Meal Plan

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Can someone please write up some idea's of a day's food plan? I have an allowance of 1290 calories, and if I eat 400/cal per meal then I have no calories left for snacks or anything. How can I get through the day eating less than 400 calories a meal PLUS having snacks!? I'm stuck!
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Replies

  • LeeDahlen38
    LeeDahlen38 Posts: 119 Member
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    Any flavor Progresso Light Soup, Wendy's LArge Chili Cold Cut sandwiches (No Bread) Roll the meat and cheese together like Hors derves. hmm.....(I'm eating the last right now!! Ham and swiss. =) Oh and don't forget my food diary is public. this is a great way to get ideas as well. look at multiple days!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    My days look like this

    200 calories breakfast
    Coffee with stevia and one 30 calorie creamer w/one of the following
    Greek yogurt, apple with string cheese, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bagel thins with sugar free jelly topped with banana slices

    100-ish calorie snack
    Apple, mandarinoranges/clementines, granola, pistachios

    300 calorie lunch
    Tortilla soup w/brown rice, vegetarian baked ramen, potato leek soup, pb&j, hummus w/ LOTS of veggies, pita w/spring mix hummus and Italian dressing

    100ish calorie snack
    Fiber one bar, apple, banana, oranges

    500 calorie dinner
    Vegetarian chili, spaghetti with veggie crumbles (fake meat), avocado sushi rolls, pasta roni, vegetable soup, etc. There are Soooo many things you can make around 500 calories

    If I exercise- 150 calorie skinny cow ice cream sandwich


    All day long I drink crystal light, water, hot tea w\lemon, and the occasional coke zero


    This is just how I make it work, and honestly I'm never hungry
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Most of us have a time of day when we are hungrier than others. So trying to knock out 400 calories for breakfast when you are most hungry at dinner time, it where to do some planning. Some folks love breakfast and could careless about dinner. Regardless, Think about what meal needs to have a little more on the satisfaction end. For me it is dinner, so I save 100 from breakfast and 100 calories from lunch. Then I go work out so I have at least 200 more.

    Breakfast 300 Usually cereal or a sandwich.
    Snack 200 fruit
    Lunch 200 Vegetarian chili, 1/2 sandwich
    Snack 100 Nuts or raw veggies
    Dinner 600 always something I like!

    If you work out or take a walk, you should have a little more to work with. Good luck. Friend me and look at my diary if you want. I am at 1600 a day.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    well, if you are new to this, 1290 might be way to low for you. i know it says u joined jan 11, but your low post count makes me think that you haven't been doing well. i apologize if that isn't the case.

    if you are new, you should be at a 1lb loss per week at first. you will ease into the change of lifestyle, and you will stick with it for the long run. as you learn to change eating habits, you can change your calorie intake.
  • Junepal
    Junepal Posts: 148 Member
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    I am no expert but my days typically look like this. I am rarely hungry and do not feel deprived at all. So far so good.

    200-300 calories breakfast
    Coffee with splenda
    1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
    1/2 fruit any kind

    or
    WW Bagel
    Low Fat Cream Cheese

    or
    WW Bread with Scrambled Egg

    100-ish calorie AM snack
    Yogurt & fruit
    Almonds & Fruit
    Or just a simple 100 cal snack pack

    300-400 calorie lunch
    Usually leftovers from last nights dinner that usually consists of 3oz protein, 1/2 carb like brown rice or ww pasta, 1 cup veg
    and salad with light dressing
    1 fruit

    100ish calorie PM snack
    Like AM snack

    400-500 calorie dinner
    3oz Protien (Beef, Chicken, Fish or Vegetarian) 1 cup veggies
    Salad & light dressing



    All day long mostly water, or green tea.
  • Silvercivic
    Silvercivic Posts: 156 Member
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    Tons of great suggestions already- I like the suggestions to eat more fruit and veggies and to determine which meal you need more calories to feel satisfied. Also there are some great suggestions for actual meals that I may adopt myself!

    I like to plan ahead- I pre-log my food so that I'm never surprised by how many calories are in a meal or snack. If you pre-log a 200 calorie breakfast, a 300 calorie lunch and a 500 calorie dinner, then you get about 300 calories left over for a snack or two. This would not be enough for me which is why I exercise and then eat back the exercise calories. (just 30 minutes of cardio will get you another 200-300 calories!) I like to snack so I typically eat a little less for dinner.

    Good luck and have fun eating! :)
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
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    I highly recommend peeking at your friends' diaries. I have learned a lot from this... in fact, my breakfast this morning came from this entirely: thecrossfitter's grapefruit & engineman's idea to put peanut butter in steel cut oats.
  • fakeplastictree
    fakeplastictree Posts: 836 Member
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    When I did 1200. I would eat cereal for breakfast with skim milk, cottage cheese fruit thingy's for morning and afternoon snacks. Container of soup for lunch and a dinner that fit in for the evening.

