Um... Hello

Denerick

Hello there. Don't know quite what to say, but lets just say this is more than your average New Years resolution...

Over the past year my weight has stabilised, or only slightly went down. (I'm around 18 stone and 6 foot 2) I'm sure you've heard all of this before, but I eat quite healthily, exercise frequently and don't drink nearly as much as I used to. I'm beginning to think my habit of eating late in the evening is the cause of all my problems. I tend to get absolutely starving around 11 or 12 at night, fight the urge as much as I can but usually end up making a ham sandwich for myself or something. I'm wondering what my best course of action would be for this? I eat relatively healthily during the day (Except for lunch, see below) and don't generally feel hungry either. My willpower is strong during the day but at nightime it crashes and burns... Is there something I should be eating around 6 or 7 O clock that would be a 'slow burner' so to speak? And thus alleviate that problem?

Also, when out and about in Dublin during the day, I usually end up eating a roll in a deli, despite the best intentions. I only do this because they've got ludicrously cheap in the last year (If you shop wisely) and hence it tends to be cheaper than eating something healthier. Any recommendations for something cheap and healthy during the day, something I can pick up somewhere convenient? I need something substantial at around 1 or 2 O'clock, this is the source of my eating problems I think. Dinner in the evening is nearly always something light (Like small portion of pasta, mashed potatoe etc.) but lunch is always one of those greasy chicken fillet rolls!

jdivision

Hey Denerick, can you post up exactly what you eat in all its detail, including snacks etc, alcohol intake. A lot of people think what they're eating is healthy and it's not. I know, I've lost 80 pounds over last 20 months after discovering most of what I thought was healthy was horrendous for me. Those deli rolls are terrible for you, some guys here have done calorie assessments on them, it's fairly shocking
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055521288&highlight=roll+calories

Denerick

Here's a very rough guide to my daily eating habits:

On a normal day:

Breakfast (9:00); usually a bowl of cereal like Wheatabix or Bran Flakes. Most times I have a bannana/apple/mandarin afterwards.

Around 11:00; I usually get the munchies around this time, and since I'll be going into lectures I really do need to stop my belly from rumbling. I tend to get something like 2 croissants from Londis (2 for a euro deal there for a long while) with a coffee. Failing that, it'll be fruit of some kind. (I'm under no illusions, I'm sure I could be eating something better than a croissant)

1/2:00; One of the dreaded Deli rolls (I know I have to cut them out) which tend to make me feel like a landfill site. Followed by something like wedges, which I'm sure will be the death of me.

5/6:00; Dinner at home, not usually too heavy. Most times its something like a mash mix (Something I picked up from my mother) This is mashed potatoes combined with something like turnip/carrots/parsnips/butternut squash/all the above! Its really quite something when you get into it. There is usually 3 times as many vegetables as potatoes in it (So say one potatoe + 4 carrots in a big mash) I would eat meat, me and my flatmate tend to make mince at the start of the week and keep it in a bowl in the fridge. This mince is traditionally made, no added fat or salt, just some chopped tomatoes and one of the lighter bolognase sauces. I dole out a little bit of this along with my veg. Other times it can be grilled plain chicken breast, usually straight from the butchers. On other occassions it will be pasta with one of the dolmio stir in sauces (Probably not good for me, but I love it!)

As the evening progresses I might snack on fruit or something but always do my best to resist it. I seem to have a moral objection to eating after 6 O clock, hence the battle of willpower mentioned above. Sometimes I crack and eat a cheeky ham sandwich or something like that.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have the odd bag of crisps or chocolate bar during the day, but I'd say thats a 3/4 times a week sort of thing. I don't drink sugary soft drinks and drink around 2-3 litres of water a day. I don't take sugar in my tea or coffee etc. or add anything except a little salt with my dinner.

In terms of exercise I walk in and out to college every day, which amounts to over an hour and a half back and forth. In the summer I was mad for cycling, I used to go on 15-20 mile cycles around the countryside back home, but in winter obviously I cannot. I abhor gyms for several reasons. I probably need to be doing some kind of exercise in the evening, but I tend to be both physically and mentally exhausted, and its always infinitely more alluring to just hang around the flat, talk ****e, watch films, play cards etc.

Sapsorrow

Hi dennerick,
It's good that you're feeling ready to take charge of your health like this. I'm not going to beat around the bush though theres a LOT of room for improvement here, but that shouldn't be a problem as you seem motivated and interested.:)

Ok firstly I'd say you diet is high carbs and not the good kind (esp for weight loss), forget the rocessed cereals, mashed spuds and deli rolls. Ideally you want to be eating a selection of wholegrains in modest amounts (spelt, rye, oats, quinoa etc) so start buying proper 100% wholemeal breads from a bakery and get up five minutes earlier in the day to slap together a sandwich for lunch.

