Eating Well Is Hard

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24

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  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    adora85 wrote: »
    Yeah it is jvihflqumez7.jpg

    That sucks if its true for you.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    edited March 2015
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    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!
  • vixtris
    vixtris Posts: 688 Member
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    Whats been helping me a little bit is setting meal times. They arent strict but I feel that if I just wait until its that time then it helps with not snacking in between. Also planning your meals ahead of time and preparing less food ... give yourself time after you eat, like an hour, and if your still hungry then get some fruit you love (watermelon, strawberries? those are yummy!) because those sugars and nutrients are better for you and your body uses them in a different way rather than the processed snacks.
  • akern1987
    akern1987 Posts: 288 Member
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    Really helpful stuff! Thanks everyone
  • LavenderLeaves
    LavenderLeaves Posts: 195 Member
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    Like everyone else said, logging and accurately weighing(with a food scale) your food will help a lot. Cooking at home will make maximizing the amount of food you can eat for lower calories FAR easier, even if you're using a decent amount of stuff like cheese and butter. Some people have been able to lose weight eating the same fast food and their favorite snacks all the time, though, they just eat less of them, but I don't think I'd be able to because those foods tend to leave me unsatisfied and wanting more. I feel more satisfied when a larger part of my diet is coming from whole foods and home-cooked meals. However, there is absolutely no reason to completely cut out foods you love, because that will likely end up resulting in you wanting them even more.

    While I say "moderation is key," sometimes you just don't want to eat moderately of certain foods and there's nothing wrong with that. When I eat pizza, I want 2 slices. I really try to keep very calorie dense foods for days I truly crave and want them, and PLAN for those days.

    If someone just tends to overeat foods in general as a lifestyle, then it will take a little effort to find that sweet spot where it's comfortable for you. Don't get frustrated. Don't give up.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    What has been working for me is meal planning. I have found that pre-loading my meals into MFP helps me keep on track. It takes a bit of work, but is pretty doable, once you get used to it. I think of it as one more household chore that needs to get done, like doing laundry.

    Usually on the weekend, before I hit the grocery store, I will sit down and come up with a reasonable meal plan for the entire coming week. I focus mainly on dinners, as I tend to eat the same breakfast (bowl of cereal) every day, and use the left overs from the night prior for lunches. You can take into account how busy you'll be on work days, personable food preferences, budget, and ingredients you need to use up. I also plan around activities, such as my bowling league night, where I know I won't be home long enough to cook, but still want to eat something at least marginally healthy.

    The huge benefit to the weekly meal planning is that I know ahead of time what I'm having for dinner. I will input my intended meals into my food diary. I can always make changes to specific days if things change. Another benefit is because I've pre-loaded my meals, I already know what my calorie consumption will be. This gives you a bit of flexibility if you want to snack, or have a piece of cake at that office birthday party, or go out for drinks after work. The other thing it does, is it makes me very aware of where I'm going to spend my calories. I had a very bad day last week, and decided I needed a pick me up, so I went to Starbucks and got a hazelnut latte. I have no regrets. I knew I had the calories to spend, and in that moment the 190 calories were so very worth it.

    I've been using Myrecipes.com for my meal planning. I have a subscription to Cooking Light, and their recipes end up here. You save recipes to your recipe file, and can create folders within your recipe file. I just make a new folder every week, labeled 'Week of March 7' or something like that, and stick my meals in there. You'll also be able to look at your meal plan for the week and make adjustments as necessary. Occasionally I will look at my plan and say, Jeeze, I'm eating chicken every day this week. Maybe I should cook some fish or something.

    A lot of the recipes from Cooking Light have already been entered into MFP. For newer/less popular recipes, you can use the import a recipe feature.

    Once I've got my meal plan, I can make my shopping list based on that, which means I'm not wandering around the supermarket, sticking crap into my basket because it looks tasty. This is not to say I never eat junk food, because I do. I generally have an ice cream bar for dessert. For Valentine's Day, I made a batch of pecan blondies and ate them with vanilla frozen yogurt. There is no reason you can't have food you enjoy, even if it's junk food. You do need to be careful about your portion sizes and use a bit of moderation, but you can still have it.

    I have also found that exercise is key. I will very rarely be able to stay within my calorie goal without at least a little bit of exercise. If I do manage it without exercise, I will hungry and not happy about it. The exercise does not have to be super rigorous or complicated. Simply taking a walk is working for me, at least for now.

