Help me tweak my diet - carb heavy at the mo, and stalling

[theladylovescupcakes]

lost a stone last year with slim fast. Put a few lbs back on after a fortnight in the US and Xmas

I'm eating more mindfully now, trying to write down and keep track of what I'm eating and doing more exercise.

Need to sort out my breakfast and lunch choices tho, both of which are very car by. I eat brekky at work so have a bagel which takes a wee while to eat. Lunch at home, so tend to have some Ainsley hot and sour soup and ryvita thins crackers as it's easy to count the calories and fairly filling. Weight loss slow this time despite doing zumba, body balance and some couch to 5k and getting a bit disheartened. Perhaps it the carb heaviness of my daytime food?

Any suggestions for a less carby portable brekky, and a nice lunch that can be prepared at home. Thanks in advance.

Hello - I tried Slimfast ONCE and never again - it is full of a bulking agent, so apparently the body doesn't get the nutrition it needs, so makes you crave. I put on weight over the next couple of years, and stumbled across Herbalife after my 1st child. It was really good and i lost the weight without feeling like I could gorge. I'm P again now and still take it for breakfast (mix fruit with it and feels as bad as a naughty great milkshake, but is actually quite good). It's a bit more costly than some of the other stuff out there, but hey, I'd pay to lose weight.

Brekkie..... Boiled eggs? I find they keep me full for ages.

Lunch, maybe ditch the crackers and have salad with your soup instead?

Thanks for the replies.

Just back from a Bodybalance class, and while we were relaxing at the end I was thinking about boiled eggs! Could easily be organised enough to take them to work with me, as I don't tend to eat breakfast until around 10/10.30.

Dont really do salad tho. I like crunch, hence the crackers. Trying to stick to around 250 cals for both breakky and lunch.

Have just bought a WW mag for food inspiration!

For me:
Breakfast 2 egg omelette plus fat free natural yoghurt (100g) with oatbran (20g) and sometimes some defrosted berries. Full until lunch!
Lunch salad with cottage cheese, or tinned fish (tuna, sardines) or smoked salmon trimmings. Or soup with pulses or dried soya mince stuff to add protein help keep you full so no need for crackers.
6pm snack 25g nuts or 1 ryvita and thin spread of peanut butter
Dinner: meat or quorn with loads of veggies

BTW 1 bagel = 4 slices of bread!

foreveronadiet do you mean a bagel = 4 slices of bread in terms of cals or carbs?

yes, i'd say seriously up your protein to fill you/reduce carb craving so eggy breakfast always good. Also a hearty soup - say creamy chicken & veg or creamy tomato with a little grated cheese- and ditch the crackers/bread??
Seeds are a good topping - in salad/soup whatever - if you like crunch..

Thing is I'm not really feeling hungry (except just before meals) and not really craving carbs, just that they seem to fit better in terms of convenience and easy calorie counting.

Just thought I should mix it up as I though that being carb heavy wasn't a good thing.

Will source some seeds expatagain, thanks for the tip.

I agree, I think you're right to mix it up a bit. try myfitnesspal, once you're up and runnign with it, it's super-quick to count calories easily, or often you remember after a while anyway.

Just so you know, for example, 2-egg white scrambled eggs (no oil) is only about 35calories! Chuck them raw in a bowl over a handful of frozen spinach with a little garlic/pepper/herbs and put in microwave for about 1 1/2 mins (stir in between). I sometimes add a couple of spoons of fat-free yoghurt. it's seriously tasty, honest! Plus quick and v filling and all at super-low carb/calorie count.. I never used to have breakfast like this was always toast or muesli but find it much better and lasts me longer.

35 cals!! Gosh, will have to try that. Thanks.

For lunch- any lean protein and salad such as tuna, chicken, ham, prawns etc.
Sometimes I cook an extra portion of protein the evening before when I am preparing dinner and have it the next day.
Or if you don't have eggs for breakfast a big omelette with ham, mushrooms, peppers etc. I try not to go very low calorie as risk getting starving later and having a really big dinner.
This has worked for me as I have lost 60 pounds.

4 slices of bread in terms of both calories and carbs. I guess it depends on size of bagel - just looked up a tesco one - over 200 calories and 42 g carbs - so maybe 3 slices not 4 - they are more dense than bread.