The reasons you're having these sugar crashes and carvings is because you're not consuming the right foods at the right times and in the right proportions. You need to have a good filling breakfast with carbs, protein and fruit/veg in it to keep you going until lunch. Why not have a big bowl of porridge with fruit and nuts chopped in? If you need to snack in between meals carry a few apples and a bag of nuts around with you and have them to prevent buying crap in a newsagents. You need to eat at regular intervals and have a proper satisfying meal at each sitting. If you move to proper wholegrains and cut out the sugar your blood sugar will stabilise (with time and consistency) and your cravings should go away. You also need to make sure you don't go longer than 3 or 4 hours without eating something substanstial and healthy to prevent blood sugar spikes.

You should have a snack or your dinner at 8pm or just before (8pm is the latest anyone should eat) and not eat any later than this, I would adivse something low carb like nuts, seeds, yoghurt, fruit etc. for weight loss. If you do this it'll prevent you from cracking later on and having something higher carb/fat at a much later time. You need to go to bed on an empty stomach to allow the body to rest and regenerate and to allow your liver time to detoxify after the days onslaught.

The other thing is that you're not eating enough veg and not enough variety I'd imagine. You need to eat a couple of servings of green leafy veg a day (not including iceberg lettuce) and try get in fruit and veg of different colours (green, yellow, red, orange, blue, purple!), mix it all up a bit and don't get stuck in a rut! Try having a good stew or soup with lots of veg in it for lunch. A good way to make sure you are getting enough veg in is to cut down your meat and carb intake a little bit leaving more room for low calorie and nutrient dense foods. Would you ever consider having the odd meal with beans or lentils in it as the protein source rather than meat?

Try and stay away from the sugar it's pure poison and it's arguable the worst thing you can eat if you're trying to shed a few pounds, I think having crisps/chocoalte 3-4 times a week is a lot, why not try holding off till the weekends and say every sunday allow yourself a treat but get a proper dessert from a bakery, something freshly made with less crap ingredients. I think it's better to just allow yourself a certain amount of the things you love rather than trying to cut them out completely because otherwise you'll feel too deprived and may end up binging. Think slightly chilly chicken instead of cold turkey.

Hope this helps, It's late and I'm going a bit cross eyed from looking at the screen so this probably isn't the most logical and clear post I've ever written but feel free to ask me if anything needs clarifying!

Denerick

No, thanks, its very good. But whats wrong with Wheatabix or Bran Flakes exactly? The calorie count doesn't seem too high (And I like them!)

And what can I really replace potatoes with? I'm a traditionalist in the kitchen, I don't really know how to cook anything else!!

Sapsorrow

Denerick wrote: »

No, thanks, its very good. But whats wrong with Wheatabix or Bran Flakes exactly? The calorie count doesn't seem too high (And I like them!)

And what can I really replace potatoes with? I'm a traditionalist in the kitchen, I don't really know how to cook anything else!!

Breakfast cereals in general are just processed junk, wheetabix are just processed wheat and bran flakes aren't much different. There's very little nutritive value in them at all and if you cut them out it leaves a third of your meals every day open for more nutrient dense foods to replace them. I suggested porridge because it's much less processed, has good oils in it plenty of minerals and a type of soluble fibre called beta glucan thats probaby very usefull for heart health and it's very filling and satisfying and will keep your blood sugar more stable than the more processed cereals hopefully helping prevent you from crashing before lunch.
You don't have to cut out the potatos there's nothing really wrong with them, it's just if you're trying to drop a few pounds and get back in shape you'd find it easier without them. They're very starchy and fattening and the other thing is that it's hard to resist putting butter on them. Maybe try out some brown rice once or twice to replace them with other dinners andsee if you like that?

corkcomp

op, your diet is not great, that needs to be said.

crisps, chocolate (3 or 4 times a week is excessive if trying to lose weight!) croissants, deli rolls etc are all VERY high in calories and empty ones at that ..

peepeep

Hey,

Sorry to have to tell you this, but contrary to what you think, you don't eat healthily at all. Your diet is full of simple carbs and processed food so no wonder you're not losing weight. Read the stickies at the top of the forum. Try eating something like this on a daily basis:

Breakfast: Bowl of porridge (try making it with half water and half low-fat milk, its lovely). Bran flakes are really high in sugar and are really quite terrible for you.

Lunch: Tuna/ chicken/ egg salad, plenty of tomato/ cucumber/ lettuce/ spring onion/ bell pepper etc. Stop eating bread and the weight will start to fall off you. If you really want to keep eating bread, stick to wholegrain. White bread will make you bloated and is totally rubbish in terms of nutrition. Best thing is to make bread yourself if you really don't want to give it up.

