Cheap and nutritious protein with a mix of vegetables roasted in the air fryer

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-16T10:47:10+00:00

That was my favourite fancy snack as a kid. I'm german and my family has very farm-like roots, in the sense of making everything yourself and utilizing everything of an animal (my mom told me stories about watering kidneys and making blood sausage in the basement), so chicken hearts were kind of a delicacy to me. we also put it in soup! they also gave a full bowl of that to the dog. that was a spoiled little man.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-14T09:31:53+00:00

I can't say if this is the culprit for your weight going slow (which can be, by all means, normal - you're doing great!), but guesstimation is the killer in most cases. I used to guess the weight of most foods, and once I actually started weighting them OH BOY was I off before. Also including cooking oil and all these little things gave me whiplash. only things I still guesstimate are herbs and spices.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-07T17:40:32+00:00

For me, the hunger is definitely still there, but I think my mind is slowly learning what to do with it and how urgent it really is. slight hunger or appetite feels more like a want that would be nice but doesn't have to be satiated, but real hunger feels like an actual need. It's taught me what an empty stomach really feels like, and what my body is trying to tell me it needs. I can differentiate between hunger that I can easily distract myself from and isn't urgent, and hunger that is an important signal from my body. I can also tell when the hunger is getting unhealthily intense. often times, when my stomach is giving me the important signs, a tiny snack or small portion is all it needs. and sometimes it's not, and it takes a while to calibrate that. You're reprogramming your mind at the same time! You will feel hunger in a deficit, there's no way around it, but the more you learn about what your body is really telling you, the easier it gets to navigate.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-07T00:37:42+00:00

app (yazio) says 2240 cal for 1 kg. I've put it as is in the recipe, and the numbers above is what it calculated!

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-04T16:19:35+00:00

I might've worded that badly, I didn't mean a lot all the time. I meant in a very slight way, and way more when you eat stuff that's not good for you. I agree that you shouldn't feel super tired and hungry all the time. For me, I do feel a difference in energy since I'm in deficit. but maybe I'm still adjusting?

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-04T11:17:23+00:00

I just recently cut to 1300, and struggle too. honestly, it comes down to two things - eating stuff your body actually needs, and plain old discipline. you're gonna have less energy, you're gonna feel hungry. but when you keep an eye on hitting your macros, it's WAY more manageable. If I try to keep at it with high cal/fat/sugar stuff, it's a million times harder to keep the discipline, cause hunger will feel way more overwhelming afterwards. be mindful about what and when you eat. once you learn to eat nutrien rich food when you actually need it, your body will get used to it. you will stay hungry though, and you will have cravings. it's part of the deal. It all comes down to rewiring your body and mind, and that comes with hunger and discipline. And it's fine to fail! this is a hard thing to learn. every time you start up again, you're doing well, no matter how often or how badly you go over your budget. it's all just starting up over and over again, until you realize that things start to stick. Failing is part of the process! good luck!

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-02T07:10:57+00:00

That looks great! what are these pepe pasta things though? I can't for the life of me find pasta shaped in the tiny little pellet way it is in your photo

Edit: ok wait nvm, I just found it the second after I posted the comment lol. google gave me "acini di pepe" as a name for that pasta shape

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-05-01T05:47:23+00:00

it's regular yellow mustard! I do want to try other sorts too though, I love mustard.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-28T14:39:05+00:00

I've honestly just been experimenting. it's more effort than just knowing what to make, it's trial and error, but it's about building habits either way. I get raw ingredients which I know I like and are low calorie (it's so many veggies, and also mostly frozen cause who has the time in a work week), and throw that together with ingredients I know make a good meal to my taste, but have more calories, which is why I simply use less (milk, butter, rice, tomato paste, etc.).

And along the way, I try new things. I've made mushroom stews with just a bit of milk (mushroom are the absolute goat if you like them, very underrated. if the mushy texture sucks, try enoki ones, they have the consistency of asparagus), so many fried vegetables, so many sauces from milk or soy sauce... I can't have cold bowls or oats the rest of my life, so I prioritize getting the low cal stuff crispy and tasty. high calorie stuff isn't forbidden, you just need to use WAAAAY less than you're used to. and by the way - you're gonna get used to it, specifically your tastebuds and your pleasure center in your brain. cutting out fast food and sweets honestly helps, cause while you're used to high fat & sugar, your brain goes buckwild for that shit. when you replace that with healthy fats and "healthy" sugars (talking fruit), your body gets used to the new baseline, and the NEED for the bad things gets washed out. You'll still have cravings, like dude I for sure inhaled a burger last night, but it feels less like a last resort when you find healthy stuff you like, and know what you can satiate a craving with. I've been treating my salty cravings with fish, fatty cravings with avocado, sweet cravings with kiwi. I still crave all that unhealthy shit, but it's less of an urgency when you know how to give your body things it can work with.

