As I've said before, I'm a huge emotional eater, and food is never far from my thoughts. I'm so envious of people who say they "forget" to eat, or lose weight when they're stressed. I can't see that happening to me, somehow - I'm pretty sure that even if I lost all my family and friends in a house fire or something, I'd stop eating for about half a day then cope by finding new family/friends in the shape of CUPCAKES.
Emotional eating is like any problematic coping mechanism - you need to address the behaviour at the same time you address the issues that caused you to resort to a coping mechanism in the first place. So, I'm dieting while also trying to sort out other aspects of my life; otherwise there would be no point.
Don't tell me not to diet - platitudes are annoying. (Also, don't try twattering on about exercise - I already live with a sanctimonious fitness freak.) I'm a bit of an all-or-nothing type in general, so the whole "just eat sensibly!" thing doesn't really work for me. If I'm not keeping strict mental notes about calories, I will invariably eat 12 biscuits instead of one or two. My aim is for controlled eating to become a habit after a while, thus making precise calorie counting unnecessary and freeing up my brain for Nobel prize winning, etc.
Today I had cake in the afternoon so my dinner consisted of smoked salmon, salad and vegetables, which was delicious if not exactly filling. I did have a couple more appropriate ideas for diet dinners earlier this week, though, which I now proudly present to you.
Both these meals serve 1 and are around 500-550 calories. If you're not on a diet you can increase quantities and/or eat them for lunch instead. No pictures, sorry - I'm weak from undernourishment and wasn't able to pick up the camera. =)
1. Salmon, red onion and avocado pasta with balsamic dressing
Ingredients:
40g pasta (fusilli is always good)
60g smoked salmon trimmings (half a 120g packet)
Half a red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Half a small avocado, chopped into smallish pieces
Pinch of chilli flakes
Pinch of mixed herbs/dried basil or oregano, whatever
Salt/pepper
A squeeze of balsamic dressing (mine is Deluxe brand, bought at Lidl, and is made from balsamic vinegar plus 'concentrated grape must', whatever that is)
Boil pasta while frying onion in olive oil until browned/crispy. Turn off heat then add salmon trimmings - that way they will get just a little bit cooked, which is nice. Season with chilli and herbs then mix with pasta and top with avocado and balsamic dressing.
2. Chicken, green bean and olive couscous
Ingredients:
50g leftover cooked chicken or 80g raw chicken (thigh/leg is fine - breast is dry and screams "I'm on a diet!" to me)
A handful of green beans
Half a red onion (you can tell I like these), chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 olives, quartered/halved, whatever
Pinch or two of capers
Pinch of chilli flakes or 1 small fresh chilli (yep, chilli should be in EVERY recipe)
Pinch of mixed herbs
Salt/pepper
75g couscous
Fry onion and green beans (and chicken if raw) in olive oil. After a few minutes add garlic. Cook for 10-15 minutes then add chicken (if cooked), olives, capers and seasonings. Make up couscous with hot water and serve.
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