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 :-)

You aren’t eating enough to feel full and your body will be storing calories as unsure when the next genuinely nutritious meal will be.

I am losing roughly 1.5/2lbs a week by stocking to 3 meals and 2 snacks a day 6 days a week. On the 7th day I have coffee/cake or a take away etc.

Breakfasts:
Porridge, almond milk, nuts and berries.
Protein smoothie - almond milk, fat free yogurt, strawberry protein powder, frozen berries and 1/2 banana.
Wholemeal bagel thin with bacon medallions.
Poached eggs and wholemeal toast.

Lunch
Chicken and vegetable soup.
Cajun chicken, rocket and feta quesadilla (1 wrap).
Wholemeal bagel with chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato.
Ham omelette with 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white.

Dinner
Lean beef stew with sweet potato mash and veg.
Chicken and chickpea curry.
Pulled chicken with wm wrap and salad.
Chilli with 5% mince and baked sweet potato or brown rice.
Garlic, chilli and soya chicken and broccoli with wholemeal noodles.
Cajun chicken and spinach pasta made with low fat creme fraiche.

Snacks tend to be
Apple
Nuts
High protein yogurt
Banana
Berries
Oatcakes x2 and Philadelphia light
Protein shake (1 scoop and water)

I also exercise 5 or 6 times a week between gym classes and 5k walks.

Steak, red meat, butter, cheese, cream, no carbs or more practically very low carbs

Oh I forgot roast beef/roast pork/pulled beef/pork. Look up carnivore diet on YouTube and Nona Teicholz The Big Fat Surprise (she can also be seen on youtube)

OP based on what you eat/like, have a look at the slimming world method.

I think that would work for you and allow you to snack. It’s so important that what you do is sustainable, or you won’t keep doing it.

You aren’t eating enough to feel full and your body will be storing calories as unsure when the next genuinely nutritious meal will be.

This just isn't true I'm afraid. The truth is much more likely to be that the OP is not in calorie deficit and she isn't counting calories so is just guessing. Because what she is eating has radically changed she is feeling deprived and hungry. The poster who gave the calories for 100g of different foods has the key here - make better food choices and count calories. As do those saying work out your TDEE and eat less every day.

For the meals you normally have, replace some of the meat with things like green lentils as well as adding extra veg. That way you can bulk out less meat, make more and reduce the amount of fat you are eating. Swap pasta and white rice for the wholegrain varieties. Eat a couple of slices of Hovis Seed Sensations bread instead of the crackers. These wholegrain foods will fill you up and provide added protein which will stop you feeling so hungry. Reduce the layers of pasta in lasagne to increase to ratio of protein to carbs.

Some of the the diets on here are worryingly extreme and unsustainable ( the weight will go back on when you return to a normal way of life). I have been trying to lose a bit of weight by getting the Nutra check app ( not much more than £20 a year) which encourages me to count up all my calories (I have a limit of 1600 a day) and walk the equivalent of at least 200 calories a day (about 6500 steps).
I am losing weight slowly - about 1 or 2 lbs a week and that is without cutting out bread plus I have 4 cups of tea a day with milk and one sugar). And it’s sustainable because in the real world I’m not prepared to give up tea with milk and sugar or bread. The app is just teaching me to be more mindful about not snacking between meals as much and only having the occasional glass of wine at weekends etc

@Hoolihan

If I could 'enjoy treats in moderation' I wouldn't need to be on a diet in the first place 🤣

This just proves my point exactly.

There are no quick and easy fixes. Losing weight sustainably does require some discipline. Otherwise we’d all just eat chocolate and biscuits and crisps all day long.

I used to be exactly the same. I ate loads of biscuits throughout the day, and bags of share-sized chocolate every night and I couldn’t imagine giving it all up.

So I didn’t. I allowed myself 1-2 biscuits in an afternoon, and a smaller portion of chocolate in the evenings to fit into my calorie allowance. Your body does get used to the reduction in sugar after a couple of weeks. It takes a lot of willpower and discipline, but it can be done.

If you go through phases of just ‘not eating’ for most of the day, it’s too restrictive and you will always relapse into old ways of eating. And so the yo-yo cycle continues.

Op I feel your pain!
I had a wake up call after Christmas when I realised I had allowed myself to gain over 2 stones in the last couple of years.

