And so the refeeding questions begin...

Elle-Emm

Gold Member
Well, true to form, i've chosen a difficult week to refeed... And i don't yet have the refeed info from my pharmacy, but have used what is posted in this forum to plan week 1 refeed.

It's my final week of work next week (yay!!). However, i won't be at home for 10 days from Day 3 of refeed.

There's a fridge and microwave at work which I can use Monday-Friday. I'm then off to stay with my mum for 5 days so no catering problems there :)

Lunches are easy at work, but I've got 3 evening meals to plan which I can't cook. That would be fine excpet for the carb element - and i'd rather have hot chicken/fish than cold... I'm going to see what restaurants are nearby, I stay in Leamington Spa so there will be a good selection (of course i've never looked or noticed, only started the job a week after starting TFR!!)

So, a few questions:
a) anyone got any eating out top tips (eg, any chains like Cafe Rouge, ASK got good meals?)
b) can you have the shake for dinner, with a meal for breakfast instead? eg scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes at hotel and shake for lunch.
c) at what point do you start having carbs other than potato/rice/pasta? i mean couscous, quinoa, bulghar wheat.
 
Hi Elle

WAW!!!!!! Feel there should be a big "drum roll" for you :)

Re: your questions...not sure if I can answer them all, but I will try and I am sure others will comment also.

a) Cant help you there, as I dont eat out very much. I am sure if they do wraps, then you should be ok (but if pre-prepared, there might be full fat mayo, etc.), so if in doubt, I would say ASK!

b) Yes, you can have the shake for whichever meal you prefer. The sheet is only for suggestions, but I do know that the majority of people stick with the suggestions; probably because it is easier and it is a stressful time as it is.
But I dont see any reason for having the egg, etc...but just watch though, usually scrambled egg is made with butter/marg...so, you might be best to opt for a boiled egg. At least you know what you are getting! I think it is Day 4 you can start to have bread, so you could have a slice of wholemeal bread with your egg. I hope I am right with the days, as I have a terrible memory. Tanya is BRILL on remembering what to have when :) She will keep you on the straight and narrow there.

I often have grilled turkey rashers and a poached egg..oh, you could have poached instead of scrambled! And what about mushrooms, you could ask for boiled (I do mine in the micro).

c) Day 3. Again, they suggest a baked potato, which is the carb, so if you prefer to have bulgar, etc...then there is no reason why you cant have that instead of a potato...in all seriousness, potato is the highest GI anyway, so I bet bulgar, rice, pasta are a little less....just watch your portion size. Cant remember off the top of my head what it is you are allowed, but just watch with uncooked and cooked (again, I am sure Tanya will keep you straight on the amount).

Hope this helps! Just remember the whole idea of the refeed is to follow the program so that your glycogen levels fill slowly so not to gain weight, although, as you know it wont be fat if you do gain!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, ENJOY!! I know it will be a little more difficult for you not being at home.

Re: something hot!! Go and buy one of those cooked chickens!!!! And if there is a Tesco/Sainsurys near you, they also do hot gammon, etc.....as I know I like something hot too, although at the minute for lunch having cold salads still.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!! AND WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF EATING :)))))))))
 
Wonderful! Thanks so much. I just figure, I get breakfast included in hotels and haven't been able to get what i pay for since March so makes sense to keep costs down and try it. I'll go for it and see what i can get (without fat!!). poached egg on wholemeal toast sounds good.

Tell you what, I'm really looking forward to having porridge for breakfast - ever since i started LT i've looked forward to porridge!

So looking forward to starting refeed on Saturday :) Everything's happening at once (as always!) so first week of food is my last week of work and then I'm back in Manchester, no job lined up, BLISS!

i am going to the NOrth West Food Fayre-type thing at Tatton Park my first day of refeeding so will actually be able to buy things for the week ahead (and xmas!)
 
I used to go to Leamington a lot as I lived in Coventry but haven't been back since moving to Manchester so I'm not sure how up to date I am with the restaurants there. However, I know there's a Pizza Express and, as strange as it sounds, there's a a lot you can eat there. They have load of different salads which you could have as your second meal of the day and they're really great about not adding things that you don't want (croutons, dressing etc) They also have a range of low fat dressings which lots of places don't. The best thing is that if you go onto their website, it tells you the calorific content of every meal and even go as far as telling you the calories/fat etc with dressing, without dressing, with fat free dressing, with dough balls and dressing etc.....the list goes on!

I'm re-feeding in 10 days (can't wait!) and I know that my first meal out, which my boyfriend is so desperate for, will be there just so that I can feel safe. They also have a fab Melanzane Parmigiana which is about 8 WW points and just delicious!