    You can feel free to add me as a friend. I'd be happy to share my meal plans with you. I tend to go for meals that won't take too much time to cook during the week. I love to cook, but I do make my share of kitchen blunders.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,516 Member
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    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    It's hard if you make it hard. Fast food and fruit are real fast ways to spend your daily "allotment".

    You can have fast food, but choose grilled chicken instead of fried chicken. One thing my husband and I do often is order a cheeseburger, cut it in half, and lose half the bun. basically it's 1/2 a double cheeseburger and you save on bun calories. If you can lose the bun altogether, even better - and don't have fries.

    I've found that the less I have fast food, the less I want it. I spend more time at places like Subway, Jimmy-john's, even Olive Garden (2 bowls Pasta Fagiole is loaded with protein and fiber!) or Longhorn Steakhouse with a side salad, a 6 oz. sirloin, and 1-2 pieces of the bread (maybe).

    Add more veggies instead of fruit. If I go to someplace like Golden Corral, my first plate is 1/2 green beans and 1/4 corn. My second plate is protein: Rotissiere (sp?) chicken or steak or fish.

    I am a true food addict, and understand that it is hard....but I've also found that the more healthy (or better quality) the food is, the more of it you get. One of my nutritionists once told me to focus on the protein and the fats/carbs will take care of themselves, and I've found that to be pretty much on target.

    And there's things you just know: baked is always better than fried. A friend of mine's "diabetic tip of the day" was that just by deep frying fish, it negates all the healthy benefits of having fish in the first place. Deep frying something in and of itself can add as much as 400 calories depending on what type of food it is (like fried chicken).

    Although I will say I had one Weight Watchers leader who said that once you hit your calorie allotment for the day, it's time to go to bed! LOL

    For what it's worth....
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    edited March 2015
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    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


    Since she's eating her fast food breakfast sandwiches on bagels and biscuits, even a plain old white English muffin on a homemade breakfast sandwich would help reduce her calories significantly. Personally, I make a whole pan of egg scramble sort of thing, using mostly egg whites with a few whole eggs added in, some bacon bits (I buy the real bacon ones at Costco) and shredded cheese. Pour the raw mixture into a baking dish, bake until set, cut and compose with english muffins or in a wrap like a breakfast burrito. You still get the cheese and bacon flavor, but much smaller portions than if you used the whole bacon strips and slices of cheese.

    For the fries, I suggest getting a SMALL. Heck, I think the Happy Meal is the best solution to road trip drivethrough needs...The portions are too big for a child, but actually the Happy Meal is a reasonable portion for an adult. (Those were the original portion sizes, kids, not the absurd Super Sized crap they sell now)

    And again, add some veggies! They have so few calories for the bulk!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,516 Member
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    EWJLang wrote: »
    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


    Since she's eating her fast food breakfast sandwiches on bagels and biscuits, even a plain old white English muffin on a homemade breakfast sandwich would help reduce her calories significantly. Personally, I make a whole pan of egg scramble sort of thing, using mostly egg whites with a few whole eggs added in, some bacon bits (I buy the real bacon ones at Costco) and shredded cheese. Pour the raw mixture into a baking dish, bake until set, cut and compose with english muffins or in a wrap like a breakfast burrito. You still get the cheese and bacon flavor, but much smaller portions than if you used the whole bacon strips and slices of cheese.

    For the fries, I suggest getting a SMALL. Heck, I think the Happy Meal is the best solution to road trip drivethrough needs...The portions are too big for a child, but actually the Happy Meal is a reasonable portion for an adult. (Those were the original portion sizes, kids, not the absurd Super Sized crap they sell now)

    And again, add some veggies! They have so few calories for the bulk!

    Cheeseburger happy meal w/ kids fries, apple slices and chocolate milk

    Calories 550
    Calories from Fat 150
    Total Fat 17g
    Saturated Fat 6g
    Trans Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 50mg
    Sodium 880mg
    Total Carbs 75g
    Dietary Fiber 4g
    Sugars 32g
    Protein 25g
    Vitamin A 770IU
    Vitamin C 104mg
    Calcium 530mg
    Iron 4.5mg

    So, this is too much food for my 11yo daughter (5'1", 81lbs) who needs between 2200 and 2600 calories per day? Explain how a Happy Meal that comprises at most 25% of her daily caloric intake NEEDS is too much food for a child, again?

