Weighing a bought roast chicken

[helen l]

Hi,
I am into my sixth week and things have slowed down, however I am guilty of a couple of "slight" deviations and am now back on track. However I have been having some cold roast chicken and weighing it, but then when I weigh the raw chicken to cook I notice that there seems to be much less in volume. I realise now after re-reading that everything must be weighed raw, but surely a bought roast chicken can be had, but I just need to know how to weigh it.
Anyone come across this problem yet?
My other deviation I think is the chewing gum, I am sticking to the five pieces and sugarless but am wondering if there are certain brands which are better than others. What is everyone having?
I can't help feeling that plateauing at six weeks is very early, does anyone agree with me
I love reading everyone's experiences and it certainly does help to keep me focused.
Cheers
Helen l

[Shellbelle]

Hi Helen I,

I have had my good loss weeks and not so good weeks. Many people on here refer to it as "integrating". I kind of like that descriptor.

Personally I chew the green extra gum.

I would be interested to hear what others say but I vaguely recall my consultant advising me not to have bought cooked chicken.

stick to the plan and you will be at goal in no time! BTW welcome and I look forward to following your success

[helen l]

thanks ShellBelle, I had a feeling that might be the case, but will also wait and see if anyone else has some ideas. It is s so nice when someone replies. I have been a bit nervous about using the site, I havent designed a ticker, I haven't taken a photo and I havent measured myself, but am obsessed with weighing myself every day and hoping for results EVERY DAY, just slightly unrealistic wouldn't you say?
However, after five weeks I am 7.5 kilos down, and another 8-10 to go.
You have done extremely well.

[Shellbelle]

I know exactly what you mean- about all of what you said!

It is great when you get replies. It keeps you motivated and on track to succeed. You have done very well, feel proud. We all have days where the scales seem to be stuck- but they will move. I have not measured myself as I can see myself shrinking and dont feel the need to know by how much, haha. I use clothes as a guide.

I need to take another lot of photos- may do that later in the week and post them. It is good to do and trust me, no one on this site judges anyone. All you will get is support and encouragement.

I am hoping we can have that chicken!!! Thinking about it is making me hungry lol

[shell]

Hi,
On your program it specifies - CHICKEN BREAST.

NOT cooked roast chicken, which will have seasonings and stuffing added, and is also full of FAT!
I used to cook them at the supermarket where I worked.
Shell

[nattyg]

Hi Helen!
Last week I weighed some brought roast chicken for my dinner as it was very late and I needed quick. The result was a disaster! I put on 500g for that day (my first increase, not decrease!). Other people might have had different experiences but mine wasn't good so based on that, I'd advise against it! It did taste good but it wasn't worth the time it took for that 500g to go again!! sorry.
By the way, I love extra sweetmint
hope this is helpful
cheers,
Nat

[Skinnyminnie]

Hi Helen, just popping in to say hello.
I have also been guily of not weighing my food, quite a lot of times lately.
I have had a lot of functions & parties, that include eating out & have just had to judge the amount.
I really stressed out about it for the first few weeks, but everyone is so helpful on this site & I realised that you still have to have a life & unfortunately you life interferes with things at times.
Good luck on your weight loss journey,
Cheers, Steph

[RosemaryFNQ]

Hi all,
Re the chicken - I honestly thought that cooked chicken from for example Woolies was okay as long as you ate the breast , no skin and weighed 10% less for cooked meat. I am sure I read somewhere to take off 10% but I don't know where. I hope this is ok cos I nearly have this about 5 times a week. But if it is not recommended I will do with out as I am getting closer to the end now and keen to get there asap (aren't we all).

I look forward to any advice.
Thanks Rosemary

PS Helen you should start a diary.

[phillida]

I personally would give the shop roast chicken a miss. As Shell says - all that fat - it premeates right through. A quick stir fry of chicken breast with a spray of oil and a sprinkle of pepper tastes great and takes no time at all. And if you have already frozen your raw weight portion in a snap lock bag it can be defrosted in a tick first. Too easy!

[sundaymorningstaple]

It sounds like your are deviating non-stop and that is probably why you have stopped losing weight.

Sorry folks, but pre-cooked/boiled/roasted chicken or anything else is not allowed on the programme. You have no control over what was added during the cooking/roasting, etc. Your programme is very specific about this. The weights given are weights that take into consideration the average hydration of a given food. Once you cook it, that has changed considerably. You are not allowed to "guesstimate" the loss because of cooking. If you do this you are deviating big time. Don't look for shortcuts and ways around what your programme says. It's only for a little while in the greater scheme of things. If you want to do it successfully, you have to take it the way it's written and not with "interpretational" changes.

