Successful women, please post a sample day

I sent you a friend request my diary is open to the public.
My usual day:
Breakfast:
3 scrambled egg whites
2 slices of turkey bacon
1 slice toast w/jam
some sort of fruit

Lunch:
Healthy Choice Steamer
or a large salad usually with chicken
or a tuna salad wrap

Dinner:
****Last night****
blackend Swai fish
asparagus
Knorr rice side - mushroom

During the week because I eat breakfast at 5:30 and don't get lunch until 1:00 I have a snack around 10:00 it is usaully yogurt and 1/4 cup of Special K protien cereal. I get off work at 6:00 and usually don't eat dinner until about 7:30 I have another snack at 4:00 and that is usually a fruit or baby carrots and 2 celery stalks with a Laughing Cow cheese in the celery. Sometimes on the weekend I will have Jolly Time popcorn (100 cal) or I will have Healthy Choice frozen yogurt for my snack.

Good luck

Hi there, I don't think you should be really cutting out any one food group unless you plan on not eating that food group for the rest of your life.

Once you figure out your daily calorie needs, you can fit whatever you want to eat into your daily menus just as long as you stay under your calories.

Here is a good thread to try and figure out your calorie needs. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

^^^^ this. and lifting heavy weights

My weekly exercise plan is currently:

sat: lower body day (heavy weights)
sun: upper body day (heavy weights)
mon: rest day
tues: whole body workout (bodyweight exercises, just as intense as heavy weights, because I get bored and like variety)
wed: rest day
thurs: circuit training day (some of the circuits involve weights)
fri: rest day

I'm currently eating 1850 calories a day for a slow cut (i.e. losing fat very slowly, as I'm already at 22% body fat, want to get down to around 18-20%), of which 40% is carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. However, please follow the advice in the post I quoted regarding how to figure out the right number of calories for you, because it's different for everyone.

Additionally, I try to get a varied amount of fruits and vegetables in my diet, and I refuse to give up chocolate, and I don't have any forbidden foods. I simply focus on supplying my body with what it needs (both in terms of the number of calories and enough nutrients) and fit whatever else I want to eat into my calorie goal. Sometimes that means smaller portions, sometimes it doesn't.

I was doing Jillian micheals 30 day shred for 3 weeks 6 days a week and counting cals and lost nothing. Well I have no scale but my pants were still crazy tight, any ideas?

Were you tracking and counting your calories carefully? My advice would be to go to the road map thread linked to in the post that I quoted, read it really carefully and follow the steps to find the right amount of calories for you.

Then you need to track your food carefully, i.e. log it here (you can use the custom goals setting to make your goal the same as the numbers you got from the road map thread) - weighing food is more accurate than volume measurements. Log and track all of what you eat, and get as close as you can to your calorie goal. I try to be 50 cals either way from it.

At the same time, try to include plenty of protein, healthy fat, healthy carbs, fruit and vegetables, and stay hydrated. Then you can eat whatever you like that will fit in your calorie goals e.g. your bagel, a brownie or two.

Try that for 2 weeks, while still doing the 30 day shred. Exercise on its own will strengthen your body, make you fit and healthy, but you won't lose the excess fat unless you're eating less than you burn off - hence the importance of having the right calorie goal. Too few calories and you're constantly starving, fighting the urge to binge, grumpy, lacking energy, etc.... too many and you simply won't lose. But the road map thread should help you to find the right amount for you.

My day looked like this:

Breakfast - Chocolate Peanut Butter & Banana Shake: 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp ground flax, 1 small banana, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 cups of ice, blended.

Lunch - Turkey Club Sandwich: 2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, 3 slices turkey, 2 slices bacon, tomato, lettuce, mayo and mustard.

Snack: 1/2 cup shelled edamame.

Dinner - Cabbage Rolls with Glazed Carrots:

Calories = 1600

I usually eat more but I didn't work out today.