    I don't claim it is an ideal meal by any stretch, but after a very long hockey tournament weekend (which her team won, woot!) when all we wanted was something the kids could eat in the car with minimal mess so we could get home before 9pm so they could shower and go to bed, it worked.

    Making blanket statements, however, does NOT WORK.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Make small lasting changes. From what I saw drinking water vs calorie drinks and eating more food at home vs fast food would make a huge difference. Even start with one meal a day at home. Then increase it to two. Then try every other day eating fast food, etc.

    You can lose weight by cutting portions down big time with that kind of food. However, if you cook/eat at home you will get to munch on way more food for the same calories.

    Thankfully I didn't grow up on fast food (I still got fat though), so all I have to do is look at the ingredient list and the large calories and be like "yeah, no thanks". When I do take a bit of a splurge I can understand why it is so addicting.

    Dieting Changing your lifestyle IS hard. Life IS hard. You can either complain about it and do nothing, or you can get out there and try really hard!!
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    EWJLang wrote: »
    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


    Since she's eating her fast food breakfast sandwiches on bagels and biscuits, even a plain old white English muffin on a homemade breakfast sandwich would help reduce her calories significantly. Personally, I make a whole pan of egg scramble sort of thing, using mostly egg whites with a few whole eggs added in, some bacon bits (I buy the real bacon ones at Costco) and shredded cheese. Pour the raw mixture into a baking dish, bake until set, cut and compose with english muffins or in a wrap like a breakfast burrito. You still get the cheese and bacon flavor, but much smaller portions than if you used the whole bacon strips and slices of cheese.

    For the fries, I suggest getting a SMALL. Heck, I think the Happy Meal is the best solution to road trip drivethrough needs...The portions are too big for a child, but actually the Happy Meal is a reasonable portion for an adult. (Those were the original portion sizes, kids, not the absurd Super Sized crap they sell now)

    And again, add some veggies! They have so few calories for the bulk!

    Cheeseburger happy meal w/ kids fries, apple slices and chocolate milk

    Calories 550
    Calories from Fat 150
    Total Fat 17g
    Saturated Fat 6g
    Trans Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 50mg
    Sodium 880mg
    Total Carbs 75g
    Dietary Fiber 4g
    Sugars 32g
    Protein 25g
    Vitamin A 770IU
    Vitamin C 104mg
    Calcium 530mg
    Iron 4.5mg

    So, this is too much food for my 11yo daughter (5'1", 81lbs) who needs between 2200 and 2600 calories per day? Explain how a Happy Meal that comprises at most 25% of her daily caloric intake NEEDS is too much food for a child, again?

    I don't claim it is an ideal meal by any stretch, but after a very long hockey tournament weekend (which her team won, woot!) when all we wanted was something the kids could eat in the car with minimal mess so we could get home before 9pm so they could shower and go to bed, it worked.

    Making blanket statements, however, does NOT WORK.

    Easy, killer.

    I was speaking more of the children who Happy Meals are marketed to -- generally under 8 and as young as 2.

    And, as in adults, kids who are competitive athletes can almost always afford to really pack it away. That's not really relevant to the OPs situation, from what I can see in her limited diary entries, she frequently has oversized portions of fast food meals and is not a competitive athlete. She's having a hard time figuring out what kinds of changes to make, rethinking portion sizes is a logical first step.
  • ladybuggnorris
    ladybuggnorris Posts: 276 Member
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    I make up my menus for two weeks. I know exactly how many calories I will be consuming at the start of the day. I leave no room for treats and binges. I am not saying that everyone can eat this way, but it absolutely works for me. If I give myself an inch, I will take a mile. I have learned over and over again, that I cannot just have one bite or one treat...I will be sabotaging my whole day/weekend/week.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,516 Member
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    EWJLang wrote: »
    EWJLang wrote: »
    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


    Since she's eating her fast food breakfast sandwiches on bagels and biscuits, even a plain old white English muffin on a homemade breakfast sandwich would help reduce her calories significantly. Personally, I make a whole pan of egg scramble sort of thing, using mostly egg whites with a few whole eggs added in, some bacon bits (I buy the real bacon ones at Costco) and shredded cheese. Pour the raw mixture into a baking dish, bake until set, cut and compose with english muffins or in a wrap like a breakfast burrito. You still get the cheese and bacon flavor, but much smaller portions than if you used the whole bacon strips and slices of cheese.