By the way, congrats on your fab losses. I've never been able to post much as my home computer broke the week before I started LT but when I was first considering taking the plunge (and was lurking!) I remember reading your posts and seeing your losses and I can honestly say that you (and Scotsmist and Sarah-Lou) really inspired me. Thirteen weeks later, I'm 10 lbs from my goal weight but actually smaller in size than the last time I was this weight and haven't felt this good for three years. So, thank you for playing such a big part in my journey (sorry, I know that sounds cheesey but it's true!)
 
Hey elle! What a week to start! :giggle:

Defo not allowed porridge on refeed and if i was you i wouldnt even bother eating out on your refeed week. They add so much rubbish its unbelievable. Even some things that are advertised as 'good for you' really arent that good for you! LOL

Dont bother with the hot cooked chickens/gammon either as im pretty sure they cook them with a lot of oil/fat which is a definate no no, especially on refeed!

I think your best bet is to have breakfast at the hotel.
Poached/boiled egg with wholemeal bread (no cereals are allowed on refeed) and maybe some fruit.

For lunch have a sandwich/jacket potatoe and some fruit and then have your shake for your tea and avoid eating out.

That is just my personal train of thought though as id hate for you to eat out, not know exactly whats in the food and then balls up your refeed. Be careful of salads too, they can sometimes be worse than a meal (drizzled with all that olive oil/dressing etc).

I hope i havnt put a dampner on your refeed week :( Sorry if i have lol Just stick to everything that is on the refeed sheet and you cant go wrong.
 
But surely the point about salads is that you just ask for it without dressing?! You can see exaclty what is in a salad and if you're in a decent restaurant you can just ask them to leave out the dressing or the eggs etc. There's nothing wrong with a tuna salad....
 
Yep .... nothing wrong with a plain salad but with the tuna, make sure they havnt cooked it in the pan with oil/added fats and if its from a tin make sure it was from brine not sunflower oil.

Really, to have to rely on eating out on your first week of refeed is far from ideal. When are you planning on visiting pizza express? I hope to god its after your refeed and once you have settled into maintaining!!!!!!
 
I have my lunches all worked out Tanya, and am happy to have cold meals for dinner.

I wasn't thinking of porridge on refeed (i'm intending on refeeding for 4 weeks), just wondered when you can add things. I guess cos i haven't got all the details from LT, just accessed what people have typed out or copied from their own details on here - you don't get much specific advice other than what is included on that and that barely covers carbs other than potatoes so wondered when the chuff you get some ounce of creativity!

No dampener on my refeed week - i'll only be eating out if i can find somewhere that looks as though they do something that's 'allowed' :)

hadn't looked at Pizza Express but will do. had quick look at Strada and ASK i think. REalistically I'll nip to Sainsburys and fill up a salad bowl, get a packed of chicken pieces and have that for dinner. Sad, but true ;)
 
Wonderful! Thanks so much. I just figure, I get breakfast included in hotels and haven't been able to get what i pay for since March so makes sense to keep costs down and try it. I'll go for it and see what i can get (without fat!!). poached egg on wholemeal toast sounds good.

Tell you what, I'm really looking forward to having porridge for breakfast - ever since i started LT i've looked forward to porridge!

So looking forward to starting refeed on Saturday :) Everything's happening at once (as always!) so first week of food is my last week of work and then I'm back in Manchester, no job lined up, BLISS!

i am going to the NOrth West Food Fayre-type thing at Tatton Park my first day of refeeding so will actually be able to buy things for the week ahead (and xmas!)

you know, it amazes me how much porage (proper scottish spelling :)) fills me up...I am not hungry till about 2pm if even then I am! It is so low GI and slow releasing, which is brilliant! I am sure you will enjoy it so much when you come to having it.

You have been so sucessful on TFR, dont think you will struggle too much getting through re-feed. But, you know where we all are!

I did eat out my second week on refeed and had a tuna steak and salad - I did ask for it to be grilled and the salad plain. I think restaurants are much more accommodating than they used to be.

ENJOY!!!!!!! Keep us posted though as to how it is going.

What are you going to look for - in relation to a job? Its PR you are doing isnt it? Will you stick around Manchester or is the World your oyster now????
 
best of luck on refeed elle, so delighted for you to get here you have been a rock to so many of us, looking forward to seeing your food diarys ;)
 
What are you going to look for - in relation to a job? Its PR you are doing isnt it? Will you stick around Manchester or is the World your oyster now????

I've been working in Warwick since March, so definitely hoping to be working in Manchester :D

I'll give myself a few weeks off before I start properly jobhunting. I'm prepared to wait til January if need be, now is not the best time - especially for contracting work, if that's what I eventually go for.

In the meantime I'm going to crack on with my next Open Uni course and mainly try and get a pile of home improvements done which I *finally* have both time and money to do :D

It's an exciting time!
 
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