Diet, alternative snacks, general waffling :)

andybrad79

Hello folks,

Hoping you can help me out here. I don't think my diet is that bad. Especially Monday to Friday. Unfortunately at the weekends it all goes AWOL. For example this weekend i popped out for some shopping with the missus ended up in a pub, 8 pints a baked camonbert, some cured meats and a pizza later i was home. im guessing im over eating on weekends by a good 1500 cals at least!

So im starting to get some exercise now (had a year off after falling off a motorbike) but its mainly excuses that are stopping me and lazyness. With an up and coming wedding in 2 months (mine, gulp) i could do with loosing a stone quickly.

I got some Dexaprine off a guy at work which really helped me with the cravings of food but it made me feel quite funny. Is there anything anyone else has used like it to stop them eating? I lost 4lb using it for a week but popped it straight back on when i stopped. Im guessing its just water loss?

So im sat at a computer now at work and feeling hungry after my crunchy nut cornflakes this morning. I would quite happy eat nuts and chewie bars but they are all so high in calories! Nuts don't really work for me as if i have one i end up eating the whole pack. Any help as to snacks that make you feel good but dont have loads of calories in them? even an apple is 80 calories its gutting!

So generally people must be in the same boat as me i.e. hungry but scared to eat. then i end up having loads and thinking oh well ive ruined it now i may as well have another chocolate bar...


Sorry for waffling on.. ill get my coat

ruthio77

I would start by swapping crunchy nut cornflakes for either eggs and granary toast or porridge in the mornings. I find that most standard cereals fill me up for about an hour and i'm clock watching at my desk from about 9.30 until 12 when i can have my lunch!

My favourite breakfast at the moment is 1 slice of granary toast with a poached egg and half a tin of plum tomatoes. Keeps me full for ages and is about 300 calories!

m4ttcheek

I find after a couple of weeks on lower cal you get used to or dont really notice hunger pangs anymore, so just stick with it.

If you regularly go over at the weekend but find it easier to stick with it in the week then why not cut your week day cals by 200 a day and save up 1000 extra for the weekend?

Also coffee is your friend when dealing with hunger.

paige_eloise

I've never taken anything to stop me eating or suppress my appetite, the problem with weight loss and teaching yourself not to snack is that it isn't going to be easy. Even if you're eating the correct amount of calories, if you've had a lifetime of snacking, it's a long process to teach yourself to stop.
Personally, I still eat white bread, and I still have the odd snack - I just make sure that I CAN and that it's within my calorie allowance.
In terms of healthy snacks - fruits/celery sticks/carrot sticks etc and although nut bars and oat bars are high calorie, they can be good for you and are usually quite filling.
When you start exercising again, you'll be able to eat a little more, so it won't be as challenging
I'd also swap the breakfast cereal if it isn't filling you - maybe have some porridge? Toast? Scrambled eggs?

TavistockToad

it may sound harsh, but to be honest if you want to lose a decent amount before the wedding, then cut down the beer to 3-4 pints a week and make better choices for food when you're out! (ie just the pizza, or steak and chips, no starters or dessert!)

you dont need appetite suppressants, you just need to exercise a little willpower!

set your calorie goal to lose 1lb per week and add in some regular exercise, it really is that simple!

editted to add: 80 calories for an apple is NOT a lot of calories!

kezza8888

After a few days your body will adapt and you will learn the difference between REAL hunger and general cravings.....BE STRONG!!

For starters make sure you drink lots of water and Green Tea to make sure your body isn’t confusing thirst with hunger. I often down a pint of water before I have a meal LOL!

I also agree with previous post, you need a more substantial breakfast to keep hunger locked up longer.....Crunchy Nut is LOADED with sugar - try Corn Flakes with a Banana sliced in! So much more filling and plenty sweet enough. Don’t avoid fruit and nut when snacking, they aren't as bad as you may think and protein in nuts washed down with a cuppa tea keeps me going between meals most days! Best thing to do is separate healthy portions in advance of tucking in.

Congrats on the upcoming wedding - 1 stone in 2 months is achievable I think, but don’t forge to take some measurements too, as some changes wont always show on the scales, especially for anyone returning to exercise and building muscle!