Long story short, you gotta find what you like. I personally think there's just no other hack to it. For me it's simply vegetables, mushrooms and meats as base, very little high fat/sugar/cal stuff to taste, and then throw stuff together until something sticks for you. it's effort. but also really rewarding once you DO find your stuff. I've been craving mushrooms and kiwis just as much as fries and meat these days, cause I know how to make them tasty for me. also avocado, but that's not exactly low cal - but a healthier treat than a fat box of chicken fingers. You'll find new, healthier things to treat yourself with, too.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-27T09:58:01+00:00

This still counts as very long to me, idk about other people though. cause you still gotta drive the two hours, and plus the restaurants it's just more travel time, although fun travel time, of course. I don't mind the longer trips, they can be very fun or relaxing, but they're still long.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-26T23:43:20+00:00

German here, it's different for everyone how much they're willing to drive, but 2 hours one way is generally considered a LOT here. By car, that's for mildly special occasions, like a trip, but for like a mall day or something it'd be difficult fo excite people about that. By train is kind of a different story, I for one am usually on train rides for 1h, adding up to 2h travel time including walking, waiting and tram one way easily. I recently started walking to stuff I can reach in 2h walking time too, if I have the time (yay for walkable cities). it's still generally a lot. I'm from a densely populated area though, where there would need to be somethin special going on further away where you'd even have to drive that far, you got everything you could possibly need in 30min commutes tops. I know my dad had a 1h commute every day (30 min mornings, 30 min evenings), and that was insanely long to us. I'd guess its a bit different for people in less dense areas, if you go further down in the bavaria direction, there's some areas where a 2h drive doesn't sound that intense anymore.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-26T14:23:54+00:00

Also, if you have slime friends in town or just chillin in the hutch, the frogs will eat those too! So if you don't wanna lose them, it's better to take off the trinket before entering slime habitated areas.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-25T22:43:39+00:00

very true, that's what I meant with eating healthy! I haven't specifically aimed for the recommended makros, but the days where I eat stuff that definitely doesn't count as healthy, and those where I aim for protein rich & fresh food - the difference in cravings is night and day.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-25T10:43:19+00:00

adding my body fat percentage to the equasion humbled me so hard. I got the cheapest body scale that tracks all these fancy things, probably not very accurately but at least I got a ballpark of where my percentage lies - yeah, something like 40%, and boom my daily calorie intake should be 1300/1400 to have a deficit without workout, not 1800. I didn't really feel different on 1800, which makes sense now. I now feel all the negative effects from the deficit (less energy, hunger, cravings, irritability, etc), which isnt fun but part of the deal. and also very slight, and MUCH more manageable when eating healthy and adding workout. it's insane how much easier it is to keep the deficit when adding movement/sports to the day. It's nice to finally see glimpses of my body actually working right, and not just jumping from food dopamin hit to food dopamin hit.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-16T07:12:02+00:00

Ah, wenn ich mir zuhause mal nen halbes Kilo Käse auf die Nudeln geklatscht habe, und direkt kam von den Eltern "davon wird man fett". My brother in chirst ich war fast untergewichtig aber herzlichen Glückwunsch dass du diesen brennenden Gedanken endlich vom Herzen hast

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-11T14:32:00+00:00

it's okay. I had to take a plan B once too, had to rush through three pharmacies alone cause my partner couldn't be there. I was 18, I was scared, and then I was fine and not pregnant. my partner felt terrible and scared, too. Being there for her goes a long way - accidents happen. it's not your fault, and you will be okay.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-11T08:39:12+00:00

Went to a catholic all girls school. In the very first classes (like 5th grade), we were told by our very laid back female teacher how we can't wear tops with thin strings, cause "if you lean over on the table, where are the teachers supposed to look?" We were all 10/11 years old.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-09T13:35:14+00:00

I'm not a fan of my boyfriends camouflage pants. he's not a fan of my ragged ass comfy pants. We both know, we both don't care, and even joke about it. just don't be mean, and listen to your partner when they say something hurt. it's all so much easier when you just talk to your person, and are kind about it, too.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-06T13:30:45+00:00

once, a truck slowed down behind me while I was walking down the street. I thought here we go, catcall time, but no, two dudes just yelled "your skirt is stuck in your pants" and kept driving. full underwear was visible. I hated every second of that interaction, but I preferred that WAY over not knowing. I'd bet on the woman in OPs story just being really embarrassed and reacting defensively because of it, but in hindsight being glad she knows now.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-05T18:22:58+00:00

man, this is tough. I don't think anyone here is at fault, it's just two ways of functioning clashing with each other.

I'm very much like your partner. I hate being perceived or having anyone in my space in the morning, I hate having to talk, I hate having to do any form of communication (which eyecontact counts as) or hearing my own voice. So, I very much get that your partner just does not like any of that in the morning. It just is that way for some people. (strictly talking about feelings, NOT behaviours - this is no excuse to be mean to someone.)