Here's a sample day. I have lost 23 pounds, 7 more to go. I have not eliminated anything from my diet - just moderation and trying to replace junky stuff with healthier stuff. On this day, I burned 362 calories from working out:

Breakfast
Minute Maid - Light Pink Lemonade, 8 oz 15
Butter - Salted, 1 pat (1" sq, 1/3" high) 36
Brownberry - Premium Italian Bread, 1 slice 80
Generic Sore Brand - Scrambled Eggs (1 Egg), 2 large egg 140
Total: 271

Lunch
Frigo Cheese Stick - Mozzarella String Cheese, 1 Cheese 80
Pringles - Sour Cream and Onion Snack Pack, 1 Tub 110
Shasta-Cola - Soda, 1 can 130
Crunch Pak - Ready to Eat Apple Slices - Cwd, 3/4 cups 40
Brownberry - Premium Italian Bread, 1 slice 80
Great Value - Creamy Peanut Butter , 2 Tbsp (32g) 180
Total: 620

Dinner
Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta - Huge Batch, 1.2 serving(s) 401
Meat - Kirkland Signature - Premium Chunk Chicken Breast Canned In Water, 3 oz. drained 90
Milk - Nonfat (fat free or skim), 1.25 cup 107
Total: 598

Snacks
Yoplait - Thick and Creamy Light Strawberry, 1 container 100
Cinnamon Bread - 2 loaves, 15 slices per loaf, 1 serving(s) 182
Total: 282


Totals 1,771
Your Daily Goal 1,782
Remaining 11
*You've earned 362.0 extra calories from exercise today

My day goes like this.. (ok im still well on my way to a healthy weight)

Breakfast: boiled egg, salad cream on Whole wheat brown bread ( i love bread too much to cut it out)

Snack: 1 x Fruit (apple, grapes, pear.. any fruit i can get my hands on, only one fruit)

Lunch: Green salad, low fat dressing + Chicken or fish.. (im not a red meat lover)

Mid-day Snack: 1 x Fruit

Supper: Chicken or fish + cooked veg or a salad or curry and rice or pasta (small bowl) , I usually join in with whatever my mom is making for supper

and as for exercise I take a 35-45 min walk, open air always does me good

Neander I visited that link and fat2fit I am a little confused because why isn't the calorie calculator here at mfp good enough. Fat2fit has me eating 1600

There are different ways to calculate calories, and some methods work better for some people than others. MFP predicts that I'll maintain on 1500 cals/day. I'm actually losing on 1850 cals/day. Even if I ate back exercise calories (as you're supposed to for MFP) I wouldn't be eating as much as 1850 cals/day because I don't do a huge amount of exercise. (and note that I set MFP for maintenance, if I'd set it to lose weight, it'd have me eating around 1200 cals/day)

The MFP numbers assume that you will eat back your exercise calories - many people don't do this, so end up undereating. If the MFP default calories plus eating your exercise calories back is right for you, then the total calories you eat in a day will equal what the fat to fit formula tells you to eat. So if fat to fit say 1600 cals/day, and the MFP formula tells you less than this but when you add in eating your exercise calories, the total amount you eat is 1600 cals/day, then really it doesn't matter which you follow, because you'll eat the same number of calories anyway. On the other hand, if there's a big difference, I'd recommend following the fat to fit one, on account of how many people I've seen for whom MFP default values are a big underestimate (including for me).

Hope that makes sense. And I don't know why they don't use other formulas, like Katch McArdle or Harris Benedict. Fat to fit uses one of those (can't remember which one). Even with these they can give better estimates for some people than others. For example, if someone has a lot of fat to lose, Harris Benedict is more accurate. If someone is already lean but has more lean body mass for their height, e.g. large framed people, athletes, Katch McArdle is more accurate.

I'm currently losing weight at a little over 1lb a week. I eat 1900+ calories a day. Here's a sample day for me:

Breakfast:

Either two (whole) eggs scrambled with two slices of turkey bacon, a sweet pepper and hot sauce OR 100g soy yoghurt, 1 scoop flavoured protein powder, 50g oats and water AND 4 shots of espresso with either hazelnut or coconut milk.

Pre-lunch treat (occasionally when I go for a long walk at lunchtime, which I do every day but don't always have it):
Tall Starbucks soy cappuccino with caramel syrup

Lunch (changes wildly as it's almost always leftovers, but a few samples):
Pork chop with butternut squash, edamame, peas and a little bit of salsa OR stir-fried rice/noodles with vegetables and meat OR chicken/lamb/quorn curry and vegetable curry with rice OR a carton of soup

Pre-workout snack:
Three Nairn's ginger oat biscuits

Post-workout snack:
1 scoop soy protein isolate
1 scoop flavoured whey powder (lemon cheesecake or chocolate at the moment)
Shaken up with 300 ml water. NOM!

