Any thoughts on this please

Notfattypatty

Trying to improve my lifestyle, both exercise and what I eat. Struggling with my food choices still, even though I have made improvements.

Diet has been atrocious, little exercise and sedentary lifestyle and am now 81lbs over weight.

I'd be grateful if anyone had any thoughts on my new food plan? I should also mention that I eat very little red meat, can't stomach it. Wish I could!

6am: low fat yoghurt with frozen mango, raspberries and blueberries. Commute to work (75mins drive)

10am: 40g porridge (raw) with low fat youghurt, tea with milk

1pm: mixed leaf salad with homous, falafel, cheese and some onions and tomatoes. Tea with milk

5pm: chicken with basmati rice and broccoli, cauliflower rice,

2-3 litres of water throughout the day

When I get home from work, a banana and tea with milk after a brisk walk (building up to a jog - following couch to 5k programme)

Blacktie.

It looks seriously low calorie and very unsustainable. Any reason for what you picked or how you picked it?

Notfattypatty

Blacktie. wrote: »

It looks seriously low calorie and very unsustainable. Any reason for what you picked or how you picked it?

Thanks for reply. I had started using my fitness pal and this was bringing me up to just under 1600 calories. (I'm female, 5ft 5.) The foods I chose, I was picking out of personal taste but this is where I am struggling.

Blacktie.

Higher than expected actually. Think I missed a meal when I was reading. The food selection looks alright. Might add in a bit more veg bit nothing stands out as being replaceable. Have you calculated your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and worked out your calories based on that?

Notfattypatty

Blacktie. wrote: »

Higher than expected actually. Think I missed a meal when I was reading. The food selection looks alright. Might add in a bit more veg bit nothing stands out as being replaceable. Have you calculated your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and worked out your calories based on that?

Thanks Blacktie, I hadn't calculated that but will google how to do it now and see what it is working out to be. Will add in a bit more to the lunch I think as this is the time of the day that I'm normally most hungry at.

Alf Veedersane

Just out or curiosity, when you say you struggled with food choices before in what way did you struggle?

Notfattypatty

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Just out or curiosity, when you say you struggled with food choices before in what way did you struggle?

Thanks for reply, struggled big time with choice of food in terms of nutritional content. Highly processed and a lot of empty calories being used in things like all my tea/coffee (reducing all that now with the past week). I want to start exercising also as well as improving diet, need to include carbs for exercise but then is it ok to be including healthy carbs in every meal? How does one find a balance of how many carbs and protein to be eating?

Alf Veedersane

I wouldn't get bogged down in carbs or protein just yet. 1g of carbs and 1g of protein both have 4 calories.

So don't get bogged down in the macro content just yet. Just concentrate on finding a range of foods that you can interchange to meet your caloric needs.

Use MFP as a research tool as well.

Notfattypatty

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I wouldn't get bogged down in carbs or protein just yet. 1g of carbs and 1g of protein both have 4 calories.

So don't get bogged down in the macro content just yet. Just concentrate on finding a range of foods that you can interchange to meet your caloric needs.

Use MFP as a research tool as well.

Thanks Alf Veedersane, I'll stick with improving the diet. I think every small change I'll make will help the weightless and once it slows down I can pick apart the diet again

Dial Hard

Learn how to cook. I know that probably sounds borderline facetious but it genuinely is the best thing you can do for your long-term health.

I see it all the time here, people overhaul their diet and just eat "ingredients" and it, imo, isn't sustainable long-term because it's boring as hell and they'll fall off the wagon eventually.

You can take your chicken and rice and cauliflower there and with the addition of a few more extremely low calorie or calorie free options, have yourself a delicious curry.

Stews, tagines, chillies, casseroles, hotpots, bakes, amazing salads - the possibilities are endless and yet for some reason countless people persist with this weird idea that clean/healthy eating consists of eating plain protein with plain veg and maybe a plain carb. It genuinely depresses me.

I can post a few recipes to get you started if you want.

Good luck with it, whichever way you decide to do it.