Dinner: Lean meat (chicken, turkey, trimmed steak) or fish with tons of green vegetables. Try brocolli, spinach, courgette or anything you find that looks good in the supermarket. Don't eat spuds - they are not a friend to the fat. Substitute sweet potato, it's better for you and tastes brilliant. You can cook them the same way as regular spuds.

For snacks, try some nuts but avoid ones that are ready-salted or covered in dry-roasted stuff. The key to nuts is to eat only a handful as they are really high in fat. This is good fat, but keep portion sizes small. Fruit is good but very high in sugar so its up to you whether to cut out sugar altogether or not.

Also, get off your bum in the evenings and go for a walk. Of course its easier to hang out in the flat watching tv or playing cards, but it won't help you lose weight. If you want to start shrinking, then commit to it and get some exercise.

jdivision

I'd echo what's said above, you eat a lot of stuff I used to eat.
Porridge is great but have eggs some mornings, maybe even lean steak with onions. You're getting food cravings because your breakfast doesn't fill you up. You need to eat more protein as a general thing. I'd agree with most of peepeep's suggestions

Denerick

Thanks, some very good advice here. I will start a new regime involving porridge; also I really really don't like nuts, so are there better alternatives?

I'm not calling this a 'diet', I just want to eat better, feel better and look better. Its a long haul thing for me. A couple of years ago I lost 4 stone by simply changing the way I viewed and ate food, and I've never felt better in my entire life. Since that time I've been slowly putting the weight back on. I just need to cut out things like bread and deli rolls entirely, and eat less processed food.

My biggest problem is that I don't know what do during the day! Its very hard when out and about not to give in and buy some snacks. The deli roll is convenient and relatively cheap... I don't know how to substitute it really (Although I'll give the salad bars a try, and will start making my own lunch)

And to Peepeep; I spend almost 2 hours a day walking... Do you think that is enough? Its a rather strenuous one as well, I'm not taking it easy. I spend all day doing mentally exhausting stuff and am genuinely tired when I get back... Am I not entitled to put my feet up?

corkcomp

Denerick wrote: »

I'm not taking it easy. I spend all day doing mentally exhausting stuff and am genuinely tired when I get back... Am I not entitled to put my feet up?

thats up to you, if you want to lose weight you should shoot for 30 minutes of fairly high intensity stuff most days - my advice (Harsh as it might sound) is to suck it up, go out for 30 minute run or something and THEN put the feet up

jam_mac_jam

I dont know if I would be as worried by the potatoes as the croissants, stay away, they are the worst thing you can eat, fat and sugar and nothing else. Likewise buying rolls, just full of crap you dont need and you dont know what is in it. Bring your lunch in, lay off bread at lunchtime, have more protein and veg. Have a soup or a salad with meat in it, you will actually be full for longer. I would echo the porridge, have every morning and make it with water, less than 200 cals and you will be full for hours, if you are still hungry at 11 a small piece of fruit, even something like a slice of good ham would be better (yes i know sounds strange as a snack). I would be of the opinion that potatoes are fine if they are boiled and mixed up with veg, I often eat them when losing weight as I find they are very filling. I think people get fat eating processed foods so as much as you can make what you eat.

jam_mac_jam

raw carrots and peppers are lovely as well as a snack as is cold roasted turnips, esp with a bit of hummus, but you will look like a freak.

Denerick

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

raw carrots and peppers are lovely as well as a snack as is cold roasted turnips, esp with a bit of hummus, but you will look like a freak.

Have you ever ate raw turnip? Its lovely!

Khannie

Denerick wrote: »

I just need to cut out things like bread and deli rolls entirely, and eat less processed food.

You don't need to completely cut these things out. I think there's always room for stuff you like in a healthy diet. I *always* have a biccy with my coffee, even if I'm trying hard to cut weight for a fight. I think it's nice to have a treat. I don't want to go through life without delicious stuff. Who does?

If you're not sure what to have during the day, that's because it's hard to get good stuff when you're out. It's 100 times better to be prepared. Bring food with you. Whenever I'm leaving the house for more than an hour I *always* bring some fruit with me, or buy some in a supermarket when I'm out.

Denerick wrote: »

Am I not entitled to put my feet up?

2 hours walking a day is a lot alright. I'm sure you're exhausted after that. Could you reduce the time you walk by cycling, then spend some time doing more intense exercise? That would pay dividends in the medium term.

On the night time snack thing: A ham sandwich is a bit high in calories to be having just before you go to bed (around 300 calories, give or take). Personally, if I'm gonna go hungry during a day I'd rather it was at night time just before I go to bed. You don't feel it when you're asleep. If you really want to have something, have an apple and a slice of ham, or even a slice of toast (not 2). Consider having a larger dinner too. If it keeps you going 'til bed time then it's worth doing.

