Repetition in menu

[scrt]

I am wondering if we need to have so much variation in the menu. It would be so much easier to eat the same breakfast (for example) each day for a week and also to pack a lunch box to be able to put the same (more or less) things in it each day and then have the variation in the evening meal. Is this ok?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, scrt. No, you don’t – you can repeat days as much as you like, and even switch meals between days if that helps.

[scrt]

Thats very helpful – thank you.

[Dee84]

I just signed up and I’m feeling overwhelmed with week#1’s menu because there are so many things to shop for. Is there a substitution guide? There are items on the menu that I don’t have and/or don’t care to eat. Maybe this isn’t the plan for me.

[Support]

Hi Dee84,

Please feel free to use the Menu Planner application. It is located under Apps. It will allow you to choose the foods you love!

We are rooting for you 🙂

[srmahler72]

I have just joined and am having considerable trouble even starting. The foods listed on the first weeks menu include many foods that I can’t or won’t eat and I can’t get the menu planner to start because I have not selected enough foods. I can’t find a place to request certain foods be substituted ( eg yogurt which I absolutely cannot swallow & keep down) or eliminated from the menu list, nor do I find a place to request elimination of allergic substances. I try to eat organic & local but the menu contains several foods that only available here after long shipping & they are not usually available organic (eg strawberries, I like them but the season is over). If there isn’t a fairly simple way to adjust this, this is not going to be effective for me at all.

[capasal]

I’ve just joined too. I’m a technofobe Dinosaur and also live in a very rural area so do not have access to frsh food on a daily huh hardly weekly basis! Think I’ve wasted my money here…can’t get menu planner to work either. Don’t like any more foods/won’t get them anywhere..no-one delivers either as we’re so remote!! HELP!!!

[Support]

Hi capasal & srmahler72,

Sorry to hear about the troubles you are facing. We are all in this together and you will both succeed!

While using the Menu Planner, we recommend sticking to the foods you love and gradually adding the healthier options as you progress with the program. Once you finish selecting the minimum required amount of foods in the Menu Planner, you will be able to substitute foods or meals in the click of a button. Also, if you prefer to eat the same meal more than once in the same week this is also ok.

Remember, the beauty of the Menu Planner is that it is based on your specific dietary needs, weight, height, goal weight, and much more. You get a plan that fits you!

Here are instructions on how to access the Menu Planner application:

1. Go to http://www.trimdownclub.com
2. On the top right corner of the homepage click Login
3. Enter your username and password (You can also use your email address as your username. If you lost or forgot your password,
click Login and then choose “lost password.” Follow the steps on the screen to reset your password)
4. Once you are logged in, go to “Apps,” and click on “Menu Planner”
5. To create a personal menu plan, scroll down, and click on “Start Planning Menu” (orange button at the bottom of the page)
6. On the page that appears, from the “My Food Choices” area, you’ll have to add your favorite foods to your menu plan. Switch between the main food categories by clicking on the boxes (Carbs, Proteins, Fats, Sweets, Vegetables, Fruit) above the meal planner. Please note that you will only be able to finalize your choices and click on “SAVE & CREATE MENU” when all meal bars are full and all food group boxes are solid blue.

In addition, to learn how to use the Menu Planner, simply click on the following link: http://www.trimdownclub.com/menu-planner-tutorial/

On a different note, I understand your concerns about some of the foods we recommend being hard to find. Here’s a link with a list of stores that carry many of them. With some, you can shop online if they’re not located anywhere in your area.

http://www.trimdownclub.com/shopping-links-for-healthy-foods/

Best of luck. I know you can do this! 🙂

[srmahler72]

I tried your suggestions & still couldn’t get a menu plan. I thought I had sent post on this earlier but it seems my app doesn’t remember doing so. I have even fewer selections on the list now since I had to delete the recipes I thought sounded good because I read them in more detail & found a lot of ingredients that I don’t stock because I don’t eat them, & also found a serving problem. I live alone I really can’t see myself making something that will give me 4 servings that doesn’t look like it will survive in the fridge in edible shape. I don’t mind repitition but I like it to be something that still looks appetizing. Some of them just require throwing out a lot of unused food (what else do you do with 3/4 of a banana?). This really doesn’t seem to be going well. I am spending lots of time on the computer & getting nowhere.

