Just an example!?

dsxx1321

Breakfast: Oatmeal & banana
Lunch: grilled chicken salad approx 260 calories
Dinner: Baked or grilled chicken no salt added with veggies
Lots of water & fruits and veggies for SMALL snacks during the day

GOOD OR BAD????

Again, this is just an example but before i decided to change my eating habits. I did not eat breakfast, ate fast food for lunch...the worst possible from the menu, and dinner was very unhealthy most of the time. About 2 sodas a day & lots of sweet tea along with something sweet.

I'm trying to eat around 1200-1250 a day.
I have about 55 pounds to lose

I am doing 30 minutes on the treadmill walking and jogging no less than 4x a week.

Am I going to see results this way??? If yes, how long should it take?

ghosthackexe

Lots of water & fruits and veggies for SMALL snacks during the day

as long as your logging those snacks and have some kind of cal count for them then yes your doing fine

rossinator63

Looks like a reasonable way to eat to me.

Bella0531

You'll definitely get results, but you'll probably get bored very quickly which, for some people, can trigger binges. Eat the stuff you like, just make it fit into your daily goals (which usually means smaller portions).

Unknown

This content has been removed.

dsxx1321

as long as your logging those snacks and have some kind of cal count for them then yes your doing fine

I see you have lost 64 pounds? how long did it take & what are you doing to lose that weight? Thank you for your reply. I'm seeing so many different ways to eat but I need simple and not too expensive. Some people look down on the way I have decided to eat and others encourage me. thanks again!

dsxx1321

You think I should up my calorie intake?

dsxx1321

You'll definitely get results, but you'll probably get bored very quickly which, for some people, can trigger binges. Eat the stuff you like, just make it fit into your daily goals (which usually means smaller portions).

Thanks! I am definitely not planning on eating the same thing everyday. I just wanted to give an example I guess for some feedback on if I am doing "GOOD" or not.... this is all so exciting yet confusing.

StaciMarie1974

I would add in more grain products, and make sure to weigh/accurately log it all.

Bottom line eat what you want, but think of your daily calories as a budget. Do make sure your budget is reasonable, of course. Now that you've lost some weight - even though you're not done - perhaps reassess your goal to lose 1-1.5 pounds per week instead of 2.

lishie_rebooted

I would add in more grain products, and make sure to weigh/accurately log it all.

Bottom line eat what you want, but think of your daily calories as a budget. Do make sure your budget is reasonable, of course. Now that you've lost some weight - even though you're not done - perhaps reassess your goal to lose 1-1.5 pounds per week instead of 2.

Grains aren't necessary if one is allergic ordoes not enjoy them.

Chezzie84

You think I should up my calorie intake?

I started off on 1200 calories because I wanted to lose weight quickly. I felt hungry, angry and horrible all the time. ( I am not saying you will, just that I did).
I decided to lose weight slower so I upped my calories. I am more relaxed and happy now. I eat 1450ish.

skullshank

i would salt the chicken.

have you calculated your TDEE?

dsxx1321

What is TDEE?

skullshank

What is TDEE?

total daily energy expenditure.

its an estimate of the number of calories you burn a day by going about your daily activities.

once you calculate that, if you eat at 75-80% of that number, you can enjoy a healthy rate of weight loss.

im assuming you plugged in the maximum amount of lbs per week when setting up your MFP. it usually defaults to 1200. it did for me as well when i started at 6'1" and 245lbs.

check it out. chances are good you can eat more than you are allowing yourself (and STILL lose weight)!

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

dsxx1321

Thanks I will do that!!!

marthalgutierrez92

Yeah looks good,

Now do you see yourself doing it for a long period of time??

With plans like these it's sometimes hard to do you might feel hungry
and splurge.

Try 1,400

zoeysasha37

What are your stats?
How are you estimating these calories? (are you weighing and measuring?)

I think you should up your calories some. 1250 seems very low.
Also, that menu looks fine but honestly seems boring. Could you eat like that forever? If no, then maybe try a more sustainable approach.
I eat the foods I love, but in moderation. Learn portion control by weighing and measuring everything you consume.

skinnyinnotime

You think I should up my calorie intake?

I think 1400 would be better and easier for you to sustain.

dsxx1321

19 yrs old, female, 5'7", 242 lbs.

skullshank

where are you people getting 1400 from?

just randomly throw darts at a number?

with NO exercise, her TDEE is around 2289.

