Food diary - care to join me?

[wastingmyeducation]

In the past I've done various diets, tried all sorts really, but I haven't stuck with anything for more than a couple of weeks in a long time.

I am bored of diets!

I am going to keep a food diary here. Hopefully it will help me see where I am going wrong, and by holding up a mirror to my eating habits, publicly, I will start to eat less/better.

I will be starting tomorrow, but thought I'd give you a heads up if you'd like to join me.

I'll join - I lost a stone and then had flu and I've stayed the same for 4 weeks!
I want to lose another stone by my next birthday in July.
Hopefully if I write it down it will stop me eating 3 hot cross buns like I did yesterday!

oooh, does that mean i HAVE to finish my MD box of chocs tonight? (I will anyway )

i'll try and join in - good idea!

good idea... i am going away for a week but will def join you on my return

I have recently lost 3 stone and need to lose 1 last stone

have a great week

Hi Wasting , I will join you. I would like to lose about a stone for summer. I like eating chocolate too much, and tend to pick at unhealthy things during the day . At the moment I weigh 10st 3 , would like to get to about 9 5 . I am only 5ft 1 tall so i am too overweight at ten stone even though it doesn't sound that much.

Glad to see a few more people joining me!

Breakfast 8am - large bowl of porridge with a little sugar and a mug of coffee.

Breakfast now.Special k , one slice of toast with laughing cow light cheese spread, an apple and glass of orange juice.

10 am - some (Mothers Day!) chocs. Yum.

11.15 a banana and glass of elderflower cordial.

oh dear

4 black coffees
8 lucky strikes

the remains of some unbaked cookie dough, um, about a handful

Ohhh!! OK!
Porridge - great choice, but ad raspberries or blue berries in stead of sugar - you want to avoid added sugar to anything at all costs to keep bod sugar levels and fat storage hormones at bay. Even add honey if you have to.

Toast and laughing cow?! NO! You need to start thinking about eating foods that are natural - that the body can do somthing with. Does it have vitamins and minerals? Will it give me sustained energy for the next few hours?
Try to stay off wheat (breads, cereals, cakes, pasta - again check my blog post for alternatives) Try Rye bread, and have peanut butter if you like it, add scrambled egss or an omellete.
Coffee - limit to one a day. Caffeine is a stimulant that wil affect hormone and digestive enzymes.Drink more water or green tea.

If you hvae fruit for a snack, eat 3-4 nuts, almonds, brazils etc. They will slow the fruit sugar absorption, give you some benefical fats as well.
Hope it helps....

Lunch - 12.30 - Cheesy leek pasta, and the last couple of scones with butter, and a coffee.

My cupboard is bare! I was going to make quesadillas, but tortillas are too salty for DS (10 months). I'm going food shopping this afternoon, and I'll not buy myself any cakey treats.

Lunch 12.20 - scrap the pasta! Add protein to all meals (tuna to the pasta, or chopped chicken?) 2 scones?!
Without sounding like a parent, was that really needed after a pasta dish?!

Hi everyone, lunch cheese and tomato sandwich, piece of victoria sponge cake which my daughter made me for Mothers Day.

I'll join in too. A food diary is a great way of really focusing on what you eat. I have 6 stone to lose. Yikes!

Today not great so far I have to admit and planned dinner is not great either so I think I will start tomorrow!

Hey Mark, thanks for the input. Fact of the matter is, I know it all. That's part of the problem really. I've been dieting and reading about nutrition since I was 8, too much of a change too quickly is just going to turn me off.
What I want is to document what I'm eating and gradually adjust.

I do need some extra calories as I'm breastfeeding, and it would not be good to cut my calories down drastically as that can disrupt supply. Plus I'm very large, so would need to lower calorie intake slowly anyway.

Wasting - Yup - everyone KNOWS !!!

That's fair enough, but definately everyone start setting goals.
What you want to achieve?
Exactly how much?
What date do you want to achieve this by?
By not being specific, things will always be tomorrow - this way you hvae a goal to work towards.

Remember though, breastfeeding only needs about 2-300 extra kcals a day, and this doesn't have to be "junkish" food, nothing wrong with cottage cheese and oatcakes etc. Plus if you're already overweight every additional kcal does count - am hopefully not sounding patronising?

If anyone wants further help or free documents (I'm a PT and here to help) I have a forum that anyone can join, ask questions, download documents etc at [www.fatlossfitness.ning.com] I'm not selling anything just here to help people that want to change without results to pills, potions, low kcal stupid diets etc!

I just want to be able to write down everything I eat as sharing with you all will help me focus on it clearly. I certainly won't be giving up wheat as i don't think its necessary. I lost one and a half stone a couple of years ago and started every day with stone ground toast. It is low GI and releases energy slowly. I only put the weight back on because I had an accident and wasn't able to exercise properly for about a year. Hi Buda, look forward to your entries t'moro.

I will join you if I am.

I refuse to weigh myself because I'm scared of what I will find. I plan on weighing myself after two weeks.

Before getting pregnant I was very slim, piled it on in the pregnancy, crash dieted in order to fit into a bridesmaid dress and put it all back on again.

Okay for breakfast today I had slice of toast with Olivio and some melon.

Lunch - Chicken Noodle soup and a slice of bread followed by melon.

Just realised that I haven't actually had a drink yet! Must make an effort to drink water.

Mark, my goal is to write down what I eat!

Kingprawn - you don't hvae to cut out wheat, but as it's processed so much, many people have a wheat/gluten intolerance wihtout knowing it. Many of my clients who have cut out or really limited wheat have lost a lot of weight, and their stomachs have flattened. Just make a note of how much wheat you might eat during a day.
You'd be surprised.

Yes exercise helps with body image/shape/fitness etc, but at the end of the day you eat too many kcals you'll gain weight, whether you exercise or not.

Wasting - thats not a goal . Thats what you need to do to help reach your goal!!
E.g My goal is 7lb lost by 24th april
To do this I'll write down everything I eat and drink. I'll only have alcohol at the weekend.
I'll only eat wheat twice a week.
I'll always have breakfast
I'll only have chocolate once a week
etc etc

But I know you're joking......

Probably wouldn't be suprised by how much wheat/gluten I eat . My teenage son has to have a wheat/gluten free diet so I am pretty familiar with cooking without it and constantly considering it when making meals.

Fair point.

Try Spelt Pasta. It's sooooo much lighter than wheat, and there is none of that bloated feeling at the end.
Buckwheat (stupid name!) is another good non-wheat alternative

Spelt flour is low gluten but isn't gluten free. buckwheat flour is lovely and makes nice pancakes.