New diet

kingtut

Hi well as and from today I want to exercise more and eat a lot better.

Here is today's intake:
Breakfast:
1 sausage roll & 1 cup of coffee

Lunch:
1 bowl of soup and 1 buttered tuna sandwich, followed by a herbal decaffeinated tea.

Dinner: Will be 1 banana and 1 muller fruit corner yoghurt.

During the day I also had 2 additional cups of coffee.

Tonight I plan on doing 1hr of exercise consisting of:
10min run, 5 min walk, 10 min run, 5 min walk, 10 min run, 5 min walk, 10 min run, 5 min walk.

I am only starting out at this whole thing so any advice is gratefully received.

Bayne

Hi Kingtut,

The first thing you should do is ditch the sausage roll!
Make sure to eat decent meal portions at least 3 times per day: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Having just a banana and yogurt in the evening isn't great. You can easily put together a healthy, low fat meal that will be far more fulfilling. Snake on fruit and nuts in between meals. The hour exercise in the evening sounds good!

kingtut

Bayne wrote: »

Hi Kingtut,

The first thing you should do is ditch the sausage roll!
Make sure to eat decent meal portions at least 3 times per day: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Having just a banana and yogurt in the evening isn't great. You can easily put together a healthy, low fat meal that will be far more fulfilling. Snake on fruit and nuts in between meals. The hour exercise in the evening sounds good!

Thanks

dammit - I like my sausage rolls *crying face*

As I am new to this would you mind giving me an example of what you would consider to be a decent breakfast, lunch and dinner?

I was thinking of doing the 1 hr exercise 3 times a week. I can also do press ups, sit ups and steps from time to time....

Khannie

Jaysus....total disaster zone on the diet front.

Where to start......

Actually, I'd say you should read the stickies. Maybe I'm wrong. Have you done so already?

Khannie

kingtut wrote: »

As I am new to this would you mind giving me an example of what you would consider to be a decent breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Decent breakfast ideas:
Museli
scrambled eggs + wholegrain toast
porridge

Decent lunch ideas:
meat and veg
Salad with meat
Omelette with lots of veg in it

Decent dinner ideas:
google's your friend for recipes here. Lean meat, fish, veg, beans, etc.....

kingtut wrote: »

I was thinking of doing the 1 hr exercise 3 times a week. I can also do press ups, sit ups and steps from time to time....

What's your goal? I mean....what's motivating you right now to change?

Procasinator

There are some great stickies, but here are some ideas:

Breakfast could include:

• Eggs, such as omelettes or scrambled eggs;
• Porridge (recommended), muesli, Weetabix even;
• Natural yoghurt, fruit, etc.

Useful ideas of lunch:

• Salad - lettuce, tomato, chicken, or beans/lentil etc. Dressing preferably not used (that, or have something like olive oil and a tinge of balsamic vinegar - simple yet appetising);
• Whole grain sandwiches with healthy fillings. Things like wholegrain pitta breads can be great;
• Healthy soups

Dinner:

• Stir-fry rich in vegetables in lean meat such as chicken, prawns, etc. Be careful of sauces which can have salt/sugar/fat content;
• Try to stick to brown - brown rice, brown pasta, etc;
• Salmon, chicken, lean beef, etc can all be great choices with plenty of veg. Potato doesn't have to be ruled out, just be careful with portion. Try to increase the veg.

These are just a few ideas. The skies the limit, just use your imagination. Try and find recipes that are easy to make, taste great and are nutritious. Omelettes are great example of this.

kingtut

Thanks for the help everyone.

Khannie wrote: »

What's your goal? I mean....what's motivating you right now to change?

My motivation is that I feel that I am seriously overweight and do not like what I see when I look in the mirror. Plain and simple really.

