My meal plan (and it may work for you, too)

tazmaninaz
tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing this since March and I have lost 35 pounds so far.

I went to the store and bought Ziploc containers. The containers say 1 cup, 8 oz, 236 ml.

I then break up my meals so they are 3 hours apart.

Breakfast at 6
Snack at 9
Lunch at 12
Snack at 3
Dinner at 6
Snack at 9 (if I am hungry)

It prevents spikes by leveling everything out. It's tough to do at first, but once you get used to it, it won't be so bad.

This is what I eat in those meals. It may not work for you, but I hope it gives you an idea and then you can find other substitutes.

Breakfast - One whole egg and 4 egg whites, scrambled and put into the cup. One grapefruit.
Snack - Broccoli or cauliflower with regular hummus. Trust me, it's good.
Lunch - 8oz of boneless, skinless, grilled chicken.
Snack - Two rice cakes. You can add a teaspoon of peanut butter to each.
Dinner - 8oz of boneless, skinless, grilled chicken or tilapia.
Snack - Broccoli/cauliflower with hummus or rice cakes again.

Hope this helps!

Replies

  • JaymeQ
    JaymeQ Posts: 8 Member
    You do the same meals every day? No fruits, or yogurts? I was doing the Dr. Ian's Ultimate Fat Smash, and the meals were set up the same, every 3 hours. The 2 times I did the diet, I lost a good amount of weight. This last time however, I have not lost at all. I have gained back 16lbs sice last year, and it's time for me to start again.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Sounds boring as all hell. Good for you if you like it and it works but eating chicken breast twice a day without even a veggie with it would last about one day for me and rice cakes make great hamster food.

    EDIT: Just looked at your diary, you're consuming less than 1200 calories a day and exercising on top of that. Not cool dude!
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    Glad it is working for you but I would be bored and starving if I ate like that! How many calories a day does that add up to? Seems to me that it isn't enough.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Portion control is an important aspect of the equation and if that is what you have found to help you reach your goals, cool. However, it appears that it may be a struggle to achieve proper nutrition with that meal plan. I mean, if your goal is to lose weight and the number on the scale is most important, than it looks like you have done it. However, long term, you may face some difficulties and would probably have to re-adjust your goals. But whatever......
  • EinTX
    EinTX Posts: 104 Member
    This is actually a good idea if you are struggling with portion control. It is just a method of planning ahead and being prepared for the day. You can use your containers to setup your eating plan for the day and then each meal select the appropriate meal, what is in them can be adjusted to suit the individual or type of diet they are following. For instance, some cottage cheese or yogurt and berries could be used for one of the snacks and veggie sticks and dip for another. Your protein could be chicken, beef or soy depending on what you would like. You could keep it low carb if you needed or you can keep it low fat, etc. just depends on what type of diet you are following. You can also just pack leftovers from dinner in premeasure servings ready to go for future meals (lunch or dinner). Some days you could have the fixings for a smoothie in your breakfast container and just blend it when you are ready to eat.

    So much of the time the getting off plan is just because you are tired, failed to plan ahead and don’t feel like fusing with a meal. If you have it all ready to grab it eliminates that issue and is actually easier to just grab what you have already prepared than to start cooking something you didn’t plan on eating.

    For me, I ALWAYS make better choices first thing in the morning while I am preparing for the day, and not so much after work, home, tired and ready to kick back and veg out.

    Not a terrible method.
  • tazmaninaz
    tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
    Jayme - Thanks for the reply. The main idea behind my post is portion control, which I had a huge issue with. I also exercise, which I add to MFP so that it tells me how many calories I should burn a week to keep losing weight.
  • tazmaninaz
    tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
    Mokey41 and Katwood - Appreciate the input. It's true, I am not eating enough calories a day, but my trainer suggested to stick to those foods. I have made him aware it's not enough calories, so I think he's working on another list of foods to eat during the day.
  • tazmaninaz
    tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
    nomeejerome and Ein TX - Thanks for the input. I need to rethink this food list that my trainer put me on. Perhaps I'm reading his instructions wrong and not enough calories a day as I should. I do change it once in while, but not much.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    All I see is protein. What happened to the carbs and fat? Fruits & veggies?

