Help with diet
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jekkarez
Posts: 32 Member
Heya all, started calory counting recently to get rid of my belly and started to go to the gym 5 times a week.
App says I need to fit in with 1681 calories a day and I struggle with the food to fit in that.
I don't mind eating the same thing daily and currently stick to boiled rice, oven baked plain chicken, and eggs...
Looking for advice on stuff I can make within the calory limit and prepare food for the whole week and then measure before each meal with scales (for grams per article of food)
Thanks in advance for any advice
App says I need to fit in with 1681 calories a day and I struggle with the food to fit in that.
I don't mind eating the same thing daily and currently stick to boiled rice, oven baked plain chicken, and eggs...
Looking for advice on stuff I can make within the calory limit and prepare food for the whole week and then measure before each meal with scales (for grams per article of food)
Thanks in advance for any advice
7
Replies
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remember to eat back the exercise calories on the five days you go to gym. the MFP's 1681 if how much to eat to lose at the requested rate WITHOUT EXERCISE. if you add exercise you need to eat those exercise calories or you will be making much too big a deficit.
on exercise calories: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
as for what to eat, i don't limit my diet and initially ate 1300 and now 1400 a day. I use tons of spices but really i eat whatever. Pre-logging helps figure things out ahead of time.
Skinnytaste has tons of yummy recipies
https://www.skinnytaste.com/
3 -
Well, eating whatever... Question is how much.... 1 meal at McDonald's will already get you over the limit.... I currently eat very small amounts of rice which leaves me hungry for the majority of the day.... Hence I am asking (150 grams of cooked rice per meal is way less than what I am used to)5
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well yes obviously don't go get a 800 calorie meal but eating at home you have tons of options. Even at McDonalds you can make choices for the leaner burgers and a side that is not fries.
i eat most carbs earlier in the day (totally just personal preference) but my dinners are a protein (chicken breast or thigh using lots of spices or rubs - veggie pattie, recently made some yummy ground beef i add to various things, fish with herbs). then lots of veggy sides only because i prefer quantity and don't care for rice . Broccoli slaw, riced cauli with cheese.
lunches are tuna and crakcers, boiled eggs or qunioa salad with cut up veggies, home made protein bar and cow cheese wedge.
This leave me room for THREE more snack (almonds, fruit, yogurt+protein cereal) so if i cut the snacks i could add more food (ex: more room for potatoes or rice).
all on 1400 cals.0 -
The diet needn't be bland. You can still eat what you want just smaller portions to fit into your calorie goal.
As soon as you start eating bland food the diet will inevitably fail because there is simply too much temptation to eat real food.
Just be mindful of what you eat. 1600 calories as fried chicken, for example, is certainly going to be a lousy choice because all you would be eating is fat, salt and protein. Just take care to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and try to avoid refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Remove packaged/processed foods and fast food. It seems like a lot to remove but there are foods that taste great and are healthy. Learning to prepare your own meals is key.
It's okay to indulge once in a while. Many people include a cheat/treat day once a week. It helps because your mind recognizes that it's only once per week.
Personally I grill up some boneless pork chops or some boneless skinless chicken breast for 5 days worth and I rub them with 8 different spices. Throw in a scoop of rice and some broccoli steamed with garlic butter and you have a tasty healthy meal.
I also make a pot of chili for the week with ground turkey (turkey contains far less fat) and I add "back bacon" (the really lean stuff) for added flavor. I include fresh tomatoes, beans, onions, celery, sweet peppers and a scoop of Salsa for extra kick.
I also buy Mitchell's soups and add ground turkey and other vegetables to the pot and it too lasts a whole week (both the chili and the soup can be frozen into smaller portions).
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Keep it simple, eat everything you enjoy but in quantities that are within your daily budget. Do the math and fill your plate and bowl accordingly.5
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Chili's and Curries's are good bang for your buck if you don't add too many carbs (ex: both rice and bread).3
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Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\2 -
Well, eating whatever... Question is how much.... 1 meal at McDonald's will already get you over the limit.... I currently eat very small amounts of rice which leaves me hungry for the majority of the day.... Hence I am asking (150 grams of cooked rice per meal is way less than what I am used to)
I always get in trouble when I eat "whatever". However when I pre-plan meals for the week I am always surprised at how much I can fit in.
You can cook any recipe. All you need to do is divide it into the proper serving size that fits your calorie needs. I have my meals divided into calorie allotments. If you use the recipe builder you can adjust the servings. After cooking it I just divide in to storage containers and my leftovers are ready for another meal.
I also keep frozen dinners in the freezer for emergencies. I also skip breakfast so that I can have a larger "brunch". Brunch consists of bacon and eggs with a roasted vegetable or leftovers from dinner. My snacks consist of fruit and yogurt in the afternoon. For dinner (which is my largest meal) I will prepare an entree with vegetable sides. That entree usually (almost always) has rice or pasta. I follow dinner with another piece of fruit. This week however I baked brownie cupcakes and topped them with cool whip.