Dinner:
Pretty much the same as lunch, although often with ice cream or a chocolate afterwards

Average intake: 1907 calories per day (over the last 28 days).

Exercise:

Monday: 10 mins cardio warmup, 1 hour machine weights and bodyweight circuit (leg press, chest press, shoulder press, pull ups, press ups, assymmetric situps, plank) and 20 minute cardio (if I have time).
Tuesday: Zombies Run 5k training programme
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: As Monday
Friday: As Tuesday
Saturday: Free weights circuit at home and Your Shape Fitness Evolved
Sunday: As Monday and Thursday

Also around a 2 mile walk at lunchtime every day Mon-Fri.

Typical day is breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.

Breakfast is often a bagel, sometimes cereal, sometimes eggs & English muffins, and once in a blue moon, dessert (pie, cake, etc.)

Morning and afternoon snacks are either fruit or a protein bar.

Lunch is usually a sandwich, either PB&J or turkey, lettuce, tomato & cheese, but sometimes I'll cook something or have a salad or have leftovers.

Dinner is my biggest meal. Usually chicken (once a while fish or pork or beef), vegetables, and some form of carbs (pasta, rice, garlic bread, potato). Sometimes burgers and fries. Pizza once a week. Tonight was pizza night.

Bedtime snack is typically a glass of chocolate milk.

Very similar to mine, but I'm losing weight so my calorie intake is TDEE-20% (details on this are here: Here is a good thread to try and figure out your calorie needs. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013)

I eat bread, potatoes, chocolate and drink wine, as long as it it within my calorie count and my macros are good (around 40/30/30 for me - carbs/protein/fat). Most days I eat a very light breakfast and lunch and save calories for the evening. When you eat has no effect on how your body processes the calories (so no carbs after 6pm etc is a myth although some people find it easier to keep their calories in check doing that) and I like to snack in the evening. Better to save some calories for then and enjoy it!

Typical day:

* Breakfast: Scrambled egg on toast
* Lunch: Chicken or mixed bean salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs (such as basil). If I'm running in the afternoon I might add in some bread for a bit of a carb boost.
* Dinner: Potatoes, rice or pasta with heaps of veg and grilled chicken, steamed fish, curry, chilli, stir fry etc. I often hit 900 calories with dinner - it's the meal I look forward to most!
* Snacks: Usually something with protein to keep me full, so crispbreads with cottage cheese, Cheesestrings, cooked ham or chicken, peanut butter (yep, sometimes on a spoon straight from the jar), even chocolate.

I exercise 3-6 times a week (usually a combination of hiking, running and weights). I have my TDEE calculation set to sedentary so I log my calorie burn with an HRM and eat all the calories back. On hiking days I don't worry about macros as I burn up to 3,000 calories and often have sugary foods to get me through my mountain climbs!

My general tips:

* For lunch and dinner I fill half my plate with veg/salad, quarter with protein, quarter with carbs
* I have a set of kitchen scales and weigh everything - even the milk in my coffee
* Go for 80/20 - 80% good with 20% not so good. If most of your diet is healthy then chocolate etc will not derail you if it's within your calorie count
* Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Exercise will help you get a good shape and get fit but be careful not to overestimate your calorie burn
* Don't be afraid of fat - a tablespoon of olive oil on your salad or a teaspoon of coconut oil in your coffee will make you feel full for longer and is good for you - just be sure to work it into your calorie count
* Eat real food, not diet food - just keep an eye on portion control. It's easier to maintain in the long run, doesn't make you feel like you are on a 'diet' and will help curb cravings. Most diet books force you to exclude food groups and create a diet mentality. MFP works as it doesn't!

The biggest lessons learned for me are that exercise doesn't burn many calories (but does make me feel good) and that you don't have to follow a specific diet plan to lose weight. People who don't know me would never know I am on a diet as I eat normal food, just in measured quantities.

Yesterday:

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with old cheddar cheese, a homemade turkey breakfast sausage, a slice of apple and almond baked oatmeal, black coffee

Post-workout: smoothie with protein powder, banana, mixed berries, plus a slice of multigrain bread with peanut butter

Lunch: Two corn tortillas stuffed with chipotle chicken and black beans, topped with soft cheese and avocado salsa verde, plus a bowl of plain low fat greek yogurt

Dinner: Two slices of a large homemade pizza (sausage, onion, mushroom, olive, hot pepper) on whole wheat crust, spinach salad

Snacks: tea, diet coke, homemade sweet potato "muffin"

Total: about 1800 calories

Generally, I eat 4-5 meals and snacks a day. It's pretty much all fresh or homemade stuff. I try to find really delicious recipes, and watch portions/weigh everything.