75% of that is about 1720.

dsxx1321

I'm confused :embarassed:

cassique

You will see results, but the bigger question is can you stick with it? I think the best way to start out is to not change your diet too much at first, just log everything you eat to get in the habit and to recognize your patterns. Pay attention to what time of day you are hungriest? what time of day you seem to be more likely to eat without purpose (snacking, boredom) and what foods do you tend to go to? What meals tend to rack up the most calories? what meals offer the least amount of satisfaction? What are your triggers? From there you can start to tweak to make small changes. (switching out the soda and sweet tea for water or zero calorie options might be a good starting point).

For example, I noticed that I was never hungry in the morning and tended to skip breakfast, but that led to a lot of mindless snacking and over-eating midday because I was hungry and run down--leaving me with very little to work with in the evening. Because of time constraints and lack of hunger, I found that I could break my morning into 2 small snacks which kept me from starving by lunch time (ex. an 80 calorie hard boiled egg before I left the house, and an apple and maybe yogurt or PB later in the morning total of all about 350 cals) to eat a sensible lunch without over doing it (about 400 cals). I know my dinners and late night snacking would be issues so I wanted to make sure I had almost 1/2 of my calories left for evening because if I went to bed hungry I would end up making really bad choices late at night.

I know that when you are eager to go going you might want to see results right away and quickly. Taking this time might seem like a waste of time, but you might be surprised to find that just paying attention to what you eat forces you to eat less (and lose weight). This was true for me. Even just logging without changing a thing led to weight loss when I started out.

I also agree that 1200 calories should be a MINIMUM not a goal. That is the one thing I don't like about MFP. I have never used a weight loss program that used 1200 as a maximum goal until I started using this site. It was always the lowest I was advised to go (1200-1550 was the guideline I got with two other systems I used which were great programs--especially for beginners-- but with trackers that weren't as good as MFP).

At 145 pounds (my starting weight this time around) 5'5", 39 year old woman I lost 10 pounds in 3 months with a daily average of about 1600 (most days around 1400, but some lower and some much higher). You will lose weight once you start paying attention. You will keep it off if you make changes that fit in with your life and personality. You will learn about what those changes should be by keeping track of your activity, food habits, and weaknesses.

If you are confused about what you should be eating try some different online calculators if you must, but more importantly, eat as much as your body is telling you it needs and pay attention to if you are losing, gaining, or staying the same. If you lose great. If you gain or stay the same, make changes in your food choices to cut your calories down by switching out some high calorie non-satisfying foods for more satiating options (200 calories in chips won't fill you as much as 50 calories in carrots). Keep track, monitor your weight, and repeat.

If you feel you need a jumpstart for motivation than start with your meal plan that you mentioned. Keep track of your calories, and if you find yourself hungry eat--even if it sends your calories over what you think they should be. The logging is the most important piece of this puzzle. Even more important than food choices, because with your logs you will have the information you need to figure out what sort of food choices will be best for you. I like fast food and sugary drinks. When I have a craving I find a way to work it into my goals, but I no longer turn to those options simply out of convenience. I have to really want it, and it has to be worth the calories. It is a treat, not a staple.

arditarose

You're going to get tired of chicken really fast. Why is everyone on here so obsessed with oatmeal? I get steel cut outs but really, I'm not cooking them.

cwolfman13

GOOD OR BAD????

Matters of diet, nutrition, and fitness are not this black and white. Also, sounds pretty boring...and no salt would suck. Your food doesn't have to be boring and taste like cardboard to be healthful.

Peloton73

I'm confused :embarassed:

I think skullshank is on target and tracking. Look at the link he provided you. In a nutshell what everyone is trying to say is, given your weight and the caloric goal you think is good, it's actually too low to sustain. If I were a betting man, I would bet that you could manage a 1,200 calorie a day diet for 10 days tops before you lose your mind and splurge on the fast food and Papa Johns.

If you are exercising, do not be afraid of a higher calorie diet,. Remember, with the amount of weight you want to lose, it's going to take some time and doing it the right way will ultimately be faster than going on and off a diet. Good luck!

Peloton73

Why is everyone on here so obsessed with oatmeal? I get steel cut outs but really, I'm not cooking them.

It's really tasty and filling. I do the nighttime cook method and let them soak overnight. When I get up in the morning, all I have to do is reheat them. Two eggs and steel cut oats prepared in 7 minutes. Voila!