Is this a healthy plan?

Wexford96

Hello.
I've been wanting to lose weight for some time and now have a plan. The main problem I've has has been working away from home and living out of hotels. This has restaurant food each night and weight gain.
I don't know much about nutrition, but I did the following 4 days ago.
I bought a very big lunch box and each morning I place in it: turkey, lettuce, olives, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese and mustard. The box is huge and i fill it right up. I take the box with me everywhere in my backpack and eat only this food. No more lunches and dinners at restaurants. Also, no more coffee, just tea or water. Breakfast is 1 apple & 1 orange.I still drink half a pint of milk per day. I'll replace the turkey with beef next week, and with fish the week after.
I'm loving the plan, and could eat like this forever. It saves me money and time. My next meal is always right there in my bag.
Is this diet okay? Am I missing out on any nutrition? Will I lose weight? Is there anything bad with my plan?
Thanks!

bladespin

Wexford96 wrote:

Hello. I've been wanting to lose weight for some time and now have a plan. The main problem I've has has been working away from home and living out of hotels. This has restaurant food each night and weight gain.

Restaurant food is fine if you're disciplined about what you order and portion control.

Wexford96 wrote:

Also, no more coffee, just tea or water. Breakfast is 1 apple & 1 orange.

What's wrong with coffee???

Imo, that's nothing like enough for the first meal of the day.

Tbh it sounds very extreme, I prefer a more open an rounded diet while tracking calories.

Wexford96

I take sugar with coffee. That's why I cut it out.

seefin

Make sure you've enough protein, especially if losing weight..don't want to lose too much muscle rather than fat as will make it harder to maintain in long term

igCorcaigh

Also add variety to the salad veges ; Grated carrot, chopped peppers, spinach, beetroot etc. Some nuts and legumes too.

Please eat a proper breakfast also - eggs, fruit, yoghurt, porridge etc. Two pieces of fruit is not sufficient.

Alf Veedersane

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Please eat a proper breakfast also - eggs, fruit, yoghurt, porridge etc. Two pieces of fruit is not sufficient.

Doesn't really matter. All that matters is you're eating decent food and getting the right amount of calories in.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Doesn't really matter. All that matters is you're eating decent food and getting the right amount of calories in.

Obviously you're free to disagree but meals with no protein and only simple carbs is probably not good for a sustained change of eating habits and sustained weight loss. Two pieces of fruit is a snack, not a meal.

Hoboo

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Doesn't really matter. All that matters is you're eating decent food and getting the right amount of calories in.

Nah it does, starting the day on sugar regardless of source is setting yourself up for a slump and cravings.

seefin

Hoboo wrote:

Nah it does, starting the day on sugar regardless of source is setting yourself up for a slump and cravings.

I'm a doctor TV program said too much fruit bad as sugar content. Said to focus on veg more

Blacktie.

seefin wrote:

I'm a doctor TV program said too much fruit bad as sugar content. Said to focus on veg more

I'd take anything they say with a serious pinch of salt.

Dixie Chick

Well, if you feel full, satisfied and your energy levels are ok and you lose weight, then this works for you. And what works for you and not anyone else is what matters. You are eating veg and protein and you say that you feel good.

Give it a few weeks and see how it goes.

Alf Veedersane

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Obviously you're free to disagree but meals with no protein and only simple carbs is probably not good for a sustained change of eating habits and sustained weight loss. Two pieces of fruit is a snack, not a meal.

To each his own though. I don't really feel hungry in the morning. So I didn't eat until after 11am. Slowly added weight as was the goal.

I'm not saying you shouldn't eat a breakfast just that you don't need to if you don't want to.

Hoboo wrote: »

Nah it does, starting the day on sugar regardless of source is setting yourself up for a slump and cravings.

I never mentioned that eating fruit was a good idea. I just said that if the OP found two pieces of fruit sufficient in the morning then that's pretty much all that matters in the context of getting enough calories in over the course of a day.

But it doesn't necessarily follow that eating fruit is followed by a slump and cravings. If the OP finds that happening, then go for an alternative breakfast.

Besides, having looked back over the OP, my main concern would be about how 'huge' this box is as a source of all his calories outside of an apple, an orange and a half pint of milk. I'm not sure there is enough there for the OP to sustain such a diet over the longer term.

frag420

Blacktie. wrote: »

I'd take anything they say with a serious pinch of salt.

Surely cutting out salt is a good thing too no!?:p:p

bladespin

frag420 wrote: »

Surely cutting out salt is a good thing too no!?:p:p

Salt gets a bad wrap, not the demon it's made out to be.

seefin

Blacktie. wrote:

I'd take anything they say with a serious pinch of salt.

Really?? I'm so bloody gullible, always take anything on that program as gospel !

Mellor

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Obviously you're free to disagree but meals with no protein and only simple carbs is probably not good for a sustained change of eating habits and sustained weight loss. Two pieces of fruit is a snack, not a meal.

Two pieces of fruit is a snack. So what? There nothing wrong with starting the day with a snack. Breakfast is no more important than other meal, despite the cliches.

Get the whole day on track before you start trying to make microadjustments

I forgot how much fun this forum is.

Mellor

I forgot how touchy people get when they nutrition nonsense is pointed out

Mellor

Mellor wrote: »

I forgot how touchy people get when they nutrition nonsense is pointed out

Yep, eating a good breakfast is well known nutrition nonsense.

Dial Hard

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Yep, eating a good breakfast is well known nutrition nonsense.

It's better than eating a rubbish breakfast but the whole "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" schtick is nonsense, pretty much. What you eat over a given period is far more important than when you eat it.

As I said previously, do and think whatever you want. I did not argue anything about the efficacy of meal timings. I hardly prescribed the OP's breakfast time.

It is my view and the view of the vast majority of nutritionists and dieticians that a balanced meal to aid energy and satiation includes fat and protein.

If you want to eat no breakfast or eat simple carbs only for breakfast then go right on ahead.

Unbelievable that to suggest eating a balanced meal as first meal of the day invites such controversy.

Mellor

Mystery Egg wrote: »

As I said previously, do and think whatever you want. I did not argue anything about the efficacy of meal timings. I hardly prescribed the OP's breakfast time.

It is my view and the view of the vast majority of nutritionists and dieticians that a balanced meal to aid energy and satiation includes fat and protein.

If you want to eat no breakfast or eat simple carbs only for breakfast then go right on ahead.

Unbelievable that to suggest eating a balanced meal as first meal of the day invites such controversy.

You said yourself that an apple in the morning was a snack, not a meal. It's bizarre to slate a snack for not being a balanced meal. If somebody had an apple in the middle of the day would you also react in the same way?

His first meal of the day was, imo, the turkey salad. We've no quantities, but I'd guess that there was enough protein. Fat might have been lacking, but that depends on amount of cheese, or the dressing.

moonage

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Yep, eating a good breakfast is well known nutrition nonsense.

Many people aren't really hungry in the mornings, despite the 8+ hour fast, and only eat out of habit.

In general, skipping breakfast and eating when you're actually hungry is going to help maintain a healthy weight and has overall health benefits. The "you must eat three square meals a day" mantra is a load of old nonsense.