Notfattypatty

Dial Hard wrote: »

Learn how to cook. I know that probably sounds borderline facetious but it genuinely is the best thing you can do for your long-term health.

I see it all the time here, people overhaul their diet and just eat "ingredients" and it, imo, isn't sustainable long-term because it's boring as hell and they'll fall off the wagon eventually.

You can take your chicken and rice and cauliflower there and with the addition of a few more extremely low calorie or calorie free options, have yourself a delicious curry.

Stews, tagines, chillies, casseroles, hotpots, bakes, amazing salads - the possibilities are endless and yet for some reason countless people persist with this weird idea that clean/healthy eating consists of eating plain protein with plain veg and maybe a plain carb. It genuinely depresses me.

I can post a few recipes to get you started if you want.

Good luck with it, whichever way you decide to do it.

Thanks for reply, think this is what I need to do. I have a feeling the plain dinner will be fine for a few days but then I'll end up caving. Will spend this evening researching some recipes and get into the habit of setting time aside for meal prep and cooking

Alf Veedersane

The truth is you have a fair idea of the bad food choices you made before so reducing the majority of those in your diet will yield significant results.

If you lay out a 'plan' as you did in the OP, you're basically restricting yourself to those narrow range of foods and you'll get bored of that quickly.

Steer clear of the highly processed stuff for the most part and just see what works. Batch cooking is great and ties in with the ideas Dial Hard gave...one pot wonders that are tasty and freeze well.

Making up batches also means you don't have to think about what you need to make every day.

Notfattypatty

Thanks, will go through recipes this evening and start batch cooking different bits! Will see how I get on

igCorcaigh

You might be over thinking. Your meal plan looks great, although I might suggest adding some wholegrains, make sure your rice is brown, and avoid breads, brown or otherwise.

How long have you been following this healthier diet?

moneymad

Notfattypatty wrote: »

Trying to improve my lifestyle, both exercise and what I eat. Struggling with my food choices still, even though I have made improvements.

Diet has been atrocious, little exercise and sedentary lifestyle and am now 81lbs over weight.

I'd be grateful if anyone had any thoughts on my new food plan? I should also mention that I eat very little red meat, can't stomach it. Wish I could!

6am: low fat yoghurt with frozen mango, raspberries and blueberries. Commute to work (75mins drive)

10am: 40g porridge (raw) with low fat youghurt, tea with milk

1pm: mixed leaf salad with homous, falafel, cheese and some onions and tomatoes. Tea with milk

5pm: chicken with basmati rice and broccoli, cauliflower rice,

2-3 litres of water throughout the day

When I get home from work, a banana and tea with milk after a brisk walk (building up to a jog - following couch to 5k programme)

If you're driving 75 mins each way to a job your cortisol levels are probably adding a lot of fat around your stomach and hips. I would say the main problem you face is the commute. Find
new job if you can.

Cortisol and insulin are two chemicals you need to understand. Understand the relationship they have and how they work.

When your stress levels are high your cortisol is raised, when you eat **** food the insulin lowers the cortisol and makes you feel less stressed.

The commute is your problem. Yoyr enthusiasm won't last and you will get fatter.
Arm yourself with knowledge and understand those hormones are the problem not your mental strength. Your mental strength is as good as anyone eleses. Insulin and cortisol. Read it.

igCorcaigh

Yeah, I do agree about the low fat yoghurt. Unless you really like it, it doesn't help.

igCorcaigh

A few nuts are good too, with breakfast, or as a snack. I usually sprinkle crushed nuts over whatever I have for dinner. Tasty.

But it has been proven that some nuts in your diet is healthy and helps with weight loss.

2forjoy

I use Lecithin powder and sometimes capsules . This helps break down the fat for me .

Alf Veedersane

2forjoy wrote: »

I use Lecithin powder and sometimes capsules . This helps break down the fat for me .

Lol. Science disagrees.

I have some magic beans that do actually break down fat if you'd like to buy them.

