For reference, I’m a male early 20s 5’10 \~160 pounds. I’m fairly active 5/7 days a week mostly cardio and some bodyweight training. I just started doing an 18:6 fasting window between 2-8 pm. I split my window into two meals, for lunch I have a turkey patty on a whole grain bun with a whole avocado and a protein shake (or clif bar if I’m going on a run) which amounts to about 900 calories a meal. This holds me over until dinner which is a prepped meal that includes chicken/turkey, some veggies, and rice to around 500-600 calories depending on what I prep that week. This is what I’ve been doing for the last month or so. I don’t usually eat any foods outside those two meals and drink mainly water.
So I’m looking for some foods I can incorporate into my diet or ways that I can improve my current plan. I think what I’m doing now will help me lose weight given time and I’ve already started adjusting to the eating window so hunger pangs aren’t a problem. But obv I don’t wanna eat the same foods for months straight and I don’t have many ideas of what else I can do. Since the goal is weight loss and eventually toning I want foods that are high in protein and low in carbs
For me…lower carb make IF way easier. I do a lot of meat meets pan with veggies of the day…whatever they happen to be that day.
Poultry, fish/seafood, beef, pork, eggs….pretty easy. Seafood aside, I generally cut the meat thin…like quarter inch. Cooks fast.
I generally chuck a combination of veggies in a smoking hot covered pan as I prep the meat. Generally 1 to 3 veggies in that. My staples are fried cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage (I generally buy bags of coleslaw because it’s easier), broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower…lots to mix and match.
Sometimes I chuck parmesan or cream cheese in there. As I’m low low carbs…sometimes a rice substitute (nice thing there…no preboil needed). The big thing to me is playing with spices and oils. Seaseme oil, for example, changes a dish fast. Cummin is good. Rosemary goes in most dishes, as does jarred garlic. Love oregano, maybe Cajun it up with hot peppers and such. Mixing spices up can make the sane meal taste very different.
When I moved to this style of cooking, I thought it would get old fast. I was big into instant pot cooking. Can’t imagine not cooking like this now. 5 minutes prep…10 maybe 15 to cook….1 minute cleanup….1 pan.
Also air frying is a game changer as well