Is it ok to have boiled eggs instead of scrambled? Also, what in the diet I posted is so bad or shocking? Sorry I'm just new to all of this.

cardio,shoot me

muller yoghurts are full of sugar mate

all_smilz

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

muller yoghurts are full of sugar mate

well what are better yogurt options????

also avoid coffee/tea caffeine, make some of ur own meals, use wholegrains, cut out butters, i've found the weightwatchers dot com or dot ie sites have good recipes for meals.....
writing down ur meals everyday is great, although i have lapsed in that after a while.

I've lost 4stone in 6months and guess i found it tough but rewarding. Best of luck!

mikemac

glenlisk natural yoghurt ftw!

brianon

kingtut wrote: »

Also, what in the diet I posted is so bad or shocking? Sorry I'm just new to all of this.

Without knowing whether you are male or female and without knowing height/age etc...

The worst thing ? Lack of food.
2nd worst thing ? A diet so small that consists of 3 cups of coffee !
3rd worst thing ? Sausage roll.

If I ate as little as that (or even double it) and did an hours exercise ... I doubt I'd have the energy to wake up the next morning.

As already stated. Change the breakfast.
Drink some water.
Soup, tuna and banana are all good. Muller won't kill you either but better options exist.
The rest is all bad.

oh ... and eat more food
Seriously. Thats nowhere near enough.

kingtut

I am male, 25 and 6ft1.

all_smilz wrote: »

also avoid coffee/tea caffeine, make some of ur own meals, use wholegrains, cut out butters, i've found the weightwatchers dot com or dot ie sites have good recipes for meals.....
writing down ur meals everyday is great, although i have lapsed in that after a while.

I've lost 4stone in 6months and guess i found it tough but rewarding. Best of luck!

Thanks. Is decaf coffee / tea ok?
Would you mind telling me how you lost 4 stone in 6months? Was it through diet and exercise? Feel free to pm me if you would prefer...Thanks

brianon

kingtut wrote: »

I am male, 25 and 6ft1.

Sweet baby jesus of nazareth ! :eek:

There won't be anything left of you after a week on that diet :P

kingtut

brianon wrote: »

Sweet baby jesus of nazareth ! :eek:

There won't be anything left of you after a week on that diet :P

what age / sex / height did you think I might be??

I do not want anything left of me.....well I would like to get rid of 2/3 stone.

brianon

kingtut wrote: »

what age / sex / height did you think I might be??

I do not want anything left of me.....well I would like to get rid of 2/3 stone.

Based on your proposed diet I thought you were female and small.
At 6'1 and active you'll need to eat at least another meal.

Your 'dinner' is in fact a snack.

Add a proper dinner. Meat and veg or whatever and maybe another healthy snack later and that'd be much better.

Brian?

all_smilz wrote: »

well what are better yogurt options????

also avoid coffee/tea caffeine, make some of ur own meals, use wholegrains, cut out butters, i've found the weightwatchers dot com or dot ie sites have good recipes for meals.....
writing down ur meals everyday is great, although i have lapsed in that after a while.

I've lost 4stone in 6months and guess i found it tough but rewarding. Best of luck!

Read the labels on most low fat yoghurts and they're full of sugar. I am fairly sure plain natural yoghurt is grand, tasty to use in cooking as well.

I don't see anything wrong with a few cups of tea, as long as you're not putting a heap of sugar in them and dunking 10 jaffa cakes in it.

4 stone in 6 months? Fair play, thats some going.

kingtut

brianon wrote: »

Based on your proposed diet I thought you were female and small.
At 6'1 and active you'll need to eat at least another meal.

Your 'dinner' is in fact a snack.

Add a proper dinner. Meat and veg or whatever and maybe another healthy snack later and that'd be much better.

I was about to say my username gave away the fact that I was male but just realised this is boards and so that is rarely true

So for dinner tonight would the following be good:
Option A: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with roasted veg (mushrooms, peppers, onions, zuccini, parsnip, carrot)

Option B: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with 2 boiled eggs + salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber) but no dressing.