Cake Man

Wish people would understand that to lose fat, you need to use fat. In other words, be in a calorie deficit, your body reaches out to its fat stores to make up the deficit. Thus, you “use” the fat. You can’t just take something to get rid of or “break down” the fat, that goes against the basic laws of physics - energy cannot be created or destroyed...

Diceicle

Yummly could be a good resource for recipes.
Your commute sounds excessive. Is that 75 mins each way?
Maybe look at If It Fits your Macros (iifym) and or the Ketogenic diet.

Notfattypatty

igCorcaigh wrote: »

You might be over thinking. Your meal plan looks great, although I might suggest adding some wholegrains, make sure your rice is brown, and avoid breads, brown or otherwise.

How long have you been following this healthier diet?

Started to seriously look at it last week, but some of the choices I was making were still crappy in terms of food. I just need to plan, plan, plan and cook and see how it goes but I also need to start exercising properly too! Diet is priority though

Notfattypatty

moneymad wrote: »

If you're driving 75 mins each way to a job your cortisol levels are probably adding a lot of fat around your stomach and hips. I would say the main problem you face is the commute. Find
new job if you can.

Cortisol and insulin are two chemicals you need to understand. Understand the relationship they have and how they work.

When your stress levels are high your cortisol is raised, when you eat **** food the insulin lowers the cortisol and makes you feel less stressed.

The commute is your problem. Yoyr enthusiasm won't last and you will get fatter.
Arm yourself with knowledge and understand those hormones are the problem not your mental strength. Your mental strength is as good as anyone eleses. Insulin and cortisol. Read it.

This will be my priority to read up on, thanks so much! Definitely not helping that on top of the drive that I'm heading into a really stressful job! Finishing that in September though, thankfully!

Notfattypatty

igCorcaigh wrote: »

A few nuts are good too, with breakfast, or as a snack. I usually sprinkle crushed nuts over whatever I have for dinner. Tasty.

But it has been proven that some nuts in your diet is healthy and helps with weight loss.

Actually have walnuts and almonds down on my list of "snacks" that I am working on tonight! Have to be careful not to eat too many of them though!

Notfattypatty

2forjoy wrote: »

I use Lecithin powder and sometimes capsules . This helps break down the fat for me .

Will check this out too, thanks

Notfattypatty

Cake Man wrote: »

Wish people would understand that to lose fat, you need to use fat. In other words, be in a calorie deficit, your body reaches out to its fat stores to make up the deficit. Thus, you “use” the fat. You can’t just take something to get rid of or “break down” the fat, that goes against the basic laws of physics - energy cannot be created or destroyed...

I'm going to research everything, I want to create a better lifestyle for the long haul, no quick fixes! I'm 29 and want to try have as healthy a body as possible, physically, nutritionally and mentally

Notfattypatty

Diceicle wrote: »

Yummly could be a good resource for recipes.
Your commute sounds excessive. Is that 75 mins each way?
Maybe look at If It Fits your Macros (iifym) and or the Ketogenic diet.

Thanks will check these all out! Yes unfortunately each way and sitting at a desk then for the whole day! Not good

Alf Veedersane

Notfattypatty wrote: »

Will check this out too, thanks

I wouldn't bother.

Lecithin burns less fat than reading half of an Anne and Barry book.

Macy0161

Nuts are quite calorific, so be wary of too many. And low fat yogurt has a bad rep because of added sugar - i would say look at the label, as not all low or zero fat yogurts are high in sugar, especially if you stick to natural rather than flavoured.

My own experience is that drastic changes immediately weren't sustainable for me, and ultimately what worked for me was a gradual change of diet working to a deficit, based on tdee I calculated - myfitnesspal gave me an unsustainable deficit, compared to working to 500 calorie a day deficit I worked out myself. Pretty much the initial stages were just portion control, and swaps like breaded chicken to a baked/ roasted chicken breast. Losing weight is about maintaining a calorie deficit.

Try https://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/ for some info, and is also good for recipes. While he does sell recipes (I've found them worth the money) and I think meal plans, he's not trying to sell gimmicks or magic supplements.