During the week I eat between 1200-1400 calories and on weekends between 1200-1600. I try to work in pizza, burgers, subs etc etc. Having a plan and making it work allows me a large variety of food. I refuse to cook food that taste like cardboard. If your food tastes good then it is more satisfying. Take that plain baked chicken and add some spice to it. I fix a lot of Asian food. Last night I had Asian inspired salmon with fried rice(filled with veggies and pineapple) plus roasted brussel sprouts. Then I followed it by a brownie.
You don't have to eat "diet" food to lose weight. You just have to work with your calories and get the most out of them.
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Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
I would be hungry from that too. How about 150 or 200 grams of the broccoli, another portion of a veg you like (cauliflower, or sweet potato or something) to go with that chicken and rice. I'd maybe do a risotto with the rice, and onion and the sweet potato, broccoli on the side, chicken on top. You'll feel much fuller for very few extra calories.1 -
Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
Why do you feel these are the only things you can eat? Your calorie target of 1680 + exercise should afford you ample room to eat a wide variety of foods. Many of us who have been successful using MFP to lose and then maintain weight have done so without ever cutting out foods or restricting to such a limited diet.
Yesterday my total intake was about the same as yours:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt, berries and granola with coffee and creamer
Lunch: sushi with a friend - edamame, miso soup, 4 pieces of nigiri and a salmon/avocado roll
Dinner: chicken quesadilla
Late night: Two Girl Scout cookies and a cup of tea.
I often eat things like pizza, fast food, frozen meals, as well as home cooked meals.
Are you logging accurately? Do you have a food scale? You can play around and log sample days - log what you’d like to eat and see how you can make it fit.7 -
Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
Because you’re diet sounds too low fat. Add some fats back into your diet. It could be in the form of oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish etc. You’ll find that your constipation (if you have it) will improve.2 -
Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
I highly recommend finding some low calories recipe sites like skinnytaste (linked in a post above) and pick some recipes that look delicious to you, and make some lunches or dinners ahead of time for the week. If you’re eating things you look forward to enjoying, that enjoyment helps you gets through the first few weeks when your hunger levels and portion-size-mindset is still changing.
Weighing your food is good, and when you make meals ahead, you can use the MFP recipe builder to understand and tweak how many calories are in each serving. This will let you see whether a meal is going to be satisfying and a good calorie count, or not quite satisfying enough to justify the calories you’ll spend on it.
As far as specifics, I highly recommending getting some proteins and healthy fats in your diet to help you feel more full on your portions. If you search high-protein lunch prep recipes, you’ll find tons of good stuff. I personally love making (turkey or beef) meatballs and a side of sautéed peppers and onions for a meal, or (turkey or beef) burger patties with a side of low-cal coleslaw or a three bean salad. Gives you fiber, protein, and healthy fats all in one meal, which I find really filling. And I use tons of spices and leave calories for sauces and dips because it makes the lunches more exciting and satisfying, even if they’re a little smaller than what i used to eat.
You have to find recipes that you find delicious, that you can vary, and that keep you enjoying food! That’s the key to not minding slightly smaller portions.
1 -
Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
Chicken: replace with eggs. fish. pork. ham. litteraly any protein just mind portions.
Rice: replace sometimes with potatoe, sweet potatoe, squash, cauliflower rice, quinoa salad
Broccoli: replace sometimes iwth litteraly ANY vegetable. I love tomatoe and cuccumer salad with basil and a touch of balsamic vingear. Cauflower fried rice. green beans. Broccoli slaw (can be made so many different ways)....
what did you eat before?
150 grams raw chicken breast is 165 calories.
1 cup raw broccoli is 30 cals
150grams rice cooked long grain rice is 195 calories
x2 that is 780 calories. (obviously will change based on raw VS cooked weight and what you add). so you are still far from 1681 calories PLUS EXERCISE.
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Also, don’t try to prep every single meal all at once. It’s a big change and it’s hard to sustain big changes for the long term. Start with the easiest meal, try prepping it for a few weeks, get that down pat so you’re comfortable sticking to it, then add another meal. I started with prepping lunches every Sunday, then added prepping easy breakfasts the night before, and a year later I’m starting to get better with dinners. It takes time but the easier you make it on yourself, the more likely your new good habits will stick.0
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Again delicious and varied is a none issue for me....
I did add fat (tried avocado but that was disgusting) with almond butter (didn't feel like adding the entire recepie).... But again with a target of roughly 149 grams of carbs a day it leaves super small portions of food.... Which means I get hungry roughly an hour after eating and have to wait 3 more hours at the very least before dinner...