Lastly, you don't need to completely cut out spuds or pasta starting out either. Just reduce the size of the portion initially. Replace it with more veg. After a while you can get rid of it / them. I'm not bothered with potatoes / pasta / rice any more for example. It takes a while for your tastes to change though, so give it time. It takes a while to gain the weight and a while to lose it.

Very best of luck with it. You sound like you're ready anyway.

jam_mac_jam

Khannie wrote: »

Yo

Lastly, you don't need to completely cut out spuds or pasta starting out either. Just reduce the size of the portion initially. Replace it with more veg. After a while you can get rid of it / them. I'm not bothered with potatoes / pasta / rice any more for example. It takes a while for your tastes to change though, so give it time. It takes a while to gain the weight and a while to lose it.

Very best of luck with it. You sound like you're ready anyway.

That's excellent advise, its very hard to change your diet completely very quickly so that kind of approach would work.

Dolbert

When I haven't got time tomake my own lunch I usually get a salad put together in the local deli or Spar. I get them to fill up a large tub with some chicken/ ham/ tuna, and salad veg like lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes & peppers, plus a little dressing such as mayo (you could get low-fat mayo if you prefer). It's usually pretty good value too as you're not buying bread and filling too.

Bugnug

Denrick,

If you are seriuos about losing weight you need to cut out the crap cereals and white bread.

The reason you are snacking during the day is because you are not eating a proper breakfast. That is fact.

The ultimate start to any day is porridge. It will keep you going until lunch time. It is easy to make if you buy the quick oats and it is super healthy. I am deadly serious when I say that this will make a huge difference.

Another thing if you continue eating white bread you wont suceed in losing the weight, white bread is the enemy to any healthy diet. Try wholegrain if you are going to eat sandwiches and it tastes much better.

You say you do a long walk in and out of work each day. No good if you are doing it as a bit above a stroll. You need to get your heart rate up before you start to really get some calories burned.

For snacking always have fruit or natural yogurt in the fridge.

Denerick

What are the best brands for:

• yoghurt
• porridge
• bread
• butter

etc.? There has been some top advice here.

Khannie

Brand's not really that important. I get the lidl low fat natural yoghurt. Love it. Personal favourite for oats / porridge is the odlums organic. I think you can taste the difference there versus other oats. McCambridges make good brown, but be careful, those small slices have as many calories as a normal slice of white bread. Just check the ingredients, if "wheat flour" is the first listed then it's probably crap bread. Butter is butter (unless you're talking about spreads).

Bugnug

Denerick wrote: »

What are the best brands for:

• yoghurt
• porridge
• bread
• butter

etc.? There has been some top advice here.

Yoghurt
I normally buy a large tub of Dr Oetker natural yoghurt and mix in some seeds and nuts with a good big spoon of honey. It is a delicious treat at any time of day. But I would suggest you have this instead of your late night sandwich.

Porridge
I always use Flahavans but there are plenty available. Good to buy Irish though!

Bread
Any brown bread or wholegrain bread is better than white bread. I sdont eat much bread but when I do I try to get it fresh in Superquinn. You can get fresh brown bread in most decent supermarkets.

Butter
Try to stick with a decent full fat butter. Believe or not they are better for you than any of the spreads.

Good luck and remember, it might be a cliche but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

suspectpackage

Some good advice in this thread... really good. love the idea of going to a bakery for 100% wholemeal bread.

I have a question about breakfast. I see porridge being advised a lot. I absolutely HATE porridge and simply cannot eat it. Any ideas for a decent breakfast for me? I'm thinking a wholemeal bread sandwich but what to put on the sandwich? would some chicken or meat be too much for the first meal of the day? I've been having cereal (Raisen Wheats) with milk, and drinking 4 egg whites every morning. I'm going to keep up the egg whites but need something other than the cereal or porridge. Any advise appreciated.

Sorry to hijack the thread!

One more thing... Smoothies.. I make my own... 4 strawberries/1 banana/2 pears/some fruit juice. Is this too much fruit in one sitting or it is ok? Thanks.

spaceylou

I know it still contains porridge, but ya can't really taste it so you might try this sometimes for breakie....breakfast smoothie: oats, natural yogurt, banana, some mixed berries or whatever fruit you fancy, and then top up with either milk (I tend to use soya milk) or fruit juice for a yummy breakie smoothie. It has complex carbs (from the porridge), a portion or two of fruit, some protein and dairy goodness so tis vaguely balanced. Or oat pancakes are pretty yummy and again don't taste overly porridgey!

@ OP some pretty good advice on this thread so best of luck with it

metamorphosis

Oat pancakes ftw. They actually taste like pancakes. I get my oats, get eggs and water and mix them together and then mix in some Cinnamon and raisins and it makes lovely batter to make savage pancakes. oh nomnomnom

Cooking with a bit of cocnut oil adds a little flavour to them as well.