Simple, Delicious, Easy

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to Suzy&Ed who are now Following. Join us in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Update: This blog was first published in 2015, in the site’s early days. Suzy was a friend who wished to be slimmer. Through the Fast Diet and other methods, she lost 30 pounds and was very happy with that. I’m not saying it was all due to the Fast Diet, because she never told me all the details, but she did like the flexibility and inclusivity of the Fast Diet.

Back to 2015: Join Suzy&Ed in sampling this Monday’s menu and see how much weight you can shed by Tuesday — it is a real ego boost and such an incentive. Expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Losing weight slowly but steadily is the best way to do it — it gives your body the chance to shrink your skin as the fat layer under it decreases. Losing weight too quickly leads to sagging skin, sometimes requiring surgery to remove.

What sort of meals do we want when we are on a weight loss diet? Meals that are simple to prepare, delicious, and easy to fit into your lifestyle. Here are some examples.

Breakfast Casserole: 192 calories… 6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 14 g protein… 13 g carbs… 69 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values shown are for the plated items only, not for the optional beverages. PB GF – if using GF bread This is my take on strata-type breakfasts – without the layers. It is hearty, flavorful and very satisfying. HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2] breakfasts. If serving one person, enjoy the rest of the casserole as a lunch later in the week.

Sv 2Spray oven-safe dish or ramekins with non-stick spray.
two 2-oz egg + 1 egg white [1½ Tbsp] ++ ¼ c milk, skimmed ++ herbs/seasonings of your choice ++ ½ tsp mustardIn a bowl, whisk these together.
1¼ oz 70-cal. whole-grain rye bread ++ ¾ oz minced 3%-fat ham ++ 2 Tbsp Gouda cheeseCut bread in ¼” dice. Grate cheese. Stir these into eggs to combine well. Pour into baking dish.
HINT: you could prep this the night before so bread will asorb wet ingredients. Cover, pop in ‘fridge.
Bake at 350º for 18-20 minutes.
per person: 1/3 c. of mixed melon and strawberries OR 2 oz apple
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]While it is baking, prep the fruit, and prepare your optional beverage.

Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes: 269 calories… 9.6 g fat… 3 g fiber… 33.5 g protein… 10.5 g carbs… 93.6 mg Calcium… PB GF One of the earliest meals we made when starting the Fast Diet, this recipe hails from the Fast Diet book in a slightly altered form. Still a favorite. Quick and delicious.

++ 4 oz salmon ++++ 10 cherry tomatoes [5 oz] ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 3 oz green beans or 2 oz sugar snap peas ++++ seasonings to taste ++

Spritz a small oven-proof pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Put the salmon in the pan and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Arrange the tomatoes on/around the salmon. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile steam the green vegetables and plate it all. So easy. So yummy.

Flavorful Thursday

Dieting and calorie restriction do not mean subsisting on salads and bland food. These 2 recipes are full of flavor for a Winter’s day.

mushroom omelette, applesMushroom Omelette:  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. For this morning’s breakfast, chop or slice ½ oz mushrooms and saute with a little water in a skillet. Remove and set aside. Now whisk the 1.5 eggs with seasonings to taste. Pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook, tipping the pan and lifting the cooked eggs until the bottom is set but the top is still moist. Top with the mushrooms and ½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with 1.5 oz apple [or 2.25 oz melon or 1.2 oz grapes], plus your beverage and Fast Smoothie. You are off to a good start.      295 calories

Chicken Curry: Based on Craig Claiborne’s ‘Anything Curry’ from his Gourmet Diet book, this meal takes a bit of preparation. But maybe the snow has kept you inside and you have more time to cook. Start with the curry sauce: Chop 1 c. onions, 1 clove garlic, and ½ c. celery and 1 c. apple. Cook until wilted in 2 sprays of cooking oil and 2 Tbsp water. Strew 1-2 TbChicken Curry w: tomatoessp curry powder [more if you wish] and 3/4 tsp dry mustard over the vegetables and stir to combine. Add a bay leaf and 2½ c. chicken stock. Cook down until the mixture measures 2½ cups. If you are serving one person, you will use 10 fluid oz. of the sauce; double that if serving 2 people.  HINT: Freeze the remaining sauce, either in 10 oz portions or 1¼ c. portions. To continue. Steam 1 oz carrot slices and ½ c. cauliflower florets. Boil ¼ c. yellow lentils until cooked. [You will need ¼  c. cooked lentils for this dish, so use any leftover another day.] Add the cooked vegetables to the curry sauce along with 2 Tbsp green peas. Add ¾ oz cooked chicken and heat the sauce to warm all the parts. Serve with the lentils on the side and a garnish of ¼c. diced tomato or diced cucumber.       288 Calories

Why We Do This.

Remember that this isn’t just about losing weight — that’s the part that shows.  Following this faithfully will lower your cholesterol. And if studies are to be believed, calorie restriction will help you to live longer and grow new brain cells. [See ‘About this Blog’ for links to the original TV show about Fast Dieting.]  Those are good reasons, as far as I’m concerned, to follow this lifestyle and stick to it. What is there to eat on Monday?

Coddled Egg Breakfast: 280 calories  These eggs can be prepared in an ‘egg coddler’  or in a custard cup. If using an official coddler, fill a pan with enough water to cover the coddler by an inch. If using a custard cup, put enough water in the pan to come half-way up the cup. Spray the cup with nCoddled Eggson-stick spray and break one 2-oz egg into the container. Add 1½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, herbs, and screw on the lid. Lower the coddler into barely-boiling water and simmer 4 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the eggs in the water 1-2 minutes longer, depending on how you like your eggs. Meanwhile toast ½ slice of 70-cal bread. Mix ¼ c. blueberries with 1 Tbsp yogurt and serve on the side. Coffee or tea. Fruit smoothie [Blog Post #1] or 6 oz apple cider.

soba:shrimp quickfryShrimp Stir-fry with Soba Noodles: 275 calories Cook 1 oz of dry soba [or udon] noodles in a quart of water about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, shell 3 oz raw shrimp and cut in half across the body.  Peel 2 oz carrot and slice into coins. Slice 1½ oz green cabbage and 1 oz onion. Measure 1.5 tsp soy sauce. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a cast iron pan or wok. Add the carrot, cabbage, and onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and any liquid and cook one minute more. Toss the cooked noodles into the pan and mix to warm them. Add 1 oz chopped green onion [or a Tbsp steamed chopped broccoli], salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss to mix ingredients.  If you think this sounds complicated and long, I did it in 25 minutes and that included peeling carrots and cleaning shrimp. Satisfying and good to eat.  If you don’t like shrimp, substitute just under 2 oz sliced chicken breast.