Before anybody come up with an additional possibility, you cannot weigh the whole and then roast it and then divide it up either as each piece of meat will react differently during the roasting process. Just follow the programme as it's written and you will be finished in the fastest, healthiest time possible.

[Hayley23]

I really don't understand how people get the idea that we are allowed things that arent specified in our programs?! I think the beauty of Cohen's is the fact that all of the guesswork is taken out for us. None of the "Hmm should I eat this? How much should I eat? I hope this wont affect my weight..." It is a wonderful thing that we can lose weight so effortlessly provided we follow a clear cut set of rules. I have found it such a releif not having to second guess a thing that passes my lips. Just think of it as a doctor's prescription at the end of the day. Would you take a medication that wasnt prescribed to you?

[RosemaryFNQ]

Thanks SMS. Here I was thinking that I have been DF all along and now I find that I have been deviating several times a week. I will take this advice and avoid now and hopefully I will lose more kilos at a faster rate.

Thanks to Helen for asking the original question.

Rosemary

[yeti]

Hi guys,

Thought I'd add my two cents worth...

Snugglebear and I discovered the perfect dried herb mix for your chicken breast that makes it taste like take-away chicken!

Sprinkle on a combo of dried sage, dried rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper, when the chicken is cooking in the pan. I spray my pan with oil, lay down my chicken tenderloins, then sprinkle on my allowance of the combo above. When chook is cooked halfway through, I flip it and cook the "herbed" side. Make sure your pan is on medium heat, not high, and you won't burn the herb mix.

It's delicious and I eat it every second day...

[helen l]

wow, wow, what a plethora of replies; I am stoked with all the responses, some emotional, some plain down the line, you are all truly wonderful and this is such a great site, thank you all for your contributions and guess what, I gather I stay away from my yummy roast chicken!!!! Here I was just ploughing into it, thinking I was so virtuous weighing scrupulously, the XXX gm and it was only when I weighed the raw, I went....oh, oh, there is something not right here.
To

[helen l]

Sorry, my fingers slipped and I hadn't finished, but I just wanted to say to Rosemary, yes I am planning on starting that diary, I just need some time to sort out how to go about it,. Also, just wanted to add , I lost a kilo yesterday....in one day (a day I wasnt eating roast chicken...heheh!), I am finding that as long as I drink 3 litres....in freezing cold weather as well, I will always lose even just a gram.
Thanks again guys, I don't feel alone.

[Kohinoor]

Hi Helen,

I am finding that as long as I drink 3 litres....in freezing cold weather

Hehe, you could always draw on the thought from Marilyn Monroe's film (and others on here who advocate it) - "Some Like it HOT"..... And I'm talking about those 3 litres of water.....

During Winter, drinking cold water is always harder - try warming it, or even drinking it hot !! Some do, and love it that way,

Koh

PS To start a diary, go to the top of THIS page, click "Quick Links", and near the bottom click on NYF Diary Request. Fill in the bits needed, then wait (usually around 24 hours or so) and your Diary will be introduced into the Diary forum. Then have a ball !!!!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Koh, two trains of thought here. One is if you are going to be spending time outdoors in cold weather, it's best to drink cold drinks before going out. This caused the capillaries to shrink in volume and therefore restricts blood flow to the skin as well as reducing your core temperature slightly making the cold not as noticeable (as an avid duck/goose/deer hunter I can vouch that this actually works).

And, secondly, "hearsay only", drinking cold liquids causes the body to lose a little bit faster as the body has to generate heat to warm up the cold liquids. When you body generates heat it is burning fuel (fat).

But I'll agree, in the first instance it sounds hard to do and until you get used to it....

Same principle works in reverse drinking hot beverages in the summer - warm up your core a half a degree and the surrounding temperature feel not so bad as your blood vessels & pores open up allowing cooling by evaporation & blood cooling to make you feel cooler.

[AUFBA0]

Hi Helen

I am glad you have asked the question about weighing a bought roast chicked. I too, have been quilty on a couple of occasions.

My question to anyone is what about if I roast a whole chicken for the family, and only eat the breast. How can I ensure I have the right quantity. Any help appreciated.
Cheers

[shell]

Same as above-
It is NOT on the program!!!!

[ConnieK..]

Yeti,

lay down my chicken tenderloins

Tender loins are just that - loins not breasts and NOT allowed on program.

Connie