What do you eat if you're trying to lose weight?

[Dillpickles]

I've managed to lose all of 1lb in almost three weeks so feeling a bit despondent.

So, do you eat in a way if you're trying to lose weight? Any tips appreciated :-)

I cut out chocolate, crisps, cakes, biscuits etc and I cut down on carbs, especially bread. I try to eat more protein and veg.

Up the veg and cut out all high-gi carbs.
Go easy on fats and oils and protein.

Up protein and cut down on carbs. Works well for me.

Fruit for breakfast

The only way to lose weight is to eat in a calorie deficit.

You can calculate your TDEE online - this will tell you how many calories you should be eating per day to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, eating in a small deficit (eg 200 calories less than your maintenance) will ensure that you lose weight.

Up your protein intake too, and do some activity - walking, weight training etc, if you’re able to.

Anything you like as long as it puts you in a calorie deficit.

Literally.

The best chance of long term fat loss is a small calorie deficit built into a “diet” of all types of food that you enjoy. You are far more likely to achieve a consistent loss without depriving yourself.

Of course, it makes sense health wise to include lots of whole foods as they benefit you far greater than processed foods and you tend to get more volume for the same amount of calories, thus meaning you’ll stay fuller longer.

Example: 200 calories of chocolate is probably a small bar & half of dairy milk.
200 calories of stir fry veggies would be a huge plate full.

However they are both 200 cals and the maths still ends up the same.

Your best bet is to work out the calories you need (based on height, weight, sex, lifestyle), Knock a few hundred off and track your food using a free calorie tracker.
Then choose primarily from the more nutritionally valuable side, with a bit of the less valuable thrown in as and when.

If you don’t count calories you will never know if you’re in a deficit or not - even cutting out “bad” foods you can still push yourself out of a deficit really easily. So I would recommend doing it for even just a week to check your intake and adjust accordingly,
Otherwise you’re just guessing

I'm only week 1 but I am having only one snack a day (something like a crumpet or toast) which is filling between lunch and tea to stop me picking.

Eat tea about 6 ish so I'm not too ravenous first.

Breakfast is poached egg on half a slice toast, have the other slice buttered with jam.

At tea I normally eat reduced carbs to save calories (tonight was chicken and veg stir fry, only had a little portion of rice but loads of veg).

I am trying not to eat 'diet' food, I'd rather eat less of something satisfying than a lot of disappointment. And feel less deprived (plus lack of control/portion size is part of the reason I'm in this mess).

Finally, treat sized things. If I open a big pack of something I won't stop eating, eating a whole (mini) chocolate bar is better than trying and failing to eat some of a larger one.

It's all a choice, ultimately, I can choose to eat 5 biscuits BUT that means I'm not choosing to prioritise my health/weight loss. And I want that more than something to eat. Without a goal like that I'm a gonner.

Anything I like, as long as it's in my calorie allowance. I use my fitness pal to track my food, log absolutely everything. Lost 4st in 6 months before Xmas. Put 10 back on when I stopped tracking in December. Started again last week and lost 3lb. Just eaten some popcorn and chocolate covered raisins, just a smaller amount then if I wasn't counting calories.

I recommend drinking a lot more water too. You can have hot water, water with a slice of lemon in etc. It can help trick your body into thinking you are not so hungry.

I cut out milk and dairy completely and lost 2 stone. It meant I couldn't eat cheese, cake, biscuits, coffee, creamy sauces, porridge, cereal, yoghurt.

Eat a lot of vegetable curry, vegetable soup. Snack on vegetables. Have an apple or a handful of nuts if you are starving between meals.

No carbs. High fat. Gallons of water. Swimming. Walking. Running.

I count calories. I find NutraCheck the best app as the food database is more UK centric than MyFitnessPal. I know my BMR and my TDEE and try to get a calorie deficit each day. I try and limit carbs, but if I am having something a bit carby, I have it for breakfast so I can burn it off during the day. My diet at the moment is plenty of protein and veg with healthy oils and some fruit.

Thank you all, very helpful replies.

I'm certain I've been in a calorie deficit for atleast 80 percent of the time, based on the fact I'm not eating much at all and have cut out chocolate and biscuits which were my weak point

I've been doing intermittent fasting too most days, not eating after 8 or before 11 (sometimes even 12pm - 1pm)

Some days i'd skip breakfast completely then have 4 or 5 Jacobs crackers with a smidgen of bertolli spread, along with a banana or another fruit - that's lunch.

Dinner (tea) has been a mixture of slimming world meals and simply cook recipes, but not massive portions.

I've only had potatoes twice in the last few weeks and even then, not loads of them.

I drink on average 3 cups of tea a day with green milk. I used to have 2 sugars but usually go without now, very occasionally I'll have half a tsp.

Is it the crackers setting me back?

I am so so shit at this nutrient stuff it's quite shameful

I used MFP last year when I was trying to lose a few lbs before getting pregnant (baby now 3mo) but found the calorie calculations to be way off in my case because I didn't have scales to weigh everything.

I cut out sugar as much as possible and limit bread.