Exercise yesterday: lifting weights at home for about half an hour, and pushups

My weekly workouts consist of weights 3 days a week, HIIT or jogging + core work 3 days/week, 1 rest day.

I don't have much weight to lose at this point, but have lost at least 35 lbs (haven't been on the scale in a bit) and am still losing inches and body fat and dramatically increasing my strength.

I'm doing pretty well, 12lb lost so far since mid Jan.

A typical day for me is:

Breakfast - Special K or Shreddies with low fat milk, at the weekends soft boiled eggs and wholemeal toast. Coffee with creamer.
Lunch - Wholemeal pitta with chicken slices, avocado, mixed salad and hot sauce
Dinner - Salmon, Chicken or Steak with vegetables and maybe a baked potato
Snacks - Protein Shake, coffee with light creamer, chocolate, fruit...anything really once it fits into my macros!

I eat 1343 cals a day. This is my TDEE -20%. I run twice a week and I'm also doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

I've lost over 40 lbs so far and I've another 40 to go!
I eat clean 6 days a week and have a 'free' day on Saturdays. However thats not a free pass to eat badly all day on Saturday. I have one free meal and one treat and its always on a Saturday, I'm regemented and I wont we swayed. I have a goal and constant treats is really waht made me fat in the first place so I dont need more!!

Here's a basic sample day for me.
Breakfast - Porridge (oatmeal) with light soya milk
Mid morning snack - 3 thin rice cakes with peanut butter (very small amount) Sugar free jam (very small amount) & sliced banana
Lunch - Small amount lean grilled chicken (or boiled eggs, or tuna), salad and 3 tablespoons of brown rice
Afternoon snack - PHD ptotein shake with light soya milk and water
Dinner - Stir fried or steamed vegetables with egg whites or chicken breast or turkey - I dont do carbs at night
Evening - 2 rich tea biscuits and a cup of tea

I am a devil for sauces, so I need to measure them. Such as adding 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce and so on. Otherwise I will flood the plate and add too many calories.

I drink about 3 litres of water a day and have around 4 cups of black tea per day. I dont do bread usually at all, although sometimes on a Saturday I will have french toast doen with egg whites and wholegrain bread. I also dont eat much dairy. I love cheese, so when I'm doing an omlette I do use a small amount of grated cheese.

I do 50 minutes of cardio 6 mornings per week. I mix it up with spinning, running and the elliptical trainer. I also do interval training with weights and running 3 days per week.

On Saturdays which is my free day, I still follow the eating plan above, only I switch my lunch meal for something else, whatever I've been craving all week, pizza, thai, a burger. I have my free meal early so that its not sitting in my belly all night. And then I'll have something sweet later in the day like a chocolate bar or some ice cream.

This works for me because I dont feel that I'm missing anything, and I have what I want on Saturdays.

I have tweaked my diet quite alot throughout this weight loss journey. Found what worked and what didnt work. At the moment I'm really watching my portion sizes and ensuring that I eat from a smaller plate. Even when I go out to eat I tell them exactly want I want and I ask for my food on a smaller plate and for sauces on the side. I only recently stopped having carbs at night, I have extra vegetables instead.

For me, this is not short term, this is a healthy lifestyle not a diet. So I had to find what would work for me long term, something that I could sustain. You will too!

Good luck!

Breakfast: 1x weetabix (british cereal) 200 ml skimmed milk
Snack: special k bar/fruit
Lunch: something for around 200 cal eg soup or smoked salmon salad
Dinner: either chicken prawns or salmon barely eat any red meat, with lots of veg and either new potatoes or stir fry vegetables!
Desert: ( I always leave enough calories as I always need something sugary after dinner) usually a weight watchers desert 100/200 cal or a chocolate moose/ creme caramel (100 cal) or a marangue nest with fruit(100 cal) :)my average day is around 1,100 cal and I have lost 16 lbs since jan 03rd (144 lb cw).

Exercise: I also burn at least 600 calories at the gym 4 times per week

horrible, you're starving

You have a real problem with being contructive, don't you?