    For the fries, I suggest getting a SMALL. Heck, I think the Happy Meal is the best solution to road trip drivethrough needs...The portions are too big for a child, but actually the Happy Meal is a reasonable portion for an adult. (Those were the original portion sizes, kids, not the absurd Super Sized crap they sell now)

    And again, add some veggies! They have so few calories for the bulk!

    Cheeseburger happy meal w/ kids fries, apple slices and chocolate milk

    Calories 550
    Calories from Fat 150
    Total Fat 17g
    Saturated Fat 6g
    Trans Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 50mg
    Sodium 880mg
    Total Carbs 75g
    Dietary Fiber 4g
    Sugars 32g
    Protein 25g
    Vitamin A 770IU
    Vitamin C 104mg
    Calcium 530mg
    Iron 4.5mg

    So, this is too much food for my 11yo daughter (5'1", 81lbs) who needs between 2200 and 2600 calories per day? Explain how a Happy Meal that comprises at most 25% of her daily caloric intake NEEDS is too much food for a child, again?

    I don't claim it is an ideal meal by any stretch, but after a very long hockey tournament weekend (which her team won, woot!) when all we wanted was something the kids could eat in the car with minimal mess so we could get home before 9pm so they could shower and go to bed, it worked.

    Making blanket statements, however, does NOT WORK.

    Easy, killer.

    I was speaking more of the children who Happy Meals are marketed to -- generally under 8 and as young as 2.

    And, as in adults, kids who are competitive athletes can almost always afford to really pack it away. That's not really relevant to the OPs situation, from what I can see in her limited diary entries, she frequently has oversized portions of fast food meals and is not a competitive athlete. She's having a hard time figuring out what kinds of changes to make, rethinking portion sizes is a logical first step.

    I wasn't mad, just making the point that blanket statements are not always necessarily accurate. And her caloric intake has more to do with being a normal kid (the 2200 end) than an athlete (the 2600 end).

    Peace. ;)

  • fastfoodietofitcutie
    fastfoodietofitcutie Posts: 523 Member
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    A happy meal is in no way an adult size portion.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    grnice39 wrote: »
    A happy meal is in no way an adult size portion.
    Probably it is a matter of what you are used to when it comes to portions. I have 3 kids, the oldest is 11 and almost adult sized. I cannot imagine any one of them eating an entire happy meal, they never eat that much in one meal. I have not tried, because this is not the type of fast food we like as a family, but I am pretty sure they could not eat it. I doubt I could and I am 40. Not in calories, but the food is just way over their usual portion.
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    grnice39 wrote: »
    A happy meal is in no way an adult size portion.

    You do know that for most of McDonald's history, that's what they sold to everyone? Burger, small fry, soft drink. Coke came in wee little glass bottles. Also, phones had dials and were attached to the wall and good freaking GOD, I'm old.

    And, as the PP said, it's 550 calories if you happen to get your happy meal with milk. That kind of IS an adult sized portion for a fair number of people in a meal on an average day. (Assuming 2 other similarly sized meals and 2-3 reasonable snacks, and if you are drinking caloric beverages along the way, it adds up fast...) My maintenance TDEE is about 1600 calories per day, so, yeah, a Happy Meal is an appropriately portioned meal for me. And, you know, I'm 5'6", so it's not like I'm teeny tiny.

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    EWJLang wrote: »
    EWJLang wrote: »
    This is a big helper, The foods you crave and can't live without, Figure out how to make at home and a healthier version (sneak in veggie ingredients too when you can) Ex. Mcdonalds canadian bacon egg mcmuffin You can totally make that at home with much healthier ingredients (Whole wheat english muffin, Ham, Egg, 2% cheese) Ex. 2 MCD's French Fries, cut potato into strips, dry them well with paper towel, spray with a little EVOO and season, bake in oven, much healthier than fried. I find you can figure out a way to make almost anything a little healthier and usually cheaper and more bang for your calorie as well. Good Luck!

    Yeah, cutting potatoes into strips and spraying them with minimal olive oil, then baking them, in no way makes them look or taste like McDonald's french fries. And I've made egg mcmuffins at home. They are delicious but not a HUGE calories savings. The main benefit for me is getting a slightly runny yolk rather than a super hard and dried out one, oh and cheddar cheese instead of grody american, lol.

