because then I spent all day in the kitchen chopping veggies and fruits. Now I should tell you that my dominant hand is not functioning properly, so having to use it too much causes me a lot of pain. So here I was hurting myself to stay healthy and then I went into the store one day and saw that they were having a sale on organic and all natural fruits and veggies. So I went and looked down the aisle and it was perfect, the food was cheaper it was already cut up and it was already frozen.
I stocked up I mean I must have bought about 20 bags of veggies because they were on sale 10/10. It was a great deal to hard to pass up. Then came a whole new problem.... how in the hell was I going to store 20 bags of veggies, so I just crammed them into my tiny freezer. Well then I got frustrated because I would have to shift, take out, restack, get my portion and then cram the bag back into the freezer. So that made me want to eat the food less and less.
Well my friends I was laying in bed one night, because all our best ideas come right as we are about to fall asleep. I was like... I should just portion out the bags to a serving size and that will solve the clutter. So I spent 2 hours portioning out fruits and veggies into a serving per bag, labeling them with the calories that were in each bag.
When I was done I grabbed the bags and shoved them into the freezer thinking great this is going to take up less space, and I just have to take out the bags I was everyday, this is going to be great. I was so wrong, just shoving the bags into the freeze made things worse. So, I took a moment and then it hit me... stack the bags flat. Now, I know some of you may think that was the logical first step, but I am on new meds so it takes my brain a little longer to process things. To make a long story short I went from having a total mess in my freezer to something that was easy to manage.
Doesn't that look better? Now when I open my freezer I really can just grab what I am looking for and set it aside for the day. I have also started doing this with my meats, excluding chicken because I buy that frozen. I have a weight watcher's food scale and I use that to portion out the beef and pork that I buy. I put how many Oz they are so I can just grab what it is that I want and not have to worry about portion size because it is already portioned! This makes my shopping and my day a whole lot easier.
Now, before you all get all excited and get all upset about the plastic bags, I reuse them. When I pull my serving of veggies out I put them into a plastic container and then stick the empty bag back into the freezer to be used again. I put it back in the freezer because it will prevent cross contamination as well as make sure that the bag is safe to use again. If you want to get real technical you could probably just wash them out but I like to save time so I just fold them up and plop them right back into the freezer and its there when I need to buy groceries again. I do the same thing with my meats with one exception. For my meat I wrap them in Press 'n Seal because then I can pull that out and the bag is still clean. Again I have a place in my freezer for all my empty bags.
I wouldn't recommend keeping the plastic bags forever, after a few uses (3-5) just because the bag could not be sealing correctly and then you have to deal with freezer burn.
By portioning out my food, I find that
1) I am eating healthier
2) I am cooking more meals at home
3) I am not over eating
4) I am not struggling to find my calorie intake
5) I save a whole lot of time during the week.
Yes, it takes me about an hour or two to do all the work, but I have to take breaks so I can give my hand a rest. It is worth it, it saves of dishes because you aren't using serving cups all day long, its just really a grab, put it into the fridge and go about my day. Now this may not work for some but it may work for others. To be honest I have cut my cooking time down because I am not having to measure everything as I got it is ready when I need it.
With meat I recommend taking out a few days in advance so that it can thaw properly. Again just find a container to put the wrapped pieces of meat into and save the bag. DO NOT CROSS CONTAMINATE! keep your meats separated, beef with beef, chicken with chicken, pork with pork, turkey with turkey.... I think you know where I am going with this. If you don't know how to properly handle meats and veggies please, please, please! take a look at a food handling guide beforehand you can seriously get sick if it is not handled and cooked properly.
I hope this entry has helped... well anyone. A couple of hours one day will save you the hassle throughout the week. This is a great system for people who always seem to be on the go. The best part about it is, even if you forget to pull the veggies out of the freezer you can just toss them into a ziplock steamer bag frozen and you have well cooked veggies.
Take care everyone!
Sincerely,
Gypsy
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