Does it sound good or is it far too much? Too unhealthy?
I do not want to eat too much for fear of gaining weight

brianon

kingtut wrote: »

I was about to say my username gave away the fact that I was male but just realised this is boards and so that is rarely true

So for dinner tonight would the following be good:
Option A: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with roasted veg (mushrooms, peppers, onions, zuccini, parsnip, carrot)

Option B: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with 2 boiled eggs + salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber) but no dressing.

Does it sound good or is it far too much? Too unhealthy?
I do not want to eat too much for fear of gaining weight

Both look good. Maybe option 1 looks more balanced but I am far from a nutrition expert.

Too much ? No chance.

kingtut

brianon wrote: »

Both look good. Maybe option 1 looks more balanced but I am far from a nutrition expert.

Too much ? No chance.

Thanks I love roasted veg so I'll pop into the shop later.

Brian?

kingtut wrote: »

I was about to say my username gave away the fact that I was male but just realised this is boards and so that is rarely true

So for dinner tonight would the following be good:
Option A: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with roasted veg (mushrooms, peppers, onions, zuccini, parsnip, carrot)

Option B: 1 Chicken fillet sprinkled with spices, wrapped in foil and cooked in the oven. Served with 2 boiled eggs + salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber) but no dressing.

Does it sound good or is it far too much? Too unhealthy?
I do not want to eat too much for fear of gaining weight

They both sound good to me, tasty too. Don't be afraid of a little dressing for your salad, it can be a good source of good fats. Use a little olive oil and vinegar, just don't buy any pre made dressings from a supermarket.

If you're unsure if what you're eating is too much/too little, this is a very handy site.

http://www.fitday.com/

Procasinator

kingtut wrote: »

what age / sex / height did you think I might be??

I do not want anything left of me.....well I would like to get rid of 2/3 stone.

You have to be careful with your diet. Not enough and you risk crash dieting. That is, you are a) not getting all your nutritional needs in, b) leaving yourself to gain a lot of weight when you begin to eat normally. These are called yo-yo diets, cause even though the weight will drop, they will eventually come back up. Your body think you are starving it. While you are dieting, all your muscle and fat are used to keep yourself going.

However, once you begin eating more - and you will, cause you probably won't really be satisfied on that little, especially if active - your body will see the food coming in as something it needs, and store it as fat so it can use it when you abuse it again.

That may be a simplistic explanation, but it is commonly seen.

Your new dinner looks like a great improvement, and plenty tasty!

spaceylou

oh dear god eat more than you suggested in the first post!! :eek: I get given out to for not eatting enough sometimes but what you posted makes my diet look positivally glutenous!!!

Latest dinner option sounds much better...other ideas that you might consider:

Breakfasts:

have been covered fairly well
As previously suggested Porridge - make it intersting though...add a grated apple to it, makes it nice and sweet so no need for added sugar and you've just gotten one of your five a day in...other fruits that also work, few dried apricots, or blueberries, or actually anything that takes your fancy - think of the weekabix challenge ads for ideas!!

Lunches:

Salad is your friend - and lots of it (lettuce, tomatos, cucumber, onion, sweetcorn, baby spinach, rocket, gratted carrot, radishs, beetroot,...) to bulk it up and make it extra filling add some beans or chickpeas (or lean meat i guess, I veggie so no clue) and you can vary it everyday by going for a whats in the fridge today hunt!

Homemade veggie soups are also generally filling, good for you, and recession friendly and can be made in big pots and frozen in handy portion sizes....great way to deal with veg about to become not so good as well....and add a cup of lentils to any soup for extra nutritional value and bulk.

Dinners:

Like other people said, google is your friend as is boards - loads of intersting recipies.....but variety variety variety will make you stick to any new diet. You will get bored if you have the same stuff all the time even if it is healthy and if you fancy something 'naughty' think quality not quantity so for example really good dark chocolate - is too rich to eat the whole bar but a bar of lighter milk choc could easily polish off the whole thing so have a choc stash of the good stuff and it lasts much longer!! (well for me anyway)

Drinks:

Personally I would say no need to go cold turkey on the caffeine or anything but make sure you drink plenty of water, and start to switch one or two of your cuppas to a decaf or herbal option.
Be wary of too many fizzy drinks or sweet juices.....moderation is the key me thinks and remember drink plenty of water and obviously alcohol is empty calories and often followed by the not so good kebab or bag of chips on the way home.....so i guess moderation is the key there too

Hope this helps with ideas.

cardio,shoot me

just remember DIET doesnt always mean less food, it means better food!