Edit:
Currently I am trying to mitigate this by splitting my lunch and dinner into 2, which means I eat even less per meal and get hungry again a lot faster0 -
Again delicious and varied is a none issue for me....
I did add fat (tried avocado but that was disgusting) with almond butter (didn't feel like adding the entire thing).... But again with a target of roughly 149 grams of carbs a day it leaves super small portions of food.... Which means I get hungry roughly an hour after eating and have to wait 3 more hours at the very least before dinner...
Where are you getting your numbers from? Do you have a medical reason to restrict carbs? Calories are what matter for weight loss and again, 1680 cals is a decent amount to work with. Why do you feel you have to wait 3 hours before eating again?
When people restrict carbs they tend to add fat : LCHF is a common approach. Adding butter or oils, fattier cuts of meat, cheese, nuts, etc can all be satiating for people who are taking a lower carb approach.
I really think something must be off in your logging because neither your carb nor your calorie goal are so low that you should feel like you are only allowed tiny portions of food that aren’t satiating you. You also keep referring to eating the same thing twice a day. What are you eating for breakfast? Why only chicken, rice and broccoli? If imagination and seasoning aren’t the problems why are you only listing those items as options?
Pick anything from the below - eat different combinations for a few days and note how they fill you up.
Pork, beef, fish, tofu
Rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, lentils
Any fruit or vegetable you can think of
Eggs, cheese, dairy
If you’re trying to restrict carbs then double the veggies or add some extra protein with fat.
5 -
OHH you have a target for carbs...that was never mentionned and didn't think about it given rice was one of the three items you list...maybe you just need more carbs to feel full?
I eat 5-6x a day. it works for me.
- steel cut oats for breakfast
- almonds/jerky mid morning
- lunch (usually eggs or tuna+crackers with veggies, protein bar, laughing cow wedge)
- some days a mid afternoon snack (small fruit or protein)
- dinner with dessert
- usually yogurt and cereal before bed but that changes based on calories left and what i want.
my carbs are around 140-190 ish most days but i do'nt track.0 -
Thanks for the responses, but the thing was never about seasoning.
My problem is that having 150 grams of rice and 150 grams of chicken with the odd single broccoli or something twice a day leaves me very hungry for the majority of the day =\
Chicken: replace with eggs. fish. pork. ham. litteraly any protein just mind portions.
Rice: replace sometimes with potatoe, sweet potatoe, squash, cauliflower rice, quinoa salad
Broccoli: replace sometimes iwth litteraly ANY vegetable. I love tomatoe and cuccumer salad with basil and a touch of balsamic vingear. Cauflower fried rice. green beans. Broccoli slaw (can be made so many different ways)....
what did you eat before?
150 grams raw chicken breast is 165 calories.
1 cup raw broccoli is 30 cals
150grams rice cooked long grain rice is 195 calories
x2 that is 780 calories. (obviously will change based on raw VS cooked weight and what you add). so you are still far from 1681 calories PLUS EXERCISE.
It is more I just have not included the entire thing as I don't like to type on phone...
Oats with milk
4 eggs
Total 300 grams of cooked rice
280 grams of chicken
60 grams of almond butter
I have not included exercise yet as I am still trying to figure out a good way to calculate calories list but that'll be easy to compensate once I figure out how not to be hungry all day long0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »Again delicious and varied is a none issue for me....
I did add fat (tried avocado but that was disgusting) with almond butter (didn't feel like adding the entire thing).... But again with a target of roughly 149 grams of carbs a day it leaves super small portions of food.... Which means I get hungry roughly an hour after eating and have to wait 3 more hours at the very least before dinner...
Where are you getting your numbers from? Do you have a medical reason to restrict carbs? Calories are what matter for weight loss and again, 1680 cals is a decent amount to work with. Why do you feel you have to wait 3 hours before eating again?
When people restrict carbs they tend to add fat : LCHF is a common approach. Adding butter or oils, fattier cuts of meat, cheese, nuts, etc can all be satiating for people who are taking a lower carb approach.
I really think something must be off in your logging because neither your carb nor your calorie goal are so low that you should feel like you are only allowed tiny portions of food that aren’t satiating you. You also keep referring to eating the same thing twice a day. What are you eating for breakfast? Why only chicken, rice and broccoli? If imagination and seasoning aren’t the problems why are you only listing those items as options?
Pick anything from the below - eat different combinations for a few days and note how they fill you up.
Pork, beef, fish, tofu
Rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, lentils
Any fruit or vegetable you can think of
Eggs, cheese, dairy
If you’re trying to restrict carbs then double the veggies or add some extra protein with fat.
Using this very app and the majority of calories come from rice so I have to limit it the most (it also adds an orange tooltip when I add fruits that the goal is to eat 149 grams of carbs a day....)
That's also why I post here to ask....1
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