    But like Engineman said 1290 is low and I always felt really tired and grumpy. Try upping to 1400 (you'll be happy you did)
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    When I did 1200. I would eat cereal for breakfast with skim milk, cottage cheese fruit thingy's for morning and afternoon snacks. Container of soup for lunch and a dinner that fit in for the evening.

    But like Engineman said 1290 is low and I always felt really tired and grumpy. Try upping to 1400 (you'll be happy you did)

    How do I change it on the website to show the allowed calories at 1400? I cant figure it out.
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    well, if you are new to this, 1290 might be way to low for you. i know it says u joined jan 11, but your low post count makes me think that you haven't been doing well. i apologize if that isn't the case.

    if you are new, you should be at a 1lb loss per week at first. you will ease into the change of lifestyle, and you will stick with it for the long run. as you learn to change eating habits, you can change your calorie intake.

    I am new to the site. I did make one in Jan but I had no clue how to use it, and wasn't serious about losing weight. Now I am serious and am back on track! I love that you can really access this anywhere!! [cell phone/computer/ipad, etc]

    Thanks for the feed back!
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    Thanks for everyone else!! I will def take all of these things into consideration! Does anyone have any good recipes for Vegetarian Soup? I see that coming up a lot!
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
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    This soup is yum:

    http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/01/day-285-weight-watchers-zero-points.html

    But it's hard to go wrong with chicken broth plus any and all veggies you have thrown in. Done!

    I also like roasted carrots + broth + cilantro. Boil, then simmer, then use an immersion blender to puree it. Delish.
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    This soup is yum:

    http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/01/day-285-weight-watchers-zero-points.html

    But it's hard to go wrong with chicken broth plus any and all veggies you have thrown in. Done!

    I also like roasted carrots + broth + cilantro. Boil, then simmer, then use an immersion blender to puree it. Delish.

    Thank you:)
  • amuchison
    amuchison Posts: 274 Member
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    This is what Dr. A the creator of Take Shape for Life Medifast 5 in 1 program suggest Bfast-300-400 mid morning fueling 100 lunch fueling 100-200 mid afternoon fueling 100 Dinner 400 and Evening fueling 100 also eat every 3 hrs workout daily and stay hydrated at least 64 oz a day;) Also make sure your choices are wholesome foods that will keep u full not crap calories that r full of fat carbs n will spike your insulin...now this is just a summarized version in my own words;)

    This is if u choose the 200 cals for lunch
    Choice A two 100 cal fuelings combined like cottage cheese with olives and Apple slices with walnuts
    Choice B the protein and vegetable/fruit components of your nine inch plate meal no starch

    Make sure all your choices r low GI
    Veggies: zucchini,spinach,peppers,onions,mushrooms,lettuce those sorts of things
    Fruits: olives,avocado,limestone,lemons,raspberries,blackberries,grapefruit,cherries,tomatoes
    Healthy Fish n Seafood: Atlantic and Pacific Salmon,smoked salmon,Ago n Pac mackerel,bluefish tuna,oysters,squid,sardines,etc...
    Meat: buffalo elk venison,pork loin,round steak,veal chop
    Poultry: turkey breast,chicken breast 99% fat free or as close to it as u can get;)
    Legumes: soybeans,edamame,chickpeas,lentils,black beans
    Dairy stick to skim(nonfat) or low fat
    Nuts n Seeds peanuts,Brazil nuts,pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds,pecans,almonds,hazlenuts,walnuts
    Cereals Breads n Pasta: Quinoa,Muesli,natural,rye bread,undefined flour: bread n pasta,buckwheat,pasta whole grain,while wheat bread with bran,all bran cereal,sourdough bread
    Pasta,Potatoes,Rice: wild rice,game,spaghetti,whole meat,spaghetti durum,basmati rice,sweet potatoes,brown rice

    These r all low GI foode that will aid in weightloss;) when I am in transition off Medifast this is the plan I will follow to maintain and lose mire weight when I need to;) Hope this helps;) U can also read Dr. A's Habits of Health by Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson to see more detailed info;)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Can someone please write up some idea's of a day's food plan? I have an allowance of 1290 calories, and if I eat 400/cal per meal then I have no calories left for snacks or anything. How can I get through the day eating less than 400 calories a meal PLUS having snacks!? I'm stuck!

    1300 sounds low.
    1600 is a better place to start metabolism wise.
    Its better to eat more and create a deficit through working out instead of trying to eat calories back.
    Does that make sense?

    Find a friend who is doing very well at the same goal you are shooting for and use the food ideas from their diary.

    Eat whole foods and make protein and healthy essential fats a priority.
    Carbs are a must.

