Healthy eating tips/ lunch ideas ?

Mrs Garth Brooks

Ok, i wanted to lose weight for a few months now, as i put a bit of weight on. Even though i lost 5 stone a couple of years ago. I joined a cheap gym but with college work, i never seem to get much time to go. But i think il force myself to go this week.

I walk everywhere, so the first thing i can do is start with my diet. Its been pretty crap over the past year, but i have to change it.

My breakfast is always either poached eggs on brown toast or porridge with honey/banana. After that it gets pretty crap, cream buns, and sweets. Sandwiches and chocolate. I must admit alot of it is to do with comfort eating. But it has got to stop.

I tried making a couple of changes this past week. I would have either poached eggs (normally two) on oat cakes, or a bowl of porridge with banana.

Mid morning snack i would have a breakfast bar. But it isn't really enough. Or i would have a yoghurt. Its only lately i have beginning to eat natural yoghurt and its lovely.

I find lunch time the hardest. Its so easy to get stuff in the shop and eat way more than what you should, like potatoe wedges/pizza slice. But this past week i have been having 3 or 4 ryvita with philidelphia cheese, which probably isn't enough.

Is there anything i could have for lunch that i could make at home but i would like to stay away from bread?

Dinner is pretty bad, can of beans or soup, anything quick really. But this past week i have been cooking a plate of vegetables, carrots, parsnips, broccoli with some chicken.


So yeah i could probably do with some ideas. What should i include in my shopping list tomorrow, especially for lunch, snacks.

I also bought a small weighing scales and i am shocked just how much of a portion i used to give myself with the porridge. When weighing food, should it be weighed before or after being cooked. The reason i ask is because i was cooking cous cous for dinner, i read the packet, It said 88g of cooked cous cous gives 95 calories. So i weighed out 88g uncooked thinking it was the same. But its not, its way more.

Sorry for the stupid questions but its time i get my ass in gear and any small tips would be great.

HardLuckWoman

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

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Is there anything i could have for lunch that i could make at home but i would like to stay away from bread?

Dinner is pretty bad, can of beans or soup, anything quick really. But this past week i have been cooking a plate of vegetables, carrots, parsnips, broccoli with some chicken.
..............

Chicken wrapped in lettuce leaves for lunch once or twice a week. Have a different meat for your evening meal those days.

Do continue not having soup or beans as a main meal

Don't be overly concerned with the size of your breakfast porridge portion, much better to have a decent lash of porridge to keep you going snack free 'till lunch than a small portion and to be snacking on nasties.

kate.m

I usually bring a salad: kidney beans/chick peas/chicken with baby spinach leaves and either a tomatoe/beetroot (or leftover dinner, depends on what's in the fridge)

I also bring a flask of homemade soup every day (made on Sunday) it's just onion, garlic, vegetables or choice and chicken stock (I like butternut squash and carrot) It's not time consuming at all to prepare either.

gymfreak

If your aim is to lose bodyfat, the first thing you need to do is figure out how many kcal you should be taking in daily..This is done very easily by reading the stickies at the top of the forum.

Second thing you need to do is log on to a website like www.myfitnesspal.com and enter in a food diary for the day. This calculates all the kcal for you so you know if your making a deficit or coming up with a surplus.

As for lunch ideas
-Salads
-Stirfrys
-Soups

I'm a big, big stirfry fan. I generally just make a big portion for dinner and then pack some away for lunch the next day.
Options on veg are plentiful-beansprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, aubergine, courgette, spinach, brocolli
(I just ate a beef stirfry that comprised of all the above veg..for breakfast:D)
And with regards to meat I just switch and swap it around between turkey, chicken and lean beef.

Salads are pretty much the same-pick a meat, pick loads of veg!!!


Snacks
I have to stay away from the likes of cereal bars as they set my sugar cravings mad and just dont fill me up.
I opt for
-raw carrots
-yoghurts
-nuts and raisin mixes(be careful as they contain alot of kcal)
-apple
-berries
And if I'm looking for a snack that I can pick at I'd get a small bag of popcorn


Main take home point-meals should mainly consist of meat and veg