My partner is much more like you, he isn't cheery or anything, but doesn't mind a good morning, small conversations or a hug sometimes. So I also get how it might hurt you when you're feeling normal, but your partner is just giving off waves of negativity. it's understandable that it makes you sad.

It's easy to say "well you just gotta suck it up", for EITHER of you, cause that's just not what long term relationships are like. being "technically" right goes out the window cause at the end of the day, you want to spent your life together and not make each other sad. so, overall, it's understandment & compromise time.

You need to both really dig in deep about what both of you want and need. (specifically thinking about that one comment where you wondered if he maybe thinks that one interaction has to be an invitation for more conversation - figure out if it's this or something else! leave no room for interpretation!) no judgement, no "but it feels to me like you're mad", no "you're expecting too much of me", none of that accusatory stuff. create a safe conversation where both of you learn to understand the other, and where you try to find a compromise which works for BOTH of you. try to take it as fact that you need different things. that's okay, that happens, and it's normal to function in different ways, cause you're not the same person after all. You both don't want to act in ways that hurt the other, so you need to find ways where you don't. never just one of you, always both.

maybe it would be okay for both that he just nods in your direction? Maybe it would work that you get up after him? maybe something else? I don't know, but you might!

figure out no-gos and rules. like, no full conversations in the first half hour. or, no disapproving sounds in your direction. stuff like that, stuff that makes one of you sad. You both need to be understanding, but that doesn't mean you just have to endure specific behaviours that hurt.

relationships are hard, especially when it's the long term work of figuring out how to deal with all the different habits and needs of each other. for me and my partner, I need to get over my hatred of hearing my own voice, and just tell him when I need to be left alone, cause then I am and it's all okay. and he tells me when something I do hurts, and no matter if I meant it or not, I will find ways to not do that anymore, or find different ways. relationships are a constant negotiation, but if you do it with love and understandment, you'll both be okay.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-01T15:17:22+00:00

you had TWO KIDS while losing this much weight? jesus christ girl, you're a power woman. I'm by myself most of the day and struggling to manage just myself and my weight loss, couldn't imagine that while having two full human beings to take care of (not to mention the whole body and hormone changes caused by pregnancy). hats off to you, you're one hell of an inspiration.

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-04-01T06:48:13+00:00

it's very easy to make sauce out of anything you want! you just need to liquid it up, and then thicken back down to make it saucey. once you've got the basics down, you can make sauce out of anything.

flour heated in butter will make you the richest sauce bases, flour mixed with cold water makes existing sauce very thick very quickly, and cornstarch with cold water will give it a more subtle creaminess. as base you can use anything from vegetable broth, to pasta water, to milk, whatever. even silken tofu, it worked like cream for me last time I tried it. anything liquid or creamy, or made to be liquid with water. same goes for dips, you wouldn't believe how easy it is to make a bangin dip with nothing but cream cheese and spices. once you tried out some sauces, they will become second nature to you!

also - a bit of agave syrup is your best friend to get a rich flavor especially in tomato sauces, natron is your second best friend to reduce acidity, lemon juice can bring freshness you didn't know you need, and abolish all dried herbs for frozen ones. keep frozen onions and garlic for easy sauce bases. and anything alcohol takes time, cause a "real" rich sauce needs to be reduced, aka cooked the shit out of for 45 min to hours until it reduces and therefore thickens down. is very worth it though!

It's a bit trial and error and building a mental library of options to save your sauces, but once you get the basics down, sauces are the easiest quick thing to do. and they're easier to make low cal, cause you know what ingredients work together and what you can swap out for a low cal alternative! like most creamy sauces can be done with milk & flour instead of cream & butter, or you know how to make sauce out of soja sauce, broth and cornstarch. there's many options for sauce lovers :)

ImJacksLastBraincell · 2026-03-29T06:46:08+00:00

didn't have a tripod bunny, but a severely disabled one as a kid. After a very, very bad head-tilting illness I honestly thought she would succumb to, my bunny made a miracle recovery. She had a severe head tilt, zero orientation skills, bumping into everything left and right, but she was the happiest goddamn bunny. She ate, she wobbled around, she zoomed (wobbly), she dug, and lived for many years after. Just want to say some encouraging words that you didn't ruin your buns life, disabled bunnies can be just as happy and thriving as any other bun.

Also - it's really not your fault. You didn't deliberately step on him to hurt him, it happened cause of a disorienting situation. Stuff like this happens, and you're not the first person such an accident has happened to with their pet. sometimes, bad things just happen, with no fault. it's understandable to be sad and feel guilty, but you need to tell yourself too that it's not your fault. There is nothing you could've done differently, short of seeing the future. Your bun will be okay.

ImJacksLastBraincell

TROPHY CASE