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, srmahler72. First, don’t worry too much about the exact ingredients. If you have something similar at home, that is absolutely fine. As long as you can work your way toward whole instead of overly processed or refined foods, that is great – for example, if you don’t have quinoa, brown rice is already a good choice. Go ahead and put in the recipes that sounded good and wing your way through them, as a vegetable is a vegetable, a starch is a starch, and a bean is a bean, etc. You don’t have to be perfect, just try to do a little better than you did before, and the little changes will add up.
As for the portion sizes, please do take advantage of our “Fewer Servings” function in the recipes – down near the Comments area. Select a smaller number, and an adjusted recipe ingredients list will pop up. Note that most of these recipes freeze well, and making some extra can help save time.
If you would like further assistance, please do repost.

[srmahler72]

I know I’m starting to sound redundant but the recipe problem isn’t quite that simple. Take yogurt. I can’t eat yogurt & have learned not to use it @ all if I want to eat the result (no it isn’t a dairy intolerance it is a yogurt intolerance). Now I could try substituting but the regular substitutes (cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese) but none of them are going to stay down either. All of those are on my yuck list along with mayo. Not quite as simple as no rice use quinoa, no chicken try turkey or pork. Almost all the recipes call for one of the white yucks. Not going to happen. I did try the fewer servings button. Some go to 1 but more go to 2 or 4. Lot of food there. The simple starter menu doesn’t offer the option of food swapping – it is set. How do I know what to substitute for almonds – better than peanuts but not a favorite & what do I substitute for the peanut butter – likewise not going there. At this point I am stuck with the starter menu & not knowing how to substitute I can’t use it. Pushing a week with this & all I have managed to do is cut back my portion sizes & wing it on a few snacks to fill in.

[srmahler72]

Ok I got the menu to run properly. I think it was a problem with my ipad. For some reason I was only getting the carb section. I couldn’t get any of the others (proteins, fruit etc.) to show and select. Was working on the computer today & it had me moving between food types. Now the ipad is working also.
Still not real happy with the menu, however. I am going to have to stop whatever I am doing & cook 4 times a day. That isn’t going to work. Also need to know if 3 oz meat is 3 oz before or after cooking? The vegetables are a total guess since they are volume measures & you don’t specify cut. Is 1 cup of zucchini cut in 1″ cubes or shredded? Could you give me some weights on these?
I am going to have to take the fish off my list since I’ve never managed to reheat it effectively & buying & cooking a 4oz chunk without drying it out is something I have no idea how to accomplish. With these oz servings I am going to be restricted to hamburger & ground pork.
Why are foods that I did not select showing up as the majority of the replace a food selections. It doesn’t matter how many times you tell me I can replace with yogurt or peanut butter, I still won’t eat it.
What do I do when I do a replacement that makes another food redundant & I want to remove it? No point in honey mustard dressing if there is nothing to put it on.

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, srmahler. Meats/poultry/fish, cheeses, and vegetables in the menu are before cooking, and grain products are after cooking. Don’t worry about being too exact with the portion sizes, especially of super light foods such as zucchini – remember, the idea is to have a comfortable system with which you can live long-term.
With regard to the cooking, there are items you can choose that don’t require too much effort, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, breads (including sandwiches), nuts, and seeds. Some foods can be prepared very quickly, such as pastas and simple proteins with a smattering of herbs and spices (these also add a lot of nutritional value). It often seems overwhelming at this stage, but eventually you can find your way, and it can become second nature. Just ease into it, don’t worry about being perfect, and let the little changes add up. We have many recipes without white “yucks” – you can also take advantage of very healthy replacements such as avocado, mustard, and tahini (tahini is also a good source of calcium).
Finally, don’t feel like you need to throw anything out – it is better that you just repeat the use of foods such as bananas, or even repeat whole days. Some Clubmembers get two weeks or more out of a week’s menu. Feel free to move foods around throughout the day to get the combinations you want – as long as carbohydrates come with proteins, you’re fine.

[srmahler72]

Hate to mention this, but avocado is also a yuck. Works nice on my hair though. So if meats are before cooking & I get a16oz ribeye, I either cook the whole thing & nibble on it cold for the next 5 days or try to split it in 5 pieces? Just as well I went back & took it off the list. Why are foods that are not on my list constantly showing up on the exchange list? I go looking for another fat on the exchange list & end up scrolling through 1 or 2 things that I will eat & 20 or so items I did not pick. I am never going to use synthetic milk so why does it show up almost every time?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, srmahler. Your idea about splitting the meat ahead of time into individual portion sizes is one of the things we recommend for everyone. If you are short on cooking time, making it ahead of time for the next 5 days is also great, just be sure to store it properly to avoid spoilage. The swap list starts with foods you selected, but the offers those you didn’t, just in case you change your mind. We have found that many customers wanted this, so it was created – you can ignore it, if you wish.

[Author]

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