Since the 1st Jan I've really taken things in hand by totally cutting out alcohol, increasing my steps as much as I can on a daily basis & adding in 3 good hour long walks per week (10k steps per walk) this is a good start as I have a v sedentary job

And I cut out all the crap- cake, biscuits, chocolate etc. V little bread but not totally out. Wholemeal or rye only

A typical day for me looks like :

Breakfast: smallish bowl porridge made with water & low fat milk, topped with a tablespoon homemade stewed apples, small glass freshly squeezed orange juice & a small fresh coffee with low fat milk

Mid morning small skinny latte

Lunch: vegetable soup with 2 thin slices brown soda bread OR tuna salad on lettuce leaves (tuna (in spring water not brine) with handful cooked petit pois, diced red onion, diced red pepper, diced avocado mixed with tablespoon low fat geek natural yoghurt, zest & juice of a lime, black pepper & loads of fresh coriander all tossed together & served spooned onto lettuce leaves ) OR chicken salad OR mushroom omletted served with grilled tomatoes

Dinner: salmon baked in foil with slivers of red pepper, spring onion, chilli flakes, grated fresh ginger, soy sauce , fresh coriander) served with steamed sugar snaps & small portion brown rice OR homemade cottage pie with sweet potato topping with steamed greens OR homemade prawn, mango & butternut squash curry served with brown rice OR chicken breast in Cajun spices served with 3 been salad & guacamole

Snacks: fruit - aldi have some amazing produce in the specially select range so I have either a jazz apple OR a small handful of sable grapes OR v sweet juicy tangerine OR a couple of slices of melon - they are each so full of flavour!

I have lost 11lbs since 1st Jan & I have not found it too arduous. I am viewing it as a switch to proper, real food & I avoid overly processed stuff as much as I can. I'm taking the approach that this is about looking after myself & nurturing myself as much as I can.

I'm in my early 50s so metabolism is against me but it seems to be working pretty well so far

I go through phases of eating smaller carb portions and bulking up the meals with extra salad and veg every so often rather than a rigid diet and cutting out food for a length of time. I find this way I crave less and am less likely to binge eat. 3-4 meals a week I'll reduce the carb element in and overall it helps me to balance my intake. It also makes eating out and holidays easier.

Yesterday I ate

Green smoothie (kale, cucumber, spinach, ginger, OJ, frozen mango, celery)
Boiled egg

Home made cauliflower soup. Half a piece of sourdough and a bit of cheese

Chicken kiev. Big green salad. Caramel wafer biscuit

One coffee and LOADS of water.

I also did a 40 minute walk and a 60 minute kettle bell class.

I think maybe look at the FAST 800 keto diet to get you started. Remember a diet is for life. So a concerted effort and some big changes then a transition into something more manageable, and lifestyle sustainable.

I've been doing one meal a day for over a year, it suits me really well and for me is totally sustainable. I would honestly rather just not eat than tie myself in knots weighing my pasta and eating half a biscuit. It's more of an effort for me trying to moderate sweet stuff than just not having it at all. When I have done more traditional diets in the past I have spent ALL DAY thinking about food. With OMAD I don't think about it at all and then just eat a normal meal with my family in the evening. Realise it's not for everyone but I think the challenge is finding a way of restricting calories in the least painful way possible for the individual, and this is mine.

@Dillpickles

I forgot to add I have protein powder to make protein shakes. I was having those as a meal (lunch) replacement when I started but the taste is awful, strawberry.

OP everything you said about what you like to eat and how you find it hard to stick to eating differently for long. Yep, same.

I can start all the lovely healthy eating kicks in the world but after a week or two i end up not being arsed with the fruit and the greens and whittling it down to the best bits easiest to grab stuff like the yog and the nuts (as previous poster said) and then getting hungry and starting upping the ryvita to make up for the hunger. Then because it's all i'm eating and i'm bored i'll buy the 'bit nicer' yogurt and loads of nuts and before you know it i'm on a high calorie posh yogurt, nuts and cracker with butter diet and it's costing me a fortune

I know me. You know you. You have to find something you know you can stick to. It's about the sticking to it day in day out and being able to function.

Between kids (4) I've lost weight on low carbing. I've lost weight on protein shakes. I've lost weight just calorie counting and writing it all bloody down on a graph on the fridge I've done it all and they've all worked at the time because it suited me then at that time in my life.

So - the above about the protein powder - been there too. Yuk. But the protein powder in the drinks does for me cut down the hunger a bit.
That's how i got onto slimfast. The shakes are pretty tasty - but so bloomin' expensive now. .... and that's why i have the breakfast milks. They're not exactly yummy but they're ok. The choc particularly.

It works for me because i know i've eaten something with protein powder and vitamins in it. I know how many calories there are in them and i haven't had to balance 'nice' and 'naughty' food.

Then eat normal food with family in evening with a bit less carb if i can.

The weight does come off.

Hardest bit for me is in the evening to be honest. Trying not to pick at stuff.

