Hello!! :drinker: For this month I am doing gluten free, dairy free, eat mostly veggies than fruit and lean meats, etc. I want to stick to no more than 1600 cals so I definitely need to log my foods in. Thank you Angela for the little push.

I opened the link but it is the spreadsheet for your weigh ins from jan 2013 challenge. What do the squares, triangles, etc mean? I was looking at the last two tiers and that is what most people eat, including myself sometimes. :noway: I do like the idea of eating this way, thank you for sharing.

24Sept, you are one brave woman!!! :drinker: I would love to go vegan but I'm afraid I wouldn't eat enough protein. It is hard as it is right now.

:flowerforyou:

My diet plan is always based on income and schedules. Between working two jobs and both my kids I never really plan in advance what tom have! Thankfully my husband does the cooking since I'm the one with 2 jobs, but often times i have no idea whats for dinner.
Lunches are the same: meat and cheese sandwich, string cheese, a fruit of some sort and/or a yogurt. Occasionally some pringles for a salty treat. it's just a quick and easy lunch to make and pack when you commute an hour and leave before sunup!
Anyways, I cnt really make and post a diet plan as most days i fly by the seat of my pants in food. Days i work both jobs are esp hard to plan. The rest is income, I buy fruits and veggies, cheese, yogurt, etc when i can but it never is enough to last til the next shopping trip and i can never afford more til payday. Pretty pathetic really, since i have 2 jobs and hubs works. :-(

rachso, lack of cash can make a good diet difficult to achieve.. Frozen fruit and vegetables are a nice option, to have on hand as the week progresses. Sometimes people wonder how people who struggle with finances can be overweight, but they are often faced with having to choose unhealthy foods. But if you can somehow find the time, it can be done. Dried beans for example are super cheap, with a few spices, a couple handfuls of veggies cooked in a crock pot, you can have a fantastic cheap meal.

As for my nutrition plan, I will stick with what works for me. That is, eliminate added sugars, consume 30 grams of fiber per day, which helps digestion and helps fill the belly and eat "whole foods" as opposed to processed foods, such as whole grain rice and pastas, beans, meat, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit. Even my evening snack is usually just buttered popcorn. The closest thing to processed food will be dairy products like cheese, no-sugar-added ice cream and plain yogurt and whole grain crackers like Triscuits and Wheat Thins. My calorie goal is set to 1300 per day. I also wear a HRM that counts calories burned and I eat back my calories. This is how I reward myself for getting my butt to the gym. It works for me!