    I'm sure this can work well for you, because at one time, a very rigid and restrictive diet like this worked well for me. At least for a couple of weeks, during which I broke my habits of "mindless eating".

    But I got bored with the very limited food selections. I also learned that I don't have to restrict foods in order to lose weight. The more I learn about nutrition, the more varied my eating becomes. I become more adventurous with food choices and really enjoy eating again because I can eat anything I want to. No rice cakes, carrots and broccoli for me anymore. More like lots of fruits, veggies, whole grain, beans, lentils, lean meats, nuts, whole dairy, healthy fats, etc, etc, etc.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
    Wow, I eat more calories than that and I weigh 112 lbs. I think you definitely need to add some more calories in there. Maybe split your lean protein up and add some to your other meals and eat them with the veggies and a little healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts)??
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
    if its working for you then thats great. But I definitely think you should up the calories.

    personally it sounds like my idea of hell. I couldn't eat that for one day, let alone everyday.
  • slatermm
    slatermm Posts: 1
    Be sure to ask your trainer questions about the list of foods he/she is providing and where the list came from. A lot of trainers have VERY little education in nutrition, so it may be worth checking out/finding a local nutritionist and getting some tips there to ensure that you're hitting all the nutrients that your body needs. Otherwise, you may be "following" what worked for one of your trainers other clients or the latest 'fad' that he/she happened to stumble across. (Please don't mis-interpret as me saying it was mal-intended, just something to be aware of.)

    Props, though, on the focus on portion sizes. That's the big issue for a lot of people.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    Kudos on your plan for portion control. I bought a couple of sets of measuring cups and spoons at the Dollar Store to help with portion control. I discovered that I was either over or under estimating my portions. Last night I had black beans and rice, as a side, and was amazed at how much a 1-cup of cooked rice and 1/2 cup of black beans filled my plate.

    I've been on MFP since mid-June and have lost 12 lbs with some exercise and eating 2000-2100 calories for 6-days and 2400-2800 for my free day. Good luck.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You do the same meals every day? No fruits, or yogurts? I was doing the Dr. Ian's Ultimate Fat Smash, and the meals were set up the same, every 3 hours. The 2 times I did the diet, I lost a good amount of weight. This last time however, I have not lost at all. I have gained back 16lbs sice last year, and it's time for me to start again.

    Never mind the no fruit or yoghurt.... What about the no cake or chocolate?!
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
    You do the same meals every day? No fruits, or yogurts? I was doing the Dr. Ian's Ultimate Fat Smash, and the meals were set up the same, every 3 hours. The 2 times I did the diet, I lost a good amount of weight. This last time however, I have not lost at all. I have gained back 16lbs sice last year, and it's time for me to start again.

    Never mind the no fruit or yoghurt.... What about the no cake or chocolate?!

    haha that was my immediate thought too.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Glad it works for you! Nice job on your portion control too! I discovered eating 2 bigger meals and a snack is much more satisfying than snacking all day. Also I love my fruits especially this time of year. Gotta find out what works for you.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Mokey41 and Katwood - Appreciate the input. It's true, I am not eating enough calories a day, but my trainer suggested to stick to those foods. I have made him aware it's not enough calories, so I think he's working on another list of foods to eat during the day.

    Your trainer has no idea what they're talking about when it comes to nutrition. Any trainer that gives you a specific list of foods to stick to instead of giving you proper macro and calorie goals to hit is completely lost. You are not losing weight because you are eating 6 meals a day, and you are not losing weight because of the type of food you are eating. You are losing weight because of the large calorie deficit you are eating at every day. The same exact weight loss could be accomplished eating anything you want and hitting proper macros...

    Edit: Also I just noticed from the food list that your dietary fat intake has got to be crazy low. Dietary fat is important for nutrient absorption and hormone production. You may think the diet your trainer gave you is healthy, but I would argue that the lack of dietary fat is very unhealthy.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    OP you are way too low on your fat intake. I suggest aiming for a minimum of 0.35 grams per lb of body weight. So if you weigh 200 lbs that would be 70 grams or 630 cals from fat. This should be seen as a minimum, as fat is quite healthy are required for healthy hair, skin, nails, digestive system, and aids the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals.

