Newbie!!!

susiesmileygirl

Hi I have been on MFP for 2 months and I have lost 15 pounds so far. My goal is to lose 50 pounds. I am some what conscious of my food choices but realize I need more help. I start off the day doing really well and then by 2 pm I slip into this mindless eating. I have noticed my choices in the evening hours have slowed my weight loss progress. My kids are entering baseball season and our nights will be busy where eating a balanced meal is pretty much impossible. I am looking for advice, tips and meal plan ideas to keep me on track.

YoungWife2012

Meal plan! I am now a FIRM believer in meal planning. Plan everything down to your portion sizes in the beginning. I use a program called Pepperplate. There's an app for many different devices, and also you can get to it online. Then, find ways to replace your eating with something else. I try to do something like paint my nails or knit or something that i can't do and eat at the same time. Also, plan your meals to have a protein, healthy carbs (mainly veggies) and healthy fats (avocado, nuts). The combo of protein and fats will help you feel full. then, drink water, decaf coffee with some type of natural sugar (truvia or stevia) and check out the glycemic index and try to eat more foods. The lower the GI value, the less likely you blood sugar will spike, and the less likely you will be craving more sweets or sugars to get your blood sugar up again. Hopefully this helps!! Feel free to friend me if you want! Good luck!

TIUTaylor

I second YoungWife2012, meal planning is absolutely essential! I find that if I plan my meals in advance, I also save money at the grocery store because I am following a very specific list. It also eliminates the ability to mindlessly snack because all of my food is already prepared and portioned. Can't dip my hand into tomorrow's lunch or else I won't be a happy camper! Coffee is great at night to help curb snacking and if you are desperate, a handful of almonds or pistachios won't kill you. I try to stop eating by 8 p.m. but that doesn't work for everyone. I found that when I go to bed a little hungry, I sleep better and it definitely has helped me regulate my weight. Also, have you tried restructuring your meals? I'm sure you've heard the saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper". Make sure your morning meals are your biggest to keep you fueled throughout the day and try to get at least 30g of protein in each meal. I follow the Tone It Up nutrition plan and this is one of its biggest points of emphasis. Even though fruit is a great go-to option, the sugar content it relatively high so you are much better off eating a handful of nuts because even though they are a little higher calorically, they are packed with protein!