Fat Woman and the healthy recipe

Fat Woman is very good at dieting. Fat Woman has lost at least 150lb this century. Unfortunately, that wasn't a linear 150lb but approximately 75lb twice. Still, Fat Woman thinks that she has a pretty good handle on nutrition for weight loss.

The game Fat Woman plays is that you have to find food that you enjoy eating, that leaves you satisfied  that keeps you fuelled until your next scheduled meal, but that also has a 500 calories deficit a day. Fat Woman finds this a sustainable way of eating. If Fat Woman eats an extra 500 calories she simply doesn't lose weight. If Fat Woman eats more than her calorie allowance she may put on weight, or more likely the extra will be offset from deficit days. So long as there are enough deficit days to offset the maintenance or extra calorie days Fat Woman continues to lose weight.

Fat Woman thinks her mindset is a much healthier one than the mindset of "I'll restrict my food severely until I reach my goal weight then I'll eat normally." Fat Woman loses weight slowly but consistently. People on very hard restriction diets never seem to do well after a month. Fat Woman knows several fitness professionals who have not yet accepted their personal fallibility.

Fat Woman is very unimpressed by a lot of "healthy" recipes. Fat Woman forbids herself nothing - except for KP honey roasted cashews and peanuts because they are her kryptonite and they don't come in single serving packages - but if a savoury recipe has two or more of bacon, butter, cheese or cream it's not going to be that healthy. Fat Woman is not averse to a good quiche for example, but she needs bulk in her food as well as calories to make herself feel full. The bad four are an easy way of making anything taste amazing. Add an onion to that list and you would think Fat Woman made the most amazing pasta dish in the world ever.

Fat Woman tries not to be judgemental because not everyone has the same needs but thinks it is understandable that she gets annoyed with "healthy" recipes that aren't that great for anyone. Fat Woman avoids celebrity chefs now because they are annoying anyway, but when they are being "healthy" they simply aren't working to the same values or standards as Fat Woman. Hairy Bikers becoming Hairy Dieters was particularly disappointing. Fat Woman is not going to sit through a TV show of fat stigmatisation and "one last fattening meal" to get at a fish recipe.

Despite all appearances to the contrary, Fat Woman has a life outside her weight loss efforts. This means she wants recipes to be easy, practical and to use ingredients which don't require a special shopping trip on the day. Fat Woman doesn't think this is too much to ask.

Fat Woman has been modifying "healthy" recipes to make them actually healthy for herself. Last night Fat Woman made fajitas. Now, much as Fat Woman loves authentic food she confesses that her fajitas are about as authentic as an Old El Paso box kit. However, they do make Fat Woman happy. Also, the portion can be modified for Thin Husband.

Fat Woman's portion
Two low calorie flour tortillas
One red pepper
One green pepper
Half an onion
150g chicken or steak
1/2 tsp oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp spice mix
Low fat Greek-style yoghurt

Fat Woman fries the meat in the oil, then adds the chopped vegetables and spices. Actually, Fat Woman takes the steak out and lets it rest rather than cooking it to hell. Fat Woman will add some water and replace the pan lid so the vegetables steam.

Thin Husband modifies this dish and has four tortillas (or six on a very hungry day) with cheddar cheese. Thin Husband likes more tortilla to each portion of filling than Fat Woman.

Fat Woman has nothing funny to say about the trials and tribulations of finding appropriate meals for two people with very different dietary needs.