    Maybe eat more of the hummus or add more peanut butter, or olive oil to your day
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Jayme - Thanks for the reply. The main idea behind my post is portion control, which I had a huge issue with. I also exercise, which I add to MFP so that it tells me how many calories I should burn a week to keep losing weight.

    ??? MFP's caloric intake suggestion is how much to lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise. Once you exercise you should be eating even more.
  • tazmaninaz
    tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
    Calliope610 – I have been staying away from fruits and sugars because I’m also a diabetic, which is the main reason for losing weight. My last visit with my doctor a couple of weeks ago said all my levels now are finally in range, so I will try and get more fruits. For now, I’m eating a grapefruit or navel oranges in the morning. Once in a while, I will eat watermelon. My main veggies are broccoli and cauliflower, and sometimes a salad. =)

    Lenora428 – From your photos, it looks like you work out a lot more than I do. I only see my trainer twice a week. I have recently started a workout routine outside of the gym that I will do every day which includes walking, hiking, jogging, and biking. I am still 25 pounds away from my goal. When I get to my goal, I will transition to maintenance. I am trying to lose as much weight as I can before my training ends in November. =)
    adorable_aly – It IS hell, but it’s only temporary. I’m going extreme here (to me) because I want to get rid of the weight once and for all. =)

    slatermm – There are things that my trainer suggested that I won’t follow. I looked them up on the internet, even consulted with my doctor about them, and they don’t seem like the right thing to do for me. I am considering going to see a nutrionist and maybe work on a better food plan that not only meets all nutrients I need, but also helps me with my weight loss. Thanks for the suggestion! =)

    loulamb7 – Thanks!

    Tavistocktoad – No cake or chocolate for me for now. I am allowed one meal one week where I am told I can eat what I want, and I eat more, but it’s still better food.
    Rainbow198 – Eating less often and bigger meals was wreaking havoc on my blood sugar levels, which is why I switched to portion control. =)

    Aj_g – I don’t always listen to what my trainer suggests I should do. The portion control was my idea when he put me on weight loss goals. It’s something I should have done a long time ago. I should actually see a nutrionist and have that person suggest what I should eat. Thanks! =)

    Erickirb – You make sense. In fact, everyone that replied is making sense in one way or another. I am definitely going to overhaul the list and amounts of food I am taking in. I am eager to hear from all of you and even more people to chime in. I am very appreciative of all your responses and I know for sure I have a lot of work to do! =)
  • betharoo0
    betharoo0 Posts: 6 Member
    Looks Good To Me! I Like Greek Yogurt.My Fave Is Chocolate Rice Cakes With Pb! Yum!
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    It sounds like this is definitely working for you!

    I've had success eating every 3 hrs in the past, eating 6 meals per day and also 5 per day. but I have had the very best results eating 3 well-spaced meals per day with no snacks so that is what I'm doing now. Going by you're menu I would say I eat more healthy fats and fewer carbs (have grain sensitivities).
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    To the OP I just wanted to add that portion control is definitely important and eating small meals more frequently has worked for me too. I think it is great that you are taking control of your life and are striving to be healthier but I do think you need to talk to your trainer or a nutritionist about increasing your calories and adding more variety to your diet.

    Kudos to you for not being offended by the replies you are getting. So many people become defensive when they get any form of criticism when really the people on this site just want to help you achieve your goals in a way that is healthy and sustainable :)
  • Alpina483
    Alpina483 Posts: 246 Member
    bump for the portion control tip
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    OP: You have a great attitude towards this and it is awesome that you are open to feedback. Wish you the best. :smile:
  • tazmaninaz
    tazmaninaz Posts: 16 Member
    Fellow MFPers: I am open to any and all comments, complaints, suggestions, praises, curses, etc! If I didn't want any of them, I wouldn't have posted. Knowledge is power, and no one's feedback was negative. On the contrary, it was very informative and it also supported some thoughts I had about some suggestions I was given outside of this post.

    Thank you all for your replies and looking forward to more! =)

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