Don’t get disheartened on the bad days...we all have those! Try to look at your results as a weekly thing, not daily and never completely avoid small treats you enjoy as it will only create cravings that make you binge!!

Good luck! :-)

Cr01502

you dont need appetite suppressants, you just need to exercise a little willpower!

This.

It really just depends on ow much you really want it.

Vailara

There are a few threads on here with ideas for low calorie snacks - have a look and choose some things you like. Personally, I avoid sugary foods most of the time, because I worry that I'll just feel hungry later, so ideally I'd look for things with some protein/fat. Crunchy nut cornflakes are very sugary, so maybe you could try a different breakfast? Eggs are great, but I can't always be bothered to cook so will have things like toast and peanut butter (be careful how much your using - easy to spread too much on!), a little bit of greek yoghurt and muesli, etc.

I don't know if you've tried Graze boxes. They are expensive for what they are but can be handy if you like to snack. They are calorie counted, and packed into portions so it's easy to control how much you eat (unlike trying to ration a packet of nuts, for instance).

I've been converted to Laughing Cow cheese since being on MFP. I'm not a big fan of processed cheese normally, but it's portioned up and so low calorie (25 calories for light, or 20 calories for extra light) so is handy for a snack with a crispbread. I particularly like Ryvita bakes (25 calories each and yummy!) and Finn Crisp thin crispbreads (20 calories each). If you can control portion size then you could use soft cheese or thin slices of good cheese, or peanut butter, etc. That sort of food feels more substantial than apple to me, but only 40 - 50 calories.

I've found it useful NOT to have snacks most of the time, and I try not to eat between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and tea. It does mean I get hungry sometimes, but I've got used to getting hungry and because it's a set rule I find it easier to stick to. It means that snacks don't get out of control. If that doesn't work for you, I suppose you could have a calorie limit on your snacks (100, 200, whatever is going to fit in with your goal for the rest of the day).

It looks like you need a way to manage the weekends, which could either be eating less when you go out, or even eating a little less through the week and allowing extra at weekends. You'd need 300 calories less during the week to make up for 1500 at the weekend. Alcohol always makes me eat more, as well as having calories, so cutting it out for a couple of months might be an easy way to get the weight down more quickly.

Good luck!

ron2e

I used a hypnotherapist who works on weight loss, and it works. I used to snack all the time, crisps, biscuits, now I don't, that simple really!

xampx

High protein foods with some complex carbs mixed in will keep you fuller longer.

I usually have a protein shake for breakfast with banana & peanut butter, or peanut butter on brown toast, or both, and I have pretty much stopped snacking in the mornings and I don't feel hungry for about 4 hours.

One day last week I missed my breakfast and had eaten 2/3 of my daily calories in bad snacks by lunch.

Also, make healthier choices when eating out and cut down on the beer.

Sod the pills, you have to want to do it and then just do it.

sijomial

Tried to take your points in turn......

Have you thought of saving some calories during the week to give yourself some wiggle room at the weekend?
You might like to research the 5:2 style of eating as well - it might help you learn that you can control your food intake! ( http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ )

Motorbikes are much more fun when you don't fall off!! I can vouch for that from personal experience :embarassed: .
Both IAM and ROSPA do some great advanced rider training....

Be very careful with taking drugs to curb appetite - would suggest reading up on fat burners like Dexaprine, they can have very severe side-effects, just because you can buy them without prescription doesn't make them safe for everyone. Research them rather than "get them off a guy at work". Once you've researched them I hope you decide not to take them.

Crunchy Nut Cornflakes aren't a great choice for a breakfast cereal, loads of sugar. Weetabix, porridge or Shredded Wheat would be better and keep you feeling more full for longer. Or maybe have some protein instead (ham & eggs for example). Blueberries or strawberries make a good snack, lower in calories and higher GI than you might imagine.

Two months to lose a stone is challenging but not impossible. Clear the junk and trigger foods out of your cupboards. Cardio plus strength exercise and a good diet should do the trick.

andybrad79

Cheers guys and thanks for putting up with my waffle

OK looks like ill have to pull my socks up and get on with it. Ill see how i go this week and let you all know. Going to be hard as im feeling a little light headed already and its only 2.5 hrs since breakfast!

