The Sneaky Way Stir Fry Can Block Weight Loss
April 19, 2018 Ashley 0 Comments
Anyone here love grilling their veggies?
Just kicking back with some shishkabobs full’ve peppers, mushrooms, and onions on a nice summer day?
Me. Too.
Last summer, I think my sig. other ‘n I were firing up the BBQ every weekend. And we’ve both missed it – especially given this Indian winter. So much so that, as soon as we hit the 60th of January, we dismissed convention, lit ‘er up, and started a new ritual: grill ‘n chill. We’d impale our food inside, sprint to the deck, plop it on the cooker, and run back inside with our edible treasures in multiple trips. It was kinda fun. And, at first, it wasn’t a problem. Because we’d only enjoy our charred novelty treats on the weekend, it didn’t make a dent in our diets. Plus, they were just veggies. So, no big deal. Right?
Right. (Kinda.)
That is – until I started grilling back at my own dwelling as well. Nightly. See, I loved the taste of singed deliciousness so much that I decided to carry it over to nights when I was suppering solo. Only problem? I don’t have a grill at my home. So, instead, I opted for the tried ‘n true stir fry version of my veggie medley – versus my usual “nuked in a veggie broth” mode. After about three weeks of this business on the nightly, I couldn’t figure out why I’d gained a couple pounds. Sure, it could’ve been a number of factors. (See: stress, stress, and stress.) However, as it correlated with this change, I couldn’t help but assume it was the cause. So, I wondered: why is this any different from how I usually prep my veggies when I dine solo?
And then, as I was reading over weight loss articles one day, it dawned on me. Total duh moment.
The reason consistently grilling veggies made me gain weight, was the same reason dried fruit does:
Now, which one’ve those badboys do you think would fill you up?
And… which one do you think you’d need more of to feel full?
One’s got a nice high water content and all the fiber that comes with plant food. (Spoiler alert: it’s the left one.) The other’s got all the same calories – but isn’t half as satisfying, since it’s missing all the filling liquid. Thus, you munch more of it. I tried mind rewinding to consider how this mayhaps applied to my own sitch. Dehydrated plant food? Check. Delicious but less filling? Check. And, sure enough, when I was grilling up my greens in a pan, I’d start with a set amount and then, after a few minutes, realize how awfully meager my meal looked.
(Round two? Check.)
What had appeared abundant moments ago, now looked like sad, sparse toppings you’d see on a pizza.
So, naturally, I’d add more, thinking, “If it’s too much, I’ll have leftovers for tomorrow”. (*Narrator: “There would be no leftovers tomorrow…”*) Yeah, after scarfing down a bowl while simultaneously, mindlessly, ingesting televised drivel… my belly was still growling. I didn’t even stop to consider the fact that I never felt this way when I steamed my meal. Or that I ate so much slower when I was sucking down nice, filling, hydrated broccoli (giving my tummy time to digest and register that I wasn’t starving). Or that, by the end of bowl two, I was probably eating a multiple amount of calories compared to my typical consumption. So, I’d happily enjoy tomorrow’s portion on top’ve tonight’s, telling myself it didn’t matter ’cause it was “just veggies” anyway. And, since I follow a healthy plant based diet everywhere else in my life, it honestly didn’t. A couple pounds is no bigs. I can lose that in a week, easily. (And did.) But, for those who commit dietary infidelity elsewhere (McDinners with a sizely side’ve carbonated sugar), I could see how nightly stir frying could compound those extra calories up after a while. Espesh if it’s making you reach for seconds like I end up doing.
That said, if you think I’mma quit grilling altogether, you crazy, girl.
And you shouldn’t either. Why? Because, much like anything else, it’s all about balance. Maybe a few days, steam your greens. Maybe a couple, enjoy that stir fry. And, as for those barbecue weekends with your bae? You needn’t worry about overdoing those. Because, as mentioned in a previous article, grilling with company’s a whole ‘nother story. Aside from the fact that you’re prepping a set amount of veggies (making it tougher to overdo the nomming), you’re also typically talking and interacting. Also, you have to take time to slide each bite off a skewer (versus shoveling a bunch in at once). This means more time with the food away from your face, more time for it to digest between bites, and more time for your tummy to catch up with your taste bud’s demands.
So, if you’re shoving too much grilled deliciousness in your grill while dining solo, maybe tone it down a tad.
Or, better yet, add a friend to your feast fiesta!