    42829955.png


    Since she's eating her fast food breakfast sandwiches on bagels and biscuits, even a plain old white English muffin on a homemade breakfast sandwich would help reduce her calories significantly. Personally, I make a whole pan of egg scramble sort of thing, using mostly egg whites with a few whole eggs added in, some bacon bits (I buy the real bacon ones at Costco) and shredded cheese. Pour the raw mixture into a baking dish, bake until set, cut and compose with english muffins or in a wrap like a breakfast burrito. You still get the cheese and bacon flavor, but much smaller portions than if you used the whole bacon strips and slices of cheese.

    For the fries, I suggest getting a SMALL. Heck, I think the Happy Meal is the best solution to road trip drivethrough needs...The portions are too big for a child, but actually the Happy Meal is a reasonable portion for an adult. (Those were the original portion sizes, kids, not the absurd Super Sized crap they sell now)

    And again, add some veggies! They have so few calories for the bulk!

    Cheeseburger happy meal w/ kids fries, apple slices and chocolate milk

    Calories 550
    Calories from Fat 150
    Total Fat 17g
    Saturated Fat 6g
    Trans Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 50mg
    Sodium 880mg
    Total Carbs 75g
    Dietary Fiber 4g
    Sugars 32g
    Protein 25g
    Vitamin A 770IU
    Vitamin C 104mg
    Calcium 530mg
    Iron 4.5mg

    So, this is too much food for my 11yo daughter (5'1", 81lbs) who needs between 2200 and 2600 calories per day? Explain how a Happy Meal that comprises at most 25% of her daily caloric intake NEEDS is too much food for a child, again?

    I don't claim it is an ideal meal by any stretch, but after a very long hockey tournament weekend (which her team won, woot!) when all we wanted was something the kids could eat in the car with minimal mess so we could get home before 9pm so they could shower and go to bed, it worked.

    Making blanket statements, however, does NOT WORK.

    Easy, killer.

    I was speaking more of the children who Happy Meals are marketed to -- generally under 8 and as young as 2.

    And, as in adults, kids who are competitive athletes can almost always afford to really pack it away. That's not really relevant to the OPs situation, from what I can see in her limited diary entries, she frequently has oversized portions of fast food meals and is not a competitive athlete. She's having a hard time figuring out what kinds of changes to make, rethinking portion sizes is a logical first step.

    I wasn't mad, just making the point that blanket statements are not always necessarily accurate. And her caloric intake has more to do with being a normal kid (the 2200 end) than an athlete (the 2600 end).

    Peace. ;)

    Just you wait...she's 11 now, but you are about to see an appetite like none other if she keeps playing! (I grew up in a house full of hockey players, I know their monsterous appetites AND the stench of their gear bags....)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    EWJLang wrote: »
    grnice39 wrote: »
    A happy meal is in no way an adult size portion.

    You do know that for most of McDonald's history, that's what they sold to everyone? Burger, small fry, soft drink. Coke came in wee little glass bottles. Also, phones had dials and were attached to the wall and good freaking GOD, I'm old.

    And, as the PP said, it's 550 calories if you happen to get your happy meal with milk. That kind of IS an adult sized portion for a fair number of people in a meal on an average day. (Assuming 2 other similarly sized meals and 2-3 reasonable snacks, and if you are drinking caloric beverages along the way, it adds up fast...) My maintenance TDEE is about 1600 calories per day, so, yeah, a Happy Meal is an appropriately portioned meal for me. And, you know, I'm 5'6", so it's not like I'm teeny tiny.

    550 calories is more than I have for breakfast or lunch (I prefer to save the bulk of my calories for the evening). A sandwich with some fries, apple, and milk seems like a fine meal for an adult. It's only "not adult sized" by the standards we've come to expect from fast food (which, as you point out, have changed a great deal in a few decades).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Log ahead of time so you know what you can eat and how much of it.

    Get a food scale, weigh everything you eat (and measure liquids) and be as accurate as you can in logging.

    Make sure you are getting a mixture of protein, carbs and healthy fat with each meal. Eating something mostly carb will likely have you hungry again really fast.

    As someone else mentions, don't spend your allotted calories on drinks. Drink water or unsweetened iced tea.