Help a gal out and tell me what to eat!

[Stucklikeglu]

I am so fed up of starting afresh every day! My aim is to lose a little weight and generally get a bit healthier (definitely feeling very out of breath and uncomfortable at the moment).

Really struggling with coming up with and sticking to a meal plan.

Today I've had

6.30am - strawberries, blueberries and grapes with yoghurt

10am - protein bar as I'm usually very hungry at this point

1pm - carrot sticks, pitta bread, hummus, satsuma, mini chocolate bar

4.30pm - biscuit

Then I've binged on chocolate and spoilt my tea.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I need to roughly follow these times due to my schedule -

6am - breakfast

10am - snack

1pm - lunch

3pm/4.30pm -snack

7.30pm - evening meal

I work in an office and walk 2 miles to work every day so could so without bringing too much with me.

This is how I lost a stone and kept it off: from 11am eat two eggs, tuna or chicken and loads of salad. Dont feel hungry til dinner.

6am - Breakfast:

• Greek yogurt with berries and a sprinkle of almonds (250 calories)

10am - Snack:

• An apple with a tablespoon of almond butter (150 calories)

1pm - Lunch:

• Mixed salad with greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a dressing made with lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil (250 calories)
• Grilled chicken breast (4 oz) or a plant-based protein source (200 calories)
• Quinoa or brown rice (1/2 cup cooked) (100 calories)

3pm/4.30pm - Snack:

• A handful of baby carrots and hummus (150 calories)

7.30pm - Evening Meal: Baked Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli:

• Baked Chicken (4-6 oz): Approximately 250-350 calories, depending on the size.
• Roasted Potatoes (1 medium-sized potato): Approximately
• Steamed Broccoli: Approximately 50-100 calories.

Approximately 450-650 calories.

Hi @Stucklikeglu
Breakfast - two toasts, nothing on it
Snack - fruit
Lunch - rice with lentils
Snack - plain yoghurt
Dinner - porridge with nuts
Hope the above helps, sorry if it's boring! x

Honestly I would try to push breakfast back. I find the minute I "break my fast" I'm then hungry consistently. The later I can leave breakfast the better for me. Could you have your breakfast at 10am and then you'd cut out that snack? Just have a tea or coffee at 6.30?

Sorry but the lack of protein in this diet really isn't good. Calorie wise it might make sense but not all calories are created equal! Nutrition is important too

Eat protein for breakfast: an egg, 50gr smoked salmon, handful of tomatoes
Snack: banana or apple, some nuts
Lunch: big salad full of variety, lo cal dressing and sone protein: prawns, chicken etc
Dinner: big pile of steam veg, skinless chicken or fish, a baked potato or new potatoes or sweet potato, cous cous etc

Ease up on the fruit - of your seven to ten a day it should only be two max.
Watch your macros - protein keeps you feeling fuller longer.
Carbs should be complex.
Count your calories- weigh your food to get get any idea of proper portion sizes. I can lose weight eating 1600-1700 cal/day, some people need to eat a bit less. I think anything under 1200 is not sustainable long term.

If you can do it, try skipping breakfast at 6am and eat breakfast at the 11 time slot - try drinking a big glass of water first thing. After a few days you won't feel hungry in the morning.
Use smaller plates to fool the eye.

Yogurt and lentils have s lot of protein in.

Greek yoghurt does but not other yoghurts. Lentils are not a complete protein as they lack two of the amino acids needed.

0630 whole grain toast with a boiled egg
1030 yogurt and fruit (a good greek high fat low sugar yogurt)
1200 more veggies red pepper celery etc, some protein like chicken or tuna with the hummus and pita.
1630 have your mini chocolate bar
BUT i'd have supper ready and eat as early as possible preferably finished by 1830 so you have at least a 12 hour fast.

I'm steady at BMI22 and am 60yo. A typical day for me would be :

Breakfast: Porridge with berries or chopped apple, made with water
Snack: banana
Lunch: grated carrot & apple salad with raisins and almonds, and a small amount of vinaigrette.
Snack: small pot of raisins & nuts
Supper: steamed fish on lentils & cherry tomatoes. Stewed plums & half fat creme fraiche

That also gives me 10 different fruit & veg, so good for the immune system.

You do plenty of exercise so you should be using up plenty of calories, and should have a reasonable metabolic rate.

It makes a difference how old you are as well.

I know my food needs at 60 are different from at 30. When younger, I needed more meat & cheese to feel well. Now at 60, I feel much better, more energetic and healthy, eating fish, olives, nuts, pulses, veg.

And good hydration is important too. Plenty of water.

MN will hate me for this but have you considered Slimming World? It is an easy plan to follow, and it works! I'm honestly never hungry

The problem with restricted diets is that you are in danger (as you discovered) of binging later in the day.

A normal SW day for me looks like

(I don't eat breakfast as I also do the 16:8 plan)

Lunch - pasta, salad, tuna / rice salad with cold chicken or turkey / leftovers from dinner the night before!

Snack - bread roll with marmite, apple and pear, skinny latte

Dinner - lean meat, potato, veg / spaghetti Bolognese/ home made veg curry and rice / omelette and home made chips w salad

Greek yogurt with berries and honey, or a curly wurly or choc ice if I want something which feels a bit more like a treat

@UmbrellaSoldiers yep did SW for a couple of years and lost 4 stone. I think unless you're willing to commit to it fully forever, it can be quite detrimental when you stop. I always felt if

I went a bit 'off plan' well, what's the point, I may as well just go off the rails now. It definitely works but if anything I think it leads to more disordered eating (for me anyway).

Thank you though 😊 I like the look of all your meal plans. Thanks everyone.

I'm trying to commit to more food when I feel the need for a snack, so some fruit, protein alongside the chocolate i was craving...wish me luck...!

Best way for me was to find something I could binge on if I wanted but was healthy and then try and reduce the unhealthy food in house. So a big punnet of grapes or bananas etc or even prunes . I saw someone say to much fruit is bad but honestly if the alternative is chocolate or biscuits eating a full box of grapes is going to be better for you. And what I find is for the first couple of days of resetting my diet (I break it for weekends away or Christmas etc) I eat a stupid amount of the binge food but then it tails off. Cups of tea are also helpful to me if I’m just bored rather than actual hungry.

Fair enough ☺️ you have to find what works for you! Good luck 🍀