Another key one is not to consume calories in drinks (alcoholic or soft) as they don't make you feel full. And no sweeteners as they make you even hungrier.

I forgot to add I've massively increased my water intake. I drink atleast 2ltr per day.

When I was losing weight (about 1lb a week) this is what I ate:

2 or 3 spoonfuls of granola, 1 spoon of Greek yogurt, a good lot of frozen blueberries with raspberries or cherries.

One slice of whole meal toast with a good portion of protein, e.g cottage cheese or chicken , or else half an avocado. Lots of salad with a drizzle of olive oil.

Dinner: normal dinner but really careful with portion control, especially rice, pasta, chips. Half a pizza instead of whole. Lots of veg.

A snack: A few savoury crackers, an apple, satsuma. Or a cup of cocoa (cocoa powder, half a tsp of sugar, semi skim) with one biscuit. Raw carrots, cherry toms.

No alcohol on 4 days a week, one or two glasses of wine on other days.

Usually had one major lapse each week.

A little bit less of everything, and I make sure I drink plenty too

Taking plenty of notes!

Does having milk in tea three times a day really set me back that much? I've already cut out 90 percent of the sugar I'm concerned that if I cut out the milk aswell I'm just setting myself up to fail.

Tracking your food somehow makes all the difference, whether that’s using an app or just a little notebook. It’s easy to ‘overlook’ the odd little snack here, coffee there or whatever and they can add up. You need to be really honest with yourself.

Also, how active are you? Someone that does 8-10,000 steps a day could be burning off an extra 3-400 calories more than someone who is sedentary, so your daily ‘budget’ needs to allow for your level of activity.

Also consistency. I tend to go off the rails at the weekend, so I have to allow for that by reducing my weekly calorie intake accordingly. It’s no good being in a 200 calorie deficit Monday to Thursday then being 500 calories over Friday to Sunday.
That’s my biggest downfall.

Good luck OP. It’s not easy but it’s possible.

Depends on whether you are trying to do something sustainable or a quick fix.

If you want to do something sustainable then use MyFitnessPal and count your calories. You don’t need to completely cut out carbs or sugar, some people do and it works for them but it’s not for everyone.

I’m steadily losing 1-2lb a week at the moment having -
Breakfast - porridge with frozen berries and semi skimmed milk. Bottle of Actimel.
Lunch - houmous, flatbread, carrots/cucumber or soup and a bagel thin or tuna mayo on a bagel thin with cucumber and carrot sticks. Apple
Dinner - normal meal around 600 calories. Currently doing Gousto.
Snacks - mini babybel light, mullet light, graze wow bars, berries.

Works out approx 1500 calories a day and I’m not feeling hungry or deprived which is helping me stick to this!

You can eat cake and lose weight (Google the Twinkie diet). It’s all about being in a calorie deficit. There are many ways to skin that cat. Counting macros works for me. I use the Macros Inc calculator to work out my daily allocation. They also have a Facebook support group, which can be helpful if very US-based.

I lost weight and kept it off (and I eat bread and chocolate everyday, just not loads of it!)

IF isn't a magic fix, you still have to be under your TDEE, it just makes it easier to stick to. Same with water, drink loads of it you won't suddenly ditch weight but you might be to full to eat much.

You can eat anything, a Mars bar and a McDonald's Cheeseburger is probably less calories than a pret sandwich or a salad with dressing and a couple of dough balls. Nutritionally worse but you'll still lose weight.

Calories in v calories out. That's it.

Are you tracking your calories or just guessing?

If suggesting using something like MyFitnessPal, weighing your food/ drinks, remember to include spreads/ sauces/ liquids.

You said you think your in a deficit 80% of the time, what about the other 20%? Are you eating loads then?
If you, for example, ate 1600 5 days a week and ate 4000 the other two your average calories for the week would be significant higher And impact weight loss.

Your approach seems a bit haphazard. How much weight do you have to lose?

I find it easier to avoid 'food' all day so i have 2, maybe 3 of those breakfast milk things (which have protein and are apx 200 calories each) during the day and then in evening have the same meal which the family is having but with v small amount of the carbs and no bread.

note: i used to buy slimfast to do this with but the price has gone up so much i wont buy it. The breakfast milk things are still only £1 each.

How much are you exercising?

You’re diet so far doesn’t sound super, if I am
honest. I wouldn’t bother with any pre packed “diet” meals.

Breakfast- big, high in protein and veg. Green smoothie, a boiled egg with celery salt, handful of nuts.

Lunch- massive green salad (leaves, cucumber, steamed broccoli, steamed green beans) with chicken or salmon or chickpeas, lots of other veg and a sharp vinaigrette, maybe a bit of feta or couple of slices of halloumi. Some Greek yoghurt and berries. Or a big bowl of vegetable soup, 1 kargs crackers with some cheese on

Dinner- something small like a poached egg and some prosciutto

Exeraice 4 times a week hard
2 weight classes
1 circuits
1 HIIT

I walk the dog every day and I do a stretch class once a week.

Eat as much fruit and raw veg as you like. Snack on almonds or unsalted nuts. A small callipo ice lolly. A little Freddo choc bar