Starting out!

Brel

Hi,

I'm hoping to use this thread as a way to keep track of my health over the next month

I have somehow managed to gain back a half a stone over the past few months (I have been craving carbs a lot of the time)! I currently weigh 9 stone 4 (5 ft 4 in height, female) - I'd like to be at a comfortable 8 stone 10ish, but I always find that trying to shift a relatively small handful of weight like that is quite difficult. I have an injury at the moment which prevents me from exercising or even walking much, so I'm trying to eat as healthy as possible instead. I'm not sure how to go about this without reducing my calorie intake, which I guess then slows down the metabolism and promotes weight gain at a later stage?

Does anyone have any advice for easy and low calorie but filling snacks, to stop me craving crackers and things like that?

Thanks!

i124Q

Natural boneless sliced chicken breast. Have it prepared in the fridge, ready to h/eat. Have it flavoured with e.g. garlic and pepper.
Great protein around 24g and low in fat, 1.5g. At just 120 calories, with some lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese...etc you could make a beautiful healthy salad. Fulfilling that savory craving.

Then fill the sweet craving with a mixed fruit salad. Strawberries, bananas, apples and oranges (or whatever you like the best). Add some natural yoghurt.

If your injury prevents walking/jogging, then do some weights. I know you might not want to bulk up, but weight training is great for burning those calories.

Good luck with the weight-loss. Just be strict on yourself and have meals/snacks prepared!

Brel

Thanks!

Also, 120 calories in that whole piece of chicken?

I find that fish is a great low calorie meal too, but I always feel hungry after I eat it for dinner :rolleyes:

Unfortunately I also suffer from back pain and have found that weights aggravate it, so I tend not to use them.

If I did a portion of exercise every day, I don't think I would have to watch what I eat as I generally eat a very healthy diet without any "junk" food and I like my food quite plain without sauces and so on. However, I do like to snack and have a decent portion size for meals, so that's usually where I end up making adjustments - This usually means that I feel quite hungry and have less energy, so I am trying to figure out a way to have a nice full feeling and energy during the day - You know that feeling right after you enjoy some carbs! I think my main issue though is snacking at night - The darker the evenings become and the more I relax at home the more aware I am that I am craving. It's definitely all about control, as you mentioned - I think that's the main thing I have to learn - not to eat too much or too little.

I'm not quite sure what "normal" weight I should be, but I think about a 7 pound loss would do the trick. It's amazing the way it can be gained in a month but takes far longer to drop again.

Brel

I was particularly bad yesterday and ate pretty much half a block of cheese as well as other carbs during the day. I really need to sort it out! I think it's a matter of not making food as important as it currently is. It's always when I think 'right, I'm going to lose a few pounds", that I tend to think I'm hungry. I'm going to behave today and start tomorrow with bringing healthy snacks around with me!

If anyone has any willpower they would like to donate to someone who apparently has none, it will be happily received! :cool:

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Eggs are a great source of protein. And filling too Cold deli chicken and ham with mayo or pesto for dipping are also very handy to keep on standby. As are nuts. Good luck

Brel

Thank you! I appreciate the food suggestions

Today I was relatively well-behaved and had lettuce and carrot instead of bread earlier in the day. However, by the night time I was famished and ended up having an apple and a cracker, which I guess is better than the sugar and lumps of cheese I had been tucking into recently :P