I'm following Dr Moseley Fast 800 and I've lost 10lb since 2nd Jan 2022

I've 3 stone to lose

I thought at first I'd be starving and no energy etc but it's the most successful diet I've ever tried to date and I've tried everything

There is a thread for it in weight loss club come and join it.

And I'm still running 20 miles a week on a only 800 calories and it's been fine I have cut down from 30 miles so energy wize it's ok .

I had my doubts about it but I'm very pleasantly surprised

@Laiste"Then because it's all i'm eating and i'm bored i'll buy the 'bit nicer' yogurt and loads of nuts and before you know it i'm on a high calorie posh yogurt, nuts and cracker with butter diet and it's costing me a fortune hmm

I know me. You know you. You have to find something you know you can stick to. It's about the sticking to it day in day out and being able to function!.

This has made me LOL!

OP I just reread and only just saw you have a 3 month old! Please don't put pressure on yourself to lose weight now. You need all the energy and self-care you can get while looking after your tiny one and the others, and your body is still recovering from the birth. Please be gentle with yourself, it's never a moral failing of any kind to have a bit of extra weight!

Calorie deficient is how I’ve lost 2 stone. It sounds like you’re not eating enough.

Search James smith Marco calculator. Invest if you don’t already in some scales and download my fitness pal. Edit the daily calories to what the Marco calculator tells you to have this is based on your height/ weight and activity level.

Walking actually burns more calories across the day. I would try to hit 10k steps in as many days as possible.

For me
Breakfast - baked oats ( I add protein based off my current goal)

Snack: clear protein Shake

Lunch: a chicken and cheese wrap with salad included and a skinny snack bar ( I get these from home bargains- there is plenty of options)

Snack: protein yoghurt (aldi version)

Tea: usually a mix of whatever I fancy like beef ragu, homemade curries etc.

When I’m lazy cook from frozen chicken in some sauce/ seasoning. Two forms of veg with some noodles

Snack: depends on how many calories I have left but usually I do a low calorie snack bar/ protein bar. Might treat myself to cone cake or biscuits.

I usually have a big dinner on a Sunday with a dessert as a week day treat.

I also drink plenty of water

Oh and another benefit of OMAD = it's cheap! No shakes/protein bars/special yoghurt required, no more £6 lunches from Itsu. There's no counting, weighing, good and bad foods, syns, spreadsheets, low cal cheese, cake made of kale etc etc etc.

However as others have said with a 3mo baby please give yourself a break! It's too soon to be thinking about dieting .

I only eat when properly hungry during the day. Small porridge 10am no sugar. Big cup of miso broth for lunch. So warm and filling despite having hardly any calories. Normal tea with family lots of protein and veg or salad. Little bit of chocolate in the evening.

I think I could lose weight faster but this is sustainable for me. I’ve lost 2-3kg a month since September, dropped a dress size and am almost halfway to my weight loss goal.

I’d also say get as much sleep as you can with a 3mo. When you’re tired you crave that sugary blast of energy to keep you going.

I won't pile the weight back on once I return to normal eating, so long as I don't exceed roughly 1800 calories per day. I used an app to work out how many calories I actually burned per day and it was 1750-1800 calories.

So, that's why to lose weight I'm only consuming 1000 per day. Once I reach my target weight I will maintain it by not eating more than 1800 calories per day. It's really that simple.

Pretty much the same as when I’m either gaining or staying the same, just less of it.

I don’t adapt family dinners or anything, for example. We still have the same meals. I just have a smaller portion than I used to.

@Ohpulltheotherone

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'd agree with this. Understanding the relative calorie content of foods was a real eye opener to me when I went on my one and only diet 30+ years ago. For example, a regular pork pie has as many calories as a piece of fish, a few new potatoes and a ton of veg.

It can be a pain working out the content of things the first time but as PP said there are online tools now to help, and once you know how many calories in eg 2 weetabix and your usual amount of milk, you won't have to check it again.

I need to lose weight again. I am going to try to adopt a 'make a better choice ' approach eg weetabix instead of toast and jam is more filling for breakfast. Have scrambled egg instead of quiche for lunch. A slice of ham & salad rather than pork pie. More veg than potatoes/rice/pasta. Only have alcohol if we are out for a meal or drink, and even then alternate with water . Etc and see how it goes.

Dieting without any exercise at all will always be an uphill battle. Waiting for our gym to reopen then I'll join. Every little helps. I now walk to the local shops rather than jump in the car; when driving to bigger supermarkets, I park as far away as possible from the door. And try to go on a longer walk each week.

I've gone down a jeans size in less than a month by cutting out refined carbohydrates, increasing water and veg, following a 16:8 plan, and reducing alcohol intake.

I don't weigh myself.