I like the idea of saving cals for the weekend but im struggling to keep to the 1200 cals at the moment as it is. As you say i need to curb the drinking.

What are peoples thoughts on those protein shakes. Im thinking that that might be a good substitute for breakfast?

Vailara

Well, you might not have to stick to 1200 calories. Have a look at some of the posts which talk about TDEE, such as http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm . I think they help to explain the simple arithmetic behind weight loss.

You can work out how many calories you burn day to day (using the link above, or others). You have a definite goal in mind, so you could subtract the amount of calories to reach your goal. You are aiming to lose 1.75 lb a week, which is quite a lot. Supposedly a pound of weight loss is roughly a deficit of 3500 calories. So you want to eat 6125 calories less than you burn, per week. That's a deficit of 875 a day. If you burn 2500 calories a day, for instance, you want to average roughly 1625 calories a day to lose a stone in a month.

That's assuming that you are overweight - if MFP is recommending that you only eat 1200 calories, I'm wondering if you really have much to lose? But if you do, I find that 1200 calories is too difficult for me at the moment. I aim to lose about 1/2 lb a week, and it's slow, but it means I can eat more. It is so much easier if you can eat a bit more!

gublercullen

I'd definitely try and stay away from the sugary breakfast cereals, I know that if I start the day with anything too sugary I end up starving half an hour later. Try having some eggs, ham and cheese, something high protein/fat, I find it really, really helps keep you satisfied until lunch. But I agree with some of the other comments, try and teach yourself what the difference between true hunger and just bored/tired/I'm on a diet and think I'm hungry, hunger. That is what saved me from overeating, is the stopping and thinking to yourself 'Am I really hungry? Like really?'

tbrain1989

my tip would be eat more often... plan to eat 6 times a day, dont let yourself be surprised by hunger and grab a snack. if you prepare even 6 *300 cal meals then your only on 1800 ! that way, you can eat every 2 hrs, eat slowly and watch how quick the next meal comes round, eventually you will find you miss meals but it doesnt matter because theres another one. The worst thing for hunger pains is to keep denying food because eventually you will lapse and might end up eating huge amounts.

Cr01502

Cheers guys and thanks for putting up with my waffle

OK looks like ill have to pull my socks up and get on with it. Ill see how i go this week and let you all know. Going to be hard as im feeling a little light headed already and its only 2.5 hrs since breakfast!

I like the idea of saving cals for the weekend but im struggling to keep to the 1200 cals at the moment as it is. As you say i need to curb the drinking.

What are peoples thoughts on those protein shakes. Im thinking that that might be a good substitute for breakfast?

Unless you're like 3ft tall you should be eating alot more than 1200 calories.

Protein shakes are fine if you're looking to add more protein into your diet and don't have time for whole foods but I think you'd be better off just eating some eggs on toast or something of that nature.

TavistockToad

Cheers guys and thanks for putting up with my waffle

OK looks like ill have to pull my socks up and get on with it. Ill see how i go this week and let you all know. Going to be hard as im feeling a little light headed already and its only 2.5 hrs since breakfast!

I like the idea of saving cals for the weekend but im struggling to keep to the 1200 cals at the moment as it is. As you say i need to curb the drinking.

What are peoples thoughts on those protein shakes. Im thinking that that might be a good substitute for breakfast?

change your weight loss goal from 2lbs to 1lb. you will get a higher calorie goal, so you will be able to eat more and wont be lightheaded....

Vailara

change your weight loss goal from 2lbs to 1lb. you will get a higher calorie goal, so you will be able to eat more and wont be lightheaded....

I would agree, but that would mean that he could only expect to lose 8lb in 8 weeks. He's trying to lose 14 lb in that time.

TavistockToad

change your weight loss goal from 2lbs to 1lb. you will get a higher calorie goal, so you will be able to eat more and wont be lightheaded....

I would agree, but that would mean that he could only expect to lose 8lb in 8 weeks. He's trying to lose 14 lb in that time.

he may, or he may lose more as his body is getting the amount of fuel it needs.

its not an exact science, but by only eating 1200 cals he is likely to end up losing muscle as well as fat.