    If you need help let me know!
    Hugs!
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    Can someone please write up some idea's of a day's food plan? I have an allowance of 1290 calories, and if I eat 400/cal per meal then I have no calories left for snacks or anything. How can I get through the day eating less than 400 calories a meal PLUS having snacks!? I'm stuck!

    1300 sounds low.
    1600 is a better place to start metabolism wise.
    Its better to eat more and create a deficit through working out instead of trying to eat calories back.
    Does that make sense?

    Find a friend who is doing very well at the same goal you are shooting for and use the food ideas from their diary.

    Eat whole foods and make protein and healthy essential fats a priority.
    Carbs are a must.

    If you need help let me know!
    Hugs!

    Thank you!!! How do I go about changing my allowed calories on the website? Like How do I change it from saying 1260cal to 1600?
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    This is what Dr. A the creator of Take Shape for Life Medifast 5 in 1 program suggest Bfast-300-400 mid morning fueling 100 lunch fueling 100-200 mid afternoon fueling 100 Dinner 400 and Evening fueling 100 also eat every 3 hrs workout daily and stay hydrated at least 64 oz a day;) Also make sure your choices are wholesome foods that will keep u full not crap calories that r full of fat carbs n will spike your insulin...now this is just a summarized version in my own words;)

    This is if u choose the 200 cals for lunch
    Choice A two 100 cal fuelings combined like cottage cheese with olives and Apple slices with walnuts
    Choice B the protein and vegetable/fruit components of your nine inch plate meal no starch

    Make sure all your choices r low GI
    Veggies: zucchini,spinach,peppers,onions,mushrooms,lettuce those sorts of things
    Fruits: olives,avocado,limestone,lemons,raspberries,blackberries,grapefruit,cherries,tomatoes
    Healthy Fish n Seafood: Atlantic and Pacific Salmon,smoked salmon,Ago n Pac mackerel,bluefish tuna,oysters,squid,sardines,etc...
    Meat: buffalo elk venison,pork loin,round steak,veal chop
    Poultry: turkey breast,chicken breast 99% fat free or as close to it as u can get;)
    Legumes: soybeans,edamame,chickpeas,lentils,black beans
    Dairy stick to skim(nonfat) or low fat
    Nuts n Seeds peanuts,Brazil nuts,pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds,pecans,almonds,hazlenuts,walnuts
    Cereals Breads n Pasta: Quinoa,Muesli,natural,rye bread,undefined flour: bread n pasta,buckwheat,pasta whole grain,while wheat bread with bran,all bran cereal,sourdough bread
    Pasta,Potatoes,Rice: wild rice,game,spaghetti,whole meat,spaghetti durum,basmati rice,sweet potatoes,brown rice

    These r all low GI foode that will aid in weightloss;) when I am in transition off Medifast this is the plan I will follow to maintain and lose mire weight when I need to;) Hope this helps;) U can also read Dr. A's Habits of Health by Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson to see more detailed info;)

    Thank you! Very helpful! I actually "TRIED" Medifast and it DOES work, if you can stick with it. I was one that couldn't. I did it around the holidays last year and I was just soooo hungry!!! Its VERY hard. [was for me] Im glad it's working for you!! Good luck with it!
  • amuchison
    amuchison Posts: 274 Member
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    Thanks hun I've been doing it 19 weeks tomorrow and I have lost 55lbs so far I struggle from time to time but like any change it take hardwork n dedication;) I actually thrive on the structure...I hate having to do it all myself..but now i am learning what tools I need go be successful off plan and I'm excited about continuing to learn;) its not as simple as cals in cals out as everyone says they have to be quality cals...n wholesome foods..moderation...yadda yadda yadda;) All that stuff gives me a headache with Medifast I don't have to worry about all that till I get to my goal weight;)
  • leoS8190
    leoS8190 Posts: 36 Member
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    Thanks hun I've been doing it 19 weeks tomorrow and I have lost 55lbs so far I struggle from time to time but like any change it take hardwork n dedication;) I actually thrive on the structure...I hate having to do it all myself..but now i am learning what tools I need go be successful off plan and I'm excited about continuing to learn;) its not as simple as cals in cals out as everyone says they have to be quality cals...n wholesome foods..moderation...yadda yadda yadda;) All that stuff gives me a headache with Medifast I don't have to worry about all that till I get to my goal weight;)

    Well thats great!! Im so happy for you!! I hope you get to your goal weight and beyond! :)
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
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    [/quote]
    Thank you!!! How do I go about changing my allowed calories on the website? Like How do I change it from saying 1260cal to 1600?
    [/quote]

    Change your goals to losing less per week. I changed mine from "lose 1 lb per week" to "lose .5 lb per week" and mine went from 1200 to 1400. 1200 was too low for me, I was starving all the time and I never lose more than .5 per week anyways. Or you can change your calories under change goals: custom to whatever you'd like.