How would you rate my food today?

[BlazesBoylansHat]

I'm trying to be more mindful of UPFs + also lose the last 10lbs of a 3 stone weight loss .

Breakfast: porridge made with half & half water & low fat milk, tiny sprinkle of brown sugar, small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (from the juicing machine in supermarket), proper coffee with low fat milk

Lunch: homemade soup (roasted butternut squash, carrot, sweet potato, red onion, garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes, salt pepper, low fat coconut milk & chicken stock) with a slice of organic wholemeal seeded sourdough with real butter

A tiny pink lady apple

6pm- proper coffee & 1 fun sized bag of malteasers (was really tired after work )

Dinner: fesh salmon cooked in foil with spring onion, thinly sliced Red pepper, grated fresh ginger, chilli flakes, fresh coriander & soy sauce served with roasted asparagus & steamed new
potatoes

A clementine

Water with lemon slices to drink

OP was asking for advice wasnt she?

Some people find it easier to lose that last little bit if they eat low carb and they're adept at knowing which things have the highest levels in them and what you can tweak.

Thats why people are talking about sugar in juice and carbs in a soup.

Its just their preference. OP may find this helpful, she might not. Its there to take or disregard as she sees fit.

Oh no, carbs.

Everyone take cover

Your food sounds lovely.

Good! Blueberries instead of sugar on porridge, dark chocolate instead of maltesers.

Wtf?

You are aware the OP asked, aren't you?

Just realised that probably sounded a bit arsey!

What I meant was, it isn't easy to do and there are other routes to weightloss not that it's not easy to do and some people aren't cut out for the hard work!

Also, agree that most of us just want to be more mindful about what we're eating generally.

I still think you should lose the juice. Juice really spike my blood sugar. It would be better to eat the orange.

Thanks @GreyCarpet i didn't think you were arsey!

I'm not sure how i'm stealth boasting either...but whatever!

See, this is where it gets confusing for me as I would not have considered today's food particularly low protein - but perhaps i'm wrong?

By my reckoning there's protein in:
Milk
Eggs
Baked beans
Chickpeas (falafels + hummus)

I also felt it was ok in terms of 5 + a day as I ate:

Stewed apple
Orange juice (controversial!)
Bowl of strawberries
Baby spinach
Mixed leaves
Avocado
Red onion
Cucumber
Tomato
Radishes
Red pepper

I think its v hard to really know how well you're eating but for me i've definitely cleaned my diet up from biscuits/ crisps / takeaway etc so it has to be better!

Coffee doesn't keep me awake. I dont usually have one at 6pm but yesterday was a particularly busy day & I was glad of it & a 10min sit down

I must buy some nice dark chocolate tomorrow!

Thanks to all the comments.

@GoldPoster i'm genuinely curious why thats such a terrible thing barring medical issues?

I can sleep after having coffee at 8pm

I've been known to have coffee after a meal out & that could be 11pm

Not enough protein. Add an egg for breakfast and some more protein at lunch.

It sounds nice and I would feel well on that food. I think depriving yourself of everything nice (like butter or chocolate) is more likely to make you binge. And when you are maintaining weight it’s not very realistic to have a very Spartan diet. Look at the celebrities whose weight yo-yos madly. That’s not healthy, surely it’s better to have a few maltesers and a bit of butter rather than busting out in a disordered way and regaining all the weight?

I had porridge for breakfast & scrambled eggs × 2 + baked beans for lunch?

I agree with you..i think in order to stick with this i need to have some of the things I love in moderation. I think real butter is a superfood & good for you.

I'll get some dark chocolate tomorrow (which i love)

You should always start your first meal of the day with savoury- you gotcha to much sugar in the porridge and orange juice that will raise your glucose and set you on a roller coaster

It's not a terrible thing and also not necessarily true. I've spent two weeks recently with a blood sugar monitor in and have a small glass of orange juice with my breakfast most mornings. No issues. If your body is processing glucose properly it's not an issue.

Put lentils or chickpeas in the soup to add protein.

No butter on the bread.

Hars boiled egg for snack instead of malteasers.

I'd be starving eating so little, but I'm impressed at your cooking. The soup sounds delicious.

I'm eating 3 meals per day. I don't think its 'little' but it did take me a few days to get out of the habit of snacking between meals, usually on crap like crisps / shop bought cake & biscuits

Today i'm having

Porridge with stewed apples & coffee

Mushroom omelette with herbs & grilled tomatoes

Cajun chicken breast with three-bean salad & guacamole (all homemade)

I have apples / clementines/ Grapes to snack on

Sparkling water to drink

Sounds delicious! I meant I'd be starving if I ate that much, as I eat more and I'm rushing about all day. I am slightly overweight, though, so would probably be healthier on your kind of cooking!

You sound like a foodie, OP.

I think that's my problem!! ILOVE food & i'm a good cook & used to cooking v nice, but more calorific dinners.

So this is a new challenge. Eat healthily, cut out all the crap & cut back on all the lovely stuff that's adding calories (just for now)

I would like to lose the last 7-10lbs which would take me to a 3 stone loss.

I lost the bulk of it in spring 2024 & have maintained v well at the weight i stopped at. I know that when I get to where I want to be I can eat like this midweek & relax a little over the weekend & stay fairly steady.

I just need to push on to get to that point without feeling utterly deprived!!