Leggy Blonde

Id agree with the statement that you dont have to eat less. in fact the important thing is to replace certain things in your diet for another.

Im a lightweight rower but im also a glutten. In spite of having a body fat percentage of 4.7% I managed to lose 4 kilos in four weeks.

The important things are calories in versus calories out.

First of all, get a scales, and weigh yourself morning and night. Weighing yourself can often be a good way of killing any late night appetite, which is important as food consumed at night easily gets converted to fat due to the fact that your body is not burning it off over night.

Breakfast:
Make this your biggest meal of the day. Go for porridge, Although higher in calories than weetabix, it will make you feel fuller for longer. Taking in sugars in the morning is not great as it will peak your insulin levels too early in the morning and you will have sugar cravings throughout the day. Buy zero fat milk, you wont notice the difference after a few days.

Cycle:
Cycle to and from work. This way you dont have to schedule in a daily routine into an already busy lifestyle. Furthermore, you'll probably get an extra few minutes in bed and will be quite fresh when you get to work. Take pride in your bike, get a spedometer, get a heart rate monitor and watch as the same work begins to require less effort (the lower heart rate the better, but keep it between around 140 and 160).

Excercise will not only make you feel fitter and get thinner but it also produces endorphines which will make just put you in a better mood.

Ideally you could get into a sport. To a large extent, the only people in the gym who are actually thin/fit are those who are there because of another sport. The reason is because gyms are not a quick fix. The whole process is very demoralising.

Lunch:
Have a good lunch! Ideally go for wraps over baguettes, breads tend to make people hungrier. And drink a decent amount of water. Buy a big bottle and make it part of you goal to go through the whole thing through out the day. In general, if youre desperate, try to avoid breads, and definitely cheese. Go for sandwiches that are less than 200kcal per 100g.

You can eat more here at lunch for an important concept, as follows: So long as youre cycling/excercising later on, if you eat and then excercise, your body will have the opportunity to burn it off, so to a certain extent eating a little more is not too bad as long as its not fats youre eating which tend to make excercise more painful.

Whatever sugary snacks you like be sure to eat them immediately beore and immediately after the excercise, these will improe your performance and improve your recovery (it is important to get in some sugars after excercising, as they will allow you to complete the excercise the next day). On that point remember that it takes four weeks to create a routine. so resist all temptations for the first four weeks. In fact, dont give any excuses for not taking the bike out, soon enough you're excuses will get poorer and poorer and youll wonder why it didnt work out.

Snacks:
I totally agree with the no-dinner thing. Physiologically there is little need for such vast amounts of food at that time of the day.

The easiest way of dieting is snacking on good food. By snacking all day long youll neer be hungry. However make it a rule, never to eat while on the move. always sit down and embrace the meal.

Here are some snacks to eat during the day: a bag of oranges (just keep em in ur rucksack), a melon, apples, carrot sticks (you can buy a 250g bag of prepared carrots (70kcal) for a littel more than the cost of a bag of crisps (400kcal?)), a bag of apples, soup, hot choclate, tea, beans. get into reading the backs of packages and eat as much as you like of the stuff that lies in the zone that is less than 200kcal per 100g.

Final note: for the first few days you will not see any change in your weight, ven perhaps an increase. This is often disheartening for people, however it is due to the fact that you are consuming for the first time in a while, a large volume of water. The results will begin to kick in after a week or so.

Ive managed 8 kilos in the last 6 weeks, and i didnt have much to lose at the time. Whats more, i didnt starve myself at any point during the day.